Intellectus Ex Nihilo (Wal-Mart on Ice)

[Capt. Harlock]

ORIGINAL: RangerJoe

ORIGINAL: HansBolter

ORIGINAL: BBfanboy


L'audace, l'audace, toujours l'audace! - Napoleon Bonaparte

I could swear I recall George C. Scott quoting that in the movie Patton.

You are correct, he did.

That may well be, but the quote is originally from Georges Danton.
https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Georges_Danton

[RangerJoe]

ORIGINAL: Capt. Harlock

ORIGINAL: RangerJoe

ORIGINAL: HansBolter





I could swear I recall George C. Scott quoting that in the movie Patton.

You are correct, he did.

That may well be, but the quote is originally from Georges Danton.
https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Georges_Danton

Not quite the same quote, edited.

De l'audace, encore de l'audace, toujours de l'audace et la Patrie sera sauvée!
Audacity, then again audacity, always audacity and the Fatherland will be saved!
Speech, Assemblée legislative, Paris (1792-09-02), reported in Le Moniteur (1792-09-04)

https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Georges_Danton

[Canoerebel]

4/12/44

Java and Banda seas: Allied landing at Watampone successful. Dave can stymie the move by reinforcing by air, but if nothing else the base is open. Two Allied divisions are prepping for it. One is mostly at Koepang and the other will arrive in two turns. Watampone should turn into a major meeting engagement. Dave can't afford to lose it at this early point in the campaign.

But now comes that dicey decision making. The Allies have probably advanced about as far as they can without running up against enemy air and sea forces. Dave will be assembling his forces, he'll know the likely vectors of advance for the Allies, and he can plan the ambush for the time and place of his choosing. Or there is a chance he's still nursing his wounds, unable to react for days or weeks. I don't know, at this point. Meaningful Allied carrier reinforcements will arrive in about four turns, so it makes sense (or doesn't it) to wait for them? Then a CV arrives in about six days; another in about 20 days; another in about 25 days. It's always tempting to wait for more - always more! - but the opportunities are there now - always now!

[Canoerebel]

One key to this campaign will be how fast, and how safely, I can bring engineers and supplies to these new bases. These are/will be dangerous waters, and the Allied advance has outstripped the ability of the logisticians to keep up.

Right now, a host of engineers are arriving at Darwin, and many more are at Normanton, awaiting transports.

The first engineers for Koepang are about a day or two out (perhaps I should divert that unit further forward, but there's still damage at Koepang and I need that base big now, now, now!) So getting more engineers forward isn't a snap of the fingers. It's going to take some time.

[Crackaces]

Your repair estimates are for Darwin. Sydney for example would be faster. I am not sure worth moving.

[RangerJoe]

Air transports can bring the soft elements forward, APD can do this as well so the work can start. Transports can then bring in the heavy equipment which can then join the unit and be in combat mode right away.

[Canoerebel]

Subject to ability and availability. Most of these bases are dots, so air transport isn't available (except via some float planes, but I prefer not to use them in that capacity, unless in emergency). The APDs are needed for many missions, including your suggestion. Sooner or later, my APDs are going to bump into an aroused and angry enemy. For now, they're being used to move troops forward as fast as possible.

[RangerJoe]

Of course, you could stage the soft elements to Koepang and then use APDs. But I am sure that you have thought of that already.

[jdsrae]

Don’t let engineers get off the boat in Darwin... or good luck getting them out of the bars on Mitchell Street and back on the boat!

https://www.ntnews.com.au/news/only-in- ... 7384509276

[Squamry]

Don't forget the SSTs can also move engineers (and small amounts of supply).

Really enjoying the write up BTW.

[Canoerebel]

4/13/44 and 4/14/44

Celebes: The 13th is a quiet turn. The Allies continue picking up vacant dot hexes between Koepang and Soerabaja and double efforts to get aviation support and engineers moving from anywhere they can be found. At the end of the turn it's decision time. The Allies have accomplished what they can from the safety of the Koepang vicinity. There's no sign of KB. Should DS wait for the reinforcing CVE TF to come up or should it move forward?

I chose to move forward. DS ordered to a point near Kendari to cover reinforcing landings at Watampone (that will take place beginning on the 15th). There is the great unknown. Dave still has strong carrier and combat TFs; he has major airfields; surely the fall of Watampone will worry him. Against that is the opportunity to keep moving forward; to keep applying pressure.

At the beginning of the turn for the 14th, a big IJN CA/DD TF moves to Watampone, sinks the now-empty APD, and on retiring bumps into good Allied forces. Meeting engagement.

[jwolf]

Well, you did finally get Aoba in the end. [:)]

[Canoerebel]

Yup. I think all the shooting was done by those engineers who took liberty in Darwin. You warned me.

[Canoerebel]

4/15/44

Celebes: Enemy carriers may be sneaking up, from the west. If Dave doesn't commit them soon, there'll be an Allied army at Watampone, and Makassar is barely garrisoned. Dave has big problems on his hands, but there's a chance he could "tag me" tomorrow, so that "I'm it." These are scary turns, working out in Indian country without a decisive advantage in carriers. Two more days and I may have that advantage.

[jwolf]

If Dave loses Makassar then yes, pretty much the whole DEI becomes unusable for him. So he has to react, as you said. I'm just wondering why he hasn't already done so. Maybe his major ships took more of a beating than you thought, or something else bad happened to them.

[Canoerebel]

Dave has alot of combat ships disbanded at Soerabaja.

Musashi and Yamato haven't yet made an appearance in the game.

Jaws music.

[Canoerebel]

4/16/44

Celebes: Posting an unannotated map, to give readers a clear look at the situation.

After the Timor Sea Sub-Shoot, Dave pulled his subs away. Now he's sent them back, an indication he's committed to fighting.

Here, the ASW interaction with two subs is on the line of retreat of damaged CA Chicago.

[Canoerebel]

4/16/44

Celebes: Here comes trouble (but not from the direction I had anticipated, after the high detection on my subs near Denpasar yesterday).

[Canoerebel]

4/16/44

Celebes: Hey, his guys miss too!

[Canoerebel]

4/16/44

Celebes: Allied ASW vs. Japanese subs has been a war within the war the past five months. The Allies did well around Milne Bay and again around Rabaul and then near Timor. It looks like Dave is "all in" again. Damaging his subs helps, because then they become more visible, easier to shoot at and easier to avoid.