The Shattered Sword: John 3rd vs. Anachro--BTS

[zuluhour]

This is very sneaky.......(lol) an encryptical envelopement.

[John 3rd]

You gentlemen are correct. We are getting deep into the tricksy department. Sean has a pretty good feel for my play style. This is a very different play for me.

I've got four CVE at Singapore and I have been waiting for one more to be repaired. Taiyo will be repaired in two days. I've got a ZERO and JUDY unit sitting at Singers for that moment. Will divide the two units and fill the CVEs to brim and then send them over to join-up. Also just finished converting 4 TK into AOs. They are loading and will head to the area to re-fuel if needed.

If Sean does not take the bait then I shall see the Indian ID and Aussie Brigade crushed and surrender. That would be good; however, I want combat shipping. He must start moving down the coast towards Akyab and/or bring a bunch of troops in an Amphib Landing. Solid damage to his Naval Forces will continue to buy me time. We'll see what he does...

[zuluhour]

If its any reassurance, I would not be able to resist......My first response would be a sub cordon but he may not be in a position to do that particularly
that far out in the IO. Do you plan to keep DG or just crush him and slip away? Ive never been concerned with DG as I rout my convoys from Cape
Town to the north of any interdiction possible from the Isle. (even when its mine). Thank you for the "set up" it makes it fun to watch.

[John 3rd]

I intend to leave behind a unit or two. Want to still force an Amphib Landing because all sorts of things can still go wrong even if just fighting a Naval Guard units or two... I really want to keep the base for my Emily to watch for any obvious shipping build-up crossing from West India--Ceylon--East India. The Inf Div, Air HQ, and any other major units will be pulled out.

A real prize here is some units I wasn't able to get out of Ceylon to rebuild. There are three fragments I was able to pull out to Addu Atoll and then on to DG. The shipping there will allow for these 3-4 units to come home and rebuild for no cost. Like that a lot.

[John 3rd]

Here is the actual Base Info. We're low on supply but the TF to the east is bringing in 15,000+. Should easily be enough to do the job.

Have a Bombardment and Deliberate Attack planned for next turn. The day after that we'll Bombard again and Del Attack again with the Fleet appearing to depart.

Step into my web the spider said to the fly...

[John 3rd]

Here is the battleground of the Coral Sea and New Guinea.

A full CD unit has been landed (no opposition) at Umboi as well as Finschhaven. To take anything this direction up to Manus will get CD fire. Am thickening the minefields as well.

We have a BB STF and CV TF providing direct cover. The move goes to Lae where supplies will be dropped off and we'll pick-up the remaining half of the 64th ID to return to Madang.

At Kavieng we see a large Amphib TF (68 ships) carrying the 12th and 33rd ID and 20,000 Supply. They will move NNE to rendezvous with the 20 or so ships carrying the 9th ID. Add in two Engineering Regiments and this is the Assault Force for Manus. Every remaining Capital Ship will be used for the landing or the Bombardment ahead of the landing. Have a CL, DD, and 6 DMS about to bombard Manus now to see how many mines were laid on his last trip up here.

Large scale aerial bombardment picked back up this turn with 36 Liz and 32 other bombers hitting the AF.

[John 3rd]

I got to thinking/wondering about just how far off the mark BTSL is compared to RL in July 1943. Decided to go thru and total RL CV Strength vs. BTSL Strength. Thought a side-by-side comparison might be interesting!

This is what I have come up with:

[John 3rd]

The Allies have gotten their extra Carriers as well. I would have to look to see the differences but off-the-top, the Americans have 4 additional CVLs at this point. They also added nearly 10 CVE to their roster as well.

[John 3rd]

July 20, 1943
Diego Garcia

The enemy is spotted. Two STF are spotted and Ro-65 puts a torp into the tender side of the DD USS Morris. The same SS misses a Brit DD and an I-Boat misses an American DD.

Diego Garcia
A CL and 5 DD bombard the Commonwealth positions doing 200 Cas. During the day, two raids of 25 Betty/Nell total do another 31 Cas. The Japanese Deliberate Attack scores a surprising 17-1! Japan takes 371 Cas in exchange for 615 Cas and 12 Guns.


The ORDERS go out for another assault tomorrow to be preceded by a bombardment of 2 CA, 1 CL, and 5 DD. Betty/Nells are ordered for TT Attack. Need to make this good. ONLY Have Betty/Nells. NOTHING ELSE!!!

If the Brits surrender immediately, then I shall make a show of having to lift off my poor troops...it might take DAYS...alas poor Japan...

[John 3rd]

Forgot to mention that in July 20, 1943 the N1K2-A GEORGE moves forward to March 1944. I am going to guess it goes into production in November--December 1943. My opponent has just that long to force a true CV-to-CV Battle before I can fight the Hellkittens. Corsairs are another story...

The CV-Variant of the JACK is still sitting--forever it seems--in April 1944.

[John 3rd]

July 20, 1943
VP State

Haven't Posted the VP Screen in quite a while. Take a look at three things:

1. ATA still favors Japan. Reason for this is the massively lop-sided Allied CV-Based Plane losses in the three CV Engagements so far. During those three fights, the Alles have lost 1,100+ planes to Japan's 525.

2. Shipping losses.

3. Ground losses are 3-1 in Japan's favor. A good chunk of this is due to the surrenders created in the SoPac--New Guinea fight as well as what is about to happen at Diego Garcia.

[PaxMondo]

Just dropping in to say you've a good game going. Keep it up!

[John 3rd]

Always good to see you Pax!

[John 3rd]

July 21, 1943
Diego Garcia

Action occurs throughout all phase of the turn for July 21st.

SS Action
I-30 SINKS O19 with a TT at Diego Garcia.

Naval Bombardment
A TF comprised of 2 CA, 2 CL, and 5 DD bombard the Commonwealth Troops doing 158 Cas.

Japanese Assault
A Shock Attack scores a 42-1 result. Wow. Japan loses 692 Casualties and 9 Guns while the Allies lose 1,279 men.


PLANS
The Bombardment TF splits with some obviously heading back to Padang, SUM. Want the enemy to see this.

Two CA, 1 CL and 2 DD move away to meld into the carrier's escort force.

DG is nearly out of supply but the combat units still have one more attacks worth of supply so we order another assault.

[John 3rd]

July 21, 1943
New Guinea

The embarkation of 8,000 Japanese Troops moves fairly smoothly as two Fast TF lift off over half of the men and a group of 7 AK load the equipment as well as more men.

The dawn comes and the Allies try to take control of the air over Lae. It is NOT a good idea! Seven major Allied Sweeps come in (F4F, P-39, P-40, Beaufighter, and P-38) and are met by 185 Japanese planes. The Japanese field 2/3 of these numbers as M5 CV-Based ZEROs with about 60 GEORGE and JACKs to provide additional fighting power.

Sean loves to do these massed Sweeps and have his 4EB come in during the afternoon. Normally it works. Not today! The Japanese Fighters are stacked in altitude: M5 10,000, Jack 15,000, and George 20,000 and really stick it to the Allied pilots and planes.

The afternoon bombing run of 16 Lib, 11 Lib, and 12 Lib is met by a hurricane of angry Japanese pilots. The fall of the Liberators is delightful to watch. Here are the numbers from tracker:

[Canoerebel]

This is fun to watch. Thanks for posting regularly.

Hey, your opponent has vanished from the boards. I'll try to encourage him to return. (He'll fall back on "real life," but game life is more likely the reason.)

P.S. The casualty figures you give are pretty meaningless. It does little good to cite "159 casualties" without knowing number of squads/devices destroyed vs. disabled, and breaking that down by combat, non-combat, engineers, guns, etc.

[John 3rd]

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

This is fun to watch. Thanks for posting regularly.

Hey, your opponent has vanished from the boards. I'll try to encourage him to return. (He'll fall back on "real life," but game life is more likely the reason.)

P.S. The casualty figures you give are pretty meaningless. It does little good to cite "159 casualties" without knowing number of squads/devices destroyed vs. disabled, and breaking that down by combat, non-combat, engineers, guns, etc.

I live by meaningless numbers...this is why I hang out with Michael...

[John 3rd]

Looks like I took a shot at the therapist and cleanly got away with it!

That is OK. I have to make an emergency trip out to Craig and the cabin on Wed, come back Thurs so I have ten hours in the truck to cuss and discuss life and our games. He is in April 45 in his BTS Campaign.

[GetAssista]

ORIGINAL: John 3rd
Looks like I took a shot at the therapist and cleanly got away with it!

This phrase, so many meanings it has [:D] Emergency trip afterwards fits right in too

[John 3rd]

Well...I asked if he wanted to fly out to Colorado and then drive five hours to the cabin, stay the night and fix things, drive five hours back to LaSalle, and then hop on a plane. Cannot imagine why he said NO! [:D]