Quisling! An AFB does Japan (No PanzerKat)

[John B.]

In Burma I think that it's time to run away. There is very little supply getting through, the main qeustion will be can I get everything out in time. My cause was helped immensely by the combat at Chang Mai this turn. As you can see, my regiment retreated to an outstanding hex. they are well position to cut the supply line to the two divisions Scott has on the northern part of my perimeter. Well done brave retreating lads!

[Bif1961]

From your map it looks like you have already left Burma so are you thinking about pulling back from northern Thailand?

[GetAssista]

ORIGINAL: John B.
My cause was helped immensely by the combat at Chang Mai this turn. As you can see, my regiment retreated to an outstanding hex. they are well position to cut the supply line to the two divisions Scott has on the northern part of my perimeter. Well done brave retreating lads!e]

I would not be so sure your guys would be able to make it in time to the adjacent hex. There is no roads to help you, while they are there for you opponent even if he has to traverse 2 hexes. Not to mention he can bomb you in a pinch

[John B.]

Sorry for the delayed responses. I am thinking about pulling out of Indochina all together. There are not very many VP points there for bases (I think Saigon is worth the most) and it's at the far far end of my supply lines. Saigon, Bangkok, and the capital of Cambodia that I can say but can't spell all produce a little bit, but not much. And, once Manila falls it's way too easy for Scott to land and cut everyone off (which would be potentially 7 divisions plus other troops). So, it's time to fall back to China. But, that should take awhile.

Get Assista, you're right, my boys are barely moving just making two miles per day so they won't be cutting him off.

Here is the last turn we did. Not much happened other than some of Scott's carriers were set to anti-ship and ran into the buzz saw over Nagasaki. Most of Scott's air-to-air losses were F6Fs. I think that may be one of the most produced planes in this game so I hope that I at least got some of his good pilots.

I have two BB TFs there that are bombarding Tangashima that his fly boys were going after.

[John B.]

November 13th saw a large number of allied planes fall to Japanese flak. Basically, these are the daily Manila losses plus the loss of a number of planes over my armor divisions in China. The air-to-air losses represent fighter sweeps Scott sent over Nagasaki with new model corsairs. Scott also lost a few AMs at Tanegashima.

[John B.]

On your left in China are the armor divisions. There are three of them plus a regular infantry division. I've also stacked up a bunch of AA to make a hedgehog. As I move across the river I"m threatening what I believe is a depleted US airborne division plus an armored regiment. I'm making this a target Scott has to bomb to rack up some plane kills which so far has been in my favor VP wise (he has to kill 24 squads/devices per plane to keep on the 2-1 VP ratio he'll need to win). If he doesn't bomb me then I get to savage his units across the river. The infantry division slows everything up as it only goes 14 miles per day in combat mode. On your right I put in a shock attack that roughly handled the NZ brigade. I'm trying to make Scott spend time with his air force reacting to me rather than pushing forward with his attacks.

Scott has stopped bombarding with his troops at Manila and now is just using BBs and his aircraft. This has significantly slowed Manila's supply burn which is not about 400 points per day vs. the 1,200 per day when he bombarded. This has the nice effect of making the siege last longer holding down his troops and letting me shoot down more of his planes. Manila is the graveyard of the PV-1 Venturas.

[John B.]

My campaign to keep Tanegeshima closed, or at least unable to expand, is working so far. I'm not sure for how long. At some point Scott will get the 3 BBs I have bombarding either in a surface action, subs, mines, or something. This will be a big VP blow but the way I figure it, I need to keep that island shut down as long as possible and Scott will hunt my BBs down sooner or later so I might as well get some use out of them. They did sink 4 AMs this time, but that hardly counts (no disrespect to the brave AM pixel sailors who went down fighting). Scott also took out Daito Shoto. It was impressive that the American carriers completely destroyed my defenders before we even got to the ground combat.

[John B.]

Another day, another fight centered around Tanegashema! Scott sent his fighters over Nagasaki, again, and had a better turn in the air against my pixel pilots. The Franks did not do so well today. But, it's fighting at the HI and there is not much choice.

[John B.]

This time Scott sent a CA TF to intercept me on my way back from the daily Tanegashima bombardments. Those took place as scheduled and did more damage to the port and airfield complex preventing any expansion. A number of subs were subjected to ASW attacks with heavy damage reported.

Scott also initiated a new war crime by dropping mines on my harbor at Nagasaki.

There is a CV TF in the area and two DDs did not make it back to the air umbrella and paid the price.

[John B.]

As for the actual naval combats, Sommerville's CA TF was surprised by the Razor. Sadly, not too much damage was inflicted although there was an explosion reported on the Suffolk.

[John B.]

The allied CA TF then intercepted the other main bombardment TF. This time it was a heavy exchange of fire with the CA Australia being badly battered and not insignificant damage on the IJN BB. Tonight there will only be a DD bombardment of Tanageshima and the two BB TFs will see if they can track down the allied stragglers.

I realize this is a losing game in the end for me, but my ships are dead men sailing right now and anything to delay the inexorable allied advance while gleaning at least a few VP is worth it in an attempt to delay allied strategic bombing of the home islands with an airbase right off the coast for his fighter sweeps.

[John B.]

We are halfway through November and it's a long long time until the game ends! Overall a mixed turn for Imperial Japan.

[John B.]

On the plus side the IJA took out a number of P-47s over Nagasaki and F-6Fs over Tanegashima. I had heavy bomber losses due to strikes in China to slow down some armor battalions and at Tanegashima. That bombing was to give the navy a break and to keep that island shut down as long as possible.

[John B.]

At sea I tried to find his wounded CAs. I did find them and put more damage into them but only with DD guns so I'm not sure if they made it or not. I did find this DD TF and took out two US DDs.

[John B.]

And, on the land the NZ flank guard next to Wenchow suffered it's second attack that pushed it back with heavy losses. I'm going to opt to not enter Wenchow since I don't like Scott's shore bombardment. On the other hand, it does give him something else that he has to keep track of. I may pop in just so see what's what. Or not. I'm being decisively indecisive!

[John B.]

However, these smaller pieces of good news are counterbalanced by the attack Scott made on Manila. Not only did he knock the forts down to level 5, he also inflicted more casualties on me than I did on him. Manila is not long for this world, I fear. I can only hope that Scott pauses a few turns before he attacks again. I've switched all transports to pulling troops out and I'll no longer fly supply in. There are about 16K supply there right now (with a stated need of 8K) so Manila will fall before the supply runs out.

That place has tied down Scott's entire medium bomber force and 11 divisions (and Chinese corps) plus scads of artillery. It will be sorely missed!

[John B.]

So it was kind of a good news bad news turn. The good news, of course, is that the large widows and orphans pensions my treasure will be paying out will no doubt stimulate the Japanese economy to ever greater heights.

[John B.]

And really, who needs aircraft carriers anyway. All those annoying planes buzzing around ruining the aim or our BB guns!

But, Scott still needs a whole lot of VP and I figured the carriers were going to sink someday and they've more than paid for the VP I just lost. Still some flattops left, but not many planes.

[RangerJoe]

Now you know how Ozawa felt at the Battle of Leyte Gulf.

[John B.]

It pretty much has to happen sometime. I was just surprised the the VP spread still is as wide as it is.