Empire of the Sun - DesertWolf101 (J) vs Andy Mac (A)

[DesertWolf101]

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

ORIGINAL: DesertWolf101

February 24, 1942

Submarines

I-18 attempts to hit AK Betelgeuse with two torpedoes near California but misses.

South Pacific

Sasebo 8th SNLF successfully lands on Canton Island and catches the Allies by surprise. The Japanese marines seize the atoll and destroy 10 Catalinas, 15 P-39Ds, and 10 Vincent I aircraft on the ground.

Burma

I place a Zero CAP over the 14th Tank Regiment that was getting a lot of attention from B-17 raids recently. The B-17s came with an escort of AVG fighters however, who despite being eliminated by the Zeros did their job of keeping the Japanese off the bombers.

The last Japanese remnants at Akyab are eliminated.

Nicely done.[:)] It should have taken you a full division to take it and several days fight.

Canton is an Atoll, there is no reason to give it away for free in late Feb of 1942.

Thanks [:)]

[DesertWolf101]

February 25, 1942

Submarines

Gar strikes Atago Maru, now an AKE, with a torpedo near Foochow. Porpoise attempts to join in on the fun but its torpedoes malfunction. The AKE nevertheless goes down due to the damage at the end of the turn. [:@]

South Pacific

Seeking to soften up the Allied stronghold at Pago Pago, Japanese battleships Kirishima and Hiei as well as three heavy cruisers shell the island with moderate success in terms of damaged forces there. During the shelling I learn that, amongst other units, the 8th Marine Regiment as well as the 2nd and 7th Marine Defense Battalions are present in the island.

The Hoorn Islands are taken.

Northern Australia

A resupply convoy is detected and attacked by Betty bombers near Derby. Only one small AK is sunk as the bombers miss most of their runs.

[DesertWolf101]

February 26, 1942

Submarines

KXIII detects the MKB sailing up the Strait of Malacca – I was hoping for a couple more days before any of the Operation Bengal Tiger forces get picked up, but at the end of the day at this point either Alpine Dingo has failed or has succeeded. I guess I shall soon find out.

Philippines

Kure 1st SNLF destroys the 93rd PA Infantry Regiment at Tacloban and secures Leyte for the Empire.

Northern Australia

A Zero sweep over Derby finds some Hurricane IIb fighters and knocks them down in flames. Betty bombers hit the Derby port, sinking AD Black Hawk and two AMs.

I send a couple of destroyers to the area to see if I can find the convoy that was largely spared by my Bettys over the last turn.

Indian Ocean

Paratroopers land on the Cocos Islands and secure them.

[DesertWolf101]

February 27, 1942

Submarines

North of Tasmania, I-170 finds a small convoy and sinks AK Ellaroo.

In the same vicinity, I-10 finds and sinks CM Prins van Oranje.

More submarines are sighted and encountered by my convoys and task forces in the Andaman Sea as they steam north towards India.

Northern Australia

During the night, destroyers Hayashio and Kuroshio thrice encounter DD Scout and once more during the daytime but despite numerous exchanges of shells and torpedoes only a few hits were scored on the Scout.

With the British destroyer driven away however, the Japanese vessels find and sink a convoy of four AKs in the area.

[DesertWolf101]

February 28, 1942

Submarines

Northeast of Johnston Island, I-20 detects a large group of Allied warships. No CVs were sighted, but I am pretty sure this is the main American carrier task force as the cruisers and destroyers present are the same that I have seen before in my opponent’s CV task forces.

Near Rangiroa, I-24 launches eight torpedoes at battleship Nevada but only hits with one, which proves to be a dud. Gah![:-] I suspect my opponent is using his battleships to guard his convoys against surface raiders.

Burma

The BFF Brigade which had been holding out in the mountains is finally cornered and eliminated near Magwe.

[DesertWolf101]

State of the Empire

Here we are, end of February 1942, and the SRA is essentially secure. I won’t go again into the initial campaign objectives I set for myself at the beginning of the game, which I have detailed often before, but suffice it to say that I have largely met them. Clark/Bataan continues to hold out which is mildly frustrating, but the rest of the SRA is effectively under Japanese control. In terms of ship losses, I lost during the month of February an AKE, a DMS, three PBs, and an AMc. In general, I think I have succeeded in my effort to minimize losses thus far.

In China, my main army should hopefully be in Chungking in less than a week. How long it would take to reduce and capture the city after that I do not know, but I am hoping for the best. 4,875 Chinese combat squads were destroyed during the month of February.

Having taken a victory lap, I am settling down for a much more difficult phase ahead. I have no illusions that I will be able to continue avoiding heavy losses as I go forward with Operation Bengal Tiger, and frankly I am hoping for the best while anticipating the worst. I fervently hope that Alpine Dingo has been a resounding success, but I won’t really know for some time yet. As I write this, I am only a few days ahead in game time, having finally caught up with the AAR. My forces are fully invested in Bengal Tiger, and there is no turning back.

[DesertWolf101]

Score as of March 1, 1942

[RADM.Yamaguchi]

I am totally amazed at your achievements. I'll have to save this AAR to study. I'm also impressed by the speed of doing turns. i've never seen anything like it. Here i am playing two PBEM and it seems i'm always waiting for a turn.

[RangerJoe]

ORIGINAL: RADM.Yamaguchi

I am totally amazed at your achievements. I'll have to save this AAR to study. I'm also impressed by the speed of doing turns. i've never seen anything like it. Here i am playing two PBEM and it seems i'm always waiting for a turn.

I think that you misunderstand. He started the AAR much later, he just now is catching up to the game.

[RADM.Yamaguchi]

ORIGINAL: RangerJoe

ORIGINAL: RADM.Yamaguchi

I am totally amazed at your achievements. I'll have to save this AAR to study. I'm also impressed by the speed of doing turns. i've never seen anything like it. Here i am playing two PBEM and it seems i'm always waiting for a turn.

I think that you misunderstand. He started the AAR much later, he just now is catching up to the game.

thanks. i need to post turns as they happen hoping for insight from the peanut gallery to help me from getting slaughtered. I trust my opponents not to look.[:)]

[Lowpe]

Good job.

How about a picture of China?

[DesertWolf101]

ORIGINAL: RADM.Yamaguchi

ORIGINAL: RangerJoe

ORIGINAL: RADM.Yamaguchi

I am totally amazed at your achievements. I'll have to save this AAR to study. I'm also impressed by the speed of doing turns. i've never seen anything like it. Here i am playing two PBEM and it seems i'm always waiting for a turn.

I think that you misunderstand. He started the AAR much later, he just now is catching up to the game.

thanks. i need to post turns as they happen hoping for insight from the peanut gallery to help me from getting slaughtered. I trust my opponents not to look.[:)]

Thank you Yamaguchi, that's kind of you. I have been very fortunate though, and I certainly don't expect things to be easy going forward!

[DesertWolf101]

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

Good job.

How about a picture of China?

Certainly.

[DesertWolf101]

Situation in China - March 1, 1942

Large Chinese armies have been isolated and bypassed at Tuyun and Changsha. Wenchow is also still held by the Chinese.

[Lowpe]

Poor China.

I suspect you will do very well in India too, given this picture.

[DesertWolf101]

March 1, 1942

Submarines

Trout gets caught by some sub chasers near Tokyo and damaged by several depth charge hits, including one penetrating.

South Pacific

Japanese troops land on several of the Tonga islands.

A day bombardment of Pago Pago by IJN battleships and heavy cruisers causes further damage with about 20 squads and vehicles destroyed.

Northern Australia

A small Betty raid on Cairns destroys an AM.

China

Sally bombers begin bombing Chungking.

[RangerJoe]

So the IJN is trout fishing? [8|]

[DesertWolf101]

ORIGINAL: RangerJoe

So the IJN is trout fishing? [8|]

I wouldn't mind having some Trout sashimi [:D]

[DesertWolf101]

March 2, 1942

Submarines

Cachalot surfaces near Rabaul to engage AKL Turusima Maru with its deck gun but is surprised to see the small cargo vessel tenaciously fight back. The plucky ship scores a direct hit on Cachalot, causing a fire, and forcing the submarine to break off the fight.

Bay of Bengal

Allied naval search picks up the approaching landing Japanese forces.

South Pacific

The 144th Infantry Regiment, now reinforced by the 4th Division and Guards Mixed Brigade, pursue the 193rd Tank Battalion into Noumea.

More landings on the Tonga islands.

New Guinea

27 B-17s came over today to bomb Port Moresby but to little effect.

[DesertWolf101]

March 3, 1942

Bay of Bengal

Dozens of Blenheim bombers sally forth to hit my transport convoys but miss. Unfortunately, my light carriers were out of position during the turn to assist.

South Pacific

Japanese forces assault and take Noumea. New Caledonia is under Japanese control. The Allied garrison of the 193rd Tank Battalion, the New Caledonia Detachment, a base force, and a field artillery battalion is destroyed.