Beer gives you the wobblies

[herbieh]

!st I really hope wobbly isnt reading this, as the phyc war has begun. Sent him the next turn with a message (good old tokyo rose) that went like this: a large army (but not large enough) deep inside enemy lines, with an exposed supply line, stretched, an enemy resurgent with conserved planes and ships, and reinforcements flowing in, and a opponent willing still to go for a auto victory.

Love to know his thoughts
The action.
Bombed Townsville!!!!!, with a mavis strike. Thatll get him(totally irrelevant but it should stir him up a bit)
Then his LBA hit Buna again, not nearly as effectively that time.
Then in beatiful clear skies my Betties and Nells struck from Munda at GG
6 AK hit, 2 should sink
1ap hit
1 tanker hit
Cl leander smacked!!
CA portland hit, out of the war!

losses were heavy, 22 betties lost(out of 50 plus used), but it should really give him pause.(still some in pool)
Where are his CVs?. Im beginning to think back at pearl, or preparing for Irau invasion.
Fine, get tangled in two fronts!
I have 23000 troops at Buna, he has 16000

1st very successful evac from rennel island last night, totally undetected, half a regiment out, now at munda

Tomorrow 27 betties, 50 zeros are tasked to attack from gassmatta, target, shipping.
man I like this game.

[Dunhere]

man I like this game.

Man i like your AAR (both Wobbly's one and yours). It is really a good lesson how to play UV.

Keep it on.

[herbieh]

wobbly awakes to munda's menace, a night hudson strike has no effect.
During the day buna sees more heavy raids, and bombardments from both sides. Strangly enough, now that my troops have some support, they are losing some disruption. it will take another full division to take Buna.
gassmatta air raid, 12 betties, 40 plus zeros, a even fight, wirriways copped it, so did his (must be very fatigued) p40s
Another AK, and another MSW hit hard!!!

now i begin a guessing game, the planes have moved now to Kavieg to rest, but a number of kates and vals have moved to Lea, I have 4 fields I can hit him from, 5 if i deploy all A/c, surely he cant close all of them, and bomb buna, and have naval strike available.

Another evac run to rennel island departs munda.

[herbieh]

The aircraft that moved to lea got jumped, that base is closed for a little while, but not before(about time too) they got in their strike. 4 vals and six kates lost, only 1 zero I think, for at least 4 wildcats, claimed anyway.
kates did well, 2 torpredoes into the CA salt lake city, the vals sold themselves dear as well, hitting a CL heavily, although I think she will stay.
Not much else to report, Im loading half a regiment at truk, it might get to lea, it might not, me thinks only several thousand more troops at buna and it will be very difficult for him to eject me.

PM airfield back online(sssshhhhh), dribbles of a/c evacuating the place.

[herbieh]

love to know what wobbly thought of that turn, he must be smiling as one of my last weapons gets blown away.

the action; 6 mavis conduct a night port attack at 1000 feet, and plant a hit on CA portland in GG. Wont be repeating that, cost 3 a/c

Then dooooommm for herb, big raid from gg closes gasmatta
Bigger raid from Dobodura closes gassmatta as well
Huge raid, nearly 80 heavies from Aus, smash lea
And a small raid(1st for ages, mmmmm, sus or what!?) hits PM

then his CVs pop up just south of gassmatta, and in one horrible day, sink 5, or well , all of my minelayers in one operation.

My resistance is fast waning away, still no a/c to fight with coming online, 6 days before 1st reinforcements arrive.

A big convoy approaches buna, this is the end of that I fear, buggar, I need another 2 weeks !

[herbieh]

Wobbly Cvs enter the Bismark sea. I bow my hat to him, since losing my CVs he has played a great game, quick attack, and blitz.

Cant do anything at the moment but die for the empire......

read wobbly for details , Im too depressed.

[herbieh]

Wobbly Cvs now 3 hexes from kavieg.
A convoy is caught by surprise at the admiralties, and is slaughtered, 5,6 APs and 2 Dds sunk. Pure murder. In desperation Ive ordered all the planes I have got to fly, Ive moved all my reserves around, I wanted to save them for the counter attack, but If I dont pause him, it'll all be over before I get a chance

A new regiment is identified at Buna, still not enough, but its getting fine.

I have 50000 supply points there, how I wish I could destroy them.

[herbieh]

In thunderstorms and rain wobbly delivers another division to buna, now we are one to one, I can still hold for another week.
Even if buna falls, it will leave wobbly another week to redeploy those forces, maybe time enough.

rennel island evac continous, almost half a division at munda now, all in fair shape, ready to hit GG as well.

this is going to be tight.

Sniping contines 3 wobbly apds hit that turn.

[herbieh]

not much happening that turn, still shuffling airgroups. betties hit GG in a night attack, 1 hit on salt lake city, she must be really bent by now.
fast transport group munda to rennell islad is feeling the pinch, system damage climbing. Only need one more run, can I get it?. We got sighted that turn, so wobbly may set a trap.

We continue to fight. Buna holds still.

[herbieh]

more terrible news rocks the empire. the fast transport run to munda fell one hex short yesterday, one hex short and sighted. dawn brought a sky full of dive bombers, 1cl, 3dd sunk, the rest are fleeing. so ends the rennell island ferry run.

i have formed two very large fast transports for a dash to the admiralties, 2 new base forces are to get the fields there up and running
the carriers are here. I wait now on troops.

Shokaka is available in japan, replacements are set at high, will she be sent, do I wait for her?
Ill wait 3 days, if not released then the GG plan goes with what we have got.

Buna holds wobblies deliberate attack, just , one on one, but his LBA delivered a shattering disruption attack.

Will wobbly send another division?
Will GG become a backwater, ready for picking?

[herbieh]

After a few lost turns inthe electronic ether, finally sat down last night, opened the turn, wobbly complaining about being out on a limb ect....

Bang, big bombardment of Buna, then a gazillion LBA hit buna, from dobadura and GG

Then my turn, Lea, now back into action launches a nice strike at ....Port Moresby, where a totally undetected fleet has arrived.
Very nice results, 1 AP, 3 torpes, 3 AP,2 torpes, 1 AP a torpe, and a SC hit as well, no cap!
Now surely not enough troops are landing there to rush the place, so another slog commences to inevitable japanese destruction :rolleyes:

The reason for this attack becomes apparent as a deliberate attack goes in at Buna, and all my hopes turn to dust as Buna falls, heaps of troops destroyed, those that retreat are totally disrupted.
New gunea is finished, lea is totally exposed, as is the rest of the North coast.

My hand is forced, only 1 regiment has arrived , another in 2 days, shokaka hasnt been released, and troops in numbers are still 2 weeks away. Still High command orders operation GG (great gamble) into action.

BB Musashia and 3 dd will depart for the admiralties.
All CAs in theatre (6 or so)will depart Admiralties and make way to Shortlands
BB Hiei and escort despatches to Shortlands.
CVs Zuikaka (fighters only)and Hiyo and 2 CAs detatch to Shortlands
1 and a half regiments load for Munda, to join the 2 and a bit there
CVL Shoho prepares and sails south on a decoy suicide mission

This is the last effort to stop wobbly, and grab a victory of sorts(moral anyway).
I personally see a defeat in detail, but it should be fun to watch it all unfold over the next couple of weks of game time.

I wonder what wobbly is planning and thinking?

( hes only been using 2 CVs at a time so I guess several are playing possum, and will pop up and ruin the party)

[herbieh]

This game is getting to the stage where I almost dread opening the turn, so sitting down last night I wondered what next?....

Open turn, and imagine my shock when a report of BB Washington hits mine at Munda! flashes up, OH NO< IVE TOTALLY FORGOTTEN ABOUT BBs!!!
Then I thought, thats OK, Ive moved all those Betties wobblies obvoisly after....., then I thought OH POO!, what about all the Zeros Ive just moved into the place!
Then up flashed surface combat, Washington, South Dakato , a CA and heaps of DDs, and all Ive got is 5 lousy DDs, remains of the fast transport rennel island express

longe lance attack, washington 1, maybe 2 hits, South dakato a hit, the CA ahit, a dd split in two!!

Washington is badly hurt, S.Dakato probably not, the CA will have to go home
I loose 2 DDs, 2 damaged.
The bombardment kills 6 zeros, bah, heaps left.

PM invasion lands, Its weak, I really must have hurt it
remnants of 2 regiments at Buna hold on another day

And not a single warship now remains at Truk

GG appears to have no combat troops, now that his surface forces are greatly reduced, all I have to do is seduce his CVs away, clear the mines, nuetralise his LBA, and land a gazzilion troops with out detection. :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

[herbieh]

time to strike back, all the shipping I have heads south

Wobbly hammers Lea, hammers gasmatta, kills very little, no planes in range at the moment
he lands troops to the west of PM, at PM 3 regiments to 2, almost enough, but not quite.
wonder when the solomons feel his wrath?

[herbieh]

Several Vals from PM suddenly become servicable, and strike a DD at GG, stupid buggars, now wobbly will bomb em back to the stone age before I can evac them.
Lea lea falls, and PM battle is locked at 1 all. Resistance ends at Buna, a savage defeat for the imperial army,.

wobbly E mail - what next?
herb reply - Im going for a auto victory

Crummy tactics I know, maybe the shoho though very shortly will get his mind racing.

Imperial HQ orders radio silence,and a hunt for spies.

[herbieh]

What i suspect will be the last great attack of the empire rolls into action.
last turn wobbly continues to hammer PM, its up to 80 plus b17s now, and liberators are getting into the act.
my barges at Lea are now a target as well.

The attack is launched.
BB Mushia begins to run in through the bismark straight towards dobadura, bombardment run.
A gazzilion barges head that way as well

Shoho is now deep into the coral sea, interdicting

BB Heie departs Munda, to GG on a bombardment run
All My Cas are on a fast transport run, and load at munda nearly 2 full regiments, they are ordered to rendevou with my 2 CVs North east of woodlark

All Aircraft are beginning operations.

The bad thing is weather is clear, but I cant wait, Ive been spotted at Munda.


200 plus aircraft are reported at GG, and still no combat troops, 3 base forces though. Oh, but to capture that lot on the ground!

This game has been a bit predictable lately, and Ive no luck at all, things must change.
I hope wobbly is feeling nice and complacent.

[herbieh]

we are having combat replay problems, Ive been trying to tell wobbly what happened, he seems happy though as the turns keep arriving

during the night i continueed to snipe GG
Pm is hammered by naval bombardment, not long and its all over there.

the day sees Mushia still undetected!
hiei and the cvs may have been sighted, the CAs are still loading
A single ap enters bismark straight, and occupies all his dive bombers, mushia is grateful for their sacrifice

Shoho begins her bid for glory, lots of TF retreats messages for wobbly to ponder, and she sinks a tanker deep inside the coral sea.
looking at my distribution of ships, a auto victory attempt seems to be building, least I hope that is what he thinks

Finally a gazillion barges in a lot of little task forces begin to head south from Lea and madang
3 subs lay mines in dobadura, and now wait in ambush.

its going to be a bloody week.
A big gamble, gasmatta is stuffed with planes, so is woodlark island (no base support but its a hit and run affair there.
role on the next turn!

[herbieh]

the action as viewed from imperial command:
3 betties snipe GG
BB mushia,3dd encounter 2 dd,1msw dobadura, and blast straight through them, mushia simply shrugs aside a torp hit.
2allied dds burning behind them
5 pts attack, 2 sunk
BB hiei CA Kumano 3 dd enter GG bay,encounter 8 dd.For once imperial forces prevail, 2allied DDs sink 5 others are savaged in a terrible close quarters fight, imperial armour plate saves the day
Pts attack, 2 more sunk
Mushia bombards dobadura, 30 hits, not enough
allied dd hits a mine at buna

dawn, 10 betties, 12 zeros hit GG, over 50 cap, 9 betties lost
then 53 betties, 11 nells,17 zeros hit GG, 40 odd cap, 20 betties lost
dobadura strikes back, hits the ap in bismark straight.

Then BB mushia becomes a bomb spunge as the full weight of dobadura air decends on her, we lose count of 250 lb bomb hits, that bounce of her armour, over twenty we count in 4 waves of attacks. they accumulate damage, but its the 3 torpedoes that hurt the most.
she will escape, but is out of the fight

the fast transports do not sail, they depart now tomorrow, the great gamble will continue

Air attacks from gasmatta do little damage, they concentrate on BB south dakato, and chew flack

shoho contiues to cause trouble, sinking another tanker down south, she is fleeing towards lunga

regiments are flowing into truk, the attack continues!!!

Losses,16 vals, 33 betties( the horror, o the horror)15 zeros, 6 nell and 6 oscar, to about 15 p40, total 82 to 25 planes all told for the day.

A black day, still, if the regiments get delivered, it will be worth it.
If not, hari kari 1is on the cards.

hope this is still entertaining, hows wobblies reports, are the 2 views still worth doing.?

anyway, we attack again, all or nothing! :p

[BPRE]

hope this is still entertaining, hows wobblies reports, are the 2 views still worth doing.?

Hi,

Picked up this thread lately but I'm finding it very interesting and exciting. Since you are posting in each thread you're able to give us an insight into your planning that wouldn't be possible otherwise. Provides a new dimension to the AAR in my view.

Thanks,
BPRE

[herbieh]

i wish i knew how to post a picture, but I dont

Sitrep
the reef to the east of GG, cv saratoga,and escrts.
Just 4 hexes north, zuikaka,hiyo, zuikaka with 3 full squadrons on cap, hiyo normally stocked
8 Cas,2cls, 8dds stuffed full of troops right there with them, ordered to run into gg next turn. Cvs to stay and fight
Shoho racing from lunga towards the battle
GG apparently now has 2 bbs in there (please CAs long lance time), maybe not

another allied CV racing north from numea, but maybe too far out of it
BB hiei racing from munda to gg
woodlark full of planes, all on naval strike

And thunderstorms grounded all planes last turn, so every airfield in range of GG and dobadura is functional.

I honestly think Ive done as good as i can with what I have, especially in the face of the overwhelming odds.
wobbly in e mail now calls this the battle of GG, so he has guessed, I also think that he now sees the danger, if troops are not landed this turn coming it will be too late. So Bb or no BB, its attack!

Oh and quite a few barges are entering gg this turn too!
college tomorrow, so 48 hrs before results, Ill have no nails left by then!

[Dunhere]

Don't you fear Wobbly could air lift some troops from Cairns or Cooktown?

Otherwise, it seems to be an astonish move.