Hell Hath Frozen Over (Scout1 (J) vs Lowpe (A)

[Lowpe]

Supplying China...

[Lowpe]

Offensive moves this 2 day turn:

Boise is making a flank run into Mauban, should arrive at night, to intercept the IJN invasion fleet...she will then head east to meet up with a large xak holding far off the east coast of Luzon to refuel.

RN Destroyers at Wenchow, are steaming by Okinawa and will meet up with Boise and the large merchant ship in the middle of the Philippine Sea. Should have done another flank speed run here...but didn't. They are probably in trouble.

Two Cat squadrons are set to torpedo attack, at very short range 2, from Bataan to nail invasion fleets at Iba or Mauban. Abundant torpedoes are provided as is search.

The P40s with 500# bombs are set to strafe the beaches, again at very short ranges.

PT boat squadrons, two of them, and the two undamaged Clemsons are looking to intercept IJN cruisers near Busanga, before heading south west to Balikpapen.

Enterprise and Lady Lex are joining forces, and risking a sub attack by steaming past Wake Island to chase down the Wake Island invasion force. This is pretty risky move, plus I am violating the air coordination rule because I fear subs more and really don't need air coordination at this time. The fighters from Wake have relocated to the Deathstar! [:D]

The Deathstar, well a cruiser and several destroyers were spotted last turn by IJN sub, will continue heading west...perhaps all the way to Guam and then peel off to the South East. I am hoping they act like bait for the KB which is at Midway or that they go dark and get some licks in on invasion convoys or better yet some of the IJN battleships that start on Honshu transiting to Truk. They will get fuel eventually by merchant ships.

If the Deathstar performs as expected, and avoids subs (a big IF), then the route will be clear to reinforce Wake, Midway and take Marcus. The goal in taking those bases, is twofold: to use them to generate a favorable VP ratio and two throw a monkey wrench into IJ timing during the amphibious landing phase.

Supply ship has left Pearl for Luzon. Task Forces are streaming away from Pearl and the West Coast to support the Wake Relief and Marcus operations.

[Lowpe]

Here you can see the early supply shipping. I suspect the US is high because lots of groups are loading supply but haven't yet picked a destination. Some supply isn't on the list since I have picked an empty spot in the ocean to remain on station -- there is a total of 418K supply loaded on to task forces. Allies![X(][:D]



[:D]

[BBfanboy]

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

The P40s with 500# bombs are set to strafe the beaches, again at very short ranges.

I think using the P-40Es on Naval Attack at 100 or 1000 feet is more productive. I have done this consistently during my defence of the Philippines and messed up a lot of the ships bringing in troops and equipment. But one time, they concentrated on an IJN CA (one of the Ashigara class IIRC) and sank it with 36 bomb hits! The CA did not have many supporting vessels for AA and was in the only TF in range.

[Lowpe]

ORIGINAL: BBfanboy

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

The P40s with 500# bombs are set to strafe the beaches, again at very short ranges.

I think using the P-40Es on Naval Attack at 100 or 1000 feet is more productive. I have done this consistently during my defence of the Philippines and messed up a lot of the ships bringing in troops and equipment. But one time, they concentrated on an IJN CA (one of the Ashigara class IIRC) and sank it with 36 bomb hits! The CA did not have many supporting vessels for AA and was in the only TF in range.

Sorry, I was unlcear...that is what I am doing. Not set to ground attack...but that might have been worth it for one squadron to strafe the Kanno Det prior to a shock attack. Worried that Japan will unload lots of troops during the nights and my poor Stuarts will get eaten alive.[X(]

I thought about having the two Clemson destroyers visit Iba, but decided they could shield the thundering herd...save more VP that way, and they might even escape themselves.

I should add, that as Japan I really like it when the P40s, Cats, do naval attacks this early. Easy to shred.[;)] Far more difficult to handle is when they flee to Cebu area...

[RangerJoe]

You will soon have a problem with ships and supplies. Not enough ships to move all of the supplies. Isn't that a terrible thing to do to some who usually plays Japan?

[Encircled]

ORIGINAL: RangerJoe

You will soon have a problem with ships and supplies. Not enough ships to move all of the supplies. Isn't that a terrible thing to do to some who usually plays Japan?

The logistics of the allies is so different from that of Japan, but just as important.

Certainly in '42 you won't have enough ships to do what you want to do.

[Bif1961]

An Army and the entire Empire travels on it's logistics.

[BBfanboy]

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

ORIGINAL: BBfanboy

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

The P40s with 500# bombs are set to strafe the beaches, again at very short ranges.

I think using the P-40Es on Naval Attack at 100 or 1000 feet is more productive. I have done this consistently during my defence of the Philippines and messed up a lot of the ships bringing in troops and equipment. But one time, they concentrated on an IJN CA (one of the Ashigara class IIRC) and sank it with 36 bomb hits! The CA did not have many supporting vessels for AA and was in the only TF in range.

Sorry, I was unlcear...that is what I am doing. Not set to ground attack...but that might have been worth it for one squadron to strafe the Kanno Det prior to a shock attack. Worried that Japan will unload lots of troops during the nights and my poor Stuarts will get eaten alive.[X(]

I thought about having the two Clemson destroyers visit Iba, but decided they could shield the thundering herd...save more VP that way, and they might even escape themselves.

I should add, that as Japan I really like it when the P40s, Cats, do naval attacks this early. Easy to shred.[;)] Far more difficult to handle is when they flee to Cebu area...

It depends on how diligent he is about providing CAP for all of his landings. Good luck with your counter-strikes!

[Lowpe]

ORIGINAL: BBfanboy

It depends on how diligent he is about providing CAP for all of his landings. Good luck with your counter-strikes!

Well, whatever happened, it is done.

I worry about the enemy subs near Wake the most.

[RangerJoe]

ORIGINAL: Bif1961

An Army and the entire Empire travels on it's logistics.

The US Army travels in spite of its stomach (logistics!)

[Lowpe]

December 11th, 1941

Action all over the Philippines...

Culminates in a daring all out attack spearheaded by the 192nd and 194th Tank Battalion crashing into the Kanno Detachment, that is subsequently wiped out by attrition. Iba is in uncontested Allied hands once again!

Ground combat at Iba (78,75)

Allied Shock attack

Attacking force 4725 troops, 51 guns, 210 vehicles, Assault Value = 229

Defending force 1248 troops, 12 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 43

Allied adjusted assault: 254

Japanese adjusted defense: 10

Allied assault odds: 25 to 1

Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+), leaders(+), preparation(-), fatigue(-)
Attacker: shock(+)

Japanese ground losses:
564 casualties reported
Squads: 19 destroyed, 39 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 5 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

Allied ground losses:
18 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled

Assaulting units:
192nd Tank Battalion
31st PA Infantry Division
194th Tank Battalion
1st PI Base Force

Defending units:
Kanno Det





Ran out of space for all the combat reports in the graphic, last attack of the day:

Japanese aircraft
Ki-27b Nate x 3

Allied aircraft
P-40E Warhawk x 20

Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-27b Nate: 1 destroyed

Allied aircraft losses
P-40E Warhawk: 1 damaged

Japanese Ships
xAK Atlas Maru, Shell hits 5
xAK Maya Maru, Shell hits 6, Bomb hits 2, on fire
xAK Siraha Maru, Shell hits 2, Bomb hits 2, heavy fires
xAK Sydney Maru
xAK Kuwayama Maru, Shell hits 3, Bomb hits 1
xAK Shirogane Maru, Bomb hits 1, on fire
xAK Pacific Maru, Bomb hits 1, on fi

[Lowpe]

West of Wake Island, Lady Lex and Big E turn into the wind, launching a coordinated strike on the IJN's invasion task force....glorious!

Morning Air attack on TF, near Wake Island at 131,98

Weather in hex: Heavy cloud

Raid detected at 26 NM, estimated altitude 14,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 10 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2-N Rufe x 8

Allied aircraft
SB2U-3 Vindicator x 15
SBD-2 Dauntless x 44
SBD-3 Dauntless x 14
TBD-1 Devastator x 26

No Japanese losses

Allied aircraft losses
SBD-2 Dauntless: 1 destroyed, 5 damaged
SBD-2 Dauntless: 1 destroyed by flak
SBD-3 Dauntless: 2 damaged
TBD-1 Devastator: 2 damaged

Japanese Ships
CL Tenryu, Bomb hits 2, on fire
AMC Kinryu Maru, Bomb hits 4, heavy fires, heavy damage
AMC Amagi Maru, Bomb hits 8, heavy fires, heavy damage
AMC Kongo Maru, Bomb hits 8, and is sunk
CL Tatsuta, Bomb hits 2, on fire
DD Mochizuki
CL Yubari, Bomb hits 1, on fire
DD Mutsuki
PB Kaikei Maru, Bomb hits 3, and is sunk
PB Fukui Maru
PB Kaiun Maru, Bomb hits 5, and is sunk
DD Hayate

Japanese ground losses:
692 casualties reported
Squads: 22 destroyed, 23 disabled
Non Combat: 25 destroyed, 36 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 13 (5 destroyed, 8 disabled)

Aircraft Attacking:
2 x SBD-3 Dauntless releasing from 2000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb SAP Bomb
6 x SBD-2 Dauntless releasing from 4000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb SAP Bomb
11 x TBD-1 Devastator bombing from 5000 feet
Naval Attack: 2 x 500 lb SAP Bomb
2 x SBD-2 Dauntless releasing from 4000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb SAP Bomb
14 x SBD-2 Dauntless releasing from 4000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb SAP Bomb
15 x TBD-1 Devastator bombing from 5000 feet
Naval Attack: 2 x 500 lb SAP Bomb
7 x SB2U-3 Vindicator releasing from 3000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb SAP Bomb
8 x SBD-3 Dauntless releasing from 3000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb SAP Bomb
4 x SBD-2 Dauntless releasing from 2000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb SAP Bomb
12 x SBD-2 Dauntless releasing from 2000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb SAP Bomb
4 x SB2U-3 Vindicator releasing from 2000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb SAP Bomb
4 x SBD-2 Dauntless releasing from 3000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb SAP Bomb
4 x SBD-3 Dauntless releasing from 4000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb SAP Bomb
4 x SB2U-3 Vindicator releasing from 4000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb SAP Bomb

CAP engaged:
790 Ku-K 28 with A6M2-N Rufe (2 airborne, 0 on standby, 6 scrambling)
2 plane(s) intercepting now.
Group patrol altitude is 6000 , scrambling fighters to 13000.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 33 minutes

Heavy smoke from fires obscuring AMC Kongo Maru
Heavy smoke from fires obscuring AMC Kinryu Maru
Heavy smoke from fires obscuring CL Tenryu
Heavy smoke from fires obscuring AMC Amagi Maru
Heavy smoke from fires obscuring CL Yubari
Heavy smoke from fires obscuring PB Kaikei Maru
Heavy smoke from fires obscuring PB Kaiun Maru

[BBfanboy]

Very nice results! Go Boise! Go Houston! Hit them again Cats! [:)]

Edit: Just saw your post about Wake. Again - good to see so early! Do you intend to stay and finish cripples/fleeing ships? Would be nice to see those three CLs go down, even if they are weak ones.

[Lowpe]

Dec 12, 1941

During the predawn darkness the American Deathstar ([8|]) collides with the IJN's Wake Invasion Fleet...and both task forces evade combat...but it is enough to scare the American Commanders into re-routing to Pearl Harbor -- and that way lies the IJN KB![X(]

Meanwhile, American S-39 follow the Dutch example and score some successes:

Submarine attack near Iwo-jima at 106,81

Japanese Ships
xAKL Taganoura Maru, Torpedo hits 1, heavy damage

Allied Ships
SS S-39
Submarine attack near Iwo-jima at 106,81

Japanese Ships
xAKL Toshin Maru, Torpedo hits 1, heavy damage

Allied Ships
SS S-39

xAKL Toshin Maru is sighted by SS S-39
SS S-39 launches 4 torpedoes at xAKL Toshin Maru


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sub attack near Iwo-jima at 106,81

Japanese Ships
xAKL Taganoura Maru, on fire, heavy damage

Allied Ships
SS S-39

Captain of SS S-39 elects not to launch torpedoes at this target

Submarine attack near Iwo-jima at 106,81

Japanese Ships
xAKL Shuntai Maru, Shell hits 13, heavy fires, heavy damage

Allied Ships
SS S-39

xAKL Shuntai Maru is sighted by SS S-39
SS S-39 attacking xAKL Shuntai Maru on the surface
SS S-39 low on gun ammo, King W. breaks off surface engagement and submerges

[apbarog]

Good job Lowpe! Always nice to watch a master at work.

Your aggressive actions will set the tone for the rest of the war. Your opponent will be more cautious, moving slower and committing more cover for his future moves. That's as big a success as the ships that your sinking and the ground troops that you are destroying. Nice work.

[Lowpe]

They gave their lives for the Thundering Herd...it was a difficult decision Admiral Hart made, sending them to their deaths...but the Thundering Herd is past the Dutch ASW screens and steaming into Balikpapen for the most part -- some had other orders of course.

Day Time Surface Combat, near Culion at 76,80, Range 24,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
CA Maya
CA Ashigara
CL Kuma
DD Asakaze
DD Matsukaze

Allied Ships
PT Q-111
PT Q-112, Shell hits 3, and is sunk
PT Q-113, Shell hits 1, and is sunk

Maximum visibility in Clear Conditions: 30,000 yards

Day Time Surface Combat, near Busuanga at 76,81, Range 19,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
CA Maya
CA Ashigara
CL Kuma
DD Asakaze
DD Matsukaze

Allied Ships
PT-31
PT-32
PT-33
PT-34, Shell hits 1, and is sunk
PT-35, Shell hits 1, and is sunk
PT-41, Shell hits 3, and is sunk

Maximum visibility in Clear Conditions: 30,000 yards

[Lowpe]

It was Pity that saved the tankers from the rightful wrath of the Boise.

"Pity, we have no more ammo" cursed Captain Hanson.

Day Time Surface Combat, near Babeldaob at 95,87, Range 24,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
TK Nissan Maru
TK Ryuei Maru
TK Zuiyo Maru

Allied Ships
CL Boise

Maximum visibility in Clear Conditions: 30,000 yards
Range closes to 23,000 yards...
CONTACT: Japanese lookouts spot Allied task force at 23,000 yards
CONTACT: Allied lookouts spot Japanese task force at 23,000 yards
Both TF attempt to withdraw!
Range increases to 26,000 yards...
Both Task Forces evade combat

[Lowpe]

The Dutch seek to get revenge for the pitiful Prince of Wales...they had to try, but get a consolation prize.

ASW attack near Singora at 51,72

Japanese Ships
BB Haruna
BB Kongo
CA Atago
CA Takao
CL Jintsu
DD Michishio
DD Oshio
DD Asashio
DD Hibiki
DD Akatsuki
DD Arashio

Allied Ships
SS KXVII, hits 3

SS KXVII is sighted by escort
DD Hibiki fails to find sub and abandons search
DD Akatsuki fails to find sub, continues to search...
DD Arashio attacking submerged sub ....
DD Akatsuki fails to find sub and abandons search
DD Arashio fails to find sub, continues to search...
DD Arashio fails to find sub, continues to search...
DD Arashio fails to find sub, continues to search...
DD Arashio attacking submerged sub ....
DD Arashio fails to find sub, continues to search...
Escort abandons search for sub


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Submarine attack near Singora at 51,72

Japanese Ships
xAK Kenyo Maru, Torpedo hits 2, heavy fires, heavy damage

Allied Ships
SS KXVII

Japanese ground losses:
22 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

xAK Kenyo Maru is sighted by SS KXVII
SS KXVII launches 4 torpedoes at xAK Kenyo Maru

[Lowpe]

Crossed orders, a 1/3rd of a Chinese Corp forces the river at Ichang, while the rest of the Chinese units watch. But the river crossing is now open...


Ground combat at Ichang (83,48)

Allied Shock attack

Attacking force 3816 troops, 23 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 1520

Defending force 15201 troops, 116 guns, 42 vehicles, Assault Value = 549

Allied adjusted assault: 0

Japanese adjusted defense: 1805

Allied assault odds: 1 to 99 (fort level 3)

Combat modifiers
Defender: forts(+), morale(-), experience(-)
Attacker: shock(+)

Japanese ground losses:
10 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

Allied ground losses:
1376 casualties reported
Squads: 63 destroyed, 50 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 20 disabled
Engineers: 1 destroyed, 4 disabled
Guns lost 9 (1 destroyed, 8 disabled)