Attack Attack Attack - a Hotseat AAR

[Remington700]

Central Pacific
Task force 21 with six CVs and multiple battleships leave San Diego to hunt the raiding Japanese air fleet. First contact is made by the enemy resulting in a major dustup. Both fleets launch simultaneous air attacks passing within 50 miles of each other.

In a coordinated attack Val dive-bombers swarm the CV Yorktown setting her afire and damage the BB Tennessee. This draws fighter cover away from the CV Saratoga allowing Kate torpedo planes to sneak in and sink the carrier.

A hundred and fifty miles away US SBDs and TBF Avengers spot the Japanese CV fleet and immediately sink the CV Zuikaka. The Soryu puts up a fight but takes multiple hits setting her afire. The BB Mutsu takes a direct hit causing serious damage.

I learned something about turning convoys on and off. I believe you need both the British and the US convoy routes enabled to push PPs from the West Coast to India. I did not do this last turn so the lanes were not activated. This kept the Japanese fleet from attacking the convoys and giving away their exact location. I disengaged all US convoys to be opened once this carrier battle is settled.

The Japanese Air Fleet was well positioned at 25 hexes from San Diego. My carriers were spotted at the end of their first leg. And had to move a second time to cause an interdiction at max possible distance. Now my carriers must endure one or two attacks next turn before we can respond.

[Remington700]

Builds
UK: No Builds.
India: No builds.
US: B-25 Mitchell close support. 3 Oilers. 4 Landing Ships.

[Remington700]

Japan January 17th

India
After weeks of continuous combat, the beat-up A6M3 Zeros in Chittagong relocate to Bangkok for repair and replacements. The Indian National Army rails through Burma towards Indochina. The Dacca line should hold.

[Remington700]

Indochina
G4M “Bettys” escorted by Zeros strike the Chinese 25th army. They are challenged by P-40s out of Kweiyang resulting in heavy (3 SPs) enemy fighter losses. A follow up raid with G3M “Nell” bombers from Canton airfield continues to whittle away at Chinese effectiveness.

[Remington700]

Dutch East Indies
The 10th IJA arrives in Batavia and will dig in and hold at all costs. The defense is centered around stopping a one turn invasion that would covert DEI control to the enemy. By making it a prolonged attack there will be time to bring in CVs and land-based aircraft to cutoff enemy supply. The Japanese cannot afford to lose the oil supply.

[Remington700]

Central Pacific
The Kido Butai launch two sorties of spotters but are unable to locate the US carriers. This might not end well as the Japanese await the US response.

The combatants are close by, and the weather is clear – I am not sure why nothing was spotted. It is most likely driven by the intelligence level in the area as this is a CV battle in the open sea – something I don’t think happened on a large scale. It seems there was usually land nearby. So, I have learned something else the hard way - setting up an ambush in the deep ocean is a bad idea as spotting is variable. It is better to keep moving.

[Remington700]

Builds
Japan: No builds. No change to replacements.

[Remington700]

Allied January 17th

India
SBD dive-bombers from Calcutta launch air strikes against the Japanese 25th army, continuing to lower their effectiveness. Howitzers attached to the British 10th Corps fire a heavy pre-attack bombardment, damaging the enemy entrenchments. However, the follow-on ground attack was a failure, losing (7)SPs, inflicting two. This loss ratio is not sustainable.

[Remington700]

South China
The continued snow is starting to hurt the effectiveness of my weak units. The 33rd army is down to 44% and will require the use of a supply trucks next turn if the snow continues to fall. I checked the weather charts but am unsure of the weather zone in China. Assuming it is northern moderate, there is a 70% chance of snow through the end of March. The P-40s at Kweiyang got chewed up last turn so they are grounded to receive replacements and maybe recapture some effectiveness.

[Remington700]

Central Pacific
Taskforce 21 stays on mission searching for the Japanese fleet. Spotting their foe, the first sortie is successful with SBDs and TBF Avengers sinking the Hiryu and setting the Junyo on fire. Air and battleship losses continue to be high as the Japanese simultaneously attack damaging the Indiana and setting the Maryland afire.

I blew it and got away with it. I forgot to move the Yorktown back to San Diego for repairs before launching the air strike. Fortunately, she was not targeted during the Japanese attack.

I smell blood. The enemy only has three carriers, one of which is heavily damaged. Oh, for the want of a submarine right now. I need to think about keeping attack subs around to target crippled carriers. With 50% of their planes left, my CVs have one more fight left in them. Every plane that can fly is launched in search of the final killing blow. But the enemy cannot be found!

[Remington700]

West Coast
In Washington, codebreaking efforts fail again. We will keep working at it. A squadron of P-38s and a heavy corps ship out to Australia. The Yorktown is close to port and joined by the CV Independence and the Arizona to escort her into port.

[Remington700]

Builds
UK: No builds.
India: No builds.
USSR: 1 infantry army.
US: LR Sub. Transport. 1 Oiler.

[John B.]

Two CVs and one BB sunk in exchange for losing one CV sounds like a solid US victory to me. Well worth the one turn of MM losses.

[Remington700]

I agree. And with two more US CVs arriving over the next few turns the balance in sea power is starting to change.

[Remington700]

Japan January 31st

India
Additional supply is rushed to the 25th Army. The unit is at now 73% effective and ready to hold off another attack. Air superiority is conceded to allied forces, at least until we can return our Zeros to the area. However, with the beating the allies received last turn, an attack is not expected for a month. Lijiang is abandoned as supply is just too thin. The 10th division pulls back to Myitkyina on the Yom River. The 12th division will embark into boxcars to rail to Indochina.

[Remington700]

South China
Snow continues in South China. The Indian National Army (INA) marches toward Haiphong following the main railway. The 12th Imperial army, low on cohesion, is replaced in the line and marches south towards Yulin.

The 21st IJA supported by two divisions launch multiple attacks on the weakened Chinese 25th army. The enemy is pushed out of the hills and across the You River. The 21st army occupies the ridgeline pocketing the Chinese 10th and flanking the 23rd Army.

[Remington700]

South China Sea
US submarines sink (3) merchant marine. We still have 45 to spare but our inability to attack the subs is worrisome. If the allies fix their torpedo problems our oil supply could be in jeopardy. Anti-sub technology has received maximum funding since the start of the war but is hardly progressing at all. It is still at 1940 levels.

[Remington700]

Central Pacific
The Kido Butai leaves the battle area and heads to Truk for repairs and resupply. They are joined by the CA Takao with enhanced torpedoes to provide additional defense against a fleet attack. The loss of two fleet carriers in the battle of the “middle of nowhere” is large blow to Japanese control of the Pacific. Down to two functioning CVs for the next month or two, the Kido Butai has lost its teeth. The CVs and a few escorts will steam full speed to Truk to assist with defense in the Central Pacific. By April, the 1st Air Fleet should be able to resume duty.

[Remington700]

Builds
Japan: No builds. Replacements are bumped to start naval repairs.

[Remington700]

Allied January 31st

India
Bombers from Calcutta fly two sorties against positions of the Japanese 25th army, north of the Padma River just 50 miles from Dacca. The air strikes are uncontested but cause no SP damage.

Opening salvos from the British howitzers signal the beginning of a major ground attack. The first attack by three Allied corps hit the left, center and right of the Imperial 25th Army lines. Losses are high on both sides. The follow-up attack is repulsed with even heavier Allied losses. A third attack fails to budge the stubborn defenders. The 1st Indian and 10th British corps are pulled from the line. The fourth attack is a solo assault by the Burma Corps as the US 2nd Corps fails to attack. (I blew the unit selection when targeting the attack.) The fifth and final attack is a coordinated effort by the US 2nd and Burma corps which eventually pushes back the heavily chewed up Japanese army. The allies lose a total of (15)SPs while the enemy unit loses (8)SPs.

I was amazed by the effect of General Yamashita’s high tenacity. The enemy’s effectiveness must be extremely low. I am not sure how long it will take to recover.

The unopposed Chinese cavalry liberates Lijiang. The British Main Fleet steams to blockade the port at Chittagong to cripple the Japanese supply net hindering the recovery of the 25th Army. Every available aircraft rebases to the coast to provide air support for the British fleet.