Spanking Lowpe (NJP72 vs Lowpe (A))

[Lowpe]

The Aoba was off Rockhampton, but doesn't bombard...looks like they retreated back up the coast.

Night Air attack on TF, near Rockhampton at 95,153

Weather in hex: Heavy cloud

Raid spotted at 34 NM, estimated altitude 6,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 18 minutes

Allied aircraft
TBD-1 Devastator x 4

No Allied losses

Japanese Ships
CA Aoba

Aircraft Attacking:
4 x TBD-1 Devastator bombing from 1000 feet
Naval Attack: 2 x 500 lb GP Bomb



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Night Air attack on TF, near Rockhampton at 95,153

Weather in hex: Heavy cloud

Raid spotted at 38 NM, estimated altitude 11,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 16 minutes

Allied aircraft
SB2U-3 Vindicator x 7

No Allied losses

Japanese Ships
CA Aoba

Aircraft Attacking:
7 x SB2U-3 Vindicator releasing from 10000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb SAP Bomb

[Lowpe]

Good thing, because the IJA attacks again at Rockhampton. No air or sea bombing prior. A couple of armored units and the 4.5" guns don't come out of reserve no pursuit mode. Japanese armor is north of Rockhampton, 4 units, recovering and securing the route I guess.

Ground combat at Rockhampton (95,152)

Japanese Deliberate attack

Attacking force 27559 troops, 254 guns, 11 vehicles, Assault Value = 740

Defending force 20174 troops, 432 guns, 455 vehicles, Assault Value = 528

Japanese adjusted assault: 340

Allied adjusted defense: 304

Japanese assault odds: 1 to 1

Combat modifiers
Defender: preparation(-), experience(-)
Attacker:

Japanese ground losses:
2415 casualties reported
Squads: 12 destroyed, 80 disabled
Non Combat: 1 destroyed, 15 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 33 disabled

Allied ground losses:
422 casualties reported
Squads: 3 destroyed, 45 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 21 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Guns lost 29 (2 destroyed, 27 disabled)
Vehicles lost 41 (1 destroyed, 40 disabled)

Assaulting units:
65th Brigade
21st Infantry Regiment
148th Infantry Regiment
21st Ind.Mixed Brigade
2nd Engineer Regiment
4th Brigade
4th Div /1
45th Field AA Battalion
48th Field AA Battalion
48th Field Artillery Regiment
47th Field AA Battalion
35th JNAF AF Unit
22nd Air Flotilla
97th JAAF AF Bn

Defending units:
182nd Infantry Regiment
2/4th Armoured Regiment
2/6th Armoured Regiment
41st Infantry Division
2/8th Armoured Regiment
2/5th Armoured Regiment
13th Australian Brigade
97th Coast AA Regiment
2nd Medium Regiment
108th Anti Tank Regiment
21/22 Field Regiment

[Lowpe]

The infamous slow fire...probably try to limp to Calicut today and put out the one point of fire, got 200 naval support on the way. Little easier to protect at Calicut I think.

[Lowpe]

Will start the process of moving out of Rockhmapton today...our tanks need to recover, Japan has the coastal hexside roads, and will be content to continue pushing on Bundaberg.

We will put a combat move from the armor resting southwest of Rockhampton into Rockhampton to keep Japan guessing about our intentions here...but will begin the retreat which will take 2 days to get out.

Our troops picked up experience from 52 to 61.

Would be nice to get all the Australian infantry off militia.[:)] Plus in a week we will actually have one full strength Australian Tank unit with Grant/Lees, or Lee/Grants. You know what I mean.

[RangerJoe]

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

The infamous slow fire...probably try to limp to Calicut today and put out the one point of fire, got 200 naval support on the way. Little easier to protect at Calicut I think.

Tell the crew to quit grilling their food, finish their beer, and put out the fire. There was an American airman who was presented with the Medal of Honor for putting out a fire on his B-17 "with the only liquid available."[:D]

[RangerJoe]

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

The Aoba was off Rockhampton, but doesn't bombard...looks like they retreated back up the coast.

Night Air attack on TF, near Rockhampton at 95,153

Weather in hex: Heavy cloud

Raid spotted at 34 NM, estimated altitude 6,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 18 minutes

Allied aircraft
TBD-1 Devastator x 4

No Allied losses

Japanese Ships
CA Aoba

Aircraft Attacking:
4 x TBD-1 Devastator bombing from 1000 feet
Naval Attack: 2 x 500 lb GP Bomb



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Night Air attack on TF, near Rockhampton at 95,153

Weather in hex: Heavy cloud

Raid spotted at 38 NM, estimated altitude 11,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 16 minutes

Allied aircraft
SB2U-3 Vindicator x 7

No Allied losses

Japanese Ships
CA Aoba

Aircraft Attacking:
7 x SB2U-3 Vindicator releasing from 10000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb SAP Bomb

Are the Devastators set to torpedo or bomb? If they are set to torpedo with none available they might carry four 500 lb bombs. Or are they attacking at 5 hex range?

Since the Vindicators are not dive bombing, you might want to lower their altitude.

[BBfanboy]

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

Will start the process of moving out of Rockhmapton today...our tanks need to recover, Japan has the coastal hexside roads, and will be content to continue pushing on Bundaberg.

We will put a combat move from the armor resting southwest of Rockhampton into Rockhampton to keep Japan guessing about our intentions here...but will begin the retreat which will take 2 days to get out.

Our troops picked up experience from 52 to 61.

Would be nice to get all the Australian infantry off militia.[:)] Plus in a week we will actually have one full strength Australian Tank unit with Grant/Lees, or Lee/Grants. You know what I mean.

Looks like he is replenishing his bombardment TFs at Townsville. If he does not have much land unit strength there and your unit takes Bowen, it might be able to race all the way up there and take Townsville - evicting the AKEs he must have there.

Alternately, if his fighters are busy protecting his LCUs further south, a port bombing of Townsville could pay off.

[Lowpe]

ORIGINAL: RangerJoe


Are the Devastators set to torpedo or bomb? If they are set to torpedo with none available they might carry four 500 lb bombs. Or are they attacking at 5 hex range?

Since the Vindicators are not dive bombing, you might want to lower their altitude.

The Vindicators are there for intel gathering, rather than making hits.

We will see if the Devastators carrying more ammo...although I am happy with double 500#.

[Lowpe]

ORIGINAL: BBfanboy

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

Will start the process of moving out of Rockhmapton today...our tanks need to recover, Japan has the coastal hexside roads, and will be content to continue pushing on Bundaberg.

We will put a combat move from the armor resting southwest of Rockhampton into Rockhampton to keep Japan guessing about our intentions here...but will begin the retreat which will take 2 days to get out.

Our troops picked up experience from 52 to 61.

Would be nice to get all the Australian infantry off militia.[:)] Plus in a week we will actually have one full strength Australian Tank unit with Grant/Lees, or Lee/Grants. You know what I mean.

Looks like he is replenishing his bombardment TFs at Townsville. If he does not have much land unit strength there and your unit takes Bowen, it might be able to race all the way up there and take Townsville - evicting the AKEs he must have there.

Alternately, if his fighters are busy protecting his LCUs further south, a port bombing of Townsville could pay off.

I am trying to figure out how to hit Townsville...I need 13 hexes unless I set some Cats to the job. Once torpedoes are at Marysborough, I met turn off all search and recon and just cover Townsville for a deep strike.

Charleville is set to go to level 2 in day or two...10 hexes from there to Townsville. Marysborough is 3(47) AF. Charleville 1 (85).

[castor troy]

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

ORIGINAL: RangerJoe


Are the Devastators set to torpedo or bomb? If they are set to torpedo with none available they might carry four 500 lb bombs. Or are they attacking at 5 hex range?

Since the Vindicators are not dive bombing, you might want to lower their altitude.

The Vindicators are there for intel gathering, rather than making hits.

We will see if the Devastators carrying more ammo...although I am happy with double 500#.

They will carry 2x500lb bombs instead of a torpedo

[RangerJoe]

ORIGINAL: castor troy

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

ORIGINAL: RangerJoe


Are the Devastators set to torpedo or bomb? If they are set to torpedo with none available they might carry four 500 lb bombs. Or are they attacking at 5 hex range?

Since the Vindicators are not dive bombing, you might want to lower their altitude.

The Vindicators are there for intel gathering, rather than making hits.

We will see if the Devastators carrying more ammo...although I am happy with double 500#.

They will carry 2x500lb bombs instead of a torpedo

I have seen them carry four 500 lb bombs. They dropped them on the enemy as well.

[Lowpe]

April 25, 1942

Resolution goes to guard Triv, which I feel will be bombarded tonight, or passed by as IJN raiders want to reach Cochin...not happy with the number of destroyer escorts, would feel better with five or more...but we have to do it so that Ramillies can put out her small fire and perhaps make Calicut.

Battle last 16 rounds and the long lances start screaming in from 10k and they seem to keep coming all night, until near the end of the engagement Resolution gets hit by one.

Resolution was a champ, shrugging off 20cm hits...

Sure enough the IJN bombard, they task force shouldn't have had this much ammo left, as it was also attacked 2-3 times by Swordfish prior to the bombardment but forts only 1:

Night Naval bombardment of Trivandrum at 27,43

Allied aircraft
no flights

Allied aircraft losses
Hurricane IIb Trop: 2 damaged
Hurricane IIa Trop: 1 damaged
P-39D Airacobra: 5 damaged

Japanese Ships
CA Chokai
CL Naka

Allied Ships
BB Resolution, Shell hits 1, heavy damage

Allied ground losses:
236 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Non Combat: 1 destroyed, 13 disabled
Engineers: 1 destroyed, 5 disabled
Guns lost 1 (1 destroyed, 0 disabled)

Airbase hits 2
Airbase supply hits 1
Runway hits 8
Port hits 4

E8N2 Dave acting as spotter for CA Chokai
CA Chokai firing at Trivandrum
CL Naka firing at Trivandrum

[Lowpe]

23 miles marched on our exit from Rockhampton, but now some units have 15% disruption![:(]

Can we get out before the attack? BB SAG up at Townsville, with about 8 CMs.

Night Naval bombardment of Rockhampton at 95,152

Japanese Ships
CA Aoba
CA Mikuma
CA Mogami
DD Minekaze
DD Yayoi
DD Mutsuki
DD Arashi

Allied ground losses:
374 casualties reported
Squads: 4 destroyed, 18 disabled
Non Combat: 2 destroyed, 40 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Guns lost 23 (1 destroyed, 22 disabled)
Vehicles lost 20 (4 destroyed, 16 disabled)

CA Aoba firing at 21/22 Field Regiment
E8N2 Dave acting as spotter for CA Mikuma
CA Mikuma firing at 41st Infantry/A Division
E8N2 Dave acting as spotter for CA Mogami
CA Mogami firing at 41st Infantry/B Division
DD Minekaze firing at 13th Australian Brigade
DD Yayoi firing at 182nd Infantry Regiment
DD Mutsuki firing at 13th Australian Brigade
DD Arashi firing at 41st Infantry/A Division

[Lowpe]

This is for NY59Giants....

Some big guns to reduce Bundaberg...

[ny59giants]

[Lowpe]

Ceylon front...

Good hits on the repair shipyard at Colombo, but I inadvertently send a beast squadron in during the daylight, and we lose a beast. We did sweep prior but with only 1 Hurricane squadron.

[RangerJoe]

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

Ceylon front...

Good hits on the repair shipyard at Colombo, but I inadvertently send a beast squadron in during the daylight, and we lose a beast. We did sweep prior but with only 1 Hurricane squadron.

You might need to recapture that shipyard sooner than later . . .

[mind_messing]

Glad it's just not me that struggles to get good mileage out of the R class. I sometimes wonder if the R in "R class" stands for "Right into torpedoes" as that's pretty much all I've seen them do in my experience.


Any port will do for the Ramillies atm. I wouldn't risk moving it myself, especially with that one hex speed limit.

IJ 250kg bombs will bounce off the deck armour, so all you need to worry about is 800kgs from the Betty/Nell/Kate or a naval bombardment (which looks fairly risky at this point). III Indian Corp flak should be enough to make any bombing a costly opposition, to say nothing of CAP

Just need to dodge torpedoes for a turn or two!

[Lowpe]

ORIGINAL: mind_messing

Glad it's just not me that struggles to get good mileage out of the R class. I sometimes wonder if the R in "R class" stands for "Right into torpedoes" as that's pretty much all I've seen them do in my experience.


Any port will do for the Ramillies atm. I wouldn't risk moving it myself, especially with that one hex speed limit.

IJ 250kg bombs will bounce off the deck armour, so all you need to worry about is 800kgs from the Betty/Nell/Kate or a naval bombardment (which looks fairly risky at this point). III Indian Corp flak should be enough to make any bombing a costly opposition, to say nothing of CAP

Just need to dodge torpedoes for a turn or two!

Not nearly enough escorts for the R class...I had sent several American destroyers over, but a lot of them have already paid the ultimate price or are upgrading for radar.

However, I was very disappointed to see the actual shells fired which was very few despite being heavily targeted by the Japanese, and plenty of burning IJN ships for her to fire at. Fired almost 0 6" shells for example.

[Lowpe]

Turn is away, and the armored cars are shock attacking at Bowen...I think they might get naval bombarded and end up shocking to their destruction, but we shall see. It is a crapshoot...