Attack Attack Attack - a Hotseat AAR

[Remington700]

South China
Rain moves into the area and could continue for months. One last attempt is made to open the front around Kweiyang. Nells from Changsha fly two sorties against positions of the Chinese 7th Army south of our 6th Army in Kweiyang. This is followed by an assault with the 6th, 16th and 20th armies which has no effect. The weather is too much to overcome so offensive operations may be stalled until March. (The odds ended up being 1:1 so this is a no-win option.)

[Remington700]

Rabaul
An engineering battalion arrives to build an airfield outside of Rabaul. (Simulated by using the engineering advancement and the purchased airfield.) The 8th Army Area receives a detachment of the 2nd Army in Rabaul to help reinforce the important base. Across the St. George Channel a battalion of the 8th SNLF on New Ireland continues to hold the shoreline. (They are stuck; can neither move nor leave the hex. But at one SP it is the only way I could find to lessen enemy visibility of Rabaul.)

[Remington700]

Reports

Japan: No builds. Replacements stay the at 130.

[Remington700]

Allied: October 10th 1943

Burma
Rain continues in Burma and moves into south China. Ground operations are yet to start however clear weather is expected as the summer monsoon season has come to an end. Airstrikes continue against the Myitkyina pocket as three sorties are flown in the area. The British Main Fleet leaves port and steams toward Darwin. They will be a part of an upcoming operation.

[Remington700]

South China
Rain! With the arrival of wet weather and the recent arrival of assault gun attachments, the line in South China should hold for months. No adjustments are made. Movement will be restricted to preserve effectiveness as this will become an issue when the snow hits.

[Remington700]

Arafura Sea
The US 5th Fleet leaves port in Fiji and steams through the Torres Strait into the Arafura Sea. Transports carrying the 3rd and 4th Marine divisions are present. Their destination has yet to be announced, but something is up.

Indian Ocean/Timor
The 1st Marine Division and the US 5th Corps rendezvous with the British Main Fleet in the Indian Ocean at a predetermined location just 200 miles south of Surabaya. There is risk the fleet will be spotted however orders were clear about the location. It may have something to do with distance and timing of the US Fleet. The Australian 3rd Division captures Dili and the island is secure. It will be used as an air staging base.

Coral Sea
Air strikes from the Australian north coast continue to pound enemy ground forces at Port Moresby. A total of seven missions were flown. At first they were contested however P-38s and P-47s shot down 6 Zero SPs and ran off the rest. Additional sorties continued without danger of enemy CAP.

[Remington700]

Builds
UK: No builds
India: No builds.
US: No builds.

Convoys
UK: 19 PPs to India.
US: 50 OPs to UK.

[Remington700]

Japan: October 24th 1943

Burma
The rain has stopped and Allied ground attacks are expected soon. Fighters and bombers fly CAP and are ready to support an attack anywhere along the line. The 25th Army in the Myitkyina pocket is dug in and ready. To the south, the center of the line is dug in behind the Irrawaddy River and await an enemy crossing. Rangoon is heavily fortified and prepares for a sea invasion. General Yamashita requested naval guns that can be mounted in reinforced concrete pillboxes facing the ocean. This request is not granted but is something to consider in the future.

South China
Heavy rain covers China. There will be little movement and no offensive operations for some time now.

[Remington700]

Enemy Invasion Approaching
Thirteen ships transporting marines are spotted in the Arafura Sea. Another task force is just to their south. Unidentified ships are spotted south of the Surabaya. The destination of these fleets is unknown. One probable location is Jayapura. It is a victory point city that is on the other side of New Guinea. Lea and Rabaul are less likely as they are well defended and are geographically able to support one another.

[Remington700]

Indonesia
There are three possible targets for invasion in this area. The goal would be to cutoff oil supply to the mainland. This does not address victory points in the near term but could cause a Japanese collapse in 1944. The Batavia area would be the most obvious place to hit as it could trigger the fall of the Dutch East Indies. However it is well defended.

Another choice target would be Singapore. This is a Victory Point city with challenges to access. Kula Lumpur would need to be taken before Singapore can be supplied. However from this point, there is great access to the oil fields in the DEI and Borneo. Plus, it would provide a means to cutoff Rangoon and the Irrawaddy line.

Borneo is an interesting target as its fall would hurt oil supply to the mainland. The west coast offers airbases to control the South China Sea and the east coast would provide dominance over the Celebes Sea. Which would open the backdoor to New Guinea and Micronesia. An invasion here would be to play the long game, and with the Allied powers behind in Victory Points this may not be an option.

[Remington700]

Philippines and Micronesia
The Philippines is a prime target and not all that well defended. However the islands are isolated, and supply could be a problem for the Allied forces. Japanese occupation of Borneo and Palu islands would leave exposed flanks. There are multiple opportunities for counterattack to shut down the enemy invaders.

The invasion of Palu and Yap would be the smart thing to do before a push on to the Philippines. They have been left undefended which may well prove to be a big mistake. Victory Point islands are another strong possibility for invasion. Truk is well defended and should be able to hold until reinforcements can arrive. Guam is less so, but still can hold out until help can arrive. Regardless of where the invasion hits, the Japanese carriers will respond in force. This is the chance to wipe out the US fleet while they are entangled with landing operations.

[Remington700]

Reports
Japan: 1 Infantry Army. Replacements increased to 200.

[Remington700]

Allied: October 24th 1943

Burma
Preliminary airstrikes pummel the Japanese 25th Army in the Myitkyina pocket. A6m3s respond but are overmatched by Allied P-38s and Hurricanes. Eleven Zero SPs are shot down with just the loss of a single Hurricane SP. Six sorties are flown by P47s, IAF Boston medium bombers, British Fairey and SBD dive-bombers. The enemy is well dug in however the continued pounding reduces their effectiveness.

Four Indian Corps surround the pocket and after shelling by heavy artillery the assault begins. The first push is unsuccessful, so a second attempt is made. The Irrawaddy River is creating a major challenge to crossing. The Waziristan corps special engineering battalion sets up a pontoon bridge to aid with the assault and the enemy is weakened, but still holds. SBD and Fairey dive-bombers have been supporting the attacks, but time is running out. A third and fourth assault are launched and the Japanese 25th Army begins to give way. The fifth and final assault shatters the enemy.

The fresh 2nd Indian Corps exploits the beachhead across the Irrawaddy as the enemy’s right flank is about to be turned. Losses were high for the 25th Army with eight SPs before they broke. The attacking Indian units lost seven SPs spread across four full strength Corps. (Looking closely, I noticed the “Jungle” malus still exists on the report with no offset. I saw this earlier with the Japanese, so I assume the malus is mitigated “under the hood” and just does not show on the report.)

South China
Heavy rain hits the area. No offensive action or movement is taken. The area is static as we prepare for snow.

South China Sea
The Devilfish engages targets but cannot get off a good shot. They dive and disappear to fight another day. Surfacing later they receive orders to support the invasion of Borneo. The Pike has too good of an opportunity to pass up and aggressively goes after an oil transport. However before engaging, she is set upon by escorting destroyers and damaged severally. The Pike escapes and returns to Sydney for major repairs.

East China Sea
The Wahoo spots an easy target and sinks a freighter without being spotted. Later they respond to orders to support the invasion of Borneo. The Finback has a run of bad luck and is spotted by escort destroyers. She dives deep but not fast enough. “Ashcans” do their damage and the sub heads back to port for repairs.

[Remington700]

Greater Australian Area
Local intelligence confirms 23 ships including a light carrier are docked at Rabaul. There is no need for aerial recon so the B-17s fly from Cairns to Dili on their way to land at the first secured airfield in Borneo.

Five airstrikes target Port Moresby further softening up the defenders. P-47 Thunderbolts are jumped by land-based Zeros at low altitude. The “Jugs” tear up the enemy shooting down four SPs while losing two of their own. The rest of the strikes are uncontested

[Remington700]

Operation Oboe
Operation Oboe, the invasion of Borneo, is about to get underway. Coastwatchers verify the final dispositions of the Japanese defense. Two divisions defend the west side of the island, and no enemy ships are lurking in the area. The west side is virtually undefended other than small security patrols not represented on the map. Additionally, the Imperial CV Air Fleet is confirmed to be in port at Rabaul. The decision is made – operation Oboe is a go!

The US Fifth Fleet take up positions off Kuala Belait and landing craft prepare to hit the beach. The 4th Marines will land west of the port with the 3rd Marines landing to the north. Opposition is expected to be incredibly stubborn. The British Main Fleet escorting the 1st Marines take stations just west of the Port of Sarawak. The British 11th Destroyer flotilla clears the way for the US 32nd Division to land east of the bay.

Oboe One - On the east side of the island the US 5th Corps land meeting very light opposition south of Tarakan. The main force crosses the Kayan river and occupies the town. Heavy patrols are sent south and west to clear the area in support of a follow on invasion.

Oboe Two - The US 7th Division lands unopposed south of the 5th Corps landing zone. They immediately push through the Oil tank farm into Balikpapan. Allied submarines set up picket lines around the ports to help defend supply lines. With both objectives met, the opening stages of the invasion are deemed a success.

[Remington700]

Builds
UK: 2 Landing Ships. 2 Oilers.
India: No builds. Increased replacements to 261.
US: 1 Large Corps. 8 Landing Ships. 3 Oilers.

Convoys
UK: 19 PPs to India.
US: 119 PPs to India.

[John B.]

Looks like the allies are right in the middle of the hornet's nest. If it works Japan is in trouble and, if not, well there's always next game.

[Remington700]

Leaving two open ports on Borneo was either a rookie mistake or a lucky trap. We will know the answer in a few turns I think.

[Remington700]

Japan: November 7th 1943

Burma
The Japanese 25th Army is destroyed! The total loss of a 30 SP army will be hard to replace. In order to hold the line in the north, the defenders will engage fighting withdrawal tactics. The line to the south must hold at all costs. With the Allied invasion of Borneo, Indochina is wide open to attack. This could isolate Japanese forces in Burma.

South China
With Manchukuo already stripped of equipment the South China line is next. Three armies and a detachment from a fourth will be pulled from the Kweiyang pocket. Offensive action is put on hold until campaigning weather returns in May. These units are needed for the defense of Indochina. General Tanaka’s command will grow to meet the new danger from allied occupation of Borneo. Supply lines must remain open to the SW Army Area in Burma. Additionally, a squadron of Nell bombers rebase from Changsha to Cam Ranh.

[Remington700]

Philippines
Mindanao and the nearby islands are heavily reinforced by two divisions to protect the airfields at Davao and Cebu. G4M Betty naval bombers arrive to contest control of the Sula and Celebes Seas. The 66th Division reinforces the defense at Manando in the Celebes Islands. As further precaution the Palu and Yap islands are reinforced by a division each.

The Japanese 1st and 2nd Air Fleets leave Rabaul and steam full speed ahead to the Sula Sea. Unable to trigger an interdiction they remain under a land-based air umbrella waiting for the approach of the enemy carriers.