Spanking Lowpe (NJP72 vs Lowpe (A))

[Lowpe]

I got the replay yesterday, but not the turn yet...

IJN fleets are off Cochin by a hex or so, I think...could be multiple subs which I know are in the area...but there was no invasion, bombardments or aerial bombing on the southern tip of India.

The Marines, a British and Indian Division and plenty of others are protecting Cochin and the damaged R class battleships, with the other bases in the area getting troops. I don't think he can land opportunistically anywhere here now with no prep...and there is still 20,000 troops in Colombo.

We did expand another landlocked base closer to Colombo than Tanjore to level 2 runway, and it has another HQa. I will spend enough PP to assign two fighter squadrons and a swordfish squadron for future naval attacks...

[Lowpe]

Indian situation...can't fathom this.





That minelaying TF is supposed be about 6-8 hexes to the northwest before heading for either Mombasa or Bombay. Home port is Bombay, and they are retreating from a surface threat headed who knows where!

[Lowpe]

I don't think Japan can stop Bundaberg from falling today...not even if the KB launches a ground attack on the troops there. ONly the dice gods.[;)]

[Lowpe]

Two bases on the Indian tip will launch hopefully coordinated naval air attacks...lots of fighters and fighter bombers on lownN, Albacores and Banshees higher up and a squadron from Tanjore will do a long range sweep of Colombo...I hope my little minelaying squadron escapes, but I don't see how they can.

General attack at Bundaberg...will we take the base and put the nail in the coffin of the 33rd Division. Those guys have had a tough time in Australia...I don't think they ever won a battle -- stopped cold at Marysborough back in January of 1942.

[Lowpe]

May 6th, 1942

Only two attacks in the morning, netting one hit.

[Lowpe]

Only strafing with one squadron, hoping it will be enough...I think the KB is far off the coast.

[Lowpe]

The sweep goes in, but bad weather prevents anymore attacks on the IJN shipping off Cochin.

They did manage to sink a 2 point Dutch minelayer.

[Lowpe]

Really getting close to losing this fight...where are the reinforcements?

[Lowpe]

Huge disappointment![:(][:D] Didn't even manage to knock forts down to 0.

[Lowpe]

What an extended range sweep does to you...lost 4 Hurricanes.[:(]

[mind_messing]

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

I am officially baffled by the IJN moves...[&:]

Makes two of us.

I do take a certain pleasure out of seeing a fairly dispersed IJ campaign get methodically broken down by good Allied play.

It's often just a case of Allied players getting rattled by IJ occupations at Colombo, Cooktown and Noumea rather than having a good sense of just how massively exposed the IJ are as a result.

[RangerJoe]

ORIGINAL: mind_messing

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

I am officially baffled by the IJN moves...[&:]

Makes two of us.

I do take a certain pleasure out of seeing a fairly dispersed IJ campaign get methodically broken down by good Allied play.

It's often just a case of Allied players getting rattled by IJ occupations at Colombo, Cooktown and Noumea rather than having a good sense of just how massively exposed the IJ are as a result.

Not to mention the lack of coordination between the IO and the South Pacific / Coral Sea areas.

[Lowpe]

Turn is away...not doing too much, sub patrols, coordinated air attack from only 2 airbases in India...no attack at Bundaberg, just a bombardment. Trying to hunt down cripples along the Australian coast with subs...willing to take KB air strikes over Marysborough or Brisbane.

Hoping our troops get to the Ankang road fight in time...I see IJA troops retreating there, but I am sure it is only a few disrupted tank units.

[Lowpe]

May 7th, 1942

IJN finally bombards...our CD guns do good work...but hits on the R class not good. A little surprised by so many of them, port is size 4.

I like what is happening here, as I think I will be able to get many air attacks in and play with how to coordinate the air attacks. Plenty of AA at Cochin to protect from bombers, so our air force will be able to hopefully catch hesitant shore bombardment task forces far from Colombo. If the KB shows up, those 800kg bombs might do some real damage...but the AA is very heavy.

Tanjore reached level 8 AF today, Triv is 3, Madurai 2, Madras 6. Worried a bit about Triv being bombarded...

Snapper got spotted in Cochin, but the IJN will also have run the guantlet of an increasing submarine presence too.

[Lowpe]

Off the Australian coast we spot a big convoy headed to Rockhampton and hit this cruiser, but the torp won't explode.

ASW attack near Rockhampton at 96,150

Japanese Ships
AMC Kongo Maru
AMC Kiyosumi Maru
xAP Hakozaki Maru
xAK Nichiryo Maru
xAK Toyohasi Maru
xAK Arabia Maru
DD Sanae

Allied Ships
SS Sealion

SS Sealion is sighted by escort

[Lowpe]

One hex from Colombo we get some decent coordinated attacks...and one hit.

Morning Air attack on TF, near Colombo at 28,47

Weather in hex: Heavy cloud

Raid spotted at 12 NM, estimated altitude 4,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 3 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 14
Ki-43-Ic Oscar x 6

Allied aircraft
Fulmar II x 11

No Japanese losses

Allied aircraft losses
Fulmar II: 2 destroyed

---------------
Morning Air attack on TF, near Colombo at 28,47

Weather in hex: Heavy cloud

Raid spotted at 4 NM, estimated altitude 2,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 2 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 13
Ki-43-Ic Oscar x 6

Allied aircraft
Albacore I x 13
Hurricane IIa Trop x 10

No Japanese losses

Allied aircraft losses
Albacore I: 2 destroyed, 6 damaged

Japanese Ships
BB Haruna
CL Kitakami

Aircraft Attacking:
9 x Albacore I launching torpedoes at 200 feet
Naval Attack: 1 x 18in Mk XII Torpedo

------------
Morning Air attack on TF, near Colombo at 28,47

Weather in hex: Heavy cloud

Raid spotted at 14 NM, estimated altitude 17,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 9 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 12
Ki-43-Ic Oscar x 5

Allied aircraft
Hurricane I Trop x 10
Hurricane IIa Trop x 11
Vildebeest III x 9

No Japanese losses

Allied aircraft losses
Vildebeest III: 2 damaged

Japanese Ships
CA Takao
CL Naka
CA Chokai, Torpedo hits 1

Aircraft Attacking:
9 x Vildebeest III launching torpedoes at 200 feet
Naval Attack: 1 x 18in Mk XII Torpedo
----------

Morning Air attack on TF, near Colombo at 28,47

Weather in hex: Heavy cloud

Raid spotted at 18 NM, estimated altitude 19,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 6 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 3
Ki-43-Ic Oscar x 1

Allied aircraft
Hurricane I Trop x 14
Hurricane IIb Trop x 7
A-24 Banshee x 9

Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-43-Ic Oscar: 1 destroyed

Allied aircraft losses
A-24 Banshee: 3 damaged

Japanese Ships
CA Suzuya
BB Kongo

Aircraft Attacking:
8 x A-24 Banshee releasing from 4000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb SAP Bomb
1 x A-24 Banshee releasing from 3000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb SAP Bomb

[Lowpe]

Our sweep went into Colombo prior to the naval attacks...and got roughly handled thanks.

Morning Air attack on Colombo , at 29,48

Weather in hex: Overcast

Raid spotted at 12 NM, estimated altitude 39,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 2 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 29
Ki-43-Ic Oscar x 1

Allied aircraft
Hurricane IIb Trop x 15

Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 2 destroyed

Allied aircraft losses
Hurricane IIb Trop: 4 destroyed

CAP engaged:
Tainan Ku S-1 with A6M2 Zero (0 airborne, 2 on standby, 0 scrambling)
2 plane(s) intercepting now.
0 plane(s) not yet engaged, 0 being recalled, 1 out of immediate contact.
Group patrol altitude is 10000
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 44 minutes
3rd Ku S-1 with A6M2 Zero (0 airborne, 10 on standby, 0 scrambling)
5 plane(s) not yet engaged, 0 being recalled, 0 out of immediate contact.
Group patrol altitude is 32000
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 18 minutes
Tainan Ku S-1 Det A with A6M2 Zero (0 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
0 plane(s) not yet engaged, 3 being recalled, 1 out of immediate contact.
Group patrol altitude is 21000 , scrambling fighters between 0 and 21000.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 33 minutes
Zuiho-1 with A6M2 Zero (0 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
0 plane(s) not yet engaged, 6 being recalled, 0 out of immediate contact.
Group patrol altitude is 21000 , scrambling fighters between 0 and 21000.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 1 minutes
10th I.F.Chutai with Ki-43-Ic Oscar (0 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
0 plane(s) not yet engaged, 0 being recalled, 1 out of immediate contact.
Group patrol altitude is 3000 , scrambling fighters between 0 and 3000.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 40 minutes
12th Ku S-1 Det A with A6M2 Zero (0 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
0 plane(s) not yet engaged, 0 being recalled, 1 out of immediate contact.
Group patrol altitude is 32000 , scrambling fighters between 0 and 32000.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 40 minutes

[Lowpe]

Japan is just absolutely harsh when it comes to timing attacks...another on the Ankang road![X(]

[Lowpe]

Reported losses:

[Lowpe]

Japan has a dozen fighters and aux now at Bundaberg, flying out troops I guess from the damaged runways. Right now we lack enough destroyer escorts to challenge, plus I don't fancy fighting the IJN heavy cruisers with what I have. Minneapolis and 8 DDs are just off Sydney and heading north...they were spotted by an Iboat...so Japan knows more ships are coming.

Bundaberg is patrolled by PT boats, so no fast transport out there and we will have another general attack today. Another batch of CD guns arrived today to add their weight in the assault.

Took Winton by paradrop...

Ground combat at Bundaberg (96,155)

Allied Bombardment attack

Attacking force 6958 troops, 211 guns, 89 vehicles, Assault Value = 850

Defending force 15817 troops, 173 guns, 37 vehicles, Assault Value = 276

Japanese ground losses:
35 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 6 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

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

Assaulting units:
34th Infantry Regiment
5th RAA Coastal Artillery Regiment
5th Australian Division
6th RAA Coastal Artillery Regiment
3rd Australian Division
4th Australian/A Division
46th Indian Brigade
2/8th Armoured Regiment
2/4th Armoured Regiment
7th RAA Coastal Artillery Regiment
4th Australian/B Division
98th Coast AA Regiment
131st Field Artillery Battalion
148th Field Artillery Battalion
4th RAAF Base Force
147th Field Artillery Battalion
2nd RAA Coastal Artillery Regiment
198th Field Artillery Battalion
2nd Marine Defense Battalion
260th Field Artillery Battalion
223rd Field Artillery Battalion
A/B Battery Heavy Coastal Artillery Regiment

Defending units:
33rd Division
Sasebo 8th SNLF
Yokosuka 4th SNLF
1st Medium Field Artillery Regiment
5th Naval Construction Battalion
1st Raiding Rgt /2
4th JAAF AF Bn
21st Infantry Rgt /7