Westerley Wind, Fine NJP72 (J) vs Lowpe (A) DBB Sce 30

[njp72]

Another dangerous but annoying incursion about to be liquidated.

Very hard to stop them all. Will bring down some paras to speed up the process.

[njp72]

Something is massing around Perth and has been doing so for a few weeks now.

Clearly a move into the DEI is pending but the question is what to do about it.

Move too much and I leave the Central Pacific uncovered which will equate to death.

[njp72]

June 1st 1943

Like an uncurling snake, the Allies continue to coil around the PNG coastline.

Limited airstrikes, surface groups and Iboats attempt to strike with limited success. Iboats have been the most successful of the 3 damaging (not sinking) a plethora of Allied warships.

Better here than the Central Pacific.

[njp72]

Time to go to my happy place- China.

3 x fresh divisions are on their way to Chungking. I am growing more confident that this city will fall in a couple of months which will give me the much-needed points and effectively end the China campaign.

[njp72]

Stalemate in Burma as the Allies remain curiously inactive. Always makes me worry when this happens.

Nevertheless, Lowpe will have a surprise soon if he continues to sit still.

Who says the IJA can't launch offensives in 43.

Look how well the invasion of India in 44 went for the IJA in real life

[njp72]

Scoreboard Jun 43

Need to finish off the Chinese to shore up my points. Not worried until he get's within 20 hexes of the Home Islands.

[njp72]

New toys are on the way, with the most important being the Frank.

By 44, the Allies will be confronted with a completely new, refurbished air force.

- A6M8
-Frank A with the R close on its heels
- 2nd Version of the George
-etc

And there will be thousands of them with half decent pilots.

[njp72]

Current production levels- this game is pdu-off

[njp72]

Industry

Enough here to get me into 45, knowing that 44 will be a blood bath.

By early 45 Japan is likely to be a smoking ruin so everything past that point is pretty much academic.

[njp72]

Plenty of pilots sitting in the Reserve Pool.

Not really worried about running out of half decent pilots. I am pretty careful with them and dislike flying them into uber caps created by US CVs.

[njp72]

Top pilots below

I have lost close to 8k of aircraft but less than 3k of pilots.

[njp72]

A golden opportunity missed- needed that one to slow him down

[njp72]

In better news, the trap is finally sprung in Northern Thailand.

[njp72]

Okay taking stock and strategy for the next 18 months - June 43

Objective- to get past Jan 1st 45

Biggest threat: Strat bombing of the HI (due to the damage inflicted on industry but more importantly the points gained by the Allies)

Mission: Deny Allied forces any significant lodgment within 20 hexes of the HI (effectively the range of the B24s/B17s etc)

IJA- Priority for fortifications and troops will be any island within that 20 hex radius including the Okinawa, Bonins, Kuriles, Taiwan and Hokkaido. PIs, Singapore, Burma, Thailand, Vietnam, Saipan and Dutch East Indies are less of a priority and will be sacrificed to protect positions in the 20 hex radius. IJA divisions will be bought out from China (obviously the trashed ones) to supplement local reinforcements.

IJN: Maintain a fleet in being at all times for both surface and CV engagement
- There will no active targeting of the US Fleet CVs. Only their deployed air wings will be targeted for attrition.
- Surface groups will not seek out any engagements with USN naval combatants. Only the direct targeting of merchant shipping, troop convoys and replenishment vessels will be engaged.
- IJN activity will be covered at all times by land based air, ASW patrols and at major positions, mine fields.

Need Chungking to fall in June/July for the points and then should be good to go. The tank divisions will likely remain in China and act as a mobile reserve in the likely event the Allies conduct amphib operations on the Chinese coast line.

Attrition is the name of the game- I want to wound (not necessarily kill given the risk involved) as many major surface units such as BBs, CVEs, CAs with mines, subs, kamikazes and conventional air as well as taking a major toll of the USN airwings.

Let's see if I have the patience and the brains to stick to the game plan

I want Lowpe to really work hard to sink any major IJN unit over the next 18 months

[njp72]

With reckless daring and brilliance the Allies have raced through part of areas near Ambon and established positions to most likely move on the PIs.

It took over a week to understand/ discern the patterns of movement and areas of concentration which Lowpe in his usual genius disguised very well.

But a pattern was recognised and future Allied objectives identified. Japanese air activity picked up over the last two turns (which should have provided some warning to Lowpe) but finally the IJN moved and sprang its trap.

Outside Darwin

[njp72]

Outside Batjan

[njp72]

More of the same

[njp72]

Multiple convoys are hit and just under a division of Allied troops end up in the drink.

The key strategy remains- target the assault shipping and troops not the CVs or surface war ships.

The IJN barely sustained a scratch in the massacre.

One of the convoys spilling its human cargo below.

[njp72]

The butchers bill for the Allies for the day- there is another page and 1/2 on top of this.

The bonus was the division (-) that ended up undertaking some impromptu swimming lessons

[njp72]

Chungking- forts dropped another level to 2.

Looking good here.