Spanking Lowpe (NJP72 vs Lowpe (A))

[BBfanboy]

If he knew you had a division at Udon Thani (and a mouse rollover should have shown that), the only reason he had to shock attack is to destroy his own units so he could buy them out back in Japan (AA and base forces). He must be resigned to the fact that they will not be able to escape.
Your slow-mo capture of the Marshalls is denying him (for a while) the opportunity to buy back any units he has there. It's all good!

[Lowpe]

October 22, 1943

Johore Bahru taken...

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[Lowpe]

Will take the last two bases in Thailand, except for Bangkok tomorrow. Bangkok should fall fairly fast I think....almost 3k worth of troops there or moving there.

Armored column moving up to clear the division along the Lang Son road, along with the 1st Marine Division. Cam Ranh Bay Japanese zombies holding on.

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[Lowpe]

October 23, 1943

IJN breakouts of Singers...

subs nail one ship:
Submarine attack near Singapore at 51,84

Japanese Ships
xAK Koyu Maru, Torpedo hits 2, on fire, heavy damage

Allied Ships
SS S-47

xAK Koyu Maru is sighted by SS S-47
SS S-47 launches 2 torpedoes at xAK Koyu Maru

And then:

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[Lowpe]

and again:

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[Lowpe]

An afternoon strike finds the the big girls:

Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Groot Natoena at 56,84

Weather in hex: Overcast

Raid detected at 43 NM, estimated altitude 10,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 12 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M3a Zero x 4
A6M5 Zero x 14
Ki-43-IIIa Oscar x 5
Ki-43-IV Oscar x 25

Allied aircraft
B-25D1 Mitchell x 12

Japanese aircraft losses
A6M3a Zero: 1 destroyed
A6M5 Zero: 2 destroyed
Ki-43-IIIa Oscar: 1 destroyed
Ki-43-IV Oscar: 3 destroyed

Allied aircraft losses
B-25D1 Mitchell: 3 destroyed, 5 damaged

Japanese Ships
CA Maya
TK Ogura Maru #1
BB Mutsu

Aircraft Attacking:
4 x B-25D1 Mitchell bombing and strafing from low level
Naval Attack: 6 x 500 lb SAP Bomb

[Lowpe]

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All bases except for Bangkok now taken.

Ground combat at Udon Thani (61,59)

Allied Shock attack

Attacking force 15250 troops, 313 guns, 241 vehicles, Assault Value = 458

Defending force 14055 troops, 153 guns, 35 vehicles, Assault Value = 198

Allied adjusted assault: 169

Japanese adjusted defense: 36

Allied assault odds: 4 to 1 (fort level 0)

Allied forces CAPTURE Udon Thani !!!

Japanese aircraft
no flights

Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-57-II Topsy: 3 destroyed

Combat modifiers
Defender: leaders(+), disruption(-), preparation(-), experience(-)
supply(-)
Attacker: shock(+), leaders(-), fatigue(-)

Japanese ground losses:
5754 casualties reported
Squads: 263 destroyed, 3 disabled
Non Combat: 239 destroyed, 33 disabled
Engineers: 20 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 50 (48 destroyed, 2 disabled)
Vehicles lost 28 (28 destroyed, 0 disabled)
Units retreated 9

Allied ground losses:
112 casualties reported
Squads: 1 destroyed, 11 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 4 disabled

Ground combat at Nakhon Ratchasima (58,61)

Allied Shock attack

Attacking force 434 troops, 2 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 17

Defending force 0 troops, 0 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 0

Allied adjusted assault: 3

Japanese adjusted defense: 1

Allied assault odds: 3 to 1 (fort level 1)

Allied forces CAPTURE Nakhon Ratchasima !!!

Combat modifiers
Attacker: op mode(-), shock(+), leaders(+), leaders(-)

Assaulting units:
14th LRP Bde /1

[Lowpe]

Oct 24, 1943

A couple of naval clashes off Groote as the IJN returns back to Singers...

We get one good hit on the Maya....close in fight favoring the IJN.

Night Time Surface Combat, near Groot Natoena at 57,84, Range 1,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
CA Maya, Shell hits 3
DD Isokaze, Shell hits 1
DD Suresushio
DD Satsukaze

Allied Ships
BB Oklahoma, Shell hits 12, Torpedo hits 1, on fire
BB Idaho, Shell hits 9
DD Barton
DD Benham
DD Wilson
DD Kortenaer
DD Isaac Sweers
DD Jupiter
DD Racehorse
DD Redoubt
DD Rotherham, Shell hits 3, heavy fires

Low visibility due to Rain with 28% moonlight
Maximum visibility in Rain and 28% moonlight: 2,000 yards
Range closes to 23,000 yards...
Range closes to 17,000 yards...
Range closes to 11,000 yards...
Range closes to 7,000 yards...
Range closes to 5,000 yards...
Range closes to 3,000 yards...
Range closes to 1,000 yards...
CA Maya engages BB Idaho at 1,000 yards

[Lowpe]

PT boat skirmish:

Night Time Surface Combat, near Groot Natoena at 57,84, Range 2,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
CA Aoba
CL Kuma
DD Sanae
DD Kosugiri
DD Myojinami
DD Tagonami

Allied Ships
PT-113
PT-114, Shell hits 3
PT-161
PT-163

[Lowpe]

Lots of rounds fired...

Night Time Surface Combat, near Groot Natoena at 57,84, Range 1,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
CA Takao, Shell hits 9, heavy fires
DD Naganami
DD Hatsukaze
DD Maikaze
DD Suzukaze
DD Akatsuki
DD Inazuma, Shell hits 26, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk

Allied Ships
CA Cornwall
CA Frobisher, Shell hits 6, on fire
CL Nashville, Torpedo hits 2, on fire, heavy damage
DD Bush
DD Dyson
DD Fullam, Shell hits 33, Torpedo hits 3, and is sunk
DD Porter
DD Vampire, Shell hits 2

Poor visibility due to Rain with 28% moonlight
Maximum visibility in Rain and 28% moonlight: 1,000 yards
Range closes to 23,000 yards...
Range closes to 17,000 yards...
Range closes to 11,000 yards...
Range closes to 7,000 yards...
Range closes to 5,000 yards...
Range closes to 3,000 yards...
Range closes to 1,000 yards...
Omi, I. crosses the 'T'

[Lowpe]

Missed opportunity...all these big warships are damaged.

ASW attack near Djemadja at 53,84

Japanese Ships
BB Mutsu
CA Atago
CA Chikuma
DD Ariake
DD Shiranui
DD Yamanagiri
DD Satsuki

Allied Ships
SS Grayback

SS Grayback is sighted by escort
DD Yamanagiri fails to find sub, continues to search...
DD Satsuki fails to find sub, continues to search...
Escort abandons search for sub

[Lowpe]

Couple of sub hits...lots of misses though.

Submarine attack near Singapore at 51,84

Japanese Ships
xAK Daifuku Maru, Torpedo hits 2, on fire, heavy damage

Allied Ships
SS S-47

xAK Daifuku Maru is sighted by SS S-47
SS S-47 launches 4 torpedoes at xAK Daifuku Maru


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sub attack near Tioman Island at 52,84

Japanese Ships
xAK Yuzan Maru, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage

Allied Ships
SS Grayback

xAK Yuzan Maru is sighted by SS Grayback
SS Grayback launches 2 torpedoes at xAK Yuzan Maru

[Lowpe]

Couple of sub hits...lots of misses though.

Submarine attack near Singapore at 51,84

Japanese Ships
xAK Daifuku Maru, Torpedo hits 2, on fire, heavy damage

Allied Ships
SS S-47

xAK Daifuku Maru is sighted by SS S-47
SS S-47 launches 4 torpedoes at xAK Daifuku Maru


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sub attack near Tioman Island at 52,84

Japanese Ships
xAK Yuzan Maru, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage

Allied Ships
SS Grayback

xAK Yuzan Maru is sighted by SS Grayback
SS Grayback launches 2 torpedoes at xAK Yuzan Maru

[Lowpe]

Got lucky here!

Night Time Surface Combat, near Groot Natoena at 57,84, Range 2,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
DD Yukikaze
DD Amatsukaze
DD Nowaki
DD Ikazuchi, Shell hits 3, heavy fires
DD Shinonome

Allied Ships
BB Oklahoma, Shell hits 1, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
BB Idaho, Torpedo hits 1
DD Jupiter, Shell hits 2
DD Racehorse, Shell hits 1
DD Redoubt
DD Rotherham, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk

Low visibility due to Rain with 17% moonlight
Maximum visibility in Rain and 17% moonlight: 2,000 yards

[Lowpe]

More sub goodness...but we don't get any large warships.

Submarine attack near Tioman Island at 52,84

Japanese Ships
xAK Ohio Maru, Shell hits 3, Torpedo hits 2, on fire, heavy damage

Allied Ships
SS Grayback

xAK Ohio Maru is sighted by SS Grayback
SS Grayback attacking xAK Ohio Maru on the surface

[Lowpe]

Last hit of the morning:

Submarine attack near Singapore at 50,84

Japanese Ships
xAK Dakar Maru, Torpedo hits 1

Allied Ships
SS S-36

xAK Dakar Maru is sighted by SS S-36
SS S-36 launches 2 torpedoes at xAK Dakar Maru

[Lowpe]

We lost two destroyers, Japan one plus several merchants. Lots of damaged ships for the Allies though.

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[Lowpe]

More progress...lots of shipping just outside of Bangkok...will ferry those troops by sea to China. Others might take the longer route by train.

Moulmein ???? Only a size 1 port right now....but how well does it work in shipping supplies to Bangkok? From the JFB side, Bangkok has a difficult time sending supplies to Burma so I am guessing not well.

Victoria Point size 1; Alor Star port 2 on rail line; Georgetown port 5 on main road, 1 hex to rail line.

I need to really get those supplies pumping forward.

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[RangerJoe]

If you don't mind a suggestion on possibly slowing your opponents fleets down and maybe damaging/sinking ships, put submarine laid minefields 1 hex away from Singapore where there is no base, another minefield where the river outlet from Palembang and the sea combine, even between those two islands where you see the enemy fleets. A damaged ship in port probably won't be added to any task forces. Then he may also direct minesweeping TFs away from those hexes or have his ships avoid the hexes. If you have attack bombers available with Naval Search over the area, have the bombers fly at 100 feet with a range one hex short of the enemy base. Or even have night naval attacks with Naval Search to possibly do damage and hopefully slow down the enemy or break his task forces apart with ships detached in Escort TFs.

Against the computer, I keep hearing explosions and ship sirens . . .

[CaptBeefheart]

Ouch on the battlewagons getting flotation damage. Where's your nearest 50,000-ton dry dock? Either that or taking Singapore will come in handy. At least the CAs can go to Saigon.

Regarding Cam Ranh Bay, my understanding is that a shock attack gives the enemy two shots at your forces. If he's only disabling two devices per shot, you might as well shock attack the remnants and be done with them earlier.

Also, a strat move from Bangkok to Phnom Penh (or whereever the railhead is), a new strat move from there to Saigon by main road for those that can do it [EDIT: I checked the manual and could only find that Japanese units cannot strat move on main roads, while Allied can. Still, by memory, USN, USMC and Chinese, and possibly some CW, units cannot move by main road in strat mode--which is supposed to be a reflection of their lack of trucks], then a strat up to Vinh or points north is a pretty efficient way to move units in that area. With the possible exception of units that cannot strat move by main road, it'll be faster than moving by ship. Not sure if they fixed it, but you could strat move USN/USMC/Chinese units by road by setting "all to march" once you've set an eligible unit to strat move. That'd be cheating, though.

[EDIT: I like Vicky Point as a supply drop-off point once the port is decent and/or it has a lot of naval support for unloading. If it's safe, Georgetown also works. If Rangoon hasn't been working well for you, then Moulmein isn't going to be better.]

Cheers,
CB