Cruft vs. szmike, Babeslite Scen 1 with 3-day turns

[Captain Cruft]

Oh OK, cool

[PaxMondo]

Yes. I activated the Soviets to find out those sorts of things. A bit galling to drop 30,000 tons of supplies and find out they won't give you a couple of hundred tons of fuel to get back home.

The most common way around this is to get allied ground forces there and have them take bases. Then the bases are non-SOV and everyone can get supply/fuel there ....

[BBfanboy]

Yes. I activated the Soviets to find out those sorts of things. A bit galling to drop 30,000 tons of supplies and find out they won't give you a couple of hundred tons of fuel to get back home.

The most common way around this is to get allied ground forces there and have them take bases. Then the bases are non-SOV and everyone can get supply/fuel there ....

I guess that is possible if the Japanese take the base first. Otherwise, the other Allies cannot take Soviet Bases and the country code prevents them basing there as Allies. If the Soviets take a base outside their country code, I think the Allies can base themselves there.

[RangerJoe]

Yes. I activated the Soviets to find out those sorts of things. A bit galling to drop 30,000 tons of supplies and find out they won't give you a couple of hundred tons of fuel to get back home.

The most common way around this is to get allied ground forces there and have them take bases. Then the bases are non-SOV and everyone can get supply/fuel there ....

I guess that is possible if the Japanese take the base first. Otherwise, the other Allies cannot take Soviet Bases and the country code prevents them basing there as Allies. If the Soviets take a base outside their country code, I think the Allies can base themselves there.

I do believe that is the case because of the difference in the country code. The ownership of the base could also be changed . . .

[PaxMondo]

Pretty sure about this as I have seen it in countless AAR's through the years. BUT, I must admit to never having done it in one of my games as the only flip I see is when the IJ rips apart the SOV.

Screenshot 2024-11-06 142537.jpg (340.13 KiB) Viewed 661 times

[Captain Cruft]

25 May 1943

The game has slowed down a bit due to real life issues, but we are still reliably exchanging turns.

The Allies are advancing in various places, unfortunately, and I am enduring several sieges.

Thailand, Southern & Northern China, Manchuria

thailand_250543.png (293.37 KiB) Viewed 577 times

china_south_250543.png (239.11 KiB) Viewed 576 times

china_north_250543.png (155.09 KiB) Viewed 576 times

kwantung_250543.png (521.04 KiB) Viewed 576 times

[Captain Cruft]

US activity in the Gilberts

There is an obvious build-up in the Gilbert Islands, I expect an assault on the Marshall Islands in the near future.

My opponent likes to use small worthless transports for these build-up activities, so it's not really worth trying to attack them in a serious manner.

marshalls_250543.png (35.38 KiB) Viewed 574 times

[Captain Cruft]

Industry summary

The industrial base is looking quite good. Or at least I think it is. There is a long way to go, and I have yet to suffer any serious interruption to the resource convoys heading out of either the DEI or mainland Asia.

I have most plane types coming out the wazoo, as combat has been quite limited so far. The pilot situation is similar, for the same reason.

industry_250543.png (105.44 KiB) Viewed 572 times

[Captain Cruft]

18 Dec 1943

The Empire is struggling and the Allies are advancing on multiple fronts.

Saigon has fallen, Camranh Bay will fall soon.

Malaysia and Sumatra are mostly now held by the Brits, but Singapore and Palembang are still ours. He has not done much in the DEI, so at least for now I am still able to ship out hydrocarbons.

In the Pacific, the Americans have taken the Marshall Islands, Ponape and Wake Island.

Perhaps most worryingly, the Soviet armies seem pretty much unstoppable. Harbin just fell and Mutankiang will not last much longer.

So, clearly I am going to lose. The only question is what price can I extract from the Allies in the process.

stratmap181243.png (450.08 KiB) Viewed 122 times

[Captain Cruft]

On the plus side, naval combat has been rather limited and so the Imperial Fleet is intact.

I have lost:

1 x CL
6 x DD
8 x SS

According to the intel report (FWIW) his cruiser and destroyer losses are about 3 times that, and BB Arizona was supposedly sunk at PH on day one.

[PaxMondo]

CC;

So how did the SOV activate?

End of '43 ... nasty time for the JFB especially if there hasn't been much combat; that means the allies are largely intact ... ouch!

So, tighten your lines. Don't let DEI become an internment camp for your forces. Shrink your perimeter before then. Just leave forces you can afford to be without to force him to attack (small recon, Engr shipping.. Drain the oil/fuel and BAIL!! Ditto Malay/IndoChina. Get back to like Changsha or someplace like that. And against the SOV, you have to hold the Peiking/Fusan line open. If you let Korea become separated from CHI, bad news. Move forces to prevent that.

Basically, if you don't lose too many units to interment in DEI, you have the forces to really slow/hold a perimeter in Asia AND have reaction forces you need in the HI. And you need a LOT. ~12 ID's in Hokkaido, plus 3 Tank BDE's for sure. Then ~20 ID's in the HI with hvy arty and ARM. All the rest CHI, KOR, and PI. Keep your air force mobile and agile. Move it around to react to things. Most players don't realize how many ID's that they actually have, you start the game with about 50 ID's not to mention all the BDE's. By end of '43, that number is up to about 65-70 ID's + a bunch of BDE's. You don't realize because they are all spread out all over. Bring them all home ....

By the way, I know that I write this like it is easy. It ain't. It's really hard, but it can be done. Hopefully you're not too late .... BEST of LUCK!!!

[Captain Cruft]

I attacked the Sovs in early 42. Unfortunately I bungled it and lost a lot of troops. You can see this on pages 2/3 of the AAR.

[Captain Cruft]

Dec 24 1943

The main US CV fleet had not previously been seen, he only used some CVEs in the Marshall Islands operations.

Today this changed though. Below is one of many attacks this turn on Truk, featuring 300 or so bombers. Ouchie.

Not sure if he intends to actually take Truk or is happy to just render it useless. He has shown some signs of "hoovering up the red dots" syndrome so I am not sure.

I need to somehow work out a way to deal with this immense naval air power, while knowing that this is only about 25% (guess) of what he will be able to deploy in 1945.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Afternoon Air attack on Truk , at 112,108

Weather in hex: Overcast

Raid detected at 75 NM, estimated altitude 11,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 27 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M5 Zero x 9
N1K1-J George x 16

Allied aircraft
F4F-4 Wildcat x 36
F6F-3 Hellcat x 48
SB2C-1C Helldiver x 29
SBD-3 Dauntless x 123
SBD-5 Dauntless x 58
TBF-1 Avenger x 126

Japanese aircraft losses
A6M5 Zero: 1 destroyed, 3 damaged
N1K1-J George: 16 damaged
N1K1-J George: 4 destroyed on ground
G4M1 Betty: 1 destroyed on ground
E13A1 Jake: 1 destroyed on ground

Allied aircraft losses
F4F-4 Wildcat: 4 destroyed
F6F-3 Hellcat: 3 destroyed
SB2C-1C Helldiver: 1 damaged
SB2C-1C Helldiver: 1 destroyed by flak
SBD-3 Dauntless: 13 damaged
SBD-5 Dauntless: 1 destroyed, 5 damaged
TBF-1 Avenger: 1 destroyed, 1 damaged

Japanese Ships
ACM Noshiro Maru #2, Bomb hits 1, and is sunk
SS I-173, Bomb hits 6, and is sunk
ARD Dublon ARD, Bomb hits 3, heavy fires, heavy damage

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

Airbase hits 6
Runway hits 13
Port hits 21
Port fuel hits 3
Port supply hits 2

truk_deathstar.png (21.76 KiB) Viewed 79 times

[Captain Cruft]

Inadvertant Shock Attack at Peiping?

One thing which does give me a bit of hope is that my opponent is not averse to the occasional bit of bungling himself.

Peiping has been under siege for months, but over the last few turns he has sent a couple of units over the river and triggered Shock Attacks like the one below. I cannot imagine this is intended.

Peiping (along with nearby Tientsin) is one of my designated hold points. As you can see I have managed to build the Forts to level 8.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ground combat at Peiping (95,39)

Allied Shock attack

Attacking force 6903 troops, 419 guns, 176 vehicles, Assault Value = 3150

Defending force 74999 troops, 458 guns, 189 vehicles, Assault Value = 2508

Allied adjusted assault: 0

Japanese adjusted defense: 13777

Allied assault odds: 1 to 99 (fort level 8)

Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+), forts(+)
Attacker: shock(+)

Japanese ground losses:
59 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 11 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Vehicles lost 3 (1 destroyed, 2 disabled)

Allied ground losses:
3140 casualties reported
Squads: 105 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 170 destroyed, 12 disabled
Engineers: 11 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 14 (12 destroyed, 2 disabled)

peiping_shock.png (55.24 KiB) Viewed 73 times

[PaxMondo]

I attacked the Sovs in early 42. Unfortunately I bungled it and lost a lot of troops. You can see this on pages 2/3 of the AAR.

I wouldn't choose "bungled" to characterize it as that at all. Taking SOV in '42 is a tough thing to do; possible and a good strategy for all the reasons that you noted; but easy? Not at all. I posted a shot of one of my games of SOV in mid-43, so as you can see, I completely agree with your sense of strategy. I was VERY interested to see your (unique to me) naval landing approach. My attacks are always far more mundane, simple land excursions; but with a similar goal to what you did: cut the south of SOV from the supply from the North, trap the bulk of their forces without the huge supply source of Mother Russia.

In answer to your perceived question: Does it work? My answer would be: Sort of. Yeah, not definitive, and my apologies. As someone else noted, SOV has a fair amount of LI (a good reason to target it) and so does generate a fair amount of daily supply. BUT, that horrendous AA you mention will eat that supply up FAST. So, lotsa high altitude bombing runs to eat supply followed by lower bombing runs after they are out of supply to hold fort building and then focused ground attacks with all the arty you can scavenge. Still, compared to the CHI, very, very bloody. Oh, and those bloody Mig-3's, they are nasty as well.

So, bungled? Not so much. Learning experience? Yeah, and isn't that what the game is about anyway?

[Captain Cruft]

Fortress Hainan

I would like to delay the arrival of the British/Chinese blob at the Hong Kong/Canton area as long as possible.

While Singapore holds he will likely be reluctant to sally forth into the South China Sea, so for the time being Hainan is in a sense inviolate. I have it stacked with Air and Fast Transport TFs comprising of CLs and DDs can supply the troops holding out in the various places on the Indochina coast. These same ships can also bombard him, where appropriate

His bomber force is currently still reducing Camranh Bay, but it will probably shortly be moving over to the Malayan Peninsula to attempt the same at Singapore.

indochina.png (340.07 KiB) Viewed 67 times

[Captain Cruft]

I attacked the Sovs in early 42. Unfortunately I bungled it and lost a lot of troops. You can see this on pages 2/3 of the AAR.

In answer to your perceived question: Does it work? My answer would be: Sort of. Yeah, not definitive, and my apologies. As someone else noted, SOV has a fair amount of LI (a good reason to target it) and so does generate a fair amount of daily supply. BUT, that horrendous AA you mention will eat that supply up FAST. So, lotsa high altitude bombing runs to eat supply followed by lower bombing runs after they are out of supply to hold fort building and then focused ground attacks with all the arty you can scavenge. Still, compared to the CHI, very, very bloody. Oh, and those bloody Mig-3's, they are nasty as well.

So, bungled? Not so much. Learning experience? Yeah, and isn't that what the game is about anyway?

Bungled and a learning experience both

I have bombed all the Soviet HI and LI (and some Resources) that I can reach. The MiG-3 is indeed a problem, but they cannot be everywhere at once.

There is no chance now of me doing any more attacking on the ground.

russia.png (474.89 KiB) Viewed 62 times

[PaxMondo]

Dec 24 1943

The main US CV fleet had not previously been seen, he only used some CVEs in the Marshall Islands operations.

...

I need to somehow work out a way to deal with this immense naval air power, while knowing that this is only about 25% (guess) of what he will be able to deploy in 1945.

Well, my answer to this question is a simple one: you can't. Or at least I've never found (or seen) a real way to do so consistently. With luck, you can build up a HUGE air armada and get lucky enough in your rolls that your attack get in and hit. I've seen it. But those are not all that common, the more usual outcome is that the attacks go in too piecemeal and the DeathStar buzzsaw just eats them up.

SO, having said that, my opinion is that the "winning" strategy is the fact that the allies don't possess that many ground units. So, your reaction force is key. They land with their 4 or 5 ID's and you retaliate with your 15 - 20 ID's and kick them back off. You don't waste your air force on the DeathStar, but use it against those amphib troops to pound them and set CAP traps if the DeathStar tries to defend them. Rinse and repeat. So atolls are completely undefensible, mere road bumps, but the PI is not. Nor is the HI and Hokkaido.

Note that above I use the term "winning"; of course you can't win. It only takes one unlucky roll and you lose a battle which then allows the allies their beachhead, and once they have a firm beachhead that island is then lost. BUT, you may win 7 or 8 out of 10 and each one you win extends the game for another month or 2; he needs 2 wins to really seal the game (PI and Hokkaido); but that could be well over a year, meaning you see '45.
(This ignores Asia which is a completely separate problem as you well know)

I have to laud you taking on 3 days turns as the IJ. Really, really tough to do. I know, I've tried.

Keep up the good fight!!

Go!! Fight!! Win? well at least see '45!!!!

[Captain Cruft]

Sakhalin and the Amur River

Comrade Stalin has not counter-attacked in the eastern half of his domain. Grateful for small mercies I guess ...

sakhalin.png (272.23 KiB) Viewed 55 times

[PaxMondo]

Fortress Hainan

I would like to delay the arrival of the British/Chinese blob at the Hong Kong/Canton area as long as possible.

While Singapore holds he will likely be reluctant to sally forth into the South China Sea, so for the time being Hainan is in a sense inviolate. I have it stacked with Air and Fast Transport TFs comprising of CLs and DDs can supply the troops holding out in the various places on the Indochina coast. These same ships can also bombard him, where appropriate

His bomber force is currently still reducing Camranh Bay, but it will probably shortly be moving over to the Malayan Peninsula to attempt the same at Singapore.

Be alert for an allied amphib on HK or somewhere near there (Amoy, etc). This is a tactic used in many other AAR's to cut off the IJ forces in SE Asia. I would suggest that you use the RR lines now to evacuate those troops now to where you need them: east of HK ... strengthen your defenses around Peiping. That corridor has to hold or all of your forces west of it are lost.

I doubt that the allies are worried about Singers at all: those troops are now in their private internment camp for the war. He owns it anytime he wants to allocate the DeathStar to it, but most allied players never do. However, you mention that your opponent is methodical, so maybe he will (good news for you, delays him other places and at least those troops get to fight instead of just wasting away).

Looking more closely at your map, try to get all your troops out of Java to the PI. The bases there are, or soon will be, of no use to you as you won't be able to ship anything to the HI. Those units in Java will be needed to hold the PI as long as you can. Ignore your losses (although try to minimize them of course), but whatever you get to the PI is better than leaving it in Java.

Keep fighting the good fight!!!