Bottlenecks occur in surprising places

[SierraJuliet]

Good luck with the war, and have fun!

I’ve been trying to decide on whether to follow your AAR or LST’s. I couldn’t decide, so I am going to follow both and just keep shtum.

The fun will be reviewing a turn and finding out that it mostly went well or even better. Not so fun when it doesn't but that is the nature of the game.

You will have fun eavesdropping on both sides. Bet you want to be yelling 'look out behind you' now and then.

[PaxMondo]

KB is moving northwest with the intention of meeting the fleet oilers to top up tanks and be ready to move southwest towards Kwajalein the following day. The decision has been made; there will not be any further follow-up strikes at Pearl Harbour.

Don't blame you here at all ... PH is always a tough decision for me ... to do or not to do ...

The process of expanding Light Industry factories has commenced. 74 new factories have been created. 44 000 supply already spent but the payoff will be an extra 148 supply for each turn. It will take some time to recoup that initial 44 000 supply but once I do 148 extra supply each turn will come my way. I do expect that I will be looking to expand even more in the Light Industry as we continue so that I will have realistic change of increasing Heavy Industry and Shipyards without wiping out my supply stores.

+1

Yeah, I would agree, at those prices a lot more expansion is in your future ....

[PaxMondo]

KB is moving northwest with the intention of meeting the fleet oilers to top up tanks and be ready to move southwest towards Kwajalein the following day. The decision has been made; there will not be any further follow-up strikes at Pearl Harbour.

Don't blame you here at all ... PH is always a tough decision for me ... to do or not to do ...

The process of expanding Light Industry factories has commenced. 74 new factories have been created. 44 000 supply already spent but the payoff will be an extra 148 supply for each turn. It will take some time to recoup that initial 44 000 supply but once I do 148 extra supply each turn will come my way. I do expect that I will be looking to expand even more in the Light Industry as we continue so that I will have realistic change of increasing Heavy Industry and Shipyards without wiping out my supply stores.

+1

Yeah, I would agree, at those prices a lot more expansion is in your future ....

[SierraJuliet]

Day one is complete. With it being a half day there is little to report.

SS I-1 gets a single torpedo hit near Lahaina on xAP Haleaka. The report is on fire and heavy damage. Near Shanghai, CA Izumo commences the action against PG Peterel and scores a penetrating hit. Second shreds the upperworks and before Peterel can register any hits she is obliterated by a third hit from Izumo.

My initial impression is that LST is pulling back land forces in Malaya and China. I see movement dots for Allied forces at Kuantan, Butterworth and the evicted units from Kota Bharu. In China the border troops at Ningming (next to Lang Son) are on the move along with troops at Lu’an and even Chengchow. I’ve decided to let go of Ichang so that it doesn’t have to be garrisoned and the 3 divisions in that area will now be available for offensive duties.

In Malaya I am preparing for an invasion of Kuantan. If LST is going for a full-on withdrawal to defend Singapore I may reconsider and look at attempting the Mersing gambit. I shall have to get recon over that base and decide very soon. The Kauntan invasion force is on the move, but I think it will not be sufficient to do Mersing unless I redirect some of the forces earmarked for places like Singora and Patani. I’m also wary of the ability of Force Z to interdict and I have a healthy respect for the ability of the RAF torpedo bombers.

[SierraJuliet]

8 December 1941

The tiny island weather station at Makin awakens to the sight of Japanese ships disgorging troops. This battle on land will go as expected for Japan. Onboard the ships there is some trepidation when an allied float plane is sighted snooping. It could only be from a warship! High command had made assurances that no allied warships would be bothering them. The hollowness of this assurance soon became apparent when U.S. sea power in the form of CA Pensacola was detected steaming towards the little fleet. The surprised fleet was brutally cut to pieces by the might on this lone cruiser. In the end I count myself lucky that only CM Tenyo Maru, CM Tokiwa and PB Nagata Maru were lost. Tenyo Maru, however, being a Yusen N Class is the loss of a valuable merchant ship far too early. On the plus side CM Okinoshima 33, 20(7), 06, 01 escaped along with the elderly escorting destroyers, DD Asanagi and DDYunagi.

When the combat replay came up, I was totally disoriented and thought that this must be CA Houston making an unwelcome visit somewhere around the Philippines and the posting of the name Pensacola was a misidentification. It did not take long to realize that this was in fact Pensacola and the waters around Makin Island were not quite the safe place I had thought them to be.

Makin 9 December 41.png (749.9 KiB) Viewed 44 times

[RangerJoe]

8 December 1941

The tiny island weather station at Makin awakens to the sight of Japanese ships disgorging troops. This battle on land will go as expected for Japan. Onboard the ships there is some trepidation when an allied float plane is sighted snooping. It could only be from a warship! High command had made assurances that no allied warships would be bothering them. The hollowness of this assurance soon became apparent when U.S. sea power in the form of CA Pensacola was detected steaming towards the little fleet. The surprised fleet was brutally cut to pieces by the might on this lone cruiser. In the end I count myself lucky that only CM Tenyo Maru, CM Tokiwa and PB Nagata Maru were lost. Tenyo Maru, however, being a Yusen N Class is the loss of a valuable merchant ship far too early. On the plus side CM Okinoshima 33, 20(7), 06, 01 escaped along with the elderly escorting destroyers, DD Asanagi and DDYunagi.

When the combat replay came up, I was totally disoriented and thought that this must be CA Houston making an unwelcome visit somewhere around the Philippines and the posting of the name Pensacola was a misidentification. It did not take long to realize that this was in fact Pensacola and the waters around Makin Island were not quite the safe place I had thought them to be.

Makin 9 December 41.png