The medium bombers take over in Lae - surely the field there is starting to become unusable?
That's nothing, fixed in a turn, if he has made the committment there in ENG and supply. IJ has considerable engineering capacity, scads of construction engineer units; it's just nothing like what the Allies have later.
I think I have to make lightly held lines with reasonable fortification and then have a mobile reserve of tank units that sit behind.
This makes sense; you're in maneuver warfare terrain now....
The Carnage continues in and around India. I must have missed a TF of AKs bunched together and his carriers obviously target that for preferencial treatment. I loose 2 AKs and have 4 others severely damaged. He is hitting many ships but as yet has not used surface forces to attack the individual ships. This does mean that he is getting quite an element of overkill.
Damn, he sighted the Warspite and sent out a couple of DDs to kill what he thought was an APD. Well they didn't hurt the BB thankfully but now the big ship will be hunted like a fell beast and is likely to croak. The Ramilles was also sighted and has so little hope of getting out I may just scuttle her - that is hard to do when she is still making way.
In India I set up all the torp bombers in Bombay with a Wildcat and P-40 escort to try and hit his BBs at range four if they line up against Bombay again.
The continuing rush to get to the North of India took a turn for the worse when Asansol fell today. All my units defending the place retreat back towards Burma. I will have to get as much of them as I can across to Jamshedpur by Dakota. Unfortunately that will never include the third tank brigade.
I am going to attempt to make a road block across the river on the way to Lucknow. A Malay Brigade currently holds the position and I am rapidly sending a tank brigade and 2 tank companies to help out. Bombers from Lucknow will help in the effort. Unfortunately there isn't much else about to help out and he still heavily outnumbers me. What may come to pass though is that he moves all his heavy land units up the line and the not inconsiderable troop numbers I have in the North of Burma may become a problem.
North of Hyderabad I am also trying to create a blocking position with the Indian 5th and soon the Oz 2nd. They are joining the retreating units from Hyderabad as it appears he is definately coming north.
Further South the finding of the Warspite is a real headache. He is likely to race south to take her out. That means the carriers will be in easier reach of any Java landings - sigh - this isn't easy. In fact the southerly drift of my transport shipping that he is preying upon will also bring these ships closer.
In China he has also targeted another of my off the rail line locations. Soon I will only have the bases in the Hinterland. He has won everywhere else why not take a stab there as well.
String: Java landings about 2 weeks away. Transport fleets are now approaching the Gap between Oz and New Guinea. BB forces are slightly NW of New Caledonia and another well North Of New Caledonia. Carriers are close to the more Northerly BBs.
Irrelevant: This is damage on top of damage caused by B-17 raids and previous 2 engine raids. My intel of the base puts runway damage at 78%.
Irrelevant: This is damage on top of damage caused by B-17 raids and previous 2 engine raids. My intel of the base puts runway damage at 78%.
Three turns and fixed, if he has made an appropriate committment to it. Keep hitting it every couple of days though, it means he's burning supply and not digging in.
More units get forced away from Asansol, The Ramilles is found and sunk. More carnage in the North Indian Ocean.
Irrelevant: I am hitting it every day with differing units. He still has AC there and they are being destroyed on the ground while I get XP.
AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 06/03/42
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Day Air attack on 7th Tank Regiment, at 30,19
Allied aircraft
Buffalo I x 14
Wellington III x 31
No Allied losses
Japanese ground losses:
69 casualties reported
Vehicles lost 2
I am trying to bomb the advanced units of his approaching army in the north. It looks like I am going to loose the race to get enough firepower into position across the river on the way to Lucknow. I may have to fall back yet again. The good thing about this though is any airdefense he wants to mount will be at some range.
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Day Air attack on TF at 6,8
Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 10
D3A Val x 23
B5N Kate x 7
No Japanese losses
Allied Ships
AK Empire Resistance, Bomb hits 2, Torpedo hits 2, on fire, heavy damage
AK Empire Elk, Bomb hits 6, on fire, heavy damage
AK Empire Wagtail
AK Empire Carey, Bomb hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
I scoured the TFs last turn yet somehow I missed these guys bunched together - he therefore hits more than he should.
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Day Air attack on TF at 22,27
Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 34
G3M Nell x 23
G4M1 Betty x 40
No Japanese losses
Allied Ships
BB Ramilles, Torpedo hits 5, on fire, heavy damage
Starting the turn at 91 sys damage 5 torpedoes are easily enough to finish the big hulk.
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Day Time Surface Combat at 8,15
Allied Ships
AK Empire Sunrise, Shell hits 5, on fire
At last PzB is starting to use available surface units to hit my TFs. This is a pain as a single destroyer can do enough damage to an AK to sink her. I can see the BBs that were pounding Bombay are moving down to join in the fun. He has to concentrate on the far west as that is where the bulk of my units are going.
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Ground combat at 45,35
Japanese Deliberate attack
Attacking force 2247 troops, 0 guns, 143 vehicles
Defending force 3622 troops, 24 guns, 0 vehicles
Japanese assault odds: 4 to 1
Allied ground losses:
96 casualties reported
Guns lost 4
This is one of the split Chinese untis I had above the main rail line. He hits it hard but it holds. There are no hexes with the allied stamp in which it can retreat. However, there are some that aren't Jap either, I head them in the direction of one and hope these guys can get out.
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Ground combat at 32,24
Japanese Shock attack
Attacking force 5441 troops, 147 guns, 0 vehicles
Defending force 3336 troops, 18 guns, 0 vehicles
Japanese assault odds: 2 to 1
Japanese ground losses:
333 casualties reported
Guns lost 8
Allied ground losses:
30 casualties reported
Guns lost 2
Defeated Allied Units Retreating!
O to have the Japanese army. I can rely on none of my troops. These idiots retreat into a jungle hex which will again take them a month to get out of. In all likelihood they will be surrounded and cut off by that time. At least the exact some measure of hurt when they were attacked.
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Only the Warspite remains of the 4 shiny BBs that moved into Diamond Harbour all those months ago. She is sailing Due West and will for one more turn before changing course to SW. I was still attacked by carrier aircraft from both Carrier divisions so I haven'tnoticed a determined effort to find andsinkWarspite yet, but I am not beating that he wont do it. She moves so slow that the transports and hence marauding Carriers, may catch her anyway. If she gets out that is one BB magazine explosion, one sunk, one scuttled and one escaped with heavy damage.
My land units north of Hyderabad all retreat again. I will not hold across the river against the hoard he has there. I have to wait until they can be joined by the 2nd Oz Div.
By Lucknow the same may occur. 4 units are in the hex before the river now with only a Malay Brigade and a carabineers company resisiting them. I have 2 large tank units 2 days out but they may not be enough. I can't really afford to have them forced to retreat - I want to retreat under my own terms.
In Burma I have halted and dug teh Chinese in. In order for him to go around he needs to use the Jungle now.
In China the theme continues - retreat!
The transport ships with my Java invasion pass through the gap between New Guinea and Oz. most of the battle units follow behind. Timing is a bit of an issue now - he must be wondering where I will strike although it appears he is continuing to reinforce as I get intel of units moving to Truk and Kwajalein.
It looks like I am going to loose the race to get enough firepower into position across the river on the way to Lucknow. I may have to fall back yet again.
Recommend you set Objective now on those LCU's to their 'final' line of defense. That way they will get most preperation possible.
units have settings of Ahlamabad Delhi and Lahore. Those are teh last lines of defense. The locations I was talking about are across rivers and in places I can sit for a while and get a few levels of Fortresses up. All in the name of restricting his advance. There is of course no way to prepare for teh defense of these locations.
also when you get time where is 3 Corps HQ and SEAC HQ going to stand and who commands the defence as I hope you have good leaders for the next phase.
I am sure you are doing this but any engineering units trapped in the South should probably be prioritised for Dakota seats in order to get them working on forts at the Ahmabad line.
Wobbly, you are sure you want to withdrawl your forces from Calcutta?
He has a lot of forces there, who will go after you and you would have to fight those forces in not so good fortifications afterwards. (Maybe you need this Stalingrad?)
If you like what I said love me,if you dislike what I say ignore me!
"Extra Bavaria non est vita! Et sic est vita non est ita!"
Wobbly just had a sudden thought .....this may be a bit whacky but you never know.
How about hitting the Japanese Home Islands.
(Awaits the crescendo of abuse from Allied players everywhere)
Not the main island but what about using Rapier to hit him on the island with the soviet base at the top.
It has a level 4 AF I think and should be lightly defended.
If you <using all of your US CV's> went north to the North Pac area and then took several hundred transports loaded with supply and the 4 or 5 Divisons from Rapier and crated air groups you could get into his rear and capture that base in 42.
The losses he would take in the face of allied LBA would be nasty and he would have to come after you.
Now that is a threat he would have to honour.
Base B17's on night attack there to pound his industry having landed 1,000,000 supplies etc you know a full throated effort with the whole US fleet.
OK may be a pipe dream but thats an assault he would have to do something about......
Ach well was just a thought perhaps it is to early in the war to be going that close to Japanese Bases best to wait for Hellcats, Corsairs and Mustangs I guess.
Also, you are far outside of allied airbase range (and shipyards to repair the heavily damaged ships you will get), while well within air range of Japanese units based at Sapporo. The Japanese can rotate damaged/depleted airgroups out quickly, while CV's giving air cover will need to go all the way back to Pearl to get replacements...
Andy: Oz 2nd and Indian 5th are out of pocket. Also regiment of 18th UK and half a Tank Brigade are up against the units trying to get to the North via the Western road.
By Lucknow are the UK 2nd Division + 4 Indian Brigades/Divisions + 2nd regiment of the 18th UK + 6 Arty units, HQs, 1 Tank regiments and the other half of the one over in the West + the Carabineers, 1 Malay Brigade. All the const engineers and the airbase units (bar those at Jamshedpur) are out and heading to Ahmahabad - Delhi.
In Jamshedpur are 5 Indian Brigades/Divisions, 1 Burma rifles (this is being airlifted in from Dimapur) + 1 air regiment and 3 air base units. In the Hex north is the largest of the Indian Divisions – it has not been cut off but is trying to trap the Jap where he is.
Back over in Burma are the Oz 27th, parts of a Malay Brigade, 3 parts of Indian Divisions/Brigades, 1 large tank regiment, many of the Burmese defenders including the BFF – a nice big unit and another 4 units whose identity escapes me, are still on the trail from Burma.
Frank: Not yet mate, not yet. I like the north better for this defense and if I can stop him from advancing in the West then he is going to struggle to get past Lucknow for a while. The main reason for this is my bombers have such a short range to travel in pounding his units.
Andy: yeah thought about Japan or the chain of Islands but just got cold feet. It is still only June 42 and Java already has me shaking min my little space booties.
Gazillions of transports hit in Northern Indian ocean - 7 sunk. BB Hyuga hit by airborne torp out of Columbo. Chinese spanked out of Kweilin.
Andy: yeah thought about Japan or the chain of Islands but just got cold feet. It is still only June 42 and Java already has me shaking min my little space booties
AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 06/05/42
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Day Air attack on Colombo , at 14,24
Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 36
Ki-21 Sally x 43
Allied aircraft
F4F-4 Wildcat x 1
P-40E Warhawk x 3
A heavy air attack escorted in multitude by zeros from Madras gets past my meager number of P-40s and hits the Columbo airbase. I had moved some Beauforts there but not the full effort I have done in the past. With less targets his bombers do less damage.
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Day Air attack on Lae , at 54,87
Allied aircraft
Kittyhawk I x 16
Beaufort V-IX x 13
P-40E Warhawk x 26
B-26B Marauder x 26
The continuing attacks on Lae keep it suppressed. No Jap planes killed today though.
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Day Air attack on 7th Tank Regiment, at 30,18
Allied aircraft
F4F-4 Wildcat x 15
Buffalo I x 14
Wellington III x 19
P-40E Warhawk x 9
No Allied losses
Japanese ground losses:
35 casualties reported
Vehicles lost 2
That's better - I need to keep hitting these advanding units to wear down their capabilities.
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Day Air attack on TF at 11,27
Japanese Ships
BB Hyuga, Torpedo hits 1
BB Kirishima
6 beauforts sortie after his BBs, which have not taken part in the cull of transports as expected, are intercepted out of Columbo as the round Ceylon. Serious damage is listed in the combat replay (although not heavy damage in this report) and a separate ship is in the hex. I think I have managed to cause alot of floatation damage without damaging the SYS too much. It will likely be back in action very quickly.
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Day Air attack on TF at 3,17
Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 6
D3A Val x 19
Japanese aircraft losses
D3A Val: 1 damaged
Allied Ships
AK Paul Luckenbach, Bomb hits 10, on fire, heavy damage
repeat this attack about 14 times. Some attacks hit and others miss. Some have massive overkill others are small.
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Day Time Surface Combat at 4,17
Japanese Ships
DD Hatsuharu
DD Ariake
DD Mikazuki
DD Mochizuki
Allied Ships
AK Empire Raleigh, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
His surface unit intercepts 3 ships delivering the coup de grace to two of them, the other will struggle on.
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Ground combat at Kweilin
Japanese Deliberate attack
Attacking force 149041 troops, 1695 guns, 2 vehicles
Defending force 56492 troops, 352 guns, 0 vehicles
Japanese assault odds: 3 to 1
Japanese ground losses:
1740 casualties reported
Guns lost 31
Vehicles lost 1
Allied ground losses:
1749 casualties reported
Guns lost 23
Defeated Allied Units Retreating!
The Chinese units at Kweilin that refused to retreat are helped on their way by PzB's forces. They manage to met out as much damage as they suffered so all is good.
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Ground combat at 45,35
Japanese Deliberate attack
Attacking force 29252 troops, 246 guns, 154 vehicles
Defending force 3329 troops, 19 guns, 0 vehicles
Japanese assault odds: 110 to 1
Japanese ground losses:
47 casualties reported
Guns lost 2
Vehicles lost 1
Allied ground losses:
296 casualties reported
Guns lost 9
Defeated Allied Units Retreating!
The same can't be said for the blocking unit on the trail leading North. Again, each turn after being set to retreat, their movement had been zeroed. So the only way to retreat was to be forced to do so -sigh. Land movement is still very broken I am afraid.
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Ground combat at 20,12
Japanese Deliberate attack
Attacking force 5064 troops, 0 guns, 0 vehicles
Defending force 13396 troops, 120 guns, 0 vehicles
Japanese assault odds: 0 to 1
Japanese ground losses:
64 casualties reported
PzB finds the Indian 5th Division. Yes mate - you aren't getting through here in a hurry. This is the rail line to Bombay on the Western Coast. I may move in some bombers and force him to retreat for once.
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The flight of the targets in the North Indian ocean continues. He is hitting a sizable number but really the percentage getting through is actually quite high. Of about 100 sent he has sunk 16 and damaged another 10 or so. Plenty of hexes to go but the narrows between Ceylon and the side of the map have been traversed by about 50 ships now. These are undamaged and putting on good steam.
The Warspite has made good headway too. PzB has not moved his Carriers a long way south so she may also get away... His carriers must be coming up on lack of ammo for the aircraft soon. All these combat flights will be honing his crappier pilot's skills though.
Further South the Hermes is about to make land in Derby. She will stay in port for a while until the invasion force makes it across. I may then put some Wildcats on her.
Back in India I am trying to halt his Northerly advance. As predicted he is moving too fast to allow me to halt him across the river. So I retreat another hex to where the 3 tank untis are digging in. The 2nd UK Division is a good 6 days away unfortunately and without them I am going to struggle to hold the 4 divisions currently advancing on Lucknow.
Further to this he has now moved into Jamshedpur. I really wanted to hold for a bit here to get units across using the Dakotas. However he has manged to move a unit to the hex North of Jamshedpur as well. This means I can no longer use the trail north. I don't know whether I can move West and then North. Looking at the road layout I think the AI path finding is again going to scupper my ideas. This will mean I have to retreat towards Hyderabad, which in itself may cause him some problems. This turn, to help defend Jamshedpur, I have moved the P-40s and Wildcats here. He has been bombing the place but with oscar escorts. Every downed plane is still a point!
In the South Pacific the BBs are lining up for their run through the gap between Oz and New Guinea. The carriers are about to doc at Cairns and replenish weapons, fuel and aircraft numbers.
Sounds like you need a few C47 gps as well to help get units out of the pocket.....
May want to be ready with some heavies if you take a base in Java a Liberator or B17 Gp may be able to get all the way to India or even some PBY's for night time naval bombing/total naval recon over the Bay of Bengal.
Sounds like you have a shot at stopping him cold should be interesting...
also
4 sqd Wirriways
and demon and hawk units from Dutch sqds (still waiting on the Kittyhawk 3)
Also
3 C-49s sqds + 2 more in a shipment previously aimed at India – now waiting (one of the P-39 groups is on board too)
3 PBY sqds
4 Dornier flying boat units
All in all that is a pretty reasonable airforce in number if not capability. This does denude Port Moresby somewhat but hey can’t be everywhere – like he will become aware of.
Wobbly, have you thought of using your catalina squads on night missions? I just realized that patrol planes can be set on night missions to attack airfields, ports and do naval attacks..
Wobbly, have you thought of using your catalina squads on night missions? I just realized that patrol planes can be set on night missions to attack airfields, ports and do naval attacks..
In my experience against the AI they dont' really do a whole lot. I put one of the two? Catalina squadrons in the Phillipines on night naval patrol while the other squadron searched as normal, over months they hardly hit anything. They did make a few attacks, but usually they don't drop the torpedoes. Not exactly a war winning weapon. I think the intelligence they give is probably worth more than a torpedo a month and high attrition.
