3 vs 3 PBEM starting

[AmiralLaurent]

10 December 1941

Air battles continue over Changsa, where 2 Japanese and 3 Chinese planes were shot down and 3 I-153 destroyed on the ground. Japanes ground forces bombard Allied ones in Hong Kong.

I-124 attacked unsuccessfully ships fleeing PI SE of Borneo and was also unsuccessfully chased. NW of Kuching I-122 sank the Dutch ML Pro Patria.

In Malaya, Allied planes bombed Khota Bharu by night and then returned during the morning, AVG pilots shot down all 3 Oscars flying LRCAP over the base. Dutch bombers and B-17 participated to the raid from Singapore. IJAAF planes bomb Kuantan twice and destroyed 5 planes on the ground. T-IVa try to attack Kongo off Khota Bharu but they miss and one was shot down by an Oscar.

Japanese troops were evacuated from Legaspi and sail north along the Luzon coast. CS planes found a swarm of Allied transport TF in the middle of the PI and attacked them, hitting more or less a TK and 2 AK. A Zero sweep over Clark Field restored confidence of the Japanese pilots with 5 P-40 and 1 P-26 shot down for one loss. In the evening SS Perch was chased by an ASW group N of Luzon but escaped.

No action at all in Pacific.

Japan has lost until now 152 planes and no ship. Allied losses are 358 planes and at least 19 ships sunk (2 BB, 1 CA, 1 DD, 1 ML, 4 AK, 1 MSW, 9 PT)

[AmiralLaurent]

For security reasons, we can't develop it but it can allready be said that some parts of the Japanese armed forces received contractory orders from two players, while some receive no orders at all for several days.

Main case was a TF stopping to refuel in a port of another command and given orders by this command.

I will archive all communications between players and release them to the forum once they will be no more military secrets. So far this is the hardest part of the game. Seems that the Allied are more organized than Japan here.

[String]

I don't know about stuff happening in the pacific as i have little interest in the area but DEI, Philippines, Malaya, Burma, India and China are all under my command and the other two players have nothing to do there. So basically the place where the main action is going to take place for the next few months is under the command of one man (hopefully competent too)

[Harald1050]

Servus!

I am wondering how you manage to play the game with 3 guys per side.
Is it that way: one starts with the orders of "his" region(s), saves and forwards the file to the next player, and so on?
How do you "communicate" which operation target each commander has to achieve and who determines the time schedule for these targets?

Please give us some details on that too.
Thanks.

Gruß
Harald

[String]

Yep it's that way. We, the allies, have divided our regions on territorial basis. One of us has india,indochina,china,SRA, the other has Australia, NZ and swpac and the third has central and southpac.

We communicate by MSN and by mail.

[AmiralLaurent]

11 December 1941: more Japanese planes and Allied ships in the graveyard

PI :
During the night, the S-39 missed a Japanese surface TF and received a hit in return.
A new sweep over Clark Field by Zeroes shot down 4 of the 5 Allied fighters that took off for one loss.
CS floatplanes continue to hunt shipping and left an AK and a TK as burning wrecks, while missing a third AK.

Malaya :
Blenheims bombed Khota Bharu during the night.
After dawn heavy air battles took places above Songkhia and Alor Star. AVG pilots continue to rule the sky and more than twenty IJA fighters were lost against half this number of Allied planes, mainly Buffalos I. Chennault has apparently received command of the air force here and even Chinese bombers came with him !
Indochina Nells torpedoes AVD Child on the northern coast of Borneo.

DEI :
I-123 had a busy night and morning off Balikpapan. She dropped mines here and met MSW Finch that she sank with 2 torpedoes. She then escaped the 3 DDs arriving from Honk Hong and attacked another MSW but missed. This MSW detected her minefield.

China :
Another Japanese airraid hit Changsa airfield, destroying a half-dozen I-16 and I-153 for the loss of two Nates.
Several Chinese Corps assaulted Nanning and took the city back. The Japanese brigade retreated to Pakhoi.

New Guinea:
Operations began with a sweep over Rabaul by 6 Truk-based Zeroes, that surprised Wirraways patrolling here and shot down two.

Pacific:
Kido Butai sailed past Johnston Island while returning to a Japanese base and caught two small TFs in the area. Two DMS and two DM are left in sinking condition for no loss.

[AmiralLaurent]

ORIGINAL: Harald1050
I am wondering how you manage to play the game with 3 guys per side.
Is it that way: one starts with the orders of "his" region(s), saves and forwards the file to the next player, and so on?

You got it

ORIGINAL: Harald1050
How do you "communicate" which operation target each commander has to achieve and who determines the time schedule for these targets?

Japanese only exchange e-mails, not using MSN (maybe being older people than our Allied opponents...). A general plan was agreed, more to divide troops, ships and planes between commands (especially those starting in Japan at start) and then every commander is roughly free to use them at will in his command. Targets are set on a strategic basis only. The general tasked with taking Malaya and Singapore may land in Johore Bahru, or in Mersing, or in Palembang, or in Kuching to accelerate things if he wants it, or he may just advance along the road by pushing Allied troops all the way. He may use or not troops bound at start for Burma in Malaya or not. It's his choice.

Right now, it's rather a 2 vs 1 (Benoit, who will be replaced by Mogami, and Will against String) and a 1 vs 1 in the Pacific. Australia command has been very quiet yet, so I send today a zero sweep to Rabaul just to remind Aussies there is a war going on.

[Mr.Frag]

Get those DD's back to Hong Kong! Damn Brits, leaving us Canadians to hold the bag while they scurry away with their tails firmly tucked!

[Harald1050]

Servus!

So does any player has its own password?
Do you play original (no mods) version 1.4?

I am really looking forward to your experience with the team-game.
It sounds interesting.
If it works it may be an alternative to the i-am-alone-in-this-vast-area-feeling.

Gruß
Harald

[String]

ORIGINAL: Mr.Frag

Get those DD's back to Hong Kong! Damn Brits, leaving us Canadians to hold the bag while they scurry away with their tails firmly tucked!

Aww, but it's so much warmer in Manila than it is in Hong Kong...

[String]

War from the british point of view.

All in all there is little specacular going on. AVG is kicking IJAAF ass and thats about it, the only place that the planes fly is Singapore, everywhere else they frustratingly stay on the ground [:@] Allied planes are yet to achieve a hit on a japanese ship in SRA so i'm not wildly optimistic here. Apparently we captured Nanning today in china, this is going to be very good for the morale

[AmiralLaurent]

ORIGINAL: Harald1050
So does any player has its own password?

No, each team has the same password. For the game, there is only one Japanese and one Allied player, except they play play each turn on 3 different puters.

ORIGINAL: Harald1050
Do you play original (no mods) version 1.4?

Yes, it's v1.4 official scen 15.... except that AVG planes are manned by Jedi Knights and shooting down Zeroes with Sidewinder missiles....

[AmiralLaurent]

ORIGINAL: String

ORIGINAL: Mr.Frag

Get those DD's back to Hong Kong! Damn Brits, leaving us Canadians to hold the bag while they scurry away with their tails firmly tucked!

Aww, but it's so much warmer in Manila than it is in Hong Kong...

Try to send them to Manila and they will end at the bottom of some hot, sunny bay.... I agree sailors will prefer to swim to the shore there

[Harald1050]

[/quote]

No, each team has the same password. For the game, there is only one Japanese and one Allied player, except they play play each turn on 3 different puters.

Thanks for the information.

[/quote]

Yes, it's v1.4 official scen 15.... except that AVG planes are manned by Jedi Knights and shooting down Zeroes with Sidewinder missiles....
[/quote]

Didn't find that mod on Spooky's site.

[AmiralLaurent]

ORIGINAL: Harald1050

No, each team has the same password. For the game, there is only one Japanese and one Allied player, except they play play each turn on 3 different puters.

Thanks for the information.

[/quote]

Yes, it's v1.4 official scen 15.... except that AVG planes are manned by Jedi Knights and shooting down Zeroes with Sidewinder missiles....
[/quote]

Didn't find that mod on Spooky's site.
[/quote]

String used the Force on the game save to have them. The number one objective of Japan is now to shot down and kill Luke over Singapore before he comes close to the IJN Death Star.

[Harald1050]

String used the Force on the game save to have them. The number one objective of Japan is now to shot down and kill Luke over Singapore before he comes close to the IJN Death Star.
[/quote]

Well, you have Darth Yamamoto Vader on your side. I would not fear any threat from Luke.

[Bill Durrant]

Just to let everyone know the game is progressing nicely - I will be posting a monthly end diary with a few lines for each day.

One General - Duckhunt - has had to witdraw from the Japanese forces but they found a replacement - some guy called Mogami - anyone ever heard of him[;)]

[String]

12/13/41

Very annoying.

Our fleet hit the japanese at Cagyan

Night Time Surface Combat, near Cagayan at 42,59

Japanese Ships
DD Yukikaze, Shell hits 7, on fire
DD Yamakaze, Shell hits 24, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk

Allied Ships
CA Houston, Shell hits 2
CL Marblehead, Shell hits 2
CL Boise, Shell hits 1
DD Barker
DD Bulmer, Shell hits 1, on fire
DD Paul Jones
DD Parrott
DD Stewart

Sinking both of the destroyers, but, THEY DIDN'T hit the goddamn invasion convoy...

*grumble*

to add insult to injury CL boise was torpedoed by I-164
Sub attack at 39,58

Japanese Ships
SS I-164, hits 5, on fire, heavy damage

Allied Ships
CL Boise, Torpedo hits 2, on fire, heavy damage
DD Stewart
DD Parrott
DD Paul Jones
DD Barker

Atleast we sank the goddamn sub.

Japanese subs have been scoring many hits on our ships fleeing from philippines, they have sunk 2-3 AK's and a TK or two over the last few days + an AVD and a ML north of Kuching.

I guess i can find comfort in the fact that my Martin bombers hit CA Ashigara in the morning and destroyed a torpedo mount on her.

That and the fact that my bombers have hit 18th division two days on the row, driving up its fatigue and disruption in the malaria infested jungles north of Kuantan

[String]

Bloody f**k

Sub attack at 36,61

Japanese Ships
SS I-157

Allied Ships
CL Boise, Torpedo hits 3, on fire, heavy damage
DD Paul Jones
DD Barker

and she sank..

and then..

Day Air attack on TF, near Tarakan at 33,61

Japanese aircraft
G3M Nell x 33

Allied aircraft
CW-21B Demon x 5

Japanese aircraft losses
G3M Nell: 2 destroyed, 13 damaged


Allied Ships
CL Marblehead
CA Houston, Torpedo hits 3, on fire

The cap didn't shoot down or damage a single Nell.. [:@][:@][:@]

to add insult to injury a troop transport was torpedoed south of singapore today and SS Stingray was depthcharged..

And all i have to show for it is a bomb hit on a japanese transport heading towards Brunei and a 100lb bomb hit by P-40E Warhawks on CS Mizuho.. supposedly it penetrated but no fires or real damage was reported..

[String]

Things went slightly better today

As the night started a japanese sub surfaced between west coast and hawaii and sank AK Coloradan with gunfire and torpedoes. [:(] This was the highlight of the action in the pacific for today.

Sub attack at 121,63

Japanese Ships
SS I-21

Allied Ships
AK Coloradan, Shell hits 10, Torpedo hits 4, on fire, heavy damage



In SRA however things were slightly different. In the middle of the night BB Prince of wales and BC Repulse with escorts steamed out of the dark murky night like avenging angels and sank four japanese destroyers and a light cruiser in two separate actions at Cagayan (which was taken last turn btw.)

Night Time Surface Combat, near Cagayan at 42,59

Japanese Ships
DD Tokitsukaze, Shell hits 13, and is sunk
DD Kawakaze, Shell hits 3, and is sunk
DD Shiokaze, Shell hits 14, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk

Allied Ships
BB Prince of Wales
BC Repulse, Shell hits 1
CL Danae
CL Dragon
CL Durban
DD Vampire
DD Vendetta
DD Tenedos
DD Electra, Shell hits 1
DD Express

and

Night Time Surface Combat, near Cagayan at 42,59

Japanese aircraft
no flights

Japanese aircraft losses
E7K2 Alf: 2 destroyed

Japanese Ships
CL Kuma, Shell hits 20, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
DD Hatakaze, Shell hits 5, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk

Allied Ships
BB Prince of Wales
BC Repulse, Shell hits 3, Torpedo hits 1
CL Danae
CL Dragon, Shell hits 1
CL Durban
DD Vampire
DD Vendetta
DD Tenedos
DD Electra
DD Express

The vicotry was marred again by the fact that the taskforce didn't engage the transports and that Repulse was torpedoed. It might have been good though that the transports were left alone because that would have requiered too much time and the ships would not have been out of Kate range by the morning. As it happened the suspected japanese light carrier could only launch its Kates at extreme range and they carried only bombs.

The Kates scored two hits on BC Repulse and a few Jakes flying off a CS somewhere scored another.

Everything seemed fine until this happened

Day Air attack on TF, near Jolo at 38,59

Japanese aircraft
G4M1 Betty x 9

Japanese aircraft losses
G4M1 Betty: 12 damaged

Allied Ships
BB Prince of Wales, Torpedo hits 1
BC Repulse

Aircraft Attacking:
2 x G4M1 Betty launching torpedoes at 200 feet
3 x G4M1 Betty launching torpedoes at 200 feet
4 x G4M1 Betty launching torpedoes at 200 feet
[:(]

Seems like the japs have based some bombers at Aparri. Sucks, this means that there are only a few CL's and DD's operational in the area..

In other news our bombing raid on the 18th division met with 35 zeroes flying LRCAP and they massacred the escorting AVG and even got through to some of the bombers, 17 Tomahawks were lost plus assorted bombers and buffaloes. [:(]
We did shoot down five zeroes tho.

And now something strange...

Day Time Surface Combat, near Amboina at 39,73

Japanese Ships
CA Aoba
CA Kinugasa
CA Furutaka
DD Oyashio
DD Natsushio
DD Oboro
DD Uzuki
DD Kikuzuki

Allied Ships
DD John D. Ford
DD Peary
DD Pillsbury
DD Pope

The japanese are invading Ambonia and the invasion TF is still 2 hexes out, however the covering SC TF got there first .. but strangely enough no combat happened.. suits me.

Japanese invasion convoys are being detected heading for Kuching and Brunei/Miri, there is little we can do about it.