Xargun and Rob my side of the map

[rroberson]

ORIGINAL: Jim D Burns

ORIGINAL: Capt. Harlock

Very strange...I have an airgroup of dive bombers...and no pilots....wtf comes to mind

It looks like you also have no serviceable aircraft in the squadron. Could this be a new group that has had all its planes delivered in crates, and needs to fill pilots from your pools?

I notice they are "independent" in their attached to field. Perhaps assigning them to an HQ might fix things? I assume all units draw all replacements form their HQ's, so perhaps that's why they have no pilots. Just a guess.

Jim

A correct one too...once I put them back on their parent carrier...pilots showed up for duty...damn squids off playing in the port.

[rroberson]

It appears the little dictator Xargun [:D] has taken notice of my activity at Canton Island. A surface combat group built around the Battleship Mutsu attacked the Island today, sinking 3 destroyers and a AK that were there refueling in the morning. He also shelled the island causing a couple of runway hits.

One of my troop ship convoys sank a sub southeast of Hawaii.

Japanese troops landed at Andaman Island via submarine in the Indian ocean. I’m thinking this was probably a recon in force.

I have to say I’m surprised my dive bombers didn’t go after his surface group of Canton. He bombed during the day and Im sure I spotted them. Ill take a look at that base before I return the turn to him.

[rroberson]

Well I solved the mystery of the SBDs pretty quickly. They were flying ASW per my orders. (This is why I take notes). Seems my brain didnt take the threat of Xargun returning to Canton seriously enough. Ah well, I'm sure I will have to suffer through another day of Bombardment before my birds will fly and get their blows in. Per the picture he also has a carrier group in the area, which makes me wonder if he intends to make an armed landing. I havent seen anything about it in my sigint, but I don't think for a moment he would task a carrier group and a surface combat group strictly to raid Canton. That being said I have plenty of troops enroute there right now, none them with major warship escort (destroyers) that I will devert until Xargun shows his hand. If he is landing here, this would be bad Canton would provide him a nice base to interdict my shipping routes. Needless to say, we can't let that happen. I will probably whistle up a surface group out of the west coast and head them in this general direction. Lacking air cover there is no way I will commit them to battle as long as his carriers are about. Hornet is well out of the use as an option since she is off looking for Xargun convoys in the North Pacific. And of course carrier groups one and two are both busy escorting the turtle like Lunga Operation. Both of those operations will take place as scheduled. I have moved two sections of the 11th BG (B17s) into the area. Only one of the sections can actually reach Canton. I will wait and watch, if he lands I do have a nice infantry unit (102nd RCT)in place to resist as well as an engineering unit and some AA if he bombs with aircraft. There is a level 1 fortress there and a little over 200 mines (I believe he hit one coming in as one of his battleships was buring heavily during the surface combat with my destroyers) Could be some high entertainment in the coming days.

[rroberson]

Heavy air battles over both Northern Chain and Burma as Xargun and I trade blows day and night.

He also finally went after one of my resupply groups on the Burmese coast. This one in Akyab, where the RAF and AVG put up a steller defense knocking down 3 of his planes (to the loss of three of ours). He scored hits on four of the transports, but they should be empty to mostly empty since they have been here for days.

We also continue to trade blows over PM and Rabaul. Xargun has switched the bulk of his heavy bombing to night where my fighters can’t get to him.

A second day of naval bombardment of Canton Island, which prepped his carrier strikes against the airfield there. My SBDs struck his bombardment Task Force putting 3 1000 lbers into Mutsu. All in all I like the exchange.

Singapore drew another 75 Lilys as he continues to pound away at the Gibralter of the Far East.

My delaying force was pushed out of Kweiyang today.

[rroberson]

3-16-42

West Coast

Task force 1001 containing 3 battleships (Miss, Colorado and New Mexico) as well as the cruiser San Francisco is underway and headed for the Canton Island area. They are many many days away however and will not be able to do much about the current Xargun actions there.

Midway

Midway remains solid.

Pearl Harbor

Nothing to report.


Canton Island

His bombardment group hung around for a 2nd day and got stung for his troubles. If in fact my Dauntless pilots struck his battleship, I would expect him to with draw the group and work the airfield over a bit more with his carriers. I have several thousand troops standing off Christmas Island to the north waiting to see if he in fact intends to invade here. If he does, I will divert both carrier groups one and two when they have completed covering the Lunga op (Operation Ardagh.). But that is a solid week before that one will be completed. I see 3 groups of ships off Canton right now. His CV group, the bombardment group and a third unknown group which is probably ground troops. I’m rather surprised his ships didn’t hit more mines on the way in, since he has no sweepers and there is something like 200 of them in the harbor. The next few days should be entertaining here.

Alaska

I have ordered Hornet to stop and refuel. Her group is now about 2 days east of Marcus Island. When she is done refueling I will order her into the Xargun shipping lanes. I believe Junyo could be in the area.

China

Heavy air battles around Lanchow and Kweiyang (which fell today). They will continue.

Burma

I was wrong about the Akyab convoy, they are only about half unloaded. The unloading will continue and I will likely lose several of the Aks. That is fine. The convoy at Chandpur will probably not draw any of his attention because of that. Burma is well supplied. I still don’t see him making any offensive moves here which remains very curious. I think he is still waiting for Singapore to fall, or, perhaps planning to push in from China when he is done overrunning that country.

The 7th BG (Liberators) Morale is at 50 and holding. These guys are rapidly becoming the joke of the theatre. I need to get these planes into the battle and soon.

Malaya

He is pounding away at Singapore. Every day I hold it is another day my defenses grow in Burma.

DEI

One of his submarines spotted my British refueling group. The group is very slow and trailing very very far behind Force A. He hit one of the Oilers which will be returned to port. Force A will refuel tomorrow and move on to Australia. He has landed troops at both Sorong and Amboina. I would expect both to fall tomorrow.

I slid a couple of dutch groups (TBDs, F) into Maccassar again where they will strike Kendari. I also moved the 13 RAAF into Koepang for a strike against Kendari. I know he has zeros there…Don’t want him to get complacent.

Australia

Nothing new.

PM

I have sent the 5th BG back to Charter towers and replaced them with the 19th. He has a lot of shipping around Rabaul so I am going to attack it today….though with high level bombers I will probably not get many hits. His heavy bombing campaign has been largely ineffective with no real damage to PM.

Noumea

Fuel unloading. I will now look at building up the surrounding islands.

PI

Just bits and pieces left.

Solomon Islands

Operation Ardagh is about 600 miles southwest of Lunga now. Probably 3 maybe 4 days until they arrive. Lunga now has a level 2 airfield. With him raising hell at Canton with his carriers, I am feeling pretty good about this operation being successful.

Carrier Group One.

Lexington and Enterprise

Operation Ardagh.

Carrier Group Two

Saratoga and Yorktown

Operation Ardagh.

Carrier Group Three

Hornet

Operation Doolittle. Hornet is stopping to refuel.

Force A

Hermes and Indomintable

Will refuel tomorrow.

Force B

Formidible

Is now located in Karachi

16 days until Long Beach

60 days until Illustrious

121 days until Wasp

Operation Ardagh

About 4 days south, southwest of Lunga.

Operation Doolittle

About 3 days east of Marcus Island, refueling.

[rroberson]

Another night of heavy Japanese air raids over Akyab. An assortment of Sallys, Vals and kated mounted a 100 plane raid. He also struck Port Moresby again over night…causing little damage.

The daylight hours over Singapore brought more Xargunite bombs, as he continues to pound that city.

RAAF Hudsons attacked Kendari this after striking a Japanese Oiler with bombs, but losing three aircraft in the raid.

Nervous time for me. One of his submarines torpedoed one of my “Doolittle Oilers in the North Pacific. Not a happy event, if he puts two and two together (what the hell is an Oiler doing way up there) Hornet may have some company soon.

I imagine that Singapore will fall soon. There fortress level is down to one. But its 16 March, my troops there have more then done there share.

I dont know if he never intended to invade or if my SBDs parking 3 bombs into his battleship dissuaded him, but there were no airstrikes and no bombardments against Canton today.

Whew.

[rroberson]

Well he is landing forces at Canton Island...dammit. Timing is everything, another week and I would of had 2 full division here. Ah well, Ill give him as much of a fight as I can until carrier groups one and two are free for combat. I do have that f4f and sbd squads available on Canton (though strangely they flew no missions today). Here is a map ...for those who are still reading .

[Ron Saueracker]

though strangely they flew no missions today

Why not? Morale issue again?[8|][>:]

[rroberson]

Invasion Canton Island

No joy for the second straight day as my sbds don’t fly against his invasion forces…who knows why, no doubt the pilots were busy at the peace rally on the beach. His landing at Canton cost him 1000 troops. I hope my defenses can hold until his carriers have to withdraw, though…I doubt it.

Counter Invasion Baker Island. I landed submarine troops as we continue to swap islands via sub invasion. This is somewhat entertaining to me since I intended a full invasion of the place. Seems Xargun has too many targets and not enough troops.

Singapore apparently falls. After 100 days the bastion fell to his troops…or did it…we will see when I look at the turn.

He was chat crowing about his 43 victory. J He is doing well points wise, but lets face it. He has sunk zero carriers. Taken an extra month to take Singapore and despite pushing me back in China that is in no danger of being over run. His lack of activity in Burma has me puzzled. I just don’t see him invading oz and winning the game by 43. I could be wrong…but then again I think the points system is contrived. He who controls the field at the end of the day…wins the field.

[rroberson]

ORIGINAL: Ron Saueracker

though strangely they flew no missions today

Why not? Morale issue again?[8|][>:]

Honestly who knows. Morale is high (per the picture) supply levels are decent, level 3 airfield, not enough support (by half) Im sure thats hurting big time...but it is dauntlesses that have been spotting him. Im assuming they are protesting the lack of movies....Either way it hurts since they could of spent the last couple of days puttting bombs in to the enemy .

[rroberson]

ORIGINAL: rroberson

ORIGINAL: Ron Saueracker

though strangely they flew no missions today

Why not? Morale issue again?[8|][>:]

Honestly who knows. Morale is high (per the picture) supply levels are decent, level 3 airfield. Im assuming they are protesting the lack of movies....Either way it hurts since they could of spent the last couple of days puttting bombs in to the enemy .

[rroberson]

3-18-42

West Coast

Task force 1001 continues to move south.

Midway

Midway remains solid.

Pearl Harbor

Nothing to report.


Canton Island

He has landed about 6000 troops here. I have about 1000 combat infantry and another 5000 support troops contesting the island. I have begun to fly in by PBY members of the Americal division (who are unloading at Palmyra) to add to the combat numbers of the defenses here. I also have slid 3 submarines into the harbor to attack his Aks. I am gathering as many destroyers as I can at Palmyra and they will either make a troop run, bombardment run or engage his merchants at Canton, depends on how quickly and how many I can gather.

Baker Island has fallen to my commando troops. Depending on what happens at Canton I would like to reinforce by air. I have moved some PBYs here, but frankly I can’t administer two operations at once here so Baker will just have to hang on while I contest Canton.

Alaska

I’m holding Hornet about 12 or 13 hexes east of Marcus Island. I am waiting for my submarine commandos to land on the island and either seize it and neutralize the patrol planes or tell me what is there for a possible raid with aircraft. I also believe if I take this via commandos it will get a response from the homeland J.

China

We continue to exchange bombs in and around Lanchow. Supply becoming a problem in both Lanchow and Kunming due to the massive amount of men and planes I have based in both locations. I have some British Dakotas flying some supplies in to Kunming but it is a pebble in the lake of what I need..

Burma

He continues to hammer Akyab at night, wrecking hurricanes but I have such a strong build up here that as fast as he holes the airfield I fix it. I can’t do anything about the night attacks yet.

So strong is my defensive position here I am considering a spring offensive against Rangoon. His inaction (beyond air power) remains a mystery to me.

I also wonder if his aircraft carriers will make an appearance soon. As strong as my defenses are in Burma, Im wafer thin in Indian an invasion there would be a bit of a disaster.

The 7th BG (Liberators) Morale is at 59 and I have moved them to Mandalay for some night raiding of his airfield in Rangoon.

Malaya

After 100 plus days of defense Singapore has fallen.

DEI

With the fall of Singapore I can expect him to concentrate on the rest of DEI. Not much left to defend really, but I will try to slow him as well as I can.

Australia

Force A is now in Australian waters, what I will do with them I am unsure.

PM

We continue to exchange raids here and over Rabaul. Another day with the 19th and then I will swap them with the 5th.

Noumea

Warplanes unloading.

PI

Just bits and pieces left.

Solomon Islands

Operation Ardagh is about 200 miles southwest of Lunga now. I have split the carrier groups to the southeast to block any possible carriers raids approaching that way. I think he will notice in a day or so and try to stage some raids out of Rabaul. I have some fighters covering the transport ships. I will add to that tomorrow.

Carrier Group One.

Lexington and Enterprise

Operation Ardagh.

Carrier Group Two

Saratoga and Yorktown

Operation Ardagh.

Carrier Group Three

Hornet

Operation Doolittle. Hornet is awaiting the submarine landings.

Force A

Hermes and Indomintable

Headed towards Northern Australia

Force B

Formidible

Is now located in Karachi

14 days until Long Beach

58 days until Illustrious

119 days until Wasp

Operation Ardagh

About 2 days south, southwest of Lunga.

Operation Doolittle

About 2 days east of Marcus Island, awaiting landings..

[rroberson]

Sent the 7th over the night skies of Rangoon, hopefully the lack of CAP at night will keep their morale up. The first strike netted just 3 runway hits but busted up a few aircraft.

I think he has noticed the unsinkable carrier Andaman Island…making runs at the air field there with his zeros out of Rangoon.

He suffered another 500 casualties in a shock attack against Canton today.

[rroberson]

Another night of Xargun air attacks rage across Asia. Weather fronts kept my boys in the hangers, but he attacked both northern China and Mandalay overnight.

My submarine commandos also made landfall at Marcus Island. He has about 8K support troops there. Would make a nice spot for a larger raid if I could support it.

My RAAF Hudsons took another shot at Kendari…achieved a single port hit, all in all very disappointing strike.

My B17s out of PM continue to make Rabaul hell on earth. Tomorrow I will have both squads at PM for the pass over, double the bombers double the fun.

The submarine warfare also heated up in the south pacific today with my ASW forces sinking two of his subs.

One of his AKS sank off of Canton …two hexes off of it…full of troops. Im not sure what to make of it. Either he was withdrawing it, or one of my subs popped it on its way in and I didn’t see the report. If he was withdrawing the AK why did it still have troops aboard [:D].

I found the answer when I opened up the turn.

Canton Island has held. He has withdrawn his forces. I think I rather surprised him with the amount of troops I had on the island…he probably thought it was going to be a smash and grab operation. He may be diverting the Canton troops up to Baker, where I stormed it a couple of days ago with commandos. I may divert reinforcements there and try to make that painful to him.

Either way I believe this marks the first time in our war that I have prevented Xargunite troops from acquiring territory he was after.

[rroberson]

3-20-42

West Coast

I have ordered Task force 1001 (BBs Col, NM, Miss) to Pearl Harbor. Based on my apparent victory at Canton, I do not believe I need to risk the heavies there sans air support.

I have two major convoys assembling in San Francisco. Both will be heavily covered by warships to help deal with Xarg’s submarine scourge.

Midway

Midway remains solid.

Pearl Harbor

Nothing major to report.


Canton Island

Victory. Honestly this is the first time I have beat back one of his thrusts. So I’m pretty pleased by it. That being said his incursion did throw me off a bit with a lot of troops that were bound for Canton landing instead at Palmyra.

I will fly in Americal troopers to Baker, where my sub commandos hold on by a thread. Troops and supplies. If he decides to take the island back in the next few days, he will. If he bypasses it with his retreating naval garrisons I can probably build up Baker fairly quickly and he won’t get it back. We will see.

Alaska

Based on his torpedoing of one of my oilers I have canceled Doolittle, its not worth losing her for a nuisance raid. He has an airfield at Marcus no doubt full of search planes.

China

Weather prevented my airstrikes from launching last nite. I will have a level 9 fortress at Lanchow by tomorrow or the next day. I have 40 thousand infantry and around 120 support troops (artillery and the like) set to defend the place. I believe that he will likely take the field, but I would like to hold him out for a month or so and make it as bloody as possible. He has stepped up his air attacks against the airfield here, but so far they have done very little damaged to the RAF units stationed here.

I have pulled all my Chinese heavies out of Kunming and back to Yunan. Kunming is his next likely target in China and it doesn’t have the supply base to support all the troops (200K) and all the airpower I had there.

In one of those, I truly hate this game moments, I had a Chinese unit retreat into Hanoi. Instant two divisions for him…dammit.

Burma

Plenty of supplies, plenty of troops, plenty of planes. No Xargunites. No idea what his plan is here. I believe he was waiting for Singapore to fall, but I still would of expected him to be far more aggressive here. He may not being moving north, content to take China out. In any event, I will be going on the Offensive in May.

The 7th BG (Liberators) Morale is at 50 and one night of air strikes and the jumped down 9 points. Never before have so many done so little.

Malaya

Is his.

DEI

I have been air transporting what is left of both the 27th and 22nd Australian divisions to Bativia. From there they will go to Timor and try to bolster the defenses there.

He hit Timor with Bettys this turn. Now that Singapore is gone I have a feeling he will come to visit me there again.

Australia

Force A is bound for Perth, I originally was going to base them in Northern Australian waters, but have decided against that recalling what happened to POW and Repulse (sank at anchor in N. Australia).

PM

The 19th and 5th are both here today… tomorrow 19th goes home to rest. More bombs falling on his airfield and ports at Rabaul. Im also making a fighter sweep against Lae…just to see what is there.

I don’t believe I have nearly enough combat infantry here and will be sending the 7th Australian division as soon as I can get them aboard ship. I will probably break off one of my carrier groups from Lunga to escort them to PM as soon as Ardagh is complete.

Noumea

I have 3 fighter groups unloading here.

PI

Just bits and pieces left.

Solomon Islands

The transports of Operation Ardagh are unloading supplies and troops. Currently I have about 16-thousand troops here. All but the NZ troops are ashore, as are the fighters. One of the three supply convoys is empty and now headed home, another day or so and I expect to have completed this first big run. While I still believe Xarg could take Lunga if he wants it. It just got a lot harder.

With the victory at Canton I will return my Carrier Groups home to Auckland in 2 days time. Of course that gives him a couple days to contest this operation.

Carrier Group One.

Lexington and Enterprise

Operation Ardagh.

Carrier Group Two

Saratoga and Yorktown

Operation Ardagh.

Carrier Group Three

Hornet

Recalled steaming east then Pearl Harbor

Force A

Hermes and Indomintable

Steaming to Perth

Force B

Formidible

Is now located in Karachi

12 days until Long Beach

56 days until Illustrious

117 days until Wasp

Operation Ardagh

Unloading men and supplies at Lunga

Operation Doolittle

Canceled.

[rroberson]

Today wasn’t much different from yesterday. Air war continues over CBI with losses on both sides. My British/American air units continue to hammer away at his growing forces in Kungchang trying to help stave off the attack against Lanchow.

That being said, not a lot is moving on the ground currently.

I staged a 43 B17 plane raid over Rabaul with the 5th and 19th BGs. His zeros rose to counter them and my gunners cleaned house knocking down 6 out of 6 interceptors. We pounded the base and runway as my heavies continue to make Rabaul a bad place to be for Xargunites to live.

[Tom Hunter]

Are they Xargunites or Xargonians?

When you win the war will Xargun be Xargone?

[rroberson]

Another night another exchange of heavy air attacks over China.

My heavies also hit Rangoon over night causing a lot of damaged to the airfield there.

Submarine attacks struck a second Oiler from the canceled Doolittle operation.

He sent a huge air flotilla against the shipping at Akyab. Zeros drove off most of the CAP allowing him to have a free run at the merchants. He heavily damaged 3 AKs. Only the Hurricanes (242 Squadron) put up much of a fight.

There was no ground fighting at all today. A little weird.

[rroberson]

3-22-42

West Coast

Still loading both transport groups with planes, men, supplies.

Midway

Midway remains solid.

Pearl Harbor

Surface group 1001 is one day out of Pearl. (3 BBs)


Canton Island

I continue to fly the Americal division into Baker Island. The supply level there is pathetic right now, but until the two red task forces I see south of the island vanish (one of them is a carrier group) the troops on Baker will have to sustain their foothold on air dropped goods.

Canton appears to be secure for the moment. I will probably take a week or so to sort out the various convoys I diverted to the line islands. I dropped and ran mostly so I need to turn them around reload the troops that were bound for Canton and get them there. Again I need to make sure his naval air is well out of the area.

Alaska

Nothing new to report.

China

Strikes and counter strikes seem to be the order of the day here. He is doing a lot of night bombing in Lanchow…Im spliting the difference some at night some during the day.

Burma

Both the 7th and 93rd BGs struck Rangoon last nite and will do so again. He attacked shipping in Akyab and smacked around a number of merchants. The RAF fought well there, but the American P-40s had a very bad day.

Malaya
Is his.

DEI

Nothing new to report. There has been little action on Xargun’s part. I did raid Kendari with Hudsons.

Australia

Force A remains bound for Perth, and will ultimetly end up in Auckland or Sydney relieving the American battlegroups for action in the central and south Pacific.

PM

Task Force 1054 has base units on board which will help with the air units there. I don’t have nearly enough base units and it shows in my strikes against Rabaul.

I also have a major task force bound for PM with the 7th Australian.

Noumea

Plenty of aircraft not enough base units…something IM trying to take care of right now. I have a small task group with PBYS and base units headed to Espiritu.

PI

Just bits and pieces left.

Solomon Islands

Most of the transports are unloaded and headed home. The carriers will linger for a day or two and cover the withdrawal. Ardagh appears to be a success as he did not contest it…I would like to move a bomber group or two here, but that will come in future weeks. Lunga is now well supplied and defended.

Carrier Group One.

Lexington and Enterprise

Operation Ardagh.

Carrier Group Two

Saratoga and Yorktown

Operation Ardagh.

Carrier Group Three

Hornet

Recalled steaming east then Pearl Harbor

Force A

Hermes and Indomintable

Steaming to Perth

Force B

Formidible

Is now located in Karachi

10 days until Long Beach

54 days until Illustrious

115 days until Wasp

Operation Ardagh

Withdrawing to Auckland

I have to admit I find his withdrawal at Canton curious. Had he stayed and fought he could of beaten me as I wasn’t quite prepared for an attack there. I wonder if he got wind of my landings at Lunga and decided he was too deep. That or my taking Baker from him made him realize he was overextended at Canton Island.

[rroberson]

One of my intrepid submarine crews missed a great naval victory by...that...much.


He has landed quite a few troops at Tarakan...guess the invasion of DEI is now underway finally.

Another huge air battle over Akyab as he continues to prune my AKs offloading supplies. We probably broke even over the skies...but his skilled bomber crews put torpedos into another two merchant ships.

As predicted his Canton invasion forces made a landing at Baker...seems her really covets that place.

He also curiously bombarded Canton with Battleships. My SBDs spotted him coming in, but alas no launch against them...wonder why?