Recklessness Abounds - Cruft vs Alikchi

[Captain Cruft]

23rd - 24th Mar 1942

Well, the bombardment of Lautem was very disappointing. A single Martin bomber was destroyed on the ground and 5 hits planted on the runway. Also, some coastal guns were there that should not have been so two of the accompanying DDs took damage.

The battle fleet will have another quick bash overnight and then retire to Kendari to get some more ammo.

Speaking of Kendari, today saw the biggest Allied air strike of the war so far. 64 B-17s and 36 LB-30s out of Darwin attacked Kendari airfield at 11,000 ft. Definitely a falling out of chair moment. Luckily, the Zeros on CAP (including some coming over automagically from the KB two hexes away) did magnificently well, shooting down 20 B-17s over the course of two days. Many more bombers were damaged, as could be seen by the second day air strike featuring a mere 36 aircraft.

Still, despite these valiant efforts, some 40 planes were destroyed on the ground. Zeros, Nells 'n' Betties, Dinahs and Babses. Thankfully, actual damage to the facilities was relatively light and will be repaired quickly. There are currently 102 eng squads at the base with more on the way in the form of the 21st Eng Regt.

---

Two landings set off tomorrow morning:

1) 5th Div + tanks leave Pontianak for Batavia. Bombardment force consisting of Mogami class cruisers + DDs will accompany. This is a beach head holding force.
2) SNLF (can't remember which one) leaves Tawi Tawi for Tarakan. Bombardment force consisting of one CL + DDs will accompany. This may or may not be a beach head holding force. Since I have never invaded Tarakan before I can't be sure ...

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Highlight of the turn - a Nate shot something down! A P-40 no less. This was outside Lae where the Port Moresby Air Force (P-40s, Beauforts and Marauders) attacked a small convoy leaving the area.

Lae now has c.70 Nates installed (F2/Tainan Daitai has been moved back to the Admiralty Islands). Once the 25th & 27th Base Forces have accepted enough replacements to get their aviation support up to scratch (=180) there are some 100+ Lilies waiting at Truk to join them. These are high exp guys who got trained up bombing the bases in Luzon ...

[Captain Cruft]

No time to annotate, gives you a vague idea though

[Captain Cruft]

25th - 26th Mar 1942

Being somewhat fidgety (and not wanting to attract subs) the KB took a trip around the western coast of Sulawesi to try a port attack on Balikpapan. This is where the cripples from the reckless ABDA attack on Davao were harboured. Well, that was what I thought anyway. In fact, only CL Marblehead was to be found. It took one 800kg bomb and, according to a subsequent radio intercept, has now been scuttled.

Still, I count the raid a success since most of the Dutch Hawk fighters at Balikpapan are no more. They died bravely trying to defend the port and subsequently escorting a massive force of two Wildebeests in an attack on the Japanese carriers.

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The Sasebo 1st SNLF is now landed at Tarakan and will deliberate attack next turn.

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Pesky Dutch PT boats are the only thing standing between the 5th Division and landing at Batavia. The invasion fleet is a single hex away ...

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Over at Fortress Timor, the battle fleet has redeemed itself for its poor previous performance at Lautem. For some reason they can shoot much better in the dark - their "goodbye" bombardment bagged some 18 planes on the ground and did 75 runway hits. They have now replenished at Kendari, will make a quick run to Macassar overnight (where there are patrol planes) and then over the next turns will combine with the KB & the Kendari Air Force (Zeros & Betties) to sort Koepang out.

---

[Captain Cruft]

Pilots with 5 or more kills.



3rd Daitai is at Kendari.
Yamada Daitai is at Kuching.
The rest are CV groups.

[Captain Cruft]

I seem to have a surplus of everything, with the HI pool topping 200,000 points for the first time

[Captain Cruft]

The Allied leaders continue to throw away AKs without a care ...

Code: Select all

 Type	Japan	Allies
 ----	-----	------
 
 CV	   0	    0
 CVL	   0	    0
 CVE	   0	    0
 BB	   0	    8
 CA	   2	    4
 CL	   3	    6
 DD	   6	   13
 SS	  11	    8
 PC/PG	   3	    2
 MSW/DMS	   6	   12
 ML	   0	    3
 PT	   0	   11
 AD	   0	    0
 AE	   0	    0
 AR	   0	    0
 AS	   0	    2
 AV/AVD	   0	    2
 AO	   0	    0
 TK	   2	    9
 AP	  12	   18
 AK	   5	   62
 

[LittleJoe]

ORIGINAL: Captain Cruft

25th - 26th Mar 1942

Being somewhat fidgety (and not wanting to attract subs) the KB took a trip around the western coast of Sulawesi to try a port attack on Balikpapan. This is where the cripples from the reckless ABDA attack on Davao were harboured. Well, that was what I thought anyway. In fact, only CL Marblehead was to be found. It took one 800kg bomb and, according to a subsequent radio intercept, has now been scuttled.

Still, I count the raid a success since most of the Dutch Hawk fighters at Balikpapan are no more. They died bravely trying to defend the port and subsequently escorting a massive force of two Wildebeests in an attack on the Japanese carriers.

---

The Sasebo 1st SNLF is now landed at Tarakan and will deliberate attack next turn.

---

Pesky Dutch PT boats are the only thing standing between the 5th Division and landing at Batavia. The invasion fleet is a single hex away ...

---

Over at Fortress Timor, the battle fleet has redeemed itself for its poor previous performance at Lautem. For some reason they can shoot much better in the dark - their "goodbye" bombardment bagged some 18 planes on the ground and did 75 runway hits. They have now replenished at Kendari, will make a quick run to Macassar overnight (where there are patrol planes) and then over the next turns will combine with the KB & the Kendari Air Force (Zeros & Betties) to sort Koepang out.

---

What happened with your troops outside Palembang happened to me also, this whole AAR seems scarily similar to my situation in the dei.

When you set that unit to march into Palembang it did it trying to avoid combat, hence it trying to go around the allied unit on the road and marching into the jungle. [:(]

[Captain Cruft]

27th - 28th Mar 1942

Well, what an action packed turn this was! I can't remember half of it ...

The Nates of the title were LRCAPing the 4th Mixed Regt, which is stationed ibetween Pagan and Taung Gyi as a blocking force. I had noticed Alikchi brazenly ground attacking them last turn using Hurricanes from Mandalay. His error was not to put some of the planes on Escort. Most gratifying.

---

Tarakan fell at the first attempt and the Oil is in reasonable shape. More troops will be landed shortly to start marching down the coast road to Balikpapan etc.

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The 5th Div is landed safely at Batavia. Losses from coastal guns and mines amounted to about 1,800 "casualties" and 1 AP scuttled. Which was a lot better than I expected. More troops are on the way here too.

---

Betties from Rabaul attacked CL Phoenix at Port Moresby. No hits, loads of planes damaged. I am intrigued as to why that ship should be there, especially since there are other "CA CA" type TFs nearby.

No doubt we shall see later

[Captain Cruft]

29th - 30th Mar 1942

I made a booboo. The battle fleet had been ordered to do a Retirement Allowed bombardment of Koepang at top speed (4 hexes per phase). Air cover was not ordered since I had not seen any offensive activity out of Koepang, just the few TJV-IVs from Lautem.

Well, come sun-up on the first day, the BBs were sitting 4 hexes to the NNE of Koepang with no hint of an escorting fighter in the skys about. Then, what should come out of Koepang but what I assume to be the entire Aussie Beaufort fleet, 40 planes in total. Eek!

I was actually very lucky. The old clunkers do have some half-reasonable flak outfitted, and managed to shoot down 10 of the torpedo bombers, with many more damaged. Despite this, 2 fish were received by BB Hiei. It is now 3 hexes out of Kendari with 61 float damage and my hopes are not high ...

Note to self - Over-confidence is a dangerous state of mind.

---

Over at Batavia the troops continue to unload. I may have scheduled a deliberate attack for next turn, can't remember.

---

In New Guinea, the various cruisers and whatnot did not stay at Port Moresby. AV-supported Mavises at Shortlands have spotted three combat type TFs moving east towards the New Caledonia region. One TF even showed as "CA CA CV" so it may be that Alikchi has given up on saving the DEI (except Timor) and is moving the US carrier fleet over to the South or Central Pacific.

With this in mind, the KB's brief sojourn in the DEI is now over. They will proceed to Truk via Palau and wait for developments.

[Grotius]

Hmm, those Beauforts can be nasty. I don't know if I've ever seen so many strike at once, though. Wow.

[Grotius]

Not to hijack your thread, but I'm curious what landings you conducted on turn 1. After 1.5 arrives, I plan to play Japan in a PBEM against a friend or two, but I want to "play fair." It looks like you didn't land in Kendari or other far-off bases on turn 1; did you have any house rule on this? I'm inclined toward Mogami's rule -- no landings outside air cover on turn 1 -- but even that may give the IJN more latitutde than it enjoyed historically, when it had to preserve the element of surprise.

[Captain Cruft]

I wasn't around for Turn 1, it was Runsilentrundeep's game at that point. Alikchi could confirm whether it was historical or not ...

[Captain Cruft]

Lost the second of my four minelaying subs. I-123 was on its way to Truk after dropping some eggs at Noumea. It had the misfortune to run into the US fleet on its way back from the DEI and was summarily despatched by the standard 5 laser-guided depth charges.

BB Hiei lives! Disbanded in Kendari port with the entire 3rd Daitai guarding it on 90% CAP. Float damage has reduced to 57, there may be hope ...

BTW we have adopted a house rule of no night attacks except for Naval and City->Manpower.

[Runsilentrundeep]

ORIGINAL: Grotius

Not to hijack your thread, but I'm curious what landings you conducted on turn 1. After 1.5 arrives, I plan to play Japan in a PBEM against a friend or two, but I want to "play fair." It looks like you didn't land in Kendari or other far-off bases on turn 1; did you have any house rule on this? I'm inclined toward Mogami's rule -- no landings outside air cover on turn 1 -- but even that may give the IJN more latitutde than it enjoyed historically, when it had to preserve the element of surprise.

This was my game before I had to leave it due to illnesses in my family. We did not have any rules but I did not go too far out, I think the most ambitious thing I did turn one was a landing on Cagayan and taking Wake on turn 1.

[Captain Cruft]

Around 4th April 1942

It seems we have entered a quiet period now.

The US fleet has disappeared, possibly it is heading back to Pearl to get some more AA fitted.
In the DEI, all bases but Timor have been stripped of combat aircraft - hopefully this means I can take my time with finishing up in Java and Borneo.

Objectives remaining:-

Bankha (Sumatra - a brigade/regiment is prepping for this in Singapore)
Batavia (Java - 5th Div + tanks currently assaulting to good effect, lots of Allied casualties and forts are down to 3)
Soerabaja (Java - once Batavia has fallen the Imp Gds Div will be landed there and march down the rail line in conjunction with the 5th Div et al)
Balikpapan (Borneo - currently being bombarded into oblivion by a surprisingly effective force comprising 2 or 3 CLs and 5 or so DDs operating out of Tarakan)
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BB Hiei is now down to 42 float damage in Kendari harbour. No further attacks have been made on the port by the heavies at Darwin, possibly this is because Alikchi does not like the large losses the 3rd Daitai inflicts on them every time they come by. I suppose I am lucky that he has chosen to pit his heavy US bombers against my best land-based fighter group, whose average experience is over 80. One pilot has 14 kills now, which might be getting close to some of the AVG guys.

If it was me I would move the heavy bombers to Burma/India until such time as I could build up Port Moresby and other bases in that area. Place strength against weakness (Nateys) ...
---

P.S. Thanks to Runsilentrundeep for clarifying the "Turn 1 History"

[Captain Cruft]

7th Mar 1942

ABDA has abandoned Batavia to the invading Japanese.

BB Hiei is now at 36 float damage.

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The first Mega Oil Convoy (640,000 ton capacity with 10 DDs escort) has left Singapore. Its route will be:

Medan -> Palembang -> Miri -> Brunei -> Tarakan -> Amboina -> Sorong -> Home Islands

There is a possibility Balikpapan may get added to this if the troops can march down the road from Tarakan quick enough ...

The plan for Rangoon is to use its oil to power the industry in Singapore, Bangkok, Saigon etc. This will be an occasional convoy with less escorts.

[mogami]

Hi, Tell me the story of how you came to the idea of the "Mega" Convoy and why it is better then just sending tankers to bases and then to heavy industry.

[Captain Cruft]

Blimey, the teacher is on my case

1) Less convoys = less targets for subs.
2) Less convoys = more escorts per convoy.
3) Larger convoys = less chance of each individual ship being attacked en route.

I suppose there is a disadvantage in that it will take a while to get round all the Oil bases and back to the Home Islands. However, I don't see this as a problem. You just deliver Oil in large infrequent amounts rather than in small frequent amounts.

This is currently all rather theoretical though. The only thing I have actually verified is that the Home Islands don't run completely out of Oil until July time. That gives me 3 months to get this first convoy back home ...

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I ought to add that I am doing exactly the same thing with Resources. The only difference being that this convoy is currently unescorted. A deficiency that I will recify once I have had some more 3,000 endurance DDs upgraded to ASW capability.

[mogami]

Hi, I'd rather not have loaded ships following empty ships about just to save a few escorts.
Set up ASW air/surface patrols along your routes and assign 2-6 ASW types. (really all you are trying to do is make sure enemy subs have to attack submerged. They mss/dud a lot with torps but not with deck guns.
There should be enough escorts (I like a 2xPG 2xPC 2cMSW per TF escort. Save the 20kt MSW for tankers and large AP)
Next depending on damage at a location figure out how much the monthly output will be.
Send transports enough to load 50 percent of this.
Once the TF begins loading send another one the same size. Now for the rest of the war you just drive these 2 TF back and forth. When the TF is at Osaka check the ships and replace those that need a yard period (or that have been lost on prior run)

You can "Hub" the system. Take Singapore as a hub.
There are resource and oil nearby. Send small TF back and forth collecting oil and resource. (build Singapore heavy industry when you have surplus supply)
Now you just run convoys from Singapore to Osaka once or twice per month. (You look to see what Singapore has at the moment and send a TF large enough to collect it)

Do this on the 1st and 15th.

Hub Manila.

Don't forget "Doglegs" from Hubs to nearby HI (Bangkok,Saigon,HongKong)

I would be unable to sleep with 640,000 load points in one TF. What if a stray enemy surface TF ran into it. What if a stray enemy aircombat TF ran into it.

[Captain Cruft]

Well all that stuff may well work, especially the hub and spoke bit. I do intend to have aircraft on Naval Search/ASW Patrol along most of the routes, but I can see little point in ASW TFs. Surely the idea is to avoid subs, not go looking for them.

The basic idea of the Mega Convoy is to minimise the number of attack opportunities for the subs. You might call it an "Empty Seas" policy ...

One other thing I should mention is that I try and keep the number of TFs to a minimum because of suffering from the undiagnosed "lag" problem (major delays when creating TFs).

I would be unable to sleep with 640,000 load points in one TF. What if a stray enemy surface TF ran into it. What if a stray enemy aircombat TF ran into it.

That's only relevant if the Allies are in the area. Obviously things change under those circumstances.