The Copperas Bowl: Allied Perspective

[Canoerebel]

Greetings,

I am the Allied player. My opponent and I are on the "honor system" - pledging not to read each other's posts in the AAR.

I played perhaps 10 email games in 2002-2003 against a number of worthy opponents (including Admiral Dadman and Reiryc), but then took more than a year off. This will be my second email game since I resumed. The first - also against John - is still ongoing.

I am a fairly conservative player as the US, willing to wait a LONG time before striking. This scenario lends itself to that because the US won't have a single carrier for at least 45 days, and won't have the full compliment (4) until approximately 70 days into the scenario. That stinks. The Japs suffer similar delays, but do get carriers in advance of the US. Until the carriers arrive, it's a surface fleet action.

In our other game, John was very aggressive in using bombardment. He attacked but failed to take Port Moresby, probably a fatal blow to Jap hopes. Since the Allies held PM last time, I expect him to organize a much larger assault this time, or to perhaps turn his attention to Luganville.

The Allies start with nearly no ground troops in the Noumea/Louganville area. I think I'll send all my transports to Brisbane, load them up in, say, 20 turns, and have them ready to steam to either Luganville (or Noumea if I'm too late) or Port Moresby, depending upon which way the Japs seem to be heading.

Allied air power is also pitifully weak at the start. The fighters stink.

I'm more used to Scenarios 17 and 18 where the carriers give both sides immediate offensive options and keep the game exciting. This scenario, however, is a long, slow grind until August 1942.

[Canoerebel]

6/2/42 - Allies draw first blood. S-39 puts a torpedo in PG Nikkai Maru. Allies lose two planes to operations. Japs landed uncontested at Buna and Gili Gili. Japs sent 42 Zeros to PM, but I had nothing up as all Allied planes are training at low levels at this point. All APs are heading for Brisbane. Most of the Allied surface combat fleet is heading for Townsville. My minelayers dropped a load at Irau.

[Canoerebel]

6/4/42 - The quiet continues. Most of my APs are nearing Brisbane. I loaded a brigade and a headquarters unit on APs already there and may send them toward PM. If I know John, he'll bombard PM fairly soon.

[CMDRMCTOAST]

Congrats to the new war, Keep it going gentlemen...

[Canoerebel]

6/5/42 - Jap task force between GG and Townsville. Recon shows CA and 2 PC. It's probably a large CA/DD bombardment force heading to Townsville. That's where I have the bulk of my surface fleet (3 CAs, 1 CL, 5 or 6 DDs) under the command of Kincaid. I'll leave them there in hopes of bloodying the Japs a bit. I've also readied most of my bombers and fighter bombers to strike any Jap ships that might limp out of Townsville after combat. It seems to me that John's proclivity for shore bombardment results in a lot of wear and tear on his surface assets and also strains his petrol supplies. Elsewhere, the infantry reinforcement TF is off Rockhampton (heading for PM).

[Canoerebel]

6/6/42 - To my surprise, the Jap TF did not hit Townsville. It moved NW and is now closer to PM (perhaps 10 hexes). Perhaps John had second thoughts or this is a diversion. I left Kincaid's TF at Townsville. Reconn says 2 CA and 2 PC which probably means 5 CA and 8 DD or more. Kincaid's group is 4 CA, 1 CL, 5 DD with 4 more DD from Brisbane to join in a couple of turns. My reinforcement APs will be near Townsville next turn. I won't send them further if large Jap assets are around. Minelayer arrives at Nevea next turn.

[Canoerebel]

6/7/42 - Jap TF (now scouted as 3 CAs and a PC) now between GG and PM. Another TF closing GG from Solomons area (CAs, CL, and DDs). My AP TF is between Townsville and Cairns. I'll have to decide shortly whether to commit or recall it. I don't have enough power to risk it in a pitched battle.

[Canoerebel]

6/9/42 - Jap surface fleets steamed east to Rossel Is. and linked up with a transport convoy. Another fast transport group landed troops at Irau (at least three Jap minesweepers cleared the way). At the moment, I do not see any Jap surface ships immediately threatening PM. I have a fast tr. convoy arriving there this turn with part of the 25th Brigade. The APs are two turns out of PM. If the Japs concentrate on Irau and Rossel, it may indicate interest in Luganville. Even if the Japs head southeast, a secure PM is a big head start for the Allies.

[Canoerebel]

6/10/42 - S-46 is sunk after torpedoing Aoba at Rossel. Fast transport to PM successful. APs may arrive next turn. Sent Kincaid's TF north from Townsville to protect the APs if the Japs react.

[Canoerebel]

6/12/42 - My AP TF at PM undergoes air attack. The Japs score a tactical victory, sinking Esperance Bay, putting single torps into DD Bagley and AP Largs Bay, and downing 30 Allied aircraft while losing about 16 of their own. All ground troops had already been unloaded (a brigade and a headquarters unit). I consider the reinforcement of PM at the cost of one AP a very successful operation for the Allies. A 4 DD fast transport convoy is already at PM and will unload part of the 25th brigade this turn. Jap CA/DD TF between PM and GG. I hope my DDs will unload and depart before the Japs arrive. I've ordered the other ships out of PM and I sent all serviceable aircraft to Australia to rest and refit.

[Canoerebel]

6/13/42 - Successfully evaded the Jap TF that hit PM and my ships are returning to Australia. DD Faragut hit a mine at Townsville, inflicting minor damage Also, John had his TF set for surface combat rather than shore bombardment, so the Jap TF that went to PM didn't hit the base (my supply officer expresses gratitude).

[Canoerebel]

6/14/42 - Quiet. Very different from the first Scenario 16 game John and I played. Beginning to wonder if he is opting for a strong defensive perimeter game. I'll continue to focus on defense of PM and Luganville, but I'm going to begin planning how to proceed if John stays on the defensive. One of the first moves will be to airlift some supplies and troops to Wau.

[Canoerebel]

6/16/42 - The previous day was unusually quiet. On 6/16, Jap TF bombarded PM (light damage) and also hit it with Nells. Another TF is midway between GG and Townsville. I have vacated Townsville (most of my combat ships had been put in a fast transport convoy to carry the rest of the 7th Brigade to PM and is due to arrive on 6/17 - I hope the Japs don't hit PM again....). Another Jap TF unloaded troops at Nevea, while another visited (and probably layed mines at) Gavigama. I still think this is beginning to look like a strong defensive perimeter set up for the Japs, but I've got to watch out for a larger strike at PM or Luganville when the Jap CVs arrive. Right now I feel good about PM, but Luganville is very weak. Saratoga (my first CV) is 18 days out, but I will NOT commit my CVs to serious action until I have at least 4.

[Canoerebel]

6/17/42 - The Fast Transport to PM went through unchallenged. The Jap combat TF is due east of Cairns 12 hexes or so, still threatening Townsville, but all Allied ships are heading to Rockhampton and should be out of harm's way. PM bombers sunk two Jap APDs north of Buna (the first Jap ships sunk). I've probably finished reinforcing PM for awhile. I'll see what develops over the next few turns.

[Canoerebel]

6/19/42 - Quiet the last two turns. John is either waiting for his CVs to arrive at Truk or has chosen a defensive strategy. Allied ship losses are so light that I am concerned that Pearl won't release my CVs when they finally arrive. So I'll begin sending ships back to Pearl for refitting. Detailed CA Australia and three DDs to head to Noumea for that purpose. Sent CA Salt Lake City, CL Phoenix, and 3 DDs from Noumea to Rockhampton as replacements to join Kincaid's surface group. Marines arrive Noumea 25 turns.

[Canoerebel]

6/20/42 - Nothing this turn. John commented in his email that the game seems "interesting but BORING". I think it's up to the Japs to initiate contact in Scenario 16. The Allies are exceedingly weak now, but time is on our side.

[Canoerebel]

6/22/42 - Japs bombard PM, doing minor damage to the airfield. Jap ground troops (one infantry and various support) arrive at Wau. I deployed two transport squadrons to PM to begin air lifting troops into Wau and ordered some bombers to hit the Japs. (I should have reinforced Wau several turns ago when I first mentioned it, but I was awaiting the arrival of ground troops in Townsville since I had rather use troops from Australia than PM). The last of my "big four" carriers - Wasp - is due to arrive in Pearl in 18 days. With Marines and other units scheduled to arrive in theater in less than 30 days, that means the Allies should be in a position to mount their first offensive in about 40 days - the first of August.

[Canoerebel]

6/25/42 - Jap TF hit PM on successive turns, shutting down the airbase, preventing my Dakotas from flying reinforcements to Wau. On 6/24, the Japs (including the 144th Regiment) attacked the Kanga force at Wau, but somehow the Kanga's held. This turn, 26 B-26s hit the Japs, inflicting about 20 casualties. Then my Dakotas brought in enough of the 30th Brigade that a Jap shock attack met with a stinging repulse (Japs lost about 280 men to some 30 Kangas). I've shut down the Dakotas on the assumption that John will have plenty of Zero cover this turn. I hope that the loss of the 280 troops reduces the odds sufficiently that John will either wait to get more troops to Wau or begin a concerted bombing effort. Either way Wau becomes a bit of a whirlpool sucking in more Jap forces and effort than John had intended.

[Canoerebel]

6/27/42 - Wau indeed has become a vortex of activity. On 6/26, the Japs launched an attack and incurred only slightly more casualties than the Allies. Therefore, I resumed air transport of the 30th Brigade to Wau. Zeros intercepted the Dakotas, but the effort more than doubled the 30th Bgd. numbers in Wau (500 combat troops and 300+ support). Jap combat ships hit PM again, inflicted minor damage, and underwent air attack. Beauforts from PM put single torpedos into CA Kinugasa and CL Yubari. Other medium bombers hit CAs Mogami, Furutaka and Ashigara with shellfire. B-17s bombed the Japs at Wau. Overall, the Allies lost more planes than I would have expected (about 30, mostly B-25s to navy flak), but Wau is a bit of a quagmire for the Japs. Kincaids TF heading north from Townsville looking for targets of opportunity.

[Canoerebel]

6/29/42 - Jap CL Yubari sank. Sighted Jap TF that appears to be heading toward Luganville or one of the islands to the north (none yet occupied by the Allies). Allies formed a surface TF at Noumea from newly arrived ships, Spruance in command, and ordered it north. A second CV has been released from Pearl, but my shipping needs rating has dropped to "Moderate" as I feared. I'm sending more ships back to Pearl and I'll use my ships more aggressively in order to restore the "High" priority rating. There are several indications that the Japs have been heavily reinforced. All quiet at Wau at the moment. I'm surprised John isn't bombing my troops. I'll airlift more of the 30th Brigade in another turn or two.