Illusion of Victory - Alikchi vs Cruft

[Alikchi2]

Well, we've decided to restart the game once 1.5 is out for a while, and CHS is working well.

Which means that we aren't holding ANYTHING back anymore. As Cruft said:

"Since this game is going to die at some point I decided to stop being
careful.

276 planes destroyed this turn. More fun to follow ... "

[:D]

Here's what's happened. I don't have the combat reports, but ah well.

4/24/42-4/27/42

Burma/India: On the 26th, my Burma bombers launch - basically every bomber in Burma (mostly Blenheims) has moved to Mandalay and is aimed at Pagan. As expected, they don't score too many hits, but their escort shoots down many Nates.

I started pulling a few smaller units out of Mandalay to better defend the coast of India, as well. It will take a while for them to get set up - blah.

China: I move several groups of bombers and I-16s south, along with the AVG. IL-4s attack Hong Kong port but are fended off by Nates, with many damaged bombers and no hits.. SB-2s attack ground units. (I forget the name of the city they're based at.) I moved a squadron of the AVG to their base, anticipating Cruft's counterstrike, and put them at a high CAP level.

DEI: About 200 allied bombers hit Kendari and squish it. Well, 100 heavies from Darwin and about 60-70 mediums from Timor. The CAP does a very admirable job.. Still, I destroy more planes than I lose - and that's always good.

SOPAC/SWPAC: The air war over Moresby continues, with my squadrons being whittled down to essentially nothing.. the Beaufighter group that I threw in is getting ravaged. The Kittyhawks are holding everything together right now. More fighters on the way, plus ANOTHER base force.

CENTPAC: No action.

NORTHPAC: Kiska hits 4/4 (along with Nome, but that's not important), and I have .a B-17 group there already. I want to raid Paramushiro Jima, but they won't take off. Hmmm.


As you can see, this is getting more and more intense..

[Tom Hunter]

Is it a Beaufort group in PM or do you really have Beaufighters? If they are fighters what is the unit desigantion?

As you may have seen in the aircraft replacements list there are a bunch of Beaufighters (mark C? game is not open and I don't remember) that start building early in the game but I was never able to find a unit for them. I am wondering if you did, or if there is just some confusion.

[Alikchi2]

I do have Beaufighters but I don't remember the designation. I'll check when I get home and run the turn.

The Zeroes have really eaten them up though.

Updates (again) when I get home. Things are getting, well, insane.

[Alikchi2]

The Beaus are VICs, Tom. They're an Aussie unit.

Today.. massive slaughter in the skies over Mandalay. Cruft informs me that this is the last attack, because he has "nothing left to do it with". The attacks over China compound the IJAAF's woes. I'm starting to wonder if he has any pilots left.



Insane.

4 Brit BBs, with Fulmar CAP from a CV, will bombard Rangoon next turn. If all goes well and no Nells penetrate my CAP, I'll attempt to land a British division in the base sound of Rangoon and march it north. At the same time, my ground forces from Mandalay (reached Cruft's little force between Pagan and Mandalay today, attacks start tomorrow) will push south. We'll see what happens.

Cruft bombards Lautem on Timor today, causing most of my aircraft losses. I pulled most of the fragments and some big units on Timor back to Darwin, although some units (mostly American fighters) remain. In response, I have two cruiser forces, one led by Exeter and another with Pensacola and two other US CAs, heading north. Both are intended to bombard Kendari, although one will be heading in the direction of Maumere first, to try and skirt around bombers from Amboina. The other one will be heavily CAPed from Timor and Darwin. B-17s will suppress Kendari the turn before the bombardment TFs are expected to arrive. I also sent out 10 (mostly Dutch) minelayer subs to Kendari to add to the mayhem.

Port Moresby got its regular plastering, and another division has started unloading at Noumea. The Enterprise, Lexington, Saratoga, and Yorktown have split into two TFs with suitable escort and are heading from Canton to raid Kwajalein and the Marshalls.

Farther north, another bombardment force, CAPed by Wasp, heads to bombard Wake. If successful, we'll head farther east.. towards Japan. Fleet oilers will be standing by.

And at the top of the map, 6 DDs head out from Dutch Harbor to bombard Paramushiro Jima, which just hit a level one airfield today. Immediately 48 B-17s based at Kiska are put on airfield attack. I know that Paramushiro Jima has a huge fort with big guns, but whatever, this game will end soon. A little fireworks display will be fun to watch. [8D]




Are you not entertained? [:D]

[Tom Hunter]

It is entertaining and I find it interesting that you and Cruft call this going insance and Blackwatch and I call it a fairly busy turn.

One advantage of my play style is that after a little while there are fewer pesky units to keep track of.

[Alikchi2]

Tom: It certainly must be easier. All I care about at this point is inflicting damage.

Quick status update.

The bombardment force at Rangoon turned away before bombarding, but not before Formidable took a torpedo from Nells. It has about 25 float and will head to Diamond Harbor.

Down south, he bomabards Kai Island, Maumere, and Koepang. The Kai Island and Maumere bombardments aren't that succesful - I didn't have anything usable on Maumere anyways - but Koepang is hit pretty bad. I'm pulling out everything I can except the P-40s to Darwin.

I've diverted one cruiser force from Darwin to try and intercept the ships bombarding Kai. Another force, composed mostly of destroyers, is going to sneak up to Soerabaja and try and do damage up in the Java Sea.

Another unit of P-40s should be unloaded at PM by next turn, so that will help a lot.

Over in the Gilberts, my two CV groups head towards Tarawa. A Kate attacks one of my subs to the west.. we may have a CV battle coming up soon.

And finally, my Wake bombardment force should hit Wake next turn. Not too interesting.

Oh yeah, my B-17s launched from Kiska and got mauled by Rufes! They shot down several and damaged lots.. morale is at 58. I'll have to stand them down for a while. Harumph.

[Alikchi2]

5/6/42-5/10/42

I'm sure Cruft is covering us more thoroughly in his AAR - I'm just lazy right now. We'll probably start up new AARs for our next, CHS game - which is imminent.

Our CV battle happened! My little raid was first turned back by LBA. Hornet, Enterprise and Saratoga all took torpedoes in one turn, off Wake and Tarawa. Mission aborted, I fled back to Canton and Pearl, but Saratoga and Yorktown weren't fast enough. Two bombs hit Kaga, but Sara and York were battered under the waves by the Kido Butai. Several cruisers went under, too. Everything else is on flee mode. I kinda hope he strays into range of LBA from Canton - the place is stacked with fighters and SBDs.

Cruft is blitzing the Solomons - SNLFs land at Munda, Lunga, and the Russell Islands. Not going to be much practical gain at this point in the game, but hey, they are his. CL Hobart and a couple DDs headed over that way to try and catch the transports off Lunga unescorted. They all died.

In Java, Soerabaja is under siege. His first attack was a 0-1, though, so it'll be a little while to reduce the forts. In the meantime, I have a DD-heavy surface combat TF floating around out there trying to get contact with some of his ships in the Java Sea and failing.

Off Northern Oz, I hide. He's hurt Timor pretty bad, and he's bombarding Kai Island. My attempts to catch his bombardment forces have failed. I kinda wish I had some CVs around there right about now.

Port Moresby continues to get worked over, but the defenses are growing. 51st Base Force has unloaded, along with a big unit of P-40Es. I think I can gain air superiority given enough time to get all my planes in the air. The game will probably be over by then, but hey.

Burma! I have total air superiority. Ground forces are bombarding Pagan, which will take a while to fall, probably, but it will fall. 18th UK Div is marching from Akyab with supporting elements for Rangoon. This is just silly.

Our biggest ground engagement yet kicks off in Kweilin, which I have been fortifying for some time.

Ground combat at Kweilin

Japanese Bombardment attack

Attacking force 101747 troops, 980 guns, 7 vehicles

Defending force 163697 troops, 780 guns, 0 vehicles


Allied ground losses:
54 casualties reported


I have more reinforcements heading south to help. I want to surround and entrap his forces in the city. It'll require finesse with ground troops that I have not yet displayed. We'll see how it goes.

[Alikchi2]

Well, Cruft and I are restarting our game under CHS. I have to say, it's been an excellent game, I've learned a lot, and Cruft is a great opponent. [:)]

We'll be posting new threads once we get started (very soon).

Thanks for reading!

[Bradley7735]

You and Cruft should go back and read the other's AAR. If I were in your shoes, I'd love to see what Cruft had written through the course of your war. Of course, you guys might be emailing those kind of details anyway. It'd be way cool if you didn't have much communication throughout your game and then when it's over you get to read his whole story.

anyway, just daydreaming a bit. Definitely looking forward to a CHS AAR.

[Alikchi2]

You and Cruft should go back and read the other's AAR. If I were in your shoes, I'd love to see what Cruft had written through the course of your war. Of course, you guys might be emailing those kind of details anyway. It'd be way cool if you didn't have much communication throughout your game and then when it's over you get to read his whole story.

anyway, just daydreaming a bit. Definitely looking forward to a CHS AAR.

I actually am reading it right now. It's extremely interesting! And humbling. A lot of my mistakes seem completely idiotic in retrospect, d'oh.

Of course, when something does come off, and he doesn't like it, I cackle a little. [:D]

But it really is very cool to see things from the other side. A lot of things that don't make sense are coming together now. I've really been very lucky.

[Captain Cruft]

I too have now read Alikchi's side of the AAR - it is enlightening and fun. The part about taking Lunga had me worried. At the time I had nothing except the Rabaul air force to stop it.

Anyway, onward to CHS! First post should appear real soon now ...