It’s a strange pleasure knowing that someone likes to read what you write. I never wrote an AAR, but knowing that some people - even if few - somehow enjoy it feels real good. [:)]
Hence back to work
January 15th, 1942
I’m going to state the obvious: I made a mistake. At least with hindsight. [:(]
I ‘saved’ so many Dutch units (see picture) only to have them trapped on Timor. I evacuated tons of oil, resources and fuel ... to Koepang! How stupid am I? [:-]
The thing is, I’ve done the same in three more PBEM and it works (is working), but I’ve never been attacked so early.
I think I had to take the chance. If I had time enough to bring the supplies over 20k and to bring up more TB maybe things would have gone differently,
In another PBEM, it’s March and I have 500 AV, 270 planes, 40k supplies and the airfield size 6. It’d be a tough nut to crack.
Well, it wasn’t this time.
Actually GH did what I previously wrote he had to, I said ‘he has to take Darwin AND Timor’ and he did!
The good thing is ... I’ll have the satisfaction of beating an excellent player. I just need some more time. [:D]
I’m now directing every available sub to the rescue of those heroic Dutch units. They won’t end up POW. I’ll do all I can to save them (and the PP I invested on them [;)]).
Their new destination will be Exmouth, a dot on the North West corner of Australia, potential size (1) - (3). I’ll try to build it up.
To make things worse, the first supply convoy from Karachi showed up just this turn in front of his carriers, I had completely forgotten about it. One ship down and three badly damaged. [:o]
INDO-CHINA
I have some bombers on supply training in Diamond Harbor, he has tons of fighters everywhere! I just don’t have enough AVG. I’m using them to escort the training pilots over Akyab and in Chungking.
I’m trying an airfield night strike with (16) Liberators, mainly to train them. With the new patch night bombing is useless, which is probably right.
I’ll have a resource strike over Soochow with (3)x(16) B-17 and LB-30.
I’ve decided to forget to try and bomb the airfields. He has more planes than I can kill. He can decide which planes to build. The things he is really short of are supplies and pilots.
China, so far, is holding well enough. With the new patch the advance is no longer so swift and easy. I believe that Sian will eventually fall because I have no way to reinforce that side of the map. But the rest of China looks stable enough. Ichang has now 100k men and the 1st Tank Brigade. I feel more confident.
AUSTRALIA
With Daly Waters gone, Alice Springs will be my gathering point.
All the base forces en route to Daly Waters have been redirected to Alice. It’s (11) hexes from Daly, hence I’ll be able to bomb it with the heavies. (3) brigades and (2) divisions are now (2) hexes south of Daly and there they’ll stay till further notice.
I’m moving, from Townsville, the Australian HQ to Alice Springs, together with (2) Australian Tank regiments. This way supplies should be driven to Alice much quicker and in bigger amounts.
All the Dutch planes saved from Timor are now in Alice, with 5 exceptions stuck in Broom (Hawks, recon, Vildebeest, ...). They are too short legged to go anywhere. I hope I’ll be able to evac them with AKs, but right now it’s just too dangerous.
PACIFIC
Things start to look good here.
Canton is now being supplied and with it all the Central Pacific bases are fueled, supplies and garrisoned.
The 2nd Marine Division, initially directed toward Noumea, will soon start unloading in Luganville, followed by the South Pacific HQ.
All the action in DEI and Northern Australia is keeping him away from the Pacific.
If I had to choose Central Pacific or Northern Australia I would have definitely chosen the latter.
However he still has time to do both. At least now it’ll be much more expensive.
