Fear and loathing - Japanese style

[fabertong]

..........And this is the Burma situation...... The forces closest to Rangoon are Imp. G. Div. 4th Inf. Reg. and the paras....Below are another Inf. Div.and a Tank Reg.

[Terminus]

Just a teeny little thing... Please consider drawing arrows in red; black arrows can become practically invisible on the map.

[fabertong]

Bugger, I realised that just as I posted it. I've only just started using the map utility. I will get better..... I hope.

[fabertong]

Sasebo China/Burma Command.....

Lews Cruiser force caught the allies of Sarong......with the result of one CL sunk(Adelaide) and at least four destroyers.....
Lew was also trying to tempt the U.S. carriers out by a prod at Baker, but the Allies caught us with a small destoyer force and we lost a couple of escort ships......
Scott is continuing his push into the DEI with much success, but the allies are fighting hard and we are losing a few aks and aps......
Here is the situation in Burma.........

[fabertong]

Might I also point out that Hanoi is wide open right now[X(][X(]

[fabertong]

With a pause in combat while the allies have some computer problems, I thought I share my thoughts about China/Burma command. Please consult map above

In Burma I'm surprised to find that Tom has left some troops at Rangoon, they are now trapped by the Imp.G. Div. and the 4th mixed Inf. Reg. on the rail-line above.
Just below them are the two Para Rg. blocking the retreat of one of Tom's combat units.
Below them are the 55th Div. which next turn will reach Toms unit. Also coming up is 1st Tank and further back 33rd Inf. Div.
Why has Tom left troops at Rangoon? In my experience it is a trap for any troops trying to hold it, and any attempt at evac. would be lethal I have Sonias and Nells in range.

Perhaps Tom hopes I will commit my troops piecemeal or he is fighting a delaying action to hold Mandalay, which I think he is reinforcing from China.
What to do?....
Tom has 8 units in Rangoon, at least four must be combat, however the Imp G Div + the 4th should be a match for them.
So I think next turn The 55th will attack any destroy the unit on the railway this will free up the Paras to bypass Rangoon and approach Mandalay,
but not commit to combat there.
The Imp. G and 4th will invest Rangoon with the 55th only 6 days out to support.
The other option is to block Tom at rangoon, and go hell for leather to Mandalay, but I feel uneasy about splitting the forces commited (more Grant than Lee).
Please share any thoughts you may have.........
Will post the China picture later.....

[Terminus]

An evacuation of Rangoon actually isn't impossible; I've managed to do it, although pretty much the whole British Eastern Fleet was covering, and with some losses to both combat and transport ships.

As for your plan, it sounds pretty good. You should clear Rangoon before going much further ahead, or you'll end up with a Tobruk situation. Take it now, before he fortifies too heavily.

[fabertong]

Now a brief look at China.
I'll mainly look at the south. As before consult the map above for a clearer picture.
I'm moving Gen Dohihara from the rail junction by Canton to Wuchow. Meanwhile the 21st Div + a Tank Reg. are moving from the west, driving a small force of Toms, to join them.
I decided to strip Hanoi of the 21st as Tom has moved his forces off the rail line.
This, I know, has left Hanoi wide open, so I am going to move 21st Mixed Brigade (which is being held as region strategic reserve) from Saigon to Hanoi. I'll stand by a task force to move it quickly if needed to Scott in Malaya, as I hope I wont need it in Burma.
If I can take Wuchow, I'll then move the 21st to Hong Kong to be ready to support either Lew or Scott.
Otherwise in China it is a mess.....
Tom has thrown me back from Changsha because of my piecemeal commitment of my forces.
Yenen is a Stalemate........
and between these two is just a mess.
Feel free to share any thoughts..............

[fabertong]

A brief look at China

[fabertong]

oops sorry.....

[AdmNelson]

I have been away for a few days. Big action while I was away was a surface battle at Sorong. Before I left the Allied commander had been bombarding for three days straight. I decided to take care of that. 5CAs and others left Palau and intercepted the two TFs that had been ruining the sleep of the brave soldiers of the Empire. Two TFs each with a CL against the single Imperial Task Force "LULA A BYE". The night is a lot quieter. 1CL and 7DDs are no longer floating for the Allies. A heavy CA with need a little yard work as seems that in blowing up one Allied DD it launched a torpedo and that happen to find the CA. Next time the Allies will need to bring bigger guns to the fight.

[AdmNelson]

Where are the American carriers? They haven't been seen since the bombarding of Tarawa in the first few days of the war. The KB has been split and one will support the landings at Rabaul. It is where I think the American carriers will show up for a raid on the transports landing. I used the other KB to hit the airfields at Midway for a few turns along with the two BBs as part of the TF to serve as a decoy of where the KB(bigger) really was. We will see if the Americans fall for the bait or not. The plan is to swing behind the Americans if they show, and destroy them. Even if the carriers are spotted I have been using the CVEs in the area as patrollers that also mask the KB. Picture one will show what is plan and piture two is a guess of the Americans.

[AdmNelson]

Picture two are these the American carriers?

[Sharkosaurus rex]

Don't forget that CV TF only launch half their planes if in a hex with any land. So if his CV are at Rennel Island then they are in a foolish position, especially since the Allied player shouldn't know where you are. There is an Allied air unit Guadalcanal. It could be the CL Adelaide- waiting for a move against Shortlands or Guadalcanal.

[AdmNelson]

ORIGINAL: Sharkosaurus rex

Don't forget that CV TF only launch half their planes if in a hex with any land. So if his CV are at Rennel Island then they are in a foolish position, especially since the Allied player shouldn't know where you are. There is an Allied air unit Guadalcanal. It could be the CL Adelaide- waiting for a move against Shortlands or Guadalcanal.

The CL Adelaide was sunk at Sorong. The air units at Lunga and Kavieng I believe are either PBYs or float planes but without avation units. I don't no what the TF is or if is going towards Rabaul or away. The sub near by has a Glen so I should get a better report over the next day or two.

[fabertong]

Sasebo HQ China/Burma Command......
Dec 21, 1941.....
Moulmein fell today.......
British troops north of Moulmein were crushed by our para reg. and have retreated to Rangoon.......
LGen. Homma's 15th army has been ordered to advance and invest Rangoon(Imp.G Div and 4th mixed reg. then wait for reinforcements before assulting.........
More of our shipping badly hit by airstrikes at Mersing............
Gen Dohihara's 12 army defeated a small Chinese delaying force on the rail junction north of Canton, he will wait for reinforcement before advancing on Wuchow.........
Gen Iwamatsu's 1st army is moving south to join the troops on the railway before advancing on Homan.....
Still no sign of the American carriers......
Rabaul invested.........
Maps will follow......

[AdmNelson]

Battle for Ambonia will begin this turn. CA force at Sorong will bombard Ambonia in prep of landings to later in the month. As for the map is this Force"Z" which hasn't been hear for since the first few days of the war at the battle of Kuching. We are on 12/21/42 now.

[AdmNelson]

The battle for Rabaul has finally started. The American TF is shown as 1 AK and was at Renell Island last turn. So what it is will finally become known this turn. The CVEs were target last turn from Rabaul but, no hits. Hopefully the Americans still don't know that 4 CVs are near to support the landings.

[scott64]

Update in DEI
11th Avaiation is on its way from Pescadores to Tarakan
12th Aviation is traveling from Saigon to Kuantan via transport.
Undisclosed surface TF is moving to an undisclosed location (Emperor Tojo's orders) to ferret out an old thorn. [:'(]. Also another top secret surface TF is on its way to disrupt a fortress. [:D][:)]

[fabertong]

Sasebo HQ China/Burma Command

Our carrier forces in the Solomans has caught an allied Surface task force................4 CA reported Heavy damage............
Force Z spotted at Balikpapan, POW hit by three torpedoes....................
Chinese forces north of Changsa are gathering for an attack........(could prove a big problem).....
More losses at Mersing........but not for long.............
Georgetown must fall in the next 2-3 days................
more to follow............