Herb VS Tabpub

[1275psi]

17/10/42
34 tojo -exp in low 60's sweep east of Mandalaby -losing 9 to a handful of hurricanes and spits and P 40's
10 enemy downed though.

he attacks Kaifeng, lost 1164 men to my 277

Area1
All planes back onto naval attack -thunderstorms everywhere!

Area2
Troops about to unload at babo

Area3
The great re equip the CV air groups begins -lots of unloading, disbanding ect
I need at least 60 zeros to fill the gaps

Area4
The evacs continue

Area5
Home waters, yammato is still at 26 , hyuga at 15

In China he pushes towards Peking -shame and despair!!!!

[1275psi]

18/10/42

tabpub apologises for a boring game -Im not worried -it will explode sure enough

A sub misses near sorong, another sinks a MSW off Port moresby
South of Akyab is hit, my planes again clouded in[:@]
Lots of enemy recon
Area1
Bloody thunderstorms- ships untouched at akyab.
I do not believe it a regiment arrives at TAAN -it will be shipped to rangoon ASAP!

Area2
Dispatched a couple of subs to the map edge for a look see
rotating some units -malaria!

Area3
getting there with the CV air groups

All else quiet today.
Reinforcements rushing north.

19/10/42
began training flights out of singapore to sinkep island -Yeah, they work on airfield attack -ground attack would not fly
Chian too dangerous for training, now I can set and forget!

Bostons visit timor
35 B17 encounter 24 zero, 15 tony over Kendari
lost 2 zero -2 ap hit
Shot down 6, damaged 20

more B17s hit Kupang -only nates oppose, lost 4 sonia on the ground, 23 hits

Timor is more and more looking a likely target.

Area1
Ordera ground attack east of Akyab -see if we can catch some out numbered CAP

Area2
Palembang reaches 97 oil[X(][8|]
No more troops to be had for this area, so what we have is what we have

Area3
Almost ready with KB

Area4
the gilberts are sooooo quiet

area5
3 new tankers join the fleet -they are immediately dispatched to rabual -here the main AO fleet is very tired -having been in continous action since pearl harbour.
need to rotate many ships

China

Canton swallows more supplies
he turns south and threatens Hsinyang
Kaifeng under threat
Peking under threat

I will not panic -troops from Korea are enroute.

[1275psi]

20/10/42

His E mail
You are sleepy, very sleepy........

he pounds south of Akyab today, again and again
We raid east of akyab -no opposition.
Kupang gets a visit -no problems
he shocks west of Kaifeng -6 divs vs 4 of mine
we both lose over a 1000 men

Area1
I need to recon Akyab -the reports are of over 10 units there -this is terrible news -how is he supplying them!?
yes, i have tried LRCAP a few times -no signs of Daks

Area2
the nates leave kupang -some zeros will lie in wait
babo is size 2 now, in range of tenibar island, Im still thinking about trying to take it back -what worries me is the evac if it fails, the ghosting bug worries me terribly.

Area3
KB is in rabual -the whole lot.
Another CVE is coming south
All air groups are full -of my best pilots
The problem is that now I am terribly short of zeros in the solomons - iether i can have them here, or at kendari -but not both.
i will move the kendari air here, I still pin my hopes on smashing one invasion at least, and the solomon islands have lots of betties., and KB

Army fighters will have to do in kendari -China air will have to be stripped

area4
most troops from here are starting to arrive at davao, or siapan or selected points in the solomons

Area5
3 new DDs head south

Chian - im holding, just, but I think i can hold.

[1275psi]

21/10/42
106 tonies sweep akyab very high
meet 26 hurricanes and 22 spitfires
lost 23 tonies (so called super plane-not!), shoot down 19 hurricanes and 11 spits

Continue training at Sinkep island
Bombed troops near canton
he bombed me south of Akyab
And 29 Liberators visited Port moresby -opening the air war here

Here are my thoughts on the defence
He will strike multiple points -all at once
A land offensive from Akyab
An invasion of Timor
An invasion of baker island or an island in the gilberts
And probably a invasion in the kuriles

What is the most dangerous?
Timor

So, the plan is this
Immediately he lands the fast transports will deliver troops to timor
the paras will in co ordination with a regiment at kendari, retake tenibar - this to divert his air effort

I have lots of sallies in range -they will be expended, no conservation of them at all.
The Bbs will be used -violently

Burma -
A fighting withdrawal -with a stand just north of rangoon.
I need time to get new troops soon available to here

Gilberts
No reply -let him punch into thin air
But an opportunity to employ KB hitting him where he aint is to be explored

Kuriles
I will just have to live with it. -lots of subs available here

The biggest hope is he will attack in the solomons -if he does KB will be employed here.

Area1
Rangoon to airfield attack Akyab tomorrow -continue the pressure

Area2
I need more fighters -this area is now totally Army responsibility for air ops

Area3
KB moves to truk
Most planes are at truk -no surprise raids are going to catch me on the ground!

Area4
Trying with 2 last convoys enroute to finish evacuating all combat forces here.

Area5
davao is being built as the rear area main base

Tomorrow an audit of all construction troops and fortifications through out the empire

China front is starting to re solidify -will have to make plans to kick him back out.

[1275psi]

22/10/42
An ASW action off tokyo - a miss
48 zeros,4 Tony and 53 sallies, 17 helen attack Akyab
26 spits and 15 hurricanes defend -a bloody affair this
lost 16 zeros,4 sally and 2 helen
Shot down 12 hurricanes ,14 spits

Then 83 tony swept -12 spits and 5 hurricanes defended
lost 7 tonies to 9 spits and 5 hurricanes

Im suffering 20% losses in these attacks -several days of fighting and Ive lost several months of production.
What Im trying to achieve is a total kill of a squadron -which means his aces -looking at the combat its only 3 enemy pilots that are killing all my planes -a flt lt O Reid and a Flt lt dovall -14 kills in 2 days
It would be good to kill them, and establish some doubt in tabpubs mind about the situation in Burma
But it better happen soon
Bostons pester timor
pagan is hammered by heavies - P38s escort them
In china kaigan he attacks -1 to 1, thats OK, the reinforcements will arrive soon enough

Area1
The air battle continues
3 purposes - to discourage supplies into Akyab
to bluff tabpub that Im stronger here than he thinks -to keep him at arms length
To kill his pilots
Today all the Tonies go to pagan -on CAP -might catch the P 38s.
(they are low experience I feel - pagan a training run for him

Area2
palembang reaches 100 oil production -I stop repairing that -will turn to resources -build that up a bit and it might build some supplies -and these will be used to fix the oil again.
Do not know if that will work -but Im not shipping in much more -need the supplies at singapore to support the training flights operating out of there

Area3
Im as ready as I would like to be

Area4
Nothing happening

Area5
Is quiet, yammato repaired a point -now 25, wild celebrations at HQ!!!![8|]

China
the reinforcements flow to the North, I hope he has over reached -it will be a close run thing, but Im confident still.

[wobbly]

ORIGINAL: 1275psi

Area2
palembang reaches 100 oil production -I stop repairing that -will turn to resources -build that up a bit and it might build some supplies -and these will be used to fix the oil again.

Herb - I understand you are repairing the resource centres to get supply at Palembang without shipping it but you really do need oil. If you look at the locations that produce resources many of the biggest ones are in Japan - not so oil. I'd say keep at it's repair and put up with moving the supplies in rather than wait about the same amount of time before the on location supplies can help with a bit of repair. What is the supply level of Tobali like - can you create a computer controlled shuttle betweent the two?

[1275psi]

Hey Wobb
Thanks for the advice - very appreciated
Are you getting any clues from this AAR about what Im doing against you?

Im certaintly using our UV game as the basis for the defence that I will employ when the time comes here - for our game Im going for something completely different.

Area1
In Burma the weather grounds all planes. LCU bombing ordered for tomorrow
Singapore is trying to repair BB hiei -its so slow!!!
I get 6 new AR ships next month -at least some must come here
70 and 71st div -both slowly filling out at taipai now are slated for this front -Ill finally have 5 divs here

Area2
he continues to recon Timor- and the bostons are starting to hurt troops -I try to LRCAP this turn -but find Tojos too short legged.
Tenibar suddenly appears to be empty -will re check with recon

Area3
5 DDs are sent home from rabual for upgrades.
have a lot of ships enroute home for this -mainly DDs

Area4
Continue to move 4th fleet troops -a lot of construction troops are headed to the DEI for more fort building

Area5
Only 1 sub attack today 0these have died right off -so I suspect the subs are massing for 1/ the torp fix, 2/ close interdiction of the invasion areas - I will be looking very closely
Hyuga is still at 13 system -getting there -yammato is at 25

Fatal mistake - was not watching the troop movements from the kawataung army -Ive slipped 50 political points into the red!!!
frantic effort to tell the naughty mongolian troops that are at fualt to turn around

Now what happens?
Does TABPUB notice?
Do the ruskies activate automatically?
OH POO -THIS IS TERRIBLE

China -I HATE CHINA!!!

[wobbly]

No I don't get many pointers from you strategically but definately do tactically; although I have already been on the receiving end of alot of that sort of thing since UV days. It is a mercurial thing though and your tactics have changed over time - to the better I might add.

China - heh heh - I think we are both having kittens about China!

By the way - where was my turn! I had withdrawals last night and this morning - considering I set a little surprise up for you...

[ADavidB]

Do the ruskies activate automatically?

That's how it is supposed to work, but IIRC there is chance factored in. So you might get lucky, you might not.

Anyway, what's an extra front except more territory to capture? [;)]

Good luck -

Dave Baranyi

[1275psi]

24/10/42

the mongolians scuttle back across the border -and Im back in the green -TABPUB did not notice and they did not activate.
Russkies will do anything for a few cases of vodka[:D]

24 B17s attack kendari at 36600 feet!!!
grrrrrrr
43 liberators strike Port moresby

I firmly believe he's set Nov 1 as D day.

Area1
Thunderstorms
Withdrew some tonies

Area2
Moving fighters about for more training from soerabaya.

Area3
replaced some admirals, troops enroute for kiriwa island, buin is occupied by troops from the gilberts

area4
Only tarwana left to empty
These troops will go to Siapan

Area5
convoys
massive stopping of A/C production and research, my HI is down to 700 points[X(][X(][X(][X(] in the pool

China was quiet.

[1275psi]

25/10/42
A very ,very quiet day

he recons
PM, Baker, Lae, buna and timor

He shocks at Kaigan -and takes it -but not for long -I swear.[:@]

[1275psi]

26/10/42
tabpub taunts that soon i will not be carting oil -is that a clue?

Some bombing each way in Burma
Still lots of recon

I still believe 1 nov is his D day

Area1
will try something new -a zero naval attack at 100 feet on akyab

Area2
The plan for re taking tenibar is agreed to - the fast transports load -will sail
The paras are warned to get ready
With luck D day will be the 1nov -he might be busy elsewhere
I pick this date on how he is playing -slow, deliberate.
Its a guess really.

Area3
All the subs deploy for south
The CVs sail -towards Sorong
3 groups - a lead of 2CVE,1cvl and a CS -full of zeros and search
KB herself -for the main battle
and a third -Hiyo, junyo -every carrier naval battle I have seems to be that its the second day that is vital - these 2 CVs will be the follow up death blow ships.

Area4
last evacs continue

area5
10 DDs in refit
HI is going up again -thank heavens

bring on the war tabpub!!!!

[1275psi]

27/10/42
Another quiet day, lots happening behind the scenes.

Area1
the zeros did not fly -so we go back to trying a ground attack.
Tabpub is complaining that Burma is a mess, not sure over what -I keep expecting to be thrown south every day.
thank heavens for the attack across the river rule -I for one love the idea.
planes are training out of singapore -overalll the army airforce experience levels are getting dangerously low - i really am finding I cannot keep up. - and this on a low intensity war so far!

Area2
Operation take tenibar back continues to prepare.
I am nervous about this -i will wait until nov 1, and decide then.
if he does not attack somewhere i will wait a bit -and maybe involve some CVE air cover as well.

Area3
KB and the like are slowly moving due west from truk to the sorong/ambonia area
Cooktown reaches size 4 - I wonder if he has been waiting for that milestone

Area4
Only the naval guns and 2 guard units are left at tarwana -I load the guns for siapan
lots of subs enroute for the island

Area5
Quiet, only 1 sub attack today - the ASW war is very quiet

China
He retires into Chenting -objective taken
With our 50 prep points before a a city house rule, there is no hurry now, I will wait for the 2nd tank division to arrive as a reinforcement this next month.
In south china he is building again.
Im going to have to go back to bombing his cities I think.

[1275psi]

28/10/42

from memeory this post -a quiet day again -I hit Wuchow resources, he reconned all over the place -training flights -the usual thunderstorms in burma

The tenibar operation pieces slowly crawl into position
the sea south of Truk is bright red with submarines headed south.
KB and Co all sail due west -quite some distance to go though.

Tabpub writes that burma is still giving him the poops -especially Akyab, Im wondering if my unit north -cutting the road has actually been spotted.
A new regiment arrives at bangkok.

China has settled down .
I really need more squadrons - a lot of the 90 day returns are about due -a lot of training to come Im sure.

[1275psi]

The impact of real life bites
last plotting turn was flipped back real quick - food to cook, study to do, blah, blah blah.

paid for it today.

48 lillys attacked Wuchow city today -- a repeat attack forgotten about.
The AVG was waiting
lost 35 of them -and most of the pliots - 2 crack units ( all 80 plus pilots) destroyed.

Area1
he attacks pagan today -2 big attacks
36 tony on CAP
12 wellingtons come in, escorted by 17 P38s - i lost 1 tony, he lost 2 wellington and 2 p38
36B17 and 41 liberators attacked -lost 2 tonies to his 5 heavies - 8 hits

I make another mistake -disbanding a unit of tonies -now i have a single 36A/C unit with 49 pilots - really wish when this happened excess pilots went back into a pool .
Ive disbanded too many groups -the ones I have have good ( not very good) pilots, but now I do not have enough planes really to cover my needs.
NO MORE DISBANDING HERBIESAN!!!

Area2
the DEI remains quiet, just training flights.
The tenibar island op awaits KB arrival -at least a week I would say.
A little clue from tabpub - he flipped turn back very quick last night with words to the effect that its all on auto pilot - so thats convoys -a big invasion would be poured over.
So Nov 1 is no longer the guessed D day.
tenibar island op is being expanded - when KB arrives the BBs at kendari are going to hammer darwin as well.
Another pre -emptive strike is in the works

Area3
KB is still painfully moving west .
I have a big gripe with the KB replenishment group - it is very,very tired - last night tried to rotate some new tankers into it ( transfer ships).
No go.
So now the KB replenishment group is dispatched to Hong kong/shanghia for repairs.
This leaves me with just 3 AOs following KB, and 2 more in the solomons.
Not nearly enough.

Area4
Last transports leave the area -a lot of the troops pulled out are now settling into their new homes.
I have only 3 base forces, 2 NG and 1 gun unit left in the entire area - and Im going to go for them as well.
Not all the guns are going to Siapan iether - some are going to very obscure islands that will be invaded - almost as side shows - and I hope to reap a few unexpected damaged DDs ect.

Area 5
Convoys ect.
trying to get a naval HQ back to the major repair ports -never realised how that might effect repair rates.
20 days and i get more AR ships -man I need them!

Area6
China
VOMIT - I hate the place

[1275psi]

30/10/42

An interesting day
Air war continues to heat up in burma - I win today.
he decides to use some of his fighter at Akyab to hit pagan - this leaves it a bit open and I get a strike in on AKs that have arrived.

he sweeps pagan -24 spits, 33 hurricanes,2 p40e met by 25 Tonies
I lost 4 tony, he loses 5 spits and 6 hurricanes

My strike from rangoon can fly - Im dissapointed -the betties stay at home -27 zero escort 31 sallies to Akyab - 14 hurricanes and 8 spits on CAP
Lost 4 zero, shot down 7 hurricanes, 1 spit
The sallies hit well - 1 AK heavily damaged - another hit multiple times

54 mitchells and 9 wellingtons attack pagan - 28 tony defend
1 tony lost -7 wellington and 2 mitchell destroyed

Area1
the Tonys will remain -31 A/C available with 54 pilots - i will keep this unit here until the pilots are down to 40 - cruel -but thats how its going to be
Tomorrow all LBA will bomb Akyab field -a risk -but it might be worth it.

Area2
KB is still coming - still 4 days away I think

Area3
need supplies again
Tomorrow I plan to load the react divisions at truk -they too will sail towards Sorong/ambonia - if he invades PM I intend to come via the timor straight.
If he hits the solomons I still intend to come this way -with the division at rabual delaying him

If he attacks Timor- i have then have 5 divisions, KB, 5 bbs to deal with him

Area4
Ok, another convoy to leave Siapan for tarwana

Area5
I need more ARs, and Im battling industry disasters!

China - Im static -totally baffled as to what to do.

Kuriles - another didaster in the making - just no forces to deploy here except subs.

[1275psi]

The P38s have dissapeared over burma -its too hot for them still.
1 sub attack today -a miss
he's hoarding them

Area1
26 zeros escort 9 betty , 62 sally ,27 helen to Akyab
8 spit, 12 hurricanes oppose
this gamble paid off
5 zero lost, 6bombers lost
9 enemy shot down - only a few hits though
13 Vengence attack troops from Akyab -meet the tonies - 10 destroyed.

I need more fighters though here -and quick!

Area2
a picket ship off derby is attacked - missed
training flights
awaiting KB

area3
Just digging holes

Area4
Quiet

China and home -quiet.

[1275psi]

1/11/42

A new month -only a small raid on timor marks the day

Area1
report:
troop strength is OK.
bomber strength is good
fighter strength is poor - simply need more to cover the fields.
Overall though I am very pleased -I think i have under estimated the enemies difficulties -supplying Akyab must be a strain.
His Army does not worry me yet.
What does are his 4E bombers - not many about -he should have 100's in theatre -when unleashed they will flatten the place they hit.
This week I must begin to pull back the bombers -or disperse them better.
Fighters training at singapore need a few more weeks.
Im going to test his plane strength at Mandalaby tomorrow.

the navy remains here -just 1 TF, the 2 BCs at singapore are like all ship repairs stupidly slow -i wish i knew how to hurry that up.


Area2
Operation Tennis -the capture of tenibar -and the smashing of darwin is given the go ahead -awaiting KB

troops are ready as can be -and all the area4 troops are moving into position.
pretty happy here -truly hope actually that he tries for Timor

Area3
shortages of supply, not enough troops really - we await his attack!!!
It will be up to the fleet to break up his attack -then KB to deliver the 3 divs assigned to the counter attack
I feel PM is the target -with a landing at GG as well.
A para landing at Buna is also possible - tomorrow i intend to dispatch more troops there.
all this is from his fairly crude recon -day after day, the same places.

Area4
tarwana is feeling very lonely
Siapan awaits the 70th, and 71st divs -still building

Area5
Convoys -going OK -but getting a bit scattered -will need to tighten up once he starts countering.
HI is a mess.
Oil is a mess
the home front is a real mess.
Oh well.

China - im losing here -he is methodically winning here.
I am purely on the defensive.

Kuriles
another week and i might have a BB to deploy here.
not enough, just have to be weak somewhere to give myself a fighting chance elsewhere.

overall
he waits, and waits, and waits.
If he knew my industrial situation , he could be half way to the phillipines by now - i simply am not producing anythng much at the moment - too little oil, too little HI
But shsssss)

[1275psi]

2/11/42
I lose 2 AKs to subs today
At truk Kates - attack a sub -this is good -hope tabpub draws the wrong conclusion.
Pagan is the only action again - 31 liberators attack -28 tonies defend
Shot down 6 -and the tonies experience grows
Cooktown hudsons bomb Port Moresby -a pin prick
recon everywhere

Operation tennis is ordered to go

I will try to hit mandalaby tomorrow.

[1275psi]

Stupid LRCAP[:@]
Tonies blot copy book by not engaging in air battle over mandalaby

27 Zero,36 sallies, 27 helens attack
Lots of oscars and tonies there as well, but they do not fight
21 hurricanes -15 spits and 5 p40es intercept

I lose 15 zeros -10 bombers
shoot down 9 hurricane -4 spits and the p40s
31 hits

The zero unit is brocken though
I have to stand it down
Tojos down south training will have to come north -only mid 60's exp, it will have to do -I've run out of fighters over Burma

20 boston again attack lautern from darwin.
b17s also
hudsons PM

Nothing happens anywhere except an hour of trying to move ships to pick up dribbles of supplies and fuel from little spots all over the map - its that bad.

OPeration tennis


2 BBs mutsu and Nagato load a base force at kendari -will deliver to lautern
the CVE's will LRCAP Lautern -as will oscars from timor

this should draw the LBA like flies

KB will escort 3 BBs and 4 fast transport groups south east towards tenibar.
until within strike range

KB will strike Darwin
the 3 BBs will bombard darwin
Mutsu and nagato -under CVE cover will hit tenibar

The fast transports will go into tenibar -covered by CV hiyo and junyo
The paras will land
tenibar will fall.

This is the plan
I think its doable

3 divisions are at sea -will gather just north of tenibar -ready to sail the straight to Port Moresby or the solomons.

he who sits passively gets punched - I hope again to disrupt tabpubs smooth plans -and throw more spanners into his works.