Herb VS Tabpub

[1275psi]

4/11/42
Lots of subs of Tokyo
A sub gets a AK in mallacca straight - it does hit back though.

Area1
37 B17s attack pagan -15 tony and 26 oscar defended -shooting down only 3
I lost 1 oscar
Extra Tojos and tonies are arriving to the front, tomorrow will try a ground attack.

Area2
36 B17s and 8 hudsons encounter 27 zeros and 20 oscars over lautern - they try to hit the Mutsu and nagato.
We shoot down 6 hudsons - no hits.
The troops are delivered.

tomorrow all of KB is ordered to strike darwin shipping, the fast transports are to deliver the troops to tenibar.
I hope it all goes well - KB will be right in range in 2 days time- 3 bbs accompany her.

Area3
Big raid hits PM -60 liberators
I order the SSD into the hills - when he lands I hope to have a non disrupted unit to counter with.

All else remains quiet.

[1275psi]

5/11/42
several sub attacks, a liberator attacks and sinks a MSW in lae harbour

Area1
pagan clouded in
Some vengence ground attack

Area1 has
70 odd tony
70 odd tojo
30 odd oscar
70 nates -still!
18 kate
36 betty
27 helen
50 odd sally
available - and is training 27 zeros
3 divisions, 7 naval guard units, 5 tank regiments and 3 HQs are in the theatre
a naval force of 3cl and 4 dd are on react near adaman island
the shuzan guard unit is enroute to Adaman island to reinforce it -a week or so yet.
2 bbs are in singapore -Hiei is still 16 system

Area2
sumutra has
27 helen
3 base forces
1 snlf

java
36 lilly, 9 betty, training zeros
1 division, 1 regiment, 3 art units

bali -timor region
1 mix regiment, i regiment, 2 naval guard units available

Kendari/celebes
1 division , 1 regiment, 3 snlf available
3 divisions are at sea
I have
50 oscars
30 tonies, 100 sallies, 60 betties, 70 nates available
Operation tennis has all the CVs, cvls, and cves -the entire fleet, and 6 BBs are available
some 7 CLs are in use as well

Area3
Overall I have
200 betties
54 sallies
27 helens
70 odd zeros
54 vals
54 kates
100 sonias in this theatre
4 CA TFs are in this theatre, 1 BB TF, 3 ASW groups and 21 SS are available

Scattered about are 14 snlfs, some 2 regiments, 3 NG units, and 2 full divisions


Area4
Not much at all

Home forces
2 divisions are still slowly filling out at tiapai

China - is much as the original OOB -concentrated in 3 big armies basically.


Little action today - KB remained undetected - it is ordered to strike darwin, the fast transorts will inload tonight -tomorrow will be a big day.

[1275psi]

11/6/42

23 B17 from darwin night bomb kendari harbour -miss.
Annoying -but thats 23 B17 not on naval attack for today I think!

1cl and 5 dd encounter 2 pts at tenibar island - both pts sunk
so far so good
1cl and 4 dd vs 2 pts at tenibar island - and 1 dd is sunk -162 casos!
one pt is sunk

he naval bombards Adaman island -and i did not react -even as i was waiting for him
[:@][:@]

troops unload tenibar island
The air war begins - and a disaster for me -only Kaga and Akagi have moved to darwn -the other 4 CV and 2 CVL have decided to hang back and probably refuel[:@][:@]

12 kate unable to locate target.
34 zero and 52 val attack darwin
4 demon ,4 hawk and 8 brewsters CAP
we shoot down 10 enemy, lose 3 zeros and 1 val.
2 AK are hit, 1 AP is hit, CL maurituis is hit -critical hit

the enemy air attacks the cl agano near tenibar -6 bostons,3 beauforts, 1 buffalo - i have 30 zeros LRCAP - we shoot down 7 bombers and the fighter -no hits
Then a big strike against kaga and Akagi -only 27 CAP of zeros
OH OH!
23 bostons, 3 hudsons,6Tiva,9 beuforts, 4 demons,4 hawk, 11 brewsters

We knock down a good number of planes -but the strike gets through.
Kaga -miss
Mushuia - miss
Akagi -miss
Zuiho - a boston hits -500kg - a big bang!, and another hit.
kaga - anotherboston scores -the armour defeats the bomb
kaga -a 500 lb bomb penetrates her flight deck.


And at mandalaby our yojos escort a uncontested raid .

Area1
The naval commander should be sacked

Area2
Operation tennis -volley
kaga is 24/1/11
zuiho is 20/8/22

All of KB is ordered to 3 hexes off darwin -very heavy CAP -to darwins east
3 bbs will bombard tonight
Hiyo and Junyo will move to the west of darwin -south of timor to intercept any shipping fleeing darwin
Mutsu and nagato are coming south for follow up bombardments
the cves will join KB -max CAP
the fast transports will try again -2 did not unload, only 1000 men ashore last night
both para regiments are to land tonight.
darwin harbour is packed with shipping
Timor is full of naval bombers -i move them onto the fields, if he flees west he has quite a run to make.
intensive naval search is also occurring from Timor

A lot depends on the naval bombardment!!!
if it closes the field great - only 1 plane scares me -the B17s.

[1275psi]

7/11/42
9 wellingtons night bomb rangoon - no damage
the action begins about tenibar island

1cl and 5 dd encounter 5 PT boats - I HATE PT UBER BOATS[:@]
I lose a DD to a torpedo - sink 2 pts

1cl 3dd encounter 4 pt boats - i lose another DD to a single torp.
sink 1 pt

4cl and 2dd vs 4 pt - yet another DD is sunk - do i sense a pattern developing here[:@][:@]

no PT sunk this time

Then a surprise - my 3 BB,10 DD encounter CL newcastle and 5 dd at Darwin.
The newcastle hammers one of my DDs, another 2 are hit in the exchange of fire
Then Fuso, Ise and yamarishio start dishing out 14" hits all over the place
3 enemy DDs sink under the hammer blows -newcastle swallowed several 14" hits

The battle group then sinks a single AK

then 2 more PT boats appear - and you guessed it - another DD is sunk - a PT is sunk
thats 4 DDs to PTs in one night - grrrrrrr -
No naval bombardment
AM air
KB clouded in!
he has moved wyndham P40s into darwin.
This tells me a lot.

At Akyab, 29betties make an unescorted strike north of Akyab -only 4 enemy fighters
2AK sunk for sure - 3 betties lost.

PM air
And now the darwin battle gets going
3 beufort strafe a CL -miss
11B17 attack mutsu and nagato well north of tenibar - miss.
3 buefort,3 p40, 7 boston, 5 b17 attack the ise - 1 hit that does nothing

then 25 P40, 11 boston,2 hudson,2 Tiv, 3beufort, 9 b17 attack KB
205 zero CAP[:D]
only 6 B17 survive -i lost 2 zeros

101 zeros escort 53 val to darwin - 21 P40 defend
Cl newcastle multiple hits -magazine explosion, and a DD ios sunk
the enemy CAp was shredded

The paras go in -heavy, heavy flack , ouch!

The para shock attack fails - far too few troops landed by the fast transports -the PT boats have done their job too well

Area1
Steady as we go today

Area2
kaga is 32/0/5
zuiho is 25/6/7
they will stay on task for the moment
Kb will conduct a big port raid - Hiyo and Junyo speed west - to cut of any fleeing ships

Area3
Quiet

Area4
Quiet

Home
3 ARs arrive tomorrow -man I need them!

tactically a very poor day i feel - but there is more to this attack than just killing ships, Ill explain at operations end
For me -much will be revealed by what happens tomorrow.

[1275psi]

8/11/42

4Cl and 1dd vs 1 pt darwin - no hits iether way
then they meet 3PT - no hits
then another 4 - sink 2 of them -obviously out of torps.

troops unload at tenibar
53 kate and 2 zero attack darwin port
CL mauritous and a AK mutiple hits, multiple hits, and more hits!

several enemy light bombers in reply hit one of my CLs just once

Then its PT hunting time[:@][:@][:@]
zeros and Alfs strafe and sink at least 4 of the pests[:'(][:-]
Then Junyo and Hiyo spring the trap - a convoy is fleeing from darwin
Along with Betties from timor - it is destroyed 3 ap and 2 msw.


In the Pm phase another crushing port attack - 1ap, 2 ak and the CL smashed again
Light bombers attack back -zeros deal with them well this time

Over at PM 15 liberators have a go - they meet 34 zeros on LRCAP
6 shot down -the rest turn back!!!

More paras try to get into tenibar
he deliberate attacks - 3800 to 2000 men

losses today were Ok - we are about 1 for 1 though for the entire battle

Area1
Adaman convoy unloading
we cross the river NE of pagan - just to see if he notices
10 days until the shuzan guard arrives at Adaman island

Area2
Overall 2 CL and 6 DD, and kaga and Zuiho will have to go to the yards
Add 4 DD sunk, and its been a expensive battle

we have sunk 2cl, 2dd,2msw, and about 8 transports
Akagi will regroup with Hiyo, junyo as CV DIV3
All ships retire to Ambonia, to refuel
1 fast transport to evac troops tenibar - hope ghosting does not get the paras

All other map araes quiet
game crashed -so I could not be bothered checking[:(][:@]

[1275psi]

What the operation has achieved

tactically Tabpub must be smiling
Strategically i have learnt a lot

There is not going to be a timor invasion - or a DEI invasion - if there was going to be -I would have encountered far more resistance -especially in the form of DDs, fighters and the like

So - Burma is stalled.
he can have the Gilberts (more on this later)
It has to be Port moresby or the solomons

I bite the bullet today - ordering every army bomber, and nearly every fighter I have to the solomons and PNG
Troops at soerabaya are told to load -destination Lae or Palua

Its all or nothing
If Im wrong the DEI will fall quick - and the war will end badly.
But the evidence does not support it.

The grand plan
Let him have the gilberts
ONE big smash em up battle for the 1st landing in the solomons or PNG

then as the gilberts fall - and as soon as he finally gets a foot hold in the solomons, PNG - its a complete pull out to the inner circle - each airgroup will engage just once in this battle - then back to rebuild

the next big battle will then be for the marianas
with at least one shock counter attack on the north coast of PNG

Thats the plan
I do not intend to have KB by mid 43 - intending to expend it where i can get good value for it

Area1
Shocking day - a brand new TOJO unit on LRCAP south of Akyab is destroyed
33 planes lost - took 20 hurricanes , 6spits and 4 vengence with it -but OH hell -that hurt!
It was the spits -they chewed the tojos up.
A picket AK 6 hexeswest of adaman island is sunk by a CL and 3dd - forces at Adaman island on alert - and I move a few naval bombers about just incase

area2
36 sallies from timor hit darwin -destroying 7 dakato on the ground
Moving most air to the solomons -loading the troops, ships retiring
Another pick up mission is ordered for tenibar

KB is retiring -as is the fleet
3divisions gather at ambonia island

Spent the rest of the turn checking out the industrial situation -vomit[:'(][8|]

[1275psi]

9/11/42
Kb retires from the tenibar area
Kaga and zuiho will have to go home - 32 and 29 system damage each.

2 sub attacks today, lost 1 AK .

The only other real action was in Burma - where 8 tonies shot down 3 hurricanes in a small action south of Akyab
I am unloading supplies at adaman island - a real risk -the enmy is about.
If i get away with it today, we must run away before his CVs turn up!!

(if they are not in the pacific)
The movement of LBA to PNG continues - madang after months of effort is size 3 and 82% - i want it at size 4 - from here PM can be struck, but not hit from Australia.

I really hope his 1st move will be in the gilberts
The longer we do not fight, the happier I will be now.

[1275psi]

11/11/42

Missed a day somewhere!

that shows how little is happening as our "phoney war"


KB regathers, dispatches Kaga and zuiho home
The arrival of 3 ARs instantly sees yammato start to repair quicker -at last!

Industry is a disaster - Shangia has no supplies -no oil!
Oil is short in quiet a few cities -only 500000 tons on map
Only 3 bases on map with more than 20000 supplies
HI is only 1500 in the pool

So Im going to collapse quickly I feel.
No oil at palembang and most places captured heavily damaged has killed me .[:@]


OK
I've been thinking about what Tabpub is doing, and can probably do very, very soon.

Shortly Im going to be hit in Burma by large numbers of heavies - they have gone so quiet.

regardless of what numbers of fighters I have he will close the fields he hits -and destroy what ever i have based there
The word is regardless
So - I must avoid initially this happening
This turn all the fighters will head south in Burma - I have too few to let them be destroyed in the 1st day of his attack.
The bombers as they are will not materially effect the war in burma - but heavily concentrated in the solomons I believe they can
So to the solomons they will go.
All this is a continuation of my all or nothing defence plan.
Due to the supply and fuel situation I cannot have a war of attrition -i pin my hopes on a smashing battle - that throws him back for months.

a quick survey of fuel in the empire

For all of the Burma area - less than 5000 tons
For all of the DEI - less than 2000 tons
For the area around Ambonia - sucked dry
davao has 50000 painfully gathered tons

truk has 35000
the solomons has about 40000 total
none in the gilberts
japan has about 100000 over the entire islands
tiapai has a good reserve of about 40000 tons
China is all but dry

Compared to other games this is buggar all!
KB is full, her tankers empty
The KB replenishment fleet is trying to refit in shangia.

If only tabpub knew the state im in!

[1275psi]

bummer
1 day later and today would have been avoided

the heavies appear[:(]
12/11/42

37 tony are CAP pagan
40 spits,56 hurricanes,32 p40s, 46 mitchell attack
34 tony shot down, 28 enemy fighters too - 5 hits
but 2 tony units are ruined
then 88 heavies pound the place - 3 hits only though - phew!

the tonies lose 12 valuable pilots - so it could have been worse.
How different the game plays with out player defined upgrades
So many useless nates on hand -with great pilots i cannot risk.[:@]

Area1
We expected the attack - if only the tonies had not been so gung ho!
The bombers are withdrawn -they are enroute to the south
we dig deep holes and await the bombing
I will not commit pilots in anything less than good planes - well thats the idea.


area2
We will try to get troops out of tenibar
KB slides south down the coast of PNG - undetected

Area3
All is quiet

area4
ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

Area5
China/ home front/ kuriles
3rd tank division arrives in china - at 25% strength[8|][8|][8|]

[1275psi]

i still hope burma is a side show

I hope!

13/11/42
the bombers head south towards PNg
More very heavy raids on pagan - 40 mitchells, 12 hurricane, 7 spits.
12 hits
Im trying to get the tonies out

Port moresby is hit by some hudsons

other than that it is all quiet.

[1275psi]

14/11/42
a sub is hit by hudsons in the coral sea

30 sonias attack wuchow, and run smack into the AVG
only 15 survive
that was terrible
mitchells hit pagan again, then wellingtons, then 90 heavies again
the base is turning red with damage.
down south 50 B26 attack luatern -meet 15 zero enroute south - an inconclusive fight.

Area1
I would need 100's of fighters here- and i do not have them
I order some betties to try a strike at akyab
troops about to arrive adaman island

area2
convoys moving south, and still transitting planes to area 3
KB remains unsighted

area3
madang is being rushed- now at 90%

Area4
the last planes and troops are about to leave the gilberts

I need him to land in the solomons - like today!!!!

[1275psi]

15/11/42
the 'sideshow " in burma continues
24 oscar escort 8 betty to akyab
60 enemy fighters await - grrrr
i lose 3 betties -13 oscars -another fighter unit gutted -it too will go to singapore to join the growing training pool
1MSW and 1 AK are hit though

fighting continues at tenibar island - the fast transports are attacked by darwin mediums -2 Cls are holed -and will have to go home
This ends any hope the troops on tenibar had.

a top secret op is ordered in the Kuriles -blizzards abound

[1275psi]

16/11/42

area1
the days are getting dark here
23 p38 sweep rangoon - 32 nate are CAP - it is not pretty - 10 nate shot down
15 mitchell sweep in -the nate try hard - 1 ap in harbour is smashed up.
Then wellingtons, and another 80 plane heavy raid hit rangoon.
The decision to pull out was correct -over half of the planes on the field - recon ect -are destroyed.

Elsewhere its still quiet.
curses

[1275psi]

17/11/42
tabpub asks where are my frontline fighters

blenhiems night bomb rangoon -no real damage
i lose a AK pickett south of lunga to a SS
2 MLs hit mines near Gilli, gilli - and sink[8|]
Bbhyuga is spotted- just 4 hexes from dutch harbour - bummer - run away!, run away!!!
She is attacked heavily -8 wellingtons and 10 B26 , 9 B17
a single 500 lb bomb - does no damage

rangoon is hit again -31 vengence, 39 beufort - 5 more nate destroyed

area1
The withdrawal of the air forces continues
area2
We order the transfer of the MLs back to singapore

Area3
is declared ready!

area4 is now officially relocated to Siapan - ponape is the outer limit base now

little else is happening

[1275psi]

18/11/42

OH OH!!!!!
i spot 8 chinese units between mandalaby and lashio
this is very , very worrying
I order a strengthening of forces directly opposite mandalaby


otherwise the war slumbers on.

will he never attack!!!

[1275psi]

19/11/42

Msw vs a ss timor straight - a draw
Another picket ship west of adaman island sunk by a small british force

next time - the picket will have teeth.

Area1
Am strengthening forces south of mandalaby -

35 brigade is Ghosting!!!! - again it is the hex directly north of rangoon.
GAWD this BUG SUCKS!!!!
The unit is on the map -click on it and no details are available.
Its marching at the moment -I hope it does not diss apear -cannot afford to lose another 5000 men.

Area2
Slumbers again - the troops at tenibar hang on, will try to supply them this time

Area3
KB is lurking west of timor straight - with 3 divisions
The gamble continues -can only sit here for about a week due to lack of fuel (frantically sending AOs south) -please Tabpub attack PNG!

Area4
70, 71st div are enroute to siapan

Area5
kaga and zuiho arrive home
Hyuga is headed home
many DDs near the end of there refit.
kaga, zuiho, yammato, mushia, 2 CAs, 20 plus DDs in japan at the moment.
how long to fix kaga? -Im betting 6 months for 34 system damage -its taken 3 months for yammato to shed 15 worth[8|]
I have ordered a new China offensive - Wuchow is the target
many new fighter and bomber units are coming on line, training in China time
at the very least I want attention drawn away from burma.

[1275psi]

20/11/42

LCDR ITO, Inspector General

Report .

To Herbiesan
As ordered I have completed a sweeping, critical tour of the front.
I submit it for consideration.

Area1
Burma, Thialand, Malaya

The front here has been static south of Mandalaby for nearly 9 months.
materially the troops are in fine fettle -well supplied and dug in.
The commanders decision to remove his bombers and fighters to rear areas -although highly critised appears to have been wise.
I personally observed one of the massive raids against Rangoon today -the enemy 4 engined planes are almost unstoppable with our light fighters.
The Tonies -and to some extent, the Tojos are having some success.
many of these are training at singapore, and the decision not to deploy until highly trained also is supported.
yesterday a unit of tojos on LRCAP over rangoon savaged a medium bomber/beufort fighter mix, I support the decision to fight the enemy outside of his current single engine fighter range
Singapore problems with supply and production appear to have been rectified, although I do not recommend we ever attempt to repair capital ships there, Hiei continues to languish at 19 sysytem damage -week in, week out.

Area2
java, Sumutra, Timor island chain

We must accept that palembang is never going to produce more oil than 110 units, and no resources - I do not recommend we pour anymore supplies into the place, unless toblia can make a weekly run at low cost.
Soerabaya and batavia are at full production.
The whole chain is now very lightly defended - a high command gamble.
Do not blame the troops if it falls quickly if invaded.
Timor on the other hand is well defended, and having 21 div at Kendari is re assuring.
The reserve in davao also is ready, and to my satisfaction.
The enemy has made little sub war here -and the policy to heavily defend the tanker convoys only is supported.
teneibar island is a loss -failure to unload all the troops in the initial invasion cost us dear.
Currently the enemy is not strong enough to defeat us -and may settle to just bombing us.
he has significant LBA mediums at darwin -but still few fighters.
I recommend KB gives darwin another visit.
the airfoce is struggling to provide proper cover -far too many Nates , with critical trained pilots are flying CAP over the oil fields and kendari - we need more fighters here.

Area3
PNG, Solomons
I was dismayed at the lack of initiative by many army commanders displayed here.
Many bases still lack significant fortifications, and few have any significant supply stockpiles.
We must bend all effort to stock this area -cease airfield construction -which is more than adequate - and dig forts.
Army is to be chasticed over this state of affairs.
Airforce is in top fettle -many medium bombers fill the fields, although again the lack of army fighters is a concern
navy air also is light in fighters -upgrades to the AM3a are continuing -but hampered by lack of supplies.
navy bombers -our mani shield , are at 100% strength -all highly trained -and ever so eager to go.
They all wait at Truk - well supported.
The big problem is KB
Spotted west of thursday island yesterday -what to do with her?
Combined fleet has ordered her to retire out of B17 range - and escort the 3 at sea divisions back to Ambonia.
a strike against darwin again becons -but must be wieghed against losses we could incur.

Area4
Now relocated at Siapan -where the 70,71st divisions will soon arrive (albiet at 75%) the gilberts are successfully emptied -other than the fixed guns at tarwana .
We may have been hasty abandoning this early.
If the enemy allows us, could we consider a KB visit.
In reflection the continous recon of baker must be a ruse - i expect a direct invasion to Kwelijien.
Wake must be considered lost, and must not be reinforced -we simply cannot support it.
panope as the designated outer limit of defence is only size 4 fort, and desperately needs supplies -the last 2 AKs sent there have been sunk enroute.
siapan needs fuel, as does the paluas.

Area5
Borneo, phillipines, celebes, convoys
These areas remain very quiet adequate asw air patrols are being maintained.
the whole area needs more ASW assetts -simply not to be had though.

Area5
home front
Disturbingly we discovered today that we have 5 Lilly units coming online this month -and no lilly production!
This must be rectified -but is a disaster.
Overhaul of the DDs continues very well -by Jan 43, we will have enough to form several small Task forces for the knife fights we can expect next year.
Kaga, Zuiho are in dock now - 4 ARs, soon to be 6 are in support.
This is good -can we do anything else to speed repair?
The hyuga is to return to Osaka as well.
Home forces are fair -not brilliant.
54th div is put on notice that it will be deployed next month to burma.
Home front supplies are fair -struggling to keep up with the tremendous heavy industry demands.
Fighter production appears to be satisfactory - the oscar 2 is so eagerly awaited in 43, far too many nates are being exposed to impossible odds .

China
The offensive ordered to wuchow has a fair chance of success -but should be stopped should the supply level dips into the orange level.
the pressure to the north is being handled well.
3rd tank army is very dissapointing - recruitment and the fleshing out of the division is simply not happening - we must move the army ASAP to abetter supply area.

Overall the empire appears very strong -and many arms of it -KB, the Betty force, the submarine arm, the BB arm, remain undamaged.
however many fighters need upgrading urgently, the army need s to get more divisions to the war -and quickly
Forts and supply levels are poor
The emperor must give us back the imperial division at least! from his black hole!

The biggest problem is the army at sea - it will have to retire to ambonia now -tying KB to its self for at least 2 weeks.
The gamble here failed.

[1275psi]

21/11/42

a few days to catch up here

on the 21st he sweeps rangoon with P 38s -no opposition from me
Sinks a AK of lunga, and bombs the hell out of Kendari with B17s - hitting 5 AKs and APs
Tenibar falls to him, a failed mission that.

I now really have to think about the counter strike policy -if the ships won't unload it will make it very difficult.
raids south of mandalaby continue.

22/11/42
Kb comes under sub attack -miss.
Some offensive action by Tabpub in the indian ocean -a naval bombardment of sabang -light.
Bombing in china -a terrible day today - 66 sonias and 4 tojo are ambushed by the AVG - i lose 26 sonias and 4 tojos
32 nate have a go -and 18 are shot down.
i withdraw all nates from the war - i must save the pilots.

Betties from sambang get revenge - sinking the CL enterprise as she withdraws.

I lose 63 planes to 4 today.


23/11/42
The KB escorted convoy to PM is spotted -and spotted and plotted.
I order a withdrawel to Ambonia -what then -i do not know.
he sweeps rangoon again, bombs south of mandalaby, and strikes kendari again, i must get the hell out of here -he hit some ships again

In china my army moves into a hex south of wuchow -and shock attacks -213000 men to 109000, i suffer 10000 casos -terrible.
Withdraw!!
little else happening -just trying to monitor industry, ship repairs.

24/11/42
several asw actions today -his subs are returning to the war
light raids south of mandalaby -i reinforce the place

Gilli, gilli, gets a raid by liberators.
In china he shocks back -and suffers in turn 9000 casos


25/11/42
4 sub attacks today -lost a ML
lautern gets bombed
Kiriwana island got bombed -buggar -hoped that place was out of range
lunganville is size 6 -surely he was waiting for that then
shuffled some air resources
reluctantly released from the south kongo and haranua for refit - to be replaced by mutsu and nagato.
released 7 DDs from refit in japan for the front

26/11/42
sub attacks, bombing of lautern, masses of troops in mandalaby -i have now 3 divisions in defence on the other side of the river,
he is slowly winning in north china, hey ho, another day.
KB and the 3 div convoy refuels safely ambonia -short 1 AO - crippled by a sub today.

27/11/42
Almost a mirror of yesterday, refuelling continues.
A big supply effort taking place all over the map.


so its same old, same old, he keeps gathering, and I keep wondering

Options
Burma - nothing left to send -if he attacks south from mandalaby successfully - Im history
Another month and i have another div to send -but i aint going to get a month.
training of replacement air is almost done - I hope to send some fighters back there soon.

DEI
if he attacks here as well -Im really desert.
A big gamble, but I have no indication at all that he has forces in darwin or anything.
I will send some subs to perth for a look I think (if i can find one)

Timor
Well , if he attacks here -I think i can stop him
I made a time table
places I must hold until end of:
Timor - jan 43
Ambonia sorong - march 43
kendari -april 43

Solomons
I begin to think the counter strike time is slipping away - the troops might get sunk at sea
I am aiming generally to still be holding rabual -lae and admiralties by June 43

I cannot fix on a strategy until he moves - where will he strike?

Gilberts
An invasion here is welcomed -then I have a chance for concrete plans

elsewhere
he could strike the marcus islands -or even go directly for the marianas.
This would be bold -but viable -no real defences yet cemented in in Siapan

The kuriles are open as well.

basically I have KB and 3 divisions sitting at Ambonia - I am deeply considering moving 1 at least to Port moresby, but then the counter strike option is gone.
if i abandon that -then its a fight to the death every island strategy., spreading forces up and down the coast of PNG, ect, ect.
Honestly do not have a clue now.

[wobbly]

PM is a dangerous place to put too much force. It's too easy to side step. I like your idea of counter attack more - get fast transport capability and transport planes to locations that are in range of alot of these locations. If anything try and rotate engineers in to at least give you time to respond while the forts are up.

Of course I am ALSO the enemy, so I could be bluffing [:D]

[1275psi]

although you are a wonderfully trustworthy honourable opponent wobbly mate -when it comes to propaganda, false information, and down right sneakiness - I need a grain of salt as large as a house with you[:'(][:'(]

Nice that someboby reads this.

I notice that in our game your AAR is very busy - lots of visitors -so , a nasty plan about to occur perhaps?[:D]
(poor ensign hamimato is having a very boring war on the kaga at the moment -you wont come out to play.)
Be considerate mate - its hard to write a interesting AAR when its
Monday - no enemy CVs
Tuesday - no enemy CVs
Wednesday -the enemy did not appear today[:)][:)][:)]
ect, ect.

A lovely stand off in Burma - Akyab empty one day - full of nasty ambush fighters the next!
good thing my guys went on the piss that day[8D]
have a good day buddy