Przemcio231 vs Hoplosternum : War in the EU!

[Hoplosternum]

Welcome to the Przemcio231 (Imperial Japanese) vs Hoplosternum (Allies) AAR

It pits Poland against Britain. But this is no struggle over Rebates and Common Agricultural Policy Reform but a battle over the very fate of various malaria ridden Pacific Islands and some dismal real estate in the depths of the Burmese Jungle [:'(]

Przemek has decided that drinking and partying is more important than writting AARs and playing the next turn of WitP so it falls to me to open the AAR [:D]

The war has got off to a relatively slow start as we have decided not to use the first turn and just let the computer planned actions take their course.

Pearl scored a lot of hits but no kills. Many Torpedo hits but none fatal. However only about 25 aircraft were destroyed. Here's the look of Battleship row after the strike.

[Hoplosternum]

Oh dear thats a bit small [:D]

Anyone any ideas how I can make it a bit bigger? It looks fine in Word as a screeenshot but once I make it into a Jpeg or Bitmap in Paint it's too small or too blurry.

[&:]

[Hoplosternum]

Well its December 11th and my counter attack at Legaspi worked and the invaders surrendered!

He has only landed at one spot in Malaya (Khota Baru??) and I am not sure if this is because the other Malaya forces are about to arrive or are going to hit somewhere else. West Borneo has not been hit at all either. Hmmm.

Lexington has hit the failed Wake invasion but KB is closing in so I can't stay long. Not very effective just hits to one CL.

I am not sure if this is a secret allied AAR or open tp Przemek so I can't say too much at this stage [:)] Except that I am ahead in ship points at this stage thanks to a few strikes on the Subs around Pearl [:)]

[Hoplosternum]

This is now a Przemek no go AAR [:D]

Hong Kong fell today [:(] so I have cancelled my attack on Canton (my 8 armies plus HQs were almost there!)

I have managed to sink I-4 so I now have sunk I 1 to I 4 in order [:)]

Lexington struck wake again with slightly more effect but still not much. I am now off as KB is just south of Midway.

Do I go North, South or to the Phillippines?

[IS2m]

ORIGINAL: Hoplosternum

Oh dear thats a bit small [:D]

Anyone any ideas how I can make it a bit bigger? It looks fine in Word as a screeenshot but once I make it into a Jpeg or Bitmap in Paint it's too small or too blurry.

[&:]

MS Paint works for me. Paste the screen print into Paint, then resize it as you see fit.

[Hoplosternum]

Well it's now Dec 14th.

The Wake attackers seem to have vanished [X(] [:)]

A close scare with Saratoga who takes a torpedo from a sub yesterday. But the damage is very slight. Not a dud though as I had fire and flood damage (1 of each!) as well as some sys.

Lexington's forces have been spotted slipping between Bonin and Saipan. I have increased speed [:)] There do not seem to be many TFs north of Palau unfortunately but I know mini KB is west of the PI.

Force Z has been split with Prince of Wales lying in wait at Kuching and Repulse going to Makassar / Kendari area. A small bombardment force hit Brunei on the 13th and another small transport force was seen approaching. So I sent PoW to investigate. Combat animations are off, but Chokai ended up with 14 hits and a Torpedo (heavily damaged) and is moving at 2. So hopefully she is either on her way down or at least out for a long time [:)] I have decided PoW should try and quit while she is ahead and that her Brewster / Hawk fighter CAP is just not enough so I am pulling back to Pontiniak (??) on Borneo's south coast.

Unfortunately KB (which I thought was passing Wake) has vanished. I think I was mixing it up with the Replenishment TF! So Enterprize has decided covering Tarawa may not be such a great plan (Makin in the Gilberts has already fallen). But I have left a Cruiser at Tarawa and another at Baker.

In the Solomons 4 IJN CAs bombard Rabaul and it is bombed daily by some Nells. The old Australian cruiser moved to southern New Britain when they approached. Achilles and Leander are approaching from the south but I don't think I will try and stop an early seisure of Rabaul. Enterprize will be there soon. But unless KB is sighted chasing Lexington it will be too risky to commit her.

[Hoplosternum]

OK I am going to try and post some more screen shots. Hopefully they will be a bit more informative than the last ones [:D]

Any comments or advice on my strategies and tactics always welcome [:)]

OK it is now December 15th and the first picture is of Lexington on the move to the Phillippines. She is now at full speed.





Ahh, now thats a bit better [;)]

I have detatched one CA and 2 DDs (now back at Pearl) so her taskforce is reduced. Ahead at 1 is part of Baby KB. Obviously he has split it and so it's not to the West of the PI like I thought.

Now before I decided to send her this way I considered meeting some of mini KB and thought my Dauntlesses would blast a hole in them if they got in my way. Now doubt has set in. Am I trapped [X(] Why did I not send her to safety in the Aleutians?

[Hoplosternum]

Przenek has begun operations at Amboina (3) Already over 6000 troops are ashore!

The lone TF I have there is an AK containing the CD unit. Hopefully it will make it to Derby but he has Cas/CLs in the hex [X(]





At 1 are various transports fleeing from Manila. They have between them most of the Asiatic Fleet HQ. Przenek has not really tried to stop me getting the ships away.

At 2 is Repulse and escorts. They are moving from Makassar to Kendari but I don't know whether to throw her at Amboina.

At 4 is that part of mini KB that is "blocking" Lexington [;)] They could hurt Repulse, but the risks are much less now than they will be once he has Nells / Bettys stationed in range. Palau is only AF size 3 so no Torpedos from there. And Legaspi (size 4) is free of Japanese for the moment.

5 shows the path of Boise / Houston and some sundry US / Dutch lighter vessels. They are at Tarakan and obviously less valuable than Repulse but not so effective either....

He has not bombarded with any BBs yet but I believe some start at Palau so they may be around.

[Hoplosternum]

Last pic for now [:)] And sorry if you are suffering with the bandwidth [:(]





At 1 is a 10+ TF of IJN CAs and DDs! They look like they are headed for Borneo. Kuching maybe? But PoW is at 2 nearly at Pontiniak. At 3 are 6 PT boats that will base at Kuching.

In Malaya he has landed in force at Kuantan. Over 10K in one day. I doubt my 3 brigades there will hold. But if I flee now I have to abandon Alor Starr too which is far more defendable.

I have 4 brigades and 5 Forts at Alor Starr facing 19K IJA. His first assault failed and he is bombarding. But I am hoping he will need to call in his airforce to weaken me. I'd rather it was pounding my LCUs than causing mischief elsewhere.

What do people do in Malaya these days? Fight forward or back? Fleeing to Singapore seems to just make the campaign short and sweet for the Japanese. But is anywhere else defendable?

Singers is pretty much trashed as an air base of course. He hits it with 70+ IJN 2E bombers every other day. Most of my squadrons have left.

[Hoplosternum]

ORIGINAL: IS2m

ORIGINAL: Hoplosternum

Oh dear thats a bit small [:D]

Anyone any ideas how I can make it a bit bigger? It looks fine in Word as a screeenshot but once I make it into a Jpeg or Bitmap in Paint it's too small or too blurry.

[&:]

MS Paint works for me. Paste the screen print into Paint, then resize it as you see fit.

Thanks IS2m. That has worked much better I think.

[Hoplosternum]

OK lets take a gamble. Lexington against some of Mini KB! I believe it is just Ryujo. It could be a trap but I hope that he has not had time to get KB in the area. My Dutch Toepedo planes have been bombing the TF. But CAP has only been about 5 or 6 Zero's. Lexingtons Dauntlesses should get through that. Of course most of her Buffalos are on defence.







I have sent Repulse back to Amboina for a second Bombardment and Houston / Boise should also hit this turn. This is mostly to disrupt any build up of planes at Amboina but it may catch the IJN TF if it goes there. Of course Ryujo has many Cruisers with her so perhaps it's best if I don't find her with my smallish surface forces. However just about all attrition favours me so unless the combat is completely one sided I'll go for it.

A couple of old US destroyers are picking up the units routed at Amboina. They will probably need another two trips though to pick up the lot.

[Hoplosternum]

And slightly less risky, but not completely safe move in the Solomons....

Enterprize is going to skirt around Guadalcanal. Leander has already seen off the transport there (now at Tulagi!). Achilles is at Shortlands. Now is it worth risking sending E up towards Rabaul? Hopefully KB has reacted towards Lexington not down here. But is this too much of a risk? He has CAs about and they are a very nice prize if I can catch them with my Dauntlesses [:)]




In other news Kuantan and Alor Star both held easily against shock attacks. Piles of IJA casualties for no results. Not even a reduction in the Fort levels. I am hoping he will need to call in his bombers and bombardment forces. Or reinforcements. He has close to 20K troops at each point so far.

He seized Makin a few days ago and although he kept seeing Louiseville at Tarawa still sent a loan transport there. Perhaps it showed up as just a single ship and he assumed it was a sub? Anyway Tarawa is still mine and the Transport and 1000 troops are on the bottom [:D] I am sending some of one of the Pearl divisions to the Central Pacific area. I'd like to have at least small garissons on some of the more important islands. Maybe Tarawa is a bit far forward though [:)]

[Hoplosternum]

Short and brutal.

She had more CAP than I anticipated but I struck her good in the morning and with 9 more bombs in the afternoon. Her counterstrike missed Lexington but hit Chicago. I'll take it [:)]




We are now well ahead in ships. Both numbers and points. As you can see many IJN subs have gone down. He still lingers around Pearl and even with TFs of just 4-5 it's a slaughter....

Rabaul, Kuantan and Alor Star hold again easily against assualts but Przenek s starting to use Deliberate attacks not shock assaults so the losses are more even.

Happy Christmas everyone [:)]

[Hoplosternum]

Back a day early from my Parents. Today is the 20th December and the allied cause took a few knocks but nothing too disasterous.

My two Bombardments of Amboina were failures. The Boise/Houston TF was mauled by 3 IJN CAs + a few DDs. One destroyer sunk but another and Boise & Houston maybe not going to make it. Some shell hits on a CA and some DDs in return but nothing major I don't think. We are playing without Combat Replays and I don't get or generate a Text file so it's hard to give exact figures.

Repulses TF attacked next. Lost another DD and another crippled. But did heavily damage a DD and damage two CAs.

All in all a poor return. The IJN have pulled back though so I cannot strike with Lexington. She is headed for Kendari where 21K supplies will upgrade her to F4F-4s [:)] Enterprize has gone to Australia not Rabaul. I feel suitably cowardly [;)] But it's probably wise [:D]

Two more Japanese subs are sunk today. It's just a slaughter out there [X(] I am getting on average one a day and that is just with 4 or 5 ASW TFs of no more than 5 ships each. I can't bring myself to make any more [X(][:D] You can see why there are so many complaints....

Kuantan fell today. He has 44K troops there now and his 39K assault smashed my 11k defender (3 Bdes + 2 Base Forces) back. They will fall back to Singapore. With one Brigade from Alor Star (whos remaining forces will be lifted off by sea from there or Georgetown).

Rabaul survived another Shock assault.

In China Yenan did despite only two forts and the IJA having about 3 times the numbers. My relief forces will probably not get there in time. Changsa is heavily in my favour at the moment. I took Nanning a few days ago and am now marching on the port to the south which has a Base force and a Brigade in. I have 5 Chinese Corps and 3 HQs marching to it. 3 IJA units have joined my forces West of Canton and I am going for a shock attack. Hopefully another dozen won't have arrived by then [:)]

[Hoplosternum]

I see her [:D] My whole screen started flashing alarmingly [;)]



Well shes here and shes opened her account with the ruthless destruction of Boise [:(] at (1) an attack of about 150 strike planes blew her up. Houston is still in the hex but will probably sink even if KB does not get her tomorrow.

DD Barker had a better chance of making port (4) before KB appeared.

Chicago (3) should live unless KB goes south. I don't fance DD Empress's chances though (2) as she, like Houston is in the 90 SYS and dark red flood.

But it's (5) where the prizes are [X(] Lexington's refueling has been cancelled and a quick visit to the Hobbits at Flores is now planned [:)] Prince of Wales is going due south. Maybe to reunite with Repulse at Darwin. Transports are fleeing to Soerabaja and Balikpapan. Some damaged destroyers have disbanded in to Kendari and Lexington's (nearly out of fuel) have refuelled and hope to flee tomorrow. Lexington has taken some of PoW's escorts for Submarine defence.

Fortunately Amboina is a real pig to navigate around so hopefully he cannot go straight at me. I am approximately 10 hexes ahead. The chase is on.

But even if I escape he may well sweep north of Java which could cost me a lot of Transports and various light ships.

On land he is trying some deliberate attacks at Yenen and West of Canton. Both failed [:)] unlike my shock attack W of Canton which has sent him packing. Rabaul held again and belatedly Enterprize moves that way now KB is otherwise engaged....

[Hoplosternum]

Well KB caught Barker and Houston and sank them both.

But most otherthings seem to be safely away. Thanks in part to wierd warp speed movements in some cases [&:][X(]

Heres the Amboina / KB position....



Lexington (L) has no time to look for Hobbits and is now back to normal speed but should be well to the south of the Indonesia Archapelego tonight.

Kido Butai (KB) is obviously at a flat out 7 speed.

But Prince of Wales (P) is in warp mode [X(] She has moved 11 hexes in one day [X(] I think she would have been safe anyway but this should make sure. Wierd anyway. She and Chicago (C) are now headed for the PG/Oz gap. Repulse (R) is going the other way and to Java or Perth depending on the IJN.

3 of Lexington's old escorts have passed under KB heading for Davao. They were meant to go the other way around Sulawasi [:(] I've diverted them to Darwin.

[Hoplosternum]

Now if the Warp speed of the Prince of Wales was good for me the warp speed of Enterprize (fitting [:D]) was not. She has moved 12 in one night! I thought that full speed boosted you by 1 or 2 hexes not doubled your speed [X(]

Well her move put her in spotting range of Rabaul. So I suspect the CAs at least will be gone but I am going to try and nab them anyway. Unfortunately after moving 12 the TF then refuelled! So only 3 hexes today....

[rtrapasso]

There was some discussion on other threads about this.

If you are returning to your home port, and have RETIREMENT ON, it is possible to move at double speed. This gives some truly amazing results in some cases - calculated speeds for ships at 50-60 mph in some AARs where things went strangely wrong...

Not sure if this is the case for you, but you might check.

[Sneer]

As a Jap player I can give a hint to use subs out of range of search a/c and stay out of PH
use subs at open ocean
long range subs should hunt in South Pac and short range should be used to cover bases
this will give good recon and low losses
Glen carring subs are invaluable in detecting fat target for carriers - and certainly they are better than intel

[Hoplosternum]

ORIGINAL: rtrapasso

There was some discussion on other threads about this.

If you are returning to your home port, and have RETIREMENT ON, it is possible to move at double speed. This gives some truly amazing results in some cases - calculated speeds for ships at 50-60 mph in some AARs where things went strangely wrong...

Not sure if this is the case for you, but you might check.

Hmmm,

I'll check Enterprize when the next turn comes back. It may explain Prince of Wales, but I doubt it does Enterprize as her home port should be Townsville and she is headed for a specific hex 2 off Rabaul (not the one she is headed to in the picture though I have now changed her destination to the one shown).

Interesting anyway. I don't think it will have any effect. KB is no quicker than PoW and she had a lead anyway and more fuel [:)] As for Enterprize she was there a day early but did not launch. She may launch tomorrow and from a better position but Prz will have a day to react that he should not have had.