Lunacy In The Pacific Mogami Vs. Tom Hunter

[Tom Hunter]

China: Since September 19th (the last update) not much has happened. On the 23rd the Japanese tried a deliberate attack on Kaigan which failed with heavy casualties, and the war in the air has been quiet.

In Burma the British bypassed Pagan and siezed Taun Gy, the Japanese have withdrawn from Pagan and are trying to run down the rail line, the British are bombing them and trying to catch them as they pull back.

I have started flying large sweeps with my training missions so that there will be a battle rather than a massacre if Mogami comes out to play, this is true in Burma and also in SW and South Pac.

SW Pac saw the 6th Australian division unload at Thursday Island which is now better garrisoned and supplies than Port Moresby was. Thursday is now an L4 airfield and Beauforts have joined the KittyHawks and P40s that fly training missions against Port Moresby.

On the 25th Allied search planes spotted several cruisers heading South from Tulagi. The regular raid on Luganville was changed to include fewer bombers and a lot more fighters on sweep.

On the 26th Mogami made his move with a big LRCAP over Luganville which ran smack into the Allied airstrike coming the other way:





A huge battle resulted with terrible losses for the Allies, almost all the fighters and bombers were shot down. Adding other actions the Allies lost a total of 178 planes on the 26th.

But the Japanese suffered as well. 36 Zeros did not make it back (the fighter combat was about 4 to 1 in Japans favor) from this raid.

At the same time that the air battle of Luganville was being fought and lost by the Marines, US Army Air Corps and the Australians another struggle took place as an American Liberator group attacked KB.

These pilots were veterans with high moral and XP in the 70s. 45 of them took off one the first raid and were intercepted by 36 Zeros flying CAP. They splashed 5 Zeros and lost 8 of thier own before they got through to the Japanese warships. When they attacked they put 2 bombs on the Kongo and 1 one the Kaga.

Additional attacks throughout the day put another bomb on Kaga, one on Shokaku and 2 more on Kongo. Kaga was seen on fire by one of the last waves of bombers.

What Mogami does not know is that 5 USN and 3 RN CVs are 2 hexes South of Efate. They now have orders to steam North at full speed. If Mogami retires at cruising speed they will end thier move 3 hexes from KB (and 6 from the Japanese airbase on Guadalcanal) next turn with a real chance of launching strikes on KB. With KBs fighter strength down more than 40 Zeros and 2 CVs bombed I think its the best chance for a real victory I will have for a while so I am sending them in and will brave the LBA.

[Gen.Hoepner]

The upcomming CV battle will be very interesting! 34 crack zeros is a terrible loss for the KB in late sept 42imho, especially if these pilots were wasted in a fight against something else than the allied CVs...At this stage of the war KB should be kept in the best possible shape and use it only to counterattack any allied naval counteroffensive imho...

[Tom Hunter]

Well we did not have the CV battle.

Mogami moved KB North and part of the Tf moved slowly which may mean Kaga got hurt by the two bomb hits.

I sent the lead TF North at full speed but did not reset the other CV TFs which were still at mission speed. So the whole group advanced all of 2 hexes which is slower than the Japanese move which was 3 or 4 hexes. So I blew the best ambush opportunities I have seen since the start of the game[:@].


On the bright side the British inflicted a serious defeat on two Japanese division in Burma:


Ground combat at 32,32

Allied Shock attack

Attacking force 76391 troops, 676 guns, 970 vehicles

Defending force 43806 troops, 459 guns, 14 vehicles

Allied assault odds: 19 to 1


Japanese ground losses:
2496 casualties reported
Guns lost 91
Vehicles lost 6

Allied ground losses:
1366 casualties reported
Guns lost 31


Defeated Japanese Units Retreating!

That was on the rail junction near Pagan and 2 armored brigades are already in the hex with the Japanese. The Brits have 3 Infantry divisions a bunch of brigades and artillery, some base forces and several Corps HQs coming up as fast as they can. They also siezed Pagan.

The only problem is that the Japanese are now more than 2 hexes from the British airbases so I am using Mohawks and Demons to sweep. There is a full 72 plane group of P40Bs in India and 45 AVG P40Bs in China but these units are very brittle if they take losses they are gone so I prefer to hold them back for really good opportunities. We will see what Mogami tries once I am outside my air umbrella.

Still it is good to beat the tar out of his divisions before they get into the fortresses of Rangoon and Moulmein. I am also shipping an American Parachute Battalion to India, if I can grab a base I have all 3 Chindit brigades ready to go in via skytrain.

China is very quiet and solidly stalemated, which is the way it should be.

[Tom Hunter]

PS Hoepner how much did you pay those girls?[:D]

[Gen.Hoepner]

ORIGINAL: Tom Hunter

PS Hoepner how much did you pay those girls?[:D]

Actually i was their guest in a skiing week end, so , under a certain POV, they paid me for my presence[:D]

[Gen.Hoepner]

Anyway, a pity for that lost meeting of CVs....

Your early advance in Burma proves again how the Burma theatre isn't really well designed in this game. If Japan doesn't go for a Hangover strategy ( pzb docet), the Brits can overwhelm the japanese even in mid 42 there...

[Bliztk]

The problem is Monsoon, it`s not reflected in the game. It was really the thing that stopped the war here

[Tom Hunter]

There is another problem (for Mogami) which I created. In the real war the British lost the entire army in Malaya, the 18th division at Singapore and most of the equipment that their Burma army had.

I pulled out over 90% of the Malaya army and I never lost the Burma army so I have double or maybe more than double the number of troops that the British really had. I don't think of this as a design flaw in the game, Mogami could have stopped the evacuation if he had wanted to, and he chose not to be very aggressive in Burma.

In fact he sent comments that indicate he thought I was making a mistake by abandoning Malaya because it would allow him to move faster. As events are proving what it really did was allow me to hit back in 42 instead of waiting until 43.

Though blizkt is correct that monsoon season stopped operations in Burma (or slowed them to a crawl) monsoon season is June to September and this attack kicked off at the end of September so I don't think that is an issue in this case. As I mentioned above the reason this offensive is possible is the 5-6 divisions that I have but which the real war British lost.

[Tom Hunter]

Here is the strategic map as of October 2 42:





The subs near Wake have worked with a Candian Wellington group to damage a handful of Japanese ships coming back from the Kwajelin area and even sink 2 or 3. I also have 2 DDs at Wake that tried to catch the convoys but they were not successful.

Right now the Americans are training, refitting and organizing. Hornet is at Pearl Harbor trying to get her sys damage (8) down low enough to trigger the October refit. Washington, North Carolina and a bunch of cruisers and DDs are also there refitting. Wasp is near Fiji heading for Pearl or possibly the West Coast to do the same. The rest of the Allied CVs are at Noumea.

Large numbers of transports and escort types are heading for Hawaii to pick up troops that will take Baker island back. My plan is to take the rest of the CV fleet back to the West Coast in a month or month and a half and grab Baker on the way with an invasion force from Hawaii.

At the same time the British are going hard at it in Burma. the Japanese 116th and 54th divisions are getting pounded as they try to retreat from Pagan, they are about to get a second shock attack that will be launched by something like 5 divisions of troops including 3 armored brigades with support from 300-400 aircraft. The Japanese 58th division (these numbers might be wrong I am going from memory) is coming North from Rangoon to rescue them but I think it will just get stomped as well.

It is not clear to me how far and how fast the Brits can go but they are shaping up as a major threat to Japan very early in the game. In another week or two a US parachute battalion will unload in Akyab and I am going to try to grab Raheng and then skytrain in all 3 Chindit brigades. That will give me air cover over Moulmein which opens the door to Tavoy and then who knows.

Longer run I am still deciding where to launch offensives. I am certain I want to push back into New Guinea and maybe the Solomons as well in early 43. Past that I am not sure. I know I need strategic bomber bases to win VP from Japan, that is a major part of any Allied strategy for victory.

The fuel buildup in NW Australia is for the Royal Navy when time comes for it to go back to the Bay of Bengal. I will make that move after the Allies are re-established in New Guinea and I don't want the ships to run into trouble because they did not have enough fuel.

But I need a lot of VPs to win this because the losses on both sides are so high. So I have a second part to my strategy, getting a port opened up and in use to supply China. The Chinese are already very powerful in this game which is good, but they don't have staying power because of limited supplies. If I can open up a port it will enable a really big offensive, I could capture Manchuria and get huge numbers of VPs. It would also allow me to base US heavy bombers in China and smash up the Japanese that way.

I like this strategy because I doubt that Mogami is preparing for it, so I think it could catch him off balance and help me tilt the loss ratios in my favor much earlier than I could by hitting him where he is prepared. Also the Chinese casualties don't count for nearly as many VPs as the other Allies and that is a factor as well.

The big problem is figuring out how to do it. More on that later, right now it is mostly theory but stablizing the Chinese front and getting the British rolling are two important steps.

[jrlans]

But I need a lot of VPs to win this because the losses on both sides are so high. So I have a second part to my strategy, getting a port opened up and in use to supply China. The Chinese are already very powerful in this game which is good, but they don't have staying power because of limited supplies. If I can open up a port it will enable a really big offensive, I could capture Manchuria and get huge numbers of VPs. It would also allow me to base US heavy bombers in China and smash up the Japanese that way.

Well in a few of my games v. the AI i have tried this with some sucess. The vietnamies ports seem to be the best as they are farthest from Japan and major japanese bases (Tiawan, and PI). How do you plan on getting supplies there though? Even single ship transport TFs will probaly get massacred and dont bring in that much supply. Also all Mog needs to do is blockade the port or ports with a couple of DDs or even PGs and you cant bring anything in without escort. However sending escorts would probably be suisde because of aircover. It sounds like a tempting strategy but i have never found a way for it to work. The only other option is barges but they have such limited range and you dont have any bases nearby.

I think the best way off supplying china is to try to transfer as many transport A/C as you have to burma and india and fly supplies in 300 to 400 transports per day can bring in a good amount of supplies.

Just a few thoughts

[walkerd]

ORIGINAL: Tom Hunter
I pulled out over 90% of the Malaya army and I never lost the Burma army so I have double or maybe more than double the number of troops that the British really had. I don't think of this as a design flaw in the game, Mogami could have stopped the evacuation if he had wanted to, and he chose not to be very aggressive in Burma.

In fact he sent comments that indicate he thought I was making a mistake by abandoning Malaya because it would allow him to move faster. As events are proving what it really did was allow me to hit back in 42 instead of waiting until 43.

I have to ask how you did it. If by ship did he just let you sail out when he could have tried to intercept with Betties and Nells or by land and he just did not stop you.

Either way this seems such a simple error on his part.

[jrlans]

I have to ask how you did it. If by ship did he just let you sail out when he could have tried to intercept with Betties and Nells or by land and he just did not stop you.

Most of it is in the first 2 pages of the AAR and its a very good read I sugest you take a look at it. The way tom did it was prety masterfull, and i must give him kudos. The simple answer to your question is Yes, Mog prety much just let him do it (although i dont think he fully understood what was going on till it was too late). Same thing with sneaking in 2 boat loads full of supplies to Manila. (Which ill have to try against my next game v. the AI)

[Tom Hunter]

The Key post about the Malaya evacuation is January 11 1942 which is on page 3. By that time pretty much everyone was out or leaving.

[Tom Hunter]

.




Final score 55 Kittyhawks down, 19 Zeros down.

Not good, but not that bad either. Mogami continues to set up ambushes for my airforce and I continue to anticipate them though I must say I did not expect 154 Zeros over Port Moresby. I got a bit lucky, bad weather grounded my bombers so only the sweep went in. This saved about 50 P40s of various types, the P40 pool is never full and I would have taken a while to replace them.

Large formations of Japanese fighters have shown up over Rangoon and Moulmein too, the British have started concentrating heavy CAP over Akyab and Mandalay. Thier land advance has stopped as they wait for Pagan and Tua gyi to be enlarged. Once the air cover can base closer to the front they will shock attack across the river to Rangoon. That attack will likely be supported by a paradrop onto Raheng which will givve me an airbase astride the Japanese line of communication. With Taun Gyi at L2 or higher I can CAP or sweep Raheng with my range 3 and higher fighters which is a significant part of my air force.

Looking towards the coming offensives I have decided to add a move to my plans. Bulla and Kai Island have never been occupied by the Japanese. I am going to put 2 divisions, some base forces, CD units, and RCTs onto transports and move into both. There will be 200+ fighters waiting at Darwin as soon as my troops go ashore they will move in to provide at the base CAP. Then I can put BB TFs under the CAP and invite the Japanese to come play.

If I take Gili Gili after that then I will have both ends of New Guinea and there is no way the island will hold.

In other news there are 20 P38s in the pool and I have a P39 unit bombing Lunga that is XP 69. By the end of October that will be a 70 XP P38 unit. Not as good as the Japanese but getting close.

[Tom Hunter]

No major changes in the last 5 days but some interesting medium sized battles.

In the CBI area the Japanese have put troops between Chengting and Kaigan. The Chinese are about to send an army from Chengting to chase them away.

In Burma the British have stopped at the river. They are waiting for several additional brigades, base forces and artillery units to come up and are also reducing fatigue and increasing supply levels. Though there is 24K at Mandalay and 4K at Pagan the combat units are mostly red so the Skytrain is flying supply from Dacca to Pagan, hopefully that will improve things some more. The Skytrain has over 100 transports, maybe over 150 so it can move a fair amount of supply every day.

On October 9th the Mohawks proved themselves nearly useless when 44 of of them ran into 12 Oscars on a sweep:

Japanese aircraft
Ki-43-Ib Oscar x 13

Allied aircraft
Mohawk IV x 44

Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-43-Ib Oscar: 2 destroyed

Allied aircraft losses
Mohawk IV: 8 destroyed, 4 damaged

Mohawks have XP in the high 50s the Japanese are (obivously) better.

It was not a waste though 200 bombers of various types showed up an hour later and only 6 Oscars still had ammunition so they got through without trouble and smacked up the Japanese on the ground.

On the 10th there was a big Allied bomber attack on Lae, 150 4 engine bombers from Cooktown were joined by 15 B25s from Thursday Island and they plastered Lae shooting down several Oscars and destroying more on the ground.

The training raids on Port Moresby are starting up again with more American P40s along for the ride this time. The Aussies and New Zealanders shot down in the last ambush have been replaced and brought up to strength now and are returning to action as well.

Over Luganville the sky is once again black with planes, more planes than ever before. Now the combat sweep includes Wildcat groups with 71 XP so if Mogami does try for an ambush he will likely lose even more zeros than the 35 that went down last time.

Finally the USS Wasp is heading back to the West Coast for refit along with her escort group. She happened to be near Baker island when recon planes reported a Japanese convoy there, on the 9th she got close enough to launch this strike:

Allied aircraft
SBD Dauntless x 14
TBF Avenger x 12
SOC-3 Seagull x 5


Allied aircraft losses
SBD Dauntless: 1 damaged
SOC-3 Seagull: 1 damaged

Japanese Ships
AK Isin Maru, Bomb hits 2, on fire, heavy damage
AK Hukko Maru, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
DD Arashi
DD Samidare, Bomb hits 2, on fire, heavy damage
AK Hikosan Maru, Torpedo hits 2, on fire, heavy damage

Hikosan Maru went down the next day, there are no reports on the other ships.

Disposition of the Allied fleets:

4 US CVs, 3 British CVs, and 2 CVLs are in TFs at Noumea. 1 US BB and 3 British BBs are at the same location in surface combat TFs.

Repulse and Prince of Wales are at or near Sydney doing some DD refits and repairing some cruising damage of their own.

Hornet is at Pearl she did her 10/42 refit along with her entire escort group, she has 8 sys right now all the ships in her group have some sys damage but are green. Her AA is now 765 which is not close to the 1064 on the Lexington but it is better than the 560 she had. North Carolina and Washinton have also reffitted at Pearl and now have 1265 AA Washington is with them making a powerful 3 fast BB TF.

Wasp is half way between Palmyra and Canton island serving as a stop over for a bunch of Marine Wind Indicator (Vindicator) dive bombers that are island hopping to the South Pacific. Next turn she will start for San Francisco to do her refit there.

Watching the ships repair at Pearl I have come to the conclusion that sending a huge number of ships to Pearl for refits is a mistake since it will take a very long time to get them out. Also it is possible Mogami might figure out they are at Pearl and attack. So when I send my next group of CVs for upgrades they will go to San Francisco which refits ships much faster and is far enough away to be safe from Japanese raiders. The West Coast still has the airforce it gets at game start so even if the Japanese did come they would get a big fight, it is a very safe location now.

[jrlans]

Hey Tom just wanted to know if you had given anymore thought to supplying china by sea. If you have figured out an effective way to do it im all ears.

[Mike Solli]

ORIGINAL: jrlans

Hey Tom just wanted to know if you had given anymore thought to supplying china by sea. If you have figured out an effective way to do it im all ears.

In October 42? I can't see any way to do it without losing a boatload of ships for very little gain.

[jrlans]

Thats what i said Mike but Toms gotten away with all sorts of things i wouldnt think was possible in PBEM

[Mike Solli]

Hmm. Can't wait to hear this one.[:D]

[Tom Hunter]

I doubt I will be able to get supply to China by sea in 1942, but I am aiming for 1943.


This air battle took place October 12, the Mohawks did pretty well scoring near 1 to 1. We are up to October 20th and things are very hot in Burma, this fight was the opening shot. The Mohawks are LR CAPing the British army which is sitting on the North side of the river waiting to resupply before charging across.