Bloody Shambles: BossGnome vs. Oleg

[Oleg Mastruko]

In China, I managed to save Kunming, but it was a close call. My defensive mega armies reached the city like day or two before his 70+ units Gojira mega armada arrived. He did attack nonetheless, but it was futile, and produced biggest casualty list I have ever seen attacking army suffer in WITP:

Ground combat at Kunming

Japanese Deliberate attack

Attacking force 596771 troops, 5448 guns, 215 vehicles

Defending force 432093 troops, 1851 guns, 0 vehicles

Japanese assault odds: 0 to 1 (fort level 9)


Japanese ground losses:
56290 casualties reported
Guns lost 1231
Vehicles lost 56

Allied ground losses:
10186 casualties reported
Guns lost 187

[Nikademus]

one word.....


wow

[Oleg Mastruko]

He also boasted in his emails how he's got new Tonys and Tojos to play with but I was unimpressed. He sent them in raids ovcer Chungking, like this on 12th Sept:

Day Air attack on Chungking , at 43,32

Japanese aircraft
Ki-44-IIb Tojo x 35
Ki-61 KAIc Tony x 35

Allied aircraft
I-153c x 37
I-16c x 40

Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-44-IIb Tojo: 12 destroyed, 5 damaged
Ki-61 KAIc Tony: 3 destroyed, 1 damaged

Allied aircraft losses
I-153c: 32 destroyed
I-16c: 22 destroyed

Ugly, but this was vs Chinese pilots.

When I brought English & dominions couple days later, it was different story altogether:

Day Air attack on Chungking , at 43,32

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 45
Ki-21 Sally x 60
Ki-48 Lily x 23
Ki-49 Helen x 48

Allied aircraft
P-40E Warhawk x 60
I-153c x 12

Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 34 destroyed
Ki-21 Sally: 15 destroyed, 12 damaged
Ki-48 Lily: 8 destroyed, 5 damaged
Ki-49 Helen: 14 destroyed, 5 damaged

Allied aircraft losses
P-40E Warhawk: 12 destroyed, 30 damaged
I-153c: 5 destroyed, 2 damaged

Heavy Industry hits 21
Airbase hits 4
Runway hits 15

He whined a little how the world is unfair, then stopped his attacks.

[Oleg Mastruko]

Kunming bloodbath couple posts above, was on 2nd September. Since then, he pulled majority of his China forces to Kweiyang. I pulled big chunk of my defensive army couple hexes to the N and NE, so as to be able to react if he starts marching towards Chunking, but also if he tries again for Kunming.

So, what little I have in China I think is safe for now. According to intel, he has some native SAA units assigned to his China Gojira army (like 38th division) - which means he really oput his weight into this theatre.

This is how central China looks at the beginning of Oct 42. Majority of my units is in hex NE of Kunming, ready to react defensively whereher needed.

Note units stranded in forrest on top of the map - they didn't move one single hex since I took over the game.

The other stranded army entered Lanchow hex to the NE, and are now starving there (he has one division there, and is capable of containing what is on paper 8-10 Chinese units, but utterly depleted units.

[Oleg Mastruko]

Burma India

I pulled units back from bad roads back to bases and moved majority of units that were sitting in Imphal to Dacca. I think I managed to raise overall strength of units in this theatre by 30% just by pulling them back to non malarial big bases, and letting them rest. Yes, marching back in some cases took better part of the last month...

I also took one good English division from Madras and invaded Akyab, or it would be more precise to say I reinforced previous, obviously failed invasion attempt. Invasion was supported by RN surface force, and the whole operation was opposed just by some half hearted Sally attacks from Rangoon, which did no damage to my behemoths:

Day Air attack on TF, near Akyab at 30,29

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 13
Ki-43-Ib Oscar x 25
Ki-21 Sally x 71
Ki-48 Lily x 31

Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-21 Sally: 2 destroyed, 20 damaged
Ki-48 Lily: 1 destroyed, 5 damaged

Allied Ships
BB Warspite, Bomb hits 1
BB Valiant, Bomb hits 4
CL Birmingham
CL Newcastle
CA Exeter, Bomb hits 1

[Oleg Mastruko]

Once British finished unloading, it was quick and dirty job to take Akyab in one go:

Ground combat at Akyab

Allied Shock attack

Attacking force 18826 troops, 187 guns, 0 vehicles

Defending force 5734 troops, 11 guns, 0 vehicles

Allied assault odds: 16 to 1 (fort level 0)

Allied forces CAPTURE Akyab base !!!


Japanese ground losses:
180 casualties reported

Allied ground losses:
538 casualties reported
Guns lost 7


Defeated Japanese Units Retreating!

[Kereguelen]

ORIGINAL: Oleg Mastruko


Note units stranded in forrest on top of the map - they didn't move one single hex since I took over the game.

Send them some supplies by air, that should help them. Or simply wait, sometime they'll move (had the same problem at the same location).

Do you have a theory what the former Allied commanders were up to in Australia or what the US division in the Rockies was doing there? Just curious!

K

[Oleg Mastruko]

US division in the Rockies is one of the World's big mysteries, I heard National Geographic crew is going to do a documentary about this. It might be that one of my predecessors sent this unit to United States base because of some paranoia that Japs could invade there, and seeing it didn't, and won't happen, he decided to march them back to coast couple days before I took over.

As for Australia... I mentioned failed invasion attempt aimed at Rabaul. USN held Rabaul at one time (as evidenced by the fact one of USN CVs sunk "at Rabaul". After that, Japs pushed Allies back from the area, decisively. I spent big part of previous 1,5 months picking up the pieces there. My immediate predecessor obviously hoped to crack the Japs in Papua-Rabaul area, and after he failed, lost morale and gave up the game. I also think he planned a major invasion in Timor area (another, very well defended area on the map).

O.

[Oleg Mastruko]

OK; after taking Akyab I brought one small (30 AS), one medium (90 AS) air support units there, and based fighters to protect unloading operations. I will build major airbase there, and then Andaman islands are next.

This time he attacked unloading conwoys with - among others - Zeros and Betties, but AVG held and inflicted serious losses:

Day Air attack on TF, near Akyab at 30,29

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 10
G4M1 Betty x 17
Ki-43-Ib Oscar x 13
Ki-21 Sally x 34
Ki-48 Lily x 16

Allied aircraft
Hurricane II x 28
Spitfire Vb x 24
P-40E Warhawk x 33

Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 6 destroyed
G4M1 Betty: 4 destroyed, 6 damaged
Ki-43-Ib Oscar: 11 destroyed
Ki-21 Sally: 10 destroyed, 6 damaged
Ki-48 Lily: 6 destroyed, 1 damaged

Allied aircraft losses
Hurricane II: 9 damaged
Spitfire Vb: 7 damaged
P-40E Warhawk: 2 destroyed, 8 damaged

Allied Ships
AK Empire Cato, Bomb hits 1, on fire
AK Empire Tugela
DD Nepal
DD Vampire
AK Empire Geraint
AK Delawarean
AK Empire March, on fire, heavy damage
AK Empire Hazlitt, on fire, heavy damage
PG Jasmine, on fire, heavy damage
AK Empire Elaine, Bomb hits 2, on fire, heavy damage
PG Thyme, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
AK Empire Avocet, Bomb hits 3, on fire, heavy damage


Allied ground losses:
97 casualties reported
Guns lost 1


Day Air attack on TF, near Akyab at 30,29

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 11
G4M1 Betty x 15
Ki-43-Ib Oscar x 19
Ki-21 Sally x 79
Ki-48 Lily x 17

Allied aircraft
Hurricane II x 17
Spitfire Vb x 14
P-40E Warhawk x 15

Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 4 destroyed
G4M1 Betty: 1 destroyed
Ki-43-Ib Oscar: 12 destroyed
Ki-21 Sally: 6 destroyed, 4 damaged
Ki-48 Lily: 2 destroyed, 2 damaged

Allied aircraft losses
Hurricane II: 3 damaged
Spitfire Vb: 7 damaged
P-40E Warhawk: 1 destroyed, 1 damaged

Allied Ships
PG Thyme, on fire, heavy damage
AK Empire Hazlitt, Bomb hits 4, on fire, heavy damage
DD Nepal
AK Delawarean, Bomb hits 1
AK Empire Elaine, Bomb hits 11, on fire, heavy damage
AK Empire Geraint
AK Empire Bardolph, Bomb hits 1, heavy damage
AK Empire March, Bomb hits 3, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
AK Empire Avocet, on fire, heavy damage
DD Vampire
AK Empire Cato, Bomb hits 5, on fire, heavy damage
PG Jasmine, Bomb hits 4, on fire, heavy damage

Conwoy lost some merchants and frigates, but it's no biggie.

[Oleg Mastruko]

By taking Akyab, and making it into medium (for now) airbase, my immediate goals in the area are fulfilled.

I also brought back major Anglo-Dominiano-Indiano (LOL) forces back from Australia, about 1200-1500 APs in all, plus some engineers. They will be rested, prepped and later used in invasion of Andamans.

His reaction to Akyab operation was curious, he pulled 10 units from Myitkyina to Mandalay, leaving just 1-2 in Myitkyina. If he did this after he concluded I will not do crazy operations that require marches over bad roads, which means Myitkyina is safe for now - then he's smart. If he did this because he thinks I'll march over very bad road from Akyab to Mandalay, so he needs to reinforce Mandalay, then he's not so smart [:D]

Anyhow, now I feel confident about India Burma, and after I bring more units back from Australia (including English fighters), and rest / prep units some more, I'll see what to do next. I am magazine editor in real life, I live and die by the deadlines, and I am used to setting deadlines even when I don't really have to. So, lets set the deadline for taking Andamans to End of January 43.

Deadline for Sabang will be 15th March 43.

But this may change [:D] More important are the deadlines for USN in the Pacific and we'll get to that.

[Oleg Mastruko]

OK Australia!

Australia in this past month and a half was hard work and nothing else. I had like 10-15 units broken into pieces. Major units like 2 USMC were scattered over 4-5 bases very far apart. Transports, reinforcements, resupplies, desperate withdrawals and evacuations by air, floatplane, sea, and submarine, were going on when I took over.

It is no small wonder I didn't lose any unit to infamous "unit disappearance bug" in all this chaos [:D] (Or maybe I did but I didn't notice.)

Anyway, things are slowly shaping up, and it is very rewarding to see it all come together. Units not belonging to either Australia or SWPAC commands are being gathered in Perth, Brisbane and Syndey, and slowly shipped back to where they belong - India or PH (no other place to go). But it's a long way to Tipperary.... travel to Madras or PH take weeks if not months to complete.

I have pretty strict area command authorities in this game, that I will explain later, and take care to pay PPs when I, say, send North Pac unit to Noumea (which I won't do anyway so it's a bad example). Based on my lunacy game vs Mogami, I believe keeping to area commands as Allies is major factor in having an enjoyable and realistic game. I think there should be more mechanisms to keep players in place, not let them use Alaska units in Papua etc. Directly and indirectly it would help with many perceived problems of this system.

[Oleg Mastruko]

Subs you see on the picture are AI controlled. AI sends them on partol, I wouldn't.

Thursday island was used as evacuation base for failed Gasmata operation. Having completed the evacuation, everything from Thursday except for one small airsupport base, was brought back to Australia to resr and refit.

PM has 800 APs (all of them ANZAC, because I won't use US & English there for religious reasons) + fort 9 + 250+ AV support so it works as major airbase. Some of air support units are US, because Australians have so little air support units it would be impossible for them to keep the major airbase by themselves.

We had some interesting duels over PM, because he stubbornly continues attacking. I don't think it is smart for him, but hey.

For example on 2nd Sept:

Day Air attack on Port Moresby , at 53,91

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 150
A6M3 Zero x 21
G4M1 Betty x 153
H8K Emily x 6

Allied aircraft
Fulmar x 7
F4F-4 Wildcat x 22
Hurricane II x 6
Kittyhawk I x 16
P-40B Tomahawk x 5
P-40E Warhawk x 41

Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 53 destroyed, 3 damaged
A6M3 Zero: 1 damaged
G4M1 Betty: 3 destroyed, 15 damaged
H8K Emily: 1 destroyed

Allied aircraft losses
Fulmar: 5 destroyed
F4F-4 Wildcat: 31 destroyed
Hurricane II: 6 destroyed
Kittyhawk I: 13 destroyed
P-40B Tomahawk: 5 destroyed
P-40E Warhawk: 35 destroyed
Beaufort V-IX: 5 destroyed
B-26B Marauder: 9 destroyed
SBD Dauntless: 3 destroyed
Swordfish: 1 destroyed
Walrus: 1 destroyed


Allied ground losses:
117 casualties reported

Airbase hits 26
Airbase supply hits 3
Runway hits 87

Numerically I lost more planes, but he's losing valuable Zero pilots, for what? BTW I have no problems with PM supplies, so if he's attacking to destroy PM supplies and make by boys starve he's wrong.

On 4th Sept:

Day Air attack on Port Moresby , at 53,91

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 83
G4M1 Betty x 148
H8K Emily x 2

Allied aircraft
Fulmar x 8
F4F-4 Wildcat x 12
Kittyhawk I x 13
P-40B Tomahawk x 3
P-40E Warhawk x 37

Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 39 destroyed
G4M1 Betty: 19 destroyed, 24 damaged
H8K Emily: 1 destroyed

Allied aircraft losses
Fulmar: 4 destroyed
F4F-4 Wildcat: 6 destroyed, 1 damaged
Kittyhawk I: 8 destroyed
P-40B Tomahawk: 2 destroyed
P-40E Warhawk: 22 destroyed
Catalina I: 1 destroyed
Beaufort V-IX: 1 destroyed
B-26B Marauder: 4 destroyed
Swordfish: 1 destroyed


Allied ground losses:
14 casualties reported

Airbase hits 8
Airbase supply hits 1
Runway hits 22

[Oleg Mastruko]

Finally, by mid September he stopped his annoying attacks there. I welcomed the end of air combats, simply because I wanted to finish my reshuffling of forces in relative peace. I will give him plenty of fights later.

Note on screenshot above that he sent significant submarine forces to interfere with my PM-Australia conwoys, which were very frequent during September. Result of his sumbarine offensive in the area were very poor, he lost 3-4 subs to my air and DDs. and I can't remember if I lost a single AK.

After I organized North Australia somewhat, I started my own air offensive from PM. Purpose of this is threefolds:

a) to train pilots
b) to maintain the maskirovka that I am about to attack somewhere in this area (which I am not)
c) to give something to do to my short-legged and/or SWPAC/Aus squadrons

I picked Gili Gili, because it suits me on all accounts: it does look like very probable next goal for the Allies (recon says he has 9 units there).

For days, my aircraft keep pounding the empty GG airfield to rubble, making it 100% damaged. One day he sets the classic "fighter trap":

Day Air attack on Gili Gili , at 56,94

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 49

Allied aircraft
F4F-4 Wildcat x 60
Kittyhawk I x 13
Walrus x 7
P-40B Tomahawk x 9
P-40E Warhawk x 99
A-20B Boston x 72
B-25C Mitchell x 31
B-26B Marauder x 45

Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 82 destroyed

Allied aircraft losses
F4F-4 Wildcat: 36 destroyed
Kittyhawk I: 6 destroyed, 1 damaged
P-40B Tomahawk: 5 destroyed
P-40E Warhawk: 53 destroyed
A-20B Boston: 3 destroyed, 1 damaged
B-25C Mitchell: 2 destroyed, 1 damaged
B-26B Marauder: 1 destroyed, 2 damaged

Japanese ground losses:
29 casualties reported

Airbase hits 4
Airbase supply hits 5
Runway hits 76

LOL dude... another aerial massacre, that this game is full of (obviously it's BG's style of play). Again, I lost more aircraft on paper, but it does not tell the whole story. Closer analysis of the results reveals that he used his CV daitais in setting this trap:

PO1 Kamisaka O. of AI-1 Daitai is credited with kill number 10
PO2 Bando M. of AII-1 Daitai is credited with kill number 7
1LT Jenkins N. of 18th FS is credited with kill number 8
1LT Jenkins N. of 18th FS is credited with kill number 9
PO1 Araki B. of DII-1 Daitai is credited with kill number 6
WO Nakajima F. of DII-1 Daitai is credited with kill number 4
LTJG Morita I. of CII-1 Daitai is credited with kill number 2
PO1 Banno C. of CII-1 Daitai is credited with kill number 2
1LT Scott C. of VMF-221 is credited with kill number 2
1LT Marshall J. of VMF-221 is credited with kill number 2
1LT Irvine H. of VMF-221 is credited with kill number 4
PO2 Kumagaya E. of BI-1 Daitai is credited with kill number 2
WO Nakajima F. of DII-1 Daitai is credited with kill number 5

Thosa are his elite KB daitais, he sent to defend GG, and they lost 82 Zeros + pilots to AA in one day? Having seen this, his "vicotry" seems less attractive.

Furthermore....

Since he used CV daitais to do landbased work, I conclude he is giving up ever again using his CVs offensively, in blue water operations. I ASSUME he will use them only defensively, quite possibly hiding the ships in Japan, and using their daitais from landbases. I mean, if he plans to send KB with 40 EXP rookies to fight, we might see Mariana Turkey shoot some years too early.

After the above battle, I continued my attacks without having stopped them for a single day, while he retreated, so I am doing a good job [;)]

[Oleg Mastruko]

In all this reshuffling, Darwin in North Australia, was down to a single small airbase unit, so I could not (and will not) be able to base major air units there until I bring some larger airbase unit. He sensed this, and decided to send airstrikes towards Darwin. He sent many, this is just an example:

Day Air attack on Darwin , at 36,84

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 6
G3M Nell x 24
G4M1 Betty x 38
Ki-48 Lily x 55
Ki-46-II Dinah x 5

Allied aircraft
Wirraway x 2

Japanese aircraft losses
G4M1 Betty: 1 damaged
Ki-48 Lily: 4 damaged

Allied aircraft losses
Wirraway: 1 destroyed
B-17E Fortress: 2 destroyed

Resources hits 2
Airbase hits 1
Airbase supply hits 1
Runway hits 29

Since I haven't had many airunits there the damage was limited to supplies, mostly (once he caught couple AKs and MSW in harbor, sunk and damaged some).

[Oleg Mastruko]

So, I have like 40-50 units in Brisbane, waiting transport to PH (mostly), units for India are already shipped back (some still wait in Brisbane).

In South Pacific, a Division and big airbase unit are taken from Noumea and are being shipped back to PH. New Zealanders are being brought in Numea.

When I took over there were 3-5 units in PH, now there are over 40, including 3 army divisions (Marines are still in Oz, waiting to go back), when I took over there were 12 aircraft in PH (PBY unit), now there is 500 aircraft there....

[Nikademus]

how many turns a day do you do Oleg?

[Oleg Mastruko]

OK here is the territorial division of commands I use for this game.

1 is SEAC, English and their friends, it's very simple, whatever is assigned to SEAC goes here. By mid-43 I expect SEAC to control the marked area on the map. (Perhaps not the whole Malaya, but certainly parts of Burma with some bases in North Sumatra).

2. is China, screwed up to the max in this game. They will defend, survive, and perhaps be used to base airforces there.

3. is ANZAC. This huuuge area is sole responsibility of Australia and NZ commands, plus airbase units initially assigned to SWPAC. No SOPAC units will be wasted there, and no huge non-airbase US (let anole UK) will be sent there. So, no US infantry units here (when I took over there were dozens, including two Marine divisions, 3 or 4 army divisions, Canadian brigade...)

There is I believe one US army division assigned to SWPAC, that I don't know what to do with. I may actually go against the above rule and leave them in the area for the time being.

4. is SOPAC. All SOPAC units are to prep and plan on retaking the red dots in this area, but they will not attack from the south, raher from the north. So, for the time being, all SOPAC units are to be shipped to PH and prepare there.

5. is CENTPAC + NORPAC + SOPAC in reserve until operations vs Gilberts commence in earnest. This incredibly huge force will be concetrated in this area, which means - Wake.

North Pacific and West Coast are not marked on the map, because it's like obvious. Alaska and Aleutians are obviously backwater, and will receive breadcrumbs (currently, two RCTs and 3-4 small baseunits + 3 PBY units, I do not plan to send anything else there).

[Oleg Mastruko]

4. (SOPAC) on the map above is currently the emptiest area on the map when it comes to Allied units. My bases there are completely empty except for Canton which will have one medium airbase (90 AS) + CD unit, and Palmyra which has one small airbase unit. All SOPAC, CENTPAC and NORPAC units (save for couple in Alaska) are to be shipped to PH (or are already there).

These are my USN plans:

Purple is Phase One, recapture of Wake, to be completed in Oct 42 (this means now, as we're already some days in Oct)

Green is Phase Two, Marcus and/or Eniwetok (depedning on his defences). I am boarding 3 full divisions (unfortunatelly, infantry, not Marines, as they are still in Oz where my predecessors shipped them), plus 4 RCTs and innumerable smaller units in PH as we speak, and plan to offload 1 division on Wake. It should be enough, if not I will immediatelly offload another. If I don't take Wake with two divisions I will do sepukku on the roof of turret A of my flagship (BB Washington).

I will immediatelly fly recon over Marcus and Eniwetok, and if I see them empty or weakly defended will proceed with Green phase immediatelly and have major bases on Marcus and/or Eniwetok by New Year 43. If I find them strongly defended, which I think is unlikely, given the concetration of forces in the south in this game, I will postpone Eniwetok deadline to End Feb 43.

Surprise, and speed are everything, because I believe my opponent still believes I am concetrated in Australia and I must capitalize on that.

Yellow is phase three, now SOPAC units, that I kept in reserve so far, finally come into play, and they invade, islolate, destroy and mop up the Gilberts. Deadline for having all dots in this area in allied hands is End March 43, with some tougher fortresses taking perhaps longer to subdue.

After that I'll see what to do next [:D]

[Oleg Mastruko]

ORIGINAL: Nikademus

how many turns a day do you do Oleg?

Depends on many factors, but on average I can do quite a lot. Now while I wait for THE PATCH (you know, the patch? [:D][:D]) to start new game(s) I have only two games active, even though phenomenally brilliant Call of Duty 2 takes some of free time too.

I can do many turns. With Mog in lunacy series and in UV days doing 6-8 turns per day wasn't unheard of, once routine sets in. With BG we usually do 2-3 per day (it may slow down when major operations get underway).

O.

[Nikademus]

wow....must be nice....am i the only one here with a life? [:D]