To the Death - Buttsworth versus Son of Heaven

[matt.buttsworth]

19th of June
Disaster.
Lop Buri north of Bangkok has been occupied by the Japanese. Our attack force is now stranded facing supplied Japanese divisions.
More troops are being urgently rushed to recapture Lop Buri but they will take a number of turns to get there.
Menado is being reinforced by the Japanese after the failed attack.
I am not very good at attacking!

[matt.buttsworth]

June 20th

In a sudden counter attack the carrier fleets hit the Japanese troop transport fleet at Menado. Despite opposition from zeros 170 dauntlesses and 50 swordfish swoop down from the sky onto the ships. Bomb after bomb converts the fleet to a burning wreck while torpedoes crash into the ships still floating. 12 ships are sunk. Sadly some Japanese make it ashore and 12,000 Japanese troops are now there.
Menado will no longer be an easy conquest. Massive force will be required.
At Pinrang the Japanese base units are destroyed while two Japanese divisions are surrounded. They will soon be destroyed.
Indian troops rush towards Lop Buri.
Surprisingly there appears to be no Japanese troops there.
If there are no troops there how did the Japanese seize it.
Battle will soon begin to find out who is there.
In India a secret plan goes into operation.

[matt.buttsworth]

21st June
There are no Japanese at Lop Buri so why it reverted to Japanese control when no one was there is a mystery. An Indian Brigade is now ordered to capture it, securing the supply line for the troops at Bangkok. Why Pedro did not attack them while they were cut off is unknown. It was a great opportunity for him.
At Menado 150 divebombers and 40 torpedo bombers attack again pouring 1000 pd bombs and torpedoes into the invasion fleet. Many ships are left hulking wrecks but APs are still at the port. The attack is ordered to continue.
At Pinrang the Japanese are surrounded and the extermination continues.
How to capture Menado now the Japanese are ashore is a difficult question.

[matt.buttsworth]

24th June
The two Japanese divisions at Pinrang have been eliminated. The attack at Bangkok failed but more troops will be sent on their way.
Menado is being reinforced by air and may be too difficult to conquer. Tarakan only has four thousand troops. A quick invasion of tarakan would further cut of Japanese oil and allow an expansion across Borneo.
The invasion could be launched now but shortage of fuel will delay carrier support.
After the experience of Menado no invasion will be launched without carrier support.
The aim is to conquer Tarakan, Jolo Island and then Borneo. Cagayan is also a target.
There are only 1000 troops at telokoping so that is also possible but there are 25,000 troops at Pelembang so a large force would be required to subdue them.
Once Tarakan and Jolo have been captured that is also a possibility.
The allies will now attack!

[matt.buttsworth]

the plans progress slowly.
In bitter fighting two Japanese carriers were sunk at the cost of one british carrier, while another American carrier was sunk by a surprise Japanese carrier raid.
This battle marks the end of the Japanese carrier fleet which has now lost 6 carriers as well as a cvl and cve.
The Allies have 4 active carriers, and a US and British carrier being repaired as well as the Hermes.
The plan is to attack Tarakan, then Jolo, then the northern ports of Borneo.
After that sumatra could be conquered, or a landing in Vietnam to break the deadlock in Thailand, and allow the conquest of Singapore and an eventual invasion into China.
Sumatra would cut of all sources of oil.
Cagayan is also a more distant possiblility as it is not deemed strategically important.

[matt.buttsworth]

4th of September.
The attack on Tarakan will be launched next turn.
Japanese fighters and bombers attack the carrier fleet to be fought off by carrier planes.
Carrier planes are running low and the carriers need a rest.
If Tarakan is taken next turn with minimal damage to the carriers then all is well.
It is nerve wracking waiting for the next combat replay file.

M

[matt.buttsworth]

November 17 1942

My apologies for not describing the conflicts. Work intruded. The AAR is resuming.

Situation: Tarakan and the East coast of Borneo have been conquered.
On the West coast Singkawang and Kuching have been conquered.
On the North coast an invasion fleet is en route to Jessulton and will land next turn. The aim is to prevent it developing into a major air base.
Reserves are available.
Brunei and Miri will be conquered next.
The Malay peninsula has been conquered. Sumatra is isolated and my opponent has received no oil for months.
Few Japanese naval fleets have been sighted and it is not known how much fuel he has left.
The area of conflict is Bangkok. 200,000 Japanese troops are trapped there but with 5 level fortifications they are holding out. It is not known how long they can hold out without supplies being landed. The troops are isolated by an australian brigade to the east.
As soon as the north coast of Brunei is conquered allied troops will be landed in Cambodia to conquer Cambodia and Vietnam.
Debates are raging as to whether to conquer Sumatra or let the Japanese troops there rot.
The allies are short of carriers.
Only two active carriers and 3 cves accompanying Jesselton invasion fleet.
One British cv is coming back from US to Noumea.
A US CV is being repaired in SF but will be reeady to return soon.
When it returns the Allies will have a strong CV fleet again.
The US have lost 4 CV. The Japanese 6 CV, and 4 CVLS and CVEs.
Taiwan. the Philippines and the Pacific islands await.
Any advice on how to take Bangkok?

MB

[matt.buttsworth]

24th September Borneo has fallen to allied forces. Failure to tell destroyers not to bombard led to terrible losses but all Northern Borneo ports have fallen to allied forces.
The only Japanese sources of oil left are in Sumatra but that is completely isolated. The conquest of Vietnam is now to begin with invasion fleets on their way to conquer Saigon. This will cut off Japanese troops in Cambodia and complete the isolation of Bangkok.
The aim is to capture Saigon and other southern vietnamese southern ports with seaborne troops before allowing Indian Brigades to complete the conquest of the rest of Vietnam and open the land route to CHina.
Once the southern Vietnamese ports have been seized, the conquest of Sumatra will begin. From there a push into Cagayan is possible before completing the conquest of the Pacific.
The carrier fleet consists of two carriers and support CVEs. A British CV is on its way and is near Noumea. An American CV is one or two turns away from being repaired at SF before commencing the long trip back to theatre.
A third American cv is damaged and is still on its way to SF to be repaired.
The Hermes is being repaired at Pearl and is months away from being fit to fight.
After Sumatra? Where should the allies strike?

MB