The Good The Bad & The Indifferent

[crsutton]

ORIGINAL: pws1225

Quick question: can troops landed at Ramree Island cross over to the mainland on their own, or do they need to lifted via an amphibious TF? I'd check myself but since I'm at work (sigh) ...

They can cross via one hex side. The other is impassible. It is just a river crossing.

[obvert]

ORIGINAL: crsutton

ORIGINAL: pws1225

Quick question: can troops landed at Ramree Island cross over to the mainland on their own, or do they need to lifted via an amphibious TF? I'd check myself but since I'm at work (sigh) ...

They can cross via one hex side. The other is impassible. It is just a river crossing.

Yes. It's very defensible with that crossing and the terrain. Eventually a good place for troop and supply drops to Burma.

[Crackaces]

ORIGINAL: crsutton

ORIGINAL: pws1225

Quick question: can troops landed at Ramree Island cross over to the mainland on their own, or do they need to lifted via an amphibious TF? I'd check myself but since I'm at work (sigh) ...

They can cross via one hex side. The other is impassible. It is just a river crossing.

Yes but there are three hexsides to disscuss [using the F6 key] one hexside has the red line .. prohibiting crossing to hex 54/47; the other hexside toward 54/49 is connected by a blue hexside ... the hexside to 55/48 is purple and enables ground movement ..

Blue = Ocean/Lake hexside - Naval unit movement only
»» Purple = River hexside - Ground unit movement only
»» Green = Ground unit movement only
»» White = Both Naval and Ground unit movement
»» Red = Impassable hexside - No Naval or Ground unit movement

[pws1225]

Thanks crsutton, obvert and Crackaces. That helps me appreciate the scope of CR's plan.

[Canoerebel]

At this point I don't plan to use Ramree to funnel troops into Burma, though that may change later.  Right now, the plan is two fold:  (1) Operational:  to establish a base with a good garrison and to build the airfield large; and (2) Strategic:  To further disturb John's mind over the situation in Burma.  He's already concerned by the Allied buildup to the north, so this should rattle him further (especially being done in tandem with the Gilberts invasion, another sniffing ship enroute to Cocos, and some feints I'm making up the road towards Carnavon in west Oz.

[GreyJoy]

As far as i can tell, you have already won in Burma. John really screwed up in this theatre. He won't be able to dislodge all those vectors pointed towards the very heart of the Valley.
 
Nice job Dan

[Crackaces]

In my first PBEM game [scenario #1] I attacked and took Tarawa easily In April '42 but I too did not bring along a BF .. that was costly as over 2 months the IJ took thier toll with BB's and air strikes against this one lone outpost and the IJ build up 4 bases to do thier worse almost every turn . .. and I could not keep any aircover over Tarawa ... The good news in my case was that eventually I got bases built up and then it was Katy Bar the door ....

[Canoerebel]

The Gilberts operation is just a way of vexxing John more than anything.  I don't need them, but they're pretty important/worrysome for him.  He'll give them attention and, while he's doing that, I'll be active elsewhere.  Bottom line, though, is that I jumped at this chance with what I had on hand at Pearl when the door opened.  I only had enough lift capacity to bring the troops brought.  I'm pretty slim on supply too.  Each target has two xAKs loaded only with supply.

[Canoerebel]

The eve of the invasion and no detection.

[paullus99]

Wow - that's going to generate an interesting response.....

[Canoerebel]

Yeah, and the complete KB is 26 hexes southeast of Tarawa at Tulagi.

[paullus99]

Can you "pump and dump?" as the OTC traders call it?

[Canoerebel]

That's the plan.  One day.  One shot.  Then scatter and vamose.  My combat ships should be fine.  The xAKs are expendable.  So my real concern is limited to the APs.  They all bug out on D-Day.  Does that mean Admirals Turner and Fletcher are around?

[Canoerebel]

6/1/42
 
CenPac:  Based on the info I have, I'm not expecting heavy oppostion on any of these islands - hopefully no more than a naval guard unit, though who knows with Tarawa.  There's the lack of SigInt of anything bound to these islands, no base building going on, and the total lack of patrol activity, that's probably on target.  But I only have the smallest of windows here.  I either take these tomorrow or I probably don't take them at all.  I'm already ordering CM Oglala TF and a replenishment TF to retire.  Everything else, though, will continue on mission.  I expect John to send the KB post haste.  I'm going to lose some ships.  He's going to get pretty excited.  He's also going to know he was caught with his pants down, which won't do wonders for his confidence.  I hope.
 
SoPac:  Full KB sighted at Tulagi.  Yikes!  26 hexes from Tarawa.  I have flankers and pickets out.  They are a nervous bunch.
 
NoPac:  The Allies will send the first supply TF into Cold Bay in a few days.  John's regularly sending Kates without escorts.  In a few days, the Kates will meet two good Canadian Kittyhawk squadrons and a top notch American P-40E squadron.
 
Oz:  32nd Division is ashore.  An IJA armored unit took vacant Cloncurry and then bugged out heading for Normanton.  Day after tomorrow, Kanga force will paratroop into Cloncurry.
 
Cocos Island: CL Perth will begin sniffing the periphery tomorrow, hoping to draw some detection.
 
Ramree Island:  The fast transport TF is eight hexes north of Trincomalee.  D-Day will be in two or three days.
 
China:  The Chinese withdrawal continues orderly and largely unmolested.  John has a zillion bombers hitting Chengte, doing nothing.  Others are messing up the remaining Chinese at Liuchow, but they'll be in jungle tomorrow.
 
Outlook:  Tomorrow is an important day.  I'm not using anything I can't afford to lose.  If things go well, John will be quite unsettled.  That's the real purpose of all this pricks and probes.  May synergy prevail. 

[Paladin1dcs]

I must have missed it, but what do you mean by "sniffing" around Cocos Island and why are you using a CL instead of a DD or something else, like a SS or CA? What are you hoping to accomplish by doing this and raising your detection level?

[Canoerebel]

My opponent knows I place a high value on Cocos Island.  My opponent is concerned that I'm going to invade the island.  I'm not, but I want him to remain concerned.  So I send forth a ship that he will sight.  He will wonder and worry and probably base some Netties there.  I want Netties there rather than where I'm actually invading. 
 
We've done this once before - he sighted DD Vendetta ten days ago and moved Netties to Cocos.
 
I'm using CL Perth this time because she was the only available ship.  She had been escorting a CM/APD fast transport TF carrying a port service unit to Cocos back when I thought about invading the island; that TF has been holding south of Cocos until I felt the need to dispatch a probing combat ship.

[Canoerebel]

The turn is away to John.  I won't be able to see what happens until tomorrow morning.  John hasn't posted in his AAR in awhile, but I have a feeling he's going to update tonight.  The first comment will be an exclamation, but the majority of his energy will be devoted to the response by his carriers. 
 
P.S.  I don't think he knows there whereabouts of my carriers, but I think he'll decide that the full KB is willing to risk at clash in open waters at this point of the game (by open waters I mean that none of my new bases - assuming I take any - have airfields).

[paullus99]

I bet he'll be expecting you to be bringing the kitchen sink, instead of a shoe-string operation. I also bet he'll be salivating at the "chance" of hitting your carriers too......too bad it'll be a rush into thin air (lol).

Again, sometimes I believe John is over-amazed at his own superiority.....

[Crackaces]

ORIGINAL: paullus99

I bet he'll be expecting you to be bringing the kitchen sink, instead of a shoe-string operation. I also bet he'll be salivating at the "chance" of hitting your carriers too......too bad it'll be a rush into thin air (lol).

Again, sometimes I believe John is over-amazed at his own superiority.....

agreed ...[;)] and the full speed dash will burn precious fuel ... fuel needed if this game ever gets to 1944 ... I think CR has something up his sleeve and wants the KB to dash around a bit in the Marshalls ...

[Paladin1dcs]

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

My opponent knows I place a high value on Cocos Island.  My opponent is concerned that I'm going to invade the island.  I'm not, but I want him to remain concerned.  So I send forth a ship that he will sight.  He will wonder and worry and probably base some Netties there.  I want Netties there rather than where I'm actually invading. 

We've done this once before - he sighted DD Vendetta ten days ago and moved Netties to Cocos.

I'm using CL Perth this time because she was the only available ship.  She had been escorting a CM/APD fast transport TF carrying a port service unit to Cocos back when I thought about invading the island; that TF has been holding south of Cocos until I felt the need to dispatch a probing combat ship.

Ah, so it's more of a PsyOps mission than anything else. That makes quite a bit of sense, thanks for the explaination.