Nothing Up My Sleeve: Magical Moose Tricks--Bullwinkle58 vs.1EyedJacks

[JocMeister]

Nice work! [:)]

[Bullwinkle58]

ORIGINAL: BBfanboy

Wow - he left a large BF at Johnston just to support 8 Zeros and perhaps some patrol AC? Seems like an AVP or two for the Patrols would be more economical use of scarce resources. I wonder if that BF had naval support to enable reload of sub torps. It's a tough call, risking an AS vs a BF.

No bombers hitting Palembang? They could be all sent to deal with Singers or Burma.

No, he left the base force to support 40 Zeroes. Previous to Operation NEUMAN there were patrol planes there, but I'm not sure they would have helped here unless there also were bombers. The base only had Zeroes.

In email Mike indicated he thought he would get far more utility out of the mines than he did. To be truthful I would have thought that too, for a field of circa 250 at an atoll. He might have been using the troop count as bait for BBs and the mines to deal with them. Also the mini-subs. Not a terrible plan. The main function of Johnson and Palmyra right now is to slow me down and make Pearl eat a much larger garrison than I would normally have there. These two, plus Christmas, have consumed most of the USN's efforts for four months now, for very little Japanese investment. And Palmyra is still a wound in the side of the Allied defense line, with planes able to reach deep into the transit lanes to Pearl and Oz.

Before NEUMAN my impression was Johnson was well on its way to being a fully-functioning forward base, with support ships. It certainly helped with the sub effort around PH in January and February.

I agree about Palembang. One thing Japan has done since the beginning has been to split the bombers between Singers, Palembang, and the PI, leaving room at all three to fort-build. Now they're concentrated at Singers, but maybe too late.

[Bullwinkle58]

ORIGINAL: JocMeister

Nice work! [:)]

Thanks. Not out of the woods yet, but getting there.

[Bullwinkle58]

April 16, 1942

Clean Up and Prep

RIFF-RAFF progresses toward a conclusion. FUDD is in motion.

1) TFs continue to call at Johnson, overstacking the base but getting the pieces in place for a rapid build out. Two RO-boats, one in the harbor and one to the NE where the carriers were, are attacked by ASW; one takes 8 hits, some penetrating, the other minor damage. A mini-sub also still lurks and is hit twice, usually enough to sink. Johnson now has Wildcats and SBD-1s on search although the AF has 80+% damage. More AV support is unloading and the field should be good in 3-4 days. The carriers are headed home, as are the BBs. Two minelayers are inbound with 80 mines.

2) In Burma a very small armor unit enters Prome's hex alone, in advance of the Chinese corps two miles behind. Japn does not attack, however. Probe bombing still shows the 2nd RTA division, although recon shows two LCUs present.

In a major boo-boo, a certain Moose did not look at devices in the "para" unit sitting at Port Blair prepping for Bassein. Despite "Para" in the device description (Cdo/para), it is not para-capable. Bassein has walking-in units detailed, but it will remain a valid retreat hex from Prome should that base fall.

The Rangoon landing TF is at sea. The RN heavies are one hex from Pt. Blair. The RN reaction force is sent north to meet and merge with an important incoming invasion TF since the red cruiser icons still lurk between Pt. Blair and the coast.

The Straits of Malacca are mined at a one-hex-wide choke point with ore to come. Three subs with good fish on on station along its length. If the cruisers try to retreat by this path there's a chance.

The Fish sortie again from Pt. Blair, scoring one torpedo hit on a CL, then the Blenheims stick it with two bombs. It should sink this time.

llied aircraft
Blenheim IV x 12
Hurricane IIa Trop x 6
Hurricane IIb Trop x 4

Allied aircraft losses
Blenheim IV: 1 destroyed by flak

Japanese Ships
DD Natsugumo
DD Arashio
CL Kashii, Bomb hits 2, heavy fires, heavy damage

3) LRCAP tangles again with bombers and Oscars over the mountain stack. 1 bomber downed, two damaged for one AVG fighter.

4) I have not documented each submarine attack in the Sea of Japan, but yet another today on a small convoy. What Japanese "expert" was it who proclaimed the Sea of Japan was a useless patrol ground for the Allies? Oh, yeah. Him.

[BBfanboy]

Some would pooh-pooh the sinking of a few xAKLs as being not worth the effort, but those are the ones that can be converted to PBs, ACMs, CMcs and such annoyances. Better to take them down with sub gunfire now and when you get working torps, you have more worthy targets for them. [:)]

[Bullwinkle58]

ORIGINAL: BBfanboy

Some would pooh-pooh the sinking of a few xAKLs as being not worth the effort, but those are the ones that can be converted to PBs, ACMs, CMcs and such annoyances. Better to take them down with sub gunfire now and when you get working torps, you have more worthy targets for them. [:)]

Gotta be careful what I say as I don't want a cross-AAR opsec breach.

I agree with you. Any Japanese ship sunk, of any kind (but not at any cost) is a milestone on the road to victory. I am just now getting radar and the first sub deck gun upgrades. I expect more surface actions soon. At least against the AI they pick up after the first upgrade wave.

I have made it the central tenet of my game plan to go after petroluem. Small merchants don't play a big role there directly, but they can in extremis, and, as you say, in the game structure have overarching roles as escort conversions. Everything in the economic models comes down to Oil. HI, supplies, aircraft, mobility. Those players who persist in just bashing each other, running up huge totals of sunk and destroyed, are misisng a lot of what is there in the game. In this match, for both sides, after the carnage of the initial ten days' scatter and retreat, naval losses have been quite modest. Almost historical. I believe the USN lost in total, through the whole war, about 70 destroyers. I've seen AARs where that is a month's figure.

Mike is taking prudent risks, and I'm trying to do the same. It's far more edge-of-the-seat than just sailing stacks of metal at each other and bashing away. I want to dissect Japan one cut at a time. That doesn't lead to a lot of big battles, and maybe less AAR traffic than some other games, but it works for me.

[BBfanboy]

ORIGINAL: Bullwinkle58

ORIGINAL: BBfanboy

Some would pooh-pooh the sinking of a few xAKLs as being not worth the effort, but those are the ones that can be converted to PBs, ACMs, CMcs and such annoyances. Better to take them down with sub gunfire now and when you get working torps, you have more worthy targets for them. [:)]

Gotta be careful what I say as I don't want a cross-AAR opsec breach.

I agree with you. Any Japanese ship sunk, of any kind (but not at any cost) is a milestone on the road to victory. I am just now getting radar and the first sub deck gun upgrades. I expect more surface actions soon. At least against the AI they pick up after the first upgrade wave.

I have made it the central tenet of my game plan to go after petroluem. Small merchants don't play a big role there directly, but they can in extremis, and, as you say, in the game structure have overarching roles as escort conversions. Everything in the economic models comes down to Oil. HI, supplies, aircraft, mobility. Those players who persist in just bashing each other, running up huge totals of sunk and destroyed, are misisng a lot of what is there in the game. In this match, for both sides, after the carnage of the initial ten days' scatter and retreat, naval losses have been quite modest. Almost historical. I believe the USN lost in total, through the whole war, about 70 destroyers. I've seen AARs where that is a month's figure.

Mike is taking prudent risks, and I'm trying to do the same. It's far more edge-of-the-seat than just sailing stacks of metal at each other and bashing away. I want to dissect Japan one cut at a time. That doesn't lead to a lot of big battles, and maybe less AAR traffic than some other games, but it works for me.

Well, I am finding this AAR an entertaining read in both style and novel thinking about strategy and tactics.
The small cut dissection only goes so far - at some point you are gonna bring out the bone saw ... [X(]

[zuluhour]

Well, I am finding this AAR an entertaining read in both style and novel thinking about strategy and tactics.

+1

[Bullwinkle58]

April 17, 1942

FUDD Re-Phased

So, the snow continues to fall here. It is what it is. Shoveled for an hour yesterday as I had time. Turns this week have been sparse due to life issues at the other end. Email with the movie this morning said the turn won't be out until tonight at earliest.

1) RIFF-RAFF unloading continues at Johnson. Base should be overloaded at least 3000 by tomorrow, with more to come. 7th Marines are the difference, but they're staying until some defense is built. I don't want to play ping-pong with this hex anymore. Intel picks up a TF heading east nearby. Could very well be the KB. If so the small Wildcat CAP will do its best, and the small, new minefield as well, but the USN is unloading, hell or high water. Some new radar-equipped subs are also west of the island with more coming out of the yards at Pearl every day.

The mini-sub left behind was finally dispatched. First for me: seeing a mini pounded and forced to surface to be sunk by gunfire.

2) Standard air games all over the map. Singers intensely bombed, but damage is catching up I think. Yesterday the engineers repaired everything right back to zero exactly. No fort building, but nearly. (I found an engineer unit here with 15 morale and looked at the CO. Possibly the worst commander in the game with Land at 19 and Leadership in low teens. He's gone.)

Near Chengtu the Hudsons finally hit the tanks playing road-stopper and destroy 2 and damge 2 more.

Bataan get its normal ration of bombs. The supply shot in flowed almost 100% into base forces and not combat LCUs. Another xAK is loading at Palembang to try again. The first loaded a big chunk of the Cavite Naval Base Force without any supplies and is speeding back to Palembang. If the second ship makes it I'll try to pull out some tanks.

LRCAP and the daily bombers NE of Tsuyung duel for about equal losses. The AVG can't keep this up, but it's buying time. 24 new transport planes are now flying from Ledo to Paoshan every day. The internal LCU supply levels there are about half-full and not terrible any longer. When they're full I hope to get fort building going again.

The Chinese corps crossing the river north of Prome is hit lightly (it is CAPped) and should cross in two days.

Rangoon is hit in daylight without escort and the Blenheims lose 4. Still very light CAP here, which is what I wanted to know. The Allies hit the RTA division at Prome and do 20+ casualties.

And in a "hellllloooooo!" attack, the heavies at Port Blair strike all the way down to hit unloading ships at Kota Bharu from 8000 feet. They miss, but it's still worth the fatigue. This Liberator unit is fully repaired and rested to hit Rangoon on D-Day.

3) FUDD's carefully phased dreams are out the window, victim of low PPs, slow walking, and growing Allied fears that response forces are headed north.

The para drop at Bassein is off, making Ramree Island even more important. The Chinese corps walking there is taking three times forever, so a fragment of the Aussie 7th Div. is landed. This division has been loading at Cox's B. at a Level 1 port for twice forever, so the loaded portion is sent ahead and the body is sent marching for Akyab, where the port is far better.

At Prome the Chinese corps joins the light Cav unit, and they attack. There ARE two LCUs there--a second RTA division. The attack is fine. Another corps is several days east, and the one crossing the river will be four LCUs. The base might fall before they arrive, but when all four are in place they are an effective "second wave" for Rangoon, albiet land-based.

Ground combat at Prome (55,50)

Allied Deliberate attack

Attacking force 9977 troops, 38 guns, 40 vehicles, Assault Value = 400

Defending force 7935 troops, 76 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 324

Allied adjusted assault: 170

Japanese adjusted defense: 99

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

Allied Assault reduces fortifications to 0

Combat modifiers
Defender: forts(+), op mode(-), leaders(-), preparation(-)
experience(-)
Attacker: morale(-)

Japanese ground losses:
131 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 13 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

Allied ground losses:
173 casualties reported
Squads: 2 destroyed, 11 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled

Assaulting units:
43rd Cavalry Regiment
60th Chinese Corps

Defending units:
2nd RTA Division
4th RTA Division

The key TF carrying sea-based second-wave for Rangoon makes it into Port Blair to wait for the assault division, which is SE of Madras on a waypont set to bring it to the coast near Chittagong and then south under CAP. The RN heavies are just outside Pt. Blair, while the carriers are moving north of Pt. Blair with TBs loaded for CL. Red icons still lurk between Pt. Blair and the coast, although my best info is they are DDs. I do not go hunting them with the RN; don't want Japan to know BBs are around yet. The IJN CL hit yesterday reports as scuttled, and to my knowledge scuttled is usually/never FOWed. There are now three subs and mines in the Straits of Malacca.

Ashore, many LCUs are marching south from Chittagong, Cox's, and Akyab. The small jungle jump between Akyab and the yellow road is a big hassle, but once through that they make good time. Several good armor units are prepping for Pegu while marching. The hope is Pegu will still be open when they get there. So far no movement dots at Toungoo.

[BBfanboy]

Re: Fudd's execution, I offer two quotes:

"No plan ever survives first contact with the enemy" . [wait a minute ... what contact?]

And "We have met the enemy and he is us." [Pogo?][:'(]

[Bullwinkle58]

ORIGINAL: BBfanboy

Re: Fudd's execution, I offer two quotes:

"No plan ever survives first contact with the enemy" . [wait a minute ... what contact?]

And "We have met the enemy and he is us." [Pogo?][:'(]

Yeah, too true. I did predict a dog's breakfast. [:)]

The quote is from "Pogo" strip, but I'm not sure who said it. Probably him.

(How old am I that I remember Cold War "Pogo"?)

[JocMeister]

What the hell are you two talking about? [:D]

[Bullwinkle58]

ORIGINAL: JocMeister

What the hell are you two talking about? [:D]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pogo_(comic_strip)

[erstad]

Shoveled for an hour yesterday as I had time.

I've stopped shoveling on general principle.

[BBfanboy]

ORIGINAL: Bullwinkle58

ORIGINAL: BBfanboy

Re: Fudd's execution, I offer two quotes:

"No plan ever survives first contact with the enemy" . [wait a minute ... what contact?]

And "We have met the enemy and he is us." [Pogo?][:'(]

Yeah, too true. I did predict a dog's breakfast. [:)]

The quote is from "Pogo" strip, but I'm not sure who said it. Probably him.

(How old am I that I remember Cold War "Pogo"?)

You must be about the same age as me ... I remember the '60s because I'm in my 60s! Cheers, you old, Cold Warrior, you!

[Bullwinkle58]

ORIGINAL: erstad

Shoveled for an hour yesterday as I had time.

I've stopped shoveling on general principle.

I'm hoping it's over, but that day the driveway was plowed in knee-high.

Flurries now. Seven-day forecast doesn't go above 44. The Twins last night played the Mets and it was snowing in the early innings. Fans in full parkas and snowmobile suits. Just wrong.

[Bullwinkle58]

ORIGINAL: BBfanboy

ORIGINAL: Bullwinkle58

ORIGINAL: BBfanboy

Re: Fudd's execution, I offer two quotes:

"No plan ever survives first contact with the enemy" . [wait a minute ... what contact?]

And "We have met the enemy and he is us." [Pogo?][:'(]

Yeah, too true. I did predict a dog's breakfast. [:)]

The quote is from "Pogo" strip, but I'm not sure who said it. Probably him.

(How old am I that I remember Cold War "Pogo"?)

You must be about the same age as me ... I remember the '60s because I'm in my 60s! Cheers, you old, Cold Warrior, you!

Mid-50s, but I was a precocious child. [:)]

[Bullwinkle58]

April 18, 1942

Gonna Git Me Some Earl!

A day of bits and pieces.

1) Japanese begin landing at oil-bursting Babo. It and its brother B-base nearby have been at max oil inventory for over a month. There is a good Dutch sub in the harbor and another coming to sit in the channel, but nobody does any shooting. The landing is the 144th Inf. Reg. The base is empty. The subs will wait a bit and see if any sponges show up.

2) RIFF-RAFF continues to unload. Johnson almost has its runways back, but the port has 97% damage still. A Port Svcs unit ('C') is there and helping the supply build. The base is overstacked 3500 now and more is still coming in. It has two smallish minefileds. Two hexes east one of three ASW TFs gives RO-61 eight hits and penetrating damage; no other red icons are anywhere on this side of the map. The carriers are a day out of Pearl.

3) Singers gets six bombing raids, some very large, and only one has any esocrts at all! I almost moved a large fighter unit up to do a jump, but didn't at the last minute. Fort building has stopped for the last three days even though the engineers are repairing back to zero every night.

4) The Zeroes that didn't go to Singers find the xAK coming home from Bataan with part of the Cavite base force. Cannon strafing and 60kg bombs do her in. I think they flew from Singkawang.

5) All of the AVG LRCAP near Tsuyung is pulled back to rest except for one small fragment. Only one defender gets over the stack, but it downs 2 Sallys and damages 3 more. Gonna miss these AVG guys pretty soon.

6) The RTA garrison at Prome is bombed and then the two resident LCUs attack. They should have waited for the other two corps approaching. I re-looked at yesterday's attack and I think the 4th Div was unpacking from a strat move yesterday and was in Combat today. Still, these two "divisions" are weak tea.

Ground combat at Prome (55,50)

Allied Deliberate attack

Attacking force 9793 troops, 38 guns, 38 vehicles, Assault Value = 374

Defending force 7807 troops, 76 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 304

Allied adjusted assault: 20

Japanese adjusted defense: 37

Allied assault odds: 1 to 2 (fort level 0)

Combat modifiers
Defender: preparation(-), fatigue(-), experience(-)
Attacker: supply(-)

Japanese ground losses:
335 casualties reported
Squads: 1 destroyed, 23 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 7 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

Allied ground losses:
66 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 10 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 4 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Vehicles lost 12 (2 destroyed, 10 disabled)

7) Allies take Ramree Island with a fragment of the Aussie 7th Div. Given the discussion of Ramree in AARs I know Mike reads this might make him freak a little. I don't have base forces handy to do much with it right now, plus, if I take Rangoon the island is of secondary import. Still nice to take a bit of dirt back, no matter how small though. I'm going to let the incoming Chinese corps sit on it while the Aussies pass through to the road to Prome.

8) Using a bit of the supply snuck in by the late xAK, the Allies do a mini-bombardment at Bataan to show there's still life there and to get an intel-by-fire. It looks like some LCUs have been withdrawn from the siege. Still a large force, but interesting. Present are two full divisions and three Ind. Regs. plus tanks, arty, and a lot of engineers.

Ground combat at Bataan (78,77)

Allied Bombardment attack

Attacking force 10757 troops, 240 guns, 103 vehicles, Assault Value = 1458

Defending force 48279 troops, 472 guns, 524 vehicles, Assault Value = 1512

Japanese ground losses:
102 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 6 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Engineers: 1 destroyed, 4 disabled
Vehicles lost 6 (2 destroyed, 4 disabled)

Allied ground losses:
79 casualties reported
Squads: 2 destroyed, 4 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled

9) Way, way up north in China Japan has been camped at Urumchi for a long time. Inside they have been building forts using organic supply. Japan attacks, but does not prevail.

Ground combat at Urumchi (79,11)

Japanese Deliberate attack

Attacking force 2836 troops, 40 guns, 100 vehicles, Assault Value = 85

Defending force 1902 troops, 0 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 82

Japanese adjusted assault: 43

Allied adjusted defense: 35

Japanese assault odds: 1 to 1 (fort level 2)

Japanese Assault reduces fortifications to 1

Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+), leaders(+), experience(-)
Attacker:

Japanese ground losses:
114 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 14 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

Allied ground losses:
20 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 5 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled

Assaulting units:
1st Cavalry Brigade
4th Cavalry Brigade

Defending units:
303rd Brigade

10) FUDD forces keep moving. The key TF, the landing division for Rangon, is moving across the B. of B. Waypoints adjusted to be more direct, with cover provided by RN cariers. All IJN surface TFs have disappeared. Don't know to where. Maybe the coast south of Moulein, or maybe all the way back to the S. China Sea. The strait now has two small minefields in two 1-hex-wide chokes, and three subs with good fish. Two more subs are heading in, to base at SIngers, which can load mines. I want a plug in the Straits of Malacca for the next few weeks.

Still, the landing straight in at Rangoon is high risk, high reward. This game has been very "prudently" played by both sides. I want to shake things up, maybe force some errors, maybe upend some plans. If Rangoon works the next hope is Pegu, cut off Toungoo supply, and force Japan to a choice with that mega-stack.

11) In NorPac a regiment is landed with large supply pile on Unmak Island. This is intended to be built into a supporting air field for Dutch, then NorPac will pause for the winter. I have rough ideas for it in 1943 (it's the best route to strat bombing the HI IMO), but there are not enough assets to go around this summer to spread into NorPac in force. There's time to do that when amphibs are available, as well as some planes to spare.

[JocMeister]

If your Rangoon landing is a success I think you opponent will become...quite nervous! [:D] If you can entrench in the Jungles of Burma with the whole Chinese army in supply there...I don´t think he can move you out.

Any chance for a Burma map? [:)]

[Encircled]

Second that!