Quisling! An AFB does Japan (No PanzerKat)

[RangerJoe]

ORIGINAL: John B.

I basically have no supply routes anymore. I send supplies to china and that's it. I have supply at Guam and Saipan and they get more supplies now and again but I can't get anything to Manila except what I fly in so most of my ships are in port.

[:(]

[John B.]

Ah, it's ok. I have a 20K VP lead right now so it's a matter of hanging tight and looking for opportunities. Fight well and die hard is our motto (but I do reserve the right to whine now and again).

[John B.]

We're just about 1/2 the way through September and it's been a couple of relatively quiet turns after the Kamikaze carrier battles from earlier on in the month. Many medals are being handed out to the flak boys today. Scott has started to come in lower over Manila hitting the ground troops and thus taking higher flak losses. And, his heavies raided Naha (Okinawa) and took several losses.

[John B.]

In southern China he has expanded to the east basically by sending out his armor battalions. I bombed them last time and I'll try again this time. The one note of concern was that only one of my fighter squadrons did the sweep that was ordered. Let's hope today they do better!

I'm taking resources out of China at Fusan and sending supplies via Tsingtao which will continue to be important. Manila continuing to hold out is good in that it's tying down a large portion of his army and it makes his air force divide its attentions.

[John B.]

As for Manila, it still has 86K left in supply. Scott has started to bombard again as I think he's getting impatient to clear it away. The results have not been devastating for him, but these are nice additions to my VP total. It's too bad I'm not hitting the combat engineer regiments in these attacks but they're probably not shooting.

I'm flying out one of the two air HQ to save on supply and reduce the number of losses when Manila falls. But, so far it has served it's purpose very well!

[RangerJoe]

If you can, put a little LRCAP on his airbases. Especially his bomber bases as that will raise his operational losses.

[John B.]

That's a good idea. I'll just have to find out which base has the bombers I think it's in northern Luzon but it may have moved to Taiwan.

[John B.]

In today's version of "Did you know?" Did you know that invading the Pescadores islands counts as invading the Japanese Home Islands? Scott invaded them this turn and in my reinforcement phase all of the Depot divisions showed up because the HI had been invaded. Seems a bit odd, but who am I to complain about that. I guess the chief advantage that accrues to me is that they get a chance to be fully fleshed out when and if the real invasion comes.

[John B.]

Speaking of the invasion my mine field did ok and the fortress in its last gasp may have taken some AMs and AMcs with it. A few VP to replace the losses.

[John B.]

Not much in the air, just more allied operational air losses.

[John B.]

But another bloody turn of allied bombardments at Manila! Two Es did run in a fast transport to Manila this turn and made it. 130 supply (woohoo) but I'm sure it made the Manila garrison feel better.

[John B.]

Another day with not much happening. Scott had some flak losses over Manila (where he hammered the airfield) and ops losses.

[John B.]

Sadly Scott seems to have stopped his bombardments of Manila and is focusing his efforts on the airfield. But that does reduce the number of sorties he flies over China! Not much happening here. Scott has run into the MLR and does not appear to be strong enough to punch through anywhere. I have about 5-6 more divisions heading towards the battle front and I've also set up positions behind the main lines.

I'm building up Kukong as a larger airbase. Let's hope I get it to level 3 before Scott decides to start bombing it. But, the more he has to focus his attention on various airfields the easier it is on my ground troops.

Scott took the Pescadores, big surprise, but not in time to save some of the ships that had been hit the turn before as I heard sinking sounds in both naval repair phases.

[BBfanboy]

ORIGINAL: John B.

In today's version of "Did you know?" Did you know that invading the Pescadores islands counts as invading the Japanese Home Islands? Scott invaded them this turn and in my reinforcement phase all of the Depot divisions showed up because the HI had been invaded. Seems a bit odd, but who am I to complain about that. I guess the chief advantage that accrues to me is that they get a chance to be fully fleshed out when and if the real invasion comes.

Pescadores country code is 103, not 100 like the main islands of Japan. The reinforcements might also be triggered by an invasion within a certain distance of the Home Islands after a certain date - like the kamikaze activation. BTW, all of the Kuriles except Paramushiro Jima have country code 101 rather than 100. I have invaded islands in the Kuriles in 1943 without triggering any reinforcements in Japan. (I looked from the Japanese side because I wondered about that).

[John B.]

That's interesting. Maybe it's after September 1944 as Scott invaded Taiwan prior to September and some of the smaller islands near Okinawa with no ill effect.

[John B.]

Drama in China. Scott launched a deliberate assault on my two divisions in the right hand circle. Even though he pounded me with almost the entire strategic air force and lots of carrier planes, I lost 11 squads and so did Scott. On the right, Scott has dropped the 11th airborne division. This may be a city too far. He did not take the hex and now he's surrounded in it. I've got lots of bombers flying in and sweeps and some CAP. We'll see if my division can shock attack him and make this a city too far (cue dramatic music). Given that I own all of the hexsides, can he leave? I don't think so. And, there are two divisions standing between him and the supply line.

Scott did shoot down a bunch of my fighters over Hong Kong. Sigh. That will never get better.

[John B.]

Sadly there is no drama to report in my secret carrier operation. I moved my escort CVs to west of pearl harbor hoping to catch some transport or tanker fleet heading to or from Pearl. Nothing on the first day of the operation and I don't think Scott spotted me yet (or I hope he did not). I can't stay down here too long as I'm far far from home but I think at least two more days. If nothing comes up, I'll try a port strike on Midway and hope that's a sub base.

[RangerJoe]

The 11th Airborne is cut off. Destroy it and if he rebuilds it, it will take a lot of his replacements. He will learn what Monty did at Arnhem.

[John B.]

That's the plan, I'm trying a shock attack this turn but I suspect he will plaster me with bombs. I have two more divisions moving in. Unless he can break through my divisions in the rough terrain he's got a problem.

[RangerJoe]

I would only shock attack if there is a lot of disruption on the enemy unit. The shock attack gives the defenders two shots at your units using the shock attack.