See you in Tokyo Bay - Apbarog(A) vs Walker(J) DBB-B Scen28

[apbarog]

Japanese Sub Losses - May 1943 - Page 2

[apbarog]

Allied Sub Losses - May 1943

[apbarog]

Future Targets

[apbarog]

May 1943 Miscellaneous Notes

Here's my supply and fuel situation in and around Australia, along with notable ships being repaired.

Sydney
Supply - 2,729,000
Fuel - 601,000
Ships - CV Hornet(13 days), CA Minneapolis(12 days), CA Quincy(12 days)

Melbourne
Supply - 78,000
Fuel - 109,000
Ships - 2 LSI(L) both were damaged at Geraldton

Brisbane
Supply - 35,000
Fuel - 69,000
Ships - CL Concord(10 days), 2 SS, some xAK and xAP

Rockhampton
Supply - 39,000
Fuel - 10,000
Ships - CVE Sangamon repairing SYS (SYS 25, FLT 63)

Townsville
Supply - 76,000
Fuel - 117,000

Cairns
Supply - 76,000
Fuel - 5,000

Normanton
Supply - 30,000
Fuel - 64,000

Darwin
Supply - 114,000
Fuel - 19,000

Auckland
Supply - 58,000
Fuel - 40,000
Ships - CVE Long Island(16 days)

Noumea
Supply - 39,000
Fuel - 241,000
Ships - CVE Chenango repairing SYS (SYS 6 FLT 48)

Suva
Supply - 166,000
Fuel - 307,000


Nearing Pearl Harbor
CVE Copahee(SYS 13, FLT 43)
CVE Nassau(SYS 22, FLT 13)

Heading to Noumea from Australia
CV Lexington


Walker should be back from his week of travel now. He said that he may do a turn on Sunday. Those of you who have been playing some form of WitP for over 10 years, like I have, and doing so on most days, know what it is like to suffer from AE withdrawl for a whole week. Yes, I'm anxiously awaiting a turn.

[IdahoNYer]

Looks great so far!

Can you show your overall Intelligence screen?

[apbarog]

Intelligence Screen - May 1943

[apbarog]

The sun (Japanese) will come out tomorrow. Hopefully.

[apbarog]

Nothing new to report again today. Hoping for a turn tomorrow.

[apbarog]

Turn!

Walker had tried to send the turn on Friday, while he was traveling. I received the email, but not the attachment, so we both waited on the other for a couple of days.

Port Hedland and the dot base to the south were both captured by paratroopers. Both were empty. More details later, after my turn is completed.

[apbarog]

9 May 43

A tiny enemy minesweeper sneaks into Babar and sweeps a single mine overnight. Could be an indication of future enemy interest here. Maybe just tired of losing destroyers to mines.

North of Japan, sub Cisco hits a patrol boat escorting some xAKLs.

Babar is swept and bombed again by the enemy.

PB4Y-1 Liberators try to bomb Tarawa's airfield. No hits are achieved, and Zeros and Rufes shoot down a bomber or two. My sweeps didn't happen.

Timoeka is bombed again by the enemy.

I tried a bombardment attack at Munda, just to gauge the enemy strength. The situation hasn't changed from months ago. Both sides have similar strength, with about 4000 troops.

Indian paratroopers drop on Port Hedland, and find the base completely empty. Port Hedland is captured. It is size 2 airfield and size 2 port. Just to the south, a part of a small commando unit drops on Corunna Downs. It is also empty and is captured.

Today the rest of the Indian para unit will be flown to Port Hedland. Then supply will be flown in. I don't plan on sending ships here for awhile. It's too dangerous, and too predictable. And not necessary. I'll fly in a base unit starting in a few days.

Enemy attention is still focused on Babar and Timoeka. SigInt says that an invasion is coming. Enemy minewsweeping at Babar shows more than a passing interest.

But the main show is at Saumlaki. Invasion forces and escorts will move from near Gove to 4 hexes from Saumlaki. Just a bit too far to get there at night, but we're going with what we have. KB has not been seen for a few days. My gut feeling is that it went to Soerbaja, for fuel or whatever. But that is based only on what I haven't seen, not what I have. It could be lurking nearby.

My invasion shipping, escorts, and carriers were not seen today. They will most likely be seen tomorrow, and probably attacked by subs.

A newly converted F6F squadron flew to Wasp today. The ship will pass Horn Island soon, on its way to join the other carriers. Essex is still at Balboa. Poor planning left me with no escorts there. A destroyer will arrive in 2 days.

[apbarog]

10 May 43

Sub Grunion hits an xAKL near Boela, but the torpedo is a dud.

North of Broome, sub Grenadier hits AMC Akagi Maru. I think that this is one of the merchant raiders. The ship did not have men on it, and I believe that it was inbound to Broome to evacuate troops. Escorts were spotted at Broome during the day, but no AMC was seen.

Babar is swept by Zeros and Oscars, as usual. Sallys bomb Babar, doing slight damage.

A couple of B-24 squadrons bomb Taberfane's airfield.

Sub S-35 gets a torpedo hit on TK Manei Maru near Boela. The tanker was not loaded.

Today Boela will get a maximum effort of heavy bombers. Most will hit the airfield. About 30 fighters are expected there, with 75 bombers spotted on the airfield. A couple of squadrons will target the port, where I see a couple of tankers.

I do my first recon of Kendari, and find the enemy carriers, and probably KB. Multiple task forces of combat ships also. KB could set up near Ambon and be in range of Saumlaki, and do so today, using normal speed. If Walker guesses that Saumlaki is my target. He may set up near Ambon and be in range of both Saumlaki and Babar. We may have a fight today.

I invade Saumlaki today, using lots of APAs. I hope to not lose too many, or any for that matter. BC Repulse and friends will escort there. Some Fletchers pull ASW duty to Saumlaki; others watch for surface combat. 3 US carriers will move just to the SE of Saumlaki, on the other side of the island.

Up by Ambon, 2 ocean hexes will be mined during the night. These are hexes that ships at Kendari could use, if they head my way.

Elsewhere, lots of ships and men heading here and there, getting ready for the next big show.

[BBfanboy]

Lots happening in that one screenshot.
How are your mine stocks holding up with all the ocean hex mining you have been doing?

[apbarog]

Today I will drop mines in ocean hexes, but I stay in the shallows most of the time. Given the situation, and knowing where his carriers are, I deemed it worth the attempt.

As for my mine supplies, my Mk 12's are now depleted, and I'll only get about 1 sub's worth each month. I have one Brit sub mining also. I'll have to check what mines it uses and its supply.

[apbarog]

11 May 1943

A quiet day with an invasion is a good day.

Lots of ASW activity. RO-107 is pounded near Babar. I-157 is badly damaged by subchasers.

Saumlaki is bombarded by cruisers New Orleans and Northampton. Decent damage to the 83rd Naval Guard Unit.

I-24 takes some minor hits from SC-635 near Saumlaki.

Troops unload at Saumlaki.

My large Fletcher task force, at Saumlaki for protection, is spotted by I-26. The sub torpedoes destroyer Cony, sinking it, and the sub escapes.

RO-60 takes some hits from destroyers near Saumlaki.

RO-107 takes some minor hits from the BC Repulse task force.

Back on New Guinea, Helens bomb the US 158th Infantry Regiment, northeast of Terapo. This regiment is the blocking force, isolating all of the enemy troops to the southeast. A small enemy unit moves into its hex. We will attack and attempt to remove the enemy unit, before others arrive.

Heavy bombers hit Boela. There are over 50 A6M3a Zeros. Most intercept after bombs are dropped. About 6 bombers are lost, with about a dozen fighters downed, and some Jills and Kates are hit on the ground. Damage to the airfield is rather light.

B-25s hit Taberfane's airfield. No CAP.

All troops unloaded successfully from the APAs at Saumlaki. Most of the supply was unloaded also, so today, everything leaves and heads to Darwin. A couple of cruisers detach from the Repulse task force to bombard. Bombers from Darwin and Gove will hit the enemy troops at Saumlaki. Heavy bombers will hit Taberfane.

US carriers will also move toward Darwin. Wasp will join the other 3 carriers. All have F6Fs now.

I've highlighted (in black) the hexes that I've mined near Ambon and Boela. Enemy carriers remained at Kendari. I expect them to cautiously get into range of Saumlaki today. Maybe in or near one of those mined hexes.

The next phase of operations may happen very quickly, with troops ready to go at Darwin, and APAs returning there now.

Over at Port Hedland, I start to fly in a base support unit. A search squadron and some bombers are moved in. I spotted an APD to the northwest, up by Waingapoe. It could be headed to Broome to evacuate troops, since the AMC that appeared to be headed there was hit by my sub yesterday. I see 2 units at Broome now. One is probably a small tank remnant that was originally at Darwin and ran west on the trails.

[jwolf]

Do you have enough at Saumlaki to take it, assuming ground forces stay as they are on both sides? I wonder if/when/how the Japanese will intervene as I suppose this is a really critical area for them.

[apbarog]

12 May 43

An enemy minesweeper finds my minefield south of Boela.

There's a few ASW encounters with ships withdrawing from Saumlaki. I-32 is sunk.

Sub Cisco finds another xAKL task force north of Japan. My subs here have seen xAKL task forces regularly, and xAK task forces very rarely, and with just a few ships. I'm not seeing big resource convoys that I'd expect from north of Japan. I wonder if Walker is shipping enough resources to the Home Islands.

Saumlaki is bombarded by 3 Brit cruisers. Good damage is done to the 83rd Naval Guard Unit.

Yesterday a couple of enemy subs were spotted adjacent to Horn Island. I've had a tiny minesweeper on duty in the straits, looking for mines, and today AM Bowen found a new minefield. I've expected this for a long time, but this is the first attempt at mining by Walker here. Today, I rush every minesweeper in the area to the minefield. The straits by Horn Island are very heavily traveled by Allied ships. I need to keep the straits clear.

Naval bombers from Darwin bomb enemy troops on Saumlaki, and do very poorly, apparently not hitting anyone. 45 B-25s from Gove also bomb, and at least hit some troops.

Northeast of Terapo, on New Guinea, the US 158th Infantry Regiment attacks remnants of the II/66th Naval Guard Unit. The attack goes at 10 to 1 in the jungle, and the enemy is forced back southeast to Kokoda.

Here's my first Saumlaki attack:

Ground combat at Saumlaki (78,117)

Allied Deliberate attack

Attacking force 7125 troops, 27 guns, 69 vehicles, Assault Value = 177

Defending force 1797 troops, 12 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 60

Allied engineers reduce fortifications to 1

Allied adjusted assault: 71

Japanese adjusted defense: 83

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

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

Japanese ground losses:
477 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 50 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 4 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 4 (1 destroyed, 3 disabled)

Allied ground losses:
168 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 15 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 3 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 6 disabled

Assaulting units:
77th LRP Brigade
17th Base Maint Engineer Battalion
7th Air Advn Base Force
6th USN Naval Construction Regiment

Defending units:
83rd Naval Guard Unit

The enemy takes 3 times my casualties. I will take the base as things are now. I attack again, with bombers tasked to help again.

US carriers head to Gove. APAs used at Saumlaki head to Darwin.

4 Fletchers will make a high speed to Broome. Enemy ships were spotted north of Broome, and I expect them to go to Broome to load troops. Broome was empty of ships yesterday, so I don't think that the ships came from Broome. Unless it did a high speed fast transport evacuation, which doesn't usually work for me. We'll see if I can catch them. Bombers at Port Hedland may join in the fun.

Enemy carriers moved just northwest of Kendari today. I expected some kind of aggressive move to counter Saumlaki, but this move by the carriers tells me that Walker is more afraid of an aggressive move by me. I'm quite happy with this. Maybe I've been just aggressive enough in my past operations to keep Walker thinking defensively.

[BBfanboy]

That will be a new one - DDs sweeping the Broome instead of the broom sweeping for you!

[apbarog]

13 May 43

I-157, damaged yesterday by depth charges, is spotted by S-41, but 2 torpedoes miss. Then amazingly, sub Sculpin spots I-157, and sinks it with 2 torpedo hits. I've always felt that a damaged sub was more likely to be attacked by an enemy sub. Today's events seem to support that.

Allied minesweepers clear the minefield near Horn Island.

Dobo is bombarded by a few US cruisers. Damage is light. Intel is gained, however. The 8th Infantry Division has been split. I knew that 8 Div/B had been moved to Boela. I now know that both 8 Div/A and 8 Div/C are still at Dobo.

Back in long dormant Burma, I sent a bunch of bombers to hit Cox's Bazar airfield. There is no CAP, and damage to the airfield is moderate. Just showing some interest where I have none.

I'd sent a bunch of B-25s to hit enemy troops on Saumlaki, again. Today the base had LR CAP from somewhere distant, 12 Oscars. One squadron of bombers loses 9 planes. Good work by the Oscars at very long range from somewhere, probably Boela. The bombers do light damage to the troops.

Taberfane's airfield is bombed by heavies again.

Some heavies bomb Lautem, on the eastern tip of Timor, for the first time. Zeros and Oscars are range capping from adjacent Dili. A few bombers are lost and damage to the airfield is light. My P-38 sweeps from Darwin didn't occur.

And finally, Saumlaki is captured! An enemy minefield is found upon capture. The base has 8,000 supply, which is adequate for awhile. No need to force ships in at this time.

As the map shows, Kendari has lots of enemy carriers. I had considered loading APAs at Darwin immediately and moving on the next target. I've changed my mind. Most shipping will now leave Darwin. I will wait for Hornet to arrive, giving me 5 carriers to work with. Hornet has 8 days of repair remaining at Sydney.

In the mean time, my carriers will escort shipping to Timoeka, while feinting an invasion of Taberfane.

I did land engineers at the dot base adjacent to Darwin. Airfield building will begin there. The airfield south of Darwin, at Fenton, is building also. Fenton will become a big heavy bomber base.

Over at Broome, my Fletchers arrived during the day. The enemy ships either moved in at night, loaded, and was gone by daylight, or they are still heading to Derby. The Fletchers will pass through Derby on the way back home to Darwin.

[jwolf]

Do you think there is much chance of a counter-invasion at Saumlaki, as he did before at Taberfane and Dobo?

[Macclan5]

Curious and curious ....[:)]

That huge fleet at Kendari must have churned through the entire base supply ?

I do not have any reference in front of me but as I recall Kendari did not generate "national amounts" of supply that would support long term anchorage and LBA and an army ?

Am I wrong in this ?

Even if he built it up - most Japanese player are hording supply / fuel in the home islands and not in remote ports outside of the East China Sea.

I would assume he is diverting supply from somewhere nearby... Soerbaya (spelling?) or Palembang ? Ship ? Airplane ? Airplane wouldn't bring enough...

Do you have or ordered up a "sub DEW line" south of Makassar ?

Perhaps his reaction i.e. sitting in harbor awaiting the opportunity of one massive counter strike is dictated by his fuel / supply and kendari ??

.. A few sub DEW lines and invasion feints as you plan ... could force him to retreat to Singapore ?