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Can't wait to see what happens up north. Deploying single-CV TFs near Japanese bases is uber-risky for the Allied player in Jan 1942!

Unless he withdraws all those ships soon, I predict you will sink something good. If not a CV, maybe Warspite at least.

It's nice to have an opponent who will bring out the Navy to play

It IS! Certainly keeps me on my toes.

Lew likes to play an aggressive game. I am gradually getting a good feel for his style and seek to take advantage of it. Case in Point: I am sending an AK over to DH so it can be spotted and possibly sacrificed to bring out the Warspite or Yorktown. Bait for the trap if needed.

Haven't updated since the 30th! Five days. Why? I LIVE in Hotel HELL!! Am in the process of working eight straight 10+ hour shifts and they leave me whipped. Tired John.

Lew and I have kept the turns moving and I intend to do a formal Post tomorrow morning with a region-by-region set of reports. Good news to report but not GREAT news if you know what I mean. Just sent the Jan 18th turn to my fine opponent so we'll see if I get it back in the morning or if I update through the 17th.

News in the morning!

Combat Report
January 17-18, 1942

As mentioned above I have been working a ton at the Hotel and Lew took off for the weekend. With these factors we have only gotten two turns in over the last few days.

They have NOT been quick turns to watch or provide orders for:

North Pacific
KB--The augmented CarDiv 1 and 5 (CD1--Akagi/Kaga/Shoho and CD5--Shokaku/Zuikaku/Zuiho) move east on the 17th and CarDiv1 refuels. The 18th sees a northward movement while CarDiv5 refuels. No sign of Yorktown or Warspite. The TF now have fuel for 3-4 days so they are ordered directly towards Kodiak and I order more Search Planes up. Let us go hunting...

Dutch Harbor--The bait is dangling at this Port. One FAT AK sits unloading there. It is spotted by Allied recon on the 18th. Let us hope that this will provoke a sortie to attack it. If so, then I will be positioned to cutoff the TF and CRUSH it.

Attu/Adak/DH--Ports and/or AF are expanding. Adak should have a Lvl-1 AF within a few days. Though I have 2-4 Engineering units (Con Bn, BF, Eng) at each base the expansion is slow going.

Central Pacific
No real developments at Midway or Johnston. My SS in this area and Hawaii have had no recent contacts. Each garrison above has settled in at about 125-150 in AS. Should be enough in the short term to hold all but a divisional attack.

South Pacific
Arawe falls on the 18th.

Lae is expanding and an SNLF is headed for Wau and Salamau to clear tose two bases. I've got Jakes and a Chutai of Zero flying out of here for the moment. An Army Air Division HQ will land here within a few days. At that point I will move more planes in and begin a much more close in aerial bombardment of Port Moresby.

Milne Bay gets reinforced with another pair of Base Forces. Construction here moves pretty quickly.

Lunga is also growing quite rapidly as more units flow into this growing base.

Port Moresby--The base is attacked by about a dozen Zero and 25 or so Betty everyday. Serves as great training for my pilots at the moment!

The 18th serves notice that at least one Battlewagon is now in the area as BB Hyuga, a CA, a CL, and 6 DD bombard the base. There are nearly 100 casualties and damage to all facilities.

Philippines
The Japanese eliminated Iba a few days ago (5,000 POW) and now get everything concentrated at Clark. I launch my first Deliberate Attack here but get a disappointing 1-2 result facing Sz-3 Forts. The Japanese loss 2,425 Cas for 730 Allied. This will take a bit of time...

In Mindanao I have ALL the useless bases, however, my attacks at 79,90 won't induce a surrender as of yet. I got a 12-1 on the 17th and a 14-1 on the 18th. It will happen. Just not immediately.

The attack result at Clark makes up my mind to take the 3 Brigade and/or Ind Regiments at 79,90 for Darwin. Luzon will take a while and 3 medium-sized units won't do a lot. They are better used grabbing Timor and NW Australia.

I additionally pull 5 TK Regiments out of the Clark hex and order them to Lingayen for deployment in the Indian Adventure coming up.

Eastern DEI
Am continuing to build-up Ternate and am stalemated at Ambon for the moment. Bombard the base there with 4 CA and have a TF getting ready to unload more supply tomorrow.

Central DEI
Makassar and Bandjermasin BOTH fall on the 17th. Should note that Lew didn't think Bandjermasin would fall on the first attack because I destroyed 21 Vildebeest and 9 Falcon's on the ground when the base fell. NICE! HATE those Vildebeest...

The Bandjermasin Force will load and grab that nice island to the east of Java to cutoff anything coming or going in the Soerabaja area.

Soerabaja--Air attacks there on both days see something interesting. I've been hitting subs over the last several weeks and I guess lew was trying to repair them in Java. I sink O-21 and heavily damage O-23 and 0-24.

Western DEI
Lingga falls on the 18th.

No major developments on the ground after the fall of Palembang. My Infantry is moving east and north driving the units away towards the coast.

An Air Flotilla is now at Palembang and the Bettys there are ready for any Allied shipping that appears.

CARDIV2
The Hiryu and Soryu sweep across Northern Java and replenish at Singkawang. The move in towards Batavia and we see massed aerial fighting:

A. The Carriers are hit by massed Allied airpower both days. Unlike what happened with poor Hosho, I have enough Zeros to PLASTER these strikes! During the course of both days the Allies lose nearly 40 planes attacking Yamaguchi's CVs. No damage to Japanese ships!

B. Continuing the observation about Soerabaja, I hit Batavia both days and get GREAT results: SUNK--S-36, 1 CM, 6 PT, 2 AKL, 1 AMc, AD Blackhawk, and an AS. Another 20-25 Dutch fighters are shot down.

Total Japanese aerial losses for the two days were 3 Zero, 3 Val and 2 Kate.

CARDIV2 heads for Singapore for a couple of days of R&R before moving into the Indian Ocean.

Malaya
My two complete Inf Div at Singapore are restoring their strength nicely. They will be ready to invade India within about 7-10 days. Those 2 ID will be traveling with Imperial Guards who took Georgetown on the 14th.

The remaining Allied troops are spread around Temoluh. I intend to drive them all into this base and then capture it. This will induce an immediate surrender instead of a long fight in a nameless hex.

I spot shipping at Sabang on the 18th and set my 27 Kate at Singora to Naval Attack. We'll see if anything can be bagged there.

Imperial Guards at Georgetown is waiting on shipping and then it will quickly grab Sabang so I have a base to the west to allow searching as I move into the Bay Bengal for my landing.

Planned initial INDIA Landing is 3 ID, 5 TK Regiments, and other support units. Move on that as a bit of time passes...

Burma
About time to turn my attention there so I can tie down the Allied units in that theatre. I have a TK Regiment and Infantry Regiment 1 hex from Moulmein. They will invest this base within a few days.

I have been building up the supply and AF in Thailand for this. Tomorrow I will move Fighters into the those bases and fly a Sweep over Rangoon to see if the AVG is present.

China
I don't know if I am figuring land warfare out or if my opponent doesn't care but things are HAPPENING here!

Wenchow FALLS on the 17th with my first Shock Attack by 2 Inf Div! The Japanese lose 571 Cas in exchange for 4,371 Chinese.

87,41 (east of Sian) is taken in a 10-1 attack where the Japanese lose 361 Cas to the Chinese 1,406.

Chengchow FALLS on the first Shock Attack there! A strong 3-1 result comes from a pair of Inf Div hitting the Chinese units forcing them to retreat--as planned--to Loyang. Casualties: J 796 for 6,728 Chinese with 1 unit destroyed and 10 retreating.

I move now into Loyang and that attack will feature 4 Inf Div with support units. They will drive the Chinese across the river into a forest hex and cripple those troops for a long time to come.

BANZAI! BANZAI!! BANZAI!!!

Engineering (I've decided to include this as bases are developed)
17th--Rabaul Pt-4
18th--Nagasaki AF-5

SUB WARS:
I-8 has a field day at Suva on the 17th! It sinks an AK with 3 TT, hits AK Californian with 1 TT, and hits AK Kansan with another Torp. NICE WORK! Vector in another I-Boat to help here...

China Screenshot:

Attu/Adak/DH--Ports and/or AF are expanding. Adak should have a Lvl-1 AF within a few days. Though I have 2-4 Engineering units (Con Bn, BF, Eng) at each base the expansion is slow going.

It is "Winter" up here and the building is always slowed down with higher cost in supply. Remember?!? [;)]

Am continuing to build-up Ternate and am stalemated at Ambon for the moment. Bombard the base there with 4 CA and have a TF getting ready to unload more supply tomorrow.

Don't forget to get Boela as you will need to build up that base (especially the port) to take out the Oil and Resources. It might be a better option than Ternate. Babo has Oil near by also....

I managed to be stupid and send Lew the turn without saving it last night. OOPS. Just resent him the turn to complete.

Thought, with some down time, I'd do some of the BIG PICTURE stuff for a couple of Postings. The first is the score to date after the capture of Singapore. Note the following:

1. The Air-to-Air score is amazing!
2. AA Losses--CRAP...
3. Operational Losses about even

Ships scores are not too far apart. Will Post a screenshot of the sunk shipping in a minute.

Can you comment on the issue of Zero/Oscar domination? What a typical air combat in this game looks like to allow such massive loss disparity?

January 18, 1942

The Allies have lost--confirmed--2 BB, 4 CA, and 10 CL:

January 19, 1942

How about 19 Allied SS sunk including 3 S-Boats and 3 Dutch? Pretty good results. Notice how many have been sunk in Port Attacks:

January 19, 1942
Japanese Warship Losses

Losses have been very slight for the Imperial Fleet. Everything lost was to be expected except for CA Maya. That cruiser went down because of me. If you remember she was damaged by a 14" shell from the late-Prince of Wales. Damage didn't look too bad so I sent her to Babeldoap without stopping and she sank en route to the Port. A very stupid mistake by me.

Damaged warships right now include CVL Ryujo (Singora), 2 CA at Kobe, and 2 CL heading for the Home Islands. The CVL was hit on only the 3rd or 4th Day of the war and made it to Singora where an AR huddled up next to her. All System Damage is repaired but Flotation is 43. I just ordered it to readiness where the CVL--with 6 DD--will travel down the coast and repair in Singapore.

I've been Posting the Kawai Detachment so I thought I'd back out and Post the Leaders Board at this point:

Reluctant Admiral starts with all the warships planned within our Modified 4th Circle Plan. Considering some people haven't read ALL those entries made during the creation of the Mod I thought these next two screenshots would be interesting.

Here are the CVs, CVLs, and BBs under construction in the que:

Coming on down from the Renkaku we have the 2 BC, 2 CA, CLs, and the Moon-Class DD.

The decision was made for the Mod to get rid of Shinano and Taiho. We've added 3 Shokaku-Kai, 2 BC, 2 CA, all CL as up-gunned (4x2) Aganos, 6 more Moon-Class and 18 more modern DD. I do plan to build all the warships in the Plan.

If you notice between the two Screenshots mid-to-late February will be a wonderful time for the Fleet. Within days the Kaigun gains Junyo, Nisshin, Yamato, Yahagi, and 3 DD. NICE! In the spirit of planning ahead I have began pulling pilots from existing Daitai to help the two new CVs have useful and good air groups from the moment they enter the water.

The only serious addition made to the Japanese Air Order-of-Battle for RA was the creation of the 9th Air Fleet.

This powerful aerial formation was created by Yamamoto in case of war. Unfortunately it isn't ready at the start of hostilities so it deploys at the end of January. Notice that all of the aircraft are older models and must be upgraded before serious deployment. Beginning pilot experience is between 55-65. I, literally, rolled a d10 to see where each unit would begin.

They deploy, along with their LCUs, in Kyushu:

Those planes won't fly without their support groups. The 9th Air Fleet will deploy with the Air HQ, 3 Air Flotilla, and 3 large BF. The unit is intended to stay together and work in a single region.

I plan to follow through in doing this. I simply have to figure out WHERE I want to do the deployment? Qball makes great points with how he likes to deploy in clusters of AF. My thoughts are similar.

Where? Options at the moment:

1. Aleutians--Could be a fine placement IF Lew wants to make a fight of it up there.

2. India--Would support the advance into India, however, I see this more as an Army show.

3. Timor and then NW Australia--Possible choice. Good number of close bases where an Air HQ could work its magic.

4. New Guinea--Lae, its two nearby bases, Milne Bay, and Port Moresby.

5. Lunga and surrounding area

The 9th AF HQ has a 5 hex range around it. Does anyone have any thoughts on this topic?

FatR--Stanislav--just sent me a newly revamped description of the Air Changes made within the Mod. Though I have Posted it over in the Mod Section, I thought this would be a very good place to add it too...


Reluctant Admiral
Scenario 70
Comprehensive Aerial Changes

This scenario assumes that with Admiral Yamamoto taking the position of Aeronautics Department's head in 1936 and becoming the Naval Minister later, he intensifies Japanese naval aviation development a bit, and attempts to optimize the utilization of limited engineering and production resources. Chief engineers of aircraft design teams are given slightly greater input in formulating development directions and cooperation between various aircraft manufacturers is assumed to be somewhat improved.

In particular, the concept of new, dedicated land-based interceptor is abandoned and the Mitshubishi fighter design team under Jiro Horikoshi remains free to concentrate all of its efforts on modifying A6M and creating its successor A7M. Horikoshi's proposal to install the more powerful Mitsubishi Kinsei engine on Zero is approved in 1942, instead of late 1944, and A7M is developed to use Mitsubishi Ha-43 engine, as he desired, from the beginning. A6M3 is developed into a whole line of Zeros that sacrifice range in favor of superior armament and pilot protection, and eventually are officially designated as pure land-based models. Meanwhile, the development of standard Zero versions goes much more smoothly than in RL, resulting in their early availability.

IJN maintains the policy of sticking to just one single-engine fighter airframe, until Kawanishi team develops N1K1-J Shiden as a private initiative (this happens slightly earlier than in RL, because alternate projects of land-based interceptors, that tied Kawanishi resourses, do not exist). It is adopted as a stopgap measure until availability of A7M.

As a side effect of greater effort put into development and production of Mitsubishi Kinsei (Ha-33) and Mitsubishi Ha-43 engines, several planes that historically used these engines are added to the mod (if they existed only as prototypes by the war's end), or become available earlier, reflecting earlier focus on development of these engines. Ki-100, similar in concept to Ha-33 Zero, receives the biggest push forward (6 months).

This scenario also assumes mild overall boost to Japanese aircraft industry (at the cost of reduction in starting resources). As a result, several planes that historically faced severe problems with transition from prototypes to mass production, such as B6N, D4Y and G4M2, become available a bit earlier. G8N1, the Japanese 4E bomber that was successfully tested but not mass-produced in real life, becomes available in 1945.

Aircraft weapon development is streamlined, with a push for unification with IJAAF in this area (historically, IJN and IJA did cooperate in aircraft weapon production in this scenario their cooperation becomes much broader). Instead of attempts to produce licensed German machine guns, that ultimately failed to provide the fleet with sufficient numbers of them, IJN switches to the more powerful Army 7.7 cartridge and eventually adopts 12.7 Ho-103, the first aircraft HMG developed in Japan. This allows for improved armament on some planes, mostly 2E bombers.

In addition, there are many minor tweaks to various aircraft, intended to make their statblocks and performance closer to historical. The changes that can affect gameplay most noticeably include:

1. All Zeros, Oscars and Franks have their speed increased by 7-20 knots. This is a disputed change, that was discussed in early stages of Mod development, due to perceived understatting of these planes by the game, rejected on the ground of possible consequences to the game balance, but it appears that someone entered it into the database and forgot to remove.

Player feedback about its effects is welcome as it may need to be changed back in a different version of the Mod.

2. Some of early Japanese fighters (Ha-35 Zeros and some of Ki-43s) have their high-altitude MVR reduced. Ki-43 gets slower drop of low-altitude MVR on mid- and late-war modifications in return.

3. G4M has slightly better durability, G3M sligtly worse, to give G4M an edge over the older plane it historically had.

4. E16A1 Paul no longer has artificially reduced normal range.

5. Ki-44 uses Nakakima Ha-34 engine, instead of Ha-35, for historical accuracy.

6. Late Ki-61 versions are slightly-to-moderately improved (slightly better MVR, Ki-61-II KAI uses the better one of its historical armament configurations). Ki-100s are significantly improved (much better MVR). In RL they were supposed to be good, particularly Ki-100, but in AE they are very underwhelming.

7. Ki-84b has improved service rating of 2, reflecting historical fixes to its engine problems.

8. Ki-67-Ib does not lose the ability to carry torpedos.

9. Old Russian fighters no longer have unparalelled MVR. Their a-historical superiority to Nate is gone.


Following aircraft were added to this scenario (all but new Zeros and G3M4-Q existed in RL as prototypes or even production models):

A. A6M3b Zero. Replaces A6M3a and emphasized armor and weapons instead of range.

B. A6M4, A6M4-J, A6M8-J. Successors to A6M3b that follow the same design philosopshy but use Mitshubishi Ha-33 engine.

C. A7M3. The historical successor to A7M2. Carrier-capable and features 6x20mm armament. A7M2 factory upgrades to it, instead of A7M3-J.

D. B7A3. The historical armored successor to B7M2. Uses Mitsubishi Ha-43 engine.

E. D4Y5. Mitsubishi Ha-43, armor. D4Y3 upgrades to it. (D4Y4 was a kamikaze plane in RL.)
F. G3M4-Q. ASW patrol version of Nell.

G. G8N1. Fast, tough, long-ranged 4E bomber.

H. J6M1. IJN version of Ki-83.

I. N1K4-A. Carrier-capable Shiden.

J. N1K5-J. High-altitude interceptor Shiden. Uses Mitsubishi Ha-43 engine.

K. Yasukuni. IJN version of Ki-67. "Yasukuni" might actually be the name of the naval unit, that employed these bombers in RL, but I can't find any other designation for them.


CREDIT: Stanislav (FatR), BK, Juan, and John (Red Lancer) for their contributions in this area of the Mod.

The bait is swallowed--literally--as an American STF smashes the AK at Dutch Harbor and does a very weak Bombardment. The KB is vectored in! Next screenshot will show its movement.

With the AK sunk at Dutch Harbor, I vector in the KB. Air Search is set and I order Petes (normally USELESS aircraft) to Recon Kodiak, the small Ports east of Anchage, and Anchorage itself.

My Strike Aircraft are set to Naval Attack/Port Attack. Half of my Vals and ALL of my Kates are assigned to Anchorage while two Daitai of Vals from CarDiv5 get Kodiak (just in case). Zeros are set of 50-60% CAP.

I was not spotted so next turn will see action. Is there a CV or a BB in Anchorage? Let us find out...

The KB swings into action on January 20, 1942. Weather is terrible but it does not prevent a good haul for the day's activities. The Japanese lose NO aircraft and sink over a dozen ships.

Big Game is not spotted but there is certainly some around...

A good haul, even without major warships. Allies actually have some shortage of tankers and long-legged transports in the first half of 1942, so this should be a noticeable setback. I must admit, I'm not as good with naval operations. In our PBEM, Yubari usually is a step ahead of me tactically (I hope my strategy somewhat compensates for this). Hopefully I'll be able to learn from out 2x2 game.