Wedge Donovan Wins the War: Apbarog(A) vs Aurorus(J) DBB-B

[apbarog]

17 Jan 42

Nells by Malang, Java. Enemy troops start to move into the mountain holdout.

In China, a stack of enemy starts to approach Wenchow in the south. This stack is probably part of the big stack that ran wild in the plains to the north. Enemy bombers hit here daily, but the wooded terrain limits their effectiveness.

In Malaysia, Alor Star has been getting a lot of bomber attention. This base is one of just three left on the peninsula. The others are Kuantan and Singapore.

Watampone, west of Timor, in invaded. Benkoelen, Java falls. Ndeni falls to just the 1st Engineer Co. Waingapoe falls to the 1st Ind Engineer Regiment.

[apbarog]

18 Jan 42

Today could be titled "And now for Plan B", or "And now for something completely different".

Sub attack near Ambrym at 124,151

Japanese Ships
SS I-171

Allied Ships
CV Yorktown, Torpedo hits 1
CA Chicago
CA Portland
CL Trenton
DD Hammann
DD Walke
DD O'Brien
DD Russell
DD Mustin

SS I-171 launches 4 torpedoes at CV Yorktown

This attack occurred east of Luganville. Surprise is lost. KB will undoubtedly be heading this direction now. 3 US carriers still flying some Buffaloes are no match for KB. It's time to leave.

Yorktown isn't hurt too badly. SYS 16, FLOT 18-9, ENG 3, FIRE 0. Enough to slow the task force from 8 hexes a day to 6.

My new plan is to get the carriers back to Pearl Harbor. My thinking is if there's major activity in the South Pacific now with KB, I will lose the carriers if I stay and fight. And if KB does not come south to Noumea or Suva, then keeping the carriers here isn't necessary.

I split off some cruisers and destroyers, ones that don't upgrade anytime soon, and sent them towards Suva moving less than full speed. I turned up the search plane percentages. I want them to be seen by the subs. My 4 carrier task forces became 3 task forces. All will head to the NE, which I hope is an unexpected direction, and I hope that they disappear from the radar today. I turned off all search planes for the carrier task forces. Enemy carriers can't be in range. They were all at New Guinea just 2 days ago. And light carriers were near Borneo. As far as I know, there's nothing out this direction. I'll run silent for a few days, if I disappear successfully. AOs will top off the tanks for the run home.

In a couple of days, I'll fly some SBDs to Suva to simulate carriers in the area.

Other than that, just the usual bombing in China and Malaysia. The enemy is now at Wenchow in Southern China.

So, Aurorus had some luck with his subs. He is now 1 for 2 with sub shots at carriers. I'm 0 for 3. Sometimes there's just some luck. In my previous game, I got 4 torpedo hits on Kaga, sinking her, with a US sub very early in the war. The key is getting as many shots as possible. You can't worry about whether they hit or not. Just do what you can to raise the probabilities as much as possible, and let the odds play out.

[Macclan5]

Damned bad luck.

Probably frustrating with the ASW DD escort leading the way.

No thought to retreat to Suza first ? Confident your opponent could not / will not "cut the corner on you" and launch an 8 hex alpha strike ?

[apbarog]

I've shown the flag with the carriers. As I had said, little point to keeping them here with KB not far away. I'm not going to throw them away in a blaze of glory, hoping to take down part of KB in the process. Speaking of odds, the odds of that with Buffalo fighters and poorly trained pilots are low.

I will defend Noumea, Suva, and Pago Pago, but not with the carriers. Not right now. Aurorus may not even come that far south. Too soon to tell.

[apbarog]

19 Jan 42

I-20 has been patrolling very close to Suva. I have had a couple of AMs on ASW duty. An AM found I-20 today but didn't get a hit. Later the sub attacked the AM, but missed. The diversion cruiser force moved to Suva today but wasn't spotted. 4 DDs break off this force and assume ASW duty around the island. I want to show activity here.

4 enemy battleships bombard Malang with great effect. They are probably basing at very near Soerabaja now, so this could be a daily thing until the base falls, which will be soon. Lots of bombers hit the troops also, but did little. The BBs caused 634 casualties in the mountain terrain. The enemy deliberate attack was a huge battle.

Ground combat at Malang (55,105)

Japanese Deliberate attack

Attacking force 39004 troops, 396 guns, 147 vehicles, Assault Value = 1201

Defending force 12584 troops, 119 guns, 9 vehicles, Assault Value = 290

Japanese adjusted assault: 605

Allied adjusted defense: 289

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

Japanese Assault reduces fortifications to 0

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

Japanese ground losses:
2058 casualties reported
Squads: 50 destroyed, 163 disabled
Non Combat: 7 destroyed, 9 disabled
Engineers: 3 destroyed, 4 disabled
Guns lost 11 (3 destroyed, 8 disabled)

Allied ground losses:
1687 casualties reported
Squads: 36 destroyed, 81 disabled
Non Combat: 5 destroyed, 33 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Vehicles lost 4 (1 destroyed, 3 disabled)
Units destroyed 1

Assaulting units:
4th Division
38th Division
33rd Division
8th Medium Field Artillery Regiment
9th Ind.Hvy.Art. Battalion
14th Army
15th Ind.Art.Mortar Battalion
1st Medium Field Artillery Regiment
2nd Ind.Art.Mortar Battalion

Defending units:
6th Cav Sqdn
Groep Zud
III Landstorm Cdo
5th Cav Sqdn
I KNIL Battalion
VIII KNIL Battalion
3rd Cav Sqdn
II KNIL Battalion
XIII KNIL Battalion
III KNIL Battalion
II Marechausse Cdo
VI Landstorm Cdo
Marinier Battalion
V KNIL Battalion
HQ III KNIL Division
2e-VLG-II Sup Afd
1e-VLG-IV Sup Afd
A-II-Ld AA Battalion
1e-VLG-II Sup Afd
3e-VLG-IV Sup Afd
NI-MLD
Madoeng Defenses
Soerabaja KM Base Force
HQ II KNIL Division
2e-VLG-IV Sup Afd
Soerabaja Defenses
VkA-2 Sup Afd


I'm not pleased that the base will fall soon, but I am happy with the strong showing of the Dutch here in the mountains. The enemy brought in 3 divisions for this attack, and lost 50 squads and 163 disabled. Java was always going to fall. It's nice to see a sigificant portion of these divisions out of action for awhile. And those divisions are worth watching. Where they go after Java will show where Aurorus' plans for the next phase are.

Other enemy bombings were at Kuantan, Wenchow, near Hankow, and near Kweisui.

I thought I'd see an enemy para drop on Port Blair a long time ago. It came today. I had not reinforced the base so it fell easily. 2 B-17 squadrons moved to Rangoon to bomb Port Blair's airfield. It's a size 1, and could have fighters already, but the airbase is damaged a bit, and maybe I can damage it a bit more. A Brit cruiser force leaves Colombo to bombard the base in a few days. A small minesweeper from Rangoon will pass through Port Blair ahead of time, just in case. Just showing some interest here. No enemy ships in this area, probably, until Singapore falls.

US carriers moved ENE from their sub encounter and were not spotted. The enemy ships at Ndeni did flee to the NW.

[apbarog]

20 Jan 42

My newly formed ASW TF of 4 DDs tracks down I-20 near Suva, but can't hit her. I-20 returns the favor later in the day, firing 2 torpedoes at DD Conyngham, but misses.

Malang is bombarded by a TF of just 4 heavy cruisers. Aurorus used just 4 battleships yesterday. There must be some reason not to use destroyers in the TF. A bit risky with subs around, I would think.

In what had to be a mistake, 30+ Nells fly from Bangkok to attack troops at Rangoon. I'm betting that their previous ground target was eliminated in Malaysia yesterday, and they went for any ground target in range. 34 Nells are shot down by a squadron of the AVG.

Tjilitjap, Java was bombed, attacked, and lost to the enemy. Same for Alor Star, Malaysia. The enemy has finally cleared the western rail line from the top of Malaysia to the outskirts of Singapore.

Malang got just a bombardment attack today.

Katherine, Australia flipped to the enemy. The enemy's 8th Tank Regiment is heading south there.

US carriers continue to move without being seen. KB has been missing also.

The most interesting news today was in SigInt:

1 Raid Regiment is at Raheng

Raheng is inland, east of Moulmein. 1 Raid Regiment is a para unit. Port Blair's paratroopers were Yoko 3 SNLF, not this unit. So this unit is in a very forward position. Aurorus had made no move at all into Burma so far. And his air activity, just 2 raids on Rangoon, were mistakes. He hasn't done any recon in Burma. Almost like he isn't interested in it at all.

Yea, I'm not buying it. He's going to drop those paras somewhere where it will be a big surprise and where it will make a difference. Like behind Chittagong, or a dot base near the India/Burma border to cut off troops in Burma. I've started moving a bunch of units to cover possible important bases like these. What's the range of a Tina? I need to find that out. He took his first ops loss of a Tina today. Coincedence?

[BBfanboy]

I looked at the list pulled up by the database button at the top of the screen. It says the normal range of a Tina is 16 hexes, but I think that is the extended range. IIRC the Thalia extended range is 15 and Topsy 14.

He may have put those paratroopers in Rahaeng just to keep your paratroops from grabbing the hex. If SIGINT does not show larger units prepping for Burma/India targets I wouldn't load up the area with forces you need elsewhere.

[apbarog]

I was looking at the Tina for a worst case scenario. I can't rely on SigInt now. The Japanese doesn't need to prep units for easy targets, like a para drop behind the lines. The units that I'm garrisoning possible targets aren't big units, and they were already in India and available. I haven't used anything that would be of use elsewhere.

The only SigInt I've gotten for Burma or India was a division prepping for Rangoon. Aurorus has been prepping some units for Singapore, and they are already known to be in Malaysia. He didn't prep anything, that I know of, for Java and elsewhere. He didn't need to.

[apbarog]

21 Jan 42

I-2 spots xAP Monterey, a big fast transport. Other fast xAP are with it. 4 torpedoes miss the ship. No escort with these guys. They are relying on their speed to get back to the West Coast.

This attack is significant because Aurorus hadn't spotted the ingress/egress route that I was using for the West Coast. I send out a couple of ASW TFs, but the sub is too far for air to help the search or fight.

Malang is bombarded by cruisers again. A now daily occurrence, with them going back and forth from Soerabaja.

Swordfish fires 2 torpedoes at a patrol boat near Horn Island. It is escorting an AG that was at Horn, and now appears to be headed to Port Moresby.

I-20 tangles with destroyers near Suva, again. Depth charges miss, torpedoes miss. 2 out of 4 DDs are out of depth charges. Resupply at Suva won't be possible for a couple of days.

Bombings in Java, Malaysia, and China.

8 B-17s, flying from Rangoon, bomb Port Blair's airfield. Damage is light. Bombers go back to India. Cruisers will bombard in 2 days. No mines here, scouted out by a tiny minesweepers.

A Chinese corp is wrecked in an attack near Hankow. It retreats across the river, and importantly, one hex closer to Changsha. The corp is doomed, but now I can LRCAP P-40s over it. They fly to Changsha from Ledo, and hope to catch some bombers. This isn't an AVG unit. It is one of the units flown over from the Philippines, and the pilots are still poor to average. Hoping for no fighters escorting the bombers. There weren't any today.

Kolaka, Celebes falls to the enemy. Defenders were those originally at Kendari.

US carriers continue east unseen. Troops start to land at Noumea.

[apbarog]

22 Jan 42

A patrol boat gets a depth charge hit on Brit sub Truant near Bandjermasin. Truant is transiting from Ceylon to Australia, to get another sub that has working torpedoes in the South Pacific. Damage is light, so light that it will continue its trip unchanged.

4 cruisers bombard Malang again. 2 ground units evaporate. I'd like to slip some mines in here, but the nearest mining sub is about a week away, and I'm afraid that the troops won't hold up that long, even in the mountains. Not with these daily bombardments.

My CAP trap in China didn't work, as the enemy bombers didn't show up. Today, an enemy ground unit is in the same hex as the retreated Chinese corp, so maybe the bombers will return. I leave the P-40s on LRCAP there to find out.

Enemy carriers are suspected to be SE of Rabaul, NE of Buin. My subs are getting lit up with detection levels. Could be half of KB, could be all of it. I only saw 2 light cruisers in the sighting.

[BBfanboy]

ORIGINAL: BBfanboy

I looked at the list pulled up by the database button at the top of the screen. It says the normal range of a Tina is 16 hexes, but I think that is the extended range. IIRC the Thalia extended range is 15 and Topsy 14.

He may have put those paratroopers in Rahaeng just to keep your paratroops from grabbing the hex. If SIGINT does not show larger units prepping for Burma/India targets I wouldn't load up the area with forces you need elsewhere.

Correction - I checked and the Tina does have a normal range of 16 - extended range is 20.

[apbarog]

Thanks BBfanboy. That puts the area around Chittagong and to the east at risk, and of course, all of Burma.

23 Jan 42

The usual 4 enemy cruisers bombarded Malang. They keep doing good work, 281 casualties today.

Light cruisers Capetown, Dauntless, and Hobart, with destroyer Nizam, bombard Port Blair. Moderate damage, with 8 airbase hits, 5 airbase supply hits, 23 runway hits, 11 port hits, and 2 port supply hits. Aurorus commented in his email that he won't be sending ships past Singapore before he captures it. I agree with this, and appreciate his decision and telling me about it. We didn't house rule this, but I agree that this is reasonable. He could still send something to the Indian Ocean from the Java area though.

Near Hankow, China, my CAP trap succeeds. Just 6 P-40Es make it to the LRCAP hex, 4 hexes from Changsha. They encounter about 24 Sonia, and shoot down about 8 of them. There was no escort. Note that the bombers still caused 113 casualties in the clear terrain. The ground unit was eliminated in combat later.

3 Dutch units were eliminated by the 4th Tank Regiment near Tjilatjap.

Back on Mindanao, the enemy has closed in on the mountain holdout of Malaybalay. They do a probing artillery bombardment.

Ground combat at Malaybalay (80,90)

Japanese Bombardment attack

Attacking force 8307 troops, 68 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 263

Defending force 6019 troops, 26 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 190

Assaulting units:
143rd Infantry Regiment
144th Infantry Regiment

Defending units:
102nd PA Infantry Regiment
103rd PA Infantry Regiment
101st PA Infantry Regiment
3rd Constabulary Regiment
Agusan Constab Battalion
Mindanao Force
Del Monte AAF Base Force

This base should hold awhile. It has supply and forts built in the mountains. The defenders have been able to rest for a number of weeks.

Lots of enemy shipping, including some or all of KB, is spotted just north of the Solomons, north of Tulagi. They were heading SE. Could be invasions of Tulagi, Guadalcanal, or any other island in the area. They could go further to Luganville. Ndeni is already enemy held. They could go just about anywhere they want, to be honest.

The game is now on hold for a week or so. Aurorus is traveling. I will be taking my time with this turn. I'll do a region by region update sometime before the war resumes.

[apbarog]

23 Jan 42 - Solomons

[apbarog]

23 Jan 42 - Northern Australia and Timor

[apbarog]

23 Jan 42 - Java, Celebes, Borneo, and Mindanao

[apbarog]

23 Jan 42 - Philippines

[Bo Rearguard]

I see a few anchor icons. Do you still have any ships of value holding out in Philippine ports besides submarines?

[apbarog]

There is a small xAKL at Leyte with too short of a range to make it to Australia, an ACM at Bataan maintaining a small portion of the many mines there, and an ARD at Manila, with no hope of escape.

[apbarog]

23 Jan 42 - Malaysia and Sumatra

[apbarog]

23 Jan 42 - Southern China