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I know I only need to inflict 3:1 losses to japanese.. but still i feel bad about such heavy losses. Maybe it's the fact that I only have AI experience in the DEI but things aren't really going as planned. Even the supposedly successful surface combat at Tawi Tawi seems to be turning into a nightmare as japanese planes swarm the escaping taskforces..

*sigh*

China seems buggered. I can only hope that my opponents won't steamroll the place because imho they can do it if they wished. I doubt that malaya will hold much longer too..

We continue to have bloody turns

Malaya: After the usual night attack on Khota Bharu a huge raid was launched on Kuantan. 100 heavy and 50 light bombers, escorted by 44 fighters met a cap of 18 zeroes and 27 nates. Air to air losses were heavy on allied side but the airfield was hit nonetheless. Results weren't as good as could have been, considering the number of bombers available. As I haven't recieved the turn yet i can't really give you the real numbers of aircraft lost on the intel screen.

Burma: The 18th UK division occupied Rahaeng today, it was empty

China: Japanese attacked at changsha today, achieving 0 to 1 odds and suffering heavy casualties. Curiously the japanese combat report reported lighter casualties and that a fort level had been reduced. The replay that i ran gave another 1k casualties to japanese and no fort levels were reduced.

Kweilin was recaptured and Hsinyang was occupied. Japanese launched a desperate shock attack in Kaifeng to dislodge the advancing chinese but failed, suffering terrible casualties (almost 20%). Our forces in Yenen pushed out the remaining japanese division with a shock attack. The japs had been retreating out since a few days ago, no doubt reacting to the attack on Kaifeng.

SS Sturgeon attacked a japanese APD between formosa and luzon but the torpedoes missed. She recieved a single hit in the resulting depth charge attacks

Borneo: A dutch sub, SS KXVI, attacked BB Ise during the night outside Tarakan but sadly her torpedoes all missed [:(]. That same BB, along with BB Hyuga, CA Myoko and escorts, then proceded to bombard Tarakan, sinking two PT's, a minesweeper and CL Tromp in the port. They also inflicted heavy damage to the airfield there.

During the day SS Searaven attacked CA Kinugasa but her torpedoes failed to detonate [:(] She then recieved one hit by depth charges.

Seven Swordfish torpedo bombers escorted by ten P-40E Warhawks attacked a carrier taskforce between Celebes and Java, they met a CAP of 29 zeroes but five swordfish managed to penetrate and one scored a hit on CV Akagi, reporting "severe damage"[:D]

Philippines: Japanese occupied Dajangas

Australia: During the night the troops continued landing in Darwin, two AP's were damaged in coastal gun fire. During the day the KB plastered darwin airfield, destroying a LOT of planes there... [:o]

There were two successful japanese sub attacks in the pacific, one sinking an AK and another damaging a MSW. There also was an unsuccesful allied sub attack at Kwajalein. Again the torpedoes failed to detonate.

String, you were hit by the replay bug. There was no attack on a MSW in the Pacific (now you know where one of my sub is and I don't know wich one... I moved them all anyway this turn). Akagi took a fish but is only 'on fire'. No Japanese plane diverted, she was able to recover them.

Japan News Service reports (readers will notice that Japan News Service is not lying, contrary to the above Radio Singapore... very soon to become Radio Rangoon).

9 January 1942: CV Akagi torpedoed, heavy aircraft losses on the ground in Kuantan and Darwin, Allied troops advanced in China and Thailand

Aircraft losses today : 108 Allied vs 47 Japanese

Thailand
The 18th British Division took Rahaeng. Another Allied unit was seen marching south from Moulmein to Tavoy.

Malaya
During the night, some Blenheim bombed Khota Bharu airfield.
In the morning, Singapore airmen attacked the airfield of Kuantan, where Japanese air units arrived the evening before. 106 heavy bombers and 39 medium bombers escorted by 22 P-40B, 20 Buffaloes and 2 P-35A met over the target 27 Nates and 18 Zeroes. 15 Nates were shot down but together with the Zeroes (that suffered no loss in the air) they shot down 9 Buffalo Is, 5 P-40B, 4 Blenheim IV, 2 P-35A, 1 Hudson I, 1 LB-30 and 1 B-17E. Of course the Allied bombers blasted the airfield and destoyed on the ground 12 KI-21, 8 Betties, 5 Nates and 2 Zeroes.

Borneo
A Japanese surface TF (2 BB,1 CA, 3 DD) raided Tarakan during the night. A Dutch submarine attacked it 60 miles E of the port but missed and the Japanese raiders surpried a PT TF (2 of the 3 PTs sunk) and then the damaged CL Tromp, that was sunk by the Ise and the Myoko in some minutes. Then they bombed the base, sinking the damaged MSW Quail and destroying on the ground 3 Blenheim I, 2 CW-21B Demon and 2 Do24.
The Japanese CV TF reported yesterday SW of Balikpapan was at dawn 180 miles E of Bali and was attacked in the morning by a SS, that missed a CA and was then depth charged by 2 DDs and slightly damaged by one, and then by 7 Swordfish and 10 P-40E coming from Banjarmasin. The 29 Zeroes flying CAP shot down 7 P-40E and 2 Swordfishes and AA shot down 3 more of the torpedo bombers but one torpedo hit the CV Akagi, that was seen burning.

PI
A SS was chased by 3 DDs south of Tawi Tawi during the night but escaped. Another attacked an ASW group (4 APD and 1 MSW) SW of Takao, missed an APD and was hit by a DC dropped by another.
Two Japanese NLFs occupied the undefended port of Dadjangas, SW of Davao.

Australia
The Japanese 4th Div continued to land in Darwin. Coastal defenses weakened with the time and hit only 3 AP (1 heavily) during the night and nothing during the day.
No mission was flown from Darwin during the day, probably because of the damage to the airfield. It was attacked again in the afternoon, first by 90 Kates and 76 Vals from the CV TF cruising nearby and then by 15 Betties from Amboina. Only one Val was lost to AA fire while the airfield was again hardly hit. The two raids destroyed 51 planes (26 P-40B, 10 B-17Es, 9 Wirraways, 5 Hudsons, 1 C-47) and damaged tens more.
Japanese and Allied troops exchange artillery fire in Darwin during the day.

New Guinea
Japanese landed in Wewak during the night.

Pacific
During the night, I-9 sank a supply-laden AK west of Noumea in a surface attack.
In the evening SS Plunger attacked again the ASW groups with torpedoes off Kwajalein. She hit a DD but torpedoes failed to explode. The DD depth charged her without success.

China
In the morning, Chinese airmen attacked again Wuhan airfield from Changsha with 22 SB-2c, 12 I-16c and 7 I-153c. They met 37 Nates and 3 Tojos and in the following air battle 5 I-16c, 4 I-153c, 1 SB-2c and 1 Nate were shot down. The bombers they destroyed on the ground 1 more Nate. At the same time, 38 Ki-48 and 10 Oscars bombed the airfield of Hengchow without opposition.
The Japanese launched a deliberate attack in Changsha and engineers reduced the fortifications one level (to level 4). 173000 Japanese attacked 120000 Chinese and losses of the day were 2650 Japanese and 4000 Chinese.
But elsewhere in China, the situation is not so good for China. Chinese troops liberated the undefended towns of Kweilin (2 Corps) and Hsinyang (3 Corps, bombed by 14 Ki-51 from Changsha with few results). In Kaifeng, 2/3 of a Japanese Div launched a banzai attack on Chinese troops but faced 3 Corps and were heavily defeated (1700 losses against 140 Chinese casualties).
Japanese troops were retiring from Yenen those last days but were too slow and disorganized and a Chinese shock attack by 8 Corps and 1 Division hit the last troops (110th Div and HQ 1st Army) and repulsed them.

10 January 1942

64 Allied aircrafts were destroyed on the ground today. 59 B-17E were destroyed on the ground during the last days in Rangoon and Darwin.

Burma
Rangoon was raided again by 135 Ki-21 from Bangkok, escorted by 27 Zeroes and 35 Oscars. They met 8 Lysanders flying CAP and shot down 4 and then bombed the airfield, destroying 3 B-17E, 2 more Lysanders and 1 SB-2c. Losses were 5 KI-21 (3 to AA fire and 2 in accidents).

Malaya
Bad weather cancelled night flying operations from Saigon while Blenheims as usual bombed Khota Bharu.

Borneo
Two surface TF raided Tarakan during the night. An US and a Dutch PT tried successfully to attack the first (2 CA, 5 CL, 7 DD) but were sunk by DDs before being able to release their torpedoes. Both TF bombarded the base (the second with 2 BB and a CA), destroyed 4 Hawk 75, 2 PBY, 2 Do24 and 2 CW-21B Demon and scored many supply hits.

PI
During the night, SS S-41 heavily damaged a troop-laden AP with two torpedoes SW of Takao and evaded her two escorts.
During the day, the first Japanese troops from Cotabato (place of main Japanese activity in Mindanao for the last week) reached Davao, the last Allied base of the island.

Celebes - Timor
8 Martin 139 took off from Kendari in the morning to bomb Japanese ships S of Timor. 5 got lost and the other missed a MSW.
Allied ships were seen off Kendari but Japanese airmen but not attacked

Australia
Darwin garrison was bombed during the day by 73 Vals (2 shot down by AA fire) and 12 Betties from Amboina. Some Zeroes from Wyndham also flew a sweep over the city but found no opposition in the air, as the airfield was closed by damage.
The Japanese 4th Division took the base by a shcock attack and Australian troops (Darwin Defense Bde, a BF and the Sparrow Force) retreated south while the coastal defenses (Darwin Coastal Gun Rgt) surrendered (1600 POWs).
The airfield was wrecked and Japanese troops found there 48 unserviceable planes destroyed by the Australians before they left: 21 B-17Es, 12 Wirraways, 10 P-40B and 5 Hudson I.
Ressources taken in Darwin and Derby will soon arrive in Japan.
Japanese troops marching from Wyndham continued to advance eastwards to try to reach the crossroads S of Darwin and surround the former Darwin garrison.

New Guinea
IJNAF occupied the undefended town of Wewak during the day.

Pacific
AS Pelias, torpedoed lately by a Japanese submarine E of New Hebrides, sank during the night in this area. This will probably seriously reduce Allied submarine operations in the area.

China
Japanese aircraft bombed Chinese HQ units NW of Canton (35 Ki-48 and 11 Ki-51) and Hsinyang (13 Ki-51).
Chinese troops that had advanced from Wuchow towards Canton (2 Corps and 2 HQs) were repulsed NW of this town by 1 Japanese division, 2/3 of another, 1 Eng Rgt and 3 ART units. They retreated west along the railroad to Nanning. City was Japanese-held but the railroad was controled by the Chinese.
Japanese artillery pounded Changsha.
Kaifeng was liberated (again) by 6 Chinese Corps, that defeated the 2/3 of a Japanese division that were defending the town without any forts (they had been destroyed when the Chinese took Kaifend a first time last month).

Australia
Darwin garrison was bombed during the day by 73 Vals (2 shot down by AA fire) and 12 Betties from Amboina. Some Zeroes from Wyndham also flew a sweep over the city but found no opposition in the air, as the airfield was closed by damage.
The Japanese 4th Division took the base by a shcock attack and Australian troops (Darwin Defense Bde, a BF and the Sparrow Force) retreated south while the coastal defenses (Darwin Coastal Gun Rgt) surrendered (1600 POWs).
The airfield was wrecked and Japanese troops found there 48 unserviceable planes destroyed by the Australians before they left: 21 B-17Es, 12 Wirraways, 10 P-40B and 5 Hudson I.
Ressources taken in Darwin and Derby will soon arrive in Japan.
Japanese troops marching from Wyndham continued to advance eastwards to try to reach the crossroads S of Darwin and surround the former Darwin garrison.

Wait....Darwin fell on Jan 10, 1942? [X(] That had to hurt!

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

Australia
Darwin garrison was bombed during the day by 73 Vals (2 shot down by AA fire) and 12 Betties from Amboina. Some Zeroes from Wyndham also flew a sweep over the city but found no opposition in the air, as the airfield was closed by damage.
The Japanese 4th Division took the base by a shcock attack and Australian troops (Darwin Defense Bde, a BF and the Sparrow Force) retreated south while the coastal defenses (Darwin Coastal Gun Rgt) surrendered (1600 POWs).
The airfield was wrecked and Japanese troops found there 48 unserviceable planes destroyed by the Australians before they left: 21 B-17Es, 12 Wirraways, 10 P-40B and 5 Hudson I.
Ressources taken in Darwin and Derby will soon arrive in Japan.
Japanese troops marching from Wyndham continued to advance eastwards to try to reach the crossroads S of Darwin and surround the former Darwin garrison.

Wait....Darwin fell on Jan 10, 1942? [X(] That had to hurt!

Yep, the previous commander of Australia didn't really reinforce the place so now its in Japanese hands.

The Japanese plan was to secure the southern flank of SRA by seizing Amboina, Timor and NW Australia a month after PH. I don't see how Allied can reinforce the area in five weeks.

By the way I have never played the Allied side (except Russia in a test game and a small Guadalcanal scenario to learn the game) and was not so confident with my landing at Darwin, that I was attempting for the first time.

ORIGINAL: AmiralLaurent


The Japanese plan was to secure the southern flank of SRA by seizing Amboina, Timor and NW Australia a month after PH. I don't see how Allied can reinforce the area in five weeks.

By the way I have never played the Allied side (except Russia in a test game and a small Guadalcanal scenario to learn the game) and was not so confident with my landing at Darwin, that I was attempting for the first time.

It can be done, tho i won't disclose how.

Anyway, imo the coastal guns at darwin did their job good enough, and I made the mistake of keeping aircraf there when they were not of any use anymore. *Sigh* one learns from ones mistakes i guess.

And yes, securing the flank and cutting of SRA from solomons and US is a quite obvious objective for this incursion. At the current stage there is no way you could take the whole of OZ without totally abandoning other theatres.

ORIGINAL: String

ORIGINAL: AmiralLaurent


The Japanese plan was to secure the southern flank of SRA by seizing Amboina, Timor and NW Australia a month after PH. I don't see how Allied can reinforce the area in five weeks.

By the way I have never played the Allied side (except Russia in a test game and a small Guadalcanal scenario to learn the game) and was not so confident with my landing at Darwin, that I was attempting for the first time.

It can be done, tho i won't disclose how.

Anyway, imo the coastal guns at darwin did their job good enough, and I made the mistake of keeping aircraf there when they were not of any use anymore. *Sigh* one learns from ones mistakes i guess.

And yes, securing the flank and cutting of SRA from solomons and US is a quite obvious objective for this incursion. At the current stage there is no way you could take the whole of OZ without totally abandoning other theatres.

That is a good point. The team concept virtually guarantees that one area won't get all the offensive resources.

ORIGINAL: String

It can be done, tho i won't disclose how.

Anyway, imo the coastal guns at darwin did their job good enough, and I made the mistake of keeping aircraf there when they were not of any use anymore. *Sigh* one learns from ones mistakes i guess.

And yes, securing the flank and cutting of SRA from solomons and US is a quite obvious objective for this incursion. At the current stage there is no way you could take the whole of OZ without totally abandoning other theatres.

I am also invading Australia in another PBEM in January 1942, some days late as Wake invasion failed on PH Day and KB spend some days covering the second landing. Recons report 9 Allied units in Darwin so I decided to not land there and march from Wyndham to Darwin. Darwin has been heavily pounded in the mean time and Allied lost more than 100 planes before withdrawing everything except some patrol planes.

As I said I don't know the Allied side of the game so don't know how much troops you may ship to Darwin but with the KB arriving in the area in the first days of January 1942 this is a dangerous method. And troops marching from Perth or Cairns (if there are troops there at start) would have just arrived in the area when the first Japanese troops landed

As for the coastal defenses, they were so inefficient against my bombardment TF that I decide to change my plan (that was the same as above, landing in Wyndham and marching to Darwin) and land there. This decision was also taken because there were many planes at Darwin and that I was able to close the field for several days and try to destroy them on the ground by seizing the airfield. The CD guns were much more efficient against my transport TF.

ORIGINAL: String

ORIGINAL: AmiralLaurent
The Japanese plan was to secure the southern flank of SRA by seizing Amboina, Timor and NW Australia a month after PH. I don't see how Allied can reinforce the area in five weeks.

By the way I have never played the Allied side (except Russia in a test game and a small Guadalcanal scenario to learn the game) and was not so confident with my landing at Darwin, that I was attempting for the first time.

It can be done, tho i won't disclose how.

Gee, String, aren't you supposed to agree that there is no way possible to reinforce Darwin? Seems like you're handing your own head to the board of inquiry! [:D]

I guess the lesson is that there really is no place that the Japanese can't go in the first six months if they really want to go there. Taking Darwin is probably a good idea since it doesn't take nearly as much effort as an India blitz, and it does a good job of helping to seal off the SRA for ingestion. If PM falls, Northern Australia is pretty much out of the war, and the Allies can do little to influence events in the DEI.

Byron13, you're right. Japan can invade a lot of places in the first of the game. But it can't invade all of them at the same time and invading Australia means that you will be slow in other theaters. Singapore is really a pain right now. Had these divisions been dropped in Malaya, the city might have allready fallen.
The Australia plan is that the Allied will no more be able to reinforce Java from US/Oz and so the DEI will now fall quicker.

11 January 1942

Aircraft losses today : 25 Allied vs 47 Japanese

Burma
In the morning, 124 KI-21 escorted by 34 Oscars and 14 Zeroes flew from Bangkok again to bomb Rangoon airfield. They were met by 5 Lysanders and 9 Hurricanes II of a new unit, 17 Sqn. 2 Oscars, 2 Lysanders and 4 Hurricanes were shot down while the Sallies destroyed on the ground 3 Lysanders, 2 B-17E and a C-60A Lodestar, losing two bombers to AA and two to accidents.

Malaya
During the night, some Blenheim bombed Khota Bharu airfield while 15 Nells from Saigon bombed Singapore without any other results than losing one plane to AA fire.
In the morning, Singapore airmen attacked again the airfield of Kuantan. 118 heavy bombers and 42 medium bombers escorted by only 2 P-35A met over the target 8 Oscars and 10 Zeroes. The Japanese fighters shot down a P-35A, 3 Hudsons, 2 Blenheim IV, 4 LB-30 Liberator and 3 B-17E Fortress while losing two Oscars to return fire of heavy bombers. The remaining bombers arrived over the airfield, where 43 planes were at the time. 37 were destroyed by a rain of bombs : 13 Ki-21, 9 A6M2, 8 G4M1 and 7 Ki-27. The airfield was also badly wrecked.
During the day, Il-4c based in Singapore flew two missions, each with a good escort, against a Japanese convoy south of Saigon but all bombs missed.

Borneo
Nothing to report

PI
During the night, Japanese troops landed on Leyte Island both in Ormoc and Tacloban. Later they landed too in Guiuan, Samar Island. And 130 Japanese paratroops jumped on Puerto Princesa and occupied the empty town.
IJAAF bombers were active during the day in the area. 48 bombed Manila airfield but almost all missed. 33 other bombed the 101st PA Div in Davao.
In the evening, SS Sailfish attacked the BB Ise south of Tawi Tawi but her torpedoes fail to detonate. She then evaded 2 DDs searching her.

Celebes
In the morning, a Dutch AP was seen by Japanese patrols off Kendari and shortly later attacked by 15 Betties and 12 Zeroes from Amboina and sunk by two torpedoes.
Japanese troops landed in Morotai during the day.

Australia
Two damaged AP (hit by CD guns duirng the Darwin landings) sank during the night and day. Some Japanese DD destroyed mines off Darwin.

Rabaul
Japanese troops now controled the whole island of New Ireland as the last villages (from Tabar) sent representatives to Kavieng.
2 CL and 4 DD bombed all day long the remains of the Rabaul garrison, now in the jungle SW of the base, and inflicted them 90 casualties.

China
The Japanese launched a new deliberate attack in Changsha and engineers reduced the fortifications again one level (to level 3). 170000 Japanese attacked 140000 Chinese (20000 more than two days ago) and losses of the day were 4600 Japanese and 4300 Chinese.
In Hengchow the 104th Japanese Division was bombed by 18 SB-2c from Changsha and then attacked the town with an ENG Rgt but faced three fortified Corps (fort level 3) and failed to take any position. 400 Japanese and 300 Chinese fell.
Chinese troops continue to march to the crossroads S of Wuchow, that was still held by the Japanese after their success the day before. 6 Chineses units were reported there in the evening. 41 Japanese bombers bombed during the day Chinese troops SW of Wuchow (these troops are those defeated yesterday).
In the noth, only activity was a raid of 13 KI-51 from Wuhan against a Chinese Corps in Hsinyang.

Japan
120 miles off the Japanese shore SS Gudgeon attacked a convoy and torpedoed an AP. She then easily escaped two PGs searching her. This is the first success of Allied submarines so close of Japan.

12 January 1942

Burma
In the morning, 76 Ki-21 escorted by 48 fighters bombed the 2nd Burma Brigade north of Tavoy.

Malaya
During the night, 6 Blenheim bombed Khota Bharu airfield while 12 Nells from Saigon bombed Singapore without any results for both sides.
In the morning, 90 heavy bombers and 22 escorts attacked the airfield of Kuantan znd met 6 Oscars of 59th Sentai. The AVG shot down 2 Oscars but they were able to hit several B-17E, one of them crashing during the return to base. Nombs destroyed 2 Zeroes on the ground. At the same time, 34 medium bombers escorted by 19 fighters bombedt he empty airfield of Johore Bharu.
In the afternoon, 6 Il-4c based in Singapore attacked a convoy 180 miles east of Mersing and hit an AP with two bombs.
During the day a damaged Japanese AP sank in an Indochina port.

Borneo
During the night, two bombardment TF raided the ports of Balikpapan and Tarakan. The former was the target of 2 CA and 5 CL that destroyed a Catalina and heavily damaged 2 DDs in the port, the latter was hit by 2 BBs and 1 CA and 3 CW-21B Demon and 2 PBY Catalina were destroyed.
In the morning a Japanese convoy arrived off Kuching. MSW sweep some mines and then 12 unescorted Il-4c from Singapore attacked but met 3 Zeroes. LCdr Ikura of F2/3rd Daitai shot down 4 of them, scoring his victories number 12-15.
In the evening Japanese paratroops jumped on Sandankan and occupied the undefended airfield.

PI
During the night, a damaged Japanese PG sank at Tawi Tawi.
In the morning, 41 bombers from Aparri bombed Manila, destroying a PBY on the ground, while 15 Ki-48 from Cagayan continuedt o bomb the 101st PA Div in Davao.
IJNAF troops occupied the undefended towns of Ormoc, Tacloban and Guiuan.

Celebes
A Japanese NLF occupied Morotai during the day.
In the evening, SS Sculpin was chased by a PG SE of Menado.

Australia
Two Japanese MSW were very busy sweeping mines off Darwin.
On the east coast, two convoys were attacked during the night. RO-65 missed an AP 120 miles E of Cairns and was chased unsuccessfully by 3 MSW. I-171 attacked an unescorted convoy and torpedoed an AK 180 miles NE of Brisbane.

Rabaul
Nothing to report

China
In Hengchow the 104th Japanese Division was bombed by 13 SB-2c from Changsha.
52 Japanese bombers bombed during the day Chinese troops SW of Wuchow.
In the noth, only activity was a raid of 11 KI-51 from Wuhan against a Chinese HQ in Hsinyang.

Japan
120 miles south of Osaka SS Gudgeon attacked another convoy and torpedoed another AP.

I have little to add to AmiralLaurent's extensive and well written reports. Maybe just the fact that i'm extremely frustrated with the preforcmance of our silent service. I think it's the third time BB Ise has been attacked and every time its either duds or the torps miss.

Praise goes to SS Gudgeon's commander as she has torpedoed two AP's during the last two days. When she returns, medals will be awarded, extended shoreleave granted and lots of alcohol provided [:D]

Regarding China. Maybe an agreement can be reached.. a cease fire maybe? That theatre is still very unbalanced and frankly, commanding it is eating away at my nerves. I feel like when i make just one mistake I'm doomed. That's how it has been in all my previous games, one mistake from the chinese side and they are just rolled up.

13 January 1942


Aircraft losses today : 40 Allied vs 14 Japanese

India
Dacca airfield was expanded to size 6 by Allied engineers. Allied strategic bombers will probably fly here from Singapore in the near future.

Burma
102 Ki-21 from Bangkok escorted by 34 Oscars bombed in Moulmein the 1st Burma Brigade and a RAF Base Force.

Malaya
During the night Khota Bharu was bombed by 6 Blenheim and Singapore by 16 Nells. No hit were scored and the 3 nightfighters defending Singapore were also unsuccessfull.
In the afternoon, Singapore airmen (6 Blenheim and 3 Il-4c escorted by 15 P-40B, 10 Buffaloes and 2 P-35A) attacked a Japanese convoy SW of Saigon. The CAP of 8 Zeroes shot down 4 Buffaloes, 2 P-35A, 1 P-40B and 1 Blenheim IV but 6 Japanese pilots were shot down, mainly by the AVG. The bombers hit an AP.
The first Japanese troops entered Singapore hex during the day.

Borneo
In the morning, 19 torpedo planes (Swordfish, Vildebeest, T.4a) and 16 escorts flew from Singkawang to Kuching to attack a Japanese convoy. 3 Zeroes intercepted them but shot down only one Swordfish. An AP was hit by a torpedo.

Celebes
During the night, Japanese troops landed in Wasile, SW of Morotai.
Kendari airmen had a busy day. In the morning, they attacked in two waves the Kido Butai 240 miles south of their base. CW-21B and 3 Martin 139 attacked first and met 49 Zeroes, that shot down 2 of each type. The surviving Martin missed the Soryu. Then the main force, 15 Martins escorted by 7 Brewster 339D, attacked. 8 Martins, 2 Brewsters and 1 Zero were lost in the air battle. 4 Martins reached the CVs and missed two of them. Just after noon, 14 Betties and 8 Zeroes from Amboina appeared over Kendari and bombed the base, destroying another Martin on the ground. Allied airmen then launched another raid with 8 Martins and 6 Beauforts escorted by 9 Brewster and 6 CW-21B. They met 46 Zeroes, that shot down 7 Brewster, 4 CW-21B, 2 Beauforts and 2 Martins. Bombers didn't reach the CVs and bombed a transport place nearby but all bombs missed.

Australia
Allied and Japanese troops are still racing to reach the crossroads south of Darwin.

Philipinnes
The part of Samar not yet occupied by Japanese troops surrendered.
In the morning, 10 bombers from Aparri attacked Manila port and hit one of the heavily damaged AKs docked there. Another of these cripples sank during the day.
On Mindanao Island, 15 Ki-48 from Cagayan bombed the 101st PA Div in Davao, where more Japanese troops arrived.

China
19 SB-2c from Changsha bombed in two waves Japanese troops besieging the city. Nates intercepted the second wave but only to lose one aircraft to Chinese escorts.
40 Japanese bombers bombed during the day Chinese troops SW of Wuchow. Japanese troops finished to evacuate the croosroads NW of Canton, leaving it to Chinese forces.
In the north, only activity was a raid of 13 KI-51 from Wuhan against a Chinese Corps in Hsinyang.

Rabaul, Pacific, Japan
Nothing to report

ORIGINAL: String

Regarding China. Maybe an agreement can be reached.. a cease fire maybe? That theatre is still very unbalanced and frankly, commanding it is eating away at my nerves. I feel like when i make just one mistake I'm doomed. That's how it has been in all my previous games, one mistake from the chinese side and they are just rolled up.

The Unified Japanese command discussed China pre the opening of hostilities. It was considered a Secondary theatre at best and we have no real ambitions here. Mainly because coming from a 1.3 background it seemed terribly unbalanced and no one wanted to play Ground war in China/India instead of War in the Pacific [:)] Three of the bases on the rail line have resources and Heavy Industry that we would like to have and we initially would have stopped at that if we could have taken them.

However things have not gone according to plan [:)] The Chinese player - our spies tell us a certain Colonel String [;)] - has taken the battle to us in a big way [X(] The Chinese have launched a series of Offensives whilst simultaneously withdrawing their best Air Units to other more useful theatres.

This leaves the Japanese General on the ground - General Hoplosternum [;)] - with something of a dilemma. Much as he has been impressed by the Chinese fighting spirit and aggression he believes that they are now courting disaster and just too dangerous to be left so close to vital Japanese port and Industrial facilities as Shanghai and Hong Kong. If we were to come to a ceasefire now what is to stop the Chinese Infantry following their best air units straight out of China? Plus might they not come back in force later, if not on the ground then by an air offensive in '43 to decimate our extensive in range ports and Heavy industry?

Plus the same tactics the Chinese have used can be used by the Japanese too [;)] Including stripping the less important areas of garrisons which until now we have been reluctant to do....

The WitP ground combat model with it's Napoleonic style 1 day battles between forces of 100,000s plus lack of logistics considerations (who needs your own supplies when you can live off the enemies!) does not lend itself to static fronts. It strongly favours the attacker and boldest unless there is a choke point to focus the defence on.

So we agree with the Chinese commander that while it may look good for him at the moment his position is somewhat brittle [;)]

So we have would like to come to an agreement on China. But as our best chance to hurt you is now we want one that lasts the whole war not just a few months. What sort of cease fire do we both want? I don't want to stop fighting and allow a whole lot of ahistorical nonsense to follow. I would be happy with the original borders only if we both agree to:

1) No Ground fighting in China.
2) Withdrawal to original towns/front lines.
3) No offensive air opps in China (Recon is OK of course).
4) No unit withdrawal of units from China until their HQ is changed (or would this still allow too much to be used elsewhere?)

Does this sound reasonable? Have I missed anything obvious? Does this sound unfair to one side or the other? (I don't want to get any advantage here, but nor do I want to weaken us either!). What do people think?

The other Japanese leaders might object of course but I don't think either has much of a plan for China for the reasons I gave earlier so I hope they will go along with this.

Gen. Hoplosternum

ORIGINAL: Hoplosternum

ORIGINAL: String

Regarding China. Maybe an agreement can be reached.. a cease fire maybe? That theatre is still very unbalanced and frankly, commanding it is eating away at my nerves. I feel like when i make just one mistake I'm doomed. That's how it has been in all my previous games, one mistake from the chinese side and they are just rolled up.

1) No Ground fighting in China.
2) Withdrawal to original towns/front lines.
3) No offensive air opps in China (Recon is OK of course).
4) No unit withdrawal of units from China until their HQ is changed (or would this still allow too much to be used elsewhere?)

Does this sound reasonable? Have I missed anything obvious? Does this sound unfair to one side or the other? (I don't want to get any advantage here, but nor do I want to weaken us either!). What do people think?

It does sound reasonable, but there are a few things regarding point #4 that I'd like to adress. Firstly the japanese will get enough PP points to transfer out a division per month or two.. That's a lot of forces over a long run, especially considering that engineer and base forces are even cheaper, not to mention airgroups.

It is my proposal that both sides maintain current ground forces in china listed as China Command or China expeditionary force. New units recieved on japanese side could be transferred to another HQ and sent out. To prevent china from being stripped of aircraft I'd propose that atleast one fighter unit with atleast 24 planes would be used to cover a base with industry or resources, and that atleast three bomber units be left into china (those can be based anywhere tho, doing ASW around south china sea for example)

Otherwise large formations would be released into other theatres for japanese while the allies would have little to use. Allies won't withdraw any china command units out of china aside from those already out. Most notably an Il-4 squadron and the AVG.
An exception can be made hopefully in this case for the NCAHQ or whatever is the name of the unit Stillwell commands.. this if changed to southeast asia could be transferred out.

We could replace the aircraft rule above with the following exception to airops in china. Chinese planes of russian origin can be used in offensive ops in china, this shouldn't be too hard for the IJA airforce to counter but would serve to keep atleast some air units in china.

Ofcourse the chinese forces would retreat from the two japanese cities captured along the railroad line.

String

I have not seen the map but it sounds like China is doing fine. I dno't understand why you are worried. I sounds like you have turned China into a swamp and that is about the best you can do. I don't see any huge defeats coming your way though you may lose Changsha. But as long as the army there is able to retreat you will be ok.

Hello String,

I think those things sound acceptable. I don't have a problem with the Russian Built planes bombing and it will as you say mean I have to leave some fighters in China. I agree that we don't want a mass exodus from China as it is likely to clog up other areas with excess ground units. But I'll have to check with Laurent and Mogami that I am not selling us down the river.

I think that the Stilwell forces are already in SE Command (except the HQ) and I at least have no problems with them fighting in Burma as they did historically. Or are you talking about other forces? They won't on their own stop the Japanese there. I know because I've tried to halt the Japanese advance at Mandalay with them myself.

ORIGINAL: Tom Hunter

String

I have not seen the map but it sounds like China is doing fine. I dno't understand why you are worried. I sounds like you have turned China into a swamp and that is about the best you can do. I don't see any huge defeats coming your way though you may lose Changsha. But as long as the army there is able to retreat you will be ok.

I don't have a problem with us fighting on [:D] But I don't think the Land Combat model works all that well in China. The Japanese just seem to be stronger than the Chinese and it's far easier for me to transfer in extra troops for a while if I need them. Although String is doing very well and I suspect he is a better player - at least in this theatre - I still fancy my chances here. I would be relieved to call a truce not because I think String will beat me but because I don't want this theatre to massively change the war.

Also against a more passive Chinese player I would have stopped after clearing most of the rail line, but against someone as aggressive as String I could not afford to leave China intact to come back and bite me later. I'd have to go for the kill or at least wound him badly if I ever get on top. If the Japanese take Chunking (which against another opponent I would not bother with but might have to here if I got the chance) it's worth about 5000 VPs to the Japanese when built up. That’s a lot of extra VPs the allies need to force the surrender later on.