Intellectus Ex Nihilo (Wal-Mart on Ice)

[Canoerebel]

4/8/44

Battle of Timor Sea: Enemy reinforcements bound for Java.

[Canoerebel]

4/8/44

Battle of Timor Sea: It was at this point, armed with the info you've just seen, that I took the long bike ride to mull over options. The decision: "While waiting for the reinforcing carriers to come from Townsville, move on Dili and the dot hexes north of Timor." So 3rd Marine Div. and an arty unit, which has begun loading aboard transports the turn before, moved out. APDs at Darwin to load elements of 33rd Div. for snap invasions. And, in the meantime, DS had a small troop transport carrying part of an Aussie aviation engineering unit that had some assault value (but no av support, because that previously came ashore at Taberfane.

The transports were given orders to proceed to one of those dot hexes, with D-Day tomorrow.

[Gridley380]

Great play-by-play.

[Canoerebel]

Thanks, Gridley. I'm glad you are enjoying it. I'm thankful there are readers. [:)]

[Canoerebel]

4/9/44

Battle of Timor Sea: The Japanese remain quiet (at the moment), as the Allies begin shifting from Koepang-focused ops to ops focused on opportunities to the north. Sooner or later, this probing and poking will elicit a strong response. It will get bloody again. With Darwin (and Koepang, soon) in Allied hands, it's a good time to fight. Allied reinforcements are pouring into theater, so that there is the potential to keep moving all the way to Java and Celebes. Dave will fight before I get that far, so let's see what happens where and when.

The seven CVEs are at Cairns, moving to Horn Island tonight. CV Wasp II will arrive at Cairns tomorrow.

[USSAmerica]

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

ORIGINAL: Uncivil Engineer

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

My arrival at Antietam National Battlefield about 12 years ago was one of the most remarkable historical moments I've experienced.

My family and I had just left Harpers Ferry, where we had lunch and a tour. We drove across the Potomac and into Maryland, bound for the battlefield. We were busy laughing and talking, and I figured at some point we'd see a sign or an entrance or a bunch of touristy buildings as we neared our destination. Instead we just drove through beautiful rural and farm country, topped a rise, and suddenly saw the Dunker Church in the near distance. It was like we had driven from 2003 right into the Brady photo of that church, with battle damage, taken in 1862.

A bunch of our best Civil War battlefields are still rural or semi-rural and lack the horrid development that mars so much of our countryside today. Antietam is a gem (or was, in 2003).

I've visited most of the Army of Northern Virginia battle sites. Antietam is probably the best preserved due to its location. Manassas and Fredericksburg are totally over-developed, although you can still look down from Marye's Heights and get an idea of what the Yanks faced. The sprawl west from Fredericksburg is also now impacting Chancellorsville and Spottsylvania. And, of course, Gettysburg has a McDonald's in the sunken road at the base of Cemetary Ridge. I've never visited anything around Richmond-Petersburg, but I'm sure all that has been developed.

Antietam and Chickamauga are spectacular. Kennesaw Mountain is pretty good. And I suspect Shiloh is excellent, as it's in a mostly rural location.

Shiloh is fabulous! Visited in the mid 90's while I was still living in Memphis.

[BBfanboy]

I think Fast Transport TFs set at "Mission Speed" always travel at Full Speed. The only way I have found to limit this is to set them at Cruise Speed.
You might want to watch the fuel level on those APDs.

[Crackaces]

I would have expected Nell's and Betty's from Celebes to terrorize along with the KB. From my perspective, that is the risk of a Java focused vector as opposed to island hopping through the Marshals and Mariana Islands. There are so many potential airbases with inter-locking CAP distances that it is very hard to suppress the enemy air. Combine the KB with multiple air platforms from airbases and typically this is a very expensive affair. The IJ have not built any layers of defense really to defend the Java / Timor seas, and the Allies are engaging in a cake walk of sorts. Soon I suspect the Allies will be with airbases to stage 4E raids(and 2E attacks) into precious IJ lifelines ..

I have to think that the IJ will bring the support and platforms needed to defend ... although I think the train has already left the station so to speak ..

[Canoerebel]

The Nettie/Frances/etc. threat is real but is somewhat counterbalanced by the risk that sorties will flail against massive CAP. That tends to keep both players pretty honest.

[Crackaces]

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

The Nettie/Frances/etc. threat is real but is somewhat counterbalanced by the risk that sorties will flail against massive CAP. That tends to keep both players pretty honest.

I have to think that a coordinated attack with the KB has to be on the agenda .. else the Allies will continue to advance -- being unstoppable. Once you have bases full of fighters and bombers .. the IJ are in deep trouble ..

[Canoerebel]

That battle took place about 10 turns back (I don't recall if you were reading along, then). It'll happen again, because I'll keep the pressure moving forward until it does. If possible, I'd prefer that it not happen until Wasp II and the CVEs arrive in about ten days.

[Canoerebel]

4/10/44 and 4/11/44

A busy and productive couple of days around Timor, but first a bit of perspective. Even as the front roils and requires so much attention, there's a lot going on behind the lines. The Coral/Solomon seas region are good examples.

[Canoerebel]

4/10/44 and 4/11/44

West Coast, Oz: A critical but non-sexy op taking place along the west coast of Oz. The army needed to push further west is about to reach Darwin.

[Canoerebel]

4/10/44 and 4/11/44

The Cauldron

[Canoerebel]

4/11/44

Intel Screen: The bottom line, not to be obsessed over but always kept in mind.

Since the last post, the big changes have been in Ships and Bases, the Allies taking leads in both categories. Pretty efficient fighting over the past 4+ months.

[Canoerebel]

After a lot of thought, the APD, set to flank speed, will try for Watampone. It's six hexes distant. Success should stir the hornet's next greatly. I only have one small amphibious TF carrying a small Aussie unit available to move on success, but a division prepping for the base will leave Darwin tonight for Koepang. The bigger question is whether I would want to take on KB that deep this soon. After weighing the pluses and minuses, I felt like keeping maximum pressure on was the best move.

Other APDs will move on Bima, Ruteng and Waingapoe, which are undefended and will be easy (unless Dave send out combat TFs, guessing that these are next).

[RangerJoe]

If you have relatively light units to move in after the invasion, that would be a help.

[BBfanboy]

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

After a lot of thought, the APD, set to flank speed, will try for Watampone. It's six hexes distant. Success should stir the hornet's next greatly. I only have one small amphibious TF carrying a small Aussie unit available to move on success, but a division prepping for the base will leave Darwin tonight for Koepang. The bigger question is whether I would want to take on KB that deep this soon. After weighing the pluses and minuses, I felt like keeping maximum pressure on was the best move.

Other APDs will move on Bima, Ruteng and Waingapoe, which are undefended and will be easy (unless Dave send out combat TFs, guessing that these are next).

Good move!

L'audace, l'audace, toujours l'audace! - Napoleon Bonaparte

[HansBolter]

ORIGINAL: BBfanboy


L'audace, l'audace, toujours l'audace! - Napoleon Bonaparte

I could swear I recall George C. Scott quoting that in the movie Patton.

[RangerJoe]

ORIGINAL: HansBolter

ORIGINAL: BBfanboy


L'audace, l'audace, toujours l'audace! - Napoleon Bonaparte

I could swear I recall George C. Scott quoting that in the movie Patton.

You are correct, he did.