Return of the Sheep! - JocMeister(A) vs. MrKane(J)

[JocMeister]

[font="Verdana"]1st September -42[/font]
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A new month and new planes. Pretty good one for the Allies as the P40K and Kittyhawk III starts producing at 65 and 12 planes/mo respectively. The 370MPH top speed will help no doubt but sadly the max alt. is too low to make any major impact. So I´ll continue to be dived on for a while longer.

Sadly this is also the last day before I have to start working again. So the turn pace will drop significantly starting tomorrow. Probably down to 2-3 turns per day. [:(]

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SOPAC/OZ
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200 4Es hits the blocking force NW of Brisbane. As I´m limited to 10k minimum altitude damage is underwhelming. Seems like Tom is worried though as he is reinforcing. I´m planning a trap here. Might work!

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CENTPAC
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Trying to sneak a small 4 ship DD TF through the gap between the Gilberts and the Ellice Islands. Got a 2/2 DL while refueling at Baker. Will try further south.

Have 2 big TFs approaching Baker. One with fuel for Baker and one with engineers for Baker and Howland.

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Burma/IO
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As seen in the above post I had to scrap the PB landing. I have some other ideas though. Update on that coming later today or tonight.

The USAAF is almost operational in India. Need about a week more of training to get DEF up.

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Logistics
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Man, SL makes things annoyingly difficult at times. I have a crapload of Engineers sitting at San Fran. But nowhere to send them. There simply isn´t any room to put them. [X(]

Only NZ and OZ have room for them. And I don´t want or need them there. Will have to start moving combat troops of the Samoans and Fijis just to get room for the engineers. And those troops have to be shipped to OZ or NZ...which means a heavily protected convoy...

Annoying but quite amusing at the same time...

[BattleMoose]

After China get cleaned up, what do you suppose he will do with all those LCUs? Seems like Java and Sumatra got reinforced. Do you think he will send a number of them to reinforce Burma?

Cape Town to Perth is a slower but much safer option for getting things to Australia.

[JocMeister]

ORIGINAL: BattleMoose

After China get cleaned up, what do you suppose he will do with all those LCUs? Seems like Java and Sumatra got reinforced. Do you think he will send a number of them to reinforce Burma?

Cape Town to Perth is a slower but much safer option for getting things to Australia.

Very good question! He will no doubt use a good amount to make the mountains to Burma rock solid. With the rest...not sure. Garrison requirements are ridiculously low so he will no doubt have the ability to buy out a huge amount of troops.

But as I have noticed SL will make it harder for him to create massive fortresses. But no doubt he will pack all the possible approaches to the limit. Marianas, Marshalls, Sumatra, DEI... much will go to Burma I´m sure. He can probably buy out an ID every second month or so. So I will be facing at least an extra 6 IDs in the coming year besides the 3(?) he has already bought out.

[JocMeister]

[font="Verdana"]Operation "Get off my lawn"[/font]
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This operation has been going on parallel with the IO operation. My initial thought was to first go haywire in the IO and then quickly dash back to CENTPAC to provide cover for the landing.

But only 5 days after announcing the PB operation SIGINT picked up the 56th ID en route to PB. So I immediately turned the entire fleet around and back to Pearl. There they have been sitting basically waiting for prepp.

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Targets
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Main target is Tabiteuea.
Secondary target is Tarawa.

Known enemy strength is only the 32nd JAAF Coy on Tabiteuea.

We are going in a bit lighter then I would have wished. 145th and 148th Infantry RGT backed up by the 1st Pioneer Battalion and 637th Tank Destroyer Battalion. I would have preferred a full ID but don´t have the troops. Considering Tom hasn´t even expanded the AF I hope he won´t have more troops then the Coy and the Nav Guard used to secure it 3 months back. I do have some BBs with me to soften up resistance. In fact I have all of them with me...

Tarawa on the other hand has a full ID landing. I will hold back this landing initially though. If the Tabi landing fails I will land on either Maiana or Kuria which still hasn´t flipped.

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Japanese response
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Unsure. With at least parts of the KB (Kakus?) away on refits and most of the CA force either temporarily out of action or out of range (Brisbane) Tom may decide its not worth risking a CV battle on equal terms over the Gilberts. Tom has also neglected to build up the AFs in the Gilberts meaning he will have no LBA support. Tarawa and Tabi are only level 1 AFs.

To sum it up its probably as a disadvantageous position for Tom as it can be with 42 standards. He may also have little to no interest in the Gilberts. But if he comes I will not shy down. I have the entire USN with me. Against a weakened KB without much SCTF support this is as good as a chance I will get.

If the KB is at Truk or Rabaul he will not arrive until the second day if going at full speed. Rabaul is the most likely of the two.

[JocMeister]

Should perhaps add here that I went in a bit unprepared. Spotting the Japanese CVs 12 turns ago I decided to move immediately. So Tarawas BFs are still between SF and PH. Subs are not in place and AUX ships are still 10-12 days behind.

Not optimal but I decided I was better off moving fast.

[Lowpe]

ORIGINAL: JocMeister
Burma for instance is still lightly held and a big allied push here might not push Tom out but cause him a lot of headaches.

Don´t want to bog down the armor in the jungles though.

$&^*! I got shot down, abused, and kicked while on the ground for mentioning this instead of Sumatra...[:D]

[JocMeister]

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

ORIGINAL: JocMeister
Burma for instance is still lightly held and a big allied push here might not push Tom out but cause him a lot of headaches.

Don´t want to bog down the armor in the jungles though.

$&^*! I got shot down, abused, and kicked while on the ground for mentioning this instead of Sumatra...[:D]

Maskirovka! [:D]

[Lowpe]

ORIGINAL: JocMeister

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

ORIGINAL: JocMeister
Burma for instance is still lightly held and a big allied push here might not push Tom out but cause him a lot of headaches.

Don´t want to bog down the armor in the jungles though.

$&^*! I got shot down, abused, and kicked while on the ground for mentioning this instead of Sumatra...[:D]

Maskirovka! [:D]

Just don't get cut off with an amphibious invasion and destroyed.[:D]

[JocMeister]

ORIGINAL: Lowpe
Just don't get cut off with an amphibious invasion and destroyed.[:D]

That would certainly be undesirable! [:D]

Not too worried about an counter attack. Atolls are horrible, horrible to attack. Even more so for Japan. In my 2nd game my opponent wrecked 2 full IDs trying to counter land against a lone USMC RGT backed up by a Tank BTL and a Engineer RGT on Makin.

Even after blasting them with BBs and bombing from the air for 3 months his landing force was completely wrecked. And my troops didn´t even have any supply. Atolls are NASTY. And even if Tom decided to try it will be the same krux as with his Kandavu landing. He would need the KB there for the duration. So the KB parked in the Gilberts for 100 days. I´ll take that for the price of the troops invested. [:)]

I think it was GJ who said that as a RoT Japan should never ever under any circumstances try to retake atolls.

[Lowpe]

ORIGINAL: JocMeister

ORIGINAL: Lowpe
Just don't get cut off with an amphibious invasion and destroyed.[:D]

That would certainly be undesirable! [:D]

Not too worried about an counter attack. Atolls are horrible, horrible to attack. Even more so for Japan. In my 2nd game my opponent wrecked 2 full IDs trying to counter land against a lone USMC RGT backed up by a Tank BTL and a Engineer RGT on Makin.

Even after blasting them with BBs and bombing from the air for 3 months his landing force was completely wrecked. And my troops didn´t even have any supply. Atolls are NASTY. And even if Tom decided to try it will be the same krux as with his Kandavu landing. He would need the KB there for the duration. So the KB parked in the Gilberts for 100 days. I´ll take that for the price of the troops invested. [:)]

I think it was GJ who said that as a RoT Japan should never ever under any circumstances try to retake atolls.

I was thinking more along the lines of an invasion into lower India...

I had to look up that word...I like it.

[JocMeister]

[font="Verdana"]Operation "Get off my lawn" - Day 2[/font]
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Everything goes exactly as planned. For once... [:'(]

No Japanese opposition whatsoever. No ships and no planes sighted.

Pre-Invasion action off Tabiteuea (137,134)

2 Coastal gun shots fired in defense.

Allied Ships
BB Resolution
BB Ramillies
BB Mississippi
BB New Mexico
DD Talbot
DD Stuart
DD Allen
AP Crescent City
DD Norman

Japanese ground losses:
435 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 3 disabled
Non Combat: 12 destroyed, 32 disabled
Engineers: 1 destroyed, 1 disabled

Amphibious Assault at Tabiteuea (137,134)

TF 183 troops unloading over beach at Tabiteuea, 137,134

Allied ground losses:
116 casualties reported
Squads: 1 destroyed, 16 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 25 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 10 (0 destroyed, 10 disabled)
Vehicles lost 38 (2 destroyed, 36 disabled)

That Japanese are thrown off the island on the first attempt.

Ground combat at Tabiteuea (137,134)

Allied Shock attack

Attacking force 9658 troops, 137 guns, 186 vehicles, Assault Value = 329

Defending force 909 troops, 5 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 2

Allied adjusted assault: 354

Japanese adjusted defense: 1

Allied assault odds: 354 to 1 (fort level 2)

Allied forces CAPTURE Tabiteuea !!! [&o][&o][&o]

Japanese aircraft
no flights

Japanese aircraft losses
H8K1 Emily: 1 destroyed
H6K4 Mavis: 1 destroyed

Combat modifiers
Defender:
Attacker: shock(+)

Japanese ground losses:
909 casualties reported
Squads: 3 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 37 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 14 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 5 (5 destroyed, 0 disabled)
Units destroyed 2

Allied ground losses:
43 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 6 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

Assaulting units:
145th Infantry Regiment
148th Infantry Regiment
637th Tank Destroyer Battalion
1st Pioneer Battalion
93rd Coast AA Regiment
1st AmphTrac Engineer Battalion
318th Base Group

Defending units:
13th Naval Construction Battalion
32nd JAAF AF Coy

I wasn´t to worried about today. Its the next turn I dread. If Tom sortied the KB at full speed from Truk or Rabaul we will have a CV battle tomorrow. If we do I have a lot of BB/CAs and transports with me to soak up TTs and bombs.

Fingers crossed for tomorrow...

[JocMeister]

ORIGINAL: Lowpe
I was thinking more along the lines of an invasion into lower India...

I had to look up that word...I like it.

Ah, my bad. Well I think the timetable for an Indian invasion is way past now. I havn´t counted but I probably have (if you include the restricted Indian divisions) something like 5-7000 AV in India. Add to that the reinforcements from the states that are currently unloading...Not to mention the fact that the Indian IDs have gotten their EXP/MRL up from the starting 30/30 to more respectable levels. Most are around 50/100 now.

Not sure if anyone has ever tried to move into India this late?

[JocMeister]

Hmm...my CV battle sense is tingling...still no turn back!

[BattleMoose]

Good Luck!

[Lowpe]

A couple more landings and you will be knocking on the Marianas!

[JocMeister]

[font="Verdana"]Operation "Get off my lawn" - Day 3[/font]
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No CV battle thankfully... Not a single Japanese TF spotted despite 18 CATs flying from Tabi and Kuria on range 20. [&:]

I´ve decided to go ahead with the Tarawa landing. It might turn out to be "a bridge too far" but recon confirms the island is empty?! [X(]

Started moving in more BFs for Tabi and the surrounding islands.

[offenseman]

Wonderful! Now go sack Roi Namur.[:)] Well done. It must be nice to do something offensive for a change. [8D]

[JocMeister]

ORIGINAL: offenseman

Wonderful! Now go sack Roi Namur.[:)] Well done. It must be nice to do something offensive for a change. [8D]

Yes, until this point of the replay/CR... [:(]

Ground combat at Chungking (76,45)

Japanese Bombardment attack

Attacking force 8469 troops, 702 guns, 729 vehicles, Assault Value = 1786

Defending force 217346 troops, 172 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 5619

Allied ground losses:
1855 casualties reported
Squads: 101 destroyed, 39 disabled
Non Combat: 12 destroyed, 5 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 2 (2 destroyed, 0 disabled)

This is despite level 6 forts in a UL hex. Starting to wonder if something is up with those huge Manchurian guns...losing 10-40 VPs per turn to this. [:(]

[ny59giants]

Starting to wonder if something is up with those huge Manchurian guns

IMO, their TO&E should be changed to include a static device that doesn't upgrade to a non-static device until at least mid-42 or beyond. They would have taken months to move IRL, not less than two weeks.

[BBfanboy]

About those engineers sitting in the USA that you haven't found a use for: if you move them to OZ they can build the bases there to improve supply flow. They will also be closer to the islands that you will conquer and need to build up in SOPAC/SWPAC.