Herb VS Tabpub

[1275psi]

area 4
Combined fleet
Area 4 remains very quiet, which i am grateful for
the fleet reorganises, i am concentrating all the fleet at Truk, currently only 2 BBs, but nearly all the CAs, and KB2( Hiyo, Junyo, shoho, zuiho and ryujo0
KB is enroute to Japan, for a well earned rest
I hope to have the 3 old BBs here by months end, and HIei and Kirishima also.

The two divisions from the phillipines are junked at the moment, 4th and 16th.
Air power is satisfactory.
Pilot skill, especially on the CVs, remains very good

Supply situation is terrible - truk has just 4000 tons, rabual 3000, port moresby 4000.
All bases are short.
Fuel
Fuel is short, very short, and because of it I am tied to here.

I hope you are right sir that the oil and fuel situation seems to have bottomend out!

the fleet remains confident
I pray the enemy does something stupid soon, and tries to attack before 1943

[1275psi]

Area 5 report

well old friend, i feel hung out like a target here.
2 zero sqs, 1 betty sq, a few miserable ASW assetts, and those useless subs to protect a 1000 square miles

If combined fleet does a runner, or lets me down, Im stuffed.
I replaced the tarwana commander, now VADM shimizu will probably have the honour of our graduating class to die first defending some useless rock.

Subs are about baker island, more to the south of tarwana, everything that flies is on naval search.
That promise of 60 or more zeros is appreciated - months end hey!?

PS
Send SAKI

RADM Htiekeyama, HQ 4th fleet

[1275psi]

General Homma, area 6 - china command reports

As ordered, all armies have disengaged in china, the front is quiet.
It will remain so until ordered.

[1275psi]

AREA 7
North front

Sir

All is quiet
My command, 3 minelaying subs, and the base units are quietly doing as ordered.
very little

No signs of the enemy
As discussed, i still believe the enemy, like us believe that this theatre is just too rugged for military operations.
Thus, I will not burden you with any material requests.

[1275psi]

Well as overall commander of the southern area , i was pleased, and not surprised at all with my area commander reports
i have asked for weekly reports, with the extent of the empire, Ill be lucky to get them on time

The major action today remains around java, where just a handful of beuforts cause chaos - sank 2 msw 's today, I can hear yamishita screaming from here[:'(]
Troops continue to unload at Kragean, engineers and the like.

Area 1, burma, and task force 123, BBs yamato,mutsu, nagato, and 2 cves with fighters are going to try for a raid on tricomalee.
Im concerned about lack of naval search, and where are the american CVs,? if they are in the indian ocean, it could be bad

KB is 3 or 4 days from home, lots of medals to give out
At clarke several units made an unscheduled attack today, 56 div is ordered to rejoin.
I ordered all the naval guard unitsfrom the phillipines back to japan, to finish filling out properly.

finally, I hope yamamatos strategy works
Army really let us down in the phillipines, I feel it is too late for any more adventures.
A last, last note - the lack of enemy air action in burma - intelligence suggests that the british are upgrading there planes, so maybe it is TF123's perfect opportunity.

[1275psi]

16/5/42
2 sub attacks today, both miss
Bombs fall on clarke, 109 hits
North cape aust recieved some bombs
North of pagan recieves bombs from me

At bali the cap fails for some reason, and a ASW group is hammered, 3 PGs sunk.
Clarke, some troops attack without orders, grrr.
A quiet day.

17/5/42
another day, another AP lost Im sure!
sub misses off tijilitjap
Kragean, a DD hits a mine
38 B17 attack pagan, intercepted by 48 oscar - who I put way higher, all bounce the enemy.
2 B17 lost, 26 damaged, 2 oscars lost

Nice result
14 beaforts attack akyab, and oscars intercept here too, shooting down 4
120 sallies hit clarke, and no flak is encountered at all.

29 B17s hit Ndindi, and boy, its a sub car park about this island as well

nells strafe a pt boat at soerabaya.
CL natori sinks at tarakan

TF123 is off Adaman island, fuelling
A unit comes out of the bush and blocks the road from rangoon - cheeky
I order a deliberate at clarke
Kragean is recieving troops, still more enroute, 3 zero sqs are trying to LRCAP

And the convoy route is working well.

[1275psi]

18/5/42
tabpub hints at a coming offensive - oh goody!
2 sub attacks today - both miss
hurricanes spotted mandalaby as his airforce returns to the base - in numbers it appears
clarke hit again.
that cheeky unit is hit

several APs hit at java today, this is very frustrating1

the deliberate at clarke gets 2 to 1, forts to 4
at last, progress

TF123 is approaching tricomalee, hopefully will remain undetected

Combined fleet is re organised at truk, into 4 CA divisions of 4 CA in each, a BB division, and KB2
KB 1 is home, and the crew given leave

19/5/42
Enemy admits to cracking in the phillipines.
I withdraw to japan all the naval guard units there, time to rebuild properly

TF123 is spotted in the bay of bengal
Forts to 3 at clarke, we lose 1000 men each day here, but so does he.

I order 5 sqs of transports to the south pacific, they begin the long flight from japan

[1275psi]

20/5/42

Clarke fell today
At last
Soerabaya the last reinforcements are landing, we can attack next week

TF123 is ordered to retire, cannot see any benifit to be gained here at the moment, I need some naval strike capacity here - CVL rhyujo? is due this month, so she can go there.

Today the AI formed a AO task force on me in singapore, and tried to sail it to bali - and I did not notice.
Soerabaya air smashes a valuable ao, and she will sink.
NOT HAPPY JAN!!!

[1275psi]

21/5/42
AREA ONE weekly report
LT GEN HOMMA reporting

A quiet week for area one command.
The enemy has blocked the road to the north of rangoon, only a handful of men, very annoying
I will need a Small unit to chase it of the road, sending a division would be stupid.
I have been ordered to to "put on a show", subsequently I have a mixed regiment trying to flank to the east, it has made 50 miles, and reports no resistance so far.
to the west of mandalaby, 33rd division will strike north from Pagan
I dont expect any success from any of this, but it will be a good "show"

the navy has retired from its deep sea fishing exped - pointless.
But at least my Akyab strike units still remain
navy shocked me as well, they have "lent" me at least 60 betties, and some zeros for a strike on mandalaby tomorrow - very pleasing.
navy is very nervous though.

I here clarke fell - soerabaya soon, then I can really feel secure here with some of those troops

finally, very very pleased to hear that 100 sallies are enroute - mandalaby will be turned into a crater.

[1275psi]

21/5/42
AREA TWO weekly report
LT GEN ITAGAKI reporting

As promised Clarke has fallen
As ordered by you, Bataan will be besieged - why take it and have so many mouths to feed?
Bataan will become a training bombing run for at least the next 3 months.
I acknowledge that this will deny manilla harbour to us, but that can wait.
As ordered, 16th army HQ, 2nd div, 8th tank 1st eng and various small units will remani in the phillipines

I release 54th, 48th,56th division to combined fleet
65th,and 56th brigade will be retained for mopping up ops in the phillipines
I retain 2 sally, and 1 lilly sq here, and release to area 1 all other army air assetts
I also release all naval air assetts to area 4

I am pleased to report that the convoy route is working very well - asw groups are fine, additional base forces on the route are enroute.
By next report, full air cover will be available.

Soerabaya will be attacked this week.

Area 2 remains confident of completing all assigned tasks.

[1275psi]

AREA THREE
Weekly report
LtGEN Yamishita reporting

Area 3 remains quiet, some enemy 4 engine bombers have been reconning our positions
Supplies are good, and the 1st oil tankers from area 3 have sailed.
I personally remain outside of soerabaya.

I ask for a new naval and air commander for this area - they are incompetent - far too many ships are being lost to the soerabaya air.
And just how am I suppose to suppress soerabaya with out any bombers at all!?

But for my borrowing artillery and engineers from my arae command, i would doubt my ability to take this place.
The Helens must remain at darwin

moriati as ordered is being turned into a linchpin base.

Area 3 requests additional asw units and naval lift.

[1275psi]

AREA Four weekly report

Lt GEN Homma reporting
The solomons remain very quiet.
truk has recieved some supplies - now over my hard deck of 20000 tons

nevertheless i remain very concerned with them.
request extra effort to rectify this .

Lea has recieved the Nell units.
I do request additional fighters.
I remain a passive stance as ordered.

[1275psi]

Area 5 weekly report

RADM Ntiekamaya reporting

Still no sake delivered!
really, without sake to break the boredom here, I cannot cope

We dig lots of holes, and watch the navy rush about with there subs - nearly 10 in harbour at the moment.
The field here is empty, all my planes are at Tarwana, awaiting the strike I feel must come soon.
No sub activity this week, which is good.
Additional men , naval guard units would be appreciated
And some better food.

[1275psi]

Combined fleet report

the Fleet is currently re organising as the conquest phase of the war winds down.
Fuel remains my principle concern.
Truk has none
Gilberts very little
The majority sits at Tokyo in the AO fleet

This is really restricting operations. KB is refitting at home.
I need one month, just one while I refit the joke that Area 2 calls the divisions released to me.
With thiss in mind I have ordered TF123 to show the flag in the bay of bengal, and as far as fuel will allow, KB2 to do the same around the gilberts area.

Its the bestI can do this month
repairs are totally too slow - BB hiei is still 18 system damage, and Yamarishio also still at 11

Several CVs are in the teens as well.
Not satisfactory

Naval air remains good.

The final defence plan (as wargammed ) will be a swift counter strike at his invasion - hopefully baker or at wake
I need, as said, 1 month to rebuild the troops, refit the ships, and with some oil dribbling in now - build some fuel reserves
The empire is on a knife edge - the enemy must be led to believe we are as strong as ever.

Please emphasise to home command the need for more haste in ship[ repairs - the 3 AR ships due in 2 weeks may help somewhat.
Do I need more?

Combined fleet appreciates China front being quiet - just how long can we keep GEN hatas on leave???

[1275psi]

Its the 22/5/42
The clock really is ticking

IN area 1 (burma malaya sumutra thialand) after a long quiet spell, things are warming up again - I hope tabpub feels that an offensive is about to happen.
35 oscars,26 sally and 61 lilly attack mandalaby, met by a dozen hurricanes
he lost 7, i lost 3 sally and 6 lilly, which hurt a bit

Got the divisions mixed up, its 55 div advancing north from pagan, I hope to "pin" some of his units west of mandalaby, while 4th mixed tries to work around to the west as well.
To the east, 35brigade has covered 55 miles trying to flank to the east.
23 mixed remains at pagan, and 33 div is in reserve at rangoon
Significant air units arrived today.
The lillies are too fragile I feel, they are going back to the phillipines, do some training and join the ASW effort.
The forces in Area 1 are now 2 oscar units, 4 sally units, 1 topsy,3 recon, 1 nate.
Naval air (which did not fly today) is 3 betty, and 1 zero
At singapore lots of construction troops recovering, and 1 sq of sallies training, with some nells on ASW
TF123 is at victoria point, Yammato, nagato, mutsu
anothher small 2cl,4dd force is here as well

Sumutra has a mixed reg in reserve, and soerabaya is now producing 47 units of oil - pathetic
Singapore is going backwards on supplies[:(]
Busy minelaying the mallacca straight, in a AI game saw a sub hit a mine this week - so Ill try to build a barrier.

IN area 2 - the phillipines, borneo, java, troops are relocating to manilla, or taking up guard at clarke
2 sally units, and who ever needs training will use bataan as a target
16HQ,2nd div,8th tank,1st eng,56,65 brigades will be the guard unit
the divisions are wrecked here -54th (167)253 -48th div (32)350 so not too bad and 56th div (20)422.
So 2 divisions will sail this week for Truk, poor 54th will probably remain in the phillipines
Plenty of SNLFs here, all badly in need of restoration

Borneo is producing a fair bit of oil, Tarakan is at 70 units out of 100, another month.
But simply put I have well in excess tanker capacity to oil being produced.
Not good
On java 3 divisions are engaged at soerabaya, Im waiting on 2 engineer and artillery units to arrive , then I will attack
The bombardments this week have killed about 200 to 300 every day, so Im pretty confident about this attack

Lombok island is a pain, more troops - paras on the way
Soerabaya air has been an absolute nightmare, I have 3 zero units trying to provide cap ect - just cannot seem to engage his bombers
very glad Australia is blocked off, so no reinforcements coming in, or his units to get out

ARea 3 - North australia, timor, celebes, palua area was very quiet.
Im building Moriati big time with a horde of engineers, they will move on soon.
He is reconning my troops from alice springs
In a head to head Im trying as an experiment - aussie troops marching north seem to run out of supplies quick - hope tabpub finds the same

AREA 4 - the solomons and PNG
Truk now 30000 supplies. Some enemy subs operating near Gilli, gilli.
Lots of transport planes arrived at lunga today
This area is too quiet
The combined fleet is iether at home, at truk, or at sea with KB2, which is going to lurk about Tarwana and wave the flag for a while

Area5
The gilberts
Totally quiet, spent today replacing Glenns on subs, all the plane carrying subs are at Kwal., readying for ops next month

Area 6 - China
Except for a single mongolian unit that got itself stuck on the wrong side of the river near Yenen, this front slumbers
For the entire game his china planes have bombed away - must be 90 experience by now.
Some AVG appears now and then.
I have refused to play his game and engage him, I just do not want to have to send planes to this theatre - I can wear the light casos inflicted. Its Hong kong industry I worry about
The huge armies engaged last month slowly recover.
I think we are both glad this area is quiet

The last area - the north, is very quiet - and I really hope it stays that way, though I doubt it

Overall, i hope to crack soerabaya by mid year, and that will be the last conquest
For players who complain the game does nort really reflect history, I wish they could see my logistic situation - oil is low, fuel is low - so low I cannot conduct major naval operations at the moment - supplies are low, and replacements are delayed by lack of supplies and the like in japan.
getting ships repaired is a matter of despair - they sit in harbour, and sit, and sit, and little happens.
I expanded ship repair a bit too.

The overall driving concern is his CVs - I have absolutely no idea where they are, and he has had 4 uninterrupted months to beaver away preparing his counter.

Only bright point is state of my pilots - they are still very, very good

I Know I cannot win the game now - but I want to do better than history.
If he attacks an isolated post next month - probably baker or wake -initially Im going to let him have it, then return with absolute overwhelming force - and hopefully force a CV on CV battle, destroy on the ground a lot of LBA, and kill the 1st marine division

well, that is the plan anyway

[1275psi]

How quick things change!

Area1 - 27 zeros swept mandalaby today, met by 15 hurricanes
I did not pay much attention to the replay, until I started noticing zeros falling everywhere.
I lost 7, he lost 6
This is worrying - not the skill lost in my pilots, the improvement by him.
The zeros here are " mogami method" topped up, I think they will go back to betty escort
I order a big raid for tomorrow - 4 sqs of Sallies, and every oscar in theatre
troops enter hex north of pagan, and also cut road to east of mandalaby[:'(]

Area2
27 zeros on cap fail to stop 2 martins hitting an AP at batavia
Someone did poorly today!

Area3-The enemy continues to recon my troops south of darwin, and thats it

Area4 - began an airlift of supplies to Ndindi island from lunga

Area5 - canton island has B26's, hardly big news that[8|]

Area6- South of yenen the chinese airforce keeps on pounding a poor mongolion unit. other than that, all quiet.

Home/combined fleet - What does a man need to do to get a ship, anyship to repair!!![:@][:@][:@]
My ARs are due in 5 days - hope they help.
If I waste a whole month here in japan and KB does not improve in system knowledge, I will be very angry, I could be down south disrupting his plans

The big troop convoy retiring from the phillipines ran over an enemy sub south of japan, and sank it today.

I know the sub debate has died away - Tabpub and myself really do laugh at some of the "facts" put up.
We both agree that this game has got subs so RIGHT!!!!
Thats right - totally correct.
Its all about using them correctly

Ive lost just 3 or 4 for the game
he has lost 6, maybe 7 I think - for what 70 APs sunk already!!!
Ive got half my airforce on ASW, his tactic - simply operate where there is no ASW air - I cannot cover everything
I use ASW groups - his tactic, get spotted - move!

My subs do not challenge convoys, or operate in air areas iether.
They are for scouting (especially the glenn equipped ones) and for hunting cripples - (just aint been many of them)
I am very pleased that mid 42, my sub arm is still very, very viable.

The further we go into this game, the more obvious - play it realistically - and the rewards just multiply

Finally Tabpub tells me - he does not play against AI - so he says he is actually rehearsing amphib landings somewhere[8D][8D][8D]
Now that is serious stuff!!!!
But it does give me a clue to his plans
Yammato bets high command 50 dollars that the 1st enemy counter thrust will be Baker island.[:D]

[1275psi]

24/5/42
A foretaste of what is to come I think today[:(]

Area1
72 oscar,106 sally encounter 25 hurricanes over mandalaby
For 30 odd hits 4 hurricanes are shot down, 9 destroyed on the ground
7 sally, 15 oscar lost[:(]
North of Pagan, 42 B17, wellingtons hit
Akyab is lightly raided
55 division bombards 2 units, I would need engineers to attack here - unfortunately they still remani at soerabaya op[:@]
the enemy reacts, a unit spotted north of mandalaby - not sure what it is doing
Tabpub is wondering in the mail - is this a effort - or a diversion
Its both - if soerabaya falls soon

The big worry is the oscars
Sallys - well actually lots of pilots in their units, so rest a day, then back we go
The oscars- I disband 1 unit into another.
The lillys are enroute to the phillipines for training, ASW stuff

Area2
Still waiting for engineers to arrive soerabaya - man, slow
AO ONDO crawls into batavia- made it!
2 martins zoom in - AO ONDO does'nt make it[:@][:@][:@][:@]

the bataan training program begins. Troops in the phillipines are recovering, its going to take at least a month or more.
2 divisions are marching to legaspi to load.

No action anywhere else at all.

2 zero squadrons arrived in japan today - previously disbanded ones - no pilots.
After getting 54 new ones -they have 30 experience[:(]
So to bataan training ground they will have to go.

No ships repaired anywhere today - again
have dispatched AKs to remote map spots hunting down fuel, to deliver to Truk
KB2 is south of narua island

Gaining palembang with no oil, no resources available is slowly strangling me, oil level in the empire drops to 800000 tons, and every drop avaolable is being busily beavered home - just not enough available[8|]

[1275psi]

25/5/42

Area1 - a better day indeed
27oscar,27 zero - flying at 18000 feet, and 65 betty,12 sally bombers at 28000 feet encounter 11 hurricanes

Much better, the fighters bounced the hurricanes, lost only 1 and shot down 8, a further 6 destroyed on the ground
NO BOMBERS LOST - and the elite pilots did well

Akyab hit by enemy fighters
mandalby is now a 3 hex wide front - over time I should do better - he has the poor supply lines.
Still a unit on the road north of rangoon, a snlf will have to be dispatched soon.
Im very stretched here for land forces
Palembang reaches 50 oil, so I stop repairs on that, turn to resources for a while - how many needed to generate significant supplies here?
Anybody?

Area 2
Nasty sod lands 20 troops via a sub in Madieon!!.
Wont effect anything really, but grrrrrr, the cheek.
A snlf is dispatched[:@]
A sub sinks a MSW in batavia harbour

His Martins sweep into batavia again - but I got the altitude right today, the zeros shoot them down.[:D][:@]
More troops unload at Lombok
The attack on soerabaya can commence in 2 days - 288 men killed in todays bombardment
bataan bombing range is open for business[:'(]


Tarakan at 74 oil - getting there

Everywhere else is quiet, B17s visit Ndindi - no hits
And baker island is reconned

I put a bucket load of units down for canton island attack -hope his signit works.
also put 2 divisions preparing for baker island - no harm in being prepared is there[8D]

No ships repaired today[:@][:@][:@]

[1275psi]

26/5/42
Area 1
45 B17s hit pagan today
Akyab lightly struck
Tomorrow all the sallies will go in again on a high altitude strike

Area 2
Continue to land at Lombok , attack tomorrow
bombing bataan as training
Soerabaya will be atattacked tomorrow
That very annoying unit does not attack, just moves up the road towards batavia - cheeky sod

Area3
Quiet

Area 4
ASW action near truk - miss

Area 5
recon shows a cap of just 3 p40s over canton, interesting

Area 6 - china
the mongolian unit gets pushed over the river -good

And still no ship repair
grrrr

[1275psi]

27/5/42

Area 1
burma
what a fine sight they made - 82 sallies, 35 oscars on the way to mandalaby

They met 30 hurricanes
12 oscars lost, 7 sallies lost, only 1 oscar shot down
I must replace the leader, most of the oscars turned back, abandoning the bombers.[:@]

Area2,
sub action Lombok - miss
The deliberate attack on soerabaya - 0 to 1, forts 9
2050 casos to 1060
This will be a heavy battle

Area 3
Sub off darwin

Area 4
quiet

Area 5
KB2 lurks off Baker- unspotted - I have ordered the dispatch of 2 BBs to the area as well

Area 6
North of canton, an enemy push
I am not concerned at all