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Well, it's 4:30 AM here and I'm updating an AAR. I'm ditching this joint Thanks for the comments, though. I almost felt guilty, entering Hoods armour values into the editor.. like I was commiting a crime!

Well, it's 11.30 in the AM here, so I can't be sleeping now. Get thee to bed, Alikchi-San!

How long are you guys planning on running the scenario for ?

Until the fall of Singapore! Perhaps a bit longer if we're in the middle of another action, but Singapore will be a while, with all the troops they have.. Recon reports nearly 100,000 in the lower peninsula alone...

Sorry about the slowness of updates again folks - school, school, school.

1/13/42-1/14/42

The last few days have been mostly slogging. The British continued their night bombing of Kota Bharu, while the IJAAF struck back at various enemy airfields along the western edge of the peninsula. Georgetown has been especially hard hit in recent days, with a dozen Hurricanes destroyed yesterday alone. In the north, 50,000 Japanese soldiers arrived at Singora and are helping to push back the New Zealanders.

Over in the Philippines, Japanese troops reorganize for another attempt at the Clark Field area, while our fighters keep the airfield suppressed and attack ground forces there. Manila is still operational and launching raids against our shipping and budding airbases. Our Zeroes have extracted quite a toll, though.

In NEI the status quo is still in effect although more forces arrive at Palau and Camranh Bay every day to support a renewed drive south. The Pacific east of New Guinea has gone quiet again, more or less.. both sides licking their wounds. With all but one American carrier sunk or heavily damaged, there is very little in the way of a further Japanese island-hopping advance. Assets are being assembled..

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1/15/42

Interesting day! The Japanese war machine is still rumbling along.

Of course we started off with the customary British night raid on Kota Bharu. A Zero and a Nell were lost today - annoying! Southern Area Army HQ is demanding an effective night fighter and IGHQ is now accepting proposals from Mitsubishi and Nakajima. In the meantime, well, we'll have to deal with them by going to the source. Thank God for our Dinahs..

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One of our skilled Ki-46 pilots decorates his aircraft.[/center]

Over in the Philippines, the B-17s struck at a large convoy unloading troops off San Marcelino. They were not unopposed, however! 2 Warhawks and a B-17D fell before the Tainan Daitai. Several bombers were also damaged by the 3.9" DP guns of the new light cruiser Yoshino. Commissioned only a few weeks ago, the Yoshino class is an updated and expanded version of the Suzuka, mounting the superb 3.9" high-velocity DP. Today was good training for her gunners! Even so, Singapore Maru was hit with 6 bombs and had to be scuttled, while Akibasan Maru took three 500lbers and is now limping back towards Formosa. Luckily both had already unloaded.

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The Yoshino, a light cruiser of the classic leader type. 3.9" DP guns (also fitted to the new Kiyokaze destroyers) comprise the main armament, along with eight 24" torpedo mounts. Being small and cheap a large number can be built - seven should be in service by late 1943.
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Reinforcements en route to the Philippines include 2 divisions, one of which is already 90% unloaded, and approximately a hillion jillion construction/engineer, artillery, and base force units. 38th Div is still in reserve at Hong Kong - it will be shipped to either the Philippines or Malaya, depending on resistance. If neither theatre requires reinforcement we will have a full-strength and blooded division available for Java. [:)]

Every carrier of the Japanese Navy is at sea. IGHQ cannot reveal their destinations at this time but it should be apparent soon enough by our reports.

One last thing. Our agents at Hawaii have discovered - or perhaps discovered is a strong word; it's no secret - that the USS Enterprise capsized today at Christmas Island despite desperate attempts to halt her flooding. Two dozen of their carrier aircraft went down with her. This is absolutely monumental. When our operations in the Southern Resource Area are completed.. well, plans are still being made.

(Note - I have been doing some research for Iron Storm again. In the next version, I will add Photo Reconaissance Unit (PRU) Spitfires. A small PRU unit of about 6 of these aircraft will be in Malaya on 12/7.)

Ooooh, splendid idea, Alikchi-san. I always thought there should be more recce aircraft in-game from the outset.

BTW, are the Yoshino's MEANT to have ALL their torpedo tubes pointing to the LS?

... Yes. [;)]

I'm surprised I didn't catch that actually. Little bug, another to be fixed in the next release. In the meantime, I just have to hope that Cruft's Admirals decide to attack from the left ..

No problem. I was in the process of stealing it for my own mod, and that's when I found out...[:D]

And yes, if/when I ever release it for public consumption (probably not very likely), you and all the others whose stuff I've "borrowed" will obviously get full credit.

Sounds good Terminus. [:)]

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I am a bit too tired to be particularly verbose today, so here's a quick text report.

1/16/42

More aerial action in Southeast Asia. The British are still night-bombing Kota Bharu and day-bombing Bangkok's port. The AVG shot down several Oscars and Blenheims put another bomb into the shattered hulk of AP Tsunushima Maru..

In Malaya we launched a rather large raid on Georgetown. That is, 45 Nells, 50 Lizzies, 15 Sonias, 32 Sallies, and 38 Lilies, escorted by 42 Zeroes and 19 Oscars. [X(] The Hurricanes on CAP fought bravely and actually maintained a fairly even loss ratio against our fighters b ut we simply crushed them with numbers. 85 runway hits were scored and recon reports it's already repaired to 33? Ack!

[center][/center]

Over in the Philippines I somehow managed to jinx the Yoshino apparently - B-17s hit here with a 500lb bomb! She won't sink but she's got about 12 system damage and a few fires. Back to Osaka whence she came! ><

Speaking of, CVL Kuroho has arrived with her nice fresh airgroup. I will find a use for her.

Off to run the next turn now. Again, forgive my terseness..

Another CVL! That's not fair ... We shall have to release the hounds. Smithers?

I am quite pleased with the daily night attacks on Kora Bharu. They don't do much damage but neither am I losing many planes. Supply points are being eradicated ... If the place was one hex nearer I could escort the bombers on a daytime raid with Spitfires. Maybe this option will be available to us later somewhere else though

Not sure who is winning right now but I remain optimistic. Japs are still quite a way behind on points.

"Daily Night Attacks"? Isn't that an oxymoron?[;)]

Haha! Yes I suppose so. Perhaps the alternative could be to say "turnly night attacks". Doesn't sound so good though

Kota Bharu is absolutely stuffed with Jap planes now. Eight destroyed in the last turn and recon is showing persistent airfield damage.

"Nightly Air Attacks", mayhap?

I will bear that in mind. The Pulitzer Prize is not the goal here

WHAT? You mean this ISN'T the Proper Writing in Journalism Forum?[;)]

Indeed the night raids are becoming more than annoying, they're seriously sapping my strength. [:)] However we have a plan. In fact I'm running the turn now..

BTW the last turn was interesting. The reduced Kido Butai (4 Kairyu-class CVs), plus 2 Kongos, have been escorting a resupply-and-reinforce effort for Northern Borneo. Yesterday outnumbered Albacores and Spitfires (launched from Singkawang airbase) attacked the transports through a 32 Zero CAP. The Spitfires destroyed 5 Zeroes for a loss of 3 Spits, and the Albacores were able to hit an AP with multiple torpedoes, killing about 25% of a construction unit. Nasty...




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Blub blub.[/center]

Surely the 1st 100,000 tonne supply convoy from Karachi must be nearing Singers by now.

Add a lot of supplies to lvl 9 forts and all those extra units and its going to take a while to take.

I wonder if the RN was withdrawn specifically to fight that convoy through perhaps with Hood in close escort as well 4 or 5 BB's escortting a massive convoy into Malaya would seriously dent the IJA's efforts especially as the AA from Hood Repulse POW and possibly Houston ? would be significant enough even without Spitfires on CAP !!!!

In fact in this scenario it is probably worth the allied while to reinforce Singapore with Men and Air Sqns.

I suspect I would transfer P40's from PI and B17's to Singapore after Clark becomes untennable.

Add B17's, P40's plus any other odds and sods that can be rescued from PI (i.e. Marines/EAB Engineers, and Base Forces (for the AA rating or AA regts) and Singapore could be very very nasty to subdue.

I would take those B17's and (if variabl upgrades are on) downgrade them to a plentifull aircraft like the B25 or B26 and suddnely the IJAAF is going to have real issues.

It all hinges on getting several hundred thousand tonnes of supply into Singapore I would be dragging supply and units in from all over i.e. Dutch Bn's and Base Forces, Bring in Dutch recon planes and perhaps a few of there LR fighters hell Singapore will be the grave of the Japanese in this game

Or it could be all over very quickly....

We wait to see

Karachi is not a supply mecca in this scenario since it is based on CHS. I don't have 100,000 supplies anywhere outside the East Coast.

However Singapore is doing quite well thank you

I'm sure the Brits are doing swimmingly supply-wise right now. My opponent has been running in small convoys. Two have been intercepted (one by BBs Harima and Inaba in a night action, the other by carrier aircraft) but we've spotted several others and not interfered. I'll be interested to see exactly what's waiting for me as I work down the peninsula.

Running the next turn now...

1/18/42-1/19/42

Things are heating up!

Today was the day we were supposed to finally eliminate those damn British bombers flying out of Johore Bahru. A mixed Army-Navy strike of roughly 150 bombers promptly took off this morning, escorted by most of our fighters. The enemy hadn't bombed Kota Bharu airfield the night before, which was odd. Hmm..

As our strike flew south, the bombers we were hoping to catch on the field showed up over Kota Bharu. A daylight raid! Oonly 9 Zeroes and 6 Oscars were available to defend against 80 bombers escorted by 32 Buffalo fighters.

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Erm..[/center]

The Buffalo hadn't done all too badly in the campaign thus far - it was obviously inferior to our fighters, certainly, but its range made it useful and the aircraft is surprisingly resistant to damage. Today changed all that. Any good impression we had of the aircraft is gone - 19 of them were shot down over Kota Bharu today for the loss of only one Oscar and one Zero! Many of the others turned away.. but the bombers pressed on.

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Sell, sell, sell!![/center]

58 hits were scored on the runway and 28 aircraft were destroyed on the ground.

At about this time, our strike had arrived over Johore Bahru. The CAP of 10 British fighters was shot down and brushed aside, and the runway was practically wiped off the face of the earth - 120 hits - but, of course, our targets - the bombers - were still in the air! Disappointed, our pilots returned to base..

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Oscars of the 1st Fighter Sentai roar to the attack - Hurricanes beware![/center]

In Borneo things are preceding well. On the 18th, a bombardment force led by BBs Kongo and Haruna decimated Singkawang airbase, destroying British fighters and torpedo-bombers on the ground. Today, the Kido Butai launched a devastating Val strike on Pontianak, destroying a few Dutch search aircraft on the ground and closing this airfield, as well. Supplies and engineers are finally arriving in numbers at Kuching, and the airbase should be back in action within the week..

Farther east, our invasion of Tarakan is fully underway. Japanese troops began landing this afternoon covered by the guns of Nagato and Mutsu, while Zeroes from Akagi and Kaga provided air cover. We're taking no chances this time - with two SNLF units and a construction battallion allotted, we expect to have the base within two days. Currently the only casualty was an AK hitting a Mk 10 mine. Sneaky..

[center]
General situation in eastern Borneo. Note the invasion of Tarakan, the reinforcement of Brunei, and our troops preparing to capture Taytay, in the Philippines.[/center]

Things are moving fast. Expect several new "fronts" to open over the coming week or so.