Banzais Don't Make Victories - Anachro (A) vs John 3rd (J) BTS 5.7

[GetAssista]

ORIGINAL: Anachro

...
CONTACT: Allies radar detects Japanese task force at 27,000 yards
Range increases to 29,000 yards...
Japanese Task Force Manages to Escape
Japanese Amphibious TF evades combat

That scenario sure looks popular the last days [:D]

The future version of the game (if it ever comes) would certainly benefit from some fog of war in those kinds of situations. Identifying the whole roster of ships from 27k yards at night is meh.

[Uncivil Engineer]

ORIGINAL: GetAssista

ORIGINAL: Anachro

...
CONTACT: Allies radar detects Japanese task force at 27,000 yards
Range increases to 29,000 yards...
Japanese Task Force Manages to Escape
Japanese Amphibious TF evades combat

That scenario sure looks popular the last days [:D]

The future version of the game (if it ever comes) would certainly benefit from some fog of war in those kinds of situations. Identifying the whole roster of ships from 27k yards at night is meh.

+1 - instead of the entire list something like - and a whole bunch of transports (after the first few PBs involved in the combat), such as -

Night Time Surface Combat, near Hollandia at 94,116, Range 29,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
PC PB-68
PC PB-72
TB Tomozuru, on fire
DMS W-23, heavy fires
PB Hakkaisan Maru
PB Keiko Maru, on fire
PB Kyo Maru #10
SC Ch 1
SC Ch 3
... and a lot of transports

[Anachro]

May 25th, 1943

A fun little turn. In the most successful Allied destroyer engagement today, 4 American destroyers (3 Fletchers and a Bristol) completely destroy an identical Japanese formation of 4 Kamikaze-class DDs. We had moved these DDs over towards Lunga last turn when we spotted some enemy boats of unknown type; they were spotted last turn 1 hex next to these Japanese destroyers at Lunga. We expected John to be more reactive and either disband his destroyers or send them for attack, but he did neither and they were quite devastatingly destroyed off the coast of Guadalcanal.

Unfortunately, one of our DDs up north (the most valuable one, the Fletcher) doesn't have sufficient LRCAP and it 2 waves of enemy air attack takes 2 bomb hits and is forced to be scuttled. 2 more DDs attempting to hit Japanese boats at Kavieng, thinking they were transports, run into destroyers instead and come off worse in the engagement, but they might be able to make it back to home port.

On the land side of things, the 1st Marine Division has caught up with Japanese forces and will attempt to push them (demolishing a level 1 fort today) before moving on to Buna.

[Anachro]

In India, we take Trincomalee and will now conduct clean up heading towards Jaffna. Simultaneously, 2 divisions and 2 brigades march to destroy and cutoff the one Japanese division north of Koggala.

[Anachro]

Air Losses



Relevant Sigint

Heavy Volume of Radio transmissions detected at 94,113.
Heavy Volume of Radio transmissions detected at 94,113.
Heavy Volume of Radio transmissions detected at 94,113. (north of Hollandia, this is the big TF)
6th Guards Inf. Regiment is loaded on xAP Teiritsu Maru moving to Pagan.
39th/B Division is planning for an attack on Chungking.

[Canoerebel]

I'm sure John has or will soon send a message noting how his isolated army on Ceylon is accomplishing exactly what he meant it to accomplish (missing his own irony in suggesting that he intended for them to get destroyed).

I bet you know this, and I know you know another this: Whenever possible, it's helpful to not mix warship classes (IE, all Fletchers or all Bristols etc.) However, as you and I both know, the exigencies of war sometimes require us to cobble together as best we can from whatever's available.

P.S. When John began posting fastly and furiously, I started reading his AAR too. So I'm loathe to comment on matters of substance in either AAR, now that I've compromised myself. [:)]

[Anachro]

Yeah, certainly, when I can I don't mix unless as escorts. But this was what I had on hand. However, I think matching speed is more important than class.

[GetAssista]

ORIGINAL: Anachro
A fun little turn. In the most successful Allied destroyer engagement today, 4 American destroyers (3 Fletchers and a Bristol) completely destroy an identical Japanese formation of 4 Kamikaze-class DDs. We had moved these DDs over towards Lunga last turn when we spotted some enemy boats of unknown type; they were spotted last turn 1 hex next to these Japanese destroyers at Lunga. We expected John to be more reactive and either disband his destroyers or send them for attack, but he did neither and they were quite devastatingly destroyed off the coast of Guadalcanal.

What's worse, John had those DDs docked in port, which means he essentially handed them to you as sitting ducks. This is a rookie mistake on his part. TFs do not enter docked mode themselves, and it is far too risky to get any ships docked w/o cover in a hot zone

[Anachro]

John's flipping turns today, by the way. Wonder if he has some undetected raid in the works.

[Anachro]

It happened...again.

Day Time Surface Combat, near Trincomalee at 34,53, Range 29,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
PB Choko Maru #2
xAK Kinsyo Maru
xAP Hakone Maru

Allied Ships
DD Gwin
DD Monssen
DD Pakenham
DD Panther
DD Redoubt

Maximum visibility in Partly Cloudy Conditions: 28,000 yards
Range closes to 27,000 yards...
CONTACT: Japanese lookouts spot Allied task force at 27,000 yards
Japanese TF attempts to evade combat
Range increases to 28,000 yards...
Range increases to 29,000 yards...
Range increases to 29,000 yards...
Japanese Escort TF evades combat

[GetAssista]

ORIGINAL: Anachro
It happened...again.

Is that all that happened during the turn-flipping you mentioned? [:D]
Maybe it's not a coincidence then, and John had found a secret for super-evasiveness!

[HansBolter]

Evasions happen pretty often when the encounter range is 29k.

What bites is that the DDs never managed to close to less than 27k before the transport fleet vanished.

xAKs shouldn't be able to outrun destroyers, so I typically chalk it up to weather as a rationalization when this happens in my games.

At 27k they must have slipped into a fog bank and were never seen again kind of thing.

[BBfanboy]

ORIGINAL: HansBolter

Evasions happen pretty often when the encounter range is 29k.

What bites is that the DDs never managed to close to less than 27k before the transport fleet vanished.

xAKs shouldn't be able to outrun destroyers, so I typically chalk it up to weather as a rationalization when this happens in my games.

At 27k they must have slipped into a fog bank and were never seen again kind of thing.

I would have thought the same, but weather conditions were shown as "Partly Cloudy" during the encounter. I wonder if the relative naval skill of the TF commanders was a factor. The convoy could make smoke (which should not deter the Allied radar-equipped DDs) but at 27K yards not much more than mast tops should be visible.
Just one of those unfathomable randoms built into the game I guess.

[RangerJoe]

Partly cloudy could also include rain showers and/or scattered thunderstorms . . .

[Simonsez]

RNGGG giveth and RNGGG taketh [:D]

[BBfanboy]

ORIGINAL: RangerJoe

Partly cloudy could also include rain showers and/or scattered thunderstorms . . .

When it is the weather for the hex being looked at, yes, but for the actual encounter can we not believe what the combat report says?

[RangerJoe]

quote:

ORIGINAL: RangerJoe

Partly cloudy could also include rain showers and/or scattered thunderstorms . . .

BBfanboy

When it is the weather for the hex being looked at, yes, but for the actual encounter can we not believe what the combat report says?

With Gary Grigsby and random numbers? Who knows? The Battle for Leyte Gulf had scattered showers that the CVEs used (or tried to use) to evade the IJN. Yet otherwise it was fine aviation weather - except for the AAA.

[ChuckBerger]

So many narratives that one could use to explain results like this. A false periscope sighting causes the DDs to take evasive action and waste time, while the enemy slips away. At night, confusion with radar - small island mistaken for ships, etc. A minor engineering casualty, one of the Allied ships loses speed for an hour while the problem is fixed. Allied ships entering suspected minefield, veers off rather than risking it. Misidentification of escorts - a floatplane or sub reports the presence of a light cruiser and six destroyers, instead of the real escort of a torpedo boat and a few subchasers. The Allied DDs decide to stay away. Fog banks, showers... all that kind of stuff happened all the time! Frustrating, but not unrealistic.

[durnedwolf]

ORIGINAL: Anachro

It happened...again.

Day Time Surface Combat, near Trincomalee at 34,53, Range 29,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
PB Choko Maru #2
xAK Kinsyo Maru
xAP Hakone Maru

Allied Ships
DD Gwin
DD Monssen
DD Pakenham
DD Panther
DD Redoubt

Maximum visibility in Partly Cloudy Conditions: 28,000 yards
Range closes to 27,000 yards...
CONTACT: Japanese lookouts spot Allied task force at 27,000 yards
Japanese TF attempts to evade combat
Range increases to 28,000 yards...
Range increases to 29,000 yards...
Range increases to 29,000 yards...
Japanese Escort TF evades combat

Japanese spotted allies... Japanese ships ran. The allied ships never saw them.

[Anachro]

Will give update later. All signs point to John reinforcing the DEI. Another division is reinforcing Horn island, which is strange, but fine by me. I have been moving forces over land (1600 AV) up towards Darwin to distract John and make him shift assets there. Sigint also states another division is headed to reinforce Darwin. Meanwhile, I will soon be conducting my own Cartwheel with landings and **OBSCURED FOR OPSEC REASONS**. This will eventually be followed by **OBSCURED FOR OPSEC REASONS**. A carrier force was seen only a few days ago in the straits heading to Singers, so John's carriers don't seem to be concentrated. However, BB Musashi and Yamato are still in the area, last seen northwest of Horn Island, closer to Taberfane.

May 31st

Sub attack near Langsa at 46,72

Japanese Ships
xAP Takatiho Maru, Torpedo hits 3, on fire, heavy damage

Allied Ships
SS O23

Japanese ground losses:
24 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Non Combat: 1 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

xAP Takatiho Maru is sighted by SS O23
SS O23 launches 4 torpedoes at xAP Takatiho Maru

ASW attack near Taberfane at 82,119

Japanese Ships
BB Musashi
BB Yamato
DD Oboro
DD Ayanami
DD Karakaze
DD Shimakaze
DD Fumizuki
DD Ushio

Allied Ships
SS Monge

SS Monge is sighted by escort
DD Karakaze fails to find sub and abandons search
DD Shimakaze fails to find sub and abandons search
DD Fumizuki fails to find sub and abandons search
DD Ushio fails to find sub, continues to search...
Escort abandons search for sub

6/67th Division is loaded on xAK Hiyoshi Maru moving to Horn Island.
67th Division is loaded on xAP Teikyo Maru moving to Horn Island.