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Exactly! He can´t really protect what he has captured in the coming year as you can focus power by breaking out of a small bridgehead.

What is your gut feeling btw. If he had went all in and tried to capture the whole of OZ. Could he have done it?

What is your gut feeling btw. If he had went all in and tried to capture the whole of OZ. Could he have done it?

Since I was in numerous conference calls with John 3rd before his successful attempt, you have to be bold and go for either Sydney or Melbourne right from the start. John landed on both sides of Sydney to capture that base easily. Remember his opponent had over three divisions still above Tennant Creek. So, he wasn't in position to resist much. If you don't go straight for Sydney, then land further up the coast to hopefully get some troops moved there before landing at the important bases further south to isolate at least one of those bases.

Right now, I would pull back three divisions to each of those heavy urban hexes and hold out. As Japan, he could place two divisions at each of those bases to keep me bottled in and base Nell/Betty in the neighborhood to make anything short of a massive Allied counter-invasion unlikely.

I was actually thinking about invading Australia myself before Mike Solli went MIA in mid-August. Playing DBB Scenario 30 (this game) or Stock scenario 2 with those extra troops and better economic positioning at start, it may be doable. The very least is to push back the Allies into Sydney and Melbourne. Right now I will be very hard pressed to be able to do anything to threaten the SRA from anywhere but from India. IMO, taking the western part of Australia is going to be SOP in future games as Japan.

July 16, 17, 18:
Port Augusta under siege, but no deliberate attacks yet.

Key: TT = Torpedo; bb = ground bombardment; c = casualties; b = base hits; s = supply hits; r = runway hits; p = port hits; AV = Assault Value; DC = Depth Charged; (*) = destroyed aircraft;

Subs:
S-43 is at Whyalla and gets a TT hit on an AK, but no sinking sounds.
Off Greymouth, NZ - I-7 is hit twice by a 2 DD ASW TF.
S-42 at Whyalla hits an unloading AK with a TT.

Sub vs Sub: SS I-8 attacking SS S-39 at 71,163 - near Kingscote

Japanese Ships
SS I-8

Allied Ships
SS S-39, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage Sunk!!

SS I-8 launches 2 torpedoes at 2,000 yards

I hate to lose a sub here, but I do love this feature of the game. [&o]

CVs: CV Saratoga and Lexington are 10 days away from upgrade repairs.

India/Burma:[>:][>:]

China:
Yenan - Up to 22 Sally hit the AF daily

the daily ground bb attacks continue at 85, 43 (2 hexes due west of Loyang on trail)

Australia:
Tamworth -
16th - 31 Tojo sweep; 34 Oscar escort in 27(1) Helen = 10b, 4s, 30r;
17th - 42 Tojo sweep; 34 Oscar escort in 25 Helen = 1b, 3s, 29r;

Broken Hill -
16th - 20(6) Zero are on LRCAP as local CAP of 9(1) P-39s and 4 Kittyhawks are there as 48(1) Hudson, 16 Wirraway, 11 B-25, 84 B-26, 9 A-29 hit the troops in multiple strikes.
17th - No CAP is overhead today as 4 Kittyhawk and 8 P-39s are on CAP as 31 Wirraway, 11 B-25s, 89 B-26s, 5 A-29s, 17 Hudsons hit the troops;
18th - A LRCAP of 19(4) Zero return, but my 29(1) P-39s and 10(1) Kittyhawk are able to get the 34 Hudson to get through and hit the troops;

Bourke -
16th - 12 P-40s sweep; 24 B-18s hit AF;
17th - 12 P-40s sweep; 24 B-18s = 2b, 5s, 46r;
18th - Nick reported the AF is open as 44 Tojo are too much for 12(2) P-40s sweep in; the unescorted 24 B-18s mainly turn around, but none are lost as the AF is lightly damaged = 2b, 10r; the "proud and few" follow up - 42 Tojo vs 2(1) P-40s;

Whyalla -
16th - 24(2) Zero and 1 Rufe are on CAP and LRCAP from KB when 17 P-40s escort in 5 B-17s. CVE Taiyo is targeted, but not hit; a second wave of 6 B-17s with 17(1) P-39s are unable to get a hit; 26(2) Zero still are up when 17 P-40s escort in another 6 B-17s from Adelaide. BB Hyuga is targeted,, but no hit; the fourth strike of the day finds 18(1) Zero on CAP vs 17(3) P-40s with 6 B-17s trying to get a hit on BB Hyuga or BB Ise; the fifth strike is better coordinated as 22 Zero are unable to stop 24(1) P-40s from clearing the way for 15(1) B-17s E Fortress to finally get a hit on CVE Taiyo, Bomb hits 1, on fire

17th - 4 PTs attack the transport and despite one getting sunk, hit and sink a DMS with a TT hit; a second group of 4 PT attack the transports. BB Kirishima is hit with a TT and another DMS is sunk; a reinforced LRCAP is seen today as 73(3) Zero vs 18(2) P-40s as I try to send my fighters on sweeps to clear the skies for the B-17s to hit the port where I expect to find a disbanded CVE Taiyo; next comes in 16 B-17s to face 63 Zero on CAP/LRCAP, but they don't stop them = CVE Taiyo, Bomb hits 1, on fire, heavy damage; another 11 B-17s don't hit anything; a tired CAP/LRCAP of 36(12) Zero is no match for 51(2) P-40s on sweep [:D]; a group of 3(1) P-40s face off against 8(1) Zeros; the final A2A battle is again one sided as 6(2) Zero vs 21 P-40s;

Wagga Wagga -
18th - 12(4) Zero with 28(5) find a small CAP of 16(1) Kittyhawk and 4 P-40s = 2r; there is no CAP left as 36 Betty hit the AF = 6b, 25r;

Newcastle -
18th - 34 Oscar with 25(1) Helen = 12b, 3s, 34r;

My fighters do well against everything but Mr Tojo (as expected). I don't have enough to be strong everywhere, so they will be returned to a more defensive role.

Ground combat at 60,150 (near Esperance)

Japanese Deliberate attack

Attacking force 3243 troops, 15 guns, 319 vehicles, Assault Value = 164

Defending force 5639 troops, 97 guns, 18 vehicles, Assault Value = 76

Japanese adjusted assault: 62

Allied adjusted defense: 19

Japanese assault odds: 3 to 1

Combat modifiers
Defender: experience(-)
Attacker:

Japanese ground losses:
239 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 4 disabled
Engineers: 1 destroyed, 23 disabled

Allied ground losses:
757 casualties reported
Squads: 32 destroyed, 56 disabled
Non Combat: 5 destroyed, 19 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled
Guns lost 22 (2 destroyed, 20 disabled)

Assaulting units:
16th Engineer Regiment
8th Tank Regiment
2nd Tank Regiment
7th Ind.Tank Brigade

Defending units:
4th Australian Division
44th Australian Battalion
12th Avn Sup Afd
Makassar Garrison Battalion
12th RAAF Base Force

The 4th Div has her infantry almost totally disabled and any hope of her surviving somehow is completed gone. [:(]

South Pacific:
The first of the Transport TF from Melbourne o are off the southern coast of South Island

Central Pacific:
Just resting right now. [;)]

Notes:
Intel reports report 21st Div prepping for Suva.

Air Losses on 17th were 47J (45 are Zeros!!)& 15A with only 3 pilots killed. On the 18th, they are 61J & 13A with 2 pilots killed. The Zeros from his CVs are not holding up that well, IMO. [X(] [:D]

TF 45 leaves San Fran with the last LCUs needed for the Gilbert operations. Only supplies need to be sent forward and a large group of xAKs will be repaired next turn and then loaded before sent forward. Subs to surround the Gilberts are starting to be deployed.

July 19, 20, 21:
Port Augusta falls with first attack.
Any doubts about the rest of southern Australia eventually falling is removed from my mind now. I hope to get three divisions plus back to each Melbourne and Sydney to hold out for months.

Key: TT = Torpedo; bb = ground bombardment; c = casualties; b = base hits; s = supply hits; r = runway hits; p = port hits; AV = Assault Value; DC = Depth Charged; (*) = destroyed aircraft;

Subs:
Stingray is run over by KB and Co. on 19th off Ceduna

CVs: CV Saratoga and Lexington are 7 days away from upgrade repairs.

India/Burma:[>:][>:]

China:
Yenan - Up to 23 Sally hit the AF daily

the daily ground bb attacks continue at 85, 43 (2 hexes due west of Loyang on trail)

Australia:
Broken Hill -
19th - 6th Guards Division is targeted, but a LRCAP of 12(3) Zero vs 8 Kittyhawks, 8 P-39s, and 23 Hudson = 60c; 65th Brigade is hit next as the LRCAP is down to only 4 Zero vs 11 P-39s, 11 Hudson, 5 A-29s = 14c; a single Zero is left for the third strike and my P-39s shoot it down as the 14th Guards Regiment is targeted by 10 P-39s, 5 Kitty, 32 Wirraway = 48c; my favorite Allied medium bombers come in next as 15th Guards Regiment is hit hard by 13 B-25, 33 B-26 = 296c; The tanks are finally targeted as 6th Tank Regiment as 9 B-26 = Vehicles lost 10 (3 destroyed, 7 disabled); 4th Tank Regiment vs 8 B-26 = Vehicles lost 12 (2 destroyed, 10 disabled);

20th - the battle moves to one hex to the SE and my fighters fail to escort the bombers [:@]; 3rd Tank Regiment has 12 Zero as LRCAP as 19(2) Wirraway and 8(1) B-18s = Vehicles lost 4 (2 destroyed, 2 disabled); 14 Zero vs 13(4) Wirraway, 6(2) Hudson, 5 B-18s = 0;
Back at Broken Hill, only 4(1) Zero are on LRCAP for the 6th Guards Division vs 8 Kitty, 8 P-39s, 10 B-25s, 45 B-26s = 522c; multiple small strikes continue to hit his troops;

21st - the battle remains 1 SE of the base; I have an air group of P-39s on sweep, P-40 on LRCAP, and another P-40 on Escort duty; his Zeros don't fair well [:D]; 3rd Tank Regiment has 32(12) Zero on LRCAP, but are no match for 22(1) P-39s and 22 P-40s;

Ground combat at 60,150 (near Esperance) on 19th

Japanese Deliberate attack

Attacking force 3052 troops, 15 guns, 319 vehicles, Assault Value = 145

Defending force 5108 troops, 95 guns, 18 vehicles, Assault Value = 25

Japanese adjusted assault: 111

Allied adjusted defense: 7 [X(]

Japanese assault odds: 15 to 1

Combat modifiers
Defender: experience(-)
Attacker:

Japanese ground losses:
23 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 3 disabled
Vehicles lost 11 (2 destroyed, 9 disabled)

Allied ground losses:
499 casualties reported
Squads: 27 destroyed, 1 disabled
Non Combat: 2 destroyed, 18 disabled
Engineers: 1 destroyed, 3 disabled
Guns lost 21 (5 destroyed, 16 disabled)
Vehicles lost 2 (1 destroyed, 1 disabled)

Assaulting units:
8th Tank Regiment
2nd Tank Regiment
16th Engineer Regiment
7th Ind.Tank Brigade

Defending units:
4th Australian Division
44th Australian Battalion
Makassar Garrison Battalion
12th Avn Sup Afd
12th RAAF Base Force

Port Augusta -
20th -

Night Naval bombardment of Port Augusta at 75,159

Japanese Ships
BB Hyuga
BB Ise
CA Myoko
CL Oi
CL Yura
DD Akatsuki
DD Amatsukaze
DD Hatsukaze

Allied ground losses:
328 casualties reported
Squads: 2 destroyed, 24 disabled
Non Combat: 3 destroyed, 13 disabled
Engineers: 1 destroyed, 1 disabled
Vehicles lost 6 (2 destroyed, 4 disabled)

Runway hits 2
Port fuel hits 1

Ground combat at Port Augusta (75,159) on 21st

Japanese Deliberate attack

Attacking force 54767 troops, 587 guns, 548 vehicles, Assault Value = 1823

Defending force 27316 troops, 336 guns, 301 vehicles, Assault Value = 558

Japanese adjusted assault: 2250

Allied adjusted defense: 264

Japanese assault odds: 8 to 1 (fort level 4)

Japanese forces CAPTURE Port Augusta !!!

Combat modifiers
Defender: forts(+), leaders(+), preparation(-), experience(-)
Attacker:

Japanese ground losses:
3359 casualties reported
Squads: 45 destroyed, 362 disabled
Non Combat: 1 destroyed, 74 disabled
Engineers: 3 destroyed, 54 disabled
Guns lost 39 (3 destroyed, 36 disabled)
Vehicles lost 14 (1 destroyed, 13 disabled)

Allied ground losses:
8757 casualties reported
Squads: 120 destroyed, 144 disabled
Non Combat: 386 destroyed, 134 disabled
Engineers: 185 destroyed, 5 disabled
Guns lost 169 (111 destroyed, 58 disabled)
Vehicles lost 279 (268 destroyed, 11 disabled)
Units retreated 13

Defeated Allied Units Retreating!

Assaulting units:
48th Division
19th Ind Engineer Regiment
Yokosuka 4th SNLF
Yokosuka Assault SNLF
Kimura Det
Imperial Guards Division
4th Guards Division
Guards Tank Division
31st Fld AA Gun Co
302nd Ship Eng Coy
8th RF Gun Battalion
14th Army
30th Fld AA Gun Co
1st Medium Field Artillery Regiment
48th Field AA Battalion
14th JAAF AF Bn

Defending units:
32nd Infantry Division
1st Motor Brigade
17th MG Battalion
19th MG Battalion
3rd US Naval Construction Battalion
168th Field Artillery Battalion
43rd Construction Regiment
11th RAAF Base Force
RAAF OTU Augusta
108th Anti Tank Regiment
10th RAAF Base Force
17th RAAF Base Force
4th US Naval Construction Battalion

"The Art of the Retreat" - It seems I've still got a lot to learn here. [X(][:(] Another division is highly disabled and I doubt it will make it to eventual safety (Melbourne). I did not initiate the retreat when i knew he had brought 4 divisions ashore and faced a stack of troops with minimum prep levels.

Ground combat at Oodnadatta (74,149) On 20th Dot base between Alice Springs and Port Augusta

Japanese Shock attack

Attacking force 356 troops, 3 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 24

Defending force 0 troops, 0 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 0

Japanese adjusted assault: 19

Allied adjusted defense: 1

Japanese assault odds: 19 to 1 (fort level 0)

Japanese forces CAPTURE Oodnadatta !!!

Combat modifiers
Attacker: shock(+), leaders(-)

Assaulting units:
2nd Raiding Rgt /1

South Pacific:
Wellington - the first two of four transport TFs from Melbourne have reached safety.

Notes:
Australia - Any doubts about Nick going for the rest of Australia is removed during these turns. He had triggered Emergency Reinforcements on July 11th, but I didn't mention it then as I was unsure if he knew then. No free Intel. Now, I have decided to withdraw into the two big urban bases and see if they can last. Hopefully, I can get enough troops there, but some of my extra American BFs will be left out to be destroyed. Too many mouths to feed. Stay tuned!!

Gilberts - The supply TF with 150k will leave San Fran tomorrow for Christmas Island.

All-in for Australia - you can be sure we'll watch that one play out! Good Luck!

I think you will prevail! [:)]

Withdraw as you say and dig in! What fort levels do you have in Sydney and Melbourne?

What fort levels do you have in Sydney and Melbourne?

Sydney - F5 - 41% - 191 Eng - 36 Eng Veh

Melbourne - F3 - 55% - 60 Eng - 16 Eng Veh

I will need to move the surviving engineers from Port Augusta and Abelaide to Melbourne to boast the numbers.

I've also loaded 4 of my fighter groups at Melbourne to get them to NZ. The don't have the range to transfer and they have gained too much valuable experience to remain here. I placed 1/2 their pilot in Reserve, but I still need the airframes. Most of the bombers can make the transfer latter.

So he did cross the LOD?? What a mistake on his part... imho obviously... think about what you can do with all those brand new units and devices...[8|]

How did he trigger the emergency reinforcements? By landing at Port Augusta?

Nic - I get just two more divisions for the rest of 42 that are Restricted and need PPs. I still have one at Cape Town that will need PPs. Most will go to divisions in India to be freed up fro operations in Burma. That theater will be heating up in the months ahead.

Emergency Reinforcements (ER) - Where they are now and/or headed to
Aden - 9th Aussie Div (awaiting transports to return from Karachi)
Karachi - 1 AA Bde & 2 Brit Div (not part of ER) are unloading
Cape Town - 7 South African Armored Bde, 2 Brit Para Bde, Natal Mtd Rifle Rgt (awaiting transports as I had sent some from USA to CT, but when I thought that Nick was not going to cross the line they were almost back to Panama. Now, they are headed back to CT). I had moved the 27 Div (need 1939 PP), 245 & 255 Armored Bde there that will all head for India (both Bde need better tanks so there is no hurry here), eventually.
TF 43 - 12 days till map edge and destination is Bombay with 44 Brit Div & 27 Rhodesian Bde. Add in 22 East African Bde and 5 BF.

In India, multiple divisions and HQ have been prepping for bases in Burma for some time. I have 50 P-38s and 100 P-40s training up along with the Commonwealth air groups. I have gone back and forth on whether to push down in the east along the China border or from Aykab and Cox's Bazar area. I'm leaning towards the china border are right now to remove his ability to use his navy to intervene.

EDIT - He had moved or they went their own way, two tank units to the SE of Broken Hill on the 11th. They were visible for only two days before they ended up at Broken Hill. Both Broken Hill and Port Augusta are right on the Brisbane line and don't trigger reinforcements. He now has had units operating below that line for a few days.

This will definitely be interesting to follow. I don't believe Australia can be taken with a north to south approach as he is attempting. Being able to fall back on strong defensive positions at Melbourne and Sydney will be the difference. Unless he blockades the southern ports, you should be able to slip in reinforcements and supply via New Zealand and Tasmania.

ORIGINAL: GreyJoy

So he did cross the LOD?? What a mistake on his part... imho obviously... think about what you can do with all those brand new units and devices...[8|]

I think the plan might be to take as much as possible before triggering the LOD and then as a last lunge of the knife sweep the rest of OZ. I agree this plan is going to go astray as Oz is a great place to slaughter the IJ with armor ..... plus once the Allied offense gets going to will be extermly difficult to extract these forces .. but the story will be dramatic until that point [8D]

Tsmainia may well be next on the list.  This looks like an anaconda approach to taking the whole of Oz to me.  I agree with the first part of Cracker's assessment.  We shall see.  Very early in the game, but the Japanese are sure giving it a hell of a go.
 
Now is usually the time the Allies really can think of at least limited offenives.  You have the KB well located and far away from anything but Oz.  Are you ready to conduct some offensive efforts (perhaps you already are...I don't read this one usually and have not perused backward) that might draw his full focus off his intended prize?
 
Interesting.

Now is usually the time the Allies really can think of at least limited offenives.  You have the KB well located and far away from anything but Oz.  Are you ready to conduct some offensive efforts (perhaps you already are...I don't read this one usually and have not perused backward) that might draw his full focus off his intended prize?

Gilberts Operation OOB - Troops mainly at Pearl, with the rest already on transports for Pearl or at a place mentioned below. They are at Pearl unless indicated. It should happen in less than three weeks.

Tabiteuea - Port 0(1), AF 0(3) stacking limit 40k
2nd Marine Division (Pago Pago), 3 CD, 26 Port Mntn Eng, 14 MAG (Marine Air Group - Air HQ with 72 Aviation Support and able to supply TT), 6 SB, 7 SB, 318 BF (75 Aviation Support)

Abemama - Port 0(1), AF 0(2), stacking 10k
2 Marine Raider, 23 Port Mntn Eng, 13 MAG, 1/C Marine Div, 11 SB (on transport bound for Pearl)

Tarawa - Port 1(1), AF 0(2), stacking 20k
1/A & 1/B Marine Div, 1 CD, 9 Port Mntn Eng, 12 MAG, 13 7 14 SB (on transport bound for Pearl), 15 BF (at Christmas)

Nonouti - Port 0(0), AF 0(2), stacking 10k
3rd Marine Raider, 15 & 18 SB (on transports bound for Pearl).

All 6 American and 2 Brit CVs will support with most of the Allied warships.

also in the audience. Note, I to am enjoying DaBabes, although DaBigbabes A. Kudo's to DaBabes guys. Is the editor capable of loading DaBabes?

July 22, 23, 24, 25:
The Battle Around Broken Hill

Key: TT = Torpedo; bb = ground bombardment; c = casualties; b = base hits; s = supply hits; r = runway hits; p = port hits; AV = Assault Value; DC = Depth Charged; (*) = destroyed aircraft;

Subs:
No successful attack and no subs hit by DCs.

CVs: [>:][>:]

India/Burma:[>:][>:]

China:
Yenan - Up to 22 Sally hit the AF daily

the daily ground bb attacks continue at 85, 43 (2 hexes due west of Loyang on trail)

Australia:
Broken Hill -
22nd - 1 hex SW of base sees a total of 196 bombers hit the lone enemy unit, 56th Recon; followed by a deliberate attacks that eliminates it [:)];
23rd - the battle shifts to 1 hex to SE of base and the 3rd Tank Rgt is targeted by 89 bombers and 29 vehicles are destroyed;
24th - the battle now goes to the troops at the base as 97 bombers hit them;
25th - more attacks on the base as 92 bombers hit his troops;

Port Augusta - 1 hex SW

Ground combat at 75,160 (near Port Augusta) on 24th

Japanese Shock attack

Attacking force 46088 troops, 527 guns, 533 vehicles, Assault Value = 1424

Defending force 18384 troops, 245 guns, 125 vehicles, Assault Value = 294

Japanese adjusted assault: 1059

Allied adjusted defense: 125

Japanese assault odds: 8 to 1

Combat modifiers
Defender: experience(-)
Attacker: shock(+)

Japanese ground losses:
3761 casualties reported
Squads: 19 destroyed, 329 disabled
Non Combat: 1 destroyed, 30 disabled
Engineers: 1 destroyed, 35 disabled
Guns lost 31 (1 destroyed, 30 disabled)

Allied ground losses:
6002 casualties reported
Squads: 241 destroyed, 8 disabled
Non Combat: 282 destroyed, 84 disabled
Engineers: 20 destroyed, 42 disabled
Guns lost 125 (111 destroyed, 14 disabled)
Vehicles lost 72 (61 destroyed, 11 disabled)
Units retreated 11
Units destroyed 1

Defeated Allied Units Retreating!

Assaulting units:
48th Division
Yokosuka Assault SNLF
4th Guards Division
Imperial Guards Division
Guards Tank Division
1st Medium Field Artillery Regiment
30th Fld AA Gun Co
31st Fld AA Gun Co
8th RF Gun Battalion

Defending units:
1st Motor Brigade
17th MG Battalion
32nd Infantry Division
19th MG Battalion
168th Field Artillery Battalion
43rd Construction Regiment
RAAF OTU Augusta
17th RAAF Base Force
10th RAAF Base Force
11th RAAF Base Force
108th Anti Tank Regiment
3rd US Naval Construction Battalion

This stack is in trouble if he pursues.

South Pacific: [>:][>:]

Notes:
Mostly moving stuff around in the background as forces gather for my Gilberts operation.

July 26, 27, 28, 29:
The Battle around Broken Hill, continues
B-17s hit the ships disbanded at Noumea [8D]

Key: TT = Torpedo; bb = ground bombardment; c = casualties; b = base hits; s = supply hits; r = runway hits; p = port hits; AV = Assault Value; DC = Depth Charged; (*) = destroyed aircraft;

Subs:
Shark is hit once off Ceduna by a returning transport TF from Port Augusta area.
KXV is off Esperance and gets a TT hit on BB Haruna [:D]

CVs: Lexington and Saratoga show 5 days left on repairs from upgrades

India/Burma:[>:][>:]

China:
Yenan - Up to 29 Sally hit the AF daily

the daily ground bb attacks continue at 85, 43 (2 hexes due west of Loyang on trail)

Australia:
Broken Hill -
26th - 66 Tojo are on LRCAP, but thankfully only 4 Kittyhawk rise up and not are lost; 35 Oscar & 3 Tojo escort in 39(2) Helen to hit the AF = 2b, 2r; 15(2) Tojo are on LRCAP as 20(7) Kittyhawks escort in 39 Hudson, 24 Mitchell II, 21 B-18s, 9 B-25s, and 6 B-26 Marauder = 324c with multiple strikes; 10 B-25s and 12 B-26s destroy 9 vehicles of the 10th Tank Rgt; 23 Sally hit the AF, but inflict no damage;
27th, 28th, 29th - no attacks by either side; I stand down my bombers and fighters as I cannot afford a high level of attrition at this time.

Adelaide -
29th - 42(3) Tojo sweep vs 36(5) P-40s; 42 Tojo are in the second sweep vs 5 P-40s; I stand down my P-40s afterwards as I actually lose over 15 P-40s today. [X(]

Ground combat at 61,150 (near Esperance) on 29th

Japanese Deliberate attack

Attacking force 3258 troops, 15 guns, 330 vehicles, Assault Value = 185

Defending force 3604 troops, 60 guns, 16 vehicles, Assault Value = 8

Japanese adjusted assault: 117

Allied adjusted defense: 2

Japanese assault odds: 58 to 1

Combat modifiers
Defender: leaders(-), disruption(-), fatigue(-), experience(-)
supply(-)
Attacker:

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

Allied ground losses:
846 casualties reported
Squads: 33 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 15 destroyed, 30 disabled
Engineers: 5 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 21 (21 destroyed, 0 disabled)
Units destroyed 1

Assaulting units:
2nd Tank Regiment
16th Engineer Regiment
8th Tank Regiment
7th Ind.Tank Brigade

Defending units:
4th Australian Division
44th Australian Battalion
12th RAAF Base Force

This is the last combat result after four days of deliberate attacks. I don't have much left and none will survive.

Perth: on the 29th, Coast Watchers show 60 ships here.

South Pacific:
Noumea - Three of four of his mine laying subs are sunk!! [:D]
28th -

Allied aircraft
B-17E Fortress x 16

No Allied losses

Japanese Ships
AGP Kofuku Maru, Bomb hits 1, on fire
PB Shinko Maru #5, Bomb hits 1, on fire
SS I-7, Bomb hits 1, heavy damage

Allied aircraft
B-17E Fortress x 6

No Allied losses

Japanese Ships
SS I-122, Bomb hits 2, and is sunk
PB Ikunta Maru, Bomb hits 1
SS I-121, Bomb hits 3, and is sunk
SS I-7, Bomb hits 1, heavy damage
AS Rio de Janiero Maru, Bomb hits 1, on fire

Allied aircraft
B-17E Fortress x 6

Allied aircraft losses
B-17E Fortress: 2 damaged

Japanese Ships
AG Mamiya, Bomb hits 1, on fire
SS I-123, Bomb hits 1, and is sunk

29th - he has a CAP of Zeros waiting for me [;)]

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 18

Allied aircraft
B-17E Fortress x 20

Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 1 destroyed

Allied aircraft losses
B-17E Fortress: 1 destroyed, 12 damaged

Japanese Ships
CM Okinoshima, Bomb hits 1
AG Mamiya, Bomb hits 1, on fire

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 2

Allied aircraft
B-17E Fortress x 18
LB-30 Liberator x 6

No Japanese losses

Allied aircraft losses
B-17E Fortress: 1 damaged
LB-30 Liberator: 1 damaged

Japanese Ships
AG Mamiya, Bomb hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
AS Rio de Janiero Maru, Bomb hits 1, on fire
PB Sinko Maru, Bomb hits 1, on fire

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 1

Allied aircraft
B-17E Fortress x 6

No Japanese losses

No Allied losses

Japanese Ships
CM Okinoshima, Bomb hits 1, on fire
AG Mamiya, Bomb hits 1, heavy fires, heavy damage

Central Pacific:
Pearl - on 27th, transports from USA arrive and start to unload; on 29th, the transports start to load for Gilberts

Notes:
Adelaide - the troops from Port Augusta (except the static CD unit) have reached this base and the most damaged will take the RR to Melbourne for R&R.

Broken Hill - the hexside to the SE that allows me to use the trails is now mine again. I've ordered the troops to leave as I suspect Nick will send at least two divisions from Port Augusta here and I cannot afford another two division to become combat ineffective.

Nice strike on the ships at Noumea. He's definitely allowing you some opportunities to slow the advance, and you're taking them.

In relation to a comment above, could you utilize Tasmania for airbases that are less vulnerable but from which you can hit Japanese troops moving across Southern OZ? He could go for this too, but the more he is forced to dilute his forces the less likely he will be to have ultimate success down there.

If he does start to push me into either Melbourne and/or Sydney, then I'll send my bombers to NZ. I've sent most of my shipping to NZ and have very little left. None with troop capacity. Hobart has some troops and I'm digging in here. If I was in his situation, I would be planning for a base on Tasmania to capture that island and totally isolate southern Australia from resupply. Part of me is confused on what he is doing here now that he has crossed the Emergency Reinforcement trigger line. I am sending small transport TFs with supplies here, but nothing major. I've decided that this theater will not be significantly reinforced in the near future. It will be interesting to see how he reacts to the Gilberts in the next few weeks as I land there in about two weeks.

What is your assessment of the stratgic importance of the Gilberts/Marshalls when the Japanese hold most of the coastline of Oz?
I always considered the Gilberts role to be partial severing of the direct communication between the US and Oz, with some opportunities to raid the southern convoy lanes from there. If little can get to Oz, and NZ is so far south you go around the Gilberts anyway, are they really needed? They don't seem to help that much with an approach to the Solomons and are a bit far from the Marianas for bombing. Move to Ponape and threaten Truk?
How do you plan to exploit any conquests you make there?