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In another news... Manila is a tough nut to crack; I initially thought that BB naval bombardments (he abandoned Bataan), would make it quite easy to capture... I was wrong

I will try again in a month or two; I am still debating if I should move out troops.. I guess at this point they are too beaten to be of any use in another theater,


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Night Naval bombardment of Manila at 79,77

Japanese Ships
BB Yamashiro
BB Mutsu
BB Nagato
CL Natori
DD Shinonome
DD Samidare
DD Makigumo

Allied ground losses:
433 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 11 disabled
Non Combat: 15 destroyed, 33 disabled
Engineers: 3 destroyed, 1 disabled
Guns lost 28 (8 destroyed, 20 disabled)
Vehicles lost 15 (5 destroyed, 10 disabled)

Manpower hits 3
Fires 1937
Airbase hits 6
Airbase supply hits 5
Runway hits 14
Port hits 8
Port fuel hits 3
Port supply hits 1

BB Yamashiro firing at Manila
F1M2 Pete acting as spotter for BB Mutsu
BB Mutsu firing at Manila
BB Nagato firing at 21st PA Infantry Division
CL Natori firing at 91st PA Infantry Division
DD Shinonome firing at 301st PA Field Artillery Regiment
DD Samidare firing at Manila
DD Makigumo firing at 11th PA Infantry Division

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Ground combat at Manila (79,77)

Japanese Deliberate attack

Attacking force 35484 troops, 469 guns, 510 vehicles, Assault Value = 1228

Defending force 59940 troops, 569 guns, 186 vehicles, Assault Value = 1120

Japanese engineers reduce fortifications to 1

Japanese adjusted assault: 352

Allied adjusted defense: 1445

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

Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+), disruption(-), experience(-)
Attacker:

Japanese ground losses:
3886 casualties reported
Squads: 14 destroyed, 66 disabled
Non Combat: 61 destroyed, 47 disabled
Engineers: 29 destroyed, 15 disabled
Guns lost 22 (10 destroyed, 12 disabled)
Vehicles lost 27 (9 destroyed, 18 disabled)
Units destroyed 1

Allied ground losses:
1929 casualties reported
Squads: 26 destroyed, 179 disabled
Non Combat: 2 destroyed, 66 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 17 disabled
Vehicles lost 13 (1 destroyed, 12 disabled)

Assaulting units:
21st Ind Engineer Regiment
20th Ind Engineer Regiment
38th Division
Kure 1st SNLF
3rd Ind Engineer Regiment
16th Division
4th Tank Regiment
7th Tank Regiment
2nd Tank Regiment
19th Ind Engineer Regiment
48th Division
Sasebo 1st SNLF
9th Ind.Hvy.Art. Battalion
1st Hvy.Artillery Regiment
3rd Ind.Hvy.Art. Battalion
2nd Mortar Battalion
2nd Ind.Art.Mortar Battalion
20th Ind. Mtn Gun Battalion
14th Army
15th Ind.Art.Mortar Battalion
1st Medium Field Artillery Regiment
10th Ind. Mountain Gun Regiment
2nd Ind.Hvy.Art. Battalion
8th Medium Field Artillery Regiment
1st Naval Construction Battalion

Defending units:
91st PA Infantry Division
31st Infantry Regiment
41st PA Infantry Division
31st PA Infantry Division
51st PA Infantry Division
I/43rd PS Inf Battalion
2nd Constabulary Regiment
1st PA Infantry Division
26th PS Cavalry Regiment
192nd Tank Battalion
1st Constabulary Regiment
11th PA Infantry Division
57th PS Infantry Regiment
71st PA Infantry Division
4th Marine Regiment
21st PA Infantry Division
45th PS Infantry Regiment
4th Constabulary Regiment
II Corps
35th Avn Sup
Clark Field AAF Base Force
803rd Aviation Engineer Battalion
II/Prov'nl SPM Grp
200th & 515th Coast AA Regiment
I/Prov'nl SPM Grp
US Forces Far East
III/Prov'nl SPM Grp
I Corps
27th Avn Sup
4th PAAC Avn Sup
24th PS FA Regiment
Nichols Field AAF Base Force
!/23rd PS FA Battalion
11th PAAC Avn Sup
Far East USAAF
24th Avn Sup
1st USMC AA Battalion
88th PS Field Artillery Regiment
86th PS Field Artillery Battalion
Cavite USN Base Force
301st PA Field Artillery Regiment

Was he trying to attack your carriers with the larger Repulse force? It might have been a lot worse than those 2 CL attacking. But overall that is a massive defeat for the Allies at PM. Very good work on your part.

A tad late, but subscribed!

Jorge, this is of particular interest to me because, although we are playing different scenarios, we have the same opponent!

Cheers,

(another) Jorge

Good to see your AAR back Jorge! Hopefully we'll see the other AAR too!

ORIGINAL: jwolf

Was he trying to attack your carriers with the larger Repulse force? It might have been a lot worse than those 2 CL attacking. But overall that is a massive defeat for the Allies at PM. Very good work on your part.

Yes he was, in February 16th he saw Vals striking a small (xAK, xAKL) Allied supply run on Pt Moresby. He decided to move significant forces within range

On February 17t, I had all within range, but regrettably, there were no strikes: AM phase was totally lost due to weather over the carriers, while on PM phase, the poor weather covered the enemy SCTFs. and in consequence, the strike pack attacked some xAKs and APDs

February 18th: he had the alternative of running away, I would had not being in a position to pursue... but he decided instead to throw the 2 SCTFs in a gamble to hit the carriers. Only Mauritius and Enterprise found it, and only Mauritius fought. probably weather related too, On Japan, the 2 Kongos were simply spectators, they did nothing.. most of the heavy lifting done by the destroyers and in less degree the heavy cruiser.
So who knows what would had happened if Repulse, Houston, Leander and Pope found it instead. If Repulse was engaged, then most likely a carrier, if not two would had ended either sunk or heavily damaged, otherwise, most likely equivalent results as Mauritius fought like a heavy weight champ.

ORIGINAL: Kitakami

A tad late, but subscribed!

Jorge, this is of particular interest to me because, although we are playing different scenarios, we have the same opponent!

Cheers,

(another) Jorge

He is aggressive, he likes to concentrate forces and he is certainly not afraid of losing ships... this is particularly worrisome for a Japanese perspective, as it is difficult to be conservative, maintain your losses under control while the Allies pound and keep pounding regardless of losses

Even in this last battle... he lost 1 BC, 1 CA, 2 CLs, 1 DD... but nevertheless, he managed to damage 3 carriers... this is a problem for me... should I send them back to Japan for repairs? and risk a Midway? or keep them together, knowing that a damaged carrier might not get a second chance if hit again.. and he only needs one lucky submarine for that chance

ORIGINAL: IdahoNYer

Good to see your AAR back Jorge! Hopefully we'll see the other AAR too!

Thanks!

I am back from vacations and I am ready, but I am waiting for my opponent's answer. We stopped the game a couple weeks ago, I hope he is eager to bring it back

ORIGINAL: Jorge_Stanbury
He is aggressive, he likes to concentrate forces and he is certainly not afraid of losing ships... this is particularly worrisome for a Japanese perspective, as it is difficult to be conservative, maintain your losses light while the Allies pound and keep pounding regardless of their losses

Yes, he is very aggressive. And he likes to setup ambushes. We are playing BtS Lite, which helps the initial Japanese advances, but I have learned to be careful. I almost lost a Naval Air HQ to a pair of roving CL's. Had to scramble a surface force, and ended up losing a DD, but he lost one CL, one DD, and there is a damaged CL in the South China Sea. As long as I have a CarDiv around, Japanese operations are somewhat safe, but otherwise, it is far too risky. Also, he is good at CAP traps (helped by the fact that we are playing 2-day turns) and using PBY-4's and -5's as bombers. But a methodical Japanese player can steamroll him, I think.

Take a look at my ARR, if you have the time. It is a very different game (PDU ON, 2-day turns, he has lost one CV and has another one severely damaged in Pearl, different scenario), but perhaps you will be able to glean from our opponent's moves there. I know I have from yours.

Cheers!

It is easy to steamroll in the initial phase, regardless of opponent. The catch of course is that you also need to keep your losses to minimal and that can be a challenge if the expansion is too aggressive.

I forgot to mention his fondness of using patrol aircraft on naval strike duty... I personally don't like this strategy, and I have discussed it with him in many emails. I prefer, always, to avoid using patrol aircraft for "pyrotechnics" and instead devote them to naval search, I think it is a better use... Sure I have lost a few ships to his PBYs, specially when they carry torpedoes, but nothing that is irreplaceable. In the other hand, good naval search can give me a much better idea on where to send raiding SCTFs and these can wreck havoc on enemy shipping, wiping out entire convoys/ flotillas

I will certainly look at your AAR,

ORIGINAL: Jorge_Stanbury
It is easy to steamroll in the initial phase, regardless of opponent. The catch of course is that you also need to keep your losses to minimal and that can be a challenge if the expansion is too aggressive.

I forgot to mention his fondness of using patrol aircraft on naval strike duty... I personally don't like this strategy, and I have discussed it with him in many emails. I prefer, always, to avoid using patrol aircraft for "pyrotechnics" and instead devote them to naval search, I think it is a better use... Sure I have lost a few ships to his PBYs, specially when they carry torpedoes, but nothing that is irreplaceable. In the other hand, good naval search can give me a much better idea on where to send raiding SCTFs and these can wreck havoc on enemy shipping, wiping out entire convoys/ flotillas

I will certainly look at your AAR,

Yes, he likes to use PBY's for torpedo naval attack. That is why in our game he has (reportedly) lost 21 PBY's already, and it is not the end of December '41 yet. Good LR CAP takes care of that easy (even F1M2's do in a pinch).

He also likes to send his light cruisers on raiding missions, trying to catch my amphibious TF's without protection. I am trying to be as cautious as possible, as Japanese escort CL's and PB's are no match for a pair of Allied CL's. Japanese naval air and surface forces have so far (reportedly) taken care of CLs Durban, Dragon, Tromp, and Java, and CA Chicago. There have been others damaged too, but they keep coming! Last turn CL's Colombo and Capetown bombarded Tavoy. Not much damage (1 squad disabled on 56th Inf Div), but a bit distracting.

Will keep reading your AAR. I am certain that I will learn a lot from it!

Few updates:
- Fiji landings were successful, Suva was easily captured, the entire South Pacific islands looks relatively unguarded
- Pt Moresby also fell
- Manila and Batavia are holding

Welcome back! Was gonna ask how the game was going.

In the Indian Ocean,
I tried a surprise invasion of Chittagong, it failed in the sense of there was significant opposition.
So instead, I invaded Cox's Bazaar

This operation was opposed by the Eastern Fleet and in the many battles that followed, I lost:
CAs Takao, Atago, 3 DDs

The Allies lost:
BB PoW and possibly Revenge
possibly CL Emerald and Hobart
2 to 3 DDs

After 3 days of fighting, the British are depleted and on retreat, with mini KB in pursuit.

Losses:

Allied BB are highly overstated, I can confirm two: Repulse and PoW, plus maybe Revenge. All USN BBs survived
The other categories are reasonably accurate,

And industry chart:

HI stockpiles:
oil: 2,216K **on 1st turn: 2,795K** ==> (579K) lost
fuel: 2,229K **on 1st turn: 2,552K** ==> (323K) lost
resource: 5,548M *on 1st turn: 5,070K** ==> 500K gain
supply: 686K **on 1st turn: 1,300K** ==> (600K) lost

This is the South Pacific:

And this is Northern Oz:

Java:

The Philippines:

A quiet China: