The Cautionaries 1.2: Capt (J) vs Rysyonok (A), Game 1

[Rysyonok]

Ponape-bound TF is clearing Pearl Harbor.
Jaluit-bound one is scheduled to depart in 2 days.
The third invasion TF is being formed; the original destination is Shikka, although other locations may be considered due to extreme distance (112 hexes). However, how can one ignore 350VPs that are most likely undefended? And it's so tempting to place torpedo bombers only 75 minutes by air away from Home Islands =)

AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 11/04/22

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Sub attack at 84,74

Japanese Ships
SS No. 21

Allied Ships
DD Tingey, heavy damage

[Rysyonok]

Bored pilots of VP-8 took several shots of Molokai beaches and developed the negatives.

Unfortunately, governor's family happened to be on that beach.

CO of VP-8, Lt. Cmdr. Brett refused to disclose names of offenders, but assured the governor that they will be the first pilots over Tokyo testing its AA defenses.

AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 11/05/22

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Sub attack at 68,78

Japanese Ships
DD Hamakaze
PC Ch10
PC Ch09
PC Ch03

Allied Ships
SS R-23, hits 1

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ASW attack at 83,82

Japanese Ships
SS No. 11

Allied Ships
DD Kane
DD Robert Smith
DD Farquhar
DD Decatur
DD Henshaw
DD Truxton
DD John D. Ford
DD Bulmer
DD Upshur

(Blimp recon reports: Wotje)

[Rysyonok]

Complete silence everywhere.

Lt. Fisher of ZP-1 takes pictures of Kwajalein; he is also the first American pilot to reach 80 experience.

Airborne invasions of neighboring islands using blimps are pondered.

[Pkunzipper]

ORIGINAL: Rysyonok

4th Marines are departing for Ponape.

I am still debating whether to hit Kusaie, Wake, or Maloelap with the second strike, due to depart in 3-4 days.

If you chose the Marshal Island path I think Wake is useless, since it will divert precious troops and ships from the main objective for both sides: Philippines...

[Rysyonok]

ORIGINAL: Pkunzipper

ORIGINAL: Rysyonok

4th Marines are departing for Ponape.

I am still debating whether to hit Kusaie, Wake, or Maloelap with the second strike, due to depart in 3-4 days.

If you chose the Marshal Island path I think Wake is useless, since it will divert precious troops and ships from the main objective for both sides: Philippines...

Well, all of my strikes so far have been surgical, aimed at harassing IJN's communication lines. Note how carefully I am avoiding combat with IJA units.

If I penetrate far enough using MacArthur's tactics, if my subs can reach IJN's convoys once again... the game is half won. Only half because I still need to get to Philippines; in a standard 4-year campaign all I would have to do is wait, as I sink transports and starve Japanese on a daily basis...

[Rysyonok]

Lt. Fisher reaches 82 experience as he brings home pictures of Kusaie island. There is enemy garrison there, but its exact numbers are unknown (2 recon planes are required for numbers?), base force suspected.

The third invasion will be that of Iwo Jima, 100VPs and proximity to Philippines and IJN Singapore-Kagoshima convoys being the key factors.

The thought of airborne invasions is aborted as blimps refuse to dock at islands without existing American presence.

[Rysyonok]

Smooth sailing for TFs Ponape and Jaluit. TF Iwo Jima still loading.

AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 11/09/22

5000-tonn freighter Malacca Maru capsizes, victim of R-14

AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 11/09/22

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Sub attack near Marcus Island at 75,56

Japanese Ships
AK Sugiyama Maru, Torpedo hits 2, on fire, heavy damage Sinks

Allied Ships
SS S-35

IJN SS No. 47 capsizes near Marcus island, 6th Japanese sub to do so.

[Rysyonok]

Smooth sailing for TF Ponape.
Minor submarine interference for TF Jaluit.
TF Iwo Jima still loading.

Heavy submarine activity near Johnston and Pearl Harbor.

AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 11/10/22

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ASW attack at 84,84

Japanese Ships
SS No. 14, hits 2

Allied Ships
DD Kane
DD Robert Smith
DD Farquhar
DD Decatur
DD Henshaw
DD Truxton
DD John D. Ford
DD Bulmer
DD Upshur

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Sub attack at 115,67

Japanese Ships
SS U-125 (O1)

Allied Ships
TK Larry Doheny, Torpedo hits 1, on fire

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ASW attack at 84,84

Japanese Ships
SS No. 14, hits 4, on fire, heavy damage And down it goes, 7th IJN sub to do so

Allied Ships
DD Selfridge
DD Melvin
DD McCawley
DD Palmer

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ASW attack at 106,74

Japanese Ships
SS No. 23, hits 2

Allied Ships
PC Eagle 14
PC Eagle 12
PC Eagle 7
PC Eagle 1

[Rysyonok]

And once again I am humbled by how easy is it to starve Pearl Harbor. Three shells in one tanker, a torpedo in the other - and only 316 units of 24000 make it home. Forgot to set AO TF not to refuel - and of 12000 units that do make it at least 2000 go right back in the fuel tanks of the very ships that delivered the stuff.

A light drizzle keeps all Pearl and Johnston planes on the ground.

As if to deliver a coup de grace, my C-type blimp hits (!) an enemy submarine at Majuro. I want a picture of that =)

Smooth sailing for TF Ponape.
Smooth sailing for TF Jaluit.
TF Iwo Jima still loading.

AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 11/11/22

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Sub attack at 112,67

Japanese Ships
SS U-55 (O3)

Allied Ships
TK Admiral Wiley, Shell hits 3, on fire

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ASW attack at 83,82

Japanese Ships
SS No. 31

Allied Ships
DD Kane
DD Robert Smith

[Rysyonok]

TK Larry Doheny is scuttled with 99 sys. The other TK should make it.

Smooth sailing for TF Ponape.
Smooth sailing for TF Jaluit.

[Rysyonok]

AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 11/13/22

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ASW attack at 83,82

Japanese Ships
SS No. 31, hits 2

Allied Ships
DD Kane
DD Robert Smith

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ASW attack at 83,82

Japanese Ships
SS No. 31

Allied Ships
DD Selfridge
DD Melvin
DD McCawley
DD Palmer
DD Greer
DD Aaron Ward
DD Babbitt
DD Radford
DD Hazelwood
DD Chew

AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 11/14/22

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Sub attack at 68,79

Japanese Ships
AP Izumo Maru, Torpedo hits 2, on fire
DD Hishi

Allied Ships
SS R-20, hits 2

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ASW attack at 115,67

Japanese Ships
SS U-125 (O1), hits 1

Allied Ships
DD Wood
DD Thompson

[Rysyonok]

Calm.

A total of 13 submarines are by now in Pearl with just over 10sys; 3 or 4 are on West Coast. As a result, there are only a few of them on patrol.

AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 11/15/22

AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 11/16/22

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ASW attack at 84,82

Japanese Ships
SS No. 38, hits 2

Allied Ships
DD Selfridge
DD Melvin

[Rysyonok]

And yet another IJN sub goes down. Hey, I only rushed it with 33 destroyers in 3 ASW groups

AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 11/17/22

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ASW attack at 114,68

Japanese Ships
SS U-125 (O1), hits 1, on fire

Allied Ships
DD Kennedy
DD Sicard
DD Sumner
DD Barry
DD Boggs
DD Williams
DD Woodbury
DD Stoddert
DD Corry

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ASW attack at 114,68

Japanese Ships
SS U-125 (O1)

Allied Ships
DD Meade
DD Swasey
DD Morris
DD Pillsbury
DD O'Bannon
DD Crosby
DD Tarbell
DD Hamilton
DD Crane
DD Evans

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ASW attack at 114,68

Japanese Ships
SS U-125 (O1), hits 1

Allied Ships
DD Kennedy
DD Sicard
DD Sumner
DD Barry
DD Boggs
DD Williams
DD Woodbury
DD Stoddert
DD Corry
DD Moody

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Sub attack at 64,65

Japanese Ships
BB Tosa, heavy damage

Allied Ships
SS S-9

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ASW attack at 114,68

Japanese Ships
SS U-125 (O1), hits 2, on fire, heavy damage And the 8th sub to be sunk by USN destroyers is...

Allied Ships
DD Meade
DD Swasey
DD Morris
DD Pillsbury
DD O'Bannon
DD Crosby
DD Tarbell

[Rysyonok]

BBs are recuperating.

DDs are busy hunting subs (a total of 7 ASW groups, 10 ships each, is operating all across Pacific).

TPs are still underway.

A raid on Saipan was fruitless: Tosa escaped.

And after just three months USN is back in Tokyo

AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 11/18/22

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ASW attack at 86,82

Japanese Ships
SS No. 15

Allied Ships
DD Kane
DD Robert Smith
DD Farquhar
DD Decatur
DD Henshaw
DD Truxton
DD John D. Ford
DD Bulmer
DD Upshur

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ASW attack at 86,82

Japanese Ships
SS No. 15, hits 3

Allied Ships
DD Kane
DD Robert Smith
DD Farquhar
DD Decatur
DD Henshaw
DD Truxton
DD John D. Ford
DD Bulmer
DD Upshur
DD Preble

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Sub attack near Tokyo at 66,43

Japanese Ships
AK Nitiai Maru

Allied Ships
SS S-7

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Sub attack near Saipan at 63,64

Japanese Ships
AV Kazahaya, Torpedo hits 1, on fire

Allied Ships
SS S-9

[Rysyonok]

About 90 are on the reinforcement track, due in 135-166 days from 11/19/1922. USN was rather late starting on conversion program, then again, no one expected that having 90+ "super" DD is not going to be enough in this game...

[Rysyonok]

USN subs have been lucky and cautious enough to avoid any major damage from IJN depth charges; to date only 2 or 3 were at risk and none were lost. Yet operational damage is adding up; worse, starting Christmas I may demand that subs stay at sea until the last second as more and more of them venture out to Home Islands.

[Rysyonok]

A very interesting screenshot: Tuguegarao is still showing up as an Allied beach. I can only guess whether IJA is expecting this knife in its back in a few months...

[Rysyonok]

I am still tempted to launch an invasion of northern home islands rather than PI.

Invasion of Jaluit is scheduled for tomorrow morning.

AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 11/19/22

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ASW attack at 100,75

Japanese Ships
SS No. 57

Allied Ships
DD Thornton
DD McLanahan
DD Gillis
DD Hopkins
DD McFarland
DD Stewart
DD McCormick
DD Stansbury
DD Renshaw
DD Elliot
DD Jacob Jones
DD Lamberton
DD Mugford
DD Philip

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ASW attack at 100,75

Japanese Ships
SS No. 57, hits 4

Allied Ships
DD Thornton
DD McLanahan

[Rysyonok]

US landing forces are annihilated at Jaluit (stupid forced attack-after-invasion rule). Ships are still 90% full, and there are 4,000 troops on them, but of 104 rifle squads of 3rd Hawaiian regiment only 30-some can be accounted for, and thus the show is over. There are no living Americans on the atoll.

The TF is being rerouted to Maloelap.

This is a very rude awakening for USN.

AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 11/20/22

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ASW attack near Kusaie Island at 75,82

Japanese Ships
PC Ch10
PC Ch09
PC Ch03
DD Akikaze

Allied Ships
SS H-2

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TF 1002 encounters mine field at Jaluit (81,84)

TF 1002 troops unloading over beach at Jaluit, 81,84


Allied Ships
PC Eagle 14
PC Eagle 7


Allied ground losses:
303 casualties reported


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Ground combat at Jaluit

Allied Shock attack

Attacking force 1817 troops, 13 guns, 0 vehicles

Defending force 6502 troops, 9 guns, 0 vehicles

Allied assault odds: 0 to 1 (fort level 5)

Allied ground losses:
782 casualties reported
Guns lost 5

[Rysyonok]

Crucification of 3rd Hawaiian continues as it lands at Maloelap. Only 21 rifle squads remain of this proud regiment and barely a third of its strength. 4th Marines are rerouted from Ponape and are expected to reinforce 3rd Hawaiian in 24 to 48 hours.

2nd J-type Blimp goes down in Pearl in two days. What can possibly cause this in clear weather in a peaceful port with level 6 airfield is beyond my understanding.

AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 11/21/22

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TF 1002 encounters mine field at Maloelap (82,81)

TF 1002 troops unloading over beach at Maloelap, 82,81


Allied Ships
PC Eagle 12
PC Eagle 7


Allied ground losses:
292 casualties reported

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TF 1002 encounters mine field at Maloelap (82,81)

TF 1002 troops unloading over beach at Maloelap, 82,81


Allied Ships
PC Eagle 14


Allied ground losses:
152 casualties reported

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Sub attack near Maloelap at 82,81

Japanese Ships
SS UC-90 (O4), hits 2

Allied Ships
DD John D. Ford
DD Kane
DD Robert Smith
DD Farquhar
DD Preble
DD Decatur
DD Henshaw
DD Truxton
DD Bulmer
DD Upshur


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Ground combat at Maloelap

Allied Shock attack

Attacking force 2302 troops, 20 guns, 0 vehicles

Defending force 5064 troops, 0 guns, 0 vehicles A naval base force was replaced by an engineer regiment - a major mistake for IJA!

Allied assault odds: 0 to 1 (fort level 3)


Japanese ground losses:
11 casualties reported

Allied ground losses:
60 casualties reported
Guns lost 2