Intellectus Ex Nihilo (Wal-Mart on Ice)

[Canoerebel]

Thank you, CaptBeefheart.

In the 1950s, while Wallace was in seminary in Fort Worth (with a wife and three small children), he was a student pastor at the Baptist church in Mineral Wells, Texas. He had the duty of getting there early to start the stove on cold days. One day, his car broke down during a driving snow storm. He was stuck there, in the middle of nowhere, with his family, in a real fix. A big car pulled over and a tall man got out. He came over and fiddled with things and got Wallace's car going. The man was James Arness (Matt Dillon from Gunsmoke). Wallace later wrote to thank Mr. Dillon, who replied. Wallace's oldest daughter still has that letter.

He had a zillion interesting stories, but I'll leave it at that.

[Canoerebel]

7/8/44

DEI: As the new turn opens, there are lots of enemy icons in the Makassar Strait, including this stout combat TFs and lots of sub icons. I immediately deduce that KB is probably en route, probably at flank speed, will probably be somewhat rattled by that full speed, and that I'll have to button down the hatches and clear the decks for combat action.

Even as the turn is running, my mind is half thinking about the potentials and possibilities. DS has to protect the good merchantmen, but should the general path of retirement from Java be S or E, the latter to seek and accept battle?

[Canoerebel]

7/8/44

DEI: When I open the turn file, I discover that KB remains parked at Manila. So the threat approaching DS & The Herd is combat vessels and subs, which is manageable without standing down from invasion.

I then spend a good deal of time trying to figure out if the most important thing is to keep DS on station with the Herd unloading in southern (eastern, true) Java or to weigh anchor and shift everything to Tjepoe, on the east coast. A successful landing there would threaten Soerabaja with isolation, and Tjepoe appears vacant.

Utlimately, the decision is to keep DS in place, to cover important landings of the engineers and base forces that will turn the new Java bases into redoubts that will (eventually) take control of the area.

An LSD is detached to carry troops to Tejepoe. If that goes well, and if KB remains at Manila, a shift may occur day after tomorrow, as there are still a number of big units aboard transports. There is mobility.

I also considered moving DS to Batavia to contest enemy reinforcement convoys, but that's too deep - a box canyon in which KB might trap DS far from home. There's also the thought of eventually moving over the Celebes to land 18th UK Div. at Kolaka, to move on Kendari. The division is 100% prepped for that target.

But I spent the great part of the turn working on creating convoys at Koepang, Darwin, Townsville, Pearl and San Fran to bring forward more engineers and base forces. More. More.

[HansBolter]

Soerabaja is exactly one turn's rail movement from Batavia.

He could be in Tjepoe in one turn, but you occupying it won't block the rail link between Batavia and Soerabaja.

You need both Semarang and Djokjakarta to block the rail link between the two major objective bases.

Or you need to occupy Tjepoe and advance to the adjacent dot hex to the west.

Got any Coronados/Mariners in the area that could drop a para on that dot hex?

[Canoerebel]

Yeah, I know Tjepoe doesn't isolate Soerabaja from all the rail connections. It's just one of several steps needed, but it's a key step because it's on the far side of the city and bypasses the mountain hex of Malang, where Dave is concentrating.

The only paratroops I have in the area are aboard APD. They're landing at Bima tonight and will be available for para-assault the day after tomorrow. There are ways to sever the rail link besides Semereng/Djakarta.

[JohnDillworth]

Do I spy a little pink dot between Djokjakarta & Malang? An empty pink dot? Does that mean paratroopers could drop there?

[Canoerebel]

Yes. [:)]

[Canoerebel]

7/9/44

Bay of Bengal: Yesterday, the Bay of Bengal op converted to a feint rather than the real thing. It just wasn't a good idea to stick a massive armada protected by 175 fighters into tight waters surrounded by big enemy airfields, at least when Dave had been preparing for, and waiting for, this day for most of the war.

It was a good move, as Mini DS drew a number of decent raids and handled them rather easily. Enemy air losses were high.

I'll try this one more day before retiring, just in case enemy carriers come sprinting.

[Canoerebel]

7/9/44

DEI: A mostly non-violent day, allowing some important Allied moves to go well - landing at Tjepoe, departure of lots of big assault shipping TFs to return for next loads, landing supply and engineers and base forces, and the like.

The quiet will likely end, perhaps tomorrow, more likely soon thereafter.

[Canoerebel]

7/11/44

DEI: Hey, cut that out!

CV Formidable is useful, fights hard, and keeps getting damaged. She's only been back forward a week or ten days and now will need months in a repair yard (probably Capetown, if she survives). She has some elite RNAF fighters aboard that have really done well.

She took moderately heavy damaged - no flight ops - leading her to detach with a single escorting DD in very dangerous orders. She'll now reverse course to disband at Banjo. She should survive, barring another sub encounter, but right now I'd settle for just saving her fighters.

[Canoerebel]

7/11/44

DEI: Allies sever the rail between Batavia and Soerabaja. This is a major development. The detachments that did so might be able to hold out for 4-7 days. If things go very well, the Allies may shift all efforts to landing heavy reinforcements in that vicinity. Those reinforcements are aboard ship but need 3-6 days to catch up to DS.

The movie and the turn file didn't reveal KB's location (or so I thought), but I issued orders on the assumption that KB's had time to close and can strike tomorrow. Near the end of the order-entering phase, mouseover of Tarakan revealed at least half of KB is there - about 16 hexes north of DS.

I wish Enterprise was up, but she's two days away from DS. Two more CVs are within a week of completing repairs at Townsville and Sydney. Another is two weeks away from doing so, and at Pearl. An RN CV completed repairs and is near Christmas Island (Pacific), moving towards Oz.

In the Bay of Bengal, no enemy air strikes vs. Mini DS today. Dave may have stood his guys down. Mini DS will retire now to Colombo. It'll be back, sooner or later (and one possibility is simply to shift the Ceylon army and navy to Java, to join the fun).

[BBfanboy]

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

7/11/44

DEI: Hey, cut that out!

CV Formidable is useful, fights hard, and keeps getting damaged. She's only been back forward a week or ten days and now will need months in a repair yard (probably Capetown, if she survives). She has some elite RNAF fighters aboard that have really done well.

She took moderately heavy damaged - no flight ops - leading her to detach with a single escorting DD in very dangerous orders. She'll now reverse course to disband at Banjo. She should survive, barring another sub encounter, but right now I'd settle for just saving her fighters.

Can you remove those fighters without docking? I am assuming Bandjowangi is a small port that cannot dock the carrier.

[Canoerebel]

You can move fighters off a carrier without a port present; in fact, you can remove them from a carrier to level 0, dot hex airfield, and them fly them off to another base or carrier!

[PaxMondo]

ORIGINAL: John 3rd

ORIGINAL: Lokasenna

Nope. Bomb all the oil you want.

If Japan wants to make sure you don't bomb it, then they need to take the appropriate steps to prevent you from doing so.

It's honestly easier to just capture bases in a certain order to prevent the bombers from flying at all (anything that is AF5 and within extended range, or anything that is AF2 and within normal range) than it is to cover the targets with CAP. It's not that big of a list of bases.

I am with Lokasenna here.

So, just starting your AAR from the beginning. Thought to share how I play this type of thing.

"Can I work through the scenario IRL?"

So, in this is it ok for the US to bomb captured Dutch oil fields?
Yes, IIRC they actually did on a number of occasions.

Next, would they have bombed them Dec 9?
Maybe. I don't think I would bomb captive allied territory without at least telling them about it first, and MORE likely getting permission. Could I have gotten permission Dec 9? Theoretically yes. Encrypted message to embassy, ambassador meeting with Dutch Government in exile, encrypted response back. 48 hours best case with time zones. Ok, doable. Myself, I might have held off until Dec 15 or so. In my mind, I think it would take a day or two for the US to even contemplate bombing DEI assets, then at least 3 days to get a response, then the political approval issued internally, then the mission drawn up, and then finally launched. But that's me, and I play Andy AI.

So, no foul in my book. But, stretched a bit thin for me. Consequential? No. And if I thought so, which I don't but just to give an example of how I 'true' things up in game, I would simply run a couple of xAK's loaded with supply abeach near an IJ base replacing the lost IJ supply and slapping my wrist with the loss of a couple of xAK's.

Just my thoughts …

[8D]

PS: great AAR so far.

[BBfanboy]

Be careful with bringing forward those brined troops. They may have lower fatigue and better morale but their disruption could be high![:D][;)]

[zuluhour]

+1 on the rationale. I would think that civilian engineers on the projects would be able to sabotage
the fields with minimal assistance from the military as well negating the need to bomb them at all.
They may not be able to make it as hard to repair but given the request I bet they could make a
mess of things. (maybe a use for PP? and a die roll or two?) The Allies in the DEI had no idea how
fast things would unfold so allowing IJ to capture of production facilities and wells maybe necessary
to recreate the FUBAR in the DEI...ramble.....on

[PaxMondo]

ORIGINAL: RangerJoe
Also, he keeps burning precious fuel . . .

It is hard to, but in Scen 2 you have to constantly remind yourself that fuel isn't as big a factor as in Scen 1. The 2.1M extra fuel to start in Scen 2 is something like 400 days of KB steaming. It essentially takes that off the board for the IJ player. Or you can use the extra fuel to expand the economy to generate more supply …

[Canoerebel]

7/12/44

DEI: Things go smoothly, as DS moves a bit to get into position to receive CV Ent TF day after tomorrow.

Then things will get very interesting. Allied reinforcements are "pouring forward," with lots more to come. DS is about to move forward to escort troop transports to Tjepoe or vicinity. And it looks like Dave intends to fight, as his own reinforcements are coming in by ship and coming forward by rail and air.

I don't think Dave can prevail unless he commits KB (and unless KB wins and takes control). I doubt he wants to commit KB but I think he'll conclude he has to.

In the medium turn, lots more Allied CVs are coming in the next 15-20 days, and basically the Allied army and naval forces at Ceylon are coming this way too.

[Canoerebel]

7/12/44

Intel Screen: A mile-post post that'll help me measure progress as the game progresses.

Since April 1, Allies have prevailed at a 3:1 pace. And the pace of the game has been furious (and has been since late November '43). During the past three months, the Allies campaigned for Timor; then for lodgments all over the place including Celebes, Ternate, and Morotai; then to take and build bases north of Timor; then the major action to reinforce Ternate after Dave reclaimed Morotai, plus landings at Boela, Namlea and Ambon; and then the invasion of Java.

This region doesn't have any high-value bases, so the score hasn't advanced much in that regard. But action in the air and at sea has decidedly favored the Allies. Now the Allies have almost secured this "desert" region and are on the brink of high-value bases again.

[Canoerebel]

Amidst all the action, DS remains in fine shape (and about to get better, as triage ships return), as is the combat fleet.

Dave has lost the use of Soerabaja and its level 65 shipyard, probably permanently; Balikpapan is within range of 4EB (as soon as they can be spared from intense airfield suppression duty); Batavia, Palembang and Singapore are also within distant range, so Dave'll have to protect them.

I'm going sideways rather than forwards to Japan, but it suits me. There are a lot of base points that way, the union of the Pacific and IO forces will be a big deal, and the Denominator War will be served well, I think. By autumn, I think the Allies will be ready to turn north, and they should have wide shoulders and the ability to bring forward fuel, supplies and reinforcements pretty safely.