Islands of Destiny: RA 5.0 Japanese Side

[Lowpe]

A lot of posts in Dan's AAR has nothing to do with the game so don't feel bad.[:D] Having three current games, and trying to keep up with an AAR must be simply overwhelming!

I was waiting to see a huge invasion here, but I don't know anymore what will happen but I eagerly await all new posts.[&o]

[Mundy]

Heck, I think my AAR sucks more life out of me than both my games combined.

[:D]

[morejeffs]

Hi John..Tried sending a mail but your folder was full it seems
About the login in page for RA, there is a small but interesting issue revolving
around the kanji that you used. Please check out my thread in Scenario Design and Modding
Thanks

And sorry for mentioning it in the AAR as it is off topic

[John 3rd]

More then fine. Will comment over on the side of the Forum.

[JohnDillworth]

Thanks.

I get down watching all the 'help/posts' that rack up on Dan's side and sometimes feel like nobody is reading. Part of that is my part-time Posting but I understand.

It has been a TON of fun re-starting. The two of us are consumed by the match! LOVE my opponent. He is a friend. That statement applies equally to Michael in that match.

Unfortunately it doesn't with my vanilla Scen 1 game because Herbie is very reluctant to talk about anything. Has led to a lack of enthusiasm within that match since I don't know much of anything with my opponent. This is not disparagement just observation. No issues there just no real connectivity.


We are one day from the Carriers meeting up in Kendari. We'll refuel, form our TF, and start to seriously plan on how to use this massed firepower.

a large percentages of the posts in Dan's thread have nothing to do with the game at hand. Lets face it he is verbose and he doesn't own a TV so he has time to write lots and lots of posts. I read both sides so I tend not to comment on the game at hand. I do enjoy your AAR's so keep em coming thanks

[John 3rd]

May 11, 1943

Perhaps this is a McClellan-like campaign. I have continued to think on it and I would prefer a GRANT analogy. We're moving forward and by the left flank until we simply have to put our heads down and GRIND IT OUT! Not afraid to fight (McClellan) just want to do it smartly.

NorPac
No developments. Have 18 Emily and 24 other planes flying Air Search.

CenPac
No developments. Have got Emily flying from Kwajalein, Wake, and Marcus.

SoPac
Horn Island is now beefed up and well supplied. Have a convoy going into Lae with a large Base Force and supplies. Am as ready of possible presently.

Australia
Tennant Creek
Dan is moving on this base. I have the 90th Inf Reg and a TK Reg present. Looks like he has three Tank Brigades coming. The base won't be able to hold simply due to airpower. TC has always been my tripwire for keeping the Aussies back and alerting me to a move. Will leave the 90th there and pull back the Tanks as well as a base Force. Daly Waters is where I want to hold.

Darwin
The 116th Inf Div begins unloading.

Air Power
Have moved several Army bombing groups in as well as some fighters.

Exmouth
Have been steadily attriting his planes over this base. There are 42 Tojos and recon present. The Tojos are eating nicely. Four AKs just arrived to bring in some supplies.

Eastern DEI
Kido Butai
Damn. Nine CVs and five CVLs LOADED FOR BEAR! Aircraft totals are 380 A6M5/M5b, 243 Judy, and 198 Jill. Cocked, Locked, and Ready TO ROCK! Would like more escorts but the rest of the Fleet is involved with Sumatra. Will sit here until May 15th and then begin a move...

Western DEI
Sumatra
45,75
The juggernaut descending upon Langsa eats an American TK Bn that is simply throw into the path of 4 ID and 3 Engineer Reg. We'll have Langsa pretty quick.

Air
Have ordered a sit down of all bombers yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Letting the poor crews get some rest. The 13th will see all 250 bombers concentrating on Langsa.

Surface TF
3 BB: Langsa doing 209 Casualties and AF damage.
5 CA: Sabang doing 560 Cas, 45 Guns, 40 Vehicles, and hitting the Runway 19 times.
3 BC: Sabang doing 560 Cas (again), 35 Guns, 38 Guns, and the Runway for 78.

Burma
That hex NE of Lashio is finally wiped clean of the enemy. The Allies are driven out on the 10th and 11th with over 6,000 casualties inflicted on the Chinese Corps and 5 five other Allied units. Burma is now FULLY cleared. Order three TK Reg back to Lashio, one goes to Bhamo, and ID involved there heads for Lashio as well.

No other signs of enemy activity in Burma.


OK. That is a theatre by theatre update. We're sitting, twiddling our thumbs, and waiting for the inevitable Allied thrust...

[ny59giants]

Darwin
The 116th Inf Div begins unloading.

Unless you feel Dan is going to be able to march straight up central Australia, I would keep this divisions fully loaded on ships as a floating reserve. Maybe at Boela so she can go in either direction when Dan invades as that is what you are preparing for.

[John 3rd]

Holy horse doo-doo!

I am getting a FREE victory. Dan has abandoned Langsa. My Army arrived on May 13th and THERE IS NOTHING THERE! Order the attack.

Damn.

This does EVERYTHING.
1. Immediately order two ID at Medan to load and move East on 18-21 Knot vessels.
2. Set all three Bombardment TF to hit Sabang so the AF is TOTALLED. There are now 40+ units there.
3. Begin moving aircraft east as well.
4. KB gets movement orders.

Western Side:
1. My 10th ID will cross to the east coast of Sumatra tomorrow.
2. The other ID will enter into the middle hex just NW of the 10th in two days. The Ind (Sep) US Inf Reg is being bombed every day so I'll cross into the hex before it moves into mine.
3. 2nd Tanks just went to Lvl-2 Forts in a jungle hex.

Here is the screenshot:

[John 3rd]

Circled in ORANGE on the above screenshot was a boneheaded move of mine. I picked up an ID at Medan and brought it towards Sinabang where it was to unload. Two SS waylaid the convoy so I ordered it into that Sumatra Coast hex without looking to see if it was set to 'do not unload.' It did. STUPID. Ordered the TF to pick-up the troops and get them to Sinabang as planned....

[crsutton]

I am reading John but not commenting. One question. Is the Japanese economy the same as it is in stock? Or are there some more resources to play with?

[John 3rd]

Our Scenario Template is taken purely from Da Babes.

Only one modification was made to oil, resources, etc... We added the historical synthetic refinery in Manchuria/Korea at Anshaan (Sp?). It builds out to 100 I believe. Will have to look. Other then that there are no changes whatsoever.

Will check on the Synthetic Plant and Post.

[John 3rd]

ORIGINAL: crsutton

I am reading John but not commenting. One question. Is the Japanese economy the same as it is in stock? Or are there some more resources to play with?

The economy is a FAR DIFFERENT question. It has been heavily modified at war's start. The trade-off is that Japan starts way lower in Resources, Oil, Fuel, and Supplies. This makes taking the DEI and KEEPING it far more pressing and immediate...

[DanSez]

I am another who reads and doesn't comment much:
Mainly because I am watching both sides and the need for OpSec and so on...
Secondly, your style of writing is so, can I say - confident?
that a junior player such as myself may feel could not add much of assistance other than echos of your own thought.

Hope that makes sense.

Good job with so many games and trying to keep up post in AARs. There are so many hours in a day and I am sure these efforts takes up a significant chunk.

As to your mods and RA specifically -- currently in discussion with another player considering the RA 7.9 mod. I would be taking the Japanese side. Thanks to you and your team for the work.

[John 3rd]

I DOUBT myself ALL the time. We'll have to see what sort of insidious thing Dan has in mind presently. GIVING me Langsa is rather perplexing...

If you are looking at RA then WAIT. I have an update Michael and I have been half way working on. We have dailed the Mod back so much from the Japanese side that we need to put the finishing touches on the next release. It is VERY exciting but this game with Dan showed how far we had toaken it and with Michael's able assistance we have drawn down some...

When do you plan to start your game? I can have the update done fairly quickly if needed.

[Sangeli]

ORIGINAL: John 3rd
If you are looking at RA then WAIT. I have an update Michael and I have been half way working on. We have dailed the Mod back so much from the Japanese side that we need to put the finishing touches on the next release. It is VERY exciting but this game with Dan showed how far we had toaken it and with Michael's able assistance we have drawn down some...

Is the George still carrier capable? Honestly if I had known how big of a difference that would make I would not have played RA. The George is better than the F6F-3 and as good as the F6F-5. At some point the Allied carrier aircraft need to surpass the Japanese.

[John 3rd]

The George gets a CV-Capable variant in late-44. Nothing in 1943.

[John 3rd]

May 14, 1943

In a move that is highly surprising, the Allies abandon (without a fight) Langsa. The Japanese army takes the base and gains a WONDERFUL 75,000 in supply. NICE! I can understand contracting the lines against the en echelon attack happening but I might have left an ID to hold back the Japanese for a while. Taking the base gave me those supplies, Sz-4 Forts, and an AF spitting distance to Sabang. Goodness.

OK. New reality in Sumatra.

Order forward to Langsa all my HQ units, engineers, and base forces. We're gonna crank up this Lvl-4 AF to Lvl-7 and base all our bombers here for the final assault.

Order all four ID at Langsa to advance down the coast road.

The 48th ID moves into the coastal hex two hexes above Langsa and watches the end of the Allied column as it moves into that hex heading for Sabang. We are now back into pursuit warfare gang...

PLAN
The Japanese will hold a line with the left (2nd TK Div) holding the jungle hex just off Sabang tying to an ID about to move into the central hex of Sumatra, and ending with the 48th on the east coast. The hammer will be four Japanese Infantry Divisions (100% strength) moving up the coastal road. As these troops move into an enemy occupied hex, that hex shall be pummeled by Naval Bombardment and Bombers prior to attack. This has worked quite well and we'll see how long we can keep it up.

I moved out an ID from Medan nearly three weeks ago and it has finally reached the west coast of Sumatra. That ID shall move up the coast and join the 2nd TK Div.

QUERY
I need to strengthen KB's escorts. Would like opinions on which to send to help. There are 6 CA or the 4 Kongo-Class BCs as choice here. Right now KB has only 1 BC, 2 CA, and 7 CL as escort. Not ENOUGH! What do you think for adding? My gut says to pull the CAs but those BC serve as a great bomber/TT magnet when needed.


Here is a screen shot of where the lines were just two weeks or so ago in Sumatra versus where they are now:

[John 3rd]

In the realm of watching the economy, I have ordered a cut back in aircraft production. When things were crazy in Sumatra and Burma, I was ratcheting up EVERY fighter I could as well as trying to replace huge bomber losses. A semblance of control has appeared and I have been pulling back (shutting off or changing to research a number of factories) production on Tojo, A6M4, and George. Pools are good and climbing with all of them presently. Will do the same thing in CV Bombers (Judy/Jill) and Army Bombers (Helen/Sally) next month. Shifting research into the next GOOD army bomber. Cannot remember the name presently. FRANK is in great research form and advancing its opening production one month for every two of game time. Betty 2 is just over the horizon and look forward to moderate upgrade though I really want Miss Frances!

Have slowly moved Fighter and Bomber groups away from Sumatra for R&R, upgrades, and training. Desperately need Dan to meet a strong, powerful TRAINED force whenever he appears...

[obvert]

A few things.

How much is going to be at Sabang? Beware SL.

As to economy, when I opened RA I noticed Soerabaja has extra oil. Soerabaja seems to have 226 oil in RA, whereas in stock it has 190. Some other oil producing areas have an extra point (i.e. 101 oil at Samarinda) for around 5-7 extra oil production. Maybe I'm missing something, but this is just looking into it for a few minutes. I didn't even check into Manchuria or China. Are there extras there too? Or is the extra in Soerabaja somehow balanced by less in another area?

[John 3rd]

Hey Obvert!

Is that the standard number for Soerabaja in Babes? Don't remember changing any of that whatsoever. This set of Mods has been such a collaborative project, I have reams of paper filled with notes from the last 5 years...

That Synthetic Oil factory is the only change in China/Manchuria for Oil/Fuel.

SL?

Do you means hex capacity limits?