Andy Mac v PZB This time India will Stand !!!!

[Andy Mac]

You are right and there was a good reason for it but I cannot remember what it is !!!
 
I suspect its because they have been hovering off of Java waiting for KB to show itself so I could take this risk.
 
They have not been near many ports.
 

[Andy Mac]

The latest from Manila mac is stuck and getting low on supplies he is digging in for all he is worth but the pressure by air and by land is high

Now in other news I expect an attack on Java in the near future I will be conducting an assessment of my chances of holding on soon but they aint much !!!

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Ground combat at Bataan (78,77)

Japanese Bombardment attack

Attacking force 47679 troops, 756 guns, 286 vehicles, Assault Value = 2028

Defending force 57792 troops, 1011 guns, 672 vehicles, Assault Value = 1789

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


Allied ground losses:
305 casualties reported
Squads: 4 destroyed, 19 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 20 disabled
Engineers: 1 destroyed, 3 disabled
Guns lost 6 (0 destroyed, 6 disabled)
Vehicles lost 8 (2 destroyed, 6 disabled)


Assaulting units:
7th Tank Regiment
21st Ind. Engineer Regiment
4th Tank Regiment
65th Brigade
38th Division
20th Infantry Regiment
1st Recon Regiment
1st Formosa Inf. Regiment
8th Tank Regiment
48th Recon Regiment
20th Ind. Engineer Regiment
47th Infantry Regiment
20th Recon Regiment
16th Infantry Regiment
24th Infantry Regiment
22nd Recon Regiment
19th Ind. Engineer Regiment
16th Recon Regiment
2nd Tank Regiment
9th Infantry Regiment
26th Recon Regiment
5th Mortar Battalion
2nd Field Artillery Regiment
14th Army
17th Medium Field Artillery Regiment
2nd Mortar Battalion
10th Ind. Mountain Gun Regiment
18th Mountain Gun Regiment
48th Field Artillery Regiment
3rd Mortar Battalion
2nd Ind.Hvy.Art. Battalion
2nd Ind.Art.Mortar Battalion
1st RF Gun Battalion
6th Shipping Engineer Regiment
8th Medium Field Artillery Regiment
3rd Ind.Hvy.Art. Battalion
1st Medium Field Artillery Regiment
9th Ind.Hvy.Art. Battalion
15th Ind.Art.Mortar Battalion
1st Hvy.Artillery Rgt /2
14th Ind.Art.Mortar Bn /1

Defending units:
2nd PA Constabulary Division
Manila Bay Defenses
4th Marine Regiment
93rd PA Infantry Regiment
31st Infantry Regiment
41st PA Infantry Division
21st PA Infantry Division
45th PS Infantry Regimental Combat Team
3rd/12th PA Inf Battalion
31st PA Infantry Division
91st PA Infantry Division
26th PS Cavalry Regiment
51st PA Infantry Division
11th PA Infantry Division
61st PA Infantry Division
57th PS Infantry Regimental Combat Team
194th Tank Battalion
192nd Tank Battalion
1st PA Infantry Division
14th PS Engineer Regiment
71st PA Infantry Division
Kowloon Bde /3
301st Construction Battalion
II Philippine Corps
1st PI Base Force
Asiatic Fleet
Cavite USN Base Force
1st USMC AA Battalion
Clark Field USAAF Base Force
Far East USAAF
201st PA Construction Battalion
803rd Engineer Aviation Battalion
200th & 515th Coast AA Regiment
USAFFE
88th PS Field Artillery Regiment
Provisional GMC Gp
202nd PA Construction Battalion
I Philippine Corps
Manila USAAF Base Force
Bataan USN Base Force
PAF Aviation
301st PA Field Artillery Regiment

[Andy Mac]

OK guys spotted what looks like a Jap Carrier force off of java so its time to leave i offloaded 2 Sqns of SBD's onto java to give the island some killing power and ordered a retreat

[Andy Mac]

We are kind of in limbo at present I have almost completed assembling my 'top gun' sqn of P38's all with good solid pilots I will commit when I can probably when I need to re win air superioity to get a convoy in

[Andy Mac]

Another quiet turn my fighters attacked a TF off of Lae but couldnt achieve much

I have 100 US P40s in Austrlia now and 25 x P38E's

75 in 3 sqns are trainign all have 35 xp pilots and I am trying not to commit them unless I have to in the OTU bases in and around South Australia

The 25 P38's are in a sqn ave xp 60 resting and waiting for pilots to arrive

12 remain out fo the sqns on 25 committed to PM and getting their arse kicked because at 35xp they aint cutting it.

Apart from that all I have are the RAF Sqns

243 Sqn at Darwin has 15 x Buffalos and ave xp 49
488 Sqn (NZ) is at Townsville with 1 Buffalo I and 9 pilots but I am about to have enough Hurricane IIb's to upgrade the sqn I think I will have to as the Buffalo pool is now empty

In about 45 days I get 3 RAAF Kittyhawk Sqns to augment my air defence

Austalia and NZ are really really bare of defences int he first 4 months of war

[Andy Mac]

Nailed a couple of Destroyers off of Lae this turn but I am losing a lot of men to Japanese raiders so decion time I have sent over the P38 Sqn I will move up another P40 Sqn to move over to support them in a day or so

Morning Air attack on TF, near Buna at 99,129

Weather in hex: Heavy cloud

Raid spotted at 17 NM, estimated altitude 13,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 6 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 3



Allied aircraft
A-24 Banshee x 22
P-40E Warhawk x 1


No Japanese losses

Allied aircraft losses
A-24 Banshee: 1 destroyed, 6 damaged
P-40E Warhawk: 1 destroyed

Japanese Ships
DD Sazanami, Bomb hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
DD Oboro
DD Kikuzuki, Bomb hits 2, heavy fires, heavy damage
DD Kisaragi
DD Uzuki

Japanese ground losses:
80 casualties reported
Squads: 1 destroyed, 4 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 3 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled



Aircraft Attacking:
3 x A-24 Banshee releasing from 3000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb SAP Bomb
4 x A-24 Banshee releasing from 3000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb SAP Bomb
4 x A-24 Banshee releasing from 4000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb SAP Bomb
5 x A-24 Banshee releasing from 2000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb SAP Bomb
4 x A-24 Banshee releasing from 2000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb SAP Bomb

CAP engaged:
Okamoto Det with A6M2 Zero (3 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
3 plane(s) intercepting now.
Group patrol altitude is 15000
Raid is overhead

Heavy smoke from fires obscuring DD Kikuzuki

[castor troy]

ORIGINAL: Andy Mac

Nailed a couple of Destroyers off of Lae this turn but I am losing a lot of men to Japanese raiders so decion time I have sent over the P38 Sqn I will move up another P40 Sqn to move over to support them in a day or so

Morning Air attack on TF, near Buna at 99,129

Weather in hex: Heavy cloud

Raid spotted at 17 NM, estimated altitude 13,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 6 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 3



Allied aircraft
A-24 Banshee x 22
P-40E Warhawk x 1


No Japanese losses

Allied aircraft losses
A-24 Banshee: 1 destroyed, 6 damaged
P-40E Warhawk: 1 destroyed

Japanese Ships
DD Sazanami, Bomb hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
DD Oboro
DD Kikuzuki, Bomb hits 2, heavy fires, heavy damage
DD Kisaragi
DD Uzuki

Japanese ground losses:
80 casualties reported
Squads: 1 destroyed, 4 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 3 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled



Aircraft Attacking:
3 x A-24 Banshee releasing from 3000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb SAP Bomb
4 x A-24 Banshee releasing from 3000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb SAP Bomb
4 x A-24 Banshee releasing from 4000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb SAP Bomb
5 x A-24 Banshee releasing from 2000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb SAP Bomb
4 x A-24 Banshee releasing from 2000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb SAP Bomb

CAP engaged:
Okamoto Det with A6M2 Zero (3 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
3 plane(s) intercepting now.
Group patrol altitude is 15000
Raid is overhead

Heavy smoke from fires obscuring DD Kikuzuki

why are you glide bombing? Wouldn´t it be better to dive bomb and keep your Banshees at 10.000ft?

[Andy Mac]

They are at 10,000 feet not sure what they are doing

[Andy Mac]

I dont think PZB is very happy with my latest little surprise.

All I will say in my defence is - he chose PDU on [:D][:D][:D]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Morning Air attack on Port Moresby , at 98,130

Weather in hex: Clear sky

Raid detected at 40 NM, estimated altitude 19,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 15 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 12
G3M2 Nell x 6
G4M1 Betty x 29



Allied aircraft
P-38E Lightning x 24


Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 4 destroyed
G3M2 Nell: 1 damaged
G4M1 Betty: 2 destroyed, 3 damaged

Allied aircraft losses
A-24 Banshee: 1 destroyed on ground



Airbase hits 2
Airbase supply hits 1
Runway hits 29

Aircraft Attacking:
6 x G3M2 Nell bombing from 15000 feet
Airfield Attack: 2 x 250 kg GP Bomb, 4 x 60 kg GP Bomb
20 x G4M1 Betty bombing from 15000 feet
Airfield Attack: 2 x 250 kg GP Bomb, 4 x 60 kg GP Bomb
6 x G4M1 Betty bombing from 15000 feet
Airfield Attack: 2 x 250 kg GP Bomb, 4 x 60 kg GP Bomb

CAP engaged:
3rd PS (P) with P-38E Lightning (6 airborne, 13 on standby, 5 scrambling)
6 plane(s) intercepting now.
Group patrol altitude is 20000 , scrambling fighters between 10000 and 20000.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 27 minutes
3 planes vectored on to bombers

[Andy Mac]

p.s. not advertising this fact to loudly but out of 25 planes 9 are already down for maintenance after one day P38E's are real hanger queens

[Andy Mac]

Day 2 PZB hit me at night destroyed 1 onthe ground next day zeroes came in I lost 4 more P38's in the air shot down a lot of zeroes

Minor issue these are real bitches to maintain out of 25 in the sqns day 2 5 are destroyed and 14 are down for maintenance P38E's are real swines to keep flying

[castor troy]

ORIGINAL: Andy Mac

Day 2 PZB hit me at night destroyed 1 onthe ground next day zeroes came in I lost 4 more P38's in the air shot down a lot of zeroes

Minor issue these are real bitches to maintain out of 25 in the sqns day 2 5 are destroyed and 14 are down for maintenance P38E's are real swines to keep flying

while surely doing ok on CAP I guess the Lightnings are better used offensively in sweeps as they can be rested the other days and then go in with other fighters on a big sweep. Of course at this date, Cap is more important for the Allied than offensive sweeps but with the high service rating of the P-38 it´s only an emergency weapon IMO if you want them to cover an important spot for one or two days (when you´ve got ships unloading for example). But then you need four or five days to get them maintained again to be able to fly them out and during these days you need other fighters to guard them while the P-38s are sitting ont he ground.

[Andy Mac]

Yup but 3 days on and the P38's are STILL damaged ouch this is nasty it takes forever to repair them.

I have 16 damged P38's stuck at PM

My P40 Sqns exp is 35 - 40 and they get shot out of the sky I am just wasting aircraft all my pilots are in intesive training

[aprezto]

He's very grumpy about the use of the P-38s. As Castor Troy has pointed out it may not be historic but it is not going to change things.
I don't think he knows about the how hard it is to keep them flying (news to me too).

[Andy Mac]

Yeah I know he is grumpy but he chose PDU and lets fact it its a massive bonus for the Japanese.

Having said that the value of them other than psychologicial is limited as I cannot keep them flying

[Andy Mac]

OK last turn I went through and sent all my 50+ xp pilots from Sqns in rear areas to the fighter reserve pool which I will then use to start increasing the number of trained pilots int he key sqns near New Guinea.

Actually the RAF pilots are in not bad shape I have so few fighter sqns and they tend to be smaller and some have NZ or Aus Pilots so I can pretty much make sure all my Hurricane Sqns have a full complement of decent pilots.

Given the hanger queen disaster the P38's are becoming I have striped that sqn of some of its best pilots the Warhawks need em more

[Andy Mac]

I face a hard hard decision and need to think it through some more.

Up until now I was intending on trying to fight for PM but I think he is coming soon and the performance of my fighters makes me worried.

I have about 30,000 men on PM basically a reinforced Division. Given what happened to a similar force at Darwin (actually that one was better) against the full might of the IJN I think I am kidding myself on.

If he brings along 2 reinforced Divs I probably cannot stop him and thats a bad thing - if the forts were hgher or I had more mines or I thought my CD guns would stop him then maybe.

But my gut is telling me I have deluded myself.

[castor troy]

ORIGINAL: Andy Mac

Yeah I know he is grumpy but he chose PDU and lets fact it its a massive bonus for the Japanese.

Having said that the value of them other than psychologicial is limited as I cannot keep them flying

I had started a discussion with him in his AAR about the P-38 (how could I dare, afterall I know how a JFB is thinking [;)]). But the discussion ended right after starting it in agreeing that we don´t agree. I´ve asked how many frontline fighters he will mass produce in a couple of months and how many were historical. Not to talk about how well R&D will work and how many hundred/thousands of fighters he will produce earlier than they appeared in real life (not to talk about the total numbers).

So he´s pissed off by three dozen P-38s 4 months ahead of what he would call acceptable while himselve probably already producing far more Zeroes and Oscars and in total (compared to real life) he will produce thousands of first line ac instead of the crap that was built in real life. Being a JFB or AFB is ok with me (just like I´m a JFB that took control over the Allied for my first PBEM), but you should never lose common sense IMO.

[castor troy]

ORIGINAL: Andy Mac

I face a hard hard decision and need to think it through some more.

Up until now I was intending on trying to fight for PM but I think he is coming soon and the performance of my fighters makes me worried.

I have about 30,000 men on PM basically a reinforced Division. Given what happened to a similar force at Darwin (actually that one was better) against the full might of the IJN I think I am kidding myself on.

If he brings along 2 reinforced Divs I probably cannot stop him and thats a bad thing - if the forts were hgher or I had more mines or I thought my CD guns would stop him then maybe.

But my gut is telling me I have deluded myself.

that´s what I´m thinking too! [;)]

Even if you have 1000 av there (from wherever you get them), at some point in the next 6 months, the enemy can bring 2-3000 av and that´s easily enough to kill the 1000 av. With KB around you can´t defend it. Seeing this in my PBEM (thank god I´m not trying to defend those places in the same way like you do - even if I intended to do it but my opponent was faster anyway) and it´s also obvious in your AARs against PzB and String.

Even if you have two inf divs at PM, guess how they look like when KB has flown a couple of full size ground strikes against them. They will be knocked out due to disruption and then the enemy takes them out more or less easily. The enemy has more troops which are twice as exp as your´s and he´s got KB. What have you got? A CD routine that isn´t working and an enemy that has an amphib bonus that makes unloading for him like unloading in a friendly port. All in all, a helpless situation and not worth it losing high value units that can you use in 8-10 months for your starting offensives. IMO it´s a bad situation for the Allied if they keep on trying to defend those outpost like PM or Darwin with force as those strongholds can then be picked off and the important LCUs destroyed. While my opponent Rainer is moving a tad faster than your opponents (a week or two faster), in the end it is good for me. Why? You had 18th div at Darwin and it got shredded. I tried to first move it to PM, came late, then tried to move it to Darwin and again my opponent was faster. The first impression was me being pissed off, after sleeping over it, I was glad I wasn´t able to bring the div to PM or Darwin. And it´s safe now.

[wpurdom]

You may wind up having to strip the P-38's of pilots and disband them while you still can without losing the planes. If you wait they may be lost.