Empire of the Sun - DesertWolf101 (J) vs Andy Mac (A)

[DesertWolf101]

January 21, 1942

Java Sea

Dutch Catalinas carry out a sneaky attack on some of my ships near Palembang, putting a 250kg bomb into AK Hokko Maru. The ship is significantly damaged but survives.

Sumatra

Japanese forces take Benkoelen.

Burma

The 1st Burma Division finally surrenders. Just to the west, victorious Japanese troops seize Rangoon.

[Lowpe]

You are lucky that the 1st Burma fought so far forward, I think a much batter tactic is to retreat to Lashio with an HQ and some flak and work on building forts there and accumulating supply and perhaps have some Chinese units guard the retreat...it can become quite a nasty festung. But I guess it is hard for most AFBs to give up Rangoon...

[DesertWolf101]

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

You are lucky that the 1st Burma fought so far forward, I think a much batter tactic is to retreat to Lashio with an HQ and some flak and work on building forts there and accumulating supply and perhaps have some Chinese units guard the retreat...it can become quite a nasty festung. But I guess it is hard for most AFBs to give up Rangoon...

Yes, I think a lot of it has to do with the desire to keep the Burma road open as long as possible.

[DesertWolf101]

January 22, 1942

Java

Five Betty bombers skewered themselves against the Dutch CAP when they attempted to torpedo some minesweepers at Soerabaja.

Sumatra

Japanese troops land at Bengkalis.

New Guinea

Imperial forces come ashore at Babo.

China

The Japanese 104th Division pushes up towards Kweilin and takes it, cutting the rail line to Changsha.

[DesertWolf101]

January 23, 1942

Java

A large Zero sweep cuts down the Dutch fighter numbers in Java. Six Zeros are lost for more than 20 Dutch fighters destroyed.

Meanwhile, a large Japanese invasion force approaches the island. Dutch bombers attempt to intervene but score no hits.

Sumatra

Bengkalis is taken.

Burma

42 Oscars intercept eight B-17D bombers over Burma shooting down three of them.

China

I reinforce the Chinese front with the unrestricted 8th Tank Regiment. The tank Regiment’s first task is to take Pakhoi, attacking it today and reducing its fortifications to zero.

[DesertWolf101]

January 24, 1942

Java

During the night, a very large Japanese force of some six divisions comes ashore at Kalidjati in Java. Paratroopers assault the base and seize it.

Another series of Zero sweeps further reduce Dutch fighter numbers over Soerabaja.

Burma

The 14th Tank Regiment finally arrives at Toungoo, linking up with the long encircled Japanese parachutists there.

China

The 8th Tank Regiment takes Pakhoi.

[DesertWolf101]

January 25, 1942

Submarines

DD Anderson knocks about I-22 off the coast of California, leaving her with moderate damage.

Dutch sub KVII attempts to go after the Japanese invasion convoys at Kalidjati and is extensively depth charged and sunk.

At Wake, Nautilus sinks a Japanese coastal minesweeper.

Java

My opponent targets the invasion convoys with a PT squadron to no effect.

AK Tosan Maru runs aground and suffers significant floatation damage.

Once again a few Betty bombers are lost when they go after some Dutch minesweepers and encounter enemy fighters.

Timor

Japanese troops come ashore at Dili.

Burma

Japanese forces take Toungoo.

[DesertWolf101]

January 26, 1942

Java

Now low on fuel, the six Dutch PT boats that went after me last night are sunk by Japanese cruisers and destroyers.

Java Sea

AK Sagami Maru is damaged by a 250lb bomb from a Blenheim IV.

Sumatra

Tandjoengbalai falls to the Empire.

Celebes

Makassar is taken by Imperial forces.

Timor

Dili becomes the first Japanese base in Timor.

Ceram

The oil falls intact into Japanese hands at Boela.

[DesertWolf101]

January 27, 1942

Submarines

DD Shiratsuyu catches O19 near Palembang and leaves her with extensive damage after a prolonged depth charging.

Java Sea

A dozen British and Dutch bombers are shot down by Zeros as they attempt to go after the Japanese transport shipping.

Batavia

The 2nd, 21st, and 33rd Japanese divisions attempt an attack on Dutch forces at Bandoeng but manage to get only 1 to 1 odds. My opponent has packed the mountain base with the best Dutch troops on offer, turning it into a fortress. The Japanese forces rest and await additional reinforcements.

China

The Chinese send four SB-III bombers to hit the main Japanese army carrying out an assault across the river on Changteh but all four were shot down by Zero fighters on LRCAP.

Speaking of the assault on Changteh, the base is taken by Japan in a great victory. For the cost of only three lost Japanese combat squads, 603 Chinese ones were destroyed.

[DesertWolf101]

January 28, 1942

Submarines

KXIV sinks AKL Toshin Maru in the Celebes Sea.

Tautog sinks a PB near Shikuka.

S/SW Pacific

Japanese troops land at Ndeni.

Burma

Oscars sweep Lashio, clashing with AVG fighters over the base and coming out ahead with more kills.

[DesertWolf101]

January 29, 1942

Submarines

I sent a few submarines to inspect interesting signals intelligence reports coming from the French Society and Marquesas Islands. I-172 sights but does not engage a bunch of AG and AE vessels with escort at Hiva Ora. I also have reason to believe that Tahiti is being built up into a logistics base.

Java

Japanese tank regiments take Semarang, destroying a few Dutch dornier flying boats on the ground.

China

Advancing eastwards from Kweilin, Japanese troops take Shaoyang. The aim here is to tighten the noose on Changsha while Japanese forces continue northwestwards. I have no intention of losing time taking strongholds – they will be sieged and come back to later.

[DesertWolf101]

January 30, 1942

Submarines

Off the coast of Bombay, I-157 damaged TK British Chemist with a torpedo hit. I sent a gaggle of I-boats to these waters to see if they could find any juicy targets. This is a good start.

I-7 launches two torpedoes at a KV near Coal Harbour. The first one hit but failed to explode but the second one also hit and worked, sinking the ASW wonder weapon.

Java

With reinforcements at hand, the Japanese Army in Java begins the effort to seize the Dutch redoubt at Bandoeng. The deliberate attack today reduces the fortifications to 1.

Sumatra

Japanese forces take Djambi.

[DesertWolf101]

January 31, 1942

Submarines

I-162 sinks TK Vivi with two torpedo hits northwest of Goa.

Java Sea

Out of nowhere, the light cruiser Sumatra comes charging into my fleet off the coast of Java. Luckily, a strong Japanese force of cruisers and destroyers first intercepts the Sumatra. Incredibly, despite a ferocious exchange of shell fire, not a single hit is scored by either side.

Java

Another Japanese deliberate attack does the trick, throwing the Dutch forces into headlong retreat from the mountains of Bandoeng.

Japanese tank units take Djokjakarta.

Sumatra

Japanese forces take Medan – luckily the energy infrastructure here is intact.

[DesertWolf101]

State of the Empire

Another month has gone by and it is time once more to assess the state of the Empire.

As a reminder, SRA goals at the start of the campaign were:

Seizure of the SRA as an absolute priority with an aggressive timeline. I aim to land in force in Malaya, the Philippines, Borneo, and Sumatra by the end of December, seize all the critical oil fields as well as Singapore and Manila by the end of January, and complete the conquest of Burma, Java and the rest of the Dutch East Indies by the end of February.

As things stand, I would say that I am on schedule with this goal. I fully expect to have Java in hand by the end of February and at this point in my campaign was already planning for next steps.

My aim to minimize losses was as follows:

An aggressive campaign does not mean I will be reckless. Given my disadvantaged position in the correlation of forces between the two sides, I am to minimize the cost by not losing any capital warships during this early period, including light cruisers and above. I will also seek to minimize losses to submarines, escorts, and my merchant navy.

The objective here is also met. I posted the losses up to the end of December at the time (none of which were major combatants). The losses for the month of January consist of 1 APD, 1 DMS, 1 PB, 3 AKs, 1 AKL, and 3 AMc.

My objectives for China were as follows:

China is a considerable objective both for its resources and to deny its use to the enemy as a base for bombers and submarines. The resourcing of a Japanese offensive campaign in China, while not impeding on the focus on the SRA, will not be shortchanged. The objective here is to seize Chungking and the rest of the key resource bases by the end of 1942. Operationally, I will attempt to seize some of the key supply production positions in China early on to make my operations in China almost entirely self sufficient in supply

Generally I would say that the offensive in China is going relatively well. A large number of significant resource/supply bases have been seized, including Loyang, Chengchow, Wuchow, Nanning, Kweilin, and Shaoyang. I should hopefully add Liuchow and the bases around Changsha to the list this month, and am pushing hard towards Chungking while isolating, besieging, and bypassing Chinese strongholds wherever encountered. We shall see if this is enough. (Edit: I forgot to add the monthly toll of destroyed Chinese combat squads - 3,575)

My last set objective was as follows:

Finally, I will attempt to bring the Allies into an early decisive battle by targeting my opponent’s critical supply lines. I will not however make the success of this approach contingent on an allied response by ensuring that the objectives chosen are still in themselves worth the expenditure of resources allocated to seize them. New Guinea, the Solomons, and various islands in the South Pacific will be targeted to elongate the supply lines to Australia while care is taken to minimize resource expenditure in this area. The aim here is to delay the Allied ability to strike back at Japan if I fail to defeat my opponent early on.

This is a mixed bag. I have definitely not succeeded in bringing my opponent into a decisive battle. In fact, quite the opposite, as it appears that he has gone full Sir Robin on me once he lost the first set of naval battles. I feared this conservation of forces strategy, and I plan to be a bit more aggressive and daring in pursuing some of the objectives in the South Pacific as a result.

[DesertWolf101]

The Score as of February 1, 1942

[DesertWolf101]

February 1, 1942

Burma

I sent a few coastal minesweepers to clean up the minefield at Rangoon. One of them does that the hard way and sinks.

A large force of Blenheim and B-17D bombers target one of my tank regiments at Meiktila in Burma. In anticipation of a potential repeat, I set up a large CAP over my forces for next turn.

Despite the pounding it took from the air, the 14th tank regiment takes Meiktila.

Sumatra

Sibolga is taken.

Java

Tjepoe is captured by the Empire.

Timor

With Lautem taken by the 15th Naval Guard Unit, East Timor is now fully under Japanese control.

China

With the 38th Division now reinforced by the 104th Division and other smaller units, an attack is launched at Liuchow, knocking forts down to 0.

[DesertWolf101]

February 2, 1942

Submarines

Near Cochin, I-155 hits the fuel laden TK Athelstane with a torpedo and turns it into a temporarily floating torch.

Java

An attempt by my opponent to evacuate some troops from Java is thwarted once my Betty bombers sight and engage the transport force. AP Kota Radja and AP Kota Pinang take torpedo hits and sink.

Soerakarta is taken.

Java Sea

6 Vildebeest torpedo bombers from Java go after my light carriers but are all shot down by Zero fighters.

Timor

Japanese troops land at Koepang.

Burma

11 B-17D and 16 Blenheim IV bombers come in again to pound my tank regiment at Meiktila but encounter a large Oscar CAP. At least 10 of the Blenheims and a few of the B-17Ds are shot down.

Prome now belongs to the Emperor.

China

Another Japanese assault at Liuchow fails, have achieved only 1 to 3 odds. Nevertheless, the Chinese at the base sustain double the casualties and are weakening.

[DesertWolf101]

February 3, 1942

Submarines

Near California, I-9 misses AK Am. Builder with two fish. Nearby I-2 similarly missed AK Hurricane with two torpedoes.

S/SW Pacific

Japanese troop transports on their way to Fiji arrive east of Luganville and get ready for the final sail to the island.

Timor

Koepang is taken. Timor island is now entirely under Japanese control.

[Q-Ball]

How many troops are you bringing to Fiji? There's a NZ Bde there IIRC, so you should have a Division at least

The gain with taking Fiji is not a ton IMO; it's not enough to disrupt communications to Australia, just lengthen them a bit. You will capture some Allied troops if it goes right, so there's that.

[RangerJoe]

A negative impact on Commonwealth devices is good if you are also pushing in India. The problem is that your forces are divided.