HI guys - It's not a big deal to me really. I'll ask herb to relinquish a couple of spots. The cargo in question is in the boat and on its way to India. I will just have to be careful.
last of 3 quiet turns today.
AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 10/21/42
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TF 90 encounters mine field at Majuro (83,83)
Japanese Ships
AP Nissen Maru, Mine hits 1
PG Chokai Maru, Mine hits 1, on fire
My offensive minelaying bears dangerous fruit for the Japa. The PG might be in trouble - hard to know.
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Day Air attack on 2nd New Chinese Corps, at 44,38
Japanese aircraft
Ki-61 KAIc Tony x 18
Ki-51 Sonia x 21
Allied aircraft
Spitfire Vb x 9
P-40B Tomahawk x 19
Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-61 KAIc Tony: 8 destroyed, 1 damaged
Ki-51 Sonia: 5 destroyed
Allied aircraft losses
P-40B Tomahawk: 1 destroyed, 1 damaged
Allied ground losses:
19 casualties reported
At last my moving the fighter resources around in China hits paydirt. Not a huge day but he looses 16 to my 2. The scores are slowly coing up to parity.
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Very little else is happening.
Many sightings of my subs in the South Pacific. A few ASW attacks and a few fruitless torpedo runs against ships.
There is shipping maybe running to Gili Gili so I put the heavies in Cooktown on anti-naval at 2000 ft.
IN china he has moved units to cut off Kewiling. A nice move actually. He has 7 units in Kweiling itself, he has moved 2 in from the west - attacking a single unit I had covering this route; and he has one hop across to the trail to the South - heading to Wuchow and Kweilin. I have moved troops back from Kewilin and Wuchow to try and clear the trail south. ONce this is done they will move to Kweiling to try and clear the 7 units there. I have also sent the only CHinese tank unit I have south from Chungking hoping to cut the trail behind the forces attacking Kweiling.
The AVG and a Spitfire sqd return to Kweiling and LRCAP the blocking unit I have to the west of there - I have a feeling...
I have started noting plans for the coming invasions by the Americans. I will lay them out in due time.
A toe in the water - wobbly vs herb (I try again)
Moderators: wdolson, Don Bowen, mogami
RE: Death from the sky
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RE: Death from the sky
That is exactly the issues we have to face. I reloaded all the Wellington pilots and I really am in trouble now. The plan is to use the really rubbish pilots in the Wirraways and Buffalos before changing them to Spits. Hurricanes have taken a pounding against the better Jap fighters as well. He is not scared to attack me over my own bases but is swapping where he’ll attack with some regularity.
Wobs:
Righto, but with a twist. Your game is new, and you are using PDU (hey, that rhymes!), so you have a bit of an advantage over me. If you get crappo pilots, you can "downgrade" your planes to train them up in, whilst keeping your good frames for the good pilots. I am running an patched up game and no PDU (thank God, IMO), so my choices have to be different.
One, I keep about 1/4 to 1/5 of my types in the rear with the gear and rotate them forward about every month or so. These would be the men that would flesh out existing formations in the event that I drive the pool down to ZERO; they would then return in 90 and there would either be fresh pilots available, or more likely, not and they would become training type formations ala the Jap training type thing.
Now that I think about it, and with the future American increase in presence there (following para) I will change that to 1/3 real quickly. That will give the following ratio for every 3 squadrons of type plane (HURRI, SPIT, etc):
1 up on the combat line (Akyab, Mandalay)
1 at bomber bases in India pulling light CAP duty (Chandpur, Dacca)
1 in deeper reserve (Calcutta, Ansanol for fighters; Columbo, coastal bases for bombers and some fighters)
Under that proposal, frontline units don't keep burning supply on replacements, get rotated out to get them, and rear and close reserves move up closer to the front to replace them.
I know that I am about 2 months ahead of you, but what is the American presence there for you right now? Off the top of my head, I have the following:
2 heavy bombardment groups (total 96); 1 17, 1 24D
1 medium bmbdt group (64) B25
1 overstrength squadron P40 (24 with 7-8 in damaged/reserve)
1 24 plane P38 (converted P39 phillipine refugee)
These are in front or bomber duty. Then in transit/preparation are the following:
1 medium bmbdt group B26 (as I recall) 64 planes 1/2 way from Perth to Columbo
1 fighter group (72 planes) 2/3rd's done converting to P40E, last squadron days away from reaching conversion (this is the 23rd or 24th FG, led by Col Scott, group comes into the game with pilot exp in the 70s to start; is the formation that replaced the AVG in real life)
Future stuff close to hand (under a month or so)
1 heavy bombardment in the queue b24: it comes in on the West Coast and I will do the Siberian transfer with it. Now before anyone gripes, it is designated SEAC and if this WAS a new game, would arrive Karachi as reinforcement; so, I view the Siberian route merely as a mechanic to reflect the trans Africa route that these boys would really take.
1 fighter group P40B's; our old friends the AVG could be pulled from China duty in a maximum effort in Burma. They are the last of the P40B equipped planes and there is about 24 planes in that pool right now (1/3 of their total), so they have enough replacements to operate at a relatively high attrition rate for a bit. Would rather leave them in China to pick on low grade planes/pilots, but in a pinch they could go south.
I don't remember anything else right now....of course, the Brits will be getting LibVI's soon to replace them crappy Wellingtons (mucho happy there).
Crikey, I write more in your AAR than MINE...sorry for taking up your space...retreats back to obscurity.....[8D]
Sing to the tune of "Man on the Flying Trapeze"
..Oh! We fly o'er the treetops with inches to spare,
There's smoke in the cockpit and gray in my hair.
The tracers look fine as a strafin' we go.
But, brother, we're TOO God damn low...
..Oh! We fly o'er the treetops with inches to spare,
There's smoke in the cockpit and gray in my hair.
The tracers look fine as a strafin' we go.
But, brother, we're TOO God damn low...
Herb's toasted machine
Tadpub
great post - you just go ahead and continue writing this great stuff - it's great to have an opinion from someone battling the same bogeyman!
US air forces in Indis/Burma:
2 72 plane Groups of P-40Es - these have been cobbled together by upgrading a group of Tomahawks and downgrading units all over the place to make up the numbers. I have 2 other P-40 E units in the whole theatre - each only 24 planes!
1 48 plane Group of B-24G Liberators
1 48 plane group B-26C Mitchells
1 72 plane group of P-39s on their way to India. Just North of Derby now.
I think there is another 48 Liberators on the way via Karachi in the near future but nothing else for a very long time.
I also do not keep all the planes on the front lines. I like to rotate them in and out especially for big raids like the one from Akyab to Raheing.
I don't know about the Siberian route but I take it you mean going through Russian territory? I've never even tried it - I figured the planes would be unable to be moved afterwards - classic sort of hole in the system though.
By the last note in Herb's AAR of your game - and I can say this as Herb can't read this one either - it sounds like you are about to take down Ndini....?
P.S Herb's PC has made like the Jap Imperial Strategic aims and overcooked itself. He will be unable to provide a turn to either of us for a while.
great post - you just go ahead and continue writing this great stuff - it's great to have an opinion from someone battling the same bogeyman!
US air forces in Indis/Burma:
2 72 plane Groups of P-40Es - these have been cobbled together by upgrading a group of Tomahawks and downgrading units all over the place to make up the numbers. I have 2 other P-40 E units in the whole theatre - each only 24 planes!
1 48 plane Group of B-24G Liberators
1 48 plane group B-26C Mitchells
1 72 plane group of P-39s on their way to India. Just North of Derby now.
I think there is another 48 Liberators on the way via Karachi in the near future but nothing else for a very long time.
I also do not keep all the planes on the front lines. I like to rotate them in and out especially for big raids like the one from Akyab to Raheing.
I don't know about the Siberian route but I take it you mean going through Russian territory? I've never even tried it - I figured the planes would be unable to be moved afterwards - classic sort of hole in the system though.
By the last note in Herb's AAR of your game - and I can say this as Herb can't read this one either - it sounds like you are about to take down Ndini....?
P.S Herb's PC has made like the Jap Imperial Strategic aims and overcooked itself. He will be unable to provide a turn to either of us for a while.
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War starts again
Herb gets his machine fixed - we had one turn prior to this one with little to report, but his turn things liven up especially since it appears the KB are about!
AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 10/23/42
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Sub attack at 25,50
Japanese Ships
AP Kiri Maru, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
AP Tainichi Maru
CL Agano
Allied Ships
SS Trout
Trout has been sitting 4 hexes to the East of Singapore for most of the game. At last this pays dividends. Interestingly Herb is using Agano as a singleton escort. She has ASW capabilities but I really like these Jap CLs and would rather they were in Surface combat groups.
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Sub attack at 58,94
Japanese Ships
CVE Taiyo
DD Yakaze
DD Oite
DD Shirayuki
DD Shiranuhi
DD Naganami
DD Takanami
DD Teruzuki
CVE Chuyo
Allied Ships
SS Whale, hits 4, on fire, heavy damage
In the turn I have shown nothing about, I started getting buzzed by Vals in the Bismarck sea. I moved the subs out of the way as it appeared he was trying a Carrier based sub clearance. Whale was on its way south when it was trampled all over by the KB. It appears Herb has separated his CVEs into a separate group. Whale actually lined up Taiyo and took a pot - it pays the ultimate price. The S-38 was also in the same hex and also retreating. She was hit by a bomb from a Val last turn. She is buzzed multiple times again this turn but escapes further damage.
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Day Air attack on Yenen , at 50,26
Japanese aircraft
G4M1 Betty x 20
Japanese aircraft losses
G4M1 Betty: 4 damaged
Heavy Industry hits 3
A very long range attack by Betties from Manchuria. He is slowly reducing my ability to supply China to a trickle.
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Day Air attack on 35th Chinese Corps, at 41,36
Japanese aircraft
Ki-44-IIb Tojo x 27
Ki-49 Helen x 32
Allied aircraft
Spitfire Vb x 12
P-40B Tomahawk x 30
Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-44-IIb Tojo: 3 destroyed
Ki-49 Helen: 5 destroyed, 3 damaged
Allied aircraft losses
Spitfire Vb: 1 damaged
P-40B Tomahawk: 6 destroyed, 5 damaged
Allied ground losses:
15 casualties reported
Herbie-san is trying to cut off Wuchow and Kweilin. He is doing a good job of it too - although he may have bought too few troops. This air battle was on a unit I had to the SW of Kweiyang (the city to the North of Wuchow). Herb had moved a unit there himself and I figured he'd want to soften my boys up. Well he does as expected but the Tojos that came along tear into the AVG defending my troops and 6 priceless Tomahawks are sent to the ground. They and the spitfires do get some measure of retribution but it is not definitive. The actual situation around Kweiyang is getting more grim - more on that later.
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Sub attack at 77,46
Japanese Ships
AK Muroran Maru, Torpedo hits 1, heavy damage
Allied Ships
SS S-18
At last I have managed to harass the AK sitting out in the middle of the ocean below the Kuriles. I can only imagine Herb put this here as a tripwire for passing Carriers. Well it will have to head home now - it should struggle to make it.
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Ground combat at Kweiyang
Allied Bombardment attack
Attacking force 80943 troops, 458 guns, 0 vehicles
Defending force 72761 troops, 749 guns, 20 vehicles
Japanese ground losses:
53 casualties reported
Guns lost 4
The forces at Kweiyang are about equal. I have been bombing his troops pretty regularly now from Chungking though (the action has been deleted). In a bit of a rash moment I set the Chinese here to deliberate attack - looking at these numbers again I haven't got much chance of it accomplishing anything...
Continuing on from earlier comments; Herb has units in Kweiyang, in the hex to the SW, SE and as of this turn, on the trail (to Wuchow) to the S. This last one is the kicker as it means no supplies will be getting to Wuchow or Kwelin. They both have reasonable stockpiles as long as they are not doing much (as is currently the case) but I can't leave this situation unattended.
So, reserves from the North and from Wuchow/Kweilin are thrown into the mix. They will take some time to get to Kweiyang but slowly the numbers should lean in my direction. Herb must know this and hence I imagine many of the units that were used on the now aborted attack on Homan will come SW. Expecting this the Homan garrison, less 1 Division to cover against air landings, moves south to threaten the rail line intersection south of Homan. My own envelopment is starting to take shape in this area as well - see the next combat report.
Bombers out of Chungking will also harass the ground troops and the fighters, that defended the outlying troops outside Kweiyang, will instead defend Kweiyang itself. Hopefully home defence will count against the attacking enemy hoards.
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Ground combat at 50,30
Allied Shock attack
Attacking force 10067 troops, 72 guns, 0 vehicles
Defending force 4908 troops, 40 guns, 0 vehicles
Allied assault odds: 4 to 1
Japanese ground losses:
128 casualties reported
Guns lost 2
Allied ground losses:
236 casualties reported
Guns lost 7
Defeated Japanese Units Retreating!
Here is the combat I was talking about in the previous snippet. Both units moved into the unoccupied hex SE of Homan (and south of his 8 blocking units). the game decided that he owned the hex and that I was crossing a river - this forced my unit to shock attack and in this case it came off. His Mongolian Cavalry unit retreats south. There are 8 other units and they are likely to be using the same escape route!
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China is obviously a continuing swirl of units cutting each other off and trying to get the upper hand. This turn though moves were put in place to start rattling his cage elsewhere.
In India the RN sortied again for another crack at Rangoon. My re-supply of Akyab has completed so the surface group covering it at Chandpur puts to sea to meet up with the battleships currently located at Panaji. These BBs (except Resolution which only has a top speed of 19 knots) head to Trimcommalee and then on to Rangoon. They are being covered by the 2 Brit CVs. I know Jap CVs are in the South Pacific so this should be a safe move.
All units required for the liberation of Mandalay have now made it across to Myitkina. They will rest for a bit and then head south to their target. Bombers out of Dacca will return to this familiar territory to continue supressing enemy fort building work.
Also a Brit Regimental unit starts prepping for an invasion of Andaman Island.
With all the Jap carriers around New Guinea I retire my forces. This is including the subs as he seems to be using the carriers to hunt them. There are very few ships in the proximity anyway - Sydney is my main naval base.
At Pearl Mitscher takes the Enterprise and escorts on a jaunt with Lee taking two early BBs to bombard Wake. This is purely harrassment and only being done to stop him congregating in China and Burma - time to make him spread out his assets.
Recon has been continuing over the Gilberts and so far they appear to be very lightly defended. Tarawa has the only notable garrison with 4 units. Intel informs me that there is at least one Naval guard unit and one construction engineer here. I would imagine, since there are planes there, that there is also a base unit.
Back in the US the Yorktown looses another point of sys damage - she is at 51. Her much smaller sister: Long Island, loads a dauntless and Avenger sqd for Canton Island. A massive transport fleet carrying 250K of supplies is also put together with a destination of Brisbane; once the shooting starts I will not want a supply issue.
AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 10/23/42
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Sub attack at 25,50
Japanese Ships
AP Kiri Maru, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
AP Tainichi Maru
CL Agano
Allied Ships
SS Trout
Trout has been sitting 4 hexes to the East of Singapore for most of the game. At last this pays dividends. Interestingly Herb is using Agano as a singleton escort. She has ASW capabilities but I really like these Jap CLs and would rather they were in Surface combat groups.
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Sub attack at 58,94
Japanese Ships
CVE Taiyo
DD Yakaze
DD Oite
DD Shirayuki
DD Shiranuhi
DD Naganami
DD Takanami
DD Teruzuki
CVE Chuyo
Allied Ships
SS Whale, hits 4, on fire, heavy damage
In the turn I have shown nothing about, I started getting buzzed by Vals in the Bismarck sea. I moved the subs out of the way as it appeared he was trying a Carrier based sub clearance. Whale was on its way south when it was trampled all over by the KB. It appears Herb has separated his CVEs into a separate group. Whale actually lined up Taiyo and took a pot - it pays the ultimate price. The S-38 was also in the same hex and also retreating. She was hit by a bomb from a Val last turn. She is buzzed multiple times again this turn but escapes further damage.
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Day Air attack on Yenen , at 50,26
Japanese aircraft
G4M1 Betty x 20
Japanese aircraft losses
G4M1 Betty: 4 damaged
Heavy Industry hits 3
A very long range attack by Betties from Manchuria. He is slowly reducing my ability to supply China to a trickle.
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Day Air attack on 35th Chinese Corps, at 41,36
Japanese aircraft
Ki-44-IIb Tojo x 27
Ki-49 Helen x 32
Allied aircraft
Spitfire Vb x 12
P-40B Tomahawk x 30
Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-44-IIb Tojo: 3 destroyed
Ki-49 Helen: 5 destroyed, 3 damaged
Allied aircraft losses
Spitfire Vb: 1 damaged
P-40B Tomahawk: 6 destroyed, 5 damaged
Allied ground losses:
15 casualties reported
Herbie-san is trying to cut off Wuchow and Kweilin. He is doing a good job of it too - although he may have bought too few troops. This air battle was on a unit I had to the SW of Kweiyang (the city to the North of Wuchow). Herb had moved a unit there himself and I figured he'd want to soften my boys up. Well he does as expected but the Tojos that came along tear into the AVG defending my troops and 6 priceless Tomahawks are sent to the ground. They and the spitfires do get some measure of retribution but it is not definitive. The actual situation around Kweiyang is getting more grim - more on that later.
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Sub attack at 77,46
Japanese Ships
AK Muroran Maru, Torpedo hits 1, heavy damage
Allied Ships
SS S-18
At last I have managed to harass the AK sitting out in the middle of the ocean below the Kuriles. I can only imagine Herb put this here as a tripwire for passing Carriers. Well it will have to head home now - it should struggle to make it.
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Ground combat at Kweiyang
Allied Bombardment attack
Attacking force 80943 troops, 458 guns, 0 vehicles
Defending force 72761 troops, 749 guns, 20 vehicles
Japanese ground losses:
53 casualties reported
Guns lost 4
The forces at Kweiyang are about equal. I have been bombing his troops pretty regularly now from Chungking though (the action has been deleted). In a bit of a rash moment I set the Chinese here to deliberate attack - looking at these numbers again I haven't got much chance of it accomplishing anything...
Continuing on from earlier comments; Herb has units in Kweiyang, in the hex to the SW, SE and as of this turn, on the trail (to Wuchow) to the S. This last one is the kicker as it means no supplies will be getting to Wuchow or Kwelin. They both have reasonable stockpiles as long as they are not doing much (as is currently the case) but I can't leave this situation unattended.
So, reserves from the North and from Wuchow/Kweilin are thrown into the mix. They will take some time to get to Kweiyang but slowly the numbers should lean in my direction. Herb must know this and hence I imagine many of the units that were used on the now aborted attack on Homan will come SW. Expecting this the Homan garrison, less 1 Division to cover against air landings, moves south to threaten the rail line intersection south of Homan. My own envelopment is starting to take shape in this area as well - see the next combat report.
Bombers out of Chungking will also harass the ground troops and the fighters, that defended the outlying troops outside Kweiyang, will instead defend Kweiyang itself. Hopefully home defence will count against the attacking enemy hoards.
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Ground combat at 50,30
Allied Shock attack
Attacking force 10067 troops, 72 guns, 0 vehicles
Defending force 4908 troops, 40 guns, 0 vehicles
Allied assault odds: 4 to 1
Japanese ground losses:
128 casualties reported
Guns lost 2
Allied ground losses:
236 casualties reported
Guns lost 7
Defeated Japanese Units Retreating!
Here is the combat I was talking about in the previous snippet. Both units moved into the unoccupied hex SE of Homan (and south of his 8 blocking units). the game decided that he owned the hex and that I was crossing a river - this forced my unit to shock attack and in this case it came off. His Mongolian Cavalry unit retreats south. There are 8 other units and they are likely to be using the same escape route!
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China is obviously a continuing swirl of units cutting each other off and trying to get the upper hand. This turn though moves were put in place to start rattling his cage elsewhere.
In India the RN sortied again for another crack at Rangoon. My re-supply of Akyab has completed so the surface group covering it at Chandpur puts to sea to meet up with the battleships currently located at Panaji. These BBs (except Resolution which only has a top speed of 19 knots) head to Trimcommalee and then on to Rangoon. They are being covered by the 2 Brit CVs. I know Jap CVs are in the South Pacific so this should be a safe move.
All units required for the liberation of Mandalay have now made it across to Myitkina. They will rest for a bit and then head south to their target. Bombers out of Dacca will return to this familiar territory to continue supressing enemy fort building work.
Also a Brit Regimental unit starts prepping for an invasion of Andaman Island.
With all the Jap carriers around New Guinea I retire my forces. This is including the subs as he seems to be using the carriers to hunt them. There are very few ships in the proximity anyway - Sydney is my main naval base.
At Pearl Mitscher takes the Enterprise and escorts on a jaunt with Lee taking two early BBs to bombard Wake. This is purely harrassment and only being done to stop him congregating in China and Burma - time to make him spread out his assets.
Recon has been continuing over the Gilberts and so far they appear to be very lightly defended. Tarawa has the only notable garrison with 4 units. Intel informs me that there is at least one Naval guard unit and one construction engineer here. I would imagine, since there are planes there, that there is also a base unit.
Back in the US the Yorktown looses another point of sys damage - she is at 51. Her much smaller sister: Long Island, loads a dauntless and Avenger sqd for Canton Island. A massive transport fleet carrying 250K of supplies is also put together with a destination of Brisbane; once the shooting starts I will not want a supply issue.
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burma intercept
Well it has been a while since we met. I have been away in Australia (checking on production and defensive efforts in Melbourne). Back again at headquarters now.
AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 10/25/42
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Naval bombardment of Akyab, at 30,29
Allied aircraft
no flights
Allied aircraft losses
P-40E Warhawk: 5 destroyed
Spitfire Vb: 5 destroyed
Japanese Ships
DD Hatsukari
DD Hasu
DD Yamagumo
DD Natsugumo
CL Tenryu
Allied ground losses:
88 casualties reported
Airbase hits 10
Airbase supply hits 2
Runway hits 35
Herb sent his small Eastern fleet after Akyab again. I don't think he likes my spitfires denying him bombing rights. His bombardment is quite powerful - 18 planes destroyed and some serious damage to facilities.
The silver lining here is I noticed these guys on their way and had the fast cruiser force - previously housed at Chandpur - but on its way to join the RN BBs (heading to Rangoon now) - within strike distance of where I thought these enemy ships would be when the retired back towards Rangoon. The Japs have well renowned night fighting prowess - especially with their torpedoes, I also had Heavy cruisers to his light cruiser - so I tried for a day intercept to offset the torps and use the better punch at range.
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Day Air attack on Kunming , at 39,33
Japanese aircraft
Ki-61 KAIc Tony x 35
Ki-49 Helen x 31
Ki-46-II Dinah x 2
Allied aircraft
I-16c x 8
Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-49 Helen: 3 damaged
Allied aircraft losses
I-16c: 5 destroyed
Allied ground losses:
14 casualties reported
Airbase hits 10
Airbase supply hits 1
Runway hits 39
He is targeting airfields around China at random. I still don't have nearly enough fighter power to hold off this sort of tactic, and I am trying to cover that hole with Chinese ACs - they just are not up to the job.
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Day Air attack on Mandalay , at 33,30
Allied aircraft
B-25C Mitchell x 52
B-24D Liberator x 40
Allied aircraft losses
B-25C Mitchell: 3 damaged
B-24D Liberator: 5 damaged
Japanese ground losses:
42 casualties reported
Airbase hits 7
Airbase supply hits 4
Runway hits 41
For the number of ACs - not a particularly effective strike. This has to continue as my offensive on Mandalay (from Myitkina) gets underway.
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Day Time Surface Combat at 27,32
Japanese Ships
CL Tenryu, Shell hits 4, on fire
DD Natsugumo
DD Yamagumo
DD Hasu, Shell hits 3, on fire
DD Hatsukari, Shell hits 2, on fire, heavy damage
Allied Ships
CA Devonshire
CA Hawkins
CL Sumatra
CL Mauritius
CL Birmingham, Shell hits 1
CL Newcastle
DD Van Galen
DD Nestor, Shell hits 1 (takes one 4.9" shell and is has sys damage of 29 - she is out of the fight for a while)
DD Nizam
DD Norman
DD Paladin
As you can see my day intercept was successful. Herb has moved most of his bombers out of Rangoon so this option was on. Although not decisive I can claim a marginal victory with 1 DD definately out of the fight for a bit. The Tenryu and Hasu must also be hurting. My forces return towards Trimcommalee, where they will join the big boys after refueling. Nestor will be going to Columbo to repair damage.
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ASW attack at 63,81
Japanese Ships
MSW Tama Maru #2
MSW Sonobe Maru
MSW Shonan Maru #8
MSW Shonan Maru #7
MSW Senyu Maru #2
DD Akikaze
Allied Ships
SS Growler, hits 1
Argghh one hit and at 38 flood. With allied damage control this may be OK (only 3 sys) so she will move out of the main ASW area and see if she can pump dry at sea and stay on station.
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Ground combat at Kweiyang
Allied Deliberate attack
Attacking force 109961 troops, 620 guns, 0 vehicles
Defending force 36961 troops, 387 guns, 4 vehicles
Allied assault odds: 2 to 1
Japanese ground losses:
842 casualties reported
Guns lost 29
Allied ground losses:
600 casualties reported
Guns lost 38
Defeated Japanese Units Retreating!
At Kweiyang I deliberate attack again and this time get the odds. Herb's forces are forced to retreat to the West back along the trail. Now I have to clear the trail to the south of Kweiyang (on the way to Wuchow).
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With Herb continuing to hold a sizable chunk (although I don't know if it is all) of the KB off the coast of Gili Gili hunting subs. They have no luck at this as I have scarpered. However, this has meant that the Burma operations can now include more of the RN (as I posted last time). This will be combined with the attack on Mandalay.
In China my forces have made it down to the intersection below Homan. There is a Jap unit that has leapt onto two Chinese units above the intersection - so possibly cutting me off. There are also two Jap units on the intersection. I move bombers to Homan to hit these troops and order mine to deliberate attack. Hopefully I can get his attention.
As stated the KB is still stuck down by GG - hopefully it stays there as there is nothing for it to kill. He does appear to be hunting subs so I have just moved those out of this area. If it is to cover resupply or reinforcement he can do it!
My bombardment effort of Wake continues on its way.
The BB California, CA Louisville (now repaired and updated since it was damaged between PM and Darwin some time ago) and 3 DDs set sail for Pearl.
AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 10/25/42
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Naval bombardment of Akyab, at 30,29
Allied aircraft
no flights
Allied aircraft losses
P-40E Warhawk: 5 destroyed
Spitfire Vb: 5 destroyed
Japanese Ships
DD Hatsukari
DD Hasu
DD Yamagumo
DD Natsugumo
CL Tenryu
Allied ground losses:
88 casualties reported
Airbase hits 10
Airbase supply hits 2
Runway hits 35
Herb sent his small Eastern fleet after Akyab again. I don't think he likes my spitfires denying him bombing rights. His bombardment is quite powerful - 18 planes destroyed and some serious damage to facilities.
The silver lining here is I noticed these guys on their way and had the fast cruiser force - previously housed at Chandpur - but on its way to join the RN BBs (heading to Rangoon now) - within strike distance of where I thought these enemy ships would be when the retired back towards Rangoon. The Japs have well renowned night fighting prowess - especially with their torpedoes, I also had Heavy cruisers to his light cruiser - so I tried for a day intercept to offset the torps and use the better punch at range.
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Day Air attack on Kunming , at 39,33
Japanese aircraft
Ki-61 KAIc Tony x 35
Ki-49 Helen x 31
Ki-46-II Dinah x 2
Allied aircraft
I-16c x 8
Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-49 Helen: 3 damaged
Allied aircraft losses
I-16c: 5 destroyed
Allied ground losses:
14 casualties reported
Airbase hits 10
Airbase supply hits 1
Runway hits 39
He is targeting airfields around China at random. I still don't have nearly enough fighter power to hold off this sort of tactic, and I am trying to cover that hole with Chinese ACs - they just are not up to the job.
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Day Air attack on Mandalay , at 33,30
Allied aircraft
B-25C Mitchell x 52
B-24D Liberator x 40
Allied aircraft losses
B-25C Mitchell: 3 damaged
B-24D Liberator: 5 damaged
Japanese ground losses:
42 casualties reported
Airbase hits 7
Airbase supply hits 4
Runway hits 41
For the number of ACs - not a particularly effective strike. This has to continue as my offensive on Mandalay (from Myitkina) gets underway.
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Day Time Surface Combat at 27,32
Japanese Ships
CL Tenryu, Shell hits 4, on fire
DD Natsugumo
DD Yamagumo
DD Hasu, Shell hits 3, on fire
DD Hatsukari, Shell hits 2, on fire, heavy damage
Allied Ships
CA Devonshire
CA Hawkins
CL Sumatra
CL Mauritius
CL Birmingham, Shell hits 1
CL Newcastle
DD Van Galen
DD Nestor, Shell hits 1 (takes one 4.9" shell and is has sys damage of 29 - she is out of the fight for a while)
DD Nizam
DD Norman
DD Paladin
As you can see my day intercept was successful. Herb has moved most of his bombers out of Rangoon so this option was on. Although not decisive I can claim a marginal victory with 1 DD definately out of the fight for a bit. The Tenryu and Hasu must also be hurting. My forces return towards Trimcommalee, where they will join the big boys after refueling. Nestor will be going to Columbo to repair damage.
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ASW attack at 63,81
Japanese Ships
MSW Tama Maru #2
MSW Sonobe Maru
MSW Shonan Maru #8
MSW Shonan Maru #7
MSW Senyu Maru #2
DD Akikaze
Allied Ships
SS Growler, hits 1
Argghh one hit and at 38 flood. With allied damage control this may be OK (only 3 sys) so she will move out of the main ASW area and see if she can pump dry at sea and stay on station.
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Ground combat at Kweiyang
Allied Deliberate attack
Attacking force 109961 troops, 620 guns, 0 vehicles
Defending force 36961 troops, 387 guns, 4 vehicles
Allied assault odds: 2 to 1
Japanese ground losses:
842 casualties reported
Guns lost 29
Allied ground losses:
600 casualties reported
Guns lost 38
Defeated Japanese Units Retreating!
At Kweiyang I deliberate attack again and this time get the odds. Herb's forces are forced to retreat to the West back along the trail. Now I have to clear the trail to the south of Kweiyang (on the way to Wuchow).
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With Herb continuing to hold a sizable chunk (although I don't know if it is all) of the KB off the coast of Gili Gili hunting subs. They have no luck at this as I have scarpered. However, this has meant that the Burma operations can now include more of the RN (as I posted last time). This will be combined with the attack on Mandalay.
In China my forces have made it down to the intersection below Homan. There is a Jap unit that has leapt onto two Chinese units above the intersection - so possibly cutting me off. There are also two Jap units on the intersection. I move bombers to Homan to hit these troops and order mine to deliberate attack. Hopefully I can get his attention.
As stated the KB is still stuck down by GG - hopefully it stays there as there is nothing for it to kill. He does appear to be hunting subs so I have just moved those out of this area. If it is to cover resupply or reinforcement he can do it!
My bombardment effort of Wake continues on its way.
The BB California, CA Louisville (now repaired and updated since it was damaged between PM and Darwin some time ago) and 3 DDs set sail for Pearl.
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RE: burma intercept
Another passable day for the forces of good over the diabolical forces of Herbie-san
AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 10/26/42
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Day Air attack on Yenen , at 50,26
Japanese aircraft
G4M1 Betty x 23
Allied aircraft
I-16c x 6
Japanese aircraft losses
G4M1 Betty: 2 damaged
Allied aircraft losses
I-16c: 2 damaged
Heavy Industry hits 8
Herb had continued with a very long range bombing of heavy industry in Yenen. I tried to move the CAF there to persuade them to bugger off somewhere else, but no, he still comes and he still gets through - doing as mcuh dmage to my fighters as they do to his bombers.
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Day Air attack on Mandalay , at 33,30
Allied aircraft
Wellington III x 54
B-25C Mitchell x 49
B-24D Liberator x 28
Allied aircraft losses
Wellington III: 3 damaged
B-25C Mitchell: 2 damaged
B-24D Liberator: 1 damaged
Japanese ground losses:
128 casualties reported
Guns lost 1
Airbase hits 12
Airbase supply hits 9
Runway hits 97
Take that you vile Imperilistic monster. Trouble is I can't follow it up as the bombers all have bad morale.
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Day Air attack on Port Moresby , at 53,91
Allied aircraft
B-17E Fortress x 63
B-24D Liberator x 38
Allied aircraft losses
B-17E Fortress: 1 destroyed, 1 damaged
B-24D Liberator: 1 damaged
Japanese ground losses:
881 casualties reported
Guns lost 18
Airbase hits 12
Airbase supply hits 1
Runway hits 105
the southern boys get into the act though and they met out some serious hurt on the beleagured below them. Herb just isn't defending PM???? Even a few zeros at the range the bombers are coming from would mean cripples may fall out of the sky.
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Day Air attack on 16th Mixed Brigade, at 49,31
Allied aircraft
Hurricane II x 5
SB-2c x 20
No Allied losses
Japanese ground losses:
24 casualties reported
Guns lost 2
the bombers at Homan get into the air and find the targets they are set as prep for the afternoon's attacks by the ground pounders
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Day Air attack on 57th Division, at 50,31
Allied aircraft
SB-2c x 14
No Allied losses
Japanese ground losses:
20 casualties reported
Guns lost 5
And the guys further south get the same medicine
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Day Air attack on 21st Chinese Corps, at 42,37
Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 25
Ki-21 Sally x 115
No Japanese losses
Allied ground losses:
277 casualties reported
Guns lost 2
I don't have it all my own way though as Herb sends out a huge attack against stragglers on the trails.
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Day Air attack on 2nd New Chinese Corps, at 44,38
Japanese aircraft
Ki-51 Sonia x 21
No Japanese losses
Allied ground losses:
27 casualties reported
Herb has not moved these guys off this attack for 4 turns now - I move some spitfires in hopefully to get him to change that idea.
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Ground combat at 49,31
Allied Deliberate attack
Attacking force 21452 troops, 144 guns, 0 vehicles
Defending force 15457 troops, 181 guns, 0 vehicles
Allied assault odds: 6 to 1
Japanese ground losses:
814 casualties reported
Guns lost 46
Allied ground losses:
10 casualties reported
Guns lost 1
Defeated Japanese Units Retreating!
Both deliberate attacks on the trail South out of Homan are successful - this one was particularly nasty to the oppostion.
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Ground combat at 50,31
Allied Deliberate attack
Attacking force 64224 troops, 432 guns, 0 vehicles
Defending force 26409 troops, 293 guns, 7 vehicles
Allied assault odds: 10 to 1
Japanese ground losses:
1447 casualties reported
Guns lost 43
Vehicles lost 2
Allied ground losses:
761 casualties reported
Guns lost 39
Defeated Japanese Units Retreating!
I do this one a little harder but the result is the same: two Jap units high tailing it away from the Chink marauders.
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With the rail trail cleared all the way to the intersection I am thinking about turning North and really trying to isolate the 8 units in the north. I have about 20 units here myself and I would have to hold the intersection and the surrounding hexes well enough so that the attackers to become the defenders - caught in a shrinking trap. As the Chinese you have to find your way via very weakly held locations as forts absolutely unhorse you - you just don't have enough engineers.
In Ceylon the RN make it to Trimcommalee and refuel. They will wait here for the Cruiser force to make it back to safety before embarking on a bit of Rangoon crushing.
I didn't scout the KB this turn but I do get notification of 4 DDs 2 hexes south of GG so I move the ships in Townsville and Cairns out of dodge.
AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 10/26/42
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Day Air attack on Yenen , at 50,26
Japanese aircraft
G4M1 Betty x 23
Allied aircraft
I-16c x 6
Japanese aircraft losses
G4M1 Betty: 2 damaged
Allied aircraft losses
I-16c: 2 damaged
Heavy Industry hits 8
Herb had continued with a very long range bombing of heavy industry in Yenen. I tried to move the CAF there to persuade them to bugger off somewhere else, but no, he still comes and he still gets through - doing as mcuh dmage to my fighters as they do to his bombers.
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Day Air attack on Mandalay , at 33,30
Allied aircraft
Wellington III x 54
B-25C Mitchell x 49
B-24D Liberator x 28
Allied aircraft losses
Wellington III: 3 damaged
B-25C Mitchell: 2 damaged
B-24D Liberator: 1 damaged
Japanese ground losses:
128 casualties reported
Guns lost 1
Airbase hits 12
Airbase supply hits 9
Runway hits 97
Take that you vile Imperilistic monster. Trouble is I can't follow it up as the bombers all have bad morale.
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Day Air attack on Port Moresby , at 53,91
Allied aircraft
B-17E Fortress x 63
B-24D Liberator x 38
Allied aircraft losses
B-17E Fortress: 1 destroyed, 1 damaged
B-24D Liberator: 1 damaged
Japanese ground losses:
881 casualties reported
Guns lost 18
Airbase hits 12
Airbase supply hits 1
Runway hits 105
the southern boys get into the act though and they met out some serious hurt on the beleagured below them. Herb just isn't defending PM???? Even a few zeros at the range the bombers are coming from would mean cripples may fall out of the sky.
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Day Air attack on 16th Mixed Brigade, at 49,31
Allied aircraft
Hurricane II x 5
SB-2c x 20
No Allied losses
Japanese ground losses:
24 casualties reported
Guns lost 2
the bombers at Homan get into the air and find the targets they are set as prep for the afternoon's attacks by the ground pounders
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Day Air attack on 57th Division, at 50,31
Allied aircraft
SB-2c x 14
No Allied losses
Japanese ground losses:
20 casualties reported
Guns lost 5
And the guys further south get the same medicine
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Day Air attack on 21st Chinese Corps, at 42,37
Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 25
Ki-21 Sally x 115
No Japanese losses
Allied ground losses:
277 casualties reported
Guns lost 2
I don't have it all my own way though as Herb sends out a huge attack against stragglers on the trails.
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Day Air attack on 2nd New Chinese Corps, at 44,38
Japanese aircraft
Ki-51 Sonia x 21
No Japanese losses
Allied ground losses:
27 casualties reported
Herb has not moved these guys off this attack for 4 turns now - I move some spitfires in hopefully to get him to change that idea.
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Ground combat at 49,31
Allied Deliberate attack
Attacking force 21452 troops, 144 guns, 0 vehicles
Defending force 15457 troops, 181 guns, 0 vehicles
Allied assault odds: 6 to 1
Japanese ground losses:
814 casualties reported
Guns lost 46
Allied ground losses:
10 casualties reported
Guns lost 1
Defeated Japanese Units Retreating!
Both deliberate attacks on the trail South out of Homan are successful - this one was particularly nasty to the oppostion.
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Ground combat at 50,31
Allied Deliberate attack
Attacking force 64224 troops, 432 guns, 0 vehicles
Defending force 26409 troops, 293 guns, 7 vehicles
Allied assault odds: 10 to 1
Japanese ground losses:
1447 casualties reported
Guns lost 43
Vehicles lost 2
Allied ground losses:
761 casualties reported
Guns lost 39
Defeated Japanese Units Retreating!
I do this one a little harder but the result is the same: two Jap units high tailing it away from the Chink marauders.
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With the rail trail cleared all the way to the intersection I am thinking about turning North and really trying to isolate the 8 units in the north. I have about 20 units here myself and I would have to hold the intersection and the surrounding hexes well enough so that the attackers to become the defenders - caught in a shrinking trap. As the Chinese you have to find your way via very weakly held locations as forts absolutely unhorse you - you just don't have enough engineers.
In Ceylon the RN make it to Trimcommalee and refuel. They will wait here for the Cruiser force to make it back to safety before embarking on a bit of Rangoon crushing.
I didn't scout the KB this turn but I do get notification of 4 DDs 2 hexes south of GG so I move the ships in Townsville and Cairns out of dodge.
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[/center]
[/center]
It is on!
2 combat reports tacked together today and I will start reporting a bit more regularly now as the heat starts to come on
AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 10/29/42
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Day Air attack on Chengtu , at 41,29
Japanese aircraft
G4M1 Betty x 23
Japanese aircraft losses
G4M1 Betty: 7 damaged
More very long range bombing of my Chinese asset by Herb. I move some Mohawks here to try and catch some of these guys.
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Day Air attack on Paramushiro Jima , at 82,34
Japanese aircraft
Ki-43-Ib Oscar x 21
Allied aircraft
B-17E Fortress x 15
B-24D Liberator x 15
Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-43-Ib Oscar: 5 destroyed, 2 damaged
Allied aircraft losses
B-17E Fortress: 1 damaged
B-24D Liberator: 1 destroyed, 8 damaged
Japanese ground losses:
17 casualties reported
Guns lost 2
Airbase hits 4
Airbase supply hits 2
Runway hits 17
The Northern run goes in again and the bombers do exceedingly well defending themselves against what I imagine is a pretty poor oscar outfit.
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Day Air attack on Ndini , at 72,101
Allied aircraft
B-24D Liberator x 43
No Allied losses
Airbase hits 4
Airbase supply hits 2
Runway hits 30
With two Liberator groups in Luganville now, the heat will really go on the Ndini defenders. A great location to train these bomb boys on while actually helping the war effort.
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Day Air attack on TF at 52,91
Allied aircraft
B-17E Fortress x 3
Allied aircraft losses
B-17E Fortress: 3 damaged
Japanese Ships
CV Akagi, Bomb hits 2
How about this!!! Herb is heavily defending either a resupply or a reinforcement (in fact thinking on it this may be a retrieval) at PM. He has been so busy covering all the TFs on the job that he forgot to defend the carriers!!! 30 odd Forts and Liberators couldn't find hte target. 3 get through and put bombs ONTO the Akagi - I didn't know she was so well armoured - the 500lbers bounce.
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Ground combat at 51,28
Allied Shock attack
Attacking force 19773 troops, 141 guns, 0 vehicles
Defending force 13475 troops, 183 guns, 0 vehicles
Allied assault odds: 1 to 1
Japanese ground losses:
92 casualties reported
Guns lost 1
Allied ground losses:
671 casualties reported
Guns lost 17
Chinese troops marching from Yenen on Chengting have to cross a river in the face of opposition. They manage a 1 to 1 on this day and I forgot to change their orders, so they attacked again on the following day. They get a 2-1 and force the Japs back on Chengting.
AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 10/30/42
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Sub attack at 63,80
Japanese Ships
AP Ayo Maru
Allied Ships
SS Tautog
Tautog gets found during the day and hit by a bomb dropped from a Val. She is in a bad way and cannot head to the nearest refuge - Oz - because the Jap CVs are down that way. Instead she goes for Luganville with crossed fingers.
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Day Air attack on Akyab , at 30,29
Japanese aircraft
Ki-61 KAIc Tony x 146
Ki-21 Sally x 24
Allied aircraft
P-40E Warhawk x 40
Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-61 KAIc Tony: 24 destroyed, 1 damaged
Ki-21 Sally: 6 damaged
Allied aircraft losses
P-40E Warhawk: 41 destroyed
Airbase hits 1
Airbase supply hits 1
Runway hits 13
ANd Kazam! Herb sends the whole bloody Western airforce against Akyab. His timing is too good as I had moved these P-40e fighters there to cover my new bombardment of Rangoon. I did put up a bit of defense and radar gives warning so the whole group takes to the air. The manage a reasonable account of themselves but loose 41 of their number! That is a months production in one day! At least it was the USAAF so the pilot losses can be handled. I reinforce heavily with 4 spit sqds and the other group of P-40es.
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Day Air attack on 18th/C Division, at 34,28
Allied aircraft
B-25C Mitchell x 26
No Allied losses
Japanese ground losses:
29 casualties reported
Guns lost 1
OK - much to talk about - here are the bombers out of Dacca that are hitting a split group of the jap 18th Division. They were on the road from Mandalay to Myitkina. So he knows I am coming now! Anyway, I attacked them because I wanted to deliberate attack in this last turn, By combat time the japs had retired on Mandalay. Chicken Herb (or maybe Herb and sage chicken - wacca wacca)
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Day Air attack on TF at 53,93
Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 22
Allied aircraft
B-17E Fortress x 14
B-24D Liberator x 13
Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 3 destroyed, 8 damaged
Allied aircraft losses
B-17E Fortress: 2 damaged
B-24D Liberator: 1 destroyed, 8 damaged
Japanese Ships
ML Shirataka, Bomb hits 2, on fire
AP Miike Maru
ML Wakatake
AP Shinano Maru
AP Tatsuta Maru, Bomb hits 1, on fire
Aircraft Attacking:
4 x B-24D Liberator bombing at 6000 feet
I left the Cooktown bombers on naval attack and they go after one of Herb's convoys. THis time there are zeros defending but again the Heavies do a good job against them and continue on to the ships. From 6000 ft some hits are scored. The Minelayer is probably in worse condition than the report suggests. I hav to take these guys off attack now though. They are very experienced pilots I am throwing at the KB here.
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Day Air attack on TF at 53,92
Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 21
Allied aircraft
B-17E Fortress x 3
Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 2 damaged
Allied aircraft losses
B-17E Fortress: 2 destroyed
Japanese Ships
DD Arashio
Aircraft Attacking:
1 x B-17E Fortress bombing at 6000 feet
In this instance all 3 Forts are lost.
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First's first. The bombardment I had planned on Wake is scouted 2 days out from its target so I call it off and send the ships home. Maybe herb is wondering where they went.
In Burma the bombardment of Rangoon nears its jump off location. This turn's weather is thunderstorms (again) so hopefully Rangoon air cannot leap out and hit the fleet. Either way the seafires are all on CAP and the swordfish are restricted to 2 hexes. Just in case he doesn't scout me I have also reduced the cruiser floatplanes in range also.
North of Mandalay the Brits move on the rail trail. The bombers in Eastern India will start to intensify their attack on the place in preparation for the troops first attacks. I don't know how hard he will resist, although he does have alot of firepower to call on. IF there are too many forts - and hopefully that isn't the case, I have been bombing the airstrip to keep the engineers occupied - then this could be a very short attempt. I only have 2 Divisions, 2 Chindit units, 1 brigade of tanks and some artillery on this effort. I don't know how that will go against forts.
The loss of so many P-40s is a real shame. I need them in the next we while to allow me to give my best effort against Mandalay. The ships with the P-39 group - being transfered from northern Oz - are still a fair way off (I am going to change them to P-38s once they get there).
To China and it is all happing in the North East. After repulsing the attacks on Homan, the units there took the intersection to the south. From here they have moved North on Chengting, while units out of Yenen have come south. This has completely encircled 8 units he has on the trail between Yenen and Homan (see picture). I want those units! THe chinese are useless at taking on fortified locations but these units are in the open. I can move quite a number of troops onto them and then start bombing. I don't know how much in the way of supplies they have but it will take a very long time to take them out. Herb will have to reply with some firepower from somewhere else - which should creat opportunities there!
With the KB in residence around PM I am toying with the invasion of the Gilberts. This is a bit rash as it will take some time to load the men and I only have 3 CVs in attendence in Pearl. By the time I load them and then the time it takes to get to the Gilberts the situation of the whereabouts of the KB may have changed. Although if I take Apamama with a base unit I can have shore based air support very quickly.... decisions decisions.
Further north scouting has concluded that there is only 1 unit at Wake. I don't usually bother with it as it is so isolated, but if Marcis Island is also lightly defended there may be an opportunity here.
Back in THe States the Yorktown is now making up for lost time - her sys damage is down to 47 (from 56 you might remember).
AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 10/29/42
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Day Air attack on Chengtu , at 41,29
Japanese aircraft
G4M1 Betty x 23
Japanese aircraft losses
G4M1 Betty: 7 damaged
More very long range bombing of my Chinese asset by Herb. I move some Mohawks here to try and catch some of these guys.
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Day Air attack on Paramushiro Jima , at 82,34
Japanese aircraft
Ki-43-Ib Oscar x 21
Allied aircraft
B-17E Fortress x 15
B-24D Liberator x 15
Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-43-Ib Oscar: 5 destroyed, 2 damaged
Allied aircraft losses
B-17E Fortress: 1 damaged
B-24D Liberator: 1 destroyed, 8 damaged
Japanese ground losses:
17 casualties reported
Guns lost 2
Airbase hits 4
Airbase supply hits 2
Runway hits 17
The Northern run goes in again and the bombers do exceedingly well defending themselves against what I imagine is a pretty poor oscar outfit.
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Day Air attack on Ndini , at 72,101
Allied aircraft
B-24D Liberator x 43
No Allied losses
Airbase hits 4
Airbase supply hits 2
Runway hits 30
With two Liberator groups in Luganville now, the heat will really go on the Ndini defenders. A great location to train these bomb boys on while actually helping the war effort.
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Day Air attack on TF at 52,91
Allied aircraft
B-17E Fortress x 3
Allied aircraft losses
B-17E Fortress: 3 damaged
Japanese Ships
CV Akagi, Bomb hits 2
How about this!!! Herb is heavily defending either a resupply or a reinforcement (in fact thinking on it this may be a retrieval) at PM. He has been so busy covering all the TFs on the job that he forgot to defend the carriers!!! 30 odd Forts and Liberators couldn't find hte target. 3 get through and put bombs ONTO the Akagi - I didn't know she was so well armoured - the 500lbers bounce.
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Ground combat at 51,28
Allied Shock attack
Attacking force 19773 troops, 141 guns, 0 vehicles
Defending force 13475 troops, 183 guns, 0 vehicles
Allied assault odds: 1 to 1
Japanese ground losses:
92 casualties reported
Guns lost 1
Allied ground losses:
671 casualties reported
Guns lost 17
Chinese troops marching from Yenen on Chengting have to cross a river in the face of opposition. They manage a 1 to 1 on this day and I forgot to change their orders, so they attacked again on the following day. They get a 2-1 and force the Japs back on Chengting.
AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 10/30/42
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Sub attack at 63,80
Japanese Ships
AP Ayo Maru
Allied Ships
SS Tautog
Tautog gets found during the day and hit by a bomb dropped from a Val. She is in a bad way and cannot head to the nearest refuge - Oz - because the Jap CVs are down that way. Instead she goes for Luganville with crossed fingers.
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Day Air attack on Akyab , at 30,29
Japanese aircraft
Ki-61 KAIc Tony x 146
Ki-21 Sally x 24
Allied aircraft
P-40E Warhawk x 40
Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-61 KAIc Tony: 24 destroyed, 1 damaged
Ki-21 Sally: 6 damaged
Allied aircraft losses
P-40E Warhawk: 41 destroyed
Airbase hits 1
Airbase supply hits 1
Runway hits 13
ANd Kazam! Herb sends the whole bloody Western airforce against Akyab. His timing is too good as I had moved these P-40e fighters there to cover my new bombardment of Rangoon. I did put up a bit of defense and radar gives warning so the whole group takes to the air. The manage a reasonable account of themselves but loose 41 of their number! That is a months production in one day! At least it was the USAAF so the pilot losses can be handled. I reinforce heavily with 4 spit sqds and the other group of P-40es.
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Day Air attack on 18th/C Division, at 34,28
Allied aircraft
B-25C Mitchell x 26
No Allied losses
Japanese ground losses:
29 casualties reported
Guns lost 1
OK - much to talk about - here are the bombers out of Dacca that are hitting a split group of the jap 18th Division. They were on the road from Mandalay to Myitkina. So he knows I am coming now! Anyway, I attacked them because I wanted to deliberate attack in this last turn, By combat time the japs had retired on Mandalay. Chicken Herb (or maybe Herb and sage chicken - wacca wacca)
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Day Air attack on TF at 53,93
Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 22
Allied aircraft
B-17E Fortress x 14
B-24D Liberator x 13
Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 3 destroyed, 8 damaged
Allied aircraft losses
B-17E Fortress: 2 damaged
B-24D Liberator: 1 destroyed, 8 damaged
Japanese Ships
ML Shirataka, Bomb hits 2, on fire
AP Miike Maru
ML Wakatake
AP Shinano Maru
AP Tatsuta Maru, Bomb hits 1, on fire
Aircraft Attacking:
4 x B-24D Liberator bombing at 6000 feet
I left the Cooktown bombers on naval attack and they go after one of Herb's convoys. THis time there are zeros defending but again the Heavies do a good job against them and continue on to the ships. From 6000 ft some hits are scored. The Minelayer is probably in worse condition than the report suggests. I hav to take these guys off attack now though. They are very experienced pilots I am throwing at the KB here.
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Day Air attack on TF at 53,92
Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 21
Allied aircraft
B-17E Fortress x 3
Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 2 damaged
Allied aircraft losses
B-17E Fortress: 2 destroyed
Japanese Ships
DD Arashio
Aircraft Attacking:
1 x B-17E Fortress bombing at 6000 feet
In this instance all 3 Forts are lost.
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First's first. The bombardment I had planned on Wake is scouted 2 days out from its target so I call it off and send the ships home. Maybe herb is wondering where they went.
In Burma the bombardment of Rangoon nears its jump off location. This turn's weather is thunderstorms (again) so hopefully Rangoon air cannot leap out and hit the fleet. Either way the seafires are all on CAP and the swordfish are restricted to 2 hexes. Just in case he doesn't scout me I have also reduced the cruiser floatplanes in range also.
North of Mandalay the Brits move on the rail trail. The bombers in Eastern India will start to intensify their attack on the place in preparation for the troops first attacks. I don't know how hard he will resist, although he does have alot of firepower to call on. IF there are too many forts - and hopefully that isn't the case, I have been bombing the airstrip to keep the engineers occupied - then this could be a very short attempt. I only have 2 Divisions, 2 Chindit units, 1 brigade of tanks and some artillery on this effort. I don't know how that will go against forts.
The loss of so many P-40s is a real shame. I need them in the next we while to allow me to give my best effort against Mandalay. The ships with the P-39 group - being transfered from northern Oz - are still a fair way off (I am going to change them to P-38s once they get there).
To China and it is all happing in the North East. After repulsing the attacks on Homan, the units there took the intersection to the south. From here they have moved North on Chengting, while units out of Yenen have come south. This has completely encircled 8 units he has on the trail between Yenen and Homan (see picture). I want those units! THe chinese are useless at taking on fortified locations but these units are in the open. I can move quite a number of troops onto them and then start bombing. I don't know how much in the way of supplies they have but it will take a very long time to take them out. Herb will have to reply with some firepower from somewhere else - which should creat opportunities there!
With the KB in residence around PM I am toying with the invasion of the Gilberts. This is a bit rash as it will take some time to load the men and I only have 3 CVs in attendence in Pearl. By the time I load them and then the time it takes to get to the Gilberts the situation of the whereabouts of the KB may have changed. Although if I take Apamama with a base unit I can have shore based air support very quickly.... decisions decisions.
Further north scouting has concluded that there is only 1 unit at Wake. I don't usually bother with it as it is so isolated, but if Marcis Island is also lightly defended there may be an opportunity here.
Back in THe States the Yorktown is now making up for lost time - her sys damage is down to 47 (from 56 you might remember).
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RE: It is on!
Another turn in and there is little to add.
The KB is on its way out of the PM area.
The RN is in position to run on Rangoon and it has not been spotted - 300 or so aircraft at the airfield. The cruiser force is also lining up to go in as well - hopefully anything there will be cleared out by them. Nothing scouted there this turn though - maybe they have bugged out south.
I move the AVG and some spits to Wuchow to try and catch some sonyas and some Tonys.
The KB is on its way out of the PM area.
The RN is in position to run on Rangoon and it has not been spotted - 300 or so aircraft at the airfield. The cruiser force is also lining up to go in as well - hopefully anything there will be cleared out by them. Nothing scouted there this turn though - maybe they have bugged out south.
I move the AVG and some spits to Wuchow to try and catch some sonyas and some Tonys.
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Woot - RN are gods!
I have sent in the wrong combat report so I will run through from memory. The RN attack into Rangoon - it is letter perfect other than in one detail. The surface force of cruisers and light cruisers finds the damaged Cl Tenryu and two damaged DDs that the hurt in their mid ocean attack a few days ago and send them to the bottom with but a few scorch marks from a concilliatory Jap rebuke. They may have been damaged but I am loving the RN!!!
Then the big boys roll into town and unleash upon the City. 8 supply hits, many runway hits and 2000 casualties. However, it is in the main target that the shine is lost on the whole deal. I only kill about 15 ACs - 8 tonys so that is quite nice - but out of the 400 or so ACs that are there - not a good result, and definately not of the size of some of the Nuclear bombardments I have suffered in the past.
Day dawns and the BBs have retired under the protective umbrella of the two Brit CVs and the faster cruisers are off the coast of Akyab under P-40es. The Japs though, don't find any of the 3 TFs - scot free.
Everyone will retire to Trimcommalee to refuel and then back to Panaji or maybe Bombay to get a bit of TLC.
The thrust on Mandalay is almost at its target. There only appears to be a single regiment of the 18th Division there. This is strange as I am sure I have another regiment of this Division in Lae of all places!! Talk about traveled soldiers (if my intel can be believed).
Herb is getting very worried about China. I don't think it is the master stroke he is imagining. He needs to get a bit more vicious. However, the effort put in by the Brit flyers in China maybe having an effect.
With the turn of the month and the new love affair I am having with the RN, I pay up the 600 PP for 2 brit destroyers. Arrrggghh though - the b@stards in the Atlantic want another Carrier. The way things are going I am going to need all PPs for the bloody POMs! I have plans for Andaman Island and without 2 of the medium Brit carriers for some sort of air support it will be fraut with danger.
Then the big boys roll into town and unleash upon the City. 8 supply hits, many runway hits and 2000 casualties. However, it is in the main target that the shine is lost on the whole deal. I only kill about 15 ACs - 8 tonys so that is quite nice - but out of the 400 or so ACs that are there - not a good result, and definately not of the size of some of the Nuclear bombardments I have suffered in the past.
Day dawns and the BBs have retired under the protective umbrella of the two Brit CVs and the faster cruisers are off the coast of Akyab under P-40es. The Japs though, don't find any of the 3 TFs - scot free.
Everyone will retire to Trimcommalee to refuel and then back to Panaji or maybe Bombay to get a bit of TLC.
The thrust on Mandalay is almost at its target. There only appears to be a single regiment of the 18th Division there. This is strange as I am sure I have another regiment of this Division in Lae of all places!! Talk about traveled soldiers (if my intel can be believed).
Herb is getting very worried about China. I don't think it is the master stroke he is imagining. He needs to get a bit more vicious. However, the effort put in by the Brit flyers in China maybe having an effect.
With the turn of the month and the new love affair I am having with the RN, I pay up the 600 PP for 2 brit destroyers. Arrrggghh though - the b@stards in the Atlantic want another Carrier. The way things are going I am going to need all PPs for the bloody POMs! I have plans for Andaman Island and without 2 of the medium Brit carriers for some sort of air support it will be fraut with danger.
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RE: Woot - RN are gods!
Wobs:
Well, old friend from a different time continuum, don't let this happen to you:
12/26/42
Night Time Surface Combat, near Akyab at 30,29
Allied aircraft
no flights
Allied aircraft losses
Walrus: 1 destroyed
Japanese Ships
BB Hiei, Shell hits 3
BB Kirishima, Shell hits 2
DD Asagumo
DD Shirayuki
DD Hatsuyuki
DD Murakumo, Shell hits 1
DD Matsukaze
DD Hatakaze
Allied Ships
CA Exeter, Shell hits 7, on fire, heavy damage
CA Frobisher, Shell hits 4
CL Emerald, Shell hits 2, Torpedo hits 2, and is sunk
DD Piet Hein
DD Arrow, Shell hits 2, on fire
DD Decoy, Shell hits 8, on fire, heavy damage
DD Express, Shell hits 11, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
DD Griffin, Shell hits 2, on fire
=============================================
12/26/42
Night Time Surface Combat, near Akyab at 30,29
Allied aircraft
no flights
Allied aircraft losses
Walrus: 3 destroyed
Japanese Ships
BB Hiei, Shell hits 2
BB Kirishima
DD Asagumo
DD Shirayuki, Shell hits 1, on fire
DD Hatsuyuki
DD Murakumo
DD Matsukaze, Shell hits 1
DD Hatakaze
Allied Ships
CA Exeter, Shell hits 35, and is sunk
CA Frobisher, Shell hits 1
DD Piet Hein, Shell hits 4, Torpedo hits 2, and is sunk
DD Arrow, Shell hits 21, Torpedo hits 2, and is sunk
DD Decoy, Shell hits 28, and is sunk
DD Griffin, on fire
YamaHerbie-san had been sneaking in CL/DD groups harassing my PT units guarding Akyab and lightly shelling the base. I sent in a Cruiser led squadron and these were the results. Just about every hit on the EXETER were 14"ers.....she seemed to literaly dissolve...FROBISHER was the flag and she made it out and the supply convoy was untouched though. B25's peppered the BC's as they left, but didn't seem to have any 1000lbrs laying around that day...shame.
I have to get back to my AAR, I have left it sitting too long, and the action is finally starting to pickup again.
See you later.
Well, old friend from a different time continuum, don't let this happen to you:
12/26/42
Night Time Surface Combat, near Akyab at 30,29
Allied aircraft
no flights
Allied aircraft losses
Walrus: 1 destroyed
Japanese Ships
BB Hiei, Shell hits 3
BB Kirishima, Shell hits 2
DD Asagumo
DD Shirayuki
DD Hatsuyuki
DD Murakumo, Shell hits 1
DD Matsukaze
DD Hatakaze
Allied Ships
CA Exeter, Shell hits 7, on fire, heavy damage
CA Frobisher, Shell hits 4
CL Emerald, Shell hits 2, Torpedo hits 2, and is sunk
DD Piet Hein
DD Arrow, Shell hits 2, on fire
DD Decoy, Shell hits 8, on fire, heavy damage
DD Express, Shell hits 11, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
DD Griffin, Shell hits 2, on fire
=============================================
12/26/42
Night Time Surface Combat, near Akyab at 30,29
Allied aircraft
no flights
Allied aircraft losses
Walrus: 3 destroyed
Japanese Ships
BB Hiei, Shell hits 2
BB Kirishima
DD Asagumo
DD Shirayuki, Shell hits 1, on fire
DD Hatsuyuki
DD Murakumo
DD Matsukaze, Shell hits 1
DD Hatakaze
Allied Ships
CA Exeter, Shell hits 35, and is sunk
CA Frobisher, Shell hits 1
DD Piet Hein, Shell hits 4, Torpedo hits 2, and is sunk
DD Arrow, Shell hits 21, Torpedo hits 2, and is sunk
DD Decoy, Shell hits 28, and is sunk
DD Griffin, on fire
YamaHerbie-san had been sneaking in CL/DD groups harassing my PT units guarding Akyab and lightly shelling the base. I sent in a Cruiser led squadron and these were the results. Just about every hit on the EXETER were 14"ers.....she seemed to literaly dissolve...FROBISHER was the flag and she made it out and the supply convoy was untouched though. B25's peppered the BC's as they left, but didn't seem to have any 1000lbrs laying around that day...shame.
I have to get back to my AAR, I have left it sitting too long, and the action is finally starting to pickup again.
See you later.
Sing to the tune of "Man on the Flying Trapeze"
..Oh! We fly o'er the treetops with inches to spare,
There's smoke in the cockpit and gray in my hair.
The tracers look fine as a strafin' we go.
But, brother, we're TOO God damn low...
..Oh! We fly o'er the treetops with inches to spare,
There's smoke in the cockpit and gray in my hair.
The tracers look fine as a strafin' we go.
But, brother, we're TOO God damn low...
RE: Woot - RN are gods!
Hi Tabpub - my erstwhile colleague.
In this instance his BCs would also have met the RN BBs on their way to bombard - but getting away completely undamaged would have been a no go. Herb reported on this one with some glee - especially the efficiency of his BC heavy weapons.
I am on the verge of taking Mandalay. From there Rangoon is going to be an unhappy place to live - especially when the p-38s join the fray (although that is at least 2 weeks away).
This turn Herbie-san stepped up the bombing campaign in Chian and Burma. He hit Homan, which appears to be taking on the weight of the battle again. He flies in with 30 tonys and 80 odd zeros plus 130 sallies. The 8 hurricanes on duty are swatted out of the way only managing to down a single tony. They heavily damage the airfield and take out some of the Chinese SB-2 bombers. More carnage to the numbers is not realized as most had taken off for their own targets. I move up a 12 plane spitfire sqd to augment the defense.
He also strikes Akyab with 40 Helens escorted by 50 Tojos. They meet 18 Spits and this time the battle is not so one sided. 10 Tojos and 6 Helens are knocked down for the loss of 3 defending Spitfires. I boost the defenses here with another 16 plane Spit sqd.
The first allied invasion of the War goes into pre-prep. It is only the small invasion of Ndini – now thoroughly cratered by Liberators out of Luganville.
OOB consists of the current Sydney based forces of 2 CVs, 4 BBs, 5 CAs, 22 DDs
The invading forces are light as we expect a riposte from the Japanese. They will only consist of the NZ 5th Brigade. I will then use FT missions and Dakotas to move in Seabees units and supplies. I want to be able to back off if Herb decides he will bring all big guns down on me. Recon lists only a base unit in residence.
In this instance his BCs would also have met the RN BBs on their way to bombard - but getting away completely undamaged would have been a no go. Herb reported on this one with some glee - especially the efficiency of his BC heavy weapons.
I am on the verge of taking Mandalay. From there Rangoon is going to be an unhappy place to live - especially when the p-38s join the fray (although that is at least 2 weeks away).
This turn Herbie-san stepped up the bombing campaign in Chian and Burma. He hit Homan, which appears to be taking on the weight of the battle again. He flies in with 30 tonys and 80 odd zeros plus 130 sallies. The 8 hurricanes on duty are swatted out of the way only managing to down a single tony. They heavily damage the airfield and take out some of the Chinese SB-2 bombers. More carnage to the numbers is not realized as most had taken off for their own targets. I move up a 12 plane spitfire sqd to augment the defense.
He also strikes Akyab with 40 Helens escorted by 50 Tojos. They meet 18 Spits and this time the battle is not so one sided. 10 Tojos and 6 Helens are knocked down for the loss of 3 defending Spitfires. I boost the defenses here with another 16 plane Spit sqd.
The first allied invasion of the War goes into pre-prep. It is only the small invasion of Ndini – now thoroughly cratered by Liberators out of Luganville.
OOB consists of the current Sydney based forces of 2 CVs, 4 BBs, 5 CAs, 22 DDs
The invading forces are light as we expect a riposte from the Japanese. They will only consist of the NZ 5th Brigade. I will then use FT missions and Dakotas to move in Seabees units and supplies. I want to be able to back off if Herb decides he will bring all big guns down on me. Recon lists only a base unit in residence.
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Homan rained in - unless you are an attacker
Herb the bomber monster hammers a weather cloaked Homan killing all of my Chinese bombers - grrrr
AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 11/03/42
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Day Air attack on Homan , at 49,30
Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 51
Ki-44-IIb Tojo x 25
Ki-21 Sally x 133
Ki-46-II Dinah x 8
Allied aircraft
Hurricane II x 6
Spitfire Vb x 6
Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 1 destroyed
Allied aircraft losses
Hurricane II: 6 destroyed
Spitfire Vb: 6 destroyed
SB-2c: 8 destroyed
Airbase hits 10
Airbase supply hits 9
Runway hits 114
The staging airfield Herb is using is free of ill weather while Homan is covered. So the Sb2s stay on the ground, but that's alright as they are hidden under the clouds that are stopping them from taking off (except fighters don't have this problem). Oh wait - damn, forgot - the Japs have wet weather radar in late 42 and manage to smash the chinese bombers on the ground. I actually loose 19 SB2s!!!
The extra spitfires are smashed aside by the weight of Jap fighters.
I wont be swayed though. Another spitfire sqd, a hurricane sqd and the remains of the AVG join the defence. I want to try and rescue the bombers that weren't destroyed on the ground.
This kind of knee-jerk reaction can get me in trouble though, especially when using the Brit fighters, there are now officially no British trained pilots in the pools.
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Day Air attack on 18th/C Division, at 33,30
Allied aircraft
Wellington III x 21
B-25C Mitchell x 20
B-24D Liberator x 19
No Allied losses
Japanese ground losses:
106 casualties reported
Guns lost 5
The bombers in Dacca hit the defenders of Mandalay. The Brit forces have now arrived are a putting in a deliberate attack next turn.
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Ground combat at Chengting
Allied Bombardment attack
Attacking force 21090 troops, 138 guns, 0 vehicles
Defending force 58664 troops, 579 guns, 7 vehicles
Japanese ground losses:
15 casualties reported
This is the other very important piece of info from the latest turn: Chengting (out to the Northeast and South of Yenen) I was attempting to take. As you can see it is well enough defended, without a doubt including forts, to be too much for the Western Chinese army to be able to take - considering their almost complete lack of engineers. So I am going to keep enough Chinese troops here to stop them sallying forth to try and create an escape route for the units cut off, but send the units I had intended to take Chengting with, back to the intersection hex; it is the key to keeping the pressure on.
Obviously Herb has noted the problem as he is trying to hit my offensive bombers (what am I saying - he HAS hit my offensive bombers). I am not kidding myself, my chances to crush the isolated units is slim. I have to open a Pacific front I feel, just so he can't congregate all of his assets in China.
Unfortunately the new offensive is a few weeks off as the units get to position. There is also the worrying location of the KB - now situated to the East of the coral reefs by GG. They could easily make a hash of my invasion if he is sitting on the door step - the plan requires him to travel from at least Rabaul.
AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 11/03/42
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Day Air attack on Homan , at 49,30
Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 51
Ki-44-IIb Tojo x 25
Ki-21 Sally x 133
Ki-46-II Dinah x 8
Allied aircraft
Hurricane II x 6
Spitfire Vb x 6
Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 1 destroyed
Allied aircraft losses
Hurricane II: 6 destroyed
Spitfire Vb: 6 destroyed
SB-2c: 8 destroyed
Airbase hits 10
Airbase supply hits 9
Runway hits 114
The staging airfield Herb is using is free of ill weather while Homan is covered. So the Sb2s stay on the ground, but that's alright as they are hidden under the clouds that are stopping them from taking off (except fighters don't have this problem). Oh wait - damn, forgot - the Japs have wet weather radar in late 42 and manage to smash the chinese bombers on the ground. I actually loose 19 SB2s!!!
The extra spitfires are smashed aside by the weight of Jap fighters.
I wont be swayed though. Another spitfire sqd, a hurricane sqd and the remains of the AVG join the defence. I want to try and rescue the bombers that weren't destroyed on the ground.
This kind of knee-jerk reaction can get me in trouble though, especially when using the Brit fighters, there are now officially no British trained pilots in the pools.
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Day Air attack on 18th/C Division, at 33,30
Allied aircraft
Wellington III x 21
B-25C Mitchell x 20
B-24D Liberator x 19
No Allied losses
Japanese ground losses:
106 casualties reported
Guns lost 5
The bombers in Dacca hit the defenders of Mandalay. The Brit forces have now arrived are a putting in a deliberate attack next turn.
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Ground combat at Chengting
Allied Bombardment attack
Attacking force 21090 troops, 138 guns, 0 vehicles
Defending force 58664 troops, 579 guns, 7 vehicles
Japanese ground losses:
15 casualties reported
This is the other very important piece of info from the latest turn: Chengting (out to the Northeast and South of Yenen) I was attempting to take. As you can see it is well enough defended, without a doubt including forts, to be too much for the Western Chinese army to be able to take - considering their almost complete lack of engineers. So I am going to keep enough Chinese troops here to stop them sallying forth to try and create an escape route for the units cut off, but send the units I had intended to take Chengting with, back to the intersection hex; it is the key to keeping the pressure on.
Obviously Herb has noted the problem as he is trying to hit my offensive bombers (what am I saying - he HAS hit my offensive bombers). I am not kidding myself, my chances to crush the isolated units is slim. I have to open a Pacific front I feel, just so he can't congregate all of his assets in China.
Unfortunately the new offensive is a few weeks off as the units get to position. There is also the worrying location of the KB - now situated to the East of the coral reefs by GG. They could easily make a hash of my invasion if he is sitting on the door step - the plan requires him to travel from at least Rabaul.
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Mandalay attacked
First attack against Mandalay.
AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 11/04/42
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Day Air attack on Port Moresby , at 53,91
Allied aircraft
B-17E Fortress x 25
B-24D Liberator x 38
Allied aircraft losses
B-24D Liberator: 3 damaged
Japanese ground losses:
502 casualties reported
Guns lost 11
Airbase hits 16
Airbase supply hits 8
Runway hits 71
Since the KB has moved away another wee visit to PM seemed a good idea. The heavy bombers make a very nasty mess.
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Day Air attack on 5th AF Construction Battalion, at 33,30
Allied aircraft
Wellington III x 8
B-25C Mitchell x 12
B-24D Liberator x 9
No Allied losses
Japanese ground losses:
177 casualties reported
Preliminary bombing of the defenders of Mandalay continues - there appears to be 2 units at Mandalay - I only had 1 previously.
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Day Air attack on 2nd UK Division, at 33,30
Japanese aircraft
Ki-21 Sally x 3
Ki-49 Helen x 9
No Japanese losses
Allied ground losses:
22 casualties reported
Guns lost 1
Herb, a bit belatedly, decides he will try to disorganise my attacks on Mandalay by sending 3 bombing strikes - this is the most damaging.
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Ground combat at Mandalay
Allied Deliberate attack
Attacking force 57745 troops, 557 guns, 507 vehicles
Defending force 7957 troops, 65 guns, 2 vehicles
Allied assault odds: 17 to 1 (fort level 4)
Allied forces CAPTURE Mandalay base !!!
Japanese ground losses:
394 casualties reported
Guns lost 1
Allied ground losses:
184 casualties reported
Guns lost 14
Defeated Japanese Units Retreating!
And at first try the prize is ours! He had managed to build size 4 forts but when he retired the regiment tasked with holding the place was up against it really.
So, from here the Chinese Division that joined the attack will retire back to Myitkina - I don't want to get paratroopers falling in the rear. I move the Spitfires that were at Akyab over to Mandalay and the heavy bombers and P-40Es move to Akyab to hit Rangoon. I have played this as I imagine Herb will try to hit Mandalay now that I own it, hoping to do damage before it is defended. So maybe his defenses will be less over Rangoon and I can do some more damage there. Also Dakotas at Chandpur begin flying in an Aviation regiment to Mandalay.
Herb has positioned his army across the river from Mandalay and he has heavily garrissoned Pagan. So moving on from here will be a struggle. At this range from Mandalay though, these troops will be easy targets for any aircraft, including short legged fighter bombers.
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In the Indian Ocean the Brit carriers, retiring from the attack on Rangoon, meet up with the small transport TF out of Darwin with the fighter group that will convert to P-38s. It will escort the TF to Madras - I am toying with taking them to Chandpur just to cut down on the transfering distance- although Madras is doing little and it would be helpful to get them functional before moving them about - I'll think on it.
China continues to seeth and boil. My pocket continues to hold. I can see larger forces massing down the rail line; so this is the perfect opportunity to sally forth from Kweilin - on to the rail line.
Down in the Coral Sea the KB is still swanning around between GG and the Solomons. I changed the Luganville based B-24s to search. This is for two reason, intel obivously, and to stop the KB sneaking into range of Ndini and waking naval zeros above the target and carving up my planes!
Obviously the presence of the KB here is enough to put the liberation of Ndini on hold. It's no problem, I am in no hurry at the moment, and it gives more time for the Kiwi brigade to finalise tactics (read prep points).
Another reinforcment of Noumea is finished - this held more Seabees units, a base force and a headquarters.
The long Island drops off a Dauntless and Avenger sqd to Canton island. It will return to the West Coast via refuel at Pearl.
Finaly I get notification that a jap regiment it planning to attack Attu Island - there better be more than that if it is a real attempt - Attu is now quite a fortress base.
AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 11/04/42
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Day Air attack on Port Moresby , at 53,91
Allied aircraft
B-17E Fortress x 25
B-24D Liberator x 38
Allied aircraft losses
B-24D Liberator: 3 damaged
Japanese ground losses:
502 casualties reported
Guns lost 11
Airbase hits 16
Airbase supply hits 8
Runway hits 71
Since the KB has moved away another wee visit to PM seemed a good idea. The heavy bombers make a very nasty mess.
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Day Air attack on 5th AF Construction Battalion, at 33,30
Allied aircraft
Wellington III x 8
B-25C Mitchell x 12
B-24D Liberator x 9
No Allied losses
Japanese ground losses:
177 casualties reported
Preliminary bombing of the defenders of Mandalay continues - there appears to be 2 units at Mandalay - I only had 1 previously.
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Day Air attack on 2nd UK Division, at 33,30
Japanese aircraft
Ki-21 Sally x 3
Ki-49 Helen x 9
No Japanese losses
Allied ground losses:
22 casualties reported
Guns lost 1
Herb, a bit belatedly, decides he will try to disorganise my attacks on Mandalay by sending 3 bombing strikes - this is the most damaging.
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Ground combat at Mandalay
Allied Deliberate attack
Attacking force 57745 troops, 557 guns, 507 vehicles
Defending force 7957 troops, 65 guns, 2 vehicles
Allied assault odds: 17 to 1 (fort level 4)
Allied forces CAPTURE Mandalay base !!!
Japanese ground losses:
394 casualties reported
Guns lost 1
Allied ground losses:
184 casualties reported
Guns lost 14
Defeated Japanese Units Retreating!
And at first try the prize is ours! He had managed to build size 4 forts but when he retired the regiment tasked with holding the place was up against it really.
So, from here the Chinese Division that joined the attack will retire back to Myitkina - I don't want to get paratroopers falling in the rear. I move the Spitfires that were at Akyab over to Mandalay and the heavy bombers and P-40Es move to Akyab to hit Rangoon. I have played this as I imagine Herb will try to hit Mandalay now that I own it, hoping to do damage before it is defended. So maybe his defenses will be less over Rangoon and I can do some more damage there. Also Dakotas at Chandpur begin flying in an Aviation regiment to Mandalay.
Herb has positioned his army across the river from Mandalay and he has heavily garrissoned Pagan. So moving on from here will be a struggle. At this range from Mandalay though, these troops will be easy targets for any aircraft, including short legged fighter bombers.
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In the Indian Ocean the Brit carriers, retiring from the attack on Rangoon, meet up with the small transport TF out of Darwin with the fighter group that will convert to P-38s. It will escort the TF to Madras - I am toying with taking them to Chandpur just to cut down on the transfering distance- although Madras is doing little and it would be helpful to get them functional before moving them about - I'll think on it.
China continues to seeth and boil. My pocket continues to hold. I can see larger forces massing down the rail line; so this is the perfect opportunity to sally forth from Kweilin - on to the rail line.
Down in the Coral Sea the KB is still swanning around between GG and the Solomons. I changed the Luganville based B-24s to search. This is for two reason, intel obivously, and to stop the KB sneaking into range of Ndini and waking naval zeros above the target and carving up my planes!
Obviously the presence of the KB here is enough to put the liberation of Ndini on hold. It's no problem, I am in no hurry at the moment, and it gives more time for the Kiwi brigade to finalise tactics (read prep points).
Another reinforcment of Noumea is finished - this held more Seabees units, a base force and a headquarters.
The long Island drops off a Dauntless and Avenger sqd to Canton island. It will return to the West Coast via refuel at Pearl.
Finaly I get notification that a jap regiment it planning to attack Attu Island - there better be more than that if it is a real attempt - Attu is now quite a fortress base.
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RE: Mandalay attacked
2 days of reports in this update. First day is a disaster as the bombers and P-40Es of Akyab fly against Rangoon and the second day is quiet.
AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 11/06/42
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Day Air attack on Rangoon , at 29,34
Japanese aircraft
Ki-61 KAIc Tony x 96
Allied aircraft
Wellington III x 24
P-40E Warhawk x 50
B-25C Mitchell x 48
B-24D Liberator x 30
Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-61 KAIc Tony: 15 destroyed, 41 damaged
Ki-21 Sally: 3 destroyed
Ki-49 Helen: 2 destroyed
Allied aircraft losses
Wellington III: 9 destroyed, 6 damaged
P-40E Warhawk: 33 destroyed
B-25C Mitchell: 10 destroyed, 8 damaged
B-24D Liberator: 8 destroyed, 14 damaged
Japanese ground losses:
111 casualties reported
Airbase hits 4
Airbase supply hits 2
Runway hits 27
Just a nightmare - I loose 40 Warhawks in one attack and even the hardy Liberators feel the wrath of the Tonys stacked up against them. The Warhawks had pretty standard pilots so no help for me there, but this is a terrible attack. I am going to have to start yet again in training up the bomber crews and trying to replace these losses. I think the first chore for the P-38s will be a few fighter sweeps at high altitude of this hornet's nest.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ground combat at 42,36
Allied Deliberate attack
Attacking force 21187 troops, 134 guns, 0 vehicles
Defending force 15767 troops, 179 guns, 0 vehicles
Allied assault odds: 0 to 1
Japanese ground losses:
44 casualties reported
Guns lost 1
Allied ground losses:
597 casualties reported
Guns lost 12
I tried to clear the blockers that Herb had on the trail from Hengchow to Wuchow. As you can see I get a pretty conclusive "denied".
AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 11/07/42
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day Air attack on Port Moresby , at 53,91
Allied aircraft
B-17E Fortress x 48
B-24D Liberator x 35
Allied aircraft losses
B-17E Fortress: 2 damaged
Japanese ground losses:
306 casualties reported
Guns lost 6
Airbase hits 12
Airbase supply hits 3
Runway hits 79
The only action of any real note is the bombing of PM which is still very effective. Herb just appears to have left this base to its own devices - he has yet to station any fighters there in a hope of interdicting these bombing attacks. This attack does show some shipping in PM harbour though so I put the Liberators on naval attack at 4000 ft - I may get lucky although experience seems to show that the heavy bombers don't like to try for shipping from this range.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Around the world in one day then:
The RN BBs and Cruisers have almost made it to Bombay where they will replenish and hopefully repair a little. I don't know about the BBs though as the Resolution has been in harbour here for about 3 weeks and hasn't managed to remove a single SYS damage point. Once these older BBs get to 5 damage they reduce speed enough to mean that they can't move 4 hexes at full speed. They are slow enough anyway - and this has been my main use for them - so a bit of a pain.
The P-39s onboard freighters are about 2 days out of Diamond Harbour being covered by the 2 Brit carriers. I really want these guys to get through!
Because of the disastrous air attack on Rangoon I am really a bit neutered in the Burma air space. No use sending the bombers after Rangoon without adequate fighter support. I know I am waiting on the P-38s but I know they are no wonder machine - better than P-40s but they aren't corsairs!
China is a mess! I am still pretty happy with things in the North East although Herb has some serious units against my team on the intersection. His bombardments are killing many of my men and my responses are pathetic - these are my best Chinese troops! In the south my troops from Kweilin move forward to cut off the rail line. Herb has counterattacked by moving troops up to Wuchow. I imagine Wuchow will now feel some aerial wrath! I am almost at the end of my tether in China as far as aircraft go. I need to move with the Centpac and southpac forces to alleviate some of this pain.
So in the south pacific an air combat TF around Saratoga and Lexington is made in Sydney and they will move, with a surface combat TF built around 4 older US BBs. They will head to Noumea to refuel and then cover the invasion of Ndini. This is a pin prick for Herb so I doubt it will create the response of a concerted effort. More intel on the enemy carriers - they appear to be heading North towards Truk - at present they are just North of Lunga. I think they had a secondary job of covering reinforcements for Lunga, Tassafaronga, Tulagi and Russel Island (in our UV game I circumvented Herbs very powerful Lunga to land on a relatively undefended Russel Island cutting Lunga off).
Nothing happening in Centpac other than re-supply and minelaying.
AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 11/06/42
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day Air attack on Rangoon , at 29,34
Japanese aircraft
Ki-61 KAIc Tony x 96
Allied aircraft
Wellington III x 24
P-40E Warhawk x 50
B-25C Mitchell x 48
B-24D Liberator x 30
Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-61 KAIc Tony: 15 destroyed, 41 damaged
Ki-21 Sally: 3 destroyed
Ki-49 Helen: 2 destroyed
Allied aircraft losses
Wellington III: 9 destroyed, 6 damaged
P-40E Warhawk: 33 destroyed
B-25C Mitchell: 10 destroyed, 8 damaged
B-24D Liberator: 8 destroyed, 14 damaged
Japanese ground losses:
111 casualties reported
Airbase hits 4
Airbase supply hits 2
Runway hits 27
Just a nightmare - I loose 40 Warhawks in one attack and even the hardy Liberators feel the wrath of the Tonys stacked up against them. The Warhawks had pretty standard pilots so no help for me there, but this is a terrible attack. I am going to have to start yet again in training up the bomber crews and trying to replace these losses. I think the first chore for the P-38s will be a few fighter sweeps at high altitude of this hornet's nest.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ground combat at 42,36
Allied Deliberate attack
Attacking force 21187 troops, 134 guns, 0 vehicles
Defending force 15767 troops, 179 guns, 0 vehicles
Allied assault odds: 0 to 1
Japanese ground losses:
44 casualties reported
Guns lost 1
Allied ground losses:
597 casualties reported
Guns lost 12
I tried to clear the blockers that Herb had on the trail from Hengchow to Wuchow. As you can see I get a pretty conclusive "denied".
AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 11/07/42
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day Air attack on Port Moresby , at 53,91
Allied aircraft
B-17E Fortress x 48
B-24D Liberator x 35
Allied aircraft losses
B-17E Fortress: 2 damaged
Japanese ground losses:
306 casualties reported
Guns lost 6
Airbase hits 12
Airbase supply hits 3
Runway hits 79
The only action of any real note is the bombing of PM which is still very effective. Herb just appears to have left this base to its own devices - he has yet to station any fighters there in a hope of interdicting these bombing attacks. This attack does show some shipping in PM harbour though so I put the Liberators on naval attack at 4000 ft - I may get lucky although experience seems to show that the heavy bombers don't like to try for shipping from this range.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Around the world in one day then:
The RN BBs and Cruisers have almost made it to Bombay where they will replenish and hopefully repair a little. I don't know about the BBs though as the Resolution has been in harbour here for about 3 weeks and hasn't managed to remove a single SYS damage point. Once these older BBs get to 5 damage they reduce speed enough to mean that they can't move 4 hexes at full speed. They are slow enough anyway - and this has been my main use for them - so a bit of a pain.
The P-39s onboard freighters are about 2 days out of Diamond Harbour being covered by the 2 Brit carriers. I really want these guys to get through!
Because of the disastrous air attack on Rangoon I am really a bit neutered in the Burma air space. No use sending the bombers after Rangoon without adequate fighter support. I know I am waiting on the P-38s but I know they are no wonder machine - better than P-40s but they aren't corsairs!
China is a mess! I am still pretty happy with things in the North East although Herb has some serious units against my team on the intersection. His bombardments are killing many of my men and my responses are pathetic - these are my best Chinese troops! In the south my troops from Kweilin move forward to cut off the rail line. Herb has counterattacked by moving troops up to Wuchow. I imagine Wuchow will now feel some aerial wrath! I am almost at the end of my tether in China as far as aircraft go. I need to move with the Centpac and southpac forces to alleviate some of this pain.
So in the south pacific an air combat TF around Saratoga and Lexington is made in Sydney and they will move, with a surface combat TF built around 4 older US BBs. They will head to Noumea to refuel and then cover the invasion of Ndini. This is a pin prick for Herb so I doubt it will create the response of a concerted effort. More intel on the enemy carriers - they appear to be heading North towards Truk - at present they are just North of Lunga. I think they had a secondary job of covering reinforcements for Lunga, Tassafaronga, Tulagi and Russel Island (in our UV game I circumvented Herbs very powerful Lunga to land on a relatively undefended Russel Island cutting Lunga off).
Nothing happening in Centpac other than re-supply and minelaying.
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RE: Mandalay attacked
Day Air attack on Rangoon , at 29,34
Japanese aircraft
Ki-61 KAIc Tony x 96
Allied aircraft
Wellington III x 24
P-40E Warhawk x 50
B-25C Mitchell x 48
B-24D Liberator x 30
Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-61 KAIc Tony: 15 destroyed, 41 damaged
Ki-21 Sally: 3 destroyed
Ki-49 Helen: 2 destroyed
Allied aircraft losses
Wellington III: 9 destroyed, 6 damaged
P-40E Warhawk: 33 destroyed
B-25C Mitchell: 10 destroyed, 8 damaged
B-24D Liberator: 8 destroyed, 14 damaged
Japanese ground losses:
111 casualties reported
Airbase hits 4
Airbase supply hits 2
Runway hits 27
Just a nightmare - I loose 40 Warhawks in one attack and even the hardy Liberators feel the wrath of the Tonys stacked up against them. The Warhawks had pretty standard pilots so no help for me there, but this is a terrible attack. I am going to have to start yet again in training up the bomber crews and trying to replace these losses. I think the first chore for the P-38s will be a few fighter sweeps at high altitude of this hornet's nest.
Wobbly - the issue there is the quantity of Tonys. He outnumbered your escorts 2:1, therefore you got creamed. If you had 100 P-40s they would have fared much better. Now, I'm not trying to be a smartalec with that comment - I'm just making the point that you can't forget the quantity issue in aerial combat in this game. If you send 50 P-38s they will get creamed too. You have to find a way to send equal numbers of escorts.
That's why I took such pains to stock up planes in my game against Tophat. I can put a full groups up at a given time. And I no longer split escorts into CAP and escort - I set CAP to "0" when I want a full group to fly along.
The one thing to keep in mind is that those 96 Tonys are not sitting elsewhere, so just send your bombers to attack other targets. Keep moving targets and wait for your chance to catch lots of planes on the ground. BTW - 96 Tonys at Rangoon sounds like an awfully tempting target for BBs...
Good luck -
Dave Baranyi
RE: Mandalay attacked
absolutely right AdavidB. The only way to do that is to stand down for quite some time to get the necessary numbers. I Haven't got the same reserves as you and the planes I am fighting with are being produced at half the speed of his Tonys and Tojos (unlike reality!). So it is actually very hard to play the numbers game.
The reason for the attack on Rangoon was due to a window of opportunity he appeared to give where his fighters appeared to be on sweep - I wanted to hit them on the ground. Tried and failed is the outcome.
I have tried to bombard Rangoon twice now with little achieved. It is a very high risk endevour without good airsupport for the ships. I only have the two Brit Bird farms for that and they are hardly a large deterrent when he has 140 fighters at Rangoon. I am stepping up plans to take Andaman. Then I can use its fields to cover bombardment attacks.
I think I basically have to admit defeat for the present - I am not going to be able to close Rangoon without some serious pain.
The reason for the attack on Rangoon was due to a window of opportunity he appeared to give where his fighters appeared to be on sweep - I wanted to hit them on the ground. Tried and failed is the outcome.
I have tried to bombard Rangoon twice now with little achieved. It is a very high risk endevour without good airsupport for the ships. I only have the two Brit Bird farms for that and they are hardly a large deterrent when he has 140 fighters at Rangoon. I am stepping up plans to take Andaman. Then I can use its fields to cover bombardment attacks.
I think I basically have to admit defeat for the present - I am not going to be able to close Rangoon without some serious pain.
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RE: Mandalay attacked
Don't worry too much about it...in a few months you will have so many crack squadrons of Corsairs and Hellcats that
opposition will be futile [;)] Herb will have to perform some serious mumbo jumbo to even achieve a 1-2 kill ratio - numbers will not help him - belive me!
opposition will be futile [;)] Herb will have to perform some serious mumbo jumbo to even achieve a 1-2 kill ratio - numbers will not help him - belive me!
"The problem in defense is how far you can go without destroying from within what you are trying to defend from without"
- Dwight D. Eisenhower
RE: Mandalay attacked
Don't worry too much about it...in a few months you will have so many crack squadrons of Corsairs and Hellcats that
opposition will be futile Herb will have to perform some serious mumbo jumbo to even achieve a 1-2 kill ratio - numbers will not help him - belive me!
Ah, but try to go on the offense with these boys when the closest base is over 5 hexes away; this is the situation that we face vs. the Herbmeister, everywhere but Burma.
They are fine for base defense, or when you finally get an airfield up and running.
Personally, I have been sitting for 3 months (from the time that Wobs is at, November, to January trying to build up for the "big push"; these distances are quite daunting in 1942/early 43. Some are more than 3 times the distance of the Sicily invasions and will require as many troops in the landing forces. What I thought would be ready in Dec '42 is looking more like March/April '43 now......[:@]
Dang, I have to get back to my own thread again.....sorry Wobs.
<takes off to redesign own thread name and have a great kickoff article ready>
Sing to the tune of "Man on the Flying Trapeze"
..Oh! We fly o'er the treetops with inches to spare,
There's smoke in the cockpit and gray in my hair.
The tracers look fine as a strafin' we go.
But, brother, we're TOO God damn low...
..Oh! We fly o'er the treetops with inches to spare,
There's smoke in the cockpit and gray in my hair.
The tracers look fine as a strafin' we go.
But, brother, we're TOO God damn low...
Christmas over
Welcome back all yea readers of this quelling of imperialistic Japan's aims to conquer the world. We had stopped for Christmas and a spot of sunbathing and book reading, thankfully agreed to by the opposite side, but now things have started up again in earnest.
Both sides have been tentative. I think Herb and I will take a few turns to remember where the hell we were - the Pacific War being the obvious answer - but plans for conquest have to be revisited.
So lets go from left to right shall we.
In Karachi two large transport TFs that have made a run to Diamond harbour and Chandpur now load up to do the same for Columbo and Madras. I have a few misgivings about these large transport efforts after PzB taught me that I may just be providing the Japs with booty. I don't think Herb will be quite that adventurous now - he seems to be getting a bit of a defensive mindset.
The fleet has now pulled into Bombay to gain whatever they can in the way of repairs. I will rest them until the effort on Andaman Island which is slated for about 2 weeks time.
I have been slowly building the bombing force back up after it suffered at the hands of the fighters over Rangoon. Morale is still an issue and with the British pilot pool now empty, pilot quality another issue. The extended plan for the bombers is thus: Mandalay is about to get to size 5. From there the Liberators can reach to many of the industrial locations of Siam. The other bombers can reach Hanoi and Bangkok. I am going to open a bombing campaign against these targets in the hopes of forcing Herb to move his Rangoon defenders. The new group of Yank fighters, recently landed in Diamond Harbour, and now getting their P-38s airworthy, will then hit Rangoon in a sweep. The bombers and a bombardment from the RN will follow. After this Andaman Island should be able to be invaded without too much landbased interference.
China is a mess. Herb's attempts on Kweiyang have stalled and he has retired back along the West - East trail towards Changsha; he still holds a large block force south of Chungking though. In the South he has 8 units in Wuchow although this is nowhere near the power required to take the place. With his retirement from Kweiyang and the clearing of the trails to Wuchow I no longer have such a pressing supply issue there. Kweilin has sent 3 units south to the rail line and they are digging in. This should stop easy enemy movement along this rail line.
The really interesting location though is still up around Homan, south at the rail intersection, West of Homan - where I have cut off 8 units, and on up to Chengting where 5 units are holding the garrison here so they can't sally forth to oust the intersection holders. Herb knows he only has to bust through this intersection and he can relieve Chengting and probably open up a path to the beleagured units. He has been hammering the defenders from the air - attacks of 100+ Sallies and 40 odd Helens the order of the day. He attacked, with a deliberate attack, 3 times in a row and managed to get a 2-1 odd. I got a further corp there and he has lost more troops than me on subsequent attempts. 2 more corps are on their way and I may yet hold. With all this gallivanting around I don't know whether I can get a sizable enough force onto the cut off Japs to force them to capitulate. The Japs are tough enough to get to roll over when you have massive air armadas and naval bombardments to help you out. The Chinese are a tad less impressive at this kind of job.
The DEI is quiet with only subs venturing in to hit his oil and resource convoys - this has had almost no impact to date. Darwin still acts as a training ground for southern fighters and recently I bombed Lautern with 40 odd Hudsons (from Derby) this was enough to cause Herb to move a fighter unit here and stop my bombing. I have started a recon of Dili as well though just so he worries about landings there. I have no plans for this at present
The South Pacific is host to Heavy bomber raids on Gili Gili, Port Moresby and of late Buna. Buna is a very small base at present but I don't want it growing if I can help it, so some damage to the runways was the idea. Herb moved some Rufes into PM and 6 of them were shot down for the loss of 1 B-17E on the last raid. They still did very impressive damage from 20K feet (500 casualties and numerous facility and supply hits).
A 4 piper DD has set out for another run into PM harbour where he has some PTs stationed covering an attempt to resupply. I have tried this once culling 2 PTs and would like to give it another bash - another notch in the ratchet of pressure.
The liberation of Ndini draws closer. Liberators on search are now unable to find the KB which I think is retiring on Truk. APs plus defenders are at Luganville ready to load the Kiwi brigade tasked for this. The Saratoga and Enterprise are about 3 days out of Noumea where they and the BB force will refuel. A contingent of DMS' will provide mine suppression and 6 subs are bought back to stand off the island. Luganville will provide bombers for continued suppression of the defenders (which appear to only be part of an engineering unit).
In the Central Pacific 2 large transport TFs are currently passing through, 1 to Brisbane with supplies and the the other to Noumea with supplies and more engineers and C-49s. Canton Island is a 5/5 base with 50K supplies and fuel. I am sending in another large TF to bring these both above 100K. Baker is nearly a size airfield. This is all preparation for the invasion of the Gilberts with the first target looking more and more likely to be Apamama. The timetable though looks like Wake Island will be the first target. There only appears to be one lonely base unit here and I have an RCT planning for the offensive. Then the invasion defenders - all currently at Pearl and numbering: 3 CVs, 1 CVE, 8 BBs and numerous smaller escort vessels - will move down to the Gilberts.
In the north invasions of the Kuriles have been called off as too risky at the present time. Bombers based at Adak Island will continue to harrass though and yet more recon will be done. Must give Herb the impression I am interested in EVERYTHING!
This is the fun we have to look forward to in the near future.
Back on the West Coast the Yorktown has really been on the naval yards hit list. It has now dropped from 56 Sys damage to 41. There are still some Wildcats and Avengers in San Fran that the Long Island is on its way to picking up. Essex is 62 days until completion of construction and shakedown trails.
John - I am only in mid November so the unlimited number of Corsairs and Hellcats are a fair way off. The first will arrive soon but they wont be the game breakers they become. I have to agree with Tabpub that the idea of these invasions, and yet again I wonder if I am biting off more than I can chew, are a "bridge too far" - to quote other battlefields. You really require the carriers for the extension of aircover and Herb would love nothing more than to take them on while the KB is still a deathstar [X(] ! There is little doubt that one of these invasions will trigger a move from them. I am counting a little on his knowledge of my play that he will continue to wait until he sees a "large attack" which really isn't slated to arrive. I want footholds and it appears he has left me with some options to take them. If he only sees RCTs landing he may just keep holding them back until it is too late.... he said [8|]
Both sides have been tentative. I think Herb and I will take a few turns to remember where the hell we were - the Pacific War being the obvious answer - but plans for conquest have to be revisited.
So lets go from left to right shall we.
In Karachi two large transport TFs that have made a run to Diamond harbour and Chandpur now load up to do the same for Columbo and Madras. I have a few misgivings about these large transport efforts after PzB taught me that I may just be providing the Japs with booty. I don't think Herb will be quite that adventurous now - he seems to be getting a bit of a defensive mindset.
The fleet has now pulled into Bombay to gain whatever they can in the way of repairs. I will rest them until the effort on Andaman Island which is slated for about 2 weeks time.
I have been slowly building the bombing force back up after it suffered at the hands of the fighters over Rangoon. Morale is still an issue and with the British pilot pool now empty, pilot quality another issue. The extended plan for the bombers is thus: Mandalay is about to get to size 5. From there the Liberators can reach to many of the industrial locations of Siam. The other bombers can reach Hanoi and Bangkok. I am going to open a bombing campaign against these targets in the hopes of forcing Herb to move his Rangoon defenders. The new group of Yank fighters, recently landed in Diamond Harbour, and now getting their P-38s airworthy, will then hit Rangoon in a sweep. The bombers and a bombardment from the RN will follow. After this Andaman Island should be able to be invaded without too much landbased interference.
China is a mess. Herb's attempts on Kweiyang have stalled and he has retired back along the West - East trail towards Changsha; he still holds a large block force south of Chungking though. In the South he has 8 units in Wuchow although this is nowhere near the power required to take the place. With his retirement from Kweiyang and the clearing of the trails to Wuchow I no longer have such a pressing supply issue there. Kweilin has sent 3 units south to the rail line and they are digging in. This should stop easy enemy movement along this rail line.
The really interesting location though is still up around Homan, south at the rail intersection, West of Homan - where I have cut off 8 units, and on up to Chengting where 5 units are holding the garrison here so they can't sally forth to oust the intersection holders. Herb knows he only has to bust through this intersection and he can relieve Chengting and probably open up a path to the beleagured units. He has been hammering the defenders from the air - attacks of 100+ Sallies and 40 odd Helens the order of the day. He attacked, with a deliberate attack, 3 times in a row and managed to get a 2-1 odd. I got a further corp there and he has lost more troops than me on subsequent attempts. 2 more corps are on their way and I may yet hold. With all this gallivanting around I don't know whether I can get a sizable enough force onto the cut off Japs to force them to capitulate. The Japs are tough enough to get to roll over when you have massive air armadas and naval bombardments to help you out. The Chinese are a tad less impressive at this kind of job.
The DEI is quiet with only subs venturing in to hit his oil and resource convoys - this has had almost no impact to date. Darwin still acts as a training ground for southern fighters and recently I bombed Lautern with 40 odd Hudsons (from Derby) this was enough to cause Herb to move a fighter unit here and stop my bombing. I have started a recon of Dili as well though just so he worries about landings there. I have no plans for this at present
The South Pacific is host to Heavy bomber raids on Gili Gili, Port Moresby and of late Buna. Buna is a very small base at present but I don't want it growing if I can help it, so some damage to the runways was the idea. Herb moved some Rufes into PM and 6 of them were shot down for the loss of 1 B-17E on the last raid. They still did very impressive damage from 20K feet (500 casualties and numerous facility and supply hits).
A 4 piper DD has set out for another run into PM harbour where he has some PTs stationed covering an attempt to resupply. I have tried this once culling 2 PTs and would like to give it another bash - another notch in the ratchet of pressure.
The liberation of Ndini draws closer. Liberators on search are now unable to find the KB which I think is retiring on Truk. APs plus defenders are at Luganville ready to load the Kiwi brigade tasked for this. The Saratoga and Enterprise are about 3 days out of Noumea where they and the BB force will refuel. A contingent of DMS' will provide mine suppression and 6 subs are bought back to stand off the island. Luganville will provide bombers for continued suppression of the defenders (which appear to only be part of an engineering unit).
In the Central Pacific 2 large transport TFs are currently passing through, 1 to Brisbane with supplies and the the other to Noumea with supplies and more engineers and C-49s. Canton Island is a 5/5 base with 50K supplies and fuel. I am sending in another large TF to bring these both above 100K. Baker is nearly a size airfield. This is all preparation for the invasion of the Gilberts with the first target looking more and more likely to be Apamama. The timetable though looks like Wake Island will be the first target. There only appears to be one lonely base unit here and I have an RCT planning for the offensive. Then the invasion defenders - all currently at Pearl and numbering: 3 CVs, 1 CVE, 8 BBs and numerous smaller escort vessels - will move down to the Gilberts.
In the north invasions of the Kuriles have been called off as too risky at the present time. Bombers based at Adak Island will continue to harrass though and yet more recon will be done. Must give Herb the impression I am interested in EVERYTHING!
This is the fun we have to look forward to in the near future.
Back on the West Coast the Yorktown has really been on the naval yards hit list. It has now dropped from 56 Sys damage to 41. There are still some Wildcats and Avengers in San Fran that the Long Island is on its way to picking up. Essex is 62 days until completion of construction and shakedown trails.
John - I am only in mid November so the unlimited number of Corsairs and Hellcats are a fair way off. The first will arrive soon but they wont be the game breakers they become. I have to agree with Tabpub that the idea of these invasions, and yet again I wonder if I am biting off more than I can chew, are a "bridge too far" - to quote other battlefields. You really require the carriers for the extension of aircover and Herb would love nothing more than to take them on while the KB is still a deathstar [X(] ! There is little doubt that one of these invasions will trigger a move from them. I am counting a little on his knowledge of my play that he will continue to wait until he sees a "large attack" which really isn't slated to arrive. I want footholds and it appears he has left me with some options to take them. If he only sees RCTs landing he may just keep holding them back until it is too late.... he said [8|]
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