Forlorn Hopes: The Japanese Respond

[khyberbill]

That is the spirit. I truly love hearing that song at the beginning, middle, and end of the film. Burning Bridges ROCKS!

True, although the complete score of Lawrence of Arabia is also great, and I love the songs on American Graffiti. I am a war game and a music nut. My wife gets worried that she wont see me for awhile when I am running a WITP turn and listening to Blind Faith or Benny Goodman on the sound system.

[John 3rd]

October 8, 1944
Port Moresby, New Guinea

"COMMANDER!"

"I know Sir. The Army is having issues with attacking Lae.  We're told that nearly all of the Heavy Bombers are involved in the DEI and Southern China Regions."

(Toe Tapping in background)  "Well Commander I have been told that all that firepower didn't protect that Limey Battleship.  Why didn't WE get a Battleship?  I already know the answer.  We didn't because we're not important enough to rate one."  The Admiral sighs and looks out to the battle going on around Port Moresby.  "What is today's count?"

"Well Sir we had a MSW and 2 Freightors sink with another 2 Freightors hit by Torpedoes while returning to Australia.  On the bright side our Fighters did splash 6 bombers and couple of fighters today protecting the Fleet.  Also (he looks for the flimsy) Intelligence reports the Japs are pulling out of Lae due to supply issues"

The Admiral's cap hits the deck and he yells "they are pulling out because of SUPPLY difficulties!??  Good Gawd Almighty.  We're not kicking their little yellow behinds out, we're letting them get away to fight another day.  DAMNED Air Force!  Why couldn't I even get a couple of Escort Carriers?"

[John 3rd]

ORIGINAL: khyberbill

That is the spirit. I truly love hearing that song at the beginning, middle, and end of the film. Burning Bridges ROCKS!

True, although the complete score of Lawrence of Arabia is also great, and I love the songs on American Graffiti. I am a war game and a music nut. My wife gets worried that she wont see me for awhile when I am running a WITP turn and listening to Blind Faith or Benny Goodman on the sound system.

Lawrence of Arabia is magnificent to watch and it does have a stirring score. Every time I watch that film I have to drink LOTS because you can FEEL the sun beating down on you as the film goes on...

[vettim89]

ORIGINAL: John 3rd

ORIGINAL: khyberbill

That is the spirit. I truly love hearing that song at the beginning, middle, and end of the film. Burning Bridges ROCKS!

True, although the complete score of Lawrence of Arabia is also great, and I love the songs on American Graffiti. I am a war game and a music nut. My wife gets worried that she wont see me for awhile when I am running a WITP turn and listening to Blind Faith or Benny Goodman on the sound system.

Lawrence of Arabia is magnificent to watch and it does have a stirring score. Every time I watch that film I have to drink LOTS because you can FEEL the sun beating down on you as the film goes on...

Yeah, but some one should have told Omar Sharrif that wearing solid balck in the desert sun = bad idea. The imagery is beautiful though. Can you imagine what that film would look like with modern camera equipment? Nah, no one would appreciate it

[John 3rd]

I do agree with that thought.

[khyberbill]

Lawrence of Arabia is magnificent to watch and it does have a stirring score. Every time I watch that film I have to drink LOTS because you can FEEL the sun beating down on you as the film goes on...

I was living in Pakistan when I first saw the film. And Pakistan can get hot. I recall once in 6th grade, it was 115 in the class room on the 15th of March...and our school got out at noon. I would bring two plastic quart bottles of water, frozen, to class and both were empty by 10:30. You could see the ice melt. But any place where school gets out at noon is great for a 12 yr old kid.

[khyberbill]

Yeah, but some one should have told Omar Sharrif that wearing solid balck in the desert sun = bad idea. The imagery is beautiful though. Can you imagine what that film would look like with modern camera equipment? Nah, no one would appreciate it

That 70mm film they used was quite good. I dont know if it could be improved on by much today. You dont have the color gamut in the desert that you do else where. If you capture the skin tones, you got the sand too! You dont have to worry much about greens or reds. Blue is easy.

[SierraJuliet]

I’ve just started reading The World Crisis by one Winston S. Churchill and it provides interesting insights to the man albeit that the subject matter is dealing with WWI.

He also brings to life the personalities of the time. In an interesting tie in with the Japanese Navy of the time he recounts the experience of the then Captain [later Admiral] Pakenham who had ‘been fourteen months afloat in the battleship Asahi during the war between Russia and Japan. Although this vessel was frequently in harbour, he would not leave it for fear she might sail without him; and there alone, the sole European in a great ship’s company of valiant, reticent, inscrutable Japanese, he had gone through the long vigil outside Port Arthur, with its repeated episodes of minefields and bombardments, till the final battle in the Sea of Japan.’

With such a long association with the Royal Navy and bearing in mind his real life anguish at the loss of Prince of Wales and Repulse I wonder what his response would have been to this alternate late war loss?

[John 3rd]

That is why I crafted the message to him.  Churchill remained a lover of the Fleet to his dying day.  I am contemplating re-reading his six-volume WWII set.  It is a magnificent read and I love having all the original documents quoted within it.  GREAT stuff!

Who is the author of the book you refer to?

[modrow]

John,

nice to see you run successful ops extracting a price once more. Specifically, the Kamikaze-attack was probably the most successful I remember from an AAR. Well done !

Regarding the oil situation: I think I recall you mentioned a massive oil convoy some time ago - has it already arrived in Japan and is included in your numbers, or is it still out there ? And are there any news on the destination of the Allied death star prowling through YOUR seas ?

Thanks & keep up the good work

Hartwig

[SierraJuliet]

Yum.... six volume WWII set.... it's on my list.

The World Crisis set I have is a five volume set published by The Folio Society London 2007. The first three books deal with the lead up and the conflict itself, the fourth the aftermath and the fifth relates the eastern front. It was first published in 1923. The edition I have was published by arrangement with the Estate of Winston Churchill.

Like you I have found Churchill's writings to be an excellent read. I was surprised at the easy style. The personal insights of many people, who I have only previously known about as historical figures only, helps to understand the reasons why the history of that time went the way it did. These books also have a healthy dose of reprints of original letters used by Churchill and others.

With a much anticipated victory in his sights I imagine the loss of H.M.S. Howe would have cut him to the quick.

[John 3rd]

I vastly enjoy his writing and ability to say "I screwed up" or the enlightening portraits of the leaders/politicians of the day.  Great stuff.  I used a portion of Books 2 and 3 for a paper I wrote in Grad School on the Fall of Singapore once and the vehement argument between PM Curtain of Australia and PM Winston over the deployment of the 2 Aussie Divisions returning home from the Middle East.

[John 3rd]

Combat Report
October 9, 1944


Hong Kong
It has been quite a while since the Imperial Navy has had a surface clash and this day certainly provides it.  The Japanese Striking Force is comprised of CA Aoba, CL Yura, 5 DD and CL Jintsu with 4 DD.  This night they do battle with an initial force of 2 CL (Java and Ceylon) and 9 Brit/Dutch DD.  The battle is fought in two actions:

Fight 1:  The Aoba group gets surprise on the Brits to start with and the results are delightful to watch!  Before the British know what hit them 3 DD take Long Lance Torps (Voyager/Tenedos/Pathfinder) and the battle is joined.  A total of 6 Gunnery Rounds occur with the Japanese doing pretty well.  CL Yura sinks due to a Torp hit and 1 DD takes Heavy Damage in exchange for the earlier listed DD as well as CL Java on Fire and 2 more DD Heavily Damaged.

Fight 2:  The reverse occurs to open the second action.  As the Japanese Captain onboard Jintsu tries to sneak into the anchorage, he is surprised by the remainder of the British STF.  Two of his DDs are crippled in the opening round and then combat is earnestly joined.  This fight lasts 7 rounds.  The Japanese lose 3 DD and another crippled.  CL Jintsu sails through the fight without being touched!  The British Lose another DD, see CL Java Heavily Damaged, and have 3 more DD crippled.

While no AP/AK are found, the action was enjoyable to watch.  Totals:  Japanese losses CL Yura, 4 DD, and have 3 on the verge of sinking.  The British lose 4 DD, suffer heavy damage to a CL, and have 5 DD crippled.  Even exchange for the most part...

The remaining Japanese ships escape air attack and will rendezvous at Legaspi to refuel and join-up with another pair of CL and 2 DD.

SE Iwo Jima
A small TF is attacked by 10 2E Recon Kamikazes and 24 DB.  Two Kamikazes slam into a DE causing serious damage while the DB hit 2 LCI and 2 LSM.  One of the LSM sinks that day.

Port Moresby
This base falls under the combined weight of an Aussie Corps:  2 1/2 Inf Div, 1 TK Birg, HQ, and 2 Base Force.  Another damaged AK sinks and the Japanese bombers work on their low morale at Rabaul.

ASW ACTION
SS Sawfish is crushed SW of Davao by 36 DC Hits.

Another SS is hit by LBA at Palau.

Tokyo
Little do the Allies know but the Japanese have pulled their fighters out of the capaital for a few days when the attacks come in.  The normal Sweep by 74 Thunderbolts catches air, then follows 167 4EB doing 19 Resources and AF damage, and finally 133 B-29 hit 63 Heavy Industry.  Will wait a day or two and then move my Fighters back into the area.

[John 3rd]

Just so everyone knows, Dan is going to be gone the next couple of days so I will have the chance to do detailed updates as well as screenshots.  Should be interesting to do and a few days relaxing will be OK.
 

[John 3rd]

When was the last time the AAR had fallen to page Two?!!  Had to fix that.  Dan is back and we got a turn in this morning.  Should do another this afternoon so I will post an update at that point.
 

[John 3rd]

I had planned to update the AAR tonight after Dan and I got in two turns today but things were so calm I didn't have too much to report.

The Invasion Force is now on the same hex row as Benkolen, Sumatra so it is plugging along at 1/1 movement.  The Kaigun has departed Java and is now a few hexes south of Java moving at cruise speed (2/2) and slowly closing the range with the Invasion Force.  Between the two forces are my AOs carrying 115,000 fuel.  I plan to link the Kaigun up with the AOs and have them move together.

No major moves or attacks anywhere else on the map.  China is pretty quiet with no major attack on Canton yet.  Supply sucks there but I have nearly 2,000 AS, Forts 9 abnd it is an urban hex.  Perhaps it will hold for a few weeks...

After a four week haitus in the SE Pac, Dan began landing at Luganville with a small Landing Force.  I have 4 DD at Lunga and they might take a swipe at the TF.

[John 3rd]

We have slowed down our turns this week with getting about 2 in per day so not a lot to report. Here is the current scene at canton. It is frightening!

[John 3rd]

Here is the the movement going on. As you can see we are making slow but steady progress!

Should also note that October 16th saw a big attack on Nagasaki. Standard tactics were followed:

Fighter Sweep 85 P-47 vs. 136 Fighters Shot down 11 P-47 for 98 Fighters

China B-29s 33 Fighters attack 88 B-29s and shot down 6 of them in exchange for a Port attack hitting CVE Unyo repeatedly

Sakhalin B-29s 32 Fighters attack 229 B-29 and do really well dropping 9 of them for many more hits on poor Unyo.

The Port takes hits each time and all this effort does net the Unyo sinking. Poor little CVE has moved from Port-to-Port trying to get repaired with little progress.

Screenshot:

[Panther Bait]

The last ride of the Samurai to defend the honor of the Empire, I suppose.  Somehow very fitting for the Japanese to set out on.
 
Mike
 

[John 3rd]

This plan has already gotten farther then I anticipated.  Gathering the men, supplies, fuel, ships, and planes took forever and only twice did Dan spot the Kaigun while it loitered at Soerabaja.  Am thankful for that.  The only real chance of discovery for the next 10 days is bumping into a convoy or random TF.  Beyond that the next hurdle should be about October 26th when we start getting close to Ceylon...