Intellectus Ex Nihilo (Wal-Mart on Ice)

[BBfanboy]

ORIGINAL: adarbrauner

ORIGINAL: BBfanboy

I wonder if he lost track of DS when it went to port to restock ammo. Seems like a foolish use of good DDs, even if he was willing to lose the old CL.
I suppose his other thought might be a desperate bid to get into DS and torpedo some carriers or find the crippled carriers from the kamikaze strikes.

Did it go to port?

not yet.

But where is Japanese air based, no sweeps over captured bases, no CAP over the ships?!?

No coordinated kami attacks with ships attacks (maybe he was counting to duck before dawn)?

Post 1941 has Canoerebel musing about whether DS can replenish ammo at level 3 port Samah. Post 1948 has him saying DS has replenished. There is no mention of AE and replenishment at sea, so I conclude that DS did visit Samah at that crucial point in time after the huge air/naval battles just before.

[Canoerebel]

Yup, BBfanboy is right. DS spent two turns in port at Samah, level 3 port, 400 naval support, and a bunch of AKEs and AEs. Everything replenished except a scattering of main-gun BB shells (only a few of those had been expended). I didn't think having my carriers in port near the front was risky, as 400+ excellent LBA fighters were on CAP and Dave's air force seemed fairly depleted after along series of costly attacks.

[jwolf]

Asia: The dude keeps coming, keeps getting in some licks, and keeps paying a heavy price. He's lost a lot of cruisers and destroyers in this two-week old battle.

This looks like the Japanese naval equivalent of Stalin's "not one step back" order. It's the naval hill to die on, and they're doing it. In fairness, without fuel the Japanese navy can't do much anyway. Maybe they were to the point of use it or lose it?

[Canoerebel]

12/12/44 to 12/19/44

A lot of important moving parts but mostly off the front lines, so here's a quick summary.

China: The Western Allied army has moved in strength to block the good road into China from Indochina. Dave has a large army in the contested hex and the Vietnamese city a hex to the "west." I don't think he can break through. Allied supply landed at Kwangchowan seems to be filtering through the hexes into China, giving me some supply issues. DS will return with supply in perhaps a week. Until then, the Allies will maintain the defensive posture.

Singapore: Vanguard of the Allied army is now arriving at Johore Bharu. Dave has a bunch of divisions at Singers - perhaps five. I bet forts are high. And supply is high enough that he brought in some strike aircraft today. It hit a retiring empties TF, sinking ten small craft, an xAP, and a DD (but he lost nearly 2x points in planes). This will be a long, tough siege. Reinforcements are coming from Palembang to Mersing, which Sparrow Battalion took. These troops are 100% prepped and include two divisions.

Rangoon: Allied army has attacked twice, achieving 2:1 odds once and then 1:1 odds, dropping forts from 6 to 4. This base will fall before the end of the year.

DS & Triage Herd: The intricate and modestly risky exchange of inbounds and outbounds took place east of Singers, a few hexes. Nearly all of the outbounds (empties and triage) are now well on their way to Singers (except that one LCI-type TF that got whacked by Singers aircraft). The inbounds are mostly supply TFs plus some reinforcing carriers. DS will cover additional landings at Mersing and then will return to Hainan Island vicinity.

Summary: The Allied armies in Burma and Malaya will handle their goals (Rangoon: short term; Singapore: long term) and then move into Thailand and Indochina to take care of things there. A sizeable Japanese army is "trapped" in Indochina. The Allies have a strong blocking position on the road in China. The Allied army there will maintain that position. Reinforcements coming into China will move east, threating the Japanese MLR. The Allies lead 54k to 37k, so need about 20k for victory. I think AV will happen in the first six months of 1945.

[Canoerebel]

12/20/44

One small thing warrants an update. [:)]

USS Pennsylvania: She finished repairs today, three years post Pearl Harbor. She had remained at Pearl for more than two years, always bumped to the back of the repair roll. Eventually she was sent to Alameda, at about the same time Alabama went to San Fran and New Jersey to Bremerton.

Rangoon: 3:1 attack drops forts to 3. The base should fall in a day or five.

Singapore: More enemy kamikazes sortie, damaging an LST at the expense of 30 aircraft. Opening Allied attack at Johore tomorrow.

[BBfanboy]

In post 1964, I hope you mean the empties and triage ships are bound for Soerabaja, not Singers! [:D]

[Canoerebel]

Oops, yes, Soerabaja.

Soerabaja's level 64 shipyard is full of ships in need of moderate FLT and/or ENG repairs. It's finished repairing most of the carriers now (but CV Formidable will take another 40 days or more). BB Indiana might take half a year or more, so it probably won't get repaired. Three CLs will be ready in about three weeks. After that, I may give CA Pensacola priority. She might need four months. She was gravely damaged and left in no-man's-land near Ternate many months ago. She hid out at a dot hex while Dave was seeking, finding and sinking a badly damaged CVE at the same dot. Somehow she survived and made it to Boela, then eventually to Darwin, and then recently to Soerabaja. I'd like to see her back in action.

[BBfanboy]

Saving heavily damaged ships and eventually getting them back into action is one of the most satisfying "games within the game". [:)]

[John 3rd]

I truly agree with that BB! Lots of great stories on saving a ship, repairing it and bringing it back into action.

[Canoerebel]

12/26/44

South China Sea: DS is on its way back to Samah, escorting a bunch of supply TFs. And the big Allied army at Johore is moving out for Singapore.

[Canoerebel]

12/20/44 to 12/26/44

SEAC: The Allies have isolated Indochina from China and have a chance at causing some issues while rolling east. Dave has a big army in Indochina and Thailand. It would be nice to pocket and eradicate them but he'll ultimately withdraw into the jungles, where it isn't worth the time or resources to dig him out. The Allied army from Singers and Burma will eventually, when finished with their current tasks, move into China. That's a good six weeks to two months away.

[Canoerebel]

12/27/44 to 12/29/44

Singapore: Allied shock attack is violent and messy. Enemy defenses are very strong (9 forts!) but adjusted AV isn't as impressive as I'd have expected. It'll be a long siege but worth it to take the base and vanquish six divisions plus.

Dave lost a lot of troops on Java. He has 120k isolated at Singers. He has several hundred k somewhat isolated in Thailand and Indochina. And it looks like his forward MLR in China isn't rock solid. I don't know how far the Allies can penetrate with the forces on hand, but there's some reason for hope - the Chinese MLR is proximate, so that the two forces can combine.

[Canoerebel]

12/30/44

Strategic Bombing: The first mission of the war (daylight, low altitude, extended range) is pretty successful.

[adarbrauner]

The China's map isn't good for Japan

[Canoerebel]

If he doesn't have the troops to stop the Allies cold short, yes. Otherwise, it might turn into a long campaign for relatively low-value real estate.

Overall, the campaign in China might've been the most significant of the war. Through skill or luck or both, the Chinese stopped the Japanese cold and created and held a forward MLR. That may pay dividends now, beyond what's already happened (mainly, lack of resources and fuel for Japan).

From June 1 through the end of the year, the Allies built a lead of 19k. They are 18k from victory. They may be able to close the deal prior to May 11, 1945, which up to now is my earliest AV (vs. John III).

[HansBolter]

There are some bases on the Chinese coast in the area covered by your intel report that are not major and are likely lightly defended that connect to the high speed road that would make juicy targets for a leapfrog past Hong Kong.

I'm sure you know that already and are likely targeting them for near future ops.

Scrolled back up to find a map showing that area and Amoy is the one I'm thinking of that's connected to the high speed road.

[Capt. Harlock]

Allied shock attack is violent and messy. Enemy defenses are very strong (9 forts!) but adjusted AV isn't as impressive as I'd have expected. It'll be a long siege but worth it to take the base and vanquish six divisions plus.

The IJA has three tank divisions there?? I would have thought there would be a better use for them elsewhere. Fully agree that lots of bombing is in order -- Bombardment Attacks look risky.

[Canoerebel]

I don't know yet. If he has a lot of supply, Singers may turn out to be a major "suck" of Allied power that might've been used better elsewhere. IE, if the siege takes two months or so, the Allies win the contest as the points harvest is massive, the time commitment acceptable, and the Allied army soon-enough free to move on. But if the siege takes four months or so, Dave's efforts are justified. He ties up a very big Allied army for a long time; I would've been better off bypassing Singers, isolating it, and moving on. We'll see.

[Canoerebel]

12/31/44 to 1/5/45

Asia: The siege is ongoing at Singers; an Allied army is gathering NW of Bangkok, preparatory to moving there eventually; the combined Western and Chinese armies have combined and will campaign towards Kukong; and the Strategic Bombing campaign is in its early stages (only a few bases in range).

The Allies have one final army gathering at Soerabaja for amphibious ops. There are a variety of options: reinforce Singers for a quicker fall (chancy, as it could bog down the army for a long time); reinforce China (some merit and under serious consideration); and invade Luzon (leaning that way, as Manila is a key points center and there are all the other bases in the vicinity and to the south.

Long term, Formosa is planned. Very long term, if the game lasts long enough: Korea.

The Allied lead is 20.3k. The amount needed for AV at the moment is 17.6k.

[Canoerebel]

1/6/45 to 1/20/45

Allied Ops: Death Star & The Herd of Empties retired to Soerabaja without incident. The fleet has been there about three turns and is still in the process of refueling and triaging minor wear and tear. The fleet is likely to depart for the next op within a week.

Transports are bringing forward a host of units - mostly armor and infantry divisions - from what are now backwater ports. This includes armies at Darwin prepped for Sorong and the army at Balikpapan.

It seems that Allied forces are properly positioned and configured to reduce Singapore in a timely fashion, to create issues for Dave in western China, to move on Luzon/Manila, and to prosecute Strategic Warfare on a modest scale. The Superforts can only reach the southernmost bases from Hainan Island, but thus far the results have been encouraging - nearly 2k points with minimal losses. It's easy to score points targeting Manpower at a major base like Nagasaki. There are only about 10 bases of that kind, so those merit special treatment in a game.

The fleet that sallies from Soerabaja in a week will be immensely stronger than the one that just returned from Hainan Island. Bennington and Randolph just arrived and a bunch of the triage carriers are now ready for action.

There's a lot to do, and Dave is going to fight hard, but it appears that the Allies are positioned for the end game. Just 16k to auto victory.