War Plan Orange

[herwin]

14 December 1941

Naga captured.

American PTs, in a rendition of the Charge of the Light Brigade, skirmish at Laong. All nine PTs were sunk while damaging an old Japanese DD.

Surprising the rest of the IJN, the 5th Carrier Division hits Wake with a small airstrike.

[String]

How is the air situation in DEI? Do the japanese already hold air superiority over Malaya/Luzon?

[herwin]

ORIGINAL: String

How is the air situation in DEI? Do the japanese already hold air superiority over Malaya/Luzon?

AS over Luzon. Not over Malaya. The base sizes are quite a bit smaller than in CHS, so redeployment sucks.

[herwin]

The pattern is becoming clear. When I give the 5th Carrier Division a Naval Attack mission, it will fly the secondary missions against Wake (or whatever island it is supposed to attack). When I order it to fly the Airfield Attack, Port Attack, or Ground Attack mission directly, not as a secondary mission, it fails to launch. For the current turn, I've switched back to direct orders to see if I can confirm this.

[herwin]

15 December 1941

The district leaders of Vigan send delegates to the Japanese commander to ask for protection from the undisciplined American troops in the area.

The 5th Carrier Division finally accepts primary orders to attack Wake.

[String]

ORIGINAL: herwin

15 December 1941

The district leaders of Vigan send delegates to the Japanese commander to ask for protection from the undisciplined American troops in the area.

The 5th Carrier Division finally accepts primary orders to attack Wake.

*in the finest mr. burns voice* "Eeeexcellent!"

[Bliztk]

Allied Report:

In a furius ASW effort codenamed operation Alabama, nearly six Japanese subs are attacked, and somewhat damaged. I-19 lurks near Seattle and attacks MSWs Chingento and Quansino, but a furious counterattack heavily damages the Japanese intruder.

Several ASW forces are sent to finish it.

Near Singapore another Japanese submarine pays for their boldness attacking an ASW group sinking Wendigo and Goulburn, but the enemy attacker is promptly sunk [Intelligence identifies attacker as I-154]

Wake Island
A new Japanese amphibious landing is repulsed, but the bright news of the day is that the VMF-211 defending Wake Island, it claimed 6 enemy aircraft shot down versus 1 own aircraft

In a more ominous note the Island of Jolo was attacked by Japanese Naval Air forces. Intelligence reports three or four Japanese fleet carriers operating now in the Philipphine Sea Area

[herwin]

My comments to my honourable (?) opponent with the Dec 16 moves:

I'm chasing a bug in the game engine. Unless you truely like excitement, avoid approaching Wake with surface ships for three turns. You can probably take a carrier or two down, but it will cost you. My original goal was to hit Wake hard in passing (similar to history) as the 5th CarDiv moved to a more central location from which it could discourage aggressiveness, but the unwillingness to launch has me intrigued.

By the way, the Hiryu and Soryu were designed to operate as the cores of raider TFs built from fast battleships and heavy cruisers. I had been planning to investigate what that meant, but the game engine's recalcitrance means that I'm deferring fun and games until after I know what works and what doesn't.

A few notes for the peanut gallery:

Operation Alabama has damaged a bunch of I-boats--one sunk. The next time I play this scenario, I'll move the subs to more useful places during the first turn, but this game has a learning cliff. I'm moving them now...

The Jolo base strike was the heavy carriers of the KB visiting. Again, I need to put more effort into my first turn move planning.

I think, in general, I need to understand the turn 1 default plans in more detail. I figured they were generally intelligent--silly me.

[herwin]

16 December 1941

CarDiv 5 launches again and Wake falls!

Nothing else significant this day.

[Bliztk]

This is a sad day for the Allied cause. Wake Island has fallen [:(]

A Japanese all-out assault of Wuchang was repulsed by the ROC defenders.

Meanwhile enemy carrier forces moved to the Celebes Sea, sinking a small TF of merchant shipping, near Tarakan.

On a more bright note, allied anti-ship attacks managed to penetrate the cover and put a fish on japanese Fast Battleship Haruna

A Japanese surface force tries to attack Hong Kong Harbor, but its repulsed with enemy CA Ashigara left burning

[herwin]

ORIGINAL: Bliztk

This is a sad day for the Allied cause. Wake Island has fallen [:(]

A Japanese all-out assault of Wuchang was repulsed by the ROC defenders.

Meanwhile enemy carrier forces moved to the Celebes Sea, sinking a small TF of merchant shipping, near Tarakan.

On a more bright note, allied anti-ship attacks managed to penetrate the cover and put a fish on japanese Fast Battleship Haruna

A Japanese surface force tries to attack Hong Kong Harbor, but its repulsed with enemy CA Ashigara left burning

Pilots are--by definition--optimistic. Ashigara ended up with 8 sys damage and the fish missed.

[herwin]

17 December 1941

The natives of Tabar Island request protection by their Asian brothers of Japan.

The infantry of the 5th division watch in disbelief as heavy artillery in their rear area breaks and runs after an Allied bombardment.

[Bliztk]

Allied Command Reports: Assaults against Davao, Khota Baru and Wuchang are repulsed.

Operation Alabama is nearly concluding as an indisputable success cleaning the Japanese sub pest from Hawaiian waters.

Operation Beagle will be commencing shortly as the required assets are assembled.

[herwin]

17 December 1941

Move along; nothing happening here.

[herwin]

19 December 1941

Hong Kong surrenders.

Samar surrenders.

Tavoy surrenders.

Surface battle at Rabaul--Allies come out poorer.

[herwin]

20 December 1941

Rabaul, Ilagan, and Lucena captured.

21 December 1941

Major air strikes on Manila and Cavite leave warships burning in harbor.

Dutch surface TF surprised by the KB off the northern coast of New Guinea.

Weda, Morotai, and Manokwari captured by Japanese landing forces.

[herwin]

22 December

New Hanover surrenders and Hollandia falls.

23 December

Move along; nothing happening here.

[herwin]

Christmas Day, 1941

Japanese intercept a transport TF attempting to flee Manila.
Gasmata captured by air landing.

[herwin]

December 27th, 1941

Night battle at Kuching: Battleships, meet Long Lances; Long Lances, meet Battleships.

Airstrike on Noumea.

Kota Bharu captured.

Airstrike on Soerabaya.

[String]

ORIGINAL: herwin

December 27th, 1941

Night battle at Kuching: Battleships, meet Long Lances; Long Lances, meet Battleships.

A more detailed combat report perhaps?