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After the fall of Lunganville the IJN marines moved on to Efate.  And into alot of trouble.  The allies have air trans one regiment of the Americal division into Efate to stop the surge.  in addition, the beginning IJN surface fleet has been attrited by surface units and follow up bombing w/LBA based out of Efate.  This was to be expected. Ikesan99 is positioned to win the naval attrition because of the short return distance to nuema. Ike knows the IJN weaknesses and is using the game system to outplay me on the tactics. My cruisers at Efate ran out of bullets last turn and got shot up by one lone allied cruiser.

My cruisers at Efate ran out of bullets last turn and got shot up by one lone allied cruiser.

By design.

Your oilers can replace the fuel but not the ammo, the closest base you have that can do this is Shortlands and that is far away.

This is the reason why the 1 point sub chasers went in the previous nights to be sunk in hopeless battles, to deplete your guns.

Then the Allied cruisers.

Ikesan99 has made the cost of efate very high.

Since Ike99 now plays the Allies, I am not sure the Moniker Ikesan99 still fits. Future refrence may be Sir Ike99.

The troops at Efate wish they were elsewhere as the B17s just keep coming.

Hanging on by fingernails:

6-19-42:  The Enterprise TF has entered the theatre.  With this influx of 8 extra naval air squadons maximum effort was exerted into Efate to seek a favorable IJA resolution.  The naval garrisons just could not get the job finished w/o heavy IJA brigades.  And the more time Sir IKE99 has the worse it would get on Efate.  The Surface KB was used to bombard and the Air KB was tasked to Naval attack/ground support(passing on the heavy USN CAP), passing on the opportunity to nail the new USN carriers 10 hexes away.  The IJN transports took it on the chin as Jap LB fighters from Luganville CAPed Efate and attrited the unescorted Allied naval air(note no fighter escort). 

And the result:

Holy smokes, good battle so far by you two. Interested reader ,good luck the rest of the way guys.

I never realized the effect of a CD regiment until this turn when the USN shelled Efate.  I think the 8th coastal gun regiment started at Truk.  I accidently loaded the unit and shipped it to Efate.  Those 6 and 4.7 inch guns must be hell on ships.

Foul: yellow card.

This replay may be one that Ike did not get to see because I was moving from home to work or vice versa. I did cause a information error to occur and need to edit this post in admission to the fact that Ike99 has continued to post turns even though he did not see this event. The event in question would have happened, but still Ike did not see this replay.

Play on...

BR, look at your email for turn 6-22-42

The a24 based at PM reached out 8 hexs to damage a Jap CVL. I was under the impression that LBA would only fly 7 hexes.

One Carrier packs alot of punch.
CV Lexington, Bomb hits 2
CV Enterprise, Bomb hits 4, on fire
CV Hornet, Bomb hits 2, on fire

Really I had 4 carriers.  3 refueled and would not launch last turn.  Orders were given for TF1 to swing east of Efate, close w/ the USN for a decisive naval air action. Intel was w/ 4 hits on the Big E the day before maybe the US had only two operational CVs.   
Japanese Ships
CV Akagi, Bomb hits 3, on fire
BB Kongo, Bomb hits 2
Allied Ships
CV Hornet, Bomb hits 13, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
CV Lexington, Bomb hits 18, Torpedo hits 3, on fire, heavy damage
CV Enterprise, Bomb hits 9, Torpedo hits 4, on fire, heavy damage
CA Louisville, Torpedo hits 1
CA Australia, Bomb hits 3, on fire, heavy damage

I have this nasty feeling I really will get my ass kicked in the 2nd half.

Operating off the northwest coast of AUS w/o a threat of USN CV intervention the Flot tender changes  the misson from scout to Naval strike w/60kg bombs.  What the hell, why not.

7-28-42

AP's shoot up allied sub chasers off Townsville.  Good look at the PM Garrison.  7th AUS divison deployed forward into PM.  

The 38th Div has landed in Australia.