Where'd I put that sword again? Erkki(evil IJ) vs Iroquois(A) no Iroquois

[Erkki]

Dec 16 1941


A more or less promising day. I'm finally starting to rectify the early mistakes with understrength invasions especially in the PI and the allied airpower in PI, Burma and DEI is starting to feel the losses, and I've located at least the majority of the enemy fighter and strike aircraft.


China: Sinkiang 1:1 and forts fall. The base may fall tomorrow but I'm not too worried about the situation. Theres plenty of force to stop these KMT units later and this attacking force will not be defending elsewhere. Near Changsha a big stack of 4 corps is routed with heavy losses.

Burma: Toungoo + Rangoon have nearly 100 fighters together. Thats the AVG.

Malaya Tientsin(or something) captured, IJ armored units in pursuit and followed the enemy to the next hex already. Kuantan invaded!!!! The force is not strong enough to take the base though. Interesting that the Allies havent pulled back the infantry unit. Enemy bombers strike the invasion TF and sink an APD and 2 xAKs. Reinforcements arrive tomorrow and I'll provide a CAP.

Zeros and Ki-43s from Singkawang sweep Singapore and shoot down 21 enemy aircraft for 7 losses(3 pilots lost). For tomorrow we'll be placing a CAP-trap with the IJN battleships.

A Dutch submarine hits CA Takao. Damage is minor but she hopefully wont be seeing combat for months.

DEI: CVL Charlotte and her escorts retreat! Theres a lot of shipping in southern PI still though. Lets see if we can catch some of it. Jolo now has D3As, B5Ns and Ki-15 recces.

PI: Purto Princesa captured. 4 Kingfishers are lost on ground. On Luzon, Zeros shoot down 4 Seagulls that strike unloading TFs at Vigan.

[Erkki]

Dec 17 1941


China: Not much. Bombers are effective when attacking KMT units in open ground...

Burma: RN bombardment TF with BB Prince of Wales visits Port Moresby and completely wiped out a JAAF aviation support company. That small TF alone did more damage than any of my own bombardments ever. Luckily no flying boats are lost and I doubt the Allies are about to invade the place any soon.

Malaya: It seems that bad weather ground not only most of IJ sweeps to Singapore but also British air attacks on IJ shipping. Just a handful of Hudsons from Johore Bahru(apparenly?) sortie but fail to score hits. Zeros score 6-0 vs. Buffalos and Hurricanes over Singapore. 2 Dutch submarines are hit multiple times, but they also torpedo an old CM cruiser off Kuching. IJ invasion forces at both Kuhching and Kuantan receive reinforcements.

DEI: just south of the PIs there are lots and lots of ships sighted(mainly xAKs and such in twos or small groups) but weather grounds all attacks from CVs as well as from Jolo. Hope for a better day tomorrow.

PI: Zeros shoot down 3 P-40s over Clark and 2 Catalinas over Vigan to no loss. A B-17 is damaged also.

Pacific: Guam falls, finally!

[Capt. Harlock]

RN bombardment TF with BB Prince of Wales visits Port Moresby and completely wiped out a JAAF aviation support company. That small TF alone did more damage than any of my own bombardments ever.

Speak softly and carry big guns! [;)]

[Erkki]

ORIGINAL: Capt. Harlock

RN bombardment TF with BB Prince of Wales visits Port Moresby and completely wiped out a JAAF aviation support company. That small TF alone did more damage than any of my own bombardments ever.

Speak softly and carry big guns! [;)]

[:D][:D] *cough*



Also oops, I of course meant Port Blair, we havent quite reached Port Moresby yet! [:)]

[Erkki]

Dec 18 1941

China: that one base in the center falls... While IJ troops enter Changsha hex. I dont think I can take it any time soon but the more defenders KMT pours in the more he cant supply. Secondary offensive in the south from Canton starting in a couple of days.

Malaya: Kuching and 2 other bases on Borneo fall, while on Malaya Kuantan reinforced, Ki-27s shoot down 9 Wildebeests that bomb the transports. Swordfish bombers arrive later and destroy an xAK. 2 Dutch submarines are hurt badly off Singkawang. Allies send what looks like a Cruiser SAG in the middle of the Singapore-Palembang-Singkawang triangle, but the IJN BBTF(that was a CAP trap but weather apparently grounded the bombers) is gone already. CA SAG ordered to intercept(I dont want to have my BBs involved in nocturnal action against cruisers, they work better as bomb sponges...).

DEI: Manado invaded! Yet again understrength invasion but wave 2 is 2 days away already. Lots of xAKs and stuff sighted yet again from Jolo and CVs but no strikes launch.

PI: Zeros shoot down 5 P-40s over Clark. 750 AV at Vigan and about 450 more unloading within 3 days.

Pacific: Tulagi invaded! IJ aircraft sight ships in Santa-Cruz Islands but no strikes. I suppose they're just PGs and DDs or something.

[Erkki]

Dec 19 1941

Good day for the Japanese!

China: not much aroung. A KMT corps get routed in the center. Tsiatsao deliberate attack destroys 2 forts. Can fall tomorrow!

Burma/India: IJN sub sinks AMC Manoora off Ceylon!!

Malaya: CVL Charlotte reappears and her SBDs with Wildcat escorts arrive over Singkawang to bomb IJN warships! However the CAP of 9 Zeros shoots down 1 Wildcat and 12 SBDs. [:D] Over Malaya we again trade 2 Zeros for about 12 Allied fighters. Kuantan attack is stopped but Allies are losing this one.

DEI: IJN sub sinks an xAKL.

Pacific: A section of KB returning from its mission gets sighted by Allied "float planes" about 500nm North of Santa Cruz Islands. Interesting. A very lucky Catalina from Ndeni or Espiritu Santo or maybe even Munda? Or a SAG/CVTF. Hmm...

[Erkki]

Dec 20 1941


China: Nanyang falls!! Shattered 700 AV of KMT units retreat the wrong way: to East(map). Road to Sian is open! KMT has 2400 AV in Changsha vs. 1200 jap. I wonder if they can supply them all? Ki-27s shoot down 2 DB-3M bombers.

Malaya/DEI: CVL Charlotte retreats to Batavia. IJN Heavy BB SAG is attacked by Dutch bombers but they all miss. Manado invasion reinforced: the base should fall tomorrow. Zeros shoot down 2 Catalinas and 2 Hudsons over Manado. Kudat falls into IJ hands.

PI: On Luzon, theres still no sign of the Allies retreating to either Clark Field or Manila. They've moved a little and taken positions in defensive terrain though. IJA will attempt breakthrough on the Northern front in 2 days.

[Erkki]

Dec 21 1941

China: KMT corps routed in the south.

Burma: AVG escorts some Blenheim bombers from Rangoon to an (empty) IJ airfield... My opponent is very aggressive with his air units!

Malaya: Ki-43s sweep Singapore and lose 7 of their number for 7 Buffalos. Oops! Brits and Dutch attack IJN SAGs that swept boldly near Singapore and south near Batavia(attempting to catch CVL Charlotte) and were retreating: Zeros shoot down 8 Wildebeests and BB AA fire downs 3 Dutch bombers. A CA suffers 1 bomb hit. Nice! IJN submarines show their incompetence by attacking 4 different xAPs and xAKs and scoring just 1 hit.

DEI: Manado falls!

PI: Zero sweep over Clark shoots down 5 P-40s for no loss. B-17s bomb IJ troops again but lose 2 or 3 of their number for the Zero-CAP. Catalinas attack shipping at Bedeloap and sink an xAKL.

New Britain: Kavieng invaded! The base should fall tomorrow.



My opponent has been highly aggressive with his air units... He has managed to sink some ships with his strike aircraft and flying boats(but has also ran into Zeros occasionally) as well as put up CAP at times when I thought it'd have been unsensible, which has resulted in bomber casualties when escorts failed and sweeps arrived after bombers. I believe that he has mostly managed to considerably reduce the short-term effectiveness of his air forces while achieving only minor victories that have effected IJ capabilities only indirectly(bomber losses over Clark and some Ki-21s over Singapore, some mostly small and always already empty transports destroyed). The Japanese have plenty of xAKLs still. Heres the Allied air losses so far:

[Erkki]

Dec 22 1941


China: -

Burma: 3 Blenheims strike advancing IJ troops. IJAAF CAP is far out though. IJN sub attacks a CL off Ceylon but misses. Again.

Malaya/DEI: IJN attacks! BB SAG catches a retreating TF with xAPs and a CL but they escape in the night with just 4 hits on an xAP. No troop losses so I suppose the ships were empty. Wheres CL Ceres in the beginning of the war?

Dutch bombers hit the SAG en masse both AM and PM phases and fail to score a single hit. At least 2 get shot down by flak. IJN submarine hits an xAK off the western coast of Sumatra. Subs attack 4 more times but score just more and more misses and duds...

On Malaya, Kuantan finally falls! Looks like the Allies are actually putting up a defensive line near Kuala Lumpur. Interesting...

PI: Cagayan attack scores only 1:2 but the losses favor IJ. San Fernando attack goes very well and the base will almost surely fall as soon as the fresh division reinforces the attackers.

Pacific: Kavieng falls! The Allies have moved the USAAF A-24 Banshees to Rabaul. They attack the unloading TF(warships and AMCs) but fail to score hits. 1 gets shot down by AA fire.


Bad weather again grounded most of the air attacks today, but tomorrow should be interesting. Reinforcements have arrived and Allied air and naval strength has more or less been either neutralized or located elsewhere(A-24s, Force Z, CVL Charlotte, CW torpedo bomber stringbags, AVG, PI P-40s, Singa's Buffalos and Hurris and the Dutch fighters and bombers). The operation to take Palembang is a go!

[Erkki]

Dec 23 1941


China: the day doesnt go too brilliantly. In Changsha the deliberate attack meets almost 3k worth of KMT AV and gets shattered badly... Its the first time ever that I meet these forces. All my previous opponents have just ran to the hills so I underestimated the KMT strength badly. The good news is that in the North and Center the Chinese are not retreating, and their army group on the plains is in serious risk of getting entirely surrounded and cut off. There is just 1 long dirt road from Sian supplying an army of possibly 500,000 or more. IJA needs to advance 2 more hex and the only way out will be through rough forests, and the KMT probably cant do it without first suffering massive casualties on the plains. Hopefully.

Burma: IJ recce regiment reaches the Bay of Bangal! Hurricane I fighters escort Blenheims on their strike mission that fails to score hits.

Malaya/DEI: IJN SAG enters Palembang hex and takes out 3 PGs(looked like small destroyers). A CA and a CL hit mines. CA will be OK but I give the CL only 50/50% chances to make it. Well, rather a CL when invading Palembang than a xAP full of troops. Palembang still has 7 ships(mostly tankers but reportedly a CA among them?!?) in port. Minesweepers and the invasion TF are a GO for landings just 1 hex out now.

Massed Dutch bombers sortie again against IJ BB SAG but again fail to score hits. 1 strike goes after the Amphib. TF but apparently past action has reduced their fighting morale as the whole unit turned back when a Ki-43 on LRCAP mission shot down 1 of them.

Englishmen dont fly CAP nor strikes. Singapore still has 50+ bombers and 30 fighters. Maybe they were all set to escorts strikes that didnt launch due to bad weather or targets being out of set max range?

IJN CVTF launches a strike on shipping at Singapore that destroys the HDMLs and some AMs. Looks like Singapore only has xAKs left now(30-ish).

PI: -

Pacific: IJN submarine sights 4 DMs that are on their way to mine Wake! Those sneaky basterds! [:)]

[Erkki]

IJA enters Changsha, just before the unexpected ambush by the cowardly KMT!

[Erkki]

Dec 24 1941


China: Chinese bombers show up over Changsha and 2 manage to get themselves shot down by the AAA units I included with the troops.

Burma: -

Malaya/DEI: the operation to take Palembang is a success!!! The large MSW TF sweeps almost every single mine(there were about 250 of them) and just one TB hits a mine. It didnt sink but is in bad shape, hopefully it can survive a day so I can disband it at Palembang once the port is secured by the troops. All troops have been unloaded with little casualties and we have 520 AV vs. 52 Allied. Hah! 2 large TKs leave Palembang but are gunned down by IJN CA SAG.

Allied bombers keep attacking IJ shipping but they only manage 1 25kg hit on a BB. Zeros shoot down many bombers. IJAAF Ki-21s hit Singapore and meet no CAP. 4 Buffalos are destroyed on ground and lots of fighters and bombers are damaged.

Also, theres now a mass-exodus of shipping fleeing Singapore towards India along the Malacca Strait. Air units will try to attack them tomorrow!

PI: B-17s and Catalinas keep attacking IJN shipping wherever they find it.. Zeros shoot down at 2 Catalinas and 2 B-17Ds.

South Pacific: Something goes wrong. Despite the settings, a CA squadron moved at flank speed the whole day and finds itself in the Rabaul hex and AHEAD of the bombardment TF, with no air cover. Banshees strike the TF twice and score 4 hits on 2 CAs. 1 CA is badly damaged(luckily only 27 floatation damage). I'll attempt to save both ships to Kavieng and bait the Banshees to attack something else... I dont mind hurt ships as long as I dont lose any important ones for good.

[Erkki]

Dec 25 1941


China: Tsiatso falls!!! The KMT force near Nanyang is shattered!! IJA pays back the humiliation near Changsha and inflicts greats losses to the enemy. There is a massive pocket of KMT troops forming in the Northern section and we may have just enough force, together with the IJAAF, to contain them!

Burma: Ki-43s sweep Rangoon and shoot down 4 Hurricanes for no loss! IJN sub nails a tiny 1-point TK near Ceylon.

Malaya/DEI: Palembang falls, and the oil wells and refineries are intact(minus 8 that need repairs), banzai!! Theres enough aviation support and AAA already to give effective protection even from enemy 4Es I hope. It helps that my opponent has already managed to lose at least 17 B-17s. A big French tanker is destroyed.

Dutch air units keep attacking, today with better fighter cover, and they'd have been absolutely shattered against the massed carrier-borne CAP hadnt their fighting morale been so low that each group turned back once the first aircraft was shot down. They still suffer pretty heavy losses considering their overall numbers and losses they've suffered already: 3 bombers and 7 fighters today.

Over Singapore the 9-plane IJNAF section arrives first AGAIN and loses 4 Zeros. Ki-43s arrive second and yet again clear the skies without a single plane getting hit.

Near Java IJN submarine destroys a big-looking unescorted xAP.

Netties attack the shipping in the Malacca Straits and destroy 4-5 small ships, mainly xAKLs.


PI: San Fernando falls!! The battle results are very one-sided and smashed Allied force retreats to Lingayen where a much bigger force seems to wait. I wonder why the Allied troops on Luzon havent retreated to Clark, Manila or Bataan yet? Can anyone come up with something?

South Pacific: Rabaul is invaded, though the place is absolutely flooded with French(!) and apparently Aus/NZ/Brit/whatever subs that manage to nail a medium sized xAP. The AI doesnt assign it escorts so 2nd movement phase it gets attacked again and is lost. Rabaul invasion force lost about 1/4 of its strength aboard that ship. CAs make it safely to Kavieng while bombardment TF hits Rabaul fairly well - no aircraft are hit and troops are just sratched, but hopefully they incflicted a lot of disruption and fatigue. Tomorrow its 120 vs. 60 AV shock attack!

Central Pacific: BBs New Mexico and Idaho together with very heavy escorts bombard Wake. The damage is surprisingly light considering that every ship shot with every weapon and that it was an Allied TF(they seem to bombard better for whatever reason) and no naval infantry devices are lost for good, just disablements. USN SS Tautog hits the minefield the Allies laid themselves at Wake... Reported sunk but I dont think she is yet. [:D]

But well well, I wonder who is this? (See picture below) [8D]

[ny59giants]

Central Pacific: BBs New Mexico and Idaho together with very heavy escorts bombard Wake. The damage is surprisingly light considering that every ship shot with every weapon and that it was an Allied TF(they seem to bombard better for whatever reason) and no naval infantry devices are lost for good, just disablements

Two things that may be at play here. Did it CR show the FPs did spotting for the BBs?? He may forgot to set them to night and set a specific target. Second, I set my BB FPs to train for Recon early on. Very low skill at beginning.

[Erkki]

ORIGINAL: ny59giants

Central Pacific: BBs New Mexico and Idaho together with very heavy escorts bombard Wake. The damage is surprisingly light considering that every ship shot with every weapon and that it was an Allied TF(they seem to bombard better for whatever reason) and no naval infantry devices are lost for good, just disablements

Two things that may be at play here. Did it CR show the FPs did spotting for the BBs?? He may forgot to set them to night and set a specific target. Second, I set my BB FPs to train for Recon early on. Very low skill at beginning.

Hey! We have a HR against night flying. May be changing that later but I prefered it over a more complex one limiting night flying somehow. I just want to avoid the sillyness that are the whole night bombers vs. night fighters thing and results of night bombing of air fields and to a lesser extent ports...

I guess that he simply had very poor detection level on Wake and had a bad roll or two. Maybe weather played a role too?

[Erkki]

Dec 26 1941


China: More Chinese troops get routed on the Northern front... Bombing targets adjusted and 2 small light bomber groups moved to reinforce. I'll keep hitting any units in open terrain near my own troops.

Burma: obviously the Allies learned of yesterday, because today the they first swept and then escorted the Blenheims to bomb the advancing IJ troops... No hits scored. IJN submarines destroy another small TK near Ceylon.

Malaya: The Allies put up their fighter CAP over Singapore again but today IJAAF bombers stay on the ground. CV Zeros and Khota Bharu's Ki-43s sweep them and 4 Zeros(3 pilots) are lost for 16 Allied fighters, Buffalos, Blenheims IFs and Hurricane IIbs. There cant be many left any more. Some Hudsons and Blenheims sortie to attack IJN BB SAG near Singkawang but Ki-43 CAP destroys several.

The 3 last Allied ships attempt to escape Palembang hex: they are 2 large British oil tankers and CMc Pro Patria. All of them are easily gunned down by IJN CAs.

IJNAF Netties strike the shipping in the Malacca Strait but most of them are pretty far already and bad weather grounds most strikes. A CM is destroyed.

DEI: recon aircraft photograph Batavia and Soerebaja, revealing concentrations of troops as well as shipping. Batavia is filled with bombers, Soerebaja with fighters(CVL Charlotte is probably there or nearby, or near Timor).

PI: On Mindanao, Cagayan falls!! Mindanao will be fully under IJ control within a week.

South Pacific: Rabaul falls!!!!!!! And rather easily that if you ask me. I think it has just 2 units when the war starts so the Allies had moved 2 small inf units to reinforce.

IJN submarine destroys an xAK near Fiji.

Central Pacific: the massive USN shipping blob didnt head direct West and towards Pearl as was expected, but moves just 4 hex or so to SW. 3 CVs sighted by E14Y floatplanes again.

Near San Diego, IJN sub destroys an xAK.

[Erkki]

Here are the Allied air losses so far... OTOH IJ air units are in pretty good shape still, theres surprisingly few pilot losses and the figures include a number of less meaningful transports lost over Port Blair. The Allies use their air force ruthlessly: they had Catalinas set to recon Truk from Rabaul and that unit was overrun today by IJN SNLF troops. Thats the 4th or 5th or so Allied air unit to be caught on the ground by my troops.

Allied air strength in Malaya and PI should be pretty much kaputt by now, do you agree? Notice the heavy patrol plane losses.

[Erkki]

Dec 27 1941

China: not much, IJ enters Kukong hex in the South. Tomorrow will see some fighting in the North and Center.

Burma: 2 Allied TFs with warships leave Colombo to Calcutta or Rangoon. Hmm. IJA enters Moulmein hex.

Malaya: bombers strike Singapore and destroy 6 Allied aircraft. 5 bombers(out of 50) are lost to flak. Flight altitude 15 kft. Pretty heavy casualties if you ask me...

DEI: Soeberaja has 60 ships disbanded in the port. I may raid it with G4Ms at some point.

Pacific: USN CV fleet disappears from IJN subs near Hawaii.

Subs: An RO-sub penetrates the escort screen of an enemy TF near Milne Bay and hits CL Perth! And its a ###### dud again! Thats the 5th dud on a warship already!

[Erkki]

Dec 27 1941

China: -

Burma: The AVG escorts Blenheims to Moulmein - and against waiting IJAAF fighters with altitude advantage. There are 5 confirmed H81 kills and several more were damaged. Tracker says 5+2. None of the Ki-43s was even damaged!

Malaya: Hudsons sortie against an IJN SAG near Palembang. 3 get shot down by Zeros.

DEI: The Allies have moved their A-24 group back to DEI from Rabaul. They and some other bombers strike Ternate and Manado.

South Pacific: IJN submarine hits an xAK near Horn Island. Theres some warships arriving to the Coral Sea via the Torres Strait. Hmm... I could try to intercept them with something.

[Erkki]

Dec 29 1941

China: Kukong attack achieves 2:1 odds and casualties favor IJ. Looking very good here. In the center, the 5 or so KMT corps that have been cut off try to retreat towards Nanyang... But theres a new and bigger pocket forming there.

A Ki-27 squadron is divided into 4-plane fragments. 1 gets Ki-43-Ia and 2 the prototype Ki-44-I. I dont build those planes but want to use them still(anything is better than Ki-27) and might as well do that in China.

Burma: -

Malaya: Kuala Lumpur falls! They had forts so I suppose it was supposed to be some kind of an advanced defensive position. Had 8 units too. Now they've been shattered and routed. IJAAF strikes Singapore's port and destroys not only 2 merchants but a Dutch submarine!

DEI: Manokwari invaded. IJN submarines destroy 2 small xAPs near Soerebaja.

South Pacific: Dutch cruiser force enters Coral Sea via Torres Strait and gets attacked by the same submarines as the Aussie/NZ task force 2 days ago. No hits are scored. I'll try to intercept these guys with more subs and some still-hidden surface units during the next 2 days.

edit: apparently the Allies have no search aircraft in Port Moresby.