Last Stop Tokyo: Terminus vs Durrant

[Terminus]

Hopefully, the end of the Waldeck-Rousseau:

[String]

ORIGINAL: Terminus

Hopefully, the end of the Waldeck-Rousseau:

Isn't that BossGnome's ship?

[Terminus]

No idea... If he screams very loudly once he sees the post, we can probably assume so...[;)]

[general billy]

Nice screenshots, but dont u have any of the map?

[Terminus]

Actually, I was planning to do one of the map at the end of the first week of combat (three turns from now), but if you want one, I'll post one after the next turn. Unless my esteemed opponent beats me to it...

We can't really go the one-thread way, and show our respective strategies with many a coloured arrow on a map...

[Mike Solli]

Hey Terminus, can you discuss you stragegic plans a bit, even if rather vaguely (you know, lots of smoke and hand waving)? Also, did you change the initial default plans for the Japanese?

Thanks.

[Terminus]

Well, I did change a few things, to achieve greater local superiority in fewer landing areas. So a couple of landing TF's were redirected.

As for my strategic plan, it's to remove the American influence from my backyard, and hold off his naval counterstroke as far away from the Philippines as possible. There, vague enough?[:D]

[Mike Solli]

Thanks. I can't seem to get the strategic plan figured out in this game. In WitP it's easy. You need oil and resources. That's not so here. Basically, you want to beat the tar out of the Allies.

[Terminus]

Exactly. Japan hasn't run out of resources yet.

Look at it this way: Japan's imperial ambition was awakened by the Russo-Japanese war and strengthened by WWI (which gained her the German Mandates in the Pacific). If I was the Japanese government and military in this alternate history, I'd not be too happy to have such a strong presence of an unfriendly nation's forces in my backyard, blocking my plans for expansion.

[Terminus]

Oh, and to everyone else reading this AAR, including my worthy opponent: while this is a PBEM game, and I play to win the war, if there's anything at all about the game you want to discuss (preferably marginally connected to the action), then do so. WPO is very new, and not considering Tanker and us betas, it's uncharted waters. ASK, people!

[Mike Solli]

Ok, Terminus, here we go. When you say "in your backyard", what are you talking about? Philippines? China? What else? Wake? Midway? How far out do you go in 1922?

[Mike Solli]

Another question - what the hell do you do with the Japanese air force?

[general billy]

In WITP the phillipines were needed to be taken out to prevent allied airpower from disrupting the supplies of resources from the DEI. Why not just bypass it in WPO since airpower isnt a big deal.

[Tankerace]

Mainly VPs. As WPO games, well, the real WPO, The PI are key. The entire US strategy was built around holding/retaking the PI. Besides, in this game its about naval/land/air combat, not so much for resources. Yes, you can bypass the PI (I have intentionally made this possible). However, VP wise, you'll need to get a lot more ground than just taking the PI.

[Terminus]

My "backyard" is the whole of what later became known as the Southern Resource Area.

Yes, Allied airpower is non-existant, but US seapower in the Philippines, however limited, isn't. That's why you can't bypass Luzon; same thing goes for the French, and to a lesser extent, the Dutch. The British aren't a big threat at the outset, since the Royal Navy's big units haven't arrived yet.

As for China, that's an objective too, but not a super important one, at least not in the first round of fighting. There are a number of US, British and French LCU's there, but what are they going to do? The Japanese lack of possessions in China is actually a positive aspect; the Allies will take control of Shanghai (there's only 1 SNLF there), but big deal. Let them have it. I can always get it back later.

In the Central Pacific, the idea is to defend as far forward as possible. The USN's big ships haven't the range to storm across the Pacific to the PI, so they'll have to have a string of bases on the way for refuelling stops. The original chain was Pearl-Midway-Wake-Guam-Manilla, and the Japanese player has to decide just exactly how far out he's willing to stretch. Since airpower isn't a factor, he can probably go a step further forward than in WitP, but that depends on how brave or foolhardy he feels. Submarines are an issue, of course; the US gets oodles of them, and their torpedoes actually work! Well, most of the time...

[Freddy Fudpucker]

Hi Bill,

Can I be cheeky and ask you to check something for me??[:o]

I haven't got WPO yet and may not until after Xmas. Tankerace included me as a ship's captian. The British destroyer Sharpshooter if I recall correctly.

Does this ship start in the scenario or is it part of a scheduled arrival at some later date?

Thanks and good luck with the game. I'll be following your AAR.

Regards,

Captain Paul Dutton, HMS Sharpshooter. [:)]

[Bill Durrant]

ORIGINAL: general billy

You guys really need to bring in some screenshots

Okay I'm onto this weekend - but no screenies of our WitP game - I'm too embarrassed[:(][:(]

[Bill Durrant]

ORIGINAL: Terminus

Hopefully, the end of the Waldeck-Rousseau:

It's touch and go

[Bill Durrant]

ORIGINAL: Freddy Fudpucker

Hi Bill,

Can I be cheeky and ask you to check something for me??[:o]

I haven't got WPO yet and may not until after Xmas. Tankerace included me as a ship's captian. The British destroyer Sharpshooter if I recall correctly.

Does this ship start in the scenario or is it part of a scheduled arrival at some later date?

Thanks and good luck with the game. I'll be following your AAR.

Regards,

Captain Paul Dutton, HMS Sharpshooter. [:)]

I couldn't find Sharpshooter - anyone else[&:]

[Bill Durrant]

Okay after a short delay we resume (as my opponents are aware some weekdays I just don't get to the computer - need a wireless laptop at work - no chance)

Not a great turn for me. PGs fleeing Manila get caught and a CA torp'd though she is not necessarily sunk yet. At least I predicted the invasion of Davao

AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 06/04/22

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Sub attack at 42,52

Japanese Ships
SS No. 15

Allied Ships
PG Marie Duque
PG Elcano

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Day Time Surface Combat at 42,52

Japanese Ships
CA Kasuga
CA Nisshin
CA Adzuma
CA Aso
CA Idzumo
DD Momo
DD Kashi
DD Hinoki
DD Yanagi

Allied Ships
PG Elcano, Shell hits 2, on fire, heavy damage
PG Romblon, Shell hits 7, and is sunk
PG Bobol, Shell hits 5, on fire, heavy damage
PG Cebu, Shell hits 3, and is sunk
PG Marie Duque, Shell hits 6, on fire, heavy damage

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Sub attack near Bataan at 42,51

Japanese Ships
SS No. 14

Allied Ships
CA Waldeck-Rousseau, Torpedo hits 1

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Coastal Guns at Davao, 41,61, firing at TF 4
TF 4 troops unloading over beach at Davao, 41,61


55 Coastal gun shots fired in defense.
Japanese Ships
DD Katsura
CL Tatsuta, Shell hits 1
AP Hakusika Maru
DD Kaba, Shell hits 2

Japanese ground losses:
1040 casualties reported
Guns lost 1

Allied ground losses:
5 casualties reported

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TF 9 troops unloading over beach at Dadjangas, 41,62


Japanese ground losses:
864 casualties reported


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Ground combat at Davao

Allied Bombardment attack

Attacking force 6222 troops, 50 guns, 0 vehicles

Defending force 9121 troops, 101 guns, 0 vehicles



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Ground combat at Shanghai

Allied Deliberate attack

Attacking force 31737 troops, 248 guns, 30 vehicles

Defending force 820 troops, 2 guns, 0 vehicles

Allied assault odds: 543 to 1


Japanese ground losses:
1045 casualties reported
Guns lost 5