New AAR - but not as good as Snigbert's

[IChristie]

Byron - the air is coming from Luganville. Although I have landed, I have not taken the base and so US a/c can still operate.

24 Sept - Taking Port Vila seems to take the wind out of the US air attack temporarily. The transports get clean away I don't even think they were spotted this turn. IN fact the base does not even put up CAP against the raid from Port Vila

I turn the big BB's around at Lunga to go back and pound Luganville.

I'm still trying to get baseforces caught up with all the aircraft movement. The attrition is really starting to hurt.

There is a tense moment when a US sub (an S class) takes aim at Kaga on the way back to Shortland, but she is quickly caught and sunk.

27 Sept - The air activity has really tapered off. This may also have to do with the fact that the weather had been terrible grounding flights at both Luganville and Port Vila.

The Ai once more proves that it is paying attention. As soon as my convoy leaves the AI tries to run a supply convoy into Luganville. It might have worked, too if it wasn't for the fact that the Yamato bombardment group arrived the same night. It was a shooting gallery. I think I counted a total of 8 allied ships (DD's, DMS, APD's) sunk. The APD's are particularly important because their loss will cripple further rapid resupply efforts.

The AI also decides to deal with Port Vila by sending in its own bombardment force. I think my naval strength estimates must be about right because the TF can only muster a CL and a CA. Vals from Port Vila catch the CL on the way in and put some holes in her. Unfortunately the TF catches a small convoy in port 2 DD's and an AP (which carried the base force over from Luganville). All three are sunk, but not before putting some serious hurt on the US flagship.

IN other news, the allied assault on Gili Gili has begun. Looks like a about a brigade size unit is in the process of landing. I did manage to get one resupply convoy in during the bombing so the defenders might be able to hold out for a while. I hope so, because once they are gone, the AI may start moving some of the Port Moresby air force over to the other side of the map.

[mogami]

Here is the long awaited Photo of Mogami.

Darn still not working right, he disappeared.

[Joel Billings]

You can find a picture of Gary at:

http://www.2by3games.com/gary.htm


Of course he took his cape off for the picture.

[IChristie]

Things are settling down. The beachead is secure and I think we can supply it although not without some losses.

29 Sept Fat chance! Gili Gili goes under in a day! 10000 troops go into the bag or into the jungle.

The winged devils from Port Moresby turn their sights on Lae. Daily raids are now up to 200 bombers including one that had 92!!!! B-26's.

We are starting to make some progress against the Luganville airbase successive nights of bombardment have managed to get 36% damage. The bomber force is down to 9 planes. I think all of them are SBD's judging by the raids that have been flown. The reduction in bombers may have as much to do with supply as anything else. Offensive ops can't be flown once supply drops below a certain lvl (3 times required?).

We continue to exchange artillery fire daily with the US ground troops so supply cannot be desperate yet.

From our side, the first convoy from the beachead reaches Lunga and starts to load supplies for the return. The supply situation in Lunga is still OK (>40K tons) but all of the fuel stockpile is gone (those big units get thirsty!). However about 20K of it is at sea in the fleet oilers so that is not as bad as it sounds. There are about 35K worth of tankers loading in Truk now. They should delivery their loads in about a week. In addition there are a few smaller convoys on their way right now.

Shortland is also basically out of fuel (<3K). Most of it went to fuelling the fast carrier force. In retrospect I should have sent them to Rabaul where there is much more fuel.

Not a moment too soon either, I have to rest the bombers at Port Vila because they are down to 30% effective a/c the combat damage was just too much for the over extended base force personnel. Instead, I will try a massed fighter sweep from Nevea and Port Vila today. Since there are mostly fighters left on Luganville, this might help to knock them back a bit.

Daily raids by B-17's with strong escorts have started against Koumac. They are not much more than a nuisance right now, but that may not last very long!

[mogami]

Hi, can a graphics guru tell me why the JPG shows up in the paint screen rather then just the image. Or does it only do that on my machine. When I click on the jpg in the folder it appears but not here online. What am I doing wrong.

[ratster]

You talking about the cat on your earlier post?

Your machine is probably set with JPGs to defualt open in your paint program, as opposed to your browser.

[mogami]

What cat? I tried to post a picture of Mogami but only his map showed up

[ratster]

On the previous page, on 1 of your posts, you have an JPG attachment (oom.jpg), its a picture(drawing) of a cat.

[Kensai]

Meaaaaaaaaaau!

[IChristie]

Thought this might be a good time to recap the campaign so far. Not that everybody isn't quite happy reading 16 pages of posts...
:rolleyes:

Here's a campaign map for the "first battle of the Eastern Solomons"

[IChristie]

If these look lousy in your browser, try saving the jpg's

[IChristie]

Here's the Invasion of New Guinea from early June

[mogami]

Oh no, only very insane people can see Mogami's cat, if you see him go seek help right away. The cat does all the planning and Mogami takes the credit. I thought he was the only one that saw him. In my picture there is only a map and an empty beer bottle.

Oct is going to be a very interesting month. I am afraid we have spread out too much. I see hungry troops on 'Starvation Island'
(Luganville) The cat warns you to be on the alert for 2 BB's
Washington and South Dakoda commanded by a Chinese Admiral (Chin Lee)

[mogami]

OK Theatre Commander what is going on? What is supply situation? Who is commanding our ground forces at Lunganville?
WHo are the top Japanese pilots (I saw where you can sort by various stats)

[IChristie]

Good questions honorable advisor. I will check directly. I'm just finishing up a couple more of those AAR maps from early on. Haven't fired up the game yet.

Answers within the hour.

[IChristie]

Continuing the graphical recap. Here's the situation on the morning of 10 June

[IChristie]

And here's the Battle of the Coral Sea in which my carriers got jumped by the Enterprise and Hornet while they were out hunting transports.

[IChristie]

There is no overall LCU commander. The two priniciple unit commanders are:

38th Div: LT Gen T. Sano
35th Bde: MGen K. Kawaguchi

I am attaching a shot of the top pilot's list sorted by number of kills


DISCLAIMER ---
This is from an old beta version of the game which may have changed, please do not generate a lot comments, questions, queries or complaints to matrix over the format, nature, layout or historical accuracy of this screen shot
------------------------------------------------DISCLAIMER ENDS

[IChristie]

4 Oct - A quick week as life settles in to a predictable routine

I finally got the bombardment force fueled and sorted out. The problem with bombardment is that the TF always seems to want to steam away at high speed for it's home port. I solved this problem (and the fuel problem) by basing them at Port Vila. They have spent the last three days going back and forth to Luganville pounding the airfield. It is still in operation but clearly hurting. Other than about 10 SBD's there do not appear to be any bombers operating from it. The fighters are making a game show of it though. THey keep strafing the Yamato and company every afternoon as they load supplies for the night's festivities.

LBA from Noumea is more of a problem. The AI has finally noticed Koumac with a vengeance. Daily raids now consist of up to 25 B-17's with 30 escorts. I have moved all but one understrength group of zeros out since I am not sure how long the base will stay open. I moved the base force across to Port Vila, which helped the situation there.

The LBA from Noumea also mounts daily raids on the ships at Port Vila. Luckily the US mediums and RAAF Hudsons are not very effective agains shipping and losses have been light. Nonetheless each day is nerve wracking. I'm not sure how much longer I want to keep Yamato and company on station. I think I am starting to push my luck.

I have been keeping the level bombers at Port Vila quiet while trying to get them repaired. Yesterday they flew a raid against Luganville. While over 15 got through the results were disappointing (only 1 runway hit - for comparison the BB's did 80, the night before)

IN the west the AI appears to be fixated on Lae now and is sending 100+ plane raids against it every day.

On the supply side of things. Things are urgent but not desperate. The troops ashore are on short rations but a big convoy is due from Lunga in a couple of days which should keep them fat, dumb and happy for a few weeks. I think once teh supply chain gets going it will not be a problem to keep them supplied, so long as the US LBA doesn't close the sea lanes.

Also, after a week of cruising the Lovely Santa Cruz Islands, I finally send the 2nd Division to Truk. I figure the last thing I need is more mouths to feed ashore at this point.

And on one exciting note to end the evening. I find a US TF headed for Lunga once again. Not sure how they go so far north (up by Rennell Island) without being seen but there they are big as life. Sighting report says 3A and 7DD, but it is conceivable that these are the fast BB's newly arrived from Pearl. I'll have to do some scrambling as there is a lot of shipping the Lunga roads right now. There is a CA TF in residence, but I am tempted to just get everyone out of the way, let them have their fun and try to nail them with bombers on their way out of town. At this point trading cruisers with the US is not doing me any good and there isn't a whole lot in Lunga that can't be repaired in a couple of days anyway. The bigger danger would be the sinking of my supply ships.

So responses to a couple of questions:

1. Oppose the bombardment of Lunga or not?
2. Send Yamato & co. out of harms way or keep them on station until the airfield at Luganville is out of commission?

[mogami]

Luganville must be your primary concern. We have staked the outcome of the battle on being successfull there. That airfield must be kept from regaining operating at full effect. The heavies must only be risked to that end. Withdraw them till it is time to support the supply arrival. Engage at Lunga with light forces only (Kitikami and Oi prehaps?) and LBA, where are the CV's can they gain position to hit once the TF makeup is known and if it proves worth their efforts?