Sand in the Vaseline - Wobbly vs PzB
Moderators: wdolson, Don Bowen, mogami
RE: Chandpur falls
It will be a long war until the jap finally surrender, but they will.
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RE: Chandpur falls
Hmmm how much force has he landed at Madras ?
This seems the key if he can take Madras and forge inland he can flank you !!!.
I hate to say it but if he takes Madras I think its time for the fall back 'oh shit im in trouble' type of plan
I am thinking start prepping troops and building forts at the North India defensive line. i.e. Ahmadabad - Delhi line just in case he takes Madras
Anyway my 2 cents worth .... good luck
Andy
This seems the key if he can take Madras and forge inland he can flank you !!!.
I hate to say it but if he takes Madras I think its time for the fall back 'oh shit im in trouble' type of plan
I am thinking start prepping troops and building forts at the North India defensive line. i.e. Ahmadabad - Delhi line just in case he takes Madras
Anyway my 2 cents worth .... good luck
Andy
RE: Chandpur falls
Basically what I am saying is that if you are flanked from the Calcutta corner and you dont have rested prepped troops I dont see how central India can be saved as there are to many axis of advance and you cannot stop him anywhere.
Slow him down yes but not stop him.
Buy time to fortify the Wobbly Line er no let me rename that the Maginot Line errr no perhaps not...hmmm the um err hmm ah I know the Himalaya Line (not a prediciton of where he is going to push you back to).
The advantage of this strategy is you force him to keep forces in India while Rapier hits home elsewhere.
(All of this is nonsence if you can hang on in Madras !!!)
Andy
Slow him down yes but not stop him.
Buy time to fortify the Wobbly Line er no let me rename that the Maginot Line errr no perhaps not...hmmm the um err hmm ah I know the Himalaya Line (not a prediciton of where he is going to push you back to).
The advantage of this strategy is you force him to keep forces in India while Rapier hits home elsewhere.
(All of this is nonsence if you can hang on in Madras !!!)
Andy
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Hornblower
- Posts: 1361
- Joined: Wed Sep 10, 2003 1:02 am
- Location: New York'er relocated to Chicago
RE: Chandpur falls
Excellent AAR! For what its worth, your bleeding him now....
Madras Falls
Sorry folks - missed a report. Last turn we both traded blows in night attacks and he bombed and destroyed quite a number of my ACs on the field at Calcutta.
This turn is marked by a B-17 raid on Rabaul, the fall of Madras (sigh), his heavy occupation of Calcutta.
Andy: The loss of Madras is horrible (I will go into it further later) but is not the tragedy it first appears. While he took Madras with a single Division it is not that hard to contain. As soon as he starts moving on the rail network he can start to go around me... but that works both ways. If he takes on Bangalore for instance I will threaten Madras. As you so rightly point out he will have to keep units in both locations and what this is doing is pulling the troops he may have earmarked for the Pacific away. Rapier is turning into a massive effort. 4 Divisions and 3 Rcts plus base units, HQs, engineers and tank units. I think Kwajalein - with 12 units - will have trouble resisting, although the way his troops in Lunga have hung on I may be wrong (and that would REALLY hurt).
Raverdave: I think I fall a long way short of your accolades - I have made some incredible blunders!
STRV103c: I really have to thwart an auto-victory then maybe I can come back...
Hornblower: Yeah mate - that fighter defense hurt him - but I paid heavily for it too. My hurricane sqds are very slow at recuperating, he is now escorting his raids with half the Jap air force!
AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 04/29/42
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Night Air attack on Chandpur , at 30,25
Japanese aircraft
no flights
Allied aircraft
Blenheim IV x 3
B-17E Fortress x 14
Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-21 Sally: 2 destroyed, 3 damaged
A6M2 Zero: 2 destroyed, 2 damaged
Allied aircraft losses
Blenheim IV: 1 damaged
B-17E Fortress: 1 damaged
Japanese ground losses:
107 casualties reported
Guns lost 3
Airbase hits 2
Runway hits 4
Another set of night bombing does not get me the same results as before. A few ACs destroyed or damaged but not a large catch consideirng the numbers based in Chandpur.
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Night Air attack on Diamond Harbor , at 28,23
Japanese aircraft
G3M Nell x 3
G4M1 Betty x 3
Allied aircraft
no flights
No Japanese losses
Allied aircraft losses
B-17E Fortress: 1 destroyed, 3 damaged
Airbase hits 2
Runway hits 2
He returns the favour knocking out a B-17 on the ground.
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Day Air attack on Calcutta , at 29,23
Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 45
Ki-43-Ib Oscar x 21
Ki-21 Sally x 38
Allied aircraft
no flights
Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-21 Sally: 3 damaged
Allied aircraft losses
Hurricane II: 3 destroyed, 4 damaged
Blenheim IF: 1 destroyed
P-40E Warhawk: 1 destroyed, 1 damaged
Allied ground losses:
48 casualties reported
Airbase hits 5
Airbase supply hits 1
Runway hits 31
Well I caught him napping once by not having his bombing raids escorted - he has changed that in the extreme now with oscars and zeros aplenty on escort. I have changed tactics to attack his ground troops in Calcutta with my bombers.
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Day Air attack on Rabaul , at 61,88
Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 10
Allied aircraft
B-17E Fortress x 38
Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 4 destroyed, 5 damaged
G3M Nell: 3 destroyed, 2 damaged
H6K2-L Mavis: 2 destroyed, 4 damaged
Allied aircraft losses
B-17E Fortress: 4 destroyed, 23 damaged
Japanese ground losses:
15 casualties reported
Guns lost 1
Airbase supply hits 4
Runway hits 7
A few of the pesky occupants of Rabaul are culled but going in unescorted is not the same as in the UV days where B-17s were nearly indestructable. I loose 5 today and he only had 10 defending zeros. I retreat them back to Charter Towers to recuperate.
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Day Air attack on TF, near Trimcomalee at 15,25
Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 36
Allied aircraft
Swordfish x 6
No Japanese losses
Allied aircraft losses
Swordfish: 10 destroyed
Woops - my swordfish at Columbo meet his very hefty defense now flying above Trimcommalee and loose all but one of their number.
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Day Air attack on TF at 18,22
Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 9
G3M Nell x 4
Ki-21 Sally x 9
No Japanese losses
Allied Ships
MSW Eland Dubois, Bomb hits 1, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
One of the ships fleeing Madras harbour meets it's fate. 5 other ships headed towards Diamond Harbour first and are now going to try and head south between Trim and Andaman Island. The KB has disappeared and I wouldn't be too surprised if it is trying to hunt reinfrocements on their way from Oz. I have laid a few tripwire ships on likely headings but not nearly enough to give me full coverage.
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Ground combat at Kungchang
Japanese Deliberate attack
Attacking force 263013 troops, 2704 guns, 594 vehicles
Defending force 6030 troops, 15 guns, 0 vehicles
Japanese assault odds: 1781 to 1
Japanese ground losses:
8 casualties reported
Allied ground losses:
1738 casualties reported
Guns lost 9
Now this was a pain. As I worte I am trying to get the Chinese out of the north on a very long walk through the jungles. Unfortunately the AI decides to head me back into Kungchang instead. He absolutely smashes me.
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Ground combat at Madras
Japanese Shock attack
Attacking force 19384 troops, 199 guns, 9 vehicles
Defending force 2922 troops, 36 guns, 3 vehicles
Japanese assault odds: 30 to 1 (fort level 3)
Japanese forces CAPTURE Madras base !!!
Allied aircraft
no flights
Allied aircraft losses
Swordfish: 5 destroyed
Japanese ground losses:
157 casualties reported
Guns lost 7
Vehicles lost 2
Allied ground losses:
72 casualties reported
Guns lost 4
The loss of Madras means another very useful port and airfield from which he can dominate Indian skies.
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Calcutta's trial period is about to begin. It has the most defense and the greatest fort level of any of the cities I have tried to hold so far. That doesn't take away from the fact that I am still massively outgunned.
On the plus side of the ledger the base units that had been making very slow progress through the jungles north of Rangoon are now on the rail line. This allows me to cross the river and start moving the Burma forces back to the defense of India. A Malay Brigade and the Oz 22nd Brigade are half way across the jungle track. They now have the slow part of the trip to finish so they are still a month away.
The defenders (hmm) of Madras are retreating on Bangalore. There they will meet up with a Brigade of the 18th UK Dvision. Not much to hold his 55th Division but better than the nothing I now have there. The final Brigade is continuing on to Calcutta.
All of the aircraft which have been opeerating out of Diamond harbour are moved to Jamshedpur. A bombing raid on his ground troops is organised. He has so many fighters on escort that I doubt he has any on LRCAP abovve his troops. Time to tell him he has many jobs to do in this part of the world.
In Mandalay I move in some Wirriways to try and coax my bombers to attack his naval units passing up the coast. It is possible I am forcing them to their deaths as they may be being LRCAPed from Akyab but nothing ventured nothing gained.
I sortied the CLAA Columbo from Diamond harbour last turn. She manages to go undetected for a whole turn and hence survives it.
Hermes still makes good time North. She is now adjacent to the gap between Java and Sumatra.
last day of April - I can upgrade British air units from next turn!
The 2nd Oz has started North at about Broome.
In Lunga a transport misison with many surface unit attached is taking the vehicles of the engineering unit I fast transported in a while ago - newby mistake - forgot that they can't be carriered on Warships.
A vast Armada now resides in Pearl. Things are slowly coming otgether for Rapier. I will probably strike just as he gives up on me...
This turn is marked by a B-17 raid on Rabaul, the fall of Madras (sigh), his heavy occupation of Calcutta.
Andy: The loss of Madras is horrible (I will go into it further later) but is not the tragedy it first appears. While he took Madras with a single Division it is not that hard to contain. As soon as he starts moving on the rail network he can start to go around me... but that works both ways. If he takes on Bangalore for instance I will threaten Madras. As you so rightly point out he will have to keep units in both locations and what this is doing is pulling the troops he may have earmarked for the Pacific away. Rapier is turning into a massive effort. 4 Divisions and 3 Rcts plus base units, HQs, engineers and tank units. I think Kwajalein - with 12 units - will have trouble resisting, although the way his troops in Lunga have hung on I may be wrong (and that would REALLY hurt).
Raverdave: I think I fall a long way short of your accolades - I have made some incredible blunders!
STRV103c: I really have to thwart an auto-victory then maybe I can come back...
Hornblower: Yeah mate - that fighter defense hurt him - but I paid heavily for it too. My hurricane sqds are very slow at recuperating, he is now escorting his raids with half the Jap air force!
AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 04/29/42
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Night Air attack on Chandpur , at 30,25
Japanese aircraft
no flights
Allied aircraft
Blenheim IV x 3
B-17E Fortress x 14
Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-21 Sally: 2 destroyed, 3 damaged
A6M2 Zero: 2 destroyed, 2 damaged
Allied aircraft losses
Blenheim IV: 1 damaged
B-17E Fortress: 1 damaged
Japanese ground losses:
107 casualties reported
Guns lost 3
Airbase hits 2
Runway hits 4
Another set of night bombing does not get me the same results as before. A few ACs destroyed or damaged but not a large catch consideirng the numbers based in Chandpur.
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Night Air attack on Diamond Harbor , at 28,23
Japanese aircraft
G3M Nell x 3
G4M1 Betty x 3
Allied aircraft
no flights
No Japanese losses
Allied aircraft losses
B-17E Fortress: 1 destroyed, 3 damaged
Airbase hits 2
Runway hits 2
He returns the favour knocking out a B-17 on the ground.
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Day Air attack on Calcutta , at 29,23
Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 45
Ki-43-Ib Oscar x 21
Ki-21 Sally x 38
Allied aircraft
no flights
Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-21 Sally: 3 damaged
Allied aircraft losses
Hurricane II: 3 destroyed, 4 damaged
Blenheim IF: 1 destroyed
P-40E Warhawk: 1 destroyed, 1 damaged
Allied ground losses:
48 casualties reported
Airbase hits 5
Airbase supply hits 1
Runway hits 31
Well I caught him napping once by not having his bombing raids escorted - he has changed that in the extreme now with oscars and zeros aplenty on escort. I have changed tactics to attack his ground troops in Calcutta with my bombers.
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Day Air attack on Rabaul , at 61,88
Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 10
Allied aircraft
B-17E Fortress x 38
Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 4 destroyed, 5 damaged
G3M Nell: 3 destroyed, 2 damaged
H6K2-L Mavis: 2 destroyed, 4 damaged
Allied aircraft losses
B-17E Fortress: 4 destroyed, 23 damaged
Japanese ground losses:
15 casualties reported
Guns lost 1
Airbase supply hits 4
Runway hits 7
A few of the pesky occupants of Rabaul are culled but going in unescorted is not the same as in the UV days where B-17s were nearly indestructable. I loose 5 today and he only had 10 defending zeros. I retreat them back to Charter Towers to recuperate.
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Day Air attack on TF, near Trimcomalee at 15,25
Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 36
Allied aircraft
Swordfish x 6
No Japanese losses
Allied aircraft losses
Swordfish: 10 destroyed
Woops - my swordfish at Columbo meet his very hefty defense now flying above Trimcommalee and loose all but one of their number.
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Day Air attack on TF at 18,22
Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 9
G3M Nell x 4
Ki-21 Sally x 9
No Japanese losses
Allied Ships
MSW Eland Dubois, Bomb hits 1, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
One of the ships fleeing Madras harbour meets it's fate. 5 other ships headed towards Diamond Harbour first and are now going to try and head south between Trim and Andaman Island. The KB has disappeared and I wouldn't be too surprised if it is trying to hunt reinfrocements on their way from Oz. I have laid a few tripwire ships on likely headings but not nearly enough to give me full coverage.
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Ground combat at Kungchang
Japanese Deliberate attack
Attacking force 263013 troops, 2704 guns, 594 vehicles
Defending force 6030 troops, 15 guns, 0 vehicles
Japanese assault odds: 1781 to 1
Japanese ground losses:
8 casualties reported
Allied ground losses:
1738 casualties reported
Guns lost 9
Now this was a pain. As I worte I am trying to get the Chinese out of the north on a very long walk through the jungles. Unfortunately the AI decides to head me back into Kungchang instead. He absolutely smashes me.
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Ground combat at Madras
Japanese Shock attack
Attacking force 19384 troops, 199 guns, 9 vehicles
Defending force 2922 troops, 36 guns, 3 vehicles
Japanese assault odds: 30 to 1 (fort level 3)
Japanese forces CAPTURE Madras base !!!
Allied aircraft
no flights
Allied aircraft losses
Swordfish: 5 destroyed
Japanese ground losses:
157 casualties reported
Guns lost 7
Vehicles lost 2
Allied ground losses:
72 casualties reported
Guns lost 4
The loss of Madras means another very useful port and airfield from which he can dominate Indian skies.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Calcutta's trial period is about to begin. It has the most defense and the greatest fort level of any of the cities I have tried to hold so far. That doesn't take away from the fact that I am still massively outgunned.
On the plus side of the ledger the base units that had been making very slow progress through the jungles north of Rangoon are now on the rail line. This allows me to cross the river and start moving the Burma forces back to the defense of India. A Malay Brigade and the Oz 22nd Brigade are half way across the jungle track. They now have the slow part of the trip to finish so they are still a month away.
The defenders (hmm) of Madras are retreating on Bangalore. There they will meet up with a Brigade of the 18th UK Dvision. Not much to hold his 55th Division but better than the nothing I now have there. The final Brigade is continuing on to Calcutta.
All of the aircraft which have been opeerating out of Diamond harbour are moved to Jamshedpur. A bombing raid on his ground troops is organised. He has so many fighters on escort that I doubt he has any on LRCAP abovve his troops. Time to tell him he has many jobs to do in this part of the world.
In Mandalay I move in some Wirriways to try and coax my bombers to attack his naval units passing up the coast. It is possible I am forcing them to their deaths as they may be being LRCAPed from Akyab but nothing ventured nothing gained.
I sortied the CLAA Columbo from Diamond harbour last turn. She manages to go undetected for a whole turn and hence survives it.
Hermes still makes good time North. She is now adjacent to the gap between Java and Sumatra.
last day of April - I can upgrade British air units from next turn!
The 2nd Oz has started North at about Broome.
In Lunga a transport misison with many surface unit attached is taking the vehicles of the engineering unit I fast transported in a while ago - newby mistake - forgot that they can't be carriered on Warships.
A vast Armada now resides in Pearl. Things are slowly coming otgether for Rapier. I will probably strike just as he gives up on me...
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RE: Madras Falls
April is also the last month of zero advantage. Things can only get worse... from a jap point of view!
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Hornblower
- Posts: 1361
- Joined: Wed Sep 10, 2003 1:02 am
- Location: New York'er relocated to Chicago
RE: Madras Falls
I agree with Strv103C.. hang on- no matter how bad, and it can only be up from here. i still must say this is a great AAR, and gives an importance to india that i think few-including mysleft- is due..
RE: Madras Falls
Wobbly,
If what I read on another thread is accurate, be careful about him flanking you. Bases that get free supply lose it forever once they are captured, even after they are recaptured by their original owner. That means a gambit to take Bombay and Karachi could have long-term effect if it succeeds. You would wind up having to get supplies all the way to India!
If what I read on another thread is accurate, be careful about him flanking you. Bases that get free supply lose it forever once they are captured, even after they are recaptured by their original owner. That means a gambit to take Bombay and Karachi could have long-term effect if it succeeds. You would wind up having to get supplies all the way to India!
Intel Monkey: https://sites.google.com/view/staffmonkeys/home
RE: Madras Falls
The loss of Bombay or Karachi would be a game loser in my opinion. In 15 days I get the 5th Division and another Brigade. Hopefully they will be enough to stop a naval based attack unless he tries it in complete strength. He has 17 units now in Calcutta and I am bombarding this turn so I will see what they are made up of - I need to know this as to whether he is withdrawing to invade elsewhere. Trying to outflank me via the rail network will be too slow. He really has caught me napping because he has used his transports. If he was to try and take Karachi and Bombay I would look to sacrifice the Royal Navy to smash up his invasion.
Now that I am pulling back to Mandalay with the bulk of the UK based army (the Chinese are taking over). The Dakotas will be working overtime to get units across to airfields behind the lines of the main front in Calcutta. There is no way that I can remove him from India in the near future - but his willy nilly taking of locations is going to be harder to achieve.
If I can get the Oz Kittyhawks in and get them escorting B-17 and Wellington raids, I will really start to inflict damage. Alot of the damage he has caused has been due to the SUPPORT he has used - bombardment and air forces. He no longer has the zero bonus (Zeros are still superior but Tomahawks, Warhawks, Kittyhawks et al should now have a chance). I think - well I hope - India will now become a location of pain. As he starts to require more effort to keep superiority I open the second front - remember I have resisted without utilising US assets (OK so one P-40E sqd and 1 Grp of B-17s). All their power - which is still small granted - is getting ready for Rapier. I hope it lives up to expectations!
Now that I am pulling back to Mandalay with the bulk of the UK based army (the Chinese are taking over). The Dakotas will be working overtime to get units across to airfields behind the lines of the main front in Calcutta. There is no way that I can remove him from India in the near future - but his willy nilly taking of locations is going to be harder to achieve.
If I can get the Oz Kittyhawks in and get them escorting B-17 and Wellington raids, I will really start to inflict damage. Alot of the damage he has caused has been due to the SUPPORT he has used - bombardment and air forces. He no longer has the zero bonus (Zeros are still superior but Tomahawks, Warhawks, Kittyhawks et al should now have a chance). I think - well I hope - India will now become a location of pain. As he starts to require more effort to keep superiority I open the second front - remember I have resisted without utilising US assets (OK so one P-40E sqd and 1 Grp of B-17s). All their power - which is still small granted - is getting ready for Rapier. I hope it lives up to expectations!
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RE: Madras Falls
As he starts to require more effort to keep superiority I open the second front - remember I have resisted without utilising US assets (OK so one P-40E sqd and 1 Grp of B-17s). All their power - which is still small granted - is getting ready for Rapier. I hope it lives up to expectations!
It is the Pink Empire's sad lot in life in WW2 to nobly hold the line and be slaughtered doing so.
I think you are at your nadir now from what I can see, you'll be on the up from now on. Spitfires soon, and presumably some more ground troops in Karachi fairly soon, and your Burma army is coming online. You don't need to kick him out of India to win, just tie him down where he is now for a while, and that seems to be in your power.
This is my fave AAR, keep it up. [:D][&o]
RE: Madras Falls
It has turned relatively quiet in the Pacific War.
EUBanana - yep I am starting to get the feeling all is not lost and as long as I don't run stupidly into a still very dangerous opponent that I will begin to prevail. Thanks fo rthe vote of confidence - more for you to read:
As of 1st May I upgraded 4 Blenheim sqds to Wellingtons and 1 to Beauforts. It will therefore take a few days to get the bombers repaired and operational. After one day of repair many have already been repaired - Wellingtons appear to be easier on the mechanical muscle than B-17s!
This turn I send the B-17s after Chandpur airbase with Warhawk escort. It is obvious, after the first attack of the month, that the teeth the zeros have shown up to now are starting to blunten. I attacked Calcutta and flew into his LRCAP and as many zeros were knocked down as P-40s.
Calcutta is now at level 8 forts and 20% to 9. We are bombarding each other at the moment - no doubt he is trying to remove disruption from crossing the river into Calcutta. Importantly only 5 of the Divisions that attacked Dacca are at Calcutta. Is the other still defending Dacca or is it moving to shipping and assignment elsewhere....
He currently has no base unit at Madras and I am trying to hit the ships he has in port but the ACs refuse to fly - the base may have zeros from Trim flying above it.
The weather has at last been beneficial to me - the KB has been locked in by clouds and has not really been able to attack the ships that left Madras. The CLAA Columbo may even have escaped by going close to Andaman Island. It may be more beneficial to aim at Australia rather than return to Western India.
This turn he recons Lahore (I am away from the map - the city up the northern railline in India). This is another clever ploy as I know he has used paras to take back block locations. I therefore move my two Dakota units to Asansol and they will move a part of an Indian Division there to Lahore. Even if he isn't planning another paradrop this recon has forced me to deplete my frontline - he is such a canny character is the Norwegian!
All of the units of the Rangoon blocking force have now moved back across the river. I really don't know what this will insigate from PzB. They were stopping 2 Divisions and a tank unit from going anywhere else and he may decide to change this now. The blocking force will retire to Mandalay while 6 Chinese Divisions and an HQ will set up over the river from Rangoon. I have managed to hang on to Burma because he decided to take India. While I don't want to loose too much more of India I also think I have enough force - if I retreat carefully - to hold most of Burma as well.
The P-40s at Port Moresby are retired to replenish their numbers in peace - another base unit has been unloaded and the capacity of PM has increased to 135 air support - more are slated to go there.
Operation Rapier may have to be postponed. PzB has looked at the map and it is reasonably obvious where I would target: the Marshals. Suddenly there are 4 bases with air units and Kwajalein is now being reported as holding 14 units. This is a great pity as I have 4 Divisions all but loaded onto their transports but I do have to face facts. An attack on the Marshals is utterly dependant on the Carriers for air support. With 4 bases able to attack from numerous directions, and while he has zeros and Betties with good experience; then I will take heafty losses. I need a location that I can get relative air superiority and lanes of retreat. He also still has the light carriers - they may not be as worrying as the KB but in the middle of an invasion, with 4 bases in the mix, then the Carriers would be overwhelmed. They would pay and so would the troops.
Therefore two new operations have been dusted off:
Operation Nighthawk: The capture of the Gilberts and more specifically, Tarawa. The beauty of Tarawa is I have very good intelligance about the location - 7 units but only 700 men. Also there is only the single airbase unit in the Gilberts - Tarawa itself.
Operation Whiskey: Hopefully not instigated in a drunken stupor. The invasion of Rabaul. He has decided to reinforce the Marshals and this has been to the detriment of the bases around New Britain. Only the Shortlands and Lae have any airfields in use. Shortlands, the most dangerous, is still only size 1. Lae can be heavily supressed from PM. Therefore Rabaul is quite isolated. I can also support the invasion with B-17s out of PM and Lunga is slowly coming online.
In San Francisco some of the ships damaged in the DEI and Pearl harbour attacks get their last coats of paint: CA San Francisco, CA Minneapolis, BB California, and BB Oklahoma is doing nicely - down to 17 SYS.
EUBanana - yep I am starting to get the feeling all is not lost and as long as I don't run stupidly into a still very dangerous opponent that I will begin to prevail. Thanks fo rthe vote of confidence - more for you to read:
As of 1st May I upgraded 4 Blenheim sqds to Wellingtons and 1 to Beauforts. It will therefore take a few days to get the bombers repaired and operational. After one day of repair many have already been repaired - Wellingtons appear to be easier on the mechanical muscle than B-17s!
This turn I send the B-17s after Chandpur airbase with Warhawk escort. It is obvious, after the first attack of the month, that the teeth the zeros have shown up to now are starting to blunten. I attacked Calcutta and flew into his LRCAP and as many zeros were knocked down as P-40s.
Calcutta is now at level 8 forts and 20% to 9. We are bombarding each other at the moment - no doubt he is trying to remove disruption from crossing the river into Calcutta. Importantly only 5 of the Divisions that attacked Dacca are at Calcutta. Is the other still defending Dacca or is it moving to shipping and assignment elsewhere....
He currently has no base unit at Madras and I am trying to hit the ships he has in port but the ACs refuse to fly - the base may have zeros from Trim flying above it.
The weather has at last been beneficial to me - the KB has been locked in by clouds and has not really been able to attack the ships that left Madras. The CLAA Columbo may even have escaped by going close to Andaman Island. It may be more beneficial to aim at Australia rather than return to Western India.
This turn he recons Lahore (I am away from the map - the city up the northern railline in India). This is another clever ploy as I know he has used paras to take back block locations. I therefore move my two Dakota units to Asansol and they will move a part of an Indian Division there to Lahore. Even if he isn't planning another paradrop this recon has forced me to deplete my frontline - he is such a canny character is the Norwegian!
All of the units of the Rangoon blocking force have now moved back across the river. I really don't know what this will insigate from PzB. They were stopping 2 Divisions and a tank unit from going anywhere else and he may decide to change this now. The blocking force will retire to Mandalay while 6 Chinese Divisions and an HQ will set up over the river from Rangoon. I have managed to hang on to Burma because he decided to take India. While I don't want to loose too much more of India I also think I have enough force - if I retreat carefully - to hold most of Burma as well.
The P-40s at Port Moresby are retired to replenish their numbers in peace - another base unit has been unloaded and the capacity of PM has increased to 135 air support - more are slated to go there.
Operation Rapier may have to be postponed. PzB has looked at the map and it is reasonably obvious where I would target: the Marshals. Suddenly there are 4 bases with air units and Kwajalein is now being reported as holding 14 units. This is a great pity as I have 4 Divisions all but loaded onto their transports but I do have to face facts. An attack on the Marshals is utterly dependant on the Carriers for air support. With 4 bases able to attack from numerous directions, and while he has zeros and Betties with good experience; then I will take heafty losses. I need a location that I can get relative air superiority and lanes of retreat. He also still has the light carriers - they may not be as worrying as the KB but in the middle of an invasion, with 4 bases in the mix, then the Carriers would be overwhelmed. They would pay and so would the troops.
Therefore two new operations have been dusted off:
Operation Nighthawk: The capture of the Gilberts and more specifically, Tarawa. The beauty of Tarawa is I have very good intelligance about the location - 7 units but only 700 men. Also there is only the single airbase unit in the Gilberts - Tarawa itself.
Operation Whiskey: Hopefully not instigated in a drunken stupor. The invasion of Rabaul. He has decided to reinforce the Marshals and this has been to the detriment of the bases around New Britain. Only the Shortlands and Lae have any airfields in use. Shortlands, the most dangerous, is still only size 1. Lae can be heavily supressed from PM. Therefore Rabaul is quite isolated. I can also support the invasion with B-17s out of PM and Lunga is slowly coming online.
In San Francisco some of the ships damaged in the DEI and Pearl harbour attacks get their last coats of paint: CA San Francisco, CA Minneapolis, BB California, and BB Oklahoma is doing nicely - down to 17 SYS.
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RE: Madras Falls
Yes, it looks better, indeed. And of course there is the all important upgrade on Hermes from Glads to Fulmars! [;)]
Why not take a look at wake and Marcus islands? Yes, they have small harbors and airfields but if you take Marcus it will threaten him I think. It is just so annoying for the jap to have allied troops that close to Japan.
Why not take a look at wake and Marcus islands? Yes, they have small harbors and airfields but if you take Marcus it will threaten him I think. It is just so annoying for the jap to have allied troops that close to Japan.
RE: Madras Falls
Being 15 hexes from Tokyo, is Marcus a trigger for kamikaze? Or, is there a date involved also?
Intel Monkey: https://sites.google.com/view/staffmonkeys/home
RE: Madras Falls
15 hexes from, Tokyo, Takao or Saigon and no earlier than Jan 1st 1944. Marcus is exactly 15 hexes from Tokyo.
RE: Madras Falls
Hell I don't need kamikazes as well.
I have to be a little realistic. He is relying on his land based airpower and as much as the KB is a threat it has been the land based ACs that have really done the donkey work for him so far. It is land based air that is defending the Marshals.
Poor Hermes has land based aircraft on its desks - they are pure window dressing: Kittyhawks. Her sea gladiators did get teh upgrade to Fulmars though - watchout IJN!
I have to be a little realistic. He is relying on his land based airpower and as much as the KB is a threat it has been the land based ACs that have really done the donkey work for him so far. It is land based air that is defending the Marshals.
Poor Hermes has land based aircraft on its desks - they are pure window dressing: Kittyhawks. Her sea gladiators did get teh upgrade to Fulmars though - watchout IJN!
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madflava13
- Posts: 1501
- Joined: Wed Feb 07, 2001 10:00 am
- Location: Alexandria, VA
RE: Madras Falls
I think Tarawa's the best bet... Just bring lots of engineers and supplies with the first wave - get that AF built to size 4 fast and she should be able to hold by herself.
"The Paraguayan Air Force's request for spraying subsidies was not as Paraguayan as it were..."
RE: Madras Falls
Well, yes I guess that if you try an invasion anywhere there will be bettys and nells around faster than the speed of light. But I think that if you take both marcus and wake there will be a lot of islands that he have to guard as the marianas, marchals and the islands around Iwo Jima will be in the frontline, sort of.
I just wonder what use I have of the british carriers? Maybe one should mix them with US carriers to attract some bombs when it gets hot... [8D]
Pat
I just wonder what use I have of the british carriers? Maybe one should mix them with US carriers to attract some bombs when it gets hot... [8D]
Pat
RE: Madras Falls
Strv103c - wont I instigate the Kamikazes at Marcus though - isn't this the conclusion we have come to?
He still has a very capable surface fleet - i have seen what he can do with Naval bombardments! I would think Marcus would be hell on earth to keep and just as hard to supply with ACs and engineers.
Well if I can get the kittyhawks in on Hermes she will have gone way up in my value estimations!
He still has a very capable surface fleet - i have seen what he can do with Naval bombardments! I would think Marcus would be hell on earth to keep and just as hard to supply with ACs and engineers.
Well if I can get the kittyhawks in on Hermes she will have gone way up in my value estimations!
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madflava13
- Posts: 1501
- Joined: Wed Feb 07, 2001 10:00 am
- Location: Alexandria, VA
RE: Madras Falls
Tell me how Wake or Marcus can be a stepping stone. Neither is a good base to jump off of. Tarawa is the same, except you can find bases within LBA range from Tarawa. I plan to take Wake back in my PBEMs, but more as a recon base than anything. Only Tarawa provides any long term reason to attack. Going after Marcus or Wake to instigate an invasion later on makes no sense to me.
Tarawa supports later landings. Wake and Marcus only provide outposts.
Tarawa supports later landings. Wake and Marcus only provide outposts.
"The Paraguayan Air Force's request for spraying subsidies was not as Paraguayan as it were..."
RE: Madras Falls
Okey, Marcus was just a thought from my side and i figure that the price taking it seems higher than the gain at the moment. There are few good logical reasons for taking Marcus as you say, points taken. My thought was that it would be a thorn in the jap side not a jumping stone. Same thing as losing the Johnston island to the jap I imagine. The kamikazes don´t come in for another year and a half even if you are inside those 15 hexes.
cheers
cheers