Historical AE. Cantona2 (A) vs Fletcher (J)

[cantona2]

16th March 1942

Britsh and Commonwealth units that had been cut off to the East of Prome finally surrendered after a fortnight of herioc resistance behind enemy lines. The High Command now expects the mass of aerial support that was attacking these units to be engaged against Mandalay and Shwebo . Other Prome refugees managed to reach the relative safety of Akyab. The 2nd Burma Brigade has been ordered to Culcutta to refit while the still fresh 4/14th Punjabi Battalion will remain in Akyab to reinfore the existing garrison made up of the 18th Infantry Division's 251st Recce Battalion. Marauders of the 22nd Bomber Group hit pursuing Japanese troops on the other bank of the Kaladan River.

Further to the south east a coordinated raid by RAF Blenheims out of Dacca, and B-17s of the USAAF out of Caluctta, hit the enemy airstrip at Magwe hard. Japanese fighters on CAP had been removed by aggressive sweeps by the Hurricanes of 605 Squadron based out of Shwebo. By the time the bombers arrived over their target the skies were clear of enemy planes but observers on the Blenhiem could clearly see the burning wrecks of Ki-43s that had been shot down. THe bombers dropped their loads unmolested by either fighters, but mor interestingly flak. No return fire from the ground was observed. Post riad recon by a Hurricane Pr.II of 3 PRU Squadron (Lashio) confirmed the destruciton of 3 enemy planes on the ground and relative damage inflicted to the runway, fuel and base installations. The raid also singified the first out of the newly expanded facilities at Dacca.

Ship movements have been detected around the Lubang area in Luzon. A patrolling Dutch submarine has been detailed to search the area adter the alst remainig PT Boat in the area, based out of Busuanga, claimed to have spotted a Japanese light carrier. Likewise there has been a lot of shipping moving in and around the Coral and Solomon Seas. There are currently 11 US and Dutch submarines in the area and they have orders to hunt and kill any Japanese ship they see!

In Pearl Harbour, the 23rd Bomber Squadron and the 31st Bomber Squadron have turned in their B-17d's and have had brand new B-17e's fresh from the factory issued to them. They have orders to spend a week familiarising themselves with their new planes and then they will leave Hickam Field to new bases in the South Pacific.

But the day goes to the SS S-28. I'll let the screenie do the talking...

[cantona2]

20th March 1942.

The war has gone realtively quiet for the last few days. The action has really been concentrated in Burma and in the Sian Road in China.

Allied submarines have sunk a number of enemy vessels in the last four days. Ships were sunk at Wake Island, Normanby Island and in the Solomon Sea. Though the S-28 pursued the Mutsu as she made her way north, there was never a second contact.

CV Entereprise has reached the West Coast, Los Angeles in particualr, and has entered dry dock for the first time since the war broke out. She requires about a fortnight of work in order to bring her back to full repair. This absence was counter balanced by the arrival of the Hornet at San Diego via Balboa. The Lexington is still at Pago-Pago receiveing emergency repairs. Large ammounts of flood waters have been pumped out and her engines are benefitting from the presence of the AR Vestal and are gradually being brought back to a point where a decent speed can be achieved. Wasp is still on over watch duties near Luganville while the Saratoga is steaming past Midway Island on her way back to Pearl after her engagement at Wake Island.

Dutch B-25s finally made a successful attack on enemy ships heading south down the Java Sea, most probably to Semarang. Intell suggests that the ships were carrying troops and it is assumed that the units at Malaya are being ferried into Java to support ops there. Dorniers from Bandjermasin also hit another couple of ships heading towards Java from the East. The few remaining Dutch PT Boats will put out to sea to attempt an intercept of these convoys.

[cantona2]

Focus on Burma

Japanese troops occupied the town of Meiktila and thi will mean the start of the main assualt on Mandalay. Mandalay has a smattering of units ot defend it but the main defensive effort will come at Shwebo, which is also the main defensive airfield in Burma.

The troops ejected from Meiktila retreated to Toungoo and the green arrows on the screenie show the route they will tak eto try and make it to the Indian Border. A coyple of chinese corps, released to NCAC as per the HRs, have left Lashio and are marching North into India to train and be built up.

Magwe airfield was once again hit by bombers based in India and post raid recon suggest moderate damage to the strip and at least 3 enemy fighters destroyed on the ground. Further aerial recon alos suggests that the Japanese have made the first tenative steps to cross the Kaladan River into Akyab. At least one unit of artillery and an infantry brigade, possibly 33rd Infantry Divisi be attacked by bombers tomorrow.

[cantona2]

Focus on China

The main Japanese offensive has been towards Sian and has been largely successful so far, routing several Chinese armies on route. That was until today. The Loyang Army had entrenched itself in the woods to the south of Sian and gave the attacking Japanese Army a very bloody nose as it used terrain and the tenacity of its soldiers to very good effect. Japanese corpses lay in droves in front of the Chinese positions as the attack was not only repelled, but with heavy casualties.

Ground combat at 84,42

Japanese Deliberate attack

Attacking force 115476 troops, 1078 guns, 486 vehicles, Assault Value = 3748

Defending force 71671 troops, 383 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 2513

Japanese adjusted assault: 2095

Allied adjusted defense: 3253

Japanese assault odds: 1 to 2

Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+), experience(-), supply(-)
Attacker:

Japanese ground losses:
10908 casualties reported
Squads: 26 destroyed, 472 disabled
Non Combat: 19 destroyed, 221 disabled
Engineers: 2 destroyed, 49 disabled
Vehicles lost 47 (6 destroyed, 41 disabled)


Allied ground losses:
4150 casualties reported
Squads: 10 destroyed, 259 disabled
Non Combat: 9 destroyed, 336 disabled
Engineers: 1 destroyed, 6 disabled


Assaulting units:
2nd Ind.Mixed Brigade
13th Ind.Mixed Brigade
3rd Ind.Mixed Brigade
13th Tank Regiment
12th Tank Regiment
110th Division
32nd/A Division
37th Division
15th Tank Regiment
54th Infantry Brigade
1st Ind.Mixed Brigade
15th
61st Infantry Brigade
60th Infantry Brigade
7th Ind.Mixed Brigade
116th Division
138th Infantry Regiment
9th Ind.Mixed Brigade
32nd/C Division
35th Division
13th/B Division
36th/C Division
1st Army
1st Mortar Battalion
12th Army
North China Area Army
China Expeditionary Army
6th Medium Field Artillery Regiment

Defending units:
80th Chinese Corps
27th Chinese Corps
96th Chinese Corps
47th Chinese Corps
38th Chinese Corps
40th Chinese Corps
9th Chinese Corps
93rd Chinese Corps
36th Chinese Corps
2nd Chinese Cavalry Corps
Jingcha War Area
4th Group Army
15th Group Army
14th Group Army
36th Group Army

A Chinese attack to the North East of the city failed to regain the railroad leading to Yenan from Japanese troops. Reinforcements are on their way to try and accomplish this before the Japanese are able to strengthen their own positions.

An Infantry Corps has been able to cut the road just north of Nanyang and has cut the flow of supplies from the south. Recon will be flown over Nanyang to try and determine the strength of the Japanese garrison there. The IJA has a lot of troops to the north and it amy force them to redeploy their units if they feel their posiitons are threatend by the disrupting of the flow of supplies

[cantona2]

22nd March 1942

Mandalay in Burma has fallen to Japanese troops and all of Burma south of the Irrawady is under Japanese control. RAF fighters still resist in the air and the Hurricane has proved to be more than a match for the Ki-43 in this theatre. Losses have been kept to a minimum while Japanese losses have been considerably higher. Forces will now redeploy to support the fighting withdrawal to the Indian Border as no doubt the IJA will press on hard after their success in Mandalay. Further to the north the RIAF has started to get its licks in harrassing the enemy troops approaching Akyab.



Japanese attacks on Chinese positions to the south of Sian have ceased for the time being. Instead Ramon has focussed his efforts on clearing his supply line to Nanyang with most aerial support in the region focusing their attacks on Chinese troops blocking the road. We have made use of the lull to reduce disruption, I found that putting units in Reserve (No Pursuit) reduces disruption very quickly. Though I am mindful of doing this one unit at a time should Ramon attack again.

Dutch air force units struck again on the 21st March. Dorniers sunk a light craft at Balikpapan while B-25s once again struck at enemy convoys now at Semarnag. Enemy CAP was flying and no hits were recorded. A single PT Boat was also unable to find favourable conditions for an attack on the enemy ships. This was not the case for the USN Subamrine S-41, whose torpedoes sank a damaged transport and also hit the CL Kiso to put the icing on the cake of a successful patrol, she headed to Soerabaja to resupply and on the night of the 22nd March once again sailed into Semarang. Less lucky was the SS Grayling that was heavily damaged off Sakhalin. She was hit by depth charges that caused heavy flooding and heavy damaged to most of the ships systems. Her chances of survival are low.

[cantona2]

Focus on Tranining

I have had a great deal of units, especially those due to withdraw sometime in 1942, on intensive training since December 7th. I made a routine check of these units, I normally do this once a fortnight, and I have found a lot of pilots with skills in the high 60s. As such rookie replacements were called in to replace those pilots graduating to the reserve pool and thence into frontline units. At the moment I have a very decent reserve pool of fighter pilots, some who have seen action and some fresh from traning squadrons. I already have several veteran pilots serving in their second tour in USAAF units in Australia in Fiji. The training aspect of AE is one of the features of the game I enjoy the most as it adds an element of RP to the game. Tracking a pilot as a rookie, as he breaks in his teeth in training and then as he faces the enemy for the first time and, if he survives, watch him grow in skill. Likewise the fact that the rear squadrons are mostly equipped with outclassed planes (Mohawks, Texans, Vindicators etc) also adds an element of realism to the game. Furthermore as I get new squadrons with modern planes, the veterans in the pools can be allocated to them to ensure the best pilots are flying the most advanced frames I have. I also make sure that these 'Trainers' have leaders with high admin scores, and a bonus if their aggression is low as i can leave the more aggressive leaders in the frontline.

I also have 9 very highly skilled pilots in TRACOM, mostly combat veterans and Aces. Can these be returned to the reserve pool at any time? I would like a rotation of highly skilled pilots between TRACOM and the front.

[Roger Neilson II]

Great Read Cantona, how on earth are you so successful with your subs? Mine are pretty dreadful even in June 42?

Roger

[cantona2]

ORIGINAL: Roger Neilson II

Great Read Cantona, how on earth are you so successful with your subs? Mine are pretty dreadful even in June 42?

Roger

Thanks Roger

Lots of luck with the subs! Patrol the obvious choke points, read the SIGINT carefully. I also leave subs in port hexes near the frontlines. Though this is very dangeros it reaps rewards. The downside is that the high level of dud hits on any given turn but hey at least the subs are getting into good firing positions.

[cantona2]

Apologies for lack of updates but getting married has an effect on time you have on the forum and for AE

Now once all is over the war goes on. The turn rate has sort off been kept up as I will be on honeymoon during Christmas but time has been short for updates on this AAR. In summary for these turns, Shwebo has been invested and the IJA is heavily assualting Batavia. Allied submarines have had a recent spate of successes sinking several enemy ships including a fuel laden tanker in the Philippine Sea and several ships in the Solomons. Intensive air battles have also been fought over the Burma battlefields with both bombers and fighters called into action on numerous occasions. The build up at Espiritu Santo, Fiji and Noumea contiunes with Tanna now having an operational fighter strip to support any ops in the area. In China the Japanese offensive into Sian has been stopped by the Loyang Army Group entrenched in the forests to the south of the city.

More regular updates with the ususal screenies will now resume.

[BBfanboy]

You just got married?? Congratulations and may all your problems be little ones! [;)]

You mentioned you have progressed several game turns - what game date are you at now?
Could you please post screen shots for ships lost [theirs and yours] and aircraft losses. I find them the best way to get a picture whether the war is going well or not for the game date.

[cantona2]

Turn Synopsis April 3rd 1942

First of all the end of April scoreboard

[cantona2]

Allied Marksmen of the Air

[traskott]

humm... 2:1 achieved... Be careful !!! [:D][:D][:D]

[Walloc]

ORIGINAL: cantona2

Apologies for lack of updates but getting married has an effect on time you have on the forum and for AE

So lesson is..... dont get married or?[:D]

Kind regards,

Rasmus

[cantona2]

Java

Batavia has been under constant attack for a number of weeks now. After making landfall at Semarang the IJA fanned out north and south to quickly envelop Batavia and Soerabaja. Other than light resistance at Tjialtjap Dutch forces were no match for the hardend veterans of the Malayan campaign. Though several enemy vessels have bene sunk by a large Allied submarine presence in the Java Sea, aerial superiority was quickly achieved by Japan. Most of her strike aircraft have been based at Oosthaven and Palembang on Sumatra. Batavia in particular has received an intensive aerial pummeling, to such an extent that the Dutch Air Force has been withdrawn to Soerabaja. Waves of enemy medium and light bombers have targetted industrial and troop dispositions in and arond Batavia.



Nonetheless the Dutch, once holed up in their strongholds have bitten back when the Japanese have let down their guard. The last 5 PT boats in the area have harrased shipping at Oosthaven and at Semarang while Dutch P-40s, cratered in despite the Japanese blockade and control of the air, have provided stirling service as escorts and interceptors.

P-40s of I-VI.G.IV escort B-25s to Semarang


Unfortunately their bomber comrades could not reward their bravery with hits.


Japanese soldiers were also being faced with great tenacity at Batavia. The large stockpiling of supplies in the city is allowing the garrison to resist a large investing force. Two heavy assaults have been repulsed dealing a large number of casualties to the enemy forces.

[kokubokan25]

2 to 1 so early??? You have lost some CV? With Java may be the foolish japanese reach 3 to 1.

[cantona2]

Burma

Japanese forces yesterday captured both Akyab and Shwebo, dealing a massive blow to Allied morale in the theatre. The previous days had been full of intensive aerial comabt between the RAF and the IJAAF. The hurricane was besting the Oscar on a regular basis but as more enemy planes entered the theatre the tide was begining to turn. Initial RAF successes allowed the B-26s of 22nd Bomber Group to attack the Japanese spearhead of armoured cars near Lashio.



Notwithstanding these assaults Lashio fell a day or two after, though its garrison of 2 Chinese Corps and a RAF Base Unit were able to make their escape to the North. Over Shwebo the IJAAF bombarded the British position there. Having already been cut off by an armoured regiment the day before bombers covered the Burmese skies on the 1st of April.



Yet B-17ds carried out an audacious raid on Magwe that caught the Japanese unawares and managed to get some divebombers on the ground, alas just a drop in the ocean.



Current situation 3-4-1942

[traskott]

Hurry up !!! don't let the japanese advance more !!! Fight in the jungle, in the beach.. ( well, you know, make what Churchill would have made ).

[cantona2]

Elsewhere in the theatre:

Heavy enemy air raids from Timor continue to assail bases in Northern Australia. Darwin and Broome have been put out of action and the bases to the rear, Katherine in particular, have also been heavily hit. AA reinforcements from the US have arrived in Australia and are heading to the north but the supply situation is critical. The ammount of enemy planes in the raids suggest a major effort on the part of the enemy to reduce our striking power from Northern Australia towards the southern flank of the Indies.


Air Raid on Darwin 2-4-1942


Similar heavy raids are characterising the epic battle being fought to the south of Sian. The Loyang Army Group has stopped the enemy offensive here using the excellent defensive ground in the forests to the south of the city. The IJAAF has responded by concentrating almost all of its bombers against this Chinese position in order to break into the city. As of the 3rd of April the Chinese forces were holding solidly despite a worsening supply situation.



A lot of the Fleet has gone into port for 4/42 upgrades as I can do with the AA and radar a lot of the ships get. I am bracing myself for Ramon's next move once he mops up Java. In a way Im eager for him to test my defences at Espiritu now that I have mutually supporting airfields in the area and more and more planes and men are arriving daily.

[cantona2]

ORIGINAL: fremen

2 to 1 so early??? You have lost some CV? With Java may be the foolish japanese reach 3 to 1.

No CV lost. I think it may well have to do with the losses in China. I started a thread about it a few weeks ago in the main forum. Everytime a major battle is fought the Chinese incurr massive losses that seem totally out of proportion to the scale of the fighting.

Anyhow here is the major ship losses. The big guns are Force Z and PH, nothing major as you can see.