Newbie Allies vs. Experinced WitP

[DOCUP]

Nice plan.  Bold early offensive strike for the Allies.  Hero or Zero from this.  Watching and waiting in the stands.

[Crackaces]

************************************************ 08 MAY 1942 *************************************************

I screwed up . but it is turning out ok ..

First:

Ground combat at Ocean Island (130,130)

Allied Shock attack

Attacking force 664 troops, 0 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 34

Defending force 252 troops, 0 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 8

Allied adjusted assault: 20

Japanese adjusted defense: 1

Allied assault odds: 20 to 1 (fort level 0)

Allied forces CAPTURE Ocean Island !!!

Combat modifiers
Defender: leaders(+), fatigue(-)
Attacker: shock(+), leaders(+), leaders(-), disruption(-)

Japanese ground losses:
282 casualties reported
Squads: 17 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 13 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Units destroyed 1


Allied ground losses:
26 casualties reported
Squads: 1 destroyed, 4 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled


Assaulting units:
2nd Marine Raider Bn /5

Defending units:
7th Indpt SNLF Coy

Then Tarawa we strike hard and reduce the defenses ...Rah Roh ...!!!! they go after the constrcution unit and not the Naval guard unit ..[8|]

Afternoon Air attack on 7th Naval Construction Battalion, at 136,128 (Tarawa)

Weather in hex: Clear sky

Raid spotted at 19 NM, estimated altitude 14,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 7 minutes


Allied aircraft
F4F-3 Wildcat x 20
F4F-4 Wildcat x 9
SBD-2 Dauntless x 34
SBD-3 Dauntless x 78
TBD-1 Devastator x 42


No Allied losses

Japanese ground losses:
342 casualties reported
Squads: 2 destroyed, 23 disabled
Non Combat: 3 destroyed, 24 disabled
Engineers: 1 destroyed, 5 disabled
Guns lost 6 (1 destroyed, 5 disabled)
Vehicles lost 2 (1 destroyed, 1 disabled)



Now teh big screw-up ... I set the CVTF-1 to follow by 2 hexes .. well that slowed the BB TF up ...and the engineers hit first ..[X(]

Ground combat at Tarawa (136,128)

Japanese Bombardment attack

Attacking force 1217 troops, 11 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 44

Defending force 1011 troops, 3 guns, 28 vehicles, Assault Value = 42



Assaulting units:
53rd Naval Guard Unit
7th Naval Construction Battalion

Defending units:
102nd Combat Engr Rgt /1


HOLY COW BATMAT!

Ok well 370 AV hit at dawn and should take this place. I suspect a huge air battle tomorrow over Tarawa while I am lanidng .. I was hoping to have everything ashore before this happened ..[:@]

In oher news in the Gilberts:

Sub attack near Nauru Island at 125,124

Japanese Ships
xAK Kotobuki Maru #5, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
xAK Daihachikyo Maru
xAKL Tenposan Maru
xAKL Toyotsu Maru
PB Sento Maru

Allied Ships
SS KXVIII


BURMA:

Morning Air attack on Prome , at 55,50

Weather in hex: Severe storms

Raid spotted at 31 NM, estimated altitude 23,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 7 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-43-Ic Oscar x 5



Allied aircraft
Hurricane IIb Trop x 14


Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-43-Ic Oscar: 1 destroyed

No Allied losses

Morning Air attack on Prome , at 55,50

Weather in hex: Severe storms

Raid spotted at 22 NM, estimated altitude 27,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 5 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 4
Ki-43-Ic Oscar x 8



Allied aircraft
Hurricane IIa Trop x 14


Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 1 destroyed
Ki-43-Ic Oscar: 1 destroyed

Allied aircraft losses
Hurricane IIa Trop: 1 destroyed


Morning Air attack on Prome , at 55,50

Weather in hex: Severe storms

Raid spotted at 11 NM, estimated altitude 23,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 2 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 7
Ki-43-Ic Oscar x 4



Allied aircraft
Hurricane IIb Trop x 2


Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 1 destroyed

No Allied losses

Morning Air attack on Prome , at 55,50

Weather in hex: Severe storms

Raid spotted at 14 NM, estimated altitude 28,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 3 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 5
Ki-43-Ic Oscar x 4



Allied aircraft
Hurricane IIa Trop x 2


No Japanese losses

No Allied losses




2 Oscars, 2 Zeros, and 1 Hurricane ..

PO Kirkpatrick M. of No.605 Sqn RAF is credited with kill number 4

FO Thompson E. of No.605 Sqn RAF is credited with kill number 4

PO Crandall L. of No.605 Sqn RAF is credited with kill number 2

And for Cribtop or Crusutton .. here is the second deadly landing accident while training ..

Pilot killed in landing accident of F4F-3 Wildcat from VMF-221

Ok More tommorrow ..

[Crackaces]

Well as above I started one day too soon. But we are ashore with engineers. The diagram below ilistrates where we are at. The main forces 80 miles off shore and ready to hit in the morning. They will drop 120 AV first round and another 120 AV for the shock attack.

That IJN SS off Tabatuea is distrubing. But everybody withdraws toward Baker Island. Refuel - Rearm and wait for the KB.

One thing that is very disturbing .. the two CL's are frozen in place and have not moved toward bombardment. I wonder what that is about?

Ok .. first things first establish fighters on Tarawa .. then PA's on Ocean Island.

[Crackaces]

ORIGINAL: DOCUP

Nice plan.  Bold early offensive strike for the Allies.  Hero or Zero from this.  Watching and waiting in the stands.

Just to say Docup everything thus far fits the strategic plan. That is secure the Gilberts in 1942 to move on the Marshals in 1943. End goal is Formosa and cut off the IJ from the DEI. (See the begining of this thread ..)

The IJ know how difficult it is to supply a Northen Oz campaign. I really do not care if he takes a couple of Kangaroos although a level 7 airfield at Darwin is a pain in the rear. But Darwin cost the IJ 7,000 troops out of 27,000 committed, and 8 xAK's plus 4 DD's and a CL. That should slow the IJA up for now. There is still the KB, but I am willing to trade say 4 old carriers for 6 IJN CV's ... the Hornet is 3 days sailing away and soon we will have 5 CV's in the area.

I have patrols in Alaska and some forces. He could push things there but he has to feel the pressure. A look at the map shows Ndeni and Luganville as solid bomber bases with fighters. Tabituea level 5 base.

Next once Tarawa is secure next step is to project power into the Solomons. His KB being still alive, and well unlike real life is going to make this a lot harder ..

[Crackaces]

*********************************************** 09 MAY 1942 *********************************************

Allied forces CAPTURE Tarawa !!!

It was a huge overkill .. but we took Tarawa with mimimal casualties and got a goood idea for lessons learned in Amphib attacks.

The sequince of events below .. I will use different colors to off set the phases:

Pre-Invasion action off Tarawa (136,128)

8 Coastal gun shots fired in defense.

Allied Ships
BB Mississippi
BB New Mexico
BB Idaho
BB Tennessee
BB Pennsylvania
BB Colorado
BB Maryland
DD Fox
DD Edsall
DD Walke
AP Crescent City
DD O'Brien
DD Ward

Japanese ground losses:
342 casualties reported
Squads: 3 destroyed, 25 disabled
Non Combat: 6 destroyed, 61 disabled
Engineers: 3 destroyed, 22 disabled
Vehicles lost 1 (1 destroyed, 0 disabled)


Invasion Support action off Tarawa (136,128)

10 Coastal gun shots fired in defense.

Allied Ships
AP Fuller
DD Mustin
DD Brooks



Defensive Guns fire at approaching troops in landing craft at 2,000 yards


---------------------------------------------

Invasion Support action off Tarawa (136,128)

4 Coastal gun shots fired in defense.

Allied Ships
AP Crescent City
DD O'Brien
DD Ward

...............

Afternoon Air attack on 53rd Naval Guard Unit, at 136,128 (Tarawa)

Weather in hex: Partial cloud

Raid spotted at 20 NM, estimated altitude 18,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 7 minutes


Allied aircraft
F4F-3 Wildcat x 8
F4F-4 Wildcat x 9
SBD-3 Dauntless x 85
TBD-1 Devastator x 14


No Allied losses

Japanese ground losses:
93 casualties reported
Squads: 2 destroyed, 8 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 12 disabled
Engineers: 1 destroyed, 3 disabled
Guns lost 3 (3 destroyed, 0 disabled)

Afternoon Air attack on 53rd Naval Guard Unit, at 136,128 (Tarawa)

Weather in hex: Partial cloud

Raid spotted at 19 NM, estimated altitude 15,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 7 minutes


Allied aircraft
F4F-3 Wildcat x 8
SBD-2 Dauntless x 34
SBD-3 Dauntless x 27


No Allied losses

Japanese ground losses:
35 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 3 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 7 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled



The Invasion:


Amphibious Assault at Tarawa (136,128)

TF 398 troops unloading over beach at Tarawa, 136,128


Allied ground losses:
30 casualties reported
Squads: 1 destroyed, 10 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 1 (0 destroyed, 1 disabled)
Vehicles lost 9 (2 destroyed, 7 disabled)


155mm M1 Howitzer lost from landing craft during unload of 24th Infantry Div
Scout Car lost overboard during unload of 24th Infantry Div
Scout Car lost in surf during unload of 24th Infantry Div
Motorized Support damaged beyond repair during unload of 24th Infantry Div /5
13 troops of a USA Rifle Squad accidentally lost during unload of 24th Infantry Div /9


Then ..Combat

Ground combat at Tarawa (136,128)

Allied Shock attack

Attacking force 10809 troops, 205 guns, 286 vehicles, Assault Value = 423

Defending force 1139 troops, 15 guns, 2 vehicles, Assault Value = 6

Allied adjusted assault: 146

Japanese adjusted defense: 1

Allied assault odds: 146 to 1 (fort level 3)

Allied forces CAPTURE Tarawa !!!

Combat modifiers
Defender: forts(+), disruption(-), preparation(-), experience(-)
Attacker: shock(+), fatigue(-)

Japanese ground losses:
1309 casualties reported
Squads: 54 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 132 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 46 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 19 (19 destroyed, 0 disabled)
Vehicles lost 2 (2 destroyed, 0 disabled)
Units destroyed 2


Allied ground losses:
17 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 3 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled



17 casualties!

Now we have a situation .. Two IJN submarines have moved into the area. My DD's blocking the strait have done little to prevent the IJN from penatrating into our battlespace. So we have to egress out the CVTF's, along with put up and ASW screen the best we can. It looks like one more full day to get the AP's and AK's out.

In other news .. A Ki-46-II Dinah was sighted over Chittagong and promptly shot down by CAP.

I did not know that a PBY was such a difficult aircraft to fly [8|]


PBY-5A Catalina from VP-14 is damaged on landing

PBY-4 Catalina from VP-71 is damaged on landing

PBY-4 Catalina from VP-71 crashes on landing

PBY-4 Catalina from VP-71 is damaged on landing

VP-71 will have to be set down and have a training holiday ...[;)]

On the other fronts .. The IJ have moved another 400 AV into Darwin. Let us see how this unfolds. I plan not to enage anywhere south of Alice Springs and in the meantime build up bases and LOC thorugh New Caladona, Ndeni, Suva, Tarawa/Tabetuea, Midway, Addu/Dutch Harbor. That will be the focus for the next 3 or so months.

More Later ..

[Crackaces]

The picture below shows the proceedings for 10 May 1942. That LYB submarine is detected but my ASW has yet to react or drop a single damn DC. If it gets any closer I will have to pull the CVTF's. This is a critical turn. I have created yet another ASW TF to attempt to screen this LYB from getting to my CV's. It has also caused yet another day's delay of the BF as I am routing arounds its possible movements.

Lot's of stuff loaded today and moving into theater along with what was planned for this operation. Nemo would be disappointed as I did not have 2nd level echelons ready to follow up this victory. Even a second marine radier force hitting something would have kept offense initiative.

[Crackaces]

************************************************** 11 MAY 1942 ***********************************
CENPAC: The CVTF's are moving out. we can transfer in airpower next turn and that will provide support to protect Tarawa. We have 100 fighters in the area to be stationed on 3 airbases. More as this either goes quiet or becomes a major front.

Burma: We transfered 3 squadrons to provide LRCAP 3 hexes over Lashio. This will be a surprise to the IJAAF and 15-20 fighters, depending on who decides to fly .. will enage 45 unescorted bombers

OZ: I want to visually update what is happening around Darwin. The IJA have made a serious committment to the Land of Oz. The landings first saw 25K troops and which 1/2 landed. Another 25K or 2 Divisions have landed and are pushing south.

Right now the Bgd's of the 6th AUS Division are RR to Alice Springs where they will reform. An USAAF BF is also in route with engineers. We will build Alice Springs up and base Long Range Bombers. I will be the first to blink and change my strategic plan a bit. Troops moving in the open desert between Darwin and Alice Springs is too lucrative of a targert to pass up. I already have US armor on the way and 2 US divisions RR to Alice Springs. By the end of May we will have fielded a Corps. That should be enough to halt the IJA while we enage in ground attacks from the air. I do not think there is a better battle space to have US armor than around Alice Springs where USAAF can bomb and the IJA is far from supply. The hording has already began at Alice Springs.

[Crackaces]

***************************************************** 11 MAY 1942 ************************************

Quiet turn.. The submarine hanging out on the port enterance of Colombo gets 1 hit . nothing major ..

ASW attack near Colombo at 27,48

Japanese Ships
SS I-124, hits 1

Allied Ships
KV Fritillary


We cannot seem to execute an ASW attack on the submarine over Brisbane ..

Sub attack near Brisbane at 97,160

Japanese Ships
SS I-9

Allied Ships
DD Vampire
DD Voyager



SS I-9 launches 2 torpedoes at DD Vampire

At least he expends 2 torps ...

In Burma the ground war shows signs that the IJA is getting fatigued:


Ground combat at Lashio (62,46)

Japanese Deliberate attack

Attacking force 9136 troops, 132 guns, 91 vehicles, Assault Value = 321

Defending force 7216 troops, 31 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 328

Japanese engineers reduce fortifications to 2

Japanese adjusted assault: 124

Allied adjusted defense: 259

Japanese assault odds: 1 to 2 (fort level 2)

Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+), forts(+), leaders(-), preparation(-)
fatigue(-), experience(-)
Attacker: fatigue(-)

Japanese ground losses:
348 casualties reported
Squads: 1 destroyed, 23 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 8 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 11 disabled
Vehicles lost 16 (1 destroyed, 15 disabled)


Allied ground losses:
304 casualties reported
Squads: 2 destroyed, 53 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 3 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled


Assaulting units:
1st Tank Regiment
55th Division

Defending units:
1st Burma Brigade
200th Chinese Division
36th Chinese Division



On another note .. no LRCAP over Lashio and no less than 57 Lily's show up ..

Morning Air attack on 200th Chinese Division, at 62,46 (Lashio)

Weather in hex: Light rain

Raid spotted at 19 NM, estimated altitude 6,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 5 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-48-Ib Lily x 37



No Japanese losses

orning Air attack on 200th Chinese Division, at 62,46 (Lashio)

Weather in hex: Light rain

Raid spotted at 10 NM, estimated altitude 6,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 3 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-48-Ib Lily x 20



No Japanese losses


This turn we continue the above plan and organize the CVTF fleets. .... Yesterday the Marianas was hot with radio transmissions .. this turn is Truk .. I suspect the KB is coming .. probably to Raid ..They will find 100 LBA's -- fighters .. I suspect they probably shoot down and destroy there fair share but we keep the IJ reacting .. Just one more year (6 months RL at our pace) until we have parody....

[Crackaces]

CENPAC: The diagram below shows D-DAY +3 we are now completly unloaded and Amphib forces are heading home. No ships lost yet ..[8D]. The 2 main CVTF's are moving to locations south southeast of Baker Island to refuel and rearm at Baker Island. The Hornet will be in theater at that moment. That is 5 CV's to respond to the KB/counter invasion / new invasion of Tabituea. We shall see what unfolds. "Heavy radio traffic" again at Truk.

This turn we loaded up forces we plan to engage the Solomon's / Northern Oz with. I have not decided yet how to allocate forces between fronts but I will stage a portion and see how it develops. I am not going to invade anything soon so I have not started prep. Maybe next week. But I still think armor would be much more effective killing LYB's in the deserts of Oz than in The Jungles of New Guinea.

[Crackaces]

******************************************************** 12 MAY 1942 *****************************************

The day beings with a night bombing raid by 24 Nells. This must be a new unit committed to the Burma front:

Night Air attack on Chittagong , at 55,41

Weather in hex: Light cloud

Raid spotted at 28 NM, estimated altitude 17,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 11 minutes

Japanese aircraft
G3M2 Nell x 24



Allied aircraft
Hurricane IIb Trop x 16
Mohawk IV x 4


Japanese aircraft losses
G3M2 Nell: 2 damaged
G3M2 Nell: 1 destroyed by flak

Allied aircraft losses
Hurricane IIb Trop: 1 damaged



Runway hits 1

One down, 23 more to go ... [;)]

Daylight comes and we smack a the 3rd Mortar Battalion:

Morning Air attack on 3rd Mortar Battalion, at 60,44 , near Shwebo

Weather in hex: Light rain

Raid spotted at 20 NM, estimated altitude 8,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 6 minutes


Allied aircraft
Martlet II x 3
Blenheim IV x 29
Hudson IIIa x 12
Hurricane IIb Trop x 2
Wellington Ic x 16


No Allied losses

Japanese ground losses:
20 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 38 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Vehicles lost 53 (4 destroyed, 49 disabled)

Morning Air attack on 3rd Mortar Battalion, at 60,44 , near Shwebo

Weather in hex: Light rain

Raid spotted at 20 NM, estimated altitude 9,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 6 minutes


Allied aircraft
Blenheim IV x 18


No Allied losses

Japanese ground losses:
26 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 11 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled



Just to keep the DEI updated:


Ground combat at 48,98 (near Batavia)

Japanese Deliberate attack

Attacking force 7215 troops, 52 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 251

Defending force 2986 troops, 7 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 5

Japanese adjusted assault: 83

Allied adjusted defense: 3

Japanese assault odds: 27 to 1

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

Japanese ground losses:
14 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled


Allied ground losses:
40 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 6 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

CENPAC:

ASW attack near Beru at 138,133

Japanese Ships
SS I-19

Allied Ships
DD Cummings
DD Flusser



The Cummings expended her ammo but got no hits ..[8|]


Japan:

A little gaze through this thread and the Grenadier has been very active ut no live torps yet .. but this Captian can hit something ..

Sub attack near Fukue-jima at 99,59

Japanese Ships
APD Yunagi
xAK Yamayuri Maru

Allied Ships
SS Grenadier



SS Grenadier launches 2 torpedoes at APD Yunagi

Ok that was the Combat Report. My focus has been to start positioning forces strategically and start thinking about more focused aggression. The IJ move in Oz has forced me to think about the Mosquito ridden Solomon's as an early '43 area of pressure. I have not thought of as yet exactly how many divisions to committ. But, I do not want to waste PP;s moving commands so at first I will just pre-postion as assigned and then begin using PP's to move restrcited units into commands. I have enough forces to move into threater without having to add more to the mix right now.

Positioning the I AUS Corps and an USA Corps in Alice Springs is one big logistics feat in itself ...[:'(]

[DOCUP]

Congrats on the op.  Impressive keep it up.

I think I read some of your stuff on another forum, can't remember what it was you were talking about AE.

[Crackaces]

ORIGINAL: DOCUP

Congrats on the op.  Impressive keep it up.

I think I read some of your stuff on another forum, can't remember what it was you were talking about AE.

Thank You DOCUP!

I am reading your thread also.

I am not sure what I was talking about either [;)]

I think in scenarario #1 the IJ cannot be everywhere. So using WitPTracker and with some knowledge of the total forces -- you can deduce how much stuff the IJ has comitted into a theater and how much stuff he has in reserve. CanoeRebel decribed this strategy in your thread. Really getting to brass tacks and counting every bean would take more time than I have, but geting a feel for at leat how much is not engaged. RECON gives you the operational feel for the theater and battlespace.

My Tarawa move was simply taking some intitive to poke the big bowl of jello and cause some shaking throughout his battlespace. Operationally, 15 hexes (Normal PBY 4 range) North Northwest of Tarawa is well into the Marshalls. This allows a lot more space where I know the KB is not .. or if it shows up .. where it is .. It will be awhile before I can move further North because of crappiness of my airframes right now and his Nell's / Zero's to the North.

Straegically, I sense that the Darwin adventure is the last real operation for the IJ committing his forces. He has forces comitted going for PM already. The IJ is also pretty committed in Burma after I moved two Chineese units into Lashio early he reacted by moving an additional 1600 AV. Thus I suspect that the Gilberts will be a KB/LBA response with also reinforcing MIlli, building bases up etc. I cannot see an instant counter-invasion he has not prepared for .. BTW) The IJ lose the magical Amphib bonus this month. This will slow the IJ operations down tremendously.

As far as operations over Tarawa. The LBA can stick around but the KB, if they show, has to go home sometime. Then it is back to my dirty work of cleaning up, reinforcing, and having an air battle. The difference here is that I can interdict supply where over the Solomons this is mich harder to do.

OK that is my flawed logic as a newbie .. thanks for dropping in DOCUP and at least breaking up my soliloquy [:D] Always better to have a conversation in a thread.

[Crackaces]

********************************************************* 13 MAY 1942 ***************************************

BURMA:

The night brings another air attack on Chittagong:

Night Air attack on Chittagong , at 55,41

Weather in hex: Light cloud

Raid detected at 34 NM, estimated altitude 5,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 10 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-48-Ib Lily x 6



Allied aircraft
Hurricane IIb Trop x 16
Mohawk IV x 4


Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-48-Ib Lily: 1 destroyed, 1 damaged
Ki-48-Ib Lily: 3 destroyed by flak

No Allied losses


The day in Burma opens with a fighter sweep:

Morning Air attack on Prome , at 55,50

Weather in hex: Partial cloud

Raid spotted at 4 NM, estimated altitude 23,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 1 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 4
Ki-43-Ic Oscar x 6



Allied aircraft
Martlet II x 5


Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 1 destroyed

Allied aircraft losses
Martlet II: 2 destroyed

.........................

Morning Air attack on Prome , at 55,50

Weather in hex: Partial cloud

Raid spotted at 7 NM, estimated altitude 21,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 1 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 2
Ki-43-Ic Oscar x 5



Allied aircraft
Hurricane IIb Trop x 11


Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 1 destroyed
Ki-43-Ic Oscar: 2 destroyed

No Allied losses



......................

Morning Air attack on Prome , at 55,50

Weather in hex: Partial cloud

Raid spotted at 13 NM, estimated altitude 29,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 2 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 9
Ki-43-Ic Oscar x 2



Allied aircraft
Hurricane IIa Trop x 10


Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 2 destroyed
Ki-43-Ic Oscar: 1 destroyed

No Allied losses


So this day we exchange:

Martlet II: 2 destroyed

Ki-48-Ib Lily: 4 destroyed
A6M2 Zero: 4 destroyed
Ki-43-Ic Oscar: 3 destroyed

Probably sending in the Martlet squadron was a bad idea but every Zero counts. This is clearly not any representation of whats to come when hundreds of aircraft will do battle over the skies of the Solomons and Oz. But every victory helps. The IJ has not to date committed a lot of fighters mainly bombers. By the October/ November timeframe I will have the resources in theater to start striking his airfields from afar.

JAPAN:

I am using Dutch Submarines to interdict the LOC from Japan to its source of supply. Today we get a TK.

Submarine attack near Amami Oshima at 100,64

Japanese Ships
TK Kuroshio Maru, Torpedo hits 1, heavy fires, heavy damage

Allied Ships
SS O19



TK Kuroshio Maru is sighted by SS O19
SS O19 launches 4 torpedoes


Crtical hit messages," fuel cargo burning" etc .. she will slip below the waves.

CENPAC:

The Greyback lauches a dud ..

Sub attack near Eniwetok at 127,109

Japanese Ships
AMC Awata Maru
APD Sawakaze

Allied Ships
SS Grayback



SS Grayback launches 4 torpedoes at AMC Awata Maru

So in all a very good turn. The IJAAF is begning the assult on Katherine. I suspect he will extend his battlespace to Daily Waters. My Coast Watchers tell me that 4 more xAK's brought stuff into Darwin.

I am thinking that the Oz deserts will be the end of the begning regarding the IJ empire

[Crackaces]

DEEP BATTLE

I thought I might add something as an example of what deep battle is not. In the Gilberts I have chosen a strategy of island hoping where 2nd line reserves are brought into theater in support. Establish local superiority [for now [:D]] and then advance again. This is would be the perfect antithesis to the thought of Deep battle. In a deep battle scenrario the 2nd line reserves would have smacked Maklin and on to Milli until resistance was encoutered. Then and only then would consolidation and the next attack phase entered.

I think it was well within our resources to do so. It just is not my style nor a good risk with the KB now alerted to our foray. I think the least risk for the Allies in a bold stroke at this point is to pick an objective, seize it, and consolidate.

As it is, we are moving substaintal forces into MacArthur's command. The Solomons will have to be in our plans like it or not.

The Opportunity for deep battle might come in the land of Oz... we shall see ..

In 3 weeks we will have a level 6 field at Ndeni and level 5 at Tabeteua. The Heavy Bombers will start raining hell on earth into the Solomons, Gilberts, and Southern Marshall Islands..

[DOCUP]

ORIGINAL: Crackaces

ORIGINAL: DOCUP

Congrats on the op.  Impressive keep it up.

I think I read some of your stuff on another forum, can't remember what it was you were talking about AE.

Thank You DOCUP!

I am reading your thread also.

I am not sure what I was talking about either [;)]

I think in scenarario #1 the IJ cannot be everywhere. So using WitPTracker and with some knowledge of the total forces -- you can deduce how much stuff the IJ has comitted into a theater and how much stuff he has in reserve. CanoeRebel decribed this strategy in your thread. Really getting to brass tacks and counting every bean would take more time than I have, but geting a feel for at leat how much is not engaged. RECON gives you the operational feel for the theater and battlespace.

My Tarawa move was simply taking some intitive to poke the big bowl of jello and cause some shaking throughout his battlespace. Operationally, 15 hexes (Normal PBY 4 range) North Northwest of Tarawa is well into the Marshalls. This allows a lot more space where I know the KB is not .. or if it shows up .. where it is .. It will be awhile before I can move further North because of crappiness of my airframes right now and his Nell's / Zero's to the North.

Straegically, I sense that the Darwin adventure is the last real operation for the IJ committing his forces. He has forces comitted going for PM already. The IJ is also pretty committed in Burma after I moved two Chineese units into Lashio early he reacted by moving an additional 1600 AV. Thus I suspect that the Gilberts will be a KB/LBA response with also reinforcing MIlli, building bases up etc. I cannot see an instant counter-invasion he has not prepared for .. BTW) The IJ lose the magical Amphib bonus this month. This will slow the IJ operations down tremendously.

As far as operations over Tarawa. The LBA can stick around but the KB, if they show, has to go home sometime. Then it is back to my dirty work of cleaning up, reinforcing, and having an air battle. The difference here is that I can interdict supply where over the Solomons this is mich harder to do.

OK that is my flawed logic as a newbie .. thanks for dropping in DOCUP and at least breaking up my soliloquy [:D] Always better to have a conversation in a thread.

I drop in just about everyday to see whats going on. Your doing good and I have nothing to add so I just lurk until I can post something. "Your logic is sound". HeHeHe. I know what you mean about having someone drop by and break up the lonelyness of an AAR and starting a conversation.

So in the posts I saw your avatar looked as if it was a real person and picture. It had a man wearing a lab coat looking like a DR. Would that be you? Also who is your opponent again.

[Crackaces]

I suspect the KB is 3 days away from theater. For two days in a row I have heavy transmissions in the Mariania's. First at Saipan now exactly 16 hexes North Northwest of Saipan. He is going to make a move in the Pacific. There also has been lots of RECON over Tabetituea. So I suspect either a Raid or an invasion of some kind.

I invite an invasion. It will take 400 AV or better to take this island .. and in 6 days it will take 2400 AV. Plus these forces cannot be supplied over time. So the most prudent decision is some kind of raid.

Now I have 5 CV's I have to make a decision. To risk SCLS and a die roll. 6 IJN CV's vs. 5 USN CV's in 3 CVTF's. An even trade leaving 1 IJN CV wold be perfect but its a die roll that I have no clue for the risks involved. Is it a coin flip? Does he have a 3-1 advantage because of superior pilots? I do not know ..

One operational maneuver that is a choice -- make the KB maneuver miles from home and burn fuel. The loss of an oiler or two would strand the KB far from home and only the threat of Dutch Subs has to play into the mind of the IJ.

Finally, the IJ could just be postioning the KB in the far western reaches of the empire with the thought of intercepting my next gambit. Stopping my push at Tarawa.

I have 3 days to figure this out.

[Crackaces]

***************************************** MAY 14th 1942 *****************************************************

CENPAC:
The Grenadier fires 2 more duds and will start coming home. At the very least it must make my opponent cringe when it comes up on the CR screen [:D]

Submarine attack near Moppo at 99,54

Japanese Ships
xAK Okuyo Maru

Allied Ships
SS Grenadier



xAK Okuyo Maru is sighted by SS Grenadier
SS Grenadier launches 2 torpedoes at xAK Okuyo Maru



In other news the Tarpon decided to try its luck at Truk and lost ..

TF 444 encounters mine field at Truk (112,108)

Allied Ships
SS Tarpon, Mine hits 1, on fire



Just to say Truk itself was not in the patrol zone but he decided to go there anyway ..

We have some movement of forces out to the Mariana's

9/16th Division is loaded on a Japanese AP moving to Saipan.


BURMA:


The skies of Prome were swept of enemy fighters:

Afternoon Air attack on Prome , at 55,50

Weather in hex: Heavy cloud

Raid spotted at 11 NM, estimated altitude 27,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 2 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-43-Ic Oscar x 4



Allied aircraft
Hurricane IIb Trop x 11


Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-43-Ic Oscar: 1 destroyed

No Allied losses

.....

Afternoon Air attack on Prome , at 55,50

Weather in hex: Heavy cloud

Raid spotted at 39 NM, estimated altitude 27,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 8 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-43-Ic Oscar x 2



Allied aircraft
Hurricane IIa Trop x 10


Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-43-Ic Oscar: 1 destroyed

No Allied losses



Ki-43-Ic Oscar: 2 destroyed total

FO Thompson E. of No.605 Sqn RAF is credited with kill number 5 FO Thompson E. of No.605 Sqn RAF attains ace status!!

Now the problem. The 605th is due to withdrawl on June 6th. So all the aces in this group have to be transfered to other units and the rest of the boys released . This process for a big group takes a lot of time because one has to identify where to send them [pernament groups]; release pilots there; Fill those slots ....wash, rinse repeat ...[8|]

The good news is we are building Brit fighter formations of 80+ experince. We will eventually dominate the skies of Burma. The results will be the unlimited use of unopposed Ground attack...

... we strike the moving 53rd division heading for Mytkyma:

Morning Air attack on 53rd Division, at 60,44 , near Shwebo

Weather in hex: Light rain

Raid spotted at 19 NM, estimated altitude 9,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 6 minutes


Allied aircraft
Blenheim IV x 47
Hudson IIIa x 12
Wellington Ic x 16


No Allied losses

Japanese ground losses:
332 casualties reported
Squads: 2 destroyed, 21 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 27 disabled
Engineers: 1 destroyed, 4 disabled

About 3% causulties this turn. At this rate in 10 days we can make this division ineffective.

In Land combat we did not fare so well at Lashio but they are holding on and extracting their toll:

Ground combat at Lashio (62,46)

Japanese Deliberate attack

Attacking force 22835 troops, 286 guns, 145 vehicles, Assault Value = 781

Defending force 6984 troops, 32 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 292

Japanese engineers reduce fortifications to 1

Japanese adjusted assault: 329

Allied adjusted defense: 334

Japanese assault odds: 1 to 2 (fort level 1)

Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+), forts(+), preparation(-), fatigue(-)
Attacker:

Japanese ground losses:
418 casualties reported
Squads: 1 destroyed, 43 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 5 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 3 disabled
Vehicles lost 11 (1 destroyed, 10 disabled)


Allied ground losses:
745 casualties reported
Squads: 25 destroyed, 68 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 9 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled
Guns lost 5 (1 destroyed, 4 disabled)


Assaulting units:
18th Division
1st Tank Regiment
55th Division
23rd Medium Field Artillery Regiment

Defending units:
1st Burma Brigade
200th Chinese Division
36th Chinese Division


So another day where the Allies inflicited pain on the IJ and slowed operations but nothing decisive. That is my strategy right now. Just a steady drip drip drip of attrition. We spend this turn continuing to postition forces from the WC to PH and PH to respective theaters. It is a months long process for sure.

[Crackaces]

The diagram below shows the Burma front as of mid-May 1942. In thinking about the operations to retake Burma, a lot of contraints come to mind. It is impossible to supply attacking forces going back West to East. The only supply route with connected LOC's is to China and that is a deprived supply sink hole. All other routes are disconnected from a main source of supply. I do not think I have enough resources to air supply a full campaign ala la Stailingrad. The other route requires an amphibious landing and seizure of ports/roads to Ragoon.

The good news is I have a long time to think about it. In the meantime I work on dominating the air over Burma and ground attacking with a focus on units moving in the open.

[Crackaces]

Ok Some form of CVTF's have shown up in theater. Next turn he can strike Tarawa or Tabituea. Everything is evacuating while the USN CVTF's stay at a safe distance for now. Submarines are all over this area and might just make an impression.

[Alfred]

ORIGINAL: Crackaces

The diagram below shows the Burma front as of mid-May 1942. In thinking about the operations to retake Burma, a lot of contraints come to mind. It is impossible to supply attacking forces going back West to East. The only supply route with connected LOC's is to China and that is a deprived supply sink hole. All other routes are disconnected from a main source of supply. I do not think I have enough resources to air supply a full campaign ala la Stailingrad. The other route requires an amphibious landing and seizure of ports/roads to Ragoon.

The good news is I have a long time to think about it. In the meantime I work on dominating the air over Burma and ground attacking with a focus on units moving in the open.

You are just abut to get more time than you realise. The monsoon starts tomorrow and will last for 5 months.

Alfred