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ORIGINAL: kaleun

Open AARs allow for more taunting![;)]

Thomas Hardy. 1840–

3. The Man He Killed
(From "The Dynasts")

"HAD he and I but met
By some old ancient inn,
We should have sat us down to wet
Right many a nipperkin!

"But ranged as infantry, 5
And staring face to face,
I shot at him as he at me,
And killed him in his place.

"I shot him dead because—
Because he was my foe, 10
Just so: my foe of course he was;
That's clear enough; although

"He thought he'd 'list, perhaps,
Off-hand like—just as I—
Was out of work—had sold his traps— 15
No other reason why.

"Yes; quaint and curious war is!
You shoot a fellow down
You'd treat, if met where any bar is,
Or help to half-a-crown." 20


As long as its done tongue in cheek......

Roger

Gentlemen, Jolo is a very hot spot indeed. Overnight the Japanese Cruiser force made a second attempt to attack shipping at that location. Again it was beaten off but at heavy loss to ourselves. We fear a third attempt will be made in the near future.

I wonder if you will have an auto victory by next Jan.

Well my opponent has a lot of stuff left, especially land troops - but the way his front has collapsed the question is going to be can he pull stuff into a defensive line or am I able to do a series of sea/land advances akin to what happened at the end of the Normandy campaign? In places I am outrunning my logistics slightly.....

The two of us fight till we think there's not much point in going on, that's how our last game ended... a monumental struggle.

Cheers

Roger

I can back ddog up and say that Roger is the best and most gracious opponent I have ever faced.   In our PBM where I am the Japanese, I am meeting with alot of success but I can tell from this AAR that when he gets his offensive going, I will be hard pressed to turn it aside.

I long for the chance to strike back in that game...... and i have somewhat neglected the AAR, must resurrect that one!

Cheers

Roger

Gentelemen, it is time to pack your kit, we are moving. Expect to be relocated somewhere in Malaya within a few days.

The war has progressed, but without much action in the last few days. In the pacific all is quiet, apart from the odd sinking of a Japanese submarine. Davao is getting a regular pounding to keep any aircraft from being based there, and Brunei is also now getting a serious daily visitation - the detection of about 30 bombers there a few days ago meant it became a target. Jolo has been peaceful for a few days now, we feel the Japanese cruisers must have though better of a third visit.

Our Japanese opponents must have been very sure that they were safe in Malaya - they did not garrison many of the key sites. Since the initial landings and occupation of Georgetown we have been busy with subsequent landings and advances - these have been unopposed . Following up close behind have been base and air support personnel. The airfields have been captured intact and our bomber forces are now transferred here and rested ready to begin their contribution to the discomfiture of the Japanese Burmese forces. You will also see that the Chinese forces are poised on the border of Indo-China.... Hanoi and Haiphong are within reach. should Haiphong fall then we have a deep water port and can properly supply the fighting forces of China.

Roger, can you let me know where you got your spiffy map icons? I like them alot and would like to use them.

Thanks in advance

All the map annotations that i use on most of my maps, for example the one just published are part of a programme called Snagit ($39.95)
http://www.techsmith.com/snagit.asp
the ship shapes etc I have taken from WITP and photoshopped them a little. If its just them you are after then I have no problem zipping them up and sending them to anyone provided someone from Matrix - a moderator perhaps, says they are cool with that.

Cheers

Roger

We want the return of Flashman!

Aye, the ship shapes are exactly what I'm talking about.

Sent, I would be happier if someone from the moderators would just say this was ok.... I am aware that they are taken from the game and then modified so I'd hate to fall foul of matrix's wrath.

Roger

He is waiting for a suitable game to become resurrected, I have had quite a neat different idea that might occur soon in the game versus Riva - but a problem I have at present is too many moves and not enough time!

Its the opposite of the other day when there were no moves to do and lots of time to do them!

Roger

Well now what a surprise, its Big Sam (this will only make sense to Newcastle supporters in particular and followers of football/soccer)

Gentlemen, now the enemy can feel the thunder of the bombs.... now they can gaze at the sky in awe...

Our base are now operational in Malaya and now we set to the job in hand.

On the 7th Saigon suffers a major assault on its port and airfield, with almost 140 B17s visiting:

Ki-43-Ib Oscar: 8 destroyed
MC-21 Sally: 2 destroyed
B5N Kate: 3 destroyed
Ki-59 Theresa: 3 destroyed
D3A Val: 1 destroyed
PG Chosa Maru, Bomb hits 4, on fire, heavy damage
AP Kisogawa Maru, Bomb hits 3, on fire, heavy damage
AP Manzyu Maru, Bomb hits 6, on fire, heavy damage
AP Syoka Maru, Bomb hits 4, on fire, heavy damage
AP Fukko Maru, Bomb hits 4, on fire, heavy damage
AK Havre Maru, Bomb hits 2, on fire, heavy damage
AP Huso Maru, Bomb hits 4, on fire, heavy damage
AP Nissen Maru, Bomb hits 5, on fire, heavy damage
AP Kyokusei Maru, Bomb hits 5, on fire, heavy damage
AP Nachisan Maru, Bomb hits 4, on fire, heavy damage
AP Amakusa Maru, Bomb hits 4, on fire, heavy damage
AP Izan Maru, Bomb hits 2, on fire, heavy damage
AK Dakar Maru, Bomb hits 2, on fire, heavy damage
AP Miyako Maru, Bomb hits 2, on fire
AP Yamato Maru, Bomb hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
AP Tatsuwa Maru, Bomb hits 3, on fire, heavy damage
AP Jusan Maru, Bomb hits 4, on fire, heavy damage
AP Hukuyo Maru, Bomb hits 1
AP Kurohime Maru, Bomb hits 3, on fire
AP Hokusho Maru, Bomb hits 1, on fire

On the 8th Bangkok gets a visit from 45 Mitchells, 116 B17s with P-38G Lightning escorts

A6M2 Zero: 1 destroyed, 2 damaged
Ki-43-Ib Oscar: 14 destroyed, 8 damaged
Ki-61 KAIc Tony:12 destroyed, 17 damaged
Ki-46-II Dinah: 2 destroyed
Ki-48 Lily: 11 destroyed

H6K4 Mavis: 1 destroyed

150+ craters are spotted on aerial recon photos.

You may ask, where are the Liberators, well they were still resting after their transfer.

We have identified over 40 separate Japanese units at Bangkok, we assume from this that they have rapidly quit Burma and are attempting to regroup. It will be interesting to see if they have sufficient supplies as many have been in the jungle under incessant air attack and would have hoped that Bangkok would have been a safe place to regroup and replenish - this is not likely to be the case.

Gentlemen, I trust you are all settled into our new location. Do not get too comfortable, I already have my eye on a new location.

We are currently suffering from a problem that success often brings, some of our forces have outrun their supplies. The rapid retreat of the Japs caught us unawares and we are anticipating new leaps forward as soon as the supply situation is rectified.

We have not been entirely inactive mind you. On the 11th Johore Bahru was taken by the Australian 7th Division - a lot of Japanese forces are now completely bottled up in Singapore with nowhere to go, and no supply for a significant time. On the 15th Taung Gyi was liberated and the same day the Indian 17th Division arrived at Rangoon to find over 20K of Japs had 'volunteered' to stay behind and defend the location. Bangkok, Saigon and Lagaspi have all been cleared of any airworthy aircraft, and Saigon port has suffered massive attacks by carrier borne aircraft from the joint US/UK Striking Force.

On the 16th Hsingyang was retaken, cutting off the Changsha portion of China from the south and north. In the south our chinese troops are poised to assault Hanoi and Haiphong and the japs in this area are in total disarray.

We now are aware that the bulk of the Japanese forces that attempted to take Burma began a major retreat around the 12th December. They are mainly now located at Saigon having retreated without pause for over a month. Unless Saigon has plentiful supplies these are decimated troops that have been in the malarial jungle for months, have been bombed into retreat, and have not had a respite in a rapid retreat. We do wonder at their likely effectiveness should they attempt to retreat through Indo-China. If they stay at Saigon they will have daily massed bombing from now on, and an attempted seaborne troop lift will encounter a large carrier force enforcing a blockade on the area.

Watch this space gentlemen, we will doubtless be able to guess the enemy's intentions sooner rather than later.

We must also report that the newest design American aircraft carrier, the Essex left San Francisco a week ago, in a large task force, destination top secret.

Gentlemen, I note the frustration on your faces. It is true that our supply situation has severely curtailed offensive operations for a week now. What I can say is that on a daily basis this situation is improving - we doubt if our opponent can say the same!

Our total dominance of the skies has meant a predominantly airborne assault for most of the week. Saigon airfield was destroyed on the 22nd by over 200 bombers flying from airbases in Malaya. Since then daily raids on the port have detected a growing number of burning hulks and sunk ships. The city is 'home' to at least 28 separate units that have retreated from Burma and do not seem to be going anywhere now.

On the 25th Bankha was retaken by seaborne assault from troops embarked from Kuala. Advance forces embarked from Songkhia landed at Kompong Trak and have taken the base and the large airfield there - there were no Japanese forces anywhere close. Forces pushing down and bypassing Rangoon, where at least a division is trapped, have also retaken Moulmein - this will become a major supply base to aid in our push into Indochina.

On the night of the 26th a major American parachute drop took Cagayan airfield without any opposition and base forces are being flown in to begin utilization of this forward large airfield and its undamaged facilities. Forces embarked from Jolo have landed at our base at Zamboanga. These moves cut off even more the 50K Japanese at Davao but as we strengthen our presence on these bases we will be building up our air attack ability with an eye for the destruction of Japanese air forces at Manila and Clark Field.

For two days now fierce fighting has raged at Wuchow and our Chinese allies report a weakening of the Japanese positions here.

Gentlemen, we add Raheng and Hanoi to the ever growing list of liberated locations on the map. Hanoi fell with scarcely a shot being fired and the forces there retreated headlong to Haiphong. Our American allies report some renewed attacks on shipping round Jolo by Betties based from Manila or Clark Field.

You will see from the map that there is a change in the Japanese posture in our area. it looks to us like a major thrust is being mounted and will likely take Bandou as it is undefended. Quite what the purpose of this attack is we wonder - we certainly cannot see the 14 tired, half starved and malaria ridden units of the enemy fighting their way through our defences to reopen the line to Singapore.....

It also remains a question as to whether the move to Phnom Penh is a blocking manouvre or a hostile advance on our troops at Kompong Trach.

In the next few days we will have our answers, whatever the intention the Japs can probably already hear the heavy bombers taking off from Songkia, Kuala Lumpur and Kuantan.....

Gentlemen, dispatches just in from China paint a changing and very fluid picture.

In the north the enemy drive on Sian left them open to attack elsewhere. This seems to have been reacted to and our penetrations in the centre are being moved against with a large concentration of forces as you will see on the map. Our Chinese allies are circumspectly moving back from this threat towards Ichang.

A smaller thrust is being observed from Canton to relieve the Wuchow garrison and possibly Nanning also. To what extent this is a move to stabilise the central Chinese front and to what extent it will then seek to retake Hanoi and open a retreat for the Burma army is at this stage difficult to predict. The Japanese predilection of large masses of forces will mean that they, supplies permitting, can do what they want against the smaller Chines forces. However they cannot be strong everywhere and as our Chinese allies have shown, they are very adept at slipping round the flanks and cutting off poorly defended areas.

Of course, just what their supply situation is cannot be seen unless we were able to get analysis of their economic situation - which we cannot. All we can do is speculate that they went to war to gain resources and oil which they did not have to maintain a peacetime economy - and they have not made any gains that would support a full wartime economy.

We shall see gentlemen, we shall indeed see.......

Gentlemen, sorry we have not been able to meet recently, the need to keep on the move to avoid the Japs has been my paramount preoccupation! Its a well known fact that the most vicious animal is one that is cornered.

The forces that had retreated from Burma towards Saigon have done a volte face and mounted a major offensive against our troops in northern Malaya. They have met with success! We estimate around 90K enemy troops have swept down from the north and have pushed us out of Songkhia and Alor Setar in short order. This has caused us some problems, and show up shortcomings in the forces we had stationed there to occupy rather than defend against such a move. Off the record, I did not expect it, and have been caught napping. I feel we are yet in for more trading of ground but whilst this is a nuisance, I hardly think it bodes badly for our overall position. I also must say that their success has been in no small part aided by appalling weather conditions in the area that stopped our bombers hampering their advance.

The offensive force is now cut off from any supplies with our capture of Bangkok, and they are unable to supply by sea due to our complete air dominance. We do feel that they are sustaining their attack on supplies captured at our bases they overran, but one reason for our poor showing was that our own supplies had not been built up. So, where do they go now, for to sit still is not an option?

To continue down the peninsula is to meet a strengthening defence, and to leave their flank open. If they choose to garrison each base as they move they become progressively weaker. They are now suffering from a seaborne flank attack on the rear at Songkhia and this is diverting some of their forces to have to deal with this. If they move back towards Bangkok to try to wrest that from our control then they will find their way securely blocked and they are effectively pocketed.

I have assured the Prime Minister that this was always my intention, I trust no-one here will disabuse him of this notion!

Our problem is an interesting one. At Merak, Rangoon, Singapore, Davao, Alor Setar, Kwajalein, Balikpapan and other cut off locations there are combined over half a million Japanese troops. They cannot go anywhere, they are progressively getting weaker - but they are also 'in the way' to a lesser or greater extent. I much prefer them to be in those locations rather than digging in across out next lines of advance, but I do feel we will have to remove some of them from the playing field in order to maintain a tidiness in our operations.

I feel we need to do some thinking on this issue. I also feel from intelligence reports coming through that there are further developments outside of the Malayan area that will need our reporting in the near future.

That will be all for now, but expect a new briefing in the near future.

Gentlemen, our American allies have been busy - with our help of course.

As they build up, with the help of the Australians, their bases on Butuan, Cagayan and Zamboanga it was decided that the Japanese airforce was probably building up to cause some mischief. There had been little activity for several days, yet we were aware that there were significant enemy air assets at Clark Field and Manila.

Thus our combined Carrier fleet set sail to a position 180 NM SW of Manila and waited the response. As the fleet made ready for our guests dive bombers and torpedo planes took off to deal with any Japanese task forces that might be around the area. the hunting was not great but 9 patrol craft were all torpedoed near Manila harbour.

As if a warm up to the main action, we then gather that 122 aircraft attempted to attack our carriers:

7 Betty (4)
14 Sally (6)
12 Helen (7)
71 Tony (62)
18 Zero (13)

The numbers in parenthesis are the confirmed kills.... the messes at the airbases on the Philippines will have had a lot of empty seats!

Taken with other losses this last 24 hours the Japanese air forces have lost over 100 planes in one day. They can ill afford this attrition either to their airframes or to their trained pilots.