Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee, Docup(A)-Koniu(J)

[koniu]

23 January 1945

Good day.

Bangkok.
9 A-20G medium bombers attack Bangkok (probably Docup mistake) all shot down
City has 300 plane CAP

DEI
Successful CAP trap over Ternate. I set almost 300 fighters from Manado to LCAP Ternate.
This turn they finally intercept enemy planes. For lose of 1 J2M5 (he rams enemy bomber) my boys shot down 65 A-20G bombers.[:D]

China
Japanese bombers attack Enemy AF in area. They destroy ~20 enemy planes on ground, enemy AFs closed

Allies lost today 105 planes, Japan 10

[bigred]

ORIGINAL: witpqs

Bypassing Truk is for wussies! [:D] [:'(]

+1

[koniu]

24 January 1945

Bangkok.
Base almost surrounded. I next few days I will evacuate.
Still i think i hold that base longer that i should.

Now i will continue delaying actions in Vietnam border. It should buy me month, maybe more if Docup move slower, before Allies enter China from Indochina

Saumlaki
Small CV TF and SAG show near base heading north. I believe Docup is trying capture one of dot bases in area. Job for LBA, KB on vacations

Truk
100 P-47 sweep base finding empty sky

Strategy

Pacific
I plan to give Docup some space in next weeks. Allow him to do few successful minimally interrupted invasions.(As long as they are in areas i dont care)
Let him feel safe and comfortable. And one day when he start to think he is in control He will start moving fast, and fast mean making smaller or bigger mistakes, and that day i will punish him.

China/Thailand
Delaying action as long as passable.

Fuel/oil
Transfer to Japan as as long as passable.
current reserves if I will be cut of from DEI and Singer will last for 6 months. More if i shot down some industry

[koniu]

28 January 1945

Manado
Enemy ships enter Manado waters.
I have only small CL SAG in range. During day and night battle both sides take hits.
Japan lost CL and DD and two CL take some damage. In return i put some penetrating hits on enemy DDs and one of BBs eat TT
Also i believe it was atempt to bombard base by those BBs

Night Time Surface Combat, near Manado at 75,99, Range 7,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
CL Yahagi
CL Naka, Shell hits 1
CL Tama
DD Kamikaze
DD Yakaze
DD Hokaze
DD Tachikaze

Allied Ships
DD Halford
DD Kidd, Shell hits 1, on fire
---------------------------------------

Night Time Surface Combat, near Manado at 75,99, Range 8,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
CL Yahagi, Shell hits 3, on fire
CL Naka, Shell hits 2
CL Tama, Shell hits 1
DD Kamikaze, Shell hits 1
DD Yakaze
DD Hokaze
DD Tachikaze, Shell hits 1

Allied Ships
BB Oklahoma, Shell hits 3
BB Idaho, Shell hits 4, Torpedo hits 1
BB New Mexico, Shell hits 2
DD Fletcher, Shell hits 2
DD Brown
DD Bryant
DD Callaghan
DD Conway
-------------------------------------
Day Time Surface Combat, near Manado at 75,99, Range 18,000 Yards

Japanese aircraft
no flights

Japanese aircraft losses
F1M2 Pete: 1 destroyed

Japanese Ships
CL Yahagi, Shell hits 4, and is sunk
CL Naka, Shell hits 1, on fire
CL Tama, Shell hits 4, heavy fires
DD Kamikaze
DD Yakaze, Shell hits 3, and is sunk
DD Hokaze, Shell hits 2
DD Tachikaze

Allied Ships
BB Oklahoma, Shell hits 1
BB Idaho, Shell hits 1
BB New Mexico, Shell hits 2
DD Fletcher
DD Brown, Shell hits 3
DD Bryant
DD Callaghan, Shell hits 1
DD Conway

During day enemy CV TF show up north of Ambon (~200 planes) but only 6 bomber lunch against them

Morning Air attack on TF, near Misool at 78,107

Weather in hex: Moderate rain

Raid detected at 117 NM, estimated altitude 14,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 34 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A7M2 Sam x 44
D4Y3 Judy x 3
D4Y4 Judy x 3

Allied aircraft
F4U-1A Corsair x 7
F4U-1D Corsair x 2
F6F-5 Hellcat x 70

Japanese aircraft losses
A7M2 Sam: 2 destroyed
D4Y3 Judy: 2 destroyed
D4Y4 Judy: 2 destroyed

Allied aircraft losses
F6F-5 Hellcat: 1 destroyed


Enemy CAP
VMF-211/A
VF-7
VF-11 Hornet II
VF-80
VF-32
VF-50
VMF-212

Most of those groups is from already sunk carriers or begins as LBA. I believe it can be bait. Hard to believe for me that Docup is moving main offensive with so week force

[zuluhour]

Glad to see you in '45. I wish Joe would post more.

[koniu]

ORIGINAL: zuluhour

Glad to see you in '45. I wish Joe would post more.

You have to ask him why.
Maybe he just need few good words to back to AAR

[koniu]

29 January 1945

Allies land in Ternate
Not standard troops but Docup land full Marine Division. Agains Marines base will fall in 2 days max
I lost 140 planes over enemy fleet allies 25

What i score todays is hitting AKA with TT and probably sinking xAP and xAK


ASW TF near Singer sunk enemy sub. Still 3 or 4 in area

[Rio Bravo]

Koniu-

Reading Docup's AAR too.

Exciting reading for both your AARs.

Good job.

Best Regards,

-Terry

[koniu]

30 January 1945

Ternate
Allied invasion fleet retreat south. But they manage to unload 800AV force.
Well better fighting Marines in Ternate than Okinawa.
Marines attack today. Base hold

Ki-83 intercept remnants of allied CAP in area. 12 enemy fighters shot down. 3 Kis lost.

Miri
North of base i lost 10k ton Tanker. Escort sunk sub.

Singer
Two enemy subs sunk by air ASW

Cocos Island
Grace bomber sunk 4 cargo ships. I believe they where unloading supplies.
A love B7A2, what a wounderfoul bomber.

[koniu]

31 January 1945

Saigon
Guard ID evacuated. Another ID will finish loading tomorrow. Both units need move to Manila for r&r. Last two IDs marching to Saigon and should be evacuated in about 10 days.
Those two will reinforce China

Allied units arrive to Vietnam border near Ubon.

Bangkok.
Only few Eng units in base. ans some planes. I can mark that city as abandoned by Japanese troops

China
Almost 1000AV arrive today from reinforcements. Sadly those units need lots of training and resting. I will rail them to Manchuko for some time.

Subs
Another enemy sub sunk near Saigon.

[koniu]

1 February 1945

Ternate
90 Japanese figters strafe enemy PT boats. For lose of 1 fighter 10 boats sunk

China
I have LCUs bombarding from few days.I want to give them one day brake.
Instead switch them to defense i give them order to deliberate.
It not end well

Ground combat at 73,55 (near Liuchow)

Japanese Deliberate attack

Attacking force 53898 troops, 581 guns, 860 vehicles, Assault Value = 2007

Defending force 43291 troops, 198 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 1772

Japanese adjusted assault: 1168

Allied adjusted defense: 1947

Japanese assault odds: 1 to 2

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

Japanese ground losses:
4561 casualties reported
Squads: 13 destroyed, 546 disabled
Non Combat: 1 destroyed, 55 disabled
Engineers: 4 destroyed, 85 disabled
Vehicles lost 68 (1 destroyed, 67 disabled)

Allied ground losses:
1286 casualties reported
Squads: 9 destroyed, 155 disabled
Non Combat: 1 destroyed, 11 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 3 disabled

Assaulting units:
1st Tank Division
17th Division
15th Division
23rd Ind.Mixed Brigade
38th Division
11th Ind. Field Artillery Battalion
9th Ind. Field Artillery Battalion
23rd Medium Field Artillery Regiment

Defending units:
64th Chinese Corps
11th Chinese Corps
62nd Chinese Corps
49th Chinese Corps
31st Chinese Corps
35th Chinese Corps
95th Chinese Corps
9th Group Army

[koniu]

2-5 February 1945

Ternate
After 4 days base is in Allies hands. No Japanese survivors
Enemy fleet retreat south.

I am waiting for another move. Probably Manado area
After that he will have space to land in south Philippines.

Bangkok
Almost surrounded.
Only two small Eng units left in Bangkok and base 1 hex north only because i don`t want base to auto switch.

Economy
Japan Islands have 6-9 months reserves. 12+ months if i reduce expenses

[Lowpe]

ORIGINAL: koniu

Bangkok
Almost surrounded.
Only two small Eng units left in Bangkok and base 1 hex north only because i don`t want base to auto switch.

Can you post a picture of Bangkok area? Many thanks.

[koniu]

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

ORIGINAL: koniu

Bangkok
Almost surrounded.
Only two small Eng units left in Bangkok and base 1 hex north only because i don`t want base to auto switch.

Can you post a picture of Bangkok area? Many thanks.

[koniu]

6-7 February 1945

Allied Bombers bomb base north of Bangkok. They wipe out unit i had there.

High concentration of allied subs in East of Hokkaido. Don`t like that.
Moving more search planes to area. 100 Bombers flying ASW

Kamikaze from Manado sunk few LST in Ternate
Time to use more of Kamikaze. I have almost 4000 pilots trained in low naval (65+)

Morning Air attack on TF, near Batjan at 78,104

Weather in hex: Severe storms

Raid detected at 112 NM, estimated altitude 38,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 33 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-45 KAIa Nick x 26

Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-45 KAIa Nick: 15 destroyed

Allied Ships
LST-225, Kamikaze hits 2, on fire, heavy damage
LST-240, Kamikaze hits 2, and is sunk
LST-226, Kamikaze hits 4, on fire, heavy damage
LST-227
LST-241, Kamikaze hits 1, on fire, heavy damage


Training groups
Lot of them arriving now. What i noticed is that they can have 300% more pilots that size (normal units can have 130% more) and it looks they are training much faster. Not sure how get instructor button is working and what effect is to have instructor in unit

[koniu]

8-14 February 1945

Lack of time to report last days.

Bangkok in Allied hands. Base fall on 13 February. Now allies will probably move toward Saigon and North Vietnam. No enemy activity and will to move against Singapore

Naval Battle south of Manadao. Two Kongo BBs engaged by enemy CL TF. After long and boring battle (each side damaged one DD only) both sides retreat.

Japanese subs near Saumlaki sunk AKA, DD and LCT.
Japanese ASW (both air and naval) sunk or damage enemy subs near Saigon and Hokkaido.
In return Allied sub sunk big TK near Miri

Over 20 training groups arrive last turn. I need to sit and reorganize training system.

[koniu]

15-19 February 1945


Banda Sae
Ki-83 sweep Namlea and Lautem. For lose of 25 planes and 20 pilots they shot down ~50 enemy planes, Not bad. I can handle almost all enemy planes. Most problems i have with P-47, P-51D, and Spitfires VIII

Enemy cruisers back to Ambon. I put my SAGs in area in full alert

Indochina
After fall of Bangkok Allies finally start moving.
One army is moving from Bangkok toward Saigon second Army is moving from Ubon toward Tourane.

P-47 sweep Phnom Penh. 30 planes lost for 5 P-47

Marcus Island
Small CV TF emerge near island. I manage to move 30 A7M2 to CAP base. As predicted enemy bombers attack. They sunk AV in base. But i mange to shot down almost 40 enemy planes.

Afternoon Air attack on Marcus Island , at 123,85

Weather in hex: Clear sky

Raid detected at 69 NM, estimated altitude 6,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 30 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A7M2 Sam x 26

Allied aircraft
FM-2 Wildcat x 42
F6F-3 Hellcat x 24
TBM-1C Avenger x 36

Japanese aircraft losses
A7M2 Sam: 1 destroyed

Allied aircraft losses
FM-2 Wildcat: 15 destroyed
F6F-3 Hellcat: 4 destroyed
TBM-1C Avenger: 10 damaged
TBM-1C Avenger: 2 destroyed by flak

Japanese Ships
AV Akitsushima, Bomb hits 3, heavy fires, heavy damage
AV Kimikawa Maru, Bomb hits 1,

[Lowpe]

P-47 sweep Phnom Penh. 30 planes lost for 5 P-47

What planes were fighting the P47?

Most problems i have with P-47, P-51D, and Spitfires VIII

Is that in order of difficulty?

[koniu]

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

P-47 sweep Phnom Penh. 30 planes lost for 5 P-47

What planes were fighting the P47?

Ki-84r Ki-44c and J2M5, but most of planes i lost where Tojo
Ki-84, J2M5 and A7M2 can handle P-47 with 3:1 disadvantage while Ki-44 or even N1K2 are usually 6:1 or more loses

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

Most problems i have with P-47, P-51D, and Spitfires VIII

Is that in order of difficulty?

I am not referring to model but rather to ability of this planes to be able to climb above 41,5k ft. With superior radar and speed close to Ki-83 they get advantage
When Ki-83 have dive or they dogfight without dive Ki-83 is equal or better

[koniu]

20-21 February 1945

Not much change since last report. Quiet before storm

I was working on training groups that arrive in last days. They are great. They allow me to free almost all fighter and bomber groups from training duty and to send them to front.
Most of them allowing to train 81 pilots at once. Fast counting give me 2500 training capacity. I have drain navy pilots pools to zero.

Now i training only few types o0f pilots:
Army is training fighter pilots, some torpedo pilots and mostly kamikaze
Navy is training fighter pilots, some torpedo and naval pilots and i have start training kamikaze