Matrix Games Forums

Sep 17, 1943
 
Ok, 50,000 enemy soldiers have been loaded at Darwin, while the enemy's CVs are lingering near Goove (SE of Darwin, in the Gulf of Carpenteria.
 
My bet? They are landing at Taberfane or Dobo...or both....That will be a problem.
 
What do we have at hand? Well, I barely have 1 decent SAG TF (Yamato, 4 CAs and 8 modern DDs) at Boela and my reduced KB at Sorong. 5 more CVs are running like hell from the Mariannas but it will take them at least 3 more days to be in the theatre...too much[:o].
Taberfane is held by a weak division and Dobo by a reinforced regiments...but supplies are very low and there aren't any support unit... pretty difficult to hold 50,000 enemies!! I have to hope that my LBA will give some help...
 
Guys...this is the line in the sand. We have to fight with everything i have here. Can't let him get Taberfane...really cannot....
 
 

I can count more than 150 allied ships at Darwin.... enemy CVEs are moving from Horn Island towards the area... for sure he will cover his ships with everything he has....How many CVs will he have for this operation? 6, 7, 8? How many are left from the last encounter?

I can count more than 150 allied ships at Darwin.... enemy CVEs are moving from Horn Island towards the area... for sure he will cover his ships with everything he has....How many CVs will he have for this operation? 6, 7, 8? How many are left from the last encounter?

See my latest posting in my AAR for what he may have. We have just hit 1 June '43 and I lay out what I have and will be getting. Those are the forces Brad may have in theater with more in route. Allied, mainly American, ship production shifts up to another gear at this time.

AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR Sep 19-20, 43


So it was a fake. Brad outplayed me this time and i ate his bite. The whole operation at Darwin (even the presence of his CVs) was just a fake move. A way to move my attention to the DEI and leave NG unguarded.
His invasion fleets got back to Darwin, while 3 HUGE bombardment TFs bombed Vanimo and Hollandia, closing those AFs for good, followed by 200 4Es who finished the job.

At the same time, on the 19th, my BBs bombed Molu again... but the damage was minimal this time, and 1 of my DD exploded hitting a mine, while another one got torpedoed and sunk by a sub...finally Fuso got hit by a sub and now will need 60 days in the yards [:o]

However... i had moved some DBs to Dobo and Taberfane, along with some fighters... we found an enemy xAP TF uncovered...and sunk some good 8/9 xAPs full of support troops.

The 41st Division landed, fully supported, with APAs just north of Wewak... the americans are coming!!! FAST!

In Burma he sent 4 Big sweeps to Magwe...and got repulsed with a bloody nose! [8D]

Finally we got a small TK convoy in the indian ocean, west of Sumatra...

A busy day....

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Sub attack near Gorong at 81,111

Japanese Ships
CVE Unyo
BB Hyuga
CA Aoba
CA Chokai
CL Tokachi
CLAA Tenryu
CS Chiyoda
CS Nisshin
DD Suresushio
DD Tokitsukaze
DD Aogumo
DD Yamanakaze
DD Kosukaze
DD Tagokaze

Allied Ships
SS Sunfish, hits 1

SS Sunfish launches 4 torpedoes at CVE Unyo
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Night Naval bombardment of Vanimo at 93,117

Japanese aircraft
no flights

Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-44-IIc Tojo: 51 damaged
Ki-44-IIc Tojo: 5 destroyed on ground
Ki-45 KAIa Nick: 45 damaged
Ki-45 KAIa Nick: 5 destroyed on ground
Ki-46-II Dinah: 1 damaged
Ki-46-II Dinah: 1 destroyed on ground
D4Y1 Judy: 6 damaged

Allied Ships
BB Oklahoma
BB Nevada
DD Fullam
DD Dyson
DD Dashiell
DD Charles Ausburne

Japanese ground losses:
677 casualties reported
Squads: 1 destroyed, 4 disabled
Non Combat: 13 destroyed, 33 disabled
Engineers: 1 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 6 (2 destroyed, 4 disabled)

Airbase hits 12
Airbase supply hits 1
Runway hits 32
Port hits 7
Port supply hits 1


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Night Naval bombardment of Hollandia at 93,116

Japanese aircraft
no flights

Japanese aircraft losses
N1K1-J George: 51 damaged
N1K1-J George: 3 destroyed on ground
J2M3 Jack: 1 damaged

Allied Ships
CA Salt Lake City
CA Chicago
CA Louisville
CA Portland
DD Laffey
DD Aaron Ward
DD Ringgold
DD McKee

Japanese ground losses:
650 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 6 disabled
Non Combat: 8 destroyed, 66 disabled
Engineers: 4 destroyed, 13 disabled
Guns lost 19 (1 destroyed, 18 disabled)
Vehicles lost 10 (2 destroyed, 8 disabled)

Airbase hits 20
Airbase supply hits 4
Runway hits 49
Port hits 16
Port supply hits 4


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Night Naval bombardment of Vanimo at 93,117

Japanese aircraft
no flights

Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-44-IIc Tojo: 42 damaged
Ki-44-IIc Tojo: 1 destroyed on ground
Ki-45 KAIa Nick: 31 damaged
Ki-45 KAIa Nick: 1 destroyed on ground
Ki-46-II Dinah: 2 damaged
D4Y1 Judy: 2 damaged

Allied Ships
CA Suffolk
CA Wichita
CA Vincennes
DD Ellet
DD Baldwin
DD Meade
DD Lansdowne

Japanese ground losses:
104 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Non Combat: 1 destroyed, 6 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled

Airbase hits 9
Airbase supply hits 2
Runway hits 25
Port hits 1
Port supply hits 3


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Day Time Surface Combat, near Sinabang at 25,73, Range 20,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
CA Takao
DD Kasumi
DD Yamakaze
DD Kawakaze
DD Shinonome
DD Sazanami
DD Ushio
DD Suruyame

Allied Ships
AM Poole, Shell hits 1, and is sunk
TK Buccinum, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
TK British Sovereign, Shell hits 19, and is sunk
TK British Trader, Shell hits 24, and is sunk
TK British Venture, Torpedo hits 3, and is sunk

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Morning Air attack on Magwe , at 57,47

Weather in hex: Clear sky

Raid detected at 40 NM, estimated altitude 46,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 11 minutes

Japanese aircraft
N1K1-J George x 60
Ki-44-IIa Tojo x 12
Ki-44-IIc Tojo x 163
Ki-84a Frank x 46

Allied aircraft
P-47D2 Thunderbolt x 25

Japanese aircraft losses
N1K1-J George: 1 destroyed
Ki-44-IIa Tojo: 1 destroyed
Ki-44-IIc Tojo: 1 destroyed

Allied aircraft losses
P-47D2 Thunderbolt: 7 destroyed

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Morning Air attack on Magwe , at 57,47

Weather in hex: Clear sky

Raid detected at 22 NM, estimated altitude 32,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 5 minutes

Japanese aircraft
N1K1-J George x 58
Ki-44-IIa Tojo x 9
Ki-44-IIc Tojo x 137
Ki-84a Frank x 44

Allied aircraft
P-51A Mustang x 23

Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-44-IIa Tojo: 1 destroyed

Allied aircraft losses
P-51A Mustang: 8 destroyed

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Morning Air attack on TF, near Bathurst Island at 78,121

Weather in hex: Heavy cloud

Raid spotted at 12 NM, estimated altitude 15,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 3 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 27
A6M5 Zero x 14
P1Y1 Frances x 12

Allied aircraft
P-38F Lightning x 4
P-38G Lightning x 4
P-38H Lightning x 4

Japanese aircraft losses
A6M5 Zero: 1 destroyed
P1Y1 Frances: 5 destroyed

No Allied losses

Allied Ships
AM Colac
xAKL Yat Shing

This was a bait[:@]



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Morning Air attack on Vanimo , at 93,117

Weather in hex: Heavy rain

Raid detected at 40 NM, estimated altitude 14,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 13 minutes

Japanese aircraft
no flights

Allied aircraft
Beaufighter X x 16
B-17E Fortress x 6
B-24D Liberator x 6
B-24D1 Liberator x 29
B-24J Liberator x 3
B-25C Mitchell x 4
B-25G Mitchell x 6

Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-46-II Dinah: 1 destroyed on ground
Ki-45 KAIa Nick: 1 destroyed on ground
Ki-44-IIc Tojo: 1 destroyed on ground
Ki-46-III Dinah: 1 destroyed on ground

Allied aircraft losses
B-24D Liberator: 1 damaged
B-24J Liberator: 1 damaged

Airbase hits 5
Runway hits 8


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Morning Air attack on Vanimo , at 93,117

Weather in hex: Heavy rain

Raid detected at 40 NM, estimated altitude 11,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 12 minutes

Japanese aircraft
no flights

Allied aircraft
Beaufighter Ic x 12
Beaufighter VIc x 16
B-17E Fortress x 9
B-24D1 Liberator x 38

Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-45 KAIa Nick: 1 destroyed on ground
Ki-44-IIc Tojo: 3 destroyed on ground
D4Y1 Judy: 1 destroyed on ground

Allied aircraft losses
B-24D1 Liberator: 1 damaged

Airbase hits 6
Airbase supply hits 2
Runway hits 19

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Morning Air attack on Taberfane , at 82,117

Weather in hex: Light rain

Raid detected at 45 NM, estimated altitude 16,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 12 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-44-IIa Tojo x 13
Ki-44-IIc Tojo x 33
Ki-45 KAIa Nick x 15

Allied aircraft
B-25D1 Mitchell x 19

Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-44-IIa Tojo: 1 destroyed[X(]
Ki-44-IIc Tojo: 4 destroyed[X(]
Ki-45 KAIa Nick: 1 destroyed[X(]

Allied aircraft losses
B-25D1 Mitchell: 8 destroyed, 5 damaged

Aircraft Attacking:
5 x B-25D1 Mitchell bombing from 10000 feet
Airfield Attack: 6 x 500 lb GP Bomb
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Morning Air attack on Magwe , at 57,47

Weather in hex: Clear sky

Raid detected at 56 NM, estimated altitude 32,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 11 minutes

Japanese aircraft
N1K1-J George x 58
Ki-44-IIa Tojo x 7
Ki-44-IIc Tojo x 122
Ki-84a Frank x 43

Allied aircraft
P-38H Lightning x 25

Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-44-IIc Tojo: 2 destroyed

Allied aircraft losses
P-38H Lightning: 6 destroyed


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Morning Air attack on Magwe , at 57,47

Weather in hex: Clear sky

Raid detected at 21 NM, estimated altitude 44,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 6 minutes

Japanese aircraft
N1K1-J George x 58
Ki-44-IIa Tojo x 7
Ki-44-IIc Tojo x 98
Ki-84a Frank x 40

Allied aircraft
P-47D2 Thunderbolt x 24

Japanese aircraft losses
N1K1-J George: 1 destroyed
Ki-44-IIc Tojo: 3 destroyed
Ki-84a Frank: 5 destroyed

Allied aircraft losses
P-47D2 Thunderbolt: 5 destroyed

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Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Merauke at 86,122

Weather in hex: Overcast

Raid spotted at 34 NM, estimated altitude 16,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 8 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M3a Zero x 25
D4Y1 Judy x 54
Ki-44-IIa Tojo x 41
Ki-44-IIc Tojo x 17

Japanese aircraft losses
D4Y1 Judy: 1 destroyed by flak

Allied Ships
xAP James Gordon Bennett, Bomb hits 6, heavy fires, heavy damage
xAP John C. Fremont, Bomb hits 2, heavy fires
xAP Jane Addams, Bomb hits 1, on fire
SC-1068, Bomb hits 1, and is sunk
xAP Leland Stanford, Bomb hits 1, on fire
xAP John A. Rawlins, Bomb hits 7, heavy fires, heavy damage
xAP John Hart, Bomb hits 7, heavy fires, heavy damage
xAP William R. Davie, Bomb hits 5, heavy fires
xAP Vitus Bering, Bomb hits 3, on fire, heavy damage
xAP Jefferson Davis, Bomb hits 3, heavy fires, heavy damage
xAP James B. McPherson, Bomb hits 3, heavy fires, heavy damage
xAP William C. Claiborne, Bomb hits 3, heavy fires, heavy damage

Allied ground losses:
1035 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 23 destroyed, 65 disabled
Engineers: 10 destroyed, 24 disabled

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Amphibious Assault at Dagua (95,119)

TF 90 troops unloading over beach at Dagua, 95,119

Allied ground losses:
139 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 27 disabled
Non Combat: 1 destroyed, 22 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 14 (0 destroyed, 14 disabled)
Vehicles lost 5 (0 destroyed, 5 disabled)

15 Support troops lost overboard during unload of 41st Infantry Div /14


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Ground combat at Dagua (95,119)

Japanese Bombardment attack

Attacking force 2972 troops, 54 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 149

Defending force 12076 troops, 208 guns, 247 vehicles, Assault Value = 420

Japanese ground losses:
68 casualties reported
Squads: 1 destroyed, 8 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

Assaulting units:
Yokosuka Assault SNLF
21st/C Div /2

Defending units:
41st Infantry Division
763rd Tank Battalion
3rd AmphTrac Engineer Battalion

.

.

ORIGINAL: GreyJoy

Sep 17, 1943

Ok, 50,000 enemy soldiers have been loaded at Darwin, while the enemy's CVs are lingering near Goove (SE of Darwin, in the Gulf of Carpenteria.

My bet? They are landing at Taberfane or Dobo...or both....That will be a problem.

What do we have at hand? Well, I barely have 1 decent SAG TF (Yamato, 4 CAs and 8 modern DDs) at Boela and my reduced KB at Sorong. 5 more CVs are running like hell from the Mariannas but it will take them at least 3 more days to be in the theatre...too much[:o].
Taberfane is held by a weak division and Dobo by a reinforced regiments...but supplies are very low and there aren't any support unit... pretty difficult to hold 50,000 enemies!! I have to hope that my LBA will give some help...

Guys...this is the line in the sand. We have to fight with everything i have here. Can't let him get Taberfane...really cannot....

Look across the P/NG island. You can intercept a landing at Taberfane from north of P/NG, so you can avoid swinging around the NW tip of NG to interdict. Check it out-there's a little gulf up there where you can park KB to punish anything going into Taberfane.

Noticed that Ki-44 IIa and A6M3a aircraft were involved in the last air combat. Why are you still relying on these antiquated airframes late in 1943? How are your plane pools looking?

ORIGINAL: Chickenboy

ORIGINAL: GreyJoy

Sep 17, 1943

Ok, 50,000 enemy soldiers have been loaded at Darwin, while the enemy's CVs are lingering near Goove (SE of Darwin, in the Gulf of Carpenteria.

My bet? They are landing at Taberfane or Dobo...or both....That will be a problem.

What do we have at hand? Well, I barely have 1 decent SAG TF (Yamato, 4 CAs and 8 modern DDs) at Boela and my reduced KB at Sorong. 5 more CVs are running like hell from the Mariannas but it will take them at least 3 more days to be in the theatre...too much[:o].
Taberfane is held by a weak division and Dobo by a reinforced regiments...but supplies are very low and there aren't any support unit... pretty difficult to hold 50,000 enemies!! I have to hope that my LBA will give some help...

Guys...this is the line in the sand. We have to fight with everything i have here. Can't let him get Taberfane...really cannot....

Look across the P/NG island. You can intercept a landing at Taberfane from north of P/NG, so you can avoid swinging around the NW tip of NG to interdict. Check it out-there's a little gulf up there where you can park KB to punish anything going into Taberfane.

Yes, i know, but i wanted to be able to intercept both a landing at Saumlaki or at Taberfane. Felt i could have done better if i had moved my CVs directly near Boela.
However i couldn't have done much more even if i was near PGN... those bombardment TFs are difficult to stop with the CVs

ORIGINAL: Chickenboy

Noticed that Ki-44 IIa and A6M3a aircraft were involved in the last air combat. Why are you still relying on these antiquated airframes late in 1943? How are your plane pools looking?

My pools look good. And i have A LOT of KI-44 IIa and A6M3a to spare. The latter is used exclusively for escort missions, while the first Tojos can imho still be used in both escort and CAP mission. I have more than 600 KI-44 IIa in my pools and i wanna use them and let the IIc version be used only for CAP or sweep.
However in forward bases, where i need fighters with SR=1, i can use only Tojos and zeros...so i try to use what i have.

I'm pretty happy about how my Tojo/George/Frank performed, again, against P-47s and P-38s. We downed another good number of the dreaded P-47 and i know his replacements for this frame are very very low. He has already lost nearly 140 of them without achieving much. At the same time i'm not losing a lot of pilots in these defensive missions, so, in the long run, this seems to be proving like a winning strategy for Japan.

What am i producing at the moment?

190 A6M5s
180 N1Ks
80 J2Ms

170 Franks
200 KI-44 IIcs
90 Oscars

These numbers seem to allow me to fill the gaps due to losses and, at the same time, to keep my pools growing, without impacting too much on my HI expenditure features

A little thought about my previewed air production sheets.

First of all, as some of you may remember, i had decided, since the beginning of war, not to invest of any very late japanese plane. No jets or rockets, nor any 1946 planes. Why? Well, first of all, this mod is very difficult for what concerns the japanese economy. Even more this scenario was a little bugged at the beginning, so i have to rely on the economy of scenario 1, even if the OOB belongs to scenario 2...which means way less supplies and HI generated to feed the HUGE japanese late war OOB.

So my plan was to have a rational plan that would have allow me to fight the allies during 1943 with good A/Cs and, for 1944/1945, to use older planes but in good numbers.

This is the plan:

1943:

Fighters
190 A6M5s
180 N1K1/N1K2s
80 J2M3s

180 KI-84a
200 KI-44 IIcs
90 KI-43 IIIa

Fighter Bombers:
60 KI-45a

Dive Bombers:
180 D4Y3s

Torpedo Bombers:
180 B6N2s

Level Bombers:
140 KI-49IIa/b
120 KI-67-T
80 P1Y1s
60 G3N3s
40 G4M1s (not building at the moment)

Recon:
55 KI-46IIIs
22 D4Y1-Cs



1944:

Fighters
190 A6M5s
180 N1K2s
80 J2M3s (will be kept in production till the end of the war)
90 J2M5s (starting from 7/1944)

180 KI-84a
180 KI-84r (I think i will keep both the KI-84a and the KI-84r in production)
200 KI-44 IIcs (the Tojo will be kept in production till the end of the war)
90 KI-43 IIIa/IV

Fighter Bombers:
60 KI-102b (from 7/1944)

Dive Bombers:
200 D4Y3/4s (the "4" version should be available from 6/1944)
100 B7A2 (starting from 4/1944)

Torpedo Bombers:
180 B6N2as

Level Bombers:
140 KI-49IIa/b
90 KI-67-T (starting from mid 44)
100 P1Y2s
60 G3N3s
40 G4M2s

Recon:
55 KI-46IIIs
50 C6N1s



1945:

Fighters
100/150 A6Ms
200 A7M2s
180 N1K2s
120 N1K5s
80 J2M3s (will be kept in production till the end of the war)
90 J2M5s
90 J7W1s

180 KI-84a
180 KI-84r (I think i will keep both the KI-84a and the KI-84r in production)
150 KI-84b
200 KI-44 IIc (the Tojo will be kept in production till the end of the war)
170 KI-43 IV
100 KI-83s

Fighter Bombers:
80 KI-102b

Dive Bombers:
270 D4Y4s
120 B7A2

Torpedo Bombers:
180 B6N2as

Level Bombers:
100 KI-49IIa/b
150 KI-67-T
100 P1Y2s
60 G3N3s
100 G4M2s

Recon:
55 KI-46IIIs
50 C6N1s

180 KI-84a
180 KI-84r (I think i will keep both the KI-84a and the KI-84r in production)

"r" is better with everything from "a" version. Why build both.
"a" have better range i think but do You really need range in late `44.

I would keep "b" and "r" in production

ORIGINAL: koniu

180 KI-84a
180 KI-84r (I think i will keep both the KI-84a and the KI-84r in production)

"r" is better with everything from "a" version. Why build both.
"a" have better range i think but do You really need range in late `44.

I would keep "b" and "r" in production

You're right Koniu. Don't know why i thought the "a" version had a better mvr...

Thanks!

gods, I look at plane production using scene 2 and pdu on, compare it to scene 1 and PDU off, and weep..........man, I don't even produce a third of those figures!

Grey joy, great game.

Keep up the fight!

ORIGINAL: 1275psi

gods, I look at plane production using scene 2 and pdu on, compare it to scene 1 and PDU off, and weep..........man, I don't even produce a third of those figures!

Grey joy, great game.

Keep up the fight!

Well, not really Herb!
This is a scenario for what concerns the economy, with the addition that refineries DO NOT produce supplies. So supplies are generated ONLY by the HI.
So it's basically a scenario 1 with PDU ON but with realistic RnD (which means you cannot switch back and forth the factories from the production status to the R&D status. Once in production, the factories will only be able to produce).

But yes, PDU ON gives a boost to the japanese air armies

It's pretty clear to me that now Brad will advance along the NG axis. Vanimo and Hollandia will be soon overrun now that he has big bases very close to them. I have done what i could to defend them and to made them bastions... but nothing can stop the naval bombing down there. So it will be just a matter of time. However the presence of two big divisions (one in each base) should slow him down enough to let me complete the reinforcement of Biak area.
At the same time i need to defend the southern DEI approaches, cause even if i stop him in NG, Biak can be easily bypassed on its left side advancing from Taberfane up north. That's why the presence of the KB there is so vital.
I'm now saving to buy the 19th Division that will be sent to Ternate-Menado area. I really hope to be able to buy enough time to create a defensive line starting from the Mariannas and reaching Menado.
I think that, once the late1943 reinforcements will start to arrive i will be able to garrison most of the Mariannas in an adequate way (Pagan, Saipan, Tinian and Guam all will need a division each).
 
I'm also thinking about moving a CD base force to Biak, in order to prevent the shore bombardments... but i really don't know if it's a good move...once moved down there, those units will be stuck there...and i hate the idea of being by-passed.
 
In Burma i think we've saved the day in the center (south of Kalemyo). i now have the 7th THAI division (with 5 forts), 1 heavy artillery battallion, 2 IJ regiments (from the 48th and 16th Division) and the 15th Army HQ nearby.Should be enough...hopefully. However will start to move back from Mitikyna within the next week

I found SS very usefull against enemy naval bombing, I could saturate approch hexes to contended bases with subs. They're not so close to enemy bases so DL remains low and they work in 3 ways:
if they score a hit the enemy ship is slowed and remains in dangerous waters and can be bombed by your LBA
Second, sometimes the Enemy bombing TF starts ASW against your subs and looses movement points so can't return to safe waters again.
Third if a sub launches 4 torpedoes to a BB and misses, your opponent becomes anyway less confident so Subs act also as a deterrent.
I use to put more or less 10 subs around each contended base.
You could also mine the approach, if you cannot send CM you can use sub with mines capability (there is a class that carries 20 mines each)

Agreed with Mr Blizzard there. Subs for Japan are anyway a spot tool, specially late in war. Except some glen equipped subs, no point in having them far away or all over the map. concentrate where they can make a difference.

To expland on MrBlizzards comments there are four IJN minelaying subs that can each carry 40 Type 88 mines, I-121 to I-124. Type 88's are quite powerful for mines but only have a generation rate of 35 per month (in scen 1, I don't know about your mod.)

Sorry guys, very little time to upgrade.

I'm using my subs, since the beginning, exactly in that way guys. However, in NG, things aren't so easy for my subs. The air space is completely dominated, up untill Sarmi, by the mighty US Air Army. My subs cannot get close unseen, and his DDs are raiding all the possible routes. Also i lost 3 of the 4 mining subs due to mine at the very beginning of the war[:(]

Sep 26, 1943

In the last days things have become even grimmer for Japan. Hollandia, Vanimo and Sarmi are bombed every day by 300 enemy bombers and by a constant mily run of his TFs. DDs are raiding everywhere.
The allies conquered easily Dogua and are now pushing towards Aitape. Landed on the 25th at MAnus unopposed and will take them very little time to get rid of the reinforced regiment i have there.

In the DEI, Brad did more CAP traps, moving some xAKLs to Molu and moving there 100 fighters...lost 60 planes in 2 days[:(][:(].

His CVs popped up again in the Gulf of Carpentaria. Another feint? or a real push?
His subs are killing my fast transport ships that tried to sneak to Taberfane to deliver some supplies...
The power of the allies is really starting to show...

Moving an infantry regiment to complete the Truk garrison... but i feel really weak.... everywhere. The allied advance seems unstoppable and my AFs cannot be kept open...not because of the 4Es, but because of his naval bombarments... with all those DDs raiding i cannot even keep my fleet guarding the threatened bases.

My KB keeps on moving (burning precious fuel) in order to avoid the great number of subs...i'm trying to remain with a foot in the DEI and a foot in NG...but soon i'll have to chose.

600k Oil just left Singapore. The convoy system keeps on working well...

We started to move back from Mitynina in order to replace my units in a new MLR. Let's hope. He started to recon Moulmein, Port Blair and Little Adaman... is he thinking about a flanking move here? Moved some 300 planes to Thailand/Singapore to act as a strategic reserve in case he tries something bold...

BB Fuso, damaged, is limping back to Singapore... will take 70/80 days to repair her...[:(]