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American shipyards seem to hit a higher gear starting in July. For the rest of the year, they pump out 2 to 4 CVs, CVLs, and/or CVEs per month. You will start to feel the hurt of 8 to 12 new DDs per month with most of them being the dreaded Fletchers with a few Bristol Classes thrown in.

ORIGINAL: GreyJoy

Sep 16, 1943

2 Enemy fletchers TFs arrived at Hollandia, tangling with my CA/DDs and forcing them to retreat to Biak, leaving uncovered my fat xAKs TF.... who got slaughtered[:o]
several more PT TFs popped up at Hollandia... now those waters are offlimits and i'll have to rely only on air transport....[:(] Too fast... i really let him advance too fast and now i'm paying an heavy price for that.

ACHTUNG: Enemy CVs popped up near Darwin...and my CVs are out of position.... another transport/amphib TF popped up north of Darwin... so he may be trying to land at Saumlaki soon... need to get my CVs back to the DEI ASAP!

Another TFs popped up in the Bay of Bengal, southeast of Colombo...moving S/E.... moving my SAGs and a mini KB to Sebang...just in case

The fletchers now have working torpedoes and in a few months will be coming to him not only in great numbers but with excellent day and night skills. You are going to learn to hate these excellent ships.

Have to give Brad credit. He has made some mistakes but is getting his momentum back and doing a nice job of counterpunching. An enjoyable AAR to follow.

ORIGINAL: crsutton

Have to give Brad credit. He has made some mistakes but is getting his momentum back and doing a nice job of counterpunching. An enjoyable AAR to follow.

Grrr....you're right. [:@] Lousy resilient Allied dogs!

GJ, how is the Biak buildup coming? If you are concerned he will quickly break you around Vanimo, I would worry he could break through all the way to Sorong and suddenly get well ahead of schedule - threatening to bypass the battlefields in the Eastern DEI.

ORIGINAL: crsutton

ORIGINAL: GreyJoy

Sep 16, 1943

2 Enemy fletchers TFs arrived at Hollandia, tangling with my CA/DDs and forcing them to retreat to Biak, leaving uncovered my fat xAKs TF.... who got slaughtered[:o]
several more PT TFs popped up at Hollandia... now those waters are offlimits and i'll have to rely only on air transport....[:(] Too fast... i really let him advance too fast and now i'm paying an heavy price for that.

ACHTUNG: Enemy CVs popped up near Darwin...and my CVs are out of position.... another transport/amphib TF popped up north of Darwin... so he may be trying to land at Saumlaki soon... need to get my CVs back to the DEI ASAP!

Another TFs popped up in the Bay of Bengal, southeast of Colombo...moving S/E.... moving my SAGs and a mini KB to Sebang...just in case

The fletchers now have working torpedoes and in a few months will be coming to him not only in great numbers but with excellent day and night skills. You are going to learn to hate these excellent ships.

All I can say to that is; YES. HATE. (but wish I had some)

Sep 26-27, 43

The allies keep on rushing... this time we had the chance of really hurting them... but, once again, weather, bad luck and allied flak (nobody can say anymore allied flak sucks!) prevent me from getting a good victory[:@]

On the 26th the allies mounted a new offensive against Dobo. Several single ship DDTFs swept the area around Taberfane, while a strong cruiser TF (5 CLs + 8 fletchers) was sent to attack Dobo, followed by several hundreds bombers from Mereuake.
my subs intercepted the allied CLs and slowed them down (thus losing one RO ship in the process). The KB was positioned in a perfect strike...but was, for the whole day, under heavy clouds[:(]... however from Biak and Boela several uncoordinated bombers took off...
No cover over the enemy ships... but the allied AA did wonders....downing 35 planes out of 130!!![X(][X(][X(]
We did score some good hits...but the enemies managed to get away....

At the same time Vanimo, Hollandia and Sarmi are under constant air attacks, while Manus fell to the 4th Aus Division, commanded by the X US Corp


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ASW attack near Taberfane at 82,119

Japanese Ships
SS RO-67, hits 7, heavy damage

Allied Ships
DD Aulick
CL Columbia
CL St. Louis
CL Achilles
DD Anthony
DD Gansevoort
DD Beale
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Submarine attack near Taberfane at 82,119

Japanese Ships
SS RO-67, hits 14, and is sunk

Allied Ships
CL Columbia
CL St. Louis
CL Achilles
DD Anthony
DD Gansevoort
DD Beale



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Morning Air attack on TF, near Dobo at 83,116

Weather in hex: Partial cloud

Raid detected at 68 NM, estimated altitude 17,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 20 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 8
P1Y1 Frances x 12

Japanese aircraft losses
P1Y1 Frances: 7 damaged
P1Y1 Frances: 2 destroyed by flak

Allied Ships
CL Mobile
CL Montpelier
CL Columbia, Torpedo hits 1
CL St. Louis


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Morning Air attack on Dobo , at 83,116

Weather in hex: Partial cloud

Raid detected at 39 NM, estimated altitude 13,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 11 minutes

Japanese aircraft
no flights

Allied aircraft
Beaufighter Ic x 11
Beaufighter VIc x 13
B-17E Fortress x 9
B-24D1 Liberator x 25
B-24J Liberator x 9
P-38E Lightning x 10
P-38G Lightning x 13

No Japanese losses

Allied aircraft losses
B-24J Liberator: 1 damaged

Airbase hits 28
Airbase supply hits 8
Runway hits 107



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Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Dobo at 83,116

Weather in hex: Overcast

Raid detected at 70 NM, estimated altitude 13,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 20 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 8
P1Y1 Frances x 12

Japanese aircraft losses
P1Y1 Frances: 9 damaged
P1Y1 Frances: 2 destroyed by flak

Allied Ships
CL Mobile
CL Montpelier
CL Columbia
CL Achilles



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Dobo at 83,116

Weather in hex: Overcast

Raid detected at 69 NM, estimated altitude 14,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 17 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 18
D4Y1 Judy x 42
P1Y1 Frances x 6
Ki-43-IIa Oscar x 31

Japanese aircraft losses
D4Y1 Judy: 18 damaged
D4Y1 Judy: 5 destroyed by flak
P1Y1 Frances: 2 damaged
P1Y1 Frances: 1 destroyed by flak

Allied Ships
CL Achilles, Bomb hits 1, Torpedo hits 1, on fire
CL Columbia, Bomb hits 1
CL Mobile
CL St. Louis, Bomb hits 1
DD Aulick
DD Anthony
CL Montpelier

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Dobo at 83,116

Weather in hex: Overcast

Raid detected at 68 NM, estimated altitude 14,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 20 minutes

Japanese aircraft
P1Y1 Frances x 6

Japanese aircraft losses
P1Y1 Frances: 4 damaged
P1Y1 Frances: 1 destroyed by flak

Allied Ships
DD Anthony
CL Montpelier



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Dobo at 83,116

Weather in hex: Overcast

Raid detected at 80 NM, estimated altitude 32,660 feet.
Estimated time to target is 26 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M3a Zero x 27
B6N2 Jill x 24

Japanese aircraft losses
B6N2 Jill: 2 damaged
B6N2 Jill: 1 destroyed by flak

Allied Ships
CL Mobile
CL Columbia, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
CL Montpelier
CL St. Louis, Torpedo hits 3, on fire, heavy damage




On the 27th, once again, the weather favoured the allies... covering the retreat of the Columbia...who managed to get away... while the St.Louis was sunk near Molu, despite the heavy CAP WBall placed over it.
Some more transports were sunk south of Molu by the Judies....
More Frances attacke the retreating CLs...but the enemy CVs popped up and did a good job in LRCAPPing them.
Lost 50 more planes today...
More importantly, 1 of my CL and another DD were blown out by mines near Molu, while the DD Hibiki was sunk by a sub while escorting my CV near Biak....scary.... lost more than 55 DDs till now... really too many![:o]

Crib, Biak is growing fast. Nearly 6 forts, maxed AF and Port, with 600 AVs (that will grow to 900) and a good support (Artillery, AA etc). What we lack there is a decent naval cover against his sweeping DDs...

Anyway... modern allied ships do have a flak that is really, alone, to distrupt a japanese air attack! IMPRESSIVE

GJ,

Tried to send you PM but your inbox is full!

Should be clear now Joc

Great. Sent you one! [:)]

Sorry guys, been pretty busy in the last couple of days... everybody has to pay bills, right? [:@]


But the war went on...and not so well for the Empire


Sep 28 - Oct 6, 1943

The last 10 days have been pretty harsh.
At first, on the 29th, we moved 140 Judys and 60 fighters to Taberfane, trying to get his CVs that were lingering 6 hexes south of it.... all went uncoordinated and we lost 200 planes and 180 pilots for not a single hit [:@]...we didn't even pass through the CAP. Ouch!
We also lost 2 more DDs (due to the damned mines at Molu and to his subs near Biak).

At the same time, the enemy kept on bombing Sarmi-Hollandia-Vanimo-Dobo and Taberfane, with HORDES of 4Es... we ambushed them once over Sarmi, downing 18 4Es...but nothing more...

The allies also landed 2 divisions at Rabaul in these days.... After Manus the Fall of Rabaul will be a PITA but cannot help it.

The enemy subs keep on arrassing my routes in the NG/DEI, sinking several ships near Kendari, despite all my ASW efforts.

My CVs are resting at Bab, waiting for the Akagi and Mizuo to reach the KB.

But the real danger is in Burma... i was overconfident and Brad punished me. At Bahmo a combination of Chinese units and a HUGE para brigade, preceded by the biggest air bombing of the war, dislodged my tiny "c" regiment of the 1st Thai Division. Now all my positions in the northern Burma are threatened. I'm falling back as fast as i can from Wazrup and Mitikyna to Katha, while more units are flowing from Rangoon in order to secure the eastern banks of the river south of Katha and east of Swebo.
The 25th Army is abbandoning Akyab to the 2nd UK division and will redeploy in the central Burma.
I've railed to Lashio (now in danger) a couple of units. I need to save this situation and stabilize the perimeter.... but the pressure now is high!

On the 2nd we had a field day in Burma sky, when 55 Georges downed 110 enemy planes, losing 11!!!!! a great score!

But it's not enough...it's never enough...

The 90th Regiment reached Truk, while the 54th Division is now planning for Tinian (hope to buy it within the next 20 days).

Very historical at this point with your losses to CAP & AA - just check out what the BB South Dakota did during the Battle of Santa Cruz......it doesn't get any easier, you're sending air units into what constitutes a buzz saw now....

It's not going to help, but I can't see Warazup without thinking about this and chuckling:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JJmqCKtJnxM

The mod's lack of AV, which in turn creates disorganized raids, is really hurting you. Not much to be done about it, I'm afraid. The only thing I can think of is to mass your precious air support at a single base in hopes of getting off one good, co-ordinated raid, but he could counter by flattening that base and force you to move the support units around. Ugly. Maybe concentrate a horde of AV and a horde of engineers to speed up repairs to the airfield?

Well if it is any consolation to you. I think that for the Allies to take Rabaul once they possess Manus is a total waste of time and Allied assets. He has no real need to own it since Manus can be built up to a level 7 port. I just bypassed Rabaul and never looked back...

At first, on the 29th, we moved 140 Judys and 60 fighters to Taberfane, trying to get his CVs that were lingering 6 hexes south of it.... all went uncoordinated and we lost 200 planes and 180 pilots for not a single hit ...we didn't even pass through the CAP. Ouch!

The other way around works better for me. If you have 140 fighters and 60 DB, a good number of those DB might get through.

Against a CAP of 100+ Hellcats I sent 90 Georges, 15 A6M5 and 21 Judys at some CVEs last turn. It was not a spectacular success, but half the DBs made runs and 3 x 500 kg hits landed on two CVE. The George and the Jack punch through much better than the A6M. Of course uncoordinated nothing will help much.

Sep 7, 1943

BURMA: we abbandoned Wazrup, just in time before 1700 enemy's AVs started the bombarment preparation for the upcoming attack. Now we're leaving Mitikyna and reposition at Katha, while the enemy's para brigade is moving west from Bahmo. We'll try to counter, creating a new perimeter (see map).
Also abbandoning Akyab and repositioning in the jungle a bit closer to the plains... i wanna be ready when the time will come to completely abbandon Burma.
Brad is shifting his forces to my right flank. I think i should be able to deploy 5 IJA divisions and 2 THAI Divisions to that flank...should be enough.

Our KB is waiting at Babeldolap. Akagi and Mizuho are reaching Saipan. Soon we'll have our KB completely re-united and upgraded.

ORIGINAL: Cribtop

The mod's lack of AV, which in turn creates disorganized raids, is really hurting you. Not much to be done about it, I'm afraid. The only thing I can think of is to mass your precious air support at a single base in hopes of getting off one good, co-ordinated raid, but he could counter by flattening that base and force you to move the support units around. Ugly. Maybe concentrate a horde of AV and a horde of engineers to speed up repairs to the airfield?

That would expose the given base to his bombings... not what i want-
It's ugly, yes, but it's also historical. DBB is giving us a very historical experience in terms of air combat and i really like it.
Also engineers are something that Japan has never enough...