Shattering the Sword. Cantona2 (a) vs Herbiesan (j)

[cantona2]

The United States and its Allies now have the luxury of a fully operational fighter strip at Abemama. As such the 45th Fighter Squdron (P-38 Lightning) has transferred from Luganville and will be flying CAP from Abemama as from tomorrow. This means a welcome break for the hard pressed fighter wing of the Enterprise. Her pilots have accounted for 15 enemy planes in the last two weeks of battle but at a cost to her men and machines as her fighter wing is very depleted. She now heads south-south-east and out of the immediate battle zone before wheeling north west to Canton Island and then San Francisco for refits. Hornet and Saratoga remain on station until Tarawa has its fighter strip up and running and the Lexington can deliver VMF-221 before she too joins the Enterprise in dry dock. As soon as the airstrip on Tarawa can sustain a second operation unit the CVE Long Island will deliver VMSB-151 before heading back to the West Coast to ferry another unit of aircraft into the battle area.

These are the immediate post Morsel plans as well as landing a raiding force on Makin and maybe a small para drop on Mili, that appears to be unoccupied so far. I reckon i have maybe two weeks game time left before Herb turns his forces onto Tarawa. I hope to be ready by then.

[cantona2]

The game has entered a period of relative quiet while Herb rests his carriers and mine rotate out of the firing line for 6/42 upgrades. Ive termed the current period as the battle of the Build-up, as that is in essence whats happening.

I have fortified and built up several atolls and dot bases from Suva running North to Tarawa. As our AF stacking HR prevents over stacking of airfields good LOC are essential in this game. The bases in this chain will mean that fresh formations can be thrown in any forthcoming battle in the area. As long as i can build a chain of size 3 airfields, Herb should find that my bombers will harass all and any shipping he sends this way.

Anyhow here is the current break down

1)Funafuti, AF2 36%, 405th Bombardment (B-26), VP-23.

2)Nukufetau, AF2 5%, VP-13.

3)Nanumea, AF0 1%. Base force is 4 days out.

4)Abemama, AF1 84%, 48th Fighter (P-38). VMSB-151 (SBD-3) will transfer from CVE Long Island when airstrip can sustain bomber operations.

5)Tarawa, AF1 16%, VMF-221 (F4F-4), Vp-14.

[cantona2]

Look at what the SS S-35 found at Truk. It would be impolite not to have left a gift either [:D] 
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Sub attack near Truk  at 66,78

Japanese Ships
CVL Zuiho, Torpedo hits 1
DD Hagikaze
DD Hamakaze
DD Urakaze
DD Isokaze
DD Hayashio
DD Yukikaze
DD Natsushio
CV Soryu
CV Hiryu

Allied Ships
SS S-35, hits 1

 
Now is Herbie going to use the fact that my carriers are depolyed at Tarawa to strike south or were these enroute to the same battle area? Kaga/Akagi are in dry dock. So that leaves Shokaku and Zuikhaku as unaccounted fleet carriers. They would face Hornet and Saratoga as Enterprise has just docked at Pearl while Lexington is collecting her fighters from Wake before heading to SF. They would also face the LBA assets of Abemama and Tarawa, fighters as they are still at basic size strips. If he comes south i have heavies in Oz that can redeploy to NC but only a partially damaged Yorktown at Sydney. Interesting times ahead.

[cantona2]

16th June 1942

Aircraft on Patrol 7
Aircraft in Reserve 0
Aircraft Unserviceable 14
Pilots 21
Kills 3

The war had finally caught up with the 48th Fighter Squadron. Much had happened while the unit had been stationed at Luganville. Colonel Olds has not escaped the debacle at Port Moresby and was ‘rotated’ stateside, though the whole unit knew he was given a desk job because of the 48th’s disastrous baptism of fire. A Major Boyington had been his replacement. An aggressive young officer that had served with the Eagle Squadron and the RAF during the Battle of Britain, he was a four kill pilot that has returned to the US when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbour and left the blue of the RAF behind for the brown of the USAAF. The appointment was welcomed by the men but soon they were cursing his name as training exercise followed exercise. The groans of the men were met by the stoic response from The Major as he was known, ‘you’ll thank me when you’re facing the cannon on an ME 109’.

Training exercises often also meant aggressive patrols over the Coral Sea though the only plane they ever saw was an Emily flying boat that took some US steel back home with it after a short run in through the clouds. Operation Morsel changed all that.

In early June the 48th was ordered to the newly operational strip at Abemama. Major Boyington was given a simple brief: ‘contest air superiority over Tarawa’. Easier said then done as the Japanese had Maleolap and Kwajalein airfields close to the battle zone while the US had the two basic strips at Tarawa and Abemama to fight with.

An uneventful 14 hour flight delivered the 48th to their new atoll home. The very next day a 12 plane flight joined Navy Wildcats over Tarawa. The Japanese did not hesitate to give the 48th a warm welcome. 12 G4M1’s and 8 G3M’s had been spotted by radar approaching Tarawa from the North. The 48th took the high station while the carrier pilots of VF-8 patrolled at around 10,000 feet. The Marine fighters based on Tarawa itself circled at almost treetop height and it was these planes that claimed most of the 6 shot down in that day’s first action. The 48th also claimed its first kill of the war when 1LT Grigsby was able to destroy a G4M1 with a well aimed burst of his cannon. Morale soared when the planes returned to base and Grigsby was the toast of the base for 24 hours.

The next day Tarawa once again called for aid. A large formation of A6M2’s swept the atoll in two waves. Once again the 48th took to the skies with its Navy counterparts. All told 51 Japanese aircraft roamed the airspace over Tarawa. 5 zeroes of the first wave were shot down, the 48th claimed two the Navy the other three. Unfortunately the 48th was to suffer its first casualties in this new theatre of battle. It had lost 7 planes and three pilots in action and the long range fighting was also resulting in tired machines and pilots. Luckily a resupply convoy at Abemama was unloading the unit’s own back up staff and the losses in machines were soon made up. The elation of yesterday was now replaced by a more sombre mood. The Japs were still in the fight, it would be a long hard slog.

The 48th Fighter at Abemama

[cantona2]

Seems like Japan is thinking about striking back at Tarawa. Ive had to withdraw my carriers and the Hornet is the only one on station. The Soryu was attacked by a sub yesterday approaching Kwajalein. Though the intel shows a three CV TF i have strong reason to believe that only the Hiryu accompanies her. The torp the Zuiho took at Truk must have hurt enough to have her not accompany the rest Westwards. The Lexington is collecting her fighters from Wake Island and she might be available to strike from behind. The only problem is that shes at 22 sys and will be easier to detect.

[Alfred]

No need to rush any CVs to Tarawa.  Remember the basic idea behind Operation Morsel was to set a trap whereby the IJN expended itself against LBA.  If in fact there is only 1 IJN CV in the counterattack, I would rest all the Allied CV so that they can be fit for action sooner and striking when the IJN lacks any fit (ie under 5% system damage) CVs to oppose your next lightning strike
 
Alfred.

[cantona2]

The game has entered a somewhat quiet stage. His carriers have once again disappeared after their sighting at Kwajalein, yet this last turn heavy tanker and AO traffic was observed by a dutch sub stkaing out Ponape, indeed it sank a torpedo into a full oiler. Whether this was a replenishment task force or a tanker task force i don't know but what it was one of its ships left with a great big hole and leaking fuel oil.

Tarawa is becoming the hotspot of the game at the moment. As the line of bases running south of it increases i ccan rotate my units in and out of the battle zone faster. As of yet the Zero still has the upper hand but ive been able to rotate two VMF units with Wildcats, a Kittyhawk Squadron and a P-39 unit in and out of Tarawa. This adds to the permanent P-38 unit at Abemama that will soon be joined by one from Canton Island. I will find it hard to base bopmbers here until i have at least two level 3 strips to operate from, though a small Marauder unit is already operating from Tarawa. Supply runs continue in relatively unmolested as fortifications and lines of communication are built.

A screenie from the Tracker showing the latest naval casualties, alos gives a good indicator of the recent hotspots in the game.

[cantona2]

On land the Japanese Army in China has undone all the good work the Central Army achieved in its earlier offensive. Singyang was reoccupied and Nanning fell to a lightning attack. The Japanese advance is slowing down as they move from their supply railheads while the Chinese Army fights from a stronger position as its fights closer to its supply hubs and under the cover of the Allied air force that has Chinese, US and RAF units in it. The bulk of the Central Army was able to disengage in good order and is now in Ichang awaiting the Japanese,if they want to cross the swamps that is. The army at Hankow needs to be careful not to get encircled however!

In Burma and the Ceram area allied heavies are starting a protracted campaign on Japanese strategic resources in the area. Amboina has had all its oilfields destroyed by the B-17's at Darwin and Boloea is the new target as it resource centres are also within range and not covered by fighters. The case is different in Burma where about hundred Oscar's protect Magwe and Mandalay from bombers and nearly 80 Nates reported over Rangoon. The RAF is switching over to night bombing of economic resources. Hopefully enough damage can be inflicted to get Herb to divert resources to these areas of the front.

Japanese Offensive in China April-June 1942

[CarnageINC]

[&:] Sorry to jump in your tread here, but I love the map, screens and backgrounds.  I've been gone a while and like to get these.  Who's ship art are you using?  Sorry for intruding, thanks for any help [&o]

I've downloaded all I could find, I've never looked at Cobra's stuff..very nice.

[cantona2]

ORIGINAL: CarnageINC

[&:] Sorry to jump in your tread here, but I love the map, screens and backgrounds.  I've been gone a while and like to get these.  Who's ship art are you using?  Sorry for intruding, thanks for any help [&o]

I've downloaded all I could find, I've never looked at Cobra's stuff..very nice.

Carnage INC thanks for posting

The map are cobra's digital panels for Andy Mac's map available from Spooky's. The ships art is from Fremen (http://www.telefonica.net/web2/witp/en/index.html)and the backgrounds i got from spookys as well

[cantona2]

June 1942 wound to a violent close with bloody air battles over Tarawa. There was little action on the seas other than the sinkings of the Nagato and Mogami from the damage they received at Baker Island. In the air, however, the tale is different. The mass production of the Lightning has had little impact so far, two squadrons are equppied with it one at Abemama and one forming at Canton Island. The air over Tarawa has been witness to many a bloody struggle that for the moment the Japanese are winning. This i hope to change. Tarawa can now host bomber operations while the chain of bases running south to Suva are now supporting the ops at Tarawa by resting and reconstituing the fighter units they fly over the atoll base. Nuisance raids from Wake continue to harass the Japanese bases in the area. The biggest actions have been in China were a strong Japanese offensive has retaken Sinyang and occupied Nanyang. July sees the refitting of many Dutch sqaudrons that pulled out of the DEI before their fall and some of these will relocate to China to help the air efforts there.

Scorecard 30.6.1942

[cantona2]

Empire of Japan 30.6.1942

[cantona2]

The mass of Allied bombers on Indian soil have begun to earn their keep. First it was the Magwe oilfields that were closed down. RAF Blenheims and Beauforts have supplemented the B-17's operating out of Dacca.



Attention now turned to the oil installations in and around Mandalay. Once again repeated raids hit Japanese controlled resources leaving them burning and out of commission. The removal of protecting fighters have allowed uninterrupted boming to devastate and disrupt Japanese use of Burmese resources for their war machine.



In the former Dutch East Indies Amboina has also been bombed by B-24's and B-17's out of Darwin. Its oil installations and its rubber producing resources have been totally destroyed. The belated deployment of protecting fighters, now protecting Bolea, could do nothing to stop the destruction of these resources.



Bolea's plantations had also been under attack until several squadrons of Zeroes operating out of Amboina began to fly combat missions over the area causing some damage to the attacking bombers.

[cantona2]

No major operations seem in the offing at the moment. Intensive recon of Japanese bases in the Marshalls has no deteced no major build up in terms of ship movements or concentrations. The Soryu task force that showed itself still hasn't made a move so i am assuming its gone home or has rebased at Truk. There is a lot of traffic between Kwajalein and his bases at Majuro, Maloelap and Wotje. Mainly barges no doubt resupplying these bases. I have a large number of subs deployed in the Marshalls intercepting convoy's and providing sightind reports.

ALLIED SUBMARINES IN THE MARSHALL ISLANDS



What has become apparant is the Herb is not going to make the same mistake again and have his bases mined as the following contact reports show.
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Sub attack near Kwajalein  at 81,84

Japanese Ships
ML Tsugaru

Allied Ships
SS S-32
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Sub attack near Truk  at 66,78

Japanese Ships
ML Naryu, Torpedo hits 1,  on fire,  heavy damage

Allied Ships
SS S-34

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Sub attack near Kwajalein  at 81,84

Japanese Ships
ML Tokiwa, Torpedo hits 2,  on fire

Allied Ships
SS S-32

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Pucheng has fallen in China and the forces there were able to carry out an organised withdrawal to Wuchow. Several divisions will dig in into holding positions on the approaches to Pucheng while a three division strong corps will try to break out westwards towards Kanhsien. It may be a fools errand but he will need to divert resources to either encircle and destroy them or protect his supply lines.

[Alfred]

Cantona2,
 
Your screenshots showing the level of destruction meted out to Japanese raw material centres do not appear to be obtained from mouse roll overs.  How do you get a list of enemy production?
 
Alfred

[cantona2]

Alfred,
 
those are the values i get when you click on city attack on the aircraft orders panels, all the cities in range come up for that particular and bomber and these values appear. I can also post the mouse roll over ones if readaars want

[cantona2]

Guys i need some advice. my fighters are getting torn to shreds over Tarawa. Two Kittyhawk squadrons have been literally wiped out in the last three days and only the Navy's wildcats stand much of a chance. I have they set at Sweep with 90% CAP and a range of 0 to keep fatigue levels low. The problem is that they are rookie squadrons that get thrown in against Zeroes. The opportunity to train them up is not really there. Even the P-38's are faring badly against the jap fighters, mind you he can put an escort of over 50 zeores as my one strip faces three of his. Last turn i lost 2 DM's and will probably lose two more. The bombers from Wake are having no impact at all. The short term solution will be the Wasp's fighters that will soon be on station as the carrier will soon be on overwatch

[hosho]

Althought you are an allied player and I shouldn`t help the enemy ...[;)].
 
Try to put together 3 or 4 squadrons (if you can provide so many) somewhere near tarawa and wait until your cvs arrive to provide cover- transfer the squadrons to the island - wait for a day to rest them while cvs tangle with the japs  - the day after put them to use with the cv fighters - take out the cvs the next day. I know it ain`t a particulary smart plan but... maybe you ll get lucky [:)]
 
Nice aar btw! [:D]

[Alfred]

Cantona2,
 
You are probably doing all these but a checklist can sometimes be a useful reminder.
 
1.  Does your base force on Tarawa have radar?
 
2.  Have you optimsed the air commanders in charge of your fighter squadrons?
 
3.  To keep your morale and fatigue levels down I would switch to only 50% CAP rather than your current 90%.  Also I would prefer to have my fighters on escort rather than sweep duty.
 
4.  What altitude are your fighters set for?  Remember that enemy escorts will come in 3000' above their bombers, so you should have your fighters at 5000' above their bombers.
 
5.  If he is using his Zeros primarily on sweep missions, then you will have to LRCAP Tarawa from Abema.
 
Alfred

[cantona2]

Thanks for the tips guys.
 
Fighter woes continue in Burma [X(]
 
Day Air attack on Mandalay , at 33,29

Japanese aircraft
Ki-43-Ic Oscar x 69

Allied aircraft
Hurricane IIb x 32
CW-22 Falcon x 1

Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-43-Ic Oscar: 2 destroyed, 6 damaged

Allied aircraft losses
Hurricane IIb: 21 destroyed [X(]
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Day Air attack on Mandalay , at 33,29

Japanese aircraft
Ki-43-Ic Oscar x 74

Allied aircraft
Hurricane IIb x 16

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

Allied aircraft losses
Hurricane IIb: 15 destroyed [X(]

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