ORIGINAL: JocMeister
Revert back to 1942 tactics in the air. Its the only option I think...
Where are all your LCUs? 8 IDs on Luzon shouldn´t be that much of an obstacle and 3 Japanese divisions should only be a speed bump by now regardless of forts? Are you holding 20 IDs back for Hokkaido? [:D]
Joc, with all due respect, I think you've played too much without SLs... in a SL game, if the japs are kept supplied and cannot be bombed by sea, it' impossible to dislodge them from a well defended base.
Attacking in an overstacked condition, means incredible losses and very little effect. I've tried, mind you, but results were so horrible I had to move back my overstacking units and resume the understacking attacks... which means that, against heavy forts and flak, with CAP present, it's not a possible and credible task.
Even the Marines fail to accomplish that job against a well entrenched jap division.
Obvert is right: I have to look for other places... the problem is that Mr.Kane is very wise in chosing where to defend... and all the key bases are not conquerable at the moment.
However I do see some lights...
On Dec 03, 44, the landings at Merak went unopposed against the 43rd ID... sub laid mines (more than 150 in a single turn!) costed me 4 DDs... but naval bombings went fine...
At the same time a Japanese BBTF moved from Northern Borneo... in order to attack my landings...
A brave DD TF was dispatched to cover those advancing sealanes and slowed it down...
During the afternoon my unseen CVs arrived west of Merak and attacke the basterds near Kalidati....
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Night Time Surface Combat, near Ketapang at 55,92, Range 12,000 Yards
Japanese Ships
BB Nagato, Shell hits 3
BB Fuso, Shell hits 4
DD Kagero, Shell hits 1, on fire
DD Hatsukaze
DD Hayashio
DD Maikaze
DD Shiranui
DD Urakaze
DD Hamakaze
DD Hagikaze
DD Tachekaze
Allied Ships
DD Sterett, Shell hits 1
DD Paladin, Shell hits 1, and is sunk
DD Petard, Shell hits 8, on fire
DD Rapid, Shell hits 17, and is sunk
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Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Sampit at 55,97
Weather in hex: Clear sky
Raid detected at 38 NM, estimated altitude 13,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 16 minutes
Allied aircraft
F4U-1A Corsair x 24
F6F-3 Hellcat x 48
SB2C-3 Helldiver x 29
Allied aircraft losses
SB2C-3 Helldiver: 1 damaged
Japanese Ships
xAP Kongo Maru, Bomb hits 2, heavy fires, heavy damage
xAK Syoan Maru, Bomb hits 3, heavy fires, heavy damage
xAK London Maru, Bomb hits 3, heavy fires, heavy damage
xAP Saipan Maru, Bomb hits 4, heavy fires, heavy damage
xAK Syohei Maru, Bomb hits 4, heavy fires, heavy damage
xAP Tango Maru, Bomb hits 3, heavy fires, heavy damage
xAP Kitano Maru, Bomb hits 2, heavy fires
xAP Teiritsu Maru, Bomb hits 3, heavy fires
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Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Kalidjati at 52,99
Weather in hex: Light cloud
Raid detected at 80 NM, estimated altitude 13,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 34 minutes
Allied aircraft
F6F-3 Hellcat x 53
F6F-5 Hellcat x 48
SB2C-3 Helldiver x 26
TBM-1C Avenger x 17
TBM-3 Avenger x 17
Allied aircraft losses
SB2C-3 Helldiver: 5 damaged
SB2C-3 Helldiver: 1 destroyed by flak
TBM-1C Avenger: 4 damaged
Japanese Ships
BB Nagato, Bomb hits 4, Torpedo hits 1
DD Hayashio
BB Fuso, Bomb hits 6, Torpedo hits 1, on fire
DD Hagikaze
Aircraft Attacking:
5 x SB2C-3 Helldiver releasing from 2000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb SAP Bomb
17 x TBM-1C Avenger launching torpedoes at 200 feet
Naval Attack: 1 x 22.4in Mk 13 Torp.
17 x TBM-3 Avenger launching torpedoes at 200 feet
Naval Attack: 1 x 22.4in Mk 13 Torp.
9 x SB2C-3 Helldiver releasing from 4000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb SAP Bomb
12 x SB2C-3 Helldiver releasing from 3000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb SAP Bomb
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Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Kalidjati at 52,99
Weather in hex: Light cloud
Raid detected at 79 NM, estimated altitude 10,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 29 minutes
Allied aircraft
F6F-3 Hellcat x 115
SBD-5 Dauntless x 58
TBM-1C Avenger x 17
Allied aircraft losses
SBD-5 Dauntless: 16 damaged
SBD-5 Dauntless: 1 destroyed by flak
TBM-1C Avenger: 1 damaged
TBM-1C Avenger: 1 destroyed by flak
Japanese Ships
DD Hagikaze, Bomb hits 1, heavy fires, heavy damage
BB Nagato, Bomb hits 9, Torpedo hits 1, heavy fires
BB Fuso, Bomb hits 9, on fire, heavy damage
DD Tachekaze
DD Hayashio, Bomb hits 1, on fire
DD Kagero
Then the Merak espeditionary force did a great job conquering easily the base. Now the strait is ours and our fleet can move towards Borneo... and Batavia is in sight
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Ground combat at Merak (48,97)
Allied Deliberate attack
Attacking force 48374 troops, 841 guns, 1018 vehicles, Assault Value = 1626
Defending force 18121 troops, 366 guns, 27 vehicles, Assault Value = 506
Allied engineers reduce fortifications to 3
Allied adjusted assault: 2058
Japanese adjusted defense: 40
Allied assault odds: 51 to 1 (fort level 3)
Allied forces CAPTURE Merak !!!
Combat modifiers
Defender: forts(+), op mode(-), disruption(-), preparation(-)
fatigue(-)
Attacker:
Japanese ground losses:
7174 casualties reported
Squads: 129 destroyed, 173 disabled
Non Combat: 79 destroyed, 33 disabled
Engineers: 41 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 230 (204 destroyed, 26 disabled)
Vehicles lost 29 (29 destroyed, 0 disabled)
Units retreated 2
Units destroyed 1
Allied ground losses:
1389 casualties reported
Squads: 13 destroyed, 81 disabled
Non Combat: 1 destroyed, 42 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 16 disabled
Guns lost 17 (1 destroyed, 16 disabled)
Vehicles lost 65 (4 destroyed, 61 disabled)
Defeated Japanese Units Retreating!
Assaulting units:
767th Tank Battalion
11th NZ Brigade
193rd Tank Battalion
158th(Sep) Infantry Regiment
2nd NZ Brigade
Provisionl Tank Brigade
15th NZ Brigade
77th Infantry Division
3rd Australian Division
1st NZ Brigade
708th Amphib Tank Battalion
3rd NZ Armoured Sqn
715th AmphTrac Engineer Battalion
4th Pioneer Battalion
4th USMC Field Artillery Battalion
3rd RNZAF Base Force
14th Marine Defense Battalion
1 Group RNZAF
1/542nd Boat&Shore Engineer Battalion
1st KNIL AA Battalion
V Amphib Corps
8th Port Maint Engineer Battalion
97th Field Artillery Battalion
XI US Corps
82nd Mortar Battalion
5th AmphTrac Engineer Battalion
1st Pioneer Battalion
5th RNZAF Base Force
1st Medium Regiment
147th Field Artillery Battalion
602nd Field Artillery Battalion
601st Field Artillery Battalion
85th British AT Gun Regiment
Defending units:
4th Engineer Co
43rd Division
Det. 3rd Special Base Force