DBB:C -Stacking to the limits / Cannonfodder (Japan) vs Mundy (Allies)

[Sangeli]

Crushing those CVEs has renewed your interest in the AAR! Curious to see how Ponape turns out.

[KenchiSulla]

Well, Ponape is fairly remote and hard for him to cover. He bombarded it and probably will try again later.. This turn he brought in fresh supplies (noteworthy: lightly escorted) but the run got disturbed by my FT TF..

Night Time Surface Combat, near Ponape at 119,113, Range 30,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
DD Tamanami
DD Onami
APD Nadakaze
APD T-2
APD T-3
APD T-4
APD T-5
APD T-6
APD T-7
APD T-8
APD T-9
APD T-10
APD T-11
APD T-12
APD T-13
APD T-14
APD T-15
APD T-16
DD Tadeyame

Allied Ships
DE Lovelace
DE Manning
LST-83
LST-700
LST-703
LST-706
LST-707
LST-708
LST-709
LST-713
LST-714
LST-715
LST-737
LST-738
LST-741
LST-742
LST-747
LST-748
LST-749
LST-912
xAK John Alden
xAK Katharine L. Bates
xAK Michael Pupin
xAK Otis Skinner
xAK Percy E. Foxworth
xAK Richard B. Moore, heavy fires

Japanese Ships Reported to be Approaching!
Allied TF begins to get underway

The ships withdrew and I was able to drop of the fresh troops (at 100% prep since I was planning to combine the division but never got around to gather the required transports until now)....

Ground combat at Ponape (119,113)

Allied Bombardment attack

Attacking force 15129 troops, 261 guns, 81 vehicles, Assault Value = 604

Defending force 16203 troops, 152 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 470

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

Assaulting units:
2nd Arm Amphib Battalion
6th Marine Division
111th(Sep) Infantry Regiment
706th Tank Battalion
4th Field Artillery Battalion
249th Field Artillery Battalion
6th Pioneer Battalion

Defending units:
12th Garrison Unit
47th Ind.Mixed Brigade
18th Garrison Unit
94th Engineer Regiment
Ponape Naval Fortress
94th Field Artillery Regiment
3rd Base Force

The newly formed 94th division is set to reinforce, it has space for around 50 more infantry squads...

I'm moving some destroyer TFs led by CLs to Truk.. See if I can frustrate him into making mistakes...

[KenchiSulla]

Economy... I've got around 380 days of fuel and 115 days of resources as a strategic reserve in Japan itself.... Oil is nearly gone... Supply and HI production is still at full steam ahead....

[KenchiSulla]

This one gives a nice overview of game status...

[KenchiSulla]

Ponape is becoming interesting.. He can't put fighter cover over it without committing carriers so long range army dive bombers get a chance to inflict some damage...

My submarines finally draw blood without getting whacked...

Sub attack near Ponape at 120,113

Japanese Ships
SS I-179, hits 4

Allied Ships
CL Gambia, Torpedo hits 2, on fire, heavy damage
CL Ceylon
DD Jenkins
DD Mansfield
DD Halligan
DD Gatling

SS I-179 launches 6 torpedoes at CL Gambia

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Morning Air attack on TF, near Ponape at 120,113

Weather in hex: Partial cloud

Raid detected at 28 NM, estimated altitude 16,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 8 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-48-IIb Lily x 27

Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-48-IIb Lily: 8 damaged
Ki-48-IIb Lily: 1 destroyed by flak

Allied Ships
DE Lovelace
LST-708, Bomb hits 1
LST-714, Bomb hits 5, heavy fires, heavy damage
xAK Otis Skinner, Bomb hits 5, heavy fires
LST-747, Bomb hits 1, on fire
LST-737, Bomb hits 3, heavy fires, heavy damage
LST-83, Bomb hits 3, on fire
LST-738, Bomb hits 1

[KenchiSulla]

More action around Ponape. Mundy decided to bring some CVEs to cover his resupply efforts... I-28 intercepts (and is lost in the fight). I-33 finishes "Gambia"...

Sub attack near Ponape at 123,113

Japanese Ships
SS I-33

Allied Ships
CL Gambia, Torpedo hits 3, heavy damage

SS I-33 launches 6 torpedoes at CL Gambia
I-33 diving deep ....
Escort abandons search for sub



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Day Time Surface Combat, near Ponape at 119,113, Range 30,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
DD Tamanami
DD Onami
DD Tadeyame

Allied Ships
DE Lovelace
DE Manning
LST-83
LST-700
LST-703
LST-706
LST-707
LST-708
LST-709
LST-713
LST-715
LST-738
LST-741
LST-742
LST-748
LST-749
LST-912
xAK John Alden
xAK Katharine L. Bates
xAK Michael Pupin
xAK Percy E. Foxworth

Maximum visibility in Partly Cloudy Conditions: 28,000 yards
Range closes to 28,000 yards...
CONTACT: Allies radar detects Japanese task force at 28,000 yards
Allied TF attempts to evade combat
Range increases to 29,000 yards...
CONTACT: Japanese radar detects Allied task force at 29,000 yards
Range increases to 30,000 yards...
Range increases to 30,000 yards...
Allied Landing Craft TF evades combat

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Sub attack near Ponape at 119,114

Japanese Ships
SS I-28, hits 27, and is sunk

Allied Ships
CVE Takanis Bay, Torpedo hits 2, heavy fires, heavy damage
DD Bailey
DD Welles
DE Abercrombie

Ammo storage explosion on CVE Takanis Bay
Fuel storage explosion on CVE Takanis Bay

[KenchiSulla]

The Takanis Bay seems to have sunk... A small destroyer group tangles with the remaining CVEs (2 escorted by three DE/DDs) but the torpedoes do not connect (fired from 10k yards)...

5k Supply delivered to Ponape by FT...

Rest of the turn uneventfull..

[KenchiSulla]

The Takanis Bay somehow survived a total of three torpedo strikes but I-33 finished her off with 4 more...

Sub attack near Kusaie Island at 124,115

Japanese Ships
SS I-33

Allied Ships
CVE Takanis Bay, Torpedo hits 4, on fire, heavy damage

Ammo storage explosion on CVE Takanis Bay
SS I-33 launches 6 torpedoes at CVE Takanis Bay
I-33 diving deep ....
Sub escapes detection

48 aircraft lost according to tracker.. Looks like he has her configured to deliver replacements? Is he aware of this as the aircraft won't fly combat if they are stacked like that on a "Casablanca"...

B-29s are mining Calcutta so I decided to try for an ambush. The bombers are protected by fighters but the fighters pay a price (20+ P47s destroyed)...

Morning Air attack on Calcutta , at 52,37

Weather in hex: Partial cloud

Raid detected at 79 NM, estimated altitude 7,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 24 minutes

Japanese aircraft
J2M5 Jack x 65
N1K2-J George x 35
Ki-43-IV Oscar x 71
Ki-84r Frank x 118

Allied aircraft
B-29-25 Superfort x 18
P-38L Lightning x 17
P-47D2 Thunderbolt x 9
P-47D25 Thunderbolt x 18
F4U-1D Corsair x 18

Japanese aircraft losses
J2M5 Jack: 1 destroyed
Ki-43-IV Oscar: 2 destroyed

Allied aircraft losses
B-29-25 Superfort: 3 damaged
P-38L Lightning: 1 destroyed
P-47D25 Thunderbolt: 3 destroyed
F4U-1D Corsair: 5 destroyed

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Morning Air attack on Calcutta , at 52,37

Weather in hex: Partial cloud

Raid detected at 75 NM, estimated altitude 8,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 23 minutes

Japanese aircraft
J2M5 Jack x 57
N1K2-J George x 31
Ki-43-IV Oscar x 63
Ki-84r Frank x 109

Allied aircraft
B-29-25 Superfort x 6
P-47D25 Thunderbolt x 46
P-51D Mustang x 18

Japanese aircraft losses
J2M5 Jack: 3 destroyed
N1K2-J George: 1 destroyed
Ki-43-IV Oscar: 1 destroyed
Ki-84r Frank: 3 destroyed

Allied aircraft losses
P-47D25 Thunderbolt: 5 destroyed
P-51D Mustang: 5 destroyed

[SqzMyLemon]

Wow, is Mundy ever fixated on Calcutta.

This is turning out to be both a tactical and strategic victory for Japan. It seems a tragic waste using B-29's in a tactical role.

It's Mundy's Stalingrad for his air force.

[Sangeli]

Those B-29s could even be helping in the Pacific hitting far away air bases unexpectedly. But instead they are being used in short range air base attacks against heavy CAP against a target of little strategic value. It is a waste.

[Mike McCreery]

Points for spirit though!!

[SqzMyLemon]

ORIGINAL: Wargmr

Points for spirit though!!

Mundy's got plenty of spirit for sure.

[KenchiSulla]

Mundy has plenty of spirit but it seems like he is trying to play against the AI...

Edit: Clarification - as if he expects the opposing side to abide by the game plan....

[SqzMyLemon]

ORIGINAL: KenchiSulla

Mundy has plenty of spirit but it seems like he is trying to play against the AI...

Edit: Clarification - as if he expects the opposing side to abide by the game plan....

I'm in no position to criticize anybody's play, but it seems to me Mundy is playing rather reckless. I think he relies on the Allied preponderance of ships and units so much that he doesn't feel the need to minimize losses, or try to gain a tactical advantage. Then again, I think some players, myself included, just reach a breaking point for whatever reason and start making a lot of poor decisions out of a sense of futility. As long as I've followed this PBEM, it just seems he keeps coming at you in the same old way, and you keep smacking him down the same old way. Just my thoughts on how things have transpired to date.

[Mike McCreery]

I have not read either AAR closely enough to make specific assesments but I think Mundy thinks on a tactical rather than strategic level and is very straightforward about what he is going to do which gives the Japanese player plenty of time to get set up to defend whatever it is.

For the allies to be successful they have to force the Japanese to make choices with their limited assets and then exploit the holes created because not everything can be covered.

By now Mundy should be able to go where he wants but I think that attrition in the game has limited his options significantly.

It just goes to show that an Allied victory is not guaranteed!!

[KenchiSulla]

Ooo, sneaky.. If he doesn't bring aircover (long range CAP) he'll have a big issue defending against my Helens.... And if he brings CAP, I'll pour it on with sweeps...

[KenchiSulla]

Troops landing at Moresby, looks like around 2100 AV, including Australian infantry, armour and US infantry (two divisions).. I've got a division with corps support defending it, forts 6... He'll take it, no doubt, but he committed a large number of CVEs and troops here... If he wants to use them for Moresby... Thats not bad at all.....

Main reason for him to take Moresby is to threaten Rabaul... Rabaul is very well defended..

[KenchiSulla]

1945-01-10: Welcome Sam....

[KenchiSulla]

Mundy makes his first assault at Moresby. The results are not bad, no fort drop and a decent amount of combat squads destroyed.. If he decides to push he should suffer more casualties next turn...

Ground combat at Port Moresby (98,130)

Allied Deliberate attack

Attacking force 61748 troops, 980 guns, 811 vehicles, Assault Value = 2083

Defending force 23103 troops, 170 guns, 123 vehicles, Assault Value = 497

Allied adjusted assault: 551

Japanese adjusted defense: 999

Allied assault odds: 1 to 2 (fort level 6)

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

Japanese ground losses:
936 casualties reported
Squads: 7 destroyed, 40 disabled
Non Combat: 9 destroyed, 57 disabled
Engineers: 14 destroyed, 23 disabled
Guns lost 17 (1 destroyed, 16 disabled)
Vehicles lost 7 (2 destroyed, 5 disabled)

Allied ground losses:
2704 casualties reported
Squads: 45 destroyed, 183 disabled
Non Combat: 9 destroyed, 18 disabled
Engineers: 7 destroyed, 30 disabled
Guns lost 54 (13 destroyed, 41 disabled)
Vehicles lost 56 (16 destroyed, 40 disabled)

Assaulting units:
11th Australian Division
32nd Infantry Division
3rd Australian Division
2/6th Armoured Regiment
37th Infantry Division
2/4th Armoured Regiment
13th Australian Brigade
II Aus Corps Engineer Battalion
5th Australian Division
223rd Field Artillery Battalion
109th Anti Tank Regiment
2nd Medium Regiment
2nd RAA Jungle Regiment

Defending units:
16th Division
21st Ind Engineer Regiment
46th JNAF AF Unit
306th Ship Eng Coy
108th Ship Eng Coy
308th Ship Eng Coy
106th Ship Eng Coy
35th Army
50th JNAF AF Unit

[KenchiSulla]

Been mulling it over and decided to move navy transports to Rabaul. In addition I've broken up the two infantry divisions I have at Rabaul and started preparing with the "C" detachments for Moresby.. Once the escort carriers present leave I'll start flying in some reinforcements... 70 transports should account for 70 squads a day, about the amount I lost (including disabled) in a day of combat...

This won't leave Rabaul weak.. I've got 1 1/3 of an infantry division and an armoured division left (and ample support)