Rematch: Ragnarök - mind_messing (J) vs Lokasenna (A)

[mind_messing]

ORIGINAL: HansBolter

I typically wait until disruption is sub 10 and fatigue is sub 30.

Disruption typically recovers more quickly than fatigue and is usually 10-15 points lower, unless you just suffered a poor combat result.

Getting fatigue to sub 20 can be a long wait and will almost never happen in a malaria zone.

Attacking in a siege condition with fatigue in the mid 20s is normally not over debilitating and I can re-attack again in 3-5-7 days.

If I attack again while fatigue is over 30 the results usually push fatigue too high to recover on the 3-5-7 day timeline.

For that reason I tend to prioritize leaders with Leadership, Insp, Land and Admin at least in the 60s across the board for the big combat units and Corp HQs.

I feel it really makes a difference, especially with the bigger units.

[mind_messing]

July 5th to July 7th, 1942

North Pacific

Nada...

Central Pacific

Also nada...

South-West Pacific

There's almost certainly USN carriers in the theatre. Sub floatplanes spotted CV's a few turns back, and a couple of subs off Auckland report Dauntless dive bombers snooping around. Combined, it suggests to me that the Allied CV's are parked in New Zealand.

Appropriate preventative measures have been taken: CAP beefed up in Japanese bases in the region, search has been stepped up and more subs are vectored towards New Zealand.

On Fiji, I commit to a deliberate attack at Suva after much wracking of brains. The results are interesting:

Ground combat at Suva (132,160)

Japanese Deliberate attack

Attacking force 50883 troops, 455 guns, 68 vehicles, Assault Value = 1657

Defending force 44354 troops, 838 guns, 879 vehicles, Assault Value = 1339

Japanese engineers reduce fortifications to 2

Japanese adjusted assault: 2260

Allied adjusted defense: 2825

Japanese assault odds: 1 to 2 (fort level 2)

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

Japanese ground losses:
2370 casualties reported
Squads: 5 destroyed, 93 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 13 disabled
Engineers: 2 destroyed, 23 disabled
Guns lost 19 (1 destroyed, 18 disabled)

Allied ground losses:
773 casualties reported
Squads: 8 destroyed, 81 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 4 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 14 disabled
Guns lost 32 (3 destroyed, 29 disabled)

Assaulting units:
4th Division
54th Division
Guards Mixed Brigade
16th Division
Maizuru 1st SNLF
62nd Naval Guard Unit
17th Army
23rd Medium Field Artillery Regiment

Defending units:
Americal Infantry Division
24th Infantry Div /1
27th Infantry Division
41st Infantry Division
8th NZ Brigade
8th Marine Rgt /1
8th Marine Defense Battalion
131st Field Artillery Battalion
148th Field Artillery Battalion
147th Field Artillery Regiment
9th Australian Brigade
1st RNZAF Base Force

It's a pretty poor attack for Japan, but the appearance of the supply malus for the Allies has got my hopes up. The large number of IJA disablements will be easily handled thanks to the Command and Corps HQ and plenty of supply, and naval and air bombardments are set to continue.

Northern Australia

The drop on Darwin is about ready to go, with the IJN paratroopers landing on Timor, and an IJA tank regiment ashore to follow-on once the guns are destroyed.

I've scraped up a few squadrons for support, but it's limited. For now, some floatplanes and a squadron of Betties is all we have to go on. This will change in the near future.

DEI

Not much to report here. Tinkering with convoys, mostly.

Burma

Things here have went quiet again. Chinese infiltrators to Thailand have been wiped out and aviation support is headed to Rangoon. Still marching towards Magwe with little opposition.

After a few turns stood down, the IJ air power in the region is coming back with a vengance to hit Allied troops still in Burma.

China

Another deliberate attack at Chungking comfirms that the Chinese troops are degrading into a state of terminal decline:

Ground combat at Chungking (76,45)

Japanese Deliberate attack

Attacking force 164660 troops, 1975 guns, 1395 vehicles, Assault Value = 4873

Defending force 103682 troops, 511 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 2392

Japanese engineers reduce fortifications to 2

Japanese adjusted assault: 4841

Allied adjusted defense: 4893

Japanese assault odds: 1 to 2 (fort level 2)

Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+), preparation(-), experience(-)
Attacker:

Japanese ground losses:
19186 casualties reported
Squads: 97 destroyed, 920 disabled
Non Combat: 4 destroyed, 122 disabled
Engineers: 4 destroyed, 211 disabled
Guns lost 76 (2 destroyed, 74 disabled)
Vehicles lost 83 (7 destroyed, 76 disabled)

Allied ground losses:
5817 casualties reported
Squads: 36 destroyed, 195 disabled
Non Combat: 32 destroyed, 169 disabled
Engineers: 8 destroyed, 35 disabled
Units destroyed 2

IJA troops are on stand-down. Some Chinese units have fled the open hex-side to the south-west, but I've three IJA divisions waiting to bottle them up. The units that suffered worst are rotating out, and the divisions are split into their components to facilitate quicker recovery. Hopefully there's only a few more attacks left before it falls!

Air attacks continue as before.

Home Islands

14 days (as of 7/7/41) before the KB is back at 100% status. Air group resizing has continued, with most of the IJN fighter units upsized and we're now on to the dive-bombers.

The KB's re-org will happen mid July, as the CVE Unyo is due in 9 days, and the CV Hiyo in 23 days. I need to make a decision about having the Junyo's with the KB or not. I'm inclined to say yes, as I value 106 extra planes over losing three knots in speed, but I'm open to dissenting opinions!

[mind_messing]

Strategic Musings

So, being just over a half-year into the game, I think it's prudent to stop and see where things are.

I'll go over the current overall situation theatre-by-theatre.

Home Islands

On the ground, the situation isn't as I'd like. Most of the ground forces in Japan are at Nagasaki/Sasebo working on finishing the port to level 9. Once that is completed, I will shift things around.

Overall engineering works are pretty slow. Once Nagasaki's port is completed, the priority of engineering works is going to be as follows:

Kyushu
- Nagasaki airbase
- Fukoka airbase
- Kumamoto airbase

Central Honshu
- Maizuru airbase
- Gifu airbase
- Nagoya airbase
- Hamamatsu airbase

Eastern Honshu
- Chiba airbase
- Utsonomiya airbase
- Iwaki airbase
- Akita airbase
- Ominato port
- Ominato airbase

That should keep our engineers occupied for quite some time, and once it's completed it should leave us in a solid position in the Home Islands.

There's a solid core of aircraft of all types based throughout Japan for the Home Islands, which are more than enough to respond to any Allied raids in the area.

The 6 CL and 20 DD of the Home Islands Fleet should be sufficient to catch any long-range surface raiders from the Aleutians or Central Pacific.

North Pacific

The five easternmost Kuriles (from Paramushrio-jima to Shimushiri-jima) have all been garrisoned. Paramushrio-jima will soon make level 5 airbase: Shimushiri and Onnekotan are level 1 airbases and slowly expanding.

The next wave of reinforcements for this theatre are destined to Sakhalin, which will be the core position for this theatre.

Hokkaido is very sparsely defended at present, and I'm trusting on remoteness and geography to be able to skimp on the defences here for the present. In the medium term I'm looking at buying out a unit from Manchuria and sending two SNLF units to Hokkaido in the interm for garrison duties. Engineers will likely come from China once the situation there resolves itself.

Central Pacific

The Japanese strategy here has been one of delay.

Japanese positions east of the Gilberts are held with token forces of a sole Naval Guard, with units at Tabiteuea and Baker Island. Canton Island and Funafuti have slightly more troops, with both hosting floatplane stations.

I won't be deploying anything eastward of the Marshall Islands as I feel it's not worthwhile. If we get indications for Allied movements in this area, we'll review our commitments, but I fully intend to fight from the Marshalls. I just don't think it's a viable theatre for Japan to seriously contest the Allies given the small base sizes.

South-West Pacific

Currently considering big plays in this region. Current plan is a three-stage process to hopefully attain a suitable VP advantage through the rest of 1942.

Step 1: Move troops freed from Luzon to Fiji to eliminate US troops on the island.
Step 2: Secure Norfolk and Lord Howe Island to provide Japan with search assets deep in to Allied SLOC.
Step 3: Begin utilizing the KB to conduct strategic bombing raids on Australian cities on the Eastern and North-Eastern Coasts.

My hope is that this will have two outcomes:

1. Ideally, provoke the Allies in to committing significant assets into the SWPAC theatre, allowing Japan to focus assets on prepared positions.
2. Generate strategic VP's at a favourable ratio for Japan.

Subsequently, the KB, along with major IJA combat units, and centralized here.

Northern Australia

With the paratrooper assault on Darwin going ahead (more on that later), we should have the strategic advantage. This is a smash and grab, however. Once Darwin has been neutered, IJ troops will be pulling out and the area left as a buffer for the Lower DEI.

DEI

My strategic plans are suffering from a lack of assets at present, mostly engineers. The forray in to Australia is buying valuable time to prepare positions in the Eastern DEI, which is going at a good pace. I'll detail my plans for the future here in more detail at a later date.

With the Western DEI, the focus is firmly on Sumatra, specifically Palembang. I intend for this island to be a fortress in due course. Java will get a similar, if less intensive, investment.

Again, the major shortage is engineers, but they should start to be freed up within the next few months.

To signify the heavy emphasis I have on holding the oil (as well as a fuel-saving measure) most of the IJN fleet assets still remain mothballed here in the event of Allied moves in this area.

China

There's a limited degree of strategy left to discuss here. We'll take Chungking shortly. The Chinese will then either scatter or fight it out in the mountain redoubts. Either way this theatre will wind-down within a few months and a caretaker force will be left behind.

Burma

Once the oil centre of Magwe is secured, we will have gained the main prize in Central Burma. The current plan is for the IJA to pivot and march on Lashio and then Myitkyina before withdrawing back to more defensible terrain. I would like to make this theatre as static as possible to save supplies and assets for elsewhere. Securing a good defensive line will be key to this once the Allies have been chased out.


Thoughts are welcome!

[RangerJoe]

Don't forget the AAA for Magwe oil. Move it in immediately along with a base force for the radar/searchlights for detection. Maybe even have them move in with the attackers in case the Allies have bombers already tasks with the range set so only Magwe will be the only target available. That should help prevent bombing before units can move in and/or rail in and then unpack. Have other units waiting to rail in if possible. Don't forget fighters as well, for day and night.

Once Chungking is taken, life fire exercise bombing for training units . . .

If you have extra float plane units and have supersized them, 24 Jakes set at LowNav can hurt DDs fairly well. Maybe not to sink them, but they will be damaged and thus easier to kill. The extra float plane units can come from surface ships that have two units and/or pull them from AMCs and light cruisers that have only one float plane. Training the pilots will also ready them for Kamikaze action.

If you have left a size 1 airfield within the kamikaze activation range, do NOT take it so you will have Kamikazes as soon as is possible. Jake float planes sent to bypassed bases on kamikaze missions could easily damage/sink loaded transports and/or smaller escorts that are behind the major actions where there may be no or insufficient fighters on CAP.

[mind_messing]

ORIGINAL: RangerJoe

Don't forget the AAA for Magwe oil. Move it in immediately along with a base force for the radar/searchlights for detection. Maybe even have them move in with the attackers in case the Allies have bombers already tasks with the range set so only Magwe will be the only target available. That should help prevent bombing before units can move in and/or rail in and then unpack. Have other units waiting to rail in if possible. Don't forget fighters as well, for day and night.

Once Chungking is taken, life fire exercise bombing for training units . . .

If you have extra float plane units and have supersized them, 24 Jakes set at LowNav can hurt DDs fairly well. Maybe not to sink them, but they will be damaged and thus easier to kill. The extra float plane units can come from surface ships that have two units and/or pull them from AMCs and light cruisers that have only one float plane. Training the pilots will also ready them for Kamikaze action.

If you have left a size 1 airfield within the kamikaze activation range, do NOT take it so you will have Kamikazes as soon as is possible. Jake float planes sent to bypassed bases on kamikaze missions could easily damage/sink loaded transports and/or smaller escorts that are behind the major actions where there may be no or insufficient fighters on CAP.

Done, done, done and done

I'm not going to start training LowNav on my Jakes just yet. I want a solid reserve of good NavS/ASW pilots. Once I've that, I think I'll work NavB in over LowNav. LowNav is pretty much only useful for kamis, and they're a bit off. NavB/ASW/NavS has almost perfect overlap with the IJN 2E pilot skills (just missing NavT) so it gives me a little more depth.

[RangerJoe]

Jakes on LowNav do not suffer penalties. Nor does it affect any aircraft where the torpedo is the main ordanance . . .

[mind_messing]

ORIGINAL: RangerJoe

Jakes on LowNav do not suffer penalties. Nor does it affect any aircraft where the torpedo is the main ordanance . . .

That's not the case:

tm.asp?m=2466161

However, I don't want to train Jakes on LowNav yet as I'd rather have the pilots in reserve with NavB/ASW/NavS skillset for the IJN 2E airframes, which are far more capable than Jakes.

[mind_messing]

Actually the game may not even count Jakes as land-based, but I'm not for training LowNav yet.

[RangerJoe]

Morning Air attack on TF, near Port Blair at 46,58

Weather in hex: Clear sky

Raid spotted at 2 NM, estimated altitude 2,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 0 minutes

Japanese aircraft
G3M2 Nell x 4

No Japanese losses

Allied Ships
PG Lawrence, Bomb hits 1, heavy fires

Aircraft Attacking:
4 x G3M2 Nell bombing from 1000 feet
Naval Attack: 2 x 250 kg SAP Bomb, 4 x 60 kg GP Bomb

Now to find one with Jakes . . .

[RangerJoe]

Jakes:

Morning Air attack on TF, near Palmyra at 178,132

Weather in hex: Partial cloud

Raid spotted at 21 NM, estimated altitude 1,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 10 minutes

Japanese aircraft
E13A1 Jake x 8

No Japanese losses

Allied Ships
DD Stuart, Bomb hits 3, on fire, heavy damage

Aircraft Attacking:
8 x E13A1 Jake bombing from 1000 feet
Naval Attack: 4 x 60 kg GP Bomb

[mind_messing]

Well, that's good to know!

[RangerJoe]

Yes, it is good to know. But I think (without starting the game and more testing) that you have to have the Nells and Bettys on "Torpedo" as main armament then the default is the bomb load. Otherwise the bomb load might be reduced.

That is another good use for Jakes on the CS where the enemy does not have any fighters, such as deep in the Indian Ocean where convoys are heading to Australia . . .

Down low they perform okay without training against DDs but I have not played later in the game when the AA suite on DDs is significantly increased. Still, damaging any ship always from a port can lead to bad things happening to the ship. Training them, even just 50//50 attack and train works well. The ones with higher experience do not learn to bomb that well so I just keep a couple around to teach the newbies how to fly . . .

A 60 kg bomb is larger than the 5/"38 caliber shell which is 54 kg. So they can do a lot of damage to an unarmored target.

[RangerJoe]

Replacement load for torpedo is usually:
Allied - 1 or 2 x 500lb bombs
Japanese - 1 x 800kg,
or 1 or 2 x 250kg for non-LBA
or 1 or 2 x 250kg and 2 or 4 x 60kg for LBA

The settings are for normal range and and over normal respectively.

We had to make a generalized call on what constituted a normal bomb load when flying without torps.

tm.asp?m=2582278

[mind_messing]

The forum just ate about an hours worth of work on an update, so I'm salty...

[mind_messing]

July 8th to July 14th, 1942

North Pacific

Nothing to report here!

Central Pacific

An IJN CL force operating from Truk damages a lone USN DD east of Ontong Java. It scuttles the next day. The CL force is then sent to escort a convoy moving the Imperial Guards Division to Luganville.

South-West Pacific

It all kicks off here.

A deliberate attack on the 10th and 11th reveals that the defenders are running out of supply:

Ground combat at Suva (132,160)

Japanese Deliberate attack

Attacking force 45195 troops, 425 guns, 66 vehicles, Assault Value = 1334

Defending force 42826 troops, 831 guns, 876 vehicles, Assault Value = 1156

Japanese engineers reduce fortifications to 0

Japanese adjusted assault: 1516

Allied adjusted defense: 1689

Japanese assault odds: 1 to 2 (fort level 0)

Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+), supply(-)
Attacker:

Japanese ground losses:
4286 casualties reported
Squads: 17 destroyed, 261 disabled
Non Combat: 3 destroyed, 28 disabled
Engineers: 2 destroyed, 37 disabled
Guns lost 43 (1 destroyed, 42 disabled)
Vehicles lost 2 (1 destroyed, 1 disabled)

Allied ground losses:
392 casualties reported
Squads: 44 destroyed, 43 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 8 disabled
Engineers: 8 destroyed, 5 disabled
Guns lost 34 (14 destroyed, 20 disabled)
Vehicles lost 5 (1 destroyed, 4 disabled)

On the 12th, large Allied fleet movements are spotted to the far south of Fiji. Planes and subs are positioned to engage.

The 13th reveals that an Allied carrier force is escorting a large number of ships to Tongatapu. IJN planes attempt to sortie but attack with bombs instead of torpedoes, no hits are scored:

Morning Air attack on TF, near Tongatapu at 135,168

Weather in hex: Light cloud

Raid detected at 61 NM, estimated altitude 29,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 22 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 34
G3M3 Nell x 32

Allied aircraft
Martlet II x 14
F2A-3 Buffalo x 13
F4F-4 Wildcat x 27

Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 3 destroyed
G3M3 Nell: 2 destroyed, 7 damaged
G3M3 Nell: 1 destroyed by flak

Allied aircraft losses
F4F-4 Wildcat: 1 destroyed

Allied Ships
CV Formidable
CV Hornet
CV Lexington

Aircraft Attacking:
26 x G3M3 Nell bombing from 25000 feet
Naval Attack: 2 x 250 kg SAP Bomb, 4 x 60 kg GP Bomb

A PM attack is similarly disappointing.

The 14th sees two IJN PB's sunk attempting to infiltrate the Allied fleet. A third escapes detection and might yet cause confusion.

The Allied CA force that sinks the PB's ends up in an inconclusive engagement with a IJN CA force off Suva:

Night Time Surface Combat, near Nadi at 131,160, Range 8,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
CA Takao, Shell hits 1
CA Maya, Shell hits 2
CA Chokai
DD Oshio
DD Michishio
DD Arashio
DD Yamagumo
DD Minegumo
DD Asagumo

Allied Ships
CA Northampton
CA Vincennes
CA Exeter, Shell hits 1
CL Honolulu, Shell hits 2
DD Sims
DD Hammann, Shell hits 3, on fire

The IJN fleet will split up. The CA's will run at full speed to bombard Suva, then retire to Luganville. The destroyers are sent south to hopefully dump Long Lances at Allied shipping.

A USN DD is torpedoed by RO-62, but a second attack against an xAK is thwarted.

The only air action on the 14th involves a sweep against Tongatapu, where IJN pilots gut two US Army Squadrons:

Morning Air attack on Tongatapu , at 138,168

Weather in hex: Clear sky

Raid detected at 48 NM, estimated altitude 18,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 15 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 39

Allied aircraft
P-39D Airacobra x 25
P-40E Warhawk x 18

Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 6 destroyed

Allied aircraft losses
P-39D Airacobra: 6 destroyed
P-40E Warhawk: 3 destroyed

Aircraft Attacking:
14 x A6M2 Zero sweeping at 15000 feet

The situation at the end of the 14th is as below. It appears a major effort is underway to reinforce Tongatapu, and possibly Suva as well...





Northern Australia

The airlanding attack on Darwin fails to take the base, but IJA troops are able to outflank the Australian troops and Darwin should be in Japanese hands by the end of the month.

The 40th Division plus a brigade is about a week out from Katherine, and should be able to clear out the defenders and give Japan solid control over the Northern Australian region.

DEI

Not much to report here.

Burma

IJA troops are moving to take Toungoo and surround the mix of British and Chinese units defending the base.

A lone Wellington squadron starts bombing operations in Burma. Within two days it's wiped out by a massive IJA LRCAP effort.

China

The end is fast approaching for Chungking, with a near 3:1 IJA advantage in raw AV (3.3k versus 1.2k) and forts down to level 1.

Chinese units are fleeing through the open hexsides at Chungking, and IJA tank units are roaming the countryside attempting to force them to surrender. Some will certainly escape to mount an insurgency, but the main goal is Chungking itself.

Home Islands

The KB still has a week to go before it's back at full strength. Training continues...

[mind_messing]

What's the general thoughts on the D4Y line? I had forgotten of the massive range on the first model...

[RangerJoe]

I have never gotten that far as Japan but I sent up my research so I would not have to use a special engine for it.

The forum just ate about an hours worth of work on an update, so I'm salty...

Updating the AAR? If so, do it in a word processing program then paste it.

[tarkalak]

ORIGINAL: mind_messing

The forum just ate about an hours worth of work on an update, so I'm salty...

[:D]

Did you forget the posting procedure?

1. Ctrl-A (select all)
2. Ctrl-C (copy)
3. Post

If 3. fails - Ctrl-V

[mind_messing]

ORIGINAL: tarkalak

ORIGINAL: mind_messing

The forum just ate about an hours worth of work on an update, so I'm salty...

[:D]

Did you forget the posting procedure?

1. Ctrl-A (select all)
2. Ctrl-C (copy)
3. Post

If 3. fails - Ctrl-V

Yeah that's normally my process as well, but I dun goofed.

[mind_messing]

July 15th to July 22nd, 1942

A great deal starts to happen over these turns, so I'll take a chronological approach as to best communicate events.

July 15th

IJN units tangle with Allied warships off Suva. A IJN destroyer flotilla tangles with some Allied warships, losing one IJN DD for no results.

Then the IJN CA force sent to bombard Suva does so, but blunders into a strong Allied force that had just returned from bombarding Nadi:

Day Time Surface Combat, near Nadi at 131,161, Range 15,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
CA Takao, Shell hits 4, on fire
CA Maya, Shell hits 1, on fire
CA Chokai, Shell hits 9, heavy fires, heavy damage

Allied Ships
BC Repulse, Shell hits 5
CA Houston
CA Louisville
CA Chicago
CA Astoria, Shell hits 1
CA Canberra
CL Leander
CL Achilles
CL Perth
DD Encounter, Shell hits 1
DD Express
DD Isis

The damage done to the IJN cruisers leaves them sitting targets for Allied carrier aircraft, and all three IJN warships are sunk later in the day.

Some small measure of revenge is gained by torpedo into the British CL Enterprise (not the carrier, but we've allegedly already sunk that!) with heavy damage reported.

Massed B-17 strikes from Allied bases in the Samoa and Tonga Islands, combined with warship bombardment and carrier strikes sweeps Japanese air power out of this region. Most of the Japanese aircraft are withdrawn to Luganville or Noumea prior to this, but the airbases are shut down until further notice.

July 16th


South of Japan, a fast supply convoy returning to Tokyo makes an interesting sighting:

Day Time Surface Combat, near Chichi-jima at 120,74, Range 26,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
AMC Kinryu Maru
AMC Asaka Maru
AMC Kongo Maru
xAK Tasmania Maru

Allied Ships
CV Saratoga
CV Wasp
BB North Carolina
CLAA Atlanta
CLAA San Diego
CLAA San Juan
DD Conyngham
DD Shaw
DD Cushing
DD Perkins
DD Tucker
DD Cassin
DD Downes

The Allied warships are running in stealth mode, and it's just good fortune they ran into that fast convoy at that time.

IJN warships in the Home Islands, as well as land based air units are mobilized in response. The KB isn't at full strength, but a credible combat-ready force of two CVL and two CVs is assembled for the following day.

Meanwhile, Allied air unit keep the Japanese airbases around Fiji well plastered, and the Siege of Chungking enters its final phase.

July 17th


The AMC's belonging to the fast supply convoy are detached to act as picket ships to detect and if possible engage the Allied carrier force off the Bonin Islands. The Kinryu Maru finds the USN CV force during the night and eats a 16 inch shell for its troubles.

Betty bombers flying from mainland Japan attack the Allied CV force, and suffer badly to CAP. They manage to break through, but no bomb hits are scored on the Wasp.

Nells try later in the day, but the result is the same.

Allied carriers and B-17s continue to attack targets on Fiji with the Japanese unable to effectively resist. Air assets are being rushed to the region as quickly as possible.

July 18th

A USN destroyer trying to infiltrate IJN shipping lines north of Fiji is sunk by a gang of 4 IJN destroyers.

Carrier clash in the Bonins! The USN CV's off Chichi-jima attack the IJN CV force consisting of CV's Soryu and Hiryu and CVLs Shoho and Zuiho:

Morning Air attack on TF, near Chichi-jima at 118,75

Weather in hex: Severe storms

Raid detected at 36 NM, estimated altitude 12,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 14 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 36

Allied aircraft
F4F-3 Wildcat x 11
SBD-3 Dauntless x 32

No Japanese losses

Allied aircraft losses
F4F-3 Wildcat: 2 destroyed
SBD-3 Dauntless: 6 destroyed, 7 damaged
SBD-3 Dauntless: 1 destroyed by flak

Japanese Ships
BB Kongo
CVL Zuiho
CVL Shoho
CV Hiryu
DD Kiku
CV Soryu

Bad weather, few escorts and a strong CAP of elite pilots ruins the day for the USN fliers. However, the IJN counterstrike is far from satisfactory:

Morning Air attack on TF, near Marcus Island at 124,73

Weather in hex: Heavy rain

Raid detected at 40 NM, estimated altitude 11,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 15 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 45
B5N1 Kate x 7
B5N2 Kate x 22
D3A1 Val x 24

Allied aircraft
F4F-4 Wildcat x 72

Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 5 destroyed
B5N1 Kate: 2 destroyed
B5N2 Kate: 12 destroyed, 2 damaged
D3A1 Val: 15 destroyed, 3 damaged

Allied aircraft losses
F4F-4 Wildcat: 1 destroyed

Allied Ships
CV Saratoga
BB North Carolina
CV Wasp, Torpedo hits 1

In a stroke of good luck, ten Wildcats escort 9 Devastators to attack the Kinryu Maru, limping for Yokohama with a 16 inch hole in it. This divides an already inferior Allied force.

Dauntless dive bombers have another go at targeting the IJN CV force later in the day, but with no escort, all 14 planes are destroyer before they reach the ships.

While still a positive result, the losses are heavy for the IJN, as later strikes of a small Val and Kate fragments are wiped out. However, IJN planes from other carriers are parked at Kobe airbase while the carriers are upgraded, so additional reinforcements are flown in from these squadrons.

IJN planes from Luganville sink an xAK south-west of Fiji.

A deliberate attack at Chungking brings forts down to zero.

July 19th

Adak Island is bombarded by the BB Warspite and escorts.

Blessed with good search capabilites and superior numbers, the IJN has a party with the USN CV force fleeing eastward across the Pacific:

Morning Air attack on TF, near Marcus Island at 129,75

Weather in hex: Clear sky

Raid detected at 40 NM, estimated altitude 14,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 17 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 63
B5N1 Kate x 9
B5N2 Kate x 36
D3A1 Val x 37

Allied aircraft
F4F-3 Wildcat x 11
F4F-4 Wildcat x 66

Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 4 destroyed
B5N1 Kate: 1 destroyed
B5N2 Kate: 6 destroyed, 3 damaged
B5N2 Kate: 1 destroyed by flak
D3A1 Val: 5 destroyed, 4 damaged
D3A1 Val: 1 destroyed by flak

Allied aircraft losses
F4F-3 Wildcat: 2 destroyed
F4F-4 Wildcat: 2 destroyed

Allied Ships
CV Wasp, Torpedo hits 3, and is sunk
BB North Carolina, Bomb hits 2, Torpedo hits 5, and is sunk
CV Saratoga, Bomb hits 2, Torpedo hits 2, on fire, heavy damage
DD Cassin

The unescorted USN counterstrike is slaughtered by a strong IJN CAP:

Morning Air attack on TF, near Marcus Island at 127,75

Weather in hex: Clear sky

Raid detected at 38 NM, estimated altitude 11,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 14 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 36

Allied aircraft
SBD-3 Dauntless x 26
TBD-1 Devastator x 9

No Japanese losses

Allied aircraft losses
SBD-3 Dauntless: 15 destroyed
SBD-3 Dauntless: 1 destroyed by flak
TBD-1 Devastator: 4 destroyed

Japanese Ships
CV Soryu
CV Hiryu

Aircraft Attacking:
3 x SBD-3 Dauntless releasing from 3000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb SAP Bomb

In the aftermath of this one sided affair, with the USN carriers either sunk or crippled and the battleship North Carolina sunk, the decision is made to detached the Kongo-class battleships and two Tone-class crusiers to finish off the remaining ships in the USN carrier fleet. The IJN carriers will return to Yokohama to replenish and regroup in preparation for heading back to Fiji to stabilize the situation there.

Darwin falls to IJN paratroopers after a two week battle.

July 20th

The Kongo battleships sink the CLAA San Diego and one USN DD during the night, and the CLAA San Juan and another two DDs during the day.

An IJN CL force in the Central Pacific intercepts another raiding force east of the Santa Cruz Islands. One DD is sunk immediately and another a day later.

Chungking falls:

Ground combat at Chungking (76,45)

Japanese Deliberate attack

Attacking force 96856 troops, 1532 guns, 738 vehicles, Assault Value = 1960

Defending force 41675 troops, 182 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 355

Japanese adjusted assault: 1164

Allied adjusted defense: 333

Japanese assault odds: 3 to 1 (fort level 1)

Japanese forces CAPTURE Chungking !!!

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

Japanese ground losses:
721 casualties reported
Squads: 2 destroyed, 37 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 11 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 19 disabled

Allied ground losses:
13659 casualties reported
Squads: 317 destroyed, 49 disabled
Non Combat: 877 destroyed, 110 disabled
Engineers: 68 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 74 (61 destroyed, 13 disabled)
Units retreated 23
Units destroyed 1

The Chinese troops flee westward, with IJA troops in close pursuit and subject to heavy bombing raids.

July 21st

Kongo force damages another USN DD during the night, but it escapes.

Besides Allied carriers continuing to strike targets around Fiji, there's not much that happens this turn other than scattered combats in Burma and China.


July 22nd

A USN CA force jumps a squadron of 4 IJN DD's north-east of Fiji in the Gardiner Islands, sinking two IJN DD's for little damage dealt in return.

A USN DD manages to infiltrate the shipping lanes again and shoots up a supply convoy south of Truk:

Day Time Surface Combat, near Truk at 113,116, Range 18,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
PB Teimei Maru
PB Taian Maru, Shell hits 1
PB Yomei Maru, Shell hits 2, on fire
xAK Tensin Maru, Shell hits 2, on fire
xAK Tempei Maru
xAK Ryoka Maru, Shell hits 1
xAK Tamahoko Maru
xAK Yae Maru, Shell hits 3, on fire
xAK Mansei Maru, Shell hits 1

Allied Ships
DD Patterson, Shell hits 2, heavy fires

With scattered bombings and combat in China, that brings us up to the current turn.

Unsure as to what my future directions are going to be, but I'll make a follow-on post to this. Loka is out of town till Tuesday, and I've the weekend off (hurray for the new job!) so I'll get the chance to have a proper screen-staring session at some point this weekend.

Questions welcomed!