___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
[font="Microsoft Sans Serif"]STRAT BOMBING:[/font] Both Canton and Shanghai get the treatment. HI is the target, and in spite of NF present, almost all is knocked out for maybe 4-5 B-29 losses. On the night we lose 16 NF.
[font="Microsoft Sans Serif"]CHINA: [/font] Troops are getting hit near Paoshan almost daily by what looks like 300+ 4Es. I guess he's committed to this area breaking through. It might, after long enough, but these planes are pretty valuable to use in this role at this pint in game. I think there is a focus on China now, which is probably good for the Japanese.
At Nanning troops are beginning to recover in spite of losses to continuing air strikes from the other big group of 4Es. Some of the reserves that were at Liuchow and Kukong are railing toward Kweiyang as the Chinese advance. Moving those troops up could be a feint, but I kind of have to imagine it's real. Would the Allies be so concentrated on ruining the troops in the mountains though if they were confident in the ability of the Chinese to push through?
If the Chinese in fact somehow have supply the 2.5k AV of IJA at Kweiyang could be crushed. If not the Chinese could cross the river and lose a chuck of troops. Or, they could threaten to move continually while other stuff happens to the East.
My reserve in China is three divisions that are in transport now. I also have a few building up strength along the NE coast after arriving recently. There are another 1k AV of brigades at Shanghai. I've decided to dispatch a few more of these to the center to make sure bases like Kukong, Liuchow and Kweilin have a presence of troops that might hold off a small assault, or to stop a move cross country somewhere until other troops could get in range. The Allies have enough to break through almost any spot in China given time, but time is what they don't want to take, I'm sure.
[font="Microsoft Sans Serif"]HOME ISLANDS: [/font] The Allied fleet has moved up again to around Okinawa. I stop all bombing of Naha. This prompts the opening of the fields and the appearance of 350+ fighters. It's still a bit out on a limb there, so I might look to bombard. We'll see what opportunities arise. Only fast BB/CA will be used for now to ensure a quick getaway. I'll move to the front of Formosa to give a look, anyway. It's interesting, this cat and mouse.
Big supply moved out throwing several cities on the HI into the red! Bad. Have to do it though.
Accidentally left one TF with retreat to base orders and it moved right into the path of the oncoming Allied CVs. Lost some great ships. For nothing. Yuck. I'm just not as good at being careful in this part of the game. It really is tough when there is no real agency to the moves Japan is able to make. Everything ends up seeming futile, so turns are done quickly and much less thoroughly than before. I'm also partially influenced by my opponent's need to finish the game before the baby comes. I really only have time for one thorough turn a day, but we've been doing two. Usually one good one and one not so good from me. I don't like playing this way, but I respect his desire to get it done soon, and I don't want to just roll over, so this is the compromise. I'm sure he's not complaining when a fat TF rolls into his search zone though! [;)]
[font="Trebuchet MS"]--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR March 17, 45
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Amami Oshima at 95,61
Weather in hex: Overcast
Raid detected at 80 NM, estimated altitude 14,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 34 minutes
Japanese aircraft
no flights
Allied aircraft
F6F-5 Hellcat x 116
SB2C-4 Helldiver x 37
TBM-3 Avenger x 31
No Japanese losses
Allied aircraft losses
TBM-3 Avenger: 1 damaged
Japanese Ships
AMC Bankok Maru, Bomb hits 4, and is sunk
AK Asaka Maru, Bomb hits 1, Torpedo hits 4, and is sunk
AV Sanyo Maru, Bomb hits 1, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
AK Goyo Maru, Torpedo hits 1, heavy damage
AK Kirishima Maru, Bomb hits 6, heavy fires, heavy damage
AV Kimikawa Maru
AK Amagisan Maru, Torpedo hits 3, and is sunk
AK Awazisan Maru, Bomb hits 6, heavy fires, heavy damage
AK Kyushu Maru, Bomb hits 6, Torpedo hits 2, and is sunk
AK Yamasimo Maru, Bomb hits 5, and is sunk
E W-24, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
E Etoforu, Torpedo hits 3, and is sunk
Aircraft Attacking:
3 x SB2C-4 Helldiver releasing from 3000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb SAP Bomb, 2 x 250 lb SAP Bomb
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ground combat at Nago (95,65)
Allied Deliberate attack
Attacking force 90420 troops, 1754 guns, 1498 vehicles, Assault Value = 4038
Defending force 18755 troops, 443 guns, 128 vehicles, Assault Value = 290
Allied engineers reduce fortifications to 5
Allied adjusted assault: 1604
Japanese adjusted defense: 814
Allied assault odds: 1 to 1 (fort level 5)
Allied Assault reduces fortifications to 5
Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+), forts(+), preparation(-)
Attacker:
Japanese ground losses:
3876 casualties reported
Squads: 83 destroyed, 156 disabled
Non Combat: 10 destroyed, 89 disabled
Engineers: 8 destroyed, 40 disabled
Guns lost 93 (22 destroyed, 71 disabled)
Vehicles lost 16 (2 destroyed, 14 disabled)
Allied ground losses:
1467 casualties reported
Squads: 2 destroyed, 238 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 30 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 11 disabled
Guns lost 45 (2 destroyed, 43 disabled)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR March 18, 45
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Night Air attack on Canton , at 77,59
Weather in hex: Thunderstorms
Raid detected at 77 NM, estimated altitude 15,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 24 minutes
Japanese aircraft
J1N1-Sa Irving x 13
Allied aircraft
B-29-25 Superfort x 59
Japanese aircraft losses
J1N1-Sa Irving: 1 destroyed
Allied aircraft losses
B-29-25 Superfort: 3 damaged
B-29-25 Superfort: 1 destroyed by flak
Heavy Industry hits 11
Aircraft Attacking:
5 x B-29-25 Superfort bombing from 9000 feet
City Attack: 20 x 500 lb GP Bomb
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Night Air attack on Shanghai , at 92,55
Weather in hex: Heavy cloud
Raid detected at 79 NM, estimated altitude 11,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 24 minutes
Japanese aircraft
J1N1-S Irving x 21
Ki-46-III KAI Dinah x 7
Allied aircraft
B-29-1 Superfort x 27
Japanese aircraft losses
J1N1-S Irving: 4 destroyed
Ki-46-III KAI Dinah: 1 destroyed
Allied aircraft losses
B-29-1 Superfort: 1 destroyed, 8 damaged
Heavy Industry hits 5
Aircraft Attacking:
4 x B-29-1 Superfort bombing from 9000 feet
City Attack: 20 x 500 lb GP Bomb
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------[/font]
Reinforcements: Soon a whole slew of training units arrive, but if they are like the usual ones I have so far, they are only training and can't be used to strike or fly CAP. This could be a problem. At the same time I lose about 4-5 fighter groups.
At this point all groups previously training are being upgraded to combat units, and only the training groups are going to be training. Sam pools are therefore going to run low for a bit, as will Frank 'r' pools.
[font="Trebuchet MS"]98th Sentai arrives at Shimonoseki
43rd Recon Regiment arrives at Tokyo
17th Medium Field Artillery Regiment arrives at Tokyo
11th Mortar Battalion arrives at Tokyo
ML G-487 arrives at Shimizu
ML G-488 arrives at Nagoya
107th Sentai arrives at Hiroshima/Kure
52nd Naval Guard Unit arrives at Tokyo[/font]
Losses:
[font="Trebuchet MS"]Loss of E Etoforu on Mar 17, 1945 is admitted
Loss of E Hiburi on Mar 17, 1945 is admitted
Loss of E W-24 on Mar 17, 1945 is admitted
Loss of AV Kimikawa Maru on Mar 17, 1945 is admitted
Loss of AK Kyushu Maru on Mar 17, 1945 is admitted
Loss of AK Asaka Maru on Mar 17, 1945 is admitted
Loss of AK Awazisan Maru on Mar 17, 1945 is admitted
Loss of AK Amagisan Maru on Mar 17, 1945 is admitted
Loss of AK Yamasimo Maru on Mar 17, 1945 is admitted
Loss of AK Kirishima Maru on Mar 17, 1945 is admitted
Loss of AK Goyo Maru on Mar 17, 1945 is admitted
Loss of AV Sanyo Maru on Mar 17, 1945 is admitted
Loss of AMC Bankok Maru on Mar 17, 1945 is admitted
Loss of ACM Tatibana Maru on Dec 23, 1944 is admitted[/font]
Ships Sunk:
[font="Trebuchet MS"]DD Claxton is reported to have been sunk near Manila on Jan 22, 1945
AK Pavo is reported to have been sunk near Milne Bay on Oct 03, 1944[/font]
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
[font="Trebuchet MS"]It's a bit nostalgic now losing ships like these. They'e been such a big part of how I chose to play the game, and now they're quickly disappearing. About three more of the big AVs are awaiting eventual destruction at Singers. I contemplated sending them raining in the deep Indian Ocean for fun. The Jake units used to be good against merchants, but now they just fall to flak quickly. [/font]
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
