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Summary of Operations 03/27/45

I’ve yet to formally announce “Game Over” as of this posting, that announcement is shortly to come. For some time I’ve realized playing this campaign has been a losing cause but continued in the determination to play out my remaining (Allied) options.

Since getting back and reviewing the current game turn, it became apparent that this campaign has evolved into something that was no longer competitive. It’s time to walk away.

I’m doing only a partial summary of actions occurring during this game turn, covering the two actions that proved to be the tipping point in “Game Over”. Please pardon my level of frustration.


Western Pacific off New Guinea: A series of interesting things occurred. (1) Movement of the US Main Carrier force slowed down (all by itself) to half speed, this despite no contact whatever with any Japanese forces plus the fact that movement orders for said TF were checked, rechecked and checked again. (2) All Allied naval air search (again by itself) went completely blind, deaf and dumb; this again with orders checked, rechecked, etc. This air search included PBY search patrols from multiple bases as well as 360 degree air search from the US Carrier force to a range of 8 hexes. I re-submit the situation map from last game turn as a point of reference.

Summary of Operations 03/26/45 (continued)

Moving to item (3). My expectation going from last game turn to this game turn was some form of contact to occur between KB and the US Carrier force, not KB’s complete disappearance without a trace. The second situation map below shows the end result of KB’s miraculous disappearing act. Again... pardon my frustration level.





Namatanai: As I saw this AAR, remembering the fact that half the US and Allied divisions I have in the Pacific theatres in this campaign are still rebuilding from Buna one infantry squad at a time (and another 100-120 turns in some cases to rebuild them at that rate), I came to realize that the other half of my Allied divisions were soon to join them. The historical US/Allied ground forces provided cannot take on one Japanese base after another with size 6+ fortifications and a fresh stack of Japanese LCU in each one short of playing an AE mod that ends in 1965 and includes ICBM’s. There simply aren’t enough vacant dot hex atolls on the map with size 1 (max) airfields and no port and 6000 stacking limit to island hop around all these Jap positions.

I include last game turn’s and this turn’s AAR at Namatanai to illustrate.

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Ground combat at Namatanai (107,125) – Last game turn

Japanese Bombardment attack

Attacking force 11823 troops, 106 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 632
Defending force 43065 troops, 887 guns, 1304 vehicles, Assault Value = 1649

Japanese ground losses:
52 casualties reported
Squads: 2 destroyed, 2 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

Assaulting units:
3rd Garrison Unit /1
42nd Division
2nd South Seas Gsn
Sasebo 6th SNLF
70th Ind.Mixed Bde /1
80th JAAF AF Bn
24th Air Flotilla
3rd JNAF Coy
13th JNAF AF Unit
64th JNAF AF Unit
11th Air Defense AA Bn /1

Defending units:
CenPac Amphib Tank Brigade
77th Infantry Division
711th Tank Battalion
38th Infantry Division
11th Airborne Division
96th Infantry Division
168th Field Artillery Regiment
181st Field Artillery Regiment
X US Corps
251st Field Artillery Battalion
544th Field Artillery Battalion

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Ground combat at Namatanai (107,125) - This game turn's

Allied Deliberate attack

Attacking force 41432 troops, 887 guns, 1304 vehicles, Assault Value = 1651
Defending force 20021 troops, 209 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 786
Allied engineers reduce fortifications to 5
Allied adjusted assault: 1359
Japanese adjusted defense: 1888
Allied assault odds: 1 to 2 (fort level 5)

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

Japanese ground losses:
1634 casualties reported
Squads: 23 destroyed, 78 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 11 disabled
Engineers: 1 destroyed, 10 disabled
Guns lost 32 (11 destroyed, 21 disabled)
Units destroyed 1

Allied ground losses:
2200 casualties reported
Squads: 11 destroyed, 205 disabled
Non Combat: 2 destroyed, 55 disabled
Engineers: 1 destroyed, 19 disabled
Guns lost 70 (4 destroyed, 66 disabled)
Vehicles lost 55 (1 destroyed, 54 disabled)

Assaulting units:
38th Infantry Division
11th Airborne Division
711th Tank Battalion
77th Infantry Division
CenPac Amphib Tank Brigade
96th Infantry Division
251st Field Artillery Battalion
168th Field Artillery Regiment
181st Field Artillery Regiment
X US Corps
544th Field Artillery Battalion

Defending units: (and there’s still more coming)
53rd Ind.Mixed Bde /1
70th Ind.Mixed Bde /1
Sasebo 5th SNLF /2
3rd Garrison Unit /1
41st Div /1
42nd Division
10th Ind.Mixed Rgt /1
2nd South Seas Gsn
Sasebo 6th SNLF
24th Ind.Mixed Bde /2
45th Ind.Mixed Bde /2
3rd JNAF Coy
80th JAAF AF Bn
64th JNAF AF Unit
13th JNAF AF Unit
24th Air Flotilla
11th Air Defense AA Bn /1

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Did your TFs refuel each other since you had a earlier high speed run to cut him off? Also he may have put into ports dispersed along the NG coast knowing he can't fight you unless he gets more planes and he can get them from those isolated bases. he might also be able to pick up fuel and ops points by putting into port. He will likely disappear unless you have recon on each of those ports. just some thoughts.

Very nice AAR - (although I am only part way through it) - you do a wonderful job of explaining what you are doing and why (and not just posting the entire combat report and calling it an aar)

I look forward to finishing reading it !