Once Again into the Breach - Mike (J) vs. tc464 (A)

[Mike Solli]

Thanks to everyone for my warm welcome back. Now, down to business. I'm going to review the map by sector. This one will be pretty long. It's one of the hot spots.

5 Fleet

I put a lot (for the Japanese) of resources into building up Adak to try to keep Ted from taking the northern route to Japan. Here are some highlights of what has transpired:

23 Mar: I achieved my defensive goal: 7 BF (with DP guns), mines, Oscars, level 6 forts. A chutai of Judys is a few days out on a ship. 24k supply. Lots of Allied TFs around Dutch Harbor. I’m waiting for an invasion attempt. MKB2: Shoho, Zuiho and Hosho (54 VF, 24 VT) enroute but not there yet.

24 Mar: Allied TF with 7 BBs south of Dutch Harbor headed west.

28 Mar: Learn the Allied bombardment TF is 10 BB, CA, 4 CLAA & 9 DD. Adak’s damage is 23-75-97. I have lots of engineers there fortunately.

29 Mar: Bombardment Death Star (BDS) plasters Amchitka. Two trashed bases now. MKB2 still out of range.

31 March: BDS disappeared, probably to replenish.

2 Apr: MKB2 is stationed 6 hexes SW of Adak.

5 Apr: Adak damage fully repaired. Amchitka receives supply & more engineers. Big mistake on Ted’s part. I think several smaller bombardment TFs would have done better hitting Adak every day or two.

11 Apr: 2x 4 DD surface groups arrive to add to the defense.

24 Apr: 8 BB & 3 DD bombard Adak. Then 60 Dauntlesses(!) hit Amchitka. I had no idea US carriers were there. MKB2 was west & had been given order to move east, right into the US CVs. Several piecemeal attacks:
-10 Kates, 20 Zeros vs. 29 Wildcats – 3K, 5Z, 3W lost, no damage.
-18 Avengers vs. 31 Zeros – Avengers all shot down, no damage.
-14K, 17Z vs. 39W – 11K, 10Z, 2W lost, no damage.
-18A, 11W vs 26Z – 6A, 3W lost, no damage.
Sheesh!

25 Apr: Both CV fleets around but out of range. BDS disappeared.

26 Apr: 2 US CVs and 3 Jp CVLs still hanging around looking at each other.

27 Apr: Ted starts sending AMs in to remove the mines. DP guns are getting most but about half the mines are swept. The Judy chutai plants a 500kg egg into Lexington. Turned out to be light-moderate damage. The invasion goes in: 41 Division and 151 Combat engineer regiment.

28 Apr: A 4 DD Fubuki division meets another invasion fleet and drives them off but only light damage caused (just a couple of shell hits). The 41 Div did a deliberate assault (figuring they’d have reinforcements). I lost basically nothing and they had a lot of disabled squads and some killed.

29 Apr: A BB from the BDS eats 3 sub torps.

30 Apr: the BDS (now 7 BB & 3 DD) hits Adak again. A Japanese MTB puts a torp into one of the BBs. Not much damage to Adak.

1 May: The two CV TFs blundered into each other again. This time there were 3 attacks causing 16 Japanese and 20 Allied planes to go down. No ship damage.

2 May: Both CV TFs and the BDS sail away from each other. Adak is repairing damage.

5 May: I've decided to "sort of" go all out to destroy the 41 Division. I know I really need lots of support to do it right though. Here's what I'm sending:

KB2 - Junyo and Hiyo (54 Zeros, 36 Vals, 18 Kates).
Surface fleet - Yamato, Musashi, Nagato, Mutsu
MKB2 - Zuiho, Shoho and Hosho (54 Zeros, 24 Kates). They are headed for the Home Islands for replenishment.
Slow Replenishment fleet
19 Division
71 Division
4x 15cm Howitzer Regiments
1x 90mm Mortar Regiment

6 May: More Allied AMs die (from the DP guns) sweeping all but 21 mines. I see the us CV TF hanging out near Dutch Harbor. A couple of cargo ships sacrificed themselves to drop some supply for the 41 Div.

7 May: 41 Div attacks again, and fails again. They did drop the fort level to 5. Drat!

8 May: The US CVs (Lex and Hornet) attacked Adak losing 9 of their number to Oscars!

9 May: 3 US BBs bombard Adak. What happened to the other 3? They caused little damage.

10 May: Another Allied invasion fleet dropped off the 58 &153 Separate Infantry Regiments at Adak. *Sigh*

12 May: Mines now up to 88.

14 May: I forgot to mention a sentai of Sallys arrived a week or so ago and are bombing the US troops, along with daily bombardment of them. Trying to keep their disruption high and burn their supply. Japanese supply hovers around 13-15k.

15 May: Yamato, Musashi, Nagato & Mutsu, along with 2 CL & 6 DD bomb the heck out of the Americans. Along with the Sally bombing and ground bombardment, the 41 Div AV dropped from 263 to 167. Nice.

[Mike Solli]

Ok, here's the situation. I have miscellaneous defenders, none larger than a regiment. Ted has 41 Div, 58 & 153 Ind. In. Reg & 151 combat eng reg on Adak. They're cut off, disrupted and 3 pretty much hurting. I have 1 Mtr Reg & 17 Med FA Reg on ships 3 hexes out. They may land tomorrow. I have 71 Div and 2 Med FA Reg near Etorofu heading east.

There's a sentai each of Sallys and Oscars, along with a couple Judys and some flying boats.

MKB2: Zuiho, Shoho, Hosho
33 A6M3a
21 A6M5
24 B5N1

KB2: Junyo & Hiyo
27 A6M3a
27 A6M5
36 D3A1
18 B5N1

MKB2 is spotted but KB2 is not. The BB bombardment fleet is headed to Etorofu to rearm. I see the US 3 BB bombardment force at Unmak. Not sure I want to send in the Artillery TF with those guys hanging around. We'll see.

So there it is. Have at it guys! Comments and questions are welcome, as always.

[Lowpe]

Welcome back.

Where can the Yamoto class re-arm at?

[Mike Solli]

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

Welcome back.

Where can the Yamoto class re-arm at?

I'm hoping Etorofu. I have some hefty AKEs there. I should probably read the rules on that again.

[ny59giants]

How many subs due you have in Aleutians?

I don't think the Lima Class AKEs are large enough to reload the Yamatos. Is Attu built up enough to support and protect some AKEs to allow quicker turn around? Any AOs up here?

Adak is one of those bases that is more important to deny the Allies access to than for Japan to have.

[Mike Solli]

ORIGINAL: ny59giants

How many subs due you have in Aleutians?

I don't think the Lima Class AKEs are large enough to reload the Yamatos. Is Attu built up enough to support and protect some AKEs to allow quicker turn around? Any AOs up here?

Adak is one of those bases that is more important to deny the Allies access to than for Japan to have.

Looks like 2 Glen, 3 fleet, 3 more Glen in a screen to the east and another fleet a couple days out. There's been quite a few damaged subs lately.

Attu has a size 1 port. That ain't happening.

You're right, 2 Lima AKEs. [8|]

4 AOs with 32k fuel.

Here's a shot:

[Lowpe]

If memory serves, in stock, you need a 7th level port plus ake and naval support. I dimly recall building up one of the Sakhalin bases.

Makes the Yamoto class a one shot weapon so pick and chose how you use them.

[Mike Solli]

Hmm, that plain sucks. Thanks Lowpe. Guess I'll split up the TF and send only 2 BBs back to visit the American visitors at Adak. [;)]

[Mike Solli]

Ok, here's the map again with a bit more description:

The Transport TF 2 hexes NE of the BBs is carrying the mortar and artillery regiments.

[ny59giants]

Is it wise to keep your two CV TFs apart? Don't forget how much weather will play its part up here in NoPac. I've had my Allied CVs only 3 hexes apart from KB and a blizzard saved me. Regardless of what time of year it is, weather up here is a fickle mistress. [:D]

[Mike Solli]

MKB has been up there a while. KB is just arriving. They're going to be in the same hex tomorrow.

[Zorch]

Mike, how is your fuel/oil stockpile? Can you afford to refuel all those TFs?

[Mike Solli]

Oil and fuel are good. Both are actually rising.

[Bif1961]

WB, are you feeling like the tinman rusted and then being slowly oiled until you can start to function again?

[BillBrown]

For rearming the big boys, this is from the manual:

* Yamato/Musashi may also rearm at a Port-9, or a Port-8 with at least 88 Naval Support squads.

As far as I know, AKEs do not help a port to rearm. Either the port+NS is big enough or the AKE is big enough,
they do not add together.

[Lowpe]

That is it.[&o] I built up Shikuka to 8 to rearm those bad girls for ops in the Kuriles.

[Mike Solli]

Well, that sucks. Those guys are headed to Tokyo for rearmament.

And yeah, it's rusty but coming back pretty quickly.

[PaxMondo]

ORIGINAL: Mike Solli

Hi Tony! How's life? By the way, I tried to PM you but your box is full!

I cleared a few ... send again ...

[PaxMondo]

Adak can be built big enough for Yamato ...

Or Hakodate/Omninato.

Or any port with enough NS actually, but it can be quite a bit for any port under 7.

[Lokasenna]

AKE is separate from naval support. BillBrown is correct.