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I should have Chungking isolated in a day or three....thanks for the advice gentlemen![&o]

I am pretty much running and hiding with my surface ships around Truk, but I am staging an air attack out of Truk on the off chance the carriers stick around another day...

Hoping this next day is when the Allies force a shock attack across a river into 1300 av of troops with no softening up.

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

Is a valid strategy to isolate Chungking, but not take it. Bleed it with artillery strikes and send divisions to hold the Tsuyung to Chengtu road; and the Kunming to Chungking road?

Valid. Yes. Worthwhile? I don't think so.

I'm a big proponent of knocking out China for good - it simply frees up so much material for elsewhere, as well as giving you a nice bit of industry and VPs (and preventing the respawn of Chinese units).

I'd take Chengtu and the other surrounding bases first before investing Chungking. Use throw-away units to close the two river hexsides of Chungking and bombard it heavily from the air and with artillery every day. Mount a deliberate attack every month or so. Buy out any badly depleted units for the Pacific.

I entered the Chungking hex in mid-March 42, it fell in mid-October '42. It's at least a six month investment of troops, but it's well worth it.

ORIGINAL: mind_messing

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

Is a valid strategy to isolate Chungking, but not take it. Bleed it with artillery strikes and send divisions to hold the Tsuyung to Chengtu road; and the Kunming to Chungking road?

Valid. Yes. Worthwhile? I don't think so.

I'm a big proponent of knocking out China for good - it simply frees up so much material for elsewhere, as well as giving you a nice bit of industry and VPs (and preventing the respawn of Chinese units).

I'd take Chengtu and the other surrounding bases first before investing Chungking. Use throw-away units to close the two river hexsides of Chungking and bombard it heavily from the air and with artillery every day. Mount a deliberate attack every month or so. Buy out any badly depleted units for the Pacific.

I entered the Chungking hex in mid-March 42, it fell in mid-October '42. It's at least a six month investment of troops, but it's well worth it.

I am moving on Chengtu now...and still isolating Chungking. Don't know what I will do here really, we shall see...I don't fancy the long slog, but you raise good points.

Btw, it is your Downfall turn[:)]

ORIGINAL: mind_messing

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

Is a valid strategy to isolate Chungking, but not take it. Bleed it with artillery strikes and send divisions to hold the Tsuyung to Chengtu road; and the Kunming to Chungking road?

Valid. Yes. Worthwhile? I don't think so.

I'm a big proponent of knocking out China for good - it simply frees up so much material for elsewhere, as well as giving you a nice bit of industry and VPs (and preventing the respawn of Chinese units).

I'd take Chengtu and the other surrounding bases first before investing Chungking. Use throw-away units to close the two river hexsides of Chungking and bombard it heavily from the air and with artillery every day. Mount a deliberate attack every month or so. Buy out any badly depleted units for the Pacific.

I entered the Chungking hex in mid-March 42, it fell in mid-October '42. It's at least a six month investment of troops, but it's well worth it.

Longer, if your opponent doesn't get anything out of China. I may have to make an AAR that's just titled "Rivers of Blood."

July 11, 1943

Some night bombing no effect except for a lost Alf. Kates make a run on a CVE and miss. Americans have 5 F4Fs on night CAP.

Lots of Allied bombing and sweeps in Marshalls, Solomons, Burma. American battleships bombard Shortlands and stay there.

No attack near Bassein...maybe tomorrow.

Staging a Betty strike strike off the coast of Burma, but short of Akyab.

Finishing off the Central Plains of China.

Moving on the Lashio Mandalay road.

Trying to avoid Allied sweeps.[:)]

July 12, 1943

Night Allied bombing at Tuang Gyi in Burma.

Allied day strikes at Ramree, Allied troops must be a 1 day away from shock attacking there.

Then in the Marshalls, lots of day strikes, and my lousy fast transport destroyers stick around at Roi Namur and I lose 2 destroyers and most likely a third to Allied strikes.[:(] At least they delivered their supplies before sinking.

A PB is caught near Kusiae and sunk to wandering fletchers.[:(]

I think I am better off letting the troops starve.

Strategically, I think the Allies will simply go North, Northwest up from Ontong and simply bypass Port Moreseby, Umboi, Rabaul.

In Burma, Allied motorized units are heading east to open the Burma road, while I am moving north to cut the Mandalay/Lashio road.

I am sure I will feel better with the KB back in action, but this month without it shows just how weak Japan is in the Centpac without it. The trick is to show the KB, while avoiding any losses in the hopes of slowing the Allies down. Yeah, right.

Still have a Betty strike up for off shore Burma, and I added two sweeps with full Tojo squadrons. George has yet to make an appearance, and I am unable to get my full squadron of Irving-s to an actual fight. Sometime soon, I suspect.

Set a CAP trap over Lunga; I am trying to save my Damaged destroyers at Roi Namur...have a fairly strong naval strike out of Truk and Rabaul.

Will be steaming away from the HI with the KB shortly, and will hopefully use them to shield some supplies and troop movements in the Centpac, but will have to use transport and patrol planes instead if the American CVs still want to tangle.

July 13, 1943

No night bombing to merit discussion.

Allies bomb Ramree again with heavy bombers.

Allied troops seem to call off forced river crossing east of Bassein; a feint as I surmised. The troops at Bassein are now moving to Rangoon.

Allied planes bomb hither and thither in the Marshalls. An inconclusive naval engagement between destroyer forces trade a hit or two on both sides near Roi Namur. However, in another naval fight an IJN Destroyer is sunk, this was a cripple from the previous fast transport debacle. One more destroyer is at significant risk...

China: Chungking all but surrounded, one rough hex to go. Neikiang is invested, and the first bombardment attack did heavy damage along with heavy bombing. Only two Chinese Corp holding the city with about 400 AV each, plus two HQ units. I will bombard and bomb again before attacking...I have 4000AV plus heavy artillery there.

July 14th, 1943

Half July gone already...

Allied night bombers run into the Irving-s. I need to raise the percentage intercept up much higher...

Lots of bombing actions by the Allies: Marshalls, Solomons, Burma with plenty of sweeps.

Jugs and Lightnings and Wildcats sweep catching some bleed over CAP; a good CAP trap over Ramree gets disappointing results from the low flying bombers. I need the George up here...but they are still repairing.

Overall, a disappointing day in the air.

Allies moving reinforcements into Rangoon; Ramree falls.

Allies getting ready to send more supplies down to Rangoon or Ramree? Most likely Rangoon, since Ramree needs building up.

China:

IJA elements destroy another 100 plus squads; China has splinters of units running hither and thither.

Neikiang gets bombed and bombarded heavily again. Debating a deliberate attack today or soften it up for another day.

July 15, 1943

Night bombing in Raheng triangle in Burma. The Endo detachment rises and each plane makes one run before running out of ammunition...they destroy one bomber, but the other waves get thru and planes are destroyed on the ground again.

During the day, the Allied ships move to Ramree from Akyab and the Betties sortie quite nicely -- except that not a single of the 100 fighters fly escort for them!

The Betties fly in at 25,000 feet, well above the enemy CAP, and the first strike only loses two planes to the enemy fighters. However, an afternoon strike does get mangled pretty well.

Three xak are sunk; 1 CA torpedoed, 1 CL (Brooklyn class) torpedoed.

All I seem to do lately is put fish in his surface ships without finishing them off...

More progress in China...next up Chengtu which I expect to be a much tougher battle than Neikiang.

Night fighting tactics:

I have switched over to 80 CAP/20 Rest with a range of 1 for my Irving-s. So far they don't seem to bleed over into the adjacent hex, which might simply be a lack of warning and radars.

The Tracom pilots in the Irving-s are doing a great job, dropping bombers whenever they are engaged, but so far only small number of fighters are actually engaging. Hopefully, this will improve with the higher CAP percentage. No lost pilots yet, and this might be a way to get some pilots to double ace status.

I will need many more Tracom pilots to reach my goals...and will ruthlessly pull any that I can for night fighting duty.

Solomons

Relentless heavy bombing in this area....

It would be nice to try for an 8 hex strike here...

Marshalls:

Relentless heavy bombing here. I have been flying out troops and will continue to do so.

Ponape and Kusaie are fairly strong. I worry about Kusaie, whose airfield is fully destroyed, and flew some Rex's in to see what they can do versus B24s.

The key to holding this area thru 43 is the Gilberts. Once the Americans get a foothold for bombers it is impossible to keep supply up.

July 16, 1943

More night bombing in Indochina, and the night fighters have a stellar day. They actually drift one hex, and manage to destroy 5 bombers in air to air combat. Only one wave of bombers, but they do great work against these 2E bombers.