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Is his plan to run the nation of Japan out of naval shells?

About mid September 1942

Action in the Aleutians...weather of course almost always bad.

The air war takes a dramatic turn in favor of Japan, and even low altitude night bombing by beasts has been stymied...

Great Sitkin got bombarded netting a half dozen more SBDs and doing good damage on the size 3 runways there...but alas, those cruisers
were meant to be there the day before when they would have encountered numerous American shipping including at least one large xAP.

The only Allied success is with mines at Adak which must number close to a thousand.




Night Naval bombardment of Great Sitkin Island at 163,52

Allied aircraft
no flights

Allied aircraft losses
SBD-2 Dauntless: 20 damaged
SBD-2 Dauntless: 2 destroyed on ground
SBD-3 Dauntless: 1 damaged

Japanese Ships
CA Kako
CA Kinugasa
CA Aoba
CA Nachi
CA Chokai
CA Atago
CA Takao
CA Tone
DD Uzuki
DD Ikazuchi
DD Akatsuki
DD Natsugumo
DD Michishio

Allied ground losses:
570 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 9 destroyed, 47 disabled
Engineers: 2 destroyed, 15 disabled
Vehicles lost 5 (2 destroyed, 3 disabled)

Airbase hits 35
Airbase supply hits 15
Runway hits 76
Port hits 44
Port supply hits 9

A little more offensive action here, only 4 units and 3K Allied troopers at Port Moresby. Two IJA divisions and support troops going in, with the KB back.

Iboats screen to the south and east, flying boats from Milne Bay, and Lae's runway allowing Nells to search the seas to avoid surprises. American Carriers could be in the area waiting to spring a trap...

This is the first day that the Allies have spotted the first wave, but the Allies have been tricky performing night naval search on Rabaul, getting detections but I am not sure how much real information. No daytime search or recon however.

Burma starting to heat up...Imperial Guards Division arrives overnight, prior to a shock attack by the advancing Allied forces.

Supported by two well timed naval bombardments (one at night, the other during daytime), the attack is beat off....all tanks, sheesh.[:(]



Ground combat at Cox's Bazar (54,43)

Allied Shock attack

Attacking force 3827 troops, 18 guns, 504 vehicles, Assault Value = 392

Defending force 11442 troops, 133 guns, 48 vehicles, Assault Value = 427

Allied adjusted assault: 207

Japanese adjusted defense: 791

Allied assault odds: 1 to 3 (fort level 0)

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

Japanese ground losses:
683 casualties reported
Squads: 1 destroyed, 79 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 3 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 5 disabled

Allied ground losses:
59 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 7 disabled
Non Combat: 1 destroyed, 9 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Vehicles lost 47 (4 destroyed, 43 disabled)

Assaulting units:
44th Cavalry Regiment
43rd Cavalry Regiment
3rd Carabiniers Regiment
254th Armoured Brigade
16th Light Cavalry Regiment
77th Heavy AA Regiment

Defending units:
Imperial Guards Division
1st Sasebo SNLF Coy
5th Naval Construction Battalion
1st RF Gun Bn /1

Japanese air force doing well...from east to west.

A look at planes losses...usually in most of my games the Japanese air losses are much greater than the Allied.

Major ship losses...funny, Tracker still lists two American fleet carriers as sunk too which is wishful thinking.

Score...

Funny to have achieved such high victory points after a perfect Sir Robyn everywhere but China. Early aggressiveness by the Allies
have led to some major Allied defeats.

With Chungking surrounded, Port Moresby about to be invaded, Ceylon taken, surely this is the high water mark for the Japanese Empire!

It is mid September, the Japanese Army, Navy and Air Force are strong so the question is...should Japan seek one more aggressive expansion in a bid for auto victory?[&:]

This is a scenario one game, reduced cargo capacity, Asian Roads, and Dec 8th start...

That's a great VP margin! [X(]

Usually September 1942 is Japan's high water mark. You'll have a much better feel for things than we readers do. Do you think you can add materially to your ratio through the end of the year? If it's possible without taking ridiculous risks, why not go for it?

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

Usually September 1942 is Japan's high water mark. You'll have a much better feel for things than we readers do. Do you think you can add materially to your ratio through the end of the year? If it's possible without taking ridiculous risks, why not go for it?

You are quite correct.[:)]

I am not sure how I feel about Japanese Auto Victory, having never really been all that close before (without doing amazingly stupid stunts like Invasion Hollywood[;)]).

Prior to this game, I would have said I believe in Allied Auto Victory but not Japanese AV...mainly because I dislike the tactic of playing for AV at the sacrifice of the late game. But that hasn't happened here.

I can see a roadmap for AV now, that pretty much is just a natural extension of the game's directions so far. It feels natural and good, but is it victory disease?

If I was a Japanese player and had a chance to shoot for auto victory, I'd pursue it just for the challenge. But I'd definitely give my opponent the option of simply continuing on. There's no need in the game ending because you achieve it. But I will say that AV has been a remarkably rare occurrence, so there's no shame in shooting for it, achieving it, and standing by it.

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

If I was a Japanese player and had a chance to shoot for auto victory, I'd pursue it just for the challenge. But I'd definitely give my opponent the option of simply continuing on. There's no need in the game ending because you achieve it. But I will say that AV has been a remarkably rare occurrence, so there's no shame in shooting for it, achieving it, and standing by it.

Serious food for thought. Given that this is a scenario one style game, I would most likely end the game if AV was achieved--- Scenario 2 and I wouldn't even consider it. Plus, and perhaps most importantly, Wargamr is a veteran of many finished games so I don't think I would be stealing the endgame experience from him.

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

Score...

Funny to have achieved such high victory points after a perfect Sir Robyn everywhere but China. Early aggressiveness by the Allies
have led to some major Allied defeats.

With Chungking surrounded, Port Moresby about to be invaded, Ceylon taken, surely this is the high water mark for the Japanese Empire!

It is mid September, the Japanese Army, Navy and Air Force are strong so the question is...should Japan seek one more aggressive expansion in a bid for auto victory?[&:]

This is a scenario one game, reduced cargo capacity, Asian Roads, and Dec 8th start...

There is no need to seek "one more aggressive expansion in a bid for auto victory". You are well on track to achieve an auto victory. Absent a catastrophic Japanese defeat you should get an auto victory on 1 Jan 1943 just on current trends.

There is absolutely no need to apologise for Japan achieving an auto victory. How it arises is irrelevant.

Alfred

OK, yeah. He needs points and fast.

Sounds like a case of Japanese victory fever kicking in.

September 13, 1942

First bombardment shows the strength of Japanese Heavy Artillery. This bombardment is only 4 heavy units, that far out range the Chinese artillery. It has taken quite a while to setup the artillery (i.e. get a level of forts), but the artillery performs very well.

Normally, I would use every artillery unit present, but I wanted to test a few ideas...

I can only hope the Chinese attempt an attack once they see the low AV of the Japanese troops.


Ground combat at Chungking (76,45)

Japanese Bombardment attack

Attacking force 2133 troops, 140 guns, 90 vehicles, Assault Value = 1922

Defending force 286145 troops, 803 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 8129

Allied ground losses:
621 casualties reported
Squads: 48 destroyed, 10 disabled
Non Combat: 2 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 1 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 4 (2 destroyed, 2 disabled)

Sept 14, 1942

Aleutians...having been stymied at low level night bombing (which had been very successful for the Americans till recently), suffered extreme losses in fighter sweeps, now the Allies try massed high altitude, high escort bombing by 4E beasties...the next wave is escorted by over 100 fighters.

Four radar sets are present (2 Army, 2 Navy), and they are giving me a few extra minutes warning.

There is only 20mm AA present, and the planes are flying way too high for them to play any role.

Morning Air attack on Amchitka Island , at 158,52

Weather in hex: Clear sky

Raid detected at 40 NM, estimated altitude 28,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 12 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M3 Zero x 30
Ki-44-IIa Tojo x 37

Allied aircraft
B-17E Fortress x 62
B-24D Liberator x 3
P-39D Airacobra x 16

Japanese aircraft losses
A6M3 Zero: 1 destroyed

Allied aircraft losses
B-17E Fortress: 1 destroyed, 22 damaged
B-24D Liberator: 1 destroyed, 1 damaged
P-39D Airacobra: 2 destroyed

Airbase supply hits 2
Runway hits 2

Aircraft Attacking:
9 x B-17E Fortress bombing from 25000 feet
Airfield Attack: 8 x 500 lb GP Bomb
12 x B-17E Fortress bombing from 25000 feet
Airfield Attack: 8 x 500 lb GP Bomb
8 x B-17E Fortress bombing from 25000 feet
Airfield Attack: 8 x 500 lb GP Bomb
12 x B-17E Fortress bombing from 25000 feet
Airfield Attack: 8 x 500 lb GP Bomb
9 x B-17E Fortress bombing from 25000 feet
Airfield Attack: 8 x 500 lb GP Bomb
3 x B-17E Fortress bombing from 25000 feet
Airfield Attack: 8 x 500 lb GP Bomb
2 x B-24D Liberator bombing from 25000 feet
Airfield Attack: 10 x 500 lb GP Bomb
6 x B-17E Fortress bombing from 25000 feet
Airfield Attack: 8 x 500 lb GP Bomb

CAP engaged:
Tainan Ku S-1 with A6M3 Zero (4 airborne, 8 on standby, 18 scrambling)
4 plane(s) intercepting now.
Group patrol altitude is 32000 , scrambling fighters between 20000 and 31000.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 36 minutes
26 planes vectored on to bombers
68th Sentai with Ki-44-IIa Tojo (2 airborne, 6 on standby, 12 scrambling)
2 plane(s) intercepting now.
Group patrol altitude is 32000 , scrambling fighters between 26000 and 32000.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 34 minutes
7 planes vectored on to bombers
85th Sentai with Ki-44-IIa Tojo (2 airborne, 5 on standby, 10 scrambling)
2 plane(s) intercepting now.
Group patrol altitude is 32000 , scrambling fighters between 19000 and 32000.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 29 minutes
9 planes vectored on to bombers



Morning Air attack on Amchitka Island , at 158,52

Weather in hex: Clear sky

Raid detected at 33 NM, estimated altitude 30,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 9 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M3 Zero x 25
Ki-44-IIa Tojo x 21

Allied aircraft
B-17E Fortress x 26
P-39D Airacobra x 57
P-400 Airacobra x 17
P-40E Warhawk x 61
P-40K Warhawk x 2

Japanese aircraft losses
A6M3 Zero: 2 destroyed
Ki-44-IIa Tojo: 2 destroyed

Allied aircraft losses
B-17E Fortress: 3 damaged

Japanese ground losses:
11 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

Runway hits 3

Aircraft Attacking:
12 x B-17E Fortress bombing from 25000 feet
Airfield Attack: 8 x 500 lb GP Bomb
3 x B-17E Fortress bombing from 25000 feet
Airfield Attack: 8 x 500 lb GP Bomb
11 x B-17E Fortress bombing from 25000 feet
Airfield Attack: 8 x 500 lb GP Bomb

CAP engaged:
Tainan Ku S-1 with A6M3 Zero (4 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
4 plane(s) intercepting now.
21 plane(s) not yet engaged, 0 being recalled, 0 out of immediate contact.
Group patrol altitude is 32000 , scrambling fighters between 25000 and 29000.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 42 minutes
68th Sentai with Ki-44-IIa Tojo (1 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
1 plane(s) intercepting now.
11 plane(s) not yet engaged, 0 being recalled, 0 out of immediate contact.
Group patrol altitude is 32000 , scrambling fighters between 25000 and 29440.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 19 minutes
85th Sentai with Ki-44-IIa Tojo (6 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
6 plane(s) intercepting now.
3 plane(s) not yet engaged, 0 being recalled, 0 out of immediate contact.
Group patrol altitude is 32000 , scrambling fighters to 25000.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 18 minutes

Out west, the Allies are attempting to support their tank spearhead with aerial bombing...but they cant decide whether the target is to close the runway or bomb the defending troops.

A Tojo sweep out of Ceylon rounds up the important air action for the day...