Tokyo Rose was a Hussy! Chez (J) vs. Canoe (A)

[princep01]

I'm with JeffK on the peace feeler. If you are having fun and Chez seems to be having fun, then I wouldn't even suggest it. If you do, I'd approach it from the view of "Chez, are you still having fun in our game? I know you are very busy. Let me know if you need to take a break or even terminate the game". If he says indicates it is still fun and wants to go on, I'd just drop it there.

The last two (game) weeks have been more interesting than the past three (game) months. So, I'd say he is still having fun and is now at least trying to resist your opening advances. Maybe Chez is just naturally likes being playing defense.

[Canoerebel]

That's good counsel, gents. I won't present a peace feeler unless Chez first invites one.

Besides, this is a test game of sorts. I think we'll find out if it is possible to "starve Japan to death." If it doesn't happen in this game, I can't imagine that it would be possible in Scneario Two.

...and I wish Chez had carried through with the invasion of Sumatra. I don't think he would have had a good shot at winning. I think it would be Pickett's Charge with Armistead reaching the copse of trees - in the form of Benkolen - but the Allied position is too strong now, with too many assets available.

[JeffroK]

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

That's good counsel, gents. I won't present a peace feeler unless Chez first invites one.

Besides, this is a test game of sorts. I think we'll find out if it is possible to "starve Japan to death." If it doesn't happen in this game, I can't imagine that it would be possible in Scneario Two.

...and I wish Chez had carried through with the invasion of Sumatra. I don't think he would have had a good shot at winning. I think it would be Pickett's Charge with Armistead reaching the copse of trees - in the form of Benkolen - but the Allied position is too strong now, with too many assets available.

He now has to defend in depth, as you mentioned earlier Singkawang is a solid shoulder that opens out the South China Sea.

In addition to your plans for Borneo, it opens up the Eastern Malay Peninsula which has a couple of ripe targets in Mersing, Kuantan & Kota Bharu. Gives you a view at Indo China with Soc Trang & the Cambodian bases AND is a step towards The Phillipines.

This means he has to get at least a brigade into a dozen or more targets, I would only be happy with 2 Division equivalents to stop an Allied assualt plus dig in at all points.

The problem with all this is that you are about to unzip the Western Malay Peninsula which has just as many bases to target!

[Canoerebel]

12/5/42
 
Just a very good day for the Allies as things continue to come together.

Borneo:  Two Allied combat TFs tangle with a very large IJN destroyer TF at Kuching.  Two Allied DDs were set afire, two IJN destroyers went down and three others were set afire.  SBDs missed Hiei at Kuching again - and once again she was not protected by CAP.  I'll try some Avengers out of Billiton next, though I don't think they'll be able to carry torps.  Mines laid at Singkawang wtih an ACM present.  The airfield is fully operational with 90 air support.  BB Kirishima just made Cam Ranh Bay in heavily damaged state - and that port is just within range of B-24s out of Singk.  So we'll take a crack at that tomorrow.  Recon reports Miri and Brunei vacant (with level 9/10 detection for weeks now).  I can't figure this out - it would be lunacy to leave them vacant, and I've see ships there plus SigInt of units on Marus bound there, so I'm not sure I trust recon.

Singkep:  The CA Hawkins TF engages in its first action of the war, sinking a good PB and an xAK.  Japan has 390 AV here to 175 for the Allies.  I don't think I can win this little contest since Signkep is right under the nose of Singapore, but I'll do what I can.

Sumatra:  An Aussie brigade and US tanks push aside a weak force that was posted midway between Padang and Sabang.  The Allies are in the open and just underwent a massive attack from Singapore, but I think I'll press on.  If Steve continues to pay careful attention to this little army it means he isn't able to use those aircraft elsewhere.  On to Sabang!

Malaya:  CV Saratoga is ready at Colombo.  Three other CVs should be in position to recover squadrons that had been committed in Sumatra.  (CV Lex is in the yards for at least two more weeks).  Most troops are in place at Madras and most ships have arrived there now.  Victoria Point and Phuket still appear empty.  D-Day in two weeks or less.

Burma:  The Allies succeed in two attacks.  The first takes Pegu and pushes the depleted garrison back into Rangoon.  The second pushes back a depleted little army that had retired from Prome.  This army retires to the hex due west (true) of Rangoon.  An Aliled armored unit will press forward to Moulmein, which is very lightly protected.  The rest of the units will continue until they push all Japanese troops into Rangoon.  The Allies don't have an impressive army, here, but Japan's defenders are few and have been reduced to tatters.

NoPac:  SeaBees landed at Onnekotan Jima.

SWPac:  The Boela transports are about four days out.  Transports carrying 14th NZ Brigade from Auckland to Morotai (still controlled by the Allies and currently vacant) are approaching the Australian coast near Sydney.  ETA Morotai roughly two weeks.

[Canoerebel]

Forgot to mention one other tidbit from December 5 turn:  A squadron of well-trained B-24s out of Milne Bay hit Rabaul, damaging two subs, an AS and a CM.  That's a pretty good haul for a single raid by 9 bombers, but the Allies had high detection after a month or more of daily recon flights.

[paullus99]

Where the hell is his AF? I know you said there was a big raid out of Singapore, but he doesn't seem to be committing nearly the force he should have available at this point. Unless he's husbanding it for the all-out attack on Sumatra, this doesn't make a whole lot of sense (not that much does on his side of the fence).

[Canoerebel]

Most of his airforce is parked at Singpore, where Sallies make regular big raids.  There are some outying bases with some Netties - Sabang, Fiji and Maloelap come to mind.  I know some other bases have decent concentratons - Rangoon, Tulagi, Lunga, and Shimishura Jima. 

A few months ago, Steve mentioned that he had already lost more aircraft in this game (at that time it was around Sept. '42) than he has in his game with BradfordKay, which is in the autumn of '43.  So Steve is very conservative with his planes.  He has suffered some big losses in big raids, and each time he promplty backs down and "turns turtle," sometimes for weeks or months at a time.

I understand his mindset, but he's probably just not aware that Japan has to (and can) press the air war very hard and with much more favorable loss ratios than in the real war.  The Allied plane pools are so limited that Japan can almost neutralize Allied air power in 1942 (and sometimes far beyond that).  I'm not sure Steve is aware of this - he's so busy at work that he probably isn't a big Forums reader to pick up the latest scuttlebut.

I am aware, of course, that the Allies are playing with fire to a certain extent.  I have lots of ships moving around in fairly close proximity to Singapore (and until just now Singkawang, which is a level 7 field).  Steve could certainly try some one-two punches with LBA and the KB.  The Allies could lose some big stuff.  But he's just very reluctant to take chances, partly by nature and partly as a result of the dire state of his navy right now.

[Capt. Harlock]

SBDs missed Hiei at Kuching again - and once again she was not protected by CAP.

Dive-bombers with no fighter interference missing a large, stationary target?? Courts-martial are in order![:D]

[Bullwinkle58]

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

I understand his mindset, but he's probably just not aware that Japan has to (and can) press the air war very hard and with much more favorable loss ratios than in the real war. 

If he has HI, which means fuel to spare. If he's limping he doesn't have the uber-air force to deploy. You might be one of the first AAR writers to be facing a semi-historical Japanese air effort.

[SqzMyLemon]

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

A few months ago, Steve mentioned that he had already lost more aircraft in this game (at that time it was around Sept. '42) than he has in his game with BradfordKay, which is in the autumn of '43.  So Steve is very conservative with his planes.  He has suffered some big losses in big raids, and each time he promplty backs down and "turns turtle," sometimes for weeks or months at a time.

I understand his mindset, but he's probably just not aware that Japan has to (and can) press the air war very hard and with much more favorable loss ratios than in the real war.  The Allied plane pools are so limited that Japan can almost neutralize Allied air power in 1942 (and sometimes far beyond that).  I'm not sure Steve is aware of this - he's so busy at work that he probably isn't a big Forums reader to pick up the latest scuttlebut.

It could also be as simple as he doesn't have faith his air force will accomplish much with the aircraft he has available. Using Japanese tactical bombers against well fortified positions is a waste of time. He probably only has a handful of Ki-44-IIa Tojo Sentai's to throw in to battle. Unless his Tojo's can win air superiority, he's left with Zero's and Oscar's. They are hardly unbeatable at this stage of the war when facing armoured Allied fighters with half decent pilots.

I don't know why he isn't trying to interdict your shipping with his Betty's and Nell's. Escorted by Zero's, they'd have had many chances over the last few months to cause you some discomfort.

My guess is he doesn't put much stock into his air force achieving much and is saving his pilots.

[Canoerebel]

12/6/42
 
Borneo:  SBDs and Avengers sortie against Japanese shipping at Kuching.  Allied escorts brush aside light enemy LRCAP and score damaging hits on an LSD, an xAP, and an already damaged DD.  Non-damaging hits are scored against Hiei and no hits on Kongo.  CA Hawkins TF will head to Kuching tonight, accompanied by two six-boat PT TFs.  The B-24s at Singk failed to sortie vs. Cam Ranh Bay.
 
Singkep: No enemy attack.  Japanese AV up to 400.  Allies have nearly 200.
 
Allied Carriers:  Tomorrow, Allied carriers will take aboard the F4F squadron and two Avenger squadrons that have been doing duty at Sumatra.  The carriers will then steam west and thence northwest into the Bay of Bengal to participate in the invasion of Malaya.
 
Malaya:  Political points may be my biggest challenge.  I have lots of units gathered at Madras, but not enough PP to buy them (and, for that matter, not enough transports to tote them).  I think I'll end up with something like this:  26th Div. (alread at sea and prepping for Chumpion); an Indian brigade prepping for Victoria Point; three or four small armored units (each with 50 AV +/-) meant to land and then scamper inland; and about 150 aviation support.  On D Minus One, the Allies will send in a small fast transport TF to land troops at Victoria Point, which we believe is vacant.  On D Day, the main landings will commence, with a high priority placed on armored units moving inland to cut the peninsula and take Chumpion.  The latter is actually the more important base because it is on the rail line.  The bulk of Allied AV will go here.  Small armored units, if available, will then move north and south, up and down the rail.
 
Burma:  Allied forces still in the process of moving - 7th Hussars will move adjacent to Moulmein in no more than two days. 
 
NoPac:  Artillery will arrive at Onnekoton in a few days.  Steve is suddenly giving much more attention to Onnekotn, using his airforce daily.
 
SWPac:  Boela garrison TF is about to slide past Taberfane and should arrive at Boela in three days.  No sign of detection.

[witpqs]

In AE they've built in penalties for keeping amphibious loaded LCUs at sea too long - daily additions to fatigue and disruption the magnitude of which depends upon the type of ship. Be wary of fatigue and disruption in that division that's been wandering the seas.

[Canoerebel]

A friendly tip in my last game alerted me to that.  We'll be okay if the beach is undefended, as expected.

[Saros]

LSD: There are literally 2 (+1-2 in '43/44)? of these in the IJN OOB so they are precious in a way an allied player can never fully comprehend. What on earth are they doing hanging out inside allied SBD range I will never understand.

What is Chez thinking!?!

[Canoerebel]

I think that the Allies moves on Singkawang, Sambas and Kuching spooked (ie, panicked) Chez.  He react strongly, counterinvading Kuching and trying to hustle reinforcements all the way around Borneo.  Right before those reinforcements arrived at Singkawang, Allied TFs bashed 'em good.  Then the Allies took the base.
 
I think Steve is therefore scared to death he might lose Kuching.  So he's determined to land troops there even if he has to leave two BBs and other valuable ships exposed to do so.
 
Of course, we know he's wrong.  In the first place, I'd never risk precious BBs in such an exposed way.  In the second, Kuching is not very important without Singkawang.  I think it's a mistake to tie down ships and troops there.  How's he going to feed them?
 
So I think Steve is rattled at the moment.  I'm hoping that the invasion of Malaya will add to that.

[Cribtop]

What are your plans to cut off Singers SLoCs using air power at Singkawang?

[Canoerebel]

With Djambi (level four and building), Singkawang (level seven and building), Montok (level three and building), Singkep (level one and to be built if I can hold the island), and the Groet islands (some of which are/will serve as patrol bases), the Allies are close to surrounding Singapore with large concentrations of air power.  CL/DD TFs may also operate out of Singkawang, interdicting traffic to Singapore.
 
I haven't implemented this plan yet because I'm using Singkawang to try and hit Kirishima with B-24s, since the ship is in crippled condition at Cam Ranh Bay.
 
Once Victoria Point and Chumpion are taken, Singers will be truly cut off.

[Canoerebel]

The $64-dollar question is whether Chez will mount a massive counter invasion and/or counterstrike.  I think there's a pretty good chance he will.  Even prior to Singkawang, he was making bold and risky moves to reclaim lost territory (Muntok and Singkep).  He reacted sharply when the Allies took Kuching.  Singkawang is far more important than those three bases, and he's already expended alot of ships trying to reniforce before the base fell.  He's got to be desperate.
 
If he comes, he would have to bring three or four divisions to Singkawang, supported by everything he has, including the KB.  On that chance, I haven't changed the prep for the units that took Singkawang.  I can't afford to until I'm convinced that a counterattack isn't coming.
 
And it might not be.  Or it might be.  I don't know!  And that's why we play the game:  Uncertainty = Drama = Excitement!

[Canoerebel]

Last minute change in orders before sending the file to Chez:  recalled the B-24s from Singkawang to Oosthaven.  Their place has been taken by all the available Avenger and Beaufort squadrons (though no torps available).  I figure it's better to keep trying for the nearby BBs rather than hoping for a max distance raid that may or may not fly.

[Capt. Harlock]

Their place has been taken by all the available Avenger and Beaufort squadrons (though no torps available).  I figure it's better to keep trying for the nearby BBs

Any chance of using B-25's with 2000-pounders?