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

[Canoerebel]

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[Canoerebel]

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[BBfanboy]

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

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Page 1 does not show up in this post, just a little box for an undisplayed jpg. [:(]

Edit - WTHeck?? After I posted my complaint above, page 1 appeared in your original post. Maybe the upload of the image to my display was delayed??

[Canoerebel]

12/7/42
 
The Meat Grinder:  On Pearl Harbor Day, we pause to look at the meat grinder that the DEI has become over the past three weeks (see ships losses in preceding posts). Japan has to come to the Allies now, so it is probable that this beneficial-attrition situation will continue for weeks or months to come.  Japan either has to fight or has to give up vital territory without a fight.  This is an optimum situation for the Allies.

The Results:  What has Japan accomplished at such cost over 22 days?  She has lost and reclaimed Kuching.  She has invaded and been stymied at Muntok.  She has invaded Singkep in a campaign that is stalemated at the moment, though which she may win.  And she has lost Singkawang, the crown jewel of this campaign.  The Allies have seized and held Singkawang and adjacent Sambas, have tied down 600 Japanese AV on Muntok and Singkep, have continued to build the big bases in and on the Java Sea, and will continue expanding in the short term: Malaya to the west and Sampit to the east.

DEI/Malaya:  A fairly quiet turn on the 7th as most Japanese ships have retired from Kuching.  The Hawkins TF and bombers did rough up four DDs and an xAP.  The USN carriers south of Sumatra recovered the F4F squadron and two Avenger squadrons from land bases.  The carriers are moving west in preparation for the invasion of Malaya.  D-Day might be ten days away.

[BBfanboy]

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

12/7/42
 
The Meat Grinder:  On Pearl Harbor Day, we pause to look at the meat grinder that the DEI has become over the past three weeks (see ships losses in preceding posts). Japan has to come to the Allies now, so it is probable that this beneficial-attrition situation will continue for weeks or months to come.  Japan either has to fight or has to give up vital territory without a fight.  This is an optimum situation for the Allies.

The Results:  What has Japan accomplished at such cost over 22 days?  She has lost and reclaimed Kuching.  She has invaded and been stymied at Muntok.  She has invaded Singkep in a campaign that is stalemated at the moment, though which she may win.  And she has lost Singkawang, the crown jewel of this campaign.  The Allies have seized and held Singkawang and adjacent Sambas, have tied down 600 Japanese AV on Muntok and Singkep, have continued to build the big bases in and on the Java Sea, and will continue expanding in the short term: Malaya to the west and Sampit to the east.

DEI/Malaya:  A fairly quiet turn on the 7th as most Japanese ships have retired from Kuching.  The Hawkins TF and bombers did rough up four DDs and an xAP.  The USN carriers south of Sumatra recovered the F4F squadron and two Avenger squadrons from land bases.  The carriers are moving west in preparation for the invasion of Malaya.  D-Day might be ten days away.

Nice summary of the carnage CR. Thanks for compiling the list. One thing you can add to "The Results" - he has apparantly abandoned two divisions on Sumatra while he tries to deal with your incursions into Borneo and the islands south of Singapore.

[Canoerebel]

12/8/42

Borneo: BB Valiant TF bombards Kuching, part of the "activity" meant to suggest that base is a high priority for the Allies. The bombardment shows Imperial Guards present. This unit was prepping for Palembang, so now she's been diverted to a dead-end base where she'll serve no real purpose. Allied strike aircraft finish of DD Usugumo. B-24 raid from Singkawang vs. Cam Ranh Bay yields intel that the KB is parked there, but Kirishima is the target of this port attack:

Allied aircraft
LB-30 Liberator x 6
B-24D Liberator x 14

Allied aircraft losses
B-24D Liberator: 2 damaged

Japanese Ships
BB Kirishima, Bomb hits 7, on fire, heavy damage [500 pounders]
xAK Kenzan Maru, Bomb hits 1, on fire
xAK Koki Maru, Bomb hits 1, on fire

Malaya: The Allies buy the Indian brigade slated to take and garrison Victoria Point. I think the invasio force might begin loading in three days - time and PP enough to buy perhaps three small armored units.

NoPac: Arty and an AA unit are ashore at Onnekotan Jima.

SWPAC: TF with Kiwi brigade and base force will arrive at Boela, Ceram, tonight. No signs of detection.

[princep01]

Thanks for the ship loss summary. Wow, I knew it had been active, but did not realize how brutal the fighting over the last few weeks had become. Nicely done.

Onward!

[BBfanboy]

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

12/8/42

Borneo: BB Valiant TF bombards Kuching, part of the "activity" meant to suggest that base is a high priority for the Allies. The bombardment shows Imperial Guards present. This unit was prepping for Palembang, so now she's been diverted to a dead-end base where she'll serve no real purpose. Allied strike aircraft finish of DD Usugumo. B-24 raid from Singkawang vs. Cam Ranh Bay yields intel that the KB is parked there, but Kirishima is the target of this port attack:

Allied aircraft
LB-30 Liberator x 6
B-24D Liberator x 14

Allied aircraft losses
B-24D Liberator: 2 damaged

Japanese Ships
BB Kirishima, Bomb hits 7, on fire, heavy damage [500 pounders]
xAK Kenzan Maru, Bomb hits 1, on fire
xAK Koki Maru, Bomb hits 1, on fire
...

Strange there was no air opposition from KB's fighters [I think they can still operate at 50% strength in port]. Could this mean he has offloaded KB's aircraft to an airport where they can be closer to you without KB being exposed?

[paullus99]

That must have turned your opponent's face white - good for him that you didn't land several 500lb bombs on his flight decks, bad for him that you have their location.

[Capt. Harlock]

B-24 raid from Singkawang vs. Cam Ranh Bay yields intel that the KB is parked there

Valuable intel indeed! Any plans to vector submarines to the area?

[Canoerebel]

Here's what the mouse-over of the "anchor" icon at Cam Ranh shows.

It is possible this is exagerrated or totally off, but I would err on the side of assuning it could be true. The KB was most recently in action in the southern South China Sea three weeks ago. Since then, she has disappared but her BB escorts have been in action around Singkawang and Kuching. So Steve probably parked the carriers there and forgot about them. Now he'll have to send them elsehwere - Manila or Formosa would be my guess.

[Canoerebel]

12/9/42
 
SWPac:  Allied DD TF tangles with a Japanese supply convoy at Woodlark Islands and sinks two xAK and two xAKL.  The transport TF arrives at Boela undetected and will begin unloading tonight.  At Auckland, troops including Fiji Brigade begin loading for the trip to vacant (and Allied controlled) Sorong.  Now I've got to track down what I have preparing for Morotai (also vacant and Allied control) and get them under way).
 
DEI:  A quiet turn.  Japanese recon of Tawi Tawi suggests that Steve is beinning to take note of the array of bases still controlled by the Allies.  A vast wolf pack of IJ subs operating near Billiton Island.  So far they haven't done anything I regret.
 
Malaya:  The Allies bought a small armored unit today and will purchase another tomorrow.  The plan is to begin loading the invasion force tomorrow.  Everything looks good around Victoria Point.
 
Burma: The Allies push the beleagured IJ force outside Rangoon back into the city.  Now the Allies can advance into Rangoon and gauge the strength of the defense.  7th Royal Hussars will cross the river and test the IJ garrison at Moulmein in about three days.

[Chickenboy]

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel
Now I've got to track down what I have preparing for Morotai (also vacant and Allied control) and get them under way).

Gott im himmel! He left Morotai vacant and ungarrisoned? [8|]

[Canoerebel]

More than that.  He left it vacant, ungarrisoned, and still controlled by the Allies....

[Canoerebel]

12/10/42
 
Malaya:  The Victoria Point invasion TFs begin loading.  The first wave is three APDs carrying a detachment of an Indian brigade.  Recon shows VP is ungarrisoned, so the hope is that the Allies can land, sieze the base, bring in aviation support from Port Blair by air transport, and have local CAP up and running to provide cover for the rest of the invasion.  Steve might try to thwart that by air transport of his own.  The second wave will consist of the bulk of the Indian brigade, 26th Indian Division, two armored units, and two AA units.  Once these get ashore, the plan is for the armor to race inland to take Chumpion, also believed to be vacant, and then to split and head north and south to move on two other bases that may be empty.  As this is going on the Allies will bring forward several units currently posted at Port Blair.  Four American and one RN carrier to provide cover as necessary.  The APD component could be ready to come ashore in three or four days.  VP by Christmas!
 
DEI:  A large mock invasion TF will gather near Singkawang.  The Allies will feint towards Kuching, including massed 4EB raids and some bombardments by sea.  I am pretty confident Steve is expecting a real move on Kuching, so I hope this will persuade him to move his air forward, thus buying some "space" for the Malaya invasion.  Beuforts sortied with little escorts against an enemy fast transport mission to Singkep and got chewed up in the process.
 
Burma:  The first Allied unit should arrive in Rangoon tomorrow or the next day.  Up at Magwe, the scene of the "Very Happy Stalemate" that dragged on so long, it appears that the isolated IJ army is quickly shedding AV, undoubtedly because of supply problems and daily Allied air attacks.  Two IJA divisions are stuck out here, so it's a major sitatuion.
 
NoPac:  Onnekotan forts go to level three with 206 AV.  I'm still hoping to get 500 AV here before spring, but finding the units and the political points will be challenging.  Para has 670 AV with 4.6 forts.  I'm shooting for 1,500 AV and 6 forts by spring, but I might be pushed to even get 1,000 AV here.
 
SWPac:  Landings at Boela uncontested and apparently undetected.  80 AV ashore with a base force unit.  Sea Bees on the way.  The eastern DEI appears wide open - lots of vacant and important Allied bases with no apparent enemy patrols or recon going on.  [X(]

[Lomri]

My limited experience with APD for amph ops is that they cause so much disruption on the carried units that they really suck for "contested" landings. My experience is limited because I came to this conclusion and stopped using them this way - so my data is a bit stale. So my guess is your landing will have a very low adjusted AV. If VP is empty it won't matter and it might be a "feature" since it won't look like a serious landing. (So maybe he'll think it is a feint to draw him away from Kuching).

Of course, in his shoes VP is a lot scarier to lose and as soon as I saw ships coming in or a landing I'd shift naval strike packages to that area. Really interested to see how this operation plays out.

[Cribtop]

I think the Malaya landings will really catch Chez off guard and give him yet another problem in a sea of difficulties.

What did you think of the idea I PM'd you a while back? The Boela/Morotai axis could be used to implement it. [;)]

[HansBolter]

ORIGINAL: 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!?!

Try loading up Ironman Japan. They have a plethora of those buggers. That scenario gives the Nips err..I mean LYBs loads of extra everything.

[Canoerebel]

12/11/42
 
Borneo:  4EB hit Kuching in big numbers.  The mock invasion TFs will take station northwest (true) of Billiton tomorrow.  I hope Steve will catch wind of the TFs by day after tomorrow.   On that day, the Royal Sovereign TF will bombard.  Recon shows six units at Miri, none at Brunei or Beufort.
 
Sumatra:  An Assie brigade and a USA tank unit are pushing back the demoralized little remnants of the Japanese force that had been trying to lift the siege at Padang.  In tomorrow's attack, I think the Japanese will be pushed back to the hex east of Sibolga.  Steve has turned his airforce to hit this Allied force, which tells me Sibolga garrison is weak.  Then we got SigInt today that an IJA regiment is aboard a Maru bound for Tadjasomething, th eport north of Sibolga.
 
Malaya:  The fast transport TF made good time and should arrive at Port Blair tomorrow.  The amphibious TFs will depart Madras tonight.  The carriers are on station in the Bay of Bengal, ready to accompany the amphibuos TFs.  Victoria Point still looks vacant.
 
Burma:  7th Hussars crossed the river and shock attacked the Moulmein garrison, dropping forts from 3 to 2 and getting 1:1 odds.  Steve will have to attend to this immediately if he wishes to save Moulmein.  An Indian brigade will deliberate attack at Rangoon tomorrow.  The IJ army in Burma is so bad off there is the remotest of chances it could succeed; but mainly I'm counting on gauging enemy strength.  A solo IJA regiment has arrived at Pegu after a long retreat through the jungles.  A Brit brigade failed to dislodge it, but shall be reinforced by a Chinese brigade tomorrow.

[Canoerebel]

Crib, I apologize for not replying to your PM!  We just completed a deadline for our next issue, so I've sort of had blinders on.
 
I think your point was the possibility of taking Rangoon, bringing in supply, and thus fully "activating" the Chinese army to go on the offensive.  That's exactly what I want to do - on the hope that I can use the supply draw buttons to get the supply from Rangoon into China, where the units can then replenish and reinforce.
 
I have made major use of China in most of my PBEM games - including two major invasions by sea and several in which the Chinese invaded Vietnam to meet up with the western Allies coming up from the south.  IE, I like coordination on a big scale between China and the West.
 
Whether I will go that way in this game remains to be seen.  It's certanily possible if Steve clogs up the Philippines.  Right now, for instance, I have SigInt that suggests that Hainan Island is lightly garrisoned.  I've been there before.  On the other hand, at the moment the most propitious vector of advance seems to be the eastern DEI, where there is absolutely no sign of Japanese patrols or interest.  That will end at some point, but until it does, that's where the Aliles can advance quickly and at little risk.