Turnaround? Lowpe (J) vs Tiemanj (A) Stock

[Lowpe]

In China, our very first attack at Kienko routes the defenders.

[Lowpe]

Port Blair is emptied of bombers, but filled with corsairs, that sweep an empty Trinkat. Plus lots of PT boats and two destroyers.

I may try another bombardment here. Call me crazy, but all by ships here are undetected.

[Lowpe]

Burma

Allies aren't capitalizing on the fall of Tuang Gyi. Perhaps he needs to upgrade his troops, or just experiment with the supply situation.

An attempt to drop aerial mines on Akyab doesn't fly.

[Lowpe]

I started building some Jacks...just enough for one senatai thru the rest of the game.

I stuffed one hundred fighters on Trinkat and am landing the first third of the 4th ID, plus supplies today. Escorts are light, but I haven't spotted anything near. Port Blair is getting bombarded again, some as last time a Cruiser force bombarding and a CL/DD screening surface group. Intel spots no bombers just lots of fighters. Plus this time none of my ships are spotted. If this works then the next day the Yamoto and Mushashi will either bombard or look for a surface engagement.

I had planned on the Cruiser force being spotted by Allied search, and then I would send in the concealed Yamoto group and send those Allied cruisers back to the bottom where they deserve to be. But I will go with a two step plan here.

Off to the west, I have extended my search with a CS flying Norms and several sub pickets to catch any left hook at Sumatra. So far nothing but blue skies, and quiet seas.

[Lowpe]

Sept 19, 1943

Another day with no night bombing.

The day starts off with an IJN destroyer living up to her class and taking out a mine at Trinkat with her bow! At least she didn't sink, the sweepers stand idly by, and a few Es that are supposed to be looking for enemy submarines start shooting the mines destroying a few.

The SS Tresspasser takes umbrage at this, heck she probably just released the mines, and sends 6 torpedoes at one of the E's hitting her below the waterline. The other E's set to punishing the Tresspasser, I guess the Captains were friends, and put 23 hits on her at least 3 are direct hits. Everyone loves the new mortar.

Meanwhile, several transports pull up into Trinkat and start disgorging troops, as Oscars, Georges, and Tojo's have fun shooting down unescorted American transport planes.

Two large Lightning sweeps occur over Rabaul, and about half of the Lightnings now litter the ground around Rabaul. Gotta love those Georges!

Allies do pound Bangkok again, Pisanuloke, and several other places with bombers, all undefended by Japanese planes.

[Lowpe]

Burma

Dirty, tough jungle fighting, and despite our troops getting a 1-9 Allied attack we lose more troops again.

Anyhow, the lack of a quick follow up here has allowed the IJA to get out of panic mode and simply into crisis mode.

[Lowpe]

Trinkat

The shore bombardment forces got wet feet, spotting two 10 ship pt boats at Port Blair, and now a Cruiser force, a super heavy BB force, and two Cl/DD groups are steaming undetected 7 hexes from Port Blair. What to do?

The local commanders have given us a very strange plot for their approach to Port Blair. Port Blair once again only sports fighters and transports.

I suspect with the transport losses over Trinkat we can expect to see that number of fighters grow, which would make a combined shore bombardment on Port Blair very nice.

[Lowpe]

Things are rapidly wrapping up in China, except for chasing down all the strays. China has two large forces in the plains of Chungking that are getting destroyed by IJA bombers until the ground troops catch up to them.

Then it is seal off the mountain roads, and dig in, and move what I can to other areas of operations.

Good news Tracker shows me downing 24 American transport planes last turn, and I have heard that tracker is a little more accurate. Also nailed two subs, one scuttled, so that is a good day.

Debating what to put at risk in Trinkat/Port Blair. My gut says go in with everything absolute threat tolerance.

[Lowpe]

Like any good JFB I am evacuating troops using everything available: planes, ships, subs, by foot and by rail. [:)]

I know that a point of supply weighs 2000 pounds, so that plane can carry a minimum of one point of supply, or if the plane capacity is 4000 or more multiple units. That Emily L beast of burden can carry 6.

Non squad type equipment needs to have a load rating of less than 10 to be air mobile (from one base to another, lower for paradrops).

But how do you figure out the plane load cost (in pounds) of a device? For example I have some Artillery with a load value of 9 that my Topsy cannot pickup...so it is over the weight limit of the plane. Fair enough. But how much over? I have yet to try with KAI Helens or Emily L, but I cannot find anyhwere that translates load to pounds.

Anyone know?

[Lowpe]

Sept 20, 1943

No night bombing.

During the night, the Tone task force manages to swat aside 10 PT boats (in one taskforce) that are guarding Port Blair and pound the base. So far so good, now the CL/DD task forces (of which there are two) should clear the remaining PT boats while the Yamoto and Mushashi really cripple Port Blair.

But no, instead the Allies send two desroyers to Trinkat, where they slip past a destroyer screen and engage a task force unloading the 4th ID. The escorts (2 DD, 1E) manage to sink a British DD and send the other ship off with no immediate loss.

And then 10 PT boats show up at Trinkat! This time the Destroyer screen finds them, and sinks two and they start back for Port Blair, and must be really low on fuel.

Where is the Yamoto, you ask? For some reason they are back at Sabang, ammo levels full! How they got there is beyond me.

Strange turn! No cargo planes flying into Trinkat, and I lose 6 planes on search over Akyab and Port Blair.

[Lowpe]

Trinkat

A lot of my ships are undetected!

[Lowpe]

In Burma, much to my shock, and I guess pleasure I find the 4th Marine Infantry Division here. That is two US Marine units here!

The Allies attack all over, and bombard at Rangoon, much to my favor.

[Lowpe]

At this point, every Navy Pilot counts.





Needless to say he would have been better off in the POW camp -- But he will serve the Emperor again, and what more can a digital warrior strive for!

[Lowpe]

All of the major resupply efforts in the CentPac are finished, no losses to report.

This is the main benefit from Wake's holdout.

[Lowpe]

Thank goodness the British don't have Fletchers. The Racehorse is now a coral reef.

[Lowpe]

Bungle in Burma:

Mostly he is now fighting brigades...my infantry and tank divisions are digging in, drinking sake, healing.

[Lowpe]

Several sneaky traps put into place this day...we shall see if any bear fruit.

IJN has sunk or heavily damaged 3 submarines this week. Plus many others damaged. If I can nail three a week I will feel pretty good. Japanese ASW starting to get pretty nasty, all ASW squadrons now have at least one ship with surface radar, good depth charges, and some with mortars.

I have expanded my effort of hitting his subs with minefields....

Still assembling my first minisub operation....

I will probably lose an E to fires, she was torpedoed at Trinkat by a sub several days ago, lived, but the fires are growing each day. Still, I can't scuttle her, the Captain won't let me.

[Lowpe]

September 21, 1943

Allies bomb Rabaul at night, destroy one Zero on the ground. And then, surprise, some Hellcats sweep from Baby carriers I guess, since the deathstar is at Wake.

Georges manhandle them nicely, but does that mean a strike is next. Detection levels on my shipping in the Solomons has really jumped up this day.[X(] There is a fat, juicy cargo ship unloading sake in Rabaul itself, and 3 CA are headed there too. Uh, Oh!

[Lowpe]

Meanwhile, near Trinkat we discover the PT boats weakness:

[Lowpe]

A lone Allied cargo ship tries to run supplies into Trinkat. Bad choice.[:D]