There are dozens of small dot bases and islands in the region and I can't defend them all.
Most bases therefore have 3-4 forts and ~30 AV for defense. Only the bigger bases have dedicated garrison units.
If a base is invaded I will immediately try to reinforce and drag the battle out and then get the troops out again afterwards.
With Gasmata Andy sent a full sized division, fully prepped, in small landing barges and they appeared and unloaded within 1 turn.
This was very well planned and executed and didn't give me time to counter. I ordered reinforcements to be flown in by seaplane and over 150 bombers were
ordered to perform ground attacks while numerous MTBs buzzed around the place.
As usual, it's difficult to get Jap air units to fly even with aggressive commanders and support, so only 45 or so ac attacked with little effect.
The Allied shock attack brought down all forts and Gasmata is bound to fall tomorrow.
While I would like to throw in more troops and resources I have to contend with one fact; The Empire doesn't have a limitless pool of supplies and troops.
I'm working hard to build supply depots and provide strong garrisons and reserve forces for the main defensive lines. This effort is so all consuming that even the
holding activities in the Solomons - New Britain - New Guinea region are difficult to sustain.
Each time Andy pops his head out a bit to far I'm going to be there to smack it with a large fly swatter though [:D]
The numerous reinforcement units that are arriving in the Home Islands now are not at full strength anymore and morale is low, how can it be!! [:-]
So I have to rest them, prepare them and ship them out with supplies. Making the Marianas including Truk and Carolines, Northern New Guinea, Phillippines, DEI, SRA ++ ready for combat
is a daunting task. Hundreds of smaller bases require smaller garrisons and 2-3000 supplies while ~50 or more require strong garrisons and large supply pools. Then we got 4-5 major hubs
like Singapore, Soerabaja, Truk, Rabaul, Manila, Bangkok etc that must be bullet proof and provide 250+ air support and 150k supplies or more.
Just wait until Andy tries to handle this; then we can sit back and enjoy the fruits of our hard labour now! [8D]
So no matter how unattractive, we're now fighting a delaying battle in the outer perimeter bases. Small TFs are transporting surplus units and base forces from the isolated or bypassed bases back
into the perimeter lines.
Nice motivation Pauk-San! [:)]
AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR May 23, 44
Air Combat
Andy now dutifully swept Moulmein with hundreds of fighters before making a meek bombing run.
This is the price of bombing us here, constant sweeps and high fatigue.
Our fighter strength is growing, all frontline units are at full strength and weekly numerous second rate fighter units can be upgraded with Franks, Jacks or Tonys
Our traing and rear area units now consist of Zeros, Oscars and Tojos mostly.
Afternoon Air attack on 1st Australian Division, at 103,127 (Gasmata)
Weather in hex: Partial cloud
Raid spotted at 19 NM, estimated altitude 2,100 feet.
Estimated time to target is 5 minutes
Japanese aircraft
Ki-45 KAIa Nick x 9
Ki-46 KAI Dinah x 6
Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-45 KAIa Nick: 2 damaged
Aircraft Attacking:
9 x Ki-45 KAIa Nick bombing from 100 feet
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Afternoon Air attack on 1st Australian Division, at 103,127 (Gasmata)
Weather in hex: Partial cloud
Raid spotted at 20 NM, estimated altitude 15,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 7 minutes
Japanese aircraft
G4M1 Betty x 27
Ki-84a Frank x 49
Japanese aircraft losses
G4M1 Betty: 1 damaged
Allied ground losses:
6 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Aircraft Attacking:
27 x G4M1 Betty bombing from 15000 feet
Ground Attack: 2 x 250 kg GP Bomb, 4 x 60 kg GP Bomb
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Ground Combat
Did a mistake and launched the same para unit to recapture 2 dot bases in New Britain.
Said sorry to Andy for this...
Ground combat at Gasmata (103,127)
Allied Shock attack
Attacking force 7157 troops, 144 guns, 73 vehicles, Assault Value = 368
Defending force 1761 troops, 29 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 53
Allied adjusted assault: 246
Japanese adjusted defense: 43
Allied assault odds: 5 to 1 (fort level 4)
Allied Assault reduces fortifications to 0
Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+), preparation(-), fatigue(-), experience(-)
Attacker: shock(+), leaders(-)
Japanese ground losses:
207 casualties reported
Squads: 5 destroyed, 7 disabled
Non Combat: 2 destroyed, 1 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 4 (3 destroyed, 1 disabled)
Allied ground losses:
174 casualties reported
Squads: 4 destroyed, 29 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled
Assaulting units:
1st Australian Division
Defending units:
Yokosuka 5th SNLF /1
15th/C Div /1
41st Nav Gd /1
2nd Raiding Rgt /3
37th JNAF AF Unit
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Ground combat at Arawe (102,126)
Japanese Shock attack
Attacking force 230 troops, 0 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 13
Defending force 116 troops, 1 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 5
Japanese adjusted assault: 9
Allied adjusted defense: 3
Japanese assault odds: 3 to 1 (fort level 0)
Japanese forces CAPTURE Arawe !!!
Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+), preparation(-), supply(-)
Attacker: shock(+), leaders(+), leaders(-)
Japanese ground losses:
21 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Allied ground losses:
168 casualties reported
Squads: 3 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 8 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 1 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 1 (1 destroyed, 0 disabled)
Units destroyed 2
Assaulting units:
2nd Raiding Rgt /2
Defending units:
1st Australian Para Bn /1
1st Australian Div /1
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Ground combat at Cape Gloucester (101,125)
Japanese Shock attack
Attacking force 124 troops, 2 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 9
Defending force 58 troops, 0 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 4
Japanese adjusted assault: 9
Allied adjusted defense: 1
Japanese assault odds: 9 to 1 (fort level 0)
Japanese forces CAPTURE Cape Gloucester !!!
Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+), leaders(-), preparation(-), experience(-)
supply(-)
Attacker: shock(+), leaders(-)
Allied ground losses:
67 casualties reported
Squads: 5 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 2 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Units destroyed 1
Assaulting units:
2nd Raiding Rgt /4
Defending units:
2nd Fiji Commando Bn /1
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Gasmata assaulted
