RIDERS ON THE STORM-THANK YOU

[Gen.Hoepner]

Hi Jim,
 
Thanks. Yes, you're right. I can only try to slow him down but without depleting too much my forces. Both Bombay and Karachi have more than 120k supplies at the moment. They both have HQs so those supplies are supposed not to be going away feeding other empty bases. Karachi has now 5 AA dedicated units...quite a good amount of flak i'd say!
I'll try to retreat in order. I'm planning to hold Bombay only if i see he's coming for it, while if he goes for Dehli, i'll move away using the coastal railroad.
 
Anyway, Trollelite just gave me a preview of the next turn...he told me that he got repulsed at Madras[:D] I kept 2 Bdes and one arty regiment out of Madras not to be bombed back to stoneage by his BBs. When i realized he was comin' for Madras i ordered my units to move in...seems that the timing was perfect! they arrived exactly when he attacked! Looking forward to see the combat replay[:D]
I think was a mistake to land at Madras...better to land in a non urban base-hex like Trivandum...with the support of the KB he could take his time to unload...now his units should be enough destroyed and disabled...i'll stay there few more turns, then i'll move back towards Delhi...the first delayin action has gone in the right way[;)]

[Jim D Burns]

ORIGINAL: Gen.Hoepner
I kept 2 Bdes and one arty regiment out of Madras not to be bombed back to stoneage by his BBs.

Awesome move G.H.! Congrats, every win is another chink in his armor, and another point of experience for your guys.

Jim

[Gen.Hoepner]

AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 01/30/42

Ok, here's the reply...While at Madras i've done a good move that paid, at Bengalore i've made a huge mistake...left only a tank unit with an arty unit....these two were chewed up before by his bombers and then by 2 paras units that took the base...now i have to change my plans cause at Bengalore he's surely transport men and planes now so i'll have to move northwards from interior lines...will be a tough match here in india now...[:(]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Naval bombardment of Madras, at 17,21

Japanese Ships
CA Ashigara
CA Nachi
CA Haguro
CA Myoko
CA Chikuma
CA Tone


Allied ground losses:
119 casualties reported

Airbase hits 1
Runway hits 24
Port hits 9
Port fuel hits 3
Port supply hits 2

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Naval bombardment of Madras, at 17,21

Japanese Ships
CA Kinugasa
CA Aoba
CA Kumano
CA Suzuya
CA Mikuma
CA Mogami


Allied ground losses:
64 casualties reported

Airbase hits 5
Airbase supply hits 1
Runway hits 34
Port hits 10
Port fuel hits 1
Port supply hits 3

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sub attack at 3,24

Japanese Ships
PG Akagi Maru, Torpedo hits 1, on fire

Allied Ships
SS KXIV

This is a good hit...one of his raiders has been shot near Maldive[;)]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Day Air attack on 3rd Carabineers Regiment, at 11,21

Japanese aircraft
G3M Nell x 86

No Japanese losses


Allied ground losses:
268 casualties reported
Vehicles lost 13

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Day Air attack on 15th British Field Artillery Regiment, at 15,19 (at Bengalore...the distruption is total..!!!![:@]

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 27
D3A2 Val x 59
B5N2 Kate x 191

No Japanese losses


Allied ground losses:
436 casualties reported
Guns lost 17

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day Air attack on 15th British Field Artillery Regiment, at 15,19

Japanese aircraft
G4M1 Betty x 73

No Japanese losses


Allied ground losses:
98 casualties reported

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sub attack at 12,3

Japanese Ships
SS I-2

Allied Ships
AK Robert Luckenbach, Shell hits 4, Torpedo hits 2, on fire, heavy damage *sinks*

Ouch! this AK has been sunk in the Aden Channell...

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ground combat at Madras

Japanese Shock attack

Attacking force 39206 troops, 198 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 989

Defending force 12758 troops, 102 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 299

Japanese max assault: 1396 - adjusted assault: 378

Allied max defense: 270 - adjusted defense: 861

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


Japanese ground losses:
3055 casualties reported[:D][:D][:D][:D][:D][:D][:D][:D]
Guns lost 40

Allied ground losses:
140 casualties reported
Guns lost 5

This is a great victory!!!! Let's hope not a Pyrru's one[;)]
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Ground combat at Bangalore

Japanese Shock attack

Attacking force 2572 troops, 25 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 74

Defending force 600 troops, 0 guns, 30 vehicles, Assault Value = 16

Japanese max assault: 70 - adjusted assault: 70

Allied max defense: 16 - adjusted defense: 8

Japanese assault odds: 8 to 1 (fort level 0)

Japanese forces CAPTURE Bangalore base !!![:@]


Japanese ground losses:
5 casualties reported

Allied ground losses:
13 casualties reported
Vehicles lost 1


Defeated Allied Units Retreating!

[Mistmatz]

ORIGINAL: Gen.Hoepner

...
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sub attack at 12,3

Japanese Ships
SS I-2

Allied Ships
AK Robert Luckenbach, Shell hits 4, Torpedo hits 2, on fire, heavy damage *sinks*

Ouch! this AK has been sunk in the Aden Channell...

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
...

As AB stated earlier attacking Aden was not intended with the ext. map. I furhtermore believe it was also not intended to have enemy ships in the channels/approaches.

Seems that trollelite has a different opinion on that. [:D]

[Gen.Hoepner]

Now i need to hold on in Madras for few more days, just the time needed for the remenant units westward of Madras to get in so that they can all pull out towards Delhi at the same time...noone will be left beyond!
I have myself to blame for Bengalore...i just didn't leave there enough men to stop a paradrop and now i have to pay the consequences of my idiocy.
However Madras was indeed a victory, even if a small one. It's the first time in this war we stop the japanese land army. A boost  for the morale and a tactic victory on the field.
Now the match will be played between Bombay and Bengalore which is already full of a/cs. At Bombay i have 130 fighters and some more 80 bombers. Poona will be level 2 AF within 2 days, so i'll have 2 mutual supporting airbase. Bombay is 8 hexes far from Bengalore (level 4AF), that means that he will have to fight over my skies after a long trip, which is a good thing. Bombay is full of AA, which is also another good thing.
At the same time i'm keeping my ayes on the interior, where i'm building up my defences on the predicted positions (see maps posted above...) around Delhi and at Karachi.
18 B-25 arrived at Clark Fields today. 30 4Es are ready to be moved from China to PI, while more 48 P-40s are assembling at Chungking waiting for the order to get to Manila.
In the PI i have now 2300 AVs, fully supplied and supported.
If i can hold him in India for a while the PI can become a real pain in his back!...Let's see...this game is getting really thrilling!!!

[cantona2]

GH PI will soon become his Achilles Heel. How will you keep them resupplied once he starts to turn the screw on the PI's?

[Jim D Burns]

ORIGINAL: cantona2
GH PI will soon become his Achilles Heel. How will you keep them resupplied once he starts to turn the screw on the PI's?

The only real chance the PI has for supply is if G.H. can keep the resource bases Japanese free. Getting the occasional transport fleet in helps a lot, but realistically the PI will have to stand on its own production of supply. So don’t burn up too much supply with your heavies unless there is real gain for the mission being flown.

I just had a thought, if you build up one of the bases in southern China, you can use your bombers to air lift supply to China. If you’ve got the AK’s for it, you might try to evacuate a Base force and an engineer unit from the PI to China

I guess you could use the Asiatic Fleet float planes to air lift them out, that would be a lot safer, though I’m not sure if they have the range for it. Get that base up to level 4 and eventually 7 and I bet you can keep the PI supplied by air for quite some time with your heavy bombers. You're doing well enough in China that 5k-10k of supplies a month could go to the PI without too much worry.

Jim

[Gen.Hoepner]

ORIGINAL: Jim D Burns

ORIGINAL: cantona2
GH PI will soon become his Achilles Heel. How will you keep them resupplied once he starts to turn the screw on the PI's?

The only real chance the PI has for supply is if G.H. can keep the resource bases Japanese free. Getting the occasional transport fleet in helps a lot, but realistically the PI will have to stand on its own production of supply. So don’t burn up too much supply with your heavies unless there is real gain for the mission being flown.

I just had a though, if you build up one of the bases in southern China, you can use your bombers to air lift supply to China. If you’ve got the AK’s for it, you might try to evacuate a Base force and an engineer unit from the PI to China

I guess you could use the Asiatic Fleet float planes to air lift them out, that would be a lot safer, though I’m not sure if they have the range for it. Get that base up to level 4 and eventually 7 and I bet you can keep the PI supplied by air for quite some time with your heavy bombers. You're doing well enough in China that 5k-10k of supplies a month could go to the PI without too much worry.

Jim

I've already occupied all the supply-producing bases in the PI, thus preventing him from damaging them with suicide para-missions.
Jim is right: the 4Es dry a lot of supplies and i have to use them wisely. In fact, also considering that i'll need at least 80 functional 4Es for the operation in the Marshalls (the 4Es will have to bomb Kwalajein from Wake), i've converted most of the 4Es groups assigned to the PI operation to B-25s. They have a shorter range, but i build much more of them monthly and they can fly below 15,000 fts so as anti-shipping weapon they're far a better asset.
Consider that the goal of the PI campaign is to divert some of his air forces from India and at the same time divert forces from the Marshalls. If he brings enough air-power to Formosa he can shut the PI air activities down, but that would be a victory anyway, cause those forces won't be used in India or in the Marshalls. if he does not he will have to find an alternative shipping lines for his Oil-Res convoys.
I've already built Wouchow (the base just north-west of Canton) to level 4. Planning to arrive at level 5 within a month.
It's still too far from PI to use the regular transports, but the 4Es can easily made that job.
And yes, the Chinese situation is really quiet, so i can burn some supplies there without risking anything.
Now a lonely AS is moving towards Manila. Hope to get through the air-search....if i manage to place it there i'll be starting also a sub campaign in the South-Chinese Sea. I have some 30 subs ready at PH that can be sent to the PI as soon as the small ship gets there.
Another 20,000 supplies convoy is in route to the PI...gotta try to use this Momentum while the KB is still busy in India!

[Gen.Hoepner]

One more note on the PI: i'm planning to leave only one 4E group in the PI. The one that flies B-17D which is allowed to fly below 15,000. These guys will be used for anti-shipping role mainly. With their great range they can seriorusly threaten the japanese shipping in the area. The other units committed to PI campaign will fly B-25s

[mlees]

However my VH2 mines are making him pay a nasty price also here at Madras...a lot of troops blown up along with their boats[:D]

 
In the combat report you pasted here (in post #317), notice that the same ship is hitting mines in each case: the AK Tenryu Maru.
 
It must be bouncing from mine-patch to mine-patch! [:D]

[Gen.Hoepner]

I didn't notice that! D'u think it's a fow issue or just a bad lucky ship??[:)]

[mlees]

I have no idea. Do you think Trollelite would be willing to tell you after a couple weeks of game time?

[Gen.Hoepner]

I'll try to ask him...let's see if he remembers that day

[cantona2]

Had a FOW issue in our game GH regarding a ship that sunk but is still afloat, well only just. More accurately a SS than a floating vessel [:D]

[Gen.Hoepner]

The game will slow down again due to Trollelite's RL studies....
Stay tuned guys, hope to get back to you soon with this thrilling Indian adventure...

[goodboyladdie]

ORIGINAL: mlees

However my VH2 mines are making him pay a nasty price also here at Madras...a lot of troops blown up along with their boats[:D]

In the combat report you pasted here (in post #317), notice that the same ship is hitting mines in each case: the AK Tenryu Maru.

It must be bouncing from mine-patch to mine-patch! [:D]

It lost power and drifted through the minefield, clearing a path as it went. I suppose it's a bit like infantrymen throwing themselves on barbed wire to form a bridge for their fellow soldiers to quickly cross the obstacle...

[Gen.Hoepner]

AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 01/31-02/01/42

The situation in India is getting worse. His ability to drop paras whereever he wants is closing up my retreat routes. Now i'm trying to find a solution to relieve my men trapped in the southern corner of India.
He landed on the first day of Feb , after a failed para-drop,more 1000 AVs (2 divisions plus naval guard units) at Vizagapatam (on the coastal way from Madras to DH). I have barely 30 AV points there. Already evacuating the base...
At the same time the South Sea Det. is unloading at MAdras, after that my units have been badly hit by hundreds of bombers...
Paradrops have also happened at Trivandum and Mannargudi...he has landed en mass everywhere...i just have to got back[:(]
It's a paifull retreat...it's really hard not to try to fight...[:(]
No other news for these two days...
At Karachi we've got 500 AVs. More 300 AVs are planned to arrive here in the next days.
At Bombay we have 800 AVs with some 130 fighters and some 100 bombers...i know it's not enough...it's never enough[:o]


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Naval bombardment of Madras, at 17,21

Japanese Ships
CA Kako
CA Furutaka
CA Chokai
CA Maya
CA Atago
CA Takao


Allied ground losses:
658 casualties reported
Guns lost 13

Airbase hits 1
Runway hits 9
Port hits 2
Port supply hits 4

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day Air attack on 99th Indian Brigade, at 14,20 *near Madras*

Japanese aircraft
G4M1 Betty x 60
E13A1 Jake x 8
E7K2 Alf x 9
Ki-43-Ib Oscar x 24
Ki-49 Helen x 64
Ki-46-II Dinah x 17

No Japanese losses


Allied ground losses:
255 casualties reported
Guns lost 4

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day Air attack on 44th Indian Brigade, at 15,22 *Madras*

Japanese aircraft
D3A2 Val x 16
B5N2 Kate x 21
E7K2 Alf x 3
Ki-43-Ib Oscar x 8
Ki-46-II Dinah x 1

No Japanese losses


Allied ground losses:
57 casualties reported
Guns lost 1

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day Air attack on 48th Gurkha Brigade, at 17,21*Madras*

Japanese aircraft
E13A1 Jake x 7
E7K2 Alf x 6
Ki-43-Ib Oscar x 27
Ki-21-II Sally x 99
Ki-46-II Dinah x 4

No Japanese losses


Allied ground losses:
109 casualties reported
Guns lost 3

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day Air attack on 23rd Indian Division, at 16,21 *near Madras*

Japanese aircraft
G3M Nell x 78

No Japanese losses


Allied ground losses:
219 casualties reported
Guns lost 5

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day Air attack on 3rd Indian Brigade, at 17,21 *near Benaglore*

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 26
B5N2 Kate x 191

No Japanese losses


Allied ground losses:
518 casualties reported
Guns lost 7

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day Air attack on 3rd Indian Brigade, at 17,21

Japanese aircraft
E13A1 Jake x 4
E7K2 Alf x 6
Ki-43-Ib Oscar x 9
Ki-21-II Sally x 44
Ki-46-II Dinah x 4

No Japanese losses


Allied ground losses:
35 casualties reported

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day Air attack on Hyderabad , at 19,17

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 24
D3A2 Val x 84
E7K2 Alf x 1

Japanese aircraft losses
D3A2 Val: 2 destroyed, 20 damaged


Allied ground losses:
27 casualties reported

Airbase hits 3
Runway hits 31





--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ground combat at Vizagapatam

Japanese Shock attack

Attacking force 111 troops, 0 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 8

Defending force 1626 troops, 13 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 38

Japanese max assault: 8 - adjusted assault: 4

Allied max defense: 37 - adjusted defense: 22

Japanese assault odds: 0 to 1 (fort level 2)


Japanese ground losses:
28 casualties reported


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ground combat at Madurai

Japanese Shock attack

Attacking force 120 troops, 0 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 1

Defending force 0 troops, 0 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 0

Japanese max assault: 0 - adjusted assault: 2

Allied max defense: 0 - adjusted defense: 1

Japanese assault odds: 2 to 1 (fort level 1)

Japanese forces CAPTURE Madurai base !!!




AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 02/01/42

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Naval bombardment of Madras, at 17,21

Japanese Ships
CA Ashigara
CA Nachi
CA Haguro
CA Myoko
CA Chikuma
CA Tone


Allied ground losses:
199 casualties reported
Guns lost 4

Airbase hits 2
Airbase supply hits 1
Runway hits 27
Port hits 5
Port fuel hits 2
Port supply hits 3

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Naval bombardment of Madras, at 17,21

Japanese Ships
CA Kinugasa
CA Aoba
CA Kumano
CA Suzuya
CA Mikuma
CA Mogami


Allied ground losses:
64 casualties reported

Airbase hits 1
Airbase supply hits 1
Runway hits 29
Port hits 5
Port fuel hits 2
Port supply hits 1

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Naval bombardment of Madras, at 17,21

Japanese Ships
BB Fuso
BB Hyuga
BB Mutsu
BB Kongo


Allied ground losses:
106 casualties reported
Guns lost 1

Airbase hits 1
Runway hits 32
Port hits 7
Port fuel hits 1
Port supply hits 2



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ground combat at Vizagapatam

Allied Bombardment attack

Attacking force 1626 troops, 13 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 38

Defending force 21773 troops, 81 guns, 24 vehicles, Assault Value = 825


Japanese ground losses:
18 casualties reported


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ground combat at Trivandrum

Japanese Shock attack

Attacking force 85 troops, 0 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 6

Defending force 0 troops, 0 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 0

Japanese max assault: 10 - adjusted assault: 12

Allied max defense: 0 - adjusted defense: 1

Japanese assault odds: 12 to 1 (fort level 0)

Japanese forces CAPTURE Trivandrum base !!!

[Gen.Hoepner]

AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 02/02/42

A good day after all...
Japan lands with overwhelming forces at Vizagapatam...(see screenshot below) and defeat easily the small bde covering that base. The tank regiments are now pursuing my poor bde towards DH area...
At the same time the heroes of Madras managed to evacuate the base without being pushed back. Tomorrow Madras will fall but at least my units won't be pursued.They will march northwards, Towards Karachi and Bombay...
I'll probably lose one unit in this retreat. A Bde that for some reason took the field roads at Mannargudi...[&:] The rest is more or less intact.
Burma is being evacuated en masse. an Air bridge has beeing going on for the last month and now almost every unit is safely arrived at Dacca. Only 60 AVs are left in Burma...those will march towards China...
At PH we started to load our men. For the first phase of this operation will be used: 2 US divisions, 2 US RCTs, 2 NZ Bdes, 4 Arty units, 3 Base forces, 2 Eng rgts. I think that by the third week of Feb we'll be approaching Maloap


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TF 57 encounters mine field at Vizagapatam (22,21)

TF 57 troops unloading over beach at Vizagapatam, 22,21


Japanese Ships
MSW Toshi Maru #2
MSW Banshu Maru #52
DD Kasasagi
AP Ueizuru Maru, Mine hits 1, on fire, heavy damage[:D]

Japanese ground losses:
41 casualties reported

Coastal Guns at Vizagapatam, 22,21, firing at TF 57
Japanese ground losses:
193 casualties reported

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day Air attack on 26th Indian/C Division, at 22,21 *at Vizagapam*

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 28
D3A2 Val x 117
B5N2 Kate x 205

No Japanese losses


Allied ground losses:
604 casualties reported
Guns lost 6

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ground combat at Vizagapatam

Japanese Shock attack

Attacking force 38790 troops, 190 guns, 24 vehicles, Assault Value = 1213[X(][X(]

Defending force 816 troops, 1 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 19

Japanese engineers reduce fortifications to 1

Japanese max assault: 1646 - adjusted assault: 1440

Allied max defense: 9 - adjusted defense: 1

Japanese assault odds: 1440 to 1 (fort level 1)

Japanese forces CAPTURE Vizagapatam base !!!


Japanese ground losses:
16 casualties reported

Allied ground losses:
274 casualties reported


Defeated Allied Units Retreating!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[Gen.Hoepner]

A side note:
The operation "Retribution" will start however within the next 5 days with the initial bombing campaign over Kwalajein. My 4Es are assembling at PH, ready to move towards Wake as soon as it gets to level 4AF (should arrive at this level tomorrow). It's sure that with this move we'll drive his attention over this theatre, but it's anyway a MUST in order to risk as less as possible the sudden appearence of hordes of Nells/Betties in the Marshalls.
 
In the PI we're almost ready to go. There are already present 24 P-40s and 40 bombers. In two days will arrive more 50 bombers and more 48 P-40s....i hope enough to make him hurry a bit...
 
The Indian campaign will be a long one, no matter how many troops he brings. It's a big continent to conquest and my strongholds at Bombay and Karachi won't be defeated easily. We've seen at Madras how much the urban bonus can be deadly for the attackers. Plus, another thing to consider, the more he'll advance into the Indian land, the more he'll be far away from a decent AF and from the KB. No more BBs to count on... Yes, i'm aware that with all those units he can roll over everything i put on his way, but if i play smart i think i can slow him down...
In 1 week will arrive 3 HQs at Aden...a very important boost for the Karachi defence!
 
Supply situation at Bombay: 160,000
Supply situation at Karachi: 200,000
 

[Yakface]

I'd be very careful about trying to defend Bombay.  What if he marches a unit past bombay and cuts off your retreat?  Sure you will have slowed him down, but also allowed him to destroy some of your units in detail.  realistically if you are up against overwhelming odds, I'd just run for Malir and Karachi.