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Manila ... is it ever going to fall ? I've been hitting it with LB for months now

Nemo still has an amazing number of artillery tubes there. And where is he getting the supplies to feed his guns and AFV's??[&:]

31 July '42
Another day of rain, reminds me of my time in Ol' Blighty. More rain than shine and the only barrier between Nemo and I hitting some records for monthly aircraft losses in '42. I've decided SG is not on the cards, I'm sending the Mech Inf to head toward Okha, better to take one than to weakly attempt to take two.

Latest ...

Ground combat at Okha [Sakhalin I]

Japanese Shock attack

Attacking force 7724 troops, 120 guns, 45 vehicles, Assault Value = 273
Defending force 3208 troops, 135 guns, 16 vehicles, Assault Value = 121

Japanese max assault: 392 - adjusted assault: 95 -- grrr snake eyes!
Allied max defense: 112 - adjusted defense: 109

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

Japanese ground losses:
284 casualties reported
Guns lost 9
Vehicles lost 1

Allied ground losses:
139 casualties reported
Guns lost 2

Capt...ask Nemo, as far as I'm concerned this base is going to be the stumbling block for me losing Burma and Malaya. Maybe I should switch to more ground attacks, but there are considerations here ... Nemo loves moving in fighters as soon as the airbase becomes tenable. He was flying in supplies for a while, but this has stopped now.

We got in two turns last night ...

2 August '42( I misprinted the date on the previous...)
[*]Toyohara got hit from 98 Mitchells stationed at Madagan, the first they have flown for a few days, luckily apart from some runway hits, my 60 Tojo's survived.
[*]I hit S-G with 400+ LB ... had to be closed again and will be closed over and over, but the war has moved to Thailand now anyway...

A6M2 Zeke x 89
A6M2-N Rufe-FF x 4
G4M1 Betty x 221
Ki-44IIa Tojo x 14
Ki-21-II Sally x 65
Ki-264 Angel x 32

Allied aircraft
F4F-3 Wildcat x 10
F4F-4 Wildcat x 5
MiG-3 x 18

Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zeke: 11 destroyed, 1 damaged
Ki-44IIa Tojo: 6 destroyed

Allied aircraft losses
F4F-3 Wildcat: 5 destroyed
F4F-4 Wildcat: 8 destroyed
MiG-3: 14 destroyed
IL-2 Shturmovik: 1 destroyed
P-38G Lightning: 2 destroyed
P-39Q Airacobra: 1 destroyed


Allied ground losses:
14 casualties reported

Airbase hits 8
Airbase supply hits 7
Runway hits 141

3 August '42
[*]hit S-G again with a smaller force, just to get the damaged planes...
[*]hit Okha

A6M2 Zeke x 38
G4M1 Betty x 166
Ki-264 Angel x 22

Allied aircraft
Mosquito NF x 4
I-16 Type 24 x 16

Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zeke: 2 destroyed
G4M1 Betty: 7 destroyed, 1 damaged
Ki-264 Angel: 2 damaged

Allied aircraft losses
Mosquito NF: 1 damaged
I-16 Type 24: 3 destroyed, 2 damaged
F4F-3 Wildcat: 1 destroyed
P-38G Lightning: 2 destroyed
LaGG-3: 1 destroyed

Allied ground losses:
27 casualties reported

Airbase hits 4
Airbase supply hits 4
Runway hits 89

[*]and another deliberate attack on Manila.

Ground combat at Manila/Cavite [PH]
** number in () are previous attack
Japanese Deliberate attack

Attacking force 98544 troops, 1078 guns, 854 vehicles, Assault Value = 2585(my numbers are down from 2851)
Defending force 51846 troops, 1053 guns, 335 vehicles, Assault Value = 2052(2101)

Japanese max assault: 2422 - adjusted assault: 2885(2406)
Allied max defense: 1871 - adjusted defense: 3677(4293)

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

Japanese ground losses:
5851 casualties reported
Guns lost 108
Vehicles lost 8

Allied ground losses:
564 casualties reported
Guns lost 24

Are you placing any LRCAP over Manila?? I would do it every once in while, if possible, to see if you can catch any resupply efforts. I would hit the base in southern China (the one with a port size of 1) that is capable of basing PBY/Coronados every once in a while as I used it extensively to evac 2 BF, 1 Pp BF, and 3 x AA LCUs for use in China. I used my patrol planes to withdraw 3 Philippine Divisions to Australia via Timor.

Actually I've had LRCAP over Manila for 3 months now ... Nemo was initially sending in supplies this way, but not now. His transports are in Russia and the Aleutians...

I'd love to hit something in Sth China, but since he took Vietnam, well lets just say it is a dangerous proposition, and possibly unnecessary as I don't think he is actively defending Manila, it is just sitting there warm and snug under the urban hex and resource centres, which I don;t wish to bomb.

Thanks ny59giants ...

4 & 5 August '42
Damn Okha in my desire to keep Sovietskya Gaven under control has become heavily fortified. My Mech Div landed under a hail of gun fire Casualty figures: 1185 Inf (first day) & 900 (second day), 9 guns & 11 Veh were lost and an APD was hit 15 times, and is now on its way back for repairs.

The Mech Div was at full strength before landing now .. half strength.

In Burma and Thailand thinks continue to deteriorate quickly, Nemo steps up his attacks on Bangkok with the Pe-2's above cap height. My one AA Brgd that can hit these planes did well enough, and I love the loss of 25 Hurricanes.

Day Air attack on Bangkok [Thailand] , at 29,39

Japanese aircraft
Ki-109E Mike x 91

Allied aircraft
Hurricane I x 25
Pe-2 x 91

Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-109E Mike: 6 destroyed, 3 damaged
Ki-15II Babs: 1 destroyed

Allied aircraft losses
Hurricane I: 25 destroyed
Pe-2: 9 destroyed, 11 damaged

Japanese ground losses:
59 casualties reported
Guns lost 2
Vehicles lost 2

Airbase hits 10
Airbase supply hits 7
Runway hits 70

Near Attu, I've had 3 CV's patrolling and decided to go in despite knowing that Nemo's forces would be LR capped. Somehow I forgot to set my zero's (a silly mistake), but in the end it worked out ok. I sunk 6 AK's loaded with tanks(according to Nemo). Yet it could have been much more disastrous as

B-25D Mitchell x 3
Beaufort VII x 4


Allied aircraft losses
B-25D Mitchell: 1 damaged
Beaufort VII: 1 damaged

Japanese Ships
CV Hiryu, Bomb hits 1 -- no damage sustained, bounced off the superstructure and my heart was in my mouth

6 August -

Okha is retaken, all Allied troops interned and some planes captured ... very happy with this development.

Ground combat at Okha [Sakhalin I]

Japanese Shock attack

Attacking force 17195 troops, 221 guns, 632 vehicles, Assault Value = 424

Defending force 4759 troops, 240 guns, 14 vehicles, Assault Value = 236

Japanese max assault: 702 - adjusted assault: 256

Allied max defense: 143 - adjusted defense: 109

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

Japanese forces CAPTURE Okha [Sakhalin I] base !!!



Allied aircraft
no flights


Allied aircraft losses
R4D-5 Skytrain: 1 destroyed

Japanese ground losses:
808 casualties reported
Guns lost 23
Vehicles lost 6

Allied ground losses:
5240 casualties reported
Guns lost 317
Vehicles lost 9

Nemo hits Bangkok again this time, the results are not to my liking and my Mike's are moved out...

Day Air attack on Bangkok [Thailand] , at 29,39

Japanese aircraft
Ki-109E Mike x 70

Allied aircraft
Pe-2 x 77

Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-109E Mike: 13 destroyed, 8 damaged

Allied aircraft losses
Pe-2: 5 destroyed, 9 damaged

Japanese ground losses:
82 casualties reported
Guns lost 2
Vehicles lost 2

Airbase hits 17
Airbase supply hits 5
Runway hits 76

Lastly Manila get hit again ... I'm losing the plot here ...

Ground combat at Manila/Cavite [PH]

Japanese Deliberate attack

Attacking force 94257 troops, 957 guns, 850 vehicles, Assault Value = 2432

Defending force 50602 troops, 1002 guns, 331 vehicles, Assault Value = 1999

Japanese max assault: 2069 - adjusted assault: 1985

Allied max defense: 1895 - adjusted defense: 3265

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


Japanese ground losses:
5730 casualties reported
Guns lost 129
Vehicles lost 8

Allied ground losses:
592 casualties reported
Guns lost 31

7 August '42
[*]Phnom Penh falls and this allows Nemo to use the Lvl 4 AF here.
[*]Ground combat at Lop Buri [Thailand] sees the Allies start their rampage... And how they can with >3X the AV. I was surprised by the Allied casualties, must work that overwhelming force results in less casualties. Something I wish I had realised a bit earlier in my WITP tutelage.

Allied Shock attack

Attacking force 93512 troops, 1709 guns, 132 vehicles, Assault Value = 4700
Defending force 49009 troops, 355 guns, 1926 vehicles, Assault Value = 1415

Allied max assault: 7840 - adjusted assault: 4491
Japanese max defense: 1118 - adjusted defense: 2509

Allied assault odds: 1 to 1 (fort level 2)
Allied Assault reduces fortifications to 1

Japanese ground losses:
1014 casualties reported
Guns lost 49
Vehicles lost 15

Allied ground losses:
1974 casualties reported
Guns lost 110
Vehicles lost 6

The loss of Thailand, Burma, Vietnam & Malaya will be a big body blow, especially as it will be done within the year 1942. Not a very good accomplishment[:(]

Actually, even losing this is not the game breaker that many would think. I still have enough resources and Oil to last almost 2 years ... but I'm sure Nemo and I will finish this around the beginning of '43 unless I can keep him interested. I wonder if Manila will still be Allied[:D]

Phnom Penh falls and this allows Nemo to use the Lvl 4 AF here.

I hope any and all shipping is moving away from Saigon. You know Nemo will send in his beloved Pe-2's to sink anything that is still afloat. [:D]

I know nothing about this mod., but I find it difficult to see how 55 units/6000 AV (is there some disinformation there?) can be adequately supplied over the primitive transport net of Burma/Indochina. Also, any drive on Saigon from west or east is liable to leave a long coastal flank exposed to amphibious counter attack. 90,000 troops sitting out of supply outside Saigon is potentially a big haul if you can muster the forces for such a counter attack. I note that Allied units have now arived in Hue, but you could afford to lose both Hue and Camranh Bay if this has the effect of drawing your opponent into a more vulnerable position.

This is a situation in which Japan should be able to reap the benefit of her internal LOC's and sea control of the threatened littoral - somewhat the reverse of the Allied amphibious threat to the west coast of the Isthmus of Kra. Have you forces that can be released to exploit this advantage?

As part of any counter stroke directed against the Vietnamese coast, an airborne attack against Ubon followed by a move across the Mekong might be worthy of consideration to isolate Cambodia/Siam from Hanoi as a source of supply.

I see possibilities for Japan here, but I appreciate you may not have freedom of action to exploit them.

Well Local Yokel - these are the figures Nemo is giving me and he might twist the truth sometimes, but in this case I believe him. He has many Chinese and I believe he has brought in the Ozzies and the New Zealanders to compliment his Indian and UK troops. The map did not show the troops moving from Nth of Tavoy or the Chinese in Vietnam. There are 9 units at Hue and their AV is high. I believe he has a Div or 2 at Ubon as well. Everything is Div strength, and the Chinese AV is very high in this mod, even if the troops have low experience and bad equipment, there is a mass of them. But thanks... I'd like to do something which you suggest, but am struggling for troops everywhere.

8/8/42
[*]An attack on Magadan really was not well thought out... there seems to be a Phex error here as I had wanted to place LRCap over Magadan from near Okha (inside the 11 hex range)...but my zero's were denied by a message saying it was too far (even if it isn't). Still it allows me to move some shipping in to pull out my troops at Okha. Funny Nemo moved out the LB, or I got really unlucky[&:]

Day Air attack on Magadan [Siberia] , at 83,23

Japanese aircraft
G4M1 Betty x 192
Ki-264 Angel x 25

Allied aircraft
F4F-4 Wildcat x 41
P-38G Lightning x 8
Mosquito NF x 2

Japanese aircraft losses
G4M1 Betty: 29 destroyed, 25 damaged
Ki-264 Angel: 7 destroyed, 6 damaged

Allied aircraft losses
F4F-4 Wildcat: 13 destroyed, 15 damaged
P-38G Lightning: 5 damaged
Mosquito NF: 1 damaged
C-47 Skytrain: 1 destroyed

Airbase hits 4
Airbase supply hits 2
Runway hits 58

[*]Lop Buri will fall tomorrow and then the Allies will move onto Bangkok

Ground combat at Lop Buri [Thailand]

Allied Shock attack

Attacking force 98120 troops, 1773 guns, 125 vehicles, Assault Value = 4625

Defending force 47154 troops, 298 guns, 1890 vehicles, Assault Value = 1355

Allied max assault: 6356 - adjusted assault: 2538

Japanese max defense: 1002 - adjusted defense: 945

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

Allied Assault reduces fortifications to 0

Japanese ground losses:
524 casualties reported
Guns lost 47
Vehicles lost 15

Allied ground losses:
2666 casualties reported
Guns lost 41
Vehicles lost 2

ORIGINAL: n01487477


8/8/42
[*]An attack on Magadan really was not well thought out... there seems to be a Phex error here as I had wanted to place LRCap over Magadan from near Okha (inside the 11 hex range)...but my zero's were denied by a message saying it was too far (even if it isn't). Still it allows me to move some shipping in to pull out my troops at Okha. Funny Nemo moved out the LB, or I got really unlucky[&:]

Hi n0148,

I'm assuming that 11 is the extended range of hte zero in this mod. LRCAP can only be performed inside normal range. Not sure what your thinking was as I don't think that LRCAP and CAP interract.

Yeah, I don't know what was going on in my brain last night [&:] confusing myself with ranges and operations allowed...

9 Aug 42
Not a lot happened today... Although Nemo did make my Troops forced out of Lop Buri move toward Malaya instead of back to Bangkok by dropping a Dutch parachute unit into Bangkok. The guy knows the mechanics of this game and it was well used today.

I don't have a problem with what he did, and in truth the DIV's that moved there are fairly cut up, even the Horito Tank Div, which was one of my few big sticks left.

Bangkok will be marched into tomorrow or the day after, and honestly I'm hoping my Forts and troops can hold out for a few days at least..

In the North, there are many TT's and SC building up for a move toward Petro ... I have 6-7 CV's lurking, I won't get them all ... I've learned that lesson. If there are enough transports, even KB can't hold back the tide.

10 August

Another relatively quiet day ... shock attack caused by crossing the river. I had thought of moving the 33rd down to see if I can take back this base, but I've decided that I have no choice but to withdraw. If I had the troops from Manila, then I'd stay ...

Ground combat at Phnom Penh [CMB]

Japanese Shock attack

Attacking force 5212 troops, 79 guns, 13 vehicles, Assault Value = 282
Defending force 3819 troops, 56 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 318

Japanese max assault: 178 - adjusted assault: 113
Allied max defense: 247 - adjusted defense: 209

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

12 Aug & 13 Aug - The Aleutians

Nemo has once again conjured up a nice wizards trick and landed on Petro with Fast Transports during the night, which disappeared by morning. 19,000 troops land and they will capture the Peninsula in quick time.

I guess what has happened is the fast move, landing and withdrawal of these ships all happened in the night phase, although I did see some clouds over Petro at one stage. Damn I have 6CV's sitting 2 hexes from that point and still I didn't get a sighting or anything!

Maybe it was my own fault as I was playing it cute and had my search set to 6 and attack set to 4, so that I could minimize hitting ships with LRCAP... but this is a LOL moment. Also had 250+ betty's searching from Sapporo. Beaten by fast transports ...

Another factor when operating in the North Pacific is weather. You need to use your cursor and click on some hexes to see what the weather may be for the next day. In a brief PBEM, my 2 CVs at start survived only due to me finding a rain line north of Pearl and running for it and on to Seattle. Weather is neutral, but....[;)]  You can use it to assist your efforts up there. 

Nemo has once again conjured up a nice wizards trick and landed on Petro with Fast Transports during the night, which disappeared by morning. 19,000 troops land and they will capture the Peninsula in quick time.

Wow -- I didn't think the Allies had enough fast transports to do that at this stage of the game. Perhaps the mod gives them more?

Capt.H
yes Nemo seems to have an abundance of Fast Transports ... so anything 5-6 hexes from the staging point will be vulnerable. He can offload a Div (dumping them ashore) and move away, I must say it is so effective that for all my air and naval power, I'm rendered useless. The interlocking LRCAP and LB makes it very hard to maneuver into a position which will hit the returning FT's.

I'm rethinking my defensive strategy and will try to adjust accordingly. I've got to get it right and cripple these transport hyperdrives otherwise I'm a goner.

Vietnam and Thailand is falling quickly now.. In 5 days I hope that the added troops I just pulled out of Vietnam will enable me to subdue Manila. And then the counterattack on Hue/Camrahn Bay will commence.

Just curious - what do you have for mine layers? Maybe start setting mine fields in all of your ports? I mean, I really-really hate mines but... Also, a fast transport is probably minimal supplies? Maybe if you pound his ground forces with air units and really go for disruption they'll use up a lot of supplies? Low supplies = a lower combat effectiveness - right?

Good thoughts, but I've never had success with mines and FT's ... Is this just my luck or is this a game problem ?

I'm mining more ports around Northern Japan anyway, but I seem to hit them more than Nemo does [:(]

He eventually must bring in supplies with AK's, but by then the mines are gone (large MSW TF) / useless. And Nemo is air transporting all over the place from what I can tell. I kill 5-10 transports / LB used as transports on average a day.

But I will keep plugging away and hopefully foil him next time.
Cheers