The Accidental War Obvert vs Lowpe

[Lowpe]

Nov 7th, 1942

Harbin isn't attacked, but the big Motorized Division arrives. Still bombing.

[Lowpe]

Tank regiment rushing to open up a retreat path...probably won't make it.

[Lowpe]

All those Soviet vehicles sit idle today...why? There is only a 120 AV behind level 4 forts.

The 9th Tank Regiment needs only one mile more to open up the hex, and allow a path of retreat. 3K+ AV is following up...

[Lowpe]

Nov 9th, 1942

Harbin, as expected falls...we manage to down 10 Migs and do more damage to the Soviet air force however.

[adarbrauner]

-

[Lowpe]

Nov 10th, 1942

Soviets secure Harbin, there is another 17 units marching in, plus so many Soviet units that can outmaneuver Japan, we are forced to pull back. In addition, the Soviet infantry along the Yenki front are all moving forward.

China is a pell mell retreat, with Allied air power doing their usual number of shattering troops.

Haiphong holds, but all the troops that can be evacuated have been...

Small supply convoy makes Brunei.

Swept Vladisvostock again, this time with Oscars, but there were some Migs present. Still Soviets lost about 30 planes, to Japans 20. Eating into his Mig supply whatever that is.

Meant to take a picture, but plum forgot.[:(]

[RangerJoe]

I started reading this and I am up to page 66. I think that Oliver Hardy said it best "Another fine mess you've gotten me into!" Did that fleet commander that committed the badly timed smuggling try perform seppuku?

I was thinking of trying Japan just to see how it works on their side. Do the expansion and then attack the Soviet Bear just before the amphib bonus expires. If I did, this AAR shows what needs to be done for preparation.

[Lowpe]

Nov 11, 1942

Soviet forces run into the 2nd Tank Division, 58th Division...and an ad hoc defense...but some big guns present. The Tonei heavy guns and the 2nd Tank do all the heavy lifting as the 58th is an absolute crap division (type c/mtn, what I call air mobile), but I wish I had a dozen more of them![;)]

Allied Deliberate attack

Attacking force 43043 troops, 493 guns, 799 vehicles, Assault Value = 1657

Defending force 25548 troops, 278 guns, 509 vehicles, Assault Value = 789

Allied adjusted assault: 913

Japanese adjusted defense: 1087

Allied assault odds: 1 to 2 (fort level 3)

Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+), preparation(-), experience(-)
Attacker:

Japanese ground losses:
1663 casualties reported
Squads: 23 destroyed, 78 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 36 disabled
Engineers: 1 destroyed, 28 disabled

Allied ground losses:
1718 casualties reported
Squads: 16 destroyed, 375 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 58 disabled
Engineers: 2 destroyed, 31 disabled
Guns lost 42 (2 destroyed, 40 disabled)
Vehicles lost 78 (7 destroyed, 71 disabled)

Assaulting units:
260th Rifle Brigade
205th Tank Brigade
187th Rifle Division
218th Tank Brigade
12th Rifle Brigade
1st Ussurii Tank Brigade
8th Rifle Brigade
18th Rifle Brigade
227th Rifle Brigade
82nd Tank Battalion
3rd Mongolian Tank Regiment
46th/302nd AA Battalion
Trans Baikal Front
102nd Engineer Battalion
147th PVO AA Battalion
129th Engineer Battalion
18th VVS Base Force

Defending units:
7th Manchukuo Cav Brigade
58th Division
2nd Tank Division
77th Infantry Regiment
29th Ind Engineer Regiment
48th Field Const Co
51st Const Co
52nd Const Co
5th Air Defense AA Regiment
5th Medium Field Artillery Regiment
Tonei Hvy Gun Regiment
49th Const Co

[Lowpe]

Marine Corp parachutes in after being pounded by 4E beasties and all other type of nefarious animals, and a pretty heavily stocked ASW hub goes away, just like that.

Well, I was in the process of evacuating anyhow, and probably would have moved the planes today anyhow. Will continue evacuating Samah.

China falls more each day despite some nice stalling fights by Japan. Soo many units just swarm forward, no chance to hold anywhere.

[Lowpe]

Nov 12, 1942

Shokaku take 9 system damage thereabouts. Obvert is the best I know at sub operations, maybe John III is as good. But maybe because Obvert has so many subs this game.

Sub attack near Brunei at 65,87

Japanese Ships
CV Shokaku, Torpedo hits 1
CS Chiyoda
DD Yugumo
DD Ikazuchi
DD Makigumo

Allied Ships
SS S-39

SS S-39 launches 4 torpedoes at CV Shokaku
S-39 bottoming out ....
DD Ikazuchi fails to find sub and abandons search
DD Makigumo fails to find sub, continues to search...
DD Makigumo fails to find sub, continues to search...
DD Makigumo fails to find sub, continues to search...
DD Makigumo fails to find sub, continues to search...
DD Makigumo fails to find sub, continues to search...
Escort abandons search for sub

[Lowpe]

Obvert loves low level bombing...where there is no AA units the bombers generally come in at 3k, but on task forces he loves even more running patrols and floats at 1K.

Morning Air attack on TF, near Manado at 75,99

Weather in hex: Thunderstorms

Raid spotted at 18 NM, estimated altitude 4,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 10 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-43-IIa Oscar x 10

Allied aircraft
PBY-5 Catalina x 2

No Japanese losses

No Allied losses

CAP engaged:
50th Sentai with Ki-43-IIa Oscar (10 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
10 plane(s) intercepting now.
Group patrol altitude is 4000 , scrambling fighters between 0 and 4000.
Raid is overhead

Morning Air attack on TF, near Manado at 75,99

Weather in hex: Thunderstorms

Raid spotted at 37 NM, estimated altitude 5,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 21 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-43-IIa Oscar x 4

Allied aircraft
PBY-5 Catalina x 2

No Japanese losses

No Allied losses

Japanese Ships
xAKL P-9, Bomb hits 1, and is sunk
AMc Tamo Maru #6, Bomb hits 1, and is sunk

Aircraft Attacking:
2 x PBY-5 Catalina bombing from 1000 feet
Naval Attack: 4 x 250 kg SAP Bomb

CAP engaged:
50th Sentai with Ki-43-IIa Oscar (0 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
0 plane(s) not yet engaged, 0 being recalled, 4 out of immediate contact.
Group patrol altitude is 4000 , scrambling fighters to 1000.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 20 minutes


Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Manado at 75,99

Weather in hex: Thunderstorms

Raid spotted at 14 NM, estimated altitude 7,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 8 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-43-IIa Oscar x 10

Allied aircraft
PBY-5 Catalina x 2

No Japanese losses

No Allied losses

CAP engaged:
50th Sentai with Ki-43-IIa Oscar (10 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
10 plane(s) intercepting now.
Group patrol altitude is 4000 , scrambling fighters between 0 and 4000.
Raid is overhead

[Lowpe]

Nov 11, 1942

Disaster in China everywhere, Haiphong falls, the last of the troops in Malaya are ready to surrender...


Ground combat at Kaifeng (89,44)

Allied Deliberate attack

Attacking force 53008 troops, 449 guns, 1038 vehicles, Assault Value = 1945

Defending force 19463 troops, 161 guns, 96 vehicles, Assault Value = 536

Allied adjusted assault: 1298

Japanese adjusted defense: 121

Allied assault odds: 10 to 1 (fort level 3)

Allied forces CAPTURE Kaifeng !!!

Combat modifiers
Defender: forts(+), op mode(-), preparation(-), experience(-)
Attacker:

Japanese ground losses:
6668 casualties reported
Squads: 126 destroyed, 90 disabled
Non Combat: 207 destroyed, 50 disabled
Engineers: 32 destroyed, 3 disabled
Guns lost 91 (66 destroyed, 25 disabled)
Vehicles lost 39 (38 destroyed, 1 disabled)
Units retreated 7

Allied ground losses:
547 casualties reported
Squads: 3 destroyed, 78 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 7 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 3 disabled
Vehicles lost 29 (2 destroyed, 27 disabled)

Defeated Japanese Units Retreating!

Assaulting units:
206th Tank Brigade
81st Chinese Corps
12th Chinese Corps
111th Tank Division
82nd Chinese Corps
413th Howitzer Regiment
33rd Guards Mortar Regiment
32nd Guards Mortar Regiment
39th Guards Mortar Regiment

Defending units:
37th Division
17th RGC Temp. Division
101st NCPC Route Brigade
24th NCPC Route Brigade
6th Medium Field Artillery Regiment
1st Army
23rd JNAF AF Unit

[tarkalak]

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

Nov 11, 1942

Disaster in China everywhere, Haiphong falls, the last of the troops in Malaya are ready to surrender...

...

Do Japanese troops surrender?

I thought that they did bansai and evaporate instead.

[Lowpe]

ORIGINAL: tarkalak

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

Nov 11, 1942

Disaster in China everywhere, Haiphong falls, the last of the troops in Malaya are ready to surrender...

...

Do Japanese troops surrender?

I thought that they did bansai and evaporate instead.

Figure of speech. [;)]

[Lowpe]

Middle of Nov 1942

Allies keep pushing thru, bombing with every plane in their inventory. LRCAP has almost 0 chance of downing a 4E beast now, but I do splash 7 Migs. He has to run out at some point, doesn't he?

Nice knowing you China...

[Lokasenna]

Point of information: Planes with torpedo as the primary ordinance do not particularly care about being set to 1000 feet, in terms of the number of bombs they will drop. What I mean by this is that those Catalinas have a "reduced load" of 4x 250lb bombs, which is their regular bomb load whether they are on normal/extended or 2k+/1k- altitude. Basically, they can attack at 1K without the bomb load penalty.

[Lowpe]

ORIGINAL: Lokasenna

Point of information: Planes with torpedo as the primary ordinance do not particularly care about being set to 1000 feet, in terms of the number of bombs they will drop. What I mean by this is that those Catalinas have a "reduced load" of 4x 250lb bombs, which is their regular bomb load whether they are on normal/extended or 2k+/1k- altitude. Basically, they can attack at 1K without the bomb load penalty.

So can float planes.

[RangerJoe]

I thought that the Cats carried 500 pound bombs . . .

Still, the bombs are effective against unarmored ships like merchants and even the lightly armored cruisers. A bunch of them will also burn the topside from battleships.

[Lowpe]

Nov 16th 1942

Incredibly tough plane, down 6 but lose 4 Nicks (1 to A2A and 3 to ops).

[Lowpe]

The KB, such that it is, has been safeguarding our last source of oil...and the Allies send multiple small task forces hunting it. The Deathstar is probably in striking range.

None of the KB has been upgraded, so they carry some decent guns for naval skirmishes.

There is a screening SAG, but I suspect the IJN is in trouble here during the night.