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

[Lowpe]

Nov 14, 1943

Some night bombing for no effect by both sides.

Allies have 4Es now in the Marianas, and the action is heating up as the Japan is in a world of hurt.

Near Saipan...

[Lowpe]

I guess the Allies are sending out Fletcher task forces, looking for stragglers or more likely setting up bombardment runs on my now front line bases.

Luckily the Lilly divebombers are on the job.

[Lowpe]

The PI in peril...and no where close to being ready for an attack.

[Lowpe]

In other happy and not so happy news around the Empire:

The Army beats off a 1-1 attack on the Tuang Gyi road 350 AV versus almost 2000 for the Allies (1600 afvs) and gets a 1-1 destroying 20 tanks and disabling 100 more. The real defence will be one hex north of Uttaradit which is digging in nicely and filling out...it will be tough nut to crack.

Massive sweeps and bombing of Bangkok, and the very low level Oscars actually shoot down some Jugs, and then some Venturas in the afternoon. The convoy there bounced around and didn't unload much, so I will send them to Singers where it is safer to unload.

George sweeps of Lashio cancelled for weather.

Allies sweep Saipan with Jugs and Hellcats at maximum altitude. I will have to abandon this airbase...

Allies bombard Guam, now a daily happening.

[Encircled]

Now would be a good time to suddenly discover an entire IJA Corp that you'd forgotten about.

[Lokasenna]

Hrm. How many PPs do you have?

[Lowpe]

ORIGINAL: Lokasenna

Hrm. How many PPs do you have?

5-600, was trying to get another division bought out.

[Lowpe]

Here is Japan's paltry attempt at kicking the Allies off Great Nicobar.

I have been bombarding them with E's pretty much daily...they cause 60 casualties a day and damage everything. Only one small combat unit was here...but some AA, ENGs, etc too.

Tonight they will be bombarded with battleships, and cruisers, and destroyers. Oh my!

In the morning a horde of 200 Oscars and Tonies will deliver some 100 foot general purpose 250 kilogram gifts and lots of 20cm rounds to keep them company and a Sentai of Helens -- even more joy.

Then we shall attack.

So, I need the weather to cooperate, the dice gods to cooperate, the task forces to bombard. It is asking a lot. [8|] Every time I try something like this, some critical aspect seems to fail. Hey, if it was easy, anyone could do it![:)]

[Lowpe]

Nov 15, 1943

Started the retreat from Port Moresby. I think I have time, as the Allied ships will most likely head back to Pearl for repairs and new plane models.

Many, many ships are added to the withdrawl from Kusaie, Ponape, Lower Solomons, Upper Solomons, Port Moresby and lower SRA. Not stripping the lower SRA, but reducing it. Most stuff out this way is heading to Luzon, Samar, Yap and company. New reinforcements from the HI are going closer to home.

My goal was to keep the oil flowing until Jan, and I think I will get there. My other goal was to keep the KB intact, and well you know how that turned out.[:D] I did get a CVE today.

Attack at Great Nicobar reduces the Allied AV to 19. Will keep pounding it, fly LRCAP to nail transports, bomb and bombard it.

Tuang Gyi road holds again, but only to a bombardment attack where the heavy artillery there fires some great counter battery salvoes for 0 IJA loss and 2 guns for the Allies (probably mtn guns).

[Lowpe]

Nov 16th, 1943

No night bombing of effect.

A costly mistake on my part costs me a destroyer and two light cruisers...they went into Port Blair and remained on station. The subsequent air attacks damaged the ships and that night as they attempted to get away they ran into the Prince of Wales[X(]...back in action. The Allies must have been a little scared when the damaged IJN ships started launching torpedoes, but to no effect. In the morning they were attacked again by planes and finally 2 out of 4 were put down.

But at least some Jacks got into the fray and it cost the Allies many planes. I like Jacks, only have one squadron, but I might have enough in the pools to equip another smallish squadron of them.

[Lowpe]

Meanwhile the escape back continues apace. I am impressed with how quickly troops can be transported by air, surely this can't be historical and might be considered gamey. Don't know.

The air bridges are working from Truk to Ponape and Kusaie. Manus to PM. Rabaul to the lower Solomons. And out of Guam and Saipan. Psst: don't tell the Allies they might LRCAP them and shoot the planes down.

First troops are arriving in the PI were the Allies are interested in cutting off everything south. Really a good choice, lots of potential targets, and good potential airfields, and no IJA troops or not much and too far south to activate kamikazes. From playing downfall, I am not sure how damaging kamikazes will be...they haven't impressed there, but then again pilot skill really is quite poor in that scenario.

You can see now the Allies are reconning another base including the base to the east. Not good. I just picked up the Wake CD unit and may throw them there.

I am also very worried about an attack from Marcus to Hokkaido. Not much I can do but dig in and keep several eyes peeled.

[Lowpe]

Another deliberate attack on IJA forces on the Tuang Gyi road, and they hold with a 1-2, but the it doesn't look like they can hold any longer. All the artillery is evacuating in combat mode, the damaged RTA units and Armor in reserve and the plucky 33rd Division will continue to hold the forts.

The Uttaradit holding holding force is busy digging in with the 1st Tank Division and 2 other IJA Divisions one of which is heavy. Artillery and AA arriving and I don't see how the Allies will be able to get past them.

But bad news, the Allies bomb the troops holding the jungle/river hex due east of Moulmein. It is only a RTA divison, some 20mm auto cannon AA, and some other odds and ends. I was actually shocked the attack didn't come after the bombing. Either he messed up his movement estimation, or he is recon by bombing, or he wants to soften them up for a few days first. If the Allies show up there, the 2000K defenders of Moulmein will have to retreat....back to the JR dirt road positions where some troops are now getting ready, I hope to have 2K in each with the southern 2K retreating back to Singers and the eastern 2K retreating back to Raheng.

Uttardit and Raheng keep building fort levels, I don't think I will ever stop and it is a mistake for the Allies not to be bombing them with something each day. Also building forts on the rail line to Singers.

I am not sure why the Allies haven't relentlessly attacked here in Burma...no way I could stop him after that wrongway retreat at Tuang Gyi.

[JocMeister]

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

Meanwhile the escape back continues apace. I am impressed with how quickly troops can be transported by air, surely this can't be historical and might be considered gamey. Don't know.

The air bridges are working from Truk to Ponape and Kusaie. Manus to PM. Rabaul to the lower Solomons. And out of Guam and Saipan. Psst: don't tell the Allies they might LRCAP them and shoot the planes down.

This one of my biggest gripes with the game. Its almost impossible to cut anything off. I moaned something fierce about it and finally discovered LRCAP wasn´t working against transports. Michealm fixed that but you still have to be really close to the base our you can´t intercept.

[obvert]

ORIGINAL: JocMeister

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

Meanwhile the escape back continues apace. I am impressed with how quickly troops can be transported by air, surely this can't be historical and might be considered gamey. Don't know.

The air bridges are working from Truk to Ponape and Kusaie. Manus to PM. Rabaul to the lower Solomons. And out of Guam and Saipan. Psst: don't tell the Allies they might LRCAP them and shoot the planes down.

This one of my biggest gripes with the game. Its almost impossible to cut anything off. I moaned something fierce about it and finally discovered LRCAP wasn´t working against transports. Michealm fixed that but you still have to be really close to the base our you can´t intercept.

Yep. My one thought is that the Japanese considered these planes were using for only their intended purpose and didn't put them into mass use flying troops. Not sure if t's possible on the scale that works in game though. The Allies have pretty good transport by air too, so I guess it can work both ways, and was very helpful to me setting up first bases in So Pac.

Things that would have inhibited the mass use of transports in this way were maintenance and parts for that air fleet being used so heavily, ops losses (especially at night), and other bits like fuel availability for so many four engine flying boats. (Do troops perish when a transport is shot down?).

Plus there would have been a massive log-jam loading and unloading at each end. They did manage to do some big evac ops but mostly with barges and other smaller shipping.

[Lokasenna]

ORIGINAL: JocMeister

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

Meanwhile the escape back continues apace. I am impressed with how quickly troops can be transported by air, surely this can't be historical and might be considered gamey. Don't know.

The air bridges are working from Truk to Ponape and Kusaie. Manus to PM. Rabaul to the lower Solomons. And out of Guam and Saipan. Psst: don't tell the Allies they might LRCAP them and shoot the planes down.

This one of my biggest gripes with the game. Its almost impossible to cut anything off. I moaned something fierce about it and finally discovered LRCAP wasn´t working against transports. Michealm fixed that but you still have to be really close to the base our you can´t intercept.

LRCAP doesn't cut them off, but CAP with the right range settings will.

I wish LRCAP did, so that you could target specific bases, but I know that MM tried to either fly in supply or fly troops out of a base not so long ago and I shot down a decent number of transports/flying boats in a single day.

[Lowpe]

ORIGINAL: Lokasenna

LRCAP doesn't cut them off, but CAP with the right range settings will.

Darn, I knew that, and then forgot it. Now I know it again.[:D]

I have a few Emilies that are likely to get shot to pieces today.[:(]

[Lowpe]

I was thinking of disbanding some destroyers in dot bases in the PI, especially ones a few hexes back and unlikely to be reconned by the Allies.

Then when the invasion comes, I can form them up into two and three ship squadrons to race in and cause havoc at night, and then hopefully retreat far enough away to avoid air attacks (but most likely they will sink).

Sounds like fun.

[Lowpe]

This turn I am trying one more time to kick the Allies out of Great Nicobar...I managed to get the Raider Regiment down to 14 AV, have kept up with aerial and shore bombardments and there was no AA fire last turn, but I bet that is because of high disruption and not no supplies. Here is hoping.

Of course, a worry is the POW will show up, so two destroyers are racing into Cap Nicobar to disrupt either resupply or to screen the Allied force.

I have two Kongo's available, but I don't think they could fight off the POW. In addition I have two Emily squadron on night torpedo attacks, so they might get a shot at her.

[JocMeister]

ORIGINAL: Lokasenna
LRCAP doesn't cut them off, but CAP with the right range settings will.

I wish LRCAP did, so that you could target specific bases, but I know that MM tried to either fly in supply or fly troops out of a base not so long ago and I shot down a decent number of transports/flying boats in a single day.

If its not its broken again. After Michealm sorted it out I had no problem intercepting transports (within the parameters) using LRCAP.

tm.asp?m=3385105&mpage=1&key=

[Lokasenna]

ORIGINAL: JocMeister

ORIGINAL: Lokasenna
LRCAP doesn't cut them off, but CAP with the right range settings will.

I wish LRCAP did, so that you could target specific bases, but I know that MM tried to either fly in supply or fly troops out of a base not so long ago and I shot down a decent number of transports/flying boats in a single day.

If its not its broken again. After Michealm sorted it out I had no problem intercepting transports (within the parameters) using LRCAP.

tm.asp?m=3385105&mpage=1&key=

I had Tojos flying LRCAP from Neikiang over Chungking, which is a range of 2. As far as I knew, the parameters were that it had to be within half of normal range, yes? They never intercepted a single plane, and I thought because of that Bullwinkle wasn't flying stuff in. Except he had been, for months and months.

Maybe because it was over an enemy base? But isn't that the point of transport interception? Presumably, if I had been running CAP range 2, it would've worked? I do know that CAP based in-hex at Tabiteuea took down MM's planes, and they showed up in A2A losses.