Weathering the Storm - CHS 155

[ctangus]

Aug 18-19, 1942

Both sides are continuing to train their air crews. I'm doing my best to establish more and larger AFs within range of Japanese bases so I can get more aircraft into action. It's slow though - I'm starting to get some but I don't yet have the oodles of Seabees that the Allies get later. I'm still a little short on aviation support, too.

I want to maintain my current experience advantage & do a better job of beating up on enemy bases.

Cent Pac

Somewhat anticlimactically my troops are now unloading in the Ellice Islands. It's not particularly a setback, though - that was my original intention for these troops.

SW Pac

Bombing, bombing, bombing...

And then, this really sucked! [:D] CL Hobart, damaged earlier in the war by a sub, had repaired over several months at Sydney and was on her way to rejoin the ANZAC fleet. 120 miles from safe harbor at Townsville she took 3 torps from an I-boat! [:@] Currently 60 miles from Townsville, a level 6 port with an AR, but at 63/91/17. I'm not counting on her surviving...

DEI

The Dutch Navy intercepted the convoy off Balikpapan & sunk 3 MSWs & 1 AK. No troops were reported unloading so it must have been a supply convoy.

It got enough supply on land to allow the Jap troops to bring Balikpapan's forts down from 5 to 1 over 2 days of combat. I expect it to fall in the next attack.

Burma/Siam

RAF & USAAF 4Es destroy roughly 80 resource points at Bangkok.

China

I just finished surrounding 2 brigades of the IJA 22nd Division at Pucheng. They had already been involved in 2 failed attacks and must be low on supply. Based on their adjusted assault value I think I might be able to finish them off before the Japanese open up a retreat path.


Russia

Bombing, bombing, bombing...

About the only thing to note is that Iman is now a level 6 airfield.

[ctangus]

Aug 20 - 25, 1942

Updates might be a little slow. There's not much important occurring, though hopefully that will change soon. And the baseball playoffs have started. I follow three teams: the Indians (Go Tribe!), Red Sox and Cubs. They're all in! [:)] I'll try to get this update done before the Indians' game starts.

The biggest excitement is seeing airfields expand. Of note both Port Moresby (8) and Thursday Island (5) recently maxed out.

Cent Pac

Near Suva a Glen was just spotted over my CVs. Hopefully it just looks like some transports. I probably shouldn't count on that though.

So Pac

I'm starting to organize a move into the lower Solomons which are unoccupied. I'll then start beating up on Buin.

SW Pac

I've started to fly a base force into Buna. One of their patrols auto-occupied Salamaua! The allied counter-offensive has started!!! [:D]

CL Hobart sank - while regrettable it wasn't a surprise.

From the start of the game I've intended to advance in this theater as a priority, while keeping pressure in any other theater that I can. Holding and/or re-capturing Port Moresby to be the springboard was one of my highest priorities.

After thinking of other ideas I don't think I should change that. Recent results might allow me to speed up my advance, though.

In a day or two I'll try to provide a more detailed summary so far of the battle for Papua New Guinea. It was interesting (at least IMO).

DEI

A couple convoys just reached the tip of Sumatra to pick up a couple base forces there. They were spotted by Japanese patrol planes & hopefully will be safe tomorrow.

China

Preliminary planning has started for Operation Plum Sauce.

Russia

Mainly frustration here as maybe only 25% of my air strikes are flying.

I'd say more but the Indians game has already started...

[VSWG]

ORIGINAL: ctangus

ORIGINAL: VSWG
What happened to "WitP's worst battleship admiral"? [:'(]

I'm still that, too... [;)]

I thought so... [:'(]

I was wrong - the Battleship Ise wasn't safe - it sunk! [:)]

Congrats!

C. I've started to bomb any resources in Mancukuo that I can reach.

Good idea! How many resource centers across the map have you destroyed so far? If your resource bombing campaign becomes too painful for aztez he might be tempted to re-deploy his fighters before they have adequate experience. Furthermore, this is a good training program for your pilots!

From the start of the game I've intended to advance in this theater as a priority, while keeping pressure in any other theater that I can. Holding and/or re-capturing Port Moresby to be the springboard was one of my highest priorities.

After thinking of other ideas I don't think I should change that. Recent results might allow me to speed up my advance, though.

Do you have the troops, ships and supplies for a second, concurrent offensive in NorPac? IMO (and if possible) you should have two, simultaneous axis of attack, as KB might be able to stop a single offensive. Furthermore, aztez simply has not enough (trained) LBA to stop two Allied advances.

I suggest NorPac because:
1. You can advance under LBA cover, similar to SWPac
2. It's an area for which the Japanese player has to fight for, unless he wants to have the Allies on the doorstep of the HI in early 1943.
3. You can kick off the offensive shorty before winter, making any counter-invasions nearly impossible
4. The high ops losses in winter make this area ideal for a war of attrition
5. It fits perfectly into a general plan to establish a SLOC between the US and Russia.

I think 2 offensives in SWPac and NorPac would be a good fit, since they are so far apart that KB cannot deal with both at the same time. Either aztez splits KB (great!), or he abandons one area (even better!).

[ctangus]

Amazingly I've only lost Oklahoma (at Pearl) and Repulse - trying to beat up on a convoy that I thought was uncovered. Oops... Though I'm sure that will change soon since my battleships will be seeing more work. [:D]

An immediate No Pac offensive is certainly a good idea but I don't really have the transports nearby for such an offensive on an immediate basis. I could reorganize & start one in 6 or 8 weeks but I don't want to wait that long before my first counter-offensive. I want to make sure I take some sort of initiative before Japanese land-based air is competitive again & I'm not sure how long that will be.

Now in the next 6 or 8 months I intend to do something up there. I'd love the northern Kuriles at least. I get my next major ground reinforcements in about 8 months (US XI Corps & 3 Divs). Before then I want to bring pressure to bear in all theaters, including the Northern Pacific.

Update in a little bit.

[ctangus]

Disregard this post...

[ctangus]

August 26 -31, 1942

Still mostly quiet but I managed one good ambush. And the Indians are spanking the Yankees! [:)]

Cent Pac

I've been keeping 2 bomber groups & 2 fighter groups in Hawaii. That's a little overkill at this point particularly since I'm establishing more bases to use them elsewhere. I sent an inexperienced 2E group out which will replace an experienced 2E group in the SW Pac. The experienced 2Es will then replace the 4E group remaining in Hawaii and the 4Es will head to where the action is. I also intend to send one of the fighter groups out but don't have anyplace to use it yet.

In the Ellice Islands Funafuti expanded to AF size 3 & Nanumea to AF size 1.

So Pac/SW Pac

Troops (including lots of engineers) started unloading at Lunga on the 30th. Airfield building is going very quickly & it should hit AF size 1 tomorrow. (I also had already flown in the ground component of a Seabee batallion which started construction 2-3 turns ago.)

I have another TF ready to move into Munda.

TF 17 is covering. A Glen spotted my transports, so there's a chance the Japanese will try to interfere. SBDs also spotted a sub or two, so my opponent probably knows I have CVs in the area. I'd rather not fight a CV battle here - it's neutral ground so the odds would be even - but I'd prefer to fight such a battle when the odds are on my side. I need to cover my transports though.

I have another convoy about to reinforce Buna.

I also, very cleverly, discovered that the Japanese have been mining Buin. Willis Lee, commanding a small SAG, tried to intercept a Japanese task force that was reported there. No enemy was encountered and DD Worden hit 3 mines & sank.



DEI/Burma

Bombing, bombing, bombing by both sides. Nothing too interesting.

China

I brought a base force into Pucheng and managed to intercept one of the larger training missions the IJAAF is launching. A2A losses were 83 to 0 in my favor today! [X(] Those were mostly Nates but it also included 5 Tonys.

The aircraft (and pilot) losses will certainly put a crimp in Japanese training. Hopefully it will also force my opponent to start escorting his training missions, which will also slow it down.

Check out the 1st Squadron AVG, one of two AVG squadrons that took part in this battle:



Monthly summary - end of August, 1942

I'm still happy with the results of the air war - this month the score was 532 to 386 in the allies favor. 348 enemy fighters destroyed.

I'm not sure how long my current LBA advantage will last. From spies (actually mouseover recon) it's apparent that Japan is significantly increasing fighter production. Their training program continues, with few setbacks despite this last turn.

On the other hand I get P-38Gs in another month and Spits, F4U-1s & P-39Qs in 4 months. I also have my own training program going. I doubt 1 month is enough time to rebuild the Japanese air force. 4 months is probably far more than enough, though. Japan might have a window to hurt me in November/December.

[ctangus]

Sept 1 - Sept 6, 1942

Speaking of losing battleships - YOWZA! CV battle! I think I won it. A couple things happened in other theaters, but I'll devote this update solely to the Battle of the Northern Solomons.

On the 3rd, Lunga expanded to a size 2 AF. (Bless those Seabees.) On the 4th 3 B-25 squadrons were flown in to provide a counter-strike capability & the Munda garrison was sent on to Munda. TF 17 was sent further north to cover that move.



And we ran into just about the entire Japanese carrier fleet...

The morning of the 5th saw both carrier fleets reacting to each other. The Japanese TF to the southeast (which turned out to be baby KB, reinforced by Junyo & Hiyo) was covered by clouds. But the First Air Fleet & TF 17 traded blows.



The brave USN pilots launched four strikes against the Kido Butai. In a nutshell all 5 enemy CVs were hit, 3 critically. (Soryu must still be damaged because I didn't see her.)



The Japanese counter-strike came in in two waves - both targetting Task Group 17.4. Both CV Enterprise & BB North Carolina were critically wounded.

The afternoon saw clear weather all around. The USN launched one large strike against the Baby KB. Several enemy flight decks were hit.

The KB didn't launch any strikes - presumably all the flight decks were closed. The Baby KB's counter-strike did come in and targetted Task Group 17.4 (Enterprise) again, Task Group 17.5 (Hornet) and TG 17.7 (SAG under Lee). Hornet, as well as BBs New Mexico & North Carolina promptly sank. Enterprise is very unlikely to make it. Mark Mitscher went down with his flagship.

BUSHIPS announced that they plan to launch a Hornet II in the beginning of Feb. '44.

The morning of the 6th saw no strikes as there was weather over the US Navy. The afternoon saw one small strike against CV Junyo which took 4 torps from TBFs.

Total ship damage from the battle -

IJN:

CV Shokaku - bomb hits 6, on fire, heavy damage
CV Hiryu - bomb hits 9, on fire, heavy damge
CV Akagi - bomb hits 6, on fire, heavy damage
CV Kaga - bomb hits 1
CV Zuikaku - bomb hits 3, on fire
BB Kirishima - bomb hits 5, torpedo hits 1, on fire
CA Tone - bomb hits 2, on fire
CV Hiyo - bomb hits 4, on fire, heavy damage
CVL Shoho - bomb hits 1, on fire
CVE Hosho - bomb hits 2, on fire
CVE Unyo - bomb hits 2, on fire
CV Junyo - bomb hits 3, torpedo hits 4, on fire, heavy damage

USN:

BB North Carolina - bomb hits 5, torpedo hits 5 - SINKS
CV Hornet - torpedo hits 7 - SINKS
BB New Mexico - bomb hits 1, torpedo hits 7 - SINKS
CV Enterprise - bomb hits 10, torpedo hits 1 - 99/77/17
CA Astoria - bomb hits 1 - 3/0/0
CA Minneapolis - torpedo hits 4 - 73/81/15
DMS Dorsey - bomb hits 1 - 35/30/6
CL Helena - bomb hits 4 - 42/12/16
CLAA San Juan - torpedo hits 1 - 10/8/1

No IJN ships have sunk yet. I can't see how Junyo can make it, though. Akagi, Hiryu & Sho have to be in danger. Probably Hiyo as well. So from 1-5 Jap CVs sunk, and many out of action for several months.

On my end I've lost 1 CV and 2 BBs. I'll likely end up losing 2 CVs, 2 BBs & 1 CA. I still have 4 undamaged CVs which should outnumber (in terms of planes) anything that Japan can put together in the near future.

Total plane losses from the battle -



Overall losses were slightly in the Japanese favor. Both the USN & IJN have had their carrier air groups gutted. I should be able to rebuild mine quicker, however.

[ctangus]

I though about chasing enemy cripples with my CVs, but I've neglected keeping Rabaul closed & the Japanese just flew in a bunch of bombers. I only have about 50 operational fighters left on my 4 CVs - likely not enough to protect me. So I'm running...

I do have 5 or 6 subs in the area which will try to intercept.

I'm even abandoning the garrison I just started landing at Munda. I feel like Fletcher off Guadalcanal. Don't worry guys! The USN just needs 7-10 days to regroup. We'll be back!

While I do need a little time to regroup, I think this battle will give me some additional operational flexibility over the next few months.

[VSWG]

[X(] Congrats!! IMO that's the best thing that could have happened to you right now. [&o] No effective Jap. LBA during the next months AND KB is either sunk or (heavily) damaged. [X(] For now his offensive potential is nil, and there's no risk of effective counter-attacks against your invasion(s)- he's down to sniping.

ORIGINAL: ctangus

While I do need a little time to regroup, I think this battle will give me some additional operational flexibility over the next few months.

Understatement of the year. [;)]

BTW, now you've got a chance to further attrit his LBA at Rabaul - unless he sends his damaged carriers directly to Truk (which he probably will).

Again, congrats! Looking forward reading about the effect of this battle on your plans.

[ctangus]

Congrats might not be completely in order...

FLASH!!!

CINCPAC has just learned that initial reports from the Battle of the Northern Solomons were in error. For starters its location was reported wrong - more appropriately it should be called the Battle off Ontong Java.

CV Hornet & BB North Carolina are still confirmed as sunk, and CV Enterprise is still crippled and unlikely to make port. However BB New Mexico was not sunk as originally reported and Mark Mitscher, reported KIA, was found alive, though a little worse for wear, by DD Selfridge.

HYPO codebreakers seem convinced that the initial damage reports by our naval aviators were exaggerated, but it's still believed that the Japanese carrier fleet has been dealt a devastating blow.

(He probably mentioned this already, but aztez informed me that he somehow had most his CV fighters set to 100 ft. altitude. We both agree that the Zero pilots would IRL be trying to protect their CVs, not studying marine biology, so we redid the turn. Damage was significantly less for the IJN, but still heavy. USN damage was slightly less. Still a USN victory I'd say. Coincidentally many of the USN ships attacked before were attacked again when we redid the turn.)

Details in a few minutes...

[ctangus]

Sept 5-6, 1942

Battle off Ontong Java, take two

Here's what really happened...

The morning of the 5th did see the opposing fleets approach each other near Bougainville. Oddly, while my planes spotted the Baby KB, KB itself was never spotted. While both sides tried to close on the other, baby KB remained under clouds all day and neither side launched a strike.



The 6th saw more action, however. The Japanese proceeded southeast, apparently trying to close on Lunga. Both sides reacted again...



As strikes were launched, the IJN was dangerously close to my transports...



The USN sent a total of five strikes out in the morning, all concentrating on the Baby KB. Multiple hits were scored & it was estimated that at least 6, if not 7, of the enemy flight decks were closed.

B-25s based on Lunga also got into the act, even coordinating their strike with one of the USN's. They were pretty effective - they're part of the high experience group that I mentioned was on its way too Hawaii.



The Japanese got in their licks, too. A total of 7 strikes were launched from both KB & Baby KB. The first 2 were small & uncoordinated and were turned back. The next 5 pounded on TG 17.4 (Enterprise) and TG 17.5 (Hornet). Both CVs were left crippled, as well as BB North Carolina. A bomb also bounced off of Wasp.

In the afternoon clouds covered the Kido Butai and it was neither attacked nor launched a strike. One small strike from Baby KB was easily turned away. Radio intercepts indicated that it was from the Hiyo.

Two strong USN raids hit Baby KB again - fatally wounding Junyo and damaging Hiyo - probably closing its flight deck as well.

Total ship damage from the battle -

IJN:

CV Junyo - bomb hits 11, SINKS!
CV Hiyo - bomb hits 3, on fire, heavy damage
BB Haruna - bomb hits 5, on fire
CVL Ryujo - bomb hits 2, on fire
CVL Shoho - bomb hits 7, on fire, heavy damage
CVL Zuiho - bomb hits 5, on fire, heavy damage
CVE Unyo - bomb hits 11, torpedo hits 1, SINKS!
CVE Hosho - bomb hits 4, torpedo hits 2, SINKS!
CVE Taiyo - bomb hits 12, torpedo hits 1, SINKS!
CL Kitakami - bomb hits 2, on fire (both penetrated)

USN:

CV Hornet - torpedo hits 5, SINKS!
CV Enterprise - bomb hits 30 [X(], torpedo hits 4, 99/97/49 (I'm surprised she's afloat)
CV Wasp - bomb hits 1, 2/0/0
BB North Carolina - bomb hits 2, torpedo hits 3, SINKS!
BB New Mexico - bomb hits 9, 4/0/7
BB Mississippi - bomb hits 3, torpedo hits 1, 2/0/2 (The torp hit must have been FOW)
CA New Orleans - torpedo hits 1, 11/1/3
CA Astoria - bomb hits 2, 5/0/0
CA Minneapolis - Bomb hits 1, 2/0/1

Aircraft losses were much more in my favor. Most of my pilots diverted to Lunga. On the other hand while the Baby KB was shredded, less than 60 of the IJN losses were from the First Air Fleet:



I'll post my plans for the next 2 days when I figure out what I'm going to do. [:'(]

[ctangus]

Here's the sitrep & the plan:

I'm not sure if my opponent will stick around or not. Baby KB, if not completely dead, is at least a mission kill. The 5 operational CVs of First Air Fleet are undamaged. Maybe 390 planes. @ 60 were shot down yesterday but replacements could have been flown in. Probably some damaged planes, though. So maybe 350 planes. Any replacements flown in are probably relatively low experience.

I have 4 operational CVs with @ 300 planes after flying on fragments. @250 operational. Another 100 planes based off Lunga. Most have pretty good experience.

The Japanese have flown a bunch of bombers into Rabaul which while damaged, is currently open.

In the next turn Lunga should expand to AF size 3, Milne Bay also to 3 and Buna to AF size 1.

I'm not going to chase with my CVs - I'd be entering The Betty Zone. But I'm preparing for KB to stick around. Specifically I'm doing a few things:

1. Sending 2 cruiser TFs to likely locations to intercept cripples from the Baby KB.
2. Abandoning Munda (just temporarily!)
3. Consolidating all merchants, auxiliaries, etc. to Lunga where I can provide a little bit of CAP.
4. Sending my CVs southeast. I should be close enough to protect the transports if KB sticks around. But even if my CVs react two hexes, I still should remain out of escorted Betty range. I'm willing to take my chances against unescorted Bettys.
5. Sending a few subs to likely locations to hit cripples.
6. With some free space at Port Moresby, I brought in another B-24 group that just entered the theater. 3 4E groups with P-38F escort will hit Rabaul.

[Local Yokel]

I have been watching the AAR’s of both sides, so will take care with what I say.

Congratulations! This is the second carrier battle you've reported in recent times in which you’ve come out on top!

Suggest that a more appropriate title for this would be ‘the Battle of Ontong Java Atoll’.

What I find most striking is the causes of a/c losses. On both sides the fighters accounted for the great majority of the kills. Although flak was responsible for about 20% of Japanese torpedo plane losses, it was otherwise pretty ineffective on both sides. I would have expected to see US flak disposing of a higher number of dive bombers, but perhaps upgrades haven’t yet equipped your carriers with lots of 20 and 40 mm.

[ctangus]

ORIGINAL: Local Yokel

Congratulations! This is the second carrier battle you've reported in recent times in which you’ve come out on top!

Thanks! [:)] That's because I'm the bestest admiral evah!!! [:'(]

(Though I must admit I lost a CV battle against viberpol at more or less the same time I won one against George Patton. Big oops there...)

Suggest that a more appropriate title for this would be ‘the Battle of Ontong Java Atoll’.

I must admit I had to look that up. Or maybe, Battle off Ontong Java? That has a nice ring.

What I find most striking is the causes of a/c losses. On both sides the fighters accounted for the great majority of the kills. Although flak was responsible for about 20% of Japanese torpedo plane losses, it was otherwise pretty ineffective on both sides. I would have expected to see US flak disposing of a higher number of dive bombers, but perhaps upgrades haven’t yet equipped your carriers with lots of 20 and 40 mm.

I hadn't noticed that, but you're right.

Each CV had a strong escort - a division of 3 CAs/CLAAs and a squadron (9) of destroyers. The 3 Yorktowns & Wasp each had a BB in attendance as well, though only one was a new model. All of the capital ships and most of the destroyers had their most recent upgrades. In October I'm eligible for another round of upgrades. The destroyers & slow BBs in particular will get a big boost in AA then. I don't have CPS radar yet - I know that helps CAP & it seems to help flak as well.

I was about to do an update but I lost most of my screenshots & a turn just arrived. In short: it was a bad two days for allied cruisers. 2 sunk/scuttled & 4 more damaged. On the bright side, 2 Jap CVLs & 1 CL sank as well.

[Local Yokel]

Yup, definitely prefer 'Battle off Ontong Java'.

Play enough Pacific-based wargames and eventually you'll absorb the most obscure aspects of its geography [:D]. Think I first noticed Ontong Java in Silent Hunter 1, but it may have been TF 1942/Pac. Air War.

The other point I thought noteworthy about the air combat was that those dumpy little Grummans gave better than they got against the vaunted A6M's - but no real surprise there; I suspect this is primarily the product of good pilot quality.

[ctangus]

ORIGINAL: Local Yokel

Yup, definitely prefer 'Battle off Ontong Java'.

So it is!

The other point I thought noteworthy about the air combat was that those dumpy little Grummans gave better than they got against the vaunted A6M's - but no real surprise there; I suspect this is primarily the product of good pilot quality.

I suspect you're right re the pilot quality. AFAIK First Air Fleet (and its pilots) was still mostly intact, but in that battle I was mostly tangling with Baby KB. I still had most of my pre-war pilots. And I did have some LBA help - note the P-38F losses. They were escorting the Lunga-based B-25s on the one strike that they launched.

Though I also think the F4F has an (undeservedly) bad rep with some. I generally get decent & plausible results with it.

[ctangus]

Sept 7-22, 1942

Yikes. I've been remiss in updating this. I plead busyness & baseball playoffs. The Tribe's looking good!

No turn from Jari tonight so I'll try to do a comprehensive update.

No Pac

I'm now building up as far west as Attu. The first Pearl Harbor battleship has fully repaired and is sailing to join the Northern Fleet. Troops are enjoying the salmon fishing.

Cent Pac

I just dropped off one of the CHS partial-strength US Divs at Pearl. It will rebuild there, maintaining part of the garrison, while freeing up the 24th US Div for offensive operations in South Pac.

Nanumea is almost a size 3 airfield now. Once it's size 4 I'll start suppressing Tarawa. A B-17 group from Hawaii and a B-25 group from the West Coast will get the honors.

South Pac/Southwest Pac

The tail end of the Battle off Ontong Java saw mixed results. B-25s from Lunga finished of Zuiho & Shoho and a Japanese destroyer or two. My subs also successfully tracked Ryuju back to Truk, but only got off one shot which missed.

I mentioned how I neglected keeping Rabaul closed. That's been remedied but it was painful for two days. IJN level bombers attacked shipping off both Lunga & Lae. Notably CL Detroit was hit by two torps (subsequently scuttled) as well as several transports and a MSW or two. I lost 6-8 ships altogether with several more damaged. A few troops were lost with that also.

DEI

This theater's seen the most action the last couple of game weeks.

On the 7th, disaster struck the Dutch navy. IJA & IJN level bombers struck against the Dutch fleet which was docked at Kendari. I only had a weak CAP up and most the bombers got through, damaging all 4 of the Dutch cruisers & 1 destroyer. CL Tromp was sunk later by LBA when she tried to make a break for it. I scuttled two other cruisers in port when Kendari was about to be invaded. Only CL De Ruyter made it - she's safely on her way to Sydney with 40+ sys damage.

What made it even worse was that I had just - maybe 10 days before - sent the remnants of the US Asiatic Fleet out of the area so I was left with no effective naval presence around.

Right after that Japanese LBA hit Makassar, closed it & roughed up the Dutch planes stationed there. A Japanese invasion fleet then appeared - apparently heading to Makassar. I redeployed my LBA to hit it, keeping some in reserve at/near Amboina:



Overnight a Japanese bombardment fleet hit Kendari and (just barely) closed the airfield to offensive operations. It was clear at this point that the invasion was headed to Kendari. B-24s took off, but only managed two hits. I reorganized my LBA again:



The invasion then landed. I had @ 3500 mines there & they did a good job - scoring 30+ mine hits. The Japanese took over 10,000 casualties on landing. But a full 5 divisions quickly overran my defenders.

I did get a little revenge when my LBA finally launched in large numbers. Zillions of strikes sank two Japanese destroyers, at least a dozen transports and damaged many more.



I'm going to try to close Kendari's AF with my level bombers, but recon shows fighters there already. The only long range fighters I have in theater are Dutch Brewsters. We'll see how it goes...

China

The little ambush I staged of the Japanese training run near Shanghai had an unforeseen repercussion. Pucheng is now being visited daily by Japanese bombing runs & I no longer have the supplies to continue to reduce the Japanese units I have trapped there. I should have predicted that - oops...

Russia

Over the last few weeks the Japanese have reinforced Vladivostok with another 12 units - 4 1/3 divs plus engineers & arty. I've reinforced some in response, though I also pulled out the two divisions in worst shape for some R&R.

Forts are back up to 9.

I'm taking unhealthy flak losses while trying to keep enemy airbases closed in this theater.

[ctangus]

Operation Slinky

Operation Slinky is the codename for the first allied offensive operations up the Solomons and the north coast of New Guinea. General Chuckarthur hopes to liberate all the Australian Mandated territories before the end of the year. That might be a little optimistic - I plan to move slow - but I want Rabaul at least.

Here's the general outline of the planned advances:



I'm shuffling my air force around a little bit for Operation Silly Putty. The purpose of this is to continue to isolate the battlefield & start prepping Buin & Lae for invasions. The outlying Japanese fields will receive airfield attacks. Lae & Buin will receive a mix of AF/port & ground attacks. Naval bombardments will start as well:



The KB is still a possible threat to my offensive moves. I doubt I'll see it committed again to this theater, soon, but it could be. With that in mind I plan to advance for now under strong LBA cover. By that I don't mean I just want to LR CAP my transports. If the KB challenges my moves I want it exposed to a swarm of allied LBA. For example, here's the LBA support I plan for Operation Potato Chip (the Lae invasion):



Amazingly, my biggest limiting factor right now is construction engineers to build up my airfields. Fortunately the huge influx of Seabee units starts next month, with 4 or more arriving per month from there on out.

[VSWG]

ORIGINAL: ctangus

Amazingly, my biggest limiting factor right now is construction engineers to build up my airfields. Fortunately the huge influx of Seabee units starts next month, with 4 or more arriving per month from there on out.

You could build up Gasmata, too. Fast transport some Seabees (IIRC the engineer vehicles can be transported by APDs) and some supplies + drop a unit of paras, and in no time you will have a nice level 1 / 2 air field next to Rabaul! A Japanese counter-attack would be very unlikely since it must come from the south, through the Solomon Sea, which should be an Allied lake in a couple of weeks. If he doesn't counter-attack you've got a nice forward fighter base that can cover your Rabaul invasion. You might even attack Rabaul overland from Gasmata and avoid a bloody invasion, although this would take a very long time.

I'm a bit surprised that you haven't fortified the eastern SRA, especially Kendari and Timor, by now. Timor was shielded by Makassar, Kendari and Amboina for a very long time, so your reinforcement convoys would have come through without problems. I assume you simply didn't have enough LCUs to do this?

[ctangus]

ORIGINAL: VSWG

You could build up Gasmata, too.

Yep. I didn't show it on the map, but that's next on the list after Lae & Buin. I want at least a size 3 AF there before I grab Rabaul. I might take Kavieng before Rabaul, also - I'm uncertain on that.

ORIGINAL: VSWG

I'm a bit surprised that you haven't fortified the eastern SRA, especially Kendari and Timor, by now. Timor was shielded by Makassar, Kendari and Amboina for a very long time, so your reinforcement convoys would have come through without problems. I assume you simply didn't have enough LCUs to do this?

Basically. I can't be strong everywhere. I've moderately reinforced Koepang, Lautem, Namlea, Amboina & Boela. Mainly with Dutch forces. A couple of the Aussie bird battalions. All 5 are offensive airfields & should resist a small invasion.

My intention so far hasn't been to hold them, but to make them strong enough to force a divisional-sized invasion and maybe cause some damage to any invasion fleet as well.