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Pretty simple answer CF - oh and congrats on fantastic writing - first time writer long time reader.

Split KB to two elements and go both N and S with good recon to the void where he is likely be if he tries to come out and attack you (SE of the north TF and NE of the South TF). Very unlikely to stay in port, although potential to move to a smaller port.

KB will have, even if split in two, plenty of firepower to catch these ships, it will be the finding them that counts - heavy emphasis on scouting.

I'd also make my southerly TF a 4 CV TF - more likely to meet CV opposition from the south.

If I was to hazard a guess as to what he will do. The answer is run north. Staying in port is rat in a trap, heading out to you requires he hit to even contest an attack - that he will likely lose - and if he misses it's curtains when the sun comes up. Heading South is the obvious way to go - head toward bigger, better defended bases, but then Q-ball is a whiley customer - he'll head North, and maybe at flank speed. Better sys and engine damage from high speed than being on the bottom.

Seesh - just re-read this and I know AND have read Q-Balls AAR. The above synopsis is my supposition and has no weight due to knowledge of his AAR. Just the way I would think with the info you've supplied.

I would not bother repairing the refineries. The HI have mucho excess capacity. Save the supply and just ship oil back home.

Sorry to hear about the Hibiki.

ORIGINAL: aprezto

Seesh - just re-read this and I know AND have read Q-Balls AAR. The above synopsis is my supposition and has no weight due to knowledge of his AAR. Just the way I would think with the info you've supplied.

Not to worry, aprezto, I had already sent my turn before I read your post. Your analysis was a good one and I don't think anyone reading would knowingly supply either player with "inside" information.

ORIGINAL: DaveP

I would not bother repairing the refineries. The HI have mucho excess capacity. Save the supply and just ship oil back home.

Sorry to hear about the Hibiki.

Heh, thanks. I think you are right about the refineries.

[font="Arial"]Holy @#$!*, what are all those %#!@*% American carriers doing here?[/font]
- Captain, CL Sendai, last words

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1/3/42 – 1/8/42

Now things are getting kind of interesting.

The Aussie cruisers escaped, though which way they fled is unknown. Kido Butai cruised down to Brisbane and blew up some fuel storage tanks and sank and damaged some assorted small merchies, then wandered over to Noumea to see if the Allies were up to anything interesting there.

They weren’t. But at about this time, on 8 January, American carriers showed up off Singkawang and attacked the Japanese invasion force at Kuching. CL Sendai and DD Shikasumi were sunk; considering that I had two battleships and four transport convoys there the damage was slight enough. The weather was bad, with rain over much of the region, which probably helped a lot. American carriers in the Java Sea is a hair-raising prospect, though!

Then, on the night of 9 January, I-155 reported putting a torpedo into CV Enterprise as it withdrew east along the southern coast of Java. A heavy primary explosion was reported, and then a larger one as some of Enterprise’s avgas stores went up.

Real, or wishful thinking on the part of the sub’s skipper? I do not know yet…

So now it is decision time here at Cuttlefish HQ. Even if Enterprise is hurt there are still one or two US carriers around Java. Always look on the bright side, my Aunt Agnes used to say (of course, Agnes later went mad, believing she was Catherine the Great, and to this day is confined in Saint Fidget’s Home for the Incurably Insane - but that’s another story). The bright side is this: I know where his carriers are. Pacific operations can be stepped up and there is an opportunity, perhaps, to do them some harm.

I sent a replenishment convoy into the Coral Sea when my carriers headed for Australia. KB will rendezvous with them, refuel, and then head like thunder west between Auatralia and New Guinea. We will see what happens. If Enterprise is more than slightly damaged Q-Ball faces some tough decisions of his own.

This is why we love this game so much.

Luzon: Clark Field is now under siege. Even with only a third of my artillery up the first couple days of bombardment averaged 700 casualties. Now all of it is in place and I hope to see that number jump to over 1000 a day. I have 1440 AV there and the 38th Division (from Hong Kong) is heading down from San Fernando to bolster that considerably. I hope to make the conquest of Luzon brutal and short.

I have been reading the debate on the forum about whether artillery bombardments are too destructive. I’m not sure. I do think they should eat up more supply, but supplies I’ve got. There are 436 Japanese artillery pieces trained on Clark; men have gone mad under such a barrage. In real life the Japanese conducted this part of their operation on a shoestring, having already pulled out their best troops for use in Java. I do not intend to repeat this mistake; my forces there will have all the men and supplies they need.

Malaya: this operation feels as though it is going at a crawl. In reality, however, we are getting close to starting the siege here. Daily bombardment of the airfield has halted British air attacks on my advancing troops.

Burma: the 33rd Division is at Moulmein; Pegu will be attacked soon. Recon elements are moving north to cut the road above the city.

DEI: Ambon was invaded this turn. Because of the threat posed by the US carriers the invasion of Balikpapan, which was to have begun loading this turn, has been postponed. The Ambon invasion force has been ordered to stop unloading supplies and hustle back to Manado. Kuching is now in my hands and Sorong will be invaded next turn.

China: see the map below for the situation here. My impression so far is that China is a dog’s dinner for the Allies; their troops mostly seem to be good at dying in large numbers. But there are a lot of them and if allowed the initiative they can make trouble.

Pacific: I’m building up Rabaul and occupying nearby bases. So far there has been no sign of Allied resistance in this region at all, either by land, sea, or air. A Japanese submarine torpedoed CL Trenton east of Hawaii on 7 January. Naturally the light cruiser has now been listed as sunk; anything my submarine commanders see through a periscope gets listed as sunk. I don’t believe them; they tell lies. Enterprise is listed as sunk too. Ha!

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The situation in Malaya, along with Q-Ball's CV strike. That was a nice move, I have to admit. I just about spilled my soda when I saw my ships at Kuching were being scouted by Dauntlesses.

Here is the China map.

The situation in Malaya, along with Q-Ball's CV strike. That was a nice move, I have to admit. I just about spilled my soda when I saw my ships at Kuching were being scouted by Dauntlesses.

It's been fun reading both AAR's and watching the manuevers. For a brief moment each side knew where the other's CV's were; an unusual situation for early 1942. But IMHO that works more to the advantage of the Allies than the IJN.

ORIGINAL: Capt. Harlock

The situation in Malaya, along with Q-Ball's CV strike. That was a nice move, I have to admit. I just about spilled my soda when I saw my ships at Kuching were being scouted by Dauntlesses.

It's been fun reading both AAR's and watching the manuevers. For a brief moment each side knew where the other's CV's were; an unusual situation for early 1942. But IMHO that works more to the advantage of the Allies than the IJN.

I'm inclined to think you're right about that. It has occured to me that the sole purpose of the Kuching raid might have been to force my carriers to operate in the DEI and not the Pacific. If that's true then his carriers are already probably on their way back down around Australia.

Hmm...if Kido Butai pays Darwin a destructive little visit they could then buttonhook around New Guinea and head back to Truk. If I have Ryujo and Zuiho then continue along KB's projected path into the Java Sea Q-Ball might think they are my main carrier force and that his gambit has worked. It's a thought, anyway.

ORIGINAL: Cuttlefish

ORIGINAL: Capt. Harlock

The situation in Malaya, along with Q-Ball's CV strike. That was a nice move, I have to admit. I just about spilled my soda when I saw my ships at Kuching were being scouted by Dauntlesses.

It's been fun reading both AAR's and watching the manuevers. For a brief moment each side knew where the other's CV's were; an unusual situation for early 1942. But IMHO that works more to the advantage of the Allies than the IJN.

I'm inclined to think you're right about that. It has occured to me that the sole purpose of the Kuching raid might have been to force my carriers to operate in the DEI and not the Pacific. If that's true then his carriers are already probably on their way back down around Australia.

Hmm...if Kido Butai pays Darwin a destructive little visit they could then buttonhook around New Guinea and head back to Truk. If I have Ryujo and Zuiho then continue along KB's projected path into the Java Sea Q-Ball might think they are my main carrier force and that his gambit has worked. It's a thought, anyway.

One note: Q-Ball might get suspicious if your fake KB does not operate Vals, only Kates.

[font="Arial"]Of all the dangers in employing troops, timidity is the greatest and all calamities which overtake an army arise from hesitation.[/font]
- Wu ch’I, 430 – 381 B.C.

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1/9/42 – 1/12/42

Since the (possible) torpedo hit on Enterprise there has been no sign of the American carrier force. I’d give a lot to know whether they are withdrawing from the area or if they are going to hang around. Seven Allied light cruisers, led by the dreaded Boise, bombarded Kuching on the night of 9 January.

He knows where Kido Butai is, that’s for sure. As KB approached Torres Strait on 12 January they found and sank four small minesweepers off the Australian coast and then sank AMC Whyalla and two xAKs at Thursday Island. A Betty attack from Rabaul hit another xAK in the area. CVLs Ryujo and Zuiho are at Babelthingy, having replenished their torpedoes and upgraded their Claudes to Zeros. The two small carriers will cover further attacks in the DEI while KB visits Darwin. After that I’ll see where things stand before deciding what to do.

There hasn’t been much combat otherwise. The Allies are now taking about 1000 casualties a day from artillery fire at Clark; we will try an attack in a turn or two and see how it goes. Japanese units are beginning to mass at the end of the Malay Peninsula, preparing to cross over to Singapore and get the party started there. The Balikpapan operation will resume. I am currently stalled at Ambon, whose defenses were stronger than I thought, and another naval guard unit is en route to put things in order there.

For fun several midget sub carriers are on their way to San Francisco to launch a midget sub attack there. It will probably all come to naught but who knows? The 53rd Division has been “purchased” from the Home Islands and is en route to Rabaul.

Northern exposure: The removal of the 53rd Division aside, I am usually careful not to strip the Home Islands of too many troops. In fact, while I have no interest right now in invading the Aleutians I am already beginning to look to the defense of the north. Base force troops are en route to Paramushiro Jima to begin constructing an airfield there (it starts at 0/5 in AE). In WitP the rest of the Kuriles were worthless, but that is not the case in AE, so I will look to start fortifying them as well. Sakhalin Island will get some additional troops, too.

I have no idea if Q-Ball would ever contemplate an attack up there but I want to be ready for him if he does. He is not a timid player and the north can provide a good early opportunity for the Allies.

Good to see you writing again, even if in a different style.

Yeah, definitely enjoying this! Two very talented players and writers makes for an extremely fun game to watch.

ORIGINAL: kaleun

Good to see you writing again, even if in a different style.

Thanks! This isn't "Small Ship, Big War" by any stretch but it's fun being able to talk about the whole war. And as Alikchi says, it should be an interesting game.

[font="Arial"]When you strike an enemy and overcome him, never give up the pursuit as long as your men have strength to follow; for an enemy routed, if hotly pursued, becomes panic-stricken, and can be destroyed by half their number.[/font]
- Stonewall Jackson, 1824-1863

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1/13/42 – 1/17/42

Kido Butai raided Darwin, where my carriers continued what is beginning to seem like a personal vendetta against the Austrialian coastal minesweeping fleet. And then, as far as I can tell, they vanished from Q-Ball’s sight.

My hope is that if my opponent thinks there is any chance that KB is on the loose in the DEI he will have no choice but to pull any surface targets of value out of the region. In reality KB is already around New Guinea and on the way back to Truk. They will lie low there for a little bit, at least long enough for my forces to penetrate far enough into the DEI to isolate Java.

I have no idea where his carriers have gotten off to. Japanese intelligence has reluctantly admitted that Enterprise was not sunk after all, but on 16 January SBD-2 dive bombers flying out of Balikpapan struck at the approaching invasion force, scoring a hit on Mogami. They took a shot at shipping mustering at Tarakan, too, but there are Zeros there now. I’m thinking that they almost have to have been from one of Enterprise’s air groups. If so, then Enterprise really was badly hurt. That would be good news, anyway.

Luzon: after a week of bombardment at Clark Japanese forces attacked. The results were disappointing, with over 9000 Japanese casualties to only around 1500 Allied. Bombardment and air attacks will resume for a while, then we will try it again. Lather, rinse, repeat. He did counter-bombardments for a couple of days and then stopped; I’m hoping the supply drain was too severe for him to do that much, because they were fairly effective. It would also mean he has to watch supplies; I’m assuming that in AE, as in WitP, running him out of supply in the key to eventual victory here.

Malaya: Japanese forces now control the entire peninsula. The last units are moving into place by rail and as soon as they are ready the siege of Singapore will commence in earnest.

Burma: good news here. The 33rd Division and 112th Regiment crashed into Pegu, shattering the half a dozen or so defending brigades, forcing one to surrender and putting the rest to flight. Because I had already cut the road north they had no choice but to retreat into Rangoon. What’s left of his force looks like it’s withdrawing up the coast and my units could be in Rangoon as early as next turn. If I catch his forces again I will hold back my armor to pursue and see how that works.

DEI: Ambon finally fell, and with it almost 5000 prisoners. Airplanes based here should be able to shut down sea traffic in and out of Darwin. The Balikpapan invasion force is en route, covered by Ryujo and Zuiho. I am hoping the threat that KB might be in the area will deter him from interfering with this operation.

China: in the north the stalemate at Singkawang continues. In the south Japanese forces are wearing down the defenders of Wenchow and are elsewhere pursuing fleeing Chinese forces. I tried to catch them all in a pocket but he saw the danger and slipped away too quickly for the trap to close.

Pacific: my midget sub attack at San Francisco did nothing but raise Q-Ball’s eyebrows. Worse, two of the carrier subs hit mines and now must struggle back across the Pacific. In WitP I would be confident they would survive but I don’t know if they’ll make it now, with float damage around 60.

Port Moresby looks to be virtually undefended. I am bringing more recon planes into Lae and should soon know more, but I have seen no planes or ships there and have identified only a few hundred defenders (one unit). I thought the troops he pulled out of Kavieng and Rabaul went there, but I may have been mistaken. Noumea, on the other hand, seems to be well garrisoned. Maybe that’s where they went? At any rate, if it's as weakly defended as it seems I won't wait for the 53rd Division to arrive but will attack immediately.

Submarine warfare: though my subs have scored notable success in the Java Sea so far the many submarines surrounding Hawaii and off the American coast have so far made few attacks and only scored one hit. His subs launch a lot of attacks; every two or three turns one succeeds. Q-Ball seems to be operating a wolf pack off Sakhalin; they scored against a convoy bringing down resources from there. I have sub chasers operating in the area but without luck so far. To date the only confirmed kills I have on subs were Cachelot, sunk on 7 December at Pearl, and O19, sunk by I-155 (the same sub that hit Enterprise).

Port Moresby looks to be virtually undefended. I am bringing more recon planes into Lae and should soon know more, but I have seen no planes or ships there and have identified only a few hundred defenders (one unit). I thought the troops he pulled out of Kavieng and Rabaul went there, but I may have been mistaken. Noumea, on the other hand, seems to be well garrisoned. Maybe that’s where they went? At any rate, if it's as weakly defended as it seems I won't wait for the 53rd Division to arrive but will attack immediately.

Now there's the possibility for a real coup-de-main. Let's hope it meets with more success than the midget sub raid.[:D]

BTW, that philosophy of Stonewall Jackson's may very well have gotten him killed.

ORIGINAL: Cuttlefish

[font="Arial"]In all the trade of war no feat
Is nobler than a brave retreat[/font]
- Samuel Butler: Hudibras, 1663

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12/14/41 – 12/1641

Consider, if you will, the tragic story of AM Quail. This brave ship, along with many others, fled Luzon and headed east when the Japanese attacked the Philippines. Theirs was a long and desperate journey towards freedom. They were hunted by aircraft and surface ships and in the days that followed many were sunk. Every day there were fewer and fewer, until at last Quail was alone.

Yet Quail survived every danger. And then the ship and her gallant crew were past Marcus and out into the wide open reaches of the Pacific. Free, they were free at last!

And then they ran right into Kido Butai, which was heading back to Japan to rearm. End of story.

It’s really quite sad.

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There hasn’t been a great deal to report these few turns. Japanese forces launched their first attack at Hong Kong. It was repulsed but inflicted heavy casualties; bombardment will resume for a couple of turns. CA Chokai made port safely, despite taking a torpedo from one submarine and being hunted by others, and is being pumped dry.

The most interesting thing for me lately has been Q-Ball’s PT boats. On the 15th two large groups of them intercepted merchant convoys by daylight in the South China Sea. In both cases combat opened at 30,000 yards and the convoys broke contact easily. Other PT attacks have run into warships and in these cases it was the PT boats that promptly fled. It seems that PT boats are best used against soft targets at night, where they can attack from close range. This makes sense.

If my opponent is having trouble getting them to make a successful attack I, for my part, am having trouble engaging them. They are running all over the place and making my merchant mariners nervous and I would like to make them go away.

The Philippines, 12/15/41:

My skilled IJN opponent has discovered that some things have not changed from WITP. Set your zeros to 100 feet and naval attack and they will slowly chew the PTs up.

[font="Arial"]Let us cross over the river and rest under the shade of the trees.[/font]
- Stonewall Jackson, last words, 10 May 1863

[font="Arial"]All ships follow me.[/font]
- Rear Admiral Karel W. F. M. Doorman: orders before the Battle of the Java Sea, 26 February 1942

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1/18/42 – 1/19/42

On the night of 19 January a force under the command of Admiral Doorman moves up the coast of Borneo. Doorman has three light cruisers, Java, De Ruyter, and Tromp, and five destroyers. His orders are to attack and sink Japanese transports currently unloading troops at Balikpapan.

It is raining as Doorman’s force nears Balikpapan. Visibility is only about 8000 yards. Around midnight a force of four Japanese transports and four escorts, unloading complete, departs the area and turns north towards Tarakan. In the rain and darkness Doorman’s ships miss them and they slip away.

Next comes a Japanese bombardment force consisting of heavy cruisers Mogami, Mikuma, Suzuya, and Kumano, along with four destroyers. Sharp-eyed lookouts spot the approaching Allied ships and the Japanese force swings south to meet them. It is not quite as one-sided as it appears; the Japanese cruisers have been shelling Dutch positions around Balikpapan for two days and are low on main-gun ammunition.

Star shells pinpoint the Dutch ships at 24,000 yards; Doorman immediately swings his column to the east. The Japanese respond by shifting course to the southeast and the two columns begin to exchange shells as their paths converge.

A lucky shot from Mikuma disables DD Van Nes at 17,000 yards; two more 8” shells tear into her superstructure and start heavy fires. Japanese destroyers begin riddling her with shells as the range closes and abandon ship is ordered.

With the range down to 8000 yards both Java and Tromp begin taking fire. Doorman orders his column to come about. The Japanese commander, informed that cruiser ammunition is all but exhausted, swings his column back to the west. They fire a few more shots at the retreating Dutch but do not pursue. One shell finds DD Evertsen and starts a fire aboard as the battle nears its end.

All of the Japanese cruisers have taken a single shell hit, as did DD Maikaze. None of the hits did major damage. Tromp, Java, and Evertsen all have fires aboard and their speed reduced. In the morning Kates from Ryujo and Zuiho find the three damaged Dutch ships about 100 miles south of Balikpapan and sink all three with torpedoes.

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In other news of the day Rangoon falls. The 12th Burma Rifles Brigade surrenders and the rest of the Allied forces withdraw in disorder to the north. The 33rd Division and a regiment of tanks are ordered to follow immediately; Allied forces in Burma are to be given no chance to rest or regroup.

All of the Japanese cruisers have taken a single shell hit, as did DD Maikaze. None of the hits did major damage. Tromp, Java, and Evertsen all have fires aboard and their speed reduced. In the morning Kates from Ryujo and Zuiho find the three damaged Dutch ships about 100 miles south of Balikpapan and sink all three with torpedoes.

This is what happens when the Allies don't have the Boise with them . . .

[font="Arial"]Great empires are not maintained by timidity.[/font]
- Tacitus: Histories, c. 115

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1/20/42 – 1/21/42

I’ve been thinking about Q-Ball’s attack at Balikpapan. I was convinced that no such attack would be made, that his only logical move was to withdraw. But I was wrong and he attacked. That the attack failed is almost not material. What matters is that I made an assumption that was dead wrong.

There is a lesson here for me. I judged my opponent’s reaction based on what I thought he would do, not on what he might or could do. That kind of thinking is a good way to lose. I need to remember that I am up against a skilled player who is willing to run risks in order to damage or slow down my advance.

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The Road to Mandalay: while air support moves up to Rangoon Japanese units continue their advance. Armor will attack at Toungoo next turn while the 33rd Division advances towards Prome.

Q-Ball seems willing to trade space for time in Burma and the Pacific; in the DEI he is contesting every advance tooth and claw. I think that this makes a lot of sense. I won’t lose the game quickly without either Burma or some atolls in the Pacific but without the resources of the DEI Japan is doomed.

Luzon: bombers and artillery rule the day here. In a turn or two I will be back to my starting AV of 1700 or so and will attack again.

Singapore: units have been ordered to cross the channel into Singapore. The initial shock attack should come in a couple of turns.

China: Wenchow has been captured. Japanese units are advancing south towards Kanhsien and Kukong. From there, if I am victorious, I will decide whether to continue down towards Liuchow and Nanning or turn inland towards Hengyang and Changsa.

Pacific: troops of the 144th Regiment are embarking for Port Moresby. They will be covered by several task forces of battleships and heavy cruisers.

I’m still trying to decide what constitutes a good defensive perimeter in AE. Atolls now have limited defense and I can’t surround every little rock with thousands of mines. I don’t think I get as many coastal defense guns as in WitP, either. It’s going to be interesting.

Right now I’m looking at Baker and Canton Islands, maybe the Ellice islands, and New Caledonia and the New Hebrides. Meanwhile I already have the forts at Wake almost to level 2. In just over two months the Wake Coastal Gun Battalion arrives, a strong unit. I’m digging in at Tarawa and building up Tabiteuea. Tabiteuea can garrison 60,000 troops and can hold a decent-sized airfield, so this seems like a good place to turn into a bastion.

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The situation in Burma:

Nice personal style in your AAR Cuttlefish!
 
 
 
Good luck!