NOT JUST Submarines in the Pacific: FDRLincoln (Japan) vs. Bakerman (Allies)

[FDRLincoln]

Well basically I'm just trying to see what the Japanese are capable of before strong allied ASW kicks in. Their submarine force is quite interesting...some unique designs, both aircraft-equipped as well as extremely long-ranged attack subs.
 
So far, the hardest problem is finding targets. I can't find his merchants or convoys, or even fleet units. So far. I'm sure they are out there somewhere. I've got Glen-equipped subs around the West Coast and so far they have seen very little.

[FDRLincoln]

Some observations regarding my opponent's style of play.

1) He is aggressive with air units, contesting air space over Malaya and the Phillipines as much as possible and even set a CAP trap in China which cost me a couple of close support planes. I assume he is trying to atritt my pool of good pilots.

2) His use of land units is mixed. He adopted a forward defense in Malaya but the last couple of turns it looks like he is starting to retreat to Singapore. In the Phillipines he is withdrawing everything to Clark. Recon says there are only 2,000 troops left in Manila, and I have three infantry regiments set to arrive tomorrow. If Recon is accurate, Manila will be mine shortly, but Clark will take awhile to wear down.

3) He pulled off a CV raid on the invasion forces at Tarawa and Nauhru, and he made good use of his PT boats in the Phillipines to harass my landings. He has some shipping concentrated near Singapore, but I haven't seen Force Z anywhere. He did smack my initial Miri landing with cruisers from the US Asiatic Fleet (which somehow got past my screening force of two battlecruiser and six CAs), but the last several turns, I haven't seen anything but a spare freighter or two. No convoys that I can spot. No surface action groups. No sign of his CVs. Submarines haven't seen any sign of convoys along the usual communication routes to/from the West Coast.

Where is the enemy battle fleet?

[FDRLincoln]

MANILA FALLS. The city was completely abandoned. Japanese troops capture over 150,000 supplies plus an almost-intact airfield. Over 70,000 allied troops are now at Clark Field, digging in no doubt.

My plan: bombing. Lots and Lots of bombing while my own troops rest and reorganize.

[FDRLincoln]

The Submarine War:

Sub attack near Tandjoengpinang at 50,85

Japanese Ships
SS I-162, hits 8

Allied Ships
DD Stronghold
DD Jupiter
DD Isis



SS I-162 launches 2 torpedoes at DD Stronghold
DD Jupiter attacking submerged sub ....
SS I-162 eludes ASW attack from DD Jupiter
DD Isis attacking submerged sub ....
SS I-162 eludes DD Isis by hugging bottom
SS I-162 eludes DD Isis by hugging bottom
DD Jupiter attacking submerged sub ....
DD Jupiter cannot establish contact with SS I-162
DD Isis fails to find sub, continues to search...
DD Jupiter fails to find sub and abandons search
DD Isis fails to find sub, continues to search...
Escort abandons search for sub

I-162 is beat up but should make it back to Saigon.

[FDRLincoln]

I find a fleet sub near Japan. ASW air is intense in this area and I've got several PB and SC standing patrols that will try and trap Skipjack.

SW attack near Izu Oshima at 113,62

Japanese Ships
DD Tawakaze

Allied Ships
SS Skipjack, hits 3



SS Skipjack is sighted by escort
Skipjack bottoming out ....
DD Tawakaze fails to find sub, continues to search...
DD Tawakaze attacking submerged sub ....
Escort abandons search for sub

[FDRLincoln]

Damn Dutch submarines!!!

Submarine attack near Kota Bharu at 52,75

Japanese Ships
xAK Nissyu Maru, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage

Allied Ships
SS KXII



xAK Nissyu Maru is sighted by SS KXII
SS KXII launches 2 torpedoes at xAK Nissyu Maru
Nissyu Maru sinks.

Forgot to look up the tonnage. I will do so next turn

[EUBanana]

ORIGINAL: FDRLincoln
So far, the hardest problem is finding targets. I can't find his merchants or convoys, or even fleet units. So far. I'm sure they are out there somewhere. I've got Glen-equipped subs around the West Coast and so far they have seen very little.

I doubt the merchants are really that relevant in the great scheme of things, the Allies are never gonna run out of them. Not an attackable centre of gravity there I think. I know you hear Allied players moaning about losing TKs but even TKs are not really relevant given the Allies don't need to ship oil, only fuel, and xAKs en masse (and they Allies certainly have that!) will do the job.

Fleet units now, thats another story... Japanese subs are pretty deadly in 1942 to CVs. [:(]

[FDRLincoln]

Yeah, I know the Allies have plenty of shipping...it isn't the hulls so much as what they might be carrying....knocking off an AP full of troops or an AK full of fighter frames at this point in the war can slow him down considerably.

But I can't find a damn thing. His fleet is hiding. Other than some DDs on ASW duty near Hawaii, and a concentration of shipping at Singapore, I can't see anything.

That will change shortly as I'm capturing more bases and moving more search planes up.

[FDRLincoln]

I'm about to re-invade Wake, and KB is covering this. There has been "heavy radio traffic" at Pearl Harbor the last few days, and it is plausable he might try to interfere with another Wake landing. After I take Wake, KB will go back to Truk and then head south to support Rabaul landing.

[FDRLincoln]

Game delay while my opponent is dealing with some real-life issues.

Been spending the time planning for defense of the Kuriles. Etorofu will be built up as a naval and air base to support defensive operations in this area as well as a possible advance in the Aleutians. Engineers are on the way. I am also going to send an AS here. The older RO-subs will be based here for defensive patrols and scouting into the Aleutians. At least one squadron of older destroyers will be positioned here as well, to act as a tripwire for any Allied raids or attempts to take the northern invasion route.

[FDRLincoln]

Submarine Report, December 20, 1941

Japan: Submarine I-158 torpedoes and sinks Dutch tanker Manvantara, filled to the brim with oil, near Palembang. The tanker explodes and sinks. Submarine I-164 fires two torpedoes at British minelayer Kung Wo near Singapore but misses and is driven off by escorts. Submarine I-172 plays cat-and-mouse with US ASW task force near Hawaii but nobody gets hurt.

Allies: Submarine Stingray sighted near Shanghai by local ASW forces.

[FDRLincoln]

OTHER NEWS:

Hong Kong falls.
Sinkawang and Kuching are invaded.
Aggressive US Navy Catalinas in the Phillipines dodge A6M2 CAP near Vigan, torpedo and sink APD Hishu.
Wake is bombarded by heavy cruiser task force. Landing force should arrive in two turns. There has been heavy radio activity at Pearl Harbor the last three days, but no sign of his carriers. KB is covering the Wake landing in case he tries to intervene with surface forces or his own carriers.

[FDRLincoln]

Allied submarines, all Dutch, have sunk 3xAK for 19,275 tons
Japanese submarines have sunk 1xAVD, 1xAP, 1xAKL, 1xTK for 17,655 tons

[FDRLincoln]

Tanker Manvantara, sunk by I-158 on December 20, 1941

[FDRLincoln]

Surface action! Force Z attempts to disrupt landings at Singkawang! First Battle Cruiser Squadron defends the landing...

[FDRLincoln]

Force Z is badly damaged...

[FDRLincoln]

This isn't fair...the screenshot won't upload. ARRGGG

Results:

Day Time Surface Combat, near Singkawang at 56,88, Range 23,000 Yards
 
Japanese Ships
      BB Kongo, Shell hits 1
      BB Haruna, Shell hits 11,  heavy fires
      CA Maya
      CA Ashigara, Shell hits 1
      CA Mogami
      CA Mikuma
      CA Suzuya, Shell hits 1
      CA Kumano
      CL Kuma
      DD Maikaze, Shell hits 1
      DD Nowaki, Shell hits 2
      DD Arashi
      DD Hagikaze, Shell hits 3,  heavy fires,  heavy damage
      DD Arashio, Shell hits 1
      DD Ikazuchi, Shell hits 1,  heavy fires
      DD Inazuma, Shell hits 1
 
Allied Ships
      BB Prince of Wales, Shell hits 95,  heavy fires,  heavy damage
      BC Repulse, Shell hits 4
      CL Danae, Shell hits 14,  heavy fires,  heavy damage
      CL Dragon, Shell hits 3,  on fire
      CL Durban, Shell hits 4, and is sunk
      DD Vampire, Shell hits 7,  heavy fires,  heavy damage
      DD Tenedos, Shell hits 2,  heavy fires
      DD Electra, Shell hits 15, and is sunk
      DD Express, Shell hits 9,  heavy fires,  heavy damage
 
 
 
Maximum visibility in Partly Cloudy Conditions: 28,000 yards
CONTACT: Japanese lookouts spot Allied task force at 23,000 yards
CONTACT: Allied lookouts spot Japanese task force at 23,000 yards
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day Time Surface Combat, near Singkawang at 56,88, Range 25,000 Yards
 
Allied aircraft
      no flights
 
Allied aircraft losses
      Walrus II: 1 destroyed
 
Japanese Ships
      BB Kongo, Shell hits 3
      CA Ashigara
      CA Mogami
      CA Mikuma
      CA Suzuya, Shell hits 3
      CA Kumano
      CL Kuma
      DD Maikaze, Shell hits 1,  on fire
      DD Nowaki
      DD Arashi
      DD Arashio
 
Allied Ships
      BB Prince of Wales, Shell hits 10, Torpedo hits 2, and is sunk
      BC Repulse, Shell hits 18,  on fire
      CL Danae, Shell hits 2,  heavy fires,  heavy damage
      CL Dragon, Shell hits 3,  on fire
      DD Vampire, Shell hits 10, and is sunk
      DD Tenedos, Shell hits 6,  heavy fires,  heavy damage
      DD Express, Shell hits 3, and is sunk
 
 
 
Prince of Wales crumples under more than 100 shell hits, 5-inch and above, plus two long-lance torpedoes.

Kongo is in good shape. Haruna has 40 SYS damage but just 10 float and should make it home.

[Captain Cruft]

Nasty. In the daytime too. The First Sea Lord would not be amused [;)]

[FDRLincoln]

Gonna try the screenshot one more time

[FDRLincoln]

An awful lot of those shell hits on Prince of Wales bounced off the belt armor. But there were a lot of superstructure hits from destroyer and cruiser weapons that must have really nailed her SYS.

Nell and Betty torpedo attacks on Repulse failed to give any results. She is on fire and limping away from the scene. Four submarines are vectoring in on her likely line of retreat. I'm guessing that she will make for Palembang since I have air superiority over Singapore.

In other news, a sweep consisting of 2xCL and 10xDD slaughtered another group of merchantmen attempting to escape the Phillipines.