Lambs to the slaughter (Lowpe (J) vs Jocke; BillBrown (A)) Finished

[Lowpe]

Our first naval engagment....

[Lowpe]

The Emperor is pleased with his gift of Lashio today...small single engine bombers weakened the resolve of the defenders, and they were routed in a 12-1 victory!

[Lowpe]

Ah, 1942! This kind of makes up for 1944.[:D] Seriously, Ambon can be a pain to take, especially if it is like Sept of 42 as in my previous pickup game.

I took the Betties and Nells off naval attack since nothing was spotted and bombed Ambon with them instead. I also use two battleships to further disrupt the defenders. It worked, perhaps overkill, but we are on a tight time schedule and will brook no delays.

[KenchiSulla]

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

ORIGINAL: Lokasenna

You can grab Anchorage with a division or less early on, I think. I'd do it.

I have got my eye on Victoria and Coal Harbor and Alliford Bay too. Victoria has some coastal guns, mines, but I am tempted to go for it all now. Victoria is a wide strait I believe so everything will be deadlier, but features some really nice runways and port.

The question is how bad will the mines and coastal guns be? I have plenty of dms, several battleships, the kb, and I probably can probably really spread the invading troops out amongst a fair number of merchants. 9" Guns plus smaller...

This question is holding up my processing of the turn. Do I launch or not? I actually have divisions prepped for Victoria. Again, I tempted to say go for it, but will sleep on it today.

I managed to get a huge convoy of oilers into Miri without sub losses today, plus I am dispatching large supply convoys to Pearl and Aleutians, while another supply convoy unloaded at Pearl raising the supply there to 60K.

Coal Harbor is I believe 1 hex below the winter rules. Grabbing these three base should make Anchorage pretty doable as a follow on I think plus allow some really good air wars over the US and perhaps bottle up some ships.

In this phase of the campaign you do not need preparation... Just push in two divisions into any northern city and it will fall.... Keep a floating reserve just in case...

[Lowpe]

Success in the SRA...this should give me the footing I need to establish search and avoid any surprises.

I am not sure if I should land at Dili or not...we study the problem more.

Perhaps the last post from the SRA, hopefully for the game. You might get posts from Oz...you will have to wait and see.

[Lowpe]

ORIGINAL: Cannonfodder
In this phase of the campaign you do not need preparation... Just push in two divisions into any northern city and it will fall.... Keep a floating reserve just in case...

Too true![&o]

Troops are loaded, and we are going to Victoria and points north. Gotta love that amphibious bonus! 57 hexes as the crow flies, if it could.[:D]

[Lokasenna]

Keep in mind that Allied plane pools are abysmal in 1942. If he's fighting you hard over NW CONUS/Canada, and you can keep your planes supplied and in working order... that's a strategic victory for Japan, IMO. The only planes he gets plenty of are P-39s, P-40s... F4Fs are actually pretty scarce. Bombers even more so.

[Lowpe]

ORIGINAL: Lokasenna

Keep in mind that Allied plane pools are abysmal in 1942. If he's fighting you hard over NW CONUS/Canada, and you can keep your planes supplied and in working order... that's a strategic victory for Japan, IMO. The only planes he gets plenty of are P-39s, P-40s... F4Fs are actually pretty scarce. Bombers even more so.

One of the main reasons I decided to launch the attack yesterday.

I figure he might resort to night bombing of Victoria, If I get it. Also he might try shore bombardments.

I am dispatching mine layers, plus float planes (Petes) to fly night time cap, and plenty of AA. Plus I hope to spawn whatever motorboats to protect the harbor. Really a lot will be going there. It will be very ugly.

I would like to figure out a way to bomb Oz too, as I feel that will be weak in fighters too. But my focus is on Victoria.

I spent a long time looking at fighters and fighter bombers for the rest of 1942. I mentioned the Nick, but I also switched over a Oscar Ia factory (size 5) and I am turning that into an A6M2 plant. I realize it will be a long time before that plane can upgrade, but I know I am going to need more planes, and quite frankly the A6M2 has cannons and isn't that bad against 4E this early.

I also ditched the engine factory for Glens and Lornas, and moved it to 35s.

I would hate to get to Victoria and run short of fighters.

[witpqs]

P-40 are in pretty short supply until the P-40K productions starts and then fills out front line units. It's actually a very competitive plane for the time it is introduced, but as I recall that is not until summer of '42.

[Lowpe]

ORIGINAL: witpqs

P-40 are in pretty short supply until the P-40K productions starts and then fills out front line units. It's actually a very competitive plane for the time it is introduced, but as I recall that is not until summer of '42.

I looked at them, and they aren't bad. I have yet to ramp up the Oscar Ic production; it just is hard to do, but I will need to too. Keeping an eye on supplies.

Also need to look at bombers and make sure I have plenty of those coming online. But I need to win the air war with fighters first and that means micromanaging fighter pools and getting their house in order first.

I looked at Rufe, which I have had good luck against enemy bombers, better than Oscars I think to protect some of the rear areas. I get at least 3 squadrons of 9 planes and they will be arriving shortly.

PDU off means more time needed before making changes so as not to hamper yourself. Can't downgrade ever...

I am tempted to put off Luzon, strike at the east coast of Oz and bomb the heck out of the industry there for two to three months and pull back.

I got some good long range search up out of Ambon, so I pulled the invasion TFs off Timor back, will give time for some heavy ships to come up and support if needed, and a chance for 14 hex torpedo strikes by Nells and Betties. Although I bet Jocke just steams in at night and then away if he has the fuel...looking at northern Oz.

Need the repair yards at Soerabaja. Thirsty tankers filling up in Balikpapen and elsewhere.

[Encircled]

With PDU off, you will have to research the Oscar line.

A lot of squadrons in the IAAF have weird paths, missing out the odd line here and there!

[Lowpe]

A Princess, Presidents, States, Cities and more, oh my![:)]

You put as much as you want there big guy...the action is at Canada!

[Lowpe]

Bad weather scrubs the bombers, we will just rotate fresh for disabled and try again. More tanks and artillery headed here. Plenty of fresh troops to cycle in and out.

[Lowpe]

China: Deep recon reports no troops at Chihkiang for two consecutive days. Tuyun might be empty too.

Also note that there is only 2000 men and 1 gun at Kweilin. I am contemplating a bombing run to determine the exact composition of the defenders.

The 2nd Raiding Regiment is on a fast transport off Soc Trang headed for Canton and 60 air transports that are practicing their skills (which is pretty good -- they will stand down tomorrow for R&R before an anticipated air drop). More Recon on Tuyun tomorrow.

The 1st Independent Infantry group is at Canton and can fly in immediately. Would be nice to have some mountain guns too, I will see what I can dig up and some type of engineer.

Lead elements on the attack at Wuchow have stopped, waiting for the followup division and supporting artillery to arrive. Several tank units are boarding at Pearl Harbor, for Canton. At Fusan, two more tank units are being bought out and sent here.

Jocke has a defeatist attitude in China.[;)] A few sharp setbacks here will really get him howling. [:)] He seems to have handed me several opportunities to accomplish his fears.

[Lokasenna]

2000 troops and 1 gun sounds to me like one of those Chinese Base Forces (max 30 AV) or maybe one of the few construction units, but that's just going off of that tiny bit of info. Which could be a little inaccurate - what's the DL on Kweilin?

[Lowpe]

Yesterday it was 4/5 with 2500 troops and 2 guns. We will see what it is tomorrow.

[Lowpe]

This sweet division is at Cam Ranh Bay. Shipping arrives tomorrow; they will board and most likely land at San Fernando in Luzon. Take the nice air base there unopposed, loiter for a few days while other assets arrive, and then head off to Canton for the drive north.

Hopefully I can get enough assets to Luzon to defend against any Allied attack, so far I have identified two rapid fire AT units at Hong Kong, some odds and ends from elsewhere. The 6th Guards will have to stick around till it is safe however.

This landing will occur quite quickly I hope, and draw Jocke's attention here, oh, look, the Japanese are cleaning up their lines. Then a few days after that the landing at Victoria will happen.

I don't really trust to surprise at Victoria. Allied SigInt or something will give it away, but Olorin has done a job on prepping for all the normal expansion areas: Oz, India, Noumea, etc.

[Lowpe]

This is the only flaw I have found in Olorin's play. He let the base max out on oil, so I am losing 8 oil per day. Needless to say a tanker is inbound.

What a joy picking up such a well organized Japan.[&o]

I enlarged my Oscar Ic production just a smidge today. Need to look at bombers shortly. I like the concept of PDU off, and it was what I play against the AI, but unfortunately most of those switches have fled my mind as I haven't played against the AI since I started PBEM. Getting old.[:)]

Spotted 50 fighters at Chungking.[X(]

[Lowpe]

Just counted 8 squadrons (8[X(]) that upgrade to the Lilly IIb or IIc model and that was just a rough count. Can you say Army dive bomber goodness!

Oh my, what joy! Unfortunately I have no R&D on this plane currently.

I am also somewhat worried about engine production. There are four currently that I have no production for...some of the early models, but they come back in 45 with kamikaze variants or strange planes that I personally like. Have no fear the Kayaba Argus is under research with a fully repaired size 5 factory![:D] (factory setting no doubt). Rockets and Jet Engines are under research too (both size 30). Interesting.

I also seem to have discovered that an engine factory in r&d has to convert only to other r&d factories, not to current production. Hm....I didn't recall that.

[vicberg]

Realistic R&D.