Last deck chair on the Titanic - Mundy vs ZuluHour

[Mundy]

Not sure where he's heading right now. He's tied up at Bataan and Singapore. He hasn't gone past Tarakan on Borneo yet. He was taking all the little bases on the top of New Guinea, but it's been awhile.

09 February 1942

Bombardments at the two big bases. I'm not sure why he isn't pushing harder on Singapore, as he's got a 3 to 1 advantage on me there. As it is, his bombardments are hurting me badly there.

I see a group of light carriers off the southern tip of Mindanao, moving east. Not sure where they're going. Ships are also stooging around at Rabaul. I'm getting some B-10s to Port Moresby via Darwin. Some of the Australian commands are being fussy as many of them, as well as ABDA won't let me transfer there. Due to my excess of shipping to be withdrawn, I'm also out of PPs.

I'm wondering where he can get ships fixed, like what I did to Shoho a couple of turns ago. Formosa maybe? Maybe any hurt battleships are out of luck.

[BBfanboy]

No shipyard in Formosa, but Pescadores next door has one. I am not sure the size of Shoho vis-à-vis the SY there. At any rate, Shanghai is not far and with no secondary explosions Shoho should not be in danger of sinking unless your subs can catch up to her.

[Mundy]

He seemed to hint there was an off-map option to the Home Islands.

11 February 1942

Singapore falls. Kinda out of the blue, as I thought they'd hold on for a bit yet.

round combat at Singapore (50,84)

Japanese Deliberate attack

Attacking force 54538 troops, 693 guns, 735 vehicles, Assault Value = 1451

Defending force 31729 troops, 448 guns, 241 vehicles, Assault Value = 401

Japanese adjusted assault: 1295

Allied adjusted defense: 513

Japanese assault odds: 2 to 1 (fort level 0)

Japanese forces CAPTURE Singapore !!!

Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+), preparation(-), experience(-)
Attacker:

Japanese ground losses:
2635 casualties reported
Squads: 45 destroyed, 139 disabled
Non Combat: 2 destroyed, 38 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 7 disabled
Guns lost 19 (2 destroyed, 17 disabled)
Vehicles lost 25 (2 destroyed, 23 disabled)

Allied ground losses:
41153 casualties reported
Squads: 497 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 2664 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 75 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 305 (305 destroyed, 0 disabled)
Vehicles lost 296 (296 destroyed, 0 disabled)
Units destroyed 36

Assaulting units:
Guards Recon Regiment
55th Cav Regiment
22nd Recon Regiment
14th Tank Regiment
41st Infantry Regiment
3rd Guards Regiment
4th Ind Engineer Regiment
114th Infantry Regiment
56th Infantry Regiment
55th Infantry Regiment
113th Infantry Regiment
11th Infantry Regiment
5th Guards Regiment
112th Infantry Regiment
23rd Ind Engineer Regiment
114th Infantry Regiment
170th Infantry Regiment
42nd Infantry Regiment
5th Recon Regiment
148th Infantry Regiment
4th Guards Regiment
1st Tank Regiment
91st Naval Guard Unit
II/18th Field Artillery Regiment
II/56th Arty Regiment
5th Inf Mortar Battalion
11th Consol RF Battalion
II/Guards Arty Regiment
5th Consol RF Battalion
HQ 18th Division
HQ 56th Division
18th Ind Hy Field Artillery Regiment
II/55th Arty Regiment
HQ 55th Division
II/3rd Ind Field Artillery Regiment
1st RF Gun Battalion
III/56th Arty Regiment
I/Guards Arty Regiment
IV/55th Arty Regiment
14th Inf Mortar Battalion
HQ Guards Division
3rd Ind Hy Field Artillery Regiment
III/55th Arty Regiment
15th Army
I/3rd Ind Field Artillery Regiment
I/18th Field Artillery Regiment
25th Army
II/5th Field Artillery Regiment
III/Guards Arty Regiment
3rd Inf Mortar Battalion
I/5th Field Artillery Regiment
III/5th Field Artillery Regiment
HQ 5th Division
III/18th Field Artillery Regiment
32nd Field AA Battalion

Defending units:
1st Malay Brigade
3rd Recce Regiment
SSVF Brigade
6th/15th Indian Brigade
1st Mysore Battalion
8th Indian Brigade
2/17 Dogra Battalion
1st Hyderabad Battalion
45th Indian Brigade
22nd Indian Brigade
12th/28th Indian Brigade
2nd Gordons Battalion
FMSV Brigade
24th NZ Pioneer Coy
35th Lt AA Regiment
29 Bty/3rd Hy AA
30 Bty/3rd Hy AA
452nd RAF Avn Sup
451st RAF Avn Sup
HQ 8th AIF Division
Malaya Army
Singapore AA Def
1st Indian Hy AA Regiment
RAF Far East Cmd
22nd RIA Mtn Regiment
Singapore CD Def
122/137th RA Field Artillery Regiment
224 Group RAF
272/273rd Bty 80th AT Gun Regiment
88th RA Field Artillery Regiment
5th RA Field Artillery Regiment
III Indian Corps
Singapore Base Force
155th RA Field Artillery Regiment
2/215th Bty 80th AT Gun Regiment
453rd RAF Avn Sup

I'm guessing his next target may be Palembang. He swept here, with disastrous results for me, despite my staggered CAP.

Morning Air attack on Palembang , at 48,91

Weather in hex: Clear sky

Raid spotted at 11 NM, estimated altitude 37,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 3 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 28

Allied aircraft
Buffalo I x 9
Hurricane IIb Trop x 7
B-339D x 12

No Japanese losses

Allied aircraft losses
Buffalo I: 2 destroyed
Hurricane IIb Trop: 3 destroyed
B-339D: 2 destroyed

Aircraft Attacking:
8 x A6M2 Zero sweeping at 32000 feet *

CAP engaged:
3-VI.G.V with B-339D (2 airborne, 5 on standby, 5 scrambling)
7 plane(s) intercepting now.
Group patrol altitude is 10000
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 11 minutes
No.21 Sqn RAAF with Buffalo I (0 airborne, 4 on standby, 0 scrambling)
4 plane(s) intercepting now.
0 plane(s) not yet engaged, 1 being recalled, 0 out of immediate contact.
Group patrol altitude is 15000
Raid is overhead
No.243 Sqn RAF with Buffalo I (1 airborne, 3 on standby, 0 scrambling)
4 plane(s) intercepting now.
Group patrol altitude is 10000
Raid is overhead
No.488 Sqn RNZAF with Hurricane IIb Trop (0 airborne, 5 on standby, 0 scrambling)
5 plane(s) intercepting now.
0 plane(s) not yet engaged, 2 being recalled, 0 out of immediate contact.
Group patrol altitude is 20000
Raid is overhead

More lame bombardments at Bataan. Kirishima shrugged off some miraculous hits from a 14 and 10 (I think) gun.

Night Naval bombardment of Bataan at 78,77 - Coastal Guns Fire Back!

63 Coastal gun shots fired in defense.

Japanese Ships
BB Kirishima, Shell hits 2
BB Hiei
CA Takao

Allied ground losses:
17 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

Manila Bay Defenses firing at BB Kirishima
BB Kirishima firing at Manila Bay Defenses
BB Hiei firing at Manila Bay Defenses
Manila Bay Defenses firing at BB Hiei
CA Takao firing at Manila Bay Defenses
Manila Bay Defenses firing at CA Takao


---------------------------------------------

Night Naval bombardment of Bataan at 78,77 - Coastal Guns Fire Back!

36 Coastal gun shots fired in defense.

Japanese Ships
DD Yugiri

Manila Bay Defenses firing at DD Yugiri
DD Yugiri firing at Manila Bay Defenses


---------------------------------------------

Night Naval bombardment of Bataan at 78,77 - Coastal Guns Fire Back!

48 Coastal gun shots fired in defense.

Japanese Ships
DD Hatakaze
DD Minazuki
DD Satsuki

Manila Bay Defenses firing at DD Hatakaze
DD Hatakaze firing at Manila Bay Defenses
DD Minazuki firing at Manila Bay Defenses
Manila Bay Defenses firing at DD Minazuki
DD Satsuki firing at Manila Bay Defenses
Manila Bay Defenses firing at DD Satsuki


---------------------------------------------

Night Naval bombardment of Bataan at 78,77 - Coastal Guns Fire Back!

15 Coastal gun shots fired in defense.

Japanese Ships
DD Nagatsuki
DD Oboro

Allied ground losses:
8 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

Airbase hits 3
Airbase supply hits 1
Runway hits 7
Port hits 5
Port fuel hits 1

DD Nagatsuki firing at Manila Bay Defenses
Manila Bay Defenses firing at DD Nagatsuki
DD Oboro firing at Bataan

[Energisteron]

Hi Mundy

Has this game lapsed?

I'd be fascinated to play through this scenario if you could reveal the source. It would appear to be just the step up I need after completing the smaller operations like Aleutians, Coral Sea etc.. Also, it's a piece of action which Ive rather glossed over (except for Singapore, Bataan) in the past, regarding the initial Japanese advance as pretty much fait accompli.

So a link to a source would be much appreciated.

[Mundy]

No, it's still going. Traffic on this AAR seemed slow, so I wasn't motivated to keep it up.

You'll have to check with Zulu from which scenario pack this scenario came from. I'm not sure where and I don't have it in my list. I'd like to give LST's bottleneck mod a try again against a willing IJN opponent. My last opponent learned the hard way you couldn't take far flung bases on the cheap and gave it up.

[Mundy]

Well, this game has come to a halt. I think Zulu's gotten frustrated working with the Japanese, a side I think he generally doesn't play. I lost plenty of ships in the Balikpapan strait, but torped some of his carriers in return.

I'd say that this scenario caters to the more masochistic allied player, as it isn't really fun playing that side. The Japanese also have some severe constraints while trying to take their objectives.

Now to see if I can get another bottleneck campaign going...