PAW 1941-45 larryfulkerson (Axis) vs warspite1 (Allies)

[warspite1]

Turn 1
7th December 1941

Pearl Harbor

I've simply removed all ships from the area and they've been sent to the West Coast. No idea what I am going to do with them yet but it makes no sense to lose them early doors....

[warspite1]

Turn 1
7th December 1941

And so to action.

Round 1
I order bombardments of the Japanese troops on the train........... there is absolutely no effect....

I order bombardments against a couple of cruisers in Manila bay.... there is no effect

Round 2
I launch 21 Beaufort torpedo bombers against a Japanese cruiser off Kuantan. 7 aircraft are shot down (5 destroyed) but I destroy the light cruiser Isuzu.

Sadly the Japanese employ armour plated trains and my artillery have absolutely no effect. I should just accept this and retreat but I know if I do, my units will be engaged (and that would just really annoy me) so I will try one more time.

Round 3
There is an unidentified Japanese ship west of Singapore. I attack it with my beauforts and Walrus aircraft. It turns out to be a squadron of 4 destroyers and my efforts achieve nothing other than the loss of 7 Walrus (2 destroyed) and 2 Beauforts.

The Manila Bay artillery remains useless, but my Indian artillery at last achieve a small measure of success - both against the entrained Japanese troops in Thailand and against the paratroopers in central Malaya.

Round 4
Just the two artillery strikes this time and only that against the trains causes any damage....but then the turn ends.....

[devoncop]

As a small morale boost Rob you can't lose this scenario in the first dozen turns or so ....think of it as the equivalent stage as 0'Connors raid on the static Italians in CFNA....The Japanese have to perform at maximum efficiency just to match history so any damage you cause at this stage see it as a bonus!

See.... You feel much better now don't you [:)]

[warspite1]

Er..... [;)]

[warspite1]

Turn 2 - Axis Turn (in real time)
14th December 1941

When I finished my turn Larry mentioned that he knew I’d withdrawn the fleet to the west coast. That is disconcerting. I don’t know what the intel rules are on the game or what each side can see. I am surprised at the amount of thing I can see of the Japanese player – specifically units in the Pacific which surely should go out of sight and become invisible???

Anyways.....

Tons of Japanese formations moving north into China from French Indo-China

Forces in Northern Luzon on the move and movement along the west coast down toward Lingayen Gulf

I thought Larry’s subchaser units were being used as recce – but I’m wondering if they are being used to assist landings. I think forces from Indo China have transferred to the PI and a sub chaser unit is ‘doing stuff’ against some of the islands and northern Mindanao.

A subchaser comes across my destroyers guarding Tarakan. There is then a bombardment but I don’t know if a naval battle took place.


Hello little subchaser thingy.

[warspite1]

Turn 2 - Axis Turn (in real time)
14th December 1941

There is then some activity on Borneo’s northern coast around Brunei but I can’t make out what.

The playback then skips between movement on PI, China and French Indo China. Major offensive underway in the southern coastal area and also movement opposite the Chinese Communists.

Fleet movements in the Coral Sea – it looks like a destroyer division enters a port hex adjacent to Port Moresby then withdraws – a subchaser and a load of infantry then follow it and land in the port. There are lots of enemy units – they surround the Australian base and start to fan out.

A large naval force heads for the east of New Guinea I don’t know where it ends up

Aircraft appear to be reinforcing the PI

A Japanese fleet leaves (what I think is Wake?) and heads for a US island (not sure which one). The fleet seems to contain light fleet carriers, cruisers and possibly a BB and has troops and the inevitable ‘subchaser’ unit

Reinforcement being carried out in Northern China

Major reinforcement it would appear in the Philippines – and Legaspi will no doubt fall this turn.

A Japanese fleet heads toward Mindanao – but then carries straight on past the island – I don’t know where too – but I would be disappointed if Celebes is being targeted already.

Numerous landings appear to be being made against the smaller PI islands

[warspite1]

Turn 2 - Axis Turn (in real time)
14th December 1941

Irritatingly – but as expected – Japanese forces surround the Indian 11th Division units that attacked the train. I suspect there will be no engagement penalty for the Japanese troops dis-embarking either. I should have realised that and not attempted to attack but in the absence of knowledge of this scenario I tried to apply logic and it appears to have backfired dramatically…. Note to self. If I want to reduce the risk of attack in future I won't tell my troops to dig-in I will tell them to board a train [8|]

More troop reinforcement of Thailand

Another fleet move in the Pacific – I can’t get any bearings on where though as there is no land – other than dots – to enable identification of location.

…and back to Thailand and yet more troops pile in to Bangkok and environs!

And more reinforcement in the Port Moresby area. A ship(s?) then head toward Northern Australia. If the Japanese attack Australia before securing the oil of the NEI then I am not going to be impressed.....

Northern Luzon suddenly explodes with Japanese units!

The Chinese forces in the south are being surrounded as more units flood out of Indo-China

The Japanese forces that reinforced Thailand are heading north toward Burma/China

A lot of aircraft rebasing now and Celebes is being reinforced with aircraft – as are all theatres…

It looks like the Kido Butai is on the move now and heading south – I don’t know if it’s the full complement or a portion but they are now off New Guinea – presumably to assist the taking of Port Moresby?

No it’s not the full KB I see the name Soryu on a group moving east and north and ends up on the extreme northern map edge!

So what seems to be happening is ships move into empty ports so that troops can then walk in at a later date. This is currently happening on Celebes where there is not a single Allied soldier…..

Now the same happens in Malaya – a ship is moving along the coast and entering all the empty port hexes. There is also some sort of bombardment but I can’t tell by what to who??

The Walrus floatplane at Singapore evaporates

This Japanese naval unit (task force) then casually enters the Indian Ocean and does the same to a port on the eastern Indian coast – and possibly one in Ceylon before exiting

More aircraft reinforcement now

The attacks start but it’s really bad – I can’t slow the playback fast enough and so miss a couple of things – why is there no individual playback?

The US destroyers guarding Tarakan simply evaporate – everywhere – China, PI, Thailand – a Pacific Island (Midway perhaps?) it’s just retreat and destruction. Both Indian brigades and the artillery are destroyed in Thailand

The Japanese land south of Manila and ….. it’s more retreat for the Allied forces

And that appears to be that.....

[warspite1]

Turn 2 - Axis Turn (in real time)
14th December 1941

So what actually happened that turn? Well here's the situation.

Thailand/Malaya/PNG

I was wrong about all the Indian forces being evaporated - it was just the artillery. All in all I'm happy with the performance put in as the CW forces in Thailand/Malaya at least hurt the Japanese.

There is clearly a major operation going on in New Guinea - and that puts Australia under threat. I will make no comment on the historical reality here as its a game and it is what it is - but I'm sure I'll mention it going forward....once....or twice..... [:D]

[warspite1]

Turn 2 - Axis Turn (in real time)
14th December 1941

Philippines and Midway

Sure enough the island assaulted - and occupied - was Midway.....

The Philippines are a total mess and this is only the 21st December (for the Axis).....

[Szilard]

ORIGINAL: warspite1

Turn 2 - Axis Turn (in real time)
14th December 1941

So what actually happened that turn? Well here's the situation.

Thailand/Malaya/PNG


There is clearly a major operation going on in New Guinea - and that puts Australia under threat. I will make no comment on the historical reality here as its a game and it is what it is - but I'm sure I'll mention it going forward....once....or twice..... [:D]

Balancing the ahistorical speed of the Japanese advance in this area you have ahistorical Oz forces.

The militia forces (ie I think all the Oz land units on the map at the moment except for the 8th Div in Malaya and the 1st Armoured) were all way under-equipped and under-trained in Dec 1941, nothing like the proficient, strong brigades in this scenario.

The 1st Armoured had almost no tanks, nothing like the 150 Grants & Shermans (!) in this scenario's world.

When the 6th & 7th Divs return from the Middle East in a few weeks, two brigades of the 6th should go to garrison Ceylon for a while, and a small 7th Div component should land in Java to be snapped up. In the scenario, I think they all turn up in Melbourne.

There's nothing in the scenario restricting militia deployment to Oz areas of New Guinea before 1943, as was the case in real life, so feel free to use them in Dutch New Guinea or for an early relief of the Philippines or something.

On the other hand, house rules restrict 1st Armoured to Oz, which is fair enough for the full div, but in real life sub-formations & some other Oz tanks units were sent out. In the scenario, it seems like Oz gets no tanks on the battlefield.

Etc etc.

Not just being an Oz chauvinist, but it makes the scenario a no-starter for me. Oz units were the majority of Macarthur's land forces through late 1943, bearing the brunt in New Guinea which was at least as important as the Solomon's in many respects during the wearing-down phase of the war. Representing them so poorly takes the scenario too far away from reality for me.

Plus locating Canberra on the coast ...

[warspite1]

Hi Szilard

Yeah I guess we all have our red lines in terms of realism. I assumed that the Japanese have to take the NEI for the oil (which after all is what the Pacific War is very largely about) but tons of Japanese soldiers, ships and aircraft appear to be heading off in all directions as though the oil situation is irrelevant.

But it's good to be playing a Pacific game in the same way that it was good to muck about in the sand for a change - regardless of any realism issues. I might change my mind on this if things get too off the wall though [;)]

[warspite1]

Turn 2 - Axis Turn (in real time)
14th December 1941

China

If I thought losing over 500 infantry squads on turn 1 was bad then it was a walk in the park compared to this turn!! That is some loss rate!!

[warspite1]

Turn 2
14th December 1941

India

Here is an example of what I was talking about earlier. The Japanese sub chaser that entered the Indian Ocean has begun the preliminary work for future invasion. Two hexes are involved - one on the Indian east coast and one (here) on Ceylon. The Indian hex was cleared by an engineer from the 23rd Division but the one on Ceylon requires a battalion of British infantry to sail to the island. There were plenty of these in the NEI and PI but no troops to clear them with....

[warspite1]

Turn 2
14th December 1941

Burma

Given the pace of advance and the inability of the Japanese to require logistics I expect action in this theatre imminently....

[warspite1]

Turn 2
14th December 1941

Thailand/Malaya

[warspite1]

Turn 2
14th December 1941

NEI

Aside from the below the Dutch have limited forces on Java

[warspite1]

Turn 2
14th December 1941

Australia

I send two battalions of the Austalian 5th Division to the north east corner of the country. A Japanese fleet is stationed menacingly offshore....

[warspite1]

Turn 2
14th December 1941

United States

I'm not happy that the Japanese appear to know where my Pacific Fleet is - that's nuts. I feel I should put the fleet to sea - at least put Larry on notice that he can't sail around the Pacific invulnerable. The problem with that is that I don't know anything about the naval game and I really can't afford to lose these vital ships.

[warspite1]

Turn 2
14th December 1941

China

In terms of what to do, China is very easy in contrast....

RUN!!!!

I'm totally confused about 'on' or 'behind' rivers but I don't have enough troops anyway to hold a line so I just do what I can until I either get destroyed or a plan comes to mind.....

[warspite1]

Turn 2
14th December 1941

The Philippines

I don't believe it - I've forgotten to do anything here [:@] What a stupid mistake - although I can't see as it makes much difference.

Malaya
Let's see if I've got this right; the Indian Army bombards a lightly armed paratroop unit - and twice receives more in counter battery fire than it dishes out??? What ordinance does a Japanese parachute battalion have for goodness sake????