3 vs 3 PBEM starting

[String]

Btw, it would be nice to get some comments from other players as well..

[mogami]

Hi, I thought the two TF exchanged a few shots but scored no hits at Ambonia.
I'm still too new to have anything to say. Still organizing. (Every new Commander changes the set up established by his predessor)
I grew a little annoyed over the bombing of the 18th Div in Malaya.

[AmiralLaurent]

ORIGINAL: String

Btw, it would be nice to get some comments from other players as well..

The Japanese Admiral commanding the Pacific theater (me) just went yatching for the week-end but suffered both engine and radio failure and has no real idea of what is happening in his command. The whole crew drank so much sake they're not even able to know how much days they're gone.

The crew is still working on the radio set to try to be able to communicate with other Japanese players. Right now, they are able to receive Radio Singapore (String) only.

[mogami]

Hi, Gee I hope I understood the radio message clearly. Combined Fleet ordered the CV to San Fransico. I thought it strange but "orders are orders"
The Nome Invasion TF left Haipong on time and the Karachi TF is gathering at Johnson Island. I sent the tankers to Christmas Island as ordered.
(I hate doing orders for other people. Sometimes they don't make sense to me)

Explain to me again why you wanted me to disband all those carrier groups.
(It would not let me disband them so I loaded them onto AK and scuttled them is that alright?)

[AmiralLaurent]

ORIGINAL: Mogami

Hi, Gee I hope I understood the radio message clearly. Combined Fleet ordered the CV to San Fransico. I thought it strange but "orders are orders"
The Nome Invasion TF left Haipong on time and the Karachi TF is gathering at Johnson Island. I sent the tankers to Christmas Island as ordered.
(I hate doing orders for other people. Sometimes they don't make sense to me)

Explain to me again why you wanted me to disband all those carrier groups.
(It would not let me disband them so I loaded them onto AK and scuttled them is that alright?)

...... (sinking of scuttling my yatch before returning to port)

Second thought: send all CVs back to Japan. Now that those airmen who don't understand the beauty and utility of battleships have been put to death, we would at least made something useful from these hulls.

[Bill Durrant]

ORIGINAL: String

Btw, it would be nice to get some comments from other players as well..

31 Dec 1941 the WC AAD (West Coast And Antipodean Diary) will be published.

[Hoplosternum]

ORIGINAL: Bill Durrant

ORIGINAL: String

Btw, it would be nice to get some comments from other players as well..

31 Dec 1941 the WC AAD (West Coast And Antipodean Diary) will be published.

For those of you just not willing to wait that long for news of our Australian enemies we can report the sinking of the Adelaide off Amboina [X(] Yes Amboina. All the allies are throwing everything into the DEI and Malaya. It's going to be an exciting opening [:D]

Revenge narrowly escaped a Torpedo in her belly as she defends Kuching on the West coast of Borneo. The Nells aim was doubtless put off by the sight of Sea Gladiators flying CAP from that base. Clearly our foes are engaging in a spot of dismounting [:D]

Other UK ships were struck in Singapore harbour by Nells. Both Exeter and Glasgow taking a hit. But the AVG is putting up a tough fight over that base and early reports show that the raid was costly. The Warhawks lurking around Davao appeared to fare less well as they straffed our Warships [:'(]

With Japanese airpower and ships pouring into the DEI how long will the allies bold posture last? Force Z has already decided to slink away [;)]

General Hoplosternum Commander of the Imperial Japanese Air, Naval and Land forces Philippines, Borneo & China

[String]

Your cruisers made a narrow escape from Kuching, If they had been there they would have surely taken a beating from the 14 inchers of Revenge.

*Sigh*

with Kuching under Zero range our cap is clearly ineffective.. shall the Revenge stay and scare off the transports for a day or two for the cost of numerous torpedoes in her belly.. or maybe she will hold her revenge for another better day and retire somewhere safe..

decisions, decisions..

[Bill Durrant]

Due to unprecedented demand (well one person) the WC AAD (West Coast And Antipodean Diary) will be published every ten days. This is my perspective - mainly factual of what has happened whilst commanding West Coast, Canada, North Pacific, SWPac, Oz and NZ.

DEC 7:
Usual attack on PH - BB x2 go down but the rest seem to fare okay

DEC 8:
I set my convoys up (hard work). Attacks in Malaya and PI as expected. Jap CVs look like they may head back to PH.

DEC 9:
Continuing attacks on Malaya and PI. Bombing raids repulsed well by US Fighters. MSW sunk by sub of PI. CVs return south of PH and catch a number of fleeing convoys. Many ships sunk or damaged. Jap TF catches supply convoy in PI and damages. PT boats retaliate and surprise Japs but all get sunk - 1 DD hit. Khoto Bharu falls. Not a good day.

DEC 10:
A very quiet day. Lost a ML to a sub attack. CVs seem to be leaving PH area. RAF and AVG are doing a great job in Malaya.

DEC 11:
RAF and AVG continue their spendid job in Malaya. Subs have no luck - we miss everything but they hit a MSW[:@]. CVs attack Johnson island area now - 2DMS and 2DM lost. AVD hit in South China Sea. Transport hit in PI. Chinese hit back with an assault at Nanking and Japs retreat. News come in of a Japanese replacement General........ Mogami[X(][X(][X(]

DEC 12:
Lose a TK and AK to surface combat in PI. AVD torpedoed N of Borneo but we sink a sub! Heavy bombing and land combat in Malaya. Japanese invade and capture Nauru Island

DEC 13:
Seas around PI very busy. Night combat CA,CL and 6DD sink 2 Jap DDs. CA Houston, CL Marblehead, and DD Bulmer hit. 2 of our AKs hit and sunk by subs. Land invasions of PI. CL Boise torp'd. Various air attacks on TFs of both sides in area. We hit two APs off the coast of Malaya but our attacking subs are depth charged. Air raids and land combat in China. Victoria Point falls having been abandoned.

DEC 14:
CL Boise sinks. CA Houston torp'd by Nells near Tarakan. We torp an AK near Borneo but they double the return[:(]. Cagayan in PI falls.

DEC 15:
A busy day. Two of our AKs sunk by subs - one in the Pacific west of Hawaii[:(]. TF with POW and Repulse sink 4 DDs and a CL near Cagayan[:)]. Japs throw Jakes and Bettys at them. Repulse bombed and POW torp'd. Japs seem to have sorted out their CAP over Malaya. TF of CAs enter Amboina and shell 4DDs there but we apparently suffer no damage. Honours even in China - Japs retake Nanking but we take Changsa. We hit an AK N of Borneo. Rabaul under attack from landing forces[:(]

DEC 16:
We hit a sub off Borneo that sinks. PTs sink an AK near Brunei and other PTs surprise a TF of CAs, CLs, and DDs near Java - DD badly damaged but PT lost. CL Adelaide is loaned to DEI to thwart landing at Amboina - it runs straight into heavy TF and gets sunk - I hope the sacrifice was worth it[;)] Invasion of Borneo begins. Rabaul holds on - just. Singapore Airways continue their great work against escorting A6M2 then the Nells eat flak over Singapore Harbor but manage to torp a CA and CL.

Next installment on DEC 26 1941

[AmiralLaurent]

15 December 1941

Pacific:
AK Coloradan, sailing alone between Hawaii and the W coast, met a Japanese sub and was sunk in a surface attack.

Borneo
Much activity north of the island. During the night, SS Seal is damaged by a depth charge south of Camranh Bay. All the day long, Dutch Martins attacked ships N of Brunei and they heavily damaged an AK.

PI
During the night, as related above, Force Z swept Cagayan waters, N of Mindanao, and sank CL Kuma and 4 DD with minor damage. While retiring, she was attacked all day long off Jolo by Jakes, Kates (from a CV TF east of Cagayan) and Betties from Aparri. At least 2 Jakes and 4 Kates are shot down by AA fire but PoW took a torpedo in the last attack of the afternoon and Repulse lost several AA guns after bomb hits.
In the morning, a PBY claimed a hit against a transport off Aparri.
A Japanese raid against Clark Field was countered by 3 Allied fighters. Two were shot down but the last one destroyed two Nates.

DEI
Allied MSW found a minefield off Palembang. SS I-157 sank the Dutch AK Sipirok off Tarakan in the morning.

Malaya
Singapore planes attacked again in force the 18th Division marching towards Kuantan but this time met 35 Zeroes. Japanese pilots have a field day and shot down 17 P-40B, 5 Blenheim I, 3 Buffalo I, 2 Hudson I, 1 Martin 139 and 1 B-17C for only two losses. This is only the number of wrecks found in the area, more planes crash during the return to base.
The 5th Japanese division is in Alor Star, exchanging shells with the Allied defenders.

Amboina
A Japanese cruiser TF arrived off the island, was attacked without damage by Hudsons from Kendari (one lost) and Brewster from the local airfield. They met 4 US DD off the island but exchanged without any hit only some shells at 24000 yards.

Rabaul
Japanese Navy troops landed in Rabaul.

China
Usual bombardment in Hong Kong and China.
The 21st Division coming from Hanoi took again Nanning, repulsing 3 Chinese corps towards Wuchow. A 4th Chinese Corps is so encircled in Pakhoi, where Japanese troops are bombarding it.
In Changsha, a Japanese brigade advanced too fast and is repulsed by a shock attack by 8 Chinese corps, losing 700 men.

[AmiralLaurent]

16 December 1941

Rabaul
Another convoy arrived in Rabaul and troops of the South Seas Detachment began to land during the night. A schock attack by the units that landed the day before was repulsed.

Borneo
During the night, I-162 tried to attack Force Z SW of Jolo and was fatally hit by DD Vampire, sinking before dawn.
Dutch PT boats strike also during this night, sinking a damaged AK (hit the day before by Martins and sailing alone) off Brunei and surprising a bombardment TF off Kuching. A Japanese DD was torpedoed and heavily damaged and a PT sunk. This TF continued and pounded Kuching, destroying 3 Dutch fighters.
Japanese troops land during the night at Miri and Brunei.
After dawn, Dutch bombers attacked Japanese transports off Miri and Brunei and hit another AK. British planes flying from Kuching attacked a convoy north of this base and the retirning bombardment TF, losing a Vildebeest to AA fire.
Nells from Indochina found and attacked BB Revenge off Kuching. Zeroes opened the way and shot down 4 Dutch fighters and a Sea Gladiator but the Nells missed.

Amboina
The Australian CL Adelaide arrived alone during the night at Amboina, probably not aware that Japanese ships were there the day before, and is surprised and sunk by Japanese cruisers.

Sumatra
In the morning, a British AK was torpedoed by a Japanese submarine east of Palembang.

Malaya
The Allied raid of the day was directed against Khota Bharu airfield. 8 Nates opposed the raid and shot down two Buffaloes without losses but 75 Allied bombers attacked the runways.
In the afternoon, a big raid of Nells and Zeroes targeted a British cruiser TF off Singapore and is met by AVG and Buffaloes. The Japanese lost 8 Zeroes and 6 Nells (4 to AA) to shot down 4 Buffaloes and 3 P-40 and scored three torpedo hits, including a dud: CA Exeter (massive explosive damage) and Glasgow were damaged.

PI
A raid by Ki-48s from Aparri targeted Clark Field and met no CAP. A Ki-15 Babs following it is shot down by AA.
In the afternoon, SS Saury is bombed and hit by a Betty south of Mindanao.
The 24th FG flying from Davao attacked a CVL TF in the area. A squadron was acting as escort and shot down 7 Claudes for no loss. The other squadron was bomb laden to attack ships and suffered badly: 6 P-40E destroyed by Zeroes and 1 by AA, no hit.

China
Usual frontline bombardment in Hong Kong, Yenen and Pakhoi. A great Japanese army arrived under the walls of Changsha.

Score: Japan 2722 - 8284 Allied
Plane losses: 538 Allied, 261 Japanese
Army: 335 Allied, 47 Japanes
Ships (FOW): 34 Allied (612 points), 11 Japanese (95 points)

[String]

Now where's that turn?

[AmiralLaurent]

ORIGINAL: String

Now where's that turn?

An Allied general losing control of his nerves....

Bill sent it to me, I will do it as soon as I get home from work. I'm leaving desk right now.

[String]

Very anticlimatic turn..

[AmiralLaurent]

17 December 1941: yes, a very quiet turn in sky and sea but Miri, Brunei and Hong Kong fall

Malaya
In the morning, AVG shots down a Dinah. 80 unescorted Allied bombers hit the 5th Div at Alor Star (153 casualties, 7 guns). Allied artillery also fired at the Japanese lines, that were reinforced by the arrival of 55th Div from Thailand.

Borneo
16th Naval Garnison took Brunei and Miri (where 72 men landed yesterday). No other action in the area

PI
8 Ki-48 bomb Clark Field under escort by 60 Japanese fighters. They are opposed by a P-26A doing acrobatics. A Nate pilot won the race and shot it down before the other pilots. Recons report P-40Es over Manila and Bataan.
In the evening, S-36 attacked a convoy between Batan Island and Aparri and heavily damaged an AK.
Three US Base Forces surrounded in Laoag surrendered when attacked by a SNLF (3000 POWs). All the north of Luzon is now Japanese.

DEI
Japanese ships left the area. A good idea as 8 BB/CAs are reported by Japanese airmen off this port during the day.
4 Japanese TF are 120 miles from Menado and a Do24K-2 didn’t return to base, its last message being « Zeroes seen ».

Rabaul
Landing continued during the night and the day while both sides exchanged shells. Allied gunners claimed to have hit five times a PG. During the night, Japanese troops also landed in Gasmata and Talasea.
Some Hudsons attacked unsuccesfully ships off the base while 17 Zeroes flying from Truk met 5 Wirraways and shot down one.

Pacific
Nothing to report.

China
Usual frontline activity in Pakhoi (where Ki-48 bombed Chinese troops) and Yenen.
Honk Kong defenders were bombed by 30 Sonias (3 shot down by AA fire) and then assaulted by two reinforced Japanese divisions. They surrendered in the evening. Japanese counted 9000 POWs.

[Hoplosternum]

ORIGINAL: String

Very anticlimatic turn..

Well with Force Z exiting the combat zone as fast as possible what can you expect [;)] The prospect of taking on a few of my cruisers has sent them scurrying away towards Oz [:)]

[String]

ORIGINAL: Hoplosternum

ORIGINAL: String

Very anticlimatic turn..

Well with Force Z exiting the combat zone as fast as possible what can you expect [;)] The prospect of taking on a few of my cruisers has sent them scurrying away towards Oz [:)]

You keep telling that to yourself [:'(]

[AmiralLaurent]

18 December 1941

Malaya
Khota Bharu airfield is bombed by Blenheims during the night. In the morning 60 Allied bombers and 26 escorts attacked a convoy off Khota Bharu. Two Nates fly LRCAP over it but are shot down by AVG pilots and then bombs hit 4 AP (all reported in fire) and 1 PG.
32 Zeroes escorted 28 Nells to attack Allied ships off Singapore. They met 33 Allied fighters and a fierce battle started. 7 Zeroes were lost against 5 P-40B, 3 Buffalo I, 3 Hurricane II and 2 Wirraway. Nells were engaged by CAP and 2 were shot down while 19 turned back. 7 launched torpedoes towards 2 cruisers but missed and AA shot down two.
Japanese forces were reinforced again in Alor Star with the arrival of the 1st Tk Rgt.

Sumatra
During the night, 4 MSW sweep Japanese mines off Palembang but one is sunk by hitting one.

Borneo
A damaged Japanese AK sank during the night off Miri.
4 Japanese CA and 7 DD swept Kuching waters during the night, searching the BB Revenge. She left before they arrived but they met 3 Dutch PT. Two are sunk but a DD took a bad torpedo hit.
In the morning, 15 torpedo planes and 8 Martin escorted by 23 fighters attacked a convoy 120 miles N of Kuching. A Vildebeest is shot down by AA and an AK is hit by a torpedo.

PI
Allied submarines are busy north of the island. A convoy is attacked twice and an ASW group attacked two Allied subs. No hit was scored by anybody.
Another raid hit Clark Field and as yesterday the only P-26A opposing the 60 Japanese fighters is shot down by a Nate.

Celebes
After a quiet morning, 8 Hudsons and 3 Brewster took off from Kendari to attack a CVL TF S of Menado. Attacked by Zeroes, the bombers attacked the first ships found, two Cas, and missed. They lost one plane to CAP and another to AA.

Rabaul
Japanese troops continue to land and troops to exchange shells. A Hudson hit an AP off the base in the morning. Elements of the 24th NLF took Gasmata and Talasea during the day, so the Allied garnison has no escape path.

Pacific
A TK sailing lonely between Hawaii and USA escaped the torpedoes of a Japanese submarine in the evening.

China
The Japanese 35th Bde has joined the Japanese forces in Pakhoi and they launched a shock attack. The Chinese Corps here was surrounded after the retaking of Nanning and unable to retreat, held ground (55 Chinese lost).
The 21st Japanese Div is still advancing SE of Nanning and repulsed two Chinese HQ units.
Usual bombardment at Yenen and Changsha (where 4 Japanese Div, 3 ART, 4 ENG faced 9 Corps and 1 BF).

[String]

What AmiralLaurent said, i have little to add besides mentioning that the zero cap was surprisingly impotent..

The aircraft losses are about 2:1 in japanese favor but almost half of the allied losses are planes destroyed on ground on the first turn.

In air to air the losses are approx 1,3:1 in japans favor.

[String]

Here is the current situation in comparison to what happened historically. Red is the ingame japanese frontline, yellow (where different) is the historical. Also, Davao (all of it) was captured by 20th december historically.

Red arrows are large japanese TF's (suspected invasion forces) ..