The Hive - Cruft PBEM (Japan, Scen 2 Beta + Stacking Limits)

[Captain Cruft]

Saros,

Yes I had picked that up about the Type 3 mines. None of my airgroups can "Mine Port" yet though.

[Captain Cruft]

Ebadon

All the size 0 airbases in the Marshalls have been left alone. This is great as I can still run Naval Search out of Jaluit and Majuro to see what he's up to. Even better, my "secret" base at Ebadon is still intact, with its 16 av support. Next turn I hope to ambush the unescorted B-25s which he is using for Ground Attack at Roi-Namur with 9 N1K1 Rex's.

This sort of thing might seem trivial, but psychologically if you can install some sort of threat in what your opponent considers to be a safe area then the benefits may well outweigh the costs. He may feel forced to clean up all the bases in the Marshalls before proceeding on to Eniwetok or Ponape for example.

[Captain Cruft]

12 Aug 1943

Today we lost 2 Rex's in exchange for 4 B-25s. I am hoping that he will now devote considerable resources and time to eradicating these pesky 16 floatplanes and the tiny garrison supporting them (2 x JNAF Coys with 16 AV and 4 fts).

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Morning Air attack on 6th Base Force, at 132,114 (Roi-Namur)

Weather in hex: Heavy rain

Raid detected at 27 NM, estimated altitude 13,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 7 minutes

Japanese aircraft
N1K1 Rex x 5

Allied aircraft
B-25C Mitchell x 26

No Japanese losses

Allied aircraft losses
B-25C Mitchell: 1 destroyed, 7 damaged

Japanese ground losses:
14 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 3 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

Aircraft Attacking:
12 x B-25C Mitchell bombing from 8000 feet
Ground Attack: 6 x 500 lb GP Bomb
13 x B-25C Mitchell bombing from 8000 feet
Ground Attack: 6 x 500 lb GP Bomb

CAP engaged:
452 Ku S-1 with N1K1 Rex (1 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
1 plane(s) intercepting now.
1 plane(s) not yet engaged, 0 being recalled, 0 out of immediate contact.
Group patrol altitude is 9000 , scrambling fighters to 13000.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 19 minutes
802 Ku S-1 with N1K1 Rex (1 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
1 plane(s) intercepting now.
2 plane(s) not yet engaged, 0 being recalled, 0 out of immediate contact.
Group patrol altitude is 12000 , scrambling fighters to 12000.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 11 minutes

[Captain Cruft]

14 Aug 1943

An unescorted airfield attack on Kwajalein sees 4 B-24s fall to the Rex's today. That makes 4 x 2E + 4 x 4E bombers so far, in exchange for about 6 Rex's.

I am going to reinforce success. So an additional JNAF Coy will be air transported from Ponape to Ebadon and my only other float fighter unit (still equipped with Rufes) which was training in the Bonins will start to hop its way over.

Sidenote: We experienced the first Allied recon over Bangkok today. I have therefore moved my single incomplete Tony unit there to reinforce the probably useless Dinah fighters. There is no possibility of Sweep at this point but some 4Es might conceivably turn up.

[obvert]

Glad you're having success with the float planes. They can be a good needle but certainly will suffer if he gets sweepers in range.

Is he hitting industry at Bangkok?

[Captain Cruft]

The Rex's have already been Swept a couple of times. Of course they lose, but only 2 or 3 planes a turn. I think the rest of them are too slow to climb up to the silly altitude of the incoming fighters.

There has been no bombing beyond Moulmein so far. He is very focused on taking Rangoon I think. One step at a time ...

[Captain Cruft]

17 Aug 1943

Nothing has changed, just never-ending ordnance deliveries by air at Roi-Namur, Wotje and Rangoon.

Production wise I now have 2 Norms in the pool. This is another plane which I might usefully use at Ebadon, especially given its range.

Babeldoab is the first base to reach size 8 forts. Saipan will probably be next.

[Captain Cruft]

LCUs at Saipan.

[Captain Cruft]

Iwo Jima

[Captain Cruft]

LCUs at Iwo Jima

[Captain Cruft]

Airgroups at Iwo Jima.

IJA anti-shipping power. Hopefully ...

[Captain Cruft]

Production.

I was somewhat amazed this turn to notice that I have 5,700 aircraft in the pool.

[Captain Cruft]

Pool numbers. Over 1,000 Oscars

[Captain Cruft]

China.

Very quiet ...

[Captain Cruft]

I have a mutant division at Amoy, which is where it will stay.

[Captain Cruft]

There is a bunch of heavy artillery at Hankow waiting to be shipped out. I just haven't decided where it's going yet, but it will be places where we need to "fight them on the beaches".

[Captain Cruft]

I have fallen into the habit of keeping a fair amount of troop transport capacity at Hankow.

[Captain Cruft]

20 Aug 1943

It looks like another landing is imminent in the Marshalls. My guess would be Wotje, or perhaps Roi-Namur based on the amount of 500lb bombs delivered.

In either case, I am this time in the luxurious position of having more than zero AV in situ. What I don't have is any air other than floatplanes. Maybe they can get a lucky hit or two

[Captain Cruft]

21 Aug 1943

It looks like Roi-Namur is the target.

[Captain Cruft]

22 Aug 1943

Roi-Namur falls. He landed the 1st Marine Division plus some tanks.

We managed a consolation prize though.

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Sub attack near Roi-Namur at 131,113

Japanese Ships
SS I-16

Allied Ships
CV Wasp, Torpedo hits 3, heavy fires, heavy damage
CA Baltimore
CA Chicago
CLAA Oakland
CLAA San Juan
CLAA San Diego
DD Braine
DD Radford
DD Pringle
DD Philip
DD Nicholas

Massive explosion on CV Wasp
Ammo storage explosion on CV Wasp
Fuel storage explosion on CV Wasp
SS I-16 launches 8 torpedoes at CV Wasp
DD Radford fails to find sub, continues to search...
DD Pringle fails to find sub, continues to search...
DD Philip fails to find sub and abandons search
DD Nicholas fails to find sub, continues to search...
Escort abandons search for sub