More Variants - The End of Western Imperialism - No Nomad please (Feb 1944)

[Xargun]

South Pacific:
Corsair sweep Rabaul and B-25s hit the airfield and port. B-24s target ground troops and cause a few casualties.


I was curious so I pulled up my notes from my last game against Nomad, looked at Nov 29th and compared notes - mostly looking at economic matters. I am ahead in every category this game except for Resources - but then I don't control China like I did last game. I am up 1.7 Million supplies, 3 Million Oil and 1.7 Million Fuel. Currently in Japan I have just over 3 Million tons of oil - enough to run the refineries there for 438 days without anymore oil being produced / delivered to Japan. So right now I have enough oil to last into 1944. Resources on the other hand are not nearly as high. I only have enough resources in Japan to last 46 days - but that number has been holding steady for weeks now - and bounces up and down in the high 40s. I am only hauling resources to Japan from Singapore, Truk and occasionally Manila. There is roughly 1.5 Million tons of resources within safe distance of Japan (Hong Kong, Shanghai, Port Arthur and Formosa) not counting around 1.5 - 2 Million in Hokkaido alone. In economic terms I think I am doing much better this game than last and part of that is repairing the damaged oil as soon as I could in this game - where I was slow to repair a lot of it last time.

Palembang has less the 700k fuel and Balikpapan has less than 100k now. I am starting to deliver more fuel to Japan than oil.

Xargun

[Xargun]

Sub Warfare:
My combat TF moving up near Rangoon runs over a dutch sub and manages to damage it a bit with some type 2 depth charges. I have ordered some nearby PBs into an ASW TF to prosecute the contact further.

Unfortunately the combat TF ran over another dutch sub along the coast north of Rangoon giving away its position. I was trying to sneak up to bombard Akyab, but the TF is spotted now.


South Pacific:
Corsairs sweep Kavieng - recon showed him I have planes there last turn. My fighters were not there - they were flying elsewhere today. Some B-25s even hit the airfield there but luckily no aircraft were damaged.


Xargun

[Xargun]

Welcome to December !!

Sub Warfare:
Lots of sub action this turn.
Turn starts off with another Dutch sub attacking my combat TF along the coast near Rangoon, but it missed the target DD. My DDs came back and minorly damaged the sub.

The a PB enters Rabaul harbor and is attacked by an USN sub. It misses, but the PB drops all its depth charges and reports 4 hits on the enemy sub !!

Then I-173 attacks an allied DD but misses, and is minorly damaged in return.

Then the important one of the turn. I-174 fires four torpedoes at CV Wasp, but only reports a single explosion is heard. So I finally hit an enemy CV with a sub launched torpedo !!! Would have like 2 or more hits, but I'll take one. Maybe that will be enough to send her home for repairs. Oh yeah, I-174 avoids the counter attack and several other attacks during the turn with no damage.


Burma:
My Combat TF was ordered to move closer and try to break contact, but with the sub encounter and recon spotting it that was a failure. But when the B-25s came calling, with some P-38 escorts, I was glad my Zeros were there. Reports came back indicating we shot down 2 P-38 in the air along with one B-25. Another B-25 was destroyed by flak and all the bombs missed !!


South Pacific:
Corsairs sweep Kavieng followed by B-25s hitting the airfield. They did manage to destroy on Tojo still on the ground being repaired.



Xargun

[Xargun]

Sub Warfare:
Lots of ASW and Sub attacks this turn. I-172 took minor damage after being spotted by some allied DDs south of Rabaul.


South Pacific:
Corsairs sweep Rabaul followed by B-25s bombing my troops there. Very little damage was received during the storm-laden attacks.

NavSearch shows multiple allied CVs east of Rabaul - not sure what they are doing there. But I have sent a few subs that way. Who knows, I could get lucky again.


Xargun

[Xargun]

Sub Warfare:
Multiple Sub and ASW encounters south of Rabaul which leave IJN RO-66 slightly damaged.


South Pacific:
Invasion TFs off Rabaul !!! A US Invasion force arrives at Rabaul and disembarks Marines from the 1st Marine Division as well support staff from the I US Amphib Corps. Several hundred enemy troops are wounded and killed coming ashore under heavy fire. A second invasion TF pulls up and unloads tanks from the 763rd Tank Bn.

Several squadrons of USMC Corsairs sweep the skies over Rabaul followed by B-25s, B-17s and B-24s attacking dug in IJA troops inflicting minimal casualties. Between enemy fighter sweeps, Nells from Truk sneak in and attack the invasion TFs !!! Unfortunately almost everything misses, except 1 dud torpedo on a CL, 1 reported torpedo hit on CA Astoria and 1 torpedo hit on xAP Hong Kheng, killing 25 enemy troops. On each of my Nell attacks it put a little tidbit of information on the combat report "Carrier support unable to supply air cover.." - I believe that was due to the heavy storms in the Rabaul hex grounding the enemy fighters. This was possibly my only chance to inflict some decent damage on the ships and most of the shots missed

My troops at Rabaul then bombarded the enemy troops for some unknown reason giving away my troop strength.

Ground combat at Rabaul (106,125)

Japanese Bombardment attack

Attacking force 16143 troops, 138 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 678

Defending force 15577 troops, 290 guns, 245 vehicles, Assault Value = 467

Allied ground losses:
11 casualties reported
Squads: 1 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

Assaulting units:
4th Division
41st Naval Guard Unit
52nd Naval Guard Unit
11th Air Fleet
2nd JAAF Base Force
2nd Naval Construction Battalion
2nd Base Force
36th JNAF AF Unit
7th Naval Construction Battalion
35th JNAF AF Unit
10th Special Base Force
22nd Special Base Force
37th JNAF AF Unit

Defending units:
1st Marine Division
763rd Tank Bn /4
I US Amphib Corps /3


Nomad knew the 4th division was there from previous air attacks so I am a bit surprised he only brought one division - Marines are tough, but only 1 division. I checked the fatigue and disruption on my troops and they are all below 5 so my troops are in great shape for the coming battle hiding behind their level 5 forts. If we can repair the facility damage - even for one day - the forts will kick up to level 6 (they are at lvl 5 - 99% right now).

I am expecting some bombardment TFs to hit my troops - not sure of any other way he is going wear them down. I am a bit mad that once more his TFs just waltz in through my newly laid and unknown minefield without any issue. I know its only 130 mines or so, but when 50+ ships roll in you would think they would hit some -- especially when landing troops.


Xargun

[Xargun]

I am back from taking my son to a Pittsburgh Steeler's pre-season game for his birthday and the war is back in motion.

Sub Warfare:
IJN subs in the Rabaul area were ordered to engage enemy TFs in Rabaul and nearby resulting in multiple ASW and Sub attacks. Unfortunately both RO-66 and I-174 were located and heavily damaged in one attack before they could move into position to attack. I-174 sunk attempting to return to Truk.


South Pacific:
More allied troops come ashore at Rabaul from at least two different TFs. APA President Polk is reported to have taking a shell hit from either an 8cm or 15cm gun.

I created some PTs (MTBs) and Midget Subs for defense and the MTBs attacked. Even though they got close to 1000 or 2000 yards I do not believe they fired any torpedoes and they were systematically wiped out at Rabaul and then by reacting allied TFs as they left the hex. A total of 6 MTBs were created - all that were in the pool - and they were all sunk over multiple surface encounters.

During the night phase Nells from Truk arrived. In one attack 41 Nells attack the CVE TF sitting at Rabaul, but none of the torpedoes found a target After my Nells attacked, a huge Bombardment TF hammered Rabaul inflicting over 500 casualties. The TF consisted of 9 allied BBs and 14 DDs.

As the daylight came - so did the allied air power. Medium and Heavy bombers hit troops and the facilities escorted with a lot of Wildcat fighters.


Xargun

[Xargun]

Sub Warfare:
Midget sub Ha-9 attacks DD Henley at Rabaul and misses.
IJN I-172 attacks DD Aylwin but misses and receives heavy damage in return.
IJN RO-64 attacks CA Astoria and hits with a single torpedo. Unfortunately Astoria's escorts sink the sub.
Midget sub Ha-13 puts another torpedo into CA Astoria and is sunk in return. As the sub sinking noises faded, ship sinking noises were heard !! So it looks like Astoria has finally been sunk.
IJN I-7 attacks DD Monssen and missies and get heavily damaged in return.
SSX Ha-9 attacks DD Porter and misses, and it sunk in return.


South Pacific:
More allied troops come ashore - including a second Tank Battalion.
A combat TF lead by the Heavy cruiser Astoria moved to Gasmata and sunk a PB there loading troops - 180 troops lost.

Nells arrived over Rabaul again but once more missed with every torpedo.
The allied BB TF hammers Rabaul again, but only inflicts 300 casualties this time.

An enemy TF of three DDs cruising around the west end of New Britain is located an attacked by Vals. In the morning attack, DD Maury is hit with two bombs, and left listing and aflame. In the afternoon the Vals return and land four bombs on DD Mugford leaving her drifting and burning. I didn't hear any sinking noises from either of them, but my guess is they are both gone.

The usual bombing and sweeping of Rabaul then happened.


Xargun

[Xargun]

Sub Warfare:
Midget sub Ha-11 is spotted and sunk at Rabaul.
Midget sub Ha-12 is spotted and damaged, but she makes port at Rabaul. I have sent her back to the pool.


South Pacific:
More Nells from Truk target the US CVEs but once more fail to achieve any hits.
Heavy Cruisers bombard Rabaul during the night.
An allied amphib TF runs into a mine - DD Stereet is heavily damaged and on fire.

During the turn execution I heard two ships sinking.


Xargun

[Xargun]

South Pacific:
More allied troops are landing at Rabaul - seems like he doesn't think the Marines are enough to take Rabaul.
His BBs bombard Rabaul again inflicting 400 losses and disrupting my troops.
More enemy tanks come ashore but are either destroyed or damaged upon the landing.

My artillery bombardment reveals what he just landed - 2 more divisions, two Arty battalions, 1 Tank unit and some combat engineers.

Defending units:
1st USMC Tank Bn /1
762nd Tank Battalion
37th Infantry Div /2
1st Marine Division
763rd Tank Battalion
34th Combat Engineer Regiment
Americal Infantry Div /2
226th FA Bn /1
I US Amphib Corps
249th FA Bn /1


Xargun

[Xargun]

South Pacific:
As the past week or so, all the action is down here with Rabaul at the center.
More allied troops land at Rabaul - but every time they try to bring vehicles ashore they are either destroyed or damaged. I'm sure they are getting some ashore, but lots of being lost as well.

My Nightly Nell raid misses everything again - and to add insult one of the groups actually carried bombs !!! WTF - their air HQ has 150+ torpedoes and they are carrying bombs ? I won't every understand this night attack craziness.

Today's bombardment is brought to us by Heavy Cruisers.

An allied PF escorting some AMs clearing mines runs into a mine and I'm pretty sure it sunk.


I checked my troops this turn and even after the massive bombardments and bombings the troops are hanging in there stat wise.


Xargun

[Xargun]

South Pacific:
More allied troops come ashore at Rabaul. I'm beginning to think the numbers are never ending.
My Nells attack during the night and miss everything again. I have stood them down for some R&R while mechanics work on their aircraft.
Multiple Bombardment TFs hit Rabaul doing some good damage to the troops there.
Bombers hit Rabaul inflicting basically no casualties.
This was all preparation for the first actual attack today. The US troops charged my defenses led by the Marines. After a day of fighting, my forts dropped to level 4 but more allied troops lay dead and wounded than IJA. We held.

Ground combat at Rabaul (106,125)

Allied Deliberate attack

Attacking force 32487 troops, 727 guns, 838 vehicles, Assault Value = 1094

Defending force 33492 troops, 195 guns, 108 vehicles, Assault Value = 642

Allied adjusted assault: 1495

Japanese adjusted defense: 447

Allied assault odds: 3 to 1 (fort level 5)

Allied Assault reduces fortifications to 4

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

Japanese ground losses:
673 casualties reported
Squads: 31 destroyed, 69 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 15 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 18 disabled
Guns lost 12 (2 destroyed, 10 disabled)

Allied ground losses:
1131 casualties reported
Squads: 6 destroyed, 103 disabled
Non Combat: 3 destroyed, 15 disabled
Engineers: 2 destroyed, 47 disabled
Guns lost 14 (1 destroyed, 13 disabled)
Vehicles lost 39 (5 destroyed, 34 disabled)

Assaulting units:
Americal Infantry Division
1st Marine Division
763rd Tank Battalion
192nd Tank Bn /11
37th Infantry Division
762nd Tank Battalion
34th Combat Engineer Regiment
1st USMC Tank Bn /1
I US Amphib Corps
226th FA Bn /1
249th FA Bn /1

Defending units:
41st Naval Guard Unit
4th Division
52nd Naval Guard Unit
36th JNAF AF Unit
2nd JAAF Base Force
22nd Special Base Force
35th JNAF AF Unit
2nd Base Force
7th Naval Construction Battalion
10th Special Base Force
37th JNAF AF Unit
2nd Naval Construction Battalion
11th Air Fleet /1


Xargun

[Xargun]

South Pacific:
As expected all of the action is here.

More allied troops come ashore at Rabaul - we're having a huge party here. Lots of allied vehicles going into the ocean though - many destroyed and a lot damaged.

The standard Army bombers hit the troops and even some Navy bombers are joining in now. But the planes are not doing anything to my troops - the Bombardment TFs are doing the damage. The US has landed a total of 3 Inf Divisions (2 Army, 1 Marine), 3 Tank Battalions, 1 USMC Tank Battalion, 1 Combat Engineer Regiment, 1 Amphib HQ, and two Artillery Battalions. Its getting crowded here.

The enemy troops did not attack this turn - I wonder if they are resting or waiting for the bombardment TFs to rearm and return?


Xargun

[Xargun]

South Pacific:
Allied troops continue to unload at Rabaul.
Three enemy TFs came up and bombarded Rabaul, including the massive 9 BB TF which is the only one really doing damage.
The large BB TF ran afoul of I-2 and BB Maryland caught a torpedo for her troubles !!! BB Maryland was smoking before the torpedo hit so not sure what happened to her - nothing hit a mine, but maybe some BBs ran into each other - that would be hilarious.

US Troops attack at Rabaul after the massive bombardments lowering the forts to level 3...

Ground combat at Rabaul (106,125)

Allied Deliberate attack

Attacking force 32973 troops, 738 guns, 921 vehicles, Assault Value = 1001

Defending force 32243 troops, 196 guns, 107 vehicles, Assault Value = 564

Allied engineers reduce fortifications to 3

Allied adjusted assault: 674

Japanese adjusted defense: 365

Allied assault odds: 1 to 1 (fort level 3)

Allied Assault reduces fortifications to 3

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

Japanese ground losses:
664 casualties reported
Squads: 16 destroyed, 73 disabled
Non Combat: 2 destroyed, 10 disabled
Engineers: 2 destroyed, 13 disabled
Guns lost 14 (5 destroyed, 9 disabled)

Allied ground losses:
457 casualties reported
Squads: 1 destroyed, 58 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 19 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 16 disabled
Guns lost 18 (1 destroyed, 17 disabled)
Vehicles lost 55 (2 destroyed, 53 disabled)


Xargun

[Xargun]

Sub Warfare:
Several encounters with allied TFs leave 1 sub damaged, 1 crippled and 1 sunk in exchange for 1 allied PF sunk.


South Pacific:
The same old air attacks and troops landing at Rabaul. This combat phase though the allies only bombard. So not sure if their disruption is high? low on supplies? Simply waiting for the BBs to rearm?


Xargun

[Xargun]

South Pacific:
A single enemy CA led TF bombards during the night.
More enemy troops come ashore at Rabaul - will it never end ?? Hundreds are killed and wounded on the shoreline !!
Amphibious Assault at Rabaul (106,125)

TF 153 troops unloading over beach at Rabaul, 106,125

Allied ground losses:
1381 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 95 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 195 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 127 (0 destroyed, 127 disabled)
Vehicles lost 115 (0 destroyed, 115 disabled)

Enemy warships standoff firing in support as troops come ashore. Shore batteries return some fire, hitting APA Wharton and APA President Jackson with some 8cm shells. Not a lot of damage, but those APAs can't take any sort of hit like a warship can.

Allied bombers strike at Rabaul, hitting the airfield and some troops. Very few troops are hurt.

Some bombardment is exchanged between our forces revealing the new troops that came ashore -- the 43rd Infantry Division !!! So Nomad has brought another Division to the party !! If I still had all my CVs I would head into this mess - destroying these four divisions would set him back 6 months or more but I do not have all my CVs. Oh well.. the longer my troops hold at Rabaul, the more men I evac from the surrounding bases and the more damage I do to those units forcing him to reconstitute them before heading elsewhere.

Xargun

[Xargun]

Sub Warfare:
Allied amphib TFs and ASW TFs beat up on my subs this turn damaging three of them - two of which are heading back to Truk for repairs.
In return we sank PF Vincent.


South Pacific:
Two Cruiser-led TFs bombard Rabaul during the night (Heavies in one, Lights in the other). More troops come ashore - lot of vehicles - from what Nomad said they are mostly Motorized Support -- which is very slow to unload from xAKs and xAKLs that are being used.

Fighter sweeps over Rabul clear the way for the Heavies to beat up on the Airfield keeping it suppressed and preventing any fort building.

During the combat phase the allied troops attack and unfortunately capture the base - destroying 1 IJA unit and sending the rest fleeing into the jungle I was hoping they would hold out for another 4-5 days. But those bombardment TFs is what did me in.

Ground combat at Rabaul (106,125)

Allied Deliberate attack

Attacking force 41732 troops, 952 guns, 1146 vehicles, Assault Value = 1185

Defending force 30528 troops, 195 guns, 100 vehicles, Assault Value = 487

Allied engineers reduce fortifications to 2

Allied adjusted assault: 1404

Japanese adjusted defense: 321

Allied assault odds: 4 to 1 (fort level 2)

Allied forces CAPTURE Rabaul !!!

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

Japanese ground losses:
10363 casualties reported
Squads: 154 destroyed, 59 disabled
Non Combat: 560 destroyed, 53 disabled
Engineers: 301 destroyed, 1 disabled
Guns lost 105 (94 destroyed, 11 disabled)
Vehicles lost 70 (70 destroyed, 0 disabled)
Units retreated 12
Units destroyed 1

Allied ground losses:
428 casualties reported
Squads: 3 destroyed, 43 disabled
Non Combat: 2 destroyed, 12 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 20 disabled
Guns lost 10 (1 destroyed, 9 disabled)
Vehicles lost 18 (1 destroyed, 17 disabled)

Defeated Japanese Units Retreating!

During the combat replay only the Marine Division seemed to have anything near its normal combat strength - all of the Army divisions were at 200 strength or less. So at least it will take a while for them to regain their strength.


Xargun

[Xargun]

Sub Warfare:
Allied ships attack and miss two IJN subs south of Rabaul.


Burma:
Helens bomb the 9th Indian Division and 16th British Brigade east of Akyab for minor damage.


Slow turn with the fall of Rabaul. I expect a week or so of slow turns in the South Pacific, before the allies begin landing and picking off my other bases there one by one now that his four divisions are free.


Xargun

[Xargun]

Sub Warfare:
I-4 is slightly damaged after a failed attack on DD Frazier.


South Pacific:
67 Tojo IIcs swept the skies over Rabaul this turn - running into the 75 Wildcats on CAP. We lost a couple more than them but the task was to whittle down the cap. Reports indcate 17 Wildcats destroyed for 23 Tojos.

Allied bombers - DBs and B-25s bombed my fleeing troops in the jungle near Rabaul inflicting minor casualties.


Xargun

[Xargun]

South Pacific:
Corsairs sweep the skies over my troops trudging through the jungle before the SBDs arrive to bomb them inflicting now damage. Unfortunately Gasmata has fallen to a paratrooper assault - no surprise I only left a handful of troops there and airlifted the rest out a while ago.


Xargun

[Xargun]

South Pacific:
Allied SBDs attack my troops in the jungle near Rabaul inflicting no losses.
Nothing else seems to be going on other than a plenthora of allied TFs moving in and out of Rabaul.


Xargun