The Shipwreck of Our Hopes: Japanese Side

[John 3rd]

These are the resulting Air Losses from the battle. I've lost a TON of planes but my pilots appear to be pretty good.

Japanese/American Breakdown in Losses:

Plane-----A-t-A---AAA---Ops---Total
Zero--------13-----------46-----59
Val---------17-----6-----65-----88
Kate--------26-----6-----57-----89

F4F---------80-----------39-----119
SBD---------47-----2-----96-----145
TBD---------41-----2-----35------78

Notice how few of planes were shot down due to AAA. Pretty interesting...

Here is the VP Cover:

[John 3rd]

The plan for the next day of Battle is simple:

1. Shokaku, Zuikaku, and CVL Shinyo move towards Canton at 20 Knots. The Zeros on Shinyo are ordered to CAP 90%.

2. The remaining three Fleet CVs move South to a point where they can strike ANYWHERE from Palmyra to Christmas Island and out of 360 miles. I have three CS with over 70+ Jakes to handle the Air Search. Everything else is ready to attack. Also fly off some of the Daitai fragments to Canton to clear the decks a bit.

3. BB TF Yamato (who started this whole mess) will bombard Palmyra and STAY there to catch anything limping in.

4. BB Musashi and 2 BC move to do the same at Christmas Isle.

5. 4 I-Boats have their patrols drawn in to look for cripples.

This is the plan for tomorrow...

[Mistmatz]

Congrats to what seems to be a big success.

A question regarding air search, you mentioned you let the Jakes from your CSs do the search work, was this also your setup for the fight?
I believe many people leave at least 10% of their attack planes on search as well as it is believed to help the planes lift off for an attack but I'm not sure if this is confirmed by devs or otherwise knowledgable people or just voodoo.

[John 3rd]

Your comment is correct. I used only my Floatplanes for Recon/Air Search. Everything else was devoted to 100% attack.

[Mistmatz]

Interesting, thanks for the clarification.

[janh]

This is a shocking but fantastic battle.  I haven't taken not of this AAR before, it is really becoming interesting now.

John, what are the implications of this battle for the big picture, what is Japan going to do now in the next year?  If you only loose Soryu, you will be having CV superiority into late 43 or even into 44.  You might try some big fruits now.  Australia?  New Zealand?  India?  An invasion of Pearl? 

[Galahad78]

Congratulations for a superb attack!! I do not know whta other toys Juan mod's gives the allies, but their situation in CVs must be, at the moment, ehem...terrifying (to say the least [:D]).

I would like to know, as janh, what your plans are for the next year. Is India a possibility now that the Pacific is "safe"?

[FatR]

ORIGINAL: ny59giants

John,

Glad to see you have found a much better player and person than me to be your partner.

Good Luck and Happy Hunting!!

You're flattering me and being unjust to yourself. Your position and score in this game looks great compared to my own achievements against Yubari.

[FatR]

I want to note, that in this mod Allies are due to receive 5 more CVs (including 4 Essex-class), 2 CVLs and a few CVEs, not counting possible conversions, during 1942. So we shouldn't celebrate victory just yet.

As about plans for the future, John said that they planned the invasion of India with Michael and their movement towards Australia was just a feint. I agree with such goal and will try to post my thoughts about the invasion plan when I have time as well.

[John 3rd]

ORIGINAL: FatR

ORIGINAL: ny59giants

John,

Glad to see you have found a much better player and person than me to be your partner.

Good Luck and Happy Hunting!!

You're flattering me and being unjust to yourself. Your position and score in this game looks great compared to my own achievements against Yubari.

Well said. Michael had run a Masterful DEI Campaign to this point.

[John 3rd]

It is inappropriate to celebrate the victory at this point. We must first see how many CVs survive to reach Canton. There is a very strong chance that we'll lose both Shokaku and Zuikaku. If so the battle is a victory but it is in no way decisive for 1942. Additionally, I must make sure to raise the bag of sunken American ships and make sure none of those possibly crippled US CVs makes it to port. THAT is the key to making this one felt for a while.

Long-Term Strategy? We go with what Stanislav likes and Michael and I planned. We'll take NE India. We can gain Heavy Industry, Resources, and Fuel going there and--perhaps--trap a good-sized portion of the army in Burma there. This will buy us time as well as aid the economy.

I shall work to create the perimeter in the Pacific. Will shift troops around, reshuffle the Fleet, and get more Land and Air assets moved in from the DEI-Philippines. We do need to jump over and grab the western Aleutians. This will need to be done soon.

This Mod is unlike anything I've seen or imagined in terms of massed ship-building. We'll see how long the Americans take to reconstitute their Fleet...

[Canoerebel]

Ouch, poor Allied CVs.  However, the battle was not completely lopsided as mine usually are (I usually lose four CVs, my opponents none).  So it seems that this is a short term major victory - the question is whether the Japanese can convert it into the start of a steamroller (and whether the Allies contribute to the steamroller by reinforcing defeat).

[John 3rd]

Hey Dan. Your thinking is accurate. Excellent short-term victory. Long-Term--we shall see...

My initial thoughts--once the cripples make it home or sink--is to re-organize the Fleet and then do another Raid into deep water looking for Convoys. Problem here is that I need FUEL! Given a 2-3 weeks I should be somewhat replennished with fuel, airframes, and supply. We'll do some serious thinking at that point.

If I had more troops, I'd try to invade Palmyra and Christmas Island. Obviously those islands cannot be reinforced now and we could wipe out some serious American troops. Will do more Recon of those Islands and see what sort of troops are present...

[John 3rd]

Not much happens on February 23, 1942.

The Japanese lose CV Zuikaku before the day even gets started. Cv Shokaku looks like she won't make it to Canton either. SAD! [:o] At worst the Battle off Palmyra will feature the loss of three US Carriers for an equal number of Japanese. We are still holding out hope for at least one more CV.

Palmyra
As planned BB Musashi and BC Fuji bombard the base and manage to do quite well. They destroy about half-a-dozen planes on the AF and wreck the Port.

At Sea
During the day a small strike of 18 Zero, 19 Val, and 4 Kate sink CA Northampton and her lone escort DD Cummings.

Christmas
The American Fleet retreated here. Recon spots it and the Japanese move due South for another day of action. A STF moves to hit the base while the remaining 3 CVs prepare to attack. We'll see what dawn brings...

[FatR]

I do believe that your fleet sank 4 CVs. Unless FOW plays games with us, Saratoga appeared to be the only American CV in condition to make 7 hexes in a turn, and none of the American TFs were closer to Christmas than that.

[FatR]

A Brief Overlook of the Legacy I Got

Japanese seem to be in great shape overall. Let's look at the main theaters.


Burma

Allies are scattered and on the run. Not many chances to put a successful resistance for them anymore. The only question is, how many troops can we destroy before they get away to India.

[FatR]

DEI

Taken, except for Java. I feel Japanese can seize Soerabaja and Batavia right away, but I want to entirely blockade them, particularly Soerabaja, first, to trigger capitulations and minimize the chance of damage to facilities (it is impossible to completely guarantee taking the facilities undamaged, they can be partially wrecked even if there was no enemy troops at the hex at all).

Michael also expanded into Northern Australia, taking Darwin and everything on the coast east of Port Hedland. I want to take Port Hedland/Corunna Downs and also expand to Tennant Creek to support John's obfuscating offensive along the east coast. And then leave only tripwire forces and garrizon strongly only Port Hedland and maybe Darwin.

[FatR]

Philippines

Luzon is about to be cleared with the fall of Bataan. Secondary targets still are untouched. I found a strong garrizon with air support on an island that controls Surigao Strait. Was it placed there as a part of hunt for Allied shipping early in the war?

[FatR]

China

Central Plains are mostly cleared and Wenchow is doomed to fall. Better yet, there is strong Chinese presence in the north, across Chengting-Sian road, but the garrizon at Nanyang seems minimal. I see an opportunity to do what I failed to do against buffed Chinese in my own PBEM and push straight to Sian. As a secondary operation to secure our center, I intend to attack the Chinese army that foolishly hangs in the open next to Nanchang. It doesn't seem to be big enough to withstand a 3-division assault. Then I'll be able to move troops from the central sector to supplement other operations.

[ny59giants]

I found a strong garrison with air support on an island that controls Surigao Strait. Was it placed there as a part of hunt for Allied shipping early in the war?

Placed to provide an air bridge for the short legged LBA to get from up north (Formosa) all the way to the Marshall Islands. Also to provide a safe base for recon and some obsolete LB for ground support, if needed, to conquer the rest of the Philippines.