Australia Invaded!! NY59Giants (A) vs Olorin (J)

[ny59giants]

April 16, 17, 18:

Key: TT = Torpedo; bb = ground bombardment; c = casualties; b = base hits; s = supply hits; r = runway hits; p = port hits; f = fuel hits; AV = Assault Value; DC = Depth Charged; (*) = destroyed aircraft; If odds are underlined, they are the Allies; BG = Bomber Group of 48 planes (4 x 12 bomber squadrons)

Subs:
KXVI is hit once by DCs off Tavoy and will head back to Colombo for repairs.

CVs:
Mine are at Melbourne. His are?!?

India/Burma:
Shwebo - More of the same. Sweeping 2 groups of 42 Tojos followed by over 100 Oscars with over 120 Helens to hit AF and/or troops in multiple waves. Supplies are still not flowing here....yet. Casualties are going up as I have no flak to disrupt his bombers.

Lashio - 42 Tojos now sweep this base.

Ground combat at 55,47 (near Akyab)

Allied Deliberate attack

Attacking force 16171 troops, 267 guns, 546 vehicles, Assault Value = 602

Defending force 8862 troops, 72 guns, 11 vehicles, Assault Value = 249

Allied adjusted assault: 495

Japanese adjusted defense: 544

Allied assault odds: 1 to 2

Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+), leaders(+), fatigue(-), experience(-)
Attacker:

Japanese ground losses:
603 casualties reported
Squads: 2 destroyed, 61 disabled
Non Combat: 1 destroyed, 6 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled

Allied ground losses:
446 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 34 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 9 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 11 disabled
Guns lost 11 (1 destroyed, 10 disabled)
Vehicles lost 17 (2 destroyed, 15 disabled)

Assaulting units:
50th Tank Brigade
I Aus Corps Engineer Battalion
25th Indian Division
2/9th Field Regiment
14th Indian Light AA Regiment
1st Indian Light AA Regiment
2/11th Field Regiment
85th British AT Gun Regiment
2/1st Med Regiment
2nd Indian AA Bde

Defending units:
21st Ind.Mixed Brigade
4th Ind.Mixed Regiment

I try another attack on 17th as I see more enemy troops moving into the area.

China:
Sian - AF is attacked by up to 9 Sonia daily.

Lanchow - Up to 85 Oscars with around 110 Sally/Helen attack AF along with the troops daily. The Oscars are now assigned strafing missions.

Australia:
Portland Roads - My two tank LCUs shock attack on 18th and capture base. The stubborn BF fragment finally dies!![:D]

Ground combat at Portland Roads (91,132)

Allied Shock attack

Attacking force 1260 troops, 6 guns, 209 vehicles, Assault Value = 118

Defending force 216 troops, 0 guns, 18 vehicles, Assault Value = 2

Allied adjusted assault: 103

Japanese adjusted defense: 1

Allied assault odds: 103 to 1 (fort level 0)

Allied forces CAPTURE Portland Roads !!!

Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+), op mode(-), disruption(-), preparation(-)
morale(-), experience(-), supply(-)
Attacker: shock(+)

Japanese ground losses:
Vehicles lost 17 (14 destroyed, 3 disabled)
Units destroyed 1

Assaulting units:
194th Tank Battalion
640th Tank Destroyer Battalion

Defending units:
43rd JNAF AF Unit /3
14th Tank Rgt /9

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Japanese Unit(s) Wiped Out at Portland Roads by attrition!!!

South Pacific, Solomons, & New Guinea: [>:]

Central Pacific: [>:]

North Pacific: [>:]

Engineering: Normanton AF3; Lord Howe Island P2 & F2; Koggala AF7; Bhamo AF5; Cooktown P4; Port Augusta P4;

Recon/Intel:
Perth - 18 LCUs - 28480/303/244; 130 Fighters, 230 Bombers, 50 Aux; 20 ships; Nice force here. [;)]

Notes:
Nick writes that he feels that there is something big going to happen. I deflect by stating that he ran north too quickly along the eastern coast of Australia, so I need time to re-prep my troops.

BFs and construction engineers closing in on Coen to start building. It will allow a move into Portland Roads afterwards.

[BBfanboy]

ORIGINAL: ny59giants

Australia:
Portland Roads - My two tank LCUs shock attack on 18th and capture base. The stubborn BF fragment finally dies!![:D]

Ground combat at Portland Roads (91,132)

Allied Shock attack

Attacking force 1260 troops, 6 guns, 209 vehicles, Assault Value = 118

Defending force 216 troops, 0 guns, 18 vehicles, Assault Value = 2

Allied adjusted assault: 103

Japanese adjusted defense: 1

Allied assault odds: 103 to 1 (fort level 0)

Allied forces CAPTURE Portland Roads !!!

Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+), op mode(-), disruption(-), preparation(-)
morale(-), experience(-), supply(-)
Attacker: shock(+)

Japanese ground losses:
Vehicles lost 17 (14 destroyed, 3 disabled)
Units destroyed 1

Assaulting units:
194th Tank Battalion
640th Tank Destroyer Battalion

Defending units:
43rd JNAF AF Unit /3
14th Tank Rgt /9

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Japanese Unit(s) Wiped Out at Portland Roads by attrition!!!

Looks like the 14th Tank Rgt mostly got loaded on 8 ships and made their escape, leaving the cooks with the trucks!

Did you ever get an answer about that BF fragment? I observed that phenomenon in my sandbox game where on several occasions a BF was destroyed [0 troops, 0 guns] except for a "Static Device" [a sound gathering funnel for hearing aircraft before they are visible?]. The item was attacked over and over by aerial bombing, ground assault and sea bombardment and it kept squirting away like an oily eel. One of them was left in the jungle several months with 0 supply, and still wouldn't die. A couple of them eventually died when I had units converge from at least three sides of the enemy hex [but never all six sides] and I got the unit surrounded message. Frustrating, as the attackers would not normally know what was in the fragment and would not want to leave it to rebuild. [:(]

[ny59giants]

Did you ever get an answer about that BF fragment? I observed that phenomenon in my sandbox game where on several occasions a BF was destroyed [0 troops, 0 guns] except for a "Static Device" [a sound gathering funnel for hearing aircraft before they are visible?]. The item was attacked over and over by aerial bombing, ground assault and sea bombardment and it kept squirting away like an oily eel. One of them was left in the jungle several months with 0 supply, and still wouldn't die. A couple of them eventually died when I had units converge from at least three sides of the enemy hex [but never all six sides] and I got the unit surrounded message. Frustrating, as the attackers would not normally know what was in the fragment and would not want to leave it to rebuild. [:(]

I sent a turn to MichaelM a few weeks ago, but never got a response from him, which is not normal for him. That BF fragment, the Observation device, was attacked at Cairns all the way up to Portland Roads and never died until now.

[Crackaces]

Supplies are still not flowing here

How are supplies flowing from the West coast of India to Imphal and Kaylemyo? These should be overstocked by now ...

[ny59giants]

How are supplies flowing from the West coast of India to Imphal and Kaylemyo? These should be overstocked by now ...

I don't nomarlly use Tracker as Allies, but i might load it for this game so I can monitor it more closely.

[ny59giants]

April 19, 20, 21:
Better recon done.

Key: TT = Torpedo; bb = ground bombardment; c = casualties; b = base hits; s = supply hits; r = runway hits; p = port hits; f = fuel hits; AV = Assault Value; DC = Depth Charged; (*) = destroyed aircraft; If odds are underlined, they are the Allies; BG = Bomber Group of 48 planes (4 x 12 bomber squadrons)

Subs:
Multiple TT launched, but no hits. Multiple DCs dropped, but none of my subs are hit.

CVs:
Mine are at Melbourne. His are?!? (Foreshadowing - Looking ahead to the 23rd, I "think" I know where!!) [;)]

India/Burma:
Shwebo - Sweeps by two groups of 42 Tojo followed by about 60 Oscars with over 100 Helens to hit my AF and troops. Very limited flak seen.

Lashio - 42 Tojos sweep this base.

China:
Sian - AF is attacked by up to 12 Sonia daily.

Lanchow - Up to 85 Oscars with around 110 Sally/Helen attack AF along with the troops daily. The Oscars are now assigned strafing missions.

Australia:
Coen - First 2 BFs arrive on 21st. Engineers to arrive in less than 3 days.

South Pacific, Solomons, & New Guinea:
Milne Bay - See prior posting about my 3 Fletcher DDs making Full Speed run here on 19th.

Central Pacific: [>:]
2nd Marine Division loaded at Tabiteuea for trip to Melbourne.

North Pacific: [>:]

Engineering: Roi-Namur F4; Normanton AF4; Invercargill AF6; Penrhyn Island AF2; Coff's Harbor AF9; Buldir F5; wotje F4; Akyab F6; Rockhampton P5; Tonwsville AF8;

Recon/Intel:
Luganville - 17 LCUs; 26780/161/49; 56 fighters; 4 ships (still on target list after invasion of western Australia)
Tulagi - 9 LCUs; 19820/139/66; 32 fighters, 24 bombers, 27 aux; 2 TF (looks like warships)
Shortland - 8 LCUs; 5260/29/150; 54 fighters
Rabaul - 19 LCUs; 2002/241/107; 48 fighters, 68 bombers, 52 aux; 51 ships
Truk - 12 LCUs; 14200/208/18; 14 fighters, 61 bombers, 37 aux; 33 ships

Notes:
I did some calculations and getting troops to Melbourne will be another few weeks, at least. The Marines just loading in Gilberts may miss the invasion of Esperance. I will say I didn't plan well enough in getting troops moved to Melbourne faster from places outside of Australia. While I did well in getting troops to start prepping, moving enough transports to various bases to pick them up was a detail I will get better at. [:(]

[leehunt27@bloomberg.net]

Can you put up a grand strategic map screenshot (Ctrl-A) and maybe highlight some points of strength on both sides? I'm curious too how strong he is in the south pacific east of Australia

[ny59giants]

Here is an overall map.

Burma - I'm trying to build up bases along the India/Burma border just inside Burma to allow better supply flow. I have a huge army at Shwebo, but cannot get supplies to flow here. Following advice, I have lots of construction engineers almost to Warazup to speed up AF expansion. I tried doing some LRCAP, but bases are too far away to get me significant numbers to contest the skies. IMO, the Allies need near 1.5:1 ratio to fight a war of attrition in the air. This theater is a stalemate till then. However, I have Lashio - Mandalay road and will try to move the division just east of Mandalay SW to try to force a retreat. Meanwhile, he has reinforced the hex 2 SE of Akyab. I did not take it quick enough, but have troops arriving that may move into the clear to try a big pincer movement in the Irrawaddy Plains. Another issue is PP are in short supply, everywhere.

China - He moved two tank divisions plus three of the guards divisions to the north and has tried to take Lanchow. This has failed to date and this knowledge allowed me to move forward more quickly from southern Australia. this theater is a big stalemate, IMO.

Australia - He pushed me south to the "Line of Death" that did trigger the emergency reinforcements, but he did not know he had gone across. He had thought he needed to capture a base south of Brisbane line. We did a HR that has those troops off map, but I got the extra supplies and airframes. I took an empty Bourke on Jan 22nd and have been chasing the fast retreating Japanese up the eastern part of Australia since for three months. I was expecting a fight. I kept changing my large formations (mostly divisions and some regiments/brigades), but the base was empty by the time my tanks got there, let alone the marching infantry. I'm now up to Portland Roads and Coen. I want Nick (Olorin) to think my focus is on the heavily defended Horn Island. Meanwhile, my fleet is at Melbourne with the troops now close to 100% prep to re-capture the western part of Australia. I plan on invading Esperance in mid-May. I weighted the decision months ago to wait for the F6F Hellcats that came out this month or push for the then invasion of South Pacific (Ndeni down to Luganville) with my CVs still having only F4F Wildcats. Recon flights show that western Australia is not as well defended as I thought. At least I hope not. I want this area back to give me another area to apply pressure from.

South Pacific - He has built up Noumea and Luganville along with Tulagi in the southern Solomons. I think I can invade the Ndeni to Luganville area (4 bases targeted and prepped for) successfully after western Australia is self sufficient. I need to capture Kalgoorlie to free up the restricted troops. Once the 'left hook' is done, my fleet will swing over to this area. I think this area has been left less developed by Nick. I think he has KB hidden (location in next three day posting) over here.

Central Pacific - I landing in Gilberts back in August '42 and now have them plus the Marshalls. He has built up to stop my progress, but I did force it after I got past LRCAP range of my fighters. I'm strong here now.

North Pacific - I took back the western part of the Aleutians months ago and the garrison is just digging in.

Japan is strong right now at Horn Island and Port Moresby right now. I see from Intel reports that he has troops assigned to multiple bases behind the front lines in the SRA. Burma will turn into a World War One battle with large numbers of troops engaged. We are playing with stacking limits, so no ground "Death Stars." [:D] The game is in a lull while I get troops prepped and Hellcats get my heavy CVs ready for battle. We have not had some serious one-on-one slugfest outside of China yet, so it is hard to judge. I have to go by intel and recon information to date. The rest is just an educated guess.

Hope this info helps. [;)]

[leehunt27@bloomberg.net]

Thanks, this is a great review. Easier to follow an AAR with one of these every few game months.

Is your opponent weak in the central Pacific as well as western Australia? He's certainly covered a lot of ground, but how much of it he can dig in and delay you is another question. The Japanese Empire looks vulnerable to island hopping, but I'm guessing the victory point value for Noumea, Luganville, PM is quite high. I've built up Luganville to 350 victory points very quick in as the Japanese in a PBEM game. Going to be some epic amphibious campaigns...

[ny59giants]

April 22, 23, 24:
Gotta love Allied Intel reports [;)]

Key: TT = Torpedo; bb = ground bombardment; c = casualties; b = base hits; s = supply hits; r = runway hits; p = port hits; f = fuel hits; AV = Assault Value; DC = Depth Charged; (*) = destroyed aircraft; If odds are underlined, they are the Allies; BG = Bomber Group of 48 planes (4 x 12 bomber squadrons)

Subs:
Thresher finds an xAKL at Kendari. She surfaces at night and gets a TT hit and 8 shell hits to sink her.

CVs:
Mine are at Melbourne. His are?!?

SIG INT REPORT FOR Apr 23, 43

2nd JAAF AF Coy is located at Canton(77,59).
Heavy Volume of Radio transmissions detected at Osaka/Kyoto (109,59).
15th Naval Guard Unit is located at Enggano(44,94).
3rd Garrison Unit is located at Fusan(103,55).
Radio transmissions detected at Yenan (88,37).
25th Division is located at Harbin(109,39).
BB Kirishima is located at Kavieng (106,122).

The base has Port 3, so there is a good chance that KB is docked here. [8D] No recon flights will be sent here to confirm. [:-]

India/Burma:
Shwebo - Sweeps by Tojo cease. I now get just 36 Oscars with about 55 Helens to hit my AF and troops. Very limited flak seen.

2 hexes SW from Lashio - His air force has shifted to my Chinese Corp here. 42 Tojo sweep with up to 66 Oscars and about 100 Helens. Then, ground bb attacks daily.

Ground combat at 60,47 (near Mandalay)

Japanese Bombardment attack

Attacking force 585 troops, 49 guns, 10 vehicles, Assault Value = 391

Defending force 24748 troops, 107 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 881

Allied ground losses:
16 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 2 (1 destroyed, 1 disabled)

Assaulting units:
33rd Division
2nd Mortar Battalion
32nd Field AA Battalion
21st Medium Field Artillery Battalion

Defending units:
3rd New Chinese Corps

Nick did not known that the Chinese Corp could have so much raw AV.

China:
Sian - AF is attacked by up to 12 Sonia daily.

Lanchow - Up to 85 Oscars with around 110 Sally/Helen attack AF along with the troops daily. The Oscars are now assigned strafing missions.

Australia: [>:] Just expanding bases and moving forces around, for now.

South Pacific, Solomons, & New Guinea:
Port Moresby - On the 22nd...

Night Naval bombardment of Port Moresby at 98,130

Allied Ships
CL Helena
CL St. Louis
DD Norman
DD Nizam
DD Nestor
DD Perkins
DD Dunlap
DD McCall
DD Craven

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

OS2U-3 Kingfisher acting as spotter for CL Helena
CL Helena firing at 18th Division
CL St. Louis firing at 18th Division
DD Norman firing at 18th Division
DD Nizam firing at 18th Division
DD Nestor firing at Port Moresby
DD Perkins firing at 18th Division
DD Dunlap firing at 18th Division
DD McCall firing at 18th Division
DD Craven firing at 18th Division

Very poor results and I decide to send 2 "R" Class BBs, 2 CLs, and 4 DDs from Melbourne to add to the warships already in the Cooktown area. They should arrive in a few days.

Luganville - Two BG worth of B-17/24 hit the AF and port at night on 24th. Very few get there and miss their targets. Back to daylight bombing.

Wellington - Transports with 1st Marine Division aboard arrives here, refuel, and are now headed for Melbourne as of 24th.

Central Pacific: [>:]

North Pacific: [>:]

Engineering: Ailinglaplap F5; Cox's Bazar P3 (base is maxed out); Adak AF7; Bundaberg AF8 (may be used later to bomb Koumac); Cooktown AF7 [:)]; Normanton P2; Amchitka F4; Warazup AF3; Ceduna AF7; Coen AF1 (fighters move in just in case Nick tries to bomb AF)

Recon/Intel:
Mandalay - AF5(7); 135 fighters; 12 LCUs 42860/339/240
Meiktila - AF2(7); 38 fighters; 9 LCUs 17480/143/574
Magwe - AF4(7); 123 fighters; 9 LCUs 22200/179/88

Notes:
Shwebo - I order the troops prepped for Mandalay to head to clear terrain to west to cross over river with AA units to protect them. Looking at recon info I see I will need this AF to expand before I can contest the skies.

[leehunt27@bloomberg.net]

uggh.. that intel report just game me chills as a Japanese PBEM player. wow.

[GreyJoy]

Very interesting review Micheal. Think his situation in Burma is really bad. Once the supplies start to flow to Swhebo, he won't be able to hold that river crossing...not in the plains....
 

[ny59giants]

April 25, 26, 27:
Brief activity over skies of Coen.

Key: TT = Torpedo; bb = ground bombardment; c = casualties; b = base hits; s = supply hits; r = runway hits; p = port hits; f = fuel hits; AV = Assault Value; DC = Depth Charged; (*) = destroyed aircraft; If odds are underlined, they are the Allies; BG = Bomber Group of 48 planes (4 x 12 bomber squadrons)

Subs:
S-44 sinks a CM at Port Moresby. A second CM is in the TF, so I can now assume there are mines here.

CVs:
Mine are at Melbourne. Japan's 'maybe' at Kavieng.

India/Burma:
Shwebo - Sweeps by Tojo cease. I now get just 36 Oscars with about 110 Helens to hit my AF and troops. Very limited flak is seen. Most come in at 10k to get above the ceiling of my 40mm Bofors.

2 hexes SW from Lashio - 42 Tojo sweep. Each day there is a ground bb attack (391:881)

Lashio - 9 Helens from China now bomb the AF daily.

China:
Sian - AF is attacked by up to 12 Sonia daily.

Lanchow - Up to 25 Oscars with around 110 Sally/Helen attack AF along with the troops daily. The Oscars are now assigned strafing missions.

Australia: [>:]
Coen - The skies are busy here on the 25th as the AF had just gone to level one the turn before. 37 Tojo sweep the base and find 25 P-40s & 31 Spitfires on CAP. Each side loses two planes each. Then, 35 Oscars with 54 Helens come in from Buna. I shoot down 15 planes for no losses. [:D] With the AF going up to level 2 on 25th, I add more fighters for possible action on 26th. 5 Nicks, 14 Oscars, and 27 Helens come in alone (no Tojo sweeps). 18 P-40, 18 Spitfires, 7 Kitthawks, and 16 P-38s (LRCAP) shoot down 16 more with no losses. Nick ceases operations on 27th.

South Pacific, Solomons, & New Guinea:

Central Pacific: [>:]

North Pacific: [>:]

Engineering: Coen AF2 &3; Kwajalein P5 & f2; Christchurch F6; Attu F4; Ocean Island P3; Cairns AF7; Charters Towers AF5;

Recon/Intel:

Notes:
Western Australia invasion - 1st Marine Division and a Combat Engineer are two days out of Melbourne. They will unload, rest, and upgrade. Loading for actual invasion will begin May 1st....finally!! 18 subs leave Melbourne & Adelaide for the western coast of Australia. Another 18 leave the Gilberts & Marshalls for the northern tip of western New Guinea and above Rabual. If KB leaves, I hope to spot and get a shot or two off.

Portland Roads - A construction regiment and a battalion are three days away on trail from Coen. Barges are leaving cairns for Cooktown with more supplies and then to load an air HQ and another SeaBee unit. 4 modern American CLs with 16 DDs and 12 PT boats will cover plus bombarded Horn Island.

Normanton - This base is close to level 3 Port. The 48 C-47s will para drop an Aussie commando bn on Mornington Island just three hexes off the coast. Barges will then shuttle construction engineers over.

To all my faithful readers, May will not be as boring as April has been.

[comsolut]

Then, 35 Oscars with 54 Helens come in from Buna. I shoot down 15 planes for no losses.

That must be satisfying!

[ny59giants]

Comsulot,

To answer your PM about organization of LCUs in Burma, I have three separate corps with two Command HQs. You can use your PP to assign your brigades and divisions to various corps HQ, but when it comes to actual combat, it makes no difference.

I've declined A2A combat at times in both Burma and Australia as I cannot get the numbers of fighters I need as Allies at this point. If you cannot get close to 1.5:1 odds or have lots of fighter available, you will lose the attrition war.

[comsolut]

Thanks, just went back and did a complete review of command bonuses and HQ's.

Part is also getting the Burma operation out of the restricted HQ, mainly by paying pp's. Tough to get rolling while also buying some American Divisions. Political points definitely act as a brake to Allied efforts to move in multiple theaters at one time.

[ny59giants]

April 28, 29, 30:
The month ends calmly, but May will begin with action around Horn Island.

Key: TT = Torpedo; bb = ground bombardment; c = casualties; b = base hits; s = supply hits; r = runway hits; p = port hits; f = fuel hits; AV = Assault Value; DC = Depth Charged; (*) = destroyed aircraft; If odds are underlined, they are the Allies; BG = Bomber Group of 48 planes (4 x 12 bomber squadrons)

Subs:
Balao sinks two xAKLs off of northern Hokkaido over three days.
I-19 is hit twice by DCs north of Wellington.
KXIV sinks a PB off Tavoy.
Sawfish finds an unescorted xAKL south of Nagasaki to sink with 1 TT hit and 3" shells hits.

CVs:
Mine are at Melbourne.

India/Burma:
Shwebo - I see one group of 42 Tojo to sweep. They are followed by 36 Oscars with up to over 110 Helens. A couple of FA units are targeted and I lose over half their guns.

Lashio - 9 Helens from China now bomb the AF daily.

China:
Sian - AF is attacked by up to 12 Sonia daily.

Lanchow - Up to 25 Oscars with around 110 Sally/Helen attack AF along with the troops daily. The Oscars are now assigned strafing missions.

Australia: [>:]
No direct action here. But, we have ships moving around to get the next month off to a good start, I hope.

South Pacific, Solomons, & New Guinea:

Central Pacific: [>:]

North Pacific: [>:]

Engineering: Coen AF4; Seward F4;

Recon/Intel:

Notes:
Aden - 5th Indian Division arrives. She begins prepping for Toungoo right away.

[Crackaces]

It seems he has a lot of aircraft in Burma to compensate for the bad strategic position. The IJ will have to make decisions on measured force between Burma and Horn Island. This will be interesting to watch how the IJ will react. This is where shoting down platforms has a linking constrict toward victory in my opinion. The IJ can replace Aircraft endlessly, but at what rate? So as airgroups take losses they have to be pulled into reserve and rested. My gut feel is that many airgroups are overcomitted between Oz, Burma and the rest of the world. It will take time to attrite, but I suspect a point will be reached where one of those theaters will draw resources from somewhere, leaving the IJ very vulnerable.

I do not beleive the IJ can maintain an aimless air campaign that does not meet some strategic goal over time. Simply flying aircraft and hitting things does get a body count like your AAR documents, but to what end? Delay you advance for how long? I am not seeing a strategic plan but reaction to your moves. Eventually this will fulmenate ...

[ny59giants]

May 1, 2, 3:
Battle around Horn Island.
Multiple Amphib TFs loading at Melbourne all three days.

Key: TT = Torpedo; bb = ground bombardment; c = casualties; b = base hits; s = supply hits; r = runway hits; p = port hits; f = fuel hits; AV = Assault Value; DC = Depth Charged; (*) = destroyed aircraft; If odds are underlined, they are the Allies; BG = Bomber Group of 48 planes (4 x 12 bomber squadrons)

Subs:
Truant is hit by 1 DC off Mergui (lower Burma). She will limp back to Colombo for repairs.

Sub attack near Merauke at 89,124 on 3rd

Japanese Ships
E W-24
E W-13
E Uji
E Ishigaki
E Shimushu
xAP Teiritsu Maru
xAP Teibi Maru
xAP Teison Maru
xAP Kowa Maru
xAP Teikyo Maru
xAP Huzi Maru
xAP Miike Maru
E Shirataka
E W-21

Allied Ships
SS Tautog

SS Tautog launches 2 torpedoes at E W-24
E Shirataka fails to find sub and abandons search
E W-24 fails to find sub and abandons search
E W-21 fails to find sub, continues to search...
Escort abandons search for sub

What are they doing?? Loading or unloading?? [&:]

CVs:
Mine are at Melbourne.

India/Burma:
Shwebo - I see one group of 42 Tojo to sweep. They are followed by 36 Oscars with up to over 110 Helens. A couple of FA units are targeted and I lose over half their guns. An example of what happened on 1st follows...

Morning Air attack on Shwebo , at 59,45

Weather in hex: Clear sky

Raid detected at 116 NM, estimated altitude 14,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 36 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-43-IIb Oscar x 36
Ki-45 KAIa Nick x 12
Ki-49-IIb Helen x 121 (Can I get my B-24s to fly like this?? [:D])

Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-49-IIb Helen: 20 damaged
Ki-49-IIb Helen: 1 destroyed by flak

Allied ground losses:
173 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 6 disabled
Non Combat: 2 destroyed, 18 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 4 disabled

Airbase hits 1
Airbase supply hits 2
Runway hits 14

Lashio - Up to 9 Helens from China now bomb the AF daily.

China:
Sian - AF is attacked by up to 12 Sonia daily.

Lanchow - Up to 25 Oscars with around 110 Sally/Helen attack AF along with the troops daily. The Oscars are now assigned strafing missions.

Australia:
Horn Island - I has set the BB TF to come in at Full Speed on 1st, I thought. It seems that I had left it at Mission Speed. [X(] Thankfully, he had NO DBs or TBs set to attack. But, DD Nizam finds the minefield on the way in (damaged, but will survive). [:(]

Naval bombardment of Horn Island at 91,128

Japanese aircraft
no flights

Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-44-IIa Tojo: 53 damaged
Ki-44-IIa Tojo: 10 destroyed on ground
Ki-45 KAIc Nick: 19 damaged

Allied Ships
CL Helena
CL St. Louis
DD Norman
DD Nestor
DD Perkins
DD Dunlap
DD McCall
DD Craven

Japanese ground losses:
377 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 4 disabled
Non Combat: 2 destroyed, 35 disabled
Engineers: 1 destroyed, 2 disabled
Vehicles lost 7 (2 destroyed, 5 disabled)

Airbase hits 29
Airbase supply hits 11
Runway hits 96

CL Helena firing at Horn Island
CL St. Louis firing at 56th Division
DD Norman firing at Horn Island
DD Nestor firing at Horn Island
DD Perkins firing at 56th Division
DD Dunlap firing at 56th Division
DD McCall firing at Horn Island
DD Craven firing at Horn Island

This result was a lot better than what I got over at Port Moresby. [:)]

With only 3% moonlight on the 2nd,

Night Time Surface Combat, near Horn Island at 91,128, Range 2,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
DD Tanikaze
DD Hatsuharu
DD Yugure
DD Kisaragi

Allied Ships
PT-80, Shell hits 1, and is sunk
PT-81
PT-82, Shell hits 2, on fire
PT-83
PT-84, Shell hits 1, on fire

Then, the 'big boys' come in...

Night Time Surface Combat, near Horn Island at 91,128, Range 1,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
DD Tanikaze, Shell hits 31, and is sunk
DD Hatsuharu
DD Yugure, Shell hits 2, heavy fires
DD Kisaragi

Allied Ships
CL Cleveland, Shell hits 1
CL Columbia
DD Chevalier
DD Cony
DD DeHaven, Shell hits 2
DD O'Bannon, Shell hits 2
DD Radford
DD Strong, Shell hits 13, and is sunk
DD Taylor, Shell hits 2, on fire

Reduced sighting due to 3% moonlight
Maximum visibility in Partly Cloudy Conditions and 3% moonlight: 1,000 yards
Range closes to 23,000 yards...
Range closes to 17,000 yards...
Range closes to 11,000 yards...
Range closes to 7,000 yards...
Range closes to 5,000 yards...
CONTACT: Allies radar detects Japanese task force at 5,000 yards
Range closes to 3,000 yards...
Range closes to 1,000 yards...
Burke, Arleigh A. crosses the 'T'
DD Strong engages DD Kisaragi at 1,000 yards
DD Tanikaze engages CL Cleveland at 1,000 yards
DD Hatsuharu engages DD Strong at 1,000 yards
DD Strong engages DD Tanikaze at 1,000 yards
DD Tanikaze engages DD DeHaven at 1,000 yards
DD Tanikaze engages DD Chevalier at 1,000 yards
Range increases to 2,000 yards
DD Strong collides with DD Radford at 91 , 128
CL Columbia engages DD Kisaragi at 2,000 yards
CL Cleveland engages DD Yugure at 2,000 yards
DD Tanikaze engages DD Taylor at 2,000 yards
DD Tanikaze engages DD Strong at 2,000 yards
DD Tanikaze engages DD Chevalier at 2,000 yards
Range increases to 3,000 yards
DD DeHaven engages DD Kisaragi at 3,000 yards
CL Cleveland engages DD Tanikaze at 3,000 yards
DD Hatsuharu engages DD DeHaven at 3,000 yards
DD Tanikaze engages DD Strong at 3,000 yards
DD Tanikaze engages DD O'Bannon at 3,000 yards
Range increases to 4,000 yards
DD Kisaragi engages DD Strong at 4,000 yards
DD Yugure engages CL Cleveland at 4,000 yards
DD Hatsuharu engages DD Strong at 4,000 yards
DD Hatsuharu engages DD Chevalier at 4,000 yards
DD Strong engages DD Kisaragi at 4,000 yards
CL Cleveland engages DD Yugure at 4,000 yards
DD Taylor engages DD Yugure at 4,000 yards
DD O'Bannon engages DD Yugure at 4,000 yards
DD Hatsuharu engages DD DeHaven at 4,000 yards
Range closes to 2,000 yards
CL Columbia engages DD Yugure at 2,000 yards
DD Strong sunk by DD Yugure at 2,000 yards
DD Hatsuharu engages DD Taylor at 2,000 yards
DD Kisaragi engages DD O'Bannon at 2,000 yards
DD Hatsuharu engages DD DeHaven at 2,000 yards
DD Yugure engages DD Chevalier at 2,000 yards
Range increases to 3,000 yards
DD Kisaragi engages DD Taylor at 3,000 yards
DD DeHaven engages DD Yugure at 3,000 yards
DD Yugure engages DD Taylor at 3,000 yards
DD Radford engages DD Hatsuharu at 3,000 yards
Task forces break off...

I lose my 2nd Fletcher DD to date.

Again, I would have sworn that this BB TF had been sent at Full Speed. Looks like it was still a SC TF and spends the day here under LRCAP and encounters nothing from the air, but adds to the sunk list.

Day Time Surface Combat, near Horn Island at 91,128, Range 23,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
DD Hatsuharu, Shell hits 9, on fire, heavy damage
DD Yugure, Shell hits 14, and is sunk
DD Kisaragi, Shell hits 9, heavy fires

Allied Ships
CL Cleveland, Shell hits 1
CL Columbia, Shell hits 2
DD Chevalier
DD Cony
DD DeHaven, Shell hits 1
DD O'Bannon, Shell hits 1
DD Radford
DD Taylor

We finally get the bombers to come in on the 2nd. 44 B-24s & 18 B-17s are the first strike and see part of the CAP of 7 Nick & 27 Tojo. More come in as a total of 12 B-17s & 60 B-24s arrive in smaller strikes.

On the 3rd, the Japanese resistance in the air almost totally disappears. Only 1 Nick is on CAP and multiple Tojo are destroyed on the ground. 31 B-17s & 79 B-24s hit the AF.

Mornington Island - Barges land troops on 2nd and base changes hands on 3rd (off Normanton).

South Pacific, Solomons, & New Guinea:

Central Pacific: [>:]

North Pacific: [>:]

Engineering: Mili P4; Ahmedabad AF3; Canberra AF8; Buldir AF6; Coen AF5; Canton Island F5; Normanton P3; Portland Roads (both are 64% towards level 1)

Recon/Intel:
Intel reports that BB Yamashiro is at Truk.
Esperance - 7 LCUs - 9380/12/22 - 46 fighters, 10 bombers, 14 aux (looks good for Allies!!)

Notes:
Western Australia - Loading of multiple Amphib TFs done all three days. Some have moved towards Portland on the coast to the west. I should leave in mass in the next day or two.

Portland Roads - I've just started getting LCUs and the base should reach level 1 in a few more days. Nick writes that he cannot keep Horn Island's AF open if I want to close it. Recon shows the AF now holds only 2 fighters. Where is he going to stand and fight??

[ny59giants]

Western Australia OOB: Troops loaded and leaving Melbourne.[:)]

Esperance:
SW Pac Command HQ, II Aus Corp HQ, 1 Marine Div, Americal Div, 147 Sep Inf Rgt, 2x Cmbt Eng, 3x Tank Rgt, 4x FA, 1x Boat & Shore (helps unloading), 3x BF (72 Aviation Support each), Amph Trac Eng, SeaBee Rgt, 2x MAG Air HQ, 4x SeaBee Bn, 2x RAN BF.

All 6 American CVs (4 of 6 now have F6F Hellcats), CVL Hermes, 6 CVE, 6 old BB, 4 Fast BB, 29 CA/CLAA/CLs, 58 DDs, SC, MSW, & ASW TF. 396 fighters, 212 DBs, 117 TBs.

At Adelaide, is the follow up prepped for Kalgoorlie and in Strat Mode are:
32 ID, 6 Aus ID, 2x AA, 4x Tank Rgt, 3x FA, Cmbt Eng, 2x BF, Constr Eng, MAG Air HQ. All need transports.

Expected landing around May 12th. Stay tuned!!