herbie goes bananas again

[1275psi]

11/8/43

OK, when is this game due to finish -having never finished one -I havent a clue, but I think Wobbly has just 3 months , 3 weeks to take everything.

Today the following bases got hammered -shortlands, and KAVIEG - drat -the 1st strike of the war there catches 30 tonies on the ground -only broke 1, but closed the field

recon reports 7 - yes 7 CVs operating near the bismark straight - i think about 4 are in reality -a very big CV air strike went in against Buna today

Wobbly is up against the clock now -every day I hold out is vital.
He deliberate attacks at Buna -and gets a 0 to 1 attack, about a week before I am destroyed here I think

A clue for all Jap players -for the north coast of PNG -put some stores into the jungle hexes north of buna -when you get thrown into there -you have a chance.
Wish Id thought of this a year ago[8|]

The only OP I have going is the Buka convoy is on the "run in" -under cover of the CV and CVL.
Wish them luck!

[Honda]

Good luck convoy[:)]
And yes, the game ends with 1-1-44.

[1275psi]

12/8/43

CURSED WOBBLY!!!!!

His cvs are drifting over towards rabual way -in range of Buka

So the convoy turns around.
The Cv and CVL will head to the admiralties -and so does nagato -must lure him west!!

kavieg was pounded again, and so was buna.
Lots of thunderstorms about - he is tied up with Buna -so i probably have a week to get convoy in -have to be circumspect -no more chances if i blow this!!!

Nice to get comments.

Wobbly probably is wondering where is the air force -its recovering very nicely at TRUK -wont release again for a while i think

[1275psi]

13/8/43

Thunderstorms save my bacon - for today

I have a AP with a base force onboard hit by a ss near rabual -POOO!

Then comes the long awaited Wobbly attack on Buka!MSWs Buka
And in comes his battle fleet -2 BBs, 2CA, a CL and heaps of DDs and DMS
They slaughter the barges there -and deliver a bombardment

Worse -CVs operating to the east of kavieg -my CV reacts to it -but having no strike planes does not launch
he hammers a PG in rabual -but the convoy fleeing to the north escapes detection

Desperate times - I must save the convoy!
It flees north,! and i order the CV, CVL and 1 dd to scream west wards -right across his CV bows -I must , must lure him away from the division at sea.
nagato also is approaching the area -never have I wanted a ship spotted more!

beginging to feel somewhat impotent now -the enemy has at least 4 CV, cvl .
Truk airforce builds.

[Miller]

Death to the Yankee invaders[&o]

[1275psi]

14/8/43
rain today
very exciting day
His CV group continues due north -towards truk -and my CV ends up just 2 hexes away -and lives -hidden -but spotted!
Wobbly mails me that he sees my CV's -but can't get them -he obviously thinks there are more than just 3 ships in total.
The convoy flees noreast -still unspotted -run!!!

rabual is hit
Shortland hit -I think its an invasion of shortlands now, from what Wobbly hints
Truk actually struk at his CVs - 9 zeros, 3 bettys -vs 63 hellcats -70 wildcats!!
actually shot down 2 hellcats, 4 wildcats, 2 betties shot down by flack.
all the zeros lost
Buka bombed, and dobodura bombardments.

We run away!!!
straight to truk with the CV.
BUT - nagato -well to the west -will make for Wewak -she is actually south on latitude to his CVs, so maybe a end run might get on!.

Truk has 858 aircraft -and I bring 800 to the ready.[:'(]
Not all are bunnies -so I might still hurt him -come on Wobbly -just a few more hexes more!

[1275psi]

well 3 turns ago I told wobbly that i was trying to reinforce Buka - and i expected the invasion

What a coupe that would be he says

So today the troops begin landing....[8|][8|][8|]

A very dark day for herbiesan
His Cvs finally catch mine 1 day short of truk[:(]
45 zeros on CAP could not stop the 38 hellcats, 24 wildcats, 62 avengers, and 33 dauntless
They did alright -knocking down over a dozen planes today -but both carriers -Junyo and little shoho succumb today, smothered in hits

Truk sort of lashed out -and missed -the vals were crucified by the Flack.
CVL Cowpens is missed
The convoy continues to flee.
The BB is at wewak -refuelling -she will have a go soon

Truk comes to full alert -again -and i move the remaining betties to kavieg -hope to get his tankers trailing behind his CVs

Im about finished -running out of fields very quickly on the map.
Truk will be a battle, but thats it.

[1275psi]

16/8/43
the invasion of Buka continues
CL nashville, a DD, a AP and a LST all hit mines
His Cvs still well north of kavieg

Everywhere gets bombed today[8|]
rabual -50 liberators
Kavieg -48 B17s
Lae - 57 mitchells
Shortlands from everywhere!!!
The CVs strike -3 MLs go down
The convoy has escaped

nagato and co are running hard for the bismark straight in the thunderstorms
kavieg -the plan worked -14 betty, 9 nell attack -2 of his AOs are sunk, only 1 escapes -hope the sucker runs out of fuel[:'(][:'(][:'(]

Today I fill gassmatta with lillies on naval attack -lets see what is about!

[1275psi]

17/8/43
An AP and a LST hit mines at buka
OH crud -gassmatta gets a light naval bombardment
Another AK hits a mine at Buka
His CVs are due north of kavieg -lots of ships there

rabual gets hit, shortlands gets hit, gassmatta gets bombed and the CVs attack kavieg
Busy little boy aint he[8|][8|][:D]

Lillies from gassmatta fail to find targets
tanaka enters the bismark straight -totally undetected in the storms -masses of boats headed to dobodura -we attack!!

[1275psi]

18/8/43
Fortune favours the bold -more thunderstorms today

nagato, 3CA and 2 cl and 6 Dds attack dobodura -totally surprising a screen full of un escorted LCVPs
It should have gone better -never mind -4 sunk -a moral victory

Now his CVs are still north of kavieg -between me and home, Tanaka gets through the bismark straight safely

What now!
The forcast is for rain
It is my only hope
I order tanaka straight at his CV group -well where else can I go?
And every dive bomber I have left is sent to help at wewak, admiralties ect.
Tomorrow could be very, very messy.
(Im hoping he will charge west towards wewak to cut me off - im going to go straight up the middle!)
the react rule will probably kill me.

[1275psi]

19/8/43
I suffer 97 op losses today -97!!!!!

Wow

he's killing stranded aircraft all over the map

5 helen unable to[:@] his CVs
Admiralties crushed!!! -all those vals just flown in[X(][:(][:(][:(]
Bouganville hit
Buna hit
My ships spotted
sallies fail to find his tankers
rabual hit
8 zero, 3 oscar,8 sally,6 helen -vs 50 hellcat,48 wildcat
Some bombers actually get though! -but miss
I attack dobodura from wewak
Allies shock Buna -and it falls
Allies attack at Bonis -and it falls

The ships are not attacked
Which way will he go, which way will I go?

I aim the BB due north -full steam ahead!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! home to truk!

[1275psi]

20/8/43
Wewak is hit
thats it -not a base safe anywhere
Buka falls, buna cleared of troops

but his CVs go due west -and I am not attacked.
The BB seperates from some of the DDs, no slowing down to refuel -we flee north!

[1275psi]

21/8/43

the nagato BB task force docks at truk -out of fuel -but home safe -what a trip!

BB missippi hits a mine at dobodura
he naval bombards Lea

Some sallies attack his CVs -some actually penetrate -but miss.

basically, with his Cvs seemingly permantley parked north of Kavieg, the solomons are isolated.
Only the tankers are left to get home, they are creeping north right up the edge of the map.
Im confident they will make it

22/8/43
His Cvs bomb kavieg
true leapfrogging about to take place I think[:(]
3 betties hit an AK at Buka, a ss finishes it off

23/8/43
All the planes i can get to truk are home.
722 planes at truk

he can bomb any base he likes now.
Some still have a lot of supplies, some not so many
I will become a turtle for a while at truk, and just concentrate on hunting his CVs with my SS, he's stationary, refuelling at the moment - some 7 SS will home in tomorrow if he keeps still.

[1275psi]

24/8/43
My postings are getting shorter and shorter, and the time I need to plot a turn is getting shorter and shorter too

I call it no where to hide.

Today swarms of mediums bombed Lunga , Lea and Lunga again

No sign of his carriers
Im hiding,licking wounds and debating what to do next
Wobbly says Truk to big of a challenge at the moment -I think Lunga is next to boost his point score.
Im still every turn trying to get the occasional plane back to truk, and I have 4 tankers still sneaking home
In the next 9 days I recieve the last of the programmed troop reinforcements, and soon the last planes.
The solomons have been abandoned by the high command!

[1275psi]

Update
My box has been brocken for over a week, got it back last night.
the game date is the 26/8/43
Time is running out for Wobbly
I have hardly plotted a thing in 3 days, just pulling anything left back to truk.

he has just bombed all points on the map -especially lunga -where I think he spies a huge points potential in dead troops.

The last troop reinforcements soon arrive, and some planes yet to come.
Im not being trusted with the remains of the fleet[8|][8|]

Still keen to see this out.

[TAIL GUNNER]

ORIGINAL: 1275psi

Still keen to see this out.

So am I!

Been following your AAR since day 1.....[X(]

[1275psi]

Hi juggalo -thats great to hear

Hope to get back box this weekend - and its going to be raining - good!
Time to catch up.

[1275psi]

27/8/43

Computer still a problem, got in 2 turns before it has to go back

he naval bombards sag, sag, and shortlands

And i have to give it to him, in a great move paras land and capture WAU, trapping my troops that had only 8 miles to go.

Doom

The army in PNG is destroyed with hrdly a shot fired[:(]
Every soldier at lea who can carry a rifle is dispatched to WAU, its all in vain, but I cannot lie to the boys coming up the trail.

grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

[1275psi]

28/8/43

He crunches rabual

And i do not issue a single new order for the day -or even think about one, we are hunkered down in Truk.

[1275psi]

3 weeks -and still no satisfactory repair of my computer
Its bigger than ben hur now the war between me and "Bloody good computers" -not!