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The best news of the turn was that my ground forces won on their first turn of combat at Rybilov. One of his armored units surrendered while the rest of his units retreated. I had one of my units on pursue and they did advance into Voroshilov. The rest of my stack is coming as fast as possible. He shows 38 units in the next stack plus the hex due east of Rybilov shows 17 units sitting in it. It is a risk, but I am not peeling anyone off to the east just yet. If these were combat units he could move west with them and cut off my units by retaking Rybilov. However, this is one of the risks in blitzkreig, and I think that I am going to need all of my spearhead units for the coming combats. I have some small units on the way from around Harbin to start securing my rear but it will take a few turns for them to get there.

I also wondered why my Tainain Datai zeroes were not repairing at their forward airbase. The reason turned out to be that the air support boys got all hyped up and marched south with the spearhead units. I am having to send them back north as quickly as possible because my samurai flyboys are not mechanics and I have 33 zeroes sitting on the ground awaiting servicing.

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Ground combat at Rybolov (113,44)

Japanese Deliberate attack

Attacking force 142094 troops, 1397 guns, 1485 vehicles, Assault Value = 3859

Defending force 38917 troops, 743 guns, 1003 vehicles, Assault Value = 993

Japanese engineers reduce fortifications to 2

Japanese adjusted assault: 2543

Allied adjusted defense: 153

Japanese assault odds: 16 to 1 (fort level 2)

Japanese forces CAPTURE Rybolov !!!

Combat modifiers
Defender: preparation(-), experience(-)
Attacker:

Japanese ground losses:
4443 casualties reported
Squads: 9 destroyed, 151 disabled
Non Combat: 7 destroyed, 223 disabled
Engineers: 1 destroyed, 25 disabled
Guns lost 12 (1 destroyed, 11 disabled)
Vehicles lost 63 (1 destroyed, 62 disabled)


Allied ground losses:
8028 casualties reported
Squads: 462 destroyed, 71 disabled
Non Combat: 1272 destroyed, 120 disabled
Engineers: 59 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 523 (446 destroyed, 77 disabled)
Vehicles lost 1201 (1080 destroyed, 121 disabled)
Units retreated 17
Units destroyed 1


Defeated Allied Units Retreating!

Assaulting units:...
24th Division...
57th Division...
9th Garrison Unit ...
4th Garrison Unit ...
5th Tank Regiment...
3rd Tank Regiment...
9th Tank Regiment...
8th Recon Regiment...
10th Tank Regiment...
25th Division...
74th Infantry Regiment...
12th Division...
5th Infantry Regiment...
27th Electric Engineer Regiment...
9th Division...
11th Tank Regiment...
11th Division...
2nd Manchukuo Distr Division...
1st Manchukuo Division...
Tonei Hvy Gun Regiment...
4th Medium Field Artillery Regiment...
24th Fld AA Machinecannon Company...
28th Field AA Machinecannon Company...
5th Medium Field Artillery Regiment...
9th Ind. Engineer Regiment...
7th Ind. Engineer Regiment...
6th RF Gun Battalion...
Botanko Hvy Gun Regiment...
45th Road Const Co ...
6th Ind.Hvy.Art. Battalion...
11th Ind.Art.Mortar Battalion...
7th Medium Field Artillery Regiment...
4th Ind. Mountain Gun Regiment...
Kwantung Army...
45th Ind.AA Gun Co ...
20th Medium Field Artillery Regiment...
23rd Field AA Machinecannon Company...
22nd Field AA Machinecannon Company...
9th Medium Field Artillery Regiment...
1st Ind.Hvy.Art. Battalion...
13th Ind.Art.Mortar Battalion...
12th Medium Field Artillery Regiment...
22nd Medium Field Artillery Regiment...
4th Ind.Hvy.Art. Battalion...
5th Ind.Hvy.Art Battalion...
10th Medium Field Artillery Regiment...
7th Ind.Hvy.Art. Battalion...
2nd Hvy.Artillery Regiment...
54th Field AA Battalion...
2nd Medium Field Artillery Regiment...
27th Fld AA Machinecannon Company...
5th Army...
3rd Army...
3rd Hvy.Artillery Regiment...
12th Ind.Art.Mortar Battalion...
4th RF Gun Battalion...
53rd Field AA Battalion...
22nd Ind. Engineer Regiment...
20th Fld AA Machinecannon Company...
2nd JAAF Base Force...
...
Defending units:...
8th Cavalry Division...
75th Tank Brigade...
39th Rifle Division...
22nd Rifle Division...
26th NKVD Regiment...
77th Tank Brigade...
28th/70th AA Battalion...
22nd/24th AA Battalion...
1124th Cannon Regiment...
165th Hvy Howitzer Regiment...
87th Howitzer Regiment...
1138th Cannon Regiment...
43rd/44th AA Battalion...
50th Cannon Regiment...
182nd Howitzer Regiment...
372nd Hvy Howitzer Regiment...
45th/103rd AA Battalion...
33rd VVS Base Force...

In Mongolia, my leading units have reached Ulan Bator and I anticipate combat there next turn.

I do have around 400 AV a few days south of Ulan on the road that should be able to rectify the situation if the enemy is too strong for my leading troops.

Finally, here is the weather forecast for next turn....more storms in the north.

ORIGINAL: bklooste

Is a landing on the base 3 East of vladivostok viable ?

Yes, however I do not have any troops for it. If I had not initially overextended by trying to get Okha and Petropavlovsk at the start then I would have had troops to land with here.

As it is, I plan to land additional troops at Okha in a few turns, clean up there, then send the same troops to take Petropavlovsk. I can't leave Petro in Russian hands lest the allies decide to do some lend lease and multi-national basing out of there.

As soon as I take Petro I will move to land on the Russian coast west of Okha and march on Kommsolensk. When I do that his supply will be entirely cut off. Right now he is able to draw supply from this area even though I have the rail line to the northern area cut.

Many tough decisions and not enough troops to execute...that is the lot in Russia.

I have checked Soviet costal units and situtation doesnt look good for Japs. Soviets have some really nasty CD emplacements.
I would attack by sea only if its a must. Expect heavy loses in ships and troops.

Fighting in Northern China (manchuria and beyond) in December is basically the same as fighting in central Russia in the Winter. Be cautious in the winter months and build up and just do small actions, then let loose a hell in the spring and summer months. I think it would be insane to try an amphibious assault any time soon.

Turn 39 14 Jan 1942

The turn started off with another submarine attack.

AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR Jan 14, 42
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Submarine attack near Muntok at 50,89

Japanese Ships
SS I-157

Allied Ships
TK Strix, Torpedo hits 1



TK Strix is sighted by SS I-157...
SS I-157 launches 8 torpedoes at TK Strix...

One hit out of 8 was not great shooting and I do not believe that I sank her. But it was a hit and that is important.

During the turn Mark moved three destroyers out of Vladivostok and moved them along the coast. I do not know if he is relocating them to keep me from sinking them at anchor or if he is up to something else, like ambushing my ASW task forces.

He also assigned several of his air units to air attack, and one of my surface combat task forces was attacked several times by a variety of Soviet aircraft.

I found the MBR-2 seaplanes to be singularly ugly. Despite two attacks, they didn't do any damage.

On the land side of things,
I captured both Georgetown and Taiping in Malaya this turn.
I continue bombardment attacks at Clark, Manila, Changsha, and Loyang.

Aircraft losses were relatively low.

I apologize for the short summary but I am trying a different screen capture program than previous and I am not very happy with it. Since the program that I liked has completed it's 30 free trial period I am trying to decide whether or not to purchase it or to use a different program. So far it looks like I may purchase it since it was very easy to use and I am not happy with some of the features of the other program that I am trying.

have you tried screen grab pro from Traction Software?  It is free and I think pretty good.

ORIGINAL: seydlitz

On the land side of things,
I captured both Georgetown and Taiping in Malaya this turn.
I continue bombardment attacks at Clark, Manila, Changsha, and Loyang.

Aircraft losses were relatively low.

I apologize for the short summary but I am trying a different screen capture program than previous and I am not very happy with it. Since the program that I liked has completed it's 30 free trial period I am trying to decide whether or not to purchase it or to use a different program. So far it looks like I may purchase it since it was very easy to use and I am not happy with some of the features of the other program that I am trying.

This one is great too free and easy!

http://www.irfanview.com/

Irfanview is excellent.

Just got caught up on your AAR. Very fun to read. A few comments.
 
As an AFB, my holy grail would be to exchange pilots 1-1 with Japan early in the war. Seems like he is doing better as most of his air losses are over his own bases. And he is losing Russian pilots-not American or British. How are your replacments pilots looking?
 
With another massive land front how are you equipment and troop pools? Suppy pools?
 
Your opponent seems to be quite passive (cautious). He should have four American carriers now and by virtue of your required need to have KB in or near the Russian theater. Not to mention the KB pilot losses, I am surprised that he is not aggressively using his carriers somewhere. Normally, I am very cautious with my Allied carriers at this stage of the war, but only because of the threat KB poses. He knows where KB is and pretty much has to be for now, it is better than signet intel. Now is the time for him to poke you some where you are vulnerable. of course, I am not faulting his strategy as the "sit back and let the Russians soak up Japan" while the Americans grow strong is not a bad idea either.
 
What would you be doing different if you were the Allied player?
 
If you had been aware of the determental effects of the bad northern weather before embarking on this crusade-would you have tried it?
 
 

Interesting that the Allies are sitting back. With KB out of the way and much of Japans attention up north, I would be doing something with my CV to cause some kind of Chaos for you. Hitting you here and there at least, trying to kill off some of your aircraft and "better" pilots now early since the Allies can replace their loses faster than the Japanese can.

Just my 2 cents.

BTW, why there is now button Japan decides to attack USSR to activate Soviets ? I think that would help him much with initial attack. But he have to  pull quite much forces out to China or Korea and lost  power of initial kick.

In may game as Japan, the Allied AI sank so many transports within the span of a month while sending a carrier group from PH to Java in March 1942 and raiding anything in it's path.  My KB wasn't able to catch the group since it was replenishing planes.  But your opponent would have done the same thing to you knowing that KB is committed to Russia.

ORIGINAL: crsutton
Just got caught up on your AAR. Very fun to read. A few comments.

As an AFB, my holy grail would be to exchange pilots 1-1 with Japan early in the war. Seems like he is doing better as most of his air losses are over his own bases. And he is losing Russian pilots-not American or British. How are your replacments pilots looking?

With another massive land front how are you equipment and troop pools? Suppy pools?

Your opponent seems to be quite passive (cautious). He should have four American carriers now and by virtue of your required need to have KB in or near the Russian theater. Not to mention the KB pilot losses, I am surprised that he is not aggressively using his carriers somewhere. Normally, I am very cautious with my Allied carriers at this stage of the war, but only because of the threat KB poses. He knows where KB is and pretty much has to be for now, it is better than signet intel. Now is the time for him to poke you some where you are vulnerable. of course, I am not faulting his strategy as the "sit back and let the Russians soak up Japan" while the Americans grow strong is not a bad idea either.

What would you be doing different if you were the Allied player?

If you had been aware of the determental effects of the bad northern weather before embarking on this crusade-would you have tried it?

I don't think the air losses are such a big deal since if the Russian gambit works he can sweep all those forces through China and then have all the Chinese /Manchuria LCU ( minus a few garrisons) and air forces working for him. He can rebuild his bombers and just use the fighters as cover as he will have superior numbers.

I agree KB needs to go somewhere else ( DEI or Rabaul)

I was thinking the same question on the weather but the Russian March re-reinforcement and later armout would make a later invasion even more difficult.

ORIGINAL: bklooste

ORIGINAL: crsutton
Just got caught up on your AAR. Very fun to read. A few comments.

As an AFB, my holy grail would be to exchange pilots 1-1 with Japan early in the war. Seems like he is doing better as most of his air losses are over his own bases. And he is losing Russian pilots-not American or British. How are your replacments pilots looking?

With another massive land front how are you equipment and troop pools? Suppy pools?

Your opponent seems to be quite passive (cautious). He should have four American carriers now and by virtue of your required need to have KB in or near the Russian theater. Not to mention the KB pilot losses, I am surprised that he is not aggressively using his carriers somewhere. Normally, I am very cautious with my Allied carriers at this stage of the war, but only because of the threat KB poses. He knows where KB is and pretty much has to be for now, it is better than signet intel. Now is the time for him to poke you some where you are vulnerable. of course, I am not faulting his strategy as the "sit back and let the Russians soak up Japan" while the Americans grow strong is not a bad idea either.

What would you be doing different if you were the Allied player?

If you had been aware of the determental effects of the bad northern weather before embarking on this crusade-would you have tried it?

I don't think the air losses are such a big deal since if the Russian gambit works he can sweep all those forces through China and then have all the Chinese /Manchuria LCU ( minus a few garrisons) and air forces working for him. He can rebuild his bombers and just use the fighters as cover as he will have superior numbers.

I agree KB needs to go somewhere else ( DEI or Rabaul)

I was thinking the same question on the weather but the Russian March re-reinforcement and later armout would make a later invasion even more difficult.

thought restricted command units can´t cross land borders anymore [&:]

ORIGINAL: crsutton

Just got caught up on your AAR. Very fun to read. A few comments.

As an AFB, my holy grail would be to exchange pilots 1-1 with Japan early in the war. Seems like he is doing better as most of his air losses are over his own bases. And he is losing Russian pilots-not American or British. How are your replacments pilots looking?

With another massive land front how are you equipment and troop pools? Suppy pools?

Your opponent seems to be quite passive (cautious). He should have four American carriers now and by virtue of your required need to have KB in or near the Russian theater. Not to mention the KB pilot losses, I am surprised that he is not aggressively using his carriers somewhere. Normally, I am very cautious with my Allied carriers at this stage of the war, but only because of the threat KB poses. He knows where KB is and pretty much has to be for now, it is better than signet intel. Now is the time for him to poke you some where you are vulnerable. of course, I am not faulting his strategy as the "sit back and let the Russians soak up Japan" while the Americans grow strong is not a bad idea either.

What would you be doing different if you were the Allied player?

If you had been aware of the determental effects of the bad northern weather before embarking on this crusade-would you have tried it?

My equipment and vehicle pools are in very good shape at the present primarily because I did major industry expansions on both during the first turns of the game. Currently armaments uses more HI than naval construction and I have a good sized pool.

My replacement pilots are ok at the moment. I believe that I have lost 220 pilots kia and 440 wia. I have 1600 in the pool, but I am very careful not to replace all losses. I am actively limiting combat exposure to selected units only while about 1/3 of my units are training.

Regarding his carriers, I believe that he is much more cautious about the use of his carriers because in our prior game (witp) I nailed him several times. We are in March 1944 in that game and I have sunk about 18 carriers without loss of any Japanese carriers. I will purposely hide the KB for a long period of time (up to 3 months) and then suddenly turn up somewhere. I have done it enough that he has become cautious about using the carriers early. I currently have the KB steaming down to Truk where it will cover the second wave of landings at Rabaul. If I am lucky I may see some carriers down there.

If I were my opponent I would be more aggressively pursuing a sub campaign and would be on the offensive in Russia.
He is showing some signs of life in both, but we shall see. I would be doing what he is doing with the carriers. I imagine that he needs a couple of more months before he can get the brewsters off the carriers and wildcats on board.

Finally, I would still have attacked Russia in the game since that is one of the strategies that I decided to execute, but many of my plans would have been altered based on the weather. I am actually flying against only one target a turn now just to ensure that I do not have unescorted bombers fly into swarms of fighters again.

Due to the strength of his forces I have no idea whether or not I will be successful or not with Russia, but it does provide a very good alternative to the same old course of history during the first 6 months of the war.

I have processed the next turn and will post the update when I get home from work this evening.