The Italian Job 2- Gen.Hoepner(J)-vs.-Mc3744

[invernomuto]

what will those reinforcement groups scheldued for 1943 use if the plane they are supposed to use is out of production???
Any help?

Did you find an answer to your question? I need the same info...

Bye

[String]

ORIGINAL: invernomuto

what will those reinforcement groups scheldued for 1943 use if the plane they are supposed to use is out of production???
Any help?

Did you find an answer to your question? I need the same info...

Bye

I guess it will try to come in as another possible upgraded/downgraded airplane type. But who knows

[Gen.Hoepner]

Hi all,

first of all i'd like to say that yes, i play for win, or at least for a chance of winning, but i do play especially for fun. And it ain't fun when your mate doesn't feel happy anymore about the game. So my priority now is to keep on playing, but at certain conditions ( MC must be happy and having fun). If not i'm not interested anymore.

However,

No answer to that damned question Inverno...do not know.[&:][&:]


AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 07/29/42


Well, a part from the fact that while watching this turn it came on my mobile an sms from a girl who invited my to go out ( the sexual revolution has been a fantastic thing, don't you think so?![8D]), this turn has been quite boring.

A damned dutch sub hit a mine at Rangoon[:D].
Bad weather prevented any air operation in China....but out of 9 zeros on LRCAP over Sining 6 did not come back...[:(] they brought with them to hell 2 p-40s ...but at least now i know how many p-40s are there....60 on CAP and a total of 100 fighters....really a HUGE force!
Anyway the plan did not chance. I can master some losses in zeros now. Tomorrow the weather forcasts storms again in China....wtf!

He started a new HUGE interdiction campaign in Burma. All his heaviest started to hit my troops there that are now redeploying.

Something more?...oh, yes, 175 HI expanded today[;)]

Yes...something more. 5 Days and we'll attack Tsuyung. No real opposition expected.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TF 1032 encounters mine field at Rangoon (29,33)

Allied Ships
SS KXI, Mine hits 1, on fire[:D][:D][:D]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ground combat at Tsuyung

Japanese Bombardment attack

Attacking force 98014 troops, 1094 guns, 26 vehicles

Defending force 43852 troops, 88 guns, 0 vehicles



Allied ground losses:
144 casualties reported

[invernomuto]

I guess it will try to come in as another possible upgraded/downgraded airplane type. But who knows

If I remember correctly, if you withdraw an Air Unit and order it to reform after 90 days, you need to have the right planes in the pool or it will not reform (cannot check the manual now so I can be wrong).
The same could happen for air units that come into play as reinforcements.

(Please forgive my bad english)

Bye.

[Gen.Hoepner]

ORIGINAL: invernomuto

I guess it will try to come in as another possible upgraded/downgraded airplane type. But who knows

If I remember correctly, if you withdraw an Air Unit and order it to reform after 90 days, you need to have the right planes in the pool or it will not reform (cannot check the manual now so I can be wrong).
The same could happen for air units that come into play as reinforcements.

(Please forgive my bad english)

Bye.

MMM....no wait a moment:

Now that i remember...it was scheldued for 1st July a 36 a/c sentai of OscarI...but...the Tonies advanced their scheldue of one month...and they arrived as Tonies and not Oscars....[&:] So what?[:o]

Ok, this game is too complex for me tonight ( still thinking about that girl[:'(])

good night all

[Gen.Hoepner]

Oh God....just waken up thinking about Sining and the AVG stationed there.....I'm really starting to think that i'm menthally ill.....

What if we have another day of Rain in northern China? He will estabilish his positions there...and for me there won't be any hope!.... What if it's sunny? We're gonna have a slaughter[:@]

Ok, better not to think about it....have a tough morning ot work.....

see you later

[patrickl]

ORIGINAL: Gen.Hoepner

Oh God....just waken up thinking about Sining and the AVG stationed there.....I'm really starting to think that i'm menthally ill.....

What if we have another day of Rain in northern China? He will estabilish his positions there...and for me there won't be any hope!.... What if it's sunny? We're gonna have a slaughter[:@]

Ok, better not to think about it....have a tough morning ot work.....

see you later

Relax General,

Too much stress and worry is not good for your game![:-] [;)] As long you give your best, I think that is good enough. Even Halsey lost carriers but eventually won the war.[:D]

Cheers!
Pat

[Gen.Hoepner]

AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 07/30/42

Yes Patrickl, i need to be less stressed[;)] but this game is so involving that it's hard to take the distances[8D]

Ok, today another horrible day in China ( and in Italy too...it's raining since sunday[:(]). Bad weather prevented any air activity...and so Sining is far from being closed as an active base. My stupid recon planes keep telling me that the AF is badly damaged, but his p-40s keep on flying over there[:-]
Another attack order has been given for tomorrow. 36 more sallies will partecipate. Let's see if i can finally engage a fight at Sining.

At Tsuyung i won't wait any longer. 2000 APs have been placed there and should be enough i guess. Deliberate attack scheldued for tomorrow and a big air raid from Hanoi.

The redeployment of my 25th an 15th Armies in Burma keep on going under an iron umbrella of enemy bombers.
Same for the repositioning of the 16th and 14th Armies at Daily.

Today i have enough PPs to free up another Bde ....but i'll probably wait 14 more days so to use those points for the 1st Tank division that will be brought from Manchuria to Manila in order to be ready to be used where problem may arise.

Else?mmmm.......well...2 more days and the Tojos will start their production[8D] I hope for the end of august to have enough Tonies and Tojos to be able to substitute all my zeros in their actual CAP roles.
The idea is to be able to place 400 very good fighters on CAP in Cina, 200 more at Bankok and some 300 between Daily and Rabaul.
The zeros will be taken back to Singapore,Manila and Timor, where they will be training utill the daitais reach back the experience level of 75 ( which i consider the actual edge not to be slaughtered by allied planes).

mmm..oh yes, 10 more DDs left Japan Today after their upgrades.


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Ground combat at Tsuyung

Japanese Bombardment attack

Attacking force 106027 troops, 1207 guns, 22 vehicles

Defending force 43265 troops, 84 guns, 0 vehicles



Allied ground losses:
35 casualties reported

Yes...defenetly with 80 guns these bastards won't oppose any stiff resistance!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[Gen.Hoepner]

Here's the screenshot of the actual chinese fronts.

As you can see, once i'll have eliminated Tsuyung and the whole Western Chinese Armies, i'll be able to mass at Chungking 7k APs and as soon as i'll be able to redeploy my fighters and bombers at Kweiyang ( i need some more AV support to come from Tokyo via HK) i'll start to bomb daily Chungking from a very close AF...so I hope by the end of the upcomming fall to have smashed Chungking's defences.

[Gen.Hoepner]

So the general overview is the following:

In China we're slowing getting over the main problems, altough the threat rapresented by Sining AF ( where 100 enemy's P-40Es are still
lingering) is a pain in the back. Considering how the chinese theatre was 5 or 6 months ago i gotta say that i'm really pleased.
I went back reading what i wrote when the first battle for Ichang was over, when my forces were repulsed for 2 times with a gran total of
12,000 losses on my side. And also when Lanchow refused to fall down and i had to go back licking my wounds.
Then the Blue Heart plan and the march towards Chungking.....what an adventure!Everything started with the fall of the "Angels of Chengtu": a fist of 4 brave companies of Paras that were dropped over Chengtu from Mytikina. The managed to conquer the base,lightly defended and then they fortified over the mountains. Later on a Mixed Bde was air-transported from Sian and when 9 chinese coprs came back from chungking they found no way to push us out!. Under the threat brought on his capital by 280,000 japanese troops
he had to move back most of his armies that defended the southern perimeter of Whochow....i took the opportunity and pushed him back, conquering city after city, airfield after airfield,
closing pockets and destroying units.
Since the beginnng of Blue Heart i managed to sorround and destroy a total of 50,000 chinese and now 100,000 more enemy men are trapped at tsuyung, while 60,000 more are almost trapped at nanning and ready to be eliminated.
Not bad...not bad at all.

In Burma we've had some very dark moments. When at the beginning of june he lunched a big double offensive towards Magwe and Mandalay, starting from akyab and Imphal.
Yes, here he's been afflicted by the ghost unit bug and so the lost of a Indian Divsion, but i guess that i had managed to bring in enough forces to push him back anyway.
Now he's retreated to his starting positions and for the moment being i'm able to redeploy my forces and let them breath a bit after 2 months of costant struggle in the Jungle and under heavy enemy bombings.

In Northern Oz he's moving back towards Alice. The offensive has failed and he has suffered heavy losses, both in the air and on ground.

The pacific is quite "pacific". No enemy activities since May

Indian ocean is quite and my subs and Emilies are patrolling these waters.

Very good indeed.

Now it's just a matter of wether i'll be able to get with China above 4-1 or not by the end of the year.

[Gen.Hoepner]

AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 07/31/42

July ends with a massive air clash!!!
Finally, after a week of bad weather, the sky was clear during the morning in northern China. As ordered, the 1st Air Army took off from Kungchang. Destination: Sining!
3 A6M2 Daitais, 1 A6M3 daitai and 1 Ki-61 sentai were escorting 203 bombers, mainly ki-21 and ki-49 models.
Altough there were some dense clouds over the target( which was the strip and the hangars ), the IJA/IJN mixed formation arrived in time ( by 12:00) on its objective. all of a sudden, 80 P-40Es came from the coulds above and bounced the escort.
My pilots reported that on most of enemy planes there was marked the symbol of the dreaded flying tigers, those bastard american volounteers!!
However, it was the first mission for the 36th Sentai, the first Sentai equipeed with the brand new KI-61 KAIc model. Col. Matsuboro, the leader of this unit, ordered to climb and to intercept the enemy.
For 4 times the Tonies were bounced by the horde of american fighters.
For 4 times our bravest soldiers repulsed the enemy's attacks.
Altough numbers were not in favor of the 36th Sentai, they managed to shoot down 29 P-40s, in exchange of 9 KI-61s.
A very good baptism of fire i'd say.
Then the Tonies had to come back, cause their fuel levels started to get low because of the previous fight.
And then it came to the more experienced zeros.
Their performance however wasn't as good as the Tony's one, but by 12:30 47 more p-40s had fell down in flames.
Only 4 enemy fighters survived the clash and went back.
The bombers arrived on Target by 12:45 in perfect formation at 3 different altitudes ( 7k,12k and 17k) and dropped their loads on the AF.
Some recon planes that were following reported 21 more p-40s were laying destroyed on the ground.

FANTASTIC!

Losses have been quite high in A2A ( 33 vs 76 ) but that was expected ( the p-40s were very experienced after 4 months of costant training in Burma). What counts is that now Sining cannot be defended by his air force anymore ( Too far from Ledo to bring in the spits) and now i have free hands to destroy what remains of chinese bases!!

BANZAIIII!!!

Tony prooved to be an excelent fighter and not only a good interceptor.


Day Air attack on Sining , at 45,23

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 66
A6M3 Zero x 23
Ki-61 KAIc Tony x 33
Ki-21 Sally x 126
Ki-48 Lily x 21
Ki-49 Helen x 56
Ki-15 Babs x 11

Allied aircraft
P-40E Warhawk x 80

Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 23 destroyed, 2 damaged
A6M3 Zero: 2 destroyed
Ki-61 KAIc Tony: 9 destroyed
Ki-21 Sally: 4 damaged
Ki-49 Helen: 1 destroyed

Allied aircraft losses
P-40E Warhawk: 86 destroyed[:D][8D]


Allied ground losses:
12 casualties reported

Airbase hits 5
Airbase supply hits 6
Runway hits 142





But the day didn't end here.
During the night my MSWs have swept enemy VH1 mines at Port Blair, while one of his MSW that tried to clean a path through my minefields at Rangoon got mauled by my costal guns and sunk immediately[:D]

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TF 33 encounters mine field at Port Blair (23,34)

Japanese Ships
MSW W.12
MSW W.10
MSW W.6

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TF 1052 encounters mine field at Rangoon (29,33) - Coastal Guns Fire Back!

66 Coastal gun shots fired in defense.
Allied Ships
MSW Cuttack, Shell hits 34, on fire, heavy damage[:D][:D][:D][:D][:D]


At Tsuyung things will be more difficult. I only managed to get 1-1 and reduced the forts at level 2....God: fighting on mountains is particularly tough!! This is an example of what i'll find at Chungking!!!
What's strange is that the attack was preceded by a strong Air raid....well...we have to start to bomb the troops instead of the AF...



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day Air attack on Tsuyung , at 37,31

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 12
Ki-21 Sally x 70
Ki-49 Helen x 50
Ki-46-II Dinah x 7
Ki-15 Babs x 3

No Japanese losses


Allied ground losses:
166 casualties reported

Airbase hits 6
Airbase supply hits 1
Runway hits 105

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ground combat at Tsuyung

Japanese Deliberate attack

Attacking force 115603 troops, 1205 guns, 22 vehicles

Defending force 42796 troops, 83 guns, 0 vehicles

Japanese engineers reduce fortifications to 2

Japanese assault odds: 1 to 1 (fort level 2) [:(][:o][:-]

Japanese Assault reduces fortifications to 2


Japanese ground losses:
2826 casualties reported
Guns lost 78
Vehicles lost 3

Allied ground losses:
822 casualties reported
Guns lost 4

[Gen.Hoepner]

.

[Gen.Hoepner]

Gotta correct myself:

was the 70th Sentai ( and not the 36th) the first big group fully equipped with Ki-61s that partecipated to the air battle fo Sining.

The new Tony ace is WO Yoshida, Y. of 70th Ftr.Sentai who is credited with 5 kills [;)]

[Tom Hunter]

I don't understand why people fight these types of battles. The place is isolated, there is no chance for support from other base, he can't use bombers to strike back at your air bases, how is he ever going to win?

Over in fear and loathing the Japanese just launched this attack on Akyab:

Day Air attack on TF, near Akyab at 30,29

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 19
G3M Nell x 6
Ki-43-Ib Oscar x 34
Ki-48 Lily x 3

Allied aircraft
Hurricane II x 50

Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 11 destroyed
Ki-43-Ib Oscar: 16 destroyed, 2 damaged
Ki-48 Lily: 1 destroyed

Allied aircraft losses
Hurricane II: 13 destroyed, 9 damaged
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day Air attack on TF, near Akyab at 30,29

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 6
G4M1 Betty x 6
Ki-43-Ib Oscar x 11
Ki-48 Lily x 3

Allied aircraft
Hurricane II x 37

Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 1 destroyed
G4M1 Betty: 1 damaged
Ki-43-Ib Oscar: 3 destroyed, 1 damaged
Ki-48 Lily: 1 destroyed, 1 damaged

Allied aircraft losses
Hurricane II: 7 destroyed, 4 damaged

I will fight there because it has all of India behind it, and the orders for a counter strike on Rangoon have already been given. But if Akyab were isloated I would never do it.

[Gen.Hoepner]

Good question Tom.

My greatest fear was not related to the presence of 100 P-40s. These fighters can be a problem if pilots are over 75 exp, and in fact i lost a lot of fighters, but i can still manage these kind of air battle. No, my greatest fear was that the presence of a strong CAP over Sining was just a bait....if i was him i would have placed 200 heavy bombers at Ledo ( level 5) and, knowing that the japs would have thrown everything they had over Sining ( in terms of fighters ), i had striken back at Kungchang with 200 heaviest, plastering the place and closing the base for the next 10 days. When this first obj was obtained, i would have created a STRONG air-bridge from Ledo to Sining and slowly i will have placed there hundreds of medium bombers and some 2 or 3 indian Divisions with some engeneers that could have brought the base at level 5 very fast.....

Now he has lost one entire month of p-40 production in one day and 80 very experienced american pilots....do not think he will be back soon at Sining ( above all because he cannot transfer his RAF planes here)

[Gen.Hoepner]

So it's the first day of August. We're entering in the 9th month of war. Many days of harsh fightings have passed and Japan still holds the conquered ground and keeps biting!

As every saturday, it's time for a general overview.

Let's start from the general score:

Japs 23,233
Allies 7,485

So we're on the edge of 3-1. Not a fantastic score i'd have to say.
What keeps me down and far from 4-1 is the a/c score. 2819 vs 4114 I've lost so many planes during the long months of night bombing that it will be a tough job to get on 4-1 by late december.
However, since the rule changed, we're slowing getting ahead again. The Cinese campaign is what i consider my "Eldorado". There is the only place where i can hope to get some more thousands points, both by bases conquered and by POWs.

But let's leave these boring numbers and let's talk about something more interesting.

The Fleet Status:

Japan has at its disposal:

8 CVs in a very good shape. All of them are under 7 sys dmg and 3 of them have already received their AA upgrades.
4 CVEs in a perfect shape. All of them at 0 Sys dmg.
4 CVLs in a perfect shape. All of them at 0 sys dmg.
11 BBs in a good shape. All of them are under 9 sys dmg. ( 3 are at 0 dmg, 3 between 1 and 3, 4 under 7 and 1 ( Ise) at 9 sys dmg)
18 CAs in a very good shape. All of them are under 9 sys dmg ( actually only one-Myoko- is at 9 sys, the others are all under 7 with 7 of them at 0 sys)
20 CLs in a perfect shape. All of them under 5 sys dmg.
124 DDs, in a general good shape. some 50 DDs have already recieved their first upgrades and only 4 of them are over 10 sys dmg.

Fleet Losses:

in 8 months of war were sunk

17 AP/AKs
9 SUBs [:(]
5 TKs [:@]
8 PCs
3 PGs
17 MSWs
1 PT
2 DD ( the Akebono and the Asanagi)

for a total of 61 ships and 365 points.

So since last ship reports losses remained almost stable, but these 2 months of quiteness in the naval warfare gave me time to R&R my main capital ships and to give some upgrades to the Combined Fleet.

Soon i'll start to organize the convoy system for the resources/oil transport system.

The idea is not to use the theory of Hubs,but to have some 3 Big TK TFs, heavly escorted ( i'm thinking of something like: 1 AV with float planes each, 4 APDs+4 DDs+4 PCs+ 4 PGs each) with 3 ASW TFs, composed of upgraded DDs, following these 3 major chargo TFs. The idea is to move at least 130/160 experienced sallies ( between 85 and 90 exp) from China to DEI-SRA and with the help of floatplanes daitais and chutais, cover as much sea as i can.

[String]

Check out your Ida squadrons (if you have them) .. if you don't have them try and downgrading some very high exp recon squadrons (90+). The lowly Ida carries 30kg bombs. I've had great success with them hitting subs when they were crewed by 90 exp pilots. They have poor range, 4 but this allows more to be concentrated into the search area. I set them at 100% naval search at 1k feet altitude and got a hit every day when andy tried to move his subs into the area. Sure, they won't sink them , but they will be forced out of action

[Gen.Hoepner]

Hi guys,


well, it's with the heart full of pain that i announce the end of this match.
MC has just written me that he has no longer the will to play with me.
Altough we have a very good "friendship"( if ever a friendship can be created by e-mails and gaming) he told me that my style of playing doesn't suit him anymore.
Too many "mass attacks", D-Days with 4 divisions in the pacific, more than 50*level AF planes, massive use of DS carrier tactic...and so on.
well...what can i say? Probably the will of victories just made me blind and didn't let me see his morale dropping turn by turn....so a lack of sensitivity ( sp?) by my side? Probably yes.

I do not know. I do not consider myself a player so "gamey" ( a word he didn't use at all....take this word in its less bad meaning please). I care of winning. Obviously. But not in exhange of a mutual enjoiyment.

If he doesn't enjoy playing with me anymore it's ok. It's a matter of fact. Witp is a game and every game's goal is to let the players enjoy and have fun. In the moment you're not having fun anymore, it's ok if you quit.

It's just so sad....[:(]


However, life goes on. I had some fantastic time playing these 2 matches with MC. this one has been particularly interesting and involving. And the AAR too was a very part of this enjoiment. I loved to write it.

I thank you all, with my heart, for reading my bad english and for supporting and suggesting me.

Thanks. Thanks a lot.

The best gaming experience of my life.

See you on the Matrix's forums.

[patrickl]

Hi Gen Hoepner,

Aye, life goes on. Your game has come a long way : 518 posts stretching some 10 months? Some other game very soon,eh?[;)] Love to read your AARs.

Cheers!
Patrick

[DuckofTindalos]

At least he had the decency to write you about it, rather than just disappear in a puff of digital smoke.