Turnaround? Lowpe (J) vs Tiemanj (A) Stock

[Lowpe]

Here are the plane totals for the Empire. I am seriously short fighters, moderately short Army bombers.

[Lowpe]

The Butcher's Bill for the day. An AKE will burn up tomorrow adding to the tally.

Not a good day to be a USN Destroyer sailor [:D]; however even worse to be stationed at Balikpapen.

[Lowpe]

October 9, 1942

The Allies keep coming in the north, more troops for his base in the Kuriles.

[Lowpe]

Although his ships in the Kuriles are well within Betty range, none fly. Again.[:(]

Then, the big event at Soerabaja, fails to achieve a 2-1 and the city holds out for now, however, all forts are gone. And there are no 4E strikes....I do see signs of many ships loading supplies along India's coast line perhaps he is after a major resupply of Rangoon?

I suspect that means he is massing his 4es to hit the Burma air bases again.

A rather inconclusive naval engagement south of Xmas Island between CA and Destroyers and and ineffective bombardment of Tulagi by 3 Allied Destroyer are the remaining major news of the day.

[Lowpe]

The presence of the troop convoy in the North bothers me. I am bombarding his base daily with a BB and a CA group. His behavior here is so alien to me, I can't really understand it.[&:]

I wonder if he has his carriers massed here for a high speed run...

His planes have once again disappeared from his Base...

He probably laid a new minefield with that sub...[:(]

Etorofu is now level 4, with air HQ, 100 plus torps, 100 bettys. Fly, Betty, Fly!

[Lowpe]

We now have the A6M5c advancing every 5 days. Probably good rolls. I really need these advanced frames...can't wait. I am skimping by on so few frames, so few decent pilots. I have basically grounded the mini KB because the pilots were so atrocious.

[Lowpe]

October 10, 1942

Soerabaja's forts are destroyed. The troops a pale shadow of their former strength, the end is nigh, but the port is still crowded with ships...and ABDA orders the breakout, disperse and flee in all directions....God Speed and Good Luck! With no moonlight the timing is right, the conditions favorable...

The long awaited breakout from Soerabaja port is caught early by a prowling submarine in the middle of the night, and the orders are rapidly transmitted putting all the airbases on alert. But will the weather cooperate? Many a Japanese pilot lights a candle in the predawn darkness...[&o]

[Lowpe]

Meanwhile at the other end of the Empire in The Kuriles:

Two bombardment groups hit the Yankees hard again, destroyers punishing the Haddock with four hits after after a missed attack, and then heading back to rearm, another submarine, the Halibut, puts a fish in the belly of the Haruna.

IJN submarines find their own targets, damaged ships from yesterdays surface engagements, but fail to drive home the attack as the American ships turn tail and run back to the Aluetians.

[Lowpe]

Makassar: the home field of the famed ship killers the Bihoro KuK1. Veterans, one and all, led by a fire eater in Lt. Tsutsumi, take one look at the clear skies and decide they can't locate the Allied ships! [:@]

This is not a problem limited to this squadron, planes hardly ever fly out of Makassar...

[Lowpe]

Which is why the IJN has dispersed their forces to other bases like Denpasar where Vals find the enemy and strike...the hated Concord. There is only one cry on the pilots lips as they nose their planes over to dive and that is BANZAI!

The Concord doesn't stand a chance.

[Lowpe]

Not to be outdone, Kates flying from Loemadjang find the equally hated Marblehead and torpedo her and again BANZAI is heard over and over again as the torpedoes strike home...

[Lowpe]

The plucky Piet Hein is found by Kates that were previously searching for subs out of Malang. With no torpedoes available, they drive home the attack with general purpose bombs leaving the destroyer with heavy fires and heavy damage.

[Lowpe]

And even more Kates enjoyed the break from anti submarine warfare to strike a fleeing merchant ship.

[Lowpe]

ABDA thought dispersing their ships would give them a good chance for survival, but IJN squadrons were numerous and attacked with great coordination picking and choosing targets very selectively...clearly the IJN had foreseen such an attempt.

Here a Val group puts the Nairana down in a flurry of 250 kilogram bomb hits.

[Lowpe]

How fitting then for this day, that a ship named after the port, would be caught and put down like a bad dog...

[Lowpe]

Of the ships that breakout, only the CL Birmingham survives for now after dodging 4 torpedoes from a submarine...but surface ships lurk hungrily awaiting their chance to pounce! And perhaps the Bihoro KuK1 can reclaim their honor on the morrow.

The Dorsetshire and another cruiser are still in port, obviously too heavily damaged to even fire their boilers...

Not a single Japanese plane is lost.

[Lowpe]

I always have a difficult time using the training cruisers. However, in this game, given the great disorganization I have been using them to fast transport units all over the DEI.

However, with the great wear and tear the IJN is going thru, High Command tasked them to cover the OZ coastline as pickets recently.

After yesterdays encounter with four destroyers south of Xmas Island IO, the training cruisers were given a shot at the fleeing destroyers and they made the intercept and fought valiantly.

[Lowpe]

I am playing around with submarine attacks...and have had good success attacking small ports with shipping-- certainly better than prowling the ocean.

In this raid, all subs are set to end their move one hex to the west of their starting locations with a waypoint on Akyab. Hopefully this will prevent his ASW planes from doing damage, but still let the subs overwhelm those ships unloading at Akyab.

Should be interesting.

[mind_messing]

I always have a difficult time using the training cruisers. However, in this game, given the great disorganization I have been using them to fast transport units all over the DEI.

However, with the great wear and tear the IJN is going thru, High Command tasked them to cover the OZ coastline as pickets recently.

After yesterdays encounter with four destroyers south of Xmas Island IO, the training cruisers were given a shot at the fleeing destroyers and they made the intercept and fought valiantly.

Interesting to see the training crusiers actually see a battle where they're not sunk outright.

In my own game, the training crusiers are flagships for big tanker task forces, which is a role they seem suited too. I prefer leaving "fast" transport to the "fast" crusiers.

As for your submarine warfare plan, be wary of sending IJN subs into shallow water, especially with British escorts being around. The Americans ASW is a little weak until the big ASW upgrades roll in, but the British have been hunting U-boats for two years and know what they're doing.

[Lowpe]

ORIGINAL: mind_messing
Interesting to see the training crusiers actually see a battle where they're not sunk outright.

In my own game, the training crusiers are flagships for big tanker task forces, which is a role they seem suited too. I prefer leaving "fast" transport to the "fast" crusiers.

As for your submarine warfare plan, be wary of sending IJN subs into shallow water, especially with British escorts being around. The Americans ASW is a little weak until the big ASW upgrades roll in, but the British have been hunting U-boats for two years and know what they're doing.

Those destroyers the training cruisers tangled with had depleted ammo from previous engagements, so I thought the risk of using them here was small.

As flag in a tanker convoy are you hoping they catch a torpedo meant for a tankers? I had not thought about using them that way, usually use them in Amphibious invasions but that window expires with the amphibious bonus.

Re subs, I did this before to the allies with fewer subs, and he responded with a a KV escorted group...I then hit that group with light cruisers sinking I think 2 KVs plus the cargo ships. At Akyab now are just naked cargo ships, and I have a surface fleet getting into position off map...so I hope he does respond with British escorts.