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

[Lowpe]

In the air Allied lose 6 corsairs for 12 of my fighters (3 George and 9 Zekes) or thereabouts. Honshu still producing pretty strongly.

Deathstar nails an AMc with a 500 pounder via a naval search plane, otherwise quiet.

8 more units unloaded on Luzon, oil & fuel at Hong Kong and Canton, and ships in general fleeing from the Hong Kong/Shanghai/Luzon area.

So now comes the big decision on how many troops go to Hong Kong for a fight down there, and how many ultimately go to the Vinh line. Decisions. This is not a decision I want to make[:D], so we shall see. It is worth 2430 VP for the Allie currently, plus a loss of 500VP for me.

[JocMeister]

You are aware though that those Vehicles you keep destroying are Motorized support right? [:)]

[Lowpe]

ORIGINAL: JocMeister

You are aware though that those Vehicles you keep destroying are Motorized support right? [:)]

The absolute same amount of victory points as a tank though. [;)]

I am happy whenever I destroy something Allied.[:)]

[Andav]

I am happy whenever I destroy something Allied.

Amen brother ...

Wa

[Lowpe]

My guess is that the Allies aren't too interested in Singers so I don't think I am going to send more than 2 division equivalents to hold it if that.

Working on managing the retreat from Thailand. I am sure it is going to get messy here.[;)]

Always working every turn on the fighter protection of Honshu...training pilots, replacing pilots, rotating fresh fighters in and out. Tokyo has a 500 plane fighter CAP that needs attention each day. Osaka and Nagoya and many other bases will need lots more fighters when the B29 rolls around. Lots of clicks.

Pondering where the Deathstar will go this turn...my guess is for another run thru Fusan for destroyer and cruiser task forces or perhaps it might just hover in the area to deny Japanese shipping. The IJN is disbanded at Moppo and invisible to all but SigInt. They are too exposed now, and I need to devise a strategy for them. Perhaps the east side of Korea....I want to try and save my ships to counter an invasion of Honshu, or Okinawa, or the Japanese Islands so definite force in being status (even if it isn't a great force with only 5 fleet carriers and 5 battleships).

Three quiet days over Honshu and I have 150 fresh fighters off the assembly lines to be distributed. If the Allies continue pounding engines at some point I will be in trouble in 44. Fourth Quarter for Ha45 I think, sooner for the Ha33 (Tony,Judy and Myojo). If I last that long I have a good chance of having the N1K5 in action (I am dreaming here!).

I am thinking of sending out a heavily escorted strike on the Deathstar...again.

[Lowpe]

ORIGINAL: Andav

I am happy whenever I destroy something Allied.

Amen brother ...

Wa

Yep! I don't think people understand how hard it is to kill things as Japan in 44 without losing something in the process.[:)] Usually much more.[:D]

[Lowpe]

Finished the turn, it will definitely get hairy on the Bangkok/Moumein road...the clear terrain hex of death. [X(] I will have lots of AA there, but I don't think it will be enough.

We will see how aggressive the Allies are at attacking my forward defenders, my bet is very aggressive.[:D] No surprise there.

I have my anti-ship squadrons and fighters positioned to attack the Deathstar tomorrow (they are resting today), especially should he move west to Hong Kong, so my bet is he heads either south to Luzon or north up to Shanghai or Fusan. Maybe a night bomber or submarine will get lucky.

A large convoy is spotted coming in from the Aluetians to Hokkaido, but I moved my Helen Kamikazes. Pity.

Most of the Japanese merchant marine in up river in China, in the SRA, or heading east from Fusan to north eastern Korea. IJN surface fleet fairly concentrated at Moppo, decided to stay there one more day on the offchance the Allies make a repeat move towards Fusan.

[Lowpe]

March 18, 1944

22 Frances make a night torpedo attack on 4 AO and all miss. They had 2 NF Corsairs as CAP. This was part of the Deathstar...

Sweeps of Tokyo back on today...will he bomb, most likely.

[Lowpe]

4 Jugs sweeps and one Hellcat sweep of Tokyo...no bombers in the morning.

In the afternoon a sentai of Lilly divebombers destroy two more yard sweepers.

[Lowpe]

Not so bad over Tokyo today...would like to be shooting down more of the new Jugs (since it has longer range) but they swept last...

Not sure why he is pursuing this sweep strategy when losses are so close...I would have thought we would be back to sweeping for bleeders.

[Lowpe]

He has 200 to 400 fighters on CAP...it surely seems like I should be able to penetrate that CAP and do serious damage to his carriers.



Well the Allies found the upriver hiding spots for my merchant ships.

[Lowpe]

Thailand really stinks to defend now...will try to build a temp line, the Bangkok line. But really, given that the Allies own the open terrain, they will have maneuver ability to focus their firepower and I have poor roads and terrain to adjust my defense and my backs are to more open terrain. Nothing to like here.[:(]

Very small flanking attack to cut the Chiang Mai road. If it buys me a single day, it would be worth it.

Probably a very short term line, I will be falling back all the way to Vinh/Vientiane line.

Dropping lots of AA in the clear road hex of death.



If it were me, SE of Tavoy I would have troops moving to cut the rail line SE from Bangkok, even if it were only a feint. Instead it looks like he is retreating some of the chewed up regiment/or brigade.

I was able to use massed AA at Prome to negate his bombers, but I won't be able to amass the same amount of units NW of Bangkok. Maybe only about 10 AA units all told...only have to hold long enough to get my troops back to the Bangkok line or to Singers or to the new Vinh line.

[Lowpe]

I have a 422 AV 2nd Tank Division that will cross the river into Rahaeng tomorrow. Rahaeng has 922 AV of defenders, so this will trigger a shock attack (I believe) even though I own the hexside.

I will break the 2nd Tank down into 1/3rds and cross on three consecutive days.

Part of me wants to attack.[X(] Those Allied tanks have sat there a long time with very little supply, but I bet it would be a disaster if I did.

[koniu]

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

I have a 422 AV 2nd Tank Division that will cross the river into Rahaeng tomorrow. Rahaeng has 922 AV of defenders, so this will trigger a shock attack (I believe) even though I own the hexside.

No shock attack. You own base and hexide.
Shock atack only when hex is owned by enemy

[JocMeister]

ORIGINAL: koniu

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

I have a 422 AV 2nd Tank Division that will cross the river into Rahaeng tomorrow. Rahaeng has 922 AV of defenders, so this will trigger a shock attack (I believe) even though I own the hexside.

Shock atack only when hex is owned by enemy

Or hex side.

[Lowpe]

ORIGINAL: koniu
No shock attack. You own base and hexide.
Shock atack only when hex is owned by enemy

Many thanks Koniu, that will save time which is at a premium now.[&o]

[Lowpe]

Just a quick word on the Lilly Divebomber. I really like the plane, and it has done good work for me, but I went ahead and converted too many squadrons to the Lilly.

A lot of the squadrons could also have been upgraded to Nicks, and currently I think I would rather have the Nicks on rear area defense (especially with the arrival of the B29 coming).

Some can upgrade back to Nicks but at a PP cost, and I am using all my PP to buy out troops or to improve the leaders in newly arriving squadrons.

In the future, I think no more than three squadrons will go to Lilly divebombers...in a scenario 1 game.

[Lowpe]

Working on my turn, and I have come to the sad conclusion I could easily dump about 30 hours into the turn.

My Empire is a mess. Fragments of units scattered all over is the worst part. Drives me crazy!

I noticed the Allies recon Moppo 9/10 DL and spot the entire Japanese surface fleet. I wonder if I can use that somehow...

I have learned, the hard way, that the having multiple scattered small task forces will divide the Allied strikes, allowing my fighters to inflict more damage on Allied planes. So I may set up some shipping to distribute his strikes.

Also, if he decides to strike Moppo, or Shanghai, he likes to sweep with three or four Corsair squadrons first.

So, in my long winded and convoluted manner, I am saying perhaps it is time to stage huge attack on the deathstar with the assumption that it is heading north to threaten either Moppo or Shanghai.

[Crackaces]

There is an inherent weakness of much controversy ...Having small TFs flood the search arcs of a CV TF while striking the CV might be seen as gamely .
It might be something worked out. I do know canoerebel used such a tactic and the controversy ended with CR never coming back to the forum.

[Lowpe]

ORIGINAL: Crackaces

There is an inherent weakness of much controversy ...Having small TFs flood the search arcs of a CV TF while striking the CV might be seen as gamely .
It might be something worked out. I do know canoerebel used such a tactic and the controversy ended with CR never coming back to the forum.

I wasn't really too clear there.[:)] All my task forces have to have a legitimate purpose, so they would either be retreating somewhere to hide in another port, loading supplies, or be ASW task forces providing port protection, or a destroyer task force defending the port.

Not trying to send out a horde of two or three ship 1 vp ships.

Working on setting up strikes on the Deathstar, so the turn will be mostly run and hide with ships but hit from the air.

I think.