The Good The Bad & The Indifferent

[Canoerebel]

About Wednesday's tornado, the Weather Service classified it as an EF3 with winds of 160 miles per hour.  It was five miles below EF4 category.  One of the oddities is that my pickup truck was parked next to a large white pine and close to one of the employee's cars.  Her car is gone.  The pine tree was knocked flat.  My pickup truck was sitting right where I parked it with several trash bags and my beloved hiking stick in the bed, never molested.  The truck did take several dents - one of which is coated in sap, though no branches were found anywhere close to the truck after the storm; whatever hit it didn't stop anywhere close.  Also, the front license plate was ripped off and disappeared.
 
EF-3 (136-165 mph) - Severe damage. Entire stories of well-constructed houses destroyed; severe damage to large buildings such as shopping malls; trains overturned; trees debarked; heavy cars lifted off the ground and thrown; structures with weak foundations blown away some distance.
 
EF-4 (166-200 mph) - Devastating damage. Whole frame houses Well-constructed houses and whole frame houses completely leveled; cars thrown and small missiles generated.'
 
None of us were frightened during the storm.  We were startled and stunned and each experienced a surge of adreniline that left us shaking later. But the event was to quick for fear.  But the scary thought afterwards was the idea of "what might have been."  What if the storm had been just a bit stronger?  What if we had started to walk outside 15 seconds earlier?  Etc. 
 
Me and my boys are heading down south for a camping and canoeing trip next week.  The forecast at the moment calls for perfect southern winter weather. 

[Capt. Harlock]

DEI:  Still quiet at Singers, where a few AA guns are still firing.  John doesn't realize that a few Dutch patrol planes are flying supply from Batavia.

Any chance of running supply in by submarines?

[pws1225]

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

The truck did take several dents

But aren't all Georgia pickups supposed to have dents in them?

[Canoerebel]

3/14/42 and 3/15/42
 
NoPac:  My subs are reporting the presence of "carrier aircraft."  I don't think there are many carriers up here nor any fleet carriers, judging by what I'm seeing down south.

West Coast:  Hornet arrived at Norfolk, upgraded aircraft, and is now departing for Capetown.

Pacific:  The four American carriers are far to the SW of Tahiti and will alter course to take them to a point near Auckland (still five days or so distant).  There are three possible uses:  (1) If John splits his carrier TF and sends a smaller part (see below) back into the Coral Sea, I want a shot at them; (2) If John sends the full KB back into the Coral Sea, my carriers will shift south, try to evade detection, and make for Melbourne or Adelaide; and (3) If the KB moves into the Indian Ocean, the American carriers will take station between Noumea and Luganville and look for an opportunity to strike a meaningful IJN transport or combat TF.  Inflicting damage is the secondary goal.  The primary goal will be to draw the KB back into the Pacific (as John won't be able to expand with my carriers there).  My carriers would then sprin to the Indian Ocean in hopes of an opening for an invasion of Cocos Island.

Oz:  The KB has divided into three big and equal parts.  Two parts are nearing Adelaide, the other is moving off the Tasmania's west coast looking for Allied ships in that area.  There aren't any to speak of.  Over the past two days, the KB has hammered another dozen ships - two AM, one AS, several xAKL, two small xAP and a few XAK.  John could get a few more lingerers, but most of my ships are far to the west now.  John isn't moving fast, thank goodness.  He does have a combat TF led by CA Suzuya off the SW cape of OZ.  This TF picked off an AM, but John had better be careful.  Half of the Allied navy will be at Esperance tomorrow, including Prince of Wales, New Orleans, Australia, and a bunch of other CA, CL and DDs. 

DEI:  Singers AA firing sharply reduced but not enemy attack yet.

India:  No sign of what must have been a Mini KB in the Bay of Bengal.  Two IJN BBs bombarding Port Blair on consecutive days.  American Bobcats engineers just unloaded at Diego.  (I really like that, for some reason.)  A US Army infantry battalion will arrive at Attu in a day or two, giving the defenses at the island some teeth.  7th Oz Division is 40+ prepped for Cocos and is fully at Bombay.

China:  MLR looks good.  John is working the Changsha to Liuchow front hard, but thus far ineffectively. 75+ American P-40Es tangle with a vast array on enemy aircraft and raids, beginning with a sweep by 25 Zeros (John downed ten of mine, I got one of his) followed by a series of battles that went much more favorably to the Allies, which downed many Sallys and a fair number of Oscars. The problem is that, following the turn, I have 53 fighters that are unable to fly. So, I moved 40 good fighters to Chungking and Kweilin, but now I'll lose a host of fighters on the ground. I hate using fighters in China for this reason.

Weird, Weird, Weird Behavior:  John apologized about commenting on turns before I could see them and promised not to do it again...and then did it again the very next day.  When I brought this to his attention with a "What the heck???" comment followed by an inquiry, he didn't even address the breach, apologize, or say "oops, won't happen again."  His original comment was minor:  "Furball."  But that told me immediately that there had been a big air battle over Changsha, because I know John's terminology and that was the only possible location for an air altercation.  Okay, no big deal...except how does somebody apologize, agree not to do something, do it again two turns later, and then decline to address or apologize for the breach?  I am at a loss for words (well, sort of....).

My comment following John's "Furball" note: "What the heck? I thought "no comments about a turn before I see it" was settled and agreed on? "Furballs" is a comment. When I saw it I knew it meant "air battle over Changsha." I didn't want to know that beforehand. I want to be able to watch the replay totally unprepared for what's going to happen, just like you do. Of course, if you want to discuss or comment after I've seen the turn, that's fine. I'll be around for at least two more hours. I aint watchin' no stinkin' Super Bowl. "

John's next message: "Well...it COULD have meant my Siamese hurled a monsterous HAIRBALL/FURBALL on the armchair next to the computer right before I sent the turn...it was disgusting to be truthful. Course...it MIGHT have meant something else too..."

[&:] [&:] [&:]

[Canoerebel]

3/16/42
 
NoPac:  IJA engineers at Umnak have the airfield to level two; the Allies will have Cold Bay at level two tomorrow.  So we're in an engineer's race.
 
Pacific:  No news.
 
Australia:  No sign of the Tasmania branch of the KB.  The other two elemens are nearing Ceduna (spelling?  name???) and are uncomfortably close to a number of my ships.  Most of my combat ships will depart Albany and make for a "dark place to hide in the middle of the ocean." A few combat TFs will first stop at Perth to refuel.  The KB got a few ships - an AM and the last of the AO Tans, both near Adelaide.
 
DEI:  Singers AA still firing, meaning that Operation Supply Airlift from Batavia is paying huge dividends if it is deceiving John about Singers still having supply.  Actually, the AV of my force at Singers has fallen from 1030 to 950 in the past week as troops succumb to a variety of problems:  supply, bombing, bombardment, etc.  Singers can't hold long, but who'd have thunk it would hold out into the second half of March?
 
India: Quiet.  Americans ashore at Addu Atoll.  AV about 75 now and that's enough of that, meaning Japan can't take it on the cheap.
 
China:  MLR intact.
 

[JeffroK]

Ceduna (spelling? name???)

What, you finally get the spelling right and still query it[:D]

Ceduna is a small town in the West Coast region of South Australia. It is situated in the northwest corner of Eyre Peninsula, facing the islands of the Nuyts Archipelago. It lies west of the junction of the Flinders and Eyre Highways around 786 km northwest of the capital Adelaide. The port town/suburb of Thevenard lies 3 km to the west on Cape Thevenard. It is in the District Council of Ceduna, the federal Division of Grey, and the state electoral district of Flinders. The name Ceduna is a corruption of the local Aboriginal word Chedoona and is said to mean a place to sit down and rest. The town has played an important but minor role in Australia's overall development due to it being a fishing port and a railroad hub.

Compliments of wikipwedia
Nice little town, last town before Norseman WA

[Canoerebel]

3/17/42
 
Things are getting pretty chaotic and very exciting.  It was a good day for the Allies, but things can still swing one way or the other in the fluid and frenzied situation around Oz.....
 
NoPac:  Cold Bay aifield goes to level two; Kodiak field and port to levels four.  Eventually the Allies will use NoPac either as another feint or as the real thing, but I don't have any plans near term as I don't have near enough to take on what Japan has committed in theater.
 
Pacific:  The American carriers are 26 hexes SSE of Auckland, frothing at the mouth at the chance, though still slim, of interception Japanese carriers on favorable terms.  DD Evertson intercepts CVs Shokaku and Zuikaku and CVL Nisshin about 14 hexes SW of Queensland, Tasmania.  Evertson isn't engaged.  There is a possibility this branch of the KB will steam of the east coast of Oz.  If she dallies a bit, the American carriers might have a chance of intercepting.  I've sent a few small ships out from Tasmania and Oz to provide intel and to attract John's attention.  I should know in a day or two whether things have a chance of coming together.  (It's almost certainly "too good to be true," but I'll work it until it isn't possible).
 
Oz:  The two other branches of the KB steaming west, nearing Esperance.  No attacks launched today by these flattops.
 
Battle of the SW Cape:  Massive air and sea battle off the Oz cape south of Perth.  First, a series of strong Allied combat TFs led by top-flight commanders and followed by weaker and smaller TFs tangle, in succession, with the IJN combat TF led by CA Suzuya.  The Japanese fight tough (I'm wondering if Tanaka is the commander?) but are overwhelmed by a series of very sharp engagements.  By the end, the Japanese are completely out of ammo so that a USN combat TF comprised of two DMS are able to freely fire.  During the daytime phase, a Japanese carrier TF that is stronger than what I had anticipated might show up hits back, scoring some hits but proving largely ineffective.  This TF has something like 70 fighters and a mix of 70 to 80 Kates and Vals (at most, I was expecting something with no more than 25 to 40 strike aircraft based upon what I've seen on the map elsewhere in the past week).  Anyhow, here's a summary of the damage inflicted:
 
Japanese ships sunk:  DDs Asugumo and Hatsukaze.
Japanese ships badly (perhaps mortally) damaged:  CA Suzuya, CL Yura, CL Naha.
Japanese ships moderately damaged: DD Oyashio
Japanese ships lightly damaged:  DDs Natsugumo and Minegumo
 
Allied ships sunk:  CL Tromp and DD Electra
Allied ships moderately damaged:  CAs New Orleans (24/17/18) and Exeter (25/4/7).
Allied ships lightly damaged:  a bunch.
 
Tomorrow:  The Mini KB force will get in more licks tomorrow and is likely to sink a few small ships.  The Allied navy, in three separate and fast TFs that have full AA (the ships replenished at Perth) will head west or northwest.  Some of these may take some damage, but flak will score well (as it did today).  I'm hoping some of these ships or a small PT TF will engage stricken Suzuya.  Three CM approaching the cape from Perth will lay mines in hopes that the two trailing carrier TFs might stumble into them.
 
Score:  Still a very fluid situation, as you can tell.  Too early to declare winners, but overall this was a very good day for the Allies.  If Suzuya goes down then this is a national day of thanksgiving.
 
DEI:  Singers AA still firing very weakly.  John still not attacking.
 
India:  Nothing of note seems to be happening.  (PS - I think John showed the IJN carrier force north of Ceylon to mislead me as to how many carriers he had available in Oz; good plan and well done; it worked to an extent.)
 
China:  MLR intact.  Three IJA armored units crossed the river solo to shock attack Liuchow.  This force will be dispatched tomorrow.  But an IJA division between Liuchow and Nanning should have the strength to brush aside to small Chinese infantry units in that hex.  This will be the first breach in my MLR, though its at my extreme right flank and not critical (yet).  John is trying to work out something at Changsha, but I don't think he'll succeed.  We've reach the point where both sides are spread from the far southeast near Lichow all the way to the north of Sian.  I don't have much of a reserve, but I can't imagine John has a great deal at this point.
 

[Bullwinkle58]

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

Japanese ships sunk:  DDs Asugumo and Hatsukaze.
Japanese ships badly (perhaps mortally) damaged:  CA Suzuya, CL Yura, CL Naha.

I hope he enjoyed those 14 xAKLs.

Perth is hanging in the breeze repair-wise, but you always have CT.

[Canoerebel]

Most or all of my ships will make for Capetown.  While they are absent, the big USN TF bearing down on Auckland will provide cover.  But Oz is a dangerous place to be as long as 90% of the Japanese carrier force is enveloping it.
 
Sometime in the next three weeks of so, I've got to come up with a fun way to draw the KB into the Coral Sea so that I can invade Cocos Island.

[paullus99]

Interesting move on his part - he must of have been very confident that you were using the majority (if not all) of your carriers were up North covering your forces in the Alaska, but also hoping to catch significant surface forces as well (reinforcing his desire to play a Naval-only game).

Whether or not your carriers can catch him - wow, getting him that far away from repair-sized bases would be wonderful and worth the effort....

[Bullwinkle58]

ORIGINAL: paullus99

Interesting move on his part - he must of have been very confident that you were using the majority (if not all) of your carriers were up North covering your forces in the Alaska, but also hoping to catch significant surface forces as well (reinforcing his desire to play a Naval-only game).

Whether or not your carriers can catch him - wow, getting him that far away from repair-sized bases would be wonderful and worth the effort....

I'm trying to figure out the Allied equivalent of putting his carriers south of Adelaide. Just . . . wow.

All you have to do is wound them down to five knots and it'll be the Fourth of July before they make a good yard.

[crsutton]

But I don't understand what he really is accomplishing by this show down under? Perhaps he was hoping for a much bigger haul of Allied shipping but I just don't think it is cost effective unless he is going to invade somewhere.

[Canoerebel]

3/18/42
 
John is a navy guy in the same way that, in years past, some air force guys thought they could win the war through strategic bombing.  John thinks first and foremost navy.  He knows he has an army and an airforce, but they are secondary and of relatively little interest to him.  His heart is at sea. This makes him bold and creative and one dimensional.
 
As for where he thinks my carriers are, I dunno.  I don't think he knows.  I think he's concluded they aren't around Oz, probably aren't around India, and therefore may indeed by somewhere relatively close to NoPac (he hasn't shown his sexy ships in the past four or five days).  I hope he has made a wildly inaccurate guess, for reasons I'll go into shortly.
 
To Good to be True:  The American carriers are 26 hexes from Norfolk Island.  The prey (Zuikaku, Shokaku and CVL Nisshin) are well south of Tasmania, showing an easterly course, and 39 hexes from Lord Howe Island.  Unless John turns his carriers around and heads west, the US Navy is in a position to intercept. 
 
Battle of SW Cape:  The battle continues.  The two sub-parts of the Sydney/Melbourne Raid KB are close enough to Albany to sink a handful of small xAK (6k fuel, 2900 capacity types).  The Perth Branch of the KB launched a few strikes that were amazingly ineffective, scoring but a single hit (a torp to a USN DD).  However, there is a stout combat TF with five CAs that tangled with my two-DMS TF and anhilitated it.  I am concerned that New Orleans and Exeter are going to get trapped and clobbered by this force.  I think - but I'm not positive - the Sydney/Melbourne KB is a bit too far - and surely low on fuel and sorties - to do any fancy sprinting.  I hope.  The big Prince of Wales TF is just a hex from the Perth Branch KB and that big CA TF, so there might be fireworks.  I'm sweating a bit here.  If I lose several capital ships, the scales tips more in John's favor, with only the inside straight (Zuikaku/Shokaku) remaining as a possible savior. 
 
DEI: I'm moving subs to cover the approaches to Soerabaja thinking that's where John will head after the battle is over.  I'll try to cover Balikpapan also.
 
India:  Quiet.
 
China:  On my extreme right flank, a single IJ division evicted two weak Chinese units from the woods hex between Liuchow and Nanning. At Liuchow, the Chinese really messed up three or four IJ armored units.  Elsewhere the MLR looks good.  John seems very energized by the campaign here, but I think the Chinese are doing quite well.
 
P.S.  May the circumstances too good to be true come true.  (Four American carriers flying substandard fighters aren't a lock against two IJN CVs and a CVL, but when am I ever going to get another such chance?)

[Chickenboy]

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel
P.S.  May the circumstances too good to be true come true.  (Four American carriers flying substandard fighters aren't a lock against two IJN CVs and a CVL, but when am I ever going to get another such chance?)

I hope you do pull off an intercept, CR. John has subdivided his CVTFs to the point of distraction, deftly ignoring the myriad historical warnings about the IJN doing so IRL. He's having fun spraying a few scattered bombs and torpedoes around instead of focusing his naval capabilities on a strategic endgame. He deserves a punishing loss.

[Bullwinkle58]

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

3/18/42
 
John is a navy guy in the same way that, in years past, some air force guys thought they could win the war through strategic bombing.  John thinks first and foremost navy.  He knows he has an army and an airforce, but they are secondary and of relatively little interest to him.  His heart is at sea. This makes him bold and creative and one dimensional.

I understand being a navy guy. I'm a navy guy. But a navy isn't for running around rabbit-punching merchants. I've said it here before and I'll say it again: In my first week at OCS they pounded into us "A navy only exists to affect events ashore." It was true at Salamis, it was true at Trafalgar, and it's true in the PTO.

[Canoerebel]

I agree, Moose. The navy and the air force are critical, but it's going to be up to the infantry (and therefore logistics) to get the job done.  What's the US Army's motto:  "The last hundred yards belong to us!"?  Much truth in that. 
 
John is really using his precious capital ships tactitcally here (effectively in that regard, thus far).  Unless he's got some invasions up his sleeve, though, I don't even consider this an operational use of his ships.  It's certainly not a strategic use.  I think I've said before in this game that he uses his carriers "extravagantly."  That's not a compliment.
 
Meanwhile, we're twelve days from the amphibious bonus expiring.  It's been two months since John tried an invasion of the slightest consequence.  The bonus isn't really critical, but it is a factor (and it can be critical if the expiration works in the IJ player's mind, persuading him that certain things are no longer possible or advisible).  So John is frittering away his carriers, which probably would be needed for a major, ground-shaking invasion, but his carriers have a long way to go to port and will need some time to replenish.  By then the bonus has expired.  Nuts.

[Panther Bait]

In many ways, John is almost a historically themed Japanese player.  He approaches the game almost as two separate games, the naval one and the rest.  There is little in the way of an integrated strategy for the armed forces in general.  So just like in real life, Army HQ and Navy HQ don't seem to interact much.
 
Mike

[Encircled]

Certainly an interesting and differing use of his carriers

He must be confident that your carriers are elsewhere to split them like that

Any chance of your CVs being picked up?

[Canoerebel]

Sure there's a way.  I can stumble across a sub or a wandering combat TF or a very forward invasion TF.  I don't think any LBA patrols can pick me up, though because his closest base is at Lunga.  My carriers will pass between Auckland and Noumea, where I have seen a few subs.

[JeffroK]

What is he resupplying from, any trailing AO's ???

Your battles off Cape Leeuwin might see him at minimal sortie levels. Hopefully the PoW gets a chance at him.