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The thundering herd, chapter 2:

Interesting that some had troops:

Submarine attack near Muntok at 49,89

Japanese Ships
xAK Hohuku Maru, Torpedo hits 2, on fire, heavy damage

Allied Ships
SS Tally Ho

Japanese ground losses:
18 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 1 destroyed, 1 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

xAK Hohuku Maru is sighted by SS Tally Ho
SS Tally Ho launches 2 torpedoes at xAK Hohuku Maru

Overall our subs hit a dozen ships, and two tankers:

RangerJoe wrote: Fri Oct 27, 2023 8:13 am

BBfanboy wrote: Thu Oct 26, 2023 6:00 pm Looks like some of the IJN are headed to Palembang. Fuel up and head for Makassar Strait? You could mine between that island off Palembang and Sumatra to make that narrow channel more hazardous.

Put mines at the river outlet as well, they have to go through that hex!

Mines never worked for me in a river hex...

BBfanboy wrote: Thu Oct 26, 2023 6:00 pm Looks like some of the IJN are headed to Palembang. Fuel up and head for Makassar Strait? You could mine between that island off Palembang and Sumatra to make that narrow channel more hazardous.

I am ramping up for the invasion of Formosa this next month...while drawing lots of Japanese troops down to Nanning, etc....and then another invasion further east on the Chinese Coast I think.

Lowpe wrote: Sun Oct 29, 2023 2:29 pm

RangerJoe wrote: Fri Oct 27, 2023 8:13 am

BBfanboy wrote: Thu Oct 26, 2023 6:00 pm Looks like some of the IJN are headed to Palembang. Fuel up and head for Makassar Strait? You could mine between that island off Palembang and Sumatra to make that narrow channel more hazardous.

Put mines at the river outlet as well, they have to go through that hex!

Mines never worked for me in a river hex...

Not IN the river hex, 1 hex to the NE which is west of the other base. It is a coastal hex and I get a lot of false "sunk ship" notices there. Shipping leaving or entering Palembang must travel through that hex. My turn is running otherwise I would take a screen shot and circle that hex.

Edited for:
Okay, I ran my turn and then I took this picture where the Argonaut just laid a mine field. The IJN has been visiting Palembang and must travel through this hex circled in the picture.

I like to re-route my IJN subs with mines there on Dec 7th, 1941...always a good hex.

End of October, 1943

Trade 1 for 1 with Hellcats sweeping over Nanning against IJ fighters.

Clearing up the Marshalls...

We trade Hellcats for IJ fighters....not great sweeping with so many Frank Rs on CAP...but I bet they do well still against LRCAP.

Going south of Java to avoid your subs - must have some DL on them. But he must go north sometime and there are only so many straits in the DEI chain ...

Oh for a minefield 1 hex west of Denpassar!

October 31, 1943

IJ continue to push with their planes...

But they are fought off...

In China...we sweep the IJ planes flying LRCAP:

Afternoon Air attack on 9th Armored Car Co , at 76,58 , near Wuchow

Weather in hex: Thunderstorms

Raid spotted at 25 NM, estimated altitude 42,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 9 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M5 Zero x 7
A6M8 Zero x 69
Ki-43-IV Oscar x 45
Ki-44-IIc Tojo x 1
Ki-61-Id Tony x 6
Ki-84a Frank x 2
Ki-84r Frank x 2

Allied aircraft
F4U-1A Corsair x 16

Japanese aircraft losses
A6M8 Zero: 4 destroyed
Ki-43-IV Oscar: 4 destroyed, 1 damaged
Ki-84r Frank: 1 destroyed

Allied aircraft losses
F4U-1A Corsair: 3 destroyed

Afternoon Air attack on 9th Armored Car Co , at 76,58 , near Wuchow

Weather in hex: Thunderstorms

Raid spotted at 37 NM, estimated altitude 29,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 12 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M5 Zero x 5
A6M8 Zero x 47
Ki-43-IV Oscar x 36
Ki-44-IIc Tojo x 1
Ki-61-Id Tony x 6
Ki-84a Frank x 1
Ki-84r Frank x 1

Allied aircraft
P-40K Warhawk x 15

Japanese aircraft losses
A6M5 Zero: 1 destroyed
A6M8 Zero: 6 destroyed
Ki-43-IV Oscar: 1 destroyed

Allied aircraft losses
P-40K Warhawk: 2 destroyed

Afternoon Air attack on 9th Armored Car Co , at 76,58 , near Wuchow

Weather in hex: Thunderstorms

Raid spotted at 17 NM, estimated altitude 41,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 3 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M5 Zero x 2
A6M8 Zero x 28
Ki-43-IV Oscar x 32
Ki-44-IIc Tojo x 1
Ki-61-Id Tony x 4
Ki-84a Frank x 1

Allied aircraft
P-38H Lightning x 12

Japanese aircraft losses
A6M5 Zero: 1 destroyed
A6M8 Zero: 6 destroyed
Ki-43-IV Oscar: 1 destroyed
Ki-61-Id Tony: 1 destroyed
Ki-84a Frank: 1 destroyed

RangerJoe wrote: Tue Oct 31, 2023 2:48 pm Oh for a minefield 1 hex west of Denpassar!

You love your mines...but there are so many IJN sweepers around...

BBfanboy wrote: Tue Oct 31, 2023 12:44 pm Going south of Java to avoid your subs - must have some DL on them. But he must go north sometime and there are only so many straits in the DEI chain ...

Don't think he can...just using the ships here as a fleet in being...

BBfanboy wrote: Tue Oct 31, 2023 12:44 pm Going south of Java to avoid your subs - must have some DL on them. But he must go north sometime and there are only so many straits in the DEI chain ...

Don't think he can...just using the ships here as a fleet in being...

Lowpe wrote: Wed Nov 01, 2023 1:07 am

RangerJoe wrote: Tue Oct 31, 2023 2:48 pm Oh for a minefield 1 hex west of Denpassar!

You love your mines...but there are so many IJN sweepers around...

Yes, I do. From my training, I would rather have something render the enemy kaput without endangering myself or the rest of my team.

At the start of my current turn, I heard a boom and claxon. Then a heavily damaged DD showed up at Palembang where in the pm phase it was sunk by 6 500 pound bombs - the morning torpedoes did not hit the ship.

But another thing about some of those IJN minesweepers, I think that most of the faster ones can be converted to an E class escort. If your opponent has already done that, he may not have as many minesweepers as you think that he has and they may not be in that area anyway. Each ship heavily damaged by a mine will be one less ship that he could use as bait until it gets repaired unless your opponent wants them to be sunk that much easier.

I have been sinking one or two a day lately with subs...but this is also Dababes and there are a ton of additional local minesweepers than in stock.

Sub attack near Semarang at 53,99

Japanese Ships
AMc Hozugawa Maru, Torpedo hits 1, heavy damage
AMc Wa 3

Allied Ships
SS Kingfish

SS Kingfish launches 2 torpedoes at AMc Hozugawa Maru

Good day in the air:

Lowpe wrote: Wed Nov 01, 2023 12:32 pm I have been sinking one or two a day lately with subs...but this is also Dababes and there are a ton of additional local minesweepers than in stock.

Sub attack near Semarang at 53,99

Japanese Ships
AMc Hozugawa Maru, Torpedo hits 1, heavy damage
AMc Wa 3

Allied Ships
SS Kingfish

SS Kingfish launches 2 torpedoes at AMc Hozugawa Maru

Yes, that does make a difference about the minesweepers.

RangerJoe wrote: Wed Nov 01, 2023 5:57 pm

Lowpe wrote: Wed Nov 01, 2023 12:32 pm I have been sinking one or two a day lately with subs...but this is also Dababes and there are a ton of additional local minesweepers than in stock.

Sub attack near Semarang at 53,99

Japanese Ships
AMc Hozugawa Maru, Torpedo hits 1, heavy damage
AMc Wa 3

Allied Ships
SS Kingfish

SS Kingfish launches 2 torpedoes at AMc Hozugawa Maru

Yes, that does make a difference about the minesweepers.

I meant to take a screenshot, a task force of IJN AMcs is hanging out at the southern gap of Java....