Round Two

[Ike99]

Hi Brian, did you get my last turn? My other opponent said he did not get his latest turn from me either so I had to resend it. If you haven´t gotten my last turn please resend your last turn.

[borner]

Ike. Sent you my turn.
 
they go much faster with fewer ships to worry about! [:D] LOL

[borner]

This is to announce that this ARR will probably be finished, or at least delayed. Ike and I are continuing our game, but there are apparently some problems on his being able to post on this website. We may pick it up on another site he had mentioned recently. If so, I will post that link here.

[Ike99]

This is to announce that this ARR will probably be finished, or at least delayed. Ike and I are continuing our game, but there are apparently some problems on his being able to post on this website. We may pick it up on another site he had mentioned recently. If so, I will post that link here.

I am allowed to post on Matrix. [:D]

One very important thing Borner forgot was to cut off my escape route when he recaptured Irau. If he had. I would have lost 15,000 men. But as it is now they got away.

A few thousand will be left behind of course. i imagine a couple of scenes like this....

[borner]

Welcome back. I am glad to see your issues were not as bad as advertised!
 
Yes, I failed to land a ground force to cut off Ike's retreat. I had never really expected such a huge naval battle, and my lack of air cover forced  me to withdrawl my fleet as IKE's 2e's were still very effective. This allowed IKE to run several groups up past my SS and mines, to pull some of his units out. Still if this is the price I pay for sinking 6 of his CV's for at most 3 of mine, (all but 2 of my cripples have made it back to Toyko for repair), I will do so without complaint.
 
Put any spin on this you would like my friend, but I am considering the battle of IRAU as a huge victory for Japan.
 
 

[Ike99]

Welcome back. I am glad to see your issues were not as bad as advertised!

Yes, I failed to land a ground force to cut off Ike's retreat. I had never really expected such a huge naval battle, and my lack of air cover forced me to withdrawl my fleet as IKE's 2e's were still very effective. This allowed IKE to run several groups up past my SS and mines, to pull some of his units out. Still if this is the price I pay for sinking 6 of his CV's for at most 3 of mine, (all but 2 of my cripples have made it back to Toyko for repair), I will do so without complaint.

Put any spin on this you would like my friend, but I am considering the battle of IRAU as a huge victory for Japan.

Now that is a lie.

[:D]

I don´t believe a single carrier has made it back to Truk yet. I don´t think they have left Lunga. [:-]

[borner]

Now Ike, when have I ever lied to you?    You go ahead and believe whatever makes you happy though. Is that summer heat getting to you or something?
 
OH, and those "carriers" at Lunga are just lots of logs we lined up together and stuck next to the beach.

[borner]

by the way IKE. I know how much you enjoyed keeping track of the point difference in our last game. Have you checked it for this one lately[X(]??

[Ike99]

by the way IKE. I know how much you enjoyed keeping track of the point difference in our last game. Have you checked it for this one lately??

Yes I see the score, but I also see the date. [;)]

I also see 120 B17´s 14 spaces from Lunga.

Will be scary when I turn them lose on your airfield. [X(]

[tocaff]

Amazing how Ike can change his colors to suit which side he's playing and given a similar situation can put a new spin on it.  Turn loose the B-17s and let's see what happens.

[borner]

Send them in Ike, my fighters are waiting for you. Send them in turn after turn after turn. bomb my airstrip into dust if you can. It will be fun!
 
Just remember how low your replacement rate is on them!

[tocaff]

Don't be to eager to have Ike hit the base as the B-17 is a super weapon in UV and the Japanese fighters are virtually useless against them.  Your best hope lies in heavy OPs loses.

[borner]

I would  much rather have it happen now when not much is happening his and strength in 4-e bombers is lower than 4 months from now.

[tocaff]

It'll happen then too.  It's the 2E bombers and P-39s that are the real killers once the Allies crack the egg shell.

[borner]

Yes, but getting them in range of anything but Irau/PM/GG will be the challange. It's not IKE's style to sit back and do nothing, so I am expecting a heavy bomber effort somewhere in the next few months. We shall see.

[Ike99]

Don't be to eager to have Ike hit the base as the B-17 is a super weapon in UV and the Japanese fighters are virtually useless against them. Your best hope lies in heavy OPs loses.

Exactly. That´s why I´m thrilled to be just 14 spaces from Lunga so early in game. It cuts way down on the OPS losses. [;)]

[borner]

interesting turn..... my bombardment group found a bonus target....
 
Night Time Surface Combat, near Nevea at 50,43
 
Japanese Ships
BB Kongo, Shell hits 1
BB Hiei, Shell hits 4
BB Kirishima, Shell hits 4
CA Tone
CA Chikuma, Shell hits 2
CA Takao, Shell hits 1
CA Atago
CA Chokai
CA Myoko
CA Haguro
CA Nachi
CA Mikuma
CA Kumano
DD Takanami
DD Kagero
DD Kuroshio
DD Hayashio
DD Shiranui
DD Amatsukaze
DD Tokitsukaze
DD Urakaze
DD Hamakaze
DD Arashio
DD Natsugumo
 
Allied Ships
DD Craven, Shell hits 9,  on fire,  heavy damage
DD McCall, Shell hits 47, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
DD Case, Shell hits 15, Torpedo hits 1,  on fire,  heavy damage
DD Dunlap, Shell hits 6, Torpedo hits 3, and is sunk
AP President Adams,  on fire
AP President Jackson
AK Etamin
 
 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
lost of b-17's damaged... not enough destroyed.....
 
Naval bombardment of Nevea, at 50,43
 
 
Allied aircraft
 
 
Allied aircraft losses
B-25D Mitchell x 3 destroyed
B-25D Mitchell x 4 damaged
B-17E Fortress x 3 destroyed
B-17E Fortress x 27 damaged
F4F-4 Wildcat x 2 destroyed
F4F-4 Wildcat x 8 damaged
PBY Catalina x 2 destroyed
PBY Catalina x 4 damaged
SBD Dauntless x 3 destroyed
SBD Dauntless x 1 damaged
 
 
Allied ground losses:
Men lost 80
Vehicles lost 1
 
Airbase hits 43
Airbase supply hits 5
Runway hits 273
Port supply hits 1
 
 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Naval bombardment of Irau, at 42,43
 
Airbase hits 2
Runway hits 4
Port hits 1
Port supply hits 3
 
 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MY air flew against what was left of the convoy....
 
Air attack on TF, near Nevea at 50,43
 
Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 68
A6M3 Zero x 25
G3M Nell x 3
G4M1 Betty x 17
 
Allied aircraft
F4F-4 Wildcat x 17
 
Japanese aircraft losses
A6M3 Zero x 3 destroyed
G3M Nell x 1 destroyed
G3M Nell x 1 damaged
 
Allied aircraft losses
F4F-4 Wildcat x 8 destroyed
F4F-4 Wildcat x 5 damaged
 
PO2 O.Kotani of EI-1 Daitai is credited with kill number 2
 
CPT B.Wagner of VMF-121 bails out and is RESCUED
 
Allied Ships
AK Etamin, Torpedo hits 1,  on fire,  heavy damage
DD Craven, Torpedo hits 2,  on fire,  heavy damage
AP President Adams
AP President Jackson, Torpedo hits 2,  on fire,  heavy damage
 
Attacking Level Bombers:
 2 x G3M Nell at 200 feet
 4 x G4M1 Betty at 200 feet
 4 x G4M1 Betty at 200 feet
 4 x G4M1 Betty at 200 feet
 4 x G4M1 Betty at 200 feet
 1 x G4M1 Betty at 200 feet
 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Then they found this target... kinda wish they had missed it.... those flack guns hurt!
 
Air attack on TF, near Nevea at 50,43
 
Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 6
A6M3 Zero x 7
G3M Nell x 9
G4M1 Betty x 20
 
Allied aircraft
F4F-4 Wildcat x 3
 
Japanese aircraft losses
G3M Nell x 3 destroyed
G3M Nell x 6 damaged
G4M1 Betty x 4 destroyed
G4M1 Betty x 17 damaged
 
Allied aircraft losses
F4F-4 Wildcat x 2 destroyed
 
CPO S. Sugita of F1/6th Daitai is credited with kill number 2
 
Allied Ships
DD Hammann, Torpedo hits 1,  on fire
BB North Carolina, Torpedo hits 2,  on fire
CL Phoenix
DD Blue
 
 
Allied ground losses:
Men lost 42
 
Attacking Level Bombers:
 4 x G4M1 Betty at 200 feet
 2 x G4M1 Betty at 200 feet
 3 x G4M1 Betty at 200 feet
 1 x G4M1 Betty at 200 feet
 3 x G4M1 Betty at 200 feet
 3 x G4M1 Betty at 200 feet
 0 x G3M Nell at 200 feet
 2 x G3M Nell at 200 feet
 4 x G3M Nell at 200 feet
 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Air attack on TF, near Nevea at 50,43
 
Japanese aircraft
G4M1 Betty x 6
 
Allied aircraft
F4F-4 Wildcat x 1
 
Japanese aircraft losses
G4M1 Betty x 1 destroyed
G4M1 Betty x 4 damaged
 
 
Allied Ships
DD Gwin
CLAA Juneau
 
Attacking Level Bombers:
 4 x G4M1 Betty at 200 feet
 1 x G4M1 Betty at 200 feet
 
 
Overall, a good turn, just hate loosing a months worth of Bettys and Nells in one shot. Still, Ike's loss in transports is starting to increase. One plus in him trying to keep a base this close in supply, is that I can start to wear down his navy (or what is left of it), before his great counter-attack.

[Ike99]

Overall, a good turn, just hate loosing a months worth of Bettys and Nells in one shot. Still, Ike's loss in transports is starting to increase. One plus in him trying to keep a base this close in supply, is that I can start to wear down his navy (or what is left of it), before his great counter-attack.

I would consider your bomber losses ¨high¨ so far. [;)]

[borner]

yes, so would I. However, so are your losses, and I have the luxury of saved carrier groups to make up for the difference. At last raid where my bombers flew on your surface group sure hurt though.

[Ike99]

Borners surface bombardment group did damage a lot of B17´s. Almost 30. These 4E´s take FOREVER to repair.

However the tide is definately changing down here in the Lower Solomons. I´ve picked up more B17s groups and my first B-24 squadron. The spring is being pressed back and when it releases....lookout!

All this is very, very close to Lunga. Right now my objective has been to beat up on his Nells and Bettys. Reduce this threat. He has lost over 100 of these. After this long range air threat has been minimized I´ll start hammering his airfields with the heavy bombers to take out his short range dive bombers and torpedo planes left over from his carriers. Once this is done...

Invasion.

Right now we are have small unit actions as he attempts to bring in supplies with barges and single ship transports. I send a couple destroyer raider groups north here and there and we fight small night actions. Destroyer -vs- Lights Cruiser and so on.