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[quote]ORIGINAL: Lokasenna
all of my 4Es on naval strike. There's no guarantee that the 4Es would have struck first and worn down his CAP, just a chance.[quote]

Evil.[:-]

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

ORIGINAL: Lokasenna
all of my 4Es on naval strike. There's no guarantee that the 4Es would have struck first and worn down his CAP, just a chance.

Evil.[:-]

Nahhh .. as I posted before .. I sent in B25's and P39's to suck up CAP and they were skip bombing so the ones that got through did some damage
[8D] If you are going to have a knife fight in close quarters expect a lot of LBA to suck up CAP.

It turns out that 12 hexes from Luganville was as close as he was willing to go, as he was trying for a 7-hex strike (my Wildkittens can only go 6 hexes at the moment, with no drop tanks).

ORIGINAL: Lokasenna

It turns out that 12 hexes from Luganville was as close as he was willing to go, as he was trying for a 7-hex strike (my Wildkittens can only go 6 hexes at the moment, with no drop tanks).

That is sometimes a very bad calculation .. never know when TF's react either away or toward a target ...[8D]

ORIGINAL: Crackaces

ORIGINAL: Lokasenna

It turns out that 12 hexes from Luganville was as close as he was willing to go, as he was trying for a 7-hex strike (my Wildkittens can only go 6 hexes at the moment, with no drop tanks).

That is sometimes a very bad calculation .. never know when TF's react either away or toward a target ...[8D]

Somebody mentioned something the other day about Air Combat TFs that are set to follow another TF do not react...

So I have a surface TF set up, and the CV TFs follow it. The SCTF will be react 1 in case something gets in close.

Later in the war, when I have a glut of ships, I will probably have 2 SC TFs - one will be the "lead" TF and set to react 1, while the second SC TF will be follow distance of 1 hex (also react 1, though I'm not sure that does anything if you aren't patrolling)...and then the CV TFs will be following that second SC TF at 0 hexes.

I´m pretty sure I have had CV TFs react despite having a following command set?

ORIGINAL: JocMeister

I´m pretty sure I have had CV TFs react despite having a following command set?

Yeah, I'm not 100% trusting it, but we'll see.

Strat Map - October 11, 1942

ORIGINAL: Lokasenna

Here's the current game map, and my previous strat map screencap above it for good measure. As you can see, my strategic goals remain the same, however the map doesn't look all that different from 5-1/2 months ago.

Notables:

I am moving on Vaitupu/Funafuti and Ndeni in Operation Idunn's Apples, to be detailed in my next post.

MM is building up Hansa Bay in New Guinea (near Madang) as it has a potential level 9 AF. He is devoting a very large portion of his assets to the New Guinea/Rabaul/Solomons area.

Lunga-Tassafaronga-Tulagi-Russell Islands are a veritable fortress, at least in terms of air strength. 8-10 units on the ground at each Guadalcanal base, and Russell seems to be serving as an adjunct. I sunk an AD and AS at Tulagi not so long ago with a port strike at night, and I imagine he's smarting a little from that.

SSTs discovered that Marcus Island is well garrisoned, and mined. I almost lost all 3 SSTs to mine hits, and almost lost two cargo-carrying Gato-class SS as well. After a month in the yards, the SSTs went to SoPac and delivered engineers to Rossel Island and Woodlark Island, without success. Both bases are now in MM's hands. I will send them on to Biak now, where I'm hoping their cargoes won't be detected. MM's tardiness in taking these bases in his backfield is something I hope to exploit with a push directly north through New Guinea. The only bases on the western tip that are built up at all are Sorong and Boela. Presumably, he is distracted by the activities in SoPac.

I largely feel like I am spinning my wheels here, biding my time...but it's late 1942 and I'm beginning to feel that the clock is ticking. I'm taking the little things that I can, but so far I haven't been able to sniff out KB and get a fight with them on my own terms. In a few months, when I have more CVEs so that my CVs don't need to also protect my landing forces, I'll be comfortable seeking out a pitched CV battle. Until then, it's just nibbling at his perimeter and trying to justify it as the preludes to more important operations.

I'm also building up NE Australia, for after I have Ndeni I intend to transfer much of my bombing force to Ndeni, Portland Roads, Coen, and Cooktown - to maintain aerial pressure on the Solomons, and begin to take over the skies over SE New Guinea. I can skip the Solomons by taking the more northern islands, but I can't skip all of SE New Guinea if I intend to skip Rabaul.

My "northern islands" thoughts are somewhat stymied by the fact that he has been building up Kusaie and Ponape (which is frighteningly close to Truk), but at least those places are semi-isolated from nearby support, unlike the bases in the Solomons.

Operation Idunn's Apples

Idunn's Apples: things that kept the Norse gods fertile and immortal and whatnot. Loki stole them this one time. These 3 little islands are meant to be me planting the seeds for future offensives, even if Vaitupu/Funafuti aren't worth much on their own and Tabiteuea/Tarawa are the real objectives. I just need to cut off his naval search in the Ellice Island area; I'm sick of Jakes planting the period bomb on xAKs that I forgot to route around Suva.

Ndeni

I over-prepped for this place. I expected MM to turn it into a forward outpost, but he has not done so. There are Jakes and Dinahs there periodically, and only 2 or maybe 3 LCUs on the ground with minimal AV. An AF Coy and a JNAF Unit are what I believe to be present. Easily crushed by any single regiment, but I'll bring along a base force and some tanks for good measure.

With Torres Islands now built up, and within one movement phase of Ndeni, I don't need CVs to move on this place. He hasn't been reconning Torres, and my TFs have only been sighted there periodically. I don't expect a preemptive response if he does sight my invasion force there, but even so I only need the one day to get enough on the ground to take the base. Or at least I'm 95% certain that's the case. Once I have the base, I can transfer some of my gratuitous Av Support from Luganville, and some of my 1000 Engineers at Torres/Vanua Lava once there is fighter cover over Ndeni. There are 36 Wildcats, 75 P-39s, and 100 P-40s at Noumea - some will transfer north to cover Ndeni, and then I'll build the AF to 8 to take advantage of the doubling of Av Support and begin hassling Lunga/Tulagi in force.

5 USN CVs set out from Noumea to cover the larger amphib ops for Vaitupu and Funafuti, and are just offscreen to the SE here. The 2 CVEs are a covering force that I will let him see, and provide initial cover for the Vai/Fun invasion forces. Also 2 small bombardment forces with them.

Operation Idunn's Apples

Vaitupu / Funafuti

Over the past several weeks, there have been periodic Jake strikes on xAKs transiting to the south of these islands. I've actually lost a couple from single 60kg bomb hits. One was carrying fuel, another was carrying motorized support for a regimental fragment at Noumea. If I want to move on Tabiteuea, I need to do it from this vector and I'm going to need these two islands. I'm also going to want Baker to really cut off his naval search, but that will come soon enough.

Tabiteuea itself has a Betty unit and Sig Int has reported 1 or 2 decent Mixed Brigades on the island. I'm also expecting some sort of AA and artillery, and at least 2 AF units or maybe an HQa. We'll see... I am debating setting up Lightning recon out of Baker in order to get a glimpse of what's on the ground before I go in. I have 2 Marine regiments, 2 tank regiments, 1 combat engineer regiment, and 1 FA Bn fully prepped for Tabiteuea. I'm probably going to add some more, as I expect him to come out and fight for that place.

But the operation at hand...



I have 1 US Army regiment heading to each place. Unfortunately, assault shipping wasn't available at Pearl, so I have used a mix of xAP and AK - but I had plenty of xAPs, and checking the load levels afterwards, they will be fully unloaded within 1.5 days. From recon about a month ago, there should only be a fragment of a Naval Guard and maybe an AF Coy on each island. The presence of the AKs should ensure that enough supply makes it ashore with the troops, and I've embedded a BB in each amphib as well as having 5 more on standby for bombardments in case things are a bit tougher.

All in all, this should be overkill, but a necessary first step.

The 112th Cavalry Rgt is at Pearl and 75% prepped for Baker Island. That's next.

Have some time for a little looking around the map...

Burma/India/China

Things on the ground move at a glacial pace compared to seaborne objectives, and as such I have trouble planning. I mostly go by feel.

I have a steady stream of Chinese LCUs abandoning the western mountains. I figure this guys will do me more good in India and eventually Burma. The NW-most units have already begun receiving supply, and several Corps have begun filling out at Ledo. Two have moved out to fill garrison duty in western India to free up better Commonwealth units from Bombay, etc.

So far, I've trounced one of the RTA divisions SW of Myitkyina, and am moving to cut off supply to MM's 2-3 divisions in this NE area (outside Warazup, trying to beat up a lone Chinese Corps which has begun receiving supply). If the opportunity arises, I will try to destroy these units, which seems to be about half of his concentrated combat power - other than his stack outside Akyab. As far as I can tell, he hasn't noticed my slow withdrawal from Kunming, though he has kept 2 units in constant contact to the east. I hope to be able to get everything out and leave nothing behind, as he'll just come destroy it once he takes Chungking - which should be within the month. And then I don't get any destroyed LCUs back...

Green hexes represent potential Level 9 airfields, and red hexes represent potential Japanese airbases. I have outbuilt him so far. I think he has only built to minimal airfield levels in order to protect Magwe's Oil (so far dropped to 163-164) and not give me large airfields on my push through the countryside later... I'm hoping to use an eventual disparity in airpower here. Bold white text ("AF 6") represents current airfield levels.



My basic goal in this theater is to continue to stalemate him near Akyab. Despite the red "!", Akyab has 2k supplies at the base and forts have almost reached level 6. Once they do, I'll begin work on the AF to increase the supply draw cap. Cox's Bazar is likewise working on levels, though more slowly as I am prioritizing Akyab's forts.

I don't have a lot of Commonwealth/British AV in this area due to my earlier focus on NW Australia. Only about 3k AV is present in this entire screenshot, not including the Chinese LCUs at Ledo (about 2k so far).

I have Chindits at Calcutta and Chittagong, as well as 88 C-47s at Calcutta, ready to take advantage of an airborne opportunity...so far none has arisen. We'll see how things develop in the NE first, and then I may see about Lashio.

I should also mention that Chungking is about to fall. Over the past several days, his AV has been jumping up as units have moved back in. Forts are at 0, and only about 4000 Chinese AV is in the city.

Just this past turn, I began moving the bulk of what remains in the western mountains towards Myitkyina and Ledo. Some 4000-5000 AV in total, I think. I'm loathe to just let him have Kunming/Tsuyung/Paoshan, with forts 3 at Paoshan and forts 4 at the other 2 along with the excellent defensive terrain, but there is absolutely no supply to be had. I can't airlift in enough from Ledo to make a defense worthwhile. Better that I save the units and get to the Indian supply, IMO. They served a strategic purpose in preventing him from capturing the western bases, and going all in at Chungking, but now it's time to get out. He has 10,000 AV at Chungking, so I'm confident that even my rear guard from Kunming will have good odds of getting out alive.

Sure as the sunrise:

Ground combat at Chungking (76,45)

Japanese Deliberate attack

Attacking force 286791 troops, 3198 guns, 3459 vehicles, Assault Value = 10289

Defending force 249800 troops, 446 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 4242

Japanese adjusted assault: 5240

Allied adjusted defense: 2067

Japanese assault odds: 2 to 1 (fort level 0)

Japanese forces CAPTURE Chungking !!!

Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+), supply(-)
Attacker:

Japanese ground losses:
19890 casualties reported
Squads: 51 destroyed, 1944 disabled
Non Combat: 6 destroyed, 207 disabled
Engineers: 4 destroyed, 275 disabled
Guns lost 154 (6 destroyed, 148 disabled)
Vehicles lost 172 (3 destroyed, 169 disabled)

Allied ground losses:
294764 casualties reported
Squads: 7901 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 8434 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 222 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 611 (611 destroyed, 0 disabled)
Units destroyed 95

Assaulting units:
59th Division
69th Division
104th Division
34th Division
36th Division
41st Division
39th Division
3rd Tank Regiment
15th Tank Regiment
2nd Tank Division
27th Division
35th Division
12th Division
2nd Tank Regiment
1st Tank Division
3rd Division
37th Division
14th Division
11th Division
6th Division
9th Tank Regiment
1st Division
23rd Tank Regiment
110th Division
12th Tank Regiment
13th Tank Regiment
32nd Division
116th Division
22nd Division
11th Tank Regiment
1st Mortar Battalion
Tonei Hvy Gun Regiment
12th Army
1st Ind.Hvy.Art. Battalion
51st Ind.Mtn.Gun Battalion
22nd Medium Field Artillery Regiment
11th Army
52nd Ind.Mtn.Gun Battalion
3rd Hvy.Artillery Regiment
4th Ind.Hvy.Art. Battalion
7th Ind.Hvy.Art. Battalion
4th Ind. Mountain Gun Regiment
15th Ind.Medium Field Artillery Regiment
2nd Medium Field Artillery Regiment
6th Ind.Hvy.Art. Battalion
11th Ind.Hvy.Art Battalion
9th Medium Field Artillery Regiment
5th Medium Field Artillery Regiment
13th Army
8th Ind.Hvy.Art. Battalion
21st Mortar Battalion
2nd Hvy.Artillery Regiment
Mongol Garrison Army
7th Medium Field Artillery Regiment
10th Mortar Battalion
Botanko Hvy Gun Regiment
6th Medium Field Artillery Regiment
12th Medium Field Artillery Regiment
13th Ind.Art.Mortar Battalion
4th Medium Field Artillery Regiment
5th Ind.Hvy.Art Battalion
10th Medium Field Artillery Regiment
1st Army
11th Ind.Art.Mortar Battalion
20th Medium Field Artillery Regiment
23rd Army
2nd Ind. Mountain Gun Regiment
14th Medium Field Artillery Regiment
12th Ind.Hvy.Art Battalion

Defending units:
SNIP

That's 20 IJA Divisions and 2 Tank Divisions that are now on their way to Burma...several will need rebuilding, but not by a lot. Thankfully, the jungle will help keep him in Burma and not in India...

Now entering uncharted territory for me in PBEM. The game passed the date for my match with Bullwinkle today, and the fall of Chungking marks a milestone I haven't yet reached in my Japanese game. It'll be interesting to see where those divisions go. I expect I'll see many of them in the Pacific, as MM has mentioned buying them out when they get trashed (and therefore cost fewer PPs). This makes atolls somewhat more strategically attractive, due to the stacking limit - I'll know the maximum I'll be facing when I land.

VP-wise, this is both worse and better than I'd planned. The change is +3300 in his favor, but my VP total is only down 193. He gained just over 2000 VPs in Chinese LCUs destroyed (I had guesstimated it at 1300), and if he builds the AF to level 9 he'll be up another 2000. Obviously Chungking doesn't have its required supply this turn, or he would've been +3800. If he had Chungking at level 9, and Chengtu at level 9 (currently at 8) on today's game date, VP totals would be 36123:11712, or 3.084:1.

Current VPs are 33423:11712, or 2.854:1, but he's missing somewhere around 500 VPs from Chungking's supplies not being up to snuff.

I had guesstimated that he would be around 3.1:1 after Chungking (including full supply and adjustments for maxed AFs), so by that measurement this isn't so bad as it comes in just under... I've always known Chungking was doomed, of course [;)]. We'll see if it ends up making enough of a difference for him.

And of course I'm about to add some VPs to my total in SoPac.

When you go after the lower Gilberts, why not grab some of the dot bases too. Some of them can be built up pretty nicely with generous space for troops.

Objective Ndeni

Unfortunately, because I didn't specifically route my amphib TF on its way to Torres Islands through Luganville, they pass to the NE of Luganville...and are sighted by I-170 for the second straight day.

This time, he sees the amphib ships. There are heavy radio transmissions at Rabaul, but I'm going in anyway. If things work as expected, the amphibs will unload for a phase and then I'll skedaddle back to Vanua Lava - I can unload the rest later, assuming whatever gets unloaded in the first phase is enough to take the base.

ASW attack near Luganville at 119,148

Japanese Ships
SS I-170, hits 3

Allied Ships
CA Cornwall
CA Louisville
APD Hatfield
AP President Adams
AP J. Franklin Bell
AP Zeilin
AK Betelgeuse
DD Balch
DD Selfridge
DD Benham
DD Anderson

Selfridge did hit the sub once for her trouble, and it's worth noting that this is the first time I saw 2 ASW escorts prosecute attacks. That was cool.



Note from the mouse-over that the TF is spotted, but no DL...so he sees icons, but little/no details. With a 4-hex mission speed, they should reach Ndeni and unload in the second unload phase...

My only real worry on the initial day is the Nells at Lunga. I have the 54 F4Fs and 23 P-39s at Torres on 70% LRCAP and drop tanks... hoping it's enough. I have enough crippled APs right now as it is.

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

When you go after the lower Gilberts, why not grab some of the dot bases too. Some of them can be built up pretty nicely with generous space for troops.

Unfortunately, the operation for Tabiteuea is probably going to be major. I may need to wait for early 1943, when I have 3-4 more CVEs. I only have the 2 of the Copahee CVEs right now, plus Long Island. My lone Brit CV is at Colombo. I get the other 2 Copahee CVEs in 2/3 days at Tacoma. And I get all 3 Sangamons in the next 46/47/70 days, but all at Balboa. Once I have those, I plan to use all 7 CVEs in one covering TF. Total strength 164+1 Fighters, 27 TBFs. That should be enough to protect the amphibs from strikes in the Gilberts area, unless KB shows up. And that's why my CVs will wait in the wings on such ops.

I am planning to take Arorae in force as well, which is still currently "blue". Only a level 2 SBS on the AF, but it's better than 0/0. Kuria is also still blue, and a 0/2 SBS.

I also want Abemama and Tarawa, but I think I'll take Ocean/Nauru before those two.

I'm planning to make the Gilberts a staging area for thrusts at Kusaie and then possibly, maybe, Kavieng. If I'm feeling lucky.

Funafuti mostly goes off without a hitch, except...

BB Resolution is sunk by Betty torpedoes, because Captain Bonehead is in the computer chair:



I thought I had ordered the CVEs to follow the invasion TF. I did not. Every other order went perfectly, though... every force ended up where it was supposed to, and the CVE CAP was set to 70% and range 1. The Vaitupu forces are undetected. The invasion is going in tomorrow, with CVEs in the hex as planned. Unsure if the 31-32 Wildcats will be enough to fight off 30 A6M2s on escort for a measly 13 Bettys, but maybe. I can't afford to give him a free 180 VPs every time I land somewhere.

No IJ forces on Funafuti. They vacated. I expect to find nothing on Vaitupu as well.

Nanumea taken by IJA paratroopers on October 18...

ORIGINAL: Lokasenna

Unfortunately, the operation for Tabiteuea is probably going to be major.

It should be major, because it really opens up the use of your big bombers.

I would simply grab some of those nice dot bases and try to build them up in airfields and see what the response is...if you grabbed three of them quickly it would be very interesting to see what would happen. An alternative strategy instead of going for the knockout blow against his base.

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

ORIGINAL: Lokasenna

Unfortunately, the operation for Tabiteuea is probably going to be major.

It should be major, because it really opens up the use of your big bombers.

I would simply grab some of those nice dot bases and try to build them up in airfields and see what the response is...if you grabbed three of them quickly it would be very interesting to see what would happen. An alternative strategy instead of going for the knockout blow against his base.

He has a habit of setting sail with KB whenever I make even a feint in this area. Now that I have 5 CVEs, I am comfortable going for something like this. My Tabit-prepped units are at Noumea/Luganville and shipping is converging. The trouble with taking some of those smaller bases is that I'm not willing to risk my AP/AK ships for them, which means APDs/xAPs/xAKs...which means I can't do anything prolonged.

I just dropped off 650 engineers at Brisbane because I didn't know what else to do with them. They're heading to NE Oz to build bases. Once those are up and running, I'll pull them back out for use in the Gilberts...or just use the 15-20 Seabee companies that have arrived since then.

I agree that Tabit should be a major move for me/major defense for him. If I grab the dot bases, he'll be readier than he would be, I think... But combine taking the dot bases with building up NE Oz and Ndeni, and as long as I apply pressure in these areas (Fletchers are beginning to arrive also...), he'll either have to spread out evenly and risk breakthroughs in several areas, or pick where he wants me to come through. I'm fine with any of that.


I ended up calling Vaitupu off because the forces, for whatever reason (threat detection?) didn't land. Most of a regiment is ashore at Funafuti, so I'll just let the rowboat corps take the other islands in the group. In retrospect these should have been sub landings, perhaps.

Baker is next, with shipping on its way to Pearl to pick up the invasion unit.

Strat thoughts
I think I will probably wait on Tabit for my first batch of LSTs in 3-4 months, however... which means I think I'll do some CV raiding. Use the CVEs for extra CAP with the fleet carriers and try to punch him somewhere. I may move the CVs entirely, and go for a raid near Java. I know that MKB is in that area (suspected Batavia or Singapore) and KB is suspected to be in CentPac (Truk/Rabaul). I may try approaching Soerabaja and bombing it to hurt his logistics. Airfields in the Koepang area are not yet built up. And of course if I'm detected, I can just run away.

I could try bombing Medan as well, but that could alert him to the weakness of western Sumatra, which he has thus far mostly neglected...and if that trend remains (including a couple of potential level 8-9 AF islands), I intend to land there in force in mid-43. To that end, NW Aus is somewhat important. I have moved forces to begin building up Carnarvon, Geraldton, and Exmouth. I intend to retake Port Hedland, probably over land once Carnarvon is built up a little more. I have 2 USA IDs at Sydney that would like something to do. There are 39 USAAF transport planes at Cape Town that could come assist with logistics.

Operation Dino Droppings

Noticing that he is lacking in a strong presence in northern Burma, I decide to put the Chindits into play. The timing here is serendipitous and this is mostly an operation of whim. I've only committed one Chindit Brigade.

The timing is good because the Chinese units are just getting into position to engage the IJA units in NE Burma. In a couple of weeks, I will have overwhelming superiority in troop numbers up here, but I'm not sure I can really do much as far as destroying the Imperial Guards Division and the other IJA ID that's up here. Still, I'm going to try. I have about 5,000 AV of Chinese to play with, plus the Chindits and maybe even some Indian/British armor.

I've taken Shwebo via paradrop, which combined with Chinese units on the road south of Myitkyina means no fresh supply is reaching his furthest-flung troops.

On the 19th, Chindits also take Katha via paradrop and kick out the AF Coy working on the AF there (level 1.53). I intend to take Lashio with a diversionary Chinese force that moved west from Kunming 1-2 months ago, and if possible I intend to take and hold Warazup/Myitkyina. So long as there isn't heavy combat, supply seems to flow OK from Ledo to the Chinese units in the jungle here, so Myitkyina should be good too, right?



1: 3 IJA units - 1 HQ, 2 IDs including the Imperial Guards Division. Hoping to isolate these guys. I drew in the hex side control. The stack to the east is 5 Corps of varying AV (total 1000) and 2 HQ. I need to change their movement to the SW otherwise I will suffer a shock attack when I cross...

2: 1x 350 AV Chinese Corps attempting to take Myitkyina early. They are in supply, somehow someway. I assume it flowed to the east of Myitkyina, from Ledo. More units are coming up from Paoshan but it will be many weeks before they arrive.

3: Chindits. 77 AV at Shwebo, moving to join at Katha (don't have time to pick them up and re-drop them). There are 3 units moving towards Katha from the NE.

4: 1 Chinese HQ and Chinese Corps will cross the river on October 23 and then it's 3 or 4 days to Lashio, which is empty! There is one IJA ID outside Paoshan, to my knowledge. There was another in the hex to the west of there... these forces are mostly just a speedbump/diversion.

5: Same here. This is a beat up Chinese Cavalry Corps that he let slip. I'm going to go squat on Ramree, because I can. It's about 30 squads with minimal supply.

6: Mass exodus from China. Just 1 HQ straggling at Tsuyung, on purpose, to tie him up for a day every time he catches up. So far, his 51st Recon Regiment hasn't caught up in time to make the play.
- 2618 AV on the road just outside Paoshan, with 6 corps and 1 army HQ. These are somewhat staggered in movement.
- 1294 AV and 2 Base Forces in the last road hex.
- NCAC HQ, 3 construction regiments, and 2 base forces in the first mountain hex. Also a "ghosted" Corps
- 5 base forces and 3 artillery units in the first jungle hex.

7: Armor coming from Imphal. Just one unit so far, with another coming via major road from Calcutta. 2 nice units for 1942 with 200 AV apiece.