Focus Pacific: down with the Wulf ( no durnedwolf please)

[Zorch]

ORIGINAL: BillBrown

Dec 26th, 1941, another quiet day, no fireworks.

Is this some kind of Phony War? I want battles! [:D]

[BillBrown]

Dec 27th, 1941, another quiet day, again.
It does look like Wake will fall soon.

Ground combat at Wake Island (136,98)

Japanese Shock attack

Attacking force 4433 troops, 50 guns, 4 vehicles, Assault Value = 136

Defending force 3252 troops, 40 guns, 38 vehicles, Assault Value = 24

Japanese adjusted assault: 52

Allied adjusted defense: 11

Japanese assault odds: 4 to 1 (fort level 3)

Japanese Assault reduces fortifications to 2

Combat modifiers
Defender: forts(+), disruption(-), experience(-), supply(-)
Attacker: shock(+), disruption(-)

Japanese ground losses:
707 casualties reported
Squads: 6 destroyed, 49 disabled
Non Combat: 3 destroyed, 8 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Vehicles lost 1 (1 destroyed, 0 disabled)

Allied ground losses:
176 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 10 disabled
Engineers: 1 destroyed, 28 disabled
Guns lost 3 (1 destroyed, 2 disabled)
Vehicles lost 13 (1 destroyed, 12 disabled)

Assaulting units:
Maizuru 1st SNLF
Maizuru 2nd SNLF
61st Naval Guard Unit

Defending units:
Wake USN CPNAB
1st Marine Defense Battalion

[BillBrown]

Dec 28th, 1941. Mostly quiet, and it looks maybe Wake will hold longer than I thought

Ground combat at Wake Island (136,98)

Japanese Deliberate attack

Attacking force 2549 troops, 38 guns, 3 vehicles, Assault Value = 87

Defending force 3132 troops, 39 guns, 37 vehicles, Assault Value = 24

Japanese adjusted assault: 5

Allied adjusted defense: 11

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

Combat modifiers
Defender: disruption(-), preparation(-), fatigue(-), experience(-)
supply(-)
Attacker: disruption(-)

Japanese ground losses:
257 casualties reported
Squads: 13 destroyed, 11 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 5 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 11 (2 destroyed, 9 disabled)

Allied ground losses:
43 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 5 disabled
Engineers: 1 destroyed, 1 disabled

Assaulting units:
Maizuru 2nd SNLF
Maizuru 1st SNLF
61st Naval Guard Unit

Defending units:
Wake USN CPNAB
1st Marine Defense Battalion

[Zorch]

[>:] I want action!

[Zorch]

Just my luck. I went to a war, and a hockey game broke out.

[BillBrown]

It would seem that he has cancelled his movement into Yenan. Even using
the magnifier there does not seem to be a movement arrow.

[BillBrown]

Dec 29th, 1941. I was wrong, Wake fell today. He landed more troops there and took it. At least it took some time and cost him some.

Ground combat at Wake Island (136,98)

Japanese Shock attack

Attacking force 1603 troops, 19 guns, 2 vehicles, Assault Value = 133

Defending force 3014 troops, 39 guns, 37 vehicles, Assault Value = 22

Japanese adjusted assault: 41

Allied adjusted defense: 8

Japanese assault odds: 5 to 1 (fort level 2)

Japanese forces CAPTURE Wake Island !!!

Combat modifiers
Defender: disruption(-), preparation(-), experience(-), supply(-)
Attacker: shock(+)

Japanese ground losses:
96 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 7 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

Allied ground losses:
4340 casualties reported
Squads: 44 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 338 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 74 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 40 (40 destroyed, 0 disabled)
Vehicles lost 25 (25 destroyed, 0 disabled)
Units destroyed 2

Assaulting units:
61st Naval Guard Unit
Maizuru 2nd SNLF
Maizuru 1st SNLF
II/81st SNLF

Defending units:
Wake USN CPNAB
1st Marine Defense Battalion
-----------------------------------------
I does look more and more like he will make some level of attacks into China
in the Sian area. I see at least 4 more units in the area roughly WSW of Sian.
It is the most logical area to make an early thrust. We have no house rules
so all he has to do is rail the excess units from Korea/Manchuko to that area.
Although railing into Wuchang and marching to Changsha was/is another possibility.
I know he has about 1200+ around Yenan and it looks like much more that 2400 around
the Loyang area. He also has a lot of aircraft to use and a number of them are in
China bombing various areas.

If it is necessary, I am prepared to move at least 50 - 75% of the Chinese units to
India/Burma. My feeling is that even if he takes most or all of China he can not
get a 4-1 VP ratio in 1943. A 4-1 VP ratio is very hard to get as long as I don't
get stupid and/or allow a lot of units to get trapped/destroyed in China. A large
supplied Chinese army in India with the abundant supply and the large replacement
of devices in this mod would make an attack back into Burma and Western China possible
in late 1942 and/or early 1943. And coupled with that are the 25-30 USA air units
I have/will send there. We are playing with no withdrawals, so all those air units
originally assigned to the 4th USA Air HQ are available to be reassigned and sent
to war.

[BillBrown]

Dec 30th, 1941. Again, not much action. He had to attack Loyang( it was empty ). He has 2816 AV there.
He also has 2400+ in Tsiaotso ( 1 hex NE ). It looks like they are moving toward my positions. I will
have to make a decision soon. I doubt I can hold him in this area, there are too many hexes to defend.

He flew air attacks against Singapore for the first time. I had plenty of CAP up, but they did not shoot
down that many, but he lost a bunch to Flak.

[BillBrown]

Dec 31st, 1941. Again, a quiet day. He did not try and bomb Singapore today.

[BillBrown]

Jan 1, 1942. A new year.

Georgetown fell today. No other great news.

In East China, this small picture.

[BillBrown]

Here is a new picture of the DEI. I showed a picture earlier and not much has changed.

[BillBrown]

Jan 2, 1942 - Jan 20,1942

I have not posted in a while, mainly because there is just not much happening. We are doing turns, just not a lot happening.

Here is the intel screen for Jan 21,1942

Notice that I have actually lost fewer aircraft than he. He has lost 104 A6M2s to Ops loss and 35 to air to air.
I would say that my ship losses to date are light given what he has available.
As I looked at this I noticed that my base VPs are much too high. It looks like GP may have either left in something
wrong or made an error. I will have to investigate The problem is that the large West coast bases ( SF, LA, Seattle, SD, and Portland ) are much too high of a base value. I just checked and it is a holdover from the original Focus Pacific.
Amazingly, I have played this mod a number of times as Allies and never noticed this. But I really do not watch the
VPs early in the game unless I feel I am doing badly. I does mean that we will have to just continue when the game says
I won, probably some time in 1944. I will inform Durnedwulf.

[BillBrown]

Jan 20, 1942

Here is the total ships lost for both sides in the last 19 days.

As you can see I have lost a few ships to subs and sunk a few of his with subs.
We had an engagement around Sorong and traded 2 DDs each.
The fun one was one of my fleet subs finding a working MK-14 and sinking the I-85.

[BillBrown]

Jan 20, 1942

Most of the action has been in Burma and Malaya.
In Mayala he controls all but Mersing and Singapore.
He has not bombed Singapore and the forts are at 6 and
building. I have both the 9th and 11th Indian Divisions
assembled and the leaders swapped out.

In Burma, I think I got a bad die roll at Pegu.

Ground combat at Pegu (55,53)

Japanese Shock attack

Attacking force 40107 troops, 382 guns, 32 vehicles, Assault Value = 1217

Defending force 10455 troops, 101 guns, 8 vehicles, Assault Value = 215

Japanese adjusted assault: 1180

Allied adjusted defense: 19

Japanese assault odds: 62 to 1 (fort level 2)

Japanese forces CAPTURE Pegu !!!

Combat modifiers
Defender: disruption(-), preparation(-), morale(-), experience(-)
Attacker: shock(+)

Japanese ground losses:
309 casualties reported
Squads: 1 destroyed, 52 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 4 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

Allied ground losses:
6410 casualties reported
Squads: 141 destroyed, 2 disabled
Non Combat: 276 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 52 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 102 (102 destroyed, 0 disabled)
Vehicles lost 1 (1 destroyed, 0 disabled)
Units retreated 1
Units destroyed 1

Defeated Allied Units Retreating!

Assaulting units:
2nd RTA Division
33rd Division
1st RTA Division
4th RTA Division
15th Army

Defending units:
Pegu Fortress
1st Burma Division
-------------------------------
I realize that the 1st Burma Division is not very
good, but from 215 down to 19 seems to be a bit more
that I would have expected. But it is what it is, and
the 1st was completely destroyed this turn.

[BillBrown]

Jan 21, 1942 - 10 Feb, 1942

Still not a bunch happening.

On the 5th of Feb he attacked at Ankang, but that didn't work as planned.
Ground combat at Ankang (82,42)

Japanese Deliberate attack

Attacking force 68406 troops, 508 guns, 84 vehicles, Assault Value = 2211

Defending force 26753 troops, 197 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 807

Japanese adjusted assault: 2025

Allied adjusted defense: 877

Japanese assault odds: 2 to 1 (fort level 3)

Japanese Assault reduces fortifications to 2

Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+), preparation(-), experience(-)
Attacker:

Japanese ground losses:
7391 casualties reported
Squads: 14 destroyed, 679 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 28 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 57 disabled
Guns lost 56 (3 destroyed, 53 disabled)

Allied ground losses:
1100 casualties reported
Squads: 10 destroyed, 188 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 4 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 8 disabled

Assaulting units:
20th Division
74th Infantry Regiment
292nd Division
19th Division
79th Infantry Brigade
291st Division
80th Infantry Brigade
77th Infantry Regiment
Korea Army

Defending units:
55th Chinese Corps
30th Chinese Corps
77th Chinese Corps
95th Chinese/B Corps
-------------------------------------

On Jan 3, 1942 he moved into Singapore.

He did quit well for the first attack.
Ground combat at Singapore (50,84)

Japanese Shock attack

Attacking force 82020 troops, 707 guns, 323 vehicles, Assault Value = 2737

Defending force 70978 troops, 779 guns, 848 vehicles, Assault Value = 1316

Japanese engineers reduce fortifications to 5

Japanese adjusted assault: 3182

Allied adjusted defense: 2173

Japanese assault odds: 1 to 1 (fort level 5)

Japanese Assault reduces fortifications to 5

Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+), forts(+), experience(-)
Attacker: shock(+), disruption(-)

Japanese ground losses:
5316 casualties reported
Squads: 56 destroyed, 577 disabled
Non Combat: 4 destroyed, 126 disabled
Engineers: 9 destroyed, 70 disabled
Guns lost 97 (3 destroyed, 94 disabled)

Allied ground losses:
1011 casualties reported
Squads: 21 destroyed, 146 disabled
Non Combat: 37 destroyed, 95 disabled
Engineers: 2 destroyed, 46 disabled
Guns lost 48 (2 destroyed, 46 disabled)
Vehicles lost 38 (3 destroyed, 35 disabled)
Units destroyed 1

Assaulting units:
41st Guard Division
56th Division
6th Guards Division
4th Guards Division
Imperial Guards Division
7th Guards Division

Defending units:
1st Hyderabad Battalion
3rd Cavalry Regiment
2nd Loyal Battalion
11th Indian Division
1st Manchester Battalion
27th Australian Brigade
1st Malay Battalion
2nd Gordons Battalion
2/17 Dogra Battalion
SSVF Brigade
2nd Malay Battalion
9th Indian Division
109th RAF Base Force
2nd HK&S Heavy AA Regiment
113th RAF Base Force
22nd Indian Mountain Gun Regiment
3rd HK&S Light AA Regiment
24th NZ Pioneer Coy
223 Group RAF
Malayan Air Wing
1st ISF Base Force
Singapore Base Force
112th RAF Base Force
Malaya Army
224 Group RAF
2nd ISF Base Force
1st Indian Heavy AA Regiment
111th RAF Base Force
AHQ Far East
Singapore Fortress
1st HK&S Heavy AA Regiment
110th RAF Base Force
3rd Heavy AA Regiment
III Indian Corps
109th RN Base Force
---------------------------------------------
It appears that many of the units Southeast of Siam have moved to
the Ankang area. There are also a number of unis in the Hex West of Liuchow.
Who knows what he is doing? I am prepared to try and evacuate all available
units from China to India is necessary.
The only base on Sumatra he has taken is Langsa.
He landed on Amchitka Island this turn. I wonder if he will go further East of Atka Island.
Here is a small picture of the Aleutian Islands now.

[btd64]

If he can hold it, Adak Island is a good sub base for him....GP

[BillBrown]

Feb 11, 1942 to Feb 15, 1942.

On the 14th something happened, just not something I wanted.

Sub attack near Coal Harbour at 204,52

Japanese Ships
SS I-112, hits 2

Allied Ships
CV Yorktown, Torpedo hits 3, on fire, heavy damage
CA Pensacola
CA Indianapolis
CA Portland
DD Cushing
DD Worden
DD MacDonough
DD Hull
DD Farragut

She sank right away. I am sure that the low crew experience on all of my ships contributed to not spotting
the sub. I got a registered hit on the sub so I think it might be mission killed.
the next day saw no other activity and the TF entered into the port at Seattle. I converted two BBs that take 120
days to upgrade at a size 200 repair yard. Some of the BB upgrade/conversions are a bit different.

Other than that, no other main events.

[BillBrown]

Feb 16, 17, 18 1942.

Not much happening but it is about decision time in China.

In the hex Southeast of Sian :
Ground combat at 84,42 (near Sian)

Japanese Bombardment attack

Attacking force 153126 troops, 1588 guns, 282 vehicles, Assault Value = 5111

Defending force 105687 troops, 544 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 3364

Japanese ground losses:
30 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 4 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

Allied ground losses:
51 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 6 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

Assaulting units:
25th Division
302nd Division
26th Division
8th Engineer Regiment
40th Division
17th Infantry Brigade
4th Brigade
31st Infantry Brigade
27th Division
15th Division
8th Recon Regiment
3rd Division
5th Infantry Brigade
13th Division
250th Division
1st Mortar Battalion
35th Const Engineer Regiment
8th Mountain Gun Regiment
52nd Ind.Mtn.Gun Battalion
20th Army
15th Ind.Medium Field Artillery Regiment
51st Ind.Mtn.Gun Battalion
6th RF Gun Battalion
15th Medium Field Artillery Regiment
2nd Medium Field Artillery Regiment
4th Mortar Battalion
10th Medium Field Artillery Regiment
2nd Ind. Mountain Gun Regiment
34th Const Engineer Regiment
14th Medium Field Artillery Regiment
36th Const Engineer Regiment

Defending units:
96th Chinese Corps
48th Chinese Corps
12th Chinese Corps
98th Chinese Corps
38th Chinese Corps
2nd Chinese Cavalry Corps
40th Chinese Corps
8th Route Army
7th New Chinese Corps
85th Chinese Corps
15th Chinese Corps
13th Chinese Corps
29th Chinese Corps
8th New Chinese Corps
Jingcha War Area
36th Group Army
4th Group Army
24th Group Army
3rd Group Army
31st Group Army
1st War Area
39th Group Army
------------------------------------
And there are 10 units listed in the hex to the East of there.
I have about 1200 AV in Sian. I might have to abandon Sian.
----------------------------------------------------
In Ankang is this:
Ground combat at Ankang (82,42)

Japanese Bombardment attack

Attacking force 89339 troops, 842 guns, 494 vehicles, Assault Value = 4163

Defending force 75042 troops, 386 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 2029

Japanese ground losses:
46 casualties reported
Squads: 1 destroyed, 1 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled

Assaulting units:
77th Infantry Regiment
35th Division
6th Tank Division
74th Infantry Regiment
291st Division
20th Division
79th Infantry Brigade
292nd Division
80th Infantry Brigade
11th Tank Regiment
19th Division
6th Division
29th Division
10th Division
5th Manchukuo Distr Division
Korea Army

Defending units:
39th Chinese Corps
55th Chinese Corps
90th Chinese Corps
59th Chinese Corps
41st Chinese Corps
77th Chinese Corps
92nd Chinese Corps
30th Chinese Corps
95th Chinese/B Corps
22nd Group Army
33rd Group Army
I have 600 AV in the hex to the West that is moving into Ankang, but
it will be 4 turns before it gets there. I have the two mortar units and
one of the AT units that will arrive in two turns.
---------------------------------------------
All in all it looks bleak in China at the moment. I might just pull
up stakes and move everyone to India. I have kept the door open in Burma
so it should be possible to move them.

[BillBrown]

Feb 18, 1942 to Feb 28, 1942

Time to do an update, at least an end of month recap.
Things are happening and I need to do a better job of maintaining this AAR.


Singapore fell on the 22nd of February. He did a very good job getting enough troops there
in reasonably good order.
Ground combat at Singapore (50,84)

Japanese Deliberate attack

Attacking force 162980 troops, 1731 guns, 899 vehicles, Assault Value = 3920

Defending force 62041 troops, 739 guns, 868 vehicles, Assault Value = 678

Japanese engineers reduce fortifications to 1

Japanese adjusted assault: 5228

Allied adjusted defense: 1427

Japanese assault odds: 3 to 1 (fort level 1)

Japanese forces CAPTURE Singapore !!!

Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+), preparation(-), experience(-)
Attacker:

Japanese ground losses:
6324 casualties reported
Squads: 40 destroyed, 200 disabled
Non Combat: 4 destroyed, 51 disabled
Engineers: 14 destroyed, 103 disabled
Guns lost 38 (4 destroyed, 34 disabled)
Vehicles lost 42 (11 destroyed, 31 disabled)

Allied ground losses:
66912 casualties reported
Squads: 1009 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 6442 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 483 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 931 (931 destroyed, 0 disabled)
Vehicles lost 902 (902 destroyed, 0 disabled)
Units destroyed 30
-----------------------------------------------------
He now controls all of Malaya.

And most of Burma. Here is a picture of Burma.
I have units holding the roads open. I have just
enough supply to keep everyone supplied for now.
this is necessary if I need to evacuate China.

[BillBrown]

Which brings me to China. I will have to make a decision soon.
On the 28th he did a bombardment attack in the Hex marked 1.
Ground combat at 84,42 (near Sian)

Japanese Bombardment attack

As can be seen, he has a lot of firepower there. But one thing he
probably does not expect is that all of my units are fully supplied.
I am expecting to have an effective AV of around 5500 or more
And he will end up with a 1-2 assault.
I am expecting this attack in the next day or two.

Attacking force 281644 troops, 2642 guns, 687 vehicles, Assault Value = 9508

Defending force 100516 troops, 502 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 3248

Japanese ground losses:
71 casualties reported
Squads: 1 destroyed, 8 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled

Allied ground losses:
28 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 4 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

Assaulting units:
144th Division
123rd Division
302nd Division
110th Division
12th Division
15th Division
3rd Division
31st Infantry Brigade
27th Division
36th Division
23rd Division
8th Engineer Regiment
26th Division
14th Division
7th Ind.Mixed Brigade
13th Division
63rd Division
4th Brigade
17th Infantry Brigade
39th Division
5th Infantry Brigade
25th Division
40th Division
8th Recon Regiment
250th Division
4th Mortar Battalion
7th RF Gun Battalion
2nd Medium Field Artillery Regiment
35th Const Engineer Regiment
3rd RF Gun Battalion
52nd Ind.Mtn.Gun Battalion
34th Const Engineer Regiment
2nd Ind. Mountain Gun Regiment
6th RF Gun Battalion
15th Ind.Medium Field Artillery Regiment
North China Area Army
6th Army
20th Army
1st Mortar Battalion
14th Medium Field Artillery Regiment
51st Ind.Mtn.Gun Battalion
15th Medium Field Artillery Regiment
10th Medium Field Artillery Regiment
8th Mountain Gun Regiment
36th Const Engineer Regiment

Defending units:
40th Chinese Corps
12th Chinese Corps
7th New Chinese Corps
8th Route Army
48th Chinese Corps
13th Chinese Corps
29th Chinese Corps
85th Chinese Corps
98th Chinese Corps
2nd Chinese Cavalry Corps
15th Chinese Corps
96th Chinese Corps
8th New Chinese Corps
36th Group Army
31st Group Army
24th Group Army
Jingcha War Area
3rd Group Army
1st War Area
39th Group Army
----------------------------------
As you can see, I have more units moving to Burma, with the fall
of Singapore, I can expect more units to show up. Depending on the
result of his expected attack SE of Sian I will make the major decision
to evacuate.