1st-2nd February -44
Some good news at last!
SOPAC
Erik somehow manage to extract 14.000 troops under my nose despite me having a big LRCAP over the base. I don´t know how he does this! Grrr! [:@] Floatplanes on night transport? Its the only thing I can think of! [&:] I have no clue how to stop this if its the case. I tried using NF on LRCAP to no result. Any ideas?
A dot base called Arawe just SE of Cape Gloucester flipped 2 turns ago! I now have 120 AV there including a tank unit. This allows me to skip the amphib landing at CG. Great news. This will speed things up a bit [:)] Erik has 15.000 troops at Umboi Island. I´ve started bombing there a few turns ago. I have 2 Divisions + more prepped so this one will fall quickly once I go for it.
My subs have a good day and turned a draw into a decisive victory! [:)]
Submarine attack near Umboi Island at 101,124
Japanese Ships
CA Haguro, Torpedo hits 2, heavy fires, heavy damage
Allied Ships
SS Searaven
CA Haguro is sighted by SS Searaven
SS Searaven launches 4 torpedoes at CA Haguro
Submarine attack near Cape Gloucester at 102,124
Japanese Ships
CL Agano, Torpedo hits 1, heavy damage
Allied Ships
SS Seawolf
CL Agano is sighted by SS Seawolf
SS Seawolf launches 6 torpedoes at CL Agano
Through a miracle all my damage DDs make Finnschafen! This reduces losses to only 2 Fletcher for the price of 2 CAs, possible a CL and 2-5 DDs! Very good result. [:)] This time Erik really paid for his aggressiveness. I think it was a mistakes trying to strike at the Fletchers. They were clearly in a defensive role covering Finnschafen and was no threat to any of his shipping. Its good to see him make mistakes. They have been very, very rare!
I´ve started emptying Townsville moving everything forward. This will take 2-4 weeks. I´ve lifted the 1st USMC from Buna. They are going to Finnschafen for now.
Rangoon
Another bloody day on the 1st as indicated in the screenshot below. On the 2nd...
Clear skies! [X(] Erik has given up Rangoon air space! Had he manages to hang in one more day I would have had to give up. All squadrons are just exhausted. Taking a chance I put all sweepers on rest this turn and will rely solely on Escorts if he LRCAPs next turn.
He doesn´t have access to another level 9 AF in the area so I will have to spread out. I´ve sent recon out to try and find his AFs.
This gives me an opportunity to try a bombing campaign striking at his supply. With 400-500.000 troops in Burma he needs A LOT of supply. I don´t think he can draw enough from China. [&:] From what I have read in other AARs supply can be a real problem for the Japanese player. What would be reasonable to expect he has in the area? 300-600k? More?
This puts me in a little bit of a pickle too. I can´t maintain a bombing campaign against his troops while suppressing the AF at Rangoon. So this will give his troops an opportunity to rest up. I hope its the right choice. I´m not impressed so far with what my bomber have achieved at Rangoon. I only get 50-80 runway hits and 1-4 supply hits per day. At least his flak will burn a lot of supply. I´m still unsure about the whole thing but it sounds reasonable to try. What do you guys think? Is this a fools errand? [&:]
The butcher bill is kind of heavy. I lost some 40 P47s.[:(] Losses in other air frames are irrelevant as pools are overflowing (Corsair/P40s/P38s). But I destroyed over 500 Jap fighters during the three days. So I guess that is about 1 month of production. I did suffer some pilot losses but the top notch pilots mostly made it.
CENTPAC
Abemama is listed as a
size 2 island. Does this mean I won´t have to shock attack on landing? Gilberts operation will launch in about a month. This one will most certainly meet opposition. I´m thinking of doing a two phase attack here. First cease a dot base and set up a float search base before launching the actual landings on Abemama and Tarawa.
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