Herb VS Tabpub

[1275psi]

6/8/43

The fast transport run to russell was poorly done -CA Kuma gets 5 bombs, and is out of the war.....

Nevertheless, another bigger one sails from rabual, and KB is waiting for it, east of buka island.

he bombs all over burma, and attacks at thursday , rennell island.

Im hoping to get Lunga restocked for the battle to come -cannot be long now.

[1275psi]

7/8/43

Only 2 actions of note today

20 jake attack south of rennel -3 corsairs shoot down 3, but a DM is hit nicely

Jakes doing better than zeros!!!

Also finchesen launched 20 betty, and 14 zeros against thursday island shipping.
5 boomerang, 5 kittyhawk and 7 corsair intercept
1 betty lost, 6 zero lost, 1 kittyhawk shot down
2 AK sunk!

KB is northeast of lunga, covering a very, very large fast transport, 2 days and it goes in -I hope to get 4500 units of supply in.

[1275psi]

8/8/43

Only 1 things to report -the fast transport run goes into lunga!
KB is going to cover

Also a great stream of barges are going down the slot, how many will he try to hit.
Tomorrow is such a risk!

[1275psi]

9/9/43
Thursday island is finished -the troops finally destroyed there.

The tokyo express has gone in, and got out OK!

His planes at Rennell get a shock -40 P 400 attacking barges run into 20 zeros, and 10 are shot down
Also at Milne bay 20 liberators meet 60 fighters of various makes on LRCAP, and 11 go down

I have a new focus for the navy now -it is for purely army support, then look for opportunities.
3 cv are coming down from Sorong in case his convoy at Thursday (where he is obviously trying to recover all those shattered troops) goes to darwin -would be nice to intercept it.
More CVEs and CVLs are LRCAPing Milne Bay, along with woodlark planes -as a great big convoy goes in.
KB proper has just covered a very large fast transport to Lunga -and that will be her role until tabpub finally attacks

Must admit -he missed the bus, i was on the ropes for planes last month, I have some fighting strength now.
Zekes flowing nicely, but thats about it though!

Completed traing of groups in singapore -they go to china -Im a idiot -all that bombing of hanoi ect -he is training chinese pilots -well lets see if we can ruin that party!

Just wish he would attack -I struggle to think of a AAR where the allies have made such a small advance by now.
Im sure when it comes -it will be an avalanche!

[1275psi]

10/8/43
11/8/43
12/8/43
13/8/43

I got badly behind in the AAR here -and then in a big clean up of the computer desk, ditched my notes

Little has happened until today luckily -he continues to pound haiphong, hanoi and all the bases in burma

Over the last couple of days 3 CV sneak down towards Thursday island

All resistance at Rennell ceased, and at Akyab as well.

The war though is hotting up at long last
13/8/43
AM -his corsairs and boomerangs hit PM shipping wrecks again
83 zeros and 27 betty make a surprise attack from madang
19 kittyhawk and 15 corsair intercepted -35 zeros lost, 11 betties to flak

CL st loius 1 torp
CL phoenix 2 torp
3 corsair shot down, 14 kittyhawk shot down

Then the cvs attacked,
51 zero, 30 judy, 16 jill
12 corsair shot down 22 zekes, 2 s/d
2 aks heavily hit, 2 msw sunk?

The raid a minor success, the cvs run away
Now I have to rebuild a few units.

[1275psi]

14/8/43

We run away
he bombs and bombs
oil drops below 350000 total

Just the dawn of the dying empire day!

15/8/43
Things are happening in Burma
The chinese cross the border from china into vietnam
i expected 3 militia units -they did not show up!
Buggar -now what -hanoi is doomed

he recons the entire burma coast, and bombs and bombs -up to 150 planes at a time here

I am forced to send a div from malaya to vietnam -its going to be a long march.

[1275psi]

16/8/43
It appears that a great offensive is happening in burma -but still not totally clear what is his plan
Along the river 8 units face me at moulimien, 5 rahaeg
he is bombing all the rear bases.

Ships sighted north of rangoon -BBs?

Everywhere else remanis quiet
The 3 CVs in the timor area are going to run cover for some reinforcements for lautern

[1275psi]

17/8/43
malaelop is pounded today by BBs
moulmien -95 hurricanes, 50 beuforts -a typical raid
hanoi -30 heavies, 85 mitchell -a typical raid
hanoi -60 more medium bombers
He recons vic point today

tavoy is bombed -30 heavies
3 betties from Kwal miss shipping at malaelop

BBs aproaching rahaeng!


Orders for the day
malaya div released
100 tonies are relaesed from the phillipines -begin to transit towards the front
nothing else I can do.

[1275psi]

18/8/43
And Burma explodes
moulmien is pounded by BC repulse, BB POW, ramilies and valiant, 2cl and 6 dds
Ouch
Worse, 2 chinese divs bounce across the river in the hex east of moulmien -and shock my regiment out!
he is across the river!

At hanoi -no vietnamese troops for herbiesan -and i treated the population well too -falls to 5 chinese divisions!

Reaction:
2 regiments from bangkok -the reserve begin to march to rahaeg
The malaya div has to got towards moulmien!
At davao -all the south sea china units there are told to load for siagon -where the tonies are waiting to provide cover, I need lots of units -he is into my rear areas now.
not very happy with no units turning up, he can roam at will in my rear areas now, the shattered hanoi troops went to haipong -doomed!

Only positive news -a fast transport run restocked Lautern successfully today

I have made a big strategic decision.
All troops north of shortlands -combat troops, are going to be pulled out -and sent to the inner circle -the solomons have been a wall for a long time, and have served there purpose, time to re approach the defence -I no longer think he will try for the solomons, so time to gather elsewhere.

It looks like the tabup adavance truly is via malaya.
And I fear I still do not have enough to stop him

Phew -caught up the AARs
Patched!
Hope the patch relaeses all those "organising pilots I have!

[1275psi]

19/8/43
The most curious thing today -after a naval bombardment at Moulmien -troops begin to land!
But not huge waves of men, just a division.
really not sure what he is doing
I refuse to be drawn, and will stay behind my size 9 fort.

The patch allows quite a few planes that were organising to be released -great stuff

Plans

haipong is about to be attacked
hanoi has fallen -33rd div is marching via siagon from bangkok towards vietnam, its all i can do
53 div moves towards tavoy from further south

I have a convoy of many ships and a AV regiment headed towards lautern, my CVs move to cover it -this will be nasty!

In the solomons I have arrived at the conclusion -get the majority of combat troops out!
transports are headed that way from where ever I can scrape them up.

I really still think I have the measure of tabpub strategically -if only I had more fuel and supplies, and oil!

[1275psi]

20/8/43
troops still coming ashore moulmien
Naval bombardment at maleop
he attacks my barges at lunga -this operation is going well actually, every day a couple are getting through -today 4 pt boats stopped 1, this means 10 get through tomorrow.

2 indian Divs at moulmien now
Thursday island goes to size 3 -trouble!

The convoy to lautern goes in!

[1275psi]

21/8/43

A very good day today!
yet more troops at moulmien -he bombards, I bombard, but I aint coming out of my holes

63 P38 from Thursday island sweep Lea -18 zeros shoot down 7 for 11 lost
39 B17 attack Buna -and 38 tojo shoot down 4 for 2 losses
90 heavies hit Gilli, gilli -its been ages since he bombed PNG

In the home islands yamato and Shokaka rejoin the fleet!

3 ops in place today
a very, very large convoy is moving into Lea -and KB is capping it -I am going to pull out 2 divisions of troops

Convoy into lautern will arrive tomorrow, under a LRCAP from 3 Cvs
Another large convoy approaches shortlands

And 1 div, 4 south sea detachments are loaded, and are headed towards siapan.

I would love to move KB, but it is tied to rabual -my last major fuel depot.

[1275psi]

22/8/43
major convoy battle off tokyo -I have 20 tankers left -so each one is very heavily protected.
SS are sunk, asw assets are sunk, its a nasty battle.

Still the enemy lands at moulmien, he pounds it with LBA every day -I am still AV ahead though.
haipong fell.
Vietnam is going fast[:@]
traitors did not join the empire!

tabpubs planes attack the lautern convoy
25 zekes , 17 am3 take on 11 brewsters, 11 medium bombers -and shoot down 14 planes for no loss
22 kittyhawks, 11 demon escort 5 avengers, i lose 17 planes to his 7

91 mitchell attack the ships -plus beufighters and B 17s, they hit 9 aks for little loss.
terrible!.
many troops lost, but I will move in fighters tomorrow, the field will be operational!

Allies shock at rahaeng!!! -1 div , 1 tank regiment crossing the river.
It suffers 3000 casos!


My plan is simple -this attack is pretty unco ordinated so far, I will stay and fight on the river.
troops headed to the fronts.
The trick will be to hang on until the last moment, then we begin the long march south I suppose.


In the solomons I am loading a lot of troops, to davao they will go -my reserve for wherever the BIG THRUST will come.[8|]

[1275psi]

23/8/43
tabpub writes that he was surprised about the bashing today gives him!

Still he unloads a trickle of troops at moulmien, my AV is still bigger than him, I am being careful -tavoy and Vic point are very well garrisoned[:@], no cutting me off.
The battle over lautern is bloody -31 zeke, 8 tony, 8 zeros vs 30 odd fighters -i lose 4 to 20

Then 53 p 38 take on my tojos over buna -I lose 7 to his 13
This is OK -my 2 tojo units actually have nearly 40 70 plus pilots in each unit -so I will stay and fight for a while yet

36 B17 attack, and the tojos took out 8
87 heavies hit Gilli, gilli.

A good day in the air -I lost 23 to his 51 today.
Troops ashore lautern, loading at lea, more approaching siagon

Its very good being able to move troops with out interference like this near the fronts.

[1275psi]

24/8/43

lautern op over, I pull out

Lea convoy still loading, as is shortlands
Another shock attack at rahaeg -tabpub cannot seem to get his troops to march together -this attack also suffers 3000 casos.

Shokaka sails south, yamato need s an upgrade -Im going to leave her home for a while longer.

If I can hold the burma front for 1 more week -90000 extra men will become available there.

i am confident still!

[1275psi]

25/8/43
The british battleships pound moulmien, casos begin to mount, and his troops keep on coming ashore.
Over 100 fighter bombers hit the place as well.
Heavies hit rahaeg.

He busts barrges today at lunga -ouch.
24 liberators attack Canton, 17 leaker Tonies intercept, shoot down 5 liberators

Then follows the bombing of Kwal, Malelop, Milne bay, Port moresby, rahaeg, Moulmien, lunga, tavoy -its bomb, bomb, bomb.

At least 2 more british divisions landed today, his AV is 1423, to my 1524.
With 9 forts Im going to hang on a bit longer.

Few new orders given today -KB arrives rabual to refuel.

[1275psi]

26/8/43
Another day, almost a repeat of yesterday.
A bit of air action over Buna today, I lose 7 tojo.
he sweeps canton with 40 p40, and knocks 2 tony down, and loses 3

He bombards moulmien, and his bombers keep on hitting the usual suspects.

Few orders today again, 1 naval guard, 1st to 5th south sea detachments arrive at siagon, as the 33rd div is already there, they will go to bangkok, another div soon to land at songhlia

[1275psi]

27/8/43

troops still unloading at moulmien
he just keeps on bombarding and bombing all around the map -but no real action to report, the convoys keep sailing, the zekes keep flowing, and Shokaka and yamato sail south at last.

really the game is quite dull at the moment -I have a lot of troops that were in the solomons now headed to davao -from there they will go to Burma.
Im beginging to believe that Tabpub has no intention of trying for the PNG coast or the solomons.

[1275psi]

Gawd this game is patience testing!

I have ordered the troops at moulmien to march south - they rest at 46 miles covered -let him attack a couple of times, and when the forts come down we can march to Tavoy -where more size 9 forts, and 2 fresh divisions await.
he attacks canton heavily in the air, and my tonies suffer badly, all the rookies go.
Judys are arriving!, 5 per day!

I reconstitute the tonies at hongkong, lets see how some crack pilots go!



I have made a radical decision.
Its september.
This means even with only light resistance the rabual, Lea line will still be in plave by end of October at tabpub pace -which is very satisfactory.
In a few days Thursday will be size 4, and I will lose the air war over PNG quickly.
For what?
A few malaria bases.
The next line is palua, truk, ponape,, Biak.
This has to be held until mid 44
At this rate it can be, tabpub is oh so slow.
I feel his main thrust is Burma, and this is so dangerous, I need the oil for as long as possible, as I have no reserves.

therefore, what troops that are in the solomons -mainly SNLF, base force troops now, are abandoned to their fate.
The planes pull out, headed to the centre of the map -a reserve of pilots for the new planes mid 44.
KB and the fleet depart for davao as well.

It looks like its the british that will be the main battle for me -tabpub , Ive given you the solomons, they have held you at bay for long enough!

[1275psi]

29/8/43

The pounding of moulmien continues, massive strikes today.
The pounding of kwajalien continues as well -not long to go there and I think an invasion must arrive

9 oscars at bangkok fail to slow 9 wellingtons -2 ak hit

His 1st deliberate attack is a 0 to 1 at moulmien -but bad news, it inflicts far more casualties on me than him -this means only 1 thing.
I order the retreat for all units.

Down in the solomons its a slow process of pulling out the air groups and getting them going north and north west.
Token units to remain behind

A division begins unloading at songkhla