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This should prove to be very interesting.

AAA 09/19/1942

Cooktown reached AF 2!!
Supplies and fuel are flowing from everywhere to Truk,Rabaul and Shortland
All the units in the area have been checked. As soon as he starts bombing NG i'll deploy 250 AV in each level 4 AF.
The 18th Division has been reassigned to 17th Army's command ( means that is moving towards Truk.)
CVs are reorganizing at Java.
CVEs will stay in the area of Balikapan.
CVs and CVLs at Palau.
Probably 2 Sally Sentai ( 85 exp each ) will be trasnfered to South Pacific soon.
2 BBs, 4 CLs and 25 DDs will form the new Singapore War fleet.
I'm a bit worried about timing. I know how fast the american engs can build up a base....i need at least 2/3 weeks to be 100% ready in this area....let's hope.
MLs and MSWs, based at Rabaul, are doing a great job, cleaning up every base and laying down tons of mines.


PS: the CVEs in my mind should substitute the CVs in the possible role of "zero umbrella" if the CS operation will be needed to put into action ( the counterlanding at Port Blair). They should be able to provide something like 100 zero CAP cover...with the help of the LBbombers from Sebang,Georgetown and Bankok should be enough to face the RN....well...at least i hope.

His CVs are out of sight however....but they should be somewhere in souther Oz

AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 09/19/42

Heavy allied sub mining operation at Gili Gili and counter mining/minesweeping jap actions.
The CVs are moving from Java to Palau. CVEs are assembling at Batavia/Balikapan.
7 Zero Daitais are daily training. Need them at 75 exp at least...hope to be in time.

36 Sallies are on route for Truk from Shangai.

The whole pacific submarine fleet has been re-assigned to Rabaul Fleet.

Heavy ship traffic at Cooktown.

The 17th Army is restin at Truk. APs and AKs are coming from everywhere with Fuel and Supplies.

Every Base in the Solomons/NG area, considered vital ( so everything which is east of Lae and north of Lunga) is being built up, reinforced and mined.

I'm also considering sending a CL with 10 DDs to Darwin, to be ready to react and bother him when he will try to recapture Thursday...but it's still to be decided.



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In the Port Blair are his subs, chased down by my ASW air fleet, are vanished[:D]

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In China my Army is moving from Tsuyung...finally the first unit managed to get to Kumming....simply annihilated by the lack of supplies and by fatigue[:(]
We're daily bombing Chungking with 400 bombers. The LRCAP ops have been stopped: i cannot do anything against his B.17s...





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TF 11 encounters mine field at Milne Bay (57,96)
[;)]
Japanese Ships
MSW Yoshino Maru
MSW Toshi Maru #8
MSW Tokuho Maru #5
MSW Rokko Maru
MSW Ranzan Maru
MSW Musashi Maru
MSW Misago Maru #11

AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 09/20/42


The Calypsos operation had its fruits: he started to train the ducth pilots at night over Exmouth[8D]

For the rest is boredom. Moving ships,troops,supplies,fuel,oil,resources....building up bases and training pilots...he's THE SIR ROBIN for "antonomasia"[:D]

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Night Air attack on Exmouth , at 11,86


Allied aircraft
Brewster 339D x 69


No Allied losses

Aircraft Attacking:
10 x Brewster 339D bombing at 2000 feet
7 x Brewster 339D bombing at 2000 feet
5 x Brewster 339D bombing at 2000 feet
5 x Brewster 339D bombing at 2000 feet
7 x Brewster 339D bombing at 2000 feet
7 x Brewster 339D bombing at 2000 feet
14 x Brewster 339D bombing at 2000 feet
14 x Brewster 339D bombing at 2000 feet

AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 09/21/42

Ok guys. It's official. He started to recon PM from a Level 2 AF at Cooktown using his Catalinas. Soon we'll face the dreaded B-17s and B.24s. I do not want to lose all those precious units at PM so i'm organizing a big Air brigde to bring them back as soon as things start to burn too much.
As said before, i won't defend PM by air nor by sea. I do not think he'll go directly for PM. He will surely use its raiders or paras to drop on Gili and then fortify it with a couple of divisions brought in by Fast Transport TFs.
We need at least 2 more weeks before being ready. I think we'll have them.


The counterstrike operation in NG or Solomons will be called "Poison in the cradle" ( from now on PITC)

Kates and Nells are comming from SRA to Truk. Some 6 zero daitais are already in their 70s...not enough but if needed they will be ready anyway.

CVs,BBs,CAs and 50 DDs are on their route for Palau.



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In Burma he keeps scoring hundreds of casualities among my guys...that without any air support are damned to see every single day thousands of bombs falling from the skies.

In China we'll pobably be ready to move to Chungking in 50 Days. I'm already rotating my fronline units in order to get some morale ( everywhere below 50[:@])

Is the prohibition of night airfield bombing still in effect? If so, I think you'll find that the Tony is suprisingly effective against heavy bombers (more so than the Tojo, as far as I've experienced it). Use LRCAP when he's striking the airfield to avoid heavy ground losses. As long as the bombers are unescorted, a few days of being intercepted will cause their morale to drop, and bombers will abort the mission very frequently. I've taken out over 600+ B-24's in my PBEM using this wonderful plane (I believe the higher gun values are what make it so effective).
As an added benefit, the long range strikes will cause some of the bombers that you only damage to drop out of the sky on the return flight [;)]...

ORIGINAL: BLurking

Is the prohibition of night airfield bombing still in effect? If so, I think you'll find that the Tony is suprisingly effective against heavy bombers (more so than the Tojo, as far as I've experienced it). Use LRCAP when he's striking the airfield to avoid heavy ground losses. As long as the bombers are unescorted, a few days of being intercepted will cause their morale to drop, and bombers will abort the mission very frequently. I've taken out over 600+ B-24's in my PBEM using this wonderful plane (I believe the higher gun values are what make it so effective).
As an added benefit, the long range strikes will cause some of the bombers that you only damage to drop out of the sky on the return flight [;)]...

Yes, the night bombing prohibition is still in effect. You're right Blurking: the tonies are fantastic against unescorted bombers. The problem is that in 20 days he's gonna have the first p-38s...however i'm gonna try something. It's just stupid to sit here and see my men mauled by those bastards in Burma.
Operation "coming back" has been approoved.
Kunming is almost ready, with 60 AV support. I'm transfering 1 Air HQ and 180 AV support points at Reaghen and Mouleim. We'll start from these 3 bases. 180 Tonies will be called back from their actual duties in China.
In few days we should be ready. As soon as i move one any plane northern than Bankok he attacks with hundreds of bombers the airfield. Today i moved some dinas to Mouleim cause i wanted to check his troop disposition. AF closed at first strike. Ok...now eng,base forces and air HQ are coming. Let's see if i can give him some headhaches[;)]

AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 09/22/42

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Day Air attack on Moulmein , at 30,34

Japanese aircraft
no flights

Allied aircraft
PBY Catalina x 3
B-24D Liberator x 15

Japanese aircraft losses
No Japanese losses

Allied aircraft losses
PBY Catalina: 1 damaged

Airbase hits 1
Airbase supply hits 2
Runway hits 6

Aircraft Attacking:
3 x B-24D Liberator bombing at 6000 feet
3 x B-24D Liberator bombing at 6000 feet
3 x B-24D Liberator bombing at 6000 feet
3 x B-24D Liberator bombing at 6000 feet
3 x B-24D Liberator bombing at 6000 feet
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Day Air attack on Moulmein , at 30,34

Japanese aircraft
no flights

Allied aircraft
Wellington III x 98

Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-46-II Dinah: 1 destroyed

Allied aircraft losses
Wellington III: 3 damaged

Japanese ground losses:
6 casualties reported

Airbase hits 14
Airbase supply hits 5
Runway hits 46

Aircraft Attacking:
you see?

AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 09/22/42

Nothing really new. Seems that he stopped using his B-17s to supply Chungking...3 zeros intercepted only Dakotas today....mmm...
The operation "Coming Back" is on its way. Need some days to reorganize my defensive Sentais in China and IndoChina.
He keeps reconning PM.
Let's see....it's gonna be a tough autumn

AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 09/24/42

Cooktown reached AF 3...it's growing FAST!!!!!!!

Operation Comin Back started officially. 72 Tonies ( 2 sentais) brought to Kumming. 100 LRCAP, range 0. 9 Dinahs will attempt a recon mission at ledo.... If i know him he should come with Hordes of 4Es...lets' see how can these Tonies perform! To consider a victory i need a 4-1 ratio...so let's see if each of these guys can kill 4 yankees![:D]

Nothing else happened

AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 09/25/42

Ok guys...there's something under the cover....as i moved to Kunming 2 of my crack Tony Sentais ( 36*2 80> exp) and some Recon Dinahs he moved back his heaviests from Ledo ( only 100 fighters and 100 aux spotted)....so it can mean two things:
1- He's too scared of a possible Jap carpet bombing at Ledo
2- or...he's massing his 4Es somehwere else to smash Kunming in one single HUGE strike.

The good thing is that the B-17s aren't supplying Chungking Anymore...probably only the dakotas...my zeros will perform a LRCAP mission tomorrow[8D]

However, i won't put down my guard. Every important AF is averaged defended and it will cost him a lot of blood if he wants to strike me there[;)]

Next Step: Mouleim!

AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 09/25/42

Again no bombing over Kunming...strange[&:]
However at least now i have an idea of what i'm facing in Burma....
At Ledo there are 140 fighters, 100 bombers and some 150 Aux. At Imphal 250 bombers and 100 fighters with 70 aux...
Well..i know the 4Es are not here...so at these numbers you can easily add 300/350 B-17s/B-24s/LB-30s....a HUGE force!

Plans are not changed. Massing and resting at Kweiyang my armies for the fina assault over Chungking, which is bombed every day by 350/400 Jap Bombers. Nearly 7000 APs are getting ready for Chungking. I just need to raise some morale.

2nd army Group HQ is loading at Tokyo: Destination Truk.
Rotating my units in the Solomons ( the malaria trick). Resting the 17th army at Truk. The Combined Fleet is getting in place and it's ready to fight. Mining and minesweeping everywhere between Lunga and PM.

Carriers arrived at Palau today. Replenishment groups are still on the way.

Training of Zeros continue. Only 2 of them are still below 70exp...[;)]

Going to bed now...too tired...it's stressing playin the japs...
see u tomorrow dear readers[;)]

AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 09/27/42

Again another day of quietness. Seems that he's waiting for something.... I'm rushing to be on time when the moment will come. Reinforcing in these hours Gasmata and Shortland. These two bases will be the keys for the aerial defence of PM and Lunga. Samo is being built. Already level 1 AF. 27 more sallies are comming from Sebang to Truk. The combined fleet is assembling...will take another 5/10 days to reorganize my forces. 2 Aviation Rgts are being transfered from Rabaul to Truk in order to give 'em some rest...another fresh av rgt is coming to Rabaul.

He's sub mining my ports in the Homeland. Today at Sendai harbour, my DD Ariake hit a mine while it was chasing down SS-Tarpon ( sp?)...[:@] Diverting some MSWs from Paramushiro to clean the Japanese ports....

He just stopped using his 4Es in Burma...he's getting ready for a counterattack: i know!

At port Blair everything has calmed down. No more sub activity.....very strange[&:][&:]...he's so conservative!

Chungking is being kept daily suppressed and same fate for Sining.
Now 54 units are at Chungking...i really wonder how can i wipe out such an enormous force![:o]

AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 09/28/42

He started to recon every single base and beach( even the dots) in NG with the F5s from Cooktown. I know my time is running out. He's surely massing a great Armada in NE Australia. I bet the first and the second marines divs plus some more american divisions...paras,raiders and so on... I think he's going directly for NG and not for Solomons( not a single recon mission here). So the actions for the operation "poison in the cradle" are the following: the PM garrison will be brought at 300 APs, with 60 AV support. Nothing more. Some CD guns and AA but nothing really serious. A small 35 APs unit at Gili Gili ( which is still a dot and will remain like that). At the same time Gasmata( 16 hexes from Cooktown) will be brought at 180 AV support, in order to be able to be the most important base on my western side before Rabaul.
Shortland and Bouganville will be crowded with Av support and planes.
Mines everywhere and the whole Combined fleet,except 2 BBs, 3 CVEs ,5 CLs and some 40 DDs that are at Singapore, will be ready at Truk.
The 17th army will be composed of the Imperial Guard Division, the 16th and 18th Division, the S.S.D, the 56th Bde, with 4 Arty units, 4 Eng rgts and 1 Tank rgt, ready at Truk.
36 Tonies are already patrolling the skies of PM.
more 36 Tojos are comin' from Darwin.

The scenarios....

well...he can do many things.
1- Fast transport at Gili Gili. Conquer the base and create an air bridge with his Dakotas from Cooktown and Cairns.
2- Direct assault at PM, with a HUGE landing operation, supported by his war fleet and by hundreds of 4Es from Cooktown.
3- A Multiple attack with Para landings in places like Buna and fast transports at Gili Gili and Normandy Island.

The 1st option will be the best one for me. I can easily master a suppressing operation with 100 Sallies and a LRCAP mission from Gasmata, to shoot down his Dakotas. The KB and the 17th Army will linger in the proximity of Shortland and strike back in force as soon his forces at gili become enough "juicy". If he dares to move his CVs in, he'll face first 6 Nells Daitais from Bouganville,Rabaul and Gasmata, with 5 zero Daitais on escort...then the KB. Would be just great.

2-...... later...now i gotta go...[:(]

AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 09/29/42

OUCH!!!!.... he was really smart this time. Last turn i upgraded one Tojo Sentai with Tonies...and so my defences at Daily were really weak:-(..he sent in a HUGE force of 4Es that plastered and almost closed the strip. ( 40/45 damage).
Tomorrow we'll try to defend the place with some more 30 Tojos come from Darwin...but i bet he's gonna knock me down again-_-''
I got only myself to blame for this. I've gone overconfident. Good lesson!
However , even if outnumbered badly, we achieved a good 20-5 A2A ratio....but 33 planes were lost on the ground[:@] and almost 10 experienced pilots died-_-

Planes and units keep comin' to Truk and Rabaul.
60 Tony/Tojos are patrolling PM's Skies.
CVs are reaching Truk.

In China everything is quiet.

Tomorrow the P-38s will enter into production...will mean pain[:o]

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Day Air attack on Daly Waters , at 35,90

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 8
Ki-61 KAIc Tony x 17

Allied aircraft
Hudson I x 6
B-17E Fortress x 48
LB-30 Liberator x 63
B-24D Liberator x 128

Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 9 destroyed
Ki-61 KAIc Tony: 8 destroyed, 2 damaged
Ki-46-II Dinah: 3 destroyed

Allied aircraft losses
B-17E Fortress: 1 destroyed, 9 damaged
LB-30 Liberator: 8 destroyed, 23 damaged
B-24D Liberator: 4 destroyed, 29 damaged

Japanese ground losses:
66 casualties reported
Guns lost 6

Airbase hits 25
Airbase supply hits 4
Runway hits 89

AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 09/30/42

I'm very late...as usual..this morning.

Briefly:
Cooktown reached Level 4 AF...
Another attack at Daily. 17-5 A2A in my favour but more 31 planes on the ground. However the conditions of the strip are better than yesterday. Maybe we can manage to defend the airbase without evacuating...maybe.
Mines found again around Gili....he's coming for this place...i know, i can feel it.

Everywhere else is calm.
No sign of sub activities around Port Blair.
No sign of enemy CVs...

see u later




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Day Air attack on Daly Waters , at 35,90

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 6
Ki-44-IIb Tojo x 22
Ki-61 KAIc Tony x 6

Allied aircraft
Hudson I x 4
B-17E Fortress x 48
LB-30 Liberator x 33
B-24D Liberator x 80

Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 6 destroyed
Ki-44-IIb Tojo: 5 destroyed, 13 damaged
Ki-61 KAIc Tony: 7 destroyed
Ki-46-II Dinah: 3 destroyed

Allied aircraft losses
Hudson I: 1 damaged
B-17E Fortress: 10 damaged
LB-30 Liberator: 8 destroyed, 12 damaged
B-24D Liberator: 5 destroyed, 19 damaged

Japanese ground losses:
12 casualties reported
Guns lost 2

Airbase hits 9
Airbase supply hits 2
Runway hits 71

AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 10/01/42



2 operations on the run and 1 stopped.
COunter Strike: - Port Blair counter Landing
Poison in the Cradle: - New Guinea defence and counterattack
Coming Back: - gaining air space of Burma Back- stopped for the upcoming arrival of the p-38s ( at least for now...gotta concentrate my efforts in the area for the CS op.)

if he comes for Gili Gili ( Mylne Bay).
In this case he will surely use his DMS and DDs for Fast Transport duties. I know how many men can an entire fleet of DDs transport at once:
almost an entire division...so timing will be the key. I should counterland on the 3rd Day since his first landing...maximum! Since the first landing i bet he will use tons of C-47s to transport
supplies and men. zeros from Gasmata will have to LRCAP, while the KB and the 17th Army are approaching. 6 Daitais of Torpedo Bombers should be enough to keep at distance his CVs... The first strike
will be carried by them, escorted by some 50 zeros. Then it will come the time for my KB....
Anyway, he needs his 4Es to start the operation in NG. So he needs at least 4 days to let his bombers recover from Daily Adventure and get ready at Cooktown, waiting for
the AF to reach level 5.
I have to decide when to move my KB from Truk and when start loading up the 17th Army into Transports...timing is everything.
Probably 5 days will be the max term. Next turn i'll decide. Cooktown needs to be at Level 5 AF...so untill that date he won't attack..sure of that.

However i got unbalanced again. He started to bomb port Blair with a HUGE force of 4Es. That means he's comming here too...he will open 2 fronts at the same time...quite sure of that.
Operation CS has been approved and launched, altough the absence of the KB will surely proove to be decisive. But i siply cannot let him get there! From there it will be easy for him to flank my positions at Burma and
Put under the threat of his bombers Sumatra and Malaya...
Divisions are already loading up at Singapore. Supplies shortage is already a problem though:-(
2 BBs and 3 CVEs is what i have to face the entire RN and hundreds of 4Es....-_-''
I rely only on my Nells and Betties from Sebang and by some 150 zeros...not enough..i know...but if i manage to counterland in time with 2000 APs i can scumble his plans here...


At Daily he finally managed to close the AF. I tried to save fragments of my sentais, but in 3 days i've lost 160 planes and some 40 pilots...a very bad result!
I will never make a mistake like that again! I swear!
Now I'm just waiting for him to finish the job, then the airgroups will be reformed at Darwin and will go back to Daily As soon as possible.
53 planes destroyed on the ground today and more 6 in A2A...((

At Chungking 3 b-17s shot down in exchange of 6 zeros:-(

The tide is changing...it's clear.And in few days we'll have to face the p-38s...will be really really tough!

Changed a 56 Tony factory to OscarII. Now i produce 220 Kawasaki Engines for 228 Tony planes...which is a good balance.
I need those 39 OscarsII/month juts to be able to fullfill the Sentais that are scheldued to arrive as reinforcements





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Day Air attack on Daly Waters , at 35,90

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 5
Ki-44-IIb Tojo x 8
Ki-61 KAIc Tony x 6

Allied aircraft
Hudson I x 5
B-17E Fortress x 61
LB-30 Liberator x 25
B-24D Liberator x 64

Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 5 destroyed
Ki-44-IIb Tojo: 9 destroyed
Ki-61 KAIc Tony: 13 destroyed

Allied aircraft losses
Hudson I: 2 destroyed
B-17E Fortress: 1 destroyed, 8 damaged
LB-30 Liberator: 1 destroyed, 7 damaged
B-24D Liberator: 5 destroyed, 14 damaged

Japanese ground losses:
105 casualties reported
Guns lost 7

Airbase hits 16
Airbase supply hits 3
Runway hits 174

.....Ok now tell me who has the stomache to say that the Jap is overpowered? Well...for sure it is but remember that the allies in late 42 are able to launch 1000 4Es bombers daily!!!! And 1 Liberator counts in term of efficiency like 5/6 Sallies...if not more!


Day Air attack on Port Blair , at 23,34


Allied aircraft
LB-30 Liberator x 45
B-24D Liberator x 30


Allied aircraft losses
LB-30 Liberator: 2 damaged
B-24D Liberator: 2 damaged

Japanese ground losses:
143 casualties reported
Guns lost 4

Airbase hits 2
Airbase supply hits 2
Runway hits 41
Port hits 4
Port supply hits 3


He's using his B-17s just for the Chungking affair...

AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 10/02/42

No bombing raids today. Neither at Daily nor at Port Blair. Probably he's recovering his heaviests in Oz after the 3 days-battle ( won by the Allies).
In the meanwhile i'm recovering too and reforming my sentais at Darwin.
4 Divisions,3 arty units, 2 HQs have been loaded at Singapore. Will linger in the strait waiting for the inevitable battle for Port Blair!
I won't give up. Not yet. BANZAIIIII!!!!

At Truk all my carriers are ready. I have 8 main CVs. A considerable force, supported by 4 CVLs and 1 CVE, all the BBs( expect for the 2 at Singapore) and the whole CA fleet. I still thinking which commander for my carrier divisions...Yamaguchi for sure...maybe Abe....but i'm puzzled about Nagumo...what d'u think?
In 2 days will start to load the 17th Army. 3 Divisions,2 Bdes,3 Arty units,2 Eng rgt and 1 Tank regiment. The will move first in the waters west of Bouganville and there will wait for the allied first move. Subs I-8 and I-10 equipped with Glens are moving in these hours near Gili Gili. more 25 subs are ready to sail from Rabaul.
The zeros are coming. Now all my daitais are resting after the transfer trip. 4 A6M2 sentais( 27 planes each) and 2 A6M3 Sentais will escort 6 Nells/Betties daiatais...all between 77 and 85 exp[8D]
Thinking about moving an Air HQ at PM via-air transport....it could be usefull to provide striking cordinance....let's see....
A lot of ships spotted at Cooktown...he's getting ready!

At Chungking today appeared 6 new enemy units...now 60 units there[:(] This rule is just crazy[:o][:-][:-][:-]

At Chungking today appeared 6 new enemy units...now 60 units there[:(] This rule is just crazy[:o][:-][:-][:-]

The real crazyness is the fact that Japanese can wipe out China [:D]

An impressive carrier force! What divisions are in the 17th army? Are they Southern Area Army divs from the beginning of the game or have you been using PPs to take units out of other theatres?

Also, I think that you should drop Nagumo and consider Ozawa, who has a good air combat rating. Nagumo is pretty poor, really. I put him in charge of surface combat forces sometimes.

ORIGINAL: Taglia

At Chungking today appeared 6 new enemy units...now 60 units there[:(] This rule is just crazy[:o][:-][:-][:-]

The real crazyness is the fact that Japanese can wipe out China [:D]

Actually China was wiped out not with Brutal force. Not this time. The combined use of Paras in the Chengtu operation and a bold and risky movement thorugh the trails that from Sian take to Chungking has led us to the actual stage. He got unbalanced not because i was too strong ( he had actually stopped my two first frontal offensive at Ichang), but because he relied on a static difence after the first initial chinese success.