Wait, I can't read Cuttlefish's new AAR? - Cribtop (J) vs CF (A)

[Cribtop]

Don't talk about SC right now, Michael. That game today was sickening. We outplay Auburn by a mile but lose because Garcia sucks. Still, you're right - should be a great game at the end of the year to determine bragging rights in the most fanatical state in the Union (not in the Union by choice, but still).

However, Texas whooped up on Iowa State and A&M lost, so still a good day en total.

Next week we play OU. #1 team in the nation but we must defeat them! OU is the ultimate rival for all true Texans. Victory or death!

[Mike Solli]

Cribtop, what's your air force look like in Burma?

Also, are you building forts at Horn Island or just letting the Naval Guard sit there? That's a nice choke point. A few mines and he ain't passing through there easily. I would usually vector some naval search and naval attack there from PM, say a chutai of each, just to be safe.

[Cribtop]

Mike, we've got 5 Sentai of Oscars, a Chutai of Tojos, 3 bomber groups, and a large concentration of transports. On the Navy side we've got two Daitai of Nettys and 2 of Zeros at Port Blair and Rangoon. The limiting factor has been air support, still marching base forces through the rail gap.

We don't have a base force at Horn Is yet, but it's high on the list.

[Cribtop]

May 7, 1942

Subs

I-6 torpedoes CM Abdiel as the enemy ship pulls back from laying mines at Akyab. Another triumph for camping.

4th Fleet

Maloelep makes level 4 forts.

SE Fleet

CF raids airfields at PM and Horn Island, although the Horn Is raid is only 2 planes. At PM, they catch a Val on the ground we moved in to search for shipping. We could set a CAP trap but so far the raids are nuisance level. We are moving in longer range recon planes to probe for the B-17 airfields. CF has wisely kept them off the coastal bases.

We had moved South Seas Fleet up to Manus just in case the Horn Island attacks were a sign of more aggressive action. The ships will linger a few days to await developments.

14th Army

No change.

16th Army

Gorong occupied. First rowboat corps action in forever. Enemy aircraft are sighted over Balikpapan. Probably just a last gasp by the enemy at Soerabaja but we take no chances with our tankers and go to ground.

25th Army

The enemy again ground attacks at Soerabaja. We DA there and knock forts down to 1, odds 3:1, casualties 1228(82) vs 674(3). One enemy LCU destroyed. The end is near.

DA 53, 105 nets 7:1 odds, casualties 166(0) vs 58(0). It's amazing how tough units are outside base hexes. We plan to use this fact in Burma.

BA Djokjakara as we catch the last isolated Dutch unit reveals raw AS of 105:9. DA tomorrow.

Tomorrow we will SA with pursuit on the road to Sabang in Sumatra.

15th Army

With bad weather predicted and the assumption CF will increase his LRCAP, we stand down the bombers and sweep the 6th Division's hex with Oscars and Tojos. As hoped, CF added a unit of Hurris to the AVG force. The Oscars go in first and do well, then the Tojos arrive against depleted numbers and clean up. Total A2A for the turn is 7:3 in our favor.

Recon reveals the enemy LCU approaching Akyab is the 17th Indian Division, although the number of spotted troops is rather small with DL 9.

China

The enemy again BAs Wuchang. Is this a prelude to assault or a training effort?

5th Fleet

Amchitka Island makes level 1 airfield.

Other

So far the only thing I don't like about the beta is that search arcs work. Quite a chore to set them up. Worse, doing so reveals how inadequate our coverage is despite expanding numerous units and adding them to the lines. The main issue is range limitations on Jakes and group size limitations on the 4E groups. Work to do here.

[crsutton]

ORIGINAL: Cribtop

OK, so I've upgraded. Tell me about the coolness of the beta. What is the impact of the "stockpile" buttons? I want to stockpile things in various bases such as Singapore, but will doing so drain the entire Asian continent? Do search arcs work now (I almost wish they didn't as the micromanagement is tough even for OCD me)? I've heard there are lots of click-saving moves, what are the best ones?

PS - I know you can buy back destroyed LCUs now. Fortunately I've only lost 2 small units so far so I won't need that one much. [;)]

Some things I like.

You can buy back destroyed units...but you already knew that [:D]

You can now choose to stockpile supplies in a particular base. So now only the units in that base will use the supply and none will leak out to other bases. However, use it with caution as it might disrupt supply flow elsewhere. This might make a big difference for the Allied players in China.

You can now for a price in PPs reassign some plane types. For example, you can give surplus hellcats to your marine units that are short of aircraft. Costs 50 pp to do so.

You can now stockpile individual devices in the device pool. This helps some with upgrading units.

There are about a million more. You should read the entire thread in the tech form post.

[princep01]

Just about the time I begin to understand a bit about this game, along comes another 1000 changes that significantly alter the altered state world we enjoy so. I am beginning to feel that WitP is the new World in Flames with a fancy new "module" every six months. Well, at least the WitP changes are usually free.

[ny59giants]

How 'bout those Cowboys???

[princep01]

Romeo, oh Romeo, where art thou arm and mind on Sundays.

Mayhaps your mind wanders about the stadium seats looking for new damsels to woo.

Mayhaps it is your golf swing that occupies your full concentration

But as long as you, my Romeo, guide the team, there art always new ways to lose.

(With a special dispensation from the Bard)

[Cribtop]

May 8, 1942

Romeo indeed gents. Always remember that Romo's idol is Brett Favre, who led the league for career touchdowns AND career interceptions, with a knack for blowing key games at times. Really awful game and worse yet CF is a Lions fan, so his e-mail taunting was merciless. Perhaps my Rangers will face his Tigers and avenge the stain on our honor.

Subs

No contacts.

4th Fleet

We feel kinda sorta good about our search arcs now, but not really. Do you guys prefer hordes of Jakes or hordes of Mavii/Emily to solve the search problem?

SE Fleet

B-17s raid Horn Island's airfield. This is ok as we have no plans to build it up.

14th Army

Circumstances have annoyingly delayed getting the second regiment into place at Cebu. I really have to study garrison requirements for my next game.

16th Army

Bit of a stalemate in NW Oz now, but IJA reinforcements, both air and ground, are en route. 38th Division is loading for the finale at Batavia and then commitment to Red Dragon. No more enemy planes spotted over Balikpapan, but we'll stand down extraction ops for another day in hopes Soerabaja falls.

25th Army

We will DA Soerabaja again tomorrow with reasonable hope of taking the base. Probably 50/50 odds. Aircraft will support the assault with ground attacks while LRCAP Zeros will try to interrupt the enemy's raids.

DA Djokjakarta obtains 2:1 odds with a poor die roll, but eliminates one LCU anyway by attrition with casualties of 117(2) vs 1 vehicle destroyed. DA 53, 105 hammers the determined defenders with 27:1 odds, casualties 303(12) vs 154(1).

The enemy moves out of the hex near Langsa we planned to attack today and thus delays the inevitable on Sumatra.

MKB is clearing SYS damage and filling out air groups (not that there were many losses at all) in preparation for its visit to Colombo.

15th Army

We are disappointed that storms scrub our sweeps in Burma today. We are rotating Oscar Sentai in and out of the fight and really hope CF continues to engage as we want to grind him down. It will be interesting to see whether he shifts 4Es to this AO as the IJAAF air offensive intensifies.

We extend our Netty strike range to just short of Calcutta as hordes of ships are spotted in harbor there. MKB may have to swing north after Colombo.

China

CF has moved 2 Corps into a hex just SE (map) of Wuchang. Defenses are 1 brigade with 4 forts in good terrain. Rather than reinforcing directly, Cribtop HQ orders 26th Division to move behind them in hopes of bagging this probe.

Our bombers are ordered to make a maximum effort on the 2 damaged ChiCom corps just east (map) of Sian. We have 1 brigade crossing the river in combat mode tomorrow, while the brigade already in the hex will attack in support. At a minimum we should isolate these 2 LCUs. If they are as banged up and starved as we think, they will soon surrender.

CF continues to bombard Wuchang. This looks like a training mission. Assuming we can deal with the threat of the 2 corps near Wuchang, we should be able to manuever such that CF either abandons the siege or accepts encirclement.

5th Fleet

Ulak Island occupied. Since upgrading to the beta we notice more occupations and occupations beyond a 1 hex range from our bases. Nice!

Operation Winter Lotus will soon commence as the CVE Raiders arrive tomorrow in Ominato. Goals of this minor Op are: 1) Cover insertion of recently arrived reinforcements at our strongpoints in the Kuriles; 2) Cover insertion of small base forces at Attu and Adak; and 3) probe Allied defenses in NOPAC while also giving CF a scare. We will use TBs as pickets so that enemy air attack threats will be identified. If conditions allow, the 5th Fleet TF will bombard Umnak Island while the CVE Raiders search for prey south of Anchorage before withdrawing. Today the Vals on Taiyo achieve carrier trained status just in time for the fun.

[Cribtop]

May 9, 1942

A busy day of ground combat.

Subs

I-1 misses the Empress' Asia while camping Bombay. We had been camping Karachi but it appears from this contact that moving to Bombay is the correct guess. I suppose the unnecessary apostrophe in the ship's name threw off the sub skipper's aim.

4th Fleet

No change.

SE Fleet

Small and frankly ineffective B-17 raids continue at Horn Island. Nadzab makes level 2 airfield.

14th Army

We sound the all clear in the Makassar Strait, allowing forces to load at Samarinda to relieve a regiment at Panay from garrison duty. This will in turn allow capture of Cebu and then the rest of the Central PI at last.

16th Army

Boeton occupied. The beta definitely seems to have ramped up the rowboat corps.

B-17s bomb Daly Waters, but again in numbers too small for effect. Need to try a CAP trap here soon. The enemy armor marches out of the Daly Waters hex just as our reinforcements approach. We suspect the enemy is having supply problems.

25th Army

Our ground attacks at Soerabaja are scrubbed, but our Zeros intercept the enemy's daily raid and shoot down all bombers and half the fighters. All of this air action is mooted (note to the Internet - it's mooted, not muted) by capture of the base. A DA drops forts to zero and achieves 5:1 odds. 10 LCUs surrender, casualties 14,887(1509) vs 202(2). Facilities are taken with 20% damage except for HI, which is undamaged. The following types of air groups are lost (1 each): Hudson, B-25, Hawk, Demon, and Do-24K. Total air losses for the day are 35:1 in our favor, which is tasty. We especially love getting the Mitchells.

SA Djokjakarta eliminates the isolated Dutch unit here with 168:1 odds. DA 53, 105 finally ends the suffering with 151:1 odds, casualties 686(199) vs 9(0) as the enemy LCU here surrenders.

Thus does meaningful resistance on Java end. We will seize Banjoewangi tomorrow and then concentrate overwhelming forces, most 100% prepped, on Batavia.

15th Army

Our sweeps at Kalemyo are scrubbed by weather. The enemy bombs our troops with Hudsons and then attacks. We are disturbed that CF obtains (barely) a 1:1 here and drops forts to 0. Casualties are 197(1) vs 310(3). We thought that the jungle rough terrain would provide more of a bonus to us and a reduction to him. I'll post the combat report in a sec as Cribtop HQ wants your analysis as to whether this was a good die roll for the Aussies or a sign of trouble. Our current plan is to use the balance of 33rd Division to attempt to isolate 6th Oz Division, but if Kalemyo is going to fall quickly this plan is kaput.

China

On to more pleasant news. As expected, CF DAs just SE of Wuchang and fails with 1:2 odds, casualties 400(5) vs 335(0). We are shifting a second brigade into this hex while a division maneuvers to isolate the enemy through clever use of hex side control at Wuchang. Speaking of which, the enemy BAs there continue, but fail to prevent the base from making level 6 forts today.

Up north, our SA east (map) of Sian isolates two ChiCom corps and further shatters them with 64:1 odds, casualties 882(112) vs 86(0).

[Cribtop]

The promised combat report:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ground combat at Kalemyo (59,42)

Allied Deliberate attack

Attacking force 14112 troops, 246 guns, 360 vehicles, Assault Value = 479

Defending force 4288 troops, 40 guns, 12 vehicles, Assault Value = 149

Allied engineers reduce fortifications to 0

Allied adjusted assault: 379

Japanese adjusted defense: 352

Allied assault odds: 1 to 1 (fort level 0)

Allied Assault reduces fortifications to 0

Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+)
Attacker: leaders(+)

Japanese ground losses:
310 casualties reported
Squads: 2 destroyed, 42 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 6 disabled
Guns lost 10 (1 destroyed, 9 disabled)


Allied ground losses:
197 casualties reported
Squads: 1 destroyed, 52 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 5 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled


Assaulting units:
6th Australian Division

Defending units:
33rd/A Division


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[SuluSea]

ORIGINAL: ny59giants

How 'bout those Cowboys???

That was pretty ugly. Jason Garrett doesn't give me any different vibes than Wade Phillips when you have a lead like that the air needs to come out of the ball, speaking of Wade I watched his squad against the Steelers and he has the Texans defense playing pretty good ball.

[Cribtop]

Yep, run the ball when you're up by 24!

Not surprised Wade is doing well for the Steelers - he's always been a good Defensive Co-ordinator and a bad head coach. The John Bell Hood of the NFL. [;)]

[Cribtop]

May 10, 1942

Subs

I-17 is DC'd by an ASW TF off Pearl to no effect. Triton first duds on DD Hishu and then hits an xAK in a convoy returning from Truk (empty except for bird poop). The xAK will probably make Yokohama despite the new ventilation. I-6 is hounded by PGs near Diamond Harbor.

Glens spot some juicy ships leaving Suva and our I-boats move to intercept. Tomorrow's replay could be interesting.

4th Fleet

No change.

SE Fleet

10 B-17s raid Horn Island again for minimial damage. Naval Guards begin to unload at Gasmata and Namatanai. These 2 bases plus Kavieng and Manus will be the inner defensive network for Rabaul.

14th Army

Constant BAs are rapidly dropping the enemy's reported AS at Clark.

16th Army

3 B-17s raid Daly. Cribtop Intel suspects these small raids are the result of CF trying to fly the monsters from the supply challenged level 3 field at Alice Springs and that he is suffering damaged air frames due to Ops issues.

Soutwest Area Fleet HQ has arrived at Kendari, which will be the major base for the Timor area.

25th Army

Forgot to mention yesterday that the Soerabaja shipyard was taken with no damage. Banzai!

DA Banjoewangi takes the base with 29:1 odds and forces the surrender of two isolated base forces. All elements of 56th Division now board trains and we will combine the unit before the final assault on Batavia.

15th Army

Little Andaman occupied. Loving the improved rowboat corps.

Our massive air attacks planned for Kalemyo are scrubbed by storms. However, CF doesn't attack again and forts go back up to level 1.

China

We bomb the enemy SE of Wuchang (map) as our troops manuever to isolate these units or force them to withdraw. Another of our "Sherman vs. Joe Johnston" type efforts which to date have been very successful.

5th Fleet

Ground forces associated with Operation Winter Lotus load today and the fleet will sortie soon.

[Cribtop]

Time for a very short bit of speculation. Cribtop Intel notes that CF has engaged in limited but apparently at least somewhat pre-planned counter-offensives at this early date in both Burma and NW Oz. Elsewhere he has been more than quiet. While this could just be ad hoc actions against targets of opportunity, Cribtop HQ is beginning to assemble a working hypothesis that CF's grand plan is to attack the DEI via a pincers type offensive with one arm coming out of Assam via Burma and the other out of a re-captured NW Oz aimed at Timor. This is a popular Allied gambit and CF's vivid memories of Q-ball's success in the AAR that first popularized the Darwin - Timor axis must be considered a factor.

There is the possibility this is maskirovka, of course, but for now it is probably the most consistent way to "read the tea leaves" as Canoerebel is fond of saying.

PS - Happy to say I got Tracker working again! I'll post some screens of a/c and engine production over the weekend and request advice. Due to the loss of Tracker for a few weeks of game turns the screens will be as much a surprise to me as to y'all.

[Cribtop]

May 11, 1942

The next 48 hours will see a damn near run thing play out at Akyab.

Also, it's 12:18am CDT, and OU still SUCKS! Go Texas!

Subs

CF sends DD Fortune to hunt I-1 off Bombay and strikes pay dirt, obtaining several penetrating hits and forcing the sub to withdraw. 50/50 that she makes it back to Port Blair or Sabang (which will soon fall). Our subs off Suva miss the prize, but have several more options approaching or leaving Suva to go for. We will concentrate even more subs off Fiji as this is clearly CF's main SOPAC base.

Something Allied sinks during the damage control phase. Escorts of a troop convoy chase off O-20 in the Makassar Strait. Escorts of another troop convoy chase off Snapper near Timor. The xAK torpedoed yesterday safely makes Yokohama and puts in for repairs.

4th Fleet

No change.

SE Fleet

We finish unloading at Gasmata and Namatanai. CF hits Horn Island again for nominal damage.

14th Army

No change.

16th Army

Engineers, infantry and IJAAF bombers all hasten to strengthen our defenses at Daly Waters. CF is still withdrawing, but we want to make sure.

25th Army

On Java, troops re-position for the assault on Batavia while a troop convoy loads at Kendari with a few late arrival engineer units and base forces. Serasan occupied.

15th Army

We fail to sweep Kalemyo despite having 4 air groups ordered to do so. Our ground attacks encounter 3 Hurris. The escorting Oscars prevent damage to the bombers, but at a price of 2 Oscars shot down vs 1 Hurricane.

The Allies have managed to move an Indian Division into Akyab and DA today, knocking forts down to 1 and getting a 1:1. Casualties are 538(7) vs 594(2). These losses are not sustainable, but the Imperial Guards Division has marched 41 miles toward the Akyab hex. We presume they'll be 45 miles along, 1 mile out, tomorrow. If CF attacks again, he may take the base. If not, the Guards will easily secure it on the 13th. Very tight. Hopefully he desists, but we shift the IJAAF to hit Akyab to help if he doesn't. A damn near run thing indeed.

Magwe makes level 4 airfield. We don't plan on inproving the basin airfields beyond level 4 as Cribtop HQ's Fringe Division reports that, per PzB's AAR, there is an advantage to repairing smaller airfields when the 4Es come calling.

China

No change - for now.

5th Fleet

Ground elements of Operation Winter Lotus are loaded up and the fleet sorties.

Other

CV Hiyo arrives at Kobe thanks to acceleration. Banzai!

[Capt. Harlock]

Very tight. Hopefully he desists, but we shift the IJAAF to hit Akyab to help if he doesn't. A damn near run thing indeed.

An interesting situation, and I like the allusion to Wellington.

[ny59giants]

Also, it's 12:18am CDT, and OU still SUCKS! Go Texas!

A 100 yard kickoff return is not going to be enough. If Texas cannot slow down the OU hurry up offense, its going to be a long day. You might want to start drinking now.

[Cribtop]

Yeah, I thought we'd lose, but I doubted we'd get blown out like this. Ugh.

[Cribtop]

Burma and Engines

A VERY rough day today. Longhorns blown out and Cuttlefish takes Akyab ONE DAY before Imperial Guards Division would have arrived to save the base. Ugh.

Here is the situation in Burma, a developing early Allied counterattack. 17th Indian Division, an armoured unit, a small infantry unit and a base force are at Akyab, 6th Oz Division is at Kalemyo. All enemy forces near Myitkyina are defeated and retreating towards India. We are not thrilled that CF can now build up air bases within fighter range of Mandalay and Magwe. However, scraping enough forces to mount a counterattack would remove the option of Operation Red Dragon. We'll have to ponder this new reality - thoughts welcome.

PS - At least the Rangers are playing well.