Matrix Games Forums

[font="Times New Roman"]MAY 12-13, 1942[/font]

---

[font="Microsoft Sans Serif"]SUBS: [/font]Silversides gets to two more convoys with no results. Good boat.

[font="Microsoft Sans Serif"]INDIA: [/font]Nothing major. Still sending out recon and sifting through the results.

[font="Microsoft Sans Serif"]Pacific: [/font]Operation Palisade has gone without a hitch so far, and I'm sensing little interest from the Japanese in the area still. No big SIGINT blips or heavy radio activity at Truk or Rabaul. I'll send one more small unit to Vanua Lava to hold that, which is still in Allied hands, until a base force can arrive.

[font="Microsoft Sans Serif"]CHINA: [/font] I'm getting nervous about the poor territory SE of Changsha and what will happen when Pingsiang falls eventually. I might start reorganizing a fallback line in the +3 and send a bunch of Corps from reserves back there. Thinking of abandoning Kukong and the majority of the road there as well, then eventually giving up Pingsiang and the two bases in the clear. It opens a lot of territory to the IJA but might mean avoiding the BIG collapse that could happen when these forward lines break after he eventually brings in air power. I'll ply give it up though once the air units start pounding away, if they do come. He still might choose not to go there, especially if India looks like it needs the IJAAF more.

[font="Microsoft Sans Serif"]PI:[/font] Manila is on the ropes in a big way. There are 250 2E bombers here now pounding away daily, and the troops in base swelled to 2400AV!! They tried a DA and got a 2:1 off the bat, so only a few more days here. Hopefuly everything can retreat to Clark and stall a little bit longer.

[font="Trebuchet MS"]--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR May 12, 42
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Ground combat at Manila (79,77)

Japanese Deliberate attack

Attacking force 73722 troops, 738 guns, 778 vehicles, Assault Value = 2812

Defending force 27553 troops, 307 guns, 36 vehicles, Assault Value = 654

Japanese adjusted assault: 2361

Allied adjusted defense: 801

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

Japanese Assault reduces fortifications to 2

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

Japanese ground losses:
2286 casualties reported
Squads: 4 destroyed, 162 disabled
Non Combat: 1 destroyed, 35 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 32 disabled
Guns lost 13 (2 destroyed, 11 disabled)

Allied ground losses:
1799 casualties reported
Squads: 46 destroyed, 205 disabled
Non Combat: 2 destroyed, 95 disabled
Engineers: 1 destroyed, 15 disabled
Guns lost 71 (4 destroyed, 67 disabled)

Assaulting units:
48th Division
65th Brigade
6th Tank Regiment
36th Division
3rd Ind Engineer Regiment
2nd Division
38th Division
41st Division
4th Tank Regiment
21st Ind Engineer Regiment
Guards Tank Division
14th Army
23rd Medium Field Artillery Regiment
2nd RF Gun Battalion
2nd Ind.Art.Mortar Battalion
1st Medium Field Artillery Regiment
9th RF Gun Battalion

Defending units:
41st PA Infantry Division
31st Infantry Regiment
51st PA Infantry Division
91st PA Infantry Division
57th PS Infantry Regimental Combat Team
71st PA Infantry Division
3rd/101st PA Battalion
USAFFE
II Philippine Corps
PAF Aviation
Asiatic Fleet
1st USMC AA Battalion
Cavite USN Base Force
Nichols Field AAF Base Force /1

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------[/font]

---

---

[font="Trebuchet MS"]These guys are starting to come faster now. Four units in the past week! That's what I need. Love that in Babes the SeaBees have combat engineers as well, for 12 AV per unit. Makes them a holding force for small islands, and I'll us them that way. [/font]

Sweeps of the one Lightning group and the best of the P-40s will hit Hyderabad from Poona, which should be a sized 5 field by then, hoping to overwhelm the 60 fighters in base and make way for a raid on the fields by 4E and 2E from Bombay, which will be sized 9 by then. P-39s and Mohawks will escort the bombers.

Interesting that all of the fighters in the plan are American-made. I assume the Hurricanes don't have the range?

ORIGINAL: obvert

[font="Times New Roman"]OPERATION CHARIOT[/font]

---

The plans for India are taking shape. Operation Chariot will commence as soon as the para-unit and some US AA units arrive through Cape Town, in about 20-25 days. After some initial recon of the area it seems most of the forward bases Japan grabbed are currently unbuilt and unoccupied. Most still have damage on the fields from earlier bombings.

1. Step one will involve a para-drop on Jubbalore, well into Japanese territory but along a rail line that doesn't pass through any other Japanese bases. It's also in +3 territory to help protect against initial bombing and later troop movements if they come. I'll move a division in after the paras with a few decent engineer units and base forces, plus some under experienced armor and some AA. This will be a holding position only behind which other units can fill in empty bases.

2. Simultaneous to the para-drop units will rail to the vacant and still Allied dot bases surrounding the Hyderabad area. At least one big engineer unit, a few base forces and a brigade will go to each base. Air fields will be built as quickly as possible.

3. Sweeps of the one Lightning group and the best of the P-40s will hit Hyderabad from Poona, which should be a sized 5 field by then, hoping to overwhelm the 60 fighters in base and make way for a raid on the fields by 4E and 2E from Bombay, which will be sized 9 by then. P-39s and Mohawks will escort the bombers. The only other decent air base nearby is Madras at level 5. There are a few level 2 bases. All others are a level 1.

4. Four good divisions will move from Poona toward Hyderabad with some armor and AA. Two Aussie divisions, a Brit and an Indian division will be involved along with the best of the armor. Another several not so experienced divisions will move in to garrison Poona and other bases in the rear.

5. Amazingly there is a base still in Allied hands deep in Japanese territory near Jamshedpure. It's not on the rail, but if possible I'll try to fly something in there, at least as a distraction.

This is the beginning, but I'll leave the rest until it gets started and see what the reaction is like. everything from the PI could move this way, or nothing, and Japanese forces could fall back as we move forward. We'll see.

---

SOLID ORANGE HEX - unoccupied Japanese base
OPEN ORANGE HEX - unreconned Japanese base

OPEN BLUE HEX - base still in Allied control

---

Have you shifted any tank units to India? This is perfect tank country.

ORIGINAL: Capt. Harlock

Sweeps of the one Lightning group and the best of the P-40s will hit Hyderabad from Poona, which should be a sized 5 field by then, hoping to overwhelm the 60 fighters in base and make way for a raid on the fields by 4E and 2E from Bombay, which will be sized 9 by then. P-39s and Mohawks will escort the bombers.

Interesting that all of the fighters in the plan are American-made. I assume the Hurricanes don't have the range?

With the exception of the P38 pretty much all Allied fighters have a crappy range. With the distances in the Pacific India/Burma is pretty much the only place where you can do offensive missions with the USAAF.

ORIGINAL: Capt. Harlock

Sweeps of the one Lightning group and the best of the P-40s will hit Hyderabad from Poona, which should be a sized 5 field by then, hoping to overwhelm the 60 fighters in base and make way for a raid on the fields by 4E and 2E from Bombay, which will be sized 9 by then. P-39s and Mohawks will escort the bombers.

Interesting that all of the fighters in the plan are American-made. I assume the Hurricanes don't have the range?

Some of the Hurris do get out to 7 hexes, and will be involved, but I see them more as defensive fighters and don't want to lose the airframes or the better pilots I'm putting into them. They will mainly be trying to CAP the units moving forward and Bombay's and Poona's airfields. I also have the entire CAF in India, and just got some Lancers for them. I only upgraded one unit to using them to keep a few measly reserves. There are some good pilots developing now there.

ORIGINAL: crsutton


Have you shifted any tank units to India? This is perfect tank country.

I do have two US tank units shipping over, and the Indian ones are rounding into shape (slowly). The clear makes me wary of racing tanks ahead in the North of India, but in the area around Hyderabad they should be useful to attempt to flank the base.

[font="Times New Roman"]NEW GUINEA and ISLANDS[/font]

---

Here is overview of the South Pacific and Southern New Guinea. It's surprising that so few bases have been built. Only Rabaul, Port Moresby and Horn Island have airfields that are level 2 or higher and could launch strikes. Gasmata has a level 1 base. That's about it.

Many bases (in blue) are still in Allied hands, likely due to very few combat troops on neighboring islands, otherwise the rowboat corps would have turned them Japanese long ago. Looks like a lot of territory the Japanese have decided not to fight in, but I'm sure the IJN will make and appearance if the Allies move in a sloppy, overconfident way, so any progress here will be considered and slow, taking advantage of LBA and cheap transport.

A lot of small xAP and xAKL were saved from the DEI and this is the perfect region for them to be effective alongside APDs and other fast transports. Of course once the LSTs start arriving it'll be even easier to move quickly and with less risk. Cover will be mainly DDs and smaller vessels, and cruisers and other larger, more valuable assets will only make appearances as needed for bombardments.

Should operation Palisade progress without hindrance I'll move on Ndeni within the month, then think of moving into the Solomons in late July or August.

[font="Times New Roman"]MAY 14-15, 1942[/font]

---

[font="Microsoft Sans Serif"]SUBS: [/font]The Tambor gets some good info on the KB indirectly. The AOs are found moving near Satawal, but don't show in the turn after, so I'm not sure which direction. In fact she tried again in the afternoon phase and launched 4 TT at one of the escorting DD, but again missed. Why only two for the AO and four for a DD?

Nice to see the actual commander, LCDR Murphy, that was on Tambor at Midway, who didn't follow through on sightings of IJN cruisers, is on the boat. Love the detail.

[font="Microsoft Sans Serif"]PI:[/font] A poor finish to the defense of Luzon as ALL of the troops in Manila surrender instead of retreating to Clark. I would have brought them together long ago if I thought this would happen. I was hoping for another few weeks here and at least some disablements of Japanese units, but this is too easy. So now I have to start wondering where all of the troops will head when this is done. My first guess is China. If it looks like India Operation Chariot might have to get going early and without the para-drop.

[font="Microsoft Sans Serif"]INDIA: [/font]If I don't use the paras here because I need to start in a week or two early with Chariot, I'll use some of the less experienced tank units to get to the empty bases to the West of Ahmedabad and Surat. This could also give them some experience, and they could be LR CAPed from Ahmedabad.

[font="Microsoft Sans Serif"]Pacific: [/font]Luganville and Efate are in Allied hands and engineers are unloading. A small xAKL, likely a picket as it's been loitering here for days, is sunk by the covering cruisers. No sightings of the enemy. Some AVPs are on their way to Luganville as is a base force coming through Suva. The two other regiments of the Americal are approaching Noumea, and the 32nd US division is between Christmas Island and Pago.

I'm sending some things to Christmas Islands to stage and prepare for the next step in the Gilberts. BBs, AOs, APDs and other support ships in port now. That op should start in about two weeks.

[font="Microsoft Sans Serif"]CHINA: [/font] Looking around at second line MLRs behind the Changsha area, and it looks feasible to start adding at least one unit from reserves to each of the necessary hexes behind the clear plains. Some started moving from Liuchow and Tuyun. I'l send one of the reserves from Chungking, and add a big Corps from Changsha. There are three +3 hexes on gray roads I'd need to hold and four +3 hexes in the woods off road I'd want to invest as well. Some units will move all of the way from the Lanchow area to get into these positions off road, but I'll have a fallback plan if anything starts up earlier than they arrive. The vulnerable hex is a +2 on the road from Changsha to Changteh. That one will need a big dug-in group of units to start soon. Holding Changsha even after the rest of the area falls wold still muck up Japanese supply and troop movement in the area.

[font="Microsoft Sans Serif"]SIGINT:[/font] I had thought Atimonan to be empty. I'l have to check this out. A small unit, but still.

[font="Trebuchet MS"]1st Sasebo SNLF Coy is located at Atimonan(80,79).[/font]

[font="Trebuchet MS"]--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR May 14, 42
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Amphibious Assault at Efate (120,154)

TF 392 troops unloading over beach at Efate, 120,154

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

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day Time Surface Combat, near Luganville at 120,150, Range 17,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
xAKL Katsura Maru, Shell hits 7, and is sunk

Allied Ships
CA Chicago
CA Cornwall
DD Craven
DD McCall
DD Stuart
DD Voyager

Allied Ships Reported to be Approaching!
Japanese TF begins to get underway
Maximum visibility in Overcast Conditions: 20,000 yards
xAKL Katsura Maru sunk by CA Cornwall at 9,000 yards
Combat ends with last Japanese ship sunk...

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sub attack near Satawal at 106,106

Japanese Ships
AO Ondo
AO Kyuko
AO Hayamoto
DD Numakaze
DD Yukaze

Allied Ships
SS Tambor

SS Tambor launches 2 torpedoes at AO Ondo More, please! Only two for a massive AO?
Tambor diving deep ....
DD Numakaze fails to find sub, continues to search...

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sub attack near Satawal at 106,106

Japanese Ships
DD Shiokaze
AO Kyuko
AO Hayamoto
DD Numakaze
DD Yukaze

Allied Ships
SS Tambor

SS Tambor launches 4 torpedoes at DD Shiokaze And then 4 TT for the DD??[&:]
DD Numakaze attacking submerged sub ....
DD Yukaze attacking submerged sub ....

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

Ground combat at Manila (79,77)

Japanese Deliberate attack

Attacking force 85782 troops, 878 guns, 873 vehicles, Assault Value = 2693

Defending force 24195 troops, 300 guns, 36 vehicles, Assault Value = 401

Japanese adjusted assault: 3104

Allied adjusted defense: 193

Japanese assault odds: 16 to 1 (fort level 2)

Japanese forces CAPTURE Manila !!!

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

Japanese ground losses:
727 casualties reported
Squads: 2 destroyed, 52 disabled
Non Combat: 8 destroyed, 12 disabled
Engineers: 7 destroyed, 13 disabled
Guns lost 5 (1 destroyed, 4 disabled)
Vehicles lost 8 (1 destroyed, 7 disabled)

Allied ground losses:
25220 casualties reported
Squads: 1025 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 1934 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 56 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 369 (369 destroyed, 0 disabled)
Vehicles lost 36 (36 destroyed, 0 disabled)
Units destroyed 14

Assaulting units:
29th Ind Engineer Regiment
2nd Division
3rd Ind Engineer Regiment
41st Division
21st Ind Engineer Regiment
65th Brigade
48th Division
4th Tank Regiment
6th Tank Regiment
36th Division
38th Division
Guards Tank Division
1st Medium Field Artillery Regiment
2nd RF Gun Battalion
2nd Ind.Art.Mortar Battalion
8th Medium Field Artillery Regiment
9th Ind.Hvy.Art. Battalion
23rd Medium Field Artillery Regiment
15th Ind.Art.Mortar Battalion
14th Army
9th RF Gun Battalion

Defending units:
91st PA Infantry Division
31st Infantry Regiment
57th PS Infantry Regimental Combat Team
71st PA Infantry Division
51st PA Infantry Division
3rd/101st PA Battalion
PAF Aviation
41st PA Infantry Division
Cavite USN Base Force
1st USMC AA Battalion
II Philippine Corps
Asiatic Fleet
USAFFE
Nichols Field AAF Base Force /1

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR May 15, 42
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Amphibious Assault at Luganville (120,150)

TF 393 troops unloading over beach at Luganville, 120,150

Allied ground losses:
17 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------[/font]

Reinforcements: The first CVE, but of course the most useless, too! [:D]

[font="Trebuchet MS"]CVE Long Island arrives at Balboa[/font]

Ships Sunk:

[font="Trebuchet MS"]xAKL Katsura Maru is reported to have been sunk near Luganville on May 14, 1942[/font]

---

---

[font="Trebuchet MS"]Nice to see some more US flags down here. [:)][/font]

Long Island is not quite useless. Put her to work ferrying aircraft to contested bases.
Since the aircraft can take off from the ship, it does not have to go into the centre of the storm to deliver.
The down side is that it needs an escort, but a couple of AMs or KVs that can do 16 kts should do.

Long Island can actually fly an 18-plane unit... I just tested it. That makes her a little less useless.

I like your new map style.

ORIGINAL: Lokasenna

Long Island can actually fly an 18-plane unit... I just tested it. That makes her a little less useless.

I like your new map style.

Cool. I'll be able to throw a Marine Wildcat unit on there and send her out where I wouldn't want to put the CVs in close support of amphibs.

ORIGINAL: obvert

[font="Times New Roman"]NEW GUINEA and ISLANDS[/font]

---

Here is overview of the South Pacific and Southern New Guinea. It's surprising that so few bases have been built. Only Rabaul, Port Moresby and Horn Island have airfields that are level 2 or higher and could launch strikes. Gasmata has a level 1 base. That's about it.

Many bases (in blue) are still in Allied hands, likely due to very few combat troops on neighboring islands, otherwise the rowboat corps would have turned them Japanese long ago. Looks like a lot of territory the Japanese have decided not to fight in, but I'm sure the IJN will make and appearance if the Allies move in a sloppy, overconfident way, so any progress here will be considered and slow, taking advantage of LBA and cheap transport.

A lot of small xAP and xAKL were saved from the DEI and this is the perfect region for them to be effective alongside APDs and other fast transports. Of course once the LSTs start arriving it'll be even easier to move quickly and with less risk. Cover will be mainly DDs and smaller vessels, and cruisers and other larger, more valuable assets will only make appearances as needed for bombardments.

Should operation Palisade progress without hindrance I'll move on Ndeni within the month, then think of moving into the Solomons in late July or August.

With commitments elsewhere there is bound to be a shortage of engineers and base units.

ORIGINAL: crsutton



With commitments elsewhere there is bound to be a shortage of engineers and base units.

Yes> I'm now getting some SIGINT of construction units moving to Rabaul, so maybe there is a late effort here? Seems too easy right now though.

Make sure everything you do is a full commitment. If I was GJ I would be looking for a medium sized allied attack to counter attack. If he can destroy 1-2 IDs + BFs, ENGs and HQ it can set you back 6 months at this stage.

Its still early. Unless AV is a real danger don´t get over ambitious. [:)]

How did you do that screenshot?

ORIGINAL: JocMeister

Make sure everything you do is a full commitment. If I was GJ I would be looking for a medium sized allied attack to counter attack. If he can destroy 1-2 IDs + BFs, ENGs and HQ it can set you back 6 months at this stage.

Its still early. Unless AV is a real danger don´t get over ambitious. [:)]

Yes. Thanks. I've been fighting my impatience the entire way. [:)]

Instead of medium sized moves with this kind of vulnerability I'm playing with very small sized grabs for the most part. Palisade is using the SL in So Pac to get powerful units into good positions, but far in the rear right now. I would take a two day move to get the KB in and that I can avoid. With a 30k SL Noumea would be a tough nut with a fully supported and fortified US division. Same with Suva although the SL is a bit higher, and due to the lack of interest in the area, I really can't see a big enough commitment this far away at this stage. As you've said, So Pac is the best place for the Allies to fight Japan in 42.

Now, in India I'll have to be more careful. The 2-3k AV in the PI could move in easily to Goa and attempt a move behind Operation Chariot moving on Hyderabad. I'll have to be vigilant, make sure there is an escape route and that the flank is at least managed if it can't be completely protected. Bombay and Karachi will have to continue to be garrisoned heavily, and that will happen. They're both edging toward level 7 forts now though and moving to level 9 airfields in days. Lots of US support units are on the way along with some armor and a few infantry regiments to threaten Diego if he goes for a flanking move in India.

China I can't control. This is where I'm most concerned with an all-out move. Instead of going forward I'm planning a way back to an even more stable line where air power that will soon be free to act here will not have so much influence. I'll start getting it set up and if it looks like an all-out rush, and if Pingsiang falls, i will then get everything back to the +3 and Changsha. I'll still have the inside lines, and I can keep the railroad near Kweillin/Liuchow. At Sian it's in the clear, so vulnerable to air power, but it will be level 4 forts, more than when he came last time. All areas behind already have a line set up.

ORIGINAL: Bullwinkle58

How did you do that screenshot?

I teach photoshop for a living! [;)]

A lot of screenshots compiled together. Pretty quick once the base map is put together.

Thanks.

ORIGINAL: obvert

ORIGINAL: Bullwinkle58

How did you do that screenshot?

I teach photoshop for a living! [;)]

A lot of screenshots compiled together. Pretty quick once the base map is put together.

I do the same. I do multiple screen captures and then, using Photoshop, crop just the mouse-over effect from the capture and cut/paste it onto the main map view that I am using.

I like the hexagons.

ORIGINAL: Lokasenna

ORIGINAL: obvert

ORIGINAL: Bullwinkle58

How did you do that screenshot?

I teach photoshop for a living! [;)]

A lot of screenshots compiled together. Pretty quick once the base map is put together.

I do the same. I do multiple screen captures and then, using Photoshop, crop just the mouse-over effect from the capture and cut/paste it onto the main map view that I am using.

I like the hexagons.

It's the polygon tool here. This is a really useful area of the program for any kind of diagram. The custom shape tools are cool too.