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Hard to believe that 3 divisions would not be enough for Darwin (if you can get them ashore safely).

Out of the 90 factories researching the Helen Ia, i have switched 30 to Helen Ib, so i'll keep 60 Helens Ia in production...i'd like to stockpile this plane a bit cause it will form my main air ASW weapon for the whole war (it has the MAD!).
The Rufe factory has been shifted to the A6M5 (30(0)!) as planned.
For what concerns res/oil we discovered a major problem...only 17 days left of resources stocks in Japan!!! I'm short of 79k resources daily!!! i have more than 70k resources shipping from Hokkaido, China and Korea, but it's not enough... i've dispatched 15 Aden calss xAKs...hopefully the production won't be stopped

The semi-retired economics minister comes back to lend assistance. Let me just say that my last email to Nic was very, very, very long. [:-] [X(] So many lessons to teach, so little time to do so. [;)]

Yes, i can now declare that NY59Giants is my personal analyst[:D]
 
March 11th 1942
 
Another slow turn but that already shows what will wait for us in the next months.
At Akyab 40 bombers, heavily escorted, arrived to smash my units and the base. We had 26 zeros there of the Yamada Det... we tangled with the enemy, losing 3 zeros (only 1 pilot KIA) and shooting down 3 enemies and causing 4 more op losses...however this means that Burma is going to become sooner than later the usual training ground for allied bombers...
 
Enemy CVs are supporting the invasion of Ndeni...our sub missed the Enterprise twice[:o] but sank a xAP full of troops near Lungaville....
the other 2 CVs are still lingering near Attu Island....
 
Nothing much else to report... our 3 divisions left Kendari today heading for Darwin... we're also grabbing the newly arrived Guards Division at Camra bay in order to use it to clear West Sumatra and then Balikapan...
 
 
 

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

Hard to believe that 3 divisions would not be enough for Darwin (if you can get them ashore safely).

4 BBs should be enough to prevent a slaughter of my transports due to his CD guns...
when Darwin will fall, we'll use one division to finally clear Timor and then the rest of NW Oz...

China situation map... After the fall of Sian we'll keep on pushing north in order to isolate Chungking plains from the northern Oil. In the south we'll keep on pushing following the vectors highlighted... i think by mid 42 we should be able to stabilish a safe offensive perimeter around Chingking plains...

Fantastic job in China. Any plans to attack from Burma to seal the deal? A push to grab Kunming before the Chinese can mass there could be decisive.

Sorry guys. Very little time to play and update untill Sunday...

Bad news for the Empire.... The invasion of Darwin has been repulsed....more than 100 bombers from Darwin run Havoc over my approaching ships...sinking and damaging serval of them.... my blame cause i didn't have any air cover.... The passage of the KB in the IO has been a mistake....

March is running and i slowed down everywhere...even in China he pushed me back in several places.... think we'll be shifting on the defence very soon....Brad is clearly too good for me for my first jap adventure[:)]

Planning now the conquest of Ndeni...i changed my mind.... as always[:o]

You still have lenity of time to get China. Being repulsed is to be expected. But the Chinese are fragile and you can eventually wear them down, especially with the start you have. I notice you're using lots of movement off-road. If he gets a blockade in place it's going to take a long time to shift gears. If you do get the the Chungking plains, you'll have very little supply against a lot of troops. I would stick to roads where you can.

Everywhere else just assume best play from your opponent. Keep using the hammer and you'll have the initiative for all of 42.

Vacations are over guys. I'm officially back in business[:'(] and will have a lot more time to devote to witp and to this AAR.

Ok, we reached Mar 14 1942. 16 days to go before the amphib bonus ends...

We moved back our Darwin invasion force, waiting for the KB to arrive.... in two days we'll be in position.

In SOPAC he managed to unload 3 units at Ndeni...my counter invasion forces are on their way...should be able to land something like a division worth of AV...
We lost 2 subs today in the attempt of attacking his shippings at Ndeni....always those damned mines[:@].
On the other hand we managed to put a fish into the Enterprise, after 2 failed attempts in the last weeks... in the waters between Ndeni and Lungaville... damage is very light but i hope she'll have to move back to a safe port.... my counterattack plan is taking shape... Munda already have an Air HQ with AF at level 1 and 60% with 90 eng....hopefully in less than a week i'll be able to base there 100 betties, while 50 zeros will be moving to Tulagi.... CVL Soho is already at Rabaul with 2 CAs, 2 BBs and 15 DDs.... Hoping that the Enterprise will be out of action his CV force will be reduced to 1 CV...against 1 CVL and 100 Betties...not bad indeed.

We also exchanged some good fists in Burma...he sent his entire air force against Akyab... The Yamada Daitai did wonderfully, shooting down more than 28 enemies (22 Hurris!!) and losing "only" 3 pilots.... not bad! These raids are very expensive for him...i know the allied reinforcements rates for 1942 and they are horrible!....

At Sian (China) we managed to obtain a 4-1 and then a 3-1...forts are down to 1 so i think tomorrow we'll get the base... then we'll keep on pushing north, in order to cut the oil supply from Langchow...

More news tonight


AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR Mar 14, 42
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Morning Air attack on Akyab , at 54,45

Weather in hex: Light cloud

Raid spotted at 19 NM, estimated altitude 12,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 5 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 33



Allied aircraft
Hurricane IIb Trop x 41
B-26 Marauder x 18


Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 1 destroyed

Allied aircraft losses
Hurricane IIb Trop: 12 destroyed
B-26 Marauder: 1 damaged

Japanese ground losses:
13 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled



Airbase hits 3
Airbase supply hits 2
Runway hits 10

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sub attack near Vanikoro at 121,146

Japanese Ships
SS I-173

Allied Ships
CV Enterprise, Torpedo hits 1[:'(]
DD Maury
DD Dunlap



SS I-173 launches 4 torpedoes at CV Enterprise
I-173 diving deep ....
DD Dunlap fails to find sub, continues to search...
DD Dunlap fails to find sub, continues to search...
DD Dunlap fails to find sub, continues to search...
DD Dunlap fails to find sub, continues to search...
DD Dunlap fails to find sub, continues to search...
Escort abandons search for sub


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

Ground combat at Sian (83,41)

Japanese Deliberate attack

Attacking force 50550 troops, 397 guns, 84 vehicles, Assault Value = 1434

Defending force 40079 troops, 127 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 855

Japanese adjusted assault: 867

Allied adjusted defense: 237

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

Japanese Assault reduces fortifications to 1

Combat modifiers
Defender: preparation(-), experience(-)
Attacker:

Japanese ground losses:
1488 casualties reported
Squads: 4 destroyed, 111 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 17 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 5 disabled


Allied ground losses:
2037 casualties reported
Squads: 17 destroyed, 270 disabled
Non Combat: 2 destroyed, 39 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 6 disabled


Assaulting units:
6th Ind.Mixed Brigade
35th Division
32nd Division
13th Ind.Mixed Brigade
61st Infantry Brigade
53rd Infantry Brigade
Mongol Garrison Army
Botanko Hvy Gun Regiment
North China Area Army
11th Field Artillery Regiment

Defending units:
76th Chinese Corps
57th Chinese Corps
85th Chinese Corps
36th Group Army
Jingcha War Area
43rd Chinese Corps
22nd Group Army
2nd War Area
6th Group Army
10th Chinese Base Force



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

Ground combat at Yenan (88,37)

Japanese Shock attack

Attacking force 10099 troops, 49 guns, 6 vehicles, Assault Value = 345

Defending force 3734 troops, 36 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 39

Japanese adjusted assault: 277

Allied adjusted defense: 37

Japanese assault odds: 7 to 1 (fort level 2)

Japanese forces CAPTURE Yenan !!!

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

Japanese ground losses:
108 casualties reported
Squads: 1 destroyed, 19 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled


Allied ground losses:
1653 casualties reported
Squads: 6 destroyed, 6 disabled
Non Combat: 70 destroyed, 38 disabled
Engineers: 8 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 13 (12 destroyed, 1 disabled)
Units retreated 2


Defeated Allied Units Retreating!

Assaulting units:
11th Indpt Infantry Regiment
2nd NCPC Infantry Brigade
26th Engineer Regiment
102nd NCPC Route Brigade
3rd NCPC Infantry Brigade
56th JAAF AF Bn

Defending units:
18th Group Army
12th Chinese Base Force

I assume that the map you are playing is significantly diffrent than stock? In stock Ndeni starts at 0(5) af which i believe could build up to a level 8, allowing for effective 4e deployment. Regardless of this, Ndeni could support large numbers of fighters relatively soon which could fly cap over Surface Combat fleets, which could reach lunga in 1 turn and lay waste to your AF at Lunga. While the AF will repair, the loss of A/C could be a problem. If you do go for Ndeni I'd suggest not placing too many A/C there, other than fighters, because he can do the same from Luganvile to Ndeni. So basicly, if I was you I'd Keep my bombers at Lunga only if i have captured Ndeni, otherwise Munda is safer for you.

ORIGINAL: gmoney

I assume that the map you are playing is significantly diffrent than stock? In stock Ndeni starts at 0(5) af which i believe could build up to a level 8, allowing for effective 4e deployment. Regardless of this, Ndeni could support large numbers of fighters relatively soon which could fly cap over Surface Combat fleets, which could reach lunga in 1 turn and lay waste to your AF at Lunga. While the AF will repair, the loss of A/C could be a problem. If you do go for Ndeni I'd suggest not placing too many A/C there, other than fighters, because he can do the same from Luganvile to Ndeni. So basicly, if I was you I'd Keep my bombers at Lunga only if i have captured Ndeni, otherwise Munda is safer for you.

You're right, i was mistaken. Ndeni starts at 0(5). That's why i'm counterinvading it. It is still at 0 AF, but i bet very soon fighters will show up...
My bombers will be based at Munda, while fighters at Tulagi (which is still lvl 1 AF) for performing escort missions.
The key factor will be the arrival of the KB however...i badly need it in the pacific...but first i have to use it to cover the landings at Darwin....

China front

Burma and western china fronts

Java front

Think Brad made some huge mistakes in China (which is, btw, the only theatre where i'm doing decently well)... he defended the plains east of Nanyang and got caught by my tank army deep penetration... he got some corps circled but he still had time and chance to fall back and estabilish a defensive perimeter in the woods/mountains around Sian...but he didn't cover the upper road that leads from Tayiuan to Sian, so my 1st army was able to easily push westwards there, flanking all his armies defending the woods SE of Sian... and so he was forced to abbandon the whole front...strange i'd say!
 
At Changsha the same.... he didn't defend Patun and probably panicked when i took it with my paras... I think it was not necessary to abbandon the whole Changsha sector but he did...and now my offensive positions are much stronger, while his supply sources become less and less available... the Burma road is almost closed and we're building up a big AF at Ankang...from there we'll be able to bomb Chungking.
 
the outcome of the first 4 months of war in China is that i already took most of the objectives i planned to get for the whole war... now i'll try to strangle it, transforming the next offensives into a supply warfare...
If i manage (as i wish) to take Chikkiang, then the whole Kweiyang front will be risking of being flanked and the doors of Chungking will be open... finger crossed

WARNING!
On Mar 16, while enemy CVs are retiring towards PH after the torpedoing of CV Enterprise, our recon spotted 6 (SIX) units at Ndeni, for a total of 9900 men, 100 guns and 70 vehicles!!! [:-]...i fear that's too much for the regiments assembling at Rabaul...
 
Sian is conquered...while the enemy managed to flee...but the city is damaged [:@]
 
Enemy ships spotted near Cocos...and i'm watching a fearsome movements in the PI!...a Cruiser is spotted at Luzon and several units are moving into Manila from Clark...damn, Brad has the ability of always surprising me!
We've now ordered to reinforce the PI blokade..a regiment and a division are now ordered to move to Luzon to prevent any enemy breakthrough

mmm.... At Cocos Island he's clearly reinforcing...as he's doing in the Aleutinas and at Ndeni... these will surely be the fronts of the next months...Brad is making me spinn, avoiding my fists and counterattacking where i am not looking... got a lot to learn from him

ORIGINAL: GreyJoy

Sorry guys. Very little time to play and update untill Sunday...

Bad news for the Empire.... The invasion of Darwin has been repulsed....more than 100 bombers from Darwin run Havoc over my approaching ships...sinking and damaging serval of them.... my blame cause i didn't have any air cover.... The passage of the KB in the IO has been a mistake....

March is running and i slowed down everywhere...even in China he pushed me back in several places.... think we'll be shifting on the defence very soon....Brad is clearly too good for me for my first jap adventure[:)]

Planning now the conquest of Ndeni...i changed my mind.... as always[:o]

GJ,

You should and you "will" take China. It will at least free up some men for you to use elsewhere and help your defenses later. Don't let up there as it is the one front where the Allies have very little power to control events. Once you take Kweiwang then he will have a difficult choice-cover the road to Kummin or defend the Chunking plain. My personal feeling is the Allied player should fight to keep the Japanese from moving into Burma from China. If you cut the road to India, China cannot be saved.

ORIGINAL: crsutton

ORIGINAL: GreyJoy

Sorry guys. Very little time to play and update untill Sunday...

Bad news for the Empire.... The invasion of Darwin has been repulsed....more than 100 bombers from Darwin run Havoc over my approaching ships...sinking and damaging serval of them.... my blame cause i didn't have any air cover.... The passage of the KB in the IO has been a mistake....

March is running and i slowed down everywhere...even in China he pushed me back in several places.... think we'll be shifting on the defence very soon....Brad is clearly too good for me for my first jap adventure[:)]

Planning now the conquest of Ndeni...i changed my mind.... as always[:o]

GJ,

You should and you "will" take China. It will at least free up some men for you to use elsewhere and help your defenses later. Don't let up there as it is the one front where the Allies have very little power to control events. Once you take Kweiwang then he will have a difficult choice-cover the road to Kummin or defend the Chunking plain. My personal feeling is the Allied player should fight to keep the Japanese from moving into Burma from China. If you cut the road to India, China cannot be saved.

Yes Sir, I Will![:D]

I'll do my best and i'll keep on pushing...however the "easy" part is now over...Brad was clearly surprised by my use of paras in China but now he learnt the lesson and is defending in depth

AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR Mar 16, 42

A decent turn for the Empire i'd say.

In Burma he sent several unescorted B-26s against Akyab...losing 12 of them for nothing against the Yamada Daitai (the last days of combat for this great unit, which will be withdrawn on April 7th).

In China the 1st Army crossed the river NE of Sian and shock attacked a HUGE allied army, achieving a 1-1...one Bde is trashed, but the other big units are in decent shape...a couple of days of resting and then we'll be able to fight again, keeping on pushing north! Cannot let all those corps dig in on the mountains in good shape!

The biggest events showed up at Ndeni. I moved 80 Betties at Shortland (level 2 AF), using the Air Division recently positioned at Munda. I knew the enemy CVs were retiring so i played my cards.... unescorted raids against Ndeni at 17 hexes range (the max of the Betty using torps).... we lost 7 betties (4 flak, 3 ops) but we did scored 1 torp on Colorado, 1 Torp on Warspite and we sunk an xAP....ok, nothing to write home about but this will make feel Brad a little scared hopefully and will probably retire his surface assets towards Noumea, Lungaville or Suva....where my subs are waiting with patience....[8D]
I have the CVL Soho in the area...he doesn't know of here presence...so i'm thinking of laying a little surprise for his BBs....

KB refueled and now it's ready to support the Darwin Invasion. Tomorrow we'll get closer to Darwin.... going blind there...no recon possible....

Kaga's group left Singapore and will try to interfere with his attempts to reinforce Cocos....



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Morning Air attack on Akyab , at 54,45

Weather in hex: Thunderstorms

Raid spotted at 19 NM, estimated altitude 13,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 5 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 19



Allied aircraft
B-26 Marauder x 11


No Japanese losses

Allied aircraft losses
B-26 Marauder: 2 destroyed, 2 damaged



Runway hits 1

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Morning Air attack on Akyab , at 54,45

Weather in hex: Thunderstorms

Raid spotted at 20 NM, estimated altitude 14,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 5 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 15



Allied aircraft
B-26 Marauder x 13


No Japanese losses

Allied aircraft losses
B-26 Marauder: 4 destroyed, 8 damaged



Airbase hits 2
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Morning Air attack on TF, near Ndeni at 120,143

Weather in hex: Moderate rain

Raid detected at 57 NM, estimated altitude 12,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 19 minutes

Japanese aircraft
G4M1 Betty x 8



Japanese aircraft losses
G4M1 Betty: 7 damaged

Allied Ships
DD Henley
BB Colorado, Torpedo hits 1




--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Ndeni at 120,143

Weather in hex: Overcast

Raid detected at 75 NM, estimated altitude 11,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 26 minutes

Japanese aircraft
G4M1 Betty x 16



Japanese aircraft losses
G4M1 Betty: 7 damaged

Allied Ships
xAP Yukon, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
CL St. Louis
AP Thomas Jefferson
BB Warspite, Torpedo hits 1




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

Ground combat at 83,40 (near Sian)

Japanese Shock attack

Attacking force 52769 troops, 381 guns, 40 vehicles, Assault Value = 1636

Defending force 71438 troops, 240 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 1631

Japanese adjusted assault: 798

Allied adjusted defense: 538

Japanese assault odds: 1 to 1

Combat modifiers
Defender: experience(-)
Attacker: shock(+), disruption(-)

Japanese ground losses:
7354 casualties reported
Squads: 266 destroyed, 417 disabled
Non Combat: 3 destroyed, 36 disabled
Engineers: 6 destroyed, 19 disabled
Guns lost 44 (7 destroyed, 37 disabled)


Allied ground losses:
8591 casualties reported
Squads: 143 destroyed, 336 disabled
Non Combat: 12 destroyed, 265 disabled
Engineers: 1 destroyed, 32 disabled
Guns lost 51 (5 destroyed, 46 disabled)


Assaulting units:
4th Ind.Mixed Brigade
15th Ind.Mixed Brigade
7th Ind.Mixed Brigade
41st Division
9th Ind.Mixed Brigade
37th Division
4th NCPC Infantry Brigade
1st Army
6th Medium Field Artillery Regiment

Defending units:
85th Chinese Corps
36th Chinese Corps
76th Chinese Corps
80th Chinese Corps
57th Chinese Corps
92nd Chinese Corps
6th Group Army
36th Group Army
2nd War Area
Jingcha War Area
14th Group Army
43rd Chinese Corps
22nd Group Army
10th Chinese Base Force

It's March 1942. You are in control. Not Q-Ball. Do not let him set the agenda. Ndeni? Big deal. You should have much bigger fish to fry. You should have such important plans that he should be sweating and having to react to you, not the other way around.

While he's committing valuable assets at Ndeni, you should be hitting him somewhere that hurts. Darwin is an important stepping stone for you, but it's not the kind of place that's going to give an Allied player nightmares in March 1942. Same with Akyab. These places should be steps on the way to something that puts real pressure on Brad and makes him react or make a mistake.

Just because Q-Ball chooses to show up somewhere doesn't make that place important (unless you're looking for a good place to give battle).