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I felt this was the biggest turn in the air I have ever played but statistically it probably wasn't. Still it was huge as not only Mike didn't blink, he doubled down.

Two key parts of the air battle for the day.

1. In a bold move, the Deathstar parked itself basically on the coastline of Japan and absorbed every air strike hurled at it to protect the transports and CVEs. Result 4 US x CVs moderate to light damage for about 600 IJN aircraft- ouch.

2. The centre of gravity for both sides is Hiroshima and Mike came back this turn to finish it off. I think it was closer to 800 bombers and finally the airfield is shut and the defending sentais shattered.

Cost for the day:

Japan: 1290 aircraft
Allies: 510 aircraft

Wave 1 of 20 captured below- you can't see the bombers as they are hidden from view.

Of course I still have the Soviets causing trouble up North as well.

Here is some of their sweeps going in. I like the pretty colours of the Soviet aircraft. [:)]

Top losses for the day by airframe

Not many Japanese players get to fight against the Yak9U...really well done![&o]

Nice Zero strike too![:D]

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

Not many Japanese players get to fight against the Yak9U...really well done![&o]

Nice Zero strike too![:D]

Thanks Lowpe great analysis.

Yep as per your data the yak9 is a tough competitor whereas the Lagg is nothing to worry about.

Getting really tough now as Mike starts to smash his way ashore onto Japan proper!

Casualties continue to be huge😀

These air battles are epic. I wish I could say fun, but it's a LONG wait to get through them. Still, the first round of closing a base he has to take a big hit, and those points are useful.

To avoid more losses of VPs for trainers on the ground have you considered moving them to out of the way fields? Or just disbanding them? They take supply, will end up being VP losses, and you may not need a whole lot more pilots.

I would like to think Japan could protect their night fighters better from a daylight bombing raid, but no, they always get blown to smithereens in great numbers because they are 100% on the ground.

Disappointing, to me at least.

ORIGINAL: obvert

These air battles are epic. I wish I could say fun, but it's a LONG wait to get through them. Still, the first round of closing a base he has to take a big hit, and those points are useful.

To avoid more losses of VPs for trainers on the ground have you considered moving them to out of the way fields? Or just disbanding them? They take supply, will end up being VP losses, and you may not need a whole lot more pilots.

Thanks Obvert and Lowpe, good points about the trainers. They are completely useless and I have been using them as bait but it is starting to become expensive. I have started to disband them.

Will provide an update shortly.

Aug 1st, 1945

I am still going. The intensity of the air and ground clashes are mind blowing but I am unfortunately time poor to keep the updates coming.

Hat's off to Mike he has successfully landed on the Japanese mainland and seized two important bases. I thought with my numbers of ground units, mines, air power and supply that it would have been very difficult to seize a beachhead but I was wrong![8|]

Every ground assault is backed by 800+ bombers and if I am unfortunate to be on the coastline, at least 6 BBs bombarding me.

Of course he has paid a price for this carnage and thousands of allied aircraft have been downed and quite a few more ships including CVEs, CLs and DDs.

A truly marvellous game as we attempt to make this the bloodiest game in PBEM history. We must be getting close [:D]

Invasion Japan !

Very clever by Mike. He leap frogs the static defences by using amphib assaults. If I hadn't developed my defences in depth the game would be just about over by now (which in fact it largely is).

If an initial assault is not successful, he will move to the flanks rather than continuing costly frontal attacks. Impossible to stop.

Northern Japan

The Ruskies are largely stuck here. The USN has withdrawn to support operations in Southern Japan so there have not been any further assaults. I am pretty happy how the defences have held up against vastly superior Soviet Mech units.

Aircraft pools

The FrankR continues to be a Godsend and there are a stck of Oscars. The lack of A6M8s and D4Y3s is causing a problem because I didn't build enough Ha 33 engines!!!!

A couple of Sam units have performed okay but there is not enough of them to make a difference.

Economically starting to feel the pinch here.

I suspect I can handle one more month of severe fighting but the intensity and supply consumption is off the charts.

Actually it is pretty amazing how well the economy has handled all of the fighting in 45 with no oil.

Last turn's Soviet mechanised assault on Sapporo

The usual carnage.

Aug 6th, 1945

After severe fighting in Southern Japan, Mike cleverly changed direction and sent a massive taskforce to reinforce his beach head just outside Osaka.

Unfortunately for Mike this was exactly the hex I was expecting him to head to , though I had been waiting patiently for a number of weeks.

Despite significant support from his fleet carriers, I managed to smash through his CAP and cause havoc. I had the ranges correct this time for my land based air and KB which allowed a 1000 odd aircraft to focus on his CVEs and amphibs and ignore his CVs.

My pilot quality has obviously deteriorated alot and his cap certainly took his toll but over 40 allied ships were hit resulting in 10 CVEs sunk and multiple smaller ships. Coordination was excellent as his task forces were parked right next door to some of the largest airfields in Japan who had massive air support.

I suspect Mike thought after losing 55K of aircraft that the empire was just about finished and supply was exhausted which is not an incorrect assumption, but there is still some fight left.[:D]

How did you get the timing so correct?

Where your strike planes at the runways for all this time? Or did you fly them in the day before?

Really, nicely done![&o]

A lot of JFB's look for range in their late war planes, but it is these 1 strike attacks that can really do the damage.

The date should have been 8th Aug...

Combat report attached for those interested. [:)]

After the first few it didn't look good, but the big strikes go through. Great work! [&o]

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

How did you get the timing so correct?

Where your strike planes at the runways for all this time? Or did you fly them in the day before?

Really, nicely done![&o]

A lot of JFB's look for range in their late war planes, but it is these 1 strike attacks that can really do the damage.

Thanks Lowpe, patience was the key here. Mike follows a pattern which I have finally come to understand quite well over the last couple of years. I knew sooner or later he would head back to that hex, so I just waited.

You are correct in that I cycled attack sqns around the three large airfields to ensure there wasn't any noticeable buildup. Of course there was luck involved here as well. The battering I am copping around Southern Japan forced a number of very good fighter sentais to regroup around Osaka and of course they were there and ready when the party started.

Correct- I have always experienced more success with air strikes set at short distances then longer range. Perhaps detection times are reduced and the effectiveness of CAP is also impacted by closer airstrikes- I could be completely wrong here.

ORIGINAL: obvert

After the first few it didn't look good, but the big strikes go through. Great work! [&o]

Thanks Obvert, you are quite correct with those first strikes which I intially thought were going nowhere.

The key was KB's strikes, so it once again proves that it is still handy to have it in some shape or form even in 45. [:)]

I doubt I would have broken the CAP without its contribution.