Rookie II - Saving MacArthur - against opponent no. 5

[Leandros]

Hi, everybody - time is running fast and the game has reached November 18th 1944. For those who misses my AAR updates (anybody, at all?) I am sorry to say that I have decided to stop publishing the "Star" as the game has become so time-consuming to keep proper track on with the Allies' constant expansion.

I do have a few unpublished weeks which I may post later but shall not generate new ones. I would like, however, to give a general update:

The allied beachheads on Java (3) and Sumatra (1) are still bogged down. The latest attempt of a Java landing, at Tjepoe on the north coast, has recently failed, three US Army divisions down the drain. That was a great learning experience and I believe I know why it failed so dismally. The allied capture of Samarinda was reversed after a few weeks by a Japanese surprise atttack by their Balikpapan garrison. It is now in enemy hands but Donggala, Gorontalo and Loewok are steadily expanded.

Bandjermasin, Borneo, and Kangean Island are firmly in allied hands and Australian forces have landed outside Dadjangas on the southern tip of Mindanao. The enemy has, however, been able to rapidly expand his defense force there. That shall be a hard nut to crack.

In China, the situation near Chengtu in the Chungking province is a stalemate. British/Indian forces have withdawn from the Lashio front to Myitkyina to later advance on Mandalay. Strong opposition is expected. The situation along the Akyab-Prome coastal road is a stalemate, too.

In the Pacific, Truk has been bypassed and neutralized and Guam and Tinian in the Marianas have been captured by Kiwi, Aussie and Marine forces. Saipan and its northern islands have, for all practical purposes, been neutralized.

Fred

[Dewey169]

Hi, everybody - time is running fast and the game has reached November 18th 1944. For those who misses my AAR updates (anybody, at all?) I am sorry to say that I have decided to stop publishing the "Star" as the game has become so time-consuming to keep proper track on with the Allies' constant expansion.

I do have a few unpublished weeks which I may post later but shall not generate new ones. I would like, however, to give a general update:

The allied beachheads on Java (3) and Sumatra (1) are still bogged down. The latest attempt of a Java landing, at Tjepoe on the north coast, has recently failed, three US Army divisions down the drain. That was a great learning experience and I believe I know why it failed so dismally. The allied capture of Samarinda was reversed after a few weeks by a Japanese surprise atttack by their Balikpapan garrison. It is now in enemy hands but Donggala, Gorontalo and Loewok are steadily expanded.

Bandjermasin, Borneo, and Kangean Island are firmly in allied hands and Australian forces have landed outside Dadjangas on the southern tip of Mindanao. The enemy has, however, been able to rapidly expand his defense force there. That shall be a hard nut to crack.

In China, the situation near Chengtu in the Chungking province is a stalemate. British/Indian forces have withdawn from the Lashio front to Myitkyina to later advance on Mandalay. Strong opposition is expected. The situation along the Akyab-Prome coastal road is a stalemate, too.

In the Pacific, Truk has been bypassed and neutralized and Guam and Tinian in the Marianas have been captured by Kiwi, Aussie and Marine forces. Saipan and its northern islands have, for all practical purposes, been neutralized.

Fred

Will miss your publication, have enjoyed following along. Appreciate the amount of work you put into it and understand where you’re at now. Hopefully, you can still continue to post some general updates of how things progress.

[Leandros]

Thank you, Dewey - appreciate it!

Fred

[Leandros]

Hi, All!

I recently announced that I would stop publishing the Brisbane Evening Star. I do, however, have some finished periods which I have not yet put up - which I shall do as time permits - first comes here. After that I hope to periodically give some general updates on the events of the game.

Regds
Fred
-------

[Leandros]

Brisbane Evening Star September 10th 1944

[Leandros]

Brisbane Evening Star September 15th 1944

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[Leandros]

Brisbane Evening Star September 20th 1944

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[Leandros]

Brisbane Evening Star September 25th 1944

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[Leandros]

Brisbane Evening Star September 30th 1944

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Brisbane Evening Star September 30th 1944 - page 3.jpg (239.94 KiB) Viewed 1245 times

[Leandros]

Well, Gentlemen - that was it! The "Star" has now officially shut down - its last issues are out.

The game has come to November 25th 1944 and is as sprite as ever. I hope to return intermittently with general updates.

Regds
Fred

[Dili]

Wonderful Fred.

My hat to you as your second opponent.

[Leandros]

Wonderful Fred.

My hat to you as your second opponent.

Thank you, Dili - the game is now on January 11th 1945. We have slowed down a bit, presently turns are usually taking 2-3 days each side.

The last couple of months have been much of a stalemate, the allied beachheads outside Buitenzorg, Benkoelen, Padang, Dadjangas and east of Loemadjang on Java, are more or less inactive, the enemy has fortified his bases, and dug in, to the extent that allied efforts are, at the moment, used elsewhere. Tandjoengselor, just south of Tarakan, has been captured by US Marines while US Army units just recently pushed the enemy out of Banjoewangi on the eastern tip of Java.

The Marshalls are secured. Saipan has not been taken but is more or less neutralized by the capture of Agrihan Island north of it. Iwo Jima is next in line. In the meantime several Marine regiments are replenishing on Guam and Tinian.

The Royal Navy is coming on strong now but the British land campaign in northern Burma is stalemated in Myitkyina. Two opposing forces south of Akyab have been slugging it out for months. The island line in the Indian Ocean outside Sumatra, centered around Siberoet, have been captured and is being expanded with mainly British and Australian forces.

A large Chinese force is still holding on, surrounded, outside Chengtu and shall be air-supplied untill further.

Good to see you back!

Fred

P.S: And, yes, Bandjermasin was captured beginning of October.

[Leandros]

January 29th 1945

After some rest and recuperation most of the Marine units which recently capured Tandjoengselor, south of Tarakan, have made the leap across the ocean area between Borneo and the Jolo island-chain and landed on Tawi Tawi Island, the western-most island of the Jolos. After four days of heavy fighting the last remaining Japanese defenders were annihilated today.

The invasion saw some heavy fighting at sea, as well. Two days ago a US Navy bombardment force, headed by the old battlewagons USS Texas and West Virginia, clashed with a force of heavy Japanese cruisers. One of the enemy cruisers was sunk with minimal damage to the USN ships. In a follow-up skirmish later during the night one of the battlewagons was, however, sunk, the other heavily damaged. This last one has made safe port.

The enemy also engaged with large forces of carriers, at one point approximately two dozen of his carriers reportedly operated in the ocean area between Palawan Island and the Jolos. These were attacked by numerous allied bombers of all sorts, to little avail, enemy fighter defense was elaborate. Today enemy carrier planes executed desperate attacks against allied destroyer units around Tawi Tawi but these were all frustrated with the help of allied fighter units which are already operating from Tawi Tawi.

USAAF B-29 bombers have executed their first bombing missions against the Japanese mainland.
Ship repair facilities outside Manila have been attacked, too.

Fred

[Leandros]

February 23rd 1945

As Tawi Tawi in the Jolo-chain and Tandjoengselong on borneo are being secured and expanded another island in the Jolo-chain, east of Tawi Tawi, has been invaded and captured by US Marines. As this has been ongoing several allied naval bombardment missions have been carried out against enemy bases on the north side of Borneo, Jesselton and Miri. This to minimize the enemy air efforts to interdict the Marine landings.

Enemy carrier task forces, in concentrations of a dozen or more units, have, too, intermediately tried to support the Japanese interdictions of the Marines' efforts but have succeeded only marginally.

USAAF B-29s are night-bombing and mining Manila on a regular basis. Enemy night fighter opposition is considerable but so far the US bombers have defended themselves well. Tokyo has also been bombed regularly, with similar results.

On Java the Marines' beachhead southwest of Banjoewangi has finally, after three days of very heavy fighting, been broken out of. This came after a large Army force, among it two complete divisions, marched south from Banjoewangi to assist the Marines. The enemy forces, after heavy losses, retreated west towards Loemadjang.

The US Navy and the Royal Navy is concentrating its now considerable carrier forces in bases somewhere in the Pacific and Indian Ocean for future decisive attacks on enemy naval resources.

Fred

[PaxMondo]

Hi, everybody - time is running fast and the game has reached November 18th 1944. For those who misses my AAR updates (anybody, at all?) I am sorry to say that I have decided to stop publishing the "Star" as the game has become so time-consuming to keep proper track on with the Allies' constant expansion.

...

Very typical of the IJ game, so no worries. However, your Star is a great read, so will always be happy to see it as publishing allows.

[PaxMondo]

...

USAAF B-29s are night-bombing and mining Manila on a regular basis. Enemy night fighter opposition is considerable but so far the US bombers have defended themselves well. Tokyo has also been bombed regularly, with similar results.
...

Thank goodness he is wasting this asset on Manila. Every attack against Manila is one less against the HI. How are your HI night fighters? What models did you choose? How thick are they arranged?

[BBfanboy]

Pax, I think Leandros is playing the Allied side...

[PaxMondo]

Pax, I think Leandros is playing the Allied side...

Ooops, sorry!

[Leandros]

February 23rd 1945

As Tawi Tawi in the Jolo-chain and Tandjoengselong on Borneo are being secured and expanded another island in the Jolo-chain, east of Tawi Tawi, has been invaded and captured by US Marines. As this has been ongoing several allied naval bombardment missions have been carried out against enemy bases on the north side of Borneo - Jesselton and Miri. This to minimize the enemy air efforts to interdict the Marine landings.

Enemy carrier task forces, in concentrations of a dozen or more units, have, too, intermediately tried to support the Japanese interdictions of the Marines' efforts but have succeeded only marginally.

USAAF B-29s are night-bombing and mining Manila on a regular basis. Enemy night fighter opposition is considerable but so far the US bombers have defended themselves well. Tokyo has also been bombed regularly, with similar results.

On Java the Marines' beachhead southwest of Banjoewangi has finally, after three days of very heavy fighting, been broken out of. This came after a large Army force, among it two complete divisions, marched south from Banjoewangi to assist the Marines. The enemy forces, after heavy losses, retreated west towards Loemadjang.

The US Navy and the Royal Navy is concentrating its now considerable carrier forces in bases somewhere in the Pacific and Indian Ocean for future decisive attacks on enemy naval resources.

Fred

[Leandros]

February 26th 1945

The Marines are continuing their advance towards The South China Sea as they have now leaped over from the Jolos to Sandakan on the eastern-most side of Borneo. Enemy carriers, patrolling north of Palawan, and land-based air forces, carried out very heavy attacks against shipping on Tawi Tawi and Sandakan. Allied naval bombardment raids against enemy bases on Palawan and northern Borneo during the night reduced the efforts of the enemy's land-based fighters considerably, resulting in heavy losses on the Japanese carrier plane formations. Up to 180 enemy planes were claimed by allied fighters and AAA on the ground and on ships. Some light allied landing craft were sunk with little practical effect on the landing operations.

Today the enemy carrier force is back in its patrol area north of Palawan, so more heavy air attacks are expected.

Fred