The Italian Job 2- Gen.Hoepner(J)-vs.-Mc3744

[Gen.Hoepner]

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[String]

Don't lose heart just yet. In burma, if he comes overland he'll have the limited supply over the trails, if he comes over sea he has to face your LBA, which with the player defined upgrades on, should be quite wicked.

and corsairs have short legs, only 5 hexes. Now when the P-40N's come online, with 200 replacements and 8 hex range, then you ought to start worrying [:D]

[Gen.Hoepner]

Thanks String...that's very kind of you[:D]

AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 11/04/42

Ok..he's coming for Daily Again..started to bomb my divisions there...uffff...some air assets being trasfered to Darwin in these days. One mix regiment is coming from Java. 8 enemy units are advancing[:(]

Over Chungking my A6M3s shot down 8 more Dakotas...while my Tonies, same altitudes and more experienced, not a single one...it's something that i'm experiencing every day. In LRCAP at 3 hexes the A6M3s are very good even against the B-17s, while Tonies and Tojos are useless even against the Dakotas...do not understand why

At Tongarapu, for the 3rd day in a row, one sasebo SNLF is repulsing an entire US division ( the 37th) ...with no forts to count on...that makes me feel a bit better[:D]

In I.O.....another ambush...gettinng sick of it. One of my subs spotted a big TF with CAs coming down from Colombo...surely RN CVs trying to ambush my CVEs looking for his AK coming from Oz...well..if he wants corsair in India...go and have it! I'm not gonna risk my CVEs for a stupid AK!!



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Ground combat at Tongarapu

Allied Shock attack

Attacking force 7139 troops, 63 guns, 0 vehicles

Defending force 2183 troops, 10 guns, 0 vehicles

Allied assault odds: 0 to 1 (fort level 0) [:D]


Japanese ground losses:
27 casualties reported
Guns lost 2

Allied ground losses:
375 casualties reported[;)][;)][;)]
Guns lost 14

[anarchyintheuk]

I don't mean to be master of the bleeding obvious, but I have the following random thoughts:

Its a long way from Fiji to Tokyo and it takes a long time to island hop. He's going nowhere in China. It will be a while before he retakes Australia. Once he does, that's when the real dangerous island hopping begins. KB is still in good shape. I don't remember the AAR but one them showed that KB was still effective even in 44 given the right care.

Not much works against overwhelming LBA but high fort levels and holding the frontline with the minimum number of troops that can be rapidly reinforced.

Is there anything that you haven't thought of to take Chungking?

Keep your head up.

[PzB74]

Hm, the slaughterhouse in Burma is horrifying - I think this is the worst place to be Japanese in this game.
Guess you now understand why I initiated Hangover [8|]

You've seen how Allied LBA torch my ground units in the Solomons and New Guinea in mid 43. Also very nasty.

Fighting a defensive war is half the fun though, so start creating defensive perimeters and contingency plans!!
Trade land for time but don't loose more troops than you can afford. The US will move very quickly in a year or
so and you don't want to run out of good troops after the outer bases falls. From my point of view you got too many
bases to defend now...

I'm sure you will come up with a way to lead the mouse into the trap and spring it [:D]

[Gen.Hoepner]

Hey guys, i'm not throwing the towel, do not worry![:D]
I know it's a long way to go for Japan...it's just the 4Es that makes me mad!!

Chungking? I think there's no other way to go for it than afrontal assault with as many troops as you can master and a lot of air support...the rest are just numbers and math[:@]

AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 11/04/42

So he's gonna have his damned corsairs in India. I gave up ...the risks are too high to get involved with 3 CVEs against th whole RN CV fleet.

in 2 days we'll start the attack over Chungking...let's hope and cross everything you have to cross[;)]

At Tongarapu...finally the 37th Division achieved a 13-1 odd...but i lost only 70 men and altough the base is conquered by the whites my yellow fellows still want to fight there...till last man! BANZAI

Tarawa and Munda are being reinforced.

On Division ( the 57th i think) has been released from Ise using 3500 PPs. It's now going for Sosarbaja.

Nothing much to report.




In the picture you can see the 1st Sasebo SNLF training at Tarawa...waiting for the enemy to come!

[jwilkerson]

In the picture you can see the 1st Sasebo SNLF training at Tarawa...waiting for the enemy to come!

If those white posts 6" in front of their barrels - are their practice targets - they should be able to hit them - despite the glasses they're wearing !

[:D][:D][:D]

[Gen.Hoepner]

[:D]

AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 11/06-07/42

Two more days in the war.

He's using now Suva as a training camp for his fighters.
Nothing more is moving in Central Pac.
Pago Pago garrison is being evacuated in these days...not seen.

At Daily he keeps bombing my troops, but at least the AF is now operational. I've upgraded 2 A6M2 daitais to A6M3s at Darwin and now with 2 Sally Sentais are waiting to be placed at Daily as soon as a rainy day comes ( the sun keeps shining in that damned australian desert!!)

In Burma ...the usual slaughterhouse.

In China...this was the last day of general bombardment. Tomorrow my Divisions will rest and only the Artilleries will hit the damned chinese. Then we'll try to attack...i need to pray Wotan, the God of War.

Something else? Oh yes...the RN CVs seem to have disappeared after have been sighted...now the AK is moving alone...i'm moving my CVEs to an interception route...let's see if i get a lucky shot!

[Gen.Hoepner]

AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 11/08/42

mmm...again the RN CVs show up in I.O. He's trying to meet his AKs full of planes. I'll try a very risky move with my CVEs. I won't try to intercept his first AK but a second one which is moving 8 hexes south of the first one....i will be on the edge...i know it's risky...but at this stage of the war i cannot just sit and let him do whatever he wants to do. 2 turns and we'll see. However he knows i've spotted him while my CVEs are still unseen.

Now...Chungking:
Tomorrow we'll attack. I've hoped for a good preparation bombing raid for today...but the weather was everywhere clear except for Kweyang and Kungchang..my 2 major air bases....bad luck![:@]
Tomorrow i need some good weather!
I need some good odds since the beginning...otherwise i won't have a chance. I've changed many leaders today of my Divisions...the best ones are in charge right now...120,000 enemy men aren't that much...but the forts and the city terrain can easily do the job...remember Ichang few months ago? [:@]

Nothing else...usual bombing raids in Burma and at Daily.
2 US Sub sunk today.

stay tuned

[Gen.Hoepner]

the army for the final assault on chungking

[Mynok]

Interesting sitrep in China. I believe I will try *not* to kill Chinese units but rather retreat them into offroad places where they will be useless.

[Gen.Hoepner]

All the retreat doors have been already shut months ago...no way to reopen them again...[:(]

[Mynok]

I know you can't fix your conundrum. But I'm going to learn from your boo-boo. [:D]

[Gen.Hoepner]

AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 11/09/42

And so the day came. Operation Blue Heart begun. The final attack at Chungking is underway.
We've been quite lucky...just a bit. Good weather over central China let my bombers strike Chungking. The attack that followed the iron rain wasn't the greatest i've ever seen, but however we've made some progresses. 0-1 but forts are down to level 2...which is already something good. A defence multiplier is gone forever. I've lost an incredible number of engeneers ( mostly disabled) and some good infantry squads, but the shape of the army is somehow still decent. in one day we've lost 1300 Assault points[X(][X(][X(]...( see screenshot). Now we need at least 2 weeks to recover a bit. We'll keep bombardining the place with everything that fires untill the next push. The city can be conquered. I just gotta pay attention now to my bases....if i was him i'll start a massive bombing capaign in china...Sining and Lanchow are operative again...the weather is hurting me so much in northern China[:(][:(][:(]

In I.O. it's clearly a trap. His CVs keep on going up and down...he's waiting for me.[:-] I won't come my friend[:-][:-][:'(]

At Tongarapu my naval guard units committed a mass banzai charge and not a single man survived...better the death than become an alive training camp for his fighters!

BANZAI!

LONG LIVE THE EMPEROR!


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Ground combat at Tongarapu

Japanese Shock attack

Attacking force 2049 troops, 1 guns, 0 vehicles

Defending force 12872 troops, 110 guns, 30 vehicles

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


Japanese ground losses:
496 casualties reported

The unit disappeared
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Ground combat at Chungking

Japanese Deliberate attack

Attacking force 479776 troops, 5423 guns, 199 vehicles

Defending force 119607 troops, 446 guns, 20 vehicles

Japanese engineers reduce fortifications to 2[:D]

Japanese assault odds: 0 to 1 (fort level 2) [:'(]


Japanese ground losses:
14293 casualties reported[:(][:(][:(]
Guns lost 318
Vehicles lost 12

Allied ground losses:
3245 casualties reported
Guns lost 51

[Gen.Hoepner]

AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 11/10-11/42


Today the american CVs are spotted. At least 2 of them are at Nandi( Fiji). It's very probable that his next targets in the pacific will be Canton Islands,Pago Pago,Wallis or Nanumea Atoll...will try to make a plan to counterattack.
Tarawa is growing up fast. Forts are already almost at level 8 and with 1000 Assault points in it,CD guns and AA units it won't be an easy target. The real problem, as always, is that he will first get Baker and Nanoumea, and then, when this places will be built up, he will send hordes of 4Es over tarawa....
However, if he's attacking here...NG should be a little more secure.... I gotta be flexible and be ready to intercept his next invasion convoy with my CVs.... that's my only hope to stop his advance.

The other 2 big problems are, as always, Oz and the area between Burma and Java.
About Oz...well...he's bombing my divisions at Daily back to Stone age. In 2 days i'll be ready to place some CAP over there...52 A6M3s and 36 Tonies...nothing that can really stop him, but at least a "deterrent"( does this word make any sense for you??)

Burma is basically a hell. My units get plastered every day by his outstanding air forces. There's no way to come back there with my fighters....i doubt i will be able to stop another invasion of Burma....

China...well...at Chungking my army is now at 7550 APs...recovering quite fast. As soon as we get back to 8000 APs and our eng are recovered we'll launch another attack to break down those forts again...it will be a pain guys...and the success is less than achieved.






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Ground combat at Chungking

Japanese Bombardment attack

Attacking force 426255 troops, 4760 guns, 46 vehicles

Defending force 113602 troops, 358 guns, 22 vehicles



Allied ground losses:
77 casualties reported[:(][:(][:(][:@]

these results are horrible...with 5000 arty pieces only 77 casualities?!?!?!?!?!?!


In the map you can see the US CVs at Nandi ( Fijii)

[Gen.Hoepner]

AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 11/12-13/42

two more days.
Nothing really happened. The yanks keep on training their aircrews at Suva, while his CVs apparently still station at Nandi.
A lot of british baits in I.O....i won't eat[;)]
In Burma and Oz, the usual bombing raids against my troops. In 3 days we'll move some CAP into Daily...too bad it's impossible to ambush the allies cause he will know that i put planes into one AF the turn before[:(]
Allied subminelaying activities around Gili Gili.
Moving troops, supplies and fuel to Tarawa.
At Chungking we're a 7700 APs...rising quite fast!
4 more fortress shot down in the last 2 days at Chungking.
HI pool is back at 77000[8D]...even with everything switched on! Was a problem of resources....
In few more days the KI-45a Nick will be available. Do not know if i can use these planes for CAP duties also during the day...anyone knows?

[String]

Yes you can, they are quite useful against 4e bombers, but can be a bitch to train as they are night fighters and cannot do ground attacks during day. You need an enemy airfield/port in range to train them. Hope you have a dot or a base left in enemy hands behind your lines somewhere.

[Gen.Hoepner]

Ok, Thanks String.
I have at least 3 different training camp. 1 is next to Singapore, while the other 2 are in the PI.
This is a good news. KI-45a have a gun value of 16...so better than the Tonies and i saw that you can upgrade some normal IJAF fighter groups to them..so i'm planning to bring the KI-45 production up to 90 in the next 2 months so to be able to fill at least 2 of my IJAF fighter groups with them. I will probably swicth some Experienced Tojos Sentais to Nick...cause the Tojos have prooved with their 12 gun value to be under the required standards of this war so far.

Any tips about Chungking? After the first results do you think i'll be ever able to get it? Even if the damned base is costantl supplied by B-17s that i'm unable to stop?

[Gen.Hoepner]

It looks good, doesn't it?

[String]

Chungking? Well, I think you wont be able to get it as you cannot concentrate all your forces to it. But one can never be sure. Constant airfield and ground attacks combined with constand bombardments and deliberate attacks whenever your troops recover, might reduce the place. You also have to apply a lot of pressure on the airfields if you want it to remain damaged. Each chinese corps has a number of engineers embedded in it and with 61 units there, the number of engineers there can easily be over 5-600. Enough to repair moderate airfield damage within a turn and build up forts to boot.

Indeed, scrape together whatever air unit you can find and send it after Chungking. I hope you have some good airbases with good support nearby. It will have the added benefit of giving you some really good pilots for low losses as the chinese have very little AA.