Aussie Affair, Beta's Twilight

[Strv103C]

Might those carrier pigeons be based on the KB? [:D]

[Raverdave]

Well here is a little hint for ya banananana boy....the Enterprise is somewhere between the west coast of the US of A and the west coast of Oz[;)]

The Bombers pound Pagan again.[:D]

AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 07/03/42

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day Air attack on 26th Division, at 45,25


Allied aircraft
I-16c x 15
SB-2c x 15


Allied aircraft losses
SB-2c: 1 damaged

Japanese ground losses:
2 casualties reported
Guns lost 1

Aircraft Attacking:
13 x I-16c bombing at 2000 feet
3 x SB-2c bombing at 6000 feet
6 x SB-2c bombing at 6000 feet
3 x SB-2c bombing at 6000 feet
2 x I-16c bombing at 2000 feet
3 x SB-2c bombing at 6000 feet
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day Air attack on 16th Division, at 31,31


Allied aircraft
Hurricane II x 14
Wellington III x 30
P-40B Tomahawk x 58


Allied aircraft losses
Wellington III: 3 damaged

Japanese ground losses:
104 casualties reported
Guns lost 3

Aircraft Attacking:
11 x Wellington III bombing at 6000 feet
3 x Wellington III bombing at 6000 feet
6 x Wellington III bombing at 6000 feet
4 x Wellington III bombing at 6000 feet
6 x Wellington III bombing at 6000 feet
14 x Hurricane II bombing at 2000 feet
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day Air attack on 48th Division, at 31,31


Allied aircraft
Spitfire Vb x 9
Wellington III x 11


No Allied losses

Japanese ground losses:
13 casualties reported
Guns lost 2

Aircraft Attacking:
3 x Wellington III bombing at 6000 feet
2 x Wellington III bombing at 6000 feet
3 x Wellington III bombing at 6000 feet
3 x Wellington III bombing at 6000 feet
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day Air attack on 55th Division, at 31,31


Allied aircraft
B-25C Mitchell x 61
B-24D Liberator x 10


No Allied losses

Japanese ground losses:
39 casualties reported

Aircraft Attacking:
18 x B-25C Mitchell bombing at 21000 feet
21 x B-25C Mitchell bombing at 21000 feet
22 x B-25C Mitchell bombing at 21000 feet
10 x B-24D Liberator bombing at 21000 feet
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day Air attack on 5th Division, at 31,31


Allied aircraft
Hurricane II x 2
Wellington III x 15
P-40B Tomahawk x 6


Allied aircraft losses
Wellington III: 1 damaged

Japanese ground losses:
107 casualties reported
Guns lost 2

Aircraft Attacking:
3 x Wellington III bombing at 6000 feet
3 x Wellington III bombing at 6000 feet
3 x Wellington III bombing at 6000 feet
3 x Wellington III bombing at 6000 feet
3 x Wellington III bombing at 6000 feet
2 x Hurricane II bombing at 2000 feet
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day Air attack on TF, near Rangoon at 29,34


Allied aircraft
Beaufort V-IX x 3


No Allied losses

Japanese Ships
CL Tatsuta

Aircraft Attacking:
3 x Beaufort V-IX bombing at 6000 feet
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day Air attack on TF, near Rangoon at 29,34


Allied aircraft
Beaufort V-IX x 7


Allied aircraft losses
Beaufort V-IX: 6 damaged

Japanese Ships
BB Nagato
BB Mutsu

Aircraft Attacking:
3 x Beaufort V-IX bombing at 6000 feet
4 x Beaufort V-IX bombing at 6000 feet
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day Air attack on TF, near Rangoon at 29,34


Allied aircraft
Beaufort V-IX x 3


Allied aircraft losses
Beaufort V-IX: 2 damaged

Japanese Ships
BB Mutsu

Aircraft Attacking:
3 x Beaufort V-IX bombing at 6000 feet

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ground combat at Soerabaja

Allied Bombardment attack

Attacking force 1979 troops, 19 guns, 0 vehicles

Defending force 62659 troops, 547 guns, 0 vehicles


Japanese ground losses:
4 casualties reported
Guns lost 1

[Strv103C]

Dont give the jap such precise information. [;)] It is probably way more accurate than nip intel.

[Raverdave]

Hmmm......I think that there is something in the wind in the Bay of Bengal. Last turn I noticed a sudden increase in airborne ASW activity, but seeing as i only have two subs in the bay I was not that worried, however now that i can smell something I decided to surge my boats and flood the bay with subs.[8D]

Strv103C I don't think that ratbrain luskan could tell the difference between a PG and a CV, so I'm not really worried about letting out that little jem of info[8|]

[Strv103C]

It could be a nasty jap trick to lure away your subs.
Well, you should build a TF of 2-3 PGs with PTs (as escorts) to confuse him... [:)]

[Raverdave]

A quite turn. As the allied player I am always scratching for either airbase support units or APs, there just never seems to be enough of either and it is this that is currently holding me back. The build up in various areas continues well.
This turn Luskan decided to snoop around Timor, it is wide open as I don't have the manpower or the bombers that have the legs to cover it, well not yet anyway[;)]

Soerabaja falls with heavy casualties, nearly 3000[X(] Still those Dutch boys have done a wonderful job thus far.
AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 07/04/42

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day Air attack on 26th Division, at 45,25


Allied aircraft
I-16c x 14
SB-2c x 15


Allied aircraft losses
I-16c: 3 damaged
SB-2c: 2 damaged

Japanese ground losses:
44 casualties reported
Guns lost 4

Aircraft Attacking:
12 x I-16c bombing at 2000 feet
3 x SB-2c bombing at 6000 feet
6 x SB-2c bombing at 6000 feet
3 x SB-2c bombing at 6000 feet
2 x I-16c bombing at 2000 feet
3 x SB-2c bombing at 6000 feet
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day Air attack on 2nd Division, at 32,31


Allied aircraft
Hurricane II x 16
Spitfire Vb x 9
Wellington III x 40


Allied aircraft losses
Hurricane II: 1 damaged
Wellington III: 1 damaged

Japanese ground losses:
140 casualties reported
Guns lost 4
Vehicles lost 2

Aircraft Attacking:
6 x Wellington III bombing at 6000 feet
3 x Wellington III bombing at 6000 feet
6 x Wellington III bombing at 6000 feet
3 x Wellington III bombing at 6000 feet
5 x Wellington III bombing at 6000 feet
14 x Hurricane II bombing at 2000 feet
4 x Wellington III bombing at 6000 feet
3 x Wellington III bombing at 6000 feet
3 x Wellington III bombing at 6000 feet
3 x Wellington III bombing at 6000 feet
4 x Wellington III bombing at 6000 feet
2 x Hurricane II bombing at 2000 feet
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day Air attack on 6th Tank Regiment, at 32,31


Allied aircraft
Beaufort V-IX x 4


No Allied losses

Japanese ground losses:
5 casualties reported

Aircraft Attacking:
4 x Beaufort V-IX bombing at 6000 feet

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ground combat at Soerabaja

Japanese Deliberate attack

Attacking force 59391 troops, 553 guns, 0 vehicles

Defending force 20795 troops, 47 guns, 29 vehicles

Japanese engineers reduce fortifications to 2

Japanese assault odds: 4 to 1 (fort level 2)

Japanese forces CAPTURE Soerabaja base !!!



Allied aircraft
no flights


Allied aircraft losses
F.K.51: 8 destroyed

Japanese ground losses:
176 casualties reported
Guns lost 13

Allied ground losses:
2993 casualties reported
Guns lost 25
Vehicles lost 1


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ground combat at Macassar

Japanese Deliberate attack

Attacking force 2782 troops, 15 guns, 0 vehicles

Defending force 2065 troops, 4 guns, 0 vehicles

Japanese assault odds: 13 to 1


Japanese ground losses:
25 casualties reported

Allied ground losses:
26 casualties reported
Guns lost 1

[Luskan]

I also did some recon at PM and found that it is hardly impregnable like Raver-the-liar claimed. 16000 troops? I've got that many defending Wake for crying out loud. If I had PM and all I had were 16000 troops I'd be ashamed (and vulnerable).

However, Raver noticed my early recons in the area (after I went to so much trouble to make the solomons appear totally inactive after I took rabaul) and my subs report many convoys out of cairns and brisbane up the coast to PM. No doubt there are large numbers of allied fighters at all locations - and a few turns ago my lunatic betties decided to fly over to cairns to try bombing some ships (no hits) from rabaul *sigh*. They could have just gone to PM - although probably decided not to because it would be too obvious (or maybe they know something about the fighter cover I don't?).

One more base to steal and Java is mine. Then I have to make some hard decisions about occupying the hundreds of little bases in and aronud Timor and the lower solomons. Do I steal them with token force, so that I get a temporary 1 point per base (and expose small amounts of transports and troops to allied attack) or do I go in to one of those flyspecks with some real grunt and build it into a nasty enough place that the allies have no choice but to take it before they try to land further up the chain in their inevitable offensive to end all offensives circa october 1943. Of course, by October (if my memory of the OOB is right) is when Raver can do the swarm of B17s and liberators that blot out the sun sort of thing.

In Burma, my advance on Mandalay has begun as predicted. Unfortunately Raver saw me coming, and exactly half of his troops (he had about 100k troops at mandalay IIRC) have marched north away from Mandalay. This is a little distressing, since geographically that entire "wing" of the allied defence is seperated from the indian supply line by a couple of inefficient, trecherous jungle paths. If I'd taken Mandalay and thrown all of the allied troops into "retreat" mode in one move, then I'd have been able to roll them up all the way up the road to Lashio and the other base, cut of china easily and force the allied troops to retreat down/attack back up a tiny jungle path that stretches 4 hexes from the nearest real base.

This withdrawal means two things for my attack. 1. Glad I spent the preparation points because Raver's fort must already be built, and 2. after I take Mandalay, I have another really difficult battle to take the whole "line" of the road/rail network that I need to take to be safe.

Fortunately, I have a major excess of troops, not just in Burma but in the world in general. I've got more troops than I know what to do with at the moment as it is getting to late 1942 and my army hasn't suffered a loss yet. I've got a couple of divisions at every major base, half a dozen in the home islands ready to ship out to wherever they need to be (tempted to try and fit one on Wake, even though it would end badly) and I've got dozens of ltitle garrison units sitting around the place. I got 3 new divisions in china recently and they've gone into my buffer security force that can be anywhere they're needed on the Chinese front within 3 days or so. I've got so many troops that I've now put two snlf-type units at every small base in the phillipines (note, small means a small undeveloped base on a majorish island - nothing that is going to be a bitch to supply).

Jolo is turning into quite a nice little base, as engineers started work last month. Luzon and all its bases are built up as they can possibly be - and the engineers are working their way south building as they go (much as the eng units at singers have now spread across to sumatra and up the peninsula). Although I've only got a couple of little units at each base (not including base forces at clark and manila and a pair of divisions at Manila that originally fought in the Phillipines campaign - now at 100% again) the fort sizes alone will probably mean Raver would bypass the place altogether in his late game advance. Why kill troops you could starve out?

[Raverdave]

Yup..........I was happy to simply walk out of Mandalay, glad to see that it took the wind out of Luskan's sails[:D]. Now all I have to do is sit back and bomb the cr@p out of Burma for the next six to 12 months then walk back in and take it all back.[:'(]

16,000 troops is more than enough to defend PM...........the question that ratbrain should be asking is what kind of troops are they? Just goes to show you how much of a nong Luskan can be. In anycase he is bluffing about taking PM as it is far too late in the war for him to be considering that........much like his fluffing his chance in India.[:D]

[Raverdave]

And here yet again is another CR showing my bombers blowing Luskan's troops in Burma to hell and back. *Yawn*

AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 07/06/42

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ASW attack at 34,61

Japanese Ships
PC Shonon Maru #15
TK Tarakan Maru
TK Kaijo Maru #2

Allied Ships
SS KXII

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day Air attack on 26th Division, at 45,25


Allied aircraft
I-16c x 15
SB-2c x 15


No Allied losses

Japanese ground losses:
29 casualties reported

Aircraft Attacking:
13 x I-16c bombing at 2000 feet
3 x SB-2c bombing at 6000 feet
4 x SB-2c bombing at 6000 feet
4 x SB-2c bombing at 6000 feet
2 x I-16c bombing at 2000 feet
4 x SB-2c bombing at 6000 feet
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day Air attack on 2nd Division, at 32,31


Allied aircraft
Wellington III x 15
P-40B Tomahawk x 4
B-25C Mitchell x 21
B-24D Liberator x 3


No Allied losses

Japanese ground losses:
43 casualties reported

Aircraft Attacking:
3 x Wellington III bombing at 19000 feet
3 x Wellington III bombing at 19000 feet
3 x Wellington III bombing at 19000 feet
3 x Wellington III bombing at 19000 feet
3 x Wellington III bombing at 19000 feet
4 x B-25C Mitchell bombing at 21000 feet
9 x B-25C Mitchell bombing at 21000 feet
5 x B-25C Mitchell bombing at 21000 feet
3 x B-25C Mitchell bombing at 21000 feet
3 x B-24D Liberator bombing at 21000 feet
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day Air attack on 8th Tank Regiment, at 32,31


Allied aircraft
Beaufort V-IX x 4


Allied aircraft losses
Beaufort V-IX: 1 damaged

Japanese ground losses:
11 casualties reported
Vehicles lost 1

Aircraft Attacking:
4 x Beaufort V-IX bombing at 6000 feet
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day Air attack on 5th Division, at 32,31


Allied aircraft
Wellington III x 38
P-40B Tomahawk x 59
B-25C Mitchell x 63
B-24D Liberator x 7


No Allied losses

Japanese ground losses:
57 casualties reported
Guns lost 8
Vehicles lost 2

Aircraft Attacking:
4 x Wellington III bombing at 19000 feet
6 x Wellington III bombing at 19000 feet
3 x Wellington III bombing at 19000 feet
3 x Wellington III bombing at 19000 feet
4 x Wellington III bombing at 19000 feet
15 x B-25C Mitchell bombing at 21000 feet
12 x B-25C Mitchell bombing at 21000 feet
6 x B-25C Mitchell bombing at 21000 feet
4 x B-24D Liberator bombing at 21000 feet
3 x Wellington III bombing at 19000 feet
4 x Wellington III bombing at 19000 feet
3 x Wellington III bombing at 19000 feet
3 x Wellington III bombing at 19000 feet
5 x Wellington III bombing at 19000 feet
20 x B-25C Mitchell bombing at 21000 feet
6 x B-25C Mitchell bombing at 21000 feet
4 x B-25C Mitchell bombing at 21000 feet
3 x B-24D Liberator bombing at 21000 feet
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ASW attack at 43,71

Japanese Ships
PC Ch 19
PC Seki Maru #2

Allied Ships
SS S-42


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ground combat at Macassar

Japanese Deliberate attack

Attacking force 2743 troops, 15 guns, 0 vehicles

Defending force 1918 troops, 3 guns, 0 vehicles

Japanese assault odds: 13 to 1



Allied ground losses:
39 casualties reported

[Luskan]

In the last two weeks I got a few new Cvs, smaller ships like Hiyo, so I created a 4th CV division. Of course, their bomber pilots are still of excellent calibre, and so I put most of the kates and vals on holidays, and loaded all the zero squadrons I could fit aboard them and sent them off to do some training. These zero squadrons are between 68 exp and 77 exp - and I figured a few easy kills and some CV time would bring them up to speed faster than sending them against the waves of allied killers over Rangoon.

Raver was wondering where those zero squadrons were - and the plan was to tempt his crappy pacific LBA into a long range attempt on the cvs while my shitloads of zeros shot them down. Things never go to plan - the 1 squadron of vals and 1 of Kates that I left in the division just for form, found and sank the enemy AVD Thornton sitting at anchor alone, and unprotected at Tulagi. My bombers showed their excellent experience with rather high scores, and my fighters . . . well they all launched (because there were set to 0 cap and escort being so far out to sea etc). My surprise is ruined, just to sink a crappy little AVD. CV division 4 has been ordered to high tail it back home for the moment.

I'll probably end up putting the extra 6 or so squadrons of zeros back on the beach and picking up the bombers again - can't afford to pass up the opportunity to hit an allied convoy I guess.

Just illustrates how big the whole in Raver's air umbrella really is.

As for mandalay . . . oh well. It will be mine next turn, and I'll be building a big fort, stationing some big guns, and hunkering down.

[Luskan]

forgot the cr.

AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 07/07/42

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day Air attack on 4th Division, at 32,31


Allied aircraft
Beaufort V-IX x 3


Allied aircraft losses
Beaufort V-IX: 1 damaged

Aircraft Attacking:
3 x Beaufort V-IX bombing at 6000 feet
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day Air attack on TF, near Tulagi at 68,96

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 160
D3A Val x 17
B5N Kate x 24

No Japanese losses

Allied Ships
AVD Thornton, Bomb hits 3, Torpedo hits 5, on fire, heavy damage

Aircraft Attacking:
8 x D3A Val bombing at 2000 feet
4 x B5N Kate launching torpedoes at 200 feet
9 x D3A Val bombing at 2000 feet
4 x B5N Kate launching torpedoes at 200 feet
4 x B5N Kate launching torpedoes at 200 feet
4 x B5N Kate launching torpedoes at 200 feet
4 x B5N Kate launching torpedoes at 200 feet
4 x B5N Kate launching torpedoes at 200 feet
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ASW attack at 34,61

Japanese Ships
TK Amatsu Maru
PC Shonon Maru #15
TK Ken'yo Maru

Allied Ships
SS KXII


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ground combat at Macassar

Japanese Deliberate attack

Attacking force 2750 troops, 16 guns, 0 vehicles

Defending force 1816 troops, 1 guns, 0 vehicles

Japanese assault odds: 7 to 1



Allied ground losses:
44 casualties reported
Guns lost 1

[Capt. Harlock]

Day Air attack on TF, near Tulagi at 68,96

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 160
D3A Val x 17
B5N Kate x 24

Man -- you weren't kidding when you said the Zeroes all launched. With luck, they picked up some experience. If Raver had Wellingtons or B-17's in the area, you might have had a problem, though.

[Luskan]

Nah - I've proven that in 42 b17s can't hit cvs or zeros very well. I totaled 18 of Raver's in early 42 in this very game with the same tactic. Of course, I had 200 zeros on CAP instead of escort.

Raver's not a guy to trust luck and hope my little cv division has gone home. Since he knows their general strength and load out now he'll do two things.

1. He'll move his cvs closer. Not real close mind you, jsut close enough in case he wants to fight a decisive battle he could lay his hands on them sort of thing.
2. He won't trust to the fact it looks like I'm retiring. Right now he's running that turn, pulling every unescorted transport out of a 3 day sailing range, parking big CAPs over Port and cancelling/rerouting supply convoys. At this point the only thing Raver looses by doing so is a little time and effort.

Unfortunately for me, you can no longer afford to do the jap death star tactic. If I'd shown up with 10 or 12 cvs and blown Thornton to hell with 500 kates, every allied ship and unit everywhere else on the map would just charge. Basically I have 4 divisions, each with a roughly equal mix of deck capacity, although I've organised them from fastest to slowest.

There are always three divisions "on station" in a particular area of the map, although I don't frequent the same bases all the time (subs!) and they patrol slowly to avoid sys damage and fuel consumption. The 4th division is always in port being refitted. I NEVER send CV divisions out totally alone. There are surface picket tfs that run "screens" to check for enemy airpower. A pair of dds made a run 1 hex north of the solomons and didn't even get spotted or shot at. That's why I was so surprised to see Thornton sitting there. I should have sent the dds in to sink her the old fashioned way and kept my CVs a secret.

[Raverdave]

Poor old Thornton.............she had just arrived with the plan of setting up a seaplane base to keep on eye on the solomans then WACK ! 200+ japs planes come swarming in and sink her ! If I had had one more turn the PBYS would have been there and possibly spotted Luskan's little CV TF. Pity that my CVs are out of reach as they would have made short work of bananana boy's pathetic 4th Division.
If anything this little battle shows that Luskan is now taking more of an interest in the Solomans..........this along with PNG will be the next focal point of the war in the Pacific.

[Luskan]

All very interesting I'm sure. *yawn*. Turn??!?

It is always edgy once your CVs have been spotted.

[Luskan]

Ok a couple more turns have whizzed by and things have gotten interesting.

My ASW troops lost a PC to a dutch sub of Palembang, and then next turn blew the Sub to hell in revenge. Lovely.

Second, my betties launched from Rabaul and this time finally went to PM, lost 3 to wildcats, P40s and P39s. But I put a torp into one of Raver's AKs. If I can do 1 per turn for the rest of the game I'll win.

Third, I took Mandalay (empty), and have done a quick restructure of my defensive net.

Now a few interesting things - the last few weeks I've been unable to load any oil and resources onto transports - although the autoconvoy could. Was going to be a game breaker - but the 1.4 patch fixed it. Thank God.

Things are afoot in the Bay of Bengal - more on that later. I'll be polishing off the last allied base on Java in the next few days and cull a further 20000 allied troops. Should be a nice little points boost for my failing lead (not really failing to be honest, but it won't last once the mid 1943 allied offensive starts).

CV Division 4 returned to a secret refuelling location and has refuelled and reloaded. Interesting that those Wildcats were at PM hmmm?? I thought so too. Maybe it is time for a closer look at PNG. Recons are benig detailed out of Rabaul this turn - and we'll see what we find.

I've had a sub reconning Noumea for a few turns now (look after those float plane subs troops! You'll never get better recon forces!). No CVs yet. Might have to look further afield like Pogo Pogo or Fiji.

In local news the local population of Fiji tried to revolt against the Allied oppressors and return to the Empire's loving arms. Didn't work though.

[Luskan]

Up until now my ASW TF in the bay of Bengal hasn't had a lot of success. They've dropped a lot of depth charges but that is really about it. However a little change of commanders from a lowly 30/32 leader to a 50/50 admiral. What a difference! A few turns ago they damaged one of Raver's two (supposedly) subs in the Bay. This turn they put two depth charges through the S-38, crippling her, and then came under attack by 9 enemy beauforts coming in low to drop their bombs - and shot down 2 of them. Excellent work.

My betties had another go at PM but missed (and I lost 3).

I've been churning out a few new subs and so I plan to re-assess my own sub net (small as it will be). I've sent the newer subs to station, and I've pulled the more weather beaten ones back for some refitting. I'm hoping that their survival this far in the war is a sign of better things to come in terms of experience and results. So far my subs really haven't done much to impress me.

[Onime No Kyo]

Honest question here, not trying to be flippant.

Do subs really matter that much? I realize that in 44 the allies were able to choke japanese shipping almost completely, but they had 2 subs for every 100 sq. miles of ocean. From what I've been able to tell against the AI, for every transport I damage, there are 5 that I never even spot. I mean, granted, even bee stings can kill in sufficient numbers but it seems to me like this whole sub issue is being blown completely out of proportion. Some people even go as far as to say that sub and ASW performance is a game breaker. It seems very uncalled for and nitpicky. That's my opinion, but I am very much interested in yours.

[Luskan]

Well, in terms of crippling the allied transport machine . . . no I have no hope in hell of donig that. A few pinpricks is all.

The importance I attribute to the submarine game is twofold: 1. I may not be able to cripple his fleet, but sinking his ships gets me points, which I need in the long run; 2. In real life jap subs may not have affected the allied transport fleet but for a time they were the bane of the big ships. Look at all the bloody big allied ships they hit! A hit on a CV would be orgasmic for the Jap player, and a crippled or sunk allied BB almost as much so.

This turn revealed some weaknesses. Firstly, my pathetic 2nd string pilots at rangoon found themselves 4000 feet above unescorted enemy beauforts and missed them. Twice. The beauforts didn't hit any of the ships in the harbour but still. Hopeless results from once decent squadrons. They'll be getting some insta-training fairly soon.

JAVA IS MINE! 20000 allied troops and 24 planes (including 19 catalinas) were destroyed at Malang today. The allied losses pushed Raver's lost army points over 8000 (!) while I've lost under 200 so far. All those dutch base forces wiped out. With Java secure I'll be doing a bit of mopping up of little isolated bases around the place, and then see how far past northern Oz Raver is willing to fight me . . .under my air cover.

Basically however, this has completed my conquest of the SRA and all the resource rich places in it. I vow that this will not be the apex of the japanese empire!

[Raverdave]

Glens.......bane of my life! I hate Glens, sneaky little spy planes that are causing me more grief that I had expected. Also having to waste valuble DDs to hunt down subs and protect my SLOCs, so the impact of the Jap subs cannot be simply measured by what they sink........it is also the allied resources that they tie up.
Malang fell a turn faster than I had expected and I lost 19 valuble PBYs because of it.[:@]

So the Banananananananana says that Java is not the full extent of his empires boarder huh? Well looking at what I have in PNG he now has a long hard fight on his hands.