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

[Speedysteve]

Yeah a nice looking plane Gen [8D]

Interesting on the Tojo's/Tonies. I will be receiving them in my game vs swift in a bout a month's time.

Have you found that both offensively/defensively the Tony outperforms the Tojo? Against every time of plane? Either of them better vs bombers or fighters etc?

Regards,

Steven

[String]

I think I can agree on Hoepners asessment on Tojo/Tony. I got the same feeling in my game vs andy that the tojo is more fragile and doesn't do as much as the Tony. Besides, the Tojo has shorter range. I however didn't have PDU on so I had to accept what I had, and Tojos sure were better than oscars.

edit: Btw, i think that picture is of the "c" version of the nick. They had the cannon angled upwards which was of great use against 4e bombers

[String]

Oh, one more thing. Where are your tank units? They should help a bit in Chungking i guess. You also should get your two tank divisions soon. If you are lucky they will arrive at 1/3 strength (atleast they did for me) and you can convert them to burma command with ease. Then, when they are in a big nonmalarial base, with lots of supplies and command HQ (to which the divisions are assigned) present, they should fill out within a few months.

[Gen.Hoepner]

Luckly my main base near Chungking ( 3 hexes of distance), Kweyang, has been built up to level 8 and ut has 500 AV support. I have plenty of support there and the 3rd Tank Div is already on its way, while the 1st one, at full strenght is at Singapore.

The AF is bombed every day by almost 400 bombers...no way to reopen it. I have 300 fighters to cover the Chungking operations...probably i'll move in 2 more sentais as soon as they get to 70 Exp.

Thanks for the input guys

[Gen.Hoepner]

ORIGINAL: Gen.Hoepner

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.

I do not know what i had smoked before typing these words....[X(][:-][:-][:-][8|]
"normal fighters" CANNOT be upgraded to night-fighters...so i'm gonna have only 3 sentais of Nicks in the next 150 days....so 45 KI-45as/month would be more than enough[:(]

sorry for the mistake

[Gen.Hoepner]

AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 11/14-15/42

Ok, we managed to sink 2 subs near Bonin Island. This time my ASW groups, composed by APDs and DDs did a pretty good job. Well done!

He keeps training his fighters at Suva...but now some british torpedo bombers appear there...can mean he's transfered some Brit CVs in the Pacific....mmm...and a 4 ships( CA) TF has been spotted some 360 miles north west of Exmouth...going south...could be a british TF...so probably he's concentrating his CV force in the pacific.... gotta be ready
A lot of APs have been spotted at Nandi with his CVs....means that he's moving his divisions somewhere else...all my CVs at Rabaul have been refueled and are ready to move. Tomorrow i'll decide if it's the case to load up again the 17th Army at Truk..... it's sure that he will do something before the end of the year!

At Chungking my army is at 7900 APs...few days and we'll be ready to attack again. The bombers have intesified their action, but losses are becoming again prohibitive due to the fatigue of my crews....[:(]

In Burma...the same old story[:@]

At Daily now that i've placed some 36 Tonies and 52 A6M3s he's not attacking anymore...probably he's resting his 4Es for a big clash....we'll see...i cannot do anything more than this: delay as long as i can his movements towards Darwin.

What else? oh yes...one of my ML got a mine at Port Moresby and now is slowly sinking...

[Gen.Hoepner]

11-16-1942

Nothing important to report.

His CVs keep stationing at Nandi. I'm moving the whole KB to Shortlands so that i'll be closer if he dares to attack somewhere between Nanoumea Atoll and Canton Island.
If he goes for Pago Pago i won't move a single hair to defend it.

At Daily the presence of my fighters made some results: his troops are moving back to Alice!

At Chungking...the army is almost ready ( 8000 APs reached). i'll wait for 2 days in a row of good weather so that i'll have a good bombing umbrella and i'll attack.

Burma...the same old boring story.

[Gen.Hoepner]

11-17-1942

His CVs are still at Nandi. Mines at Shortland. I bet his next move will be north of Fiji...but i wonder how can i have to move....

Tomorrow we'll attack Chungking again. the Army is back at 8120 APs and the forecast says clear weather...let's hope Wotan will be on my side.

He doesn't attack Daily anymore...he's retreating again[:D]

Now i need to defend these places:

-Central Pacific ( south of Tarawa)
-Burma
-Western Sumatra and Java
-Exmouth
-NG and Solomons

Not an easy task...not at all...........

[Gen.Hoepner]

AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 11/19/42

Finally a good news among hundreds of bad ones. Chungking keep on falling[:)] Today we managed to get 1-1 and forts are down to level 1. That means that with 2 forts and with the city terrain bonus we are at the same AP levels...now we'll wait again a pair of weeks. Recovering my engeneers and waiting for some more supplies to come from the backlines.
I do not expect anything easy however. I know that to get the base i need a 2-1 and it won't be easy.
However if Chungking would fall then the Chinese campaign will be, more or less, over and i could bring back most of my IJAF to defend Burma... let's cross our fingers

At Fiji he's building up a new base...it will be difficult to stop its next advance...

My CVs have been spotted by his Conrados from Lungaville[:@]...moving them back to Buin....




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Ground combat at Chungking

Japanese Deliberate attack

Attacking force 469630 troops, 5096 guns, 193 vehicles

Defending force 111034 troops, 336 guns, 22 vehicles

Japanese engineers reduce fortifications to 1

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

Japanese Assault reduces fortifications to 1


Japanese ground losses:
15915 casualties reported
Guns lost 381
Vehicles lost 14

Allied ground losses:
4685 casualties reported
Guns lost 47

[Speedysteve]

Looks like China will be yours Gen. Good job [8D]

Steven

[Gen.Hoepner]

ORIGINAL: Speedy

Looks like China will be yours Gen. Good job [8D]

Steven

Do not say it yet, please[:D]...If i was him i'd have many ideas how to stop this japanese meatgrinder...so better to cross the fingers and hope he won't do anything wise[:D][:D]

[Gen.Hoepner]

oh, forgot to say...the Chungking army is now at 6900 APs...seems that we lose 1300/1400 APs to each assault under the present conditions and we can recover at least 700 APs in 2 weeks

[Speedysteve]

ORIGINAL: Gen.Hoepner

ORIGINAL: Speedy

Looks like China will be yours Gen. Good job [8D]

Steven

Do not say it yet, please[:D]...If i was him i'd have many ideas how to stop this japanese meatgrinder...so better to cross the fingers and hope he won't do anything wise[:D][:D]

It'll be yours Gen I assure you. Ooops shouldn't have said that. Ah well it's been said now [;)]

Seriously with the results you have achieved and the number of men there it will fall baring a miracle or massive Allied intervention IMO.

[Gen.Hoepner]

AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 11/20-21/42

The only news is that i made a good trick at Suva[8D]. I managed to make Suva transfered under allied controll...so no more easy training...no no no[:-]

[8D][:D][8D][:D]

[Gen.Hoepner]

AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 11/22-23/42

Nothing much happened. His "turbo engeneers" are building up bases in the pacific at a incredible pace! Soon Nanumea atoll will be in range of his bombers[:(] and i bet the same fate will drop upon Tulagi and Munda. I'm really puzzled. Do not know what to do. He's clearly not risking his CVs in any risky big landing operation. He just stays in range of his LBbombers and jump, dot base by dot base, towards my positions. I do not know how to use, under these conditions, my 17th Army and my KB. I'd really like to give a counterpunch somewhere, but i do not see any chance of inflicting to him any real damage without risking the safety of my CVs against his HUGE 4Es force.
I'm also considering the idea of striking somewhere where he doesn't think i'm strong...but where? I do not feel confortable about the idea of leaving NG, the Solomons and the Marshalls without the cover of my combined fleet......
any ideas?

At Chungking m army is back already at 7500APs, while my air force keeps Chungking suppressed and my planes cover with the LRCAP umbrella. In one week we'll be able to attack again...and i'm sure he's running out of supplies by now! No more b-17s flying in! They're now killing my men in Burma[:@]

Nothing moves in I.O. or Bengal Bay.

[Gen.Hoepner]

AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 11/24/42

He's advancing at a pace that i cannot even imagine. Another atoll fell today, attacked by 300 marine paras. Now Nanoumea is in danger and probably it will soon been bombed by his bombers...as soon as the new atoll of Nukufetau will be built to level 3/4....
Recon started today at Pago Pago...surely another of his targets.
I cannot just wait and see him conquering my whole dominions. Gotta do something.
Operation "Shrinking Silk" approoved and launched today. risky and predictable, but i have no choices.
The whole17th Army is being loaded on transports at Truk. Will move tomorrow for Tarawa. Betties and Zeros have been placed at Tarawa. Fuel and supplies are coming.
The KB along with a BB TF leaded by Takeda is moving towards Tarawa. Will wait untill i see the new base growing and enough allied troops stuck in...then i'll invade. I will be under the threat of 4Es from FiJi...but i do not see any other way of doing something at the moment.




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Ground combat at Nukufetau

Allied Shock attack

Attacking force 260 troops, 0 guns, 0 vehicles

Defending force 0 troops, 0 guns, 0 vehicles

Allied assault odds: 38 to 1 (fort level 0)

Allied forces CAPTURE Nukufetau base !!!

[Gen.Hoepner]

11-25-42

Nothing new. Ships at Santa Cruz Arcipelago...means new bases are arising[:(]

unbelievable

[String]

Whatever you do, don't panic [:D]

[Gen.Hoepner]

I do not. But this will probably be the last attempt of an offensive operation. I feel already under HUGE risks, cause i know even 200 zeros won't be enough against 400Es escorted by 100 p-38s...so my KB will be in real danger. But if i do not try to stop his advance he'll soon be bombing Tarawa and i cannot let him ...not in 42![:@]

Incredible how fast the tide has changed uh?!

[String]

ORIGINAL: Gen.Hoepner

I do not. But this will probably be the last attempt of an offensive operation. I feel already under HUGE risks, cause i know even 200 zeros won't be enough against 400Es escorted by 100 p-38s...so my KB will be in real danger. But if i do not try to stop his advance he'll soon be bombing Tarawa and i cannot let him ...not in 42![:@]

Incredible how fast the tide has changed uh?!

200 zeroes WON't be enough. They might kill those P-38's, but they wouldn't help against those 400 bombers even if they were unescorted. They are bound to achieve some hits if they come at 6k feet. That is ofcourse, if all 400 launch in a single strike and he indeed has 400 bombers to launch at you.