EA Damian(J) V Nemo(A) "Renaissance"

[n01487477]

21 June '43
Well as I suspected, the Fast Transports did their damage got in and out of Amami, the weather favoured the Allies and no strikes went in from Kagoshima. Allied CV's have been spotted 2 hexes West of Nagasaki, almost toying with me and nothing got off the ground.
2 DD's were sunk in Naval action at Amami, another 2 will flounder by tomorrow evening. I sent my Fast Transports to Nogo, to bolster troops there, but should have held back a turn to see where he was going.
For the second time in 2 weeks, my Large Para unit "Shock", will be sent to Amami, but I think it may be too late as is.
My CVTF is precariously placed, but is lacking available sqd, as they are covering land bases, and will retire. My problem is not enough fighter airgroups, not planes, and if I had more I'd place 2 grps of fighters and 1 torp grp and tear into him. At present I defend all and defend nothing... this has got to change.

Nice SS display of power too, huh ?

[n01487477]

Thought I'd recap on the action over the last week or so...

Nemo came in guns blazing, but for all the action or lack of, due to weather and misplaced assets, bad general strike coordination etc ... I looked in all sorts of problems.

But due to some good use of transport planes and Fast Transports, I've kept what I wanted and now am ready for the second assault.

21 June (20 June) - My CVL contingent guarding Nogo, is ordered to return to Osaka, as it looks outgunned.
22 June - Amami is hit by Fast Tranports and SC. I sent 5 DD's in and they got creamed, with 2 sunk and 2 almost sunk. My FT's and SC's went to Nogo (1 hex East of Okinawa)
23 June - Trying to recombine my SC's after the 22 June, didn't work as I miscalculated the return leg. Allied CV's come right in (2 hexes SE of Osumi) and luckily don't hit my SCTF's. KB, rendezvous at Ise with SC. Osumi is invaded via a small FT.
24 June - Finally KB is out to sea, having had to juggle A/C and fuel considerations. Sasebo is hit by a large Bombardment TF. I think he also wanted to send some LB, but it didn't transpire.
25 June - Air transport operations have bolstered the Islands & the Allies have withdrawn.
26 June - Osaka is hit by the LB, and those CV's are out of the war for a long time ... damn after all the action to have this happen, this way, is gutting.

Nemo writes me about his huge supply needs at Shanghai, and that even with everything he has he needs more to gain more territory. Hey, sounds plausible, but I'm sure he's got plenty to come again soon.



I lost about 400+ LB during the course of the operation, and now I'm pretty much dead in the water, re-equipping it in time for the next seaborne assault. I can't make offensive operations over China, and anything I hit, always has 100's of fighters capping - Nemo loves these fighter traps and uses them to great effect.

I found that Oscar II's are good at Naval Attacks, ala Pe's, but my experience levels are in the 50's, and I've started training them up.

[Capt. Harlock]

26 June - Osaka is hit by the LB, and those CV's are out of the war for a long time ... damn after all the action to have this happen, this way, is gutting.

Rats and other less printable comments. I assume the 4E's came from Nemo's airbase near Shanghai?

[n01487477]

Yeah Capt. Harlock, they are stationed near Shanghai, I've done a sweep or two to see, but there are many fighters there ... I'm figuring out something else. Anyway, Nemo has changed tack and started to attack TojoIII factories to great effect, Three days bombing at 32K, has destroyed 62 factories out of 650. The hits are not huge, but the percentage effect is killing me... if this is the same in AE, then it's ridiculous ... Imagine the percentage effect on HI[:@]

We're at 30 June '43,
in the last few days Nemo went up the chinese coast to Tsingtao, I hit him pretty hard with assorted LB after a nice sweep ...

Day Air attack on Tsingtao [Cen China] , at 55,34

Japanese aircraft
Ki-44III Tojo x 56

Allied aircraft
F4U-1 Corsair x 8
P-51B Mustang XP x 13
P-38G Lightning x 27
P-40N Warhawk x 19
P-47C Thunderbolt x 25
Spitfire VIII x 32
La-5FN x 13

Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-44III Tojo: 50 destroyed

Allied aircraft losses
F4U-1 Corsair: 2 destroyed
P-51B Mustang XP: 5 destroyed
P-38G Lightning: 21 destroyed
P-40N Warhawk: 13 destroyed
P-47C Thunderbolt: 11 destroyed
Spitfire VIII: 12 destroyed
La-5FN: 5 destroyed

...

Day Air attack on TF, near Tsingtao [Cen China] at 55,34

Japanese aircraft
A6M5 Zeke x 6
Ki-44III Tojo x 37
G9M1 Marlina x 3

Allied aircraft
F4U-1 Corsair x 7
P-51B Mustang XP x 9
P-38G Lightning x 16
P-40N Warhawk x 11
P-47C Thunderbolt x 20
Spitfire VIII x 19
La-5FN x 10

Japanese aircraft losses
A6M5 Zeke: 3 destroyed
Ki-44III Tojo: 26 destroyed
G9M1 Marlina: 1 destroyed

Allied aircraft losses
F4U-1 Corsair: 3 destroyed
P-51B Mustang XP: 2 destroyed
P-38G Lightning: 7 destroyed
P-40N Warhawk: 4 destroyed
P-47C Thunderbolt: 2 destroyed
Spitfire VIII: 8 destroyed
La-5FN: 2 destroyed

Allied Ships
MSW Kumaon, Bomb hits 1, on fire, heavy damage

Aircraft Attacking:
2 x G9M1 Marlina bombing at 8000 feet
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day Air attack on TF, near Tsingtao [Cen China] at 55,34

Japanese aircraft
A6M5 Zeke x 8
Ki-44III Tojo x 70
G4M1 Betty x 96
Ki-48-II Lily x 52
Ki-49 -I Helen x 39
G9M1 Marlina x 20

Allied aircraft
F4U-1 Corsair x 3
P-51B Mustang XP x 3
P-38G Lightning x 4
P-40N Warhawk x 4
P-47C Thunderbolt x 8
Spitfire VIII x 4
La-5FN x 4

Japanese aircraft losses
A6M5 Zeke: 1 destroyed
Ki-44III Tojo: 29 destroyed, 4 damaged
G4M1 Betty: 2 destroyed, 3 damaged
Ki-48-II Lily: 2 destroyed, 1 damaged
Ki-49 -I Helen: 3 destroyed, 1 damaged
G9M1 Marlina: 1 destroyed, 1 damaged

Allied aircraft losses
F4U-1 Corsair: 1 destroyed
P-51B Mustang XP: 6 destroyed
P-38G Lightning: 8 destroyed
P-40N Warhawk: 6 destroyed
P-47C Thunderbolt: 13 destroyed
Spitfire VIII: 3 destroyed
La-5FN: 3 destroyed

Allied Ships
AK Siantar, Bomb hits 5, on fire, heavy damage
MSW Bellechasse
AK Empire Southey, Bomb hits 1, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
PG Hindustan, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
MSW Amritsar, Bomb hits 4, on fire, heavy damage
AK Empire Buckler, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
MSW Konkan, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
AK Floridian
MSW Chevreuil
MSW Quatsino
MSW Oriole
AK Maliko, Bomb hits 2, Torpedo hits 2, on fire, heavy damage
MSW Khyber
AK Allara
AK Malda
AK Ben Nevis, Bomb hits 1, on fire
DE Spey, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
DE Teviot, Bomb hits 3, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
MSW Gale, Bomb hits 7, on fire, heavy damage
PC Parvati
MSW Quail
MSW Rajputana
MSW Chignecto
PC Pansy
MSW Karachi
AK Empire Ballantyne
MSW Caraquet
MSW Madura
MSW Penguin
PG Warrego, Torpedo hits 2, on fire, heavy damage
AK American Leader, Bomb hits 1
PG Soemba, Bomb hits 1, on fire
MSW Rail, Bomb hits 2, on fire, heavy damage
MSW Kumaon, on fire, heavy damage
AK Nightingale
AK Demodocus, Bomb hits 1
AK Empire Hawksbill
AK Empire Webster, Bomb hits 4, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
PG Grasshopper


Allied ground losses:
108 casualties reported
Guns lost 1
Vehicles lost 4

There is also the Allied CV's shadowing this force, but luckily my LB went for the transports for once.
On the 30th, Nemo moved the CV fleet north, but the weather worked in my favour from once and no flights went to their destruction.

[n01487477]

This week has been a very busy one for me, so the game has moved at a glacial pace.

I had designs on going hell-for-leather into Shanghai, but Nemo moved his CV's back toward Shanghai and I'll have to wait for another opportunity.

I hate dying feebly through high alt attacks and waiting for the end game and thought I'd up-the-ante... but I'm not going to be totally suicidal in it. My plan is to dent his Pe's and B-17's, while severely damaging his Navy.

So the plan is to mass most of my navy, head out from Tsushima, toward Jeju and then send it barrelling into shanghai... I'll lose all my SCTF's, but better here than not used at all. My CV's will provide LRCAP and sweeps and my remaining LB hit the ports, airfields and anything else ... I didn't want to do that with the American CV's capping though, and the weather is turning better again, and I'd rather some good ol' thunderstorms.

Why?
Well cause if I sit back, I'll be picked off, cornered and have to surrender without the Allies feeling the sting of the Japanese tail... I figure this is acceptable, and something they would have done. It's not nice seeing B-17's untouchable and destroying my Tojo factories without any loss. And in the end my SCTF's are uselessly sitting waiting to be bombed.

Maybe some of you can talk me out of it, and be more patient, but I think now is the time to strike and strike hard in the following few days ...

Nemo and I plan to play until the end, I just want the battle brought to a bit of a head and then I'll accept my fate.

[Alfred]

ORIGINAL: n01487477

This week has been a very busy one for me, so the game has moved at a glacial pace.

I had designs on going hell-for-leather into Shanghai, but Nemo moved his CV's back toward Shanghai and I'll have to wait for another opportunity.

I hate dying feebly through high alt attacks and waiting for the end game and thought I'd up-the-ante... but I'm not going to be totally suicidal in it. My plan is to dent his Pe's and B-17's, while severely damaging his Navy.

So the plan is to mass most of my navy, head out from Tsushima, toward Jeju and then send it barrelling into shanghai... I'll lose all my SCTF's, but better here than not used at all. My CV's will provide LRCAP and sweeps and my remaining LB hit the ports, airfields and anything else ... I didn't want to do that with the American CV's capping though, and the weather is turning better again, and I'd rather some good ol' thunderstorms.

Why?
Well cause if I sit back, I'll be picked off, cornered and have to surrender without the Allies feeling the sting of the Japanese tail... I figure this is acceptable, and something they would have done. It's not nice seeing B-17's untouchable and destroying my Tojo factories without any loss. And in the end my SCTF's are uselessly sitting waiting to be bombed.

Maybe some of you can talk me out of it, and be more patient, but I think now is the time to strike and strike hard in the following few days ...

Nemo and I plan to play until the end, I just want the battle brought to a bit of a head and then I'll accept my fate.

Back last May, in posts #478 and #481 (pages 16-17), I advocated that you had to gamble big. I still adhere to that POV.

Whether this move on Shanghai is the right gamble, I can not say, not being privy to the full intel of your position nor of your detailed assessments. However your stated plan does have merit in that your navy and air force will not stop an Allied landing on the Home Islands if Nemo decides to send an invasion fleet. Nor will just waiting passively for an invasion of the Home Islands stop the destruction of your industry.

In your current strategic situation, gambling big (and I mean really big, from my POV, you never did gamble big post my May comments) makes sense provided:

(1) You choose a meaningful Allied target (eg destruction of lift capacity/naval assets needed for invasion)

(2) You assemble an appropriate force which can accomplish the mission

(3) The Japanese blow is unexpected and catches Nemo off balance

Alfred