Speedy vs Fabertong: Death to the Penguin!

[DuckofTindalos]

Ooooh, P63's... Ooooh...[:D]

[Speedysteve]

Hi all,

A quiet day....before the storm.......bad weather prevented many air raids. My fleet is reaching Mili (screenshot tomorrow) and remains undedected AFAIK.

--------------

SS Scamp missed DD Akikaze again (twice in 2 days!) She was moderately damaged in return by DC's. With no torpedoes left she is returning to Darwin.

SS Amberjack evaded ASW vessels NW of Tori Shima.

SS JAck missed TK Ryuei Maru NOT ONCE BUT TWICE. 0 out of 8 torpedoes for a 74/74 crew 120 miles north of Pagan[:-]

--------------

F5A recon planes will take off from Makin tomorrow to scout Wotje....

--------------

An AK and DD arrive in theatre tomorrow.

[aztez]

It seems quite the same approach FDR had when I started to invade Marshalls. He did withdraw most of his ac's out of there which propably was very good idea since Allied LBA bombers can cause quite an havoc.
 
His defense was pretty much the mines + heavy fortifications. This actually caused heavy casualties to me. I'am still fighting over Kwaleijin but I have seized the rest of atolls surrounding the main base.
 
The main result for these assaults have been heavy. A lot of the infantry units involved are battered and many of them are now gaining strenght. (Those shock assaults are **** ....[:D][:D])
 
9 LCU's behind level 9 fortifications and fully prepped for their target sounds like a quite an welcoming party! [:)] Hopefully most of those troops are actually supporting units and not "divisions".
 
A word of advice is that start loading supplies already. You are going to need tons of them if and when you start mopping up Marshalls.
 
I had the luxury of Essex CV's and he did not contest my invasion due to this. But as you said you cannot enough too much firepower! [:D]

[Speedysteve]

Well it's month end figures.....but first i've tallied up KNOWN subs victories since our war began:

S-Boats:
------------

ML - 1
PC - 1
AK - 4
TK - 1

Dutch:
---------

TK - 2
AK - 3
ML - 1

UK:
--------

MSW - 1
TK - 6
AP - 2
AK - 2
MLE - 2

Fleet Boats:
---------------

AS - 1
APD - 1
MSW - 8
PG - 5
ML - 4
PC - 3
AO - 3
AK - 72
TK - 50
AP - 29

SS O-19 mine:

PC - 1

------------------------

Intel score:

Points:

Japanese: + 638
Allied: + 1035

Planes:

Allies lost: 297
Japanese lost: 623

Troops:

Allies lost: 77 points
Japanese lost: 170 points

Ships:

Allies lost: 1 ship - 12 points DD IIRC
Japanese lost: 26 ships - 229 points - 4 sunk by CV air (3 x SS, 1 x ML). The other 22 by submarines[&o]

[Speedysteve]

Hi aztez,
 
Interesting stuff.
 
Atolls are gits. Remember though I DON'T plan to go for Kwajalein. It can rot as can Tarawa and Maloelap. The targets are Majuro and Wotje.
 
It's quite ironic that due to our later start (IMO) i'm almost at historic timelines.

[aztez]

Oh, that changes things around! [:D] 
 
I would recommend adding Ponape to your target list too. You can supress Truk if you are able to capture it.
 
 

[castor troy]

ORIGINAL: Speedy

Well it's month end figures.....but first i've tallied up KNOWN subs victories since our war began:

S-Boats:
------------

ML - 1
PC - 1
AK - 4
TK - 1

Dutch:
---------

TK - 2
AK - 3
ML - 1

UK:
--------

MSW - 1
TK - 6
AP - 2
AK - 2
MLE - 2

Fleet Boats:
---------------

AS - 1
APD - 1
MSW - 8
PG - 5
ML - 4
PC - 3
AO - 3
AK - 72
TK - 50
AP - 29

SS O-19 mine:

PC - 1

------------------------

Intel score:

Points:

Japanese: + 638
Allied: + 1035

Planes:

Allies lost: 297
Japanese lost: 623

Troops:

Allies lost: 77 points
Japanese lost: 170 points

Ships:

Allies lost: 1 ship - 12 points DD IIRC
Japanese lost: 26 ships - 229 points - 4 sunk by CV air (3 x SS, 1 x ML). The other 22 by submarines[&o]

OMG!!!! 59 tankers sunk by subs and it´s only oct 43!!

Faber must be a tough guy as I wouldn´t be surprised if many other players would already be thinking about quitting the game or would have already done it. If he´s not already very short of oil at his industry centers then he will be in the next months!

As I said before, you´ve done a great job with your subs. AMAZING!

[DuckofTindalos]

Yes, he's that rarest of creatures: the hard-shelled penguin...

And it's 61 tankers sunk, as far as I can count.

[castor troy]

ORIGINAL: Terminus

Yes, he's that rarest of creatures: the hard-shelled penguin...

And it's 61 tankers sunk, as far as I can count.

Don´t know about maths in Denmark but in Austria we´re counting in a different way it seems [:'(]:

S-Boats:
------------

ML - 1
PC - 1
AK - 4
TK - 1

Dutch:
---------

TK - 2
AK - 3
ML - 1

UK:
--------

MSW - 1
TK - 6
AP - 2
AK - 2
MLE - 2

Fleet Boats:
---------------

AS - 1
APD - 1
MSW - 8
PG - 5
ML - 4
PC - 3
AO - 3
AK - 72
TK - 50
AP - 29

SS O-19 mine:

PC - 1

------------------------


that makes: 1+2+6+50 = 59

If you would count the AOs also then there would be 59+3. But that wouldn´t be 61 also! [;)]

[DuckofTindalos]

D'oh... I'm getting old...[:(]

[Speedysteve]

Hi all,

LOL guys. You know T can't count....tis why he's going to school[;)]

Well the Allied armada was finally spotted today by a Dinah and a Lilly.

By the end of the day we were just 120 miles to the east of Majuro. One of my invasion targets. Quuite happy with that. Faber has only spotted me 1 day before going ashore.

TF1118 will head to Majuro to unload engineers, base force personnel and supplies covered by 3 x CVE.

The rest of the fleet will head a further 120 miles NW towards Maloelap before going ashore at Wotje in 2 days time.

1 x CV division is ordered to bomb Maloelap's airfields tomorrow.

In case Faber does lend land resistance to the invasion I have the following aboard transports:

3rd USMC Division
43rd Division
41st Division
32nd Division
9th Aus Division
Americal Division
6th Division
33rd Division
27th Division
158th RCT
5th Aus Tk Rgt
1st Aus Art
8th Aus Tk Rgt
632nd USA Tnk Dest Bn
19th USA Eng Rgt
1st Aus Army Tk Rgt
9th Aus Tk Rgt
4th Aus Tk Rgt

-------------------

SS Batfish misses TK Tonan Maru #3 120 miles west of Bataan today[:-]

SS Lapon was reportedly hit by a Sally bomb 120 miles east of Legaspi....false.....no damage.

-------------------

2 x AK arrive in theatre tomorrow.

We begin the liberation of the Marshalls tomorrow[:)]

[DuckofTindalos]

Nine divisions? You think you have enough?[:'(]

[Speedysteve]

[;)][:D]

These are purely there if needed. I detect NO troops on either Wotje or Majuro.

Yes they will be enough. IF I have to go shore with them they will reach a beach with a moon like landscape.

People were worrying I wouldn't have enough troops after Wake! All those troops are just about ready for action again now too[8D]

[Speedysteve]

Hi all,

Good good. Majuro is secure. Enemy mines were present but that was all. An SC hit one and foundered. 3 x AK were also damaged but overall the invasion is a success. The See Bees begin construction of an airfield tomorrow.

An enemy I-Boat again snuck through my escorts and hit CLAA San Diego with a torpedo causing 41/41/10 damage! The git was chased throughout the day but is believed to have survived.

--------------------

SS Mingo missed AP Fukkai MAru with 4 torpedoes 60 miles east of Batavia.

SS Rasher evaded ASW vessels NW of San Marcelino.

SS S-37 performed well today. She surfaced 60 miles NE of Koepang and sank an empty AP with 4 torpedoes. She then chased the other transports and sank AP Manzyu with 2 torpdoes. She is to return to rearm at Darwin.

Empty AP's - I can only assume he is moving stuff out of Timor?

--------------------

Tomorrow my fleets move further NW to cover the Wotje invasion (that fleet refuelled and will not land for 2 days now.) Maloelap's airfields are shut down. Tomorrow Kwajalein will be hit.

[Speedysteve]

Hi all,

A fairly quiet day all round with bad weather preventing most air missions in Burma and China.

Kwajalein was hit by CV Division 1. No enemy CAP was present and 9 x Dinah recon aircraft were torched on the ground. My gut feeling now is that Faber will NOT contest these landings. He has not shown any effort to attack my fleets with any LBA.

Fine by me. I feel this is my weakest time and I will only get stronger.

Wotje should be invaded on 4/5th November. Once secure CAP will be present (Majuro should be level 1 airfield tomorrow and that will have CAP also).

I'm ordering all combat formations to prepare for Eniwetok. This phase has gone well and been easier than I expected.

It is tempting to go for Eniwetok now but there is no need to rush and preparation is key. If I wait 4-6 weeks I will have more Engineers/Base Forces in the region from the WC, CV Division 4 should be repaired and ready to rock and roll and I will have the potential of forming a CV Division 5 with a further Essex class CV and Independence class CVL.

It will also allow my current fleets some R & R time.

----------------

SS I-155 was heavily damaged today whilst trying to intercept my CV's west of Maloalap.

Meant to add that yesterday SS Herring sunk on the way back to Midway....the first sub i've lost to ASW for over 2 months.

----------------

An AK, DE and LST arrive in theatre tomorrow.

[Speedysteve]

Hi all,

Friendly forces landed on Wotje today and as expected found it unoccupied (other than 100's of mines which damaged an AK).

Engineers have performed very well at Majuro and built an airstrip today. A 2nd one could be operational tomorrow! Corsairs and a PBM Squadron flew in.

Kwajalein was hit from CV Division 1 again and 6 more Dinah were destroyed along with supply depots hit.

-------------------

SS Pargo was hunted by 5 x Dd but evaded the mand is relocating further south of The Bonins.

Strange 2 days i na row with no sub contacts despite me moving amongst the sea lanes. Either he has stopped the convoys, altered his routes or i'm being unlucky. We'll leave it until tomorrow and then begin to move further afield.

-------------------

Once fighters are stationed at Wotje all CV/BB/Invasion transport TF's will move back to Pearl for R & R.

LBA will move in in due course and dominate the Marshalls.

[Speedysteve]

Hi all,

The 5th was relatively quiet with an SC hitting a mine and sinking + 2 other AK's getting damaged at Wotje.

CV Raids on Kwajalein and Maloelap (heavy AA at Maloelap).

My sub drought ended when SS Pargo blew up an AK 300 miles SE of Okinawa.

------------------

More of the same for the 6th...............

CV raids on Kwajalein and Maloelap. As Wotje and Majuro both have air cover (Corsairs) my fleets are moving back to PH for R & R

------------------

Submarine attacks:

SS Snook blew up AK Oregon Maru with 2 torpedoes 120 miles south of Okinawa.

[Sneer]

very strange and high losses to fabertong merchant fleet
I cann't understand that
looks like there is no counteraction against your sub offensive !!!
no hunter killer groups and asw bomber patrols
in my game allies losse 2 SS per 1 transport sunk

[Speedysteve]

Hi all,

Hi Sneer - Faber has changed tactics. Before I would receive maybe 3-4 spotted subs a turn now it is a lot more. I will track from now on. Today 11 subs were spotted. He has 3-5 HK groups of 5 x DD around as well. I just try and track where they are and move my subs regularly..............

Today for example:

SS Seadragon continues good form in rich hunting grounds 120 miles SW of Banjarmasin by probably sinking the freighter Nitimei Maru with 2 torpedoes. The escorts failed to find my sub.

SS Grunion also managed to hit AK Bujun Maru with a torpedo 180 miles ESE of Tarakan. DD Makigumo located my subs and some DC's heavily damaged the bridge - 20/50/0. Back to Darwin. Gato class sub en route to replace her.

---------------------

Tomorrow the Darwin heavies will bomb Kendari's resources hopefully (they have been repairing a bit of late - upto 120 ish now).

---------------------

CV's launch their last raids at Kwajalein and Maloelap as they retire towards PH. Airpower is growing on both Wotje and Majuro. Very soon both will be flying bomber missions to keep Kwajalein and Majuro supressed.

I have also decided to take BOTH Eniwetok and Wake. My reasoning is thus - Wake could be a thorn in my right flank if left untaken - I know the IGD is at Palau and 17th Reserve Coastal Gun Rgt is NOW at Eniwetok + ALL of my original invasion forces are upto 100% and ready to rock and roll. My Maloelap prepped troops are preparing for Eniwetok more and more every day. This is my current thinking. It may change.

---------------------

CVE Barnes, and AK and LST arrive in theatre tomorrow.

[Sneer]

the key into my defence sucesses are using all fast Msw PC and PG in HK groups- should be sth like 8 -10 available and using only slow MSW to escort convoys
better to move half of the bigger convoys and so on
during last 6 months neither of my important convoys were in contact with sub
DDs are not neaded to that job
also sally/ helen can be deadly if placed correctly
but back to your game
you are close to knock outing Faber out of game I think
there is significant reserve of TKs for oil transport but japanese fleet need a lot of fuel and many TK are needed for this duty

with such losses until real change happen you can break opponent fleet within 6 months IMO
and economy within 12