Matrix Games Forums

11/1/44

Still no action from tabpub.
liberators night bomb kendari
canton goes into the orange for supply, and the blockade of ss sinks the AK trying to sneak in
A lot of ships at Lea, and tabpub begins to telegraph his next attack, as 2 big battles occur over wewak

The 1st sees 55 zeke tackle 45 p38g, 16 kittyhawk and 61 b26
he loses 18 planes for 13 zekes

the second attack shows what his crack pilots can do -63 p38j shoot down 21 zeke over wewak with out loss.
Ouch!

he flings massive amounts of air at burma -especially at rahaeng -does he sense the gathering here?
Vic point is being entered by the enemy as well.
My army arrives at sorong, he arrives at the river near bangkok.
kamis muster in the pacific, and a reaction force sails for the invasion I sense is about to leave Lea

Its time to take a deep breath, and the troops at rahaeng are ordered to shock attack.[:@][:@][:@][:@][:@]
I must hold my nerve!

How's your game against Wobbly going?

We're currently in Dec. '43, and battling over Java. He tells me you've got quite the concentration of troops in the Marianas - is he threatening the region?

Hi Blurking

Wobbly went bersek just after my hero pilots were killed and I stopped the AAR
With the Gilberts gone, and the marshalls, he took the admiralties, but Lea holds
All was quiet in the east, line of defences at the river at rangoon.
Then out of the blue he landed 6 to 8 divisions at georgetown[X(][X(][X(][X(]
Immediately the field there was full of heavy bombers, and corsairs and the rest

I thought the game was over in mid 43[:(][:(][:(]
I DID NOT throw immediately everything into the battle, but used a graduated response -heaps of fighter sweeps, massive losses, but slowly the fatigue grew on his side.
Then in one turn I got lucky -a ss sank a CV, and i got the other 2,
down went a BB or two as well

Its a month on since the landing, he tried for singapore -and failed, the reinforcements got in 1 day before him
Although its touch and go, his air arm is crippled, and driven all but out.
He has lost so many APs and AKs he is bringing them from the pacific I think -certaintly he has no british fleet left -1 bb, some CAs and a few DDS
I have defeated one army, the fleet ranges up and down the coast bombarding, and daily 100's of bombers pound him
Its cost 1000 planes, and pilot experience is shot -but that will come up!

he is sending reinforcements from the pacific, they are at darwin.
Truk is being pounded, but KB lurks about to the north.
I decided that something has to give, but almost anything is worth destroying the british in 43[:@][:@][:@][:@]

12/1/44

This game really is different I think from many of the others.
Its 44, and Tabpub grinds on, always under LBA cover -I do not think he will leave it, until the marianas -then he has too.

The army in malaya has fgot away, it is recovering behind level 9 forts at songhilia, he unloads quite a few troops today at Vic point -mines claim several ships.
The great gamble tomorrow -I calculate that I have well over 3 to 1 at rahaeng -we shock attack tomorrow, all the troops having arrived.
Currently 7 divisions, 2 brigades, 5 tank and 2 detachments
Enemy 1or 2 indian units, and 5 battered chinese units.

13/1/44

It must be a friday the 13th[:@][:@][:@][8|][:(]

A gazzillion bombers pound, and pound, and pound rahaeng, and 2 fresh divisions arrive overnight
The attack went in, and was a shattering defeat -5830AV vs 3363, adjusted to 1884 (cursed bombers) to 4185 defence

10000 casos.
And thats 7 major units absolutely broken.
tabpub tells me that troops arrived only in the nick of time.
So the great gamble fails.
Oh well
I order a smart retreat , the army falls back towards bangkok, little choice here.

A lot of new planes arrived today in japan.
I have the CVEs lurking off the coast off Holliandia, he is coming from Lea -a veritable great green blob of ships there.
When should I deploy Kamis -must not waste them!

14/1/44
Enemy continues to land at vic point -7 brigades worth -they finally force out the base force there.
very, very heavy bombing in burma
he hits lautern, and sabang as well

Wewak has a visit again -this base is now wrecked too
troops evac raheang, the imperial army is cracking - I feel a bit penguish today.[8|]

15/1/44

we run away, raheang falls
I get some industry hits in China today -the betties are playing hide and seek -it is a good tactic, his fighters are being scattered again all over china.

Too give an idea of my industry state -all those Francis bombers due to arrive -they are all organising!.
I have 80 in production, actually recieving about 12 or so a month I think, as a lot of factories cannot be getting any oil now.

16/17 of january 1944

A dual post
here is what Im struggling against, and why this game is pretty boring at the moment -well for a long time
The enmy is invading Madang
Its a typical, and totally correct approach by tabpub, totally correct, but leaves me no chance yet to hurt him
He spotted KB1, 2 to the north of his fleet, but I retired them
I put a lot of planes into Holliandia -and he creamed the place -wewak is a crater, and a giant death star is 2 hexes off madang, .

I can't face his LBA [:@], he just closes the fields down, and with so few bombers available I cannot even counter attack.

Only KB is keeping him cautious -so I MUST preserve it

With no chance to slow him in PNG -the airforce retreats to the inner ring -the paluas -here I have a chance to get away from his LBA -his mediums are what really hurt me -the heavies will tire I hope.
Its very frustrating -but unlike a lot of games, I have very, very low pools of planes -getting into an attrition battle trying to save a base in the PNG is just pointless.
Against wobbly I have learnt a crucial lesson -even 30 experience fighter pilots get the bombers through if you send enough of them., and defence can win if the allies let japanese airbases in range out number his bases.
The best place for this might be the paluas, or , well its all depressing.

tabpub is a very slow steamroller, and Its bloody hard to come up with a tactic to hurt him at the moment.

ORIGINAL: 1275psi

16/17 of january 1944

A dual post
here is what Im struggling against, and why this game is pretty boring at the moment -well for a long time
The enmy is invading Madang
Its a typical, and totally correct approach by tabpub, totally correct, but leaves me no chance yet to hurt him
He spotted KB1, 2 to the north of his fleet, but I retired them
I put a lot of planes into Holliandia -and he creamed the place -wewak is a crater, and a giant death star is 2 hexes off madang, .

I can't face his LBA [:@], he just closes the fields down, and with so few bombers available I cannot even counter attack.

Only KB is keeping him cautious -so I MUST preserve it

With no chance to slow him in PNG -the airforce retreats to the inner ring -the paluas -here I have a chance to get away from his LBA -his mediums are what really hurt me -the heavies will tire I hope.
Its very frustrating -but unlike a lot of games, I have very, very low pools of planes -getting into an attrition battle trying to save a base in the PNG is just pointless.
Against wobbly I have learnt a crucial lesson -even 30 experience fighter pilots get the bombers through if you send enough of them., and defence can win if the allies let japanese airbases in range out number his bases.
The best place for this might be the paluas, or , well its all depressing.

tabpub is a very slow steamroller, and Its bloody hard to come up with a tactic to hurt him at the moment.

I'd suggest pooling up some planes and keeping an eye on him. If he sees less opposition he might come out and overextend himself. Even if you cant hurt him a slow steamroller is better than a fast one. Check your older replays and try to see how much time he spends for hopping from one base to another, it should give you a useful estimate on how far he can advance by 1945.

You are still in a very good position with KB intact. That is what keeps him on his toes and keeps him slow.

As for hurting him, gather up enough airframes to fill out your bomber and escort squadrons twice, and try to counterbomb him. Keep small recon squadrons in airfields to show that airfield icon so that he cant detect your airfleet too easily and keep perhaps half a dozen or even dozen 9 plane betty squadrons in airfields out of the range of his mediums to attrit his convoys. Once in a while a small strike goes through and scores a lucky hit. Better than nothing. Also a nightbombing raid here and there with Emilies or betties on some of his bigger ports can yield a hit or two.

18/1/44
madang landings continue
kavieng pounded
Hes invading the russell islands -another bypassed base

South of raheang and he is attacking, chasing the rear guard units down the road
he tries an attack at madang, and it fails?
0 to 1, forts 9, i think he only used a few troops for the attack

A huge offensive in central china, the enemy enter Wuhan, nanchang hexs, the pressure in China is enourmous

19/1/44

During the combat replay planes bombed the IMPERIAL DIVISION!, lost a long, long time agoby the ghosting bug.
Its well behind enemy lines now, but it was wierd. Cannot find it though anywhere today
The death star approaches kavieng
he again tries to close the road north of bangkok, again I will throw him off tomorrow.
The army gathering at bangkok is extremely large, will rest it several days, and think about a counter attack.

The fleet sails from the home islands, time to get it involved , as fuel stocks at palua will soon get a healthy boost..
Until fuel stocks build up, the other fleet must sit tight.

20/1/44
just 2 things today

handful of zekes and oscars in southern thialand conduct successful shipping attacks on 3 AKs near vic point.


And DD Hibiki sinks a SS near bonin island[&o][&o][&o][&o][&o][&o][&o][:)]

Allies try a deliberate attack at madang

I have just a single Base force there -and a unknown Ghost division -I suspect the imperial guard division too.
The base is reporting 27000 troops there.

Well I let tabpub know this.
Nothing I can do about it, he will have to defeat it.
When I lost the 2 divisions to the bug it cost me any chance to win, and became a huge inconvieniance, so I tell tabpub he will have to have his turn fighting the bugs[8|]
I do tell him as well that he can release one of the divisions he set aside in the states as compensation.

Not surprisingly Madang holds
I attempted my 1st kami attack today -it did not fly.
Hope Im doing it right[8|]

22/1/44

An AV is sunk by a ss well north of midway island -very bad luck that I think

The bombing continues on Kavieng, and rabual
The carriers headed south are well and truly spotted, 3 SS attacks on the fleet today -the sceen keeps the ss at bay, and no damage iether way, but he knows Im coming thats for sure.

23/1/44
A torrent of bombers over madang today.
A lot of discusion over the imperial ghost division, we will live with it I think, and just carry on.

Dili hit hard today too -burning all the supplies I just painfully unloaded.

The big news today
Kamis go in
The first oscar unit of the new weapon deployed to Wewak, and there was no CAP over Madang, .
4 attacked a DD -missed
27 attacked -1 AK 4 hits
2 other AKs hit.
The first AK hit sunk
Well, they work!

Not entirely sure if they are worth it though.

ORIGINAL: 1275psi

20/1/44
just 2 things today

handful of zekes and oscars in southern thialand conduct successful shipping attacks on 3 AKs near vic point.


And DD Hibiki sinks a SS near bonin island[&o][&o][&o][&o][&o][&o][&o][:)]

[:)]

24/1/44

I have been rotating troops in Timor.
the unit that was in lautern has marched out of the hex there faster than the replacement division has marched in from Dili.
The place was empty -and I did not notice

Tabpub did -a half dozen LCT are there , and a new front is opening!

While the south pacific is being deluged with bombs, he gets a freebie[:@]
The response I can mount at the moment is pathetic, but the orders are given.
Bummer, bummer, bummer!!!

25/1/44

2 lst sink from mines at lautern, the darwin defence battalion is ashore -but that is it.
The base falls of course
52 p38g vs 25 zeke over wewak, he loses 4, I lose 10
Admiralties, rabual, ponape, russell island, about 5 hexes in Burma, all bombed

a small strike of zekes in burma attack and hit 2 ak near vic point.

The action around lautern is heavy, as my responses begin
15 unescorted sally meet 20 p38j LRCAP over the base -13 SD
11 oscar are shot down

he attackes Kupang, seeing the planes I have moved in
20 liberators, 10 mitchel, 33 buefighter, 16 kittyhawks meet 20 zeke and 11 tojo

he loses 10 planes to my 2 in the air -but 10 lost on the ground

Dili is attacked too, tonies battle kittyhawks and mitchell bombers, losses are light as my planes moral is shot


Situation report
Home islands, HI is back to healthy pools, I restart some shipping building -mainly the patrol craft stuff.

China
The pressure here is enourmous, all along the front I am engaged, being bombed and straffed, yet I see dozens of chinese units in Burma as well!

I do suspect that the ghost bug got me years ago and several divs are missing.
Nevertheless, disaster is gathering, the army at Canton is cut off, and starting to lose supplies.
Troops right along the south coast of China are out of supplies!!!!!!!!!
Honk Kong has no supplies at all.
In desperation I am going to withdraw to hong Kong, and set up a Tokyo express , and star supplying, evacing some southern area forces.
China is a shambles for me, lots of lessons learnt for other games, here I have lost big time.

Burma
The front is now near Bangkok, and way down near Songkhilia?
large chinese army about to thrust down from thialand borders, and try to surround bangkok I think
With the army in the east now split into two, I see the future -the army in thialand gradually squeezed and destroyed near Siapan, and singapore after that.
I give my army 6 months at the most, but I will fight every step of the way.

DEI
The invasion of lautern is a disaster -yet an opportunity.
1 little battalion, and a long way from air support.
I actually have a lot of troops in this area, and a few planes too.
I am going to gamble that tabpub will use his death star on the upcoming admiralties/kavieg/rabual invasion.
I will use mine to retake lautern.
I lose Rabual -so what ?
I lose timor -and what oil I get at the moment will be bombed to bits.
So, we will try our best here.

Overall, playing japan in 44 is hard work!

26/1/44
Holliandia swept by his crack lightings -15 zeke lost

To the north of wewak a very lardge CA formation is lurking, he attacks it at extreme range -the lrcap works, and no one gets hurts on the ships, 4 planes lost though.
But "a large force" is spotted north -hopefully Tabpub will read this as KB.
Its headed west at high speed

Canton is evacuated to honkers.

27/1/44
the reaction to lautern invasion begins properly today.
It will be a gradual building up of pressure, hopefully turning this little adventure into a long term slogging match, detracting tabpub from his main plans, or even disrupting them

As usual lautern has sprung up a squadron of PT boats, I need them to use there torps up before big boys arrive.

3 mighty PGs steam in against the 6 PTs, and are shredded quick!
Lots of torps expended though
BB Ise and 4 DD sweep in, 2 DD are badly hurt by 40 mm bofors and 20mm bofors, no pts hurt at all.
BB ise performs a very poor bombardment
2 more PGs are sunk by the PTs, the allies get 3 surprise in a row.

Over lautern 20 jack and 5 tony tangle with 21 beafighter, 9 kittyhawk, 3 spitfires.
4 Kittyhawks lost.
Then wave after wave of fighterbombers and medium bombers attack some 8 APs coming south. These are already damaged cripples, and allow Ise to get away.
C46 commandos are intercepted over lautern, he is trying to get a base force in
My division is slowly marching to the area, 16 miles down.

the rest of the war goes on, bombing all over rabual and adjacent bases, and Hong kong is slowly being strangled as well. Canton will fall soon.

KB is moving toward the kendari area, will be a week before the entire fleet can be bought to bear.