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

[Arstavidios]

Girls and wargames are two thingd that do not go well together..........
What's the actual damage you suffered?

[Gen.Hoepner]

HI,
actually Kaga and CVL Ryujo are sinking with no hopes of surviving. Plus almost the entire zero force of my KB has been destroyed going on naval attack. could be worse..i know...but could also be really better...it's a kind of Midway...3 allied CVs that doesn't suffer any damage ( so better than Midway for the yanks) in exchange of 2 jap Cvs sunk...[:o]

AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 12/16/42

Ok, sending my BBs back to Japan for the upgrades of October ( i'm late i know) and also 2 CVs will go back to homeland for their upgrades, while the air groups will be landed at Manila where they will start a training program.
The operation KMS is going quite well i'd say. Malaya is being evacuated at a very good pace. Sumatra and Java are almost empty already ( i just leave 4 little base forces in order to be able to place some Emilies).
Oz will be the last, while the solomons and NG are being emptied under his nose and his not understanding it[:D]

He keeps sending subs to mine Tulagi and Nanoumea, while his 4Es are bombing daily waters back.
Soon, very soon, he's start to Bomb NG. I hope to be out of reach by that time. Some fragments of SNLF units and Naval guard units will be sacrificed and left in place ( PM, Tulagi, Rabaul, Tarawa etc) in order to delay him a bit more, while the bulk of my forces will be digging in the back.



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day Air attack on Daly Waters , at 35,90


Allied aircraft
Hudson I x 4
B-24D Liberator x 94


Allied aircraft losses
Hudson I: 4 damaged
B-24D Liberator: 10 damaged

Japanese ground losses:
73 casualties reported
Guns lost 4

Airbase hits 32
Airbase supply hits 11
Runway hits 78

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day Air attack on 4th Division, at 35,90 ( DAILY WATERS)


Allied aircraft
Hudson I x 1
B-17E Fortress x 20
LB-30 Liberator x 22
B-24D Liberator x 23


Allied aircraft losses
Hudson I: 1 damaged
B-17E Fortress: 2 damaged
LB-30 Liberator: 1 destroyed, 3 damaged
B-24D Liberator: 3 damaged

Japanese ground losses:
54 casualties reported
Guns lost 5
Vehicles lost 1

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day Air attack on 56th Division, at 35,90 (DAILY WATERS)


Allied aircraft
Hudson I x 1
B-17E Fortress x 15
LB-30 Liberator x 10
B-24D Liberator x 25


Allied aircraft losses
B-17E Fortress: 2 damaged
LB-30 Liberator: 4 damaged
B-24D Liberator: 4 damaged

Japanese ground losses:
43 casualties reported
Guns lost 4

[Gen.Hoepner]

AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 12/16/42


Today, after a struggle of one week, CVL Ryujo sunk, bringing beneath the waves 31 exelent pilots. CV Kaga arrived at Tarawa, escorted by 20 DDs ( i was scared about US subs). The wounded ship has been docked, but Tarawa has a port of size 3 and it will be almost impossible to save her ( 90 Sys, 68 flt, 0 fire)....there are 2 ARs at Tarawa and 4 more are coming, but i really think the "Emperor's Pride" is doomed.

At Burma he started to bomb with his heaviests my troops holding the "Rangoon Line"...he has to think i'll make a last stand here with a lot of troops ( 4 divisions present here). I'll try to play smartly and will order a general retreat as soon as his first units cross the Mandalay rail junction.

[Gen.Hoepner]

AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 12/16/42

Well...guys...mybe maybe....Kaga at 90/63/0...5 floating damage repaired today....oh please!!!!!!!!!!...........i really need that Ship!!!! However the air groups have been saved...will be flying to Manila for a intense training program..... let's hope let's hope....

[&o][&o][&o][&o][&o][&o][&o][&o][&o][&o][&o][&o][&o][&o][&o]

[kkoovvoo]

I will pray for Kaga every evening before I go sleep.

By the way, Emperor has decided that in upcoming multipayer game you are not allowed to give orders to any Task force which includes CV, CVL, CVE or CS and planes based on this ships. [:D]

[Gen.Hoepner]

ORIGINAL: kkoovvoo

I will pray for Kaga every evening before I go sleep.

By the way, Emperor has decided that in upcoming multipayer game you are not allowed to give orders to any Task force which includes CV, CVL, CVE or CS and planes based on this ships. [:D]

[:D][:D][:D][:D]
That's why i'm taking over Burma,China and Machukoku[;)]

[invernomuto]

Hi General,
maybe it could do it, with the AR taking care of her.
If you could lose only a CVL than it is not so tragic for you.
BTW, why didn't you transfer your A/C from Ryujo to Kaga? You could overload your CVs capacity if remember well...

Bye

PS
Ban from this AAR negative feelings or words that could affect Kaga's natural healing process [:D][:D][:D]

[invernomuto]

By the way, Emperor has decided that in upcoming multipayer game you are not allowed to give orders to any Task force which includes CV, CVL, CVE or CS and planes based on this ships.

ROTFL!!!

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

[Przemcio231]

I will command those ships[:D]

[Gen.Hoepner]

AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 12/17/42

Kaga is back at 68 flt[:(][:(][:(][:(][:(][:(][:(][:(][:(][:(]

Today arrived the ARs...now 6 of them are disbanded at Tarawa...the 6th Fleet HQ is coming from Kwelajein...everything that could help is being done...[:o][:(]

I DO NOT WANNA LOSE HER[:@][:(][:(][:(][:(]......

Nothing much else to report.
One US sub hit by Vals 4 hexes far from Tarawa...
Usual bombings in Burma and at Daily...

[ChezDaJez]

Kaga at 90/63/0...5 floating damage repaired today....oh please

I hope you save her. I had a similar problem with Kaga after my battle for Midway. IIRC she was 54/37/21 initially with a speed of 5 knots. After arrival at Saipan (14 days to get there), her damage was 57/24/0. I repaired the flot damage down to 10 and sent her to Hiroshima (4 X ARs there) for repair. She is still there. It has been about 60 days now since leaving Saipan and Kaga is at 34/0/0. So unfortunately, it will be a long time still before she comes out of the yards. I figure I might get her back sometime around November (if I don't wait for her upgrade) as she is only repairing about 1 point every other day. I have no other ships repairing at Hiroshima and over 100k supplies available. I have not expanded the shipyard.

It is going to take a long time (6 months or more) for you to to repair her but at least your opponent won't get those VPs.


Chez

[Gen.Hoepner]

Thanks Chez! Today 12/18/42 some flt. was repaired...now she's 90/56/0....


I've just started a PBEM with NIK's last edition mod....you know how many replacements i have for the B-17s?...16/month!!!!!.........MC has more than 75/month...not counting the Liberators....[:(]

[Speedysteve]

There is hope Gen [8D]

I've saved Kaga from 50/50/10ish before and she had reached Kwajalein like that.

I alos recently saved Akagi which was at 40/30/13ish. Reached Tualgi and ended up at 68/50/0. AR's doing their job now.

[Gen.Hoepner]

AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 12/21/42


Kaga at 90/54/00....hope, really hope we'll do the trick.
In the meanwhile many BBs and 2 CVs are coming back to Homelands for their upgrades
Another USS Sub hit, this time by a mine type 4
It's strange...he's not advancing that fast into the deserted Burma...well...even better! Every day gained is one more day of res and oil flowing to Japan.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TF 1041 encounters mine field at Abemama (85,98)

Allied Ships
SS Skipjack, Mine hits 1, on fire, heavy damage



In the meanwhile I'm starting to count my men for the final defensive perimeter
This is, more or less, the OOBs so far:

Ok, Let's try to analyze what will be the defensive positions of Japan for 1943.

While the 25th Army with 4 divisions and 2 Bdes holds the Rangoon line, trying to delay the british advance southwards, thusands of men are being redeployed to the new defensive strongpoints.

These will, more or less, be the OOBs divided for the different areas:

LUZON:

16th Army: - Divisions : - 5th
- 2nd
- 1st Tank

- Rgts/Bdes : - 65th Bde
- 14th and 8th Tank Rgts

- Artillery : - 3rd Mortar Bn


2nd Army: - Divisions : - 38th
- 7th
- 3rd Tank

- Rgts/Bdes : - 4th Mix Rgt
- 22nd Ind. Mix Bde
- 35th Bde

- Artillery : - 3th and 18th Heavy FA Rgts



MINDANAO:

14th Army: - Divisions: - 4th
- 56th

- Rgts/Bdes: - 4th and 21st Mix Bdes
- 4th Tank Rgt

- Artillery: - 17th HFA Rgt
- 14th Mortar Bn


FORMOSA:

25th Army: - Divisions: - 33rd
- 55th
- 21st
- Rgts/Bdes: - 1st and 6th Tank Rgts

- Artillery: - 75th Mount. Rgt


PALAU/YAP/ULITHI + MARIANNAS:

17th and 18th Armies : - Divisions: - Imperial Guard Div.
- 16th
- 18th

- Rgts/Bdes: - South Sea Detachment
- 56th Bde
- 7th Tank Rgt

- Artillery: - 1st and 5th HFA rgt
- 8th and 15th Mortar Bn.



RESERVE:

15th Army: - Divisions: - 48th
- 54th

- Rgts/Bdes: - 23rd Mix Bde




As soon as Ichang will be conquered we'll start to use PP points to get some of those crack chinese divisions and bring them to the pacific, along with Artillery units and HQs....

[Speedysteve]

Hi Gen,

To be honest i'm not sure it's wise to move back so far so quickly. Surely it would just encourage him to adavnce and establish a further forward frontline by mid 43 which will allow him to smite you by mid 44?

Just my thoughts.

Steven

[Gen.Hoepner]

Yes, Speedy. War will end in 44 ( so 1 year earlier) because Japan will soon be without resources and oil, but in mid 43 he won't be so strong as in mid 44 and, saving my assets and redeploying them into a thinner perimeter, we should be able to give the allies a good fight...i'm a bit bored about how this match is developing and i really want some real fight, but with the actual perimeter is impossible for me to defend against his 4Es...while if i force him ( especially in the pacific) to invade something really fortified we're aventually having some fun.

Moreover i remember the Lesson of "Barbarossa". If we had gotten back to the Dienpr( Ukraina) line when the attack on Moscow had failed, probably we would have managed to give the Ivans some more strong hits in 42 and 43...while the strategy of "Hold every single meter of conquered terrain" has always prooved to be a losing one for both for Japan and for the European front.
At this stage he's alredy moving into Burma and we all know i do not have the change of stapping a real invasion with his air force covering every single move of his troops. Same in SOPAC and CENTPAC, where Japan historically lost thousands of men and assets trying to defend everything.

I'd like to change and try something new..[:D]

[Speedysteve]

I understand your reasons Gen. As I say just my thoughts [;)]

One thing I would be wary of is of course if you shorten your front it will also allow him to bring to bear more forces on the diminishing front. You don't want a snowball effect!

Not to sound negative though. So I do hope your strategy works out [8D]

[Gen.Hoepner]

Thx Speedy!
Anyway, even if my strategy prooves to be wrong....at least we're gonna see some good fight!

KAGA at 49 flt[8D][:D][:D]

Today the power of the allies has been shown....

look at these numbers...

Planes in combat mission seen today:

Kittyhawk I x 112
Brewster 339D x 18
P-40B Tomahawk x 22
P-38G Lightning x 84
Wellington III x 32
B-24D Liberator x 98
F4F-4 Wildcat x 113
SBD Dauntless x 96
TBF Avenger x 46
P-400 Airacobra x 72
P-39D Airacobra x 72
A-24 Dauntless x 16
Swordfish x 10
Vengeance I x 16


and...consider that all those 4Es in Burma and Oz rested today.......[X(]

[Gen.Hoepner]

AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 12/23/42

Obvioulsy i meant Akagi and not Kaga...however ...it's at 40 flt[:D][8D]...we have some hopes!

My CVs are moving back to Homeland...most of them will need to upgrade in the first 4 months of 43...so better to have them close to Japan.

Today the first Nick sentai arrived. It has been shipped to Manila to start immediately its training program!

Nothing more to report

BANZAI!

[Gen.Hoepner]

AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 12/23/42

Akagi still at 40 flt...but at least it's not going worse...for the moment.

MC wished me a "good eve"...can mean he's ready for a serious offensive somewhere ( I bet on Port Blair and Lunga).....gotta hurry up with my Killing me Softly operation...