An End to Western Imperialism -- or Xargun vs RRoberson

[Xargun]

April 7th - May 12th, 1942

Allied Ships Sunk:

TK Norfold, Francol, Pleiodan, British Judge
xAK Banda, Anhui, Barpeta, Slemmestad, Asphalion, Troilus, Khandalla, Empress Scotland
xAK Barjora
AK Betelgeuse, Bellatrix
xAP Thomas Berry, Poelau Laut
AS Sperry


IJN Ships Sunk:

DMW W-9
TK Nissan, Fujisan, Kozui
AKL Nikki Maru
xAK Morioka


Bases Captured:

Singkep
Bintan
Tandjoengbalai
Bengkalis
Rangoon
Tarakan
Sawahloentu
Medan
Pakanbaroe
Tablas
Tawau
Lahat
Catbalogan
Padang
Langsa
Benkoelan
Sibuyan
Gorontalo
Guiuan
Loewock
Tagbilaran
Masbate
Siquijar
Ramree Island
Roxas
Port Blair


Base Construction:

Pescadores Airfield 5
Bunguran Fort 3, Airfield 2
Toyohara Port 4. Airfield 2, Fort 2
Hankow Fort 5
Wuchang Fort 6
Mili Fort 3
Magwe Fort 2
Shanghai Port 8
Manilla Fort 4
Johre Bharu Fort 3
Gasmata Fort 2
Singapore Fort 5
Tainan Fort 3
Truk Fort 4
Georgetown Fort 3
Manado Fort 3
Malacca Fort 2
Sendai Port 5
Hengchow Fort 3
Rai-Nomur Fort 4
Sorong Port 2, Airfield 2
Tarawa Port 2, Airfield 2, Fort 2
Chengchow Fort 4
Paramushiro Port 2
Rangoon Airfield 5, Fort 3
Babeldoab Airfield 6
Shortlands Airfield 1
Naha Port 4, Fort 1
Pagan Fort 3
Chichi-jima Fort 3
Ponape Fort 3
Pegu Fort 4
Palembang Airfield 5
Jaluit Fort 4
Canton Fort 5
Brunei Airfield 2
Clark Field Fort 4


US Pacific:

All of my real forces have been withdrawn from Midway, leaving a small Base Force, with a small detachment of the 7th Inf Div. I am surprised he has not taken the island back - he does have 4 CVs and last intel put them all in US waters - probably at PH repairing or refitting

US North Pacific

I have landed troops at Adak Island and am attacking this turn - I hope to take the island. I have no real plans for the island chain, but just want Rob to be split between multiple problems. The more I can give him to think about, the more he has to spread his forces thin to protect.

Burma:

Southern Burma is all mine, including the oil fields at Magwe. I am chasing the remnants from Rangoon north along the coast while my bombers hit them almost daily. The allied forces have to be heavily disrupted and low on supplies, but they keep escaping me. Its much harder to encircle units in AE than WitP was.

Once I have these remnants chased down I will move north and take the rest of the rail lines in Burma. It does not appear to be heavily defended but we will see.


Malaya:

Malaya is all mine and preparing defenses and repairing damages. Singapore's Heavy Industry is fully repaired (what is left) and I have expanded Georgetown's HI to 12 from the initial 6. The repair yard at Singapore is also being repaired and will probably be repaired all the way back to 50 - but I'm not sure on that yet. The Resources and LI will probably not be touched.


Borneo:

Eastern Borneo is mine. Tarakan and the base next to it is mine and I am slowly shipping fuel from there to Manilla for cross shipment elsewhere.

Allied air units in the area are stopping me from advancing further south until the repairs and upgrades for my DDs are complete in Manilla harbor. Roughly 10 more days until all of my DDs are ready to escort my 2 CVs there south allowing me to take more bases.


Philippines:

Luzan is all mine as is the southern island. I have all but 1 of the unoccupied bases captured and have landed on one of the islands with resistance. I am moving division sized units from Manilla to take these last few bases.


China:

Not much is happening here. I am still chasing a few chinese units out of my interior and trying to prepare them for the assaults on the railway bases.


SW Pacific:

Tarawa is mine and I am building up defenses.

I am pulling troops off Baker Island as I don't think it can be held - so I will let Rob take it back, but that will give me warning before he hits Tarawa.


DEI

Allied air at Kendari and Ambon has halted my expansion south towards OZ. I am awaiting the CVs at Manilla to move south to support these invasions.

I am still pumping oil out of the small oil fields near Sorong and shipping it back there but I am cautious as I have last a few small tankers to enemy air attacks.

[Xargun]

May 13th - May 20th, 1942

Allied Ships Sunk:

xAK unicoi


IJN Ships Sunk:

None


Bases Captured:

None


Base Construction:

Clark Field Fort 4
Rangoon Fort 3
Pontianak Fort 4
Naha Fort 2
Palembang Fort 2
Magwe Fort 2
Pescadores Fort 4
Manilla Fort 5
Oosthaven Fort 1

I want a minimum of a level 3 Fort in any base I expect to fight over in the future and at least a level 4 in important bases. I am striving for higher levels in more important bases like Pegu, Rangoon, etc...


US Pacific:

It has been quiet for a while here. I have no ships in the area and only minimal forces on Midway now. I am surprised his CVs havent at least come by for a few bombing runs.


US North Pacific

I still have not taken Adak Island and its upsetting me. My troops don't seem to be facing any real resistance, but just can't manage any odds. I am replacing the leader and giving them a few more days rest before trying again.


Burma:

I am still chasing down the Rangoon remnants but have caught both groups. The southern group I am sure I can kill off - I have them surrounded but the northern group will probably escape.


Malaya:

Not much to report here - just building forts and moving troops and supplies around.


Borneo:

I am anxiously awaiting the return of several escort DDs that are finishing repairs / upgrades in Manilla to escort my CVs into this area so I can capture the rest of it.


Philippines:

Luzan is all mine as is the southern island. I have all but 1 of the unoccupied bases captured and have landed on one of the islands with resistance. I am moving division sized units from Manilla to take these last few bases.


China:

Not much is happening here. I am still chasing a few chinese units out of my interior and trying to prepare them for the assaults on the railway bases.


SW Pacific:

All is quiet on this front at well although sub activity around Kwajalein has picked up about 500%. I am moving troops, airplanes and subs around to cover possible avenues of attack in case the sub activity is an indicator of Rob's intentions.

Last turn one of my subs about 700 miles east of Kwajalein detected some allied fighters. if this report is even fairly accurate it would mean Rob has CVs in the area as the allies have no other way to have single engine aircraft out this far. Hmm.. wondering if he is planning a raid on Kwajalein?


DEI

Allied air at Kendari and Ambon has halted my expansion south towards OZ. I am awaiting the CVs at Manilla to move south to support these invasions.

I am still pumping oil out of the small oil fields near Sorong and shipping it back there but I am cautious as I have last a few small tankers to enemy air attacks.

[Xargun]

We interrupt your regularly schedule AAR for important war newscast...

US Carriers sighted east of Kwajalein Island. Small air battles have been fought with what intelligence is calling 3 or 4 US Carriers. Experts are arguing over whether this is just a Carrier Raid or a full bore invasion fleet. Either way, resources are being moved to hammer the fleet should they invade.

We will keep you updated as Imperial forces move to smash the US Fleet.

[Xargun]

NEWS UPDATE

Looks like the Americans are going for Maloelap Island.

US Naval ships appeared on the horizon this morning and moved towards the island. Unfortunately for the Americans, the Imperial Japanese Navy had recently gone on a program of mining these outlaying islands to improve their defensive strength and the Americans plowed right into the minefields. Intel reports 1 CL, 1 DD and 2 xAKs hit mines and limped away heavily damaged.

The US Amphibious TF passed through the minefield and encountered heavy defensive CD Gun fire from the Naval Fort there. The 12 & 15 cm CD Guns played havoc up and down the US lines, hammering the escorting warships and forcing the TF to retreat before landing any troops [:D] (Never seen that happen before but I like it) Lookouts report the following US ships heavily damaged and limping away engulfed in flames:

CA Vincennes
CL Concord
CL Perth
DD Voyager
DD Monssen
DD Grayson
DD Meredith

US Carriers struck a port raid at Kwajalein Island sinking an AMC and damaging a PB already in port for repairs. Neither ship was evacuated with the rest due to their slow speed. LR Cap provided from nearby Roi-Namur consisted of a few Claudes but the US Naval Bombers passed right through them like they weren't there - only a couple US Bombers were shot down -- but no fighters were flying escort. Intelligence estimates that US CV fighters are holding back to protect their carriers from Japanese Air Attack.

As dusk approaches the tiny island of Maloelap no enemy troops have successfully landed and Imperials Naval and Air forces prepare their counter-attacks...

=======
THE FACTS NOW

Looks like Rob is after Maloelap - which is surprising due to the sizable Naval Fort there - perhaps he doesn't know about it - but their CD guns clobbered his warships in his invasion TF. I'm sure he has more (as many as 6 TFs have been spotted besides the CV TF). But it may give him pause -- all I need is a couple days and I will smash his forces.

His warships have to be either low on fuel or there are some very vulnerable AOs around.

I am moving 6+ subs into position between Maloelap and US islands - they will be used to pick off damaged survivors. I am also sending 2 CVs from Tokyp (were waiting for their June upgrades) at high speed into the gap behind his forces to catch lingering survivors or whatever I can catch.

I am also sending AKEs from Truk into the area to rearm / resupply my CV TF in the area -- they are coverging at Nauru Island -- it should be far enough away from the action to serve as a resupply base for my CVs.

I am fearful to commit my 2CVs & 1 CVL against his 3-4 CVs especially since my initial attack of 1 wing of Kates was completely wiped out. I think it is time to unleash my Netties from Roi-Nomur. I am kind of saving them to strike at his invasion TFs as they may lack serious CAP - especially if he is keeping it all over his CVs.

Either way it will be an exciting next week or so - but even if Rob takes Maloelap I have the 7th Inf Division sitting at Tarawa with enough firepower to smash anything he leaves behind when he pulls back his naval forces - which he has to do or leave them there low on ammo and fuel - which I will then just kill with air power.

Xargun

[Capt. Harlock]

Unfortunately for the Americans, the Imperial Japanese Navy had recently gone on a program of mining these outlaying islands to improve their defensive strength and the Americans plowed right into the minefields. Intel reports 1 CL, 1 DD and 2 xAKs hit mines and limped away heavily damaged.
The US Amphibious TF passed through the minefield and encountered heavy defensive CD Gun fire from the Naval Fort there. The 12 & 15 cm CD Guns played havoc up and down the US lines, hammering the escorting warships and forcing the TF to retreat before landing any troops (Never seen that happen before but I like it) Lookouts report the following US ships heavily damaged and limping away engulfed in flames:
CA Vincennes CL Concord CL Perth DD Voyager DD Monssen DD Grayson DD Meredith

A classic lesson in inadequate preparation. I'm especially impressed by the damage to Vincennes -- she's got a fair amount of armor.

Did you have that particular place heavily fortified, or have you been working on all the islands in the area?

[Xargun]

ORIGINAL: Capt. Harlock

A classic lesson in inadequate preparation. I'm especially impressed by the damage to Vincennes -- she's got a fair amount of armor.

Did you have that particular place heavily fortified, or have you been working on all the islands in the area?

I don't think it is heavily fortified even now - I wish I had more men there -- it will hold 6k troops and I only have like 3500 there. Basically I did very little from the beginning to the island other than build some forts and just over the past couple weeks of game time (maybe a month) I decided that area was weak and moved a piece of the 7th Inf Div there and mined it (200+ mines). I also mined the other islands, but have not moved any troops there due to lack of troops in this theater.

I was very surprised when the Naval Fort hammered into the Vincennes myself - but then I saw they were 10-12cm guns - those will leave a few marks. There were lots of armor hits - belt, tower, etc... I don't think those ships will sink (well maybe the DDs) but they have to be high system and high fire from the beating they took. Most of them took 50+ hits from those guns. Best part is only 1 gun (a DP at that) was even damaged in their return salvos.

Now Intel shows a bunch of BBs there (and I'm sure he has some) so the defenses will probably get hammered by them next turn so we will see. Somehow I don't think they CD Guns will perform as good against the BBs.

Xargun

[Xargun]

Its been several days and the invasion has not happened - it appears he has turned his invasion force around and is heading SE - perhaps to Canton but hard to say. His CVs cruised around a bit looking for easy kills, but I had evacuated everything that I could beforehand and no easy targets were found. He caught me with only 2 CVs & a CVL in the area and after the failed attack that cost me an entire Kate squadron from 1 CV I was not interested in meeting him headon. I sent another 2 CVs from the Home Islands south to help, but with him leaving I have sent the CVs back to port for their June upgrades - which they will be available for as soon as they dock back up.

I will post more tonight or tomorrow and get everything caught up.

Xargun

[Mac Linehan]

Xargun!

I still have your original posts from WitP (2004) as my guide and holy key to the mysteries of Japanese Economics! Will follow your AAR with interest!

A faithful but shy student....

Mac