European battle for the Pacific - No Sebastian!

[terje439]

January 28th 1942

Overall
The game is progressing very slow now (not the turns betwen me and Sebastian, but the pace IN the game), so unless someone asks me to, there will be no screenshots unless something special happens.

Invasions
Japanese troops land at Toboali.

Bases lost
namatanai and La Foa are seized by Japan.

Japanese aerial raids
Clark Field, Batavia and Kalidjate are raided today.

Baby-KB
Spotted some 10 hexes from Soerebaja, reported to be heading SW, which will bring her to northern Oz.

[terje439]

January 29th 1942

Japanese invasions
Enemy troops are landing at Toboali, Noumea, Merak and Donggala.

Bases lost
We lose control over Magwe and Toboali.

Japanese aerial raids
Clark Field, batavia, Darwin, Soerebaja and Kalidjati are all targeted.

Baby-KB
Strikes Soerebaja.

Allied "success"
One of our Dutch subs attack and most likely sink an IJN AP off Batavia.

[terje439]

January 30th 1942

Invasions
We have reports of troops landing at Merak, Donggala and Lautem.

Bases lost
Japan captures Lihir, Merak and Donggala.

Java
It seems all the forces deployed at Singapore is being landed at Java. So far we count no less than 7 IJA divisions.

Japanese aerial raids
Japanese bombers pay a visit to Clark Field, Darwin, Batavia and Soerebaja.

PP usage
We rebuild and buy out the Americal Division. Now we need to decide where to send it.

[terje439]

January 31st

Invasions
The only reports we recieve is from Lautem where the enemy is reported to be landing.

Bases lost
Meiktila, Padang and Lautem all fall to the Japanese.

Java
The enemy forces are allready marching on Batavia. Strangely enough, Batavia is not bombed today.

Japanese aerial raids
Clark Field, Soerebaja, Darwin and Mandalay are all bombed today.

KB
Between Norfolk Island and Lord Howe Island.

Baby-KB
Off Soerebaja.

Reports
The Catalinas at Midway report 9 ships in the vicinity. Poor report or a invasion force that does not show on the map yet?

USN
The USN CVs are heading to Pearl where they will wait for a little while to allow APs loading the Americal Division to catch up. Then we will have to see where to head off to.

RN
The RN has decided to form a CV-TF and see if we cannot hunt down a few ships. This is done as we know where the IJN CVs are. I have no belief in a huge victory, but if we are able to show the IJN that they need to take care about their flanks, we will still have done well.

[terje439]

February 1st 1942

Invasions
Enemy troops are landing at Aitape.

Bases lost
We lose Tabar Island, Malaybay and Noumea.

Japanese aerial raids
Loyang and Soerebaja are both bombed.

Subs/ASW
An IJN sub score a hit on an xAP just off Pearl Harbour. I am short on aircrafts I am willing to "spend" on ASW (will not use B17s for this), and the ships available are simply not up to the task yet (Really longing for April 42 now).

[terje439]

February 2nd 1942

Invasions
Enemy invasions are reported at Aitape and Ambon.

Bases lost
Japan seizes Taung Gyi and Aitape.

Japanese aerial raids
Clark Field, Loyang, Hengyang, Soerebaja, Darwin, Auckland and Mandalay are all bombed.

KB
Strikes Auckland, she seems to travel with alot of companions...

Baby-KB
Still off Soerebaja.

[terje439]

February 3rd 1942

Invasions
The enemy is landing at Ambon and Tandjoengbalai.

bases lost
We lose control over Russel Island and Piangsiang.

Japanese aerial raids
The enemy airforces where very much in play today, as they strike Clark Field, Darwin, Auckland, Batavia, Katha, Mandalay, Chungking, Hengyang and Loyang.

KB
Strikes Auckland.

Cowards!
The Dutch fleet cannot accept such results as shown below... (the CL arrived at Soerebaja when Baby-KB was lurking, and as such could not flee).

Batavia
The enemy attacks, and they do kill more troops than they lose (have some issues with that but ok), but they more important, they reduce the fortification level to 2.

[terje439]

February 4th 1942

Invasions
Enemy landings are reported at Vanimo and Gorontalo.

Bases lost
We lose Feni Island and Tandjoengbalai. The loss of the latter probably means that the last three ABDA units there will not be able to evacuate to Port Blair.

Japanese aerial raids
Japan launches aerial raids on Chungking, Hengyang, Loyang, Clark Field, Soerebaja, Mandalay and Katha.

Batavia
To my surprise the IJA decides to switch to a bombardment attack this turn. A deliberate attack would most likely have seen the defences gone. Well, another day won for us.

A surprise for the Japanese
At Chungking, I estimated that last turns appearance of enemy planes would see more follow today, so the AVG was set on 100% CAP at 15.000 feet. The result can be seen below. Nothing major, just one of those "feel good" things for the Allies early on.

[terje439]

February 5th 1942

Invasions
Enemy forces land at Vanimo and Gorontalo.

Bases lost
We lose Buitenzorg, Mandalay and Vanimo today.

Japanese aerial raids
The enemy air force attacks Chungking, Wuchow, Hengyang, Mandalay, Batavia and Soerebaja.

The skies over Chungking
The AVG has a bad day at the office, and lose 12 planes while only killing 4.

Batavia
Once more the enemy settles for a bombardment attck despite having roughly 10:1 in AV. Another day gained.

IJN subs
These pesky critters are hard to drive away, and they sink a TK bringing fuel from the WC to PH.

[terje439]

February 6th 1942

Disclaimer
Did not find anything worth taking a picture over.

bases lost
Catbalogan, Gorontalo and Batavia all fall today. Seems the enemy finally realizedthat with so many troops at Batavia there is not much I could do to hold him back.

Japanese aerial raids
Chungking, Loyang, Wuchow, Hengyang, Clark Field, Soerebaja and Darwin are all raided today.

The skies over Chungking
The AVG does better when their altitude settings are adjusted, and today they only lose 1 plane while shooting down 2 zeroes.

Baby-KB
Located between Borneo and Celebes, from where she launched an attack on Soerebaja.

Thoughts
I am still leaning towards a China+Oz scenario from the way the enemy forces are distributed. If so I guess we will end up holding Chungking in China and Southern Oz.

[terje439]

February 7th 1942

Bases lost
Japan seizes Dinagat and Loyang today.

Japanese aerial raids
Chungking, Wuchow, Hengyang, Loyang, Mandalay, Clark Field and Darwin are all targeted. Somewhat surprised to find the "non Chinese" AVG reacting to defend at Mandalay as that is a range of 6 from their AF, and a range of 3 from the base they are set to protect.

The skies over Chungking
A bad day for the AVG again as they lose 6 planes and only shoot down 1.

RN CV force
The TF is spotted, and the enemy responds by sending in 100+ AC. The morning attacks was easily repulsed, but the later one was so massive that the result was a given. If we are able to save the CV and CVL it is a miracle.

[terje439]

February 8th 194

Well...
If you use your cellphone to take notes from the turn, make sure not to drop the phone in such a manner that the battery drops out, as that kind of turns the cell of, losing your info [:D]

[terje439]

February 9th 1942

Invasions
Hollandia and Loewoek are invaded.

Bases lost
Hollandia, Boac and Tacloban fall to the Japanese.

Japanese aerial raids
Chungking, Wuchow, Hengyang, Clark Field, Soerebaja, Darwin and Bandoeng are all targeted by raids/sweeps. At Chungking I think the enemy is trying to grind down the AVG units, and at Bandoeng my estimate is that the enemy is trying to slow down the movement of the ABDA forces there.

Orders given (that are of interest)
The AVG units in Chungking are ordered to rest and refit. Since there is not enough of their original type of AC, one is given P39s. Let us hope we can have the frames ready for combat before the Japanese bombers appear.

Victroy status
Major Japanese Victory

[terje439]

February 10th 1942

Bases lost
Guiuan and Medan are captured by the Japanese.

Japanese aerial raids
Chungking, Wuchow, Hengyang, Bandieng and Shwebo are all targeted. At Chungking the enemy sweep find noone to engage.

Orders given
The AVG groups at Chungking are set to 100% CAP again, let us see how that works out.

[terje439]

February 11th 1942

Invasions
Enemy troops wade ashore at Tanna and Salajar.

Bases lost
Siargao, Shwebo and Loewoek all fall to Japan today.

Japanese aerial raids, with explanations/guesses as to their purpose
Chungking - 66 Oscars sweep the base, shooting down 3 AVG fighters while losing only one. Seems to be out to desimate the Chinese airforce and burn valuable supply.
Shwebo - Here the enemy use bombers to soften us up before they attack the base.
Hengyang - bombing the ground units, most likely in an attempt to soften them up for an attack.
Wuchow - bombing the ground units, most likely in an attempt to soften them up for an attack.
Darwin - Bombing the airfield, obviously trying to reduce supply in this base that is hard to supply. An overture to an invasion?

Allied air raid
Chinese bombers strike at Hankow, believed to field several Japanese bombers, but only score 1 hit on the runway. This will not be repeated tomorrow since we must expect enemy fighters at the base now.

[terje439]

February 12th 1942

Invasions
Still more troops are pouring in at Tanna.

Bases lost
We lose Salajar, Bandoeng and Kalidjati today.

Japanese aerial raids
Chungking, Wuchow, Clark Field and Darwin are all targeted today. The first by sweeps only, the latter ones, by bombers.

Skies over Chungking
The AVG scores 6 kills and lose two of their own today. One of the airmen reach 81 exp, and is sent to TRACOM where we will try to gather as many 80+ aircrews as possible to create an "uber" squadron down the line, along the line of the German WWI flying circuses.

Japanese recon flight of interest
Japanese recons are spotted over Katherine. This strengthen my suspiscion about an attack on Australia.

Orders issued
We send some heavy bombers from Pearl to Pago Pago, and tomorrow they will head for Sydney.

[terje439]

February 13th 1942

Invasions
Ruteng is invaded.

Bases lost
Boeton and Tanna now fly the Japanese flag.

Japanese aerial raids
Wuchow and Darwin are the only bases attacked today.

Orders given
The bombers at Pago Pago fly to Sydney, and the B17s upgrade from the D to the E version as this allows us to fill out their numbers.

[terje439]

February 14th 1942

Invasions
Enemy forces land at Langs and Namlea. And then the big one of the month really, if not even the entire game. The enemy invades Darwin itself. No wasting time landing at the base to the "east" to avoid damage to his ships, instead a gung ho attack into the CDs at Darwin. Granted these are not the best CDs, still we set some ships on fire (see below).

Bases lost
Ruteng merely changes sides, but the coup d'etat this turn is a paradrop on Katherine that dislodges our small garrison. Nice move by Japan.

Japanese aerial raids
Clark Field, Wuchow and Darwin are the only bases bombed today.

Baby-KB
Off Darwin aiding the invasion there.

Orders given
The USAAF bombers are sent north to support the fighting in northern Oz. At Pearl we are considering what forces to load on an Amph and use to retake Wake. Should we land the entire Americal Division (3k men over the stacking limit), or try with a regiment with some armor and a combat engineer unit (about 1k over the stacking limit, but less AV). Decisions decisions decisions.
The OZ government allows the defences in the south to be weakened, and send forces to the north, as well as the Perth-sector. The Sydney-Brisbane area is now somewhat vulnerable, so we are basically gambling on that the enemy will not land here. Atleast not yet.

[terje439]

February 15th 1942

Invasions
TF after TF keeps unloading at Darwin. So far we have counted two infantry divisions, 2 tank regiments, 1 guards mixed brigade, 1 SNLF unit, 1 engineer regiment and 1 medium field artillery regiment ashore. The city is lost for us, but we will try to hold for as long as possible, but then again that was expected.
The enemy also land at Cebu this turn.

Bases lost
Roti, Namlea and Langsa is taken by the Japanese.

Japanese aerial raids
Today only Wuchow and Darwin are targeted.

Baby-KB
Still off Darwin.

Time spent on
We spend some time on going over the list of which unit will and which will not recieve reinforcements.

PP usage
We buy out another US Army division, and we reform two British ground units (1 brigade and 1 base force).

[terje439]

February 16th 1942

Invasions
Enemy ships are offloading at Darwin, Cebu, Manokwari and Ambon. At Ambon it sounds and looks like the enemy lost to AKLs to the CDs.

Bases lost
Lifou fall to Japan.

Baby-kb
Still off Darwin.

Japanese aerial raids
Darwin, Clark Field and Wuchow, nothing new.

Battles
Sian - The enemy has 4700 AV here, and reduced the fortification from 3 to 1, the city will likely fall tomorrow.
Darwin - The enemy has 2:1 in terms of AV, and dropped the fort from 3 to 2, also a lost cause.

Allied shortcommings
Right now there is a lack of APs in the areas where I need them. They are all busy carrying troops from place to place, leaving me nowhere enough ships to form an invasion AMPH TF atm.