The Shattered Sword: John 3rd vs. Anachro--BTS

[durnedwolf]

ORIGINAL: John 3rd

Now that life is settling down some, I have time to return to regular AAR work.

Questions for the readers:
1. Who is actively following the AAR?
2. What sorts of topics do I need to be covering that hold interest to you?
3. Do I need to talk more about the Mod and its changes?

Getting some responses will help my direct a bit of the narration coming up...

1. Yup. I like your mod.

2. Resource Management, planned defensive "rings" in the Pacific, plans for air frames you will build/skip and why. And lotsa pictures please.

3. Yes!!!!

[tarkalak]

ORIGINAL: zuluhour

peanut gallery, present and accounted for!

+1

I won't comment much since I read both sides and I am a newbie anyway.

[John 3rd]

Am Opening the store today and tomorrow so I shall have time to write during both afternoons. The Family is flying to Kansas City---home of the 8-1 Kansas City Chiefs!!!--for a Family Farm Meeting on Thurs--Fri--Sat. Won't have much time then so I hope to do some serious work today and tomorrow.

Batavia is about to finally fall. Had to bring in the Fleet's Battlecruisers to do get it headed out but the end is in sight there. Once this thorn is gone, the Kangaroos of Aussieland need to jump into their slit trenches as GEACPS comes calling! There are six ID in Java at present. Three, plus 4 Brigades/Regiments, will descend upon NW Australia while the remaining three go to reinforce the Indian Campaign.

[Panther Bait]

I am fairly actively reading both of the AARs, so generally just lurking on both

[Lecivius]

I am a bad dream. I am ALWAYS here in the shadows [:D]

[anarchyintheuk]

Lurking. Will be watching the non-7-1 Cowboys tonight.

[Chickenboy]

ORIGINAL: anarchyintheuk

Lurking. Will be watching the non-7-1 Cowboys tonight.

Here too. My big decision is whether to watch it live and flush 3.5 hours of my day away in frustration or whether to DVR the thing. In addition to skipping the 2 hours of ads and banal 'analysis' pre/post-game, I can delete the whole bloody thing if it's a complete shambles.

Going into this 'must win' game at 3-4, I think I'll DVR it. [:D]

[John 3rd]

OK. WE shall start with the Japanese CV Order-of-Battle as of June 1, 1942.

The Kido Butai
TF-1
CV Akagi (81) 24--27--27--3
CV Amagi (81) 24--27--27--3
CVL Karasu (33) 18--00--15
CVL Ryukaku (33) 18--00--15
CVL Nisshin (31) 18--00--12

Aircraft Totals: 102F--54DB--96TB--6R

Amagi is not damaged and scrapped with the earthquake so you get two actual Amagi-Class sisters. Karasu and Ryukaku are built as improved Ryujo's with just the single hangar deck and sets up the eventual template for the Japanese CVL. These two CVLs are allowed under the slight increase in CV tonnage within the Treaties. Nisshin is purpose-built as a CVL and not CS.

TF-2
CV Hiryu (69) 21--24--24
CV Soryu (69) 21--24--24
CV Shokaku (72) 24--24--24--3
CV Zuikaku (72) 24--24--24--3

Aircraft Totals: 90F--96DB--96TB--6R

Hiryu and Soryu are sisters. No half-sisters here.

TF-3
CV Junyo (58) 27--18--15
CV Hiyo (58) 27--18--15
CV Ryujo (39) 21--00--18

Aircraft Totals: 75F--36DB--48TB

The argument over the 'how to's' of the Junyo-Class conversions is reduced and so the CV enter about 3-4 months early each. Ryujo is still a marginal design with her capacity reduced to 39 to reflect the attempts at 'fixing' her issues.

Total Kido Butai: 8 CV and 4 CVL with 267F--186DB--240TB--12R

The Recon planes are a variant of the Kate TB that then shifts over to the traditional Judy Recon plane.


Everyone KNOWS my proclivities for dividing my carriers. Since the Allies start with one heck of a lot more firepower in this scenario, I have broken form as of RIGHT NOW to concentrate the vast majority of my flight decks in one place. Sean has shown tendencies to divide his CVs and I want to CRUSH one portion of that carrier force. Kido Butai 1 and 2 are currently about to arrive at Diego Garcia. The CVs will have to wait 5-7 days for the Junyo TF to arrive and then the entire force will enter the IO. It will not be spotted. Sean has no air search that can reach Diego right now and I have begun base construction at North Male with 18 Emily currently based there. Diego Garcia has about two dozen air search aircraft well. There will be no Allied surprises.

Once the three CV TFs are unified they shall move along the edge of the map board and then turn to arrive at a suitable launch point to smash Socotra. All Kates will hit the Port while all the Vals will attack TFs at sea. I am reasonably certain that he has most of the British IO Fleet hidden there. Would love to stage a second Pearl Harbor in mid-1942.

Once this operation is completed, the vast majority of the Carrier Fleet will return to the Home Islands for upgrades. While that is occurring, I shall fiddle with the compositions of the Daitai to better prepare for what is to come from the Americans in late-42/early-43.

[John 3rd]

Just had an extensive meeting with my Economics Minister and sent a turn to him. He will peruse it and then thoroughly embarrass me whenever it is reviewed!

[ny59giants]

The first of many screenshots from Economics Minister Benoit. [:)]

[ny59giants]

The Naval Shipyard with 'massive' surplus of Merchant points. Oops! [:D]

[ny59giants]

This screenshot IS the reason I need Tracker to help mange the economy.
John's engine production needs some MAJOR adjustments.
What say you?

[ny59giants]

IJA fighters being built along with R&D efforts

[ny59giants]

Same for IJN fighters.

[John 3rd]

June 2, 1942
Batavia, Java

A monstrous thorn is taken from the side of Japan as Batavia FINALLY surrenders. The Japanese assault is truly massive:

Night: Bombardment by BB's Fuso and Yamashiro, 2 BC, 3 CA, 2 CL, and 8 DDs does 1724 Cas and knocks out 32 guns.
Day: 18 Fighters escort 67 Betty/Nells who all target one of the Dutch KNIL Regiments
Day: Bombardment by 3 BC, a CB, 2 CA, and 10 DDs inflicting 1958 Cas and 35 Guns disabled.

Assault: 3 Army HQ coordinate 5 ID and 6 Artillery units in the final attack.

RESULT: 5-1

Japan 1376 Cas 12 Guns
Dutch lose 7 Planes, 34,828 TRoops, 479 Guns, and 91 Vehicles. A total of FORTY ONE units surrender.


Japan's VP Total jumps by nearly 1,500 in one day.

BANZAI!

[John 3rd]

I didn't even see all of Michael's Postings until AFTER I posted the Batavia surrender.

[John 3rd]

June 9, 1942

The turns keep on flowing.

My family went to Kansas City--home of the NINE and ONE KC Chiefs!!!--Thurs-Sat night and we had a grand time. We decided to sell the last portion of our family farm. Exciting but sad to do.

FIGHTER RESEARCH Mid-May to Mid-June:
Tojo May 81 of 125---June 105 of 125
George May 37 of 133---June 44 of 133
Jack May 33 of 113---June 37 of 113
Frank May 33 of 157---June 43 of 157

[John 3rd]

Good Morning.

Sent my morning turn to Sean and have time to do a serious set of updates.

Stand by...

[John 3rd]

June 13, 1942
The Aleutians

The 'normal' moves I make in my games are to secure all islands from Adak west. Prefer to grab all points from Umnak west but--in this game--that was not to be. Two months ago saw the landing of the Imperial Guards Brigade and 7th ID at Umnak. Unfortunately, the enemy got there with substantial reinforcements just days before my landing. Sad but good in some ways.

This theatre has served as a way to tie down my opponent's fleet and serve as a HUGE distraction while the real business occurs in Australia and India. The longer I can keep substantial Allied Forces tied up here the better. With this plan in mind, I have never intended to save the two units trapped there. Don't get me wrong, I id bring in a pair of convoys that lifted about 25-30% of both units out but left the rest. For two whole months the remaining boys have held off the Allies and made them seriously work for their reward.

Sean has at least 5 BBs and 30-40 other warships working this area. His CVs are somewhere to the south of the Aleutians and that means they are a LONG WAY from where I am truly committed to the fight.

Here is the current force distribution in the Theatre:

Sagigik
AF 0/60% Port 1 Forts 2/00%
AV 35

This is my Air Search Base with just a small Inf unit and BF Coy present. Am thinking of reinforcing it with a Naval Guard to make the enemy be honest if he wanted to take it.

Adak
AF 4/25% Port 3 Forts 3/69%
AV 700
The 32nd ID is presently unloading here. It joins the 2nd China SNLF Assault Brigade. These two units can easily hold the island. Once the 32nd is unloaded ten the empty transports will load the Imperial Guards and 7th ID to take them home to rebuild.

Ulak
AF 2/12% Port 1/07% Fort 3/11%
AV 143
The recently arrived Ichiki Unit provides the main holding power here.

Amchitka
AF 5/11% Port 2/29% Fort 3/80%
AV 477
The 25th ID has garrisoned this base for 6 weeks. It just reached 100% prep against Umnak and I have left it doing this so the enemy might pick-up on me try to relieve the base. NOPE! June 15th will see me change the prep over to Amchitka.

Attu
AF 3/04% Port 1/74% Fort 3/95%
AV 69
Will be bringing a Brigade up here to provide the main garrison here.


Paramushiro Jima
AF 5/23% Port 3/97% Fort 4/05%
AV 315
The Karafuto Brigade provides stiff defense here.



Planning
Don't really have a major plan here other then to make the ENEMY THINK I am coming back up here. If he keeps the strong Naval presence then I might swing up here with the Kido Butai after it upgrades in the Home Islands.

[Chickenboy]

I don't know, John. Your non-commitment to the Aleutians is 'costing' you the services of the equivalent of 4 divisions, plus base forces plus engineers plus the LBA needed to provide support / defensive striking power. This doesn't count the 1.3 Divisions cut off / lost at Umnak. And supply. Lots of supply.

Why is this Eastward expansion worth it? Why not build just Attu & Amchitka and be done with it? Does the extra 300 miles (500 if you count Umnak efforts) make any difference? Why not put the body of those IJ forces east of Amchitka into the Kuriles' defense and construction?