Reflecting on the balance of the game after twelve and a half "months" of warfare...
The Allied forces are a work in progress. No longer are they pussycats that can easily be defeated. The hard-to defend places like Malaya, the PI, and the DEI are gone. the Allies held Midway and Canton Islands - locations at the "center of the chessboard." Fortunately islands cannot capsize because I had to commit a lot of inefficient forces to hold them. My poorly trained pilots are now all in training units safe from the Japanese. The AI did not aggressive press the air war in Burma, so my Hurricane pools have some depth (although I still cannot be prolifigate) so I didn't have to transfer ten USMC fighter squadrons of so-so quality to the the Tenth Air Force. Two Army fighter groups suffice to stiffen the British. The Hurris and the British pilots are (for now somewhat better) but the P-40E pool is bottomless.
The USN is big but not easy to move around. I moved all my striking power (other than a couple cruiser squadrons) fro Pearl to Noumea and I had to use twelve AOs - to moved them there without long layovers in small ports. I still sucked six AOs completely dry going one way. AI has only lost one CV (to a S-class sub) and I haven't seen it for months so I have to assume KB has plenty of very good pilots. I don't know if the IJN has switched from ultra-long range A6M2 Zeros to tougher but shorter range A6M5s yet. Land based, AI can escort Betties in Port Moresby as far as Townsville. My long-range P-38s are not numerous enough to offset the Zeros' agility. Looking ahead I don't think I'll ever have enough P-38s to overwhelm Zeros at long range. I'm qualitatively ata disadvantage during offensive operations til Hellcats and Corsairs show up.
Land forces have much the same to say. Once they hold a position, US, British, and Australians are very difficult to dislodge. AI did take Port Moresby in February but he had to throw the whole dam Japanese Navy out there to isolate them. But the big Allied land units are hard to move and unload and plan invasions. The Japnese plan almost instantly and are easy to move/unload but fritter away like bacon if they aren't holding good terrain. Especially when supported by armor and artillery the Allied units gobble supply, so attacks can be intermittent. The IJA doesn't fight as much with firepower, so although they take a lot of human casualties it takes a while to run an isolated unit out of supply.
AI has been a mixed bag of aggression. AI made a follow-up at PH but his strike squadrons were depleted. He sent KB out to support an invasion of Canton Island, but I had run two regimets of CD guns out to Canton. KB's strike planes didn't faze the CD guns and the guns ground his transports to hamburger. Earlier, KB had supported the invasion of PM for a few days but after those actions Kido Butai must have gone to the moon. I literally have not seen them since March. So I have to assume his air groups are at TO&E strength and excellent skill levels. For some reason AI make surface unit based nuisance raids. He's made several even at PH. My early war dive and torpedo bombers didn't impress him much although I always managed to get a hit or two. Mostly these raids beat down my local ASW patrols. But one raid on PH he brought the Yamato and tangled with Ft. Kamehameha. Bad idea. The Yamato limped out of air search ranges still smoking. He got a number of CAs and CLs shot up. He tried a couple of CLs at Dutch Harbor as late as October, but one Brooklyn and two Omahas handled that and the raids seem to have stopped. Beyond that the IJN has been passive.
I Have Returned
Moderators: wdolson, MOD_War-in-the-Pacific-Admirals-Edition
RE: I Have Returned
Finally back. Game date Feb. 1, 1943.
I can't let Tom Hanks win the war all by himself, can I?
After stiff-arming me for game months, the roof crashed down on Port Moresby. I didn't even have to use my main CV TFs. (They were covering the invasion at Rossel Island.)
250 medium bombers came calling all at once. 200 B-25s at 10,000 ft and 50-odd B-26s at low altitude. B-25smwere escorted by a single squadron of P-38G. The B-26s were escorted by a single Australian Beaufight squadron.
I augmented it with a CVE TF loaded with 100+ Mildcats, and two bombardment TFs. One was 6xStandard BB and the other was 6xBrooklyn class CL.
Where a fat and sassy base once stood, constricting me in the Coral Sea, now its a lake of soupy mud mixed with aluminum shards. At least 250 planes (a mixed bag) were destroyed on the ground.
Now I can relieve the virtual isolation of Darwin and begin stockpiling for my SW Pac offensive in the DEI.
Losses were minor. Less than a dozen planes, a couple Standards will spend the summer in Bremerton, but they are not central to my plans now that the modern BBs are on-hand.
By early summer I should have Munda, all of Bougainville. That puts Rabaul in range of my P-40Ks (pool barely scratched). SoPac HQ will take over PM and Buna and everything in the Solomons Islands, and essentially go defensive.
My Marine divisions and most of my army divisions will go to CenPac and I'll start stripping off the Gilberts and Marshalls. I'll keep TF38/58 concentrated in case AI decided to bring Kido Butai out to play.
I'm using this game to learn to step up the pace of amphib operations. By early fall I should have all my APAs and AKAs converted and LSTs as far as the eye can see. Let's see if a rapid loss of the Gilberts/Marshalls brings KB out to fight.
I can't let Tom Hanks win the war all by himself, can I?
After stiff-arming me for game months, the roof crashed down on Port Moresby. I didn't even have to use my main CV TFs. (They were covering the invasion at Rossel Island.)
250 medium bombers came calling all at once. 200 B-25s at 10,000 ft and 50-odd B-26s at low altitude. B-25smwere escorted by a single squadron of P-38G. The B-26s were escorted by a single Australian Beaufight squadron.
I augmented it with a CVE TF loaded with 100+ Mildcats, and two bombardment TFs. One was 6xStandard BB and the other was 6xBrooklyn class CL.
Where a fat and sassy base once stood, constricting me in the Coral Sea, now its a lake of soupy mud mixed with aluminum shards. At least 250 planes (a mixed bag) were destroyed on the ground.
Now I can relieve the virtual isolation of Darwin and begin stockpiling for my SW Pac offensive in the DEI.
Losses were minor. Less than a dozen planes, a couple Standards will spend the summer in Bremerton, but they are not central to my plans now that the modern BBs are on-hand.
By early summer I should have Munda, all of Bougainville. That puts Rabaul in range of my P-40Ks (pool barely scratched). SoPac HQ will take over PM and Buna and everything in the Solomons Islands, and essentially go defensive.
My Marine divisions and most of my army divisions will go to CenPac and I'll start stripping off the Gilberts and Marshalls. I'll keep TF38/58 concentrated in case AI decided to bring Kido Butai out to play.
I'm using this game to learn to step up the pace of amphib operations. By early fall I should have all my APAs and AKAs converted and LSTs as far as the eye can see. Let's see if a rapid loss of the Gilberts/Marshalls brings KB out to fight.
RE: I Have Returned
You do not need to change the HQs of bases.
Seek peace but keep your gun handy.
I'm not a complete idiot, some parts are missing!
“Illegitemus non carborundum est (“Don’t let the bastards grind you down”).”
; Julia Child
I'm not a complete idiot, some parts are missing!
“Illegitemus non carborundum est (“Don’t let the bastards grind you down”).”
; Julia ChildRE: I Have Returned
Sitrep Game Date Feb. 8, 1943
The AI - after being asleep for game months seems to have woke up some.
I was merrily grinding along when the AI woke up somewhat.
AI rescued the bulk of the 25,000 troops at Port Moresby after I pounded it to mush. Airedale recon shows only 3,500 troops left in PM. PM is still out of range of my most effective anti-shipping planes in Australia and 200+ medium bomber only hit a couple of the rescue ships.
Most of the planes he had at Shortlands seem to have gone elsewhere. A sweep by my stiff-wing F4F-3s found only a few Nicks and Claudes. No match for -3s with good pilots.
Airedale recon shows 11,000 troops at Milne Bay. I have complete confidence my two-division invasion will crush there guys. Buna is relatively weak as are other nearby bases. Once the 9th Australian Div arrives I'll mash PM. The major holdback is the lack of efficient amphib resources but LSTs and LSIs are en route and more LSTs arrive everyday. All of my APA-eligible ships are on-hand in major ports and conversion will take about a month. Conversion will begin in March and my AKA conversions will begin in June.
AI has gotten stickier in China. I nearly had China south of the Yangtse cleared by suddenly the Japanese became more formidable and my pace has slowed down. AI ran a strong infantry brigade into Canton and it may take a couple weeks for six corps on unsupplied Chinese to wear them down. I'll slow down another amphib counter attack as I have nine US subs coming to mine the Pearl River and Hong Kong. The mines will dissipate fairly quickly but I'll have the initiative back by then.
AI has a 2 x CV force burning fuel north of Midway at the edge of B-17D range. Yes, I still have a dozen or so -Ds flying search missions. I don't know what 2 x CV is gonna do. All my bases in that area are well garrisoned with both air and land assets. Adak is veritable hedgehog. I have an Army Regiment a up-to-date Marine defense battalion, and a CD battalion (all in fort level 4) plus two P-40 squadrons and a SBD squadron. And 500 mines with tenders. I'm sending a PT tender and will see if I can figure a way to get some value from PT boats.
One of my aggressive sub skippers got too bold and I'm afraid the Trigger has had it.
On the larger scene, I've just about got the old pin pulled and hopefully I can get into fighting real people before long.
The AI - after being asleep for game months seems to have woke up some.
I was merrily grinding along when the AI woke up somewhat.
AI rescued the bulk of the 25,000 troops at Port Moresby after I pounded it to mush. Airedale recon shows only 3,500 troops left in PM. PM is still out of range of my most effective anti-shipping planes in Australia and 200+ medium bomber only hit a couple of the rescue ships.
Most of the planes he had at Shortlands seem to have gone elsewhere. A sweep by my stiff-wing F4F-3s found only a few Nicks and Claudes. No match for -3s with good pilots.
Airedale recon shows 11,000 troops at Milne Bay. I have complete confidence my two-division invasion will crush there guys. Buna is relatively weak as are other nearby bases. Once the 9th Australian Div arrives I'll mash PM. The major holdback is the lack of efficient amphib resources but LSTs and LSIs are en route and more LSTs arrive everyday. All of my APA-eligible ships are on-hand in major ports and conversion will take about a month. Conversion will begin in March and my AKA conversions will begin in June.
AI has gotten stickier in China. I nearly had China south of the Yangtse cleared by suddenly the Japanese became more formidable and my pace has slowed down. AI ran a strong infantry brigade into Canton and it may take a couple weeks for six corps on unsupplied Chinese to wear them down. I'll slow down another amphib counter attack as I have nine US subs coming to mine the Pearl River and Hong Kong. The mines will dissipate fairly quickly but I'll have the initiative back by then.
AI has a 2 x CV force burning fuel north of Midway at the edge of B-17D range. Yes, I still have a dozen or so -Ds flying search missions. I don't know what 2 x CV is gonna do. All my bases in that area are well garrisoned with both air and land assets. Adak is veritable hedgehog. I have an Army Regiment a up-to-date Marine defense battalion, and a CD battalion (all in fort level 4) plus two P-40 squadrons and a SBD squadron. And 500 mines with tenders. I'm sending a PT tender and will see if I can figure a way to get some value from PT boats.
One of my aggressive sub skippers got too bold and I'm afraid the Trigger has had it.
On the larger scene, I've just about got the old pin pulled and hopefully I can get into fighting real people before long.
RE: I Have Returned
Sitrep March 15, 1943.
A transition time in the campaign. I'm getting some much-needed refits done. To paraphrase John Paul Jones: "Give me a ship with big flak because I intend to go in harm's way.
My carriers are at Pearl and I'm about ten days from completely refitted. AI is hiding out although my Midway long range search spots 2 or 3 CVs operating in the Adak area. My modern BBs are with the fleet and a lot of my cruisers are ready to rumble. I may go up that way and see if I can get a carrier battle in my favor. I'll stay under PBY & B-17D search range to avoid surprises. I should start seeing Hellcats next month but the Essex is still four months away.
I've grabbed Rossel Island and Milne Bay and I'm building up substantial air forces there. In another week or two I won't need to hide under my fighter-heavy CVEs. I have 75 fighters on both islands and no longer do unescorted Betties come calling. Like wise I have strong bases in NE Australia. I have 22 squadrons of fighters and bombers making their way toward Brisbane and Noumea.
I have the Milne Bay garrison nearly surrounded and now the 9th Australian is finally in-theater and riding the rails across Oz. The hammer will hit PM soon.
No Burma Road anytime soon. I took Akyab and destroyed 3 divisions and have 2 more divisions bottled up at Imphal but my British troops are fought out til serious replacements show up.
Chiang Kai-sheck is doing well. I nearly have SW China south of the Pearl River cleared except for a strong lodgment at Hong Kong. Like the British the Chinese are more than a little tired.
My big problem is the lack of good long-range fighter escort (right Gen. Eaker?) I have half a squadron of P-38Fs in India, but that ain't enough at Rangoon where AI has about a hundred Oscars. I Have two squadrons of early-model Corsairs but their range is barely better than a P-40. F4U-1As should begin showing up in six weeks or so. Hellcats will be sucked up by my big carriers for the near future.
Best news is the APAs, AKAs, and LSTs are showing up in numbers now. Hopefully I can get quick unloading. I'm so tired of those dinky little Dutch xAPs holding invasion TFs hostage for a single truck or 50 tons of supply. I did put together a test TF of LCI and LST. I use it for unloading a Seabee battalion. Works great, the Seabees (plus some supply) are unloaded in a day and next day the Seabees are doing their thing.
I am impress at the improvement in the AI over earlier versions. It is fairly aggressive but still doesn't understand flanks and encirclement. All around, not bad for a script.
A transition time in the campaign. I'm getting some much-needed refits done. To paraphrase John Paul Jones: "Give me a ship with big flak because I intend to go in harm's way.
My carriers are at Pearl and I'm about ten days from completely refitted. AI is hiding out although my Midway long range search spots 2 or 3 CVs operating in the Adak area. My modern BBs are with the fleet and a lot of my cruisers are ready to rumble. I may go up that way and see if I can get a carrier battle in my favor. I'll stay under PBY & B-17D search range to avoid surprises. I should start seeing Hellcats next month but the Essex is still four months away.
I've grabbed Rossel Island and Milne Bay and I'm building up substantial air forces there. In another week or two I won't need to hide under my fighter-heavy CVEs. I have 75 fighters on both islands and no longer do unescorted Betties come calling. Like wise I have strong bases in NE Australia. I have 22 squadrons of fighters and bombers making their way toward Brisbane and Noumea.
I have the Milne Bay garrison nearly surrounded and now the 9th Australian is finally in-theater and riding the rails across Oz. The hammer will hit PM soon.
No Burma Road anytime soon. I took Akyab and destroyed 3 divisions and have 2 more divisions bottled up at Imphal but my British troops are fought out til serious replacements show up.
Chiang Kai-sheck is doing well. I nearly have SW China south of the Pearl River cleared except for a strong lodgment at Hong Kong. Like the British the Chinese are more than a little tired.
My big problem is the lack of good long-range fighter escort (right Gen. Eaker?) I have half a squadron of P-38Fs in India, but that ain't enough at Rangoon where AI has about a hundred Oscars. I Have two squadrons of early-model Corsairs but their range is barely better than a P-40. F4U-1As should begin showing up in six weeks or so. Hellcats will be sucked up by my big carriers for the near future.
Best news is the APAs, AKAs, and LSTs are showing up in numbers now. Hopefully I can get quick unloading. I'm so tired of those dinky little Dutch xAPs holding invasion TFs hostage for a single truck or 50 tons of supply. I did put together a test TF of LCI and LST. I use it for unloading a Seabee battalion. Works great, the Seabees (plus some supply) are unloaded in a day and next day the Seabees are doing their thing.
I am impress at the improvement in the AI over earlier versions. It is fairly aggressive but still doesn't understand flanks and encirclement. All around, not bad for a script.
RE: I Have Returned
I'm still slugging it out with the AI.
Sitrep May 13, 1943.
Not a bad couple of game months since my last report.
In Burma I caught the AI under-garrisoning Prome and I just took it. About two weeks earlier, I took Magwe. So I have the AI in a bad way although my supply is thin. For the short term I'm re-directing all my "Hump" transports to Chittagong tp fly some supply to Prome and Magwe. At Meitila (adjacent to Magwe) AI has a couple RTA divisions and a bunch of Japanese REMF units. If I can take Meiktila I've truly isolated all the Japanese units in central Burma (about 30,000 troops). Sooner or later I've gotta kill all these guys as they are camped on the Burma Road.
AI can't run me out of Prome unless he strips Rangoon (airedales say 18,000 men). Since I slaughtered his Imphal assault force I have about two-thirds of the mobile Indian army crawling down the coast road. About a third of this force has crossed the river at Akyab. I'm trying to run supplies through Akyab but the port is only a 3 level and AI is throwing the entire IJAAF at the ships there. Good thing the Brits have lots of merchants. This campaign is now all about supply. I get supplied and I can clear the Burma Road in two months. I just have to manage my fighter aircraft.
I just raised the siege on Darwin. AI had used a couple dozen Betties to keep it beat down but I used eight CVE with all-Wildcat air wings to force in engineers, supply and four squadrons of Spitfires. Now AI pesters me with night bombing raids but I found his bomber base at Kendari. I've moved in planes and Kendari is gonna get about fifty doses of Vitamin B-24D1 My pool is deep and Oscars have a rough time with 4EB. I;ll pound the place to mush.
I'm set up to really clobber Rabaul. Milne Bay is in range and I'm moving 300 B-25s and fifty P-38G to make that place an unusable mudhole. I've already neutralized the air bases on Bougainville and have two divisions plus tanks, combat engineers, and artillery prepped to invade. I've got most of my APA, LCI, AKA, and LST assets available. I think I can dump my entire invasion force in a single day.
Things are quiet in the Central Pacific, but once Bougainville has fallen, I can shift to the Gilberts pretty quickly.
My sub campaign is picking up as the Mk. 14s seem to be going off more often.
I have no clue where Kido Butai is so I have to keep my carrier force together. A Japanese sub hit the Hornet twice and she'll be in Bremerton for five months. On the other hand Essex is due in a couple days.
I have gotten better about organizing into corps and letting my Corps HQ help expedite the prep process.
Chiang is playing whack-a-mole with the AI but I think I can clear most of southern China by the end of the year. If I can nab Hong Kong, I may be able to run kamikaze xAK in to supply the Chinese and run AI out of everything south of the Yangtze.
Not a bad training game.
Sitrep May 13, 1943.
Not a bad couple of game months since my last report.
In Burma I caught the AI under-garrisoning Prome and I just took it. About two weeks earlier, I took Magwe. So I have the AI in a bad way although my supply is thin. For the short term I'm re-directing all my "Hump" transports to Chittagong tp fly some supply to Prome and Magwe. At Meitila (adjacent to Magwe) AI has a couple RTA divisions and a bunch of Japanese REMF units. If I can take Meiktila I've truly isolated all the Japanese units in central Burma (about 30,000 troops). Sooner or later I've gotta kill all these guys as they are camped on the Burma Road.
AI can't run me out of Prome unless he strips Rangoon (airedales say 18,000 men). Since I slaughtered his Imphal assault force I have about two-thirds of the mobile Indian army crawling down the coast road. About a third of this force has crossed the river at Akyab. I'm trying to run supplies through Akyab but the port is only a 3 level and AI is throwing the entire IJAAF at the ships there. Good thing the Brits have lots of merchants. This campaign is now all about supply. I get supplied and I can clear the Burma Road in two months. I just have to manage my fighter aircraft.
I just raised the siege on Darwin. AI had used a couple dozen Betties to keep it beat down but I used eight CVE with all-Wildcat air wings to force in engineers, supply and four squadrons of Spitfires. Now AI pesters me with night bombing raids but I found his bomber base at Kendari. I've moved in planes and Kendari is gonna get about fifty doses of Vitamin B-24D1 My pool is deep and Oscars have a rough time with 4EB. I;ll pound the place to mush.
I'm set up to really clobber Rabaul. Milne Bay is in range and I'm moving 300 B-25s and fifty P-38G to make that place an unusable mudhole. I've already neutralized the air bases on Bougainville and have two divisions plus tanks, combat engineers, and artillery prepped to invade. I've got most of my APA, LCI, AKA, and LST assets available. I think I can dump my entire invasion force in a single day.
Things are quiet in the Central Pacific, but once Bougainville has fallen, I can shift to the Gilberts pretty quickly.
My sub campaign is picking up as the Mk. 14s seem to be going off more often.
I have no clue where Kido Butai is so I have to keep my carrier force together. A Japanese sub hit the Hornet twice and she'll be in Bremerton for five months. On the other hand Essex is due in a couple days.
I have gotten better about organizing into corps and letting my Corps HQ help expedite the prep process.
Chiang is playing whack-a-mole with the AI but I think I can clear most of southern China by the end of the year. If I can nab Hong Kong, I may be able to run kamikaze xAK in to supply the Chinese and run AI out of everything south of the Yangtze.
Not a bad training game.
RE: I Have Returned
Development May 16: I may have found Kido Butai.
Right where I'd suspect: Truk.
I found KB with high-altitude recon Liberators. I operate them at 28,000 ft. That puts a lot of potential cloud between plane and surface and thus de-rate spotting accuracy, but in an environment where hundreds of Zeroes could be encountered, I rely of the Liberators' turbochargers. Zeros performance at 28,000 feet suck.
My carrier fleet is not far away and Essex is on the map and joining the carrier fleet. I raided the carrier fighter reserve and put a damn fine fighter squadron on her - including Dave McCampbell. Could be interesting.
BTW Hornet got to Bremerton OK. 106 days repair and refit. Air wing is at Pearl.
Right where I'd suspect: Truk.
I found KB with high-altitude recon Liberators. I operate them at 28,000 ft. That puts a lot of potential cloud between plane and surface and thus de-rate spotting accuracy, but in an environment where hundreds of Zeroes could be encountered, I rely of the Liberators' turbochargers. Zeros performance at 28,000 feet suck.
My carrier fleet is not far away and Essex is on the map and joining the carrier fleet. I raided the carrier fighter reserve and put a damn fine fighter squadron on her - including Dave McCampbell. Could be interesting.
BTW Hornet got to Bremerton OK. 106 days repair and refit. Air wing is at Pearl.
RE: I Have Returned
I read this entire AAR. I hope you keep updating it! I like reading AI AARs, and your experience has been interesting.
RE: I Have Returned
I was due an update and this one should titillate the jaded.
BTW, props to the developers for a good AI script.
First four months of the war it followed the historical recipe - more or less.
After May 42 (game time) the AI stopped his offensive and crammed thousands of infantry into all sorts of places. He put 40,000 men into Guadalcanal and 25,000 into Tulagi. No way I was gonna drive that horde out with just 1st USMC Div, given the inefficient amphibious lift avaliable. AI put 35,000 men into PM and drove out my ferocious Aussies. So I postponed a counter offensive and began building up assets.
Now AI paid a price for putting half the population of Japan on coral dots. My unsupplied Chinese ran amok. I pretty much ran AI out of China south of the Pearl River and was looking good east of Ichang. Still I kept my Chinese in good defensive terrain to mitigate AI's advantages. That party kinda ground to a halt just as we went into 1943. AI started using a "whack-a-mole" tactic to keep a lot of my inefficient and unsupplied Chinese tied up. So China is back to a stalemate, only I have much of the terrain I want.
AI's strategy cheap-Charlied his Burma campaign. His offensive broke like a little wave on a mountain against my Imphal ridge line. The British pre=war strat of having primitive infrastructure in Burma kept AI out of India, but moving supply is difficult and even though his army in Burma is broken, I simply have to take Rangoon.
Unseen by my poor recon/search, AI moved a lot of those troops off the isolated islands. I had planned the entire Aus I Corp to re-take PM but airedale recon shows 1,800 men. Aus 6th Div should do OK, but I have the 7th Div in reserve.
US I Corps (41st and 32nd Divisions) took Milne Bay easily and I just let the 41st ooze west to surround PM, so now there will be no retreat into the Owen Stanleys. Recon shows Buna to be undefended. I'll try an airborne attack to verify. Never done a fallschirmjaeger attack in WitP.
Rabaul, Lae, and Umboi island bases are puddles of thin mud. Munda will provide lots of air support for killing the 14,000 IJN types at Shortland. I already occupy Torokina.
My Mk.14 torpedoes are finally going off and I've built a cordon through the Luzon and Formosa Straits and have resident subs all through that are. His fuel tanks gotta be getting dry.
I have built the base at Darwin into something to fear.
BTW, props to the developers for a good AI script.
First four months of the war it followed the historical recipe - more or less.
After May 42 (game time) the AI stopped his offensive and crammed thousands of infantry into all sorts of places. He put 40,000 men into Guadalcanal and 25,000 into Tulagi. No way I was gonna drive that horde out with just 1st USMC Div, given the inefficient amphibious lift avaliable. AI put 35,000 men into PM and drove out my ferocious Aussies. So I postponed a counter offensive and began building up assets.
Now AI paid a price for putting half the population of Japan on coral dots. My unsupplied Chinese ran amok. I pretty much ran AI out of China south of the Pearl River and was looking good east of Ichang. Still I kept my Chinese in good defensive terrain to mitigate AI's advantages. That party kinda ground to a halt just as we went into 1943. AI started using a "whack-a-mole" tactic to keep a lot of my inefficient and unsupplied Chinese tied up. So China is back to a stalemate, only I have much of the terrain I want.
AI's strategy cheap-Charlied his Burma campaign. His offensive broke like a little wave on a mountain against my Imphal ridge line. The British pre=war strat of having primitive infrastructure in Burma kept AI out of India, but moving supply is difficult and even though his army in Burma is broken, I simply have to take Rangoon.
Unseen by my poor recon/search, AI moved a lot of those troops off the isolated islands. I had planned the entire Aus I Corp to re-take PM but airedale recon shows 1,800 men. Aus 6th Div should do OK, but I have the 7th Div in reserve.
US I Corps (41st and 32nd Divisions) took Milne Bay easily and I just let the 41st ooze west to surround PM, so now there will be no retreat into the Owen Stanleys. Recon shows Buna to be undefended. I'll try an airborne attack to verify. Never done a fallschirmjaeger attack in WitP.
Rabaul, Lae, and Umboi island bases are puddles of thin mud. Munda will provide lots of air support for killing the 14,000 IJN types at Shortland. I already occupy Torokina.
My Mk.14 torpedoes are finally going off and I've built a cordon through the Luzon and Formosa Straits and have resident subs all through that are. His fuel tanks gotta be getting dry.
I have built the base at Darwin into something to fear.
RE: I Have Returned
Well, his fuel tanks aren't dry yet because AI has for over a game-year used the old French tactic of drinking port. I haven't seen anything bigger than a CL (other than the occasional raid on Diego Garcia) since May of 1942. I've looked all over, best I could.
Well, today I finally found KB. I was escorting a small amphib convoy to nab Baker Island with most of my striking force.
I didn't find KB. I found the whole freakin' IJN. At least six CFVs, four CVLs, five BB (probably Kongos) and lots of CAs.
So we got into it. AI managed to get six torps into the North Carolina and sank he and a single torp into Saratoga (25 FLT). He also got a hit on an Atlanta class flak cruiser but that's about it. I damaged two CVLs. Beyond that plane losses. The Saratoga's SBD squadron got mauled and the Enterprise' fighters have a lot of damaged birds. Beyond that my planes are in OK shape. Surveying the usable decks that day generated 28 aces in a day. "Hellcat" is probably a dirty word in AI's Japanese.
Still, the fact is he has a bigger force in the central Pacific than I do, so I'm runnin' back to Pearl. (Come to Waikiki and she the lovely Polynesian dancing girls. Never mind those 500 planes.) It will be interesting to see if he presses. He has achieve strategic concentration - his whole Navy is there. If he doesn't use it now, what good is it? I know you guys would. But he may be low on fuel.
I figure he had to be hidden somewhere in the Marshalls. I've played the IJN and their dirty little secret is that a lot of his ships are surprisingly short-legged. Soryu and Hiryu are probably sucking air already. That comes from imitating the British. I put my amphib TF on a 090 course and flank speed. Make him chase we into the empty wastes of the Pacific.
What is really surprising is that I mauled his air groups so badly of a 30% CAP stance. I keep CAP down to avoid excessive fatigue (great way to lose good pilots). I planned to go to a 60% stance the next day.
This is my problem. Holding Midway, Johnston, Canton but not Baker, I can't get a good look at the Marshalls or Gilberts. Subs of this vintage are worthless scouting assets and the Japanese have longer ranged search planes than the USN. He lost a bunch of search planes to my recon but I had no idea where he was.
Should be a couple of interesting turns.
Well, today I finally found KB. I was escorting a small amphib convoy to nab Baker Island with most of my striking force.
I didn't find KB. I found the whole freakin' IJN. At least six CFVs, four CVLs, five BB (probably Kongos) and lots of CAs.
So we got into it. AI managed to get six torps into the North Carolina and sank he and a single torp into Saratoga (25 FLT). He also got a hit on an Atlanta class flak cruiser but that's about it. I damaged two CVLs. Beyond that plane losses. The Saratoga's SBD squadron got mauled and the Enterprise' fighters have a lot of damaged birds. Beyond that my planes are in OK shape. Surveying the usable decks that day generated 28 aces in a day. "Hellcat" is probably a dirty word in AI's Japanese.
Still, the fact is he has a bigger force in the central Pacific than I do, so I'm runnin' back to Pearl. (Come to Waikiki and she the lovely Polynesian dancing girls. Never mind those 500 planes.) It will be interesting to see if he presses. He has achieve strategic concentration - his whole Navy is there. If he doesn't use it now, what good is it? I know you guys would. But he may be low on fuel.
I figure he had to be hidden somewhere in the Marshalls. I've played the IJN and their dirty little secret is that a lot of his ships are surprisingly short-legged. Soryu and Hiryu are probably sucking air already. That comes from imitating the British. I put my amphib TF on a 090 course and flank speed. Make him chase we into the empty wastes of the Pacific.
What is really surprising is that I mauled his air groups so badly of a 30% CAP stance. I keep CAP down to avoid excessive fatigue (great way to lose good pilots). I planned to go to a 60% stance the next day.
This is my problem. Holding Midway, Johnston, Canton but not Baker, I can't get a good look at the Marshalls or Gilberts. Subs of this vintage are worthless scouting assets and the Japanese have longer ranged search planes than the USN. He lost a bunch of search planes to my recon but I had no idea where he was.
Should be a couple of interesting turns.
RE: I Have Returned
One little side note about logisitics.
Liberty ships get their share of plaudits and jabs, but one thing you gotta say about them: They got legs.
Balboa to Perth (and back to Auckland) without refueling.
Subsim guys tell me Liberty ships can be (by merchant standards) armed to the teeth. WitP models this. I ain't going looking for the Yamato in a Liberty, but they can be a pain for a frail long-range single bomber.
Liberty ships get their share of plaudits and jabs, but one thing you gotta say about them: They got legs.
Balboa to Perth (and back to Auckland) without refueling.
Subsim guys tell me Liberty ships can be (by merchant standards) armed to the teeth. WitP models this. I ain't going looking for the Yamato in a Liberty, but they can be a pain for a frail long-range single bomber.
RE: I Have Returned
You mentioned May 13, 1943 a few posts back but today's posts don't mention a game date - pray tell!ORIGINAL: Taxcutter
Well, his fuel tanks aren't dry yet because AI has for over a game-year used the old French tactic of drinking port. I haven't seen anything bigger than a CL (other than the occasional raid on Diego Garcia) since May of 1942. I've looked all over, best I could.
Well, today I finally found KB. I was escorting a small amphib convoy to nab Baker Island with most of my striking force.
I didn't find KB. I found the whole freakin' IJN. At least six CFVs, four CVLs, five BB (probably Kongos) and lots of CAs.
So we got into it. AI managed to get six torps into the North Carolina and sank he and a single torp into Saratoga (25 FLT). He also got a hit on an Atlanta class flak cruiser but that's about it. I damaged two CVLs. Beyond that plane losses. The Saratoga's SBD squadron got mauled and the Enterprise' fighters have a lot of damaged birds. Beyond that my planes are in OK shape. Surveying the usable decks that day generated 28 aces in a day. "Hellcat" is probably a dirty word in AI's Japanese.
Still, the fact is he has a bigger force in the central Pacific than I do, so I'm runnin' back to Pearl. (Come to Waikiki and she the lovely Polynesian dancing girls. Never mind those 500 planes.) It will be interesting to see if he presses. He has achieve strategic concentration - his whole Navy is there. If he doesn't use it now, what good is it? I know you guys would. But he may be low on fuel.
I figure he had to be hidden somewhere in the Marshalls. I've played the IJN and their dirty little secret is that a lot of his ships are surprisingly short-legged. Soryu and Hiryu are probably sucking air already. That comes from imitating the British. I put my amphib TF on a 090 course and flank speed. Make him chase we into the empty wastes of the Pacific.
What is really surprising is that I mauled his air groups so badly of a 30% CAP stance. I keep CAP down to avoid excessive fatigue (great way to lose good pilots). I planned to go to a 60% stance the next day.
This is my problem. Holding Midway, Johnston, Canton but not Baker, I can't get a good look at the Marshalls or Gilberts. Subs of this vintage are worthless scouting assets and the Japanese have longer ranged search planes than the USN. He lost a bunch of search planes to my recon but I had no idea where he was.
Should be a couple of interesting turns.
No matter how bad a situation is, you can always make it worse. - Chris Hadfield : An Astronaut's Guide To Life On Earth
RE: I Have Returned
June 25, 1943
AI shadowed me but stayed out of range.
Now long range search has him precisely localized.
He may strafe Johnston Island, but I suspect that will be it.
I'm toodling for Pearl and he doesn't dare get close.
I'll be stronger than ever in seven game weeks.
AI shadowed me but stayed out of range.
Now long range search has him precisely localized.
He may strafe Johnston Island, but I suspect that will be it.
I'm toodling for Pearl and he doesn't dare get close.
I'll be stronger than ever in seven game weeks.
RE: I Have Returned
June 27, 1943 game time sitrep
AI and I continue to recoil away from each other in the Central Pacific.
About a third of his force went NW (only place I can see is Japan). Two thirds is sailing due west into the lower Marshalls (Truk?)
I am sailing straight to Pearl. 500 planes is no exaggeration.
OK, I did not care to lose the Showboat and get an Atlanta put in the yard for weeks. The Saratoga looks like 7-9 weeks in the yard.
After a brush with a I-boat, Hornet still has ten weeks in Bremerton. I'll have to see to my fighter and strike squadrons but I'm not badly hurt. As usual, the turkeys died first.
Problem is that I'm still kinda blind in the Central Pacific. I've got Johnston as loaded up as much as I can (love those old B-17D scouts 22 range and at 28,000 ft, Zeros have a tough time shooting them down. As always undercast is a problem)
I can put some AVs in Johnston and load them up with Catalinas, but that is one exposed base if he brings his whole damn navy. I do still need Baker to get an eye on the Gilberts and Marshalls.
My Shortland invasion fleet (2nd Marine Div) is underway. Shortlands has been isolated and bombed to bits. Everything south of Truk has been pulverized.
I have enough amphib lift to move four regiments. I had sent one regiment of the 1st Marine Div to Baker but it is headed back to Pearl. The Shortlands attack is the 2nd Marine Div augmented with tanks artillery, engineers, and a quick follow-up SeaBee battalion. PM attack is waiting for the Shortlands shipping to be freed up.
AI and I continue to recoil away from each other in the Central Pacific.
About a third of his force went NW (only place I can see is Japan). Two thirds is sailing due west into the lower Marshalls (Truk?)
I am sailing straight to Pearl. 500 planes is no exaggeration.
OK, I did not care to lose the Showboat and get an Atlanta put in the yard for weeks. The Saratoga looks like 7-9 weeks in the yard.
After a brush with a I-boat, Hornet still has ten weeks in Bremerton. I'll have to see to my fighter and strike squadrons but I'm not badly hurt. As usual, the turkeys died first.
Problem is that I'm still kinda blind in the Central Pacific. I've got Johnston as loaded up as much as I can (love those old B-17D scouts 22 range and at 28,000 ft, Zeros have a tough time shooting them down. As always undercast is a problem)
I can put some AVs in Johnston and load them up with Catalinas, but that is one exposed base if he brings his whole damn navy. I do still need Baker to get an eye on the Gilberts and Marshalls.
My Shortland invasion fleet (2nd Marine Div) is underway. Shortlands has been isolated and bombed to bits. Everything south of Truk has been pulverized.
I have enough amphib lift to move four regiments. I had sent one regiment of the 1st Marine Div to Baker but it is headed back to Pearl. The Shortlands attack is the 2nd Marine Div augmented with tanks artillery, engineers, and a quick follow-up SeaBee battalion. PM attack is waiting for the Shortlands shipping to be freed up.
RE: I Have Returned
Sitrep Game time July 6, 1943
Things moving along - mostly in South Pacific area. Shortlands taken. Maybe a day or two more mop-up. IJA 78th Rgt down to one platoon.
503rd Airborne Rgt took undefended Buna. It'll take me a awhile to develop the place but the 503rd with beaucoup supply can hold out.
As soon as I can get Marines that assaulted Shortlands back to Noumea I'll move them to Pearl and chop them to CenPac.
Except for DBs I intend to move all Marines out of South Pacific so they can contrate on CenPac invasions. SoPac will become USArmy/Australian II Corps/New Zealand operation and will go totally defensive. Unless I see an opportunity at Kavieng (in 4E bomber range of Truk) there really isn't much of interest.
Aus I 6th Division is set to take PM. 41st US div has it surrounded and recon says 1,700 men at PM.
4E bombers and B-25s escorted by P-38s are ravaging the Banda Sea bases, but I don't have any invasions laid on til clearing out SoPac frees up some shipping.
Gotta love APA/AKA/LST combo. The Shortlands invasion was awash in supply the second day. Once I get shipping straightened out and everything moved to Darwin, I'll start driving north toward Palawan and the Aus I Corps will clear out the Makassar Strait.
One of my subs hit the Akagi with a Mk. 14 that went off. She was spotted near Marcus with two Kongos and a raft of destroyers. She was reported NW bound, speed unknown when contact was broken. Only place a single CV at Marcus is going is Tokyo Bay.
This is the part of the game where I can learn to efficiently run amphib operations.
Things moving along - mostly in South Pacific area. Shortlands taken. Maybe a day or two more mop-up. IJA 78th Rgt down to one platoon.
503rd Airborne Rgt took undefended Buna. It'll take me a awhile to develop the place but the 503rd with beaucoup supply can hold out.
As soon as I can get Marines that assaulted Shortlands back to Noumea I'll move them to Pearl and chop them to CenPac.
Except for DBs I intend to move all Marines out of South Pacific so they can contrate on CenPac invasions. SoPac will become USArmy/Australian II Corps/New Zealand operation and will go totally defensive. Unless I see an opportunity at Kavieng (in 4E bomber range of Truk) there really isn't much of interest.
Aus I 6th Division is set to take PM. 41st US div has it surrounded and recon says 1,700 men at PM.
4E bombers and B-25s escorted by P-38s are ravaging the Banda Sea bases, but I don't have any invasions laid on til clearing out SoPac frees up some shipping.
Gotta love APA/AKA/LST combo. The Shortlands invasion was awash in supply the second day. Once I get shipping straightened out and everything moved to Darwin, I'll start driving north toward Palawan and the Aus I Corps will clear out the Makassar Strait.
One of my subs hit the Akagi with a Mk. 14 that went off. She was spotted near Marcus with two Kongos and a raft of destroyers. She was reported NW bound, speed unknown when contact was broken. Only place a single CV at Marcus is going is Tokyo Bay.
This is the part of the game where I can learn to efficiently run amphib operations.
RE: I Have Returned
Slow couple days. Sitrep July9, 1943 Game Time
Punched out Shortlands and am in process of pulling assault units off island as base units are en route. Also base units (BF, AA, ENGR, etc) on way to Torokina.
Took Buna without a fight but 503rd Rgt takes more plane than I thought to paradrop. Good thing the IJA had bugged out. ENGR Rgt two days out supply OK).
For all practical purposes, the Solomon Sea and Coral Sea are Allied lakes. Australia has been saved.
Moving SWPac center of gravity to Darwin. Land units en route. 4E bombers have the bases in the area pulverized, but distance from fuel sources may slow tempo.
Speaking of bombers I have built a B-25C grand battery. I send out 200 B-25Cs and bases evaporate. B-25s are not as durable against Zeros as 4EB so I escort them with P-38G. (Building P-38H pool but I don't see how a -H is any better than a -G). So with enemy air bases crushed I can take my time building up.
In CenPac, I am waiting on two CV and five CVL due within the month. Carrier train FTR pilot pools are shallow. Wish I could get CenPac rolling, but with a (more or less) intact Kido Butai out there I need to be careful for the next year. Move in overwhelming strength only. I do have enough fuel stockpiled.
The CBI aerial bloodbath at Akyab is generating good (EXP> 75, AIR>70) fighter pilots like mad. I am hoarding good British pilots and will have an "enforcer" when Spit VIIIs become available in 11/43. Hopefully by then I can put them top cover at Rangoon and slaughter Zeroes and Oscars. Burma Road looks feasible by November.
Starting to move operation bases out of Noumea and Luganville.
Punched out Shortlands and am in process of pulling assault units off island as base units are en route. Also base units (BF, AA, ENGR, etc) on way to Torokina.
Took Buna without a fight but 503rd Rgt takes more plane than I thought to paradrop. Good thing the IJA had bugged out. ENGR Rgt two days out supply OK).
For all practical purposes, the Solomon Sea and Coral Sea are Allied lakes. Australia has been saved.
Moving SWPac center of gravity to Darwin. Land units en route. 4E bombers have the bases in the area pulverized, but distance from fuel sources may slow tempo.
Speaking of bombers I have built a B-25C grand battery. I send out 200 B-25Cs and bases evaporate. B-25s are not as durable against Zeros as 4EB so I escort them with P-38G. (Building P-38H pool but I don't see how a -H is any better than a -G). So with enemy air bases crushed I can take my time building up.
In CenPac, I am waiting on two CV and five CVL due within the month. Carrier train FTR pilot pools are shallow. Wish I could get CenPac rolling, but with a (more or less) intact Kido Butai out there I need to be careful for the next year. Move in overwhelming strength only. I do have enough fuel stockpiled.
The CBI aerial bloodbath at Akyab is generating good (EXP> 75, AIR>70) fighter pilots like mad. I am hoarding good British pilots and will have an "enforcer" when Spit VIIIs become available in 11/43. Hopefully by then I can put them top cover at Rangoon and slaughter Zeroes and Oscars. Burma Road looks feasible by November.
Starting to move operation bases out of Noumea and Luganville.
RE: I Have Returned
Taxcutter: Australia has been saved.
Yes! I heard just yesterday that Melbourne re-opened its bars again!
.... Oh ... wait ... [;)]
No matter how bad a situation is, you can always make it worse. - Chris Hadfield : An Astronaut's Guide To Life On Earth
RE: I Have Returned
Sitrep July 19, 1943
Borrrring! Mostly developing Buna and Bouganville and scratching around looking for shipping to continue changing SWPac base to Darwin.
Got a US CV and CVL sitting at Balboa getting air wings straightened out. Two more CV due by end of the month.
Starting to kill more Oscars at Akyab. Maybe I've found bottom on their pilot pools.
Borrrring! Mostly developing Buna and Bouganville and scratching around looking for shipping to continue changing SWPac base to Darwin.
Got a US CV and CVL sitting at Balboa getting air wings straightened out. Two more CV due by end of the month.
Starting to kill more Oscars at Akyab. Maybe I've found bottom on their pilot pools.
RE: I Have Returned
Sitrep: July 24, 1943
Not much going on at sea other than the PM assault TFs bearing down on PM.
Action on land.
1.) Chiang's troops took Nanning at last and has compressed the Nanning pocket. These IJA troops haven't seen supplies in months (Chiang's are only a little better but there are a lot of them). If I can get the Nanning annoyance eliminated and the Vietnam border screened, this will free up a lot of (low-quality, not well supplied) Kuomintang troops to reduce the fort at Hong Kong.If I can seize Hong Kong by year's end I may be in a position to run a "Malta convoy" into HK/Canton. I have left those ports alone so if I can get ships in there, I can unload lots of supply fast. I'll try to get a British corps into there to stiffen up the often-fluid Chinese.
2.) In Burma I probed both Mandalay and Rangoon and in both places found ... weakness. Rangoon has a decent infantry regiment, a half-strength infantry battalion, an engineer battalions and a horde of REMFs. I have three divisions working on Rangoon. Squeezing supply down the Akyab road is like diverting Niagara Falls through a 5/8" garden hose, but when I took Prome, I diverted C-47s from the Hump to fly in a little supply. Mandalay is no better off than Rangoon but my troops are not well enough supplied to push very hard. When I take Rangoon, I'm in good shape to run in lots of BF and fighter units. Then I have naval assets to run Malta Convoys into Rangoon. One or two will leave my defenses there bullet-proof, and I may get the Burma Road in operation by the fourth quarter.
Not much going on at sea other than the PM assault TFs bearing down on PM.
Action on land.
1.) Chiang's troops took Nanning at last and has compressed the Nanning pocket. These IJA troops haven't seen supplies in months (Chiang's are only a little better but there are a lot of them). If I can get the Nanning annoyance eliminated and the Vietnam border screened, this will free up a lot of (low-quality, not well supplied) Kuomintang troops to reduce the fort at Hong Kong.If I can seize Hong Kong by year's end I may be in a position to run a "Malta convoy" into HK/Canton. I have left those ports alone so if I can get ships in there, I can unload lots of supply fast. I'll try to get a British corps into there to stiffen up the often-fluid Chinese.
2.) In Burma I probed both Mandalay and Rangoon and in both places found ... weakness. Rangoon has a decent infantry regiment, a half-strength infantry battalion, an engineer battalions and a horde of REMFs. I have three divisions working on Rangoon. Squeezing supply down the Akyab road is like diverting Niagara Falls through a 5/8" garden hose, but when I took Prome, I diverted C-47s from the Hump to fly in a little supply. Mandalay is no better off than Rangoon but my troops are not well enough supplied to push very hard. When I take Rangoon, I'm in good shape to run in lots of BF and fighter units. Then I have naval assets to run Malta Convoys into Rangoon. One or two will leave my defenses there bullet-proof, and I may get the Burma Road in operation by the fourth quarter.