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Thanks for the comments and kudos, gents. This one was lovely. We each play this game for months and sometimes years between a good one on this order. This was especially sweet given what happened in the Bay of Bengal in June, five months back.

Dave didn't say a thing. He just kept on flipping turns all day long. He's something. The turn-flipping will eventually help him put this in the past, and it's forced me to do the same. I regret that just a bit. Gotta savor the really good days, because they are so rare and therefore precious.

I will add my congrats - it isn't often that a plan goes off as set, and even rarer for it to go off better than expected! Your diligence in gathering Intel and using maskirovka is finally rewarded! Hoist a sasparilla (sp?) or two!

I think that air threat could have come from Truk - just some of his bombers doing Nav Search? I don't know, but I wonder if a sub Glen could trigger the air threat warning. Small ships seem to be very susceptible to the warning because they are vulnerable and have weak AA.

The air threat seemed to generate that TF icon, to the WNW. I didn't see that icon again at any point during the turn, so I think it could be the source of the "Air Threat" message.

With my best Rebel Yell... WHOOP!!!!

A very nice job and I think that prudence might be the better part of valor now if the KB is coming. You will keep getting stronger, let him dance to your tune as you don't want to be out of position and sorties.

Well done. I wonder what that 3/3 detection level on your DS showed him? Not much, I'd guess.

By the way, I like how you did that Wake invasion: overwhelming firepower and I assume plenty of supply to go with it.

Cheers,
CB

[&o] Congrats and now you feel on top of the world MA! You did what most Allied players hope to do, cripple or eliminate the mini-KB so he has to decide what to protect with carriers and what he has to leave to land base Naval Air. His decision cycle has just been sped up and you have gained both the initative and flexibility.

12/3/43 to 12/25/43

KB at Sorong: Allied long-range recon from Coen found KB on the 24th. KB remained there on the 25th. She's perfectly positioned to respond to threats in the Solomon Sea region, the Gulf of Carpentaria, and the DEI. The Allies have designs in two of those regions in the next week. I'm assuming Dave won't like the detection and will move KB but the challenge for him is "where?" There's no other big port nearly as well-position to cover everything. I won't know exactly where it goes unless he moves it forward, committing to one vector or another.

Rabaul: Night bombers from Portland Roads ran into light night fighters on the 24th, which stymied the bombing enough to score no hits. But Dave had few fighters there overall, so the bombers went in naked in daylight on Christmas Day - 36 in all, scoring multiple hits on a host of ships including two AS, an AD, an AKE and a DD. A number of ships sank.

12/26/43 and 12/27/43

Invasion of Milne Bay: KB remained at Sorong long enough that I triggered the Milne Bay invasion. The invasion armada got a bit of a head start, but Dave can disrupt things if he uses flank speed. Tomorrow should be fairly quiet. The day after may be very noisy. Should I take on KB in this environment? KB has about 900 aircraft; DS has about 1,000. He'll have friendly airfields, though I don't think they'll be particular effective for various reasons. Rabaul is somewhat distant and poses the biggest threat.

P.S. The more I play, the more apparent it is that information is the most important element in the game, ahead of logistics, planning and tactics.

12/28/43

Milne Bay: Dave elects not to sortie KB. Accordingly, the pressure should be much lower. The invasion armada and DS approach the beaches. There are fireworks - a Jap sub puts two TT into a CVE; a Japanese air strike gets mauled; and DS air strikes damage or sink two DD and a CA. An APD moved out ahead and landed at detachment of an Aussie division. There wasn't any counter-battery fire, so the enemy garrison must be pretty weak (now showing as just 3k troops on mouseover).

P.S. The more I play, the more apparent it is that information is the most important element in the game, ahead of logistics, planning and tactics.

Yes, Scouts Out as I learned in the Army. How else are you going to know where to get the sodas, bier, coffee, wurst, cheese, rolls, and bakery items? Not to mention observing the fräuleins?

12/29/43 and 12/30/43

Milne Bay D-Day: On the 29th, troops come ashore in good order and without air or sea opposition.

KB: On the 29th, recon doesn't fly, so I lose track of KB at Sorong but pick up indications it may be on the move down New Guinea's "east" coast. Accordingly, DS ordered to move due west to rendezvous with a big amphib TF carrying 33rd Div. 100% prepped for Merauke. With KB on the far side of the big island, DS should be immune from strikes while covering this invasion. All transports (except two supply xAKs) ordered to depart Milne for Townsville.

Milne Bay D+1: Sure enough, KB is sliding down the east coast, Soryu escaping an ambush by a USN sub. DS is not far from Portland Roads and appears undetected. The amphibs are at Cairns and will proceed to Portland at flank speed. At Milne, 500 Allied AV fully prepped results in an adjusted AV of 95 (what the heck?) vs. 65 enemy AV. 1 to 1 drops forts from 4 to 3 and does more damage to the enemy. Another attack tomorrow. Then my guys will need rest. CVE Liscome Bay succumbed to her grievous damage and went under, carrying a squadron of F4Fs and one of TBFs.

That hurts about the CVE with the air units. But as they say, "shhhhh iiiit happens!"

Yeah, losing good ships is no fun but part of the friction of offensive campaigning. That's the first CVE lost. Two others that were heavily damaged long ago managed to make port for full repairs.

12/31/43

New Guinea: When KB moved down New Guinea's east coast, I countered by moving DS + Merauke invasion force west. He countered (I think) by moving KB back to Sorong, from where he can intercept. Now I've countered by preparing the Port Moresby invasion force. He shouldn't be able to cover both Merauke and PM, creating some pressure.

You moved the KB? [X(] I thought that you move the Death Star! [;)]

Okay, wise guy, I think I found the mistake and fixed it. [:)] Darn it, words are slippery, elusive things...and trying to string them together properly is vexing beyond belief!

I was trained to observe and report . . .

I did NOT get into trouble for messing with my First Sergeant's mind . . .

1/1/44

KB: No visuals but a sub near Sorong reports 10/10 detection and an encounter with a Judy. So Dave shifted KB back to handle a possible invasion of Merauke. DS & The Herd took station near Horn Island. Tomorrow they'll move SE a bit, taking cover between Portland Roads and Cairns, CAP augmented by LBA. While this is going on, the Port Moresby invasion force is assembling at Townsville. The ships are there, an Aussie division and armored brigade are present, and Americal Division is en route but at least five days out (railing from Kalgoorlie).

Milne Bay: The two Aussie divisions get a 3:1 and drop forts to zero. So the base almost certainly will fall tomorrow. The Aussies are still woefully underperforming - I suspect the supreme commander (moi) is at fault in some way or other.