Here we go again! tc464 (A) vs. Mike (J) - No tc464

[Cribtop]

Great job with KB! Glad the floatplane suggestion worked.

[Mike Solli]

Yup, it would have been much better had I not done the stupid attack of Brisbane.

[Mike Solli]

24 Apr 42

KB

Well, KB literally ran over an Allied xAKL and ran away from it. Then, the I-10 shot her up and sank her. The I-10 was one of 4 subs I put in Ted's sea lane. That move really paid off because in addition to I-10's sinking, the I-173 found an xAK and sank her as well. I suspect Ted will move the lane to the south but I'll leave the subs where they are for a couple of days. If nothing else turns up, I'll move them south. Anyway, KB is now headed for the barn to replace pilots and aircraft. She'll disappear once again to repair the sys damage she accumulated and then find another spot to launch a spoiling attack. I'm thinking up north this time....

Australia

I probably pissed off Ted again here. I took an Oscar Sentai and split it into chutai. I put 2 in Broome and 1 in Wyndham. In addition, there are reinforcements headed to Wyndham. I used some fighters from Baby KB to LRCAP the TF. He attempted to hit 2 of the 3 locations. Fourteen Hudsons hit Broome and all were shot down. Four Hudsons tried to hit the convoy and all were shot down. Banzi IJAAF!

[Mike Solli]

25 Apr 42

Reinforcements: I-32, a STD-E xAKL and A/50 JNAF Co

The arrival of the sub will allow me to accelerate another DD. Right now I've been running my naval ship points at a deficit. The pool was down to 271 and dropping 20 per turn.

Only one week until the arrival of the Junyo!

Sub War

Today was one of the best days I've had concerning subs, both ours and theirs. My subs off the West Coast continue to earn their sake. The I-3, in 2 separate attacks, sank 2 xAKs. The second one was carrying fuel. Big bonfire. Our ASW TFs finally did their jobs as well. A Dutch sub (KVII I think) put a torpedo into the DD Kuroshio. She was escorting 2 CAs. One of them, the Atago, laid 2 depth charges on her and sank her! I never saw a CA sink a sub before. Also, the DD Yugao was escorting a TK carrying fuel to Kwajalein (that new TK I got a week or so ago). An S class sub took at shot at the Yugao (missed) and got a direct hit from the Yugao for her effort. I suspect she'll survive, but she's got a long voyage home and then quite a bit of yard time. The only bad thing was the Dutch O23 putting a torpedo into an AMc, blowing her apart. Fortunately it was only an AMc.

Burma

Ted sent 31 Bleinheim IVs at Magwe to make sure the airfield remains shut down. I had 5 Zeros on LRCAP and they shot down 5 of the bombers. I wonder why he keeps going after an empty airfield and isn't going after the oil fields there....

China

I caught the former Loyang garrison and beat them up again, killing 11k for a loss of 1400. Also, I took Pucheng, losing 700 while killing 6600. I'm still trying to push out miscellaneous Chinese riff raff in that area.

KB

KB still isn't done causing problems for Ted. The TF is heading north toward Rabaul. It currently is SW of Luganville. Scouts found the CA Pensacola in dock there. A nice little attack of 10 Kates and 11 Vals escorted by 28 Zeros launched. They ran into 4 Wildcats. The Wildcats lost 1 of their number evading the Zeros and knocked down 1 Kate and 1 Val. The remaining bombers (all carrying bombs) managed to put 10 250kg bombs into the Pensacola, leaving her with heavy fires and heavy damage. Not sure if she sank, but if she survived, she's out of the war for a long time. I had one of my minelaying subs idling at Truk. I sent her to leave 42 presents in Luganville harbor.

[Mike Solli]

26 Apr 42

Australia

I decided to land at Wyndham and move overland. 42k troops keep showing up in the intel report. Not worth the risk, IMHO. Ted sent Hudsons from Darwin against the TFs at Wyndham. He lost 2 for no damage to my ships. I'll take Derby tomorrow.

Burma

Ted bombed Magwe's airfield again. It's definitely closed. Zero's flying LRCAP from Rangoon shot down 4 Blenheim IVs for no loss. I'm moving air support to the 5 airfields around it. Soon I'll have fighters flying from all of them. That should be a bit of a surprise. The biggest problem I have in that area (to include Thailand and Malaya) is that I don't have enough supply in any base to replace aircraft. I've got a 20k TF headed to Saigon and a 100k TF headed to Singapore. I think tomorrow I'll send another 100k convoy to Bangkok. They're all coming from Japan.

Ted has given up Burma for the time being. The only unit left in there is one beat up base force that I've been chasing. I just pushed it out of Katha (a dot hex). It lost 155 soldiers leaving it with less than 100. It'll die soon. Two more bases and I'll control all of Burma.

KB

When you think KB is done, another TF pops up. As it sailed past Ndeni, it spotted a TF composed of 2 xAKs and 3 small xAPs and sank them all. That TF was dropping off troops at Ndeni because some vehicles and guns went down with the ships. I suspect engineers. I'm going to gather ~4 Naval Guard/SNLFs and do a little invasion. Killing Allied engineers is always a good thing.

[Mike Solli]

Here's Australia. You can see what I currently see in Darwin. The ground bombing only revealed a CD unit. I currently have ~50k troops in Darwin. The TF just to the north is the 48 Div. That'll bring the strength to ~75k troops in Darwin. They're already on the move. Over in Broome/Darwin I have an SNLF, art unit and engineers, along with some air support.

[Mike Solli]

Here's KB headed home. You can see 1 ship at Ndeni. It would have been sunk but the planes never targeted it.

[Mike Solli]

Here's Burma. You can see Magwe's airfield is trashed, but he's neglecting the oil field and refinery. That's fine. He can bomb the airfield as much as he wants to. I have no planes there. My Zeros flying out of Rangoon shoot down several of his planes every day. If they aren't already there, I'm building the airfields around Magwe up to level 2 and sending air support there. Soon, all of those airfields will suddenly have Zeros or Oscars there. Then he'll have a hard time with Magwe. He'll have the choice of attempting to bomb a destroyed airfield or one of the 5 airfields around it sporting fighters (6 if you count Rangoon).

[USSAmerica]

ORIGINAL: Mike Solli

8 Apr 42

I had also noticed quite a few ships in Palembang harbor. I set a Nell Daitai to port attack and caught and sank 14 MLs. Oops.

Trying to catch up on my reading. Nice move there, Mike! [8D]

[Mike Solli]

ORIGINAL: USS America

ORIGINAL: Mike Solli

8 Apr 42

I had also noticed quite a few ships in Palembang harbor. I set a Nell Daitai to port attack and caught and sank 14 MLs. Oops.

Trying to catch up on my reading. Nice move there, Mike! [8D]

Not sure what they were doing there. I think I cut the place off earlier than he expected and he couldn't get them out.

[Mike Solli]

27 Apr 42

Reinforcement: C/50 JNAF Co

Summatra

I took Padang and Singkep today. Singkep's resources were 20(0). I lost an xAK to CD fire at Padang.

I am waiting for the engineers to arrive at Palembang. I'm bombarding. The defensive forces are weak.

Magwe

Ted finally went after the industry there, but instead of the oil, he went for the refineries. He did damage 22. No big deal. The big deal was that I lost 3 Zeros in the skies. He lost a Hurricane and 3 Blenheim IVs. Fortunately, I lost only 2 pilots WIA.

KB

As KB sailed north to rendevous with the Replenishment fleet, they took some parting shots at the cargo ships at Ndeni. They attacked 4 xAKs and 2 xAKLs, sinking all but one xAK, which was heavily damaged. I formed a surface group of 4 CAs and 4 DDs to visit the place. They will hit in a couple of days. In addition, I'm sending an invasion force of 1 SNLF and 3 Naval Guard Units, along with some engineers. I'm going to take the place & kill off the enemy troops. Not sure if I'll stay there. I'll probably leave at least 1 Naval Guard unit there.

KB is going to refuel 7 hexes north of Ndeni. Hopefully, there'll be one last parting shot before KB departs the area to rearm.

Australia

My forces have landed and are moving. Baby KB moved east and found and sank an xAK. He's definitely trying to supply Darwin in single ship convoys from the east. I still don't know where they're coming from. I'm sending some subs to form a line and Baby KB is investigating.

[Mike Solli]

Thoughts on future operations:

Burma

I intend on clearing Burma along the river/woods (pink line). Or maybe along the border (yellow line). The second would require clearing Akyab. Not sure how feasable that is with the horrid supply situation. It may require an invasion. Either definitely requires more infantry. 25 Army will eventually give up a division for 15 Army. Not sure which one yet. I'm also considering buying out a brigade from (most likely) Kwantung Army as the Pt. Blair garrision.

I am definitely going to occupy as many airfields as possible to reduce the ability of Ted to close the airfields down. He doesn't get much in the way of bomber replacements but I don't know how many reinforcement squadrons he's received. I just need to keep killing them. Hopefully, he'll run short of bombers. The main plane killer is the Zero. Oscars don't do much. I'm going to try and team them up so they work together. Hopefully, the greater numbers will help. I have 3 Sentai of Oscars and 3 Daitai of Zeros allocated to this theater. In addition, there are several daitai of Nells/Bettys. One Zero and several Nell/Betty daitai will occupy Pt. Blair (along with 22 Air Flotilla HQ). That airfield is almost to level 4. 3 Air Division along with the rest of the fighters will occupy Burma proper. I have ~5-6 sentai of various bombers. I'll keep them off the front line. They'll snipe as they can. They don't do well against Allied fighters. I may outfit some of them with ASW pilots and place them in Pt. Blair or along the coast.

The fleet supporting this theater (based out of Singapore) is 3 CA (Haguro, Myoko and Nachi) along with 1 DesRon (1 CL & 16 DD). This is besides merchant ship escorts. This fleet will also protect northern half of the SRA. I don't expect much in the way of naval reinforcement unless there is a major operation.

Which line do you guys think I out to defend?

[Q-Ball]

BURMA: Burma sucks for Japan. Though gameplay overall I think favors Japan vs. history, this is one area of the map where gameplay favors the ALLIES vs. history, because it's much easier to move supplies over the Indo-Burmese border than IRL, and much, much easier to launch amphib invasions in your rear than IRL (a possibility that IRL was discounted by the Allies completely, for lack of invasion shipping).

Anyway, back to the GAME: I would go YELLOW; if you can't take Akyab, at least have a force on the trail 2 hexes due SE of Akyab; the terrain there favors the defense, and you can guard vs. a flanking move on Magwe, particularly if you send a unit into that hex FROM Magwe, which would close that hexside to Allied movement.

Don't invest alot in MYITKINYA. A much easier approach for the Allies is from Kalemyo to Shwebo, which would basically outflank Myiktinya. Make sure you clear the dot hex between Lashio and Myiktinya, Bhamo, to provide a retreat route from Myikitinya if you get flanked. Guard that route by planting a force in the mountain pass toward Paoshan; an experienced Bde can hold off 1/2 the Chinese army there if they are not flanked.

If Magwe falls, there is no point to holding Lower Burma anymore. Have a backup line ready a Moulmein/Chang Mai in case your front collapses. That would mean giving up Rangoon.

Defending the line of the Irriwaddy (Magwe through Mandalay), is ultimately futile, if the Allies are over the border in force.

Building alot of airstrips is a good idea; this will allow you to maintain a constant air presence, but in the end, the Allies will control the air after 1942, because there are plenty of airbases that can be built over the Indian border, and plenty of AV support as well.

[Mike Solli]

25 Army

Northern Summatra (along with Malaya north to the southern edge of 15 Army) will be defended by 25 Army. I want to invade Ceylon within the next month or so. I'll use IG, 5 & 18 Div (25 Army) and 2 Div (16 Army)(still in Singapore). That operation is not to occupy Ceylon. It's goal is to destroy the Allied forces there and to cause Ted to believe I am going to invade India. If he pulls forces back to defend India, that spoiling attack will have served it's purpose. After the conclusion of the attack, I'll pull out leaving a footprint there. Eventually, Ted will invade Ceylon. He can have it. I'll keep subs in the area to drive him nuts. In addition, Nells/Bettys flying out of Pt. Blair should cause him some problems.

I forgot about subs. Allocated to this theater are 6 I-class and 2 Glen carrying I-class subs based out of Singapore and 2 Ro-class subs based out of Rangoon.

16 Army

Palembang is the responsibility of 16 Army.

The Java garrison will eventually be 1 division along with support from 16 Army.

Note that the 16 Army slice of the defense will include the areas above and Borneo.

16 Army is supported by a slice of 3 Air Division and a small slice of 21 Air Flotilla.

I still need to take Christmas Island and the other island to the west of it. They make great naval search platforms.

14 Army

The 14 Army has the responsibility from south of Java to New Guinea, to include Timor and Celebes. This army will also "defend" Australia once operations are complete. It'll be a footprint of units that are destined to withdraw anyway (those garrison units come to mind). The goal in Australia is to delay the Allied bombing offensive of the southern SRA. If I can control Darwin until spring of 1943, I'll have considered this operation a success.

Philippines

Note that no one is defending the Philippines. Future reinforcements (and a ground HQ) will eventually backfill this area. Until then, there will be just enough force to garrison Manila (100AV) and a few construction units to build forts.

SRA Reserves

The 21 Division is the area reserve for now. I'll most likely station it at Balikpapan, but maybe Soerabaja. That's too close to a potential front line, but it's also very likely that it can become the front line and the needed location for the reserves.

SRA Fleet elements

The "SRA Fleet" is really the battle fleet. It'll be located here because that's where the fuel is. The Battle Fleet (1 Fleet) is composed of the following:

BatDiv 1: (Yamato & Musashi), Nagato, Mutsu
BatDiv 2: Hyuga, Ise, Fuso, Yamashiro
CruDiv 4: Atago, Takao, Chokai, Maya
CruDiv 7: Kumano, Mikuma, Mogami, Suzuya
CurDiv 9: Kitakami, Oi
DesRon 2: 1 Cl, 16 DD
SubRon 2: 6 I-class, 2 sub carrying I-class

They'll be in various locations (Soerabaja, Balikpapan, Babeldaob) as needed. KB will be stationed out here too, when not on missions.

[Mike Solli]

ORIGINAL: Q-Ball

BURMA: Burma sucks for Japan. Though gameplay overall I think favors Japan vs. history, this is one area of the map where gameplay favors the ALLIES vs. history, because it's much easier to move supplies over the Indo-Burmese border than IRL, and much, much easier to launch amphib invasions in your rear than IRL (a possibility that IRL was discounted by the Allies completely, for lack of invasion shipping).

Anyway, back to the GAME: I would go YELLOW; if you can't take Akyab, at least have a force on the trail 2 hexes due SE of Akyab; the terrain there favors the defense, and you can guard vs. a flanking move on Magwe, particularly if you send a unit into that hex FROM Magwe, which would close that hexside to Allied movement.

Don't invest alot in MYITKINYA. A much easier approach for the Allies is from Kalemyo to Shwebo, which would basically outflank Myiktinya. Make sure you clear the dot hex between Lashio and Myiktinya, Bhamo, to provide a retreat route from Myikitinya if you get flanked. Guard that route by planting a force in the mountain pass toward Paoshan; an experienced Bde can hold off 1/2 the Chinese army there if they are not flanked.

If Magwe falls, there is no point to holding Lower Burma anymore. Have a backup line ready a Moulmein/Chang Mai in case your front collapses. That would mean giving up Rangoon.

Defending the line of the Irriwaddy (Magwe through Mandalay), is ultimately futile, if the Allies are over the border in force.

Building alot of airstrips is a good idea; this will allow you to maintain a constant air presence, but in the end, the Allies will control the air after 1942, because there are plenty of airbases that can be built over the Indian border, and plenty of AV support as well.

You don't paint a pleasant picture here Q-Ball, but the Japanese have had a hard time here in every AAR I've read.

I'm thinking I'll need about 4 divisions to defend. Right now I have 2 1/3 divisions, but 2/3 division are garrisoning rear bases. [:@]

I see what you mean at Myiktinya vs. Kalemyo to Shwebo. I'll probably stick a battlaion in Myiktinya, so Ted see there's something in there.

Do you think taking Paoshan is something worth considering? I've been toying with the idea, but I doubt I'll have the force to do it and I don't like the mountains.

[Mike Solli]

SE Fleet
 
In our past game (WitP), I neglected to take Pt. Moresby, which was the chink in my armor in this area.  Ted totally ignored the area except for constant bombing from Pt. Moresby.  Since I have Pt. Moresby now, his current recourse is long range bombing from B-17s.  Initially, they came in at 30k ft and did nothing.  Now he's sending them in at 25k ft and they're still doing nothing.  On occasion a B-17 or Zero is lost.  He's getting more than he loses each month, but he won't get replacements much longer.  Eventually, he'll switch to another type of aircraft.  I suspect it'll be more of the same.  He did send in B-26s for a few days, but I ripped them to shreds.  Haven't seen them since. [:D]
 
My biggest concern is ground forces.  I have a lot, but they're all Naval Guards and SNLFs.  Nothing larger.  Unfortunately, I need them all as garrisons.  I am going to buy out the Guards Brigade as a reserve for this sector.  It'll be stationed at Truk (maybe Rabaul) with 18 kt ships. 
 
Air power is currently all IJNAF - 23 Air Flotilla,  It's got 90 Zeros and 72 Bettys, plus Babs and floatplanes.  I need to get some Mavis down here.  The Zeros have some of the best pilots in the IJNAF in them.
 
Here's the fleet:
 
CruDiv 6:  Aoba, Furutaka, Kako, Kinugasa
CruDiv 16:  Ashigara, 2 CL
DesRon 3: 1 CL, 18 DD (all the Fubukis)
SubRon 3:  8 I-class, 3 Glen carrying I-class
SubRon 7:  9 Ro-class
 
I don't plan on much more expansion here.  I'm now swaying toward keeping Ndeni after I take it in a few days.  I'll put a small air support unit there along with a Naval Guard and station some floatplanes there.  Another eye in the sky.  I'll put a permanent presence of a SubDiv there (3 Ro-class).  He can have it back, but he'll have to pay for it.

[Q-Ball]

What House Rules do you have on Restricted Units?

A good rule is that restricted units should not be able to cross national borders. This is a good, and historically accurate, rule. If you have this, it does brighten the picture a bit.

For the CHINESE, this means the only Chinese units that can cross the border are the 11th Route Army, the units that Chaing historically released (very reluctantly) to Norther Burma. Those troops are not particularly strong without Allied support, so they have limited offensive power. That's why I would put a stopper near Lashio. As far as attacking Paoshan, I wouldn't try; it would take a major effort, and the Chinese can use Restricted units to force you out.

For the INDIAN army, this means that it will take awhile to spend the PPs on enough units to dislodge you, but in 1943, they will have more than enough to push back 4 IJA divisions. I have a PBEM where I have more than that, and they are still barely hanging on. You need more than that, but not until late 1942; until then, they aren't strong enough.

The combined UK and Indian Divisions, if they didn't lose much in Burma, should be around a dozen in 1943, and should be adequately trained and equipped by then. Not good for the Empire.

[Mike Solli]

ORIGINAL: Q-Ball

What House Rules do you have on Restricted Units?

A good rule is that restricted units should not be able to cross national borders. This is a good, and historically accurate, rule. If you have this, it does brighten the picture a bit.

For the CHINESE, this means the only Chinese units that can cross the border are the 11th Route Army, the units that Chaing historically released (very reluctantly) to Norther Burma. Those troops are not particularly strong without Allied support, so they have limited offensive power. That's why I would put a stopper near Lashio. As far as attacking Paoshan, I wouldn't try; it would take a major effort, and the Chinese can use Restricted units to force you out.

For the INDIAN army, this means that it will take awhile to spend the PPs on enough units to dislodge you, but in 1943, they will have more than enough to push back 4 IJA divisions. I have a PBEM where I have more than that, and they are still barely hanging on. You need more than that, but not until late 1942; until then, they aren't strong enough.

The combined UK and Indian Divisions, if they didn't lose much in Burma, should be around a dozen in 1943, and should be adequately trained and equipped by then. Not good for the Empire.

Yeah, we have a house rule restricting units on crossing national borders unless they pay the PPs.

Right now I just don't have the forces to send there. Four will have to do. I guess I'll have to save PPs for Burma reinforcements. At 2 months per division released, I can pull a maximum of 4 divisions from restricted commands by the end of the year. Actually, it'll be more like 2-3. Gotta start planning for that. Should be interesting.

[Mike Solli]

4 Fleet

I am not planning on any more invasions here.  An occasional spoiling attack is in order to keep Ted honest, but there's no real estate I have my eye on.  I have received a bunch of small units - Naval Guards and an SNLF or two.  They, along with a lot of air support units, have been reinforcing key islands.  The only atolls currently maxed are Kwajalein and Wake.  Wake's fort level is about 4.6 right now.  I'm going to keep on building until it reaches 6.  Then I'll pull out the construction bn and move it somewhere else.  It's got 2 Emilys and that's it.  It's just a speedbump.  I'm hoping Ted attacks it next year and I can ambush the fleet.  I've got Akagi, Kaga, 4 fast BBs and some DDs sitting at Kwajalein waiting for an opportunity.  Ted has no idea they're there. 

I need a reserve brigade.  Haven't identified one yet.  When I do, I'll station it in the Marianas, along with the 18 kt transports.

Edit:

Only the IJNAF is present with the 24 Air Flotilla. They haven't done a thing yet in this war. They're very well trained and waiting.

In addition to KB 2, there are only subs in this area:

9 Glen carrying subs
5 Midget sub carrying subs

The subs are patrolling east of Hawaii and along the west coast. These guys are having a grand time. [:D] I have one SubDiv attempting to find the merchant route SW toward Australia. No luck so far.

[Mike Solli]

5 Fleet
 
This is the force that defends the Kuriles and may attack the Aleutians.  Ted has dumped a lot into Adak.  He has this perverse love for that place.  I've sunk several ships around there and keep trying.  I want KB to pay a visit to trash the shipping.  A surface force would be nice too, but I fear he has placed mines at Adak.  I would have if I were him.
 
There's little air power in the area other than some patrol planes.  I'm going to station some Mavis at Paramushiro Jima shortly. 
 
Naval power:
 
CruDiv 21:  CLs Kiso & Tama and 4 old DDs
SubRon 5:  6 I-class and 3 Glen carrying I-class
 
Early on, I bought 3 infantry regiments (71 Div) from Kwantung.  The remainder of the division just appeared as reinforcements.  I just bought them out (cav, engineer and artillery) and they are enroute to the infantry.  They are defending Paramushiro Jima, Kushiro and (damn, I can't think of the island name.  It starts with an "E" and has a decent port.  It's where the subs are based.)