The Hive - Cruft PBEM (Japan, Scen 2 Beta + Stacking Limits)

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ORIGINAL: Captain Cruft

24 Feb 1944

A Tonan whaler goes down on its way back from Ulithi to Hong Kong. SS Grampus delivers 3 fish and escapes with moderate damage.

It's a good job I am not going to be moving fuel around for much longer. This is the fourth or fifth TK or AO I have lost this month to subs.

Otherwise quiet. He has landed a huge amount of stuff on Java, which is nice

I wouldn't use those big very valuable tankers in open deep ocean. Only near ASW air and search.

26 Feb 1944

Not a good day for the Fubuki Squadron. Five DDs lost for a single American one. I suspect an overly aggressive commander was to blame, plus a few Dauntless dive bombers at Manado who tagged the only ship which escaped the surface battles.

Nevertheless we are going in again tomorrow.

Seems like this routine daily mission is not advantageous to you. When the opponent has more, is stronger, it seems more valuable to hit them sporadically, differently each time, using different methods and placements and forces.

I know after your early successes you have an excess of DDs, but they can be really effective if you save them for missions where there is a confusion of targets and where he is possibly not expecting you to strike.

[Captain Cruft]

I'm getting very near the point where I won't need any tankers any more. So while I would prefer not to lose big ones, it doesn't actually matter.

As to the DDs, yes you are right tactically speaking. They don't quite go in every day though, more like every other day on average. The main thing is to annoy him and delay his advance towards Manila. It seems to be working, alongside the kami threat.

Bear in mind that it is only Fubuki and Mutsuki class DDs which are committed to this operation. All the "fleet" DDs (i.e. range > 5,000 miles) remain allocated to the Decisive Battle.

[Captain Cruft]

The actions also hopefully reinforce some points in his brain.

1) Fletcher class destroyers are not invincible.
2) Brooklyn class cruisers are not invincible.
3) Japan is (apparently) indifferent to losses.

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ORIGINAL: Captain Cruft

The actions also hopefully reinforce some points in his brain.

1) Fletcher class destroyers are not invincible.
2) Brooklyn class cruisers are not invincible.
3) Japan is (apparently) indifferent to losses.

[:D]

[Cribtop]

[:D] +1

[Captain Cruft]

Side Note

My opponent is away for the weekend, the game should resume on Tuesday.

In other news, I have finally managed to save up for WitE. Looking at it now ... Don't worry though this game will not be affected. My interest in the Eastern Front monstrosity is educational not recreational, and I won't be playing it in anger.

[Captain Cruft]

The Great Resize

It's 1 Mar 1944, and a boatload of airgroups have resized to 49 planes (IJA) or 36 planes (IJN). I have drawn in planes where I can but the whole pilot malarkey can wait until the weekend ...

Japan now has 6,257 aircraft on the map.

In the actual game nothing is happening. Well he is advancing on land in Malaya and Java but no actual action.

[Captain Cruft]

01 Mar 1944

He has arrived at Soerabaja. Just seemingly a single Aussie division with some tanks and arty support.

If that really all he is bringing I might hold on for a while. Forts are at 6. He has not started the usual ground bombing yet either.

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Ground combat at Soerabaja (56,104)

Allied Bombardment attack

Attacking force 590 troops, 65 guns, 14 vehicles, Assault Value = 530

Defending force 14618 troops, 141 guns, 15 vehicles, Assault Value = 542

Japanese ground losses:
17 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled

Assaulting units:
1st USMC Tank Battalion
102nd Combat Engineer Regiment
632nd Tank Destroyer Battalion
5th Australian Division
134th Field Artillery Battalion
II Australian
82nd Mortar Battalion

Defending units:
4th Division
11th Militia Regiment
11th RF Gun Battalion

[Captain Cruft]

03 Mar 1944

Another Aussie division has arrived at Soerbaja.

We have installed the latest beta version 1.7.11.23q.

[Captain Cruft]

04 Mar 1944

The first Deliberate Attack at Soerabaja. Good casualties caused, forts reduced to 5.

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Ground combat at Soerabaja (56,104)

Allied Deliberate attack

Attacking force 24748 troops, 351 guns, 460 vehicles, Assault Value = 1008

Defending force 14592 troops, 141 guns, 15 vehicles, Assault Value = 539

Allied engineers reduce fortifications to 5

Allied adjusted assault: 319

Japanese adjusted defense: 1564

Allied assault odds: 1 to 4 (fort level 5)

Combat modifiers
Defender: forts(+), leaders(+), experience(-)
Attacker:

Japanese ground losses:
1635 casualties reported
Squads: 8 destroyed, 118 disabled
Non Combat: 1 destroyed, 15 disabled
Engineers: 1 destroyed, 10 disabled
Guns lost 29 (2 destroyed, 27 disabled)
Vehicles lost 3 (1 destroyed, 2 disabled)

Allied ground losses:
2655 casualties reported
Squads: 22 destroyed, 211 disabled
Non Combat: 1 destroyed, 34 disabled
Engineers: 5 destroyed, 63 disabled
Guns lost 36 (3 destroyed, 33 disabled)

Assaulting units:
8th Australian Division
1st USMC Tank Battalion
102nd Combat Engineer Regiment
5th Australian Division
134th Field Artillery Battalion
II Australian
82nd Mortar Battalion

Defending units:
4th Division
11th Militia Regiment
11th RF Gun Battalion

[Richard III]

The Ground Combat system always surprises me. I would have though, even with their Tanks & Eng., that would be a tough nut to crack with Lv 5 Forts and your guys with 0 fatigue/disruption at attacker 2:1 troop odds, and a terrain bonus ( I think ? )

How is your LCU supply levels ?

ORIGINAL: Captain Cruft

04 Mar 1944

The first Deliberate Attack at Soerabaja. Good casualties caused, forts reduced to 5.

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Ground combat at Soerabaja (56,104)

Allied Deliberate attack

Attacking force 24748 troops, 351 guns, 460 vehicles, Assault Value = 1008

Defending force 14592 troops, 141 guns, 15 vehicles, Assault Value = 539

Allied engineers reduce fortifications to 5

Allied adjusted assault: 319

Japanese adjusted defense: 1564

Allied assault odds: 1 to 4 (fort level 5)

Combat modifiers
Defender: forts(+), leaders(+), experience(-)
Attacker:

Japanese ground losses:
1635 casualties reported
Squads: 8 destroyed, 118 disabled
Non Combat: 1 destroyed, 15 disabled
Engineers: 1 destroyed, 10 disabled
Guns lost 29 (2 destroyed, 27 disabled)
Vehicles lost 3 (1 destroyed, 2 disabled)

Allied ground losses:
2655 casualties reported
Squads: 22 destroyed, 211 disabled
Non Combat: 1 destroyed, 34 disabled
Engineers: 5 destroyed, 63 disabled
Guns lost 36 (3 destroyed, 33 disabled)

Assaulting units:
8th Australian Division
1st USMC Tank Battalion
102nd Combat Engineer Regiment
5th Australian Division
134th Field Artillery Battalion
II Australian
82nd Mortar Battalion

Defending units:
4th Division
11th Militia Regiment
11th RF Gun Battalion

[Captain Cruft]

Supply is fine. It's a clear hex remember.

[Captain Cruft]

Update

WitE is certainly a stunningly addictive game. I haven't stopped playing it since I bought it. However, I am also churning out the daily turns in this one. There's not much happening to comment on though. Three Aussie divisions now besiege Soerabaja and they will surely take it soon.

The game date is now 09 Mar 1944.

[Cribtop]

The lack of major events is a win for you, IMHO.

[Captain Cruft]

I think he will take Java, Palembang, Singapore and Brunei before building up for the big push towards the Hive.

[Cribtop]

No doubt. And then it will be very late. He may be rushed and used to your minimal outer defenses. Sets up very well for him to make a hasty move on the Hive and hit one hell of a wall.

[Captain Cruft]

11 Mar 1944

Soerabaja falls. The 4th Division managed to retreat out of the hex and still has some useful AV, though no supplies. It will try and make it's way to Batavia.

The Fubukis return to Manado and sink a US DD with a Long Lance for no loss.

A massed Oscar Sweep over Vinh (which now has two Indian Divisions plus P-47s) did not go well. About 7 to 1 down. Best let them come to us I think.

[Captain Cruft]

21 Mar 1944

Wake falls. The CD guns were completely neutralised by aerial and naval bombardment. When the unit re-incarnates it will go to the "dumping ground" at Ulleungdo.

Not much happening elsewhere. He will arrive at Batavia and Singapore soon though, these bases should prove quite tough to take due to the terrain and forts.

[Captain Cruft]

22 Mar 1944

The Taiho has arrived. Somewhat surprisingly it has a bunch of golden boys flying its planes. These will be whisked off to TRACOM and replaced with more normal but still trained pilots.

I now have the Naval Shipyard capacity to accelerate the Shinano. The entire fleet will be on the map by the end of July.

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Those golden boys are pretty necessary on the KB if you plan to use it. All of the late CVs are pretty well stocked up, and they can handle even going up against better airframes the Allies are flying if kept together.