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

[Captain Cruft]

27 Apr 1944

Sitrep China:-

I am bombing the stack next to Pakhoi with Oscars at 1,000ft and the stack at Liuchow with Sonias at 7,000ft. There is no CAP in either case.

The three depleted brigades which were at Nanning are now heading for the coast.

[Captain Cruft]

Industry

Will the Fuel last? I hope so. The Musashi arrives next turn so I can turn 200 odd Naval Shipyards off.

[Captain Cruft]

28 Apr 1944

The Aussies have crossed the river at Palembang. Not much sign of a "fortress" going on, forts were at level 5 before the attack but now my guys will likely only last another day. This is without any aerial bombardment either.

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Ground combat at Palembang (48,91)

Allied Shock attack

Attacking force 30192 troops, 520 guns, 985 vehicles, Assault Value = 1313

Defending force 11340 troops, 89 guns, 4 vehicles, Assault Value = 259

Allied engineers reduce fortifications to 4

Allied adjusted assault: 1783

Japanese adjusted defense: 469

Allied assault odds: 3 to 1 (fort level 4)

Allied Assault reduces fortifications to 2

Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+), forts(+), disruption(-), experience(-)
Attacker: shock(+), disruption(-)

Japanese ground losses:
1429 casualties reported
Squads: 24 destroyed, 132 disabled
Non Combat: 2 destroyed, 50 disabled
Engineers: 1 destroyed, 18 disabled
Guns lost 35 (3 destroyed, 32 disabled)
Vehicles lost 4 (2 destroyed, 2 disabled)

Allied ground losses:
432 casualties reported
Squads: 8 destroyed, 34 disabled
Non Combat: 2 destroyed, 20 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 16 disabled
Vehicles lost 28 (3 destroyed, 25 disabled)

Assaulting units:
1st USMC Tank Battalion
4th Armoured Brigade
II Aus Corps Engineer Battalion
6th Australian Division
9th Australian Division
II Australian

Defending units:
Sasebo 8th SNLF
Sasebo 3rd SNLF
10th Militia Regiment
11th Special Base Force
54th Const Co
55th Const Co
22nd Air Flotilla
18th JNAF AF Unit
4th Shipping Engineer Regiment
25th JNAF AF Unit

[Sangeli]

ORIGINAL: Captain Cruft
Defending units:
Sasebo 8th SNLF
Sasebo 3rd SNLF
10th Militia Regiment
11th Special Base Force
54th Const Co
55th Const Co
22nd Air Flotilla
18th JNAF AF Unit
4th Shipping Engineer Regiment
25th JNAF AF Unit

There's a lot of support units there, at least by your standards. I'm surprised you didn't pull them out, especially the construction units. Generally you've done a good job only leaving combat units behind before the Allied invasions. I'm guessing you just didn't have a good opportunity to pull them out this time, ya?

[Captain Cruft]

I was still building fort and hosting fighters until recently. Av support and Air HQs are really not a problem these days. Ideally I would have extracted some stuff but it's not material to anything.

[Captain Cruft]

01 May 1944

It's May! A bunch of subs at Hakodate have gone into refit, thereby depositing their Glens on the quay for disbandment. A bit of a pain in the arse to sort out but there you are.

Meanwhile, Allied shipping has been spotted at Talaud-Eilanden. No CVs though by the looks of it. The LBA kitchen sink will be thrown at it tomorrow.

[Captain Cruft]

02 May 1944

A mixed result. Nearly everything flew but only two attacks got through the CAP.

Once again the Lily dive bombers did really well.

In total 235 Japanese planes were expended on the day.

Palembang and Liuchow both taken.

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Morning Air attack on TF, near Talaud-eilanden at 79,97

Weather in hex: Light cloud

Raid detected at 132 NM, estimated altitude 19,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 39 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M5 Zero x 41
P1Y1 Frances x 40

Allied aircraft
Spitfire VIII x 11
Kittyhawk IV x 4
P-38H Lightning x 6
F4U-1 Corsair x 41
F6F-3 Hellcat x 25

Japanese aircraft losses
A6M5 Zero: 10 destroyed
P1Y1 Frances: 20 destroyed
P1Y1 Frances: 3 destroyed by flak

No Allied losses

Allied Ships
CL Montpelier, Kamikaze hits 2, on fire, heavy damage
APA Warren
APA Pierce, Kamikaze hits 1
LST-18, Kamikaze hits 1, and is sunk
LST-17
DD Dortch
CL Cleveland

Aircraft Attacking:
35 x P1Y1 Frances flying as kamikaze
Kamikaze: 2 x 250 kg SAP Bomb, 4 x 60 kg GP Bomb

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Morning Air attack on TF, near Talaud-eilanden at 79,97

Weather in hex: Light cloud

Raid detected at 110 NM, estimated altitude 19,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 32 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-44-IIb Tojo x 25
Ki-44-IIc Tojo x 36
Ki-48-IIc Lily x 54

Allied aircraft
Spitfire VIII x 3
Kittyhawk IV x 1
P-38H Lightning x 4
F4U-1 Corsair x 16
F6F-3 Hellcat x 5

Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-44-IIb Tojo: 2 destroyed
Ki-44-IIc Tojo: 1 destroyed
Ki-48-IIc Lily: 8 damaged

Allied aircraft losses
Kittyhawk IV: 1 destroyed
F4U-1 Corsair: 1 destroyed
F6F-3 Hellcat: 1 destroyed

Allied Ships
xAK William A. Coulter, Bomb hits 7, heavy fires, heavy damage
LSD Lindenwald, Bomb hits 4, heavy fires
xAP Santa Paula, Bomb hits 6, heavy fires
AMC Monowai, Bomb hits 4, on fire
LSD Epping Forest, Bomb hits 5, heavy fires
xAP Maui, Bomb hits 5, heavy fires
LSD Gunston Hall, Bomb hits 4, heavy fires
xAP Orizaba, Bomb hits 6, heavy fires, heavy damage
xAK Owen Summers, Bomb hits 3, on fire
xAK Thomas Crawford, Bomb hits 5, on fire

Aircraft Attacking:
12 x Ki-48-IIc Lily releasing from 1000'
Naval Attack: 2 x 100 kg SAP Bomb
10 x Ki-48-IIc Lily releasing from 2000'
Naval Attack: 2 x 100 kg SAP Bomb
11 x Ki-48-IIc Lily releasing from 2000'
Naval Attack: 2 x 100 kg SAP Bomb
6 x Ki-48-IIc Lily releasing from 1000'
Naval Attack: 2 x 100 kg SAP Bomb
11 x Ki-48-IIc Lily releasing from 3000'
Naval Attack: 2 x 100 kg SAP Bomb
4 x Ki-48-IIc Lily releasing from 3000'
Naval Attack: 2 x 100 kg SAP Bomb

[Captain Cruft]

Looking at that again it's a bit odd how he has mixed up the fast unloaders with the slow unloaders. Nice (for me) but puzzling.

[PaxMondo]

So, it looks like the Lilly DB is an effective plane except that the bomb load is sub-optimal. Effectiveness is likely due to DUR and Armor as compared to Val ... too bad teh IJA doesn't have Judy's ...

[obvert]

They could be in different TFs even though listed together.

Nice work with the Lilys! You're proving the effectiveness of a plane that most Japanese players completely discount due to the bomb load. But hey, if they hit at nearly at a 45% rate, wow!

That's a much better rate than your kamis. I might have to add those to the arsenal in the future.

[Captain Cruft]

I seem to get much more coherent strike packages with IJA than IJN. As I may have said once long ago I never mix them up.

[PaxMondo]

ORIGINAL: obvert

..., if they hit at nearly at a 45% rate, wow! ...

Erik,

yeah, but 100kg bombs. I doubt any of the vessels were sunk outright. Maybe he loses one or two during movement ... maybe. This is why it is largely ignored ... if it had 1x250kg that would be SO much better. Then it would be fatal to anything from a DD down.

[Captain Cruft]

Looking at the devices table the 100kg SAP bomb has an effect of 150, which is 20 more than the 6in gun mounted on the Brooklyn class cruisers.

I am very happy. Those ships are taking no further useful part in the war at this point.

[obvert]

ORIGINAL: PaxMondo

ORIGINAL: obvert

..., if they hit at nearly at a 45% rate, wow! ...

Erik,

yeah, but 100kg bombs. I doubt any of the vessels were sunk outright. Maybe he loses one or two during movement ... maybe. This is why it is largely ignored ... if it had 1x250kg that would be SO much better. Then it would be fatal to anything from a DD down.

I've sunk tankers with 60kg bombs from Jakes.

Getting so many hits is pretty impressive. Most of those list heavy fires, which is bad even as Allies, and two have heavy fires/heavy damage.

I wonder if these were Helens at 1k if they would have done as much. What I'm seeing is an opportunity to use some IJAAF groups as ship killers before the Peggy (T) arrives. The other thing is if there were troops on those ships they'd be toast regardless of if the ships actually sank.

ORIGINAL: Captain Cruft

Looking at the devices table the 100kg SAP bomb has an effect of 150, which is 20 more than the 6in gun mounted on the Brooklyn class cruisers.

I am very happy. Those ships are taking no further useful part in the war at this point.

Yeah, and 5-6 x 6inch hits and those ships are going under.

[PaxMondo]

I guess we'll find out when we read your opponents side ...

[Captain Cruft]

03 May 1944

The Lilies flew again today, and disposed of .... a PT boat. As in the past once his navy comes under substantive air attack he retreats.

The main event today however was a large number of Sweeps over Samah from Hanoi. We did about 1 - 3, which considering the attackers were mostly Spitfires and P-47s and the defenders Jacks I did not think was a poor result.

As he has now shown me what amounts to his aerial Schwerpunkt on the mainland (at Hanoi) I have decided to attempt to destroy it. Some 350 Oscars will go in at low-level accompanied by my "heavy bomber force" of about 70 Peggies at 12,000ft. Franks and Tonies will Escort.

Assuming the attack actually happens I will probably lose over 200 Oscars but I think it might be worth it.

[Cribtop]

Sounds like the long delayed main event is getting started - really looking forward to seeing how this plays out as he gets to the Hive.

[Captain Cruft]

04 May 1944

Well as usual the big attack didn't take off. Not a single plane. So that excitement will have to wait, as he now seems to have dispersed his fighters a bit from Hanoi.

What did happen is that Samah got the 4E treatment. Lots of Jacks destroyed/damaged on the ground but the base is not quite shut, and I am going to keep fighting there for the time being.

[Sangeli]

ORIGINAL: Captain Cruft

04 May 1944

Well as usual the big attack didn't take off. Not a single plane. So that excitement will have to wait, as he now seems to have dispersed his fighters a bit from Hanoi.

What did happen is that Samah got the 4E treatment. Lots of Jacks destroyed/damaged on the ground but the base is not quite shut, and I am going to keep fighting there for the time being.

Oh man that's always the worst. You have a base with tons of fighters but they all have strike missions but that very turn your opponent orders a debilitating strike against the defenseless base. Even more insult to injury they didn't launch. I take it if they had been on CAP instead it would have been a much different result.

[Captain Cruft]

No it's OK the attack would have come out of Kiungshan, which is the IJAAF base on the island.