Islands of Destiny: RA 5.0 Japanese Side

[John 3rd]

ORIGINAL: JohnDillworth

I love my fellow posters but perhaps tactical advice assumes a carrier battle is indeed coming. If you are reading the other AAR be most careful about specifics

(This is said in JESTING) Only a FOOL would not know that a CV Battle is about to happen! This has been telegraphed and I have suspected it for--what--eight weeks.

Just got moving and am starting the next turn. Will follow advice regarding CAP Altitudes. I was there with Altitudes set at 8--15--23,000. Will adjust some and drop down my high CAP.

[John 3rd]

November 6, 1942

Enemy advances four hexes to 97,148.

We begin to take a little nibble out here and nibble there:
1. Ro-61 starts the Battle of the Coral Sea by sinking AKL Mulubinda.
2. I-1 adds to the score by sinking AM Junee.
2. Two DDs sink an AKL.
3. Three DDs sink DD Sands (on its suicide mission).
4. Two DD sink an AKL.

He has an S-Boat sink an AKL.

Move the Sub Screen NW about 5-6 hexes.

Kido Butai
I ordered to give it some juice and move away from New Caledonia and advance about 8 hexes NNW. It gets snooped but the call of 'Enemy Carriers' does NOT ring out. Maybe he got me, maybe not. Don't care because he will know no later then day after tomorrow.

CAP Altitude is standardized at 9,000 Ft and 18,000 Ft. Order KB TG 3 & 4 (Sho--Zui--Zuiho--Hiyo--Ryuho--Nisshin) to have their Kates carry Bombs. This promises to be a long brawl and I want plenty of TTs for several days if needed. All strike aircraft switch from Training to Attack Mode. Vals set at 12,000 Ft and Kates at 8,000 Ft Range 7.

Oilers stay fairly close to Lunga but close enough for fueling if needed. They have 45,000 Fuel left.

Cooktown
Recon this turn shows only PBY present. Move a Daitai of Zero to Horn for a Sweep tomorrow. Four Daitai of Betty--Nell Escorted by two Daitai of Zeros will hit that base tomorrow. HOPEFULLY we'll catch them with their pants down.

Norfolk Isle
Captured by 175 Paras troopers. Is Dan rubbing his head YET?!! This might be as ineffective as his Diversions along the Aleutians and West Coast of Aussieland.

Terapo is the only weak link in the target list right now. Move 54 Tina to Lae and they begin airlifting an SNLF Assault Brigade there as a pair of AK load the heavy equipment for a quick run to the base. Goal is to take the AV of the base from 100 to about 200 in 3-4 days.

Mines laid at both Tagula and Horn Isle this turn.

Burma
Nail Lashio with 42 Bombers doing moderate damage to the AF.

He has abandoned Ramree again. It is hit repeatedly by IJA Bombers.

Find India Command HQ at Kalemyo. Interesting placement...

The Aussie Troops get hit at 57,46.

Lots of fresh, small Engineer and base Force units arriving to begin digging and adding to the digging currently going on.

21st ID is nearly out of the hex and headed for Prome. He has reinforcement headed here. My bet is a full strength ID that is either British or American. We'll have to see how well the 18th does holding the hex. Will need to heavily CAP it fairly soon.

Engineering
Tarawa AF-3

Shemya AF-5

[John 3rd]

Here is the current screenshot with SS Moving NW. Another group of SS is forming at Horn Isle and moving SE:

[Chickenboy]

What happened to xAP Brazil Maru?

ETA: Love your flanking screen of submarines, John. Forming a nice 'placemat' for his forces as they move. [8D]

[pws1225]

Looks like cauldron is beginning to boil. Good luck, John. We'll be watching!

[Miller]

Won't your Vals be dropping 60kg bombs at 7 hex range?

[obvert]

Using bombs for the KB Kates, even a few, seems counter-productive to me. If there are no CVs and a lot of SAGs plus transports you lose the chance of hitting some before they land. If there is a CV brawl you get 4-5 more TT hits on day one you might have many fewer planes to face on day 2 and you can send your Kates in low to bomb then. Seems like you have planes at all kinds of different altitudes. Might think of getting your CAP and your strike planes aligned at least instead of separate bands for everything.

[Miller]

ORIGINAL: obvert

Using bombs for the KB Kates, even a few, seems counter-productive to me. If there are no CVs and a lot of SAGs plus transports you lose the chance of hitting some before they land. If there is a CV brawl you get 4-5 more TT hits on day one you might have many fewer planes to face on day 2 and you can send your Kates in low to bomb then. Seems like you have planes at all kinds of different altitudes. Might think of getting your CAP and your strike planes aligned at least instead of separate bands for everything.

This. No reason I can see not to send both Vals and Kates at 10k.

[Chickenboy]

ORIGINAL: Miller

ORIGINAL: obvert

Using bombs for the KB Kates, even a few, seems counter-productive to me. If there are no CVs and a lot of SAGs plus transports you lose the chance of hitting some before they land. If there is a CV brawl you get 4-5 more TT hits on day one you might have many fewer planes to face on day 2 and you can send your Kates in low to bomb then. Seems like you have planes at all kinds of different altitudes. Might think of getting your CAP and your strike planes aligned at least instead of separate bands for everything.

This. No reason I can see not to send both Vals and Kates at 10k.

Agree. Also agree that, at this stage of the war, a 7 hex strike will limit your ability to bring a lot of firepower to bear. A 250kg bomb versus a 60kg bomb makes all the difference in the world to about half of your strike aircraft.

[MrBlizzard]

Agree with other posters for val strike at 250kg and kate with torpedoes.
I don't understand why he is going north so slowly.. Isn't a bit strange ?? so you all think he is LRCAPing and just wishes you attack his TF with the KB and so he is just giving you enough time to arrive... But with all your long search planes in the area shouldn't you have already found his CVs??
If this is really his plan it seems a little poor. You'll just crush him! he's inferior in planes, pilots, CV, everithing... He shouldn't' look for a fight at this point and wait for you to come...
By the way could you put any of RA CD units in the probable target bases Terapo, horn island ecc?

[JohnDillworth]

Similar to a post I made in the other AAR, with a Japanese twist. Everybody gets what they want. This is Sumo. Posturing, ritual, stomping around, throwing of salt.......and now they hurl themselves at each other. They both wanted this, and now we shall see

[pws1225]

ORIGINAL: JohnDillworth

Similar to a post I made in the other AAR, with a Japanese twist. Everybody gets what they want. This is Sumo. Posturing, ritual, stomping around, throwing of salt.......and now they hurl themselves at each other. They both wanted this, and now we shall see

And similar to my post in Dan's AAR, this will be great fun to watch. Muchos gracias to you and Dan for providing us voyeurs with a great show.

[John 3rd]

ORIGINAL: Chickenboy

ORIGINAL: Miller

ORIGINAL: obvert

Using bombs for the KB Kates, even a few, seems counter-productive to me. If there are no CVs and a lot of SAGs plus transports you lose the chance of hitting some before they land. If there is a CV brawl you get 4-5 more TT hits on day one you might have many fewer planes to face on day 2 and you can send your Kates in low to bomb then. Seems like you have planes at all kinds of different altitudes. Might think of getting your CAP and your strike planes aligned at least instead of separate bands for everything.

This. No reason I can see not to send both Vals and Kates at 10k.

Agree. Also agree that, at this stage of the war, a 7 hex strike will limit your ability to bring a lot of firepower to bear. A 250kg bomb versus a 60kg bomb makes all the difference in the world to about half of your strike aircraft.

LOOOONG day at work...

OK. I will rescale to six hexes. This puts me close to the enemy but this is what we WANT anyway: RIGHT??!!

Thought about the whole Kate Torpedo thing all day (didn't see this discussion due to being at work) and I changed my mind. ALL Kates to TT. I have many differing locations to refuel and resupply so it makes sense to CRUSH my opponent with the deadliest form of ordinance I can carry. This applies to the Val point as well.

[John 3rd]

ORIGINAL: Chickenboy

What happened to xAP Brazil Maru?

ETA: Love your flanking screen of submarines, John. Forming a nice 'placemat' for his forces as they move. [8D]

Do you mean the AP sunk this turn off of Rangoon? It was empty. TOO bad because that is a pretty big liner.

The SS seem to be working. I have to admit where I got that from. One must place credit where credit is due. (I am a historian after all!) MISTER Nemo's AAR showed something like this up in the Aleutians. I liked it and then gathered my SS to do this.

[John 3rd]

ORIGINAL: Miller

ORIGINAL: obvert

Using bombs for the KB Kates, even a few, seems counter-productive to me. If there are no CVs and a lot of SAGs plus transports you lose the chance of hitting some before they land. If there is a CV brawl you get 4-5 more TT hits on day one you might have many fewer planes to face on day 2 and you can send your Kates in low to bomb then. Seems like you have planes at all kinds of different altitudes. Might think of getting your CAP and your strike planes aligned at least instead of separate bands for everything.

This. No reason I can see not to send both Vals and Kates at 10k.

Deal. Never tried it that way but if it helps fight the dratted non-coordination penalty, that would be great.

[John 3rd]

ORIGINAL: MrBlizzard

Agree with other posters for val strike at 250kg and kate with torpedoes.
I don't understand why he is going north so slowly.. Isn't a bit strange ?? so you all think he is LRCAPing and just wishes you attack his TF with the KB and so he is just giving you enough time to arrive... But with all your long search planes in the area shouldn't you have already found his CVs??
If this is really his plan it seems a little poor. You'll just crush him! he's inferior in planes, pilots, CV, everithing... He shouldn't' look for a fight at this point and wait for you to come...
By the way could you put any of RA CD units in the probable target bases Terapo, horn island ecc?

You hit the nail on the head. I feel like this is TOO obvious. I am concerned that it is feint but my Emily are picking up nothing else ANYWHERE of consequence.

Truly hope THIS is the right target. Don't want to even THINK about being wrong on this...

[John 3rd]

November 7, 1942
Combat Report

As said above it was a very long day. We got in the one turn. This will be repeated Friday and Saturday. Am taking my time with these turns not wanting to lose the war to a STUPID thing missed and/or not done. Please bear with this. Add that I work 10 hour days each of the next two and one can see why things slow down.

North Pacific
Nothing

Central Pacific
Nothing

South Pacific
The Raid of Cooktown occurs and bet Dan is surprised! I Sweep of 36 Zero finds no CAP. Three raids bore in and hit the airstrip. A total of 54 Betty--Nells give it some serious redecorating. The runway (Sz-3) takes 29 hits and a number of SBDs are destroyed or damaged on the ground. We lose one plane for the attack. Hopefully, this will force Dan to split his LR CAP to protect his Airfields.

Immediately set the Betty--Nell to Naval Attack Range 11. Move Vals into Tagula, Milne Bay, and Port Moresby. They are set to Range 6. This range equals the range for the Betty-Nell. It is the 'magic line' for our attacks. Zero and/or Tojos fill every field to provide CAP--Escort. Keep Kates at the Lae AF Complex where they can carry TTs Range: 7.

The Air Division at Lae loads up 200 Torps for a single days potential action. Planned on this and this is why Lae has over 35,000 suuply. Each of her outlying AFs have 8-10,000 Supply.

KB remains--apparently--unspotted. Kido Butai advance NNW along the flank of the Allied advance. I WANT the CVs. Haven't spotted them. Wonder if they are hugging the actual coastal hexes? Move a pair of RO- SS to the coastal shore to see.

Begin loading the 2nd Inf Div at Munda as a counter-landing force.

SS Force keeps moving NW as well. Several attacks but no hits.

Terapo's Assault value goes from 95 to 125 in one day. The 54 Tinas haul troops ASAP. Two AK load the ehavy gear and are rounding Milne Bay. They may or may not make it in time.

Mines dropped off at Horn Island and Terapo.

Australia
Dan launches a Port Strike by 3 B-24 and they manage to sink a damaged I-Boat and AKL in Port. OUCH!

Burma
Ramree is hit again by nearly 60 bombers. No Allied CAP.

Very eerily quiet here. Order my Air Search up to cover the Bay of Bengal just to be safe!

Lashio takes 38 Bomber's worth of attention.

The 21st successfully pulls out of its hex and now, safely, moves towards Prome. The 18th ID should be able to hold for several weeks until his reinforcements arrive. As said earlier, I am betting on a Brit or American Inf Div showing up.

LOTS of small units arriving and moving to new places in Burma. Should be able to buyout a new ID tomorrow from Shanghai.

Cripples:
Junyo SYS 14 to 13, FLOT 52, ENG 13
Mutsu SYS 25, FLOT 62 down 60, ENG 32

Engineering:
Shemya Ft-4
Ichang Ft-5
Tabiteuea Ft-4

[John 3rd]

Current Screenshot:

[John 3rd]

I am moving my finger to the trigger and taking that first deep breath before letting it out...

[BigBadWolf]

[8D]