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Nice job over Prome.  love the board I need to make me one.

January 19th 1944

CenPac: 1st Marines to begin evac tomorrow. Recon over Siapan reveals over 45 ship at anchor. To far away for me to attack. The Marianas look to be the inner defense ring.

SwPac: We need search aircraft we cannot buy, much shuffling of the patrol assets. Cruisers spotted at Koepang. Additional transports arrive in Australia needed for next landing. Southern Mist about to enter the real danger zone. Brittish flagged escorts leave port to assume escort duty in several days.

China: Oscars successfuly sweep Tsuyung at 3:1 over P38 CAP. We add some lower alt. CAP as back up.

Burma: B24s fly a raid over Chiang Mai: Its our first cross border raid there.

Morning Air attack on Chiang Mai , at 58,53

Weather in hex: Severe storms

Raid spotted at 24 NM, estimated altitude 15,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 8 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-43-IIa Oscar x 15
Ki-44-IIb Tojo x 13
Ki-45 KAIc Nick x 11



Allied aircraft
B-24J Liberator x 47


Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-43-IIa Oscar: 15 damaged
Ki-43-IIa Oscar: 3 destroyed on ground
Ki-44-IIb Tojo: 1 destroyed, 10 damaged
Ki-44-IIb Tojo: 4 destroyed on ground
Ki-45 KAIc Nick: 9 damaged
Ki-45 KAIc Nick: 3 destroyed on ground

Allied aircraft losses
B-24J Liberator: 18 damaged

Japanese ground losses:
20 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled



Airbase hits 14
Airbase supply hits 4
Runway hits 36

Aircraft Attacking:
11 x B-24J Liberator bombing from 9000 feet
Airfield Attack: 10 x 500 lb GP Bomb
12 x B-24J Liberator bombing from 9000 feet
Airfield Attack: 10 x 500 lb GP Bomb
12 x B-24J Liberator bombing from 9000 feet
Airfield Attack: 10 x 500 lb GP Bomb
12 x B-24J Liberator bombing from 9000 feet
Airfield Attack: 10 x 500 lb GP Bomb

Joe: I built the dry board in about 20 min and it is worth it if you want to sip a coffee or whatever and ponder.

January 22nd 1944

West Coast: Large fuel and supply TFs prepare to sail with new BFs and Engs, the fast BBs Iowa and New Jersey, more CVEs and escorts, and some squadrons we rounded up.

CenPac: 1st Marines begin to load while relief units will arrive tonight.

SwPac-SoPac: Engineers and Seabee Bn s load in the rear area for forward area SwPac. 9th Australian Div loads for invasion. Intrepid has joined the fast carriers. POrt Serv Dets move to the forward supply depots. Southern Mist is entering the most dangerous week. Two large TFs are providing cover and new bomb groups prepare air field strikes. Support ships and auxileries are sailing to more forward bases as we wind down the large ports of Suva and luganville. Ndeni and KiraKira will be next. IJN sub activity still omnipresent in the northern Solomons. DEs have reached the area as well as trained ASW air assets and begin co ordinated ASW with search aircraft.

Burma: T-storms predicted over all land based targets, allowing rest for attack groups. Steppep up recon on some deep enemy bases ordered. Chinese reinforcements begin to arrive on the Yellow River defense line.

January 23rd 1944

West Coast: HoHum we are ready to put 500,ooo pts of supply and 400,ooo pts of fuel in CenPac. YorktownII made ready several days ago and is switching to a larger shipyard up north to handle her on critical.

CenPac: Quiet. Raids do not fly. Sub gets a full xAK off Saipan. I'm getting some sub recon I think on Saipan. Quite a few ships etc.

SwPac: Southern Mist is undetected so far, she is in severe storms. RN escort waiting another two days to join them, weather dependent.

India: TFs operating in the Bay of Bengal will terminate patrols as no more recon flights are spotted over Columbo.

China: Yellow River line stable.

January 25th 1944

West Coast: YorktownII never gets orders through FUBAR and is now heading to new shipyard.

CenPac: 1st marines loaded and should depart CenPac tonight. We send another ARD from CenPac to SwPac.

SwPac: Stepped up ASW pays off quick and we send an RO to the bottom, fun replay as we set fire to the control room (flood it to) the torpedo room, and engine room. She surfaces to slip under. We send a full group over Truk at 22m" to see the defenses and we pay with three birds for one AF hit. Namatanai is a fully developed base and engineers and seabees are sent north on the jungle road to help at Kavieng. CATs fly from Manus now extending our search ring. It looks like IJ is really going to make Hollandia tough, constant shipping spotted. Southern Mist still undetected in extreme overcast.

January 27th 1944

SwPac: 5 IJN subs spotted within 240nm of Namatanai. 1St USMC div at sea now with another preparing to combine in SoPac. The Aussies are almost finished loading. Souther Mist is ordered to flank speed for 24 hours to put some miles in quickly. We have been sending air raids over Koepang, Taberfane, and Hollandia to suppress them and force the IJ to build elsewhere. aircraft mechanics from the RAAF are being flown into Manus to help support fighters staged in yesterday.

Burma: We hit the oil fields at Magwe today and flew a sweep over Prome. Some transport aircraft are staging now to support the spring offensive.

China: IJAF is putting hot pressure on Tseyoung. Fighter crew moral is low but I cannot take down the CAP. I order some recon over his airbases hoping he believes it a prelude to a heavy raid and keep his Oscars home.

CenPac: The 33rd US Div with armor, engineers, and command elements load for the front. Anyone know if fleet HQs do anything??

January 28th 1944

West Coast: The 6th inf Div with Iowa and New Jersey set sail for the Pacific theater.

CenPac: Three Divs are at sea. A dozen boats from Pearls Sub Div departed last night. The 2nd ARD from the west coast well to sea, destination new front line depot. We close several bases no longer of strategic value in SoPac.

SoPac-SwPac: The Aussies are at sea, additional escorts to rendevous this evening. Heavies are ordered to step up raids overPapua and Dutch New Guinea. Koepang must have alot of engineers as they appear to repair damage rapidly. Southern Mist undetected under heavy cloud and thunderstorms, The TF is ordered back to mission speed. In four days she should begin to steam in blue water with a much higher safety factor.

CBI: Quiet. Good.

Port Serv Dets move to the forward supply depots.

Include them in your invasion TFs. The small increase in naval support at invasion sites will speed up unloading.

Anyone know if fleet HQs do anything??

Having naval support helps with unloading. Any additional support helps in combat. There is a penalty if you don't have enough support troops in your attacks. Some Fleet HQs are Command HQs and give combat bonus if prepped for target and within range.

OT - Are you using Command HQs to prep for your next invasions and have them within 2x their command range?? If they pass the die roll, they can up to 90& Assault Value.

Thanks for the info. I have been prepping Corp HQs and occasionaly sixth Army HQs for landings but not naval HQs. I learned to send BFs in the hard way. Only in China, for some reason, have I thought about using "higher" HQs radii. I,m late on the next landing for including naval squads but I expect light resistance as it is only of consequence as a recon base. This is timely info though as I have 6 divisions and supporting armor, arty, and engineers prepping for the first, what I expect will be via recon etc., some heavily opposed landings against fortified positions.





Sub divisions from Pearl for patrol areas.

January 29th 1944

SwPac: 1st Amphib. HQ loads to meet the Aussies. (GEEEEZ I almost forgot after posting above) **loading troops only** we have 24 hours or we slow down the Aussie TF.

CBI: quiet

CenPac: quiet

China: extra quiet

January 30th 1944

SwPac: IJN shows up NW of Manus and delivers a blow to the transports trying to off load cargo. (This may ahve been prevented with NY59Giants advice on naval support squads present with the landing forces; i've been unloading forever). Yesterdays raid on Truk very costly also. Four navy Libs go down for very little gain. The raid was at 9,ooo' for max damage. It's the first contact with George and Jack.

Morning Air attack on Truk , at 112,108

Weather in hex: Heavy rain

Raid spotted at 20 NM, estimated altitude 13,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 6 minutes

Japanese aircraft
J2M2 Jack x 11
N1K1-J George x 27



Allied aircraft
B-24D1 Liberator x 12
PB4Y-1 Liberator x 36


Japanese aircraft losses
J2M2 Jack: 9 damaged
H8K2 Emily: 1 destroyed on ground
J1N1-C Irving: 2 destroyed on ground

Allied aircraft losses
PB4Y-1 Liberator: 1 destroyed, 4 damaged

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



Airbase hits 19
Airbase supply hits 5
Runway hits 42

Morning Air attack on Truk , at 112,108

Weather in hex: Heavy rain

Raid spotted at 19 NM, estimated altitude 30,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 6 minutes

Japanese aircraft
J2M2 Jack x 10
N1K1-J George x 27



Allied aircraft
B-24J Liberator x 15


Japanese aircraft losses
N1K1-J George: 1 destroyed

Allied aircraft losses
B-24J Liberator: 3 destroyed, 5 damaged



Runway hits 1


The raid on Manus does some damage to the merchant marine.
Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Manus at 101,119

Weather in hex: Light cloud

Raid spotted at 36 NM, estimated altitude 15,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 9 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M3a Zero x 13
A6M5 Zero x 32
B6N2 Jill x 27
D4Y1 Judy x 26



Japanese aircraft losses
B6N2 Jill: 3 damaged

Allied Ships
xAK Kekerangu, Bomb hits 2, heavy fires
xAK Era, Bomb hits 9, and is sunk
xAK Dumosa, Bomb hits 5, and is sunk
xAK Ulooloo, Bomb hits 5, heavy fires, heavy damage
xAK Lorrain, Bomb hits 4, heavy fires, heavy damage
xAK Time, Bomb hits 1, on fire, heavy damage

Theres more bad news as Southern Mist emerges from the T-storms into clear weather. RN escorts are ordered to meet the TF and assume escort duties. Zulu HQ puts out an alert to the closest carrier to Manus. RADM Sherman receives the call on the bridge of the Wasp. CV-7 is the only ship in her class and she has been undergoing repair waiting to join the rest of the fleet. Zulu HQ orders Sherman to sea with her Fletchers to intercept the the IJN CVLs.

I would find all your Command HQs (Pacific, India, Ceylon, South West Pacific, Eastern Army, North Pacific, South Pacific, X Force, South East Asia, Z Force, OCAHQ, and Free French - almost all should be on map by now). Then start prepping for the next base to be assaulted, Finally, move them so they are within 2x their command range (usually 18 hexes) of that base. See manual page 178 (8.1.1 - Headquarters) for details. The big thing they do it add up to 90% Assault Value 'if' there is a Corp HQ that passes the die roll. The Allies have so many Command HQs vs Japan that you should be able to use two to three in a particular advance to just steamroll the Japanese forces.

That is a perspective I did not realize. Taking measures tonight. I'll post the actual battle plan soon, as of now it's only made it to my dry board. Many thanks!!

January 31st 1944

SwPac: The IJN CVLs? back off Manus and dissappear out of our searching CATs. RADM Sherman with Wasp is in blue water closing. Southern Mist dips into some partly cloudy weather and awaits the RN as she plods west. 1st Marines should make port tonight. Aussie TF re routed back to objective.

China: Some IJA movement on the western tribs of the Yangtze. Strong elements of the 11th Army Group are in blocking positions.

CenPac: ARD TF is closing on CenPac, while another is closing in SwPac where there is much work to be done. 6th Inf Div well to sea on the way to CenPac.

Another use for your Command HQs. At a base with over 20k supply, the Command HQ allows you to take replacements daily vs every three days if it was near just a Corp/Army HQ. I break down divisions to be rebuilt into A, B, and C components. Assign quality leaders.

Rear Area Units Refitting
Units can be moved to a rear area to reconstitute (ideally out of a malaria or cold zone or in a base large enough to negate the effects). If the units are in the rear area to restore disabled elements, reduce fatigue, and replace lost elements, assign unit leaders using the following order of priorities:
• Administration – Influences ability to use Supply to reduce Disruption and Fatigue.
• Inspiration – Influences fatigue reduction, morale reduction due to fatigue, disabled elements destroyed due to fatigue, and assault value for attack and defense.
• Leadership – Influences experience gain (this is unimportant if the unit has already reached the maximum training experience).
• Of small import, Land Skill – Influences attacking & defending LCU assault value, firing accuracy and experience gain.
• No other skills or qualities have any influence

February 1st 1944

Man, I have to read the manual again. Thats a very tasty tidbit. I have spent the better part of sixty days moving the rear area forward and staging shipping and ground units forward for the next phase of the war. Kavieng will take on responsibilites, such as replacements and forward area repair done by PagoPago, Suva, and Noumea till now. Thank you.

West Coast: radio silence

CenPac: 1st marines ashore in forward staging area. Seabees arriving tonight to speed expansion. As bases "shut down" in SoPac, New Ireland will grow larger and larger in every way. We may have to cross the straights and take the Buka accross from Namatanai. I would like to avoid the Op if possible. Stepped up ASW showing results:

ASW attack near Port Moresby at 96,133

Japanese Ships
SS I-9, hits 11, heavy damage

Allied Ships
DD Decoy



SS I-9 is located by DD Decoy
I-9 diving deep ....
DD Decoy fails to find sub, continues to search...
DD Decoy fails to find sub, continues to search...
DD Decoy attacking submerged sub ....
Underwater explosion, debris and oil appear on surface!Escort abandons search for sub

Operation Southern Mist: Our ARD has slipped past the most dangerous part of ocean and will begin the long trip to India after refueling in 72 hours. The RN is now escorting the TF (1DD,ARD). The TF is 720nm from the nearest Jap base.

Burma: We cross into Thailand again with Liberators. We suffer some damage but the weather was better than Burma or western China.

Morning Air attack on Lao Cai , at 68,53

Weather in hex: Light cloud

Raid spotted at 30 NM, estimated altitude 10,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 10 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-43-IIb Oscar x 33
Ki-45 KAIc Nick x 7



Allied aircraft
B-24J Liberator x 48


Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-43-IIb Oscar: 1 destroyed
Ki-45 KAIc Nick: 1 destroyed

Allied aircraft losses
B-24J Liberator: 8 damaged

Japanese ground losses:
33 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 4 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 3 disabled



Airbase hits 10
Airbase supply hits 9
Runway hits 50

China: quiet

Game FUBAR, We are both waiting for a turn.[:D]

Some eye candy, while we wait. Inspiration for star wars chariot race?

February 2nd 1944

CenPac: Off Hawaii I-42 takes 16 hits and is forced to the surface and SS Darter scores a kill on a loaded xAP off the Marianas. Subs score another kill on an xAK off the HI.

SwPac: Operation Latch should make landfall tonight. More to follow in the morning. Southern Mist will refuel in 48 hours. 1st marines are mostly ashore.

Burma: P38s sweep Prome to 4:1. The IJA 21st Div takes 300 casualties at Schwebo from an olio of aircraft. The Vengence DBs provide the most accurate runs over the target.

Plane porn!!!!
 
Nice job on the sub and xAP.  What is olio of aircraft?

Operation Latch evening of February 2nd 1944: closing the ring.