Castles in the Sand - Spidery(J) vs MrKane(A) no MrKane please

[Spidery]

January 10th 1943

Air Losses: 13 Japanese, 2 Allied, 6 Pilots
Japanese occupy:
Allies occupy:
Japanese land at:
Allies land at:

Subs

Quiet

Pacific

Mess up orders and a group of Mavis PA commit suicide, 9 lost [changed from Night Attack to day and set 40% search, 60% rest but forgot to set to Naval Search].

Burma area

Quiet

China

Quiet

Australia

Allies bomb Darwin

Engineering

Quiet

R&D

Quiet

Reinforcements

CM Yirijima, will be parked until it upgrades to an E in 3/43

[Spidery]

Resource shipping.

I think I am doing a good job getting the fuel/oil/resources back to Japan. There are some changes being made to allow for the increased sub threat.

CS Convoys take resources from Toyohara to Wakkanai. Each has 4 adens and a PB and has to risk the subs.

A CS Convoy of 2 of the 1250 tankers plus escorts runs from Shihuka to Hirosaki/Aomori taking oil and returning with fuel.

CS Convoys of a few ships each run from Hakodate and Muroran to Ominato and Hirosaki/Aomori. These have no escorts but there are ASW groups in the ports and the intervening hex. Some of these take fuel back. A single CS convoy of 1 YO runs oil from Hakodate to Ominato and takes fuel back.

CS Convoys of a few ships, and no escorts, run resources from Fusan to Fukuoka being routed through Tsushima. All three hexes are covered by mines and ASW task forces. Some of these ships return with supplies (I think this may be the mistake I've been making that caused supplies to gather at Port Arthur).

CS Convoys run fuel or oil from Mukden to Georgetown, oil from Bengkalis to Batu Phat. There are mines at Bengkalis and Batu Phat and ASW forces all over the Straits of Malaya.

There are some CS convoys running fuel or oil from Palembang to Singapore but these aren't enough to cover all the production at Palembang.

All the rest of the convoys are micro-managed. The only resources shipped back are if there are ships returning to Japan. Oil and fuel convoys are generally being loaded and formed up into large well-escorted convoys. I have taken care of all the back-logs so can afford the inefficiencies of this and it doesn't waste fuel.

Palembang -> Singapore, Singapore -> Nagasaki/Sasebo hugging the coast of IndoChina, Miri & Brunei -> Luzon, Tarakan -> Luzon or fuel to Babeldoab. Balikpapan oil -> Singapore, fuel -> Rabaul or Truk. Soerabaja oil -> Singapore, fuel used in the DEI. Manila -> Hiroshima (varies).

Occasionally, run oil from Formosa to Port Arthur. As it sometimes seems to run out of oil.

Current Japan (not inc. Hokkaido) stocks: 4,343,807 fuel, 1,944,384 oil, 9,101,309 resources.

[Lowpe]

Quite a few CM upgrade to Es.

[Spidery]

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

Quite a few CM upgrade to Es.

In March 1943, about 15 or so. They only get a couple of Mod-2 DC but it does give some 15-knot escorts for the faster tankers.

[Spidery]

January 11th 1943

Air Losses: 3 Japanese, 8 Allied, 3 Pilots
Japanese occupy:
Allies occupy:
Japanese land at:
Allies land at:

Allied losses include 4 C-47 and 1 DC-3, he is certainly using airlift somewhere. I suspect him of dropping supplies to the Chinese isolated near Tsuyung. He could be running supplies to Warazup. I've tried LRCAP over both these places on occasion but may need to maintain it for a while.

Subs

The Sailfish appears in the deep water West of Nagasaki.

RO-62 is lost to ASW South of Tulagi.

Pacific

Quiet

Burma area

Try a night strike at Kalemyo. Helens meet Mohawk IV (an unarmoured Allied fighter). To reduce flak I attacked at 15000 feet but still lost 2 planes to flak and missed with all bombs.

Send some of my new Ki-46-III planes to have a look at Colombo. Three are enough to get 9/10 DL despite flying at max range. Colombo is pretty empty, only 8 fighters there and a few ships.

China

Quiet

Australia

Allies bomb Darwin

Engineering

Tsuyung to 4, good VP boost and a bomber base in range of Ledo. Katha to 6, will push on.

R&D

Quiet

Reinforcements

Getting a lot of aviation support arriving at Tokyo and Sapporo. That at Sapporo is sent to support ASW activities from Wakkanai freeing unrestricted aviation units to be sent to the Kuriles.

[Spidery]

January 12th 1943

Air Losses: 0 Japanese, 3 Allied, 0 Pilots
Japanese occupy:
Allies occupy: Broome
Japanese land at:
Allies land at:

[>:]

Subs

Quiet

Pacific

Quiet

Burma area

Quiet

China

Quiet

Australia

Allies bomb Darwin

Engineering

Quiet

R&D

Quiet

Reinforcements

DD Kiyonami, a Yugumo class destroyer.

A std-A class xAK for conversion to a tanker.

1st Tank Tank Division at Myitkyina upgrades its TOE.

[Spidery]

I thought this would show how quiet everything is.

List of all ships with any float damage, all 15 of them.

[Spidery]

January 14th 1943

Air Losses: 2 Japanese, 0 Allied, 1 Pilots
Japanese occupy:
Allies occupy: Panggoe(auto)
Japanese land at:
Allies land at:

[>:]

Subs

Quiet

Pacific

Quiet

Burma area

Helens miss some cut off troops. Over one group they find 3 Martlet fighters but take no losses.

China

A couple of attacks in China wearing down isolated forces. I'm taking these slow and allowing disruptions to recover, there is no point in taking VP losses for destroyed devices.

Australia

Quiet

Engineering

Quiet

R&D

N1K1-J to 3/43. I have 4 R&D factories so will be able to start producing from the 1st Feb.

How many should I produce and how much R&D on the N1K2-J? The N1K2-J is slightly better speed, climb, maneuveur and range, is SR 2, but loses on weapons, and ceiling. A mix of the two may be useful. The J2M2 will be available 43/5 and complements the N1K1-J with better speed, climb, and low altitude performance. The Zeroes will be obsolete for land-based (except training). The A6M5c will replace the A6M5 on the carriers starting about June.

I currently have about 250 fighters on CV, 450 on land. I receive about 450 land based groups in reinforcement the rest of the year. I don't have deep trained fighter pools so a lot of aircraft will go into training initially. So by end of the year will have about 450 fighters on training, 450 on land in combat places and 400 on CV (including the new four).

So I need to produce 450 George/Jack over the year plus replacements. Assuming a bit more action that could be another 600 aircraft. So I could do with producing 1100 George/Jack in 11/8 months respectively. So something like 35 Jack and 75 George would cover that. However, it makes for a slow deployment.

I'll leave two factories on R&D (which will give me the N1K2-J about November) and roll 2 into production, I'll expand each by 15 to produce 90 N1K1-J. I'll leave A6M5 production running but turn it off when I have a pool of about 100.

Or, I could expand each factory by 30 (or convert a shut off one) and produce 120 allowing to get them deployed earlier but needing to turn off production at some point. Is 33000 supply worth the reduced losses from having better planes earlier?

[FeurerKrieg]

I say yes, the supply is worth the faster deployment. But that is because I also think about the extra production capacity. It is nice when you can shut off production with a lower stockpile, and you can do that with larger factories because you can recover from a heavy loss period faster.

[Spidery]

January 15th 1943

Air Losses: 2 Japanese, 4 Allied, 1 Pilots
Japanese occupy:
Allies occupy: Panggoe(auto)
Japanese land at:
Allies land at:

Allies lose 3 C-47 - I still can't find where he is flying them that is worth the losses.

Subs

I-15 misses the CA Australia near Rossel Island and is mildly damaged (16/10/0) and will head for repairs.

I-24 sinks an unescorted empty, 6000 ton, xAK between Karachi and Abadan. I've had three subs up here for a while and this is the first attack.

Some DD and air strikes claimed on subs, also the Allied subs have started shooting back with 2 planes damaged by flak.

Pacific

CA Australia is spotted and attacked 1 hex SW of Rossel Island. Is this a bombardment gone wrong or the prelude to an attack?

Burma area

Quiet

China

Quiet

Australia

Quiet

Engineering

Quiet

R&D

D4Y1 to 11/43 (due April). P1Y1 to 6/43 (due mid March).

Reinforcements

8150 capacity TK.

E W-24, first designated Escort built.

A sister ship to the E W-24

[Spidery]

ORIGINAL: Feurer Krieg

I say yes, the supply is worth the faster deployment. But that is because I also think about the extra production capacity. It is nice when you can shut off production with a lower stockpile, and you can do that with larger factories because you can recover from a heavy loss period faster.

Thank-you, I think I will go with the bigger production. I am aware though that overdoing this uses supply

[Spidery]

January 16th 1943

Air Losses: 5 Japanese, 1 Allied, 2 Pilots
Japanese occupy:
Allies occupy: Vella Lavella(auto)
Japanese land at:
Allies land at:

Subs

Quiet

Pacific

B-24D hit Rabaul at 20000 feet. A few Oscar IIb meet them. 1 Oscar is lost and 1 A6M5 on the ground.

If they come back tomorrow may see if the Endo Det does any good?

Some Nells try a night attack but the only targets are APD and DE so no surprise they all miss.

Burma area

Quiet

China

Quiet

Australia

Quiet

Engineering

Quiet

R&D

Quiet

[Lowpe]

NF: In my sample game of downfall, I lost very few nightfighters. In Obvert's AAR he would lose lots.

I am curious to see what happens to Endo in yours.

[Spidery]

January 17th 1943

Air Losses: 2 Japanese, 3 Allied, 0 Pilots
Japanese occupy:
Allies occupy:
Japanese land at:
Allies land at:

Subs

Quiet

Pacific

Quiet. No action for Endo Det.

Burma area

Quiet

China

Quiet

Australia

Allies launch a deliberate attack at Darwin, the defenders hold their positions:

Ground combat at Darwin (76,124)

Allied Deliberate attack

Attacking force 72191 troops, 1147 guns, 997 vehicles, Assault Value = 2154

Defending force 37764 troops, 457 guns, 374 vehicles, Assault Value = 1026

Allied adjusted assault: 2983

Japanese adjusted defense: 3190

Allied assault odds: 1 to 2 (fort level 5)

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

Japanese ground losses:
2132 casualties reported
Squads: 11 destroyed, 161 disabled
Non Combat: 7 destroyed, 87 disabled
Engineers: 1 destroyed, 27 disabled
Guns lost 99 (20 destroyed, 79 disabled)
Vehicles lost 34 (6 destroyed, 28 disabled)

Allied ground losses:
3996 casualties reported
Squads: 19 destroyed, 609 disabled
Non Combat: 4 destroyed, 75 disabled
Engineers: 2 destroyed, 39 disabled
Guns lost 88 (5 destroyed, 83 disabled)
Vehicles lost 42 (1 destroyed, 41 disabled)

Assaulting units:
24th Infantry Division
3rd Motor Brigade
32nd Infantry Division
2/10th Armoured Regiment
5th Australian Division
4th Armoured Brigade
2nd Australian Division
25th Infantry Division
3rd Army Tank Brigade
641st Towed Tank Destroyer Battalion
3rd Australian Brigade
95th Coast AA Regiment
II Australian
21/22 Field Regiment
2/16th Field Regiment
109th Anti Tank Regiment
2nd Medium Regiment
1st Medium Regiment
208th Coast AA Regiment
108th Anti Tank Regiment
2nd Australian Hvy AA Regiment
94th Coast AA Regiment
13th Field Regiment
13th Australian Hvy AA Regiment

Defending units:
48th Division
14th Tank Regiment
16th Division
56th Engineer Regiment
1st Ind Engineer Regiment
310th Ship Eng Coy
5th Air Defense AA Regiment
1st Medium Field Artillery Regiment
11th Ind.AA Gun Co
31st Ind.AA Gun Co
205th Ship Eng Coy
13th Ind.AA Gun Co
88th JAAF AF Coy
31st Field AA Battalion
12th Ind.AA Gun Co
21st Ind.AA Gun Co
17th Medium Field Artillery Regiment
110th Ship Eng Coy
14th Ind.Art.Mortar Battalion
47th Const Co /1
14th Army
21st Fld AA Gun Co
28th JNAF AF Unit /1

Can't decide whether that is a good or a bad result. The guns lost seem to have been AA although a mortar unit was completely disabled. One division took about 20% in disablements the other only a few. The one tank unit took a lot of disablements in its light tanks.

With about a third of the Allied AV disabled he probably won't be attacking for a few days. He is still taking C-47 losses and I can't find them flying in China/Burma so I think he must be using them to supply Northern Australia. Even so, will he have enough supply to attack again?

Engineering

Allies have built Nauru Island to 2 and Munda to 3.

R&D

Mitsubishi Ha-43 to 6/44

Production

Hitachi Amakaze engines are exhaused and production of the E14Y1 stops, there are 67 stockpiled plus some have been assigned to groups for training so this should suffice.

I look at some of my stockpiles and wonder whether to turn off production: 93 Ki-94-IIa, 65 Ki-45 KAIa, 44 H8K2, 22 D4Y1-C, 95 G3M3, 21 H6K2-L. I will probably use all of these because they are aircraft which are needed for a while. The G3M3 and H6K2-L will be off because I am running low on Ha-33 engines.

Reinforcements

2 Std-A xAK for conversion to TK.

[Lowpe]

I wonder if your holding Darwin, has caused Mr. Kane to seek a Darwin to southern DEI axis of attack along with another axis of attack up from Lunga on the other side of New Guinea? His bombers are there and he has brought lots to the party at Darwin.

How are the supplies holding up at Darwin?

Surely, that is where he is losing transports.

How are your defenses in the Banda Sea progressing?

[Spidery]

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

I wonder if your holding Darwin, has caused Mr. Kane to seek a Darwin to southern DEI axis of attack along with another axis of attack up from Lunga on the other side of New Guinea? His bombers are there and he has brought lots to the party at Darwin.

It is possible, but bombers can be moved quickly and I don't really know how much unrestricted stuff he has available. I haven't seen the marines since they took Noumea.

How are the supplies holding up at Darwin?

Over 40,000 there, no problems.

Surely, that is where he is losing transports.

How are your defenses in the Banda Sea progressing?

Base building is going well but lack of boots on the ground. I would like to hold Darwin until the end of February so I can get the reinforcements from China in place.

[Spidery]

I don't know where the Allied CV are. I don't know where the Marines are. I don't know where the British BB are or most of the American ones.

Together, that means he has a strong amphibious force that could target anywhere. Hence, I am keeping the KB quiet.

[Lowpe]

A quiet KB is a dangerous KB. Adds uncertainty to Allied plans...uncertainty causes delay.

[Spidery]

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

A quiet KB is a dangerous KB. Adds uncertainty to Allied plans...uncertainty causes delay.

Indeed, and because I don't know where the Allied CV are. I am not going to risk any sort of raid. Uncertainty rules!

[Spidery]

January 18th 1943

Air Losses: 3 Japanese, 3 Allied, 1 Pilots
Japanese occupy:
Allies occupy:
Japanese land at:
Allies land at:

Subs

Quiet

Pacific

Quiet. The Endo Det waits for an attack but none comes.

Burma area

Quiet

China

Quiet

Australia

4E hit Darwin airfield. Flak is light because too many guns were disabled by the land attack.

Spotting a lot of subs in the Torres Strait. May be the precursor to something. MrKane has a track record of sending subs in before an operation.

Engineering

Quiet

R&D

Ki-43-IV to 2/44