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Ike99-vs-Nomad

Scenario 17
No house rules
100% both sides

This is an AAR between me and Nomad. We are up to 7-23-42. So almost 3 months in. So far the Japanese have taken everything from Gili-Gili North. He does still have a small force opposite Port Moresby that was pushed out when I took PM but it´s just kinda there. A left over.

Before I made my move to take PM a fleet was either attempting to evacuate PM or reinforce it, I´m not sure what one but 5 Allied transports were sunk in a single day with no Japanese losses. I was not making the same mistake as I did against Sneaky Jap and studied this over. After this no more transports attempted to cross over into New Guinea. So I locked it down pretty tight until I was ready to take it.

So I have everything from Gili-Gili up. Now I have switched into fortress mode. I have not lost a single mine layer or sub and they are running as fast as they can planting minefields. I have literally laid thousands upon thousands of mines and are laying hundreds more every week. I´ve laid so many mines I even ran into some of my own much to Nomads amusement but one can imagine what will happen when Allied ships come north into these minefields. Then of course there is the entrenching of the ground forces that have proved quite deadly to an invader in the past.

Japanese naval, land and air disposition reflect my overall strategy. That being guerrilla warfare. Deception and ambush, as opposed to mass confrontation. The Allied force is or will become the much superior force shortly so that´s my strategy as it always is. Air, Naval, Ground and Positions are widely dispersed to deny him the decisive battle he wants and needs. Attrit him, frustrate him, perplex him, suprise him and so on. The typical guerrilla warfare stuff.

Nomad says I should be doing something. I am doing something. It´s just not very loud. The points reflect this....

Scenario 17 starting points...

Japanese- 3,410
Allies- 2,780

Our points as of 22-7-42

Japanese- 5,993
Allied- 2,680

Japanese points have skyrocketed up with a gain of 2,583 points in just 80 days while Allied points have actually went down. Unless he does something soon this points spread is going to grow much, much larger and as these points are spread over many bases it´s not something that can be reversed quickly. In fact it will take many, many months with an uncertain outcome.

Ships-
Allies have lost 5 ships, all transports. My primary targets. They are not glamorous but that´s where it is.

Japanese have lost 8 transports, 1 destroyer and 1 mine sweeper.

Japanese have lost 7 Nell bombers and 7 zeros as combat aircraft losses. A total of 35 aircraft of all types have been lost with the others being float planes and recons scouting and sub hunting.

So that´s where we are now. I don´t expect anything to happen anytime soon as Nomad seems pretty confident he can make a rapid conquest of Japanese positions at a later date.

We´ll see.

Interesting start to this game. The Allies have a lot of work to do.

wish you folks to have good luck! [:)]

I am currently in another PBEM game with Nomad too, and he´s hard to dibble! He may seem an easy pray at first sight, but be assured - he is not! [:-]

Enjoy!

wish you folks to have good luck!

I am currently in another PBEM game with Nomad too, and he´s hard to dibble! He may seem an easy pray at first sight, but be assured - he is not!

Enjoy!

You are right I´m sure and this is a good thing. If they were easy it would be no fun. [:D]

8-9-42

Japanese points are inches away from hitting 7,000...

Nomad is going to have quite the conquest ahead.

New Month...9-1-42

Japanese 7,040
Allies 2,882
Difference 4,208

Ike99-vs-Nomad

Scenario 17
No house rules
100% both sides

9-15-42

Japan-7,219
Allies-2,959
Difference-4,260

Mario said I could read and post in his AAR.

My experience is that the Allies can easily lose the game by being too aggresive at the beginning, especially against a good Japanese player.

I have had Japanese players load everything up around July 15, 1942 and try to take Noumea. Losing Noumea is the end of the game for the Allies. No more SoPac reinforcements and no ships at all. So rule one for me is to make sure I do not lose Noumea. Starting in September of 1942 I usually feel free to start expanding North from Noumea.

I sometimes try and defend Port Mosbey, and sometimes I just let it go. The AKs I lost around PM at the start were trying to take supply to PM to help it hold out. Most of the time I do not evacuate PM and sometimes I reinforce it. I do try to do different things for each game.

I am not worried about the point spread at this time. Most of the points that Japan has are for base control. I expect to take a large number of those points away and add them to my side. Plus, points for bases are determined by the size of the airfield and port, and the the Allies can build every piece of real estate up with no problem. And I can bomb any bases I bypass to lower the points of the Japanese player.

I am carefully expanding north now and in a couple of weeks I will start getting P-38s, with good range and a much better match against the Zero.
The two hardest things I have to do are: 1) gain a foot hold in the Solomon Island chain, and 2) obtain a suitable base on New Guinea. Those are always hard tasks, but I feel confident I can meet my goals.

As I saw Nomad began building a base a Wunpuko I thought it might be a good opporunity to do some damage. I had been seeing large numbers of transports in that hex and set up the following...

A fast carrier force would position itself to launch an airstrike into Wunpuko...

A large long lance cruiser and destroyer force would position itself for a night run into Wunpuko...

Submarines would be positioned between Wunpuko and Luganville to attack any badly damaged ships attempting to make port at Luganville...

Land based Betty´s from the Solomons would throw a little extra power into the thing...

All forces would hit together on the same turn and all depended on placing my carrier force and long lance force into striking position undetected.

I was able to do this thanks to the weather.

A problem came because my recon reported his transport fleet had left Wunpuko on the evening the strike was to unfold, and just a lot of oilers and PT boasts were there.

So I turned my cruisers and destroyers around but figured I came this far undetected and might as well do something. So I went ahead with the air part of it.

As suspected it seemed the bulk of his transports had went to Luganville and a decent strike was made there but as he has Luganville a size 4 port, Allied damage control is on, he probably won´t lose anything.

But it was a nice little exercise regardless.

AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 09/21/42

Weather: Partly Cloudy

Air attack on TF, near Luganville at 53,53

AK Etamin, Bomb hits 3, on fire, heavy damage
AK Algorab, Bomb hits 4, on fire, heavy damage
PG Moa, Bomb hits 4, on fire, heavy damage
AK Diomed, Bomb hits 4, on fire, heavy damage
AO Tallulah, Bomb hits 3, on fire
AO Kaskaskia, Bomb hits 3
DMS Trevor, Bomb hits 3, on fire, heavy damage
DD Mustin, Bomb hits 1, on fire
AP Esperance Bay, Bomb hits 1

If only his transports had stayed there another day or two what could have been?

Just to easy your mind, I did not have any trasnports with troops anywhere around there.

10-1-42

A new month. Japan continues to widen the points spread....

Japan 7,501
Allies 3,139
Difference 4,362

Ships Sunk

Japan...

1 Destroyer
1 Mine Sweeper
1 Mine Layer
1 Tanker
1 Submarine
19 Transports

Allies

1 Patrol Boat
3 Submarines
5 Transports

And Wunpuko has SBDs to discourage Ike from wandering too close.

And Wunpuko has SBDs to discourage Ike from wandering too close.

Wouldn´t even get close to 30+ knot Japanese surface force.

[;)]

You see? The chart worked.[;)]

Sub hunter group spots SS-40 trying to shoot around the horn of New Guinea and proves the Yugumo class capable of destroying subs in deep water despite only 2 ASW launchers. [8D]

10-15-42

First surface to surface action.

Ken has been using PT boats to screen the transports running to his new base. I thought I might say hello with a CL and 4 DD´s.

6 Pt boats were sunk.

No Japanese ships were sunk. One DD and a CL had .50 machinegun hit the armor...nothing really.

As a bonus I-22 put a torpedoe in a big fat tanker during the turn.

But, your CL-DD TF did not find the other three TFs there. [8D] The PTs did their job and screened off the transports.

But, your CL-DD TF did not find the other three TFs there. The PTs did their job and screened off the transports.

That little group going for your transports? Oh no, you´ll know when I go for your transports. That was just a little highlight to a shakedown cruise to give everyone their sea legs. [;)]


10-15-42

Japanese-7,794
Allies-3,212
Difference-4,582

10-20-42

As my mine layers have been running non stop for 6 months they´re getting quite slow. Here, after planting mines during the night, Mine layer Tsugaru is unable to get out of range before the sun comes up from Kens new base at Kouroutopo.

Dauntless dive bombers find the mark and Tsugaru is sunk.

And then the second surface battle at Kourouratopo took place:

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Night Time Surface Combat, near Kourouratopo at 52,48

Ike got off a LL atack in the first round, but NO hits
Japanese Ships
CA Takao, Shell hits 12, on fire, heavy damage
CL Sendai, Shell hits 3, on fire, heavy damage
CL Tatsuta, Shell hits 4, on fire
DD Makinami, Shell hits 5, on fire
DD Isokaze, Shell hits 2
DD Arare, Shell hits 7, on fire
DD Hatsushimo, Shell hits 2
DD Yayoi
DD Yuzuki, Shell hits 13, and is sunk
DD Matsukaze, Shell hits 4, on fire, heavy damage

Allied Ships
BB North Carolina, Shell hits 9
CA Minneapolis, Shell hits 6
CL Phoenix, Shell hits 1
DD Conyngham
DD Cushing, Shell hits 2
DD Perkins, Shell hits 1
DD Smith, Shell hits 3, on fire
DD Preston, Shell hits 2, on fire


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Night Time Surface Combat, near Kourouratopo at 52,48

The USN got surprise and a free round of shots
Japanese Ships
CA Takao, Shell hits 3, and is sunk
CL Sendai, on fire, heavy damage
CL Tatsuta, Shell hits 7, on fire, heavy damage
DD Makinami, Shell hits 8, on fire, heavy damage
DD Isokaze, Shell hits 4, on fire
DD Arare, Shell hits 2, on fire
DD Hatsushimo, Shell hits 1
DD Yayoi, Shell hits 1, on fire
DD Matsukaze, and is sunk

Allied Ships
BB North Carolina, Shell hits 2
CA Minneapolis
CL Phoenix
DD Conyngham
DD Cushing
DD Perkins, Shell hits 1
DD Smith, on fire
DD Preston, on fire


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Night Time Surface Combat, near Kourouratopo at 52,48
And then the second UNS SCTF shows up and delivers the parting shots.
But the IJN does get another LL attack and two torpedeos hit CA San Francisco
Japanese Ships
CL Sendai, Shell hits 9, on fire, heavy damage
CL Tatsuta, Shell hits 6, on fire, heavy damage
DD Makinami, Shell hits 18, and is sunk
DD Isokaze, Shell hits 26, on fire, heavy damage
DD Arare, Shell hits 6, on fire, heavy damage
DD Hatsushimo, Shell hits 5, on fire, heavy damage
DD Yayoi, Shell hits 5, on fire

Allied Ships
CA San Francisco, Shell hits 2, Torpedo hits 2, on fire, heavy damage
CA Quincy
CL Nashville
DD Benham
DD Stack
DD Sterett
DD Wilson
DD Maury


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Night Time Surface Combat, near Kourouratopo at 52,48

Japanese Ships
CL Sendai, Shell hits 27, on fire, heavy damage
CL Tatsuta, Shell hits 8, and is sunk
DD Isokaze, and is sunk
DD Arare, Shell hits 18, and is sunk
DD Hatsushimo, Shell hits 10, and is sunk
DD Yayoi, Shell hits 11, on fire, heavy damage

Allied Ships
CA San Francisco, Shell hits 4, on fire, heavy damage
CA Quincy, Shell hits 1
CL Nashville
DD Benham
DD Stack
DD Sterett
DD Wilson
DD Maury, Shell hits 1

CL Sendai and DD Yayoi both sank before daylight.
Long Lance attacks can be devastating, but in this case the complete miss in the first combat round
cost the IJN dearly. In a gun battle, the IJN was severly outgunned and paid the price for missing
with the LLs.