The Rice Bowl: The Breakfast of the Samurai

[scott64]

This the Japanese side of the 2x2 with Yury and Steve. It will be myself with John 3rd. I will be in charge of the operations for the Philippine invasion as well as the DEI invasion. John will be the commander for KB, China and the vast ocean of the South Pacific. So Yury and Steve may stop reading. [:-][:)]
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Our overall thoughts before the first turn. [X(]
Operation Thinking:
CV-Ideas:
We shall both need Carriers to do our initial stuff. Two groupings for thought:
1. For the DEI and a Manila Strike figure we could use CV Kaga, CVL Zuiho, CVL Ryujo, and CVEs Hosho and Taiyo. Plenty of firepower and Zero LRCAP for Invasion Forces.
2. Pearl Harbor—CarDiv2, CarDiv5, and Akagi.

As to the Fleet deployment and dispositions, we would like to have the warships in the Central Pacific (Marshalls and Guam Invasion Force) with an addition of a pair of BB from Home Islands, a couple of cruisers, and about 10-12 DD. This should be enough to wreak havoc in the North, Central, and South Pacific while we kick BUTT in the DEI.

I plan to invade Tarakan, Manado, Brenuei, Miri, Kota Bharu, Davao, San Fernando, Singwawang. Air drop on Vigan and Appri. My CVL is going Boise hunting. Port strike on Manila and airfield strike on Clark field. Stopped or switched production on the useless planes. Moved the troops towards HK. Increased a few factories for armaments and vehicles.

[cookie monster]

More than one port strike is a bit strong.

There's gonna be carnage everywhere!

[Mike Solli]

[Kitakami]

Subscribed guys. I will be reading this with much interest. Also, Mike, you are one of the gurus of Japanese production, so I would appreciate it very much if you post at least some of your decisions.

Tenno heika banzai!

[John 3rd]

Life for me has been defined by my job at the Hotel the last 8 days so I haven't had a chance to get this rolling. Let me do some overview of the the initial carrier action. As described above I have the bulk of the KB with CarDiv2, CarDiv5, and Akagi. We are playing Scenario ONE with divisions outlined as above.

Pearl Harbor
The PH Raid was a magnificent opening with FOUR of the five Kate Daitai dropping Torpedos! BANZAI! Every BB and several cruisers were hit in the opening attack. These were the specifics:

Tennessee (5 Torps/1 800 KG)
Maryland (5 Torps)
West Virginia (3 Torps/1 800 KG)--MAG EXPLOSION--Sunk!
Oklahoma (4 Torps)
Pennsylvania (5 Torps)
Nevada (4 Torps/1 800KG)
California (2 Torps)
Arizona (3 Torps/1 800 Kg)

DD Selfridge and Blue sunk by Torpedo.
CA New Orleans, CLs Helena and Detroit, and DD Mugford all damaged

This is a fantastic opened and I decided to do something I have never done. With a sense of trepidation I ordered a second Port Attack to finish the job on the 8th.

I was shocked to see my strike of 35 Zero and 90 Kates intercepted by a CAP of nearly 80 US Fighters! CRAP! Thankfully the experienced Zero pilot held off most of the fighters but lost 2 of their own and 11 Kate. As the attack goes in another 9 Kate fall with 9 more destroyed on return (total losses 2 Zero and 29 Kate--18 Kate crews).

I think the results of the 2nd Attack make the sacrifice worthwhile as Battleship Row is CRUSHED! BB Damage and sinkings for this attack:

Tennessee (5 Torps/3 800 Kg)---SUNK!
Maryland (5 Torps/3 800 Kg)---SUNK!
Oklahoma (4 Torps/3 800 Kg)---Probably Sunk (8 TT/3 800Kg total)
Pennsylvania (5 Torps/1 800 Kg)---Probably Sunk (10 TT/1 800 Kg total)
Nevada (4 Torps/2 800 Kg)---Probably Sunk (8 TT/3 800 Kg)
California (2 Torps/2 800 Kg)--Heavy Damage
Arizona (3 Torps/3 800 Kg)---SUNK!

Total: 4 BB definitely SUNK and 3 possibles...wow...

The BONUS to this attack is the assault on other shipping. A DMS, AM, and AKL are sunk but far more importantly CAs San Francisco (2 TT) and Minneapolis, CLs Honolulu (1 B/2TT), Helena (2 TT), Phoenix (2 TT), St Louis (1 TT/1B), Raleigh (1TT), and Detroit (2TT/1B) are all either seriously damaged or, possibly, sunk.

Magnificent results!


The KB--having suffered serious losses withdraws NE and then splits with CarDIv2 obviously moving NW towards, then around Midway to Cover the Wake Island Invasion and, finally, replace air losses at Kwajalein. Hiryu--Soryu suffered the worst Kate losses so they are an easy choice to send back. These two CVs are also pulled to serve as decoys for the more important mission.

The 3 remaining CVs move into a position between PH and the West Coast. They rest, fix planes, and simply wait to make a BIG announcement...

[John 3rd]

The 3 Japanese heavy carriers spend a week of time resting and repairing their planes. A small detachment of 3 AO stay with the TF to keep their fuel bunkers topped off. After this time the Carrier TF begins a slow patrol squarely between Hawaii and the West Coast. On the 18th, they discover a group of convoys loaded with fuel, supplies, and troops headed for Pearl Harbor.

The carriers to into the wind for two days of operations...

18th---600 Miles from San Francisco---Dawns clear but a storm blows into the area during the afternoon.

Two strikes launched from extreme range (7 Hexes): AM consists of 15 Zero, 26 Val, and 39 Kate---PM 11 Zero and 37 Kates. Ships hit include CL Concord, 7 AP, 4 AK, 1 AS, 1 AE, and 2 TK. An AK is observed to sink while numerous troops are wounded or killed during the attacks. Order CVs to close on the targets...

19th---More bad weather but very good results obtained. Multiple strikes launched:
AM: 5 Zero 26 Val 17 Kate--Sink an AK, hit an AO, TK, 6 AK, and 3 AKL
AM: 5 Zero 13 Kate hit CL Concord again
AM: 5 Zero 13 Kate sink AS Fulton

PM: 13 Kate hit a PC and 3 AK
PM: 5 Zero 12 Val hit a PC, AE, AK, and TK
PM: 5 Zero 13 Val 12 Kate sink CL Concord, 1 APD, and 1 AVP

There are Allied troop casualties with every attack.

The hunting has been good but it is time to LEAVE. Instead of moving north and then NW I order the Cvs to move South by SW to clear the area. My AOs tag along as best as they can...

To help finish off cripples I order 4 I-Boats to sweep the seas between San Francisco and the hexes just attacked.

Not bad!

[John 3rd]

This is about as close to the West Coast as I want to get...

[Cap Mandrake]

31 torpedo hits on BB's at Pearl with 5 carriers? Oh, man. That is epicly painful to watch for an Allied booster. Uggh.

[John 3rd]

It...was...terrible...

NOT!

The Opening ROCKED! Never seen that many Torps dropped for a PH attack. Total losses for the 5 Cvs over the two days of strikes was 4 Zero, 6 Val, and 31 Kates. Fairly steep but in exchange for wrecking the Pacific BB Fleet as well as a bunch of CAs and CLs--We'll take it.

[Chickenboy]

Nice shootin' Tex.

I appreciate the followup on the convoy just off SF too. I'm sure your opponent assumed that you were Winchester and headed for home. Glad you were able to demonstrate the firepower of this fully operational battle station!

Banzai!

[John 3rd]

Ghostbuster and A New Hope! Always good to get hit by multiple movie quotes.

The ambush went quite well. This is why I let CarDiv2 keep getting spotted as it moved from PH to north of Midway and then off Wake to cover that landing. There were CVs there but not ALL of them. Decided to stay for the 2nd day figuring the max I would deal with was Saratoga. If I stayed longer there might be a chance of Lex and Ent coming out and squashing the carriers between them.

Audacious but not crazy!

[FatR]

Quite a strong beginning. This convoy ambush might set the Allied buildup in the Pacific back considerably.

[John 3rd]

Possibly--It depends on how many cripples sink or are sunk by my I-Boats. Really managed to spread the damage around those convoys. Sure wish I had Torps but they were well used at Pearl.

If I had a few more surface ships acting for my screen I just might have created a STF to sink the cripples. Don't you think THAT might freak them out a bit. Heck...I still might do it...

[FatR]

Do you have any long-term plans for the Pacific perimeter, though?

And the question to both of you - what you want to do for Stage 2?

[Chickenboy]

ORIGINAL: John 3rd
A New Hope!

[:-]

[scott64]

John and Myself are up to Dec 19th 1941. A quick run down of recent happenings.

The following bases were captured:

Dec 8th Brunei and Makin
Dec 9th San Fernando (This will be my main airbase for the attack on Manila, Clark Field and Bataan)
Dec 11th Nauru Island and Davao
Dec 12th Kweiteh, Victoria Point, and Ocean Island
Dec 13th Atimonan, Kuantan, Singkawang, and Tarawa (I bypassed Kota Bharu and instead took Kuantan)
Dec 14th Tuguegarao
Dec 15th Jesselton, Talaud-eilanden, Tabiteuea
Dec 16th Morotai, Kudat
Dec 17th Alor Star, Puerto Princesa, Roxas, Ternate, and Kota Bharu (Better late than never)[:D]
Dec 19th Tsiaotso, Tarakan, Wake Island, and Laoag (Nice little Tokyo Rose message after the fall of Wake.) [:'(]

Sunk Ships (Major ships)Of Record
Battleships Maryland, Arizona, and Tennessee sunk near Pearl Harbor on Dec 08, 1941.
Destroyers Pillsbury and Pope sunk near Talaud-eilanden on Dec 10, 1941.
Heavy Cruiser Houston near Jolo on Dec 11, 1941.
Destroyer Barker sunk near Donggala on Dec 13, 1941.

Lost Ships. [:(]
Heavy Cruiser Myoko on Dec 10, 1941.
Destroyers Oyashio and Hatsukaze on Dec 10, 1941.

Operation Samurai Sword.
Will commence in approximately 10 days. My carriers are escorting invasion troops to Kendari and then will break off and escort another task force somewhere to within the DEI. This will in turn isolate Borneo and to serve to future transportation of resources and oil to the Home Islands.

[stuman]

" Tennessee (5 Torps/3 800 Kg)---SUNK! "

I know you had to do it, but still makes me sad [:(]

[John 3rd]

ORIGINAL: Chickenboy

ORIGINAL: John 3rd
A New Hope!

[:-]

I hang me head in shame. My almost 7-year old would have said "No Daddy. That is from Return of the Jedi." I may go off into the corner commit Seppuku...

[scott64]

December 20th Action

Amphibious Task forces at the following locations.
Manado, Rabaul, and Lae. [:)]

Manado: 24th Infantry Rgt
Rabaul: 144th Infantry Rgt and Maizuru 1st SNLF
Lae: 2nd Naval Const Bn and 6th Shipping Engr Rgt

A small task force runs into one of my air task force near Tockangbesi-eilanden. [X(]

CM Prins van Oranje, AG Albatros, and AO TAN 1 run into CVL Zuiho, CVE Hosho, and CVE Taiyo. [8|]

Sub action near Eniwetok

SS Seal puts two fish into xAK Aratama Maru and she sinks

Ground combat
Honk Kong: Shock attack reduce the forts to level one. Over 1500 causalities.
Iloilo: Captured [:)] 65 casualties.
Rabaul: Will most likely fall tomorrow.
Lae: Also will most likely fall.

Production
Increased Kate and Val production by 10 per month.
Mitsubishi 33 engines will need to increased from 75. We need around 130.
Nakajima 35 engines wil be around 256, we need 185.

[scott64]

December 21th 1941 Action

Land Combat
Manado 2:1, results with only 124 casualties
Rabaul Falls: Allies only leave 11 guns? [X(]
Batangas Falls: 20th Infantry Regiment and 9th Infantry Regiment lead the assault.

Naval Action
Sub I-173 spots heavy cruisers Portland and Northampton near French Frigate Shoal.

Air Action
CM Prins van Oranje and AG Albatros are sunk with 3 torpedo hits, while AO TAN 1 is sunk with 2 torpedo hits. [:-]

Naval Losses
Lost 2 to sub action, Ujigawa Maru and Mogamigawa Maru

Future Objectives
Loewoek, Kendari, Manado will fall tomorrow.