A midwar Japanese AAR (no USS Henrico)

[Chickenboy]

I've been debating the merits of putting together a midwar AAR from the Japanese side. So many AARs peter out in late 1942 or early 1943-I've always thought it would be useful to see one that started in mid-late 1943 and carried on through the end of war.

I can feel the pressure building in several theatres now-there will be some heavy fighting within the next few months. My spidey senses are tingling.

My honorable opponent is USS Henrico. He's played a (mostly) conservative Allied gameplan to date. I'll review his territorial clawbacks and describe his style of gameplay with some examples. He's a good opponent that I've been with since December 2009. We'll see this thing through to its rightful (and bloody) end.

I'm a comparatively conservative Japanese player myself. I've tried to ensure a strong defensive perimeter focused on a few strategic bullwarks. I've been successful in bleeding my opponent sufficiently to slow his timetable, I believe. This is all I can hope for.

All are welcome to post their thoughts here. For you newer players-I'm always happy to answer any questions as best I can.

I could use some help (hear that Mike Solli and NYGiants58?) on the Japanese economy, as it has largely been held together with baling wire, Kentucky windage and dead reckoning. Still, I'm in reasonably good shape. I don't use Tracker (tried several times and failed), but I have other means of tracking my production that are-I believe-satisfactory.

We are playing scenario 1, PDU on. We have upgraded only to 'official' patches, usally some months after they are published. We have not yet upgraded to the latest 'official' patch.

Summaries are in order. See below for my pieced together attempts.

BANZAI!

[Chickenboy]

The main victory screen.

Comments:

I lead by about 10,200 VPs at this time. It won't be enough to take me anywhere near Autovictory, but that was never the point. I'm pleased that I've been able to keep ahead of my opponent in VPs. I believe that I've largely done that by air parity (a not insignificant achievement) and Allied army casualties.

Political points are mostly used to buy out remaining units from Kwangtung (just bought out 1/3 of a division today). They are manna from heaven.

[Chickenboy]

Ships lost by class:

Allied first.

The initial attack in this game was focused on Manila. KB was present to deliver the initial blows. Allied submarine losses to date (44):

The Manila strike took care of 19 of them. Recently, as my airborne ASW has picked up, it's accounting for more than it did early war.

I believe a good number of the later "kills" are due to FOW and represent submarines damaged by airborne ASW, not sunk.

[obvert]

I for one am very happy for you to start this AAR. We do need more in this region of play. Looking forward to the rest.

I do notice you've done well in the air. You've taken down more Allied planes than you've lost.

[Chickenboy]

Allied combatants (non-capital ships):

Distressingly few. His navy is still largely intact re: minor combatants.

[Chickenboy]

ORIGINAL: obvert

I for one am very happy for you to start this AAR. We do need more in this region of play. Looking forward to the rest.

I do notice you've done well in the air. You've taken down more Allied planes than you've lost.

Thanks, obvert. [:)]

[Chickenboy]

Allied losses (major combatants).

Comments: I've done a little better here, but again-his navy is still in good shape.

Lexington is likely FOW. She was heavily damaged in the action near Taberfane and Tanna and, I believe managed to limp from the scene. For those of you that recall-a few months ago, I posted a "Mid-war carrier battle" AAR snippet. This detailed the actions of that Japanese victory.

Saratoga and Yorktown were traded for mini-KB in May 1942. Victorious ran afoul of a well-placed IJN SS between Suva and New Zealand.

Massachusetts was heavily damaged in the Taberfane / Tanna battle and withdrew. She is probably alive, as I doubt my fortune in her sinking within sight of the Panama canal.

[Chickenboy]

Other Allied losses:

xAK: 79

xAP: 22 (noteables: APA Harris grounded near Horn Island; xAP President Harrison bombed at Manila; xAP Empress Asia sunk by submarine off Western New Zealand on 8/20/43-laden with troops)

TK: 15 (noteables: TK Gulfpride by spontaneous enflagration off the Western coast CONUS)

PT/PG/PC/ML/HDML/MTB: 74. Roughly two-thirds of these are PT or MTB boats.

[Chickenboy]

IJN ship losses: Capitol ships:

Comments: Very workable. No BB classes lost to date.

CV Hiyo and CVE Chuyo were working independently supporting Japanese troops in the Southern Solomons when they were bushwacked by all Allied fleet carriers.

[Chickenboy]

Other IJN combatants lost:

Comments: Most lost around the Coral Sea in fight for Western P/NG. I regret the loss of the CA classes, particularly Aoba which was lost by carelessness off of the N. Australia coast.

CA Chokai and Haguro missed an attempted intercept of an Allied amphibious TF (by one hex!) and were destroyed by escorting Allied carrier aircraft the following day.

[Mike Solli]

Alright, CB, where's the rest?! It's Saturday night. What else do you have to do? You live in Minnesota after all. You're probably still snowed in! [:'(]

I agree with obvert. I think you've done exceeding well. Before seeing ship losses of course. [:D]

Edit: Oops, slow in my typing. [;)]

[Chickenboy]

Other IJN losses:

xAK/xAKL: 172. This seems like a staggering number, but the Japanese have a surfeit of xAK classes. Losses have accelerated in the last several months, with the fielding of improved Allied torpedoes.

xAP: 8

AO/TK: 18. Only 6 of these were moderate to large-sized oilers, the others were small fry

SS: 45. 23 of these losses were minisubs of the Ha class.

AMc/PB/E/SC/cSC: 97. Most of these are cSC and PB classes. The majority of the PB losses were xAKL conversions

Auxiliary: 6

Comments: I do treasure new ASW-capable ships and put my coastal SCs to good use. Although the xAK / xAKL losses are numerous, losses are manageable.

[Chickenboy]

ORIGINAL: Mike Solli

Alright, CB, where's the rest?! It's Saturday night. What else do you have to do? You live in Minnesota after all. You're probably still snowed in! [:'(]

I agree with obvert. I think you've done exceeding well. Before seeing ship losses of course. [:D]

Edit: Oops, slow in my typing. [;)]

Thanks, Mike. Mrs. Chickenboy is at a wool festival (she's into spinning and other fiber arts), so I'm clear. [:D]

Which reminds me-I need to go and eat dinner. Will post theatre standings later.

[ny59giants]

PM sent to see if I can help with economics. I use Tracker exclusively and would not leave home without it.[;)]

I'm at 12 Aug '43 in my PBEM as Japan, but using Scenario 2.

[Chickenboy]

Here's my pathetic approach to handling economics. First up: my pathetic approach towards engine and airframe production.

I use the 'industry management' button on the mainscreen and also the 'engine and aircraft production' tab on the 'information' screen (the screen that has the VPs and PPs available, aircraft losses, etc.).

Here's my engine and aircraft production tab, sorted by engine type. I find this a good way to keep pace with my engine production and ensure that it matches the number of airframes in production:







Some notes:

1. I borked early R&D but good. No excuses-it was a real dog's breakfast until a couple months ago.

Two exceptions: Tojo IIc and Frank Ia airframes will be accelerated. The former by at least two months, the latter by an amount TBD. For the Frank, I have 55 repaired R&D in a single factory, with the balance repairing in two smaller factories. This should still get moved forward.

2. I am producing WAY more LBA and carrier-based bombers than necessary. Same with Oscar IIb aircraft. This is intentional-I am stockpiling promising kamikaze airframes prior to the onset of 1944. Notable on my list is the apparent redundancy of Ki-21IIb Sallies. I'm producing 42 monthly, almost exclusively for future kamikaze duty. I have about 450 of the IIa and IIb saved for 'frontline' kamikaze duty when the time comes.

I've been spending much of my IJAAF training effort getting pilots to >55 skill for LowNav-the kamikaze skillset of choice. I should have roughly 1,000 pilots so trained at this time.

3. I am producing some antiquated airframes to use up some minor engine surpluses. I've already shifted the factories to produce a different engine type, and am matching up surplus engines with airframes (e.g., Ki-32 Mary). Mostly for kamikaze production purposes.

[Chickenboy]

My industry management front page:

Comments:

1. The "failed" are mostly HI production from inland China. Largely uninteresting. I 'failed' a check for oil at Port Arthur this turn-I just had a sizeable TK/AO TF depart with a load for the home islands.

2. HI is at 1.94 million and increasing by about 6,000 / day.

I have Armaments scaled back significantly. Have been working off of a surfeit which was once 125,000. I'm pleased where this stands now.

3. Vehicle is growing, albeit slowly. I'd like this to be about 20,000, but it's sufficient for now.

4. Naval shipyard is low, obviously. I have a number of NavSY production centers turned off. Quite frankly, however, I'm comfortable with where it's at. I get the Katsuragi in 30 days-it's been considerably accelerated. I'll have the three remaining Unryu classes and a CVL in the build list at that point.

I've converted all four CSs. These will be coming out of the yards in the next 30-90 days for four more CVLs.

DDs and E classes in the cue have been accelerated, but are likely wanting somewhat for NavSY points. What do you think-worth turning some back on?

5. Oil at 1.25 million is lower that I'd like. I have three massive incoming TK deliveries set to come in on Honshu or Kyushu. This should be upped by about 125,000 oil.

6. Resources at 17.3 million are OK. I have very large stockpiles at Manila, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Port Arthur, Hokkaido and Sakhalin. Any two or three of these is sufficient to keep the empire going for a long long time, I think.

7. Fuel on next page.

[Chickenboy]

Industry and resource availability:

Another button I use (infrequently) off of the main screen.

Comments:

1. Supply stands at 4.55 million. This number seems OK to me, but I don't have much to base this on. I'm keeping all LI and HI on and exporting copious supply from the home islands into China, Burma and the South Pacific.

Fuel: 1.71 million. I'd like it to be higher (who wouldn't?) but I think it's OK. I would ideally like to keep this above 2.0 million. In the incoming TFs, I have about 200,000 tons of fuel coming into Honshu and Kyushu-this number should increase.

[Chickenboy]

Brief theatre updates:

China:

Chinese MLR has cracked within the past two weeks. Two powerful IJA pincers have emerged-one from Patung (originated through the forest south from Ichang) and the other from Tuyun North towards Kweiyang.

Kweiyang is imperiled and cut off from reinforcement from the East.

Chungking is under direct threat and will likely be unable to provide assistance to Kweiyang.

To the North, Sian still stands.

To the South, in the Chinese pocket, Changteh has been the main Chinese fortress. He has been bleeding troops out from here for reinforcement elsewhere along the Chinese flanks. I think it may be too late for the huge numbers of troops cut off in this pocket. Out of supply and on the move, they will be killed en masse.

My goal in China is to kill as many Chinese infantry as I possibly can. Territorial gains are a nicety, but I want to kill more Chinese than he can produce as reinforcements. Supply is scarce for the Allies at this point.

With Burma still under IJ control, he's been losing many transport planes due to OPS losses flying 'the hump'. Last check revealed losses to date of 347 C47s, 50 C33s, 45 R4D1 and 39 DC3 aircraft. Sure, several of these losses were not in C-B-India theatre, but I would venture most C47s were. Nearly all these were OPS losses.

ETA: corrected C47 losses

[Chickenboy]

Updates on Burma, DEI, SoPac and P/NG tomorrow or Monday, gents. The August 23 turn is in my inbox now. [8D]

[Cribtop]

Really looking forward to this mid war perspective, CB! Thanks for writing it.