Back into the Briar Patch - Uncivil Engineer (J) vs kevin hx (A) RA 5.5

[Uncivil Engineer]

Starting a new Reluctant Admiral game against kevin_hx - Kevin, if your reading this STOP.

Thought I'd try my hand on an AAR; that should give me something to do while I'm waiting for turns to come halfway around the world.

Having 6 months experience playing RA I "think" I have a better idea how much I can push the Japanese economy. In my other games (stock and RA) I've played it very safe, making small changes, not wanting to trash it. I also plan to play a less historical game, taking some early risks when/where appropriate. Obviously, early capture of easy oil targets will be part of the plan (Miri, Tarakan, Samarinda, Balikpapan, Palembang), but that's all fairly historical, and fairly standard. But more about all this later.

We have 4 HR's:
1 - Restricted units must pay PP's to move out of their territory (Manchukuo, Thailand, India, etc).
2 - Only naval 4E aircraft may operate below 10,000 feet (Mavis, Emily, Catalina, etc).
3 - Paratroop units must be whole before an airdrop; no fragments all over the place.
4 - Only dot base and regular bases may be invaded.

Hoping I can make this readable and informative. For each operational area I'll describe what I plan to do, then follow later with how that worked and what changes needed to be made. For example, on Luzon the Aparri invasion will consist of a tank regiment and aviation support, nothing more. Most units from Takao and Pescadores will invade at Lingayen, where they are prepped. I'll give full details in a later post.

In the aircraft/engine area, I'm thinking of dumping the Ki-61 Tony's and it's Kawasaki Ha-60 engine for something more useful. Nates will be built in December 41 using available engines and then change to Oscars; the Nakajima Kotobuki engine will be quickly changed to Mitsubishi Ha-32 (for Sally, Betty, Emily, Frances, and eventually Jill B6N2).

[Uncivil Engineer]

Luzon

The plan for the first week:

9 Dec - Kanno, Tanaka, 14 Army HQ, and all the stuff pre-loaded for Aparri invade Vigan, capture on 10th; Tanaka moves inland and down the secondary road to control retreat routes.
10 Dec - 2 Tank Rgt (16th Army) and two aviation support units invade Aparri, capture on 11th; then the tanks and one AS unit will move to and capture Tuguegareo; the tanks return to Aparri for reassignment.
11 Dec - 48 Div (-) invades Lingayen.
11 Dec - Kimura detachment invades Legaspi.
15 Dec - 65 Bde (+) invades San Fernando, followed by an air HQ.

Still undecided about where to land the rest of 16 Div - Legaspi, Atimonan, or Mauban. Some of the regiments are 100% prepped for Mauban, but a landing there could quickly become untenable.

Mindanao

12 Dec - Miura detachment, 90 Rgt (3 battalions), and 23 Spec BF invade Davao, capture on 13th or 14th, to be followed by 9 Air Fleet HQ from Kagoshima in about a week.

Zamboanga is the next objective, to capture the light industry and deny supply to the allied units on the island. Jolo will be taken within the week by 8 Tank Rgt from Babeldaob, to be followed by an air HQ, also from Babeldaob. I want to get some Val's and Kate's on the island to interdict evacuees from Manila (if they go that way).

I realize this is all fairly standard, but I'm recording it so that I can later check how the timing turned out.

[Uncivil Engineer]

Engine R&D

Aichi Ha-60 - research at 4 cities; 5 @ Gifu changed to Ha-44 (Jill B6N1) and 5 @ Nagoya changed to Ha-45 (George); still have 120 production when R&D complete

Kawasaki Ha-60 - research at 2 cities; 20 @ Kobe changed to Ha-45 (George) and 5 @ Nagasaki changed to Ha-44 (Jill B6N1)

Engine Production

Hitachi (early) - 40 production @ Tokyo changed to Ha-32 (Sally, Betty)

Hitachi Amakaze - 11 production @ Yokohama changed to Ha-35 (Zero, Oscar)

Nakajima Kotobuki - 25 production @ Tokyo changed to Ha-33 (Nell, Val) and 10 production @ Harbin changed to Ha-35 (Zero, Oscar)

Aircraft R&D

Tony Ki-61-Ia - 20 @ Gifu changed to Tojo
Tony Ki-61-Ic - 2 @ Gifu changed to A6M5 Zero
Tony Ki-100-I - 6 @ Hamamatsu changed to George

Aircraft Production

Glen - 9 production @ Nagoya changed to Jake (all sub float planes will be changed to Jake)
Ann - 5 production @ Harbin changed to Ki-43-Ic Oscar
Sally Ic - 5 production @ Harbin changed to G4M1 Betty

Future Changes

Existing Nakajima Ha-5 engines (101 + 17/mo) will be used to build Topsy I and will change to something else in January '42
Existing Nakajima Kotobuki engines (253) will be used to build Nates (there are enough engines for 5 months of Nates, but they will be changed to better types in late Dec '41 or Jan '42)

We're playing with PDU ON -AND- realistic R&D OFF, so anything goes - production sites can be changed to R&D, but I plan to make changes as if realistic R&D is ON.

If I've REALLY screwed up here I'm sure someone will point that out!

[Uncivil Engineer]

8 Dec 41

Malaya

Nothing extraordinary happening here, just the standard 8 Dec landings. Imperial Guard Division is loading trains for transit to Singora, then Alor Star; this unit will spearhead the drive down the west coast while the 5th and 18th Divisions get reformed after their attacks on Alor Star and Kota Bharu.

Guam

144 Inf Rgt has landed and attacks today; already 100% prepped for Rabaul, so that's it's next objective.
The Sasebo Assault Division is loading transports at Saipan to invade Midway.

China

Imphal is being reinforced from Hankow, as is Sinyang. I'm not going to push too hard in the clear terrain north of the Yangtse, at least until I see how he's defending. After clearing the area south of Changsha, I plan to make my main attack up the major road through Tuyun and Kweiyang toward Chungking.

[Prydwen]

Hi,

With this being an RA game, what are your plans for the 1st Para Assault Division at Peleliu? I was working for a couple weeks on some day 1 planning for an RA game back before I deployed. Didn't get much done while I was gone or since I got back. Anyway, I was a bit torn between having them spearhead my Mindanao invasions or using them for the push in the Celebes/Southern Borneo area.

And before John pops in and says it, Go get 'em!

Joe

[Uncivil Engineer]

ORIGINAL: ItsAMadhouse

Hi,

With this being an RA game, what are your plans for the 1st Para Assault Division at Peleliu? I was working for a couple weeks on some day 1 planning for an RA game back before I deployed. Didn't get much done while I was gone or since I got back. Anyway, I was a bit torn between having them spearhead my Mindanao invasions or using them for the push in the Celebes/Southern Borneo area.

And before John pops in and says it, Go get 'em!

Joe

Very good question - wish I had a definitive answer. My plan for Mindanao is to take Davao and Zamboanga, then let the Allies wither without supply. The Davao landing force is 100% prepped and loading at Babeldaob. 1st Para can assist by airdrop if help is needed, or simply air tranport to Davao if not needed. Using Tina's from Davao they threaten a large area. I haven't checked if Tina's can reach Jolo from Babeldaob (I think not), but that would be a good early target as it's undefended and having Val's and Kate's there really puts the Manila "runners" at risk. Jolo can be reached from Davao.

As long as the target is an undefended base preparation is irrelevant. The base adjacent to Menado (Sidate) cuts retreat when Menado is ready to be taken. Boela and Babo are both within range from Peleliu, but the oil there will likely still be there when you get around to taking them, so no hurry.

I'm going to get 1st Para to Davao, then see what develops. And similarly for 1st Raiding Rgt - going to move it by rail to Singora, then use it in combination with barges moving stuff down the west coast of Malaya to take those bases to cut supply and mess with my adversary's head. The 10,000 bicycles I ordered probably won't be at Alor Star when I get there.

[Prydwen]

Hi,

They do threaten a really large area. That's why I found it such a difficult choice. They can be split into A/B/C units which is what I had planned for them. I don't have the airlift to send them all in one go anyway. My idea was to drop them with the Tina groups and pick them up with the Mavis transports. That way I should still be able to extract them even if it's a place that has no airfield.

I just checked and Jolo is out of range. It's 20 hexes.

I basically had three types of targets. One is places to get a foothold on an island before the main force lands. Such as Davao or they can even reach Legaspi from Peleliu. I didn't realize that until I just checked. Second to hit lightly defended areas like Sorong or Ternate just to get them out of the picture. And to keep the Allies from having bases they can put those Dutch Do 24's at so they are as blinded as possible. Third is places like Sidate to cut lines of retreat. These guys, working in conjunction with fast transport TF's, should be able to move quickly in this theater.

Joe

[Uncivil Engineer]

While I'm waiting for the Dec 8 turn from Kevin thought I post a combat report from Pearl Harbor:

Morning Air attack on Pearl Harbor , at 180,107

Weather in hex: Clear sky

Raid detected at 92 NM, estimated altitude 15,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 34 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 102
B5N2 Kate x 147
D3A1 Val x 135

Allied aircraft
no flights

Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 5 damaged
A6M2 Zero: 11 destroyed by flak
B5N2 Kate: 12 damaged
B5N2 Kate: 9 destroyed by flak
D3A1 Val: 31 damaged
D3A1 Val: 4 destroyed by flak

Allied aircraft losses
P-40B Warhawk: 48 damaged
P-40B Warhawk: 8 destroyed on ground
B-17D Fortress: 46 damaged
B-17D Fortress: 1 destroyed on ground
PBY-5 Catalina: 118 damaged
PBY-5 Catalina: 10 destroyed on ground
B-18A Bolo: 23 damaged
B-18A Bolo: 2 destroyed on ground
A-20A Havoc: 16 damaged
A-20A Havoc: 1 destroyed on ground
SBD-1 Dauntless: 25 damaged
SBD-1 Dauntless: 3 destroyed on ground
R3D-2: 2 damaged
R3D-2: 1 destroyed on ground
C-33: 2 damaged
B-17E Fortress: 7 damaged
B-17E Fortress: 1 destroyed on ground
P-36A Mohawk: 14 damaged
P-36A Mohawk: 1 destroyed on ground
F4F-3 Wildcat: 7 damaged
F4F-3 Wildcat: 1 destroyed on ground
O-47A: 5 damaged
O-47A: 2 destroyed on ground
SOC-1 Seagull: 3 destroyed
OS2U-3 Kingfisher: 7 destroyed

Allied Ships
BB Nevada, Bomb hits 3, Torpedo hits 5, and is sunk
CM Oglala
BB Maryland, Bomb hits 1, Torpedo hits 3, and is sunk
BB Oklahoma, Bomb hits 6, Torpedo hits 6, and is sunk
BB California, Bomb hits 7, Torpedo hits 5, and is sunk
BB Pennsylvania, Bomb hits 4, Torpedo hits 4, and is sunk
BB Arizona, Bomb hits 10, Torpedo hits 4, heavy fires, heavy damage
BB West Virginia, Bomb hits 7, Torpedo hits 3, heavy fires, heavy damage
xAKL Manini
xAKL Hirondelle
DM Montgomery, Bomb hits 1, on fire
AR Medusa, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
BB Tennessee, Bomb hits 5, Torpedo hits 5, and is sunk
CA New Orleans, Bomb hits 1, Torpedo hits 1, heavy fires, heavy damage
DD Jarvis, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
CL St. Louis, Bomb hits 3, Torpedo hits 2, on fire, heavy damage
CL Phoenix, Bomb hits 2, Torpedo hits 1, heavy damage
AV Wright, Bomb hits 1, on fire
DD Allen, Bomb hits 2, heavy fires, heavy damage
DD Phelps, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
DD Monaghan, Torpedo hits 1, heavy damage
CA San Francisco, Torpedo hits 3, on fire, heavy damage
CL Honolulu, Bomb hits 3, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
DD Reid, Bomb hits 1, on fire
DD Cummings, Bomb hits 1, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
PT-20, Bomb hits 1, and is sunk
DD Dewey, Bomb hits 1, heavy fires
DD Case, Bomb hits 1, heavy fires
AM Vireo, Bomb hits 1
DD Selfridge, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
DD Aylwin, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
CL Detroit, Torpedo hits 2, on fire, heavy damage
AV Curtiss, Bomb hits 1, Torpedo hits 1, on fire
AV Tangier, Bomb hits 2, heavy fires, heavy damage
CL Raleigh, Bomb hits 2, Torpedo hits 1, heavy fires, heavy damage
DD Conyngham, Bomb hits 1, on fire
AVP Avocet, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
CL Helena, Bomb hits 1, Torpedo hits 2, and is sunk
AVD Thornton, Bomb hits 1, on fire
DD Chew, Bomb hits 1, on fire
DD Bagley, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
AO Neosho, Torpedo hits 1, on fire
DD Schley, Bomb hits 1, on fire
SS Cachalot, Bomb hits 1, heavy damage
AM Bobolink, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
PT-21, Bomb hits 1, and is sunk
DM Tracy, Bomb hits 1, on fire, heavy damage

Allied ground losses:
8 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 1 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Vehicles lost 1 (1 destroyed, 0 disabled)

Airbase hits 28
Airbase supply hits 1
Runway hits 53

Aircraft Attacking:
1 x D3A1 Val releasing from 10000'
Port Attack: 1 x 250 kg GP Bomb
21 x B5N2 Kate launching torpedoes at 200 feet
Port Attack: 1 x 18in Type 91 Torpedo
14 x A6M2 Zero bombing from 100 feet
Airfield Attack: 2 x 60 kg GP Bomb
7 x D3A1 Val releasing from 2000'
Port Attack: 1 x 250 kg GP Bomb
26 x B5N2 Kate bombing from 9000 feet
Port Attack: 1 x 800 kg AP Bomb
15 x A6M2 Zero sweeping at 15000 feet
5 x D3A1 Val releasing from 3000'
Airfield Attack: 1 x 250 kg GP Bomb
21 x B5N2 Kate launching torpedoes at 200 feet
Port Attack: 1 x 18in Type 91 Torpedo
15 x A6M2 Zero sweeping at 15000 feet
11 x D3A1 Val releasing from 2000'
Airfield Attack: 1 x 250 kg GP Bomb
18 x B5N2 Kate launching torpedoes at 200 feet
Port Attack: 1 x 18in Type 91 Torpedo
18 x D3A1 Val releasing from 3000'
Airfield Attack: 1 x 250 kg GP Bomb
24 x B5N2 Kate bombing from 9000 feet
Port Attack: 1 x 800 kg AP Bomb
13 x D3A1 Val releasing from 1000'
Airfield Attack: 1 x 250 kg GP Bomb
23 x B5N2 Kate launching torpedoes at 200 feet
Port Attack: 1 x 18in Type 91 Torpedo
17 x D3A1 Val releasing from 3000'
Port Attack: 1 x 250 kg GP Bomb
3 x D3A1 Val releasing from 1000'
Port Attack: 1 x 250 kg GP Bomb
10 x D3A1 Val releasing from 1000'
Port Attack: 1 x 250 kg GP Bomb
6 x D3A1 Val releasing from 2000'
Airfield Attack: 1 x 250 kg GP Bomb
5 x D3A1 Val releasing from 2000'
Airfield Attack: 1 x 250 kg GP Bomb
7 x D3A1 Val releasing from 3000'
Port Attack: 1 x 250 kg GP Bomb
2 x D3A1 Val releasing from 3000'
Airfield Attack: 1 x 250 kg GP Bomb
4 x D3A1 Val releasing from 2000'
Port Attack: 1 x 250 kg GP Bomb
8 x D3A1 Val releasing from 1000'
Airfield Attack: 1 x 250 kg GP Bomb
8 x D3A1 Val releasing from 1000'
Airfield Attack: 1 x 250 kg GP Bomb
4 x D3A1 Val releasing from 1000'
Airfield Attack: 1 x 250 kg GP Bomb
4 x D3A1 Val releasing from 3000'
Airfield Attack: 1 x 250 kg GP Bomb

Magazine explodes on BB Oklahoma

None of this was due to my brilliant tactics, just dumb luck. And of course with fog of war it could be totally bogus. But since Kevin already confirmed by e-mail that he lost 6 BB's it's probably mostly correct. And the Prince of Wales is also sunk or about to.

[Lokasenna]

Looks like you might also get either/both of the remaining old BBs. A clean sweep strike would be nice! In my last game start, I sunk none .

You also bagged Helena, and I wouldn't be surprised if you get another cruiser or two either, depending on whether those bomb hits are 250kg or 800kg, especially on St. Louis and Honolulu.

[Uncivil Engineer]

8 Dec 41

Some good, some not -

51 Naval Guard takes Makin, duh.
Unloading continues at Singora, Patani, and Kota Bharu, as it will for the next week at least.
I-121 puts 2 torpedoes in Repulse enroute to Singapore, but then takes 6 hits from the escorts.
Other sub contacts by both sides are misses or duds.
Oscar's sweep Alor Star and Georgetown, then both bases are bombed with some effect. Bombing at Hong Kong is a total waste of fuel.
Escorted Betty strikes at Clark Field run into every Warhawk on the island (I didn't realize the Allies start with that many Warhawks on Luzon). Anyway, a goodly number of Betty's were shot down, so they switch to naval attack while the Zero's sweep Clark Field for a few days. Some Zero's are on LRCAP over the Vigan invasion task forces, which will start unloading on 9 Dec.
Dutch subs are in the Singora, Patani, and Kota Bharu hexes, trying to mess with unloading. KXVII takes 4 hits. All of the transport task forces are well-escorted, but a few mines might convince them to leave.

33 Div departs Nagasaki for Bangkok. The Davao invasion force leaves Babeldaob. Reinforcements for Malaya continue through the South China Sea from Samah.

[Uncivil Engineer]

Comments on production; some short-term objectives:

Heavy Industry - need to increase this to 16000 per day, by capture and/or expansion of existing HI facilities; on 8 Dec 41 1000 HI (and 10k supply) were expended to increase HI by 10 at Tokyo, Fukuoka, Osaka, Port Arthur, Kobe, Chinnampo, Yokohama, Hiroshima, Nagasaki, and Sapporo.

Resources - currently LI and HI require 18k more resource than is produced daily; capture of Allied resource sites is the only solution to this problem. That doesn't get the resource to where it's needed, but it's a start.

Armaments - need to increase this to 1000 per month (currently 855) with a short-term pool target of 50k; this will take several months to achieve. [Edit: to correct current production]

Vehicles - need to increase this to 300 per month (now 115) with a pool target of 5k; on 8 Dec 41 600 HI (and 6k supply) were expended to increase vehicle production by 10 at all 6 sites.

Naval & Merchant Shipyards - no changes (yet), nor to shipbuilding programs.

Aircraft and engine research changes were discussed in a previous post; these changes require no expenditure of HI. Aircraft and engine factory expansion will be laid out over the next several (game) days.

[Uncivil Engineer]

9 Dec 41

Subs

I-166 shells and sinks xAKL near Billiton
KXI puts 1 torpedo in AK at Patani, but takes 5 hits from escorts
RO-63 puts 2 torpedoes in xAP near Rabaul
7 other contacts result in no (or very insignificant) damage

Malaya

30 mines laid in Kota Bharu (Japanese controlled port)
Unloading continues at Singora, Patani, and Kota Bharu, with more transports inbound
Zero sweep of Taiping results in 2 Zero's lost against 1 Blenheim and 4 Buffaloes
Bombing of Alor Star, Georgetown, and Taiping largely ineffective

Luzon

Zero sweeps of Clark Field are a draw; 2 Zero's lost against 3 Warhawk's and 1 P-26
An 8 MTB TF intercepts the Kanno TF enroute to Vigan; after exchanging fire and hitting nothing, both sides retire
After the Tanaka TF unloads the troops and some of the supply at Vigan, the MTB TF chases it off, without a fight. I'm wondering what happened to the SCTF's escorting both these troop transport TF's? One is sitting at Vigan at the end of the day, but never fired a shot. [>:]
Catalina's put 1 torpedo in CA Ashigawa at Vigan (15 flotation damage) and Vildebeest's put 1 torpedo in CL Kuma (1 system and 1 flotation damage); must have been a dud! [:'(] Are the Brit Vildebeest's unrestricted or did he buy them out? Just wondering. These birds later sink an xAK off Vigan and damage 2 others. LRCAP from Batan Island is there, but ineffective.


Celebes Sea

The Mini-KB (CVL's Ryuho, Shoho, Zuiho) takes a position in the middle of the Celebes Sea and scores:
3 hits on AS Otus and xAP Pres Madison near Tawi Tawi
4 hits on 2 xAKL near Zamboanga
2 torpedoes in xAKL near Jolo, sinks
11 torpedoes in 2 xAK's and TK near Jolo, only 1 xAK survives
8 torpedoes in 2 xAKL's near Zamboanga, both sink
So, having expended half it's torpedo load these 3 CVL's will likely have to retire to Babeldoab to replenish after one more day at sea.

Central Pacific

53 Naval Guard assaults and captures Nauru Island from Wren Det. 2% of the resource points are damaged.

Production

Naval shipyard pool decreased from 19 to 9 with no previous changes; BB Musashi halted (for awhile)
Merchant shipyard pool increased from 436 to 1308 with no previous changes; an xAP, AO, and 3 TK are accelerated
HI expenditures will (arbitrarily) be limited to 1000:
+10 Kate (35 -> 45)
+10 Val (35 -> 45)
+7 Betty (3 -> 10) at Harbin (plus another 50 at Nagoya)
+7 Oscar (3 -> 10) at Harbin (plus another 32 at Maebashi)
+4 Tina (6 -> 10)
+4 Topsy I (6 -> 10)
+4 Mavis (6 -> 10)
+8 Thalia (2 -> 10)
+10 Armaments at Tokyo, Kobe, Nagoya, and Kanazawa
Total: 940 HI points spent

Edit to correct spelling

[Uncivil Engineer]

10 Dec 41

Subs

Eight Allied sub contacts result in misses or duds, however, KXII puts a torpedo in BB Yamashiro at Kota Bharu (14 sys 16 flt 13 eng damage); it's headed back to Cam Ranh Bay with 2 DD until Hong Kong is captured. The sister ship, BB Fuso, and TF will head to Miri to support ops there, as the Brit heavies have been sunk.

Two IJN sub contacts result in the sinking of an xAKL west of Merak.

Malaya

Zero sweep of Taiping destroys 1 Buffalo; bombing of Taiping and Alor Star results in minor damage to troops and airfields.
Nell's attack surface TF sitting at Singkawang (2 AMC and at least 1 DD), but score no hits.
Nell's and Betty's attack a TF at Singapore and lose 4 of each to Buffalo and Hurricane CAP. I'll need to adjust the range on these until later.
Unloading continues; 30 more mines enroute to Kota Bharu.

Luzon

That pesky MTB TF (now with 6 ships, not 8) encounters CA Maya and DD's at Vigan resulting in 1 MTB sunk.
Zero sweep of Clark Field destroys 1 P-26; Nell and Betty raids get 65 runway hits and damage 8 planes on the ground.
Tanaka occupies Vigan unopposed. The Kanno TF reverses course again and arrives at Vigan a day late.
Troops land at Aparri and Legaspi.
Lingayen invasion TF departs Pescadores and should start unloading tomorrow.

Celebes Sea

The Mini-KB launches one strike (shown below). With only 6 torpedoes remaining for it's Kate's (these 3 CVL's have no Val's), it heads back to port, but Cam Ranh Bay, not Babeldaob. It will support the Miri/Brunei invasions enroute, then after rearming will be in position to support ops at Kuching and Singkawang.

Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Tawi Tawi at 72,88
Weather in hex: Severe storms
Raid spotted at 19 NM, estimated altitude 8,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 7 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 47
B5N2 Kate x 30

No Japanese losses

Allied Ships
xAKL Corregidor, Torpedo hits 4, and is sunk
xAKL Princess of Negros, Torpedo hits 2, and is sunk
xAKL Bisayas, Torpedo hits 2, and is sunk
xAKL Palawan, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
AM Whippoorwill, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
xAKL Paz, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
AO Trinity, Torpedo hits 1, heavy fires
xAKL Compagnia Filipinas, Torpedo hits 2, and is sunk
xAKL Anakan, Torpedo hits 4, and is sunk

Aircraft Attacking:
18 x B5N2 Kate launching torpedoes at 200 feet
Naval Attack: 1 x 18in Type 91 Torpedo
12 x B5N2 Kate launching torpedoes at 200 feet
Naval Attack: 1 x 18in Type 91 Torpedo


China

Ground combat at 83,51 (near Wuchang)
Japanese Deliberate attack
Attacking force 22670 troops, 206 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 729
Defending force 7056 troops, 38 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 155

Japanese adjusted assault: 735

Allied adjusted defense: 59

Japanese assault odds: 12 to 1

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

Japanese ground losses:
232 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 28 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 3 disabled

Allied ground losses:
3793 casualties reported
Squads: 102 destroyed, 40 disabled
Non Combat: 180 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 10 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 10 (10 destroyed, 0 disabled)
Units retreated 1

Defeated Allied Units Retreating!

Assaulting units:
6th Division
40th Division

Defending units:
20th Chinese Corps

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ground combat at Ichang (83,48)
Allied Shock attack
Attacking force 11346 troops, 75 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 1685
Defending force 14287 troops, 116 guns, 136 vehicles, Assault Value = 538

Allied adjusted assault: 0

Japanese adjusted defense: 1046

Allied assault odds: 1 to 99 (fort level 3)

Combat modifiers
Defender: forts(+), op mode(-), leaders(+), preparation(-)
experience(-)
Attacker: shock(+)

Allied ground losses:
2627 casualties reported
Squads: 38 destroyed, 325 disabled
Non Combat: 2 destroyed, 29 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 4 disabled

Assaulting units:
8th Chinese Corps
32nd Chinese Corps
67th Chinese Corps
45th Chinese Corps
68th Chinese Corps
2nd Chinese Corps
75th Chinese Corps
26th Group Army

Defending units:
13th Tank Regiment
34th Division
13th RGC Temp. Division

Only one of the Chinese corps crossed the river to the SW of the city, so it probably took all the casualties.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ground combat at Hong Kong (77,61)
Japanese Bombardment attack
Attacking force 32169 troops, 419 guns, 244 vehicles, Assault Value = 1022
Defending force 7267 troops, 130 guns, 78 vehicles, Assault Value = 233

Japanese ground losses:
Vehicles lost 1 (1 destroyed, 0 disabled)

Allied ground losses:
56 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 9 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

Assaulting units:
66th Infantry Regiment
104th Division
38th Division
2nd Ind.Hvy.Art. Battalion
19th Ind. Engineer Regiment
2nd Mortar Battalion
2nd RF Gun Battalion
3rd Ind.Hvy.Art. Battalion
10th Ind. Mountain Gun Regiment
1st Hvy.Artillery Regiment
20th Ind. Engineer Regiment
5th RF Gun Battalion
20th Ind. Mtn Gun Battalion

Defending units:
Rifles of Canada Battalion
Winnipeg Grenadiers Battalion
1st Middlesex Battalion
Kowloon Brigade
102nd RN Base Force
Hong Kong Fortress

Production - no changes

[Uncivil Engineer]

11 Dec 41

Subs

S-36 misses an SC at Vigan and gets smacked twice; second attempt takes 3 more hits resulting in heavy damage
I-171 puts a torpedo in TK Eidsvold near Pearl Harbor, on fire, heavy damage
SS Pike shells and xAK near Takao, scoring 2 hits, but suffers 4 in return
SS Sculpin takes 2 hits from DD at Legaspi

Malaya

Taiping - Airstrike of escorted Sally's destroys 5 planes on ground, but has 8 Sally's damaged; second strike by Nell's destroys 5 more Allied planes on the ground
Kota Bharu - 5 Vildebeest damaged by CAP, and others miss transports

Borneo

CA Kumano/Suzuya TF engages 3 Brit DD's near Miri; Kumano takes 1 hit, but damage is quickly repaired by crew
Same TF engages and sinks an xAKL near Brunei
Then, engages and sinks all 7 xAKL in TF at Brunei (122 shell hits & 2 torpedoes); time to rearm?
Betty's put 1 torpedo in xAKL at Jesselton, on fire, heavy damage
Miri invasion force ordered to proceed

Luzon

CL Nagara TF engages 9 PT's at Legaspi, sinking 1 before Allied break contact
Betty's and Nell's hit Clark Field scoring 39 runway hits (Allied CAP appears to have moved to Manila)
Batty's sink 2 AM with torpedoes at Busuanga
Vildebeest and B-10B miss transports at Lingayen, as troops unload
Banshee's from Cagayan get 1 hit on each of 2 xAK at Legaspi, one later sinks
Mini-KB's Kate's sink 2 AM at Busuanga with bombs, then get 3 hits on xAKL's at Tarakan
BB Ise & Hyuga ordered to bombard Lingayen tomorrow

Mindanao

Troops unload at Davao
Unescorted Jolo invasion TF ordered to proceed

Other

2 Japanese AMC engage a US transport TF near Savali, scoring 31 hits mostly on AP US Grant, but retire after taking 1 hit each

China

15 SB-III and 6 Hudson's bomb Ichang with little result (the 8th Chinese Corps is the unit that took all the casualties in the botched river crossing at Ichang yesterday)
Deliberate attack at Hong Kong reduces the forts to 2; a shock attack is ordered for tomorrow as it appears that a 3:1 result may be achievable after a 2:1 result today
Chinese units are quickly withdrawing to defensible terrain

[Uncivil Engineer]

12 Dec 41

Subs

Skipjack, Seal, and Searaven miss an xAK of the Jolo invasion force at Basilan
Saury, Spearfish, and Sailfish miss an xAK of the Jolo invasion force at Jolo
[:D] DUDS [:D]

Malaya

Some inconsequential bombing; Alor Star captured unopposed; 30 mines added to the defensive minefield at Kota Bharu

Luzon

Unloading continues at Lingayen; coastal guns firing in defense sink 1 Japanese xAK
Nell's bomb Manila at night, causing NO damage [&:]
Several Zero sweeps of Manila cost 8 Zero's while downing 8 Warhawk's
Betty's attack a PT TF at Catanduanes and find 2 dead in the water (a CL TF will check that out tomorrow)
Hyuga and Ise bombard Lingayen in daylight and cause 1113 casualties

Mindanao

Unloading continues at Davao; and a deliberate attack captures the city with minor damage to the resources
Banshee's at Cagayan attack the Nagato - Mutsu TF near Davao, losing 4, but no damage to our BB's
Banshee's attack the Davao invasion TF starting fires on 2 xAK and an xAP (the troops have long since unloaded) and none sink

China

Sally's bomb 51 Chinese Corps near Kaifeng causing 69 casualties
Sally's bomb 35 Chinese Corps near Chengting causing 64 casualties
Shock attack at Hong Kong goes in at 4:1 and captures the city with no damage to facilities. Of note here, the animation clearly showed 2 reductions to forts by the engineers, first from 2 to 1, then from 1 to 0. First time I've seen that.
Kweiteh is captured unopposed.

Other

Troops unload at Talaud-eilanden
Kido Butai bombs Wake Island causing 340 casualties in the first strike and 88 in the second; a few Val's are damaged
Victoria Point is captured from the base force fragment defending it

[Uncivil Engineer]

13 Dec 41

Subs

Sturgeon sinks a DMS at Aparri with 1 torpedo, but then takes 4 hits from the rest of the TF
KXII takes 5 hits from ASW patrol TF at Kota Bharu
S-40 puts a torpedo in an xAK near Cam Ranh Bay, then gets 6 shell hits on another xAK, and takes 1 hit itself and is on fire (according to the report)
S-37 puts a torpedo in an xAK near Cam Ranh Bay, then takes 3 hits by escorts
Stingray sinks an xAK at Morotai with 2 torpedoes
Sculpin takes 4 hits from invasion TF at Legaspi
S-41 takes 3 hits from DD's at Cam Ranh Bay

Malaya - some ineffective bombing

Luzon

Nells bomb Manila at night, Betty's bomb Clark Field at night, both a waste of fuel
Zero's sweep Manila, 2 lost, 3 Warhawk's downed
B-17's from Cagayan bomb Legaspi getting 1 hit on several ships in port; 1 AMc and 1 TK sink
Banshee's from Cagayan bomb an invasion TF at Legaspi, causing 660 casualties in 2 separate attacks
65 Bde begins unloading at Iba
San Fernando captured unopposed
48 Div (-) attacks at Lingayen:

Ground combat at Lingayen (79,75)
Japanese Deliberate attack
Attacking force 11375 troops, 140 guns, 249 vehicles, Assault Value = 434
Defending force 16694 troops, 271 guns, 32 vehicles, Assault Value = 608

Japanese adjusted assault: 225

Allied adjusted defense: 49 WOW!

Japanese assault odds: 4 to 1 (fort level 0)

Japanese forces CAPTURE Lingayen !!!

Combat modifiers
Defender: op mode(-), disruption(-), preparation(-), fatigue(-)
experience(-)
Attacker:

Japanese ground losses:
975 casualties reported
Squads: 4 destroyed, 114 disabled
Non Combat: 4 destroyed, 13 disabled
Engineers: 2 destroyed, 10 disabled
Vehicles lost 10 (2 destroyed, 8 disabled)

Allied ground losses:
14835 casualties reported
Squads: 711 destroyed, 52 disabled
Non Combat: 631 destroyed, 14 disabled
Engineers: 26 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 157 (156 destroyed, 1 disabled)
Vehicles lost 35 (35 destroyed, 0 disabled)
Units retreated 3
Units destroyed 2

Defeated Allied Units Retreating!

Assaulting units:
47th Infantry Regiment
48th Engineer Regiment
48th Recon Regiment
4th Tank Regiment
1st Formosa Inf. Regiment
7th Tank Regiment
48th Field Artillery Regiment
1st Medium Field Artillery Regiment

Defending units:
21st PA Infantry Division
31st PA Infantry Division
11th PA Infantry Division
4th Marine Regiment
86th PS Coastal Artillery Battalion

Mindanao

Troops unload at Jolo
Troops unload at Morotai
Talaud-eilanden captured unopposed

China

Sally's bomb 69 Chinese Corps and 35 Chinese Corps causing 112 casualties

Other

Wake Island invaded! Kido Butai pounds Wake, destroying 8 guns, disabling 27, and causing 470 casualties

Ground combat at Wake Island (136,98)
Japanese Shock attack
Attacking force 5176 troops, 95 guns, 12 vehicles, Assault Value = 190
Defending force 1123 troops, 41 guns, 10 vehicles, Assault Value = 6

Japanese adjusted assault: 280
Allied adjusted defense: 1

Japanese assault odds: 280 to 1 (fort level 2)

Japanese forces CAPTURE Wake Island !!!

Allied aircraft
no flights

Allied aircraft losses
PBY-5 Catalina: 4 destroyed

Combat modifiers
Defender: op mode(-), disruption(-), experience(-) op mode on an atoll?
Attacker: shock(+), leaders(-)

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

Allied ground losses:
1257 casualties reported
Squads: 26 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 87 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 25 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 45 (45 destroyed, 0 disabled)
Vehicles lost 13 (13 destroyed, 0 disabled)
Units destroyed 2

Assaulting units:
1st Maizuru Assault Division

Defending units:
Wake USN CPNAB
1st Marine Defense Battalion


Edit to add base captures

[Uncivil Engineer]

14 Dec 41

Subs

Trout fires 6 torpedoes at CV Akagi; none detonate
S-39 sinks an xAKL at Legaspi, then takes 2 hits from escorts

Malaya

Nate's and flak shoot down 2 Blenheim IV's over Patani

Luzon

CL Nagara TF finds the Allied PT's at Naga; engages at 2000 yards, but no hits; TF breaks off
Night bombing is ineffective (as if that's news)
Zero's sweep Manila, 3 lost to 2 Warhawk's
Banshee's attack the invasion TF at Legaspi, sinking as many as 5 transports
Iba captured by 65 Bde (diverted from San Fernando when that base undefended); resources intact
Naga captured unopposed
Tuguegareo captured unopposed

Mindanao (area)

CL Marblehead and 3 DD engage and sink all 4 (empty) transports at Jolo
Nell's bomb Cagayan; a B-17 destroyed on the ground
Jolo captured unopposed
Morotai captured unopposed

Borneo

Troops unloading at Brunei
Miri captured from the defending base force

China

4 DMS sweep mines at Hong Kong
Chinese reinforce Ichang (1 corps and 1 HQ). Chinese troops appear to be well over the stacking limit, so I expect him to attack soon. My forts are at 3. I can't reinforce from the east without precipitating a shock attack, and he's trying to occupy the woods hex east of Ichang to cut my supply; he has two units (Corps?) moving there, but I may yet catch him in the open terrain east of the woods. Should be interesting.

Concerns

In addition to the dilemma at Ichang, I'm concerned with his aircraft at Cagayan interdicting my transports. I've moved Zero's and Kate's to Davao to attack the airbase, and it's being bombed by Nell's from Babeldaob. The 1 Para Assault Div is flying into Davao in anticipation of being used against Zamboanga. Once Zamboanga is taken he's limited to the supply on hand at Cagayan, so the planes will be forced to leave. Cagayan appears to be defended by 1 small unit (base force for aviation support, probably) so an airdrop on top of it could be successful. In fact, the more I think about it, the better that idea sounds; I just have to get the entire para unit consolidated at Davao before I can drop it again (one of our house rules about fragments).

Edit to add date

[Uncivil Engineer]

15 - 17 Dec 41

Subs

Skipjack put a torpedo in an xAP near Dadjangas on the 15th, it sank on the 17th near Jolo
S-39 put 2 torpedoes in an xAP near Legaspi on the 16th, it later sank
I-155 put a torpedo in AMC Kanimbia near Toboali on the 17th
O-20 took a hit from an ASW TF near Saigon on the 17th
Thresher took 5 hits from an ASW TF at Wake on the 17th

Malaya

Bombing at Georgetown causes 322 British/Indian casualties on the 16th and 233 on the 17th. A 6:1 attack by 5 Recon Rgt at Georgetown captures the base on the 17th; heavy industry damage is 75%

Luzon and Mindanao

Zero's sweep Manila all 3 days; 2 lost, 2 Warhawk's downed
Bombing the Manila airfield by Nell's and Betty's destroys several Allied planes on the ground and scores a cumulative 64 hits on the runway
5 Air Div arrives at San Fernando on the 16th; Bayombong captured by 2 Tank Rgt unopposed on the 17th
Nell's and Betty's are moved from Takao to Babeldaob on the 16th, in range of the airfield at Cagayan
Allied airstrikes from Cagayan continue to be a problem:
-- On the 15th:
---- Kate's attack Cagayan unescorted and lose 8 planes; then the Zero's fly, shooting down 1 Warhawk
---- Nell's get 7 runway hits on Cagayan, but
---- B-17's attack the port at Legaspi hitting several ships on the 15th
---- Banshee's attack the invasion TF at Legaspi, sinking a DMS and xAP on the 15th
-- On the 16th:
---- Banshee's attack the CA Maya TF near Zamboanga (Maya 20 sys 3 flot 6 eng & CL Kuma 25 sys 10 flot 6 eng), but the transports are spared
-- On the 17th:
---- Zero's sweep Cagayan getting 4 kills on Warhawk's
---- Banshee's fly 4 missions, but score only one hit on an xAK

Borneo

Brunei is captured on the 15th; oil facility damage is 50%
139 WH attack Miri on the 17th, losing 3 planes to Zero CAP
4 Div unloads at Singkawang on the 17th. Although prepping for Palembang, the unit lands with 400+ AV and minimal disablements !! Lucky

China

DMS begin sweeping the Hong Kong minefield on the 15th, finish on the 16th
Bombing of Chinese troops in open terrain continues
Ann's begin bombing Chinese troops at Ichang on the 15th; there has been no attack here and I continue to hold the base with 3 forts (and building slowly)
BB's Ise and Hyuga rearm at Hong Kong on the 16th and head back to Luzon
16 Mix Bde captures Tsiaotso in a 3:1 attack on the 17th; resource and light industry damage is minimal

Other

Ocean Island is captured on the 16th; resource facility damage is 21%
Tarawa is captured on the 16th unopposed
Troops unload at Groot Natoena on the 17th
Kido Butai bombs Midway causing 98 casualties on the 16th and 119 on the 17th; the invasion force (1 Sasebo Assault Div) begins unloading tomorrow

Production

The first expansion of heavy industry has completed (+100)
The first expansion of vehicle production has completed (+60)

[Uncivil Engineer]

18 - 20 Dec 41

Subs

Pollack misses 3 times at Midway, then on the 4th try hits and sinks an xAK on the 18th; but takes 4 hits from escorts
Salmon takes 3 hits from ASW TF at Davao on 19th
Tarpon takes 7 hits from invasion TF at Kuching on 19th

Malaya

Groot Natoena occupied by Japanese forces on the 18th
Troops (6 Tank Rgt) begin unloading at Kuantan on the 19th
Taiping is captured in a 5:1 attack on the 19th

Borneo

BB Fuso TF engages 6 PT's at Singkawang at 1000 yards in 0% moonlight; 5 are sunk; the lone survivor tries to engage the invasion TF by is quickly dispatched by a destroyer (on the 18th)
Allied transports flying into Singkawang are intercepted
Singkawang is captured by 4 Division on the 18th

Philippines

On the 18th:
Troops unload at Zamboanga
Zero's sweep Cagayan downing 4 Warhawk's
Nell's and Betty's bomb Cagayan airfield getting 19 runway hits
Banshee's attack several Japanese TF's in the area, but get only 1 hit on BB Nagato (1 sys damage)
23rd Air Flotilla arrives at Jolo

On the 19th:
Zero's sweep Cagayan downing 4 Warhawk's
Nell's and Betty's bomb Bataan getting 17 runway hits
Betty's bomb 31 PA Div at Clark Field
2 Tank Rgt occupies Cabanatuan
III/90 Inf Bn occupies Dadjangas

China

Ichang LOST !

Ground combat at Ichang (83,48)
Allied Deliberate attack
Attacking force 68748 troops, 424 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 1859
Defending force 14487 troops, 116 guns, 136 vehicles, Assault Value = 540

Allied adjusted assault: 1538

Japanese adjusted defense: 259

Allied assault odds: 5 to 1 (fort level 3)

Allied forces CAPTURE Ichang !!!

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

Japanese ground losses:
6584 casualties reported
Squads: 54 destroyed, 178 disabled
Non Combat: 201 destroyed, 20 disabled
Engineers: 47 destroyed, 11 disabled
Guns lost 57 (30 destroyed, 27 disabled)
Vehicles lost 129 (122 destroyed, 7 disabled)
Units retreated 3

Allied ground losses:
892 casualties reported
Squads: 13 destroyed, 169 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 13 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 7 disabled
Guns lost 7 (1 destroyed, 6 disabled)

Defeated Japanese Units Retreating!

Assaulting units:
67th Chinese Corps
32nd Chinese Corps
59th Chinese Corps
2nd Chinese Corps
45th Chinese Corps
68th Chinese Corps
39th Chinese Corps
8th Chinese Corps
75th Chinese Corps
26th Group Army
33rd Group Army

Defending units:
34th Division
13th Tank Regiment
13th RGC Temp. Division

Note that 34th Div and 13 RGC Temp Div were 100% prepped for Ichang, but a (-) preparation still happened. The 13 Tank Rgt and the adjacent 11 Army HQ were only partly prepped (~10-12%). Kevin was surprised that he captured it with the first attack.

Current situation:





The Chinese unit(s) at Ichang are moving east to relieve the 3 surrounded corps across the river. If he stays in move mode the unit(s) will cross on the 20th and be severely disrupted after the shock attack, but open a retreat route for the 3 trapped corps. If he changes to combat mode the crossing will be 1-2 days later and may be effective if the entire stack moves. The units east of the river are 450 AV (J) to 560 AV (A), with Japanese reinforcements coming and his 1800 AV stack coming from Ichang. To open the cross-river retreat route he would be wise to cross only 1 corps from Ichang. He trashes that corps, but opens the route by hexside control. We'll see.

Other

On the 18th:
Midway was captured
BB Yamashiro arrives at Hong Kong for repair, having fixed 6 flotation and 6 engine damage enroute from Kota Bharu, but it will still be 96 days in shipyard to fix the remaining 15 sys, 9 flot, & 7 eng damage. Maybe I should move her to Shanghai or Nagasaki?

On the 19th:
38 Div departs Hong Kong on transports for Foochow
33 Div arrives at Bangkok

On the 20th:
21 Div begins loading tranports at Takao, destination Wenchow (then Luzon)

Aircraft production changes:
+10 A6M2 Zero at Maebashi
+10 B5N2 Kate at Hiroshima
+10 D3A1 Val at Nagoya
+10 G4M1 Betty at Harbin
+7 Ki-21-IIa Sally at Nagoya
+10 Ki-43-Ic Oscar at Harbin

Engine production changes:
+20 Ha-32 at Nagoya
+10 Ha-34 at Maebashi

R&D changes:
0(1) -> 0(10) A6M5 Zero at Gifu
0(8) -> 0(20) Ki-44-IIa Tojo at Maebashi
0(13) -> 0(20) Ki-45KAIa Nick at Gifu

These changes use 1150 HI, so MSY is shut off for a few days

[Uncivil Engineer]

Malaya

Situation 20 Dec 41





I have the 1st Raiding Rgt at Singora prepping for Malacca. As shown on the map there are 3 armored units available to attack down the west coast. I also have barges moving from Alor Star to Georgetown to ferry troops and supplies down the coast. The question is: Do I want to conduct a paradrop into Malacca, knowing he can reinforce there in 2 days, while it will take 14 days for my armor to reach the airborne troops (7 hexes - move one day, attack the next, all the way down the coast - although faster if some defenders can be destroyed rather than retreated). More recon flights are needed on all the bases around Malacca to be sure I know where his troops are located. The 2 Allied units SW of Taiping have a nominal AV of 82, but the 5th Recon Rgt pushed them out of Taiping with 54 AV and a 5:1 deliberate attack. The defenders have high disruption and poor leaders.

In the meantime, 5th Division will reform at Georgetown; 18th Division will reform at Temuloh after it's capture; Imperial Guards Division is moving south from Alor Star following the armor down the west coast; and 6 Tank Rgt just landed at Kuantan.