From Here to Eternity 1275psi (J) vs Cantona2 (A)

[cantona2]

The AE bug has well and truly bit me and I reinstalled the game, fully patched and arted up and contacted my old friend and oppnent 1275psi for a rematch to which I am very gald he duly accepted. I return to AE after 5 years or so even though I have been lurking on the forums and keeping an eye on the game's development in the interim.

We are playing Scenario 1 (Updated) with a historical turn 1 and the usual HRs. Herb initially started with Withdrawals off but we had to restart due to a version clash and he agreed to my request to have withdrawals on as per historical dates in order to try and have as accurate a game as possible that was true to history (PH attack was quite the opposite as you will see!).

So without further ado I delve into the AAR ring one more time as Herbiesan and Admiral Cantona once again cross swords across the wide blue Pacific.

[cantona2]

Sunday 7th December 1941
Pearl Harbour, Ohau
15:00

Smoke. Fire. Death.
Smoke. Fire. Death.
Smoke. Fire. Death.

A tattered remnant of a battle pennant of battleship floats in the Hawaii air as it crackles with the sound of burning ships and the shrill wail of siren upon siren. The American flag at the centre of Hickham Field hangs by a charred thread, its vibrant red and white stripes riddled with holes, its white stars and blue field charred by smoke. Below and around it lie the wrecks of many USAAF planes, some still recognisable as a P-40 here or a Bolo-18 there. Most, however, resemble lumps of metal, canvas and wood. As far from the graceful lines of an airplane one can go. Worse still are the prone bodies, and parts of bodies strewn across the shattered aerodrome. Bodies that enjoyed a last dance, a last embrace, a last walk on the beach on Saturday evening. Bodies that met an end when the Rising Sun burst from the dawn and delivered death from above in a merciless fashion.

As one pans out to the harbour the vision of hell only increases in scope and desperation. Nevada, Oklahoma, California and Pennyslvania are no more. Three lie bottom up in the shallows of the harbour, the desperate cries from within their hulks lessening by the hour. The Oklahoma in particular is one hellish specatacle as the fires of its former ammo holds keep resuce teams away, the fire hoses losing the battle. The Penny lies gutted open as if a giant had gone through her with a tin opener.

The crusiers New Orleans and St Louis lie gutted and broken. Little remains intact of the former as it was hit by 6 aerially launched torpedoes that obliterated her. The latter lies torn in two, a 800kg bomb had pierced her deck armour and had exploded in a furnace. A second 800kg bomb and literally split the ship in two mere seconds later. Bodies in white uniforms float unceremoniously around the remains of the ships. Many are partly clothed indicating that surprise was total and these men met their fate running to their posts from their bunks.

The city also burns as divebombers had targetted military installations and hospitals with uncanny accuracy, a paranoia was beginning to grip survivors and the first incidents against Nisei Americans were being reported to an indifferent local police authority that was reeling from shock.

Wheeler Field and the Naval strip at Ford also burn. Black pyres rise skywards from bombed oil and fuel depots a fitting shroud to the death of the Hawaiian airforce lying shattered on the pulverised concrete. Small flights of fighters impotently fly CAP over the remains of Pearl Harbour. These planes escaped the hellstorm being based on satellite fields around the main base their pilots shocked into numbness as their consciousness refused to believe what their senses were telling them. A carrier strike at Pearl Harbour...impossible...Japan too far way...impossibe...

Yet below their wings the evidence was splayed all over the place. Not a single search plane was up, indeed not one Catalina remained operational across Ohau! Yet hope springs eternal. Here and there a white wreck or a green wreck permeates through the blue of the Navy and Marine planes and through the drab olive green of the Army. At least 20 Japanese fighters were downed as they strafed across the airfields at head height. Likewise several torpedo bombers were splashed in the harbour with one crash landing almost intact on Hickam.

As shock begins to turn to fury some of that ire is turned towards the Navy's carriers. 'Where the hell were they?' some shout. Accusations of cowardice begin to be directed at the Navy's air arm, however cooler heads are accutely aware of the lucky escape both the Lexington and the Enterprise have had. Japan's navy had just demonstrated to the world the unbridled power of the aircraft carrier; the Lady and the Big E would have just been large helpless targets for the Japanese bombers to practise on had they been caught in port. Indeed those cooler heads, thankfully a lot of them at CINCPAC (the irony), now regarded those two ships as the most valuable in the wide expanse of the Pacific.

[cantona2]

A devastating PH strike by Herb, certainly the heaviest I have suffered in any game both of WitP or AE. Naval air search almost 100% destroyed. Bomber arm shredded. Fighters didnt come off too badly but disruption and damaged frames aplenty. So many ships were hit that the replay of the PH strike lasted for full on 10 minutes. All BBs are either sunk or heavily damaged. A second strike would have most likely sunk all heavy surface action craft at PH. Kudos to the Japanese dice gods!

Herb, however did suffer a very high attrition rate on his Zeroes from flak losses. He must have had them set at 100ft as there were at least 20 shot down by flak. PH is now invested by every Japanese submarine in their OOB, or so it seems! What little air power I have left is soley invested in trying to pinpoint the location of the KB that disappeared after the attack, and keeping the submarines honest.

This is what was sunk outright at PH on 7-12-41

[cantona2]

Elsewhere it was a very quiet day across the Pacific with the usual opening moves, I guess a product of the historical start. That said however, Pearl Harbour was avenged over the skies of Iba and Georgetown respectively. A squadron of Sallies was destroyed in Malaya as they hit Georgetown without escort and the Buffaloes of No.21 RAF Squadron tore into them with abandon. Over Iba it was the P-40s of the 3rd Pursuit Squadron that shredded an escorted strike of G3Ms targetting their base.

HMS Prince of Wales survived an attack on Froce Z, air cover from Singapore keeping her safe though she took one torpedo. HMS Repulse however was lost late in the afternoon following a second torpedo attack that scored 4 devastating hits on her sending her to the bottom. Allied honour at sea was maintained by the Dutch submarine arm with the Japanese destroyer Shinonome being sunk off Patani.

Further to the south Singapore's search planes have spotted Japanese vessels off the Malayan coast on a South Westerly heading. Are they headed to Mersing? Surely they will not try for Singapore itself? In the event of a landing on Mersing Vildebeests and Swordfish have deployed to Kuala Lumpur where 223 RAF Group have a small torpedo depot available for use.

[cantona2]

Post Action Report

9th December 1941
Task Force 167
VADM T.Phillips Commanding

Contact was made with enemy surface action task force at dawn on 9th December approximately 40 NM NE of Muntok, Sumatra. Radar on HMS Mauritius reported enemy contacts at 06:43 with visuals at 25,000 yards at 08:03. Main forward battery on HMS Prince of Wales opened fire at 08:15. First salvo fell short and Battle Speed one ordered as four enemy destroyers (3 Type Fubuki and 1 Type Kagero).

Enemy formation seen to deploy for torpedo attack but no hits recorded on own ships. HMS Prince of Wales scored first 14inch hit at 08:34 with flank enemy DD taking a full broadside, heeling hard to port and keeling over almost immediately. Enemy ships found range of escorting ships with both HMS Mauritius and HMS Stronghold taking solid hits. No damage to the former some damage to engines and pumps to latter.

Own destroyers race ahead of capital ships and engage in gunnery duel with closing enemy with range at 8,000 yards. HMS Electra heavily damaged by direct hit on forward turret while HMAS Vendetta and HMS Jupiter moderately damaged. 3 enemy vessels damged enough to start fires and lose speed allowing HMS Prince of Wales to sink two with main guns while leaving the 3rd remaining enemy ship burning from bow to stern and floundering. Order to disengage given at 08:47 with TF ordered to Batavia. HMS Electra detached and ordered to Palembang for emergency repairs.

Ammo staus - LOW

[cantona2]

There were no landings at Mersing and perhaps the crusiers spotted the last turn were these four destroyers. I now count 5 Fubukis sunk in the first two days of the war. Two by subs off Patani and now these 3. Shinonome, Usugumo, Fubuki, Hatsuyuki, and Shirayuki. Not bad going.

[witpqs]

Well done.

[cantona2]

Thanks

[cantona2]

10th December 1941

A vast armada was descending South through the Sulu Sea. They were escapees from Manila harbour. Ships large and small. Warships, tenders, cargo and transport ships. Minesweepers and gunboats all running from the red tide descending on them. The weather had been on their side for 48 hours as a tropical thunder storm bracketed the Sulu Sea in high seas and dense rain and cloud. It made for rough sailing but the crews on those ships fancied their chances against the weather better than any Japanese shipping the area.

December 10th however dawned bright and clear and it was not long before the nascent sunshine was glinting off metal high up in the skies as Japanese search planes began to frantically radio back contact reports to their base ships. Circling around the herd were two seperate cruiser task forces and at least one carrier task force that unleashed death on the largely defenceless ships. First, and painfully so, to go was the submarine tender Holland that was sunk by enemy torpedo planes in the straits between Borneo and the Celebes. Joining her in the deep were a further 5 transports near Jolo Island as the cruiser Myoko led her task force into the hunt; their largest prey the oiler Trinity. The vast body of the herd has now set a course around Mindanao as they seek to avoid the attention of the Japanese hunters.

[cantona2]

Elsewhere some small measure of revenge was carried out by the Iba PT squadron that was able to raid enemy ships unloading at Vigan sinking one small troop laden transport and heavily damaging another. SS KXIII also sunk another small troop transport off Soc Trang. On a more concerning note was the realisation that many US submarine captains were coming to. Several boats had been reporting hits on a lot of ships transiting the Formosa/Luzon shipping lanes but not registering explosions from their torpedoes. Has the Navy sent submarines out to fight with a faulty weapon?

The Chinese 26th Army Corps was able to recapture Ichang and at the same time maul the 13th Infantry Division as it was caught unawares abandoning its positions. 26th Army Corps now await orders form above to either exploit of consolidate.

[RangerJoe]

Another option for the fleeing ships from Manila is to send them East and avoid the Sulu Sea.

[cantona2]

ORIGINAL: RangerJoe

Another option for the fleeing ships from Manila is to send them East and avoid the Sulu Sea.

Yep. I also have several TF's approaching the Jima's heading to Midway. Herb has been very quiet these first two turns and I am wondering he is going to crop up.

[RangerJoe]

Somebody actually saved the Dewey by sending it East.

[cantona2]

ORIGINAL: RangerJoe

Somebody actually saved the Dewey by sending it East.

In my last game against Herb I waited until the last possible moment and sent most of Manila's refugees East the bulk via the Pescadores Straits and was able to save about 75% of the them.

[Bif1961]

Like the Phoenix you will rise from the flames of PH.

[cantona2]

CVs Lexington and Enterprise steamed into Pearl Harbour at the head of their respective task forces. Sullen faces manned the sides of the ship as their companies stood too. Smoke still clung to the air and the smell of rot and burning still very much in evidence. Tired and angry faces turned towards the carriers as they steamed in. Their air wings settled on the repaired fields aroung Pearl amid piled wrecks of destroyed planes. As the ships came along side many a sailor felt the pangs of guilt as they surveyed the wrecks around them, the round the clock work the repair facilities were putting in. Their ordeal of the last few days seemed minor in comparison. Air crews driven to the point of exhaustion and ship engines to the limit of their endurance as the carriers played a deadly game of cat and mouse with the Japanese shoal of submarines surrounding Ohau. It had taken a maximum effort to get the carriers in safely and their crews longed for some shore time; sentiments that soon changed when they saw the devastation dealt to Pearl Harbour. Thoughts now turned to revenge and hitting the Jap back with a taste of his own medicine.

Those thoughts, however, would need to wait. Search planes kept on reporting contact with enemy subs in Hawaiian waters and an emergency signal was picked up from the SS Hirondelle from near the Leeward Islands that she was going down following two torpedo hits. With no aircraft in sight it was clear that she was a victim of sub attack. She was enroute to resupply Wake Island and return with the Wildcats there. These waters were still dangerous...

[cantona2]

After Action Report 16th December 1941
Hong Kong Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron (BPB 60' Type)
O/C Lt. G.STEVENSON

War stations called midnight 7th December 1941 following reports from Singapore that Force Z was under aerial attack by Japanese planes off coast of Malaya. First patrol was around immediate area of Victoria Harbour and Lye Mun Passage. First artillery shells recorded falling on Kowloon at approx 04:30. First aerial attack on port facilities and Victoria at 05:15. General War Order No1 given at 05:45 and squadron ordered to make towards open sea with destination Phillippines. First report of attack on Pearl Harbour received 10:35 while at sea.

Luzon coast sighted morning of 9th December with sqn splitting into two task forces. One based at Manilla and the other under my command at Iba. Co-operation with USN elements excellent and immediately set on joint patrols off Vigan with USN PTs. First enemy contact made 12th December at 06:25 hours after sqn intercepted Japanese landings off Vigan. One Ansyu-C Cargo Class ship sunk by 18inch MK XII Torpedo. Escorts evaded no casualties.

Second enemy contact on 14th December 1941 in joint operation with USN PT Sqn. Poor co-operation exhibited with coordinated strike failing to make contact. Several enemy cargo vessels damaged by .303 machine guns. Chased off by enemy escorts. Light damage to MTB 11 requiring light repairs at Iba.

Third and final enemy contact Vigan, 16th December 1941 at 05:47. 1 Yusen N Cargo Class vessel (carrying fuel) and 1 Tomoruzu Class escort vessel sank by 18inch MK XII Torpedo. MTB 12 and MTB 26 lost with all hands following direct hits from enemy 5inch guns. Retreated to Iba with empty tubes.

With no possibilty of rearmament remaining boats have been scuttled at Iba and crews being airlifted to DEI with a view to rebasing at Singapore. Hong Kong MTB Squadron is hereby dissolved.

Total Casualties: 6 MTBs 2 crews (18 men)

17th December 1941
G.STEVENSON, Lt RN Commanding

[cantona2]

San Francisco Chronicle
16th December 1941
China Front Correspondant T.Louis.

A group of hardy American flyers yesterday stamped their names and the name of their unit over the war in China as the Japanese Army Air Force suffered a heavy defeat over the skies of Luichow. Flying under the name 'American Volunteer Group' this hotchpot group of regulars, demobed flyers and volunteers have been supporting the Chinese who have no real air power of their own to combat the vast resources Japan has arrayed against them.

Yesterday the AVG tussled with the Japanese air force in a running battle that run through most of the afternoon as they were repeatedly scrambled to counter Japanese dive bombers attacking Chinese positions around the city of Luichow. From the moment of alert these brave Americans tore into the Japs with abandon, the noses of their aeroplanes painted in the visage of a toothed shark. Jap plane after Jap plane fell from the sky to the cheers of the Chinese infantry manning the trenches below. By day's end 30 enemy aircraft had been shot down and the war has its first 'Ace'; Captain R.Brouk.

Here we see Captain Brouk sat on the nose of his airplane along with the other 'scorers' of yesterday's action.

[RangerJoe]

ORIGINAL: cantona2

San Francisco Chronicle
16th December 1941
China Front Correspondant T.Louis.

A group of hardy American flyers yesterday stamped their names and the name of their unit over the war in China as the Japanese Army Air Force suffered a heavy defeat over the skies of Luichow. Flying under the name 'American Volunteer Group' this hotchpot group of regulars, demobed flyers and volunteers have been supporting the Chinese who have no real air power of their own to combat the vast resources Japan has arrayed against them.

Yesterday the AVG tussled with the Japanese air force in a running battle that run through most of the afternoon as they were repeatedly scrambled to counter Japanese dive bombers attacking Chinese positions around the city of Luichow. From the moment of alert these brave Americans tore into the Japs with abandon, the noses of their aeroplanes painted in the visage of a toothed shark. Jap plane after Jap plane fell from the sky to the cheers of the Chinese infantry manning the trenches below. By day's end 30 enemy aircraft had been shot down and the war has its first 'Ace'; Captain R.Brouk.

Here we see Captain Brouk sat on the nose of his airplane along with the other 'scorers' of yesterday's action.

At $US500 per enemy plane shot down, of course those hotshot pilots tore into the Japanese planes. [&o]

[cantona2]

21st December 1941 SitRep

Japanese forces begin to exert pressure on the Manila/Bataan/Clarke triangle form both North and South. Despite heavy interdiction by S-Boats in the transit from Formosa to Luzon, the Japanese have now mustered enough force to move south. Recon planes have spotted columns of troops moving south while there has been increased aerial support for the enemy with fighters being staged in Vigan. That said what is left of the Philippines air force has been hitting back at enemy shipping. P-35's have twice stuck at ships unloading at Aparri though they were effectively scratched off as a fighting force yesterday. b-17s and P-40e's out of Cagayan have also interdicted Japanese shipping landing on Mindanao as well.

All shipping is now out of the immediate battle area with all the valuable support ships, bar two submarine tenders, now safe in alternative bases or in Allied waters. The stage is now set for the final battles in the Philippines and we await the blow