popular demand

[mogami]

Hi, Any requests for side or scenario? Maybe I can get a PBEM opponent.

[mariovalleemtl]

Ok. I take the IJN again the world. You pick the senario you wont Russell but it must be a early one.

mario

[Xargun]

As for any specific scenarios, I'm sure anything I could think of you guys already have developed or in the running. As for a PBEM opponent Mogami I am willing to take you on. From what everyone says, I will most likely get creamed... but how else can I learn the game completely, except from one of the masters ?

Xargun

[mogami]

Hi, Scenario 15 versus Allied AI. I'll update air war status and general situation on the 1st and 15th of every month.

[mogami]

Hi, Air Report
A2A 31-3
DOG 206-2
AA 2-66
Ops 29-14
Total 268-85
Sortie 15,015-3,546

Most notable event to date. 7x9k Japanese TK loaded with fuel moving from Japan to Davao encountered 4 USN DD 120 miles off coast of Luzon 3 TK sunk. There were no escort in base TF formed and I sent 6xDD from another base to meet TF at Davao. (guess I should have...a) waited for escort or B) set escort TF to follow TK TF and then combined)
action occured in all ocean hex.

[mogami]

Hi, Air War. I'm using a hit squad of 3 Daitai A6M2 (81 aircraft) combined with naval bombardment of enemy airfields. (In prior games I was always reluctant to bombard airfields I intended on capturing. This game I am more interested in the rapid destruction of enemy aircraft)

A2A 63-6
DOG 337-2
AA 16-98
Ops 74-56
Total 490-162
Sortie 45,651-12,007

14th Army has captured all Luzon except Lamon Bay and Bataan.

Invasion force on way to Rabaul

25th Army 60 miles from Mersing on east coast of Malaya.

[Damien Thorn]

ORIGINAL: Mogami
Sortie 45,651-12,007

The allies fly more sorties than you even at this early point in the war? I thought Japan started with way more aircraft.

[Fallschirmjager]

Use the A-Bomb

I want to see that

[mogami]

ORIGINAL: Damien Thorn

ORIGINAL: Mogami
Sortie 45,651-12,007

The allies fly more sorties than you even at this early point in the war? I thought Japan started with way more aircraft.

Hi, No the Japanese begin with almost the same number of aircraft as allies. But the Japanese are all in the combat area (or close enough to transfer there rapidly) The Allied aircraft are scattered about often unable to transfer without loading onto AK.

[Damien Thorn]

ORIGINAL: Mogami

ORIGINAL: Damien Thorn

ORIGINAL: Mogami
Sortie 45,651-12,007

The allies fly more sorties than you even at this early point in the war? I thought Japan started with way more aircraft.

Hi, No the Japanese begin with almost the same number of aircraft as allies. But the Japanese are all in the combat area (or close enough to transfer there rapidly) The Allied aircraft are scattered about often unable to transfer without loading onto AK.

Right, so that would make the numbers (45,651-12,007) even more unusual. I am reading that right as Allied-Japanese sorties, right?

[mogami]

Hi, There are the same number of aircraft however I'm not flying many of my groups. (The Manchuria/Korea groups) I've ordered all trained groups in Home Islands to stand down. Only CAP over airfields in range of enemy LBA, Patrol missions are flown each turn. (plus a limited number of bombing missions)
The AI on the other hand is recording missions flown by Soviet CAP, training of groups in USA and far from combat, Patrol aircraft for many bases. (I only fly patrol from certain bases at present I will increase this as time goes by and my groups move to their new ASW/Patrol fields, I'm building bases and moving supply to support these ops at present)
In other words all my sortie are in SRA/combat zones while AI is flying everywhere.

[Mike Scholl]

It will help if you think of the abreviation "AI" as standing for "Animated Ignorance"
rather than some form of "Automated Intelligence". This is not a knock at 2by3, but
a general observation of the way these things work. They tend to substitute a lot of
activity for the lack of a coherant plan of operation. Whereas Mogami has a plan, and
it's based on wasting as little of his resources as possible, and only for the chance of
a worthwhile gain. It's the same dicotomy that causes the AI to send out small "sac-
rificial" one-carrier TF's as fast as it gets new ships available when a real player would
hold them back until he had enough available to do something besides get them killed.

[mogami]

Hi, First attack at Bataan. Japanese have another div and a Bde moving to hex.

Ground combat at Bataan

Japanese Deliberate attack

Attacking force 122482 troops, 1414 guns, 193 vehicles

Defending force 76955 troops, 837 guns, 198 vehicles

Japanese engineers reduce fortifications to 6

Japanese assault odds: 0 to 1 (fort level 6)


Japanese ground losses:
Men lost 2327
Guns lost 76
Vehicles lost 17

Allied ground losses:
Men lost 2025
Guns lost 34
Vehicles lost 2

[mogami]

Hi, Two items of interest. The AI placed a high value on Canton Island. I was amazed to find 13k troops there when I landed. (Good thing I sent extra)
The Chinese have launched an offensive that captured Hainyang and broke the railroad connection from Yenen. I'll have to postphone my attack on Honan to recapture the place.

[mogami]

Hi, Heavy fighting has been taking place at Bataan for the past week. Japanese loss exceeds 15,000 men.
Kendari has been captured.
The first landings on Java underway at Kragen. I intend to use Kragen as a base and march overland to secure the Island.

Air War status
A2A 75-11
DOG 545-5
AA 23-119
Ops 106-73
Total 749-208
Sortie 76,282-21,008

[mogami]

Hi, Several events that merit a report. Bataan has fallen. Before we get too excited I will point out that the Japanese forces were much larger then historical. I sent the entire 14th and 16th Army's along with Southern Area Army's two reserve divisions.

Forces uesd in PI and their current status. (Note: all Japanese formations begin the war at 100 percent or more. Many of the Divisions begin over their normal TOE) Also the following reflects the units having just received replacements (Southern Area Army HQ is located at Clark Field with major supply. After Bataan fell all the units received replacements) First number is combat ready second is percent of TOE
14th and 16th Army (A Japanese Army is really what most nations would call a Corps)
2nd Div (69/97)
4th Div (59/95)
16th Div (70/104)
21st Div (72/99)
38th Div (69/99)
48th Div (70/104)
65th Bde (70/104)
4th Tank Rgt (56/56)
7th Tank Rgt (47/47)
8th Tank Rgt (95/99)
15th Mortar Bn (100/100)
1st Hvy FA Rgt (95/100)
8th Hvy FA Rgt (97/100)
17th Hvy FA Rgt (97/100)
1st Engineer Rgt (94/100)
3rd Engineer Rgt (97/100)
21st Engineer Rgt (94/99)

In China the Japanese have cleared the RR from Canton in the South all the way to Yenen in the North. Japanese intentions in China have been fully realized with two exceptions. I still would like to take Homan just to push the Chinese back away from the RR another 200 miles (Homan is located on a East-West RR trunk and so it one of the better locations for the Chinese to mass for an offensive of their own)
And I would like to cut the supply paths into China. (This is a job for Burma Area Army.)

Ground combat at Bataan

Japanese Deliberate attack

Attacking force 136124 troops, 890 guns, 284 vehicles

Defending force 52909 troops, 152 guns, 135 vehicles

Japanese engineers reduce fortifications to 0

Japanese assault odds: 2 to 1 (fort level 0)

Japanese forces CAPTURE Bataan base !!!


Japanese ground losses:
Men lost 830
Guns lost 21
Vehicles lost 4

Allied ground losses:
Men lost 83390
Guns lost 332
Vehicles lost 79

[mogami]

Hi, The IJN CV make a port attack. Notice no torpedo hits.


Air attack on Soerabaja , at 22,65

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 17
B5N Kate x 129

Japanese aircraft losses
B5N Kate: 19 damaged

Allied Ships
SS O16, Bomb hits 4, on fire, heavy damage
AVD William B. Preston, Bomb hits 4, on fire, heavy damage
AP Van Neck, Bomb hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
DD Ellet, Bomb hits 3, on fire, heavy damage
AVD Childs, Bomb hits 1, on fire
SS KVII, Bomb hits 2, on fire, heavy damage
AP Van Riebeek, Bomb hits 1, on fire
AVD Heron, Bomb hits 3, on fire, heavy damage
SS KXIV, Bomb hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
AD Black Hawk, Bomb hits 1
DD Gridley, Bomb hits 3, on fire, heavy damage
AP Siberg, Bomb hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
AP Van Landsberge, Bomb hits 2, on fire, heavy damage
AP Van Imhoff, Bomb hits 2, on fire
SS O20, Bomb hits 1, on fire
DD Maury, Bomb hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
AP Rochussen, Bomb hits 1, on fire
TK Manatawny, Bomb hits 1
DD McCall, Bomb hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
AP Speelman, Bomb hits 1, heavy damage


Allied ground losses:
Men lost 93
Guns lost 3
Vehicles lost 1

Port hits 5
Port fuel hits 1
Port supply hits 3

Aircraft Attacking:
23 x B5N Kate bombing at 10000 feet
23 x B5N Kate bombing at 10000 feet
19 x B5N Kate bombing at 10000 feet
20 x B5N Kate bombing at 10000 feet
24 x B5N Kate launching torpedoes at 200 feet
20 x B5N Kate bombing at 10000 feet
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

What the Vals were up to.
Air attack on 6th Coastal Gun Battalion, at 22,65

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 17
D3A Val x 138

Japanese aircraft losses
D3A Val: 1 destroyed, 11 damaged


Allied ground losses:
Men lost 98
Guns lost 1

Aircraft Attacking:
24 x D3A Val bombing at 2000 feet
23 x D3A Val bombing at 2000 feet
21 x D3A Val bombing at 2000 feet
21 x D3A Val bombing at 2000 feet
24 x D3A Val bombing at 2000 feet
24 x D3A Val bombing at 2000 feet
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[Damien Thorn]

ORIGINAL: Mogami

Hi, The IJN CV make a port attack. Notice no torpedo hits.

Aircraft Attacking:
23 x B5N Kate bombing at 10000 feet
23 x B5N Kate bombing at 10000 feet
19 x B5N Kate bombing at 10000 feet
20 x B5N Kate bombing at 10000 feet
24 x B5N Kate launching torpedoes at 200 feet
20 x B5N Kate bombing at 10000 feet

I thought 1/2 of the planes would use torpedoes and the other half would use 800kg bombs. Here it looks like way more than half were using the 800kg bombs. Of course, since all the torpedoes missed, that might be a good thing.

It it not split 50/50? Is it the just a 50/50 chance for either weapon which is determined dynamically at the time of the attack?

[mogami]

Hi, Air update
A2A 87-12
DOG 553-5
AA 23-162
Ops 127-93
Total 790-272
Sortie 106,508-29,775

FOW is on and I'm not peeking.
Ships sunk
82 allied
2xBB 3xCA, 5xCL, 5xDD, 48xAK/AP , 2xTk, 5xSS (4 in port) 6xAUX)
11 Japanese
3xDD, 3xAP, 3xTK, 2xSS

(I've been averaging 13 turns per day)

[mogami]

Hi, Update time.
A2A 90-12
DOG 655-5
AA 23-185 (43xNell, 43xkate,26xval,23xAnn,14xbetty,10xsonia,7xLily,7xmary,5xZero,)
Ops 139-102
Total 907-304
Sortie 138,519-38,459

Bulk of IJN has returned to Home Islands. 25th Army gathering outside Singapore (resting and waiting for resupply)

15th Army out side Rangoon

Eastern half of Java captured.

FOW on
115 Allied ships reported sunk. (value 1,443)
12 Japanese ships lost (value 76)

Army points lost
Allied 4,698
Japanese 131

Score
Allied 6,022
Japanese 9,743

72 turns complete (avg 12 per day)