Newbie AAR, Japan vs. Allied AI

[FDRLincoln]

I bought this game about a week ago, and I have to say it is a dream come true.

Started a game against the AI, as Japan, to learn the system. My results so far:

The current date is March 1, 1942. I've taken most of Malaya and much of Burma, including Rangoon. I have also seized all of the west coast of Borneo, and about half of the east coast, including major oil resources. In the Phillipines, I have most of the American/Phillipine army bottled up on Bataan, and am about to launch a massive "crush" attack under General Homma. Smaller American garrisons are scattered on the remaining Phillipine islands, but I have a tight cordon around the islands and no shipping is getting through to them. They will starve eventually.

I have taken Wake, Guam and Tarawa, and am busily fortifying various Pacific islands in the Gilberts and Marshalls.

The Pearl Harbor strike was a disappointment. I badly damaged several battleships but as far as I can tell, none of them sank. Thought about relieving Nagumo, but left him in command of KB for now. KB's second mission was a raid down to Brisbane in late December/early January, where they wrecked havoc on allied shipping. Third mission was in cooperation with other units against Singapore.

Shokaku and Zuikaku have been split off into a different task force under Yamaguchi and are based in Truk. The rest of KB goes from place to place as needed.

The Allies are still holding on to Singapore, which has so far resisted two overland infantry assaults. But shipping can't get through and they will starve eventually.

An attempt to seize Rabaul for a future forward base has proved more difficult than anticipated. Three New Zealand infantry units hold the base and have resisted fanatically two amphibious invasions. But my next attempt will be much stronger and should carry the day.

Ship losses:

I have lost the CVE Hosho, torpedo hit from a Beafort bomber based in Singapore. I've lost 2 of the old light cruisers and a handful of destroyers. Allied ASW has so far sank 5 of my submarines, but I've taken a tool on allied shipping in response. The carrier Shoho was recently torpedoed by a Dutch submarine near Borneo, but after a quick patch up in Brunei, it looks like she should make Hong Kong for more permanent repairs.

The Allies have lost their entire Asiatic cruiser force, the US cruisers Houston, Pensacola, and Marblehead have all been sunk, along with the Dutch DeRuyter, Java, and the British Leander and Achilles, along with numerous destroyers. I have destroyed a ton of allied shipping in the PI and Borneo areas using both land and naval air and surface ship attack. A division of destroyers snuck under the guns of Singapore one evening and sank four freighters unloading supplies.

Production wise, I have suspended the battleship Musashi and the carrier Shinano, and have diverted the resources to speeding production of aircraft carriers. Junyo was commissioned in late February, and Hiyo isn't far behind. I've also done a massive accelleration of construction in my destroyer and escort programs. Musashi will be resumed once Yamato is complete, but Shinano is likely to remain unfinished.

One problem: I have not seen ANY allied carriers anywhere since December 10th They are lurking out there somewhere....

I have to say that this is the best computer game I have ever purchased. I will likely be playing this ten years from now, so in that sense it is worth the money.

i've only found one bug so far, a crash-to-desktop problem when looking at the ship database. But I know how to avoid it.

[FDRLincoln]

March 2, 1942

Allied CL Boise and CA Canberra Destroyed Off Samar

Two allied cruisers caught off Samar in the Phillipines were annihilated by the gallant aviators of the Imperial Japanese Navy this morning.

Land-based aircraft based at Clark Airfield, liberated last December from the imperialist Americans, found the fleeing allied ships early this morning. Divebombers and torpedo planes from the carriers Akagi, Kaga, Soryu, and Hiryu responded to the sighting. Reports indicate that the Boise, a light cruiser of the American Brooklyn class, was struck by no fewer than 13 bombs and 5 torpedoes. The Canberra, an Australian cruiser with 8-inch weaponry, suffered only slightly less, taking 6 bomb hits and 3 torpedoes. Both ships were reported burning and near sinking condition following the attack.

Elsewhere, the island of Rabaul has been liberated from the decadent Australians, and will rapidly be built into a forward base for the fleet. Air attacks continue on the beleagured British base at Singapore. Meanwhile, the offensive of Imperial Army and attached naval ground forces under the command of General Homma continue to pound the final American garrison at Bataan on the Phillipines. Experts believe the allies can only hold for at most another week.

Correspondents in liberated Rangoon report that the Burmese people are treating the Imperial Army with flowers and garlands. British forces continue their cowardly retreat towards India.