Banzais Don't Make Victories - Anachro (A) vs John 3rd (J) BTS 5.7

[Cheesesteak]

yessss. do itttt

[Anachro]

Dec 6th, 1943 - Battle of Horn Island

Not a super exciting turn, but nonetheless good enough. Our surface forces surprisingly run into nothing and as expected, John flank speeds away with what forces he can. Nonetheless, our subs torpedo CVL Ryuho and an AO tanker, though 2 seperate subs both miss the heavily burning CVE Tatsuta heading for Gove. However, the next morning our bombers find Gove surprisingly without any CAP and managed to put a number of bombs into CV Hiyo and CVE Tastuta. Given that Ryuho wasn't in port, we believe she has sunk (and we get reports to that effect). This brings the total carriers sunk (including those we think will sink) in our estimation for the past two days to: CV Hiyo, CVL Ryuho, CVE Tatsuta, CVE Taiyo, CVE Hie Maru, CVE Kamakura, and CB Aino (confirmed). So 1 CV (heh), 1 CVL, 4 CVEs, and 1 CB. Not too bad. I could have pursued more aggressively, but I had to be cognizant of the other threats to me.

For bad news, CA Minneapolis sinks either in port at Portland Roads or just outside of it; I didn't realize it was in danger and might have forgot to disband it in port.



Anyways, I won't pursue further; I need to head back to Portland Roads to refuel from AOs and replenish my aircraft. Not to mention, I there is the threat from KB still heading southwest towards the Coral Sea, as well as John's many surface vessels at Madang (where I think John tried to perform some sort of CAP trap).

Overall, I think the Horn Island action has been successful: the island is secure and the way is open to Northern Oz and to bypass some key places, and the invasion certainly drew John in. While the risk and my mistakes with defensive CAP caused some unnecessary losses (BB North Carolina and CA Minneapolis), I think the carrier losses to mini-KB is an overall strategic gain that significantly hampers John's ability to cover multiple places with some form of a carrier task force. This could change depending on what John does over the next few days and the outcome, I suppose.

[Bearcat2]

ORIGINAL: alimentary

ORIGINAL: Anachro
That said, I'm surprised by how well the landing turned out despite the ill-effects of the landings/shocks. Did my bombardments reduce the forts from 6 to 0 in one turn? How do you explain that?

Your shock attack obtained 6 to 1 odds. Shock attacks reduce fort value by one for every odds level.

It is in the manual. Somewhere.

8.4.2.2
---------------
"Fortifications can be reduced in level by enemy ground attacks; the Fortification Level of a hex drops by one if the combat odds are 1 to 1 or greater. Each Attack Odds level will reduce the Fortification Level by 1 if all attacking units are using Shock Attack or Bombardment Attack (i.e. 4 to 1 odds would reduce the Fortification Level by 4). Also, combat engineers participating in attacks against bases can reduce fortifications by up to one level per day, making it easier to take the base."

[Anachro]

Dec 7th, 1943

The next day is a pretty good one for me, as my subs do great work and my bombers once again find Gove devoid of CAP. During the night, SS Finback plants two torps into an AO while SS Cabrilla, the lonely sub that was in position to potentially harm John's fleeing, damaged cruisers, finds CA Chikuma and puts her down for good with two torpedoes (confirmed sunk by float planes destroyed on the ground). The next day, our bombers put numerous more bombs into Hiyo and while they aren't too penetrating, the enhanced fired cause her to burn up and she is seen going down in port by Liberator pilots. A couple Mitchells then plant another bomb on the CVE Tatsuta, and the port is last seen devoid of any ships; we believe both the CV and CVE have sunk.

Meanwhile, John does a bombardment of Manus, but I don't think it useful. Numerous surface forces are at Madang, but I think they might be covering some sort of extraction, though I suppose I could launch a strike against it while augmenting Port Moresby's fighter strength to help cover my carriers from the threat of the KB. Speaking of the KB, it continues its meandering route southwest towards me, but I seriously doubt John will attack. My LBA strength gives me a great local advantage if he moves forward for a carrier battle, my carriers have somewhat replenished (and replenished their full torpedo armament complements), and even if he brought his surface forces down, they would quickly run out of ammo whereas my own SCTFs can fully re-arm from Portland Roads. I think the situation is a positive one. What do you think I should do here?



Battle of Horn Island Tally
Japanese Losses: CV Hiyo, CVL Ryuho, 4 CVEs, 1 CB, 1 CA, 1-2 DDs, 2 AOs
Allied Losses: BB North Carolina, CA Minneapolis, 1 DE, 1 DMS, 7 LSTs, 3 xAPs,
Horn Island gained with 24k still trapped on the island.

[Anachro]

Also, this is interesting in my mind: I have been told in the past John likes to try using his emails for psy ops and he made it seem as if the CV Taikaku (which had taken 5-6 torpedoes) was sunk, but based on my most recent intelligence estimate, a certain CV Shokaku was believed sunk in port at Eniwetok on December 7th, 1943. Based on my knowledge of the game, I think this means a very damaged CV Taikaku is not sunk, but in port at Eniwetok. I think it's time to pay a visit again.



I have carriers nearby, but I might want to bring some fast BBs/BCs in from Pearl as well to check things out.

[jwolf]

Congratulations for your continued progress and success against this souped up Japanese OOB. Are you to the point where you can try to set up 2 ops -- one in the South Pacific, and one toward the DEI -- with the idea that the KB has to choose which side of New Guineau and can only defend against one of them?

[Anachro]

There is now essentially only 1 KB force, at least for the moment. Mini-KB is somewhat eliminated as a threat. I already have troops prepped at 100% for operations across all theaters and currently its just a matter of logistics to get them to the invasion beaches. In the Indian Ocean, I was worried about mini-KB as it had pretty much been sticking around in the area of the Bay of Bengal, last seen trying to hit me at Diego Garcia. That threat has been eliminated, and I know where KB is, so I can probably proceed with landings soon. I also know that KB is not up by the Aleutians, etc. Regarding the SoPac/DEI, the way is open into the DEI as John for the most part has appeared to be prepping for a route up Guinea's eastern flank. Planning for ops into the DEI itself are early, but landings for stuff in eastern Guinea are more developed.

One nice thing, however, its certainly more possible now to move up by land to Darwin to take it. Previously, I'd suffered from his 4E bombers hitting me at long-range with no ability to provide CAP protection. I can now have CTFs suppress airfields in the local area to make this possible.

[Canoerebel]

The loss of those carriers might disrupt play for awhile, unless John manages a morale-restoring strike with KB. He's really gonna be glum about those sunk carriers, especially given the issue he had earlier ("when he wasn't paying attention," so called).

[Q-Ball]

Really well played sequence, and love the AAR! I wish I could read your other one!

John shouldn't be too discouraged, he still has a credible defensive CV deterrent, and a crapload of LBA and land forces vs. stock. It's 1944, so Allies should be making noise; if he's prepared adequately, he can make you pay in blood to advance into the Empire.

[paullus99]

He really loves to split his forces, doesn't he?

Yet another instance where he put an inferior carrier force within easy striking distance of a superior Allied Force.

[Canoerebel]

But this is John III we're talking about. Carriers are babies to him. (He's an experienced player who is doggone good defensively - albeit given to leaving holes in his defenses - so he fights like a tiger when his morale is okay.)

[BBfanboy]

ORIGINAL: paullus99

He really loves to split his forces, doesn't he?

Yet another instance where he put an inferior carrier force within easy striking distance of a superior Allied Force.

I think he lost track of the Allied Carriers again and made a guess about where they were based on what he would do. That is usually the set-up to make a big mistake. He is juggling so many bowling pins in his life that I doubt he takes time to consider all possibilities.

[Anachro]

We had gone into hibernation with our carriers, keeping them in port for repairs and sending the Yorktowns down to Brisbane for upgrade. The intention was for John to lose sight of them, perhaps think they'd left the local area. This was sold furthermore by my Horn invasion force only being accompanied by SCTFs and CVEs, which we paid a price for. The risk seems to have paid off though, as John came in and it looked like he though he could trap from all sides. KB was clearly moving in for the kill, to cut off fleeing elements, before my carriers appeared.

[Anachro]

Just got back from dinner. Took the risk and went to a nice restaurant, banking on it being empty. Lucked out: no one was there, even when we were leaving around 6pm. Had an excellent veal chop.



I don't quite know what to do with my carriers here:

1. I can remain at Portland Roads and continue to refuel and recuperate.
2. I can move towards Port Moresby where I can have extensive LBA providing LRCAP while being both in-range to potentially strike Madang or KB. Madang has some juicy targets, but John has 115 fighters there, probably covering an evacuation.
3. I can move towards Milne Bay, limiting exposure to Madang, increasing exposure to KB, while, again, having potentially extensive LBA LRCAP coverage.

[Anachro]

KB has ~400 fighters from what I can tell. The combined number of fighters on my combined CV/CVL/CVEs is: 572 ready, 56 not ready, 7 in reserve. 200 dive bombers, 147 torpedo bombers.

Additionally, 2 Yorktown class CVs are 1 day from upgrade complete at Brisbane. Then I have 2 CVs and 2 CVLs heading towards Truk that can come down to pickoff damaged ships heading back that way from, say, a carrier battle.

EDIT

Just noticed the Junyo-class received a little boost to speed in the mod, more like a normal carrier, well, Kaga-class carrier.

[Chickenboy]

ORIGINAL: Anachro
3.[/b] I can move towards Milne Bay, limiting exposure to Madang, increasing exposure to KB, while, again, having potentially extensive LBA LRCAP coverage.

My vote. [8D]

[Chickenboy]

ORIGINAL: Anachro
Just noticed the Junyo-class received a little boost to speed in the mod, more like a normal carrier, well, Kaga-class carrier.

Of course it did. [8|] IRL, the Junyo/Hiyo were hampered by their craptacular and unreliable engines and poor aircraft elevators. They had small aviation storage hangers and munitions storage functionality and really weren't 'fleet' CVs. If you can rewrite history and change limitations of CV design and augmentation, it's nice to gloss over the limitations of these ships.

[Anachro]

I moved east, but only enough to keep my CVEs in range while getting decent LRCAP advantages. Maybe John will move close enough and have his settings in such a way as to launch a strike that completely mauls his carrier A/C. One can only hope; I'm still waiting for the turn.

[RangerJoe]

ORIGINAL: Chickenboy

ORIGINAL: Anachro
Just noticed the Junyo-class received a little boost to speed in the mod, more like a normal carrier, well, Kaga-class carrier.

Of course it did. [8|] IRL, the Junyo/Hiyo were hampered by their craptacular and unreliable engines and poor aircraft elevators. They had small aviation storage hangers and munitions storage functionality and really weren't 'fleet' CVs. If you can rewrite history and change limitations of CV design and augmentation, it's nice to gloss over the limitations of these ships.

Well, if it is a mod then the engineers actually did their jobs better and figured out the problems before the ships were built.

[Anachro]

Part of the limitations extended from the fact that Hiyo and Junyo were converted passenger liners, albeit ones that the military had helped finance with the stipulation that in wartime they could commandeered for such a purpose. I agree though, in a mod you can certainly come with any sort of alt history explanation for the changes.