Swimming with Sharks! (Burns vs. Shark7)

[Jim D Burns]

SHARK NET, no Sharks allowed


X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X


X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X


X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X


X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X


X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X


X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X



This is a game of scenario 1 with the following settings and house rules:

FOW: On
PDU: On (but no PDU allowed except for the special Japanese 4e planes. In all other cases players must upgrade to the listed plane type for the units)
Dec 7 Surprise: On
Weather: On
Historical first turn: OFF
Realistic R&D: On
Auto Sub Ops: Off
Facility Expand: Off
Auto Upgrade: Off
Auto replacements: OFF

House rules are:

1. Allies: Form no new Task forces on turn 1.
2. Japan: Only 1 port strike turn 1.
3. Only one 4e air unit (any size unit) can be assigned a mission below 10k per base.
4. Aerial minelaying limited to 1 unit per base.
5. ASW patrol by 2e LBA limited to 1 unit per base. Also only 1 CV squadron per hex containing one or more CVs, CVLs or CVEs can be assigned to ASW missions.
6. No strategic bombing by either side is allowed until 1944.
7. No unit can leave a restricted command area without paying PPs first.

The scenario has also been edited with these following changes:

G5N-1, G5N-2, and G8N added as options for Japan (no factories they have to sacrifice to build any).

Increased mine production for both sides, about 400%.

All British and Commonwealth ships (except AMs and CMs) slated to appear at ports in Ceylon now appear at Aden instead. Avoids them being removed from game and added to the sunk ships list if their entry port is taken before their arrival.

7 Dec. 41

With the above house rules, I fully expected to get hammered at Manila rather than Pearl, but the Japanese launched the traditional raid on Pearl. Results for Japan were very poor, as only 22 of the 144 Kates launched torpedoes. No battleships were sunk and damage is the lightest I have ever seen from a Pearl harbor raid.

Damage to the base however was very heavy and the runway is out of commission this turn. Base damage is 28/46/65. I’ve placed all the fighters on CAP 30 just in case repairs this turn allow some to get off the ground if another strike comes in.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Morning Air attack on Pearl Harbor , at 180,107

Weather in hex: Clear sky

Raid detected at 120 NM, estimated altitude 10,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 40 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 68
B5N2 Kate x 144
D3A1 Val x 126



Allied aircraft
no flights

Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 2 destroyed, 6 damaged
B5N2 Kate: 3 destroyed, 16 damaged
D3A1 Val: 1 destroyed, 11 damaged

Allied aircraft losses
PBY-5 Catalina: 8 destroyed on ground
B-18A Bolo: 2 destroyed on ground
P-40B Warhawk: 6 destroyed on ground
A-20A Havoc: 2 destroyed on ground
P-36A Mohawk: 4 destroyed on ground
SBD-1 Dauntless: 5 destroyed on ground
F4F-3 Wildcat: 1 destroyed on ground
O-47A: 1 destroyed on ground
R3D-2: 1 destroyed on ground

Allied Ships
BB Tennessee, Bomb hits 5, heavy fires
BB Oklahoma, Bomb hits 5, Torpedo hits 2, on fire, heavy damage
CM Oglala
xAP St. Mihel
DD Bagley, Bomb hits 1, heavy fires, heavy damage
DM Gamble
BB California, Bomb hits 5, heavy fires
BB Arizona, Bomb hits 1, on fire
CA San Francisco, Bomb hits 2
DD Monaghan, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
BB Pennsylvania, Bomb hits 3, Torpedo hits 2, on fire, heavy damage
BB Maryland, Bomb hits 3, on fire
CL Phoenix, Bomb hits 2, heavy fires
BB West Virginia, Bomb hits 2
CL Helena, Bomb hits 1, on fire
BB Nevada, Bomb hits 6, Torpedo hits 1, heavy fires
DD Reid, Bomb hits 1, heavy fires, heavy damage
DM Tracy, Bomb hits 1, heavy fires
CL St. Louis, Bomb hits 1, heavy fires


Allied ground losses:
23 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 7 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled
Vehicles lost 2 (0 destroyed, 2 disabled)


Airbase hits 37
Airbase supply hits 2
Runway hits 158
Port hits 7
Port fuel hits 4

Aircraft Attacking:
12 x A6M2 Zero bombing from 100 feet
Airfield Attack: 2 x 60 kg GP Bomb
9 x D3A1 Val releasing from 1000'
Airfield Attack: 1 x 250 kg GP Bomb
27 x B5N2 Kate bombing from 9000 feet
Port Attack: 1 x 800 kg AP Bomb
15 x A6M2 Zero bombing from 100 feet
Airfield Attack: 2 x 60 kg GP Bomb
9 x D3A1 Val releasing from 3000'
Airfield Attack: 1 x 250 kg GP Bomb
27 x B5N2 Kate bombing from 9000 feet
Port Attack: 1 x 800 kg AP Bomb
4 x A6M2 Zero sweeping at 15000 feet
18 x B5N2 Kate bombing from 9000 feet
Port Attack: 1 x 800 kg AP Bomb
9 x D3A1 Val releasing from 1000'
Airfield Attack: 1 x 250 kg GP Bomb
4 x A6M2 Zero sweeping at 15000 feet
4 x D3A1 Val releasing from 2000'
Airfield Attack: 1 x 250 kg GP Bomb
18 x B5N2 Kate bombing from 9000 feet
Port Attack: 1 x 800 kg AP Bomb
10 x D3A1 Val releasing from 1000'
Airfield Attack: 1 x 250 kg GP Bomb
22 x B5N2 Kate launching torpedoes at 200 feet
Port Attack: 1 x 18in Type 91 Torpedo
9 x D3A1 Val releasing from 3000'
Airfield Attack: 1 x 250 kg GP Bomb
27 x B5N2 Kate bombing from 9000 feet
Port Attack: 1 x 800 kg AP Bomb
9 x D3A1 Val releasing from 1000'
Airfield Attack: 1 x 250 kg GP Bomb
8 x D3A1 Val releasing from 3000'
Airfield Attack: 1 x 250 kg GP Bomb
9 x D3A1 Val releasing from 1000'
Airfield Attack: 1 x 250 kg GP Bomb
11 x D3A1 Val releasing from 2000'
Airfield Attack: 1 x 250 kg GP Bomb
6 x D3A1 Val releasing from 1000'
Airfield Attack: 1 x 250 kg GP Bomb
10 x D3A1 Val releasing from 2000'
Airfield Attack: 1 x 250 kg GP Bomb
7 x D3A1 Val releasing from 2000'
Airfield Attack: 1 x 250 kg GP Bomb
8 x D3A1 Val releasing from 2000'
Airfield Attack: 1 x 250 kg GP Bomb
4 x D3A1 Val releasing from 3000'
Airfield Attack: 1 x 250 kg GP Bomb
4 x D3A1 Val releasing from 3000'
Airfield Attack: 1 x 250 kg GP Bomb
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Across the rest of the map, Japan conducted typical air raids, but die rolls must have been going against Japan this turn. In total the allies only suffered 70 airframe losses to Japan’s 32.

In what must have been a misunderstanding on my part regarding house rules, I did not change the orders of force Z during my 7 Dec. plots, so it sailed north as usual. My opponent must have assumed I would plot a new course, because no air searches spotted it (I don’t think he even had any flying over that area) and it was not attacked.

Usually I’d have counted this as a small coup and continued sending it north to try and get in among the transports, but I made the boneheaded mistake of telling my opponent in the email I sent with the 7 Dec. plots that I had resisted the urge to retreat the task force.

So even though he didn’t spot it, he now knows without a doubt that it’s out there and I fully expect him to come looking for it this turn. So with a heavy heart I ordered its withdrawal.

The last bit of good news for the allies this turn was this little gem entered in the ops report:



If this last detail is true, then Japan has potentially lost more points in Shipping than I have. I’ve only lost the DD Monaghan 5 points and AMc Crossbill 1 point.

I submit this has got to be the unluckiest first turn Japan has ever rolled for Dec. 7th in both WitP and WitP AE combined. Were my opponent to ask, I think I’d give him a do-over. Then again this next turn may shatter my now defenseless fleet at Pearl, we shall see.

Jim

[John 3rd]

Disgusting PH Strike with the full KB!  You'll have ships ready to go pretty quick.
 

[Jim D Burns]

ORIGINAL: John 3rd
Disgusting PH Strike with the full KB!  You'll have ships ready to go pretty quick.

Looking it over again, I think his problem is with the altitude setting of his Kates. They bombed with the big 800kg AP bombs from 9k which indicates they glide bombed instead of dive bombed. I bet that caused a ton of misses, which would explain why very little damage was done overall.

Anyone know what the minimum altitude is to get your single engine planes to dive bomb?

Jim

[Grfin Zeppelin]

Ah Kates dont dive bomb.

[Nomad]

9000 feet is the default that they are set with. If you do a historical start they bomb at 9000 and drop to 200 for torps.

[Jim D Burns]

8-13 Dec 41

Well needless to say this past game week has been brutal as Japan happily sails about sinking all my fleeing ships that are trying to leave Luzon. I had sent tankers west south and east in hopes at least one would survive, but he nailed them all. A few ships have managed to seep through, but for the most part not much survives.

The US Asiatic fleet ships got out fine, as I pulled them out right away. Those and the Force Z ships that got away means I have a decent surface threat in the DEI for now.

One bit of good news happened this past turn. Japan was greedy and must have had all his naval air on max range naval attack outside escort range. I had a task force that got hammered south of Manila, so I ordered it under the protection of my P-35A’s and P-26A’s stationed at Cagayan.

The Ryujo’s Kates made 2 long range attacks on the task force this turn and my P-35A’s shot down 9 in air to air and another appears to have crashed on landing. They still managed to finish off the previously damaged Langley and an AM though, so it wasn’t totally one sided, but it’s nice to put a little hurt on the pilots who’ve killed so many of my ships recently.



In the land war, Japan had made a direct landing at San Fernando on Luzon and my division that starts there hadn’t had enough time to leave yet, so I had to stand and fight. I was easily repulsed, thus destroying about ½ of the division’s combat abilities.

Given the utter lack of effectiveness of my combat units, I’ve ordered a withdraw to consolidate power at Clark Field and Manila. I’m currently struggling with the notion of simply abandoning Manila and putting the majority of my troops at Clark Field.

I’m of the opinion the allies are hard wired to lose in the land game on all fronts, so the only way I think I can make a fight of it for even close to the historical 5 months is if I preserve my strength long enough for morale and experience to creep up.

And I don’t have much confidence that’ll happen if I divide my troops between the two hexes of Clark and Manila. What does everyone think? Anyone had success holding both for any significant period of time against a human opponent?

On Malaya I’ve withdrawn all my troops into Singapore and they are busy resting and getting their morale up so hopefully they won’t surrender en-mass in their first combats. Once their morale is up to 50+, I’ll assess the situation and decide whether to fight forward or simply make a stand at Singapore. It all really depends on my opponent and how fast he advances.

We had a close call with the allied CVs. Apparently Japan came looking for my CVs after Pearl, and they made a huge air strike on Johnston Island. The very next turn my CV’s spotted two Japanese AMC’s a bit south of Johnston and made a long range strike on them landing a single bomb hit.

I’ve been evading possible interception ever since, and so far we haven’t spotted each other. I think I’ll keep up the evasion until my fuel gets low, as I’ve had no indication of KBs whereabouts and he could very well still be dogging my heels trying to find me.

Jim