Australia Invaded!! NY59Giants (A) vs Olorin (J)

[ny59giants]

In mid-May I asked for an opponent to play the newest version of Reluctant Admiral. I got two replies. The first was from Mike S, who has been MIA for weeks now [:(], to have me play Japan and a second from Olorin (Nick) to have him play Japan. After a few emails, we agreed to play DBB Scenario 30 (stock scenario 2 transferred over to DBB mod format). Except for the two weeks Nick needed to relocate to the UK, we have played a fast paced game. We normally get in 2 to 4 turns per day which is nice. [8D] We are now in the first week of April '42. As the title states, Australia has been invaded in force!! Since this doesn't happen very often, I thought it would be good to have an AAR out for this from the Allied side. I'm good friends with John 3rd and I planted the idea of him doing so in his game. I hope mine doesn't turn out the same way his has as the Allies. [:-]

NO Olorin Allowed beyond this point!!

[ny59giants]

Nick – House Rules
House Rules

1. 1st turn can have multiple port attacks, but ONLY if carriers participate. Manila, Singapore, and Pearl may have Fighters up and on CAP (less than 40%). Allies cannot transfer new squadrons reflecting prior knowledge.

2. PPs to move out of national borders (Japan - Manchuria, Thai) and (Allies - India, China)

3. No strategic bombing (Oil, Resources, HI, LI, etc.) by Allies until July 1943. Strategic bombing is allowed for Japan anywhere on the map, except China (until 1944). Strategic bombing is allowed for the Allies in Japan's original territories, but not in territories previously held by them

4. Manila subs can form TF based on a date/time stamp (use the last digit in a pre-determined e-mail which will be the one the Allies do their first orders). Since this may be the second port attack, the last digit in the time (hh:mm:ss) is used to determine how many subs can form TF (anywhere from 1-9 sub TF can be formed up).

5. Non-historic 1st turn, normal reinforcements, PDUs ON, orders for TF formed already OK, no transfers. China is active for both sides on Turn 1.

6. Aircraft Limitations (reflecting the RA Mod):
-No A6M3 on CVEs
-No A6M4 on any form of Carrier
-A7M Sam and B7A-D Grace cannot be operated from CVEs

7. Four-Engine Bombers:
a. 4E bombers restricted to 10k or higher for naval and ground attacks (does not include PBY/Mavis type patrol craft).
b. 4E bombers CANNOT bomb troops "IF" friendly units are in hex.

8. Single ship TF – The Allied player will not form them deliberately after January 42 due to the AI code often ignoring them and not sending out bombers to attack. Japan will be allowed to send out single ships.

9. Fighter Altitude Rules: Combat altitude from:
Dec 1941- May 1942 20,000
June 1942-Dec 1942 25,000
1943 30,000
1944--45 Whatever

10. Night Bombing must have 50% Moonlight through the end of 1943. Starting January 1, 1944 Night Bombing may occur in any condition. Japan will need at least 50% for the whole war.


11. Burma/NE India Monsoon Rules
Offensive operations in jungle and mountain hexes on the Burmese front should be stopped from May 15th to October 15th for the Monsoon Season, allowing R&R, unit rotations, and give both players on the front a much less bloody (and much more interesting) experience. This would mean:
1. No deliberate or shock attack in the jungle hexes in the designated area
2. Deliberate Attacks allowed in non-Jungle Terrain
3. Bombardment attacks are still allowed anywhere
4. Movement into friendly or empty hexes is still allowed
5. The number of aircraft allowed to fly from a base is reflected in its size x10 (Sz-5 mean 50% can fly. The others may rest/train.
6. No offensive carrier operations in the Gulf of Bengal against Burma (other naval ops, including bombardment, are still allowed). Striking Bengal, Northern India or Malaya from carriers in the Gulf is still allowed, of course.

Hexes would be corresponding to everything above the "Thailand" label within Burmese and Thailandese borders + the few jungle hexes going 3 or 4 hexes into "India" (Kohima, Ledo, Imphal area)

[ny59giants]

April 5th '42 - Eastern Australia

Screenshot shows current situation. Now to go back a few days.

March 25th - CV Soryu is sighted by SS Gudgeon 4 hexes south of G'Canal. 4 American CV TFs had been headed for Pearl for 4/42 upgrades. They are just north of Christmas Island and ordered back south.

March 26th - CVs spotted 16 hexes NE of Brisbane. 4 more TFs are spotted in the general area of the CVs, but cursor does not show them as transports. Intel report shows 5th Anphib Bde loading at Shortland.

March 27th - Australia Invaded!! Only an SNLF company lands at Maryborough and Bundaberg. A WTF moment as this is not enough to take either base. Later, I figure it out as a probe to see what is at both bases so the main invasion forces can be assigned the right base. Bundaberg is already a level 5 AF as I was planning to use it to base B17s to bomb Koumac in the weeks to come. Rockhampton is an empty base.

March 28th - Main Invasion !! Bundaberg sees elements of the 5th Gds Div; Maryborough sees 5th Div and 25 Army; Rockhampton sees 6th Gds Div and 21 Army; and Cairns sees 4th Div, 65 Bde, and Gds Mixed Bde. 2/3 of Americal Div are at Bundaberg with support troops, just a CD and Tank Rgt at Maryborough, a Bde plus BF, Eng, and AA at Cairns (level 3 forts). Not enough to slow Olorin (Nick) down. [X(]

March 29th - Failed shock attack at Maryborough (he got 0:55 odds!!) and failed normal attack at Bundaberg.

March 30th - Firmly ashore as multiple bases fall (Rockhampton, Bundaberg, and Maryborough) with Cairns forts going down to level 2.

March 31st - I-26 is just SW of Pearl and sinks a DD which is part of CV Saratoga TF. He now knows that my CV are too far away to intervene. I had calculated the possibility of them getting back to Australia and when it would be too far, I decided to continue on to Pearl a few days ago. Sabang falls at northern tip of Sumatra and concludes his campaign on this large island. Cairns is attacked and forts go down to level 1.

April 1st - Cairns is attacked again and forts are down to 0.

April 2nd - Lowe Howe Island invaded by Fast Transports. 17 B17s from Sydney face off against 15 Oscars and 18 Zeros over Maryborough. No losses to either side and slight damage to AF. Shock attack 1 NW of Maryborough fails and casualties are twice the Allies for Japan.

April 3rd - An empty Cairns falls!! Brisbane is swept by 32 Zeros and my 5 Kittyhawks are not up to the challenge.

April 4th - 32 Zeros sweep Brisbane again and 14 Kittys are on CAP. I lose 3 to 1. 31 Oscars escort in 30 Helens to hit retreating troops from Bundaberg (two regiments of Americal Div) and inflict 102 casualties.

[Empire101]

ORIGINAL: ny59giants

April 5th '42 - Eastern Australia



March 31st - I-26 is just SW of Pearl and sinks a DD which is part of CV Saratoga TF. He now knows that my CV are too far away to intervene. I had calculated the possibility of them getting back to Australia and when it would be too far, I decided to continue on to Pearl a few days ago. Sabang falls at northern tip of Sumatra and concludes his campaign on this large island. Cairns is attacked and forts go down to level 1.

That was lucky. If it had taken a poke at Saratoga.....[X(]

This looks really interesting. I shall follow with interest.[:)]

[zuluhour]

You started the war in secret! I'm checking in for a box seat.

[ny59giants]

5th April 42 - major force dispositions in Australia

I will list what I have in major forces throughout Australia. The sad part is all my divisions still have their militia troops. I have only 73 "AMF Inf Sect 42" in pool.

Brisbane - 399 AV with forts at 3 (30%) with 5th Aus Div (274 AV).

Toowoomba - 399 AV with one Bde and 7x Arm Rgt present. 2nd Aus Div (257 AV) in route.

Bourke - 4th Aus Cav Bde (192 AV)

Sydney - 453 AV with 1st Aus Div (318 AV), forts at 3 (39%), and 497k supply.

Melbourne - 413 AV with 3rd Aus Div (290 AV), 3rd Motor Bde (102 AV), forts at 2 (26%), and 78k in supply.

Broken Hill - 6th Aus Cav Bde (141 AV) in Strategic Mode.

Port Augusta - 2nd Aus Cav Bde (!41 AV) in Strategic Mode.

Adelaide - 273 AV with 4th Aus Div (224), forts at 3 (42%), and 25k supply

north of Townsville - 1st Motor Bde (reduced to 67 AV)

Geraldton - 3rd & 13th Aus Bde (120 AV each)

Perth - 18th UK Div (451 AV), forts 4 (15%), and 67k supply

Intel reported last turn an AA and Mortar prepping for Perth.


Tentative plans - fighting retreat to both Sydney and Melbourne. I feel I may need to pull back from western Australia as those troops will be lost if just left there eventually.

What can I send to Australia?? I have only 352 PP. 27th Div (351 AV) is at Cape Town. 6th Aus Div is loading at Karachi. 2/3 of 40th Div is at Suva with the final 1/3 about 10 days east of base. I could recombine 40th and send them, but.....my 5 American CVs are at Pearl undergoing 4/42 upgrade and will not be back in South Pacific until early to mid May '42. The third regiment of the Americal Div is at San Fran and needs PP before being transported.

What say you?!?

[ny59giants]

South Pacific - Then

Back in early Feb 42, we almost had a CV clash near Noumea. I had my 4 American and CVL Hermes along with Force Z operating here. He landed part of the 21st Div at Noumea. Since he got enough ashore to take the base and KB was just off Efate, he ran away. He has had CV Kaga operating with Mini-KB since the war began (she did not show up during recent invasion of Australia).

[ny59giants]

South Pacific - Now

Vava'u - P4, AF4 with 50 P-40s, 36 SB2U, CV Indomitable, CVL Hermes, and Force Z. This will be my main SoPac base for logistics as it can expand to size 6 port.

Pago Pago - P3, AF4 with 25 P-39s, 25 P-40s, 36 SBD-1, PBY. 2/3 of 2nd Marine Div here (last 1/3 in route)

Suva - P3, AF6, F3 (48%) with 50 P-39s, 48 B17s, 16 LB-30s, 47k supply, 257 AV (2/3 of 40th Div)

Nadi - 160 AV, F3, PBY.

Aukland - P8, AF7, 180k Fuel, 9 subs either there or close for 4/42 upgrades.

CV Formidable is 10 days away from NZ.

Note - I've been focusing on getting my SLOC set up first. That is why Australia got nothing more than support troops to date.

[obvert]

This will be interesting to watch. Any sight of moves on Perth?

[ny59giants]

Burma/India - Now

Chittagong - P4, AF2, F3 (78%), 371 AV with 17th Ind Div (350 AV), 3x Hurricane

Imphal - AF4, F3, 142 AV with 75th Ind Bde

1 NW Katha - 488 AV with 1st Burma Div vs Japanese 33rd Div and most of 55th Div

Calcutta - P5, AF7, F4 (17%), 566 AV.

Going back a few weeks.....
March 19th - CVs (81F, 62B, 19 Aux) show up 6 hexes SW of Cox's Bazar. My initial thought was this was prelude to an invasion. I shift my few TBs from Colombo and Madras towards Calcutta.

March 20th - CVs don't move!! Cursor now shows (128F, 100B, 32 Aux). Intel reports show 25th Army prepping for Trincomlee.

March 21st - CVs move to 45, 45 (9 due west of Akyab). No further shifting of planes. However, a TF at Karachi is unloading BFs from Aden (many of them rebuilt from Malaya after using very little PPs to buy out). They are ordered and prep for SW corner of India.

March 22nd - CVs move to 38, 47 (6 due east of Trincomlee)

March 23rd - CVs move to 45, 52 (6 north Port Blair). I'm told by Nick that this was just a trick to see how I would react. Meanwhile, CVs are spotted at 114, 142 (4 south Lunga) as they run over a sub showing (53F, 82B, 25Aux).

March 25th - no more CVs anywhere!!

[ny59giants]

This will be interesting to watch. Any sight of moves on Perth?

Nothing yet. Since I play both sides, I would have part of Mini-KB patrolling off the western map edge to catch any TF coming from Cape Town. At least Glen subs and probably some SC TF with high endurance. Mini-KB should be back to Singapore after running around in Bay of Bengal and is refueled. I have a PBY at Perth, but no ships sighted after his capture of Carnarvon (he may have troops moving down trail from here to Geraldton, but I don't known).

[ny59giants]

Two sieges remain!!

Both Batavia and Manila remain in Allied hands. Manila is out of supply and has 14th & 23rd Divisions present. Batavia has supplies, but low AV. I will post a screenshot or two after next turn with forces involved. Most turns involve air attacks and ground bombardment attacks only.

[ny59giants]

China - Northern Front

The road to Sian is blocked!![:D]

I ran away from the clear terrain and bases there from the start, but left back some units to slow him down. You can see in the screenshot the arc at least three hexes away from Sian and the few contested hexes. Most of my troops are in WR (Wood Rough) hexes, have some units with F4, and at or near the magical 50 experience level. Remember, this is a DBB game so we have stacking limits everywhere. He just recently moved two forces out of Nanyang. The one directly towards Sian was stopped after first attack. The one over to the west caused the Japanese twice the Allied casualties two days ago. Nick reported that China is a stalemate which it should be.

Daily bombing runs at Sian by 1e bombers, followed by sweep of Oscars. I tried to stand up to Oscars with two groups of AVG, but was losing the A2A battles. I have been able to conduct occasional CAP traps on his bombers. Since the sweep comes in 'after' the bombers, I've moved a rested AVG back to Sian for another attempt to hit his bombers next turn. CAP was set for 70%. I hope to harvest a good number of bombers before the Oscars come in too late. [:D]

[ny59giants]

China - Southern Front

Little action after the initial conquest. Recently, both Wuchow (F4 with 1016 AV) and Kukong (F4 with 1679 AV) have come under siege. Both have troops with 100% prep. However, Kukong has less than 20 supplies!! Yikes!! [X(]

[ny59giants]

Central Pacific

Not much here. The main build ups are at Christmas Island and some at Midway outside of Pearl.

Pearl - P8, AF10, F6 (81%), 661 AV, Supply at 711k, Fuel at 570k with 243 fighters. Not many bombers of any type. I have two CS convoys bring in 86k in supplies from San Fran on a regular basis.

Midway - P2, AF4, F4 (12%), AV 148 (slightly overstacked at 6530 vs 6000 limit) with PBY, 18 Buff, 18 SBD-2

Christmas - P4, AF5, F4(67%), 248 AV, supply at 138k, Fuel at 51k with another 64k 2 days away (I have the small and slow AOs now set up to go to and fro from San Fran and can send out to refuel an transport TF as needed). 100 fighters, 34 DB, and 24 LB defend this waypoint of the Allied logistics effort to the south. I give this base a high priority early as Allies. TFs from South Pacific and/or Australia may be diverted here to get just enough fuel to return to San Fran.

[ny59giants]

North Pacific

A very quite theater after the first month. Nick used the TF with bonus movement at Ominato to land at Amchitka on Dec 8th and shortly afterwards to take Adak. Those transports were sunk by Enterprise and Lexington on Dec 13th. Adak finally wnet to level 1 AF a few days ago.

Dutch Harbor - P3, AF0, F3 (30%), PBY, supply at 5.7k

Dora Harbor - P2, AF4, F1(86%), PBY, supply at 12.8K

Kodiak - P4, AF4, F3, supply at 37k, fuel at 8k

Prince Rupert - P8 (12%), AF4, F1, supply at 221k, fuel at 20k. I have some troops and support units waiting for PPs to move forward. They have been delayed until issue on Australia is resolved.

[Encircled]

Crikey

Should be fun

Possible annoying question but here goes anyway!

By concentrating on your rear bases in SOPAC, has it encouraged him to try to push as far as possible?

[ny59giants]

By concentrating on your rear bases in SOPAC, has it encouraged him to try to push as far as possible?

I don't know. We almost had a CV clash around Noumea in early Feb. I've had thoughts of going all out for Australia if I was to play Japan again using stock Scenario 2 or this mod (DBB 30) as you get the extra troops. Most Allied players decide to make India stronger in the beginning and leave the 6th & 7th Australian Divisions there at start. I usually send the 18th UK Division to Perth as that part of Australia is very weak. IMO, you have too many places that need troops and too few PPs to cover all the "what ifs" you face in the first 6 months as the Allies. Hindsight is a great thing and I have had a few thoughts on what I could have done differently.

[JocMeister]

So this is why you have disappeared! [:D]

I´m not even going to try and give you any kind of advice but rather try and learn something from reading! Very interesting situation to say the least!

Good luck! [:)]

[ny59giants]

This will be interesting to watch. Any sight of moves on Perth?

Here is a better answer.... [:(]