Okay, I'm in the mood to start a little AAR myself - I need to practice the language anyway. This is the 'Rising Sun PBEM' scenario, I'm playing the Japanese, Strawb took charge of the Allies this time and undoubtedly he will try to do to me what Dan has done to him. We have agreed on a few house rules, among others on India and West Coast being immune to ground attack and on special atoll warfare restrictions. Well, I haven't played PW against a human opponent for some time, let's see how far I will get. Comments are always welcome.
*****
12/07/41
Tora, Tora, Tora! The surprise attack on Pearl Harbor has achieved outstanding results. Captain Fuchida reports the sinking of the battleships Maryland, West Virginia, Nevada, Oklahoma, California, Tennessee and one ship of the Pennsylvania class - the US Battle Force is practically annihilated. Additionally, two destroyers and two oilers were sunk and several other ships were damaged. Over 150 enemy aircraft were destroyed in the air and on the ground and counterattacks against Kido Butai were beaten off with additional losses to the enemy. All this has cost us just 24 planes. BANZAI!!!
Air attacks by LBA on targets in the Southern Resources Area also succeeded in destroying large numbers of enemy planes on the ground, notably at Clark Field and Singapore. All in all the enemy has lost more than 400 planes within a week. Attacks on the British Naval Forces off Malaya damaged a battleship and a battlecruiser but failed to sink them.
Land operations proceeded as expected - Guam, Miri, Kuching, Khota Baru, Singora, Davao, Lagaspi, Northern Luzon and Tarawa were all captured by amphibious assaults. The only resistance has been encountered at Khota Baru, but the Imperial Army's 18th Division quickly rooted the defenders.
Emperor LST is very happy and has ordered beer & sake production increased for the welcome party of the country's war heroes.
*****
12/14/41
The triumphant advance of Imperial forces continues. Kuantan, Jitra, Bangkok, Hong Kong and Cagayan all fell to ground forces fighting their way overland. Morotai, Kendari, Hollandia, Lae, Rabaul and Makin were occupied unopposed by landing forces. At Lingayen Gulf, a major landing of Corps size has scattered the defenders which have fled towards Clark field. Our troops are in hot pursuit.
Aircraft operating from newly won bases in the Philipines, NEI and Malaya have sunk several ships, including two oilers, a destroyer, a large AP and one vessel resembling an aircraft carrier, it is believed this has been the USS Langley.
A massive air attack on naval installations in the Manila area discovered a major concentration of enemy submarines in port. The gallant Naval Air Force succeeded in sinking 11 out of 29 submarines. Upon receiving this report, C-in-C Combined Fleet reputedly shook his head in disbelief and mumbled 'If this had happened to my command, I would commit seppuko...' The fate of the enemy Admiral in charge of sub operations remains unknown.
In the Central Pacific, US Marines on Wake Island have put up a tough fight. Despite bombing by LBA and carrier planes and bombardments by surface TFs including several battleships, the defenders inflicted heavy casualties to the first wave of our landing forces. The 2nd Mai SNLF Bn was only saved by the timely arrival of the Wake SBF with the second echelon. Nevertheless, Wake Island is now firmly in our hands and once built up may serve as base for future operations.
Emperor LST is elated by the steady streams of good news and cold beer.
*****
12/21/41
Ground combat continues with Manila, Kokoda and Rangoon captured by advancing troops. The important oil center of Tarakan has been occupied unopposed by the 35th Brigade, other landing forces took possession of Negros, Mindoro, Cebu&Bohol, Menando, Nauru and Guadalcanal. A carrier force covering the operation against Gudalcanal has encountered a small surface force consisting of one Pensacola class CA, one Kent class CA, one Le Fantasque class DD and another unknown DD near Espiritu Santo. All enemy ships are reported sunk.
Air operations in waters around Borneo have sunk two freighters, two APs and one DD. Air strikes against shipping off Rangoon damaged a troop transport. A RN bombardment force retiring from a sneaky raid on Rangoon was caught by Nells operating out of Bangkok and suffered one BB and one CL severly damaged.
Unfortunately not all operations went according to plan. The 25th Army is hampered by terrain and lack of supplies as well as resistance of Commonwealth forces defending Kuala Lumpur. Amphibious assaults on Jolo and Panay failed to secure a beachhead. Troops have also landed on Timor, but encountered stiff opposition from Australian forces and failed to capture the important base facilities. At least the covering carrier force managed to beat off persistent attacks, splashing several B-17 bombers with some losses to our fighters. The 7th Div landed at Durch Harbor but has shown little enthusiasm to fight. The stalled ground attacks will be resumed.
Emperor LST has tasted too much 'victory beer' and suffers from a slight hangover, but declares that in these days everybody has to make sacrifices for the fatherland.
*****
12/28/41
During the last week Japanese ground forces have captured Jolo, Kuala Lumpur, Clark Field and Akyab, inflicting heavy losses upon the enemy while suffering little themselves. Enemy forces in Burma, Malaya and the Philippines are retreating, Bataan and Singapore are now under siege.
A ground attack on Henyang in China failed despite air support.
Our troops on Timor still have not captured the base facilities, despite air strike by LBA and carriers as well as heavy bombardments by a strong cruiser TF. Even the landing of reinforcements did not dislodge the 'fighting mad Aussies'. Further reinforcements are made available.
First losses for our Navy occurred when a B-17 managed to hit a transport unloading supplies at Timor, the ship sank because the single hit did ignite the vessel's ammo load.
No positive news from Panay, despite landing the entire 38th Div to relieve the weak 33/16 Rgt, the island is still under enemy control. Rumor has it that the stiff resistance of the Philippino reservist division is backed up by survivors of enemy ships sunk in the area during the past weeks.
At Dutch Harbor the ground troops unfortunately made no progress either, despite naval bombardment and resupply. The relieve of the division commander is considered.
A landing operation against Medan spearheaded by the 1st Para Bde has lead to the surrender of the Dutch garrison. Other unopposed landings were made at Kavieng, Balikpapan, and Halmahera.
Aircraft operating out of Kendari managed to sink two DDs, another DD and BC Repulse escaped.
Aircraft in the Burma/Siam area again hit the retiring RN bombardment force and added heavy damage to at least one BB. Damage assessment experts are amazed that this burning wreck is still afloat.
Allied bombers operating out of PM have sunk 1 DD and one AP at Lae. Plans for Operation MO to capture PM are currently under review by C-in-C Combined Fleet.
Emperor LST shows no concern over the recent setbacks, as he is busy inspecting the contents of the Imperial fridge.
[to be continued]
No Wind Sunshine - forecast: need more beer - Strawb vs. LST AAR
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LargeSlowTarget
- Posts: 4805
- Joined: Sat Sep 23, 2000 8:00 am
- Location: Hessen, Germany - now living in France
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Capt. Harlock
- Posts: 5379
- Joined: Sat Sep 15, 2001 8:00 am
- Location: Los Angeles
- Contact:
Sorrow for Strawb
Japanese or Allies, it looks like Strawb is getting pounded. (he should have demanded a no-historical-first turn scenario and saved his battleships: they really do make a difference.)
The debacle of the submarines sounds like the Computer Sub control bug. In Version 3.2, the game often switches control of the Allied submarines back to the Human player, without telling him. Also, there is no way to toggle back to Computer Control without editing the file, which of course is forbidden in a PBEM game. I've heard that this problem goes away in 1943.
How is the National Oil Reserve doing? All those ships must be having quite an effect, but LST is capturing major oil supplies to make up for it.
The debacle of the submarines sounds like the Computer Sub control bug. In Version 3.2, the game often switches control of the Allied submarines back to the Human player, without telling him. Also, there is no way to toggle back to Computer Control without editing the file, which of course is forbidden in a PBEM game. I've heard that this problem goes away in 1943.
How is the National Oil Reserve doing? All those ships must be having quite an effect, but LST is capturing major oil supplies to make up for it.
Civil war? What does that mean? Is there any foreign war? Isn't every war fought between men, between brothers?
--Victor Hugo
--Victor Hugo
Clouds not ALL black
Now easy there Mr Fish (oh sorry its Harlock not Haddock, my mistake :p )
It is just the usual blitz, with the oddity of the Aleutian andventure which has failed. Dear old Langley may be departed but as decoy she was excellent; many a decent Aussie/Indian soldier and a few good US and Philipino ones made it out of the PI and Malaya debacles. Despite this, Bataan and Singapore still hold, and rapid advances only because of large IJA committment there. Those rescued troops will make India and N.Aus tougher nuts I hope.
Also extracted most warships, quite a lot of merchant capacity (esp those faster 8000 tonners), and vitally several APs as NEVER enough around for allies in 41/early '42 I think.
Even if grabbing the oil wells, the scatter gun, as I know to well, uses up Japanese PP and fuel like water.
Of course yet to face a landing on somewhere I actually really want to keep at which point my frailties will once more emerge, but equally I hope the experience of the 'few but often' air attacks like the Hudsons out of PM decribed by LST, will also be effective in stopping the small TFs in a the Shotgun strategy - afterall if, eg, landing on empty bases with engineers, it only takes two good hits to sink the one/two TFs carrying unit - yes?
Finally, I though it only fair to have some damaged RN BBs to send to the West Coast shipyards - those workers were facing redundantcy as the expected USN BB repair work failed to materialise from PH...
What a strike! Ah well clears the roads for new BBs who can keep up with my lightening leap across the Pacific.
Subs: thanks for bug warning but ****-up by me not by AI.
S
It is just the usual blitz, with the oddity of the Aleutian andventure which has failed. Dear old Langley may be departed but as decoy she was excellent; many a decent Aussie/Indian soldier and a few good US and Philipino ones made it out of the PI and Malaya debacles. Despite this, Bataan and Singapore still hold, and rapid advances only because of large IJA committment there. Those rescued troops will make India and N.Aus tougher nuts I hope.
Also extracted most warships, quite a lot of merchant capacity (esp those faster 8000 tonners), and vitally several APs as NEVER enough around for allies in 41/early '42 I think.
Even if grabbing the oil wells, the scatter gun, as I know to well, uses up Japanese PP and fuel like water.
Of course yet to face a landing on somewhere I actually really want to keep at which point my frailties will once more emerge, but equally I hope the experience of the 'few but often' air attacks like the Hudsons out of PM decribed by LST, will also be effective in stopping the small TFs in a the Shotgun strategy - afterall if, eg, landing on empty bases with engineers, it only takes two good hits to sink the one/two TFs carrying unit - yes?
Finally, I though it only fair to have some damaged RN BBs to send to the West Coast shipyards - those workers were facing redundantcy as the expected USN BB repair work failed to materialise from PH...
What a strike! Ah well clears the roads for new BBs who can keep up with my lightening leap across the Pacific.Subs: thanks for bug warning but ****-up by me not by AI.
S
Sometimes, when you are a Bear of Very Little Brain, and you Think of Things,you find sometimes that a Thing which seemed very Thingish inside you is quite different when it gets out into the open and has other people looking at it. - Winnie the Pooh
new logo
to better reflect my playing style
(It is eyeore holding a white flag)
(It is eyeore holding a white flag)
Sometimes, when you are a Bear of Very Little Brain, and you Think of Things,you find sometimes that a Thing which seemed very Thingish inside you is quite different when it gets out into the open and has other people looking at it. - Winnie the Pooh
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Capt. Harlock
- Posts: 5379
- Joined: Sat Sep 15, 2001 8:00 am
- Location: Los Angeles
- Contact:
Very true that "it ain't over 'till it's over". But LST has some important things going right for him. With the fall of Manila and Clark AFB, Bataan doesn't have a snowball's chance in hell. Singapore might have the chance of an ice cube tray after the fall of Kuala Lumpur. (BTW, I assume you're playing Version 3.2, in which case Singapore is worth many resource points.)
It's also a setback for the Allies that both 16-inch battlewagons at Pearl were sunk, along with 4 out of the remaining 5. There will be a price to pay when the Kill Point multiplier kicks in.
P.S. -- That's CAPTAIN fish.
It's also a setback for the Allies that both 16-inch battlewagons at Pearl were sunk, along with 4 out of the remaining 5. There will be a price to pay when the Kill Point multiplier kicks in.
P.S. -- That's CAPTAIN fish.
Civil war? What does that mean? Is there any foreign war? Isn't every war fought between men, between brothers?
--Victor Hugo
--Victor Hugo
Impressive !
Strawb !
I suppose You'll manage it to defend Australia and Hawaii, while being quite experienced with capturing it !
Remember that time is on Your side !
Good luck guys !
btw
What about game vs Dan ?
Have Japs surrendered ?
I suppose You'll manage it to defend Australia and Hawaii, while being quite experienced with capturing it !
Remember that time is on Your side !
Good luck guys !
btw
What about game vs Dan ?
Have Japs surrendered ?
the more You play - the less You understand ... :p
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LargeSlowTarget
- Posts: 4805
- Joined: Sat Sep 23, 2000 8:00 am
- Location: Hessen, Germany - now living in France
AAR
The war has slowed down because strawb is on vacaction. Here's the latest turn.
*****
01/04/42
Our landing forces continue to capture enemy bases - Waigen, Macassar and Emirau now belong to the Empire. The battles on Timor and Panay have turned in our favor and we finally occupied those islands. Mopping up operations continue.
The 'usual' air attacks against Bataan, Timor, Singapore, Henyang and the Burma area caused some damage to Allied ground forces and installations for little costs to our side. Air attacks against our carrier forces off Timor and Port Moresby have been beaten back, the enemy scored no hits but lost a dozen bombers. Our carriers hit back at airfields and troops.
Imperial battleships and cruisers have bombarded Milne Bay and PM, each base was found to be occupied by an Australian Infantry Brigade. This important information has been relayed to our POW-camp administration detachment.
A counterattack by Allied forces at Dutch Harbor has been repulsed with the help of the new super-battleship Yamato. Tasked to bombard enemy troops attacking our beachhead, Yamato encountered an enemy task force consisting of seven heavy cruisers and four destroyers and boldly engaged in night surface battle. The last radio report states that although Yamato has received multiple hits of 8", 5" and AA guns as well as two torpedo hits during this engagement, none of them managed to penetrate the thick armor of the unsinkable pride of our Navy. Contact with "Tough To" and the escorting destroyers has since been lost, but it is believed that this is due to the unusual atmospheric conditions in those northern waters. The same conditions may have 'blacked out' radio contact with our two light cruisers engaged in resuppying our troops at Dutch Harbor.
A landing operation against Palembang on Sumatra was temporarily postponed after repeated air attacks from Allied bases on Java which damaged a few transports. The cover group of three Mogami class cruisers and several destroyers encountered three British light cruisers of the 'D class' escorted by three destroyers off Palembang and managed to sink one CL in a short night engagement.
Recon flights have discovered another concentration of Allied warships at Surabaya, Java. Two surface battle forces consisting of two Kongo class battleships and a dozen heavy and light cruisers heavily escorted by destroyers were sent to intercept the enemy ships before they could escape to Australia. In several rounds of fierce night surface action, the following enemy ships were confirmed sunk: USS Houston, Boise, Marblehead and eight destroyers of the 'four stacker' class as well as the Royal Netherland Navy's ships De Ruyter, Java, Sumatra, Tromp and six 'Van Ghent' class destroyers. Only one USN and one RNN destroyer managed to escape. A few of our ships received superficial damage in return. Unfortunately, enemy bombers on Java hit back at our retiring ships during daytime and managed to sink two of our destroyers. C-in-C Combined Fleet believes this price is not too high, but is pondering options to reduce the threat posed by enemy aircraft on Java.
Observing low spirits at Imperial GHQ despite the success off Java, Emperor LST gets the vague feeling that his Admirals are holding back information about the true fate of battleship Yamato.
*****
01/04/42
Our landing forces continue to capture enemy bases - Waigen, Macassar and Emirau now belong to the Empire. The battles on Timor and Panay have turned in our favor and we finally occupied those islands. Mopping up operations continue.
The 'usual' air attacks against Bataan, Timor, Singapore, Henyang and the Burma area caused some damage to Allied ground forces and installations for little costs to our side. Air attacks against our carrier forces off Timor and Port Moresby have been beaten back, the enemy scored no hits but lost a dozen bombers. Our carriers hit back at airfields and troops.
Imperial battleships and cruisers have bombarded Milne Bay and PM, each base was found to be occupied by an Australian Infantry Brigade. This important information has been relayed to our POW-camp administration detachment.
A counterattack by Allied forces at Dutch Harbor has been repulsed with the help of the new super-battleship Yamato. Tasked to bombard enemy troops attacking our beachhead, Yamato encountered an enemy task force consisting of seven heavy cruisers and four destroyers and boldly engaged in night surface battle. The last radio report states that although Yamato has received multiple hits of 8", 5" and AA guns as well as two torpedo hits during this engagement, none of them managed to penetrate the thick armor of the unsinkable pride of our Navy. Contact with "Tough To" and the escorting destroyers has since been lost, but it is believed that this is due to the unusual atmospheric conditions in those northern waters. The same conditions may have 'blacked out' radio contact with our two light cruisers engaged in resuppying our troops at Dutch Harbor.
A landing operation against Palembang on Sumatra was temporarily postponed after repeated air attacks from Allied bases on Java which damaged a few transports. The cover group of three Mogami class cruisers and several destroyers encountered three British light cruisers of the 'D class' escorted by three destroyers off Palembang and managed to sink one CL in a short night engagement.
Recon flights have discovered another concentration of Allied warships at Surabaya, Java. Two surface battle forces consisting of two Kongo class battleships and a dozen heavy and light cruisers heavily escorted by destroyers were sent to intercept the enemy ships before they could escape to Australia. In several rounds of fierce night surface action, the following enemy ships were confirmed sunk: USS Houston, Boise, Marblehead and eight destroyers of the 'four stacker' class as well as the Royal Netherland Navy's ships De Ruyter, Java, Sumatra, Tromp and six 'Van Ghent' class destroyers. Only one USN and one RNN destroyer managed to escape. A few of our ships received superficial damage in return. Unfortunately, enemy bombers on Java hit back at our retiring ships during daytime and managed to sink two of our destroyers. C-in-C Combined Fleet believes this price is not too high, but is pondering options to reduce the threat posed by enemy aircraft on Java.
Observing low spirits at Imperial GHQ despite the success off Java, Emperor LST gets the vague feeling that his Admirals are holding back information about the true fate of battleship Yamato.
excellent interceptions !
wow !
in our game, where task forces of 15 heaviest battleships were used, surface combats were pretty rare ...
the war will be shorter with those ...
why the Imperial GHQ isn't happy ?
in our game, where task forces of 15 heaviest battleships were used, surface combats were pretty rare ...
the war will be shorter with those ...
why the Imperial GHQ isn't happy ?
the more You play - the less You understand ... :p
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LargeSlowTarget
- Posts: 4805
- Joined: Sat Sep 23, 2000 8:00 am
- Location: Hessen, Germany - now living in France
AAR
*****
01/11/42
A search plane has spotted CL Kiso near Kiska limping home with heavy damage. Contact was established via blinker signals because Kiso's radio equipment has been destroyed by direct hits. Therefore Admiral Shima aboard Kiso was unable to transmit details on the recent naval battles off Dutch Harbor until now.
The report relayed by the search plane has confirmed the worst fear of GHQ - Yamato has sunk after the engagement with the USN cruiser TF. Shima's force was following a few miles behind Yamato when the Allied cruisers opened up and a deluge of shells rained down on Yamato and her two escorts. Shima raced into the fight with his two CL to help Yamato, but his ships suffered multiple hits themselves and CL Tama blew up after taking a hit in a magazine. Kiso was able to escape in the darkness. Before losing contact, Shima observed Yamato starting to capsize and her two escorts burning fiercly and sinking.
Speculations have started at GHQ how this could have happened to the heavily armored and alleged 'unsinkable' battleship. The most convincing theory claims that the incoming shells got stuck in the armor of Yamato thus adding weight on the engaged side of the ship, and that the sheer numbers of shells so embeded finally caused the ship to capsize. Only one outspoken Admiral dared to blame GHQ and C-in-C for bad planning and underestimation of the enemy as the main causes for this disaster (the Admiral has received new orders to take charge of Combined Fleet's 'honey barges').
Be it as it may, the pride of the IJN is no more.
Ground combat at Dutch Harbor continues at low intensity with no gains by either side. Since Adm. Shima failed to deliver supplies to our troops, it is now considered to move the troops to the supplies.
Ground forces in Burma captured Mandalay, the IJA 56th division singlehandedly defeated the 11th, 17th and 39th division of the British India Army. The 2nd Mai Bn has captured the Admiralty Islands, but another landing force heading for Sorong was intercepted by Repulse and a destroyer. Fortunately only one of our APs was sunk.
Air attacks continue to support our troops at Bataan, Timor, Singapore, Hengyang and in Burma. Enemy heavy bombers based on Java staged a raid against the oil ields at Balikpapan, inflicting moderate damage. Another enemy air attack sank one AP off Palembang. Our air force retaliated by sinking a freighter and damaging two more at Darwin.
In the South Pacific our carrier forces have met enemy carriers in the vicinity of Espiritu Santo. Akagi, Kaga, Shokaku and Zuikaku engaged Saratoga, Lexington and one Yorktown class carrier. The US got in the first strike of 36 fighters, 54 dive bombers and 18 torpedo bombers. Our CAP of 60 Zero-Sen tore into the enemy formation and only 8 fighters and 17 dive bombers survived long enough (we lost 13 Zero-Sen) to launch attacks on our TF. Unfortunately, the one single hit the Americans managed to obtain with a 1000lbs bomb caused a voilent fuel storage explosion on Zuikaku, setting her ablaze from bow to stern and forcing the crew to abandon ship. A destroyer delivered the Coup de grace with a long lance torpedo. Vengefully our planes hit back at the enemy with 108 dive bombers and torpedo planes escorted by 40 fighters. Our formation was met by 31 enemy fighters, in the ensuing fight we managed to shoot down 19 enemy planes. Against heavy flak our bombers obtained two torpedo and four bomb hits on the Yorktown class vessel and two torpedo and three bomb hits on a Lexington class. Both ships were last seen burning fiercly and are believed to have sunk. In this attack we have lost 10 fighters and 19 bombers to CAP and flak. Our forces try to locate and destroy the remaining carrier.
Emperor LST is upset about the loss of Yamato and Zuikaku but calmed down when he was assured that this setbacks will have no influence on the beer supply.
*****
Well, the equation goes: Smaller TFs with fast ships = more interceptions. BUT: Small force engaging much larger force = small force gets creamed.
Would you be happy if you lost Yamato four weeks into the war in an operation that was totally blundered due to 'Victory disease'??
I have simply overestimated the abilities of my ground force to take and underestimated strawb's tenacity to defend Dutch Harbor. I thought he would concentrate on the defense of Java - hell, he has crammed the airbases there and has rushed ground reinforcements to this island and I have spotted TFs all around it. I expected heavy fighting in the waters off Java against the USN, therefore I allocated the majority of Combined Fleet to the TFs which later in fact did wipe out the Dutch Navy and the US Asiatic Fleet - but I expected to meet more of the USN in those waters. Yamato just had arrived at Tokyo and wasn't able to reach Java in time, so I thought I could use her and the two DDs available for a 'milk run' against Dutch Harbor to help my ground pounders while the USN met its fate off Java... Well, you know the rest of the story: [&:][:(][:@]
01/11/42
A search plane has spotted CL Kiso near Kiska limping home with heavy damage. Contact was established via blinker signals because Kiso's radio equipment has been destroyed by direct hits. Therefore Admiral Shima aboard Kiso was unable to transmit details on the recent naval battles off Dutch Harbor until now.
The report relayed by the search plane has confirmed the worst fear of GHQ - Yamato has sunk after the engagement with the USN cruiser TF. Shima's force was following a few miles behind Yamato when the Allied cruisers opened up and a deluge of shells rained down on Yamato and her two escorts. Shima raced into the fight with his two CL to help Yamato, but his ships suffered multiple hits themselves and CL Tama blew up after taking a hit in a magazine. Kiso was able to escape in the darkness. Before losing contact, Shima observed Yamato starting to capsize and her two escorts burning fiercly and sinking.
Speculations have started at GHQ how this could have happened to the heavily armored and alleged 'unsinkable' battleship. The most convincing theory claims that the incoming shells got stuck in the armor of Yamato thus adding weight on the engaged side of the ship, and that the sheer numbers of shells so embeded finally caused the ship to capsize. Only one outspoken Admiral dared to blame GHQ and C-in-C for bad planning and underestimation of the enemy as the main causes for this disaster (the Admiral has received new orders to take charge of Combined Fleet's 'honey barges').
Be it as it may, the pride of the IJN is no more.
Ground combat at Dutch Harbor continues at low intensity with no gains by either side. Since Adm. Shima failed to deliver supplies to our troops, it is now considered to move the troops to the supplies.
Ground forces in Burma captured Mandalay, the IJA 56th division singlehandedly defeated the 11th, 17th and 39th division of the British India Army. The 2nd Mai Bn has captured the Admiralty Islands, but another landing force heading for Sorong was intercepted by Repulse and a destroyer. Fortunately only one of our APs was sunk.
Air attacks continue to support our troops at Bataan, Timor, Singapore, Hengyang and in Burma. Enemy heavy bombers based on Java staged a raid against the oil ields at Balikpapan, inflicting moderate damage. Another enemy air attack sank one AP off Palembang. Our air force retaliated by sinking a freighter and damaging two more at Darwin.
In the South Pacific our carrier forces have met enemy carriers in the vicinity of Espiritu Santo. Akagi, Kaga, Shokaku and Zuikaku engaged Saratoga, Lexington and one Yorktown class carrier. The US got in the first strike of 36 fighters, 54 dive bombers and 18 torpedo bombers. Our CAP of 60 Zero-Sen tore into the enemy formation and only 8 fighters and 17 dive bombers survived long enough (we lost 13 Zero-Sen) to launch attacks on our TF. Unfortunately, the one single hit the Americans managed to obtain with a 1000lbs bomb caused a voilent fuel storage explosion on Zuikaku, setting her ablaze from bow to stern and forcing the crew to abandon ship. A destroyer delivered the Coup de grace with a long lance torpedo. Vengefully our planes hit back at the enemy with 108 dive bombers and torpedo planes escorted by 40 fighters. Our formation was met by 31 enemy fighters, in the ensuing fight we managed to shoot down 19 enemy planes. Against heavy flak our bombers obtained two torpedo and four bomb hits on the Yorktown class vessel and two torpedo and three bomb hits on a Lexington class. Both ships were last seen burning fiercly and are believed to have sunk. In this attack we have lost 10 fighters and 19 bombers to CAP and flak. Our forces try to locate and destroy the remaining carrier.
Emperor LST is upset about the loss of Yamato and Zuikaku but calmed down when he was assured that this setbacks will have no influence on the beer supply.
*****
Originally posted by deVada
wow !
in our game, where task forces of 15 heaviest battleships were used, surface combats were pretty rare ...
the war will be shorter with those ...
why the Imperial GHQ isn't happy ?
Well, the equation goes: Smaller TFs with fast ships = more interceptions. BUT: Small force engaging much larger force = small force gets creamed.
Would you be happy if you lost Yamato four weeks into the war in an operation that was totally blundered due to 'Victory disease'?? I have simply overestimated the abilities of my ground force to take and underestimated strawb's tenacity to defend Dutch Harbor. I thought he would concentrate on the defense of Java - hell, he has crammed the airbases there and has rushed ground reinforcements to this island and I have spotted TFs all around it. I expected heavy fighting in the waters off Java against the USN, therefore I allocated the majority of Combined Fleet to the TFs which later in fact did wipe out the Dutch Navy and the US Asiatic Fleet - but I expected to meet more of the USN in those waters. Yamato just had arrived at Tokyo and wasn't able to reach Java in time, so I thought I could use her and the two DDs available for a 'milk run' against Dutch Harbor to help my ground pounders while the USN met its fate off Java... Well, you know the rest of the story: [&:][:(][:@]
Originally posted by LargeSlowTarget
*****
Would you be happy if you lost Yamato four weeks into the war in an operation that was totally blundered due to 'Victory disease'??
You are right, to lose Yamato so early in a war is a major setback to Japanese. In my opinion, Yamato and Mushasi are only Japanese BBs that can be efectivly used in battle with allied BBs. In my game, Yamato and Mushasi were used in seperate TFs (with some older BBs) and proved as a great asset, because allied ships were always targeting them, giving some chance to other (more fragile) Japanese BBs to strike. With this tactiscs, my surface TFs were able to sink many Allied BBs (in one such battle at Midway, Americans lost 4 BBs to 1 Japanese BB). Downside is that Yamato and Mushasi get hammered a lot and their repair take so much time (in my game, they were in a drydock for more than a year),
Again, loosing Zuikaku so early is not a good thing. Than again, I may be too confident from experience in my game where my CV TF (Akagi, Kaga, Shokaku, Zukaku, Soryu and Hiryu) easily destroyed 2 american TFs (4 CVs sunk and 1 badly damaged to the lost of Soryu) in two consecutive battles. Soryu was also lost to a single 1000lb bomb, and that can be very frustrating (especially when you see how much bombs American CVs can take without sinking).
But, overall, from your reports it seems Japanese are making a good progress. Enjoy it while it last, from the end of '43 Japanese can't do much against Allies (my game is now in a early '44). I'm getting used to that fact, but still get frustrated from time to time (like when my 250 carrier bombers and torpedo bombers attacked American surface TF, with a result of 150 planes shot down and only few hits scored on enemy ships ). That can be veru frustrating
beer supplies ...
if they're not threatened - no need to worry ...
:p
Playing with Japan against skilled human requires VERY STRONG nerves and a lot of determination. But do not draw back ... If You won't kill enough of round eyes now - You cannot win.
Take my condolences for Yamato & Zuikaku. "Victory blindness" is a severe disease, but too much caution will also lead to sore defeat ...
Keep struggling until late 44 ... Then it would be impossible to defeat Your land army!
:p
Playing with Japan against skilled human requires VERY STRONG nerves and a lot of determination. But do not draw back ... If You won't kill enough of round eyes now - You cannot win.
Take my condolences for Yamato & Zuikaku. "Victory blindness" is a severe disease, but too much caution will also lead to sore defeat ...
Keep struggling until late 44 ... Then it would be impossible to defeat Your land army!
the more You play - the less You understand ... :p
Re: beer supplies ...
Originally posted by deVada
Keep struggling until late 44 ... Then it would be impossible to defeat Your land army!
There's something to look forward
than . Now, every time I get frustrated I'll be repeating to myself: "Remember DeVada's advice, remember DeVada's advice..." -
LargeSlowTarget
- Posts: 4805
- Joined: Sat Sep 23, 2000 8:00 am
- Location: Hessen, Germany - now living in France
Single hits
Originally posted by boba
In my opinion, Yamato and Mushasi are only Japanese BBs that can be efectivly used in battle with allied BBs.
[...]
Soryu was also lost to a single 1000lb bomb, and that can be very frustrating (especially when you see how much bombs American CVs can take without sinking).
Enemy BBs are a lesser problem at the moment since I've killed seven of them at PH. Will change in Nov. 42 with the new ships, of course.
Seems I'm prone to receive fatal single hits regardless of what side I play. I have another game going with me as Allies. My opponent invaded Midway the third turn or so, supported by three carriers. In a daring mood I sent my own three carriers out, fully aware of the risk but counting on the higher durability of my carriers. Well, the opposing force made a single strike and scored just three torpedo hits. But guess what - three times I had to watch the dreaded '*****' on the screen and my three carrier crews had to abandon their ships. Never had a chance to strike back - probably my planes were still fueling and arming when the enemy struck. Well, Midway in reverse, but still way too much bad luck for my taste. Furthermore, a few turns later a British 'R' class received a single torpedo hit from a Nell, and down went the BB, too. S*it happens [:@][:@][:@].
free advices !!
You're welcome ! Feel free to ask for warm words !
I am sad reading about all Your unlucky happenings as Japs (more and more when I think about incoming campaign against Mr. Graham Roosvelt) ...
IJN carriers sometimes behave like they're constructed of wood only, but seeing 3 hits on 3 CVs with 3 sunk is unbelieveable miracle ! My condolences again ...
the more You play - the less You understand ... :p
Originally posted by LargeSlowTarget
Enemy BBs are a lesser problem at the moment since I've killed seven of them at PH. Will change in Nov. 42 with the new ships, of course.
Believe me, when that time comes, you'll be wishing for Yamato...
And how in hell you were able to sink so many ships in PH ? I never saw more than 4BBs sunk with a 3.2 version.
And I never saw 3 single torpedo hits sinking 3 American CVs
. Talking about bad luck! I thought that I saw some of the worst 'bad luck situations' in my games (like loosing Horii in a battle with 100:1 odds in my favour) but this has to be unbeatable. -
LargeSlowTarget
- Posts: 4805
- Joined: Sat Sep 23, 2000 8:00 am
- Location: Hessen, Germany - now living in France
AAR
*****
01/18/42
BANZAI! The 'Gibraltar of the East' has been captured by our 25th Army in a well-executed mass attack of four divisions. Many Commonwealth soldiers are now listed KIA or POW. This victory will pave the way for further conquests in the NEI.
Apart from Singapore, the Allied bases at Lashio and Sorong also changed ownership this week. Furthermore, one of our divisions routed four enemy divisions trying to recapture Akyab. The enemy forces fled back towards the Indian border. Several Chinese divisions attacking Canton were also repulsed by a single IJA division. The enemy troops suffered heavy casualties in the process. A weak attack by Chinese units near Hengyang has been stopped dead, too. Ground combat at Dutch Harbor continues with low intensity, two US Regiments and a Canadian Brigade have been unable to dislodge our SBF unit on the island.
Air attacks continued against Bataan, Timor, Kohima/Imphal and Henyang. Port Moresby was attacked for the first time by IJA aircraft operating from our new base at Lae to support the IJA South Sea Detachment operating in the Owen Stanley chain around Kokoda.
Enemy air attacks against oil fields at Balikpapan have caused only light damage. Nevertheless, GHQ sees this with some concern, as oil stocks begin to run low. Another enemy air attack sank an AP and a freighter off Lae, both ships succumbed to single hits.
Two surface actions have been fought off Northern Australia this week. Our cruiser forces operating out of Kendari swiftly reacted to reports of our search planes and managed to wipe out a convoy of seven freighters off Timor and also sank two out of five small APs off Port Moresby. Allied aircraft retaliated and managed to sink an Asashio class destroyer with a single hit.
In the South Pacific, our battle line has fought a night battle against an enemy TF off Espiritu Santo, one Kent class heavy cruiser and four Amphion/Leander class light cruisers are confirmed sunk. No other enemy ships were encountered, although several enemy task forces were spotted. Our carriers attacked port facilities at Espirtu Santo instead. This gave Allied aircraft based on New Caledonia the opportunity to strike back. A first raid of 12 bombers (identified as Hudsons) was shot down to last plane by our CAP and flak, but from a second raid of 12 planes five managed to break through our defenses. Akagi suffered one bomb hit that caused minimal damage, but Shokaku followed the example of her sisters and blew up after a single 500lbs bomb penetrated an avgas storage tank. There were few survivors. Understandably, our carrier forces are completely demoralized by this second catastrophy.
The series of fatal single hits on carriers and other vessels puzzles our ordnance experts. Some are wondering whether Allied forces have developed some kind of guided weapon in order to precisely hit the most vulnerable areas of our ships. Others blame it on faulty design of the Shokaku class vessels and claim that their deck armor of up to 170mm is simply not enough. They suggest to convert the Shinano - a Yamato-class battleship still under construction - into a carrier with the thickest possible horizontal protection. GHQ has already ordered design studies.
Emperor LST is not sure whether he should be angry about the loss of Skokaku or be thankful that Akagi didn't meet the same fate (yet) and actually survived a single hit.
01/18/42
BANZAI! The 'Gibraltar of the East' has been captured by our 25th Army in a well-executed mass attack of four divisions. Many Commonwealth soldiers are now listed KIA or POW. This victory will pave the way for further conquests in the NEI.
Apart from Singapore, the Allied bases at Lashio and Sorong also changed ownership this week. Furthermore, one of our divisions routed four enemy divisions trying to recapture Akyab. The enemy forces fled back towards the Indian border. Several Chinese divisions attacking Canton were also repulsed by a single IJA division. The enemy troops suffered heavy casualties in the process. A weak attack by Chinese units near Hengyang has been stopped dead, too. Ground combat at Dutch Harbor continues with low intensity, two US Regiments and a Canadian Brigade have been unable to dislodge our SBF unit on the island.
Air attacks continued against Bataan, Timor, Kohima/Imphal and Henyang. Port Moresby was attacked for the first time by IJA aircraft operating from our new base at Lae to support the IJA South Sea Detachment operating in the Owen Stanley chain around Kokoda.
Enemy air attacks against oil fields at Balikpapan have caused only light damage. Nevertheless, GHQ sees this with some concern, as oil stocks begin to run low. Another enemy air attack sank an AP and a freighter off Lae, both ships succumbed to single hits.
Two surface actions have been fought off Northern Australia this week. Our cruiser forces operating out of Kendari swiftly reacted to reports of our search planes and managed to wipe out a convoy of seven freighters off Timor and also sank two out of five small APs off Port Moresby. Allied aircraft retaliated and managed to sink an Asashio class destroyer with a single hit.
In the South Pacific, our battle line has fought a night battle against an enemy TF off Espiritu Santo, one Kent class heavy cruiser and four Amphion/Leander class light cruisers are confirmed sunk. No other enemy ships were encountered, although several enemy task forces were spotted. Our carriers attacked port facilities at Espirtu Santo instead. This gave Allied aircraft based on New Caledonia the opportunity to strike back. A first raid of 12 bombers (identified as Hudsons) was shot down to last plane by our CAP and flak, but from a second raid of 12 planes five managed to break through our defenses. Akagi suffered one bomb hit that caused minimal damage, but Shokaku followed the example of her sisters and blew up after a single 500lbs bomb penetrated an avgas storage tank. There were few survivors. Understandably, our carrier forces are completely demoralized by this second catastrophy.
The series of fatal single hits on carriers and other vessels puzzles our ordnance experts. Some are wondering whether Allied forces have developed some kind of guided weapon in order to precisely hit the most vulnerable areas of our ships. Others blame it on faulty design of the Shokaku class vessels and claim that their deck armor of up to 170mm is simply not enough. They suggest to convert the Shinano - a Yamato-class battleship still under construction - into a carrier with the thickest possible horizontal protection. GHQ has already ordered design studies.
Emperor LST is not sure whether he should be angry about the loss of Skokaku or be thankful that Akagi didn't meet the same fate (yet) and actually survived a single hit.
g** bless japanese ship designers !
for such incompetence ...
Dammit, I do not want to play Japs anymore !
Dammit, I do not want to play Japs anymore !
the more You play - the less You understand ... :p
yee haa Yamato
Wrote long, sophisticated AAR but then deleted before posting so in short:
Yamato loses to 6 CAs without torps and four DDs - medals all round I think. And killing an IJN CV early is worth a lot - for once I planned both ie I dispatched CAs to catch reinforcement TFs and I set up trap for his CVs doing all the right things to maximise reaction chance.
DEI etc ; I am losing old (expendable) RN/Dutch CLs with poor AA to mammoth IJN task forces. They might have got lucky intercepting troop TFs and some may still do so. DEI is still mine and various IJN resource bases are being blasted by B17s based there. Air groups are getting experience shooting up TFs. But ultimately if IJN deploys strike force and lots of BBs there how can you stop him? I suggest that IJN focus on DEI (and delays LST seems to be facing) is allowing reinforcement of Northern Aus and other key pointas across southern/cental Pacific: in otyer games Midway/johnstonm have been attacked by now. Plus in close waters off java near three/four airbases my air may get lucky on a big target (as they fly lots every turn in NI).
Lack of BBs: yes taking oput 6 at PH is good but:
- means AOs, DDs and APs in PH not hit and usable which is vital for reinforcing garrisons
- plenty of CAs around to act as gunships for landings.
- can make clever use of RN BBs for landing support
- I would hope that IJN TFs would be hit by land air and CV air before they got to surface TFs.
Yamato loses to 6 CAs without torps and four DDs - medals all round I think. And killing an IJN CV early is worth a lot - for once I planned both ie I dispatched CAs to catch reinforcement TFs and I set up trap for his CVs doing all the right things to maximise reaction chance.
DEI etc ; I am losing old (expendable) RN/Dutch CLs with poor AA to mammoth IJN task forces. They might have got lucky intercepting troop TFs and some may still do so. DEI is still mine and various IJN resource bases are being blasted by B17s based there. Air groups are getting experience shooting up TFs. But ultimately if IJN deploys strike force and lots of BBs there how can you stop him? I suggest that IJN focus on DEI (and delays LST seems to be facing) is allowing reinforcement of Northern Aus and other key pointas across southern/cental Pacific: in otyer games Midway/johnstonm have been attacked by now. Plus in close waters off java near three/four airbases my air may get lucky on a big target (as they fly lots every turn in NI).
Lack of BBs: yes taking oput 6 at PH is good but:
- means AOs, DDs and APs in PH not hit and usable which is vital for reinforcing garrisons
- plenty of CAs around to act as gunships for landings.
- can make clever use of RN BBs for landing support
- I would hope that IJN TFs would be hit by land air and CV air before they got to surface TFs.
Sometimes, when you are a Bear of Very Little Brain, and you Think of Things,you find sometimes that a Thing which seemed very Thingish inside you is quite different when it gets out into the open and has other people looking at it. - Winnie the Pooh
Originally posted by LargeSlowTarget
Akagi suffered one bomb hit that caused minimal damage, but Shokaku followed the example of her sisters and blew up after a single 500lbs bomb penetrated an avgas storage tank. There were few survivors. Understandably, our carrier forces are completely demoralized by this second catastrophy
Ouch!!! Shokaku and Zuikaku (with Yamato) already lost... Things look bad for IJN so erly in war. I'm really getting to be your devoted fan LST, beside I'm much fonder to play Japanese I'd like to see how will things develope further
-
Capt. Harlock
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Strawb has a strong point: there is no way for the Allies to keep DEI if the Japanese really want it. The Dutch LCU's are meat on the table for the IJA, and the Australian units available are too small and too few. The strategy of sacrificing CL's to buy time is sound--but beware, Dutch kill points are just as good as American ones.
Hudsons sinking a Japanese fleet carrier? I trust Yammamoto will be performing seppuku...
But the Allies have been known to experience disastrous losses as well. In my latest game, two British CV's succumbed to one torpedo hit each, while the Prince of Wales took 96% damage from a third single torpedo hit. I managed to get her back to Trincomalee, but she was effectively out of the war.
Hudsons sinking a Japanese fleet carrier? I trust Yammamoto will be performing seppuku...
But the Allies have been known to experience disastrous losses as well. In my latest game, two British CV's succumbed to one torpedo hit each, while the Prince of Wales took 96% damage from a third single torpedo hit. I managed to get her back to Trincomalee, but she was effectively out of the war.
Civil war? What does that mean? Is there any foreign war? Isn't every war fought between men, between brothers?
--Victor Hugo
--Victor Hugo