The Hive - Cruft PBEM (Japan, Scen 2 Beta + Stacking Limits)

[Captain Cruft]

All parameters were good, that's why I think it was a lack of escorts. According to my DLs he has 300+ fighters on his CVs, and I had a maximum 160 on escort.

Anyway, no matter. If I can't sink anything from Ponape I'll just do it elsewhere. It's only really the Marianas which matter, and four adjacent torpedo bases is a far better platform than one stuck out on its own. Ponape now mostly becomes a place to attrit his land forces. The AV is 460 and forts are 6, supply is around 20k and there is plenty of support with the 17th Army HQ being present. There are also lots of LCUs installed so his usual 2E bombing will not be able to eradicate the garrison before landing.

Meanwhile, Takao now has 780+55 eng/veh. That is the first time I have ever had more than 1,000 eng equivalent in a base. This should be enough for a 2 day bounceback and I have not finished stacking it yet. The AV is also around 175 without any actual infantry units even being installed.

[Captain Cruft]

4 Dec 1943

Ponape is now closed as the 4Es visit for a 3rd consecutive day. All planes are being evacuated to Truk, at least temporarily.

He has also landed on Kusaie Island and will take it next turn.

Elsewhere not much going on.

[Captain Cruft]

5 Dec 1943

He has landed at Namlea (adjacent to Ambon) using Fast Transport. The base is of course empty.

I was lucky enough that his ships were still there in the day-time phase but the Ternate Frances' only managed to put a single torp into an AVD, which sank. They proved totally useless against the fast and nimble APDs present. This is why you need dive bombers ...

As predicted Kusaie Island falls, with not a single casualty inflicted on the attacking US Marines. The destroyed Naval Guard unit will be re-born for service somewhere more useful, probably the Kuriles.

Ponape is visited again by 4Es (fourth consecutive day). The airfield is now quite badly trashed but I am still getting a few planes repaired to be shipped out to Truk.

Takao now has 844+55 eng/veh. The eventual total will be at least 1,132+79 which is 1,527 eng equivalent. Not enough for a total insta-bounceback but it should make it impossible to close the place for more than a day. The port is also now size 7, which means that I can base the whole IJN surface fleet there (excepting BBs) as anti-bombardment protection. Testing has shown that the base is vulnerable to bombardment from the sea.

[Captain Cruft]

6 Dec 1943

Pisanuloke falls. The Thais have retreated eastwards, it will be a long walk to get them anywhere useful.

Meanwhile, it looks like a bombardment is heading towards Ponape.

[Captain Cruft]

7 Dec 1943

Two years into the war ...

Ponape gets bombarded. One of the hits on a BB degraded the crew experience, otherwise the shells just bounced off. Still the actual bombardment was not very effective so that's good.

I did try to intervene a bit, this may have helped reduce the efficacy of the bombardment.

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Night Time Surface Combat, near Ponape at 119,113, Range 2,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
MTB G-151
MTB G-152
MTB G-153
MTB G-154
MTB G-155
MTB G-156, Shell hits 2, and is sunk

Allied Ships
BB West Virginia
BB Oklahoma
BB New Mexico
CA Northampton
CA Houston
CA Chester
CL Nashville
DD Craven
DD Gridley
DD Maury
DD Benham
DD Lang
DD Stack
DD Sterett

Reduced visibility due to Rain with 78% moonlight
Maximum visibility in Rain and 78% moonlight: 2,000 yards
Range closes to 27,000 yards...
Range closes to 25,000 yards...
Range closes to 23,000 yards...
Range closes to 21,000 yards...
Range closes to 19,000 yards...
Range closes to 17,000 yards...
Range closes to 15,000 yards...
Range closes to 13,000 yards...
Range closes to 11,000 yards...
Range closes to 10,000 yards...
Range closes to 9,000 yards...
Range closes to 8,000 yards...
Range closes to 7,000 yards...
Range closes to 6,000 yards...
Range closes to 5,000 yards...
CONTACT: Allies radar detects Japanese task force at 5,000 yards
Range closes to 4,000 yards...
Range closes to 3,000 yards...
Range closes to 2,000 yards...
CONTACT: Japanese lookouts spot Allied task force at 2,000 yards
CONTACT: Allied lookouts spot Japanese task force at 2,000 yards
Borow, S.R. crosses the 'T'
MTB G-156 engages CA Chester at 2,000 yards
MTB G-156 engages DD Sterett at 2,000 yards
DD Stack engages MTB G-156 at 2,000 yards
MTB G-156 sunk by DD Lang at 2,000 yards
Range increases to 3,000 yards
BB New Mexico engages MTB G-153 at 3,000 yards
DD Maury engages MTB G-153 at 3,000 yards
DD Craven engages MTB G-153 at 3,000 yards
Range increases to 6,000 yards
BB West Virginia engages MTB G-155 at 6,000 yards
DD Lang engages MTB G-153 at 6,000 yards
DD Craven engages MTB G-153 at 6,000 yards
Task forces break off...

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Night Air attack on TF, near Ponape at 119,113

Weather in hex: Moderate rain

Raid detected at 35 NM, estimated altitude 13,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 13 minutes

Japanese aircraft
G3M3 Nell x 5

Japanese aircraft losses
G3M3 Nell: 1 damaged

Allied Ships
BB Oklahoma
BB West Virginia

Aircraft Attacking:
5 x G3M3 Nell launching torpedoes at 200 feet
Naval Attack: 1 x 18in Type 91 Torpedo

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Night Air attack on TF, near Ponape at 119,113

Weather in hex: Moderate rain

Raid detected at 10 NM, estimated altitude 15,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 3 minutes

Japanese aircraft
B6N2 Jill x 3

Japanese aircraft losses
B6N2 Jill: 1 damaged
B6N2 Jill: 1 destroyed by flak

Allied Ships
BB Oklahoma

Aircraft Attacking:
3 x B6N2 Jill launching torpedoes at 200 feet
Naval Attack: 1 x 18in Type 91 Torpedo

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Night Air attack on TF, near Ponape at 119,113

Weather in hex: Moderate rain

Raid spotted at 15 NM, estimated altitude 13,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 5 minutes

Japanese aircraft
G3M3 Nell x 6

Japanese aircraft losses
G3M3 Nell: 2 damaged
G3M3 Nell: 1 destroyed by flak

Allied Ships
CL Nashville
BB Oklahoma

Aircraft Attacking:
5 x G3M3 Nell launching torpedoes at 200 feet
Naval Attack: 1 x 18in Type 91 Torpedo

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Night Air attack on TF, near Ponape at 119,113

Weather in hex: Moderate rain

Raid spotted at 41 NM, estimated altitude 14,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 15 minutes

Japanese aircraft
H8K2 Emily x 7

Japanese aircraft losses
H8K2 Emily: 3 damaged

Allied Ships
BB West Virginia
BB Oklahoma

Aircraft Attacking:
7 x H8K2 Emily launching torpedoes at 200 feet
Naval Attack: 2 x 18in Type 91 Torpedo

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Submarine attack near Ponape at 119,113

Japanese Ships
SSX Ha-7, hits 21, heavy fires, heavy damage

Allied Ships
DD Craven
BB New Mexico
BB West Virginia
CA Chester
CA Northampton
DD Benham
DD Maury
DD Gridley
DD Sterett
DD Stack
DD Lang

SSX Ha-7 launches 2 torpedoes at DD Craven
Ha-7 bottoming out ....
DD Sterett attacking submerged sub ....
SSX Ha-7 forced to surface!
DD Sterett firing on surfaced sub ....
DD Stack firing on surfaced sub ....
DD Lang firing on surfaced sub ....
DD Sterett firing on surfaced sub ....
DD Stack firing on surfaced sub ....
DD Lang firing on surfaced sub ....
DD Sterett firing on surfaced sub ....
DD Stack firing on surfaced sub ....
DD Lang firing on surfaced sub ....
DD Stack firing on surfaced sub ....
DD Lang firing on surfaced sub ....
DD Sterett firing on surfaced sub ....
DD Stack firing on surfaced sub ....
DD Lang firing on surfaced sub ....
DD Sterett firing on surfaced sub ....
DD Stack firing on surfaced sub ....
DD Lang firing on surfaced sub ....
DD Sterett firing on surfaced sub ....
DD Stack firing on surfaced sub ....
DD Lang firing on surfaced sub ....
Sub slips beneath the waves

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Night Naval bombardment of Ponape at 119,113 - Coastal Guns Fire Back!

Japanese aircraft
no flights

Japanese aircraft losses
J2M2 Jack: 6 damaged
P1Y1 Frances: 2 damaged
A6M5 Zero: 2 damaged

154 Coastal gun shots fired in defense.

Allied Ships
BB New Mexico
BB Oklahoma, Shell hits 14
BB West Virginia, Shell hits 9
CA Chester
CA Houston
CA Northampton, Shell hits 2
CL Nashville

Japanese ground losses:
77 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 2 destroyed, 20 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 14 (3 destroyed, 11 disabled)
Vehicles lost 6 (2 destroyed, 4 disabled)

Airbase hits 4
Runway hits 8
Port hits 3
Port fuel hits 3

OS2U-3 Kingfisher acting as spotter for BB New Mexico
BB New Mexico firing at Ponape
OS2U-3 Kingfisher acting as spotter for BB Oklahoma
Ponape Naval Fortress firing at BB Oklahoma
BB Oklahoma firing at Ponape Naval Fortress
BB West Virginia firing at Ponape Naval Fortress
Ponape Naval Fortress firing at BB West Virginia
Ponape Naval Fortress firing at CA Chester
CA Chester firing at Ponape Naval Fortress
CA Houston firing at Ponape
CA Northampton firing at Ponape Naval Fortress
Ponape Naval Fortress firing at CA Northampton
CL Nashville firing at Ponape Naval Fortress
Ponape Naval Fortress firing at CL Nashville

[obvert]

One of the hits on a BB degraded the crew experience

Was there a message saying this, or how do you know?

[Captain Cruft]

The message is "severe casualties to damage control parties", which according to the manual means that the crew loses experience.

[obvert]

ORIGINAL: Captain Cruft

The message is "severe casualties to damage control parties", which according to the manual means that the crew loses experience.

That's awesome. I didn't know that. Thanks.

[Miller]

ORIGINAL: Captain Cruft

The message is "severe casualties to damage control parties", which according to the manual means that the crew loses experience.

Bloody hell, the game has been out four years and I'm still learning new things every day!

[Captain Cruft]

Yes. So the two advantages of the late-war USN (and RN), namely radar and experience, can both be negated. Just don't use surface ships to do it. Air-delivered bombs and coastal guns are the thing.

[Captain Cruft]

8 Dec 1943

British sub SS Clyde is sunk by non-super Es in the Malacca Strait escorting a tanker convoy to Medan.

Takao is now at 965+66 eng/veh.

[Captain Cruft]

9 Dec 1943

SS Batfish sinks a fuel-laden AK west of the Philippines. Otherwise no action.

Takao is now at 965+68 eng/veh with 312 av support (624 post-beta). I have also received another compliant IJAAF fighter Sentai which will take the eventual total to 22 x 49 (1078) planes.

The build-up of Pescadores has also started, with thus far 84 eng and 144 av support installed. Flak and more eng/av support are on the way. This base can only go to size 7 airfield so cannot be ridiculously over-stuffed like Takao can. The main thing I want to install there is night fighters and night naval attack planes along with a strong contigent of day-time interceptors (Jack/George). The IJAAF will not have any night fighter units until 1945, whereas the IJNAF has 4 x 18 plane units arriving before the end of March 1944.

With a repair shipyard of 25 and a reasonable house CD gun array, Pescadores makes an ideal destroyer base.

These two bases are only two hexes apart, the basic plan is that he will not be able to suppress both simultaneously.

[obvert]

Curious. How are your defenses in IndoCina and the South area of China. Once he discovers the massive fortresses here won't he simply land someplace like Pakhoi and march across China to by-pass those positions, gaining eventually the bases close enough to sly sweeps to the HI? Sorry if you've covered this previously.

[Captain Cruft]

No that's a good question.

Indochina is basically empty bar the militia units. However, depending on what happens at Bangkok the remnants from there may eventually end up in Camranh Bay, from where I will attempt to evacuate them.

As to China itself, Nanning has 3 x Ind Mixed Brigades with fort level 6. Pakhoi has an Ind Mixed Regt but I will be adding an Ind Brigade shortly. Kwangchowan will get the same. This is not enough to stop a landing in force but then landings are what I want him to be doing. The thing I want to avoid is having him march overland all the way from Thailand to Shanghai.

BTW I don't actually expect to be able to completely prevent Sweeps over the Home Islands. It's more a matter of delaying it to the point where I might be able to deal with it.

[Captain Cruft]

Note: the game is continuing, however nothing is happening while he consolidates the recent gains.

[Captain Cruft]

13 Dec 1943

He has re-activated.

Sweeps over Ayuthia in Thailand and Ternate/Manado in the DEI. Of course we lost but did manage to dispose of a reasonable number of P-47s and other evil beasties.

The main event from my point of view was a very successful attack by dive-bombing Lilies at Endeh in the Flores islands, where he has just landed. In particular 5 bombs were delivered into Le Triomphant, which is (was) a very fast destroyer. Overall the accuracy was 50% (27 out of 54 bombs hit) ...

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Morning Air attack on TF, near Endeh at 65,113

Weather in hex: Light rain

Raid detected at 60 NM, estimated altitude 20,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 17 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-45 KAIa Nick x 44
Ki-48-IIc Lily x 27

Allied aircraft
P-47D2 Thunderbolt x 2
F4U-1 Corsair x 5

Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-45 KAIa Nick: 1 destroyed
Ki-48-IIc Lily: 11 damaged

Allied aircraft losses
F4U-1 Corsair: 1 destroyed

Allied Ships
xAP Khandalla, Bomb hits 8, heavy fires, heavy damage
xAP Khedive Ismail, Bomb hits 9, heavy fires, heavy damage
DD Le Triomphant, Bomb hits 5, heavy fires, heavy damage
xAK Empire Raja, Bomb hits 4, heavy fires

Aircraft Attacking:
12 x Ki-48-IIc Lily releasing from 3000'
Naval Attack: 2 x 100 kg SAP Bomb
14 x Ki-45 KAIa Nick sweeping at 15000 feet
18 x Ki-45 KAIa Nick sweeping at 15000 feet
11 x Ki-48-IIc Lily releasing from 2000'
Naval Attack: 2 x 100 kg SAP Bomb
4 x Ki-48-IIc Lily releasing from 1000'
Naval Attack: 2 x 100 kg SAP Bomb

CAP engaged:
VMF-311 with F4U-1 Corsair (0 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
5 plane(s) not yet engaged, 0 being recalled, 0 out of immediate contact.
Group patrol altitude is 25000 , scrambling fighters to 28000.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 7 minutes
18th FG/12th FS with P-47D2 Thunderbolt (0 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
2 plane(s) not yet engaged, 0 being recalled, 0 out of immediate contact.
Group patrol altitude is 28000 , scrambling fighters to 26000.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 116 minutes

Massive explosion on DD Le Triomphant
Heavy smoke from fires obscuring xAP Khandalla

[Captain Cruft]

Formosa

I have formulated a more comprehensive plan for Formosa. There will in fact be 4 strongpoints - Takao, Pescadores, Taihoku and Karenko. The latter most is a great little base since it is in Mtn type terrain and, unlike the rest of the island, in the temperate zone. While it is not on the rail network it is accessible by major road in both directions. It can go to size 4 port and size 6 airfield.

The 10th Air Division will form up at Taihoku. This will be all the 36 plane IJAAF level bomber Sentais which do not withdraw. I have found 5 of these so far which is 180 planes. Initially the division will equip the torpedo-carrying Peggy.

While the huge 1st Air Army at Takao will be a Swarm of low service rating Tojos and/or Oscars, a more elite bunch of pilots will fly advanced fighters out of Karenko, initially the Ki-84a Frank.

[Captain Cruft]

14 Dec 1943

No actions today except for Sweep vs. CAP over Ternate which, to my immense surprise, the Zeroes won. Actual losses were 4 A6M5s for 7 P-47D2s.

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Morning Air attack on Ternate , at 78,102

Weather in hex: Partial cloud

Raid detected at 17 NM, estimated altitude 39,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 4 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M5 Zero x 28

Allied aircraft
P-47D2 Thunderbolt x 18

Japanese aircraft losses
A6M5 Zero: 1 destroyed

Allied aircraft losses
P-47D2 Thunderbolt: 4 destroyed

Aircraft Attacking:
1 x P-47D2 Thunderbolt sweeping at 35000 feet

CAP engaged:
261 Ku S-2 with A6M5 Zero (0 airborne, 0 on standby, 12 scrambling)
0 plane(s) not yet engaged, 3 being recalled, 2 out of immediate contact.
Group patrol altitude is 12000 , scrambling fighters between 29000 and 38500.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 48 minutes
263 Ku S-2 with A6M5 Zero (0 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
4 plane(s) not yet engaged, 1 being recalled, 0 out of immediate contact.
Group patrol altitude is 12000 , scrambling fighters to 35000.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 19 minutes
341 Ku S-1 with A6M5 Zero (0 airborne, 0 on standby, 6 scrambling)
Group patrol altitude is 12000 , scrambling fighters to 34000.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 15 minutes

[Captain Cruft]

Thailand

I'm feeling a tad besieged.

[Captain Cruft]

16 Dec 1943

Morotai falls to USMC paras, otherwise quiet.