Command Decisions: Samurai vs. Yeomen RA 6.4

[John 3rd]

CORRECT but there were more survivors from Pettigrew and Trimble! We're not looking for survivors here. Those boys are gonna enter the Valley of Death and get SMASHED!

[John 3rd]

It is Cinco de Johno! I cannot think of a better way to start the day then...



Lt Commander Hosotani has been on patrol in the old Ro-66 near Tahiti for the better part of a month. Fuel is getting low but there have been reports of American Carriers operating in the area so he has kept his crew in a constant state of training waiting for an opportunity. This is a successful boat. It has two AK kills to its name but haven't sunk anything since then end of December.

May 18th dawns rainy and stormy. Sonar reports heavy screws at a range of 12,000 yards and Hosotani orders left full rudder to intercept. The targets are moving FAST and have to be warships. As the old boat bends on maximum speed, it rapidly becomes apparent that he will have to shoot from a poor angle. He orders all six forward tubes readied. At 4,000 yards he raises the periscope and immediately feels his pulse quicken as he sees three American Destroyers and the shadows of a Heavy Cruiser. Lowering the scope, he orders another course correction to try to close the range some more. An painfully slow 3-4 minutes pass by. Tensions rise. Sonar reports another set of heavy screws approaching. "Up Scope!" At a range of 3,000 Yards he spies what can only be a LEXINGTON-Class CV! The large carrier has already passed and the range is beginning to open. The Lt. Commander immediately orders a full spread of torpedoes. It is a poor angle with an opening range.

Time counts down and Hosotani impatiently waits. Just before the time for impact occurs he takes the scope again. Miss...Miss...Miss...Miss...MISS (does this failure and a loss of honor?)...HIT! A plume of water erupts on Saratoga's port midships side. While one hit isn't much at least it is something. As he orders the RO- to turn away, he is stunned to see an enormous explosion as flaming fuel erupts from a storage area. The carrier staggers under the explosion. HAA! Now that has gotta hurt.

Throughout the boat the cry rings out: BANZAI! BANZAI!! BANZAI!!!

Three American DDs do their level best to sink RO-66, however, the sub is able to surface (after a terrible depth charging) and get out a contact report. Crippled, the boat heads for home. Mission accomplished and a job well done.

How 'bout that!!??

[Mike McCreery]

I think it is time to stop beating up on Girl Scouts...

[John 3rd]

Hey! I have DATED Girl Scouts but never CALLED a Girl Scout...

[:D]

[Mike McCreery]

ORIGINAL: John 3rd

Hey! I have DATED Girl Scouts but never CALLED a Girl Scout...

[:D]

I didnt call you a girl scout I called your opponents girl scouts and told you to stop beating on them...

[John 3rd]

ORIGINAL: Wargmr

ORIGINAL: John 3rd

Hey! I have DATED Girl Scouts but never CALLED a Girl Scout...

[:D]

I didnt call you a girl scout I called your opponents girl scouts and told you to stop beating on them...

I know that but we ALL know Girl Scouts LIKE to be beaten! Was that totally Politically Incorrect? I always get so confused over that...

[John 3rd]

Combat Report
May 18, 1942

Been doing specific regional reports figure I ought to get caught up everywhere.

North Pacific
Area is settling down nicely. I've left a STF of 2 CA, 2 CL, and 8 DD at Attu in case an opportunity presents itself.

Central Pacific
Two groups of 5 I-Boats have left Midway and Christmas Isle heading for the West Coast. The 10 Subs should arrive at about the same time in a week. Will assignment Patrol Areas 2-3 days out and see if we can score some 'surprise' kills in an area the Japanese haven't haunted since the end of 1941.

SE Pacific
The RO-66 hit on Saratoga ROCKS!

Have two TF due to arrive in this region within 4-5 days. Once unloaded, we should be in solid shape to repel any form of Allied Attack.

South Pacific
Form 4 Fast TF at Noumea to grab Norfolk Isle, Rauel Isle, and the two base due east of there. Want to grab these bases just so I deny them to the enemy. Amy landing at any of these will immediately tell me something is happening.

The 2nd ID is nearly at full strength in Suva. I shall lift it to Noumea to join with the Chinese ID resting there and then these two Infantry Divisions will storm Port Moresby at the end of June.

Australia
NW Aust
The first attack upon Darwin went poorly on the 17th. We scored a 1-4 versus Fort-3. Luckily Casualties were pretty light. We'll rest the two ID and then attack in about 4 days after a 5 BB and then 4 BC Bombardment of the defenses.

Daly Waters
AV is 275 and Forts are nearly 3. The Allies are slowly coming up the road towards this area (two hexes away). Figure I can hold until Darwin falls and then bring an ID south and push the enemy back and recapture Tennant Creek.

Western Aust
DAMN! The Allies are serious in coming up from the SE. We bombed the stack this turn and now confirm the following units: 10th Light Horse Bn and 2nd--4th--5th Aust ID. YIKES! The stacks are hit by both Daitai of Bettys. A large Daitai of Kates arrive at Kalgoorlie and shall join the aerial attack. The enemy enters the hex that has 18th ID--A and two TK Reg in it.

Two days until the 1st and 8th Inf Brig land at Perth...

[ny59giants]

Western Aust
DAMN! The Allies are serious in coming up from the SE. We bombed the stack this turn and now confirm the following units: 10th Light Horse Bn and 2nd--4th--5th Aust ID. YIKES! The stacks are hit by both Daitai of Bettys. A large Daitai of Kates arrive at Kalgoorlie and shall join the aerial attack. The enemy enters the hex that has 18th ID--A and two TK Reg in it.

If they didn't bring sufficient AA units, both light and heavy, then these troops are going to get bombed back to stone age. Been there, paid for it there!![:-]

Rather than use your Betty in this role, where are your Sally/Helens??

Wild idea would be to invade Port Augusta and cut off the troops in west and above Alice Springs. This is the southern most base you could capture without triggering emergency reinforcements.

[John 3rd]

Michael: You are right on track. I cannot decide where the opportunity is bigger right now. They have forward deployed ALL their major ground forces into either the Irrawaddy or Western Australia. HUGE chances to kill LOTS of troops and score a huge victory.

Could really use some input. Options:

1. Land, as planned, at Viza and Cocanada and take eastern India. Would gain more HI, LI, and kill lots of troops. Anything in Burma would be cut off and then killed.

OR

2. Land at Port Augusta and sweep NW with a chance to truly destroy the vast bulk of the Australian Army.

OPTION 1 requires a massive landing with at least 6 ID and a bunch of TKs. OPTION 2 could be done for less since I don't have to deal with heavy Garrison needs. Might also be able to do it with the remainder of Japanese ID and Brigades available once I deal with those EVIL Dutch!

The Imperial General Staff asks for opinions.

[&o][&o][&o]

[John 3rd]

LOOKIE!

Enemy Fleet closing on Rangiroa: CV Lexington, Saratoga (Damaged), and Hornet.





Wonder how this turns out?

[castor troy]

ORIGINAL: John 3rd

Michael: You are right on track. I cannot decide where the opportunity is bigger right now. They have forward deployed ALL their major ground forces into either the Irrawaddy or Western Australia. HUGE chances to kill LOTS of troops and score a huge victory.

Could really use some input. Options:

1. Land, as planned, at Viza and Cocanada and take eastern India. Would gain more HI, LI, and kill lots of troops. Anything in Burma would be cut off and then killed.

OR

2. Land at Port Augusta and sweep NW with a chance to truly destroy the vast bulk of the Australian Army.

OPTION 1 requires a massive landing with at least 6 ID and a bunch of TKs. OPTION 2 could be done for less since I don't have to deal with heavy Garrison needs. Might also be able to do it with the remainder of Japanese ID and Brigades available once I deal with those EVIL Dutch!

The Imperial General Staff asks for opinions.

[&o][&o][&o]

I know you don't want to hear this John, but like you always split your carriers [;)] (something I always avoid), don't split your efforts on the ground. Having a real landwar going in Australia AND thinking to take out Eastern India to me feels like greatly overdoing it. Now I don't know how much your opponents are into ground war but 6 IJ divisions at best mean 2500 av. 2500 av wouldn't even be enough to take Calcutta if they aren't totally drunk. In my ongoing campaign vs khyberbill I had 4000av fully prepped (are your units even prepped for Calcutta?) attacking Calcutta and the river crossing alone resulted in 1000+ disabled combat squads. FYI Calcutta is urban heavy and no matter from which side you enter, you have to shock attack across the river. I have four times more assault value operating in Eastern India at the end of June 42 than you plan to send there and if khyber would have had 600-800av more in Calcutta I would have been stopped cold. And Calcutta is the key in that area as all the surrounding is clear and then have fun trying to move around in clear terrain. In my case, I have taken the ground in South Eastern India but I have not yet destroyed the 4000av I am still facing there even though that the odds are really in my favour now. Thinking about going there with 2500 av sounds like suizide to me if I would carry that over into my campaign. But then, I got not clue what your opponents are planning. [;)]

[John 3rd]

That is good advice Castor.

More?

[rook749]

ORIGINAL: John 3rd

ORIGINAL: Wargmr

ORIGINAL: John 3rd

Hey! I have DATED Girl Scouts but never CALLED a Girl Scout...

[:D]

I didnt call you a girl scout I called your opponents girl scouts and told you to stop beating on them...

I know that but we ALL know Girl Scouts LIKE to be beaten! Was that totally Politically Incorrect? I always get so confused over that...

I thought that was Catholic School Girls, or was that a Flash Back to Kentucky Fried Movie???

[janh]

Castor is spot on. Calcutta is a very tough nut to crack, you'd have to bring in a more INF, ENG and much of the heavy siege art from China theater unless your opponents missed securing it well. You'd be best off to hit it from Diamond Harbor, but taking that and getting the port up there is additional work. I think you'd have to allow plenty of time to siege and crack Calcutta no matter what. Meanwhile you'd have to secure and defend a precariously wide frontage from Cocanda somewhere along Howrah or Jamsehpur to Darjeeling or Patna if you want to stop the Commonwealth Burma offensive and cut them off. I have found that these distances are quite large and given the rather dense, well connected road network compared to OZ, it is tough to defend against the forth and back of Allied troops that would happen. A very daring idea, and quite probably doable, but maybe a "landing too far"?
On the other hand, you'd really thwart any major threat to Burma, which is presently the only direction I'd assume that your opponents could still bring to serious harm to the Empire from before 1944.

Not sure about the alternative to cut off the forces in Western OZ, though. I recall that it has been done several times (very) successfully before. That would leave Burma a dangerous spot, but it might bring OZ into the Empire and might lead to CV engagements(s) under your terms?

[janh]

Damned good luck on Sara... unbelievable.

[castor troy]

ORIGINAL: John 3rd

That is good advice Castor.

More?

I'd just take advantage of their moves in Australia. If I would be them I would just fall back into the area around Sydney - Brisbane (and Townsville area if that is still Allied) and wait. Lost Northern Aus and Western Aus. Ok. Nothing much more the IJ can do to me and the buildup starts. Then roll the IJ out of the country again. I only had an attempted IJ invasion around Sydney one time and the IJ player vanished after having his fleet trashed near Perth and Sydney and his troops being lost for sure in the process so if one really ever attempts this vs an experienced player, uh oh, not my taste, feels like auto abandoning the game.

In your case, if they really send a couple of hundred or even 1-2000 av against your invasion, that's the best that could happen to you. That would be the point to move in 6 divisions, the IJAAF bombers in force and force the enemy to retreat several times or even surrender. And that would be the point when you don't have to worry about Australia's ground forces anymore because they are so hard to rebuild due to the replacement rates, to some extent also true for Indian units but they get more. As the Allied I either try to stop the IJ cold during an invasion and hold the place (like PM for example) or if that didn't work, just let them have it. Moving in more stuff to be destroyed is not to my liking. But then, everyone got a different point of view and different tactics and strategies, which makes it so great to play PBEM.

In your case, my main goal would be to destroy as many ground units they dare to send to Western Australia.

[John 3rd]

Want to respond but have to go to work for a bit. Keep up the commentary. India or Australia is one heck of a conundrum presently.

Here is a tidbit from the last turn and it is EVIL that I Post without details...

[Cribtop]

Given the paucity of USN fighters, methinks you hurt their CVs - bad.

Do what you need to do in order to reliably destroy British and Aussie squads. They don't come back. To me, this argues for both Oz and an attempt to trash the Burma invasion by a method other than invading Calcutta (unless you see Calcutta is undefended via recon). I will somewhat arrogantly point you to Operation Scorpion at the conclusion of my own AAR for ideas on accomplishing this.

[Lowpe]

That is really nice raid coordination! [&o]

I like the idea of hurting the Aussies and holding in Burma/India. I too don't think you can do both.

[zuluhour]

This can't be good for the Yankee's. On Australia, I tried to defend with two of the Aussie home divisions and some armor and was surrounded and trashed in 72 hours. The advice above is gold in my book.