Castles in the Sand - Spidery(J) vs MrKane(A) no MrKane please

[setloz]

Interesting that his divisions are attacking in thirds, has he messed up upgrades?

Or maybe he just forgot to recombine them before attacking. It happened to me a few times.

[Lowpe]

On shooting down transports...my guess is that Mr. Kane has the delay for messages to minimal; and if you don't check the plane loss screen you won't catch the losses.

I doubt you would be upgrading troops in combat; you break them apart to recover, an simply forget to recombine them for the attack. Oops: What Setloz says.[:)]

[Spidery]

Tom does turn around turns very quickly so it is possible he misses things occasionally.

However, it is surprising that he misses messages that appear in the message window. More likely, he simply doesn't care. He has lost 227 C-47 so far, only 12 of them air-air, it is hardly a massive cost.

[Spidery]

February 14th 1943

Air Losses: 6 Japanese, 7 Allied, 3 Pilots
Japanese occupy:
Allies occupy:
Japanese land at:
Allies land at:

Subs

Quiet

Marshalls

Quiet

Solomons, etc.

Quiet

Burma area

Magwe night annoyance continues.

China

A Chinese unit has vanished.

Australia

Sent an AMC to try and intercept convoys heading for Perth. Previously these have only had light escorts but it found one including CA Frobisher and was sunk. Tokyo Rose claims this as a major victory!

Allies bombardment attack against Darwin but no air strike.

Engineering

Victoria Point forts to 4.

R&D

D4Y4 to 8/43

A TOE upgrade for some RGC Infantry Divisions giving them an extra 26 AV and some guns and engineers. However, most of the divisions that can benefit are split in thirds and need to reform first.

A TOE upgrade for "IJN Yok ug SNLF" but I cannot find anything with that TOE.

[Spidery]

February 15th 1943

Air Losses: 17 Japanese, 5 Allied, 12 Pilots
Japanese occupy:
Allies occupy:
Japanese land at:
Allies land at:

Subs

Quiet

Marshalls

Quiet

Solomons, etc.

Quiet

Burma area

An expensive mistake, following the disappearance of a Chinese unit, I forgot to set some bombers and they were left on Commander's decision. They decide to bomb troops at Kalemyo and flak losses are bad.

China

Seems that the disappearing Chinese unit was a withdrawal!

Australia

Allies launch a bombardment attack at Darwin:

Ground combat at Darwin (76,124)

Allied Bombardment attack

Attacking force 4262 troops, 279 guns, 215 vehicles, Assault Value = 1705

Defending force 33790 troops, 436 guns, 362 vehicles, Assault Value = 804

Japanese ground losses:
85 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 7 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 3 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Vehicles lost 13 (3 destroyed, 10 disabled)

Allied ground losses:
69 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 9 disabled
Non Combat: 1 destroyed, 23 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled
Guns lost 25 (13 destroyed, 12 disabled)
Vehicles lost 12 (1 destroyed, 11 disabled)

I am happy with that result.

Engineering

Quiet

R&D

Quiet

[Spidery]

February 16th 1943

Air Losses: 1 Japanese, 6 Allied, 0 Pilots
Japanese occupy:
Allies occupy:
Japanese land at:
Allies land at:

Subs

An Allied xAP hits a sub-layed minefield near Sydney.

I-175 was damaged by air attack yesterday and is having difficulty controlling flooding. It is unlikely to reach safety.

Marshalls

Quiet

Solomons, etc.

Quiet

Burma area

Quiet

China

Quiet

Australia

Allies launch a bombardment attack at Darwin:

Ground combat at Darwin (76,124)

Allied Bombardment attack

Attacking force 4238 troops, 265 guns, 218 vehicles, Assault Value = 1749

Defending force 33972 troops, 437 guns, 359 vehicles, Assault Value = 811

Japanese ground losses:
152 casualties reported
Squads: 1 destroyed, 13 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled

Allied ground losses:
218 casualties reported
Squads: 4 destroyed, 9 disabled
Non Combat: 2 destroyed, 9 disabled
Engineers: 2 destroyed, 2 disabled
Guns lost 26 (20 destroyed, 6 disabled)
Vehicles lost 6 (2 destroyed, 4 disabled)

Not sure why he is keeping this up: the disablements I suffer are minor, supply is readily available, and he is having guns destroyed.

Engineering

Quiet

R&D

Quiet

Reinforcements

RO-101, AO Ashizuri

[setloz]

Not sure why he is keeping this up: the disablements I suffer are minor, supply is readily available, and he is having guns destroyed.

Never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake [:'(]

On a more serious note, perhaps he is just trying to burn your supply. He can always bring more, while you have to risk a convoy getting there.

[Lowpe]

My guess is the same, burn your supply, and also the gun losses might not be that high with fog of war.

[Spidery]

February 17th 1943

Air Losses: 11 Japanese, 3 Allied, 2 Pilots
Japanese occupy:
Allies occupy:
Japanese land at:
Allies land at:

[>:]

Subs

I-175 sinks

Marshalls

Spot a task force reported as 4 BB, heading back to Pearl Harbour.

Solomons, etc.

Lightnings sweep Milne Bay, 7 A6M5 traded for 1 P-38G.

Burma area

Quiet

China

Quiet

Australia

Quiet

Engineering

Koepang forts reach 6.

R&D

Quiet

[Spidery]

ORIGINAL: setloz

Not sure why he is keeping this up: the disablements I suffer are minor, supply is readily available, and he is having guns destroyed.

Never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake [:'(]

On a more serious note, perhaps he is just trying to burn your supply. He can always bring more, while you have to risk a convoy getting there.

Ah well, he abandoned the bombardments this turn.

Supply situation in Darwin is quite good. About 27,000 there. I burn about 100 a day, if he bombards that adds another 150, if he launches air attacks another 250 and a deliberate attack seems to burn the best part of a 1000 supply. So supply should last until end of March at least.

Of course, he has no way of knowing just how much supply I have there. He may think I am running short and flying some supply in. I have been taking some ops losses amongst transports because I have been flying troops out to the Bonins and picking up some of the isolated troops in the Marshalls. He may think they are flying supplies into Darwin.

[Spidery]

February 18th 1943

Air Losses: 0 Japanese, 0 Allied, 0 Pilots
Japanese occupy:
Allies occupy:
Japanese land at:
Allies land at:

[>:]

Subs

[>:]

Marshalls

[>:]

Solomons, etc.

[>:]

Burma area

[>:]

China

A Chinese hex is cleared, 100 ground VP gained for the day.

Two Divisions will head to the coast and a brigade head to clear another hex.

Australia

[>:]

Engineering

[>:]

R&D

[>:]

[Spidery]

February 19th 1943

Air Losses: 4 Japanese, 5 Allied, 0 Pilots
Japanese occupy:
Allies occupy:
Japanese land at:
Allies land at:

Subs

Quiet

Marshalls

Quiet

Solomons, etc.

B-24D hit Milne Bay port, 1 shot down by flak.
P-38G sweep Namatamani, no combat.

Burma area

Quiet

China

A big Chinese Corps is eliminated giving 57 land VP for the turn.

Australia

Quiet

Engineering

Chengtu to 8 (worth it for the VP but 9 probably isn't)
Sorong to 3.

R&D

A6M5b to 6/43.

[Spidery]

To develop Chengtu airfield to 9 or not? It seems that as SPS + 2 it will take 8000 engineering points, hence supply, for this I get between 50 and 200 VP (if not lost). I think that is a yes.

[setloz]

ORIGINAL: Spidery

To develop Chengtu airfield to 9 or not? It seems that as SPS + 2 it will take 8000 engineering points, hence supply, for this I get between 50 and 200 VP (if not lost). I think that is a yes.

Considering the allies have few chances of ever taking it back...I'd go for it.

[Spidery]

February 20th 1943

Air Losses: 3 Japanese, 4 Allied, 0 Pilots
Japanese occupy:
Allies occupy:
Japanese land at:
Allies land at:

Subs

I-3 takes a shot at AK Mercury near Sydney. Annoyed that that one hit did not sink her she returns for a second try and adds two more hits. 6000 ton AK is sunk carrying guns and vehicles[:)].

Marshalls

Quiet

Solomons, etc.

B-24D hit Shortlands.

Burma area

Quiet

China

Another hex cleared with a big Corps destroyed.

Australia

Allies deliberate attack and the result is not good[:(]. Forts are reduced to 2 so the next attack will probably take the base.

Doesn't look like will be able to hold until the end of February. A defending tank regiment is obliterated.

Ground combat at Darwin (76,124)

Allied Deliberate attack

Attacking force 71659 troops, 1194 guns, 974 vehicles, Assault Value = 1881

Defending force 34940 troops, 438 guns, 361 vehicles, Assault Value = 888

Allied engineers reduce fortifications to 2

Allied adjusted assault: 3835

Japanese adjusted defense: 1023

Allied assault odds: 3 to 1 (fort level 2)

Allied Assault reduces fortifications to 2

Combat modifiers
Defender: leaders(+)
Attacker:

Japanese ground losses:
1822 casualties reported
Squads: 10 destroyed, 135 disabled
Non Combat: 57 destroyed, 138 disabled
Engineers: 2 destroyed, 14 disabled
Guns lost 71 (18 destroyed, 53 disabled)
Vehicles lost 148 (88 destroyed, 60 disabled)
Units destroyed 1

Allied ground losses:
3072 casualties reported
Squads: 41 destroyed, 203 disabled
Non Combat: 2 destroyed, 31 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 15 disabled
Guns lost 55 (21 destroyed, 34 disabled)
Vehicles lost 24 (5 destroyed, 19 disabled)

Assaulting units:
25th Infantry Division
3rd Army Tank Brigade
641st Towed Tank Destroyer Battalion
3rd Australian Brigade
2/10th Armoured Regiment
4th Armoured Brigade
24th Infantry Division
32nd Infantry Division
5th Australian Division
2nd Australian Division
5th RAA Coastal Artillery Regiment
2nd Australian Hvy AA Regiment
2nd Medium Regiment
III Australian
Southwest Pacific
13th Field Regiment
108th Anti Tank Regiment
1st Medium Regiment
13th Australian Hvy AA Regiment
168th Field Artillery Battalion
30th Field Artillery Regiment
II Australian
2/16th Field Regiment
Northern Territory
21/22 Field Regiment
109th Anti Tank Regiment
A/B Battery Heavy Coastal Artillery Regiment
G/H Battery Heavy Coastal Artillery Regiment

Defending units:
14th Tank Regiment
48th Division
16th Division
56th Engr Rgt /2
17th Medium Field Artillery Regiment
31st Ind.AA Gun Co
14th Ind.Art.Mortar Battalion
205th Ship Eng Coy
21st Ind.AA Gun Co
5th Air Defense AA Regiment
1st Medium Field Artillery Regiment
11th Ind.AA Gun Co
88th JAAF AF Coy
31st Field AA Battalion
310th Ship Eng Coy
110th Ship Eng Coy
13th Ind.AA Gun Co
12th Ind.AA Gun Co
21st Fld AA Gun Co
14th Army
28th JNAF AF Unit /1

Engineering

Quiet

R&D

Ki-43-IV to 12/43.

Marianas Defenses

All forts 4 except 6 at Saipan.

Pagan 399 AV with another 300 to be sent when PP allow.
Saipan 509 AV
Tinian 608 AV with another 160 en route
Rota 599 AV
Guam 500 AV

Allied plans

The convoy I-3 attacked contained 22 AP/AK. A few days ago another big convoy of xAP reached Sydney. It looks like he has sent a lot of troops to Australia. Add in the forces deployed at Darwin it looks very likely there will be an attack from Australia sometime soon. Where will it come?

[Lowpe]

Boy, that will be a lot of Allied troops pushing on the DEI! Eeek! You are going to be busy there and in the Marianas I think.

I hope you are taking advantage of the snooze turns to prepare!

Then, again, he has to use ships in the DEI and you should have some very strong interlocking airfields.[:)]

[obvert]

I'd start getting divisions out of there as quickly as you can. Probably fly as many as possible.

[Spidery]

February 21st 1943

Air Losses: 12 Japanese, 10 Allied, 2 Pilots
Japanese occupy:
Allies occupy:
Japanese land at:
Allies land at:

Subs

I-33 is lost to a sub on sub attack near Eniwetok, taking with it 2 Glens.

Marshalls

Quiet

Solomons, etc.

B-24D hit Rossel Island with a small Wildcat escort, 12 Tojo are waiting. 8 B-24D downed for 7 Ki-44-IIc.

Burma area

Quiet

China

An error near Paoshan sees some weak Chinese forces retreat onto the road between Tsuyung and Paoshan. Fortunately, I will have troops there in 4 days to drive them back off the road.

Australia

Quiet

Engineering

Quiet

R&D

N1K2-J to 10/44.

[Spidery]

DEI Defenses

Numbers are the main air bases.

Circled bases are the main places defensive forces will be deployed. Eventually, all of these could have a division defending them. Koepang is the only base currently strongly held with Saumlaki being fairly well held. A division is en route to Lautem.

[Lowpe]

9 Divisions. Gee, I wonder where all those troops could possibly come from?[:D]

Seriously, land strength won't win this battle. It will be your air and navy. There are so many bases for the Allies to potentially grab, and develop, and they will simply isolate the divisions.

Of course that will all take time...it will be very interesting to see how this all plays out.