Victory through Air Power?

[Tuli Vapaa]

Now, there has been some arguments about low level (100 ft) strafings of enemy airfields and the casaulties it causes, but it seems to effect ground troops in the target hex as well!.

In this game I had been bombing Japanese controled Port Moresby from start of February and using almost solely B-25J models to run low level strafing missions against their airfield there. Mainly to destroy any stockpiles of Zeroes AI still might have. Casaulty count was on avarage a 1000 men per raid, but I tought that some are FOW and such. After a while, it was invasion time and I sent two FT-TF's with parts of New Guinea Force closely followed by two Divisions of troops (3rd and 7th australian). What happened was, that enemy carriers chose this moment to sortie southward and my transporters, despite heavy P-38 cover, were scared off. So I ended up with two brigades against, what turned out to be Jap 2nd Div and couple of regimental combat groups.

This is what happened:

AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 04/12/43

Weather: Clear

Sub attack at 21,30

Japanese Ships
AG 118, Shell hits 4, on fire, heavy damage

Allied Ships
SS Grayback


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Sub attack at 23,29

Japanese Ships
AP Tenryu Maru

Allied Ships
SS Flying Fish


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Sub attack at 19,27

Japanese Ships
AG 5088, Shell hits 1, on fire, heavy damage

Allied Ships
SS Sailfish


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Air attack on Port Moresby , at 10,40

Japanese aircraft

Allied aircraft
Beaufighter VIC x 17
F-5A Lightning x 6
B-25J Mitchell x 114

Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-46 Dinah x 1 destroyed
Ki-43-IIa Oscar x 2 destroyed
D3A Val x 1 destroyed


Japanese ground losses:
Men lost 280 (Very low casaulty rate. Usually it reads from 800 to 1400, seen 1800 once)
Vehicles lost 1

Attacking Level Bombers:
3 x B-25J Mitchell at 100 feet
0 x B-25J Mitchell at 100 feet
3 x B-25J Mitchell at 100 feet
8 x B-25J Mitchell at 100 feet
9 x B-25J Mitchell at 100 feet
1 x B-25J Mitchell at 100 feet
9 x B-25J Mitchell at 100 feet
0 x B-25J Mitchell at 100 feet
0 x B-25J Mitchell at 100 feet
3 x B-25J Mitchell at 100 feet
3 x B-25J Mitchell at 100 feet
3 x B-25J Mitchell at 100 feet
3 x B-25J Mitchell at 100 feet
4 x B-25J Mitchell at 100 feet
0 x B-25J Mitchell at 100 feet
3 x B-25J Mitchell at 100 feet
3 x B-25J Mitchell at 100 feet
3 x B-25J Mitchell at 100 feet
0 x B-25J Mitchell at 100 feet
6 x B-25J Mitchell at 100 feet
0 x B-25J Mitchell at 100 feet
7 x B-25J Mitchell at 100 feet
3 x B-25J Mitchell at 100 feet
3 x B-25J Mitchell at 100 feet
0 x B-25J Mitchell at 100 feet
3 x B-25J Mitchell at 100 feet
3 x B-25J Mitchell at 100 feet
0 x B-25J Mitchell at 100 feet
1 x B-25J Mitchell at 100 feet
0 x B-25J Mitchell at 100 feet
6 x B-25J Mitchell at 100 feet
5 x B-25J Mitchell at 100 feet
6 x B-25J Mitchell at 100 feet
0 x B-25J Mitchell at 100 feet
3 x B-25J Mitchell at 100 feet
3 x B-25J Mitchell at 100 feet
7 x B-25J Mitchell at 100 feet
0 x B-25J Mitchell at 100 feet

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Air attack on TF at 29,41


Allied aircraft
F4U-1 Corsair x 27
SBD Dauntless x 7


Allied aircraft losses
SBD Dauntless x 3 damaged

Japanese Ships
CA Atago, Bomb hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
DD Shiratsuyu


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Air attack on Port Moresby , at 10,40

Japanese aircraft

Allied aircraft
Beaufighter VIC x 15 (Fighter sweep. No enemy aircraft have been sighted over PM in four weeks)
F-5A Lightning x 2

Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-46 Dinah x 1 destroyed


Japanese ground losses:
Men lost 25


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Air attack on TF at 29,41


Allied aircraft
F4U-1 Corsair x 11
SBD Dauntless x 9


Allied aircraft losses
SBD Dauntless x 3 damaged

Japanese Ships
CA Atago, Bomb hits 2, on fire, heavy damage


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Ground combat at Port Moresby

Japanese Bombardment attack

Attacking force 6801 troops, 41 guns, 12 vehicles (Every unit (there was over 15) had assault value of 0!)

Defending force 6584 troops, 40 guns, 56 vehicles



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Ground combat at Port Moresby

Allied Deliberate attack

Attacking force 6584 troops, 40 guns, 56 vehicles

Defending force 15528 troops, 190 guns, 12 vehicles

Allied assault odds: 123 to 1 (fort level 7)

Allied forces CAPTURE Port Moresby base !!! And this was by one understrength brigade and parts of New Guinea Forces Tank brigade (forgot the unit number), with no supplies, no combat engineer support and against about two division of troops, sitting in a level 7 fort!


Japanese ground losses:
Men lost 353
Guns lost 8

Allied ground losses:
Men lost 6


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[DoomedMantis]

Units that are out of supply have their assault value decrease rapidly. There were only 15000 troops being attacked, and considering that a fair proprtion were probably second line troops, then it seems his force was greatly depleted.

Basically well done on your tactics of starving him out

[Tuli Vapaa]

Still, not quite realistic. Japanese in Imphal were eating grass, but fought like lions. These troops were never directly assaulted, only naval bombardment was done one turn prior the assault. They still should had their ammo and weaponry intact and Jap never was good at giving up.

This is like platoon of boy scouts landing on Okinawa and kicking Jap to sea off the Banzai Cliff.

[Bobthehatchit]

ORIGINAL: Tuli Vapaa

Still, not quite realistic. Japanese in Imphal were eating grass, but fought like lions. These troops were never directly assaulted, only naval bombardment was done one turn prior the assault. They still should had their ammo and weaponry intact and Jap never was good at giving up.

This is like platoon of boy scouts landing on Okinawa and kicking Jap to sea off the Banzai Cliff.

Think thats been partially modelled in WITP now, Jap troops will fight to death not surrender on mass as above because they are out of supplies.

[crsutton]

The Allied troops at Imphal were pretty beat up as well-having just fought of a major offensive themselves and were not the best equipped. You can't compare them to fresh Allied troops invading from the beach. Better support, better air cover, and 16 inch guns to back them up.

But yes you got a point. I would like to see defenders hold out a little longer in non atoll hexes.

[stagno]

I'll risk to be eaten alive from you, but i think the AI just cheats a lot, and do it almost in US favour.
[:-]

[marky]

lolz

1 of the number 1 rules in any game is...

the AI ALWAYS cheats![:D]