SqzMyLemon
Posts: 4235
Joined: 10/30/2009 From: Alberta, Canada Status: offline
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I've missed updating a week of game time, but I've just been swamped with work. I'd rather keep turns going while they can in case Jocke needs to stop our game and focus on his other PBEM. A few developments. I'm moving on Palembang now. 5th Division and two Tank Regiments are currently investing the base. An Inf. Rgt. and 33rd Division are being sent to increase my assault value before launching the first attack. I've been keeping Palembang's airbase shut down. In Australia, a Tank Rgt. has almost reached Katherine while infantry from Derby slowly march overland to reinforce. I'll cut off Darwin from the land side and ship additional troops to land at Wyndham. I'm reinforcing Port Hedland and will begin to move on Exmouth and Carnarvon. I'm dangling the CVL Ryujo TF around Exmouth to keep Jocke's attention focused here. KB is undetected steaming east towards Tazmania. Submarines are performing search patrols to see if I can spot a target worth committing KB to attack. In Burma, I'm marching on Myitkyina with a couple of Inf Rgt.'s from 55th Division. Only light enemy forces are still in Burma, the bulk of the forces were withdrawn via Akyab. The 21st Division will arrive at Rangoon by sea tomorrow. April 24/42: China: The large enemy force near Hengyang has moved N.W. from it's last position shown on the screenshot previously posted. I did not bomb this force to allow it to move and it's now entered a Japanese controlled hex in clear terrain. Japanese forces awaiting the arrival of the enemy force launched a shock attack today after strong air bombardment against the enemy force. In what has to be one of the worst results I've ever had in a shock attack against Chinese troops in clear terrain ever, the Chinese hold and an entire Japanese Division, the 34th, is completely trashed with only 40 AV left and suffering over 300 disabled infantry squads. AAR follows: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ground combat at 79,52 (near Shaoyang) Japanese Shock attack Attacking force 52130 troops, 517 guns, 186 vehicles, Assault Value = 1814 Defending force 46982 troops, 283 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 1147 Japanese adjusted assault: 1048 Allied adjusted defense: 372 Japanese assault odds: 2 to 1 Combat modifiers Defender: op mode(-), leaders(+), experience(-), supply(-) Attacker: shock(+) Japanese ground losses: 6470 casualties reported Squads: 35 destroyed, 725 disabled Non Combat: 1 destroyed, 72 disabled Engineers: 2 destroyed, 51 disabled Vehicles lost 10 (1 destroyed, 9 disabled) Allied ground losses: 5617 casualties reported Squads: 262 destroyed, 193 disabled Non Combat: 2 destroyed, 142 disabled Engineers: 9 destroyed, 12 disabled Guns lost 67 (1 destroyed, 66 disabled) Assaulting units: 34th Division (This division gets hammered)) 13th Division 51st Division 116th Division 2nd Tank Regiment 15th Ind.Medium Field Artillery Regiment 51st Ind.Mtn.Gun Battalion 11th Army 2nd Ind. Mountain Gun Regiment 52nd Ind.Mtn.Gun Battalion Defending units: 4th Chinese Corps 46th Chinese Corps 63rd Chinese Corps 10th Chinese Corps 18th Chinese Corps 25th Chinese Corps 65th Chinese Corps 7th War Area 18th Chinese Base Force I'm starting to realize overstacking doesn't really mean much in terms of negatively affecting the combat performance of overstacked units. The stacking limit in the hex is 80k, there are over 90k of Chinese troops in the hex and despite a low supply modifier my force actually gets mauled with over 700 disablements. Ouch. The lowest leadership and land attack skill of all the infantry and armour units was 68, yet still lost the leadership modifier. I tend to think the crappy leaders of support units such as artillery units affect overall leadership ratings way out of proportion to what they bring to the battle. The 11th Army HQ is commanded by one of my best army commanders in Watanabe, so to see the Chinese get the (+1) modifier seems ridiculous. Regardless of the reasons, this attack failed to dislodge the Chinese. I've ordered a deliberate attack again for tomorrow, I can't risk the Chinese launching a shock attack themselves and routing my forces if I rest. I must maul this enemy force while it's vulnerable in clear terrain and avoid the same, especially after such a brutal result suffering an almost 50% reduction in combat effectiveness. Indian Ocean: On a happier note, I finally mauled an enemy transport TF in open Ocean with a SCTF. An enemy TF of ten ships was spotted by Jake floatplane heading due west of Albany roughly midway to the map edge, a returning supply TF. I ordered CA Tone and two DD's to intercept. AAR follows: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Night Time Surface Combat, near Busselton at 24,153, Range 6,000 Yards Japanese Ships CA Tone, Shell hits 1 DD Shiratsuyu DD Shigure Allied Ships PC Bhadravati, Shell hits 6, and is sunk xAK Clan Lamont xAK Ikauna, Shell hits 2 xAK Islami xAK Maldive, Torpedo hits 2, and is sunk xAK Empire Kamal, Shell hits 8, Torpedo hits 2, heavy fires, heavy damage xAK Empire Glade xAK Empire Glen, Shell hits 3 xAK Empire Rani, Shell hits 2 xAK Empire Niger xAK Empire Ability, Shell hits 7, Torpedo hits 4, and is sunk In three running battles, I believe all enemy ships were sunk with sinking sounds heard between combats and the final action of the day against a lone transport. These were 5600 cargo and 200 fuel capacity transports worth 12 VP's each, a nice haul. My SCTF is out of ammo and heading back to Java to replenish. The Philippines: I risk the mines at Manila and naval bombard the defenders. I lose a DMS to CD gun fire and what sounds like a boom sound before I even get to the bombardment screen, so not sure what is up with that. It also appears that DMS's embedded in a bombardment TF do not clear any mines. A decent bombardment though. AAR follows: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Night Naval bombardment of Manila at 79,77 Allied aircraft no flights Allied aircraft losses O-47A: 2 damaged O-47A: 1 destroyed on ground PBY-4 Catalina: 1 destroyed on ground Japanese Ships BB Yamashiro BB Fuso Allied ground losses: 682 casualties reported Squads: 0 destroyed, 8 disabled Non Combat: 21 destroyed, 44 disabled Engineers: 0 destroyed, 4 disabled Guns lost 11 (1 destroyed, 10 disabled) Vehicles lost 8 (5 destroyed, 3 disabled) Airbase hits 7 Airbase supply hits 2 Runway hits 19 E8N2 Dave acting as spotter for BB Yamashiro BB Yamashiro firing at Manila F1M2 Pete acting as spotter for BB Fuso BB Fuso firing at 1st PA Infantry Division Here's the troop comparison at Manila after an artillery bombardment. AAR follows: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ground combat at Manila (79,77) Japanese Bombardment attack Attacking force 1942 troops, 140 guns, 136 vehicles, Assault Value = 1457 Defending force 70730 troops, 778 guns, 811 vehicles, Assault Value = 2363 Japanese ground losses: Guns lost 22 (10 destroyed, 12 disabled) Vehicles lost 18 (5 destroyed, 13 disabled) Allied ground losses: 15 casualties reported Squads: 0 destroyed, 3 disabled Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled Engineers: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled Assaulting units: 38th Division 11th Garrison Unit 64th Infantry Group 48th Division 3rd Ind. Engineer Regiment 21st Ind. Engineer Regiment 11th Tank Regiment 14th Army 2nd RF Gun Battalion 4th RF Gun Battalion 9th Ind.Hvy.Art. Battalion 5th RF Gun Battalion 6th RF Gun Battalion 1st Medium Field Artillery Regiment 8th Medium Field Artillery Regiment 2nd Ind.Art.Mortar Battalion Defending units: 194th Tank Battalion 14th PS Engineer Regiment 192nd Tank Battalion 3rd/12th PA Inf Battalion 91st PA Infantry Division 57th PS Infantry Regimental Combat Team 4th Marine Regiment 31st Infantry Regiment 11th PA Infantry Division 21st PA Infantry Division 26th PS Cavalry Regiment 41st PA Infantry Division 51st PA Infantry Division 1st PA Infantry Division 45th PS Infantry Regimental Combat Team 31st PA Infantry Division 71st PA Infantry Division 2nd PA Constabulary Division 803rd Engineer Aviation Battalion Clark Field USAAF Base Force 201st PA Construction Battalion Cavite USN Base Force Provisional GMC Grp Asiatic Fleet 88th PS Field Artillery Regiment Manila USAAF Base Force I Philippine Corps 301st Construction Battalion 86th PS Coastal Artillery Battalion 1st USMC AA Battalion USAFFE II Philippine Corps 200th & 515th Coast AA Regiment 202nd PA Construction Battalion Bataan USN Base Force 301st PA Field Artillery Regiment Thoughts: Business as usual. I'm redeploying troops, ships and aircraft for the Perth operation. Recon of Burma shows little movement of Allied troops forward from India. I may have to rethink an operation here. The plan was to trap Allied forces perhaps moving forward too quickly. However, that appears to not be happening, so really denies the purpose of the operation in the first place, the destruction of Commonwealth Indian forces moved forward too soon. The same is true of the Perth region, but this operation will go ahead, as I want to deny access to the DEI from this route as long as possible. The Allies are not moving forward in areas that I'd hoped would have received more attention by now. I think Jocke is simply waiting to see where I'll go next and move appropriately after he determines the route of least resistance. I don't think he has to fight for anywhere I choose to move against, but I won't move for movements sake. If there are no targets, I will not sail across the map just hoping to run into something. KB's current position has two purposes, stay undetected and pounce on any high value targets of opportunity, and if detected, provide the deterrent to allow the Perth operation to go ahead without risk of enemy naval interdiction.
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Luck is the residue of design - John Milton Don't mistake lack of talent for genius - Peter Steele (Type O Negative)
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