Monday Night Montage (ex-Moose Crossings) - (J) vs. Bullwinkle/Obvert (A)

Post descriptions of your brilliant victories and unfortunate defeats here.

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Monday Night Montage (ex-Moose Crossings) - (J) vs. Bullwinkle/Obvert (A)

Post by Lokasenna »

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I enjoy writing up at least bits and pieces of my games, and I figure with my opponent this time I have something of an obligation to share the game here [;)]. Given that he had an AAR up of his other game, and I'd been reading it (until about a month ago), I have the advantage of knowing some of his philosophies. I'll post up a game summary for now, with separate posts for screenshots and sitreps on each of the major theaters. This won't be a daily AAR, more of an update as I have time kind of thing.

Our game has no house rules, other than whatever each of us feels like "self-censoring." His biggest criteria on that is if he perceives it to be an oversight in the code, such as bouncing TFs around the map edges (whatever that is) to avoid pursuit. Lately we've uncovered float plane naval bombing as something that may be an issue, but it's of minor impact in the game so we're not bothering with it. Painful example though - last turn, 3 Kingfishers with 2 bombs each nailed an xAK 5 out of 6 times. He checked the pilots and "they're terrible" (his words). Not the first time this has happened, but I've LRCAPed anything I didn't want to lose. I figured I'd get FP-bombed that time and had accepted it as a cost of taking Ambon before I had the air cover ready, as it was already cut off and I want the LCUs free for use elsewhere sooner rather than later.

For my self-censoring, I may resize my training units to 60- or 80-plane size, or I may not. I'll probably resize using Junyo as soon as she arrives, but may not do so beyond that. 53-size training units should be sufficient. I will be putting Jakes on subs after I fill out all my "LBA" FP units, which will resize to 24 until Chitose and Chiyoda convert to CVLs, at which point I'll keep one of the Mizuhos and resize any future units to 20. They'll all be Jakes. In the water, I won't be using xAKL picket ships and the like, at least not intentionally. If they're out at sea, they won't be empty unless en route to pick something up or returning from dropping off. I plan to empty Manchukuo as much as possible.

In any case, my "oppo research" lessons:

Don't capture anything that he'll just strat bomb right away. This was far and away the biggest early war lesson I learned from his game against Mike. It has shaped my initial invasion timelines, to the extent that the only Oil centers I've captured by February 1 is Boela. I made a list of Level 2+ Airfields within 17 hexes of all SRA oil centers: Manado, Kendari, Makassar, Singkawang, Kuching, Davao, Cagayan, Iloilo, Jolo, Singapore, Palembang, Soerabaja, and Batavia. Bases in bold have been captured as of February 1. I must strike deep early, with Java being the hardest nut to crack at game's start (yes there are other bases with size 2+ AFs on Java, but I'll have them easily before Batavia/Soera). This has driven my macro strategy in the SRA from the start and will continue to do so until I have these key airfields in my possession. He mentioned once in an email in early- or mid-January that he saw what I was doing, but there wasn't anything he could do to stop it. Once I've got my perimeter, I'll try to remember to ask him about it. I'm not sure he realizes the extreme to which I've decided to go.

He'll hit me with whatever he can, whenever he can. In the first couple of months, this will be minor. I expect him to come out and make diversionary spoiling attacks on my perimeter starting in April at the earliest, but I'm expecting it to be more like June or July.

Prevent him from evacuating China. At least as much as it is possible. I'm not sure how effective his troops have been elsewhere in his AAR against 1EyedJacks, but it seems like not very much. The reason I don't want him to get them out is more of a just-in-case: I don't want to risk that a Chinese horde in Burma in 1943 or 1944 would be nothing be pain on top of pain for me. I also really want the VPs for destroying them. Burma in general vexes me. I don't think I should expand more than historical, at all, aside from conquering Paoshan and Kunming. Early on, China is my most important theater to focus on as the moves in the SRA are largely scripted and predictable.

I must protect myself in the North. Winter is coming? I know Bullwinkle is going to go after my economy as soon as possible, and that he views the Northern Route as the easiest path. I agree, however I can't afford to devote major forces here for some time and I would rather try to make him think I'm not paying all that much attention up here, for several reasons. First, that may lull him into complacency in the theater. Second, it's a long damn ways from my fuel supplies. Any fuel I burn up here will have to come from Japan, and in turn from the SRA. I'd rather try to focus our fighting closer to my fuel sources.

Protect my economy. Obvert's AAR against Jocke is giving me nightmares of what Bullwinkle is going to do to me as soon as he has 4E range on the HI. To that end, strategically I must prevent him from getting in range for as long as possible. I've already started building up the Marianas and the Bonins, as well as forts in Formosa and Manchukuo (what few engineers are left here, mostly organic, while I build up Fusan and China).


Economy and theater posts to come as I get the screencaps necessary.
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RE: Moose Crossings - Lokasenna (J) vs. Bullwinkle (A), No moose allowed

Post by Lokasenna »

China Sitrep

We'll start here. I moved as quickly as I could in China, but I still missed some stuff. As always.

Bullwinkle did not try to hold at Changsha. After he gave it to me, about 2-3 game weeks ago, I brought it up with him. He thinks that Changsha is too far from an effective line of resistance and too easily cut off. I guess so, particularly as I am pulling units from Manchukuo, but I had nowhere near the troops necessary to take it as soon as I did. Once I saw he was moving troops out, I cut off his rail line with a paradrop at an undefended Hengyang and trapped 5 units. What's left of them is now west of Chihkiang. I was able to stop several more units at Kweilin, the remnants of which were just obliterated in the woods to the west. Tuyun was taken, undefended, via para drop just as I was moving into Liuchow.

I was able to completely destroy only 8 units at Chengchow/Loyang - 3 HQ, 3 Corps, and 2 engineer units. The rest got away to Nanyang and retreated up the road to Sian, pretty beat up. I battered my 2 IDs tasking with Nanyang on the road to Sian, however, in several attacks in the woods. They are back up to ~90% TOE and I can't wait any longer, with him attempting to get out of Sian. I won't be able to encircle the units, but I will be able to beat them up before he crosses the river normally. I'll try to drown some as they flee [:)]. I only have a mixed brigade at Ankang, which was undefended, and there are 2 corps in each of the hexes between there and Sian. I have no hope of taking those hexes unless he moves out, as the forces to do so are just nowhere nearby.

Main China:
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1: Kweiyang captured (more like yielded) on January 30. 4 Chinese units are to the northeast, pretty beat up. Unfortunately, he got a lot more out than I would have liked. About half of my forces (2 IDs, the 51st's engineer regiment, and a boatload of arty, ~200 guns outside the IDs) are chasing them down the road to Kunming. The other half (2 IDs and 44 independent arty tubes) are advancing towards the boundaries of the central valley. The unit to the west is an Ind. Mixed Bde that began the game in Indochina and took Nanning. There are additional forces coming up from the south to take Mengtze, but nothing major. There is some light air support at Hanoi, for recon.

2: These forces are ensuring that Kweiyang's remnants are cut off. 3 IDs in total.

3: Light Industry is showing fully repaired in Chungking this turn, but he also has 61 units as opposed to 50 from last turn. So, respawns. They'll eat up more supply and more of his pool numbers if he has replacements on, leaving less for whatever makes it to Burma. 8 fighters, 9 bombers, and 15 aux sighted at Chungking, no aircraft at Neikiang. ~20k troops at Neikiang. Once I've mopped up near Kweiyang, my 5 IDs will go take it and march on Chengtu if possible. Recon of Chengtu occurs next turn, now that I finally have a second recon group at Chihkiang.

4: 1 ID, 1 JAAF Av Bn, 2x9 Babs. 3 Chinese units in the woods will be run down over the next few weeks, until they're ghosts. The Chinese near Tuyun aren't moving at the moment, but they're also a shell unit of about 3k. If they move onto the road, then I'll liquidate them. They aren't strong enough to push even my SNLF paras at Tuyun out.

5: Accidentally let my armor proceed into Sian ahead of my. He has 34 units here, which was recently 35. I suspect he may have been trying to sneak some out in strat mode. I would like to attack this turn, but the rest of my stack to the SE arrives tomorrow. I don't want to risk my tanks against the reported 600 Chinese guns, small guns though they may be. The forces across the river, of mine, are 2 IDs and a regiment. The regiment, to the NE, is the weakest if he attempts a breakout. If the whole stack makes it across before my stack arrives and attacks, my IDs to the NW and E will also be in trouble, but I think I have him.

6: Nothing but the remnants that started near Sinyang. 2 or 3 units, they may be "ghosted" this turn.

7: 1 unit in the mountains, 6 at Tsuyung. My DL on Kunming finally dropped to 0, but I'll recon it again this coming turn. I believe it is more heavily defended than Tsuyung, with ~15 units there at last check, and more are definitely on the road from Kweiyang. Kunming will be my first major challenge in China, I think. I plan to let him rot in Chungking until Kunming and Tsuyung are captured, cutting the land supply route (meager as it is). This should be about the same time as I'm able to devote some seriously LBA efforts to reducing Chungking, which may have forts 7 by now.

South China:
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1: He surprised me with ~1300 AV, which is between Kweilin and Kukong. I'm not sure what he's doing with them. When he was in Kukong, I was concerned he'd make a move for Canton (with ~300 AV) or Hong Kong (barely a garrison, of just the Hong Kong Detachment, or 30 AV). I might not have been able to defend Hong Kong. I have 4 IDs and supporting arty, plus a regiment, in the 3 hexes including Kweilin. I have one regiment moving from Kukong to follow behind his stack, helping with hex control. I hope to catch him in the hex NE of Wuchow, or SE of Kweilin if I can't get there first. I would like this stack of 13-15 units to die outright, for the VPs.

2: The 50th Chinese Corps split up and attempted to take Tsinkiang and Chaochow. I've destroyed one third of it at Chaochow, while the squads at Tsinkiang are giving my garrison trouble. He won't take the base, but I'd rather hurry this along. Some of Amoy's garrison is moving to help. The other unit can rot there in the open hex. If I need to move in supplies, Pescadores and Takao are right there with some xAKLs.

North China:
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1: Lanchow (and probably Sining) is going to be tough. I have one ID moving in from the east, but I'll just keep tabs with it for now. I'll probably move it across the river into the hex in the mountains, SE of Lanchow. He has SB bombers at Lanchow, which will slow me down. I am keeping up a steady recon of the base, and so far there are 80,000 troops there among 25 or so units. I definitely need the forces from the Sian area to help out with this. To that end, there is one ID at Sinyang heading up to Sian, as well as more supporting units from Manchukuo (HQs, a few arty that were left behind initially).

2: A bunch of my Mongol units, plus the 26th ID. I marched them up the grey road and then west. They're going down to just show a presence, and take Sining if he was foolish enough to leave it lightly defended.

3: Some Av Support moving to Kiuchuan. I'll have more coming this way soon. This is a just-in-case measure, for Urumchi.

4: Urumchi, off-screen to the north. I'm moving in on it again next turn, but my tanks are just barely in the red on supply again. I would not be surprised if I had to retreat from the base for a second time. However, I might get lucky with an attack tomorrow. We'll see how those biplanes do. For the most part, they haven't done much damage. It was my foolish attacks without supply that forced me to retreat. I hold Hami, just off screen here, and have been drawing supply. One of my Tank Rgts (dropped to 8 fighting vehicles plus support at Urumchi) is recuperating here.
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RE: Moose Crossings - Lokasenna (J) vs. Bullwinkle (A), No moose allowed

Post by CaptBeefheart »

Very interesting. Looks like another great AAR in the works. I may have missed it, but what's the date on your situation above?

Cheers,
CC
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RE: Moose Crossings - Lokasenna (J) vs. Bullwinkle (A), No moose allowed

Post by JocMeister »

Great to see some info on this game. Havn´t have time to read it yet but I will during the day! [:)]
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RE: Moose Crossings - Lokasenna (J) vs. Bullwinkle (A), No moose allowed

Post by Lokasenna »

ORIGINAL: Commander Cody

Very interesting. Looks like another great AAR in the works. I may have missed it, but what's the date on your situation above?

Cheers,
CC

I took the screens on 2-2-42, and have sent him that turn. We are averaging just over 1 per day.
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RE: Moose Crossings - Lokasenna (J) vs. Bullwinkle (A), No moose allowed

Post by obvert »

Looks like you are doing well in China.

Only one note so far. I'm not sure the far NW is worth it in China. Urumchi looks like a good srouce f oil, but if you can get it to flow. let me know. Seems to far for the system to work for me.
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RE: Moose Crossings - Lokasenna (J) vs. Bullwinkle (A), No moose allowed

Post by SqzMyLemon »

Are you playing with stacking limits?
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RE: Moose Crossings - Lokasenna (J) vs. Bullwinkle (A), No moose allowed

Post by JocMeister »

Changsha is a tough call but I think he did right in pulling back. Chinese recon is virtually non existant and its too many entry point to cover and you will spot any approaching Japanese troops too late to be able to react. Besides he doesn´t need the supply. All he has to do is walk as much as possible to India. Let the Chinese start to fill out and then start feeding 1000 AV Corps to the front line.

If I were him I would have started walking on day one. [:)]
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RE: Moose Crossings - Lokasenna (J) vs. Bullwinkle (A), No moose allowed

Post by Lokasenna »

ORIGINAL: JocMeister

Changsha is a tough call but I think he did right in pulling back. Chinese recon is virtually non existant and its too many entry point to cover and you will spot any approaching Japanese troops too late to be able to react. Besides he doesn´t need the supply. All he has to do is walk as much as possible to India. Let the Chinese start to fill out and then start feeding 1000 AV Corps to the front line.

If I were him I would have started walking on day one. [:)]

I think it's indefensible too, especially via Ichang or Hengyang. However, I think he pulled back way too soon. I was nowhere near ready to go for Changsha. He gave it to me a good 2 weeks early, if not a month. So now I'm knocking on Kunming/Chungking and it's barely February. If he'd just delayed me at Changsha, I think he could have bought another 4 weeks before I was at Kweiyang, easy. To me, Changsha is the Chinese Singapore.

It's true that the supply via India is near limitless, but it's his pools that will limit him. He only gets 1 Corps of Chinese squads per month, right? I can kill that much.

ORIGINAL: SqzMyLemon

Are you playing with stacking limits?

We are not. It was an option at the start, but I decided I would rather play the game through to late 44 or 45 first, and do it next time. I would like to have a handle on how it would affect the game in all phases. My suspicion is that it would delay my capture of China early and hurt us both later, though me more so due to device inferiority. Particularly in Burma.

ORIGINAL: obvert

Looks like you are doing well in China.

Only one note so far. I'm not sure the far NW is worth it in China. Urumchi looks like a good srouce f oil, but if you can get it to flow. let me know. Seems to far for the system to work for me.

Only because he's given me so much for free, trying to get his guys out! [;)] IMHO. Or maybe I really am. Thanks! He did seem impressed with how quickly I took the rail lines, but as I stated above I was reacting to his rush to get men out. If he had left even a portion of a Corps at Tuyun and Hengyang, I would have failed in that regard.

I figure it can't be any worse than Sining, which flows, right? If nothing else, it's supply generation and more VPs from destroyed units for me. I also figure that he's unlikely to retake these bases come Happy Soviet Time, so they may end up being permanent VPs. I figure the oil should flow out. The armor units move along the grey road quickly enough that it's no big deal - I'll have them back down to the coast by the time I'm ready to use them elsewhere (Burma?).
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RE: Moose Crossings - Lokasenna (J) vs. Bullwinkle (A), No moose allowed

Post by geofflambert »

Suggestion: If you wouldn't mind, when you do a screen grab, move what you want us to see to a position centered under the date at the top of the screen, then include that (don't crop it out) with your finished grab. That way it's easy for us to know what the date is.

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RE: Moose Crossings - Lokasenna (J) vs. Bullwinkle (A), No moose allowed

Post by JocMeister »

ORIGINAL: Lokasenna
I think it's indefensible too, especially via Ichang or Hengyang. However, I think he pulled back way too soon. I was nowhere near ready to go for Changsha. He gave it to me a good 2 weeks early, if not a month. So now I'm knocking on Kunming/Chungking and it's barely February. If he'd just delayed me at Changsha, I think he could have bought another 4 weeks before I was at Kweiyang, easy. To me, Changsha is the Chinese Singapore.

It's true that the supply via India is near limitless, but it's his pools that will limit him. He only gets 1 Corps of Chinese squads per month, right? I can kill that much.

Well, Bullwinkle didn´t know that. So rather than being jumped and possible cut of he probably played it safe. [:)]

I think its 350 squads per month? So that just less than half a full corps. But you want to avoid them getting into supply and healing up. They turn out really nasty once filled out. And when they upgrade to 43 squads their squads are almost as good (bad?) as the Japanese ones! [:D]


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RE: Moose Crossings - Lokasenna (J) vs. Bullwinkle (A), No moose allowed

Post by Lokasenna »

ORIGINAL: JocMeister
ORIGINAL: Lokasenna
I think it's indefensible too, especially via Ichang or Hengyang. However, I think he pulled back way too soon. I was nowhere near ready to go for Changsha. He gave it to me a good 2 weeks early, if not a month. So now I'm knocking on Kunming/Chungking and it's barely February. If he'd just delayed me at Changsha, I think he could have bought another 4 weeks before I was at Kweiyang, easy. To me, Changsha is the Chinese Singapore.

It's true that the supply via India is near limitless, but it's his pools that will limit him. He only gets 1 Corps of Chinese squads per month, right? I can kill that much.

Well, Bullwinkle didn´t know that. So rather than being jumped and possible cut of he probably played it safe. [:)]

I think its 350 squads per month? So that just less than half a full corps. But you want to avoid them getting into supply and healing up. They turn out really nasty once filled out. And when they upgrade to 43 squads their squads are almost as good (bad?) as the Japanese ones! [:D]


Image

It will still take a long time, and at the rate I'm beating these guys up he won't have anywhere near enough!

Going to try for more updates tonight, depending on how much food I'm able to get frozen. Gotta restock my ready-made stocks for when I'm too lazy/short on time to cook anything...
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RE: Moose Crossings - Lokasenna (J) vs. Bullwinkle (A), No moose allowed

Post by Lokasenna »

ORIGINAL: geofflambert

Suggestion: If you wouldn't mind, when you do a screen grab, move what you want us to see to a position centered under the date at the top of the screen, then include that (don't crop it out) with your finished grab. That way it's easy for us to know what the date is.

I was lazy in repositioning the crop that time [8D]. But in future!
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RE: Moose Crossings - Lokasenna (J) vs. Bullwinkle (A), No moose allowed

Post by Lokasenna »

The Aleutian Adventure

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I decided to do something different up here. It worked, except for lack of escorts on my part. I didn't send any SCTF forces up with the invasion forces. Basically, I loaded up the 64th Inf Group in a bunch of 1 PB/1 xAK task forces and sent them to every island short of Umnak. He must've got wind of this on Sig Int (I should have expected this, and should have set patrol zones instead of destinations). He was ready for me at Umnak with several USN DDs. They later moved in on Adak, the invasion force for which had been slower (I had one TF of 3 PBs and 4 xAKs, loaded with the rest of the Inf Group - about 100 AV). I ended up with a lot of swimming troops.

I've since consolidated, and my support ships have arrived - I have an AG at Amchitka, with an AS coming in from the west in the screenshot. I have an Av Bn and most of the 64th Inf Group at Amchitka - about 150 AV is left in the unit, including the fragments at the two islands west and east. He has recently reinforced Adak, as 2 units are showing up when I'm able to get Recon on the island, but I think the Inf Group can still handle the place.

I still want to possess the whole chain. I've sent CL Tama, Shiratsuyu, 3 Momi "DDs", and a Fubuki to help with the mixture of USN DDs up here, and MKB will be on its way from Truk shortly. Zuiho took 2 torpedoes in the Celebes area, then a bomb while in port at Kendari, and almost sunk en route to Ternate from Loewoek (where I should have just left her). She made Ternate and I count myself lucky. She's got 34/94(76)/14(14) damage. In any case, MKB will be joined by CVL Shoho and CVE Taiyo soon, making its strength 2 CVLs and 2 CVEs. Enough to mess with what he's got hanging about up here, which is a smattering of DDs and transports, as well as some support ships and most recently a couple of submarines sighted at Amchitka. I plan to break off 2-3 of the 5 CAs that are coming with MKB to completely wreck whatever shipping he has, and then move in on Adak, Umnak, and Dutch Harbor with the Inf Group as well as 4-5 Nav Gd units that will arrive in Tokyo within the next 2 weeks. I need Dutch Harbor, and possibly Cold Bay as a speedbump, very soon in order to build them up enough before his counterassault occurs. I may even make a thrust at Anchorage and/or Nome to divert his counter-efforts.

More shipping is en route to Tokyo from the SRA, laden with Resources, to accomplish this task.

2 days ago, 3 USN DDs caught a couple of TKs full of fuel at Adak. One TK with 7950 Fuel on board sunk from 3 shell hits, while the other survived. All of its fuel was used to restore Tama and the DDs to combat status, but I'm now out of fuel again. More is coming, but I also need to get an AD up here.

Several of my subs have taken hits while trying to keep the pressure on him at Dutch Harbor and Adak, and one RO-class has been lost.
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RE: Moose Crossings - Lokasenna (J) vs. Bullwinkle (A), No moose allowed

Post by Lokasenna »

The Strat Map:

February 7, 1942
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The white line is my current expansion. The red line is my desired expansion by July, 1942. It's going to be tough.

Notable objectives and plans:

Suva, Pago Pago - 67th Infantry Group is heading to Truk to unload and rest up a bit. Early recon of Suva and Pago Pago has revealed that they are not reinforced. I will check again just prior to invasion, but with Noumea invested already (if not taken) and some medium surface forces in the area, I expect that he will leave it in this state for a while. I should take it just to make him take it back. The Infantry Group should be enough, though it could take a while to eliminate the smattering of units on Fiji itself. It will be some time before I can put a garrison of any note on the island, mostly due to a lack of engineers to build up the forts, so Suva (and Pago) will remain minor bases. I plan to use Luganville/Efate/Tanna/Noumea is a forward outpost, though it is vulnerable to being cut off by a thrust at the Solomons. Ndeni, Tulagi, and Lunga will be my preferred airfields in that area. All of them are speedbumps to the Moresby/Milne/Lae/Rabaul defensive positions.

Canton Island - I already possess Baker. Canton is either set up as a minor base, or he's just defending it. I expect it to be mined. After I invade Suva, I will find the force I need to take Canton. I want it as a small float plane/recon base.

Western Australia - I already have Darwin and am within the Katherine Hex. Once I've got more of the DEI, I'll vacuum up the coast of Australia just to protect my flanks a bit. I don't think I can move on Perth, but it might be a good target for a raid or two. It does give permanent VPs for any industry I damage or destroy there.

Northern China - Once I have Urumchi (should be soon, I think his units are very low morale here and I've still got 2 full regiments of tanks, unhurt and in supply), grabbing the final 2-3 bases in the far north of China will take some time but will be easy. Even if I never manage to conquer the central valley, these bases should provide me with a steady flow of Oil until after the Soviets activate. It's only a total of 140 (Sian/Lanchow/Urumchi), but that's still 1.75 million by August 1945.

Dutch Harbor, Umnak Island, and Cold Bay - Denial. This may blow up into a major TOO. I hope it doesn't.

Burma - Historical expansion. Getting supply even to Adak is tough, and marching over the river to Imphal is just as hard. I'm pretty much resigned to a 1943/early '44 collapse here, though I'm going to see if maybe he'll try to push a counteroffensive too soon. The best way to do this might be to make the front lines appear weak, while having a large rapid response force (large numbers of 2Es, fighters, and IDs) just out of sight. If I can maybe lure him into advancing too quickly into central Burma, I might be able to paste him with 2Es and superior numbers on the ground. That's the only option I can think of that will delay him long enough to make a difference. Thoughts?
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RE: Moose Crossings - Lokasenna (J) vs. Bullwinkle (A), No moose allowed

Post by Lokasenna »

Singapore

I crossed the causeway on February 4 with 5029 AV:
Ground combat at Singapore (50,84)

Japanese Shock attack

Attacking force 148978 troops, 1451 guns, 605 vehicles, Assault Value = 5029

Defending force 54009 troops, 609 guns, 365 vehicles, Assault Value = 1324

Japanese engineers reduce fortifications to 3 [:)]

Japanese adjusted assault: 3243

Allied adjusted defense: 2499

Japanese assault odds: 1 to 1 (fort level 3)

Japanese Assault reduces fortifications to 3

Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+), forts(+), leaders(+), experience(-)
Attacker: shock(+), disruption(-) ([&:] I sat at Johore Bahru for a long, long time. 2+ weeks, no bombings, everybody in rest mode and disruption of 0)

Japanese ground losses:
10001 casualties reported
Squads: 156 destroyed, 716 disabled
Non Combat: 12 destroyed, 156 disabled
Engineers: 5 destroyed, 156 disabled [:(]
Guns lost 107 (5 destroyed, 102 disabled)
Vehicles lost 166 (84 destroyed, 82 disabled)

Allied ground losses:
6988 casualties reported
Squads: 115 destroyed, 287 disabled
Non Combat: 84 destroyed, 290 disabled
Engineers: 8 destroyed, 99 disabled
Guns lost 161 (8 destroyed, 153 disabled)
Vehicles lost 89 (28 destroyed, 61 disabled)
Units destroyed 2

Assaulting units:
1st Tank Regiment
41st Infantry Regiment
4th Ind. Engineer Regiment
Imperial Guards Division
2nd Division
4th Division
18th Division
15th Ind. Engineer Regiment
23rd Ind. Engineer Regiment
33rd Division
14th Tank Regiment
91st Naval Guard Unit
5th Division
53rd Division
54th Division
55th Division
56th Division
6th RTA/C Division
3rd Ind. Mountain Gun Regiment
25th Army
3rd Mortar Battalion
5th Mortar Battalion
16th Army
18th Medium Field Artillery Regiment
1st RF Gun Battalion
3rd Medium Field Artillery Regiment
32nd Field AA Battalion
Southern Army
14th Ind.Art.Mortar Battalion
21st Medium Field Artillery Battalion

Defending units:
1st Manchester Battalion
1st Hyderabad Battalion
11th Indian Division
2nd Loyal Battalion
5/14th Punjab Battalion
1st Malay Battalion
27th Australian Brigade
1st Mysore Battalion
2/17 Dogra Battalion
3rd SSVF Battalion
SSVF Brigade
2nd Gordons Battalion
22nd Australian Brigade
3rd Cavalry Regiment
2nd Malay Battalion
9th Indian Division
22nd Indian Mountain Gun Regiment
III Indian Corps
Malaya Army
Malayan Air Wing
109th RAF Base Force
24th NZ Pioneer Coy
1st Indian Heavy AA Regiment
3rd Heavy AA Regiment
110th RAF Base Force
AHQ Far East
Singapore Base Force
223 Group RAF
112th RAF Base Force
Singapore Fortress
111th RAF Base Force
2nd ISF Base Force
3rd HK&S Light AA Regiment
1st ISF Base Force
2nd HK&S Heavy AA Regiment
1st HK&S Heavy AA Regiment
109th RN Base Force

The majority of my losses came from smaller units (6th RTA fragment, a tank regiment, the 41st Inf Rgt, and a Naval Guard unit). 3 of my IDs got a little beat up, but nothing terrible. On the plus side, the losses from this first attack were high enough that I now have plenty of support in the hex whereas before I was only at ~6300 out of ~6700 required.

On the 5th:
Ground combat at Singapore (50,84)

Japanese Bombardment attack

Attacking force 2291 troops, 206 guns, 85 vehicles, Assault Value = 4076

Defending force 48321 troops, 595 guns, 345 vehicles, Assault Value = 815

Japanese ground losses:
Guns lost 14 (4 destroyed, 10 disabled) This is the only bombardment I'm doing. Bad counter battery and poor results.

Allied ground losses:
14 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 3 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

The situation on the 7th, during the orders phase:
Image

Another attack is going in today. I would love to reduce his forts to 2 and hurt one or both of the Aussie brigades that are making up at least 1/4 of the defense at this point.

Edit: it occurs to me while looking at that screenshot that I didn't change the Engineer Regiments to combat for the attack. Crap.
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RE: Moose Crossings - Lokasenna (J) vs. Bullwinkle (A), No moose allowed

Post by Lokasenna »

General economy stuff

These screenshots are 6 turns old at this point, but they're still indicative of my overall situation.

Image Image
Resources have remained steady at 5.5-5.6 million for 20+ turns. Once I'm done using so much shipping to invade places, it will begin going up. Hokkaido is draining at about 10k/day, so in about 2 months I will have to transfer a couple of ships elsewhere. My oil levels are slowly dropping, but hopefully after I secure the DEI and northern China I can begin to ship a lot of it. My supply levels continue to drop as well, but much more slowly than before. They should begin to trend upward soon-ish.


China
Image
Supply in China is down significantly, but I've begun a 22.5k CS convoy between Sasebo and Hankow. It will haul Resources on the return trip [:)]. It's 1 day to load, 5 days to transit, 2ish days to unload, and 2ish days to reload. So supply in China is only going to increase by ~1k per day from this convoy, but I've been running others manually as I have been able to do so... The main constraint on this is number of available xAKs, and a secondary concern is my supply level in Japan.


Globally:
Image Image
Could be better?


Lastly, VPs:
Image
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Lokasenna
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RE: Moose Crossings - Lokasenna (J) vs. Bullwinkle (A), No moose allowed

Post by Lokasenna »

China
Still have some other theaters to post up an original status, but I wanted to post an update on China. This is 10 days later than the post above.

Game date February 12, 1942. Just sent the turn to Bullwinkle.

Area 1: Steve has 13 units here, heading NW into my trap. They've been heading NW for several days. I was initially concerned that they'd run for Hong Kong and force me to head back down there. I was able to rail several divisions to Kweilin and get to the wooded hex first, as he's been moving in combat mode due to my bombings from Hong Kong and Canton. I imagine he's been in combat on purpose, to keep the stack together. Latest recon shows 92,000 troops. Last combat with them showed them to be about 1300 AV. I have 1401 waiting in the woods along with 48x15cm independent howitzers, though I'm a little short of support (192 short). I will close the trap with an Ind Rgt from the east and another ID from the west. The Ind Rgt will arrive first, but the ID should arrive before he could get out of the trap hex.

Area 2: I have 886 AV heading for the road between Tsuyung and the central valley. I want to cut any supply that's flowing from Paoshan. I'd also like to move on Tsuyung, but there are 46,000 Chinese there. Even with my 404 arty tubes, I can't take that on until I can support it with some bombing, which needs to wait until I get my Chihkiang/Kweiyang airbases established. There are 19 units/110,000 Chinese at Kunming. I have 600 AV just east of there and another 463 on the road 3 hexes further east, which will likely sit there until I decide how I'm going to move on Kunming/Tsuyung.

Area 3: The remnants of the Kweiyang garrison. Just 4 units, but I want to be sure they surrender instead of retreat into the badlands. My encircling ID has been getting bombed from Chungking, so they're only 38/46 movement towards closing it off. Probably 2 days, maybe 3, before I can finish them off. Then I believe I will move towards Neikiang and Chengtu with ~3500 AV. About this time, I expect my units from Area 1 to be marching on Chungking from the south.

Area 4: I have 3 small armored units heading for the grey road east of Chungking. I will send them to cut supply lines between Kienko and Chungking. 5 units/39,000 troops at Kienko, plus a small unit of 2000 to the west and a larger unit of 22,000 holding the hex to the NE.

70 units/373,000 troops at Chungking. This is going to be a major campaign and going to require all of my 2E bomber force. I need to decide whether to do it before or after Kunming. I'm thinking after.

Just 4 units/16,000 troops at Neikiang. It will be a pushover. IIRC, the last recon of Chengtu showed a medium strength force, but nothing my Kweiyang-area forces can't handle.

Area 5: I'm slowly beating down the garrison at Sian. I have another ID on the road to the SE, and the North China Area HQ making its way as well, farther behind. Once the HQ arrives, I'll do another assault. I just hope he doesn't move anybody out before then. So far, no movement dots. I'm bombarding daily to run his supplies down. He's bombing my troops to the NE from Lanchow, causing some casualties. If he moves across the river, he'd trash either of my IDs there. That would be bad for me. In any case, once the garrison is broken it will move into the woods, where it will be harder to eradicate, but at least it won't be a threat anymore.

Am also in the process of "ghosting" the Chinese outside of Ichang. It's a couple of hundred AV at the moment.

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RE: Moose Crossings - Lokasenna (J) vs. Bullwinkle (A), No moose allowed

Post by Lokasenna »

KB Conundrum

I moved KB through the Sunda Strait about a week ago. They're now at their target hex near Port Blair, with 8000 Fuel coming up to transfer to their tanks.

I also have the other 2 Kongos, Jintsu, and 4 DDs at Port Blair. They'll rendezvous with KB before they all head into the IO proper. I just don't know where to send them... I'm 2 days' sail from raiding Colombo, which is a tempting target for possible shipping. It's my default target, I guess.

Alternatives: Calcutta's airfield has been increasing. I might send the 2 Kongos to bombard here, with KB providing LRCAP. I have been trying to get recon up of Chittagong, Akyab, and Cox's Bazar via 11 Babs at Rangoon, but they keep refusing to fly - presumably because the AF is still at 50 damage. I'll have recon on Chittagong via Chiang Mai this turn instead. I don't suspect to find much here, but if there are planes or shipping, I want to smash them for VPs and to delay him. If I can't find anything, I guess it's back to the Colombo default.

But first I might try to slip into the Aden-Colombo SLOC and hunt for shipping before heading to Colombo itself. I have some misgivings about this overall, mostly due to my lack of recon, but there isn't anything to be done about the recon. I can fly some AvSupp to Port Blair in the next turn or two and base 18 Mavis out of there for some search, but that's it.


Global hiccups: I have two other operations imminent during which I need him to fear KB's arrival. I think he may suspect that KB is where it is, but he hasn't gotten a radio hit or FP hit on it, that I can tell. Nothing solid, anyway. However, I have been running ASW and sighting subs in the area. Many times. So he'll think something is up here, if he's paying attention.

I have MKB arriving in the Aleutians in 2-4 days, to support landings at Adak and then Umnak/Dutch Harbor. In 3 days, I get 5 Nav Guard units at Tokyo. All will head for Umnak/Dutch Harbor, for a total of 360 AV. I don't want him sending his CVs up here if I show him that KB is in the IO.

I have an invasion of Suva, covered by 2 CAs and 2 DDs on a shoestring fuel budget, going off in ~7 days. I would not be surprised if his CVs showed up in this area, but I don't want to reveal that all 6 of my KB CVs are somewhere else until then.

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RE: Moose Crossings - Lokasenna (J) vs. Bullwinkle (A), No moose allowed

Post by Spidery »

Calcutta's airfield has been increasing. I might send the 2 Kongos to bombard here

I think Calcutta is on a river and BB can't reach it. Also, to get to it you would need to pass the CD guns at Diamond Harbour.
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