Shattered Vow

[Canoerebel]

12/13/41 to 12/16/41

Philippines: A combat TF including CA Boise and CL DeRuyter raided the newly established Jap port at Davao on the 16th and tangled with a strong TF including CAs Myoka and Hagura. DeRuyter went down after taking seven shots. Both Jap heavies were set afire, but I think their damage was light. Boise and her DDs will retire to Kendari. In addition to Davao, the Japs have bases at Puerto Princessa, Legaspi, and Jolo. The latter is a level three airfield, so the Japs will be able to project air power much deeper into the DEI now. In other surface combat, CA Nachi TF sank an AKL near Legaspi; Myuoka/Hagura took out an AKL near Dadjangas; and a PT TF sank AK Syvla Maru at Puerto Princessa. The PI are now clear of Allied shipping. The Japs haven't begun advancing on Clark/Manila out of the beachheads, yet.

DEI: The Japs have established bases at Brunei and Jesselton in addition to Miri, but still haven't seized a base in the south, allowing Allied ships to still move around with impunity (except for submarine activity). The situation here brought to mind a plan described below.

Malaya: The Japs took Kota Bharu on the 15th and have begun advancing down the peninsula. The Allies have begun withdrawing from advanced bases and will look for opportunities to delay the Japs before the final withdrawal to Singapore. The AVG at Rangoon downed five Betties that came after CL Dauntless.

Subs: The Japs scored alot over these four days: I-166 and I-157 sank a pair of AKs near Batavia; I-158 sank an AK near Singapore; and I-26 and I-5 sank a loaded TK and AK between San Francisco and Hawaii. The Allies have begun forming ASW TFs that are operating in patrols out of Batavia, Soerabaja, and Pearl Harbor. S-38 put a TT into an AKL at Laoag, Luzon.

Solomons: Several small cruiser forces passed through Tulagi with another stationed at Rabaul. It will bombard the new Jap base at Kavieng tomorrow and then may withdraw to safer waters.

American Carriers: Moving south of New Guinea now and heading for Darwin. I "think" several Dauntless sightings of subs may have allowed Miller to keep track of Enterprise and Lexington.

Allied Plan: With Miller stymied by Force Z and LBA strikes in his efforts to take either Singkawang or Kuching, he may be waiting to pull together a strong force before returning. I want to foster the appearance that the Allies are going to defend the DEI, both to force Miller to allocate additional resources here and to make him wonder if the Allies are contemplating a Fortress Timor/Java type defense. The Boise raid on Davao was done to add to this perception and the arrival of the American carriers should do the same. I'll have Ent/Lex refuel at Soerabaja and make clear their presence, then I'll try to withdraw without detection. Miller has to get the DEI in order, so I hope these moves will persuade him to bring everything he needs and more. That, in turn, should give the Allies time to reinforce the key perimeter bases like Pago Pago, Palmyra, and Midway.

[Canoerebel]

12/16/41 Map shows the status in the Celebes Sea region. Since we are playing two-day turns, Miller's advance must be a little bit slower. If, for example, he takes an airbase on turn one, he won't be able to move aircraft forward until turn three.

[Canoerebel]

No major surprises here, though Jap air losses may be a tad bit high.

The only major Allied ship losses (other than two BBs at Pearl) are CA Indianapolis, plugged by a sub at Palmyra, and CL De Ruyter, sent under by CAs Myoka and Hagura at Davao.

The only major Allied victory at sea was SBDs from Ent/Lex knocking out CL Katori in the vicinity of Ocean Island.

The war is just beginning....

[Canoerebel]

12/17/41 and 12/18/41

DEI Pressure: The Allies continue creating noise to draw Jap attention. PoW bombarded Singkawang and a TF including CL Canberra and CLs Perth, Achiles, and Leander bombarded Kavieng. Over the next two days, PoW will return to Singkawang, the garrison will try a deliberate attack (to this point, the unadjusted AVs are about equal at 33); CL Marblehead will lead a raid on Dadjangas; and CVs Enterprise and Lexington will dock at Darwin.

Hong Kong: Back to back deliberate attacks by the Japs come off at 1:1 and 2:1, with the Allies suffering 3x casualties. Miller may rest his troops for several days, or he may attack again. I expect Hong Kong to fall.

Singapore: The first big Japanese air raids clobber both the CAP (Buffaloes) and the airfield, destroying more than a dozen aircraft on the ground.

Philippines: The Japs take Lingayen and Laoag.

Subs: Jap submarines continue to work the seas. I-170 and I-19 take out AKs near Hawaii and I-162 gets and AKL near Palembang.

CenPac/SoPac: An AS will make for each of Midway and Pago Pago to provide local support for submarines. 2nd Marine Defense Battalion is well on its way to PP and 8th Marine Regiment is loading at San Diego. 2nd Marine Paratroops should arrive at Midway within a week. The Allies intend to make a firmer stand at these outposts, Fiji, Noumea, and Port Moresby than I would in WitP. Miller can concentrate his forces and take some of them, but I don't think he can move fast enough to take all of them. In WitP that was no problem for an experienced Japanese player.

AE vs. WitP: Began naming TFs this turn - things like "Sub support for Pago Pago" - what a marvelous addition to the game!

[Canoerebel]

12/19/41 and 12/20/41

Tokyo Rose: The Japs took Hong Kong on a 3:1 attack on the 20th, so Tokyo Rose made another taunting announcement. Naga, in southern Luzon, also fell.

American carriers: By the evening of the 20th, Enterprise and Lexington stood off Darwin about 160 miles. Once again, SBDs had reported a sub sighting while the carrier TFs were underway. I'm assuming that if my SBDs sight a Jap sub, then Miller also sees the report, so he should have a decent idea as to the location of my carriers (which is fine as long as the KB isn't in close proximity). Rather than have my carriers sit at Darwin for a day or two, they'll continue on to Soerabaja, refuel, and then slowly and secretly fade away (I hope). I have ASW working around Soerabaja, but this will be a time to "hold my breath."

KB: No sign of the Jap carriers, but after two tough days of strikes at Pearl Harbor - strikes that cost the Japs 80 good pilots - I'm sure Miller would have to refuel at Kwajalein or Truk, so even was able to track the American carriers and decided to give chase, he'd be behind. I hope.

Subs: Jap subs have been a growing menace, especially between San Fran and Pearl Harbor. I-4 sank an AKL and I-6 took out an AK. ASW damaged a sub near Batavia. Temporarily, I'll suspend shipping to Hawaii, and all convoys leaving the west coast will steam from San Diego rather than Frisco. 2nd Marine Parachutes will be heading into Midway in a few days and there's a Jap sub operating there too. I'll use waypoints to try an end run.

DEI: PoW bombarded the Japs at Singkawang on the 19th, and an Dutch deliberate attack failed at 1:3, but inflicted 5x casualties. A large concentration of Jap TFs was sighted in the southern South China Sea, so I think Miller is moving on Singkawang or Kuching. With the American carriers in the area he'll have to be cautious (assuming he knows they are there). CL Marblehead TF depth charged RO-33 off Tarakan.

[Canoerebel]

12/21/41 and 12/22/41

Hong Kong: Something strange happened, because it turned out I still hold Hong Kong. But she fell again (I think). So I got to hear Tokyo Rose make the same announcement back to back turns.

American carriers: With fuel supplies running low, the Ent/Lex TFs are drawing closer to Soerabaja and shood dock in three days. I have three ASW TFs working the port, but I'm still holding my breath.

Malaya: Four Jap BBs (Haruna, Yamashiro, Mutsu, and Fuso lead an amphibious force to Mersing; Vildebeasts torpedo and sink a big AP (Argentina Maru), AK Tola Maru, and score single bomb strikes on two other AKs. The Allies are in full retreat down the peninsula, but I may have waited a bit late to move some units. Nells torpedoed two AKs and an AKL at Singapore. I don't know where they came from. A CL also arrived there "out of the blue" (Cere?). Ghosts ships apparently.

Japs Subs: Sink AP Devonshire near Toboali.

Strategic Status: No sign of the Japs at Wake Island yet and no sign of them around Rabaul. I think the Allied bombardment raids at Kavieng and in the Borneo/Celebes/southern PI region have persuaded Miller that there's some Allied combat power in the area; enough so that he may want to await arrival of big guns before venturing too far forward. That's my intention, so I hope so.

[Canoerebel]

12/23/41 and 12/24/41

American Carriers: Ent and Lex TFs arrived at Soerabaja ahead of schedule. The escorts battled I-159 offshore and a Dutch ASW DD later got torpedoed and went down. I wonder if the escort vs. sub battle generated enough information for Miller to pinpoint the carriers? The two TFs refueld and re-armed. I toyed with the idea of sending them hunting south of Mersing, but the thought of Jap bombers at Kota Bharu dissuaded me. The carriers will leave Soerabaja and head southeast to clear the area; from there I can see if there are any opportunites to strike, or I can head to safe waters.

Malaya: Zeroes on LRCAP over the invasion fleet chewed up a motley crew of bombers and fighters. Swordfish from Kuching managed to put three bombs into an AK off the coast, however.

AE vs. WitP: To reiterate - I LOVE the ability to name task forces. I also like the fact that combat ships steaming at normal speeds don't incur tremendous SYS damage. My two carrier TFs went all the way to Soerabaja with only a few ships taking any, and those took minimal SYS damage.

[ny59giants]

Dan,

Nice to see you have found the "correct" AAR to update. [;)]

Michael

[Canoerebel]

Yeah, thanks, Michael!

I don't know how I did that, but it sure was embarrassing.

...and then the thought that my opponent could read Q-Ball's AAR and get an eyeful of critical information about the location of my carriers!

[Canoerebel]

12/25/41 and 12/26/41

American Carriers: The Lex and Ent TFs have moved SW of Timor, but I'm not sure what to do now. During the cruise from near Hawaii all the way to Java, I knew I had enough of a head start that the KB couldn't catch up. But *if* Miller knows the location of the carriers he's now had sufficient time to bring the KB into the area. However, he may not know and he may have the KB deligated to some other region (covering for an invasion of Rabaul being one possibility). I would like to employ my carriers once in the area if I'm certain the KB isn't nearby, so I'll hang around a little while and see if I get a KB sighting in some remote corner of the Pacific. If not, the American CVs will likely head to Perth.

Malaya: The Japs took an empty Alor Star on Christmas day. The Jap troops that took Mersing have moved across the peninsula and I have some units that may be cut off. Nevertheless, the defense of Singapore should include about 1200-1400 AV for the Allies.

Philippines: The main Japanese army has advanced to Clark Field, where the Allies have a stout army too. I haven't decided whether to pull back to Manila, yet. In WitP, Manila is an urban hex that's a tough nut to crack. I *assume* the same holds true in AE.

Japs Subs: Arg, a nuisance. I-174 and I-175 got an AKL and an AK near Pearl.

CenPac/SoPac: 2nd Marine Parachute Battalion made it safely to Midway. This island can hold 6,000 troops and I have about 5,000 there now. 2nd Marine Defense Battalion is well on its way to Pago Pago. An engineer unit is on the way to Tahita. I paid politcal points to free up a Kiwi Brigade and pioneer unit to head for Noumea. Also, an EAB has just left San Diego for the long journey to Nouma. B-17s are using Wake Island as a stopping point on the way to Cagayan. From there, some will head to Australia and others to SEAC/India. No signs of Jap movement against Rabaul and Wake, yet.

ACM Use: Pearl Harbor begins the game with two ACM ships that can carry 20 mines apiece. I know I need to leave one there to tend to the minefield, but what about the other? Are they too valuable and rare to risk, or should I send one to a key base like Pago Pago or Noumea?

[erstad]

5. Sent out all my subs not realizing (or forgetting) they are set to retire and that sub minelayers are set to "do not lay mines." This was frustrating, but something players will adjust to quickly.

Patrol zones are the answer for most sub TFs anyway. The only time I use "remain on station" is for obvious chokepoints.

[Canoerebel]

I knew that, but waited a few days of game time to take the time to issue the appropriate patrol orders to subs.  There is so much to do on the first few turns of the game that I just skipped both patrol zones for subs and search arcs for aircraft.  Man, that first turn or two is something - just getting ships out of port and heading to various places and issuing orders to land units and bases.  Yikes!  Then, after those first few turns, so many reinforcements arrive for the Allies that it's a nightmare trying to get aircraft squadrons to a base to ship overseas, organizing land units, getting supply convoys underway to dozens of bases.  This game is the micromanager's dream and a procrastinator's nightmare.

[Canoerebel]

12/27/41 to 12/30/41

American carriers: Enterprise and Lexington TFs rendezvoued with an AO well to the southwest of Timor and then steamed north to a point just west of the island. I confess that I'm not sure what to do now - I don't want to bump into the KB and I don't know where the KB is. My preference would be to move north and get in one quick strike against some Japanese shipping in the southern Philippines area, but that's awfully risky. So I'm tempted to withdaw the carrier to safety before something bad happens. The result: indecision. Ol' Stonewall wasnt' indecisive. I need to make up my mind instead of steaming in circles. Far, far to the east, Yorktown arrived at San Diego on the 29th. She joined Saratoga. I may move these two carriers forward to Pearl Harbor soon.

DEI: The Japs have landed at Kuching, failed in initial attempts to take the base, but succeeded in finally taking Singkawang after brining in reinforcements. This should make the seas between Singapore, Palembang, and Batavia unsafe. CL Ceres was moving from Singers to Batavia on December 27 when I-153 put a torpedo in her side. She is still afloat with 85 FLT damage holding steady so she *may* survive to make Batavia in two days. The Celebes Sea region remains quiet. Dutch bombers managed a hit against a DMS near Jolo (one of the few successful Dutch air missions in the game to date).

Philippines: The noose is tightening. On the north side of the island, the Allies have pulled back to Bataan, Clark, and Manila. The Japs are present in force at Clark and bombarding daily. I don't know whether to make a stand there or withdraw to Manila. To the south, a Jap recon regiment is advancing up the island, but it isn't strong enough to dislodge the infantry units posted in the two hexes south of Manila. I have evacuated some of the B-17 squadrons from the PI - one that went to China promptly sortied and scored one hit against an AKL near Pescadores. Dadjangas fell on the 29th.

SEAC: The Jap advance isolated and destroyed a few minor Allies units (my bad for not pulling all units back to Singapore in time, but the mayhem is pretty historical). Victoria Point fell on the 29th.

Subs: Jap subs around Hawaii and the West Coast continue to wreak havoc - I-121 and I-7 got AKs between the two areas; I-174 got an AKL near Pearl; I-8 got an AK just north of Pearl. All other merchant shipping to Hawaii has been suspended until the area clears or is cleared by the numerous ASW TFs and ASW air patrols. Transport convoys to isolated CenPac and SoPac islands continue using waypoints to avoid the wolfpack areas.

[Q-Ball]

Manila is now "light urban", which does not confer the same benefits as "Urban" did in WITP. It's basically the equivalent of the terrain at Clark. If I were the Allies and I had to choose, I would probably pick Manila, if only because there are alot more VPs there, and the Japanese could use Manila, but don't particularly need Clark.

Only downside is that Manila can be exposed to naval bombardments (once Bataan falls), while Clark won't be (because presumably Bataan will be in your rear, and it's not a good idea for the Japanese to sail past that!).

I think bringing the CVs to DEI is clever, because I highly doubt the Japanese expect it, there are plenty of targets, and the Japanese would NOT commit KB under normal circumstances. BUT, you had that intel leak..........given that, I would probably forget it.

[Chickenboy]

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

12/27/41 to 12/30/41

American carriers: Enterprise and Lexington TFs rendezvoued with an AO well to the southwest of Timor and then steamed north to a point just west of the island. I confess that I'm not sure what to do now - I don't want to bump into the KB and I don't know where the KB is. My preference would be to move north and get in one quick strike against some Japanese shipping in the southern Philippines area, but that's awfully risky. So I'm tempted to withdaw the carrier to safety before something bad happens. The result: indecision. Ol' Stonewall wasnt' indecisive. I need to make up my mind instead of steaming in circles. Far, far to the east, Yorktown arrived at San Diego on the 29th. She joined Saratoga. I may move these two carriers forward to Pearl Harbor soon.

In my game (versus the AI), I have a short-term rendevous for an air combat TF at the Cocos Islands in the IO. I've sent an AVD and a naval search unit (one of the Dutch LR flying boats) there with some xAKL-supplied supplies. The search arc (0 to 150) allows a pretty reasonable search of the IO west and SW of Java. AOs in a resupply TF can meet CVs in the hex or sortie from it to refuel the CV TF at sea.

Best part about the Cocos Is.: with a day's notice, it's close enough to intercept any Java-based TFs from the West. With DBs set at range 6 (with VF escort) or 7 (without), they can sit off of Tjitilap and pound on anything attempting an Eastern Java landing. Until Palembang falls, this is largely out of range for most IJ air strikes. If you wished, you could also provide LRCAP from Tjitilap for the TF.

[Canoerebel]

12/31/41 and 01/01/42

American Carriers: Despite my protestations that I would do something decisive, I still have Lex and Ent steaming in circles with an AO south of Timor. (Chickenboy, I like your idea, though Cacos is a little too far west for my liking; I'm looking for opportunities in the Celebes and Flores seas areas).

KB: No sign of it since shortly after Pearl Harbor. The Japs lost 80 pilots during the two-day surprise attack, so perhaps Miller feels handcuffed in trying to make good the replacements. He has suggested that is the case in a recent email, but that could be disinformation.

NoPac: Nothing going on here except a few isolated AKs running supplies to Anchorage and Kodiak.

CenPac: I-21 missed AK Exmoor between Pearl and the West Coast. Isolated AKs are making runs to the island outposts (Canton, Christmas, Johnston, Palmyra) with larger efforts going to Pago Pago and Tahiti. CL Trenton has been at PP for a week and will soon be joined by a DD/DMS TF from Pearl. An engineer unit will arrive at Tahiti in a week or two, which I hope will allow the Allies to build up the port facilities needed to permit more expeditious unloading of fuel and supplies. The Allies still hold Wake Island and an AKL will arrive there tomorrow.

SoPac: The Allies have reinforced Noumea and Fiji slightly, but need Political Points to free up enough troops to seriously bolster the garrisons here and at Pago Pago. This area has been very quiet, but that will/should change at some point, though I hope not until Miller feels like things are under control in the DEI and Philippines.

Solomons: Quiet since the Japs took Kavieng and Shortlands early in the war; immediately thereafter, the Allies sent a small bombardment TF to hit Kavieng and I hope that convinced Miller to hold back until he has enough to handle what he might fear is in the area. Actually, there's no Allied presence there at the moment. The closest combat TF is in port at Townsville.

DEI: The Japs have aircraft at Singkawang, which pretty much closes off the western reaches. Badly damaged CL Ceres (86 FLT damage) made it to Batavia. If she gets a few days to pump out water, I'll try to sneak her to Tjilitjap or Soerabaja). The Celebes and Flores Seas remain devoid of Japs, so I suspect Miller is waiting until he can come in overwhelming numbers. I expect the KB to come along. BC Renown, CAs Boise and Houston, and CL Marblehead are at Darwin. A small Dutch DD force is moving to Ambon, and a very small CL/DD force is at Kendari.

PI: The Allies are basically down to Bataan, Clark, and Manila on Luzon, along with many of the more isolated bases on the islands to the south - includng Cebu and Cagayan. I don't know yet whether Miller intends to make an early concerted effort to seize Luzon, or if instead he's sent just enough to hold the Allies in place while he concentrates his efforts elsewhere.

Malaya: Here the Allies are just about down to Singapore. The AV of the defenses here will be only a bit more than 1,000, meaning I squandered some troops in a poorly orchestrated retreat down the peninsula. Several combat units were cut off, attacked, and then surrendered.

SEAC: It appears to me that Mandalay cannot be defended in this game - that the place to make a stand is a hex west (Schwarme?). I also don't see any Chinese units available to commit to SEAC, so I haven't done anything yet. The Allies do intend to strongly garrison Colombo and Calcutta in the short term. Prince of Wales recently pulled out of the DEI and arrived at Colombo.

[Canoerebel]

01/02/42 and 01/03/42

CenPac: Ro-62 was sitting at Wake and took care of the AKL I had diverted there to bring much-needed supplies. I also got SigInt that a SNLF force is loaded on a Maru heading for the island, so I won't have Wake much longer. I-169 got AP Burnett NE of Hawaii. Man, that has been fertile grounds for Miller (though, if he's gonna score, I'd rather he do so there than patrol the waters further south where transports are carrying troops and aircraft to remote islands, NZ, and OZ).

DEI: Two small combat TFs consisting of a CL and five DDs will snoop around the northern Celebes Sea. Another TF including CL Boise is heading for Ambon. Enterprise and Lexington are still hanging around. A Jap deliberate attack at Kuching fails, but he will take the base as soon as he lands a few more troops.

Malaya: I've been trying to airlift an isolated Indian brigade out of central Malaya - even paying PP to change her HQ assignment to an unrestricted command, but for some reason the air transport unit refuses to particpate (Oh, I just remember it's Dutch, so Malaya is probably off limits; waste of PP).

Jap Progress: It's still early and there's so much going on that it's hard to tell exactly what's happening, but thus far it appears that Miller is being cautious in his advance - for instance, no Jap forces with the possible exception of subs have been seen in the Celebes and Flores Sea areas nor has Miller made any move on Kendari, Ambon, Timor, or Java. The cautious approach is similar to what I saw in my previous WitP PBEM game with Miller. He's a cautious offensive player (though that can certainly change) and he's particularly good at tactical defense.

[Canoerebel]

01/04/42 and 01/05/42

Jap Paratroops: It just occurred to me that I haven't seen the Jap paratroops yet. In WitP, the 'Chutes usually help the Japs seize some of the upper Malay-Peninsula bases or bases on Borneo. In my previous WitP game with Miller, he employed them there and later in the game as part of a last-ditch effort to make a surprise attack on Ceylon. So Miller likes to use the 'Chutes, but hasn't done so yet.

Allied Subs: With the Jap subs wreaking havoc, I wish I had some good news about Allied subs, but they have been very quiet in the game - just one successful attack thus far to the best of my recollection. I have a number of the Manila-based subs patroling the South China Sea and the Formosa chokepoints, but no hits thus far and lots of brushes with ASW. The Dutch subs are mostly in the Celelebes area and, to this point, the Jap navy hasn't made an appearance there.

DEI: I *think* a Jap TF of unknown composition may be heading for the Celebes area. An small Dutch CL/DD TF is based at one port with a stronger TF including CLs Boise and Marblehead at Ambon. Enterprise and Lexington are moving north now and will pass near Darwin.

SoPac: The NZ Pioneers are doing a fantastic job at Noumea. They just landed there and already fortifcations went to one. A Kiwi Brigade is unloading. Over at Pago Pago, 2nd Marine Defense Battalion has begun unloading and a 8th Marines are just a week away.

[Chickenboy]

Malaya: I've been trying to airlift an isolated Indian brigade out of central Malaya - even paying PP to change her HQ assignment to an unrestricted command, but for some reason the air transport unit refuses to particpate (Oh, I just remember it's Dutch, so Malaya is probably off limits; waste of PP).

I don't know if it's just me, but I had trouble evacuating Singapore with the restricted Dutch flying boats. I'd get the error message about 'restricted command' or some such. When I moved the Dutch transport aircraft to Palembang, I had no problems pulling numerous LCUs out of Singapore.

Does your Indian Brigade have access to an airfield or is it in a friendly port hexside?

[Canoerebel]

01/06/42 to 01/09/42

Wake Island: A Jap SNLF began landing at Wake on the 6th and managed a 4:1 shock attack that dropped forts to zero, cost the Jpas 657 to 34, and failed to overcome the defenders. The follow-up shock attack on the 7th came off at 1:2 and cost the Japs 591 to 13. Miller will have to bring more. He can - easily - so this is little more than a bump in the road. I tried to organize a FT convoy for Wake several days previously, but found that DDs aren't capable of carrying troops - at least the ones currently stationed at Pearl Harbor. So no reinforcements for the good guys.

DEI: The Japs are nibbling at the edges of the DEI and Solomons, landing at Sarong, Hollandia, and in the Admiralties. A Dutch CL/DD force sortied from Ambon, but guessed wrong at the target and missed; CLs Boise and Marblehead will lead a bombardment force from Ambon to Sarong tomorrow - this is mainly intended to draw Miller's attention. Enterprise and Lexington are SW of Darwin and still steaming in circles while an AO loads fuel at Soerabaja.

Malaya: The Allies have an AV of 1105 in Singapore with a few scattered, weak units isolated up the peninsula. The Japs aren't bombing yet. Johore Bahru fell on the 6th, so the Japs should gather there and sooner or later force the crossing of the straits. In my WitP game with Miller, Singapore held out until late January or February, I believe.

PI: But they are bombing Clark Field. The Japs have 700+ AV to just 230 for the Allies, so they should take Clark soon. A few Jap regiments are also advancing toward Manila from the south side. They have just begun landing at Cotabato on Mindanao. In my WitP game with Miller, the Allies held Manila until late June '42. I don't think that will happen this time unless he treats it as a prison camp and doesn't make any effort to take the city for awhile.

Japs Subs: RO-67 got an AKL at Canton Island; I-169 got an AK north of Pearl (I've noticed that alot of my AKs and AKLs go down after taking one torpedo - this is much different than WitP). Alot of ASW TFs are working out of Pearl now, and many major ports have ASW TFs working under computer control.

Logistics/Reinforcements: The Allies are beginning to make headway in organizing supply convoys from Africa and the Mideast to India and Australia, and from the West Coast to SoPac and Australia. But when the Jap armed merchant cruisers show up somewhere unexpected in the vast reaches of the Pacific or Indian oceans it may play havoc for awhile. Reinforcement convoys are also leaving regularly, mostly from Seattle and San Diego.