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IJNAF elite A6M2 Zero unit Chitose Ku S-1 or its detachments or division(s)

3 (42.9%)

a IJAAF Ki-43 unit in Indochina, to be used in China/East Indies(mostly)

1 (14.3%)

a IJAAF Ki-43 unit in Burma(at least initially)

3 (42.9%)

Total Members Voted: 7

Voting closed: May 04, 2014, 08:49:03 am

[Erkki]

Nope I dont have goodreads. I'll look into it. Osprey books are OK, they have lots of small stories as well statistics and details. However, most of them seem to have been compressed into as few pages as possible and sometimes it shows. There are some exceptions, though. Despite the name of the series (Aces) they usually name just the most known or successful ones and give mini-biographies and go through the units and their history through the war that were of the branch or used the aircraft that each book is about, also often toughing the operational or strategic sides.

Oh, and happy midsummer's eve to everyone from Finland! 

[Erkki]

February 18, 1942


The battle of Coral Sea continues!


South Pacific: In an unexpected move the Allies advance the CVL Charlotte and her escorts only 200 nm SW of Guadalcanal. I think it was hoped that Charlotte would find shipping to attack near Guadalcanal. The newly arrived B5N1 squadron escorted by the 4th Kokutai S Zeros sortie twice, both AM and PM phases. Out of 17 individual torpedo attacks, CVL Charlotte is the target in approximately 10 but no hits are scored. One of the escorting cruisers, identified as the Australian CL Perth, is hit! Charlotte's entire F4F Wildcat wing seems to be up but it fails to penetrate the escorting Zeros until after the attacks. Zeros scored 3 - 0 over the Wildcats and at least damaged 6 or 7 more.

Anti-aircraft fire shoots down 1 B5N and another is lost to a Wildcat over target. 2 Zeros were damaged enough to be written off into spare parts(the game does model it!).

Bihoro Ku K's 30 G4M1 bombers also sortie from Rabaul but they fail to find the target due to the range. Pity.

Far to the South, a submarine-borne E14Y float plane sights a USN CVBG on its way to Sydney probably. I think this is the same one that was seen couple of days ago near Espiritu Santo.

Another E14Y finds what seems to be merchant TF near Fiji.







China: A cut-off KMT Corps is retreated near Changsha. Another day of hard-hitting bombings.

Burma: Blenheims hit Lashio's airfield(for whatever reason).

DEI: Boela occupied!

Submarines: a Dutch submarine hits an AMC near Balikpapan. It would have refueled and then dashed across the Java Sea and went raiding into the Indian Ocean.

[10ebbor10]

Any chance that you might kill that carrier tomorrow, or will it be out of range?

[Erkki]

Any chance that you might kill that carrier tomorrow, or will it be out of range?

Too far for KB to pursue it and it'll be out of strike aircraft range by dawn if it wants to. I'll try to intercept with submarines though.

[Anvilfolk]

Aw man, too bad about those torp hits. Sometimes a single one is all it takes! Do you think he was not expecting you to have that much air power around the southern Solomons?

[Erkki]

Aw man, too bad about those torp hits. Sometimes a single one is all it takes! Do you think he was not expecting you to have that much air power around the southern Solomons?

I think so. Hes playing with fire though... KB was less than 12 hours @ cruise speed from strike range. I think he thinks KB is rearming at Truk.

Another B5N squad reached Guadalcanal today. The operation to take Luganville will start tomorrow.

[Zrk2]

Is it just me, or are early-war torpedoes useless for basically everything and everyone?

[Sheb]

I was wondering: does the game model the civil war between nationalists and communists? By some measure Chiang-Kai Sheck spent more resources fighting the Reds than the Japanese.  If yes, how?

[Erkki]

Is it just me, or are early-war torpedoes useless for basically everything and everyone?

They are OK, inaccurate against the fastest and most maneuverable ships.  If the target had been a big CV, CA or BB there would probably have been 1 or 2 hits. This scenario also uses the DaBabes database changes so anti-aircraft fire is more effective and torpedoes less accurate than in stock, among other things.

I was wondering: does the game model the civil war between nationalists and communists? By some measure Chiang-Kai Sheck spent more resources fighting the Reds than the Japanese.  If yes, how?

Nope, the unlike in Hearts of Iron the China is just one big faction. However to model the inner tensions they start with some damaged industry and need to heavily garrison most cities.

[Erkki]

February 19, 1942


Singapore falls!!!!!


Ground combat at Singapore (50,84)
 
Japanese Deliberate attack
 
Attacking force 52052 troops, 507 guns, 276 vehicles, Assault Value = 1786
 
Defending force 30306 troops, 386 guns, 369 vehicles, Assault Value = 382
 
Japanese engineers reduce fortifications to 1
 
Japanese adjusted assault: 2289
 
Allied adjusted defense: 517
 
Japanese assault odds: 4 to 1 (fort level 1)
 
Japanese forces CAPTURE Singapore !!!
 
Allied aircraft
      no flights
 
Allied aircraft losses
      Catalina I: 2 destroyed
 
Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+), preparation(-), experience(-)
Attacker:
 
Japanese ground losses:
      3943 casualties reported
         Squads: 7 destroyed, 375 disabled
         Non Combat: 2 destroyed, 24 disabled
         Engineers: 0 destroyed, 31 disabled
      Guns lost 21 (1 destroyed, 20 disabled)
      Vehicles lost 14 (1 destroyed, 13 disabled)
 
Allied ground losses:
      34359 casualties reported
         Squads: 599 destroyed, 0 disabled
         Non Combat: 2427 destroyed, 0 disabled
         Engineers: 57 destroyed, 0 disabled
      Guns lost 413 (413 destroyed, 0 disabled)
      Vehicles lost 259 (259 destroyed, 0 disabled)
      Units destroyed 27
 
Assaulting units:
    146th Infantry Regiment
    41st Infantry Regiment
    56th Recon Regiment
    2nd Recon Regiment
    5th Division
    1st Tank Regiment
    II./124th Infantry Battalion
    55th Infantry Regiment
    II./4th Infantry Battalion
    148th Infantry Regiment
    113th Infantry Regiment
    I./4th Infantry Battalion
    114th Infantry Regiment
    56th Infantry Regiment
    2nd Engineer Regiment
    12th Engineer Regiment
    24th Infantry Regiment
    3rd Medium Field Artillery Regiment
    23rd Ind. Engineer Regiment
    56th Field Artillery Regiment
    15th Ind. Engineer Regiment
    25th Army
    3rd Ind. Mountain Gun Regiment
    18th Medium Field Artillery Regiment
    4th Ind. Engineer Regiment
    2nd Field Artillery Regiment
 
Defending units:
    2nd Loyal Battalion
    2/17 Dogra Battalion
    SSVF Brigade
    27th Australian Brigade
    2nd Malay Battalion
    2nd Gordons Battalion
    22nd Australian Brigade
    1st Mysore Battalion
    1st HK&S Heavy AA Regiment
    111th RAF Base Force
    109th RN Base Force
    2nd HK&S Heavy AA Regiment
    29 Battery/3 HAA
    Malayan Air Wing
    1st Indian Heavy AA Regiment
    Singapore Base Force
    AHQ Far East
    III Indian
    112th RAF Base Force
    30 Battery/3 HAA
    223 Group RAF
    Singapore Fortress
    224 Group RAF
    24th NZ Pioneer Coy
    Malaya Army
    11 Battery/3 HAA
    5th Field Regiment




China: artillery ready in 5 days to start grinding away the defenders of Sian.

Burma: 2 squadrons of RAF Buffalos (!) sweep Northern Burma. 77th Sentai was resting today. Blenheims attacking Prome lost 1 of their number to 47th Chutai.

South Pacific: CVL Charlotte withdraws towards Fiji(now probably somewhere between New Caledonia and New Hebrides). A 2-ship TF that probably has CL Perth and an escort crawl in the general direction of Brisbane. They only make 200 nm in 24 hours, or 8 knots. 8 IJN submarines will attempt to intercept, but unfortunately none of them have E14 float planes. Near Sydney the USN CVBG manages to avoid all submarines and is not sighted today, but its aircraft are.

Luganville operation begins. 2 of the 4 amphibious task forces merge and will meet the 3rd before target. Kido Butai receives 15,000 tons of fuel and is ordered close to the estimated limit of enemy air search(Catalinas can fly further but are probably restricted as the further they fly daily the less effective the air search is, the more it mounts crew and plane fatigue and flying at extended range especially increases ops losses). I hope KB wont be seen tomorrow.

Submarines: An IJN sub first takes a couple of direct depth charge hits in the Maldives, Indian Ocean, and then misses a cargo ship. It'll return to base now. A USN sub also misses its attack on a merchant near Formosa.

[Anvilfolk]

Damn, they lost a lot of stuff in Singapore! Somehow at those ratios I was expecting it to take longer!

I also have a hard time understanding how submarines can carry floatplanes around!

[10ebbor10]

Internal hangar and a crane.

Edit: This is a british one. Most often, plane was partially disassembled to fit in.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Do you get the I-400 in game btw? Largest submarine of WWII, and intended to execute a strike against the Panama channel.

Spoiler: I-400 plane hangar (click to show/hide)

[Erkki]

Heres some to read on IJN subs: http://www.combinedfleet.com/ss.htm

Yeah the I-400 is there in the building queue as are its 3 sisters. I dont think I'll be building them. The smaller seaplane-carrying subs are good though as they are rather powerful scouts when needed(albeit need good weather) and dont need to take as high risks as other subs. I have one near Sydney that has a special mission of launching a recon sortie once a week.


February 20, 1942


China: attack towards Ankang begins. The Chinese seem to move 2 more Corps to the defensive positions across the river but IJAAF bombings are very effective - the Chinese have basically no anti-aircraft weapons, and the terrain is flat... The defenders will stand no chance against 4 IJ divisions and 2 tank units.

Burma: 3rd division retreats the withdrawing British again, and a rifle battalion surrenders:

Ground combat at 60,44 (near Shwebo)
 
Japanese Shock attack
 
Attacking force 13072 troops, 120 guns, 32 vehicles, Assault Value = 443
 
Defending force 612 troops, 2 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 21
 
Japanese adjusted assault: 340
 
Allied adjusted defense: 2
 
Japanese assault odds: 170 to 1
 
Combat modifiers
Defender: morale(-), experience(-)
Attacker: shock(+), leaders(-)
 
Allied ground losses:
      415 casualties reported
         Squads: 34 destroyed, 0 disabled
         Non Combat: 22 destroyed, 0 disabled
         Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
      Guns lost 1 (1 destroyed, 0 disabled)
      Units retreated 1
      Units destroyed 1
 
Defeated Allied Units Retreating!
 
Assaulting units:
    33rd Division
 
Defending units:
    13th Burma Rifles Battalion
    9th Burma Rifles Battalion

DEI: IJN light cruiser squadron destroys 3 small ships fleeing Singapore. About 15 motor launches were scuttled in the port.

3rd Ku S-1 sweeps Soerabaja from Makassar and(as expected) shoots down 12 Demons and Hawk-75s to no loss!

Dili falls as the defenders surrender. The entire Timor is now under Japanese control.

Deliberate attack at Tarakan drops forts to 0 and casualties again favor the Japanese. It'll fall any day now...


South Pacific: Submarines fail to make contact with any Allied ships. Bummer. Kido Butai and CS Mizuho(sneaking closer to Fiji, in a mission to provide some situational awareness and early warning in the area) remain undetected! By the looks of it(air search, sub reports, sign intel reports of heavy radio activity), it seems that the USN carriers went to Sydney. D minus 2 days.

Submarines: A RN submarine hits an AMC near Palembang. This too would have went raiding in the Indian Ocean, and was on its way to refuel first. Almost all the merchant raiders have either torpedo or bomb holes now. Luckily only one has been lost for good.

R&D: A6M3b Zero accelerated to 4/42! The 3 research factories are now changed to A6M4.


Looks like my opponent hasnt updated his AAR for a while... Would you guys go and remind him to? 

[Erkki]

And heres the map now. As you can see, in the Dutch East Indies only Northern Sumatra, Java, Christmas Island, Cocos and 1 patrol plane base on Borneo remain in Allied hands.

[Erkki]

February 21, 1942


China: KMT corps retreated again in the Northern front. River crossing towards Ankang in 2 days - Chinese have 4 Corps defending but under mass aerial bombings, tanks and 4 infantry divisions they should stand no chance. The Chinese are known to have some depth in their defenses, though, with 4-5 more Corps in the defensive terrain behind the first defenders.

Burma: Ki-43s sweep Chittacong and meet a mix of enemy fighters: Buffaloes, Hurricane Is, Hurricane IIs and AVG's Hawks. 6 pilots and 9 planes are lost for 11 confirmed victories. Not a very good trade(especially as 3 enemy losses were only Buffaloes) but the Japanese were outnumbered.



DEI: aviation support unit at Koepang in 4-ish days.

Submarines: IJN mine layer hit at Woodlark Island, will probably sink tomorrow. This TF was ordered to stop unloading but they stayed there unloading and a useful ship was lost because of it... Another USN sub hits 2 xAKs carrying engineers near Truk, and one sinks.

South Pacific: Luganville landings within 48 hours. Allied air patrols find the Kido Butai as well as the amphibious task force. Lots of enemy radio activity at Sydney and Melbourne.