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[Zrk2]

That's great. Were can I get myself some Hitlerum?

[Hyo]

What the hell's the stage 1 card?

[Erkki]

My opponent is back. Should get a turn today.

[Erkki]

And finally... January 19th 1942



Kido Butai moves to north and covers the Ternate landings. The landing force finds a single cargo ship in the bay, which is sunk by D3As, and troops are ashore almost without a loss. 3 Dutch bombers appear, but the 2 patrolling Zeroes shoot each one down.

The famous 38th Infantry Division is now unloaded and ready in the Philippines - the surviving Americans should be defeated easy within 2 weeks. At Tokyo, a force to invade Java is being organized, but there is some confusion on who goes to which ship and who is going to escort the whole thing... Plan is to use CVL Shoho and its escort destroyer until Truk, where they receive a proper escort(Kido Butai) and bombarding/suppression units for the landings.

Also, today in Japanese hands: Baltimore in northern Borneo, Paotow in China, 2 weird named places in New Guinea and the West coast of Sumatra. Fleeing Dutch units are driven to the North between the shores and the mountains. Moulmein in Burma is assaulted but so far there are more Brits than Japs... I need to wait for the tanks to catch up(yeah, I know, inverted blitzkrieg). It looks like one British brigade is trying a flank... If it continues that way, its going to run into 2 Thai divisions. Also 60 x Ki-43 Hayabusas will sweep and strike the Moulmein airfield tomorrow - the reconnaissance says there are almost 50 planes there, at least 20 fighters!!

[Zrk2]

Great, GOFORGOLD!

Also, any idea what America is up to or whether you will mount a raid on the Western USA?

[Erkki]

Great, GOFORGOLD!

Also, any idea what America is up to or whether you will mount a raid on the Western USA?

For the very least move some more air and naval units there for homeland defence...  Japan has good part of its ground units on the Home Islands as well. I'll also move at least one of the battleships home in the next month. Air units are mainly training units flying 2nd rate machines but there are some reserves and sub hunters too. Knowing my opponent hes going to move almost everything he can to Hawaii at least.

[Erkki]

January 20th

The Dutch aviation support battalion is easily overran in Ternate, and the base falls into Japanese hands. Banzai! 100 Japanese bombers strike Singapore - the town itself is bombed, as are the drydock, port facilities as well as the ships docked and in anchor. A 800kg bomb carried by a G4M scores a direct hit on an American submarine... The largest piece they find of later it is half a kilogram.  Also some torpedo boats and a small cargo ship are sunk.

Rabaul's G4M1s strike Port Moresby - and meet P-40s!! 3 of the bombers are shot down and they score no hits to the 2 ships, a cruiser and a liner. Kendo O. is OK, though. No more raids there before they receive fighter escorts...

Towards Sian, Japanese armored spearhead advances, pushing what is left of the Chinese units ahead. Estimated Chinese losses today are again over 1,000 to 0 Japs. Mere infantry in open countryside, poor beggars. In 2 days a strong group of 2 Japanese divisions links up with a brigade from South, plan being pushing the Chinese across the river to Loyang. There are 4 full Divisions and 2 armoured regiments + support units at Loyang's flank. If they dont begin retreating tomorrow, they are all trapped in one huge pocket... There are estimated to be over 100,000 Chinese soldiers in it. 

Edit: almost forgot that a submarine on its way to refuel at Kwajalein finds and attacks a LONE AG, repair/refit/support ship in the middle of the vast ocean between Wake and Midway, and sinks it. What the heck was it doing there?!? Maybe one of the Enterprise's escort ships managed to limp to Wake but cant make it across the ocean, and that ship was on its way to help with the repairs?

[Erkki]

January 21th

Temuloh falls! Now theres a divisions worth of Brits completely cut off... I will earmark an engineer battalion and 2 infantry regiments to wipe them out. They will rest some first, though. To the South, Brits are thrown back once again with massive casualties to little Japanese...

At Philippines, the reinforced units at Clark Field now with the 38th Division assault, and despite heavy enemy defensive preparations manage to mount 0.8:1 losses. At that ratio, they are not going to hold very long.

Over Moulmein, 18 Hayabusas sweep and make honor to the Emperor - meeting 16 Hawk H81s from the famous AVG's 1st squadron, they get 7 confirmed kills, damage many more and lose only 2 of their own - pilots managing to bail out or ditch over friendly territory, and thus suffering no personnel losses.

[Zrk2]

HAha! Cpontinue! For the glory of Japan! Kamikaze!

Also, ships in places that make no sense is never a good thing. It means there will be other ships where they aren't expected. Stay wary.

[Erkki]

HAha! Cpontinue! For the glory of Japan! Kamikaze!

Also, ships in places that make no sense is never a good thing. It means there will be other ships where they aren't expected. Stay wary.

Yeah, thats why I'm moving one of the BBs back home as soon as Singapore falls, if not earlier. Not that I think hes going to raid that far with carriers, but fast cruisers or merchant raiders would be nasty.

Kido Butai is now repairing at Bedeloab, it will sail to Hong Kong in a couple of days. Ryujo's repairs are done in a week, soon enough for it to join the KB before it heads to the Indian Ocean(after supporting Java landings). With 8 carriers its strength will rise from 396 to (Zuiho + Ryujo 18 + 27) 433, or more if I use a day to resize Zuiho's groups... Need pilots as well. 433 I think is pretty impressive.

[Zrk2]

I'd be scared of that many screaming Japanese flying at me.

[Erkki]

Also 280 x 250kg = 70 metric tons of bombs delivery capacity per every 6 hours over the distance of 300 nautical miles. Half of that to 300-380 miles, and 190 tons(!) if its 0-220 miles thanks to the 800kg bombs on B5Ns and 2x60kg more for D3A. 150 Zeroes can escort...

edit: yeah, I voted myself for Indian Ocean. I'm going out to get Hermes and get as many British naval assets I can before they're evacuated to Africa or Middle East... Australia is too far, at least when Kido Butai sits that direction. Enemy air threat at the Gulf of Bengal is estimated to be nothing at all. Need to kill as much as possible before they consolidate their forces or understand to run for it.

[Zrk2]

...Isn't that the entire Japanese strategy?

[Erkki]

January 22th 1942

Philippines: 2nd assault at Clark and the defending Americans lose almost as much as Japanese... I'm giving them max 3 days.

China: Soviet built SB-3s raid Formosa, and get slaughtered by Zeroes.

Borneo: Zeroes sweep Balikpapan, find a single Buffalo and shoot it down..

Carriers: Kido Butai sets sail to Hong Kong, Zuiho and Hosho return to Bedeloab. Shoho turns to Hong Kong. Ryujo's repairs are complete in 6 days, and it will join the KB with Shoho. Ryujo's Zero group is appointed some pilots from the reserves, and the number of its aircraft is doubled. The B5N unit remains the same size.

Submarines: I-17 returning home finds an Allied cargo ship South East to Hawaiian islands and engages it with its deck gun. 10 hits are scored, and the ship is left in sinking condition(dead in the water, burning). Off Sydney, another submarine intercepts 2 huge tankers, shoots 6 torpedoes, scoring 3 hits... but 2 are duds! The hit torpedo is on the bigger tanker, and its fuel load catches fire with massive damage. It very likely sank on the afternoon.

Whats up with the Allies, why don't they escort their important convoys?


EDIT: also some changes to ship production... 5 merchant yards converted to Navy, and expanded... I really don't need that many escort carriers(had some accelerated) especially as they dont come with air groups. I already have one useless. After the conversions are done, however, I'll be able to accelerate another Fleet carrier. Current arrival delays for the 2 Junyo class Fleet Carriers are 79 and 180 days... The first is at accelerated build and stands at 38 days true arrival delay, and in a week the second is at 89 days as well.

After those 2, the next Fleet Carrier is now a Taiho class at February 1944. 

edit2: first post updated.

[thobal]

If I had to guess. I would expect that the Americans expect the next blow to fall at Hawaii. People always say the Japanese should have invaded Hawaii and blah blah blah. So he's probably expecting you to run a fairly standard counter-factual and invade Hawaii.

The only problem is that even without Hawaii, the Allies still have California. The island hopping campaign would have to start there, and it would take longer. But the loss of Hawaii isn't exactly a death blow to the Allies.