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[Zrk2]

Ultimately unless you can totally trash American production or get Japanese production to near parity Japan is royally screwed.

[Erkki]

January 23rd..

Now now, where to begin? This day didn't go quite as I thought it would. In both good and bad!

Philippines: Assault goes 1,25:1 to the Allies again. Slowly, slowly killing them all, one by one...

Sumatra: A Barge force I laid at Oosthaven gets attacked by yank PT boats. I lose about 6 or so... the barges dont have guns. Lol. Well in practice the lost is just half a days supply from Palembang.

Rabaul: Saburo Sakai's Group sweeps Port Moresby... Against 39 sweeping Zeroes there are 45 P-40s. TWENTY-ONE of the P-40s are confirmed shot down, more damaged, so possibly up to 3 more down. The loss to the Japanese is 2 relatively rookie pilots. One of the Zero pilots scores 3 kills in this battle. At the afternoon, there are 45 Zeroes ready, 0 being repaired or maintained, ready for tomorrow's raid. Wonder if the P-40s will be taking off? 

Burma: Allies assault back again, this time with naval support from 7 cruisers. Whoa. A G4M1 group relocated back to Saigon... If those guys are around there tomorrow, they'll get mauled. The counter attack itself fails... The 4th Infantry Division packs up and is railed to the North in 2 days. Looks like my opponent acts as I thought 2 weeks ago: he'll move everything he can to the front. Ki-43s down 3 H81s but this time lose 4 of their own... The "Circus", my best Zero squadron, moves to Saigon and will support the Ki-43s tomorrow.

China: at the most Westernmost front, the reinforced Chinese assault... and get through! 3 divisions have to be now pulled back to Hankow. 2 new Divisions and 3 armor regiments are prepared and will rail to Hanchow in 3 days. I need more men in China, and tanks will work well in the open ground.

[Erkki]

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.

Indeed. Hawaiian islands are in a great position in that they can be garrisoned by unrestricted number of troops, Pearl Harbour has a big port with a large dry dock, there are multiple big airfields(that can be further built up) and they have some industry of their own(albeit little resources) they can to some extent create supplies and lessen the need from the West Coast. It is in perfect position as a "step board" to the West Pacific. Should I actually be able to conquer the Hawaiian islands and especially Pearl Harbour, the Allies will lose all their supporting islands to use in their own offensives. There are a couple of islands, but small and of almost on use, to the South East...

Before Hawaii and Pearl, Wake, Midway and preferably Johnston Island have to be taken. Even a reconnaissance squadron at Midway flying over Pearl once a day would significantly help the intel situation and help organizing.

[Zrk2]

Are you going to try the Burma landings now that his troops are at the front?

[Erkki]

Not before Singapore falls, it provides too great early warning... I have additional landings on Sumatra planned too.

[Erkki]

January 24th

Burma: Allied cruisers keep bombarding... Weather prevents the G4M attack.

China: At Tiotse(Northern China), approximately 13,000 Chinese are ordered a shock attack... Against 50,000 Japanese with armor support. Imperial Headquarters reports 387 Japanese casualties for 10,600 Chinese. 

Submarines: another xAK cargo ship sank near Sydney...

Malaya: Johore Bharu falls! Next step is Singapore itself! But need to rest the men some first. They are given 3 days.

Only one P-40 met in the air today, promptly shot down by Hayabusas. Port Moresby's P-40s were apparently grounded today. 

edit: also 2 fully armed submarines on their way to Rangoon. They are given orders to react as far as possible... If they're lucky, they'll meet that British cruiser force tomorrow. I'm ready to swap a submarine or 2 for a heavy cruiser... Or nothing to a cruiser or 2 - no escort destroyers have been spotted, so they might not have anti-submarine capacity of any kind.

[Zrk2]

Score, that should tip the scales a wee bit. (Also, I just used 'a wee bit' in serious conversation, U MAD?)

[Erkki]

January 25th... Or actually this is January 24th. I think I've had the date wrong for some time already. 


Hong Kong: Its good to know that the British MTP torpedo boats have longer range than American PTs... In the night, 12 of them appear off Hong Kong, and instead of running into my cruisers and destroyers, they find a supply convoy. 2 cargo ships, a mine layer, a tanker(a small one) and an aircraft tender are lost. Luckily they had unloaded already, so no supplies are lost... The real loss is in the AV aircraft tender ship and its 12 float planes. Its not a carrier, as it can only operate floatplanes and only when anchored, but I was planning to use this ship later with the floatplane version of the Zero, the A6M2-N, at the forward bases or atolls. I have more of these but I'd have liked this ship to survive...

Philippines: Assault goes 1,5:1 to the Allies again, but this time some fortifications are penetrated... The tomorrow's attack might get through.

China: Tsiatso falls! Losses are almost 900, but Chinese lose their bridgehead across the Jangtse river and about 5,000 as KIA, survivors retreating to Loyang. In the south, Nanchang is attacked by Chinese but despite 3:1 numerical superiority, they lose 900 for 8 Japanese. The defenders are well prepared, and reinforcements, including tanks, are already on their way.

Burma: The British cruiser force bombards once again, but retreats overnight.. Submarines should make a contact tomorrow, or during the early hours. a Ki-43 lost for a H81.

Malaya: Mersing falls! Main force is resting, preparing to siege Singapore.

Submarines: another transport is attacked near Port Moresby, 2 torpedo hits and left in sinking condition.. No sight of escorts.

[Erkki]

January 25th

China: units moving into positions... The Chinese assault half retreating Japanese units in a heavily fortified forest near Hankow, and lost another 2,500 to handful of Japanese... The Chinese HQ and equipment truly suck.

Philippines: No progress other than the body count rising.

Burma: British cruiser fleet bombards once again. Submarines in position. 30 more Ki-43s moved to Bangkok, 2 squads of G4Ms and G3Ms ready for tomorrow.

Malaya: Corporal Obe got a cut wound opening a coconut with his machete...

Submarines: Our submarines are proving to be very effective weapons of war.. For the last 2 weeks, they have scored almost a torpedo hit/day. Today they sank the same huge tanker, in full fuel load, that escaped near Sydney. It sank right off the Brisbane harbor.

[Erkki]

If someone wants a map of a certain area or of plans, feel free to ask.

I'll include a China TO map with the next turn, when we see how my armor supported divisions fared against Loyang's defenses.

[Erkki]

January 26th

China: Major action tomorrow. Chinese closing in in the South, in the middle, mopping up some smaller Chinese units behind my lines. Aviation bombs work well in open ground...

Philippines: No progress...

Burma: British cruiser fleet bombards once again x 2. G4Ms attack a small naval TF but the sole hitting torpedo is a dud.

Kendari invaded! Troops are ashore pretty intact. Hudsons and 139Ws try to interrupt, 4 of them are shot down by Zuiho and Hosho's Zeroes.

[Sheb]

Can we get a map from the chinese theather?

[Erkki]

Can we get a map from the chinese theather?

I'll put it with the next turn, in a few hours.

Almost forget, heavy cruiser Chokai was not torpedoed this turn between Borneo and Celebes by a Dutch submarine. Even in the case it was, this ship plays no importance whatsoever...

Well now I might as well upgrade its AAA batteries. Too bad those ships are in many ways more powerful than even battleships... Very high speed and combined gun & torpedo armament makes them useful, as do the crack crews.

[Zrk2]

So, you advance is beginning to falter now? This is where it starts getting interesting.

[Erkki]

So, you advance is beginning to falter now? This is where it starts getting interesting.

Not yet. Just majority of available units engaged with current targets. Kendari invasion force has aviation support battalions with them, for the step 3, which is Java & the Eastern Indonesia.