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[Erkki]

Just a quick note, remain on station will adversely impact a subs ability to hunt ships. Try using a range 0 patrol order instead.

Yeah, remain on station = they wont react. I only use that with subs that are next to a port or a shallow water hex. 



June 9th, 10th, 11th


Looks like the activity is rising again!


Philippines: The tired defenders of Bataan surrender, and 58,000 PA and US Army men march to captivity. The victorious forces will now move to Manila, and some units will be moved to garrison the smaller islands. On Mindanao, an infantry battalion is ordered to march back to the coast to later garrison Cebu, while the infantry regiment that took Cebu will move to reinforce the Malabalay siege.

Burma: Allies have finally moved in bombers! A whopping 60 are sighted at Rangoon's airfield. For tomorrow, 30 Zero A6M3s will sweep the airspace over Calcutta (hopefully) after which 60 Ki-21 bombers will hit the airfields escorted by 40 Ki-43s. Rangoon has at least 90 enemy fighters but their level of alertness is unknown.

Submarines: 2 more convoys sail in and out of Sydney but the attacking submarines fail to get into firing position. Near Adelaine, I-165 attacks another convoy of unescorted transports but this time the sole hit is a dud.

[timferius]

Our company uses a call center in Manilla.... can you swing by for a visit?

[Erkki]

June 12th

Finally more action that just troops marching and ships sailing.


Burma: Kanoya Ku S-1 sweeps Calcutta with 27 Zeros and finds no less than 60 Hurricane IIs flying CAP, with 30 already in the air. The initial advantage was soon lost, and the Zeros only scored 10 confirmed kills vs. 7 Zeros lost over target and 3 more written off due damage. The first wave of bombers escorted by 42 Ki-42s got through easily(losing just 3 Ki-43s to 1 Hurricane) but the extremely heavy AAA downed 2 Ki-21s and damaged 6 more. Only one Hudson bomber was seen hit on the ground. The second, unescorted wave of Ki-21s lost 3 of its number to the Hurricanes.

In the end, we lost 9 A6M3s, 8 Ki-21s and 3 Ki-43s with 6 Zero, 3 Ki-43 and 8 Ki-21 aircrew. Allied losses are estimated 12-13 Hurricanes. The ratio for today is not too good but both Zeros and Ki-43s flew at extended range. It also seemed that Calcutta had no radar to guide the CAP...

Probably all those 60 bombers at Calcutta are Hudsons, so trying to attack the place isnt worthwhile. I dont think they were moved in for fun, so we might see the Allies try hitting Magwe or even Rangoon soon. If they decide to visit Magwe, they'll face over 120 state of the art interceptors, multiple radars and 100 tubes of heavy anti aircraft artillery.

[inteuniso]

Does this mean the Bataan death march is happening? D:

[Erkki]

Does this mean the Bataan death march is happening? D:

I think there are less survivors this time and less Japanese soldiers to feed and supply on Luzon, so I'd say that it isnt. Also most likely far less civilians as I managed to cut Manila off from Clark Field and Bataan early in the campaign. At least the Death March is not happening in scale it did IRL, and there are more Navy units in the winning side than historically.  Theres no in-game function for POWs (the units and their equipment are destroyed, though their supply can be salvaged) but I'd probably use them to continue building up Clark Field and expanding the Manila Bay naval yards with the Japanese engineering and construction units.

[Erkki]

We have reached June 21st

Almost nothing has happened. One of my picket xAKLs a couple of days from the coast of Honshu finally found some of the Allied sub force and got attacked. We are also killing time and having fun bombing British troops in India. An SNLF unit also secured Cocos Islands in the Indian Ocean. Thats all that happened in 2 weeks!

In 2 days however the Kendari invasion force will board their ships. We'll also be invading Ambon a week or 2 later. KB is finally about to be fully ready - almost 2 weeks later than it should have by the initial repair time estimates...

[Anvilfolk]

Ah, good stuff! I was actually just about to post asking how the AAR was going!

How are the pilots' resting and training going?

[Erkki]

Ah, good stuff! I was actually just about to post asking how the AAR was going!

How are the pilots' resting and training going?

Very well indeed. CV attack aircraft pilots are now, after training and rotation, all very good in the actual attacking, and are have now been practicing naval search & patrol for a couple of weeks. Their reserves however are still rather small. Fighter pilots' situation on the other hand looks good with nearly 500 well trained(IMHO) fighter pilots for IJAAF and IJNAF combined. And more will graduate, as they meet my set minimums, in the coming weeks.

[Erkki]

June 22nd

Finally some action today.


East Indies: the xAK on its way to Makassar that was torpedoed yesterday sinks.

Burma: looks like the Allies moved LOTS of planes to Dacca overnight! However Today's target was Chittagong. 25 Ki-21s escorted by 17 Ki-43s met 7 P-40s. Despite being just Ki-43s and having to escort the bombers, our flyboys did well today by scoring shooting down 4 confirmed kills and at least damaging the 3 others. 2 Ki-43s were lost with their pilots. A dozen Blenheims visited Myitkyina and cratered the runway.

Dacca is now reported to have nearly 60 fighters and 50-ish transports and other aux planes. Tomorrow, drop-tank equipped Ki-44s will sweep Chittagong in hopes of catching more Allied air patrols from Dacca, while more Ki-44s and some Ki-43s will escort Ki-21s to hit the airfield in the case some fighters get transferred there.

[Erkki]

June 23rd


Burma: The Allies took the bait this turn and assigned LRCAP over Chittacong. Allied CAP over Chittacong was engaged by 4 waves of Ki-44s and then Ki-44 escorted Ki-21s that bombed the airfield with good results. Today's losses for Japan are 3 Ki-44s and 1 pilot KIA(+ another WIA) for at least 8 confirmed kills!

Ki-44s performed superbly today despite the relatively high fatigue of the air units, long range and not having numerical superiority over the radar assisted enemy.

Tomorrow, we are going to sweep Chittacong again with Ki-44s. In the case Bart flies everything he can OR draws his fighters back to Dacca, 27 A6M3s are also ordered to sweep the base just East of Dacca at 20,000ft. I'm expecting more good results, as many of the P-40s and Hurricanes damaged today shouldn't be able to fly tomorrow. Ki-21s will carry on bombing Chittacong. 40 Ki-43s fly CAP over Myitkyina, Meiktila and especially Magwe.

kickingbottom: Takenaka V. took part to today's action flying one of the Ki-44s escorting Ki-21s. The 2 Hurricanes left in the CAP were driven off easily. I'm not sure how he managed to fly 2 sorties today as his unit was only assigned to fly the escort mission(I THINK), but he could have flown either escort + CAP or 2 CAP sorties. Unfortunately the combat replay is not accurate enough, but for sure he did not take part to the dogfight over Chittacong.

[Erkki]

We have reached June 29

DEI: Kendari was invaded early today. Theres a nearly 100% chance that the defenders will be routed tomorrow, casualties were very low and the Dutchmen seem to be out of supplies. Interesting though the base is, however, still operating some patrol aircraft.

Burma: Overnight, the Allies have moved over 50 fighters to Chittacong(level 1 airfield). This was probably a failed CAP trap attempt. Aerial recce also reports nearly 80 fighters at Calcutta that must have arrived to the front yesterday. Magwe's fighters are ordered to sweep Chittacong tomorrow, Ki-21s are temporarily moved back to Rangoon while Ki-45s will fly CAP with Ki-43s, just in case.

Atlantic: Far near the antarctic waters a submarine borne E14Y finally sights an Allied convoy! The bastards are really sailing 1 hex off the map edge. The convoy routes Smeulders uses must take weeks longer than the shorter(if slightly less safe due to the "threat" of Japanese submarines) ones.

[Sheb]

Smeulders really like to play the safest way. It's interesting to see him making a move in India/Burma. Are the figthers in Chittacong coming from Dacca? If not, that means he has 50+60+80= 190 fighters in the theatre. Even if they're not, that's still around 140 fighters in Benghal. I guess he can use the one in Calcutta to do LRCAP over Daka and Chittacong, while flying sorties from those two airfields.

How many fighter have you got in Burman? Enough to win the air war? You don't intend to advance anymore there, but do you think Smeulders is going to push you and open a land front in Burma? I guess the monsoon will slow things down, but he might use it (and his new planes) to mass troops without the IJAF intervening.

What about australia? Are the invasion plans still going on? Will you divert troops to/from Burma?

[Erkki]

Hey and nice to see people still reading this! The game is rather slow paced now with both me and Smeulders having less free time than before, and the game itself having a a more quiet moment as both sides lurk over the trench edge and barbed wire. 

Smeulders really like to play the safest way. It's interesting to see him making a move in India/Burma. Are the figthers in Chittacong coming from Dacca? If not, that means he has 50+60+80= 190 fighters in the theatre. Even if they're not, that's still around 140 fighters in Benghal. I guess he can use the one in Calcutta to do LRCAP over Daka and Chittacong, while flying sorties from those two airfields.

Those came from Dacca(which was empty today, besides some dozen-ish bombers and utility aircraft). However Allies only used to have some 120 fighters(notice that these are always "spotted" fighters, and there are likely always more, but also COULD be less too, with the FOW  ), but now he has 70+130. Plus at least 80 bombers at Calcutta. Ledo near Tibet also has at least some transports and likely a fighter squadron or 2 protecting that tiny "air bridge" to China.

I forgot to mention about the 40 other aircraft at Chittacong. They could be FOW, but I dont know what they'd do with transports or that many recce planes.

How many fighter have you got in Burman? Enough to win the air war? You don't intend to advance anymore there, but do you think Smeulders is going to push you and open a land front in Burma? I guess the monsoon will slow things down, but he might use it (and his new planes) to mass troops without the IJAF intervening.

I have, umm, some 120 Ki-43s, 50 Ki-44s, 15 Ki-45s and 30 A6M3s. Should be more than enough, as P-39s, P-40s and Hurricanes really lack the range to escort the Allied bombers further than Prome or so. They should be able to reach Magwe area from Chittacong, but they need droptanks to do that. P-38 will be able to fly further but I doubt Bart will risk those shiny toys.

What I'm afraid are the über heavy bombers(B-17 and B-24) that usually pretty much ignore fighters(scoring 1:1 or better vs. them) and AAA and absolutely nuke whatever they attack. They WILL sooner or later get used to attack Magwe's oil fields. Even if I can mass enough fighters to get to the magical 2:1 numerical odds against them, Ki-44 and Ki-43 have too light armament(in this game at least) to be able to shoot enough of them down. I want at least 30 more Ki-45s and another Zero unit in Burma ASAP.

What about australia? Are the invasion plans still going on? Will you divert troops to/from Burma?

We're still going in. Fleet is ready but troops, supplies and fuel arent. As a preparative action we'll also invade Ambon(in Eastern DEI, South of Moluccas but North of Timor, just across from Kendari) in 4 days.

[Sheb]

Nice. Where are those B-17 and B-24 now? And what about the possibility of a land attack on Burman once the Monsoon is over?

[Erkki]

Nice. Where are those B-17 and B-24 now? And what about the possibility of a land attack on Burman once the Monsoon is over?

I have no idea where the Allied Heavies are. I've seen them only once, when a handful of B-17Ds attacked the Kido Butai in the Hawaiis.

I'm expecting some kind of attack in Burma once the Monsoon ends. But the Allies so far have not built up anything near the front to ease with logistics. Actually I dont believe they can supply those huge stacks of British-Indian troops at Imphal and Kolemyo... Their supply line is 100 miles of dirt and paved road to the closest railroad link, which is only a thin one and far from the nearest proper hub, Calcutta. I know I can barely supply all of my troops along the railroad line from Rangoon to even Myitkyina. Those Allied troops at Imphal alone have a supply line like 3 times as far, includes lots of just roads, and they have like 5 times the men to feed.