Its Pearl Harbor day, so its time for.....
Ox's WITP:AE AAR!

Jan 1, 1942

As expected the IJN/A has swept through the Pacific like a tsunami, rolling through Luzon, Southern PI, DEI, Guam, Malaysia, and Wake. The losses at Pearl were lighter than expected, with only one BB a total write-off along with a few support ships. Thats the good news. The bad news is that the remainder of my Pacific battlewagons will be in dry dock until March, with the worst hit likely not available till the end of the year, leaving me with precisely two BBs and 4 CVs (the Yorktown arrived in San Diego just yesterday) to face the IJN onslaught. Add to this the loss of the RN's TF Z (1 BC and 1 BB) near Singapore. I have little to toss in their path.

Standing orders:

1) All civilian ships in theater will report to the nearest safe port for convoy duty.
2) All PI air units are to engage the IJA/N until they reach 33% combat effectiveness, then withdraw to AUS.
3) USN ships will evade IJN forces and reassemble at AUS or Pearl.

Battle Report:

1) IJN forces have scored a major coup taking Canton Island (see lower right on map) potentially cutting off our direct route to AUS. This cost us a a squadron of Buffalos and PBYs as well as the small garrison that was in place. The Marine Defense unit assigned to Canton was only 3 days out from reinforcing the island. They were diverted to Palmyra just north of Canton. The 8th Marine Regiment at Pearl as begun preparations for retaking the island, but they will not be ready until February at the earliest. The presence of IJN air forces at Canton represents a serious threat to the US-AUS supply line.

2) The first major naval engagement has taken place near Canton with TF 43.1 catching an unescorted IJN hunter-killer surface group supporting the Canton invasion force. Aircraft from CVs Enterprise, Saratoga, and Lexington have sunk the BB Nagato along with a reported two heavy cruisers. Unfortunately, this engagement allowed the Canton invasion fleet to sneak by and land their forces. The transports were sunk, but Canton is now in enemy hands.

3) USN submarines have exacted a heavy toll on IJN shipping in the South China Sea despite having poor torpedo success rates.




Theatre Outlook:

1) Intel reports an invasion fleet enroute to Midway. CVs Enterprise, Lexington, and Saratoga in TF 55.1 are enroute for interdiction and the Marines are digging in.

2) Convoys have begun operation, but a lack of cargo type vessels as well as escorts have prevented full implementation of a viable logistics train. This should improve greatly in January.

Major Losses to Date: ***Note the IJN loss of BB Haruna, which I believe to be spurious.***

Addendum A:

1) Manila, Clark Field, and Bataan reamin in Allied hands. However, the advancing IJA have met little in the way of opposition. Intel predicts a siege of moderate length with final capitulation of the PI by the end of January '42.

2) Singapore also remains in Allied hands, but the situation is just as bleak. Intel predict the fall of Singapore in the same timeframe as the PI.

3) The next IJA/N target will be the DEI. Reinforcements are not likely to be available and IJA air supremacy in the region will prohibit seaborne resupply in any case. Intel predicts a the IJA/N will consolidate the DEI by March '42.

Theatre Priorities:

1) Consolidate defensive positions at critical points Port Moresby, Noumea, Brisbane, Darwin, Midway, Pearl Harbor, Dutch Harbor.

2) Begin preparations for regaining Canton Island.

3) Stem flow of Japanese assault in the South and Central Pacific.

Figure 1: Recommended HQ Divisions

good start, I hide my carriers till the Japanese KB force moves away.

Nice, I'll keep an eye on this one.

This is going to be fun. I've had the game for about a year now myself but have not played it. Decided to give it a try and learn with a small scenario if anything can be labeled small in this game. Started Guadacanal yesterday...figured it was an appropriate day to learn this fantastic game.

Nice start. I am looking forward to the updates.


Wheels

My mate and I just started a PBEM of the Guadalcanal scenario. we have matching AARs going on over at Subsim.com if your looking for how not to do things...:D

Best way to learn this game is just to jump in. It's so huge that you could spend the rest of your life getting ready to play. Every time I start a new campaign I look at the screen and think 'What the hell have I let myself in for this time?' There are no other games out there quite like this.

theox: Wow, your Pearl losses really were amazingly light - well done! I once had a start in which I lost only a destroyer and couple of smaller ships and all the battlewagons were back in action within 8 months. I've also had starts where I lost pretty much everything. Those BBs might well become outclassed within a year or two but they will are always useful to have at the sharp end of a contested landing. I wouldn't worry about not having a large amount of capital ships available just now; chances are you'd end up losing them to the Japanese as they run riot.

Yes, quite a bit lighter than expected and possibly the lightest I've ever experienced through several playings of this game. Looks like I'm going to need that luck though, the AI in the Ironman scenario is much more aggressive and has oodles of additional ships!

Update will be this week, just completed Jan '42.

I believe it also includes a couple of the big German U-cruisers, just to add to your woes!

Good stuff! Looking forward to the next one!

February 1, 1942: Bring me my Bow of Burning Gold...




The Japanese juggernaut continues its path of destruction through the Pacific. Singapore, Manila, and Bataan are now in dire straits. Port Moresby is under heavy air attack and is barely hanging on with the help of a few decimated squadrons of P-40s and P-39s. The USN is holding its ground, but that is also coming at a severe cost. The IJN/A shows no signs of slowing, despite a few minor defeats inflicted upon them. The next two months will surely tell if we can hold the Port Moresby-Luganville-Pago-Pago line or if we must retreat to a more southerly defensive line.

Significant Events:

1) Midway

The IJN/IJA staged a massive thrust towards Midway that was narrowly parried only by the narrowest of margins. Our Intel division ferreted out information that a invasion fleet was enroute. CVs Enterprise, Yorktown, Saratoga, and Lexington were waiting by Midway when they arrived, but luck was not on our side. The invasion fleet was escorted by a CV and CVL carrying nearly 100 fighters. As a result, they had little with which to attack, but plenty to repulse our attack. Aircraft losses on both sides were terribly severe, exceeding 90% in some cases. The invasion fleet was decimated, but their CVs remained unscathed while the Enterprise took two torpedoes into her side. Both sides retired after three days of fighting, with the Big E heading to dry dock for about a month.

2) Midway 2

The IJN/IJA returned a few weeks later and managed to land a short regiment and some support troops at Midway. Our remaining CVs (minus Enterprise) repulsed the attack, bolstered by Marine dive-bomber and fighter squadrons as the organic squadrons were still recovering. Again, no joy on the IJN CVs, but we smashed their invasion fleet and took no ship losses. The Marines at Midway easily repulsed the assault, with the IJN/A taking very heavy casualties.

3) Battle of Lae Bay

A combined TF of AUS/RN/USN surface vessels caught the IJN unloading at Lae and destroyed most of a division as well as several support ships and tons of equipment. This should hopefully slow their advance across New Guinea. We're also hoping this will delay the arrival of air units as well, thus helping relieve Port Moresby.






Intel:

Very little to report. The lines are not yet stabilizing, but appear to be headed in that direction. Most disturbing is the sighting of a German U-Cruiser near Manila. The bolstering of the IJN by the Kriegsmarine is a most unwelcome surprise.




Plans:

Operation Burning Bow--
Elimination of Canton and Baker Islands as viable air bases. With the arrival of several BBs from the West Coast as well as the nearly repaired Arizona, we now have the ability to shell advance enemy airfields. Two squadrons of BBs will depart in early February and destroy potential air bases at Canton and Baker Islands. This is will also give us some ability to gain the initiative in the Central Pacific and begin preparation for the invasion of Canton Island.


Logistics:

With the capture of Canton Island, a new port was chosen to serve as a hub for the supply of AUS and Noumea: Pago-Pago. Pago-Pago has recieved reinforcements and two engineer battalions to reinforce defense and expand the harbor and airfield. The first vessels bearing supplies and fuel have already arrived and victualing is underway.

Superb read TheOx! I'm curious to know how you organize turns. What I mean is it is such a huge game, so many things to keep track of...how do you do that? Do you go through the bases one by one and then determine what to do with each? Do you go through the task forces one by one? How do you keep tabs on things and organize your turns?

I suppose you have an overall plan, aside from kicking Japs butt and somehow winning the war by simply dragging it on for long enough. Will you follow the US general historic war plan, or do some things differently? Are you planning to have a campaign of island hopping, or will you bypass much of that?

You don't have to spill all the beans, and not within a week or two after Pearl Harbor, but it would be nice to get a bit of an idea to compare plans with results.

Yes, I've always been quite keen to see someone actually focus on a Central Pacific drive in an AE campaign. I Don't actually recall it ever being done.

Of course, the problem with that strategy is that it is reliant on decent Amphibious shipping like AKAs and APAS, which you don't get in numbers until 43.

Well, you get a feel for the hot spots and check those first. I actually keep a notebook on my desk to jot down important convoys, attacks being planned with assigned assets, etc. This helps me keep an eye on everything and avoid nasty surprises, but that doesn't stop them from happening though! The AI is very well done and they will surprise you from time to time.



My goal right now is survive the advance with Port Moresby, AUS, Midway, and my US-AUS supply line intact. Things are pretty hairy right now, as you'll find out in the Feb '42 edition!

As for the future, I do plan on a CenPac strategy, that is to say I do not foresee muddling in the DEI or South Pacific save for the neutralization of Eastern New Guinea. This is not to say I will be attacking every little island (ie Wake), just those that offer strategic advantage. I will not be sitting on my hands until I get overwhelming force in '43-'44. Rest assured I will be taking the offense, gambling within reason, and taking the fight to the enemy in 42.

As I heard it, one also has to keep track of harbor and oil refinery capacities (how much processed fule, or crude oil, to deliver where). That sounds like a terrible lot of micromanagement...?

That is correct. It is a handfull to get one's arms around but there are tools which allow the player to keep tabs on this stuff. You still have to learn those tools which is what I'm doing now myself and the reason for my question to the thread author. I wouldn't say it is too much micromanagment, I'd say it is just a very deep game. It is a simulation of you being an operational staff officer. I find the logistics myself fascinating and with just this game am awed by the real people who did and do this sort of thing.

Interesting...this sounds like a good idea and will try this myself. So far I've only been using the in game tools but it just isn't enough. Love the game though...so deep.

Excellent. Thanks for doing this AAR.

Will be eagerly awaiting follow-on posts.

Should have one more before Christmas and New Years then you may have to wait a week or 2! Don't fear though, I will be playing a bit in the meantime...