Despite the fact that neither Barth nor I are remotely conversant with the rules, we're going to have a bash at playing Mark Herman's Plan Orange. It's a variant of the board game Empire of the Sun that can be found in #29 edition of C3i magazine.
We're playing the 1932 scenario, The Shanghai Incident. I'll be playing as the Japanese and Barth will command the Americans.
The alt history behind the scenario is that during the Japanese siege of Shanghai one of the ships of the US Yangtze Patrol, the USS Panay, intervened and attempted to evacuate Chinese non-combatants. It was sunk by Japanese aircraft leading to the freezing of Japanese assets by the US. The Japanese respond by attempting to remove the US from the Western Pacific.
The game lasts 6 turns in total. Turn 1 is special and mainly consists of two massive Japanese surprise attacks and a minor US response. Turns 2-6 are regular.
The game can end before turn 6 if any of the following conditions are met:
1) On turn 4 or later, the US wins automatically if it has a capital ship ratio of 2:1 over Japan. Japan wins if it has a 3:2 ratio over the US.
2) If the Japanese Home Islands are blockaded or the US can capture Honshu, the US wins.
If the game progresses to the end of turn 6, Japan wins unless the US manages to hold all three Philippines control points.
Here's the initial map setup (click map at bottom of post to expand). All of Japan's forces are committed and on the map. The US player has some leeway in setting up his forces in the strategic overlay box. Once that's done, the game opens with Japan conducting two surprise attacks using Event Cards.
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fv320%2Fbogaty%2FPlan%2520Orange%2520setup_zpsnqktsjyb.jpg%7Eoriginal&hash=189f6122d479706968d889fccb5a909aad0a0617)
Japanese opening attack cards.
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fv320%2Fbogaty%2FWPO1_zpsddcdikmo.jpg%7Eoriginal&hash=e3f20597288769f09ab5b08484ad29a91ef3bbd8)
Well... I've setup what units I can in the Strategic Display, basically North American waters.
Lets see what the Japanese surprise attacks can do....
Japan starts off with a surprise attack on the Philippines.
I play the Philippines offensive card as an event.
I start by selecting an HQ to command to operations (easy choice in this game as there is only one Japanese HQ). I select the IGHQ. It has a range of 20 and an efficiency rating of 1. This means I can activate any unit within 20 hexes of the HQ. The event card has a logistics value of 8. This means I can activate up to 8 different units for my offensive. I get to add the efficiency rating of the HQ to the activation total so I have a total of 9 units I can activate.
I decide to try for a three pronged attack on the Philippines. First, I send the Southern Expeditionary Army to launch an amphibious assault on Clark airfield which is guarded by the 17th Pursuit Group and a regiment of Filipino Scouts. The carrier Akagi provides air cover of the assault with support from the Ominato Air Group based on Formosa.
With the air cover from Clark tied up, I send a task force of the battlecruiser Haruna and the heavy cruisers Nachi and Takeo to hit the light cruiser Marblehead at Corrigador. We'll leave the large garrison in Manila and their ridiculous railroad guns alone for now.
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fv320%2Fbogaty%2FManila%2520TF_zpswdconi17.jpg%7Eoriginal&hash=9ed709e4805f85b5ff55b329f55e8a2512d4f0b1)
Third, I launch an amphibious assault on Leyte led by the Formosa army with the battlecruiser Hiei providing naval support. They should be able to make short work of the single US Army regiment there.
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fv320%2Fbogaty%2FLeyte%2520TF_zpsz2lu6myx.jpg%7Eoriginal&hash=063f9c4ccc3cd42f0512df4eeee48f0441f7dc1a)
Finally, I sortie the Yokosuka Air Group out of Saipan to hit US air units on Guam.
This should be good - following with interest!
"Good" being relative with two lost morons trying to play a game they don't understand.... (https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fgrogheads.com%2Fforums%2FSmileys%2F%2FBrantz%2520Smilies%2Fcrazy2.gif&hash=c14d53e230a963e8a5050727bef99ac1f93b14ee)
Anyway, I'm powerless to react to his turn 1 actions... no cards! I'm just watching like the rest of you all.
You get to roll a few dice in the faint hope of scoring a crit. That's old timey fun!
And the moron is strong with this kid already!
I landed on the wrong side of Luzon and ended up putting my army on the wrong beach and they're now out of supply.
Barth was gracious and gave me a Mulligan on my botched landing (tactical tip of the day: When launching an amphibious assault against an airfield, try to land on the side of the island WITH the airfield.)
Phase one of the Japanese offensive saw the Southern Expeditionary Army taking Clark airfield and the Ominato air group rebasing there. The Ominato air group took a pasting from 17th Pursuit Group during the offensive and is at reduced strength.
The Formosa Army landed at Leyte with support from the Hiei and was able to take the objective without loss.
The naval task force charged with denuding US naval assets at Corrigador succeeded in sinking the task force centred on the light cruiser Marblehead.
With phase one complete, the objective of phase two was to complete the capture of the Philippine islands and to cut supply by knocking out the Americans at Guam.
The Southern Expeditionary army assaulted Manila with heavy naval support from the BC Haruna and CA Nachi task forces.
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fv320%2Fbogaty%2FWPO%2520man%2520atk_zpsxjd9f0hr.jpg%7Eoriginal&hash=bf390e9cd67e2fb2c337ccb0b0465ff161de745a)
The Akagi carrier group provided support for an amphibious operation against Davao spearheaded by the 8th Division based on Okinawa.
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fv320%2Fbogaty%2FWPO%2520dav%2520atk_zpsejfgl6ie.jpg%7Eoriginal&hash=5e01ea39027c768866545d55c35865400e1139cf)
Finally, the landings on Guam were attempted by the Formosa Army with support from the Kaga carrier group.
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fv320%2Fbogaty%2FWPO%2520Guam%2520atk_zps2y03gdnd.jpg%7Eoriginal&hash=b7ebf2da3d0151ea1c78fdcb645f7505865f4f34)
Only shot at doing some damage and I roll a 0.... :P
The surprise attacks by the Japanese went off reasonably well.
Guam fell and, apart from one out of supply regiment hiding in the jungles, the Philippines is under Japanese control. We did lose some air power but that should be replaced next turn.
Now to see what those crazy Yanks have up their sleeves.
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fv320%2Fbogaty%2FWPOt1end_zpsdmgktats.jpg%7Eoriginal&hash=dc6815edf19d0363061b51d7ffc93a2bbb512743)
Not much to report... just shuffling some BB's and a CV from the West Coast to Hawaii. Weeeee, crazy stuff. :D
Barth played this card but used it for the operations value (top left number) to move his capital ships to Oahu rather than to put his mothballed cruisers and destroyers back into service.
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fv320%2Fbogaty%2FWPO%2520US1_zps4p8ao9on.jpg%7Eoriginal&hash=403a08b0b16abe1bbbb970e95b7b80a1877e5ab0)
I responded by re-basing a portion of my fleet at Eniwetok.
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fv320%2Fbogaty%2FWPO%2520jpn%2520strat_zpspmknjoqc.jpg%7Eoriginal&hash=fd673b7e307f7424b4e39bbf20ff2107631983b2)
Of sure... be like that.... :buck2:
Barth played War Plan 1934 for his final card on turn one.
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fv320%2Fbogaty%2FWPO%2520UScrd2_zps6xcsf7ui.jpg%7Eoriginal&hash=62da66430152bbb58e68fd8e12dc7eedb73a60fa)
Cards can either be played as an EVENT or for their OFFENSIVE points.
If a card is played as an event, the player follows the text listed on the card. In the case of this card, it would allow the US player to activate any HQ (easy as each side in Plan Orange only has one HQ) and use that HQ to control a number of units equal to the card's logistics value plus the efficiency rating of the HQ. This is a big event card as it lets the US player activate 9 units plus the HQ efficiency rating (both US and Japanese HQ's in this card have a rating of 1).
Being able to activate 10 units for an attack is huge but there is a drawback. Up along the top row of the card there's a gold box displaying, in this case, OC: 3 and EC: 5. This is the intelligence value of the card. OC is used if the card was played as an OFFENSIVE and EC if it was played as an EVENT.
When a player launches an air and/or naval offensive, the default condition is that it will be a surprise attack and the player on defence will not be able to react to it. In addition, the attacking player gets to attack and apply hits first and only the surviving units get to fire back (no surprise attacks in ground combat). The defensive player does get a chance to alter the intelligence condition of the attack. If he has a reaction card in his hand, he can play that which might allow for an intercept or a counter offensive. If he has no reaction cards, he still gets to make a die roll to see if his intel guys managed to learn of the offensive. The defensive player rolls a d10 and if they roll equal to or lower than the intelligence value of the card, the default condition changes from surprise attack to intercept. This allows the defensive player to activate a number of units equal to the OC value of the card (the big number in the top left) plus their HQ's efficiency and move those additional units into the battle hex. Additionally, attack and defence rolls and damage are conducted simultaneously. Cards with large logistics values generally have high EC intel numbers as they're easier to detect. In this case, the EC is 5 so the defender would have a 60% chance of detecting the upcoming offensive and be able to react to it (0s on the d10 roll count as 0, not 10).
You can also play the card as an OFFENSIVE if you can't or don't want to use the event. In that case, you activate a number of units equal to the big number in the top left of the card plus the HQ efficiency. Any attempts by the defending player to react to OC attacks would use the lesser OC intel rating on the card, in this case OC: 3.
Barth decides to use his card as an event but rather than launching an offensive, he uses it to coalesce his ships into a massive fleet at Oahu.
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fv320%2Fbogaty%2FWPO%2520t1fin_zpsjmbwzq9p.jpg%7Eoriginal&hash=b6182395a15b678411924234dc1a7e9fb9b46c3e)
I get the feeling the US isn't taking the loss of the Philippines with the sort of equanimity we'd hoped for.
So, at the end of turn one, the Philippines surrenders and here's how things are shaping up.
Start of turn 2, the US manages to rebuild the 17th Patrol Group, fighters, on Wake Island... some air cover is better than none.
Played "National Guard Mobilization" card to mobilize 3 US 4-10 infantry brigades on the West Coast.
Dull but I think necessary moves.
More excitement coming up in SDR's move. ;)
Good stuff, guys. This game is part of my collection. As yet unplayed, though.
Not sure I'm sold on it yet. Haven't a frackin clue what I'm supposed to be doing... or how to do it really.
I've had a hell of a time trying to grok the rules. They just don't seem to make much sense to me for some reason.
Until SDR explains them and we've gone through a few operation phases anyway. It's starting to become clearer what is meant to happen but man does my brain hurt playing this game. (https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fgrogheads.com%2Fforums%2FSmileys%2F%2FBrantz%2520Smilies%2Fbuck2.gif&hash=4a675364929601a4d190d329700cdc31a61bc209)
Quote from: Barthheart on October 09, 2016, 09:20:24 AM
Not sure I'm sold on it yet. Haven't a frackin clue what I'm supposed to be doing... or how to do it really.
I've had a hell of a time trying to grok the rules. They just don't seem to make much sense to me for some reason.
Until SDR explains them and we've gone through a few operation phases anyway. It's starting to become clearer what is meant to happen but man does my brain hurt playing this game. (https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fgrogheads.com%2Fforums%2FSmileys%2F%2FBrantz%2520Smilies%2Fbuck2.gif&hash=4a675364929601a4d190d329700cdc31a61bc209)
Yeah, that's exactly how I felt when trying to learn
Empire of the Sun. Thankfully that helped prepare me for this one. I do have to say that the rules for
Plan Orange are somewhat vague in places and presume you know the rules to EoTS.
I think my main issue is that I know what I want to do in general terms but when it comes time to actually plan it out in detail via an ops card, my brain turns to mush. When it's a smaller op with just a single battle hex, it's not a problem but when you play a big event card where you have to pre-plan multi hex operations, activate every unit, move them in correct order to ensure they don't break supply chains, attack, and then do post battle movement to make sure all your units return to ports & airfields....brain hurt!
Sounds like it should be ported in a computer game format to help with the bookkeeping, etc.
Quote from: besilarius on October 09, 2016, 10:56:50 AM
Sounds like it should be ported in a computer game format to help with the bookkeeping, etc.
Blasphemy!
Turn two. Looks like the US is building up a massive strike force. Huge fleet in being at Oahu and lots of troops massing on the US west coast.
Seeing as how this is all just a huge misunderstanding over a minor incident in Shanghai, I might as well remove that little thorn from the equation.
I send the carrier Akagi, the cruiser Kako, and the 9th Division to help the SNLF restore order to Shanghai. Some lunatic named Chiang-Kai Shek and his little band of miscreants calling themselves the 19th Route Army have holed up in the city. Time to root them out.
The Akagi carrier task force gets ambushed twice by US submarines while in transit. One lands a torpedo hit and damages the carrier. That's just rude.
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fv320%2Fbogaty%2FWPO%2520torpUS_zpsnervxs4j.jpg%7Eoriginal&hash=73bc361ca3ebfb4a48754220a62ae02cd731ff69)
No matter, even though she's damaged, the Akagi's dive bombers are still able to participate and they hammer the 19th Route Army. They crumble and collapse under the combined bombing and shore bombardment. The city's defences are pitiful and Shanghai falls. the League of Nations signs the Shanghai Ceasefire Agreement.
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fv320%2Fbogaty%2FWPO%2520shangfall_zps9erqrtkg.jpg%7Eoriginal&hash=c7407f3823cca24e5e5dce49fd237f3753de9e9b)
See Barth? Situation resolved. You can go back home to the States now. I hear tonight's radio broadcast of The Shadow is a can't miss!
Barth refuses to see reason and uses the Saratoga to ferry the 7th Bomber Group and a bunch of Jarheads to Midway. We decide to throw a midnight beach party to welcome him with torpedo boats.
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fv320%2Fbogaty%2FWPOJpncrd3_zpsmuqlfcdq.jpg%7Eoriginal&hash=7adf93e22036486f73b27f8cab5e93192260d3e9)
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fv320%2Fbogaty%2FWPO%2520torpJpn_zpswoufefpt.jpg%7Eoriginal&hash=55b3295aa10f0a51dfaa0748d8f2157d18bbc105)
We manage to score a hit on the Sara and try to finish her off with submarine attacks but those fail.
Japan spends the rest of the turn building up air reserves.
In a truly stunning turn of events.....nothing happened this turn.
Barth built up his naval reserves while I shuffled some air groups around.
Humbug!
Quote from: mirth on October 09, 2016, 11:11:45 AM
Quote from: besilarius on October 09, 2016, 10:56:50 AM
Sounds like it should be ported in a computer game format to help with the bookkeeping, etc.
Blasphemy!
After all, War Plan Orange was itself worked out on lots of paper. One of Eisenhower's first jobs in WWII (when he was a Brigadier as yet) was to agree with the remains of War Plan Orange embodied in Rainbow 5, and suggest that there was no way to hold the Phillipines at that point. Which I suppose some people (such as the National Guard AA regiment from New Mexico) holding out on Bataan would have wished had been worked out sooner. Anyway, I love this AAR!
I'm getting more and more antsy waiting for the hammer to drop.
Well... I'd drop it... if knew where it was.... or how to pick it up.... :P
And we shuffle some more ships from the East Coast to Panama.... man what crappy hand of cards for offensive moves.... :P
This thing only goes 6 turns?
Yeah, I know... but I can't do anything unless I get some high operational point cards... So I'll probably get them all in the last 2 turns and not be able to pull off anything worth while...
Of course.. that all presumes I know WTF I'm doing... :buck2:
Quote from: mirth on October 13, 2016, 07:57:37 PM
This thing only goes 6 turns?
Yeah but we're still only on turn 2. Each turn consists of five rounds of card play.
Well, if nothing else, Barth's leisurely canal tour is forcing me to burn up a good reaction card. As there's nothing to react to, I have to use it for operations so I move a couple of ships from the Philippines to the Marianas and re-deploy the 6th Division from Shanghai to Hokkaido.
Photobucket's wasn't working when I first tried to upload and link to the screenshots of the reaction card and the overall map. Seems OK now. Can anyone else see these two images?
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fv320%2Fbogaty%2FWPOarrgh_zps50vhxesq.jpg%7Eoriginal&hash=d02c0323820c62b48e89a6e306cde2d9ba399490)
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fv320%2Fbogaty%2FWPO%2520sit_zpsbgwjbxhf.jpg%7Eoriginal&hash=34913839e24ca44345efba24fc41d47bb20999c5)
Quote from: Silent Disapproval Robot on October 14, 2016, 12:09:28 AM
Quote from: mirth on October 13, 2016, 07:57:37 PM
This thing only goes 6 turns?
Yeah but we're still only on turn 2. Each turn consists of five rounds of card play.
Well, if nothing else, Barth's leisurely canal tour is forcing me to burn up a good reaction card. As there's nothing to react to, I have to use it for operations so I move a couple of ships from the Philippines to the Marianas and re-deploy the 6th Division from Shanghai to Hokkaido.
Photobucket's wasn't working when I first tried to upload and link to the screenshots of the reaction card and the overall map. Seems OK now. Can anyone else see these two images?
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fv320%2Fbogaty%2FWPOarrgh_zps50vhxesq.jpg%7Eoriginal&hash=d02c0323820c62b48e89a6e306cde2d9ba399490)
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fv320%2Fbogaty%2FWPO%2520sit_zpsbgwjbxhf.jpg%7Eoriginal&hash=34913839e24ca44345efba24fc41d47bb20999c5)
I see them and they look great!!!
Good news. Thanks.
(has anyone seen Barth's latest turn orders?)
Yeah, yeah I'm here. :P
So I had to waste my last good react card on moving ships from the Panama Canal to the West Coast. :idiot2:
The react cards are powerful, if used to react to enemy combat actions... but are pretty weak to conduct offensive operations on their own.... at least that's what I'm getting out of the game so far.
So my whole hand this turn was more defensive than offensive and so I've wasted an entire turn just shuffling stuff around... hopefully to locations I can use when and if I get better attack cards...
So far pretty impotent response from the US over the Japanese take over of the Philippines. :(
Well, Barth's dithering paid off. I had to burn the best Japanese reaction card in the game and use it to fly a bunch of snooty staff officers to various tropical islands instead of making US ships go kaBOOM blub blub blub. 8! 8 wonderful logicistics points I could have used! Gone.....It's a travesty.... :tickedoff:
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fv320%2Fbogaty%2FWPOshit_zpsflkqcgkz.jpg%7Eoriginal&hash=834f9ad5ad01adb51adf17f58a0eabb0de30a8e6)
Looks like we were both sitting on reaction cards, hoping that the other side would commit so we could counter-punch. Didn't happen. Barth used his to move more ships to the US west coast.
I moved air and ground units into the Marshall Islands.
Here's the situation at the start of turn 3.
Enough with sitting around on our hands!
Big offensive time:
Aimed at the tiny island of Eniwetok... and it's all important naval base.
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi1294.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fb613%2Fbarthheart%2FEniwetok_Assault_Force_zpsh80uguww.jpg&hash=3b10a32be94771138cb0e1cbb3942f331eca068d)
Waiting to see if SDR want to try and intercept this juggernaut....
We do indeed intercept.
Looks like the Japanese naval high command get their wish and have the decisive Mahanian naval clash.
Barth unleashes a massive naval attack on Enewetiok using the following card.
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fv320%2Fbogaty%2FWPOSHTF1_zpslf48hzbb.jpg%7Eoriginal&hash=9b59d39e86c7146aa683ec7c80de9eb4909c6f7c)
Even though I had to use my best reaction card at the end of last turn, I got lucky and drew a few decent reaction cards for this turn.
First, I hit the incoming US invasion fleet with some torpedo boats.
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fv320%2Fbogaty%2FWPOSHTF2_zpsvczx8xhe.jpg%7Eoriginal&hash=775ad744dd8be069de65d211a365dbafaad852a0)
They manage to score a hit on the BB Maryland.
Then, Japanese recce planes locate the main US fleet and radio the info on.
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fv320%2Fbogaty%2FWPOSHTF3_zpskrkyzfox.jpg%7Eoriginal&hash=3656dacfc959ec7d675aa5868741d63e0ba9717d)
This spoils Barth's surprise attack and allows me to react with 4 activation points.
I sortie the Japanese battleships Nagato, Fuso, and Ise from Shikoku and the heavy cruiser Kako from Kyushu.
The destroyers already stationed at Enewetiok launch a night raid against the US fleet and score another hit on the Maryland, sending her to the bottom.
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fv320%2Fbogaty%2FWPOSHTF4_zpsa4gsncbf.jpg%7Eoriginal&hash=95daa2924c10f1b35c4c5f421a05dbba069203b4)
As dawn breaks, the opposing forces engage in earnest. The Japanese gunners find the range almost immediately and score a lucky hit on the Arizona's magazines. She blows apart and slips beneath the waves. Dive bombers from the carrier Kaga focus on the Saratoga and land effective hits on her. Shells hammer into the BBs California and Nevada, inflicting serious damage to both ships.
(I now cringe in fear, awaitng the US response)
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fv320%2Fbogaty%2FWPOSHTF5_zpsvdhpqfox.jpg%7Eoriginal&hash=d9fec579bfa4821461b234cd1797424310cc48c2)
And the responding fire the US fleet..... manages to put a dent in the Kaga. :buck2:
So we sail home after losing the Air Naval battle and our troops can't land on the island. Yeah for the USN! ::)
SDR plays a card for Ops and moves some ships around including the Kaga back towards Japan for repairs.
I play a card as an event that gives me 7 Ops. Enough to bring even more reinforcements to Oahu.
Maybe I can scare him into giving up the Philippines.... :P
Japan sends a bunch of sneaky types out to sabotage the Panama Canal. It's now closed.
Ok, another offensive to get this war moving.
8 ships and an amphib invasion of Kwajalein attempted.. let's see his reaction to that! :knuppel2:
OK!
Barth plays yet another YUGE offense card. I counter with a rather anemic reaction card. (Perhaps suffering from over-confidence from the successful repulse of the attack on Eniwetiok).
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fv320%2Fbogaty%2FWPOdamn1_zpsijkzxjvu.jpg%7Eoriginal&hash=07a125dc7f912cec65faecf4ddee1cdd0f971527)
Barth launches an amphibious assault on Kwajalein. The 24th infantry division will hit the beaches with a hell of a lot of naval support from the CV Lexington, the battleships New York, Tennessee, and Idaho, and the cruisers Portland, Chicago, Pensacola, and Omaha.
Defending the island is a single brigade and the Omura air group. The carrier Akagi, the battleships Nagato and Fuso, and the cruiser Takeo link up and rush to the island's defence.
Once again, our destroyers perform superbly and manage to damage the BB Idaho . Sadly, our capital ships under-perform and fail to sink a single enemy ship. The light cruiser Omaha and the BB New York take hits but they're still afloat.
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fv320%2Fbogaty%2FWPOdamn2_zpsd5apzugh.jpg%7Eoriginal&hash=c368d640215ff3ab252a4fd82b537a31cb204232)
Well I managed to damage all the Jap ships but didn't sink any. :P
That will allow my troops to storm the island and try to capture the port and airfield.
And they do it!
So the USN gets a much needed victory. Now let's see if we can make something of it.
Barth and I traded blows over Kwajalein. The Japanese navy gave better than they got but still lost the battle. The US managed to land the 24th infantry division and overrun the garrison. Japanese air and naval units retreated and the US quickly got the port repaired. The bloody Yanks are now docked right on my front doorstep.
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fv320%2Fbogaty%2FWPOmuhisle_zpshhlbdykh.jpg%7Eoriginal&hash=117438ad4442fcdad136e0adec8a98f2172eef66)
My damaged ships pulled back to the Home Islands where the workers in the shipyards were able to pull off a miracle and complete repairs on the CV Akagi and the BB Nagato in record time (I played a card that let me repair two ships immediately).
Are you playing face-to-face or is this on vassal?
PBEM Vassal game.
Both sides spent a few rounds shuffling damaged units around and consolidating.
Barth made a big move and pushed the majority of his units forward to Kwajalein.
It's finally dawned on me that the US Navy is HUGE! and I'm kinda exposed. Naturally, I decide to say the hell with it and launch a reckless attack on Barth's massive fleet at Kwajelein despite being heavily outnumbered. It's the Bushido way.
We manage to deliver some good hits. Not good enough to sink anything but every one of Barth's ships at Kwajalein is now damaged. It only remains to be seen how badly mauled our own force will become.
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fv320%2Fbogaty%2FWPObigolfight_zpsm3oine1g.jpg%7Eoriginal&hash=30cb4006287114b6ce87925fb6ee85370d687491)
Here's a lovely map of the overall situation.
Yeah.. about the US naval gunnery schools.... :P
All that fire power.... and we manage to stop the attack from being a surprise.... and we mildly dent the Ise..... :tickedoff:
Big pile of busted ships now.. all out front.... should be interesting... O0
OK new turn, new plan... act crazy see if it scares the Japs. :idiot2:
Big offensive against 2 islands... can he save them both? Or just sink the entire US navy...... :P
Quote from: Barthheart on October 31, 2016, 06:30:11 PM
Yeah.. about the US naval gunnery schools.... :P
All that fire power.... and we manage to stop the attack from being a surprise.... and we mildly dent the Ise..... :tickedoff:
Big pile of busted ships now.. all out front.... should be interesting... O0
Are you rolling poorly or does the US Gunnery tables stink in the 1930s?
Oh it's all me. :P
Looks like the tide is starting to turn. Barth launches a two pronged offensive with ambhipious assaults aimed at Truk and Enewetiok while managing to maintain a small reserve of warships at Kwajalein.
While our radio guys did manage to intercept enough traffic for the assaults not to come as a total surprise, we weren't able to react in a coordinated fashion.
I sent out some torpedo boats to try to intercept the force attacking Truk but they failed. Capital ships engaged and we managed to sink the CV Lexington and the heavy cruisers Pensacola and Chicago at Truk. The island should be able to hold out.
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fv320%2Fbogaty%2FWPOtruk_zpsrwjyauoe.jpg%7Eoriginal&hash=73c6e2f2550130e1eca6176b4f2aa1cf9a4be368)
Our forces at Kwajalein were much less robust (two destroyer squadrons and a naval air group). We managed to damage the Saratoga but I don't think we'll survive the landing attempt even though Barth's naval forces supporting the invasion are also somewhat meager.
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fv320%2Fbogaty%2FWPOKwaj_zpsgtbkbn2a.jpg%7Eoriginal&hash=7a48bd7baa4c92ad900e0df3ec810538d0b0af3a)
Truk held with damage to the Akagi but my forces at Enewetiok took a beating. The two regiments guarding the island were wiped out and both destroyer squadrons and the air group got beat up and were forced to run for it.
Well that offensive was completely mediocre... the USN traded a carrier for a single tiny patch of dirt with a port and an airstrip... in the middle of nowhere.... #:-)
Not looking forward to see what SDR's next card is.... :hide:
ACK! Was right to worry. Largish raid by Japs on my lovely new island getaway results in many USN ships now making interesting dive reefs.... and not a scratch to the Japs to show for it..... #:-)
^ouchie
Yes... quite....
I'm only now coming to grips with the flow of the game... as most of the USN is parked on the bottom of the Pacific.... too little much too late.... :buck2:
Mulligan?
We've each had one of those already...
We have to have another complete go to see if I can actually learn from my many many mistakes.
The Japanese counter strike against the damaged US fleet at Kwajalein and manage to sink three battleships. With that, the ratio of battleships swings decisively in favour of Japan. The US concedes the loss of the Philippines.
We agreed to call it 2/3rds of the way through the 4th turn as Japan had a 34:15 ratio in battleship strength. I had some very good luck on my attack rolls and Barth had some bad luck on his. We screwed up a few rules but none that would have really affected the outcome.
It's definitely an unusual rules system. Takes some getting used to so we're going to have another crack at it.
This is interesting, but I think Barth is right a re-run will be better as you both have the measure of the game. I never realised Vassal was so flexible.
We're having a re-match. It's not going nearly as well for Japan this time around.