This is great. Keep up the good work, Japan and her allies are faltering - now is your chance to strike the balance and drive them from the ocean! Take heart and carry on.
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@Karaiskandar & TheMaleRei: Yeah, Spanish help was kinda unexpected. And yes, it was all the AI's doing. Some other weird things with my AI allies have been happening too, especially from La Plata and Brazil....
@Meadow: Having played almost into 1947, I will tell you only that Japan's navy is a lot tougher than I thought it was....
Back to the war.
Four Japanese aircraft carriers raid the naval base at Guam. Despite heavy anti-aircraft fire from the local garrison, the Japanese succeed in completely trashing the transports located in the base. Many vessels are either heavily damaged, or even destroyed by Japanese bomb and torpedo attacks.
The military begins a small expansion of the Air Force, ordering formations of brand new F-86A Sabre interceptors.
Japanese carriers attack again, this time, sending their aircraft to bomb the elderly American battleships sheltered at the island of Truk. Unlike the carrier raid on Guam, the fleet at Truk is able to throw up enough anti aircraft fire to keep the ships from taking too much damage, with no battleships or destroyers being sunk, but rather taking minor superficial damage.
As Japanese carriers continue to harass the US navy, US army and marine forces take control of the islands of Nauru and Ponape.
American research projects by January 1946. Research priorities have switched largely from the Army to improving the capabilities of the Navy. Research into the countries nuclear program is also continuing, with reports arriving to the OSS that Germany, Russia, and even Japan have been pursuing their own nuclear programs....
US forces now set their sights on the island of New Guinea. Taking the island will open up the path not only to the rest of Indonesia, but also to northern Australia. With this in mind, thousands of US soldiers hit the beaches near the town of Lae, location of a major air and naval base. Defending the area is a mixed force of Japanese and ANZAC infantry and light cavalry. The fighting becomes ferocious, with ANZAC and Japanese troops fighting for every square inch of land, and inflicting massive US casualties.
With the army struggling to secure a beach head, the USAAF is called in, sending waves of tactical and strategic bombers to hammer the ANZAC and Japanese defenders. However, their raids are found to have little effect, due to extensive enemy fortifications, located deep within the jungle, resulting in many bombs failing to find their targets.
Finally, with enemy resistance still holding strong, US forces withdraw, in humiliating defeat.
However, the fight is not yet over. A second group of invasion forces is brought up from Guadalcanal, and thrown at the enemy defenses, supported by heavy naval artillery support from American battleships. The army begins to gain ground, and many of the military's commanders are hopeful for a victory...
Until the arrival of a powerful Japanese carrier task force, consisting of 5 carriers protected by a large number of escorting warships. The American battleships are forced to halt their gunfire support, as they are confronted with waves of Japanese dive and torpedo bombers. Many of the battleships and their escorting destroyers take devastating hits, causing panic within the navy that these valuable battleships will be wiped out completely.
Thankfully, the battleships are saved with the arrival of Admiral Halsey's carrier task force, whose intervention causes the Japanese to withdraw. However, the damage is done. 2 flotillas worth of transports are sunk, and the army units that had been fighting for a beachhead are forced to retreat from the battle, for fear of being cut off and annihilated.
The Japanese and ANZAC victory is a huge military and propaganda coup against the allies. The entire American advance in the south has now been halted, until US forces can recover their strength and try again later. The Japanese imperial navy has also proven to be a real obstacle to American war plans, and unless something can be done to put them in their place, further advance in the Pacific will be difficult.
@Meadow: Having played almost into 1947, I will tell you only that Japan's navy is a lot tougher than I thought it was....
Back to the war.
Four Japanese aircraft carriers raid the naval base at Guam. Despite heavy anti-aircraft fire from the local garrison, the Japanese succeed in completely trashing the transports located in the base. Many vessels are either heavily damaged, or even destroyed by Japanese bomb and torpedo attacks.
The military begins a small expansion of the Air Force, ordering formations of brand new F-86A Sabre interceptors.
Japanese carriers attack again, this time, sending their aircraft to bomb the elderly American battleships sheltered at the island of Truk. Unlike the carrier raid on Guam, the fleet at Truk is able to throw up enough anti aircraft fire to keep the ships from taking too much damage, with no battleships or destroyers being sunk, but rather taking minor superficial damage.
As Japanese carriers continue to harass the US navy, US army and marine forces take control of the islands of Nauru and Ponape.
American research projects by January 1946. Research priorities have switched largely from the Army to improving the capabilities of the Navy. Research into the countries nuclear program is also continuing, with reports arriving to the OSS that Germany, Russia, and even Japan have been pursuing their own nuclear programs....
US forces now set their sights on the island of New Guinea. Taking the island will open up the path not only to the rest of Indonesia, but also to northern Australia. With this in mind, thousands of US soldiers hit the beaches near the town of Lae, location of a major air and naval base. Defending the area is a mixed force of Japanese and ANZAC infantry and light cavalry. The fighting becomes ferocious, with ANZAC and Japanese troops fighting for every square inch of land, and inflicting massive US casualties.
With the army struggling to secure a beach head, the USAAF is called in, sending waves of tactical and strategic bombers to hammer the ANZAC and Japanese defenders. However, their raids are found to have little effect, due to extensive enemy fortifications, located deep within the jungle, resulting in many bombs failing to find their targets.
Finally, with enemy resistance still holding strong, US forces withdraw, in humiliating defeat.
However, the fight is not yet over. A second group of invasion forces is brought up from Guadalcanal, and thrown at the enemy defenses, supported by heavy naval artillery support from American battleships. The army begins to gain ground, and many of the military's commanders are hopeful for a victory...
Until the arrival of a powerful Japanese carrier task force, consisting of 5 carriers protected by a large number of escorting warships. The American battleships are forced to halt their gunfire support, as they are confronted with waves of Japanese dive and torpedo bombers. Many of the battleships and their escorting destroyers take devastating hits, causing panic within the navy that these valuable battleships will be wiped out completely.
Thankfully, the battleships are saved with the arrival of Admiral Halsey's carrier task force, whose intervention causes the Japanese to withdraw. However, the damage is done. 2 flotillas worth of transports are sunk, and the army units that had been fighting for a beachhead are forced to retreat from the battle, for fear of being cut off and annihilated.
The Japanese and ANZAC victory is a huge military and propaganda coup against the allies. The entire American advance in the south has now been halted, until US forces can recover their strength and try again later. The Japanese imperial navy has also proven to be a real obstacle to American war plans, and unless something can be done to put them in their place, further advance in the Pacific will be difficult.
Wow, it's not often you see an AAR turn into a series of defeats without the author getting bored or cheating. Kudos for your determination and keep it up! It's a lot more exciting for us than the usual 'few updates of island hopping + annex update' that Pacific AARs involve.
@Karaiskandar & yourworstnightm:They aren't just putting up a good fight. The IJN is my nightmare right now.
@Meadow: Thanks. Its good to know that my efforts to create an interesting pacific war are paying off.
As the invasion fleet tries to withdraw, Japanese carriers launch repeated attacks, heavily damaging many vessels, and even sinking one of Halsey's heavy cruisers.
In response to these repeated attacks, American bombers attack the Japanese fleet before it sorties out to sea again. These raids succeed in destroying 2 vessels, the elderly battlecruiser Kirishima, as well as the the aircraft carrier Ryujo. After these attacks, the Japanese fleet escapes to sea, and withdraws for safer waters.
With the threat of the smaller Japanese fleet now gone, American marines launch the invasion of Yap island, in the Caroline Islands chain. The Japanese garrison is soon crushed, and the island falls to US forces.
With the Allies and the Japanese embroiled in full scale war, Germany and its fellow powers in the Mitteleuropa alliance begin to get adventurous. The first sign of a brand new, and aggressive Mitteleuropan policy is unveiled through the actions of the Ottoman Empire. Having been long on the downfall, the Ottoman Sultan decides that the best way to revive the empire is to seize control of the Middle East's oil reserves, using the vast economic benefits of the oil trade to prop up the Ottoman regime. The first step is a massive attack on Persia, one of the worlds biggest oil producers. Germany, and the rest of the Mitteleuropa alliance pledge their support, sending tens of thousands of soldiers to aid the Ottoman attack.
Mitteleuropa's diplomacy also begins to get more aggressive, with German diplomats finally convincing both Bulgaria and Norway into accepting German protection and joining the Mitteleuropa alliance.
Meanwhile, American scientists perfect theoretical research into applying the Airforce's turbojet fighter technology for carrier-borne aircraft.
As American battleships scout out a new future landing zone for the second attempt at a New Guinea landing, they run into big trouble. Admiral Koga, having repaired his vessels in mainland Japan, is sent on the offensive in the seas around New Guinea, running headlong into King's elderly battleships, which are wide open for enemy carrier attack.
American battleships reel under devastating carrier aircraft attacks, by from what seem like hundreds of enemy bombers and fighters. King quickly reverses course, fleeing towards Truk. However, his fleet has taken a beating, with the veteran battleship USS Nevada going under, as well as having a number of escorting vessels and the rest of his battleships taking heavy damage.
As if things could not get any worse, they do. Admiral Koga's real target is revealed, when his carriers engage Admiral Halsey's task force head on in the seas off the coast of New Guinea. Halsey, not one to run from a challenge, turns his carriers into the wind and launches every warplane in his fleet at the Japanese, vowing to put Koga's ships in their place.
However, what happens next stuns even the most battle hardened admirals in the US navy. A large group of Japanese dive bombers, which had been searching for Halsey's ships and had gotten lost in the clouds, emerges from them and finds themselves right on top of Halsey's fleet. From out of the blue, the Japanese bombers dive onto Halseys vulnerable ships, scoring multiple devastating bomb hits right through the flight decks, and detonating the ammunition store rooms on the carriers. After the Japanese aircraft withdraw and the smoke clears, the extent of the damage is revealed. Four aircraft carriers, as well as two heavy cruisers are destroyed, with a fifth carrier, the USS Franklin, barely being able to remain afloat.
The nightmare scenario for the US navy has come true. The best carriers of the US navy have been destroyed. The United States Navy has been beaten. There are no longer any carrier task groups left to fight in the pacific.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff, horrified at the situation, gives the order that no one in the military wanted to give. Retreat. The remaining combat ships, now with no defenses left, flee the area and return to the safety of the United States, completely impotent in the face of Japanese naval power.
Morale for the war effort reportedly plummets after this stinging defeat. Some even talk of making peace with Japan. However, President Truman assures the public that despite this setback, America will prevail, and will fight until the brutal Japanese Empire is utterly defeated!
@Meadow: Thanks. Its good to know that my efforts to create an interesting pacific war are paying off.
As the invasion fleet tries to withdraw, Japanese carriers launch repeated attacks, heavily damaging many vessels, and even sinking one of Halsey's heavy cruisers.
In response to these repeated attacks, American bombers attack the Japanese fleet before it sorties out to sea again. These raids succeed in destroying 2 vessels, the elderly battlecruiser Kirishima, as well as the the aircraft carrier Ryujo. After these attacks, the Japanese fleet escapes to sea, and withdraws for safer waters.
With the threat of the smaller Japanese fleet now gone, American marines launch the invasion of Yap island, in the Caroline Islands chain. The Japanese garrison is soon crushed, and the island falls to US forces.
With the Allies and the Japanese embroiled in full scale war, Germany and its fellow powers in the Mitteleuropa alliance begin to get adventurous. The first sign of a brand new, and aggressive Mitteleuropan policy is unveiled through the actions of the Ottoman Empire. Having been long on the downfall, the Ottoman Sultan decides that the best way to revive the empire is to seize control of the Middle East's oil reserves, using the vast economic benefits of the oil trade to prop up the Ottoman regime. The first step is a massive attack on Persia, one of the worlds biggest oil producers. Germany, and the rest of the Mitteleuropa alliance pledge their support, sending tens of thousands of soldiers to aid the Ottoman attack.
Mitteleuropa's diplomacy also begins to get more aggressive, with German diplomats finally convincing both Bulgaria and Norway into accepting German protection and joining the Mitteleuropa alliance.
Meanwhile, American scientists perfect theoretical research into applying the Airforce's turbojet fighter technology for carrier-borne aircraft.
As American battleships scout out a new future landing zone for the second attempt at a New Guinea landing, they run into big trouble. Admiral Koga, having repaired his vessels in mainland Japan, is sent on the offensive in the seas around New Guinea, running headlong into King's elderly battleships, which are wide open for enemy carrier attack.
American battleships reel under devastating carrier aircraft attacks, by from what seem like hundreds of enemy bombers and fighters. King quickly reverses course, fleeing towards Truk. However, his fleet has taken a beating, with the veteran battleship USS Nevada going under, as well as having a number of escorting vessels and the rest of his battleships taking heavy damage.
As if things could not get any worse, they do. Admiral Koga's real target is revealed, when his carriers engage Admiral Halsey's task force head on in the seas off the coast of New Guinea. Halsey, not one to run from a challenge, turns his carriers into the wind and launches every warplane in his fleet at the Japanese, vowing to put Koga's ships in their place.
However, what happens next stuns even the most battle hardened admirals in the US navy. A large group of Japanese dive bombers, which had been searching for Halsey's ships and had gotten lost in the clouds, emerges from them and finds themselves right on top of Halsey's fleet. From out of the blue, the Japanese bombers dive onto Halseys vulnerable ships, scoring multiple devastating bomb hits right through the flight decks, and detonating the ammunition store rooms on the carriers. After the Japanese aircraft withdraw and the smoke clears, the extent of the damage is revealed. Four aircraft carriers, as well as two heavy cruisers are destroyed, with a fifth carrier, the USS Franklin, barely being able to remain afloat.
The nightmare scenario for the US navy has come true. The best carriers of the US navy have been destroyed. The United States Navy has been beaten. There are no longer any carrier task groups left to fight in the pacific.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff, horrified at the situation, gives the order that no one in the military wanted to give. Retreat. The remaining combat ships, now with no defenses left, flee the area and return to the safety of the United States, completely impotent in the face of Japanese naval power.
Morale for the war effort reportedly plummets after this stinging defeat. Some even talk of making peace with Japan. However, President Truman assures the public that despite this setback, America will prevail, and will fight until the brutal Japanese Empire is utterly defeated!
I am loving this AAR so far. I am not one for Naval combat myself. It usually becomes boring to me for some reason.
Now I bloody tell you to go for LIGHT CRUISERS w/ those carriers!!! Cheap and efficient does it!
Oh God I just love this AAR.
The IJN is indeed a nightmare for the USN.
Airpower is maybe the key to victory.
The IJN is indeed a nightmare for the USN.
Airpower is maybe the key to victory.
Well, your ships are just a little outdated for 1946 standards. That was bound to happen eventually.
Yikes! So much for winning the Pacific war quickly.
I assure you, Lord Roosevelt, the shipyards are working as fast they can! But you are asking for the impossible, we cannot replace five carriers on just one year.
Perhaps I can find new ways to motivate them?
*gasp* We shall double our efforts!!
I assure you, Lord Roosevelt, the shipyards are working as fast they can! But you are asking for the impossible, we cannot replace five carriers on just one year.
Perhaps I can find new ways to motivate them?
*gasp* We shall double our efforts!!
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Airpower shouldn't be what you resort to, its great that the Japanese are giving you such a bloody nose!, Naval bombing isnt so bad its just that you should restrict yourself from port strikes.
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When you aid that the Japanese were going to put up a fight I didn't expect this much of one.
Nobody expected the spanish expedition! - someone had to say this...
the IJN seemed to be defeated and then...BAM! Sneaky Japs!
- someone had to say this...the IJN seemed to be defeated and then...BAM! Sneaky Japs!
Nobody expected the spanish expedition!
:rofl:
Indeed. I thought that Pacific campaign was almost won...
Fortunately new American Carriers and CAG's will turn the tide of the war. Q
The Americans might be making a new battle fleet, but the Japanese may also be doing the same, not to mention Germany...
BTW, this AAR, after completely domanating as Russia, has inspired me to play as the USA, but with a twist. Should I play as:
a)Pasific States of America
b)Combined Syndies of America
c)American Union States
a)Pasific States of America
b)Combined Syndies of America
c)American Union States