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Sokraates - Thank you. I do expect the pace to slow as I head west. I chose the center as it looked the weakest and I expect much more trouble in the north.

Maj. von Mauser - Those two divisions are as safe as they can be now. I guess the American Destroyers were merely transitting but they are still a long way from home.

Nathan Madien - Your welcome :) I would not have went that way to Alaska.

EnglandWarrior - Thanks :)

serutan - Thank you. The Italians and Slavs are my two main worries as I head south west.

nefftron - It was time for more operations :)

zdlugasz, Nathan Madien - Well I can't risk the Allies finding out what I am doing so two remain secret for a while :D

Update to follow ...
 
Operation Blossom
2





0500 July 8th 1949.
Central Asia Army Headquarters. Sevastopol, Soviet Union.

The advance of the Central Asia Army began to pick up speed as Hata rolled his southern and northern forces towards the center where the Allies were at their weakest.​

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Twelve divisions from Stanislawow and Lvov easily overcame weak resistance in Stryj as they headed for Romanian territory. A single division would occupy Stanislawow as the southern flank defence weakened in response to a lack of opposition facing it.​

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To the north Shimoyama's Dive bombers took a break from attacking enemy ground troops covered by anti-aircraft guns and conducted a patrol over the western Baltic Sea. They attacked a small American anti-Submarine fleet in Pomeranian Bay but had spotted another target during their patrol.​

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By 1800 hours they had re-fueled and re-armed and were over the port of Stettin where a large American Transport fleet was based. The Destroyer escort and one Transport Flotilla had been sunk by 1400 hours the next day and one more Transport Flotilla would follow before Shimoyama was re-assigned again.​





0500 July 9th 1949.
BB Division 1 Flagship. IJN Fuso, In Transit.

Ozawa had several tasks on his plate as July entered it's second week. Mustering forces for two new operations he had delegated to other officers but he remained completely in charge of two other operations.​

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BB Division 1 was protecting 3. Kaigan as it transported the two Motorised divisions to Mocamedes in western Africa. That particular operation had been concluded successfully and the troops would easily hold off a minor counter attack by French forces. Ozawa's other task at hand was to find and sink the remnants of Admiral Lockwood's Carrier Task Force as it transitted around southern Africa.

Fortunately for Ozawa his air patrols would provide invaluable intelligence as they had done on many occasions before. This time the information would save BB Division 1 from an encounter that it would probably lose.​

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Air General Tsukahara was conducting patrols to the south of BB Division 1 and he reported a large enemy Carrier Task Force in the East Wavis Ridge, which was almost directly to the south of BB Division 1's current position. The five modern Aircraft Carriers were known to Ozawa as they had been spotted several times in the past. Why Admiral Calhoun had moved from the Pacific and appeared to be heading towards the Indian Ocean was not something Ozawa could know, but he did know that BB Division 1 needed certain conditions to attack such an enemy.

Superior firepower was something he did have if all engagement conditions were met. Calhoun had enough escorts to prevent massed damage to his fleet during one sea battle but of much more concern to Ozawa was the weather. Clear weather prohibited any thought of a Battleship fleet deliberately engaging an enemy Carrier Task Force. Ozawa would order his fleet to hold position north of Calhoun and allow the aircraft to keep a close watch on Calhoun and his Carriers.​

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Tsukahara found an American fleet in the early hours of July 10th but it was not Calhoun. Lockwood's battered fleet was spotted in False Bay as it sailed passed Cape Town and Ozawa did wish to sink this fleet. His hands were tied though as he could not head south until he knew where the much larger threat presented by Calhoun was located.​

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At 1500 hours on July 10th he received the information he needed. Calhoun was spotted in Algoa Bay after already transitting around South Africa. BB Division 1 headed south to try and intercept Lockwood safe in the knowledge that Calhoun was too far away to intercede.

Several other decisions were also quickly made by the Japanese High Command. Operation Cherry was given the immediate green light to proceed as soon as forces were mustered. Of much more concern to Ozawa and Calhoun were other orders being issued.

In addition to the eight Tactical bomber squadrons patrolling around southern Africa and the Indian Ocean another sixteen began to converge on the area. Itabana was already close enough to assist and would begin the hunt for Calhoun at dawn the next day and Obata began the long flight from North Africa to the Indian Ocean to also join in the hunt. By June 12th twenty four bomber squadrons would be dedicated to the destruction of the ever slippery Admiral Calhoun.​





0600 July 10th 1949.
Central Asia Army Headquarters. Sevastopol, Soviet Union.

The Japanese advance was still gathering momentum but there was still the need for constant air support from the two Dive bomber groups supporting operations in Europe.​

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Shimoyama's group had been operating in the north for the majority of the last few months and the constant ground attacks against enemy troops covered by anti-aircraft guns was taking a toll. Some of his squadrons were approaching half strength and the point was close at hand where they would need to rotate out of the north or be grounded for an extended rest period. For now Shimoyama continued to support were necessary.​

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In the center progress remained swift as there was little enemy opposition. General Kioso led the next advance as his two Infantry corps headed into the Czech territory of Przemysl. The southern forces were slightly ahead of those in the north for the time being but they had also met with less resistance.​





1400 July 11th 1949.
BB Division 1 Flagship. IJN Fuso, McDougall's Bay.

As BB Division 1 steamed south to try and find Lockwood the massed search for Calhoun continued. Ozawa had rarely been given much chance to inflict major damage to the enemy commander but this time he could very well alter that.​

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Itabana found Calhoun as he passed through Inhambane Bay covered by rain clouds. The USS Enterprise was beginning to suffer damage as the bombers began to find their target in larger numbers. Calhoun was still heading north east which led Ozawa to believe that he was heading to the mouth of the Red Sea where Lockwood had previously ventured.​

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Ozawa's lookouts spotted an enemy fleet in McDougall's Bay as BB Division 1 continued to hunt for Lockwood but only a single British Destroyer Flotilla would be sighted. The massive guns of IJN Yamato sank the unlucky Destroyer Flotilla. Unfortunately Ozawa would not find Lockwood which would allow the American Admiral to return to America with his escort force largely in tact.​





0000 July 13th 1949.
Intelligence Offices. Tokyo, Japan.

Japanese research had been continuing at a slow pace all year with few breakthroughs being achieved. Kuniaki was routinely informed of progress.​

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Teiji Takagi let the Minister know as soon as he had finished his current project, Advanced Decryption Device, and Kuniaki gave him another project. He was to research Basic Information Theory which would bring Japanese cryptology up to par with Japan's main enemies.​





0400 July 13th 1949.
BB Division 1 Flagship. IJN Fuso, In Transit.

Calhoun had managed to evade all air patrols on July 12th as the weather closed in and protected his fleet. He would not be so lucky on July 13th.​

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Itabana would be the one to find the Carriers again as Calhoun continued to head north. Twelve of the twenty four squadrons searching for him were covering this area and it was no surprise when he was found in the West Mascarene Basin. Contact would be lost shortly afterwards as Calhoun left this zone.​

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Sakai found him as he entered the West Somali Basin and his aircraft quickly finished off the crippled Carrier USS Enterprise. The USS Lexington would be the new primary target as Calhoun continued to sail north.​





1600 July 13th 1949.
Central Asia Army Headquarters. Sevastopol, Soviet Union.

Ground attacks were usually small as Japanese troops advanced through Poland but there were occasional slightly larger battles as Hata's troops converged.​

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General Tanaka Shizuichi led five divisions towards the three enemy divisions in Czestochowa with air support from Shimoyama. The enemy Militia had already suffered large organisational losses making the battle an easy one for Tanaka Shizuichi. Poland was quickly changing hands once more as Japanese troops marched west.​





2100 July 13th 1949.
Industry Offices. Tokyo, Japan.

Ginjiro was keeping a very close watch on his reserves and had asked the Foreign Minister to pay him a visit. Mamoru was soon in his office and was already aware of the problem facing his counterpart.

"The levels are below critical so I need your expertise." Ginjiro told Mamoru.

"Of course. I have already dispatched a messenger to summon the Saudi Ambassador. Is there anything you would rather I did not use in a trade?"

"All of our other reserves can be used as we have ample stockpiles." replied Ginjiro.

"Consider the problem solved then." replied Mamoru as he stood and left Ginjiro's office and headed off to meet with the Ambassador from Saudi Arabia.​

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Within an hour more than 3, 000 tonnes of Saudi Oil were on their way to Japan in exchange for 20, 000 tonnes of various Japanese reserves. Mamoru had traded for half of the Saudi Oil reserves and such a trade would not be possible in the future. Ginjiro was already moving Oil back from Asia to Japan to balance the situation further.​
 
I predict that at some stage the forces in Europe will run into a wall of Allied troops around a prticular point... Maybe the Maginot?
 
I predict that at some stage the forces in Europe will run into a wall of Allied troops around a prticular point... Maybe the Maginot?

Is there a Maginot line still standing in '44 scenario? In normal GC, there's an event that destroys it after Fall of France... Anyway, if there is, it's Schlieffen all over again :D
 
Ahh! At last the American Carriers have been sighted! I have a feeling you are going to sink the lot of them! I look forward to a Naval Battle, Japan's mighty new Battle Cruisers need a chance to test their guns!:D

I also noticed a few Epic Mustaches aswell, another bonus.:p
 
Ahh! At last the American Carriers have been sighted! I have a feeling you are going to sink the lot of them! I look forward to a Naval Battle, Japan's mighty new Battle Cruisers need a chance to test their guns!:D

...

Yay! Carriers going down. But I did not catch which operation is Blossom: hunting Lockwood, carriers or against Romania?
 
Yay! Carriers going down. But I did not catch which operation is Blossom: hunting Lockwood, carriers or against Romania?

Blossom is his big operation aimed at reaching Austria, and driving a wedge between the Allied lines.
 
Wow. That trade hurt to look at. I know your reserves are in good shape, but the thought of giving up 5k supplies is painful. That was a lot of Offensive Supply lost, not to mention the IC it took to produce those supplies.

Good stuff, and happy Carrier hunting!

-- Beppo
 
The Enterprise...she will be back.

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Within an hour more than 3, 000 tonnes of Saudi Oil were on their way to Japan in exchange for 20, 000 tonnes of various Japanese reserves. Mamoru had traded for half of the Saudi Oil reserves and such a trade would not be possible in the future. Ginjiro was already moving Oil back from Asia to Japan to balance the situation further.​

Ouch! That's a sharp pinch for oil. :eek:
 
Now that the two-front war is going so well and in the light of the current oil crisis you should consider invading the USA. You need oil, they've got oil. A perfect match, in my opinion. :D

To paraphrase Farragut: "Damn the carriers, full speed ahead!"
 
Now that the two-front war is going so well and in the light of the current oil crisis you should consider invading the USA. You need oil, they've got oil. A perfect match, in my opinion. :D

To paraphrase Farragut: "Damn the carriers, full speed ahead!"

As great as it would be for Remble to conquer the United States...again...he currently lacks a strong point from which to go all Farragut on us.
 
As great as it would be for Remble to conquer the United States...again...he currently lacks a strong point from which to go all Farragut on us.

Which is the reason why such an endeavour would be so much fun. :D And totally unexpected by the US, too.

However if they expect us to not expect them to expect an invasion ... :wacko: