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What the hell should I do now? - 5/30/2002 2:19:43 PM   
Hartmann

 

Posts: 888
Joined: 11/28/2000
Status: offline 		We have August 42, and I have taken PM, Gili Gili and Wau, so NG is pretty much eating Sushi by now. :)

Lunga and Tulagi are mine, too, and I have expanded Lunga (level 6) and they´ve got Nells, Bettys, Vals, Zeros and Emilys.

I have more than evened out my early carrier losses (Shokaku, Zuikaku, Shoho), the Allies have lost Lexington, Yorktown, Enterprise and Hornet. I´m not sure about Saratoga and Wasp, but after the last engagement SSE of San Christobal, they are at least out of action for the time being (Kaga and Zuhio, too, though). Akagi is fully operational. Junyo and Hiryu are in Japan for repairs, but Junyo will be available again relatively soon (60 days).

I have two Kongo class BBs, and plenty of CAs (Tone, Mogami etc.). I sank much more allied CAs than I lost, and finally, the Allies lost about 20 APs versus 3 on my side (these losses are due to their failed attempt to relieve PM).

The big question is: what should I do now? From a strategical and supply point of view I would say I should just do nothing but consolidate my gains. But, of course, this would be boring.

So should I go

- down the road of Espiritu Santu (Luganvillle) with final goal Noumea?

- make a landing in Northern Australia?

- do something else completely?

What would you guys aim for in this situation?

Anyway, I somehow feel that if I do anything big at all, I should do it soon as long as the Allies still don´t have superiority in LBA.

Hartmann
Post #: 1
Go port-raiding! - 5/30/2002 2:35:48 PM   
von Murrin


Posts: 1760
Joined: 11/13/2001
From: That from which there is no escape.
Status: offline 		Take your CV's over to Noumea and Luganville and go smash up what's left of their fleet. Put your a/c on Port Attack, go make some popcorn, and enjoy the show. :p

Meanwhile, send a recon flight over to Cooktown, and see what's there. If it's lightly held, drop as many divisions there as you can spare, and stock them up on supply. Be sure to include some engineers for fort building, too.

I think that would make a good auto-victory objective because as a frequent US player, I know just how much of a pain in the arse it would be to get you out quickly. Any overland march will require the Aussies to stop and break at Cairns for about a month, and then they'd be all tore up again by the time they got to you. By sea, you can sink them from PM.

My $0.02 anyway. :)

_____________________________

I give approximately two fifths of a !#$% at any given time!

(in reply to Hartmann)
Post #: 2
- 5/30/2002 2:37:27 PM   
Deadpan

 

Posts: 7
Joined: 5/24/2002
Status: offline 		Way to go. Would you care to explain a bit of how you went about succeeding to such an extent? I'd say invade Northern Australia. You'll deprive the Allies of some decent airbases and guard the approaches to New Guinea. And (I haven't seen the game map so maybe they're not even there) Cairns and Townsville and Cookstown etc etc are relatively close to Port Moresby so maybe easier supply. The New Hebrides are vulnerable, seeing as how Southern Australia to the west, New Caledonia to the south, and Fiji/Samoa to the East offer valuable bases for the Allies to attack. Of course, the wisest (but like you said, a bit dull) thing to do would be to just consolidate. I say go for Australia though. Good luck, though it seems like you're doing well enough without luck.

_____________________________

Loose Lips Sink Ships.

(in reply to Hartmann)
Post #: 3
Same Same - 5/30/2002 3:07:44 PM   
mogami


Posts: 12789
Joined: 8/23/2000
From: You can't get here from there
Status: offline 		Hi, I have pretty much the same excepting Gili remains (but not for long) After I get Lunga up to snuff (100k fuel and supply) I intend on moving everything there and going for L'ville. I am building an advanced base on San Cristabol to provide LRcap to transports. I think I will first place subs around L'ville and mine the crap out of the approches (excep for a path for my transports) then bomb it for a month. It is Sept now and I would like to set Combined fleet HQ in captured L'ville by mid Dec.

_____________________________






I'm not retreating, I'm attacking in a different direction!

(in reply to Hartmann)
Post #: 4
- 5/30/2002 9:12:31 PM   
Sonny

 

Posts: 2008
Joined: 4/3/2002
Status: offline 		Sounds like the AI has some exploitable weaknesses!

But my advice would be to take Australia. That's the whole idea - knock them out of the war so the allies don't have any bases in the south pacific. take Brisbane and then ask for a mod to the game so you can take Sydney.:D

(in reply to Hartmann)
Post #: 5
Deja Vu - 5/30/2002 9:21:46 PM   
IChristie

 

Posts: 673
Joined: 3/26/2002
From: Ottawa, Canada
Status: offline 		Hmmmm... now where have I heard this discussion before. :rolleyes:

By all means guys - attack Luganville. Send 40,000 troops there. The 1st Marines ought to be a pushover once you starve them our for a while. Yeah, Yeah, that's the ticket!

:p :p :p :p

_____________________________

Iain Christie
-----------------
"If patience is a virtue then persistence is it's part.
It's better to light a candle than stand and curse the dark"

- James Keelaghan

(in reply to Hartmann)
Post #: 6
Re: Deja Vu - 5/30/2002 10:29:08 PM   
Henri

 

Posts: 146
Joined: 4/26/2002
Status: offline 		This is the point in the real war that the Japanese wanted to reach: they never believed that they could wipe out the US, the purpose was to beat them just enough so that they would be willing to negotiate a settlement with japan recognizing japan's gains.

so corrrect me if I'm wrong, but historically speaking, it looks like you have won the war...

henri

(in reply to Hartmann)
Post #: 7
won the war or campaign? - 5/30/2002 11:17:57 PM   
brisd


Posts: 614
Joined: 5/20/2000
From: San Diego, CA
Status: offline 		Won the war? Hardly, the USN will replace all its losses and outnumber the IJN within six months. The Japanese had a two year window to defeat the forces against them and grab as much territory to bargin peace with. In '44 those dozens of USN carriers and escorts plus divisions and land based air would overwelm them.

Having said that, in this campaign or in a WITP game, I would capture Lungaville, Noumea and the other bases. That will cut off Australia from the USA and then you can conquer Oz. In a bigger picture, if you managed to knock the Brits/Indians and/or Chinese out of the war, then you might have the divisions necessary to conquer Australia. In Hartman's case, either choice is valid, Australia or the islands. Congrats Hartman on handling the Japanese famously!

I have a similar campaign going, 9/8/42, I have sunk or seriously damaged all the USN CV's and their escorts and lost 1 CVL, a CA and about 20 minor vessels. I sat off of New Caledonia for a week with six IJN CV's and bombed their bases into dust with only 1 CA and 1 DD being seriously damaged. I have PM, Gili Gili, Lunga, am building a base on San Cristobal and all my assault troops are intact and fresh. I plan to invade the islands.

I have been experiencing that "Betty bombing a non-existant land unit and crashing the game" bug described on the bug board so my long ranged air is mostly in training mode at the moment. I plan on using this scenario as learning experience till the first patch comes out as currently the game is not reliable head to head vs a human opponent. :(

(in reply to Hartmann)
Post #: 8
- 5/30/2002 11:37:12 PM   
Reiryc

 

Posts: 4991
Joined: 1/5/2001
Status: offline 		Well if you want to end a game real quick just take a base on the noumea island.

My first game I took koumac and passe boya first thing. Once you double the supply needed and hold them past jan 1 43, you automatically win.

It's real easy to do.

Reiryc

_____________________________


(in reply to Hartmann)
Post #: 9
Not for long - 5/30/2002 11:55:01 PM   
IChristie

 

Posts: 673
Joined: 3/26/2002
From: Ottawa, Canada
Status: offline 		This, by the way, is one thing that is slated to change in the patch. The Auto-victory hexes will be reduced to IIRC:

Luganville, Noumea, Townsville and Brisbane.

Each of which the AI is much more serious about defending than Koumac, Basse Poya or Efate.

_____________________________

Iain Christie
-----------------
"If patience is a virtue then persistence is it's part.
It's better to light a candle than stand and curse the dark"

- James Keelaghan

(in reply to Hartmann)
Post #: 10
- 5/31/2002 12:25:40 AM   
Reiryc

 

Posts: 4991
Joined: 1/5/2001
Status: offline 		Good!

Cause it was really easy to win...and noumea was really hard to take. In fact i just said heck with taking it and went for the supply victory.

Reiryc

_____________________________


(in reply to Hartmann)
Post #: 11
- 5/31/2002 2:06:28 AM   
Hartmann

 

Posts: 888
Joined: 11/28/2000
Status: offline 		Thanks guys for all the suggestions! :)

To those who asked: after having taken a severe beating in the very beginning where I lost 3 carriers and several CAs, I got my act together. The key to victory is the "Mogami" strategy (drawn from the IChristie AAR), which means: whatever you do, do it with overwhelming force only. (For even if you think you do, you may experience that it was just enough!) I never do twenty little raids and stuff at a time, but instead I always hoard forces for the next big step. When it is time, I do some distraction first, to keep the enemy off balance. Then I strike in a huge coordinated operation (just like the IJN doctrine really stated, even though they always failed because the plans were to complicated :)).

When I took PM, I had hoarded a huge amount of troops and APs in Rabaul. Before I set them in motion, two bombarding TFs, all fresh, began going in and out repeatedly. At the same time round the clock bombing from Rabaul began with Bettys and Nells, all pilots just coming from a big vacation! :) So, the big airfield was put out of action very hard very soon.

I had new carriers (I was lucky to have chosen the no Midway option), and this time I was much better prepared. I take always 15 ships in my CV TFs and choose the Destroyers with the best AA. I set the Cap low in Thunderstorms only, but to 70% (thanks dgaad!) when an engagement is near. I placed the CVs so that I could equally reach the Solomons and NG fast. The Allies took the bait and attacked the small force of APs and CLs I had sent to Lunga. They were totally off guard when I attacked them. After they had lost carrier superiority, the AI made the big mistake to send out single-carrier TFs as soon as they got a new CV (only in the last engagement, they again had two CVs).

Btw: if my carrier battle would have failed, I would have broken off the PM operation.

The transports (including minesweepers and destroyers) were attacked by Hudsons and Mitchels plus some subs on their way to PM, but there were only a few hits.
After the first landed troops where wiped out piecemeal by Allied shock attacks I landed on Lea Lea instead to avoid that. When everone and his grandma was there, I marched to PM. Indeed it turned out that what I brought was just enough.

The Allies tried to send relief forces to PM, but my subs, CAs and the carriers snuffed them out on their way. They lost more than 10 APs alone in this!

Btw when I had set things in motion from Rabaul, the operation was so big I had zero fuel and little supplies left!
--------------------------------------------------------

With respect to the future planning, I think that the most sound strategy (besides the boring "digging in") would be to cut off Australia further by getting Luganville and Noumea. Btw. I tried the port raiding attack method with the carriers, but all it achieved was Allied ground force losses (sic!), and a too huge percentage of my vals were damaged or destroye for my taste. So I stopped that. Maybe I'll try again with the Bettys from Lunga.

Hmm, Mogami goes for Luganville. So nobody seems to have tried Australia yet! Am I so daring? I still don't know, but maybe I'll do just that ... :)

Hartmann

(in reply to Hartmann)
Post #: 12
- 5/31/2002 2:09:30 AM   
Hartmann

 

Posts: 888
Joined: 11/28/2000
Status: offline 		Btw I'm concerned about the autovictory ... I don't WANT an early autovictory!!! :( I still want to see the British CV!

So can I play on even if I have taken a victory hex and got the victory screen? If not, I will have to avoid those bases intentionally, which severly limits my options ...

Hartmann

(in reply to Hartmann)
Post #: 13
- 5/31/2002 2:38:56 AM   
von Murrin


Posts: 1760
Joined: 11/13/2001
From: That from which there is no escape.
Status: offline 		Nice going.

Sorry about the port-raiding. Whenever I do that, I always hit something like 5-20 ships. Don't do it if nothing's anchored there! :)

_____________________________

I give approximately two fifths of a !#$% at any given time!

(in reply to Hartmann)
Post #: 14
The Mogami Strategy - 5/31/2002 11:07:30 PM   
brisd


Posts: 614
Joined: 5/20/2000
From: San Diego, CA
Status: offline 		Admiral Mogami is indeed an expert strategist by all accounts but "his" strategy is one followed by all the successful captains of war since Hannibal and Caesar's days: concentrate your forces, achieve local superiority over the enemy even if they out-number you, take the battle to the enemy and never let up, keep them on the run till the campaign is won. :cool:

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
"Find out where your enemy is. Get at him as soon as you can, and strike him as hard as you can. And keep moving on!"
- Ulysses S. Grant's philosophy of war

(in reply to Hartmann)
Post #: 15
- 5/31/2002 11:39:22 PM   
Reiryc

 

Posts: 4991
Joined: 1/5/2001
Status: offline 		[QUOTE]Originally posted by Hartmann
[B]Btw I'm concerned about the autovictory ... I don't WANT an early autovictory!!! :( I still want to see the British CV!

So can I play on even if I have taken a victory hex and got the victory screen? If not, I will have to avoid those bases intentionally, which severly limits my options ...

Hartmann [/B][/QUOTE]

You need to have double the needed supplies and be post jan 1 43 for the autovictory.

So don't give those hexes too much supplies and youll be fine.

Reiryc

_____________________________


(in reply to Hartmann)
Post #: 16
- 6/1/2002 12:26:16 AM   
Hartmann

 

Posts: 888
Joined: 11/28/2000
Status: offline 		[QUOTE]Originally posted by Reiryc
[B]
SNIP
So don't give those hexes too much supplies and youll be fine.

[/B][/QUOTE]

Thanks, mate! :)

Hartmann

(in reply to Hartmann)
Post #: 17
Re: The Mogami Strategy - 6/1/2002 12:28:44 AM   
Hartmann

 

Posts: 888
Joined: 11/28/2000
Status: offline 		[QUOTE]Originally posted by brisd
[B]Admiral Mogami is indeed an expert strategist by all accounts but "his" strategy is one followed by all the successful captains of war since Hannibal and Caesar's days: concentrate your forces, achieve local superiority over the enemy even if they out-number you, take the battle to the enemy and never let up, keep them on the run till the campaign is won. :cool:
[/B][/QUOTE]

Sure, I know. ;) But I thought it'd add a nice touch to refer to that discussion within the IChristie AAR we all loved. :)

Hartmann

(in reply to Hartmann)
Post #: 18
Auto Victory Ends Game - 6/1/2002 12:49:45 AM   
IChristie

 

Posts: 673
Joined: 3/26/2002
From: Ottawa, Canada
Status: offline 		Hartmann, The autovictory does end the game. If you get it, you can't continue to play past 1 Jan '43

_____________________________

Iain Christie
-----------------
"If patience is a virtue then persistence is it's part.
It's better to light a candle than stand and curse the dark"

- James Keelaghan

(in reply to Hartmann)
Post #: 19
Re: Auto Victory Ends Game - 6/1/2002 1:05:44 AM   
Hartmann

 

Posts: 888
Joined: 11/28/2000
Status: offline 		[QUOTE]Originally posted by IChristie
[B]Hartmann, The autovictory does end the game. If you get it, you can't continue to play past 1 Jan '43 [/B][/QUOTE]

:(:(:( .... I hope this will be made a preferences option to toggle on/off in the patch.

Hartmann

(in reply to Hartmann)
Post #: 20
Iain's AAR - 6/1/2002 1:26:41 AM   
brisd


Posts: 614
Joined: 5/20/2000
From: San Diego, CA
Status: offline 		Yes that AAR of Iain's was the thread that put me over the top on pre-ordering UV, plus the 10% discount :D .

Overall I am facing same choice in my game (9/10/42 scenario 17), I am going to seize Lungaville and hopefully end this by AV so I can start another game. I plan to go back through a few save games and look at the Allied (AI)'s position and try to figure out WHAT it was doing. It seems to be in a paralysis, no major air raids from Australia vs PM or any of my bases. When I did recon on Lungaville it seems to be held by engineers alone?! but have a large fighter airforce.

In my experience the AI (Allies) have kept their carriers away from my LBA but have been sunk by my CV's anyhow. I plan on playing pbem when UV is patched and after I have played the Allies in a scenario.

_____________________________

"I propose to fight it out on this line if it takes all summer."-Note sent with Congressman Washburne from Spotsylvania, May 11, 1864, to General Halleck. - General Ulysses S. Grant

(in reply to Hartmann)
Post #: 21
Re: Iain's AAR - 6/1/2002 1:38:56 AM   
Hartmann

 

Posts: 888
Joined: 11/28/2000
Status: offline 		[QUOTE]Originally posted by brisd
[B]Yes that AAR of Iain's was the thread that put me over the top on pre-ordering UV, plus the 10% discount :D .

Overall I am facing same choice in my game (9/10/42 scenario 17), I am going to seize Lungaville and hopefully end this by AV so I can start another game. I plan to go back through a few save games and look at the Allied (AI)'s position and try to figure out WHAT it was doing. It seems to be in a paralysis, no major air raids from Australia vs PM or any of my bases. When I did recon on Lungaville it seems to be held by engineers alone?! but have a large fighter airforce.

In my experience the AI (Allies) have kept their carriers away from my LBA but have been sunk by my CV's anyhow. I plan on playing pbem when UV is patched and after I have played the Allies in a scenario. [/B][/QUOTE]

I, too, got the intelligence that Luganville is protected by engineers! Australia, probably my next target, has proper home defense, though. :) The Mitchell attacks have ceased for me, also. I took Gili Gili almost unopposed, and the night bombardment attempts at Lunga have stopped since I have the Vals there (ok, this is probably a wise decision of the AI). Maybe they are just in a general lull waiting for the B17s to arrive?

Anyway, there are several reasons I want to avoid the auto victory for now:

a) I want to play a long campaign through at least one time for either side.
b) I want to see (in the current game) whether the Allied AI will try to achieve something once they get the upper hand in LBA.
c) I want to see the British CV (in flames) :)

Hartmann

(in reply to Hartmann)
Post #: 22
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