Cap Mandrake
Posts: 23184
Joined: 11/15/2002 From: Southern California Status: offline
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quote:
ORIGINAL: Onime No Kyo quote:
ORIGINAL: HMS Resolution So, what're the words, Thunderbirds? Looks like theyre either too pissed to post (the American pissed, not the British, although one never knows) or theyre still in deep negotiations. No...the ball is in my court and I have been getting murdered at work. I am the hospital guy this week and when I finally get some GD sleep, stalker girl wakes me up asking for servicing. I made myself watch the replay. It just made me mad. 1) The AK's and PB's which intrepidly attacked a historic vessel of the Royal Navy absolutely did deplete her main gun ammo. She fired "round" after "round" at the AK in particular. I don't now how many main battery broadsides correspond to one ammo point but it was really, really annoying. Even worse, several of the escort wasted their torps on the gnats. These weren't M&M Enterprises torpedoes either. These were RN and RNN torps and experienced crews from the fighting in the DEI. As far as I could tell not ONE Allied torp was fired in the fight with Nagato despite very short engagement ranges. 2) Warspite appeared to be winning the fight with Nagato which suffered many, many penetrating rounds. De Ruyter was crushed as she was lead vessel when the Japs crossed Palliser's "T". A Brit DD was also sunk, but the remaining force appeared quite capable except that Warspite fell way off in her firing frequency. I have a suspicion that Palliser had to call off the fight for lack of main gun ammo on Warspite. This intiated the whole sorry cascade of interception of the transports by the Jap cruisers and driving the survivors out from under air cover. 3) Of the two Jap cruisers in the follow-on force at Noumea, one was smoking like a Fiat with bad rings before the battle. Quite possibly, Warpsite could have taken them had she remained on station. 4) The fight at New Ullapool was a fair one in daylight. One Jap BB sunk, one Jap CA sunk and one Jap BB a severely damaged hulk that may sink. Mississippi will likely sink. The Japs died with their boots on and prevented a bombardment of the airfield...serious bummer. 5) About 25-30 of the Kate sorties were from New Ullapool...without torps interestingly. As for Jap torpedo reserves, I think his two carrier forces did rendezvous near Tanna and one will have had a full complement before the day's action. The bigger force expended some torps (30-40 maybe) in the attack on the Rust Bucket TF at Norfolk Is several days back. I estimate 5 Jap carriers on station to 3 US CV's and one RN CV. The US CV's flew off some of their Wildcats to Noumea but have an augmented complement of dive bombers. Most of the Wildcats cannot make it back to the carrier decks this turn. 6) The 17's at Noumea did not fly due to weather. 7) New Edinburgh and New Perth are 100% operational with enough supplies to support air action. 8) Mississippi is burning like a Roman candle but will be a useful pinata if she stays afloat. The other 3 BB's will survive if they can escape the air threat (big if). 9) There are another 12-13K of supplies aboard AK's 1-2 days out from New Edinburgh but there is no surface force to cover them. On balance, I think it is best to try to get the BB's out by sprinting to Brisbane or Auckland or even North and then East to Funafuti. They might survive in New Edinburgh harbor but I doubt it. Mississippi will crawl toward New Edinburgh and become an oil slick Instead, I will switch some of the CAP over to escort, send the 17's back to Suva and reinforce New Edinburgh and New Perth with 100+ Army, Navy and Marine dive bombers. If the Jap carriers linger near New Scotland picking off BB's they may be in for a surprise. I think a carrier duel would go badly for the Allies at this time with New Uallpool completely operational. Formidable already has flooding and the ratio of carriers is probably 4:5. As for the gamey thing. I haven't talked it over with Lord Admiral Sprior but the redo idea seems unmanly. I will definitely suggest they not do that again.
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