Historiker
Posts: 4742
Joined: 7/4/2007 From: Deutschland Status: offline
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Allright... So I would bet I guessed right, again. But what now? Let's make a calculation: He has lost (or will have lost, soon) in his PH strike: 3 CV I have lost: 2 BB 1 CL 1 DM 7 DD As I don't have the turn back, yet, I can't really say in which shape the ships are, or how much ammo is left. Damaged ships will have to face a dozend subs on the way to PH... I guess they are all roughed up, many of them with just a few shots left. Not the best start for a hunt against a heavily defended (he still has 2 BBs and 2 CAs!) fleet! My options: a) return to PH to rearm, refuel, regroup and use the filled tanks to go full speed for some days after that in whatever direction I expect to be plausible b) move my forces NE and hope for the best c) move my forces W and hope for sightings by Catalinas sent to Wake, Midaway and Dutch Harbor to vector the SCTFs from their positions in the W to where he exactly is! a-c) send planes back on Big E and try to get both CVs into battle ad a) While he not even sightly has the fuel to run full speed all the time, it gets harder and harder to find him with every day that has passed. So while this option might be necessary regarding the ammonition (I can regroup under way thanks to "merge" as well), it may let the KB get away while I could still catch them ad b) I mustn't forget one thing: What broke his neck wasn#t the small DD SCTFs with three to four DDs each. It wasn't the CL TFs with 1 or 4 CLs. It was the SCTF with 2 CA and the 1 BB. The BB is sunk, now, and at least one CA is heavily damaged and might not even make it home. So even IF I manage to make contact, again, the likely outcome of the surface combat against two BBs and two CAs isn't in my favour. If the two or three CLs left in fighting condition havent scratched the flat tops until mording - and they won't do so - they will face Vals and Kates with bombs. ad c) Regarding a and b, option c) after implementing option a) seems the best choice. I should keep the option to strike Possible moves: He will run full power this turn, maybe even the next. This will leave him with empty bunkers. If I manage to sink the oilers, his carriers will be sunk because of empty bunkers! Thus, it seems best to go after the oilers. Strategic impact of last day's battle: Right now, it is a major strategic vitory. He has three carriers left, maybe just two if I have luck. An unlikely (I know my japanese damage control) outcome might even mean 4 carriers left! If I take 3, this means I've exchanged 3 enemy CVs against 2 BBs, 1 CL and a few DDs. This is an overwhelming victory. If I hunt him now, I could loose another 3 or 4 modern CLs, 1 CA and two CVs. Even if that happens, I'd still have won a victory. But it would've gotten smaller quite a bit. So right now, I am thinking about letting him get away! I will defenitly try to send subs to the likely harbors where they'll arrive, but I might abort the hunt. A few CLs just seem too weak to take them out, while putting the two CVs into battle, each alone as there's no time to combine, might result into both getting sunk. Just because I#ve eaten a few of his CVs alive doesn't mean the airgroups of the remaining CVs are suddenly turned into paper tigers! So, without having seen the results, the damage and the ammo onboard, I am teding to let him get away, propably with a small effort to get his oilers. But that should be futile as well, as he'll likely have them "meet" with the KB so they'll be under their cover within about two days. Changes for the future war: He might still be stronger than me with the new CVs comeing soon and the MKB. BUT, his overall strength is reduced. This means, the total amount of power he can project from now on is smaller than it was on day one. A reduced power means, it is less likely to saturize defenses, so his losses will mount compared to a 6 CV KB against the same enemy! So even if he continues to achieved victories with the KB from now on, he'll still suffer heavier losses than necessary. I am really looking forward to this game and just have to tell once more how much I appreciate my opponent!
< Message edited by Historiker -- 5/16/2012 11:25:50 PM >
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