John 3rd
Posts: 17178
Joined: 9/8/2005
From: La Salle, Colorado
Status: offline
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Since joining the Forum eleven years ago I have never truly lost a carrier engagement. Had some massive draws but never an outright defeat. Sure looks like that is about to happen presently.
After all the crying and whining I have gotten here and over in the Development side of the Forum about the unbalanced nature of Reluctant Admiral 5.0 (don't get me wrong--it IS!) this turn proves that it is BOTH ways when it comes to things. Holy CATS!
OK.
I will try to detail events.
The three CTF and CVE TF of Kido Butai have slowly--due to fuel--been retiring back towards Wake. All four TF had been set to follow the CVEs (18 Knots) at cruise speed. My most seriously short on fuel had re-fueled the previous day from five small AOs (20,000 Fuel) that gave them enough fuel to make it to another set of AOs steaming east (with 50,000 Fuel) from Saipan.
The turn is cloudy and somewhat stormy when my CVEs sheer off from the remainder of the KB and start reacting towards the entire Allied Navy. The Kido Butai itself does not re-act whatsoever. Kind of weird. I backed up a turn to look and re-act was set to ZERO along with all the other TFs. The Admiral was aggressive and I guess he over-rode orders.
Through the morning and afternoon I watch Judy and Jill after Judy and Jill impale themselves on Allied CAP during air search. Must have lost 50 Attack Planes before strikes flew. Moths to flame they were.
Morning Phase
Four Japanese Strikes fly (51 Z--12 Judy--9 Jill, 56 Zero--13 Judy--9 Jill, 21 Zero--14 Jill, and 37 Zero--`6 Judy--18 Jill). They attempt to hit the outlying elements of the massed fleet only to encounter 158 Fighters over the northern TF and 148 Fighters over the eastern TF. The strikes are eaten up and spit out. What were they attacking you ask? Subchasers, YMS, and other useless TFs designed to soak off Japanese sorties. My commentary here is unprintable and has been an issue since nearly day one of the war so I shall say nothing. It is what it is.
Two of these small strikes came from my CVEs and two from the Main Body of Kido Butai.
No American Strikes at the Japanese. I begin to think it is a brilliantly conceived CAP Trap.
Afternoon
More Judy and Jill impale themselves on the Allied CAP.
Finally see a massed Japanese Strike came in against the actual Allied warships. The strike is pretty good-sized with 100 Zero, 90 Judy, and 87 Jill going in. They find--get this--375 Allied Fighters on CAP. I figure that 150 Fighters to the north, 150 Fighters to the east, and 375 Fighters over the actual CVs that this must be a CAP Trap. Well...the raid goes in and 43 Judy and 33 Jill make it to their drops. The fight is not all one-sided because a few hits are scored:
BB Massachusetts takes 1 B--2 TT
CL St Louis take 1 TT
CV Hornet 1 Bomb
CVL Princeton 1 Bomb
Raid Two: 55 Zero--23 Judy--17 Jill is eaten by CAP.
Raid Three: 18 Zero--14 Judy score a hit on CV Enterprise and is consumed by CAP.
Its a CAP Trap--Right? NO! The CVEs who had re-acted both phases are absolutely crushed by a massed strike of 240 Fighters--272 DB--174 Avengers. Talk about the opposite of the Japanese Strikes. 686 planes ONE STRIKE! Damn. That is impressive. Well done to the Allies. The Japanese lose 8 CVE and 7 DDs. Ouch! Guess that Admiral deservedly goes down with his flagship. Stupid twit. He would have been ordered to commit Seppuku anyway!
Those are the events.
Fuel is low and Dan can crush the Japanese Fleet if he simply moves slightly north. I order the Kido Butai to move NNW to try and escape. Fly off most of the fragments to Rio Namur, Kwajalein, Wake, and Eniwetok. Will sort everyone out later. Add 125 M8 Zeros to the CVs bringing the Fighter total up to about 500 on the carriers. Set CAP to 100%, Range ZERO at altitudes of 11,000 and 21,000 Feet. The war could be over next turn boys and girls!
Guess every Admiral needs to lose a CV engagement and this one is it.
The CVEs reacting and horrible raid coordination made this far worse then it needed to be. Dan's style of play--with the outlying small ships--soaked off 154 Zero--45 Judy--29 Jill and destroyed them dropping my Fighter count for the bigger strikes in the afternoon. That tactic worked quite well for him. Add the loss of nearly 50 Judy/Jill on Air Search and one can see the serious attrition inflicted before the larger strike flew. The size of the Fleet--including the British--showed at least 975 Fighters--275 DB--175 TB. Damn. Those are serious numbers! What a clobbering. Am fearful of the next turn!
C'est la Guerre.
< Message edited by John 3rd -- 5/17/2016 4:33:49 PM >
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