Slitherine

quote:

ORIGINAL: apbarog

I don't think that I did anything outstanding with this operation, just applied a lot of force to a weak area. If I had anticipated this weakness months ago, I guess I could have gone completely this direction instead of taking southern New Guinea. But I'm happy with things. These bases are a real threat to the Japanese.

Summary:

20 June 1943

BB Kirishima, Bomb hits 1
BB Musashi, on fire
CV Hiryu, Bomb hits 1, heavy fires, heavy damage
CV Kaga, Bomb hits 1, heavy fires, heavy damage
CV Hiryu, heavy fires
CV Soryu, Torpedo hits 2, and is sunk
CV Hiryu, Bomb hits 1, heavy fires
BB Kirishima, Bomb hits 2
CV Soryu, Bomb hits 4, Torpedo hits 1, heavy damage
BB Musashi, Bomb hits 11, on fire
CV Shokaku, Bomb hits 5, heavy fires, heavy damage
CVL Ryujo, Bomb hits 4, heavy fires
CV Hiryu, on fire
CV Kaga, heavy fires
BB Kirishima, Bomb hits 1
CV Hiryu, Bomb hits 1, on fire
CV Kaga, Bomb hits 1, heavy fires
CV Kaga, heavy fires
CV Kaga, Bomb hits 2, heavy fires
BB Musashi, Bomb hits 1



1 Apr 43 - Japanese Ships Lost

A big carrier, probably Akagi, was definitely sunk by 4 sub torpedoes in February.
Soryu is listed as sunk, but it just showed up on the list, and sunk near Daito Shoto, which is near the southern Home Islands. It is most certainly not sunk, and almost back home for repairs.
CVL Ryujo may or may not be sunk

3 Feb 1943

CV Akagi, Torpedo hits 4, on fire, heavy damage
Ammo storage explosion on CV Akagi


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We'll have to wait and see if Walker counters.

quote:

ORIGINAL: SqzMyLemon

That was a great post and you summed up Japan's problem in a nutshell. I'd love to comment further, but I'm afraid it would give my opponent too much information for how I plan on countering the same situation.

Again, great post.

quote:

ORIGINAL: apbarog

So where can Walker strike back? I don't have a good answer to that. Any of the bases north of Australia just won't make a difference. A huge offensive to take back Milne Bay would cause me more problems than anything else, I think. So much shipping is moving between Australia and New Guinea. I've left a division at Milne Bay, though. I don't think he's coming.

Today, Walker made a maximum air effort to hit my shipping at Lae, Buna, and Milne Bay. Details later.

quote:

ORIGINAL: apbarog

I've played AE many times as the Japanese. This is my first game as the Allies, at least the first that got past the very beginning of the war. When I started this game, it was like a breath of fresh air. Playing as the Japanese is so different than the Allies. The mindset is different. My experience as the Japanese is that you start out being able to do pretty much whatever you want, for a time. You take all the usual locations, try not to lose anything in the process, then reach a point where you must either go beyond the historical locations or start to prepare the defense. You can have great success early, but it is more or less expected. Not losing ships is very important. Once the war starts to turn, in my experience, you have to change your way of thinking. Things are going to go badly, sooner or later. I switch my thinking to a defensive mode, where I come to accept that I am going to lose every base, every ship, every plane, eventually. My goal is to make every battle count, and try to inflict as much pain on the Allies as possible. More than just even losses. Even losses are an Allied win. Make it painful for each Allied advance. Make the Allies more timid, slowing the advance out of fear for strong counterattacks.

In this game, I'm Allied. From the beginning, if I have a rough battle, I just look at the reinforcement list. Help is on the way. If I lose a capital ship, like the many slow battleships that I've lost, it bothers me for a bit, but I get over it quickly. Help is on the way.

I try to keep the Japanese reacting to me. The earlier in the war, the better. As time goes on, it will become harder for the Japanese to do anything that really makes a difference.

With this set of invasions, I've landed in areas that are a grave threat to the enemy's oil. I've taken 5 bases (will be 6). 2 bases are going to be major bases for me. What can the Japanese really do that will make a difference? Taking any of the minor bases back, ones that are not heavily defended, just won't make a difference. Taking one of the major bases back, Denpassar or Waingapoe, will have some effect, but only by destroying the divisional troops that are there, not by taking the actual base.

Walker's choices are limited. And he has the problem that if he starts prepping now for a counterattack, by the time he's satisfied with the prep levels, I've already landed somewhere else, somewhere more threatening. The steamroller is already rolling. But, let's face it. It's June 1943, not 1944. I can keep this going as long as I don't throw away my carriers, or my APA's.

It's just so much easier, mentally, for me to play as the Allies rather than the Japanese. I'm really enjoying this game. Walker is a good opponent. I'm still learning his tendencies. He seems to be willing to counterattack in strength, but only with good preparation. This happened at Taberfane. I think that his division that he used there was already prepping for it.

So where can Walker strike back? I don't have a good answer to that. Any of the bases north of Australia just won't make a difference. A huge offensive to take back Milne Bay would cause me more problems than anything else, I think. So much shipping is moving between Australia and New Guinea. I've left a division at Milne Bay, though. I don't think he's coming.

Today, Walker made a maximum air effort to hit my shipping at Lae, Buna, and Milne Bay. Details later.