RE: Notes from a Small Island

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RE: Notes from a Small Island - 12/18/2017 2:00:35 PM

Canoerebel

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6/13/44

Shikuka: It was a quiet turn, so most of my focus was on Shikuka. All troops are ashore and 98% of supply is ashore. All the assault units that were prepped for Korea have been switched to Kuriles targets.

My TFs declined to leave port. I checked, re-checked, and triple-checked and none of them were still unloading. The only thing I could figure is that the number of TFs and the following orders were sufficiently complicated to overwhelm the AE. So I spent the turn aligning every single TF to follow 166, which is an ASW TF with a good commander that has a low aggression rating. Hopefully that works.

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Post #: 331

RE: Notes from a Small Island - 12/18/2017 2:36:59 PM

BBfanboy

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If you want that ASW TF to actually kill subs the commander should have high aggression. Aggression includes persistence.

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Post #: 332

RE: Notes from a Small Island - 12/18/2017 3:07:24 PM

Canoerebel

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I don't want the lead TF to chase sub sightings. It's the bell cow, leading the herd. I want it to go exactly where I tell it to go, but I want it to be an ASW TF leading the herd. So, for complex reasons, the TF commander has low aggression rating.

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Post #: 333

RE: Notes from a Small Island - 12/18/2017 3:17:07 PM

Canoerebel

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6/14/44

NoPac: No combat today, so nicely quiet. But no do is actually "quiet" when such massive military force are in close proximity. The Allies are working like crazy to attend to logistics, prep, readiness, etc.

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Post #: 334

RE: Notes from a Small Island - 12/19/2017 4:34:00 PM

Canoerebel

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6/16/44

Battle of the Kuriles: A one-sided, costly carrier battle today. The react feature and my defensive strike aircraft settings (range two to avoid CAP traps) left me in a pickle. It's not hopeless but it might be if the next turn is sour too. But I think the orders issued for tomorrow have a modest chance of success.

P.S. This is twice Erik's carriers have launched big attacks. Both times he hasn't said a thing, allowing me to run the turn with no forewarning that something was up. It's really a lot of fun to watch the movie and see events unfold without any tipping off ahead of time.

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Post #: 335

RE: Notes from a Small Island - 12/19/2017 4:52:31 PM

witpqs

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Hang in there, buddy, his fists can't take that kind of beating for long!

Speaking as someone who lost more carriers in a day than many people lose in a game, I found one of the most demoralizing things to your opponent is when that happens and you still achieve the objective of the operation.

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Post #: 336

RE: Notes from a Small Island - 12/19/2017 5:11:21 PM

Canoerebel

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Thanks, witpqs!

Let's see if I can pull a rabbit out of a hat or if I've stumbled into the lair of the Holy Grail's killer rabbit.

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Post #: 337

RE: Notes from a Small Island - 12/19/2017 5:13:19 PM

BBfanboy

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That's a big ouch on both sides - he lost an awful lot of strike aircraft.
I see he configured his TF to include some single E's to try and draw off your strikes. Had your carriers stuck with the herd his strikes would have been the ones split up by the number of targets. But maybe you can throw some ships out there to draw his next strikes? xAPs seem to get carrier strike attention so if you have some that are expendable ...

Also note the DD TFs that he might throw at you looking for carrier cripples.

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Post #: 338

RE: Notes from a Small Island - 12/19/2017 5:21:57 PM

Canoerebel

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He has a bigger combat TF trailing too, but it can't close unless he uses flank speed.

I've detached one DD TF to reverse course and try to mess with his vectors of approach. But I have a host of very big and powerful combat TFs that are supposed to follow the "Escort TF" of crippled carriers. If my TFs will obey orders it might be interesting. If they keep disobeying, well, I might end up applying for asylum in Ulan Bator.

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Post #: 339

RE: Notes from a Small Island - 12/19/2017 5:22:46 PM

Drakanel

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To be honest, I thought that after this turn you'd decide to go for it at this point, with massed combat TFs and carrier strikes

I know, I know, the wishful thinking of the peanut gallery who likes to see big battles

Still, if it all goes well you only lost one CVL. Plus some yard time for the other big flattops. He did lose a lot of aircrafts for this.

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Post #: 340

RE: Notes from a Small Island - 12/19/2017 5:27:34 PM

Canoerebel

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I did consider that, but my carrier TFs lost enough platforms and planes that I'd be at a disadvantage without the CVEs. And I couldn't figure out any way to go on the hunt and guarantee that the CVs and CVEs would stay together. So I deferred to a more defensive plan...but it's not really defensive as I think ERik will press that attack and my guys are set to strike. If he doesn't press the attack, I'll probably be okay and he'll have missed a chance. If he does press that attack, he'll probably leave me hurting very badly...yet there's a chance things might work out differently.

Very tense. Very fun.

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Post #: 341

RE: Notes from a Small Island - 12/20/2017 1:27:35 AM

Bif1961

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When I don't want to risk some of my overly aggressive carrier TF commanders reacting on their own and keeping my CV and CVE TFs together I have mt CV TFs following my CVE TFs and set reaction to zero.

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Post #: 342

RE: Notes from a Small Island - 12/20/2017 2:59:39 AM

Canoerebel

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6/18/44

NoPac: Of all things, Erik pulled his carriers back. It might've been a one-day thing to see if he could soak off Allied air attacks (he didn't, to any meaningful extent). He might come back...or he might have decided to pull his carriers back due to air losses. Is that reality or wishful thinking. I'll know tomorrow.

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< Message edited by Canoerebel -- 12/20/2017 3:00:42 AM >

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Post #: 343

RE: Notes from a Small Island - 12/20/2017 3:01:43 AM

BBfanboy

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Edit : NM!

< Message edited by BBfanboy -- 12/20/2017 3:05:42 AM >

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Post #: 344

RE: Notes from a Small Island - 12/20/2017 1:15:43 PM

Canoerebel

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New Mexico?

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Post #: 345

RE: Notes from a Small Island - 12/20/2017 1:18:40 PM

Canoerebel

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6/19/44

Erik sent the turn files and combat report document this a.m. As is my practice, I opened the combat report first. Sphincter clenching time....but it was totally blank. I wrote Erik back asking him to re-send. In the meantime, I ran the turn and learned why the report was blank. Nothing. Anywhere.

NoPac: Quiet around Death Star that may continue. Quiet around Shikuka that won't continue.

Lessons: I've just passed through a great fire (with more to come soon). I've learned a few things - mainly that there are a number of important things I need to know more about. One of the things I've learned is to do a few things differently from now on.

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Post #: 346

RE: Notes from a Small Island - 12/20/2017 2:30:21 PM

BBfanboy

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quote:

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

New Mexico?

I think it is internet textese for "never mind"!

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Post #: 347

RE: Notes from a Small Island - 12/20/2017 5:10:04 PM

crsutton

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You have some problems yet, but so does your opponent. I think you got what you planned for with minimal losses-considering the risk. Good operation. He has to deal with it. Opportunity should come from that.

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Post #: 348

RE: Notes from a Small Island - 12/20/2017 5:18:43 PM

Lokasenna

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quote:

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

6/19/44

Erik sent the turn files and combat report document this a.m. As is my practice, I opened the combat report first. Sphincter clenching time....but it was totally blank. I wrote Erik back asking him to re-send. In the meantime, I ran the turn and learned why the report was blank. Nothing. Anywhere.

The other way this can occur is that the combatreport.txt file is actually generated and appended to as the Japanese player runs the turn - each combat action is appended to the file when the Japanese player closes the combat report screen in-replay. It is safe to attach the wpae001.pws file to the email as soon as it is generated because the Japanese replay is not actually using that file, but the combatreport.txt can not be attached until the Japanese player has watched the full replay.

Of course, if nothing happened... that's the way you saw.

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Post #: 349

RE: Notes from a Small Island - 12/21/2017 2:57:33 PM

Canoerebel

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6/19/44

NoPac: Death Star and the Herd continue east, nearing Attu Island. Except for subs (a dangerous exception), it appears that Erik is not going to give chase.

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Post #: 350

RE: Notes from a Small Island - 12/21/2017 2:59:28 PM

Canoerebel

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quote:

ORIGINAL: crsutton
You have some problems yet, but so does your opponent. I think you got what you planned for with minimal losses-considering the risk. Good operation. He has to deal with it. Opportunity should come from that.

I think you're right on. Big Allied operation succeeds in establishing large airfields on Japan's doorstep, the Allied fleet gets into a very precarious situation, mostly manages to escape, and now a huge battle will take place on Erik's home field, where he'll have some advantages.

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Post #: 351

RE: Notes from a Small Island - 12/21/2017 3:05:36 PM

Canoerebel

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Three or four turns back, I thought it 90% likely the Allies were going to lose Death Star and a significant amount of the Herd, putting Sikhalin Island in serious jeopardy.

Against orders, my carriers reacted (part of the game). This left them badly out of position. They took serious damage that somehow ended up spread around rather than being decisive. But the cripples could only make three or four hexes per day, were in the shadow or Japanese airfields, were surrounded by hostiles, were threatened by enemy combat TFs getting in and creating havoc, and I didn't think it likely that I could re-assemble the carriers and the CVEs into one fighting force. It was like I had wandered into a box canyon, taken serious losses, and the way out was blocked.

Some of you have experienced this before: going deep into enemy territory, getting chewed on a bit, and then finding the extraction impossible. Bedeviled by enemy combat TFs and the carriers homing in for the kill, a bad situation devolves over the next two or three or four days until utter defeat with massive losses ensues. You try everything possible, finally scattering your ships to the wind in hopes that a small percentage might escape.

That's what I thought was going to happen. I was nearly certain it was going to happen.

In the end (to this point), I lost one ship - CVL Cowpens. It turned into some Houdini-like escape. Why? Probably the number of strike aircraft lost left Erik unable to press. And possibly his combat TFs weren't close enough to attack and he feared heavy losses without his carriers in close escort. Whatever the reasons, I'll glad.

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Post #: 352

RE: Notes from a Small Island - 12/21/2017 4:48:31 PM

Drakanel

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Do you have significant air assets stationed in the aleutians? If so, it seems like you could soon detach the "less damaged ships" in order to send them to repair faster, compared to the slower heavily damaged ships.

Would you mind posting a screenshot of the damaged carriers which are going to need repairs?
I'm a bit curious of how damaged they actually are :)

< Message edited by Drakanel -- 12/21/2017 4:50:40 PM >

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Post #: 353

RE: Notes from a Small Island - 12/21/2017 4:51:47 PM

Canoerebel

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Eventually I'll break up The Herd, but for awhile yet, I want everybody together, maximizing ASW capabilities and spreading risk among a host of ships.

I'll post some damage images in just a moment.

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Post #: 354

RE: Notes from a Small Island - 12/21/2017 4:54:41 PM

Canoerebel

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These are the most heavily damaged carriers.

Saratoga isn't on the list, even though she took a torpedo two days back. Her damage level is 0/2/0. That was another piece of good fortune.

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Post #: 355

RE: Notes from a Small Island - 12/21/2017 4:58:37 PM

Canoerebel

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6/19/44

I don't think any other Allied capital ships took any damage in the entire operation. No BBs, no CAs, no CLs. A few DDs got roughed up delivering an effective punch to that IJN CL/DD force on the way home three days back.

I lost a couple of xAKs and YMSs during the operation. That's it.

P.S. Appended is a list of Allied BBs. Massachusetts was damaged in SWPac, before I entered the game. She's nearing Pearl Harbor for repairs.

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Post #: 356

RE: Notes from a Small Island - 12/21/2017 5:25:14 PM

Drakanel

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That's actually less than I thought. System damage is pretty low all around, seems like none of those carriers is in immediate danger. Unless you are greeted by some other IJN subs, of course.

I don't know how much of that damage is major damage, but still only Lexington and Illustrious seems due for a long shipyard stay. Death From Above, Franklin and John Wick are not THAT badly damaged. The CVLs are smaller ships, and faster to repair.

P.S. Those names. THOSE NAMES! Gross!

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Post #: 357

RE: Notes from a Small Island - 12/21/2017 5:47:24 PM

Mark VII

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The USS John Wick is both appalling and hysterical.

quote:

ORIGINAL: Drakanel

P.S. Those names. THOSE NAMES! Gross!

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Post #: 358

RE: Notes from a Small Island - 12/21/2017 6:16:12 PM

Canoerebel

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The names are horrendous. I think they were given by SqzMyLemon, but he took over for Historiker, who possibly could be at fault.

I suggested long ago that we should invite Sqz back to the forum so that we could convene the old AE Kangaroo Court and fine him appropriately. (I don't wish to try him in absentia.)

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Post #: 359

RE: Notes from a Small Island - 12/21/2017 6:17:35 PM

Mike Solli