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RE: Notes from a Small Island - 6/6/2018 11:05:23 PM   
BBfanboy


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Status: offline 		Can't DS get between KB and his ports and chase him all the way to North America? Too hard to track him?

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RE: Notes from a Small Island - 6/7/2018 1:02:38 AM   
Canoerebel


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Status: offline 		That's a possibility, especially if he used fuel in a flank speed run (I don't know that yet). But, yes, the downside to that plan is that it's hard to catch a fast TF that doesn't want to be caught. It comes down to dice rolls as to whether he goes north or south or whatever. Am I better off just staying where I am and focusing on the center of the vortex or is it worthwhile to give it a try. A lot of factors go into that decision. I've barely started listing them in my head for decision-making sometime tonight.

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RE: Notes from a Small Island - 6/7/2018 1:04:51 AM   
Canoerebel


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Status: offline 		It is interesting that Erik went with his hunch that I wouldn't deploy DS to intervene. That's my history but he took a long chance (and the right one, it turns out) in making the decision. Now he knows that I know he has a strong feeling for what I do under these (and other) circumstances. So what does he think I will do next time? What do I think he thinks I'll do.

Games within the game. A great deal of fun.

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RE: Notes from a Small Island - 6/7/2018 1:18:53 AM   
Canoerebel


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Ketoi: This list shows the better ships sunk on the day: TKs and AOs.

The question is whether to send Death Star south to intervene or to keep it on station to deal with Ketoi and the bombardment TFs and all that's going on there. I'm not close to making that decision yet.







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< Message edited by Canoerebel -- 6/7/2018 1:23:23 AM >

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RE: Notes from a Small Island - 6/7/2018 1:32:04 AM   
Canoerebel


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Status: offline 		If the enemy carrier TF is the one sighted yesterday south of Hokkaido (as shown two pages back), it moved 16 hexes today - flank speed. Or this might be a different TF that came in from another angle, so that I'd be mistaken in concluding it used flank speed. But I think it probably did.

I think Erik will err on the side of me committing Death Star. I think he'll pull back. But he might not.

I think I'll move Death Star south a bit, rendezvousing with those TFs nearest, while sending those furthest at flank speed to the Aleutians.

That's my early thought, anyhow.

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RE: Notes from a Small Island - 6/7/2018 12:32:29 PM   
Canoerebel


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Status: offline 		There were two important but incompatible goals for the next turn: (1) get all the big bombardment TFs at Ketoi back to Shikuka to replenish for the next round; and (2) try to offer whatever protection was possible to the Herd of Empties, in light of KB's proximity.

I elected to try both: (1) The bombardment TFs to detach from Death Star and make the run to Shikuka without carrier support (relying on P-38s on LRCAP from that base for cover); and (2) DS to move back into the Pacific, with some Empties TFs rallying to that spot and others moving at full speed towards the Aleutians.

This plan involves all kinds of risks, so I'm anxious to see what happened. I'll be able to run the turn in about two hours.

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RE: Notes from a Small Island - 6/7/2018 2:26:46 PM   
Canoerebel


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Ketoi: The opening moments of a new turn, watching the action but also trying to get a feel for what's where.




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RE: Notes from a Small Island - 6/7/2018 2:46:43 PM   
Canoerebel


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Ketoi: It's pretty clear by this point that Erik has pulled KB back, so that the Empties have a window of at least this day to continue towards safety. Also, it seems that the big bombardment TFs are safely on their way to (or already arrived at) Shikuka.





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RE: Notes from a Small Island - 6/7/2018 3:06:30 PM   
Canoerebel


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Paramushiro: Large Allied sweeps followed by escorting bombing raids vs. heavy enemy CAP. The sweeping fighters perform very well, which is a significant, but enough enemy fighters remain to give the 4EB a hard time.

I get the feeling that Allied fighters are beginning to gain an edge in aerial combat.

This graphic includes all the sweeps but only the two largest escorted raids. There were several smaller ones that suffered modest losses.





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RE: Notes from a Small Island - 6/7/2018 5:11:38 PM   
Canoerebel


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Ketoi: Except for heavy aerial combat over Ketoi and the continued fighting in Burma, it was a quiet turn. That was a good thing.

The next order of business is to set up the infrastructure to allow a long series of bombardments of Ketoi. That should take a couple of days.






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RE: Notes from a Small Island - 6/7/2018 10:39:58 PM   
Canoerebel


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NoPac: There are three main items of interest as this turn opens: (1) getting Death Star back on station without incident; (2) marshalling the Empties Herd to safety; and (3) sweeps against heavy enemy fighter concentration at Sapporo.

As the turn opens, DS indeed makes it's way just inside the Kuriles and it seems that there's no enemy carriers close to the Herd.

The Sapporo sweeps open with this encounter. Subsequent encounters are smaller and less one-sided. Overall, the Allied fighters come out ahead but not by a remarkable margin.




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RE: Notes from a Small Island - 6/8/2018 2:57:21 PM   
Canoerebel


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Ketoi: This is the first bombardment TF to come straight from Shikuka, as opposed to detaching from DS.

This is to test the logistics - what route does it take, how long does it take, what kind of detection does Erik get, etc.

If this is an accurate test, it's a four-day process: Day 1 depart Shikuka, Day 2 bombard, Day 3 retire towards Shikuka, Day 4 reach Shikuka. If that's the case, I can set up a rotating system so that bombardments occur each day.

Erik will catch on and take countermeasures, so the more enemy subs and MTBs I can take out, the better. Thank goodness for all the subs taken out since the Siege of Shikuka began on September 1.




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RE: Notes from a Small Island - 6/8/2018 3:01:28 PM   
Canoerebel


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Ketoi: It might be helpful to intermix 4-DD ASW TFs with the bombardment TFs to deal with the threat.




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RE: Notes from a Small Island - 6/8/2018 3:06:00 PM   
Canoerebel


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Ketoi: Small bombardment has little effect.




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RE: Notes from a Small Island - 6/8/2018 3:10:40 PM   
Canoerebel


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Ketoi: Allies subs have scored five or six hits on enemy subs over the past six weeks. Sound was turned down, so I don't know if the I-boat went down.




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RE: Notes from a Small Island - 6/8/2018 3:12:41 PM   
Canoerebel


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Ketoi: The Venturas contribute a bit.





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RE: Notes from a Small Island - 6/8/2018 3:27:24 PM   
Canoerebel


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KB: In the open waters of the Pacific.




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RE: Notes from a Small Island - 6/8/2018 3:33:04 PM   
Canoerebel


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Burma: Erik withdrew from Toungoo yesterday, consolidating his forces in the hex to the SW. My forces will take a few days to come up - a few will linger at Toungoo, in hopes that upgrades will take effect.

I hope Erik continues to stand in the jungle, and I think he will. I prefer for the stalemate to continue for the time being, keeping the Japanese MLR very far forward. IMO, it's too far forward. Erik knows exactly what he's doing, recognizes how forward he is, has plans for when and how to retire if various eventualities to crop up.




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RE: Notes from a Small Island - 6/8/2018 3:36:14 PM   
Canoerebel


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Ketoi: Allied bombardment counterproductive. I'll rest my guys a few days. Then they'll attack, with the primary objective being to reduce the 4 forts.

Reinforcements are prepping at Shikuka, including 6th Division. I may bring in at least a RCT in the near term, hoping that massed LCI(G) gunships will have a positive effect on enemy shoreguns and dug-in infantry.






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RE: Notes from a Small Island - 6/8/2018 4:56:54 PM   
Lokasenna


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quote:

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

10/20/44

Ketoi: It might be helpful to intermix 4-DD ASW TFs with the bombardment TFs to deal with the threat.





3-ship ASW TFs are optimal.

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RE: Notes from a Small Island - 6/8/2018 5:47:30 PM   
Canoerebel


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Status: offline 		I didn't know that. Is there some practical reason for that or just a peculiarity of game mechanics?

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RE: Notes from a Small Island - 6/8/2018 6:48:24 PM   
Canoerebel


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Strategic Situation: Erik remains potent and cagey, but I feel good about the Allied position at the moment. Well, "good" in all respects except the actual score.

When I stepped in beginning March 1, 1944, the Allied front lines were pretty far back and their OOB was weighted very heavily to New Guinea and vicinity.

I've managed to leapfrog forward, seize Sikhalin Island, and withstand the furious, prolonged, costly counterattack by the Japanese. (That was an intense and memorable campaign.)

Taking over, I had no expectations about a projected date of victory. I felt like the game would go into 1946. It probably still will but at least I'm in a position where it's possible to attack the Home Islands in strength.

I think the Japanese navy has suffered serious attrition. The Japanese army and air force remain very strong. The Japanese commander remains very formidable.







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RE: Notes from a Small Island - 6/8/2018 7:09:51 PM   
Canoerebel


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CV Lexington: This is the only ship damaged in the June naval battles still in a shipyard.

The FM-2 fighter squadron is indicative of the situation at the front. All available Hellcat and Corsair squadrons are aboard carriers or at Toyohara or Shikuka.

VF-9 must have been destroyed during the June clashes, except for a detachment of 5 planes (now whittled to one) that ended up at Shikuka. VF-9 reforms at San Fran in 11 days, so it will take over fighter duties aboard Lex (assuming I can find enough airframes and qualified pilots).






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RE: Notes from a Small Island - 6/8/2018 7:13:14 PM   
HansBolter


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quote:

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

I didn't know that. Is there some practical reason for that or just a peculiarity of game mechanics?



Apparently a peculiarity of mechanics.

Symon stated long ago that three ships is optimal as the fourth adds nothing to the equation.

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RE: Notes from a Small Island - 6/8/2018 7:21:52 PM   
HansBolter


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quote:

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

10/20/44

Ketoi: Allied bombardment counterproductive. I'll rest my guys a few days. Then they'll attack, with the primary objective being to reduce the 4 forts.

Reinforcements are prepping at Shikuka, including 6th Division. I may bring in at least a RCT in the near term, hoping that massed LCI(G) gunships will have a positive effect on enemy shoreguns and dug-in infantry.








You have had at least two good examples now of what I elaborated on earlier.

While you need the overstack to take the heavily defended, heavily fortified base, bombarding while overstacked is counterproductive.

Resting between attacks needs to be full rest w/o bombardments.

I also found that not attacking with the full stack resulted in less massive casualties to the attacker.

In taking heavily fortified Tinian I launched each attack designed to lower the fort by one point each with ONE division, ONE combat engineer regiment, ONE tank battalion and all of the artillery including the artillery organic to the non-attacking divisions.

Next turn, that assault group rests, while another assault group with the same configuration as the first performs a similar attack.

I had three divisions, three combat engineer regiments and three tank battalions.

After three straight days of deliberate attacks reducing the forts by three points I rested for two days and repeated the sequence.

This means each attack group got five days rest before attacking again.

With this technique, I had the forts reduced from 9 to 3 after two full rounds of staggered attacks.

At that point I rested again and shock attacked taking the base.

This is how to take a level 9 fort with 15+ LCU in it.

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RE: Notes from a Small Island - 6/8/2018 7:55:40 PM   
BillBrown


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Status: offline 		Excellent advice Hans. Thank you.

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RE: Notes from a Small Island - 6/8/2018 8:21:04 PM   
HansBolter


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Status: offline 		Of course the entire duration of attacks and resting was also filled with daily airfield, port and troop bombing and naval bombardments.

The fort reductions can be realized even with 1:2 odds as long as combat engineers are participating.

And of course, eliminating supply before launching attacks, or at least before trying the final shock attack is always beneficial

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RE: Notes from a Small Island - 6/8/2018 8:30:47 PM   
Canoerebel


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Status: offline 		Thanks, Hans.

Before reading your post, I'd already sent the turn back to Erik. It's supposed to include two naval bombardments, air bombings, and an attack by combat engineers combined with armor. Infantry fatigue is still too high for an attack. If forts drop by one, it'll be a success.

Thereafter, I'll see if I can work out a rotation system along the lines you spell out.

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RE: Notes from a Small Island - 6/8/2018 8:56:42 PM   
GetAssista

 

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quote:

ORIGINAL: HansBolter
In taking heavily fortified Tinian I launched each attack designed to lower the fort by one point each with ONE division, ONE combat engineer regiment, ONE tank battalion and all of the artillery including the artillery organic to the non-attacking divisions.

Great advice. I just chime in with noting that in assaults tanks' disruption/fatigue accumulates much slower compared to infantry LCUs. So you can attack with tanks again and again.

In fact I suspect that tank LCUs with some infantry squads in them report inflated disruption/fatigue for the unit specifically because infantry guys are such snowflakes. And tank devices are ok even if unit d/f figure is still high.

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RE: Notes from a Small Island - 6/8/2018 10:34:26 PM   
HansBolter


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Status: offline 		Just so I don't come across as some kind of expert, I didn't go in with that technique in mind.

I learned the hard way that my first approach of an all out shock attack with everything wasn't going to work.
After the initial disastrous shock attack with 4 divisions plus all the assets, the 4th Marine division, which took the brunt of the assault, was gutted to less than 1/2 strength.


I decided to pull it out, to allow it to recover and reduce my over stack a bit.
Then I started experimenting with limited deliberate attacks with the three remaining divisions aimed specifically at fort reduction and came up with the rotation system to facilitate it.


Another small point that I'm sure anyone with decent experience in experimenting with sieges likely already knows, as the forts drop bombing and naval bombardments increase in effectiveness, keeping disruption high, until a critical point is reached where the defenders are ready to collapse and getting a feel for this is critical in knowing when to go ahead with the shock attack.



Land warfare in this game is an interesting model that requires trial and error to get a handle on.

< Message edited by HansBolter -- 6/8/2018 10:47:02 PM >

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