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That would be bad enough but the KB shows up, apparently sprinting down from the North because they literally bypassed about 20 AK's headed for the PI in singlets about 2 hexes apart.
One of the CVE TF's with 6 CVE's stops to refuel itself so is about 200 nm east of the CV's and the other 6 CVE's. They take the main brunt of the huge carrier attack, losing one CVE outright and 5 other CVE's damaged. USN has a huge CAP up and the IJN planes pay a high price (about 350 destroyed). The USN TBF's are attacking Guam AF in the morning so the US counterattack is all SBD's but without adequate fighter escort so we pay a high price as well (about 125 planes) and fail to achieve a single hit on a carrier. A Jap afternoon attack goes after the USN and RN CV's but is murdered by the CAP and AAA and achieves no hits. Half the returning CVE TBF's from the Guam attack have no place to land so the remnants start landing on the CV's instead and every single CV except Essex is unable to conduct flight ops because of overstacking.
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I am having 6 bathrooms and the kitchen remodeled by a mostly Israeli contracting crew. The bosses are all Israeli and the workers are all Mexican.
I tried to save the countertops in the kitchen but the contractor was right. Many of the cabinets were wrecked by leaks. The sinks needed to be replaced as well. I found an Egyptian mouse under the built in microwave. I know he was Egyptian because he was a mummy. He looked like a furry King Tut. I think he was from the Classical Era.
So many decisions.
I go around asking people..."does this seem like a warm gray or a cool gray"?
Can you disband or withdraw any of those CVE squadrons and transfer the planes to the CV squadrons? If that can be done you get replenishment and the number or squadrons can be reduced to 5.
BTW that grey looks "moldy mouse gray" to me ...
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quote:
ORIGINAL: BBfanboy
Can you disband or withdraw any of those CVE squadrons and transfer the planes to the CV squadrons? If that can be done you get replenishment and the number or squadrons can be reduced to 5.
BTW that grey looks "moldy mouse gray" to me ...
Right. I tried that. Doesn't work. You cant disband remnants of a carrier squadron into another squadron at sea. I was able to get 3 CV's and 3 undamaged CVE's to operational status by flying off remnants or full (but depleted) squadrons off to Ponape and Eniwetok and USS Long Island to get the group number under 5. This doesn't work if you have to leave any damaged planes from the squadron behind because they still count in the group total. In a few cases I was able to bring in full F6F and TBF squadrons from Ponape. In a few cases there were good pilots trapped on heavily damaged CVE's. You can get them out with transfer.
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Anyway..so we have parts of two regiments already ashore at Tinian. All the amphibious group are ordered to run away with light surface forces covering them and the CV's and undamaged CVE's which still have quite a capable fighter force.
The lads on Tinian (about 1500 troops) get a unit citation. We have to protect the remaining 100,000. The Aussie commandos on Anathan are able to safely re-embark and get away. Somehow, one of the staff forgets to press the cancel unload button on one of the amphibious groups at Tinian and freaking Musashi apparently still has some burrets reft. A CL/DD cover force does a creditable job of defending them but four transports are hit and nobody else gets ashore.
The heavily damaged CVE's try to make Eniwetok (several under tow). I wouldn't give them much of a chance. Except for the screw up for the amphibious group at Tinian the withdrawal goes tremendously well. The KB retreats to Pagan (probably to restore their air groups which have been decimated so the USN CV's and battle ready CVE's move out of range of the KB. The IJN brings in at least 160 Nells and Bettys and many Tojos and Zekes to Saipan, which is undamaged, and Rota and a few to Guam which IS damaged but can apparently still operate fighters. The come at the CV's and massive knot of troops transports in perfect order and they are murdered by a CAP of about 200 F6F's and F4F's. About 150 Nettys shot down and 50 Zekes and Tojos. A few get through and are shot to pieces by the 11,000 pt AAA of the USN/RN carrier TF.
< Message edited by Cap Mandrake -- 4/19/2021 2:31:58 PM >
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When the sun comes up, the IJN carrier bombers can't reach the UNS/RN carriers or the main transports but they can reach the poor bastards converted to hulks at Tinian...and sink 4 with the loss of about 2500 troops.
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There is a massive movement of Jap air resources from Singapore and Malaya and Kendari and Boela toward the Marianas and Beazelbob. These are picked up by our recon so we take advantage of this "opportunity":
1) A snap landing of 2 Aussie brigades at Sibolga which goes very well owing to the movement of the IJN bombers from Singers. We surge medium bombers to Sinabong and mess the IJA garrison unit at Sibolga. RAF fighters from Sinabong shoot down a bunch of Lillys and Sallys trying to hit landing forces. The IJN sends a cruiser force up the west coast of Sumatra but they are spotted and we suspend landing operations. Even so there are enough forces ashore to take the place the next day.
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2) Kendari is almost completely stripped so we move some P-38's to Koepang and send all the B-24's from Darwin in one giant raid and wreck the AF in one attack.
3) Boela has only about 20 planes and the surface force guarding there is also dispatched toward the Marianas so we bring in P-47's and Hurris and P-40K's and sweep the plce clean. The next day the B-24's switch over to Boela and wreck the AF. This allows a big resupply of Dobo (level 8 now) and Kaimana on NW NG (level 5) so we finally have air superiority over Kendari and Ceram. The next day the remaining Jap A/C move over to Ambon so we sweep the crap out it and then turn loose the B-24's again and Ambon AF is KO'ed.
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Meanwhile, the poor bastard wrecked CVE's are not having fun. One succumbs to flooding on its own. One is sunk by Jap carrier planes while making 4 kts. 3 other are caught be subs while making 6-8 kts.
So that is 3 BB, 2 DDs, 6 CVE's, 4 AP's and 4000 soldiers (counting those ashore at Tinian which give up after about a week). 4 CVE's damaged but survive.
Japs loose about 600 planes including 150+ Nettys and hundreds of carrier planes and we lose about 180 but this includes essentially 2 SBD-5 CV squadrons which are hard to replace.
All the other transports make it back to New Ireland and Ponape.
The only thing that can be said is it opened up opportunities in the Sundas and Sulawese
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Situation in the PI. The LYBs have sanitized Palawan and Panay. Cebu is holding but some retard ordered an attack by 81st PA Div against a depleted IJA Bn there......just as a full Jap division was landing.
Serious steamroller ashore on Mindanao. We have managed to shoot down a LOT of Jap fighters who are covering the operation from Luzon and sink a bunch of AK's...but they still have 33K LYB's at Butuan.
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JJ seem to have worked out that the Marianas are not the target anymore. We staged B-24D's and Navy B-24's at Biak (NW NG) and managed a surprise raid on Manado AF and on Butuan AF on Mindanao but now they have surged a very large number of fighters to Manado and Ternate....obvious targets if we are going to get to Mindanao via this route.
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Lexington II (Essex class) arrives in 4 d.
4 CVE's damaged in the Marianas disaster ready in 15-20 d. The lads on Mindanao will just have to hold out while we attrit our way up through the Moluccas and Sulawese. Can't say we didn't try
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Sumatra: The loss of 150+ Netties during the Marianas fight has made the operation in Sumatra easier. JJ has a strong defensive position North of Medan so we are trying to hack our way through the jungle and have landed at Sibolga and will try to walk over to the Malacca Strait and cut off Medan. Already, Palembang is within droptank range of Batoe-elanden for P-38's and F6F's. Langsa and Sabang are buildable to level 9 AFs....which will be the end of Palembang and Singapore.
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After the aborted attack on the Marinaras JJ has added a whole bunch on meatballs and probably spicy sausages too.
40K LYB's now on Guam. 12K on Rota. 28K on Saipan. You would now need a full Corps at Guam and Saipan each and battleships full of HE rounds to take the places. Oh, well.
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I ordered a beautiful 72 in twin sink bathroom vanity. It's from Vietnam. Some organization called "Highbury Furnishings". It's the Khe Sanh model with easy open drawers and marble countertop.
I just realized it has no backstop so I will have to reinforce it with some amphibious troops..err..I mean tiles.
< Message edited by Cap Mandrake -- 4/29/2021 1:58:01 PM >
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Speaking of artillery, you should see the "tub filler" for the stand alone tub. It's bronze and it must weigh about 25 lbs. It looks like an 81 mm mortar. It's about 3 1/2 feet tall. Damn thing cost more than the tub. I have been watching the price fluctuate daily. Allegedly it has to do with metal prices but I am not buying that. Its just like airline tickets now. The consumers think they have the upper hand with on-line purchasing but the sellers have better data and they track your google searches and then the algorithm senses when you are an easy mark and you get an ad like "BRONZE PRICE REACHES 40 WEEK ROLLING AVERAGE MINIMUM WITH A DOUBLE INFLECTION POINT! COVID RELIEF CHECKS EXPECTED TO CREATE SURGE IN HIGH END BATH FIXTURES! ACT NOW TO LOCK IN SAVINGS!"
< Message edited by Cap Mandrake -- 4/29/2021 2:08:37 PM >
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Probably, yes. Gruppenfuhrer Braun is now Reichsmarshall of the Treasury. Anyone know which thing controls the elevation. I think it's pointed in about the right direction if I open the window
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Base plates make it more stable but they are not needed. Just point and shoot. The best for range is an elevation of a little over 45 degrees. I suggest using Willy Pete ammunition.
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quote:
ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake
After the aborted attack on the Marinaras JJ has added a whole bunch on meatballs and probably spicy sausages too.
40K LYB's now on Guam. 12K on Rota. 28K on Saipan. You would now need a full Corps at Guam and Saipan each and battleships full of HE rounds to take the places. Oh, well.