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Setting the Sun - DesertWolf 101 (A) vs Dutch_slith (J)

 
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Setting the Sun - DesertWolf 101 (A) vs Dutch_slith (J) - 5/17/2021 3:42:10 PM   
DesertWolf101

 

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No long break for me after the Empire of the Sun campaign - jumping straight into a new adventure, this time as the Allies vs Dutch-slith playing the Japanese.

We are playing stock Scenario 1 with fairly standard but minimal rules. Most prominently, PP paid to cross borders and aircraft altitude is restricted by year (max 20,000 in 1941/42 incrementally increasing to no max ceiling in 1945/46). Most novel for me is that Dutch elected to go with the Historical December 7th start and PDU OFF. Should be an interesting one!

One of the big advantages of the Historical start is of course the Netties get a go at the Prince of Wales and Repulse right off the bat. Both warships take about half a dozen torpedoes and are in desperate straits.

The Japanese Pearl Harbor strike was also pretty brutal - two battleships sunk outright and another with raging fires that can't seem to come under control. 25 Catalinas were also knocked out on the ground.




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RE: Setting the Sun - DesertWolf 101 (A) vs Dutch_slith... - 5/17/2021 3:49:59 PM   
DesertWolf101

 

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December 8, 1941

I sortied out my remaining warships in force to chase after the KB the next day. The KB pulled back so most of my task forces missed it with the exception of one destroyer squadron that engaged in a long drawn out fight with little success.





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RE: Setting the Sun - DesertWolf 101 (A) vs Dutch_slith... - 5/17/2021 3:56:29 PM   
DesertWolf101

 

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I did have a better go at it in the Philippines however, where my fighter squadrons gave a good account of themselves over Clark airfield. They successfully parried the initial Zero sweeps and overcame the heavy Zero escorts to push through and maul the bombers.




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RE: Setting the Sun - DesertWolf 101 (A) vs Dutch_slith... - 5/17/2021 11:00:06 PM   
Platoonist


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quote:

ORIGINAL: DesertWolf101

December 8, 1941

I sortied out my remaining warships in force to chase after the KB the next day. The KB pulled back so most of my task forces missed it with the exception of one destroyer squadron that engaged in a long drawn out fight with little success.





That is one gutsy desron tangling with the KB like that. Get those DD captains out there to sponsor some war bond drives.


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RE: Setting the Sun - DesertWolf 101 (A) vs Dutch_slith... - 5/18/2021 8:26:17 AM   
DesertWolf101

 

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quote:

ORIGINAL: Platoonist


quote:

ORIGINAL: DesertWolf101

December 8, 1941

I sortied out my remaining warships in force to chase after the KB the next day. The KB pulled back so most of my task forces missed it with the exception of one destroyer squadron that engaged in a long drawn out fight with little success.





That is one gutsy desron tangling with the KB like that. Get those DD captains out there to sponsor some war bond drives.



This early in the war I will take anything to raise the morale of the Homefront!

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RE: Setting the Sun - DesertWolf 101 (A) vs Dutch_slith... - 5/18/2021 8:33:43 AM   
DesertWolf101

 

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December 9, 1941

I decided to move some of my P-40E squadrons from Luzon to Hong Kong to ambush some of Dutch's bombing raids but he anticipated my move and sent in Zeros, Nates, and even the experimental Tojo squadron to deal with any opposition. I lost 6 P-40Es for 9 Zeros and 4 Nates confirmed destroyed.

Elsewhere in the South China Sea I struck at a fat Japanese troop carrying convoy with the three British destroyers that start off at Hong Kong and inflicted some decent damage even though all their torpedoes missed. Judging by the intel score card almost 300 devices/squads went down.




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RE: Setting the Sun - DesertWolf 101 (A) vs Dutch_slith... - 5/19/2021 12:48:58 AM   
DesertWolf101

 

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December 10, 1941

A busy day today.

I got my first submarine kill of the war when SS KXI sank a Japanese DMS with a fish near Saigon.

I attempted to interfere with the Japanese landings in northern Luzon with my PT and MTB task forces but the Imperial escorts were plentiful and my forays were repulsed. I also moved the British float planes and Vildebeests that start off at Hong Kong into Wenchow from where they struck out today and sank a small Japanese minelayer.

The most notable development from my side however was the entry of the USN fleet carriers into action. The Enterprise task force lashed out at Japanese shipping around Tarawa following Imperial landings there but only found four xAKLs for its trouble which were quickly sunk. Lexington's fortune however was significantly better - it sailed eight hexes to the west of Wake Island and encountered a Japanese invasion task force that was lurking about (likely waiting for the KB and other forces to arrive for the invasion of Wake). Two large armed merchant cruisers and a patrol boat were sunk despite some poor air coordination.




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RE: Setting the Sun - DesertWolf 101 (A) vs Dutch_slith... - 5/19/2021 3:12:58 AM   
Platoonist


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quote:

ORIGINAL: DesertWolf101



The most notable development from my side however was the entry of the USN fleet carriers into action. The Enterprise task force lashed out at Japanese shipping around Tarawa following Imperial landings there but only found four xAKLs for its trouble which were quickly sunk. Lexington's fortune however was significantly better - it sailed eight hexes to the west of Wake Island and encountered a Japanese invasion task force that was lurking about (likely waiting for the KB and other forces to arrive for the invasion of Wake). Two large armed merchant cruisers and a patrol boat were sunk despite some poor air coordination.





You're off to an impressive (and early) start at avenging Pearl Harbor. If I was the Japanese player, I'd be feeling a bit discouraged at getting gouged like this during the "victorious" phase of the war.


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RE: Setting the Sun - DesertWolf 101 (A) vs Dutch_slith... - 5/19/2021 8:36:43 AM   
DesertWolf101

 

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quote:

ORIGINAL: Platoonist


quote:

ORIGINAL: DesertWolf101



The most notable development from my side however was the entry of the USN fleet carriers into action. The Enterprise task force lashed out at Japanese shipping around Tarawa following Imperial landings there but only found four xAKLs for its trouble which were quickly sunk. Lexington's fortune however was significantly better - it sailed eight hexes to the west of Wake Island and encountered a Japanese invasion task force that was lurking about (likely waiting for the KB and other forces to arrive for the invasion of Wake). Two large armed merchant cruisers and a patrol boat were sunk despite some poor air coordination.





You're off to an impressive (and early) start at avenging Pearl Harbor. If I was the Japanese player, I'd be feeling a bit discouraged at getting gouged like this during the "victorious" phase of the war.



Thanks. I'm being a bit brazen in some areas though. It could come back to haunt me - perhaps as soon as next turn.

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RE: Setting the Sun - DesertWolf 101 (A) vs Dutch_slith... - 5/19/2021 7:26:49 PM   
DesertWolf101

 

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December 11, 1941

The day started on a good note. A concerted air operation against Batan Island knocked out a couple of recon planes on the ground and most importantly a destroyer and AV in port.




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RE: Setting the Sun - DesertWolf 101 (A) vs Dutch_slith... - 5/19/2021 7:32:17 PM   
DesertWolf101

 

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Meanwhile to the East, Lady Lex and her escorts flank sped towards Guam where a previously positioned Catalina squadron had picked up Japanese invasion shipping. Unfortunately, the USN carrier task force was too late to stop the Japanese from using their amphibious bonus to land all their forces during the night but it did inflict considerable pain in a number of strikes. Most prominently, the Japanese AR Akashi was sunk near Saipan. The following is the second of the main strikes against the invasion shipping off Guam.






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RE: Setting the Sun - DesertWolf 101 (A) vs Dutch_slith... - 5/19/2021 7:39:15 PM   
DesertWolf101

 

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Uh oh, it looks like Japanese morale is not so great at the moment - is this potentially another stillborn campaign?

"Well, you know how to ruin one's day... ;-)

I guess this will be the shortest grand campaign I'll ever play. Obviously "Historical Start" is not a good option when playing one of your skill."

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RE: Setting the Sun - DesertWolf 101 (A) vs Dutch_slith... - 5/19/2021 8:08:05 PM   
RangerJoe


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Not necessarily. If nothing else, he is learning to be more protective of his assets.

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RE: Setting the Sun - DesertWolf 101 (A) vs Dutch_slith... - 5/20/2021 5:43:52 AM   
Platoonist


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quote:

ORIGINAL: DesertWolf101

Uh oh, it looks like Japanese morale is not so great at the moment - is this potentially another stillborn campaign?



Future historians of this conflict will say; "The Rising Sun barely crested the horizon before it began to set".

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RE: Setting the Sun - DesertWolf 101 (A) vs Dutch_slith... - 5/20/2021 8:08:25 AM   
DesertWolf101

 

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It's certainly not a great start for the Empire but honestly I think he can still bring this around. Some of my major assets are in pretty exposed positions and he has yet to lose anything super critical.

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RE: Setting the Sun - DesertWolf 101 (A) vs Dutch_slith... - 5/20/2021 9:44:48 AM   
HansBolter


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quote:

ORIGINAL: DesertWolf101

It's certainly not a great start for the Empire but honestly I think he can still bring this around. Some of my major assets are in pretty exposed positions and he has yet to lose anything super critical.



+1


Talk of Jap players quitting over a few small setbacks is downright comical. They REALLY need to be FORCED to play the Allied side at least once and learn what it is like to suffer one major setback after another and be expected to keep right on taking it.

The foray to Wake was dangerous enough with the KB retiring from Pearl, but to push it all the way to Guam leaves the American carriers deep in Indian country. One would think most Jap players would be salivating over the opportunity it presents.

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RE: Setting the Sun - DesertWolf 101 (A) vs Dutch_slith... - 5/20/2021 11:57:29 AM   
RangerJoe


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quote:

ORIGINAL: HansBolter


quote:

ORIGINAL: DesertWolf101

It's certainly not a great start for the Empire but honestly I think he can still bring this around. Some of my major assets are in pretty exposed positions and he has yet to lose anything super critical.



+1


Talk of Jap players quitting over a few small setbacks is downright comical. They REALLY need to be FORCED to play the Allied side at least once and learn what it is like to suffer one major setback after another and be expected to keep right on taking it.

The foray to Wake was dangerous enough with the KB retiring from Pearl, but to push it all the way to Guam leaves the American carriers deep in Indian country. One would think most Jap players would be salivating over the opportunity it presents.


Especially the move at flank speed with not much fuel in the area. Breaking the KB into half or even thirds could cover more area and should be sufficient to take out the Lady Lex. Throwing Betties and Nells onto Saipan and Truk makes it even that much harder for the Lady.

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“Illegitemus non carborundum est (“Don’t let the bastards grind you down”).”
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RE: Setting the Sun - DesertWolf 101 (A) vs Dutch_slith... - 5/20/2021 12:13:50 PM   
GetAssista

 

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quote:

ORIGINAL: HansBolter
Talk of Jap players quitting over a few small setbacks is downright comical. They REALLY need to be FORCED to play the Allied side at least once and learn what it is like to suffer one major setback after another and be expected to keep right on taking it.

Even in the direst defeats Allied players are warmed up by the thought of how much they would receive in 44-45. Not so for JFBs - every major loss is a loss you cannot gloss over no matter what

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RE: Setting the Sun - DesertWolf 101 (A) vs Dutch_slith... - 5/20/2021 12:29:53 PM   
DanielAClark

 

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I predict that nothing bad will happen to DesertWolf's forces.

After all, he can predict the enemies moves with near miraculous precision.

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RE: Setting the Sun - DesertWolf 101 (A) vs Dutch_slith... - 5/20/2021 12:31:39 PM   
mind_messing

 

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quote:

ORIGINAL: HansBolter


quote:

ORIGINAL: DesertWolf101

It's certainly not a great start for the Empire but honestly I think he can still bring this around. Some of my major assets are in pretty exposed positions and he has yet to lose anything super critical.



+1


Talk of Jap players quitting over a few small setbacks is downright comical. They REALLY need to be FORCED to play the Allied side at least once and learn what it is like to suffer one major setback after another and be expected to keep right on taking it.

The foray to Wake was dangerous enough with the KB retiring from Pearl, but to push it all the way to Guam leaves the American carriers deep in Indian country. One would think most Jap players would be salivating over the opportunity it presents.


I'll preface this by stating that I agree that these setbacks are small fry in the big picture of things.

The problem is that the early weeks and months are absolutely critical for Japan to enable a firm base for a competitive late-war game. Even minor setbacks such as these can have substantial consequences, perhaps not immediately, but in the weeks to come.

Shipping that is sunk or has to be diverted can play havoc with invasion schedules, especially in areas east of Truk where transit times are that much longer, and the number of units to hand for offensive operations is quite limited. In other words, it likely won't have an impact on the first wave invasions, but it absolutely does interfere with second and third wave invasions in areas that can be key stepping stones for the Allied counter-offensive.

While each of these engagements alone is fairly trivial, in aggregate they can wrestle the initiative off Japan. Doing that this early in the war, where Japan has little if any preparations in place, can lead to a very short game.

At the end of the day, if you're playing the Allies and suffering one major setback after another, then you're playing it wrong. The name of the game there is a calculated defence, and there's plenty of ocean for the Allies to operate in where they can gain local superiority and throw sand in the IJ engines, as we can see here.

On the flipside, the IJ side needs to be diligent in minimizing scope for the Allies to interfere with operations, as well as plan in advance for losses and setbacks. From my own experience and what I've seen elsewhere, it seems a common trend for less experienced IJ players to be really thrown off kilter when an invasion convoy gets wiped out and lose steam, where a more experienced player has a contingency plan to account for this.

As a more general observation, the Allies in '41-42 is plain sailing compared to IJ in '45. The two aren't even in the same order of magnitude

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RE: Setting the Sun - DesertWolf 101 (A) vs Dutch_slith... - 5/20/2021 1:15:25 PM   
DesertWolf101

 

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quote:

ORIGINAL: DanielAClark

I predict that nothing bad will happen to DesertWolf's forces.

After all, he can predict the enemies moves with near miraculous precision.


Ha no pressure!

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RE: Setting the Sun - DesertWolf 101 (A) vs Dutch_slith... - 5/20/2021 1:24:54 PM   
DesertWolf101

 

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Some good points all around. mind_messing and GetAssista are both correct that these losses/defeats matter given both the limited Japanese resources and the lack of time before the Allied war machine kicks in. The question right now though is whether I will get away with it or not. If I end up losing Lady Lex and her escorts then Dutch's losses will be well worth it. Right now I still have enough bunker fuel to get home, but it's starting to get tight and I am definitely in hostile seas...

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RE: Setting the Sun - DesertWolf 101 (A) vs Dutch_slith... - 5/20/2021 1:36:32 PM   
DesertWolf101

 

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The Lexington Task Force's position. The greatest immediate danger is from the heavy cruisers to the southwest and to a lesser extent the light cruiser/destroyer force to the southeast. The KB will be arriving near Wake Island this turn and even closer if Dutch decides to flank. I imagine he will also be in the process of bringing in more search assets and naval bombers into the area.




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RE: Setting the Sun - DesertWolf 101 (A) vs Dutch_slith... - 5/20/2021 3:21:32 PM   
RangerJoe


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Make sure that you have a TF with ships ready to come to the Lady's aid. They can have an oiler follow them.

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RE: Setting the Sun - DesertWolf 101 (A) vs Dutch_slith... - 5/20/2021 8:58:37 PM   
DesertWolf101

 

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December 12, 1941

Lady Lex managed to evade enemy attack for another day as it starts to pull out towards safe waters. Unfortunately Guam fell today and I lost the only base in the immediate area from where I could provide good naval search in support. Hong Kong fortifications were also reduced from 3 to 1 in a single attack by the Japanese so that garrison is unlikely to hold out for much longer.

The main action for this turn however occurred in the Malay peninsula. The Japanese built up a considerable aerial presence in Kota Bharu to threaten Singapore, so I decided to go on the offensive with what I had rather than wait to be overwhelmed. I struck Kota Bharu's airfields with a light cruiser task force during the night and immediately followed this with a strong air attack during the day. The defending Japanese fighters were well thinned out by the night bombardment which allowed my Buffalo escorts to do their job and keep the bombers largely intact. The results were very good, and should hopefully slow down the Japanese air offensive on Singapore quite a bit.






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RE: Setting the Sun - DesertWolf 101 (A) vs Dutch_slith... - 5/20/2021 9:40:53 PM   
RangerJoe


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Even with the Fog Of War, that has to hurt early when some of the pools are skimpy.

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Seek peace but keep your gun handy.

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“Illegitemus non carborundum est (“Don’t let the bastards grind you down”).”
― Julia Child


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RE: Setting the Sun - DesertWolf 101 (A) vs Dutch_slith... - 5/20/2021 10:29:43 PM   
mind_messing

 

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Run NNE, and send some ships from Pearl (tankers if you have them, but anything really) for to refuel once you're out in the wastes SW of the Aleutians.

It's a big black hole for Japanese search at this point.

You get style points if, after refuelling, you make some raids on Hokkaido and the Sakhalin shipping lanes too.


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RE: Setting the Sun - DesertWolf 101 (A) vs Dutch_slith... - 5/20/2021 11:28:46 PM   
GetAssista

 

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quote:

ORIGINAL: DesertWolf101
... so I decided to go on the offensive with what I had rather than wait to be overwhelmed

Curb your aggressive enthusiasm for a week or two, or your opponent will surrender prematurely
He is not yet deeply invested, the game just started, it is too early to reel in with full force

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RE: Setting the Sun - DesertWolf 101 (A) vs Dutch_slith... - 5/21/2021 7:42:31 AM   
Platoonist


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The Lexington's one-lady war on Japan is quite inspiring for the folks on the home-front.

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RE: Setting the Sun - DesertWolf 101 (A) vs Dutch_slith... - 5/21/2021 12:11:15 PM   
BBfanboy


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quote:

ORIGINAL: Platoonist

The Lexington's one-lady war on Japan is quite inspiring for the folks on the home-front.


DesertWolf101: "That was no lady - that was my ... Alpha Female?"

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