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Hartmann -> (5/31/2002 2:06:28 AM)
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Thanks guys for all the suggestions! :)
To those who asked: after having taken a severe beating in the very beginning where I lost 3 carriers and several CAs, I got my act together. The key to victory is the "Mogami" strategy (drawn from the IChristie AAR), which means: whatever you do, do it with overwhelming force only. (For even if you think you do, you may experience that it was just enough!) I never do twenty little raids and stuff at a time, but instead I always hoard forces for the next big step. When it is time, I do some distraction first, to keep the enemy off balance. Then I strike in a huge coordinated operation (just like the IJN doctrine really stated, even though they always failed because the plans were to complicated :)).
When I took PM, I had hoarded a huge amount of troops and APs in Rabaul. Before I set them in motion, two bombarding TFs, all fresh, began going in and out repeatedly. At the same time round the clock bombing from Rabaul began with Bettys and Nells, all pilots just coming from a big vacation! :) So, the big airfield was put out of action very hard very soon.
I had new carriers (I was lucky to have chosen the no Midway option), and this time I was much better prepared. I take always 15 ships in my CV TFs and choose the Destroyers with the best AA. I set the Cap low in Thunderstorms only, but to 70% (thanks dgaad!) when an engagement is near. I placed the CVs so that I could equally reach the Solomons and NG fast. The Allies took the bait and attacked the small force of APs and CLs I had sent to Lunga. They were totally off guard when I attacked them. After they had lost carrier superiority, the AI made the big mistake to send out single-carrier TFs as soon as they got a new CV (only in the last engagement, they again had two CVs).
Btw: if my carrier battle would have failed, I would have broken off the PM operation.
The transports (including minesweepers and destroyers) were attacked by Hudsons and Mitchels plus some subs on their way to PM, but there were only a few hits.
After the first landed troops where wiped out piecemeal by Allied shock attacks I landed on Lea Lea instead to avoid that. When everone and his grandma was there, I marched to PM. Indeed it turned out that what I brought was just enough.
The Allies tried to send relief forces to PM, but my subs, CAs and the carriers snuffed them out on their way. They lost more than 10 APs alone in this!
Btw when I had set things in motion from Rabaul, the operation was so big I had zero fuel and little supplies left!
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With respect to the future planning, I think that the most sound strategy (besides the boring "digging in") would be to cut off Australia further by getting Luganville and Noumea. Btw. I tried the port raiding attack method with the carriers, but all it achieved was Allied ground force losses (sic!), and a too huge percentage of my vals were damaged or destroye for my taste. So I stopped that. Maybe I'll try again with the Bettys from Lunga.
Hmm, Mogami goes for Luganville. So nobody seems to have tried Australia yet! Am I so daring? I still don't know, but maybe I'll do just that ... :)
Hartmann
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