dasboot1960 -> RE: The battle of Luzon about to begin! (8/25/2009 6:49:36 PM)
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Greetings Aztez: All should bow low to honor your willingness to keep up an AAR[&o][&o][&o].(I'm keeping a SIGINT summary spreadsheet and that's about all I can stand. I hope it might give fruit down the road). I am playing Allies PBEM versus a longtime wargame opponent going back to pre-computer days. 1 day turns, now at 12/24/41. We both are novices at the game, but well versed on the subject, so daily adjustments seemd like a good idea particularly for him early on.(Now I doubt my sanity) a few things........ I am amazed at your sortie rates for both sides, about 3/2 vs what I'm seeing and generating. Some of this may be because our carriers have been less involved. You've probably lost enough sleep over L&E[:-], but suffice it to say even going back as far as the old USN boardgame, When considering early USN CV ops... DON'T. It's painful to wait, they're beautiful, some missions can look so tempting....Maybe if one is absolutely sure where KB is... then MAYBE. My thinking is you can't afford to get caught toe-to-toe unless you have at least four, and even that is potentially awful given TBDs. I agree with you on Malaya, too bad my two brigades up north had to get cut off and minced before I saw the light...... China.......the great unspeakable. I haven't told my opponent not to look here, but I think the small guerilla unit idea is good(I didn't even notice that divide unit button)and I'm going to have another look at my replacement settings. Basically I have replacements on for everyone who might see a japanese. Is it possible your opponent didn't realize there was only one way up to Clark with the BBs? This seems to be a rare error on his part. ASW - almost all of my cargo has been going unescorted, and I have paid some; almost lost QE off San Fran - I figured her the least likely to get run down by a sub..... Cargo losses hurt more than the ships - but that's classified. My IJN put a double ring of subs around PH which required adding DDs on ASW sweeps(on top of the small craft) to beat them down. We have combat reports on, and I'm fairly sure he lost at least two. I also have almost every ASW asset on USWC doing similar sweeps, (my approach is if I see it I prosecute it) and most of the air on search with a 40/40 ASW/search split. He's starting to scatter a little now, but may just need more torps. I was at first dismayed there was no 'IJN sub doctrine' but haven converted even in my pain. I am a firm believer that every early advantage should go to the IJ.(perhaps luckily, my opponent refused to play the enhanced Japanaese scen) I tried some night air ops early with PBYs no joy - back to daylight now, I think this is an experience thing. I thought I got it bad at PH... but I didn't have all the cruiser damage you did, even though he hung around 3-4 days. He switched to the airfield after day one, and almost had me thinking he was going for broke early with a landing in the Hawaian Is, but eventually pulled off to parts unknown. My CVs came home by the south, and he later raided Midway, so I was thinking he went to Japan; but things have been so quiet that I'm thinking he may be lurking in ambush near the Marshalls in case I get squirrelly. Burma - I generally think you must force the IJA to fight for Rangoon, but the only real hope for a bastion is up north. Other than that I expect to make my fight along the India border and make him come through the jungle or go amphibious. In general - I am suprised by all the posts 'realizing' the importance of establishing a chain of bases to Oz, and I must admit I used to read old WitP AARs in wonder as allies seemed to just accept the IJ could be everywhere at once. My approach to any wargame is to the reasonable extent possible - make the other bastard fight for it! Tough for you that your IJ went so early for Noumea, but that strikes me as quite a reach - if I might kibbitz, send every sub you can find, try and get some air in from the sides. It seems to me he'll have to bring in large supply TFs to make it useful, and that ties down big escorts. I don't THINK he can be everywhere at once (can he?) I think I made an early error in sending any shipping from Oz to the west... now I have a glut on that side. I am also struck by having to get supply for Colombo from Calcutta, but I have just now realized I can up the supply requirements for off map bases too, and hope this will provide safer sources and some use for all those AKs. I fully agree with readying Ceylon, and building up Addu and Diego G. Oh - I figured it impossible that Repulse or PW could survive the first day, so good on you. Thank you again for posting this AAR.
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