RE: Here we go again! tc464 (A) vs. Mike (J) - No tc464

RE: Here we go again! tc464 (A) vs. Mike (J) - No tc464 (Full Version)

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Mike Solli -> RE: Here we go again! tc464 (A) vs. Mike (J) - No tc464 (12/10/2009 9:19:45 PM)
Yeah, but what good is preparation if the execution sucks. [;)] [:D] I've already realized some mistakes since sending Ted the turn. It's supposed to be in my inbox. I guess I'll find out how bad my mistakes were tonight. [:D]

Cuttlefish -> RE: Here we go again! tc464 (A) vs. Mike (J) - No tc464 (12/10/2009 9:55:45 PM)
quote: ORIGINAL: Mike Solli Yeah, but what good is preparation if the execution sucks. [;)] [:D] I've already realized some mistakes since sending Ted the turn. It's supposed to be in my inbox. I guess I'll find out how bad my mistakes were tonight. [:D] Oh yeah, the forehead smack and the "I shoulda's." I have those all the time, usually well after the turn has been sent and while I'm doing something completely different, like changing the oil in the car or chopping firewood. Suddenly it hits me: "Oh man, I should have sent those cruisers at Tarawa back to Kwajalein, what if he sends a carrier or two there?"

Q-Ball -> RE: Here we go again! tc464 (A) vs. Mike (J) - No tc464 (12/10/2009 10:10:00 PM)
quote: ORIGINAL: Cuttlefish Oh yeah, the forehead smack and the "I shoulda's." I have those all the time, usually well after the turn has been sent and while I'm doing something completely different, like changing the oil in the car or chopping firewood. Suddenly it hits me: "Oh man, I should have sent those cruisers at Tarawa back to Kwajalein, what if he sends a carrier or two there?" I haven't thought of Kwajalein yet, thanks for the tip![:'(] Yes I owe a turn, been busy today[:(] PS: Playing AE mistake-free is impossible. MIKE: What are your plans for xAK to xAK-t conversions? I have converted almost 100, just tons of ships, finding that to sustain a high offensive tempo you need ALOT more than what you start with. I find that I don't use many xAKs to ship supplies, as there are usually plenty loaded with the troops. But you need LOTS of xAK-ts. I would get cracking on some conversions right off the bat. I also converted quite a few xAKLs to PBs, because there ain't enough escorts either. Thinking ahead, I really like converting the older DDs to APDs, would like your thoughts on that (by older, I mean pre-Mutsukis. I keep the Mutsukis because they carry the Long Lance. So far though I am converting Minekazes and Kamikazes to APDs). Momis are bad APD though, only 18kts due to loss of boiler.

Mike Solli -> RE: Here we go again! tc464 (A) vs. Mike (J) - No tc464 (12/11/2009 3:05:29 PM)
quote: ORIGINAL: Q-Ball PS: Playing AE mistake-free is impossible. Ain't that the truth! [:D] quote: ORIGINAL: Q-Ball MIKE: What are your plans for xAK to xAK-t conversions? I have converted almost 100, just tons of ships, finding that to sustain a high offensive tempo you need ALOT more than what you start with. I find that I don't use many xAKs to ship supplies, as there are usually plenty loaded with the troops. But you need LOTS of xAK-ts. I would get cracking on some conversions right off the bat. I also converted quite a few xAKLs to PBs, because there ain't enough escorts either. Thinking ahead, I really like converting the older DDs to APDs, would like your thoughts on that (by older, I mean pre-Mutsukis. I keep the Mutsukis because they carry the Long Lance. So far though I am converting Minekazes and Kamikazes to APDs). Momis are bad APD though, only 18kts due to loss of boiler. Q-Ball, to be honest, I haven't thought of converting xAKs to xAK-ts. I just ran the 8 Dec turn last night. I find that, at least at the start, my limiting factor is port space for loading. Most of the LCUs that I started loading on the 7th are complete now. I'll get them going tonight. I keep hearing from all of you experts out there that the -t conversions are necessary. I'll look at starting some of them today. Is there any specific class that you prefer for that? On 7 Dec, I started conversion of 23 To'sus to PBs. I'd rather have too many escorts (yeah, like that will happen) than too few. [:D] From reading the AARs, it seems like life on an IJN DD is exciting, and short! I haven't considered DD to APD conversions yet. I agree with you that anything that carries a Long Lance should remain as a DD. I plan on doing some research on that this weekend. I'm a bachelor for the weekend! My wife and daughter are out of town at a horse show and my son will spend most of his time with his girlfriend most likely. Two full days of AE. [:D] Ted and I plan on doing some marathon sessions.

Q-Ball -> RE: Here we go again! tc464 (A) vs. Mike (J) - No tc464 (12/11/2009 4:34:22 PM)
I think you quickly need more AK-ts. You are right, in the beginning, most of the critical units are already loaded, or there are enough ships close at hand to move the 2nd and 4th Divisions. Even lifting the units from Taiwan and Pescadores is such a short trip you don't need many ships for it. Once late January rolls around, though, you will want TONS. This is because right when the Luzon and Sinagpore campaigns end, you need to lift about 8 divisions and take them somewhere, and better to do it quickly then wait a month to get the shipping together. You can live without AK-t conversions, but if you don't convert, IMO, you will have ground units sitting around waiting for transport. This is very bad for Japan, as speed is your greatest ally initially, and every day wasted waiting for your logistical tail to catch us is a day the Allies get stronger. The Phase 2 moves are also alot longer, so multiple trips will burn alot more time. Better to have the shipping handy. I screwed some things up in my PBEM game as Japan, I am doing what I would call OK mainly because I think my INTENT is there, which is to move supplies, fuel, troops, everything you can get your hands on, and move it forward at all times without stopping. If you have transports sittng aorund in a port, there has to be a reason why; are they repairing, waiting for something, or is there a job to do right now? Find them work, there is always SOMETHING. Sorry for the long note, but I cannot stress enough the need for SPEED if you are the Empire.

ny59giants -> RE: Here we go again! tc464 (A) vs. Mike (J) - No tc464 (12/11/2009 4:51:54 PM)
quote: I think you quickly need more AK-ts. You are right, in the beginning, most of the critical units are already loaded, or there are enough ships close at hand to move the 2nd and 4th Divisions. Even lifting the units from Taiwan and Pescadores is such a short trip you don't need many ships for it. Once late January rolls around, though, you will want TONS. This is because right when the Luzon and Singapore campaigns end, you need to lift about 8 divisions and take them somewhere, and better to do it quickly then wait a month to get the shipping together. You can live without AK-t conversions, but if you don't convert, IMO, you will have ground units sitting around waiting for transport. This is very bad for Japan, as speed is your greatest ally initially, and every day wasted waiting for your logistical tail to catch us is a day the Allies get stronger. The Phase 2 moves are also a lot longer, so multiple trips will burn a lot more time. Better to have the shipping handy. I screwed some things up in my PBEM game as Japan, I am doing what I would call OK mainly because I think my INTENT is there, which is to move supplies, fuel, troops, everything you can get your hands on, and move it forward at all times without stopping. If you have transports sitting around in a port, there has to be a reason why; are they repairing, waiting for something, or is there a job to do right now? Find them work, there is always SOMETHING. Sorry for the long note, but I cannot stress enough the need for SPEED if you are the Empire. I second the motion. [;)] Your conversions should be taking place during the first week as you move ships from some of the smaller bases to the larger bases (port size). I would say to err on the side of having too much troop capacity as you don't know if a TF or two will get sunk in masse by an Allied SCTF. [:-]

Mike Solli -> RE: Here we go again! tc464 (A) vs. Mike (J) - No tc464 (12/11/2009 4:52:29 PM)
8 Dec 41 What a wonderful turn! Well good and bad, but the good will come first. I'll start this with a quote from Ted that I received this morning: "I always enjoy sitting down with a steaming mug of coffee first thing in the morning and watching my carrier take a few torpedoes in the side. [:@] I hope your boss makes you clean the toilets today. [:D] " I almost spit my coffee all over my screen. [:D] Anyway, let's start..... Central Pacific KB moved west to support the Wake Invasion in 3 days. The 4 Furutakas are coming from the west and the invasion force is coming from the south (Kwajalein). I had allocated the mass of subs around Hawaii to various commands and a small horde of I-Class subs were moving into position south of Pt. Moresby to intercept Allied shipping in the area. The I-170 (part of this little horde) spotted 6 US DDs, heaved a couple of torps at one and was chased away. The I-169 happened to be in the same hex and wandered over to see what all the commotion was about. The commander peered through his periscope and there was the Enterprise. Four torpedoes and 3 hits later, the I-169 got clean away with no damage. Banzai! I am redirecting KB to a SW heading for one phase to see if she is still afloat. (She showed up as sunk in the sunk ship report.) A naval guard unit landed on and captured Makin. I'll reload the unit and move them to Tarawa where they will most likely stay. We also liberated Guam, capturing over 850 US soldiers for 5 Japanese casualties. The SLNF there will reload and deploy to the 4th Fleet area for future operations. China Nothing of note. The mass scramble of units will continue for some time as they position themsleves to either garrison, defend or attack. Canton's fort level reached level 2. Damn, that was fast! Japan The mass of shipping moving around is beginning to arrive at their destinations. I'll begin forming some of the resource convoys and set them to CS to feed the hungry industry of Honshu. Philippines Here is where the bad news occurred. I had set the Bettys and Nells to naval ops, and made a mistake on their maximum range. It included Manila so of course 30 Bettys flew there unescorted and ran into 21 P-40Es. [:@] Only 16 came back. All that was for damage to an xAP and xAK and sinking another xAK. Well, we got even later. There were the typical airfield bombings, naval attacks and sweeps and the net result was: Our losses: 14 Bettys (Ouch) 1 Nell 2 Zeros 1 Lily Their losses: 5 P-40E 2x xAK sunk 3x xAP sunk AO Trinity heavily damaged Note the absense of any damage to Allied warships. [8\|] At least 20 Bettys/Nells launched torps at 3 US 4-stackers and missed the lot. On the plus side, Clark was bombed into the stone age again. Tomorrow will see landings at Aparri and Vigan with landings at Legaspi a day or two later. Bataan Island was liberated. I'm going to place the Tonys there to support the invasions. East of Borneo & West of Mindinao The Ryujo TF (escorted by 3 CA & 6 DD) ran into an AVD and 2x xAKLs twice! Both times both TFs fled. [8\|] Very frustrating. The Ryujo tried to make amends by hitting Tarakan and sinking some Dutch ships - AVP, CM, PC and an AG. What a waste of 16 precious torpedoes. She is now down to 11 torps. I was hoping she would catch some US warships, but no, she had to go after that lot. I'm going to keep her in the area one more day to try and find Boise. I see 3 Allied TFs (N, W and S of the TF) and I think Boise is north of her. The invasion fleets for the southern peninsula of Luzon are plodding toward their destination (from Amami Oshima and Babelwatsit). Malaya Things started off well with those same 18 Zeros sweeping Singapore again. This time they found 29 Buffalos. [X(] Well, only 21 Buffalos landed on wheels. The rest are scattered around the countryside. [:D] We took Kota Bahru, driving off the 8 Indian Bde and FMSV Bde and capturing the base force there. 21 Japanese losses to 2312 Allied casualties. The Japanese forces there are an infantry and engineer regiment and an AF co. I'll send a chutai of fighters there for CAP. Total losses for today: Japanese: 1 Nate 1 xAK hit by a 40 lb bomb from a Blenheim 1F! 2 sys damage! [:D] Allied: 9 Buffalo 1 Swordfish 2 Hudson 1 Blenheim IV 1 xAP sunk (at Georgetown) 1 xAK sunk (also at Georgetown) Oh yeah, the xAK hit yesterday is recovering from her wounds. There was no sign of Force Z. This is what I expected. Ted did this last time too. I hope the torpedo that hit the PoW caused her to withdraw. Then I have only a BC to contend with. More forces are slowly plodding toward Malaya (by land and sea) to reinforce the pretty minescule forces that are there. The Hosho and Zuiho (escorted by 4 BB, 2 CL and ~4-6 DD) are heading toward the Philippines from the HI. They will meet up with the Ryujo and the two carriers will transfer to the Ryujo. The rest of that fleet will become a surface fleet to hunt Allied warships and/or support invasions. Other comments Granted I'm only 2 days into the war, but things seem to be proceeding nicely. The big concern I have is the lack of warships I'm attacking successfully in the SRA. Baby KB's one shot ability is a shock. They really aren't good for any kind of sustained offensive unless there is a good base close by. Gotta get used to that.

Mike Solli -> RE: Here we go again! tc464 (A) vs. Mike (J) - No tc464 (12/11/2009 4:59:10 PM)
quote: ORIGINAL: ny59giants quote: I think you quickly need more AK-ts. You are right, in the beginning, most of the critical units are already loaded, or there are enough ships close at hand to move the 2nd and 4th Divisions. Even lifting the units from Taiwan and Pescadores is such a short trip you don't need many ships for it. Once late January rolls around, though, you will want TONS. This is because right when the Luzon and Singapore campaigns end, you need to lift about 8 divisions and take them somewhere, and better to do it quickly then wait a month to get the shipping together. You can live without AK-t conversions, but if you don't convert, IMO, you will have ground units sitting around waiting for transport. This is very bad for Japan, as speed is your greatest ally initially, and every day wasted waiting for your logistical tail to catch us is a day the Allies get stronger. The Phase 2 moves are also a lot longer, so multiple trips will burn a lot more time. Better to have the shipping handy. I screwed some things up in my PBEM game as Japan, I am doing what I would call OK mainly because I think my INTENT is there, which is to move supplies, fuel, troops, everything you can get your hands on, and move it forward at all times without stopping. If you have transports sitting around in a port, there has to be a reason why; are they repairing, waiting for something, or is there a job to do right now? Find them work, there is always SOMETHING. Sorry for the long note, but I cannot stress enough the need for SPEED if you are the Empire. I second the motion. [;)] Your conversions should be taking place during the first week as you move ships from some of the smaller bases to the larger bases (port size). I would say to err on the side of having too much troop capacity as you don't know if a TF or two will get sunk in masse by an Allied SCTF. [:-] Yeah, as always you guys have very good advise. I'm going to make a plan tonight on what to convert to the -t. Not sure if I should go with the 12 or 14 kt types though.... Gotta think about that today.

scott64 -> RE: Here we go again! tc464 (A) vs. Mike (J) - No tc464 (12/11/2009 5:09:48 PM)
[sm=00000613.gif][sm=00000622.gif]

ny59giants -> RE: Here we go again! tc464 (A) vs. Mike (J) - No tc464 (12/11/2009 5:37:26 PM)
Sub deployment: Since I have played the Allies a lot more than Japan, I would suggest some hunter/killer groups of 1 Glen equipped sub with 3 fleet subs. I would have one group due east of Aukland over 15 hexes away and them having a patrol zone of only two waypoints(vs max of three) going east to west in three or four parallel lines (maybe about 10 hexes per leg). Next, I would have another few groups doing the same thing in a SW to NE line to the east of Christmas and up towards California. I would try having them away from PBY ranges. If he is like me, he will use the waypoints to get much of his transports from Australia, NZ, and even SRA over to USA. He is likely to have them move due east from Aukland with maybe a slight variation to near the Society Islands or Cook Islands as waypoint #1, then off to the NE to waypoint #2, and then straight up towards the USA. His assumption being that it is far enough away from possible carrier raids. He may try to build up Christmas Island as a possible waypoint to Pago Pago and beyond. Just my $.02 [;)]

Mike Solli -> RE: Here we go again! tc464 (A) vs. Mike (J) - No tc464 (12/11/2009 5:42:01 PM)
quote: ORIGINAL: ny59giants Sub deployment: Since I have played the Allies a lot more than Japan, I would suggest some hunter/killer groups of 1 Glen equipped sub with 3 fleet subs. I would have one group due east of Aukland over 15 hexes away and them having a patrol zone of only two waypoints(vs max of three) going east to west in three or four parallel lines (maybe about 10 hexes per leg). Next, I would have another few groups doing the same thing in a SW to NE line to the east of Christmas and up towards California. I would try having them away from PBY ranges. If he is like me, he will use the waypoints to get much of his transports from Australia, NZ, and even SRA over to USA. He is likely to have them move due east from Aukland with maybe a slight variation to near the Society Islands or Cook Islands as waypoint #1, then off to the NE to waypoint #2, and then straight up towards the USA. His assumption being that it is far enough away from possible carrier raids. He may try to build up Christmas Island as a possible waypoint to Pago Pago and beyond. Just my $.02 [;)] Ahh, very nice. Thanks. This is the kind of stuff I have yet to figure out. I have formed sub divisions of 1 Glen and 3 fleet subs. Where to patrol them is another story. This is printed off and I'll work it this weekend.

ny59giants -> RE: Here we go again! tc464 (A) vs. Mike (J) - No tc464 (12/11/2009 7:26:36 PM)
It's easier to offer you feedback than face the carnage that KB did to Pearl. I volunteered to play Andy Mac's Ironman mod, but using his specialized AI script (Scen 80) that is suppose to be nasty. Well, it is!! Three days worth of attacks at Pearl left 3 x BBs afloat. I have 2 x CA, 4 x CL, 7 x DD and various auxiliary lining up for shipyard time. [image]local://upfiles/15133/C6EA2BB45FC14FCCB0197A1E5D1C71C2.jpg[/image]

Mike Solli -> RE: Here we go again! tc464 (A) vs. Mike (J) - No tc464 (12/11/2009 7:46:39 PM)
Holy cow! [X(] I think in some ways it's worse if the large ships don't sink because they tie up lots of repair yard space.

Mike Solli -> RE: Here we go again! tc464 (A) vs. Mike (J) - No tc464 (12/12/2009 4:24:38 AM)
Well, the turn is back off to Ted. In addition to starting some of the resource convoys, I restarted Yamato and Musashi (Shinano is off) and accelerated the Katsuragi, Amagi, 3x DDs and 4 TKs. Tomorrow I'm going to look at where my "excess" xAKs are (those not currently being used) and determine what to do with them. Oh yeah, the xAPs for the 33 Div (at Nagasaki, I think) arrived there. The division is beginning to load and will move to the Burma theater. The xAPs for 2 and 4 Division are still enroute.

witp1951 -> RE: Here we go again! tc464 (A) vs. Mike (J) - No tc464 (12/12/2009 2:07:17 PM)
Mike, What are you doing with the 21st Division in Shanghai? As far as I can tell it's unrestricted but I don't see it mentioned in AARs.

Mike Solli -> RE: Here we go again! tc464 (A) vs. Mike (J) - No tc464 (12/12/2009 2:23:38 PM)
Ah yes, the 21st. There are xAPs going to Shanghai as well. I have 4 xAPs heading there. Only one showed up so far. They'll probably move to Malaya, but I'd have to check and see who I'm prepping them for.

Mike Solli -> RE: Here we go again! tc464 (A) vs. Mike (J) - No tc464 (12/12/2009 3:29:25 PM)
Well, since I'm (im)patiently waiting for Ted to send me the turn, I though I'd post a couple of screen shots. To be honest, there really isn't much to show. Anyway, the mess in the Home Islands appears to be growing worse. Actually, 38 of the 254 hulls tasked with bringing resources to the Home Islands are actually in a CS TF doing their thing. The rest are crawling toward their starting destination: [image]local://upfiles/1598/50B912E99F754DF4994E82CDF36C95F5.jpg[/image]

Mike Solli -> RE: Here we go again! tc464 (A) vs. Mike (J) - No tc464 (12/12/2009 3:32:45 PM)
And here is Malaya. Not much here either. You can see the subs that are set for early warning against Force Z, which has vanished. I suspect it's headed for Java at the moment. I'll send some subs down there to scout tomorrow, and maybe catch a few fleeing ships too. [image]local://upfiles/1598/08A655D178524BEB9362741F1CB18955.jpg[/image]

Mike Solli -> RE: Here we go again! tc464 (A) vs. Mike (J) - No tc464 (12/12/2009 3:38:52 PM)
Here's the Ryujo. She wasted 16 of her 27 torps on 4 !&^%&^# Dutch ships at Tarakan while ignoring the 5 little TFs surrounding her. The one to the south is an AVD and 2x xAKLs that they ran into (twice!) and ran away from. The Boise (I think) is north and the Houston (again, I think) is NE. Not sure what is west. She'll hang around another turn to hopefully put her 11 remaining torps into a warship. [image]local://upfiles/1598/7403D2B52F904452846F5A9F74F1B6B8.jpg[/image]

Mike Solli -> RE: Here we go again! tc464 (A) vs. Mike (J) - No tc464 (12/12/2009 3:44:06 PM)
Finally, this is the area where the Enterprise was hit. You can see tomorrow's trek of KB. Then (hopefully) she'll see the Enterprise TF and hit it killing The Big E if she's not already gone, as well as kill some escorts. Then KB will bend west to head to Wake. The mob of subs that are SE of Johnston Island are where the Enterprise was torpedoed, specifically the hex with 3 subs in it. You can also see 8 subs that are patrolling S and SW of Hawaii to try and catch something in that area. That US TF 1 hex south of Pearl is a handful of DDs. [image]local://upfiles/1598/CD4124B3AA4E4A0CAA2A78D534D424E6.jpg[/image]

Q-Ball -> RE: Here we go again! tc464 (A) vs. Mike (J) - No tc464 (12/12/2009 3:59:01 PM)
Mike, sorry for all the comments: 1. What SNLF did you hit Guam with? The guys pointed at Legaspi turn one? While I hate that Legaspi landing, I would have landed them on Ambon. They can take it easily Dec 8th. Guam can't hurt you at all, it can be taken anytime in 1942. 2. Interesting that you accelerated tankers. There is a surplus at start of Merchant Points, but that quickly turns into a big deficit in 1943. I preferred to build up a surplus pool for payment later. If you drain it now, you will have to expand your Merchant shipyards later. Nice hit on Enterprise BTW, I always try to find those CV with subs, but never manage it. I would actually split up KB to cover more area and make sure you find her (or make sure she is sunk). Check the A/C report; did alot of Wildcats and Dauntlesses suddenly show up as OPS losses?[;)]

Mike Solli -> RE: Here we go again! tc464 (A) vs. Mike (J) - No tc464 (12/12/2009 5:14:35 PM)
quote: ORIGINAL: Q-Ball Mike, sorry for all the comments: 1. What SNLF did you hit Guam with? The guys pointed at Legaspi turn one? While I hate that Legaspi landing, I would have landed them on Ambon. They can take it easily Dec 8th. Guam can't hurt you at all, it can be taken anytime in 1942. 2. Interesting that you accelerated tankers. There is a surplus at start of Merchant Points, but that quickly turns into a big deficit in 1943. I preferred to build up a surplus pool for payment later. If you drain it now, you will have to expand your Merchant shipyards later. Nice hit on Enterprise BTW, I always try to find those CV with subs, but never manage it. I would actually split up KB to cover more area and make sure you find her (or make sure she is sunk). Check the A/C report; did alot of Wildcats and Dauntlesses suddenly show up as OPS losses?[;)] Q-Ball, comments are good. [:D] I hit Guam with the SNLF that is supposed to hit Batan Island. In retrospect, I should have sent it somewhere else. I pretty much wasted the first turn magic move for that TF. Not sure why I did the TKs. It's only been for one day and cost <90 points. I'm rethinking that idea. I may just let the merchant ships go on normal as you suggest. I got real lucky with the Enterprise. Actually luckier than you think. You'll see in my next report. Gotta finish the turn first......

Mike Solli -> RE: Here we go again! tc464 (A) vs. Mike (J) - No tc464 (12/12/2009 7:39:12 PM)
9 Dec 41 First of all, the 21st Division is prepping for Singapore and has begun loading. Lots of excitement today. Here goes...... Central Pacific Well, the commander of the I-7 didn't want to be outdone. He spotted the Enterprise passing through the sub screen to the SW of Hawaii and put 2 more torpedoes into her. Now I'm sure she went down. A whole carrier's worth of planes showed up as op losses. [:D] The Naval Guard unit that took Makin is loading back on the transports and will head to Tarawa. Up at wake, the 4 Furutakas will arrive at Wake tomorrow (Surprise!). The invasion fleet is holding 1 day's sail south and KB is 2 days sail to the east of Wake. The CAs will pound Wake for a couple of days and the invasion TF will wait until they are under the cover of KB's fighters before they land. Japan About 30% of the resource cargos are in place. The rest are still enroute. China Nothing new. The Chinese air force hasn't made an appearance yet. For that matter, I haven't seen the AVG anywhere either. Hmmm..... SE Fleet Invasion forces will hit the Admiralty Islands and Kavieng tomorrow. The Rabaul invasion fleet is gathering, along with a couple of BBs for support from the Home Islands. Once Wake falls, KB (-) will head down there too. Malaya Those same 18 Zeros made yet another appearance over Singapore and were met by 18 Buffalos. This time they all went home and only 14 of the Buffalos did. [:D] That's 19 kills for those guys for no loss. I'm moving south toward Alor Star with forces and the infantry regiment at Kota Bahru is chasing the two fleeing brigades. More troops are about to begin landing. In addition, forces are gathering for the air invasion of Pt. Blair. The para regiment is at Shanghai and will now be flown to Taiwan, then to Indochina. By that time, the other forces should all be ready to go. Losses in Malaya today: Ours: Nothing! Theirs (all shot down): 4 Buffalos 1 Blenheim I 1 Blenheim IV 1 Hudson 1 Blenheim IF Philippines We landed at Vigan and Aparri, and will take them tomorrow. Ted's B-17s made an appearance and bombed each landing site twice. They got lucky and planted a 500lb bomb on an xAK. I think she'll make it, unless she's hit again. The Legaspi invasion force (the main effort is gathering and will hit in 2 days. They will get the support of 4 BBs escorted by 2 DDs. They'll arrive tomorrow. Ted has sent 2 DDs to harass the invasion. I think he'll be surprised when they find 4 BBs. [:D] Here are the losses from today's missions: Us: 3 Bettys 1 Nell 1 Zero Theirs: 1 TK sunk 1 TK heavily damaged 5 P-40E Ryujo saga I figured I'd stay in the area one more day to try and hit a warship or two. Well, Ted helped me out there. The Houston found the Ryujo TF and crossed the T! [:@] The Houston took a few minor hits (5") and the Ryujo got hit by 2x 8", 1x 5" and 1x 3". She'll survive (assuming nothing else crosses her path) but she definitely has some extra vents now. The Ryujo is still capable of flying planes because later in the day her Kates planted 3x 250kg bombs on Houston, heavily damaging her (after missing with her 11 remaining torps). [8\|] Now the badly damaged Houston is between Ryujo and Babelwatsit. Thank goodness for waypoints! The Houston is doomed, but will she get in an extra lick before becoming a fish condo? The world wants to know! The Zuiho and Hosho are a couple days sail from that area. Ted hasn't seen them yet, but he will soon. Here's the Ryujo: [image]local://upfiles/1598/C80322080457410ABE89F20D873652B7.jpg[/image]

Mike Solli -> RE: Here we go again! tc464 (A) vs. Mike (J) - No tc464 (12/12/2009 7:40:31 PM)
I forgot one thing! The I-6, also patrolling SE of Hawaii spotted and put a fish into the Ward. She limped away heavily damaged and showed up on the sunk ship list. I'm not sure she sank.

stuman -> RE: Here we go again! tc464 (A) vs. Mike (J) - No tc464 (12/12/2009 8:05:03 PM)
I do not know how I missed this AAR, I just caught up on all of the posts. I find it interesting that after working on my economy for a few months in a trial and error fashion that I have reached most of the same conclusions that you have. I have been running my game through all of the patches, and am about ready to finally start over against the AI ( or maybe a PBEM if I can find a suitably laid-back opponent [:)] ). I sped my game up a lot in order to get into '44. And I feel safe in saying that the key to the long term " playability " as the Jap. is balance. A balance between audacity in the beginning, keeping the KB intact for as long as possible, and running the economy as efficiently as humanly possible. I think that properly managing the economy may even be the most important thing to some degree because it is pretty easy to mess it up if you do not plan it out correctly from the beginning and stay on top of it. It is not impossible, but not easy, to recover from mistakes such as expanding too quickly, or using up supplies inefficiently, etc. Random thoughts : The supply situation has changed a lot in China in Patch 2. I think it will be necessary to ship supplies in early if sustained campaigns are planned. I am anxious to see how much slower the Jap. will have to move now compared to pre-patched AE. In the long run I am not sure it really makes much difference whether or not certain ships are accelerated, or delayed. A BB or CV here or there, two, or four or six months early just does not matter much in the scheme of things for the Japanese. It is only a matter of playing styles. Personally I would always rather have a extra carrier if possible . Sometimes just seeing a Val or Kate in a combat report will make a player slow down. I am very convinced that using the first turn move bonus to go as " deep " as possible in the SRA is wise. I think taking PM as fast as possible should also be a goal. The KB should not waste time moving back to the HI after the raid, swinging towards Truk and points south makes sense. And I agree that splitting off a CV or 2 in December/Jan. to raid, cause havoc, etc can make sense. I just do not see how it is possible anymore for a Jap. player to really conquer India. If it was doable in WiTP, I do not think it is now ( assuming a competent opponent ). Keeping the I boats constantly in the West Coast and S Sea shipping lanes ( to the extent that mounting losses allows you to do so ) will help slow down the Allied build up, and is worth the effort. Eventually sending subs to the Perth and Indian port lanes also helps a bit. I like the idea of getting to Billiton fast. Good one Q. Taking N. Oz ports as early as possible is smart. B-29s in the Marianas; is this really the most significant sign that it is "lights out " for us ? It just seems like when that eventually happens, it is hard for me to muster as much enthusiasm. I am always paranoid about a " Northern Route " attack. Damn, I need more stuff up there ! Good luck Mike.

Mike Solli -> RE: Here we go again! tc464 (A) vs. Mike (J) - No tc464 (12/12/2009 8:24:12 PM)
Hi Stuman. Go for a PBEM, it's much more rewarding, and much more difficult. As you see, it's 3 days into the war and I've already managed to damage one of my CVLs. [8\|] I shouldn't have gone so deep with her so early. As long as she makes port, it'll be ok. I look at it as an opportunity to fill out her air wings and train those guys up. Comments on some of your random thoughts: I used to think that using the magic move TFs to push as far as you can into enemy was the way to go. Now, I'm much more conservative. I will take the SRA. It doesn't have to happen in Dec 41. I believe that the acceleration of certain ships can make a tremendous difference for the Japanese. I love the Japanese BBs. They can do lots of great things early in the game, especially when the Allied BBs are not in the area. I won't turn the Yamato or Musashi off, but I won't accelerate them either. I usually like to accelerate CVs and DDs, for obvious reasons. I'd love to have 14-16 carriers as the Japanese. It's possible to do if you don't lose any and judiciously use your excess naval shipbuilding points to accelerate at the right time. If you can build a force that large, you can have 3 KBs (3 separate fleets) with 2 out and one upgrading/repairing at a time. I've done that, and the Allied player is usually not happy either. [;)] I stay away from India. Too far and really meaningless in the long run. My subs are primarily a screening force. The lucky kill is great (like the Enterprise) but I don't count on it for my strategy. Northern Australia is (to me) the southern border of the SRA. I'll take it in this game, but pull out the majority of my forces before it becomes a POW camp for all those good troops. The idea here is to delay the ability of the Allies to bomb the southern portion of the SRA for as long as possible. But, I don't want to lose a bunch of good troops there who are needed for the defense of the SRA. I haven't gotten to the point where I lost the Marianas. Ted will never take them from me. [;)] Actually, I'm looking forward to seeing this game to conclusion.

Chickenboy -> RE: Here we go again! tc464 (A) vs. Mike (J) - No tc464 (12/12/2009 9:03:42 PM)
quote: ORIGINAL: Mike Solli Ryujo saga I figured I'd stay in the area one more day to try and hit a warship or two. Well, Ted helped me out there. The Houston found the Ryujo TF and crossed the T! [:@] The Houston took a few minor hits (5") and the Ryujo got hit by 2x 8", 1x 5" and 1x 3". She'll survive (assuming nothing else crosses her path) but she definitely has some extra vents now. The Ryujo is still capable of flying planes because later in the day her Kates planted 3x 250kg bombs on Houston, heavily damaging her (after missing with her 11 remaining torps). [8\|] Now the badly damaged Houston is between Ryujo and Babelwatsit. Thank goodness for waypoints! The Houston is doomed, but will she get in an extra lick before becoming a fish condo? The world wants to know! Hi Mike, You may have heard other AARs that started months ago talk about the new mid-ocean intercept ability of SCTFs in AE, compared to WiTP. They weren't kidding! Getting your a/c carriers in shallow constricted waters with lots of big-gunned SCTFs lurking is looking for trouble of the worst type, IMHO.

Mike Solli -> RE: Here we go again! tc464 (A) vs. Mike (J) - No tc464 (12/12/2009 11:33:10 PM)
Yup, Chickenboy, it ain't no joke. Fortunately, the Ryujo will survive. 10 Dec 41 Ryujo update: her damage went from 36-16-14-2 to 36-14-13-0. And, she's still operational. More about that below... Central Pacific Tomorrow, the 4 CAs will start their extended visit of Wake. KB arrives in 2 days and the invasion TF is holding 1 phase out. The Makin invasion force is loading and will depart for Tarawa shortly. Japan 50% of the resource cargos are in CS mode hauling resources to Honshu. We're getting there. China Ted had moved a Chinese Corps into Sinyang. All I had there was an infantry brigade and a couple of the really poor garrison divisions. I attacked with the brigade and bombarded with the poor troops getting a 1:1 and losing 183 to 239 Chinese casualties. My forces finally reached Hong Kong and will attack tomorrow. Also, some Bettys out of Formosa caught another Brit DD - Thanet - and put her under. I wonder why Ted just left them in Singapore harbor? Odd..... Only 1 left now, along with some MTBs. Philippines I took Aparri and Vigan. I had my Tojos LRCAP over Vigan, just in case (as well as to see how they'd do). Six of them ran into 4 B-17Ds and shot one down! Later 2 more B-17s came and got past them, putting a 500lb bomb into an xAK. Fortunately, the damage was light. One of the Tojos was an op loss but fortunately the pilot survived. I checked out the pilots and saw there were 9 pilots for 8 planes and 4 of those pilots were >81 experience. I pulled one out for TRACOM. The BBs didn't find anyone, but he didn't find them either. [:D] They're guarding the Vigan landing site while some CAs will guard the Lingayan site. The Zuiho and Hosho arrived off the SE coast of the Philippines. They caught a couple of 4 stackers and sank the Peary. Finally one of those little DDs has been hit. I've been wondering if it was possible to hit them. The Ryujo is heading back to Bibblebabble. Her Kates put another 250 kg bomb into the Houston. That's 4 now. If she hasn't sunk, she's definitely not happy. Losses today: Them: 1 B-17D Peary sunk Houston sunk (?) Me: xAK with light damage Borneo Well, I landed at Miri and will attack tomorrow with some naval gunfire support. I'm pretty sure I'll take it. First real problem. The I-123 tried to drop some mines at Balikpapan and ran into one. [8\|] She's not going to survive. That's too bad. In every PBEM I've ever played, I've lost one of those minelaying subs at the beginning of the war. Malaya Lots of troops are nearing Malaya. I'm diverting some to Kuantan. I've sent some subs to the coast of Java to hunt around and the rest of the screen has moved south to cover the Kuantan invasion forces. I've also got 2 BBs and some CAs covering them. The 18 Zeros did another sweep mission over Singapore. This time Ted could only muster 7 Buffalos for cover and I shot 2 of them down for no loss. They're up to 32 kills for no loss. I moved them to Kota Bahru and put them on 20% CAP and 20% rest so there won't be as many tomorrow. Their fatigue is creeping up. Losses in this sector: Us: Nothing! Them: 1 Blenheim I shot down 1 Blenheim IV shot down 2 Buffalos shot down SE Fleet Forces landed at Kavieng and Admiralty Islands. Forces continue to gather for the invasion of Rabaul then Pt. Moresby.

stuman -> RE: Here we go again! tc464 (A) vs. Mike (J) - No tc464 (12/12/2009 11:42:29 PM)
Thanks for actually replying, I was rambling a bit [:)] I had, maybe too artificially, decided that the long-range I boats would be used mainly for long range Supply TF intercepts and so forth, with the medium range I boats used for screening, and some hunting. The RO boats I tend to use to patrol some bottlenecks like the Malacca Straights. I really like the idea of grabbing Ambon fast. Not sure if I have the guts to go for Timor right off the bat. But as an Allied player I know I would hate to have Jap. bases at those spots in December. Holy crap !

Smeulders -> RE: Here we go again! tc464 (A) vs. Mike (J) - No tc464 (12/12/2009 11:53:09 PM)
Actually, I'd think it a bit gamey to use the bonus for moves deep into the DEI. Japanese fleet movements into those waters would probably have alerted the allies that war was about to start, but still you'd get a surprise attack on the 7th, a bit strange I think.

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