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Ldeathbow -> Scenario 1 - Japanese planes (should be flying but aren't and shouldn't be but are) (4/4/2010 10:07:30 PM)
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It is 09 Dec. 1941. I am running the Japanese fleet. KB has been ordered to remain on station near Pearl Harbor and continue Air Combat. TF2 has been ordered to remain and refuel TF1 DAILY (I know - overkill). The ONLY other changes to TF1 orders was to reset "Sweep" missions (as these invariably came AFTER the combat strike and seemed to be of questionable value) mainly to "Airfield Attack", as I recall. The Vals set to search from TF1 Carriers (10% for each Val group) launched from at least 3 of the 6 (combat report ID's "Val from.....has spotted....") - Both AM and PM flights. The Strike Force launched on PM, but the Vals (almost, if not, all of my "Port Attack" aircraft) DID NOT launch. The Carrier(s) that have used Torps have 45/18 (meaning in 2 sorties (07 Dec. and 08 Dec.), I've used 27 torps - 1/2 of that is 13.5 - I still have 18, plenty to launch this sortie). I have checked the reports carefully and, while I might have missed it, I did NOT see any report that the Vals, or MOST of my Kates for that matter, "got lost" or "failed to coordinate" and returned to the ship without engaging in combat. I have also copied those game reports into a new folder so they will not get accidentally erased (got most of them - joperationsreport.txt and jsigint.txt were lost).
Very difficult to sink the enemy fleet when your "attack ships" planes stay home. Reviewing the combat log files and save game from just BEFORE "end orders" - I had 0 of about 95 ready (allowing for 10% on search - actual 106) Vals launch and only 25 of 117 ready Kates in the PM flight. WHY?!? I'd need to take a calculator to get exact, but no carrier has used more than about 20% of maximum sorties as of Orders Phase 09 Dec. 41 (so even if they are using 10% per turn, I should have sorties for another 8 days til about 15 Dec. 41). This SHOULD rule out ammo/fuel shortages, and - as it is 1 giant carrier group - if 1 carrier can launch shouldn't they all? (I don't think I've ever seen weather prevent carrier launch anyway). I replayed that turn, without changing any orders (least of all the "move to" of TF1) and got almost exactly the same results. I still want to know - IF at least 3 CV's can launch VALs for search, and 1 can get a strike force off, why can't they all?!?!? I changed KB's destination hex - got about 75 Val and 85-90 Kates (plus 50 Zeros +/-) - I have trouble accepting that "bad weather" can effect air-ops that much, AND, as supreme commander Japanese forces, I'd expect I'd be able to tell my admirals not to launch if a majority of the forces could not be launched.
This FIASCO not only failed to inflict the desired damage on Pearl Harbor, but was, in many ways, a waste of time and/or resources. IF only 1/5 of one force (the Kates), only slightly over 10% of total non-fighter craft are going to fly - I'd abort the entire flight. Out of 49 planes (25 Kate and 24 Zero) that attacked Pearl Harbor, 6 were destroyed and 4 damaged - killing 5 planes on the ground and scoring 4 runway and 1 base hit (hardly seems worth it).
I also reviewed ALL Japanese air groups and noticed 2 training missions (Yokohama Ku U-1 and Yokohama Ku U-1 Det)flying from Maloelap and Jaluit using the H6K2-L Mavis - which is not available until 4/42?!? Are they flying prototypes? Those 2 bases are awfully "front line" for training missions in prototype aircraft (IMHO).
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