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Piiska -> (9/19/2002 2:32:33 PM)
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This happened in the closing days of my long campaign against Japanese computer player. I had captured all the bases, except Truk, and from my point of view the war was over. However, I fancied an idea of capturing Truk before 30.12. 1943 and I had about 3 weeks to fulfill this dream. I had plenty of quality troops in Los Negros and Kavieng with already set up transport taskforces for them, so I thought I might as well try to pull this one off. The only obstacle that was standing on my path to glory was the Japanese airplanes in Truk.
I had tried a daylight raid from Kavieng to Truk with all my B-17s (a bit less than 100 of them), but I suffered heavy losses to CAP and Flak as my fighters couldn't escort them. Also the damage they caused was not enough to justify daylight raid. However, I had previously raided Truk with a fast CA bombardment taskforce without any losses and the air activity of Truk had ended with the fall of Kavieng so I felt confident that the Japanese airpower is virtually non existent.
In fact, I felt arrogant about my superiority. I reckoned that I only need to get the base once in such condition that it's fighters can't take off. Then I can keep it in that state with continuing day raids with my heavy bombers. This worked for Rabaul and Kavieng. It will work for Truk as well.
So I devised my master plan: I send all my 4 CVEs (didn't want to risk CVs), loaded with only fighters, to sail to close vicinity of Truk using part of the fighters as CAP for the ships, while the rest would fly sweep missions over Truk to escort B-17.
When the carriers are close enough, I send a bombardment task force of 3 BB's and 7 CA's to give additional punch the devastation of Truk's airfield.
Whole operation starts with a full compliment of some 120 Liberators flying a night missions from Momote trying to cause as much disruption and airfield damage as possible. At the next night the bombardment task force should completely shut down the airfield, so that the main day raid of 100 odd B-17s, flying at 3000ft with 40-60 Corsairs as an escort, should have an easy job of putting the airfield in such a condition that further air raids can all be conducted during the daylight from low altitude and without escort.
Goal of the operation: To gain air superiority over Truk, to pave way for the invasion fleet.
Everything went wrong from the day one. My night raids of 100 odd Liberators didn't cause as much damage as I hoped for (only 20 runway hits, while normally the hit average was 40).
The next day, while my bombardment task force was waiting for the night to do their run under the protection of 40 Lightnings from Los Negros, the Japanese launched an air attack on them. This came to me as a bit of a surprise; this didnt happen the last time I raided Truk.
I don't remember the figures anymore but there were almost 100 fighters and some 60 bombers of all sorts against my 40 Lightnings. Needless to say I suffered, but not as much as I feared. One CA had to turn back to Los Negros and 2 BBs lost some speed but otherwise everything was OK. As my carriers were in place and they had not been detected, I decided to go ahead with the bombardment and with it, the rest of the plan (the arrogance, the arrogance).
Next night the Liberators struck again with only minimal results, but the bombardment, to my exhilaration, was a great success (120 airfield hits and 40 service hits). Also quite a few airplanes got smashed as well almost 1000 soldiers. I was in ecstasy: the B-17's will arrive shortly and that's the end of Truk as an airfield. However, my luck changed.
B-17s never arrived to meet my Corsairs over Truk, as bad weather cancelled the air-operations (NOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!).
Instead of devastating bombing of B-17s, only my Corsairs flew a lonely sweep mission shooting down few fighters while losing some at the same time. My finely crafted plan was in ruins. While helplessly watching the turn running, I saw it all in my eyes what was to come: The airfield wasn't shutdown, the damage of bombardment was soon repaired and my CVEs detected…
Then it happened. In retaliation, the Japanese launched a MASSIVE air raid on my CVEs with 100 fighters and 300 bombers. Yep. It hurt. Badly. I lost 2 CVE and 3 DDs immediately, while the rest of the Task Force was a smoking and flooding hulk. (The two remaining CVEs sunk a few days later under a bomb rain while limping back to safe waters). Also my bombardment task force was caught by the same planes, suffering a loss of one CA and heavy damage to all the 3 BBs.
This all in one turn. I was in shock. Due to this, the next turn I forgot to cancel my day air raid and continued the game immediately only thinking about getting the poor ships back to the safety of Los Negros and Momote. This ended in loss of 30 B-17 as destroyed and about the same damaged, as they flew straight to heavy flak and fighter cover without any escort at 3000ft. (NOOO!!!!!)
I felt like an idiot. What was I thinking when hoping to capture Truk in 3 weeks? I guess this teaches something about human nature…
The war ended few weeks later in my decisive victory -but without Truk.
Two very BAD, BAD turns indeed
A miserable ending for otherwise so successful campaign :(
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