RE: Nothing Up My Sleeve: Magical Moose Tricks--Bullwinkle58 vs.1EyedJacks

RE: Nothing Up My Sleeve: Magical Moose Tricks--Bullwinkle58 vs.1EyedJacks (Full Version)

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Bullwinkle58 -> RE: Nothing Up My Sleeve: Magical Moose Tricks--Bullwinkle58 vs.1EyedJacks (10/31/2012 5:59:49 PM)
quote: ORIGINAL: Canoerebel Permit me to clarify my comments about PM, since, on reading back through this page, it might seem that my "nuts" comment was aimed at Zulu. It wasn't - I wasn't aware of who had made the references to PM when I made my post, as I had only read the last few posts before I made mine. Zulu is "good people" and I hope he didn't take offense. (That's a legit concern, because I did something similar once before and really torched a relationship with a good member of the forums.) PM is far to advanced for the Allies to risk against an experienced player. Japan can take it at its will through mid 1942 (or later). That means it is a potential prison camp for any major garrison the Allies commit there. Japan can isolate it and take it without hardly breaking a sweat, so it's not like it serves as a diversion "sucking in Japanese attention" that might be better used elsewhere. IE, it costs the Allies far more than it does Japan. If you need a second on this motion, I refer you to Q-Ball. As an IJ player, he would simply abuse any Allied strategy that included a "forward PM" defense. In Scenario 2, Noumea might be the most analagous base to the Real War PM. Even then, I am reluctant to garrison Noumea until I'm sure Japan isn't coming for it. But think of that - Noumea is at least a 1,000 miles southeast of PM. The shift in "way out there" between an AI game and this is extreme. You never forget in an AI game there is no emotion on the other side, no gambler's instinct, and no boredom looking for a fight to shake things up after a long period of paper-pushing. Taking PM is easy in an AI game because the AI doesn't care. Maybe it does in Ironman; I don't know. I hear you on Noumea too. I've sent about 8000 supply there to help the forts, but I'm not sending men for months and months. And it's killing me. It just seems wrong. But they're tucked snug in their beds in Sydney and Aukland and like it. It's so hard, playing at this pace, to remember how long this thing will last. It's the single biggest change in mindset from AI. I keep looking for my P-38s, but it's not even Christmas yet.

Bullwinkle58 -> RE: Nothing Up My Sleeve: Magical Moose Tricks--Bullwinkle58 vs.1EyedJacks (10/31/2012 6:05:44 PM)
quote: ORIGINAL: Chickenboy quote: ORIGINAL: Bullwinkle58 I was micro-tweaking the turn and found that four hours had passed. A-ha! I thought you said that you didn't do 'fiddly'? [;)] I find that I have to consciously distance myself from a turn and decide 'good enough'. When I get to a-fiddlin' with my units (and production-yeesh), time flies. I usually don't do fiddly, and as the unit count edges up I think I won't physically be able to, but right now I think attention to detail is helping me. I've established a turn routine on a macro basis, but I don't keep notes, and I don't do each turn in a strict set of steps. As I figure out more how careeful he is I may ease off of doing some things every day. But right now repair yard maximization and watching pilot fatigue takes some time, and balancing off the speeds of the Chinese fleeing masses with ways he could cut off road and rail junctions is leading to a lot of scrolling and checking mile progress on individual LCUs. Then there's the terrain checks . . . I also have not turned on any auto-convoys, and I like auto-convoy. I've never had to worry about Japan being so far forward around Hawaii. I don't trust auto-convoy with that. And many, many Allied bases start the game with two boxes of Corn Flakes and a Barney Fife single bullet on hand.

Canoerebel -> RE: Nothing Up My Sleeve: Magical Moose Tricks--Bullwinkle58 vs.1EyedJacks (10/31/2012 6:17:18 PM)
Moose, you are playing at a level far beyond my own. IE, you give attention to details that I seldom pay attention to - even now, let alone during my first PBEM game. Already, you are a dangerous player.

Bullwinkle58 -> RE: Nothing Up My Sleeve: Magical Moose Tricks--Bullwinkle58 vs.1EyedJacks (10/31/2012 7:29:04 PM)
quote: ORIGINAL: Canoerebel Moose, you are playing at a level far beyond my own. IE, you give attention to details that I seldom pay attention to - even now, let alone during my first PBEM game. Already, you are a dangerous player. So learn to play Japan already!!![:)]

zuluhour -> RE: Nothing Up My Sleeve: Magical Moose Tricks--Bullwinkle58 vs.1EyedJacks (10/31/2012 8:40:33 PM)
Thanks Dan, no harm done. I guess I'm at the point where I want play the game a bit more and follow history a bit less. Terry has requested a game along historical lines and I oblidged him. (This time around) also. I've somehow got myself wrapped up around time lines now. When is this possible, when is this likely kind of thread. Taking in some of the RA and "B" scenarios in the threads is really opening up the game far more than I thought. With an eye to "B" allied or "B" Japan side in the future, I have been logging events in the AARs for a future perspective relative to the time lines. In another vein, I intend to force Terry to terms by Jan '44 because I think I can. I need one victory in '42 over his carriers before spring '43. I lost four to nil last game in '42. Then I will finish it it summer '43. (he does not like to continue sans Kido Butai). I have commited myself (I think) to a bloody exchange in the Coral Sea and have keen interest in any contest where this may play a pivital role. In a "B" scenario or no HR type scenario such as the Moose has drawn, I respect and am inclined to look more at an Indian Ocean allied CV depolyment or other "seldom seen" strategem. As I see it here, Moose must wait on the JE to see where the future lies, and judging by his actions thus far, will represent the AFBs admirably, divulging new ideas on the journey for the peanut gallery.

Bullwinkle58 -> RE: Nothing Up My Sleeve: Magical Moose Tricks--Bullwinkle58 vs.1EyedJacks (11/1/2012 1:10:10 AM)
December 21, 1941 It's A Long Road, To Johnson Island . . . Torpedo Alley . . . Oppa Changsha Style! It's Christmas Week here in the the Pacific, and good Allied children are making thier lists. Having Christmas Island on the roster for the big day is probably not in the cards, but Santa did deliver a few early presents today. 1) The build-up, whatever it entails, continues at Johnson Island with multiple small TFs coming in, each escorted by a relio trulio DD. I have tried to put my subs where they will draw blood, with overlapping patrol zones in some cases. Imagine sailing all the way from the Home Islands and getting jumped one hex from the harbor. Sub attack near Johnston Island at 163,111 Japanese Ships xAK Kyosei Maru, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage xAK Izan Maru DD Tawakaze Allied Ships SS Narwhal Sub attack near Johnston Island at 162,110 Japanese Ships xAK Nisso Maru, Torpedo hits 1 xAK Izan Maru DD Tawakaze Allied Ships SS S-27 Sub attack near Johnston Island at 162,110 Japanese Ships xAK Nisso Maru, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage DD Yukaze Allied Ships SS S-27 After this one the sunk-sound is heard. It's possible that small xAK TFs like this, with a rare DD as escort, are carrying an air unit. If so, much better. A good day around Johnson for some really old, obsolete hardware. 2) Further sub war news is mixed. In two attacks in deep water one hex from Cam Rahn Bay, Sargo misses, but Searaven connects. Sub attack near Cam Ranh Bay at 65,71 Japanese Ships xAK Kenyo Maru, Torpedo hits 1, heavy damage Allied Ships SS Searaven SS Searaven launches 2 torpedoes at xAK Kenyo Maru I want the Japanese to understand that even this early there is no place they are safe. Escorts eat fuel and repair time. I have USS Tarpon on patrol in shallow water guarding Port Arthur on a racetrack route to further make this point. 3) The Japanese do draw blood by once again penetrating Hilo harbor, this time sinking xAK Lorrain. She was part of a small supply Tf sent up from Tahihi. I had aimed them at Pearl, but they are not escorted and the subs are thick around the harbor, so I pulled them into Hilo instead to wet their beaks. I-173 scored the sinking, but earlier had been attacked for one hit by two DDs in an unsuccessful xAP attack. I'd rather lose the xAK than an unloading xAP. 4) The minefield at Johnson is detected and the Japanese clear 3. This is a simple harrassment field, as my mine inventories are flat. 5) Landings at Kuching continue. 6in. CD guns hit nothing. Landing prep fire begins at Bojangles, by four DDs. This may be a fairly heavy troop injection. The initial wave is the 146th Reg. I have one LCU defending Bo and the retreating remnants of another headed in from Davao. Bo will not go with the flow. It will simply go, and pretty soon. 6) My British MTBs, long-legged refugees from Hong Kong, now repaired and precariously based at Lingayan, strike all the way to Aparri and meet two DMSes. Gunfinre is exchanged, one MTB is wounded, and they withdraw. But this first PT action of the war was intended to add another dimension to his planning task. The USN PTs, also based at Lingayan but with shorter legs, poke their noses into San Fernando but find no ships. I have sent my patrol assets away from the PI to save VPs and supply, and am operating essentially blind. Lingayan still has 87 sub-laid mines, and I hope to sucker him into following my PTs home. So far no luck. My two lonely Manila DDs also go south to Legsapi but find no prey. He seems to have enough ashore in the north to do the job for now. 7) The air war has firmly entered a second phase all over the theater. Wave after wave of attacks which I will not try to detail. Textbook Zero sweep at Manila, followed by Oscar sweep, followed by heavily escorted 16, 32, and 15 each Betty raids continue to crush the airfield and do about 2 supply points of damage per. He would be far better served sending these planes to attack Singers, the last substantial AF in the theater, but I won't complain. Manila has no planes and no infrastructure repairs going on. It's just making supply and sending it to Bataan. Singers also, as I feared, gets its AF worked over after the TB's showed their swords yesterday. I have a few Buffalo up to wave their arms and yell real loud, but he hurts me. Morning Air attack on Singapore , at 50,84 Weather in hex: Light rain Raid detected at 39 NM, estimated altitude 14,000 feet. Estimated time to target is 15 minutes Japanese aircraft A6M2 Zero x 9 G3M2 Nell x 33 Allied aircraft no flights Japanese aircraft losses G3M2 Nell: 3 damaged Allied aircraft losses Blenheim I: 6 damaged Blenheim I: 1 destroyed on ground Buffalo I: 1 destroyed on ground Blenheim IV: 5 damaged Blenheim IV: 1 destroyed on ground Vildebeest III: 1 damaged PBY-4 Catalina: 1 damaged Airbase hits 5 Runway hits 19 I have many of my surviving Buffaloes detailed to fly with the TBs. I'm not sure if it helps when there are no CVs located, but fly they do, the magnificent bastids! 8) Morning Air attack on TF, near Terempa at 54,84 Weather in hex: Light cloud Raid spotted at 15 NM, estimated altitude 6,000 feet. Estimated time to target is 9 minutes Allied aircraft Buffalo I x 9 Swordfish I x 5 Allied aircraft losses Swordfish I: 3 damaged Japanese Ships CA Suzuya, Torpedo hits 2, heavy damage CA Mogami This attack generated three text lines: penetrating hit, heavy damage, engine damage for each torpedo. Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Terempa at 54,84 Weather in hex: Overcast Raid spotted at 7 NM, estimated altitude 9,000 feet. Estimated time to target is 4 minutes Allied aircraft Buffalo I x 7 Swordfish I x 3 No Allied losses Japanese Ships CA Kumano Aircraft Attacking: 3 x Swordfish I bombing from 5000 feet Naval Attack: 2 x 500 lb GP Bomb (Not bombs, you idiots!! There are 120 torpedo points in two HQs at Singers, and you load bombs?!!!!) Oh, well. One great attack, I can't be greedy. I think she'll make port since there are no fires, but it's a couple of months in the yards I think. Also, the turn ends with an Allied sub in the same hex as this TF, so we'll see. I expect the punishment on Singers AF will be severe tomorrow, so it's time to start the in & out shuffle with air groups. Palembang is still safe since he has not taken NW Borneo. 9) Daytime landings continue at Kuching with one 6 in. hit, but the mix of forces ashore are enough, and Kuching falls. Assaulting units: 2nd Engineer Regiment II./4th Infantry Battalion 2nd Recon Regiment I./4th Infantry Battalion 15th Naval Guard Unit 8th JNAF Coy Defending units: Sarawak Force 2/15 Punjab Bn /2 106th RN Base Force Sarawak Force surrenders; the other two retreat. I may be able to rope them into defense of the other two bases depending on which way they went. 10) Yesterday I got an intel in open water near Manado. I had a sub nearby, so I set up a thing I call the "Three-Point-Play." This name is a memory device I use to remind me to do these every so often, especilaly in the early game., A TPP is a USN fleet boat with duds being zoned to hit three unattacked hexes in a triangle, not to attack but to recon. The middle legs should if possible cover choke points or straits, and the legs can be fairly long. The point is to use the fleet boat's amazing station-keeping time and not worry so much about attacking anything. For that I try to have a Dutch sub or an S-boat in the general region I can vector onto a contact. I do TPPs near the Celebes, near Ambon, near Balikpapan, and near Port Blair, among others. This time I figured my intel was a landing TF, so I set up the boat to call at Ternate, Manado, and then at Morotai. I guessed wrong by making Ternate stop #1, as he hit Manado hard. The CD gunners do well, applying enough hits to probably sink one of the xAKLs after the unload, and heavily damaging another. This TF will need a second day to unload. I think I can get the fleet boat there by then. 11) Christmas Island holds for a second day. Surprise, surprise. 51st Naval Guard unit drew a 1:2 and took twice the casualties the defenders did. 12) In China generally, Japan shifts even more to city bombing, focusing on Changsha to a fair degree. Little damge is recorded, so perhaps this is also recon. Last turn I noticed that a lone Japanese LCU had entered Changsha's hex. I did not know what it was, but I fugured it had to be something pretty stiff to do that. I am blind in China now, but my rough data showed a stack of four LCUs one hex to the east on the road, approaching. Changsha has about 13,000 supply, Forts 4, and is stockpiling everything it makes. Its defenders are all at about 50% TOE or less, in a couple of cases much less, but last turn I also spent PPs to ugrade two corps commanders from low-30s to low-60s on Land skill. I figured I had one turn's chance, and I wanted to jerk the Japanese around, make them gun shy, and buy me a few more days of "look over here!" for my escapees to march. Chinese troops can fight when supplied and led. I knew it was a dice roll, but I took it. The Chinese army does not disappoint. Ground combat at Changsha (82,52) Allied Shock attack Attacking force 59860 troops, 385 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 1783 Defending force 5584 troops, 38 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 194 Allied adjusted assault: 3921 Japanese adjusted defense: 17 Allied assault odds: 230 to 1 Combat modifiers Defender: terrain(+), op mode(-), leaders(+), disruption(-) supply(-) Attacker: shock(+) Japanese ground losses: 5482 casualties reported Squads: 221 destroyed, 28 disabled Non Combat: 56 destroyed, 46 disabled Engineers: 6 destroyed, 2 disabled Guns lost 27 (18 destroyed, 9 disabled) Units retreated 1 Allied ground losses: 445 casualties reported Squads: 1 destroyed, 53 disabled Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 5 disabled Engineers: 1 destroyed, 20 disabled Defeated Japanese Units Retreating! Assaulting units: 72nd Chinese Corps 74th Chinese Corps 58th Chinese Corps 10th Chinese Corps 73rd Chinese Corps 4th Chinese Corps 78th Chinese Corps 26th Chinese Corps 5th Construction Regiment 9th War Area 30th Group Army 29th Group Army 17th Chinese Base Force Defending units: 14th Ind.Mixed Brigade GUNG HO!!!!! It was a good day.

CaptBeefheart -> RE: Nothing Up My Sleeve: Magical Moose Tricks--Bullwinkle58 vs.1EyedJacks (11/1/2012 8:57:49 AM)
Holy anticlimax, Batman! With that send up, I was expecting half the KB sunk, or the Mutsu and Nagato slayed by His Excellency the Prince of Wales. [:)] Seriously, in December 1941 a brigade shredded (unlucky op mode failure there) by the Chinese, a few AKs sunk and a CA seriously damaged is none too shabby. Cheers, CC

Encircled -> RE: Nothing Up My Sleeve: Magical Moose Tricks--Bullwinkle58 vs.1EyedJacks (11/1/2012 10:51:16 AM)
Good turn that I don't understand putting capital ships in range of the Torpedo bombers. Its just not necessary

obvert -> RE: Nothing Up My Sleeve: Magical Moose Tricks--Bullwinkle58 vs.1EyedJacks (11/1/2012 11:50:13 AM)
quote: ORIGINAL: Encircled Good turn that I don't understand putting capital ships in range of the Torpedo bombers. Its just not necessary Often in the early days as the IJ it is very necessary unless you like losing APs filled with troops. Many things could have gone wrong with his LR CAP or how fast the TF was moving, but it's obviously not ideal as it turned out. But this is exactly where the Allied player has to be prepared, as the Moose was here, and take what is offered. It could have turned out very differently though if 10 zeros were hovering over that TF.

DOCUP -> RE: Nothing Up My Sleeve: Magical Moose Tricks--Bullwinkle58 vs.1EyedJacks (11/1/2012 1:15:20 PM)
Way to go Bull. You are doing well in your PBEM debut. Keep it up.

Encircled -> RE: Nothing Up My Sleeve: Magical Moose Tricks--Bullwinkle58 vs.1EyedJacks (11/1/2012 1:47:12 PM)
Oh, I take your point Obvert (and as an AFB, I really don't know the Japanese OOB at all) but the desire to press on as fast as possible appears to be making players take risks. There are enough air assets around to ensure any invasions in Allied TB range have decent CAP (at least I think there is).

Bullwinkle58 -> RE: Nothing Up My Sleeve: Magical Moose Tricks--Bullwinkle58 vs.1EyedJacks (11/1/2012 2:01:36 PM)
quote: ORIGINAL: Commander Cody Holy anticlimax, Batman! With that send up, I was expecting half the KB sunk, or the Mutsu and Nagato slayed by His Excellency the Prince of Wales. [:)] Seriously, in December 1941 a brigade shredded (unlucky op mode failure there) by the Chinese, a few AKs sunk and a CA seriously damaged is none too shabby. Cheers, CC I have said elsewhere before that my best days playing against Japan and the AI always came when I hit or sank an IJN CA. I get pooh-poohed on this by BB fanbois, but I stand by it. Ton for ton no ships in Japan's inventory are more useful and flexible than the heavy cruisers, and they don't get any more. BBs are fuel pigs. When damaged they take half of forever to fix. Some of them are slow. Their AA upgrades take the other half of forever. CAs can stand with a carrier TF. They can raid with no fear of anything but BBs and TBs. They can run when they have to. They soak up shells at landing beaches and suppress CD. Also, they are the prettiest ships Japan ever designed. So it's fun to sink them. [:)] I am also, at base, a sub guy. I love my subs. I spend inordinate amounts of time cosseting them, moving them, looking at their COs, many of whom are boyhood pals of mine. I knew about Mush Morton before I ever heard of Mickey Mantle. So when they do well I am happy. A lot of this AAR will talk about subs. It is my feeling that many PBEMs who decry subs in the game just don't play them very well. I hope to change the perception that they can't gut Japan's economy, as they did in RL.

Bullwinkle58 -> RE: Nothing Up My Sleeve: Magical Moose Tricks--Bullwinkle58 vs.1EyedJacks (11/1/2012 2:02:30 PM)
quote: ORIGINAL: Encircled Good turn that I don't understand putting capital ships in range of the Torpedo bombers. Its just not necessary Mike told me in e-mail that in previous games he found their initial training was not sufficient for them to get hits.

Bullwinkle58 -> RE: Nothing Up My Sleeve: Magical Moose Tricks--Bullwinkle58 vs.1EyedJacks (11/1/2012 2:05:30 PM)
quote: ORIGINAL: obvert quote: ORIGINAL: Encircled Good turn that I don't understand putting capital ships in range of the Torpedo bombers. Its just not necessary Often in the early days as the IJ it is very necessary unless you like losing APs filled with troops. Many things could have gone wrong with his LR CAP or how fast the TF was moving, but it's obviously not ideal as it turned out. But this is exactly where the Allied player has to be prepared, as the Moose was here, and take what is offered. It could have turned out very differently though if 10 zeros were hovering over that TF. Very true, although as Chickenboy has pointed out, he has not taken NW Borneo yet. To be operatiung that close to Sumatra and Singers with the closest Zero base being Saigon or KB is pretty out there. I have intel that he's building an AF at Miri, and he has a few Oscars either there or Brunei, but he hasn't managed to get more than six airborne at once to face my B-17s, and most days it's two.

Bullwinkle58 -> RE: Nothing Up My Sleeve: Magical Moose Tricks--Bullwinkle58 vs.1EyedJacks (11/1/2012 2:06:01 PM)
quote: ORIGINAL: DOCUP Way to go Bull.� You are doing well in your PBEM debut.� Keep it up. Thanks. Very early though. Planning offense is a lot harder than this.

BBfanboy -> RE: Nothing Up My Sleeve: Magical Moose Tricks--Bullwinkle58 vs.1EyedJacks (11/1/2012 3:25:10 PM)
quote: ORIGINAL: Bullwinkle58 quote: ORIGINAL: Commander Cody Holy anticlimax, Batman! With that send up, I was expecting half the KB sunk, or the Mutsu and Nagato slayed by His Excellency the Prince of Wales. [:)] Seriously, in December 1941 a brigade shredded (unlucky op mode failure there) by the Chinese, a few AKs sunk and a CA seriously damaged is none too shabby. Cheers, CC I have said elsewhere before that my best days playing against Japan and the AI always came when I hit or sank an IJN CA. I get pooh-poohed on this by BB fanbois, but I stand by it. Ton for ton no ships in Japan's inventory are more useful and flexible than the heavy cruisers, and they don't get any more. BBs are fuel pigs. When damaged they take half of forever to fix. Some of them are slow. Their AA upgrades take the other half of forever. CAs can stand with a carrier TF. They can raid with no fear of anything but BBs and TBs. They can run when they have to. They soak up shells at landing beaches and suppress CD. Also, they are the prettiest ships Japan ever designed. So it's fun to sink them. [:)] I am also, at base, a sub guy. I love my subs. I spend inordinate amounts of time cosseting them, moving them, looking at their COs, many of whom are boyhood pals of mine. I knew about Mush Morton before I ever heard of Mickey Mantle. So when they do well I am happy. A lot of this AAR will talk about subs. It is my feeling that many PBEMs who decry subs in the game just don't play them very well. I hope to change the perception that they can't gut Japan's economy, as they did in RL. Hey, I love BBs for the awesome power of their guns, but you'll get no disagreement from me about CAs, especially the Japanese ones. Their gunnery and torpedo work is excellent, and the Atagos even have depth charges which they use on a par with the IJN's best DDs. [ Historically they had DCs, but to place such a valuable ship at risk and try to outmanuever a sub that can turn almost on its own length is just not realistic]. Only their AA seems to be weak. Although this game seems to treat the Mogami class [Suzuya is one] as a bit fragile, they were in fact pretty tough. Witness the collision and bombing that Mogami had at Midway and managed to survive. http://ww2db.com/image.php?image_id=13663 Then she survived bomb damage in the raid on Rabaul [or was it Truk?]. Repaired again she survived [barely] the hurricane of shells at Surigao Strait, collided with Nachi on retirement, and then was finally sunk by follow up bombing by carrier aircraft. Kumano displayed similar toughness after damage in the Battle off Samar and warded off dozens of attacks by aircraft and subs before torpedo bombers finally got her weeks later in a small port. [&o] http://ww2db.com/ship_spec.php?ship_id=C41 Even Halsey gave her his grudging admiration.

Canoerebel -> RE: Nothing Up My Sleeve: Magical Moose Tricks--Bullwinkle58 vs.1EyedJacks (11/1/2012 4:08:19 PM)
In all of my PBEM games, I declared "national holidays" whenever I sank a Japanese CA. Not a BB. Not a CV. Those heavy cruisers are the backbone of the Japanese navy, and there are only 18 of them.

Q-Ball -> RE: Nothing Up My Sleeve: Magical Moose Tricks--Bullwinkle58 vs.1EyedJacks (11/1/2012 4:43:10 PM)
quote: ORIGINAL: Canoerebel In all of my PBEM games, I declared "national holidays" whenever I sank a Japanese CA. Not a BB. Not a CV. Those heavy cruisers are the backbone of the Japanese navy, and there are only 18 of them. I sort-of agree; I think the Kongos are the most useful non-CV ships in the IJN, since they have the same multi-role flexibility as the CAs.....they are just bigger. But point taken. The IJN CAs are very valuable. Much more so than the IJN CLs, which are much, much less combat capable.

Chickenboy -> RE: Nothing Up My Sleeve: Magical Moose Tricks--Bullwinkle58 vs.1EyedJacks (11/1/2012 4:55:25 PM)
In one of my scenario Coral Sea PBEM games, Furutaka was detached from her surface task force near the tip of P/NG and vectored towards an American SCTF that was approaching. In a series of running night engagements, she single handedly sank Minneapolis and another CA with torpedoes and brutalized another 2-3 escorting DDs. She was a force of nature. I loves me some Jap heavy cruisers. [&o] As an aside, in addition to-of course-any Allied carrier (particularly early war 'name recognition' types), I always enjoy sinking the Minneapolis. It's my poke in the eye of classic Minnesotan passive-aggressive behavior.

BBfanboy -> RE: Nothing Up My Sleeve: Magical Moose Tricks--Bullwinkle58 vs.1EyedJacks (11/1/2012 6:22:17 PM)
quote: ORIGINAL: Chickenboy ... I always enjoy sinking the Minneapolis. It's my poke in the eye of classic Minnesotan passive-aggressive behavior. Sounds pretty passive-agressive when you write that! Is this an example of (gasp) state-ism? Is that even legal since the (un)Civil War?

Bullwinkle58 -> RE: Nothing Up My Sleeve: Magical Moose Tricks--Bullwinkle58 vs.1EyedJacks (11/1/2012 7:52:39 PM)
quote: ORIGINAL: Chickenboy In one of my scenario Coral Sea PBEM games, Furutaka was detached from her surface task force near the tip of P/NG and vectored towards an American SCTF that was approaching. In a series of running night engagements, she single handedly sank Minneapolis and another CA with torpedoes and brutalized another 2-3 escorting DDs. She was a force of nature. I loves me some Jap heavy cruisers. [&o] As an aside, in addition to-of course-any Allied carrier (particularly early war 'name recognition' types), I always enjoy sinking the Minneapolis. It's my poke in the eye of classic Minnesotan passive-aggressive behavior. I'm transplanted Minnesotan, so I'd give you Minneapolis if I could have Boise back. My biggest regret in the game so far.

Bullwinkle58 -> RE: Nothing Up My Sleeve: Magical Moose Tricks--Bullwinkle58 vs.1EyedJacks (11/2/2012 6:54:35 PM)
December 22, 1941 Tricks, Few Treats A workmanlike turn. I don't always have insightful things to say, and I'm finding out that in AAR land you can quickly wear out the "Hey! Look at this!" factor. Some days you just grind the grain, and so does he. This was one of those. It won't be the last. That said, this turn, which straddled Halloween and was delayed by me running every five minutes to the front door to see the kids while GOTP handed out the loot, let me play with two ideas I thought might work. One did, one didn't. By forum rules these should go in The War Room, but I really don't want to talk in public about them right now. 1) First, the Didn't. From the very first turn I have had a halo of Japanese subs hanging around Pearl. They have moved now and then on the south and SW sides, but to the north I have had at least four in one hex every day, and one hex to the SE three. I pulled my ASW TFs in to regroup since I was getting attacks but no hits, and had suffered a few losses. I also sent my lone APD, with an ASW rating of 6, in from San Diego, and APD Waters had arrived last turn. So what I did was this: I formed a minelaying TF of two layers and three DDs for cover, loaded a grand total of five mines (all I have), and ordered them dumped at sea, in deep water, right on top of the four-sub hex. I also formed a 3-ship ASW TF with USS Waters and two 2-rated DDs into the hex with three subs. My hope was Japan would see the mine symbol appear, not know there were only five bad boys, and shift the four in with the three just as my 6-rated APD ran out of Pearl into a 7-sub hex. I know mines in deep water have the lifespan of a banana, but it was only five and an experiment. I don't know if he didn't see the symbol, didn't care, or what, but the four subs didn't move. To the SE, Waters did attract attention, but it was sameo, sameo. ASW attack near Pearl Harbor at 181,106 Japanese Ships SS I-5 Allied Ships APD Waters DD Aylwin DD Monaghan SS I-5 launches 2 torpedoes at APD Waters I-5 diving deep .... 2) The second experiment went better. In this beta patch Michael has added a Coastal routing switch. It can be combined with the other old ones such as "Direct." When engaged it auto-routes a TF through shallow water if it's available, all the way to the destination. There's no limit as there would be with waypoints, and it's one-click fast. Since I have no air search left in the PI, but I do have PTs, I thought I could use them for search with the Coastal switch. I ordered my Manila PTs to go to Laoag, on Coastal. They went up the coast hitting every port hex on the way with React=1 set. I got a look in every port on the west coast, and they found a couple of TFs. Night Time Surface Combat, near Laoag at 81,71, Range 3,000 Yards THIS IS ONE HEX PAST LAOAG, SO REACT WORKED Japanese Ships CL Natori CL Kuma DD Satsuki DD Minazuki Allied Ships MTB 7 MTB 8 MTB 9 MTB 10 MTB 11 MTB 12 MTB 26 MTB 27 No hits gained, but I know not to send my Lonesome Duo of old DDs up here. I think this coastal tactic has promise in a lot of areas of the map, and not just with PT boats. 3) My other PI PT TF, using similar tactics, found this: Day Time Surface Combat, near Laoag at 81,72, Range 18,000 Yards Japanese Ships DD Harukaze DD Matsukaze DD Hatakaze DMS W-15 xAK Akiura Maru xAK Kazuura Maru xAK Kumagawa Maru xAK Keiyo Maru xAK Tatukami Maru xAK Okiyu Maru xAK Kotoku Maru xAK Takaoka Maru xAK Atlas Maru xAK Kamoi Maru xAK Shinyubari Maru Allied Ships PT-31 PT-32 PT-33 PT-34 PT-35 PT-41 [image]local://upfiles/31387/A12A1229D11E49DEA6713F01E2316750.jpg[/image] This is intel I would not have otherwise gotten. I don't know where this force is going. It can unlaod safely up-country, but then it has to march to Lingayan, Iba, or Clark. Or, it could be headed for Lingayan, which is my hope since it is mined pretty well and just went to Forts 2. I don't know if the Japanese have seen a mine symbol on Lingayan; I don't think they've been in the hex yet. Regardless, this TF is large enough to contain the main Clark/Manila/Bataan nut-crackers. Any licks I can get in at sea would be useful. 4) At Menado he unloads, I shoot back. CD fire almost certainly does enough damage to sink an xAKL. I think it's the one also damaged yesterday. My Three-Point-Play sub, USS Seadragon, arrives, fires two fish, misses. CDR Ferrall has had enough of this foolishness, so he does a battle surface and unloads the ready-ammo lockers into the hapless Japanese merchantman. Submarine attack near Manado at 75,99 Japanese Ships xAKL Amakasu Maru, Shell hits 49, heavy fires, heavy damage Allied Ships SS Seadragon, hits 1 xAKL Amakasu Maru is sighted by SS Seadragon SS Seadragon attacking xAKL Amakasu Maru on the surface SS Seadragon low on gun ammo, Ferrall, W.E. breaks off surface engagement and submerges 5) My subs work it, scoring no hits but not letting him forget they're there. Seal shoots at CL Kuma near Laoag, KXII lurks in the harbor at Patani, S-36 escapes ASW attack near Kuching. I have many subs, formerly out of Manila, transiting to new homes in Pearl, Brisbane, Batavia (I saved one AS from the carnage), Soerbaja, and Singers. A few have 25% damge or a bit more, but all will make it. I expect a second wave of patrols to be more focused, less reactionary to landings, and with some new COs. I also flush AS Canopus out of Manila's yard, very damaged, heading for Balikpapan. I'd give her a 10% chance, but it's possible he has pulled all air off naval attack at this point. I haven't seen the MKB in about a week. Manila still has two merchants in the yards, too hurt to run. He has shifted to AF bombing, so if they get patched up before he arrives I'll flush them too. 6) The expected pounding of Singers comes, preceeded by two sweeps where I lose five more Buffalo. I have moved the Blenheims to Palembang, but leave the TBs one more turn before beginning the shuttle, in case his wounded CAs are still in range. Air search loses them though; the TBs don't fly and I lose one and have another damaged. He bombs from 15,000 ft. The vector looks like KB. I'm mulling whether a B-17 strike would be an acceptable trade-off over an extra day on Miri. I don't think KB is overstacked, but he has some planes there. His damage numbers today at Singers give me hope of some ops losses: Morning Air attack on Singapore , at 50,84 Weather in hex: Heavy cloud Raid detected at 58 NM, estimated altitude 15,000 feet. Estimated time to target is 22 minutes Japanese aircraft G3M2 Nell x 33 Allied aircraft no flights Japanese aircraft losses G3M2 Nell: 14 damaged G3M2 Nell: 1 destroyed by flak Allied aircraft losses Swordfish I: 1 damaged Swordfish I: 1 destroyed on ground S.19 Singapore III: 1 damaged Buffalo I: 5 damaged Airbase hits 5 Airbase supply hits 1 Runway hits 8 7) In the PI he shifts to Clark, knowing now that Manila has no CAP. He hits Clark hard, sending 61 bombers and 34 Zeros. This Airbase hits 36 Airbase supply hits 7 Runway hits 95 says CAP's days are numbered at Clark. I have a lot of engineers working there, but more forts may be a 2 steps forward, 1 step back proposition now. A second strike of 21 bombers does 15 more runway hits. 8) Rangoon is Oscar-swept, but CAP is not there. I expect this exploratory surgery will lead to a heavy strike tomorrow, probably from Bangkok. 9) In China, Changsha AF is hit again, losses focusing on supply. Other air attacks focus on troops in motion. 10) At Ichang I had moved in several LCUs to see if I could make some noise and perhaps take this normally easy early target. But I waited too long and he got there first. I pay for it. Ground combat at Ichang (83,48) Japanese Deliberate attack Attacking force 15183 troops, 116 guns, 42 vehicles, Assault Value = 589 Defending force 14309 troops, 77 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 432 Japanese adjusted assault: 235 Allied adjusted defense: 61 Japanese assault odds: 3 to 1 Combat modifiers Defender: leaders(+), preparation(-), morale(-), experience(-) supply(-) Attacker: Japanese ground losses: 483 casualties reported Squads: 2 destroyed, 17 disabled Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 3 disabled Engineers: 0 destroyed, 4 disabled Guns lost 3 (1 destroyed, 2 disabled) Allied ground losses: 6770 casualties reported Squads: 185 destroyed, 0 disabled Non Combat: 297 destroyed, 2 disabled Engineers: 5 destroyed, 2 disabled Guns lost 9 (8 destroyed, 1 disabled) Units retreated 3 These units will head for the border now. Down SE of Ichang one hex I had one LCU pinned up against the river, unable to move in any direction. I order a break-out attack, not expecting much, and do a bit better. Ground combat at 84,48 (near Ichang) Allied Deliberate attack Attacking force 9649 troops, 75 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 234 Defending force 2155 troops, 8 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 97 Allied adjusted assault: 99 Japanese adjusted defense: 27 Allied assault odds: 3 to 1 Combat modifiers Defender: terrain(+), leaders(+), fatigue(-), experience(-) Attacker: leaders(+), leaders(-) Japanese ground losses: 664 casualties reported Squads: 34 destroyed, 6 disabled Non Combat: 12 destroyed, 7 disabled Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled Guns lost 1 (1 destroyed, 0 disabled) Units retreated 1 Allied ground losses: 103 casualties reported Squads: 1 destroyed, 29 disabled Non Combat: 1 destroyed, 2 disabled Engineers: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled Defeated Japanese Units Retreating! Assaulting units: 30th Chinese Corps Defending units: 11th RGC Temp. Division 11) Vacant Wuchow is taken. 12) In the mountains, on the rail line near Chengting, he tries again. The Chinese hold. Supply is low, but morale and disruption are very good considering the pace of combat. Losses are relatively even: Japanese ground losses: 137 casualties reported Squads: 1 destroyed, 15 disabled Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled Allied ground losses: 249 casualties reported Squads: 1 destroyed, 36 disabled Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 29 disabled Engineers: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled Guns lost 9 (3 destroyed, 6 disabled) 13) Bojangles falls. Defenders retreat north. Only the 146th Inf. Reg. attacks. I had thought there were base forces too. 14) At Moulmein he gallops a tank unit in solo and defeats my three small units "just passing through" on the way to Pegu/Rangoon. One of these I need to reform a larger unit. They take stiff losses, but retreat closer to their goal. Ground combat at Moulmein (55,55) Japanese Deliberate attack Attacking force 525 troops, 0 guns, 80 vehicles, Assault Value = 46 Defending force 1369 troops, 3 guns, 1 vehicles, Assault Value = 43 Japanese adjusted assault: 40 Allied adjusted defense: 11 Japanese assault odds: 3 to 1 (fort level 0) Japanese forces CAPTURE Moulmein !!! Combat modifiers Defender: terrain(+), leaders(-), preparation(-), morale(-) experience(-) Attacker: Allied ground losses: 710 casualties reported Squads: 9 destroyed, 13 disabled Non Combat: 13 destroyed, 7 disabled Engineers: 6 destroyed, 1 disabled Guns lost 2 (1 destroyed, 1 disabled) Vehicles lost 1 (1 destroyed, 0 disabled) Units retreated 3 Defeated Allied Units Retreating! Assaulting units: 14th Tank Regiment Defending units: Tenasserim BAF Battalion 6th Burma Rifles Battalion 108th RAF Base Force 15) Vacant Taiping in Malaysia falls. I have ordered the Aussies at Mersing to fall back to Johore Bahru, leaving Mersing empty but mined. Malaysia is almost empy of Allied forces now, with only a couple of trailing refugees trying to reach the railhead at Temuloh, and the lone unit standing by at Malacca, holding the door. If he comes in at Mersing I won't have much time, but if he comes down from KB by rail I may get Singers to Forts 4 + 50% or so. 16) My complete carrier TFs at San Diego need five days to fully repair. I have not made any decisions as to deployments.

Chickenboy -> RE: Nothing Up My Sleeve: Magical Moose Tricks--Bullwinkle58 vs.1EyedJacks (11/6/2012 3:51:39 PM)
Bump from mid-page 2 purgatory... [;)] A little reminder of how to be a submariner: 1. Buy a steel dumpster, paint it gray inside and out, and live in it for six months. 2. Run all the pipes and wires in your house exposed on the walls. 3. Repaint your entire house every month. 4. Renovate your bathroom. Build a wall across the middle of the bathtub and move the shower head to chest level. When you take showers, make sure you turn off the water while you soap down. 5. Put lube oil in your humidifier and set it on high. 6. Once a week, blow compressed air up your chimney, making sure the wind carries the soot onto your neighbor�s house. Ignore his complaints. 7. Once a month, take all major appliances apart and then reassemble them. 8. Raise the thresholds and lower the headers of your front and back door so that you either trip or bang your head every time you pass through them. 9. Disassemble and inspect your lawnmower every week. 10. On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, turn your water heater temperature up to 200 degrees. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, turn the water heater off. On Saturdays and Sundays tell your family they use too much water during the week, so no bathing will be allowed. 11. Raise your bed to within 6� of the ceiling, so you can�t turn over without getting out and then getting back in. 12. Sleep on the shelf in your closet. Replace the closet door with a curtain. Have your spouse whip open the curtain about 3 hours after you go to sleep, shine a flashlight in your eyes, and say �Sorry, wrong rack.� 13. Make your family qualify to operate each appliance in your house -dishwasher operator, blender technician, etc. 14. Have your neighbor come over each day at 0500, blow a whistle so loud Helen Keller could hear it, and shout �Reveille, reveille, all hands heave out and trice up.� 15. Have your mother-in-law write down everything she�s going to do the following day, then have her make you stand in your back yard at 0600 while she reads it to you. 16. Submit a request chit to your father-in-law requesting permission to leave your house before 1500. 17. Empty all the garbage bins in your house and sweep the driveway three times a day, whether it needs it or not. 18. Have your neighbor collect all your mail for a month, read your magazines, and randomly lose every 5th item before delivering it to you. 19. Watch no TV except for movies played in the middle of the night. Have your family vote on which movie to watch, then show a different one. 20. When your children are in bed, run into their room with a megaphone shouting that your home is under attack and ordering them to their battle stations. (Now general quarters, general quarters, all hands man your battle stations.) 21. Make your family menu a week ahead of time without consulting the pantry or refrigerator. 22. Post a menu on the kitchen door informing your family that they are having steak for dinner. Then make them wait in line for an hour. When they finally get to the kitchen, tell them you are out of steak, but they can have dried ham or hot dogs. Repeat daily until they ignore the menu and just ask for hot dogs. 23. Bake a cake . Prop up one side of the pan so the cake bakes unevenly. Spread icing real thick to level it off. 24. Get up every night around midnight and have a peanut butter and jelly sandwich on stale bread. (midrats) 25. Set your alarm clock to go off at random during the night. At the alarm, jump up and dress as fast as you can, making sure to button your top shirt button and tuck your pants into your socks. Run out into the backyard and uncoil the garden hose. 26. Every week or so, throw your cat or dog in the pool and shout �Man overboard port side!� Rate your family members on how fast they respond. 27. Put the headphones from your stereo on your head, but don�t plug them in. Hang a paper cup around your neck on a string. Stand in front of the stove, and speak into the paper cup �Stove manned and ready.� After an hour or so, speak into the cup again �Stove secured.� Roll up the headphones and paper cup and stow them in a shoebox. 28. Place a podium at the end of your driveway. Have your family stand watches at the podium, rotating at 4 hour intervals. This is best done when the weather is worst. January is a good time. 29. When there is a thunderstorm in your area, get a wobbly rocking chair, sit in it and rock as hard as you can until you become nauseous. Make sure to have a supply of stale crackers in your shirt pocket. 30. For former engineers: bring your lawn mower into the living room, and run it all day long. 31. Make coffee using eighteen scoops of budget priced coffee grounds per pot, and allow the pot to simmer for 5 hours before drinking. 32. Have someone under the age of ten give you a haircut with sheep shears. 33. Sew the back pockets of your jeans on the front. 34. Lock yourself and your family in the house for six weeks. Tell them that at the end of the 6th week you are going to take them to Disney World for �liberty.� At the end of the 6th week, inform them the trip to Disney World has been canceled because they need to get ready for an inspection, and it will be another week before they can leave the house. 35. Invite your neighbors over and given them directions to get to different parts of your home referring only to Bulkheads, Overheads, Decks, Ladder-ways, Hatches

Bullwinkle58 -> RE: Nothing Up My Sleeve: Magical Moose Tricks--Bullwinkle58 vs.1EyedJacks (11/6/2012 4:06:34 PM)
Thanks, CB. That list is legendary on Usenet. And not too far off the mark. The game slowed Friday/Sat. as Mike had a weekend emergency at work which led to all-nighters. Sunday he recovered and did honey-dos while I recovered from two days of putting the yard to bed for the winter. Plus football for both of us. I did the turn and have the movie as of this AM. I'm going to vote, then will update. (He's trying e-mail psyops, and it's working, a little.)

BBfanboy -> RE: Nothing Up My Sleeve: Magical Moose Tricks--Bullwinkle58 vs.1EyedJacks (11/6/2012 4:33:19 PM)
[:D] Sounds about right - but weren't there parties stimulated with "torpedo juice"? [sm=party-smiley-012.gif]

BBfanboy -> RE: Nothing Up My Sleeve: Magical Moose Tricks--Bullwinkle58 vs.1EyedJacks (11/6/2012 4:36:41 PM)
quote: ORIGINAL: Bullwinkle58 Thanks, CB. That list is legendary on Usenet. And not too far off the mark. The game slowed Friday/Sat. as Mike had a weekend emergency at work which led to all-nighters. Sunday he recovered and did honey-dos while I recovered from two days of putting the yard to bed for the winter. Plus football for both of us. I did the turn and have the movie as of this AM. I'm going to vote, then will update. (He's trying e-mail psyops, and it's working, a little.) Re: the voting, I hope Florida has stacking limits this time around! [:-]

Bullwinkle58 -> RE: Nothing Up My Sleeve: Magical Moose Tricks--Bullwinkle58 vs.1EyedJacks (11/6/2012 6:46:59 PM)
quote: ORIGINAL: BBfanboy [:D] Sounds about right - but weren't there parties stimulated with "torpedo juice"? [sm=party-smiley-012.gif] Long ago. My boat, built in the early 60s, was designed to fire Mk 14s, and carried some in 1960s patrols. There was a make-up fuel tank in the TR about the size of an gas grill propane tank. In the 60s it was full of alcohol. Alas, in my day only air.

Bullwinkle58 -> RE: Nothing Up My Sleeve: Magical Moose Tricks--Bullwinkle58 vs.1EyedJacks (11/6/2012 9:19:49 PM)
December 23, 1941 Meh Canoerebel, recently accused of verbosity (he isn't), would write three lines about today and get out of Dodge. I am verbose, so I'll do more, but it wasn't a great day. It is, in real life, Election Day, so I want to get this done and then go into the orgy of politics the afternoon, evening, and night will be here in Frostbite Falls. (Dixsville Notch brags they're the first place in America to vote, but really it's the Falls. Rocky and I cancelled each other's votes.) I write as much as I do because I like to hear myself hold forth, yes, but also because my opponent asked me to keep notes and records so he could compare once this is over. Well, I don't do notes and records, so this has to suffice. I expect it will become more terse and probably infrequent as things get in a groove, but right now every little thing seems worth sharing, so I do. A side note: I recieved in the movie e-mail "Man - it looks like you've got one tough Christmas in 1941." Christmas Island, which withstood a THIRD day of Yellow Devil attacks? Probably not. Just a general comment? Being generous, probably. Something to come in the next 48? This is what's keeping me guessing right now. I have a suspicion. To the turn . . . 1) Not a good day to be a skimmer puke. My PTs sortie north once more, looking for the fat xAK-fest seen yesterday. The MTBs I left at home, guarding Lingayan. The PTs find a dual-CL, dual-DD horror show, and lose two obliterated. (What dev inserted that handy text string?) Retreating south they run straight into three DDs and lose another brother, leaving three to limp home. 2) DDs Pillsbury and John Ford, in the wake of the PTs and looking for merchants to justify their fuel usage, run into the same 4-ship TF and do not do well at long range. Pillsbury takes six hits and is heavily afire. Heading south the ships repeat recent history, meet the DDs. Pillsbury is sunk, and Ford is critically wounded and probably won't make Manila. Combined they score two hits on the TF. I never know the best thing to do with the four Social Security-aged DDs the PI has stationed on 12/7. Against the AI I usually get more blood out of them than this. I have never been successful running them out of theater, but maybe I should have here. Dunno. But the PI's defenders are down to a slim roster. 3) I-173 sneaks into Hilo harbor again and sinks two more xAKLs, part of a light supply-only TF sent from the WC. I still have most of the ASW forces at Pearl. I don't want to jump when he says to, but ASW is one of my hair-triggers. The gaggle of subs around Hawaii is starting to really grate. 4) S-28, part of the Great Wall of Subs west of Johnson I., puts a fish into xAK Kohoku Maru, escorted by one DD. 5) Sweeps commence, and I notice they are becoming predominently Oscars. I still see Nates once a day or so in China, but many of his China bombing missions aren't escorted. I assume the Nates are in training mode. I don't know his starting Oscar pools, but I think he can make about 45/month in Scen 2 before expansions (?) He can only have made about 20 by now, but they're beginning to be common. He sweeps Singers, Rangoon, Clark (after the bombers have come and gone.) I have one Buffalo airborne at Singers, nothing at Clark. My very first Hurricane unit is on a ship headed to Sumatra from CT, but it's three weeks out or so. AVG is at Calcutta training and waiting for the airfield to expand to 7 so I can upgrade. 6) Bombing commences. Singers Japanese aircraft A6M2 Zero x 15 G3M2 Nell x 33 Allied aircraft Buffalo I x 2 Japanese aircraft losses G3M2 Nell: 9 damaged G3M2 Nell: 1 destroyed by flak Allied aircraft losses Buffalo I: 1 damaged Airbase hits 7 Airbase supply hits 1 Runway hits 29 Clark Japanese aircraft A6M2 Zero x 34 G3M2 Nell x 7 G4M1 Betty x 48 No Japanese losses Airbase hits 21 Runway hits 42 ---------------------------- Japanese aircraft A6M2 Zero x 3 G4M1 Betty x 44 Japanese aircraft losses G4M1 Betty: 3 damaged Airbase hits 16 Airbase supply hits 2 Runway hits 47 Singers Japanese aircraft Ki-21-IIa Sally x 9 Allied aircraft Buffalo I x 1 Japanese aircraft losses Ki-21-IIa Sally: 6 damaged No Allied losses Airbase hits 1 Airbase supply hits 1 Runway hits 3 Numerous route march bombing missions in China, Malaysia, Burma. The trio retreating north from the loss of Moulmein get a nice workover in particular. In the detail is the strategy, obviously. Supply destruction, hold back forts. But there are also decent damage numbers for the Allies, and hopes of some ops losses as well as repair lulls where I can get some work in on the forts after the game insists on fixing the AFs. 7) The Miri Men swing back into action against the oil centers. Two attacks, Oscars meet both, more now, but no Forts are lost. One more point of damage is recorded. 8) In the mountains near Chengting he brings in one more LCU and fimally breaks the Chinese defenses, opening the railroad. These men bought me a week which was well used. They will make for the west as they are able. I don't have a route yet, but possibly by way of Sian. But Bravo Zulu, 35th Corps. Ground combat at 92,38 (near Chengting) Japanese Deliberate attack Attacking force 13723 troops, 93 guns, 32 vehicles, Assault Value = 483 Defending force 8561 troops, 72 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 60 Allied adjusted defense: 97 Japanese assault odds: 3 to 1 Combat modifiers Defender: terrain(+), experience(-), supply(-) Attacker: Japanese ground losses: 61 casualties reported Squads: 0 destroyed, 5 disabled Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled Allied ground losses: 2561 casualties reported Squads: 142 destroyed, 0 disabled Non Combat: 232 destroyed, 7 disabled Engineers: 8 destroyed, 1 disabled Guns lost 11 (11 destroyed, 0 disabled) Units retreated 2 Defeated Allied Units Retreating! Assaulting units: 12th Indpt Infantry Regiment 5th Armored Car Co 9th Ind.Mixed Brigade 11th Indpt Infantry Regiment 26th Engineer Regiment Defending units: 35th Chinese Corps 13th Group Army 9) As above, Christmas Island holds again at 1:1 and zero forts. Allies take 42 to 0 casualties. He may try to reinforce this attack; I should move a sub. Note: During my fiddling in entering my turn I clicked on a TF I would normally have ignored. Due west of Midway about twenty hexes is a single-ship refugee xAK from the PI. Of all the ships I flushed from the PI everything that went south died, mostly to the MKB and surface patrols. But 80% of what I sent east for Midway or Dutch survived. (USS Penguin, late of Guam, is happily ASW patrolling near Kodiak.) This plodding merchant, aimed at Midway and thence to SF, had a note on it concerning altering course to avoid surface threat. Hmm. I have no sightings anywhere near, nor intel. But the code is usually not wrong about this one. So, a Midway invasion force up to the north of my refugee? It would fit with the cordon around Hawaii idea. Midway is defended only with what came with the kit, plus two Bolos on ASW. It woudl be pretty easy to knock over right now. But it would also be one more supply headache for Japan, and easy to approach from CONUS with raiders unless heavily supplied with patrols. I should know if something is up by Christmas.

Chickenboy -> RE: Nothing Up My Sleeve: Magical Moose Tricks--Bullwinkle58 vs.1EyedJacks (11/6/2012 10:10:21 PM)
quote: ORIGINAL: Bullwinkle58 5) Sweeps commence, and I notice they are becoming predominently Oscars. I still see Nates once a day or so in China, but many of his China bombing missions aren't escorted. I assume the Nates are in training mode. I don't know his starting Oscar pools, but I think he can make about 45/month in Scen 2 before expansions (?) He can only have made about 20 by now, but they're beginning to be common. Scenario 2 grants sizeable pools for Ia, Ib and Ic models. This is helpful for immediately transitioning a few of the Nate units. Figure on ~100 / month of the Ic model after factory expansion repairs are complete, but he shouldn't realize this for at least a month of game time.

BBfanboy -> RE: Nothing Up My Sleeve: Magical Moose Tricks--Bullwinkle58 vs.1EyedJacks (11/7/2012 2:44:13 AM)
No matter what you try with those geriatric DDs, they are likely to get knocked off their walker - so why not go really bold and unexpected. If he has taken Hong Kong, send them there at full speed. Or try Takao, mines and all - those skinny DDs will likely miss them. Or maybe Cam Rahn Bay - always likely to be a lot of fat ships there. What about air attacks? Well DDs are hard to hit and much more so at full speed. Sure it's a suicide mission, but so is sitting in Manila port waiting for them to come. The Japanese may call them kamikazes, but we call them noble heros, sacrificing themselves for their comrades, God and apple pie. [;)]

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