apbarog -> RE: Did You Know I Used to Drive a Rollercoaster?: Apbarog(A) vs OPilot(J) (9/15/2018 4:29:16 AM)
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28 May 42 Things did not go as planned. Some things went better. Some worse. First cruisers Devonshire and Emerald storm into Akyab looking for shipping. They find it. Round 1: Night Time Surface Combat, near Akyab at 54,45, Range 7,000 Yards Japanese Ships TB Kari, Shell hits 2, and is sunk Allied Ships CA Devonshire CL Emerald, Shell hits 1 DD Scout DD Fortune Round 2: Night Time Surface Combat, near Akyab at 54,45, Range 9,000 Yards Japanese Ships xAK Toko Maru, Shell hits 2, Torpedo hits 4, and is sunk xAK Tamashima Maru, Shell hits 35, and is sunk xAK Rokko Maru, Shell hits 12, Torpedo hits 2, and is sunk PB Kensin Maru, Shell hits 19, and is sunk PB Kohoku Maru, Shell hits 3, heavy fires PB Manyo Maru, Shell hits 7, heavy fires Allied Ships CA Devonshire CL Emerald DD Scout DD Fortune Round 3: Night Time Surface Combat, near Akyab at 54,45, Range 8,000 Yards Japanese Ships SC Ch 18, Shell hits 1, and is sunk Allied Ships CA Devonshire CL Emerald DD Scout DD Fortune Round 4: Night Time Surface Combat, near Akyab at 54,45, Range 8,000 Yards Japanese Ships xAKL Fukuyo Maru, Shell hits 7, on fire xAKL Hachirogata Maru, Shell hits 20, and is sunk xAKL Tonegawa Maru, Shell hits 26, and is sunk xAKL Yagi Maru, Shell hits 7, and is sunk SC Ch 33, Shell hits 8, heavy fires, heavy damage Allied Ships CA Devonshire CL Emerald DD Scout DD Fortune This task force then retired towards Calcutta but stopped one hex short of the city on the river. During daybreak, it's obvious that the battleships did not bombard, and didn't stop one hex from Diamond Harbour either. They moved a few hexes towards Akyab and stopped. This put the ships at a longer range from friendly fighters, reducing the LRCAP over them. Then it becomes apparent that there are now enemy carriers one hex south of Akyab. It is the CVL task force that has been in the area off and on. Morning Air attack on TF, near Chittagong at 52,41 Weather in hex: Light cloud Raid detected at 80 NM, estimated altitude 15,000 feet. Estimated time to target is 34 minutes Japanese aircraft A6M2 Zero x 39 B5N2 Kate x 32 D3A1 Val x 7 Allied aircraft P-40E Warhawk x 46 Japanese aircraft losses A6M2 Zero: 12 destroyed B5N2 Kate: 1 destroyed, 11 damaged B5N2 Kate: 2 destroyed by flak D3A1 Val: 2 damaged Allied aircraft losses P-40E Warhawk: 6 destroyed Allied Ships BB Royal Sovereign, Torpedo hits 4, on fire, heavy damage BB Revenge, Bomb hits 2, Torpedo hits 2 BB Resolution, Bomb hits 4, Torpedo hits 3, on fire, heavy damage BB Ramillies, Torpedo hits 2, heavy damage CL Newcastle The air battle was particularly interesting to watch. The Zeros performed very well, fighting off the Warhawks and keeping them from getting to the bombers. In the afternoon, the enemy tries again. Fewer Zeros escort. Another exciting battle to watch. The Warhawks slowly go through the Zeros, on by one, until all are shot down or damaged and aborted. About 10 Warhawks remained in the fight. It looked like the British ships would be ok and we'd shoot down some bombers. A couple are damaged and suddenly the fight is over. Plenty of bombers remain. Despair. The battleships are doomed. The bombers attack. And then a stroke of luck. All of the battleships had detached with a couple of destroyers, leaving the cruisers with a small escort. And the bombers went for the cruisers. Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Chittagong at 52,41 Weather in hex: Severe storms Raid detected at 80 NM, estimated altitude 18,000 feet. Estimated time to target is 34 minutes Japanese aircraft A6M2 Zero x 20 B5N2 Kate x 28 D3A1 Val x 14 Allied aircraft P-40E Warhawk x 34 Japanese aircraft losses A6M2 Zero: 9 destroyed B5N2 Kate: 2 damaged D3A1 Val: 1 destroyed Allied aircraft losses P-40E Warhawk: 1 destroyed Allied Ships CL Newcastle, Bomb hits 3, Torpedo hits 1, heavy fires CLAA Van Heemskerck, Bomb hits 2, on fire DD Arrow Most torpedoes fired at the cruisers missed. All of the torpedoes fired at destroyer Arrow missed. If the targets had been the already damaged battleships, I could have lost them all. All of the torpedo bombers dropped their torpedoes. It was one of the most exciting battles I've ever witnessed. The highs, the lows. I laughed. I cried. Well, not quite that much. But it was awesome. It was a rollercoaster ride, and both the good and bad was enjoyable gameplay. In the graphic I show the ships' damage levels. With no further intervention, the battleship task force should get to Diamond Harbour. It may or may not disband into port. There is no fire on the battleships, if they get to port, they should survive. The cruisers should get to Calcutta, where the large port should be able to handle the damage. Flaws in the plan could include running into a sub on the way home, land-based strikes, another strike from the CVLs, or a naval bombardment of Diamond Harbour after the battleships disband there. I don't know where KB is. If OPilot had some plans on a big invasion of India or Ceylon, KB could be on the way. It's been missing from the Solomons for 2 weeks. If it was on the way, it could be in a hurry now seeing my damaged battleships, and the chance to block an escape along the coast and around Ceylon. Just speculation. But if I had KB at Singapore now, they'd come running. I have to consider what could happen, not just what I think will happen. Total air losses for today were 44 Zeros, 8 Kates and 1 Val, for the cost of 19 P-40Es. And a bunch of damaged slow British battleships. Fun turn though. [image]local://upfiles/6549/165F657E085B466F834A3DE707A2F800.gif[/image]
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