RE: Did You Know I Used to Drive a Rollercoaster?: Apbarog(A) vs OPilot(J)

RE: Did You Know I Used to Drive a Rollercoaster?: Apbarog(A) vs OPilot(J) (Full Version)

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apbarog -> RE: Did You Know I Used to Drive a Rollercoaster?: Apbarog(A) vs OPilot(J) (11/26/2019 6:35:26 AM)
29 Jun 43 Steelhead missed E-boat Yugao northwest of Ambon. Grouper fired 2 torpedoes at TK Kanzaki Maru near Tandjoengselor. One hit but was a dud. That tanker was hit by a dud torpedo from Perch back in January. Sailfish spotted a lone cargo ship, xAK Nissen Maru, west of the Sunda Straits. With no escort, the sub fought it out on the surface. Sailfish fired many torpedoes, in fact, every torpedo it had, at the cargo ship. Only one hit, and it was a dud. It did get 5 shell hits on the ship. In return, the sub was hit by 3 shells. Neither vessel was badly damaged. Seeing a long ship in that area makes me think that OPilot was emptying ports on the southern coast of Java. My armada disappeared and was headed westward. Dutch sub KXVI missed xAK Victoria Maru with two torpedoes near Donggala. Grouper then attacked the same ship, getting one torpedo hit. Two of the three P-38 squadrons at Ponape swept Truk. The first ran into 90 A6M5 Zeros and 9 Rufes. Losses were equal, at about 4 each. The next P-38 squadron met 79 Zeros and 7 Rufes and did much better. Then the Liberators started to arrive, flying at 10,000 feet. At first, there were still 54 Zeros and 6 Rufes. The CAP wasn't very effective, but the flak at Truk is very, very heavy. Several waves of B-24s came in, doing very minor base damage in severe storms. The bad weather affected the bombers' aim but not the flak gunners'. Total losses were 27 Zeros and 2 Rufes for 11 P-38s and 7 B-24s. It may be difficult to keep up constant sweeps with just 3 squadrons. A fourth is currently upgrading to P-38Hs in Australia and will move to Ponape when able. I will be able to cycle bomber squadrons, with units being able to fly all the way from Darwin to Ponape or Kusaie Islands. Major F.L. Lawlor got 2 kills over Truk, giving him a league-leading 18 kills for the campaign. Two pilots in the squadron, including Lawlor, have 90+ experience. Four pilots in the squadron have 15+ kills. The squadron commander is Major G. "Pappy" Boyington, with 4 kills. It's interesting that Captain R. Johnson has 14 kills in the squadron, and his skills are only 73 experience, 72 air and 70 defense. Recon of Soerabaja showed KB and the battleships there. Allied shipping continues to move in the general direction of Truk. I'm waiting another day for loading to start at Kusaie. If I can neutralize Truk's airfield, the enemy ships there will be vulnerable to my carrier strikes. I'm seeing enemy destroyers and cruisers, and maybe battleships, in a task force. B-24s will strike from a higher altitude from now on. Trying 16,000 feet today. The Allied carriers will get to Nauru Island today.

apbarog -> RE: Did You Know I Used to Drive a Rollercoaster?: Apbarog(A) vs OPilot(J) (11/27/2019 6:17:19 AM)
30 Jun 43 US APDs were on a fast transport supply run from Lautem to Namlea. They ran over a bunch of subs. I-26 was hit by 2 depth charges after missing APD McKean with 2 torpedoes. I-179 then torpedoed APD Manley twice, sinking her. I think that's the third APD lost to sub torpedoes near Ambon. Another hit a mine and sank. Today's raids on Truk went out of order, with the B-24s going in first. The bombers flew higher than the last mission but still ran into heavy flak at 16,000 feet. This is the heaviest concentration of flak that I've seen so far in the war. And at that altitude. Enough of that. They're flying at 25,000 feet today. We'll work our way down from there to find a sweet spot for bombing and not getting shot down. Enemy CAP was about half what it was previously. A squadron of P-38s did go in afterwards, and did well. Total air losses were 15 Zeros, 1 Rufe and 2 Emilys (ground losses), for the cost of 9 B-24s and 3 P-38s. I decided to move all of the US B-24s from Burma to Timor. The B-24Ds can go from Rangoon to Koepang, and are ordered to do so. The B-24D1s can't make it from Rangoon, but they can from Moulmein, and will transfer there tomorrow. One squadron of B-24s went to Chungking today and will bomb northeastern China. The B-24s moving to Timor will be available to augment groups hitting Truk, and will deploy to Tulagi from Timor to wait their chance to cycle through. Only so many squadrons can be supported at Ponape and Kusaie. I think I will continue moving the Truk armada to near Ponape. Then I may have the carriers sprint to a hex adjacent to Truk, while a surface group goes to Truk and stays, hoping to clear out what looks like a bunch of destroyers. I may be able to keep the sky over Truk clear, but I need to clear out the enemy combat ships before my huge transport task forces arrive. Remember, Allied naval combat strength is weak for Truk. The "A-Team" is at Port Hedland, Australia. Speaking of which, Port Hedland got 1/1 DL from all of the ships in port. With that occurring 2 days in a row, I thought it would be wise to move the ships. They'll all go to Wyndham, including the carriers. The troops will stay at Port Hedland and help build the base, and wait for the chance to invade Java. Port Hedland would be fairly easy for KB to raid. KB is at Soerabaja now. It could easily slip south, past US subs, and sneak up on Port Hedland. Bases further east on the northern Australian coast would be more difficult to surprise. It doesn't look like a Java invasion will happen soon, with KB sitting at Soerabaja. But it isn't at Truk.

CaptBeefheart -> RE: Did You Know I Used to Drive a Rollercoaster?: Apbarog(A) vs OPilot(J) (11/27/2019 8:07:16 AM)
Good luck with Truk. Not having BBs in the invasion TF to soak up rounds might be a bit problematic. Cheers, CB

apbarog -> RE: Did You Know I Used to Drive a Rollercoaster?: Apbarog(A) vs OPilot(J) (11/27/2019 5:12:48 PM)
I should have 2 slow US battleships for the landings. They are leaving Tulagi now headed north. I've slowed the pace of the armada and loadings since I think I need to clear enemy destroyers out of Truk before landing. Those 2 battleships just came out of refit at Brisbane. Another is near Tabitueua and will head towards Ponape soon. I still have a weak naval force for such a big landing. I wouldn't be surprised if there was an enemy battleship TF in the Mariannas. I do hope there isn't another carrier TF there.

apbarog -> RE: Did You Know I Used to Drive a Rollercoaster?: Apbarog(A) vs OPilot(J) (11/27/2019 8:45:46 PM)
1 Jul 43 Near Bandjermasin, S-31 fired 4 torpedoes at destroyer Onami but missed. Battleship Kirishima is spotted, with 5 destroyers. KB and the battleship task force seems to still be at Soerabaja, hidden somewhat with a poor recon, but Kirishima could be an indication of ships moving towards Truk. The battleship shouldn't need to go to Balikpapan for fuel, having been at Soerabaja. Of course, you never know when a ship is being sent back to Japan for upgrades. Swordfish hit xAK Yamagiri Maru with a torpedo just west of Formosa. Swordfish attacked the ship again later in the day, and hit it again with a torpedo, but it was a dud this time. The cargo ship is reported to be on fire with heavy damage, but is just one hex away from safety in a port on Formosa. 15 P-38Gs swept Truk, finding 40 A6M5 Zeros and 3 Rufes. Losses were about even, with 4 Zeros downed for the loss of 3 P-38s and a B-24. B-24s bombed from 25,000 feet and didn't hit much. Damaged a few planes and did very little airbase damage. Flak was surprisingly still there, but much lighter than yesterday. We're dropping down to 18,000 feet for the next missions. I had just mentioned Pappy Boyington, a squadron commander on Ponape flying missions over Truk. He got his 5th kill today. 2 elite pilots were KIA though. One had 13 kills and another had 9. This P-38 squadron is so full of elite pilots that you can't help but lose a great one when someone doesn't return. Allied carriers have split off from invasion shipping north of Nauru, and will head towards Ponape. A Fletcher destroyer group is escorting, and will be the attack group for the run into Truk in a few days.

CaptBeefheart -> RE: Did You Know I Used to Drive a Rollercoaster?: Apbarog(A) vs OPilot(J) (11/28/2019 5:53:09 AM)
Good to hear. The BBs will come in handy. Go Pappy! I'll have a wee dram of 12-year-old scotch this evening (I recall that was the most precious commodity on the TV show). Cheers, CB

apbarog -> RE: Did You Know I Used to Drive a Rollercoaster?: Apbarog(A) vs OPilot(J) (11/28/2019 7:01:55 AM)
2 Jul 43 Dutch sub KXVI fired 4 torpedoes at tanker Kanzaki Maru near Donggala. 2 torpedoes hit, and the tanker was carrying fuel towards Manado. The ship sank. Kanzaki Maru had been hit by a dud torpedo fired by Perch back in January. Some nuisance raids here and there. B-25s hit Lae for something different. No CAP there. DB-7s hit Boela. But the focus is on Truk. And today the P-38s didn't fly. About 16 B-24s attacked Truk at 18,000 feet, and found a CAP of 50 Zeros and 5 Rufes. About 4 Liberators were shot down, but there were many OPS losses on the way home and write-offs after landing. 13 B-24s were destroyed. No damage was done to the airbase. Back in the stalemate that is Burma, I'm making a maximum effort at Bangkok for the first time. I believe it has a lot of flak, and I know that it has 100 to 150 fighters. 2 new P-47 squadrons will make their first appearance flying from Tavoy. 2 F4U Corsair squadrons will sweep from Moulmein. 2 P-38 squadrons will sweep from Rangoon. Multiple B-25 squadrons will attack Bangkok's airbase from Moulmein, flying at 15,000 feet with (hopefully) 2 P-40 squadrons flying escort. Several heavy bomber squadrons will hit the heavy industry at Bangkok, flying from 10,000 feet. My plan is to show my hand in Burma, showing off my new P-47s and trying to overwhelm the enemy CAP. Killing pilots is the priority. But my plan is then to send the P-47s and F4Us back to Ceylon, where they will load up on ships and go to Australia. For me, Burma/Thailand is a stalemate that isn't going to open up without a massive land commitment, one that I don't plan on making. My excess land units from Burma are on Ceylong prepping for Sumatra now. I don't plan on doing much of anything into Thailand. So I'm pulling out my best fighters and using them where I do plan on big things, which is the move towards Java from Australia. The risk is that OPilot decides to go on the offensive from Thailand. But I think I could hold my ground without my best fighter types there. [image]local://upfiles/6549/2B1B5B5AF472414B95008DF5DF315C19.gif[/image]

apbarog -> RE: Did You Know I Used to Drive a Rollercoaster?: Apbarog(A) vs OPilot(J) (11/29/2019 4:35:38 AM)
3 Jul 43 8 British Liberator GR.IIIs fly from Roi Namur to Truk at night at 15,000 feet. They don't hit anything in heavy rain, and most are damaged by flak. The big effort at Bangkok doesn't go as planned, which is fairly normal. 14 Corsairs from Moulmein swept first, finding 78 Oscars and 33 Tonys. The Corsairs do well despite the numbers. But then 21 B-25s from Moulmein arrive, without escort, and get mauled by about 86 enemy fighters. Most are downed before dropping bombs. Then 29 B-25s from Moulmein arrive with the scheduled escort of 50 P-40s. They find 72 enemy fighters. A handful of bombers go down, and moderate damage is done to the airfield. They shoot down a Tony and destroy a few planes on the ground. Then 3 B-17s and 10 B-24s arrive at 10,000 feet, and find 63 enemy fighters. Flak downs a B-17, and one heavy industry is hit. 11 straggling B-25s come in next, and most are shot down by a still strong CAP of 40 Oscars and 13 Tonys. Then another 11 B-25s, against 41 fighters. A few planes are destroyed on the ground, with lots of damaged B-25s trying to make it home. Then the P-38s from Rangoon arrive, late, and do well, but the CAP is much reduced so not many planes are downed. 12 B-17s then hit a couple more heavy industry, then 9 more get 4 industry. Now the other Corsair squadron with 16 planes sweeps, but there's only 4 enemy fighters still up. Then 18 P-38s, and 22 P-38s, but neither group finds any enemy fighters left. So, plenty of sweepers, but they arrive after the fact. Plenty of escort, but they went with a fragment of the B-25s. Oh, and the 2 P-47 squadrons that I was so anxious to use for the first time didn't fly at all from Tavoy. That would have helped also. Damaged planes at Moulmein rail back to Rangoon, including a Corsair squadron, which will then fly to Ceylon to load on ships to go to Australia. The P-47 squadrons flew back to Port Blair, and will continue on to Ceylon for loading also. The Banjoewangi and Denpassar invasion shipping moved east to Wyndham and refueled, along with the carriers. They are ordered back to Port Hedland. They will be ready to restart the postponed Java landing if KB turns up elsewhere. Another recon of Soerabaja shows that KB is no longer there. If it went with Kirishima to the north the other day, it could be approaching Babeldaob now, assuming normal speed. Recon is ordered for Babeldaob today. With what's about to happen at Truk, if KB is near Babeldaob, it'll come running, and I won't have time to do the actual invasion of Truk. What may happen is that KB comes to Truk after seeing today's action. I kick off the Java related invasions. KB goes back to Java. I kick off the Truk invasion. KB goes back to Truk. I kick off the Celebes invasion. That would be something, wouldn't it? [image]local://upfiles/6549/86FE2C67A82D491C851DB7C19CF1F9DC.gif[/image]

apbarog -> RE: Did You Know I Used to Drive a Rollercoaster?: Apbarog(A) vs OPilot(J) (11/29/2019 6:15:40 PM)
Don't have today's turn yet. My gut is telling me that KB is on the way to Truk and that there isn't time to invade it. I'll look at today's turn, and see if there is any confirmation of this, but given no further indications, I think I won't load the 3rd division from Ponape, and I'll unload the other 2 divisions and support at Kusaie. It'll overstack Kusaie, but I have plenty of supply, and I don't think the delay will be long. Just until I draw KB back to Java. My Truk invasion would have had time, I think, if I had moved immediately, but I have weak naval support, and there's enemy combat ships at Truk. I thought it would be wise to clear them out. Let's see how that worked out today, once I get the turn.

BBfanboy -> RE: Did You Know I Used to Drive a Rollercoaster?: Apbarog(A) vs OPilot(J) (11/29/2019 7:19:53 PM)
quote: apbarog: My gut is telling me ... Given the RL date, would it be "talking turkey" then? [image]local://upfiles/35791/871EFD3C730343FC8E4B1CD6AB9AC083.gif[/image]

apbarog -> RE: Did You Know I Used to Drive a Rollercoaster?: Apbarog(A) vs OPilot(J) (11/30/2019 7:25:43 AM)
4 Jul 43 Some fireworks for the 4th. US Fletcher task force storms into Truk, looking for the big enemy destroyer task force. That wasn't what was there. Night Time Surface Combat, near Truk at 112,108, Range 7,000 Yards Japanese Ships BB Fuso, Shell hits 2 BB Yamashiro, Shell hits 1 BB Ise, Shell hits 2 BB Hyuga, Shell hits 2 CL Kuma DD Satsuki DD Minazuki DD Fumizuki DD Nagatsuki, Shell hits 7, heavy fires, heavy damage Allied Ships DD Anthony, Shell hits 10, and is sunk DD Beale, Shell hits 1 DD Converse, Shell hits 1 DD Conway, Shell hits 1 DD Cony, Shell hits 2 DD Hutchins, Shell hits 4, on fire DD LaVallette, Shell hits 1 DD Philip, Shell hits 10, and is sunk DD Pringle US destroyers fired torpedoes at battleships about 5 times, but all missed. Some shell hits on the battleships, but that wasn't going to do anything. One enemy destroyer badly hurt. The US destroyers retreated to the southeast. I had the task force set to patrol. In the past, I would have ordered them full speed to Truk as the destination, but I've found that they don't engage much if there are multiple task forces. They tended to engage once (and that could be a patrol boat), and head for home. I wanted them to really go after the enemy destroyers. Well, they really went after the enemy, but they weren't destroyers. The seven remaining DDs move back to Truk, still at night, and try again. Night Time Surface Combat, near Truk at 112,108, Range 11,000 Yards Japanese Ships BB Fuso, Shell hits 2 BB Yamashiro, Shell hits 1 BB Ise, Shell hits 1 BB Hyuga, Shell hits 2 CL Kuma DD Satsuki DD Minazuki DD Fumizuki, Shell hits 1 Allied Ships DD Beale DD Converse DD Conway, Shell hits 2 DD Cony DD Hutchins, Shell hits 6, heavy fires, heavy damage DD LaVallette, Shell hits 9, and is sunk DD Pringle Similar results, with fewer US torpedoes fired. Destroyer Pringle split off with a damaged destroyer, but the damaged ship sank, leaving Pringle still at Truk. It engaged the enemy by itself, but managed to escape unscathed. But not before midget sub SSX Ha-8 fired 2 torpedoes at it, which missed. CVE Barnes and escorting destroyer McCook couldn't quite catch up with the other carriers. East of Truk, it ran into subchaser Ch 26 twice, with both sides choosing to evade combat. OPilot must be wondering what Barnes was doing out there almost by itself. Then the naval battles at Truk became almost comical. With it now daylight, the four undamaged US destroyers retreated southeast of Truk, as if they were headed home, but with patrol orders, they kept going back to Truk. No less than six times. Back and forth. The enemy would try to hit the US destroyers at long range, the range would close a bit, then the US ships chose to disengage, and the range would open and the Fletcher destroyers would get away. Six times in a row. I don't know whether to give these captains a medal or to court-martial them. Maybe both. Fortunately, they got hit only twice during these fights, and the damage was minimal. Never seen anything like that before. I'd ordered them to patrol Truk and they certainly did so. So, the naval battles at Truk didn't go so well. 4 US destroyers lost. A Japanese destroyer badly damaged. But quickly the day wasn't so bad. Sub attack near Gorontalo at 72,97 Japanese Ships CV Katsuragi, Torpedo hits 2, on fire CA Tone CL Yubari CS Chiyoda CS Chitose DD Oboro DD Ushio DD Sazanami DD Akebono Allied Ships SS Haddo, hits 1 Ammo storage explosion on CV Katsuragi Haddo attacked again later in the day, firing 6 more torpedoes at Katsuragi. One hit, but it was a dud. In the second attack, the carrier was reported to be on fire but with no additional damage noted. Dutch sub KXIV hit xAK Victoria Maru with a torpedo near Madjene. The naval route between Batavia and Singapore has suddenly become very active. OPilot sent over 100 fighters to sweep Tavoy after seeing my fighters there yesterday. (P-47s that didn't fly to Bangkok). But I'd sent the fighters away, so no CAP there. Back to Truk. Time for the air battle. First, the sweepers went in. Yes, the B-24s arrived first, and many were shot down with over 70 enemy fighters up. Next in was the naval strike from my carriers, augmented with many fighters on range 1 CAP. Morning Air attack on TF, near Truk at 112,108 Weather in hex: Light cloud Raid detected at 39 NM, estimated altitude 14,000 feet. Estimated time to target is 14 minutes Japanese aircraft A6M2-N Rufe x 5 A6M5 Zero x 61 Allied aircraft Martlet IV x 18 F4F-4 Wildcat x 6 FM-1 Wildcat x 5 F6F-3 Hellcat x 34 SBD-5 Dauntless x 30 TBF-1 Avenger x 18 No Japanese losses Allied aircraft losses Martlet IV: 1 destroyed F6F-3 Hellcat: 1 destroyed SBD-5 Dauntless: 9 destroyed, 8 damaged TBF-1 Avenger: 8 destroyed, 4 damaged Japanese Ships BB Yamashiro AV Kiyokawa Maru BB Hyuga, Bomb hits 1 AV Kunikawa Maru, Torpedo hits 1 BB Ise CL Kuma BB Fuso Well, the Allied fighters were in the area, but didn't do much. Just one torpedo hit and it wasn't even on a battleship. In the afternoon, the P-38s arrived, and did good work on the enemy CAP. Then the carriers launched a second strike on the enemy ships. Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Truk at 112,108 Weather in hex: Moderate rain Raid detected at 38 NM, estimated altitude 13,000 feet. Estimated time to target is 13 minutes Japanese aircraft A6M2-N Rufe x 1 A6M5 Zero x 8 Allied aircraft Martlet IV x 13 F4F-4 Wildcat x 6 F6F-3 Hellcat x 30 SBD-5 Dauntless x 12 TBF-1 Avenger x 5 No Japanese losses Allied aircraft losses F6F-3 Hellcat: 1 destroyed SBD-5 Dauntless: 8 damaged SBD-5 Dauntless: 1 destroyed by flak Japanese Ships BB Hyuga AV Kamikawa Maru BB Fuso DD Arashi BB Ise, Bomb hits 1 There weren't many bombers available to begin with, but having fewer than half of the TBFs fly at all didn't help. Some SBDs didn't fly also. Total air losses were 22 Zeros and 2 Rufes for the cost of 17 SBD-5s, 12 TBFs, 12 B-24s, 6 Martlets and 3 F6Fs. The P-38s got all of the kills. None for the ranged CAP fighters. With enemy battleships at Truk, the invasion of Truk is obviously postponed. KB was spotted where Katsuragi was torpedoed, just west of Manado. KB was probably headed towards Truk, but that's speculation. It's also speculation that it will now head to Truk, but with my carrier activity at Truk, and lots of spotted Allied transports at Ponape, I'll bet that KB is heading that way. Now the Java invasion may be back on. Shipping for it is heading back to Port Hedland, with loading starting in a couple of days, if things look good. We'll take Truk, but it won't be led off with a destroyer raid next time. It was a crazy replay, that's for sure. [image]local://upfiles/6549/AE9F1B3182164DF0904C49E599ED3F5C.gif[/image]

apbarog -> RE: Did You Know I Used to Drive a Rollercoaster?: Apbarog(A) vs OPilot(J) (12/1/2019 12:48:26 AM)
5 Jul 43 Allied ships moved swiftly away from Truk, mostly moving due east to the north of Ponape, then southeast towards Kusaie. There was at least one enemy sub northwest of Kusaie, along the expected retreat path, but nothing where they went. That I know of. All ships will retire to Tabiteuea for repairs. At Truk, the enemy battleship task force stayed, while every other ship fled in a shotgun approach, with some going south, west and north. Shipping will start arriving at Port Hedland, where loading for the Java invasion will begin. Same for Broome and Derby. In a couple of days. Damaged enemy carrier Katsuragi was not seen today, but subs in the area have 11/10 DL, so it, and probably the rest of KB, is still west northwest of Manado. KB may be trying to shepherd it to safety.

apbarog -> RE: Did You Know I Used to Drive a Rollercoaster?: Apbarog(A) vs OPilot(J) (12/1/2019 9:12:30 PM)
6 Jul 43 Greenling hit xAK Nitti Maru with a torpedo in northern Japan, near Toyohara. The ship was carrying oil and burned. Greenling attacked again later in the day and finished off the ship with two more torpedo hits. Heavy sub D/L just southwest of Mindanao. I spotted something near the coast there during the night. I'm guessing that the damaged enemy carrier is near the coast, and may be about to duck into a small port. A sub is ordered into the small port on the coast there. KB is spotted north of Ambon, possibly escorting another small convoy into Ambon. I have to be careful with KB. It's just one full speed move from striking Darwin, going from its current position. That kind of move would be out of character for OPilot, but the possibility has to be considered. Naval bombers are set up on Timor and at Darwin. There's been a single enemy infantry regiment stranded behind the lines in Burma, just northwest of Lashio. I've been bombing it every day. I finally moved an Indian division into the jungle and destroyed the regiment. That'll free up a few small units that were keeping the line to the east and south of the enemy. Ground combat at 61,45 (near Lashio) Allied Deliberate attack Attacking force 12858 troops, 254 guns, 138 vehicles, Assault Value = 432 Defending force 2561 troops, 19 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 33 Allied adjusted assault: 183 Japanese adjusted defense: 1 Allied assault odds: 183 to 1 Combat modifiers Defender: terrain(+), leaders(+), leaders(-), disruption(-) fatigue(-), supply(-) Attacker: leaders(-) Japanese ground losses: 3508 casualties reported Squads: 162 destroyed, 0 disabled Non Combat: 115 destroyed, 0 disabled Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled Guns lost 10 (10 destroyed, 0 disabled) Units destroyed 1 Allied ground losses: 41 casualties reported Squads: 0 destroyed, 3 disabled Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled Engineers: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled Assaulting units: 9th Indian Division Defending units: 112th Infantry Regiment Shipping that had hoped to go to Truk is heading to Tabiteuea. Loading for the Java area invasions is ordered to begin at Port Hedland. KB isn't too far away, near Ambon, but at least it isn't at Soerabaja. A wider swing by invasion forces, moving northwest from Port Hedland and then north to Banjoewangi/Denpassar could hide the armada better. But with the last discovered move, they'll probably be more search in the area, and subs.

Marcus Agrippa -> RE: Did You Know I Used to Drive a Rollercoaster?: Apbarog(A) vs OPilot(J) (12/2/2019 12:26:55 AM)
I�ve been slowly reading through the AAR over the past several weeks and have finally gotten to the end. I wanted to say I really appreciate your format. It�s clear, well explained, and detailed such that as an inexperienced player that has only done the smaller scenarios against the AI (never had the time to do the full campaign) I have learned an extraordinary amount. I�m sure it takes a fair bit to keep updating with in such an in-depth fashion and it is very much appreciated as well as being entertaining. If I ever start a full campaign, you�ll have given me a lot of ideas to try. (Eyes baby refusing to sleep in his crib) Though that may still be many years away...

apbarog -> RE: Did You Know I Used to Drive a Rollercoaster?: Apbarog(A) vs OPilot(J) (12/2/2019 1:21:56 AM)
Thank you Marcus for the kind words. I try to give the details of every day in the war and what I'm thinking at the time. You get to see my good ideas and my bad ones. There's a lot to learn, for the new player and the experienced one. I don't get a lot of back and forth discussion, but the thread does get read, so I'm happy to be able to be part of the learning process for you.

apbarog -> RE: Did You Know I Used to Drive a Rollercoaster?: Apbarog(A) vs OPilot(J) (12/3/2019 12:44:23 AM)
7 Jul 43 Submarine Saury has the tough duty of patrolling the shallow water of Ambon. Saury spotted a battleship task force, with Kirishima and Hiei, with escorts. The sub wasn't able to engage and escaped. It then attacked AMC Kinryu Maru at Ambon, fired 4 torpedoes, but the one that hit was a dud. In the afternoon, Saury was hit by a depth charge. It will survive and is ordered to Darwin. The AMC is unloading men and/or supply. KB is nearby but not spotted. Northwest of Singapore about 250nm, Trigger hit xAK Asaka Maru #3 with a torpedo. The sub then took some minor damage from near misses. Later, Trigger attacked the same cargo ship again, getting 2 torpedo hits, and sank the ship. Still high sub detection levels on the southwestern coast of Mindanao, maybe a bit further north today. I'm going to guess that the damaged carrier is moving slowly north towards Zamboanga. I have a sub nearby, another north of Zamboanga, and another moving southwest of Manila. Loading for the Java area invasions is now taking place at Port Hedland, Broome and Derby. The assault force will leave tomorrow or the next day, with follow-up troops to load as soon as the assault shipping leaves. One Corsair squadron and two P-47 squadrons are now loading at Ceylon to go to Australia. Another Corsair squadron there was noted to withdraw in about a month, so it isn't worth moving. I sent all of the pilots for these units to the reserves. If the convoy gets ambushed on the say, I'll lose the planes but not the excellent pilots. The second Corsair squadron, with about half it's normal complement of planes, will train pilots for a month before withdrawing.

Bif1961 -> RE: Did You Know I Used to Drive a Rollercoaster?: Apbarog(A) vs OPilot(J) (12/3/2019 6:15:57 PM)
Truk is a medium Island and therefore has a stacking limit of 60,000 not 25,000.

apbarog -> RE: Did You Know I Used to Drive a Rollercoaster?: Apbarog(A) vs OPilot(J) (12/3/2019 6:25:35 PM)
Truk has a stacking limit of 25,000 in our game. We are playing DBB-B with stacking limits. This may be different from a stock game. It's been so long since I've played a stock game I can't say for sure.

apbarog -> RE: Did You Know I Used to Drive a Rollercoaster?: Apbarog(A) vs OPilot(J) (12/4/2019 2:51:31 AM)
8 Jul 43 I'm still tracking what I believe to be damaged carrier Katsuragi near Mindanao. High sub D/L has led me to believe that is was near the southern coast of Mindanao, going northwest. Today, near Cotabato, Pickerel was hit by 2 depth charges. It will survive, and it headed back towards Darwin. On the way, it passed through the island of Talaud-eilanden and hit xAKL Ryoyu Maru #21 with 2 torpedoes, sinking the small cargo ship. High D/L now north of Zamboanga. Also, a US sub was spotted near Bataan, so OPilot definitely knows that I'm hunting this carrier. If OPilot goes to Manila, he has a choice: the direct and shorter route, using some deep water hexes, or a bit longer route through many islands and lots of shallow water. I think he'll pick the shallow water, and 2 subs are ordered to interdict there. The sub near Bataan will move a bit south and east and wait. If Katsuragi changes course and heads towards Legaspi and then directly to Japan, it'll probably escape. The high D/L over so many subs has me thinking that other carriers may be escorting Katsuragi. If so, that would be a very good thing for the upcoming Java area invasions. Loading for it is slow at size 2 port Broome, but loading for the assault wave should be finished today. There's still enemy unloading at Ambon. Just one AMC spotted. I think it's unloading vehicles for the division already there. The enemy battleships are still there, covered by fighters at Ambon. There's also 9 ships at Boela, which is unusual. No signs of carriers near Ambon.

apbarog -> RE: Did You Know I Used to Drive a Rollercoaster?: Apbarog(A) vs OPilot(J) (12/5/2019 1:44:11 AM)
9 Jul 43 ASW attack near Tablas at 78,81 Japanese Ships DD Isokaze CA Tone CS Chitose DD Ushio DD Akebono Allied Ships SS Pike SS Pike launches 4 torpedoes at DD Isokaze This is the task force that I believe has damaged carrier Katsuragi in it. It's now close to Bataan and probably will be safely at Manila tomorrow. I tracked it successfully from south of Mindanao, without ever actually seeing the carrier, but I couldn't finish it off. Time to point out something from the manual. Page 214, under 9.4.1 Airfield Damage: "Runway damage can limit the air operations at a base. A strike mission may only be launched from a base with runway damage less than 20 + (Airfield Size * 5). Patrol and CAP missions may only be launched from bases with runway damage less than 50 + (Airfield Size 5)" Namlea is a size 2 airfield, and has been regularly bombed by Sallys and Bettys, keeping the runway out of action. But the damage had been slowly going down, with some poor bombing attempts, and yesterday I noticed that the runway damage was down to 58. With a size 2 airfield, the runway would be operational for CAP if the damage was less than 50 + (2 5) = 60. OPilot has been sending bombers in unescorted. Even though there are fighters at adjacent Ambon, I took the chance that they weren't covering Ambon, as they hadn't been so far. I sent a squadron of Spitfires to Namlea and set them to 9,000 feet patrol, expecting the usual bomber run at 6,000 feet. Morning Air attack on Namlea , at 76,108 Weather in hex: Moderate rain Raid spotted at 13 NM, estimated altitude 8,000 feet. Estimated time to target is 3 minutes Japanese aircraft Ki-21-IIb Sally x 29 Allied aircraft Spitfire Vc Trop x 13 Japanese aircraft losses Ki-21-IIb Sally: 9 destroyed, 2 damaged No Allied losses Airbase supply hits 1 Runway hits 1 18 Sallys were shot down and no Spitfires were lost. I know this would only work once. OPilot will escort from now on, so the Spitfires are ordered back to Timor. This success was all about attention to detail. Invasion shipping is leaving Port Hedland today. Shipping from Broome and Derby will leave tomorrow. Follow-up shipping to leave after that. Heavy cruiser Baltimore has arrived on the East Coast. The Baltimore class cruisers will be a welcome addition to the carrier task forces, with 48 bofors on board.

apbarog -> RE: Did You Know I Used to Drive a Rollercoaster?: Apbarog(A) vs OPilot(J) (12/5/2019 3:59:49 AM)
Destroyer Mugford I posted the following four months ago: 1 Mar 43 - Ponape North of Kusaie Island, I-15 spotted the ANZAC TF headed to Ponape and fired 2 torpedoes at destroyer Mugford. One hit. Mugford split off on its own, and is SYS 43/FLOT 93-67/ENG 34-26/FIRE 0. It's in very bad shape. It need 2 days to get to Kusaie, be lucky not to be spotted by another sub, and be very lucky to get good die rolls. It's unlikely to survive, but you know me, I'm trying to save the ship. Well, Mugford was saved. It did get to Kusaie, where it stayed and repaired some damage. Over the next few months, it moved away from the front. It spent some time in an ARD near Tabiteuea, time to bring the flotation damage down to a level where I'd risk the move to Pearl Harbor. This week, it completed repairs at Pearl. Saving Mugford was an accomplishment. With 93 flotation, and then being stuck at Kusaie, in danger so close to the enemy, and getting it to safety was a fun game within the game.

CaptBeefheart -> RE: Did You Know I Used to Drive a Rollercoaster?: Apbarog(A) vs OPilot(J) (12/5/2019 6:25:56 AM)
quote: ORIGINAL: apbarog Time to point out something from the manual. Page 214, under 9.4.1 Airfield Damage: "Runway damage can limit the air operations at a base. A strike mission may only be launched from a base with runway damage less than 20 + (Airfield Size * 5). Patrol and CAP missions may only be launched from bases with runway damage less than 50 + (Airfield Size *5)" Thanks for that tidbit and well played. Another example of "you think you know this game, then..." Cheers, CB

apbarog -> RE: Did You Know I Used to Drive a Rollercoaster?: Apbarog(A) vs OPilot(J) (12/5/2019 8:40:46 PM)
10 Jul 43 Trigger fired four torpedoes at destroyer Kuroshio near Bandjermasin. All missed. The sub then was not located in the shallow water. Retribution was immediate for my Spitfire ambush yesterday at Namlea. Night Naval bombardment of Namlea at 76,108 Japanese Ships BB Kirishima BB Hiei BB Haruna BB Kongo CA Kinugasa DD Yunagi DD Asanagi DD Hayate DD Onami DD Naganami DD Kazegumo DD Yugumo Allied ground losses: 243 casualties reported Squads: 0 destroyed, 5 disabled Non Combat: 8 destroyed, 25 disabled Engineers: 3 destroyed, 9 disabled Airbase hits 6 Airbase supply hits 2 Runway hits 35 Port hits 18 Port supply hits 4 The port is completely damaged, and the airbase is out of action. Every bit of supply was destroyed. 5 damaged Spits remain at Namlea, and will do so until the base is repaired. Which may not be soon. It was worth downing 18 bombers though. An enemy bombardment of Namlea, which isn't that important, means no bombardment of Ambon, where a sizable US force is, including a USMC division. Supply at Ambon is sufficient, for now, but slowly decreasing. Trout is patrolling the shallows north of Brunei and Miri. It spots a convoy of small tankers. Two torpedoes are fired at TK Kuremente Maru. One hit, and the tanker was carrying fuel. It burned and sank. S-30 engaged two E-boats at Ambon. It fired 4 torpedoes at E Karukaya. One hit but it was a dud. Near Balikpapan, Hake spotted the cruiser task force that Trigger spotted earlier in the day. Four torpedoes were fired at CL Yura but missed. Wasp has met up with new Essex carrier Dewey at Hilo. Wasp waited a day for Dewey, after finishing repairs at Pearl Harbor, because its squadrons are currently in the Solomons. The carriers will proceed to Tabiteuea to augment the growing force for a future Truk invasion. Cocos Island, in the Indian Ocean, was never occupied by the enemy. A US engineer unit is leaving Perth to go to Cocos, and a base force from Ceylon is loading to also go to Cocos. I hope to sneak them in while all the attention is between Java and Timor. Cocos will be a nice base to have when the push through Java occurs, and the landing on the west coast of Sumatra happens. [image]local://upfiles/6549/7EEBA48C8DCB4CB1959EF435982012CA.gif[/image]

apbarog -> RE: Did You Know I Used to Drive a Rollercoaster?: Apbarog(A) vs OPilot(J) (12/6/2019 11:04:09 PM)
11 Jul 43 [image]local://upfiles/6549/6544EBB951DE4F0EA7B47ACDE6308159.gif[/image]

apbarog -> RE: Did You Know I Used to Drive a Rollercoaster?: Apbarog(A) vs OPilot(J) (12/8/2019 2:16:11 AM)
12 Jul 43 Cabrilla fired 2 torpedoes at xAK Shinryu Maru near Amoy. One hit but it was a dud. Multiple cargo ships here. Tambor was hit by a depth charge from a patrol boat near Semarang. The enemy has been alerted to the danger and is starting to patrol the waters north of Java. All shallow water there. E-boat concentrations remain from Balikpapan to Manado to Ambon, but that could change. Fletcher class destroyers Jenkins, Nicholas, O'Bannon and Waller storm into Soerabaja, arriving during the daylight and staying. They engage PB Zosen Maru and sink it easily. Later in the day they spot AMc Chiyo Maru, but the tiny minesweeper evaded combat. US carrier aircraft did not fly strikes against shipping at Soerabaja, as feared, so maybe the Fletchers did some good. I-39, at Soerabaja, did fire 2 torpedoes at destroyer Jenkins but missed. The DDs couldn't locate the sub though. Banjoewangi, on the eastern tip of Java, and Denpassar will be invaded today. It's a nervous time with KB's location not known. And OPilot has had 2 days to react to my approaching task forces. [image]local://upfiles/6549/3D62FDA68B7C4206BEC7F5FEED2529BE.gif[/image]

apbarog -> RE: Did You Know I Used to Drive a Rollercoaster?: Apbarog(A) vs OPilot(J) (12/9/2019 1:12:37 AM)
13 Jul 43 Dutch sub KXVIII hit PB Tokotsu Maru with a torpedo near Manado. An AO was spotted but not engaged. Enemy sub fired 2 torpedoes at DE Express south of Denpassar. The sub picked the wrong task force to pick on, but somehow the destroyer escort TF on ASW patrol didn't find the sub in the shallow water. Later in the day, destroyers Reid and Tucker hit the sub with a depth charge. The sub was reported as I-124, but for me, the minelaying subs seem to be reported often where they are not, having been supposedly sunk a number of times already. Banjoewangi was invaded. No defenders. A small minefield was found and is being cleared. Denpassar was invaded. Only the 12th Port Unit there. I've been a player of War in the Pacific from day 1. I bought the game the day it was released at the wargaming convention in Columbus Ohio. Many years of playing it and the Admiral's Edition. And yet, I still occasionally see something that I'd never seen before. LST-481 was sunk today at Denpassar, with this message in the Operations Report: "LST-481 breaks her back while beaching at Denpassar". This is one amazing game. I wonder how many hours I've played it, probably averaging an hour or two (and that's a conservative estimate) every day for 17 years... It's not a game, it's a way of life. [image]local://upfiles/6549/3E185DC15397496197E1EA96AF6F8D88.gif[/image]

BBfanboy -> RE: Did You Know I Used to Drive a Rollercoaster?: Apbarog(A) vs OPilot(J) (12/9/2019 1:28:10 AM)
Congrats on the surprise landings! [sm=happy0065.gif] That should set up a long grinding campaign for you to hold your new bases and him to try push you out. Popcorn all round ... [image]local://upfiles/35791/B7EC155DB2E6468A8923011AC39AE52B.gif[/image]

apbarog -> RE: Did You Know I Used to Drive a Rollercoaster?: Apbarog(A) vs OPilot(J) (12/10/2019 2:20:39 AM)
14 Jul 43 Landings continue at Banjoewangi and Denpassar. Landings begin at Mataram and Waingapoe. Enemy mines are cleared at Banjoewangi. At Soerabaja, the bombardment force runs over I-39 and hits it with a depth charge. But then TF 613 encounters mine field at Soerabaja (56,104) Allied Ships BB West Virginia, Mine hits 1 CL Montpelier, Mine hits 2 DD Tucker, Mine hits 2, on fire, heavy damage DD Reid, Mine hits 1 DD Cassin, Mine hits 1, heavy damage DD Downes, Mine hits 1, heavy damage CA Indianapolis, Mine hits 1 Every ship in the task force hit at least one mine! I've learned something about my opponent. I knew that he used mines sparingly, and generally right as an invasion was approaching or already started. Now I know that he'll create large minefields. Maybe very large minefields. This is the worst case of running into mines that I've ever encountered. Every ship hit. Checking damage, though, one destroyer is moderately damaged, and the other three are badly damaged. West Virginia is barely scratched, and may not have a mine at all. Indianapolis is moderately damaged. I'm not sure how badly Montpelier was damaged by mines, because Submarine attack near Soerabaja at 56,104 Japanese Ships SS I-39 Allied Ships CL Montpelier, Torpedo hits 3, heavy damage CL Montpelier is sighted by SS I-39 SS I-39 launches 6 torpedoes at CL Montpelier Montpelier sank immediately. Then the ships bombarded, and did well: Night Naval bombardment of Soerabaja at 56,104 Japanese aircraft no flights Japanese aircraft losses Ki-48-IIb Lily: 31 damaged Ki-48-IIb Lily: 4 destroyed on ground (actually 8 destroyed) Ki-44-IIb Tojo: 17 damaged Ki-44-IIb Tojo: 2 destroyed on ground (actually 7 destroyed) Ki-43-IIb Oscar: 10 damaged Ki-43-IIb Oscar: 1 destroyed on ground (actually 2 destroyed) Allied Ships BB West Virginia CA Indianapolis Japanese ground losses: 424 casualties reported Squads: 1 destroyed, 0 disabled Non Combat: 16 destroyed, 29 disabled Engineers: 6 destroyed, 7 disabled Guns lost 2 (1 destroyed, 1 disabled) Airbase hits 19 Runway hits 30 I-19 was sunk by a DE task force escorting the carriers near Denpassar. Midget sub Ha-13 missed damaged DD Reid with 2 torpedoes near Probolinggo. In the morning, 22 Tojos swept Banjoewangi and did well against 9 Sea Hurricanes and 22 Hellcats. Just one Tojo was downed with multiple Allied planes lost. This surprised me at first, since Banjoewangi started the turn as enemy and flipped to US control. I don't remember sweeping a friendly base before and wasn't sure if it was even possible. It's justified though. 3 Lilys with 16 Oscars then attacked shipping at Banjoewangi. 11 Hellcats and 2 Sea Hurri's defended and did well. 2 Lilys dropped bombs near CA Minneapolis but missed. In the afternoon, the same bunch attacked again. This time, none made it through the CAP. Total air losses, not counting planes destroyed on the ground at Soerabaja, were 20 Oscars, 3 Lilys and a Tojo versus 8 Hellcats and 6 Sea Hurricanes. 3 Hellcat pilots became aces. The bombardment of Soerabaja was costly, with the mines hits and losing a light cruiser, but it did reduce the size of the enemy's naval strikes. Worth it? I'm not sure. The US 7th Infantry Division attacked at Denpassar. I expected a quick win here but that didn't happen. The tiny enemy port unit held. Ground combat at Denpasar (58,108) Allied Deliberate attack Attacking force 12046 troops, 236 guns, 161 vehicles, Assault Value = 445 Defending force 876 troops, 4 guns, 3 vehicles, Assault Value = 10 Allied adjusted assault: 36 Japanese adjusted defense: 10 Allied assault odds: 3 to 1 (fort level 3) Allied Assault reduces fortifications to 2 Combat modifiers Defender: terrain(+), experience(-) Attacker: Japanese ground losses: 174 casualties reported Squads: 0 destroyed, 4 disabled Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 5 disabled Engineers: 1 destroyed, 7 disabled Allied ground losses: 56 casualties reported Squads: 1 destroyed, 6 disabled Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled Assaulting units: 7th Infantry Division 762nd Tank Battalion 822nd Aviation Engineer Battalion 3/592nd Boat&Shore Engineer Battalion 96th Coast AA Regiment 4th Aus Lt AA Regiment 1 Group RNZAF 249th Field Artillery Battalion 225th Field Artillery Battalion 34th MAG /1 Defending units: 12th Port Unit That was quite a downgrading of assault value. The infantry division is green, with just 50 experience. The base will fall today, though. The tank battalion has finished unloading and will join the infantry in a shock attack. No sign of enemy carriers or any other threat to the landings, so far. Catalinas have now moved to Banjoewangi and will provide much needed search coverage. [image]local://upfiles/6549/8989FEB78D8440A79F5C0DF01D486BFE.gif[/image]

apbarog -> RE: Did You Know I Used to Drive a Rollercoaster?: Apbarog(A) vs OPilot(J) (12/11/2019 2:19:07 AM)
15 Jul 43 Unloading continued at Denpassar, Mataram and Waingapoe. The earlier spotting of Kongo west of Babeldaob probably did end up being the location of enemy carriers, now spotted southbound passing Balikpapan. Sub attack near Donggala at 67,98 Japanese Ships CV Akagi CA Kinugasa CL Yubari CL Abukuma DD Shiranui DD Kasumi DD Arare DD Tokitsukaze DD Amatsukaze Allied Ships SS Sawfish SS Sawfish launches 6 torpedoes at CV Akagi That would have been nice. KB, I'll call it, continued south during the day. 8 Vals from Soerabaja found damaged destroyer Downes at Banjoewangi. I had chosen to not cover Banjoewangi with carrier fighters when all of the shipping left yesterday. 3 bomb hits finished off the destroyer. CVE Langley is pressed into action. Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Waingapoe at 63,113 Weather in hex: Overcast Raid detected at 75 NM, estimated altitude 25,000 feet. Estimated time to target is 26 minutes Japanese aircraft A6M5 Zero x 36 G4M1 Betty x 31 Allied aircraft F4F-4 Wildcat x 18 Japanese aircraft losses A6M5 Zero: 3 destroyed G4M1 Betty: 2 damaged No Allied losses Allied Ships CL Java, Torpedo hits 1 CL Sumatra DD Napier DD Nepal CL Leander Aircraft Attacking: 31 x G4M1 Betty launching torpedoes at 200 feet Naval Attack: 1 x 45cm Type 91 Torp Langley's F4Fs downed 9 Zeros but didn't get to the Bettys. Langley is at Waingapoe, escorted by just 2 destroyers, and isn't attacked. CL Java is SYS 0/FLOT 21-17/ENG 0/FIRE 0 and will survive with proper error handling. The enemy port unit that held against all odds yesterday at Denpassar was crushed today. Ground combat at Denpasar (58,108) Allied Shock attack Attacking force 12709 troops, 239 guns, 288 vehicles, Assault Value = 442 Defending force 712 troops, 4 guns, 3 vehicles, Assault Value = 4 Allied adjusted assault: 602 Japanese adjusted defense: 1 Allied assault odds: 602 to 1 (fort level 2) Allied forces CAPTURE Denpasar !!! Combat modifiers Defender: terrain(+), leaders(+), fatigue(-), experience(-) Attacker: shock(+) Japanese ground losses: 703 casualties reported Squads: 17 destroyed, 0 disabled Non Combat: 59 destroyed, 0 disabled Engineers: 4 destroyed, 0 disabled Guns lost 5 (5 destroyed, 0 disabled) Vehicles lost 4 (4 destroyed, 0 disabled) Units destroyed 1 Assaulting units: 7th Infantry Division 762nd Tank Battalion 1 Group RNZAF 96th Coast AA Regiment 249th Field Artillery Battalion 225th Field Artillery Battalion 4th Aus Lt AA Regiment 3/592nd Boat&Shore Engineer Battalion 822nd Aviation Engineer Battalion 34th MAG /1 Defending units: 12th Port Unit All invasion targets have been taken. The most forward bases, Banjoewangi and Denpassar, both have over 20,000 supply and a division defending, with support units. Mataram and Waingapoe are more weakly defended and most of the support units didn't get there in time to unload. With KB nearby, the bases will make do. [image]local://upfiles/6549/12B95426174E44E4815394E534784F94.gif[/image]

jwolf -> RE: Did You Know I Used to Drive a Rollercoaster?: Apbarog(A) vs OPilot(J) (12/11/2019 1:30:31 PM)
I wonder if your minefield will be as fruitful as your opponent's was...

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