Taxcutter -> RE: Here We Go Again (1/6/2022 8:34:47 PM)
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Thanks for the help on AKV usage. Advice from the forum has proven quite handy. I've become fairly good at dodging AI-San's aircraft with my subs. I have 180 degree turns built into the patrol zones and detection is rarely more than 3 and they lose me after a day. At any rate time for a sitrep. This was delayed due to damage to my favorite gaming chair - a 25 year old La-Z-Boy. It was hit by a weapon far more fearsome than a Long Lance - repeated landings by my fat butt. La-Z-Boy is listing to port but I have it in a temporary dry dock. Sadly, La-Z-Boy no longer repairs these old chairs. Maybe I can fix it. To the sitrep. April 1, 1943. In the latter part of March I carried out a four-part peripheral raid on AI-San's empire. I bombarded Wotje and Maleolap with carrier planes and Standard BBs, I air raided Akyab with British and Tenth Air Force fighters and medium bombers. I flattened Lae with US medium bombers and some B-17s, and most importantly I took Milne Bay with the US 32nd ID. The Akyab raids went as well as I could expect with depleted Blenheim and Hurricane squadrons. The airfield is 80% damaged and the refinery at Magwe is 40% damaged - good as I could expect with weak aircraft pools in the area. Lae went much better. Plenty of B-26s, B-25s and P-40K escorts inflicted 90% damage om Lae's airfield and 100% damage on the port. I'm gonna have to consolidate the B-26 groups as the airframe pools are shot. Milne Bay currently only has the assault units and 10,000 supply. I have Seabees and base force in line to garrison Milne Bay and the earlier-captured Buna. This will need a lot of LRCAP as I have no carriers in the area. I have 4 x CVE escorting fuel and supply into Darwin. As a result, sub activity in the South China Sea and Makassar Strait is becoming more productive. The raids on the Marshalls were somewhat screwed up. Apparently, four Standards is too much bombardment units. Next time I'll use two BB bombardment TFs. Surface ships got minor damage and I gave the returning BBs got the wrong orders at Pearl. Now, the Oklahoma and Nevada will be out of commission for the rest of the year. The Maryland got thirty days of damage. I wasn't really planning on using these ships as the backbone of 1943 offensive operations. Worst of all, the Hornet's SBD squadron got away from fighter escort and got mauled. Airframe losses were nearly 100% and aircrew losses were about 50%. Gotta be more careful. Supposedly Hellcats will begin arriving. I have two squadrons of land-based Corsairs in the Buna area. Essex is due in three months and I have well-trained replacements for the rookie pilots that usually show up with the ship. I have a bunch of APA, AKA, and LST are en route to Pearl. Invasions should be easier. Next plan is to take the Louisiades and Lae. The 6th and 7th Aus divisions drove AI-San's land units out of Wau and have crossed the river. The 9th Aus is due in shortly and i think that should be enough to take Lae and Finschhaven. Taking the Louisiades will flank Shortlands and Guadalcanal. My Mk.14 torpedoes seem to be improving somewhat. Logistics look to be improving nicely. The scenario keeps my pools shallow, so I can't be overly aggressive.
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