Slitherine

quote:

ORIGINAL: moses

10-12 Feb: Things are looking up.

PI: My troops drive Japan out of Clark Field and across the river for a second time!

Allied Shock attack at Clark Field
Attacking force 36917 troops, 325 guns, 171 vehicles, Assault Value = 881
Defending force 43776 troops, 385 guns, 128 vehicles, Assault Value = 722
Allied max assault: 1676 - adjusted assault: 957
Japanese max defense: 733 - adjusted defense: 428
Allied assault odds: 2 to 1

Japanese ground losses:-----------------------Allied ground losses:
498 casualties reported------------------------1280 casualties reported
Guns lost 22-------------------------------------Guns lost 25
Vehicles lost 8-----------------------------------Vehicles lost 9

Defeated Japanese Units Retreating!

Java: His bombers continue to destroy my air force and I am now pulling most of the air force out. My transports are still operating all throughout Java except for the far east. I loaded up two air units and one small garrison unit today and sent it to India. But more importantly they are pulling out huge chunks of excess supply, oil and resourses. I won't strip Java completely of supply but I hope for their to be just enough to allow my army to fight a good fight. I have 8 AK's at Batvia alone drawing supply out. Convieniantly I get three AK's as rienforcements arriving at Tellatjap. They will each pull out an air unit.

The army of course stays and fights to the death. But my air force is now outmatched. Tommorrow my B26 group will hit his big Sally base and try and kill a couple dozen. Then they will have to run because their base will be obliterated on the next day.

PM: He invaded Gili Gili and I sent a surface force to interdict. The enemy force left and I forgot to set my TF to retire.

Day Air attack on TF, near Gili Gili at 56,94
Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 35
G4M1 Betty x 64
Japanese aircraft losses
G4M1 Betty: 5 destroyed, 37 damaged
Allied Ships
CA Salt Lake City, Torpedo hits 1, on fire
CL Perth
CA Canberra, Torpedo hits 3, on fire, heavy damage
DD Preston, Torpedo hits 2, on fire

The Canberra is in trouble and I'd give it a one in three chance of making it to Cairns. But despite the error I'm not too upset about this battle. His Betties got beat up and PM had a day without bombing and so repaired most of its damage. As the weather forcast is favorable and Japan's planes may be a little weary, I've chosen this day to shift 32 B17's to PM for a raid on Rabaul. I will get first shot as the Betties look for ships in the AM phase. Mmmmmmmmmm 64 Betties on the ground in a little level 4 base.

China: I think I've got him a little scared. My force from Changsa crossed the river and crushed the two small units near Ichang. My force from Homan moved south and defeated one small unit and then continued south. On the 11th we drove 25,000 Japanese in retreat. (2 BDE's and a mongol Division.)

Jwilkerson has reacted by shifting his troops around Changsa toward Homan and it looks like he's pulling back a couple units in the far north adjacent to Kungchang. I have 13 Corps in Kungchang and they've been sitting across from 8 Japanese units for some time now. One of those 8 units just pulled out presumably because Japan is afraid I am about to swarm his entire northern position from the rear. So my troops at Kungchang wil venture forth to do battle. If I can retreat this Japanese stack it will ruin Japan's northern offensive and I will be able to declare China as a stable front.

quote:

ORIGINAL: moses

Well those Betties have been operating around Rabaul for a month and may have been the same groups that participated in the battle with my carriers so they have certainly taken a lot of losses and at least are not his best pilots. Plus as they fly every day I would suspect that morae is not so high. Add to that they are operating from a level four base in the jungle.

My B17's didn't do anything but sit on the runway. Betties did fly and so I lost a bunch on the ground. So its back to Austrailia.

But my big base force unit is now past Numea and my P40E group hits Brisbane in two days closely followed by another big P39 group. My carriers have been down south making sure my damaged CV's get safely to Sydney but are now heading North again. And my currently available P39 and F4F units are rebuilding and almost ready for action. So as long as Jwilkerson does not interfere I may get my big air battle over PM.

His carriers are still sitting off the coast of Java.

quote:

ORIGINAL: moses

20-21 Feb:

PM: The long anticipated air battle of PM begins and ......well what can I say:

Day Air attack on Port Moresby , at 53,91

Japanese aircraft-----------Allied aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 16------------F4F-4 Wildcat x 30
------------------------------P-39D Airacobra x 40

Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 7 destroyed, 1 damaged

Allied aircraft losses
F4F-4 Wildcat: 1 destroyed, 2 damaged
P-39D Airacobra: 9 destroyed, 5 damaged
OK so far so good but then...............................

Day Air attack on TF, near Port Moresby at 53,91

Japanese aircraft---------------Allied aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 58----------------F4F-4 Wildcat x 29
G4M1 Betty x 51---------------P-39D Airacobra x 31

Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 2 destroyed
G4M1 Betty: 1 destroyed, 19 damage

Allied aircraft losses
F4F-4 Wildcat: 25 destroyed
P-39D Airacobra: 20 destroyed

Allied Ships
CA Chicago, Torpedo hits 5, on fire, heavy damage
CA Chester, Torpedo hits 2, on fire, heavy damage
CA Astoria, Torpedo hits 3, on fire, heavy damage
DD Sims
DD MacDonough
DD Worden

A 22 to 1 kill ratio in fighters!!!!! And I was flying at 21000 ft for my P39's and 25000 ft for my F4F. This is not acceptable and I don't know much what to do about it. 4 more smaller air combats occur over PM this turn resulting in 20 more allied fighter losses for 2 zero's and a Betty. At least his op losses are huge--10 zero's to operational losses (Is he flying at max altitude and would this make a difference here). I can't give uo just yet and in desperation I will put my remaining fighters at 30,000 ft just to see if it makes any difference.

Burma: He is sending his two Burma divisions over the mountains to Akyab. This will take a while and I get to bomb them from Dacca all month. My bombers from India duel with his Oscars and bombers from various bases which are operating against Akyab.

Java: He has taken Kragen but I don't think this can be the main attack despite the presence of the entire Jap Navy. This invasion fleet came from the east and the divisions freed up in Malaysia have not had time to get there. There are still 4 free divisions in the vicinity of Singapore. All of my remaining aircraft are hiding away from KB and will not reappear until KB leaves. More AK's head for the small bases west of Palembang in preperation to evac more air groups.

I'm really glad I'm not playing John III here. He would have sent KB circling round and round Java killing all my AK's and preventing any evacuation.

quote:

ORIGINAL: moses

Oh now you tell me. Where were you guys the whole time I've been planning this little operation.

quote:

ORIGINAL: ny59giants

You cannot set your P-39's above 10,000 without a penalty.
If the F4F's are Navy pilots, that will end up being bad for you in the long run if your CV's get into action. IMO, I would keep the fighters over in Northern Oz and only fly them end if, he gets seriosu about PM.   

quote:

Is it where they are set or where they fight? I've always assumed that if they are set at X but they climb to Y they pay the penalty. The difference is that even if you set P-39's low, I have always assumed (without data) that a clever IJN player could send in a high altitude sweep and clean up.

quote:

ORIGINAL: ny59giants

quote:

Is it where they are set or where they fight? I've always assumed that if they are set at X but they climb to Y they pay the penalty. The difference is that even if you set P-39's low, I have always assumed (without data) that a clever IJN player could send in a high altitude sweep and clean up.

In the Manual, page 205 Rule 17.3 states, "P-39D and P-400 aircraft are less effective in air-to-air combat fighting at altitudes over 10,000 feet. To reflect this, one point is subtracted from their maneuverabilty rating for every 1,000 feet over 10,000, up to a maximum penalty of 15 maneuver points. "

I would say that you set them at 10,000 and they will go up to the level needed via the AI and suffer the consequences in a2a combat.

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General: Now the question is what will he do next?
----India will only be an option for another month or so as my second British division arrives in under a month and soon my Burma forces will begin to fall back into line and be repaired. KB will be needed long term if he goes here as I have tons of aircraft. Most of my surface fleet is gone but he does not know that.

----PM will also require KB and at least two divisions if he wants to dig out my marines. I suppose he could take the slow route and land a couple divisions at Buna and try and go overland. But that would take forever and may not ever arrive as I could march my para unit into the mountains and he would have to attack and lose all his movement.

----Australia: This has to be crazy but an attack at Perth is not out of the question. I've sent an additional Division and a BDE in that direction just in case.

----Pacific Chain: He has done nothing here all game. It would take a while to shift troops this way and all my islands are now defended. He could kill my units one by one but each battle would be bloody. Its hard to see how this would be attractive.

-----Numea: The Americal division is almost there and I will have two NZ Brigades there shortly. Lots of base force and engineers/CD's are there also. By the time he can get here with significant force I will have lots of aircraft here and he will be fighting with carrier air alone.

quote:

ORIGINAL: ny59giants

If I was him, I would ensure enough forces were allotted to finish off PI and then start to take the Pacific Islands to ensure that only Hawaii is left intact. Invasion of the Hawaiian Islands is possible, but isolation of them ensures that only CV backed invasion can take place in '43 and beyond. Has any forces been sighted up in the Aleutians??