IChristie
Posts: 673
Joined: 3/26/2002
From: Ottawa, Canada
Status: offline
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Let's see taking up some points at random
- Refit times - I'm not sure I have a good handle on this. First of all damage seems to come in three flavours
- System
- Flotation
- Fire
(in increasing level of seriousness). Damage to specific physical components (gun turrets, etc) is also tracked.
System damage can be incurred as a consequence of normal operations. I think the other two occur pretty much from enemy activity.
I am sure that repair time is a function of the size of the port facility. I would not be surprised to find that, for instance, flotation damage cannot be reduced beyond a certain level at certain kinds of facilities. I have used the strategy in the past of sending badly damaged ships to the nearest port to get flotation damage under control and then passing them along to a larger facility when they are capable of making the journey. In addition to the big bases at Noumea, Brisbane and Truk, ships can be returned to Pearl Harbour or Japan for more complete overhaul. I assume that they may or may not eventually return to theatre.
So, all of that is to say that it's hard to really quantify the speed with which repairs occur. The US does enjoy a damage control advantage so they tend to arrive at port in better condition after a battle. As a single example, the CVL Shoho was damaged early in May and is still sporting about 25% system damage and significantly reduced speed in late July. On the other hand, both Zuikaku and Shokau sustained flotation damage in early June but were operational (with 30% or so ops damage) after about a month in dock at Rabaul - and their speeds have not been significantly reduced.
On the air front. There is an information screen that gives details on the current a/c replacement pool and the rate at which a/c are added to the pool. It seems to me that the Japanese replace a/c much more slowly than the Allies. Again, as a single data point - the air groups on Zuikaku and Shokaku were reduced to about 30% strength in the Coral Sea action in early June and the Vals and Kates had not returned to full strength by July. The Zero groups in general fared better, partly because of faster replacement rates and partly because they were not depleted as badly. Level bombers in particular seem to be replaced very slowly. Some of the level bomber Chutai's are not at full strength despite averaging one mission every few days. In one stretch of daily bombing on Port Moresby they were reduced to about 50% strength in less than a week.
In addition the a/c replacement there are also reinforcements in the form of new air groups. It is in this area that the Japanese really begin to lose ground in late 1942. Based on having played a couple of campaigns from the US side I would say that they not only replace losses faster but also add many more groups which eventually allows them to rotate groups to improve morale at the front.
All of this has a direct bearing on strategy concerning Port Moresby and New Guinea. I am becoming convinced that far from considering an invasion of Port Moresby, I don't even think I can win an air superiority battle there. As it is, I think the Allies have about 70 fighters and 40 Bombers there now. This is partly because there is no other allied airbase that is actually in the forward combat zone so they have the luxury of concentrating all their resources there. If I collect up ALL the LBA that I have, I could maybe achieve parity with that. At that point I have a couple choices.
I can base them all at Rabaul and have the luxury of not worrying about retaliation as only B-17's can reach Rabaul from Port Moresby. The only problem is that my crews will get fatigued very rapidly with the long flights and results will inevitably suffer. OR I could base them closer, at Gili Gili and Lae. But first, I have to get at least another base force into each location and keep the supply lines open across the Bismark sea which is in the range of LBA from Port Moresby. Once that is done, I have to win the fight over Port Moresby against an enemy who is guaranteed to win any battle of attrition that lasts longer than a couple of weeks. Even if I do win the battle, what then? I know from playing the US side that it takes pretty massive airstrikes to close down and airbase (I did it with 10 groups of heavy bombers striking Rabaul 'round the clock once as the US).
About the only workable plan I would see would be:
- Move fighter groups forward and begin aggressive patrolling over Port Moresby until the CAP response is well below the 30+ that I get now.
- Begin attacks with the level bombers - heavily escorted by fightes.
- Move a carrier TF into the Bismark Sea and dedicate all of its bombers to attacking the airfield.
- Maybe even sneak a surface bombardment group in to deliver the coup de grace.
This strategy would probably put the airfield out of commission for a few days. To what purpose? The only reason for doing it at all would be to support a landing - which I agree is rapidly becoming a suicidal proposition since I believe there is at least 2 brigades of infantry there now.
I think the only workable strategy is to try to seal Port Moresby off by developing Gili Gili and interdicting any convoys that try to get in. Also patrols from Gili Gili will identify convoys early enough that carriers will be able to sortie to take them out or scare them off.
If supply of Port Moresby can be reduced to air only (which apparently can be interdicted with LRP - althought I have not tried it) then the airfield may be able to defend itself but will not be able to mount offensive air ops. This process is likely to take several weeks and will still be expensive in terms of aircraft.
Which brings me to final personal observation about turn length. One of the most difficult things about UV is staying patient. With all the bits available to twiddle it can take up to an hour to play a 24 hour turn. I don't know how others will react but this tends to make me very impatient and probably accounts for the relatively high intensity pace of operations. After watching convoys build up supplies for a few days, or after watching weather close down all your air operations - you get a little itchy to DO SOMETHING. This propensity can be fatal. This is not in any way a criticism of the game. Merely a psychological element that you need to be aware of. It takes a lot of patience to wait until ships are fully repaired or until an air group builds up planes and morale again.
BTW, the turn length also leads to the equally fatal (if you are married or value sleep at all) "Just one more turn" syndrome. You know, you decide to execute the turn "just to see what happens" - then you have to go around and see what the situation at "a couple of key bases" is. Pretty soon you start issuing more orders and your back to deciding to execute another turn "just to see what happens"....
At some point your spouse wakes up, sees that it is now light out, deduces that you have not been to bed and begins to make not so subtle inquiries about your mental health... It's not pretty :rolleyes:
_____________________________
Iain Christie
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"If patience is a virtue then persistence is it's part.
It's better to light a candle than stand and curse the dark"
- James Keelaghan
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