Erkki
Posts: 1461
Joined: 2/17/2010
Status: offline
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Hello everyone, good to have some replies here...
Harlock:
quote:
A shore bombardment of Seattle might provoke a response.
Yeah or KB air attack at Sydney... 
SqzMyLemon:
quote:
I think you have to go even farther southeast than that to get a whiff of any TF's. We're talking Tahiti here. It won't be until Bart is positive you won't be interdicting the most direct routes from Hawaii to the Southeast Pacific that he'll use those routes. I think he also relies on large TF's, so that means there is less chance of interdicting them.
I still think the key (against Bart) is establishing bases deep enough into his LOC that you can spot and interdict his movements. That is the only way to force his hand. If you stick to a historical perimeter you simply are too far away to make an impact. We both know he's patient, extremely patient to the point he's more than willing to spend a few extra weeks sailing to get to his destination. He simply will not put forces at risk unnecessarily, and right now there is absolutely nothing he HAS to do that requires him to stick his neck out. He'll just redirect his forces to move away from KB, wait for you to retire then resume his movements once again. Time is on his side and he will use it to the fullest.
I strongly urge you to either accept this and dig in like crazy and prepare to have zero action until Oct/Nov when you can oppose his moves against you, or take the initiative yourself and force him to play the game. I empathize with you completely, but a different pace to the game sadly rests with you. If you sit back and let him go about his business unmolested, as I did, then 1942 will crawl along like an ice age for you.
Yes, I fully agree. Bart is a very thorough player. This... "raid" however is only half about killing Allied shipping(which, as it looks, its not going to do). The other part is about showing him once again, I think its the 6th time, that I'm ready to commit KB far into harms way split up - if hes done his homework he should be aware that at least CV Kaga simply cannot be part of the fleet hes looking at. In the end it might not worth it and I'm burning a lot of fuel for nothing here, but it just might pay off. He knows I have not combined the KB yet, even once, and have operated it down to CV/CVL pairs even as direct invasion support well within the range of Allied LBA and night surface raids(he even tried to intercept the half-KB near Makassar, but that cruiser force ran into mine and got annihilated).
Richard:
quote:
Erkki my friend, you are a victim of your own success.
However your in distinguished company since the Combined Fleet Planning Staff had the same problem by early `42. It was becoming clear the Allies " defensive plans" were a house of cards, propped up by strategic and operational planning that could best be described as fantasy, non working weapon systems ( US Torps ), antiquated air power ( Brit & Dutch AC ) and generally poor troop leadership and performance.
It was also clear that the US Pacific Fleet, specifically the CV`s, had no intention of coming out to fight and be sunk.
So.... knowing the window of opportunity would close by mid `43 ( if not much sooner ), the bright lads at CFPS, came up with four operational plans that had some real virtues.( if the Army, which distrusted the Navy intensely, had supported those, that is)
IMO, faced with very limited Army support, Isoroku Yamamoto picked the best of them, irregardless of the historic outcome, however I doubt that one will work in your game.
So... not faced with that Army problem, I think you need to give a keen look at the other three, right now, and... get ...it...moving...and stop cruising around the Central Pacific hoping he will come out to be sunk.
As The Very Wise Lemon suggested, you need to force him to respond to your initiatives where you are strong at best, and upset his planning at worst, and soon.
To answer both you and SqzMyLemon... I'd like to not sit down and wait. That leaves too many places to defend, and I'd like to do something about it.
Going through the map counter-clockwise:
Burma - he already has at least twice the unrestricted AV I have available. I have no idea why he retreated when he could have kept me at Rangoon. Next turn I'll have PPs to buy out a Manchu division which will get moved to Rangoon or Magwe - prepping for Magwe already. Next 3 or 4 divs will also go there... I dont see a way I could get Ceylon or attack into India - simply not enough units and too much open ground to get troops bombed.
DEI: still some mopping up to be done, including Kendari(not garrisoned) and Ambon(not reinforced).
Fiji/Baker/Line Islands etc.: I dont think I can get any further here. I could snatch an island or 2 for recce/nav search bases but what are they worth? He doesnt have to invade them and for nav search they'd be very leaky. He doesnt need to advance through South Pacific, so why would he?
Wake: is probably already mined, reinforced and fortified. I dont think I can get it, and while its threatening the Tokyo-Truk LOC the convoy traffic is now slowly moving from HI to Truk/Solomons to DEI-Truk/Solomons... And having Wake hopefully makes him consider about attacking via CENPAC - and I'd love to have a carrier battle when the Allies have already lost Yorktown and KB is intact. If he comes only once he has first Essexes, I'll have had time to fortify Marcus, Marshalls and Marianas for over a year. Marcus already has 150 AV and forts 3.
NOPAC: fortifying Kuriles(but nothing excessive!) - no plans to invade Aleutians. Again, I'd love to see an early try to get Paramushiro and Onnekotan - I have lots of "useless" assets such as BBs and training air units here that have cost me 0 PPs... Paramushiro alone has 250 AV behind forts 3, with the CD fortress unit, some aircraft, mines and a BBTF. I have netties within torpedo range. Let 'em come.
Theres one place missing in the above list. I'm planning to go there just to deny Bart of the most obvious and easiest attack route to Japan's vitals. And hopefully to provoke some resistance too...
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RE: Aboard the Red Castle - Erkki(J) vs. Smeulders(A) -... - 
(sad day when i lost them) and 50 transports and second line ships 
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