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RE: Buried in the Sunset (Marbakka [A] vs. Texas_D [J]) - Reluctant Admiral 4.1

 
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RE: Buried in the Sunset (Marbakka [A] vs. Texas_D [J])... - 5/13/2012 7:46:24 PM   
marbakka

 

Posts: 410
Joined: 3/9/2012
Status: offline 		Combat Report - 1/20/1942

- Heavy bombing in the usual places except today my too little half-strength AVG squadrons dealt a pretty nasty surprise to the Japanese bombers coming at Changsha. They hadn't been escorted for several days, so I was hoping to catch them completely off guard, but the first wave did bring some Oscars along, but 2-3 subsequent waves were flyin' around with their pants down and paid a hefty price for it.
- On the other hand, the AVG squadron in Rangoon was given orders to strafe the troops building up SE of Pegu. He had evidently arranged for some LRCAP because some Oscars met them at a higher altitude and peppered them pretty good.
- In Changsha, he conducted a bombardment attack to gauge the troop levels. I find it quit entertaining how many troops we both have piled in there. He has just over 100,000 and I have just under 170,000. Unfortunately, about 1000 AV of that are just passing through. Now that I've seen his force size, I'm wondering if I should leave them there at the risk of losing Kukong in the south.
- There is a TF NW of Timor that MIGHT be the KB or it could be the mKB making its slow painful way home. Somehow I don't get the feeling it is the KB because it doesn't seem to have other TFs escorting it like the KB has. That being the case, the only other place the KB could have gone is west into the IO or SW to continue chasing my CVs. Mine did not quite reach Perth, so I have to set them a waypoint to refill and then dart to the SW to evade any pursuing enemy.

I'm starting to get a feeling that he is more heavily invested in China than what is normal. I don't know the game well enough to say for certain, but he is stacking an awful lot in central China without seeming to weaken his northern or southern holdings at all. Here is the list of units currently in the Changsha hex (bear in mind that a stack of 3 more units is in the hex to the east):
quote:

34th Division
14th Ind.Mixed Brigade
13th Tank Regiment
6th Division
3rd Division
41st Division
13th Division
15th Division
22nd Division
32nd Division
11th Army
2nd Ind. Mountain Gun Regiment
14th Medium Field Artillery Regiment
15th Ind.Medium Field Artillery Regiment
52nd Ind.Mtn.Gun Battalion
1st Mortar Battalion
8th Ind. Engineer Regiment
2nd Ind. Engineer Regiment
51st Ind.Mtn.Gun Battalion
6th Medium Field Artillery Regiment


I counted 8 divisions in there. Is that more than normal for central China? Is this a giveaway that he is pursuing a "China first" strategy? If so, should I be reacting in any particular way?

(in reply to BBfanboy)
Post #: 181
RE: Buried in the Sunset (Marbakka [A] vs. Texas_D [J])... - 5/13/2012 8:27:57 PM   
ny59giants


Posts: 9869
Joined: 1/10/2005
Status: offline 		If you choose to fight mainly in the open or the light urban bases which have a high stacking limit, you will lose. He will try to smash them there as he cannot in the jungle, rough, or wooded hex that limits his combat power.

_____________________________


(in reply to marbakka)
Post #: 182
RE: Buried in the Sunset (Marbakka [A] vs. Texas_D [J])... - 5/13/2012 8:47:36 PM   
marbakka

 

Posts: 410
Joined: 3/9/2012
Status: offline 		Define "light urban bases." Do you mean Changsha?

(in reply to marbakka)
Post #: 183
RE: Buried in the Sunset (Marbakka [A] vs. Texas_D [J])... - 5/13/2012 8:49:19 PM   
marbakka

 

Posts: 410
Joined: 3/9/2012
Status: offline 		BTW, I forgot to mention that Kweiteh fell after the slaughter of the 12000 remaining troops. Those 2-3 divisions will not be joining the front unfortunately. But will he send them to the north or to central China?

(in reply to marbakka)
Post #: 184
RE: Buried in the Sunset (Marbakka [A] vs. Texas_D [J])... - 5/13/2012 8:52:31 PM   
ny59giants


Posts: 9869
Joined: 1/10/2005
Status: offline 		Yes - light grey is light urban.

If you are on the losing end of 2:1 combat odds, you will have a large number of destroyed squads. If he can get over 350 destroyed per month, then he can overwhelm your replacement rate. A good Japanese player will want to destroy all those infantry squads, but not kill the unit.

_____________________________


(in reply to marbakka)
Post #: 185
RE: Buried in the Sunset (Marbakka [A] vs. Texas_D [J])... - 5/14/2012 2:14:46 AM   
marbakka

 

Posts: 410
Joined: 3/9/2012
Status: offline 		I must say it hadn't even occurred to me that I might should give Changsha up. Don't I get a x4 bonus there? It also has 3 forts.


BTW, with regards to may whining about the AVG not getting reinforcements, it is because none of my bases have over 20000 supplies. This is a problem and means I will have to either get more supplies in there or move AVG to India to refit occasionally

(in reply to ny59giants)
Post #: 186
RE: Buried in the Sunset (Marbakka [A] vs. Texas_D [J])... - 5/14/2012 2:40:29 AM   
marbakka

 

Posts: 410
Joined: 3/9/2012
Status: offline 		Combat Report - 1/21/1942

- Another bombardment attack in Changsha with no real effect
- I now see three groups which are supposedly carrier groups. One is the KB which is stationed north of Darwin and doesn't really appear to be going anywhere. Does he think I have a lot of stuff parked in Darwin? I don't. Nothing really but submarines repairing from their patrols. The second is the wounded mKB (I think). It is located between Timor and Soerabaja and has moved maybe 4 hexes in 3 days. I'm sending a submarine to investigate. The third group is a "new" one and has appeared NE of Ambon. This is the first turn that we've spotted it, so I don't have reliable information.
- Boy is it nice to see my carriers with full bellies! They topped off in Perth and are headed for Auckland for the return trip. I will likely take them to Pearl to reform their task forces and replace the planes that they have lost. I guess I couldn't ask for a much more successful cruise. (Still, it might be Halsey's last)
- Boise is about a day out from Townsville where she and her DDs will escort all or some combination of the wounded ships there down to the shipyards at Brisbane and Sydney. Houston is in pretty bad shape and PoW is not well off either. Repulse could probably make it on her own, but there is no sense in rushing it. They will be going slow, along the coast, and with plenty of stops along the way. Even when they get the Brisbane and Sydney it will only be for pier repairs. They need bigger repair yards than Australia has to offer (can we enlarge those at all?)

(in reply to marbakka)
Post #: 187
RE: Buried in the Sunset (Marbakka [A] vs. Texas_D [J])... - 5/14/2012 3:15:25 AM   
ny59giants


Posts: 9869
Joined: 1/10/2005
Status: offline 		Its not a question of you giving up Changsha, but knowing when to retreat from there before you get thrown out and have those units become combat ineffective. That is a skill that often is difficult to learn and usually has a steep learning curve.

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(in reply to marbakka)
Post #: 188
RE: Buried in the Sunset (Marbakka [A] vs. Texas_D [J])... - 5/14/2012 3:47:25 AM   
BBfanboy


Posts: 18046
Joined: 8/4/2010
From: Winnipeg, MB
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: marbakka

I must say it hadn't even occurred to me that I might should give Changsha up. Don't I get a x4 bonus there? It also has 3 forts.


BTW, with regards to may whining about the AVG not getting reinforcements, it is because none of my bases have over 20000 supplies. This is a problem and means I will have to either get more supplies in there or move AVG to India to refit occasionally

Much easier to move the AVG to India than to try to get 20K supply accumulated in China. Many allied players use India as the R&R location for the AVG. You must be out of Nettie range [21-26] if you want to safely stand them down.

Re: the allied shipyards - NO you cannot expand them. The game gives the Japanese player some control over industrial point usage but not the Allied player [except perhaps for turning off some aircraft production or other industrial production to save supply].

_____________________________

No matter how bad a situation is, you can always make it worse. - Chris Hadfield : An Astronaut's Guide To Life On Earth

(in reply to marbakka)
Post #: 189
RE: Buried in the Sunset (Marbakka [A] vs. Texas_D [J])... - 5/14/2012 9:08:13 AM   
Arnhem44


Posts: 578
Joined: 11/23/2004
From: Singapore
Status: offline 		It seems you may have damaged a couple of the CVLs badly enough they're limping for port, there's nothing quite like a crippled ship waiting to be picked off by a sub, if you have any operating in southeast asian waters I'd run 'em in at full speed damage be damned for a chance at administering a coup de grace on one or two of his Majesty's finest. He's making for Soerabaja and thence to Singapore so plant some subs in the way and cross your fingers. Your best chance is while the cripples are out at sea, once they make port they're as good as saved. Also, if the subs at Darwin are not badly banged up, send 'em out against KB. The third CV TF you observed heading for Ambon could be the lightly damaged/undamaged decks of mKB, separated from their damaged brethren.



< Message edited by Arnhem -- 5/14/2012 9:14:37 AM >

(in reply to BBfanboy)
Post #: 190
RE: Buried in the Sunset (Marbakka [A] vs. Texas_D [J])... - 5/14/2012 1:25:44 PM   
Uncivil Engineer

 

Posts: 1014
Joined: 2/22/2012
From: Florida, USA
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: marbakka

Combat Report - 1/20/1942

- Heavy bombing in the usual places except today my too little half-strength AVG squadrons dealt a pretty nasty surprise to the Japanese bombers coming at Changsha. They hadn't been escorted for several days, so I was hoping to catch them completely off guard, but the first wave did bring some Oscars along, but 2-3 subsequent waves were flyin' around with their pants down and paid a hefty price for it.
- On the other hand, the AVG squadron in Rangoon was given orders to strafe the troops building up SE of Pegu. He had evidently arranged for some LRCAP because some Oscars met them at a higher altitude and peppered them pretty good.
- In Changsha, he conducted a bombardment attack to gauge the troop levels. I find it quit entertaining how many troops we both have piled in there. He has just over 100,000 and I have just under 170,000. Unfortunately, about 1000 AV of that are just passing through. Now that I've seen his force size, I'm wondering if I should leave them there at the risk of losing Kukong in the south.
- There is a TF NW of Timor that MIGHT be the KB or it could be the mKB making its slow painful way home. Somehow I don't get the feeling it is the KB because it doesn't seem to have other TFs escorting it like the KB has. That being the case, the only other place the KB could have gone is west into the IO or SW to continue chasing my CVs. Mine did not quite reach Perth, so I have to set them a waypoint to refill and then dart to the SW to evade any pursuing enemy.

I'm starting to get a feeling that he is more heavily invested in China than what is normal. I don't know the game well enough to say for certain, but he is stacking an awful lot in central China without seeming to weaken his northern or southern holdings at all. Here is the list of units currently in the Changsha hex (bear in mind that a stack of 3 more units is in the hex to the east):
quote:

34th Division
14th Ind.Mixed Brigade
13th Tank Regiment
6th Division
3rd Division
41st Division
13th Division
15th Division
22nd Division
32nd Division
11th Army
2nd Ind. Mountain Gun Regiment
14th Medium Field Artillery Regiment
15th Ind.Medium Field Artillery Regiment
52nd Ind.Mtn.Gun Battalion
1st Mortar Battalion
8th Ind. Engineer Regiment
2nd Ind. Engineer Regiment
51st Ind.Mtn.Gun Battalion
6th Medium Field Artillery Regiment


I counted 8 divisions in there. Is that more than normal for central China? Is this a giveaway that he is pursuing a "China first" strategy? If so, should I be reacting in any particular way?

Here are the original HQ's and start locations for each of those 8 divisions (this info from my notes):

1 Army: 41st - starts somewhere in North China area (somewhere east of Loyang/Chengchow)
11 Army: 3rd, 6th, 13th, 34th - start in and around Hankow
12 Army: 32nd - starts in Suchow (IIRC)
13 Army: 15th, 22nd - start around Nanking

and I'm fairly certain that the artillery and engineers now at Changsha all start at Hankow.

So, this concentration is not PARTICULARLY unusual, BUT, it means he has very little defending the Ichang-Sinyang-Hankow area. He can easily defend in the north using the terrain. He can easily recapture the cultivated area between Suchow and Chengchow because you can't defend there. So, it seems he has taken a calculated risk to get Changsha early. IMO

(in reply to marbakka)
Post #: 191
RE: Buried in the Sunset (Marbakka [A] vs. Texas_D [J])... - 5/14/2012 2:39:05 PM   
marbakka

 

Posts: 410
Joined: 3/9/2012
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: Arnhem

It seems you may have damaged a couple of the CVLs badly enough they're limping for port, there's nothing quite like a crippled ship waiting to be picked off by a sub, if you have any operating in southeast asian waters I'd run 'em in at full speed damage be damned for a chance at administering a coup de grace on one or two of his Majesty's finest. He's making for Soerabaja and thence to Singapore so plant some subs in the way and cross your fingers. Your best chance is while the cripples are out at sea, once they make port they're as good as saved. Also, if the subs at Darwin are not badly banged up, send 'em out against KB. The third CV TF you observed heading for Ambon could be the lightly damaged/undamaged decks of mKB, separated from their damaged brethren.




It would be nice if he headed for Soerabaja or Singapore either one, since I still own both.

(in reply to Arnhem44)
Post #: 192
RE: Buried in the Sunset (Marbakka [A] vs. Texas_D [J])... - 5/14/2012 2:40:43 PM   
marbakka

 

Posts: 410
Joined: 3/9/2012
Status: offline 		Combat Report - 1/22/1942

Another slow day. The only thing of any significance that happened was this:
quote:


Ground combat at Changsha (82,52)

Japanese Deliberate attack

Attacking force 114244 troops, 1151 guns, 353 vehicles, Assault Value = 3646

Defending force 131488 troops, 704 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 3427

Japanese engineers reduce fortifications to 2

Japanese adjusted assault: 2446

Allied adjusted defense: 6897

Japanese assault odds: 1 to 2 (fort level 2)

Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+), forts(+), leaders(+), preparation(-)
experience(-)
Attacker:

Japanese ground losses:
19858 casualties reported
Squads: 316 destroyed, 889 disabled
Non Combat: 3 destroyed, 110 disabled
Engineers: 54 destroyed, 132 disabled
Guns lost 84 (11 destroyed, 73 disabled)
Vehicles lost 44 (1 destroyed, 43 disabled)


Allied ground losses:
2482 casualties reported
Squads: 23 destroyed, 264 disabled
Non Combat: 4 destroyed, 49 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 13 disabled
Guns lost 32 (3 destroyed, 29 disabled)




EDIT: Funny thing about this is that on this very turn, I had ~1000 AV leave Changsha to head to Kukong, so it would have been even worse for him had he attacked just one turn earlier.

< Message edited by marbakka -- 5/14/2012 3:05:01 PM >

(in reply to marbakka)
Post #: 193
RE: Buried in the Sunset (Marbakka [A] vs. Texas_D [J])... - 5/14/2012 2:42:38 PM   
marbakka

 

Posts: 410
Joined: 3/9/2012
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: Uncivil Engineer
So, this concentration is not PARTICULARLY unusual, BUT, it means he has very little defending the Ichang-Sinyang-Hankow area. He can easily defend in the north using the terrain. He can easily recapture the cultivated area between Suchow and Chengchow because you can't defend there. So, it seems he has taken a calculated risk to get Changsha early. IMO


And yet, he has a sizable force in the Hankow-Sinyang area. Sizable enough that it drove off the 1700 or so AV I have there. Also, SigInt a couple days ago indicated at least one unit planning for Ichang.

(in reply to Uncivil Engineer)
Post #: 194
RE: Buried in the Sunset (Marbakka [A] vs. Texas_D [J])... - 5/14/2012 5:06:35 PM   
BBfanboy


Posts: 18046
Joined: 8/4/2010
From: Winnipeg, MB
Status: offline 		Wow - he lost 316 squads destroyed in Changsha - that's 2/3 of a division worth!
I think you know for past painful experience not to counterattack just because he weakened his force. If he had the terrain bonuses on defence it would be your troops suffering big losses. You can be comfortable knowing he can't dislodge you with current forces unless he bombards from air and ground for a while to destroy your supply.

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No matter how bad a situation is, you can always make it worse. - Chris Hadfield : An Astronaut's Guide To Life On Earth

(in reply to marbakka)
Post #: 195
RE: Buried in the Sunset (Marbakka [A] vs. Texas_D [J])... - 5/14/2012 5:17:24 PM   
marbakka

 

Posts: 410
Joined: 3/9/2012
Status: offline 		Combat Report - 1/23/1942

Another quiet day.

- Japan invades Umnak Island. This is starting to get a bit annoying. I know he doesn't have carriers up there, so I'm tempted to send Saratoga and Yorktown up there to put a stop to this nonsense. Even if I did, though, it will still be several weeks before their TFs are fully formed in San Diego. In the meantime, a TF consisting of an AM and about 8 YPs is moving to guard Cold Harbor where I have search aircraft based but no defense troops yet.
- The KB is moving toward the Torres Strait once again. They bombed Darwin's port today, severely damaging my AS and putting a bomb or two into a submarine as well. I'm not exactly sure what he is hoping for up here. My CVs are on the opposite side of the continent and headed for NZ with a combat TF soon to follow. If he cruises down the Australian coast, he won't get much. I suppose I should just be happy that I have a solid location for him.
- Yesterday's report that CVL Ryujo had sunk (which I didn't bother to share) is now said to be mistaken.
- Batavia fell today. It was poorly defended as most of the Java troops were in Soerabaja for Scrabble Night

< Message edited by marbakka -- 5/14/2012 5:44:41 PM >

(in reply to marbakka)
Post #: 196
RE: Buried in the Sunset (Marbakka [A] vs. Texas_D [J])... - 5/14/2012 5:31:13 PM   
marbakka

 

Posts: 410
Joined: 3/9/2012
Status: offline 		OH! I almost forgot to mention the best news of the day. I was more excited about this than I was when I put all those bombs in the mKB. I sunk one of those dastardly submarines that has been causing all the chaos around Fiji. There are at least 2 more to deal with but boy was it nice to see that thing go down.

(in reply to marbakka)
Post #: 197
RE: Buried in the Sunset (Marbakka [A] vs. Texas_D [J])... - 5/14/2012 7:23:23 PM   
Uncivil Engineer

 

Posts: 1014
Joined: 2/22/2012
From: Florida, USA
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: marbakka

I must say it hadn't even occurred to me that I might should give Changsha up. Don't I get a x4 bonus there? It also has 3 forts.


BTW, with regards to may whining about the AVG not getting reinforcements, it is because none of my bases have over 20000 supplies. This is a problem and means I will have to either get more supplies in there or move AVG to India to refit occasionally

Light urban defensive bonus is x2 - it's heavy urban that gets x4. Changsha is x2 only.

(in reply to marbakka)
Post #: 198
RE: Buried in the Sunset (Marbakka [A] vs. Texas_D [J])... - 5/15/2012 2:16:21 AM   
Arnhem44


Posts: 578
Joined: 11/23/2004
From: Singapore
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: marbakka


It would be nice if he headed for Soerabaja or Singapore either one, since I still own both.


D'oh! My bad, wasn't paying attention, where do you think the damaged decks are going to then?

(in reply to marbakka)
Post #: 199
RE: Buried in the Sunset (Marbakka [A] vs. Texas_D [J])... - 5/15/2012 4:39:59 PM   
marbakka

 

Posts: 410
Joined: 3/9/2012
Status: offline 		Combat Report - 1/24/1942

- KB disappears. My search patterns are equally porous north (Ambon) or southeast (Torres Strait), so I don't know where they went
- Japan lands at Balikapan and drops paratroopers all over the place around Ambon (but not Ambon Island itself)

Not much else of note. Lots of bombing and very little shooting down of bombers

(in reply to Arnhem44)
Post #: 200
RE: Buried in the Sunset (Marbakka [A] vs. Texas_D [J])... - 5/16/2012 2:46:44 AM   
marbakka

 

Posts: 410
Joined: 3/9/2012
Status: offline 		Combat Report - 1/25/1942

- Balikpapan fell today
- His airborne forces took another three little bases today. I'd love to know how he is conducting three para drops every turn. Is he picking them right back up and dropping them somewhere else the next day?
- Still no sign of either enemy carrier group. I feel pretty confident that the KB slipped past Ambon and headed home for resupply
- Lots of activity in NOPAC. I'm not really sure what is going on there. I simply do not have the surface ships to put up a fight up there. Queen Elizabeth is delivering a combat engineer group to Cold Harbor to offer some protection for the air groups up there. It will still be some time before Yorktown and Saratoga are ready for their first outing. Even when they are, I have a very large troop/aircraft shipment to make to SOPAC and I'd like to have it escorted (though Enterprise/Lexington may be available for that when it comes time)

(in reply to marbakka)
Post #: 201
RE: Buried in the Sunset (Marbakka [A] vs. Texas_D [J])... - 5/16/2012 3:46:05 AM   
BBfanboy


Posts: 18046
Joined: 8/4/2010
From: Winnipeg, MB
Status: offline 		Queen Elizabeth?? As in, the gigantic liner that needs a level 7 or 8 port to dock???
It may be fast but it takes forever to unload if it cannot dock. Some equipment may not unload at all. Keep an eye on it and if it isn't progressing fast enough to be out of there before the Japanese sniff around, get it back to Vancouver and load in smaller ships!

_____________________________

No matter how bad a situation is, you can always make it worse. - Chris Hadfield : An Astronaut's Guide To Life On Earth

(in reply to marbakka)
Post #: 202
RE: Buried in the Sunset (Marbakka [A] vs. Texas_D [J])... - 5/16/2012 6:07:00 PM   
marbakka

 

Posts: 410
Joined: 3/9/2012
Status: offline 		Combat Report - 1/26/1942

- One of my Dutch subs sunk an AK and then put a torpedo it the DD that was supposed to be hunting it down. That'll do.
- mKB has been spotted. I have no idea how it got past my naval searches out of Ambon, but it has made it into the Celebes Sea and appears to be moving toward Cam Rahn Bay
- The KB has also been spotted trying to sneak through the Torres Strait. Tsk Tsk. I've tried to position my subs to get a shot off if he follows the Aussie coast.
- Boise and her pals continue their ponderous escort to Brisbane. PoW, Repulse, and Houston all seem to be holding up ok, though if the KB shoots south fast enough, they may yet be sunk. 2 P40 squadrons are following them down the coast.
- Bombardment of Clark Field shows that he has about 5k more troops than me there. I think I may rotate a unit in from Bataan again.


As for QE, I'm using her because she is almost all I have up there. I have some AKLs but they are already in the middle of another transport job. If she sinks, she sinks.

(in reply to marbakka)
Post #: 203
RE: Buried in the Sunset (Marbakka [A] vs. Texas_D [J])... - 5/16/2012 7:38:16 PM   
BBfanboy


Posts: 18046
Joined: 8/4/2010
From: Winnipeg, MB
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: marbakka

As for QE, I'm using her because she is almost all I have up there. I have some AKLs but they are already in the middle of another transport job. If she sinks, she sinks.


Should that happen, her namesake would say "WE are not amused ..."


_____________________________

No matter how bad a situation is, you can always make it worse. - Chris Hadfield : An Astronaut's Guide To Life On Earth

(in reply to marbakka)
Post #: 204
RE: Buried in the Sunset (Marbakka [A] vs. Texas_D [J])... - 5/17/2012 4:06:21 AM   
marbakka

 

Posts: 410
Joined: 3/9/2012
Status: offline 		Combat Report - 1/27/1942

A thoroughly boring day.

- The KB has moved into the Coral Sea and appears to be planning for a run down the Australian coast. I've become a little concerned about the PoW anyway, so they will be docking in Maryborough to cool down a bit. I'm transferring my P40s to Brisbane to fly CAP over them while they are there.
- SigInt indicates troops planning for attacks in northern China and yet another division planning for Changsha.
- I have ordered Saratoga and Yorktown to sea. They will rendezvous with Yorktown's cruisers and then go investigate these shenanigans in NOPAC before heading to join up with their sisters. Hornet is still just over a month out. My main concern for her will be finding enough DDs and CA/Ls to provide her a proper escort.

(in reply to BBfanboy)
Post #: 205
RE: Buried in the Sunset (Marbakka [A] vs. Texas_D [J])... - 5/17/2012 10:44:29 PM   
marbakka

 

Posts: 410
Joined: 3/9/2012
Status: offline 		Combat Report - 1/28/1942

- Bombardment in both Changsha and Clark Field. In Changsha, it is apparent that he has withdrawn some forces, but the troop levels are still very high. I have another 900 AV in the hex SE of the city. In Clark Field, this is the third turn in a row that he has bombarded without any real attack. Not sure what his game plan is there.
- The KB moved south and conducted a port attack against Townsville. Thankfully, all my wounded ships made it to Brisbane where there are 5 squadrons of P40s flying CAP. However, now I face a big problem. At 35000 tons a piece, BB Prince of Wales and BC Repulse are too large for any of the Australian shipyards. I could send them to Colombo but a) they will be tying up my front line repair yard and b) they may well sink before they get there. Instead, my plan is to slowly shuttle them around to Perth and then try to shoot them directly west to Cape Town whose yard can (barely) fit both in at the same time. However, that leaves a problem in dealing with Houston who has damage to her 8in guns that will require a bigger yard than Brisbane as well. I -think- she can be repaired in Sydney, but the manual is very confusing when it comes to weapon repair values. If I have done my math correctly, I can escort these ships to Sydney right away under LRCAP from Brisbane and the KB won't be able to catch up even if it comes straight south (barring any full speed days). I would feel safer with them down there than at Brisbane, so I believe I will set them to leave in the night and make for Sydney as quickly as possible. That will put some distance between them and the KB and give Houston a chance to get her 80+ day dry dock time started.
- One day more. That's all I needed to get my wounded BBs Nevada and California into the safety of San Francisco Bay. Instead, a submarine found them and put a torpedo into Nevada. She isn't really damaged badly from it, but it triggered an escort response where 2 DDs stayed with her and California while all the rest of the cruisers and destroyers gunned it for SF. Annoying! I've sent 3 of the DDs back out to help them into port (they are only 3 hexes out and should arrive tomorrow). The cruisers have been drafted into the escort TF for Yorktown which met them in SF as they arrived. Yorktown and Saratoga will leave in the night for their little NOPAC cruise. May they sink everything in sight.

(in reply to marbakka)
Post #: 206
RE: Buried in the Sunset (Marbakka [A] vs. Texas_D [J])... - 5/18/2012 12:19:43 AM   
BBfanboy


Posts: 18046
Joined: 8/4/2010
From: Winnipeg, MB
Status: offline 		It does take some hunting to find the relevant info. From the Game Editor I looked up the effect value [equal to shell weight, I think] of the 8" Mk 9 gun. It is 260.

Here is part of the manual that should apply"

14.2.4.1 WEAPON REPAIR COSTS:
Weapon Repair points are generated by each Repair Type, independently of their ability to
repair other forms of damage. Weapon Repair points are applied to damaged weapon systems
in terms of Weapon Repair Costs.
Weapon Repair Costs are as follows:

Rockets (all types) 50
Radars and ASW detectors 90
Mines and Torpedoes 120
Guns Effect value of the gun.

14.2.4.2 WEAPON REPAIR POINTS
The different Repair Types, described above, contribute Weapon System Repair Points, as
follows:
Repair Shipyard - Weapon Repair level is the Shipyard Size (not capacity, but original size)
times 20, up to a maximum of 300.

Logistics
Tender Repair - Tenders are limited in what weapon systems they can repair (as described in
section 14.2.3.2), but to the extent they can repair weapons, their weapon repair points are
set to 250.
Port Repair - To the extent a port can repair weapon systems, its weapon repair points are set
to the port size x 25.

The repair shipyard at Sydney has a capacity of 30, so weapon repair capacity is enough to reach the maximum of 300. This meets the requirement for the 8" gun.

Re: the PoW and Repulse - you can probably repair some of the flotation damage without a shipyard at Sydney. It would help their transit of the IO a lot if you can get it down. You can also move a lot faster once some of the floatation and engineering damage is reduced.

EDIT- corrected original post to reflect the max gun repair capacity of a shipyard.

< Message edited by BBfanboy -- 5/18/2012 12:24:37 AM >

_____________________________

No matter how bad a situation is, you can always make it worse. - Chris Hadfield : An Astronaut's Guide To Life On Earth

(in reply to marbakka)
Post #: 207
RE: Buried in the Sunset (Marbakka [A] vs. Texas_D [J])... - 5/18/2012 1:05:28 AM   
marbakka

 

Posts: 410
Joined: 3/9/2012
Status: offline 		Combat Report - 1/29/1942

- The KB is thrashing about the Coral Sea like a puppy that can't find where I hid its toy. They launched port attacks against Townsville, Cooktown, Cairns, and Bowen. It and it's support fleet moved slightly to the east but not south at all. Does he fear Brisbane? Does he think I have tons of Banshees there? What little remains of those squadrons are sitting in Alice Springs. Whatever he is thinking, I hope he keeps thinking it because I like knowing exactly where the KB is without having to pay in blood.
- SS Trusty, a British submarine patrolling the Sunda Strait between Java and Sumatra put two torpedoes and a shell into an enemy AK. She is pretty much the only naval asset within 200 hexes of Java, so it is nice to see them putting their shoulder to the plow.
- A CLAA arrived in Colombo yesterday and is now en route to join the Indomitable's TF which is patrolling around Diego Garcia (mostly for training).


I am starting to think ahead. WAY ahead. So here are a couple noob questions I have concerning the feasibility of Allied offensive plans:
- How tied am I to the "island hopping" strategy? What are my viable alternatives to this?
- How feasible is a relatively early, direct attack on Truk (e.g., before taking the Marshal/Gilbert Isles)? Or at any point for that matter?

(in reply to BBfanboy)
Post #: 208
RE: Buried in the Sunset (Marbakka [A] vs. Texas_D [J])... - 5/18/2012 2:09:39 AM   
BBfanboy


Posts: 18046
Joined: 8/4/2010
From: Winnipeg, MB
Status: offline 		Your counteroffensive depends on one thing - gaining complete air superiority in the area you are invading - before, during and after the invasion. Before and during is done with carriers and 4E bombers, plus maybe some bombardments to suppress his airfield. Next you have too repair and expand the airfield to size 5 or better so you can operate 4E bombers from it. Then you can use the base to support your next landings.

Trying to get air superiority amongst many islands with interlocking airfields [like the DEI] is difficult - you need to take several places at once and have enough carriers to rotate them through guard duties. Taking isolated islands that he cannot support with his LBA [bombers with fighter escort] is easier - you only need to watch for IJN intervention. It is useful to take initially some small, weakly held islands to gain experience for your amphib troops, ships and HQs. Island hopping the central Pacific is only strategically good if you can capture Saipan and Tinian for B29s to strategic bomb Japan. Taking some of the other islands can help safeguard your supply lines to Oz, but you can get by without that.

Truk has the nastiest naval fortress in the game - something like 135 guns. It requires a long suppression of the fortress OR a massive paratroop assault that can overcome any additional garrison. The fortress itself has no AV. BTW, Truk also has lots of mines ...

Back to whether to go island hopping; first decide what your primary route back to Japan will be.
- You can clear India/Burma and march troops into China, but supply will be difficult unless you take ports with direct access to China.
- You can move up through the DEI - you need to build more forces to go this way but it can be done. From the DEI you have a choice of Indochina or the Phillipines. The Phillipines is easier to supply and harder for counter-assault because of the number of islands. From here go to Okinawa or China via Hainan island.
- You can move through NOPAC to the Kuriles. This is hard for him to defend against because of the remoteness of the islands and the concurrent need to defend the DEI, so he must split his defences.
- You can move through the Central Pacific islands to the Phillipines, and on to Okinawa and/or China.

CentPac gets you moving sooner but he can guess which islands you need most [troop and air capacity on most is limited] and put a lot of troops on them.
Watching CanoeRebel's AARs, it appears the best strategy is to nibble away at all the possibilities and move in a big way where you see an opening. CR prepped himself in NOPAC, in the CentPac islands SE of Truk, in New Guinea and around the Bay of Bengal. The KB can't be everywhere and each of those areas could support an offensive.

Anyway, from one relative noob to another, that is my take on it. Good luck!

_____________________________

No matter how bad a situation is, you can always make it worse. - Chris Hadfield : An Astronaut's Guide To Life On Earth

(in reply to marbakka)
Post #: 209
RE: Buried in the Sunset (Marbakka [A] vs. Texas_D [J])... - 5/18/2012 6:02:59 AM   
marbakka

 

Posts: 410
Joined: 3/9/2012
Status: offline 		Combat Report - 1/30/1942

- One of his submarines sunk an xAKL and a big AP NE of Fiji. That's the first time I've seen one up in that area. It may be a good thing since I have a big shipment of troops who are boarding in Suva and bound for Luganville around the south side of the islands.
- The KB has moved south, but too late to catch my wounded birds before they reach their nest. They will arrive next turn. The question is should I move the P40s down to Sydney to cover them or let them fly another turn of CAP over Brisbane in the hopes of killing a lot of his carrier pilots. They aren't super experienced by we're talking about 125 or so P40s.
- One of my picket subs north of Ambon encountered a very large transport fleet heading south. These guys are either landing at Ambon or Darwin for sure, and it wouldn't make sense to attack the latter before the former. That being the case, I'm removing anything of value from Ambon overnight (2 AVPs and some unrestricted PAs)

(in reply to BBfanboy)
Post #: 210
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