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RE: ONE YEAR OF WAR - 12/15/2012 10:30:19 AM

obvert

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You're doing well on HI. Your fuel and oil look decent. Well don egetting your armaments and vehicles sorted and saving so much HI during 42.

quote:

The KI84a, despite the heavy investment in terms of factories, hasn't see yet a fully repaired factory. However we're close and so we'll soon start to advance it. You would notice the heavy investment both on the KI-84a and KI-84b. The idea is to get the KI-84a by july 1943, the KI-84r and the KI-84b by the first half of 1944.

That's very early!! It would be great to have it then. Just getting them now in 11/43 in mine.

I'd say your R n D looks great for a first game, but also very good for any game based on your stated intent. You will be getting most of the important 44 models in mid-to-late 43. That should keep you in a more balanced air war.

Looks like for NF you're going with whatever comes along and taking them as they arrive. One thing I did not do which I should have done is to keep some Ha-31 engines for the Ki-45 KAId NF version that uses them. I won't be making any of those. I did invest in the Ki-102c Randy (started late after realizing it's not on a line with the other Ki-102 models), and the very late S1A1 Denko. As it looks like my game might still be going then I hope these can do something against 4Es, but I don't have much hope for them really being effective. Still I want to try them out.

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RE: ONE YEAR OF WAR - 12/15/2012 12:08:06 PM

GreyJoy

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In my experience during the previous game, night fighters are useless, no matter the model. The 4Es, at night, are snipers. You will lose more NFs to A2A combat than what you take with you to hell. It's really useless to invest on them. I simply wait for them to come online and will fill the Night fighter dedicated sentais. Nothing more.For sure i won't invest in R&D for them...i'm just keeping some R&D factories going on for 3 NF models so that i don't have to change a production factory for them in the future.

What i've learnt about the R&D is that you heavily invest on a model, or it's better not to research it at all and wait for it to come online naturally.
I'd love to have R&D factories researching the jet models...but you need at least 3x30 factories for each model and at least 3x30 factories R&D the dedicated engine...which means a lot less resources dedicated to R&D and produce earlier airframes (say KI-84, N1K, J2M, KI-67-T, Frances etc) and engines.
The Engine part is vital imho. You need to focus on the engine bonus, which can really boost your R&D efforts. Ha-45 is critical imho. You must R&D it immediately so to start stockpiling them very early by mid-42. My goal is to keep on having 1000 stockpiled HA-45 untill the Frank-b arrives.
So you must plan to have, by mid-42, always >600 Ha-34, Ha-45, Ha-33 and Ha-32. These are the key-egines imho.
Ha-44 is a waste but you need it for the first Jill...but only for it and it comes online so early (easily by 1/43) that you barely need to produce 300 of them before the second Jill arrives (which uses the Ha-32...and that's why you need to have the >500 Ha-32 so that the second jills arrives very early).
I keep on producing the Ha-31 for the Dinah-II and for the Topsy which are very usefull planes.

The recon Irving has been cancelled. The recon Judy is just as good and it only uses 1 Aichi-60 engine...that is also used for the first Judy.
So i'm producing 100 Aichi-60 in order to produce 90 Judys and some 10 recon Judy...with some stockpiled i plan to convert the Aichi-60 factories to Ha-45 as soon as the Third Judy comes online. This uses the Ha-33...which you need to stockpile to boost the R&D with the engine bonus.

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Post #: 1502

RE: ONE YEAR OF WAR - 12/15/2012 1:58:14 PM

ny59giants

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Airframe upgrades and replacements are based on three factors. If there are others, then I cannot recall them. AF size, supplies (20k or better) and being within transfer range. That is why some of you get the ability to upgrade or get replacement for your longer legged planes.

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RE: ONE YEAR OF WAR - 12/15/2012 4:49:17 PM

BBfanboy

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Uh-oh ... there is a green unit dot on Tsuyung indicating US troops. Any intel on the unit(s) there?

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Post #: 1504

RE: ONE YEAR OF WAR - 12/16/2012 4:06:18 PM

GreyJoy

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quote:

ORIGINAL: BBfanboy

Uh-oh ... there is a green unit dot on Tsuyung indicating US troops. Any intel on the unit(s) there?

Jan 13, 1943

No, we don't know which unit is that one...i bet some base force unit or something like that

Everything's quiet today, a part some 103 Tojos, followed by 30 Oscars IIa that swept Kunming. We faced some 55 between P-40Es and P-39s...and we obtained a great victory: 40 enemy downed for only 7 of ours! Some more days like this and the resistance over the skies of Western China will be over. 200 Helens are ready to start to bomb back to stoneage Kunming...some more weeks and we'll begin! Banzai!

He landed at Bathrust Island and started to develop that base...

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Post #: 1505

RE: ONE YEAR OF WAR - 12/16/2012 4:17:19 PM

BBfanboy

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Looks like a lot of HI points allocated to vehicles, which the Allies can knock off quite easily [except the Chinese]. By 1943 even Indian infantry units have some anti-tank weapons better than the Boyes rifle. I have no idea if you can make use of some of those points elsewhere, though!

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Post #: 1506

RE: ONE YEAR OF WAR - 12/16/2012 4:20:22 PM

GreyJoy

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quote:

ORIGINAL: BBfanboy

Looks like a lot of HI points allocated to vehicles, which the Allies can knock off quite easily [except the Chinese]. By 1943 even Indian infantry units have some anti-tank weapons better than the Boyes rifle. I have no idea if you can make use of some of those points elsewhere, though!

A lot? "only" 20,000...and i stopped producing them for quite some months now... but there are lots of tank units coming in the next years, so i wanna be ready to fulfill those divisions

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Post #: 1507

RE: ONE YEAR OF WAR - 12/16/2012 4:32:31 PM

obvert

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quote:

ORIGINAL: GreyJoy

quote:

ORIGINAL: BBfanboy

Looks like a lot of HI points allocated to vehicles, which the Allies can knock off quite easily [except the Chinese]. By 1943 even Indian infantry units have some anti-tank weapons better than the Boyes rifle. I have no idea if you can make use of some of those points elsewhere, though!

A lot? "only" 20,000...and i stopped producing them for quite some months now... but there are lots of tank units coming in the next years, so i wanna be ready to fulfill those divisions

They are also needed for any motorized support, which can be a lot for the arrivals in 44-45. I would say 20k is low ultimately, but I'm just getting to the point where I'll begin to really use them, so I'm not sure yet. Depends on if anything gets completely destroyed also that needs buying back and rebuilding.

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Post #: 1508

RE: ONE YEAR OF WAR - 12/16/2012 4:47:31 PM

BBfanboy

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Thanks for the reply GJ and obvert. I am trying to understand some of the Japanese economy and you have given some benchmarks on how much HI is involved in vehicle production. If I ever go over to the dark side I want to have some of the skills necessary. My evil laugh is pretty good now!

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Post #: 1509

RE: ONE YEAR OF WAR - 12/17/2012 7:06:38 AM

GreyJoy

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Jan 14, 15 1943

We had another huge battle over Kunming. This time the odds were more equal, with the allies losing 40 planes against 33 of mine. Some good pilots were lost today, but luckly we can efford to lose IJA pilots and Tojos...we have plenty in the pools!
We also tried to attack the strongpoint east of Kunming....and obtained a 1-3....but losses are more or less equal so i'm confident that, as soon as we clear the skies from the enemy's planes, our bombers will be able to do their magic

Brad also started to bomb Saumlaki, north of Darwin. More units are enorute for Kendari. We'll shift them to the outer bases as soon as they arrive. We're gaining precious time here...i don't think he'll be able to move before Darwin reaches level 9 AF

The real news of the day comes from the intel... for three times in a row we got an "heavy radio transmission volume" coming from Pago Pago.... and i know what it means... TABIUTEA. I'm pretty sure now he's trying to drive my attention to the southern DEI in order to get a free shot there in CENTPAC. We've issued orders and in few days we'll be able to meet him

. Mavis and Emilies are patrolling from Tarawa...i will see him coming with at least 2-3 days in advance...and that's enough for me

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RE: ONE YEAR OF WAR - 12/17/2012 10:58:40 AM

GreyJoy

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While i do agree with Cribtop and the others who have argued that, between CENTPAC and DEI i should always chose to defend the DEI, i also believe that an easy breakthrough in CENTPAC is something Japan should always try to avoid in 1943.
If he manages to get to Tabiutea without a scratch and stabilish a foothold there, the whole GAP between my dominions in the Solomons/NG and the Marshalls will be in danger.
From Taboutea he can easily shut down everything up to Maloaep, and move easily to Nauru Island, Kusiae and then Ponape. Once there, Rabaul becomes useless and the Mariannas get really really close.
On the contrary, in the DEI, while i know i cannot defend everything, he also knows he cannot shut down everything at will. Too many bases mean a double edge sword: the defender cannot cover every base, but the attacker cannot shut down every base in range.
My oil fields are still far from its bases and untill he gets in range of the P-38s, a couple of Nick Sentais can easily bring havoc among his 4Es. Soon we'll have hordes of N1K1s and so i'm not sweating that much.
Moreover, i know he needs the CVs to advance in the CENTPAC, while he doesn't in the DEI. If i have to look for a battle, CENTPAC is where i want to fight. Makin is an important LBA base, with plenty of AA and an Air HQ.

Another indicator that tells me TABIUTEA is a target is that he, after having reconned with dedicated planes for months now (the DL has always been 9/9), it suddenly dropped to 0/0... which is exactly what i've done against RAder to hide my will of invading the Kuriles...

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RE: ONE YEAR OF WAR - 12/17/2012 11:01:15 AM

GreyJoy

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Oh, and however i'm not forgetting the Kuriles. I'm buyin, slowly, a divisions from Manchuria to be sent there as soon as the Blizzard ends. With the equivalent of 3 Divisions, spread among 5 bases, 6 AA units, 10 base forces, 3 Arty bns, 1 Army HQ and 1 Air HQ, and with forts everywhere up to 4, i think the whole area can be called safe for the upcoming year

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RE: ONE YEAR OF WAR - 12/17/2012 11:12:30 AM

obvert

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quote:

Mavis and Emilies are patrolling from Tarawa...i will see him coming with at least 2-3 days in advance...and that's enough for me

What kind of response do you plan? Surface or air strikes or both?

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RE: ONE YEAR OF WAR - 12/17/2012 11:24:04 AM

GreyJoy

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quote:

ORIGINAL: obvert

quote:

Mavis and Emilies are patrolling from Tarawa...i will see him coming with at least 2-3 days in advance...and that's enough for me

What kind of response do you plan? Surface or air strikes or both?

I'm moving 150 Betties from Kendari, 27 Kates and 60 Judys from Truk and some 120 fighters from Rabaul and Kendari (will take 3/4 turns to get there cause i don't wanna lose planes and precious crack pilots due to extreme long range travels). a strong SCTF is waiting at Rabaul for confirmation. Then it could be in place in 3 days. I have an AO TF waiting near Kusiae Island to refuel the KB is i decide to move it there. For the moment i'm placing it between Bab and Truk, waiting for some confirmations. Minelayers are already waiting at Makin.
A para Bn and a SNLF unit are ready at Tarawa to be airlifted at Tabiutea as soon as the enemy is spotted advancing. Their task won't be to stop the enemy, but to delay it for a couple of days. I just need to buy the time needed for the KB to arrive at flank speed.. The key, as always, will be early detection. Emilies and Mavis can do that job pretty well, but i've also dispatched 2 Glenn-Equipped subs and some more Dinas from the Solomons...i need to be sure before ordering a general movement.

Once again, the idea isn't to stop him, but to finally make him pay for his gains.

< Message edited by GreyJoy -- 12/17/2012 11:27:07 AM >

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RE: ONE YEAR OF WAR - 12/17/2012 12:05:32 PM

obvert

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Wow. That is a lot! Do you have that much air support troops there? I don't think I could base 240 bombers and 120 fighters in the area and make any of them fly en masse at all.

I'm looking forward to seeing this happen. I hope your hunch is right and we get some fireworks!

If you do have the KB near Truk, it seems at least a slow cruise East could get going now to reduce days at flank. Also, if you have any of those dots in the Elice islands you could fly a bit of air support there with a small Jake detachment to get a good early look.

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RE: ONE YEAR OF WAR - 12/17/2012 2:30:42 PM

GreyJoy

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quote:

ORIGINAL: obvert

Wow. That is a lot! Do you have that much air support troops there? I don't think I could base 240 bombers and 120 fighters in the area and make any of them fly en masse at all.

I'm looking forward to seeing this happen. I hope your hunch is right and we get some fireworks!

If you do have the KB near Truk, it seems at least a slow cruise East could get going now to reduce days at flank. Also, if you have any of those dots in the Elice islands you could fly a bit of air support there with a small Jake detachment to get a good early look.

Well, i have Makin that has nearly 200 AS and can support 200 planes (lvl 4 AF), and Tarawa which is a lvl 3 AF that can support 150 planes. So i think i can handle those numbers pretty easily. Consider that i also have Maloaep and Roi Namur that both have an air HQ and can be used to base planes in reserve.

No, i won't move my KB any further for the moment. At least not untill i know if i'm just casting shadows (as i have been doing for the whole game now). Fuel is too precious and every time i move the KB there's a chance that it gets spotted by a radio message or a lucky sub.

Unfortunately i don't own anything south of Tabiutea

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RE: ONE YEAR OF WAR - 12/17/2012 3:05:15 PM

crsutton

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quote:

ORIGINAL: obvert

quote:

ORIGINAL: GreyJoy

quote:

ORIGINAL: BBfanboy

Looks like a lot of HI points allocated to vehicles, which the Allies can knock off quite easily [except the Chinese]. By 1943 even Indian infantry units have some anti-tank weapons better than the Boyes rifle. I have no idea if you can make use of some of those points elsewhere, though!

A lot? "only" 20,000...and i stopped producing them for quite some months now... but there are lots of tank units coming in the next years, so i wanna be ready to fulfill those divisions

They are also needed for any motorized support, which can be a lot for the arrivals in 44-45. I would say 20k is low ultimately, but I'm just getting to the point where I'll begin to really use them, so I'm not sure yet. Depends on if anything gets completely destroyed also that needs buying back and rebuilding.

By 1944, Japanese tank units get smashed on a regular basis in regular combat. Every Allied unit has such great AT values by then. So, if you plan on using them, you had better stockpile points as you will frequently have to rebuild them. From the Allied side I would say that they are still important. You have got to have mobile forces to rush and block Allied turning movements such as invasions in your rear.

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RE: ONE YEAR OF WAR - 12/17/2012 4:21:14 PM

GreyJoy

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quote:

ORIGINAL: crsutton

quote:

ORIGINAL: obvert

quote:

ORIGINAL: GreyJoy

quote:

ORIGINAL: BBfanboy

Looks like a lot of HI points allocated to vehicles, which the Allies can knock off quite easily [except the Chinese]. By 1943 even Indian infantry units have some anti-tank weapons better than the Boyes rifle. I have no idea if you can make use of some of those points elsewhere, though!

A lot? "only" 20,000...and i stopped producing them for quite some months now... but there are lots of tank units coming in the next years, so i wanna be ready to fulfill those divisions

They are also needed for any motorized support, which can be a lot for the arrivals in 44-45. I would say 20k is low ultimately, but I'm just getting to the point where I'll begin to really use them, so I'm not sure yet. Depends on if anything gets completely destroyed also that needs buying back and rebuilding.

By 1944, Japanese tank units get smashed on a regular basis in regular combat. Every Allied unit has such great AT values by then. So, if you plan on using them, you had better stockpile points as you will frequently have to rebuild them. From the Allied side I would say that they are still important. You have got to have mobile forces to rush and block Allied turning movements such as invasions in your rear.

Well, surely my tanks won't be able to do much, but better than nothing anyway! At least those 3 Tank Divisions have already been bought out to the Southern Command HQ so they can be moved out of China pretty fast once i decide to do it

Jan 16, 17, 1943

Nothing happened, except for his 4Es that are starting to bomb my troops in Western China...

The only news of the day is a puzzling one...

My Naval Search (both Emilies from Munda and Glenns near the coast) told me that a huge convoy, containing APA/AKAs and BBs has left Sydney and is proceeding north along the coast.
At the same time at Darwin several APs are spotted and, again, the usual Heavy Volume Radio Transmission message tells me something is up at Pago Pago....

What to do?

I need to be sure that those at Darwin are real APs and not simple xAPs and gotta be certain that those north of Syndey are LSI (or APA) and not only normal transports... But what is he up to at Pago so? I can't believe he has yet the naval capacity to mount up two different large scale operations (Northern Oz and CENTPAC)...but Brad has already shown me he doesn't dislike the idea of using xAPs and xAKs for amphib operations when it's needed... I feel like a Donkey among two balls of hay...

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RE: ONE YEAR OF WAR - 12/17/2012 4:54:15 PM

ny59giants

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AP convert to APA in 2/43, not before. Then they trickle in as reinforcements.

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RE: ONE YEAR OF WAR - 12/17/2012 4:56:57 PM

GreyJoy

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quote:

ORIGINAL: ny59giants

AP convert to APA in 2/43, not before. Then they trickle in as reinforcements.

mmm... so those could be real LSI (the british version of APAs, righ?)...and those at Darwin real APs...but why risking them now when he's only 10 days from the upgrade date???

Well, i need more confirms...as always i'm hunting shadows for the moment

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RE: ONE YEAR OF WAR - 12/17/2012 5:15:01 PM

Gridley380

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LSI(L) are indeed the Commonwealth APAs. LCI are the USN kid sisters. Their historical designation was actually LCI(L) just to make life even more confusing. Oh, and the same hull was used for the LCS(L), and LCI(L)s were often completed or converted to LCI(M), LCI(R), and LCI(G). None of these should be confused with LST, LSM, LCVP, LCM, LCP...

The Allied amphib planners must have eaten a lot of alphabet soup for breakfast.

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RE: ONE YEAR OF WAR - 12/17/2012 5:21:43 PM

GreyJoy

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quote:

ORIGINAL: Gridley380

LSI(L) are indeed the Commonwealth APAs. LCI are the USN kid sisters. Their historical designation was actually LCI(L) just to make life even more confusing. Oh, and the same hull was used for the LCS(L), and LCI(L)s were often completed or converted to LCI(M), LCI(R), and LCI(G). None of these should be confused with LST, LSM, LCVP, LCM, LCP...

The Allied amphib planners must have eaten a lot of alphabet soup for breakfast.

so true!

However, what it matters here is that these are all "dangerous" ships, that are indicators that an amphib operation may be going on.
Problem is that QBAll is a master of deception and what i see is often what he WANTS me to see...and that scares me.

I tend to think that those "heavy radio volume" messages are sometimes more reliable cause it's a thing he cannot control.

I'm making my plans anyway. One AO TF will remain between Bab and Ambon, while another one will stay at Kusiae Island. I want to be ready to refuel whatever direction i need to rush with the KB. From a central position my planes can be transfered easily in a couple of turns from DEI to CENTPAC without much trouble

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RE: ONE YEAR OF WAR - 12/17/2012 7:33:56 PM

BBfanboy

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Is it possible that the Pago-Pago radio source is just a large supply convoy, dumping supplies at his main supply base in SoPac? I know others have posted in their AARs that they use convoys carrying over 100,000 tons to their chosen SoPac supply dump, and large convoys make a lot of radio chatter:
"Hey mate! You got any Galiano to trade with me? I need some for my Alabama Slammers!"

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RE: ONE YEAR OF WAR - 12/17/2012 7:46:52 PM

GreyJoy

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quote:

ORIGINAL: BBfanboy

Is it possible that the Pago-Pago radio source is just a large supply convoy, dumping supplies at his main supply base in SoPac? I know others have posted in their AARs that they use convoys carrying over 100,000 tons to their chosen SoPac supply dump, and large convoys make a lot of radio chatter:
"Hey mate! You got any Galiano to trade with me? I need some for my Alabama Slammers!"

Possible, yes, but 4 days in a row (and one day we got two different messages from pago pago) is a bit too much for a simple convoy.... and, today, Jan 17 1943, we have the first evidence that our assumptions weren't that wrong

.
Emilies spotted a convoy (only 5 xAKs for the moment) between Elice Islands and Pago Pago...at the very edge of their range... i know these long ranges missions cannot be believed at 100%, but it's since the conquest of Amroe (sp!?) that we don't see anything down there and it cannot be just a coincidence

However the enemy LSIs arrived at Townsville and some BBs are confirmed there, while more CA/BBs and APs are confirmed at Darwin... so what gives??? Is he attacking on 2 different vectors? Where are his CVs? Which is a feint (if there will be a feint whatsoever!)!?!?

I'm afraid of moving the KB to CENTPAC.... need more evidences

In China, we had another air battle over Kunming... 9-20 in my favour..and the enemy seems to have moved his fighters back to Tyenshui...which is already a small victory! Soon we'll be able to bomb! Com'on!!!!

Our divisions are finally marching to Chengtu! Soon the siege will begin! and the LI industry will be stopped

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RE: ONE YEAR OF WAR - 12/17/2012 10:49:02 PM

GreyJoy

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Jan 19,20 1943

No, we were wrong. South of Tarawa, near Araoe, it was only a small convoy, bringing fuel and supplies to Araoe (3TKs and 2 xAKs), while the enemy BBs suddenly disappeared from my radars...and the CVs are nowhere to be seen.... He started to recon Tabiutea back again...and now i don't know what to think...probably he outplayed me once again.

The enemy LSIs and APs are leaving Townsville...but, as far as i can tell, they didn't load anybody there (there were 19 units at Townsville for 63000 men and those numbers didn't change)... so i think they are just moving to the straits and get to Darwin.

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RE: ONE YEAR OF WAR - 12/18/2012 12:05:27 AM

princep01

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All the coming and going at Darwin/Townsville appears to me just a big forward movement of troops and supplies at this point But.....you know.....it won't be long before another spring forward occurs into the DEI.

Any chance you can mass bombers and fighters in the Timor bases and bomb/torp the ****e out of him...preferably many times?? I'm sure you're running a large number of sub ops to disrupt the build up as much as possible. How about some SCTF raider action with CLs and DDs before he establishes a heavy air presence in the area (yeah, I read about the DDs, but that was his ships doing things to your ships, not his planes doing awful things to your ships)? You were unlucky....do it again!

As to the Pago-Pago yak-yak....so what, the Gilberts in their entirity amount to an ant on an elephant's tail as compared to what is headed your way in the DEI,

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Avoiding traps - 12/18/2012 7:07:27 AM

GreyJoy

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quote:

ORIGINAL: princep01

All the coming and going at Darwin/Townsville appears to me just a big forward movement of troops and supplies at this point� But.....you know.....it won't be long before another spring forward occurs into the DEI.�

Any chance you can mass bombers and fighters in the Timor bases and bomb/torp�the ****e out of him...preferably many times??� I'm sure you're running a large number of sub ops to disrupt the build up as much as possible.� How about some SCTF raider action with CLs and DDs before he establishes a heavy air presence in the area (yeah, I read about the DDs, but that was his ships doing things to your ships, not his planes doing awful things to your ships)?� You were unlucky....do it again!

As to the Pago-Pago yak-yak....so what, the Gilberts in their entirity amount to an ant on an elephant's tail as compared to what is headed your way in the DEI,

Master, the way i see it is that QBall wants exactly that! He's always trying to lure me to attack. He keeps on laying traps (as you will see), hiding his true intentions. Reading tea leaves is becoming the most critical part of this match. Darwin is already full of fighters and bombers and i'm not willing to fight in enemy waters...not in 1943 however! I want him to risk and come into MY waters. There i'll be fighting. There i'll be dieing.

Jan 21 1943

if we ever wanted an evidence that QBall is a master of deception, today we had the confirmation:

1- The Convoy that made all those noises at Pago Pago was just a supply-convoy for Araoe (south of Tabiutea). As soon as i moved there my air assets, he immediately started to recon back Tabiutea (with Catalinas on recon duties).

2- The "LSI" convoy left Townsville, escorted by several DD/CA/CLs and positioned itself 6 hexes east of the Aus coast, 8 hexes south west of Milne Bay....exactly the same movement he made with his CVs some months ago, the movement that cost him the CV Wasp. I believe this is just a feint. Why? Because i think he wants me to believe, just like the other time, that he loaded 20,000 men at townsville. Actually out of the 19 units and 63000 men that were yesterday at Townsville, only 17 units for 35,000 men remain there...BUT my smart recon guys just spotted 2 units for rough 20,000 men and several guns/tanks one hex southwest of Townsville.... so i guess he moved those two units out knowing i was reconing Townsville, thus simulating an amphib loading process....

3- South of Saumlaki an enemy CA-TF, heavily CAPPED by P-38s, appeared in a clear Cap-Trap style movement. I had 2 fast transport TFs delivering men and supplies at Salroe...luckly the enemy didn't send any bomber from Darwin...he just wanted me to expend my precious bombers against his heavily capped ships...

But this time, all this feints brought him nothing, cause we counterambushed him!

He sent several mitchells groups against Saumlaki, where my LRCAP from Taberfane was waiting for him.
At the same time his 4Es from Ledo tried to bomb my main western air base in China (Tuyun) and found my 100 Tojos waiting for them.
The day ended with 14 4Es downed and 12 more B25s, with very few losses on my side.

However i think his strategy is clear: he's trying to lure my CVs out, to know where they are, and then (only then) he will reveal his own CVs and will attack.
Same goes for my LBA. He's trying to figure out my disposition and, possibly, to drain my air reserve against CAP-Traps that will open the way for his real advance.
I have to keep the coolness now and not overreact. Gotta be wise and smart.

(in reply to princep01)

Post #: 1527

RE: Avoiding traps - 12/18/2012 8:04:04 AM

GreyJoy

Posts: 6750
Joined: 3/18/2011
Status: offline

In the meanwhile, 5 Divisions, led by the 1st Army HQ, entered into Chengtu, stopping the LI production. We're waiting for 5 more Divisions that are arriving from Kienko, along with a huge artillery train.

Back in the DEI... so we have this situation where the allies seem to be pushing north from Darwin...but this really just seem like a raid or a reinforced recon mission rather than an invasion. I think he wants to test my air defences before deciding what and how to do. Well, i won't give him away anything!

Same for that bait near Townsville... i won't eat that bait. Wanna try my defences? Come closer first. Come out without the LBA cover and then, only then, you will see!

At the same time i cannot stop looking around. We know he has at least 4 high performance long range dedicated recon units.
One is operating from Cocos island and it has reconned the southern Part of Sumatra and now is reconning Java. Using what is an higly valuable unit for the allies (remember that the allies are always short of long range good recon planes and units) for this part of the map may be an indicator of some interest...or just deception. But it has to be taken into consideration nonetheless.
The other one is operating from Northern Oz. Probably Darwin or Port Hedland. I know because the D/L goes up to 9/9 in bases like Saumlaki, Koepang, Roti etc...
Then he has a 4E recon unit (probably a USN unit) operating from Mereuake. He has reconned Bab and Truk (and spotted my AOs at Bab, damned

).
The last one we're sure about is operating from Portland Roads (probably there is one more in this area) and has constantly kept under 9/9 DL bases like Buna, Salamua, Milne Bay and Woodlark Island (sometimes also Lae and PM).

The rest of his recon (Burma, CENTPAC etc) is made by Catalinas or Hudsons (so we're talking about non critical and reliable recon).
So where is deception and where is real interest? ....Hard to tell.

We all know that if we don't wanna lure the enemy attention on a particular piece of real estate we have not to recon it (Nemo tought me this lesson long time ago), in order to achieve a total suprise.
But Brad is an old fox and he could be fooling me twice...

So how we counter?

At Kendari we're loading a reserve division (well, 2 Bdes to say the truth) on a fast amphib TF and a SCTF, composed of 3 BBs, 4CAs and 12 DDs is waiting to move from Ambon. The mini KB will come down from Menado and some 150 bombers will wait between Alor, Koepang and Ambon with a very short range. 15 subs are waiting at Koepang...and some 200 fighters are already in place. My outer posts are all garrisoned with at least 100 AVs and some forts. He'll need a full scale invasion to advance. I'm also considering the chance that he's just trying to lure my attention south to land at Java (that he has been reconning heavily lately)...but i find this idea somehow so bizzare that i'm not really considering it as an option

(in reply to GreyJoy)

Post #: 1528

RE: Avoiding traps - 12/18/2012 8:24:58 AM

obvert

Posts: 14050
Joined: 1/17/2011
From: PDX (and now) London, UK
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: GreyJoy

Jan 21 1943

if we ever wanted an evidence that QBall is a master of deception, today we had the confirmation:

1- The Convoy that made all those noises at Pago Pago was just a supply-convoy for Araoe (south of Tabiutea). As soon as i moved there my air assets, he immediately started to recon back Tabiutea (with Catalinas on recon duties).

2- The "LSI" convoy left Townsville, escorted by several DD/CA/CLs and positioned itself 6 hexes east of the Aus coast, 8 hexes south west of Milne Bay....exactly the same movement he made with his CVs some months ago, the movement that cost him the CV Wasp. I believe this is just a feint. Why? Because i think he wants me to believe, just like the other time, that he loaded 20,000 men at townsville. Actually out of the 19 units and 63000 men that were yesterday at Townsville, only 17 units for 35,000 men remain there...BUT my smart recon guys just spotted 2 units for rough 20,000 men and several guns/tanks one hex southwest of Townsville.... so i guess he moved those two units out knowing i was reconing Townsville, thus simulating an amphib loading process....

3- South of Saumlaki an enemy CA-TF, heavily CAPPED by P-38s, appeared in a clear Cap-Trap style movement. I had 2 fast transport TFs delivering men and supplies at Salroe...luckly the enemy didn't send any bomber from Darwin...he just wanted me to expend my precious bombers against his heavily capped ships...

But this time, all this feints brought him nothing, cause we counterambushed him!
He sent several mitchells groups against Saumlaki, where my LRCAP from Taberfane was waiting for him.
At the same time his 4Es from Ledo tried to bomb my main western air base in China (Tuyun) and found my 100 Tojos waiting for them.
The day ended with 14 4Es downed and 12 more B25s, with very few losses on my side.

However i think his strategy is clear: he's trying to lure my CVs out, to know where they are, and then (only then) he will reveal his own CVs and will attack.
Same goes for my LBA. He's trying to figure out my disposition and, possibly, to drain my air reserve against CAP-Traps that will open the way for his real advance.
I have to keep the coolness now and not overreact. Gotta be wise and smart.

I'm currently reading a book called Churchill's Wizards. All about deception and camouflage in WWI and WWII by British forces.

All of this stuff seems right out of the book. Feints, deception and false forces. I'm sure he's got a few xAKs dressed up like BBs over in Darwin and most of those planes on the ground are actually canvas over wood frames!

That move with the transports 'loading' and then the guys walking out of the base as they left is a classic. Looks like you're getting some some insight though, and bravo for countering with your own traps and swindles. How about a 'false' KB sighting soon made up of CS cruisers and a few CVEs? Somewhere near Kweijalein, perhaps?

_____________________________

"Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm." - Winston Churchill

(in reply to GreyJoy)

Post #: 1529

RE: Avoiding traps - 12/18/2012 11:09:26 AM

GreyJoy

Posts: 6750
Joined: 3/18/2011
Status: offline

Yes Erik, i was thinking about it too... but burning fuel for deceptions isn't my best option imho... in this mod i have to be very carefull on how i use my limited supply and fuel resources.... I will think about it another time anyway!

More evidences showing something is going on...

Studying the map, i discovered that at Cairns suddenly appeared 120 aux planes... aux planes mean transports...and transports there in NE Oz mean only one thing: a paradrop operation!

The possible targets are Salamua (heavily reconned by his F4s), Milne Bay (which is lightly defended) and Rossell Island, which, as CRsutton tought few months ago, is a very juicy target for the allies.
Terapo, PM, Buna, Lae and Nazareb are too well defended to be taken only using paras. Rossell Island and Talague are especially exposed, being completely unguarded (i had moved there some men few months ago, but took them back cause they were simply starving there).

So the TF east of Townsville may be a deception, a bait (CAP Trap) or a reinforcement convoy...once the base is captured by his Paras - backed, i bet, by hundreds of 4Es - the convoy could land very fast CD guns and Engineers...

I've done this kind of operations against Rader...i remember how i conquered PM using only Paras against 3 SNLF units... and my convoys arrived the very same day unloading troops and supplies...

Gotta study an immediate countermeasure for this possibility...

In the meanwhile, i've ordered a strong CA TF to cover the retreat of the 2 Fast Transprts TFs near Saumlaki. The enemy CAs are very close... we're sending in 10 subs and some 130 bombers are ready to strike if he dares to come any further...finger crossed

< Message edited by GreyJoy -- 12/18/2012 11:29:00 AM >

(in reply to obvert)

Post #: 1530