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All Forums >> [New Releases from Matrix Games] >> War in the Pacific: Admiral's Edition >> After Action Reports >> RE: The battle that never was

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RE: The battle that never was - 5/24/2013 10:54:27 AM

GreyJoy

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

sorry guys for the lack of updates but it's being a very busy week

However, on the 19-20th of Nov 1943 the allies, after then fall of Selroe, pushed forward with their mighty CV fleet, positioning at 7 hexes south of Boela and 2 hexes east of Molu. At the same time several sweeps occurred from Molu over Boela, using Spit VIII, T-Bolts, P-38s and Hellcats.
Clearly the strategy was to clear the path for the CVs' bombers in order to sink my BBs based there (YAmato's TF).

The fact is that, at night, the Yamato&friends had left Boela for Ambon

and only 10 DDs and a resupply convoy was based at Boela when the day came...
Our CAP, composed of J2M3s, N1K1s, KI-44c and KI-84a did a good job, downing 176 enemy planes (115 Hellcats!) and saving most of the shippings (only 4 AKs were sunk and one SC).
Then 24 Jills from Biak, escorted by 108 A6M3as attacked the enemy's carriers...but no luck...lost nearly 130 planes in that action alone...

By the end of the day we lost 200 planes, while the allies lost 176...a good ratio IMHO!

Now his Hellcats squadrons are a bit depleted...and now it is time to move my KB...which is unseen and unspotted... into an attack position.... let's see how it goes this time

(in reply to GreyJoy)

Post #: 2701

RE: The battle that never was - 5/24/2013 11:03:34 AM

JocMeister

Posts: 8262
Joined: 7/29/2009
From: Sweden
Status: offline

I have to say GJ. You are playing extremely well and it shows in your results!

Well done!

(in reply to GreyJoy)

Post #: 2702

RE: The battle that never was - 5/24/2013 11:11:03 AM

GreyJoy

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

quote:

ORIGINAL: JocMeister

I have to say GJ. You are playing extremely well and it shows in your results!

Well done!

Thanks Joc! Well, I'm just delaying the inevitable... Brad has already broken the DEI perimeter now...and i'm pretty sure, from now on, it will be much easier for him to advance towards the PI... but I think Japan is already doing better than RL, which was my ultimate goal for this match.
The key is not to throw away your assets and impale yourself against the allied war machine... my whole strategy has been based on the attempt to force him to risk, force him to come to me, rather than the opposite.

My only real complain is to have abandoned Northern Oz too early... that was a HUGE mistake... and now am paying the price for that error... but, however, it's still a long long way to Tokyo and I still have some bullets to shoot

(in reply to JocMeister)

Post #: 2703

RE: The battle that never was - 5/24/2013 5:32:46 PM

GreyJoy

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

Nov 20, 1943

Well, the allied CVs retired to Darwin back again and my CVs didn't find anything interesting...
Instead several TBFs attacked The Yamato at Lautem (where I moved her this turn)... a strong CAP of 100+ N1K1s and KI-45s slaughtered the enemies, downing 35 between Avengers and Hellcats.

Now the Yamato is ready to strike if needed... Brad will have to load those 2 divisions at Selroe sooner or later... and we are 7 hexes far away....

But the big news comes from Hollandia...where the 17th Army fought back the allies once again!!! Those 2 Marines divisions are now starting to waver... Think Brad will need some fresh units here...

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ground combat at Hollandia (93,116)

Allied Deliberate attack

Attacking force 25742 troops, 407 guns, 465 vehicles, Assault Value = 795

Defending force 28500 troops, 269 guns, 97 vehicles, Assault Value = 640

Allied adjusted assault: 871

Japanese adjusted defense: 2227

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

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

Japanese ground losses:
518 casualties reported
Squads: 5 destroyed, 109 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 13 disabled
Engineers: 4 destroyed, 5 disabled
Guns lost 12 (1 destroyed, 11 disabled)

Allied ground losses:
624 casualties reported
Squads: 5 destroyed, 79 disabled
Non Combat: 1 destroyed, 33 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 3 disabled
Guns lost 13 (3 destroyed, 10 disabled)
Vehicles lost 65 (24 destroyed, 41 disabled)

Assaulting units:
762nd Tank Battalion
3rd Marine Division
2nd Marine Division
2/6th Armoured Regiment
I US Corps

Defending units:
18th Garrison Unit
47th Cavalry Regiment
7th Ind Engineer Regiment
51st Division
Maizuru 4th SNLF
1st Raiding Rgt /3
26th JNAF AF Unit /1
36th JNAF AF Unit
58th JNAF AF Unit
12th Air Defense AA Regiment
1st South Seas Gsn
34th JNAF AF Unit
15th Base Force
85th JAAF AF Bn /4
31st Air Defense AA Battalion
51st JNAF AF Unit
15th Ind.Medium Field Artillery Regiment
17th Army
51st Air Div /1
45th JNAF AF Unit /2

Despite the constant LRCAP over Hollandia the air bridge is working fine... and the 51st Div still has 2000 supplies embedded (seems like they are sucking them from Vanimo and Sarmi also)

(in reply to GreyJoy)

Post #: 2704

RE: The battle that never was - 5/24/2013 6:45:43 PM

JocMeister

Posts: 8262
Joined: 7/29/2009
From: Sweden
Status: offline

Well, again you proved everyone (at least me) wrong! Never thought you would be able to hold on to Hollandia for long!

(in reply to GreyJoy)

Post #: 2705

RE: The battle that never was - 5/24/2013 10:05:43 PM

Cribtop

Posts: 3890
Joined: 8/10/2008
From: Lone Star Nation
Status: offline

Me neither. Thought lack of supply would doom you. Great job in this game!

Can you run FT TFs to Vanimo and Sarmi? If supply is being sucked into Hollandia from these bases that might save the position once and for all. Or perhaps a horde of expendable barges?

_____________________________

(in reply to JocMeister)

Post #: 2706

RE: The battle that never was - 5/24/2013 10:35:49 PM

Chickenboy

Posts: 24520
Joined: 6/29/2002
From: San Antonio, TX
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: Cribtop
Thought lack of supply would doom you.

Well, a lack of supply WOULD doom him. He's managing to keep them in supply, which is awesome.

_____________________________

(in reply to Cribtop)

Post #: 2707

RE: The battle that never was - 5/25/2013 12:18:23 AM

obvert

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

Supply does move over New Guinea.

Keep it up!

Keep stacking behind the lines in the Moluccas and Mindanao. Let this stall him and make sure the next step is just as brutal.

_____________________________

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

(in reply to Chickenboy)

Post #: 2708

RE: The battle that never was - 5/25/2013 4:32:39 AM

Cribtop

Posts: 3890
Joined: 8/10/2008
From: Lone Star Nation
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: Chickenboy

quote:

ORIGINAL: Cribtop
Thought lack of supply would doom you.

Well, a lack of supply WOULD doom him. He's managing to keep them in supply, which is awesome.

Agreed - his use of massed Emilys to form an air bridge is mighty!

_____________________________

(in reply to Chickenboy)

Post #: 2709

RE: The battle that never was - 5/25/2013 8:48:57 AM

GreyJoy

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Joined: 3/18/2011
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Nov 21-22, 1943

Brad is trying to lure my air force into CAP traps. He moves a 3-4 DDsTF 2 hexes north of Molu, LRCAPping it with 100/130 fighters from Molu. This was a pure cap trap, with no other tactical goals rather than deplete my air force.
I hate CAP traps. As long as the ships are placed at Molu or at his own bases, i find it perfectly regular, but when ships are moved into enemy's waters with the only goal of luring the enemy into a CAP trap using nible ships...well... i don't think it's completely kosher. This strategy forces me to reduce my ranges and to create, for free, safety space for his next advance...without even risking anything... Oh well, you harvest what you sow, so i'll be using my DDs in a similar way...have a couple of interesting ideas....

For the rest, Hollandia is again bombed and naval bombed, while the 2 marines divisions are resting. I'm moving an AT regiment from Vanimo, while moving down to Vanimo some useless base forces. My Emilies keep on delivering supplies to Hollandia, while the transport Helens are delivering them to Sarmi. A Costant flow of barges is moving up and down from Biak to Sarmi...sometimes his PTs (that are stationing at Sarmi every day - something like 8 hexes far from their closest base!) manage to find them and sink a bunch of them, but that happens very seldom and the delivers continue. Hollandia will eventually fall, but if i manage to make it hold untill Jan 1944, that would put a serious dent in his timetable...finger crossed!

4 Mixed Birgades are assembling in the Mollucches... forming the next defensive line.

150 Liberators bombed again Taberfane and Dobo, which are permanently closed.
He's finally starting to load the Aus Corp at Selroe... we'll try to interfere there...

In Burma all his quiet. He's moving on my right flank, trying to outflank me at Lashio. But my RR lets me reinforce that perimeter faster than him. Think i can stall him once again. No more sweeps or bombing missions at Magwe/Mandalay since the last slaughterfest. 3 KI-84r sentais are now operating at Rangoon...

P1Y2 advanced to 1/44... GOOD!

(in reply to Cribtop)

Post #: 2710

RE: The battle that never was - 5/27/2013 8:40:14 AM

GreyJoy

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Joined: 3/18/2011
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Been a slow week end. I went with my GF to the La Fenice Opera Theatre in Venice to see "That is how they all do it" by Mozart (cool) and then to a beauty-farm-relax hotel in Brixen (near Austria border) to cool down a bit after the stressfull winter months... not bad! I took a 75 min massage which completely revitalized me and then the whole course of steam baths, ultraviolets rays bath, hydromassage pool etc etc... very very cool

However, back to war, we reached nov 24 '43.
The allies managed to already build the first level of AF at Selroe, while several Fletcher TFs swept my waters around Dili/Lautem and Ambon.
We fought them back and our DDs performed particularly well, sinking one Fletcher and damaging 2 more for no damage at all! Good!
Brad then sent a suicide TF composed of 3 xAK and 2 SCs 1 hex south of Boela...clearly to see what kind of air response he got... Jills from Ambon sunk them all, but I don't really like this way of playing... what if my KB had been in range and wasted all its torps on this useless TF sent there just to be sunk?

Well, anyway, Hollandia is daily bombed by cruisers and BBs...and my subs keep on dying in the attempt of intercepting them... Hollandia won't last for long now... distruption is too high to hold the marines back.

Now with Selroe he has another base to back up Molu... he also seems to be loading troops at Darwin (or it's another feint?)..what's next so? Saumlaki? Or is he aiming at something more?

His CVs are still at Darwin... the whole allied fleet is there

(in reply to GreyJoy)

Post #: 2711

RE: The battle that never was - 5/27/2013 9:02:26 AM

obvert

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

quote:

ORIGINAL: GreyJoy

Been a slow week end. I went with my GF to the La Fenice Opera Theatre in Venice to see "That is how they all do it" by Mozart (cool) and then to a beauty-farm-relax hotel in Brixen (near Austria border) to cool down a bit after the stressfull winter months... not bad! I took a 75 min massage which completely revitalized me and then the whole course of steam baths, ultraviolets rays bath, hydromassage pool etc etc... very very cool

Nice! After a weekend of standing in the rain in Belgium during our final baseball tournament, in 5-9 C weather (is this really May?

) I need some of that.

quote:

Brad then sent a suicide TF composed of 3 xAK and 2 SCs 1 hex south of Boela...clearly to see what kind of air response he got... Jills from Ambon sunk them all, but I don't really like this way of playing... what if my KB had been in range and wasted all its torps on this useless TF sent there just to be sunk?

Because the Allies have so much stuff and none of the concern for human consequences that actually separated the sides during the war, it does seem ridiculous to use these ships in this way. It also negates the challenges of having accepted to play a pumped up Japanese scenario, where the OOB is enhanced and you know you're looking for a tough fight. Aside from all of that it's also a pretty useless technique for seeing what you have there, as you can change settings tomorrow, and it broadcasts even more loudly that he's coming soon.

_____________________________

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

(in reply to GreyJoy)

Post #: 2712

RE: The battle that never was - 5/27/2013 10:55:20 AM

GreyJoy

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Joined: 3/18/2011
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Don't tell me Erik! Saturday we had 3 degrees here!!! fracking freezing to be late may!!! The Winter is Coming!!!!

BTW, I don't have much doubts about where Brad is aiming now. He has only one vector of advance by now: from Darwin->North. And the easiest way is to fight his way up towards Boela and Sorong. Biak area is, imho, a no go for him. When Hollandia will fall, he will have to land at Sarmi... and I have 25,000 men well dug in there. Then there's Biak...which is a fortress... On his right, the pacific is closed. Truk, Sawatal and Woleai are all garrisoned up to the max, with forts, AA, artillery etc... He cannot go up there...not until the KB is alive... so there's only one route at the moment...

I'm pretty sure he will try to open another front in the nearby future... where I don't know, but I think NOPAC is a no go until winter ends and so remain open only a handful of possibilities... SUMATRA or, maybe, the Marshalls... even if the Marshalls are pretty useless by now.

In the meanwhile i'm reinforcing as much as possible. Sorong area will get a couple of Brigades in the next two weeks and the Mariannas are already covered.

In 40 days i'll be producing the KI-67T and the D4Y4... Also the P1Y2 will get into production in dec 943... the plan is to produce 150 KI-67Ts monthly... if i'm not mistaken, by 3/44 I may be able to field 150/180 KI-67Ts ready with pilots in their high 60s in NavT skill... slowing down the pressure on the IJN pilot pools...

The D4Y4 will give me the chance to strike with 800kg bombs at 6 hexes, and with 500kg bombs at 8 hexes... the magic striking range

(in reply to obvert)

Post #: 2713

RE: The battle that never was - 5/27/2013 11:43:10 AM

cohimbra

Posts: 632
Joined: 10/15/2011
From: Italy
Status: offline

- Warning - Off Topic -
"Arrditi, com'altro nomare questi baldi fiori del Regime che osarono porre un inperativo
categorico qui, nelle sabbie bolsceviche di Marte, vite segnate dalla gloria che arrivarono
con l'azione dove la lassitudine borghese non avrebbe spinto neanche la fantasia...Fecchia,
Pini, Barbagli, Freghieri e Santodio, essi donarono all'Italia un Nuovo Impero..."
http://youtu.be/PstTGPp9wFw

(in reply to GreyJoy)

Post #: 2714

RE: The battle that never was - 5/27/2013 3:56:59 PM

Cribtop

Posts: 3890
Joined: 8/10/2008
From: Lone Star Nation
Status: offline

Must be fun to be able to listen to Opera without the need of subtitles! One of the many advantages to being Italian.

Always amazing to compare the local weather. Down here Spring starts in late Feb or early March. By now we are 85-90F unless it rains. The brutal heat is just around the corner.

_____________________________

(in reply to cohimbra)

Post #: 2715

RE: The battle that never was - 5/27/2013 4:26:25 PM

BBfanboy

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

quote:

ORIGINAL: Cribtop

Must be fun to be able to listen to Opera without the need of subtitles! One of the many advantages to being Italian.

Always amazing to compare the local weather. Down here Spring starts in late Feb or early March. By now we are 85-90F unless it rains. The brutal heat is just around the corner.

And Spring is tornado season down there

, followed soon by hurricane season

... I'll take our cool and delayed spring this year! It even prevented much flooding from sudden snow melt!

Greyjoy, in the game Brad must be desperate to find a weak spot. If APAs/LSTs reduce the disruption damage and losses that winter weather causes in the Aleutians, he might still try there. Or maybe he will just invade Antarctica because KB isn't there!

_____________________________

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 Cribtop)

Post #: 2716

RE: The battle that never was - 5/27/2013 4:30:49 PM

Chickenboy

Posts: 24520
Joined: 6/29/2002
From: San Antonio, TX
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: GreyJoy

The D4Y4 will give me the chance to strike with 800kg bombs at 6 hexes, and with 500kg bombs at 8 hexes... the magic striking range

With the Kamikaze 'window' opening soon, it would be nice to have a sizeable pool of the D4Y4s on hand for a heavy strike too. Unlike the Peggy T that requires an air HQ with 'purchased' torpedoes, the 800kg beast on the D4Y4 will be much easier to equip from a small, rear-echelon air base.

Good times await, mate. Good times.

_____________________________

(in reply to GreyJoy)

Post #: 2717

RE: The battle that never was - 5/27/2013 4:42:30 PM

GreyJoy

Posts: 6750
Joined: 3/18/2011
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Nov 24, 43

Brad said it was a mistake, not a suicide TF... that mistake could cost me dearly indeed... thank God nothing went in the wrong way

Our DDs were sent in some forward night missions in order to clear the path of any more suicide TFs... Brad did the same with his PTs... and we engaged at night near Gorong and at Sarmi... we lost 1 DD tough

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Night Time Surface Combat, near Gorong at 80,113, Range 8,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
DD Michishio
DD Shinonome, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
DD Shirayuki
DD Uranami
DD Uzuki
DD Satsuki
DD Yuzuki

Allied Ships
PT-302
PT-303
PT-323
PT-362
PT-363
PT-364, Shell hits 1, and is sunk
PT-365, Shell hits 1, and is sunk
PT-366
PT-367
PT-372
PT-373
PT-374, Shell hits 2, and is sunk

Then two of our brave DDs tried to bypass the enemy's defences at Selroe... but found their way blocked by the American CLs...

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Night Time Surface Combat, near Selaroe at 78,118, Range 11,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
DD Tagonami, Shell hits 1, on fire
DD Suruyame

Allied Ships
CL Honolulu
CL Montpelier
CL Birmingham
CL Mobile
DD Chauncey
DD Cotten
DD Kidd
DD Kimberly
DD Nicholson
DD Gansevoort

Reduced sighting due to 7% moonlight
Maximum visibility in Clear Conditions and 7% moonlight: 12,000 yards

Then the usual bombing runs at Hollandia...

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Night Naval bombardment of Hollandia at 93,116

Allied Ships
BB Oklahoma
BB Nevada
DD Reid
DD Shaw
DD Dashiell
DD Charles Ausburne

Japanese ground losses:
83 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 5 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 5 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

But this time, finally, our hunters did manage to score!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sub attack near Hollandia at 94,116

Japanese Ships
SS I-22, hits 8, heavy damage

Allied Ships
BB Oklahoma, Torpedo hits 2
BB Nevada
DD Reid
DD Shaw

SS I-22 launches 8 torpedoes at BB Oklahoma
I-22 diving deep ....
DD Reid attacking submerged sub ....
DD Shaw attacking submerged sub ....
Large oil slick appears over area of attack!
Escort abandons search for sub

The I-22 will sink few minutes later...but Oklaoma ate 2 torps and she'll be staying in the yards for some months hopefully

Then some Brad's DDs went north of Hollandia and were targeted by my Judys from Biak... this was clearly a CAP trap... look at the LRCAP numbers over that TF...

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Morning Air attack on TF, near Hollandia at 92,115

Weather in hex: Light cloud

Raid detected at 71 NM, estimated altitude 16,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 23 minutes

Japanese aircraft
D4Y3 Judy x 36
N1K1-J George x 33
Ki-43-IIa Oscar x 30

Allied aircraft
Kittyhawk III x 11
P-40K Warhawk x 33
F6F-3 Hellcat x 16

Japanese aircraft losses
D4Y3 Judy: 7 destroyed, 9 damaged
D4Y3 Judy: 1 destroyed by flak
N1K1-J George: 7 destroyed
Ki-43-IIa Oscar: 9 destroyed

Allied aircraft losses
P-40K Warhawk: 2 destroyed
F6F-3 Hellcat: 1 destroyed

Allied Ships
DD Boyd
DD Braine
DD Bennett
DD Converse

Lost 40 planes for nothing...oh well

The enemy's CVs moved 1 hex from Darwin... along with several amphib TFs.... moving north....mmm...another feint? Or this time he will try to engage?... let's see... Taberfane could be a possible object of his advance

Attachment (1)

(in reply to Chickenboy)

Post #: 2718

RE: The battle that never was - 5/27/2013 4:43:23 PM

GreyJoy

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

quote:

ORIGINAL: BBfanboy

quote:

ORIGINAL: Cribtop

Must be fun to be able to listen to Opera without the need of subtitles! One of the many advantages to being Italian.

Always amazing to compare the local weather. Down here Spring starts in late Feb or early March. By now we are 85-90F unless it rains. The brutal heat is just around the corner.

And Spring is tornado season down there , followed soon by hurricane season ... I'll take our cool and delayed spring this year! It even prevented much flooding from sudden snow melt!

Greyjoy, in the game Brad must be desperate to find a weak spot. If APAs/LSTs reduce the disruption damage and losses that winter weather causes in the Aleutians, he might still try there. Or maybe he will just invade Antarctica because KB isn't there!

No, it's impossible to land against opposition during the winter season...believe me

(in reply to BBfanboy)

Post #: 2719

RE: The battle that never was - 5/27/2013 4:45:36 PM

GreyJoy

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

quote:

ORIGINAL: Chickenboy

quote:

ORIGINAL: GreyJoy

The D4Y4 will give me the chance to strike with 800kg bombs at 6 hexes, and with 500kg bombs at 8 hexes... the magic striking range

With the Kamikaze 'window' opening soon, it would be nice to have a sizeable pool of the D4Y4s on hand for a heavy strike too. Unlike the Peggy T that requires an air HQ with 'purchased' torpedoes, the 800kg beast on the D4Y4 will be much easier to equip from a small, rear-echelon air base.

Good times await, mate. Good times.

Well, I do hope the Kamikaze era won't begin too soon...that would mean that Brad has landed within 20 hexes from HI... You can bet about the pools tough: I will be producing 240 D4Y4s monthly...by mid 1944 those numbers will be brought to 350

(in reply to Chickenboy)

Post #: 2720

RE: The battle that never was - 5/27/2013 4:58:20 PM

GreyJoy

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

quote:

ORIGINAL: Cribtop

Must be fun to be able to listen to Opera without the need of subtitles! One of the many advantages to being Italian.

Always amazing to compare the local weather. Down here Spring starts in late Feb or early March. By now we are 85-90F unless it rains. The brutal heat is just around the corner.

Normally here in May it's summer... 25-30�... but this year winter has pushed way beyond its normal borders... seems like a neverending winter this year

About the Opera...well, that show should be played in german... but it's often translated in Italian as Italian is the common language for the Opera... And to watch it at La Fenice it has a whole different flavour... those XVIII century theatres are really cool...

Attachment (1)

(in reply to Cribtop)

Post #: 2721

RE: The battle that never was - 5/27/2013 5:00:05 PM

Chickenboy

Posts: 24520
Joined: 6/29/2002
From: San Antonio, TX
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: GreyJoy

quote:

ORIGINAL: Chickenboy

quote:

ORIGINAL: GreyJoy

The D4Y4 will give me the chance to strike with 800kg bombs at 6 hexes, and with 500kg bombs at 8 hexes... the magic striking range

With the Kamikaze 'window' opening soon, it would be nice to have a sizeable pool of the D4Y4s on hand for a heavy strike too. Unlike the Peggy T that requires an air HQ with 'purchased' torpedoes, the 800kg beast on the D4Y4 will be much easier to equip from a small, rear-echelon air base.

Good times await, mate. Good times.

Well, I do hope the Kamikaze era won't begin too soon...that would mean that Brad has landed within 20 hexes from HI... You can bet about the pools tough: I will be producing 240 D4Y4s monthly...by mid 1944 those numbers will be brought to 350

Remember that there are other landmarks other than the HI that trigger Kamis. Tokyo, Takao or Saigon are trigger points. 20 hexes from Saigon will get you to the Western Malay coast (on the Bay of Bengal), no?

It's almost worth thinking about letting Brad get one of these (soon to be) superfluous bases to trigger Kamis early.

_____________________________

(in reply to GreyJoy)

Post #: 2722

RE: The battle that never was - 5/27/2013 5:15:43 PM

GreyJoy

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

quote:

ORIGINAL: Chickenboy

quote:

ORIGINAL: GreyJoy

quote:

ORIGINAL: Chickenboy

quote:

ORIGINAL: GreyJoy

The D4Y4 will give me the chance to strike with 800kg bombs at 6 hexes, and with 500kg bombs at 8 hexes... the magic striking range

With the Kamikaze 'window' opening soon, it would be nice to have a sizeable pool of the D4Y4s on hand for a heavy strike too. Unlike the Peggy T that requires an air HQ with 'purchased' torpedoes, the 800kg beast on the D4Y4 will be much easier to equip from a small, rear-echelon air base.

Good times await, mate. Good times.

Well, I do hope the Kamikaze era won't begin too soon...that would mean that Brad has landed within 20 hexes from HI... You can bet about the pools tough: I will be producing 240 D4Y4s monthly...by mid 1944 those numbers will be brought to 350

Remember that there are other landmarks other than the HI that trigger Kamis. Tokyo, Takao or Saigon are trigger points. 20 hexes from Saigon will get you to the Western Malay coast (on the Bay of Bengal), no?

It's almost worth thinking about letting Brad get one of these (soon to be) superfluous bases to trigger Kamis early.

Tempting... but no, I wanna keep him as far as possible and as long as possible!
I don't really like the Kamikazes... too many wasted HIs... I will try to use them with grain of salt and ONLY as an extreme measure...

(in reply to Chickenboy)

Post #: 2723

RE: The battle that never was - 5/27/2013 9:35:32 PM

GreyJoy

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

Nov 25, 43

another day with lots of small actions. Enemy's PTs and DDs are becoming more and more aggressive. I notice that Brad started back to send his PTs far away from his bases, crossing miles and miles of deep ocean....mmmmmm

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Night Time Surface Combat, near Biak at 89,111, Range 5,000 Yards RAIDERS!!!

Japanese Ships
PB Takasago Maru, Shell hits 3, and is sunk
PB Tama Maru #8, Shell hits 2, and is sunk

Allied Ships
DD Bennett
DD Boyd
DD Braine
DD Converse

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ASW attack near Lautem at 72,115 more riaders...
Japanese Ships
SSX Ha-17, hits 5, heavy damage

Allied Ships
DD Anderson
DD Schroeder

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Night Time Surface Combat, near Biak at 87,110, Range 7,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
DD Tatsukaze
DD Urukaze
DD Tawakaze

Allied Ships
DD Bennett
DD Boyd
DD Braine
DD Converse, Shell hits 1

Reduced sighting due to 3% moonlight
Maximum visibility in Clear Conditions and 3% moonlight: 10,000 yards
CONTACT: Allies radar detects Japanese task force at 7,000 yards
Chono G. crosses the 'T'

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Night Time Surface Combat, near Biak at 87,110, Range 7,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
DD Fumizuki
DD Nagatsuki
DD Suresushio

Allied Ships
DD Bennett
DD Boyd
DD Braine
DD Converse, Shell hits 1, on fire

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Night Naval bombardment of Saumlaki at 78,117

Allied Ships
BB California
BB Colorado
DD Welles
DD Nicholas
DD Halford
DD Franks

Japanese ground losses:
18 casualties reported
Squads: 1 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 1 destroyed, 3 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 4 (2 destroyed, 2 disabled)
Vehicles lost 3 (1 destroyed, 2 disabled)

Port hits 2
Port supply hits 2

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day Time Surface Combat, near Biak at 87,111, Range 17,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
DD Tatsukaze
DD Urukaze
DD Tawakaze, Shell hits 1, on fire

Allied Ships
DD Bennett
DD Boyd, Shell hits 1
DD Braine
DD Converse, Shell hits 3

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day Time Surface Combat, near Boela at 80,110, Range 30,000 Yards At BOELA!?!?! com'on....

Japanese Ships
BB Hiei
CA Myoko
CA Nachi
CA Mikuma
DD Sagiri
DD Yugiri
DD Amagiri
DD Sazanami
DD Ushio
DD Takakaze
DD Benigumo

Allied Ships
PT-132
PT-133
PT-135
PT-138
PT-320
PT-321
PT-324
PT-325
PT-326

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sub attack near Hollandia at 94,116

Japanese Ships
SS I-29, hits 21

Allied Ships
LST-479, Torpedo hits 2, heavy damage
LST-461
LST-456
LCI-335
LCI-332
DE Edward C. Daly

Allied ground losses:
Guns lost 1 (1 destroyed, 0 disabled)

mmmm..... bringing more artillery to Hollandia?

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Morning Air attack on Tarawa , at 136,128

Weather in hex: Heavy rain

Raid detected at 19 NM, estimated altitude 34,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 6 minutes

Allied aircraft
F4U-1 Corsair x 12

No Allied losses

Aircraft Attacking:
12 x F4U-1 Corsair sweeping at 30000 feet

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Morning Air attack on Sarmi , at 91,114

Weather in hex: Overcast

Raid detected at 20 NM, estimated altitude 34,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 7 minutes

Allied aircraft
F4U-1 Corsair x 18

No Allied losses

Aircraft Attacking:
18 x F4U-1 Corsair sweeping at 32000 feet

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Morning Air attack on Sarmi , at 91,114

Weather in hex: Overcast

Raid detected at 16 NM, estimated altitude 33,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 3 minutes

Allied aircraft
P-38G Lightning x 25

No Allied losses

Aircraft Attacking:
25 x P-38G Lightning sweeping at 29000 feet

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Morning Air attack on 49th Chinese Corps, at 84,61 (Tsinkiang)

Weather in hex: Heavy cloud

Raid spotted at 20 NM, estimated altitude 6,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 6 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-49-IIa Helen x 69

Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-49-IIa Helen: 3 damaged

Allied ground losses:
181 casualties reported
Squads: 1 destroyed, 19 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 12 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

Aircraft Attacking:
20 x Ki-49-IIa Helen bombing from 6000 feet
Ground Attack: 4 x 250 kg GP Bomb
21 x Ki-49-IIa Helen bombing from 6000 feet
Ground Attack: 4 x 250 kg GP Bomb
4 x Ki-49-IIa Helen bombing from 6000 feet
Ground Attack: 4 x 250 kg GP Bomb
21 x Ki-49-IIa Helen bombing from 6000 feet
Ground Attack: 4 x 250 kg GP Bomb
3 x Ki-49-IIa Helen bombing from 6000 feet
Ground Attack: 4 x 250 kg GP Bomb

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Morning Air attack on 49th Chinese Corps, at 84,61 (Tsinkiang)

Weather in hex: Heavy cloud

Raid spotted at 13 NM, estimated altitude 9,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 3 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-49-IIa Helen x 19

No Japanese losses

Allied ground losses:
37 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 4 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 3 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

Aircraft Attacking:
15 x Ki-49-IIa Helen bombing from 6000 feet
Ground Attack: 4 x 250 kg GP Bomb
4 x Ki-49-IIa Helen bombing from 6000 feet
Ground Attack: 4 x 250 kg GP Bomb

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Morning Air attack on 49th Chinese Corps, at 84,61 (Tsinkiang)

Weather in hex: Heavy cloud

Raid spotted at 7 NM, estimated altitude 7,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 2 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-49-IIa Helen x 10

No Japanese losses

Allied ground losses:
36 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 4 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

Aircraft Attacking:
10 x Ki-49-IIa Helen bombing from 6000 feet
Ground Attack: 4 x 250 kg GP Bomb

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Morning Air attack on 2nd Chinese/A Corps, at 62,47 , near Lashio

Weather in hex: Moderate rain

Raid spotted at 15 NM, estimated altitude 11,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 4 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-49-IIa Helen x 15

No Japanese losses

Allied ground losses:
6 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

Aircraft Attacking:
15 x Ki-49-IIa Helen bombing from 6000 feet
Ground Attack: 4 x 250 kg GP Bomb

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Morning Air attack on 49th Chinese Corps, at 84,61 (Tsinkiang)

Weather in hex: Heavy cloud

Raid spotted at 8 NM, estimated altitude 9,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 2 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-49-IIa Helen x 17

No Japanese losses

Allied ground losses:
57 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 6 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 5 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

Aircraft Attacking:
17 x Ki-49-IIa Helen bombing from 6000 feet
Ground Attack: 4 x 250 kg GP Bomb

These were the bastards that tried to raid Biak during the night...caught in the afternoon with their pants down... and the 500 kg bombs should sink even a fletcher

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Biak at 89,111

Weather in hex: Overcast

Raid detected at 57 NM, estimated altitude 12,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 14 minutes

Japanese aircraft
D4Y1 Judy x 42
Ki-43-IIa Oscar x 15
Ki-45 KAIa Nick x 1

Japanese aircraft losses
D4Y1 Judy: 4 damaged
D4Y1 Judy: 1 destroyed by flak

Allied Ships
DD Converse, Bomb hits 4, heavy fires, heavy damage
DD Braine, Bomb hits 1, heavy fires
DD Boyd, Bomb hits 4, heavy fires, heavy damage
DD Bennett, Bomb hits 2, heavy fires, heavy damage

Aircraft Attacking:
14 x D4Y1 Judy releasing from 2000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 500 kg SAP Bomb
11 x D4Y1 Judy releasing from 1000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 500 kg SAP Bomb
16 x D4Y1 Judy releasing from 3000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 500 kg SAP Bomb

Heavy smoke from fires obscuring DD Converse
Heavy smoke from fires obscuring DD Braine
Heavy smoke from fires obscuring DD Boyd
Heavy smoke from fires obscuring DD Bennett

In Burma an enemy Army of 40,000 men is marching to Lashio... we should be able to hold them back

(in reply to GreyJoy)

Post #: 2724

RE: The battle that never was - 5/28/2013 8:44:05 AM

GreyJoy

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

nov 26, 1943

The news is that QBall is evacuating the 2nd Marine Division from Hollandia!!!!! BANZAII!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

(in reply to GreyJoy)

Post #: 2725

RE: The battle that never was - 5/28/2013 9:40:59 AM

MrBlizzard

Posts: 636
Joined: 4/16/2012
From: Italy
Status: offline

GJ I like your air campaign and all your air combat tactics, your choice to fight only on your bases is very wise to save pilots, and also your selection on when it's worth defending. in my game I didn't and now I'm very short on pilots ...can you give some informations about your pilots pools (number in reserve and replacements for IJA and IjNAF?
I'm also curious how many pilots have you got in tracom and how many new pilots you get every month in replacements and how many have you lost till now?
Thanks and go on this way!

(in reply to GreyJoy)

Post #: 2726

RE: The battle that never was - 5/28/2013 1:17:55 PM

obvert

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

quote:

ORIGINAL: GreyJoy

nov 26, 1943

The news is that QBall is evacuating the 2nd Marine Division from Hollandia!!!!! BANZAII!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

??????????

Very strange!

_____________________________

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

(in reply to GreyJoy)

Post #: 2727

RE: The battle that never was - 5/28/2013 2:27:15 PM

GreyJoy

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

quote:

ORIGINAL: MrBlizzard

GJ I like your air campaign and all your air combat tactics, your choice to fight only on your bases is very wise to save pilots, and also your selection on when it's worth defending. in my game I didn't and now I'm very short on pilots ...can you give some informations about your pilots pools (number in reserve and replacements for IJA and IjNAF?
I'm also curious how many pilots have you got in tracom and how many new pilots you get every month in replacements and how many have you lost till now?
Thanks and go on this way!

Hi mate,

not a single one in TRACOM, cause I don't believe in it. All my best pilots are all operative.
The reserve pool is close to 500 fighter pilots for IJN and 1500 for IJA. but they arent' exactly "aces"... most of them are in their 30s exp and 70 A2A but very poor on the defence. I try to make them grow placing some of these reserves in crack groups, so they can gain experience fighting along with some of my TOP Guns.

Will try to give you more details when i'll be at home

(in reply to MrBlizzard)

Post #: 2728

RE: The battle that never was - 5/28/2013 2:32:06 PM

GreyJoy

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

quote:

ORIGINAL: obvert

quote:

ORIGINAL: GreyJoy

nov 26, 1943

The news is that QBall is evacuating the 2nd Marine Division from Hollandia!!!!! BANZAII!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

??????????

Very strange!

Well, at least as far as I can see... he divided the 2nd Marine in 3 regiments...and one of them was missing during the last bombardment turn.

I think he got particularly lucky during the first DA when he got a 1-1 and dropped the forts to 2. I got a (-) supply malus despite the base was still supplied... think it was due to some strange movings of supplies among the different units. from that moment on, my units never suffered much and his bombing runs hasn't been that succesfull...probably the 2nd Marine Div was a bit mauled and he decided to remove it and substitute it with an Aus Division (one of those who tried, unsufccesfully, to conquer Rabaul)...we'll see... however he has lost something like 2 months during this operation... which is damn good! Hollandia will eventually fall...my supplies are running low and I cannot really hope to run this air bridge forever... but I consider already a victory having reached dec 1943 in this position

(in reply to obvert)

Post #: 2729

RE: The battle that never was - 5/28/2013 2:59:42 PM

Cap Mandrake