Matrix Games Forums

 Forums  Register  Login  Photo Gallery  Member List  Search  Calendars  FAQ 

My Profile  Inbox  Address Book  My Subscription  My Forums  Log Out

RE: The Good The Bad & The Indifferent

 
View related threads: (in this forum | in all forums)

Logged in as: Guest
Users viewing this topic: none
  Printable Version
All Forums >> [New Releases from Matrix Games] >> War in the Pacific: Admiral's Edition >> After Action Reports >> RE: The Good The Bad & The Indifferent Page: <<   < prev  409 410 [411] 412 413   next >   >>
Login
Message << Older Topic   Newer Topic >>
RE: The Good The Bad & The Indifferent - 9/26/2017 8:18:44 PM   
Canoerebel


Posts: 21100
Joined: 12/14/2002
From: Northwestern Georgia, USA
Status: offline 		John has been caught napping several times as enemy CVE TFs sailed tantalizingly close by without John having any detection on my carriers. Twice I've elected not to pursue, as to my way of thinking Death Star had bigger game to hunt.

John might make a similar mistake in the future. For that to happen, though, I'd have to continue laying low until just the right moment.

In the meantime, Death Star is no longer required for purely defensive purposes. Ningpo, Foochow, and Formosa can stand on their own now, relying on strong CAP and surface combat TFs to guard against enemy attacks by air or by sea (there's still some risk, of course, but it's modest now).

At the moment, Death Star is slowly steaming towards Ningpo, escorting hundreds of merchantmen. John has seen this before dozens of times. DS never does anything drastic or unexpected. Probably (but not certainly) he won't expect anything sudden, at least not in the near term. I have near term plans that may catch him napping.

I think Lowpe knows what I'm thinking. Or, perhaps I should say, he knows what he might do under these circumstances, and on this occasion, at least, our thoughts seem to overlap.

(in reply to jwolf)
Post #: 12301
RE: The Good The Bad & The Indifferent - 9/26/2017 9:04:51 PM   
Lowpe


Posts: 22133
Joined: 2/25/2013
Status: offline 		I bet you didn't know that there is no range restriction on fighters sweeping from Carriers?

They don't always fly, but when they do it is a shocker.

(in reply to Canoerebel)
Post #: 12302
RE: The Good The Bad & The Indifferent - 9/26/2017 9:09:41 PM   
Canoerebel


Posts: 21100
Joined: 12/14/2002
From: Northwestern Georgia, USA
Status: offline 		What do you mean no range restriction? Do you mean a Corsair squadron could sweep Tokyo from carriers stationed just off San Francisco?

< Message edited by Canoerebel -- 9/26/2017 9:10:39 PM >

(in reply to Lowpe)
Post #: 12303
RE: The Good The Bad & The Indifferent - 9/26/2017 9:10:30 PM   
Lowpe


Posts: 22133
Joined: 2/25/2013
Status: offline 		Not limited to 7 or 8 hexes. You can sweep the full drop tank distance.

(in reply to Canoerebel)
Post #: 12304
RE: The Good The Bad & The Indifferent - 9/26/2017 9:11:38 PM   
Canoerebel


Posts: 21100
Joined: 12/14/2002
From: Northwestern Georgia, USA
Status: offline 		Okay, I read you.

(in reply to Lowpe)
Post #: 12305
RE: The Good The Bad & The Indifferent - 9/26/2017 10:22:30 PM   
T Rav

 

Posts: 387
Joined: 5/29/2004
Status: offline 		CR,

Thanks for this great AAR. I read pretty much every day.

T Rav

(in reply to jwolf)
Post #: 12306
RE: The Good The Bad & The Indifferent - 9/27/2017 1:39:55 AM   
Bif1961


Posts: 2014
Joined: 6/26/2008
From: Phenix City, Alabama
Status: offline 		So are you planning a Battle on Monocacy to slow him down enought to be engaged latter by overwhelming force against his KB?

(in reply to T Rav)
Post #: 12307
RE: The Good The Bad & The Indifferent - 9/27/2017 2:11:29 AM   
Lokasenna


Posts: 9297
Joined: 3/3/2012
From: Iowan in MD/DC
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

Not limited to 7 or 8 hexes. You can sweep the full drop tank distance.


Um, that limit only applied to naval strikes anyway. You could always strike bases from farther. Sweeps are just a different kind of raid.

(in reply to Lowpe)
Post #: 12308
RE: The Good The Bad & The Indifferent - 9/27/2017 2:30:35 AM   
Canoerebel


Posts: 21100
Joined: 12/14/2002
From: Northwestern Georgia, USA
Status: offline 		12/8/44

Coral Sea: Enemy DD raid continues south. JEB Stuart (three USN DDs) is riding hard to catch up but making the intercept is always tough.





Attachment (1)

(in reply to Lokasenna)
Post #: 12309
RE: The Good The Bad & The Indifferent - 9/27/2017 2:41:30 AM   
Canoerebel


Posts: 21100
Joined: 12/14/2002
From: Northwestern Georgia, USA
Status: offline 		12/8/44

KB Raid: General Early's little army has arrived on the outskirts of Washington D.C. (Boela). There are earthworks surrounding the city and troops are filing in. Will Early attack?






Attachment (1)

(in reply to Canoerebel)
Post #: 12310
RE: The Good The Bad & The Indifferent - 9/27/2017 3:01:30 AM   
Canoerebel


Posts: 21100
Joined: 12/14/2002
From: Northwestern Georgia, USA
Status: offline 		12/8/44

Fancy Pants: Two most important things: (1) Supply and reinforcements now coming ashore; and (2) Changsha defenses are not secure - Chinese should take this base inside 10 days.






Attachment (1)

(in reply to Canoerebel)
Post #: 12311
RE: The Good The Bad & The Indifferent - 9/27/2017 7:45:43 AM   
JeffroK


Posts: 6391
Joined: 1/26/2005
Status: offline
quote:

I think Lowpe knows what I'm thinking. Or, perhaps I should say, he knows what he might do under these circumstances, and on this occasion, at least, our thoughts seem to overlap.


A quick visit to Ryojun City???/

_____________________________

Interdum feror cupidine partium magnarum Europae vincendarum

(in reply to Lowpe)
Post #: 12312
RE: The Good The Bad & The Indifferent - 9/27/2017 4:03:22 PM   
Canoerebel


Posts: 21100
Joined: 12/14/2002
From: Northwestern Georgia, USA
Status: offline 		12/9/44

Coral Sea: Early's Maryland campaign continues, but Rosser's cavalry caught up with Wharton's cavalry - meaning, USN DDs tangled with the IJN DDs, sinking one.

To the north, more enemy TFs. I don't know if John is up to anything or not.

John will probably withdraw his DDs - he can't afford to lose any now - unless he has something bigger behind them, like a CA TF or a CV TF. I don't see evidence of that but should know soon.







Attachment (1)

(in reply to JeffroK)
Post #: 12313
RE: The Good The Bad & The Indifferent - 9/27/2017 4:10:46 PM   
DRF99


Posts: 90
Joined: 9/3/2009
Status: offline 		The Ume, Kuwa, and Maki are all Matsu-class DEs. Slow. Really convoy escorts, not made for surface combat. They didn't have a chance.

(in reply to Canoerebel)
Post #: 12314
RE: The Good The Bad & The Indifferent - 9/27/2017 4:18:52 PM   
Canoerebel


Posts: 21100
Joined: 12/14/2002
From: Northwestern Georgia, USA
Status: offline 		12/9/44

DEI: Boela seems secure, at the moment; enemy carriers retiring to the west; no further air strikes today; and the toll exacted thus far:





Attachment (1)

(in reply to Canoerebel)
Post #: 12315
RE: The Good The Bad & The Indifferent - 9/27/2017 4:23:31 PM   
MakeeLearn


Posts: 4278
Joined: 9/11/2016
Status: offline
quote:

...and the toll exacted thus far:







Attachment (1)

(in reply to Canoerebel)
Post #: 12316
RE: The Good The Bad & The Indifferent - 9/27/2017 4:36:46 PM   
Lowpe


Posts: 22133
Joined: 2/25/2013
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel


John will probably withdraw his DDs - he can't afford to lose any now - unless he has something bigger behind them, like a CA TF or a CV TF. I don't see evidence of that but should know soon.



If they still have torps, Matsu class can be dangerous. They can skirmish pretty well. Plus they get pretty numerous. Not much to speak of gun wise, but if Japan can get three of them into a convoy you will be sorry. Plus they are only 6 vp. They are usually pretty easy to get a good vp ratio with them.

My preferred use was cap traps against the deathstar as they pack quite a lot of 25mm guns. Put 5-10 of these with a battleship under a land based fighter umbrella and good things happen.

Looks like that convoy is headed for Rockhampton.

(in reply to Canoerebel)
Post #: 12317
RE: The Good The Bad & The Indifferent - 9/27/2017 4:40:19 PM   
Canoerebel


Posts: 21100
Joined: 12/14/2002
From: Northwestern Georgia, USA
Status: offline 		12/9/44

Fancy Pants: Japanese resistance is crumbling on the Saigon Front and the Hanoi Front; serious Japanese cracks on the Changsha Front and Kukong Front; only on the Canton Front and Hangchow Front does enemy resistance look organized and capable of putting up a sustained fight.

The problem for Japan is that as each "Front" collapses, Allied units are freed up to reinforce other sectors. The coalescence of force is beginning to snowball.

Death Star: Death Star will move east, with hundreds of fighters (mainly Corsairs) ordered to sweep Nagasaki in conjunction with B-24J raids from Ningpo.

Ningpo airfield still lacks supply, so land-based fighters can't lend a hand (if they could, I'd have ordered B-29s from Formosa to hit the base too).

This is the first try at what should be a sustained campaign to batter both the southern Home Islands and Hangchow/Shanghai by air and by sea.

I wouldn't try this if KB was in the Home Islands.





Attachment (1)

(in reply to Canoerebel)
Post #: 12318
RE: The Good The Bad & The Indifferent - 9/27/2017 4:42:54 PM   
Lokasenna


Posts: 9297
Joined: 3/3/2012
From: Iowan in MD/DC
Status: offline 		Matsu were made to escort KB for me. It diminishes your flank speed (to 27, but if you're including Yamato with the KB for bomb-soaking or AA purposes anyway...), but that's fine. They have Type 2 DCs and decent AA. They free up your "real" DDs for surface duty or other tasks. Even their short endurance of 4750 (IIRC) is not really a drawback given the shorter ranges that occur in 1944/1945.

(in reply to Lowpe)
Post #: 12319
RE: The Good The Bad & The Indifferent - 9/27/2017 6:32:55 PM   
Lowpe


Posts: 22133
Joined: 2/25/2013
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: Lokasenna

Matsu were made to escort KB for me. It diminishes your flank speed (to 27, but if you're including Yamato with the KB for bomb-soaking or AA purposes anyway...), but that's fine. They have Type 2 DCs and decent AA. They free up your "real" DDs for surface duty or other tasks. Even their short endurance of 4750 (IIRC) is not really a drawback given the shorter ranges that occur in 1944/1945.


Well, you need a KB to use them, but yes, this is an excellent use of them too.

(in reply to Lokasenna)
Post #: 12320
RE: The Good The Bad & The Indifferent - 9/27/2017 6:50:11 PM   
JohnDillworth


Posts: 3100
Joined: 3/19/2009
Status: offline 		John brought a lot of hardware. I think he was expecting more fish in that barrel.

_____________________________

Today I come bearing an olive branch in one hand, and the freedom fighter's gun in the other. Do not let the olive branch fall from my hand. I repeat, do not let the olive branch fall from my hand. - Yasser Arafat Speech to UN General Assembly

(in reply to Lowpe)
Post #: 12321
RE: The Good The Bad & The Indifferent - 9/27/2017 6:56:59 PM   
Canoerebel


Posts: 21100
Joined: 12/14/2002
From: Northwestern Georgia, USA
Status: offline 		John had it well set up, with subs serving as the anvil and KB serving as the hammer. His use of flank speed allowed him to catch up to the tail end of the Allied merchant TFs, inflicting minor damage on the Allied fleet.

The concept of interdicting Allied supply is a good one. To make this scheme work, he should have positioned his Mini KB (the one now north of Manado) in the Timor region. It should have used one day of flank speed to near Saumlaki at the same time KB was using flank speed to pounce through the Torres Strait. This would have caught many more merchantmen. But even that wouldn't have meant anything more than a satisfying punch and a few more victory points.

(in reply to JohnDillworth)
Post #: 12322
RE: The Good The Bad & The Indifferent - 9/27/2017 7:05:24 PM   
BillBrown


Posts: 2335
Joined: 6/15/2002
Status: offline 		Why bomb resource centers? Doesn't Nagasaki have aircraft factories to bomb? In the AARs I have seen, Japan has millions of resources in the HI by this time.

(in reply to JohnDillworth)
Post #: 12323
RE: The Good The Bad & The Indifferent - 9/27/2017 7:11:09 PM   
Canoerebel


Posts: 21100
Joined: 12/14/2002
From: Northwestern Georgia, USA
Status: offline 		Points are more important than anything else at this point of the game. Trying to starve Japan of anything - resources, fuel, aircraft, whatever - is an indirect and uncertain means of strangulation.

I might be able to deny John something like Franks at some point far in the future. But I think smaller, more precise factories (aircraft factories) are harder to hit than more general targets, like Manpower and Resources. At this point, the fastest and most efficient way to victory is to score points by strategic bombing as quickly as possible. Resources seems to be the most efficient subcategory within the Strategic Bombing category.

(in reply to BillBrown)
Post #: 12324
RE: The Good The Bad & The Indifferent - 9/27/2017 7:20:01 PM   
Canoerebel


Posts: 21100
Joined: 12/14/2002
From: Northwestern Georgia, USA
Status: offline 		Just got the turn in from John, with this email comment: "Wow.  Bet you weren’t sure on orders for this turn.  COOL!"

I'm not sure what he means. The turn was pretty straightforward and didn't involve a lot of uncertainty. Time to run the turn and see what happened.

(in reply to Canoerebel)
Post #: 12325
RE: The Good The Bad & The Indifferent - 9/27/2017 7:33:40 PM   
GetAssista

 

Posts: 2732
Joined: 9/19/2009
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel
Points are more important than anything else at this point of the game. Trying to starve Japan of anything - resources, fuel, aircraft, whatever - is an indirect and uncertain means of strangulation.

I might be able to deny John something like Franks at some point far in the future. But I think smaller, more precise factories (aircraft factories) are harder to hit than more general targets, like Manpower and Resources. At this point, the fastest and most efficient way to victory is to score points by strategic bombing as quickly as possible. Resources seems to be the most efficient subcategory within the Strategic Bombing category.

There is a finite amount of strategic points to score from weakly defended bases in HI. Would those be enough for victory? If you of course factor in other point sources like LCUS and bases in (Indo)China.

(in reply to Canoerebel)
Post #: 12326
RE: The Good The Bad & The Indifferent - 9/27/2017 8:15:43 PM   
Canoerebel


Posts: 21100
Joined: 12/14/2002
From: Northwestern Georgia, USA
Status: offline 		There should be sufficient points in the Home Islands, especially if land-based fighters, carrier air, and naval bombardments factor into the equation. There's no doubt that strategic bombing has to fund most of the victory points needed to get to 2:1.

If John has new doctrine or new generation aircraft that can really blunt strategic bombing, the next most efficient ways to score points are destroying enemy LCUs, taking bases, and sinking ships in mass quantities (meaning, Death Star on the prowl and hitting hard).

All of those will factor in, but strategic bombing needs to be the bell cow.

(in reply to GetAssista)
Post #: 12327
RE: The Good The Bad & The Indifferent - 9/27/2017 8:22:26 PM   
Lowpe


Posts: 22133
Joined: 2/25/2013
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

There should be sufficient points in the Home Islands, especially if land-based fighters, carrier air, and naval bombardments factor into the equation. There's no doubt that strategic bombing has to fund most of the victory points needed to get to 2:1.

If John has new doctrine or new generation aircraft that can really blunt strategic bombing, the next most efficient ways to score points are destroying enemy LCUs, taking bases, and sinking ships in mass quantities (meaning, Death Star on the prowl and hitting hard).

All of those will factor in, but strategic bombing needs to be the bell cow.



I gave up over 60,000 vp in strategic losses...but Allies started in Feb, broke my fighter back by June, conquered western Honshu and all of Hokkaido lost to auto vic on Jan 1 1945.

I held Osaka and Kobe...just barely. I suffered daily bombardments for at least 6 straight months by around 10 battleships...not to mention heavy cruisers, light cruisers, destroyers and destroyer escorts. Every Allied plane that could carry a bomb hit me, and there seemed no daily slowdown due to supply shortage. 99% of all damage was done during day bombing.

How many VP do you need to reach 2-1?




< Message edited by Lowpe -- 9/27/2017 8:23:19 PM >

(in reply to Canoerebel)
Post #: 12328
RE: The Good The Bad & The Indifferent - 9/27/2017 8:25:23 PM   
Canoerebel


Posts: 21100
Joined: 12/14/2002
From: Northwestern Georgia, USA
Status: offline 		For two days, John has been flipping turns. That's always fun but the downside is that he'll tail off dramatically once whatever held his interest is finished.

It looks like the KB carrier raid is over....and things are really getting ugly for Japan in China. So he'll probably have a hard time ginning up enthusiasm for awhile. That's my guess anyhow.

I'll post tonight, but here's now things look:

1. Carrier Sweeps and strategic bombing mission vs. Nagasaki: The number suggest the fighters battled to a draw and the bombers did well; underneath the raw numbers, the Corsairs performed excellently, boding ill for Japan in the future. 30 B-24Js knocked out scored 40 Resource hits at 7k in daylight. Pretty good numbers. This is consistent with my generally optimistic views on the future of strategic bombing.

2. John committed another disastrous shock attack. 3rd Tank Div. booted a tank destroyer battalion yesterday, leaving on a small arty fragment in the hex; John chose to shock attack even though he knew USA divisions were inbound; well, they arrived just before today's shock attack, which gutted his division. Tomorrow, the Allied divisions will shock attack. This is a bad result on this Hangchow/Shanghai front, which John needs to hold as long as possible.

3. Japanese resistance in Indochina collapsed today. John is through here.

4. Changsha forts fall to three.

5. Enemy carriers are near Timor; no hits scored vs. Allied shipping today.

(in reply to Canoerebel)
Post #: 12329
RE: The Good The Bad & The Indifferent - 9/27/2017 8:38:38 PM   
Canoerebel


Posts: 21100
Joined: 12/14/2002
From: Northwestern Georgia, USA
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

I gave up over 60,000 vp in strategic losses...but Allies started in Feb, broke my fighter back by June, conquered western Honshu and all of Hokkaido lost to auto vic on Jan 1 1945.

I held Osaka and Kobe...just barely. I suffered daily bombardments for at least 6 straight months by around 10 battleships...not to mention heavy cruisers, light cruisers, destroyers and destroyer escorts. Every Allied plane that could carry a bomb hit me, and there seemed no daily slowdown due to supply shortage. 99% of all damage was done during day bombing.

How many VP do you need to reach 2-1?



I went through this in a lot of detail a few days back, so the info is pretty fresh.

The score today: Allies 99.9k; Japan 68.2k.

So the Allies lead by 31.7k.

The Allies need roughly 37k to achieve auto victory (if the Japanese score holds steady at around 68k - unlikely, but let's use that for as a best case scenario benchmark).

The score was tied on August 2, 1944. So the Allies have take a 31.7k lead in a little more than four months - call it 130 days. That's roughly 244 points per day. At that rate, the Allies need 151 days to achieve auto victory. So, five months = end of May 1945.

But the Allied scoring pace is accelerating. Strategic bombing really didn't begin until mid September. And the collapse of the Japanese army in Indochina and China is accelerating the rate of LCU and Base points.

I expect the accelerated rate to continue. Supply has just come in to fully fund Allied strategic bombing; Death Star is no longer tethered to defense; and China should be a strong generator of LCU points for quite some time to come.

The wildcard is naval assets. One side or the other could score a lot of points quickly by winning a lopsided naval battle. So I need to watch that carefully.

I expect the war in the air to remain fairly tight for quite some time to come.

So, Strategic Bombing is the most efficient way to score. And given what's transpired since August 2 (and September 15), I think things are on schedule for a Spring '45 victory (or sooner).


(in reply to Lowpe)
Post #: 12330
Page:   <<   < prev  409 410 [411] 412 413   next >   >>
All Forums >> [New Releases from Matrix Games] >> War in the Pacific: Admiral's Edition >> After Action Reports >> RE: The Good The Bad & The Indifferent Page: <<   < prev  409 410 [411] 412 413   next >   >>
Jump to:





New Messages No New Messages
Hot Topic w/ New Messages Hot Topic w/o New Messages
Locked w/ New Messages Locked w/o New Messages
 Post New Thread
 Reply to Message
 Post New Poll
 Submit Vote
 Delete My Own Post
 Delete My Own Thread
 Rate Posts


Forum Software © ASPPlayground.NET Advanced Edition 2.4.5 ANSI

6.297