RE: Avian aggression leads to murder most fowl

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: Avian aggression leads to murder most fowl - Sqz(A) vs. Chickenboy(J)

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: Avian aggression leads to murder most fowl - Sqz(A) vs. Chickenboy(J)

Page: << < prev 12 13 [14] 15 16 next > >>

Message

<< Older Topic Newer Topic >>

RE: Avian aggression leads to murder most fowl - Sqz(A)... - 5/21/2015 9:46:27 PM

BBfanboy

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

quote:

ORIGINAL: obvert

Sounds familiar. Well, this is fine ass you know now what you can take back. This is the fun part of the game!

Fine ass?? What does repossession of prize burros have to do with the war in India?

_____________________________

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 obvert)

Post #: 391

RE: Avian aggression leads to murder most fowl - Sqz(A)... - 5/22/2015 3:10:31 PM

SqzMyLemon

Posts: 4239
Joined: 10/30/2009
From: Alberta, Canada
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: obvert

Sounds familiar. Well, this is fine ass you know now what you can take back. This is the fun part of the game!

I thought the same. It was interesting to see Andre implement the same exit strategy for Madras, as Nic did in your game. I saw it coming, but just didn't put myself in position to counter it.

I'm definitely looking forward to the next year and a half of game time and clawing away at Andre's lead.

_____________________________

Luck is the residue of design - John Milton

Don't mistake lack of talent for genius - Peter Steele (Type O Negative)

(in reply to obvert)

Post #: 392

RE: Avian aggression leads to murder most fowl - Sqz(A)... - 5/22/2015 3:11:25 PM

SqzMyLemon

Posts: 4239
Joined: 10/30/2009
From: Alberta, Canada
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: BBfanboy

Fine ass?? What does repossession of prize burros have to do with the war in India?

I may need those burros in Burma.

_____________________________

Luck is the residue of design - John Milton

Don't mistake lack of talent for genius - Peter Steele (Type O Negative)

(in reply to BBfanboy)

Post #: 393

RE: Avian aggression leads to murder most fowl - Sqz(A)... - 5/23/2015 4:55:42 AM

SqzMyLemon

Posts: 4239
Joined: 10/30/2009
From: Alberta, Canada
Status: offline

August 16/42:

A smallish Japanese SCTF of six ships arrives at Diego Garcia. British SS Trusty misses one of the Japanese destroyers. I presume Andre was hoping to catch an unloading Allied TF, but there are none in the area. I expect he'll bombard tomorrow before retiring.

In India both Mysore and Bangalore are liberated. Bangalore has a garrison requirement of 40, so Andre left the 81st Naval Guard Unit to act as rearguard and not give away a free VP. Australian 6th Division deliberate attacks and routs the defenders. Both bases combined yield the Allies 10 VP's and reduce Japan's total by 50. Air support and engineers will begin railing into Bangalore to repair and expand the airbase.

I've decided to accelerate plans for an offensive in Eastern India, bypassing Calcutta, and moving on Darjeeling. If I can move quickly, I may be able to force Andre's hand and threaten to move against Ledo before he's ready to set up an adequate defence. This operation will rely on a single secondary railway to bring forward supply. It could be dicey, but forcing Andre to react to the possibility of the Allies opening up the Ledo to China airlift may be worth the risk. I'll go into more detail over the next few weeks.

Allied CV's have finished their upgrades and the bulk of American naval assets are redeploying from Cape Town to Australia. Meanwhile, planning and preliminary preparations are underway for an amphibious invasion of Ceylon. This will be primarily a British and Commonwealth show heavily supported by American air support. Recon of Trincomalee spots large numbers of Japanese warships including a BB. Once Southern India is secure, I hope to make the Japanese position on Ceylon tenuous through the use of Allied air power.

_____________________________

Luck is the residue of design - John Milton

Don't mistake lack of talent for genius - Peter Steele (Type O Negative)

(in reply to SqzMyLemon)

Post #: 394

RE: Avian aggression leads to murder most fowl - Sqz(A)... - 5/27/2015 8:01:30 PM

SqzMyLemon

Posts: 4239
Joined: 10/30/2009
From: Alberta, Canada
Status: offline

Four days since the last turn. I know Andre's busy with preparations for the big move, but it's unfortunate there are so many extended periods between turns over the last month or two.

I'm having to get my AE fix living vicariously through a number of AAR's I'm following.

_____________________________

Luck is the residue of design - John Milton

Don't mistake lack of talent for genius - Peter Steele (Type O Negative)

(in reply to SqzMyLemon)

Post #: 395

RE: Avian aggression leads to murder most fowl - Sqz(A)... - 6/3/2015 10:05:06 PM

SqzMyLemon

Posts: 4239
Joined: 10/30/2009
From: Alberta, Canada
Status: offline

Received a turn today, but that will be it for an undetermined number of days until the big move is completed and Andre is settled in.

Hopefully, in a few weeks the game will pick up again and move the AAR forward.

_____________________________

Luck is the residue of design - John Milton

Don't mistake lack of talent for genius - Peter Steele (Type O Negative)

(in reply to SqzMyLemon)

Post #: 396

RE: Avian aggression leads to murder most fowl - Sqz(A)... - 6/4/2015 2:47:04 AM

BBfanboy

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

We'll wait patiently.
Having moved many times I know how stressful the whole chaotic event is, so we should not put any more pressure on Andr� right now.
When he has the essentials out of the way he will return to the WITP-AE fix that we all need.

_____________________________

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 SqzMyLemon)

Post #: 397

RE: Avian aggression leads to murder most fowl - Sqz(A)... - 6/4/2015 5:07:06 AM

SqzMyLemon

Posts: 4239
Joined: 10/30/2009
From: Alberta, Canada
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: BBfanboy

Having moved many times I know how stressful the whole chaotic event is...

Especially one across country.

The delay has given me a chance to get much more organized. Now that I have the turn, I can take my time with it and sort out where everything needs to go. Allied forces have become too concentrated in a number of areas and it's time to reassess force allocations for upcoming operations. This is the part of the game I enjoy the most, the behind the scenes preparations. I have a number of operations I'd like to pursue during the next four months, but getting the logistics in place has taken forever.

I need to figure out if Andre's perimeter defence includes using KB in the South Pacific and New Guinea, or if it's more centrally located to support Northern Australia and the DEI. I'm going to have to try and divert his attention away from my main objectives, but at the same time draw him out and avoid a crushing Allied naval defeat. Fun times ahead.

< Message edited by SqzMyLemon -- 6/4/2015 6:11:18 AM >

_____________________________

Luck is the residue of design - John Milton

Don't mistake lack of talent for genius - Peter Steele (Type O Negative)

(in reply to BBfanboy)

Post #: 398

RE: Avian aggression leads to murder most fowl - Sqz(A)... - 7/13/2015 4:49:41 AM

SqzMyLemon

Posts: 4239
Joined: 10/30/2009
From: Alberta, Canada
Status: offline

I received a turn from Andre this evening. I hope this means our PBEM will move forward more regularly in the future.

Nothing to report on the turn (Aug. 18/42). It took me a little while to get my bearings again. Allied naval forces are on the move, but behind the scenes, and it will be 3-4 weeks before everything is in place and any kind of offensive can be conducted.

In India, Allied ground forces continue to move forward in the south, while a number of units redeploy to the Benares area in preparation for the planned offensive to flank Calcutta and drive on Ledo. It will be interesting to see how Andre reacts to my attempt to open a supply route to China.

I hope Andre will be able to devote more time to the game now. It would be nice to get turns consistently to allow us both to get back our mojo.

< Message edited by SqzMyLemon -- 7/13/2015 5:50:26 AM >

_____________________________

Luck is the residue of design - John Milton

Don't mistake lack of talent for genius - Peter Steele (Type O Negative)

(in reply to BBfanboy)

Post #: 399

RE: Avian aggression leads to murder most fowl - Sqz(A)... - 7/15/2015 7:41:36 PM

SqzMyLemon

Posts: 4239
Joined: 10/30/2009
From: Alberta, Canada
Status: offline

Received the Aug 19/42 turn from Andre yesterday and it was another quiet day.

An interesting development in India around Ranchi. I began moving a small beat up British Bn. towards Ranchi which drew a full Japanese division out from the base and caused another to begin moving towards Ranchi from the south. So two Japanese divisions have reacted to movement of a lone Allied LCU consisting of two infantry and 10 support squads. I'm beginning to think my planned move to flank Calcutta and move on Darjeeling will be the right call. If I can cause Andre to defend Ranchi while drawing additional forces out of other bases it will be that much harder for him to react quickly to a move against Darjeeling. My biggest concern is can I rail in enough troops fast enough and block all rail lines into Darjeeling before the base can be reinforced.

The first step is to capture Rangpur (currently not built up or defended to my knowledge) with American Marine paratroops. Then, five Allied divisions, 3 British and 2 Indian, will rush to Rangpur by rail. In addition, 75% of all available AA units and a substantial number of base forces and engineers will follow in support. Small armour units are tasked with securing the rail lines leading to Darjeeling to block reinforcements to the base. Two divisions will then head directly to invest Darjeeling, while the remaining three will hold Rangpur and secure the flank against a Japanese counterattack. In reserve are 2 American, 1 Australian, and 3 Indian divisions. All the Allied armour brigades will be committed to exploit any openings, or act as a fire brigade to block any Japanese counterattack. Furthermore, 1 American and 3 Indian divisions are tasked with moving on Ranchi, either capturing the base, or tying up Japanese units in its defence.

In the air, preparations are ongoing redeploying squadrons all over India. I'm transitioning the American bomber and fighter forces to support the Darjeeling offensive, while British and Commonwealth air units will be tasked with supporting the move against Madras. Small raids are planned throughout India to mask my real target and apply a little pressure everywhere.

I expect it will take about 3 weeks from the initial paratroop drop on Rangpur until my forces can invest Darjeeling, providing I can prevent any Japanese reinforcement of the base. In that time, I will have to secure and build up Rangpur, block a possible Japanese counterattack from the enemy forces at Calcutta and area, keep a tenuous supply line open to Rangpur via a secondary rail line and with fighter cover only being provided from bases at Patna and Benares. What could go wrong?

There is a surge in supply being sent to India from Cape Town. Off the top of my head, there is an addition 300-400k en route which should keep everything in motion. There is already a healthy stockpile of 500k at Bombay. I think I am about 7-10 days away from beginning the offensive, lets say Sept 1 is tentatively D-Day.

I will definitely provide a screenshot or two over the next few days to clearly show my planned offensive and all the forces at my disposal.

I should add, this is the first phase in the Allied plan to capture Ledo and open an air bridge to provide China with some supply. Darjeeling is a key objective in order to establish an air base to cover the next phase of the operation, which is the drive on Dimapur and Ledo itself. Without creating a series of air bases along the rail lines any attempt to reach Ledo will fail. This is best thought of as an operation Market Garden, Indian style, but instead of bridges, it's airbases that are crucial to success. Will it be an airbase too far?

< Message edited by SqzMyLemon -- 7/15/2015 9:19:15 PM >

_____________________________

Luck is the residue of design - John Milton

Don't mistake lack of talent for genius - Peter Steele (Type O Negative)

(in reply to SqzMyLemon)

Post #: 400

RE: Avian aggression leads to murder most fowl - Sqz(A)... - 7/17/2015 6:14:08 PM

SqzMyLemon

Posts: 4239
Joined: 10/30/2009
From: Alberta, Canada
Status: offline

Aug. 21/42:

Allied bombers target Ranchi to focus Japanese attention on the base. The base is moderately hit while two B-17's and 3 P-39D's are lost in A2A. Six Japanese fighters are downed. Ground forces are moving into position and will conduct a diversionary attack to draw IJA reinforcements towards the base.

In the meantime, Allied ground units assigned to the offensive are deployed at Cawnpore and Jubbulpore in strategic mode awaiting the start of the offensive. All units will rail to staging areas just prior to the paratroop drop on Rangpur.

Tomorrow, all heavy bombers will target Darjeeling's airbase while P-38's sweep. The base shows 37 IJA fighters present which I believe are Oscar's. I will rely on the bombers being able to handle the Oscars and getting through unescorted.

I may have to delay the start of the offensive by a few days, it may take a little longer to reach Ranchi than anticipated. I don't think it prudent to start before I draw some enemy forces towards Ranchi.

Japanese dispositions are as follows:

Calcutta - 18 units
Jamshedpur - 9 units
Howrah - 4 units
Ranchi - 5 units (including IJA 8th Division and another unidentified)
Asansol - 1 unit
Darjeeling - 2 units (one has been identified as a base force, the other most likely an AA unit)

Below is a rough screenshot outlining the first phase of this offensive. I expect heavy Japanese air attacks. I'll provide air cover as best I can, but until Darjeeling is captured there will be little fighter support. The plan is to target enemy airbases while the Japanese fighters are performing escort and sweeps for their raids.

Attachment (1)

_____________________________

Luck is the residue of design - John Milton

Don't mistake lack of talent for genius - Peter Steele (Type O Negative)

(in reply to SqzMyLemon)

Post #: 401

RE: Avian aggression leads to murder most fowl - Sqz(A)... - 7/18/2015 12:22:09 AM

BBfanboy

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

I like the way you set up diversions and other FOW enhancements. All part of the art of war ...

_____________________________

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 SqzMyLemon)

Post #: 402

RE: Avian aggression leads to murder most fowl - Sqz(A)... - 7/18/2015 5:48:34 AM

SqzMyLemon

Posts: 4239
Joined: 10/30/2009
From: Alberta, Canada
Status: offline

Thanks for posting BBfanboy. Not sure how effective my little plans are, but it's nice to think I might fool Andre now and again.

_____________________________

Luck is the residue of design - John Milton

Don't mistake lack of talent for genius - Peter Steele (Type O Negative)

(in reply to BBfanboy)

Post #: 403

RE: Avian aggression leads to murder most fowl - Sqz(A)... - 7/18/2015 6:16:18 AM

SqzMyLemon

Posts: 4239
Joined: 10/30/2009
From: Alberta, Canada
Status: offline

August 22/42:

A great turn for the Allies and more action is starting to happen. I like to think of the last few months as the 'phoney war' and it seems to be coming to an end...finally.

First up, I sent a few PT Boats to Exmouth to try and sink a Japanese PB that's been sitting in the hex for days. That didn't go so well with one PT getting smoked by an 8cm shell and just a few machine gun hits on the PB. The skirmish was indecisive and the PT will survive. Dive bombers based at Caernarvon will not sortie to attack the PB, I'm guessing they won't launch since it's a single ship TF. Squadron CO's air and aggression are high so it isn't a question of leadership.

An Australian DD finds SS I-4 lurking near King Island on the approaches to Melbourne and severely damages the submarine, with 2 direct DC hits and 7 near misses. One more direct hit and she'd have been a goner.

On the other side of the coin, SS Drum finds a working torpedo and puts it into xAK Kinai Maru near Truk. She was carrying fuel and suffered heavy fires/damage plus sinking sounds were heard during the replay. I think she sunk.

My air attack against Darjeeling was a great success. There were indeed only Oscars at the base and the IJAAF 24th Sentai took a beating. The P-38 sweeps shot down 14 aircraft while the follow up bombers contributed another 3 downed. On the day the intel report said 25 Oscar's were destroyed against 2 P-38E's and one B-17E. I'll take those results any day. The airbase took 33 AB, 18 ABS and 87 Runway hits.

Not to be outdone, B-25's hit IJA 4th Tank Rgt. near Vizagapatnam and destroyed/disabled 16 and 73 vehicles respectively in two separate attacks.

Japanese bombers were busy too. Sally's (21) targeted U.S. 193rd Tank Bn. near Bangalore, but inflicted no losses. A total of 99 Sally's attacked 1st Indian AA Rgt. near Vizagapatnam in two raids and caused a number of disablements. Severe storms limited the damage.

Near Bangalore, 193rd Tank Bn. shook off the Japanese air interdiction and deliberate attacked IJN's 88th Naval Guard Unit, causing 22 disabled squads. I'll post a screenshot of Southern India soon as Allied forces close in on Madras and area.

So, a good day. Allied preparations are going well, and I'm in a position now to start really getting after Japan in a few areas. As Allied reinforcements pour into Australia, I should be able to open a new front in the DEI or South Pacific soon. However, there is still much to be done and while moving forward, I plan on continuing my cautious approach for the remainder of 1942. I'll take what Andre gives me, and a little more if I can help it.

< Message edited by SqzMyLemon -- 7/18/2015 7:33:50 AM >

_____________________________

Luck is the residue of design - John Milton

Don't mistake lack of talent for genius - Peter Steele (Type O Negative)

(in reply to SqzMyLemon)

Post #: 404

RE: Avian aggression leads to murder most fowl - Sqz(A)... - 7/19/2015 2:39:16 AM

SqzMyLemon

Posts: 4239
Joined: 10/30/2009
From: Alberta, Canada
Status: offline

Aug. 24/42:

So far so good. Here's a quick update of the situation around Calcutta. Allied units tasked with the diversionary attack against Ranchi close in on the base. Heavy Japanese fighter sweeps occurred over U.S. Americal Division (green unit symbol sandwiched between the two tan ones west of Patna), but no Allied fighters are assigned LRCAP so the enemy fighters whiff on empty air. There were no Japanese bomber attacks today, but I fully expect to undergo heavy raids tomorrow while still in clear terrain. 23rd AA Bde. is present though, and should deal out some serious damage to low flying enemy bombers. I may take some criticism for putting my ground forces at the mercy of Japanese air attack without CAP, but I need to focus Andre on Ranchi. I need to provide a carrot to lead him in the direction I want him to go, otherwise he may not commit. I also don't want to fritter away my limited fighter assets in a meaningless air battle. I think my tactics are sound.

Japanese forces are seen moving northwest towards Ranchi from Calcutta. There are now 23 IJA LCU's at Calcutta as some have recently arrived by rail from Cocanada. I will have to wait a few days to determine if Andre took the bait by how many units move towards Ranchi. I must time my para drop perfectly. I expect Andre to rail troops directly to Ranchi, so I will have to allow up to 3 days for the units to de-train. The last thing I want to do is drop early on Rangpur while there are numerous Japanese LCU's already in strategic mode. If Darjeeling is reinforced before I can block the rail lines, it could mean the offensive is over before it begins. The next 3-7 days could be crucial.

Attachment (1)

< Message edited by SqzMyLemon -- 7/19/2015 3:39:09 AM >

_____________________________

Luck is the residue of design - John Milton

Don't mistake lack of talent for genius - Peter Steele (Type O Negative)

(in reply to SqzMyLemon)

Post #: 405

RE: Avian aggression leads to murder most fowl - Sqz(A)... - 7/19/2015 3:00:49 AM

SqzMyLemon

Posts: 4239
Joined: 10/30/2009
From: Alberta, Canada
Status: offline

Here's Southern India.

Allied troops continue to move towards Madras. IJN 88th Naval Guard Unit is hammered by Indian 14th Division and U.S 193rd Tank Bn. and forced a costly retreat. This elicited a little smack talk from Andre to the tune of why the overkill, followed by a General McClellan reference to me always needing more troops before I make a move. Doesn't bother me in the least, I'm accomplishing my goals at little cost and positioning units for the future amphibious assault against Ceylon.

On another note, it appears a IJN transport TF is arriving at Madras, either to re-supply or evacuate. I've decided to launch a series of fighter sweeps and follow up bombing attacks to close/degrade the airbase, in order to try and nail the enemy TF the following day with naval LBA attacks. I expect a heavy CAP of Tojo fighters. I'm on the fence whether I should have ordered these strikes, but I want to try and interdict that TF and destroy the LCU's at sea.

I'm serving notice that it's not going to be easy for Imperial Japan anymore. At least that's the plan.

Attachment (1)

< Message edited by SqzMyLemon -- 7/19/2015 3:42:50 PM >

_____________________________

Luck is the residue of design - John Milton

Don't mistake lack of talent for genius - Peter Steele (Type O Negative)

(in reply to SqzMyLemon)

Post #: 406

RE: Avian aggression leads to murder most fowl - Sqz(A)... - 7/20/2015 6:40:22 AM

SqzMyLemon

Posts: 4239
Joined: 10/30/2009
From: Alberta, Canada
Status: offline

Aug. 25/42:

Ugh, just when you are feeling good about things, this game has a way of smacking you down.

Well, the air attacks over Madras were an unmitigated disaster for Allied units. Raids were uncoordinated, only some sweeps and LRCAP flew and those that did were all at low altitude. Lacking high cover the results were predictable. The hardest hit were my low altitude sweeps and 2E bombers whose escort never showed up. The butcher's bill follows.

Allied:

16 Hurricane IIb's
12 B-25C's
11 P-40E's
4 P-39D's
1 B-17E

Japanese:

8 Tojo IIa's
1 A6M2

The B-17's shot down three Japanese fighters outright and most likely accounted for most of the OPs losses as well. The Allied fighters that did sweep were absolutely pathetic because they were at low altitude.

Just a note on my air tactics. I've been successful this game setting a range of altitudes for sweeps, escorts and LRCAP. I try to have slower fighters set to a lower altitude to allow faster, higher sweeps and LRCAP to get the bounce at some point during an air battle. It's been effective so far when it works. When it doesn't, these are the results. Of all the times to get slapped around it had to be today. I knew I was flying into a hornet's nest, but to have coordination and failure to fly issues when taking on a tough CAP really ruins one's day.

I also like to try and mix up altitudes to represent somewhat historic settings and not game the air model. So far, Andre and I have a Gentlemen's agreement to keep altitudes real and nothing has occurred higher than 25k by either side. That being said, when everything goes wrong and all your aircraft are lower than your opponents, it gets ugly real fast. In the past I'd rant and rave about the air model, but I've turned the corner. It is what it is, and today I was on the bottom of good old rock/paper/scissor goodness. It happens.

I have so turned the corner, that I actually ordered a second day of air attacks against Madras with reserve air units. Let's see if round 2 goes a little better for the Allies. I should add, I want Madras's airbase closed and that is why I've decided to risk losing more aircraft in a second day of strikes. If I can close Madras that means any Japanese fighter presence in Southern India has to come at increased range from Cochin or Ceylon.

< Message edited by SqzMyLemon -- 7/20/2015 4:39:11 PM >

_____________________________

Luck is the residue of design - John Milton

Don't mistake lack of talent for genius - Peter Steele (Type O Negative)

(in reply to BBfanboy)

Post #: 407

RE: Avian aggression leads to murder most fowl - Sqz(A)... - 7/20/2015 3:55:52 PM

SqzMyLemon

Posts: 4239
Joined: 10/30/2009
From: Alberta, Canada
Status: offline

Events from the 25th have made me extremely nervous about my upcoming offensive to capture Darjeeling. So far the 4E's have been stellar, being able to take on and push through heavy CAP when the escort and sweeps have been a no show, but if my weaker fighters and 2E's take a beating it could drain the pools and set me back months. I have only two squadrons of P-38's and if they fail to appear then the P-40's and IIb's get clobbered.

Japanese aircraft numbers increased at Calcutta last turn with over 170 fighters and 150 bombers indicated. I presume my LCU's still in open terrain near Ranchi are about to get hit hard next turn. The results will be a precursor to what my forces will endure daily at Rangpur. I shudder to think what the losses will be while units are transitioning out of strategic mode.

Japanese LCU's at Calcutta remain at 23, but two more units arrived at Jamshedpur. I believe they are IJA 33rd Division and 4th Tank Rgt. So the plan to draw Japanese forces towards Ranchi appears to be working, but can my forces tasked with taking Rangpur and Darjeeling survive concentrated bomber attacks for 3-7 days? I know I'm having a knee jerk reaction to the high air losses the previous turn, but it does make me wonder if I'm asking too much of my forces considering what they will be up against.

< Message edited by SqzMyLemon -- 7/20/2015 5:49:33 PM >

_____________________________

Luck is the residue of design - John Milton

Don't mistake lack of talent for genius - Peter Steele (Type O Negative)

(in reply to SqzMyLemon)

Post #: 408

RE: Avian aggression leads to murder most fowl - Sqz(A)... - 7/21/2015 5:06:17 AM

SqzMyLemon

Posts: 4239
Joined: 10/30/2009
From: Alberta, Canada
Status: offline

Aug. 26/42:

A better day today in the air over Madras, but the Allies still come out on the short end. Losses were 23 vs. 19 in Japan's favour. I am having an awful time right now with all my raids. Sweeps not flying, lot's of un-coordination, inconsistent escorting of raids that are leaving too many bombers vulnerable. The biggest issue is the inability to degrade the Japanese CAP when none of my high altitude aircraft are flying. It's killing me frankly.

Helldiver's, escorted by P-40E's, were unfortunately the first mission that flew over Madras against a fresh Japanese CAP. The escorts got slaughtered as usual, with 11 being shot down, but the bombers got through only losing two aircraft. Stupidly, they target a single AMc and sink it, while the four ship TF is ignored. Like I said above, I can't catch a break these last few turns with how the AI is handling my forces.

As predicted, Japanese bombers target my troops in clear terrain near Ranchi. Damage is light considering almost 100 bombers attacked, but an Indian division and artillery unit suffer high disruption. This force is now in 2x wooded terrain and it will be U.K. 2nd Division that gets hammered tomorrow in clear terrain. On a positive note, five Japanese bombers are downed by Flak complements of the monster 23rd AA Bde. I love that unit.

There is a small chance for a naval surface action near Diego Garcia tomorrow. A four ship Japanese TF is one hex away from a four ship Allied SCTF located directly at Diego Garcia. My TF shows no DL and I've set a reaction of two hexes to see if I can get an interception. I don't want to move my TF directly as it is providing cover for an amphibious TF currently unloading at the base.

< Message edited by SqzMyLemon -- 7/21/2015 6:07:16 AM >

_____________________________

Luck is the residue of design - John Milton

Don't mistake lack of talent for genius - Peter Steele (Type O Negative)

(in reply to SqzMyLemon)

Post #: 409

RE: Avian aggression leads to murder most fowl - Sqz(A)... - 7/21/2015 5:59:59 AM

BBfanboy

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

quote:

SqzMyLemon: It's killing me frankly.

Or should that be "Killing me Frank-ly"?

Nemo showed that consistent strike packages could be achieved with sweeps going in first, little fragmentation and good escort defence.
He would not go into detail on how he achieved it, but hinted that having all air units under the same HQ was part of the plan. I think he also selected very good commanders for his air units in the test group. He likely also looked at the maneuver ratings for the aircraft and kept them within their two best levels.
There may be other considerations as well, but that is what I remember thinking of at the time.

_____________________________

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 SqzMyLemon)

Post #: 410

RE: Avian aggression leads to murder most fowl - Sqz(A)... - 7/21/2015 2:31:13 PM

vicberg

Posts: 1176
Joined: 4/19/2008
Status: offline

That's all that's required for a coordinated strike package?

(in reply to BBfanboy)

Post #: 411

RE: Avian aggression leads to murder most fowl - Sqz(A)... - 7/21/2015 3:26:05 PM

SqzMyLemon

Posts: 4239
Joined: 10/30/2009
From: Alberta, Canada
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: vicberg

That's all that's required for a coordinated strike package?

Hey, a new poster!

_____________________________

Luck is the residue of design - John Milton

Don't mistake lack of talent for genius - Peter Steele (Type O Negative)

(in reply to vicberg)

Post #: 412

RE: Avian aggression leads to murder most fowl - Sqz(A)... - 7/21/2015 3:35:01 PM

vicberg

Posts: 1176
Joined: 4/19/2008
Status: offline

Yes, I have PTWS. (Post Turn WITP Syndrome)

I was tempted to post on everyone's AAR, but I'm not that creative.

quote:

Or should that be "Killing me Frank-ly"?

And quit calling me Frank-ly

(in reply to SqzMyLemon)

Post #: 413

RE: Avian aggression leads to murder most fowl - Sqz(A)... - 7/21/2015 3:47:40 PM

SqzMyLemon

Posts: 4239
Joined: 10/30/2009
From: Alberta, Canada
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: BBfanboy

Or should that be "Killing me Frank-ly"?

I should have said, it's Tojo-ally killing me.

I may not have been clear BB. I was getting decent coordination before, it's just lately the wheels have come off. I was generally using P-39's and Hurricane IIb's within their lower maneuver bands, and using P-40's and P-38's as high escort, sweeps or LRCAP. It was working quite well. My lower aircraft took the brunt of the losses, but once the bounce was spent, my high aircraft started to get kills as the air battles matured. It's not working anymore because my LRCAP and sweeps are not showing up and I don't know why.

For example, I just had my LRCAP of high altitude P-38's not be present for 5 of 6 bombing attacks, and the one where it did engage was after a bombing run when there was a post-bombing air phase. Only then were they a factor. And the P-38 squadron set to sweep never flew at all.

I make sure my fast fighters are set to sweep or LRCAP so they will arrive ahead of the bombing raids. I also assign LRCAP to slower, lower sweeps for the same reason. It had been working well. I don't know if facing Tojo's changes the parameters of an air battle, but it seems like whenever they are involved in the CAP my coordination, sweeps and raid composition turns to crap. I might add that Andre's LRCAP over Madras based from either Jaffna or Cochin is having no problem arriving and ripping into my aircraft.

Anyway, I get the whole randomness of the game and I've applied years of practical experience to hone my tactics. Right now I'm suffering a series of bad rolls. I've learned you can consistently keep the same tactics, but success or failure can by a 60/40 split. It all comes down to what rolls and checks failed on any particular day for a myriad number of unknown reasons. You just have to take it at times.

_____________________________

Luck is the residue of design - John Milton

Don't mistake lack of talent for genius - Peter Steele (Type O Negative)

(in reply to BBfanboy)

Post #: 414

RE: Avian aggression leads to murder most fowl - Sqz(A)... - 7/21/2015 3:51:31 PM

vicberg

Posts: 1176
Joined: 4/19/2008
Status: offline

Why use LRCAP vs. another sweep or escort?

(in reply to SqzMyLemon)

Post #: 415

RE: Avian aggression leads to murder most fowl - Sqz(A)... - 7/21/2015 5:37:16 PM

SqzMyLemon

Posts: 4239
Joined: 10/30/2009
From: Alberta, Canada
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: vicberg

Why use LRCAP vs. another sweep or escort?

I know LRCAP is unreliable, but it's generally used to avoid the escort penalty and provide an opportunity to bounce lower set CAP. Setting LRCAP also can offset the fact that the Allies don't have the luxury of large squadrons available to sweep or CAP like the Japanese do. Sending in a large number of 16 or 25 aircraft sweeps individually often doesn't turn out well for the Allies in my experience and does little to degrade the CAP. At least with LRCAP, providing it shows up, you can pad the Allies' numbers somewhat. It also has the benefit of usually being present in some form for many raids, so at least you get some cover for bombers that show up unescorted for example. Adding additional sweeps or escorts won't help if they don't fly or coordinate with the bombers.

LRCAP is not the be and end all, and it is unreliable as I've mentioned. My problem isn't really escorts, sweeps or LRCAP. My problem is my best fighters, the P-38's, have been AWOL in the last few air battles. Without my best fighters in the action, I simply can't reduce my losses or degrade the Japanese CAP. I do not understand why all of a sudden they are not flying, or why they are not engaging the CAP when they do. That's the problem.

_____________________________

Luck is the residue of design - John Milton

Don't mistake lack of talent for genius - Peter Steele (Type O Negative)

(in reply to vicberg)

Post #: 416

RE: Avian aggression leads to murder most fowl - Sqz(A)... - 7/21/2015 7:44:22 PM

SqzMyLemon

Posts: 4239
Joined: 10/30/2009
From: Alberta, Canada
Status: offline

On another note. After reflecting on my current frustration with air operations and the pending Darjeeling ground offensive, I've decided to

_____________________________

Luck is the residue of design - John Milton

Don't mistake lack of talent for genius - Peter Steele (Type O Negative)

(in reply to SqzMyLemon)

Post #: 417

RE: Avian aggression leads to murder most fowl - Sqz(A)... - 7/21/2015 10:28:44 PM

BBfanboy

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

quote:

ORIGINAL: SqzMyLemon

On another note. After reflecting on my current frustration with air operations and the pending Darjeeling ground offensive, I've decided to

I often make similar decisions! That's why I'm kibitzing on the forum!

_____________________________

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 SqzMyLemon)

Post #: 418

RE: Avian aggression leads to murder most fowl - Sqz(A)... - 7/22/2015 7:02:47 PM

SqzMyLemon

Posts: 4239
Joined: 10/30/2009
From: Alberta, Canada
Status: offline

I see my lame attempt to create suspense...fooled no one.

_____________________________

Luck is the residue of design - John Milton

Don't mistake lack of talent for genius - Peter Steele (Type O Negative)

(in reply to BBfanboy)

Post #: 419

RE: Avian aggression leads to murder most fowl - Sqz(A)... - 7/22/2015 7:19:47 PM

vicberg

Posts: 1176
Joined: 4/19/2008
Status: offline

It worked on me. I'm totally confused. What are you doing?

(in reply to SqzMyLemon)

Post #: 420

Page: << < prev 12 13 [14] 15 16 next > >>

All Forums >> [New Releases from Matrix Games] >> War in the Pacific: Admiral's Edition >> After Action Reports >> RE: Avian aggression leads to murder most fowl - Sqz(A) vs. Chickenboy(J)