Slitherine

quote:

ORIGINAL: JocMeister

Burma
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Problem is that AVG will withdraw in 4 days and I don´t have anything to fill the hole with right now. USAAF is on their way though. 125 P40s are unloading at Karachi but I need to give the pilots more time to train.

quote:

ORIGINAL: JocMeister

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Air War and PDU OFF.
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Still to early to try and make any kind of assessment. But so far its been a PITA for me. This has especially hurt the training program. You have to be REALLY careful on what you upgrade. Once you do you cannot "undo" it. So if you later find yourself wanting those P39s you upgraded to? Nope.

Want to use those lovely P38s? Nope. Only 1 unrestricted squadron can use the "E" model and 1 the "F" model.

Want to use all those nice USMC DB squadrons that arrive? Ah, they upgrade directly to the SBD-3 version. Same as your CVs...this while you have 58 SBD-2s in the pool. But the SBD-2 can only be used by some of your CV squadrons. Did you upgrade those to "3s"? Aaaw too bad! Now you wasted 50 DBs...

I can´t tell you how much of a headache this is. I made so many mistakes and I will continue to do them. I´m very, very, VERY careful when upgrading stuff. Its fun though.

A good example of why this is much better for the game: My P39s have done some heavy fighting in OZ lately and I want to spread the load on the pools a bit more on the P40. I now actually have to ship the planes and squadrons there. No magic move!

I want to use the P38E. Yep...you guessed it. I have to SHIP the ONLY unrestricted squadron that can use it to wherever I want it. That squadron is actually a very good example of the dangers with PDU OFF and upgrading. Its the 51st/25th FS that actually starts with 4 P38s. At the time I moved them to India I didn´t have nowhere enough "Es" to fill the squadron out. So I almost upgraded them to the P40Es which is their next upgrade. Good thing I didn´t or I would never have been able to use the P38E at all...

I know most people believe PDU OFF is an instant win button for the allies. After playing for 8 months I still don´t agree with that. That opinion might change the further we get though. But as I look through tracker right now I can see for example I will by flying P39s, Mowhawks and Lancers well into 43. Some of 13th USAAF (SOPAC) P39s don´t upgrade until the P38J comes online in 12/43! I have at least one P39 Squadron that doesn´t upgrade until the P47-25 (44/3).

So it does go both ways. But the big difference is that PDU ON together with the ability to control the industry make Japan an immense powerhouse. This is taken away to an extent by PDU OFF. The Japanese side still gets almost unlimited numbers but can no longer focus and drive ahead a few extraordinary models like the Tojo, Frank and George and rely solely on those.

Another HUGE benefit of PDU OFF is that is will slow down the pace of the air war considerably. At some point in the game a limitation was added on how many AC can be drawn as replacements. I think its 12 per week? This is easily bypassed by simply downgrading and then upgrading the model (can be done instantly in PDU ON). This means that a FS could be annihilated to the last plane only to be fully recover 4-6 days later. Now it would take around 10-12 days instead.

Your 36 plane CV DB squadron got shot to pieces? See you in 25 days or so instead of 5.

The teleporting planes are also gone. I remembered when my first batch of 75 P47 arrived in my game with Erik. I simply downgraded them to P39s and 2 days later I had 75 P47s in Burma. This can no longer be done. The planes have to be moved there physically.

As I said I may very well change opinion about PDU OFF as the game progress but right now the only feel I´m getting is that "this is how its supposed to be" feeling. Things are making sense all of the sudden. And at least so far the air war is looking exactly as it does with PDU ON. Tom is kicking my butt in the air war during this critical Japanese expansion phase.

quote:

ORIGINAL: rook749
Won't you be able to move the AVG pilots into those ACUs that just landed in India? Were you able to get some of the Chines force out? They don't get great planes but with PDU Off with supply they should be more effective.

quote:

ASW attack near Belep Islands at 115,152

Japanese Ships
DD Makigumo
DD Kazegumo

Allied Ships
SS O24

quote:

ORIGINAL: BBfanboy

Check the Recon skill on the pilots in that F-4 squadron. I doubt they are very high, and until they train up over 50 in the skill their reports are very suspect.
Having said that, if there really are 100,000 troops at Noumea, I wonder if he is just unloading some ships to reorganize his amphib TFs before he reloads the troops.
My gut feel though is that he canceled an invasion when he saw how much he was facing.

quote:

Ground combat at Paoshan (65,45)

Japanese Shock attack

Attacking force 23452 troops, 311 guns, 64 vehicles, Assault Value = 633

Defending force 15682 troops, 93 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 648

Japanese adjusted assault: 341

Allied adjusted defense: 1981

Japanese assault odds: 1 to 5 (fort level 1)

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

Japanese ground losses:
1596 casualties reported
Squads: 9 destroyed, 291 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 38 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 21 disabled
Guns lost 26 (1 destroyed, 25 disabled)

Allied ground losses:
270 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 30 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 3 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

Assaulting units:
Imperial Guards Division
112th Infantry Regiment
5th Mortar Battalion
3rd Mortar Battalion
3rd Ind. Mountain Gun Regiment
21st Medium Field Artillery Battalion

Defending units:
66th Chinese Corps

quote:

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

Where is the AAR on the Beer? Surely you had better luck there.

quote:

Night Time Surface Combat, near Anatom at 124,161, Range 7,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
DMS W-7, Shell hits 7, and is sunk
PB Ginyo Maru
PB Okuyo Maru #2
SC Ch 24
SC Ch 26, Shell hits 5, and is sunk
AV Kamoi, Shell hits 32, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
AKE San Francisco Maru, Shell hits 1
AKE Zyunyo Maru
AKE Hokko Maru, Shell hits 4, on fire
AKE Yamahagi Maru, Shell hits 1
AKE Ryuyo Maru
AKE Mansei Maru, Shell hits 2
AD Koshu Maru #2
AKE Nagisan Maru, Shell hits 4, on fire
AKE Yosida Maru #1, Shell hits 1
PB Katsuragisan Maru, Shell hits 3, on fire
PB Kaito Maru, Shell hits 5, heavy fires, heavy damage
PB Hitora Maru, Shell hits 6, on fire, heavy damage
PB Genmei Maru, Shell hits 2, and is sunk
PB Tsuneshima Maru, Shell hits 2, on fire, heavy damage

Allied Ships
CL Achilles
CL Perth, Shell hits 1
DD Woodworth
DD Jarvis
DD Gridley
DD McCall
DD Benham
DD Tucker
DD Litchfield

quote:

Morning Air attack on Chittagong , at 55,41

Weather in hex: Light cloud

Raid detected at 59 NM, estimated altitude 34,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 14 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-43-IIa Oscar x 39

Allied aircraft
Hurricane IIb Trop x 33
Hurricane IIc Trop x 11

Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-43-IIa Oscar: 3 destroyed

Allied aircraft losses
Hurricane IIb Trop: 1 destroyed

Aircraft Attacking:
10 x Ki-43-IIa Oscar sweeping at 32000 feet

quote:

Hmm, I will probably have to start expanding all the bases in Hawaii. PH has almost reached SL limits already. Total SL on all Hawaiian island is only around 400k. That sucks. Won´t be enough in 44-46.

quote:

ORIGINAL: Lokasenna

Looks like you burned up some xAKs! All those PBs are sunk, BTW. With that many sinking sounds, you probably heard all 4 go down in successive days/phases. Possible that some of the xAKs had fires go out of control as well.

quote:

ORIGINAL: witpqs


You will find that need sweeps across the Pacific as your forces do. Now you know why IRL the 1st USMC Div spent so much time rebuilding on a crab-infested island!

quote:

ORIGINAL: JocMeister

quote:

ORIGINAL: Lokasenna

Looks like you burned up some xAKs! All those PBs are sunk, BTW. With that many sinking sounds, you probably heard all 4 go down in successive days/phases. Possible that some of the xAKs had fires go out of control as well.

That would be nice!

quote:

ORIGINAL: witpqs


You will find that need sweeps across the Pacific as your forces do. Now you know why IRL the 1st USMC Div spent so much time rebuilding on a crab-infested island!

And if I remember correctly they wern´t were fond of the place. Peleliu was it?

quote:


Ground combat at Chungking (76,45)

Japanese Bombardment attack

Attacking force 8010 troops, 665 guns, 733 vehicles, Assault Value = 1017

Defending force 102109 troops, 151 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 2347

Allied ground losses:
616 casualties reported
Squads: 17 destroyed, 35 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled

quote:

Having the fleet in SOPAC has meant a tremendous strain on fuel. I can´t understand how Tom has kept the KB + all those CAs and BBs running. I hope once the fleet leaves SOPAC I can start building up fuel at various locations.

quote:

ORIGINAL: ny59giants

quote:

Having the fleet in SOPAC has meant a tremendous strain on fuel. I can´t understand how Tom has kept the KB + all those CAs and BBs running. I hope once the fleet leaves SOPAC I can start building up fuel at various locations.

Probably from Tarakan and Balikpapan refineries. When I play Japan, their output of fuel goes to Babeldoab and/or Truk. Maybe some from Japan. I would send about 10 subs to patrol to the west of Truk. Maybe in east to west patrol zones that start about 4 to 6 hexes west of Truk.

It may be late for this game, but I like to build up little Penrhyn Island. The port can go to a 4, but the AF starts at 0(0) that needs to become a size 1 or 2. This allows short legged aircraft to make the trip from Pearl - Johnson - Palmrya - Christmas - Penrhyn - Pago Pago. It can be a relatively safe base for some fuel. Since Canton Island is often captured by Japan, this is a good option, IMO.

Most of your TKs and AOs can make it to Christmas and/or Penrhyn and back to USA without refueling needed. Don't forget to set the TF to "Do Not Refuel."

quote:

ASW attack near Niuafo'ou at 140,162

Japanese Ships
SS I-168

Allied Ships
DD Gridley, Torpedo hits 1, heavy damage
CL Perth
CL Achilles
DD McCall
DD Jarvis
DD Litchfield
DD Tucker
DD Benham

quote:

ORIGINAL: GreyJoy

AFAIK the allied ASW hasn't been nerfed in DBB at all.
I can assure you that in my game with Erik (the same mod as yours with Tom), the allied ASW is as deadly as it could be even in mid 1942.
I've had many many subs losing their battles with low-experienced allied ships like AMs, AVP/Ds and receiving bad hits to force them to get back home for repairs.

quote:

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

I suspect sys damage from probably high speed runs, but the need to conserve fuel is why the CVs are disbanded.

quote:

ORIGINAL: JocMeister

Got a nice little 3500 Euro taxreturn!

Decided I just had to have one of these:
http://www.tweaktown.com/reviews/5629/samsung-840-evo-250gb-ssd-review/index.html

Already running Windows + everything but games on a SSD drive. Now I´ll be able to run AE + tracker straight of a SSD.