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RE: Into The Unknown Taxcutter vs. Ironman

 
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RE: Into The Unknown Taxcutter vs. Ironman - 6/27/2017 3:37:16 PM   
GetAssista

 

Posts: 2732
Joined: 9/19/2009
Status: offline 		Ironman has lots of surprises in the maritime department :) That report was perfectly in line with how stuff happens there

(in reply to jwolf)
Post #: 211
RE: Into The Unknown Taxcutter vs. Ironman - 7/10/2017 2:35:25 PM   
Taxcutter

 

Posts: 389
Joined: 4/4/2016
Status: offline 		July 7, 1943 update:

Starting to get ahead of the 6/43 refits. While these have been going on, I've taken the chance to optimize some aspects of the war.

All of my main logistics hubs are well-stocked and I've moved some smaller cargo ships into the hub ports and relegated my Liberty ships to long-haul duty.

I am getting a handle on air superiority, at least where land-based air is concerned. From an air standpoint the Solomons Sea is my lake. Unescorted bombers pummel Port Moresby, Buna, Rabaul, Torokina, Shortlands and Gasmata. Ironman has a 15-plane fighter sentai at Lae but he is not aggressive with it.


My two stud FGs in Burma seem to be getting the better of Ironman. He still has plenty of Oscars, but the aircrew quality is diminishing. I'm maintaining a pretty steady 5:1 kill ratio on fighters, even though I keep siphoning 30-kill aces into TRACOM. I now have 20 such aces in TRACOM and could double that in a week. I now cn even use Beaufighters as bomber-killers without excessive losses. I have six Beaufighter (day) aces. Probably when newer airframes become available I'll use these guys s the cadre of a more aggressive fighter scheme. For now, I'm stuck with slow-filling pools.

Now that the pool is filling I loaded my FG of P47s and shipped them to the Noumea. I'm not entirely sure what to do with these clumsy, short-legged beasts. Probably top-altitude CAP for now.
Pratt Double Wasps over the Solomons Sea. P47s, Hellcats, and Corsairs.

I've developed two auxiliary air combats TFs. five 18 knot CVEs loaded with fighters were sent via Panama to Aden. I'll use these to help cover convoys into Rangoon when the Burma Road opens.

I loaded up six 16 knot CVEs with fighter and torpedo bombers plus the USS Independence in order to (for now cover) by counter-invasions of Attu and Kiska. Ironman occasionally launches nuisance raids in the Adak area with a force of five CVL and about 80 planes.

Once refits are done I'll use my CV force (now 7xCV) to smash Lae and generally crunch coral around the Solomons Sea to build up carrier plane crew experience. I've lost track of KB again but last time I spotted them KB had 8xCV and his air crew have to have astronomical experience ratings. For now I'll welcome any visits he cares to make into the Solomons Sea with its clouds o fighters

I used some smaller Marine units and picked off the Ellice Islands. In the near future, I have invasions planned at Kiriwina Island, Buna, Torokina, and Shortlnds. Buna will set up a mega-invasion of Port Moresby with the entire Aussie I Corps.

I have seven (sorta-supplied) Indian divisions being down on Rangoon and three big Chinese Corps moving to clear out the northern end of the Burma Road. Ironman's position in Burma is brittle.

In China, Ironman is rolling back some of my over-extended units along the Formosa Straits ports. Machts nichts. They were targets of opportunity taken mostly for nuisance value. at least I'm forcing Ironman to attack against double and triple terrain.

Busy time in the Pacific. After months of a slack tide, I'm beginning to roll.

(in reply to GetAssista)
Post #: 212
RE: Into The Unknown Taxcutter vs. Ironman - 7/10/2017 3:36:08 PM   
jwolf

 

Posts: 2493
Joined: 12/3/2013
Status: offline 		Is the KB fully intact -- that is, have the Japanese lost any carriers? I'm wondering when you could reasonably hope a big carrier battle would go in your favor. If you can lure the KB into your home field, with friendly land fighter cover that would be ideal, but what do you have in mind if they don't come?

(in reply to Taxcutter)
Post #: 213
RE: Into The Unknown Taxcutter vs. Ironman - 7/11/2017 3:08:09 PM   
Taxcutter

 

Posts: 389
Joined: 4/4/2016
Status: offline 		Post #213 raises some valid questions.

For now it looks like Ironman has thrown Rabaul/Lae/Port Moresby to the Yankee wolves. He hoard huge assets in Truk while I pick off one island at a time. I have scads of SeaBees, base forces and short-range fighters. Give me a few months and the Solomons Sea area will be untouchable.

What to do after taking Manaus, etc if Ironman doesn't counter-attack? Moving up the north coast of New Guinea is risky as it exposes me to a quick sortie by the KB, maybe supported by Zeroes and Betties.

From past experience I know the Gilberts and Marshalls are not really defensible. I have enough amphib shipping i can drop four complete Marine divisions plus tanks and combat engineers at a single island unless his augmented KB stops me. So the historical approach still has validity.

In other games (against regular AI) I have surged up into eastern DEI from Darwin, getting into his Borneo oil fields. so fr this has been impossible as he holds Moresby and could interdict the Torres Straits. I don't have an operation in planning to attack PM with the entire Australian I Corps, but I have to seal off the back door a Buna first. Once tht is done I can surge onto those islands east of Darwin. All of them can support at least a level 4 port and level 6 airfield. By doing that I exceed his range and support for land based air. He'd have to commit KB.

Best I can tell Ironman has 8-9 CVs. I think my subs got on after Midway. I currently have 7 CV working together. USS Independence is currently reinforcing my Aleutians support force. I get some more more Essex class carrier this year but their air crews ain't ll that sharp. I intend to do some coral crunching to increase the air groups' experience level. By March 1944 I'll be strong enough to go island to island looking for KB.

< Message edited by Taxcutter -- 7/11/2017 3:11:47 PM >

(in reply to jwolf)
Post #: 214
RE: Into The Unknown Taxcutter vs. Ironman - 7/11/2017 5:47:02 PM   
jwolf

 

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Status: offline 		The problem with the Gilberts and Marshalls is that you need good prep for each landing you do. If you also need a lot of force then that slows down operations to a crawl. There is a bootstrap sort of effect once you make some progress, but it is still slow if the opposition is robust and has the potential for KB support among other things.

I like your term "coral crunching" for training your carriers.

(in reply to Taxcutter)
Post #: 215
RE: Into The Unknown Taxcutter vs. Ironman - 7/11/2017 8:41:19 PM   
BBfanboy


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Joined: 8/4/2010
From: Winnipeg, MB
Status: offline 		Coral crunching - best done with bombs, not carrier hulls ...

_____________________________

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 jwolf)
Post #: 216
RE: Into The Unknown Taxcutter vs. Ironman - 7/12/2017 2:22:45 PM   
Taxcutter

 

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Status: offline 		Re: Post #214

"Coral crunching" as a game term harks back to the days of Pacific War - the old MSDOS ancestor of WitP-AE. Late 1980s, early 1990s. Played on a 486.

(in reply to BBfanboy)
Post #: 217
RE: Into The Unknown Taxcutter vs. Ironman - 7/17/2017 4:46:57 PM   
Taxcutter

 

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Joined: 4/4/2016
Status: offline 		July 18, 1943 update

I left a Sea Bee battalion, an AV and an AM plus a squadron of catalinas to watch into the Gilberts and lower Marshalls.

Also my Australian commandos liberated Terauki on the cheap. Again, nobody home. Again, I left an AVD nd six Aussie Catalinas to scope out the northern NG bases.

I also sent Aussie commandos to visit the base in the middle of the southern coast of NG, but this time Ironman had a reception committee - a brigade of IJ infantry. fortunately he did not immediately counterattack and I got my commandos out with minimal losses.

As I re-form and refuel my warships at Noumea, I sent most of my transports to Brisbane to load the 24th ID and a battalion of tanks. Objective: Kiriwina Island. Recon shows 4000 men at the island. My fully-prepped force attacking out of APAs and LSTs should handle these guys fairly quickly. I've had my (not terribly experienced) Marine Dauntlesses crunching coral at Kiriwina. By time invasion forces land, I should have the air base flattened and the port at least 75% reduced.

I have another US Army division and some tanks and combat engineers set to get ashore a Buna. Recon shows 10,000 men at Buna. Once ashore, I have 20 battlions of artillery set to land. I had good luck using artillery at Guadalcanal. There the garrison thumbed its nose at my Marines but once all those guns got to wok the battle was over (40,000 man garrison) in five days. I want to attritte this garrison down before I make my main attack. I want to minimize the bunch that retreats into the Owen Stanleys. If i can drive them toward Milne Bay rather than PM or Salamauea I can bottle them up and let them starve the rest of the war. I have the entire Australian I Corps prepped to assault PM.

I have multi-divisional forces prepped for Bougainville and Green Island. I have short-range planes pummeling those islands now.

Three of my subs are claiming hits on a CVL - either Shoho or Zuiho. Nothing confirmed. Sub war around Japn going well. 4-8 hits reports per day.

War in Burma is going OK. I have beaten down his Oscars (going 5200 deep into his pool). He still has planes but the pilot quality is poor. I'm shooting down steady 7:1. I'm relieving my P-40Ks with Hurris and a single squadron of Spit Vs. P-40K production is drying up and I'll convert some squadrons to P-40N variants. Against Ironman, air war means managing your replacement pools. Against stock AI, the Japanese have rolled over and died in the air by this time. Not so with Ironman.

Saburo Sakai and his super-sentai are still at Lae and as even CAP are burning up a (EXP=63) Corsair squadron and B-25D1s. When I land up that way I'll have my carriers pay them a visit.

(in reply to Taxcutter)
Post #: 218
RE: Into The Unknown Taxcutter vs. Ironman - 7/17/2017 10:57:36 PM   
BBfanboy


Posts: 18046
Joined: 8/4/2010
From: Winnipeg, MB
Status: offline 		Defeated troops will retreat along a supply path to the nearest friendly base. If Milne Bay is Japanese, there is a chance they will go that way but if it is Allied they will not.

Did you have those Corsairs acting as escort for those B-25s? That handicaps them severely and they are much to valuable to lose that way. Use Corsairs to sweep and put P-39s or P-40s on escort.

_____________________________

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 Taxcutter)
Post #: 219
RE: Into The Unknown Taxcutter vs. Ironman - 7/18/2017 3:29:32 PM   
Taxcutter

 

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Status: offline 		Milne Bay is held by the Japanese. It is one of my planned "self-supporting prison camps."

Perhaps what I need to do is grab the base just to the west. I think it is unoccupied. If I do his shortest path is toward Milne Bay. If I can get the Buna and PM garrisons to retreat toward Milne Bay, I'll have 60,000 men penned up and out of supply.

Right now the closest base I have to Buna is Woodlark Island which is too far for P-40E fighters. Corsairs reach. Ironman is using Zeros out of Lae on LRCAP, but so far I can't entice him to come up and play with a sweep. For now I have some stood down B-17F squadrons at 40% strength with a squadron of P-38Gs (which have been OK escorts), but my longer term approach is have the CV fleet visit with hundreds of Hellcats and blast Lae to bits. Once I get Kiriwina, all my fighters can escort all the way to Buna.

My British engineers at Ramree Island are making no progress at all. Salt water crocs must be eating my elephants.

(in reply to BBfanboy)
Post #: 220
RE: Into The Unknown Taxcutter vs. Ironman - 7/26/2017 2:08:25 PM   
Taxcutter

 

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Joined: 4/4/2016
Status: offline 		Not enough to justify an update beyond the fact that 7 x CV visited Lae and I cleared the decks smashing that base.

I don't know if my hundreds of Hellcats killed Saburo Sakai, but he doesn't do business anymore at Lae. Airfiled damage level 100.

I've now assigned B-17Es to keeping that base suppressed?

Anybody got any idea why AI sends TKs to thinly held front-line bases? I don't let my tankers within 500 miles of anything I consider dangerous to takers.

Definitely tankers. My CLs caught and polished off tankers caught at Lae and Kiska. I do bring AOs but they are protected in a convoy thick enough to dicourage anythin up to and including KB.

Mega-Malta convoys for oilers that close.

(in reply to Taxcutter)
Post #: 221
RE: Into The Unknown Taxcutter vs. Ironman - 7/26/2017 3:16:32 PM   
BBfanboy


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

ORIGINAL: Taxcutter

Not enough to justify an update beyond the fact that 7 x CV visited Lae and I cleared the decks smashing that base.

I don't know if my hundreds of Hellcats killed Saburo Sakai, but he doesn't do business anymore at Lae. Airfiled damage level 100.

I've now assigned B-17Es to keeping that base suppressed?

Anybody got any idea why AI sends TKs to thinly held front-line bases? I don't let my tankers within 500 miles of anything I consider dangerous to takers.

Definitely tankers. My CLs caught and polished off tankers caught at Lae and Kiska. I do bring AOs but they are protected in a convoy thick enough to dicourage anythin up to and including KB.

Mega-Malta convoys for oilers that close.

The AI is weak on assessment of threats. All it knows is that one of its bases has fallen short on its fuel requirements so it will keep sending tankers until that need is filled. Sort of the same AI thing as sending waves of amphib TFs to be smashed by your forces just because a base is on its target list.

_____________________________

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 Taxcutter)
Post #: 222
RE: Into The Unknown Taxcutter vs. Ironman - 7/31/2017 5:05:59 PM   
Taxcutter

 

Posts: 389
Joined: 4/4/2016
Status: offline 		August 1, 1943 Update

Playing my butt off but thing sometimes move slowly.

24th Division overwhelmed Kiriwina. Lots (2x Army regt + 5 SeaBee) of engineers present and scads of supply, but they have lot to do expanding airfield/port. I have a naval base force and some P-40N25s present. Assault forces and much tranports are headed for Brisbane.

Lae and Rabaul are wrecked. The Solomon Sea is indeed my pond now.

Recon found Salamaea thinly garrisoned. Am cooking up a small landing to grab it before thrashing Buna. I want to attrite then drive the Buna garrison toward the Milne Bay self-supporting prison camp. I have the entire Australian I Corps planned to assault Port Moresby (mainly for VP).

I planning for an indirect assault on Lae (take Finschaven first.) Once Lae is taken I may chase them back toward Madang, but that’s it. I’ll put some sort of garrison force (Australian II Corps or NZ units.)

Recon found weakness at Umboi and Gasmata. South Pacific HQ is planning hasty attacks, but soon as transports get inform Kiriwina I have four divisions fully planned for Bougainville.

Longer term once Bougainville, Gsmata and Umboi are mine I’ll pick off Buka and Green islands at my leisure. Then get on south end of New Ireland and march up to Kavieng.

Hopefully by end of game-year I’ll have Kavieng, Manaus, and Madang. Then I’ll put the Solomons region on the defensive. I’ll transfer all my Marines to Hawaii for a Central Pacific campaign.

I’ll then shift my SW Pacific forces through the Torres Straits and start nabbing the islands NE of Darwin with an eye to clearing the Vogelkopf peninsula, Morotai, and Celebes and essentially depriving Ironman of the Tarakan/Balikpapan oil.

I have a regiment and a tank battalion ashore at Kiska and his garrison is minimal but Airedale recon shows 5500 men at Attu.

Still no sign of KB or any significant surface forces, but recon shows 500+ fighters and 700+ bombers at Truk.

(in reply to BBfanboy)
Post #: 223
RE: Into The Unknown Taxcutter vs. Ironman - 7/31/2017 5:55:11 PM   
Taxcutter

 

Posts: 389
Joined: 4/4/2016
Status: offline 		Supplement to update: Where stuff is.

Where you stand depends on where you sit and maybe a little info on dispositions is in order.

Ships

Carriers:
Seven CVs (with CLAA and Fletchers as escorts) operating in Solomon Sea currently crunching coral at Bougainville to train up my attack plane crews.

One Essex class CV and one CVL enroute from Panama.

One CVL and five 16-knot CVEs (one damaged) operating in Aleutian waters (for now).

One CVL at Pearl.

Two 16-knot CVE in replenishment TF in port at Noumea.

Two 18 knot CVE (loaded with fighters only) at Noumea.

Two 19-knot and two 18-knot USN CVE at Aden loaded up with FM-1 Mildcats and one squadron of Hellcats (typically mid 60s EXP). I am anticipating using this as an escort force for supply runs to Burma and later Burma Road convoys.

HMS Victorious at Cape Town due soon for withdrawal. HMS Hermes (no air wing) at Aden.


Battleships:
28-knot BB all under Lee accompanying my USN CVs in Solomon Sea. All refits up to date.

Slow BB all at Adak supporting Aleutian ops for now. All refits up to date.

British BB all at Cape Town with withdrawal in sight.

Heavy Cruisers
One CA with Kiriwina invasion force.

One Baltimore-class CA enroute to Noumea from Panama.

Rest of USN CA operating in bombardment TFs out of Lunga and Noumea.

British CAs all swinging around the hook at Colombo.

Light cruisers
Brooklyn-class CLs blockading Lae. Cleveland-class CL blockading Green Island.
All four remaining Omaha class CLs escorting convoys between SF and Pearl. Ironman may still have AMC operating in the hole in my patrol coverage.

British “C,” “D,” and “E” class CLs at Capetown awaiting withdrawal.
Modern CL at Columbo.

Destroyers
Fletcher-class becoming ubiquitous. Refitted up to 292 AAA value they are the ‘cans that go in where Ironmans planes might be. Most everything else relegated to ASW or invasion escort duty.

No US DD operating as blockaders…yet.

British DD all on ASW duty on Indian Ocean.

Dutch CLs and DDs escorting supply convoys into Perth.

Submarines:
All Gato and subsequent classes heavily involved in strategic blockade of Japan. All re up-to-date but I have a 8/43 radar refit due every one of these subs. I’ve spent big PP getting the most aggressive skippers I can into this campaign and it is working. I’ve hit (sunk? maybe) two CV and have massacred merchant shipping. He really can’t route away from me because I know where his cities are (duh). Trick is to keep super aggressive skippers like Dealy and Morton in deep water so they can evade ASW. They tend to approach right up a victim’s shaft alley before firing. They certainly get hits but they spend a lot of time limping beat-up submarines to Pearl. All these boats currently operate out of Midway. This activity has been so busy, I have trouble keeping enough torpedoes at Midway.

My pre-Gato class subs are currently operating out of Darwin, Brisbane, and Noumea, but I am recalling them getting ready to move them into Darwin to flood the eastern part of the DEI and South China Sea. These boats do not have the high-aggression skippers my “Japan Blockade” boats have but they are all 65+ aggression. I’ve used these a lot in my Solomons/Eastern New Guinea campaign and they need refits – particularly radar.

All my “S” boats are split between Midway and Adak. About half are due to be withdrawn and they have less aggressive skippers. There is even one “S” boat off Hokkaido. They’ll all eventually wind up operating in the Java Sea.

All my Dutch subs at Carnarvon, making a nuisance of themselves in the Java Sea, off Singapore, and off Palembang. They do what they can but they are short-legged and hard to send very far.

My three British subs are operating out of Colombo and operate mostly in the Malacca Straits. Occasionally they get lucky but again, short legs limits their use.

(in reply to Taxcutter)
Post #: 224
RE: Into The Unknown Taxcutter vs. Ironman - 7/31/2017 6:44:54 PM   
jwolf

 

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quote:

Then I’ll put the Solomons region on the defensive. I’ll transfer all my Marines to Hawaii for a Central Pacific campaign.


Note that the Marshalls, and certainly anything east (edit: oops I mean west) of there, are closer to the Solomons than they are to Hawaii. So, as long as you have some good bases in the Solomon Sea area (Tulagi, Shortlands) then it makes more sense IMHO to leave your ground troops there and ship in supplies and fuel as needed. Then load up your amph TFs from the Solomons for the ops in the CenPac.

< Message edited by jwolf -- 7/31/2017 6:46:24 PM >

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Post #: 225
RE: Into The Unknown Taxcutter vs. Ironman - 7/31/2017 6:47:32 PM   
Taxcutter

 

Posts: 389
Joined: 4/4/2016
Status: offline 		Supplement to update: Where stuff is.

Aircraft

Fighters

This game’s air war has been dominated by the carnage on the Burma Front. Ironman’s number and resilience makes it hard to keep fighter squadrons up to strength. On the Burma Front I’ve had to eschew escorting bombers. Fighters here are still totally defensive although I’m starting to provoke Ironman with small supply convoys under furious fighter cover.

Mostly the Burma air battle has been between two USAAC fighter groups – the 23rd and the 51st flying first P-40E and now P-40K airframes – and eight RAF squadrons flying various marks of Hurricanes. I have one squadron of Spitfire V but no replacement pool so I’m very cautious with them.

I’ve gone through over a thousand P-40s and have killed over 6,000 Oscars over Burma. The place will make a helluva aluminum mine after the war. By keeping my fighter range at zero, shot down pilots have a good chance of getting back onto the flight line fairly quickly. No so for Ironman. So my fighter pilots get better and better. I’ve lost track of how many 30 kill aces I have. 95+ air and overall EXP are common. 70 EXP and five kills and you are still a noob in those squadrons. Ironman’s Oscar drivers are diminishing in quality. I’m running about a 6:1 kill ratio (fighter v fighter) and even my two Beaufighter day fighter-bomber squadrons now have double aces. That I’ve been pressed into using Beaufighters for day CAP tells you how tough the fighting has been.

All of my P-40K pool goes to those two FG. Same with the latest Hurricanes.

I have a FG of seventy-five P-40N1 at Capetown ready to sail to India. These short-legged but nimble variants should help polish off Ironman in the Burma sector.

In Australia, I have a FG of P-38G and one of P-38H. These are my best long range escorts and I baby them as they don’t have much of a replacement pool. I’m trying to load them up with high 70 and low 80 EXP pilots. They do have to go downrange and might not come back.

One thing about the war of attrition in Burma is that my USAAC fighter reserve is hip-deep in 80+ and 70+ EXP fighter pilots that I can move round to leaven green squadrons.

I have three squadrons of P-47B soon to reach Brisbane.

USAAC fighters in the Solomon sea area are all P-39D, all couple squadrons of P-39N, many P-40E, a few P-40B. they fought hard in early 1942 but since my Midway battle they’ve mostly killed a few Betties and strafed a lot.

The short legs of the P-40s and P-39s has forced me to use Corsairs as escorts. They aren’t that bad but that one sentai at Lae was giving them fits. Ironman had put some real quality pilots in there. My carrier Hellcats (EXP 73+) went in by the hundreds and that sentai got them for a 1:3 kill ratio. Fortunately that sentai is out of business.

Many of my training squadrons are using P-400s.

Otherwise my Marine Mildcats are not overly experienced as they have just been flying island CAP.
Navy
All of my CV air groups are up to date in either F6F-3 Hellcats, SBD-5 and SBC-4 divebombers and TBFs. Since Ironman’s KB won’t come out and play (since Midway in 6/42) and I won’t get near his mega hornet’s nest at Truk, I simply haven’t gotten a lot of EXP built up. 75+ for fighters and 68-7- for attack planes.


Bombers
Four-engined

I have two Bomb Groups of B-25D1 at Calcutta. They augment my air war by occasionally bombing Ironman’s airfield at Mandalay. These plnes can defend themselves fairly well and losses have been light but after 3-4 days of missions I have to let my mechanics have a chance to patch ‘em up of I’m flying two-plane squadrons. The replacement pool has kept up but my aircrew EXP is nothing to write home about.

I have three B-24D1 Bomb groups in Australia. I use them for coral crunching to build up EXP but until I’m ready to have it out with Truk I’ve been conservative of air crew and air frames.

I have two squadrons of Liberator IIs at Calcutta. They are committed just like the US B-24s.

I have a four-plane squadron of B-17D still flying search out of Midway. I wish I had some more.

Twin engine.
I have four Bomb Groups of B-25C, two of B-25D1 and some short squadrons of B-26 variants all in the Solomon Sea area. The B-25Cs and B-25D1, are most ground support and are used to keep airfields suppressed. The B-26s are used as high-altitude coral crunchers because pools are at zero and I have no upgrades in sight.

I actually have three squadrons of B-18 operating in the Aleutians. They are very short with maybe ten planes altogether.


Single engine
All my land-based divebombers ae still the short-legged SBD-3. I’ve been using them to support invasions at Woodlark and Kiriwina Island. Now I’m shifting them to Vella Lavella to support the upcoming invasion of Bougainville. I’ll mix in one land-based TBD squadron.

Pretty much everything else is routine patrol, ASW and training missions.

(in reply to Taxcutter)
Post #: 226
RE: Into The Unknown Taxcutter vs. Ironman - 7/31/2017 6:53:02 PM   
Taxcutter

 

Posts: 389
Joined: 4/4/2016
Status: offline 		Until I have it out with KB and Truk (on my terms) I'm not too anxious to get anything soft anywhere near Truk as it is no doubt loaded with Betties and Zeros and my CV fighter EXP is not overwhelmingly good.

I'm thinking of aping Schussel by nabbing Eniwetok before grabbing Kwaj. That would put it out of land based Zero range from Truk.

(in reply to jwolf)
Post #: 227
RE: Into The Unknown Taxcutter vs. Ironman - 7/31/2017 6:58:53 PM   
jwolf

 

Posts: 2493
Joined: 12/3/2013
Status: offline 		What I found with the Marshalls was that getting the first base (in my case, Wotje) was very hard. But after that, each subsequent op was easier and easier. The Japanese AI had significant air power at Roi-Namur, Ailinglaplap, and Maloelap and it took me a long time before I could suppress it all.

(in reply to Taxcutter)
Post #: 228
RE: Into The Unknown Taxcutter vs. Ironman - 8/2/2017 2:55:01 PM   
Taxcutter

 

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Joined: 4/4/2016
Status: offline 		I have found that to be true in the past, even against regular AI. I even got completely repulsed once. (Too soon, not enough shipping).

Like Schussel, I have often found Eniwetok lightly held by AI.

(in reply to jwolf)
Post #: 229
RE: Into The Unknown Taxcutter vs. Ironman - 8/2/2017 3:08:02 PM   
Taxcutter

 

Posts: 389
Joined: 4/4/2016
Status: offline 		Shifting gears and directions.

I’m no longer hanging on by my fingernails. I’ve pretty much won the air war in Burma and in the Solomon Sea. Time to get aggressive.

I’ve got invasions being planned for everything I want to take in New Guinea and the Solomons. My plan is to leave Ironman self-supporting prison camps at Tulagi, Milne By, and Rabaul and establish big air bases within P-38 range of Truk.

While SW Pacific still has work to do in Buna and Lae, I’m beginning to move toward a big logistics base at Darwin.

I have plenty of BF at Darwin to support hundreds of planes. I’ve moved two squadrons of Spitfires in and have two more coming plus a squadron of P-47Bs. Ironman visits Darwin every other day with a dozen or so unescorted Betties. For some reason, Spitfires (though murder on Zeroes) don’t seem to kill Betties very well. Maybe my P-47s will do better.

I’m moving small xAK and xAKL toward Brisbane and Rockhampton to pick up supply to move to Darwin. I need a half-million supply before I go on a serious offensive.

(in reply to Taxcutter)
Post #: 230
RE: Into The Unknown Taxcutter vs. Ironman - 8/2/2017 3:18:20 PM   
jwolf

 

Posts: 2493
Joined: 12/3/2013
Status: offline 		In my game the AI has sent unescorted Betties against Darwin almost every day. Typical raid: 15 Betty vs. about 50 fighters at various altitudes. Typical result: 1 Betty down. What happens is there is a bit of air skirmishing, but once the first Betty gets zapped, the rest flee. So when you say that the Spitfires "don't seem to kill Betties very well" I suspect that is what is happening.

(in reply to Taxcutter)
Post #: 231
RE: Into The Unknown Taxcutter vs. Ironman - 8/9/2017 3:14:03 PM   
Taxcutter

 

Posts: 389
Joined: 4/4/2016
Status: offline 		General update.

Game sorta crawling along in mid-August 1943.

Ironman has apparently conceded the Solomons, New Britain, New Ireland, and eastern New Guinea to me without much of a fight beyond his ground pounders. Most puzzling. He has more aircraft in Truk than the V and XIII Air Forces and Navy/Marine air groups in the area could handle. KB and his surface forces are more or less intact.

Now that Lae and Rabaul have been neutralized I am using the entire theater as a training ground. I have scads of bomber air crew trained little better than replacements (EXP~35). I address that with a lot of routine coral crunching. Shortlands, Torokina, Gasmata, Buna, Finschaven catch daily attacks by bombers of every description. I still have (short-handed) B-26 squadrons bombing away. When the pools are shallow, I keep the altitudes high. I’m not even bothering with escort anymore. These five bases have 40-60 airfield damage and PM, Lae, and Rabaul are 100% rubblized. I’m bombing so much that keeping bases like Rossel islands, and Vella Lavella adequately supplied keeps me busy.

My hub-and-spoke logistics system uses Brisbane and Noumea as terminals for my long-haul ships (mostly Liberty ships). I keep older, smaller xAKs in-theater for terminal-to-active base delivery. I am hip-deep in (ASW=4) AMs so my delivery convoys are well-escorted although Ironman’s subs are getting to be fewer and father between.

In the next game-week, I’ll hit Bougainville. I have four divisions (2xUSMC, 2xUSArmy) prepped for Bougainville. I have enough amphibious shipping to put them down with supply in a single day. Ironman does not have enough to repel them so it’s only a matter of time. I also have South Pacific divisions prepping for Buka and Gasmata.

On New Guinea, the next stop is Salamauea. It is thinly garrisoned and I can use it to seal off the Buna garrison from Lae. My intention is to herd the retreating units toward the Milne Bay Self-Supporting Prison Camp. I really don’t want to fight against strong forces in the Owen Stanleys. Once I get Buna retreated and the routes west out of PM covered I already have the entire I Aus Corps prepped for PM. Once again, if I can get them to retreat toward Milne Bay, they will be right where I want them. They can starve in the jungle and be target practice for rookie bomber aircrew til the Emperor orders them to surrender.

It is a job getting this machine into a higher tempo mode. Shipping is still the limiter.

(in reply to GetAssista)
Post #: 232
RE: Into The Unknown Taxcutter vs. Ironman - 8/9/2017 7:25:53 PM   
BBfanboy


Posts: 18046
Joined: 8/4/2010
From: Winnipeg, MB
Status: offline 		Not so strange that Ironman seems to be sitting on his naval and air forces rather than committing them to challenge you. The AI can only follow scripts which describe Ironman's initial/secondary targets and dates plus some raiding behaviour.

After this initial wave of scripts has been used and the "defend until " date has expired on the captured bases, it does not have a way of analyzing your moves and figuring out a counter-move - there are just too many variables to program that. So it waits at the next set of bases with a still-valid defend date and waits for them to be threatened.

As you put it, the Ironman scripts have written off the areas you are attacking now.

_____________________________

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 Taxcutter)
Post #: 233
RE: Into The Unknown Taxcutter vs. Ironman - 8/9/2017 8:34:08 PM   
Andy Mac

 

Posts: 15222
Joined: 5/12/2004
From: Alexandria, Scotland
Status: offline 		preservation of force.....

(in reply to BBfanboy)
Post #: 234
RE: Into The Unknown Taxcutter vs. Ironman - 8/9/2017 8:34:48 PM   
Andy Mac

 

Posts: 15222
Joined: 5/12/2004
From: Alexandria, Scotland
Status: offline 		I am learning many things from this thread and game.....

(in reply to Andy Mac)
Post #: 235
RE: Into The Unknown Taxcutter vs. Ironman - 8/14/2017 3:36:25 PM   
Taxcutter

 

Posts: 389
Joined: 4/4/2016
Status: offline 		Update August 14, 1943

Biggest development is that the invasion fleet from Noumea has set sail for Torokina. I had enough amphib shipping to one-day drop the entire 1st Marine Division plus 1st Raiders, plus 1st Para Bn, plus two battalions of Marine Armor, plus 1st Marine Artillery Bn, a regiment of combat engineers, and marine engineer unit (in case I get lucky. Recon shows about 8,000 men there. I assume well-fortified although their supply might not be all that hot since I’ve been bombing the bejeebers out of them for three weeks.

All I really expect is to get a toe-hold Ironman can’t boot me out of. I’ve sent lots of supply and I’ll follow up with an AKA force to further bolster supply. I have another whole Marine division plus auxiliaries prepped for the same beach. Two augmented Marine divisions should do the job.

My escort is a little light as I have some repairs needed, but I haven’t seem Ironman out here for a while and the force will always be under strong land-based fighter cover. Escort got lightened up a little more when a sub got a torpedo into the transitting Lexington II. (FLT= 33 She’ll be in the yard for a while.) The escorts crushed the sub but that is cold comfort for losing an Essex for 3+ months.

In Burma, I’ve essentially won the air battle of Akyab. My P-40K groups are stable for now even though I siphon off any 30 kill ace for TRACOM. TRACOM now has eighteen 30 kill aces stashed there. In addition I have a fighter group (RXP=70) of P-40N en route. Maybe I can get built up enough to initiate offensive action. I have my whole P-40K and P-40N pools committed to this sector.

Three Indian divisions plus armor and artillery have engaged one RTA division just outside Rangoon. Supply is still spotty but one out of three days I can run up 2:1 odds. If I can take this hex, I’m gonna try to slide SE to Pegu and isolate Rangoon.

I took a while to sift through my CONUS air groups. There are lot of them I’ll never get my hot little hands on so I’ve been transferring their better pilots (65+ EXP for fighters and 50+ EXP for bombers) and ‘repay’ the units with (EXP=30) replacements they can send to the ETO.

I’ve coughed up some PP and sent a bunch of RAAF planes to Woodlark Island to crunch coral (Gasmata for now) to build up some EXP.

Now is the time to ponder longer-term plans.

(in reply to Andy Mac)
Post #: 236
RE: Into The Unknown Taxcutter vs. Ironman - 8/15/2017 1:53:24 PM   
Taxcutter

 

Posts: 389
Joined: 4/4/2016
Status: offline 		One thing I've learned is that in these campaign games, personnel management matters.

By stuffing my beleagered fighter groups with high-experience pilots I've managed to hang on in defiance of minimal replacement pools.

By spending beaucoup political points on highly aggressive sub skippers you can somewhat overcome the poor torpedo performance of early war US subs. But don't assign highly aggressive sub skippers patrol areas in shallow waters. Leave the shallow waters to the (EXP=60) skippers.

Spending some PP on skippers with high naval and aggressiveness ratings to destroyers mostly results in more sunk enemy submarines.

Good LCU leaders matter once you good on the offensive.

(in reply to Taxcutter)
Post #: 237
RE: Into The Unknown Taxcutter vs. Ironman - 8/15/2017 4:59:01 PM   
BBfanboy


Posts: 18046
Joined: 8/4/2010
From: Winnipeg, MB
Status: offline 		Concur with your thoughts on this.

_____________________________

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 Taxcutter)
Post #: 238
RE: Into The Unknown Taxcutter vs. Ironman - 8/21/2017 4:48:15 PM   
Taxcutter

 

Posts: 389
Joined: 4/4/2016
Status: offline 		Update Aug. 20, 1943

Action at Bougainville. I have the First Marine Division (heavily reinforced) set up on the beach at Torokina with lots of supply. Next turn, I’ll start probing his position. So far he’s just showing a flak unit and an independent mixed brigade. Airfield and port have been flattened by two weeks relentless Dauntless attacks. Soon as my attack transports unload, I’ll return to Noumea and pick up two doggie divisions to hit Shortlands. I also have eight battalions of artillery on the way.

I have Lexington II limping to Sydney (FLT=30, ENG=28) at eight knots with nine strong escorts. She caught a fish inbound to Suva from a IJN sub. The sub got sunk but now she be in the yards for some time.

I’ve turned the northern end of the Solomon Sea into a bombing range. Everything of note is getting hammered and my low EXP bombers are getting better – slowly.

I have two fully prepped invasions (Shortlands and Port Moresby) and six partially prepped invasions (Salamauea, Buna, Umboi Island, Gasmata, Buka, and Green Islands) partially (40+) prepped.

Truk remains untouchable with 500+ fighters and 800+ bombers. I did goad Ironman into flying out. I had 6 Clevelands raid Kavieng to kill off some shipping and Ironman sent four raids of 25 Betties. Result: 11 shot-down Betties.

I have no idea where KB is. They might be steaming up Chesapeake Bay for all I know.

I’ve begun getting well-escorted convoys into Darwin. Three (60,000+ tons) in the last week. No more daylight Betty raids into Darwin against my shipping. Two Spit V squadrons and 75 P-47B with EXP=70 aircrew. The base for upcoming campaign in eastern DEI will build up nicely. I have the eastern and southern Pacific full of Liberty ships bound for my intermediate base at Rockhampton.

I gave up on tactical subs in the Solomon Sea and am moving all my Asiatic Fleet pre-Gato boats to Darwin as logistics allow. I’ll flood the South China Sea and other tanker routes with them.

In Burma I have driven to the outskirts of Rangoon. My next move will veer SE to Pegu to isolate Rangoon (at least by land). Supply is marginal, but so far, so good. I have the field at Prome fixed up and have a 36 plane BF on it but no planes.

Production of P-40Ks has apparently ended. I have the 23rd FG back at Calcutta and I’m upgrading them to P-47B. For that group, I’ll stay with P-47B for the time being. Once I get them refitted, I’ll repeat with the 51st FG but I may try to stay with remaining P-40Ks.

Reinforcements are coming. The 80th FG (P-40N1) are in transports off Socotra Island as I write. With EXP=70 pilots these should be interesting. Two less guns and a bit less internal tankage makes these planes faster and more maneuverable. What the heck? I’ve been playing point defense for the whole war in this sector.

I also have three squadrons of Marine F4U-1s chopped to the Tenth AF, but they just left the East Coast USA and should be six weeks from Karachi.

Also I shifted a USN CVE squadron (4xCVE) loaded primarily with fighters. These are to provide in-transit escort of supply convoys into Rangoon. For now they are gonna run into Akyab. Air wings are a mixed bag (1xF6F-3, 2xF4F, and 1xFM-1). Pools are deep but I don’t know how well they will feed in in India.

Turns (crippled by Windows 10) are taking three and a half hours. I hate to see what they will need in 1944.

(in reply to GetAssista)
Post #: 239
RE: Into The Unknown Taxcutter vs. Ironman - 8/21/2017 4:58:03 PM   
Taxcutter

 

Posts: 389
Joined: 4/4/2016
Status: offline 		As a foot note, I have finally found a use for PG units with ASW=0. Blockading by-passed islands.

I have Soerabaja blockading Tulagi and Warrego blockading Milne Bay. Warrego sank two LB and chased off four more. Evacuation/resupply was tantalizingly close for the garrison.

Now, if I can just get the Port Moresby and Buna garrisons driven into the Milne Bay pocket I can strike a major blow against obesity in Japanese men.

Anybody got any experience with kamikaze thresholds? In past games (against regular AI) kamikazes seem to trigger when I took a base in the Philippines.

Will any base in Borneo, Java, or Celebes trigger kamikazes? How about Paramushiro?

(in reply to Taxcutter)
Post #: 240
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