Slitherine

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ORIGINAL: Alpha77

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ORIGINAL: mind_messing

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To me it all about air power. I don't want any type of surface combat!

This should be your motto as Japan.

In my current game, I had a series of engagements around Palembang where a IJN crack CA force was facing off against Allied DDs.

Nearly all of the engagements were Japanese wins or at best draws, but the Allies could afford to throw DD after DD against the CA's, and eventually attrition and accumulated damage forced them off.

It's a good illustration that the only way to win the surface combat game as Japan is not to play. As Japan you don't want to fight Allied surface ships with your own, you want to get the juicy amphib ships loaded with troops...

How do you protect bases against bombardements ? I found you need to get a good surface fleet there, it seems mines and coast arty does not work. And subs,mini subs mostly not. Perhaps masses of PTs (but Japan has none only late gets some). I already read the thread about it, also it suggest night search/attack, but the bombardement TFs rush in and out. Only if they are slowed down you might get a shot from the air (eg. if they are damaged, but this damage will mostly be delivered by own SF fleets protecting the base, only with much luck you might get a torp or mine hit)..

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ORIGINAL: Alpha77

No KB at this time there....

... and Allies have ca. 150 fighters at Kira and 130-140 or more on Ndeni plus 200 or so bombers/aux planes (I dont want to send any ships near these air concentrations in day light, you perhaps?).

... and btw read more in the AAR except the torps failing also the fatser TF arrived after the slower one (departure was for both Tassa), as well noticed nothing of the huge battle with dozends of ships on fire in the night And was surprised LOL IJN is blind, dumb and deaf.

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ORIGINAL: Alpha77

No KB at this time there....

... and Allies have ca. 150 fighters at Kira and 130-140 or more on Ndeni plus 200 or so bombers/aux planes (I dont want to send any ships near these air concentrations in day light, you perhaps?).

... and btw read more in the AAR except the torps failing also the fatser TF arrived after the slower one (departure was for both Tassa), as well noticed nothing of the huge battle with dozends of ships on fire in the night And was surprised LOL IJN is blind, dumb and deaf.

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ORIGINAL: SheperdN7

I used to really not like even building Yamato but after I learned that they are great in massive 20-25 ship SC TF's I have learned to love them.


Don't know why I see people using them in 8 ships TF's honestly makes a lot more sense to put them with a big fleet and to slug away at opposing forces.

Save the small TF's for hit and runs with CL's and DD's

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ORIGINAL: SheperdN7

The fact that when combined, they have 18 of the most powerful guns in the game is enough for me to build them.

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ORIGINAL: Encircled

Don't think I've ever built them in my games as Japan.

VP magnets

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ORIGINAL: SheperdN7

Don't know why I see people using them in 8 ships TF's honestly makes a lot more sense to put them with a big fleet and to slug away at opposing forces.

Save the small TF's for hit and runs with CL's and DD's

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ORIGINAL: cavalry

Thanks yes - more 25mm mean nothing - I never notice any difference, there probably should or maybe some maybe the game is at error or maybe something else. I guess the only effective gun is the 5 inch and the 3.9.

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ORIGINAL: Alpha77

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ORIGINAL: SheperdN7

Don't know why I see people using them in 8 ships TF's honestly makes a lot more sense to put them with a big fleet and to slug away at opposing forces.

Save the small TF's for hit and runs with CL's and DD's

Yes but the big sized TFs do not work well for IJN, as pointed out by several ppl not only in this thread. See the Kongo battle which was a big powerful TFs and they were lousy (for other reasons perhaps too). The smaller one worked indeed better as I corrected mistakes (even if the CO seems tohave no big influence to close or not). At least they dealed out some serious (gun)damage and most ships survived, contrary to the other fleet.

Well obviously I used the wrong moonlight % tho, as ppl also pointed out.
But does not matter it helped to decide to stop Mushashi and accelerate more useful stuff (CV,DD)

I wanted to stop using valuable SF ships for a while, but now the Allies (perhaps triggered by Yamato loss) bombard Tassa with good effect and as also pointed out there is not much one can do other than using SF fleets. I had 5 mini subs and a real sub there and mines. All these hit nothing....Must think about this.

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ORIGINAL: Hotei


Can you win and defend air superiority in the region at this time is the only thing you need to think about before making more plans.

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ORIGINAL: mind_messing

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ORIGINAL: SheperdN7

The fact that when combined, they have 18 of the most powerful guns in the game is enough for me to build them.

The problems with the Yamato's are legion, though

- How do you get them to fire on targets that are actually worth the cost?

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ORIGINAL: Alpha77

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ORIGINAL: Hotei


Can you win and defend air superiority in the region at this time is the only thing you need to think about before making more plans.

I like to have advise from experts on that one, how to get rid of the 500-600 Allied planes on Kira and Ndeni ? As can be seen the surface mission failed (ofc the plan would be as soon Allied ships are weakened to bomabrd the F out of Kira so destroy planes and airfields then yes, I believe you could say I had the upper hand. But with so many Allied planes right near there and massas of B17s I would say in the moment it is more in Allies favour. Even if the air war of attrition leans to our side (he is on the offensive so his pilot losses at least must by way higher)
Thanks

PS: I want to stay strong there to perhaps bag the stranded Allies at Guadalcanal... but I already consider to pull back some better troops from other places like Shortlands etc. I had prepped some troops for Kira too, but as the IJN failed pretty much I guess I can scratch the landing there. Cause of the enemy airpower I would not dare to land or send any ships in daylight.

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ORIGINAL: Alpha77

He is weakest in China and it will fall eventually

He is strongest in the south (I have not seen any major combatants anywhere for a while except there) he certainly likes to concentrate his stuff (contrary to the AI, so I needed to get used to that - this is my 1st full PBM). I have a pretty clear picture of both Ndeni and Kira (good D/L), again 500-600 planes and 20 ships at Kira and 250 or so at Ndeni. I tried to isolate the places with subs, my sub sunk an AKL recently so I am making progress

Subs are funny he started to shoot his guns at the AKL and I thought, ah a clever capt not wasting torps, but then after the AKL was crippled already by gun fire he fired a torp spread Big succes: 1 VP It seems I sank CA Quincy perhaps near Ndeni 3 turns ago (2 torp hits could be enough or?)

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The Australian government's policy has been grounded on two facts. One is that
the war with Japan is not a phase of the struggle with the Axis powers, but is a
new war. The second is that Australia must go on a war footing.

Those two facts involve two lines of action - one in the direction of external
policy as to our dealings with Britain, the United States, Russia, the
Netherlands East Indies and China in the higher direction of the war in the
Pacific.

The second is the reshaping, in fact the revolutionising, of the Australian way
of life until a war footing is attained quickly, efficiently and without
question. ...

Now with equal realism, we take the view that, while the determination of
military policy is the Soviet's business, we should be able to look forward with
reason to aid from Russia against Japan. We look for a solid and impregnable
barrier of the Democracies against the three Axis Powers, and we refuse to
accept the dictum that the Pacific struggle must be treated as a subordinate
segment of the general conflict. By that it is not meant that any one of the
other theatres of war is of less importance than the Pacific, but that Australia
asks for a concerted plan evoking the greatest strength at the Democracies'
disposal, determined upon hurling Japan back.

The Australian Government, therefore, regards the Pacific struggle as primarily
one in which the United States and Australia must have the fullest say in the
direction of the democracies' fighting plan.

Without any inhibitions of any kind, I make it quite clear that Australia looks
to America, free of any pangs as to our traditional links or kinship with the
United Kingdom.

We know the problems that the United Kingdom faces. We know the constant threat
of invasion. We know the dangers of dispersal of strength, but we know too,
that Australia can go and Britain can still hold on. ...

Summed up, Australian external policy will be shaped toward obtaining Russian
aid, and working out, with the United States, as the major factor, a plan of
Pacific strategy, along with British, Chinese and Dutch forces.

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One option would be that there are at least two allied players to create even some friction between the allies and their objectives.

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ORIGINAL: DRF99

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One option would be that there are at least two allied players to create even some friction between the allies and their objectives.

At the same time have two Japanese players who hate each other, hide information from each other, generally don't cooperate; one for the IJA, one for the IJN.

IJN: "Let's go to Australia"
IJA: "Screw you!"

IJN: "Let's go to India"
IJA: "Screw you!"

You can see the pattern here.

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ORIGINAL: Hotei

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ORIGINAL: Alpha77

He is weakest in China and it will fall eventually

He is strongest in the south (I have not seen any major combatants anywhere for a while except there) he certainly likes to concentrate his stuff (contrary to the AI, so I needed to get used to that - this is my 1st full PBM). I have a pretty clear picture of both Ndeni and Kira (good D/L), again 500-600 planes and 20 ships at Kira and 250 or so at Ndeni. I tried to isolate the places with subs, my sub sunk an AKL recently so I am making progress

Subs are funny he started to shoot his guns at the AKL and I thought, ah a clever capt not wasting torps, but then after the AKL was crippled already by gun fire he fired a torp spread Big succes: 1 VP It seems I sank CA Quincy perhaps near Ndeni 3 turns ago (2 torp hits could be enough or?)

You also seem to be pushing in India, dont over do it, just crushing China is a good objective if he is allowing it.
Keep a better win/loss ratio in the Solomons and dont commit valuable assets to do it.