RE: Intellectus Ex Nihilo (Wal-Mart on Ice)

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: Intellectus Ex Nihilo (Wal-Mart on Ice)

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: Intellectus Ex Nihilo (Wal-Mart on Ice)

Page: << < prev 53 54 [55] 56 57 next > >>

Message

<< Older Topic Newer Topic >>

RE: Intellectus Ex Nihilo (Wal-Mart on Ice) - 10/6/2019 1:15:55 AM

jdsrae

Posts: 2716
Joined: 3/1/2010
From: Gandangara Country
Status: offline

Has MacArthur tried to resign yet seeing as you�re making him go sideways?!

_____________________________

Currently playing my first PBEM, no house rules Scenario 1 as IJ.
AAR link (no SolInvictus): https://www.matrixgames.com/forums/tm.asp?m=4684655

(in reply to Canoerebel)

Post #: 1621

RE: Intellectus Ex Nihilo (Wal-Mart on Ice) - 10/6/2019 1:43:56 AM

Canoerebel

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

The McArthur in this universe vowed "I shall return!" to Loemadjang. So Allied progress has him in ecstasies.

(in reply to jdsrae)

Post #: 1622

RE: Intellectus Ex Nihilo (Wal-Mart on Ice) - 10/6/2019 1:52:42 PM

PaxMondo

Posts: 9750
Joined: 6/6/2008
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

Even the best/most accomplished writers wrote with mixed success. I like a lot of Robert Frost's poetry but not all of it. Ditto the writing of Mark Twain and Jack London. I like some of the works of E. A. Poe and John Grisham but not a majority of it. I loved many of the early works of Kenneth Roberts, Alistair MacLean, Michael Crichton and Tom Clancy but not much of their later works (why they tailed off - writing under the pressure of big contracts, no doubt - makes a topic of its own).

Don't forget in this day and age of deadlines that a lot of a successful authors work is written by associate or ghost writers. Example: Clancy, after his first couple of books never credited less than 3 others. And it is fairly well known that Creavey wrote the majority of his last few and has taken up the lead role in the series since his death. Creavey, while no doubt a good writer, hasn't displayed the imagination in the stories that Clancy had. Red October, Cardinal are two good examples of Clancy's inventiveness for a good story line.

The other aspect is that successful author comes up with something akin to a formula for his work. Maclean, Crighton, Grisham, Clancy all demonstrate this. Pickup one of their books without a cover and it doesn't take long to recognize the master's hand, does it? Not only the style of writing, but how they put the story together. It follows a certain logic (or illogic) that is quite discernable.

Just my thoughts...

Anyway, just my thoughts.

_____________________________

Pax

(in reply to Canoerebel)

Post #: 1623

RE: Intellectus Ex Nihilo (Wal-Mart on Ice) - 10/6/2019 2:09:09 PM

PaxMondo

Posts: 9750
Joined: 6/6/2008
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

4/21/42 to 5/3/42

We are flipping turns - usually four to six a day. The turns don't take long, at this early stage of the war. This marvelous uncomplexity and the speed we're playing at is a great deal of fun.

As IJ, I can't imagine that pace. It generally takes me several hours, not including the replay, to get through one turn. Ergo, I simply can't play a PBEM. RL intrudes sometimes for weeks �

_____________________________

Pax

(in reply to Canoerebel)

Post #: 1624

RE: Intellectus Ex Nihilo (Wal-Mart on Ice) - 10/7/2019 3:37:29 AM

Canoerebel

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

Glad to have you dropping by, Pax. Thanks for reading.

(in reply to PaxMondo)

Post #: 1625

RE: Intellectus Ex Nihilo (Wal-Mart on Ice) - 10/7/2019 3:39:51 AM

Canoerebel

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

7/13/44

DEI: While DS waits for CV Enterprise to come up, enemy subs stumble into a minefield. KB disappears, which is annoying. Knowledge is everything. Certainty is electrifying.

Attachment (1)

< Message edited by Canoerebel -- 10/7/2019 3:57:08 AM >

(in reply to Canoerebel)

Post #: 1626

RE: Intellectus Ex Nihilo (Wal-Mart on Ice) - 10/7/2019 2:34:03 PM

Canoerebel

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

7/14/44 and 7/15/44

Battle of Java: On the 14th, DS & The Herd remained stationary while CV Enterprise TF came up. On the 15th, DS & The Herd moved two hexes north, into the dangerous bite east of Soerbaja. There they encountered the biggest nest of subs - ten total interactions in that hex and the two hexes to the east. Dave's wolves damage a CL and sink a CM. In return, my ASW gets four probable kills and six others damaged.

Now comes the fun part. DS & The Herd break into the Java Sea via the dangerous strait by Soerabaja. If Dave wins a carrier battle, forcing me to pull back, then all bets are off and Soerbaja becomes a stalemate (in all probability). If the Allies win (or can remain on the battlefield), then I should be able to (eventually) take control of the battlefield for eastern Java, which will be pretty cataclysmic for Dave, partly because he's going to feed men, ships and planes into this campaign.

It's going to be brutal. It's going to be exciting.

Attachment (1)

(in reply to Canoerebel)

Post #: 1627

RE: Intellectus Ex Nihilo (Wal-Mart on Ice) - 10/7/2019 3:57:15 PM

adarbrauner

Posts: 1496
Joined: 11/3/2016
From: Zichron Yaaqov, Israel; Before, Treviso, Italy
Status: offline

no brutal, without land based he can't do anything

(in reply to Canoerebel)

Post #: 1628

RE: Intellectus Ex Nihilo (Wal-Mart on Ice) - 10/7/2019 4:23:40 PM

Canoerebel

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

That's not the case. We've seen Japanese players do a lot even when the forces they have are outnumbered. And I didn't say he would be without LBA. He has a bunch of airfields nearby. He just doesn't have a level 9 in immediate proximity, since Soerabaja is currently shut down (or badly damaged).

(in reply to adarbrauner)

Post #: 1629

RE: Intellectus Ex Nihilo (Wal-Mart on Ice) - 10/7/2019 7:58:13 PM

BBfanboy

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

If AKEs are getting in short supply, an AG of sufficient capacity can rearm depth charges on vessels smaller than a DD.

_____________________________

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 Canoerebel)

Post #: 1630

RE: Intellectus Ex Nihilo (Wal-Mart on Ice) - 10/7/2019 7:59:32 PM

Canoerebel

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

Thanks for the tip/reminder. I have about 11 zillion AKEs. I also have a zillion AGs. I converted far too many xAKs to AGs at the start of the war, as I had no idea what I was doing.

(in reply to BBfanboy)

Post #: 1631

RE: Intellectus Ex Nihilo (Wal-Mart on Ice) - 10/7/2019 8:08:25 PM

BBfanboy

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

quote:

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

Thanks for the tip/reminder. I have about 11 zillion AKEs. I also have a zillion AGs. I converted far too many xAKs to AGs at the start of the war, as I had no idea what I was doing.

Well you can either scatter AGs all along your LOCs to ensure you can rearm small ASW vessels if necessary, or use them as cargo ships. Or send them into enemy harbours to check for mines ...

_____________________________

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 Canoerebel)

Post #: 1632

RE: Intellectus Ex Nihilo (Wal-Mart on Ice) - 10/7/2019 8:30:19 PM

Canoerebel

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

Good ideas. The string of ports is mostly in place. Darwin is "in the rear" now, safe, and filled with support and fuel ships. Koepang and Waingepoe are closer to the front but pretty secure. I wouldn't hesitate to park a few AKEs there. Banjowangi is on the front lines, under pretty stiff CAP, and should be safe, especially as long as DS is out in front, drawing Dave's attention. I'll send one or two AKEs there.

(in reply to BBfanboy)

Post #: 1633

RE: Intellectus Ex Nihilo (Wal-Mart on Ice) - 10/8/2019 12:54:06 AM

CaptBeefheart

Posts: 2301
Joined: 7/4/2003
From: Seoul, Korea
Status: offline

Getting interesting. What's the balance of forces at Malang?

Cheers,
CB

_____________________________

Beer, because barley makes lousy bread.

(in reply to Canoerebel)

Post #: 1634

RE: Intellectus Ex Nihilo (Wal-Mart on Ice) - 10/8/2019 1:37:29 AM

Canoerebel

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

That's a good question with a simple answer that would be so highly misleading that I have to expound further. Otherwise I'd be giving a most inaccurate picture.

Malang is currently the focal point. Both sides have equal forces of roughly 1500 AV. It's 2x terrain. Stalemate, right?

But Dave has another 60k troops in adjacent Soerabaja. And I have 650 AV further east, most of it moving to Malang.

He also has an army on the other end of the island, with advance elements trying to restore the rail network to open the contested zone to his reinforcements.

I, in turn, am about to land a major army at Tjepoe with the hope of enforcing the rail-network disruption (or, if not, at least creating such a large army that the Allies will ultimately prevail).

To add to all that, an Allied unit is trying to enter Malang from the NW side. If it succeeds, most of the Allied army at Malang will move north, leaving behind only a holding force.

It's tremendously complicated. I'm fighting the clock here, because Dave is pouring in reinforcements. I've decided not to contest, as the higher priority is to land the new army at Tjepoe.

Probably this will turn into a quagmire. But that's okay for the Allies, because airfield-building and 4EB would ultimately prove decisive. Dave would be fighting without air superiority and probably without sea priority (unless he wins a carrier battle), which isn't sustainable.

So it all comes down, once again, to carriers. Maintain superiority and the Allies win this campaign eventually.

(in reply to CaptBeefheart)

Post #: 1635

RE: Intellectus Ex Nihilo (Wal-Mart on Ice) - 10/8/2019 1:56:03 AM

CaptBeefheart

Posts: 2301
Joined: 7/4/2003
From: Seoul, Korea
Status: offline

Thanks for the explanation. A lot going on under the hood.

Best of luck. That level 65 shipyard is a great prize.

Cheers,
CB

_____________________________

Beer, because barley makes lousy bread.

(in reply to Canoerebel)

Post #: 1636

RE: Intellectus Ex Nihilo (Wal-Mart on Ice) - 10/8/2019 4:09:48 PM

Canoerebel

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

7/16/44 to 7/18/44

DEI: A critical land battle will take place tomorrow for the new Allied base hex that sits astride the key railroad severing the railroad between Batavia and Soerabaja. Dave's 3rd Tank Div. just arrived. It faces an infantry detachment of 21 AV. But an Allied tank brigade and two AT units may arrive tomorrow. There's a chance the Allies can hold this hex. In a few more days, 18th UK Div. and other reinforcements begin arriving. If the Allies manage to hold this hex, the campaign is really decided. If they lose it, then it will be a longer, tougher fight to prevail.

Attachment (1)

(in reply to CaptBeefheart)

Post #: 1637

RE: Intellectus Ex Nihilo (Wal-Mart on Ice) - 10/8/2019 5:46:39 PM

Canoerebel

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

7/19/44

Battle of Madioen: Allied reinforcements arrived - perfect timing and just the right kind of units (anti-tank) - and repulsed the shock attack by 3rd Tank Division.

This is critical. Instead of having the upper hand, now Dave has to fight like crazy to try to open the railroad between Batavia and Soerabaja. He'll fight like crazy, but I like the odds here.

Two things I should admit here. First, it is almost pure accident that anti-tank units showed up when they did.

Second, I found it impossible to know whether my best course of action was to detach DS to attack the reinforcements pouring into Batavia or to keep The Herd landing the army at Tjepoe protected. By a single day, the latter turned out to be the right choice.

Attachment (1)

(in reply to Canoerebel)

Post #: 1638

RE: Intellectus Ex Nihilo (Wal-Mart on Ice) - 10/8/2019 7:26:08 PM

Canoerebel

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

7/19/44

Battle of Madioen: Victory in this battle went a long way to clearing up the many uncertainties about how this campaign will develop. A somewhat similar battle may happen tomorrow, in the clear hex to the east. The stakes aren't as high, as Dave will still have to work to reopen additional hexes or hexsides, but it would be a start of him. Allied 4EB will target the enemy unit in this clear hex, and an African division may arrive during the turn.

Attachment (1)

(in reply to Canoerebel)

Post #: 1639

RE: Intellectus Ex Nihilo (Wal-Mart on Ice) - 10/8/2019 8:31:50 PM

Canoerebel

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

7/20/44

Battle of Java: Dave commits more combat ships vs. DS. They're sticking their fingers into the hornet's nest.

Attachment (1)

< Message edited by Canoerebel -- 10/8/2019 8:33:32 PM >

(in reply to Canoerebel)

Post #: 1640

RE: Intellectus Ex Nihilo (Wal-Mart on Ice) - 10/8/2019 8:33:44 PM

BillBrown

Posts: 2335
Joined: 6/15/2002
Status: offline

oops, there it is.

< Message edited by BillBrown -- 10/8/2019 8:34:10 PM >

(in reply to Canoerebel)

Post #: 1641

RE: Intellectus Ex Nihilo (Wal-Mart on Ice) - 10/8/2019 8:35:39 PM

Canoerebel

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

7/20/44

Battle of Java: Uh oh.

Attachment (1)

(in reply to Canoerebel)

Post #: 1642

RE: Intellectus Ex Nihilo (Wal-Mart on Ice) - 10/8/2019 8:42:30 PM

Canoerebel

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

7/20/44

Battle of Java: Atago fired at least one TT at Enterprise. I think some of the damage to Atago was done by carrier fire.

Danged interlopers.

It doesn't look like anything horrible happened, unless ships collided. I'll post a damage screenie later.

Speaking of screenies, where were all the combat TFs on patrol?

Attachment (1)

(in reply to Canoerebel)

Post #: 1643

RE: Intellectus Ex Nihilo (Wal-Mart on Ice) - 10/8/2019 8:52:41 PM

Canoerebel

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

7/20/44

Battle of Java: Allied bombers find that the enemy unit that moved into the hex W of Java is a weak one. I think the Allies will hold this hex too. So far, the Allies are doing well in the maneuvering and fighting to maintain control of the rail lines to Soerabaja.

Attachment (1)

< Message edited by Canoerebel -- 10/8/2019 8:53:47 PM >

(in reply to Canoerebel)

Post #: 1644

RE: Intellectus Ex Nihilo (Wal-Mart on Ice) - 10/8/2019 9:34:43 PM

Canoerebel

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

7/20/44

CV Enterprise TF: Banged up a little, but not too bad. CL San Juan will detach and return to Australia. CV Illustrious will remain with DS but will detach should DS commit to duty other than escorting troop transports.

This was user error on my part - the TF number was too low.

Attachment (1)

< Message edited by Canoerebel -- 10/8/2019 9:35:06 PM >

(in reply to Canoerebel)

Post #: 1645

RE: Intellectus Ex Nihilo (Wal-Mart on Ice) - 10/9/2019 3:08:39 AM

BBfanboy

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

quote:

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

7/20/44

CV Enterprise TF: Banged up a little, but not too bad. CL San Juan will detach and return to Australia. CV Illustrious will remain with DS but will detach should DS commit to duty other than escorting troop transports.

This was user error on my part - the TF number was too low.

A fix for that:

Change one of your SCTFs to "Escort"
Transfer half of your carrier TF to it
Transfer all of the SCTF to TF 30
Transfer the rest of the carrier TF to the former SCTF
It should automatically become an Air Combat TF but it wouldn't hurt to make the change yourself rather than waiting to find out when the AI makes the change.

_____________________________

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 Canoerebel)

Post #: 1646

RE: Intellectus Ex Nihilo (Wal-Mart on Ice) - 10/10/2019 9:09:52 AM

Canoerebel

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

7/21/44 to 7/25/44

Battle of Java: What a crazy, three-layer battle and campaign this is.

As the Allies invaded, Dave released his mobile reserves (mainly posted at Singers and vicinity). Transports carrying this army raced towards Batavia as the Allies came ashore, took vacant bases, began building bases, and raced to cut the railroad between Batavia and Soerbaja.

Dave had a large army at Soer and Malang, but Allied troops moving by sea, land and air (paratroops) managed to severe the railroad, even as powerful advance elements of the enemy army arrived at Madioen, west of Soer. An enemy tank division was set to shock attack a weak US infantry detachment (21 AV) there (Madioen), reopening the railroad - but Allied armor and anti-tank units arrived that very turn.

That turned the battle around, though I don't think Dave had any way of knowing the tables had just turned. His massive reinforcing army kept arriving at Batavia and moving forward. But it bumped up against an Allied army it's equal. Meanwhile, additional Allied reinforcements were pouring ashore nearby, moving to invest Soerabaja and to probe Semereng. And vastly more reinforcements will arrive from Ceylon over the next three to seven turns.

I think Dave's army is in big trouble. The Soer/Malang elements are already isolated and about to undergo sustained attack. If he's not careful, the rest will get cut off when (and if) reinforced DS imposes a blockade on Batavia, so that Dave can't extract his Java army nor bring in additional reinforcements. I don't know if he perceives all this, yet. He may not realize just how much the Allies have here and how much more is coming.

Then there's the sea battle. DS is strong and about to get much, much stronger. Dave has strong combat TFs nearby. Presumably KB isn't far away. He knows DS strike aircraft are set to short range. I don't think he realize a DS-worth of strike aircraft are also posted at the new big airfields at Tjepoe and Banjowangi. He can trigger violent sea battles but it's likely that Japan will take heavier losses, perhaps much heavier.

In the air, the big Japanese airfields are closed, while the Allies have just built big ones. Dave's closest major airfields are Batavia, Palembang and Balikpapan - close enough to lend a hand but not reliably so (weather and distance creating issues).

Allied 4EB did good work vs. Soer and Malang airfields and are now available to deal with his others (Batavia, etc.).

As best I can tell, this is a massive commitment of forces by both sides. Anything could happen, so that the smaller force or army might prevail. But I think the Allies have the momentum and that Dave is about to discover that not only is he the prey rather than the hunter, but that the hunter is on a regimen of steroids.

Attachment (1)

< Message edited by Canoerebel -- 10/10/2019 3:21:56 PM >

(in reply to BBfanboy)

Post #: 1647

RE: Intellectus Ex Nihilo (Wal-Mart on Ice) - 10/10/2019 12:30:10 PM

BBfanboy

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

What an exciting crescendo to the DEI campaign! Looks like he was setting up to use KB to try and cover reinforcements to Ambon and Ternate when you caught him flat-footed by your move west. Now while he tries to plug the giant hole you tore in lower Java, you are nibbling at Borneo!
Fun fact - the base next to Balikpapan, Samarinda, has a port with access via the swampy island hex east of Balikpapan. When the time comes that could be a good flanking position.

Bravo on your bold moves on Java - you assessment of your position appears to be spot on.

Attachment (1)

_____________________________

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 Canoerebel)

Post #: 1648

RE: Intellectus Ex Nihilo (Wal-Mart on Ice) - 10/10/2019 3:21:25 PM

Canoerebel

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

You pay attention, long term. Thinking readers might need a summary of how this began, I was going to post last night that the invasion of Java, and all that's resulted therefrom, got triggered by that last carrier battle up near Ambon/Ternate perhaps a month ago. Until that moment, the Java plan was prospective and indefinite, perhaps weeks or even more than a month down the road. But when Dave lost yet another big allotment of carrier aircraft, the time to move seemed immediate.

(in reply to BBfanboy)

Post #: 1649

RE: Intellectus Ex Nihilo (Wal-Mart on Ice) - 10/10/2019 3:24:38 PM

Canoerebel

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

7/26/44

There's an early chance to see if the maturing Allied "beast" has teeth.

Battle of Java: Dave sends his CA/DD TF forward, seeking to engage DS and/or the invasion TFs at Tjepoe.

Attachment (1)

(in reply to Canoerebel)

Post #: 1650

Page: << < prev 53 54 [55] 56 57 next > >>

All Forums >> [New Releases from Matrix Games] >> War in the Pacific: Admiral's Edition >> After Action Reports >> RE: Intellectus Ex Nihilo (Wal-Mart on Ice)