Feinder
Posts: 6589
Joined: 9/4/2002
From: Land o' Lakes, FL
Status: offline
|
What's the end-date on Scen 16? If it's one of the long ones that drag on thru mid-43, it's far from hopeless. As the USN player, play like you have all the time in the world, because you do. Lose a carrier or two? It's ok, you'll get more. Just play defensively thru about September of 42. Avoid major fleet engagements, and pick on the smaller fleets that are NOT near the IJN CV's. Don't let IJN pull you into a major fleet engagement, or make it so that you can at least give a good accounting of yourself if you do have to stand and fight.
Like I said, if Scen 16 is one of the long scenarios, it doesn't really matter if you don't take Lunga until February. Or if he does drop all of his men in Lunga, skip it. The bulk of the points in the game are in BASES. Capture them, improve them, but take your time if you're the USN.
But having Betty's based in Lunga is VERY annoying. He can hit Luganville an Nomea from there, and wreck havoc on your supply convoys in the south of the map.
How to capture Lunga...
1. Build up the Level (0)1 fields North of Luganville. There are 4 bases that can be improved north and northeast of Luganville, that are NOT in the Solomons chain. Gavigmana, Neva, and Iaru come to mind. Remember, you can improve a (0)1 base to 4(1), which is important because you're going to be basing bombers on them to pound Lunga. You can put B-17s on any of the, and even your shorter-ranged B-26s can be based at Neva and still hit Lunga. The chain of bases also gives you a crucial CAP umbrella for when you do approach the Solomons.
2. Once you've established the bases south of the Solomons, it's time to get some guys onto San Cristobal (the little (0)1 base a few hexes of SE of Lunga, I might have the name wrong tho, but you'll see it, but from now on, I'm going to call it San Crist). IJN may have already captured this base; or if he hasn't, he should really fight you for this one. If it's an opposed landing (he has guys there), it's going to be a tough fight, but you'll still be able to pound him and retreat to your CAP umbrella in the south. If you do get to land there, drop enough INF to hold the base, CDs to ward off the constant bombardment TFs that -will- come, and several ENG units to build that base up as quickly as possible.
3. San Crist is cruical. From there, you'll be able base fighters to help cover your invasion of Lunga. Like I said, IJN will (should) make like miserable there. Be ready to use Fast Transports to keep San Crist supplied. It's port is level 0 to start, so uloading supplies can be dangerous for your AKs (especially if you haven't got an AF there yet). Build up San Crist to a level 4 also. A bigger base, just means more fighters to cover your landing a Lunga. You might even put in some of the very short-ranged A-20s there, as they'll also be in range. This little base is also a good place to put swarms of PT boats (they're much cheaper than using major surface units to protect against bombardment TFs).
When you're finally ready to go for Lunga, it won't be easy. But by then, you'll have reduced the AF to a big bomb crater (using your bombers from the bases in the SE). You'll have LB-CAP all the way from Noumea or Luganville, including San Crist. Once you're at Lunga, your carriers will be providing the CAP for your invasion fleet (and San Crist can provide additional LRCAP, because he won't be worried about bombing San Crist at this point).
-F-
_____________________________
"It is obvious that you have greatly over-estimated my regard for your opinion." - Me  |
Printable Version
Situation Hopeless? - 
New Messages
No New Messages
Hot Topic w/ New Messages
Hot Topic w/o New Messages
Locked w/ New Messages
Locked w/o New Messages
Post New Thread