First AAR Madflava v. AI

[madflava13]

I'm starting this thread as a placeholder for an AAR I'd like to begin this week - with me handling the Allies in the 43 campaign against the AI. I've played one turn so far, mostly to re-familiarize myself with the controls of the game. I didn't do much - moved some fighters closer to the action in the UK, transferred 12th and Med units to Sicily, and conducted a lot of recon. My only bombing raids were medium bombers - I hit the ports at Cherbourg, Dunkirk, and Flanders, Typhoons hit the radar at Altmaark, and the Oboe-equipped Mossies hit a large Fuel location just NW of the Ruhr (RuhrBenzinWerk, or something like that).

In the Med, lots of recon, with minor raids on the radar installations in the toe of Italy.

Initial future plans:
8th AAF: Conduct recon, build up morale/experience. Targets: Rubber, CFAC/AFAC, OilS/R, ALUM, Electric within range of P-47 escorts (ie Low Countries and France). I'll probably work down the list in that order, throwing in any large ARM or FUEL sites that might also fit within range.
9th AAF: Support 8th AF, hitting similar targets, in addition to radar, Port and Air targets with identified or suspected LW fighter units. Will strike Rail targets in low countries as well.
12th AAF: Hit radar and Air targets in southern Italy, along with Rail targets until longer-ranged escorts become available. Push LW/Italian air units back up boot of Italy.
Med: Same as 12th AAF

BC: Use Oboe units to target specific large industries within Ruhr, focusing on Rubber, Fuel, and Alum where possible. Remainder of BC will be my main striking force for some time, so I must preserve it - ie no flights on moonlit nights, rest and rotate when possible. Personal rule: No striking cities outside of German territory. Oboe units can attack targets in low countries, however. Attempt to attrit LW nightfighters with ranger patrols, etc.

So that's it - I'm relearning the game, so feel free to comment and suggest ideas if anyone's following this. I won't post every turn, as I don't have that kind of time, but I'll try to post significant raids, etc.

[madflava13]

A couple other notes:
2d Tac AF will attack radar sites, Airfields, and V-Weapon sites, in addition to supporting raids by other forces (fighter sweeps, especially).

For BC, ranger patrols will patrol known LW airfields, but I'm going to limit myself to "identifying" 2-3 airfields per turn - otherwise I think it's a little gamey to write down every field the LW takes off from during the turn.

Upgrade priorities: I'll be putting the best P-47s into 8th AAF, of course, but we start up with a pool. I'll identify one or two units in the 12th AF with good experience/morale to convert to P-47. The Med could use some decent ranged, robust escorts.

I'll upgrade BC units to Lancasters ASAP - IIIs to the highest experience units, and I'll convert entire commands before moving on to the next command. Someone else had a rule that they kept the Polish squadrons in their original AC because of historical staffing problems - I'll probably follow that as well. I'll upgrade BC fighter units based on experience - best get the best planes.

I'm off this week for a training course for work, so I should have plenty of time to get this going. Second turn with screenshots tonight. So far I have moonlight at night, so there's limited BC action, and the daylight forces have low morale, so I'm avoiding burning them out - it might be a few turns before we see heavy action.

[nicwb]

Thanks ! Looking forward to this !

[cohimbra]

Looking forward to this!

+1

[madflava13]

Ok, so I blew it - I thought I was taking screenshots, but I wasn't! Anyone have some simple directions for an AAR newb to take good screenshots?

Anyways, my main targets this cloud-filled turn were:
1. Radar in Europe: Katwijk, Mauperus, Berck Sur Mer (Dutch B-25s). All seemed like successful, unopposed strikes 99% damage.
2. Vlismar Refinery - small OilR - was a decoy raid. Looks like 99% damage by B-17s, but more flak than expected.
3. Hoechst Plastiques - main B-17 effort. Opposed by LW - 353rd FG heavily engaged, but appears to only have shot down 3-4 FW190s... Multiple damaged however. Site destroyed. HEavy flak damage to B-17s.
BC: Still moon, so only Mossies/RCM/Rangers. Rangers to Paderborn - NJG must have moved. No kills. Mossies with Oboe to Englebert Cie Rubber. All groups hit the target - unknown damage. Mid-teens reported pre-recon. RCMs throughout with a decoy raid up north to Denmark - pulled lots of NJGs away from the Mossies. Multiple (over a dozen) AI radar hits, but no interceptions.

MED Targets:
1. Cagliari Port (B-17s with P-38H escorts): Port destroyed, minimal interception. A sweep by P-38Hs to the airfield just to the west of the port was perfectly timed and caught numerous MC.205s in the pattern - at least 6 reported shot down.
2. Crotone Radar hit by Baltimores. This raid was successful, but got mobbed on the way out - I mistimed other raids and drew all the LW and Italian fighters onto this one by mistake. 5 SAAF heavily engaged, including the loss of its commander (one of 4 leaders lost in the MED this turn). Escorts gave as good as they got, but it was hot and heavy for awhile over the toe of the boot.

Lots of recon in both theaters. Hoping for clear weather next turn. Reported losses: 24 axis, 19 Allies...

Sorry for the choppy report - I was really hoping to sprinkle in several screencaps to show off some of the raids. Any help in that regard would be appreciated...

The war continues...

[Oliver Heindorf]

Use Lightscreen or Greenshot. You will find them both free and very useable.

[madflava13]

The best laid plans...

8th AAF was scheduled to strike Bergougnan Rubber and SA Ethanite Rubber outside Ghent - the raids were scheduled to trap the LW with the SA Ethanite raid following on the heels of the first. Instead, the weather closed in and diverted the Bergougnan raid to the Ghent railyards, which were bombed through the clouds. We suffered minimal losses, but missed an opportunity to smack down several FW-190 units in the low countries. 2d Tac AF also struck numerous radar sites along the coast. Heavy recon of Rubber, Alum, Chem, and Fuel sites.

Minimal BC action - just raider work and RCM decoys to keep the LW in the air and fatigue high. Once the moonlight goes down, we'll start in earnest.

12th AF/Med: Pomigliano-Macchi AFAC was the target of the Med B-17s, along with heavy fighter escort. Nearly every LW unit in the boot intercepted, and all units were heavily engaged. The allies came out on top, but the 2d BG took heavy losses when the escort was pulled out of position. The raid was successful ultimately, and several Italian squadrons were decimated by P-38s in position at higher altitudes - most notably the 27th FS. P-39s swept several active fields, including Castrovillari, with good success - over a dozen A/C reported destroyed between the various sweeps. Med units struck radar sites along the southern portions of the boot. I'll pick my best fighter units to convert to P-47s this turn - probably two squadrons to begin.

Again, sorry for the lack of screenshots - this is much less interesting, I know. I'm going to look into the two programs Oliver mentioned and hopefully will have shots in the next report or two.

[madflava13]

Probably one or two more turns without screenshots - family's in town, so I haven't had time to put the effort in.

In Europe:
8th AAF: SASIC Rubber (1st BG) and Harfleur OilR (3rd BG) were the main B-17 targets. I used an extensive series of decoy raids and attacks on radar sites to lure the LW out of position. I must have done a good job, since the SASIC raid wasn't even intercepted. Both these facilities were destroyed.
9th AAF: Hit Woensdrecht AF, but it appears the FW-190 unit moved last turn.

In the Med:
12th AAF: Camigliatello Radar (B-26s) and 29th PanzerGrenadier (B-25s) were the main targets. The B-25s suffered greatly from flak. The B-26s made it in and out ok, with heavy escort. Losses were fairly even, with the Italian units taking the bulk of the losses, MC.205s especially.
Med Air: Rested - low morale.

BC: The 6th Group struck Dortmond Herder Steel from the south, after looping around the Ruhr. A hodgepodge of Lancaster I units struck Dortmund proper from the northwest. I planned to use the creepback to cover the area, and it appears to have been successful - all units struck either the steel plant, Dortmund, or Herne. Recon will follow up, but we had minimal losses (none Air to Air). The 68th Squadron's Beaufighters had success downing several 110 model night fighters attempting to land at Leeuwarden airfield - around 6 were shot down if the reports are correct. The moon continues to wane, so BC should get very active, very soon.

[nate25]

I'm dying for some screenies - I am really suffering at night with BC.

No A2A losses on a night raid - I'd be ecstatic to watch your methods here.

[madflava13]

Nate,
I should have some screens tonight. I don't think I'm doing anything special - the raid without A2A losses was probably a lucky break. I use heavy RCM support and mix a lot of NFs into the stream, although I've only had one interception myself. I also break the BC stream into multiple streams, so there's a shorter time over target, and less concentration for the NJGs - they have to split up to cover each stream. I think that helps. I'm losing planes to flak, but have only had a few A2A losses/damaged (I've played two turns since the last report).

[nate25]

Ah.

Good stuff.

I may be concentrating my bombers too much then. I tend to pick one or two targets a night.

I do ok interdicting NJ AFs, and I too try to accompany ea. raid with RCM A/C.

So the concentration issue is a good clue, perhaps.

[mikkey]

Nice to see another AAR, I look forward to next turns

[madflava13]

ORIGINAL: nate25

Ah.

Good stuff.

I may be concentrating my bombers too much then. I tend to pick one or two targets a night.

I do ok interdicting NJ AFs, and I too try to accompany ea. raid with RCM A/C.

So the concentration issue is a good clue, perhaps.

Nate,
I still usually only hit one target city per night as a main target - I'll just break up the stream to hit it from several different directions. Or I'll hit one factory near the city, the rail in the center, and maybe another factory on the other side of town. That helps spread the damage around as well. In the Ruhr, Hamburg, an Berlin areas, this is especially feasible, since there's such a concentration of targets.

[nate25]

Ok, I'll try it.

Thanks, Madflava

[madflava13]

Here's the situation in Europe...

[madflava13]

And southern Italy...

[madflava13]

BC is hitting Cologne tonight - 6 Group is striking Cologne/Nippes, 3 Group is hitting Cologne proper, and 4 Group is hitting Cologne/Kalk. Heavy RCM support and NFs scattered throughout the three streams. 4 Group is hitting its targets an hour later than the other groups. The 8th is hitting Solvay Chem (3rd BG) and Flandre-Brabat Power. Minor raids on ports, radars, etc.

[madflava13]

Here's the missions before recon was added in. The Med was quiet because I've been working them hard and they've got low morale and lots of damaged planes.

[madflava13]

4 Group heading in as 3 Group and 6 Group withdraw. The Stirlings took a beating. This shot shows the effectiveness of the RCM jammers covering the streams - note the radars knocked down.

[madflava13]

Weather jammed up the 8th Raids - the 1st BG diverted to Air Liquide Chem, their secondary and bombed through the clouds. FSs caught numerous LW fighters chasing these raids however, and both the II and III/ZG.26 groups were reported to break off attacks. They were beaten up on the previous turn as well by escorts. Here's the losses at the end of the turn.