Post CV & Amphibious Battle Help Needed

[Aerosol2207]

I am playing as Allies in the Grand Campaign against Japanese AI opponent. It is October 1942.

I have just concluded the third major CV vs. CV battle of my war. This was in many ways the most frustrating.

Context: I am invading the island of Guadalcanal. Lunga is defended by at least 1 x IJA Division along with supporting units BUT Tassafaronga is wide open. My novice idea is to go ahead and bombard Lunga but land my 2 x USMC divisions (1st and 2nd Mar Divs) at Tassafaronga , get organized then attack overland, hoping this would be more favorable then an opposed landing. I still managed to lose something like 300-600 troops from both divisions despite the unopposed landing.

My bombardment TF with 5 x BB, 3 x CA, and supporting DD's caught a Japanese transport TF in the process of unloading a fresh second IJA division at night, sank 10 ships and killed approximately 8,500 enemy troops. So that was a good start.

I had my 3 x CV (all that I have remaining not counting the Illustrious in far off Colombo) positioned to cover the invasion force and deal with 2 x incoming IJN CV TF's picked up inbound from the north. They found me first, and put a torpedo and a bomb into Wasp.

Then the USN strike force arrived. I was flying primarily USMC air groups due to previous losses. Wave after wave of Dauntlesses and Avengers went in for the strike.... scoring absolutely zero hits. Pilot experience is averaging in the 60's for NAVB / NAVT, including a fair amount of 70+ guys. My only explanation for this horrific result is that the weather was severe thunderstorms over the IJN TF.. and of course just mild rain over ours.

The PM air phase saw the IJN CAG break through again and put a torpedo into Yortown. And again the USN strike force managed to get through the VERY formidable (80+ A6M2) CAP in decent numbers and AGAIN failed in wave after wave to score a single hit.

The Wasp sank the following day making its way back to Noumea. Yorktown made it.

To add insult to injury.... USS Skipjack got lined up on Hiryu and banged a Mark 14 right off her hull.... dud.

Looks like I am on the defensive until 1944 eh?

One mystery.... I opted to sacrifice my amphibious TF, now unprotected following the batte save for the meagre 12 x F4F USMC unit flying off the CVE Long Island. I figured getting as much combat power and supplies ashore for the Marines in their upcoming desperate fight with a reinforced IJA division was worth the likely loss in shipping. But then... the IJN just left. They failed to press home their advantage and just absolutely annhilate a solid third of my force + supplies that was still onboard the transports. It has been 3 more days since the battle and I've been unloading unmolested.

I have a CVE with VRF squadrons parked at Noumea to help me replenish losses but I am not sure how this actually works. I can add planes back to the Enterprise air group while it is docked in Noumea with the VRF-hauling CVE, but i dont see the VRF numbers dimishing and I am unable to replenish USMC units.. is it strictly a Navy feature to use the VRF to restock aircraft ?

Anyways.. I appreciate any thoughts on any and all of the above. Am I doing this right? Was my thinking on the amphibious operation at Tassafaronga generally consistent with the game mechanics? What's the deal with these VRF squadrons? I think I will be limited to island hopping within the Solomons based on where I can get land based aviation coverage until the Essex carriers begin to arrive in force. I have to date only sunk a single IJN fleet carrier (Junyo... got lucky sending a surface action group at night when the AI decided to make a bold raid on Hawaii).

[Platoonist]

What's the deal with these VRF squadrons?

Basically, they're meant to follow your main carriers around, and when the carriers lose aircraft these CVEs with VRF squadrons aboard will replenish the carriers with replacement aircraft. The only problem is their experience is rather low, hence why they are replacements. However, with a squadron full of 75+ experience pilots they will gain experience rather quickly.

Just form a replenishment TF and keep it near your fleet carriers. As the carriers take losses, they will just pull individual aircraft from the replenishment carriers as they need them. As you can probably tell, they're not meant for the Marines to use.

[Platoonist]

The PM air phase saw the IJN CAG break through again and put a torpedo into Yortown. And again the USN strike force managed to get through the VERY formidable (80+ A6M2) CAP in decent numbers and AGAIN failed in wave after wave to score a single hit.

This is why I pretty much wait until the Corsairs and Hellcats show up in numbers before I start going toe-to-toe with Japanese carriers.

[RangerJoe]

Next time, if the base is unoccupied and you have not prepared for it, either paradrop to capture it (they don't need preparation to do this) or use a small and weak unit to capture the base. then unload your two division and they will have a lot fewer losses. Also, when you are doing this, use as many ships as is possible to carry the divisions so they will unload faster. Make sure that you have at least one cargo vessel with just supplies so the units will have at least some supplies available.

[CaptBeefheart]

The VRF squadrons will only reinforce VFs, not VMFs, so that sounds like your main problem. I've used them and they definitely work as advertised.

If you post some combat report snippets that might help in assessing what you could have done better in the CV battle. Still, the disparity in weather over each TF probably explains most of it.

In terms of the IJN leaving your unloading TF alone, there's some precedent for that, like Leyte Gulf.

EDIT: Great advice right above from Ranger Joe.

If I'm not mistaken that's a zero-level port at Tassafaronga, so it's going to be hard to resupply those Marine divs (and it'll take a long time for Seabees to get it to Level 1). Do you have a base nearby that can provide air cover? It's going to take a long time for them to walk to Lunga.

Cheers,
CB

[Aerosol2207]

Thanks for the great advice and insight everybody.

My closest base is Tagula which I have built up pretty well. It is too far for Navy/USMC tactical air but I do have several squadrons of B-26 / B-24 who are providing air strikes on the IJA 38th Division and what appears to be the remnants of the 2nd Division.. i.e. those units that made it ashore to Lunga before my bombardment TF surprised them in the unloading process and killed ~8k troops.

I also have two squadrons of C-47's flying missions into Tassafaronga as every little bit helps. I put one of the USN Service Dets ashore as well in hopes of speeding things up when I start running amphibious resupply task forces.

I must not understand the VRF. I have the CVE docked at Noumea along with my CV TF (Yorktown). I am unable to add any airplanes to the Yorktown's air groups. I also have Enterprise at Noumea, I was able to add aircraft from the "pool" but there was no corresponding drop in the number of planes from the VRF.

Disheartening being down to 2 carriers and only having sank one IJN fleet carrier. Gonna be a long slog on one day turns before I am ready to take the offensive again in places beyond my land based umbrella.

[Platoonist]

I have the CVE docked at Noumea along with my CV TF (Yorktown). I am unable to add any airplanes to the Yorktown's air groups. I also have Enterprise at Noumea, I was able to add aircraft from the "pool" but there was no corresponding drop in the number of planes from the VRF.

Do you have the CVE with the VRF group in a replenishment task force? That task force in turn just needs to be within extended range of the carrier aircraft being replaced. It doesn't have to be docked with it.

[Platoonist]

Disheartening being down to 2 carriers and only having sank one IJN fleet carrier. Gonna be a long slog on one day turns before I am ready to take the offensive again in places beyond my land based umbrella.

If previous experience against the Japanese AI is anything to go by sooner or later land-based air or a submarine in the right place will help even the carrier odds if you wait for the opportunity.

[Aerosol2207]

I did not have the CVE in a replenishment TF. I disbanded then reformed the TF as a replenishment TF but I still do not see any option to add replacement planes. Is it something that happens automatically? I am using 1126a if that makes a difference .

[Sardaukar]

BTW, Guadalcanal is not an atoll, so you don't automatically do any sort of attack, you can just land in leisure and attack next turn. Enemy might choose to attack you, though, but you don't have any specific disadvantage apart from landing disruption.

[Sardaukar]

And you'll start getting spanking new Essex CVs soon enough, unlike IJN that really cannot replace losses for their original 6 Kido Butai ones.

[Panjack]

I did not have the CVE in a replenishment TF. I disbanded then reformed the TF as a replenishment TF but I still do not see any option to add replacement planes. Is it something that happens automatically? I am using 1126a if that makes a difference .

Do the air units needing replacements have "replacements on"?

[ABG]

I've just taken losses to my carrier airgroups recently and have replenishment groups nearby too. You're looking for a button like this just below the regular "draw aircraft from pool" one.

replacement air groups.png (753.38 KiB) Viewed 492 times

To get this option, I currently have my carriers (CV) in an air combat task force and my escort carriers with the replacement groups in a replenishment task force. It's interesting that if the escort carriers are in a air combat task force or a CV escort task force then you lose this option.

In the past I've also had the "draw aircraft from repl't group" option when drawing from a land based VRF squadron but I haven't tested that again.

Personally I like to use the VRF squadrons on carrier escorts as fighting squadrons. You're so limited on CV power at the start of the war and Japanese air is such a large threat (especially vs AI which doesn't really have any other option) having the ability to bring an extra 100 wildcats with you when landing on a base is invaluable.

As for the losses you took landing as Tassarfaronga, I think there's always some attrition when landing on an enemy held base (sometimes even your own!) but you can reduce this by having units 100% prepped for the base you're landing at. RangerJoe's adivce about paradropping is good - I think you can see Lowpe use it to good effect in his AARs

[Aerosol2207]

Replacements were not on. I toggled them to "on" for the F4F squadron but it says "replacements delayed for the SBD. I will run a turn and see if replacements show up.

So do the VRF squadrons work automatically, i.e. they will send out aircraft & pilots to eligible Navy units in range with replacements set to "on" with no additional player input?

EDIT: Thanks ABG! I have Yorktown in an Air Combat TF and the CVE in a Replenishment TF but I do not see the button for whatever reason. I will disband and reform and see if that shakes anything loose. Appreciate the tactical insights as well.

Is the VRF functionality working on 1126a? I was never able to get 1126b to work so I am stuck on the earlier version, wonder if that maybe causing my issue of not seeing the VRF button.

Lastly, Yorktown is carrying relatively minor damage (14/12/0) but it hasn't affected sorties available. Does the receiving CV need to be in pristine shape for this to work?

[ABG]

I can't comment on patch versions, I don't think I've updated for a bit.

However I think I've worked out the problem. I've just reinforced my Navy fighter groups from pool (the carriers are at Tulagi, my current main base as I push up the solomons) and so I have "replacements delayed". That means I've taken the maximum number of planes from the pool this week.

Going back to see if I could also take planes from the replenishment group, I've lost the option. It seems you can't use VRF/B/T groups to get around the limit on airframes you can take.

replacement air groups 2.png (739.98 KiB) Viewed 479 times

I would guess this is set up so you can't draw 12 aircraft from the pool, refill from a replenishment group, and then draw another 12 in the replenishment group? I may be wrong since I don't really use the replenishment groups properly but that seems intutive as a way of enforcing the game's rules about how many aircraft a group can take weekly.

[Aerosol2207]

That makes sense to me as well. I must have drawn some aircraft from the reserve pool and am not yet clear of the time restrictions. I will report back when I advance a few more days (was it 7 days before it resets?).

[Platoonist]

Can't comment on patch versions, I don't think I've updated for a bit.

For what's it's worth VRF replenishment groups have been a part of the game since it was released in 2009. It wasn't a feature added in a patch.

[btd64]

If replacements is delayed, You won't have the options....GP

[RangerJoe]

If I remember correctly, the VR squadrons don't have to be on a CVE either, they can be at a base within range.

[Aerosol2207]

Closing the loop , it is as ABG suspected. After a couple more days, the button appeared and everything is working properly. Thank you to all.