Field Marshal Bananas Tale of Victory

[EUBanana]

Well, about Friday ish I'll be starting a grand campaign with grraven2004. I shall be the Allies, fighting for truth, justice and democracy against Hitler's buddy Tojo, while maintaining India's garrison requirements of course, for they know not what they do.

The reason why it wont be starting until Friday is because my unfortunate opponent is grappling with Turn #1, and at time of writing he's only three hours in. [:D]

Dud torpedoes on, Japanese sub doctrine off, weather on, Allied damage control on, PDUs on, no historical first turn, only 1 port attack in the first turn. If I was him I'd go for the subs at Manila rather than the battleships, but we shall see...

It's obviously hard to plan without actually seeing the opening move... I have a few vague intentions, but shall wait to see the hurt before laying them out here.

[Mike Solli]

[sprior]

ORIGINAL: Mike Solli

What he said

[Blind Sniper]

Hi EUBanana, sorry for the intrusion, but how you can set the Japanese sub doctrine off?
Or I miss something?

P.S: I'm still learning...

[EUBanana]

ORIGINAL: Blind Sniper

Hi EUBanana, sorry for the intrusion, but how you can set the Japanese sub doctrine off?
Or I miss something?

P.S: I'm still learning...

Mm, looks like that options history. Ye olde WITP setting you could tweak.

Shows how deeply I've looked don't it. [:D][:D][;)]

[Blind Sniper]

[:)]

Best of luck!

[Hornblower]

Best of luck! 

[EUBanana]

We've decided to wait on the first patch before embarking on such an investment of time.

Wise.

And I got my Guadalcanal pbem to tide me over for now. 

[EUBanana]

To while away the time until the patch is out we'll be playing a Guadalcanal game with me as the Japs (!).  We plan on jacking it in when the patch is out tho.

[EUBanana]

So, first turn moves.

All the ships at Shortlands (there are a good dozen, mostly ASW) are ordered to Truk, as they arent doing much good there.

The few naval forces I got (a CA + 2 CL pretty much) are ordered to loiter a good day north of Tulagi, as We Know Whats Coming.

The air force is going to be immediately tested out - high level sweeps over Port Moresby plus Betty bombers are ordered in.

The three airfield construction battalions, who represent the sum total of the engineering units I start with, are loaded up at Truk and ordered to Shortlands.  Shortlands begins this scenario without an airfield... which means Lunga is beyond Zero range.  Shortlands is just out of Wildcat range, so its in the sweet spot really.  [:)]  Question is, how long will it take Japanese engineers with dinky little shovels to build an airfield?  No engineering vehicles for me.  [:(]

[EUBanana]

Day 2.  His CVs are well forward, north of Tulagi.  This is bad, as my heavy cruisers come under Dauntless attack.  However, they are attacking at max range and it's only a small attack - no bombs hit.  My samurai scuttle away under Zero/Betty cover.

I tend to hang them back, I'm always a raging coward.  If they were /behind/ Lunga rather than in front I'd have a go at hitting him.  As it is I'm out of there.  Also I chose to approach from the north, if I came from the west I might have tagged him.

I keep up the pressure on Port Moresby, the Zeroes get 3:1 kill ratios.  I know airframes are a limited resource in this scenario, I'd like to splatter Airacobras and Kittyhawks while I have numeric advantage.  Unfortunately Betties are truly pants in the base buster role, I'm too used to my USAAF bombers!  [:D][:D][:D]   I'd use some more expendable bomber but I aint got none for now.  I think I'm going to have to be very careful and husband them more.  Pressure will be maintained via sweeps rather than bombing, I'm not going to use Betties again unless I have to, just too vulnerable, even escorted they die like flies.

I can do very little until I get some ground forces capable of counterpunches, so for now we'll just have to roll with whatever the Allies dish out.

[EUBanana]

I have a plan so cunning you pin a tail on it and call it a weasel!

(This actually will go horribly wrong I'm sure. Banzai!)

[V22 Osprey]

I see you are making good use of new waypoint system.

[EUBanana]

Well, it's August 12th now and every day has been a disaster, in large part due to my orders simply being ignored.

The cruisers didn't follow the nice route above, instead they strayed south of Shortlands and lingered there for a day, where they were slaughtered by Allied divebombers.

A couple of days later, I moved a Val and a Zero squadron over to Lae, to put some pressure on Port Moresby.  The Vals flew, but the Zeroes decided not to bother, end result 16 dead Vals, 16 dead Val pilots, so my sole divebomber squadron got wiped from the map because my Zero squadron commander is a disobedient moron.

[8|][8|][8|]

[EUBanana]

Turn speed is lower on this one so the other AAR is progressing more more excitingly.

But this AAR is progressing!

A bunch of CLs got shot up by American carrier air, so yet another disaster.  However, there are silver linings, a RO boat torpedoed Wasp!!!  Also he's lost 3 out of 4 APDs to Betties at Tulagi.  That said my Betties seem very inaccurate.

Got supply problems already and its day 4.  The IJN has arrived in force at Truk though, so theres a massive debarkation of ships south. 

Plans.  I'm going to hit Port Moresby asap.  I know from playing the Allies how weak it is initially, I also know that his attention will probably be focused on Guadalcanal for now.  To that end I've been scraping up units from all over.  I've concentrated or am in the process of concentrating 3 SNLF units (from Kavieng, Lae and Shortlands) at Rabaul.  Basically I'm going to throw everything at PM asap, even all the garrison forces.  I'm going to do this as soon as I got enough LCUs, which unfortunately isnt' soon enough for my liking.  I need two divisions, basically, at a minimum. 

I think I can scrape this up, though the barrel will be bare.

[EUBanana]

August 20th

Nice to get a hit in.  The Japanese CVs are positioned 6 hexes NE of Port Moresby (beyond Lae), not coincidentally in Val range.  An Allied TF that was reported by sub contact yesterday gets mullered by Vals from Lae (they've refitted from the earlier disaster).  Kittyhawk vs Zero stands at 7:5 kills, though most of the Zeroes shot down were LBA from Rabaul escorting Betties.

The Betties did a crap job but the carrier air wiped the transports from the map.  And, joyous day, they were loaded with troops.  Looks like he did a hasty reinforcement of PM, ordered almost immediately I guess.  I'm sure some got ashore, maybe even most, but still, good interdiction. 

[Mynok]

Have you thought of using the regiment at Saigon for this? It's been crossing my mind as I work through the early months in my brain.

[EUBanana]

ORIGINAL: Mynok


Have you thought of using the regiment at Saigon for this? It's been crossing my mind as I work through the early months in my brain.

The title is disingenuous, this isn't a grand campaign, just a Guadalcanal scenario, so no Saigon for me.

The plan was a GC, but my erstwhile opponent wants to wait for the patch. Probably wise. When it comes out we'll ditch Guadalcanal and restart with the Big One.

[EUBanana]

My hands are wrapped around Port Moresbys throat, squeezing hard.  A SAG including 3 battleships bombard it in the night, 150 runway hits, 6 Kittyhawks destroyed on the ground - very nice.  The 40 Betties at Rabaul are ordered to make an afternoon attack, I want to keep the pressure up.

I want to share the love with Lunga, no need to make it easy for him, so a cruiser SAG buzzes the place at night, sinking an AK.  And a submarine sinks an AKL off Sydney, so all in all a good day for the Japanese Empire!

There are 240 AV of SNLF at Rabaul, in 8 days a new division arrives - so thats going to be about 550-600 AV.  This is, I deem, an adequate force to attack PM, which has been reinforced in regimental strength to the best of my knowledge, and is so probably on about 200-300 AV. 

The problem is naval superiority, but Wasp is out for a short while, and I get reinforcement CVs fairly soon, which means that I will have a temporary advantage I think.  I have to strike while the iron is hot.

Supply is a bit iffy, Rabaul has 18k, that is  the only base with significant supply.  It is the only base where I need significant supply on the other hand.

[EUBanana]

August 24th.  Another bad day for the Allies.  Betties are loosed from Rabaul and tear into a convoy one hex SW of Milne Bay.  There is Airacobra top cover, but they seem to have morale problems as they declined to engage.

[:D][:D][:D]

AMC Manoora and AMC Kanimbla are reported sunk, and I believe them, several torpedo hits each.  xAP Esperance Bay and xAP Moreton Bay got it as well.    Once again the transports were loaded.  Mwahahaha.  A good day.

I assume they are headed for Milne Bay.  Based on that assumption my BBs are scrambling again for a night run of Milne Bay.

Not sure how to pressure Lunga, but I want to.  Fast cruisers maybe?  Some AKLs, which are really small, so small as to be expendable, are going to make a run down the Slot soon.