GreasyLake Vs Vettim89, The Japan side

[GreasyLake]

Finally, now time to skeedaddle. Must of been the clouds, 2nd strike could not find Target.

[GreasyLake]

OH I am sending in the lone BB with 6 DD. Do not really expect them to get back home, may not even reach the landing beach.

[Capt. Harlock]

OH I am sending in the lone BB with 6 DD. Do not really expect them to get back home, may not even reach the landing beach.

Looks like you're trading a battlewagon for a battlewagon.[;)]

[GreasyLake]

Fortunately the SCTF did not have enough op points to make it to the target, I was able to change my mind and avoid all the Allied air which is certainly alerted by now. CVTF took a lot of air losses, again.

Oil tankers have been unloading west of Saigon. One is loading at Tarakan right now but I am sure it is about to get plastered. Too close to too many Allied air bases, Tim has just been distracted taking out all the airfields within 10 hexes of his recent landings to notice yet.

Picking up base units from Northern NG using transports at Wolei. Going to ship them somewhere to rebuild. Palau and Yap seem close to being cut off from recent landings to their west. Last chance to fortify PI?

[GreasyLake]

Quick note; K102a Randy came online. First I noticed only 2 more units spawned and turned production off. Then I noticed all Lilly/light bomber squadrons could upgrade to them, Bingo! production back on and even expanded somewhere. Perfect for Kami or dual threat. Carries 2 ea 250kg AP bomb and cannons. 37 maneuver. By the time Tim hits PI I should have plenty.

Loaded up Manado with TB DB and they did not fly, may launch tomorrow before bases are leveled again, may not. 50% of fighters destroyed escorting a handful of Kami bombers that hit nothing. Now morale may not let them fly again. Plus supplies at base are only 1k. oops may be trouble there!

Sabang, no-contest. Not even bothering to fly in units, too far and will dilute PI defense too much.

[GreasyLake]

After a year of playing I think I finally get it! Now I know why JFB players put so many air support units at one base when I was reading those AAR's. 200-300 aviation support is barely good enough for the Allied onslaught. I need 500- 600 at big bases, level 6-7-8 airfields in order to launch huge strikes. At least that is what I am shooting for next. Evacing Admiralty Is units to reposition, Rabaul next. All other units in PNG already out. Philippines will be my last chance to defend with air. Palembang/Batavia would of been great with all the supplies generated but too late to get air units there.

Still a chance to build up Guam/Saipan/Tinian, for now.

[GreasyLake]

Long time no post.

Feeling like I cannot accomplish anything at this point. First PBEM, first time as Japan. Boy do you have to plan ahead for this!!!

Latest boondoggle is I got KI102a Randy FB and used them to replace my KI48 Lilly's. Lilly's had high exp from all the ASW patrolling. Wow 3-4 units of 80's exp Randy's. Well now most of the pilots are stranded at wrecked airfields with no planes. Same for many exp fighter pilots. Got a few strikes in, left them there too long. Now my only pilots higher than 60 exp are all about to be taken prisoner by amphib landings. Yee-Ouch.

Mini-mini KB moving to Iwo to do something somewhere. Gonna look for an opening and attack some supply TF somewhere. Pretty long shot but worth a try.

No CAP over parts of Home Islands. Whoops, Did not put base units at outlying cities.

[GreasyLake]

Moved all bomber,s FB, Kami, TB/DB, and peggy's in PI to Davao and Cagayan. Hopefully 300-400 plane strike will take off next turn to hit CVTF 4-5 hexes away.

Moved CVTF too close to makin now that I think about it, do not expect them to survive the next turn. Hoping US CV's will react to within range of LBA but I could prob of used the single CVL TF for that and kept CV's closer to land to help hit with LBA.

Another new turn is production has seemed to shut down due to lack of oil. About 30K just unloaded at Sasebo but may not help much. 3 tanker TF are at Brunie and Miri, hope they distract Allied LBA long enough to get my strikes off from southern PI.

Elsewhere everything is pretty downhill also. Another base unit landing at Lingayen soon. None left at Rabaul or Admiralty.

[GreasyLake]

Some industry screenshots. Not much success on the air attack front the last couple days.

[GreasyLake]

Industry

[GreasyLake]

Industry II

[GreasyLake]

Industry III

[GreasyLake]

Starting to keep 50% of these guys at home but they never intercept the place he bombs. He picks where they are not, for now.

[GreasyLake]

Air attacks from Singapore taken out by CAP. Only had 18 Franks to escort same number Helen Kamis. 2 Kami got through no hits. Lots of higher exp attack AC there, no more escorts. 45 A6M2 Zero Kamis at Palembang with range 11, maybe they will sortie with no escorts. Singapore may get leveled.

Got all remaining pilots out of Davao. Getting hard to replace the planes now, nothing producing much.

Carriers at Guam, original air groups somewhat trained up from Home Islands being trans down to replenish them. Feeling awfully squeezed around here and Truk.

Good news is even with all the losses some pilots are getting trained in China. More groups up to 60 exp. Would like them at 70-80 but going for quantity over quality for now. Too many groups below 60 and needed NOW.

Land unit mass NE of Canton almost completely out of supply. Would be nice if they would retreat or I could get them to move. Same for mass up north. Will probably still be there when Tim is in Tokyo.

One old fleet Carrier down to 13 sys dmg at Hiro. Now if the BB at Tokyo would repair to join others. Darn B-29's naval attacked on their own and messed up a good surface battle. Might of saved more ships by chasing them away before they could get damaged attacking and then sunk by air.

Thinking of putting the Randy FB on Kami next time but I sure would hate to waste the 80 exp pilots. Hopefully the closer he gets the more air I can mass. Gotta build up some bases to 300-400 AV support fast.

[GreasyLake]

US CV raids at Saipan and Legaspi, Ouch. Goodbye to all exp pilots in those areas. If Saipan/Guam Tinian would of co-ordinated and all struck at once I might have had a chance with a few "leakers" getting through CAP, but Noooooooo. At least no Capital ships were hit or sunk, so far! Carriers were at Guam, sent running to Woleia. If they headed North I am afraid they would be caught between the two US CVTF. Their Fighters have been repl somewhat by disbanding fragments into them but the TB DB units are almost completely gone still.

Good news is 30-40K of oil heading for homeland. Still west of Luzon so it is a long way to home base still. That should be enough oil for 1-3 days production, wowee. If I last the next 3 months it is only because Tim lets me. Next line of defense is Iwo and Takao. Do not think I can defend anything else with air. The land units will just have to tough it out, like IRL.

[GreasyLake]

Just noticed Nagasaki has a level 5 airfield and no AV support. Pulling AV unit out of Palau by air to move somewhere more useful. Abandon Truk next, probably. Going to mass air closer to home. Leaving Inf units to delay to delay Allied takeover.

3-4 naval fighter units trained up to 60 in China. Only problem is they are flying old A6M2 planes and I have produced nothing better to replace them with.

[GreasyLake]

Got 18K of oil from Brunie and heading home. Attacked first sub on the night of departure for home, another long trek. Have an ASW TF rounding northern PI to meet up and help escort.

Loaded Jolo, Cagayan, and Legaspi with evrything in range. Total is 2 units Franks (27) 2 Peggy maybe one more at Legaspi. Franks, A6M5c Kami, Lilly Kami, Tojo, and DB at Cagayan. Jolo has Jacks, Tojo, Franks, Helen/Sally Kami, TB Maybe more Peggy's. Each base has 200 or so aircraft.

Experience shows almost nothing will get through even if they all somehow managed to launch together, but hey, gotta try something! Ranges all set for no further than Davao. Sure hope that is where Tim is headed.

Of course he can level these bases before they launch next turn, might be waiting to spot more AC there before knocking them out. Still gotta go for it. Huge TF group 2-3 hexes away from Davao.

Note for the record; Waited too long to build up aviation support close to home. Have some good size bases on Takao and home islands with no support. Pulling units out of Truk, Palau, Admiralty.

[GreasyLake]

OK so all the air strikes came to nil. I am sure all my failures are being displayed in glorious technicolor on Tim's AAR. But hey, there is always next time!

Was thinking, should I just always change every attacking air unit to Kamikaze? Nothing survives the Mega Cap (insert echo here, MEGA, Mega, mega etc).

May get really boring for a month again. I am going to try and reposition as much air and support as I can back in Home islands and Takao area.

May not be producing any more aircraft in another week or so. Oil nearly gone, so is HI pool. I may make it to 1945, may not.

The Akagi has upgraded and is at level 7 sys damage. I have 4 carriers with somewhat mixed bag of exp pilots. Where will I lose them? Right now looks like up north is still the only chance of doing damage. Except for the B-29's that strike.

[GreasyLake]

Akagi Sunk, CVL near death but at Tokyo, Kasagi half sumk, being repaired. All air groups destroyed. Not one US carrier or any other ship hit. Lots damaged by flak i hear.

SCTF off Davao sunk by combination of carrier and LBA. Only good note is it distracted long enough to ship 18k of oil out of Miri and land the same amount of supplies at Brunie. Some oil center repairing there again. Tankers a week or so out to try and sneak another load.

More aviation support landed closer to home after frontline evac. Gonna need it soon with Adak going to lvl 8.

Have 6 G42Me Betty now. 20-30 more and I can upgrade a unit, if ever. Any ships or planes more than 6-10 hexes from Tokyo seem to face certain destruction lately. Got a feeling it will not be safe there for long either. Have a CV, CL SCTF at Saipan. Some ASW TF tearing up the place. Not much else good for now. Woe to the republic.

[GreasyLake]

Been wanting to make some more records for Tim to view later for a long time. Now I am home with a broken ankle so no excuse. He says the MEGA Deathstar is on the way. If he does not hit one of the home islands I will be disappointed. Looking forward to the end of my first PBEM. Tired of loosing in vivid technicolor on his AAR, which I am sure I am. First the ships of my new KB. Waiting for one CV to get down a few more points in SYS damage only.
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OK not letting me load JPEG's. May have to switch back to Apple first.