PBEM Japanese Strategic Thinking, Aztez Vs.FDRLincoln (Don't Read Aztez!)

[FDRLincoln]

Thinking about my options....

Once KB is refitted and re-manned with experienced pilots (will take about a month), what should I do with them? I have all of my fleet carriers and CVEs, I get Shinano soon, and Unryu just entered service. Possibilities:

A) Seek Decisive Battle while I still have enough good ships and good pilots to do damage to the Americans in a straight-up fight. Upside: easy to plan. In keeping with Bushido spirit. Downside: Bloody, and even if I can match them with numbers and pilot skill, my aircraft are still obsolete compared to his.
B) Seek Decisive Battle but using some form of deceit, feints, etc., like the Leyte Gulf operation, seeking to ambush a vulnerable section of his fleet like an amphibious force Upside: Striking the weakest link maximizes my own strengths. Downside: complex to plan, hard to pull off, any one thing going wrong can botch the whole plan.
C) Continue to defend as currently, with minor harrassment operations (submarines, etc.) . Save carriers for later with no particular plans. Upside: safe course of action in the short run. Downside: doesn't alter the strategic balance.
D) Continue to defend as currently, but with major harrassment operations such as a carrier raid in the North Pacific/Alaska area.
E) RETREAT! Pull everything back as far as possible and go hedgehog in the Home Islands.

Once I figure out my general strategy I can plan more detailed operations.

[veji1]

could you post a map so that we get a graphic idea of the general situation ?

To me the use you make of the KB depends a lot on whether the defensive perimeter has been well prepared... i.e, do you have your bases in pac at 9 forts with 100 prep points ? The best thing to do with KB is to hit him when he attacks an island with 9 forts in an archipelago of mutual supporting airfields, If this isn't ready yet, you might want to win some time by other means than using the carriers...

[Kereguelen]

ORIGINAL: Nemo121

Well Mogami has been open in explicitly stating that changes were made to the way in which disband and withdraw functioned in order to allow the current model of on-map Japanese pilot training. If that isn't a guide to their intent I don't know what is.

Not exactly (I'm playing Mogami in PBEM since patch 1.2 and certainly know his ways to a certain extend). His method works (in short) by disbanding a trained unit into another to maintain pilot quality and then use the disbanded unit (when it comes back) as a training unit by drawing untrained pilots and training them up (to somewhere between 50 - 59 XP with the "training" function). And then repeat. I think you may find a in-depth description of this system at Spooky's WITP page

He does not use the "ground-attack-vs.-helpless-enemy-units-to-gain-experience-option" (and neither do I). Both of us use air-ground attacks (mainly in China and Burma), but not for "training" purposes.

[mogami]

Hi, Kereguelen is correct. While the system certainly allows it the very notion of doing something like this is counter to my style of play.
Training is training and combat is combat and keeping a enemy base isolated for the purpose of gaining experiance faster is.... I also do not train transports/bombers by hauling supply to their own airfield.
I train by assigning the training mission and setting a percentage of the group. I know it's slower and I know it results in lower levels of experiance but it's not fantasy. I want to play Japan in WWII. Sorry.

[Sneer]

Jap training program was partially dependant on supply situation
I'd like to see sth like bar at which players would decide how much supply they are ready to spend and how many trained pilots they will get in return - it would certainly finish odd-ground attack -training issue - currently it is only way for me - i spending additional 50k supply per month would award me with doubling or tripling pilots number in pool per month it would be ok to me

[Kereguelen]

ORIGINAL: Sneer

Jap training program was partially dependant on supply situation
I'd like to see sth like bar at which players would decide how much supply they are ready to spend and how many trained pilots they will get in return - it would certainly finish odd-ground attack -training issue - currently it is only way for me - i spending additional 50k supply per month would award me with doubling or tripling pilots number in pool per month it would be ok to me

I think that flying training missions costs supply. Not sure about this, but probably all air missions cost supply, never looked at this - bombers ostensibly use big amounts of supply when bombing targets, but fighters or planes on training missions? Would make sense...

But why is the ground-attack-training the only way? Because your pilots only have between 50-59 XP when first committed to "real" combat? This is basically the same for both sides (well, Allied XP levels rise over time, but this is a game-design decision with some justification).

K

[Nemo121]

Mogami,

My apologies. I hadn't realised your training programme didn't include ground attacks... Quick question... I presume that you wouldn't find anything "gamey" in bombing Chinese hold-outs which are trapped in the Chinese hinterland in close proximity to bases I've won fair and square, correct?

[FDRLincoln]

Update

New fleet carriers Taiho and Unryu, escorted by cruiser Oyodo and six destroyers, are beginning a training cruise in the Inland Sea to get their ship crews and flight crews some experience. So far there appears to be no Allied submarine activity in this area.

Carriers have been shuffled around our newly-activated repair yards for maintenance and refit. All except Kaga are now below 10 damage. Kaga has been stuck at 12 for a week in game-time now. We are currently shuffling around air groups, putting our high-experience datais on the ships and low-experience units at various bases for training and local patrol duties. We are also beginning a large destroyer refit program. Many of our destroyers were still using early 1942-style equipment and need AA and ASW augmentation.

Supply situation is improving. Shutting off unnecessary construction has boosted supply in the home islands quite quickly.

[FDRLincoln]

I've never been this late in the war before.

What is the ideal size for carrier task forces at this point? Once my carriers are refitted I want to get them divided up into proper task forces, matching carriers together with other carriers of similar capabilities. . .Kaga and Akagi together, Shokaku and Zuikaku together, etc.

But are 2-carrier, 3-carrier, or 4-carrier task forces better? Should I try and concentrate a 1941-style 4-carrier KB group?

[FDRLincoln]

Tentative carrier assignment plan

Carrier Division One
Akagi, Kaga, Hiyo, Junyo The first three ships have standard aircraft loadout. Junyo will be loaded with A6Ms dedicated to CAP cover.

Carrier Division Two
Taiho, Shokaku, Zuikaku, ShohoThe first three ships have standard aircraft loadout. Shoho will be loaded with A6Ms dedicated to CAP cover.

Carrier Division Three
Unryu, Hiryu, Soryu, Zuiho
The first three ships have standard aircraft loadout. Zuiho will be loaded with A6Ms dedicated to CAP cover.

I have set these divisions up with tactical homogeny and speed abilities in mind. What do you guys think?

I still have all other CVLs and CVEs unassigned.

[Sardaukar]

Looks good to me. IJN doenä't have the co-operation limits..at least not as strict as Allies have, esp in early war.

[Rob Brennan UK]

I think japanese co-operation limits is 200-250 for the entire duration while the allies creep up from 100 early on. so multiple CV's is ok for the japanese .. only downside is more targets in one place. single groups have the advantage of less vulnerability but depleted escort and AA .. peter and paul scenario..

[FDRLincoln]

It appears that the enemy has concentrated his British and American units in the south pacific area. As far as I can tell, the Indian Ocean and the western coast of Australia have no strong fleet forces present.

But they might have some juicy convoys.

I am considering launching a strong carrier raid in this direction, to sink some merchants and damage some shore facilities. Might buy me some time if he has to shuffle stuff around to cover things more effectively. Also will give my ships and planes some valuable experience.

[FDRLincoln]

Allies making a big push against Mandalay with Chinese and British ground forces plus British air strikes. My predecessors had a fairly large ground force in place here, which I have reinforced with a couple of fresh and rested divisions that were hanging around in Rangoon. Supply stocks are plentiful, I have 9 fortifications, and highly-experienced and well-led units here. I think I can hold Mandalay for awhile.

[Nemo121]

Have you thought about just pulling all of your forces ( except tiny cadres... 20 or 30 squads per division) back from your forward bases?

That way you could maintain the illusion of a forward deployment, bring your main forces back for rest, re-organisation and retasking in supply-rich areas. That way when the next major blow falls you won't actually lose any major ground, air or naval units and you'll STILL be buying 80% of the time a very hard-fought forward defence would win you ( due to logistical issues surrounding Allied advances).

I would also suggest completely withdrawing ALL of your air forces (fighters, bombers everything) and training them up in your safest bases in Japan and the Phillipines until they are at 90+ experience. Then, instead of committing them to all areas of your front commit the entire figher and bomber force to a single sector. Pick a base just outside the range of his fighter escorts, build up the AF and put 250+ AV there and then base numerous AAA Regiments at it. When your units are trained to the requisite experience levels fly in 300 to 400 fighters, set CAP to 90% and collect the rewards of your opponent's habituation to your sudden lack of "fight" prior to this moment.

If you have prepared four or five bases in this manner AND maintain the necessary fast APs ( 4500 tonners) to quickly race in, load up the AAA and excess aviation assets and transport them to another base you can not only play the usual shell game with fighters but also play it with AAA and supporting assets.

After a little while you will train Aztez to no longer engage in flights beyond fighter escort and will have gained yourself a substantial increase in your operational freedom.



Your KB is a mess. It has a lot of hulls, some good squadrons and a lot of bad ones BUT it, undeniably, has numbers. So, rather than waiting for it to be bombarded to hell and back I would suggest sailing it and a huge replenishment force through whatever gaps exist in Allied patrol plane coverage. Turn off all your patrols except some 1 and 2 hex seaplane patrols and then form a cordon along one of his main convoy routes to Australia... I would suggest threading the needle between the US Aleutians bases and Midway and then moving into the gap between CONUSA and Midway.... What sort of cordon/ Well, simply arrange your CVs, CVLs and CVE so that there is no more than 60 miles between each. Anchor each end of the convoy with 2 or 3 carriers... I would suggest CVEs being your northmost vessels, CVLs in the middle and CVs southernmost... and don't forget the CAs and BBs just in case you run into a surface combat TF transitting to Australia... You have about 20 CVs,CVLs & CVEs. Assuming you use 2 CVs to anchor the southern end and 3 CVEs to anchor the northern end and double up some of your CVE positions so that you don't have any major weak spots in the line you should be able to make a cordon at least 1800 miles wide ( 30 hexes). Turn ALL of your planes to naval strike at the same time ( use the AVs and CSs loaded with Jakes and Alfs to do your spotting for you) and you should catch a quite a bit of Allied shipping in your net. Whatever you spot in range you attack. If it is out of instant attack range but is opposite a CV or CVL-occupied bit of the line run it down and then head for home.

By putting CVEs northmost and CVs southernmost you ensure your slowest ships have the quickest journey home. Once you've made 1 to 2 days of attacks run like hell. You should be able to calculate roughly where your race home will take you and pre-position replenishment convoys along this route. Remember don't cruise home, SPRINT all the way home.

Since the Allies won't have pre-positioned refuelling convoys they won't be able to sprint north en masse to intercept you in time. A CV or CVL transitting the area might get lucky and catch one of your ships but war is risk and this is an acceptable risk to take.


Your carrier groups would gain a nice bit of experience, Aztez would be served notice that he was facing an altogether different proposition AND, most important of all, he'd be forced to redouble patrol and convoy escort efforts. This will suck DDs, DEs and SC away from the front lines. I would also expect it to suck a few CVEs and CVLs away from the front as well...


later on you could bring Glen-equipped subs into the "gap" you previously exploited. Recon it well and you will find that he has either relaxed his guard again OR positioned naval units to cover this gap. Armed with good intel as to their position why not sortie the entire KB again and strike at these units? Sure he will have a force covering the foremost patrols BUT if you hit his patrols with only a small portion of your force you can use this to lure his main force in and then unveil your entire CV force and launch massed strikes.

Why do I think it would be safe to commit the entire KB this way? Simple. Aztez won't commit his entire carrier force just to covering patrols of the gap. He will commit a few carriers to the mission, enough to win a fight against a portion of KB but not enough to stand against 1000 planes ( a force your carriers are well able to bring to the battle).

Even if the strike doesn't work it will force him to commit more forces to this area to strengthen the covering force even more. This would be your cue to choose another area to launch a raid in.



So, don't let your army air force be worn down in the way it currently is but see if you can launch a massive raid with KB. I don't think a 4 or 5 CV or CVL raid is going to worry Aztez too much. To give him pause and force him to reconsider his strategic-level taskings you need to be able to show that you are willing to take risks and play aggressively. I'm sure that with the way the current game has gone Aztez is FAR more focussed on what he's going to do to you next than on anything you might do to him. Shock him with a strike the scope and intent of which he hasn't even considered and you will force a re-allocation of his forces and a re-orientation of his views. Both of these take time and will create a bit of an operational pause.

[FDRLincoln]

Yes, Nemo, I am thinking along these lines.

I have already begun shifting APs around to bring some of the ground troops home. I can't defend everything, so I want to concentrate on key points that he has to take if he wants to hammer the home islands (Iwo, Saipan, etc.). Defending the entire perimeter is simply not feasable.

The ambitious carrier offensive you speak of is very intriguing and in line with my own thinking. However I have to get KB refitted first.

[hawker]

Good luck FDR,
I play only few turns in this game because of RL problems,i think that we advance only 20 days. I have no time to fix my predecesor mistakes.

[FDRLincoln]

Update

KB is nearly ready to resume operations.
Main problem now is that there are a LOT of ground troops scattered all over the map in no logical manner. I am trying to fix this but it takes time to get the transports where I need them.

[FDRLincoln]

Air recon indicates significant Allied shipping activity including APD and DD near Dutch Harbor.

We had already decided to evacuate most of our Aleutian garrison. One convoy has already arrived in Tokyo with evacuated base forces and ground troops. A second convoy is on the way. This convoy is being covered by an air combat task force consisting of 4 CVE, 2 CL, and 9 DD. This task force was originally sent to provide ASW air coverage, but the task force commander has been advised to be on the lookout for Allied surface forces attempting to interfere with the evacuation.

So far there is no indication that Allied CV units are in the vicinity but it is possible.

[FDRLincoln]

Aircraft carrier Shinano has commissioned at Tokyo. She is departing for the Sea of Japan with heavy destroyer escort for ship trials and aircrew training.