That's insane. If anything, you have to be glad that your bombers got away (relatively) unscathed. Results like this scream for NikMod in my next PBEM.
totally agree. I don't even have Corsairs, Hellcats, Thunderbolts in the air yet, and its still massacre type results. Next PBEM will definitely be some type of mod for me, even though i will miss having 600 4E bombers flying around the map in late 1942
Here's the strategic situation at this point. As you can see i'm inept at Land combat and managed to loss pratically all of India and China. But at least i was able to hold him at bay in the pacific.
Airdrop on Tenimbar bagged some patrol AC. My air commnader at Gasmata got hopped up on Saki and tried another raid on Thursday Is. He has been shot. At this point brave and stupid is not going to cut it.
Allied subs are starting to take a toll. My are just getting sunk.
Surface raid on Thursday got spotted and sunk before it got there.
My defenses are falling like a house of cards.
AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 01/07/43
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Sub attack at 49,48
Japanese Ships
AK Nikkyu Maru, Shell hits 8, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
Allied Ships
SS Porpoise
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ASW attack at 50,98
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Day Air attack on TF, near Thursday Island at 49,90
Allied aircraft
F4F-4 Wildcat x 15
SBD Dauntless x 14
TBF Avenger x 16
CW-21B Demon x 5
Brewster 339D x 3
Kittyhawk I x 24
P-39D Airacobra x 12
P-40B Tomahawk x 16
P-40E Warhawk x 12
P-38G Lightning x 26
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Day Air attack on TF at 52,92
Allied aircraft
F4F-4 Wildcat x 45
SBD Dauntless x 70
TBF Avenger x 8
CW-21B Demon x 3
Brewster 339D x 3
Kittyhawk I x 57
P-39D Airacobra x 16
P-40B Tomahawk x 18
P-40E Warhawk x 28
P-38G Lightning x 66
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Naval bombardment of Port Moresby, at 53,91
Allied Ships
CL Helena
CL Honolulu
CL Phoenix
CA Cornwall
CA Devonshire
CA Canberra
CA Australia
CA Indianapolis
CA Portland
BC Repulse
BB Prince of Wales
BB South Dakota
BB Washington
BB North Carolina
Japanese ground losses:
1400 casualties reported
Guns lost 17
Airbase hits 5
Airbase supply hits 1
Runway hits 23
Port hits 2
Port fuel hits 2
Port supply hits 4
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Day Air attack on Port Moresby , at 53,91
Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 4
Allied aircraft
Wellington III x 55
F-5A Lightning x 1
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Day Air attack on TF, near Thursday Island at 49,90
Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 15
A6M3a Zero x 8
G4M1 Betty x 15
Allied aircraft
F4F-4 Wildcat x 17
CW-21B Demon x 3
Brewster 339D x 3
Kittyhawk I x 33
P-39D Airacobra x 15
P-40B Tomahawk x 19
P-40E Warhawk x 21
P-38G Lightning x 36
Once the allies have high experience units on patrol, the Japanese are dead.
In the game I took over with mc3744, my ships and subs are being creamed by his patrol aircraft (both dedicated and bombers on naval search).
He doesn't really need to worry about attacking my merchants with naval attacks, they all get hit regularly anyway.
Even my only way of moving troops around the frontline - barges- are practically useless. One bomb from his uber-spotters and glug,glug,glug they go.
It's another wacky function of large bomb loadouts - with high XP Japanese aircraft on patrol, you get occasional hits on allied ships/subs - but with high XP Allied patrols it is multiple hits every turn.
Once the allies have high experience units on patrol, the Japanese are dead.
In the game I took over with mc3744, my ships and subs are being creamed by his patrol aircraft (both dedicated and bombers on naval search).
He doesn't really need to worry about attacking my merchants with naval attacks, they all get hit regularly anyway.
Even my only way of moving troops around the frontline - barges- are practically useless. One bomb from his uber-spotters and glug,glug,glug they go.
It's another wacky function of large bomb loadouts - with high XP Japanese aircraft on patrol, you get occasional hits on allied ships/subs - but with high XP Allied patrols it is multiple hits every turn.
thats good to know, since i've lost a crap load of ASW platforms in this game. Should become even more deadier in the future, as i'm almost done upgrading all my PBY's to PBM's..which carry a higher bomb load
damn. Bad part about playing 2 day turns is, if you take the base on the 1st day...it leaves it open to air attack on the second day, since you can't reinforce it. Now i gotta figure out how to make that Level 6 AF operation for my 4E bombers so i can blast the surrounding AF's
I would put some of those Coronados/Catalinas on night naval attack (those that have an experience level above 70) and drop the altitude down to 5,000. It will give him pause about sending a bombardment TF around to PM. [:-]
He is going to try to keep bombing PM to keep it closed as long as possible. One you get your CAP set up over the base and base some of your heavies there, then Rabual's life expectancy just got shortened. [:D]
Even though I have been an Allied player to date, I feel the Japanese have to make a strong push into the East and South Pacific to keep the Allied, especially the USA, at bay for some time. The conquest of India was great, but it seems to me, the USA was able to build up too much and they are the force that wins or loses the war. [&o]
If I had it to do over again I would go after Noeuma and invade Australia. I could fight a land war in India longer than I can stop an island hopping campaign against 600+ 4E bombers.
Time for the diplomats to make nice nice.[:'(]
"The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has limits"- Darwin Awards 2003
If I had it to do over again I would go after Noeuma and invade Australia. I could fight a land war in India longer than I can stop an island hopping campaign against 600+ 4E bombers.
That would be an interesting strategy. We've seen the India/China strategy by yourself and PzB....We've seen the Pearl Harbor/SOPAC strategy by Admiral Laurent. The only one i haven't seen yet is the southern, or Australian strategy. There seems to be a consensus that its almost impossible...but i think it can be done
Feel free to try it in our rematch. After a year or so of holding back the Allied juggernaught I should be an expert on defense and ready to hold off the Japanese.
I agree that an early seizure of these areas would work. With the USA-OZ life line cut OZ should be easy pickings. An invasion of India in late 42 might even still be possible.
The big mistake I made was getting spooked by the B-17s in April/May and not continuing a southern push.
"The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has limits"- Darwin Awards 2003
I think a East Pacific strategy that may or may not include the occupation of Hawaii, followed with a push south to take NZ and maybe northern Oz is a good one to try.
I believe in the old saying of "divide and conquer." Isolate USA from Oz from India. Then you have three separate areas that you can focus on. If you want to go after Australia, then the Allies cannot get reinforcements to it. Admiral Laurent has come the closest to date (I hope he eventually does).
If you try this strategy, I think it will be easier using stock vs AB's map.
NZ is definitely the key to the survival of Oz. If NZ is taken, then japan can effectively cut off all supplies and reinforcements to Australia. Australia then would have to rely on India to supply its needs, which can easily be interdicted by a couple japanese CV's based out of Java.
For this reason, in the beginning, i always try to ensure the safety of NZ first. I'll usually ship a couple Artillery units with a Bde or two, just to firm up its defenses there, before i reinforce Noumea.
Without supplies being shipped in, Australia can't support the type of 4E bombing campaigns so loved by the allies.
I am desperatly trying to keep PM shut down. My bombers are not as good as the 4E Allied ones but they are getting the job done. My ASW guys even bagged an old S-boat and damaged another sub. Not too hard to do since you can't swing a dead cat without hitting one. Damn things are everywhere.
AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 01/11/43
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ASW attack at 41,63