Andy Mac v Nemo OMG what have I let myself in for !!!!!

[Andy Mac]

Yes he is landing at Hilo and nothing I can do stops him - actually nothing I can do is having any effect he has totally bypassed PI and Malaya after bottling me up and my air is totally ineffectual - I think the mod could be a lot of fun if played even partially historically but landing at Ceylon and PH on day 8 and 9 just makes it extreme possibly to extreme for most players I have lost 700+ trying to stop him in 4 days I have cannibalised 50% of my total air grpoups for replkacements and nothing I do can stop him.
 
That Nemo class cruiser shoots down every torp bomber going after his CVL's at Ceylon.
 
The AVG took a chunk out of his Zero pool at Ceylon but despite destroying 120 Zeroes in A2a he is still at full strength and has replaced all groups with fresh ones - nothing I could do could stop him
 
 

[anarchyintheuk]

First time reading the aar. Haven't seen port bombing results like that since that altitude bug with B-29s. They were actually kind of comical. Good luck, seems like the allies are set up to fail in this one.

[wyrmmy]

That seems to be the case with alot of the newer mods. More toys for the japs. How about a mod where the US actually mobilizes all the troops planned and builds everything they could have? No? [:D]

[okonumiyaki]

Yes, or an alternative where the US and UK, annoyed with USSR for not going to war with Japan, decide that after N Africa it is more important to knock Japan out of the war, rather than open second front in Italy.
 
So resources from Operation Husky (10 divs on a seabourne assault on Sicily in mid '43, plus supporting navy & airforce) get sent to Pacific instead.  With Shermans. 

[Raverdave]

ORIGINAL: okonumiyaki

Yes, or an alternative where the US and UK, annoyed with USSR for not going to war with Japan, decide that after N Africa it is more important to knock Japan out of the war, rather than open second front in Italy.

So resources from Operation Husky (10 divs on a seabourne assault on Sicily in mid '43, plus supporting navy & airforce) get sent to Pacific instead.  With Shermans. 

Ahhhhh the AFB's wetdream.[&o]

[Andy Mac]

The mod is reasonably balanced overall its a 'little' out of kilter in 41 as it is so easy to do when the allies are already so weak and dispersed.
 
Lets play it for a few months and see how it works out.
 
I will bring the AAR up to date in a few days - so far my losses have been horrendous but I have taken a big chunk out of the IJN in the process
Andy

[Monter_Trismegistos]

I would prefer other solution - based on fact that Brits had serious plans about sending Vittorio Veneto and Italia to Pacific.

So I propose adding of remains of Italian navy on allied side in 1943 [:D]

Yeah I know, I am ONF (Other Navies Fan Boy) [:D]

[timtom]

ORIGINAL: wyrmm
How about a mod where the US actually mobilizes all the troops planned and builds everything they could have? No? [:D]

Would that be the 300-odd divisions of the Victory Plan? Or the continually downsized number that finally settled on 100 divisions (89 raised)?

How about a mod in which Germany actually doesn't declare war on the US?

[Terminus]

Or maybe one where Germany declares war on Japan instead...[:D]

[timtom]

Or maybe IJN vs IJA?

[Terminus]

Or MacArthur vs. the rest of the US. He crowns himself King of the Philippines...

[tabpub]

ORIGINAL: Andy Mac

OK a number of reasons Sneer.

1. Ships in a TF that is docked add 50% of their AA rating to the AA in the hex so by having them out in the open my AA is significantly more effective.

2. By splitting up my BB's in 5 -6 ship TF's it fragments his strike making my cap and AA more effective so I kill more pilots.

3. If I put my BB's in port he will bomb the port and the AF will not repair - by keeping them in TF's he HAS to naval attack to get them and the AF repairs ready for the fighters I plan to fly in from my carriers.

4. If I place all my BB's in Port he will damage ALL of them in one strike making them all combat ineffective - by keeping them seperate TF's some remain undamaged and ready to attack when he brings in transports.


Andy

I think that you have a misconception here; it is ships disbanded in a port that add 50% of their AAA to the land AAA in attacks on the port. I don't ever remember any statement that TF's contributed anything to land AAA.

Additionally, the port repairs last; damage to it has no effect on airfield repair. You just have to watch the repairs to a base to see that. Runways are fixed first, then service and finally port damage.

Points 2 and 4 are valid, though I think that you would have been vastly better off hunkering down in the port under the combined fleet/land AAA. I have watched an opponent shred himself against the Singapore defenses trying to kill the British heavy ships early in the war.

Good luck.

[Andy Mac]

Thanks I will bear it in mind I will update this AAR over Christmas at present I am 5 BB's down !!!

[Andy Mac]

OK a summary to date
 
Pearl Harbour
 
Not much to say I Have bled the USAAF and USMC white trying to stop him but I just cannot keep the AF open its amazing that pretty much with only carrier aircraft he has managed to close and keep closed PH.
 
CAP pretty much always flies but its not enough my bombers dont take off because runway damage is so high so at on 1st Jan 42 I have had to start pulling out Bombers - I did not want to but ended up with no choice.
 
I have lost all the at start F4F3 pool, P40B, P39, P43 and P35 and 36 I have withdrawn about 60% of west coast sqns to provide more replacements generally my losses have been excruciating.
 
It has been a knife fight with machine guns only mine jammed after the 1st burst.
 
Ceylon
 
Major fights off of Ceylon where I destroyed a good chunk of my AF trying to stop him I failed and have decided to retain what little was left for a decisive strike.
 
I thought that Nemo was going to land near Bombay but instead it looks like he is heading north straight for Karachi and there isnt a damned thing I can do to stop him - its just to early I have lots of lvl 1 AF's but not enough forts and my troops are mostly disabled I am predicting a landing by 5 Divisons on or near karachi and its game over.
 
Note on the MOD rather than Nemo.
 
I think this mod will be a lot of fun for players who follow quasi historical plans it has lots of new toys for both sides I would personally make a few modifications but on balance its not a bad mod
 
Nemo is playing as I expected him to I have no complaints that he is breeching the spirit or letter of our rules - he is an honourable player
 
I just find that this all out lunacy style of game is not one I am comfortable with a lot less comfortable than I ever thought I would be it is exactly what I should have expected its just not my style.
 
I know I am coming accross whiney in my emails to Nemo and its starting to annoy me (my own reaction is annoying me). Nemo is being very patient over the whole thing but its getting to me.
 
I guess the point I am trying to make to anyone who reads this AAR is please differentiate any comments I make about the game as being more about the game I am in rather than the mod which actually I find to be a lot of fun.
 
I am going to list my required changes to the mod below before I forget.
 
1. Remove Production of Kami planes from key produciton bases - e.g. Tokyo I cannot target Zero production because they have been bumped off the target list.
 
2. Place 2 full strength but static Seabee Regts (6 Bns) at PH from 10/12/41 to represent Civilian construction helping keep the AF open after the initial shock is passed its just crazy that Carrier Air alone can close the AF permanently in a city the size of Hawaii.
 
3. Less Zeroes on map at start remove c 100 Zeroes and switch with Claudes and place 0 - 50 Zeroes into the japanese Pool - Japanese have just got too many at start even if I attrit them they are replaced in seconds its too much.
 
 
 

[1EyedJacks]

ORIGINAL: Andy Mac

OK a summary to date

Pearl Harbour

Not much to say I Have bled the USAAF and USMC white trying to stop him but I just cannot keep the AF open its amazing that pretty much with only carrier aircraft he has managed to close and keep closed PH.

CAP pretty much always flies but its not enough my bombers dont take off because runway damage is so high so at on 1st Jan 42 I have had to start pulling out Bombers - I did not want to but ended up with no choice.

I have lost all the at start F4F3 pool, P40B, P39, P43 and P35 and 36 I have withdrawn about 60% of west coast sqns to provide more replacements generally my losses have been excruciating.

It has been a knife fight with machine guns only mine jammed after the 1st burst.

Ceylon

Major fights off of Ceylon where I destroyed a good chunk of my AF trying to stop him I failed and have decided to retain what little was left for a decisive strike.

I thought that Nemo was going to land near Bombay but instead it looks like he is heading north straight for Karachi and there isnt a damned thing I can do to stop him - its just to early I have lots of lvl 1 AF's but not enough forts and my troops are mostly disabled I am predicting a landing by 5 Divisons on or near karachi and its game over.

Note on the MOD rather than Nemo.

--- snip ---

I am going to list my required changes to the mod below before I forget.

1. Remove Production of Kami planes from key produciton bases - e.g. Tokyo I cannot target Zero production because they have been bumped off the target list.

2. Place 2 full strength but static Seabee Regts (6 Bns) at PH from 10/12/41 to represent Civilian construction helping keep the AF open after the initial shock is passed its just crazy that Carrier Air alone can close the AF permanently in a city the size of Hawaii.

3. Less Zeroes on map at start remove c 100 Zeroes and switch with Claudes and place 0 - 50 Zeroes into the japanese Pool - Japanese have just got too many at start even if I attrit them they are replaced in seconds its too much.

Hi Andy,

Do you have any idea what Nemo's production level for aircraft is starting at? I was just thinking that another way to reign in Japan in the first few weeks might be to drop his production levels down at the start of the game. The mod could be compensated by adding additional resources/oil to Japan's inventory at the start of the game to gradually build it back up if you both felt it was needed... I think if you really cut back on the production of Japan's fighters, DBs, and TBs but give Japan a moderate reserve pool it would force Japan to restrict itself from a full-court press at the very beginning of the war. To my way of thinking, a big part of Japan's challenge was simple logistics - how to get the planes/troops to the right locations. What I remember about the early part of WWII is that Japan's pipe-line started at a trickle, rapidly worked itself up to full-open, and then was forced back to a trickle due to the war.

Just a thought... [:'(]

[ny59giants]

Andy,
I have followed your other AAR's very closely and am enjoying those tremendously. [&o][&o]
However, I have trouble following the one's that Nemo are involved with as he seems to want a Lunacy game using unrealistic abilities. All those new toys that the Allies get will not help you as you will be back to ONLY the West Coast, Australia, and Aden by the time 1943 rolls around.
I hope you can continue this game through 1942. [:(]

[okonumiyaki]

Exactly - a problem with phantasy mods/ games like this is that the Japanese have full control over strategy, whereas the Allies don't.
 
If Hawaii fell in early 1942, I can't see the USA continuing with Europe First, at the very least putting much more effort into the PTO until Japan is contained/ fully blockaded.  But the Allied player can't make that strategic call.

[1EyedJacks]

ORIGINAL: okonumiyaki

Exactly - a problem with phantasy mods/ games like this is that the Japanese have full control over strategy, whereas the Allies don't.

If Hawaii fell in early 1942, I can't see the USA continuing with Europe First, at the very least putting much more effort into the PTO until Japan is contained/ fully blockaded.  But the Allied player can't make that strategic call.

This gives me an idea. What would happen if the allies had unlimited political points in this mod? Allies could attach units to respond to any region needed...

[Andy Mac]

Guys one point to remember we are testing the mod for balance
 
I have already picked up one major point about to many zeroes in 41 and Nemo is adjusting for the production version of the mod.
 
As we are in testing mode everyone need to take my whinging with a dose of salt for now.
 
This is supposed to be an enhanced Japn mod but 41 is a little to much and nemo is adjusting as we go
 
Andy

[duckenf]

how many mines can you dump into Karachi harbour? It's a short trip for any minelayers and you can just keep piling them in.