The Sun in My Eyes Mk IV, EOS from the Allied Perspective

[goodboyladdie]

20/12/41

Something slightly different at PH today. 27 Nells came in at between 9000ft and 15000ft. Flak knocked three of them down. CAP was ineffective. 5 fighters and 2 B-18s were destroyed and 8 runway hits were scored. Damage now stands at 92/12. I have a B-18 out to recon Lahaina and the OS2Us have joined the SBDs on Molokai. VP42 has moved South to Canton Island. PTs will conduct a surface attack at Lahaina while 6 DDs run in to bombard the airfield. I'd imagine it will be costly as he has likely laid minefields and has CD units, but I had to give it a go to try to get a break from these daily attacks. I have various ships running North or direct to the West Coast at varying speeds today, including USS Honolulu and USS Pennsylvania. He has an unknown task force approaching from the North West. I am gambling it is not carriers. If he goes for the fleeing ships it will give the AF a break.

161st RCT and 144th FA Rgt are loading at SF for Canton Island. They have no hope of holding if attacked, but I want to force Mike to commit proper resources to his invasions. An RCAF Blenheim IV sqn is heading to the same place on an independent AK. A sub has been seen South of Fanning Island heading East so it is likely Mike is going for my shipping lanes. This will become more dangerous once my 4 stackers upgrade.

[goodboyladdie]

DEI and PI

1 Claude, 3 P-40Bs and a B-339 fell in battles over Legaspi today. No ships were hit. The CAP over Legaspi is getting quite strong and Zeke's are now present. I may have to just use my B-17Es shortly (in AFB 4E fighter mode!). Manila was raided. 4 base and 15 runway hits resulted and 2 Martin 139s were destroyed. The air units will pull out again. 8 Nells were damaged as were 5 Bettys. 3 Bettys were destroyed. SS Skipjack was bombed by a Betty off Manila and has damage 60/25. SS O-16 was hit by a Betty in the South China Sea but only has sys damage of 3.

CBI

Nates damaged 5 bombers over Wuhan, but Japanese forces were later driven out in a 3 to 1 deliberate attack. Over Canton my LRCAP knocked down 3 Sonias from one raid and damaged a Kate in another. Ground casualties were moderately heavy though. My P-43s have moved to Wuhan to LRCAP a guerrilla unit that is getting a daily pounding. 3 Idas were lost to flak in two raids on my forces in Wuhan.

[el cid again]

ORIGINAL: goodboyladdie

It looks like Mike and I will be having another attempt. I have asked Mike if I can tweak the P-38s in line with the suggestion in the thread for the dead AAR. He may say no, but I figure if I have to put up with poor pilots they might as well go to their deaths in a ride with proper ratings. I do not think Dick Bong would have got to 40 kills in an El Cid version P-38. Apart from that I'll be putting up with everything, even the uber

EDIT: I take it back - the lead comment was written BEFORE the last two P-38 revisions.

flak and the pants replacements, as it is after all a JFB mod...

Edit: This is a closed AAR. Sorry Mike

Hmmm - so the P-38 - many times revised - and newly reclassified as a pure fighter (vice fighte bomber) with an out of scale modifier for its nearly unique flap system- is still without a "proper rating"??? Is anything less than the highest rating in every category going to be acceptable to the P-38 crowd? [It already has more range than most anything else, and more durability, and high forward firepower, and medium bomber like bomb loads. It has very high speeds - which code uses in various ways - and superb ROC - both of which help it in intercept situaions. Ony the matter of "maneuverabilty" is it less than - say - a high performance single engine fighter - and this is a fact of physics - exaserbated by the fact "maneuverabilty" does not mean that at all. Game maneuverabilty seems to theoretically be related only to speed and ROC. We went to massive efforts - aided by a resident PhD in the Forum and by a master programmer and mathmetician - to get this right. But Joe did warn me - "you cannot please everyone - no matter how much you try"] My only excuse is - I did try - and IMHO we have got there.

[witpqs]

Sid,

You might have noticed in the AE threads it was revealed that the designation Fighter-Bomber carries with it NO PENALTY when the plane is acting as a fighter. It only affects how the plane performs when it is carrying bombs. The change from Fighter-Bomber to Fighter was meaningless for the matters under controversy.

Your claims regarding centerline firepower (I believe in the post above you called it "high forward firepower") are also false. You have assigned the very same devices to represent the centerline weapons on the P-38 as are assigned to represent wing-mounted weapons in other aircraft. Contrary to your claims, no higher accuracy - the exact same devices.

You already rejected any usage of historical documentation regarding maneuver characteristics in favor of a standard formula. As the formula results disagree with the historical evidence, it is clear that you have not "got there".

Respecting the fact that this is GBL's AAR, I will not argue or respond further on this matter, except to GBL.

[dennishe]

Just wondering: Do you have any idea where his divisions are? He can't take Malaya, the Philippines and Pearl Harbor at the same time and if he tries, he won't have troops available for any other actions. This would be a great opportunity to a couter attack or even better to reinforce the DEI. It is pretty easy to build up Java into a fortress. If you for example bring in the 18th UK division and some divisions from OZ, enough supplies for a long time and build up all fortresses, Java will be very tough to take.
To keep his economy running, he needs to take Java. If he goes for PH first and tries to take the DEI later on, while it has been reinforced, I think he is in big trouble.

[goodboyladdie]

ORIGINAL: el cid again

ORIGINAL: goodboyladdie

It looks like Mike and I will be having another attempt. I have asked Mike if I can tweak the P-38s in line with the suggestion in the thread for the dead AAR. He may say no, but I figure if I have to put up with poor pilots they might as well go to their deaths in a ride with proper ratings. I do not think Dick Bong would have got to 40 kills in an El Cid version P-38. Apart from that I'll be putting up with everything, even the uber

EDIT: I take it back - the lead comment was written BEFORE the last two P-38 revisions.

flak and the pants replacements, as it is after all a JFB mod...

Edit: This is a closed AAR. Sorry Mike

Hmmm - so the P-38 - many times revised - and newly reclassified as a pure fighter (vice fighte bomber) with an out of scale modifier for its nearly unique flap system- is still without a "proper rating"??? Is anything less than the highest rating in every category going to be acceptable to the P-38 crowd? [It already has more range than most anything else, and more durability, and high forward firepower, and medium bomber like bomb loads. It has very high speeds - which code uses in various ways - and superb ROC - both of which help it in intercept situaions. Ony the matter of "maneuverabilty" is it less than - say - a high performance single engine fighter - and this is a fact of physics - exaserbated by the fact "maneuverabilty" does not mean that at all. Game maneuverabilty seems to theoretically be related only to speed and ROC. We went to massive efforts - aided by a resident PhD in the Forum and by a master programmer and mathmetician - to get this right. But Joe did warn me - "you cannot please everyone - no matter how much you try"] My only excuse is - I did try - and IMHO we have got there.

I am looking forward to seeing if it makes any difference Sid. Historical evidence contradicts your assertions and witpqs's post neatly summed up the latest on this long-standing issue. I am enjoying this wonderful mod of yours with an open mind, but I do not hold out great hopes for the P-38 being the fighter here that it was IRL. I am planning for being on the nasty end of the stick until well into 1943...

[goodboyladdie]

ORIGINAL: dennishe

Just wondering: Do you have any idea where his divisions are? He can't take Malaya, the Philippines and Pearl Harbor at the same time and if he tries, he won't have troops available for any other actions. This would be a great opportunity to a couter attack or even better to reinforce the DEI. It is pretty easy to build up Java into a fortress. If you for example bring in the 18th UK division and some divisions from OZ, enough supplies for a long time and build up all fortresses, Java will be very tough to take.
To keep his economy running, he needs to take Java. If he goes for PH first and tries to take the DEI later on, while it has been reinforced, I think he is in big trouble.

If I were him I would be stripping China, the Home Islands and any spare units from opposite Russia. The 18th Div will be going to the Calcutta area as a Theatre Reserve. Because I will be on the receiving end for so long I cannot afford to play without strategic balance. He gets so many PPs in this mod (as do I - no complaint) that they could literally be coming from anywhere. I am toying with the idea of loading Bodhi's utility to help me keep track, but the game and AAR already takes more time than I often have...

[dennishe]

If he has lots and lots of PP: forget what I said. You'll be on the receiving end for a long time. Good Luck!

[goodboyladdie]

21/12/41

A Jap AK hit a mine at Kona. All but one DD on the bombardment run to Lahaina were heavily damaged by coastal defences. The Japs took 89 casualties, but no airbase hits were scored, so this costly failure has wiped out the PH Striking Force for no result. 3 ships only made it as far back as Molokai and they disbanded there to wait for the KB (Yes it's here again!) to run out of fuel and bombs. SBDs and B-18s conducted anti-shipping attacks but scored no hits. 1 B-18 fell to Zekes later in the day while attacking the KB or the APs fleeing Molokai (I never got to see the targets so do not know which),but one of the 30 Zekes on CAP fell too. A-20s hit an AP and an AK off Kona. The AP is on fire.

In today's air attack on PH 1 Nell was destroyed. Allied losses were 1 F4F-3 and 1 B-18. The runways took 4 hits. AF damage is now 79/0 as the fleeing ships caused a bit of a distraction. DM Montomery was hit by bombs and later by torps from I-172 off PH and sank. Only Pennsylvania was hit amongst the fleeing large ships. 1 bomb did no real additional damage. USS Honolulu downed a Nell. SS Pollack made it back to PH with damage of 24/45 and disbanded to repair. PG Ontario was the only fleeing ship sunk.

The Bad News is the that the KB is East of Hawaii. The Good News is that this means I will only be facing CVEs and CVLs in the DEI for a little while, so could potentially overwhelm his defences and get some hits in.

[goodboyladdie]

SS I-8 was attacked by PCs off Karachi. No real damage was caused and she sank 2 PCs later in the day and survived the ensuing onslaught too. I-4 was attacked by Dutch DDs at Amboina, but again damage was limited. An Oscar CAP over Tavoy shredded my daily raids. 4 SB-2s and 2 Vildebeest fell. Ground forces at Clark suffered 2 Army/Navy attacks. Mike lost about 4 planes and I lost over 100 men. A Zeke and a P-40B were destroyed over Legaspi and 3 B-17Es were damaged. I am pulling out of Cagayan because the results do not justify the investment and I will need those AP equipped B-17Es rested before Mike comes for Borneo. The first raid from Singapore in days attacked a Jap Convoy off Malaya with no results. Victoria point fell.

I have ordered a B-24 raid on Legaspi from Soerabaya. I can't wait until I start building more of these babies next month!

Here is screenie of the crippled DDs in Molokai. One will certainly sink.

[goodboyladdie]

Mike had a Nate CAP over Ichang. 3 SB-2s were destroyed. Over Canton I lost 3 P-35s in return for 2 Sonias. A Jap deliberate attack at Hangchow: 1011 (447) vs 779 (84) caused an Allied retreat. Casualties were 558 to 385. At Soochow it was 908 (633) to 277 (11). Casualties were 87 to 484 and the Chinese retreated. At Canton the Jap deliberate attack: 617 (38) vs 456 (377) was defeated. Jap casualties were 532 to my 126. The defeated uints from Hangchow and Soochow have been sent to Nanchang to try to alter the balance there.

Here is a screenie that shows why Mike will really want to take the DEI. Most of the DEI is a lot juicier than in stock or CHS...

[goodboyladdie]

I got screwed by the game! I was supposed to get 4 squadrons of Hurricane IIs at Durban this turn and I got Buffs. The Buffs did not come out of the pool and these units turned up with Hurricanes in real life. WTF is going on? I have stopped my plans to convert the Aussie squadrons at Singers to the Hurricane as I would like enough to make sure the next units due arrive with the right plane.

Looking ahead, my Brit fighter replacement rates are abysmal. I get 26 Hurricane IIbs a month (I can't find factories for the later marks, so I am presuming the factory upgrades?) and will only get 18 Spitfire Vbs a month. Does anybody know if these figures improve at some point? As if this mod was not JFB enough....

[witpqs]

Sorry I don't know, it's been a while since I played EOS.

[goodboyladdie]

22/12/41

I have Sigint that 6th Amphib B Div is on an AK heading for Kona. I hope it sinks!

2 B-18 raids did not net anything today and I lost an SBD over Kona. The KB was busy sinking PG Sacramento, AO Neosho, CL Honolulu and CA New Orleans. Nells put one bomb on Pennsylvania, but she is still afloat. She will run back for PH this turn. The KB is heading North West.

1 Zeke and 1 Nell fell attacking PH AF. 1 P-36, 3 P-40Bs and an SBD were destroyed. Only 3 runway hits were scored and damage is now 53/0.

3 Russian AKs sailed from SF with supplies for the Motherland. CL Richmond and 4 DDs arrived in the Panama Canal Zone. They will head for San Diego, where Yorktown is shortly to arrive.

[goodboyladdie]

DEI and PI

AK Bisaya was hit by a patrolling Betty and then took 3 more bombs during the turn. She is still afloat and plodding through the Sulu Sea. I hope the plucky little sod makes it. AK Capillo was not so lucky and sank. The Jap CL Tokiwa that took a million hits off Kota Bharu finally sank in harbour. 6 B-24s bombed Legaspi from 25000 ft. A Zeke was damaged and a Claude shot down for no loss. I airbase supply hit was scored. Manila AF was hit with a small raid causing 2 Airbase and 7 runway hits. Manila ground forces took a larger attack, but it cost Mike at least 4 bombers as he came in a 9-10,000ft.

In Malaya Taiping fell.

CBI

I have just realised I forgot to set air ambushes here or cancel bombing missions. Bugger!

There were 2 raids on my forces in Wuhan. 1 Ida was lost. There were heavy raids on my forces at Canton. 1 IL-4c was destroyed and 4 more damaged by Nates over Hong Kong. IL-4c's also attempted to bomb Mike's invasion force that turned up at Laoag this turn. 6 Soviet AKs left Vladivostock with resources for CONUS. They will return with supplies.

Here is a screenie of Manila's defences as they currently stand.

[goodboyladdie]

23/12/41

USS Thresher was hit by a Helen while mining Kwajalein. She has damage of 4/7 and is on her way back to PH. USS Pennsylvania ran out of luck today. She took 2 bombs from Bettys and then the air units from the KB arrived to finish her off with 4 bombs and 8 torpedoes.

Todays raid on PH scored 4 runway hits. The Japs lost 3 Nells, with 5 more damaged. 3 P-40Bs were destroyed. PH bombers were out in the greatest strength yet. They did no damage so tomorrow they will go in at lower heights. A Nell went down attacking Hilo and an SBD was lost in a failed attack at Kona.

Here is the current picture from Hawaii. The task force heading South East is a worry. I have reversed Lexington's course in case it is a CV raid on my map edge shipping lanes. Enterprise made it to SF today. When fully repaired I should have enough ships to adequately protect my CVs, but some ships will need at least a month of yard time.

[goodboyladdie]

AK Waipori was moving resources around the coast of Australia when she was hit by a torpedo from I-6 near Sydney. I have scrambled all my ASW assets after all known subs. I-6 will be attacked by 2 four stackers that had just finished escorting the damaged USS Boise to Brisbane. I-165, in the Bass Strait, was attacked by the ASW assets sent out from Sydney 2 days ago, but suffered no serious damage. Boise has sailed for SF escorted by the AMC Westralia.

[goodboyladdie]

RO-34 attacked a Dutch ASW group South of Tarakan, but missed and was counter-attacked, suffering little damage. 3 B-24s were lost to Zekes over Legaspi so these raids will stop. B-25s deployed from Brisbane to Soerabaya. Clark was hit by 8 Bettys and 8 Nells with a Zeke escort and took 1 airbase hit and 5 runway hits. Laoag fell.

IL-4cs had a tussle with Nates over Batan Island and attempted to bomb CVE Hosho at Takao. This is the latest evidence of a Jap build up. A tf is heading South West approaching Mindanao. I suspect Davao is about to be invaded. I have moved 2 B-17 units back into Cagayan with fighters and a flight of Vildebeest. They will attack from lower altitudes than recently, as will B-17s from Kendari and Amboina. Hudsons will also be in range from various bases including Manado.

[Historiker]

ORIGINAL: goodboyladdie

I got screwed by the game! I was supposed to get 4 squadrons of Hurricane IIs at Durban this turn and I got Buffs. The Buffs did not come out of the pool and these units turned up with Hurricanes in real life. WTF is going on? I have stopped my plans to convert the Aussie squadrons at Singers to the Hurricane as I would like enough to make sure the next units due arrive with the right plane.

Looking ahead, my Brit fighter replacement rates are abysmal. I get 26 Hurricane IIbs a month (I can't find factories for the later marks, so I am presuming the factory upgrades?) and will only get 18 Spitfire Vbs a month. Does anybody know if these figures improve at some point? As if this mod was not JFB enough....

Seems to be the same as in CHS, where you get Lysanders insted of Hurries if there aren't enough in pool. If there are, they are not used to equip the squads, which makes it even more unlogical...

[Mistmatz]

ORIGINAL: Historiker

ORIGINAL: goodboyladdie

I got screwed by the game! I was supposed to get 4 squadrons of Hurricane IIs at Durban this turn and I got Buffs. The Buffs did not come out of the pool and these units turned up with Hurricanes in real life. WTF is going on? I have stopped my plans to convert the Aussie squadrons at Singers to the Hurricane as I would like enough to make sure the next units due arrive with the right plane.

Looking ahead, my Brit fighter replacement rates are abysmal. I get 26 Hurricane IIbs a month (I can't find factories for the later marks, so I am presuming the factory upgrades?) and will only get 18 Spitfire Vbs a month. Does anybody know if these figures improve at some point? As if this mod was not JFB enough....

Seems to be the same as in CHS, where you get Lysanders insted of Hurries if there aren't enough in pool. If there are, they are not used to equip the squads, which makes it even more unlogical...

I believe this is a game thing not dependant on the mod. Probably the few hurricanes in the pool were used for upgrading the indian squads so your pool dropped below the required 16 or so and then all came with the Buffalos.
To compensate your loss Mr. Churchill will ask you for the royal carriers over the next few months. [:'(][;)]