Tactical Advice - Allies

[OG_Gleep]

It is mid september 42. I have all my carriers, 3 of which just went back to pearl for refits. They will arrive at Pearl in 28-35 days (different sys damage).

Japan has lost 3 of their carriers (2 CV, CVL), and have atleast 2-3 stationed Kaveing escorting bombers to PM. They have been putting an insane number of escorts in the air, which made me pull most of my P-39 groups that I had built up to avg 75 exp or higher as they don't stand a chance.

On the other side, I have all but one Marine fighter groups at Irau, and both Dauntless groups there. Every other day they are bombing and strafing Lunga. All B17 groups that have planes are stationed at Nevau with both groups of Hudsons and they make bombing runs every so often. Op losses are insane on them as well as the morale hits so I have been nursing my B17 groups. I had to withrdaw 2 groups so they had planes to fly.

I have all my ground strength, and have developed some pretty good bomber crews.

I have lost less than 20 ships, couple of AKs couple of APs, 5 or so subs 3 CAs and a smaggle of DD's.

Japanese have lost 120-140 ships, with a number limping back to truk or Tokyo. I pounded anything that thought of supporting Gilli, Lae, Lunga or Buna. I think a total of 4 convoys have gotten past without atleast taking a bomb or two....because I am soft and let my boys rest.

Nevau, Gav have size 4 AF.
Irau size 2 and building
Seabeas are landing at Rennell

While my lift capability is more or less intact, many of the ships need to be docked for repairs.
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Thats it in a nutshell. Things were looking up for a while until the Zero coverage at Rabul doubled. At aroud the same time, the moved their carriers to assist in the slaughterer. I am a little lost at what to do and hope I could get some advice.

Lunga could be taken quite easily, at the expense of my Naval Air crews. And then I'd have to supply enough troops to hold it. Not easy without comprimising my lift capability. So far the japanese have been content to watch me bomb their troops, and let them starve.

PM is another story. They have taken control of the skies at utterly decimated 3 of my airgroups. I decided to pull out my experienced P-39 groups as they stood no chance. If I put planes in the air, I put all of them up at the same time then ground everyone until their numbers and morale build back up. Bomber crews however have been on Naval attack for a month without targets (I moved out the Mitchell crews b/c they were attacking too far and taking high ops losses).

Anyhow I don't know exactly what to do. Their betty crews have been dropping like flies. While fighter coverage is heavy, the bomber formations are at most 10 strong. Damage is minimal. I have a mind to just sit and wait until better planes start arriving. P-38's should start coming within a month correct?

Should I wait until Irau gets to size 4 and then run bombing ops out of it to save ops losses? Should I take Lunga now, or bleed their shipping and use it for target practice until I get better escorts to hold the landing zone?

Basically any tactical advice would be appricaited. I have an affinaty for my flight crews. Honestly I'd rather lose a Battleship then lose the lives of an experienced Fighter/Fighter bomber pilots I have been building up the entire game. That is just me though.

[tocaff]

Is this against the AI or a PBEM?

[OG_Gleep]

AI, if it were PBEM I'd be limping back to hawaii.

BTW Does the AI know when you send ships back to pearl? I sent 3 of my carriers back, within 2 turns they started sailing south of Rabul/Shortlands. Hadn't for a month before that.

[tocaff]

You can do almost anything you want to do against the AI.  What difficulty setting?

[decaro]

ORIGINAL: OG_Gleep

... BTW Does the AI know when you send ships back to pearl? I sent 3 of my carriers back, within 2 turns they started sailing south of Rabul/Shortlands. Hadn't for a month before that.

Are you playing WitP or UV? In UV you hit a button and the ship is off to Pearl, period.

[OG_Gleep]

Wasn't asking how to Joe, was asking if the AI can "see" your forces. If it knows when you send half your carriers back to Pearl when they have no way of knowing. I have a feeling they can because they seem to know when CAP is up and when it isn't.
 
There are a number of things pretty much open, then I'd have to support it and right now I can't really do that without sacrficing a lot. I hate losing units, and I really really hate losing Air crews, particularly Fighter/Fighter Bombers. I want to make a push while preserving my forces. I'd like to see the P-39 crews get better planes, that should happen starting in October 42 correct?
 
I guess its more of a question of when I should do it.

[decaro]

ORIGINAL: OG_Gleep

Wasn't asking how to Joe, was asking if the AI can "see" your forces. If it knows when you send half your carriers back to Pearl when they have no way of knowing. I have a feeling they can because they seem to know when CAP is up and when it isn't ...

I must have misunderstood your sentence re sending 3 CVs back (to Pearl?).

The AI definately does know whether or not you have CAP over a base or a fleet.

[OG_Gleep]

They know how much is up as well. When I put heavy CAP up, they send in 200 planes. When it is light, 20. Bastages.

I don't remember, Do the P38's give as good as they get? Or atleast better then their old P-39/P-400?

Its beginning of Oct, Japanese are up 1 carrier and 1 CV TF is spotted 90 miles from Lunga, while 3 CV TFs are spotted NW of Shortland steaming south. Probably going to retire everything that can float that is north of Lungaville.

[HansBolter]

ORIGINAL: OG_Gleep

They know how much is up as well. When I put heavy CAP up, they send in 200 planes. When it is light, 20. Bastages.

I don't remember, Do the P38's give as good as they get? Or atleast better then their old P-39/P-400?

Its beginning of Oct, Japanese are up 1 carrier and 1 CV TF is spotted 90 miles from Lunga, while 3 CV TFs are spotted NW of Shortland steaming south. Probably going to retire everything that can float that is north of Lungaville.

This is one aspect of the Strategic AI cheating that drives me nuts. I accept that the Tactical AI for both the player and the Strategic AI know how much CAP is committed and the CAP to Escort ration coupled with the morale determines whether or not a given squadron will fly a bombing mission.

The cheat is that the Strategic AI gets to wait until after it has seen the players CAP level to decide what percentage to set for escort while the player has to set his escort percentages while blind to the Strategic AIs CAP level. This guarantees that when you fly no CAP you will get a bombing mission flown against you with 5 Zeros escorting it and if you put up any level of CAP to try to resist the AI sends 100 Zeros against you. This makes playing against the AI infuriating.

In fact I think I'm going to add this to the CF thread as the number one thing they need to fix.

[decaro]

ORIGINAL: OG_Gleep

... I don't remember, Do the P38's give as good as they get? Or atleast better then their old P-39/P-400?

No, they're all no match for the Zero, or is that going to be another new thread? They're best role is low-level bombing/straffing vs. troops and ships, esp. those pesky barges.

[OG_Gleep]

No, they're all no match for the Zero

 
Nuts. Never had P-39 crews built up so much at any point in my previous games. Didn't know how good of a xp boost strafing on Naval attack was. Was hoping the 38 would give them a good chance to survive the war.
 

or is that going to be another new thread?

 
I sure hope so, the wildcat one is very entertaining.

 

[OG_Gleep]

Question about NG bases, can you take the NG bases and supply them without rounding the "Gilli Gilli" point? IE: Can you supply them over land through PM without having to send vulnerable AK convoys? Do HQ's pull supply like they do in WITP?
 
Idea was to land at PM and march a coule of Aus divisions to push to Lae, and only land at Gilli.
 
If you can't what tactically do you need to have in place before you can supply those bases without absurd losses? Timetable wise what is the ideal date that Lae should fall?
 
Mid October 42
The Japanese suspended bombing long enough to rebuild their Betty squads, instead of 10 to 15, 55-65 are dropping bombs on PM. It was one thing when they would kill the odd Yeowman on a raid, they are starting to nail planes on the ground. I was content to save my Aircrews and let them enjoy the fireworks, but now I need to start putting up CAP.
 
I am considering moving my B17 force to PM, moving out my other Level Bombers and P-39 crews to counter-bomb Rabul. I'll run out of B17's before they run out of Betties though so I don't know how wise a move this is.
 
I know most of you would be eating burgers in Tokyo by now, but I really have forgotten everything about this game and have no clue what to do. Need some advice on how to proceed so I can develop the ability to make tactical descisions. Unfortunatley like a MD in a retirement home, I've adpoted the "wait and see" policy because ...like MDs I have no idea what to do. Pretend I am your mentally challenged cousin (everyone has one of those), and your sleezy uncle(also, everyone has one of those) bet you couldn't teach me to play UV.
 
 

[HansBolter]

Bases with an overland route WILL draw supply overland.

However, be advised that the attrition rate of supply loss for every hex of Jungle trail it traverses is HUGE.

The lone garrison at Wau can be kept supplied overland from PM without a huge drain because it "calls" for so little to begin with.

The shorter route to Buna can also feed a very small garriosn reasonably.

Deploying any kind of significant force to these bases while relying on overland supply form PM will find you pulling your hair out from your inability to keep PM supplied as all of it gets sucked into the jungle attrition.

Before I understood this I tried to sustain large forces in these bases overland and learned what a nightmare it was first hand. I marched a full corps to Lae via Wau.

The supply needs of PM to be to able to feed the outlying bases rapidly sucked in every last transport I had in the game severely hampering operations in the Solomons and I STILL couldn't keep my units supplied at any kind of decent level.

Beware of overland supply it will be your bane.

[radar]

quote]ORIGINAL: OG_Gleep
I am considering moving my B17 force to PM, moving out my other Level Bombers and P-39 crews to counter-bomb Rabul. I'll run out of B17's before they run out of Betties though so I don't know how wise a move this is.


In mid-October 1942, I would not consider attempting to bomb Rabul from PM. I prefer to use the base air support to host enough CAP to proctect the base and escort a few bomber groups on naval attacks and searches.

I would also transfer C-47s and small bombers to PM to transport supplies to Buna and Salamana, where I've sent overland troops, engineers and base forces. This assumes PM can be adequately supplied. Meanwhile, Gili Gili can become the prime invasion target.

Eventually, TBs & DBs can be based at Buna and Salamana to challenge IJN TFs attempting to reinforce or supply NG bases.