In defence of RADM Didz

[Didz]

Originally posted by strollen

I understand on being cautious as the Americans early in #17, especially with the carriers, but....

I think the commander evaluation report on you would read.

RADM Didz is a competent and very very careful commander.

He is best suited for commanding a fleet with your son on it.

I thought RADM Strollen might be interested to discover how my. less aggressive, and more measured strategy is going so far.

I am playing Allied #17 with all historical options on.

It is 9th August 1942

The Japanese have taken Lunga (A2(100% damage):P2(100% Damage)) and Tulagi (A0:P2) but are paying a heavy price for the residence. Guadacanal is under daily bombardment from my airbase at Nevea and gets regular visits from Wasp, Saratoga, Lexington and Hornet who use it for target practice.

The Japanese have failed to make any advances on New Guinea. SWPAC currently hold the following bases on the island.

Wae (A1:P0)
Port Moresby (A6:P4)
Gilli Gilli (A3:P3)
Buna (A1:P1)
Dobahura (A1:P0)

Aircraft losses to date: Japanese 279 Allies 378

Of the Japanese losses 154 are Zero's 56 Betty's & 44 Nells

Of the Allied Loses 72 are Fighters 102 DB's 46 LB's and 111 Dakota's (its dangerous being a supply pilot in my army;)

Ships losses 16 Allied 138 Japanese

Japanese losses include CL Tatsuta; CA Myoko; CA Mikama; 5 DD's; 79 AP's & 18 PC's

Allied Losses include CA Chicago; DD Farragut; DD Worden

Top pilot FLT Vick Gilmour 75 Sqdn RAAF 245 missions 6 Kills

Current Overall Points

Bases controlled IJN 18 Allies 18
Bases owned IJN 4960 Allies 3379
Aircraft losses IJN 279 Allies 378
Army Losses IJN 162 Allies 29
Ship Losses IJN 856 Allies 138

Total Points AI: 5,505 RADM Didz 4,676

It is now the 19/8/42 and I haven't seen a Japanese CV for weeks. I'm just finishing off another supply convoy trying to reach Lae and my planes are bombing enemy shipping as far North as Kavieng. The 1st Marine Div are en-route to Rennel Island with orders to establish a forward bombardment base on that island whereupon I may decide to retake Guadacanal. I have all 6 CV's still afloat and providing air support for the landings though I haven't seen an IJN ship in the area for some time.

All the LB's from the mainland are now on New Guinea and once Rabaul has been neutralised I shall begin retaking the rest of the island.

In the meantime I shall remain careful :p

[Didz]

Update 3/9/42

Allied bombers operating from New Guinea now dominate the Solomon Sea striking at any IJN TF that dares to venture out of port.

For the first tme since the start of the campiagn IJN combat vessels are being caught in the net of the Allied air umbella and several CA's, CL's and DD's have been added to the sunk list. However, so far IJN have been careful to keep their Carriers and BB's well clear of the fighting.

The 1st Marine Division made it safely ashore on Rennel Island and are in the process of digging in and preparing a fighter strip. Some long range air strikes were suffered by the landing ships but none were lost. PT boats are now operating from Rennel Island and PT39 lauched a successful raid against a japanese convoy in Iron Bottom Sound last night. The survivors being mopped up by air strikes from the Wasp the next morning.

Two squadrons of the new Warbirds arrived a few days ago and are already giving a good account of themselves against the Zero's escorting the daylight raids on Gilli Gilli.

[strollen]

Thanks for posting the information Didz. Although, I am not sure you made your case. I've started 3 long scenarios and I'm currently playing Scenario 15 which I find the most challenging for the allies. I am giving the Japanese a break by making AI Hard and Japanese ships commitment 140%.

The only scenario 16 I quit after I realized it was going to be a cake walk. Results as of 9 June 42.

Ship Losses
Allied 11/142
Japan 15/857

Ships lost Shokaku, Zuikaku, Shoho
US Chicago, Australia

Total points
Japan 4363
Allies 4151


I own Gili Gili A3 P2, and I'm looking at taking Lunga as soon as more transports arrive and the raise of the 1st Marine division.

So as you can see my more agressive strategy results in almost identical ship losses but 2 months earlier against a harder opponent, and I am closer to overcoming the Japanese score.

More interestings is my Scenario 15 situation. This scenario postulate that there was no Coral Sea, or Midway and Japan grapped PM, and all of PNG. The Japanese start with a 4A 4P base in PM, and 2A 3P base on Gili, and small bases in Lunga.

I immediately grabbed Gili at the cost of 1/3 of my transports. However it was worth it since grapping Gili isolated PM. I captured PM a few weeks ago and I'm currently gearing up to either invade Lunga directly, or at the small base next to Lunga.
Lunga is 6 A 4P base one 1+ division on it! and I am sure at least level 4 or 5 fortifications. So I am hestitant to invade without landing craft. Of course it the Lunga Airbase is out of operation and I am slowly working on the port. I have a 4A 3P base on Irau and a few other forward bases.

Results 12 Nov 42.

IJN losses 91/3052
Allied Losse 65/1145

Japan 5CVs 2 CVLs 2 BBs 8CAs 3 CLs
Allies Yorktown, Wasp, 2 CAs 1 CLAA, 1 CL (US) 2 CLs (Aus)

Total score
Japan 6821
Allies 8088

As you can see I am closing in on a decisive victory. BTW, both battleships were sunk attempting bombardment missions. one off Gili Gili, the other Lungaville.

I do believe that a more aggressive approach will result in a faster victory.

BTW I did play one scenario 17 as the Japanese, also at hard, but no production advantage of to the Allies.
21 Sept 42

Allies 61/1764
Japan 28/544
Allies lost the Enterprise, Wasp, and Hornet.

Total Score
Japan 7317
Allies 2683

I controlled Gili Gili but failed to take PM. I am not sure I have the ground forces to take out Lungaville or Noumea. But I know the allies don't have the forces to counter attack, given the AIs intelligence.

[Didz]

Originally posted by strollen


I did play one scenario 17 as the Japanese, also at hard, but no production advantage of to the Allies.
21 Sept 42

Allies 61/1764
Japan 28/544
Allies lost the Enterprise, Wasp, and Hornet.

Total Score
Japan 7317
Allies 2683

I controlled Gili Gili but failed to take PM. I am not sure I have the ground forces to take out Lungaville or Noumea. But I know the allies don't have the forces to counter attack, given the AIs intelligence.

I'd be interested in seeing the results you get playing #17 as Allied with the same setting as I have used as this would be a more valid comparison.

The interesting thing I noted from your results is that whilst the Ship Losses are almost identical in point value terms 856 v 857 there is actually no comparison in terms of the number of ships lost 138 v 15.

Not surprisingly in your more aggressive game IJN ships losses are mostly high value combat ships whereas in mine they are nearly all low value transports.

[dgaad]

Why don't you guys just settle this dispute by playing each other and ripping each other's guts out?

[strollen]

Why don't you guys just settle this dispute by playing each other and ripping each other's guts out?

That is a good idea. As soon as the patch comes out I want to play a couple of PBEM games.

I'm sure I won't play any more games against the AI without giving it a large advantage. Didz you really should change the setting on your game to Hard, I think you'd find it more challenging.

The allies have such an advantage that I'd want to play the no Midway scenario as the Japanese.

Anyway I'd be happy to teach Didz the error of his ways

[Didz]

SITREP 3/11/42 #17 Allies

The apparent withdrawal of IJN forces from the Solomon Sea early last month proved to be a temporary regrouping rather than a permanent reduction of hostilities.

However, it did enable the 1st Marine Regiment to get ashore on Rennel Island unopposed and later in the month the 1st Australian Pioneer Bn was landed by Destroyer at Finschafen seizing the base after a brief skirmish and then making preparations for the full landing by the 32nd Division.

Towards the middle of September intelligence reported the assembly and dispatch of large numbers of supply and replenishment convoys from Truk enroute for Santa Isabel. Submarines were immediately dispatched to interdict these convoys and several AP's were hit some of which were carrying troops. Intelligence then revealed that these convoys were supported by the full force of the IJN Carrier fleet and that they were heading towards Guadacanal. At the time an invasion fleet carrying the remainder of the 1st Marine Div. Was enroute to Taivu (Guadacanal) with the intention of retaking the island and the Carriers Lexington, Wasp, Yorktown and Saratogo were already on station to support the landings. On receipt of the intelligence the landings were immediately cancelled and the 1st Marine Div. was redirected to Santa Cruz whilst the CV's were withdrawn to a position well within the LBA air umbrella from Nevea.

The third Battle of Guadacanal began on the 20 September with the arrival of the first of seven IJN replenishment convoys in Iron Bottom Sound.

The convoys had been harassed by allied submarines for several days and now as they entered the sound the wolfpack closed on them and began to pick off ships as they tried to unload. PT boats from Rennel island joined the hunt at night whilst during the day air strikes from Nevea and from the US carriers added there own contribution to the carnage.

The Japanese CV's task group remained at the mouth of the slot beyond LBA range of Nevea and contented itself with launching airstrikes against the 1st Marine Regmt on Rennel Island which caused heavy casualties and encouraged them to dig a lot faster. It did not contribute to the battle in Iron Bottom Sound except by sinking one submarine S-43 that wandered into their ASW screen en-route to Iron Bottom Sound.

However, despite heavy losses the AI managed to achieve the one thing it had been unable to achieve since the start of the campaign in May. For a brief period of a few days it actually managed to get its airbase at Lunga fully operational and launch a small air-strike which landed a single bomb on the deck of the Yorktown. However, in doing so it lost all its bombers and so the threat was ignored.

The main battle ended when the last IJN transport ship in the sound was sunk and the few survivors were en-route back to truk. Pursuit was brief as most of the allied submarines were in bad need of replenishment. Following the cessation of the landings attention has focussed once against on the Japanese base at Lunga. The airfield was rapidly put out of commission again and regular air bombardment is steadily reducing the 2,000 or so new arrivals on the island to the same demoralised condition as the former inmates.

The Japanese CV's have remained in the area patrolling the slot and occasionally launching air strikes against Marine positions on Rennel Island. However, unlike their US counterparts the IJN TF commanders seem able to judge the range of the LBA aircraft at Nevea and Port Moresby perfectly and never wander with strike range during the day. At night however they have sailed right into Iron Bottom Sound and so their presence is preventing the planned landing at Taivu going ahead. Instead the 1st Marine Div has joined its colleagues on Rennel Island and plans are in place to develop the airbase there so that the allied air umbrella can be extended over the slot.

At the same time air strikes from Port Moresby have begun to neutralise the enemy airbase at Rabaul and the 32nd Division is ashore at Finschafen.

Total IJN ship losses now total 167 vessels worth 1,490 points.

The Allies have lost 24 vessels worth 192 points.