Forlorn Hopes: The Japanese Respond

[ny59giants]

How are your Oil reserves in the Home Islands??
He is getting closer to your major Oil Centers.

Retired Economic Minister Benoit

[John 3rd]

THAT is my primary concern and why I moved so much into this area.  I have two major convoys that have just left for the Home Islands.  Between them they have 200,000 oil and 200,000 resources.  I cannot let him get any closer or his 4EB will wreak havoc on Palembang.  Considering I just got it mostly repaired, thanks to my Retired Economics Minister, this might be BAD!
 
With the North Pacific being what it is, I figure HERE is where the Empire will be decided.
 
Dan only brought 3 Chinese Inf Div with him for the landing.  I have a real chance of holding Medan and then driving him into the sea.  He should have taken Sabang and stayed under LBA Cover.  By being here, I can hit it from 6-8 airfields.  To confuse him, I made sure planes were at Victoria Point to Singapore.  He can't hit all my bases with 4EB and I HOPE to crush the ships at Medan...

[John 3rd]

Medan, Sumatra
My planned aerial assault came off at Medan!  Three Assault Waves hit the two convoys of transports unloading there.  A total of 91 F, 24 DB, 16 TB, 49 Sally/Helen, and 144 Betty dropped their loads on ships that had NO CAP.  Yummy...  When the attacks were over, 15 AK/AP were seriously hit and CA Dorsetshire was SUNK!  Five AKs sank with many more expected to go down.
 
Dan off-loaded a 4th Chinese Unit there.  I have a Brigade and Engineering Regiment that will be there tomorrow from Kuala.  I have no doubt that I will hold the base.  Two Infantry Divisions at at Singapore and one will be loaded tomorrow to be dropped off at Bankha.
 
My CVs finished fueling at Batavia and depart on their mission.  BB Yamato and her DDs move out as well.   
 
North Pacific
I expect my CVs to be in striking range of the convoys that are moving currently.  It appears that there are 2-3 going west and 1-2 coming east.  I added up the aircraft on the 4 CV/4 CVL and got 143 Fighters, 81 DB, and 138 TB.  Good things should come from these planes over the next day or two.

[John 3rd]

January 11, 1944
 
The situation continues with tactical Japanese victories but great fears of strategic defeats.
 
Northern Japan
I began landing two SNLF units and a Construction Btn at Kunashiri on the 9th.  The Americans did not respond until the 11th.  The Japanese got 7,500 troops ashore before the US Navy showed up.  On the 11th, 9 Japanese AP were attacked by CA Minneapolis, CLAA Oakland, 2 CL, 4 DD, and 4 DE.  The AP scattered and only 4 were sunk.
 
As I hoped would happen, this battle caused the US TF to use up a bunch of Op points and they were found halfway back to Toyohara during the day.  In the morning a Japanese Aerial Strike of 41 F and 133 B smashed into the Americans.  Unforunately there were no TT in the attack group but the results were excellent:  CA Minneapolis was hit by 8 bombs, CLAA Oakland took 4 bombs, another CL, 2 DD, and 2 DE were heavily hit as well.  One DE sank and there is the real chance for more going down...
 
I should explain that I am doing these little landings in the Kuiles to distract Dan and make him think I am being more agressive then I actually am.  Taking these bases back is good but I REALLY hope to make him worry about what I might do rather then what I will do.
 
My Night bombers begin hitting Toyohara in nuisance raids.
 
Sumatra
Another 5 AK are sunk by Japanese aerial forces as they flee Medan!
 
That is the good news, however, the bad news is that at least 6-8 Transport TF have been spotted leaving Port Blair and moving SW towards Sabang.  Sabang has an AS of 450 and I can move a Brigade to bump it up another 150 in two days.  Could be very bad...  I begin transporting a Brigade from Singora to Sabang with 45 Transport Planes.
 
I also begin loading another Japanese Inf Div at Singapore to go to Medan for off-loading.  A second Inf Div will begin to be loaded on the 13th for the same destination. 
 
Next few turns will be exciting!  

[Yakface]

Hi John
 
Looking att the picture, you seem to have some 250 to 300 LBA fighters and huge numbers of bombers + whatever your carriers have.  I must be time to unleash that lot on his carriers.  Yes he's got Corsairs, but numbers count a lot in air combat.  The risk of doing nothing, and allowing Allies to get airfields on Sumatra is surely greater than the risks involved in attacking.  If Sumatra falls then the SRA becomes virtually untenable and it's a bit too early for that.

[John 3rd]

The song goes "Hey-Hey Goodbye..."
 
Sabang is being crushed by 20 separate Allied units landing.  I've ordered everything to attack (probably get shot down) and do what can be done.  I ordered a fairly suicidal attack so we'll see...
 
This suits my current mood.  Had a rough Court day and would like to crawl under a rock!
 

[John 3rd]

January 13-14, 1944
 
OK.  In the name of frustration I will report the last two days in Sumatra.
 
Going along with Forum advice I released all my planes in the area.  Dan had numerous TF unloading (11-12 of them) at Sabang with his CVs providing distant cover 2 hexes NE of Sabang.  CAP over the town was only 12-19 Allied Fighters.  Considering I had about 600 planes available I expected a decent showing.
 
Morale was fair to good with all Daitai and Sentai.  I was careful to set ranges to be one hex past sabang to catch whatever I could hit.  On the 14th my CVs were to be in range with 235 more planes that would hit from the SW.
 
That was the plan.
 
Then the game took over.
 
Each day I had less then 100 planes fly.  Each day they elected to attack the CVs which were beyond their set range.  Each day my planes were slaughtered by 70-90 Fighters flying CAP over the Brit CVs.  The Jap CVs decided to fuel on the 14th though I had set the order for them not to.
 
Long story put simply--nothing--disturbed the Allied landing of 21 units with an Assault Strength of 2,400+.  Sabang fell on the 14th and that should about finish the Japanese position in the western DEI.  Palembang, Singapore, and Batavia will be in range of 4EB. 
 
Game, Set, Match
 
Ideas, comments, etc...
 
 

[John 3rd]

That was a depressing posting.  I wrote Dan and told him that I have had a couple of rough days here with the Court stuff and do not have very good morale myself.  I might need some time to rebuild my spirits and then we can get back to it.  This is a case of Real Life intruding on Gaming Life. 
 
Things certainly look bleak in Sumatra...
 
 

[FeurerKrieg]

Frustration is part of the deal when you sign on as Japan.

In my AAR we just had a carrier battle, and I had 120+ bombers get through CAP to attack Enterprise - I got 2 bomb hits and one of those was a 60kg GP. Not a single Kate torpedo hit. Meanwhile some 50 SBDs (through my CAP) managed to get six hits on my carriers.

[anarchyintheuk]

For whatever reason, the idea that you can flood an area w/ lba AND have it attack in an effective, if not coordinated, manner never seems to work in practice. IIRC, PzB had this happen to him as well (maybe it was Castor Troy). Unfortunately, this just happens to be the backbone of most of Japanese player's defensive strategy.

[Iridium]

ORIGINAL: anarchyintheuk

For whatever reason, the idea that you can flood an area w/ lba AND have it attack in an effective, if not coordinated, manner never seems to work in practice. IIRC, PzB had this happen to him as well (maybe it was Castor Troy). Unfortunately, this just happens to be the backbone of most of Japanese player's defensive strategy.

Well yeah, what else would all the islands and fortifications that we build up do? I have to ask though, do the players that find their LBA doing this select prefered targets or just hope for the best? Great AAR btw. [;)]

[John 3rd]

Thanks Iridium.
 
I truly wish that you could set attack planes to prioritize targets.  In this case I would toggle AK/AP.  I've watched plane-after-plane go after the CVs and get crushed for nothing.  It is so depressing.
 
The other major issue I have with the game is that 4EB ALWAYS get to an AF FIRST!  Dan is flying almost 300 4EB out of Moulmein and Rangoon.  They always hit my AFs and destroy numbers of planes on the ground.  Take the two turns when I had perminent land contact with the AK/AP.  Those attack planes of mine would have been in the air the moment sunrise occurred.  The 4EB wouldn't be able to safely leave until the same time.  Should they fight my CAP and crater the AF?  YES!  Should they destroy 40 planes a riad on the ground?  CRAP!
 
My .02...
 

[vettim89]

John,

I feel your pain. All of us have felt that frustration. I personally been in both positions while watching the combat replay. At times I have been saying quit bombing the stupid CL's and go after the AP's During the NEI campaign my dutch bombers attacked BB Kongo more then ten times when the Java Sea was full of transport TF. At other times, I have literally sat SCREAMING at the computer, "Go after the carriers, the carriers, you stupid dorks!!!!!!!!"

That said WiTP is a strategic game and as such you role as commander is not to direct individual planes or ships but rather set the operations and general priorites for your units. I might even make the point that as a strategic commander, we have too much control over our units not too little. That said, what makes the game fun is the direction of individual battles at the units level.

[tabpub]

ORIGINAL: John 3rd

Thanks Iridium.

I truly wish that you could set attack planes to prioritize targets.  In this case I would toggle AK/AP.  I've watched plane-after-plane go after the CVs and get crushed for nothing.  It is so depressing.

The other major issue I have with the game is that 4EB ALWAYS get to an AF FIRST!  Dan is flying almost 300 4EB out of Moulmein and Rangoon.  They always hit my AFs and destroy numbers of planes on the ground.  Take the two turns when I had perminent land contact with the AK/AP.  Those attack planes of mine would have been in the air the moment sunrise occurred.  The 4EB wouldn't be able to safely leave until the same time.  Should they fight my CAP and crater the AF?  YES!  Should they destroy 40 planes a riad on the ground?  CRAP!

My .02...

Hi,
No, it's not that crappy, really.
A. Your airbase is a known target
B. I don't know the current ground picture, but Rangoon is a major AF and probably well in his rear now I imagine; so, they can take off pre-dawn with lighted strips and be over target as the sun rises. It's merely an exercise in navigation to get there on time.
C. meanwhile, your naval strike aircraft wait for the search a/c to locate/confirm the targets. If they didn't, they might fly off to hit a patch of open sea.

If it did not work that way, imagine the amount of sorties wasted and the resulting confusion that would occur. Not much to do about it other than counter-striking his AF if possible, perhaps by night or pray that his AF is socked in with weather or vice versa.

[castor troy]

ORIGINAL: anarchyintheuk

For whatever reason, the idea that you can flood an area w/ lba AND have it attack in an effective, if not coordinated, manner never seems to work in practice. IIRC, PzB had this happen to him as well (maybe it was Castor Troy). Unfortunately, this just happens to be the backbone of most of Japanese player's defensive strategy.

I´m used to it too but I had my game against PzJg Hortlund end because he thought that if he sets 500 ac on attack and only 300 attack then it´s a bug.

While you usually get nearly 100% of your ac attack an airfield or port you never get 100% attacking an LCU and nearly never see huge coordinated strikes against naval targets. If you see them, then they probably go after a couple of AKs. It´s not just a Japanese thing though.

[castor troy]

ORIGINAL: tabpub

ORIGINAL: John 3rd

Thanks Iridium.

I truly wish that you could set attack planes to prioritize targets.  In this case I would toggle AK/AP.  I've watched plane-after-plane go after the CVs and get crushed for nothing.  It is so depressing.

The other major issue I have with the game is that 4EB ALWAYS get to an AF FIRST!  Dan is flying almost 300 4EB out of Moulmein and Rangoon.  They always hit my AFs and destroy numbers of planes on the ground.  Take the two turns when I had perminent land contact with the AK/AP.  Those attack planes of mine would have been in the air the moment sunrise occurred.  The 4EB wouldn't be able to safely leave until the same time.  Should they fight my CAP and crater the AF?  YES!  Should they destroy 40 planes a riad on the ground?  CRAP!

My .02...

Hi,
No, it's not that crappy, really.
A. Your airbase is a known target
B. I don't know the current ground picture, but Rangoon is a major AF and probably well in his rear now I imagine; so, they can take off pre-dawn with lighted strips and be over target as the sun rises. It's merely an exercise in navigation to get there on time.
C. meanwhile, your naval strike aircraft wait for the search a/c to locate/confirm the targets. If they didn't, they might fly off to hit a patch of open sea.

If it did not work that way, imagine the amount of sorties wasted and the resulting confusion that would occur. Not much to do about it other than counter-striking his AF if possible, perhaps by night or pray that his AF is socked in with weather or vice versa.

In WITP you don´t have the "one side´s aircraft are over the airfield BEFORE the other side´s aircraft". Everything happens simualtenously. The reason your ac get bombed on the ground is that they didn´t fly at all, not because they were ordered to fly (by the game engine, not by you) and the enemy bombed the airfield before they took off. The engine didn´t send them out on nav attack, so they get bombed.

[John 3rd]

Good points and discussion guys.
 
I would like to see some for of an intiative and/or random roll to see IF your planes could get in the air before a strike came in.  In WitP you are guarantted that your planes are ALWAYS caught on the ground if your base is targeted.  I remember the old Avalon Hill game Flattop where you wanted initiative to get your most important strike in the air prior to the enemy's coming in.
 
Tabpub--if we are looking at realism, tell me how a flight of B-24 could take off from Rangoon, fly at least 600 miles, and hit Georgetown PRIOR to that base getting a strike in the air for a target less then 180 miles away?  This is why some form of initiative roll would be nice.
 
Wonder if there is any chance for AE to do something about this?  Doubt it...
 

[Q-Ball]

ORIGINAL: John 3rd

In WitP you are guarantted that your planes are ALWAYS caught on the ground if your base is targeted. 

Wonder if there is any chance for AE to do something about this?  Doubt it...

I share your frustration John as a JFB playing in early 1944. But I have to agree with Castor, your planes are not always caught on the ground. If they take off for a mission, the Allies will bomb nothing. This has happened to me many times, though typically when the bombers are on airfield attack or a mission where they are more likely to take off with a full strike.

You may know this, but AE does address the Allied intelligence advantage with regard to seeing Japanese aircraft movements before the turn and being able to react (or to completely surprise Japan). That is an unrealistic situation that will be closed apparently.

[John 3rd]

THAT is nice to hear!

Post 2000! Wow...how is that possible?

[USSAmerica]

ORIGINAL: John 3rd

January 13-14, 1944

The Jap CVs decided to fuel on the 14th though I had set the order for them not to.


Ideas, comments, etc...

Hi John, still following along and greatly enjoying your game!

Just a comment about this item. Everything I've read indicates that the "Do Not Refuel" setting for a TF only applies to refueling at a base. There is no way to prevent a TF from refueling the escorts from it's capital ships at sea. The only way to really get around this is to set a destination outside attack range of the enemy, and then manually order your TF to refuel the escorts, before you count on them to be ready for combat action.