EA Damian(J) V Nemo(A) "Renaissance"

[goodboyladdie]

ORIGINAL: pat.casey

ORIGINAL: goodboyladdie

If he is offering a 10 day ceasefire it is because he probably needs one too. He will always make better use of the 10 days. Go for Hawaii with everything you can. He has thrown everything into the North. Even if you can just take Kona, Hilo and Lahaina you can suppress PH. I rather suspect he will have stolen from Hawaii for his Northern venture, so throwing everything into taking Oahu as quickly as possible may be worth it. While the Northern route gives him access to the Home Islands, the weather will screw him most of the time and he will have to react to what you are doing for a change. He has CVs, but few remaining decent escorts as he has thrown away his cruisers in the Aleutians.

I dunno, might just be that he wants an interesting game. At this point I'd be inclined to take the cease fire. You don't want to let pride keep you both from enjoying your game. If you can reset and have a better position in 10 days, you'll have more fun, and Nemo seems to enjoy working for it, so he'll have more fun as well.

Nemo regained the initiative from a position that had driven off the last Allied player in the last 10 day break. It would be foolhardy to give him another. His direct attack through the Aleutians has caused most of Damian's current issues. I believe the only thing Damian can answer with that will bother Nemo is a direct attack on PH. Everything else is a slow (maybe not so slow) death...

[Local Yokel]

ORIGINAL: n01487477

Nemo gave me a few days to think things over... with some questions ... we have been playing for 2 months of game time now, and it is nice to have a break and think more outside the day-to-day operational level.

I, personally, think you are doing very well tactically and operationally but I think that you need to take a step back and take a day or two to just really ponder the WHOLE strategic picture and ask yourself what I am trying to do in the Aleutians and elsewhere and what my over-arching strategic goal is.... If I could give any advice I'd ask you to try to imagine what situation I want to create in 6 months time... If you look at what I'm doing now and extrapolate that based on what you know from other games I think you'll be able to see where I want the front-line trace to be in 6 months... That then tells you which bases you should be garrisoning and which planes and groups you need to be rebuilding and prepping for combat in 2 to 3 months time.

Note the emphasis on Nemo's intentions - this is an invitation to you to do nothing more than react to his plans. You are being asked to yield the initiative to him completely. That must be second best to finding ways in which you can mould the fight so that it is on your terms rather than his.

I agree with goodboyladdie: reject his offer of a 10 day ceasefire. If your position is truly irretrievable then such a ceasefire isn't going make it any better. Tell him that you have plans of your own, and you don't wish there to be any delay in putting them into effect. Even if you don't actually feel it that may help to create in impression of confidence that will serve you better than any hint that you regard yourself as being in desperate straits. If this is a mind game then show him that two can play.

You are playing Japan. It's your job to die gloriously! If you were to go down to defeat, better to do so with a bang not a whimper.

Don't take too much notice of what I say - one of my plans just paid off, so I'm feeling excessively gung-ho.[:)]

[1EyedJacks]

ORIGINAL: n01487477
Nemo has just offered me a 10 day ceasefire to fix my positions ... maybe I'm being a bit stupid about it, but I'm thinking of just continuing ... he has played a fine game, and found the openings he desired, so why should I have the chance to fix this?

Just curious - what would you do with 10 days? Ceasefire does not mean you can't move units to prepare a new front...

Are there additional troops you can move to Manila in 10 days to free up that campaign with capturing that base quickly - say on day 11 or 12?

If you wanted to do Hawaii what could you move in 10 days to prep for that type of a front?

Where would you like to put your subs at that you think could really starch his short-and-curlies in ten days?

How many air units will you build in 10 days? What ships will you get over that time frame? Where do you need supplies/oil? You get 100 PP per turn? That's a thousand points...

Maybe Nemo is gaming you - I'd B suspicious too. Any clue what he wil get over the 10 day ceasefire?

I'm just saying don't reject a 10 day ceasefire out of hand w/o looking over the board...

[n01487477]

Sorry I haven't updated for a while, I appreciate the thoughts guys, but I eventually decided to play it out ... I believe there is some honour in keeping to the spirit of the game, and earning any minor victories I still may get.

We are now at the 22 July '42 ... since the 18th:
[*]Nemo has decided to start attacking Transports, I had a TT heading toward Hue, he hadn't seen it but decided to send a whole heap of LB to Hanoi, and destroyed 2 DD's and 5 AK's. These transports were trying to extract some of the 1000 + AV I have there now.
[*]I've been hitting Okha (Allied planes are there, but don't seem to fly) and Sovetskaya Gaven, although a large CAP force is now guarding this base. To the North at Magadan, Allied LB seem to be situated, and my TT's are getting hit by them searching.
[*]My TT's with 7000 troops are 2 days away from Okha, but wouldn't you know it the weather has just cleared in time for the LB to fly.
[*]Petropavlovsk just got hit by B-17's, flying at a much lower alt, pity I had an inkling that he would do this, but I'm just fresh out of available air groups to garrison everywhere... as a consequence 30 H6K2-L Mavis were destroyed on the ground...
[*]2 Divisions have offloaded near Manila and will be there in a day or two. I've been hitting this base for months and months and months, and finally I believe it is getting close to being overrun...
[*]KB has been split up, mainly to replenish before Nemo charges to Okha, but a fragment of it stays on station to provide air cover to the TT near Okha. Once they have some fuel and supplies, and their air units filled, some will head SW to cover my invasion of Hawaii. The rest will have to be available to provide some bite as Nemo comes around near Parushuro Jima. I have very few surface forces available now, my drydocks are nowhere near capable of supporting the damage sustained so far. I'm thinking if this is the last stand then I will use them in suicide runs, if KB is hamstrung by the weather again...
[*]Also I've been clearing the Philippine Islands and Cebu should fall tomorrow.Malaya is also going to be rearranged, as I have some bases with no troops. I have to stop Nemo's MO of parachuting in and then transporting a Div... need more troops than I have, and will have to split some units so that I can provide cover, but if Manila falls in 3-4 days I should be ok.

[Andy Mac]

Do you have the strength to invade and take Magadan ? Might annoy him and provde another air base to defend the NE

[n01487477]

ORIGINAL: Andy Mac
Do you have the strength to invade and take Magadan ? Might annoy him and provide another air base to defend the NE

Short answer NO ... I might have enough to take back Okha and Sovetskaya Gaven,(I will have enough PP's to release another Div tomorrow) but Magadan has a very dark airfield indicator, and I am sure Nemo has been flying in forces to make this impossible. I know the weather will make it hard for him to fly, but I don't see how I can do this at present. All of this comes back to bad planning on my part, taking these bases earlier would have solved all these problems. I kept SG open so that I could train ... what a stupid plan to allow a base so close to remain in Allied hands! Lessons learnt, take it all and take it quickly.

23/7/42
[*]I hit Okha airfield again, but should have hit the ground troops. My transports will hit the beaches tomorrow... I have about 8000 troops, I hope this will be enough...but it will depend on how many troops he has flown in. I've been doing LRCap of Okha, and the recon says 1480 troops, but I'm sure they are not going to roll over and take it.
[*]6 TK's got hit near Sapporo, the LRCap I had assigned didn't cover the TF and they were destroyed by Pe-2's and Avengers from S-G. Nemo has about 160 Fighters, 150 bombers and 130 Aux here... The only bright note is that they hit this TF and not the AK's going to Okha. I really get the sense in this game more than any other that having LRCAP does switch the choice of LB targets. That is .. LB tries to go after TF's without cap first.
[*]Manila gets hit again with over 300 LB, these will be moved shortly to confront S-G. I am 2-3 days from either taking Manila or seeing if all my efforts here are worth naught.

[n01487477]

24/7/42

Landings at Okha go off without a hitch, there are still 2000 to offload, but I'm really hoping for a victory here tomorrow. Nemo says that he is unconcerned by it, and I can understand that it isn't the most important base to take on Sakhalin... I hit the ground troops here today and I hope this will cause enough disruption to allow an easy change over tomorrow when I shock attack.

Sov Gaven on the other hand is becoming a hand full, with over 200 fighters etc ... and the dreaded Pe-2's. I have no choice but to keep hitting this base from now on, no matter the cost. Tomorrow I will load a Motorised Div and send them in... it will take 5-6 days to get into position as the troops are coming from Tokyo. I will provide cap from KB and Land based fighters if I have any left after the softening up period. Recon shows 15000 troops there, and the dreaded Forts that Nemo instituted in this mod ...

63 Mitchell's from Madagan hit Shikuka, 7 of them won't be going home, but they already caused 20 Runway hits. I love how it takes so much longer for Japanese engineers to fill in a few pot-holes...

All the other theatres are proceeding normally, I've moved out some Betty's which were hitting Manila ... these will be needed as reserve in coming days as I hit S-G. Actually all the other places are so quiet, I know Nemo will re-energise them shortly ... I'm just amazed by how many planes the Allies have at this stage of the conflict. I know he has stripped all other area's, but so have I and I can't get close to parity.

All my CV airgroups have been filled out by disbanding land based groups into them, through splitting and upgrade / downgrades... they will be ready to go in a day or two... I hope this will surprise Nemo when he finally tries to bridge the gap between Petro and Sakhalin ... or if he is slow in this matter, then defend Petro ... Also my troops are moving into position for a Hawaiian cruise accompanied by a small KB detachment.

[Coach Z]

Damian, I know before Nemo took over you were planning (if I recall correctly) to invade Australia. Perhaps this might help kick some of the initiative back to you. Also IF you take Derby & Darwin it'll give you some new resource centers to compensate for the ones being bombed in the Burma Region. Now if you moved all the troops you intended to use there away...then never mind
Good Luck

[Andy Mac]

Raid his repair yards at SF he must have stripped the rear area defences of these areas.
 
If you can get them in range Send in Me 264's to hit the AF and use every carrier you have to crucify the port and dry dock.
 
 

[floydg]

Yeah, you need to find something that would make him flinch. But given his aggressive play approach, that may be difficult. Sacrifice a goat and pray for good luck.

[n01487477]

25 July '42 - Snake eyes - (dice throwing one's)

After a week of waiting for Nemo to finish some post-grad exams (and where I have been trying to get on top of my own work), back to the action...

Andy - I'd like to use the ki-264 (long range bomber - 44 hexes), but am waiting for kwajalein to reach Lvl 5, Palmyra has a max of 4. If I take one of the Hawaiian Islands then this will allow me to do this, but I am about 20 days away from showing my hand here.

Floyd - good to see you are back from holidays, I'd like to sacrifice something, but honestly, I just don't have the troops available, I sent too many to Siberia ... mistakes were made, but I have enough in the Pacific to make it interesting around Hawaii ... now my troops from Fiji,Kwaj,Wake and Marcus via AP's are moving closer to Palmyra everyday. The CV's will be sent shortly and then I'll be looking for goats in about 15 days. Also I'm still waiting for Manila to fall, 2 more Div's get there tomorrow and then I'll see ...

Shikuka got hit today, the plan had been to send sweeps from Shikuka and my LB from Sapporo to hit Sovietskya Gaven. The weather was unkind to me and kind to Nemo once again. None of the LB flew and my fighters didn't even seem to sweep ...

17 AP/AK's which had just offloaded troops at Okha got pounded, they will all sink ... my LRCAP also seemed to fail from Shikuka. Yet despite thunderstorms everywhere, the 200 Allied planes which flew from Madigan and the 200 from S-G, seemed not to know there was inclement weather..

And to rub salt into my wounds, Okha remains in Allied hands ... the shock attack was a complete failure!

Ground combat at Okha [Sakhalin I]

Japanese Shock attack

Attacking force 4164 troops, 39 guns, 6 vehicles, Assault Value = 194
Defending force 2744 troops, 111 guns, 14 vehicles, Assault Value = 95

Japanese max assault: 306 - adjusted assault: 106
Allied max defense: 57 - adjusted defense: 135

Japanese assault odds: 0 to 1 (fort level 0)

Japanese ground losses:
136 casualties reported
Guns lost 4

Allied ground losses:
65 casualties reported
Guns lost 4

So with Burma on a razor edge, ships now being hit as far away as Legaspi from Vietnam, and my air force sitting rusting away waiting to hit S-G with as many planes as I can muster ... I hope the next few days will return some luck my way! I don't take S-G, then it is over.. The Inf Div is loaded tomorrow, but I dare not be 6 hexes from S-G without straying into invincible Pe-2 territory. The airfield needs to be closed and closed for a few days...

Come On ...

[n01487477]

26 July '42 ~ Most of my air force in the North was stood down due to bad weather, it was a fairly uneventful turn and one to get back into it after almost a 2 week hiatus. Oh I finally took Davao and now have almost complete control of Philippines. Manila is yet to fall.

27 July '42 ~ Nemo withdrew his fighters from Sovietskya Gaven, luckily as most of my escorts remained on the tarmac. 17 Supply hits are great, but I would have liked to have closed the airfield more. Nemo lost 117 planes to my 7 for the day. This is a small victory, but an important one as I try to take S-G. Tomorrow I go back to Okha for some ground hits and a shock attack that I hope might do better than the previous post. It is a lot quicker than I would have liked, but as he continues to fly in troops, I see this as a last chance at present.

Day Air attack on Sovetskaya Gavan , at 73,30

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zeke x 6
G4M1 Betty x 193
Ki-44IIa Tojo x 30
Ki-21-II Sally x 42
Ki-264 Angel x 29

Allied aircraft
no flights

No Japanese losses

Allied aircraft losses
IL-2 Shturmovik: 23 destroyed
F4F-3 Wildcat: 9 destroyed
MiG-3: 2 destroyed
TBM-1 Avenger: 2 destroyed
P-38G Lightning: 1 destroyed


Allied ground losses:
12 casualties reported
Guns lost 1

Airbase hits 13
Airbase supply hits 17
Runway hits 146

[n01487477]

28 July '42

The battle for Okha continues, and once again I get some bad rolls, but fair enough as my Betties didn't ground attack Okha due to bad weather. I had planned on ferrying across a CSNLF, but due to the 2 mile movement per turn, I've decided to try my luck with the bad weather and ship them across in light-moderately damaged AP's.

I hit S-G again with Angels and Sally's and this has had the effect of halting Nemo's ability to hit my incoming Mech Div. But I'm not sure I am going to have enough troops now, I've been flying LRCAP over the base (as with Okha), and although I'm hitting transports, the troop numbers continue to rise according to mouse overs.

In other news:
[*]SS-122 bagged an AK near Colombo.
[*]60K troops storm across the river at Pisanuloke, they get a 1-1 against my 25K troops stationed there and my forts are reduced to 0. In a day or two Pisanuloke will be in Allied hands and there is nothing I can do about it.
[*]Sumatra has been cleaned up and there are no Allied units remaining, still I haven't got enough troops to hold it when Nemo decides to target it. Still have a shortfall in PP's to get some base forces from the home Is there.

[Capt. Harlock]

ORIGINAL: n01487477

But I'm not sure I am going to have enough troops now, I've been flying LRCAP over the base (as with Okha), and although I'm hitting transports, the troop numbers continue to rise according to mouse overs.

Welcome back, and just in time for the Pearl Harbor anniversary! Yeah, that's Nemo's style: he'll accept eye-popping losses to get the job done. And it usually turns out to be worth it.

[n01487477]

Yeah ... I've come to realise that Nemo cares little for the losses, and now playing as the Allies, he has the whole armed forces of the Allies at his disposal...

Now at the 31 July '42
So what has happened in the previous couple of days ?

[*]I successfully unloaded the CSNLF at Okha taking small damage from coastal guns and subs.
[*]Luangprabang is lost.
[*]Made a mistake and got caught napping ... payback is a b***h

Day Air attack on Angeles/Clark [PH] , at 43,51

Japanese aircraft
no flights
Allied aircraft
Wellington IC x 83 (set at 3000')

Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-21-II Sally: 4 destroyed
Ki-32 Mary: 20 destroyed
Ki-48-I Lily: 11 destroyed
Ki-48-II Lily: 21 destroyed
Ki-27 Nate: 1 destroyed
Ki-46-II Dinah: 1 destroyed
Ki-49 -I Helen: 2 destroyed

actual losses were actually around 110 planes hit on the ground according to Tracker ... talk about laser-guided munitions

Allied aircraft losses
Wellington IC: 5 damaged

Japanese ground losses:
57 casualties reported

Airbase hits 8
Airbase supply hits 9
Runway hits 93

[*] Manila ... is it ever going to fall ? I've been hitting it with LB for months now[&:]

Ground combat at Manila/Cavite [PH]

Japanese Deliberate attack

Attacking force 106040 troops, 1277 guns, 855 vehicles, Assault Value = 2851
Defending force 53385 troops, 1113 guns, 343 vehicles, Assault Value = 2101

Japanese max assault: 2721 - adjusted assault: 2406
Allied max defense: 1980 - adjusted defense: 4293

Japanese assault odds: 0 to 1 (fort level 0)

Japanese ground losses:
7904 casualties reported
Guns lost 106
Vehicles lost 9

Allied ground losses:
543 casualties reported
Guns lost 16
Vehicles lost 1

[*]Siem Reap is captured.
[*]Okayama is the first city to see IC bombing from 84 Wellingtons that hit Manila the day previous ... no damage sustained, but as Michael had already warned me I had some cap here and killed 16 planes and damaged 13 more.
[*]Pisanuloke [THAI] is captured ... now the battle and encirclement of Bangkok is near completion ... pictures after I reinstall WITP. (I do a windows reinstall every 3 months)

Future: S-G bound fleet is about 2 days out, but I only have one Mech Div free ... should I wait until I have more? ... I'm thinking that trying to take it might be a mistake with just one div ... and just focus on getting Okha back until I can free up some more divs through PP's. (8-10 more days away)

[n01487477]

First the overview ...

[n01487477]

Ships ...

[n01487477]

Aircraft ...

[n01487477]

finally ground ...

[n01487477]

Pictorial of Burma and Nth