Round two - DING YH v TS

[Mistmatz]

I guess with the atoll stuff things are clearer on a tactical level (ie easy to take, harder to defend) but the strategic gameplay may change. More chances for carrier engagements for instance, stuff liek this. Will be interesting to read the first AARs that go into late '42 early '43.

Btw. are the US carriers still respawning 500 (?) days after their sinking? Personally I hope this 'feature' got removed but haven't read anything regarding the issue so far.

[Andy Mac]

Don't get me wrong a Marine Div force (2 Regts assaulting) landing into an IJA Regt behind lvl 6 forts on an atoll will get chewed up badly they can probably take it with enough air and sea support but it wont be pretty.
 
Same situation where the defender is an IJA Bn or a SNLF with a base force or an Aviation Bn - the Div probably rolls right over it
 
The need for good recon and planning is now pre eminent.
 
Sometimes an atoll just isnt worth defending......

[Andy Mac]

What you will find is a lot of trip wire forces on atolls just enough to stop a Bn level assault by Parachute or FT but not enough that if a serious invasion comes along that its a material loss.
 

[Dili]

Will this force the end of Island hopping and the establishment of more wither on the wine? The Game question is if the Japanese player can use some of those attols to start raids into Allies supply line and make possible for a dynamic campaign that can vary the player choices making it more interesting instead of a setpiece strategy defined from start.

[foliveti]

ORIGINAL: Don Bowen


Ammo ships and tenders have a cargo capacity. It indicates ability to rearm in the same way a port capacity does. Big tenders/ammo ships can rearm big ships - little ones can't.

Supply cargo on tenders and ammo ships works just like supply at ports. It is, in affect, ammunition on board and available for issuing to ships needing rearming. They can load (supply=ammo) from ports just like any other ship.

Will it be necessary to manually reload supply for tenders if they are anchored or docked at a port, or can this be set to occur automatically. I like the feature, I am just concerned about turns eating up more time on details like this. I am about a 90 minute turn guy as it is.

[Don Bowen]

ORIGINAL: foliveti

ORIGINAL: Don Bowen


Ammo ships and tenders have a cargo capacity. It indicates ability to rearm in the same way a port capacity does. Big tenders/ammo ships can rearm big ships - little ones can't.

Supply cargo on tenders and ammo ships works just like supply at ports. It is, in affect, ammunition on board and available for issuing to ships needing rearming. They can load (supply=ammo) from ports just like any other ship.

Will it be necessary to manually reload supply for tenders if they are anchored or docked at a port, or can this be set to occur automatically. I like the feature, I am just concerned about turns eating up more time on details like this. I am about a 90 minute turn guy as it is.

There is no automatic function. It is quite possible that the tender may need to go somewhere else for it's supply (ammo).

[Grotius]

I hope it's not *too* easy to take atolls now. I gather you guys have reduced the maximum number of fortifications on atolls. Can't one make a case that a small island is easier to "fortify" than a large one?

[Iridium]

ORIGINAL: Grotius

I hope it's not *too* easy to take atolls now. I gather you guys have reduced the maximum number of fortifications on atolls. Can't one make a case that a small island is easier to "fortify" than a large one?

Because there is less room to fortify, there is less depth to the defensive fortifications as well. Sure, there's less area to fortify but there is also only so much one can do in a limited space surrounded by an endless sea. At least I imagine that would be the reasoning behind any fort limit on atolls.

Don't expect any elastic defenses on an atoll, most likely all static defenses with very little in terms of secondary lines of defense, probably just supply/communication lines behind the primary line.

[Yamato hugger]

Dec 19:

We had a new build come out and we played around with it a little and decided to stick with the old one, so I had to re-create the last days battles. Sorry for the delay.

3 AKs carrying a base force and a Jake squadron were intercepted off Iba by 2 DDs and sunk. They then engaged the 4 PBs that were supposed to be escorting the AKs but fell behind putting heavy fires and damage on 3 of them. One of the DDs also took heavy fires and damage and although it was never reported sunk, it hasnt been seen since. 3 TBs engage 6 PTs at San Fernando and sink all 6 for no damage to themselves. The remaining DD runs into these 3 TBs and takes heavy damage and fires. No hits on the TBs. These 2 forces contact each other 3 more times as the US force makes it way towards Manila and the Japanese force heads to Busuanga but not another shot is fired between them.

3 SCs (sub chasers) attacked the Sailfish off Laoag hitting her 3 times. An attack in the afternoon by the same 3 SCs produce the same result: 3 more hits.

4th mxd reg begins unloading at Kuching.

I/81st nav gd begins to unload at Pontianak.

Sweep of Singapore by 5 Zeros finds nothing in the air. 78 Bettys and Nells raid in the afternoon destroying 4 planes on the ground and causing minor damage.

Sweep of Manila downs 1 P-40

Bombing of several ground units in central China. He appears to be pulling back.

6 Blenheims attacked battle division 5s Fuso at Singkawang in NW Borneo. 1 attacker shot down, no hits. A later attack by 4 more no hits on Fuso. 3 more attacked a DD 150 miles north of Singkawang no hits.

3 P-40s raid Busuanga. 7 Zeros and 3 Jakes on CAP shoot down 2. 16 more attack later and down all 3 Jakes and a Zero for no loss. 6 more come back in the afternoon with 5 Zeros on Cap losing 2 P-40s to 3 Zeros.

15 P-35s attack the airfield at Tuguegarao. 2 Zeros intercept and between them and the AA they down 1 and damage 8. Light damage to the field.

2 B-10s and 5 P-26s of the Phil air force attack transports unloading the bulk of the 48th div at Atimonan for no effect. 2 P-26s attack in the afternoon hitting an empty AK with 1 bomb.

5 Blenheim VIs attack transports unloading at Kuching for no effect.

7 Zeros sweep Rangoon and down 2 of 3 Buffs.

Sallys raid Tavoy for light damage.

Hong Kong bombed for light damage.

British ground troops attacked at Taipang. It looks as if he may try to slow my advance by fighting there. 5 units reported in the base.

2nd Yokosuka SNLF unloads on Sambas (1 hex west of Kuching).

8th tank reg attacks 2nd bn of the PA 101st reg at Cotabato on Mindanao at 32:1 driving it back.

65th bde attacks 1st bn at Cayagan driving it up into the hills at 438:1.

Troops at Wake attack at 1:3. More troops enroute. Evacuation ships ar standing by.

[khyberbill]

Btw. are the US carriers still respawning 500 (?) days after their sinking? Personally I hope this 'feature' got removed but haven't read anything regarding the issue so far.

There is a thread somewhere else (Navy ?) that basically says no respawning. That is because, unlike WITP, all the US carriers arrive[&o].

[Yamato hugger]

"Respawning" has been removed.

[Dixie]

ORIGINAL: Grotius

I hope it's not *too* easy to take atolls now. I gather you guys have reduced the maximum number of fortifications on atolls. Can't one make a case that a small island is easier to "fortify" than a large one?

I'd say it would be quicker to fortify a smaller island, but with less land area you can't have a defence in depth which is what I imagine higher level forts represent.

[Yamato hugger]

Dec 20th:

A Dutch AP was trying to evac troops from Kuching and sunk by 6 DDs with loss of troops.

A minefield was discovered at Singkawang (as I expected) and the AMcs I sent in started doing their thing clearing 8 mines.

Zeros dropped 3 Buffs in 2 sweeps of Rangoon.

Zero sweep of Singapore caught nothing.

A pair of Zeros got a P-40 in a sweep of Manila.

72nd Chinese corps A, B, and C units all took hits by ground attack aircraft in China.

3 Blenheims attacked battle division 5s Yamashiro off Singkawang for no hits. 9 more attacked Fuso and one of the AMcs later. No longer does being in different TFs protect you from attacking bombers as the AMcs were in a TF by themselves. 6 more attacked Fuso and Yamashiro later with 2 bombers headed home smoking.

3 Blenheims attacked CL Naka for no effect at Sambas.

Sweep of Manila got 1 P-40 for the loss of a Zero.

Sallys raid Tavoy twice and put moderate damage on the airfield.

In the battle of the titans, 1 Jake takes on 2 OS2U-3 Kingfishers at Busuanga driving them off without damage. 2 B-10s attacked later and were both shot down by patrolling Zeros.

58 Navy bombers attacked Singapore causing moderate damage and destroying a Blenheim.

5 Bettys attacked Kendari and 3 were lost to CAP Brewsters.

Light damage to Iloilo from 3 Jolo based Bettys.

Daily air raid and artillery attacks at Hong Kong soften more enemy troops.

A US sub was hit once by patrolling subchasers off Formosa.

Spearfish took 7 hits several leaks and engine damage from DDs south of Saigon.

3rd and 8th mxd bdes along with 2 RGC units attacked the Chinese 98th corps in the hills of north central China at 3:1 driving them back.

1st and 4th cav bdes attacked the Chinese 81st corps in norther China at 1:1 causing 1300 Chinese casualties to 168 Japanese.

Japanese forces on Wake didnt attack today. Relief forces and supplys are enroute. A sub attacked the evacuation force standing off the island for no effect.

Chinese 13th Group Army (35th, 83rd, 3rd prov Chinese Corps) somehow managed to drive the 5th armored car company back from the hills in northern China. They only managed a 281:1 attack which I find humorous. 12 vehicles reported destroyed is all.

[wild_Willie2]

Do you have any example of bomb damage by "lighter" bombs (250-500 pounds) against BB's ?
 
Supposedly they have a penetration chance in AE....  

[Yamato hugger]

He has attacked BB div 5 a few times now, but I dont think he has actually scored a hit yet. They will probably be attacked again in the upcoming turn, so here is their current status, and if they do actually get hit, you will have a frame of reference:

[cantona2]

May have already been asked but what does 'Heavy Cover' under the TF number mean?
 
Thanks

[Yamato hugger]

Thats a name the player can input under the TF name so when he mouses over it on the map, he can see what he wrote. I use it for misc things like if I form a TF and send it to some remote corner of the world, I have a reminder why I sent it there, for example:

TF 180 instead of "Heavy cover" as TF 5 is, I have written: PU 4R g2 Singora

You only have a limited number of characters to use, so when I sent this TF out, I made that note to remind me to pick up (PU) the 4th regiment (4R) and go to (g2) Singora. This way when the TF arrives where the 4th reg was, I remember why I sent them, and where I wanted them to go next.

[Japan]

Yamato hugger   I wounder,   why is the ship named like this:

BB Yamashiro#   instead of like this  BB Yamashiro    ?

Its a tiny detail,  I just wounder if it has a meaning or something ?

Does the # in the name have any meaning ?

[EnricoR]

# means BB Yamashiro is the flag ship.

[Dili]

Well since # means AirUnits, LCU? that retire from a scenario it would be expected some consistency in icon information.