The First Team: Take Two!

[John 3rd]

Doesn't make sense to me...

[ny59giants]

If they got the empty squadrons back to Aden they could fill them back up and place them on training at 90% and leave them like that for months. If you don't have a HR on it, they could put their short legged bombers on supply mission and get their experience levels to over 70 in a few short months so when they did come back they would be very effective. Finally, they may believe that they can get the air planes to Australia.

[Cap Mandrake]

ORIGINAL: John 3rd

Doesn't make sense to me...

It might make sense for these reasons. I had a similar situation when you attacked Perth in our game. As a Spitfire group would become chewed up and rendered combat ineffective, I had no way to get the group out, even the operational planes, and the damaged ones were just targets. In order to make room for incoming long-legged fighters or bombers, I had to crate up the wrecked group and put them aboard ship (docked in the harbour as there was no way to get out by sea either). In real life, of course, one could just push the heaps over to the side of the airfield, but you cant do that in the game.

You will need to do air recon to see if they are up against stacking limits. If they still are, it is a sure sign they are reinforcing somewhow.

As far as getting troops out, that makes sense too if they are wrecked units with no AV...they become just mouths to feed.

[Q-Ball]

ORIGINAL: ny59giants

If they got the empty squadrons back to Aden they could fill them back up and place them on training at 90% and leave them like that for months. If you don't have a HR on it, they could put their short legged bombers on supply mission and get their experience levels to over 70 in a few short months so when they did come back they would be very effective. Finally, they may believe that they can get the air planes to Australia.

You might be right there, particularly on getting planes to OZ, where we know they are VERY short; on recon missions, we only see a handful of Dutch and Australian models, and there isn't much activity.

Risky to take them out, since it looks like we destroyed a P-40, a Mohawk, and a B-25 unit on ships. IIRC, they will be stuck in the reinforcement queue for close to a year.

Also, question: Can P-38s stage from Aden to Karachi?

[ny59giants]

Can P-38s stage from Aden to Karachi?

Easily!

[String]

ORIGINAL: Q-Ball

ORIGINAL: ny59giants

If they got the empty squadrons back to Aden they could fill them back up and place them on training at 90% and leave them like that for months. If you don't have a HR on it, they could put their short legged bombers on supply mission and get their experience levels to over 70 in a few short months so when they did come back they would be very effective. Finally, they may believe that they can get the air planes to Australia.

You might be right there, particularly on getting planes to OZ, where we know they are VERY short; on recon missions, we only see a handful of Dutch and Australian models, and there isn't much activity.

Risky to take them out, since it looks like we destroyed a P-40, a Mohawk, and a B-25 unit on ships. IIRC, they will be stuck in the reinforcement queue for close to a year.

Also, question: Can P-38s stage from Aden to Karachi?

Afaik it's 90 days for a squadron destroyed on a ship and 270 for one destroyed on ground.

[John 3rd]

The British DO have carriers!

[John 3rd]

July 25, 1942

The Allies are attempting to breakout of Karachi. Just as we spoke about on earlier pages, them coming out from behind their Forts might be a GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY for us to do something! We'll have to see what more they bring across the river...

[ny59giants]

Sir John,
 
You answered your own question. By getting you to "divert" your LB from attacking the AF at Karachi to attacking the troops, you give them time to repair the AF. The repairing fighters could LRCAP some of their AKs for a day or two worth of movement towards Aden from unescorted Betty strikes.
 
The withdrawl of squadrons may mean their pool is empty of a particular nation and the thought is why waste all those planes with pilots who experience is less than 30?

[John 3rd]

Good thoughts Michael; however, I only moved Sally/Helen in to hit the troops.  There are 125+ OTHER bombers flying sorties against Karachi's AF.  We cannot let pressure lift there.  THAT would be bad...

[John 3rd]

Combat Report
July 26-28, 1942

The Americans have decided to get a little frisky with their Fleet and Ground Forces. To say that this is a shock and change of behavior is an understatement. Perhaps I should have begun adjusting when they tried to stage that battle near Palmyra. After sinking those two CVs and a bunch of cruisers, I THOUGHT they would hunker down and go back to being passive.

My MISTAKE!

I sent the entire Fleet back to Japan for Upgrades and R&R. This would include all six heavy carriers, the battlecruisers, and many CAs/CLs/DDs. A good amount of them are already being upgraded right now and I expect to be battle-ready again by August 10-15th. While nice, this placing things in a different context for my ability to react.

Palmyra Attack
Two American CVs strike the shipping around Palmyra as I finally take the island. Thankfully the Wildcats, SBDs and Avengers don't sink the supply laden AKs but they do cream a STF protecting the convoy. We lose CAs Aoba and Chokai, CL Yubari, and a DD. The moment Palmyra falls on July 28th, they move away towards Hawaii.

OUCH!

Cold Bay Attack
CV Saratoga---all by her lonesome--is covering the landing of American troops at Cold Bay. Bad weather has kept my planes on the ground for two straight days and I haven't been able to do much. We do send in 4 Japanese PT-Boats and they manage to plant a Torpedo in the only BB included in the Invasion Force. I HATE PT-BOATs even when they our mine! Too damned effective...

The base had been undefended but I deice to transport in elements of an SNLF by air to make the Americans take the base.

Only warships seen are the BB--DD TF, Saratoga to the east, and the transports. I've organized a hot reception tomorrow if the weather cooperates.

Things are happening in India but I'll leave that to Brad if he wants to comment.

Two screenshots coming. This one is of the current situation with air strength included:

[John 3rd]

Here is the lucky Torpedo hit on BB California!

[John 3rd]

I will call the Bombay attacks SHO and will number each one as they happen.

To show the Allies we are serious the Japanese finally assault the Allied Line at Bombay. This, then, is SHO-1:

Can anyone say whether this is a GOOD or BAD result???

[John 3rd]

We have some fun developing in the Aleutians. The Americans have only 1 CV covering their landing at Cold Bay and USS Saratoga does not have enough Fighters for the job:

[John 3rd]

Here is the bigger picture of the North. Things could get mighty interesting if the Japanese troops can hold for a few days!

[Hornblower]

Going to be intersting next few turns

[ny59giants]

What is the unmodified AV of the Allies at Bombay?? That is the important factor. He was behind level 9 forts in an urban hex with his LCUs having various levels of prep. Each turn it is up to the "dice gods' to determine the outcome. I would rest for 3 or 4 days with just your artillery bombarding and your LB continuing to pound the AF. Then try again.  Adding in your BB TF is a good way to drop his supplies quickly.

[flaggelant]

BB's will be doing some nice pounding to the disruption to, with 2.500 casualties
 
i'd say having these bomb for a week does more to the front then both air & ground bombardments together!!
 
have you tried a cap mission over Bombay? to see if there are any troop/ supply transports (by float planes, like catalina's etc..)
having no runway doesnt mean Karachi can't launch anything IMO

[Q-Ball]

ORIGINAL: ny59giants

What is the unmodified AV of the Allies at Bombay?? That is the important factor. He was behind level 9 forts in an urban hex with his LCUs having various levels of prep. Each turn it is up to the "dice gods' to determine the outcome. I would rest for 3 or 4 days with just your artillery bombarding and your LB continuing to pound the AF. Then try again.  Adding in your BB TF is a good way to drop his supplies quickly.

Here is the combat report. There are alot of Allies there. I think we don't take it until the supplies run out.

Ground combat at Bombay

Japanese Deliberate attack

Attacking force 162783 troops, 1730 guns, 468 vehicles, Assault Value = 3134

Defending force 112320 troops, 902 guns, 534 vehicles, Assault Value = 2343

Japanese engineers reduce fortifications to 8

Japanese max assault: 3121 - adjusted assault: 2456

Allied max defense: 2306 - adjusted defense: 30041

Japanese assault odds: 0 to 1 (fort level 8)


Japanese ground losses:
9942 casualties reported
Guns lost 257
Vehicles lost 17

Allied ground losses:
750 casualties reported
Guns lost 16

ORIGINAL: flaggelant

BB's will be doing some nice pounding to the disruption to, with 2.500 casualties

have you tried a cap mission over Bombay? to see if there are any troop/ supply transports (by float planes, like catalina's etc..)
having no runway doesnt mean Karachi can't launch anything IMO

Haven't had a CAP mission over Bombay, but the only airbase within range is Karachi, which has a Catalina unit, but is also pounded daily. I personally don't think the Catalinas are a factor. Supply just boils down to how much they had there before we cut the place off a couple months ago. They would not have allowed themselves to be surrounded there unless the answer was well over 100K

[John 3rd]

Here is the actual combat report to look at.

Brad--we have Engineering Regiments building Forts in western India, I think it would be wiser to move them to Bombay so we maximize out chances of lowering the Forts. If they keep coming down we might be able to provoke a Naval Response to the BB Bombardments.

You have the Junyos, a CVL, and a CVE at Madras with the 3 remaining CVEs coming up from Singapore. My 3 CVLs will arrive in Singapore in 2-3 days and they can be sent on to join the others. When combined at Columbo you will have a massed Strike Force that can sink the RN's CVs.

I have an evil thought about 'luring' them out with bait. We form a STF that conveniently gets spotted. Have it loiter around the top edge of the board so he sends the RN out for easy pickings. What he doesn't know is your Support Force is waiting along the edge of the map waiting for him! He appears and you POUNCE!





I would add that they would have only allowed themselves to be surrounded with that many troops by having 200-300 K in the hex.