There's no way aim was THAT bad.

[dasboot1960]

DDDOOOHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!![;)]

All bow low before the insightful Osprey[&o][&o][&o]If combat reports are turned off(at least in PBEM) player will recieve no combat summary button, no operations report summary buttom and no sigint button. (I guess this is why I didn't get a response to my post, they musta been p#ssing themselves laughing

(Thanks Osprey)

[V22 Osprey]

Got it! (Finally)
AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR May 14, 42
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Night Air attack on Port Moresby , at 98,130

Weather in hex: Moderate rain

Japanese aircraft
G3M2 Nell x 18


Japanese aircraft losses
G3M2 Nell: 5 damaged



Aircraft Attacking:
18 x G3M2 Nell bombing from 6000 feet (Genzan Ku K-1 / 25th Air Flotilla)
Airfield Attack: 2 x 250 kg GP Bomb, 4 x 60 kg GP Bomb

Raid detected at 40 NM, estimated altitude 10,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 15 minutes


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Rennell Island at 111,144

Weather in hex: Heavy rain

Raid detected at 80 NM, estimated altitude 24,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 30 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 18
B5N2 Kate x 16
D3A1 Val x 38



Allied aircraft
F4F-3 Wildcat x 5


Japanese aircraft losses
B5N2 Kate: 1 destroyed, 7 damaged
D3A1 Val: 1 destroyed, 6 damaged


Allied Ships
CV Yorktown, Bomb hits 1, Torpedo hits 1, on fire
CA Astoria, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
DD Anderson
CA Portland, Bomb hits 3, on fire
CA Chester, Bomb hits 2
DD Morris



Aircraft Attacking:
17 x D3A1 Val diving from 2000' (EI-2 Daitai / None)
Naval Attack: 1 x 250 kg AP Bomb
16 x B5N2 Kate launching torpedoes at 200 feet (EI-3 Daitai / None)
Naval Attack: 1 x 18in Type 91 Torpedo
21 x D3A1 Val diving from 2000' (EII-2 Daitai / None)
Naval Attack: 1 x 250 kg AP Bomb

CAP engaged:
VF-5 with F4F-3 Wildcat (0 airborne, 4 on standby, 0 scrambling)
0 plane(s) not yet engaged, 1 being recalled, 0 out of immediate contact.
Group patrol altitude is 10000 , scrambling fighters between 14000 and 26000.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 22 minutes

Heavy smoke from fires obscuring CV Yorktown


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Rennell Island at 111,140

Weather in hex: Heavy rain

Raid detected at 40 NM, estimated altitude 14,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 15 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 27



Allied aircraft
F4F-3 Wildcat x 12
SBD-3 Dauntless x 30


Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 1 destroyed

Allied aircraft losses
SBD-3 Dauntless: 15 damaged

Japanese Ships
CV Shokaku
CV Zuikaku



Aircraft Attacking:
15 x SBD-3 Dauntless diving from 2000' (VS-5 / None)
Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb AP Bomb
15 x SBD-3 Dauntless diving from 2000' (VB-5 / None)
Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb AP Bomb

CAP engaged:
EII-1 Daitai with A6M2 Zero (0 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
(12 plane(s) diverted to support CAP in hex.)
0 plane(s) not yet engaged, 12 being recalled, 0 out of immediate contact.
Group patrol altitude is 8000
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 4 minutes
4 planes vectored on to bombers
EI-1 Daitai with A6M2 Zero (0 airborne, 2 on standby, 0 scrambling)
(8 plane(s) diverted to support CAP in hex.)
2 plane(s) intercepting now.
0 plane(s) not yet engaged, 13 being recalled, 0 out of immediate contact.
Group patrol altitude is 7000 , scrambling fighters between 7000 and 8000.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 4 minutes
2 planes vectored on to bombers



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Rennell Island at 111,144

Weather in hex: Heavy rain

Raid detected at 44 NM, estimated altitude 24,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 18 minutes

Japanese aircraft
B5N2 Kate x 23



Allied aircraft
F4F-3 Wildcat x 3


Japanese aircraft losses
B5N2 Kate: 2 destroyed, 11 damaged

Allied aircraft losses

Allied Ships
CV Yorktown, heavy fires
CA Chester, Torpedo hits 4, and is sunk
CA Portland, on fire
CA Chicago



Aircraft Attacking:
20 x B5N2 Kate launching torpedoes at 200 feet (EII-3 Daitai / None)
Naval Attack: 1 x 18in Type 91 Torpedo

CAP engaged:
VF-5 with F4F-3 Wildcat (1 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
1 plane(s) intercepting now.
0 plane(s) not yet engaged, 0 being recalled, 2 out of immediate contact.
Group patrol altitude is 10000
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 23 minutes



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Rennell Island at 111,140

Weather in hex: Heavy rain

Raid detected at 47 NM, estimated altitude 12,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 25 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 15



Allied aircraft
TBD-1 Devastator x 12


No Japanese losses

Allied aircraft losses
TBD-1 Devastator: 3 destroyed, 7 damaged

Japanese Ships
DD Shigure
CV Shokaku
CV Zuikaku



Aircraft Attacking:
8 x TBD-1 Devastator launching torpedoes at 200 feet (VT-5 / None)
Naval Attack: 1 x 22in Mk 13 Torpedo

CAP engaged:
EI-1 Daitai with A6M2 Zero (1 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
1 plane(s) intercepting now.
0 plane(s) not yet engaged, 8 being recalled, 0 out of immediate contact.
Group patrol altitude is 7000
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 7 minutes
EII-1 Daitai with A6M2 Zero (0 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
0 plane(s) not yet engaged, 6 being recalled, 0 out of immediate contact.
Group patrol altitude is 8000
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 4 minutes

[Marty A]

ORIGINAL: V22 Osprey

Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Rennell Island at 111,140

Weather in hex: Heavy rain

Raid detected at 47 NM, estimated altitude 12,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 25 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 15



Allied aircraft
TBD-1 Devastator x 12


No Japanese losses

Allied aircraft losses
TBD-1 Devastator: 3 destroyed, 7 damaged

Japanese Ships
DD Shigure
CV Shokaku
CV Zuikaku



Aircraft Attacking:
8 x TBD-1 Devastator launching torpedoes at 200 feet (VT-5 / None)
Naval Attack: 1 x 22in Mk 13 Torpedo

CAP engaged:
EI-1 Daitai with A6M2 Zero (1 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
1 plane(s) intercepting now.
0 plane(s) not yet engaged, 8 being recalled, 0 out of immediate contact.
Group patrol altitude is 7000
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 7 minutes
EII-1 Daitai with A6M2 Zero (0 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
0 plane(s) not yet engaged, 6 being recalled, 0 out of immediate contact.
Group patrol altitude is 8000
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 4 minutes

Can someone explain this combat as compaired to tbds at miday. as I understand it 12 tbds are spotted 25 minutes away. ei-1 sends 9 planes which will intercept in 7 minutes while raid is still 18 minutes away. eii-1 sends 6 planes which will intercept in 4 minutes while raid is still 21 mins away and all they managed against unescorted tbds is 3 shoot downs? both squadrons have average 80 experience pilots and 8 tbds got thru and attacked? midway they got slaughtered.

[michaelm75au]

Firstly, the "time to intercept" is relative. A bit like 'express train A leaves station X bound for Y traveling at ZZ MPH. Train B leaves station Y bound for X traveling at YY MPH stopping at intervening stations. Where will the two trains meet?"

The TBDs seem to be incoming at 12K while the CAP is at 7K or 6K. They'll need to climb to get into a better attack position, plus an inaccurate report on the incoming strike could put them out of position for continuing intercept of the TBDs.

Weather is bad, which will affect both interception and bombing accuracy.

[Puhis]

Here is my example where allied did well even when zeros shot down lot of allied bombers. Remember that damaged ship is easier to hit. That's why BB North Carolina was sunk, after the first two torpedo hits japs started to get the torpedos to target. Before the damage they missed a lot.

So I guess sometimes we have bad luck and sometimes not.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Morning Air attack on TF, near Tulagi at 116,137

Weather in hex: Heavy rain

Raid detected at 120 NM, estimated altitude 15,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 45 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 24
B5N1 Kate x 39
D3A2 Val x 38

Allied aircraft
F4F-4 Wildcat x 36

Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 8 destroyed
B5N1 Kate: 3 destroyed, 10 damaged
D3A2 Val: 1 destroyed, 8 damaged

Allied aircraft losses

Allied Ships
CV Enterprise, Bomb hits 1, on fire
CA Portland, Torpedo hits 1
BB North Carolina, Bomb hits 3, Torpedo hits 7, and is sunk
CLAA Atlanta, Bomb hits 1, Torpedo hits 1, on fire

Aircraft Attacking:
13 x D3A2 Val diving from 2000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 250 kg AP Bomb
18 x B5N1 Kate launching torpedoes at 200 feet
Naval Attack: 1 x 45cm T91 Mod 3 Torp
11 x B5N1 Kate launching torpedoes at 200 feet
Naval Attack: 1 x 45cm T91 Mod 3 Torp
25 x D3A2 Val diving from 2000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 250 kg AP Bomb
8 x B5N1 Kate launching torpedoes at 200 feet
Naval Attack: 1 x 45cm T91 Mod 3 Torp

CAP engaged:
VF-3 with F4F-4 Wildcat (0 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
(12 plane(s) diverted to support CAP in hex.)
0 plane(s) not yet engaged, 12 being recalled, 0 out of immediate contact.
Group patrol altitude is 9000
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 4 minutes
VF-6 with F4F-4 Wildcat (0 airborne, 16 on standby, 0 scrambling)
0 plane(s) not yet engaged, 8 being recalled, 0 out of immediate contact.
Group patrol altitude is 9000 , scrambling fighters between 9000 and 17000.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 26 minutes

Heavy smoke from fires obscuring CV Enterprise

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Morning Air attack on TF, near Ontong Java at 115,133

Weather in hex: Heavy cloud

Raid detected at 120 NM, estimated altitude 20,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 47 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 46

Allied aircraft
F4F-4 Wildcat x 26
SBD-3 Dauntless x 66
TBF-1 Avenger x 28

Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 1 destroyed

Allied aircraft losses
F4F-4 Wildcat: 1 destroyed
SBD-3 Dauntless: 10 destroyed, 22 damaged
TBF-1 Avenger: 11 destroyed, 12 damaged

Japanese Ships
CV Zuikaku
CVL Ryujo, Bomb hits 2, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
BB Hiei, Torpedo hits 1
BB Kirishima, Bomb hits 1
DD Kagero, Bomb hits 1, heavy fires
CV Shokaku

Aircraft Attacking:
12 x SBD-3 Dauntless diving from 2000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb GP Bomb
4 x SBD-3 Dauntless diving from 2000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb GP Bomb
10 x SBD-3 Dauntless diving from 2000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb SAP Bomb
11 x SBD-3 Dauntless diving from 2000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb SAP Bomb
9 x TBF-1 Avenger launching torpedoes at 200 feet
Naval Attack: 1 x 22in Mk 13 Torpedo
4 x TBF-1 Avenger launching torpedoes at 200 feet
Naval Attack: 1 x 22in Mk 13 Torpedo

CAP engaged:
EI-1 Daitai with A6M2 Zero (4 airborne, 11 on standby, 0 scrambling)
4 plane(s) intercepting now.
0 plane(s) not yet engaged, 1 being recalled, 0 out of immediate contact.
Group patrol altitude is 15000 , scrambling fighters between 13000 and 23000.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 28 minutes
6 planes vectored on to bombers
EII-1 Daitai with A6M2 Zero (0 airborne, 10 on standby, 0 scrambling)
0 plane(s) not yet engaged, 4 being recalled, 0 out of immediate contact.
Group patrol altitude is 15000 , scrambling fighters between 15000 and 19000.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 27 minutes
13 planes vectored on to bombers
DI-1 Daitai with A6M2 Zero (0 airborne, 11 on standby, 0 scrambling)
0 plane(s) not yet engaged, 4 being recalled, 1 out of immediate contact.
Group patrol altitude is 10000 , scrambling fighters between 10000 and 22000.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 49 minutes
14 planes vectored on to bombers

Heavy smoke from fires obscuring CVL Ryujo

[Marty A]

So the tbds dropping to 200 feet means nothing to the intercept then? If they can not be shot down at 12k feet, they cant die to fighters? have to believe a lot of bombers were shot down on their bomb run because the interceptors know they have to run straight and level. think you over look this in combat.

[bradfordkay]

In WITP CHS 2.08, I had an attack with 107 TBF/TBM Avengers manage exactly zero hits, while I lost 4 CVLs in the exchange. Oh well.... 

[ChezDaJez]

ORIGINAL: bradfordkay

In WITP CHS 2.08, I had an attack with 107 TBF/TBM Avengers manage exactly zero hits, while I lost 4 CVLs in the exchange. Oh well.... 

T'was a glorious day for the Empire!!! [:D][:D][:D]

One of the few late war successes I have had against Brad.

Chez

[Djordje]

ORIGINAL: V22 Osprey

Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Rennell Island at 111,144

Weather in hex: Heavy rain

Raid detected at 80 NM, estimated altitude 24,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 30 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 18
B5N2 Kate x 16
D3A1 Val x 38


Allied aircraft
F4F-3 Wildcat x 5


Japanese aircraft losses
B5N2 Kate: 1 destroyed, 7 damaged
D3A1 Val: 1 destroyed, 6 damaged


Allied Ships
CV Yorktown, Bomb hits 1, Torpedo hits 1, on fire
CA Astoria, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
DD Anderson
CA Portland, Bomb hits 3, on fire
CA Chester, Bomb hits 2
DD Morris


Aircraft Attacking:
17 x D3A1 Val diving from 2000' (EI-2 Daitai / None)
Naval Attack: 1 x 250 kg AP Bomb
16 x B5N2 Kate launching torpedoes at 200 feet (EI-3 Daitai / None)
Naval Attack: 1 x 18in Type 91 Torpedo
21 x D3A1 Val diving from 2000' (EII-2 Daitai / None)
Naval Attack: 1 x 250 kg AP Bomb

CAP engaged:
VF-5 with F4F-3 Wildcat (0 airborne, 4 on standby, 0 scrambling)
0 plane(s) not yet engaged, 1 being recalled, 0 out of immediate contact.
Group patrol altitude is 10000 , scrambling fighters between 14000 and 26000.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 22 minutes

Heavy smoke from fires obscuring CV Yorktown

Only 5 of your fighters on CAP, so most of them did not get chance to interrupt IJN bombers.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Rennell Island at 111,140

Weather in hex: Heavy rain

Raid detected at 40 NM, estimated altitude 14,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 15 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 27


Allied aircraft
F4F-3 Wildcat x 12
SBD-3 Dauntless x 30


Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 1 destroyed

Allied aircraft losses
SBD-3 Dauntless: 15 damaged

Japanese Ships
CV Shokaku
CV Zuikaku


Aircraft Attacking:
15 x SBD-3 Dauntless diving from 2000' (VS-5 / None)
Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb AP Bomb
15 x SBD-3 Dauntless diving from 2000' (VB-5 / None)
Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb AP Bomb

CAP engaged:
EII-1 Daitai with A6M2 Zero (0 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
(12 plane(s) diverted to support CAP in hex.)
0 plane(s) not yet engaged, 12 being recalled, 0 out of immediate contact.
Group patrol altitude is 8000
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 4 minutes
4 planes vectored on to bombers
EI-1 Daitai with A6M2 Zero (0 airborne, 2 on standby, 0 scrambling)
(8 plane(s) diverted to support CAP in hex.)
2 plane(s) intercepting now.
0 plane(s) not yet engaged, 13 being recalled, 0 out of immediate contact.
Group patrol altitude is 7000 , scrambling fighters between 7000 and 8000.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 4 minutes
2 planes vectored on to bombers

Lots of Zeroes on CAP, so your bombers had hard time keeping to their plan and flying straight to the target. In fact you appear to be lucky with none being shot down, and I believe most of those damaged are due to flak.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Rennell Island at 111,144

Weather in hex: Heavy rain

Raid detected at 44 NM, estimated altitude 24,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 18 minutes

Japanese aircraft
B5N2 Kate x 23


Allied aircraft
F4F-3 Wildcat x 3


Japanese aircraft losses
B5N2 Kate: 2 destroyed, 11 damaged

Allied aircraft losses

Allied Ships
CV Yorktown, heavy fires
CA Chester, Torpedo hits 4, and is sunk
CA Portland, on fire
CA Chicago


Aircraft Attacking:
20 x B5N2 Kate launching torpedoes at 200 feet (EII-3 Daitai / None)
Naval Attack: 1 x 18in Type 91 Torpedo

CAP engaged:
VF-5 with F4F-3 Wildcat (1 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
1 plane(s) intercepting now.
0 plane(s) not yet engaged, 0 being recalled, 2 out of immediate contact.
Group patrol altitude is 10000
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 23 minutes

Again too few fighters on CAP.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Rennell Island at 111,140

Weather in hex: Heavy rain

Raid detected at 47 NM, estimated altitude 12,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 25 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 15


Allied aircraft
TBD-1 Devastator x 12


No Japanese losses

Allied aircraft losses
TBD-1 Devastator: 3 destroyed, 7 damaged

Japanese Ships
DD Shigure
CV Shokaku
CV Zuikaku


Aircraft Attacking:
8 x TBD-1 Devastator launching torpedoes at 200 feet (VT-5 / None)
Naval Attack: 1 x 22in Mk 13 Torpedo

CAP engaged:
EI-1 Daitai with A6M2 Zero (1 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
1 plane(s) intercepting now.
0 plane(s) not yet engaged, 8 being recalled, 0 out of immediate contact.
Group patrol altitude is 7000
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 7 minutes
EII-1 Daitai with A6M2 Zero (0 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
0 plane(s) not yet engaged, 6 being recalled, 0 out of immediate contact.
Group patrol altitude is 8000
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 4 minutes

Again very strong IJN CAP, even outnumbering your bombers. Again you were lucky so few were lost (Coral Sea scenario had confirmed issues with CAP and escorts not working as intended, not sure if it was fixed in the patch).

[michaelm75au]

ORIGINAL: Marty A

So the tbds dropping to 200 feet means nothing to the intercept then? If they can not be shot down at 12k feet, they cant die to fighters? have to believe a lot of bombers were shot down on their bomb run because the interceptors know they have to run straight and level. think you over look this in combat.

I didn't say anything about the TBD not dropping down to attack level. When intercepted by any CAP, the TBDs will be either at approach level or between approach and attack level. It all depends on range and timing and randoms.
The straight on approach gives ship flak a better chance to down or disrupt the torpedo attack.

[Dili]

I think your Wildcats were good , 5 planes made this:

Allied aircraft
F4F-3 Wildcat x 5

Japanese aircraft losses
B5N2 Kate: 1 destroyed, 7 damaged
D3A1 Val: 1 destroyed, 6 damaged

[V22 Osprey]

Sorry guys, I had a Karate test for my next belt all day yesterday.

Read the manual, if I read it right, I should put my Wildcats on "Airborne CAP", am I right?

[sfbaytf]

If you click on a carrier or airbase, you can then access the individual aircraft squadrons. Click on the fighter squadrons and you'll see "Patrol Level". Click on that and you can adjust the CAP levels.

For carrier task forces, select the task force, then select the individual carrier. You should then see the squadrons on board. Select the fighters (f-4f Wildcats) and you should then see the "Patrol Levels" you can then select and adjust CAP levels.

If you put all your Wildcats on CAP, you won't have any escorts for your strike forces, so you have to make a choice between the 2 .

[Cap Mandrake]

The AI is entirely beatable even on the hard setting vs. the AI in Coral Sea...but you would like the first CV vs CV meeting to be on favorable terms.

Put your CV's separate TF's at this stage of the war. Your strike will be better coordinated and you won't lose THAT much in AAA. Have them move in the same hex (one TF follows the other with the more aggresive c/o..set on do not retire and no react).

Set the CAP to 50-60%, carefully set your search to have good coverage in the likely attack direction (maybe SBD's on 20%)

Try to engage at a range favorable to the USN (under TBD max range).

Ideally you want to engage within fly-off range to Port Moresby or Aus. so if your carrier is cripple you can save the airgroups rather than have them ditch.

Even more ideal would be to engage while the Jap carriers are in range of Allied LBA at PM or Townsville so that the land based attacks will attrit Jap fighter strength.


Here is what happend when I played the AI in Coral.

1st contact near Deboyne..I had my carriers at extreme TBD range as far toward Townsville as I could and still cover the likely Jap advance. The Jap transports were crushed..the invasion ruined. No Jap counterstrike..no Jap carriers spotted (I am not sure exactly where they were but they missed the party). At this point the game is won..the prudent thing to do would be retire the carriers...but where is the fun in that.

Day 2..I move up about 5 hexes SW Deboyne and search NE and E. I find and sink the CVL. Jap planes find and sink Neosho (AO) which has been left 120 Mi to the ESE as bait. [:)] The Allied carriers are spotted only by Mavis seaplanes (not from carriers)

Day 3..Rather than take on the Jap CV's with declining sorties and no torps on one carriers, I retire toward Townsville.

Day 4...The Jap carriers sail therough the Jomard Passage and are spotted SW of Gili Gili. They blast Prot Moresby but I have move up some USAAF fighters and they down or damage quite a few Jap carrier planes. I take on Aviation Fuel at Townsvill but there are no torps for the TBD's.

Day 5...The Jap carriers bomb PM again

Day 6...Port Moresby airfield isn't shut down yet so I figure there will be Jap bombers still set on airfield attack. Tallyho! The USN carriers sprint up at night and end up one hex E of the Japs [:D] Both side launch. At the end of the day, both Jap carriers are burning and cannot conduct air ops. Enterprise absorbs almost all the Jap strikes and is a hulk but survives. Crusiers are detached and beat up Jap cripples in the Jomard Passage at night but the USN carriers move back to Townsville. Enterprise's remaing planes fly off to Port Moresby and the Jap carrier planes are wiped out almsot to the man as they have to ditch.

The point is you don't want a fair fight. [:)]

[John Lansford]

I didn't know that Enterprise was in the Coral Sea scenario.  When I played it the CV's were Yorktown and Lexington.

[Buck Beach]

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

The AI is entirely beatable even on the hard setting vs. the AI in Coral Sea...but you would like the first CV vs CV meeting to be on favorable terms.

Put your CV's separate TF's at this stage of the war. Your strike will be better coordinated and you won't lose THAT much in AAA. Have them move in the same hex (one TF follows the other with the more aggresive c/o..set on do not retire and no react).

Set the CAP to 50-60%, carefully set your search to have good coverage in the likely attack direction (maybe SBD's on 20%)

Try to engage at a range favorable to the USN (under TBD max range).

Ideally you want to engage within fly-off range to Port Moresby or Aus. so if your carrier is cripple you can save the airgroups rather than have them ditch.

Even more ideal would be to engage while the Jap carriers are in range of Allied LBA at PM or Townsville so that the land based attacks will attrit Jap fighter strength.


Here is what happend when I played the AI in Coral.

1st contact near Deboyne..I had my carriers at extreme TBD range as far toward Townsville as I could and still cover the likely Jap advance. The Jap transports were crushed..the invasion ruined. No Jap counterstrike..no Jap carriers spotted (I am not sure exactly where they were but they missed the party). At this point the game is won..the prudent thing to do would be retire the carriers...but where is the fun in that.

Day 2..I move up about 5 hexes SW Deboyne and search NE and E. I find and sink the CVL. Jap planes find and sink Neosho (AO) which has been left 120 Mi to the ESE as bait. [:)] The Allied carriers are spotted only by Mavis seaplanes (not from carriers)

Day 3..Rather than take on the Jap CV's with declining sorties and no torps on one carriers, I retire toward Townsville.

Day 4...The Jap carriers sail therough the Jomard Passage and are spotted SW of Gili Gili. They blast Prot Moresby but I have move up some USAAF fighters and they down or damage quite a few Jap carrier planes. I take on Aviation Fuel at Townsvill but there are no torps for the TBD's.

Day 5...The Jap carriers bomb PM again

Day 6...Port Moresby airfield isn't shut down yet so I figure there will be Jap bombers still set on airfield attack. Tallyho! The USN carriers sprint up at night and end up one hex E of the Japs [:D] Both side launch. At the end of the day, both Jap carriers are burning and cannot conduct air ops. Enterprise absorbs almost all the Jap strikes and is a hulk but survives. Crusiers are detached and beat up Jap cripples in the Jomard Passage at night but the USN carriers move back to Townsville. Enterprise's remaing planes fly off to Port Moresby and the Jap carrier planes are wiped out almsot to the man as they have to ditch.

The point is you don't want a fair fight. [:)]

I like. Thanks for sharing.

[Cap Mandrake]

ORIGINAL: John Lansford

I didn't know that Enterprise was in the Coral Sea scenario. When I played it the CV's were Yorktown and Lexington.

You mean you didn't use Enterprise? [X(]

Just kidding...you are right. Yorktown it was. Yorktown was hit by 3 attacks sustaining about 85% flotation damage and two of her crusier escorts were dinged up pretty badly as well but Saratoga took only one bomb and was still operational. I had thought the two Jap CV's would sink for sure but they both made it to Rabaul (with one or two aircraft aboard)