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

[1EyedJacks]

Hi Damian,

Just curious - how fast are you replacing your losses? With your current production you must be building 5-7 tojo per day?



TTFN,

Mike

[n01487477]

ORIGINAL: Alfred
Regarding Swatow, I hope your "need to rebuild" does not mean a temporary halt to air operations.  It seems to me that you are on the verge of breaking Nemo's CAP over Swatow provided you maintain the operational tempo.  You seem to have sufficient air assets available to continue the pressure - don't provide a respite.
Alfred

[/quote]
I haven't stopped bombing nearby bases, but I haven't gone back into Swatow for two days, but I'm up against almost all of his fighters now that my Angels are in repair ... tip of the sword V having to protect assets in other areas. I wish I thought I was breaking the Allied air force, but I fear I am just losing pilots, while his LB gets ready to strike. Supplies are also dwindling on Formosa ... I agree with what you are saying, not sure I'm selling the farm however.

ORIGINAL: 1EyedJacks
Hi Damian,

Just curious - how fast are you replacing your losses? With your current production you must be building 5-7 tojo per day?

More like 15~17 a day [;)]! And still not enough!

10 & 11 March 1943
The 10th, I pulled my head in a little and instead of attacking Swatow, I went into Foochow for no loss.

[*]Nauru Island - small CVL detachment gets one hit on an AK offloading
[*]Noumea - the Allies continue to hang around a bit, drawing me further South.
[*] Zamboanga - the leaker, was hit, but Nemo moved out the planes (Pe-2's) ... what the hell was this about, except redirection and the thought that he'd get me in the one turn... which never happened!
11th
[*]Foochow again. Fighters still at Shanghai getting replacements.
[*]KB - North of Noumea, shadowing some AK's that will attempt to take the 20K supplies at Koumac (a good supply-res generator)
Picture below of fighter production, Zekes are turned off awaiting the A6M5 (next month), but the real plane in this war is the TojoIII, and my investment is huge. The other is the Angel...

[n01487477]

12~15 March 1943

Been a while since an update, mainly cause I've been on holidays [;)]

Just to quickly update what has been happening:
[*]My attempt to load some valuable supplies @ Koumac was abandoned as Nemo flew in some para's and took the base... I then killed a few AK's to get my frustrations out [;)]
[*]Nemo sent a small force heavily LRCapped out from Hong Kong to attract my LB, just another way to kill my fighters at Takao, while sweeping other Taiwan bases...
Fighter pilots based out of Formosa will not be given extra rations as they die so quickly, there is no need to waste resources on them[;)]
Made a run at Amoy on the 15th and was faced with 110+ fighters flying LRCAP ... my 42 Tojo's had a hard time of it as did my LB.
[*]Moratai - If you remember I dropped 2 Div there a few days ago, and had a bad shock attack roll, or so I thought... I brought in more supplies, which ultimately cost me 3 DD's to LB attacks, had a nice little dual against 2 Dutch CL's - both of which I think are sunk now and hordes of PT's. But my forces withdrew 1 hex, even though I won the day ... anyway, today did another shock and got very bad news again ... This base is not an Atoll, I have good leaders and supplies...
I was thinking of putting in another Div, but now I think this base is not take able and will have to live with another rebuff...
Nemo has 60+ fighters + LB coming in to harass my shipping here, and I can't muster enough to keep LRCapping my forces... If my Angels were fit, they'd be going in and seeing if Nemo has some kept back.

Ground combat at Morotai [NEI]

Japanese Shock attack

Attacking force 7790 troops, 72 guns, 2 vehicles, Assault Value = 408
Defending force 5965 troops, 92 guns, 12 vehicles, Assault Value = 139

Japanese max assault: 392 - adjusted assault: 16 -- swearing under my breath
Allied max defense: 131 - adjusted defense: 177
Japanese assault odds: 0 to 1 (fort level 0)

Japanese ground losses:
342 casualties reported
Guns lost 3

Allied ground losses:
69 casualties reported
Vehicles lost 1

[*]Rabaul - Fuel being offloaded and KB in dribs and drabs coming back for resupply, before taking up station near Port Moresby ... of course IF I had the troop and ships in position, I'd try to take this back too ... but I think I thought that one up too late[:(]
[*]Batan Islands - after Nemo sent a fast transport in a few turns ago, my air transports put 2 Div's in in short order and I shock attacked and they surrendered
[*]Zamboanga - offloading continues, as I try to take back this base too ...

More troops are being shipped out from Japan after refit and my focus has moved away from the CPac, back toward the Philippines and PNG... Troops from Saipan etc will move again back into the hot zones...

All for now.
--Damian--

[1EyedJacks]

Total loss, Japan 19.7k and Allied 20.5k [X(]

I just realized how much of your navy you have intact - wow!

[n01487477]

Mike,
yeah the last turn the 18 March saw the Japanese go over 20K air losses, while the Allies flirt with 21K[;)]

As for my shipping, after the Aleutians, I've been very sparing on their use and it has taken me 6 months of game time to get those damaged back into the fray.

My AK/AP losses are big, and I'm resorting to using transports in the 20~30 damaged range to tow resources etc.

16~18 March 1943
Nemo launches some big attacks on Formosa, my forces crumble ... finally my pilot experience levels are such that I can no longer compete on a 1-1. Pe-2's also escape losses against 4 AA units in two separate raids with only 5 being destroyed ... I thought that AA would impact on these things [sigh].

So Formosa has one last base being capped and then I'll have to withdraw, my losses and the inability to now reinforce as my supply levels are just too small after my abortive LB campaign.

I've just seen 49 units heading toward Nanchang, I'll have to cap this base and hope than I get some good rolls, but China might be on the verge of collapse.

In the Sth Pac, my CV's will head toward Port Moresby to see if there is a chance for a showdown, but Nemo is pretty good at keeping me 1 step behind.

[n01487477]

19~20 March 1943

Real trouble on the horizon now as loads of troops start arriving at Nanching, I've capped the base, but as I'm low on planes and pilots with any real experience I can't sustain any effort for very long here. So the end result will be my withdrawal of air assets for a few days to a week to allow a little rebuild. This is the first time that I've really faced the prospect of not being able to defend a base by air.

My fighter pilot experience has iirc dropped now into the low 60's, and I'm 150 Tojo's short of full compliments, my losses have been so extensive in the last week, that I'm having to go onto extreme pilot replacement and retraining mode.

My supply levels have been dwindling for some time and the outlying regions are at critical levels despite stripping Manchuria/Korea and China... more to do here.

KB has positioned itself near Port Moresby and as I've been bombing the base with Angels Nemo knows I'm here and has dared me to come down the Ozzie coast ... yeah right! KB has many CV's above 10 sys damage now and they are due for a refit, but whereas the Allies have time, I have none. The direction I believe he is heading for is Ambonia and then up to Palau or Davao, Moratai - I've conceded and am fast transporting out.

So it's crunch time ... Nemo doesn't really realise how much bluff I'm playing, but he knows I'm in fairly desperate straights ... he'll show no mercy and I'll ask for none, time for the blades to come out.

--Damian--

[ny59giants]

Damian,

I know that your knowledge on Japanese economics is superior to mine, but what does having KB down near Port Moresby do to help you defend the Home Islands and keep your economy running?? Nemo now has Formosa and if he can get closer to Shanghai, then the whole of Japan will be under threat from 4e bombers. [X(] I tend to look at Nemo's moves from an economic view first and that is why this focus around Port Moresby puzzles me. [&:]

[Capt. Harlock]

Nemo now has Formosa and if he can get closer to Shanghai, then the whole of Japan will be under threat from 4e bombers. I tend to look at Nemo's moves from an economic view first and that is why this focus around Port Moresby puzzles me.

I'm afraid I have to agree. This looks a little like John Bell Hood's attempt to get Sherman to evacuate Atlanta by marching north. (Sherman responded with his famous "March to the Sea", cutting the Confederacy in two.) From now on, Nemo is going to have more resources than you. The KB is the one place where you still have the edge -- for a limited time.

[n01487477]

21~24 March 1943

Michael, given that Pe-2's can strike me with impunity and Nemo seems to be walking to Shanghai, I don't see what difference my CV's will make... except maybe the defence of Formosa, which if I'm lucky will get a chance to hit some AP's rather than the ever elusive Fast Transports.

I was going to try to bottle him up, cause the Americans combining with the Ozzies and British at Ambonia striking for the Philippines would be rather depressing and unanswerable, but nonetheless I've taken both of your advice and have withdrawn for good, with most of KB heading toward Davao... maybe they'll get there just in time, cause Nemo has already rounded Cape York (Australia)...

5 CV's are due for repairs and their carrier wings are being sent toward China, where I'm in real strife. I've been losing about 40 Tojo's a day, my numbers in pool have for the first time dropped to zero and I'm 179 in the hole. OscarII's are 0 as well, as I try to high alt cap Nanchang and Nanking(where most of my planes are). The last two turns saw High alt B-17 and Pe's, but killed 12 B-17's and 17 Pe's to Oscars today.

Formosa has lost almost all its HI (-450), in 3~4 days of bombing - yeah the devs got that one right! (and I'm sure it hasn't changed for AE). It was no longer defensible long term, and although my priority should have been to cap HI, Nanchang (2.2K AV), if it falls leaves the Allies a free route to Shanghai. 49 units are amassed and coming, with concerted LB on my ground units, I'm a goner !

I've told Nemo, that I might consider withdrawing from Formosa, but I see no real benefit in doing that, and will only go in to resupply my troops. I have 4 AA units at each base, but have yet to see any real great benefit to these units in this mod. I think AA has always been a bit screwy in witp anyway.

It is just going to get tougher from now on, I can't seem to get a victory of sorts against the Allies CV's and Grand Armada, so I'm just going to withdraw. This war is lost, but I'd like to still leave a sting in the tail.

[n01487477]

25~27 March 1943

The war continues to go badly my friends, TojoIII production can no longer keep up with the pace of replacement need even though I'm producing a whopping 500+ a month. A6M5's are due next month as well as Jack's but these will just be cannon fodder for Nemo's hordes. Even though I'm killing and being killed at an ever increasing rate, I've got the feeling the Allies are just too many.

Nemo's email is pointed and very pertinent ...

Now, I have over 700 Il-2 airframes in reserve, a couple of hundredP-40Es ( and I'm due to replace them with 75+ per month P-40Nsbeginning in 3 days ), over 150 Kittyhawk frames in reserve ( and onlyabout 4 squadrons on-map to use them ( again they upgrade to KittyhawkIIIs soon ) and the Soviets are in fine form with over 200 MiG-3s andLaGGs in reserve and a wholesale changeover occuring to the Yake 3 andLa-5Ns.
So I might as well use the MiGs and LaGGs up now while they have some utility. In addition once I get the Yak-9s in a month they are so superior to MiGs and Laggs that I'll never use them up unless Iuse them now. If you look at Corsair and P-51 losses plus Spitfire VIII losses those are roughly 1:1 ( sometimes even a bit better than 1:1 ) and those are the only planes where I'm pitting new production against your production. Its all about the economics.
In a couple of days time I'm going to commit my second echelon and recuperate the first echelon which is currently bleeding and dying. Once the second echelon is committed unless you have an additional 300 to 400 Ki-44s formed up in full-strength fighter units with good leaders you'll break. At that point in time you'll no longer have a "ready reserve" for your carriers (I believe you are beginning to use your elite CV-based groups on land now ) and when I fight your CVs they'll only have one shot before they are toothless and no longer have the planes to strike me. Essentially Nanchang is where I'm going to win the next CV battle before it is ever fought. That's the plan anyways... You have a way of scuppering my plans though .

Cheers
Damian

[1EyedJacks]

ORIGINAL: n01487477

25~27 March 1943

The war continues to go badly my friends, TojoIII production can no longer keep up with the pace of replacement need even though I'm producing a whopping 500+ a month. A6M5's are due next month as well as Jack's but these will just be cannon fodder for Nemo's hordes. Even though I'm killing and being killed at an ever increasing rate, I've got the feeling the Allies are just too many.

Nemo's email is pointed and very pertinent ...

Now, I have over 700 Il-2 airframes in reserve, a couple of hundredP-40Es ( and I'm due to replace them with 75+ per month P-40Nsbeginning in 3 days ), over 150 Kittyhawk frames in reserve ( and onlyabout 4 squadrons on-map to use them ( again they upgrade to KittyhawkIIIs soon ) and the Soviets are in fine form with over 200 MiG-3s andLaGGs in reserve and a wholesale changeover occuring to the Yake 3 andLa-5Ns.
So I might as well use the MiGs and LaGGs up now while they have some utility. In addition once I get the Yak-9s in a month they are so superior to MiGs and Laggs that I'll never use them up unless Iuse them now. If you look at Corsair and P-51 losses plus Spitfire VIII losses those are roughly 1:1 ( sometimes even a bit better than 1:1 ) and those are the only planes where I'm pitting new production against your production. Its all about the economics.
In a couple of days time I'm going to commit my second echelon and recuperate the first echelon which is currently bleeding and dying. Once the second echelon is committed unless you have an additional 300 to 400 Ki-44s formed up in full-strength fighter units with good leaders you'll break. At that point in time you'll no longer have a "ready reserve" for your carriers (I believe you are beginning to use your elite CV-based groups on land now ) and when I fight your CVs they'll only have one shot before they are toothless and no longer have the planes to strike me. Essentially Nanchang is where I'm going to win the next CV battle before it is ever fought. That's the plan anyways... You have a way of scuppering my plans though .

Cheers
Damian

Lies! Propaganda! ROFL

I think you are up against it. I say pick a target and make your charge of the Light Brigade - one last glorious Bonzai charge - may the light of the Emperior shine forever!

San Francisco or bust!

[n01487477]

Yeah I wish it were just propaganda, but I think it is true, Nemo knows I can check these stats anyway, which I don't cause it just seems to overwhelming. Pushing my TojoIII production now toward 600+/mth is a priority, not sure even this will be enough, but at least I'll keep the air losses sky-rocketing .

28~29 March 1943

Well, more fighters bite the dirt, and Nemo storms out of Ambonia with a 230 + sweep of Menado from CV's... so Nemo must have fighter loaded his CV's. I'm lingering near Palau and Davao with a number of CV's but mostly smaller CVL's. The orders to repair some CV's have been rescinded, and the fleet begins to assemble again... I had wished I had held up Nemo a bit more around Oz, but that was my call.

Davao has had a load of supplies offloaded and LB and fighter groups are assembling for the next move, I want to try to co-ordinate this as well as possible, so that I'm inflicting max damage, not just chasing shadows again.

China looks fragile, and I doubt I can compete on AV levels, Nanchang will fall, it's inevitable, I just don't have the airpower to defend against two fronts, I know you guys think this should be my priority, but I'm not evacuating the Philippines just yet without some flesh down payment.

--Damian--

[Alfred]

ORIGINAL: n01487477


28~29 March 1943

Well, more fighters bite the dirt, and Nemo storms out of Ambonia with a 230 + sweep of Menado from CV's... so Nemo must have fighter loaded his CV's. I'm lingering near Palau and Davao with a number of CV's but mostly smaller CVL's. The orders to repair some CV's have been rescinded, and the fleet begins to assemble again... I had wished I had held up Nemo a bit more around Oz, but that was my call.


--Damian--

If you have formed the view that "Nemo must have fighter loaded his CV's", then why are you looking for a carrier fight? Surely you recall that your opponent regularly loads up his CVs with fighters in order to slaughter enemy air strikes. If he could "storms out of Amboina with a 230+ sweep of Menado from CV's..." then just how many fighters do you think he will have on CAP once he thinks he has hooked you in?

It just seems to me that you are walking into a trap. The only way to make it even remotely worthwhile is if the following conditions apply.

(1) you keep the KB near but away from the action ie in a safe position but able to sprint into action on day 3 (day 4 would be safer but perhaps too late to allow KB participation in the battle) of the sea battle after your LBA has drawn the sting of the enemy air power

(2) Allied transport or surface combat TFs are involved in the enemy sea movement. These TFs, particuarly if they become separated from the Allied CVs, would give you some worthwhile targets for the KB on day 3 of the battle

(3) Your LBA concentrate on days 1 and 2 of the battle on knocking out enemy land airbases, thereby bypassing most of the enemy CAP which will be concentrated on protecting its carriers

Alfred

[n01487477]

31 March 1943

Thanks Alfred,
I walked into it anyway ... [:(] My LB failed to fly, my CV aviators have been crushed and I've got nothing to show for it, well except a torpedo into the Wasp. 350+ IJN planes destroyed in a few hours of fighting today. I wasn't really looking for a fight, I wanted to recombine my forces, but Nemo came my way and well pain and suffering ensued. Bad coordination of strikes and escorting duties really made my TojoIII losses insane. I don;t want to talk about it but 100+ Tojo's won;t be coming home.

The bad thing is that I'm in now and can't get out, IF he comes closer to Davao tomorrow, then he will meet another group of CV's heading that way, I can't send them back cause they need to cover the 2CVTF's which did battle today.

More updates when I find the stomach for it.

--Damian--

[Capt. Harlock]

Nemo came my way and well pain and suffering ensued. Bad coordination of strikes and escorting duties really made my TojoIII losses insane. I don;t want to talk about it but 100+ Tojo's won;t be coming home.

The bad thing is that I'm in now and can't get out, IF he comes closer to Davao tomorrow, then he will meet another group of CV's heading that way, I can't send them back cause they need to cover the 2CVTF's which did battle today.

More updates when I find the stomach for it.

The good/bad news is that Nemo posted the combat results in his AAR -- so it's covered. OUCH -- my sympathies.

[Alfred]

ORIGINAL: n01487477

31 March 1943

Thanks Alfred,
I walked into it anyway ... [:(] My LB failed to fly, my CV aviators have been crushed and I've got nothing to show for it, well except a torpedo into the Wasp. 350+ IJN planes destroyed in a few hours of fighting today. I wasn't really looking for a fight, I wanted to recombine my forces, but Nemo came my way and well pain and suffering ensued. Bad coordination of strikes and escorting duties really made my TojoIII losses insane. I don;t want to talk about it but 100+ Tojo's won;t be coming home.

The bad thing is that I'm in now and can't get out, IF he comes closer to Davao tomorrow, then he will meet another group of CV's heading that way, I can't send them back cause they need to cover the 2CVTF's which did battle today.

More updates when I find the stomach for it.

--Damian--

I will admit that I must be "thick" because I don't understand exactly what this means and what you are actually afraid of. Maybe the act of you carefully explaining my mistakes below will be theraputic for you and focuses your mind on the possiblities.

1. I don't understand why you are "in now and can't get out". You make no mention of any Allied strikes/hits on the KB, so why can't the 2CVTFs you refer to simply not head north, back to friendly LBA CAP, at flank speed. Indeed, having mentioned that you put a torpedo into the Wasp, then surely the enemy CV TF can't match your speed, and if the Wasp is left behind, he dangerously weakens his own CAP.

2. I don't understand why your converging CVs onto Davao can't be sent back "cause they need to cover the 2CVTFs which did battle today". Firstly, there is the point made in (1) above. Secondly, your opponent has clearly shown his hand tactically on day 1 of the battle, so you must expect the same outcome to ensue - a massacre of IJN airframes. Thirdly, with no reported counter air launch from Allied CVs against the first 2CVTFs, what exactly would these late coming CV TFs be providing cover against?

3. Your "LB failed to fly". What, from all your bases, eg Menando, Kendari, Davao, Jolo, Cotobato etc? Against what - Allied bases or Allied CVs? If against the latter I'm not surprised in view of the likely number of Allied fighters. If against the former, which base. Your last screenshot showed no Allied air on Morotai, so even unescorted bombers should get through to hit Morotai, the only Allied airbase I think which is in range of Japanese fighter sweeps/escorts.

4. You say that 100+ Tojos won't be coming home. Why is this a psychological problem? Firstly, you seem to be producing and flying basically only Tojos, so naturally whenever you engage in any sort of significant combat, irrespective of whether you win or lose the battle, you will lose hordes of them. Secondly, what were the Allied loses. Thirdly, that airframe loss represents less than a week of Tojo production - weren't those carriers earmarked for repairs which would take much more than a week for completition. You are really no worse off than before.

Alfred

[Capt. Harlock]

if the Wasp is left behind, he dangerously weakens his own CAP.

When one has no strike aircraft worth mentioning, the size of the enemy CAP doesn't make a whole lot of difference. [:(]

[Alfred]

ORIGINAL: Capt. Harlock

if the Wasp is left behind, he dangerously weakens his own CAP.

When one has no strike aircraft worth mentioning, the size of the enemy CAP doesn't make a whole lot of difference. [:(]

He has the strike aircraft of the fresh additional CVs converging on Davao.

Alfred

[n01487477]

Sorry guys the war has moved on almost a month and I have been negligent here (mostly cause of my tracker-ae work)...

Just some notes to clarify, at the time I was more worried that Nemo would fly out his overloaded cap and fly back in DB/TB's to finish off the job. That he didn't was probably a tactical error, cause I could never have defended against it and I sent in the last CVTF's to protect these assets.

Instead Nemo turned tail and sailed back to Ambonia.

Since then the sword fight has continued with a foray by my forces close (3 hexes) to Ambonia, where bad luck and some artful work by Nemo (he disbanded all TF's into Port, luckily that turn) resulted in no strikes from my CV's or attacks against it. I decided to err on the side of caution and withdrew to Davao where I've been holed up, replenishing my airwings until 2 turns ago.

Nemo moved his PT's toward Moratai combined with supplies and I responded, by sinking 11 of them from attack by small CVE's. He is waiting for this base to get to size 1 before leaping forward here and I've been bombing the port to keep this under control

Jolo also came back to life at one point but I suppressed that with a huge attack, including fighters from my CV's docked at Davao.

Many of my units have been withdrawn from Davao as I continue to reinforce Korea and surrounding area's. More on china later... where Nemo has broken through and I face defeat at the point of a sword, but have withdrawn successfully enough so far.

SS attacks have been ramped up this month, with the loss on average of an AK/AP per day. The Allies haven't got off scot-free, with 8 SS's sunk.

Airlosses are 22,534 V 23,429.

I'll try for a better update with maps later tonight, as my tracker coding is complete for this iteration.

[n01487477]

A little map of what is transpiring in China, Nemo has literally 100's of units moving ... He has forced me out of Nangchang, Kiukiang and Hankow ... with my troops at Sinyang trying to make it across the frontier (retreat line) before being potentially cut off by forces from the SouthWest moving across country.

Troops have been redeployed to the North and Korea, with more troops going to Tsingtao to help the withdrawal. I expect that in a month or so, I'll be reduced to Shanghai and Soochow in the South and Peking and Tientsin in the North. This despite moving almost all of my troops back here [8|]