俳句 : グロティウス v. マィかラヌ&#12483

[Grotius]

Chickenboy-さん, ありがとう. Good point: I get nervous about submarines if KB lingers anywhere, and I have spotted submarines in the Wake area. I spend much nervous time plotting courses around submarines and having ASW TFs shadow KB. I do have a surface group at Wake, though it's only led by a CL (Yubari). At this point, the first wave is safely ashore, and the first wave of transports is already heading back to Kwajalein. So I can pull my surface group back for a day until my second wave arrives. That does mean KB doesn't have much to do for a day, so perhaps it is a propitious time for the carriers to move on.

Also, I have Betties within range at Roi-Namur, and an Air HQ with a one-hex radius next door at Kwajalein. I don't rely solely on Betties, even if they are (barely) within their normal range. Still, I'm curious: is the Air HQ close enough to ensure that the Betties use torpedoes? The Betty squadron says it is "USING TORPEDOES" (in yellow). (What does "using torpedoes" mean if it's in red?)

Finally, a question about minesweeping for invasions. Knowing my opponent, he's mining the harbor at Rabaul (and elsewhere). Is the best practice to include minesweepers with the amphibious TF, or to create a dedicated minesweeping task force that leads the way? If the latter, how does one protect the minesweepers against enemy surface threats? I don't want surface groups to hit the mines before they're cleared, so I suppose that means it's up to KB?

[CapAndGown]

"Using Torpedoes" in yellow means they are available for the current mission. If you were doing a ground attack, this setting would be red. It would also be red if there is no Air HQ within range. The Kwajalein HQ has a range of 1 so the Roi planes are able to use torps.

I think the main problem in trying to sweep mine before an invasion is that the minesweepers can be sunk by CD guns. I lost 3 at Pago-Pago this way. And I am not sure it is going to make a difference if you include minesweepers with the invasion force since your ships are likely to hit the mines anyway, though the number of mines you might face anywhere but Singers and Bataan is likely to be so small that you would only lose one or two ships anyway. On the whole, I would not stress over the minefields.

[Grotius]

Cap-and-Gown-さん, ありがとう. *bows*

[Chickenboy]

ORIGINAL: cap_and_gown
On the whole, I would not stress over the minefields.

+1.

The number of available mines in the early war significantly changes their dynamic in the game compared to UV or WiTP. It is unlikely that Rabaul will be heavily mined, as there are few / no Allied mining assets nearby with which to mine it early in the war.

Now, that being said, I'd recommend you mine the **** out of Rabaul after you capture it. You should have plenty of otherwise worthless CMs and the like with their initial loadouts of Japanese mines. Put a couple ACMs into Rabaul to support the minefields so they don't deteriorate over time. You'll be needing to defend Rabaul for some time as a major naval and air hub, a large minefield will help.

[Canoerebel]

Oddy enough, I've never seen Rabaul play an important role in a WitP or AE game.  I'm sure it's happened, but I think in far more games Rabaul is bypassed as the Allies focus on the DEI or CenPac. 
 
Chickenboy is right, though.  The odds of Rabaul being mined early in the war by the Allies is very slight.

[Grotius]

グロティウス bows to Canoerebel-さん and Chickenboy-さん and pours them each some delicious お茶. ありがとう!

[Chickenboy]

ORIGINAL: Grotius

ƒOƒ?ƒeƒBƒEƒX bows to Canoerebel-‚³‚ñ and Chickenboy-‚³‚ñ and pours them each some delicious ‚¨’ƒ. ‚ ‚肪‚Æ‚¤!

Not that I'd turn down a proffered gift of 'delicious' ‚¨’ƒ from your most gracious Imperial leader, but I let Canoerebel drink his first.

What is ‚¨’ƒ?

[;)]

ETA: Odd. The Chinese script was changed with use of the 'quote' function.

[Grotius]

One further question for any samurai who wander into this place: now that I have units safely ashore at Wake Island, if a second wave of troops lands, will that second wave automatically conduct a shock attack? Or will it land normally, without attacking?

I'd like to rest the troops already ashore until the second wave is also ashore, but if the second wave is going to attack automatically, then I suppose the troops ashore should join in. Does anyone know what will happen when the second wave lands?

[Canoerebel]

When a rising tide
returns to the bloody sand
Shock attacks occur

[Grotius]

Canoerebel-さん, ありがとう. *bows* I suppose I might as well order the troops already ashore to attack, then.

[AcePylut]

troops asleep on sand
prepare to attack again
bloody day awaits

[Canoerebel]

ORIGINAL: AcePylut
troops asleep on sand
prepare to attack again
boody day awaits

Boody day? You mean bootie day, right? So the troops are going on R&R in Singapore?

[morleron1225]

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

ORIGINAL: AcePylut
troops asleep on sand
prepare to attack again
boody day awaits

Boody day? You mean bootie day, right? So the troops are going on R&R in Singapore?

Bootie is better
After battle is over
In Bangkok, Siam

[Chickenboy]

One night in Bangkok
It makes the hard man humble
Queens do not excite

[Local Yokel]

ORIGINAL: morleron1

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

ORIGINAL: AcePylut
troops asleep on sand
prepare to attack again
boody day awaits

Boody day? You mean bootie day, right? So the troops are going on R&R in Singapore?

Bootie is better
After battle is over
In Bangkok, Siam

Bugis Street, Singapore:
Girls not what they seem
But that lies in future

[Grotius]

One night in Bangkok
and the world is your oyster
the bars are temples

-- From the ancient 俳句 "バンコクでの1泊" ("One Night in Bangkok") by マレーヘッド (Murray Head).

[Canoerebel]

One night in Bangkok
Harvest of penicillen
Them gals is wicked

[Yakface]

ORIGINAL: Grotius

One night in Bangkok
and the world is your oyster
the bars are temples

-- From the ancient ”o‹å "ƒoƒ“ƒRƒN‚Å‚Ì1”‘" ("One Night in Bangkok") by ƒ}ƒŒ?[ƒwƒbƒh (Murray Head).

"I get my kicks above the waistline, sunshine"

From same

[Grotius]

"Otori shima,"
the island shaped like a bird,
wakes to a red sun

[Grotius]

1941年12月20日

A dauntless sparrow
flies over steel porpoises
then back to its nest

--------------------------------------------------------------

This message in today's operations report:

TF 5 observes Allied Carrier Aircraft at 136,98 near Wake Island

Unless I'm mistaken, no Allied aircraft can reach Wake Island from any American land base. Does it not follow, samurai, that the Allied aircraft carriers are in the vicinity of Wake? Or could this be a mistaken sighting -- a ghost? Perhaps an enemy floatplane from a surface ship?

Our surface group at Wake was ready to retire anyway, so I am ordering it southwest immediately, possibly at flank speed. That TF doesn't quite have enough fuel to make Enewetok or Kwajalein using full speed, but perhaps I can find a tanker to meet it and bring it home. I also have a few remaining transports at Wake; I shall send them on their (slower) way as well.

My own carriers just docked at Truk; curse my poor timing! I now debate whether to spend 2 days repairing and restocking them, or to send them right back toward the sub-infested waters of Wake to try to chase the elusive enemy carriers. I am inclined to sit and repair, and to "expand to fit" my Zero (and perhaps Kate) squadrons to fill out Hiryu, Soryu and I believe one other CV. I am not sure how long it will take to restock planes and pilots (though I do have a number of pilots already in the reserve pool).

Now I wish I had found a way to upgrade the Claudes at Kwajalein sooner. I have one squadron of nine A6M Zeroes there; not enough to serve as a creditable escort to my fragile torpedo bombers. But alas, even though I have expanded Zero production dramatically, I have only 30 or so in the pool, and "KB" should probably get first dibs. Perhaps I shall send the Claudes to Truk in return for some precious A6Ms, if I can persuade the cantankerous quartermaster at Truk.