Carrier Battle in '45

[BLurking]

Pretty sure this couldn't be accomplished in stock - but the date is March '45.
Husband your resources, JFBs, and all is not lost.

The Western Force strikes a blow for the Empire, and intelligence indicates that the Eastern Force has a juicy target identified for tomorrow...

I'll leave it to my opponent to post the counter-strike. Definitely a one-way mission for the IJN.

[usersatch]

Damn!

[Rob Brennan UK]

Were all those carriers in the same TF ?

if so then your having a huge penalty in overstacking and hence your CAP let a lot more through than if you had several more balanced TF's.

Also no BB's ? i find them invaluable as bomb/torp magnets to save the CV's always have one or more in CV groups (where possible).

Then again if Japan doenst fritter away its good pilots as in real life, then this seems ok to me , as you say its a one way trip for the japanese regardless. doubt that'll happen again any time soon [;)]

[Athius]

So its best to split up the KB to avoid the penalty?

[BLurking]

That was my opponent's TF, so not sure if they were all in the same group.

My TF had about 350 A/C, which definitely ran the risk of coordination penalty - but the IJN is, ahem, rather short of escort vessels at this time. Besides, any TF that leaves the Home Islands is bound to get creamed, so you have to weigh the risks vs. the real probability of losing everything.
I prefer to keep some surface vessels available so my opponent stays honest.
The Decisive Battle has yet to be fought, after all...

[freeboy]

 what is the restriction in 44 45? I think the game allows quit large effective tf's for allies by then
 

[Zacktar]

Has your opponent confirmed how much of those results are real (as opposed to fog of war)?

[BLurking]

Definitely had carriers on fire, and LBA strikes the next day didn't find most of the heavily damaged ships as targets - so I'm assuming they went down.

Haven't gotten the turn back, but then again I've given him a little food for thought regarding future plans...

[CapAndGown]

Congratulations! Good show.

[sfbaytf]

That caught me completely off guard. Air search didn't detect his TF. Only had 2 carrier TFs and had no idea his carriers were there. Another carrier TF was refueling and on its way to meet the 2 TF so it avoided most of the strikes. 2 CV's, 1 CVL and 1 CVE went down.

The allied counter strike:

Morning Air attack on TF, near Legaspi at 93,82

Weather in hex: Clear sky

Raid detected at 120 NM, estimated altitude 12,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 52 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M5c Zero x 38



Allied aircraft
F4U-1D Corsair x 13
F6F-3 Hellcat x 70
F6F-5 Hellcat x 62
SB2C-1C Helldiver x 15
SB2C-3 Helldiver x 15
SB2C-4 Helldiver x 59
TBM-3 Avenger x 90


Japanese aircraft losses
A6M5c Zero: 7 destroyed

Allied aircraft losses
F4U-1D Corsair: 1 destroyed
F6F-3 Hellcat: 2 destroyed
F6F-5 Hellcat: 2 destroyed
SB2C-1C Helldiver: 10 damaged
SB2C-3 Helldiver: 6 damaged
SB2C-4 Helldiver: 1 destroyed, 4 damaged
TBM-3 Avenger: 9 destroyed, 63 damaged

Japanese Ships
CV Hiryu, Bomb hits 5, Torpedo hits 1, heavy fires, heavy damage
CV Zuikaku, Bomb hits 6, Torpedo hits 1, heavy fires
CV Amagi, Bomb hits 11, heavy fires, heavy damage
CV Shokaku, Bomb hits 3, on fire
CV Katsuragi, Bomb hits 8, Torpedo hits 1, heavy fires, heavy damage
CA Tone, Bomb hits 3, on fire
DD Nagatakaze
DD Minegumo, Bomb hits 2, on fire
DD Yukikaze, Bomb hits 1, on fire
DD Natsushio, Bomb hits 3, and is sunk
DD Arashi, Bomb hits 1, on fire
CA Suzuya
DD Amatsukaze
DD Susukaze

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

Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Legaspi at 93,82

Weather in hex: Light cloud

Raid detected at 120 NM, estimated altitude 11,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 52 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M5c Zero x 5



Allied aircraft
F4U-1D Corsair x 10
F6F-3 Hellcat x 22
SB2C-3 Helldiver x 15
SB2C-4 Helldiver x 26
TBM-3 Avenger x 20


Japanese aircraft losses
A6M5c Zero: 1 destroyed

Allied aircraft losses
F6F-3 Hellcat: 1 destroyed
SB2C-3 Helldiver: 4 damaged
SB2C-4 Helldiver: 12 damaged
TBM-3 Avenger: 3 destroyed, 17 damaged

Japanese Ships
CV Zuikaku, Bomb hits 7, heavy fires, heavy damage
CA Tone, Bomb hits 7, and is sunk
CV Shokaku, Bomb hits 3, heavy fires
DD Susukaze
DD Amatsukaze, Bomb hits 8, heavy fires, heavy damage
DD Arashi, Bomb hits 6, heavy fires, heavy damage
DD Yukikaze
DD Shimakaze, Bomb hits 1, on fire
DD Minegumo

[Miller]

How have you got to 45 so quickly? Do neither of you have jobs?[;)]

[sfbaytf]

2 day turns, 2 turns a day and 5-7 on the weekend. I have a full time job. I don't over analyze. 

[BLurking]

ORIGINAL: Miller

How have you got to 45 so quickly? Do neither of you have jobs?[;)]

LOL. If I spend over an hour on a turn, it's considered a 'deep thinking' move.
I just move around the map occasionally, but let events dictate where to focus.

CS convoys are your friend, and messing with production too often will lead to disaster for the Empire.

It is, after all, a Strategic wargame...

[chesmart]

Congrats guys 

[Zacktar]

Yeah, congrats to you both -- just making it to 1945 in this game is a real achievement for both of you!

[sfbaytf]

You can sit and stare and come up with all sorts of plans and possibilities. With 2 day turns, in the end you're never going to be 100% sure. Too much can happen and too much ground can be covered by a fleet. I agree with my opponent, keep it simple for the most part.

War ain't over yet. The Emperor has to say uncle-and that doesn't seem very close. This imay take quite a while to bring to a close.

The Allieds will spare the Emperor the humilation of bowing before their boot

For some reason the Allieds believe the Emperor is going to go down with the ship. He's claming to be receiving "ridiculous" amounts of airplanes for home defense. I'm sure he's going to send them off on mass suicide attacks.

I've nearly caught up in points. Was 14,000 behind not too long ago. Now about 3000 behind.

Manila is going to fall soon-after a long and bloody siege. Don't think much will be standing. The allieds have been pounding it will several hundred aircraft a day for weeks on end. Finally got the entrenchment level down to 4 and attacks are now in the 2-1+ range.

B-29's have lit up Osaka, Toyko, Kobe and Nagoya will continue to attack.

The Home Islands are cut off from easy access to resources.

[sfbaytf]

May be too early to tell, but if what my opponent and I experienced so far is any indication, Campaign games in AE will have to be fought to the bitter end. No more uber CAP means that my opponents threat of "receiveing ridiculous amounts of aircraft" for homeland defense has to be taken very seriously even if exxagerated.

Great game and having alot of fun. The loss of 4 carriers bites. The allieds can afford them, but I have a feeling that when all is said and done more carriers will be lost.

and yes its still possible for the allied to lose the war

All you JFB's out there you should definately stick it out till the bitter end...you have the ultimate weapon-pilots willing to die for a cause.

The end game is like the current war on terror. The United States has the advantage of superior technology, tactics and numbers-but they have to be right all the time 100% of the time. No room for errors.

Japan with its suicide card only has to be correct once...

[Chickenboy]

ORIGINAL: sfbaytf

That caught me completely off guard. Air search didn't detect his TF. Only had 2 carrier TFs and had no idea his carriers were there. Another carrier TF was refueling and on its way to meet the 2 TF so it avoided most of the strikes. 2 CV's, 1 CVL and 1 CVE went down.

The allied counter strike:

Morning Air attack on TF, near Legaspi at 93,82

Weather in hex: Clear sky

Raid detected at 120 NM, estimated altitude 12,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 52 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M5c Zero x 38



Allied aircraft
F4U-1D Corsair x 13
F6F-3 Hellcat x 70
F6F-5 Hellcat x 62
SB2C-1C Helldiver x 15
SB2C-3 Helldiver x 15
SB2C-4 Helldiver x 59
TBM-3 Avenger x 90


Japanese aircraft losses
A6M5c Zero: 7 destroyed

Allied aircraft losses
F4U-1D Corsair: 1 destroyed
F6F-3 Hellcat: 2 destroyed
F6F-5 Hellcat: 2 destroyed
SB2C-1C Helldiver: 10 damaged
SB2C-3 Helldiver: 6 damaged
SB2C-4 Helldiver: 1 destroyed, 4 damaged
TBM-3 Avenger: 9 destroyed, 63 damaged

Japanese Ships
CV Hiryu, Bomb hits 5, Torpedo hits 1, heavy fires, heavy damage
CV Zuikaku, Bomb hits 6, Torpedo hits 1, heavy fires
CV Amagi, Bomb hits 11, heavy fires, heavy damage
CV Shokaku, Bomb hits 3, on fire
CV Katsuragi, Bomb hits 8, Torpedo hits 1, heavy fires, heavy damage
CA Tone, Bomb hits 3, on fire
DD Nagatakaze
DD Minegumo, Bomb hits 2, on fire
DD Yukikaze, Bomb hits 1, on fire
DD Natsushio, Bomb hits 3, and is sunk
DD Arashi, Bomb hits 1, on fire
CA Suzuya
DD Amatsukaze
DD Susukaze

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

Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Legaspi at 93,82

Weather in hex: Light cloud

Raid detected at 120 NM, estimated altitude 11,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 52 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M5c Zero x 5



Allied aircraft
F4U-1D Corsair x 10
F6F-3 Hellcat x 22
SB2C-3 Helldiver x 15
SB2C-4 Helldiver x 26
TBM-3 Avenger x 20


Japanese aircraft losses
A6M5c Zero: 1 destroyed

Allied aircraft losses
F6F-3 Hellcat: 1 destroyed
SB2C-3 Helldiver: 4 damaged
SB2C-4 Helldiver: 12 damaged
TBM-3 Avenger: 3 destroyed, 17 damaged

Japanese Ships
CV Zuikaku, Bomb hits 7, heavy fires, heavy damage
CA Tone, Bomb hits 7, and is sunk
CV Shokaku, Bomb hits 3, heavy fires
DD Susukaze
DD Amatsukaze, Bomb hits 8, heavy fires, heavy damage
DD Arashi, Bomb hits 6, heavy fires, heavy damage
DD Yukikaze
DD Shimakaze, Bomb hits 1, on fire
DD Minegumo

Owie owie owie! That's one whale of a counter strike sfbaytf! With this nice response, will you get parity in losses with this encounter?

[castor troy]

ORIGINAL: BLurking

ORIGINAL: Miller

How have you got to 45 so quickly? Do neither of you have jobs?[;)]

LOL. If I spend over an hour on a turn, it's considered a 'deep thinking' move.
I just move around the map occasionally, but let events dictate where to focus.

CS convoys are your friend, and messing with production too often will lead to disaster for the Empire.

It is, after all, a Strategic wargame...

wow, I spend an hour for a normal turn where nothing happened. [:D]

[Zemke]

ORIGINAL: sfbaytf

You can sit and stare and come up with all sorts of plans and possibilities. With 2 day turns, in the end you're never going to be 100% sure. Too much can happen and too much ground can be covered by a fleet. I agree with my opponent, keep it simple for the most part.

Hooray for the non micro managers of the world!! I like that, in general I play pretty much the same way, as BLurking said, it is a Strategic wargame, take care of the big issues, while focusing on the big picture and 90% of the time things will work out just fine. I will say however that when I know my opponent cannot get the turn back right way, I will spend a lot of time just looking things over, and occasionally will find things I have over looked or things that need to be tweaked, but none of it is earth shattering, game changing stuff and in the long run will not make much of a difference.