Historical AE. Cantona2 (A) vs Fletcher (J)

[cantona2]

A very quiet few turns after the Santa Cruz landings. Indeed the game has been characterised by the number of dud hits. No less than 18 in three turns! Plus side = im getting into good firing positions. Down side = DUDS (especially the Dutch ones). Fremen maybe right Fletcher is the luckiest player on the boards, though he is a great one too.

Ndeni at 89% readiness, shall I fly one Marine VMF or a USAAF Fighter Squadron to provide the first fighters there? I intend to use them to cover the approach of an ACM and an AA unit.

[traskott]

Welcome to my pitiful life.....

It can be worse, in a single player game, one of my (USA) SSs launch on surface TWELVE fishes. 9 HITS. ZERO EXPLOSIONS. xDDD The cargo ships put a shell of the sort gun of 12cm at the tower of the SS and she is now crippling trying to get Soerabaja. After this, my faith at US torpedoes is.... hummmmm

BTW: I would send more than one Sqn. At least two....

[kokubokan25]

Fremen maybe right Fletcher is the luckiest player on the boards, though he his a great one too.

Sure. Like say traskott, im playing as allied in a PBEM game, now in may 42. My subs launch, launch, launch, launch and launch again and again. Some targets receive 4/5 hits many times. "Hit but no explosion" was the most repetitive message i see after those attacks. Only 2 ships sunk by SS confirmed. Painful.[:@]

[cantona2]

The Admirality Offices were not the place to be as the first Sea Lord turned the air bluer then blue. A wolf pack off Ceylon had sunk three tankers and severely damaged another. In tactics reminiscent of the Kreigsmarine in the Atlantic a convoy heading back to Abadan was slaughtered. Heads would roll but the question on everyone's mind was, 'had the Germans deployed submarines in the Indian Ocean from Japanese bases?'

[cantona2]

Ndeni hit 100% fighter strip readiness next turn and is going to receive VMF-111 (F4F-3A) and 68th Pursuit Squadron as its first reinforcements to provide CAP and long range cover for approaching ships.

The screenie below is Ndeni's current status. I am assuming that it reached 100% on both Port and AF and the flag showing an active base will appear next turn. Any thoughts?

[traskott]

Took an umbrella with u!!. Fletcher will send you even rude words to avoid Ndeni turn into a big airbase !!!

Good luck. Ndeni is a nice stage point to launch a big offensive against the Solomon...

[cantona2]

ORIGINAL: traskott

Took an umbrella with u!!. Fletcher will send you even rude words to avoid Ndeni turn into a big airbase !!!

Good luck. Ndeni is a nice stage point to launch a big offensive against the Solomon...

Jejejeje desde luego traskott que Ramon va a terminar por tirarme todo lo que peuda!

[cantona2]

Turn Synopsis 9th May 1942

After Action Report for 9th May 1942, Ndeni Garrison, O/C Colonel R.Knapp, 2nd USMC Defense Battalion.

VMF-111 and 68th Pursuit Squadron (58th PG) were ordered into Ndeni by SOPAC yesterday and were immediatley called into action on three occasions today. At approximately 10:20 a sweep by around 20 A6M2's was intercepted by both sqaudrons. 3 enemy planes were seen to be shot down while VMF-111 lost one F4F-3A and 68th PS lost one P-40e. A second raid, approx 40 bombers and 40 fighters, was spotted by radar around 14:55. Once again our fighters engaged the enemy planes in combat over Ndeni. 7 more fighters were shot down, with two enemy pilots taken as POWs. Our own losses ammounted to two more F4F-3As and 5 more Warhawks. VMF-111 reports at 67% readiness while 46th PS has been rotated out to Efate, its replacement 46th Pursuit Squadron (p-39D) flew in late in the afternoon and will join VMF-111 in flying CAP tomorrow.

ACM Heath, escorted by the destroyer minelayers Breese and Tracy, radioed in announcing its arrival in the next 48 hours. Its escort will extend our defensive minefield while the Heath will remain behind to tend it.

SS Surigao has also radioed in reporting it is steaming to the ENE of Vanikoro and is making good progress towards Ndeni. It is loaded with roughly 1,000 tons of ammunition, fresh water, food and new barrels for our 3 inchers. Morale will also increase when we announce that it also carries a backlog of mail!!!

[traskott]

U can use the xAKLs in single runs... they are usually non spotted, and 1.000 tons of supplies is very useful, considering your planes will spend a lot of them...


Aaaah, now is (besides ) when a SST comes in handy !!! [:D][:D]

[cantona2]

My only SST is on patrol around Rabaul. Time to call her back I think!

[cantona2]

Turn Synopsis 11th May 1942

A day of intensive air action over Burma. Sweeps by Ki-43s devastated the 1/AVG flying the daily CAP over Dacca. Today belonged to the Jap but we had already inflicted heavy losses over the past two days, especially an unescorted flight of 'Sallies' over Kohima that were mauled by 605 Squadron.

Good news also at sea when LCDR Valkenburg, C/o SS 0-23 reported to SOPAC HQ that he had severely damaged an enemy tender off Cape Gloucester. He was enroute to his patrol area which lay between Manus and Kavieng when he came across the target of opportunity. Only torpedo, of four launched, hit the target but hit it squarely amid ships causing a tremendous explosion. The lack of enemy retaliation suggested the ship was moving unescorted.

RAAF fighters were also in action overe their own skies when 75 RAAF Sqaudron shot down 3 A6M2s over the much bombed base at Katherine. The Aussie Kittyhawks were flying from Daly Waters that seemed to be out of the range of even the Zero. To the east, 9th Bomber Squadron (LB-30) and 23rd Bomber Squadron (B-17E) would fly from Townsville to attack the Japanese air strip on Horn Island on the Torres Straits. With the development of Normanton and Coen as viable air bases, a dedicated air campaign against Horn Island and the New Guinea coast can begin.

Some measure of revenge was exacted on the submarine wolfpack to the north west of Ceylon when RN corvettes reported the sinking of an enemy submarine off Trivandrum. Sadly though another sub sunk the minesweeper Romney. The 605 ton vessel was acting as an anti-submarine picket off Colombo. She sunk with all hands in the early hours of this morning.

[cantona2]

The main action however was to be concentrated over the Santa Cruz Islands, Ndeni in particular. With the 68th PS rotated out to Efate to rest the P-39D's of 46th PS took up the USAAF's share of air defence at Ndeni. The ponderous Airacobra handled themselves well against the much mor nimble Zero, their cannon compensating for a much reduced performance and mobility vis-a-vis their Japanese foes. Parity in losses was maintained and if SIGINT is to be believed many of the damaged Japanese fighters did not make the long flight back to Munda. VMF-121 replaced VMF-111. Flying the newest version of the Wildcat (F4F-4) they engaged Japanese planes for the first time on the morning of the 10th May. They shot down 3 planes for three losses of their own. VMF-111 had also withdrawn to Efate to rest after three days of intensive action. 68th PS was due back tomorrow and 46th PS would take its turn out of the line though they would need to carry out one more essential mission on the morrow.



Its currently 5 operational fighters, the rest of the squadron was down due to maintenance, would be flying LRCAP over the two DMs poised to enlarge Ndeni's defensive field. ENS Gardener of the ACM Heath had let Colonel Knapp know that his ship would be arriving at Ndeni in the darkness of the night of 11th-12th May and would immediately detach itself from its escort as they laid their mines. The Heath would immediately set to tend Ndeni's minefields that would number around 100 mines. Slightly further to the West, Operation Easter Egg was underway. DMs Montgomery, Preble and Sicard had left Efate anchorage two days ago and were moving into thier first waypoint before a high speed minelaying dash into Tulagi. With the IJNAF eyes frimly fixed on Ndeni the High Command expects the minelaying mission to be a success.



Attacks on Munda, the main Japanese airfield in the fight for Ndeni, would begin as soon as the 176th USAAF Base Force arrived on Luganville. Once in place, 24 B-17E's would fly in and begin an air campaign against Munda. The Japanese would then have a choice to either reduce the escorts flying to Ndeni to CAP thier base or suffer the pounding of the Fortresses.

[cantona2]

Turn Synopsis 15th May 1942

Another day in the war, another day of dogfighting over Ndeni as the struggle for control of the air over this important base gathers pace. Today the IJNAF comes off second best. For the loss of 4 US fighters, 15 enemy planes have been shot down. 10 of these being G4M1 bombers. The high command is relatively pleased with the combat performance of several of the units at Ndeni. These pilots are the first graduates from the first war time training programme and have so far not come short against the enemy. Though it must be said that fatigue must be affecting the pilots inside the Zeroes as recon has not yet identified any enemy planes at Tulagi whereas he is clearly operating out of Munda.



Operation Easter Egg on the other hand did not come off as planned. As the DMs approached Tualgi they were surprised to bump into a small task force of four Japanese vessels seemingly unloading at port. The minelaying operation was cancelled and fire was immediately opened on the ships. One vessel was hit four times and set on fire while a second ship was raked by .50 cal machine gun fire. The USN ships, still carrying their full complement of mines headed south without further incident. Their mines will find a new home in the defensive fields at Ndeni.



6 units of USN SeeBees arrived at Port Hueneme today. A new form of naval fighting engineers, three of them have been ordered to move to Los Angeles and San Diego for immediate posting to the South Seas to lend thier bulldozers to the Battle of the Build Up.

The 9th Marine Regiment has been ordered to dismebark at Lugnaville and the transports carry it will then redploy to Noumea. It is currently acting as a floating reserve off Efate.

[cantona2]

Finally a new unit was activated at Alameda... a throw back to the previous war perhaps? [:D]

[cantona2]

Turn Synopsis 18th May 1942

Constant air-air battles over Ndeni have left the fighters there pretty much exhausted. 2 Marine squadrons and two USAAF squadrons are stationed there and the need to rotate them is dire. A small suppy convoy is approaching Ndeni and it also carries an anti-aircraft unit. A flight of 8 A-29s has also started an aerial supply bridge from the main depots at Efate. The Japanese main base at Munda was also attacked yesterday for the first time. 16 B-17Es lifted off from Luganville and reportedly destroyed three enemy aircraft on the ground. As Luganville receives more logisitcal support it is expected for the volume and intensitiy of the air attacks to rise.

Enemy air attacks on Cooktown met with mixed success. 8 enemy bombers were shot down but a later sweep by Ki-43cs accounted for 5 P-40s. Darwin was once again plastered by enemy air assets on Timor, making this base all but useless. Recon spotted over Katherine and Wyndham.

Chittagong was swept various times by both Ki-43s and A6M2s. None of our fighters were capping the base as we have stood down some units to rest and recover. New reinforcements, a full USAAF Fighter Group (P-40e) having just left Aden for Karachi.

Contact was lost with SS-Sargo. The last recorded communication was a damage report that was sent off Singapore. Heavy ASW units are patrolling the lanes between Palembang and Singapore. Some sort of convoy must be passing through those waters soon. Captains have been ordered to run deep and maintain their positions.

SS-S 38 hit an enemy AMC at Paramushiro-Jima. It attacked twice but only scored one hit on its second pass. This is the second contact in as many days in and around this base. This compounds spottings and attacks on enemy submarines near Attu and Adak Islands. This last command has been put on full alert and has been sending regular search plane missions to the west and north west.

[Roger Neilson II]

Which of the many Allied subs are SSTs?

Roger

[traskott]

ORIGINAL: cantona2

Finally a new unit was activated at Alameda... a throw back to the previous war perhaps? [:D]

Yes, I'm truly atonished with it too [:D][:D]. I think that as ASW training unit is useful (at least, this is its main role now ).

[cantona2]

@Roger

At this point of the game the Argonaut has upgraded to SST during its April upgrades. I never upgraded the Argonaut in vanilla as its minelaying capacity was lost but with the dirth of mines in AE I thought it was a worthy conversion. The other sub that will convert to SST is the Narwhal.

[Roger Neilson II]

Wasn't aware of this, thanks.


Roger

[cantona2]

ORIGINAL: Roger Neilson II

Wasn't aware of this, thanks.


Roger

Welcome