Tokyo Rose was a Hussy! Chez (J) vs. Canoe (A)

[JohnDillworth]

Well, if you are going to be following up anyway might as well chase whats left here all the way home. Got to be some ships full of troops nearby too. How about a thunder run around Java with a refuel and rearm at Soerabaja? You should run into some transports and you should be able to hold off the Netties.

[Nemo121]

Yes, good play.

Radi with DD TFs ( no CLs from now on ) --- he'll flood the area with Netties and DDs are better at dodging torps.

[Cribtop]

Banzai! [&o][&o][&o]

Err, I mean, Hooray!

Seriously, Dan. Well done. Good anticipation, planning and execution. A smashing blow to Chez' player morale and a decisive victory in material terms. Those are good CVLs he will never replace.

[crsutton]

It looks to me as if he is really stuck in an old historical mode of play style, and I think his adherence to this is crippling him. In AE you have to throw it all out the window and play to counter your opponent's style of play. I think most agree that splitting KB in a situation such as this (not knowing where the Allied carriers are) and vs an opponent who obviously does not split his carriers is suicidal. It as if he want to play in a historical style and is trying to "wish" you into accommodating him. This is AE and I think most will agree, you don't split your carriers. If kept together KB rules until mid 1943.

I don't mean to belittle your opponent, but this is like watching the Polish cavalry charge German tanks. Again and again.

[SqzMyLemon]

ORIGINAL: crsutton

In AE you have to throw it all out the window and play to counter your opponent's style of play.

I think this nails it. I certainly am in no position to criticize anybody's play, but the failure to recognize Canoerebel is playing much more aggressive this time around has been fatal. The constant failure to protect his forces adequately and adapt in light of this is what is so disconcerting. I've learned that AE is like poker, you are simply dealt the cards, it's up to you how you play them and more importantly how to read the other players.

[paullus99]

Splitting the KB (as your opponent has done on a few occasions now) may be historical, but it is also suicidal. The Japanese didn't start losing carriers in the war until they starting dividing their attention - trying to accomplish goals without concentrating their forces. In AE, any decent allied player knows that single or even small groups of allied carriers are just meat when confronted by the KB - so it behooves them to keep them concentrated & look for opportunities to nibble around the edges.

Here, Canoerebel was given ample opportunities to concentrate & get his carriers (all of them) into an area that his opponent was blatantly leaving vulnerable (showing the Mini-KB here while exposing the KB in far-off locations). There are some real opportunities to inflict a lot of shipping losses - and given the attention still being paid to both Singapore & Clark (which I assume are the targets of most of his LBA right now), Japanese airpower in the DEI has got to be seriously weakened.

[obvert]

Well done. The prediction, planning, and resulting execution here were amazing to witness. This slows things further, and Sumatra will just keep getting stronger as he readjusts forces.

Now that the mini-KB is basically done, have you considered landing your CV groups on Sumatra and Java, sticking the carriers in Capetown, and waiting as Sumatra grows and Burma is about to begin?

[ny59giants]

Great job Dan!!!

My question for Chez is about his placement of his AIR HQs. Why wasn't there one placed at Makassar and Koepang to seal off the western SRA?? Two Air HQs leave Takao within the first few days of war to head for the eastern DEI to cover advancements with Nell/Betty. Bettys almost sunk CA Houston at Koepang as I was getting too far forward with my SC TF.

[JohnDillworth]

Dan,
How do your air groups look? Take many losses? At this point in the war your replacement rate is dreary to say the least. The Dautlesses are damn near irreplaceable. Did the TBD's do anything? anything at all? How about the Brits?

[paullus99]

Sounds like he was out of range for the torpedo squadrons (not necessarily a bad thing, given their relative fragility) - but it would have been nice to get some torps into those BBs - though by the sounds of it, they could be out of action & in the yards for quite a while. This puts a serious dent in his surface forces in the DEI, so taking advantage of that fact is just going to continue to pay dividends.

This is also going to make for a very interesting near-term situation at Singapore - and definitely puts him well behind schedule for any moves against Sumatra as well.

[Bullwinkle58]

ORIGINAL: paullus99

This is also going to make for a very interesting near-term situation at Singapore - and definitely puts him well behind schedule for any moves against Sumatra as well.

Heck with Sumatra, what about Borneo?!!!

[paullus99]

Great point - he's well behind the eight-ball for the entire area. May be a golden opportunity to move from frontal defense to forward defense (and actually, he hasn't even hit your main defensive lines yet & he's lost: 3 CVLs, suffered damage to 2 BBs, potentially lost a CA, plus a myriad of smaller escorts and shipping).

[witpqs]

Dan, this is all your fault. Good job! [:)]

[SuluSea]

Been away for awhile, good work here Dan!

[John 3rd]

Damn...I would truly hate to be your opponent! [X(] Stunned is probably the best word that he feels right now.

Well planned and executed!

My feelings concur with those listed above that shifting over to a local offensive might not be a bad idea. You have to be careful in over-reacting to your successes, however, there may be real opportunity lurking here. If you he wipe out some cripples and finish off more of that Invasion Fleet, you've probably bought yourself at least 2-3 weeks as he'll have no choice but to stop and redeploy the KB into highly dangerous waters.

Go get 'em!

[JohnDillworth]

If you he wipe out some cripples and finish off more of that Invasion Fleet, you've probably bought yourself at least 2-3 weeks as he'll have no choice but to stop and redeploy the KB into highly dangerous waters.

I figure you have about a week before the KB shows up. 5 days to be safe. Perhaps ride around and kill every ship in site. Shame you don't have much amphibious ability or you could land a couple of divisions behind him and trap him at Singers. Probably not enough time for that though. Shame those incoming transports are not loaded correctly

[John 3rd]

John is probably right regarding the KB. I was trying to find your last Posting as to when it was seen. Wasn't that somewhere around Noumea? Don't remember specifically but that was a while ago to say the least. Much better idea to work on the 5-7 day premise--just to be safe.

A counter-landing in Malaya WOULD be marvelous as well but I'm sure you don't have the resources for that. Too bad as it would certainly create an nearly unknown situation for the Japanese player in early-42.

[JohnDillworth]

Dan has the troops in Sumatra. It would be close if they were near a regular port but there is not enough small stuff to get up the river. 3 days to put in amphibious mode plus 2 to load, 2 more to sail. Just too close, but 2 divisions behind the lines would cause havoc. Might still want to start to pack up and plan for it though. If the KB is elsewhere, attacks and gets hung up for a couple of day there might be up to 10 guaranteed days to really do something special.

[paullus99]

I'd be reluctant to recommend pulling from what could be an excellent solid base (Sumatra) for a temporary offensive move. Canoerebel now has the time and breathing room to complete his defensive preparations - and I would recommend that he do so. Now that US troops are starting to reach India, perhaps they could be utilized in an offensive move.

Right now, given his carrier superiority - that's what he should use, go a-raiding and as said above "sink everything in sight." For at least a week, he's got free reign & should inflict as much damage as possible, without sticking his head out too far.

Of course, pushing more supplies to Singapore isn't a bad idea either.

[John 3rd]

Good thinking and I like it a lot.

Additional Thought: If Dan presses the attack--with reasonable success--he may force the KB to jump into the fight without any serious preparation. Once again this might create a favorable opportunity to inflict serious losses: Nimitz's 'principle of calculated risk.'

Right now the Allies would face a slightly stronger foe with Betty/Nell and LBA support. While that looks bad, the same works for Dan. He has strong LBA (albeit older, less useful planes) in the area that can help. The simple fact is with four US CVs those SBDs WILL get through and hit the Japanese CVs. Mini-KB is toast and if losses can be inflicted on the Big Six then the Japanese are done...

There is a real chance for US/British CV losses but Dan is a canny/through player and can set-up a, potentially, game-winning fight in the DEI.

My .02.