The Power of Inexperience / GreyJoy(A)-Rader(J)

[jeffk3510]

GreyJoy- I have been following your AAR, but not posting. I am happy to see you sticking it out and not being afraid to ask for help. Things will turn around for you. You seem to be catching a break here and there.

Continue to use CR and Mooses advice....I have been using it some for myself, and find that it is sound advice. Keep up the good work!

[GreyJoy]

ORIGINAL: jeffk3510

GreyJoy- I have been following your AAR, but not posting. I am happy to see you sticking it out and not being afraid to ask for help. Things will turn around for you. You seem to be catching a break here and there.

Continue to use CR and Mooses advice....I have been using it some for myself, and find that it is sound advice. Keep up the good work!

Thanks jeffk, actually i've been on the edge of "crying" many times during this game...and i'm pretty sure Rader still knows how to hurt me and get me scared...but the support of the folks here have been priceless, and not only for their usefull suggestions!

Thanks!

[jeffk3510]

Dont worry I lost my 2 Carriers Dec 9th this weekend....just started a new GC Game and they're toast...best part about it? Less TBD Devestators for me to work with.... That is how I look at things.

[Canoerebel]

GreyJoy, you do have a few combrades in arms that know exactly how you feel. A few of us have been where you've been, much to our chagrine. I think you're familiar with the pain I suffered in my game with Q-Ball. I also nearly lost all of Australia in a WitP game with John III (Forlorn Hopes if you want to read the AAR). Durng my despairing moments in that game, I took comfort in knowing that Raverdave had also nearly lost all of Australia in an earlier WitP game (now I can't recall whether he did lose it all, but I think he finally did get defeated).

There's a measure of comfort in knowing that the dark roads we travel have been traveled by others.

Here's hoping you'll experience one of the most satisfying experiences in gamedom: being pushed to the very edge of defeat, but then coming back to win.

[Bullwinkle58]

ORIGINAL: GreyJoy


However my concerns aren't for a landing at Bombay but for a nuke-bombing by his BBs...

In my games CD has been pretty much a non-factor in combating naval bombardments. They do well on landings, not so much on hit&runs.

[Bullwinkle58]

ORIGINAL: GreyJoy

He however really didn't need to land northwards of Bombay...he's already steamrolling me with his tanks that keep a pace of advance really crazy!

CR is right. A landing "up there" would make a lot of sense, and I'm sure your opponent is thinking of that option as part of his palette. So far he has shown he favors overwhelming, rapid application of force, not surgical anything, but landing north would:

1. Offer tactical air bases for a variety of purposes, not the least of which is recon of Bombay to raise d/l.
2. A supply dump for LCU use.
3. Interdicting the flow of fuel south from Karachi, if you get any in there now, resulting in far less organic supply generation at Bombay. Bombay has huge HI facilities which are useless without fuel.
4. Offer air bases for para drops to further isolate Bombay on the secondary routes.
5. Give a small port refuel/rearm option for light surface TFs guarding the Aden channel.

And, he gets all that without crossing the LOD.

[GreyJoy]

ORIGINAL: Bullwinkle58

ORIGINAL: GreyJoy

He however really didn't need to land northwards of Bombay...he's already steamrolling me with his tanks that keep a pace of advance really crazy!

CR is right. A landing "up there" would make a lot of sense, and I'm sure your opponent is thinking of that option as part of his palette. So far he has shown he favors overwhelming, rapid application of force, not surgical anything, but landing north would:

1. Offer tactical air bases for a variety of purposes, not the least of which is recon of Bombay to raise d/l.
2. A supply dump for LCU use.
3. Interdicting the flow of fuel south from Karachi, if you get any in there now, resulting in far less organic supply generation at Bombay. Bombay has huge HI facilities which are useless without fuel.
4. Offer air bases for para drops to further isolate Bombay on the secondary routes.
5. Give a small port refuel/rearm option for light surface TFs guarding the Aden channel.

And, he gets all that without crossing the LOD.

Yup, after studying the map i agree. Surat, as i feared before, is a perfect place to land beyond Bombay and isolate it from any kind of help...at the same time it'd become a good place to threaten the whole Karachi area. However, considering how's Rader is moving, i think he won't spend fuel and time to organize an operation there. He now needs his ships to take Scoodra and he cannot be everywhere en masse. I think the task of cutting the Indian Sub-Continent in two will be devolved to the mighty jap tanks and paras

[GreyJoy]

.

[GreyJoy]

Breaking news...before going out for dinner...Calcutta Fell under the assault of 1350 Japanese AVs...

More news will follow

[Canoerebel]

You'll need to keep track of the Japanese divisions known to be in India, both to measure the enemy's strength and how much more he can bring.

In my game with Q-Ball, I knew with certainty that he had 17 divisions in India (well, actually, that's my memory now; my memory is a bit fuzzy because that was six months ago). Therefore, I knew he didn't have much more that he could commit and I knew where his main threats were and when he no longer had available reserves to mount a seaborn invasion or a major attack at some other locale in India.

Make a list of each Japanese division (by number) in India: where they are. Then compare that to a list of Japanese divisions available in the game. You might have to start a new game in the Hot Seat and find this information in the list of units and reinforcements.

I think Japan starts with 10 unrestricted divisions (it might be 12) and then receives 4 more (it might be 2). So Japan should have 14 unrestricted divisions in Scenario Two. Then Japan can buy additional restricted divisions. There are also the bevy of brigades, regiments, etc. But deployment of his divisions will give you a good idea as to what's going on.

[jeffk3510]

Have you thought about landing somewhere behind him and groud his advance to a hault?.....

[jeffk3510]

Probably forget that...I see that you mentioned Calcutta just fell....

[GreyJoy]

He has the complete controll of the indian seas...cannot think about a landing right now mate.
CR, yes, i'm trying to do so...as far as i can tell it seems that he's bringing really everything he has...for sure he's buyin many units from China and from Manchuria...i expect at least 15 divs in India plus indipendent regiments and bde for something like 10.000 AVs (also considering the amount of tanks he's bringing in...)
 
 

[GreyJoy]

Apr 22, 23 42

So Calcutta fell. The small garrison left there (the static one) was pounded for 2 weeks in a row by his air hordes.
His pace is awesome....seems that nothing can slow him down! He has already 39 units in Benares (6 were present 2 days ago) and he has placed already planes there!...wow...he's for sure using the indian RR system to his advantage...

However things don't change much at this stage.

The KB is moving towards Scoodra. He has dispatched several single ship TFs composed of DDs around the arabian sea in order to stop every kind of naval movement on my side.

One of my Kingfishers at Scoodra managed to score a single bomb hit (250kg) on a DD parked north of Scoodra...nothing much, i know...

I'm organizing my indian air force. I still don't get it the thing about the AF limits.
Ok, i have 330 aviation support in Karachi which is level 7 AF...i tried to put there 16 groups for a total of 225 engines...it tells me that i can support only 11 groups ("16 of 11 groups supported" written in red!)...while, at Bombay, which has the same level 7 AF and with 350 Aviation support it tells me that i can support 16 groups...why?????

I'd really like to have some P38s...but they aren't yet in production so i'll have soon to send my 4Es alone...that sucks
I'm planning to use the 4Es against the bases in the rear, while leaving to the escorted 2Es the task of interdicting his advance...hope it's going to work...


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

Ground combat at Calcutta (52,37)

Japanese Shock attack

Attacking force 39212 troops, 417 guns, 64 vehicles, Assault Value = 1381

Defending force 3714 troops, 38 guns, 6 vehicles, Assault Value = 58

Japanese engineers reduce fortifications to 0

Japanese adjusted assault: 1796

Allied adjusted defense: 17

Japanese assault odds: 105 to 1 (fort level 0)

Japanese forces CAPTURE Calcutta !!!

Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+), forts(+), leaders(+), disruption(-), fatigue(-)
experience(-)
Attacker: shock(+)

Japanese ground losses:
50 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 6 disabled
Non Combat: 1 destroyed, 5 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled


Allied ground losses:
5086 casualties reported
Squads: 88 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 431 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 33 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 42 (42 destroyed, 0 disabled)
Vehicles lost 5 (5 destroyed, 0 disabled)
Units retreated 1
Units destroyed 1


Defeated Allied Units Retreating!

Assaulting units:
33rd Division
56th Engineer Regiment
112th Infantry Regiment
2nd Raiding Regiment
Miura Det
21st Division
4th Ind.Mixed Regiment
48th Engineer Regiment
I./124th Infantry Battalion
55th Engineer Regiment
Yokosuka 1st SNLF
20th Ind. Mtn Gun Battalion
48th Field Artillery Regiment
56th Field Artillery Regiment
3rd Mortar Battalion

Defending units:
Fort William
Eastern Command

[Nemo121]

If I may, it seems that your problem is that you are inexperienced compared to your opponent and are trying to match his strategic nous rather than cutting your cloth to measure.


Right now the simplest of all possible strategies is to huddle up in one place and try to hold out with local supply production + stockpiles. Combine that with a need of your opponent to keep KB in place such that you can raid/ advance in other theatres and you've got the beginnings of a game plan.

It seems to me though that right now you are trying to engage in strategies beyond your current ability level and thus are always behind the curve.

Maybe the question you should ask yourself is, "What is the simplest strategy I can enact which will prove effective?" WHen you answer that then I would suggest that's what you should do.

[GreyJoy]

April 24,25 1942
 
The KB is again moving toward Karachi. A single DD made a sortie trying to attack my ASW ships in front of Karachi. My torpedo swordfishs performed horribly...in 10 they managed to miss the target completely, even if they are all in their 60s for what concerns navalT skills...[:@]
 
The only real note is that the voyages of the Hibiki are temporary over...she ate a fish south of Scoodra from a US class-Gato sub (yes, you are not mistaken...an US sub actually get a hit!!)
 
Still waiting for the turn to come in order to understand better the overall situation

[GreyJoy]

ORIGINAL: Nemo121

If I may, it seems that your problem is that you are inexperienced compared to your opponent and are trying to match his strategic nous rather than cutting your cloth to measure.


Right now the simplest of all possible strategies is to huddle up in one place and try to hold out with local supply production + stockpiles. Combine that with a need of your opponent to keep KB in place such that you can raid/ advance in other theatres and you've got the beginnings of a game plan.

It seems to me though that right now you are trying to engage in strategies beyond your current ability level and thus are always behind the curve.

Maybe the question you should ask yourself is, "What is the simplest strategy I can enact which will prove effective?" WHen you answer that then I would suggest that's what you should do.

Hi nemo! You may, for sure!
And you're terribly right: i do feel and i do am really much more unexperienced than my opponent. Rader is the one who leads the game. I try to follow him, and to stop some of his blows but he's always few steps forward.
However since the beginning i've already learnt a lot. And every day i feel more confortable than the day before.
Think this rapresents quite well the situation the allies faced in RL...

The simple strategy is dig in in India as long as i can and make him bleed to keep the Aden and CT channells closed, thus forcing him to remain committed in India while i grow stronger in the pacific and then try to counterattack there using the same "tactic" he used against me: OVERKILL

[Nemo121]

OK, so by simplifying things down to one simple decision you stick with no matter what you have the potential to remove his greatest advantage, the fact that he is more experienced and can progress through OODA cycles FAR more quickly than you can.

So, where in India? Remember, all decision-making is arrived at simply through a series of questions which, hopefully, get more detail without complicating things.

As I see it your decision boils down to Karachi or Bombay or both... That's a pretty simple, almost-binary situation. Pick one, or both and them commit to it and let him react to you.

Once you've picked we can move on to sorting out whether or not you need air cover. Obviously it would be possible to post a full defensive plan but, since it appears one of your goals in this game is to learn ( and kudos to you for that, it is the first step to improving, which we all have to do ) it would be more helpful to you in the long term to pose the questions and go with your answers so that you learn how to create plans in the future...


One key thing when in a situation like this ( being pushed back ) is to begin planning a defensive line in a position which won't immediately be under enemy pressure. People usually just try to defend too far forward and thus get pushed out of one defensive line after the other, each line being far too close to the front. Hence Bombay/Karachi, they are far enough back that you can rail into them and have enough time to establish a viable defence before he shows up.


One last thing: I would stop sending turns to your opponent over the next day or so until your defensive plan is firmed up. Otherwise you run the danger of making decisions now in-game which crucially impact on any planning.

P.s. It'd be helpful for you to post a picture of the Bombay/Karachi region so as to aid discussion of any defensive positioning there.

[Alfred]

ORIGINAL: GreyJoy

...I'm organizing my indian air force. I still don't get it the thing about the AF limits.
Ok, i have 330 aviation support in Karachi which is level 7 AF...i tried to put there 16 groups for a total of 225 engines...it tells me that i can support only 11 groups ("16 of 11 groups supported" written in red!)...while, at Bombay, which has the same level 7 AF and with 350 Aviation support it tells me that i can support 16 groups...why?????...

That is because you have been given somewhat misleading information.

Read pages 213-214 of the manual.

(A) Aviation Support

Aviation support has nothing to do with the type of overstacking at an AF which bemuses you. If you have less aviation support present than airframes, it impacts on the efficiency of air operations from that AF via:

(a) repair turnaround on damaged airframes
(b) reduces by 25% the number of level bomber aircraft which take off on an offensive mission

Once you have 250 aviation support at an AF, the above inefficiencies no longer apply.

(B) AF Overstacking

There are two kinds of overstacking limits at an AF:

(1) engine
(2) administrative

Overstacking limits are based on the size of the AF. Each AF level allows for:

(i) 50 engines
(ii) 1 air group

No overstacking limits apply to AFs sized 9+. Multiple groups on training count as 1 group only for administration stacking purposes. Air HQs within range also increase the administration limit.

Hence an AF sized 7 allows for active operations for 350 engines and 7 airgroups. This is modified by the presence of Air HQs.

Alfred

[GreyJoy]

Thanks Nemo and thanks a lot Alfred (that info is very usefull and explains lot of things that were unclear. Seems also that the bonus given by the Air HQ is determined both by the hirarcic role of the HQ - if it's a range 5 or a range 1 HQ - and by the preparation - HQ full prepped for the base where it is gives more administration bonus than a non-prepped one).

However....i've come up with a plan!

This weekend we're not going to send each other turns due to RL so i'll have plenty of time to elaborate and expose you my plan for the final defence of India.

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