AE Tourney II/Chickenboy PROHIBITED!!!/If you are Penelope Cruz my number is 714 287-4297

[witpqs]

I think they go in amphibious TF and they help suppress the defensive fire.

[Cap Mandrake]

***********************May 28, 1944**********************

The Southern Carrier Strike Group has nearly reached Eniwetok for refueling. The area waters are infested with at least 3 Jab subs. I reconned Wake just to make sure Chicknboy doesn't sneak some bombers in there. There are no aviation support troops at Wake and not much supply either so it does not seem like a productive move. Even so, 3 squadrons of B-24's from the Marshalls will hit Wake today. It appears he did not try to move any shipping from Truk so I will proably bypass Truk and escort the fast transport taffy to Uhiliti.

A US sub put a torp into the biggest ship the Japs have so far, CL Oi...oy vey! She may or may not have sunk. This is my best estimate. I think Chicknboy is trying to get in some AK's from Pelileu with troops or supplies (there is a whole Jap division at Pelileu that is probably not needed to defend the atoll). The Western approaches to the Marianas are swarming with US subs.

The Northern Carrier Strike Group is 2 days out from Saipan.

[Cap Mandrake]

*********************May 30, 1944***********************

There are bombers spotted at Guam. These are probably Judys but could be Bettys so I ordered the Northern Carrier Group to slow down to cover the 21kt BB bombardment group. The BB's will likely hit either Guam or Saipan (or both) depending on which has the larger air complement.

The Southern Strike Group flew sweep missions over Truk but the LYB's refused to come out and play. The sole bomber group at Truk has been moved so I am going to bypass Truk airfield and move NW, to bring all 4 fast carrier taffys to bear in the Marianas.

I expect to send the 21kt BB's to Eniwetok to rearm.....anyone know if this will work?

Also, does anyone know here the Jap carriers show up in Marianas scenario? I supppose I could check the Editor but I would need to switch comps.

[Canoerebel]

Aren't you playing both sides? Can't you just check your mirror game as Japan to find out what shows up when and where? [&:]

[Cap Mandrake]

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

Aren't you playing both sides? Can't you just check your mirror game as Japan to find out what shows up when and where? [&:]

Yes, the carriers and BB's arrive already formed into task forces on turn 17....but it doesnt say WHERE they arrive.

[Canoerebel]

Oh, I see. Bullwinkle is the only person I know who has played the Mariannas Scenario. You might shoot him a PM.

[Cap Mandrake]

The curtain is almost up. The amphibious group is 3 days out from Pagan. Time to break something. I decided to hit both Guam and Tinian airfields simultaneously. Saipan is under a heavy thunderstorm and appears to have no bombers. I calculated that the prewar BB's will be able to rearm at Eniwetok but not the big boys, I therefore decided to preserve the ammo on the fast BB's. The prewar BB's could not reach Tinian or Saipan by daybreak so they will stay with the Northern Strike group and attack the airfield with the greatest need on June 1 (probably Saipan).

In the mirror game a massive Allied Death Star crushed Truk. Losses were about 18 Zeroes to 13 Allied (mostly bombers losses from flak). Unfortunately, about 1100 wee Jap dobbers are aboard a 10 kt AK halfway between Truk and Guam. Oops.

[Cap Mandrake]

Wow..that was remarkably successful. Naturally, not everything goes according to plan, but overall, things are looking good. The two strike groups failed to unite in one hex (they ended up one hex apart) so the strike packages against Guam weren't well coordinated but it didn't matter as there was no CAP at either Tinian or Guam. There was heavy rain over Tinian but the raids were still quite effective there. Tinian shows 63% runway damage. Guam recons in the high 40's runway damage. 30 aircraft were destroyed on the ground, including some Bettys at Guam.

Chicken seems to have concentrated aircraft at Guam...110 fighters and 60 bombers. I'm not sure I believe this but Guam is going to get more attention. I tasked a 3 BB bombardment force to hit Guam in the morning, along with a sweep by USN Corsairs and all the strike aircraft from 4 CV's and 4 CVL's. He has apparently denuded Saipan of aircraft (perhaps anticipating a bombardment/landing there). Saipan will get the attention of 1 BB in a daylight bombardment.

The amphibious group made good progress so they will steam in at full speed and try for a landing after daybreak on the 2nd. They will be covered by 3 CV's, 4 CVL's and 4 CVE's standing off one hex. About 2/3 of the strike aircraft off Pagan will attack Jap ground concentrations and 1/3 the port to try to get supply hits. Recon is still poor at Pagan. I havent visited with the dedicated recon aircraft from Eniwetok in several days. There are aircraft at Pagan but there is no air HQ so there won't be any Bettys or torpedo bombers. I am trying to save the runway so there will be no attack on the field...just a Corsair sweep.

[Cap Mandrake]

********************D Day, June 1/2, 1942*************

On balance a good day. The landings went very well. A couple of platoons on a USN Port Coy. arrived at Pagan before dawn. About half of them sprained their ankles or foolishly ate some bad shellfish but the rest were OK. The main amphibious group arrived late in the day but they disembarked with little difficulty. About 2/3 of the troops are ashore already in good order but the infantry units have about 40% fatigue from the long trip (and playing craps and a Parchisi marathon on board the night before). Hundreds of sorties were flown by TBF's and dive bombers against the troops on Pagan with only moderate success.

Chicken had moved Judys to Iwo Jima and they and some Nells (also from Iwo) attacked the carriers standing off Pagan with a large fighter escort from both Pagan and Iwo. The Judy attack had 55 Zeroes in escort. They were met eventually with met 180+ F6F's and F4F's. It was a "Marianas Turkey Shoot". Not one bomber even made it to the pickett screen. The Nells came in later with about 35 Zeroes and were slaughtered too. Overall, about 88 Jap planes were lost to 2-3 operational losses for the USN. The USN Corsairs with the northern carriers did not particiapte as they were sweeping over Pagan fruitlessly.

In the South, the airfield raids on Guam went well, driving runway damage up to 80% but Chicken had evacuated the field so only two planes were destroyed on the ground. The small surface group sent to Guam suffered two mine hits on DD's (which will survive) and encountered 3 annoying "groups" of patrol boats in singlets and couplets as well as a nest of fleet subs and minisubs. In the event, the CO of the bombardment group for Guam called off the attack or they stopped for cucumber sandwiches or something...even though they had only 160 miles to target at the start of the night. [:@]

At Saipan, the ASW groups and surface groups got distracted by Jap subs on the run in so the bombardment groups arrived first and engaged in a BB vs PB duel at 30,000 yds in daylight, again failing to bombard it's target. [:@] Still, it might have been worse as the BB (New Mexico I think) was hit by a dud torpedo from an I boat on the way in.

[rtrapasso]

(somehow, this AAR is a couple of days behind your opponent's AAR)[:(]

[Cap Mandrake]

ORIGINAL: rtrapasso



(somehow, this AAR is a couple of days behind your opponent's AAR)[:(]

You know, you probably got a virus donwloading that cool cactus GIF. [:)]

************June 2/3***************

The BB's finally got through to Saipan. I sent a fast MSW group to Saipan, they arrived before the BB's and all 3 MSW's were sunk by shore guns. A DD also took a mine hit at Saipan but will survive. USS Boston got hit by a sub torp 300 mi N of Wake and will have to go back to port. Perahps 1 Jap fleet sub sank and 2 minisubs.


**************June 3/4*****************

An air attack with TBF's from the Northern Group shut down Saipan airfield reliably and the dive bombers concentrated on the ground troops at Pagan. More AK's arrived. The first attack went in at Pagan at 3:1 and took down one level of fort. We attack again tomorrow. The whole point of the early attack on Pagan was to get the airfield operational before the Jap carriers arrive (about June 8). Lots of ASW action. Two Jap fleet subs were forced to surface and holed by gunfire. Several more got their teeth rattled. I am going to send the Large Slow Targets with the Shermans bound for Pagan toward Eniwetok. It looks like I wont need them for Pagan and I cant clear the LST's in time.

Recon showed a big concentration of aircraft at Truk, which threatens the return route to Eniwetok so I sent the Southern Carrier Force to attack. I attacked from 240 mi out. Chicken had zero CAP so my Corsairs sweep was wasted. Our strikes passed each other on the way so the airfield was mostly empty. Counting afternoon strikes, the airfield damage now recons at 64%.

His attack had 115 Zeroes, 16 Bettys and 4 Jills. In the event my CAP was insufficient (65 F6F's and F4F's vs 70 as escort and on sweep over Truk). The CAP did very well but did not get to the bombers. The flak was brutal, I saw only two weapon releases, but one was a torp that hit Hornet (Essex short hull). She has 34 flotation and 17 system with no fire but something broke (list maybe) and she was unable to recover aircraft. It looks like about half her complement either ditched or was pushed overboard after emergency landings to make room. Uggh.


Hornet with one CVL for escort will head back to Pearl. I am inclined to attack again at Truk today to go after damaged aircraft.

[Cap Mandrake]

This isn't the way to win. Still, short of sinking of Hornet from subs or something, this is not a class I disaster.

[Fishbed]

34 sys +17 flt = 51 dam. No luck bro...

[Cap Mandrake]

ORIGINAL: Fishbed

34 sys +17 flt = 51 dam. No luck bro...

True. It is even worse than that. It turns out the first Jap Home Fleet boys arrive not on turn 17, but precisely on June 4 NW of palau and at least two of the carriers arrive with ZERO fuel.

*Edited: It turns out I had the arrival date set on 20% random....doh!

[Cap Mandrake]

I am at work so I can't test it out but these are the three solutions to the upcoming poach upon the arriving Jap ships in the mirror game:

1) Cry and moan in a decidedly unmanly fashion, asking for a house rule to at least allow the arriving carriers to resdistribute fuel before the showdown (allowing that the scenario designer did not really anticipate that a 25 ship task force with every ship left in Japan would arrive right next to an USN Death Star with zero fuel). For example, the USN carriers could pull back at least 12 hexes from the arrival hex, bomb a Jap airfield if they wish and then move in for the kill on the 5th.

2) Form the carriers with zero fuel into a small taffy, try to refuel at sea with "minimal refuel" and then see if they can be moved. (I doubt this work...most likely I would just get more ships stuck in the nuclear test zone)

3) Abandon the three carriers without fuel and fly off their air groups and move the mobile ships closer to the Palau airifields. This might work. The AI might get so excited about the three carriers that it sends off a 300 plane strike, ignoring the other ships unitl the afternoon. My guess, however, is the USN carriers will move beyond strike range of Palau and crush the bait carriers with no return strike from the IJN.


Uggh.

[Cap Mandrake]

I decided I may have screwed up and had the arrival setting on "random" causing the IJN carries to show up early. I think we can fix it with some house rules. Working on it now.

[rtrapasso]

[rtrapasso]

[rtrapasso]

[rtrapasso]