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

[GreyJoy]

Andy Karachi is a 6-9 base, so i don't think there's any spoilage anymore. I've placed BNs in all the bases not directly threatened by his bombers (i've already seen entire brigades annihilated by 600 bombers and then pushed back by 4 paras units...better to let him have the dot which is close to the LOD with paras and then annihilate its AF with my 4Es i'd say. The rear bases are all guarded anyway.
 
I won't use my armoured units near Dehli for the very same reason. He will simply destroy them with his bombers before advancing. I want to defend under my air umbrella or at least where his bombers will have to be heavy escorted in order to conduct an interdict mission against my troops.
Moreover i don't wanna get my armoured units easily cut off by his advance. I'll use them between Multan and Hyderabad, where my air force will still be a factor.
 
Hopefully when the 9 forts are reached (86% now) supply consumption will be lowered (really hope so)...
 
August 10,11,12,13 1942
 
Nothing happened. The usual 600 enemy fighters on sweep (both from the KB - always parked there- and from Surat). No bombing missions.
Think he's ready to send a bombardment TF to Karachi...planning accordingly[8D]
 
Nothing else to report...200 units are counted on the borders...will be bloody!!!

[jeffk3510]

Are you sending some of your subs with highly aggressive commanders after the KB, in hopes of putting a few fish in one of those CVs?
 
Also-  what is going on in your game, other than India.  Screenshots, updates, lists, etc...

[Canoerebel]

I can't wait to see what happens, but I can't believe he'll cross the LOD after waiting this long.  He's blundering around indecisvely.  He ought to have followed the Stonewall Jackson motto:  "When in doubt, do something."

[GreyJoy]

Sorry for the delay guys but have been rough days at work...
 
So we arrived at the 18th of August 1942
 
Rader has achieved some good results with his airfield bombings in the last week. I kept down my fighters but got mauled twice at Hyderabad and Karachi, losing some 60 frames on the ground (no pilots lost luckly). Flak got useless again...i really don't understand this AA behaviour[:(]
 
However the KB remains parked there, 6 hexes south of Karachi. I'm not sending my subs after her cause she's in shallow waters and my subs get mauled by his planes everytime they get closer than 5 hexes.
 
There have been a couple of naval encounters at Karachi...CL Caledon managed to sink a DD, while i lost another DD which had been badly damaged previously.
 
In order to cover a big supply TF of 15k i sent in Karachi a SCTF composed of 3 CLs and 3DDs... both TFs have been intercepted and attacked and despite i lost only 3 AKs, all my CLs recieved so many bombs on their decks that are now limping back to Aden with some damages (they should be saved anyway).
 
He hasn't crossed yet anyway. Troops keep on massing on the LOD border but till now nothing has happened. I'm pretty sure (intel tells me so) that he's still waiting for the "Manila" army to arrive.
 
In the meanwhile Karachi reached level 9 forts...[:D]
 
In the pacific Jeff, i'm keeping my plans straight. Iwo Jiima and the Gilberts are my targets.
My amphib TFs are loading at PH, while the CVs are moving to attack Marcus and Wake in order to cover my flanks during the upcoming invasions. I want to reduce those islands first, in order to be able to land there and conquest these two outposts before the major landings.
Marcus hasn't been built by the japs so i do not wait any strong opposition. There should only be a base force there (intel tells me so) or probably a naval garrison...however the INF Rgt devoted, supported by 1 tank Bn and one Combat eng Bn should really be enough.

Different thing for Wake...it's a level 3 AF and i bet he has placed Kates and zeros there (one of my subs got spotted by a Kate recently in those waters)...so i'll use the hammer there and will land 2 Marine Rgts, 1 Tank Bn, 1 Combat eng and 2 Artillery units. These little invasions will be supported by 4 BBs, while 4 more BBs will bomb the islands. With no KB around i'm pretty sure things should be easy in this first phase.
 
Then, when we'll have attracted his attention here (i'm pretty sure he'll send back his naval and air forces from the Marshalls to the Mariannas, we'll land at Tarawa, Abenama and Makin. We'll have to wait to have my 6 CVs back but i'm pretty confident that, with all those airplanes devoted in India (i'm counting something like 2100 enemy a/c in india) he won't have much more than a couple of zero Daitais for the whole region, it won't be difficoult for my 6CVs to cover the invasion.
 
As soon as these first two objectives will be obtained, we'll regroup, refuel and we'll start the major Iwo Jiima operation.
 
Tomorrow i'll try to describe in detail the 3 connected operations...
 
 

[Nemo121]

however the INF Rgt devoted, supported by 1 tank Bn and one Combat eng Bn should really be enough.

I take it this is your first stab at an amphibious invasion, yes?

[GreyJoy]

You mean my first attempt? Yes, cause we aborted the previous amphibious operation in the Gilberts due to the stiff opposition we found (we had only 4 CVs and the fast transports didn't go that well...
 
I forgot to mention that i'm also trying to exploit the only dot-base Rader has left unconquered in the New Hebridies. It's a little atoll between Noumea and Efate and was still "green"...so few months ago i sent in couple of small TFs with a base force (little) and a seabees unit. The unloading operations took forever but finally we managed to get the troops in place. Now, they managed to build the base at 0(0) 1(5) and so we flew in from Suva a catalina group. It seems that efate is empty too...we'll try to send a base force and an engeneer unit here too in order to get a a better "visual" on the Solomons.
 
I'm also thinking about how to make Darwin operational again. Think i'll start asap to build the bases in the northwest of Oz in order, slowly but steady (like in the Aleutinas) to create a chain of bases that can be supported by air, in order to arrive at Darwin with a decent air cover within the next 2/3 months (air cover which is badly needed if i want to send a supply TF there and open the base again for future operations).

[GreyJoy]

August 19, 20 1942

INDIA:

Rader sent again his sweeps and bombers against Karachi. We tried to oppose a more "detailed" resistance this time, putting what was left of the P-38Es group at 30k and the aircobras very low at 5k, trying to attract the zeros low in order to get a constant dive on them. The result was discouraging. 17 a/c lost for me and only 20 for him...think sheer numbers here made the difference. He attacked me with 300 fighters...tough to defend with less than 50...
The KB moved back to Bombay area in order to refuel. This doesn't change much the situation cause now Rader has an almost complete control of the skies in India even without the mighty KB.
The good news is that Andy Mac was right...once Karachi reached the lvl 9 forts the supply consumption has really dropped![:)]
In the stack at 44,19 there must have arrived a large portion of his AA...3 of my recon planes got mauled by the flak at 20k flying over there... He should be ready to cross i guess...he has plenty of troops to do anything he wants now...think it's a matter of days now...

PACIFIC:

We attacked Marcus is. as planned. To my surprise Marcus, even if not built (AF 1 and Port 1) is full of troops...5 units counted for 10500 men...[X(] Where does Rader find all those men with all those troops in India remains a mistery to me...
However our attack annihilated the facilities, closing the AF where 18 kates and 7 mavies have been torched on the ground....Kates! That mean that Rader is sending his LBA to interdict my operations...we'll pay another visit tomorrow in order to close the AF once for all and at the same time to attack the ground troops to see what he really has there
10 subs (at least) immediately appeared near Marcus...they must have been ready somehwere in the Marianas...have to pay attention now.
The Marcus and Wake invasion TFs moved from PH and will position N-E of wake...waiting for the CVs to finish their job.

In Sopac something strange happened. Erromango (the dot-base i was talking about) garrison managed to occupy automatically an empty Efate. We're now sending in from Suva a base force and a seebeas unit. If the New Hebridies are not-occupied by the japs i'm willing to take advantage of this and estabilish a new perimeter with catalinas and submarine installations.

[GreyJoy]

Now i badly need to know what composes those 10500 troops at Marcus. If they are combat units (but my recon could also be mistaken) i'd probably need to send some reinforcements for the first wave. The fact is that i don't have any other unit which is 100% prepped...but i think i'll have to confide on overwhelming numbers in order to bypass this problem (as nemo suggested long time ago talking about Iwo). I'll use those two regiments that are now guarding Big Island...

Don't you find pretty strange that Rader overcommitts so much at Marcus?? I mean...it's small base, with no chance of becoming a major naval or air base...it's almost just an out-post for subs or naval air search... I believe my recon, as many times happens, is mistaken...oh, better, i WANT to believe it's mistaken.

However it feels so good to finally be able to hit a place with all those carrier based planes[:D][:D][:D]

[Miller]

Bear in mind the Japs get a lot of Naval Guard units with an assault value of 60, which many players use to garrison the smaller cenpac islands. When taking into account troop limits on the smaller bases the presence of even just one of these units plus a support BF unit (usually about 10 AV) can make for a very hard struggle to capture.

[USSAmerica]

ORIGINAL: GreyJoy

ORIGINAL: jeffk3510

Also- have you sorted out and KEPT all of your APs that can convert to APAs?  That is a must.

Done, even if i was planning to use them during the Marshalls invasion due to their Superb unload ratio... think i'll use them in the Bonins too...i know they're usefull but i need to be ashore fast!

What's the easiest way for me to be able to find all the ships that can be converted to APAs? Is there any way other than going through ship by ship?

[GreyJoy]

ORIGINAL: USS America

ORIGINAL: GreyJoy

ORIGINAL: jeffk3510

Also- have you sorted out and KEPT all of your APs that can convert to APAs?  That is a must.

Done, even if i was planning to use them during the Marshalls invasion due to their Superb unload ratio... think i'll use them in the Bonins too...i know they're usefull but i need to be ashore fast!

What's the easiest way for me to be able to find all the ships that can be converted to APAs? Is there any way other than going through ship by ship?

As far as i know all the APs (not xAPs) can convert from 1943 to APAs

[GreyJoy]

ORIGINAL: Miller

Bear in mind the Japs get a lot of Naval Guard units with an assault value of 60, which many players use to garrison the smaller cenpac islands. When taking into account troop limits on the smaller bases the presence of even just one of these units plus a support BF unit (usually about 10 AV) can make for a very hard struggle to capture.

But considering how many (even of those naval guards units) troops he has brought to Japan and how many bases he has to guard in the pacific...well...those numbers seem odd to me.
However tomorrow we'll know better when we'll bomb the ground troops...

[USSAmerica]

Thanks, GreyJoy! 

I'm enjoying your AAR very much and eagerly awaiting the Decision in India.

[GreyJoy]

I made some calculations: Marcus could host only 6000 men. So it's pretty sure that my recon was mistaken in giving 10500 men. I've experiemented what means to have 9000 men on Canton Island (which has the same limitation as Marcus)...you simply run out of supply within a couple of weeks. So there must be for sure 4500 men less on that island...

For whatc concerns India the supply situation, despite the heavy bombings of the last weeks, has remained more or less good. The daily arrival of 3000 supplies, even with some losses due to the KB or SCTF, seems to be enough to guarantee that the base with no forts building, can remain supplied. And that's a very good news.

[GreyJoy]

ORIGINAL: USS America

Thanks, GreyJoy! 

I'm enjoying your AAR very much and eagerly awaiting the Decision in India.

Thanks mate!

I'm waiting for the MOMENT too...i really think it's now just a matter of days...Rader has massed so many assets there that he must be ready to cross!!

I was thinking the other day...: it's strange that Rader didn't try to conquest Chungking which had no supplies, forts lvl 6 and just 4500 AVs (chinese av!!), while now he wants to get Karachi which is, by far, a more difficult target. In China he had so many divisions that he could easily siege and take Chungking...but he did not...and now there are 9500 AVs there (respawn!)...

I'm eager to see how my spitfire force will be able to fight against those terrible odds...if we manage to put up 200 good fighters with pilots well above 70/50 i think we can attritt him enough to contest, at least in the short run, the dominion of the skies.

[JohnDillworth]

I made some calculations: Marcus could host only 6000 men. So it's pretty sure that my recon was mistaken in giving 10500 men. I've experiemented what means to have 9000 men on Canton Island (which has the same limitation as Marcus)...you simply run out of supply within a couple of weeks. So there must be for sure 4500 men less on that island...

I have it in my games as the allies and I had about 7,500 men there. It's possible, but you burn through supplies at a tremendous rate. I am trying to pick some guys up, but the nearby Betty's are killing me. Kind of a catch 22. I'm trying to send ships to pick up men and they get trashed, and I'm trying to slip in supply AKL's and they get trashed. So I might have to send up a carrier task force to pick up some men. No so sure it's worth it so far to hold this particular piece of real estate

[GreyJoy]

August 22,23 1942

We bombed the hell out of Marcus again...he had more than i feared...
we counted:

The 28th Engineer Regiment ...
The 2nd Engineer Regiment ...
the 71st Engineer Regiment...
the 205th JAAF AF Bn ...
The 85th Naval Guard Unit ...

All those combat engeneers must have brought the forts to a very high level!
I gotta say that again i feel outplayed by my opponent. Every plan i take it seems he has already foreseen it long before i even dare to think about it as a possibility... Now we'll try to bomb Wake and see what he has there...but if these are the levels of his defences...what would i need to take them!? A RCT is not enough for sure...i'd need at least a full division if he has 6 forts as i fear...and a full division for Marcus is not well utilized imho...Marcus was meant to be just a "side-show"...
Ok, let's be flexible. Let's take a look at Wake and see if we can land there without that much opposition...he cannot have engeneers everywhere (i'm sure he has lots of them at Timor and in the Banda Sea).

...Rader however was really smart. He didn't build those bases so he made me believe he wasn't defending them...and i ate the bait like a dumb fish[:(]

Now my CVs are sorrounded by subs...the sprung out of nothing within a couple of turns and now are menacing my CVs...have to pay attention...i detached 2 dedicated ASW TFs...let's hope they will be enough.

My Amph TFs are getting close to Midway right now, while at Christmas the Gilbert Invasion fleet is assembling.

In Sopac we are almost ready to land with the seabees at Efate. We'll soon recon Lungaville to see what he has there...if that island is empty like the other ones we'll occupy it asap.

In India everything is calm. The usual Karachi bombings but again we managed to unload 5200 supplies this turn...not bad. Now 70 units are massing at 44,19 and among them, intel tells me, there are AA units...yes, Rader is ready now. I'm sure of that

[SoliInvictus202]

the problem is that some islands have a certain maximum of stationed men there... let' say it's 6000 - if he already has more than 6000 there it's VERY costly to dislodge him....borderline impossible...- a division employed there might only mean more losses than with a regiment if you forget about a few fundamental things...

you'll need a huge amount of supplies, as lots is spoiled (if any is even unloaded, as there might not be enough space for supplies)
you'll need many Bombardment TFs to ensure that your guys actually have space on the beach
you'll need constant air raids to further diminish the defenders...

and so on... I'm sure I left out a few things...

EDIT: to deal with subs, and with KB well out of sight you might wanna consider putting some of your SBD-Squads on ASW duty as well!

[witpqs]

One thing is - are those all combat engineer units or just builders? I don't know the Imperial OOB well enough to be certain myself.

It might not be an ambush. It might simply be that he realizes that he can not defend that area as robustly because he has such a heavy commitment so far away. Therefore, he decided to max out the forts - IIRC that will be "6" both at Marcus and Wake - before building any base facilities. The subs are certainly an appropriate defensive force to try and extract a price for Allied forays into the area.

I don't know what you've read about planning amphibious ops in this game, but SoliInvictus is pointing you in the right direction about the difficulty. They can certainly be dislodged without a full division, but the point is that it's tough. This game needs to be learned in bites, and one thing you should take a taste of now is the strength of different squad types as shown in Tracker. Go to Devices, then set the filters to "Allies" and "Squads" and "Ingore 9999 Arrival" (or whatever exactly that last one says. Then, sort the display by the name column. Now, you are going to be mostly interested in the values for "Anti-Hard" and "Anti-Soft" for the different squad types. Notice the values for the different upgrades of the USMC and USA (that's US Army not USA) squads. The squads for them get far more powerful as they upgrade. You can also change the filter to "Japan" to see what firepower the enemy squads have. The long and short of it is that in addition to all the other things, you want to use units with the most upgraded and powerful squads available when you do amphibious invasions.

This is just one more 'taste', hope it helps.

EDIT: I wrote "Anti-Hard" but the term used is actually "Anti-Armor".

[Blackhorse]

ORIGINAL: GreyJoy

...Rader however was really smart. He didn't build those bases so he made me believe he wasn't defending them...and i ate the bait like a dumb fish[:(]

Don't overthink your operation. It is unlikely that your opponent would bury three of his precious combat engineer regiments on an unbuilt atoll, fortify it, and leave it unbuilt as bait, while the engineers -- whose service is in demand all over the map-- twiddle their thumbs, on the off-chance that you might someday strike with just enough force to be repulsed.

one of those regiments were bought out from Manchuko. Another arrived as a reinforcement a few months ago. Perhaps he is finally getting around to building up his bases in the area. Maybe his style is to build up forts first, or maybe the regiments have only recently arrived.

Each of the engineers has 48 squads, as does the Naval garrison. If that's all he has on the atoll (and he can't have much more, together those units total 5000+ men) then you are looking at 200-250 AV. His engineers have comparable firepower (slightly more) than a 42 US Army squad. His anti-armor capability can probably handle M2A4s, but is weak against M3 Stuarts or anything larger. If your force is inadequate to take them out, then by all means be flexible, see if Wake is easier, and encourage him to keep as many combat engineers as possible on Marcus.