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

[GreyJoy]

A shot of one of the numerous missions flown over Karachi today

[GreyJoy]

And this is the following (PM) naval attack that got my cruisers...

[GreyJoy]

Morning Air attack on Karachi , at 40,8
 
Weather in hex: Thunderstorms
 
Raid detected at 228 NM, estimated altitude 36,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 68 minutes
 
Japanese aircraft
      A6M3a Zero x 45
 
 
 
Allied aircraft
      Fulmar II x 8
      Sea Hurricane Ib x 7
      Martlet II x 9
      Hurricane I Trop x 12
      Hurricane IIa Trop x 25
      Hurricane IIb Trop x 12
      Hurricane IIc Trop x 31
      Spitfire VIII x 25
      Kittyhawk IA x 8
      P-38E Lightning x 7
      P-38F Lightning x 38
      P-39D Airacobra x 32
      P-40E Warhawk x 14
      P-40K Warhawk x 42
 
 
Japanese aircraft losses
      A6M3a Zero: 1 destroyed
 
Allied aircraft losses
      Spitfire VIII: 1 destroyed
      P-40E Warhawk: 1 destroyed
      P-40K Warhawk: 1 destroyed
 
 
 
Aircraft Attacking:
      31 x A6M3a Zero sweeping at 31000 feet
 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Morning Air attack on Karachi , at 40,8
 
Weather in hex: Thunderstorms
 
Raid detected at 231 NM, estimated altitude 33,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 63 minutes
 
Japanese aircraft
      Ki-44-IIa Tojo x 186
 
 
 
Allied aircraft
      Fulmar II x 8
      Sea Hurricane Ib x 7
      Martlet II x 8
      Hurricane I Trop x 12
      Hurricane IIa Trop x 24
      Hurricane IIb Trop x 12
      Hurricane IIc Trop x 31
      Spitfire VIII x 23
      Kittyhawk IA x 8
      P-38E Lightning x 7
      P-38F Lightning x 35
      P-39D Airacobra x 31
      P-40E Warhawk x 12
      P-40K Warhawk x 33
 
 
No Japanese losses
 
Allied aircraft losses
      Kittyhawk IA: 1 destroyed
      P-38F Lightning: 2 destroyed
      P-39D Airacobra: 3 destroyed
      P-40K Warhawk: 1 destroyed
 
 
 
Aircraft Attacking:
      42 x Ki-44-IIa Tojo sweeping at 31000 feet *
      35 x Ki-44-IIa Tojo sweeping at 31000 feet *
      30 x Ki-44-IIa Tojo sweeping at 31000 feet *
      10 x Ki-44-IIa Tojo sweeping at 31000 feet *
      32 x Ki-44-IIa Tojo sweeping at 31000 feet *
      28 x Ki-44-IIa Tojo sweeping at 31000 feet * 
 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Morning Air attack on Karachi , at 40,8
 
Weather in hex: Thunderstorms
 
Raid detected at 189 NM, estimated altitude 20,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 60 minutes
 
Japanese aircraft
      Ki-21-IIa Sally x 84
      Ki-43-Ic Oscar x 55
      Ki-43-IIa Oscar x 57
      Ki-49-IIa Helen x 241
 
 
 
Allied aircraft
      Fulmar II x 7
      Sea Hurricane Ib x 6
      Martlet II x 8
      Hurricane I Trop x 12
      Hurricane IIa Trop x 23
      Hurricane IIb Trop x 12
      Hurricane IIc Trop x 30
      Spitfire VIII x 21
      Kittyhawk IA x 7
      P-38E Lightning x 7
      P-38F Lightning x 27
      P-39D Airacobra x 26
      P-40E Warhawk x 9
      P-40K Warhawk x 27
 
 
Japanese aircraft losses
      Ki-21-IIa Sally: 13 destroyed, 11 damaged
      Ki-43-Ic Oscar: 1 destroyed
      Ki-43-IIa Oscar: 2 destroyed
      Ki-49-IIa Helen: 38 destroyed, 48 damaged
      Ki-49-IIa Helen: 1 destroyed by flak
 
Allied aircraft losses
      P-38E Lightning: 1 damaged
      P-38E Lightning: 1 destroyed on ground
      P-40E Warhawk: 1 destroyed
      C-47 Skytrain: 1 destroyed on ground
      Vengeance I: 1 destroyed on ground
 
 
 
Airbase hits 5
Airbase supply hits 2
Runway hits 5
 
Aircraft Attacking:
 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Morning Air attack on Karachi , at 40,8
 
Weather in hex: Thunderstorms
 
Raid detected at 189 NM, estimated altitude 25,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 60 minutes
 
Japanese aircraft
      Ki-43-Ic Oscar x 27
      Ki-49-IIa Helen x 67
 
 
 
Allied aircraft
      Fulmar II x 6
      Sea Hurricane Ib x 5
      Martlet II x 7
      Hurricane I Trop x 11
      Hurricane IIa Trop x 19
      Hurricane IIb Trop x 12
      Hurricane IIc Trop x 26
      Spitfire VIII x 17
      Kittyhawk IA x 7
      P-38E Lightning x 5
      P-38F Lightning x 24
      P-39D Airacobra x 22
      P-40E Warhawk x 5
      P-40K Warhawk x 23
 
 
Japanese aircraft losses
      Ki-43-Ic Oscar: 6 destroyed
      Ki-49-IIa Helen: 31 destroyed, 6 damaged
      Ki-49-IIa Helen: 2 destroyed by flak
 
Allied aircraft losses
      Hurricane I Trop: 1 destroyed
      Kittyhawk IA: 1 destroyed
 
 
 
Aircraft Attacking:
       5 x Ki-49-IIa Helen bombing from 20000 feet
               Airfield Attack:  4 x 250 kg GP Bomb
       4 x Ki-49-IIa Helen bombing from 20000 feet
               Airfield Attack:  4 x 250 kg GP Bomb
 
 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Morning Air attack on Karachi , at 40,8
 
Weather in hex: Thunderstorms
 
Raid detected at 163 NM, estimated altitude 24,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 45 minutes
 
Japanese aircraft
      Ki-44-IIa Tojo x 29
 
 
 
Allied aircraft
      Fulmar II x 5
      Sea Hurricane Ib x 5
      Martlet II x 3
      Hurricane I Trop x 10
      Hurricane IIa Trop x 14
      Hurricane IIb Trop x 11
      Hurricane IIc Trop x 20
      Spitfire VIII x 12
      Kittyhawk IA x 4
      P-38E Lightning x 2
      P-38F Lightning x 17
      P-39D Airacobra x 15
      P-40E Warhawk x 4
      P-40K Warhawk x 13
 
 
Japanese aircraft losses
      Ki-44-IIa Tojo: 2 destroyed
 
Allied aircraft losses
      Hurricane IIc Trop: 1 destroyed
      P-40K Warhawk: 1 destroyed
 
 
 
Aircraft Attacking:
      19 x Ki-44-IIa Tojo sweeping at 31000 feet * 
 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Morning Air attack on Karachi , at 40,8
 
Weather in hex: Thunderstorms
 
Raid detected at 189 NM, estimated altitude 22,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 60 minutes
 
Japanese aircraft
      Ki-43-Ic Oscar x 18
      Ki-49-IIa Helen x 27
 
 
 
Allied aircraft
      Fulmar II x 5
      Sea Hurricane Ib x 5
      Martlet II x 3
      Hurricane I Trop x 7
      Hurricane IIa Trop x 13
      Hurricane IIb Trop x 10
      Hurricane IIc Trop x 14
      Spitfire VIII x 12
      Kittyhawk IA x 4
      P-38E Lightning x 2
      P-38F Lightning x 14
      P-39D Airacobra x 13
      P-40E Warhawk x 1
      P-40K Warhawk x 9
 
 
Japanese aircraft losses
      Ki-43-Ic Oscar: 3 destroyed
      Ki-49-IIa Helen: 14 destroyed
 
Allied aircraft losses
      Hurricane I Trop: 1 destroyed
 
 
 
 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Morning Air attack on Karachi , at 40,8
 
Weather in hex: Thunderstorms
 
Raid detected at 231 NM, estimated altitude 34,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 69 minutes
 
Japanese aircraft
      A6M3a Zero x 17
 
 
 
Allied aircraft
      Fulmar II x 3
      Sea Hurricane Ib x 3
      Martlet II x 3
      Hurricane I Trop x 6
      Hurricane IIa Trop x 11
      Hurricane IIb Trop x 9
      Hurricane IIc Trop x 9
      Spitfire VIII x 6
      Kittyhawk IA x 4
      P-38E Lightning x 2
      P-38F Lightning x 10
      P-39D Airacobra x 11
      P-40E Warhawk x 1
      P-40K Warhawk x 8
 
 
Japanese aircraft losses
      A6M3a Zero: 1 destroyed
 
Allied aircraft losses
      Martlet II: 1 destroyed
      Hurricane IIa Trop: 1 destroyed
      Hurricane IIb Trop: 1 destroyed
 
 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Karachi at 40,8
 
Weather in hex: Light rain
 
Raid detected at 165 NM, estimated altitude 18,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 65 minutes
 
Japanese aircraft
      A6M2 Zero x 41
      A6M3a Zero x 50
      G3M2 Nell x 57
      G4M1 Betty x 67
      Ki-43-Ic Oscar x 28
      Ki-43-IIa Oscar x 37
 
 
 
Allied aircraft
      Fulmar II x 2
      Sea Hurricane Ib x 2
      Martlet II x 2
      Hurricane I Trop x 4
      Hurricane IIa Trop x 6
      Hurricane IIb Trop x 4
      Hurricane IIc Trop x 7
      Spitfire VIII x 5
      Kittyhawk IA x 2
      P-38E Lightning x 3
      P-38F Lightning x 8
      P-39D Airacobra x 8
      P-40E Warhawk x 2
      P-40K Warhawk x 5
 
 
Japanese aircraft losses
      A6M2 Zero: 1 destroyed
      A6M3a Zero: 2 destroyed
      G3M2 Nell: 3 destroyed, 6 damaged
      G4M1 Betty: 1 destroyed, 12 damaged
      Ki-43-Ic Oscar: 1 destroyed
      Ki-43-IIa Oscar: 2 destroyed
 
Allied aircraft losses
      Fulmar II: 1 destroyed
      Hurricane IIb Trop: 1 destroyed
      Kittyhawk IA: 1 destroyed
 
Allied Ships
      CA Cornwall, Torpedo hits 1,  on fire
      CL Ceres
      CL Durban, Torpedo hits 2,  on fire,  heavy damage
      CL Danae
      CL Hobart, Torpedo hits 1,  on fire,  heavy damage
      DD Norman
      DD Griffin
 
 
 
Aircraft Attacking:
      25 x G3M2 Nell launching torpedoes at 200 feet
               Naval Attack:  1 x 18in Type 91 Torpedo
      27 x G3M2 Nell launching torpedoes at 200 feet
               Naval Attack:  1 x 18in Type 91 Torpedo
      43 x G4M1 Betty launching torpedoes at 200 feet
               Naval Attack:  1 x 18in Type 91 Torpedo
      23 x G4M1 Betty launching torpedoes at 200 feet
               Naval Attack:  1 x 18in Type 91 Torpedo

[wpurdom]

With all your kills, I'm wondering what sort of stats you're getting on your fighter pilots now. Care to show your pilots on your best squadron?

[GreyJoy]

ORIGINAL: wpurdom

With all your kills, I'm wondering what sort of stats you're getting on your fighter pilots now. Care to show your pilots on your best squadron?

Well, difficult to answer cause i'm rotating my pilots a lot in and out to preserve the best ones...

However this is actually the best british squadron. Its stats started to went so well when it was equipped with Spits...before it was a Hurri MkIIb squadron...

[GreyJoy]

And this is the best US group...the first one who got equipped with the excellent P-38Es...now waiting to be equipped with the brand new P-38G

[Canoerebel]

So, now rader is not only biting his nails to the quick and tearing out his armpit hairs, he's resorted to tweezing his nostrils and waxing his chest.  The guy is hurting.

[jeffk3510]

You forgot nipple hair...

[GreyJoy]

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

So, now rader is not only biting his nails to the quick and tearing out his armpit hairs, he's resorted to tweezing his nostrils and waxing his chest.  The guy is hurting.

It doesn't seem so. In a recent email he told me he's sure to win the air campaign, even if the costs are high. And i'm pretty sure he will in the long run....we all know i cannot sustain these losses far more...

I decided to retire both the Martlets and the Buffalos from the air battles...they'll be used for training british pilots (that i desperately need!)... Especially the Martlets are pure CRAP! Even with good pilots and excellent leaders these planes go down like flies...the group i'm using has 5 enemies in the bag for 25 planes lost to A2A...[:-]

[GreyJoy]

October 11,12 1942
 
A bad day over Karachi. Rader managed to send again 600 fighters on sweep. The Tojos really ruled the skies today. My guys were too fatigued and they were outnumbered 4-1 to say the least...96 losses for me...80 for Rader...
 
...it's getting worse...
 
His bombers dedicated themself in reducing Multan again...
 
Now i'm scraping the bottom of the barrell for what concerns planes...will have to rely on what is left of my spits pool and start to pray.
 
We'll try our hail mary move tomorrow. All my fighters will rest and move to Hyderabad (he hasn't attacked the base for weeks now...hopefully he won't decide to shift his target right tomorrow!!...and 110 of my 4Es plus 32 Wellingtons will attack Jodpur at 10k. I know the flak...i know the CAP...i know everything...but i wanna try to get him with his pants down somehow!...it it goes bad...oh well...it could not go worse than what it is right now...so...ATTACK!!!!)
 
At Lunga...no japanese reaction yet...we keep on reinforcing it and Tulagi...hopefully when he'll decide to counterattack we'll already be too strong to be pushed back...fingers crossed!!
 
 
Very tired now...tomorrow we'll be decisive!
 
Night gents

[SoliInvictus202]

"Hard pressed on my right. My center is yielding. Impossible to maneuver. Situation excellent. I attack."

worked in 1914... maybe it'll work in '42 too

[Nemo121]

Es gibt keine verzweifelten Lagen, es gibt nur verzweifelte Menschen... Vorwarts aber mit vorsicht.

Guderian was a smart guy. We'd be clever to remember what he said.

[ADB123]

At Lunga...no japanese reaction yet...we keep on reinforcing it and Tulagi...hopefully when he'll decide to counterattack we'll already be too strong to be pushed back...fingers crossed!!

Why do you assume that he cares about the Solomons? You are doing him a big favour right now - you are using troops, ships and planes that could cause him trouble elsewhere, in a region that has little significance to his current operations.

Let's suppose that he leaves you alone and you build up the Solomons. How many units will you put there? Everything that you have there isn't available to be used somewhere else that is closer to Japan or the DEI.

So, will you garrison it strongly? If so, those troops won't be defending or attacking elsewhere. Will you garrison it lightly? If so he will re-take it easily.

What you are doing is telling him clearly where your forces are, and in an area that doesn't matter to him. He doesn't win by taking the South Pacific.

BTW - suppose he does capture India - will you garrison the Solomons well enough to stop 8 or 10 experienced divisions? And if he doesn't go after the Solomons with the troops he retrieves from India, those troops in the Solomons won't be available to stop a dozen divisions hitting Australia or Alaska...

[GreyJoy]

Oct 13, 14 1942
 
On the 13th bad weather prevented any operation on both sides.
 
On the 14th he sent the usual 200 Tojos on Sweep, followed by 300 bombers escorted by 150 fighters...no opposition found over Karachi. He bombed at 20k and he managed to torch 22 planes on mine on the ground (mostly transport planes or useless waipiti).
Then it arrived my time. While our fighters and medium bombers were resting and hiding at Hyderabad, 100 4Es attacked Jodpur. As we thought he was not waiting for us...just Nicks on CAP and very few of them. We attacked at 10k...flak was caught by surprise too and was not nearly as effective as it was at Surat. Intel says we have destroyed 240 planes on the ground and seriously damaged the airbase.
My losses are acceptable. 4 B-17s and 4 B24s for various reasons...
 
I'm tempted to keep on bombing Jodpur now...but still i have not decided yet...will take this morning to think about it...
 
More news to follow...
 
 

[GreyJoy]

So the raid could have gone better. Considering we got him with his pants down and almost no CAP the first day of bad weather clearly ruined my plans. However i'm not complaining.
I think Rader went overconfident here. After months were i didn't dare anymore to attack his major bases full of flak he clearly thought the deterrent was strong enough to stop me from bombing his airfields.
Now my hope is that Rader will be force to devote more fighters on CAP...and that will translate in less fighters over Karachi.

However, analyzing the combat report, the replay and the strategic map i think the raid was so succesfull - in terms on numbers of 4Es lost - due to the fact that he has put out a huge amount of flak from Jodpur.
He sent 80k men right into the desert north of Jodpur to reduce those pesky base forces of mine...a real overkill...along with several inf divisions, he sent there some 10 AA units...[&:]...units that were not there defending his AF yesterday...

Later during the day i'll reply to the interesting analysis of ADB...

have a good day guys

[GreyJoy]

ADB, thanks for your observations.
I've studied the strategic general situation and i've come up with the conclusion that Bullwinkle (and others) observations were right: the Solomons and PM (so southern NG) is probably the only place where at the moment i can penetrate his perimeter.

Following what the intel says, the base built up , what i've read through the lines of some Rader's emails and the results of our last 2 attempts the situation is the following:

Kuriles: Paramushiro and the bases around there are all well built up and filled with troops (intel has repeatetly advided me of a strong concentration of troops there).
Bonis: Iwo is defended by not less than 25k men, among which we've found the 2nd Army HQ, a heavy mortar BN and a Guards Rgt.
Marcus and Wake: as we've seen they're well defended and fortified.
Sapian and the Mariannas: Intel says 25k men are based at Saipan and all the major Mariannas bases are well built up, which means a strong concentration of engineers and possibly troops.
Timor and Southern DEI: Timor and all the bases in the Banda Sea are all strongly garrisoned and well built up (many of them already reached 8 lvl AF). From Biak to Timor he has created a serie of strong air bases.

Considering that Northern Oz is a "free zone" at the moment cause i cannot supply that area of operation and i have no decent bases there, the only possible solutions appear to be in SOPAC.

I really don't think i have other viable options at the moment. And from the Solomons i will be able to, even if slowly, drive northwards and possibly arrive to the Northern Coast of NG without being forced of facing the "shield" he has created in the Banda Sea.

Tarawa and the Gilberts will be a a target nonetheless. If i want to run a campaign in the Solomons i need to secure my right flank. But if i manage to get to Bouganville within the next 6 months i think i'll be in a good position.

Where else should i strike? Consider that the KB remain a constant threat...she's clearly in the pacific now...don't see any other reason why she's not blockading Karachi...so Rader is probably waiting to jump at my throat...a Deep penetration landing, under this Damocle's Sword, is imho, a No No

[1275psi]

i will admit that i have only just found this AAR, and read the last three pages only, (plus first page)
As a player who plays japan only -(usually scene 1 though) I am astounded at the numbers of bombers, airframes and above all, divisions that you are facing
This is PDU on?

Looking at these figures.and making a half crazy suggestion -but i would seriously think about invading something really important in the pacific -like the Phillipines or even deeper -he cannot have anything defending anywhere - even an invasion of the DEI's would , must meet an empty island

I just cannot figure out where all his stuff is coming from...........

(of course, if the answer to all that is somewhere in the AAR, apologies)

[ADB123]

Considering that Northern Oz is a "free zone" at the moment cause i cannot supply that area of operation and i have no decent bases there, the only possible solutions appear to be in SOPAC.

Maybe that should suggest something to you, such as to spend some time to build up your bases in that region?
...

Where else should i strike? Consider that the KB remain a constant threat...she's clearly in the pacific now...don't see any other reason why she's not blockading Karachi...so Rader is probably waiting to jump at my throat...a Deep penetration landing, under this Damocle's Sword, is imho, a No No

Why do you believe that you must strike at this time? Why not reserve your forces, strengthen them, and use them later at your leisure when it isn't such a crap shoot? Do you really believe that the odds are in your favour?

BTW - you really ought to play the Japanese side for a while. It will give you a much better perspective on the relative potentials.

BTW II - do you truly realize how far and how fast the KB can go?

[njp72]

I am exactly the same 125psi.

I too only play Japan (scen 1) and those loses make me shudder every time I read an entry. I could only imagine the experience levels of some of his squadrons.

I wonder why the Japanese were doing so poorly in the sweeps, especially earlier on. I'm very annoyed as an Japanese player if I haven't achieved 2:1 kill ratio in the air in 42. However, whatever Rader is doing appears to be working up to a point.

I have been sucked into this AAR now as well, very exciting particularly when you have 2 committed players going for broke.

Great Stuff

[GreyJoy]

ORIGINAL: 1275psi

i will admit that i have only just found this AAR, and read the last three pages only, (plus first page)
As a player who plays japan only -(usually scene 1 though) I am astounded at the numbers of bombers, airframes and above all, divisions that you are facing
This is PDU on?

Looking at these figures.and making a half crazy suggestion -but i would seriously think about invading something really important in the pacific -like the Phillipines or even deeper -he cannot have anything defending anywhere - even an invasion of the DEI's would , must meet an empty island

I just cannot figure out where all his stuff is coming from...........

(of course, if the answer to all that is somewhere in the AAR, apologies)

Hello mate and welcome aboard!

We do play with PDU on yes. I don't have any term of refernce cause this is the first game i play so i really don't know what the japs have here that don't in scen 1. However Rader doesn't seem to be short of airframes anywhere esle. At least not to a degree where a deep-invasion becomes a "trip in the park".
As far as i can tell he has for sure 50 Netties in the Marshalls along with 2/3 Zero Sentais. He also have all his Land Based Vals and Kates deployed somewhere else than India (where i'm pretty sure he has none of them).
Plus there are at least 6 locations (of which i'm sure about) where he has placed Helens for ASW duties....so 6 more Sentais...

And then, obviously, there's an intact KB (along with his combined surface fleet) waiting for me in the shades...

For what concerns LCUs, i'm sure there's a full division at Truk, plus several other regiments reported between Iwo, Saipan and Timor.