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

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kjnoel
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RE: Bloody Skies

Post by kjnoel »

ORIGINAL: 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

I wonder how many of us Japanese players are following this and wondering the same thing? Even though I'm playing scenario 2 I can't understand how Rader can mass so much up here and take such massive losses in the air. Scenario 2 gives you more divisions, starting resources, a few more squadrons and more pilots in training... but it doesn't train those pilots any faster.

It's a great game to follow!
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GreyJoy
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RE: Bloody Skies

Post by GreyJoy »

ORIGINAL: 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?
...

I'm considering that too ADB...but it takes time, ships and men...i'm slowly feeding Oz with all of them but i cannot be everywhere...i have to make choices.


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?
[/quote]

I do believe i have to prepare a decent position for when i'll be able to really "strike". I now consider the Solomons a "good" starting base cause from there i can threaten his flank in NG and isolate the Marshalls.
Plus, i don't wanna let him feel too safe. He knows he's risking a lot with committing everything to India. There MUST be a price to pay for this overcommitment! If most of his air and land assets are there, he must be weak somehwere (apparently everywhere south of Lae.) So i want to force him to choose wheater to "don't look" and focus in India-with the obvious consequence of seeing the allies advancing fast in the pacific-, or to divert some assets to the pacific, so weakening his force in India.

I know i'd have to play Japs too. Buty i'm a novice...and this game is already sucking up all my RL [:D]...The KB can go far and fast...i know...in fact that's why the Solomons look so juicy...you don't really need to make a risky amphibious invasion relying only on your CVs in order to advance

Anyway, the KB alone cannot sink Guadalcanal...nor it can hope to isolate it forever. I do fear more a raid deep into my comm lines now by the KB than a counterattack in the Solomons. I'm trying to take every precautions (sp?!) about that...

One final note. It's difficult to determine what is good or not to do.
Many of you suggested me to attack and invade deeply (Mariannas, Bonins, etc).
Many others of you readers have suggested me to remain quiet, get stronger, and wait to have better odds before advancing.
Some others have suggested a more "in the middle" approach.
Considering my low experience it's not always easy to collect all these different suggestions, analise them, make a summery and create my own plan...

Think about the 4Es in India. Some said i should have withdrawn them. Some said i should have used to bomb his ports. Some other to bomb his advancing troops. Some said was a madness cause they'll suck up my supplies....
What to do? Who to listen to?
I'm trying to get into the process of examine every single suggestion, even when it's completely different from the other ones, look at my situation and then decide.

But it's an hard process you know...i keep on making mistakes...i know...but i also do think i'm learning a lot...and i'm getting better
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GreyJoy
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RE: Bloody Skies

Post by GreyJoy »

ORIGINAL: 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

As far as i can tell Rader's squadrons keep on having a very good experience. Especially his Tojos...they must be really crack!...it's impossible to shoot them down...seem to be more nimble than the zeros or the Oscars...

Maybe you haven't read it all...but Rader has already conquered the WHOLE China...so he has lots of units, planes and resources to count upon...

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GreyJoy
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RE: Bloody Skies

Post by GreyJoy »

Updated map on India

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Andy Mac
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RE: Bloody Skies

Post by Andy Mac »

Keep a lose eye on Hyderabad Singh if he gives you an option to attack 80,000 men in open terrain with your massed tanks and a reinforced inf corps you could defeat a large force in detail you dont want to pursue on the rough terrain but I would keep a sizable tank garrison (all armour and motorised units) at Hyderabad Singh if he sticks his neck out to far and attacks with only 80,000 men you could nail him with his back to the desewrt.
Andy Mac
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RE: Bloody Skies

Post by Andy Mac »

Actually the more I look at the map and the supply routines Hyderbad is a major problem for him - without that base not sure he can surge enough supply forward to keep a big stack supplied for a long siege - dont give it up unless he is clearly flanking you with a large force he will have real timing issues getting his forces co ordinated
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GreyJoy
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RE: Bloody Skies

Post by GreyJoy »

Hi Andy. I've never thought to give up easily Hyderabad. All my strategy in India has always been based on the combination between Hyderabad and Karachi. I've already have all my armoured and mobile units at Hyderabad behind 7 forts. If needed i can easily send a reinforced corp from Karachi.
 
I really don't think he's thinking about moving along the trail from Jodpur to Hyderabad...during the first weeks of war i made a mistake and sent on "move" status an inf bde from Hyderabad to Jodpur...it took it nearly one month to get there!!![:o]
So i really don't understand his moves...well...we'll see. He must get to Multan imho...and then march all the way towards Hyderabad...that's the only real option he has...but we're already at the middle of october...he won't be near Hyderabad anytime before christmas imho....
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GreyJoy
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RE: Bloody Skies

Post by GreyJoy »

And that is what he's brought into the desert North of Jodpur...
 
Ground combat at 44,13 (near Jodphur)
 
Japanese Bombardment attack
 
Attacking force 12157 troops, 753 guns, 393 vehicles, Assault Value = 9094
 
Defending force 0 troops, 9 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 2
 
 
Allied ground losses:
      Guns lost 9 (9 destroyed, 0 disabled)
      Units destroyed 2
 
 
Assaulting units:
    Imperial Guards Division
    53rd Division
    Guards Tank Division
    5th Division
    38th Division
    144th Infantry Regiment
    146th Infantry Regiment
    4th Division
    9th Tank Regiment
    4th Guards Division
    32nd Division
    33rd Division
    6th Guards Division
    1st Tank Regiment
    15th Guards Regiment
    37th Division
    21st Division
    143rd Infantry Regiment
    1st Formosa Inf. Regiment
    1st Mobile Infantry Regiment
    17th Division
    33rd Infantry Regiment
    4th Ind.Mixed Regiment
    54th Division
    8th Tank Regiment
    5th Tank Regiment
    39th Division
    61st Infantry Brigade
    3rd Tank Regiment
    148th Infantry Regiment
    14th Guards Regiment
    12th Tank Regiment
    15th Division
    16th Guards Regiment
    1st Medium Field Artillery Regiment
    1st Mobile AA Battalion
    2nd RF Gun Battalion
    6th RF Gun Battalion
    1st Mobile Field Artillery Regiment
    7th RF Gun Battalion
    10th Ind. Mountain Gun Regiment
    21st Medium Field Artillery Battalion
    25th Army
    56th Field AA Battalion
    49th Field AA Battalion
    2nd Mortar Battalion
    12th Ind. AA Battalion
    55th Mountain Gun Regiment
    35th Field AA Battalion
    3rd Ind.Hvy.Art. Battalion
    1st Hvy.Artillery Regiment
    54th Field AA Battalion
    5th Mortar Battalion
    23rd Medium Field Artillery Regiment
    14th Ind.Art.Mortar Battalion
    18th Medium Field Artillery Regiment
    11th RF Gun Battalion
    1st Air Defense AA Battalion
    3rd Mortar Battalion
    38th Field AA Battalion
    47th Field AA Battalion
    36th Field AA Battalion
    25th Air Defense AA Regiment
    31st Field AA Battalion
    56th Field Artillery Regiment
    41st Air Defense AA Regiment
    41st Air Defense AA Battalion
    8th RF Gun Battalion
    35th Fld AA Gun Co
    5th RF Gun Battalion
    1st RF Gun Battalion
    3rd Ind. Mountain Gun Regiment
    22nd AA Regiment
    9th RF Gun Battalion
    3rd Medium Field Artillery Regiment
    Southern Army
    20th Ind. Mtn Gun Battalion
    3rd RF Gun Battalion
    2nd Ind.Hvy.Art. Battalion
    48th Field Artillery Regiment
    10th RF Gun Battalion
    21st Army
 
Defending units:
    4/1st Det. NW Front
    1st Hyderabad Base Force
 
 
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GreyJoy
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RE: Bloody Skies

Post by GreyJoy »

Considering how much flak has been brought out of Jodpur i'll rest my 4Es for 2 days,fill my lines, and then we'll strike back again!
 
BANZAI!
 
 
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Miller
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RE: Bloody Skies

Post by Miller »

Don't be fooled by Rader's propaganda, no matter how much he has ramped up production, his a/c pools will be very low (especially bombers) by now.
Andy Mac
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RE: Bloody Skies

Post by Andy Mac »

Holy crap what a mistake

20 Divs thats 9,000 AV !!! Personally I would now change strategy.

1. Bring in all remaining forces from Aden everything you can muster.
2. Place 5,000 AV's worth of Infantry into Hyderabad plus arty and AA
3. 1 reinforced Div onto each hex along the bend of the river behind you and get them digging in now to get the forts up - support them with a Lgt and Hvy AA regt each or one of the big group base forces. - so c 500 AV on each hex maybe 2 Divs on the route directly back from Hyderabad to secure your retreat.
4. Leave c 1,000 AV at Karachi as a reaction force to replace battle damaged units (mostly indpt Bdes)

EVERYTHING ELSE inclduding all armour and the para capable Chindint Bdes get them moving to Lahore - save Lahore and start moving south on Delhi ASAP move your airforce East and use them to cover your advance in the east.

He has committed the bulk of his force he cannot amphib now and he cannot have a major force in the east if you can push him back even once your massed armour can destry/exploit whatever he has.

Andy

Andy Mac
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RE: Bloody Skies

Post by Andy Mac »

Agra looks like a good spot for the Para capable Chindit Bde to take and disrupt him if you can get your army moving in strat mode and rail them into his rear his entire eastern hinge could collapse
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Canoerebel
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RE: Bloody Skies

Post by Canoerebel »

And bomb his desert stack from high altitude on occasion.  Even small raids will make some of his units switch from "Move" to "Combat' mode, slowing his rate of advance still further.
"Rats set fire to Mr. Cooper’s store in Fort Valley. No damage done." Columbus (Ga) Enquirer-Sun, October 2, 1880.
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GreyJoy
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RE: Bloody Skies

Post by GreyJoy »

Andy...yes, i was thinking about that... but i wanna wait some more few days...cause i fear it's a Rader's mistake rather than a strategy of his.(edited to be clearer)
In my opinion Rader attacked me in Jodpur few turns ago setting all his units to pursuit. The result is under everybody's eyes....9k AVs stuck in the desert. He could already be marching back so i don't wanna to be caught in a dangerous position untill i know he's REALLY going north!

Moving everything east now would be a gamble...Multan should be absolutely well defended because if he gets Multan he cuts me in two pieces. And Multan is a fruit that he's now ready to catch...only 40 badly distrupted AVs left there...no forts...nothing...i may be get caught half the way from Hyderabad to Multan, in strat mode, under the wave of his bombers..

If i move east and he's already marching back i may find myself out of my trench...forced to face his armies near Lahore where i have no air cover and no forts...remember that he still has the air superiority everywhere except for Karachi...so i have to be really careful.
I'll wait and see. If it's confirmed that he's really marching northwards...well...i'll have plenty of time to move...he won't get anywhere in that damned desert...and, as CR has said, i could bomb the hell out of his advancing troops.

Anyway i'm keeping ready for any move. Hyderabad has 2000 AVs and 7 forts...with all my armour ready to move if needed.

So we agree that he made a mistake...let's just wait a couple more turns to see if it's a mistake of "clicking" or a strategical one...

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GreyJoy
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RE: Bloody Skies

Post by GreyJoy »

Oct 15, 16 1942
 
Unfortunately, as foreseen, Rader is already going back from the desert. Was a mistake of his...nothing more.
 
I'm now seeing enemy units prepping for Hyderabad...
 
Lahore fell today.
 
Multan is heavily bombed and now only a light vail of 400 troops guards the base...
 
His BBs are again on the move. Ready to strike. He sent 4 DDs that surprised our cruisers at Karachi, sank the Danae CL and badly damaged 2 DDs...they went away before my torpedo bombers could react[:(]...my subs were not able to intercept the fast ship...
 
Rader sent again his sweeping fighters. Heavy losses on both sides...154 for him...88 for me...[:o]...today my P38Fs suffered a lot with 10 losses...
 
A bad day indeed...
 
Tomorrow we'll try another 4Es strike...hopefully before all those AAs will be able to get to Jodpur again...but i already see only 18 units north of Jodpur...he has moved them back very fast![:(]
 
The proove that his pools are still full of planes is that today he used 500 bombers against my harrassing units...4 of them were completely destroyed and they no longer exist...
 
It's amazing the morale up and down that this game can give me...
 
Now everything will be decided again by our fighters...how long will they be able to resist? How long can we contest his air supremacy over Karachi?...the King holds his breath...
 
In the Solomons we keep on building our bases. Moving the APs and AKs to Oz right now in order to get ready for PM asap...
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ny59giants
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RE: Bloody Skies

Post by ny59giants »

Set your subs up 5 to 9 hexes south of Karachi. His ships will end up in this area depending on their speed the phase before and after they come into Karachi.

If you have enough mines, I would lay some of them along the coast in those 5 to 9 hexes zone.
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GreyJoy
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RE: Bloody Skies

Post by GreyJoy »

NY58G. yes, thanks, i'll try that...the problem is that Rader is keeping his ships in shallow waters so my subs aren't really able to do anything...however i'm trying to set up the "mine process" you suggested...subs are moving to place mines at Palembang and in the Malacca strait...let's see!



Oct 17, 18 1942

A day of terrible losses for the allies.
Rader decided that Jodpur, for the moment, wasn't a safe place for his bombers and he moved them away towards Dehli, from where 300 of them pounded what was left of my garrisons in the North-East of India.
He sent only 200 Tojos to do the "dirty" job at Karachi. This time we got the upper hand and we managed to achieve a good 3-1 against his Tojos (you see...numbers!), while keeping all the rest of his forces on CAP...my 4Es were ordered to strike...for two days...we sustained terrible losses, both in the air and by the flak...overall we've lost in these 2 days nearly 70 4Es[X(]...destroying 162 planes on the ground (only fighters)...not good. Well...well...i know...

The good news is that now Rader knows he cannot consider his bases 100% secure...and this is giving my fighter boys some more time to rest...however it hurts the loss of all those 4Es...but it cannot go always in the way we want, so let's accept it and look at the bright side of the moon: More CAP means less sweep!

Then Rader sent the usual DD strike against Karachi. 12 DDs divided in 2 different TFs...this time we've put a B-25 squadron with LowN trained pilots on alert...these brave kids intercepted the ships when they were 11 hexes away and managed to place a bomb on a DD...this caused the whole TF to be late on its scheldue the next day and they all ended up at 2 hexes far from Karachi...our strike of 70 Torpedo Bombers, 16 dive bombers and 20 lowN medium bombers got them....at least 7 DDs are now badly damaged (and probably will sink) and the whole Rader's operation is screwed![:D]...

I consider these small victories big strategic ones...cause everything that slows him down in his advance towards Karachi is a strategic victory imho.

After the fall of Lahore now his troops are advancing towards Ralpawindi. Multan is again heavily bombed and we're now accepting its fall as a matter of fact. I'll keep what's left of my 4Es to strike Multan as soon as it becomes "red" :-)

Then it comes the pacific...it seems that there's an Air combat TF somewhere between Johnston Is and Midway....i hd a small TF composed of 3 AKLs that was heading to Johnston is that inverted the route fearing of an "air threat"...my Cats talk about 6 not identified ships...i don't think it's the KB...probably a bait....will keep my asset at PH under a good LBA umbrella and will concentrate the patrol and spotting efforts...let's see!

Lunga reached level 3 AF...a good result indeed! now 100 wildcats are providing Cover while 18 SDBs are already based there...my personal "cactus force" is formed :-)

His Air ASW is really becoming deadly...8 subs lost in the last month....too much!...i have to be more carefull in using them...also because results, till now, have been really insignificant!

More detailed news to follow during the day...




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GreyJoy
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RE: Bloody Skies

Post by GreyJoy »

One of the Tojos sweeps

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GreyJoy
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RE: Bloody Skies

Post by GreyJoy »

Bad coordination for my 4Es strike...they arrived in 4 different groups... :-(

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GreyJoy
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RE: Bloody Skies

Post by GreyJoy »

It hurts...

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