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

[Bullwinkle58]

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

As the British army surgeon keeps saying in Bridge on the River Kwai, "Madness...madness!"

Failure to impose an airtight blockade on Karachi is pure folly (sorry, rader, if you ever read this; but attacking while letting the Allies readily move in supplies and reinforcements over many months is NUTS!).

You have the RN carriers in theater, right?  So now you can shut down enemy combat ship movement in the Arabian Sea?  You can also at least toy with the idea of a counterinvasion using some of your Aden reinforcements.  You have to be alert to LBA, but he can't have alot covering his rear areas with so much pestering Karachi (or so I think).  You might use bad weather to good advantage here.

Mainly, though, you need to be doing some offensive thinking and planning now.  Rader doesn't realize it; you may not believe it, but the Battle of Karachi is already decided.

Hello to all. Now up on my new uber-PC, and back in the forum.

I fully support what you say above, CR. My comments re saving supply at Karachi by grounding the 4Es was predicated on a supply blockade. Aden simply gets too many independent supply convoys to supliment its organic suppply (plus LOD freebies) to allow the steady flow into Karahci Rader has allowed. He needed to nail the KB to the map edge and finish the job in India, not leave it to DD raiders. Allowing Forts to go to 9 was also a Bad Move. His whole operational schedule has been pokey, and now, in October, he's too late to reduce Karachi befroe the Med opens up in May 1943 and GJ can marshall any amount of forces, unseen, through Aden, ready to careen down into the IO to commit mass carnage, Inchon-type landings, flow in 50 new, modern fleet subs, etc.

Rader has screwed the pooch.

[jeffk3510]

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

(accidentally posted this in my own AAR first - it's GJ's fault, or so I claim)

You're still thinking defensive!  Snap out of it, man!
In late 1942 and early '43, the Indian units begin to transition over to higher quality squads and armaments.  They become much more powerful.  In addition, you get more and better fighters, and to a lesser extent bombers.  It's going to be a long time, if ever, before rader can impose control of the skies over Karachi from Hyderabad, so you'll get alot more supplies in the meantime.
If you need some carriers to handle CAP to get supply to Karachi, devote your sizeable CVE component over the coming months.  If necessary, you can almost certainly run the blockade from Capetown to Aden without too much risk from Socatra.  It might also give you a chance to evaluate Socotra's strength as you sneak by and thumb your nose at a frustrated enemy.
Once you gain carriers in the Arabian Sea, you'll feel better about your offensive capaibility.  But don't lollygag. What happens in the Pacific is still fairly unimportant compared to India.  It's good that you're making some progress in the Solomons, but that's a long way from vital territory for Japan.  There's no place he'd rather have you advancing than there.

Where is this Socotra you speak of? I thought it was officially Scoooooodra! [:D]

But yes GJ, you can probably focus more attention elsewhere as he (Rader) has made if obvious that Karachi will, indeed, hold.

What do you subs look like in SoPac, NoPac, Formosa, PI, Solomons, etc....

[Andy Mac]

Just remember the following.

1. You have massed Flak at Karachi he will NOT be able to bomb you much certainly not low level
2. That means surface raiders will be his primary inderdition force.
3. Allied Destroyers and subs on defence will cause mayhem to any raiders he sends in.

Right now I owuld be focussing everything I had not on deep and dangerous strikes but on the following.

1. Build up North Australia and drive into Timor ASAP
2. Take New Britain and its good harbour and AF's as well as the Solomons - this will give you a secure footing for a late 43 drive on the PI

Your opponent has committed a large AF and army to India and taken heavy losses if you can get into New Britain it gives you multiple exploitable routes of attack

NG - Merauke - Ambon
North Australia - Timor - Java
North Australia - Timor - Kendari
Rabaul - East Cost of NG - Borneo
Rabaul - Palau - PI

etc etc

To many routes under LBA for him to defend give yourself the platform to exploit his mistake

[GreyJoy]

Hi guys, once again thanks for all your contributions!

Just a few notes:

Aden, unfortunately, doesn't get any emergency convoy except for the first one when LOD is triggered. So the supplies must be come from Adebadan or from outside when the Med will be open.

My subs aren't doing a good job even if i'm dedicating a lot of attentions to them. Rader is slowly garrisoning every 3 AF base with Helens ASW devoted...and these bastards are damaging my subs (even at 5 hexes of distance) everytime they spot them...and they always get spotted! So i'm forced to operate my subs or as a advanced patrol shields or in the usual way but in areas of low interest (mainly between Mariannas and Japan or north of Timor)...i'm now trying to send a 3 subs TF to mine Palembang and the Malacca strait...let's see if i can manage to get there unseen...i took the longer route...finger crossed!

Andy...yes, he's forced to bomb me from 18k or higher... Unfortunately i'm running short of DDs (10 left) between Aden and Karachi but i still have some decent toys to play with (CLs, CAs and 2 BBs).

Northern Oz is a problem cause the only possible route is via Perth...but Timor has been hugely fortified and i bet lots of Netties are there...i'd need my CVs to advance by sea towards Darwin....

Yes, the idea is to get to New Britain...from there everything will be possible!

Nonetheless i still want Tarawa...so that plan won't be put aside...i'll just wait for few more weeks...

[GreyJoy]

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

(accidentally posted this in my own AAR first - it's GJ's fault, or so I claim)

Say the truth and tell you simply wanted to augment the numbers of your AAR [:D]

[GreyJoy]

A map of the recent japanese advances

[Canoerebel]

ORIGINAL: Bullwinkle58

Hello to all. Now up on my new uber-PC, and back in the forum.

I fully support what you say above, CR. My comments re saving supply at Karachi by grounding the 4Es was predicated on a supply blockade. Aden simply gets too many independent supply convoys to supliment its organic suppply (plus LOD freebies) to allow the steady flow into Karahci Rader has allowed. He needed to nail the KB to the map edge and finish the job in India, not leave it to DD raiders. Allowing Forts to go to 9 was also a Bad Move. His whole operational schedule has been pokey, and now, in October, he's too late to reduce Karachi befroe the Med opens up in May 1943 and GJ can marshall any amount of forces, unseen, through Aden, ready to careen down into the IO to commit mass carnage, Inchon-type landings, flow in 50 new, modern fleet subs, etc.

Rader has screwed the pooch.

Thank goodness the Moose has returned! Where else could we get such eloquence?

[Bullwinkle58]

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel


Thank goodness the Moose has returned! Where else could we get such eloquence?

And mis-spelling![:)]

Still not used to this new clicky keyboard, but I'll get there. Fingers have memory too!

[Bullwinkle58]

ORIGINAL: GreyJoy

Aden, unfortunately, doesn't get any emergency convoy except for the first one when LOD is triggered. So the supplies must be come from Adebadan or from outside when the Med will be open.

My subs aren't doing a good job even if i'm dedicating a lot of attentions to them. Rader is slowly garrisoning every 3 AF base with Helens ASW devoted...and these bastards are damaging my subs (even at 5 hexes of distance) everytime they spot them...and they always get spotted!

Ooops. I was thinking of CT. After May 1943 Aden is flooded with Ind. Convoys though. Millions of supply.

I'd still send a bunch of USN subs to the IO. It's where the targets are. Once your torpedoes "heal" you'll start doing damage. Ignore the air ASW. You'll lose boats, but they'll sink his merchants, and that's what they're for. At minimum you'll very much complicate his operations if he has to escort everything. Make sure you have the right COs in your subs though. Aggressiveness makes a big difference.

[GreyJoy]

ORIGINAL: Bullwinkle58

ORIGINAL: GreyJoy

Aden, unfortunately, doesn't get any emergency convoy except for the first one when LOD is triggered. So the supplies must be come from Adebadan or from outside when the Med will be open.

My subs aren't doing a good job even if i'm dedicating a lot of attentions to them. Rader is slowly garrisoning every 3 AF base with Helens ASW devoted...and these bastards are damaging my subs (even at 5 hexes of distance) everytime they spot them...and they always get spotted!

Ooops. I was thinking of CT. After May 1943 Aden is flooded with Ind. Convoys though. Millions of supply.

I'd still send a bunch of USN subs to the IO. It's where the targets are. Once your torpedoes "heal" you'll start doing damage. Ignore the air ASW. You'll lose boats, but they'll sink his merchants, and that's what they're for. At minimum you'll very much complicate his operations if he has to escort everything. Make sure you have the right COs in your subs though. Aggressiveness makes a big difference.

Yes, i'm sending every new arrived sub to the I.O. At the moment i have 20 subs operating in defence of Karachi and 10 more operating from Perth or CT patrolling the waters between Calcutta and Singapore (with 3 of them delivering mines to the Malacca Strait)...

I'm really looking forward to get better torps...the last turn, before we put 3 torps into a damaged DD near Karachi, we had 4 "hit but no expl"...[:@]

[JohnDillworth]

Never mind, wrong forum.
(or is it really a gratuitous post to bump GreyJoy's post count higher than Canoe's?)

[GreyJoy]

LOL [:D]

Well, October 21,22 1942

Two days of blood.

Let's divide it:

CENTPAC: The Kb keeps on raiding between Pago Pago, Canton Is. and Christmas. She sunk a small xAKLs TF and a transport TF (empty) composed of 5 xAPs that was returning to Christmas after delivering a base force to Pago Pago... everything is sunk but i do not care much...he keeps on wasting fuel to sink a bunch of replaceble ships... now there's also a SCTF raiding Tf between Canton and Christmas...

INDIA: Rader today sent waves of bombers and fighters over Karachi (thunderstorm for both days).
200 Zeros/Tojos on sweep for both days followed by 200 Helens heavily escorted and then by 100 Netties escorted by 100 fighters...
Results were very good: we lost 33 planes against his 230!![:D] Again, despite the heavy escort, his bombers were mere victims!
Also my Cruisers and Destroyers managed to get away without a single scratch by the attack of the Netties...very good news[;)]

A costly turn for Rader...no doubt!

Some screeshots to follow....

[GreyJoy]

Indian meatgrinder

[GreyJoy]

Results




This is the combat report of the 21 october 1942 for what concerns the air battles over Karachi...

Morning Air attack on Karachi , at 40,8

Weather in hex: Thunderstorms

Raid detected at 48 NM, estimated altitude 33,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 13 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M3 Zero x 32



Allied aircraft
Fulmar II x 3
Sea Hurricane Ib x 14
Hurricane IIa Trop x 13
Hurricane IIb Trop x 7
Hurricane IIc Trop x 34
Spitfire VIII x 26
Kittyhawk IA x 2
P-38E Lightning x 5
P-38F Lightning x 19
P-39D Airacobra x 31
P-40E Warhawk x 14
P-40K Warhawk x 31


Japanese aircraft losses
A6M3 Zero: 2 destroyed

Allied aircraft losses
P-40E Warhawk: 1 destroyed
P-40K Warhawk: 1 destroyed



Aircraft Attacking:
3 x A6M3 Zero sweeping at 31000 feet



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Morning Air attack on Karachi , at 40,8

Weather in hex: Thunderstorms

Raid detected at 45 NM, estimated altitude 20,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 12 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-44-IIa Tojo x 22



Allied aircraft
Fulmar II x 3
Sea Hurricane Ib x 14
Hurricane IIa Trop x 13
Hurricane IIb Trop x 7
Hurricane IIc Trop x 34
Spitfire VIII x 26
Kittyhawk IA x 2
P-38E Lightning x 5
P-38F Lightning x 19
P-39D Airacobra x 29
P-40E Warhawk x 12
P-40K Warhawk x 26


Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-44-IIa Tojo: 1 destroyed

Allied aircraft losses
P-40E Warhawk: 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 63 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-44-IIa Tojo x 82



Allied aircraft
Fulmar II x 3
Sea Hurricane Ib x 13
Hurricane IIa Trop x 12
Hurricane IIb Trop x 6
Hurricane IIc Trop x 34
Spitfire VIII x 24
Kittyhawk IA x 2
P-38E Lightning x 5
P-38F Lightning x 17
P-39D Airacobra x 26
P-40E Warhawk x 10
P-40K Warhawk x 24


No Japanese losses

No Allied losses



Aircraft Attacking:
42 x Ki-44-IIa Tojo sweeping at 31000 feet *
28 x Ki-44-IIa Tojo sweeping at 31000 feet *
4 x Ki-44-IIa Tojo sweeping at 31000 feet *


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Morning Air attack on Karachi , at 40,8

Weather in hex: Thunderstorms

Raid detected at 175 NM, estimated altitude 21,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 55 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-43-Ic Oscar x 48
Ki-43-IIa Oscar x 38
Ki-49-IIa Helen x 173



Allied aircraft
Fulmar II x 3
Sea Hurricane Ib x 13
Hurricane IIa Trop x 12
Hurricane IIb Trop x 4
Hurricane IIc Trop x 33
Spitfire VIII x 23
Kittyhawk IA x 2
P-38E Lightning x 5
P-38F Lightning x 17
P-39D Airacobra x 22
P-40E Warhawk x 9
P-40K Warhawk x 22


Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-43-Ic Oscar: 4 destroyed
Ki-43-IIa Oscar: 3 destroyed
Ki-49-IIa Helen: 36 destroyed, 30 damaged
Ki-49-IIa Helen: 3 destroyed by flak

Allied aircraft losses
B-24D Liberator: 1 destroyed on ground



Airbase hits 3
Runway hits 12


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Karachi at 40,8

Weather in hex: Overcast

Raid detected at 109 NM, estimated altitude 10,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 43 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 45
A6M3a Zero x 27
G3M2 Nell x 38
G4M1 Betty x 39
Ki-43-Ic Oscar x 39
Ki-43-IIa Oscar x 34



Allied aircraft
Fulmar II x 1
Sea Hurricane Ib x 6
Hurricane IIa Trop x 4
Hurricane IIb Trop x 2
Hurricane IIc Trop x 11
Spitfire VIII x 9
Kittyhawk IA x 1
P-38E Lightning x 3
P-38F Lightning x 6
P-39D Airacobra x 9
P-40E Warhawk x 4
P-40K Warhawk x 9


Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 5 destroyed
A6M3a Zero: 3 destroyed
G3M2 Nell: 6 damaged
G3M2 Nell: 1 destroyed by flak
G4M1 Betty: 4 damaged
Ki-43-Ic Oscar: 2 destroyed
Ki-43-IIa Oscar: 4 destroyed

Allied aircraft losses
Hurricane IIc Trop: 1 destroyed

Allied Ships
CL Java
CL Mauritius
CL Danae
CLAA Van Heemskerck
DD Encounter
DD Norman
DD Scout



Aircraft Attacking:
18 x G3M2 Nell launching torpedoes at 200 feet
Naval Attack: 1 x 18in Type 91 Torpedo
10 x G3M2 Nell launching torpedoes at 200 feet
Naval Attack: 1 x 18in Type 91 Torpedo
18 x G4M1 Betty launching torpedoes at 200 feet
Naval Attack: 1 x 18in Type 91 Torpedo
13 x G4M1 Betty launching torpedoes at 200 feet
Naval Attack: 1 x 18in Type 91 Torpedo
10 x G3M2 Nell bombing from 6000 feet
Naval Attack: 2 x 250 kg SAP Bomb, 4 x 60 kg GP Bomb
8 x G4M1 Betty bombing from 6000 feet
Naval Attack: 2 x 250 kg SAP Bomb, 4 x 60 kg GP Bomb

[GreyJoy]

position of the KB

[ny59giants]

He can afford to lose those huge number of bombers as he has the extra Heavy Industry production from around the Calcutta area to pay for it. I imagine that he is still building up a healthy HI surplus with all these losses.

If you don't have a HR preventing it, I would have my P-38s at max altitude.

[GreyJoy]

ORIGINAL: ny59giants

He can afford to lose those huge number of bombers as he has the extra Heavy Industry production from around the Calcutta area to pay for it. I imagine that he is still building up a healthy HI surplus with all these losses.

If you don't have a HR preventing it, I would have my P-38s at max altitude.

We do have unfortunately. Second best mnvr. alt is the max altitude we can set our fighters.

Yes he can efford. However the pilots must be a problem...all those are pilots MIA or KIA...at least i hope so...

[GreyJoy]

And here's the plan for the SOPAC...i'd like to reach those positions by 01.02.1943

[PresterJohn001]

I like a planned advance in the Solomons. Also don't fixate on defended bases. There are planty of dot hexes in the region (woodlark island etc) that can be built to repsectable size bases pretty quickly. For a well defended region like this interdict and prevent supply arriving at the bases. Makes it easier to to take when you invade if they are eating grass. Low level bombers murder Japanese transports. No rail, no inherent supply prduction, its all got to be sailed in.

[jeffk3510]

I am sure you know, but focus on the islands that can handle the largest airfield....food for thought... oh, and Goodenough Isl, just cus the name is badass.