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

[CaptBeefheart]

Couple of things: 1) I'd keep your crack pilots in the front line, but make sure they are set to a short range (like 0) so you don't lose any great pilots to a leaky CAP (not that that would necesarily happen in Karachi, but perhaps elsewhere); and 2) you don't actually need ships to move ground units between off-map bases. Thus, you could move your ground units to Cape Town from Panama or East Coast by strategic movement (I've done it from East Coast, although not confirmed from Panama). If I remember correctly, I even moved some Seabees to Aden before the Med was open (i.e. before May '43). Anyway, you could give it a try. The reason why I mention this is that it sounded like you thought you needed xAPs and xAKs to move troops off map.

Cheers,
CC

[GreyJoy]

ORIGINAL: Commander Cody

Couple of things: 1) I'd keep your crack pilots in the front line, but make sure they are set to a short range (like 0) so you don't lose any great pilots to a leaky CAP (not that that would necesarily happen in Karachi, but perhaps elsewhere); and 2) you don't actually need ships to move ground units between off-map bases. Thus, you could move your ground units to Cape Town from Panama or East Coast by strategic movement (I've done it from East Coast, although not confirmed from Panama). If I remember correctly, I even moved some Seabees to Aden before the Med was open (i.e. before May '43). Anyway, you could give it a try. The reason why I mention this is that it sounded like you thought you needed xAPs and xAKs to move troops off map.

Cheers,
CC

Oh really? I don't need ships to move troops from EC to CT?!?!?!...Good Lord but that's an incredible usefull news!!!! Thanks mate! I'll try it right away!!!

Yes, in Karachi all my Pilots are set to 0 range, i've already experienced bad leaky CAP happenings...

Following previous suggestions, i've reorganized my whole training program and i have to say my fighter pool is really healthy. Got more than 400 fighter pilots in pool with 50-70-50 skills. However i'm now focusing on lowN and navalS cause these two skills were those i almost never implemented in the training program so far.

The appareance of the KB north of Suva is a bit strange imho. Means he defenetely wants to use the KB in a raiding role...which, as long as i move carefully, is a good news (well, the loss of the Chigago hurts...) cause i can keep track of where the KB actually is. Let's see now where is he heading to....

[crsutton]

ORIGINAL: GreyJoy

ORIGINAL: crsutton

Yes, if you have the VR replacement squadrons then by all means use them for torpedo training. It is painful to not use them in the front line but you gotta train or your will regret it later. In 1943 virtually all marine squadrons come with no planes or pilots. You have to fill them up out of your reserves and will need plenty for that reason. I am almost at January 44 and I still have a few marine and heavy bomber squadrons sitting in the states for want of planes.

And you need to start training patrol pilots on search and "low naval" bombing now as you will start to get lots of PBY liberators, venturas, coronados and navy mitchells in 43 and low naval is a must skill for them for shipping interdiction. You will need a lot of them. ASW is important but I find that it is better to train avengers and SBDs in that skill. ASW is not a priority as your ships become super sub killers eventually.

I would have to say my biggest shortage was navy fighter pilots and torpedo bomber pilots.

I see mate...thanks! i'll take a look right now!

But can i use the VR replacement squadrons (those who come with the CVEs) as active units? i mean what happens if i put one of those CVEs in CVTF? do they actually operate their planes or they are used only for replenishment pourposes?

thanks

They all (replenishment CVEs) come with two replacement squadrons that if fully filled out will over stack the carrier and prevent any combat missions from flying. However, you can pull one of them off and the other squadron left on the CVE will be able to function normally. So yes they can be used normally in combat without any penalty. However, in 1942 and 43, your real shortage will be in training squadrons so I mostly used them (the VR squadrons) for that purpose and put other "carrier capable" (marine) sqadrons on my CVEs while leaving the VR units on the West Coast where they can crank out good pilots. Now that 44 is rolling around and I have a lot more squadrons and am beginning to conduct major operations, I am placeing them back on CVEs to use as true replenishment squadrons-which is actually a very handy thing for the Allied player.

My hellcats were the "go to guys" in 1943 because it is the one plane that is produce in big numbers. I recommend you focus on making lots of good Navy fighter pilots. You will need them all.

[GreyJoy]

Well so those three 28 capacity CVEs will come very handy!!! This gives me nearly more 100 active carrier planes to count upon!!
 
Thank you mate, very usefull info!!!!!
I'm already training them but the CVEs ability to be used as active platform will be nonetheless very usefull[:)]

[ADB123]

I'm already training them but the CVEs ability to be used as active platform will be nonetheless very useful

Remember, CVEs are slow and fragile - beware of how you put them into Harm's Way.

That doesn't mean don't use them, but at the same time, don't expect them to perform like Fleet carriers.

[GreyJoy]

Yes guys, got it!
 
Thanks!
 
Another two "slow" days.
Nov 14-15 1942
 
The KB moved southeast south of Canton is. and didn't find any prey. Now i'm pretty curious where is he heading to cause there are no ships of value around there...just a couple of little "traps" for my dear japanese opponent[:D]. No, seriously, i packed Suva and Christmas with ships as bait and a good number of dive bombers and fighters on escort (with droptanks, mind you, so that if the KB is able to launch, we're gonna be able to reply). My CVs will keep on lurking in the shades, hoping to see the KB break its horns and then, maybe, pull the courtain and come and play
 
At Karachi he sent again 350 Tojos...but my "brave" fighters didn't want to engage...and they avoid the fight...0-0 in terms of A2A kills...good boys![8D]
My 4Es attacked again Multan which is now full of 89 units...while Ralpawindi as expected fell today against 2000 japanese AVs....now GB holds only Karachi and Hyderabad in the whole sub-continent!!![X(].
In the meanwhile supplies keep on flowing constantly...
 
Buka in Bouganville reached AF lvl 3 and it's now full of fighters and Mavis...i'll have to wait to have some decent 4Es strenght before start reducing it...in the meanwhile we're consolidating our positions in the Solomons and i'm pretty happy to announce that Rannell Island, Russell Island and Karakira are now in our hands with seabees already building the strips!
 
We're also sending some forces to Nopac...wanna advance asap towards Attu...which is empty so we don't care much about the upcoming blizzard!
 
Reinforcing Midway, Palmyra and Johnstons in these days...
 
Looking forward for Rader coming back from his holiday week...it's a pain to play just one turn per day...[:o]
 

[GreyJoy]

the most recent map of India

[GreyJoy]

Solomons consolidating

[GreyJoy]

raiding KB...what's the pig picture? Is he doing that to force me to a carrier engagement? or he's just forcing me to slow down my operations in CentPac thus gaining time for his reinforcements to come in place in his defensive perimeter (Buka and so...)?

[witpqs]

ORIGINAL: GreyJoy

the most recent map of India

They seem to be moving in the wrong direction. Congratulations!

[GreyJoy]

Nope, he's moving towards Multan which is the only real way where he can move (no decent direct routes between Hyderabad and Jodpur, only a railway).

I do think he's slowly building up his forces at Multan and he will wait to be a lvl 9 AF in order to base there TONS of fighters and bombers that will cover the advance of his troops towards Hyderabad...however it's taking him too long...as predicted he won't be near Hyderabad before Christmas....

[ADB123]

Very interesting... this has turned into a lesson on how not to conquer India. What worked in China won't work here.

Do you guys have a house rule that prevents invasions of non-base hexes? Because it seems to me that the answer to Radar's problem here would be to land at that hex just to the left of the "800 Fighters" note and then march up the coast.

And if I were him I would be sending up top-notch DD ASW TFs on a daily basis to attrite your subs along the coast.

In any event, it appears that you have succeeded in holding India. Now as long as you don't throw away the rest of your forces in premature adventures in the Pacific you ought to be in a good position to start rolling in mid-1943.

Congrats!

[crsutton]

Probably overkill on built up bases in the Solomons, especially Kirakira and Rossell Island (maybe one but not the other) They are level 0 ports and consume more time supplying and moving troops off. Useful bases if you need them but you already have better. I find that it is just best to use fast transports and paras to grab the next Japanese dot base closer to Rabaul that can be built up. Snatch it with a small unit then fast transport engineers there and start building. This forces him to react and fight and gives you a change to grind him down a bit. The thing is, once you seize the next base forward and get an air unit there-even if he suppresses it, it focused his attention on that base and not on your rear bases-leaving them with more freedom to resupply and build up.

Definitely grab Munda right away. That poses a serious threat to him.

[GreyJoy]

ORIGINAL: ADB123

Very interesting... this has turned into a lesson on how not to conquer India. What worked in China won't work here.

Do you guys have a house rule that prevents invasions of non-base hexes? Because it seems to me that the answer to Radar's problem here would be to land at that hex just to the left of the "800 Fighters" note and then march up the coast.

And if I were him I would be sending up top-notch DD ASW TFs on a daily basis to attrite your subs along the coast.

In any event, it appears that you have succeeded in holding India. Now as long as you don't throw away the rest of your forces in premature adventures in the Pacific you ought to be in a good position to start rolling in mid-1943.

Congrats!

Thanks mate. I gotta say that i feel a bit safer now. We have an HR that prevents landings or paradrops on non-base hexes, so he cannot really do that. He has to march all the way to Hyderabad from Multan...and it's a long way...

I do also think that he has waited too much deciding wether or not to cross the LOD. But, however, the key factor was that he wasn't able to crush once for all my air power. It's sure that i've suffered terrible losses and that my strenght is slowly fading away but, nonetheless, the constant presence of my Air force at Karachi, no matter the costs, has given him lots of bloody noses with his bombers and he was never able to shut down my airfields nor deny me the supply-convoys from Aden.

[GreyJoy]

ORIGINAL: crsutton

Probably overkill on built up bases in the Solomons, especially Kirakira and Rossell Island (maybe one but not the other) They are level 0 ports and consume more time supplying and moving troops off. Useful bases if you need them but you already have better. I find that it is just best to use fast transports and paras to grab the next Japanese dot base closer to Rabaul that can be built up. Snatch it with a small unit then fast transport engineers there and start building. This forces him to react and fight and gives you a change to grind him down a bit. The thing is, once you seize the next base forward and get an air unit there-even if he suppresses it, it focused his attention on that base and not on your rear bases-leaving them with more freedom to resupply and build up.

Definitely grab Munda right away. That poses a serious threat to him.

Well, you're right mate...however i'm trying to build up a chain of bases that, once built up, discourages Rader trying anything particularly bold here...when you see 5/6 mutual supportive bases you think twice about invading them...or even getting close with a naval TF...

However Munda will shortly been invaded. It's already in my plans. I just wanna be sure not to be caught by the KB on the process. APDs and small xAPs and xAKLs are getting ready at Lungaville, and i've already a para Bn prepped for Munda and one other for Shortland. Then, once Munda is conquered, i'll be moving in a small port detatchment in order to provide some naval support and then the seabees will join. In the meanwhile Lunga, Tulagi and Tessafronga are becoming fortresses and soon they will become the new house for my planned SOPAC 4Es Army[:D]

[GreyJoy]

In these days i'm trying to save as many PPs as possible in order to be able to assembly enough forces for the Indian Counter Invasion operation.
The only PPs spent have been to reorganize my carrier force and to place the best possible naval captains on my best ships.
Now i have my CV force organized around 3 CVTFs, each with good Air Leader but not so aggressive (the most aggressive one being Spruance).

[Canoerebel]

GreyJoy, if you haven't experienced carrier combat in AE/WitP/UV before, watch out for the Great Unpredictable But Always Occuring React Against Orders feature.  This is the single most frustrating aspect of this family of games, IMO.  No matter how hard you try, no matter how careful you are in selecting your carrier TF commanders, they can and will react against orders.  They can and will do crazy stuff in moving straight towards the worst possible peril, including leaving behind land-based LRCAP and reacting even when mission sorites are low or you're out of torpedoes.  I don't want to get into this at length here, because you may thoroughly know this already.  But if you don't, educate yourself.  Be prepared for carriers sailing into harm's way when you don't want them to and have done everything possible to prevent them from doing so.

[GreyJoy]

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

GreyJoy, if you haven't experienced carrier combat in AE/WitP/UV before, watch out for the Great Unpredictable But Always Occuring React Against Orders feature.  This is the single most frustrating aspect of this family of games, IMO.  No matter how hard you try, no matter how careful you are in selecting your carrier TF commanders, they can and will react against orders.  They can and will do crazy stuff in moving straight towards the worst possible peril, including leaving behind land-based LRCAP and reacting even when mission sorites are low or you're out of torpedoes.  I don't want to get into this at length here, because you may thoroughly know this already.  But if you don't, educate yourself.  Be prepared for carriers sailing into harm's way when you don't want them to and have done everything possible to prevent them from doing so.

Yes CR, i've read very much about that. About the unpredictability of the clash of carriers. I've read of the 8 hex range that enabled PzB to crush Andy twice, read about the terrible CAP behaviour experienced by Freeboy and Castor Troy...about captains that react even if ordered not to... so i know it's a dice and roll...the good thing is that it's a double edged sword...so japan will encounter the same problems...and Japan is the one who has to fear a carrier clash the most cause he won't have any replacement...while we do[8D]

However guys, BREAKING NEWS:

Rader is pulling out from India.

Yes, you heard me: The battle for India is won!!!!!!!!![&o][&o]

He has been trying to dissimulate it but it's true. If only i had been more focused....[:@]

Ok, here's the story:
Rader being on vacation i got plenty of time between one turn and the other one to study. So i decided to put all my sightin reports togheder and started to study them. i've put them in a single word file and started to use the "search" function...looking for unit names or locations....

Well...since the beginning of November we've seen at least 3 divisions that were confirmed in India in october moving back on transports towards Singapore!!!!!
he cannto think of taking Karachi with 3 divisions less...and that means he won't even try to take my capital!!!!!
That also mean that he's reinforcing his perimeter.

I'm certain at least 2 Manchuko divisions are moving to Guam.

I'm also sure that there are 1 division at iwo and another one at Truk.

Possibly another one is at Rabaul (at least a 1/3 of a division)...

Think i need now to calm down and re-think of the whole process...do i need to counterinvade now? (many units are already on their way to CT and UK[:@][:@][:@])....do i need to prepare myself for an invasion elsewhere? Oz...Solomons...Line Islands?...NOPAC?

Anyhow...a great discovery!!!!!!

The Intelligence was decisive this time! If i had used the WITPTRACKER better i would have gained 2 weeks...but i'm happy nonetheless[:D]

[Canoerebel]

Congrats are in order if rader's truly retiring.
 
But he may have decided to "sit on" your army at Karachi without trying to take the base.  IE, he can pin you down with perhaps 5,000 AV so that your troops are unable to move.  Under that scenario, he would advance with about 10,000 AV to Karachi, leave 5,000 there, and evacuate the balance for use elsewhere.
 
Or he might be truly pulling out now, while the getting is good.  See if you get enough info to determine which option he's pursuing.
 
Even now he has you pinned back.  It will take you time to organize the Indian army to advance.  You might consider movign a stout army forward towards Multan to see if he vigorously engages you with bombers.  If he doesn't, he's truly bugging out.  Then you can send even more troops out.  If he's retreating, you want to be nipping at his heels the best you can.
 
Look around the map at your various restricted CD units.  India, Australia and the good ol' USA have a bunch of them.  You can buy them relatively cheaply and then post them at critical forward bases that might be subject to counterinvasion.
 
If rader hasn't suffered alot of damage to his shipping he might be willing to engage in further amphibious operations.  But he's going to be leary of doing so as long as the Allied carriers are intact.  Also, the fact that he's lost the invasion bonus will prevent him from getting too bold.
 
 

[GreyJoy]

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

Congrats are in order if rader's truly retiring.

But he may have decided to "sit on" your army at Karachi without trying to take the base.  IE, he can pin you down with perhaps 5,000 AV so that your troops are unable to move.  Under that scenario, he would advance with about 10,000 AV to Karachi, leave 5,000 there, and evacuate the balance for use elsewhere.

Or he might be truly pulling out now, while the getting is good.  See if you get enough info to determine which option he's pursuing.

Even now he has you pinned back.  It will take you time to organize the Indian army to advance.  You might consider movign a stout army forward towards Multan to see if he vigorously engages you with bombers.  If he doesn't, he's truly bugging out.  Then you can send even more troops out.  If he's retreating, you want to be nipping at his heels the best you can.

Look around the map at your various restricted CD units.  India, Australia and the good ol' USA have a bunch of them.  You can buy them relatively cheaply and then post them at critical forward bases that might be subject to counterinvasion.

If rader hasn't suffered alot of damage to his shipping he might be willing to engage in further amphibious operations.  But he's going to be leary of doing so as long as the Allied carriers are intact.  Also, the fact that he's lost the invasion bonus will prevent him from getting too bold.

Be sure that if he comes to Karachi with 10000 AV, under the "umbrella" of my bombers, i won't wait for him inside the city. I have 9700 AVs now and with enough supplies to face him. If he dares to come in not with the kitchen sink i'll be using my tanks to flank him (or to contrast his own) and the bulk of my infantry divisions (among which stands at least 7 crack divisions) and my 4es should do the rest.

No, i think he'll sti in Multan, build 9 forts and wait for me...he can do that easily knowing i have no other way to come out of the corner...

However, for any advance i'll wait a bit. Wanna be sure and wanna feel safer. Untill i see 100 units at Jodpure and 90 at Multan i know i cannot advance. But, after the Med will be open, i will be able to mass 15.000 AVs at Karachi and the air war will be slowly shifting on my side...so an advance will be possible.
In the meanwhile my goal will be to let him believe i still fear his advance and i still feel unsafe...a "counter matriovska" [:)]

Well, the Solomons are rather safe i'd say. I have CD guns everywhere and 2000 AVs parked there behind 5/6 forts...
Suva is safe with 1600 AVs and 8 forts....
Line islands?...well...with 7 CVs and 5 CVEs he cannot think of attacking any base so far away from his LBAs...

I do think that the only possible target is OZ...but again the only place he could land safely is western Oz...cause the eastern is safe, well guarded and full of forts everywhere (remember that when i didn't know he was comin for India i had started to prepare for an Oz invasion and everything remained the same.

Don't know...probably he will be sitting back and reinforce his perimeter with those 15000 AVs committed in India...and will be a hell for me...