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

[Roger Neilson II]

All kudos to you Grey Joy for what you have done and for sharing it with us. My personal taste is for a more historical approach, hence there is no way I would ever do this variant. - in the same way I don't play space wargames.

I wonder if any of our real experts out there know the actual numbers of pilots and planes produced by Japan during the war? It seems incredible to me that you are scratching round for airframes given you have the industrial giant of the USA......

Keep up the good work.

Roger

[terje439]

I know how you feel GreyJoy, I have one game running that is kinda the same. I have kept India, lost China, lost most of the Pacific, lost alot of ships including 5 CVs , am running low on APs, cannot kick the IJA out of Northern Oz and cannot seem to catch a break.
I still have fun with it though as I learn alot from it (much to my other opponents frustration I would say), and it forces me to think about my every move.

About aerial combat, not alot you can do in terms of numbers I'm afraid, but you are doing very well with your aerial fights. In India you will recover, and you are in a pretty good shape in the Pacific so things are not too bad. Also to cheer you up a bit, you should look at the ship reinforcement list, close down all ships and look only on CV/CVL/CVE. There is no way the IJN can come close to such numbers. So keep hanging on, and you will eventually see some light

Also take some delight in the fact that this AAR is one of the most frequented, and that by some "big" witp:ae names too!


Terje

[GreyJoy]

Thanks guys. I do appreciate your support. Really do.
 
I won't give up, don't worry. I just need to find some more spirit (well, what is left after the latest defeats at least[:D]) but i'll keep on fighting and updating this AAR (which is really 50% of the enjoyment of this game)!
 
In fact, a part from the CV reinforcements coming down in the second half of 1943, i don't see how i can ever equal the numbers Japan can put up in the air... and for what concerns ships...the ability to always cover his ships with HUGE umbrellas of fighters has forced me to abbandon for the moment any attempt to interdict his shipping with my LBA...same for subs: i try to avoid places where there can be the lethal jap air ASW but i never find a single ship passing there...
 
Ok...tonight we'll start updating again... Thanks again guys!
 
 

[Canoerebel]

GreyJoy, if you obtained a solid grip on Port Moresby, so that your opponent won't be able to take it, at least without a maximum commitment that would hurt him elsewhere, then you've accomplished something very worthwhile here.  Port Moresby is much more valuable to the Allies than it is to Japan, which means it is very valuable to Japan.  A strong hold on PM gives the Allies a base from which they can spread out to the north and west much more easily, thus giving the Allies a dagger pointed right at Japan's vitals.
 
If you lost Long Island and a bunch of transports in seizing PM, big deal!  You'll get plenty more, but that base is worth it!  Well done.
 
Now, consider this.  What if you had arranged things so that you were in a position to mount an important amphibious operation elsewhere, while rader had his full focus on the Solomons and New Guinea.  Even with Netties around, you'd probably waltz right in and take the Gilberts or Wake Island or possibly even some sneaky place like Koepang or the island to the south.  So, you've learned half the trick to orchestrating a massive deception. That is, you've created the deception in the Solomons; all you needed was the force to strike elsewhere.  And it wouldn't have taken much.  Perhaps a divsion worth of troops, a BB or two, two CVE, and a dozen decent xAP and AP.
 
That's the kind of complimentary planning you're going to have to have to really suprise rader.
 
But, in the meantime, it's late 1942 and you've got solid holds in New Guinea and the Solomons, and rader's position in India is going to collapse suddenly in the not-too-distant future.  You're doing okay.

[JohnDillworth]

How about your transport planes? You should have some C-47's by now and you are certainly not using them in India. Get a bunch of those to Townsend and you can at least keep a trickle going in. Heck, if you have some of the upper based built up you might even be able to escort them in case of LCAP

[LST Express]

Stumbled on this AAR a couple days ago Greyjoy and have been burning up battery juice and both eyeballs reading it mostly on my cellphone. A new player taking on a tough opponent and writing an AAR to boot! Good luck the rest of the way!

[Mistmatz]

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel
...
If you lost Long Island and a bunch of transports in seizing PM, big deal!  You'll get plenty more, but that base is worth it!  Well done.
...

I might have missed something, but I thought PM is still held by the japanese?
Nevertheless having a strong force on the ground to reinforce and maybe take it is a threat and something to work with.

[GreyJoy]

Thanks to all of you guys...but things, if possible, are getting worse.
 
 
Another turn and now all my APs AKs (and i mean ALL of them!) are gone, along with 4 cruisers and 8 destroyers...he has sieged PM using 150 planes on LRCAP and 200 Helens started to pound the isolated base, while the KB rides free bombing Cairns and Townsville where my AP/AKs were trying to escape...so now no more APAs and AKAs in mid 43... i know...you all told me they were my best assets after the CVs...and i threw them away in order to get to a base that i cannot defend...and i'm gonna lose PM and the 2 Divisions in it...
 
Losing those APAs i've lost the ability to land into an Atoll...and the now sure loss of PM and of the divisions there will hurt me even more...
 
I need some time to reconquer my fighting spirit and mood...my updates will slow down...
 
i'm sorry but it's getting difficult to get my mood back...
 
Thanks again
Very well GJ...wonderfull jod...

[GreyJoy]

PM was conquered but now cannot be defended. We landed 550 AVs there but only 13k of supplies cause the KB was coming...well, the KB came and got all my fleing fleet and the units remained there isolated...cannot airlift any supply with transport a/c cause 150 planes LRCAP there...and don't have any p-38 to sweep the base (they were all lost defending Karachi)...and he already has more than 1000 planes in the theatre + the KB...
 
I've lost 45 Aus planes today over Cairns...they tried to defend what was left of the AP/AKs fleet...the got chewed (and BOY, they were skilled!!!!) by 50 A6M3s that swept from LAE!!!!!!! at 31k....then by more 50 Zeros sweeping from the KB....and then they came with 300 Kates/Vals...both at Cairns and at Townsville...i think you could guess the result.
 
Now my pools are empty and he already showed he has brought too many forces here to be faced...despite having 200 units and 1500 planes closing on Karachi he could still move 1000 first line fighters and bombers to this sector, bring in his whole combined fleet and lots of units...he doesn't have any fuel problem (fuel problems that, at the opposite, always bite my ass in SOPAC and OZ)...he's always ready to reply to my moves fast and deadly...
 
ok...i'll sleep over again...let's see what tomorrow brings
 
 

[Wirraway_Ace]

ORIGINAL: GreyJoy

...he doesn't have any fuel problem (fuel problems that, at the opposite, always bite my ass in SOPAC and OZ)...

I am not convinced this is true. He has to be shipping 4,000 gals of fuel a day to the home islands to keep just his industry from sucking all his fuel dry. My memory is India needs fuel too. He simply does not have enough tankers to ship fuel from the DEI to the Home Islands, India and Truk. He can certainly out produce you in aircraft, and until you get Corsairs, Hellcats and P47s, his frontline fighters will give you hell. But fuel is an issue for him. Have you made a serious effort to interdict his fuel lifeline to Truk?

[Canoerebel]

GJ, your wild mood swings are the norm for a relatively new player. You're way too far down on yourself. I think you're doing pretty well.

How is rader going to suddenly reclaim PM? Do you know how long it will take him to organize ships and men? Do you think he has three divisions hanging around given what's in India? And if he does manage to pull things together over the next four to six weeks, you'll have opportunities to either take countermeasures or to prepare the next Allied operation somewhere far away.

The losd of good APAs is significant but not crippling. The Allies can use xAP and xAK to successfully invade, although you've got to tweak your arrangements and expectations a bit.

You've preserved your carrier fleets, which is unprecedented for a newb. Even without carriers, the Allies can prevail, but with them it's a whole different ballgame.

You have to prepare new amphibious operations to be ready in four to six weeks. If rader remains fixated on PM for that interval, you'll be fairly free to strike (and can probably use some or all over your carriers). If rader sends the KB elsewhere, be prepared with minesweepers and fast transport and low-value small transports to tote supply to PM. If you think he's diverting the KB to some distant area, you can use your carriers to provide cap to a key supply run to PM.

There are lots of options here, so remain flexible and don't lose your cool by becoming despondent (or the opposite when things go well).

[crsutton]

Well, don't take it to heart. You are playing a first rate player in a scenario that gives him every possible advantage. Scen #2 is tough for even a skilled Allied player because most of the benefits to the Japanese player are "front-loaded." That is, he gets a lot of the advantages at the beginning of the game while the Allied are very weak and gets no help at all. It is a dangerous scenario for the first year of the war because if the Japanese player builds up a little momentum, he can simply "run the table" on the Allied player.

One thing you will have to bear in mind for all future operations. Rader can produce a monumental number of airplanes in this scenario. Believe me as I have seen Viperpol do it in our game. I know nothing about his skills but can almost assure you from what I have seen here that he knows how to get the most out of his production. It is obvious to me because he showed little concern about taking massive aircraft losses in India. You will see an endless number of planes and you will see his best planes a lot earlier than you would normally expect. Every operation that you undertake will be in the face of strong Japanese air.

Best to make your plans with that in mind.

[pws1225]

Actually, my fellow newbie friend, I think you have snatched the initiative away from Rader. The war no longer belongs to him. You took that away at Karachi. Now, you have opened another front on the other side of the map at PM drawing his attention there. And with sufficient planning, you should be able to land another blow elsewhere to throw Rader further off his game. Holding PM is less important than keeping Rader off balance.

CR's advise sounds right to me. Don't over react to the losses that Rader's early strengths can inflict. Stay cool. Every week you delay Rader's advance is a win in your column. Taking PM, although it cost you, hurt Rader's time line even more. That was, IMO, a very nice move. Me thinks you will become one hell of a player.

(Damn, the JFB in me just kicked me in the butt!)

Regards, Paul

[terje439]

How are you Liberator pools? 4 squadrons of Lib's going in at 10k feet can close an airfield in two days, and those guys can take on quite a few fighters without too much problem if the crew are up to the task. Also keep in mind that most of the Japanese AA is located in India, so flying lower should not be too dangerous elsewhere.

But keep up the good work!

Terje

[GreyJoy]

Ok...another bad bad turn...
 
The KB stayed there and pounded what was left of my invasion fleet at Cairns and Townsville. My fighters didn't achieve much, losing 30 planes trying to defend against the KB's strikes and only killing 35 of her own...at the same time sweeps from Lae and Buna keeps on destroying my ability to defend those two location....the results of this campaign were horrible...
 
My Liberator pool is empty cause i'm using them in India and i badly need those guys there to keep him at bay from advancing towards Hyderabad...my P40K pool is empty and so the P-39 one...not to say about the british pools....
 
The only good result of the day was a bomb skipped from Cooktown based Hudsons against an AO that was coming along with the replenishment TFs to feed the KB...my subs near Mylne bay, as usually, scored 4 dude torps....[:o]
 
I'm trying to cool down now....and to analyze the overall strategic situation properly...but i tell you that it's not easy...not easy at all....Intel says more divisions and regiments are moving towards Rabaul...i think i the next 3/4 months this area will be full of jap divisions guarding every single importa nt base...damned that time i thought i could go on the offensive!!!...
 
Sorry if the last replies of mine were not as much descriptive and only composed of moanings and weepings...promise i'll change this mood as soon as i can!
 
 

[aztez]

There is no "damned that time i thought i could go on the offensive!!!... " ...well you need to get your offensive started before the japanese arrive from India.

Accept some heavy losses to gain strategical key bases and start showing him back.

Very simple and needs to get done despite potential heavy losses.

[aztez]

Oh.. and yes japanese will have "twice" the number of aircraft than you will at this point.

This is the fantasy part of things in AE.. but you must grind them.

[Roger Neilson II]

There are times in AE when you need to save your foces and there are times when you just have to take the damage to get the job done. The skill is knowing which is the right time....

Roger

[GreyJoy]

RAder was very kind and gentle in his last email. He feels my pain and tried to back me up with some nice words...[:)]

However guys, i won't sit on my thumbs waiting for 1944 before doing anything. This is a game first of all and i see no fun for neither of the opponents if the game is simply to remain covered untill you get a steamroller.

Rader must do some kind of mistakes sooner or later...he must be unlucky at some point...and i'll do my best trying to provoke those moments...so i'll keep on fighting and i won't just defend. If this will lead me to a final defeat...well, i will have deserved it and it's ok with me.

I'll do my best to save PM now, and i'll do my best to advance in the SOlomons. A Tarawa Invasion is already scheldued as soon as Saratoga comes back from yards and the Indian Counteroffensive is only few months away.

After all...we just wanna have fun, aren't we?! So let's attack

[GreyJoy]

Another turn....Dec 10,11 1942
 
The KB, out of fuel and sorties, moved back to Rabaul...my CVs were in a good position to ambush them while refueling if only they stayed there pounding Cairns one more turn....[:@][:@][:@][:@] I was in the mood to risk my 6 operative CVs in a all in all battle near the coast of Oz, while the KB was with fatigued crews, low and fuel and low on sorties...but it took me too much to get into position (my CVs were at Suva and i was only managed to get 3 hexes SW of Lunga when he decided to move back) and the chance vanished...obviously i won't push any forward and won't risk my CVs in a battle where the odds aren't at least even (and that was the case imho).
 
The good news is that Kaga got a fish from a sub near Milne bay (one other torp hit but was dude[:@])...nothing too serious but she'll stay away from the front for some time...
 
The bad news is that we tried to bomb Jodpur with 4Es and we lost many of them...don't have the turn yet but i think more than 20 went down[:(]...at least he knows he cannot think to leave India completely undefended...
 
Ok, now it's time to reorganize and to think about 1943...which is right behind the corner!