If SS Argonaut, Narwhal, and Nautilus are still afloat, convert to SST. Form them into a Sub Transport TF. Go to PM. Have a unit there placed in 'Strategic Move.' Moved back to Cairns. Rinse, Repeat. You may not be able to save a whole unit, but you could get a large number of troops out rather than have all die there so its easier to rebuild.
Already tried...got two of them sunk by Helens based at Buna... [:(] i'll try to sneak some Catalinas...at least i'll save fragmnets for re-building purposes...
If SS Argonaut, Narwhal, and Nautilus are still afloat, convert to SST. Form them into a Sub Transport TF. Go to PM. Have a unit there placed in 'Strategic Move.' Moved back to Cairns. Rinse, Repeat. You may not be able to save a whole unit, but you could get a large number of troops out rather than have all die there so its easier to rebuild.
Already tried...got two of them sunk by Helens based at Buna... [:(] i'll try to sneak some Catalinas...at least i'll save fragmnets for re-building purposes...
Don't worry too much about saving fragments. Not if if means losing valuable aircraft and ships. The most recent betas allow you to purchase destroyed units back with a very small PP cost. You no longer need to save fragments. Even if you do not use any of the betas, it can be assumed that the official patch will be out before you really have need or resources to start rebuilding. So just wait for the patch and you will be fine.
I might need to send Rader a bribe to find out why his Helens are so deadly and how he is getting those massive Tojo sweeps to work. [:D] I haven't gotten mine to come out in more than a single Sentai size. My Helens have ASW skill at 70, but don't seem to be that effective.
Aircraft Attacking:
39 x Ki-44-IIa Tojo sweeping at 31000 feet *
32 x Ki-44-IIa Tojo sweeping at 31000 feet *
32 x Ki-44-IIa Tojo sweeping at 31000 feet *
33 x Ki-44-IIa Tojo sweeping at 31000 feet *
39 x Ki-44-IIa Tojo sweeping at 31000 feet *
38 x Ki-44-IIa Tojo sweeping at 31000 feet *
29 x Ki-44-IIa Tojo sweeping at 31000 feet *
7 x Ki-44-IIa Tojo sweeping at 31000 feet *
If SS Argonaut, Narwhal, and Nautilus are still afloat, convert to SST. Form them into a Sub Transport TF. Go to PM. Have a unit there placed in 'Strategic Move.' Moved back to Cairns. Rinse, Repeat. You may not be able to save a whole unit, but you could get a large number of troops out rather than have all die there so its easier to rebuild.
Already tried...got two of them sunk by Helens based at Buna... [:(] i'll try to sneak some Catalinas...at least i'll save fragmnets for re-building purposes...
Don't worry too much about saving fragments. Not if if means losing valuable aircraft and ships. The most recent betas allow you to purchase destroyed units back with a very small PP cost. You no longer need to save fragments. Even if you do not use any of the betas, it can be assumed that the official patch will be out before you really have need or resources to start rebuilding. So just wait for the patch and you will be fine.
I might need to send Rader a bribe to find out why his Helens are so deadly and how he is getting those massive Tojo sweeps to work. [:D] I haven't gotten mine to come out in more than a single Sentai size. My Helens have ASW skill at 70, but don't seem to be that effective.
As far as i can tell by recon, he moves in at least 2 Helens Sentais every time he wants to push away my subs...probably 2x36 Helens with high ASW skills on small search arcs may do the trick!
I've been able to do the same with my Hudsons at Karachi...but i had to flood the place with more than 200 bombers on naval search in a squadre of 8 total hexes!
I might need to send Rader a bribe to find out why his Helens are so deadly and how he is getting those massive Tojo sweeps to work. [:D] I haven't gotten mine to come out in more than a single Sentai size. My Helens have ASW skill at 70, but don't seem to be that effective.
I obviously can't reply for Rader but I have the same level of success with Japan ASW in my game against LST Express where, in mid 44, I have sunk more that 100 subs mostly by planes (the number has been confirmed by my noble opponent). What I do is have very good pilots in ASW and put the planes at 1K feet altitude. Because we are playing and older version I do not use search arcs but I regularly spot and attack subs many times every turn.
I might need to send Rader a bribe to find out why his Helens are so deadly and how he is getting those massive Tojo sweeps to work. [:D] I haven't gotten mine to come out in more than a single Sentai size. My Helens have ASW skill at 70, but don't seem to be that effective.
I obviously can't reply for Rader but I have the same level of success with Japan ASW in my game against LST Express where, in mid 44, I have sunk more that 100 subs mostly by planes (the number has been confirmed by my noble opponent). What I do is have very good pilots in ASW and put the planes at 1K feet altitude. Because we are playing and older version I do not use search arcs but I regularly spot and attack subs many times every turn.
Hope it help.
Alex.
yes, i do the same with my ASW planes, even tough i haven't any specific ASW squadron yet (working on this), i set them to naval search and they do spot subs and attack them...very few of them are actually sunk but at least i'm able to defend my sea lanes...
Defenetly the ASW air system is too overpowered on both sides...it's impossible to send allied subs on lanes not covered by ASW and find any ship...Japan just need to keep his routes close to isles or bases where he can base the dreaded Helens and voilà...you have so nullified the allied sub campaign.
The same goes for the allies with the only difference that allied sea lanes are bigger and no matter how good you plan, you cannot cover every ocean hex (for ex between PH and SF there's a Gap that no air patrol can cover
I might need to send Rader a bribe to find out why his Helens are so deadly and how he is getting those massive Tojo sweeps to work. [:D] I haven't gotten mine to come out in more than a single Sentai size. My Helens have ASW skill at 70, but don't seem to be that effective.
I obviously can't reply for Rader but I have the same level of success with Japan ASW in my game against LST Express where, in mid 44, I have sunk more that 100 subs mostly by planes (the number has been confirmed by my noble opponent). What I do is have very good pilots in ASW and put the planes at 1K feet altitude. Because we are playing and older version I do not use search arcs but I regularly spot and attack subs many times every turn.
Hope it help.
Alex.
yes, i do the same with my ASW planes, even tough i haven't any specific ASW squadron yet (working on this), i set them to naval search and they do spot subs and attack them...very few of them are actually sunk but at least i'm able to defend my sea lanes...
Defenetly the ASW air system is too overpowered on both sides...it's impossible to send allied subs on lanes not covered by ASW and find any ship...Japan just need to keep his routes close to isles or bases where he can base the dreaded Helens and voilà...you have so nullified the allied sub campaign.
The same goes for the allies with the only difference that allied sea lanes are bigger and no matter how good you plan, you cannot cover every ocean hex (for ex between PH and SF there's a Gap that no air patrol can cover
Funny, but I don't think Allied air ASW is overpowered at all. It it perhaps just about right. Perhaps it is because I have focused my training on search and low bombing over ASW. At least in the Atlantic theater, I think Allied air was killing subs as often or more than surface vessels in the last few years of the war. Actually, to be fair it was usually a joint effort using all assets at once.
For the Allied player air asw is not so important. You eventually get so many good ASW ships that you need only use the air to spot. The ships will do the killing just fine. Once they get radar and upgraded DC (mousetraps and hedgehogs too) it is just amazing how effective even lowly SC and AMs are at killing subs. Surprising to me is how poorly my KV types have done. They seem to eat a lot of torpedoes.
Ok, these are the units identified by now that are marching on the Owen Stanley:
4th Guards Division
7th Division ...
36th Division ...
19th Division ...
63rd Infantry Group ...
Guards Mixed Brigade ...
37th Division ...
Also attacking 140th Infantry Regiment ...
[X(][X(][X(][X(][X(]...and they are not over....[:o][:o][:o]
Jan 5, 6 1942
Rader wants to reduce the Solomons using the air power. Today 240 fighters swept Lunga and Tessafaronga, while 500 bombers, escorted by more 300 fighters bombed both of them....cannot even think to base my Cactus force there...
PM was again hit hard by 200 bombers today. Supplies are gone for good and no hope to hold against those 5000 (at least!) AVs he's bringing there....
My bombers flew from Cairns hitting his advancing columns...not enough...will never be enough...he simply has too many forces here. Now i need to resist in the Solomons...don't know how but i need to keep the supplied and alive...will be a hell of a task!...and he showed me he can move thousands of AVs in very few weeks without any problem (fuel, supply, ships...) he's allmighty at the moment
Rader wants to reduce the Solomons using the air power. Today 240 fighters swept Lunga and Tessafaronga, while 500 bombers, escorted by more 300 fighters bombed both of them....cannot even think to base my Cactus force there...
PM was again hit hard by 200 bombers today. Supplies are gone for good and no hope to hold against those 5000 (at least!) AVs he's bringing there....
My bombers flew from Cairns hitting his advancing columns...not enough...will never be enough...he simply has too many forces here. Now i need to resist in the Solomons...don't know how but i need to keep the supplied and alive...will be a hell of a task!...and he showed me he can move thousands of AVs in very few weeks without any problem (fuel, supply, ships...) he's allmighty at the moment
Just does not seem like a fun game to play, I have played way more Japanese games than Allied ones and have never massed that many planes any where. First he seems to be over stacking his bases and even with multi bases there is no way he could get that many planes to come in those numbers. Don't care if he has several bases with 200 planes to 500 planes are not going to arrive close to one another in this game from different bases. So that brings me to this. With all of the house rules you guys have you need to make a new one. All of the rules seem to favor Rader. You need a rule on amount of planes at a base. Say 50 to a size one 100 to a size 2 so on up to 450 at one base. With the amount he is flying it tells me that he has upwwards of 1000 planes at some of these bases. Then 2 day turns are kind of cheap because he can come 2 strait turns like he is with his airpower before you can even change orders. Finally he has figured out your are a very reactionary player so he uses the KB to sweep in on the second day before you can make a move because of the two day turns. It is almost like the game was set up to give him an advantage and he has based his game play off of things that you can do in 2 day turns and made the game a little unrealistic. The 4E bombers on naval attcak is killing you beacause at over 6000 feet they never hit a thing, but if you could uuse them more in that role it could wear him out, but that is takin away from you, then you have all of these rules but need a rule of air ASW which is a litle over the top.
It just feels to me you need to step up and say hey we need a house rule to maybe balance a few things out because come on it is getting out of control.
"Ours was the first revolution in the history of mankind that truly reversed the course of government, and with three little words: 'We the people.' 'We the people' tell the government what to do, it doesn't tell us." -Ronald Reagan
Aircraft Attacking:
39 x Ki-44-IIa Tojo sweeping at 31000 feet *
32 x Ki-44-IIa Tojo sweeping at 31000 feet *
32 x Ki-44-IIa Tojo sweeping at 31000 feet *
33 x Ki-44-IIa Tojo sweeping at 31000 feet *
39 x Ki-44-IIa Tojo sweeping at 31000 feet *
38 x Ki-44-IIa Tojo sweeping at 31000 feet *
29 x Ki-44-IIa Tojo sweeping at 31000 feet *
7 x Ki-44-IIa Tojo sweeping at 31000 feet *
What altitudes do you have your fighters? Are you attempting to fly them at the top of the "second highest band"? If so, stop, and set them low so that they are in their best performance band. So, for example, that means less than 9000 feet for the P-39s.
For that matter, why not set them all to say 5000 feet, or even lower? The Tojos might not be able to get down to them. (I've seen that when enemy bombers come in low and my fighters are at their operational ceiling.)
Ok, i really hate to whine...but i can't help this time. Bad luck follows me like a shadow....
After 2 months of peace over Karachi, when only sweeps were coming from Jodpur, i decided to give my front line fighters 2 days of rest to raise up their morale and lower their fatigue... so i stand down most of them...knowing that there was a little % of possibilities that Rader would chose exactly that same day to start back its bombing campaign... Now just guess what! 1000 planes attacked Karachi....[:o]
At the very same time 1000 planes attacked Lunga, all his BBs went in bombarding Lunga and he invaded Russell Island...
I always do the wrong thing at the wrong time...
Lost 150 planes this turn. On the ground. ...probably i lost the grip over Solomons too....
I know it's boring...but just to let you know what kind of forces i'm facing i'll post the combat report...
AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR Jan 09, 43
First he came to sweep my PTs....as usually none of the cared to fire a single torpedo...
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day Time Surface Combat, near Lunga at 114,138, Range 15,000 Yards
Allied Ships
PT-80, Shell hits 1
PT-81
PT-82
PT-83, Shell hits 1, and is sunk
PT-84, Shell hits 2, and is sunk
PT-115, Shell hits 2, and is sunk
PT-116, Shell hits 1, and is sunk
PT-117
PT-118
PT-119
PT-120, Shell hits 3, and is sunk
PT-121, Shell hits 1, and is sunk
Then was the air sweep over Karachi and Lunga....
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Morning Air attack on Karachi , at 40,8
Weather in hex: Heavy cloud
Raid detected at 42 NM, estimated altitude 37,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 12 minutes
Japanese aircraft
A6M3a Zero x 33
Allied aircraft
Hurricane IIb Trop x 1
P-38E Lightning x 2
P-38F Lightning x 1
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Morning Air attack on Lunga , at 114,138
Weather in hex: Thunderstorms
Raid detected at 17 NM, estimated altitude 22,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 4 minutes
Japanese aircraft
A6M3a Zero x 24
No Japanese losses
Aircraft Attacking:
24 x A6M3a Zero sweeping at 20000 feet
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Morning Air attack on Lunga , at 114,138
Weather in hex: Thunderstorms
Raid detected at 29 NM, estimated altitude 25,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 9 minutes
Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 18
No Japanese losses
Aircraft Attacking:
18 x A6M2 Zero sweeping at 20000 feet
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Morning Air attack on Karachi , at 40,8
Weather in hex: Heavy cloud
Raid detected at 45 NM, estimated altitude 32,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 12 minutes
Japanese aircraft
A6M3 Zero x 45
Allied aircraft
P-38E Lightning x 1
No Japanese losses
No Allied losses
Aircraft Attacking:
45 x A6M3 Zero sweeping at 31000 feet
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Morning Air attack on Tassafaronga , at 113,137
Weather in hex: Thunderstorms
Raid detected at 38 NM, estimated altitude 34,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 10 minutes
Japanese aircraft
Ki-44-IIa Tojo x 30
No Japanese losses
Aircraft Attacking:
30 x Ki-44-IIa Tojo sweeping at 31000 feet *
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Morning Air attack on Lunga , at 114,138
Weather in hex: Thunderstorms
Raid detected at 45 NM, estimated altitude 24,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 14 minutes
Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 23
No Japanese losses
Aircraft Attacking:
23 x A6M2 Zero sweeping at 20000 feet
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Morning Air attack on Karachi , at 40,8
Weather in hex: Heavy cloud
Raid detected at 38 NM, estimated altitude 32,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 10 minutes
Japanese aircraft
A6M3 Zero x 33
Allied aircraft
P-38E Lightning x 1
No Japanese losses
No Allied losses
Aircraft Attacking:
33 x A6M3 Zero sweeping at 31000 feet
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Morning Air attack on Karachi , at 40,8
Weather in hex: Heavy cloud
Raid detected at 35 NM, estimated altitude 34,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 9 minutes
Japanese aircraft
Ki-44-IIa Tojo x 26
Allied aircraft
P-38E Lightning x 1
No Japanese losses
No Allied losses
Aircraft Attacking:
26 x Ki-44-IIa Tojo sweeping at 31000 feet *
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Morning Air attack on Lunga , at 114,138
Weather in hex: Thunderstorms
Raid detected at 16 NM, estimated altitude 25,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 5 minutes
Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 22
No Japanese losses
Aircraft Attacking:
22 x A6M2 Zero sweeping at 20000 feet
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Morning Air attack on Karachi , at 40,8
Weather in hex: Heavy cloud
Raid detected at 21 NM, estimated altitude 34,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 6 minutes
Japanese aircraft
A6M3 Zero x 9
No Japanese losses
Aircraft Attacking:
9 x A6M3 Zero sweeping at 31000 feet
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Oh, he didn't forget PM either...
Morning Air attack on Port Moresby , at 98,130
Weather in hex: Clear sky
Raid detected at 118 NM, estimated altitude 13,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 46 minutes
Aircraft Attacking:
15 x G3M2 Nell bombing from 10000 feet
Airfield Attack: 2 x 250 kg GP Bomb, 4 x 60 kg GP Bomb
36 x G4M1 Betty bombing from 10000 feet
Airfield Attack: 2 x 250 kg GP Bomb, 4 x 60 kg GP Bomb
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Morning Air attack on TF, near Karachi at 40,8
Weather in hex: Heavy cloud
Raid detected at 131 NM, estimated altitude 14,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 52 minutes
Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 43
G3M2 Nell x 18
G4M1 Betty x 40
Japanese aircraft losses
G4M1 Betty: 2 damaged
Allied Ships
CLAA Van Heemskerck, Torpedo hits 2, on fire, heavy damage
DD Tenedos
DD Stronghold
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Morning Air attack on Port Moresby , at 98,130
Weather in hex: Clear sky
Raid detected at 101 NM, estimated altitude 11,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 32 minutes
Japanese aircraft
Ki-49-IIa Helen x 2
No Japanese losses
Airbase hits 1
Aircraft Attacking:
2 x Ki-49-IIa Helen bombing from 10000 feet
Airfield Attack: 4 x 250 kg GP Bomb
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Morning Air attack on Karachi , at 40,8
Weather in hex: Heavy cloud
Raid detected at 170 NM, estimated altitude 19,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 53 minutes
Japanese aircraft
Ki-21-IIa Sally x 56
Ki-43-IIa Oscar x 69
Ki-44-IIa Tojo x 289
Ki-45 KAIa Nick x 69
Ki-48-Ib Lily x 81
Ki-49-IIa Helen x 219
Allied aircraft
no flights
Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-48-Ib Lily: 4 damaged
Ki-49-IIa Helen: 13 damaged
Ki-49-IIa Helen: 2 destroyed by flak
Allied aircraft losses
Wellington Ic: 2 destroyed on ground
B-25C Mitchell: 4 destroyed on ground
Hudson IIIa: 2 destroyed on ground
DC-2: 2 destroyed on ground
B-24D Liberator: 2 destroyed on ground
B-17E Fortress: 2 destroyed on ground
Albacore I: 3 destroyed on ground
Beaufort V: 4 destroyed on ground
OS2U-3 Kingfisher: 1 destroyed on ground
Vengeance I: 4 destroyed on ground
C-47 Skytrain: 3 destroyed on ground
DC-2: 1 destroyed on ground
Aircraft Attacking:
25 x Ki-49-IIa Helen bombing from 10000 feet
Airfield Attack: 4 x 250 kg GP Bomb
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Morning Air attack on Tassafaronga , at 113,137
Weather in hex: Thunderstorms
Raid detected at 88 NM, estimated altitude 35,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 24 minutes
Japanese aircraft
Ki-44-IIa Tojo x 3
No Japanese losses
Aircraft Attacking:
3 x Ki-44-IIa Tojo sweeping at 31000 feet *
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Morning Air attack on Lunga , at 114,138
Weather in hex: Thunderstorms
Raid detected at 188 NM, estimated altitude 23,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 62 minutes
Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 14
No Japanese losses
Aircraft Attacking:
7 x A6M2 Zero sweeping at 20000 feet
7 x A6M2 Zero sweeping at 20000 feet
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Morning Air attack on Karachi , at 40,8
Weather in hex: Heavy cloud
Raid detected at 218 NM, estimated altitude 36,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 60 minutes
Japanese aircraft
Ki-44-IIa Tojo x 6
No Japanese losses
Aircraft Attacking:
6 x Ki-44-IIa Tojo sweeping at 31000 feet *
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Morning Air attack on Karachi , at 40,8
Weather in hex: Heavy cloud
Raid detected at 157 NM, estimated altitude 18,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 49 minutes
Japanese aircraft
Ki-44-IIa Tojo x 25
Ki-49-IIa Helen x 26
Allied aircraft
no flights
Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-49-IIa Helen: 5 damaged
Ki-49-IIa Helen: 1 destroyed by flak
Allied aircraft losses
Albacore I: 1 destroyed on ground
Vengeance I: 1 destroyed on ground
Runway hits 2
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Afternoon Air attack on Tassafaronga , at 113,137
Weather in hex: Thunderstorms
Raid detected at 48 NM, estimated altitude 13,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 16 minutes
Japanese aircraft
G4M1 Betty x 43
Japanese aircraft losses
G4M1 Betty: 3 damaged
G4M1 Betty: 1 destroyed by flak
Airbase hits 3
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Lunga at 114,138
I decided to move a single 18 SDB unit to Lunga...just in case...guess what? the Bomb didn't penetrate and bumped!!![:-]
Weather in hex: Heavy cloud
Raid spotted at 12 NM, estimated altitude 11,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 4 minutes
Allied aircraft
SBD-3 Dauntless x 9
No Allied losses
Japanese Ships
CL Kinu, Bomb hits 1
Aircraft Attacking:
9 x SBD-3 Dauntless releasing from 2000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb SAP Bomb
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Afternoon Air attack on Lunga , at 114,138 [8|]
Weather in hex: Heavy cloud
Raid detected at 158 NM, estimated altitude 18,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 67 minutes
Japanese aircraft
A6M3a Zero x 164
B5N1 Kate x 64
B5N2 Kate x 37
Ki-43-Ib Oscar x 12
Ki-43-Ic Oscar x 12
Ki-43-IIa Oscar x 46
Allied aircraft
no flights
Japanese aircraft losses
B5N1 Kate: 6 damaged
B5N2 Kate: 7 damaged
B5N2 Kate: 1 destroyed by flak
Allied aircraft losses
SBD-3 Dauntless: 1 destroyed on ground
Airbase hits 5
Runway hits 30
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Afternoon Air attack on Lunga , at 114,138
Weather in hex: Heavy cloud
Raid detected at 160 NM, estimated altitude 15,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 68 minutes
Japanese aircraft
A6M3a Zero x 11
B5N1 Kate x 15
B5N2 Kate x 74
Ki-43-Ib Oscar x 12
Ki-43-Ic Oscar x 12
Ki-43-IIa Oscar x 46
Japanese aircraft losses
B5N1 Kate: 3 damaged
B5N1 Kate: 1 destroyed by flak
B5N2 Kate: 12 damaged
B5N2 Kate: 1 destroyed by flak
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR Jan 10, 43
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Night Time Surface Combat, near Tulagi at 114,137, Range 6,000 Yards
But are those stupid PTs supposed to do something!?!?!?!?!? [:@]
Japanese Ships
CL Kinu
DD Inazuma
DD Fubuki
DD Shinonome
DD Usugumo
Allied Ships
PT-60, Shell hits 1, and is sunk
PT-61
PT-66, Shell hits 1
PT-67, Shell hits 1, and is sunk
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Night Time Surface Combat, near Lunga at 114,138, Range 11,000 Yards
Japanese Ships
BB Haruna
BB Kirishima
BB Nagato
BB Mutsu
CA Tone
CA Myoko
CA Haguro
CA Nachi
CA Mogami
CA Suzuya
CA Aoba
DD Tanikaze
DD Asashio
DD Oshio
DD Shirakumo
DD Isonami
Allied Ships
PT-80
PT-81
PT-82
PT-117
PT-118
PT-119, Shell hits 1, and is sunk
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Night Time Surface Combat, near Lunga at 114,138, Range 9,000 Yards
Japanese Ships
BB Haruna
BB Kirishima
BB Nagato
BB Mutsu
CA Tone
CA Myoko
CA Haguro
CA Nachi
CA Mogami
CA Suzuya
CA Aoba
DD Tanikaze
DD Asashio
DD Oshio
DD Shirakumo
DD Isonami
Allied Ships
PT-61
PT-66, Shell hits 1, and is sunk
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Night Time Surface Combat, near Lunga at 114,138, Range 12,000 Yards
Japanese Ships
BB Haruna
BB Kirishima
BB Nagato
BB Mutsu
CA Tone
CA Myoko
CA Haguro
CA Nachi
CA Mogami
CA Suzuya
CA Aoba
DD Tanikaze
DD Asashio
DD Oshio
DD Shirakumo
DD Isonami
Allied Ships
AM Bengal, Shell hits 3, and is sunk
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Night Naval bombardment of Lunga at 114,138 - Coastal Guns Fire Back!
Allied aircraft
no flights
Allied aircraft losses
SBD-3 Dauntless: 3 destroyed on ground
OS2U-3 Kingfisher: 4 destroyed on ground
PBY-5 Catalina: 1 destroyed on ground
13 Coastal gun shots fired in defense.
Japanese Ships
BB Mutsu
BB Nagato
BB Kirishima
BB Haruna
CA Aoba, Shell hits 1
CA Suzuya
CA Mogami
CA Nachi
CA Haguro
CA Myoko
CA Tone
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ASW attack near Thousand Ships Bay at 114,136
Japanese Ships
DD Asashio
BB Mutsu
BB Haruna
CA Aoba
CA Nachi
CA Haguro
DD Oshio
DD Isonami
DD Shirakumo
Aircraft Attacking:
27 x Ki-48-Ib Lily bombing from 16000 feet
Airfield Attack: 4 x 100 kg GP Bomb
31 x Ki-21-IIa Sally bombing from 16000 feet
Airfield Attack: 4 x 250 kg GP Bomb
30 x Ki-49-IIa Helen bombing from 16000 feet
Airfield Attack: 4 x 250 kg GP Bomb
26 x Ki-49-IIa Helen bombing from 16000 feet
Airfield Attack: 4 x 250 kg GP Bomb
2 x Ki-44-IIa Tojo sweeping at 16000 feet *
33 x Ki-49-IIa Helen bombing from 16000 feet
Airfield Attack: 4 x 250 kg GP Bomb
25 x Ki-49-IIa Helen bombing from 16000 feet
Airfield Attack: 4 x 250 kg GP Bomb
25 x Ki-49-IIa Helen bombing from 16000 feet
Airfield Attack: 4 x 250 kg GP Bomb
25 x Ki-49-IIa Helen bombing from 16000 feet
Airfield Attack: 4 x 250 kg GP Bomb
11 x Ki-45 KAIa Nick sweeping at 10000 feet
25 x Ki-48-Ib Lily bombing from 16000 feet
Airfield Attack: 4 x 100 kg GP Bomb
30 x Ki-49-IIa Helen bombing from 16000 feet
Airfield Attack: 4 x 250 kg GP Bomb
25 x Ki-21-IIa Sally bombing from 16000 feet
Airfield Attack: 4 x 250 kg GP Bomb
29 x Ki-48-Ib Lily bombing from 16000 feet
Airfield Attack: 4 x 100 kg GP Bomb
25 x Ki-49-IIa Helen bombing from 16000 feet
Airfield Attack: 4 x 250 kg GP Bomb
1 x Ki-44-IIa Tojo sweeping at 16000 feet *
30 x Ki-49-IIa Helen bombing from 16000 feet
Airfield Attack: 4 x 250 kg GP Bomb
10 x Ki-44-IIa Tojo sweeping at 16000 feet *
6 x Ki-49-IIa Helen bombing from 16000 feet
Airfield Attack: 4 x 250 kg GP Bomb
8 x Ki-44-IIa Tojo sweeping at 16000 feet *
4 x Ki-44-IIa Tojo sweeping at 16000 feet *
8 x Ki-43-IIa Oscar sweeping at 16000 feet
CAP engaged:
No.888 Sqn FAA with Martlet II (0 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
19 plane(s) not yet engaged, 0 being recalled, 0 out of immediate contact.
Group patrol altitude is 18000
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 21 minutes
No.6 Sqn IAF with Hurricane FR.IIb (0 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
3 plane(s) not yet engaged, 0 being recalled, 0 out of immediate contact.
Group patrol altitude is 9000
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 25 minutes
Training flight from No.888 Sqn FAA has been caught up in attack
Training flight from No.6 Sqn IAF has been caught up in attack
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Morning Air attack on Lunga , at 114,138
Weather in hex: Partial cloud
Raid detected at 147 NM, estimated altitude 14,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 46 minutes
Japanese aircraft
Ki-43-Ib Oscar x 11
Ki-43-Ic Oscar x 11
Ki-43-IIa Oscar x 47
Ki-49-IIa Helen x 49
Allied aircraft
no flights
Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-49-IIa Helen: 4 damaged
Ki-49-IIa Helen: 1 destroyed by flak
No Allied losses
Airbase hits 2
Runway hits 6
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Morning Air attack on Lunga , at 114,138
Weather in hex: Partial cloud
Raid detected at 174 NM, estimated altitude 15,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 74 minutes
Japanese aircraft
A6M3a Zero x 91
B5N2 Kate x 53
Allied aircraft
no flights
Japanese aircraft losses
B5N2 Kate: 4 damaged
Allied aircraft losses
PBY-5 Catalina: 1 destroyed on ground
Airbase hits 1
Runway hits 6
Aircraft Attacking:
26 x B5N2 Kate bombing from 14000 feet
Airfield Attack: 2 x 250 kg GP Bomb
27 x B5N2 Kate bombing from 14000 feet
Airfield Attack: 2 x 250 kg GP Bomb
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Morning Air attack on Lunga , at 114,138
Weather in hex: Partial cloud
Raid detected at 180 NM, estimated altitude 21,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 60 minutes
Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 14
No Japanese losses
Aircraft Attacking:
7 x A6M2 Zero sweeping at 20000 feet
7 x A6M2 Zero sweeping at 20000 feet
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Morning Air attack on Karachi , at 40,8
Weather in hex: Clear sky
Raid detected at 228 NM, estimated altitude 33,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 65 minutes
Japanese aircraft
A6M3 Zero x 8
No Japanese losses
Aircraft Attacking:
8 x A6M3 Zero sweeping at 31000 feet
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Morning Air attack on Karachi , at 40,8
Weather in hex: Clear sky
Raid detected at 197 NM, estimated altitude 36,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 54 minutes
Japanese aircraft
Ki-44-IIa Tojo x 6
No Japanese losses
Aircraft Attacking:
6 x Ki-44-IIa Tojo sweeping at 31000 feet *
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Morning Air attack on Karachi , at 40,8
Weather in hex: Clear sky
Raid detected at 155 NM, estimated altitude 22,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 49 minutes
Japanese aircraft
Ki-44-IIa Tojo x 6
Ki-49-IIa Helen x 26
Allied aircraft
no flights
Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-49-IIa Helen: 11 damaged
Ki-49-IIa Helen: 1 destroyed by flak
Allied aircraft losses
Hudson IIIa: 1 destroyed on ground
Beaufort V: 1 destroyed on ground
Albacore I: 1 destroyed on ground
Aircraft Attacking:
12 x G3M2 Nell bombing from 10000 feet
Airfield Attack: 2 x 250 kg SAP Bomb, 4 x 60 kg GP Bomb
27 x G4M1 Betty bombing from 10000 feet
Airfield Attack: 2 x 250 kg GP Bomb, 4 x 60 kg GP Bomb
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Afternoon Air attack on Tassafaronga , at 113,137
Weather in hex: Thunderstorms
Raid detected at 107 NM, estimated altitude 15,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 37 minutes
Japanese aircraft
G4M1 Betty x 41
Japanese aircraft losses
G4M1 Betty: 2 damaged
Airbase hits 1
Runway hits 3
Aircraft Attacking:
15 x G4M1 Betty bombing from 10000 feet
Airfield Attack: 2 x 250 kg GP Bomb, 4 x 60 kg GP Bomb
13 x G4M1 Betty bombing from 10000 feet
Airfield Attack: 2 x 250 kg GP Bomb, 4 x 60 kg GP Bomb
13 x G4M1 Betty bombing from 10000 feet
Airfield Attack: 2 x 250 kg GP Bomb, 4 x 60 kg GP Bomb
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Afternoon Air attack on Lunga , at 114,138
Weather in hex: Partial cloud
Raid detected at 140 NM, estimated altitude 17,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 44 minutes
Japanese aircraft
Ki-43-Ib Oscar x 13
Ki-43-Ic Oscar x 3
Ki-43-IIa Oscar x 45
Ki-49-IIa Helen x 29
Allied aircraft
no flights
Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-49-IIa Helen: 8 damaged
No Allied losses
Airbase hits 1
Runway hits 5
Aircraft Attacking:
12 x Ki-49-IIa Helen bombing from 12000 feet
Airfield Attack: 4 x 250 kg GP Bomb
6 x Ki-49-IIa Helen bombing from 12000 feet
Airfield Attack: 4 x 250 kg GP Bomb
6 x Ki-49-IIa Helen bombing from 12000 feet
Airfield Attack: 4 x 250 kg GP Bomb
5 x Ki-49-IIa Helen bombing from 12000 feet
Airfield Attack: 4 x 250 kg GP Bomb
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Afternoon Air attack on Port Moresby , at 98,130
Weather in hex: Light cloud
Raid detected at 85 NM, estimated altitude 15,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 26 minutes
Japanese aircraft
Ki-49-IIa Helen x 21
Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-49-IIa Helen: 1 damaged
Airbase hits 3
Runway hits 6
Aircraft Attacking:
19 x Ki-49-IIa Helen bombing from 10000 feet
Airfield Attack: 4 x 250 kg GP Bomb
2 x Ki-49-IIa Helen bombing from 10000 feet
Airfield Attack: 4 x 250 kg GP Bomb
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Afternoon Air attack on Lunga , at 114,138
Weather in hex: Partial cloud
Raid detected at 125 NM, estimated altitude 13,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 39 minutes
Japanese aircraft
Ki-43-Ic Oscar x 11
Ki-49-IIa Helen x 12
Allied aircraft
no flights
Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-49-IIa Helen: 2 damaged
Allied aircraft losses
SBD-3 Dauntless: 1 destroyed on ground
Runway hits 2
Aircraft Attacking:
12 x Ki-49-IIa Helen bombing from 12000 feet
Airfield Attack: 4 x 250 kg GP Bomb
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Afternoon Air attack on Lunga , at 114,138
Weather in hex: Partial cloud
Raid detected at 180 NM, estimated altitude 14,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 77 minutes
Japanese aircraft
A6M3a Zero x 162
B5N1 Kate x 70
B5N2 Kate x 87
Allied aircraft
no flights
Japanese aircraft losses
B5N1 Kate: 8 damaged
B5N2 Kate: 7 damaged
B5N2 Kate: 1 destroyed by flak
Allied aircraft losses
SBD-3 Dauntless: 1 destroyed on ground
OS2U-3 Kingfisher: 1 destroyed on ground
Airbase hits 9
Runway hits 22
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Afternoon Air attack on Lunga , at 114,138
Weather in hex: Partial cloud
Raid detected at 155 NM, estimated altitude 15,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 66 minutes
Japanese aircraft
A6M3a Zero x 9
B5N1 Kate x 5
B5N2 Kate x 17
Aircraft Attacking:
17 x B5N2 Kate bombing from 14000 feet
Airfield Attack: 2 x 250 kg GP Bomb
5 x B5N1 Kate bombing from 14000 feet
Airfield Attack: 2 x 250 kg GP Bomb
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Pre-Invasion action off Russell Islands (113,136)
Defensive Guns engage approaching landing force
33 Coastal gun shots fired in defense.
Attacking force 242 troops, 4 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 54
Defending force 2549 troops, 24 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 110 He already has 110 AVs ashore....[X(]
Assaulting units:
1st USMC Parachute Battalion
138th(Sep) Infantry Rgt /1
46th Construction Regiment
5th USN Naval Construction Battalion
1393rd Construction Regiment
D Det USN Port Svc
Defending units:
10th Garrison Unit /2
64th Infantry Group /6
The Solomons are turning out in another tragedy... the decision to withdraw my CVs to R&R was the worse possible one...I'm harmless...his air power alone is able to force me out of everywhere...i cannot even defend a system with mutiple supporting base like the solomons cause he's able to shut them down all at once...
Today 3 or our subs were damaned and 2 sunk around the Solomons by air ASW and naval ASW...
Now i'll have to try to evacuate Russell Island...and tomorrow, with a level 4AF in his hands, he'll be able to controll the whole solomons air space...i'm almost doomed...
Ok, now i need to think....focus again...what to do?? my CVs are 10 days from being operational again.... invade Tarawa now using the 5 operative CVs plus 5 CVEs?...so forcing him to move his CVs away from the Solomons and try to recover there (without the KB i think i can handle him in the Solomons)?? Or would i so risk to lose everything and the war all in one!?
Rader wants to reduce the Solomons using the air power. Today 240 fighters swept Lunga and Tessafaronga, while 500 bombers, escorted by more 300 fighters bombed both of them....cannot even think to base my Cactus force there...
PM was again hit hard by 200 bombers today. Supplies are gone for good and no hope to hold against those 5000 (at least!) AVs he's bringing there....
My bombers flew from Cairns hitting his advancing columns...not enough...will never be enough...he simply has too many forces here. Now i need to resist in the Solomons...don't know how but i need to keep the supplied and alive...will be a hell of a task!...and he showed me he can move thousands of AVs in very few weeks without any problem (fuel, supply, ships...) he's allmighty at the moment
Just does not seem like a fun game to play, I have played way more Japanese games than Allied ones and have never massed that many planes any where. First he seems to be over stacking his bases and even with multi bases there is no way he could get that many planes to come in those numbers. Don't care if he has several bases with 200 planes to 500 planes are not going to arrive close to one another in this game from different bases. So that brings me to this. With all of the house rules you guys have you need to make a new one. All of the rules seem to favor Rader. You need a rule on amount of planes at a base. Say 50 to a size one 100 to a size 2 so on up to 450 at one base. With the amount he is flying it tells me that he has upwwards of 1000 planes at some of these bases. Then 2 day turns are kind of cheap because he can come 2 strait turns like he is with his airpower before you can even change orders. Finally he has figured out your are a very reactionary player so he uses the KB to sweep in on the second day before you can make a move because of the two day turns. It is almost like the game was set up to give him an advantage and he has based his game play off of things that you can do in 2 day turns and made the game a little unrealistic. The 4E bombers on naval attcak is killing you beacause at over 6000 feet they never hit a thing, but if you could uuse them more in that role it could wear him out, but that is takin away from you, then you have all of these rules but need a rule of air ASW which is a litle over the top.
It just feels to me you need to step up and say hey we need a house rule to maybe balance a few things out because come on it is getting out of control.
Zeta, thanks for your support. Now, as far as i can tell Rader seldom overstacks his AFs. He simply has built a system with 6/7 AFs of level 5/6 + Rabaul and with the KB around it's easy to get those numbers...
In India he has Jodpur which is a level 9 so no overstacking there...
Using the 4es on naval attack would really unbalance the game imho. I've made few test against the AI and even 50 4Es on naval attack can penetrate the KB CAP and, even if they do not hit anything (but if you put them on 100ft they're gonna score some hits), the CAP will be in a so bad shape that a CV-CV encounter would turn out to be a one-side game in favour of the allied CVs.
The fact is that Rader simply outplays me everytime. I can see he's far superior to my capacities. He always knows what to do and it seems that he always makes me do what he wants me to do.
I'm pretty sure now that PM was a trap. The Solomons ara probably a trap too. He lured me there showing me empty bases while he was building up in the backyard his reserves...he made me go there and committ just to be able to come with overwhelming forces and smash me, giving me no way out.
The problem is that i simply cannot face his numbers. As you have just seen he's able on the same day to send 1000 planes to smash Karachi and, at the very same time, send more 1000 to smash the Solomons and PM, sending 160k men against PM and probably the same are now coming to the Solomons...
And i think it doesn't really matter where to aim for me now...We've seen what happened when we tried during springtime (when we all thought that Rader had everything in India and we could have roamed free in the Pacific...we've found Iwo Jima garrisoned by 30k men, while Marcus and Wake were heavily defended too). I'm pretty sure if i now try to go and invest another part of the map - say southern DEI - (not that i have the means to do that, mind you) he will simply pack up his reserves and come to shmash me there. While i always have problems with fuel, supplies, engineers and stuff it seems that he never suffers these problems. Everybody here said that it would have been a long and difficult task for him to send his troops back from India to Sopac...well, Rader showed us that he was able to move in less than 2 months half of those 15k AVs from Jodpur to Port Moresby....
We don't need new HRs imho...Probably i just need to understand that untill i have overwhelming forces - say late 44 - i should simply sit on my thumbs and wait...but this is not the game i like to play.
Let's face it: Rader is too good for me and scen 2 enanches even more this pure fact. But, as we used to say on Il2Stumovik: It's the pilot, not the plane[:D]
Aircraft Attacking:
39 x Ki-44-IIa Tojo sweeping at 31000 feet *
32 x Ki-44-IIa Tojo sweeping at 31000 feet *
32 x Ki-44-IIa Tojo sweeping at 31000 feet *
33 x Ki-44-IIa Tojo sweeping at 31000 feet *
39 x Ki-44-IIa Tojo sweeping at 31000 feet *
38 x Ki-44-IIa Tojo sweeping at 31000 feet *
29 x Ki-44-IIa Tojo sweeping at 31000 feet *
7 x Ki-44-IIa Tojo sweeping at 31000 feet *
What altitudes do you have your fighters? Are you attempting to fly them at the top of the "second highest band"? If so, stop, and set them low so that they are in their best performance band. So, for example, that means less than 9000 feet for the P-39s.
For that matter, why not set them all to say 5000 feet, or even lower? The Tojos might not be able to get down to them. (I've seen that when enemy bombers come in low and my fighters are at their operational ceiling.)
I do. I keep my P-39s at 9000 ft, the P40Ks at 22k, the Hurri MKIIc at 31k, while the Kittihawks at 15k....but Tojos always dive on us like flies over a s***
But now, however, i lost so many planes that the Indian Air Force is again out of planes...so....[:o]
I do. I keep my P-39s at 9000 ft, the P40Ks at 22k, the Hurri MKIIc at 31k, while the Kittihawks at 15k....but Tojos always dive on us like flies over a s***
But now, however, i lost so many planes that the Indian Air Force is again out of planes...so..
It appears that you don't really understand the effect of the "maneuver" rating:
P-40K - best below 21K, not 22K
Hurricane IIc - best below 21K, not 31K
But's that really not the point I'm trying to make. Since you let yourself get screwed by the altitude ceiling nonsense HR you are throwing away your planes by trying to fly them at their maximum maneuver limit. Set them LOW, like 5K feet or so. Also, set their range to "1" and no more - this will keep your planes from leaking from one base to the other.
But what we really have here is the problem that you've set up for yourself - you have given your opponent one target and so are getting creamed. THAT'S why I said start your troops marching out in all possible directions! If he has to split up his attacks you have a much better chance of attriting any of them.
BTW - What did you hope to accomplish by throwing away those divebombers in Lunga? Why are YOU splitting up your forces and attacking an overwhelmingly superior opponent piecemeal?
Now you want to attack Tarawa? Why in God's Name do you want to have your forces trapped in yet another undefendable single point base? Aren't you satisfied with the troops that you have let be trapped in PM and the eastern Solomons?
BTW II - I see that you still have your PTs in a few large PT TFs. Remember what I said about multiple 2-ship TFs. If you had done that your opponent would have run out of ammo and operational points before he could bombard. And it appears that you still aren't putting good skippers as your PT skippers. Otherwise some of those PTs would have fired.
I'll give another prediction - the next place that Radar will attack In Force will be the New Hebrides.
BTW III - You are whining about your bad luck, but you did have some very good "blind luck" here because your CVs are upgrading. You would have lost them if you threw them against your opponent in the Solomons.
Now - one last suggestion: give up on your "win it all with a home run" plans, start building up your own invincible massed positions and start to plan a "steam roller" of your own for the 3rd quarter of 1943. Given your situation, my suggestion would be to hit the DEI from northwestern Oz.
BTW IV - Withdraw or Disband your air units in the Solomons so that you don't waste more.
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