Aboard the Red Castle - Erkki(J) vs. Smeulders(A) - no lookin'!

[Erkki]

ORIGINAL: Graymane

ORIGINAL: Erkki

ORIGINAL: Graymane

Watching with interest! Why exactly are you worried about sorties? The Allies have a LOT of planes from early on. If you put them on training missions and rebase various units, you will get a lot of sorties daily.

Because I also have every single squad flying daily - and yet the Allies managed just last turn fly 1200 sorties more! [X(] Is he really flying CAP even over West Coast?

It depends. I fly CAP and build my west coast bases from day 1 =) But then, I role play more than the next guy probably. But even if I don't fly CAP, I'm flying 100% training missions at 0 range. My bet is that is where the sorties are coming from. He is probably trying to train up ASW, Search and Escort. The allies start with very low levels of exp/skill in most squadrons.

When you say you are flying every single squad daily, do you mean 100% for the mission? Are you also taking into account Soviet planes?

What scenario are you guys playing? I'd fire up turn 1 of the allies and see what they have.

Da Babes scen 28. This turn he flew 1500 more! I have all my squads(Japanese) other than Kido Butai 100% set to either offensive mission or training. I have lots of those crappy 1-engine bomber and Ki-27 units in Manchuria especially that fly 100% training, as I dont have better aircraft for them yet. I lose about as many bombers to OPS losses alone as I build, ie. at least 3 a day, so they will be training squads to the unseen future.


February 2nd

China: the KMT stack in the rough wood hex near Sian has 2700 raw AV!!!!! [X(] And theres 29 more units at Sian. Now how am I going to beat that? I can get some 5300 AV (shock attacking 1200 over a river + 4100 in hex itself) but I'll probably lose 40,000 men doing that and its not going to get me anywhere. 300 bombers at 6,000ft a day only kill about 50 men so its going to take a while...

Burma: Magwe occupied, a unit of Ki-43 is flown in an an aviation support unit is is there tomorrow or the day after.

Soerebaja: Only 20 out of the 72 G3Ms actually sortie [:@] Theres no "returning to base" or "mission cancelled" reports either. No 800kg bombs and the 60 and 250kg bombs get 16 hits on her but they only destroy some AAA guns. CL Durban receives 2 penetrating 250kg hits, CL De Ruyter and Danae also 1 penetrating each. CL Enterprise is hit twice but both 60kg ones that failed to penetrate. An AMc gets obliterated, a DM probably sunk an an AR is heavily damaged. Tomorrow 13 submarines around Soerebaja... Not going to repeat this strike that went ####### before I have managed to steal more Zeros from somewhere, as its 100% sure he'll have a hundred fighters CAPing tomorrow and 9 Zeros wont be enough.

[Erkki]

Things I need to consider, preferably before I end this turn:

China: to press on with just 2:1(not enough) advantage towards Sian? What about retreating and trying over a river from the East?

British surface forces: element of surprise is used... Now, to send my CA's in, or keep relying on subs? Theres a bunch damaged and some intact of British capital warships at Soerebaja, this would be a good opportunity to thinner their ranks a little. KB needs 7 or 8 days from its secret hideout... Worth of it? I dont have Celebes yet which is probably the reason why the Royal Navy is there in the first place and not Cape Town.

Tomorrow: Port Blair paratroop invasion
2 or 3 days: (hopefully) last assault at Singapore

[Capt. Harlock]

Soerebaja: Only 20 out of the 72 G3Ms actually sortie Theres no "returning to base" or "mission cancelled" reports either. No 800kg bombs and the 60 and 250kg bombs get 16 hits on her but they only destroy some AAA guns.

If you were actually using G3M's instead of G4M's, I think I know why there were no 800 kg bombs.

[Crackaces]

Also if the BB's are on the dock they will not be targeted .. right? It takes a bombardment mission I think to pick off docked ships ..?? At least less than 10 docked ships ..

[Erkki]

ORIGINAL: Crackaces

Also if the BB's are on the dock they will not be targeted .. right? It takes a bombardment mission I think to pick off docked ships ..?? At least less than 10 docked ships ..

All ships at port are targeted by air raids I think... If they are disbanded. If they're in a TF it needs a naval attack sortie.

We're talking about a Jackpot of 1 heavily damaged BB, 3 damaged cruisers and at least 1 more intact CL! The Java, she ate a Long Lance a month ago, is probably also at Soerebaja, making it 5 cruisers. Also over 35 other ships sighted! I want them DEAD, this is a great opportunity imo. What I will do not is to

1) stop bombing raids for now, keep reconing
2) immediately ship more aviation support to Palembang
3) move even more submarines around Soerebaja
4) G3Ms fly out, G4Ms from Takao fly in. It takes at least 3 days to get Royal Sovereign out of the port and some of the cruisers might need yard time too... So depending on enemy CAP situation I will strike again in 3 days, this time with the 800kg APs
5) KB will depart immediately

Unfortunately I sent the turn back before thinking this all through so things start happening only next day. By the time KB arrives I should already have Singapore, and mine fields around it cleared, for her to replenish at.

8 turns from now KB will be able to kill them all... Greatest problem here is how to not scare them away. I might need to risk sailing down the Makassar Strait, but at full speed and with a dedicated ASW TF ahead of the KB the subs (or Balikpapan's Swordfishes...) shouldn't be a problem. Another option is to sail around New Guinea to be able to give chase and block their escape route. The risk is getting KB spotted when its between Port Moresby and Horn Island - Australian patrol planes sighted there daily, so I dont think I'll choose that route.

I have moved everything important away from Marshalls/Gilberts area so I will not lose much more than a couple of empty xAKs and xAKLs even if USN CV fleet pays a visit. In the case it lurks near Java I will move some more submarines to block the direct route from Soerebaja to the map's edge.

[Erkki]

February 3rd

Port Blair secured by paratroopers, a British base force unit surrendered.

Royal Sovereign:

Ki-46 recce reports lots of transports at Batavia too... hmm.... We'll hit Batavia tomorrow.

24 ships reported at Soerebaja today - thats 18 less than yesterday. 10 ships, DDs, possibly also a CL or 2, are in TFs. 8 ships have disappeared, our subs sighted some 6 different ships (5 DDs and a DM) escaping Soerebaja in the night. Soerebaja also has now 24 fighters and 40 more "aux" planes. Hehe. [:D] Royal Sovereign is still in the port. We'll have some more Zeros available in 2 days when we strike again - she should still be in the port.

Kido Butai is now 7 days away, CVL Shoho will stay in SOPAC and I will try to reveal her to the enemy somehow... She'll go check out Luganville or bomb Nauru or something. She'll have BB Haruna and some cruisers with her so she isnt too vulnerable + Rabaul now has some G4M1s and an Air HQ with torpedoes.

Once this KB raid is over she'll replenish at Singapore before supporting the Java invasion. The plan is to sweep all the mines the enemy has at Merak, ship troops across the strait aboard landing barges and do the actual 25th Army landings south of Batavia with KB cover & support. Java invasion planned for late February, we should have about 2700AV available(2000 at Singapore, 400 at Oosthaven and an extra division from Honshu)...

EDIT1: Just compared the combat reports: early hours today, DM Stronghold, yesterday hit by a 250kg bomb through the deck, was escorted out by DD Scout, DD Vampire and DM Thracian. I'm not sure why the Allies wanted to use DDs to escort puny DMs out while leaving his cruisers and a battleship burn in the port... Of course its possible that some CLs and more DDs did get away(as there are 8 ships missing) but they would have passed by at minimum 4 submarines so I think its unlikely. Imperial HQ seems to think we got CL Durban - 7 hex South from Soerebaja! If Durban reached that hex today it means she had to sail past 6 submarines. [:-]

EDIT2: only one unit with fatigue over 40 (and its 41), all units disruption below 25 --> shock attack against Singapore ordered for tomorrow! 1785 AV is only 80 less than last time, we should be able to get 4:1 or even 5:1 odds, as forts are 0. [:)]

[Capt. Harlock]

What I will do not is to

I'm guessing you meant "now" instead of "not". Those look like sound moves.

[Erkki]

February 4th

Singapore: assault goes 1:1 (probably just a few AV points from 2:1) despite of no Japanese negative modifiers. Casualties are 6:5 to our advantage and the British lose lots of squads as destroyed while Japanese only a dozen. [:)] We'll attack again in 5 to 6 days.

Java: G4Ms and G3Ms hit Batavia's port, sinking 7 HDMLs and hitting hard 2 ARDs. Tsst Bart! [:-] Some half a dozen small vessels are in TFs. Tomorrow we'll sweep and hit the airfield(over 70 bombers reported). Soerebaja still has Royal Sovereign and 5 other capital ships are still docked. Kido Butai 6 days away. CVL Shoho departs Truk, she'll hit Wake Island accompanied by BB Kongo, CA Takao, CL Katori and 5 DDs. I will not be able to make this look like a full KB strike but he should see his air recce report multiple capital ships and from Brisbane raid he should know I like to keep the Kido Butai together. Shoho will fly lots of air search to make some more noise while the KB main body sneaks to the West in full stealth mode...

[Erkki]

I'd have a question regarding shock attacks and river crossing.

I have 4200 AV in the hex SE of Sian. To the NE, across a river, I have 1100 more. I completely own that hex, but the shared hex has its NE hexside owned by the Chinese. If I move my 1200AV to the same hex with with the 4200 AV army, will the crossing forces shock attack? I know that if I owned the hexside they would not, but as I do not own it, will they?

If they dont, I should be able to get 1:2 odds against the Chinese 2700 AV stack and beat it after a few tries. If they do, I need to consider this again as the whole stack will likely get disruption combat modifier and 1:3, 1:4 or even 1:5 odds only. The Chinese have further 29 units and 2000-3000 AV more at Sian itself so Bart may have created an unbreakable lock here. Only way out I see is to shock attack across the river, then move the whole army to the NE(while trying to keep it supplied somehow) and then shock attack Sian across the river. Forts are likely to be high but it cant be worse than banging head against the wall in the rough wood hex.

[Erkki]

February 5th

Not much happened, even the Batavia air strike was canceled thanks to crap weather. Allied ASW vessels kept sailing back and forth from Soerebaja.


February 6th


Good day for the Japanese!


China: Another day of nothing happening, our bombers keep killing about 1,500 KMT troops a day, we only bomb troops in clear or terrain bonus 2 hexes (either wood/jungle or rough, not both, not mountains).

Burma: Taying Guy secured, nearly the whole of the basin is now Japanese. Allied troops in full retreat for unknown reasons...

DEI:

IJNAAF bombers hit Batavia, where aerial recce reports 50 enemy bombers. We destroy 6 Vildebeests on the ground and damage about 20 or so... No CAP, very light AAA fire.

Allied ASW units keep sailing past and forth... However this turn a submarine also spots some CMs and AR Castor, but the escorting motor launches deny I-156's shot.

Late in the evening, 5th or 6th enemy TF enters the deep water hex where 7 IJN submarines are present, and I-156 gets another try:

Japanese Ships
SS I-156

Allied Ships
BB Royal Sovereign, Torpedo hits 2, on fire, heavy damage
DD Jupiter

Royal Sovereign is reported to suffer first heavy damage and heavy flooding, then massive flooding and engine damage. She sinks. BANZAI!

Soerebaja's port is still reported to have 6 capital ships docked, while Banjoewangi to the SE has 6 more ships in a TF, of are 2 reportedly CLs, for 2 days already. We have submarines blocking all the routes out. Soerebaja's port probably has CLs Durban, Java and De Ruyter at least. Java ate a Long Lance soon a month ago and probably cannot undock any soon, while Durban and De Ruyter have both received 2 250kg hits through their decks with "heavy damage" reported twice during combat reply. Kido Butai should be able to give just 2 days of warning and with all those submarines I have in place, we might be able to get all 3. [:)]

[Erkki]

February 7th


China: meatgrinder keeps going.

Burma: Shwebo captured, entire basin now in Japanese control.

DEI: Royal Sovereign's escort DDs bombard Japanese submarines in frustration. 2 subs have to retire as they were damaged yesterday, but 1 more arrives tomorrow and a second one, with mines, the day after. Kido Butai unfortunately gets sighted by an Allied level bomber, from either Ternate or Ambon. This sucks as it means 3 day warning and the Allies might be able to move out all their cruisers. Kido Butai's task is not only to kill everything in sight but to attrit enemy air forces in this area (I'm also setting up an LRCAP trap for Batavia's Vildebeests tomorrow) and to see what everything the Allies have in this area. Confirmedly at least 5 cruisers, plus probably CL Tromp and CL Boise, CA Houston, possibly still the Force Z and more BBs, even RN and USN CVTFs (last time I saw US carriers they were sailing to Australia, I later saw some of their escort ships near Sydney 3 weeks ago). I would like to let the fast carriers warp ahead and get within strike range of Timor and eastern Java in one turn but IMHO the risks outweight the possible/probable gains this time.

[Erkki]

February 8th


China: Kukong captured, massive Chinese casualties + they retreat the wrong direction and are now cut off pretty badly...

DEI:

Looks like the KB wasnt sighted after all: there is no reaction whatsoever. Even the enemy aircraft don't swap fields. Hmm... Tomorrow KB will be 2 hex from Kendari and while still not in range to hit Soerebaja, the Allies will need 3 days to get the out the port any way. Looking good. KB sights Allied search aircraft 3 times (and as typically, none of them get shot down by Zeros...) but the enemy doesnt sortie from Ambon or other nearby bases.

Tandjoe-something falls on Sumatra, LRCAP-trap fails near Batavia as no enemy search aircraft spot the TF. We'll try again tomorrow and also bomb Batavia's airfields...

Submarines:

One sub gets within visual of BC Repulse near Melbourne, and while failing to get the shot it manages to elude her escorts. Hmmmmmm I wonder which direction they were sailing?

Another sub gets a shot at a huge xAP (President Jackson I think) near Pearl Harbor and I'm pretty sure it sunk too. It was either empty or carrying supplies, though.

[Erkki]

February 9th

China: We make the new record today by killing over 2,000 Chinese by aerial bombing alone.

DEI: Kido Butai now 2 hex SE of Kendari. Tomorrow the KB's 3 TFs are split, heading to a hex 6 hex from Soerebaja at max speed(I think main KB will arrive 7 or 8 hex away, mini-KB 8 or 9, SCTF). Zeros set 60% CAP 10% rest, drop tanks, range 9. B5N2s set to naval attack primary, secondary port attack Soerebaja, range 9. B5N1s naval attack only, range 8. All strike AC search 10%. A very strong SCTF departs Tarakan to South, will meet up with KB in 2 days. The LRCAP trap fails AGAIN near Batavia as somehow the Allied search misses it... Our bombers hit Batavia's field but fail to even damage a single A/C despite over 40 being reported. Soerebaja still has over 20 ships or 11 disbanded in the port: 6 of them are "BB"s. Lots of enemy aircraft reported in nearby bases Makassar, Soerebaja, Koepang, but KB's air search sees just 1 vessel, a submarine. Looks like we managed to pull the surprise after all and the Allies have no time to get their CLs out the port. [:)]

CENPAC: One of our subs sees some DDs that are known to begin the campaign as CV escorts. Today they escort some xAPs.


Next turn should be an interesting one...

[SqzMyLemon]

I can't remember, are the Kate's within range to avoid carrying a reduced bomb load? I think their normal capacity range is nine so I guess you will be ok. Too bad the Val's won't be able to join in, but then the Flak losses might be high. Do you have a SCTF close by that can engage the ships that flee the port next turn? Good luck, hope you nail what's there.

[Erkki]

ORIGINAL: SqzMyLemon

I can't remember, are the Kate's within range to avoid carrying a reduced bomb load? I think their normal capacity range is nine so I guess you will be ok. Too bad the Val's won't be able to join in, but then the Flak losses might be high. Do you have a SCTF close by that can engage the ships that flee the port next turn? Good luck, hope you nail what's there.

I think the CV groups only strike to 8 hex... Using 9 hex to get better idea of what got away. Torpedo and 800kg AP range is 7 but there are no BB targets any more, 2 x 250kg will be enough. The number of LCUs is still 7 so the AAA is most probably still pathetic. [:)]

D3As are all set to naval attack, I cannot rule out the possible presence of 1 or more enemy surface action units or even their carriers. If theres no better targets they should go get the HDMLs, PT boats and those ASW DDs that stalk my subs. [:)]

The SCTF from Tarakan joins a day late, but KB stars an SC/ASW TF of its own with CA Atago and 9 DDs. I also have still 9 undamaged submarines and a 10th one that will mine the escape route, a shallow hex 2 hex SE from Soerebaja, during naval movement phase 2 tomorrow day so it might miss the action. So yes if they cant get out the port next turn, dodge the subs and make it further than 8 hex, they're all dead. Thats CLs De Ruyter, Durban, Danae, Java at least, 1 SS I damaged some time ago (reported to still in the port), possibly a 5th CL or CA that has been reported to be there for over a week now but I dont have a name. Possibly Enterprise but I dont think she suffer any damage in the G3M raid and she escaped Java long ago.

[Erkki]

February 10th

Oh what a disappointment!

Firstly, the Soerebaja harbor is emptied overnight. All Cls are gone, even the ones with Long Lance hits... I-157 however manages to put a torp into CL Dragon but she still limps another 3 hex further. Both AM and PM phases the KB and MKB are both where they were ordered to, and both are 7 hex from Dragon TF and spot it about 15 times(literally), but dont launch! No strikes are launched against the 3 HDML TFs either. 125 B5Ns sortie to Soerebaja the PM phase escorted by 61 Zeros: there are 40 B-339s in the CAP. We lose 12 B5Ns to all reasons(mainly Buffaloes) as well as 5 Zeros. 8 Buffaloes are reported shot down. 9 KB pilots are KIA or MIA, including 3 EXP 80+ fighter pilots... Soerebaja's harbor had just 2 mine layers and 2 ARDs.

Tomorrow, KB will sail break through to the Indian Ocean in hopes of catching Dragon. If Dragon's speed is 3 and she keeps trying to escape the map directly to West, she will be 8 hex from KB tomorrow. If she is slower or changes course, shes dead. If KB pilots feel like flying tomorrow, that is. I also have the sub force and CAs Atago and Haguro pursue, they should be just 2 hex behind after next naval movement phase and just might be able to catch them when/if they react.

I have no idea where the other capital ships or their escorts disappeared. They did not sail head-on with KB so they must have sailed past 11 IJN submarines, and only Dragon TF was sighted and intercepted(by the very last submarine before open sea, too...). Combat report didnt say anything about Dragon's damage, but combat animation said "heavy damage" and explosion below waterline. Now fingers crossed she cant make more than 3 hex a phase or Bart thinks she cant make it across the ocean to Africa, and will instead recourse her to Perth, which means she'll be just a hex or 2 from KB tomorrow. Dragon is escorted by 5 destroyers, at least 3 are British and 1 Dutch. 2 extra DDs were sighted by another sub that might or might not have belonged to the same TF - if the number 6 is accurate, Dragon might have even sunk, I give that a 20% chance as she after all was most likely set to flank speed, and today's aerial search spotted just the TF and its DDs, not Dragon herself.

[Erkki]

By the way, about search aircraft. I lost today an E13A and 2 B5Ns to Soerebaja's CAP. Why do Japanese search aircraft get shot down each time they meet Allied CAP(as they should be), but Allied search aircraft have been able to fly daily and for months through Japanese CAP at Port Moresby, Palembang, Kota Bharu, Rabaul and KB? During the whole campaign Allies have lost just 2 Do-24s and 2 Catalinas in A2A, all over Palembang AFAIK. Every day the same planes fly through the same CAP of several dozen Zeros and survive it.

Last 4 days they have been flying through Kido Butai's CAP that is was set to 60% - thats at least 90 Zeros in the air at all times, and nothing. There arent even "ghost losses", ie. reported Allied day losses being greater than the number of individual planes types lost per day.

Looks like Bart is ramping up the Allied pilot training, as today they flew over 2,200 sorties more than the Japanese despite of the KB sorties. [8|]

[Erkki]

February 11th

Finally a better day for the Japanese!

Singapore: falls! We have lots of AV and engineer units ready at Kota Bharu, they'll fix the fields and ports in no time. All troops now prepping for Batavia.

DEI: KB moves more than I expected, but fails to find CL Dragon! However, another British TF is found to the SE escaping towards AUS/Perth, and is attacked: CL Mauritius receives 2 torpedo hits(heavy damage, massive flooding, critical damage, engine damage reported). One of her escorts, DD Vendetta, is also hit and sinks.

CL Mauritius, Torpedo hits 2, on fire, heavy damage
DD Vendetta, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
DD Van Ghent
DD Evertsen

For some reason, AGAIN, the KB feels like not flying, and only launches AM phase against this target. Air search sights Mauritius PM phase too but no strikes are launched(except MKB's 11 D3As against torpedo boats, but they failed to find the target...).

Following Allied DDs are still missing:

DD Edsall
DD Bulmer
DD Whipple

DDs Van Ghent and Evertsen from Mauritius TF escorted Dragon yesterday, so Dragon and Mauritius must have been in the same TF! No sign of the above 3 DDs so Allies probably split the TF after Dragon got hit. Those Allied CLs are really tough... 2 of them have received torpedoes, 4 several bombs through deck and their speed hasnt apparently dropped at all let alone any of them sunk. 2 more received 2 and 3 penetrating 800kg AP hits at Brisbane but still managed to get out of KB's strike range by daybreak, as I dont believe neither sunk, only Canberra did and Achilles by KB's SCTF.

Tomorrow KB will meet up with 2 CAs and a dozen DDs from Tarakan and heads to Singapore. MKB with Ruyjo, Hosho, Zuiho and Taiyo and CA Atago Squadron will pursue the cripples, while submarine screen moves to W and SW in hopes of catching Mauritius, Dragon and/or unsighted TFs. Sub-laid mines killed a HDML so it wasnt all wasted effort. [:D]

[Erkki]

February 12th

DEI: KB back in the Java sea together with Ashigara & Maya SCTF. No action. MKB and MKB-SCTF are just 1 hex from Mauritius TF. MKB launches, and Mauritius receives 5 250kg bombs and a torpedo, but doesnt sink. [:@] MKB's B5Ns also kill off an AR and a PG that flee, together with some HDMLs, towards Perth. That further TF is reported to have 6 ships more including a CV, but thats most probably a ghost report. MKB will now turn towards Oosthaven while the SCTF is split in 2 squadrons that will try to hunt down Mauritius and her 2 surviving escorts.

Submarines: SS Pollack attacks an xAK near Hokkaido, runs out of torpedoes, attacks on the surface but receives 2 hits and is forced to disengage... The xAK needs some repairs. An IJN sub attacks and sinks a big TK near Pearl Harbor.

Something Allied that wasn't attacked today also sinks somewhere... Hmm... [:)]

I hope to begin my phase 2 invasions by the end of the month. I have about 3,000 AV to use in the Java operation, and we will also invade some more islands in the Solomons as well as reinforce places like Marcus, Tarawa, southern end of the Solomons, Port Moresby, Port Blair. In China we will soon see if we can secure Sian or not - because it is impossible cue game mechanics to drop forts in a non-base hex, 5,000 Japanese AV is now stuck in rough wooded hex against 2/3 forts and nothing we can do but to try and move our stack through the woods once the hexside is ours, then attack Sian across a river against circa 50 Chinese units. Sounds good doesnt it?

[Erkki]

February 13th

Insignificant actions. A huge 11-corps Chinese stack has been bombed to ruins in clear terrain over the last month, and tomorrow my 650-AV stack will most probably retreat them. Within 1 month I should have approx 2500+ AV at the gates of Changsha, and that debacle just cant end nicely - either the Allies retreat again or it'll be a meatgrinder for either or both sides. I have almost the entire southern coast secured now, Changchowan in the south will fall tomorrow and Wuchow probably in a few days, and there has been a clear road from Saigon to Shanghai for 2 weeks now.