Olorin (J) vs Sdhundt (A) --- GC (No Sdhundt please)

[ny59giants]

This game is all about logistics and more logistics. IMO, I would be reinforcing northern Australia and proceed to roll him back.

What is his AV at Exmouth?? You need to hold that corner to keep him from getting more supplies in towards Darwin and Derby. Do you have a brigade, Nav Gds, or SNLF that can be moved there?? You can do so by Fast Transport TF if needed. Do you have daily Recon flights going to Carnavon and Geraldton?? What does he have at each base and are the bases being built up.

Your Nell at Timor should have about 10 to 20% on Naval Search to ensure that no ships get to Derby or Darwin from the west. Set the arcs to cover those approaches. Have them set for Naval Attack and Secondary on the AF at Derby. If no ships are attacked, then in the PM Phase they will bomb the AF. Your bombers in northern Australia should be hitting one of three targets daily - troops at Exmouth or outside of Broome, and AF at Derby. Disrupt troops and destroy supply. What is your supply situation in northern Australia?? You probably have excess amounts at Balikpapan and Palembang that can be picked up quickly. 1700 in AV outside of Broome are not effective unless they have supply. Destroy it at Derby by air power and BB TF hitting the base.

Look at your FP on your BB and CA. Check to see if they are trained up in NavS. If above 55, then switch over to Recon. When your BB TF hit a base they need FPs with good Recon skills to help ID your targets.

Are you using Tracker to manage your economy?? I don't play Japan without it. [;)]

[Olorin]

ORIGINAL: ny59giants
This game is all about logistics and more logistics. IMO, I would be reinforcing northern Australia and proceed to roll him back.

I 've already rolled him back once, mauling 3 Australian divisions, but then redeployed two divisions to India

ORIGINAL: ny59giants
What is his AV at Exmouth?? You need to hold that corner to keep him from getting more supplies in towards Darwin and Derby. Do you have a brigade, Nav Gds, or SNLF that can be moved there?? You can do so by Fast Transport TF if needed.

He has around 300 AV at Exmouth, versus 250 AV of mine. My only reserve is the 65th Brigade at Koepang. We both bomb each other daily.

ORIGINAL: ny59giants
Do you have daily Recon flights going to Carnavon and Geraldton?? What does he have at each base and are the bases being built up.

Yes, these two bases are watched. They are not being built up and they appear to be undefended. Perth has 7000 troops, but my Jake pilots have low recon skill. Perhaps a landing at Carnavon and Geraldon is possible with carrier support, but I am hesitant.

ORIGINAL: ny59giants
Your Nell at Timor should have about 10 to 20% on Naval Search to ensure that no ships get to Derby or Darwin from the west. Set the arcs to cover those approaches. Have them set for Naval Attack and Secondary on the AF at Derby. If no ships are attacked, then in the PM Phase they will bomb the AF. Your bombers in northern Australia should be hitting one of three targets daily - troops at Exmouth or outside of Broome, and AF at Derby. Disrupt troops and destroy supply.

I do everything you say, except hitting his AF at Derby. Will do. The problem is he hits Koepang and Broome with heavy bombers and a large part of my fighters are busy CAPing these two bases, instead of escorting my bombers.

ORIGINAL: ny59giants
What is your supply situation in northern Australia?? You probably have excess amounts at Balikpapan and Palembang that can be picked up quickly. 1700 in AV outside of Broome are not effective unless they have supply. Destroy it at Derby by air power and BB TF hitting the base.

Broome has 29.000 tons of supply, Exmouth has 8.000. I bring supplies from the HI, using Kendari as a hub, since Balikpapan supplies the oil field repairs in Miri and Soerebaja. Palembang supplies my bridgehead at Chittagong/Comilla and Ceylon.

ORIGINAL: ny59giants
Look at your FP on your BB and CA. Check to see if they are trained up in NavS. If above 55, then switch over to Recon. When your BB TF hit a base they need FPs with good Recon skills to help ID your targets.

Yes, I train them in recon and use them during bombardments, it works well. The problem with bombarding Derby is his damn PTs (apparently he had enough supply to create at least 8). He might get a lucky torpedo hit during a night engagement off Derby. What is the best way to deal with PTs?

ORIGINAL: ny59giants
Are you using Tracker to manage your economy?? I don't play Japan without it. [;)]

Oh yes, I can't do without the tracker. [:)]

[Grfin Zeppelin]

Destroyers work very well against PTs.

[ny59giants]

Form a small SC TF with about 3 to 4 DDs and order them to Derby. Form your BB TF and order it to follow the SC TF. If he has PT boats there, then the DD will deal with them first and hopefully free up your BB TF to hit the base without having to deal with the PT boats.

I'm at a lost to see where he is getting supply to keep his bombers supplied and then a huge ground army outside of Broome. [&:] Was there a time not long ago that he was able to get massive transports into Darwin??

[Olorin]

He tried slipping a large cargo TF through the Torres Straight a week ago, but they were all sunk by a small SCTF I keep there for this reason alone. It's possible he is slipping by small cargo TFs from the other end (Exmouth), but I can only guess.

As for PT boats, I will try using destroyers.

[Olorin]

ORIGINAL: jrcar
The loss of those CV's though means the Pacific will be very hard to defend.

Perhaps you are right, but I am still hopeful.
Currently accelerating 7 CVs. I will have Taiho in January '43, the first 3 Unyos in May, the other 3 Unyos in October. Until he gets the Essex class carriers, I will maintain carrier superiority, especially during the summer of '43. Building a reserve of elite pilots specially for KB.
I intent to have KB seek battle with the allied carriers in this period. Am I suicidal?

[PaxMondo]

ORIGINAL: Olorin

I intent to have KB seek battle with the allied carriers in this period. Am I suicidal?

I think so, but I will be watching with great interest.

Late 43, I usually am trying to figure out where the allies will go and ambush them. I'm not seeking them out as I can't match them without a good dose of LBA.

[Olorin]

I think I used the wrong expression, sorry. By "seeking battle" I did not mean that I will roam the Oceans chasing enemy carriers. Ambush is what I had in mind. The initiative will be his by then, so it will probably be some kind of an ambush. It will depend on the situation then. Too early to tell. [:)]

[ny59giants]

I am playing Scen 2 as Japan and in mid-March '43, this is what my Air Production and R&D look like. I don't known if this will help you, but sometimes having another viewpoint is good.

Could you post a similar screenshot from your game?? Some of us amateur Japanese economic ministers may offer feedback. [;)] Running the air production, including engine production, was the most difficult part for me to get a handle on. I made some mistakes this time around.

[Olorin]

A few screenshots of my economy:




I know that my HI and supplies are very low; a result of my NSY expansion and changing a LOT of factories around.
Any comments on how to improve my economy are welcome.

[ny59giants]

Nick,

Shut down enough Armament and Vehicle to produce only 200 each per day.
Halt Merchant Shipyards until your surplus get down to about 5k. Then turn it back on. How much merchant shipping has been sunk??
Can you break down each factory size that is producing Oscars??
Can we get a screenshot of your R&D airframes (sort by availability so we can see just the next few months and through most of 43)?

[Olorin]

Thanks for the suggestions, Michael.

I lost a lot of merchant shipping early on. 162 xAK, 35 AP, 6 TK, 5 AO.
Two Oscar factories in Maebashi, size 120 and 90.
R&D: Big mess. I only managed to accelerate Nick C and Hellen IIb.

[ny59giants]

Nick,

The big thing will be to crank up your George and Frank R&D efforts over the next few months. [:)]

The A6M2 Zero will go to George or Frank R&D once the A6M3a comes or is near to being produced.
The A6M3 Zero is set to produce 180 non-CV fighters.
The A6M3a Zero is set to produce 120 CV fighters.
Both of them plus your Rufe will all auto upgrade to the A6M5. That is a lot of Zeros!!

Jill & Judy will eventually expand to 60 to 90 monthly, but let them finish repair so they may get enough Developmental Points to advance.

You will need to decide on an Army transport. The Helen has shorter range by one hex than Topsy, but greater lift capacity. I will go with Helen eventually.

Emily - you are producing 30 now and have 25 doing R&D. Change the R&D factory to George or Frank. The Emily-1 will auto upgrade to the Emily-2.

Tojo IIb - if you have two factories doing R&D, then the smaller one goes to Frank.

Mavis-L transport will be replaced by Emily-L model....eventually

Oscar - once you get enough Tojo into production, then the size 120 factory goes over to Frank. Oscars are good only for long range escort missions and China at this point.

My goal would be three R&D factories each for George and Frank. Size will be 30, 45, or 60 for a total of 90 to 120.

Before changing, wait a few days as I asked my guru, Mr Damian, to come over to your AAR and make comments.

[PaxMondo]

ORIGINAL: Olorin

I think I used the wrong expression, sorry. By "seeking battle" I did not mean that I will roam the Oceans chasing enemy carriers. Ambush is what I had in mind. The initiative will be his by then, so it will probably be some kind of an ambush. It will depend on the situation then. Too early to tell. [:)]

Ah, ok. I was worried (hoping [;)]) that I was missing something!

I keep trying to figure out how PzB does it. I have finally decided that he has a far better quality OUIJA board. Asked Santa for a new one. [:D] didn't get it though, so I am doomed to my continual misses. [:'(]

[Olorin]

Michael,

Zeros:
I won't produce the A6M3 in mass. I only converted factories, so that when the A6M3a comes online I will start to produce it immediately (180 A6M3a's per month).
As for the small (30) A6M2 factory...you are suggesting to convert it to research the Frank, if I understand it correctly. I was under the impression that you couldn't convert production factories to research factories...I can't find a trigger or a button to do that. Am I missing something?

Oscar to Frank: Same issue[&:]

ORIGINAL: ny59giants
Before changing, wait a few days as I asked my guru, Mr Damian, to come over to your AAR and make comments.

Cool, I will eagerly wait for his viewpoint on my R&D, if he is so kind to offer it. This is an area I really screwed up. Fortunately, you don't pay supplies to repair R&D factories, or am I wrong about that too?

[PaxMondo]

ORIGINAL: Olorin

Oscar to Frank: Same issue[&:]

Oscar makes a good kami. i would get my kami plan figured out before changing ... you can burn through 1000 kami's in a day easy. You can train the pilots far faster than you can build the ac, so you have to have been building kami planes starting from 12/7/41. Or at least I do ...

[PaxMondo]

ORIGINAL: Olorin

Fortunately, you don't pay supplies to repair R&D factories, or am I wrong about that too?

All factories require 1000 supply to repair. R&D may not seem that it does as they happen more randomly and you might not see it ... but they also use 1000 supply.

[Olorin]

Ah, just what I needed, another variable to the equation: Kamis!

Btw, what other aircraft types are good for kami attacks? I suspect the early crap 1E IJA bombers, the Oscars as you say and the A6M2? At least that's what I read in various threads.

[PaxMondo]

First thing I look for is bomb load. At least 1x250kg. A6M2 isn't that good at all, but it upgrades later to the Sen Baku which is GOOD. Some of the Oscars get 2x250kg making them very good. Kate/Val and all 2E bombers are good.

Then look at speed/ceilling.

If you are playing PDU off, you also have to look at the kami groups' starting ac and upgrades.

Anyway, for both IJN and IJA, plan your kami's and be sure you are building them as you go. Nothing better than having a few thousand kami's sitting in your pools when they get triggered. Nemo has shown the technique to trade 1000 kami's for 6xCV, which is exactly what the IJ tried to do but never quite succeeded in their coordination.

[ny59giants]

I may have jumped the gun here. I'm playing with the latest beta patches, so I can convert production factories over to R&D even if they are not in the same series (I just did from Zero to Frank with my back up file....but did not save it so I'm OK here). Yes, you pay 1000 supply for each point in repair, but I have 90 A6M5b on R&D that I will switch to the next in the series (A6M5c) once it gets near and not have to expend the supply to repair those factories. It is important to set this up for your long term airframes like the Zero, Oscar, Helen, etc.

Instructions - hit the "J" key to bring up your Industry screen. Then, hit the "All Industry" in the upper left hand corner to clear the display. Now, hit the "Air" button to just display your current production. Click on "Type" to sort them. Look at my screenshot and I can now switch the A6M2 Zero to those airframes on the right hand column.