Once Again into the Breach - Mike (J) vs. tc464 (A)

[Mike Solli]

ORIGINAL: Historiker

ORIGINAL: Mike Solli

Yeah, MKB's TB pilots are getting their stats up very nicely. They're out of torps and I don't see any other Allied ships in the vicinity so they're headed back to Davao to rearm and refuel. I'm considering buying out Hiryu's DB daitai for Taiyo. Add a chutai of Zeros and she'll carry 9 Zeros and 18 Vals. Not a bad little addition for MKB.

Can't you transfer restricted units to ships?
I can transfer even static groups onto ships without paying PP.

When Hiryu went down, she took her 3 daitai with her. I got the pilots out but not the planes. I bought the fighter daitai back from the dead air units but not the DB or TB daitai. When I said I might buy the DB daitai, I meant from the dead air unit screen.

Edit: it costs 90 PPs to buy one of those daitai (18 planes x 5 PP/plane = 90 PP).

[BigBadWolf]

ORIGINAL: Mike Solli

For the 7x fast AOs, I use 1 CL and 12 Mutsukis.

Wow, all that? I've been sailing them around with 4 DDs, now you got me scared [X(]

[Historiker]

ORIGINAL: Mike Solli

ORIGINAL: Historiker

ORIGINAL: Mike Solli

Yeah, MKB's TB pilots are getting their stats up very nicely. They're out of torps and I don't see any other Allied ships in the vicinity so they're headed back to Davao to rearm and refuel. I'm considering buying out Hiryu's DB daitai for Taiyo. Add a chutai of Zeros and she'll carry 9 Zeros and 18 Vals. Not a bad little addition for MKB.

Can't you transfer restricted units to ships?
I can transfer even static groups onto ships without paying PP.

When Hiryu went down, she took her 3 daitai with her. I got the pilots out but not the planes. I bought the fighter daitai back from the dead air units but not the DB or TB daitai. When I said I might buy the DB daitai, I meant from the dead air unit screen.

Edit: it costs 90 PPs to buy one of those daitai (18 planes x 5 PP/plane = 90 PP).

I see

[Mike Solli]

ORIGINAL: BigBadWolf

ORIGINAL: Mike Solli

For the 7x fast AOs, I use 1 CL and 12 Mutsukis.

Wow, all that? I've been sailing them around with 4 DDs, now you got me scared [X(]

I'm just paranoid. [;)]

[ny59giants]

I have CVE Taiyo with her TBs trained up in ASW skill (set at 1000' with range of 2) going around with my fast AOs. I got the Zeros there for CAP just in case I end up too close and those damn PBYs come out of nowhere. [X(]

7 fast AOs, Taiyo, training CL, 4 E, 4 DDs - they got attacked last turn by a sub, but not a shot was made towards the AOs. [:)]

[Mike Solli]

That's interesting, Mike. How do DBs work as ASW platforms? Any clue anyone?

[Mike Solli]

20 Feb 42

Sub War

Well, the Fubukis attacked the Dutch sub off Truk. The DCs were set to too high a depth. [8|]

5 Fleet

Nothing new to report.

4 Fleet

Nothing new to report.

SE Fleet

Ted sent 6x P-39Ds at Lae. I don't think he realized I had so many Zeros in the area. My cap was 12 Zeros. Three P-39s were shot down for the loss of 1 Zero and no pilots. In addition, another P-39 was an op loss.

An independent engineer regiment is safely at Milne Bay. The airfield is about a quarter of the way to level 1.

A daitai of Betties bombed Pt. Moresby airfield escorted by 25 Zeros. Seven P-39Ds rose up to oppose them. My Zeros kept the P-39s off the bombers shooting one down at a cost of 2 Zeros. Moderate damage was done to the airfield but it all was repaired this turn.

The IJA bomber sentai arrived at Lae today. I lied to you yesterday. It's Lilys, not Sallys. They will bomb the airfield tomorrow.

China

Nothing new to report.

Burma

Ted tried something new today. In addition to the AVG's daily antics, this time at Taung Gyi, where they lost 3 H81-A3s to no Japanese losses, 9x P-40Es showed up at Meiktila against 13 Oscars. One P-40 went down to 2 Oscars lost, but only one pilot WIA.

Malaya

I attacked Singapore again today. I think the end is coming. I lost 3250(9) to 2215(114) Allied casualties and the fort level was reduced from 2 to 1. Banzai!

SRA

Nothing new to report.

[obvert]

ORIGINAL: Mike Solli

Sub War

Well, the Fubukis attacked the Dutch sub off Truk. The DCs were set to too high a depth. [8|]

I've been wondering when this is corrected for the Japanese. Do the Type 95 DC units begin to work in deep water after a certain time? Or does the Type 95 Mod 2 work? Or is it the Type 2 DC?

[Mike Solli]

No clue Obvert. I'm hoping someone knows though.

[ny59giants]

I'm in mid-July 43 as Japan in my PBEM and I have yet to see a Type 95 DC hit a sub in deep ocean hexes. Those that do carry them are relegated to shallow water hexes for most of their time at sea. If I am short escorts, then I try to ensure there are some escorts in a TF that have the Type 95-2 or Type 2 so I have a chance to get a hit.

Mike - I think either DBs or TBs have a better chance to severely damage or sink a sub with 250kg bombs vs the 60kg bombs the Jakes carry. Jakes can spot ships, but the carrier aircraft will do the serious damage.

[PaxMondo]

I don't get a lot of hits with my air ASW ... at least not confirmed hits.  I use them to drive the sub DL up to 10 and keep it there.  Then my surface ASW do the hits.  Type 95 DC aren't great, but I do get hits on them.  Can't say for sure shallow or deep, but my ASW kill zones have both depths (Fusan/Fukuoka, Ominato/Hakodate).
 
By kill zone, I mean I have several air groups on naval search overlapping on short range.  Then I have at least 6 ASW SCTF in the area as well.  So, we're talking about +75 a/c* and 12 - 18 ships committed into the kill zones.  Even in early '42 I can keep them clear of all subs.  I can't say I kill them, but I can rapidly get hits that forces them back to their barn; meaning I don't see them for a couple of months.
 
* float planes of course.  Daves or any are fine as the range is only 3 - 4 for both zones.

[Mike Solli]

I'm not thrilled about risking my Fubukis against Dutch subs. I think I'm going to recall them and use PBs. They can't do any worst and I really don't care if they are sunk. I've been lucky the past two turns. That damn Dutch sub keeps taking shots. The current turn she got a hit on one of my Fubukis but luckily it was a dud.

[PaxMondo]

ORIGINAL: Mike Solli

...but luckily it was a dud.

Very lucky. Don't see too many duds on the Dutch ... [;)]

[Cribtop]

IIRC the depth charge max depth issue would in theory be fixed when that US Congressman blabbed to the papers about how our great USN subs could dive deeper than the Japanese thought. Sometime mid to fall of '43, I believe.

[Puhis]

I think latest patch changed ASW code. Some of the allied subs can now dive deeper than any of japanese depth charges, even Type 2's can detonate above sub diving depth. So if you see a message saying "sub diving deep", that pretty much mean that japanese DCs are not going to hit. However, sometimes subs don't have time to dive deep, and then you can hit them, even with original Type 95s. Type 95 mod 2 have much better max depth end effect than original Type 95, and Type 2 is even better.

[Dan Nichols]

What I remember form some of the JWE postings on this, there is a chance( I think one chance only ) that the escort can hit the diving sub. But then the sub can get below the maximum depth of the DC and can't be hit after that. It is all in the die rolls, there always seem to be a chance for something to happen, but sometimes a small chance. I believe that if you don't hit the sub with the first string you are out of chances.

[Historiker]

Mike, how have your plans using the SSX (launching them manually) worked out?

[Mike Solli]

ORIGINAL: Historiker

Mike, how have your plans using the SSX (launching them manually) worked out?

Good question. I have 4 of them ready to be moved from Kwajalein to a port that Ted is using. I'm waiting to find that port. [:D] Still no luck finding Ted's SLOC. I do have some subs that are getting close to some ports I'm scouting. Hopefully soon.

[Historiker]

according to the manual, SSX respawn, right?
So what's the harm in simply trying different ports?

[Mike Solli]

Yes, they do respawn. I'm having problems finding ports with ships in them. He's hiding incredibly well this game. I think he's using off map movement extensively. I'm moving some subs to some of the entry points to see if that's what he's doing. The problem is that they are very far away. It takes a while just to get there.