Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee, Docup(A)-Koniu(J)

[koniu]

Current r&d status.
Most of factories are 30 size. Only A6M and Ki-44 factories are fully repaired and researching.
Some of factories will later covert to late war planes. Right now i focusing on middle war planes. Mostly Frank and George. I want them asap.

[sj80]

Thanks for your response and the detailed view about your R&D settings.

You are researching the Ki44-IIb ... regarding to some posts in the forum the plane isn't worth the effort. The 40mm gun has a weak performance.
I never thought about P1Y1, but it seems to be a better level bomber than the Helen. What exactly means the parameter "Endurance"? I think I will also research the Ki46-III Dinah because this recon plane has an exceptional range.
Are you using the "500+ engine"-rule? I've expanded the Ha45 engine to research for 100 per month and will shift all factories later to produce engines. I hope this will help for Frank and George research.
You have really many R&D factories expanded. What's your supply situation in Honshu?

Sebastian

[koniu]

ORIGINAL: sj80

Thanks for your response and the detailed view about your R&D settings.

You are researching the Ki44-IIb ... regarding to some posts in the forum the plane isn't worth the effort. The 40mm gun has a weak performance.
I never thought about P1Y1, but it seems to be a better level bomber than the Helen. What exactly means the parameter "Endurance"? I think I will also research the Ki46-III Dinah because this recon plane has an exceptional range.
Are you using the "500+ engine"-rule? I've expanded the Ha45 engine to research for 100 per month and will shift all factories later to produce engines. I hope this will help for Frank and George research.
You have really many R&D factories expanded. What's your supply situation in Honshu?

Sebastian

I am researching Ki-44IIb because i have personal rule that later model cant enter production before earlier one is available so if i want to have IIc in 3/43 IIb must be also available in that time. I will not produce IIb

Endurance - how many h plane can fly before he go for maintenance. more is better.

I try to have 500 engines buts so far i dont. Closest one is Ha-34 engine. I hope it help little. I heard about that rule but o do not know haw it will work.

I am not researching transports, reckon or search planes. I will build them but they are not worth of spending factories on them. Better invest in good fighter or bomber.

Expanding hose factories cost me lot of HI and supplies. But later i will have reedy production forestries. So i will save lot of supplies later as most of them will not require repairing. Also i will have many good planes earlier.

Right now i have 800k supplies in Japan. But i send lots of supplies to Burma and pacific islands so they have enough supplies for few months. I am sending also supplies to China as troops there using more that china and Manchuria is producing.

Japan home island industry producing extra 10-15k every day, that giving me extra 300-400k supplies per month. So i think i will be ok.


As for P1Y1 he is fast and armored and available in 43 and that give them more chance to survive long enough during attack to use that torpedo. He have shorter range from G3M and G4M but in second half of 43 enemy will come to you so range will not be problem.

[sj80]

Again thanks for your comments.

That is the text from econ101 guide about the 500+ engine rule:
"2. Engine pool (a/c model engine)> 500 will give a bonus of 1 to each factory which is fully repaired. Therefore, 500 engines in pool + 1x30(0) = 2pts/d. 2x30(0) = 4 pts/day. 3x30(0) = 6pts ... etc."
There is some more information in the document and you can find the document here: tm.asp?m=2933397&mpage=1&key=econ%2C101
If I understand the rule correct then it means that your factories will double (!) their research output.

I'm in mid January in my game with Terje and I've also expanded my all factories much (e.g. research 7x30 for A6M, Ki44, ...) and I'm now down to 500k supplies in Honshu. So I will stop exporting supplies and save more supplies.

Sebastian

[koniu]

1 Sep 42

Burma
Allied bombers closing my AFs but they repairing very fast. I will be reedy to send my fighters to battle in 4-5 days.

China
I have now 45 Ki-44 in china. Son i will tray them against Chinese pilots.

Ambon
We have attack.
This time we lost that encounter but I learn something. Enemy troops are without supplies.
Ambon is rough tertian(x3 multiplier) and forts where 2(x1.25 multiplier) and enemy adjusted AV grove only by 25%. Than mean only one thing, supplies are on minimum and enemy AV is multiplied by x0.33. After today attack they should be multiplied by O.25
Very good news.

Ground combat at Ambon (76,109)

Japanese Deliberate attack

Attacking force 56088 troops, 544 guns, 175 vehicles, Assault Value = 1909

Defending force 15926 troops, 180 guns, 58 vehicles, Assault Value = 549

Japanese engineers reduce fortifications to 2

Japanese adjusted assault: 2131

Allied adjusted defense: 667

Japanese assault odds: 3 to 1 (fort level 2)

Japanese Assault reduces fortifications to 2

Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+), forts(+), leaders(-), experience(-), supply(-)
Attacker:

Japanese ground losses:
4668 casualties reported
Squads: 13 destroyed, 337 disabled
Non Combat: 1 destroyed, 29 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 31 disabled
Guns lost 36 (1 destroyed, 35 disabled)
Vehicles lost 5 (1 destroyed, 4 disabled)

Allied ground losses:
1134 casualties reported
Squads: 15 destroyed, 104 disabled
Non Combat: 2 destroyed, 39 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 15 (4 destroyed, 11 disabled)

Assaulting units:
5th Division
10th Division
148th Infantry Regiment
48th Division
19th Division
41st Infantry Regiment

Defending units:
Prajoda Garrison Battalion
VI KNIL Battalion
4th Coastal Gun Battalion
Samarinda KNIL Battalion
Makassar Garrison Battalion
8th Australian/B Division
SE Borneo KNIL Battalion
Manado Garrison Battalion
Molukken Garrison Battalion
VII KNIL Battalion
Kendari Garrison Battalion
8th Australian/C Division
Tarakan Base Force
Ambon Base Force
Balikpapan Base Force
Tarakan Coastal Gun Battalion
Manado Base Force

[koniu]

2 Sep 42

China
I have notice that Docup move 50 fighters to Sian. Sweep over enemy troops around Sian ordered to try to intercept enemy LCAP

35 Oscars find around 40 P-40 and Hurricanes IIc. We lost 4 they lost 7.

Ambon
xAP sunk after 3 torpedo from dutch sub

KB
Need advice
Map lower.
As you all know KB is sailing East from marshals to get to position south of Hawaii and try to intercept enemy convoys there.
I want to use fact that enemy have now limited number of CV after i sunk two near Java and two more where hit by torpedo last month

I am exactly middle way between Palmyra and Johnston Island and KB was detected. Current DL 3/7. SAG is not detected.

Now my question.
Should i stick with current plan and sail east next turn hopping that Docup will think that TF he spotted is some king of deep patrol TF or some kind of raiding TF or should i return to marshals. Any advise appreciated. I do not afraid of enemy surface ships as i thing ocean is to big to be intercepted i also keeping distance from enemy LBA so they are no threat. Biggest risk is probably allied CV if they are repaired enough or unlucky encounter with enemy BB TF and of course wasting lots of fuel for nothing and giving info to allies where japanise CV are not.

What do you think?
What exactly can you see with DL 3/7?

EDIT1: I have decided to return home. I will not risk.

[Crackaces]

What exactly can you see with DL 3/7?

One thing .. the maximum detection was '7' that is in my experince a pretty good read on number but type are varied greatly CVL;s are CV's etc.. right now at 3 given the highest detection is 7 ...raises curiosity .. [8D]

[koniu]

ORIGINAL: Crackaces

What exactly can you see with DL 3/7?

One thing .. the maximum detection was '7' that is in my experince a pretty good read on number but type are varied greatly CVL;s are CV's etc.. right now at 3 given the highest detection is 7 ...raises curiosity .. [8D]

After h spend reading all available post about DL and MDL i have decided to return with KB home. I can just cant count on my luck. and risk entire KB. I will return home because probably i will not find nothing there and Docup will have window to hit me in other places.

I will try to use this in my favor. I have 2 CV in Bengal Bay. I have send few xAK do Burma ports. Maybe Docup will send ships to intercept them and that give me chance to sunk his ships.

Also my CVE TF hunting in Kuriles for enemy raiders. If he know that KB is in middle pacific he will be more likely to risk more direct actions close to my lines.

[koniu]

3-4 Sep 42

Rather quiet days.

I have lost two TK from subs near Singer. More ASW units send on sea. Also more ASW planes rebased to area.

In air battle in china i have lost 6 Ki-44 to 4 enemy planes.

Game is suspended because of heavy thunderstorms over East Coast of USA.
Because of them Docup lost Internet and electric power[:(]
As he is working in hospital he have now more important things to do.

EDIT: Search planes detect enemy TF 500nm of Tokyo. I have send CVE TF and SC TF to intercept. Planers from CVE not fly because of weather so tomorrow surface ships will try to intercept.
Reckon is showing 3 ships with one CA, i am sending BB, 2xCL and 2xDD TF.

[koniu]

I just got mail from Docup that he just been told that worst case scenario for getting power back is Friday so game can be stooped for week.

In TV they told than more than 4 millions of people have no power in Eeast coast right now and they need some time to repair power lines.

[koniu]

5 Sep 42

Ambon
I am unloading supplies in Ambon. 4 xAK moderately damaged today. One more day of uloading in front of me. Tomorrow will be worst as BB and CA will not have ammo to support it.

Marshals
Enemy DD TF spotted CVL TF will try to intercept them tomorrow.

KB
undetected in tarrawa will sail to Truk for while.

HI
Enemy TF detected last day was not CA TF. We sunk 2xPG and CM

Another allied CA TF sunk one of picket xAKL near Kurile Islands. I am sending 3 CVE and BB TF to patrol area.

China
Another Bombardment of Nanyang. We killed 600 enemy soldiers and disable 100 squads.

[koniu]

I am back. After almost 2 week break Docup have now electricity and internet again.[:D]

6 SEP 42
Japanese fighters return to Rangoon. Stronger than ever.

Allied bombers attack Japanese troops in north Burma. Jungle give them good cover. Only 48 KIA.

China
Nothing important.
This is how daily bombardment of chines troops looks. (I am bombing ground and AF to destroy supplies)

Morning Air attack on Hengyang , at 80,53

Weather in hex: Partial cloud

Raid spotted at 20 NM, estimated altitude 6,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 6 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-21-Ic Sally x 17
Ki-21-IIa Sally x 82
Ki-43-Ib Oscar x 12
Ki-48-Ib Lily x 59
Ki-49-Ia Helen x 7

Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-21-Ic Sally: 1 damaged
Ki-21-IIa Sally: 2 damaged

Allied ground losses:
681 casualties reported
Squads: 2 destroyed, 17 disabled
Non Combat: 4 destroyed, 92 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 4 disabled
Guns lost 7 (1 destroyed, 6 disabled)

Airbase hits 32
Airbase supply hits 18
Runway hits 92


Ambon
After 5 months of fight. Sinking 5 Allied CV, and almost 800 planes lost on both sides Ambon finally is in Japanese hands.
Todays attack was full success. Australian commandeer decide to surrender as he was out of ammo, food and medicines.
Best news is that in attack allies lost 2/3 of Australian 8 ID

Banzai!!! Banzai!!! Banzai!!!

Ground combat at Ambon (76,109)

Japanese Deliberate attack

Attacking force 54539 troops, 543 guns, 174 vehicles, Assault Value = 1753

Defending force 14779 troops, 175 guns, 58 vehicles, Assault Value = 447

Japanese engineers reduce fortifications to 1

Japanese adjusted assault: 1368

Allied adjusted defense: 292

Japanese assault odds: 4 to 1 (fort level 1)

Japanese forces CAPTURE Ambon !!!

Allied aircraft
no flights

Allied aircraft losses
Sea Hurricane Ib: 1 destroyed
P-40E Warhawk: 1 destroyed
Do-24K-1: 1 destroyed

Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+), leaders(-), experience(-), supply(-)
Attacker:

Japanese ground losses:
3475 casualties reported
Squads: 4 destroyed, 325 disabled
Non Combat: 1 destroyed, 25 disabled
Engineers: 1 destroyed, 19 disabled
Guns lost 24 (2 destroyed, 22 disabled)

Allied ground losses:
7729 casualties reported
Squads: 793 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 470 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 31 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 121 (121 destroyed, 0 disabled)
Vehicles lost 75 (75 destroyed, 0 disabled)
Units destroyed 17

Assaulting units:
19th Division
10th Division
148th Infantry Regiment
48th Division
5th Division
41st Infantry Regiment

Defending units:
8th Australian/B Division
Molukken Garrison Battalion
Prajoda Garrison Battalion
VI KNIL Battalion
Manado Garrison Battalion
Makassar Garrison Battalion
Samarinda KNIL Battalion
Kendari Garrison Battalion
SE Borneo KNIL Battalion
VII KNIL Battalion
8th Australian/C Division
Tarakan Base Force
Balikpapan Base Force
Tarakan Coastal Gun Battalion
4th Coastal Gun Battalion
Ambon Base Force
Manado Base Force

Marshall Island
KB returning home detect enemy TF near Nauru island. Order to attack given. At least KB kill something and trip was not full disappointment

Morning Air attack on TF, near Nauru Island at 125,126

Weather in hex: Clear sky

Raid detected at 40 NM, estimated altitude 17,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 15 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 18
A6M3a Zero x 32
D3A1 Val x 41

No Japanese losses

Allied Ships
CL Helena, Bomb hits 7, heavy fires, heavy damage
DD Shaw
DD Balch, Bomb hits 2, heavy fires, heavy damage

and afternoon

Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Nauru Island at 125,126

Weather in hex: Clear sky

Raid detected at 39 NM, estimated altitude 16,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 14 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 34
A6M3a Zero x 43
D3A1 Val x 46

Japanese aircraft losses
D3A1 Val: 1 damaged

Allied Ships
DD Balch, Bomb hits 4, heavy fires, heavy damage
DD Shaw, Bomb hits 3, and is sunk
CL Helena, Bomb hits 12, heavy fires, heavy damage

All ships reported as sunk.
It was good training for KB pilots as many of them see battle first time.

[koniu]

6 SEP 42

Burma
Allied bombers attack troops in north Burma (5 KIA soldiers )and Chiang Mai AF.

120 fighters defending Rangoon. 40 fighters in Lashio. I am counting for unescorted or uncoordinated enemy bomber raid.

Two CVs patrolling Bengal Bay. I will stay here for few days. Main job is to secure sea Because in tree days two ID will unload in Rangoon making total number of ID in Burma 8

DEI
Japanese cruisers trying to catch enemy TF south of Java. It looks like enemy TKs. Tomorrow they should be in very close range.

Port Moresby
CAP over base by 24 A6M2
Two B-17 and two P-38 shot down. I lost 9 planes and 2 pilots

Marshals
Sweep of Maloelap. 9 Kittyhawks shot down for one A6M3(pilot killed)
Afters sweep bombers attack AF. 5 enemy planes damaged. AF damage is 39. Few more days and we will close it.

Destroyers sunk enemy AM east of Marshall's.
I am waiting when DMSs will arrive to area. Enemy bases are protected by TB so i thinking to send them with one or two DD it TF as fire support. I want to clean mines before i will send heavy ships to bombard them from sea.

[obvert]

Glad to see the game moving again. Nice work at Ambon! Banzai! Sounds like you got a lot from him for the time it took.

Keep up the strong work over the islands. If you keep the airfields damaged the CAP will have low moral and you'll just keep getting good results. He has no choice really but to defend them having gone in this far as well, so you kind of have him where you want him.

[koniu]

ORIGINAL: obvert

Glad to see the game moving again. Nice work at Ambon! Banzai! Sounds like you got a lot from him for the time it took.

Keep up the strong work over the islands. If you keep the airfields damaged the CAP will have low moral and you'll just keep getting good results. He has no choice really but to defend them having gone in this far as well, so you kind of have him where you want him.

Obvert i am happy to that game is moving again. Ambon is big relief for me. Capturing that base freeing 4 ID directly from Ambon and another one i having as reserve in Kendari

One will stay in DEI. Probably i re-base it to Java.
Two will sail to Burma(10 ID should be enough for now there). Two(with onother two i will buy in Manchuria) will land in Marshals to retake bases there.

As for Marshals i have there good position. He is forced to defend against me so i use it to deplete his plane pools. He have no bombers there so i can fully focus on sweeps for some time. And in 45-60 days i should take those island back.

[koniu]

When i see now what limited was landing in Marshals every day i think that Docup plan was to force me to concentrate my attention on that area.

He land on two island only and leaving behind small troops and 100 fighters only.

I will retreat KB to base when i will have close to all critical areas. I think i should now focus on Coral Sea. PM mostly. In this area allies can have decent support from heavy bombers and long range fighters.
DEI should be safe for now. It looks like Docup give up with holding Ambon month ago. I not sea any big ships in area. Only few DD.

Java and Sumatra must be prepared for second half of `43 as i do not think he will land there before he build CV force. 4 carries are good for something like he do in Marshals or for Corral Sea where he have LBA support but not for open sea operation in DEI where he will face counter attack of LBA planes and 8 big and 4 small carriers.

In north i building bases and search net. CVE TF is hunting for enemy ships in area . What i notice Docup is useing CA TF to raid those waters.

I suspecting also offensive in Burma sonn

China is looking normal. After Kukong fall i preparing to take another offensive in north.

[koniu]

7 SEP 42

Burma
P38 sweep Lashio shotting down 14 Ki-43. Enemy loses 3 fighters

DEI
Cruisers fallowing enemy Tankers south of Java 120nm behind them. Tomorrow they should intercept enemy TF.

Marshals
Another raid to Maloeap. I have shot down 22 enemy fighters for 18 Japanese. 3 bombers lost. Most of planes lost during escort mission. Sweep fighters lost only 6 planes.

For escort duty i am using low trained pilots.

Total air loose today:
Japan 39 planes.
Allies 27 planes

[koniu]

8 SEP 42

DEI
Cruiser found and sunk two enemy TKs
Day Time Surface Combat, near Christmas Island IO at 43,114, Range 21,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
CA Mikuma
CA Suzuya
CL Jintsu
DD Takanami
DD Hayashio
DD Maikaze
DD Isokaze

Allied Ships
TK Saidja, Shell hits 17, Torpedo hits 2, and is sunk
TK British Hope, Torpedo hits 2, and is sunk

Marshals
Today it was rest day for pilots.
I two small night battles Japanese DDs engage enemy. They exchange some hits but nothing deadly.

Night Time Surface Combat, near Kwajalein Island at 132,115, Range 8,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
DD Asagao
DD Tsuga
DD Susuki
DD Tsuta

Allied Ships
DD Dunlap, Shell hits 2, on fire
DD Conyngham


and

Night Time Surface Combat, near Namu at 133,116, Range 8,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
DD Kisaragi
DD Uzuki, Shell hits 1, on fire

Allied Ships
DD Dunlap, Shell hits 1, on fire
DD Conyngham, Shell hits 1

Uzuki need some repairs but Truk repair teams should be enough.

R&D
Ha-34 poll reach magical number of 500.
I do not know how engine bonus should work but today 3 Tojo IIb R&D factories research 5 points and 5 IIC factories research 6 points.

[Erkki]

ORIGINAL: PaxMondo

I agree, I don't see anything train DEF as well as STRAFE for fighter pilots.

Training everything also trains DEFN. And regardless of EXP the lower a skill is the quicker it trains - and also has/seems to have a chance to train DEFN. This means that unless you're actually going to use that strafing skill, you could also use General Training, LowN or something else once you consider the AIR skill to be high enough, to maximize the rate of learning for DEFN.

Also by my experience the AIR skill increases by just flying sorties, but DEFN needs either training or actual combat. This means that to maximize a pilot's DEFN skill before that pilot goes to a front line unit, one might want to stop training AIR once its in its mid-60s(with EXP 45 or so on the average), and then train Straf and LowN, even General(which also trains AIR), until EXP hits that magical 50+. Once that 49-51 EXP pilot reaches the front, he still might(or, is very likely to) gain some more AIR skill before his first combat just by flying escort, sweep and CAP - and of course units that are rotated from front to rest as well as reserve squads may always train General or even fly CAP to boost EXP and AIR. But he wont be learning DEFN any more before he sees combat.

[koniu]

ORIGINAL: Erkki

ORIGINAL: PaxMondo

I agree, I don't see anything train DEF as well as STRAFE for fighter pilots.

Training everything also trains DEFN. And regardless of EXP the lower a skill is the quicker it trains - and also has/seems to have a chance to train DEFN. This means that unless you're actually going to use that strafing skill, you could also use General Training, LowN or something else once you consider the AIR skill to be high enough, to maximize the rate of learning for DEFN.

Also by my experience the AIR skill increases by just flying sorties, but DEFN needs either training or actual combat. This means that to maximize a pilot's DEFN skill before that pilot goes to a front line unit, one might want to stop training AIR once its in its mid-60s(with EXP 45 or so on the average), and then train Straf and LowN, even General(which also trains AIR), until EXP hits that magical 50+. Once that 49-51 EXP pilot reaches the front, he still might(or, is very likely to) gain some more AIR skill before his first combat just by flying escort, sweep and CAP - and of course units that are rotated from front to rest as well as reserve squads may always train General or even fly CAP to boost EXP and AIR. But he wont be learning DEFN any more before he sees combat.

thanks.
I was not sure about that an i was watching how air skill is growing during standard CAP. If XP is below 50 is grooving fast.
So i have decide to not train Air until 70 but to middle 60s and later train def.
When both skill reach wanted number i moving pilots to fly cap. After 1-2 week they have xp 50+ and air 70+