AAR- Game 2 with Kay-san

[wga8888]

Currently playing my 2nd game with Brad Kay, now in Oct 42) using the revised campaign scenario, hoping to avoid the utter defeat I experienced in game 1 (where I ran out of Allied BBs, APs, CVs). IJN aggressively extended its perimeter early to include Midway, Johnston Is, Palmyra, Broome, Darwin, Cairns, Espirto Santo, and Efate. The Indian front and most of China seems like an IJA conquest with my fighting to hold Calcutta. Only a house rule keeps Ceylon safe, as entry point for the RN. The only early bright spot is a USN surprise at Palmyra, where the IJN lost 2 CVs, 2 CVLs, and a CE before a successful invasion.

Phase 2 involved a massing of naval forces with the first and second battle of Townsville, while the cream of the Australia is trapped in Cloncurry inland base. BB actions were IJN victories as the Yamato dominates the damage inflicted and draws Allies fire with little effect. IJN loses 1 BB while the Allies lose 4. True the Allies are more efficient at repair. CV action offset the IJN momentum with IJN losing 2 more CVs and the Allies 1. Several on both sides damaged. Two US INF Div finally landed in Rockingham, after being stuck in the Auckland Triangle (requiring an edit to unstick from the bottom map edge). Reinforcing into battle at Townsville, it is apparent that the allies will not dislodge the IJA there. IJA captures Cloncurry base, dooming the Australians there, capture Calcutta base, and finally secures New Caledonia.

Phase 3 just completed with the USN recapturing Palmyra, Johnston Island despite IJA arrival 3 first line zero groups and 1 betty group, which are lost in the surrender. A reverse at Midway as the IJN BBs pound the two smaller USN Bombardment groups with two USN fast battleships sinking, several CAs with many beat up USN ships. CVs at opposite sides inflict damage into the surface forces, but do not engage each other due to range. The USN transports withdraw as the USN (actually 2 USN, 1 Brit) CVs have severe plane losses. After reorganization in Pearl, two USN CV TFs show up off midway with 3 CV each two turns later, preceding two Transport TFs. No IJN CVs are found so the Allies pound and sink a handful of IJN CAs, DDs; and the liberation of Midway succeeds.

P38 are now exiting the former P39 factory at 17/turn but no large P39/P40 group has made an appearance in Australia as experience continues to be under my minimum of 70. A few F4F groups make heroic stands at the base at Townsville but are quickly whittled by superior numbers forcing rotation. One P38 group arrives at SF (exp 60), and two small P39 groups convert to P38s but now 4 planes each and 58 exp. If a SW Pac P39 groups converts to P38, its experience well be low for 10 weeks unless a non-attritional battle area can be found. Current idea is to get a48 plane 70exp P39/P40 group into sustained battle and convert if/after exp is in the high 70s. World wonders when I get F4Us; I thought Sep42 but it is now Oct42. IJN still controls more than it should before a historical USN offensive. The IJA leader is more experienced, but USN still has 5 of 6 CVs and will rely on being unpredictable. The IJN BB TF is a bain to my plans and this remaining CV TF is fragile and no longer dominant. Biggest Allied challenge is keeping his forces organized while operating in a large theatre. I seem to expend Allied BBs like pototo chips, where did they all go? USN is borderline as to having enough resources to operation in two axes of attack. However teh IJN can likely defeat a USN CV TF is in equal numbers. .

[bradk]

The IJ offensive is over due to carrier losses and BB damage. However I'm satisfied with the defensive permeter. Rich Dionne's oil maintenance program works superbly.

[Capt. Harlock]

P38 are now exiting the former P39 factory at 17/turn but no large P39/P40 group has made an appearance in Australia as experience continues to be under my minimum of 70. A few F4F groups make heroic stands at the base at Townsville but are quickly whittled by superior numbers forcing rotation. One P38 group arrives at SF (exp 60), and two small P39 groups convert to P38s but now 4 planes each and 58 exp. If a SW Pac P39 groups converts to P38, its experience well be low for 10 weeks unless a non-attritional battle area can be found. Current idea is to get a48 plane 70exp P39/P40 group into sustained battle and convert if/after exp is in the high 70s.

Do you have a good reserve of P-39's? I often keep production going until the Corsair is available; it's superior to the Hurricane and the production cost is low. This makes it a good choice for attrition battles against IJAAF groups.

It is also the best early war Allied fighter for ground attack, which also boosts the experience rating quickly. Unfortunately, it looks like you can no longer get a squadron to the India/Burma theater.

[bradk]

Hmmm... can't answer the P39 pool question for Bill, but... I think you're forgetting the differences in function between AI and PBEM. In PBEM non-US airgroups can't get P39s or P40s. So in PBEM the Brits are stuck with Hurricanes and F4Fs until the F4U1 comes along. This is a serious and unrealistic disadvantage for the Allied player in PBEM as his airgroups should have access to P39s, P40s, and later, P38s.

However, I was able to address this problem to a degree in the revised scenarios. Its not possible with the tools I have to give non-US airgroups access to the existing P39s and P40s. So I created export models, identical to the US Army versions, that can be accessed by non-US airgroups. They are produced separately, with somewhat limited production capacity (usually peak at 9 to 12 per week... there are random factors in factory expansion) representing excess US production available to non-US airgroups.

The same applies to non-US tac bomber groups, which in a Matrix PBEM game can't get US Army tac bombers. (In AI, Matrix gives some of the groups B25s.) Casual research indicated that early war Aus airgroups were more likely to get the B26 than the B25, so I created an export version of the B26 similar to what I did with the fighters.

In the revised scenarios, non US fighter airgroups continue their Matrix access to both versions of the Corsair, the Thunderbolt, and non-historical access to the F6F. Its just not possible to do everything, for example, give non-US fighter airgroups access to P38s and P51s. Which neither SSI nore Matrix did. And note the non-historical USMC access to Brit fighters, which has existed since the original SSI version.

[bradk]

I still missed a point. Bill has pools of P39s and P40s available to US Army airgroups, and pools of export versions of P39s and P40s available to non-US airgroups.

[Capt. Harlock]

So in PBEM the Brits are stuck with Hurricanes and F4Fs until the F4U1 comes along. This is a serious and unrealistic disadvantage for the Allied player in PBEM as his airgroups should have access to P39s, P40s, and later, P38s.

Couldn't agree more about the unrealistic disadvantage. However, it is occasionally possible to load a USAAF squadron aboard transports and sail it laboriously around the southern parts of the map and back up to British-held territory. You seem to have pretty much blocked that route, however. [:(]

[bradk]

Well, some of the disadvantage is fixed. Previouis Allied opponents have suggested in increase in the experience of Allied LCUs in Burma. I agree based on my experience playing Allies. So that's one of the things I intend to adjust in the next version.

I desire that each side have realistic capabilities. Experience with using Rich's suggestion for maintain IJ oil indicates its a huge advantage for an IJ player, so much that IJs offensive isn't stopped early/mid 1942 by lack of oil and thus PPs.

The IJ offensive ought to run out of gas <G> as some point even if the Allied player hasn't inflicted the degree of losses Bill has in our current game. But for carrier and BB losses, I'd have entertained an invasion of the Hawaiian Islands summer 42.