DaBigBabes 28B v11 Dan Nichols(J) vs Denisonh(A)

[PaxMondo]

ORIGINAL: obvert
As far as late war, the Ki-83 will be a killer if you can get it soon enough to be useful.

The Ki-83 is a twin engine fighter. If it had 4xHo-5 20mm cannon it would be pretty good, but the 30mm H0-105 cannon is lousy. I find the Ki-84b model Frank to be better and it is only a single engine. Actually the b model is the best Frank, but it is a stand alone model that you have to research independent of the other two. That is its biggest drawback.

[PaxMondo]

ORIGINAL: cavalry

For certain the Val to Judy Jump offers enormous value- the Judy is so good compared to the Val, then consider the kate - you need the Jill but its much later than the Judy ( RA ) but what you have not got is a navy fighter to match the allied ones - shame.

+1

Your biggest problem is that after 6/42 your IJN CV capable fighter is really dated and you get nothing there until Sam comes along really late in the game. For IJN you need George for all of your land based groups. Jack is fine, but not much different than George and comes much later.

Late war bombers (France/Peggy) depend upon your play style. Kami's are VERY useful and work, but are one shot and require particular aircraft and pilots*. Bombers only work within the range of you fighters, and all of your late war fighters are really short range defensive fighters. Consider that carefully.

*Particular - meaning you want cheap a/c (1E) and high nav skill but low exp pilots. AND you will need a LOT of both as kami's are one way. Read Nemo's AAR's. You can blow through +2000 in a week, but really wreck havoc with invasion fleets. If you are going to use kami's, you have to really plan for them. 2000 a/c in one week represents several months production used in one week ... not too mention the pilot training.

[obvert]

ORIGINAL: PaxMondo

ORIGINAL: obvert
As far as late war, the Ki-83 will be a killer if you can get it soon enough to be useful.

The Ki-83 is a twin engine fighter. If it had 4xHo-5 20mm cannon it would be pretty good, but the 30mm H0-105 cannon is lousy. I find the Ki-84b model Frank to be better and it is only a single engine. Actually the b model is the best Frank, but it is a stand alone model that you have to research independent of the other two. That is its biggest drawback.

I only know this fighter from Greyjoy's game with radar, and he said it was the best he faced. The two engines are more expensive, but if it's the best this doesn't bother me, I'll build it anyway.

I know you've played late game, so your comments are coming from experience, but personally I just want to try all of these planes out and see what they can do.

[PaxMondo]

ORIGINAL: obvert

ORIGINAL: PaxMondo

ORIGINAL: obvert
As far as late war, the Ki-83 will be a killer if you can get it soon enough to be useful.

The Ki-83 is a twin engine fighter. If it had 4xHo-5 20mm cannon it would be pretty good, but the 30mm H0-105 cannon is lousy. I find the Ki-84b model Frank to be better and it is only a single engine. Actually the b model is the best Frank, but it is a stand alone model that you have to research independent of the other two. That is its biggest drawback.

I only know this fighter from Greyjoy's game with radar, and he said it was the best he faced. The two engines are more expensive, but if it's the best this doesn't bother me, I'll build it anyway.

I know you've played late game, so your comments are coming from experience, but personally I just want to try all of these planes out and see what they can do.

Let me clarify, the Ki-83 is a good fighter, on par with any of the other late war fighters that IJ gets (Shinden, Karyu, Frank, and Sam). Its fast like the Shinden. My testing though showed it wasn't any better than the Frank 'b' model in defensive combat, in particular against sweeps. I didn't do any thorough testing of the fighters in offensive roles, however I would not be surprised that the Ki-83 is much better as a sweeper than the Frank.

My judgement is based upon if it isn't better, I'm not likely to spend twice the HI building it ... I'd rather have two Frank 'b' fighters. [;)]

Now flip this around, the Karyu is something that I would build even though it is twin engine. It's like the Ki-83 except much faster, and that speed shows up in combat performance. Question with the Karyu is whether IJ is still around in the game when you can finally get it! [:D][:D][:D]

[Dan Nichols]

Well, I have made my decisions and completed the first turn. I wonder what I did wrong, what I forgot to do, etc?

I'm a bit down right now, I spent a lot of time on this. I plan on posting more on what I want to accomplish and how
I plan on doing it later.

[JocMeister]

Good luck Dan! [:)]

[Dan Nichols]

Thanks Jocke, it is a lot of work to play the dark side.

[Dan Nichols]

The first turn had been run and it is success for Japan. My Pearl Harbor attack was outright stupendous.
Here is the edited version:
Morning Air attack on Pearl Harbor , at 180,107

Weather in hex: Clear sky

Raid detected at 119 NM, estimated altitude 13,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 44 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 78
B5N2 Kate x 144
D3A1 Val x 135



Allied aircraft
no flights

Japanese aircraft losses
B5N2 Kate: 21 damaged
B5N2 Kate: 7 destroyed by flak
D3A1 Val: 17 damaged
D3A1 Val: 2 destroyed by flak

Allied aircraft losses
B-17E Fortress: 17 damaged
PBY-5 Catalina: 122 damaged
PBY-5 Catalina: 6 destroyed on ground
P-36A Mohawk: 20 damaged
P-36A Mohawk: 3 destroyed on ground
B-17D Fortress: 35 damaged
SBD-1 Dauntless: 34 damaged
SBD-1 Dauntless: 2 destroyed on ground
B-18A Bolo: 20 damaged
B-18A Bolo: 3 destroyed on ground
A-20A Havoc: 17 damaged
A-20A Havoc: 1 destroyed on ground
P-40B Warhawk: 27 damaged
P-40B Warhawk: 2 destroyed on ground
O-47A: 4 damaged
O-47A: 2 destroyed on ground
R3D-2: 2 damaged
C-33: 2 damaged
F4F-3 Wildcat: 6 damaged
OS2U-3 Kingfisher: 7 destroyed

Allied Ships
BB California, Bomb hits 2, Torpedo hits 2, and is sunk
DD Helm, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
BB West Virginia, Bomb hits 4, Torpedo hits 2, heavy fires
BB Tennessee, Bomb hits 3, Torpedo hits 6, heavy fires, heavy damage
DD Selfridge, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
BB Nevada, Bomb hits 1, Torpedo hits 2, and is sunk
BB Arizona, Bomb hits 2, Torpedo hits 3, and is sunk
BB Pennsylvania, Bomb hits 1, and is sunk
BB Maryland, Bomb hits 3, Torpedo hits 3, and is sunk
BB Oklahoma, Bomb hits 2, Torpedo hits 3, heavy fires
DD Allen, Bomb hits 1, on fire
AV Wright, Bomb hits 1, on fire
CL Raleigh, Bomb hits 1, heavy fires
CL Honolulu, Bomb hits 1, on fire
CL Phoenix, Torpedo hits 1
CL Helena, Bomb hits 1, Torpedo hits 1
AO Neosho, Torpedo hits 1, on fire
DD Litchfield, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
PT-22, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
AR Medusa, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
SS Cachalot, Bomb hits 1, and is sunk


Allied ground losses:
8 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled


Airbase hits 27
Airbase supply hits 3
Runway hits 64
Port hits 21
Port fuel hits 7


Magazine explodes on DD Selfridge
Magazine explodes on BB Pennsylvania
Magazine explodes on BB Nevada
Magazine explodes on BB California
Magazine explodes on BB Maryland

5 x BBs, 2 x DDs listed as sunk. I also like that 3 of the CLs hit are modern Helena and Brooklyn class( think Boise )

------------------------------------------------
I concentrated my bombing in the PI on Clark Field with good results. A large number of destroyed and damaged aircraft
and Clark Field is closed. I also had 12 air base supply hits. I intend to hit Manilla next turn and do the same.
I want to close all the airbases with air support and then either destroy the aircraft or force him to withdraw them.
----------------------
The only landing I made that turn was at Kota Bharu. I landed all of the 18th ID plus two Base Forces except a few
support squads from the 56th Inf Rgt. So I will take Kota Bharu this next turn and start marching the turn after.
I will have two infantry regiments, the engineer, and FA units attack and the armored recon element and the other
infantry regiment pursue.
-----------------------
The only blemish on the turn is that Force Z, Bosie, and Houston are not to be seen.

[PaxMondo]

One of the best PH attacks I have seen.  Better than anything I have ever had.  Congrats!!
 
[&o][&o][&o]

[obvert]

Did you do anything special with your air group commanders or anything? That is quite the haul on turn one! Banzai!

[Dan Nichols]

I didn't change any air or ship leaders in KB. I just set up the attacks as listed above and let it rip. Good die rolls for
me.

[Dan Nichols]

OK, my overall plan for this game.

Leaving China out of the discussion for now, I plan to take what I consider the historical planned areas. That would be
all of Burma, DEI, Timor, New Guinea, Solomon Islands, some or all of the Gilberts, some of the Western Aleutians. I will
attempt to make it costly in time and equipment to retake these areas.

In China I will be trying to take Sian and Yenan plus pushing north into Urumachi. The important base to take will be
Tienshui northwest of Sian. That cuts the road network to the north. After I need to try and clear the major road
from Hanoi to Shanghai. I don't know how far I will get with this, but I am going to try.

[obvert]

Your goals sound reasonable.

Any ideas about W Australia, Cocos and Christmas Is IO?

Also, what do you plan for Urumchi? I was eager to take this, but it hasn't been easy to get anything to move from it.

[Dan Nichols]

Coco and Christmas Island(IO) probably if he doesn't fight too hard for them. Western OZ, probably not. I intend to use
Timor to base Netties to keep the Allied naval forces at bay, including supply.

I'm not sure if I can get the oil/fuel to move from Urumachi, but I just want to eliminate his forces in that area and
there are a couple of bases that produce supply that I can always use. It is a fairly low priority for me, but a
necessary clean up operation.

[Dan Nichols]

Turn 2 is done. I had a Betty unit be the first into Manilla, with no prior sweep or escorts. It was ugly.
I lost 16 aircraft and 8 pilots. [:@][:@][:@][:@][:@] I also had a number of Netties that did not fly to
Manilla. [:@][:@]

We will do it again tomorrow and hope for better results.

I took Kota Bharu and my armored element pursued all the way to the next hex. Air bombardments and another
DA.

Ocean Island fell to me. And Aparri fell to my paratroops.

A series of encounters with the 8 MTBs from Hong Kong resulted in the sinking of all 8 of them.

Running battles with the 2 x DD, 1 x DM TF from Honk Kong resulted in one damaged DD for me and 3 very damaged
ships for the Allies.

All 5 BBs that showed sunk on day one are now on the sunk ship list. [:)]

[Dan Nichols]

This game seems to be petering out. I sent back a turn the 31st and got an email back the 2nd that said he would to the
turn Sunday. Still no turn or email.

[JocMeister]

Ouff, You seem to have very bad luck finding opponents! [:(]

[KenchiSulla]

Unlucky, hope you find a fresh foe soon!

[Dan Nichols]

I'm not going to be looking for a new foe. My really slow game has picked up. My opponent has recovered from
medical problems and we are doing 2 - 5 turns a day now.

[Dan Nichols]

Harvey sent me a turn tonight. I have run the combat and things are interesting.

At first light, Marblehead and friends tangled with my CVL Ryujo. An inclusive fight.
Day Time Surface Combat, near Tandjoengselor at 70,95, Range 20,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
CVL Ryujo
CL Nagara, Shell hits 1
DD Hatsukaze
DD Natsushio
DD Hayashio, Shell hits 1, on fire
DD Amatsukaze

Allied Ships
CL Marblehead, Shell hits 2
DD Barker, Shell hits 2
DD Bulmer, Shell hits 5, on fire
DD Stewart
-------------------------
I then had 40 Nells attack PoW and Repulse at Miri, but they used bombs, I do not know why.
7 Bettys flew next and put one Torpedo into PoW. Interesting that I have Kongo and Haruna in the
next hex. I will back my transports up and attack with my BBs. Hopefully I can at least damage them
and my Nells and Bettys will fly with torpedos.
------
I found Houston and Boise together next to Tawi Tawi. My Kates flew but didn't hit anything. I have
a SCTF just North with Mogami and Mikuma. I will try to intercept. I also have a SCTF to the South
with Myoko and Haguo, they might not be up to the task, but they will put the stopper in the Magassar
Strait. My CVL Ryujo TF will drift to the West a bit but stay in range to hit anything in the area.
I must move it toward Mando and Ternate to cover those landings.
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