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

[koniu]

9 JAN 43

DEI
Another bombing of Saumlaki. Supplies are low. Troops desrupted morale stat falling

Marshals
I have send A6M5 to strafe against ships in Maloelap hex.
They sunk xAKL and damage at lest 4 TB

Heavy radio volume south of Numea
Of this is huge Cargo convoy or Enemy combat fleet is moving toward Oz.
I am moving all available subs to patrol Arafura Sea. They mus move down there if something will happen in DEI. They can move also around OZ but it will take month or more

[koniu]

10 Jan 43

DEI
Another Saumlaki raid. Base is closed. 400 tons of suplies left. Or Docup want to delude me or he want to land on that Island

Sub activity
In past 10 days i see only three or four subs attack. I lost PB. That good.
I know that there are subs around Marshals but where is rest of them. I can assume that when i found high activity of enemy subs that area will be hot soon.

[koniu]

11 Jan 43

DEI
Saumlaki bombed again. I can do nothing about that.

I am re-basing Air HQ, I will have one in Ambon, Kendari and in Timor area. That will give me torpedo cover to entire south DEI.

Wake
Strafing P-39 sunk PB near island. PB was out of fuel so easy target.
I whant to check what king of reaction i can expect.

Marshals
Ki-49 bomb Maoeolap port sunking 6 PT boats. G4M launch against small TF near island but where unable to find targets.

PH
Third day in row i have h. radio from base
DL is 2/3. No CV reported. I am sending Sub with FP. Maybe we will find something

China
Docup with at lest 3 or 4 ID(600AV total) is trying to destroy small inf unit in north china.
That units have only 12 AV so i will not cry.
I am sending two ID and Tank Units to make his live harder there.

Air groups
I am sending some training units from Japan to Pacific and DEI. They will continue training but i will slowly upgrade them to modern planes. Later it will be easy to replace green pilots with trained ones and change that units in one day to combat unit.

DEI
I f**c up with DEI defenses. Maybe not as much but it is not perfect if i compare to players like GreyJoy.
Rookie mistake. In next game i will do better.
I hope Docup will not attack until Essex class CV start arrive that will give me few more months. Or at lest give me one month.
DEI is my primary objective to defend so Marshals have now only 80 fighters and 80 bombers. and 4 CA and few destroyers as fast reaction force.
DEI have 850 planes defending (KB included) and almost 3/4 of combined fleet. I hoping to crash enemy invasion and move KB back to Pacific in case Docup will try simultaneous invasion in Marshals or Salomon's.

[GreyJoy]

ORIGINAL: koniu
DEI
I f**c up with DEI defenses. Maybe not as much but it is not perfect if i compare to players like GreyJoy.
Rookie mistake. In next game i will do better.

Koniu, thank you but i'm surely rookier (sp?!) than you as Japan!
However i do think with a couple of decent airfields (meaning at least level 5) and air HQs the southern DEI can be defended if your KB is at hand.
In early 1943 the allies aren't that strong yet. If Docup decides to follow that route he will need first to bomb your airfields to dust before committing a proper invasion. Just remember to garrison, even with a naval guard unit, the potential BIG airfields...don't let him grab them easily

[koniu]

ORIGINAL: GreyJoy

ORIGINAL: koniu
DEI
I f**c up with DEI defenses. Maybe not as much but it is not perfect if i compare to players like GreyJoy.
Rookie mistake. In next game i will do better.

Koniu, thank you but i'm surely rookier (sp?!) than you as Japan!
However i do think with a couple of decent airfields (meaning at least level 5) and air HQs the southern DEI can be defended if your KB is at hand.
In early 1943 the allies aren't that strong yet. If Docup decides to follow that route he will need first to bomb your airfields to dust before committing a proper invasion. Just remember to garrison, even with a naval guard unit, the potential BIG airfields...don't let him grab them easily

I will try to build defenses there asap. I am sending all free units there right now.
I can weaken even Marshals or Salomons for better DEI protection. If Docup give me more than time i will have 10 AF ready and at lest 5 capable to send 2E TB with torpedo in air. Also KB is in max two day reaction range. I already have there 1200AV and more is coming. And Yamato SAG in one phase reaction distance from potential landing points.

So far Docup is not bombing much giving me time to build forts and AF but as You know problem is to find Eng units to do that. Lucky i am currently unloading in Kendari 300 Eeg squads. I will airlift them to bases i what to build.

After updating to Beta patch Docup is not so willing to send his bombers without escorts. Now he can expect CAP everywhere. For me it is best fix in that patch. And with Tojo IIc and soon Geroge i can fight against P-38 and first F4U with good results. I have good example in Burma when it looks Docup after losing 70 fighters in 10 days for equal numbers on my side resign from sweeping Mandalay.

PS. Sorry for mentioning about Your defenses outside Your AAR. But i was only referring what i see on map. I will never told names or numbers on open channel.
Knowledge where biuld AF and where not. Where place air HQ and where skip air defense is important, and best source about that are from AAR like Your

[obvert]

After updating to Beta patch Docup is not so willing to send his bombers without escorts. Now he can expect CAP everywhere. For me it is best fix in that patch.

This is what I miss having. If he's unable to see my airfield icons without recon, it's much easier to defend as then he has to check everywhere and sweep/escort every attack or suffer the affects.

[SqzMyLemon]

ORIGINAL: obvert

After updating to Beta patch Docup is not so willing to send his bombers without escorts. Now he can expect CAP everywhere. For me it is best fix in that patch.

This is what I miss having. If he's unable to see my airfield icons without recon, it's much easier to defend as then he has to check everywhere and sweep/escort every attack or suffer the affects.

This is huge in my opinion. I've not upgraded to the beta and don't plan to as yet, but this change alone will make it much more difficult for the Allied player to cherry pick enemy airfields to bomb or set up CAP traps acting on recent Japanese air unit deployments.

[koniu]

ORIGINAL: SqzMyLemon

ORIGINAL: obvert

After updating to Beta patch Docup is not so willing to send his bombers without escorts. Now he can expect CAP everywhere. For me it is best fix in that patch.

This is what I miss having. If he's unable to see my airfield icons without recon, it's much easier to defend as then he has to check everywhere and sweep/escort every attack or suffer the affects.

This is huge in my opinion. I've not upgraded to the beta and don't plan to as yet, but this change alone will make it much more difficult for the Allied player to cherry pick enemy airfields to bomb or set up CAP traps acting on recent Japanese air unit deployments.

Jest that true. After we update to new patch Docup not changing his tactic and as usual he bomb me in Burma, DEI. But when he suddenly lost 40 planes and few turn later few more in CAP trap he stop flying. I think i see in last 3 weeks no more that 5 big bomber raids.

Also his fighters have bad days now. In last clash over Mandalay he was sending 50 P-38 and all he achieve was 1:1,5 kill ratio and 11 Lightnings lost for 18 Japanese planes and and few low xp pilots. Massing Ki-44 is problem for allies. I think i will have good results with F4U (at lest with first version) as long i will be able to have numbers on my side

That fix is balance changing thing. There is no free points for allies now. Every time he will send bombers he will have trouble with sleep.
Now they will know like Japanese players feel.

[koniu]

Question.

Can i sweep my own base.

I know i cant sweep TFs, but let say allies are invading. They use CVE to CAP over invaded base. Can i send sweep from different base to weaken that CAP before bombers arrive or only option is LCAP to support bombers?

koniu


PS. I think most if not all of us waiting for most important thing on that forum today.
So see You all in 1275psi AAR.

[obvert]

You can't sweep your own base. Only LR CAP if there are no other Allied bases nearby to sweep to draw the CAP.

[koniu]

ORIGINAL: obvert

You can't sweep your own base. Only LR CAP if there are no other Allied bases nearby to sweep to draw the CAP.

That sucks! So i will have to LCAP to give better chances for my strikes.

[koniu]

12 Jan 43

Burma
Unescorted bombers bombard my troop south of Akyab. No loses but one of ID get 18 disruption points.
I am sending 180 fighters to LCAP over them tomorrow.

Tank DIv and army HQ is moving to reinfore that area. I will have there 4 ID, Tank Div and many Art units. That is giving me 2200AV defending that area.
Central and north Burma is defended by 3000AV. (5ID, Tank ID ans some smaler units and arty)

I wonder how Docup supply situation is looking. Any day he is delaying offensive is Burma is closing me to monsoons and that will help me with defense.

DEI
I am airlifting eng units to speed up base building or start building new bases.
Another bombing of Saumlaki. I sending them some supllies but is all i can do right now.

Salomons.
I taking one of Air HQ(range 1) to DEI. I want that HQ in Ambon. I am replacing it with aHQ(range 4). That will give me more AF reedy to send bombers with torps.

Marshals
One of Ki-49 units is now flying ASW mision. All pilots have ASW skill 70 or more. Already have rapports about hits. Other units sunk 6 PT boats in Moeolap base

Truk
Lot of subs. I am sending bomber units to fly ASW.

China
I am moving toward Yean. I should capture city in few days.

Subs
Another days without sub attack. That good.

Fuel/oil/supply
After moving some fuel transport to cargo ships i sending some TKs to transport oil now.
I have 700k oil to transport from DEI to Japan.

Japan have now 1M of oil and desperately need more.
Fuel reserve in Japan is 2,3M
Supply in Japan grew to 1M. In last 1,5 month Empire manage to accumulate 300k extra supply and reserve is groving every day.

[obvert]

I've turned off several refineries in Japan just to make the flow more regular instead of sporadic as I begin to run low on oil. Not that it makes much difference. I just hate to see the red X in the industry report. I'm curious what my supply situation will begin to look like after there is no supply from refineries in the HI. I'm down to about 500k oil and 40k of that is in Urumchi and not moving anywhere.

Interesting that Port Arthur is drawing from somewhere in China or farther along now. It' consistently at about 2.5k in spite of the fact that not enough is produced in Manchuria to feed it. That is good at least.

What did you get to sink PT boats from the air? I have had every type conceivable try for them at 1000 ft but no hits in forever. I consistently have a Nell group trying to hit them with TT and losing a few planes each attack for no joy. What is working for you?

[koniu]

ORIGINAL: obvert

I've turned off several refineries in Japan just to make the flow more regular instead of sporadic as I begin to run low on oil. Not that it makes much difference. I just hate to see the red X in the industry report. I'm curious what my supply situation will begin to look like after there is no supply from refineries in the HI. I'm down to about 500k oil and 40k of that is in Urumchi and not moving anywhere.

Interesting that Port Arthur is drawing from somewhere in China or farther along now. It' consistently at about 2.5k in spite of the fact that not enough is produced in Manchuria to feed it. That is good at least.

What did you get to sink PT boats from the air? I have had every type conceivable try for them at 1000 ft but no hits in forever. I consistently have a Nell group trying to hit them with TT and losing a few planes each attack for no joy. What is working for you?

I sunk them when anchored at port.
First day i strafe with fighters damaging 3 or 4. Next day i attack port. I was assuming that Docup will hide them there to avoid next strafe attack in next day.
It is good to kill them. To create new one he will need to spend supplies and Marshals are low on supplies for allies.

I am currently keeping China and Manchuria refineries running by transporting oil from Miri to to south china . 8k capacity taker between Miri and Hong Kong is enough. I am also sending fuel to Manchuria to keep HI running.

I have now 1M oil in Japan that is 130 days reserve and 700k to transport from DEI that should give 90 days reserve.
In summary that is giving me 220 days reserve plus all surplus oil i will produce for next few months in dei (around 800k in 9 months i hope) so another 100 days. So i think i will be out of oil by end of 43.

Economy part of game is giving me that personal feeling that i need to take care about Japan like good father. Those red X in industry screen make me sad and i feel guilty that i do something wrong.[:'(]


PS. Remember, do not repair refineries in Japan after oil is gone. Waste of supplies to repair them when no oil to proces.

[obvert]

Yep, I feel the same. Remember though you will still pump more oil out of the ground as well, so you're probably good until March or April in 44, and then come the austerity measures.

In my game Jocke still hasn't managed to hit all of the wells in Magwe, which makes me smile. He must have bombed the place 10-12 times with 150 4Es and there are still 9 wells trickling out oil. I wish I had supply to build 20 more back and keep him trying to focus on bombing that, but I can't afford that in Burma just now.

We'll have to see where jrcar is in mid-44 to get a good idea of what things will look like then.

[koniu]

13 Jan 43

Truk
I lost APD after torpedo hit 90nm west of base

Burma
Air battle near Akyab
After AM phase i was devastated i lost around 25-30 planes for killing only 3-8 enemy fighters.
Lightnings go trough my planes like hot knife trough butter.

Morning Air attack on 1st Division, at 55,46 , near Akyab

Weather in hex: Severe storms

Raid spotted at 13 NM, estimated altitude 37,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 2 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-43-Ic Oscar x 10
Ki-44-IIa Tojo x 16
Ki-44-IIc Tojo x 8
Ki-45 KAIa Nick x 10

Allied aircraft
Sea Hurricane Ib x 8
P-38G Lightning x 25

Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-43-Ic Oscar: 2 destroyed
Ki-44-IIa Tojo: 2 destroyed
Ki-44-IIc Tojo: 2 destroyed
Ki-45 KAIa Nick: 3 destroyed

Allied aircraft losses
Sea Hurricane Ib: 2 destroyed

and

Morning Air attack on 1st Division, at 55,46 , near Akyab

Weather in hex: Severe storms

Raid spotted at 22 NM, estimated altitude 35,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 4 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-43-Ic Oscar x 6
Ki-44-IIa Tojo x 9
Ki-44-IIc Tojo x 4

Allied aircraft
Mohawk IV x 2
P-38F Lightning x 25

Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-43-Ic Oscar: 3 destroyed
Ki-44-IIa Tojo: 3 destroyed
Ki-44-IIc Tojo: 1 destroyed

No Allied losses

After they sweep i have nothing in air so bombers fly unharmed. But lucky in jungle bombings are useless.

But there came PM phase. I think no comment needed[:D]

Afternoon Air attack on 1st Division, at 55,46 , near Akyab

Weather in hex: Heavy rain

Raid spotted at 18 NM, estimated altitude 9,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 6 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-43-Ic Oscar x 8
Ki-44-IIa Tojo x 14
Ki-44-IIc Tojo x 7
Ki-45 KAIa Nick x 6

Allied aircraft
Blenheim IV x 24
Mohawk IV x 4

No Japanese losses

Allied aircraft losses
Blenheim IV: 13 destroyed
Mohawk IV: 1 destroyed

According to game and tracker we shot down all 24 Blenheim's.

Todays air loses. Battle cost us 8 KIA and 16 WIA pilots.
Good new is that all air grups are still combat capable with morale 95+

[koniu]

Docup just post his pilots screen from game so i know what kind of loses he suffer.
So far he lost 1200 KIA, MIA pilots and 900 WIA pilots.

So he is better from me. My total pilots loses are 2200 MIA, KIA and 600 WIA pilots so i am lose about 1000 pilots more.

I think it is what we should see. I last 12 month most of battles where above enemy territory so it create huge loses on my side and Docup in those same battles was losing much less pilots and was avoiding MIA pilots. Also Japanese planes without armor not helping to safe pilots. I hope Ki-44IIc will help with pilots survivability, Going to defensive tactic should help also.
Also, from what i know game is not showing pilot that are now in limbo after sinking CV. He lost at lest three CV out of friendly AF range so that should give 100-150 more pilots killed but no counted.


Another thing is LCAP missions. They are waste of resources for me. Especially when they facing P-38 and soon F4U sweeps and enemy is also LCAP that hex. It is difficult to have numeric advantage when LCAP and without it it will end like last turn when i lost 30 fighters for no P-38 kills.

[koniu]

14-18 JAN 43
Mostly quiet days

Burma
I whant to send bombers to Chittagong but i do make mistake and they attack empty Cox's Bazar. there is 50 P-38 in Chittagong. Stupid mistake.

/strafing Hudson's sunk two SC near Rangoon

I see movement in Akyab. Allies troops entering Burma

DEI
I am moving more troops to garrison DEI. Fleet is on place to counter attack in case of invasion.

I lost two AK with troops on decks. One from TT hits after sub attack. Second ater Catalina attack.

Morning Air attack on TF, near Wetar at 72,114

Weather in hex: Moderate rain

Raid spotted at 7 NM, estimated altitude 11,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 4 minutes

Allied aircraft
PBY-5 Catalina x 3

No Allied losses

Japanese Ships
AK Kyushu Maru, Torpedo hits 3, and is sunk

Japanese ground losses:
649 casualties reported
Squads: 26 destroyed, 3 disabled
Non Combat: 31 destroyed, 18 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 5 (5 destroyed, 0 disabled)


Salomons
Quiet. Nothing

Marshals
I am keeping Wotje and Maloelap closed.
Betty's sunk two APDs
Morning Air attack on TF, near Ailuk at 143,113

Weather in hex: Overcast

Raid detected at 39 NM, estimated altitude 3,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 13 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M5 Zero x 24
G4M1 Betty x 20

Japanese aircraft losses
G4M1 Betty: 3 damaged

Allied Ships
APD Dent, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
APD Paul Jones
APD Manley, Torpedo hits 2, and is sunk

Enemy sub sunk xAP near Truk

China
Mostly Quiet. But I am moving toward Yenan. Today I broke trough last line defenses. So city is only defended by eng units and division engaged today. So it is going to bee easy

Ground combat at 88,38 (near Yenan)

Japanese Deliberate attack

Attacking force 38420 troops, 330 guns, 287 vehicles, Assault Value = 1436

Defending force 8789 troops, 72 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 262

Japanese adjusted assault: 1236

Allied adjusted defense: 11

Japanese assault odds: 112 to 1

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

Japanese ground losses:
532 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 48 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 5 disabled
Engineers: 1 destroyed, 5 disabled

Allied ground losses:
3431 casualties reported
Squads: 103 destroyed, 81 disabled
Non Combat: 197 destroyed, 8 disabled
Engineers: 6 destroyed, 3 disabled
Guns lost 20 (10 destroyed, 10 disabled)
Units retreated 6

Defeated Allied Units Retreating!

Assaulting units:
37th Division
34th Division
12th Tank Regiment
41st Division

Defending units:
11th Chinese Corps
3rd Prov Chinese Corps
13th Group Army
17th Group Army
7th Group Army
2nd Construction Regiment

R&D
Two more George factories are one point from being repaired. If only one repair until end of month i will have George in April.

[koniu]

19 JAN 43

Burma
It start. First offensive move near Akyab. I see 13 units, 60k men 800 guns and 800 vehicles.

Japanese side will oppose them with 4 infantry divisions (1th, 4th, 28th, 38th), 1th Tank Div and huge number of guns. Together it will be 72k men, 755 guns and 870 vehicles giving me 2260 AV in jungle hex

In air Japan will have 402 fighters (84x Ki-43, 216x Ki-44, 30x Ki-45, 72x A6M5) and 142 bombers (all Ki-49)

[PaxMondo]

Keep building those Tojos, you gonna need a lot of them.  Easily your best defensive fighter.  If you are gonna use A6M in the theatre, then I would change the Oscars to Tojo's.  You only need one LR fighter for escort.  More Tojo units means you can rotate them more often, keeping them fresher.  You need a LOT of fighters on defense to defeat sweeps.  Defeat the sweeps => win the war in this theatre.  I wouldn't worry about bomber escorts initially, I want to beat the sweeps first.