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

[Mike Solli]

17 Jun 42

Sub War

The I-170 has been patrolling off Noumea for months now with maybe one attack a month. It looks like Ted sent an ASW TF after her today. This turned out to be one of those once a game attacks. The I-179 hit the DD Fanning with a torpedo reportedly sinking her! Wow!!!

SE Fleet

Another battle over PT. Moresby cost ted 3x Kittyhawks and 5x P-40s for 4x Oscars.

A bunch of B-17s pummelled Milne Bay destroying 4x Oscars on the ground.

Other Stuff

Reinforcement: DD Makanami (Yugumo class) arrived at Pt. Arthur and is destined for MKB. She’s going to sit in port for about a week until the remainder of the 1 and 2 Tank Divisions arrive in Manchuoko. They’ll be bought out and she’ll help escort them to Burma. Then she’ll go to MKB.

By the way, MKB is currently headed north from Singapore to try and catch the Brit CVs at max range. We’ll see if MKB can catch them. I’ll move a land based Zero daitai to Pt. Blair to provide LRCAP to MKB, just a bit more fighter cover to be safe. I want to remain at 8-9 hexes from the Brits because the Albacore can carry torpedoes out 6 hexes but carries bombs at 7 hexes. If I can hit them at 8 or 9 hexes out, my 30 Kates can carry 250 kg bombs and be escorted by Zeros and he can’t retaliate.

[Mike Solli]

18 Jun 42

SE Fleet

Pt. Moresby – 2x Kittyhawks and 4x P-40s for a loss of 4 Oscars.

The 4E bombers hit Finschaven today, the last remaining undamaged frontline airfield. Not anymore. Finschaven is still serviceable but won’t be if it’s hit again. I suspect it will be hit again tomorrow.

Frontline airfields are: Lae, Finschaven, Buna and Milne Bay. Behind them are Gasmata and Rabaul.

I’ve been working on Hollandia’s airfield. It just reached level 2. I’m going to build it up to at least level 3 and base a 31 plane Helen sentai and a 27 plane Zero daitai there. Its goal is to trash Merauke, 8 hexes away. That’s within my range but outside of Ted’s fighter range. He probably could reach it with his B-17s though. *Sigh*

Other Stuff

IJN

The A6M5 has advanced to Jun 43. It currently has 2x 30 factories working on R&D. It will receive 4 more fully functional R&D factories on ~10 Jul 42 from the A6M3a R&D, which will complete around that date. That should make the A6M5 operational on 1 Nov 42. Not bad! Then, all 6 of the R&D factories will switch to the A6M5b and then the A6M8.

When the A6M3a becomes operational, I’ll have the following operational:

A6M2: 100
A6M3a: 90
A6M2-N: 30

The A6M3a will fill out all of KB then MKB. That will be completed around the time that the A6M5 becomes operational. There will be only ~300 A6M3as produced. The land based Zeros will remain in A6M2s. I will probably shut off the A6M2 factories as KB/MKBs fighters are replaced. The KB/MKB A6M2s that are put into the pool should cover any needs, but I can turn on one or both of the A6M2 factories as needed. My goal is to keep the A6M2 pool as low as possible.

Here are the fighter complements (as of Jul 42):

KB
Akagi: 27
Kaga: 27
Soryu: 23
Ryujo: 30
Shokaku: 27
Zuikaku: 27

Total: 161

MKB
Junyo: 19
Hiyo: 19
Shoho: 21
Zuiho: 21
Hosho: 14
Taiyo: 9
Unyo: 0

Total: 103

Just about all of KB and MKB will be upgraded to the A6M3a. Eventually, the A6M5 will outfit KB and MKB as well. It will take a minimum of 3 months of A6M5 production to completely outfit KB and MKB.

The remaining A6M3as will outfit all land based units. Eventually, the A6M2 will be completely replaced by the A6M3a and A6M5, with the A6M5 eventually pushing the others to training missions. I suspect that the A6M5b will be in production by that time and the shuffle will begin anew.

The A6M2-N can upgrade to the A6M5. At some point I will upgrade this single size 30 factory so the A6M5 production will increase to 120. The A6M2 upgrades to the Sen Baku so it will eventually be shut off completely until the Sen Baku arrives in 1944. I’ll probably produce a few of them, mainly for Kamikazes and then upgrade those factories to the A6M5 and on to whatever model is current. That will give me a maximum production of 220 a month in 6 factories. I suspect I’ll need it by 1944 but we’ll see.

Confusing? Actually, it’s pretty simple:

A6M2 -> A6M3a -> A6M5
A6M2-N -> A6M5

Priority:
1. KB
2. MKB
3. Land Based frontline units
4. Training units

As I get newer models, I push the older ones down the food chain.

A7M3-J – 5 R&D (1, 0, 0, 0, 0), all will become operational.

George – 6 R&D (11, 10, 9, 2, 0, 0), 3 will become operational and 3 will remain R&D.

Norm – 2 R&D (1, 0) – one will become operational and the other will probably change to another R&D model.

G4M2a – 2 R&D – will remain R&D.

C6N1 – IJN night fighter. 3 R&D (2, 0, 0) – all will become operational.

Grace – 4 R&D (4, 2, 1, 0) – all will become operational.

D4Y1 – 2 R&D (13, 2) – 1 operational and 1 will remain R&D.

IJA

This is much simpler. The Tojo IIa will become operational on 1 Aug 42. They will supplement the frontline Oscar units. According to Pax, they aren’t much better than the Oscar Ic, but anything has to help. It’s a rare event to shoot down a B-17. His numbers are ~50 sorties per day and ever increasing. I’m shipping some 10 cm. AA guns to the SE Fleet area, but I don’t have high hopes for them. Like I said, it can’t hurt. Anyway, the Tojo and Oscar will both fly in frontline units for whatever mission suit them. I remember the Tojo being relatively good in A2A combat. We’ll see…

The Oscar Ic has 128 production monthly and R&D of 3x30 (14, 11 &10 repaired currently) for the IIa. The R&D factories will remain R&C and move up the line to accelerate each model in succession.

The Tojo IIa has 3x30 R&D factories (30, 30 & 29 repaired currently) and all will become operational. I just decided while typing this to add 3 more R&D factories that will remain R&D to accelerate the future models of the Tojo. The faster the better.

In addition, I’m producing the Tony. I have 4 x30 R&D factories (14, 8, 5 & 2). One will become operational and the other 3 will remain R&D.

There are 6x30 Frank R&D factories (15, 9, 8, 1, 0, 0). Three will become operational & 3 will remain R&D.

Ki-201 – 3 R&D (0, 0, 0) and all will become operational.

The Dinah III KAI will be my night fighter. One R&D factory (0) that will become operational.

One Peggy T R&D (0) to become operational.

The Helen is my bomber and will upgrade historically.

I’m still producing the Sally IIa and will continue but will reduce production as the Helen takes over frontline service. The Sally will be relegated to the primary ASW weapon, to be augmented by 1E bombers that carry the 250kg bomb.

I’m building out the Mary (85 engines available) for ASW.

Intel from Ted:

Ted told me that he gets the B-24 starting in Aug 42. He said he has 8 squadrons training for this moment. I’m pretty sure he gets only 15 a month so it’ll take 8-9 months with no losses to fill them out. Hopefully, my Tojos, Oscars and AA can whittle that down. I still have 50+ B-17s to contend with in addition to the B-24s, so it’s going to get more painful in PNG.

[Chickenboy]

ORIGINAL: Mike Solli
The Tojo IIa will become operational on 1 Aug 42. They will supplement the frontline Oscar units. According to Pax, they aren’t much better than the Oscar Ic, but anything has to help.

Yeah, he's right-only a marginal improvement over the Oscar Ic in terms of shooting down Allied 4EBs. [:(] When will you get your Tojo IIc? The upgunned 4x large caliber MGs makes a nice difference in downing 4EBs, from the modelling that SuluSea ran.

Anyway, the Tojo and Oscar will both fly in frontline units for whatever mission suit them. I remember the Tojo being relatively good in A2A combat.

Yes. The Tojo IIa will hold its own on anything this side of the P47D2 and Corsair. Those are more problematic.

The Tojo IIa has 3x30 R&D factories (30, 30 & 29 repaired currently) and all will become operational. I just decided while typing this to add 3 more R&D factories that will remain R&D to accelerate the future models of the Tojo. The faster the better.

Ah. So. When do you anticipate your IIcs then?

[Mike Solli]

ORIGINAL: Chickenboy

The Tojo IIa has 3x30 R&D factories (30, 30 & 29 repaired currently) and all will become operational. I just decided while typing this to add 3 more R&D factories that will remain R&D to accelerate the future models of the Tojo. The faster the better.

Ah. So. When do you anticipate your IIcs then?

I'll begin 3 more R&D factories next turn. When the IIa becomes available on 1 Aug 42, I'll keep 3 fully repaired R&D factories and upgrade a couple of times to the IIc. I estimate the IIc will be operational on 1 Jun 43. The other option is to keep 4 factories in R&D. That would speed the IIc to 1 May 43. The downside is that production of the IIa would only be 60 per month. I think I'd rather postpone the IIc for a month to have 30 more IIa production.

Note that this does not include the engine bonus. I'm just under 500 in the pool right now and should exceed that within a week or so.

[Mike Solli]

19 Jun 42

Sub War (the only war in town today)

I am confident that I found Ted's stopover point in the south Pacific: Rangiroa. Today, 3 hexes north of Rangiora, the I-27 found a TK convoy and put a torpedo into the TK Falkefjell, heavily damaging her. Then, in the same hex, the I-26 found the TK Conneticut and put her under with 2 torpedoes. They were both in patrol zones and happened to converge in that hex when the TK convoy passed through. How's that for luck!?

Ted decided to stand down all his planes today. No air combat at all.

Here's the current damage to my frontline airfields in PNG:

Airfield: Port-Service-Runway

Lae: 0-40-39
Finschaven: 0-14-22
Buna: 0-63-12
Milne Bay: 9-74-94

I added 3 more R&D factories for the Tojo IIa. They are now at 30, 30, 30, 0, 0, 0.

[Mike Solli]

I forgot to add the intel about the RN carriers. They were spotted SE of Colombo headed west. I have 4 subs chasing them. Hopefully I can bracket the TF with my subs and get a shot or two. Several of his DDs are out of DCs. We'll see what happens tomorrow.

[Mike Solli]

20 Jun 42

Sub War

It seems like the majority of my naval action is with subs.

The I-17, off Norfolk Island, had a big xAP in her sights and missed! Guess that is bound to happen occasionally. [:D]

My herd of subs chasing the Brit carriers lost the carriers, but the I-32 put a torpedo into the DD Isis! [:D] That's 2 DDs hit by sub torpedoes in less than a week! [X(] She was reported as sunk but didn't show up on the sunk list. Not sure what that means, but I do know she's out of the war for a while, maybe forever.

Off Pt. Moresby, the Ro-64 surfaced and pumped a bunch of shells into an xAKL. When she refused to go down, the Ro-64 finished her off with a torpedo.

The only other action was the return of the B-17. (Sounds like a grade B flick.) 69 of them destroyed a couple of Dinahs on the ground at Milne Bay and turned the landscape there into swiss cheese. [8|] I hope he keeps bombing that place for a few more days. It'll give my other bases some time to repair.

I have 30 Helen IIas in the pool. Tomorrow, I'll upgrade my first bomber sentai (in SE Fleet area). [:)]

[ny59giants]

By the way, MKB is currently headed north from Singapore to try and catch the Brit CVs at max range. We’ll see if MKB can catch them. I’ll move a land based Zero daitai to Pt. Blair to provide LRCAP to MKB, just a bit more fighter cover to be safe. I want to remain at 8-9 hexes from the Brits because the Albacore can carry torpedoes out 6 hexes but carries bombs at 7 hexes. If I can hit them at 8 or 9 hexes out, my 30 Kates can carry 250 kg bombs and be escorted by Zeros and he can’t retaliate.

Don't forget when going after the Brit CVs they have armored flight decks. I have seen Vals hit them and do very little system damage.

G4M2a – 2 R&D – will remain R&D.

Are we going with any P1Y1 Frances for the IJN?? Yes, they have a SR of 4 vs 2, but the speed difference is big, has armor, and has a cruise speed similar to your Zeros as escorts.

[Mike Solli]

Hi Michael,

Yeah, I am aware of the armored (or should I say armoured) flight decks of the Brit carriers. I was hoping to damage some of them to make Ted a bit skittish about using the US carriers when the time comes and he gets an itch. Does the Hermes have armor? I'd love to put one under, even if it is only the Hermes. He said the 2 torpedoes did minor damage. FOW maybe? Oh well, she is showing up as sunk (which isn't surprising) and she has taken some damage. I didn't see her at all since the attack so I'm really not sure what happened.

Ted recently mentioned that the Hiryu came off the sunk list (he couldn't remember if it was her or Soryu, so I suspect Soryu, which was badly damaged in the same battle), but the Akagi is showing up as sunk. [:D] I admitted she was never hit. Also, I've rebuilt Hiryus air units and her Val daitai is on its way to the Taiyo, so eventually, he'll see that unit in battle and not know what happened. [:D] Eventually, the Akagi will switch to Hiryu and he'll know for sure but it's always fun driving him nuts. [;)]

I've got original P1Y1 R&D group still around and have been toying with the idea of adding a couple more to try and accelerate them. It's the SR that bothers me. I hadn't caught the cruise speed similar to the Zero. Guess I'll have to add couple more factories.

[Mike Solli]

21 Jun 42

Sub War

The I-168 missed a TK off Sydney today. *Sigh*

I got a report of the Tautog sinking off Orchid Island (south of Formosa). She had been hit by a depth charge earlier off Japan.

SE Fleet

More cratering of Finschaven and Buna by a total of 51x 4E bombers.

There was a bit of good news. My Betties can hit a target, even one as small as an xAKL. Seven of them flew into Pt. Moresby harbor and put 3 torpedoes into an xAKL. Can anyone say matchsticks?! [X(]

Burma

The Brit carriers have disappeared off the radar. MKB (reinforced by Ryujo) is just out of range of where they were yesterday but I have spotted (south of Colombo) a small TF supposed composed of a CA & DD. I suspect its an ASW TF but I'm moving KB in to 7 hexes from there to see if they'll launch. The air complement is 113 Zeros, 15 Vals and 48 Kates. Gotta show Ted some of my teeth. Then they'll withdraw back to SIngapore.

Other Stuff

Reinforcements:

DD Takanami (Yugumo class) - Destined for KB after escorting Unyo to MKB.
xAK Oita Maru (Std-A class) - will convert to a TK. The initial 2 Std-A TKs will augment the movement of oil from Davao to the Home Islands.

The A6M3a advanced to Aug 42. They'll become operational in 16 days!

I noticed that the Tojo IIa R&D advanced 7% today with 6 factories. Apparently you get the engine bonus before aircraft builds occur because the number of Ha-34 engines in the pool was just under 500 at the end of the turn. That's excellent!

[PaxMondo]

I've always been a fence sitter on the Frances.  It is a good plane, no doubt about it.  SR really only is a factor when first converting a group or if you ever have to rail a group.  My issue is by the time I can get them, do I really need a 2E IJN bomber or am I already moving to kami's?  By mid '43 or maybe a bit later, all of my Nettie groups are effective converted to patrol usages.  LBA 2E's are so skittish in attack, they are best used as mop-up after a battle ... great role in that they can kill what might only have been wounded.  But then, range is a bigger deal and so still not sure about Frances. 
 
Now, there was a game where I did use them and I did like them.  I got the upper hand and needed a good, strong 2E bomber to support attacks.  Yeah, '43 and I was still on the offensive.  Frances was a good performer then.  So, as an offensive a/c I rate it quite good.  But, most games by '43 I'm on defense.
 
Anyway, just my thoughts.

[ny59giants]

The Frances does have an SR of 4. But by the time they come out in numbers how often will you get the chance to have multiple strikes from either them or Betty/Nell?? The low speed of the Betty and having no armor makes them more targets than anything else, IMO. Somebody had mentioned the importance for strike coordination being somewhat tied into cruise speed. The various models of the A6 Zero is very close to what the cruise speed is for the Frances.

[PaxMondo]

ORIGINAL: ny59giants

The Frances does have an SR of 4. But by the time they come out in numbers how often will you get the chance to have multiple strikes from either them or Betty/Nell?? The low speed of the Betty and having no armor makes them more targets than anything else, IMO. Somebody had mentioned the importance for strike coordination being somewhat tied into cruise speed. The various models of the A6 Zero is very close to what the cruise speed is for the Frances.

I hear what you are saying about the speed and armor, and it does work if you have a target. In mid '43, what are your targets? 2E's just don't like going after CAP'd naval targets .... escorted or not. They don't like it. At least, I always have troubles with it and in many AAR's it is pretty obvious I'm not alone. And if it isn't CAP'd then the Nettie works just fine.

Now, if you have success getting 2E's to attack CV's with CAP, share!! 'Cause my results are not good. If they lift, and that is 50/50 at best, they get creamed during the attack and maybe 5% will even launch a torp. Can't think if I've even seen a hit. And losses are staggering. I get much better results with Jill or Grace. Higher hit percentage and lower losses. Now part of it might be the range ... longer range is a definite negative for NavStrike. But that isn't supporting Frances either, so ....

Hope you have some magic to share ...

[Mike Solli]

Interesting discussion guys. I've never gotten past mid-43, and that was with the old WitP. Gotta listen in some more before making a decision.

I ran a few numbers on certain Allied air frames and came up with the following available to Ted:

P-40E: -36
Kittyhawk IA (Aussie & NZ lumped together): -7
Hurricane I Trop: 19
Hurricane IIa Trop: 11
Hurricane IIb Trop: 107
Hurricane IIc Trop: 49 (I haven't seen any of these yet.)
P-39D: 120
B-17E: 81 [:(]
Albacore: 81
Vildebeest: 19
Swordfish: 16

Obviously, my destroyed plane numbers are inaccurate. But, based on these numbers, Ted has got to be low on Kittyhawks and P-40Es, his only fighters at Pt. Moresby. It's also interesting that Ted is using only a squadron or two of Hurricanes to escort his bombers. I'm trying to get more fighters over Imphal, but as you'll see below, I'm lucky if I get 25% of a sentai to fly over Imphal.

[Mike Solli]

22 Jun 42

Sub War

The Ro-64, off Pt. Moresby, ate a depth charge. Her damage is not too bad at 16-40(29)-0-0. She's headed to Rabaul for partial repairs and then to Truk to finish off her major damage. That ARD is a great asset at Truk. Right now there is 1 Ro class repairing and another waiting for the first to complete. Between the two, it'll take a month to finish off their repairs. There's another Ro class at Rabaul cleaning up the minor damage before heading to Truk for the major damage, and then is the Ro-64. That ARD will be busy for awhile. That leaves only 3x Ro class subs available to harass Ted off Pt. Moresby.

Burma

I was able to get 8x Oscars (of the 42 plane sentai) to LRCAP Imphal. They did good service though. They were met by 12x Hurricane IIbs and 72 various 2E bombers. The Hurricanes successfully held the Oscars off the bombers but they lost 5 shot down in return for 1x Oscar shot down.

MKB didn't launch, even though 2 Allied TFs were spotted 7 hexes away. I'm pretty sure they're both ASW TFs. I'm moving 2 hexes closer tomorrow and will give it one more shot. MKB was not spotted.

Other Stuff

Reinforcements:

1 Recon Bn
1 Mobile Infantry Reg
1 Mobile AA Bn
2 Recon Bn
2 Mobile Infantry Reg
2 Mobile FA Regiment
2 Mobile AA Bn
2 Mobile Engineer Reg

These units are the remaining units needed to create the 1 and 2 Tank Divisions. They're all at 79% strength too. [8|] They'll move to Pt. Arthur where a TF is waiting to pick them up and transport them to Rangoon. The remainder of the units needed to form the divisions are already in Burma.

Shokaku and Zuikaku have completed their upgrades. They (and Unyu) will be escorted to Davao (where KB still is residing) and the Akagi and Kaga, along with 6x Shiratsuyus, will steam back to the Home Islands where they will begin upgrading in July. The Ryujo and Soryu are also eligible for upgrades. The Soryu and the remaining 4 Shiratsuyus will get their upgrades done when the Akagi and Kaga are done and the Ryujo (currently attached to MKB) will begin hers when MKB reaches Singapore.

[ny59giants]

Pax - I'm in my first PBEM as Japan. We have reached mid-Jan '44. I've had limited naval attacks by either Betty/Nell and Frances. The Frances seem to do better. Since this is my first game, the learning curve is high and I'm doing some experimenting to try things. Anything flying combat missions below 300 mph is just target practice now.

Mike - Your math will not add up as many air units are withdrawn with the planes going back into the pool with some PP earned. The 4 or 5 P-40Es air groups that come into OZ from mid-Jan to mid-March '42 attached to ABDA are withdrawn and the planes go into the pool. So there is a bump of over 100 P-40s. I traded 25 P-40Bs and the older fighters for 10 to 15 P-38s for air groups that are permanently restricted to USA. They just train up pilots.

[Mike Solli]

ORIGINAL: ny59giants

Mike - Your math will not add up as many air units are withdrawn with the planes going back into the pool with some PP earned. The 4 or 5 P-40Es air groups that come into OZ from mid-Jan to mid-March '42 attached to ABDA are withdrawn and the planes go into the pool. So there is a bump of over 100 P-40s. I traded 25 P-40Bs and the older fighters for 10 to 15 P-38s for air groups that are permanently restricted to USA. They just train up pilots.

You're right, Michael. I didn't add the P-40Es in the restricted air groups. Of course Ted can swap them out for obsolete planes. Thanks for the great news. [;)] [:D]

[ny59giants]

IJNAF fighter pilots - You can put 5 to 10 in Reserve and then pull in rookie pilots for your CV based to overfill. I put them on training of 30 to 100% depending where they are at or going. Almost all the training efforts will go towards the rookies and they will gain some experience quickly. You can do the same for your shore based Zero. Another possibility is to have some of your restricted FPs in Japan do pilot training. In my Allied game, I have 2x 18 plane Kingfishers training up Navy pilots as I have no other choice except the actual CVs as the Americans have the shore based fighters belong to the Marines.

[PaxMondo]

ORIGINAL: ny59giants

Pax - I'm in my first PBEM as Japan. We have reached mid-Jan '44. I've had limited naval attacks by either Betty/Nell and Frances. The Frances seem to do better.

If you're able to get 2E's to attack CAP'd CV's, share!!! Obviously, I'm doing something wrong (or not enough right). [;)]

[Mike Solli]

ORIGINAL: ny59giants

IJNAF fighter pilots - You can put 5 to 10 in Reserve and then pull in rookie pilots for your CV based to overfill. I put them on training of 30 to 100% depending where they are at or going. Almost all the training efforts will go towards the rookies and they will gain some experience quickly. You can do the same for your shore based Zero. Another possibility is to have some of your restricted FPs in Japan do pilot training. In my Allied game, I have 2x 18 plane Kingfishers training up Navy pilots as I have no other choice except the actual CVs as the Americans have the shore based fighters belong to the Marines.

Michael, I've got every one of my restricted IJN fighter units training at the max number of pilots, along with several FP units. The only Zero unit in the frontline that is not potentially in combat is the 31 plane Chitose daitai in 4 Fleet area. I've been thinking about adding rookies there as you say. The only thing I haven't done is to put rookies in KB. I need to do that because they rarely fight. Gotta do that next turn.