No beach No Party! Guadalcanal: Blind Sniper (J) vs Foliveti (A)

[Blind Sniper]

Hi all,

my first AAR here and it will be a short one, I want to play WitP but I don't have time for a big scenario therefore the Babes Guadalcanal Scenario 034 is the perfect candidate. [:)]

Thanks to Symon (and to all other guys involved if any) for this beauty.

My Allied opponent is Foliveti, have fun and good luck!

[1275psi]

love the signiture block!


have fun, we don't see many short scene AARs, hope its a good un!

[Blind Sniper]

Settings are:

FoW = ON
Advanced Weather = ON
Allied Damage Control = ON
Player Defined Upgrades = ON
Reliable USN Torpedoes = OFF
No Unit Withdrawals = OFF
Auto Sub OPS = OFF
Reinforcement delays = Fixed
Turn Cycle: 1 day

Only two house rules:

- altitude limit on sweeps one band over the maximum maneuver rating of the aircraft
- four engine bombers may not conduct missions below 10,000 feet

Thoughts, input and words of wisdom all welcome [:)]

[Blind Sniper]

ORIGINAL: 1275psi

love the signiture block!

Eh eh thanks, the first three pictures are so true!!!! [:D]


This night I will send the first turn to my opponent.

[obvert]

Good luck! It'll be interesting to see one of the smaller scenarios AARed.

[Blind Sniper]

Thanks Obvert [:)]

Sorry but my turn is not yet completed because I'm slow [:D]
I have started to check and click around the map but even if no a single order was submitted one hour was passed, I mean a whole hour doing nothing...great game [:)]

Anyhow the overal situation looks grim:
poor logistic, every turn I get 1000 supply and 750 fuel (total) from Babeldaob and Truk and seems no replacements for combatant squads. Few aircrafts and nothing good to contrast B17 Flying Fortress.
After 15 days I will have enough ships to challenge the enemy but very few fuel to move them.
My best ground forces are around Port Moresby and Buna, it will be a problem for re-supply operations.

Waiting the Allied invasion and hoping for some lucky shot with Bettys and subs, I will start to collect all resources scattered on the useless bases, especially the fuel because I think will be my major concern.

Question for Symon (if you are reading this AAR), why some dot base has so many supply resepect a normal ones? Is it intended?
(i.e. Dagua dot base (and no units there) start the game with 1000 supply and 800 fuel whereas Wewak with an Eng unit start with 120 supply/fuel).

[Blind Sniper]

General
I'm thinking to expand Sarmi as backup/rest base not so far from action.

Nice addition respect the stock scenario is Gasmata base, there are already units inside but I need to expand the airfield a bit, now is 1. In this way we can use A6M3 fighters at normal range on Milne Bay.

I spent some PPs on SS leaders substitution.

Air Warfare
Nothing but a sweep mission that never happpened, I think for bad weeather.
He sent some B-17 on Lae without success.

Naval Warfare
I'm amazed that Allied transport ship are already unloading units at Lunga/Tulagi, maybe there is a magic movement in the first turn like the campaign.

I'm converting some xAKL Kiso-E Cargo to PB, I think is better have extra ASW.

Almost all SS are headind towards Guadalcanal hoping for a lucky shot!

Ground Warfare
Horii group will come back to Buna, fight in the jungle is not easy and pretty useless.
Anyhow another thing that amazed me is the Australian brigade that is not more in hex 99.30, it travelled to PM in one turn! (Magic ground movement?)

Marines, after a naval bombardment, are unloading troops and supply, my defence is rather poor and there is no match against these guys.

Btw, I'm thinking to take Tarawa, just for fun [:'(]

[BBfanboy]

You have fuel and supply shortages and you are thinking of adding Tarawa to the list of places you must go to resupply? It might be fun but it will hurt your main campaign.
Note that in real life [IRL] the Japanese split their attention between NG and Guadalcanal and could not hold either one. Unless you can win a couple of great naval victories, you may have to choose to take one area rather than try for both.

[Blind Sniper]

Hello BBfanboy,
neither serious attempt taking Tarawa nor willing to fight, I know that is a worthless action but I'm an Advanced Squad Leader addicted and playing PTO is so funny, moreover Blood Reef Tarawa is one of the Historical module.
Your observation is right but I'm paying homage to ASL [:D]

[Symon]

ORIGINAL: Blind Sniper
Question for Symon (if you are reading this AAR), why some dot base has so many supply resepect a normal ones? Is it intended?
(i.e. Dagua dot base (and no units there) start the game with 1000 supply and 800 fuel whereas Wewak with an Eng unit start with 120 supply/fuel).

The Guad Scen 34 is based on Nikademus' stock Guad Scen which is, in turn, based on ????. So there are a lot of little vestiges that are still in there. As they come up, they will be fixed for the grand-release version but, for now, they are the same as stock. The version you have is a re-post of the original Babes Guad 34.

I'm going to watch this AAR closely. Japan is supposed to be fuel constrained but I too am concerned it might have got hit too hard.

My advice is gather all the fuel/supply and move it to your main operational bases. And then go ahead and get aggressive. The scen has been played a lot without too much pain, but needed to be tweaked for the regular player community. Matt and Mo did that, and I'm working on polishing the AI files, but one can never have too many inputs.[8D]

JWE

[Blind Sniper]

Thanks for your answers and I will try to follow your advice!

Time to start the "Mendicant Operations" then [:D]

[Blind Sniper]

General
A lot of actions today.

At the moment no counterattack by me, I have only 5 CAs, 3 CLs and a dozen of DDs and I doubt he will left his Amphibious force unescorted.

Air Warfare
I launched an air attack on his transport, we hit something but two strikes were without fighter protection and we lost several Betty's (14 in total).
Nice A2A combat, even if in long range they made a good job, about 20 fighters lost for both.

Allied ships
CA Vincennes, Torpedo hits 1
AP McCawley, Torpedo hits 3, and is sunk
AP Crescent City, Torpedo hits 1
AK Alhena, Torpedo hits 2, heavy damage
AP Crescent City, Torpedo hits 1

Ground Warfare
Lunga and Tulagi are not Japanese anymore, in fact was a hopeless defence, just few guys survived.

[Blind Sniper]

Highlights

4th Ku K-2 made a good job torpedoed CA Vincennes, maybe she is sunk...

[Blind Sniper]

General
PM is full of aircrafts mainly fighters, Horii group is the chosen target for his FBs.

Air Warfare
Regular attacks on Lae and Buna by enemy bombers, no damages so far.
Several Beauforts attacked my xAKLs through CAP (1 sunk) but in the last raid finally my Zero was able to intercept his aircrafts, 4 shot down.

Naval Warfare
American SS sunk another xAKL but I made the same thing near Maryborough, 1-1.

[Blind Sniper]

Highlights

First SS victim

[BBfanboy]

ORIGINAL: Blind Sniper

Highlights

First SS victim

Well, there is a Flinders Island on the map, so now there is a Flinders Reef too![:D]

Your air attack did better than historical, which only hit AP McCawley as I recall. It provided a nice beacon for the incoming Japanese TF and night naval search.

I'm not sure holding your CAs back at Rabaul is the thing to do. You may be missing some opportunities, like finishing off damaged CA New Orleans. Historically, Mikawa smashed the US/Australian covering force of 6 CAs, sinking 4 of them and damaging one more. He left before attacking the transports because he feared carrier aircraft would find him in the morning. However, Japanese superiority at night fighting was established, even though some allied ships had radar.

I think the CAs and some DDs should be moved up to Munda or Ontong Java where they could wait for an opportunity to raid or bombard, depending on what Recon and air attack results show. Do you have any AKEs in this scenario to put at a more forward location?

[Blind Sniper]

I think the CAs and some DDs should be moved up to Munda or Ontong Java where they could wait for an opportunity to raid or bombard, depending on what Recon and air attack results show. Do you have any AKEs in this scenario to put at a more forward location?

Yes I have one but my main concern is fuel, a SAG with 5 CAs, 3 CLs and assorted DDs can drain all my fuel reserve therefore I must to be sure to find something, I cannot afford a boat ride.
Moreover if he sinks these ships I don't have any defence until my CVs will come, I'd like to repeat the history but his holding DB and TB for better targets, no a single attack by them.

In fact as Allied player I would hope for that, every ship damaged in combat will be sink and the others I'm not so sure that can be safely escape...

I have to think more closely about that, perfect thought during a coffe break [:D]

Thanks for your advices!

[Blind Sniper]

General
Enemy amphibious force is going back to Noumea, all ships I guess.

Air Warfare
Regular enemy raids on my bases but this time my Zeros were able to catch up a B-17.

Ground Warfare
Tarawa is Japanese!!
Now I can lose the game [:D]

[Blind Sniper]

Highlights

You can see the fearless unit that captured Tarawa, 2/3 of the force is disable even if no enemy was there. [:D]

[Mac Linehan]

Blind Sniper -

You are doing well. I will follow this AAR closely, it will be an excellent guide.

Mac