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

[Blind Sniper]

We agreed to swap out the pilots, no problem at all.
Thanks for your inputs. [:)]

[Blind Sniper]

This turn has been interesting, maybe the Allied started his offensive again.

Air Warfare
Another B-17Es attack but fortunately they still are to few to do real damages, anyhow every time some bomber is reported damaged, the flak is doing a good job.

Naval Warfare
Finally we have news by enemy CVs, Allied TBs and DBs attacked Tassafaronga.
Now I need to know if it will be another amphibious operation or if he is trying to heavily reinforce Guadalcanal.
A CV TF under Mikawa command will be my investigation force (2 CVs, 1 CVL, 2 BBs, 4 CAs and 6 DDs), it is following a SC TF (1 BB, 4 CAs , 1CL and 6 DDs) ready for anything.

Question: what about my TFs composition, are they efficient?

Ground Warfare
Horii Group launched a successful deliberate attack against the 30th Australian Brigade cleaning the base by enemy presence.

Japanese ground losses:
418 casualties reported
Squads: 1 destroyed, 12 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 12 disabled
Engineers: 1 destroyed, 7 disabled

Allied ground losses:
1209 casualties reported
Squads: 25 destroyed, 12 disabled
Non Combat: 47 destroyed, 15 disabled
Engineers: 2 destroyed, 1 disabled
Vehicles lost 9 (4 destroyed, 5 disabled)
Units retreated 1

[Blind Sniper]

Highlights
Horii's units repulsed back the Aussies to PM.

[cohimbra]

A CV TF under Mikawa command will be my investigation force (2 CVs, 1 CVL, 2 BBs, 4 CAs and 6 DDs), it is following a SC TF (1 BB, 4 CAs , 1CL and 6 DDs) ready for anything.

Question: what about my TFs composition, are they efficient?

If you haven't planned to come into contact with the enemy SCTF whit your AirCombatTF,
the four heavy cruisers are almost useless. In my opinion they can be better employed
in another SCTF (of course, if you have enough DD to do that). Just my 2 cents.

[Blind Sniper]

BBs and CAs in the ACTF are for AA defence, hoping to give more targets at the enemy bombers besides the CVs as well.
Of course I'm not sure about that therefore I'm asking [:)]

[cohimbra]

I image that this is your goal; but in my experience the best AA and the best
torpedo 'magnet' are the BB, the CA don't make the difference. IMHO.
[8D]

Can you give me a link for the airplane art in your screenshoot?

[Blind Sniper]

the CA don't make the difference.

I hope for AA duty at least, in the last B-17Es attack one has been destroyed by flak!

Can you give me a link for the airplane art in your screenshoot?

Sure, check in this site and download the following file:
Cathartes_Planeside_top_replacement master.zip

[Blind Sniper]

Naval Warfare
Both damaged SSs reached Truk, now we can start the reparations to send this brave crews on the sea again [:)]

[Cribtop]

For SCTFs, consensus is that 10 ships is about as big as you want to go. Better two medium size SCTFs than one big one.

Also, check the top speed and max range of the main guns of all ships, and don't have mismatches. In other words, don't have a ship that is either too slow or too short ranged with faster, longer ranged ships.

For the IJN, this often means Kongos and CAs can work together, but keep the CLs in a separate TF. I would recommend CA TFs by ship class and a few CL/DD TFs. Kongos as a separate TF or as CV escorts.

[Blind Sniper]

Thanks Cribtop, time to transfer ships among TFs then.
What about insert BBs in the ACTF, do they can effectively soak up enemy bombers attention or better trasfer them in dedicated SCTF?

Also which ACTF perform better? (Especially for AA defence)

[Lokasenna]

ORIGINAL: Blind Sniper

Thanks Cribtop, time to transfer ships among TFs then.
What about insert BBs in the ACTF, do they can effectively soak up enemy bombers attention or better trasfer them in dedicated SCTF?

Also which ACTF perform better? (Especially for AA defence)

When I got to this point, I went with putting just one Kongo into the ACTF so that I could make two medium-size SCTFs centered around Mutsu and the other Kongo, respectively. Also, I made sure to put the DDs with Type 95 and Type 2 depth charges. Note however that I'm playing stock rather than DBB, unsure if that makes a difference on the ASW end.

In my experience, air raids like to target capital ships and BBs seem to get attacked almost as often as CVs, so they're useful "bullet sponges".

[Blind Sniper]

Thanks for the info [:)]

[Blind Sniper]

Naval Warfare
I lost any contact with his CVs, a quiet turn.

Losses so far:

[Cribtop]

FYI, yes BBs make good bomb magnets and AA platforms, but you only want the 30 knot ships with the CVs lest they slow the carriers down. If you have two slow BBs and two Kongos in SCTFs, I would keep the same class ships together to avoid slowing down the Kongos. If you only have two Kongos, use them for CV escorts, then make a "slow" BB SCTF a few CATFs and several CL/DD TFs.

[Blind Sniper]

then make a "slow" BB SCTF a few CATFs and several CL/DD TFs.

Do you mean several small TFs with 4-5 ships?

[Blind Sniper]

Air Warfare
I put some Zero in LRCAP to cover a transport TF and they made a good job, 3 P-39D Airacobra shot down for one Zero.

Naval Warfare
Now I made a very stupid mistake...I thought that when you set a bombardment mission it automatically choice the best distance before attack, therefore if the target is 10 hex away it moves a couple of hexes and then wait the next turn to attack in the night...
My TF moved 9 hexes and now I am adjacent to PM, totally spotted [:(]

The Tanaka's TF circumnavigated New Guinea to attack PM behind his recon area, all is going good until last turn.
Surely I will do the mission anyway but he can move out the aircrafts...[8|]

[Cribtop]

Bombardments are tricky. Lessons learned!

As for TF size, I'd say four ships is a bit small. I personally prefer a size of 6-8 ships total, sometimes as high as 10 ships. More than that and you will find that some of the ships never get into the fight.

[PaxMondo]

ORIGINAL: Cribtop

I personally prefer a size of 6-8 ships total,...More than that and you will find that some of the ships never get into the fight.

+1

(and collissions are more common)

[Blind Sniper]

Thanks for your help guys, now I have a better knowledge about TF composition. [:)]

[Blind Sniper]

Naval Warfare
Luckily my opponent thought it was a recon mistake [&o], this action has been successful after all:

Allied aircraft losses
Catalina I: 15 damaged
P-39D Airacobra: 42 damaged
P-39D Airacobra: 2 destroyed on ground
Beaufort V: 12 damaged
Kittyhawk IA: 37 damaged
Kittyhawk IA: 1 destroyed on ground

Japanese Ships
CA Kako
CA Furutaka
CA Kinugasa
CA Aoba
CA Chokai
CL Tatsuta
CL Tenryu

Allied ground losses:
486 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 16 destroyed, 53 disabled
Engineers: 2 destroyed, 11 disabled
Guns lost 11 (1 destroyed, 10 disabled)
Vehicles lost 10 (3 destroyed, 7 disabled)

Airbase hits 29
Airbase supply hits 7
Runway hits 91
Port supply hits 1

Sweep and Airfield attack will follow, then I have started to move the Horii units to PM.