Hairy Asian Experiences - GreyJoy (J) vs. Q-Ball (A)

[GreyJoy]

ORIGINAL: Saros

Are you going to get Michaelm to add in the missing HI/LI? I recall there was a significant chunk of that missing as didn't you end out getting the Scen 1 industry totals with the Scen 2 forces?

No, i don't think i'll ask for that. I'll live with what i have and what i've conquered in China.


July 22, 1943

Ok, something is up in the Solomons.
Several APA/AKAs spotted at Thousand Ships Bay, where the enemy's garrison, in one turn, moved from 35,000 to 10,000.... more than 25,000 troops have been loaded! Several Cruisers TFs spotted at Rekata Bay
If the APA/AKAs are there that means one of his next moves must be here.
Think Brad will do another of his two-axis advances. I still think something is up in western Oz... his CVs aren't in the Solomons (where he has a lot of LBA) so i bet they are somewhere near Exmouth. At Port Hedland a lot of ships are gathering....

Torokina has been constantly bombed for the last 45 days. Torokina or Shortland must be his target in the Solomons.
Dempasar and Bali are probably his other targets in the DEI.
I bet he wants me to move my CVs back in the pacific so that i'll be out of position in the DEI when the hammer falls...

Hard calls....

[veji1]

Bah not so hard really. Keep the KB rather closer to the DEI (although Mindanao is probably a good place, it covers both) and try to slow down the move with LBA and land troops. If he get's bogged down it migh tbe worth it to strike, but otherwise stay pat to begin with.

[GreyJoy]

ORIGINAL: veji1

Bah not so hard really. Keep the KB rather closer to the DEI (although Mindanao is probably a good place, it covers both) and try to slow down the move with LBA and land troops. If he get's bogged down it migh tbe worth it to strike, but otherwise stay pat to begin with.

True. That's what i'll do.
CV Katzuragi, along with CVLs Soho, Ryuo and Zuiho joined Nagumo's fleet at Kendari, while CV Hiryu and CVE Unyo are moving back to Japan along with 2 CSs and 15 DDs...all due to upgrade.

Around Rabaul i'm moving more LBA assets. My Air Fleet, along with a combat fleet built around Musashi, Mutsu and Yamashiro, will be my only defence against the power of the allied steamroller.

At Darwin everything seems quiet, but Molu has been repaired again and it's already crowded with fighters and bombers. Let's see what Brad wants to do to save his reinforced division at Saumlaki.

Colombo is full of activity....something's up down there....

NOPAC: quiet.

[GreyJoy]

July 23, 1943
 
Sometimes this game really pisses me off.
3 BBs bombed, at night, Molu, torching some planes on the ground and sinking an empty APA and one xAP, along with an LST. Vals from Boela, escorted by some 15 zeros, finished the job sinking a couple of APDs and damaging one AV.
 
We also decided to bomb treasury Island with 3 BBs, preceeded by 5 DDs. The DDs arrived at night and sunk some PTs, clearing the way for the big boys... but the big boys decided it was better to overcome my orderes (which were right!) and stay a little longer.... the BBs paused at Shortland at night and arrived at Treasury during the daytime.... result? my BBs bombed Treasury but they ate something like 50 1000lb bombs[:@][:@][:@] A DD (Fubuki class) is lost and all my ships have some high degree of damage... they will be probably lost next turn[:o]
The LRCAP assigned for them from Rabaul decided it was better to defend Torokina from the usual enemy sweeps... so we lost some 40 zeros and left the BBs completely without cover...
 
Damn! i hate when it happens....
 
Now Rabaul has no naval coverage.... need to send some reinforcements from Truk....[:(]

[crsutton]

ORIGINAL: ny59giants

The KI-84a had its baptism of fire over Burma today. Did very very well! [&o]

He recently got three groups (75 planes) of P-47s at Eastern USA. It will be interesting to see which way they went - USA or Cape Town.

Actually, smart Allied play is to just replace the P47d in those groups right away with lesser planes. Then use the P47s to fill out your best groups already in the fight. So they can show up anywhere.

[Chickenboy]

ORIGINAL: GreyJoy

July 23, 1943

Sometimes this game really pisses me off.
3 BBs bombed, at night, Molu, torching some planes on the ground and sinking an empty APA and one xAP, along with an LST. Vals from Boela, escorted by some 15 zeros, finished the job sinking a couple of APDs and damaging one AV.

We also decided to bomb treasury Island with 3 BBs, preceeded by 5 DDs. The DDs arrived at night and sunk some PTs, clearing the way for the big boys... but the big boys decided it was better to overcome my orderes (which were right!) and stay a little longer.... the BBs paused at Shortland at night and arrived at Treasury during the daytime.... result? my BBs bombed Treasury but they ate something like 50 1000lb bombs[:@][:@][:@] A DD (Fubuki class) is lost and all my ships have some high degree of damage... they will be probably lost next turn[:o]
The LRCAP assigned for them from Rabaul decided it was better to defend Torokina from the usual enemy sweeps... so we lost some 40 zeros and left the BBs completely without cover...

Damn! i hate when it happens....

Now Rabaul has no naval coverage.... need to send some reinforcements from Truk....[:(]

Sorry to hear that, mate. [:(]

Naval bombardment near enemy air umbrellas is an inherently risky move. God forbid some hitch in the bombardment schedule occurs (as it so often does) and then something like this happens. I've heard of one of the ships getting mined, slowing down the lot and then arriving at daylight (and getting shredded), running into SCTFs, slowing down the lot and then arriving at daylight (and getting shredded) and so on and so on...

I guess those SBDs need to be ratcheted up a notch or two on your chart as threats too? [;)]

ETA: Reliance on LBA LRCAP, even IJNAF LRCAP, is fraught with peril too-as you probably know. Weather, enemy action, CAP activity, navigation problems en route to target, commander check fails, etc. can muddy the waters. Again, a high risk activity.

[paullus99]

Those 1000lbers will really mess up your day - 3 BBs out of the equation, that really hurts....

[veji1]

If you really really think the ships are about to be lost, separate them and try to run your luck in separated TFs... Bugger really 3 BBs lost would really hurt. First real defeat in the war for you if it happens.

[Cribtop]

Esp if one of the BBs is Mushashi, which I think was one of the BBs you said was defending Rabaul in a prior post. Bummer.

[koniu]

Sorry mate.
I hope You will save all of them.

They will have to move slowly toward Rabaul. Right?
Why dont give them heavy LCAP hoping that allies send unrecorded hordes of bombers to finish with job they start today. I they will sunk why not with many allied planes.

Give them heavy LCAP and hope that allies coordination will not work. Even A6M5s will have advantage against escorts. Good luck.

[GreyJoy]

July 24, 1943
 
The Gods of war are on my side today. The damaged BBs (yes, Musashi is among them), managed to get to Rabaul without the intervention of the enemy subs (which are loitering south of Rabaul)....just in time! Because suddenly the enemy CVs popped up next to Treasury Island!
Now the enemy's intentions are clear. CVs, CVLs and BBs are covering a HUGE invasion force, now stationing  hex south of Shortland. APAs, AKAs and lots of LSTs are there....full of troops. Their destination seems to be either Shortland or Torokina. The latter is the most plausible cause it's been bombed daily for months now....
BB Mutsu needs a long repair yard time, having 40 flt and 50 sys damage. Musashi and Yamashiro are somehow in a better shape, having some high sys damage but minor flt.
Reinforcements are arriving...but they won't make it in time... Brad caught me here with my pants down... there are no enemy CVs in western Oz... they are all here[:o]
 
But... if i manage to save my precious BBs.... well, that's kind of a victory[&o]
 
I'm leaving for a week end in Paris this afternoon... will be back on monday night!
 
 

[GreyJoy]

 Now i have to decide what to do against those CVs. 3 of my Naval Search Nells have been shot down over them, so my DL isn't very good. Seems like at least 6 CVs are present, with 2 or 3 CVLs following them.
Should i attack them?...with all the ships gathering south of Shortland i fear that the coordination of my bombers would be horrible...and the tendency of Brad to use CAP traps.....[8|]

[koniu]

ORIGINAL: GreyJoy
BB Mutsu needs a long repair yard time, having 40 flt and 50 sys damage. Musashi and Yamashiro are somehow in a better shape, having some high sys damage but minor flt.

Mutsu at best 7 months is dry dock. In my experience BB need 2 days for 1 sys damage (pierside-critical) and 4 days for 1 major flt point(drydock size 100).
Musashi much longer as this is big big ship.

[GreyJoy]

ORIGINAL: koniu

ORIGINAL: GreyJoy
BB Mutsu needs a long repair yard time, having 40 flt and 50 sys damage. Musashi and Yamashiro are somehow in a better shape, having some high sys damage but minor flt.

Mutsu at best 7 months is dry dock. In my experience BB need 2 days for 1 sys damage (pierside-critical) and 4 days for 1 major flt point(drydock size 100).
Musashi much longer as this is big big ship.

I know....i know it will take forever to repair them...but hey, better than nothing!
Now i need to avoid the enemy subs during the looooong trip back to Japan[:o]

BTW i think i know what caused the problem... i gave to that BBTF waypoints...and the damned waypoints seem to alter the normal timing of the bombardment TFs....

Oh well...lesson learnt[:'(]

[HansBolter]

ORIGINAL: GreyJoy

BTW i think i know what caused the problem... i gave to that BBTF waypoints...and the damned waypoints seem to alter the normal timing of the bombardment TFs....

Oh well...lesson learnt[:'(]

I have seen this before as well. If you need to give a waypoint to a bombardment TF it is best to stop them at the waypoint and wait until the next turn to make the run in to the target.

[koniu]

ORIGINAL: HansBolter

ORIGINAL: GreyJoy

BTW i think i know what caused the problem... i gave to that BBTF waypoints...and the damned waypoints seem to alter the normal timing of the bombardment TFs....

Oh well...lesson learnt[:'(]

I have seen this before as well. If you need to give a waypoint to a bombardment TF it is best to stop them at the waypoint and wait until the next turn to make the run in to the target.

2 turns ago i send 3xCA TF to bombard enemy base. I set also way-points and TF arrive to base on morning and stay there for entire day. I almost get hart attack when i saw that.
Lucky no bombers in air[:D]

[Chickenboy]

ORIGINAL: GreyJoy

 Now i have to decide what to do against those CVs. 3 of my Naval Search Nells have been shot down over them, so my DL isn't very good. Seems like at least 6 CVs are present, with 2 or 3 CVLs following them.
Should i attack them?...with all the ships gathering south of Shortland i fear that the coordination of my bombers would be horrible...and the tendency of Brad to use CAP traps.....[8|]

What options do you have to attack with? What is in position that could constitute a credible threat?

I'd have some SCTFs on hand to try to get at a landing force. Even if you don't get it on the first day, there won't be a better opportunity to get at covering CVTFs or the Amphibious TFs themselves by SCTF interdiction.

[ny59giants]

If adding waypoints causes a BB TF to remain at the base during daylight vs one that doesn't stay, then GreyJoy and any other player needs to send a turn to MichaelM to take a look at. For some reason I thought this issue was fixed in a prior beta patch.

[Crackaces]

ORIGINAL: ny59giants

If adding waypoints causes a BB TF to remain at the base during daylight vs one that doesn't stay, then GreyJoy and any other player needs to send a turn to MichaelM to take a look at. For some reason I thought this issue was fixed in a prior beta patch.

The TF bombarded .. which is what Michealm fixed. My experince and understanding is that before the fix if you set waypoints the TF returned to the home port before bombarding. Now they hit the waypoint and bombard. But .. it seems the BB TF uses ops points at the waypoint, which can be especally deadly. I do know my last opponent objected vivaciously when he set up a waypoint to avoid my subs, and the TF hung around to be destroyed by hundreds of Low Nav platforms .. that seemed to be the only difference between previous sucessful attacks.

Can someone test this?

[JocMeister]

Doing bombardments in general always makes me sweat a bit because of this. I had it happened on a few occasions and I know Erik has had it happen several times.