Caledonia Strategic Dilemma (no B. Fagan please)

[Q-Ball]

You should be controlling the skies over New Caledonia. You should have many more fighters than he does, and you should be sweeping Noumea with fighters. You will lose alot, but attritional air wars favor Japan at this stage. I repeat, attritional air war favors Japan at this stage. You should be seeking one.

I would get Tojos down there, and use those to sweep Noumea. You will suffer alot of losses, so crank up production to replace them. It will seem futile, but he can't afford 100s of P-40 losses. You can afford to lose 100s of Tojos or Zeros.

Also, a BB Bombardment of Noumea is a great idea; make sure the DL is high first

Not sure you can take it, but I feel your opponent is constantly pushing here, and seems unwilling to give up. Use that to your advantage. If you can isolate and shut down the airfield at Noumea, he will try to get supplies in there down 4 CVs. If you control La Foa and Koumac, and have Bettys or DBs and fighters around, that will only end badly for him.

With those Naval losses, you have Naval Superiority. You should have air superiority. That's all you need.

[Mistmatz]

Ok, I'll be the first to protest. [:D]

You mentioned the months you gained and the allied being behind schedule. That may be true right now but if you leave the allies will have made up for that by early '43. In my game I took New Caledonia late Oct '42, Luganville Dec '42 and Lunga/Tulagi early March '43. I am now back on track and I believe I will be able to advance faster than what happened historically. Generally the game is accelerated for the Japanese early on, later the Allies can move much quicker than what happened in real life. So don't rest on your laurels already.

With KB and BBs you should be able to shut down the airfield in Noumea. After that he will have to come after you either in La Foa, Koumac or maybe directly in Luganville. What are his means to do that? Carriers, battleships and his B-17s. Eventually you will have a fighter that can take a toll or at least make his raids more inaccurate by harassing them. Until he gets sufficient numbers of B-24s (Apr '43) his B-17s are precious. You don't even have to kill them, an OP loss is just as good.

You also don't have to take Noumea, just keep him contained and let him see his troops die every turn in milk runs. It may lure him into something too bold. It may become an option for you to deal with his CVs on your terms before they become unbeatable next year. This is of course something to be very careful about... [;)]

All that said don't neglect your next lines of defense soon. You will need lots of Engineers for that, so that's another reason to flatten Noumea, so he can't flatten your airfields too easily.

Just my two cents. It's your game and you should play the game you like to play. I'll read your AAR either way. Good luck. [:)]



EDIT: Darn, Q-Ball beat me, but at least I am second... [8D]

[leehunt27@bloomberg.net]

i understand the protests. And the evacuation will take a long time regardless, so as you said Mismatz I can still punish the Allies for daring to defend themselves.

This last turn, the Allied air raids over Luganville were half the size (only 32 B-17's and 18 P-38's on sweep). My CAP was about 2/3 of the size, and i just rotated in some full Oscar and Zero squadrons to allow the depleted air groups to rest. I think the Ops losses are hurting him. While I am not intentionally engaging in an air war of attrition Q-Ball, i am by default at Luganville and looks like you are right, it will be ok for a while. The damage to Luganville airfield has caused me some more Ops losses, but nothing traumatic. And once KB gets back from its surprise raid (probably in a week, target top secret) I should be able to muscle in on Noumea or Suva with the bombardment fleet. Hopefully that will make some for exciting AAR moments.

[btbw]

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1600 AV can't beat the Allies 1300 AV at La Foa

You wrong. If you control sea then you can easy revert his 1300AV in your 1300 army victory points.
Just bombard with BB, CA, DD his troops before attack (may be repeat once before real attack) and he will die.

[leehunt27@bloomberg.net]

Quick response/tactical advice requested (before i submit my turn):

Weather forecast around Noumea: Rain
Distance from Luganville to Noumea: 10 hexes. Enemy BB''s and CA's spotted in Noumea harbor, as well as mines.
IJ Bombardment TF: 4 BB's + 8 CA/CL's + 2 DMS (Yamato flagship). Can move 10 hexes in one turn

Do I...
A) move the bombardment fleet about 6 hexes towards Noumea in the rain, with LR fighter CAP for day in case the rain subsides, anticipating a bombardment of Noumea on turn 2, hoping its still raining...

B) rush the bombardment TF at full speed 10 hexes to Noumea in the rain and attack the enemy fleet there. Would i leave my setting on surface combat or Bombardment? Do you suffer a surface battle penalty for being in bombardment formation? Plan B theoretically leaves my surface fleet in Noumea harbor at the end of turn 1. That could be bad.

Detection level at Noumea is 9/10. He's got a surface fleet there, 16 ships in harbor, and a heck of a lot of fighters, bombers, and dive bombers.

[btbw]

No destroyers?

[leehunt27@bloomberg.net]

i have 2 DMS for mine sweeping, i do have destroyers but was trying to keep the fleet at 15 ships. I can add plenty of destroyers though

[btbw]

Close range to 6-7 hexes from Noumea by surface fleets. Cover with your Zeros from distance (7-3=4). Recon/Nav Search Noumea for identify ships.
If no BBs then on next turn bombard with 2 separate TFs = BBs+DDs and CAs/CLs+DDs. Range minimal (depend from CD/arts present at Noumea).

[leehunt27@bloomberg.net]

My recon report shows 2 enemy BB's, 8 CA's in one TF and 2 CL's and 8 DD's in Noumea. So 18 enemy ships. I know some of his US BB's were hurt recently, so i think these are the British Warspite and one other BB.
I am still confused on which is better, surface fleet configuration vs bombardment-- it looks like i will almost certainly have to fight a naval battle to get into Noumea.

[Chickenboy]

ORIGINAL: leehunt27@bloomberg.net

Quick response/tactical advice requested (before i submit my turn):

Weather forecast around Noumea: Rain
Distance from Luganville to Noumea: 10 hexes. Enemy BB''s and CA's spotted in Noumea harbor, as well as mines.
IJ Bombardment TF: 4 BB's + 8 CA/CL's + 2 DMS (Yamato flagship). Can move 10 hexes in one turn

Do I...
A) move the bombardment fleet about 6 hexes towards Noumea in the rain, with LR fighter CAP for day in case the rain subsides, anticipating a bombardment of Noumea on turn 2, hoping its still raining...

B) rush the bombardment TF at full speed 10 hexes to Noumea in the rain and attack the enemy fleet there. Would i leave my setting on surface combat or Bombardment? Do you suffer a surface battle penalty for being in bombardment formation? Plan B theoretically leaves my surface fleet in Noumea harbor at the end of turn 1. That could be bad.

Detection level at Noumea is 9/10. He's got a surface fleet there, 16 ships in harbor, and a heck of a lot of fighters, bombers, and dive bombers.

I'd opt for:

C) Allow nighttime SCTFs to attack enemy shipping at Noumea and LRCAP them to allow a safe return to base. Forget the bombardment for now in the face of enemy SCTFs. Plus, if you have an advantage in SCTF TF skill, you can use that to your advantage now while you can.

[btbw]

If you have enemy BBs then you need fight them.
Range 10 dont allow you bombard hard enough for kill planes so in morning they will be on you.
SCTF will eat time and shells of bombard TF so it can be totally impossible.
So need clear water and run under CV umbrella.

[leehunt27@bloomberg.net]

ok orders to stay a surface combat fleet with LR CAP a few hexes from Noumea are in. hopefully by the end of this weekend or Monday we'll have another major naval battle to report on. Quite a seesaw campaign between Noumea and Luganville. I wonder if my opponent is considering launching another bombardment raid in the rain too- we could have a meeting halfway between

Anyway, thank you for the advice!

[Lokasenna]

I would consider splitting your TF into 2 BBs/4 CAs/4ish DDs. Although it sounds like you've already sent the turn.

You definitely need to go in as SCTF first if he has a strong presence there, before you can bombard. Chickenboy's spot on, IMO.

[leehunt27@bloomberg.net]

August 21st, 1942

First, thanks for everyone's advice on this tricky tactical situation-- how to configure a raid quickly on heavy enemy surface forces when you've got a brief window of opportunity due to cloud cover/rain.

Locals at Noumea certainly got an epic fireworks show. 4 IJ BB's, 9 cruisers & 2 DMS raided the US fleet in harbor-- which consisted of two separate battlewagon TF's, US & British respectively, and a transport fleet. There's a few screenshots below and the combat reports, but if it wasn't rain forecast again for this round, I'd be in trouble. There was rain going in on the raid, overcast today, and rain forecast for tomorrow.

Of my 4 BB's, Ise hit a mine and probably won't make it. Nor Fuso, damaged down to speed 2 and only one hex out of Noumea. The cruisers escaped. Hyuga & Yamato are damaged but should escape the Dauntlesses from Noumea's airfield during the night. The two DMS's were sunk, but at least only one of my ships hit a mine. After the series of night surface battles, US Dauntlesses attacked even in the moderate rain and scored some bomb hits on the BB's, especially Fuso. These damaged BB's didn't get any LR CAP (due to TF being split up I think). I lost 2 decoy DD's near Koumac on a fast transport mission, and hopefully the Dauntlesses will waste their time on the other light ships near there next round.

Allied losses were heavy-- looks like he lost 2 BB's, 1 CA, 4 CL's and some destroyers at Noumea harbor. Sadly, the fat, vulnerable US transport fleet barely took any damage, being the last ships attacked by my tired and ammo low ships. It was satisfying, however, to see Yamato's big guns get a direct hit on the BB Idaho's bridge during the animation. Idaho didn't appear sunk on the report (maybe it was the BB Maryland instead), but its either sunk or out of commission for a year. I'm pretty sure I will have lost 2 BB's on this raid. Hopefully it was worth it. To blunt the Allied surface fleet yet again at New Caledonia (for new readers there was another large surface battle near Luganville that ended in IJ victory and several US BB's sunk) will really delay his offensives. And allow me to ultimately bombard Noumea, protect my troops and ships near New Caledonia, the primary goal right now. But the next few rounds will surely be tense...



AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR Aug 21, 42--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Night Time Surface Combat, near Noumea at 115,160, Range 8,000 Yards

Allied aircraft
no flights

Allied aircraft losses
SOC-1 Seagull: 2 destroyed
OS2U-3 Kingfisher: 2 destroyed

Japanese Ships
BB Yamato
BB Fuso
BB Ise
BB Hyuga, Torpedo hits 1
CA Tone, Shell hits 1
CA Chikuma
CA Nachi, Shell hits 2
CA Mikuma, Shell hits 1
CA Aoba
CL Sendai, Shell hits 2
CL Natori
CL Kinu
DD Ayanami
DMS W-1
DMS W-4, Shell hits 3, heavy fires, heavy damage

Allied Ships
BB Idaho, Shell hits 35, heavy fires, heavy damage
CA San Francisco, Shell hits 11, Torpedo hits 2, and is sunk
CL Helena, Shell hits 7, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
CL Phoenix
DD Fanning, Shell hits 1, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
DD Mahan
DD Cummings
DD Case
DD Conyngham
DD Shaw, Shell hits 3, and is sunk
DD Perkins
DD Smith, Shell hits 1



Night Time Surface Combat, near Noumea at 115,160, Range 8,000 Yards

Allied aircraft
no flights

Allied aircraft losses
Seagull V: 1 destroyed
Walrus II: 1 destroyed

Japanese Ships
BB Yamato, Shell hits 4, on fire
BB Fuso, Shell hits 9, Torpedo hits 1, heavy fires, heavy damage
BB Ise, Shell hits 9, Torpedo hits 1, heavy fires
CA Tone
CA Chikuma
CA Nachi, Shell hits 2
CA Mikuma
CA Aoba
CL Sendai, Shell hits 2
CL Natori, Shell hits 2
CL Kinu
DD Ayanami
DMS W-1, Shell hits 3, heavy fires, heavy damage

Allied Ships
BB Warspite, Shell hits 19, and is sunk
CL Leander, Shell hits 17, heavy fires, heavy damage
CL Hobart, Shell hits 5, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
CL Mauritius, Shell hits 2, on fire
DD Preston, Shell hits 1
DD Reid, Shell hits 1, on fire
DD Stuart, Shell hits 1
DD Thanet
DD Thracian, Shell hits 1
DD Electra
DD Encounter, Shell hits 1


Night Time Surface Combat, near Noumea at 115,160, Range 8,000 Yards

Allied aircraft
no flights

Allied aircraft losses
OS2U-3 Kingfisher: 1 destroyed

Japanese Ships
CA Tone
CA Chikuma, Shell hits 1
CA Nachi, Shell hits 1
CA Mikuma, Shell hits 2
CA Aoba
CL Sendai
CL Natori, Shell hits 2
CL Kinu, Shell hits 2
DD Ayanami, Shell hits 1, on fire

Allied Ships
CL Trenton, Shell hits 47, and is sunk
DD Woodworth, Shell hits 21, heavy fires, heavy damage
DD Cassin, Shell hits 4
DD Downes, Shell hits 1
DD John D. Edwards, Shell hits 1
DD John D. Ford, Shell hits 2
AP Zeilin, Shell hits 1, on fire
AP W.A. Holbrook
AP Leonard Wood, Shell hits 3
AP U.S. Grant
AP Barnett
AP Henderson, Shell hits 4, on fire
AK Bellatrix, Shell hits 3
AK Betelgeuse
AK Almaack
AK Arcturus, Shell hits 3, on fire
AK Procyon, Shell hits 1
AK Castor
xAK Henry S Grove
xAK Red Jacket
xAK Harpoon
xAK Ruth Alexander, Shell hits 9, heavy fires, heavy damage
PC Taney, Shell hits 4


Weather in hex: Moderate rain

Raid spotted at 20 NM, estimated altitude 11,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 7 minutes


Allied aircraft
P-38E Lightning x 19
P-40E Warhawk x 20
F4F-3 Wildcat x 14
SBD-3 Dauntless x 36


Allied aircraft losses
SBD-3 Dauntless: 5 damaged
SBD-3 Dauntless: 1 destroyed by flak

Japanese Ships
BB Yamato, Bomb hits 4, on fire
BB Fuso, Bomb hits 5, on fire, heavy damage
BB Ise, Bomb hits 3, on fire, heavy damage



Aircraft Attacking:
10 x SBD-3 Dauntless releasing from 2000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb SAP Bomb
8 x SBD-3 Dauntless releasing from 2000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb SAP Bomb
8 x SBD-3 Dauntless releasing from 3000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb SAP Bomb
6 x SBD-3 Dauntless releasing from 3000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb SAP Bomb
4 x SBD-3 Dauntless releasing from 4000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb SAP Bomb

Heavy smoke from fires obscuring BB Yamato
Heavy smoke from fires obscuring BB Ise
Heavy smoke from fires obscuring a Nagato class BB

[ny59giants]

IMO, you made a tactical mistake in your TF composition. You should have broken them down to 12 ships max. The 4 BBs with about 6 DDs and another with CAs and DDs. You want the larger warships matched that have their main guns to have the same max range or very close. You left out the very deadly "Long Lance" torpedoes from your DDs, except what your CA/CLs carried.

[Lokasenna]

ORIGINAL: ny59giants

IMO, you made a tactical mistake in your TF composition. You should have broken them down to 12 ships max. The 4 BBs with about 6 DDs and another with CAs and DDs. You want the larger warships matched that have their main guns to have the same max range or very close. You left out the very deadly "Long Lance" torpedoes from your DDs, except what your CA/CLs carried.

Yes, I think 2 TFs were definitely called for. I didn't think to split it along BB/cruiser lines, however. I like that better than my thought of 2 BBs/cruisers/DDs in each. Additionally, in retrospect it may have been wise to wait until KB was back in the area in order to intercept Allied survivors or pursuers (maybe he got intel that KB was gone and that's why he ran in with those forces? Looks like a resupply convoy that succeeded in landing).


I wouldn't be so quick to give up on Ise. From the damage screenshot you posted, she doesn't look all that bad... 18 months in the yard with those numbers, but maybe if you send some decoy DDs to her she might make it. Especially since his surface forces appear to be too badly mauled to pursue. You appear to have won a tactical victory, but I fear it may have hastened the date at which you will need to leave the island.

Can you flood the area with some subs? He may now think that since your BBs, while not sunk, are at least chewed up enough that he can get some more convoys in.

[leehunt27@bloomberg.net]

I'd heard someone say to use 15 ships in a TF, so that's why I went with that grouping. However, I think you are right NYGiants59, two separate groups of BB's & DD's and then CA's & DD's would have been better. i did not get much Long Lance advantage. The good news is, my cruisers are all in good shape, i have plenty of destroyers, and some BB's still. So I will get another chance to launch an attack on Noumea harbor.

Yes, without KB in the area my opponent may have been bolder for sure. Its on the way back soon, on a high probability raid elsewhere that may bag a convoy itself.

Regardless, thank you very much for the wisdom and advice here. The game is way way more fun knowing I am learning much better TF compositions, strategies, tactics etc.


I have about 4 subs in the area-- but I've been focusing most of my sub effort on the route between PH and San Francisco with tremendous results frankly. I've sunk about 10 AK's this month alone.

[ny59giants]

15 ships is the max number which will use their AA guns in a TF regardless of size. Testing done long ago showed that SC TF with about 12 max works best. Then, you need to look at the weapons, main guns, of the BB & CAs especially. Mix and matching doesn't work well.

[leehunt27@bloomberg.net]

August 26th, 1942

Well, everybody's advice has paid off handsomely this round. After 2 epic battles between US & IJN battleships left both sides BB's damaged in port or sunk, the Japanese launch a raid on Noumea with just 5 CA's and some destroyers during a rain squall. The IJ cruisers strike Noumea harbor and sail home without a scratch. I think my opponent is going to be furious after Noumea, once virtually impregnable, with a huge air force, large ground forces and US battleship TF's, was just swept clean and bombarded by the junior Varsity squadron . Now if I can just do it again, and again, and again...

Night Time Surface Combat, near Noumea at 115,160, Range 8,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
CA Tone
CA Chikuma
CA Nachi
CA Mikuma
CA Aoba
DD Makigumo
DD Kagero
DD Amatsukaze
DD Yugure
DD Shirayuki
DD Hatsuyuki
DD Murakumo

Allied Ships
AR Medusa, Shell hits 4, Torpedo hits 2, and is sunk
AS Pelias, Shell hits 31, Torpedo hits 3, and is sunk
AV Tangier, Shell hits 12, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
AD Dobbin, Shell hits 2, Torpedo hits 2, and is sunk
AD Whitney, Shell hits 2, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
AE Pyro, Shell hits 5, Torpedo hits 3, and is sunk
AM Chevreuil, Shell hits 4, and is sunk
ACM Trapper, Shell hits 22, and is sunk
ACM Barricade, Shell hits 41, and is sunk

[Lokasenna]

Kudos!

What were the surface battle and bombardment results like?