ENLIST TODAY (Docup (A) vs Koniu (J) No Koniu

[BBfanboy]

I have had some daytime bombardments happen but I really don't know how to be sure it will happen. It seems haphazard. I have set up my start point as you said, so that the TF should arrive in daylight, and usually it just dawdles along so that it can run in next night.

I'm not sure if refuelling on the way in or encounters with the enemy push the bombardment into daytime. Maybe the aggressiveness of the TF commander or the lack of air threat is a factor in this. I even wonder if it is something as silly as having your TF float planes on daytime recon instead of night![8|]

Make sure your routing is "Direct/Absolute". Be aware that a long run in at full speed will run up system and engine damage in a hurry and use LOTS of fuel.

[zuluhour]

We must consult the Oracle.... ALFRED!![:D]

[JocMeister]

I don´t know for sure either. But they should bombard as usual. Otherwise it would be impossible to do daytime bombardments?

[BBfanboy]

OK, I just happened to have an unexpected daylight bombardment by five Brit BBs. They have a normal mission speed range of four hexes per phase. At the beginning of the turn [0001 hrs] they were five hexes from the target. I always make the approach in Surface Combat mission and switch to Bombard for the run in. I did this, and checked that the float planes were set to night time recon of the target. The TF was set to retire afterward.

I expected the BBs to jump to full speed and go in at night, bombard and be on their return trip during the day phase. Instead, they did not bombard at night, they did not even bombard during the daytime naval move phase!
They did bombard after all the air combat was done, and there was none in their area.
Fuel was not an issue, they all had lots before and after the mission. The only enemy aircraft within range were three Alf float planes doing recon of a land hex next to the target.

I have no idea what to conclude from this, except the seeming randomness of daytime bombardments. [&:]

[zuluhour]

I'm still not sure they will bombard a non-base hex either, many questions.... In my game, the RN battleships ran from 10 hex to 3 hex, stopped in daylight, and went into Moulmein after dark to do the deed. Interesting to as the Brits still controlled the base, I was'nt sure they would go at all.

[BBfanboy]

The hex my bombardment force was attacking was a clear terrain hex with no base, dot or otherwise.
The late-in-the-turn bombardment meant the TF was still sitting in the hex at the beginning of the next turn, and the orders did read "retirement allowed".
Maybe the admiral took his pension and wanted to set up a beach cabana![8D]

[DOCUP]

I haven't been able to bombard a non base hex. Hell all my bombardments have been duds. So I don't know.

20th June 43

Carriers unknown

China
Koniu sweeps Chengtu and shoots down 10 old Chinese figthers for 2 Tojos. He also bombs.

Burma
Meiktila is bombed causing around 600 KIA in a Chinese Corp. We bomb Bhamo killing a few Jap troops.

Still moving around troops and supplies.

[BBfanboy]

ORIGINAL: DOCUP

I haven't been able to bombard a non base hex. Hell all my bombardments have been duds. So I don't know.

20th June 43

Carriers unknown

China
Koniu sweeps Chengtu and shoots down 10 old Chinese figthers for 2 Tojos. He also bombs.

Burma
Meiktila is bombed causing around 600 KIA in a Chinese Corp. We bomb Bhamo killing a few Jap troops.

Still moving around troops and supplies.

About the non-base hex... I have had DD bombardments fail [blank combat report] which I assume is the AI deciding they did not have the gun range to reach where the enemy troops were in the 46 mile hex. No problem when using CAs and CLs.
There are also some coastal hexes along the Burma coast that Canoerebel and others have reported as un-bombardable, after multiple attempts with BBs. There must be something in the map code that says those hexes have an un-approachable coast, in the same way that amphibious landings are impossible at some coastal hexes.
As for the success of bombardments, you need high naval skills on every ship commander, clear terrain and a moving enemy unit, plus good luck on the die rolls![:D]
If you aren't killing and disabling much by the combat reports, rest assured you are likely causing disruption which sets the unit up for downgraded AV/easier casualties later.

[DOCUP]

BB: HMMM Maybe that's the reason I couldn't bombard his troops.

21st June 43

Carriers unknown

China
Bombed

Burma
Magwee's refinery is bombed. 4 hits

Singers
just off singers a fleet boat launches a TT at a DD. It starts to get pummeled and surfaces and what does it find, the Yamato. Needless to say the sub is on the bottom of the ocean.

Solomons
I sent 2 Fletchers to clear out some LBs patrolling just off Rabual. They sunk 12 of them but came in contact with a 2 CL SAG.

Day Time Surface Combat, near Rabaul at 106,128, Range 17,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
CL Agano, Shell hits 1
CL Noshiro, Shell hits 3
DD Hatsushima
DD Usugumo, Shell hits 2, on fire
DD Amagiri
DD Minazuki, Shell hits 1
DD Fumizuki, Shell hits 1
DD Mikazuki, Shell hits 3, heavy fires

Allied Ships
DD Cony, Shell hits 6, on fire
DD Jenkins, Shell hits 10, Torpedo hits 2, and is sunk

We run into several subs around Woodlark and only get 1 hit. We also bombard Woodlark nothing. We bomb it and kill a few.

Koniu lands at a few islands. I will have to tell you later when I get the turn. I only have the movie right now

[zuluhour]

What are the LBs? landing barges on patrol? Little B#stards? Please clarify for the peanut gallery.

[DOCUP]

Landing Barges. Koniu has several TFs of them patrolling in the hexs around Rabual and sometimes Rangoon.

[zuluhour]

What does a landing barge patrol for? Incoming anti ship air raids? mine detectors?[:D]

[DOCUP]

Bullet sponges from bombardments and such. Also from air attacks.

[zuluhour]

The only thing that allows me to accept the tactic is the old movie about the PT109 when the Japanese are patroling in the barges. Must have been very scary to the small crew.

[DOCUP]

We don't have an HR againist it. I can use the same tactic if I want to. I choose to use PT boats[:'(].

The Japs land on the unoccupied islands of the Anadman chain. He lost over 300 troops and several guns landing on 3 of the islands.

I am thinking of sending a CL SAG after his CL SAG.

[DOCUP]

22nd June 43

Carriers unknown

China
Bombed. Tojos sweep Changsha 4 Tojos go down for 1 Chinese P40E.

Burma
Recon by bombing. One of the Jap blocking units is just a Nav Guard unit. The bombings today killed 200 of them. I am sending in several units to evict it from the jungles above Taung Gyi. Koniu is also moving a unit from Taung Gyi to this hex. Who will get their first with the mostest? Koniu is also withdrawing more of his forces from northern Burma. Bombings will be shifted here for tomorrow. We bombard Ramree island nothing. But the bombings from air do kill some. I moved some fighters into Magwee. It had over 5k worth of supply with more coming. I want to stop the bombing of the refinery. I also want to start repairing it. So I will try and get and keep 11k of supply here.

Night Naval bombardment of Ramree Island at 54,48

Allied Ships
CA New Orleans
CA Pensacola

Japanese ground losses:
5 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

SOC-1 Seagull acting as spotter for CA New Orleans
CA New Orleans firing at 21st Division
CA Pensacola firing at 21st Division

Andaman Islands
Small LCUs take the islands. Trusty sinks a large xAP[:'(].

Solomons
Wasn't a good idea to send my CL SAG after his. My CL SAG ran into his big SAG. My CL SAG does sink one of the damaged DDs from yesterdays battle.

Night Time Surface Combat, near Rabaul at 106,125, Range 5,000 Yards

Allied aircraft
no flights

Allied aircraft losses
SOC-1 Seagull: 2 destroyed

Japanese Ships
BB Haruna
BB Nagato, Shell hits 5
BB Fuso, Shell hits 5
CA Mogami, Shell hits 2
CA Furutaka, Shell hits 1
CL Oyodo
DD Urakaze
DD Nowaki
DD Tanikaze
DD Michishio
DD Shiratsuyu
DD Ikazuchi
DD Susuki

Allied Ships
CL St. Louis, Shell hits 2
CL Cleveland, Shell hits 9, and is sunk
DD Bache, Shell hits 1
DD Eaton
DD Grayson
DD Monssen, Shell hits 7, and is sunk
DD Barton, Shell hits 3, on fire

Day Time Surface Combat, near Rabaul at 106,125, Range 15,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
BB Haruna
BB Nagato, Shell hits 4
BB Fuso, Shell hits 3
CA Mogami
CA Furutaka
CL Oyodo, Shell hits 4
DD Urakaze
DD Nowaki
DD Tanikaze
DD Michishio
DD Shiratsuyu
DD Ikazuchi
DD Susuki

Allied Ships
CL St. Louis, Shell hits 16, heavy fires, heavy damage
DD Bache, Shell hits 2
DD Eaton, Shell hits 2, on fire
DD Grayson, Shell hits 1, on fire
DD Barton, Shell hits 4, on fire, heavy damage

So we lose 2 CLs and 2 DDs for 1 DD. Not good. I knew I should of stayed home but I have to come out and fight sometime.

Woodlark has a nav Guard unit on it also. Buna has a garrison unit with an AF BF. Georges sweep an empty island off of MB and catch some leaky CAP. 18 P40Es who were suppose to be on LRCAP are shot down for 2 Georges.

[BBfanboy]

Looks like the CL raid was bait to draw your SCTF to his big boys. Don't you love intel after the fact?
Fact is, I would have done the same thing as you.

[DOCUP]

23rd June 43

Carriers unknown

Burma
We bomb 2 LCUs for nothing. Magwee now has 80 fighters and almost 6k worth of supply.

Solomons
Koniu sinks a crippled DD from yesterdays battle. I had already counted that one as lost. He also got a peek at a group of APAs moving to Carins. I wonder if this will cause him to move his CVs closer to the Solomons?

Coastwatchers have been reporting ships in different harbors, not for sure if I should believe this. I have tried to recon these harbors and found nothing when I did. What do you guys think?

[zuluhour]

coast watchers are only in it for the pension.[:D]

[BBfanboy]

ORIGINAL: zuluhour

coast watchers are only in it for the pension.[:D]

+1
I have found their reports to be completely unreliable unless:
- there is sigint from the same hex indicating the presence of ships - e.g. heavy radio traffic
- a specific ship is named in the report. They may get the ship ID wrong, but there will be a ship there.

I blame it on the coconut juice.