Rise of the Sheep! JocMeister(A) vs. Obvert(J)

[Speedysteve]

ORIGINAL: JocMeister

ORIGINAL: Speedy

Nice one. Those Jap CA's pack a powerful punch. Always good to take down Meatball ships. In fact anything Meatball taken down is good [:)]

P.S. Keep us posted how those LCI(G)'s work out. I'm using mine in my next invasions.........As you also say so much time and shipping is used for logistics! I still can't get enough TK/AO in my game vs Faber to move all the fuel that is needed. There's just an ever increasing demand for it!

When I used them in a landing earlier they just blasted the defenders.

Pre-Invasion action off Waigeo (82,106)
Defensive Guns engage approaching landing force

18 Coastal gun shots fired in defense.

Allied Ships
DD Izard
DD Hazelwood
DD Haraden
DD Albert Grant
DD Evans
DD Callaghan
DD Bennion
LCI(G)-82
LCI(G)-81
LCI(G)-80
LCI(G)-79
LCI(G)-78
LCI(G)-77
LCI(G)-76
APA Knox
DD Knapp

Japanese ground losses:
537 casualties reported BOOM!
Squads: 0 destroyed, 48 disabled BOOM!
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 18 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

But in later landings they havn´t caused much damage at all. I don´t know why that is. Forts?

Are you using some of those xAKs to haul fuel? I have 2x100 Liberty ship TFs do doing just that. They still carry almost 250.000 fuel! [:)]

Nice on the LCI(G)'s. Assuming they had the ammo on the follow up landings?

Re: AK's - yup I have 250 x AK's hauling fuel all over the place - PH, Aus, Sumatra etc.

[JocMeister]

Yepp, Ammo was replenished on the later landings. I just checked the forts and that doesn´t seem to explain much. At Waigeo there were level 3 forts in place and at Sorong level 4.

Difference is striking.

Waigeo

LCI(G)-82
LCI(G)-81
LCI(G)-80
LCI(G)-79
LCI(G)-78
LCI(G)-77
LCI(G)-76[/b]
[/color]

Japanese ground losses:
537 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 48 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 18 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

Sorong

LCI(G)-82
LCI(G)-81
LCI(G)-80
LCI(G)-79
LCI(G)-78
LCI(G)-77
LCI(G)-76


Japanese ground losses:
26 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

The latter example is what I usually see. I don´t understand what is causing the difference. I want it to go boom like at Waigeo all the time! [:D]

[Speedysteve]

Hmm. Odd indeed. Well. At least they sometimes have an effect. I remember in the original WiTP they always had no effect!

[JocMeister]

Time table first draft

This is mainly for my own sake to help organize my head but feel free to comment. Good or bad. [:)]

Assignment of the CV Fleet for the rest of -44.

Thrym
About to wrap up. I´ll allow CV support until some more bases in Phase 3 are secured.
ETA - Rest of July

DEI Landings
CV Support until bases capable of LBA is established on Timor.
August

Rest and Refit
Fleet go to Sydney for rest and upgrades.
Early September

Marianas
October. Zoom in, land troops. Put LBA up.

Mindanao/PI
November and December

[ny59giants]

Mindanoa - Rather than go head first into Davao, how about a two phase approach?? Land first at Jolo [AF 3(5)], Basilan [AF 0(5)], and maybe Zamboanga [AF 1(4)] before going for Cotabato [2(7)] which is clear terrain for your tanks and another potential size 9 AF. A side benefit will allow you access into the Sula Sea and eventually into the South China Sea.

Possible goal - This got me to come up with a wild idea while typing this. Rather than focus on Balikpapan and the oil/fuel, go for cutting off that flow, PLUS isolation of his troops. Your troops in Burma will shift to the east and drive into Thailand. Your massive Allied CV fleet will cover landings in the CamRanh Bay area to close off the flow of oil/fuel east to Japan and the flow of supplies to Burma to supply his armies. A giant pincer movement. [:D]

Just something to think about.


EDIT - There are two potential size 9 AFs in NE Borneo (Jessleton and Kudat). [:)]

[Bullwinkle58]

I don't think it's changed in mods. Balikpapan produces 300 oil and 300 fuel per day. It's for sure worth having locally. It has a good-sized port too.

[BBfanboy]

ORIGINAL: Bullwinkle58

I don't think it's changed in mods. Balikpapan produces 300 oil and 300 fuel per day. It's for sure worth having locally. It has a good-sized port too.

I just looked at my industry screen for Balikpapan and the 300 oil points translate to 3000 tons per day!
For the refinery, 300 points produces 2700 tons of fuel and 300 tons of supply. The latter might be worth saving if you are having any issues bringing supply forward. If you want to starve out the Borneo defenders, you must take it or destroy it.

[Bullwinkle58]

ORIGINAL: BBfanboy

ORIGINAL: Bullwinkle58

I don't think it's changed in mods. Balikpapan produces 300 oil and 300 fuel per day. It's for sure worth having locally. It has a good-sized port too.

I just looked at my industry screen for Balikpapan and the 300 oil points translate to 3000 tons per day!
For the refinery, 300 points produces 2700 tons of fuel and 300 tons of supply. The latter might be worth saving if you are having any issues bringing supply forward. If you want to starve out the Borneo defenders, you must take it or destroy it.

A better answer. I just looked at my AI game's raw map numbers. Balikpapan in my past AI games has kept Manila and a vast armada based there in local fuel. If it is taken it probably comes with a big pile already.

[JocMeister]

Wow, I go out and have some beers ONE night and I´m almost off the first page! [X(]

Man I feel like crap today. Ouch. Too much of the good stuff. Tequila is NEVER a good idea...[:(] I´m just too nauseous to do much but I managed to get a turn off to Erik. I´ll get back to you guys in while. I think I will have to do some of this first:

[ny59giants]

I've only passed out from drinking three times in my life and thankfully they happened decades ago to the same drink you just tangled with. That worm can be nasty. [:D]

[Speedysteve]

LOL. I wish I could have one of those nights again! Now I'm married and have developed some recent intolerances for Yeast, Wheat and Gluten it limits what I can have dramatically. A big night for me is now either Vodka or Champagne (the only 2 alcoholic drinks I can have with these intolerances). I miss beer![&o]

[Bullwinkle58]

ORIGINAL: ny59giants

I've only passed out from drinking three times in my life and thankfully they happened decades ago to the same drink you just tangled with. That worm can be nasty. [:D]

I had a bad night with the T. when I was 17. I have not had a drink of it since, and the smell still makes me leave the vicinity. I know someone has the same reaction to bourbon. Strange how the mind works.

[BBfanboy]

ORIGINAL: Bullwinkle58

ORIGINAL: ny59giants

I've only passed out from drinking three times in my life and thankfully they happened decades ago to the same drink you just tangled with. That worm can be nasty. [:D]

I had a bad night with the T. when I was 17. I have not had a drink of it since, and the smell still makes me leave the vicinity. I know someone has the same reaction to bourbon. Strange how the mind works.

[:D]
+1, but for me it was Akvavit/Ouzo or any other version of licorice flavoured alcohol. I was in Egypt with the UN at the time and the PX stocked liquor from Greece [close supplier] and Finland [for the Finn Contingent].
The Poles tried to get me into a friendly vodka drinking match, but fortunately I knew better!

[JocMeister]

ORIGINAL: Bullwinkle58

ORIGINAL: ny59giants

I've only passed out from drinking three times in my life and thankfully they happened decades ago to the same drink you just tangled with. That worm can be nasty. [:D]

I had a bad night with the T. when I was 17. I have not had a drink of it since, and the smell still makes me leave the vicinity. I know someone has the same reaction to bourbon. Strange how the mind works.

I had a similar thing with Gin for many years. Stole half a bottle from my mum when I was 15 or something like that. Ended quite poorly for me vomiting while wearing a motorcycle helmet! [:D]

Took 15 years before I could even smell gin without getting sick...

BB,

Ouzo is nasty business. I hate that licorice taste. Yuck! Akvavit on the other hand, thats proper drink! [:D]

[JocMeister]

Back to business after a good nights sleep! [&o]

ORIGINAL: ny59giants

Mindanoa - Rather than go head first into Davao, how about a two phase approach?? Land first at Jolo [AF 3(5)], Basilan [AF 0(5)], and maybe Zamboanga [AF 1(4)] before going for Cotabato [2(7)] which is clear terrain for your tanks and another potential size 9 AF. A side benefit will allow you access into the Sula Sea and eventually into the South China Sea.

Possible goal - This got me to come up with a wild idea while typing this. Rather than focus on Balikpapan and the oil/fuel, go for cutting off that flow, PLUS isolation of his troops. Your troops in Burma will shift to the east and drive into Thailand. Your massive Allied CV fleet will cover landings in the CamRanh Bay area to close off the flow of oil/fuel east to Japan and the flow of supplies to Burma to supply his armies. A giant pincer movement. [:D]

Just something to think about.


EDIT - There are two potential size 9 AFs in NE Borneo (Jessleton and Kudat). [:)]

Great minds think alike? [:D] I´m already prepping the troops from the Waigo assault (500 AV) for Jolo. And I have a reinforced Corps prepping for Cotabato! About CamRanh bay I´m not so sure...certainly ambitious! But that require possible the entire SOPAC command (12 IDs) and I don´t want to divert from my intended goal of securing the philippines. My ultimate goal is to get B29s on Formosa. From there I can start pounding the Jap industry.

[JocMeister]

Balikpapan or not?

Well, I decided that 80-90.000 fuel per month is worth the effort. While nothing game changing it will help out. But if Erik invests too heavy here I will just smash it instead. I won´t divert too much attention to this though. The newly arrived 96th ID and 124th Cavalry RGT will start prepping. A Corp HQ and some arty will assist.

My general fuel situation has certainly picked up the last few days. The 200k convoy started unloading at Sarmi yesterday. 650k more will arrive within the week. That should be enough to secure SOPAC Commands need for at least a month. When the Fleet shifts to DEI they can drink directly from the OZ reserves instead.

I also sent a 50k AO TF north to top off the CV fleet.

[JocMeister]

20th-25th July -44

Japanese counter attack imminent?
Besides the Battle of Namlea almost no combat has taken place. The eerie quiet continues. I really looked through the map the last couple of turns and my suspicion that Erik plans a massive counter attack is reinforced. I´m "missing" something like 600 Fighters in Burma/China region. The usual 800 Fighters at Bangkok is down to 250 and the 200 Fighters on the Chinese border are also gone. Question is when he will strike back. My CVs are replenished of both planes and fuel. I refigured the CAP a bit adding some Hellcats to low CAP at 5000ft together with some Seafires and Corsair IIs. 350 Corsairs will stay up at 12k ft for now.

Thrym
Still going well. I´ve attached a screen of the situation. I´m spreading out and trying to take advantage of all the empty dot bases. Ternate is about to get surrounded. Unfortunately it looks like Erik has reinforced Manado. Last turn I had 15k men and some 200 guns listed there. So 5k men + 200 guns have been added. A BDE? Hopefully my two IDs will be enough. Turns out I only had one Tank unit prepping for the dot base. But it was a 72 LVT unit so thats almost as good as 2 Tank BTLs! [:)]

I´ve decided to lend CV support to cover a BF landing just North of Ternate. The BFs are onboard APAs/AKAs and Morotai is just level 3 AF. Can´t divert enough LRCAP to feel safe. Lets see if that lures out the KB and his counter attack. I´ll place my CVs between the landing and Manado. This is perhaps an unnecessary risk as I could just wait until Morotai was built up but I would still be tricky. I wan´t to build up the Moluccas to a major Allied stronghold that can be used to support the Mindanao invasion. Ternate will be left to rot though.

Marianas
Erik is continuing to pound Tinian. For the first time in over a month he actually managed to close the AF. I don´t know why is burning so much energy here but I´ll take it! [:)]

Strategic Bombing Campaign
Almost everything in range of Burma is toast. I have some 127 oil left at Medan to smoke. B29 pools are back to roughly 20 planes. I´ll probably rebase the XX Bomber Command to OZ shortly. There they will join the XXI bomber command to smash whatever is in Range in the DEI. I wonder what 220 B29s can do? [:'(]

[JocMeister]

I did something very risky this turn. If Erik has the KB in the vicinity I may lose a good chunk of my assault shipping. I´ve sent a big TF with troops for Talaud. CVs are standing off Morotai and 120 Hellcats are on LRCAP. This is backed up with 75 P47s from Morotai itself. But this is certainly not enough if Erik has the KB in the vicinity.

If he does I might lose a good chunk of the shipping but most of the troops should be able to unload during the night. Looks like Erik only has some 7000 troops there. This is quite risky but I feel securing Talaud quickly unhinges Sangi and Manado as well as give me a even longer peek into the PI.

Who dares win...?

Nervous times ahead...

[JocMeister]

I´m getting spoiled with good fortune lately! [&o] Troops ashore, no losses in ships and the base will very soon be securely in allied hands! Proper update coming tonight.

Huzzah! [:)]

[DOCUP]

congrats on the successful operation.