An Aussie Affair: Re-Match!

[Raverdave]

Yup....I was talking about IJN....guess I should have writen IJN:rolleyes:

Good news......I have heaps of Subs on their way from PH....Luskan's transport TFs are in for a hard time.

[Luskan]

Raver's deep water sub mentality really is scarier than it sounds. There are three or four hexes south of Truk that every single tf passes through (and stops in ebcause all IJN transports or TFs with PCs in them are all the same speed) and re-routing them often isn't enough. I haven't suffered any USN sub attacks in the game to date - I think - but that is because I was sending transports left right centre and anywhere but where Raver's subs were sitting waiting to punch holes in me. On the up side, with Raver staying in port my entire airforce can be devoted to ASW, and even if they score 0 hits, they keep the subs submerged and gain some experience.

My aircrew experience is firming up again on most fronts (float planes pilots must get better training than bomber pilots but anyway) and although I've got more squadrons than I can keep at full strength level bomber-wise, anything Raver tries he will at least get a bloody nose.

Just to get some payback from last game, a whole bunch of my zeros went off to Wupenko to try and soften it up (might try and snatch it later - depends on the amount of grunt there, I think Raver must be spreading pretty thin on the ground over there with AOba Island getting built too . . . ) and although 50% of them got lost on the way (cloudy) those that did arrive caught some unwary wildcats.

AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 09/20/42

Weather: Overcast

Air attack on Wunpuko , at 51,51

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 27

Allied aircraft
F4F-4 Wildcat x 7

no losses

Allied aircraft losses
F4F-4 Wildcat x 4 destroyed

PO1 T.Hirata of F1/253rd Daitai is credited with kill number 2


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Air attack on Wunpuko , at 51,51

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 48

Allied aircraft
F4F-4 Wildcat x 9

Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero x 1 destroyed

Allied aircraft losses
F4F-4 Wildcat x 5 destroyed
F4F-4 Wildcat x 1 damaged


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[Raverdave]

Total losses 9 wildcats for 1 zero. Very very poor results.

[Raverdave]

Originally posted by Luskan
Raver's deep water sub mentality really is scarier than it sounds. There are three or four hexes south of Truk that every single tf passes through (and stops in ebcause all IJN transports or TFs with PCs in them are all the same speed) and re-routing them often isn't enough. I haven't suffered any USN sub attacks in the game to date - I think - but that is because I was sending transports left right centre and anywhere but where Raver's subs were sitting waiting to punch holes in me.

And it will only get worse, I have more and more subs coming from PH and soon will be able to completely choke off Truk, so that nothing can move in or out without passing one of my subs.

With the exception of mine laying, I don't see a reason for IJN or USN subs to be used in shallow water hex. (Unless a REALLY juicy target is KNOWN to be in port). The subs from both sides operate well in deep water, and it makes it harder to find/sink them.

[Luskan]

Two 25XAP TFs returned to Truk today, having completed their second joint mega-supply/reinforce missions. Just one sub and those APs would have been shot at and torpedoed all night.

As it is, they made it in and back to Truk twice, so the supply situation won't require resupply for at least another month.

With plenty of troops in position (every base has enough to make sure that Raver has to land at least two battalions to match me, so he probably has to land a whole division to overcome my troops and defences at any given base) and many, many more in Truk I am struggling with the question: Do I continue to send troops forward, Buna, Lunga, GG, PM, Tulagi, Gasmata and Shortlands?? I've got loads and loads and loads of troops . . . Only once I move them forward they are a. malaria prone, b. supply liabilities and c. closer to Raver's bombers at a time in the game when Raver won't be making any forward moves at all.
On the other hand, if I don't move them out of Truk early, and Raver hits my transport fleet a few times, I may loose the ability to move them later/supply them at the front line.

Or do I go for door number three, the mass insanely early invasion (Operation Evadrevar??)

[Raverdave]

Mogami has writen extensively such questions, and he prefers to leave the troops in Truk and only send them south to counter an invasion. His MAIN defense is the fleet. Makes for some interesting reading, I think that you will find it also posted at Spookys web site.

This next turn I am carrying out a bold experiment. As soon as Luskan does the turn I will report to you all what it was and how it went.

[Luskan]

Well, Raver got two of his deep water subs in an attack position 4 hexes south of truk, and being mk14s, all 12 torpedoes missed. Two IJN depth charges didn't however and now the flying fish in now the sinking/drowning fish.

There were some aborted air missions out of cairns and cooktown (worst weather of any game I've ever seen - La Nina for sure!) guessing maybe that was Raver's new idea - in which case I am ready for him next turn.

Rather an anti climax on the whole.

[Raverdave]

Well the weather played a big part in my bold experiment (grounded everything!) and Luskan has now gotten wind of something, so I will have to do some recon before I try it again.

Man the weather in this PBEM is appalling. I swear to god that I am getting hit with every tropical depression that there ever was in '42 !

One of my subs was hit:( Who said IJN ASW was hopeless:rolleyes:

AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 09/23/42

Weather: Rain

Sub attack at 22,4

Japanese Ships
AP Brazil Maru

Allied Ships
SS Greenling


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Sub attack at 22,4

Japanese Ships
AP Brazil Maru
PG Choan Maru #2

Allied Ships
SS Flying Fish, Shell hits 2


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[Raverdave]

So I changed my mind and went ahead with the experiment of using Beaufighters as bomber escorts. Not much was proved as Luskan didn't have much up in the air.

And just to add to few points to Luskan's stress level, I decided to take Wewak



AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 09/24/42

Weather: Overcast

Air attack on Port Moresby , at 10,40

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 3

Allied aircraft
Beaufighter VIC x 24
B-25D Mitchell x 14

no losses

Allied aircraft losses
B-25D Mitchell x 8 damaged

Japanese ground losses:
Men lost 7

Airbase hits 1
Airbase supply hits 1
Runway hits 5

Attacking Level Bombers:
5 x B-25D Mitchell at 6000 feet
9 x B-25D Mitchell at 6000 feet

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Air attack on Port Moresby , at 10,40

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 3

Allied aircraft
B-17E Fortress x 60
B-24D Liberator x 3

Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero x 1 destroyed
A6M2 Zero x 1 damaged

Allied aircraft losses
B-17E Fortress x 8 damaged

Japanese ground losses:
Men lost 111
Guns lost 3

Airbase hits 20
Airbase supply hits 2
Runway hits 31

Attacking Level Bombers:
3 x B-17E Fortress at 6000 feet
6 x B-17E Fortress at 6000 feet
3 x B-17E Fortress at 6000 feet
3 x B-17E Fortress at 6000 feet
3 x B-17E Fortress at 6000 feet
3 x B-17E Fortress at 6000 feet
3 x B-24D Liberator at 6000 feet
3 x B-17E Fortress at 6000 feet
4 x B-17E Fortress at 6000 feet
3 x B-17E Fortress at 6000 feet
4 x B-17E Fortress at 6000 feet
3 x B-17E Fortress at 6000 feet
3 x B-17E Fortress at 6000 feet
3 x B-17E Fortress at 6000 feet
7 x B-17E Fortress at 6000 feet
3 x B-17E Fortress at 6000 feet
3 x B-17E Fortress at 6000 feet
3 x B-17E Fortress at 6000 feet

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Ground combat at Wewak

Allied Deliberate attack

Attacking force 110 troops, 0 guns, 0 vehicles

Defending force 0 troops, 0 guns, 0 vehicles

Allied assault odds: 10 to 1 (fort level 4)

Allied forces CAPTURE Wewak base !!!



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[Luskan]

The IJN has no comment at this time beyond announcing that Raver's suicide-sub-raid at Wewak will be punished.

[Raverdave]

It worked! Beaufighters escorting B-25s on a raid to PM today shot down 3 Zeros for no losses . This is a major success as I now have an escort that has the range of my bombers.

AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 09/27/42

Weather: Partly Cloudy

Air attack on Port Moresby , at 10,40

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 15

Allied aircraft
Beaufighter VIC x 24
B-25D Mitchell x 27

Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero x 3 destroyed

Allied aircraft losses
Beaufighter VIC x 1 damaged
B-25D Mitchell x 3 damaged

Japanese ground losses:
Men lost 49

Airbase hits 2
Runway hits 12

Attacking Level Bombers:
9 x B-25D Mitchell at 6000 feet
1 x B-25D Mitchell at 6000 feet
5 x B-25D Mitchell at 6000 feet
3 x B-25D Mitchell at 6000 feet
9 x B-25D Mitchell at 6000 feet

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Air attack on Port Moresby , at 10,40

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 9

Allied aircraft
B-17E Fortress x 60
B-24D Liberator x 4

Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero x 1 damaged

Allied aircraft losses
B-17E Fortress x 15 damaged
B-24D Liberator x 1 damaged

Japanese ground losses:
Men lost 212
Guns lost 1

Airbase hits 17
Airbase supply hits 3
Runway hits 64

Attacking Level Bombers:
3 x B-17E Fortress at 6000 feet
9 x B-17E Fortress at 6000 feet
4 x B-17E Fortress at 6000 feet
3 x B-17E Fortress at 6000 feet
3 x B-17E Fortress at 6000 feet
3 x B-17E Fortress at 6000 feet
3 x B-17E Fortress at 6000 feet
3 x B-17E Fortress at 6000 feet
3 x B-17E Fortress at 6000 feet
3 x B-17E Fortress at 6000 feet
3 x B-17E Fortress at 6000 feet
4 x B-24D Liberator at 6000 feet
3 x B-17E Fortress at 6000 feet
3 x B-17E Fortress at 6000 feet
3 x B-17E Fortress at 6000 feet
5 x B-17E Fortress at 6000 feet
3 x B-17E Fortress at 6000 feet
3 x B-17E Fortress at 6000 feet

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[Veer]

You should play the AI more. The AI always does that. It's fun since the zero is IMO hopeless but there is a counter, should I tell...

[Luskan]

The AI has already lost to me by now.

Counter is??

[Raverdave]

Veer, by all means detail the "counter", just make sure that you do so in the OPEN forum, rather than sneak off and PM Luskan. I would Hate to have to add you to my shitlist

[Raverdave]

Bad news, I had a quick look at the CR before heading off to work this morning, and it looks like I left it one turn too long in withdrawing the assault force from Wewak. The subs that were loading the troops got caught and one is damaged bad....don't know how many troops got off or even if any are still at Wewak. I guess I will have to wait till I get home tonight to see what the full damage is.

[Luskan]

Raver's damage at Weak was incidental to this turn. Tanaka, with a rather weak force of cruisers and destroyers went head to head with a whole bunch of nasty USN TFs and kciked some ***. Especially when the IJN ships launched a long lance torpedo attack in the first combat (Every torpedo hit in the first round of combat below occurred BEFORE THE USN FIRED A SINGLE SHOT!!

I would have been happy if Tanaka had called it a night, but instead he hung around to finish them off. Then he got caught by the other USN ships and things got a lot more even.

AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 09/29/42

Weather: Clear

Night Time Surface Combat, near Vanua Lava at 53,49

IJN LONG LANCE ATTACK RULES!!!

Japanese Ships
CA Chokai, Shell hits 10
CA Haguro, Shell hits 1
CA Aoba
CL Naka, Shell hits 8
CL Isuzu
DD Akitsuki, Shell hits 1
DD Yugumo, Shell hits 1
DD Makigumo, Shell hits 9, on fire
DD Takanami, Shell hits 2
DD Kuroshio, Shell hits 9, on fire

Allied Ships
CL Leander, Shell hits 15, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
CL St. Louis, Shell hits 3, on fire
CL Nashville, Shell hits 18, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
DD Gwin, Torpedo hits 2, and is sunk before US fires anything.
DD McCall, Shell hits 9, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
DD Cummings, Shell hits 1, on fire
DD Case, Shell hits 11, on fire, heavy damage
DD Conyngham, Shell hits 9, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
DD Perkins
DD Tucker, Shell hits 2, on fire
DD Porter, Shell hits 1
DD Warramunga, Shell hits 4, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage


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Night Time Surface Combat, near Vanua Lava at 53,49

Japanese Ships
CA Chokai, Shell hits 2
CA Haguro, Shell hits 1
CA Aoba, Shell hits 1
CL Naka
CL Isuzu
DD Akitsuki, Shell hits 3, on fire, heavy damage
DD Yugumo, Shell hits 2
DD Makigumo, on fire
DD Takanami
DD Kuroshio, Shell hits 1, on fire, heavy damage

Allied Ships
CL St. Louis, Shell hits 6, on fire, heavy damage
CL Nashville, and is sunk
DD McCall, Shell hits 5, and is sunk
DD Cummings, Shell hits 1, on fire
DD Case, Shell hits 4, Torpedo hits 2, and is sunk
DD Perkins, Shell hits 1
DD Tucker, Shell hits 3, Torpedo hits 2, and is sunk
DD Porter
DD Warramunga, Shell hits 6, and is sunk


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Night Time Surface Combat, near Vanua Lava at 53,49

Japanese Ships
CA Chokai
CA Haguro
CA Aoba
CL Naka
CL Isuzu
DD Akitsuki, on fire, heavy damage
DD Yugumo
DD Makigumo, on fire
DD Takanami
DD Kuroshio, on fire, heavy damage

Allied Ships
PT 40, Shell hits 21, heavy damage
PT 44, Shell hits 6, on fire, heavy damage
PT 107, Shell hits 7, and is sunk
PT 112
PT 114
PT 123
PT 120
PT 122


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Night Time Surface Combat, near Vanua Lava at 53,49

Japanese Ships
CA Chokai, Shell hits 3
CA Haguro, Shell hits 3
CA Aoba, Shell hits 5, on fire
CL Naka
CL Isuzu, Shell hits 4
DD Akitsuki, Shell hits 3, on fire, heavy damage
DD Yugumo, Shell hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
DD Makigumo, Shell hits 2, on fire, heavy damage
DD Takanami
DD Kuroshio, Shell hits 4, on fire, heavy damage

Allied Ships
CA Northampton, Shell hits 5, on fire
CA Canberra, Shell hits 4
CL Phoenix
DD Hughes
DD Hammann, Shell hits 8, on fire
DD Mustin, Shell hits 3, on fire


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Night Time Surface Combat, near Vanua Lava at 53,49

Japanese Ships
CA Chokai
CA Haguro, Shell hits 7, on fire
CA Aoba, Shell hits 6, on fire
CL Naka, Shell hits 2
CL Isuzu
DD Akitsuki, Shell hits 3, on fire, heavy damage
DD Yugumo, on fire, heavy damage
DD Makigumo, Shell hits 14, and is sunk
DD Takanami, Shell hits 6, on fire
DD Kuroshio, Shell hits 3, on fire, heavy damage

Allied Ships
CA Northampton, on fire, heavy damage
CA Canberra, Shell hits 5, on fire
CL Phoenix, Shell hits 4
DD Hughes, Shell hits 3, on fire
DD Hammann, Shell hits 15, on fire, heavy damage
DD Mustin, Shell hits 2, on fire, heavy damage


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Night Time Surface Combat, near Vanua Lava at 53,49

Japanese Ships
CA Chokai
CA Haguro, Shell hits 2, on fire, heavy damage
CA Aoba, Shell hits 21, on fire
CL Naka, Shell hits 22, on fire, heavy damage
CL Isuzu, Shell hits 7
DD Akitsuki, Shell hits 3, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
DD Yugumo, Shell hits 2, on fire, heavy damage
DD Takanami, Shell hits 1, on fire
DD Kuroshio, on fire, heavy damage

Allied Ships
CA Pensacola, Shell hits 25, on fire, heavy damage
CA San Francisco, Shell hits 2
CA Quincy, Shell hits 4, on fire
CL Honolulu, Shell hits 1
DD Blue, Shell hits 2
DD Jarvis


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Night Time Surface Combat, near Vanua Lava at 53,49

Japanese Ships
CA Chokai, Shell hits 1, on fire
CA Haguro, Shell hits 10, on fire, heavy damage
CA Aoba, Shell hits 27, on fire, heavy damage
CL Naka, Shell hits 15, on fire, heavy damage
CL Isuzu, Shell hits 4
DD Akitsuki, and is sunk
DD Yugumo, Shell hits 2, on fire, heavy damage
DD Takanami, Shell hits 2, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
DD Kuroshio, Shell hits 11, on fire, heavy damage

Allied Ships
CA Pensacola, Shell hits 2, and is sunk
CA San Francisco
CA Quincy, Shell hits 2, on fire, heavy damage
CL Honolulu, Shell hits 1
DD Blue, Shell hits 1, on fire
DD Jarvis, Shell hits 2, on fire


2 Cls, a big CA (pensacola) and 8 dds appeared on the enemy sunk list, while there is another bunch of badly damaged ships in a thunderstorm 5 hexes (guessing) from Luganville. I lost 2 small CAs, a cl, and 4 DDs (most of which had to be scuttled after the following air raid caught them). Thunderstorms and the bad weather in this game and all.


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Air attack on TF at 52,49


Allied aircraft
F4F-4 Wildcat x 22
SBD Dauntless x 21


no losses

Japanese Ships
CA Haguro, Bomb hits 3, on fire, heavy damage
CA Aoba, Bomb hits 2, on fire, heavy damage
CL Naka, Bomb hits 2, on fire, heavy damage


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Air attack on TF at 52,49


Allied aircraft
Hudson x 7


no losses

Japanese Ships
DD Takanami, Bomb hits 2, on fire, heavy damage

Attacking Level Bombers:
4 x Hudson at 6000 feet
3 x Hudson at 6000 feet

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Ground combat at Wewak

Japanese Shock attack

Attacking force 516 troops, 0 guns, 26 vehicles

Defending force 110 troops, 0 guns, 0 vehicles

Japanese assault odds: 1 to 1 (fort level 0)

Japanese Assault reduces fortifications to 0

Next turn there will be more tankettes to squash this insane invasion. Happy that last turn the S-46 copped 2 out of 16 depth charges (go APDs!).

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Sunk ship list has been decidedly in my favour so far. Bombing wise Raver's raids at PM the last few turns ahve cost him half a dozen planes, and a whole bunch of damaged ships (more AA on the way let me tell you!) but he has also caught a couple of zeroes on the ground, and shut PM down for about a week.

[Veer]

Originally posted by Raverdave
Veer, by all means detail the "counter", just make sure that you do so in the OPEN forum, rather than sneak off and PM Luskan. I would Hate to have to add you to my shitlist

ha..maybe i'll keep this a trade secret.

But one hint: You don't have to actually 'kill' the Beaufighters to get the desired effect.

Any benifits of being on your shitlist Raver? I was hoping for free beer!

[CapAndGown]

Originally posted by Veer
ha..maybe i'll keep this a trade secret.

Trade secret bad! Veer bad! Bad, Veer, Bad!

[Veer]

Originally posted by cap_and_gown
Trade secret bad! Veer bad! Bad, Veer, Bad!

come n spank me.

[CapAndGown]

Originally posted by Veer
come n spank me.

Actually, I was thinking of hitting you on the nose with a rolled up newspaper.

Bad, Veer, Bad!