The Good The Bad & The Indifferent

[Encircled]

Could be messy (will be good fun to read what happens though!)

[Canoerebel]

My email to John: "Send text combat report as soon as its available. Have no idea what might happen this turn, but juding by your emails, something's up."

His reply to me: "Some thing is up with ME??!! How about that armada OF YOURS slowing working its way up the coast of Kangarooland!??...This will be fun, crazy, and plan to drink heavily once it begins..."

You think he's waiting for me? Thing is, I don't think he knows what all is coming up the coast to hammer away at the enemy.

[pws1225]

Whatever comes of all this, it will be great fun to watch. Hats off to you and John for providing the peanut gallery with a great game.

[JohnDillworth]

My email to John: "Send text combat report as soon as its available. Have no idea what might happen this turn, but juding by your emails, something's up."

His reply to me: "Some thing is up with ME??!! How about that armada OF YOURS slowing working its way up the coast of Kangarooland!??...This will be fun, crazy, and plan to drink heavily once it begins..."

You think he's waiting for me? Thing is, I don't think he knows what all is coming up the coast to hammer away at the enemy.

Everybody gets what they want. You wanted this. John wanted this. You both think you have it all figured out. We shall see whom he gods of war smile upon. Everybody gets what they want.

[Schlemiel]

I agree. Popcorn all around, just like Burma. I see Canoe's real strategy all too clearly: he's opening a second front in the thread post count war with greyjoy by dangling all his invasion fleet in Japanese view for so long

[obvert]

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

My email to John: "Send text combat report as soon as its available. Have no idea what might happen this turn, but juding by your emails, something's up."

His reply to me: "Some thing is up with ME??!! How about that armada OF YOURS slowing working its way up the coast of Kangarooland!??...This will be fun, crazy, and plan to drink heavily once it begins..."

You think he's waiting for me? Thing is, I don't think he knows what all is coming up the coast to hammer away at the enemy.

Can I please play someone who tells me what they're going to do before they do it? [:)]

[Cribtop]

CR, the KB sighting worries me. My earlier spidey sense tingle is now a disturbing facial twitch. If it's only part of KB, you may well still be ok. If he's got most of the Pearl Harbor six here, and a bunch of LBA, look out.

My real main concern is that John knows where you are and you don't fully know where he is. In my experience, an ISR and DL advantage is one key factor in the outcome of AE CV battles.

You could well still win this, and I'm not predicting doom. But IMHO the risk of the Op went up several notches with the KB sighting. If he still has 5 or 6 days to get into position, that's plenty of time.

[Chickenboy]

ORIGINAL: Cribtop
My real main concern is that John knows where you are and you don't fully know where he is.

Gentlemen,

A reminder about OPSEC please. CR doesn't know what he doesn't know. What he doesn't 'fully' know should not be reiterated. As far as he's concerned, he fully knows what he fully knows.

God, I sound like Rumsfeld.

[Chickenboy]

ORIGINAL: obvert

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

My email to John: "Send text combat report as soon as its available. Have no idea what might happen this turn, but juding by your emails, something's up."

His reply to me: "Some thing is up with ME??!! How about that armada OF YOURS slowing working its way up the coast of Kangarooland!??...This will be fun, crazy, and plan to drink heavily once it begins..."

You think he's waiting for me? Thing is, I don't think he knows what all is coming up the coast to hammer away at the enemy.

Can I please play someone who tells me what they're going to do before they do it? [:)]

Alright, Obvert. I'll play you and kick your heiney. There. [:'(]

[Bullwinkle58]

ORIGINAL: JohnDillworth

Everybody gets what they want.

You can't always get what you want. Sometimes you get what you need. [:)]

[Sangeli]

Definitely watch out for LBA especially because he knows something is up (not from reading the AAR but from his response you posted of course). Give a Japanese player that much time to assemble planes and he'll make you pay unless you have unquestionable air superiority or he get unlucky with coordination. Personally I think that Nov 1942 is too early to launch a direct attack in the SWPac because you lack the CVE to protect the amphibious task force properly and you. Lastly, I don't see why LRCAP would really deter a KB attack. Isn't there a significant coordination penalty over CTF for LRCAP? I love this AAR and I would hate to see it turn boring after a combined LBA and KB attack smashes through your LRCAP and CVs...good luck.

[obvert]

ORIGINAL: Chickenboy

ORIGINAL: obvert

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

My email to John: "Send text combat report as soon as its available. Have no idea what might happen this turn, but juding by your emails, something's up."

His reply to me: "Some thing is up with ME??!! How about that armada OF YOURS slowing working its way up the coast of Kangarooland!??...This will be fun, crazy, and plan to drink heavily once it begins..."

You think he's waiting for me? Thing is, I don't think he knows what all is coming up the coast to hammer away at the enemy.

Can I please play someone who tells me what they're going to do before they do it? [:)]

Alright, Obvert. I'll play you and kick your heiney. There. [:'(]

How about a start in about 2-3 months. I'll play Allies, which I've been dying to do. You can pick any Scenario you want. Now that I know what you're going to do this should be easy! [:D]

[obvert]

ORIGINAL: Sangeli

Definitely watch out for LBA especially because he knows something is up (not from reading the AAR but from his response you posted of course). Give a Japanese player that much time to assemble planes and he'll make you pay unless you have unquestionable air superiority or he get unlucky with coordination. Personally I think that Nov 1942 is too early to launch a direct attack in the SWPac because you lack the CVE to protect the amphibious task force properly and you. Lastly, I don't see why LRCAP would really deter a KB attack. Isn't there a significant coordination penalty over CTF for LRCAP? I love this AAR and I would hate to see it turn boring after a combined LBA and KB attack smashes through your LRCAP and CVs...good luck.

Oh, that would not make this game boring!

That said, Dan usually has a few tricks up his sleeve. Not to mention THE NUMBERS. Which are undoubtedly a voodoo hex spun over many turns onto his opponents' air and naval forces.

I for one am very excited to see what is going to happen here and very interested to learn a few new things! (About the power of mathematics mostly).

[JocMeister]

Time to get some beer and popcorn I think! [:D]

[kjnoel]

Like lots of people I read both AARs and I have to say it is fascinating!

I think CR is leading JIII exactly where he wants him at this stage. Smoke and mirrors? Maskirovka? Is this really what it seems, a clash of titans? Or is there a bunch of empty TFs rolling up the east coast of OZ... attempting to draw in Japan's finest? Is Japan's finest even being drawn in?

I don't know the answer and I won't put this in the other AAR, but either way it's going to be a great show.

[JohnDillworth]

Well I guess now that the die is cast I will make my predictions. I don't like what you are doing here Dan. It's 1942 and by all appearances you are waltzing into a well prepared position with an enemy pretty much aware of what you are trying to do, what you have and where you are going. I suspect you may get some of your objectives, but certainly not all. You have lots of stuff, with more stuff coming, but you are going to lose lots of stuff. I was going to compare this battle to Gettysburg where both sides were spoiling for a fight and the location was only decided upon because someone wanted to pick up some boots, but it's not the best comparison. This is more like Kursk, and you are not the team with the really cool hats. Best of luck all the same. I'm hoping to be suprised

[Canoerebel]

Well, there's always a chance that a timid player like me can get cold feet and scrub the mission or postpone it, though I'm not planning too.

I haven't seen the new turn yet, but I'm anxious to develop (if possible) further information about John's carriers. One possibility is that he's made a mistake and left them too far to the rear, permitting the Allies to spring forward and take Horn Island and Merauke. Those airfields would allow Allied land-based fighters to move further forward to help the cause.

But I must admit that I would not be above trying to bait John into a big carrier battle just off the coast of Oz, where I have the benefit of both massed LRCAP and nearby ports to handle damaged ships, while he would have no friendly ports closer than Rabaul to handle his cripplies (as I have lots of 4EB in Oz).

But I really feel a pressing need to open a second air front, and I feel pretty darn confident that John, in his aggressiveness, will make some mistakes in opening the battle that will create opportunities to punish the enemy.

[Canoerebel]

Latest email from John: "Things shall be slow as I am being WAAAAAAY methodical right now."

[JocMeister]

You have ALL the CVs with you I hope? I seem to remember the Wasp being with some of the Brit CVs in the IO some time ago? If you plan on taking on the KB (which I don´t necessarily think is a bad idea) you will need them all.

[Canoerebel]

11/7/42

SWPac: A surprisingly quiet day as the forces of both sides continue to converge. I think this may be the last quiet day. I think tomorrow things begin to really pop. No sign of the IJN carriers today, though I think they may be closing in from the SE. I think the Allied ships are still in a bit of a pocket where it's hard for John to get decent detection levels. Only a couple of my TFs show detection, none of them the carriers. A fair number of enemy fighters and bombers hit Cooktown airfield. Tomorrow, my amphibious armada - and what an armada it is - will pass Townsville, though it will still be in easy range of LRCAP. To answer Joc's question, all the American carriers (plus Indomitable) are together. Hornet was in the Bay of Bengal many, many months ago, but has since been to Pearl Harbor, Tahiti, New Zealand, etc. Hold onto your hats, gents.

Bay of Bengal: Very quiet except for minor air raids against Ramree (John's losing alot of bombers to heavy flak each day).

Burma: I think 18th UK Div. will be in action in a week or less.

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