Aren't the replacements taken on a weekly basis instead of a daily one? I have already re-built a division from scratch and it took me nearly 6 months to get it back at 100/100, even dividing it into 3 rgts... strange!
However the point isn't the time needed. The point is the PPs and HIs spent to do it.
If you consider that to buy a destroyed division and to change it to an unrestricted command HQ costs 650 PPs... then you need...how many ARM and VEH points to rebuilt it?...Am not that good at math, but I know the cost is high and you have so many other units coming online to be fed with those pools (ARM and VEH) that the cost might simply be too high, also considering you are getting a brand new rebuilt division with low morale and low experience...
If the unit is in a hex with an HQ (and I think it can be any, not just command) it will take replacements daily instead of every three days.
Anyway it works in the HI where I've been rebuilding things, and they get up to speed a lot faster than if I shipped them out immediately somewhere else and waited for it to happen there. I've had it work this way in Burma too though.
The cost is high, but it's a division!
"Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm." - Winston Churchill
Another massive landing on the other side of the map.
Ramree island is invested. A full indian division, supported by a motorized brigade, landed at Ramree Island. LSIs and LSTs, supported by a RN cruiser force.
The invaders met 3 rather weak infantry regiments and a mortar battalion.
I forgot to give escort to 2 Judy sentais... they took off from Rangoon and got slaughtered by his LRCAP from Akyab. 40 of them got shot down with only a few passing through and making the attack, placing only a single 500kg bomb on a British CL...
We got a little revenge in central Burma, where we ambushed 80 Vengeances attacking the 48th/C Div moving in the jungle east of Akyab...downing 70 of them for no loss[8D]. The Burma air Army continues with its incredible score!
At Sarmi the landings continue unmolested. I'm holding my counter move here, waiting for his CVs to pop up.
So now we have American CVEs near Hollandia, more near Port Hedland (with some APAs spotted there), a cruiser force in the Bay of Bengal (approx. 14 hexes NW of Port Blair), not to consider the fake invasion of Wake Island and the series of decoy TFs in the I.O. west of Sumatra...
He's clearly trying to attack on multiple vector, in order to puzzle my defences and unbalance me.
Here now I need discipline. I cannot go and defend everywhere, nor I can react to every attempt of his to drive away my attention, my focus.
My bet: his CVs may be in two places basically: hidden in the Coral Sea, behind New Britain, waiting for a penetration towards Woleai (CENTPAC), or in the I.O., in order to jump on Sumatra as soon as I eat one of his other baits.
Also they could be near Cylon...waiting for an operation against the Adamans...
Sarmi is important, but not decisive.
Ramree is important. But he has already landed there. I have a plan to defend my western Burmese flank.
The Mariannas are covered.
The Kuriles are impracticable (blizzard time).
Sumatra, the Adamans and Timor are the priorities. Discipline Greyjoy. Stay focused and don't go hunting lullabies and ghosts .
This is the very difficult moment when the Jap player still has fairly strong capabilities, ie KB + an LBA that still packs a punch with quality pilots, but they are a one shot thing. on the other hand the allies have overwhelming superiority but are still vulnerable to this one shot, and there for try to drive you crazy, force you to disperse and punch shadows while they keep up their timetable....
On the one hand by keeping your cards close to your chest and not reacting much to his operations you let him advance, but on the other hand if you reacted then he could strike hard somewhere else..
And most important, all he needs is to blunt your spear once, and than he can advance head on, without much subtelty... Doesn't need to sink the whole KB, but sink a few CVs, damage a few other and most importantly savage for good your CV air arm, and adios feints and counterfeints, he can charge head on.
That in february 44 you are still in this situation although by early 43 he already was starting to attack the DEI is a testament to your defense. Keep hanging on ! BANZAI
This is the very difficult moment when the Jap player still has fairly strong capabilities, ie KB + an LBA that still packs a punch with quality pilots, but they are a one shot thing. on the other hand the allies have overwhelming superiority but are still vulnerable to this one shot, and there for try to drive you crazy, force you to disperse and punch shadows while they keep up their timetable....
On the one hand by keeping your cards close to your chest and not reacting much to his operations you let him advance, but on the other hand if you reacted then he could strike hard somewhere else..
And most important, all he needs is to blunt your spear once, and than he can advance head on, without much subtelty... Doesn't need to sink the whole KB, but sink a few CVs, damage a few other and most importantly savage for good your CV air arm, and adios feints and counterfeints, he can charge head on.
That in february 44 you are still in this situation although by early 43 he already was starting to attack the DEI is a testament to your defense. Keep hanging on ! BANZAI
Very true Veji. It's a stressful moment. I cannot risk to distrupt my "spear" against a feint or a minor vector. I have to give priorities. I'd like to defend anywhere, obviously, but it's simply not possible. I need to understand that not every base or part of the map has the same importance. Sarmi? Is Sarmi that important? Is Ramree Island that important?... hard to say. Strategically they are critical places, cause once fallen, they open the doors to Burma and to upper NG... but if he lands clear in Java/Sumatra it's a check and mate. And I cannot let it happen.
It's also true that he could "use" this dilemma I have and, as u say, simply keep on feinting and advancing with low risk operations...
food for thoughts for sure...
Here's a map that should explain better than 100k words the problem i'm now facing
Rebuilding a division - You are doing things partially right. [;)] If within range of a Command HQ, an LCU will take replace squads/devices daily (of course have adequate supply and support squads over the minimum help). If within range of just an Army or Corp HQ, it will take replaces once every three days. Once I divide a division into three, I change leaders so I don't have one with lots of skills in the 40s. A really poor leader will slow down the rebuilding process.
Rear Area Units Refitting
Units can be moved to a rear area to reconstitute (ideally out of a malaria or cold zone or in a base large enough to negate the effects). If the units are in the rear area to restore disabled elements, reduce fatigue, and replace lost elements, assign unit leaders using the following order of priorities:
• Administration – Influences ability to use Supply to reduce Disruption and Fatigue.
• Inspiration – Influences fatigue reduction, morale reduction due to fatigue, disabled elements destroyed due to fatigue, and assault value for attack and defense.
• Leadership – Influences experience gain (this is unimportant if the unit has already reached the maximum training experience).
• Of small import, Land Skill – Influences attacking & defending LCU assault value, firing accuracy and experience gain.
• No other skills or qualities have any influence
That in february 44 you are still in this situation although by early 43 he already was starting to attack the DEI is a testament to your defense. Keep hanging on ! BANZAI
Yes, we paid an heavy price in order to slow him down in the southern DEI. My pools, despite still decent, will never be what they used to be at the beginning of 1943. The IJNAF lost pretty much all its experienced bombing pilots. We have decent ones now, but nothing compared to what used to be.
After all I have some regrets. I have met the allied CVs 4 times now, and I never managed to inflict a decisive defeat to them. It's always been a minor victory...nothing really decisive.
In Jan 1943 we've encountered the enemies near Townville and we, despite a complete superiority, sunk only 1 BB and 1 CV (even if damaging 3 more CVs).
Then we had the clash near Ocean Island...where 3 enemy's CVEs were lost but at the cost of 400 ija pilots...
Then near Hansa Bay...again many damaged CVs but not a single one sunk (Yorktown, who had been reported sunk in that battle, was recently confirmed alive by jap intel[:o]).
We had that disastrous operation against his CVs parked at Darwin, where we lost 500 more pilots...
Then at Kaimana... finally we sunk 3 CVs and damaged the Wasp for the 3rd time... but, yet again, the allies maintain a huge superiority now in 1944, even if we never lost a CV...
Not to talk about the surface fleet. 2 BBs 10 CLs and countless number of DDs lost in the southern DEI during the series of battles that raged in 1943 during his advance from Darwin to Saumlaki and the northern coast of NG...
Really an heavy price...but was necessary. The oil kept on flowing till feb 1944...and that is the main goal... everything else is irrilevant
Rebuilding a division - You are doing things partially right. [;)] If within range of a Command HQ, an LCU will take replace squads/devices daily (of course have adequate supply and support squads over the minimum help). If within range of just an Army or Corp HQ, it will take replaces once every three days. Once I divide a division into three, I change leaders so I don't have one with lots of skills in the 40s. A really poor leader will slow down the rebuilding process.
Rear Area Units Refitting
Units can be moved to a rear area to reconstitute (ideally out of a malaria or cold zone or in a base large enough to negate the effects). If the units are in the rear area to restore disabled elements, reduce fatigue, and replace lost elements, assign unit leaders using the following order of priorities:
• Administration – Influences ability to use Supply to reduce Disruption and Fatigue.
• Inspiration – Influences fatigue reduction, morale reduction due to fatigue, disabled elements destroyed due to fatigue, and assault value for attack and defense.
• Leadership – Influences experience gain (this is unimportant if the unit has already reached the maximum training experience).
• Of small import, Land Skill – Influences attacking & defending LCU assault value, firing accuracy and experience gain.
• No other skills or qualities have any influence
Thanks Micheal! I completely forgot the HQ bonuses connected to the rebuilding... i'll try to do that!
ORIGINAL: GreyJoy
It's a stressful moment. I cannot risk to distrupt my "spear" against a feint or a minor vector.
Through the sacrifice of your digital kamikazes, you've been given a supreme weapon. As it was IRL, the kamikaze gave the USN pause and forced a reaction to their implementation. All this without a credible threat from KB at this late juncture of the war. Imagine how effective swarms of kamikazes PLUS KB acting together simultaneously could be against the Allied fleet?
My point? Expand your horizons. Embrace this other "new" weapon system you've been given. It-at least for the time being-can help even the odds against the Allied threat. You've more than one 'spear' in your arsenal. Denying the development and deployment of the Special Air Units is denying yourself flexibility and opportunity.
I am disturbed about the 9000 ft hard code. That would negate RL kami tactics and more advanced Nemo kami tactics of multiple groups on multiple altitudes to wear out and slip past CAP.
However, in appropriate numbers they are still useful to you. You can combine kamis and regular attacks at different altitudes, each helping the other past CAP. Also, kamis can help you empty the untrained pilot pools to reduce the HI tax.
While a fierce battle over the skies and in the waters of Sarmi and Ramree Is. rages on, the allies finally reveal their main vector:
FROM BROOME to KOEPANG-ROTI!!!
Several TFs including APA/AKA/LSTs and at least 2 CVEs TFs and 2 CV/CVL TFs suddenly popped up. Also the major BBs are present.
The most advanced TFs on his advance are 7 hexes southwest of Koepang.
The only Kamikaze Sentai took off and hit something, while the rest of my air army keeps on jumping from base to base in order to avoid his sweeps.
The KB is spotted at Makassar, while my SAGs are at Lautem and Kendari... we are in a perfect position. Could not ask for anything more.
Lots of para operations are repulsed at Pantar and Weitar...he wants to isolate Timor...
Lost few minor naval engagements today... but now the decisive battle is upon us. The battle we've been waiting for more than 2 years. The real clash of Titans.
We win or we lose. There's no grey colour waiting for us.
AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR Feb 06, 44
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Night Time Surface Combat, near Sarmi at 91,114, Range 9,000 Yards
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Night Time Surface Combat, near Ramree Island at 54,48, Range 2,000 Yards
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Night Time Surface Combat, near Ramree Island at 53,47, Range 2,000 Yards
BB Queen Elizabeth firing at 55th/B Division
BC Renown firing at Ramree Island
DD Quiberon firing at 41st Infantry Regiment
DD Quickmatch firing at 55th/B Division
DD Nepal firing at 55th/B Division
DD Sims firing at 55th/B Division
DD Lardner firing at Ramree Island
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Night Naval bombardment of Ramree Island at 54,48
Allied Ships
CA Frobisher
CA Shropshire
DD Quilliam
DD Queensborough
DD Petard
DD Penn
DD Thanet
DD Tenedos
DD Stronghold
DD Scout
Port hits 1
Port supply hits 1
CA Frobisher firing at 21st Ind.Mixed Brigade
CA Shropshire firing at Ramree Island
DD Quilliam firing at Ramree Island
DD Queensborough firing at 55th/B Division
DD Petard firing at Ramree Island
DD Penn firing at 55th/B Division
DD Thanet firing at Ramree Island
DD Tenedos firing at 55th/B Division
DD Stronghold firing at Ramree Island
DD Scout firing at Ramree Island
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Day Time Surface Combat, near Akyab at 54,46, Range 4,000 Yards
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Sub attack near Lomblen at 69,111
Japanese Ships
PB Syozui Maru, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
PB Ikuta Maru
PB Spey Maru
PB Tokyo Maru
Allied Ships
SS Silversides
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Morning Air attack on TF, near Sarmi at 91,114
Weather in hex: Partial cloud
Raid detected at 40 NM, estimated altitude 10,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 12 minutes
Japanese aircraft
P1Y1 Frances x 22
Ki-43-IIIa Oscar x 35
Ki-84r Frank x 23
Allied aircraft
Kittyhawk III x 5
Spitfire Vc Trop x 3
Kittyhawk III x 7
Kittyhawk IV x 5
P-38G Lightning x 6
P-40K Warhawk x 7
F4F-4 Wildcat x 2
FM-1 Wildcat x 14
F4U-1 Corsair x 11
Japanese aircraft losses
P1Y1 Frances: 3 damaged
P1Y1 Frances: 1 destroyed by flak
Ki-43-IIIa Oscar: 12 destroyed
Allied Ships
LST-125, Torpedo hits 2, and is sunk
LST-170
LST-172
LST-72, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
LST-78, Torpedo hits 2, and is sunk
DE Dionne, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
LST-171, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
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Morning Air attack on TF, near Sarmi at 91,114
Weather in hex: Partial cloud
Raid detected at 39 NM, estimated altitude 13,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 12 minutes
Japanese aircraft
B6N2 Jill x 41
Ki-43-IIIa Oscar x 40
Ki-84r Frank x 34
Allied aircraft
Kittyhawk III x 5
Spitfire Vc Trop x 3
Kittyhawk III x 2
Kittyhawk IV x 1
P-38G Lightning x 5
P-39N1 Airacobra x 4
P-40K Warhawk x 6
FM-1 Wildcat x 11
F4U-1 Corsair x 9
Japanese aircraft losses
B6N2 Jill: 12 destroyed, 5 damaged
B6N2 Jill: 1 destroyed by flak
Ki-43-IIIa Oscar: 7 destroyed
Allied Ships
LST-167, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
LST-126, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
LST-170, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
DE Doneff, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
LST-172, Torpedo hits 2, and is sunk
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Morning Air attack on TF, near Roti at 64,121
Weather in hex: Partial cloud
Raid spotted at 17 NM, estimated altitude 38,400 feet.
Estimated time to target is 4 minutes
Japanese aircraft
Ki-43-IIIa Oscar x 30
Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-43-IIIa Oscar: 16 destroyed
Ki-43-IIIa Oscar: 2 destroyed by flak
Allied Ships
APD Noa, Kamikaze hits 1
LST-478, Kamikaze hits 2, on fire
LCI-447, Kamikaze hits 1, and is sunk
LCI-446, Kamikaze hits 1, and is sunk
Assaulting units:
39th Ind Engr Rgt /1
20th Ind Engineer Regiment
15th Division
44th Nav Gd /1
65th Construction Battalion
17th Army
67th Field AA Battalion
65th JNAF AF Unit
Defending units:
33rd Infantry Division
3rd USMC Tank Battalion
1/542nd Boat&Shore Engineer Battalion
XI US Corps
2/593rd Boat&Shore Engineer Battalion
Sorry to say Grey - I'm a big Allied Fanboy, so I hope you get your ass kicked, in the funnest & most enjoyable way possible......good luck though, you are going to need it.
Never Underestimate the Power of a Small Tactical Nuclear Weapon...
Still waiting for Brad to send the turn... these are loooong turns as you can imagine. I've dedicated more than 6 hours to my last one [X(][X(][X(]
BTW, a little explanation of the previous turn is needed imho.
SARMI: I've decided not to be too passive there and try to keep him honest. I've seen coming another amphib TFs, along with the usual cruiser SAG that operates in those waters since Nov 1943.
My idea was to intercept the amphib TF with the fast DDs, and then engage the big allied boys with some torps, in order to let my air army do the dirty job in the upcoming morning... But, as u see, things went completely differently. His DDs (which are sooooo strong by now) created an impenetrable screen and we didn't score a single torp against the allied cruisers, missing completely the amphib TFs... amphib TFs that, nonetheless, were still there in the morning...along with the cruisers.... don't know why my bombers didn't aim at the juicy cruisers... misteries of war!
Same at Ramree... we completely miss (despite being in the same hexes for two times in the same night!) a HUGE TF containing APA/LST/LSI etc... then we engaged the BBs which were short on salvos... but, again, despite the close range, not a single torp was scored [:(]
However my losses are relatively light considering the circumstances. 3 DDs, 3 "E" and 1 CL... could have been worse.
Now Timor... to be honest I didn't expect that move, even if I considered it possible.... it makes sense however: if he manages to grab Roti and the islands between Timor and Java he'll have completely bypass my second defensive line and he'll have neutralized, without invading, the whole Timor defences (thus isolating 100k men!)
They're coming!!! The mother of all the battles is beginning!!
These targets are a little surprising indeed, no big bases for 4E??...
Good luck GJ [:)]
Still waiting for Brad to send the turn... these are loooong turns as you can imagine. I've dedicated more than 6 hours to my last one [X(][X(][X(]
BTW, a little explanation of the previous turn is needed imho.
SARMI: I've decided not to be too passive there and try to keep him honest. I've seen coming another amphib TFs, along with the usual cruiser SAG that operates in those waters since Nov 1943.
My idea was to intercept the amphib TF with the fast DDs, and then engage the big allied boys with some torps, in order to let my air army do the dirty job in the upcoming morning... But, as u see, things went completely differently. His DDs (which are sooooo strong by now) created an impenetrable screen and we didn't score a single torp against the allied cruisers, missing completely the amphib TFs... amphib TFs that, nonetheless, were still there in the morning...along with the cruisers.... don't know why my bombers didn't aim at the juicy cruisers... misteries of war!
Same at Ramree... we completely miss (despite being in the same hexes for two times in the same night!) a HUGE TF containing APA/LST/LSI etc... then we engaged the BBs which were short on salvos... but, again, despite the close range, not a single torp was scored [:(]
However my losses are relatively light considering the circumstances. 3 DDs, 3 "E" and 1 CL... could have been worse.
Now Timor... to be honest I didn't expect that move, even if I considered it possible.... it makes sense however: if he manages to grab Roti and the islands between Timor and Java he'll have completely bypass my second defensive line and he'll have neutralized, without invading, the whole Timor defences (thus isolating 100k men!)
...I'm scared to death for the upcoming battle...
Time and again I've faced the same situation. It's so tough against the Allies in 44 with all of those Fletchers and Clevelands plus the APA/AKA/LST amphibs. The window is small and well barred.
Even when I've had strikes make it through the LR CAP to the CL/DD their flak puts up a wall by this time in the war and that combined with their speed makes them tough to hit.
Not sure why he sent out the multiple TFs in the DEI without air protection?? The CVEs are 200 miles from the amphibs? Why? Glad you at least had something on to take advantage because it seems from the spectator view that it was simply poor play unless something was set that didn't happen. It does make me feel like there will be holes you can exploit in the next few days though.
"Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm." - Winston Churchill
A bit surprised by his choice of targets. That really sticking the head into the hornets nest. [X(] Gutsy move and to be honest I´m not sure its a good one. With the KB in the area I think you have a good shot at slapping him around a bit. Perhaps even stopping him. I think he should have stayed within his own LBA. Now his CVs need to cover themselves, the amphibs and all the various SCTFs. Also don´t understand why he hasn´t any air cover over his Amphibs? And why is he scattered like that? [&:] I think it looks really odd to be honest. Why does he have the Amphibs in the forefront completely unguarded like that? And the CVs all the way back on the OZ coast?
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Thanks for your honesty Paullus [:D]
