CLOSED The old world vs the new: Cannonfodder (Allies) vs Quixote (Japan)

[KenchiSulla]

That makes two of us... There will be a lot of ships in the destination hex, including two surface groups.. That's a lot of targets. KB seems to be protected by one big and one small surface group. That's less targets and higher chances that the carriers are targeted..

Its all about the spotting game now...

[zuluhour]

Fuel situation for carriers after a dash at flank? oilers? Just incase you have a chance on day 2......

[Capt. Harlock]

Its all about the spotting game now...

It's a pity you still have the TBD's instead of the TBF's with their longer range. (Neither one is going to get a torpedo hit in April '42, so you might as well use them for search.)

[KenchiSulla]

Zuluhour
I have an AO group just of the northern tip of New Zealand with about 40.000 fuel. My bunkers were topped of when I went in so fuel situation is good enough to kill any stragglers (if any.... and if I have any carriers left). Not worried about fuel....

Capt. Harlock
Well, the TBD-1s are flying at extended range. If they do not use the torpedo they'll bomb or at least draw away attention from the SBDs (as you all know the real allied weapon in 1942)..

No turn or replay yet...

[JocMeister]

I did something very similar in my game. A little bit later and I had avengers instead of devastators. My opponent also had the mini KB thrown in. It ended in a draw with both kakus sunk together with Soryu and Hosho. I lost only the Wasp in the first encounter. But on day 2 I lost the Enterprise and Yorktown. They were unable to conduct flight ops after the first day and the huge LRCAP set over them failed to show up for unknown reasons. So it could have ended in a 3-1 favor for the allies if the LRCAP had shown up.

That being said I wouldn´t to it again. I got really lucky with the weather and my CVs were under a thunderstorm while my opponents was under light rain. I also got really lucky only a very small strike went for the mini KB in another hex and a good coordinated strike went for the KB. Knowing this game it could just as easily have been the other way around. Or I could have gotten 10 small strikes which none would have penetrated CAP. You just never know.

I would say it could go either way for you. CV battles is just like a crapshoot. You can stack the odds heavily in your favor and still get mauled. But you can afford to lose. Quixote can´t. Fingers crossed its your day when the dust settles! [:)]

Good luck!

PS. Did you get any sleep tonight or were you up every hour checking for the turn? [:D]

[KenchiSulla]

Joc, usually Quixote has a turn in by now (or at least the replay). The fact that he hasn't makes me a bit nervous.. Can't even do chores while I wait. My feet is encasted due to an accident (tripped over a small cabinet)

Your right about carrier battles. But for april 1942 this situation is not bad. He has more torpedo bombers but I outnumber him in fighters and divebombers. In addition I have more ships in the fight so perhaps his attacks get scattered or focus on just a couple of the TFs, leaving at least a few carriers alone.

His carriers are probably all in one, tops two TFs so once detected all carriers can be attacked by the allies..

[KenchiSulla]

Watched the replay: IJN Carriers retreated in the direction of Fiji...

No fight today

[JocMeister]

Also, if he doesn´t expect trouble he might be a bit lax with his CAP settings favoring escort/sweep instead. Fingers crossed. [&o]

[JocMeister]

ORIGINAL: Cannonfodder

Watched the replay: IJN Carriers retreated in the direction of Fiji...

No fight today

Haha, I hate when that happens! All the missed sleep and anxious wait. All for nothing! [:D]

[Encircled]

I bet a part of you is secretly relieved!

[KenchiSulla]

It isn't over yet. His carriers can still turn around (he spotted one of my CV TFs, not sure if he knows what I've got there)...

To avoid extreme range combat I move my TFs to the other side of Norfolk Island. If he tries to fight and 7 hexes range based on my current position we'll miss each other again. If he moves in for a knife fight then we'll fight regardless and I'll have the mined Island between the carriers and his forces.

[KenchiSulla]

12-april-1942

Pacific

The Japanese carriers continue to move east (now south of Suva) and no contact is made. I'm withdrawing the carriers to Sydney for minor repairs and fuel.

India

Still a lot of action in the skies over Madras. The groups defending Madras are tired and are finally brushed aside by the allied fighters. Airbase at Madras now shows 50+ damage (now bombing with 64 Blenheims and 16 Wellingtons). Quixote has no way to rail damaged fighters out so I'll continue to bomb the airbase into pulp.

Air losses are about 50 for each side in the end (Hurricanes, P40s, H81s and a couple of Blenheims vs Oscar Ib, Ic and a nice amount of A6M2s)

Following groups were met in combat.

CAP engaged:
15th Ku S-1 /C with A6M2 Zero
Tainan Ku S-1/C with A6M2 Zero
1st Sentai with Ki-43-Ic Oscar
64th Sentai Det with Ki-43-Ib Oscar

I'm adding the 17th Indian to the attack on Madras itself, bringing AV to about 1720 AV (including 80 tanks) and 4 artillery regiments (3 x 25 pounders and 1 x 5.5"). This should give me a 3:1 ratio unless reinforcements are moved in.

Albacores are moved to Bangalore to interdict any shipping unloading troops/supplies at Madras.

[KenchiSulla]

India situation

[Crackaces]

I faced a similar problem in my current game. The main objective for the IJ was to destroy as much commonwealth as possible and take advantage of the automatic withdrawals.

My strategy was to pin troops down and trade space for blood and time. One thing about this game ...a unit consisting of a single squad can cut a road .. so as the IJ advanced CW units behind the lines interdicted roads in strategic places .. soon the IJ are wanting for supplies and movement/combat are greatly affected. Right now late April 1942 India is well consumed by the IJ but most of his units want for supplies. Also, much of INdia is open terrain .. so if you have no restrictions on ground bombing .. it is a nice way to attrite the IJA ..

[KenchiSulla]

13-14-april-1942

Burma

Japanese troops start to reduce the Myitkyina pocket, the last resistance in Burma..

Ground combat at Myitkyina (64,42)

Japanese Shock attack

Attacking force 21926 troops, 242 guns, 79 vehicles, Assault Value = 759

Defending force 12483 troops, 105 guns, 181 vehicles, Assault Value = 370

Japanese engineers reduce fortifications to 2

Japanese adjusted assault: 616

Allied adjusted defense: 280

Japanese assault odds: 2 to 1 (fort level 2)

Japanese Assault reduces fortifications to 1

Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+), fatigue(-), morale(-), experience(-), supply(-)
Attacker: shock(+)

Japanese ground losses:
1172 casualties reported
Squads: 4 destroyed, 117 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 8 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 9 disabled
Guns lost 6 (3 destroyed, 3 disabled)

Allied ground losses:
728 casualties reported
Squads: 15 destroyed, 78 disabled
Non Combat: 2 destroyed, 12 disabled
Engineers: 1 destroyed, 2 disabled
Vehicles lost 3 (2 destroyed, 1 disabled)

Assaulting units:
5th Division
112th Infantry Regiment
17th Indpt Guards Regiment
15th Army
55th Mountain Gun Regiment
21st Medium Field Artillery Battalion

Defending units:
BFF Brigade
1st Gloucestershire Battalion
3rd Burma Rifles Battalion
Rangoon BAF Battalion
44th Indian Brigade
45th Indian Brigade
101st RAF Base Force
104th RAF Base Force
Burma Corps
1st Burma Auxiliary AA Regiment
103rd RAF Base Force
106th RAF Base Force

If the game would flip into 1943 now it would be an autovictory...A lot of the points scored are due to dead chinese troops and upgraded bases. Quixote is really making an effort as my next screenshot will show..

[KenchiSulla]

Victory points base building

[zuluhour]

I am not familiar with Tracker, is the parenthesized VP before building?

[KenchiSulla]

No, thats the multiplier that side gets for building up that base. If the number is (50) that side gets 50 points for building up a port to 1 and 100 for building up the airfield to 1...

[KenchiSulla]

16-april-1942

India

A high risk afternoon low altitude bomb run on Bangalore is effective in destroying aircraft on the ground (a lot of aircraft stacked at the base, especially in the afternoon phase). Flak is destructive and shoots down more then 50% of the Nells and about 30% of the attacking Betties. Here is hoping that they were experienced torpedo bombers (the devastating bombing accuracy despite heavy flak supports this theory)...

The main problem: the allied can't afford to lose the frames.....

I am moving the bombers to Hyderabad for now. In normal range but outside Ceylon bomber range... In addition, Bangalore will receive 72 more Bofors. Also going to buy out the Ceylon HAA brigade (72 3.7" AA guns)...

Afternoon Air attack on Bangalore , at 32,37

Weather in hex: Light rain

Raid detected at 46 NM, estimated altitude 11,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 18 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 14
G3M2 Nell x 20
Ki-43-Ic Oscar x 37

Allied aircraft
no flights

Japanese aircraft losses
G3M2 Nell: 8 damaged
G3M2 Nell: 4 destroyed by flak

Allied aircraft losses
P-40E Warhawk: 13 damaged
P-40E Warhawk: 2 destroyed on ground
Blenheim IV: 36 damaged
Blenheim IV: 3 destroyed on ground
Wellington Ic: 13 damaged
H81-A3: 21 damaged
H81-A3: 1 destroyed on ground
Hurricane IIb Trop: 11 damaged
Hurricane IIb Trop: 1 destroyed on ground

Airbase hits 7
Airbase supply hits 8
Runway hits 22

Aircraft Attacking:
17 x G3M2 Nell bombing from 8000 feet
Airfield Attack: 2 x 250 kg GP Bomb, 4 x 60 kg GP Bomb

Afternoon Air attack on Bangalore , at 32,37

Weather in hex: Light rain

Raid detected at 36 NM, estimated altitude 12,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 12 minutes

Japanese aircraft
G4M1 Betty x 15

Allied aircraft
no flights

Japanese aircraft losses
G4M1 Betty: 5 damaged
G4M1 Betty: 2 destroyed by flak

Allied aircraft losses
Wellington Ic: 2 damaged
Blenheim IV: 10 damaged
Blenheim IV: 2 destroyed on ground
Hurricane IIb Trop: 6 damaged
Hurricane IIb Trop: 1 destroyed on ground
H81-A3: 2 damaged
H81-A3: 1 destroyed on ground

Runway hits 11

Aircraft Attacking:
13 x G4M1 Betty bombing from 12000 feet
Airfield Attack: 2 x 250 kg GP Bomb, 4 x 60 kg GP Bomb

[zuluhour]

I see, I have to look into Tracker. I just looked back to post #150, Japan has occupied all the really nice staging areas in the Pacific as well. Ndeni, Kira Kira, Koumac, Tabiteuea, etc. it looks like an opposed amphibious operation will be necessary to pry some initiative back and retake some heavy VP locations before winter. Now I see why a confrontation with Kido Butai at Norfolk may have been a strategic lever for you. I would consider a strong presence in the Ellice Islands, I think if he took them you may well go blind in the central Pacific.

ps Curious, You should be able to operate 2 P38 squadrons soon and F4s as well. Have you thought about where to employ them as yet? I flew some from Eua with success against the Fiji's while Libs and D model forts flew from Pago Pago. It took six weeks but I was able to gain local air superiority and land in the Fiji's. I just realized when Suva falls it will trim over 1200nm off the Australian convoy rout, not including some "hitches" I have in it to avoid the submarines.