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

[JocMeister]

ORIGINAL: Speedy

NP. I now have more spare time to think of these things...until my next game starts! [;)]

How long do you think before the itch gets too strong? I mean. What do you do at night when you suddenly don´t have to do turns? Or update the AAR? [:D]

[Speedysteve]

Well it's not that bad as I've been playing a second game for the past 6 months or so. So I'm still playing AE and I expect my other game to start (against my Dad with me playing Japanese - a first for me in AE) in the next few weeks or so. I'm unsure if I'll do an AAR for either of these games as it takes a lot of time

[JocMeister]

Yeah, It sure does. I also have a second game running. Lot slower then this one though. I hope once this game is over we can pick the pace up to 1 turn per day at least. I´m actually looking forward to getting this game wrapped up. Even though the 2nd baby will take a lot of time I hope to start playing some other games. Been itching to try the following Matrix games.
- Pandora First contact.
- Flashpoints: Red storm
- Command Modern air/naval combat.

Probably going to try Pandora first of them as I can use a break from conventional wargaming. [:)]

[Speedysteve]

I'll be getting a PS4 soon so that will take up some time too!

[JocMeister]

ORIGINAL: Speedy

I'll be getting a PS4 soon so that will take up some time too!

I would love to. But the missus think there are more important things to buy. Like a trolley that can take both babies. Strange priorities if you ask me... [;)]

Interestingly enough you can by 2-3 PS4 for the price of ONE dual carriage trolley. Insane! [X(]

[JocMeister]

Well, turn is up and it will be a bit of anxious waiting.

I´ve decided to let Erik have the silly 8 hex strike. But he will only get it against the LSTs and AKs. There are troops aboard the AKs but they unload pretty fast in those and with the added Naval support at Naha all troops should be off by the morning.

With a bit of luck Erik will have his strike planes gutted for the price of a bunch of LSTs and AKs and some supply. I can live with that... I have a reserve supply convoy two days out if that happens.

1200 Fighters on the CV Fleet are set with 80% CAP and 1 hex range. Fleet takes position 9 hexes from the guessed Japanese strike position. 36 Fletchers in 3 TFs are tasked with protecting the landing from surface threats. 8 Subs are still lingering in the area. Moonlight is only 3%. Ideal Fletcher habitat! [:)]

Fingers crossed. I hope Erik can get me the CR pretty soon. But worst case I won´t have it until tonight.

[Encircled]

Joc, there are really good deals on double baby carriers on e-bay.

We got ours on it, and sold it on again once both boys could walk for the same price, and in pretty much the same condition.

[JocMeister]

ORIGINAL: Encircled

Joc, there are really good deals on double baby carriers on e-bay.

We got ours on it, and sold it on again once both boys could walk for the same price, and in pretty much the same condition.

We have been very active on Swedens biggest secondhand site. But you have to call/email the second a new one goes up or its already gone. Havn´t checked e-bay though!

[Bullwinkle58]

ORIGINAL: JocMeister

ORIGINAL: Encircled

Joc, there are really good deals on double baby carriers on e-bay.

We got ours on it, and sold it on again once both boys could walk for the same price, and in pretty much the same condition.

We have been very active on Swedens biggest secondhand site. But you have to call/email the second a new one goes up or its already gone. Havn´t checked e-bay though!

You could go troll the nearest playground. By that time moms have stuff to sell from the baby phase. Or go the barter route. Just make up a sandwich board and walk around . . .

"Will wire in trade." [:'(]

[JocMeister]

Haha, that might work! [:D]

[Encircled]

When I first started reading the Moose's post, I dreaded that he was suggesting nicking one!

Phew!

[JocMeister]

ORIGINAL: Encircled

When I first started reading the Moose's post, I dreaded that he was suggesting nicking one!

Phew!

Now there's a thought... [:D]

[JocMeister]

Got the turn from Erik too late yesterday for me to send it back to him. Looks like some staff monkey messed up the settings because nothing unloaded at Naha. Head will roll! [:@]

[witpqs]

Have you hired one of Cap Mandrake's staff away from him? [:D]

[JocMeister]

ORIGINAL: witpqs

Have you hired one of Cap Mandrake's staff away from him? [:D]

I´m starting to suspect he is sending his most incompetent officers over to my staff! I clearly remember giving the order for the unloading at Naha. Yet they are still set to follow the fleet. Utter incompetence!

[:D]

[JocMeister]

To my great amazement I just watched as a bomber penetrated the Allied CAP and got shot down by Flak. Further investigation showed that Erik all of the sudden have abandoned our prior agreement not to go down this low.

I talked to him about it and he said the following:

If you look back a ways, all of the strikes lately that have come from those errant Frances were at 1k. Most of them have been completely dispatched by the uber-CAP over the Allied fleet. I'm not sure this is really a thing I can change at this point in game. Detection time is probably showing the difficulty radars of that time had in picking up low flying planes. I've read Cruft's AAR from the beginning and his entire strategy is based on massed strikes of LBA. Lets just go forward and see how it goes. I don't think the Allies are having too much trouble lately, right?

So much for "communicating" things in advance eh? [8|]. This is quite worrying as there is absolutely NOTHING I can do to defend against this. He will avoid most of the CAP and get to the ships. There are no settings in the world that can change this as the engine can´t cope with the low detection times and often send the CAP up to maximum altitude.

EDIT: Removed the strike since its a Kami one and doesn´t abide by the same rules as a normal naval strike.

All I can do is put more planes down on the deck. Cross my fingers and hope flak can deal with it.

I will swapped all the pilots on the 120 attack bombers from NavBomb to LowNav. Looks like I finally got a use for all those B29 LowNav bombers...

[JocMeister]

[font="Verdana"]17th March 1945[/font]
______________________________________________________________________________

I´m struggling with that disinterest for the game that always hits me after a major OP. Not sure why that always happens. Usually I get back into it after a couple of days. Perhaps its not just me?

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Destination Okinawa
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As mentioned earlier for some reason the orders to unload at Naha was never executed. So the transports sat with the fleet one hex outside Naha. They will go in tomorrow. All CAP is set at a range of 1. My 3 best fighter squadrons will provide dedicated LRCAP. Hopefully Erik will try for that 8 hex strike. I´m pretty certain the troops will have time to unload during the night. At worst there will be some motorized support left.

Sadly my planes decides to take off after some empty transports costing my almost 100 planes. This is the first strike of three. [:(]

]Morning Air attack on TF, near Tokara Retto at 100,62

Weather in hex: Partial cloud

Raid detected at 74 NM, estimated altitude 13,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 32 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A7M2 Sam x 32
Ki-84r Frank x 27

Allied aircraft
F6F-3 Hellcat x 27
F6F-5 Hellcat x 41
SB2C-4 Helldiver x 26

Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-84r Frank: 1 destroyed

Allied aircraft losses
F6F-3 Hellcat: 7 destroyed
F6F-5 Hellcat: 8 destroyed
SB2C-4 Helldiver: 5 destroyed, 3 damaged

Japanese Ships
xAP Ural Maru, Bomb hits 4, heavy fires, heavy damage
xAK Nanman Maru, Bomb hits 1, on fire
xAP Saipan Maru, Bomb hits 1, on fire
xAP Tsingtao Maru, Bomb hits 4, and is sunk
xAP Baikal Maru, Bomb hits 6, heavy fires, heavy damage
xAP Tango Maru

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China
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Ah, sadly Eriks troops got away to Nanning after taking another tremendous pounding from the air. I´ve decided to risk the crossing. It quite a big risk but the superstack must be hurting badly after the areal strikes suffering something like 7000 losses in two days. The bombers will continue tomorrow. I don´t want to go around along the coast. It will take forever. I need to keep pressure up.

I´ll be shocking into 150.000 troops. Possible with pretty high forts...not feeling very confident I´ll admit. [X(]

[koniu]

Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Naha at 95,67

Weather in hex: Moderate rain

Raid detected at 40 NM, estimated altitude 2,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 11 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-67-Ib Peggy x 3

Allied aircraft
Corsair II x 95
Corsair IV x 51
Hellcat I x 7
Seafire IIC x 10
Seafire L.III x 3
F4U-1A Corsair x 55
F4U-1D Corsair x 453
F6F-3 Hellcat x 137
F6F-5 Hellcat x 198

Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-67-Ib Peggy: 2 destroyed

No Allied losses

Allied Ships
DE Marsh

Aircraft Attacking:
1 x Ki-67-Ib Peggy flying as kamikaze
Kamikaze: 3 x 250 kg GP Bomb

Note that this is kamikaze attack.
Whatever altitude Obvert will set them they will always attack at 100Ft.(similar to torpedo attack)
Also i read somewhere that approach altitude is always 11k and setting kami unit on different altitude will not change that. it is hardcoded
Probably Your radar detect them when they where already going down to attack altitude or this is just FOW

[JocMeister]

ORIGINAL: koniu
Note that this is kamikaze attack.
Whatever altitude Obvert will set them they will always attack at 100Ft.(similar to torpedo attack)
Also i read somewhere that approach altitude is always 11k and setting kami unit on different altitude will not change that. it is hardcoded
Probably Your radar detect them when they where already going down to attack altitude or this is just FOW

Didn´t consider that. Good point!

[Crackaces]

I´ll be shocking into 150.000 troops. Possible with pretty high forts...not feeling very confident I´ll admit

It might be very important to keep bombing Nanning [as you will I know] but especially the day of the actual crossing / shock attack.
Not so much for casualties but disruption and supply. It seems that % of disruption is a direct modifier of both
AV [getting the IJ to retreat from those forts] and Firepower, and this result has got to be assumed as you
because as know it is not reported in the CR. [Just a reminder .. [8D] ]

But all those 2E's and 4E's have to produce a lot of disruption [;)] Now we pray to Odin that your planes bomb on the
turn of the crossing ...