Bob Flemin's MWIF AARse II The Sequel

[Braig]

He who has air power controls the seas. No need to spend surprise points to choose naval air when your air finds the enemy and he has none available or found. Use your surprise to drop enemy AA down to nothing and any points left over can be used to raise your damage column. If there is a particular juicy target, then keep 3 points to use to pick a target during the opponents choice decision.

[warspite1]

Jul/Aug 1941
Impulse: 3

Back to the Pacific now, and this time the Japanese set about attacking the Communist 1st Infantry Corps in Haichow properly (well sort of properly, they did not have enough movement allowance to move the armoured division which would have given them choice of combat table thanks to the muck up last turn [8|]....).

Anyway its a 3:1 attack and the Imperial Japanese Navy put in an appearance in the China Sea to increase those odds.

5 battlewagons - Kongo, Fuso, Hiei, Kirishima and Yamashiro - open up against the hapless Chinese, increasing the odds to 5:1,6:1B (whatever that means).

[Orm]

May I suggest that Germany and Italy get some fighters with a range of four or more to the Mediterranean theatre?

Then they fly out with the fighters to the two box in the sea area and concentrate their air power in that box. Even the Italian ships should be in that box if they do sail. The long range naval bombers can react and fly to the two box if there is a search in the sea area. That way the CW can not focus on one part of the Axis forces at a time. And the land based fighters will give the British air power a fight.

Remember that that there is a decent chance for the Italians to find in the two box in fine weather. Both enemy CP in the sea area and friendly naval bombers help.

If Axis continue to split their forces like this then The Royal Navy are going to continue to punish the Italian ships with ease.

[Braig]

ORIGINAL: warspite1

increasing the odds to 5:1,6:1B (whatever that means).

6:1B would be the odds if you were able Blitz

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: Courtenay

You seem to have spent your surprise points on picking an air battle. If either side has air units in a naval battle, that side can force an air action; it takes surprise points to avoid an air action if the other side has air units and wants to fight an air action. I would have used the surprise points to reduce the Italian AA fire.

Also, given your mixture of carrier and land based air, I would have aborted one of the land based air units rather than destroying a CVP.

For every 10 points in the total, the owner may choose to:

Destroy 1 land-based bomber; or
Destroy 2 carrier planes; or
Destroy 1 carrier plane and abort 1 land-based bomber.

If there are 5 points left, the owner may choose to:

Abort 1 land-based bomber; or
Destroy 1 carrier plane.

For every remaining point in the total, 1 further air-to-sea factor does not press the attack.

An aborted land based air comes back next turn, while a dead CVP costs money (OK, build points) and four turns to replace.

warspite1

I assumed the Italians had the choice, hence I went for what was good for them. If that is not the case then I guess the Italians got a little out of jail on both that AND the fact that I did not need to spend my surprise points on a naval air.... whoops. Oh well, I'm learning! thanks for the feedback Courtenay [&o]

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: Braig

He who has air power controls the seas. No need to spend surprise points to choose naval air when your air finds the enemy and he has none available or found. Use your surprise to drop enemy AA down to nothing and any points left over can be used to raise your damage column. If there is a particular juicy target, then keep 3 points to use to pick a target during the opponents choice decision.

warspite1

I guess a read of the rules would be sensible [;)]

[Orm]

ORIGINAL: warspite1
increasing the odds to 5:1,6:1B (whatever that means).

It means that the combat table used will be 5 to 1 if the assault table is picked but if a blitz table is selected then the attack will be 6 to 1.


Edit: And I am to late as usual. [:)]

[Braig]

Rules? Bugger that! Soldier on and we'll keep you advised!
I'm really enjoying reading your AAR's, as well as others, that are learning, or relearning the game, as it were.
Loads of fun!

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: Orm

May I suggest that Germany and Italy get some fighters with a range of four or more to the Mediterranean theatre?

Then they fly out with the fighters to the two box in the sea area and concentrate their air power in that box. Even the Italian ships should be in that box if they do sail. The long range naval bombers can react and fly to the two box if there is a search in the sea area. That way the CW can not focus on one part of the Axis forces at a time. And the land based fighters will give the British air power a fight.

Remember that that there is a decent chance for the Italians to find in the two box in fine weather. Both enemy CP in the sea area and friendly naval bombers help.

If Axis continue to split their forces like this then The Royal Navy are going to continue to punish the Italian ships with ease.

warspite1

They have. Fliegerkorps X currently consists of:

2 x Me-110
2 x Fw-200
1 x Me-109 (for port defence)

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: Braig

ORIGINAL: warspite1

increasing the odds to 5:1,6:1B (whatever that means).

6:1B would be the odds if you were able Blitz

warspite1

...and I would have had Blitz if I has half a brain [8|]

[Orm]

ORIGINAL: warspite1

ORIGINAL: Orm

May I suggest that Germany and Italy get some fighters with a range of four or more to the Mediterranean theatre?

Then they fly out with the fighters to the two box in the sea area and concentrate their air power in that box. Even the Italian ships should be in that box if they do sail. The long range naval bombers can react and fly to the two box if there is a search in the sea area. That way the CW can not focus on one part of the Axis forces at a time. And the land based fighters will give the British air power a fight.

Remember that that there is a decent chance for the Italians to find in the two box in fine weather. Both enemy CP in the sea area and friendly naval bombers help.

If Axis continue to split their forces like this then The Royal Navy are going to continue to punish the Italian ships with ease.

warspite1

They have. Fliegerkorps X currently consists of:

2 x Me-110
2 x Fw-200
1 x Me-109 (for port defence)

Let the ships AA be the main port defence.

And get a FTR2 with a range of four or more join the Me-110 and fly all three fighters to the two box. Then react out to the two box with the German and Italian NAV bombers. Then they can begin to attrition the British convoy lines and ships in the sea area (from the 2 box).

The Italian ships can even stay in harbour while you do this. Better to send out Italian, and German, submarines to hunt for lightly defended convoy lines in the Atlantic.

[warspite1]

Jul/Aug 1941
Impulse: 3

And so to combat. The Japanese decide against HQ support and trust that the Nakatomi Corporation's dice will come up trumps once again. The IJN, having done their bit, sit back and (not so secretly) hope the IJA will muck this up...

...but they don't - its an 8. The Chinese corps is destroyed and there is no loss or disorganisation for the Japanese.

[warspite1]

Jul/Aug 1941
Impulse: 4

Right, now the BEF is no longer a concern for the CW, its time to get some serious assets into the Mediterranean...

...but they haven't been built yet... [&:]

With the Italian Fleet having shot its bolt, does the RN's Mediterranean Fleet sail to the Italian Coast? The Italians have Naval Air and the RN has no carriers. There is little to be gained for such a risk (1 CP only) and so the decision is taken not to sail.

The Allied turn consists of much shuffling of units, but little else...

[Klydon]

Do the Italians have Sardina garrisoned? If not, shoving some troops ashore could be a rude shock to cut off the resource at the source.

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: Klydon

Do the Italians have Sardina garrisoned? If not, shoving some troops ashore could be a rude shock to cut off the resource at the source.

warspite1

Sardinia is not garrisoned, but it does not need to be, I am still a few turns away from getting my AMPH [8|]... Pathetic isn't it?

[Braig]

Pathetic? Nope.....sometimes it's best to not have all your tools in your belt. They beg you to be used when caution is more advised! That being said, better get to building.

[warspite1]

Jul/Aug 1941
Impulse: 5

The CW was not paying attention!! The RM had NOT shot its bolt. A decent sized force was held back in reserve earlier in the turn and now sails from La Spezia for the Eastern Mediterranean led by Admiral Iachino (careful Campioni, he's after your job) in the new shiny battleship Roma..

[warspite1]

Jul/Aug 1941
Impulse: 5

Lots of juicy convoys await!! The Italians are asked if they want to initiate combat. "Er, is the pope a catholic?" exclaims Iachino...

[warspite1]

Jul/Aug 1941
Impulse: 5

The Italians throw the dice to initiate the search for the Convoys. They throw a 6 - the Allies throw a 7. There is no combat this turn.

Iachino is livid "Where's the Nakatomi dice?"

[warspite1]

Jul/Aug 1941
Impulse: 6

The Axis impulse come to a close with no further action.

The question now is whether the Royal Navy should said from Malta to contest the Eastern Mediterranean? The Italians have 14 ships - the Royal Navy just 7, including three old, unmodernised battleships.