Turnaround? Lowpe (J) vs Tiemanj (A) Stock

[Lowpe]

It was with a little bit of trepidation that I watched the combat replay today as I sent the mini KB in to close with one group of Allied Cruisers that are pestering me near Java. I figured that Allied luck would allow the Cruisers to dodge all the SAGs and close with the carriers...but that is not quite how it played out.

[Lowpe]

The first of hopefully many POWs from the Java campaign.

[Lowpe]

Java, the big picture. A turning point has been reached as the Allies resort to night bombardments with his bombers. That means I need night CAP at the oil bases...

[Lowpe]

I don't know if you remember, but when I took control of the Empire about a month ago, I inherited a huge 76 plane Rufe factory. Despite the huge size I only had a handful of Rufes, but here I found a use for them.

The factory is busy now R&Ding the next generation plane, but the Rufes did just fine here.

[Lokasenna]

I would have put in at Denpasar to see if the port there could have assisted in putting out the fires, but done is done. And she was probably a goner anyway.

[Lowpe]

ORIGINAL: Lokasenna

I would have put in at Denpasar to see if the port there could have assisted in putting out the fires, but done is done. And she was probably a goner anyway.

I couldn't provide enough air protection at Denpasar. But you are probably right, she might have made it there.

[Lowpe]

The Allies, Tiemanj, has posted a question on the forum -- please give him some good advice. Just not too good. Ok? [:D]

Seriously, he has turned out to be a stellar opponent.

Perhaps, if time allows, and he gets comfortable posting, he will start an AAR too. I know he is interested in doing it. And dual AARs are very interesting to read.

tm.asp?m=3569472

[Lowpe]

I don't put a lot of stock into Intelligence reports, but I am following up on these two. I want to get the Allies a little off balance, and a simultaneous strike at two extremes hopefully will catch him.

It seems likely to me that there maybe at least one CV at Perth...so here is hoping.

We should find out today how the raids went...

[obvert]

Looks like you're turning the corner here. Don't worry to much about next objectives until the historical stuff is done.

Soerabaja will be easier than Batavia as it's a clear hex. Just be careful about naval bombardments there as you could ruin the oil and industry too.

While the Allies might be giving tough resistance now due to the state of the game as you found it, you really have another six months of preparing to meet their advances, maybe more. You might want to start conserving your economy though, including fuel, as you won't have as much now. Maybe not so many deep raids with big expensive stuff. Boring, I know, but I did that too and paid for it later. [;)]

[Lowpe]

Boring, I know, but I did that too and paid for it later. [;)]

Thanks for the advice...much appreciated and in line with my thinking, in part due to your AAR. [;)]

The economy really bothers me, as I can tell I am lagging behind.

[Lowpe]

Well, the Allies got some good advice I guess and changed their tactics. Heavy sweeps and bombings not at Magwe but Mandalay where my fighter concentration is less. He gets the dive and shoots down 5 Oscars for no loss and then his bombers come in. Burma had been quiet, but I bet that changes which is really bad. I am going to have concentrate all fighters in the area at Magwe and hope raw numbers can protect the oil.

So, once again, a heavy plane loss day for the Empire. I have really pulled my fighters back trying only to fly where I absolutely have to until I can get some more pilots trained up. Frustrating to be so far behind the pilot training curve.... the most frustrating thing I have had to deal with so far.

I have spent a fair number of political points on installing good training leaders and working mainly on either boosting the defense or experience.

I have really shut down a lot of fighter production. Why make them? My pilots aren't up to snuff and Tojo comes online in 10 days. I inherited a size 130 factory for Tojo (80 are repaired) and built an additional 5 size 30 R&D factories which will produce for a couple of days before switching to the next model. I want to get one squadron up and running quickly.

I plan on handpicking every Tojo pilot and I am already basing some fighter units for fast upgrades and getting the pilots into their groups so I can get Tojo defending the oil.



Java

Night bombings continue at Kali, and one group of Zeroes contest the air space and disrupt the attacks. I actually like this as my pilots can gain experience without really loosing a lot of frames or pilots. However, now I have to dedicate night fighters at the oil bases and that overall weakens their daytime CAP. My night time raid on Soerabaja didn't fly.

Sank a crippled destroyer in the area, and will soon be launching an invasion of Ambon and attacking Bandoeng -- I hope the forts there aren't ridiculous. I have 1200 AV with art and eng versus his 200 however, my preparation is low. Be nice to deny another air base and keep moving south.

PITransports arrive to take away the two infantry divisions there. I believe they will go to Malang with the goal of cutting of Soerabaja. A garrison unit is enroute to pacify Manila.

My raids didn't go off, and he spotted 2 destroyers near Perth. I think I will probably retreat at Perth...not 100% sure yet.

[obvert]

I have really shut down a lot of fighter production. Why make them? My pilots aren't up to snuff and Tojo comes online in 10 days. I inherited a size 130 factory for Tojo (80 are repaired) and built an additional 5 size 30 R&D factories which will produce for a couple of days before switching to the next model. I want to get one squadron up and running quickly.

Are you guys playing realistic R n D off? Wow, I just checked. You are!!

You can go nuts with R n D. I wouldn't worry about pilots at all if you are going to get late war planes 1-2 years early. Forget Rn D on the Tojo. Change those factories to Frank, Sam and Ki-83!

[Spidery]

ORIGINAL: obvert

I have really shut down a lot of fighter production. Why make them? My pilots aren't up to snuff and Tojo comes online in 10 days. I inherited a size 130 factory for Tojo (80 are repaired) and built an additional 5 size 30 R&D factories which will produce for a couple of days before switching to the next model. I want to get one squadron up and running quickly.

Are you guys playing realistic R n D off? Wow, I just checked. You are!!

You can go nuts with R n D. I wouldn't worry about pilots at all if you are going to get late war planes 1-2 years early. Forget Rn D on the Tojo. Change those factories to Frank, Sam and Ki-83!

Puzzled, why does realistic R&D off make much difference to getting the Frank, Sam or Ki-83? You still need to repair the R&D factories at the normal, slow, rate. The only benefit for these is that it may make it easier to get the engine bonus for some of these models. For the A6M8 or the D5Y1 it is a different story.

Your plan to get the Tojo IIa out early and then work on the IIc seems an excellent idea for using the benefit of realistic R&D off, and you need all the benefits you can get to recover from the situation you have inherited.

[Lowpe]

Yeah, I am confused too. The first model in the line if it needs to be researched is at the slow, slow rate.

However, I can freely move down the model line with no damage. For example I am researching the A6M5C with fully repaired factories now. I can advance down the line with no damage, but I can't go back to a previous model.

In fact, I was curious if I should go to the A6M8 -- it has faster speed, but less guns, less range, and less altitude.

I have a 150 or so Franks, but they repair at the slow rate.

[Lokasenna]

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

Yeah, I am confused too. The first model in the line if it needs to be researched is at the slow, slow rate.

However, I can freely move down the model line with no damage. For example I am researching the A6M5C with fully repaired factories now. I can advance down the line with no damage, but I can't go back to a previous model.

In fact, I was curious if I should go to the A6M8 -- it has faster speed, but less guns, less range, and less altitude.

I have a 150 or so Franks, but they repair at the slow rate.

I haven't been able to do that. Maybe I just haven't tried?

[Lowpe]

[/quote]

I haven't been able to do that. Maybe I just haven't tried?
[/quote]

You need to be careful and only jump 1 generation at a time. But you can do it all in one day. Boom, several clicks and you are R&D with fully repaired factories the Oscar IV. It is insane...but, I need it since I am not playing the altitude game and have already lost 9 months of r&d.

Mostly, I am waiting for my factories of currently available models to get fully repaired to 30 and then I will switch them down the line. All researching the end of the line, or near end of the line generation planes all fully repaired: Oscar IV, A6M5c, Betty, Judy, Myojo, etc.

Heck, I have 160 fully repaired factories in R&D for the Oscar IV right now and 240 in the A6M5c -- however they are rather large factories and hence not optimal. But they are not wasting resources on the Oscar IC or the A6M2 or the Rufe or the A6M3 as they were when I took over.

The Tojo is going to be my stop gap fighter, mainly because is available now and better than anything else now and is also generational and I inherited a large factory of them -- but all those factories will jump down the line to research the IIC once I have a squadron or two up and running. I am hoping their presence, combined with handpicked pilots, will slow the tempo of the Allied air effort down.

One problem, and I have to live with it, is my engine pools are exceptionally low. However, If I can tone down the air war, and live with what I have now, I can have over 500 HA-35s in the pool in less than one month -- my production is over 650.[X(] I inherited that too.

I am trying to make the best of a horrible position and make a game that is fun to play. That is my goal. I am not a huge fan of PDU on, and definitely no fan of Realistic R&D off, nor advanced weather. But, I do get to start in Aug 42, with a lot of drudgery behind me. And my opponent is good. So overall it is a win.

[Lowpe]

China: It has taken a little while, but offensive actions are starting up again designed at eliminating the Changsha industrial production.

The Flying Tigers are still around, and jumped some Idas' that were experience farming and got a little more than they bargained for.

[Lowpe]

Level 4 forts at Bandoeng.

The Allies are bombarding out of Batavia...I wonder why? It eats up his supply, and causes no real destruction.

The Allies are back to day time bombing and I lost 22 planes to his 6 but damaged a fair number of his 4Es.

By the way, this battle marks the return to combat of the 4th Infantry Division which was so savagely beaten and almost destroyed on my very first turn.

[JocMeister]

Looks like China is about to come tumbling down over his head! Once supply dries up its pretty much game over there.

[Lowpe]

A little r&d. That is the dive bomber Lilly...I thought she might go nice with advanced fighters and cause a fair amount of grief to the Allies. Not really sure however. Be interesting to find out.

You can see the Oscar 4 research along with the Tojo. Those size 30 Tojo factories will go to IIC and combined with hopefully 500 engines in the pool should accelerate the IIC quite nicely...IIC has armor. [:)]