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

[mind_messing]

I'm not going to bother with the J1N1 Recon. You get just as good performance (only one hex less range) with the D4Y1-C Judy for one engine.

However, I understand that your inherited airframe production may not be the most...streamlined.

[Lowpe]

ORIGINAL: mind_messing

I'm not going to bother with the J1N1 Recon. You get just as good performance (only one hex less range) with the D4Y1-C Judy for one engine.

However, I understand that your inherited airframe production may not be the most...streamlined.You are being generous

In my game, there is only one size 9 unit restricted that can upgrade to the Judy until 3/43 when I get a second....so I am not too sad to have a tiny factory for the Irving.

[Lokasenna]

ORIGINAL: mind_messing

I'm not going to bother with the J1N1 Recon. You get just as good performance (only one hex less range) with the D4Y1-C Judy for one engine.

However, I understand that your inherited airframe production may not be the most...streamlined.

The Irving may come sooner? The Judy is CV-capable, though...

I don't like the Irving. I don't see its use. The IJAAF is plenty capable in the Recon game, and it gets the Dinah-II and Dinah-III. The IJN units can do "short" range recon just fine with the Babs. It may mean that IJAAF recon units are working in the island chains and IJN recon units are working in China, but still.

[mind_messing]

ORIGINAL: Lokasenna

ORIGINAL: mind_messing

I'm not going to bother with the J1N1 Recon. You get just as good performance (only one hex less range) with the D4Y1-C Judy for one engine.

However, I understand that your inherited airframe production may not be the most...streamlined.

The Irving may come sooner? The Judy is CV-capable, though...

I don't like the Irving. I don't see its use. The IJAAF is plenty capable in the Recon game, and it gets the Dinah-II and Dinah-III. The IJN units can do "short" range recon just fine with the Babs. It may mean that IJAAF recon units are working in the island chains and IJN recon units are working in China, but still.

Iriving and Judy are about the same time. 42/11 and 42/10 respectively. Not enough to make a difference IMO.

The bulk of recon needs to fall on the IJA anyways. Japan get something like 3 IJN recon groups, and only another 12 over the course of the war.

The IJA gets a whole bunch more, including some bomber units that can convert.

[Lowpe]

Nice discussion on the Irving Recon, and the roles of recon for IJA and IJN. So often, I never really think in terms of Army and Navy, just Japan. A shortcoming.

I am be bedeviled in Magwe with high altitude bomber sweeps (no HR against this, even for fighters).

I am losing 2-3 fighters per day. I refuse to fly at 38,000 feet so part of the problem is me. The pilots are some of the best I have, not great, but good. His pilots I assume are outstanding.

Moonlight is an abysmal 30 percent or so, but they keep coming like this. I know he is not looking to bomb, just kill fighters.

I assume my fighters use whatever searchlights that are present, but 40K?

Is there anything I can do other than not fly or fly at 40K? Even at 40K, I think I would lose...

I need to watch the replay on these and see if the bombers get a dive bonus. <sarc>

This next turn I have only 1 squadron flying night cap, moonlight is low, and I expect Tiemanj to do something big with his 4es.

[Erkki]

Its not the first time we see heavy bombers flying at 32,000 ft. in night crippling IJ fighter units.

Since your fighters are about 1/20 or something of their effectiveness in the night while the bomber gunners work as if it were day and so your fighters will keep just failing to down Allied bombers. You can either give up trying to intercept them and let him burn the oil wells or you can bomb his 4E airfields. Hopefully thats a possibility and they arent too heavily defended...

Effectively, that is pretty much abusing the game mechanics to turn 4Es into fighters. You cant even retaliate in the same measure because you lack the tools: bombers with high durability and lots of guns. Flak isnt even an issue because both sides can fly above it. The game just doesnt handle night air combat or bombing very well... Or combat where one side flies above the ceiling altitude of the other.

Just wait until he realizes that he could simply do a low altitude night bombing raid against oil wells or manpower in oil center bases. At worst its dozen or two of 4Es traded for crippled IJ war industry. Sooner or later they'll hit no matter how much flak or fighters you put there if they do a night raid. With the rules you have in effect in this game you MUST keep him outside of the extended range of 4Es from Palembang or thats it.

[Lowpe]

I thought as much. Thanks.

I can't tell you how many planes I have lost to this strategy...sigh.

[Lowpe]

Nov 2, 1942

What an incredibly strange day.

It starts of with the sinking of another allied xap unloading at Tjilatjap. So far so good...

[Lowpe]

Then, the combined Allied Air Forces hit Magwe during the the day. I pretty much knew they were coming, and had taken all but one squadron off night CAP, but the first group in a high altitude Lightning Sweep...

Allied bombers focus on the airfield, and now it has 80 damage...Magwe is probably doomed.

This is the problem of having no air force. The Allies are allowed to build generous pools, and other than surface bombardments I really can't whittle them down...oh well.

[Lowpe]

Total plane losses for the day.

Magwe is down to 45 fighters, don't really see what I can do here anymore other than fly and die and then burn as he bombs the oil fields eventually.

[Lowpe]

And here is the really interesting development, in the Kuriles.

It was a carrier I spotted last turn, and he steams right in. Allied planes launch some strikes, and manage to sink a 7 point xak, and hit one other ship. Really, it was quite a flub...I guess his pilots really haven't recovered from being trashed in the Java theater.

My Betties don't fly. The Five fleet carriers sit idly at port, disbanded, in Paramushiro where the pilots sip sake and watch land based Tojo's have some dogfights as Liberators come visiting, but then let a Wildcat sweep go by uncontested. Odd.

It is just one carrier with a normal size contingent of planes.

[Lokasenna]

It's OK. I'd say keeping Magwe's oil was the least of your problems with this inherited game, anyway.

I've found that Nicks at 10k do fine against P-38s on sweep, even when they come in at 39k. That's assuming 55-60 Exp and 70 Air skill, though.

[Lowpe]

The brave, but pretty much futile, squadrons of Magwe. They simply couldn't stand up to the steady night time losses and then the high altitude sweeps and low level bombers. They were the best pilots, but ultimately no match for the Allies...

Overwhelmed, demoralized, beaten. The oilfields can't last long now.

Japan is really losing the air war, and there isn't much I can do about it in the short term.[:(]

Bombarding the bases doesn't work, because the planes fly in the day before and then fly out again leaving slim pickings for the bombardments catching only the malfunctioned frames although occasionally I have gotten lucky with the timing.

[Lowpe]

Now, on the bright side:

The Artillery stack of doom is sighted in at Batavia and will start bombarding on the morrow. 4 Divisions are unpacking one hex away, and so I think Batavia is doomed, and then the Allies will really take it on the chin with substantial losses at Tjilatjap.

I fast transported an independent engineering unit into Xmas IO to aid in airfield development to base Vals...I bet the Allies continue to try and reinforce here.

And in the Kuriles, I think I have a real good chance of catching his lone carrier....fingers crossed.

So, although Magwe is going to be a goner soon, so will allied troops in Java and I think trading Magwe for all those lovely troops in Tjilatjap is more than just recompense.

And finally, I still picked up over 100 victory points for the day...[:D]

[Lowpe]

ORIGINAL: Lokasenna

It's OK. I'd say keeping Magwe's oil was the least of your problems with this inherited game, anyway.

Yep, no worries. Taking Soerabaja undamaged, with it being a huge fort city with tons of engineers more than offsets Magwe, which I really thought to lose in the first week.

I knew when I picked up the game that it would take me at least a year to turn the air war around if then.

I am happy with my performance so far except for losing the Zuikaku, now that was sad.[:)]

[Lowpe]

Tis with a heavy heart all planes fly out of Magwe, at least those that could fly. I had pulled out one sentai of Nicks and another of Tojo to defended Soerabaja, maybe with those there the results would have been a little different. But then the Allies could have trashed Soerabaja. No real good choices here other than to grin and bear it.

All AA that can is rail roading into Magwe, but it never is really effective. Look to see big fires![:D]

On the brighter side, several bombardments are going in in the Kuriles, and 300 rested, rearmed pilots look to put down another Carrier. I can't decide if he will head north or east to the his land based air. Land based air is not that effective at providing LR CAP over CVs, but he might not know that. So the subs are going to cover east, while the KB heads north set to max range attack and only 50% cap plus one full squadron for CAP. Fingers crossed...especially for the darn weather.

The allies are so aggressive there is a chance he moves his CV south and west along the Kurile chain and I will need to rely upon either surface bombardment groups reacting, or Betties flying. The Yamato is there, and that would be a beautiful surface engagement -- the Yamato hasn't disappointed yet (and is so much fun, I can't believe I never built her)! The Betties are set to 2000 feet and they do have 27 Zero escorts....since there are 120 Betties some would hopefully get thru.

I don't really plan on attacking the Allied island for another 10 days when the prep reaches 100% for three out of four units there.

In the Marshalls, I will bombard Makin with Task Force Nagato, I think he might start unloading troops there again.

In Java, the first heavy bombardment of Batavia is scheduled, along with shore bombardments of both Batavia and Tjilatjap.


This game is always at its best when expecting a carrier battle! The Anticipation...all the goofy things that can go wrong...thrilling.[:)]

[Lowpe]

Nov 3, 1942

Willis Lee is still in the Mississippi, but not for long. Now he commands a whaleboat looking for rescue![X(]

Actually, it took 4 long lances to put her down.

[Lowpe]

Pictures tell a thousand words...[:D]

[Lowpe]

Round 1: A squadron sweeps Paramushiro, the KB retreated back to Paramushiro, and then reacted 1 hex to her current position. 2 Attack groups lose cohesion...

Over the skies of Paramushiro each side shoots down a plane.

[Lowpe]

IJN planes strike first: