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

[Lowpe]

A few hits, none of his carriers are in danger of sinking...

[Lowpe]

The Americans strike back, and the final 4 SBDs plant bomb hits on the Junyo. Burning, her planes divert to Paramushiro and she is doomed.

However, a small splinter of torpedo bomber fly under the CAP and make a run...unfortunately the Val splinter is jumped on by Wildcats and destroyed.

[Lowpe]

Vengeful pilots from the stricken Junyo fly from Paramushiro...only 3 Wildcats provide coverage...

They leave the Enterprise on fire, with heavy damage.

[Lowpe]

The main strike in the afternoon does better...there is no second strike from the Americans.[:D]

[Lowpe]

Aftermath

[Lowpe]

Air losses for the day pretty equal...

[Lowpe]

Ship Losses for the day in the Kuriles:

Probable: 1 BB, 2 CV, 2CLAA Damaged: 1 CA

Japanese: Junyo

[Erkki]

Congrats! I bet the DL you got on the enemy CVBG yesterday did not vanish completely over the night and helped a little..

What about tomorrow? There seem to be some damaged cruisers too which you could bag on the cheap with your CVs now that the air threat is gone, or with surface units or even subs. Could the G4Ms use Paramushiro?

[mind_messing]

Some observations:


1. Don't fret about Magwe. You'll have Magwe turned to a wasteland in the end, it's just too close to the perimiter, and it takes a big effort (namely an invasion of India) to make it secure. The best you can do is what you're doing: chock it full of AA and fighters and make the Allies pay a heavy cost to destroy it.

2. Are you depending on Magwe airbase alone for air defence efforts in Burma? If so, try to expand the adjacent smaller bases to level two or three so that they can fly some CAP. Most bases on Burma are on a railroad, and you can control CAP so that you get the maximum over Magwe when you need it.

3. Having your carriers disbanded in port was a big, big risk. If your opponent had recon planes searching Paramushiro-jima, he might have been able to whack the IJN carriers at anchor with those Liberators, and you'd be down several carriers with nothing to show for it. As it happened, your opponent had no recon, but it's not a chance I'd be comfortable taking often.

4. No idea what your opponent was thinking with that carrier sortie in the Kuriles. The ships were showing wear and tear for too long at sea.

[Erkki]

I personally disband carriers only for upgrades or repairs in far behind the lines bases, and even then only under good CAP and their own fighters moved to a land base. They can do minor repairs while in TF still, and they can get all or most of the wear and tear damage repaired over time. After the initial stages of the war the CVs get to just sit somewhere a lot any way so speed of the repairs usually isnt a great concern.

Besides... Wasnt that Allied CV task force within Netties' torpedo range too? What was he thinking?

[String]

Ouch, that was a painful blow to the allies. I feel sorry for your opponent as despite the horrid situation where you started in you're still thrashing him.

[Lowpe]

ORIGINAL: mind_messing
3. Having your carriers disbanded in port was a big, big risk. If your opponent had recon planes searching Paramushiro-jima, he might have been able to whack the IJN carriers at anchor with those Liberators, and you'd be down several carriers with nothing to show for it. As it happened, your opponent had no recon, but it's not a chance I'd be comfortable taking often.

I learned that lesson the second the Liberators showed up! I thought for sure I pulled a real stupid maneuver. I am well and duly chastened.

[Lowpe]

Batavia

Even though all the ART is not yet here, enough is to start bombarding. All told there will be 8 divisions (not great ones, for if you remember 4 of them were totally trashed 2 months ago before I took over - the 4th ID has an AV value of 4 if I remember correctly), but more than enough for Batavia.

Here is a look at the defenders:

[Lowpe]

ORIGINAL: Erkki

Besides... Wasnt that Allied CV task force within Netties' torpedo range too? What was he thinking?

I have a 120 Betties within range. The Betties have landed 7 torpedoes in battleships, and 3 in the Long Island right there. So what was he thinking...no clue.

Most times the Betties don't fly, however 36 flew today trying to sink one lousy destroyer. All misses.

[Lowpe]

ORIGINAL: Erkki
What about tomorrow? There seem to be some damaged cruisers too which you could bag on the cheap with your CVs now that the air threat is gone, or with surface units or even subs. Could the G4Ms use Paramushiro?

I will pursue...carefully. Lots of torpedoes left...plus a sub screen for him to navigate thru.

I suspect he doesn't have the fuel to make a high speed run again, but his ships will make for fighter cover at Attu (size 3 base).

Or he might try for a night engagement....

After a disappointing turn, he usually really lets his 4Es out in big numbers. This day he pounded the port (empty) at Jaluit, and also Magwe again but in substantially lesser numbers which gives me some chance of having enough cover from close air fields. He didn't bomb the oil, but runway damage at Magwe is now 96 percent.

[Lowpe]

This turn I got over 30,000 victory points. Huzzah!

However, the Empire still stands upon the knife's edge tottering wildly. Plane losses are horrendous, ship losses are bad, and Batavia, Tjilatjap, Rangoon, and Port Moresby all need to be taken. The Americans still need to be kicked out of the Kuriles, and stopped in the Marshalls.

So, those are my goals, unchanged. No big deep raids...I can't afford the fuel.

China update:
I had a tank unit cross the river north of the capitol however he won the foot race, I shocked attacked into 4 units and lost one tank. A quick retreat back across the river saved the tanks. However, now he has to defend in the open, and perhaps use the AVG there.

In China, there are 51 units in the capitol. I may lack the drive and desire to fully conquer the central plains of China. How bad would that be longer term if I just bottle them up? Or should I force myself to focus on them? My experience with the AI is a different world even AndyMac's NastyNasty.

[Erkki]

Surely he'll now stop dreaming about even evacuating Kuriles and you need to take them back any way because of their proximity to Honshu.

On Marshalls: have you considered about at least partially containing the Allies for some time? That could encourage him to reinforce the area which could later present you more opportunities to hit his shipping and surface units. You can find him there when you want to, how you want to with what you want to and the battles will be more or less predictable while at the same time theres no serious risk of him overwhelming the entire Marshalls and threatening Truk from where he is now. Truk and Rabaul are closer to you than Hawaii or other major bases are to him. Its only 1942 still, he cant simply overwhelm you with troops and ships and hardware, and those small atolls cant fully support 4Es. Who knows, maybe you'll get to sink more of his assault shipping.

[Lowpe]

ORIGINAL: Erkki

Surely he'll now stop dreaming about even evacuating Kuriles and you need to take them back any way because of their proximity to Honshu.

On Marshalls: have you considered about at least partially containing the Allies for some time? That could encourage him to reinforce the area which could later present you more opportunities to hit his shipping and surface units. You can find him there when you want to, how you want to with what you want to and the battles will be more or less predictable while at the same time theres no serious risk of him overwhelming the entire Marshalls and threatening Truk from where he is now. Truk and Rabaul are closer to you than Hawaii or other major bases are to him. Its only 1942 still, he cant simply overwhelm you with troops and ships and hardware, and those small atolls cant fully support 4Es. Who knows, maybe you'll get to sink more of his assault shipping.

I think the Allies were planning on reinforcing in the Kuriles, and not evacuating. Evacuation is not in their vocabulary. I don't anticipate problems here, other than minefields, as I already have 3-1 advantage in raw assault value and his forts are only at 2 while damage to the facilities is extensive.

I am reinforcing the Marshalls and will fight for it if I can suffer the lousy 4es. It seems to be where the Allies want to fight, and I will oblige him. Some bases are already maxed out people wise.

This action in the Kuriles will hopefully buy me enough time to have Lilly DB, A6M5cs, Tojo IIc for the his next big moves which will probably be in the Marshalls.

[Lowpe]

The KB, after adding a squadron of Judy recon planes, goes in search of the Allied ships near the Kuriles. Augmenting her surface protection fleet, I have two other surface groups meeting her: the light cruiser task force that sank the Mississippi and the fresh heavy task force Yamoto. Subs have been dispatched to catch the group if they head straight for Attu, and the night naval search is fairly strong.

Strike planes are reduced to range 7.

I am a little nervous the Allies might try for a night naval engagement with the KB...it would be like him, and my surface covering fleet is less than inspired when it comes to engaging.

In Burma, fighters should be back over Magwe in another day including a fresh Sentai of Tojo's.

I expect to see a lot of 4es, and who knows what else...

[Lowpe]

Nov 4, 1942

No night time surface engagements, and for once, I am happy about that. The KB moves into position, and thanks to the new squadron of Judy -C, the American Cruiser fleet is spotted and engaged.

For some inexplicable reason there is no fighter protection...and the IJN pilots make their runs...only having to worry about the heavy flak on the Cruisers.

Banzai!