Return of the Sheep! - JocMeister(A) vs. MrKane(J)

[JocMeister]

ORIGINAL: obvert

Your opponent sounds aggressive. I doubt it's just a psych ploy. Consider the permanent restricted troops on the West coast and the AA and make sure you do have LA covered, but of course that is a huge long shot. I've put two divisions there and covered all landing areas below SF with troops. It's fun to have to think as the US did have to early in the war, that virtually anything was possible and had to be defended against.

From Cape Town those troops and engineers NY59Giants is talking about can go West or East, whichever out of OZ or India might be most in need. Good advice. Wish I'd planned a bit of that sooner!

I think he is going to do something big early on. He might try to do what Hortlund did and and go Alaska - Canada. Will have to watch for that. Defending the WC will of course be absolute top priority. [X(]

[JocMeister]

ORIGINAL: offenseman

ORIGINAL: JocMeister


I repeat me earlier statement. There will be no shearing of sheep if I can help it! [:D]

On board to watch the show. Both the game and the luminous group of those I see are watching as well. Also looking forward to seeing who Player X is.

Good luck

Welcome aboard! [:D]

[JocMeister]

My opponent resent the turn during the day with the latest pwhex file and updated to latest BETA! [&o]

Time to get into the right mode... [:D]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5C2Rc9x7cwo

PS. Thoughts on rushing Force Z to Mersing during the night? Also still undecided on what to do with Boise and Houston. Hmmm.

[Lowpe]

ORIGINAL: JocMeister
PS. Thoughts on rushing Force Z to Mersing during the night? Also still undecided on what to do with Boise and Houston. Hmmm.

Predictable. Do something else with Force Z. Like run away very fast. Also predictable, but those two BB as fleet in being can change the early pace of IJN in the DEI. Use subs instead, maybe destroyers...

Aggressive moves:

Assemble your carriers & support right away and bomb Sendai's industry once you spot the KB elsewhere. Start training those pilots now.

Send a volunteer xak to Wenchow with supply.

Assemble a force to resupply the PI. Most likely he will save PI conquest for later. Prepare now and make him pay for that decision. Maybe grab a few islands along the way.

Plan now for an early attack on the Bonins. I will lay odds you can land there in 90-120 days a be a major pain in the rear of the IJN as his amphibious bonus runs out. Of course, you are going to lose everything, but you are gaining time hopefully.

No matter how bad the IJN romps plan now for some attacks to throw them off balance.

[JocMeister]

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

ORIGINAL: JocMeister
PS. Thoughts on rushing Force Z to Mersing during the night? Also still undecided on what to do with Boise and Houston. Hmmm.

Predictable. Do something else with Force Z. Like run away very fast. Also predictable, but those two BB as fleet in being can change the early pace of IJN in the DEI. Use subs instead, maybe destroyers...

Aggressive moves:

Assemble your carriers & support right away and bomb Sendai's industry once you spot the KB elsewhere. Start training those pilots now.

Send a volunteer xak to Wenchow with supply.

Assemble a force to resupply the PI. Most likely he will save PI conquest for later. Prepare now and make him pay for that decision. Maybe grab a few islands along the way.

Plan now for an early attack on the Bonins. I will lay odds you can land there in 90-120 days a be a major pain in the rear of the IJN as his amphibious bonus runs out. Of course, you are going to lose everything, but you are gaining time hopefully.

No matter how bad the IJN romps plan now for some attacks to throw them off balance.

I usually back off with Force Z. But if he indeed goes for Mersing (and I suspect he will) this is the only chance I will get to throw him off his timetable right? A successful Mersin gambit and Singers will fall within 2 weeks. That would be...bad! [:D]

Can´t do much this turn as I´m not allowed to create new TFs or move ships to or from existing ones.

[obvert]

GJ did a late Mersing, which worked really well. Beware the para-drop to cut retreat on Malaya. Even if it's not a successful grab of a base it can screw up enough to allow a landing at messing and getting half the force cut off.

I guessed Singkawang (correctly) with Force Z and sent it flank with Batavia as home base. There was a big dust up the first night with IJN BBs and both sides took damage. That took Force Z out for the rest of the DEI campaign and made Mersing later a more viable option.

The other idea is back off for a day to see what happens, but close enough to flank in the next day if he does land. You might not stop everything but could hit something.

[JocMeister]

ORIGINAL: obvert

GJ did a late Mersing, which worked really well. Beware the para-drop to cut retreat on Malaya. Even if it's not a successful grab of a base it can screw up enough to allow a landing at messing and getting half the force cut off.

I guessed Singkawang (correctly) with Force Z and sent it flank with Batavia as home base. There was a big dust up the first night with IJN BBs and both sides took damage. That took Force Z out for the rest of the DEI campaign and made Mersing later a more viable option.

The other idea is back off for a day to see what happens, but close enough to flank in the next day if he does land. You might not stop everything but could hit something.

Thanks Erik. Still torn about it. I figure if he doesn´t come for Mersin I´ll be out of harms way by morning. But we all know the engine is fickle. Especially under air threat! [:D]

I´ll think I´ll do what I usually do despite it almost always ending badly: Trust my gut! [:D]

PS. Got a little something for Singkawang too if he is really bold. But I am risking getting really thin if everything get sunk...

[JocMeister]

[font="Verdana"]Turn 1 - Prelude [/font]
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Just sent it off. Could have tinkered with it forever...

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DEI
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Trusting my first instinct (which usually ends badly) I sent force Z at full speed to Mersing under command of Halifax. I intentionally didn´t use Palliser due to his high aggreesion (80 something). CL Danae will follow hopefully getting past possible warships and in among any transports. Both TFs set to full speed and to Batavia as homebase. Fingers crossed...

I also sent Dragon and Durban at full speed to Singkawang. Its a longshot but you never know.

In order to save something in case everything crashes and burns I decided to play it safe with Marblehead, Houston and Boise. They will pull back towards Balikpapan and hold for now.

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CENTPAC
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Acting on a hunch I decided to send Ent and Lex TFs SW. You never know...they will merge forces and hold.

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India/IO
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46th Indian BDE will head straight for Socotra. 44th and 45th will head back to Karachi, unload and then head for Mashira and Dante. Its really too early to send them there but I don´t can´t really send them anywhere useful without risking getting them cut off anyway.

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China
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Some of the small Corps in exposed positions will head into enemy territory to sit on rail lines and get killed off. No need trying to get a 46 squad corps back to safety. Besides that its the "run for the hills theme".

Have I mentioned I hate China? [:D]

[Lowpe]

If I remember correctly you used POW to great effect for most of the war against Obvert. Or am I getting the AARs confused?

[rook749]

What about planning a carrier raid on the repair yard and ships in port at Truk, you send it in only if you have located the KB fleet? Early on he won't have the fighter cover or any real AA at the base.

Also not the arrival of the 70th British Infantry Division, it withdraws out of theater but if you stick in in Calcutta (or along his line of advance elsewhere) and he attacks its a great unit to let him burn out.

[JocMeister]

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

If I remember correctly you used POW to great effect for most of the war against Obvert. Or am I getting the AARs confused?

No you remember correctly. [:)] She took 3 torps in the Java sea early on but later became the backbone of my Navy in SOPAC. She did great duty through 42-45 but got sunk at Legaspi protecting a landing there in early 45 [:(]

[JocMeister]

ORIGINAL: rook749

What about planning a carrier raid on the repair yard and ships in port at Truk, you send it in only if you have located the KB fleet? Early on he won't have the fighter cover or any real AA at the base.

Also not the arrival of the 70th British Infantry Division, it withdraws out of theater but if you stick in in Calcutta (or along his line of advance elsewhere) and he attacks its a great unit to let him burn out.

I think fuel would be problematic. Will check when I get the turn back! [:)] Isn´t the 70th ID just an empty shell with 50 AV or something or do I remember wrongly?

[rook749]

ORIGINAL: JocMeister

Isn´t the 70th ID just an empty shell with 50 AV or something or do I remember wrongly?

You remember correctly but in the DBB-A its is filled out, so I assume this is the same in DBB-B.

[Lowpe]

ORIGINAL: JocMeister
No you remember correctly. [:)] She took 3 torps in the Java sea early on but later became the backbone of my Navy in SOPAC. She did great duty through 42-45 but got sunk at Legaspi protecting a landing there in early 45 [:(]

28 knot BBs, right after the CV are ships I fear losing the most, especially in 41! Then AO, AK, AP, the British ships that convert to landing ships, etc. Somewhere down on the list is the DD to APD conversions, and the 13 kt submarines. Although, I really try hard to save the Langley for some silly reason.[:)]

Good luck with your decision. I wonder how the IJN carriers will be used. Manila most likely?

[JocMeister]

Ooooh! Thats a NICE surprise! [&o]

[JocMeister]

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

28 knot BBs, right after the CV are ships I fear losing the most, especially in 41! Then AO, AK, AP, the British ships that convert to landing ships, etc. Somewhere down on the list is the DD to APD conversions, and the 13 kt submarines. Although, I really try hard to save the Langley for some silly reason.[:)]

Good luck with your decision. I wonder how the IJN carriers will be used. Manila most likely?

You and me both! Lost most of them against Erik and that really problematic in 42-44 when I needed them to run bombardments and close AFs. It would really suck to get them sunk on the first turn. But I feel its worth the risk in this case. If he goes for Mersing and I get in among the transports I can set him back a month. Could be even more. Risk and reward... [:)]

Regarding the CVs I think he will go CV hunting or use them in the DEI. He is good with the air ASW so I don´t think he fears subs that much. And hitting the BBs at PH won´t matter much until its time to start hitting atolls in 43 and onward.

I could of course be completely wrong and does a traditional opening and make me look like a fool! [:D]

[JocMeister]

[font="Verdana"]Turn 1[/font]
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Got the turn back! Oooh, sneaky sneaky man! Fooled me. [:)]

Quick update because I need to head to bed.

- Half of KB (Akagi, Kaga Hiryu confirmed here) is 3 hexes East of Mesing and mauled Force Z which is completely annihilated. Also sank Danae, Dragon and Durban.
- The other half is in the Celbes sea. Marblehead and its escorts are GONE. Houston and Boise is undetected.
- Landings at Jesselton only. But a TF of APDs is sitting at one of the bases in the Celebes.
-Manila is hit by LBA only.
-No PH strike.

Very interesting opening. I think it will work nicely for him.

[princep01]

Quick stepping to Singapore and then to.....most likely India. The other half of KB in Celebese Seas looks like he will also try to take the Philippines out ASAP too.

Since thee is no threat to the CVs and you have all those old BBs unscathed, what do you plan to do as a counter. At least you won't spend 8 months with yards full of damaged oldies. A landing in the Marianas? Maybe the Bonins? Best do something fairly early to unsettle the IJ's best laid plans. Good luck, Joc!

[Lowpe]

Oops, I had a bad feeling about sending Force Z there...oh well.[X(]

On the positive side you are doing better than historical with no Pearl attack. All those search planes! The mind boggles.

Fast turn...I think I know who you are playing! Fasten your seatbelt![:D]

[obvert]

Yeeeouch!!!

KB in the DEI. Let the subs loose!! Swarm him and at least give him a scare. Get all combat and any other ships out as fast as possible. Prepare for Mersing.

It's just so early to try anything in the Pacific, but the fleet is intact. Send 8 BBs to bombard Utsonomiya?![:D]