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

[Lowpe]

Exciting at Pago -- there will definitely be some action there I think.[:)]

Absolutely retreat those Chinese troops...your results near Nanyang will throw the IJA off their timetable, and will have bought you more time to shore up your local defenses. How bad is the penalty for going over the stacking limit short term?

Dig in! Got shovels? Even if your defense in depth is weak, it doesn't look weak to the IJA...or can threaten to cut supplies to his spearheads.

[JeffroK]

ORIGINAL: JocMeister

Dispatched her to Melbourne. Hopefully she can unload there!

Its the middle of the school holidays, there aren't any Wharfies at work until the end of January!

[obvert]

ORIGINAL: JocMeister

ORIGINAL: obvert

Yes. Get back now if he's moving 6 units in and it looks like you could be cut off. That is if your SL permit it.

I will go over SL unless I evac the other hex prior to that. Can try to time it but it will be difficult!

What are his troops in relation to the SL there? Can he afford 6 units? If he overstocks it could backfire on him, and a failed attack means he silly has to turn around and go back. If you're close to the best you can get in that hex it might hold, but if it doesn't it's going to suck.

[JeffroK]

Dont be surprised by a savvy player overstacking.

The limits are not a brick wall, only a point where you must overspend supply.

Be prepared, and dont be scared to use it where the circumstances require it.

[JocMeister]

ORIGINAL: obvert

ORIGINAL: JocMeister

ORIGINAL: obvert

Yes. Get back now if he's moving 6 units in and it looks like you could be cut off. That is if your SL permit it.

I will go over SL unless I evac the other hex prior to that. Can try to time it but it will be difficult!

What are his troops in relation to the SL there? Can he afford 6 units? If he overstocks it could backfire on him, and a failed attack means he silly has to turn around and go back. If you're close to the best you can get in that hex it might hold, but if it doesn't it's going to suck.

I´m getting some better intel with the British recon unit I moved to China. There seems to be 38.000 troops moving for the hex. Two units are already in place. With a SL of 60.000 he should be within the limits.

Nonetheless I have started to pull out the exposed troops in the x3 terrain. It will be tricky to say the least...

[JocMeister]

ORIGINAL: JeffK

Dont be surprised by a savvy player overstacking.

The limits are not a brick wall, only a point where you must overspend supply.

Be prepared, and dont be scared to use it where the circumstances require it.

Agreed. As long as you don´t insanely overstack (which will cause DIS). [:)]

[JocMeister]

[font="Verdana"]Battle for Sian [/font]
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Here are the current allied positions. By shortening the lines I hope to free up around 500 AV to create a small reserve. If possible I want to hold the MLR until the reinforcements arrive.

The 600 AV in Sian might look like a reserve but its really a hodgepodge of shattered troops. Biggest Corps is just 50 AV. If I can hold the MLR until the reinforcements arrive I could possibly delay the fall of Sian with MONTHS. But I still belive Sian is impossible to hold in the long run and I won´t break myself over it. Once I´m forced into the clear hexes I will simply abandon Sian taking every useful soldier with me. Fighting in a clear hex is a death sentence.

Overall I´m happy with my play here so far. [:)]

[JocMeister]

[font="Verdana"]Bandits in CENTPAC!! [/font]
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This TF was spotted on the 15th. Baker next? Pretty bold move considering KB is deep down in SOPAC (last seen 3 turns ago between OZ and NZ. To my knowledge he doesn´t know where my CVs are.

[JocMeister]

[font="Verdana"] January 14th to 16th 1942 [/font]
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Not much to report as the Japanese continue to rampage across map.

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Singapore/Malaya
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The allies take a stand in Central Malaya with 450 AV. I´m contemplating trying to make a break towards Kota Bharu. No intel on the base though and I don´t want to get stuck in a clear hex.

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Java
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We temporarily stop a Japanese flanking attempt around Batavia. Won´t last for long though. I stupidly forgot to move some air squadrons out from the base. So if it falls tomorrow I´ll loose a lot of planes for nothing. Can´t afford mistakes like this against Tom.

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CENTPAC
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As indicated in the screen above we have bandits outside Canton Island. I might be able to do something here if he hangs around. I have a Helena TF a couple of days out.

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SOPAC
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We land unmolested at Pago Pago. I feel safe here for now. Most likely he will need 2-3 IDs + KB to push me off the island. He can do that. But not yet for some time.

KB has disappeared. Was last spotted in the Tasman sea 5 turns ago. Either he turned back towards Noumea or he went even deeper South. Don´t have much in the area so I´m not too concerned.

[ny59giants]

China - look closely at the number of engineers your front line Corps have. They are the key to each unit being able to build up forts in non-base hexes. Each Corp will retreat bases on their own fort levels. Expect to see a few tank rgts pop up in the great north as he goes for Urumchi's oil.

[JocMeister]

ORIGINAL: ny59giants

China - look closely at the number of engineers your front line Corps have. They are the key to each unit being able to build up forts in non-base hexes. Each Corp will retreat bases on their own fort levels. Expect to see a few tank rgts pop up in the great north as he goes for Urumchi's oil.

I hope so! I´ve sent one of the AT units up there. [:)]

[JocMeister]

[font="Verdana"]KB?[/font]
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This should be the KB.

[JocMeister]

[font="Verdana"]Bandits in CENTPAC Pt 2.[/font]
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This actually has me worried. Why is sailing this TF straight into the unknown without air cover? For all he knows I can have 4 CVs within strike distance. Or is this is sacrificial TF to find my CVs?

I don´t understand this...

[Lokasenna]

They're coming to visit Canton, IMO.

[BBfanboy]

ORIGINAL: Lokasenna

They're coming to visit Canton, IMO.

+1

Bombardment and raiding TF, possibly with mini-KB nearby in case something juicy is found.

[JocMeister]

If so, then why? I don´t believe Tom is the kind of player that does stuff just for the sake of doing stuff. He surely has a purpose. Not knowing the purpose makes me very nervous!

[JocMeister]

[font="Verdana"] January 17th and 18th [/font]
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Interesting developments in China.

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DEI
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I finally manage to jump a Betty run and shoot down 13 of the bastards over Batavia.

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China
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Could be faulty recon but it looks like Tom might have abandon the attempt to cut off my Eastern blockade. When seeing the movement arrows Tom immediately launch an attack. Probably hoping to catch me in move mode. No such luck for him. Losses are about equal but no attack is launched the following day.

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SOPAC/CENTPAC
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Interesting developments!

Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Pago Pago at 148,161

Weather in hex: Heavy cloud

Raid detected at 116 NM, estimated altitude 12,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 43 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 49
B5N2 Kate x 54
D3A1 Val x 59

Japanese aircraft losses
B5N2 Kate: 1 damaged
D3A1 Val: 1 damaged

Allied Ships
xAK Julia Luckenbach, Bomb hits 9, and is sunk
xAK Walter Luckenbach, Bomb hits 1, Torpedo hits 2, and is sunk
PC Cyane, Bomb hits 4, and is sunk
xAK Idaho, Bomb hits 10, heavy fires, heavy damage
xAK Montgomery City, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
PC Aurora, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
xAK J.L. Luckenbach, Bomb hits 1, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
PC Haida, Bomb hits 6, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
xAK Coast Trader, Torpedo hits 2, and is sunk
PC McLane, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk

I took a chance and got lucky. Turns out it wasn´t the KB I spotted on the 17th. The KB comes up from the Cook islands direction and blast a TF unloading at Pago Pago. He must have passed just between the NZ and Suva search.

I got very lucky and the convoy had JUST unloaded some major CD guns and a Tank BTL at Pago Pago. When I spotted what I believed was the KB two turns ago I rushed the TF in at full speed in case he moved towards Pago Pago. I really wanted the 24 155mm CD guns in place. Any landing here now will be very, very tough for him now. Had I not spotted the other TF he would have nailed the TF with the CD guns and tanks still onboard a couple of hexes East of Pago Pago.

Looks like the TF I spotted actually was a BB TF. Perhaps he had hoped to find a myriad of TFs going to and from OZ and was going to use both the KB and BBs to wreck havoc. No such luck. [:'(]

I really like this use of KB. It burns fuel and more importantly gives me a fix on the KB. Its also very, very hard to catch anything important. Don´t think I ever lost a single soldier on the WC - OZ route. The BBs will burn even more fuel. The mystery TF around Canton disappeared this turn. Either he pulled back or my search just failed to find him. Tom is playing very dangerously right now. With some luck and good timing I might get an opportunity to give him a bit of a whack on the fingers...

[obvert]

The issue with CD guns during the invasion bonus is that the unload rate is so high that the TF gets everything off in one go and that also limits the disablements of the troops. It's almost like using late war Allied APA/AKA.

GJ landed at Geraldton in the face of 36 x 6" Aussie CD guns and a few other assorted smaller 4" CD guns and still attacked to take the base the following day. He lost a few ships, but not enough to make up for the lost Allied units I had expected to be able to hold out against a weakened landing force.

The loss of four PC is going to hurt. I'm struggling for enough escorts every day.

[JocMeister]

ORIGINAL: obvert

The issue with CD guns during the invasion bonus is that the unload rate is so high that the TF gets everything off in one go and that also limits the disablements of the troops. It's almost like using late war Allied APA/AKA.

GJ landed at Geraldton in the face of 36 x 6" Aussie CD guns and a few other assorted smaller 4" CD guns and still attacked to take the base the following day. He lost a few ships, but not enough to make up for the lost Allied units I had expected to be able to hold out against a weakened landing force.

The loss of four PC is going to hurt. I'm struggling for enough escorts every day.

Aaaaw, and here I was feeling all pleased with myself! [:(]

[DOCUP]

I always feel better with a lot of CD guns around. I think they might be a little under powered especially with defence mines.