Pacific Debut - PetrOs (A) vs Arto K (J), no Arto K please

[PetrOs]

Thanks, Obvert. I would try to use smaller TFs then. Would you rather balance them (say, 3TFs with 1 BB, 1 CA, 2 CL, some DD each), or rather one with 3 BB 3 CA plus DDs, another 6 CLs with DDs, and remaining DDs as third one?

[PetrOs]

Just realised, that I now got confirmations that BB Haruna and CA Mikuma were sunk. Haruna was hit by 2 Mk.10 torps from an S-boat a while ago, and was not on the list before, while Mikuma got several Vildebeest torps and 500 lb bombs back during Malaya invasion. Both are reported to have sunk several hexes off Cam Ranh bay..

Also, I noticed an interesting thing - several floatplanes from torpedoed cruisers diverted to my bases. Never seen that before..

[BBfanboy]

ORIGINAL: PetrOs

Thanks, Obvert. I would try to use smaller TFs then. Would you rather balance them (say, 3TFs with 1 BB, 1 CA, 2 CL, some DD each), or rather one with 3 BB 3 CA plus DDs, another 6 CLs with DDs, and remaining DDs as third one?

Best practice seems to be to match (as far as possible) by speed and gun type within each TF.
Group BBs with escort DDs in one TF, CAs and DDs in another and the CLs with a smaller number of DDs. I am assuming you have several of those
older British and Dutch CLs. If you have more than eight, put one or two with the BB to help keep Japanese DDs and their torps at bay.

[Lokasenna]

ORIGINAL: BBfanboy

ORIGINAL: PetrOs

Thanks, Obvert. I would try to use smaller TFs then. Would you rather balance them (say, 3TFs with 1 BB, 1 CA, 2 CL, some DD each), or rather one with 3 BB 3 CA plus DDs, another 6 CLs with DDs, and remaining DDs as third one?

Best practice seems to be to match (as far as possible) by speed and gun type within each TF.
Group BBs with escort DDs in one TF, CAs and DDs in another and the CLs with a smaller number of DDs. I am assuming you have several of those
older British and Dutch CLs. If you have more than eight, put one or two with the BB to help keep Japanese DDs and their torps at bay.

Even if matching by speed isn't a possibility, I match by gun type. The ships will be limited to the speed of the slowest ship in the formation, so if 25 knots is still good enough for you, then that's OK...

For example - I am comfortable grouping Ise/Hyuga or Fuso/Yamashiro with Kongos, even though the Kongos are much faster, because they have the same main armament. I think it's range that matters most here, so different guns with ranges that are very close to each other shouldn't be too bad on you either.

That said, I think your battle turned out OK, but you definitely are risking a collision (or two) with that many ships. In a night battle, I'd say you would almost be guaranteed to have a collision.

[PetrOs]

Okay, thanks! After battle, the remaining TF is now well matched in fact - only 6" armed CLs, and a total of 15 ships.

17th Jan. 42
B17s moving from DEI to India, which made a intermediate stop at Rangoon, surprised both me and Arto. I did not clear the attack city orders, and they struck Haiphong resources, scoring 15 hits.

Port Blair saw some heavy air combat, trading oscars and warhawks at 9:9 ratio. Interestingly, while warhawks are superior in numbers, most kills (all 9 this turn) are by hurricanes. they fly layered at max altitudes (29 and 36k feet), and apparently, the oscars dive on warhawks, to be in turn dove by hurries. 1 more hurry squadron is 2 days away....

KB appeared near Rabaul, launching a massive strike on it. Looks like my reinforcement haul is too late. The 1st Australian div is now redirected to PM. Port moresby now has 4 warhawk squadrons, even if these are those provisional ones. I graduated a first class of trained pilots in the US bases, most guys have 65-67 air, but very low xp at around 30-38... I now made all those warhawks flying low level ground attack on a lone japanese naval garnison unit at Lae - no AA and great XP boost, and also defensive skill training.
2nd Motor brigade unloading at Lunga updated to stuarts and matildas from the improvised AFVs. Now its a quite potent armored unit which would be useful there. I also moved 4 australian catalinas to Lunga now, and building it up.

Else, little action this turn. Cripples try to pull out to Soerabaya/Cocos islands, and those who already got there, are redirected to Capetown (POW), Colombo (some cruisers), and Brisbane (other cruisers and destroyers).

[PetrOs]

18Jan42

Very silent turn, not much happening.

I used B17 from Mandalay to strike at Rangoon, 15 strategic hits on it, with heavy fires started. A group of blenheims and a group of hudsons also participated. No opposition whatsoever. I want him to keep guessing the next strike, so I will strike Hanoi next turn. Even if the AF is too small for full load, good fires are there. Small convoy like unit is seen near Rangoon, and also a few minesweepers, so an old cruiser with 3 DDs is sent to investigate from Colombo. Needs 3 turns or so to get there however.

1 Hurricane squad is ready to go for PB in Diamond Harbour. Would boost the air defences well. A constant stream of new US squads is on the ships moving to Cape, and from there to Colombo. I expect first 2 P39 squadrons in around 8 days there. Would alleviate the problems with PB air defense.

Cocos islands are 95% done to finish the airstrip level 1, I expect it to be ready tomorrow, so I can fly in many planes (Hurricanes primarily) from Java. Cocos is quite safe from fighter sweeping due to its range to Java, but is still in range of Netties from Batavia. Forts are at 3, and when the strip is done, I will continue on them.

Most cripples made it out of enemy air range. Only POW and one of badly damaged C class cruisers are a little slow and are still near Soerabaya. POW recovered a bit, with speed going up from 9 to 11 knots. It is now moving straight to CT, with refuel stop in Soerabaya only. Most Soerabaya fighters fly LR cap over it. The cruiser would probably do a few days in Soerabaya to pump out. I will also exchange POW's escorting destroyers with older and slightly damaged ones.

[Eambar]

Hi PetrOs,

Thanks for the AAR.

I'm interested in how you are using your subs, in particular the US S-boats and fleet subs. What are your plans for them?

Also, there seems to be alot of DD's in SCTF, are you escorting your convoys and do you feel your opponent is targeting the sea lanes with his subs?

Cheers,

[PetrOs]

I plan to use the subs as following:

S-boats with working torps - from a forward base in Attu against the Hokkaido/Sakhalin Convoys.
Short legged dutch boats - Ceylon against Rangoon. A few
Long legged dutch boats and british boats - from Ceylon to Palembang, Java Sea, East of Singers
Fleetboats - in 42 as picket boats around truk, solomons, marianas, marshalls, japan... With working torps - shipping lanes near Japan coast, Taiwan, Philippines, Indochina. Bases - various. PH/Midway, Attu/Dutch Harbour, Suva, Brisbane planned.

[PetrOs]

Escorting - only important ones.
I did not see any jap sub anywhere except near PH (where there are miriads of them) for at least a month....
Right now, most supply and evac shipping in DEI, Port Blair, Solomons, Cocos, and SoPac is running as 1 ship TFs employing individual small transports (tiny xAPs, xAKLs, and some smaller (less then 3k) xAKs). This way they dont trigger air attacks, as Netties consider such targets uninteresting. Only danger is from 100feet Zero/Oscar strafes, but he does not do it, except a few days of final Singapore evacuation where he got half a dozen such smaller ships. Larger trooping convoys in pacific, as well as Aden/CT->Karachi/Colombo ones are escorted, but mainly by small craft. Most AMs, KVs, PCs and PGs are being used. I dont yet have enough destroyers for convoy service. My plan is anyways to use offmap transport if possible, and use only huge, heavily escorted convoys to bring stuff in from offmap.

[Eambar]

Thanks for the reply.

Could you let us know how the S-Boats fare in NORPAC - interesting use of them particularly if they get some kills and forces your opponent to really guard those lanes around Sakhalin and Hokkaido. I'd expect he would probably rather be guarding the more southerly convoys from the DEI and the South China Sea.

Lucky you to not see any subs for a while, gives you the opportunity to get the convoys straightened out without too much interference. I'm seeing them from Bass Strait to the Gulf of Alaska!

Cheers,

[PetrOs]

ORIGINAL: Doggie3

Thanks for the reply.

Could you let us know how the S-Boats fare in NORPAC - interesting use of them particularly if they get some kills and forces your opponent to really guard those lanes around Sakhalin and Hokkaido. I'd expect he would probably rather be guarding the more southerly convoys from the DEI and the South China Sea.

Lucky you to not see any subs for a while, gives you the opportunity to get the convoys straightened out without too much interference. I'm seeing them from Bass Strait to the Gulf of Alaska!

Cheers,

You're welcome!
I already have a few there, and so far, they got one transport. One of the boats reacted into Sendai, hitting a mine but reaching Dutch Harbour successfully. A few older fleetboats are also in the area. Several other S-boats picked men from an EAB at clark field (useless there due to permanent bombardments, which dont permit fort works anyways), and bringing them to NORPAC currently.

Another S-boat sunk a Kongo-class BB near Palembang (confirmed as by now), as a few are still in DEI

Yeah, its really practical with no subs. Their concentration at PH costed me damage to the Lexington however... Also, all SoPac convoys have to route quite away from PH area.

[PetrOs]

Had to wait 3 days until next turn - my wife crashed her car, now it looks like Mogami after Midway! And another one resembles Mikuma... Actually exactly in the same pattern..

He landed at Rabaul. I had to reverse the 1st Aust.Div 2 turns ago due to Kb, and now its sure - the division goes to Port Blair. No troops in Rabaul but a pair of support squads from a BF which was evacuated. Positive - CM Bungaree laid a minefield there, and 3 of Arto's ships sunk there - E Uji, E Hashidate, and CM Hato. Mine hits and sinking sounds.

S-18 also torpedoed a fat xAP there.

Else, silent turn... Some not-so-good A2A action at PB, with too many losses on my side, 9 warhawks and 2 hurries to 4 oscars...

[PetrOs]

20.Jan.42

Mentioned the subs, and here is one. I-157 shot up an xAKL at Port Blair. 2 torps and 7 shells, and down is she. Same sub tried 2 more xAKLs later, damaged one by gunfire, but not critical. Another was not hit at all.

O23 sunk the Kashii by 2 torps. Sinking sounds heard.

KVII sank an xAKL by a torp, but was sunk by 3 DDs later same turn.

Air combat at port blair went very well, downing around 20 Oscars Ib and Ic for 2 hurricanes and 3 warhawks. New squadron got 7 of them - a good start. 2 more hurry squadrons are due in 2 days.

At Soerabaya, 9 Betties came earlier then the sweep, 6 were downed. Sweeps killed several dutch fighters and some US too.

He taken Rabaul.

1 Aust. div landing in Port Moresby.

[PetrOs]

21-23 jan 42

Several heavy battles in DEI. I threw my remaining destroyers to strike, and got 2 light cruisers (Kinu and Yubari) for all 6 destroyers. Not too bad. Yubari was actually torpedoed and finished off by a sub.

2 Hurricane squads from the DEI just managed to fly over to Cocos, before last airbase in range was overrun.

Very heavy air battles over Port Blair - every turn, dozens of his Zeros and Oscars sweep it, then followed by Sallys and Betties. I came out much better in last turns, for example on 23 jan, 12 zeros and 8 Oscars were downed, for 4 P40E and 4 Hurricane IIb. I got 2 more hurricane squads flown in this turn, one IIa and one IIb. An aircobra air wing (3 squads plus hq) would unload at Colombo in 2-3 turns, and would also join the battle, as well as a marine wildcat squadron. I heavily use layering, and my impression is that the enemy fighters get caught there, diving on warhawks at 21 and 29k, and then being in turn attacked by hurries, coming from 36k. Hurries get impressive scores quite fast, one squadron getting 20 kills in 2 combat days... As before, main problem is still with a lot of planes being damaged and grounded due to that. AA guns also reap a lot of bombers, rendering their attacks totally useless. Last turn 2 sallies and a betty down, and at least 30 reported damaged in combat report, from about 40 which attacked. Only one runway hit was scored, which does not delay my buildup.

He moved subs into my xAKL-stream pathes, several near PB, several near Soerabaya. Got 3 or 4 some by arty and torps.

Tom Lynch finally scored once more. He saw a Zero diving on his comrades in lower echelon, followed them down, and 6 machine guns neatly chopped off a wing from a zero. Zero hit the ground just off Tom's quarters. Another good news was that the squadron commander confirmed, that Maria would join their medical section in a few days. Totally happy after a good day, Tom observed how the mechanics were digging in Zero debris. Suddenly, his plane mechanic came, opened Tom's hand, and placed a diamond ring covered with some japanese symbols there. "If you would ever decide to engage with Maria,I guess you would need that, boss!"

Rajiv's 1st Burma division is preparing an intermediate defense line near Shwebo. He got news that several chinese corps already reached Lashio and would rail to Shwebo soon, with more following in several months. These were good news, as the chinese were known as tough little fighter guys. Backed by british tanks and AT guns, they can be very useful!

[BBfanboy]

Sounds like you have set up a prikly speed bump at Pt. Blair! Just the sort of thing the Allied player needs to do to
draw KB and other Japanese power away from more important areas. [:)]
I say speed bump because the Japanese can, at this stage, bring unstoppable force anywhere on the map. The question is
whether they will do so for a speed bump.

Edit: I know how to spell the word before "speed bump" but the AI stars out the first five letters, so I removed one.

[PetrOs]

ORIGINAL: BBfanboy

Sounds like you have set up a prikly speed bump at Pt. Blair! Just the sort of thing the Allied player needs to do to
draw KB and other Japanese power away from more important areas. [:)]
I say speed bump because the Japanese can, at this stage, bring unstoppable force anywhere on the map. The question is
whether they will do so for a speed bump.

Edit: I know how to spell the word before "speed bump" but the AI stars out the first five letters, so I removed one.

Yeah, thats the plan. Got nearly 400 AV there (dutch and indian guys, nearly everyone from Sumatra), lots of base forces, 2 CD units with lots of guns (Medan CD bat and an indian CD bat), and 5 british AA units, plus corps and Air HQs. So he would need to drop at least 3 divisions there, with LOTS of air power to support, and taking colossal losses in aircraft to fighters (2 P40E, 3 HurryIIb, 1 HurryIIa, 1 Buffalo as NF now, 2 more Hurry IIb, 1 Wildcat, and 6 (and more on the way from Eastern USA to Cape Town) P39 squads coming soon, to get good rotation potential) and AA, or leave it as is. Only drawback for now is that there is only one radar, but older type one, and that in very low experience (10!) base force. Works mainly well, but could use extra help there. Another big fat base force with 2 CH radars just arrived to Aden, so would get it there soon too. I got 20 AKLs running supplies as 1 ship CS convoys there too, on different routes, originating all over the coast of India and Sri Lanka.



Same actually with Cocos islands. 300+ AV and shuffling, aiming to get every transportable unit from Java there. 2 more regiment streams would start unloading next turn, for nearly 200AV more. Lots of BF, AA, and CD there too. Advantage is that its out of range of land based fighters, even of Zero, so no need for as many fighter squads. Would get 2 other US exPhilippine squads (1 P43, 1 P40C), plus all 4 ex-Singers squads (2 Hurry IIb, 2 Buffalo now, Buffalos to upgrade to Kittyhawks soon). More AA is moving from the USA off map.



As for 24 January, similar results. 19 oscars A and B down over PB for 3 P40s and 1 Hurry. Since the radar's there, it works much better! He still manages to get the cap worn down, so bombers come through for some AA fun - 5 bombers down by AA, with 10 more sallies/betties reported ops...

Else, he tries to advance down the Java now, not much other action.

I have 450 AV in Port Moresby now, and would probably try to get an australian cav brigade to Milne Bay in a few turns.

[PetrOs]

25th of january

Very silent turn with little action. 2 CLs and 3DDs shell Rangoon, nailing 2 japanese MSWs there. Lost 3 xAKLs/xAPs on stream duty to subs. Activated 2 ASW TFs to counter it now, one at PB and one at Cocos.

No sweeps in PB from him - most my fighters are now repaired there and 77 of them are on CAP.

[PetrOs]

26 Jan

Tom Lynch woke up, and he was sure something was wrong, and that the day would bring in the bad news. As he was brewing coffee, a messenger appeared, and asked him to see the base commander after breakfast. As Tom came there, he found the colonel with a stone face, and the news made him totally off balance - the merchant ship on which Maria was expected to come to the base, bringing the hospital section of the dutch Langsa Base Force where she was helping out, was torpedoed and sunk shortly after leaving Sabang. No information was available about the crew or passengers. There was hope that they would be found by other ships on the same route, or would make landfall on the boats, 2 dutch subs were transiting the area, and also a Corvette and 2 patrol boats were dispatched in the area to search for the sub and survivors.....

Maria was drifting on a liferaft. Last 24 hours were a reign of terror. At midnight, the small ship was struck by 2 torpedoes in a quick succession, and then shelled. Japanese submarine aimed to destroy the lifeboats and kill half-clothed people running on the decks. With the ship sinking fast, she jumped out of the nurse accomodation bulleye directly into water, and swam towards what she held for a bit of debris. It was a cork liferaft, badly damaged by a shell hit, but still able to hold several people. After the ship sank, japanese submarine came close, and picked up the master and 2nd engineer from the raft. After a short interrogation on the submarine deck, they were beheaded by the submarine commander's sword. As everyone on the raft was stunned by this barbaric act, Maria caught a glimpse of a machine gun turning towards the raft on the bridge, and dove into the water. Seconds later, bursts of big 13.2mm bullets ripped through the raft, killing all inhabitants in a few seconds... Maria was a good swimmer and diver, being grown up in her family's villa directly on Luzon coast, and she stayed under water for several minutes, until the gunfire ceased. As the sub disappeared in the darkness, she climbed back to the raft, which was covered by blood, and dead bodies. As the raft bouyancy was marginal, and it was settling, she told a silent prayer, and then dropped all the bodies to the darkness of the sea, using a somehow still intact canvas bucket to wash down blood traces from the raft. As the sunset came, she spotted 2 other people clinging to a piece of the ship's mast nearby, and manovered her raft to them, paddling with a chunk of a wooden board. These were a 70 year old Hilda van den Bloem, hospital's surgeon, who voluntered out of retirement at the city of Medan at the beginning of the war, and a badly burnt malay seaman, who spoke neither english nor dutch or spanish... Both ladies pulled the seaman to the raft, and then bound that piece of mast to the most damaged raft side, to provide extra bouyancy. There was no water and no medkit available, and the sun was glaring all the day. The malay lost concussiousness, and both Maria and Hilda were close to them, when they saw a submarine's sail. First instinct call of Maria was to dive off the raft, as she feared the same japanese sub, but then she recognised that the sub flew a dutch flag. It was also badly battered, deck gun twisted, steel sheeting on the sail buckled, and deck planking broken. As they were pulled onboard, they found out that it is KX, an older dutch sub which was returning for repairs to Ceylon. It received distress signals from several merchant ships in the area, and decided to search for survivors despite significant depth charge damage. As Maria asked the submarine commander Pieter de Back to try to send a radio message to Tom, he said it was not possible, as the transmitter was damaged, so she would need to wait until Ceylon....


Rajiv was very happy to see more troops arriving, 2 chinese corps came to Shwebo. However, it appeared that the troops there were badly equipped, and both corps were well under strength, with a need to fill out, and lacking any artillery, AT and AA guns. Most soldiers were also quite thin due to lack of food on the long route from China. The Burma Division was to share its defensive position with one of the chinese units, and Rajiv, who was one of the few who spoke a bit chinese, got in action organising the cooperation. His MG section got 2 chinese platoons assigned, which were staffed exclusively by 15 to 16 year old boys, armed with worn down german made rifles only, with little ammunition, and commanded by a 17 year old ensign, who was absolutely green. Now Rajiv had to train not only his 8 men, but also over 30 chinese...

Else, the turn was nice, 24 zeros, oscars and sallies downed for 1 Hurry IIa, 3 Hurry IIb and 2 Warhawks. Else, no significant action.

[PetrOs]

its 31st of January now, and not many changes so far

Its going very slow on my side, as I lost my job 2 weeks ago (more or less on my initiative, was not satisfied), and I am running to several interviews a day now, when I can. Last days, some heavy flu with over 39' fever added in.

Tom Lynch was fighting like a demon last days. Thinking that Maria is dead, he set up to revenge, and today he was successful two times. As the japanese Mini-KB guys came in, the supreme command decided to lay a trap to them, and ordered several smaller xAKLs to move in. As the agressive and overly confident Zeros and Kates came in for the ships, they were faced by nearly hundred of Cobras, Warhawks, and Hurricanes, which were prewarned by radar. The sky got black of burning japs, 30 Zeros and 14 Kates never returning to base (4 each P40 and HurryIIb, and 6 Cobras were the cost, but only 4 pilots dead). Tom spotted a flight of Zeros at around 10k feet, way below his formation, and led his flight down in a dive. Both Tom and his wingman downed a Zero each, second pair downing another one. Instead of leveling off, they kept on diving to the Kate bombers 4k feet below, which were fiercely attacked by Airacobras, and Tom's short burst turned one Kate into a fireball. After a heavy fight with remaining Zeros, which took down 2 of Tom's squadmates, they landed for rearm and repair. A small negative was, that 3 of the bait xAKLs were still hit and sunk. Tom's experience now reached 80, as it was before the injury.

Maria landed at Colombo. Travelling in an old dutch submarine, with combat damage traces everywhere (bent piping, wooden bars supporting bulkheads, small leaks everywhere...), was not a very pleasant experience, but much better one then in a raft before that... As she reported to the military headquarters there, she found out that the cable to the Port Blair was severed by enemy activity, and the radio traffic was restricted, and she would have to wait until the cable would work. As she was looking very sad about it, the base commander hinted her, that a Hq section of an Aircobra wing is preparing to fly over to PB in a few days, and she could find them on Colombo airfield assembing their mounts. A small transport is also loading petrol and MG ammo in harbour for PB. She was however explicitly prohibited to board the transport or to search any other opportunities on her own, and she was temporarily attached to a new station at Colombo Naval Hospital. She volunteered to undergo the surgery assistant training in this time, as she wanted to participate even more actively on the allied contribution.

I fear more bombardments near PB, and, since the miniKB is more or less neutralized, I am moving in a surface combat group there, with 1 R class BB, 1 CA, 3 CLs and 3 DDs.

He suddenly placed 40 Zeros over Rangoon, and there was a bloody battle against my B17s and LB30. I lost 4 each B17D and E, they downed at least 3 more zeros however according to credits. Rangoon was efficiently set afire once more, but not any more now.

Else, very slow progress everywhere. Magwe, etc are standing open in Birma and he's not caring about it. 2 chinese corps and the burma division are building up at Shwebo, behind a river crossing. No action in Solomons or pacific, no movement in china... Only landing is in Manado, and even there, they got stuck - failed 2 deliberate attacks already despite daily strikes by full size KB... I am a bit surprised he's not pushing everywhere. Only goes for me now - when the amphib bonus would be over, and the US industry will be rolling...

[PetrOs]

Its the 5th of February, and not much has happened. He taken Manado so far, and mainly abandoned attacks on PB.

Last turn, to prevent PB from bombardment, I moved in Royal Sovereign, Dorsetshire, 1 each of C, D and E class cruisers and 4 DDs there, as I saw a bombardment group coming. The bombardment never came, as they caught a glimpse of my BB, but the netties came, and were chopped en masse. 14 Betties and 29 Zeros dove down (27 shown up, with 68 Zeros as escort), for just 2 Warhawks, 4 Cobras and not a single Hurry lost. A pair of Betties put torps in Royal Sovereign, but very luckily for nearly no damage, 15(0)/13(3)/0 is the damage. As another bombardment group is seen (or the same), I opted to stay under the fighter umbrella of PB and not go, hoping to put some 15" piglets into those ugly japanese cruisers. Would also give cover to many transports unloading, as supply is down to 15k at PB, and needs pushing.

Else, action is very limited. Dacca is nearly done developing into B17 base. With masses of dutch troops reaching and flooding the Cocos, I started moving off indian units there, to prevent overstacking (30k), as I am at 29.5k now, and 3 more dutch regiments on the way. One indian Brigade would land in Diego Garcia, while the indian division would land in Colombo, to act as extra defense there, and also as a reserve for Assam. I am really unsure what the enemy plans are, as he is not advancing anywhere but marginally in DEI....