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

[BBfanboy]

ORIGINAL: Cribtop

It does seem that China is indefensible from the Allied perspective, at least with traditional tactics. The hope was that stacking limits would solve the problem but apparently not. I wonder what a mod that provided more auto supply would do to alter the situation. Might be an interesting test.

IRL I'm sure the Chinese got food and clothing supply from their own people in the area - say 200 miles.
I'm also sure they dug tank traps and felled trees to interfere with tanks, so the armour steamroller was not quite so effective. Not sure if the AI reduces the effective AV of tanks when
in +2 and +3 terrain.
In other words, I agree that the current settings make things too easy for Japan.

[JocMeister]

ORIGINAL: BBfanboy
IRL I'm sure the Chinese got food and clothing supply from their own people in the area - say 200 miles.
I'm also sure they dug tank traps and felled trees to interfere with tanks, so the armour steamroller was not quite so effective. Not sure if the AI reduces the effective AV of tanks when
in +2 and +3 terrain.
In other words, I agree that the current settings make things too easy for Japan.

Not complaining though. I knew what I was getting into and I knew for certain Tom would conquer China before 42 was up. If I can survive AV it will probably be a better game in the end. [:)]

The main problem is and have always been to survive AV. But the "issue" may have to be looked at from a VP perspective. With the relative ease which China can be conquered it might make AV too "easy" for an accomplished Japanese player to achieve. Only way to find out is playing numerous PBEMs and see what happens. [:)]

[JocMeister]

[font="Verdana"]Crisis in OZ![/font]
______________________________________________________________________________

Need some advice on how to handle this. Another very clever move by Tom! I was pretty shocked to find there are virtually NO AA units in OZ. Loads of Arty and CD guns. But no AA units. All AA is embedded in the LCUs. And its pretty pitiful whats there. 6-10 Lewis AA machine guns per ID and thats it. So trying to deter this with AA fire will probably work.

That leaves only Fighters. I have fighters in place. Actually almost 150 of them. Problem is pilots. They are crap at this stage. The ones in OZ are EXP 30-35 and 35-40 in Air. The Squadrons are US army though so I can probably do a bit of switching and get some half decent pilots in them.

I also have some DBs and Wirraways trained in NavB. The Wirraways are actually pretty decently trained with 50 in NavB.

Other ideas are very welcome. I certainly can´t afford to lose 100 VPs per day. How long can he stay around? He has Noumea and with some AKEs he can probably rearm sorties there. I have to fight this somehow.

[Lowpe]

Eh, you need better search. Mr. Kane keeps surprising you...I guess you don't need me telling you that.[:)]

I think trying to hit the carriers you will simply throw away your pilots and planes, better to focus on swarming him with subs, and defending the industry with planes. At least they will be parachuting out over friendly territory.

Brisbane will get hit tomorrow, and I wouldn't put it past Mr. Kane to sweep there heavily first.

Grin and bear it.

[JocMeister]

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

Eh, you need better search. Mr. Kane keeps surprising you...I guess you don't need me telling you that.[:)]

I think trying to hit the carriers you will simply throw away your pilots and planes, better to focus on swarming him with subs, and defending the industry with planes. At least they will be parachuting out over friendly territory.

Brisbane will get hit tomorrow, and I wouldn't put it past Mr. Kane to sweep there heavily first.

Grin and bear it.

Nothing wrong with the search. [:)] I detected him 5 turns ago. He has been sitting there since then. I hunkered down at Sydney expecting a port attack at the shipping there followed up by a landing at Bundaberg(?). He has a BB TF sitting 6 hexes due east of the base. Its just North of the screen border.

I´ll try to do something with my fighters. Problem is I can´t cover all the bases and he can switch between Sydney, Brisbane and Newcastle. He keeps driving me nuts. [:)]

[BBfanboy]

If you can, put some BFs on the closest inland bases to the threatened area and operate aircraft from there. They will be
safe from BB bombardment.
It is strange that his SCTF is sitting around waiting- either for an Amphib force to come up for a landing in Oz or to
shield a landing further east in SOPAC from any interference from Oz. But subs love TFs that sit still ...[:)]

[Lowpe]

ORIGINAL: JocMeister
Nothing wrong with the search. [:)] I detected him 5 turns ago. He has been sitting there since then. I hunkered down at Sydney expecting a port attack at the shipping there followed up by a landing at Bundaberg(?). He has a BB TF sitting 6 hexes due east of the base. Its just North of the screen border.

Staying put and being spotted![:-] Something is up!

Time to sortie the Pearl Battleships! Find a flaw in his naval search and bombard Sendai or Ustonomyia! Or at least threaten it, so that Mr. Kane has to pull some things in off the front lines. Grab Wake back.

Find a volunteer xak and run in 5000 supply in somewhere...China? PI? I can't remember what all is gone...

Drop mines in his shipping areas with subs...

Use some torp carrying Cats on 2000 foot attacks against those carriers...mix in a high altitude bombing run with 4es.

Where are all your carriers?

[Lokasenna]

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

ORIGINAL: JocMeister
Nothing wrong with the search. [:)] I detected him 5 turns ago. He has been sitting there since then. I hunkered down at Sydney expecting a port attack at the shipping there followed up by a landing at Bundaberg(?). He has a BB TF sitting 6 hexes due east of the base. Its just North of the screen border.

Staying put and being spotted![:-] Something is up!

Time to sortie the Pearl Battleships! Find a flaw in his naval search and bombard Sendai or Ustonomyia! Or at least threaten it, so that Mr. Kane has to pull some things in off the front lines. Grab Wake back.

Find a volunteer xak and run in 5000 supply in somewhere...China? PI? I can't remember what all is gone...

Drop mines in his shipping areas with subs...

Use some torp carrying Cats on 2000 foot attacks against those carriers...mix in a high altitude bombing run with 4es.

Where are all your carriers?

Hopefully far away.

Just turn off repairs at Sydney. He'll run out of points to grab. He is probably trying to get 500 to 1000 permanent VPs and maybe try to destroy your RepSY with fires. Not much you can do at this stage other than suicide runs on the CVs.

Go looking for poop with your CVs off Hokkaido [;)].

[offenseman]

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

Time to sortie the Pearl Battleships! Find a flaw in his naval search and bombard Sendai or Ustonomyia! Or at least threaten it, so that Mr. Kane has to pull some things in off the front lines. Grab Wake back.

Drop mines in his shipping areas with subs...

Couldn't agree more. You have many areas of the map where you can do little except take the beating he gives you. However you have assets to use and he has places that cannot be searched/defended hardly at all. Use those old, slow BBs and some good front line cruisers.
His search assets are stretched tight especially if he is using them out of Noumea to search as his search perimeter is now much larger than Japan can hope to search at this point of the war. You know where most of his CVs are and most surface assets as well. Hit back.
You will need: 4 Bombardment TFs consisting of 2 BB and some escorts each. One each for Paramushiro Jima, Kushiro (resource), Toyohara (resource), Shikuka (oil). One heavy SCTF with 4 CA and 4 DD to "protect" the BB TFs, One light SCTF with one CA, several CL and a few DD to attack shipping, One amphib group with a rgt to take Paramushiro Jima. One AO/AE group- a big one to refuel your surface forces after a 4 day high speed run. Possibly a follow up amphib to keep Parmushiro-Jima.

Step One- send in a lot of subs- for recon really since the torps do not work. S-Boats are good if you have them close by.

Next of the Op make sure you own Attu or Shemya (sorry do not know your map) and place AOs and AE (AV if possible for Cats) capable of rearming BBs.

Next a series of high speed runs. Bombard Parmushiro-Jima and invade it on the next phase. Retire the TF to the nearest friendly port and then return it to battle if needed.

A day behind, the three other BTFs move toward their objectives as well as the anti-shipping groups and protecting CAs.

If your CVs are near Pearl, cover the BTF, especially the one set for Kushiro with LRCAP. That far north Japan has a lot of trouble using torpedo carrying a/c at this stage of the war. Pretty much Ominato is the only option as base sizing is a problem.

Bombard and run away.

It is fairly low risk in my opinion and he will never feel safe up there again. Never. Last game my opp did this in a limited scale and despite using the best assets I had, his SCTF was never sighted until it was too late. It never came close to being attacked. It is simply too early in the war for Japan to protect that area.

[JocMeister]

Thanks guys. [&o] I have to make sure I get the turn off to Tom. I´ll try to make a post after that!

[Lowpe]

Bihoro can host torps really easily early on.

[Lokasenna]

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

Bihoro can host torps really easily early on.

Yes. Watch out for this. It's why I didn't approach the Aleutians and instead came up in the "pocket" due east of Honshu/SE of Hokkaido.

Also note that if you invade Paramushiro, it will trigger emergency reinforcements. You will have to decide if you want to do that or not.

I've crunched the numbers and in Scen 2, it's only about 100,000 supply to feed those units for 3 years. Only 2 of the 10 can be disbanded.

[JocMeister]

I really appreciate the input guys! [&o]

Just sent the turn back to Tom. I opted to keep a CAP up over Sydney for now. I hope he will think I put all the fighters up on LRCAP over Newcastle and will strike Sydney instead. Or he will just keep hitting Newcastle until everything has burned. Sadly there is ALOT to burn there. [:(].

Tom continues to impress me with his play. So far he has done everything right so there isn´t much room for me to do something (at least that what I will claim in the military court! [;)]). I just have to wait for that small mistake and hope I got something in the neighborhood to take advantage of it. Its easy to feel despair at this stage. Especially coming from a -45 game where you have so much stuff to play with. [:)]

I looked at the possibility of hitting the HI with BB/CV forces. Sadly I´m so much out of position (most of the USN is in deep SOPAC) it would take me at least 60 days to get into position. By then I´m pretty certain much will have changed. I´m still on possession of NOPAC but lack combat troops to really guard it. Most of it is empty really. I have RGT at Dutch and thats about it. Most troops has been sent toward SOPAC as there is where I expected (and still expect) the game to be decided.

But you guys are right. I need to do something to get his attention. I´m not just sure what. It has to be something that will throw him off his VP timetable. Or at least get his attention enough to divert assets intended for somewhere else. I also has to do this without crippling myself for an offensive in late 42 to possible tip the AV scale in allied favor.

[aztez]

I think you are in ok situation. Personally think he made mistake by letting you keep those old Battlewagons and he will regret that later on. Those things are pretty useful in many ways later on.

Just keep fortifying those atolls in CenPac and good things will come...

[Lokasenna]

ORIGINAL: JocMeister

I really appreciate the input guys! [&o]

Just sent the turn back to Tom. I opted to keep a CAP up over Sydney for now. I hope he will think I put all the fighters up on LRCAP over Newcastle and will strike Sydney instead. Or he will just keep hitting Newcastle until everything has burned. Sadly there is ALOT to burn there. [:(].

Tom continues to impress me with his play. So far he has done everything right so there isn´t much room for me to do something (at least that what I will claim in the military court! [;)]). I just have to wait for that small mistake and hope I got something in the neighborhood to take advantage of it. Its easy to feel despair at this stage. Especially coming from a -45 game where you have so much stuff to play with. [:)]

I looked at the possibility of hitting the HI with BB/CV forces. Sadly I´m so much out of position (most of the USN is in deep SOPAC) it would take me at least 60 days to get into position. By then I´m pretty certain much will have changed. I´m still on possession of NOPAC but lack combat troops to really guard it. Most of it is empty really. I have RGT at Dutch and thats about it. Most troops has been sent toward SOPAC as there is where I expected (and still expect) the game to be decided.

But you guys are right. I need to do something to get his attention. I´m not just sure what. It has to be something that will throw him off his VP timetable. Or at least get his attention enough to divert assets intended for somewhere else. I also has to do this without crippling myself for an offensive in late 42 to possible tip the AV scale in allied favor.

I think you could be off the coast of the HI within 30 days if you sail now for Hawaii, refuel, and head north.

Put it this you - you can definitely get there before KB can.

[JocMeister]

ORIGINAL: Lokasenna

ORIGINAL: JocMeister

I really appreciate the input guys! [&o]

Just sent the turn back to Tom. I opted to keep a CAP up over Sydney for now. I hope he will think I put all the fighters up on LRCAP over Newcastle and will strike Sydney instead. Or he will just keep hitting Newcastle until everything has burned. Sadly there is ALOT to burn there. [:(].

Tom continues to impress me with his play. So far he has done everything right so there isn´t much room for me to do something (at least that what I will claim in the military court! [;)]). I just have to wait for that small mistake and hope I got something in the neighborhood to take advantage of it. Its easy to feel despair at this stage. Especially coming from a -45 game where you have so much stuff to play with. [:)]

I looked at the possibility of hitting the HI with BB/CV forces. Sadly I´m so much out of position (most of the USN is in deep SOPAC) it would take me at least 60 days to get into position. By then I´m pretty certain much will have changed. I´m still on possession of NOPAC but lack combat troops to really guard it. Most of it is empty really. I have RGT at Dutch and thats about it. Most troops has been sent toward SOPAC as there is where I expected (and still expect) the game to be decided.

But you guys are right. I need to do something to get his attention. I´m not just sure what. It has to be something that will throw him off his VP timetable. Or at least get his attention enough to divert assets intended for somewhere else. I also has to do this without crippling myself for an offensive in late 42 to possible tip the AV scale in allied favor.

I think you could be off the coast of the HI within 30 days if you sail now for Hawaii, refuel, and head north.

Put it this you - you can definitely get there before KB can.

That is true. Something to ponder indeed.

[JocMeister]

ORIGINAL: aztez

I think you are in ok situation. Personally think he made mistake by letting you keep those old Battlewagons and he will regret that later on. Those things are pretty useful in many ways later on.

Just keep fortifying those atolls in CenPac and good things will come...

Thanks aztez! Hope you are right! [:)]

[JocMeister]

Btw, have to keep traditions up!

Here is the drinking for tonight! [&o]
http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/oppigards- ... ale/35492/

And here is the music! If you havn´t listend to Ghost BC before do it! The guys are hilarious. Even have mock "documentary" made which is awesome (available on Youtube of course). Besides that they are one of the best live bands I have ever seen. Rumor has it Dave Grohl (Foo Fighters) acted as one of the "ghouls" on the US tour. If true that certainly says something. [:)] Their album "Infestissumam" is one of my top 10 favorites all time. [:)]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wy0l2r0IxkI

[Lokasenna]

ORIGINAL: JocMeister

ORIGINAL: Lokasenna

ORIGINAL: JocMeister

I really appreciate the input guys! [&o]

Just sent the turn back to Tom. I opted to keep a CAP up over Sydney for now. I hope he will think I put all the fighters up on LRCAP over Newcastle and will strike Sydney instead. Or he will just keep hitting Newcastle until everything has burned. Sadly there is ALOT to burn there. [:(].

Tom continues to impress me with his play. So far he has done everything right so there isn´t much room for me to do something (at least that what I will claim in the military court! [;)]). I just have to wait for that small mistake and hope I got something in the neighborhood to take advantage of it. Its easy to feel despair at this stage. Especially coming from a -45 game where you have so much stuff to play with. [:)]

I looked at the possibility of hitting the HI with BB/CV forces. Sadly I´m so much out of position (most of the USN is in deep SOPAC) it would take me at least 60 days to get into position. By then I´m pretty certain much will have changed. I´m still on possession of NOPAC but lack combat troops to really guard it. Most of it is empty really. I have RGT at Dutch and thats about it. Most troops has been sent toward SOPAC as there is where I expected (and still expect) the game to be decided.

But you guys are right. I need to do something to get his attention. I´m not just sure what. It has to be something that will throw him off his VP timetable. Or at least get his attention enough to divert assets intended for somewhere else. I also has to do this without crippling myself for an offensive in late 42 to possible tip the AV scale in allied favor.

I think you could be off the coast of the HI within 30 days if you sail now for Hawaii, refuel, and head north.

Put it this you - you can definitely get there before KB can.

That is true. Something to ponder indeed.

Heh, I meant "put it this way"...I'm bad at multi-typing today.

[BBfanboy]

ORIGINAL: JocMeister

Btw, have to keep traditions up!

Here is the drinking for tonight! [&o]
http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/oppigards- ... ale/35492/

And here is the music! If you havn´t listend to Ghost BC before do it! The guys are hilarious. Even have mock "documentary" made which is awesome (available on Youtube of course). Besides that they are one of the best live bands I have ever seen. Rumor has it Dave Grohl (Foo Fighters) acted as one of the "ghouls" on the US tour. If true that certainly says something. [:)] Their album "Infestissumam" is one of my top 10 favorites all time. [:)]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wy0l2r0IxkI

A beer with a farm on the label? Can't you get something more ... nautical?