Castles in the Sand - Spidery(J) vs MrKane(A) no MrKane please

[Spidery]

April 27th 1943

Air Losses: 1 Japanese, 1 Allied, 0 Pilots
Japanese occupy:
Allies occupy:
Japanese land at:
Allies land at:

The quiet continues.

Subs

Quiet

Marshalls

Quiet

Solomons, etc.

Quiet

Burma area

Quiet

China

Destroy another Chinese Corps.

Australia & DEI

Quiet

Engineering

Quiet

R&D

Mitsubishi Ha-43 to 1/44

Reinforcements

Quiet

IJN Pilot replacement pool is now empty and drawing pilots from those that have not completed basic training.

[Spidery]

April 28th 1943

Air Losses: 1 Japanese, 1 Allied, 0 Pilots
Japanese occupy:
Allies occupy:
Japanese land at:
Allies land at:

The quiet continues.

Subs

Quiet

Marshalls

4 liberators bomb each of Mili and Maloelap.

Solomons, etc.

Quiet

Burma area

Quiet

Allies now have 166 fighters reported at Kalemyo. I have 152 fighters on CAP at Katha, 186 at Magwe and 60 at Rangoon so if he plans on some sweeps it could be bloody.

China

Mostly quiet

Australia & DEI

Quiet

Engineering

Allies have expanded Buin airfield to 6, the largest possible.

R&D

Ki-43-IV to 8/43

The last Ki-84a factory has repaired giving me 7 factories working on it and a due date of 11th May.

Need to start thinking about how many to produce and how many factories to leave working R&D on the Ki-84r. The Ki-84r is slightly faster, has a better climb and much better maneuver at the top bands. It seems a step up rather than a major change. It also has a better range with drop tank.

If I put two factories in production and leave 5 on R&D I would have the Ki-84r sometime in November. If I put 4 factories on R&D would be January 1944. I have about 500 IJA fighters not on training missions but will want to keep some on SR 1 aircraft. So between now and the end of the year could do with about 700-800 aircraft. So looks like the best option is to let the size 55 and one other factory enter production and leave 5 on R&D. Expand the factories to produce 120 aircraft per month. When the Ki-84r comes online, allow 3 factories to enter production increasing production to 210. I'll only need the Ki-84r until the Ki-83 comes online, in September 1944 with luck.

Reinforcements

Kure 7th SNLF, containing 24 DP guns - where to send it? Some base he is going to invade would be best.

[mind_messing]

Kure 7th SNLF, containing 24 DP guns - where to send it? Some base he is going to invade would be best.

Whatever you do, make sure there are some other units providing AV with it: units with CD/DP guns draw a great deal of fire from bombardment ships in ampihbious landings.

From my limited observations, CD equipped units will draw the bulk of bombardment fire, so let the Kure 7th SNLF get hammered to preserve some bigger, better IJA units.


Also, what's your plans for late-war planes for IJA and IJN? I hadn't considered the Ki-83, but looking at the stats, it seems very, very good as a bomber-killer, but it seems to me the Mustangs and Thunderbolts beat it in the fighter role.

[Spidery]

ORIGINAL: mind_messing

Kure 7th SNLF, containing 24 DP guns - where to send it? Some base he is going to invade would be best.

Whatever you do, make sure there are some other units providing AV with it: units with CD/DP guns draw a great deal of fire from bombardment ships in ampihbious landings.

From my limited observations, CD equipped units will draw the bulk of bombardment fire, so let the Kure 7th SNLF get hammered to preserve some bigger, better IJA units.

Good-point, and somewhere I can mine. The Marianas are a nice spot but somewhere further forward might be better.

Also, what's your plans for late-war planes for IJA and IJN? I hadn't considered the Ki-83, but looking at the stats, it seems very, very good as a bomber-killer, but it seems to me the Mustangs and Thunderbolts beat it in the fighter role.

Ki-83 as the mainstay for IJA and Ki-94-II to give top cover. J7W1 for the IJN and A7M2 for any carriers that are left. For an SR 1 fighter I'll probably stick with the Ki-43-IV as there isn't much better.

I think the Ki-83 stacks well against the P-51D but would be hammered by the P-51H but that is not until September. It is probably slightly worse than the P-47D25 and significantly beat by the P-47N. On the other hand, it is going to shred the Yak-9U if things get that far. Nothing is going to stand up against the P-80A, and P-82B in 1946.

However, it is all close enough that numbers, supply and home advantage will count more.

[Spidery]

April 29th 1943

Air Losses: 1 Japanese, 1 Allied, 1 Pilots
Japanese occupy:
Allies occupy:
Japanese land at:
Allies land at:

The quiet continues.

Subs

Quiet

Marshalls

4 liberators bomb each of Mili and Wotje, lightnings sweep Kusaie island.

Solomons, etc.

Quiet

Burma area

Quiet

At Warazup I can keep up intermittent bombardments this will get me something like 30 VP a month and cost about 15 VP. However, it is a pain because I have to micro-manage the artillery, stop it for disrupted units, put damaged units in reserve, etc.

If I moved the tanks out and put 4 infantry divisions that contain the heavy infantry squads with their 25 anti-armour rating and a good supply of 47mm AT guns would I get a reasonable result from an attack, he probably has forts 6 by now. Reasonable means suffering no more than three times the destroyed devices that the Allies suffer. I assume that even though AT units won't attack the AT guns in divisions to contribute.

China

Finished off the Chinese near the Burmese border. All Chinese forces are now unable to move and doomed.

Australia & DEI

Quiet

Engineering

Katha forts to 4, trying to improve supply movement.

Allies expand Darwin airfield to 6.

R&D

Quiet

Reinforcements

Quiet

[Lowpe]

ORIGINAL: Spidery
I'll only need the Ki-84r until the Ki-83 comes online, in September 1944 with luck.

Reinforcements

Kure 7th SNLF, containing 24 DP guns - where to send it? Some base he is going to invade would be best.

How does the use of a 2e fighter, as your mainstay, effect HI drain and engine stockpiles, and supply consumption?

Put the Kure on Umboi? With some mines.

[Spidery]

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

ORIGINAL: Spidery
I'll only need the Ki-84r until the Ki-83 comes online, in September 1944 with luck.

Reinforcements

Kure 7th SNLF, containing 24 DP guns - where to send it? Some base he is going to invade would be best.

How does the use of a 2e fighter, as your mainstay, effect HI drain and engine stockpiles, and supply consumption?

Remains to be seen, if it gets that far.

For HI I am not expecting that to be a limiting factor. As the plane is twice as good as the Ki-94-II I hope to take 70% of the losses and that will compensate for the extra supply cost of taking replacements. With fewer losses I'll lose fewer pilots so get better pilots with even more savings.

Put the Kure on Umboi? With some mines.

Why Umboi, he doesn't need to attack it?

[JocMeister]

ORIGINAL: Spidery

I think the Ki-83 stacks well against the P-51D but would be hammered by the P-51H but that is not until September. It is probably slightly worse than the P-47D25 and significantly beat by the P-47N. On the other hand, it is going to shred the Yak-9U if things get that far. Nothing is going to stand up against the P-80A, and P-82B in 1946.

However, it is all close enough that numbers, supply and home advantage will count more.

In my game with Erik I didn´t find the Ki-83 to make much if any a difference. This will be especially true for you since you don´t have an altitude HR and the Max Alt of the Ki-83 is only 36.600 (assuming you use Simons latest AC files). I think all US fighters at that stage can be put above that. So you will be dived on whether you sweep or are on CAP.

I think you might be better off using the Frank as its higher MVR will give it better survive ability when being dived on. Not to mention you can build twice as many Franks as Ki-83s using the same amount of engines.

[Spidery]

ORIGINAL: JocMeister

ORIGINAL: Spidery

I think the Ki-83 stacks well against the P-51D but would be hammered by the P-51H but that is not until September. It is probably slightly worse than the P-47D25 and significantly beat by the P-47N. On the other hand, it is going to shred the Yak-9U if things get that far. Nothing is going to stand up against the P-80A, and P-82B in 1946.

However, it is all close enough that numbers, supply and home advantage will count more.

In my game with Erik I didn´t find the Ki-83 to make much if any a difference. This will be especially true for you since you don´t have an altitude HR and the Max Alt of the Ki-83 is only 36.600 (assuming you use Simons latest AC files). I think all US fighters at that stage can be put above that. So you will be dived on whether you sweep or are on CAP.

I think you might be better off using the Frank as its higher MVR will give it better survive ability when being dived on. Not to mention you can build twice as many Franks as Ki-83s using the same amount of engines.

Not using the latest files. Ceiling for Ki-83 is 41530. Key USAAF fighters have ceilings from 41600 to 42000 but USNAF fighters have lower ceilings.

On sweeps, the aim would be to keep the Ki-83 on LRCAP and have the Ki-94-II do the sweeps using their altitude advantage. On CAP not so easy because of the lousy climb rate for the Ki-94-II. Somewhere, I read that a 40 mph speed difference causes the maneuveur of the slower plane to be halved which makes the Ki-84r about the same as the Ki-83.

Greyjoy seemed to have a lot of problems against the Ki-83 in his game with MrKane.

However, before I can worry about that I need to survive another year and a half.

Incidentally, the Ki-94-II would make an awesome Kamikaze or low nav attack plane with it speed, armour, durability and 500kg bomb. Doubt I will be able to afford to use them for that.

Some plane stats:

[JocMeister]

ORIGINAL: Spidery

Not using the latest files. Ceiling for Ki-83 is 41530. Key USAAF fighters have ceilings from 41600 to 42000 but USNAF fighters have lower ceilings.

On sweeps, the aim would be to keep the Ki-83 on LRCAP and have the Ki-94-II do the sweeps using their altitude advantage. On CAP not so easy because of the lousy climb rate for the Ki-94-II. Somewhere, I read that a 40 mph speed difference causes the maneuveur of the slower plane to be halved which makes the Ki-84r about the same as the Ki-83.

Greyjoy seemed to have a lot of problems against the Ki-83 in his game with MrKane.

However, before I can worry about that I need to survive another year and a half.

Incidentally, the Ki-94-II would make an awesome Kamikaze or low nav attack plane with it speed, armour, durability and 500kg bomb. Doubt I will be able to afford to use them for that.

Erik never had the Ki-83 in great numbers as Tom did and by the time Erik got them allied CAP was usually somewhere between 500-1000 planes.

Never encountered the Ki94. Looks like a very good plane for sweeps as you say. Backed up by the Ki-83 as you suggest might be a very good combo. [:)]

[Spidery]

April 30th 1943

Air Losses: 5 Japanese, 2 Allied, 2 Pilots
Japanese occupy:
Allies occupy:
Japanese land at:
Allies land at:

The quiet continues.

Subs

Quiet

Marshalls

4 liberators bomb each of Mili and Wotje.

Solomons, etc.

Quiet

Burma area

Quiet

When does the monsoon start?

China

Finished off the Chinese near Lanchow. Only two stacks left to go.

Australia & DEI

Quiet

Engineering

Keto-Jima airfield to 1. Chumphon to 6; I aim to expand this to 8 to provide a base on the Gulf of Siam side that can cover the Andaman Sea.

R&D

P1Y2 to 9/44

A6M5b and A6M5c enter production and A6M5 factories will start producing the A6M5c at 110 per month.

J2M2 enters production, may produce some of these just to see what they are like.

Ki-45 KAIc enters production, can't see the point of it.

Ki-49-II KAI this will be the IJA transport for the rest of the war so will start producing these at a rate of 30 a month.

Reinforcements

Quiet

KB

Have finished getting radar fitted and are back lurking. Current ready aircraft:
281 A6M5 73 B6N2 90 D4Y4 39 D4Y1 85 D3A1. Still need to replace those D3A1 and start upgrading the A6M5. Will take 3 months or so to get all the aircraft done. Except that by then I'll have the Taiho, Unryu and Amagi and their planes will need upgrade as well.

[Lowpe]

ORIGINAL: Spidery

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

ORIGINAL: Spidery
I'll only need the Ki-84r until the Ki-83 comes online, in September 1944 with luck.

Reinforcements

Kure 7th SNLF, containing 24 DP guns - where to send it? Some base he is going to invade would be best.

How does the use of a 2e fighter, as your mainstay, effect HI drain and engine stockpiles, and supply consumption?

Remains to be seen, if it gets that far.

For HI I am not expecting that to be a limiting factor. As the plane is twice as good as the Ki-94-II I hope to take 70% of the losses and that will compensate for the extra supply cost of taking replacements. With fewer losses I'll lose fewer pilots so get better pilots with even more savings.

Put the Kure on Umboi? With some mines.

Why Umboi, he doesn't need to attack it?

Your guns will shoot at any passing allied ship.

[Spidery]

April Overview

A quiet month. No bases changed hands.

First month the Allies gained more VP than I did. Mostly because of a bad naval strike I launched at Buin.

Code: Select all

           Japan      Allies
 Overall:   +543        +611
 Land:      +251         +19
 Air:       +215        +355
 Base:       +60        +141
 Sea:        +17         +94
 

[Spidery]

April Losses

Allied subs picked off a couple of TK and an AO. I also lost some small value xAK (not shown) to low-flying B-24 at Buin.

My subs sunk an AO and an SC and I sunk 4 AMc at Buin. I think that is all.

[Spidery]

April Industry

Poor growth in supplies because I expanded some air and engine factories. However, fuel stocks continue to grow nicely as do Vehicles, Armaments and HI stocks.

Code: Select all

 Oil:       -91,070
 Fuel:     +107,225
 Supply:    +36,181
 HI:        +88,960
 Arms:       +8,230
 Vehicles:   +3,881
 

[Spidery]

Engine Status

May be overdoing the Ha-35 but I hope to be able to use them for the Ki-115b.

[Lowpe]

Monsoon: May to October I believe.

[Spidery]

R&D Status

[Spidery]

May 1st 1943

Air Losses: 1 Japanese, 4 Allied, 1 Pilots
Japanese occupy:
Allies occupy:
Japanese land at:
Allies land at:

The quiet continues.

Subs

Quiet

Marshalls

4 liberators bomb each of Mili, Maleolap and Wotje.

Solomons, etc.

Quiet

Burma area

Bombardment at Warazup trades 7 Japanese for 8 Allied devices destroyed but most of the artillery is low in supply now.

China

Quiet

Australia & DEI

Quiet

Engineering

Allies expand Torokina airfield to 4 and still find some Soviet bases to expand as Irkutsk reaches 8.

R&D

Quiet

Reinforcements

Quiet

[Spidery]

May 2nd 1943

Air Losses: 1 Japanese, 0 Allied, 0 Pilots
Japanese occupy:
Allies occupy:
Japanese land at:
Allies land at:

The quiet continues.

Subs

I have been following a tanker task force all the way from San Francisco, every turn I guessed where it would be and had a sub in place, just one day from Pearl Harbour I get the first attack and I-20 sinks the TK Mobilstation: looks like she may have been worth 30VP or so[:)].

Everywhere

Quiet

Engineering

Allies expand Tamsag airfield to 8; anybody know where Tamsag is without looking it up?

R&D

Quiet

Reinforcements

SC CHa-21, SC CHa-26

I had this correspondence with Tom:

Me> I wonder if May will be as quiet as April?
Him> it is possible, I do not have tools to challenge you in air. And without
Air supremacy I cannot move forward

Interesting view, and it is only going to get worse with the Ki-84a coming out soon. However, I look around and see places he could make a move without me putting any air threat up: the rest of the Marshalls, Wake, Kusaie, Rossel, Shortlands, etc.