Turnaround? Lowpe (J) vs Tiemanj (A) Stock

[Lowpe]

So that is Burma.

If the southern part falls the north is wiped out. But I want to hold to the north for as long as possible for Magwe oil and keeping the Burma road closed. A tactical nightmare.

[Aurorus]

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

Here is one way I am trying to use my airforce.

These Oscars are hanging out at Shwebo, and set to strafe naval targets to a range of 6 which puts the coastline of Burma within range from Akyab to Chittacong.

Also in the airbase, is a Sentai of A6M5cs on escort at 1000 feet.

Now, they will scream into their raid at 4-6K, fight with the CAP, but hopefully the Oscars can make their runs -- look at their bombing accuracy!

Shwebo hasn't been reconned in ages by the Allies, and as soon as it is these guys will fly out to safety, but I am hoping to get a good lick in low, after having dive bombed the last group from 10K.

If you want the Oscars to attack small ships, PT boats, small groups of AKs, etc.. You are best off creating a "pilot- commander" for the group or a assigning it a pilot commander. An air-group assigned to naval attack must decide to launch on a target. This seems to be function of the aggressiveness of the commander (and the task-force commander if part of a CV task-force). Then the group must pass up to 4 separate leadership checks to determine how many planes actually launch- anywhere from 0% to 100%. Your current commander is a typical mid-tier Japanese Army aviation commander- 52 leadership, 59 inspiration, 63 air, 63 aggressiveness. A typical pilot promoted to an officer from the Japanese army will have a leadership of 71-75, inspiration of 65-75, and (if from a fighter squadron) an aggressiveness of about 40-50, and an air of 35-40. You suffer on the air and seem to suffer a little in swirling dogfights with these promoted pilots as commanders. But bomber groups, especially those attacking small naval task forces or those scheduled to attack targets with low recon values, seem to launch with much higher frequency and in greater numbers with pilot-promoted commanders.

To promote a pilot, simply select an air group that has a pilot commander and then its commander on the pilots screen. Click on the far right column, setting "retain pilot" to "off" for the commander. Then send him to the reserve pool. If there is no other pilot of officer rank sufficient to assume command, the program will automatically promote a junior officer to commander rank and give him a random set of ratings, roughly in the parameters that I have listed above. I have found this somewhat helpful in getting squadrons to launch in situations where they seem unwilling or unable to launch otherwise.

[Lowpe]

April 20, 1943

No night bombing.

No Allied bombing during the day.

A few bombing runs on the Chinese, three bombardment attacks and this:

The Oscars fly. Intelligence points to ships at Akyab. Juicy cargo ships...fly low, sweet Oscar...spotted by Radar...lucky we have Zeroes with us, wait, somehow the fighters jump behind the Zeroes and start mixing it up with the Oscars first...

Fly on...ships ahead. Ignore the fighters...and finally the Zeroes close, death from the skies...but what ships are they...

[Lowpe]

Hmm...

The raid is quick enough to avoid having extra fighters sortie in time...but during the dogfight PO2 A. Minegishi, Ace, is shot down in his Zero.

Two out of three British AMs sunk...one Oscar forced to jettison bombs and dogfight, but 20 Oscars make it thru the CAP and strafe the AMs.

Yet the Allied fighters engage after the bombing runs, they want revenge...

20 fighters lost, 10 Allied fighters downed.

Not a great victory, but the sub commanders are very happy as those pesky AM's had been persecuting them near Calcutta...

[Lowpe]

100 percent moonlight, will try to hit Chittagongs port and airfields. Port with Nell, there are 10 ships there including 3 subs, and the airfield with Betty, there are 30 fighters, 150 transports.

Moved most the Burma fighters one hex to hide them, Allies scouting the airfields at Raheng triangle...

More AA arrives in Prome tomorrow. Assuming more defensive positions in Burma, including flying in a Naval Guard unit to Tavoy.

Mini KB shakes off the rust and goes for a cruise.

A very good Sam J research day...many breakthroughs, and looking forward I will get Betty 3a (armored, cannons) in June, Oscar IV in June, and maybe, cross your fingers George in late June a little earlier than anticipated in time to be shot down by thunderbolts.[:)]

I will be dropping my CAP even lower then...

[Lowpe]

ORIGINAL: Aurorus
If you want the Oscars to attack small ships, PT boats, small groups of AKs, etc.. You are best off creating a "pilot- commander" for the group or a assigning it a pilot commander. An air-group assigned to naval attack must decide to launch on a target. This seems to be function of the aggressiveness of the commander (and the task-force commander if part of a CV task-force). Then the group must pass up to 4 separate leadership checks to determine how many planes actually launch- anywhere from 0% to 100%. Your current commander is a typical mid-tier Japanese Army aviation commander- 52 leadership, 59 inspiration, 63 air, 63 aggressiveness. A typical pilot promoted to an officer from the Japanese army will have a leadership of 71-75, inspiration of 65-75, and (if from a fighter squadron) an aggressiveness of about 40-50, and an air of 35-40. You suffer on the air and seem to suffer a little in swirling dogfights with these promoted pilots as commanders. But bomber groups, especially those attacking small naval task forces or those scheduled to attack targets with low recon values, seem to launch with much higher frequency and in greater numbers with pilot-promoted commanders.

To promote a pilot, simply select an air group that has a pilot commander and then its commander on the pilots screen. Click on the far right column, setting "retain pilot" to "off" for the commander. Then send him to the reserve pool. If there is no other pilot of officer rank sufficient to assume command, the program will automatically promote a junior officer to commander rank and give him a random set of ratings, roughly in the parameters that I have listed above. I have found this somewhat helpful in getting squadrons to launch in situations where they seem unwilling or unable to launch otherwise.

I like those guys to be dedicated trainers. I usually have no trouble flying against small ships (pt boats and up) with fighters, or fb, set to naval strafe. Normally they won't attack those ships when set to 1000 feet or higher.

I think these guys didn't fly because of low supply...as you can see they had not problem flying the next day.

[Lowpe]

What to look forward to: more death and destruction in the air.

Right now I stack my CAP from 9K to 15K with an odd Tojo IIc at 19 or 20K.

When these bad boys come around, I will lower my cap, perhaps starting at 6K and go as high as 12K. For the most part, though, the primary goal will be to avoid them. Rotate bases, try for CAP traps, or run away and hide.[:)]

The big speed difference really offsets the maneuverability advantage Oscar has. I will most likely die like flies. But, I am used to it.

[Lowpe]

One day, if I can live long enough, this will be the match up:

I will gladly give you 65mph today, for 100 mph tomorrow.[:)] Um, don't look at any other performance quality...speed kills. Or rams. I will take either.

[Lokasenna]

Do rammed bombers make it back to base in this game? If so, I wonder if durability is a factor, and will durability 8 simply mean a lot of damaged bombers on the rammings rather than kills?

[DanSez]

What is the estimated arrival date for the KI-202?

[Lowpe]

ORIGINAL: Lokasenna

Do rammed bombers make it back to base in this game? If so, I wonder if durability is a factor, and will durability 8 simply mean a lot of damaged bombers on the rammings rather than kills?

Not sure what the important figure is, but I have watched Oscar IVs bounce off B29s and no B29s were lost on the after action combat report....however that is really never all that accurate. Lots of B29s doa on the intelligence report

I think I can remember an oscar ramming a thunderbolt too.

The Oscar IV is a tank compared to the 202.

[Lowpe]

ORIGINAL: DanSez

What is the estimated arrival date for the KI-202?

1944 sometime. 4th quarter...maybe 3rd.

[bigred]

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

ORIGINAL: DanSez

What is the estimated arrival date for the KI-202?

1944 sometime. 4th quarter...maybe 3rd.

I am in nov 44 have not seen them yet, thank god.

[DanSez]

ORIGINAL: bigred

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

ORIGINAL: DanSez

What is the estimated arrival date for the KI-202?

1944 sometime. 4th quarter...maybe 3rd.

I am in nov 44 have not seen them yet, thank god.

This game has an unusual setting
Realistic R&D Off
so you probably won't see them at all.

3rd quarter 44? I can hear the AFBs howling now...
go get some...

[Sangeli]

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

More thinking on Burma

Goals: 1. Magwe pumping oil for as long as possible
2. Keep Burma road closed until I can seal it off on the Chinese side
3. Fight gradual retreating battle in favorable terrain (JR)
4. Don't get the IJA cut off

The last is the most important.

In northern Burma we have the the northern escape route, which is not very susceptible to paradrops and features really rugged terrain if mostly dirt road. Also there is the Burma road to think about.

Good defensive plan. That being said, prepare for Lashio being cut off as it could happen. And it really wouldn't be that bad because of the China situation and the terrain.

In the meantime I would probably launch a preemptive offensive in Paoshan and push east to give you better strategic depth and closer to linking up with the IJA in China

[Lowpe]

ORIGINAL: DanSez

ORIGINAL: bigred

ORIGINAL: Lowpe




1944 sometime. 4th quarter...maybe 3rd.

I am in nov 44 have not seen them yet, thank god.

This game has an unusual setting
Realistic R&D Off
so you probably won't see them at all.

3rd quarter 44? I can hear the AFBs howling now...
go get some...

Let them howl! Allies have had air dominance the whole game...turnabout is fair play.[:)]

3rd Qtr will take some luck...but is doable. Realistic R&D off lets me move production facilities to r&d and with a corresponding huge investment in supplies lets me try this insane strategy.

On the list of late fighters for Japan the 202 is probably near the bottom of the list. Very low durability, no range, high SR (not the highest), not that many guns. Has anyone ever fielded it in a pbem?

So don't worry about facing it, I think.

[Lowpe]

April 21, 1943

Darwin bombed by 4Es at night...a few runway hits.

Chittagong bombed by Nells, 1 port hit registered.

The Nestor, British DD, is out and about off the Burma coast and punishes a IJN Submarine...I have tried numerous times to sink this ship.

Prome is bombed heavily again...another AA unit moves in to help tomorrow.

A nice little raid on the Chinese air force...

[Lowpe]

ORIGINAL: Sangeli

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

More thinking on Burma

Goals: 1. Magwe pumping oil for as long as possible
2. Keep Burma road closed until I can seal it off on the Chinese side
3. Fight gradual retreating battle in favorable terrain (JR)
4. Don't get the IJA cut off

The last is the most important.

In northern Burma we have the the northern escape route, which is not very susceptible to paradrops and features really rugged terrain if mostly dirt road. Also there is the Burma road to think about.

Good defensive plan. That being said, prepare for Lashio being cut off as it could happen. And it really wouldn't be that bad because of the China situation and the terrain.

In the meantime I would probably launch a preemptive offensive in Paoshan and push east to give you better strategic depth and closer to linking up with the IJA in China

I wish I had the troops to launch an attack at Paoshan, just don't have them. Now, on the flip side of China I do...

Allies would have been better off using the Chindits in the north, instead of daring plans of deep cutoffs. Myitkyina should be in their hands building up to threaten Lashio. Instead he is heavily focused down the dirt road...

[Lowpe]

Nothing too exciting this turn...in Oz his Aussie mobile units are trying to surround my tank rgt, I am evacuating Darwin...CAP trap tried.

Reinforcing Munda with some coastal guns, I think Allies might try a naval bombardment on Nauru -- coastal guns there now, but not many. He will have to steam past half dozen subs to get there.

Wake gets some coastal guns...the Mini KB is providing some air coverage.

KB is still rusting.

[Lowpe]

Fusan

Here you can see the growth in deliveries to Fusan of fuel and oil.

The oil jumped by setting Port Arthur to stockpile and making a seeding oil drop off at Hong Kong and Shanghai, and then turning stockpile off. No more deliveries to Hong Kong or Shanghai, a few from Luzon to China, but all the Palembang/Singers loads go to Saigon and Cam Ranh Bay.

Also coincides with sending a tonan whaler there.