Fools Rush In Where Angels Fear To Tread: Panjack (A) vs. Q-Ball (J)

[Bullwinkle58]

Q-Ball has a long, well-documented record here in multiple AARs. He's no rookie.

[Sangeli]

ORIGINAL: Bullwinkle58

Q-Ball has a long, well-documented record here in multiple AARs. He's no rookie.

I know...I'm just trying to inspire some confidence [8D]

[SqzMyLemon]

ORIGINAL: Sangeli

Don't do this off the bat. You need to see how the situation develops first. Just take a deep breath and see how the game develops and learn from that. Ultimately you have only one opponent and our experiences may not always be relevant to yours. China may be a breeze for you like it is for me against my long time opponent. Or it could be awful and you lose by the end of 1942. I don't know and you don't but you'll find out! If you really have this much time to worry about China you could always start another game to use up that time.

This is a great comment. I was meaning to say something along this line myself. In my opinion, the China theatre is dictated by the Japanese player, not the other way around. Being able to set up a cohesive defence depends on how much pressure the Japanese player brings to bear. That's not to say what you do doesn't matter, but an experienced Japanese player will often counter what you do. It's really hard to offer any advice when the nature of the Japanese offensive isn't known. Is he committing large amounts of armour, is he employing large numbers of bombers, etc.

I'd offer more, but I can't compromise my own ongoing PBEM with my China strategy. [8D]

Take Alfred's comments with a grain of salt. I offer my opinions based on my own game experience. Is there a better way to defend China, sure, but in my experience it all depends on how your opponent plays it. There is a counter to everything in this game, the trick is knowing what, when and how. Good luck!

[Troy6677]

Hi Panjack:

Interesting reading for a newbie to the game as well. My small bit of advice. Make your own plan. Stick with it. Learn from it. And just have fun.

[Sangeli]

ORIGINAL: SqzMyLemon
I'd offer more, but I can't compromise my own ongoing PBEM with my China strategy. [8D]

Luckily for me my opponent doesn't read AARs here I think. Or I would be a lot more tight lipped.[:D]

[Panjack]

December 24, 25, and 26, 1941
---------
Japan continues to expand relentlessly with almost no opposition: landing over three days occurred at Davao, Lautem, Nauru Island, Balikpapan, and Tulagi. Outside the Pacific, landings are generally covered by Betties or with a CV somewhere nearby. As a result, I’ve not sent the surface ships in the area that had a chance to oppose some of the landings.

My search planes in the Aleutians constantly report large TFs of Japanese ships moving all around near Alaska and even Canada, but they have so far turned out false, clearly the result of poorly trained pilots. Yet one report seemed serious enough, and suggested the TF included a Japanese CV, that the complete Aleutian Navy fled their ports for a couple of days.

The overwhelming Japanese sweeps with follow-up bombing missions are less common and less successful now than before. The best case has been Rangoon, where I’m almost breaking even with Japan in fighter losses and one recent raid over the port saw 3 Sallies shot down. I’m running lots of supplies into Rangoon and after some initial losses of transports, most are now able to dash in, unload, and dash out. This could, of course, change at any time.

Some Chinese divisions have been bought out and are marching…slowly…into Burma. Unfortunately, due to our HRs I can only buyout Chinese infantry units that can have their HQ changed. This is only, I think, 10 units. The rest of the Chinese infantry units are stuck in China for the duration.

Japanese units are moving toward Burma and in less than a week they might make contact with Allied units defending that country. Bombs are dropping almost daily on Singapore but land units are still uninvolved in that attack.

Ship losses have been low for both sides so far, although I am saddened by the loss of TKs. My mole in the Japanese High Command has suggested the claimed sinking of the Japanese CS is based on bad intelligence. In addition to the losses below I’ve also lost 5 DD.

[Panjack]

December 28, 1941
--------------------

Bad day for the Allies.

While cat groups in the Aleutians report every school of fish as a major Japanese TF, the crews of my two cat groups operating out of Brisbane seem to spend their time aloft reading comic books and, so, fail to see anything no matter how big…including a raiding Japanese CV TF moving toward Sydney.

Luckily, I had read in reports from the day before that a couple of AMc operating out of Sydney were sunk by unknown means. That didn’t sound good.

Sitting in the port at Sydney were two Allied CVs, the Lexington and Enterprise.

I didn’t know what, if anything, was coming but decided, perhaps wrongly, to not put the CVs in a TF. I was concerned that CVs in a TF might react away from the AA at Sydney (even with zero react, but I wasn’t sure) and I think that CVs operating in TFs sitting in ports have reduced air operations, something I certainly didn’t want. So the two CVs sat in the port disbanded.

Other surface ships formed TFs in the chance (true?) that such ships might more effectively use their AA than if they were disbanded in port. My carrier fighters were already CAPing over Sydney from the land airbase and carrier DB and TB based on land not far away were set to naval attack.

I’m not sure I could do much else, given only a single day’s warning that something might be coming.

Luckily, Japanese carrier planes didn’t attack the CVs sitting in port. But when all is said and done, I expect I will have lost 4 DDs and will have a CA sitting in the Sydney drydock for a long time. My DBs were within range of the Japanese carriers but didn’t take off. They likely would have been slaughtered had they attacked the Japanese TF but still…

The total carnage from 6 different Japanese strikes:
DD Maury, Bomb hits 2, and is SUNK
DD Flusser, Bomb hits 2, heavy fires, heavy damage and, later, SUNK
DD Lamson, Bomb hits 2, heavy fires LOTs of fires burning and it might not survive.
DD Dunlap, Bomb hits 1, on fire only scratches
DD Drayton, Bomb hits 2, heavy fires, heavy damage SUNK
CA Chicago, Bomb hits 1, Torpedo hits 2, on fire, heavy damage
CA Portland, Bomb hits 1

Aircraft losses
B5N2 Kate: 3 destroyed, 2 destroyed by flak, 13 damaged
A6M2 Zero: 1 destroyed
D3A1 Val: 1 destroyed, 2 destroyed by flak, 17 damaged

F2A-3 Buffalo: 2 destroyed
F4F-3A Wildcat: 1 destroyed

The sunk DDs were performing ASW between Sydney and where the Japanese CVs set up shop. Unplanned by me, these ships apparently served as sacrificial pickets as Japanese pilots just couldn’t help themselves in attacking anything floating that they came across. Four of the six Japanese air strikes attacked ASW groups instead of hitting the port at Sydney.

I assume that the Japanese carrier bomber groups have been reduced in strength enough that a second strike is unlikely, but I can't be sure.

My conclusion: Sydney isn’t a safe place particularly if you can’t trust your naval search assets and, my main takeaway, I continue to benefit from luck as the sunk DDs performing ASW very possibly saved me from a much worse outcome.

[Bullwinkle58]

His carrier attack planes barely got their hair mussed. He can attack for many more days if he wants.

[Panjack]

ORIGINAL: Sangeli
I know...I'm just trying to inspire some confidence [8D]

I AM quite confident...confident that things will be really rough!

[Panjack]

ORIGINAL: SqzMyLemon
...In my opinion, the China theatre is dictated by the Japanese player, not the other way around.

Thanks for your feedback. As far as I can tell, Q-Ball is putting lots of attention on China and he's now advancing up the road from the SE of Sian and along the parallel road going to Ankang. Looks like lots of tanks are involved in the move to Sian.

I completely understanding not posting here personal strategies and tactics....but don't hesitate to send a PM if you feel so inclined!

[Panjack]

ORIGINAL: mvdh1

Hi Panjack:

Interesting reading for a newbie to the game as well. My small bit of advice. Make your own plan. Stick with it. Learn from it. And just have fun.

Hi Mvdh1, Yes, fun. It is great fun....but LOTS of work!

[Panjack]

ORIGINAL: Bullwinkle58

His carrier attack planes barely got their hair mussed. He can attack for many more days if he wants.

[:(]

But I have right and justice on my side. How can he attack again?!

It's really tricky to figure out what to do in that case. I don't see any gain having the CVs leave the AA of Sydney so I guess I'll just have to take my medicine if Q-Ball attacks again.

[BBfanboy]

About your search, some experienced players have posted that anything searching beyond 12 hexes seems to rarely have success.
If you Cats are searching at max range they cannot cover the assigned arc thoroughly and will miss a lot. They will also have very high ops losses.

Getting your CVs trapped at Sydney is a common mistake for first timers - I have seen enough AARs to know that you should not use the Sydney dockyard for repair of major units until
fall of 1942 when you can have enough bombers and fighters to defend the place. You lose a few weeks time going back to PH, but your ships are much safer there.

[obvert]

ORIGINAL: Panjack

ORIGINAL: Bullwinkle58

His carrier attack planes barely got their hair mussed. He can attack for many more days if he wants.

[:(]

But I have right and justice on my side. How can he attack again?!

It's really tricky to figure out what to do in that case. I don't see any gain having the CVs leave the AA of Sydney so I guess I'll just have to take my medicine if Q-Ball attacks again.

The best thing you can do is run anything over 30 knots at flank toward Melbourne. Then put any subs in the area in front of the KB. The Japanese can't afford a long chase down here due to fuel, and your DDs have longer legs. Sitting in Sydney is a BAD idea.

[Mike McCreery]

What Obvert said *escorted as well as possible because he might have subs in the line of retreat.

[Sangeli]

I like the ports between Melbourne and Perth to hold my CVs early on when they are down under. They are a bit smaller but you don't need to have CVs with full torpedoes in a big port; you need them in a safe port. Bases like Adelaide are much more safe than Sydney. And you can safely build those airbases to level 7 to upgrade air groups as well if you want.

[Panjack]

ORIGINAL: obvert
The best thing you can do is run anything over 30 knots at flank toward Melbourne. Then put any subs in the area in front of the KB. The Japanese can't afford a long chase down here due to fuel, and your DDs have longer legs. Sitting in Sydney is a BAD idea.

Hi Obvert. Thanks for the advice. The ships that can will hot rod away toward Melbourne.

I messed up here, and did so greatly. A blue ribbon committee will be formed to investigate this horrible mess up and will soon make a full report to the public. It will not be a pretty picture that is painted by this report.

[Panjack]

ORIGINAL: BBfanboy
About your search, some experienced players have posted that anything searching beyond 12 hexes seems to rarely have success.
If you Cats are searching at max range they cannot cover the assigned arc thoroughly and will miss a lot. They will also have very high ops losses.

I knew enough to have the cats searching at only 12 hexes. Sadly, I was too stupid to have not arranged to have significant naval search beyond that, say operating from Noumea.

[Panjack]

ORIGINAL: Wargmr

What Obvert said *escorted as well as possible because he might have subs in the line of retreat.

Yes, good reminder. I'll make sure of that.

ORIGINAL: Sangeli

I like the ports between Melbourne and Perth to hold my CVs early on when they are down under. They are a bit smaller but you don't need to have CVs with full torpedoes in a big port; you need them in a safe port. Bases like Adelaide are much more safe than Sydney. And you can safely build those airbases to level 7 to upgrade air groups as well if you want.

I was only at Sydney because one of my CVs had acquired some damage that required a dry dock. But as has been suggested, I should have gone back to PH for that. [:(]

[Mike McCreery]

ORIGINAL: Panjack

ORIGINAL: Wargmr

What Obvert said *escorted as well as possible because he might have subs in the line of retreat.

Yes, good reminder. I'll make sure of that.

ORIGINAL: Sangeli

I like the ports between Melbourne and Perth to hold my CVs early on when they are down under. They are a bit smaller but you don't need to have CVs with full torpedoes in a big port; you need them in a safe port. Bases like Adelaide are much more safe than Sydney. And you can safely build those airbases to level 7 to upgrade air groups as well if you want.

I was only at Sydney because one of my CVs had acquired some damage that required a dry dock. But as has been suggested, I should have gone back to PH for that. [:(]

Dont beat yourself up for making common mistakes most of us have obviously made as well :]