Awakening of the Sheep! - JocMeister (A) vs. Richard III (J)

[Lowpe]

ORIGINAL: JocMeister

PS. I´m drinking beer. [:'(]

Anticipating the destruction of Force Z already, eh?[:D]

[JocMeister]

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

ORIGINAL: JocMeister

PS. I´m drinking beer. [:'(]

Anticipating the destruction of Force Z already, eh?[:D]

Not this time. Pulled it back "a bit"...see I am capable of learning from my mistakes! [:D]

[obvert]

ORIGINAL: JocMeister

PS. I´m drinking beer. [:'(]

Come on now, don't hold out on us! Which beer? [:)]

[JocMeister]

ORIGINAL: obvert

ORIGINAL: JocMeister

PS. I´m drinking beer. [:'(]

Come on now, don't hold out on us! Which beer? [:)]

Its the cheap watery kind... [:(]

Newcastle Brown....

[JocMeister]

Sounds like KB stayed in the DEI...Probably a full attack on Manila like Tom did. Got this email from Richard.

Got it ran the Combat, will get it back to you in about 1 hour with the CR.

At least you will have some very interesting options with the Pacific Fleet....sorry about the rest.

Regards
Richard

I hate that opening. Only positive is the extra CATs.

[Lokasenna]

ORIGINAL: JocMeister

Sounds like KB stayed in the DEI...Probably a full attack on Manila like Tom did. Got this email from Richard.

Got it ran the Combat, will get it back to you in about 1 hour with the CR.

At least you will have some very interesting options with the Pacific Fleet....sorry about the rest.

Regards
Richard

I hate that opening. Only positive is the extra CATs.

Not the only. There are strategic implications having to do with KB's being in the DEI. Look at what your ol' buddy Obvert's been doing against GJ.

With no KB nearby, SOPAC operations can be made difficult if not impossible for the IJN.

[Lowpe]

ORIGINAL: JocMeister

Not this time. Pulled it back "a bit"...see I am capable of learning from my mistakes! [:D]

Not far enough, I bet....(I have no clue what actually happened)....but here is my take:

[Lowpe]

ORIGINAL: JocMeister

Sounds like KB stayed in the DEI...Probably a full attack on Manila like Tom did. Got this email from Richard.

Got it ran the Combat, will get it back to you in about 1 hour with the CR.

At least you will have some very interesting options with the Pacific Fleet....sorry about the rest.

Regards
Richard

I hate that opening. Only positive is the extra CATs.

That is pretty darn cryptic...does he mean he screwed up or really screwed the Allies?

[EHansen]

Probably either he did not bomb PH at all or only lightly.

[JocMeister]

[font="Verdana"]7th December 1941[/font]
______________________________________________________________________________

Pretty much as expected. Havn´t gotten the turn file yet.

------------------------
DEI
------------------------
Full Mersing gambit. Landing on day 1. Force Z is no more. It was set to full speed destination Batavia. But for some reason it only moved 9 hexes. [8|]

Morning Air attack on TF, near Toboali at 51,93

Weather in hex: Clear sky

Raid detected at 78 NM, estimated altitude 11,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 33 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 9
B5N2 Kate x 65
D3A1 Val x 47

Allied aircraft
no flights

Japanese aircraft losses
B5N2 Kate: 5 damaged
B5N2 Kate: 4 destroyed by flak
D3A1 Val: 7 damaged
D3A1 Val: 1 destroyed by flak

Allied aircraft losses
Walrus II: 1 destroyed

Allied Ships
BC Repulse, Bomb hits 7, Torpedo hits 7, and is sunk
BB Prince of Wales, Bomb hits 6, Torpedo hits 6, and is sunk
CL Danae, Bomb hits 4, heavy fires
DD Tenedos
DD Vampire
DD Express

While this obviously sucks its not that big of a deal. With the KB (or at least parts of it) in the DEI there would have been little to no opportunity for Force Z to cause some havoc among Japanese landings.

With the Mersing landing on the very first turn its unlikely I will get anything into Singers. Expecting it to fall in 2 weeks.

------------------------
DEI
------------------------
Japanese movement everywhere. No doubt Richard is going to push heavily here. Chinese forces are scrambling to get out of their exposed positions and into cover.

------------------------
PH
------------------------
The usual hoard of subs outside PH. But no PH strike. I know some people think this is a great benefit. I didn´t agree last time and I still don´t. Those BBs are pretty useless early on. They are too slow and most importantly they drink too much fuel. They simply doesn´t have any role to fill at this stage of the war besides the odd convoy duty. They can´t even do that very well since I simply cannot keep them fueled.

------------------------
Manila
------------------------
Oddly enough there wasn´t any CV strike here. Only LBA. Very surprising since that means Richard didn´t do any CV port strikes at all. Very thankful for this as it looks like I will have a decent sub fleet this time around!

]Morning Air attack on Manila , at 79,77

Weather in hex: Clear sky

Raid spotted at 34 NM, estimated altitude 7,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 11 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 10
G3M2 Nell x 9
G4M1 Betty x 52
Ki-21-IIa Sally x 18

Japanese aircraft losses
G4M1 Betty: 1 damaged

Allied Ships
AO Pecos, Bomb hits 1
AV Langley, Bomb hits 1, on fire
SS Seadragon, Bomb hits 2, heavy damage
PG Isabel, Bomb hits 1, heavy fires, heavy damage
TK Mindanao, Bomb hits 2, on fire
AM Tanager, Bomb hits 1, on fire
AVD Childs, Bomb hits 1, on fire
SS Sailfish, Bomb hits 2, heavy damage
SS Spearfish, Bomb hits 1
SS Sculpin, Bomb hits 1, heavy damage
SS Permit, Bomb hits 1
SS Shark, Bomb hits 1
SS Tarpon, Bomb hits 1, heavy damage
xAK Ethel Edwards, Bomb hits 1, on fire
SS S-41, Bomb hits 1
SS Snapper, Bomb hits 1, heavy damage

Morning Air attack on Manila , at 79,77

Weather in hex: Clear sky

Raid spotted at 16 NM, estimated altitude 5,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 6 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 19
G3M2 Nell x 27

Japanese aircraft losses
G3M2 Nell: 2 damaged

Allied Ships
SS Searaven, Bomb hits 1, heavy damage
AM Bittern, Bomb hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
xAP Don Esteban, Bomb hits 1, and is sunk
SS Swordfish, Bomb hits 1, heavy damage
xAP Rochambeau, Bomb hits 1, on fire
SS Sargo, Bomb hits 1, heavy damage
AVD Childs, Bomb hits 1, heavy fires, heavy damage

Looks like I will have a lot of undamaged subs in the SCS shortly.

------------------------
Full KB?
------------------------
I could only confirm Hiryu and and Kaga and the strike against Force Z looks too small to be the full deal. This coupled with the fact that there wasn´t any CV port strike makes me very worried. Am I missing a big chunk of the KB? If so, where is it? Have to be careful with my CVs in CENTPAC right now...

[Quixote]

Force Z is no more. It was set to full speed destination Batavia. But for some reason it only moved 9 hexes. [8|]

Unlike every other turn in the game, on the first turn there is only one movement phase, presumably to accommodate the Japanese magic move. Force Z moved exactly where you could have predicted they'd move if you knew this rule. Richard III probably did know it, since Force Z is no longer, but better late than never if you didn't. Not that it will help you this game, but it may save you some mental anguish and help you better plan your next PBEM.[:'(]

Good Luck, Joc. Keep in mind that it's only one turn, and that there's always a counter to every Japanese opening (though this one is admittedly tougher to counter than most.) Chin up, sir!!

[JocMeister]

ORIGINAL: Quixote

Force Z is no more. It was set to full speed destination Batavia. But for some reason it only moved 9 hexes. [8|]

Unlike every other turn in the game, on the first turn there is only one movement phase, presumably to accommodate the Japanese magic move. Force Z moved exactly where you could have predicted they'd move if you knew this rule. Richard III probably did know it, since Force Z is no longer, but better late than never if you didn't. Not that it will help you this game, but it may save you some mental anguish and help you better plan your next PBEM.[:'(]

Good Luck, Joc. Keep in mind that it's only one turn, and that there's always a counter to every Japanese opening (though this one is admittedly tougher to counter than most.) Chin up, sir!!

Thank you for the info. Been playing this game for 7 years or so and I didn´t know that. [:D] Mystery solved! Hopefully I will remember it for the next PBEM! [:)]

I´m actually not that depressed. Given the Japanese opening Force Z will be of little use in the DEI anyway. Sucks to loose the VPs though.

[Lowpe]

Sorry for your loss. Force Z is just tough to keep a float.

[JocMeister]

[font="Verdana"]First turn losses[/font]
______________________________________________________________________________

Actually very light. I will lose at least 4 subs at Manila though as their flooding is 90+. No doubt the IJAAF will pay a visit tomorrow.

Very bad DL on what appears to be at least parts of the KB. So I can´t confirm weather or not its the full deal. I´ll get started on the turn tonight and I hope I can get back to Richard tomorrow evening.

With a Mersing gambit and the KB in the DEI it tells me something, he wants to get it done quickly. That means either OZ or India. I was sure Tom would go for India but he went OZ instead but perhaps Richard will go for India. I hope he does because I´ve never fought in India so it would be a new experience for me. [:)]

I won´t know for at least 2-3 months though unless SIGINT gives something away. So for now I´ll divide things equally between the two. I´ll try and explain in more detail when the 2nd turn is off to Richard.

[JocMeister]

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

Sorry for your loss. Force Z is just tough to keep a float.

Thank you. As I said its not really that of a biggie for me. [:)]

[MrKane]

If I can give you any advice it would be : Start packing all transport planes and useless bombers and send them to India. You need to start moving supplies from Ledo to China ASAP.
You can have +1K per day supplies more in China before April/May.

[obvert]

ORIGINAL: MrKane

If I can give you any advice it would be : Start packing all transport planes and useless bombers and send them to India. You need to start moving supplies from Ledo to China ASAP.
You can have +1K per day supplies more in China before April/May.

I may be missing something but how can transport planes available in 42 account for 1k/day extra supply in China?

[MrKane]

Well ...
 
Currently Sep '42  RA scenario:
127 C-47 & C-33 etc.       x 3       = 381
121 B-17                        x 3       =  363
58 B-26 & B-25               x 2       = 116
71 Blenheim                   x 1        = 71
33 A-29                         x 1         = 33 
23 Wellington                 x 2         = 46    
--------------------------------------------
                                                  = 1010
 
however I am using planes with 30% rest settings so actual number is reduced by 30%

[MrBlizzard]

ORIGINAL: MrKane

Well ...

Currently Sep '42  RA scenario:
127 C-47 & C-33 etc.       x 3       = 381
121 B-17                        x 3       =  363
58 B-26 & B-25               x 2       = 116
71 Blenheim                   x 1        = 71
33 A-29                         x 1         = 33 
23 Wellington                 x 2         = 46    
--------------------------------------------
                                                 = 1010

however I am using planes with 30% rest settings so actual number is reduced by 30%

This sounds familiar Tom...[;)]
Jocke I can confirm you that Tom's chinese army is never without supplies. Some chinese corps have increased till 450, 500 AV in september '42...[X(]
The Chinese resistence has become stiff also with all Manchukuo thanks in action...
This is a very good advice for any Allied player

[obvert]

ORIGINAL: MrBlizzard

ORIGINAL: MrKane

Well ...

Currently Sep '42  RA scenario:
127 C-47 & C-33 etc.       x 3       = 381
121 B-17                        x 3       =  363
58 B-26 & B-25               x 2       = 116
71 Blenheim                   x 1        = 71
33 A-29                         x 1         = 33 
23 Wellington                 x 2         = 46    
--------------------------------------------
                                                 = 1010

however I am using planes with 30% rest settings so actual number is reduced by 30%

This sounds familiar Tom...[;)]
Jocke I can confirm you that Tom's chinese army is never without supplies. Some chinese corps have increased till 450, 500 AV in september '42...[X(]
The Chinese resistence has become stiff also with all Manchukuo thanks in action...
This is a very good advice for any Allied player

So it's possible to get to 70% of 1k/day but at quite an opportunity cost and only if you can protect Ledo, Dimapur, Jorhat in 42 as well as your destination bases.

Some of my troops in China were at 400-500 simply through lack of combat without any extra supplies by the summer of 42. It doesn't cost supplies to repair disablements, and the majority of big Corps are 50% disabled when the game starts.

So to be able to do this firstly your opponent can't attack India.

Secondly you have to put all of your best bombers into bases within range of the IJA and hope for the best when you still are not close to being able to control the skies. Seems like a good recipe for a disastrous counter. This assumes your opponent lets you build bases big enough to host the planes to do this in the first place. With your Blenheims you'll be flying max range and likely only able to reach the mountains, so those will suffer over time.

Thirdly you have to get all of these planes here, by which point your opponent may have broken through in China anyway. If I remember correctly Mr Kane was already in Chungking against Jocke in July!!! So a much smaller number of planes would have been feeding these supplies into China earlier and at risk of heavy ops losses or losses to Japanese LR CAP once within range.

So assuming complete non-action by the Japanese player it is indeed possible to get 70% of 1k supply into China by late summer 42 (for a short term duration, although with ops losses that will diminish over time), although still at a high opportunity cost, not to mention actual VP cost of lost airframes.

Now, if the Japanese player isn't pushing so hard in CBI that this kind of supply situation works, then it's probably not needed anyway and those bombers are better off training pilots for the future or hitting other targets as they are available, possibly in other theaters entirely.