Once Again into the Breach - Mike (J) vs. tc464 (A)

[rustysi]

Congrats.

[PaxMondo]

ORIGINAL: Mike Solli

I'm really curious as to how you get your HI pool to 4M by 1 Jun 44 while getting your armaments to 500k and vehicles to 50k. Also, I don't see myself to ever see 3M oil. I can't seem to get >100k HI per month. Most of my excess HI comes from shutting off 500 of my 650 armament factories. I'm really curious to see what you do.

Ships. MSY is pretty much just turned off the whole war. I build a few, very select, ships. No AK's or AP's. CVE's, some support ships (AV, AS). I will build a few TK's up to the last few days and then hold. I only finish building if my losses require me. I don't expand HI at all. I always have a conquest zone targetted. Generally that is either India (Calcutta/Madras) and/or China. I also keep my AC build rates in 42/43 closer to historical ... my current game, which is 3/1/42, my builld rates are:

F= 180
DB = 30
TB = 30
LB = 150
FP = 40
P = 10
TR = 30
R = 20

So, just over 500 AC/month now. That will increase later in the summer as some better models (A6M3, last Nell, Helen, Tojo) go into production and i have the engine factories built to support them to maybe 700 or so. In '43 that will move up to about 1000. I won't really boost AC production until my final models come on line, and then ... well, whatever I can. For sure +2000 AC/month. I know these early numbers are WAY below what most players build or plan for. There are a lot of places that I don't pick a fight in. Also, my training program is just starting to deliver pilots ... no point in building AC if you don't have pilots to man them. [;)]

Any rate, combination of low AC build rates in the early/mid game, coupled with almost no MSY are really the keys for me. I can save a lot of HI, the MSY alone is worth over 1500 HI/day alone.

[PaxMondo]

ORIGINAL: Mike Solli

Concerning Java, I never did what I'm doing at Java before. I look at it a bit differently. Ted is going to bomb HI with his B-29s. That's a fact. If he spends a month destroying the HI in Java, that's 1 less month bombing Japan. The down side is the amount of supply spent to build up the HI in Java. I'll check to see how much I spent. That's the cost for extra HI factories and extra HI produced. That's something to consider.

I'm watching. Truthfully, I've never been short of HI in a game yet which is why I don't builld any. I can build so many more AC than I have AV support or supply for with my current plan. ... especially supply. kami's are actually what helps for me (very sad to say). Not only are their hit percentages higher than my regular bombers (good), but they are one time use and so I can't use them again right away ... that relieves the AV support requirement and saves supply. 1000 bomber missions consume so much supply ...

[PaxMondo]

ORIGINAL: Mike Solli

Hi guys, just an update. My wife and I had planned a second honeymoon last October to celebrate our 30th anniversary, but my mobilization sort of got in the way. Last Friday, we left for that vacation. We're currently in Orlando, and today we're resting a bit after walking our butts off the past 4 days at Disney World. We're here the rest of the week, then off to Panama City Beach for another week before a half week in Georgia then home. So, I haven't been on here, but will be on here and there for the next couple weeks. Ted had sent me a turn but I told him he could resend it later if he wanted to spend the time to go over everything thoroughly. He took the offer and hasn't sent it yet. I'm going to start an AI game as the Allies, just to see how the other half lives. Should be interesting. I won't track anything, just play the game to get the other perspective. We'll see how that works out. Should be a laugh.

Congrats!

[Lokasenna]

ORIGINAL: PaxMondo

ORIGINAL: Mike Solli

I'm really curious as to how you get your HI pool to 4M by 1 Jun 44 while getting your armaments to 500k and vehicles to 50k. Also, I don't see myself to ever see 3M oil. I can't seem to get >100k HI per month. Most of my excess HI comes from shutting off 500 of my 650 armament factories. I'm really curious to see what you do.

Ships. MSY is pretty much just turned off the whole war. I build a few, very select, ships. No AK's or AP's. CVE's, some support ships (AV, AS). I will build a few TK's up to the last few days and then hold. I only finish building if my losses require me. I don't expand HI at all. I always have a conquest zone targetted. Generally that is either India (Calcutta/Madras) and/or China. I also keep my AC build rates in 42/43 closer to historical ... my current game, which is 3/1/42, my builld rates are:

F= 180
DB = 30
TB = 30
LB = 150
FP = 40
P = 10
TR = 30
R = 20

So, just over 500 AC/month now. That will increase later in the summer as some better models (A6M3, last Nell, Helen, Tojo) go into production and i have the engine factories built to support them to maybe 700 or so. In '43 that will move up to about 1000. I won't really boost AC production until my final models come on line, and then ... well, whatever I can. For sure +2000 AC/month. I know these early numbers are WAY below what most players build or plan for. There are a lot of places that I don't pick a fight in. Also, my training program is just starting to deliver pilots ... no point in building AC if you don't have pilots to man them. [;)]

Any rate, combination of low AC build rates in the early/mid game, coupled with almost no MSY are really the keys for me. I can save a lot of HI, the MSY alone is worth over 1500 HI/day alone.

Wow, mine are even lower/comparable in 12/42 [X(]. I turned F production off/on depending on pools throughout 42, and have been doing the same with TR/PA/FB production. Mine at this point are:

F - 375 (until the last 10 days was under 200, as I recently had the A6M5c come online)
FB - 35 (toggles OFF/ON)
DB - now 90, was 35 but frequently off while still producing Vals
TB - 20. Was 35 while running out the production of B5N1

LB - 100, with 2x30 Helen factories that I turn on as needed.

FP - 90. Here is where I differ most from you, I think. Started at 60 early in the war but felt I needed to bump it up.

P - 30, but with 90 in the pools these have been turned off for quite some time. I may have wasted 10K supply here (I like minimum factory sizes of 10, 5 is just too slow).

TR - 16, plus 8 IJN turned off for many months and 10 H6K4-L that have been turned off for a while now, due to about 2 units' worth of planes in the pools.

R - 10, with 5 turned off for a while. I just don't lose many of these.


So going on such low production is definitely doable.


I still have 692 MerSY producing... 129 of those in a CVE. The rest of the points are in normal build on TKs and 2 xAPs. I've lost some bigger xAPs and xAK-t's and think I will need those, but I could maybe cut down on the TKs. Doing so would make me nervous, however. I'm only building the 19-pt and 30-pt TKs. Do you really go even lower than I do on your MerSY?

[MrKane]

ORIGINAL: Lokasenna
R - 10, with 5 turned off for a while. I just don't lose many of these.

How do you achieve this. I am always loosing hundreds of them.

[obvert]

ORIGINAL: MrKane

ORIGINAL: Lokasenna
R - 10, with 5 turned off for a while. I just don't lose many of these.

How do you achieve this. I am always loosing hundreds of them.

Were you playing DBB? The flak increase is the big killer.

[Lokasenna]

My para-attacks have been rare. I'm trying to remember when I last used my raiding regiments. I think perhaps in Burma? Maybe even all the way back to the early days of China - I just haven't needed them to strike far behind the lines or even to take a base from a small contingent of Allied troops. I've had the IJN do the "heavy" lifting in that regard.

I did use transports to get a lot of my troops off of Attu, but not enough. I stopped using them after the first day LRCAP intercepted them. My transport losses look like this:



We are using the database updates, which to my knowledge is the same as or very similar to DBB.

Using a "find next" for "para" in my Word document (which is fragmented for this game, so not complete and there may be more attacks), I get the following combat drop results:
-Kukong, December 16, 1941 (key to cutting off troops at Changsha!)
-Port Blair, December 26, 1941
-Tuyun, January 19, 1942
-Fenton, failed attack November 12, 1942

That's it. The rest has been supply transfer missions (a lot in Burma), with 20-40% rest depending on need. Usually I end up setting 30% rest.

For comparison, my opponent has lost 125 C-47s just to ops. His total transport losses are at 195.

[Mike Solli]

HI guys. Interesting discussions going on here in my absence. Still off galavanting with my wife. We head home tomorrow (Monday). Been in and out a lot, but Ted and I have been playing turns. I just haven't had time to update here. We've made it to Jan 43, by the way.

Interesting comments on transports. I just found an interesting use for mine. Lately, I've been using them to move units and supply around.

[PaxMondo]

ORIGINAL: MrKane

ORIGINAL: Lokasenna
R - 10, with 5 turned off for a while. I just don't lose many of these.

How do you achieve this. I am always loosing hundreds of them.

Fly max altitude ... it really doesn't matter for this mission. Also, be sure you are using enough rest to eliminate ops losses. You should never lose any to ops losses. Then for me, until I get the Dinah III, I don't fly into CAP very often. Babs and early Dinah will not survive any CAP at all. Dinah III can fly into CAP and has a good survival rate for basically the entire war. The last Spit upgrade is really the Dinah killer that you have to watch for. By then though, you are rarely reconning those bases.

[Mike Solli]

25 Dec 42

Quiet turn on this Christmas Day.

Sub War

South of Davao, a US fleet sub that has been hanging around finally connected. The TK Shiranesan Maru took a torpedo (Std-A). She'll make it into Davao for minor repairs before heading to a shipyard (probably Manila) for complete repairs. I have had high hopes for my Std-A class TKs. So far, they've been torpedo magnets.

5 Fleet

Supply is up to 1152 at Adak. Very nice.

SE Fleet

My Helens hit Pt. Moresby destroying a couple of B-17s and a Catalina while damaging 16 planes and causing some runway damage.

At Milne Bay, some Betties launched against the DD Gwin, missing.

Other Stuff

Reinforcements:

SS I-177 - Central Pacific
SS I-178 - Central Pacific
SS RO-106 - SE Fleet
22 Independent Mountain Gun Battalion - CEA

[Mike Solli]

26 Dec 42

Sub War

Along the deep water corridor south of Kodiak, the I-166 sank an xAKL.

5 Fleet

Another PB fast transport arrived at Adak. A US S class sub was there to meet her and took a near miss for her trouble. The PB stuck around to dump her load of supply.

4 Fleet

[>:]

SE Fleet

Over Mandalay, a dozen Betties attacked a DD again. Again, with no result.

SRA

Since the beginning of the war, the Allied garrison of Zamboanga was pushed a hex up the peninsula into the jungle and were there festering. I finally sent an SNLF company there to investigate. They attacked, destroying the remnants of the 101 PA Division. The 4 PI base force is still remaining. I'll attack them tomorrow.

Burma

Ted sent 24x B-24Ds against Magwe's airfield and ran into 27 Japanese fighters. Four bombers were shot down at a cost of 3 fighters and minor damage was done to the airfield, which was easily repaired.

Over Mandalay, Ted sent 3 squadrons (12 Hurricanes each) individually to battle my fighters. The first got mauled, losing 9, the second lost 1 and the third was untouched. I lost no fighters, but gained some nice experience.

China

[>:]

Other Stuff

A pilot escaped capture. Yay!

At Adak, I have decided to reinforce. Right now, my combat troops are a full strength SNLF, a half strength Naval Guard unit, and a base force. In mid-Feb 43, the base force upgrades to get CD guns. I'd love to have them. I'll continue to send the PB fast transports to ship in supply (I'm up to ~8-10 Ansyu-C PBs doing this mission). I bought out the 23 Tank Regiment from Kwantung Army and will send it in, in single ship fast transports. I hope it works.

I have also begun another mission to the Aleutian area. I'll tell of it when the time for execution nears.

I have noticed that there are usually quite a few TFs at Noumea. I am attempting an operation here. I think I can do it. I'll discuss this one as well when the time nears.

Finally, 3x Yugumo class DDs have completed refit at Manila. They now have the Type 2 DCs available. I'm sending them to battle the subs hanging out south of Davao.

[Mike Solli]

27 Dec 42

Overall, a quiet day today.

Sub War

The S-42 showed up at Adak. I had a PB dropping off supply there and they attacked getting a near miss, which was enough to drive her off.

SE Fleet

The Betty daitai attacked the shipping at Milne Bay again. Unfortunately, the Allied fighters did more than look at them and shot all 12 down. Ouch.

Burma

A couple of squadrons of Hurricanes overflew Mandalay (individually) and each lost 5 planes vs. 2 Tojos (no pilots). Then, 15 Liberator IIs showed up escorted by 22 fighters (Martlet II and P-40K). My Tojos and Oscars took out 8 fighters for no loss but the Liberators got through. Fortunately, they missed.

China

I attacked Changteh again, but too soon since the last attack. I got 1:2 odds (Fort level 0) causing 1860(134) Chinese casualties to 1409(3) Japanese. A little more rest is needed.

Other Stuff

A6M5b R&D advanced to 10/43.

I found a missing pilot (always good).

[Mike Solli]

28 Dec 42

Quiet day.

Basically, the only excitement was in Burma. I lost 3 Tojos to 9 Allied fighters. The Liberators showed up again, and missed again.

Other Stuff

Another pilot evaded capture. (Wow, that’s 3 days in a row.)

I have decided to reinforce Adak. I want Ted to really work for the place. I have bought out the 23 Tank Regiment, 4 Garrison Unit and 20 Med FA Regiment from Kwantung Army to send to Adak. I’ll move them in, 1 ship at a time, so when Ted does attack, he’ll have some real problems. In addition, the Base Force there is 48 days out from getting CD guns. (I may have told you this earlier. Can’t remember.) Anyway, I want to give Ted a nice, warm reception should he attack. I’m also sending an AS battalion each to Attu and Amatchka (wrong spelling) for flying boat and fighter/bomber support.

I’m attempting to cause Ted a little pain. I sent a cruiser TF (4 CA, 4 CL & 6 DD) north from Truk to bombard Unmak Island, where Ted has his bombers based. I hope to cause a little damage and keep him guessing. It’ll take about a week to get there.

I’m also sending my 4 fastest CVs down to hit Noumea. I see heavy radio traffic almost every day and there are some 40-50 ships in port. Again, it’s just to make him think twice. I’ll stay for only a day, so if it’s a bust, then it’s a bust. I’m trying to thread the needle through his naval search from Pt. Moresby and Luganville.

[Mike Solli]

29 Dec 42

5 Fleet

Ted resumed his air bombing of Adak. It wasn’t successful, but it is composed of 2x A-29s, 12x SBDs, 3x B-24Ds & 3x B-25Cs. Not a lot. I should have thought of putting fighters to the west of Adak to support it earlier. Not thinking.

SE Fleet

Ted sent 22x 4E bombers (unescorted) against Rabaul. 55 fighters rose to oppose them and shot down 5 for no loss. They destroyed 3 planes on the ground and a bit of damage that was easily repaired. Keep ‘em coming!

Then he sent 15 SBDs against Gasmata, again unescorted. My 15 fighters that responded shot down 5 for no loss and no damage to me.

Burma

A single squadron of Hurricanes visited Mandalay. Five Hurricanes were lost to 3 Tojos. No bombers came today.

China

I attacked and took Tuyun, just 6 hexes south of Chungking. I’ll build the airfield there and then start working on the Chinese air force. Losses were 205(0) Japanese to 2829(228) Chinese with 1 Chinese division destroyed.

Other Stuff

The Ki-100-II R&D advanced to 6/45.

The Hiei and Wakaba collided. They were a part of KB heading to Noumea. They will both make it to Truk for lengthy repairs.

[Mike Solli]

Some excitement is coming soon. I promise! But i have a turn so I'm running it (and getting farther behind in the AAR). Be back soon.

[geofflambert]

The correct quote from Henry V is "Once more into the breach". I was thinking maybe my next AAR should be titled "Once more into the Britches", nah that would be too much information for the forumites. Did you get that one PaxMondo? Now if I was going to lie all the time about what was really happening I might call the AAR "Britches in Heat". Get that one?

Sorry to use your AAR, Mike, to make two of my lame jokes. Make some on mine.

[PaxMondo]

ORIGINAL: geofflambert

The correct quote from Henry V is "Once more into the breach". I was thinking maybe my next AAR should be titled "Once more into the Britches", nah that would be too much information for the forumites. Did you get that one PaxMondo? Now if I was going to lie all the time about what was really happening I might call the AAR "Britches in Heat". Get that one?

Sorry to use your AAR, Mike, to make two of my lame jokes. Make some on mine.

Sorry, over my head ... [;)]

Stick to pictures with really short words for me. [:D][:D][:D] And due to my 5yo, if it isn't Pixar level, I won't get it any more. My humor level has been completely thrashed ... [:D][:D]

[Zorch]

ORIGINAL: Mike Solli

28 Dec 42

Quiet day.

Basically, the only excitement was in Burma. I lost 3 Tojos to 9 Allied fighters. The Liberators showed up again, and missed again.

Other Stuff

Another pilot evaded capture. (Wow, that’s 3 days in a row.)

I have decided to reinforce Adak. I want Ted to really work for the place. I have bought out the 23 Tank Regiment, 4 Garrison Unit and 20 Med FA Regiment from Kwantung Army to send to Adak. I’ll move them in, 1 ship at a time, so when Ted does attack, he’ll have some real problems. In addition, the Base Force there is 48 days out from getting CD guns. (I may have told you this earlier. Can’t remember.) Anyway, I want to give Ted a nice, warm reception should he attack. I’m also sending an AS battalion each to Attu and Amatchka (wrong spelling) for flying boat and fighter/bomber support.

I’m attempting to cause Ted a little pain. I sent a cruiser TF (4 CA, 4 CL & 6 DD) north from Truk to bombard Unmak Island, where Ted has his bombers based. I hope to cause a little damage and keep him guessing. It’ll take about a week to get there.

I’m also sending my 4 fastest CVs down to hit Noumea. I see heavy radio traffic almost every day and there are some 40-50 ships in port. Again, it’s just to make him think twice. I’ll stay for only a day, so if it’s a bust, then it’s a bust. I’m trying to thread the needle through his naval search from Pt. Moresby and Luganville.

But what if Ted bypasses Adak?

[Mike Solli]

ORIGINAL: geofflambert

The correct quote from Henry V is "Once more into the breach". I was thinking maybe my next AAR should be titled "Once more into the Britches", nah that would be too much information for the forumites. Did you get that one PaxMondo? Now if I was going to lie all the time about what was really happening I might call the AAR "Britches in Heat". Get that one?

Sorry to use your AAR, Mike, to make two of my lame jokes. Make some on mine.

Pretty funny. That reminds me, when I originally titled this AAR, it was "Once again into the Breech". How's that for a Freudian slip?!