::Felix, Ferdinand and FRUPAC:: obvert (A) v Greyjoy (J)

[obvert]

ORIGINAL: koniu

ORIGINAL: obvert

A scary moment!

I like that adrenaline rush. Those are best moments in game

It's better when it's his CV! [:D]

But I agree. I haven't put many big pieces at risk in a while, and it makes the game fun to do that, especially if you get away with it.

[ny59giants]

You can use your APDs to Fast Transport in the 'troops' and then use your soon to be plentiful LSTs to bring in the 'cargo' part of your SeaBees and BFs. Having a solid foothold in Southern Solomons in late '42 is good for you.

[pontiouspilot]

OT...Thanks for NOT approving Keystone...it will get us off our ass to sell to the Chinese who pay premium pricing. Besides I hear that it's not nearly as much fun to buy oil rather than fight for it!!!

On topic...very nice Betty/Nell trap even if that an unintended consequence.

Does anybody empty a CV to carry only a large batch of fighters only? Any operational limitations or drawbacks I'm unaware of to doing this??

[ny59giants]

Does anybody empty a CV to carry only a large batch of fighters only? Any operational limitations or drawbacks I'm unaware of to doing this??

Early war (thru mid-42 or later) - I ALWAYS place 18 plane Marine fighter group on American CVs. When able, I take off the small DB/TB from some of the first CVEs and re-size, when able, to be just fighter. After the CVs get the Hellcats, they get them. Later, I have my most highly experienced carrier fighter groups get the 2nd gen of Corsair (1A) that are CV capable. These stay at short range and just for CAP. I let the Hellcats act as strike escorts. IMO, the Hellcat is better than any of the A6 models and the Corsair is just as good as anything Japan can put on a CV.

[Lokasenna]

ORIGINAL: Wargmr

ORIGINAL: ny59giants

Bella Bella - base on Canadian west coast 5 hexes SE from Prince Rupert. Area 'may' become important again if Canada builds a pipeline to export all those tar sand oils that the USA seems to not want (Keystone pipeline).

Oh, the Americans want the pipeline. The Democratic party is towing the environmental line for cash and prizes from the environmentalists. Maybe Canada needs to bribe them eh?

Not even Democrats are really fighting against it. It's just environmentalists, who should really be focusing on something else instead - stopping the Keystone isn't going to stop that oil from being burned. Better it's done here than elsewhere, and better to spend environmentalist energies on pushing for something that will actually do some good - like EPA regulations, or filling vacant court seats, or pretty much anything else really.



Also, that's one monster LBA raid in India. I never use or see raids that big. Too many fragments, even with air HQs.

ORIGINAL: ny59giants

Does anybody empty a CV to carry only a large batch of fighters only? Any operational limitations or drawbacks I'm unaware of to doing this??

Early war (thru mid-42 or later) - I ALWAYS place 18 plane Marine fighter group on American CVs. When able, I take off the small DB/TB from some of the first CVEs and re-size, when able, to be just fighter. After the CVs get the Hellcats, they get them. Later, I have my most highly experienced carrier fighter groups get the 2nd gen of Corsair (1A) that are CV capable. These stay at short range and just for CAP. I let the Hellcats act as strike escorts. IMO, the Hellcat is better than any of the A6 models and the Corsair is just as good as anything Japan can put on a CV.

It looked like MrKane had placed some fighters-only decks in his KB against Jocke.

IMO, the Hellcat is a wash against the A6M5 models - maybe a slight edge due to top speed and durability (against a disadvantage in maneuver), but not enough that differences in pilot quality will probably matter more.

[BBfanboy]

O/T, but I will add another Canadian perspective on two issues with the Keystone pipeline:

1. The proposal to ship to the West Coast means the pipeline goes through some nearly pristine mountain terrain, crosses many salmon and trout creeks and ends up at a rugged coastline where the danger of tanker mishap is considerable.
To the environmentalists it looks like the US shut out the idea of building a pipeline south through THEIR pristine lands because PM Harper is in bed with the oil producers and will sacrifice anything to help them out.

2. The existence of the pipeline encourages rapid production of oil sands crude, to detriment of looking after the land and minimizing release of methane and other gasses. What's the rush? The oil men want big money now and to heck with future generations.

I think the oil sands should be developed and a very safe pipeline should be built to carry the oil (why not line the trench the pipes are in to retain spills?). It just seems there is too much quick and dirty in the plans right now.

[crsutton]

ORIGINAL: Lokasenna




Not even Democrats are really fighting against it. It's just environmentalists, who should really be focusing on something else instead - stopping the Keystone isn't going to stop that oil from being burned. Better it's done here than elsewhere, and better to spend environmentalist energies on pushing for something that will actually do some good - like EPA regulations, or filling vacant court seats, or pretty much anything else really.

Well hate to pipe up like this in an AAR but oil is a global commodity. To think that there will be any benefit to the US if oil is piped down from Canada is folly. The oil companies want keystone because it will simplify their distribution. (Not a bad idea) but the oil is going to go to terminals and then be sold on the global market for the best price possible to any buyer who wants it. That is how oil companies work. They are global and answer to their investors. It is not like the US is going to take that Canadian oil and tuck it away for a rainy day. Besides there is actually an abundance of reserves in the world these days-making Keystone less appealing.

There is an environmental risk to any aspect of oil production. That comes with oil and is acceptable to me. But why take that risk for something that really has little benefit to the US energy picture. Don't get bamboozled by the ads and political jargon. It is all about money and has nothing to do with energy self sufficiency.

Oh yeah, Overt you should bomb something or sink something-just to get us back on topic...[;)]

[obvert]

Yeah, I have to say I don't have many thoughts on this particular pipeline. My dad though did work on the Alaska Pipeline and has all kinds of stories from those days. It was wild and crazy up there in those days!

So, yeah ... by the way I just bombed something.

[Lokasenna]

ORIGINAL: crsutton

ORIGINAL: Lokasenna




Not even Democrats are really fighting against it. It's just environmentalists, who should really be focusing on something else instead - stopping the Keystone isn't going to stop that oil from being burned. Better it's done here than elsewhere, and better to spend environmentalist energies on pushing for something that will actually do some good - like EPA regulations, or filling vacant court seats, or pretty much anything else really.

Well hate to pipe up like this in an AAR but oil is a global commodity. To think that there will be any benefit to the US if oil is piped down from Canada is folly. The oil companies want keystone because it will simplify their distribution. (Not a bad idea) but the oil is going to go to terminals and then be sold on the global market for the best price possible to any buyer who wants it. That is how oil companies work. They are global and answer to their investors. It is not like the US is going to take that Canadian oil and tuck it away for a rainy day. Besides there is actually an abundance of reserves in the world these days-making Keystone less appealing.

There is an environmental risk to any aspect of oil production. That comes with oil and is acceptable to me. But why take that risk for something that really has little benefit to the US energy picture. Don't get bamboozled by the ads and political jargon. It is all about money and has nothing to do with energy self sufficiency.

Oh yeah, Overt you should bomb something or sink something-just to get us back on topic...[;)]

I don't really disagree with anything you say, which I suppose demonstrates that I don't have very strong feelings on the thing either way. I had been glossing over the bolded part, for sure. That's easy to forget.

ORIGINAL: obvert

Yeah, I have to say I don't have many thoughts on this particular pipeline. My dad though did work on the Alaska Pipeline and has all kinds of stories from those days. It was wild and crazy up there in those days!

So, yeah ... by the way I just bombed something.

....Tokyo?

[obvert]

ORIGINAL: Lokasenna


....Tokyo?

How about Mili Atoll? Doesn't have quite the same impact, does it? [:D]

[obvert]

[font="Times New Roman"]Oct 19 - 21, 1942[/font]

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[font="Microsoft Sans Serif"]SUBS: [/font] The Seal runs into and attacks what looks very much like the KB, launching 4 TT at DD Terizuki. Kongo and Haruna are also spotted. Pretty definitive, and right near the spot for the SIGINT on Mutsu from a few days before. So what's the KB doing out here? Protecting Deigo from invasion? Or helping a controlled withdrawal? Just lurking? [;)]

[font="Microsoft Sans Serif"]INDIA: [/font] A bit more maneuvering and deceptive feinting by both sides. We're going for the hex in front of Patna with a full army including 6-7 divisions and most of the decent upgraded armor. We'll have to keep some back in reserve t block the road hex behind and once everything gets there I'll actually move up the road toward Ranchi.

Out on the tip more bases come under Allied control again. Bangalore is the big one, but the coast is also important and Cochin is the goal there. Just got Calicut. Still a lot in Madras and no sign of movement.

[font="Microsoft Sans Serif"]CENT PAC: [/font] Chipping away slowly at Makin. I'll start loading up the Marines and an infantry rgt that are both prepped for Mili and Makin. Before going there I'll get Tarawa into shape, make sure Ocean is secure, get a wall of subs in place and start reconning Kweijalen and Roi Lamur.

[font="Microsoft Sans Serif"]SO PAC: [/font] Troops and supply flowing into Tulagi and bombing keeps Lunga suppressed. A unit will be ready to move in there within the month, but I'll start trying to pick off other nearby bases in the next few weeks.

Tagula takes a hit from some IJN CAs. We'll see if he wants to keep this up and risk the subs out there or not.

Kirakira makes a level 1 field, which will really help getting stuff into Tulagi. Things are looking up in So Pac.

[font="Microsoft Sans Serif"]CHINA: [/font] The big news is that Chikhiang falls suddenly!! The IJA got a 3:1 on the 20th and we owe 300+ infantry squads. This will change a lot, and we'll see what he'll decide to do. Blocks are digging in all over the good territory in front of Chungking, and I'll not move back from Changsha/Chengtu. Supply is still coming from Changsha and the forts have nt been touched, so he'll need a good 3-4k AV to take it quickly, or 2k AV to get it more slowly. Either way it'll delay things if he goes there.

If he goes toward Kweiyang I'll make a stand on several hexes in front of it and only give up Tuyun at the last. Having that as an air base and a logistical lynchpin to the end of the railroad would real help the Japanese, so I'll hold and see if we can continue to slow them down.

[font="Microsoft Sans Serif"]SIGINT:[/font] Port Hedland does seem to be the focus of a big build-up.

[font="Trebuchet MS"]2/8th Ind.Hvy.Art. Battalion is located at Port Hedland(57,129).[/font]

[font="Trebuchet MS"]--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR Oct 19, 42
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Night Naval bombardment of Tagula Island at 104,137

Allied aircraft
no flights

Allied aircraft losses
P-39D Airacobra: 27 damaged
P-39D Airacobra: 1 destroyed on ground

Japanese Ships
CA Kako
CA Kinugasa
CA Aoba
CL Kuma
CL Abukuma

Allied ground losses:
456 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 10 destroyed, 18 disabled
Engineers: 10 destroyed, 12 disabled

Airbase hits 4
Airbase supply hits 9
Runway hits 35
Port hits 22
Port supply hits 3

CA Kako firing at Tagula Island
E13A1 Jake acting as spotter for CA Kinugasa

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AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR Oct 20, 42
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ASW attack near Diego Garcia at 18,71

Japanese Ships
DD Teruzuki
BB Haruna
BB Kongo
CA Furutaka
CA Chokai
CA Atago
CS Chitose
DD Tanikaze
DD Hamakaze
DD Tokitsukaze
DD Tatsuyuke
DD Inazuma
DD Kasumi
DD Yamagumo

Allied Ships
SS Seal

SS Seal launches 4 torpedoes at DD Teruzuki
DD Tatsuyuke fails to find sub, continues to search...

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AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR Oct 21, 42
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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Ground combat at Chihkiang (78,50)

Japanese Deliberate attack

Attacking force 31855 troops, 454 guns, 975 vehicles, Assault Value = 1045

Defending force 47521 troops, 188 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 1189

Japanese adjusted assault: 1113

Allied adjusted defense: 343

Japanese assault odds: 3 to 1 (fort level 0)

Japanese forces CAPTURE Chihkiang !!!

Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+), disruption(-), experience(-), supply(-)
Attacker:

Japanese ground losses:
470 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 48 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 16 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 4 disabled
Units pursuing 1

Allied ground losses:
10904 casualties reported
Squads: 332 destroyed, 109 disabled
Non Combat: 156 destroyed, 40 disabled
Engineers: 101 destroyed, 1 disabled
Guns lost 28 (13 destroyed, 15 disabled)
Units retreated 5

Defeated Allied Units Retreating!

Assaulting units:
40th Division
9th Tank Regiment
6th Division
15th Tank Regiment
12th Tank Regiment
17th Tank Regiment
8th Ind Engineer Regiment
19th Tank Regiment
13th Tank Regiment
18th Tank Regiment
3rd Tank Regiment
11th Tank Regiment
3rd Hvy.Artillery Regiment
4th Medium Field Artillery Regiment
2nd Hvy.Artillery Regiment
11th Ind.Art.Mortar Battalion
6th Ind.Hvy.Art. Battalion
4th Ind.Hvy.Art. Battalion
15th Ind.Medium Field Artillery Regiment
Tonei Hvy Gun Regiment
9th Medium Field Artillery Regiment
1st Ind.Hvy.Art. Battalion
12th Ind.Art.Mortar Battalion
13th Ind.Art.Mortar Battalion
13th Army
14th Medium Field Artillery Regiment
20th Medium Field Artillery Regiment

Defending units:
68th Chinese Corps
26th Chinese Corps
21st Chinese Corps
79th Chinese Corps
92nd Chinese Corps

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------[/font]

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[font="Trebuchet MS"]Here is where the Seal ran into something that looks an awful lot like the KB. A good spot for it if you ask me! [:D][/font]

[obvert]

[font="Times New Roman"]CHINA[/font]

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The blue hexes are the current areas where troops will dig in and try to create another long holding situation. I have a few troops digging in these locations, but they're not maxed out yet and won't be for a few days. The IJA can break up to the next line of x3 SE of Chungking, but this would really increase their LOC as well. It actually might take several stacks blocking the sides to securely move one forward, which could reduce the number of troops available to rotate in and out of a battle.

I'll continue to hold across the river from Chikhiang and on that road to Chengtu and Changsha. He may be hoping that by trying to cut these troops off I'll move them back, but that won't happen. Over time I'll lose the pocket, maybe. Although Wenchow is still holding and has been isolated for almost a year. (The Wenchow fields are now fully operational and I'm trying to think if I have anything that could fly in an potentially hit a few passing ships!).

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[PaxMondo]

You're doing really well here in your defense of China. You might be making the blueprint for the allied defense of china ....

[obvert]

ORIGINAL: PaxMondo

You're doing really well here in your defense of China. You might be making the blueprint for the allied defense of china ....

Thanks Pax. Still a long way to go though. Not having any of the possible flown in supply from India really limits the defensive possibilities, but strangely, supply in certain areas is still filling up units. It's just farther from the supply centers it doesn't flow in at all. I'm literally walking a few units that won't draw at all to within 3-4 hexes of Chungking to get filled up then walking them back! [:D]

[PaxMondo]

Still, you are 10/42 and the IJ are a long way from the ChungKing valley ... He may get there, but I doubt he is going to be able to take ChungKing. That said, your CHI LCU's are going to be holy terrors in '44.

[JocMeister]

ORIGINAL: PaxMondo

You're doing really well here in your defense of China. You might be making the blueprint for the allied defense of china ....

Keep in mind though the GJ pretty much gave up on China after a bad river crossing into Sian and then turned his attention to India instead. A decision he probably regrets now. [:)]

[crsutton]

ORIGINAL: PaxMondo

Still, you are 10/42 and the IJ are a long way from the ChungKing valley ... He may get there, but I doubt he is going to be able to take ChungKing. That said, your CHI LCU's are going to be holy terrors in '44.

Agree Pax. If GJ has only gotten this far at this point then he has lost in China already. He will still make advances but the goal in China for the Allies is not to lose completely so that you can pose a constant supply drain on Japan for the rest of the war.

[PaxMondo]

ORIGINAL: JocMeister

ORIGINAL: PaxMondo

You're doing really well here in your defense of China. You might be making the blueprint for the allied defense of china ....

Keep in mind though the GJ pretty much gave up on China after a bad river crossing into Sian and then turned his attention to India instead. A decision he probably regrets now. [:)]

Understood. Still think Erik has done really well here. GJ is a good player, he hasn't been able to take China, and Erik's defense here is solid.

[obvert]

[font="Times New Roman"]INDIA[/font]

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I'm playing a bit with what I can do here working with very little. I've brought about 1200AV of armor and infantry and a bunch of base forces and AA to invest these abandoned areas near Madras and Cochin. The Japanese have huddled up in Madras, and it is yet to be determined if that is simply for defense of that base, as the beginning of a counter offensive once I've stretched out my forces to cover the territory nearby, or as the preparation for a landing farther behind these lines covered by the nearby KB.

Only the presence of the KB makes the last option possible at all, and of course it's still not a likely possibility. Nick must know my CVs could also be nearby, and there are a lot of DB/TB ready as well. We've also just been given a new Indian division which will move to Bombay to fill heal disablements and defend that base.

A counter offensive by land could be a possibility, and yet the Marines and all of the armor around here would make that a tough road to travel. I'm thinking this is to secure Madras and discourage a move on the big industrial production still helping the Japanese cause here. I have taken over a bit of HI and quite a few LI factories in this push, so hopefully that will also start to affect the Japanese position in India.

One minor move I'm making in the IO is a feint with BB, a few CV and several big amphibious TFs showing up around Bombay, a few hexes off the coast as if I'm trying to avoid being seen. I want to see if there is a reaction. Once the DL goes up no some of these important TFs I'll push it all back to the shadows. I'm also diverting all real troop/cargo TFs to Karachi for now.

[obvert]

[font="Times New Roman"]GLOBAL STRATEGIC VIEW[/font]

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Here is another view from above the game. The past few months have seen some slow gains in the South Pacific (Operation Grapeshot is closing and we're beginning a more thorough investment of the Solomons). We've taken Tarawa and Ocean Island in the Central Pacific, and are solidifying those bases.

In India significant gains have been made on the southern tip, taking the suddenly empty bases of Mysore and Bangalore, and driving back toward Cochin. having some good bases in this area will really help any move toward Ceylon, but we won't overextend past Cochin yet. Also a major move is in process toward Patna/Ranchi, with the idea of getting a campaign started to take back the NE mountains and the bases for a possible air bridge to China. Currently nth armies are locked together one hex from Patna and feinting, maneuvering, trying to find an opening to exploit.

The KB (or all of the kinds of ships that should be with the KB minus CV sightings) was last encountered near Diego Garcia. This allows some tentative movement forward protected by LBA in the Solomon and in the Central Pacific. Mili and Makin will be targeted soon. Nauru will be left for a while as Nick has added more units here and tried to make it a deterrent, but really I'm just not that concerned with the base yet and would rather pick low hanging fruit.

The green projections are where we'd like to be by 1/43. We'll see!

In China Chikhiang finally fell after months of battle in only two hexes (begun in 6/42) and now the x3 hexes farther toward Chungking and Kweiyang will be the focus of the defenses. The pink line is where we anticipate being by 1/43 with the hope that supply starts to be transported sometime in the first few months of 43 and alleviates the struggling Chinese supply situation.