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

[Lowpe]

Economic Notes:

Today Fusan added 800K Resources bringing the total there over 1 million. For the last several months resources have been around 200K plus or minus 100K or so.

All the resources came directly from China.

So what changed?[:)]

[mind_messing]

Did I ever mention I really hate night bombing before? Base was not over crowded, and will most likely get visited by another massive night bombing run tonight and if I plan on sending ships into Rangoon then I will lose another 20 fighters on the ground. Sigh. Maybe there will be bad weather.

Don't get me started on night bombing. I've had big level airbases at the 50-60% capacity lose fifty or so planes on the ground - I suspect the ground crews are stacking them wingtip to wingtip, or keep putting them next to the ammo dump.

Regarding my thoughts on night fighters

For the IJA:

Dinah - I'll take speed over armour. It's also far better armed than the Peggy or Nick NF's, which have miserable accuracy on their guns.
Randy - Pretty much the only late-war choice for the IJA, but it's getting it into action in time to matter that's the real problem.

For the IJN:

J1N1-S and Sa Irving - Bread and butter of the IJN night fighter corps. You get them early, the Sa gets radar, and you can build up a nice deep stockpile for the late war attrition game.

C6N1-S Myrt - Single engine, with radar. What's not to like? Better than the Judy NF by far, but I've a single factory working on the Judy just to see what it can do.

P1Y2-S Frances - You'll never get the Denko in time to matter, so you may as well go for the Frances as the IJN late-war night fighter with a radar set.

[Lowpe]

Finished my turn.

I decided to send one Cruiser force into Rangoon and then to Moulmein. Another 6 CA and 12 Destroyers could make it, but history has shown they won't, so why force it? They are going to Tavoy and sitting under CAP.

I moved a Zero squadron to night duty at Moulmein, which means I will lose several Zeroes to night bombing, but at least there will be one plane flying for the initial bombing wave and that will hopefully minimize the ground destruction.

Bombardment and bombing at Kweiyang in China.

That is about it.

[Lowpe]

ORIGINAL: mind_messing

Dinah - I'll take speed over armour. It's also far better armed than the Peggy or Nick NF's, which have miserable accuracy on their guns. Obvert had lots of nasty things to say about the Dinah NF, like falling from the skies in droves, impossible to keep squadrons filled, etc. And since neither has radar, I will go with Nick for durability until Peggy comes along. Except for those squadrons that must use Dinah. Dinah also comes 6 months later than NicK.



Randy - Pretty much the only late-war choice for the IJA, but it's getting it into action in time to matter that's the real problem. Without Radar I fear that Randy isn't that great and the Radar activates very late. So I see no point in r&d this plane. If I make it that far I will try to build it, but that is doubtful.

[Lowpe]

ORIGINAL: mind_messing


Don't get me started on night bombing. I've had big level airbases at the 50-60% capacity lose fifty or so planes on the ground - I suspect the ground crews are stacking them wingtip to wingtip, or keep putting them next to the ammo dump.

If I remember correctly you are being bombed very low, like 2-3K altitude which really makes for devastating raids. I have enough AA to prevent that, plus worthless balloons.

I suspect that in this game, if the Allies pursued an oil and then industry bombing campaign from the get go (July 42) it would be game over. Instead I got almost full Magwe oil production until June of 43. If I can make June of 44 for Palembang I will be ecstatic, but I don't see how I can manage it.

[mind_messing]

Obvert had lots of nasty things to say about the Dinah NF, like falling from the skies in droves, impossible to keep squadrons filled, etc. And since neither has radar, I will go with Nick for durability until Peggy comes along. Except for those squadrons that must use Dinah. Dinah also comes 6 months later than NicK.

It doesn't really matter what you send up against 4E's, they'll die in droves regardless.

What matters is getting shots onto the bombers to disrupt and damage them, and you're not likely to do that with the abysmal accuracy on the Nick or Peggy NF's. You're paying the HI for the two engines anyways, so you may as well get the best plane.

Without Radar I fear that Randy isn't that great and the Radar activates very late. So I see no point in r&d this plane. If I make it that far I will try to build it, but that is doubtful.

I disagree about the merits of the Randy.

Forget about the radar, it's nice to have, but not essential. Just consider the plane itself - it is the only IJA night fighter that can do all three things that you need in a night fighter. It can catch a B-29, it has good heavy and (more importantly) accurate guns to shoot at and it has the durability and armour to stick about day after day.

The only real downside is the late arrival date. I'm starting to wonder if making the effort towards getting the airframe in service before 6/45 might actually be worth it. It would give you a first-rate night fighter (and more importantly, an IJA night fighter) at the time when you need to preserve big urban centers as best you can.

If I remember correctly you are being bombed very low, like 2-3K altitude which really makes for devastating raids. I have enough AA to prevent that, plus worthless balloons.

I thought the same. I was wrong. You'll damage them, you might knock out a couple of bombers over several raids, but you won't stop the airbase getting trashed and the aircraft being wrecked on the ground.

I suspect that in this game, if the Allies pursued an oil and then industry bombing campaign from the get go (July 42) it would be game over. Instead I got almost full Magwe oil production until June of 43. If I can make June of 44 for Palembang I will be ecstatic, but I don't see how I can manage it.

Obvert did an excellent post on his AAR exploring the ranges of the B-29 from various bases in Oz and Burma that I can't seem to find for the life of me. If you can dig it up, it might be worth reviewing.

[Lowpe]

ORIGINAL: mind_messing
Obvert did an excellent post on his AAR exploring the ranges of the B-29 from various bases in Oz and Burma that I can't seem to find for the life of me. If you can dig it up, it might be worth reviewing.

I have gotten into the habit of re-reading Obvert's AAR two months in advance of my game date. I haven't come across that post, but I do vaguely remember it. It isn't great reading. I will keep my eye peeled for it.

I am around page 42 and have yet to come across it yet. They didn't really start night bombing until 44?

[Lowpe]

ORIGINAL: mind_messing

If I remember correctly you are being bombed very low, like 2-3K altitude which really makes for devastating raids. I have enough AA to prevent that, plus worthless balloons.

I thought the same. I was wrong. You'll damage them, you might knock out a couple of bombers over several raids, but you won't stop the airbase getting trashed and the aircraft being wrecked on the ground.

Yes,you are quite correct in that the airfield and planes get trashed, but thankfully the price is too high in my game for the Allies to pay...he stopped low level bombing airfields a long time ago. Not so for troops, alas.

[Lowpe]

ORIGINAL: mind_messing
It doesn't really matter what you send up against 4E's, they'll die in droves regardless.

What matters is getting shots onto the bombers to disrupt and damage them, and you're not likely to do that with the abysmal accuracy on the Nick or Peggy NF's. You're paying the HI for the two engines anyways, so you may as well get the best plane.

Well, you are going for speed and guns, I am going for staying power. It will be interesting to see which is better. Complex game yields many correct answers.

[Lowpe]

I have an impending fear of this this next turn. I did, or didn't do, something that is going to really hurt. I feel it in my bones. I have had this nameless dread on several occasions, normally when I tried to force some naval bombardment or complex air attack, but it feels different this time. Perhaps it is my fever...perhaps everything will work out, but I don't think so.

It is irrational, this strange trepidation.

But then I think it is the normal state of mind for Japan in mid 43 and will stay with me for the rest of the game. And grow. You cannot be too paranoid in this game...surely that can't be healthy?

Why do I like this game?

[mind_messing]

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

ORIGINAL: mind_messing
Obvert did an excellent post on his AAR exploring the ranges of the B-29 from various bases in Oz and Burma that I can't seem to find for the life of me. If you can dig it up, it might be worth reviewing.

I have gotten into the habit of re-reading Obvert's AAR two months in advance of my game date. I haven't come across that post, but I do vaguely remember it. It isn't great reading. I will keep my eye peeled for it.

I am around page 42 and have yet to come across it yet. They didn't really start night bombing until 44?

Yes, IIRC

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

ORIGINAL: mind_messing

If I remember correctly you are being bombed very low, like 2-3K altitude which really makes for devastating raids. I have enough AA to prevent that, plus worthless balloons.

I thought the same. I was wrong. You'll damage them, you might knock out a couple of bombers over several raids, but you won't stop the airbase getting trashed and the aircraft being wrecked on the ground.

Yes,you are quite correct in that the airfield and planes get trashed, but thankfully the price is too high in my game for the Allies to pay...he stopped low level bombing airfields a long time ago. Not so for troops, alas.

I'm forgetting that the tempo of the air war in my game is extremely passive compared to most.

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

ORIGINAL: mind_messing
It doesn't really matter what you send up against 4E's, they'll die in droves regardless.

What matters is getting shots onto the bombers to disrupt and damage them, and you're not likely to do that with the abysmal accuracy on the Nick or Peggy NF's. You're paying the HI for the two engines anyways, so you may as well get the best plane.

Well, you are going for speed and guns, I am going for staying power. It will be interesting to see which is better. Complex game yields many correct answers.

Here's hoping we'll get to figure out whats best.

As a side note, I neglected to follow my own advice regarding the Ki-202. After talking you into producing it, I've went with the Ki-201 in my game with Lokasenna...[:D]

[Lowpe]

June 15th, 1943

The heavy cruisers are on the prowl, and thanks to good night naval search they dodge two small Allied task forces and find a screening force just outside of Rangoon.

The Hawkins takes several penetrating hits and now can the IJN Cruisers find the enemy supply convoy?

[Lowpe]

But first, a trailing destroyer squadron tries to meet up with the IJN Cruisers only to find out to their surprise that they are enemy ships.

Luckily, the destroyer squadron is quick to react and manages to fight off the superior enemy with elan.

The destroyers continue on towards Harbor Rangoon...where they see, and hear, heavy gunfire and the heavy clouds are illuminated in a eerie blood red light from ships burning. But whose ships?

[Lowpe]

Deciding not to wait for the missing destroyer squadron, the IJN Heavy Cruisers steam into Rangoon catching Allied ships at dock.

The Java, the only serious warship present, is hit immediately with a 20cm shell, perhaps from the Tone although the Myoko also claims first hit, and is then subsequently hit with a torpedo dooming the ship and the convoy.

Banzai!

[Lokasenna]

I've not had the Tone class perform well in surface actions.

Presumably, since yours didn't ram any friendly ships here, you replaced the turd in command of her from game start.

Or maybe it's just that you had no CVs present for her to ram [:D].

[Lowpe]

And while the bloodbath is happening in Rangoon, the destroyer squadron meets up and joins with cruisers escorting them back out of burning Rangoon, while heavy flashes of light, like distant thunder, illuminate their destination: Moulmein was being bombed at night.

With daybreak, the reinforced Japanese force heads for Moulmein, close, but float planes find two Allied ships and a relatively short engagement follows.

The crews however are tired, and the ships starting to run low on ammunition, but a penetrating hit is scored on the Sumatra before both forces disengage.

[Lowpe]

Smoke rises lazily from Moulmein, and every bleary eyed sailor strained their eyes looking for enemy planes and hoping for Zeroes and Tojo's.

They would not be disappointed, but the sailors' day was far from over as they manned their anti aircraft guns and watched the whirling fight in the air....

[Lowpe]

The sailors only wanted this day to end, while the pilots were content to dish out payback to the Allied planes...

[Lowpe]

And then it happens! Enemy bombers get thru, but they are carrying torpedoes!

Oh, the horror!

[Lowpe]

Vengence!