In the following comments the figure ??/?? means Port size/Airfield size
Rabaul is a fleet repair base, 9/9. When my destroyers, cruisers, subs, etc. reach a sys damage level of around 9, they go to Rabaul for repair where they are disbanded. Other than that, there is not much based at Rabaul except for some naval garrison troops to guard against sub borne raiders and some float planes for ASW work.
My major airbases are at Dobadura and Shortlands.
At Shorlands I have built the base up to 7/3, soon to be 7/4. As new squadrons of Nells arrive they will be based here in order to attack any surface fleets the Americans use to invade the Solomons. My carriers are also based here. From Shortlands they can quickly be sent to either Gili-Gili or Lunga to engage an invasion fleet. For a base force I am using the 4th Base force with 150 aviation support points.
The other big base force, the 8th, is based at Dobadura. In addition, I have the 60 aviation support base force that starts out at Kavieng, plus 2 of the smaller 40 point base forces. The base is current size 2/6. The engineers are working on expanding the airfield to size 7 and will continue to work on it. Currently, all my Betty squadrons are based at Dobadura plus 5 squadrons of Zeros.
I made Dobadura a big base because it is well protected from allied bombardment missions by being on the "lee" side of New Guinea.
Although my opponent has no doubt been aware of the size of the base there, he apparently had not realized the extent of my forces there. That is because I did not fly any missions out of this base until I had it built up to size 6 and had it stocked with almost 300 aircraft. The idea was to give the impression that the only missions being flown out of Dobadura where naval search. This impression was reenforced by the fact that I had moved in a Mavis squadron even before an airfield was built. Thus, he knew that I had float planes at Dobadura and had less reason to suspect that anything else, except for fighters, had been moved there once the airfield was built.
The inaugaration of Dobadura came with a massive naval attack on a bombardment force of his that had wandered too close to PM. He lost the North Carolina, a CA and some DDs because of that, plus several other cruisers were torpedoed. That initial strike was an unplanned start to my campaign, however, as it was in reaction to his moves. The true inaugaration happened last turn when a strike of 129 Betty's escorted by 54 zeros struck at the port at Cairns where his surface fleet had retired to undergo repairs. Many hits on his ships were reported and I don't think they will be docked there next turn.
The main job of Dobadura will be to defend against invasions of Port Moresby and/or New Guinea. Thus, the large number of Betty's. To defend Dobadura itself, I have some AAA and 5 squadrons of zeros. That should make his attacks against that base expensive (I hope).
The port there is only size 2 because I am using Buna as my main supply base. The port at Dobadura is only used for loading and unloading troops, not supplies.
Buna is currently size 3/1, soon to be size 3/2. Here I have a squadron of Mavis's for air search, a squadron of Jakes for ASW, a flight of Irvings for recon, and a squadron of Zeros to defend the base and any ships that dock there to deliver supplies.
Supplies delivered to Buna not only go to Dobadura, but to Port Moresby as well, over the Owen Stanleys. Port Moresby is size 4/5, but only because this was the state I captured it in. I do not have a base force there because I am not going to base any airplanes there--they are too vulnerable to bombardments and to airfield attacks and it is too hard to move units in and out of there with transports because of the air threat. Therefore, the few engineers I have there have been working on building fortifications. I do have several AAA and coastal defense gun units to defend the place as well as the 38th Division which has been there since Port Moreseby was captured.
Gili-Gili has my other division, the 2nd that was first used to capture Port Moresby, and then shuttled to Gili-Gili to capture that base. Currently Gili-Gili is size 3/2 and will grow to size 3/3. As with many of my other bases, building the airfield up to size 3 is not meant to allow more aircraft to base there, but to make the base bigger and so reduce the effects of malaria. The only aircraft I have based there are a squadron of zeros. There is only one base force there now, but I plan on moving in another when it becomes available so that I can have two squadrons of zeros there to defend the base.
Woodlark is the key to defending the western half of the Solomons. Here I have ASW, and search planes. I also have some squadrons of Rufes and Zeros to defend the base, as well as to escort a squadron of Vals whose job is to attack any allied forces invading Rossell or Gili-Gili. I also have a BB heavy surface TF set to react to any enemy invasions.
Behind the front line defenses of Gili-Gili, Port Moresby, Woodlark, Dobadura and Buna there are several back up bases. Kiriwina is a back up base that is currently 2/2 but eventually will be built to 3/3. Lae is currently not being used but is size 3/5, built to that size before Port Moresby was taken. I do not see Lae being an integral part of my defense because it would be hard to supply were the allies to establish a foot hold on New Guinea. Instead, I plan on building up Finschhafen to 3/3, or even 3/4, because it will be easier to supply, either with conventional transports or with fast transports. Finally, Hoskins is currently size 2/2. It achieved this size in my build up to the invasion of Port Moresby. Eventually, it will be built to 3/3. Hoskins makes a better base than Gasmata because it is invulnerable allied bombardment missions.
Behind the Bismarks barrier lie Wewak, which is worth a lot of points if built up, and is an entry point for JAAF units. The Admiralties can also provide a good port and a good airstrip, as can Kavieng, which is currently size 6/4.
In the Solomons, attention has focused on the defense of Lunga. That base itself is 3/5 and has two regiments based there. I also have 3 base forces there, soon to be 4 which will give me ~160 aviation points. I have not built this base up like Dobadura because I felt it was much more vulnerable, both from the sea and from the air. I used smaller base forces there to provide more engineers (each base force, whether it has 150 aviation points or just 40 has 30 engineers) to repair the runway quickly and in case I need to evacuate they will be easier to pick up. I have also concentrated on building the fortifications there rather that the port or airfield. The port is big enough to screen my ships from subs, and the airfield is big enough to cut down on malaria and hold a sizable number of planes. But I don't want to just hand the allies a large airadrome should they capture the place (this is why I have also not done anything to build up Port Moresby).
Another BB fleet is stationed at Lunga. At first this was done for point defense of Lunga itself. I wanted to intercept an bombardment TFs head that way. I stationed 3 squadrons (soon to be 4) of zeros there to provide defense for both the base and the BBs.
I have just occupied Irau as a forward defense of Lunga. Perhaps the allies can bypass it and go straight to Lunga, but my guess is they would prefer not to have this base sitting athwart their supply lines. The BB TF at Lunga, then, is in a pefect position to react to any allied moves, whether and invasion fleet or a bombardment TF, towards Irau.
Tulagi is also occupied, but I haven't done much with it except garrison it.
Behind Lunga sits Munda. This was where my fleet was orginally stationed before the accuracy of level bombers was changed to give warships a fighting chance. It was out of air range of allied bases, but my ships could reach Lunga in one move should the allies invade. Now, I have a reserve cruiser force there that can reenforce either the lower Solomons or New Guinea. Fighters can also be stationed here in case the situation at Lunga becomes too hot and the planes there need to be pulled out. It is currently 3/2 but will be built to 3/3.
The final base that will be built will be Buka. Like Munda, this will serve as a back stop to Shortlands.
As I said, I may go for the auto-victory now that my opponent has no carriers left. My original plans, however, were to severely damage him when he tried to move north, and then use that opportunity (assuming I was successful) to counter-attack towards Noumea.
Your thoughts and suggestions would be welcome.
For a picture, go to:
http://www.theblitz.org/game_action/images.php?id=51
The rate of bomber losses didn't even exceed the replacement rates.
