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

[crsutton]

ORIGINAL: obvert

ORIGINAL: jmalter

wrt Nauru & CentPac,

obvs, your 2nd DA attack was a mistake, didn't you see the forts-level 3 from your 1st attack? Your amph-assault lacked Combat Engineers! Should be a lesson to you, for future planning - Rgts don't have the oomph, they need to go in w/ Art / Arm / ComEgr support.

Shuttling naval bombardment TFs to attack Nauru is a good idea, 'cos it'll be some while before your 2 Rgts will be capable of another attack. Don't neglect bringing lots of supply to your guys on Nauru.

Don't abandon future ops in CentPac, keep the pressure on. Use your amph shipping to do sone rope-a-dope, alternating between invasions in the Solomons & CentPac.

I did see the level 3 forts. I didn't see the 3rd naval guard/SNLF unit added after. That was my biggest mistake there. I didn't take the time to bombard first.

The Marines (1/3 of a division) do have some combat engineers. I thought they had the firepower to deal with the two slightly roughed up small guard units and a base force that had been under constant pressure for weeks. I was wrong. I think also the very many other odd units there added a bit to the AV as well. I also did not wait until the fatigue, disblements and disruption of my own troops were completely at zero. That was a factor as can be seen in the CR for the DA at Nauru.

If you imagine the second attack being 230AV against ~150AV as in the first shock (or less since they were still recovering), I'd think the quality of the Marines would maybe knock a fort off and at least get close to an even attack.

I'll keep the pressure up for sure. [:)]

Ground combat at Nauru Island (127,128)

Allied Shock attack

Attacking force 8022 troops, 79 guns, 55 vehicles, Assault Value = 269

Defending force 8530 troops, 122 guns, 26 vehicles, Assault Value = 156

Allied adjusted assault: 84

Japanese adjusted defense: 129

Allied assault odds: 1 to 2 (fort level 3)

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

Japanese ground losses:
864 casualties reported
Squads: 1 destroyed, 69 disabled
Non Combat: 1 destroyed, 28 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 4 disabled
Guns lost 17 (2 destroyed, 15 disabled)

Allied ground losses:
1474 casualties reported
Squads: 7 destroyed, 143 disabled
Non Combat: 1 destroyed, 12 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled
Guns lost 28 (5 destroyed, 23 disabled)
Vehicles lost 20 (1 destroyed, 19 disabled)

Assaulting units:
37th (Sep) Infantry Regiment
5th Marine Regiment
1st AmphTrac Engineer Battalion

Defending units:
Kure 5th SNLF
18th Naval Guard Unit
7th Air Defense AA Regiment
5th Air Defense AA Regiment
21st Special Base Force
13th JAAF AF Bn
16th Field AA Machinecannon Company
7th Naval Construction Battalion
37th JAAF AF Bn

Ground combat at Nauru Island (127,128)

Allied Deliberate attack

Attacking force 7932 troops, 82 guns, 58 vehicles, Assault Value = 230

Defending force 10678 troops, 141 guns, 27 vehicles, Assault Value = 201

Allied adjusted assault: 37

Japanese adjusted defense: 359

Allied assault odds: 1 to 9 (fort level 3)

Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+), forts(+), preparation(-), experience(-)
Attacker: fatigue(-)

Japanese ground losses:
493 casualties reported
Squads: 3 destroyed, 43 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 8 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 14 (1 destroyed, 13 disabled)

Allied ground losses:
1651 casualties reported
Squads: 136 destroyed, 48 disabled
Non Combat: 1 destroyed, 36 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Guns lost 38 (18 destroyed, 20 disabled)

Assaulting units:
37th (Sep) Infantry Regiment
5th Marine Regiment
1st AmphTrac Engineer Battalion

Defending units:
18th Naval Guard Unit
Kure 5th SNLF
86th Naval Guard Unit
7th Air Defense AA Regiment
16th Field AA Machinecannon Company
13th JAAF AF Bn
5th Air Defense AA Regiment
21st Special Base Force
7th Naval Construction Battalion
37th JAAF AF Bn

He outnumbers you in guns. At least in quantity (not sure about quality). This in itself could shift the odds table in his favor. It is not always about AV. But you know that already.[;)]

[obvert]

ORIGINAL: crsutton

He outnumbers you in guns. At least in quantity (not sure about quality). This in itself could shift the odds table in his favor. It is not always about AV. But you know that already.[;)]

The Naval Guards and SNLF have hardly any arty and the AA units and base force probably account for most of the guns.

There are two big and one small caliber AA units there. Now if the AA units are firing out at ground troops, yes I'm definitely going to suffer here. Are they? Good question. I know they have an anti-soft and anti hard rating, so maybe they are firing in defense only. The big base force also has DP guns and AA guns as well a a small amount of anti-ground arty.

So. The point is that this may take a while, but unless he's willing to invest more, or counter-invade, it seems like it'll eventually fall. I've got tanks fully prepped as I mentioned, some combat engineers partially prepped and some Marine arty partially prepped.

[BBfanboy]

I think AA units do get some kind of anti-personnel rating in combat determination - in defence only as you said. I have had troop losses attacking isolated AA units, but not as many as when attacking isolated artillery units with infantry.

[jmalter]

Add a few cruisers to that reinforcing phib TF, they'll suppress the guns that would otherwise mung your LSTs. Another think is, to bring the AmphTF to Nauru (or 1 hex away), w/ 'Remain on station / Do not unload' orders. Next orders phase, switch them to full-speed & unload. The idea is, they'll unload during that day's 4 phib-unload seqments, & will have all their combat-power available for the gtound-combat phase.
To be sure, you'll need to keep the phibTF covered by carrier air & surfTFs, during the time it takes to arrive & unload. NTM that you'll want any existing troopers to attack in concert w/ the new arrivals. Mebbe they aren't ready to do that? If so, hold back on the reinf troops, just bring supply, & use your cruisers to bombard the defenders.

[obvert]

ORIGINAL: jmalter

Add a few cruisers to that reinforcing phib TF, they'll suppress the guns that would otherwise mung your LSTs. Another think is, to bring the AmphTF to Nauru (or 1 hex away), w/ 'Remain on station / Do not unload' orders. Next orders phase, switch them to full-speed & unload. The idea is, they'll unload during that day's 4 phib-unload seqments, & will have all their combat-power available for the gtound-combat phase.
To be sure, you'll need to keep the phibTF covered by carrier air & surfTFs, during the time it takes to arrive & unload. NTM that you'll want any existing troopers to attack in concert w/ the new arrivals. Mebbe they aren't ready to do that? If so, hold back on the reinf troops, just bring supply, & use your cruisers to bombard the defenders.

My first landing went well. I'd sent in 3 separate bombardments and had BBs in the amphib TFs. Now the Marines are back to where they should be but the US independent regiment is at 50% strength and only 16AV, although all squads are ready and the morale is good. So I think I could get away with it as long as combat engineers and arty are fully prepped (another month away) and the tanks get completely off the transports in one day (LSTs will be used).

The units have good supply for now and two of the three have level 2 forts, which will help. He has to run out of supply soon, but my be introducing some by air which I'll discover soon when I can LR CAP from Ocean.

In the meantime I have 60AV paras prepped for Majuro with some other stuff that will be fast transport delivered. I might pull an unexpected trigger on that, plus have a bunch of stuff waiting for Mili, and BBs almost finished upgrading at PH that will take part since there are serious CD guns there. Jaluit is also a target, with prep ready, and it would be fun to hit all three simultaneously, but that might be too far a bridge.

[obvert]

[font="Times New Roman"]Feb 3 - 5, 1943[/font]

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[font="Microsoft Sans Serif"]SUBS: [/font] Lots of contacts, but no hits. I can't seem to get to the plethora of ships traversing the Gulf of India.

[font="Microsoft Sans Serif"]INDIA: [/font] The IJN bombards Trivinandum with a CL and DDs and gets a surprisingly good result. About 5 planes are lost on the ground and the fields are shut for now. I'll need more mines, subs, and forts here. The PTs were brushed aside easily. Four of those are lost as well.


[font="Microsoft Sans Serif"]CENT PAC: [/font] Still rotating bombardments at Nauru.

[font="Microsoft Sans Serif"]SO PAC: [/font] The last of the landing craft invasion goes over the beaches in Rakata Bay. He's got what looks to be a token force here.

At Woodlark I lost two xAKL I'd sent on a volunteer mission to supply that base, intercepted by two DDs which couldn't take out PC Haida and it's 5inch guns. That nice little ship will try to limp back to Brisbane now with 45/23/3 damage.

[font="Microsoft Sans Serif"]CHINA: [/font] At last the stack over the river from Chikhiang gets pushed back and gutted. These troops will be useless now, but they've stalled nicely. Up in the mountains the IJA attacks and the 1:4 battle gives roughly even losses to both sides again.

[font="Microsoft Sans Serif"]OZ:[/font] All of the Aussie troops in the desert have started moving toward Kalgoorlie again as one big mob. It'll take another 40-50 days to get there, but it's starting to seem that all of the activity I noticed in SIGINT was taking troops out, not bringing them back in. Kalgoorlie is lightly held, Perth only shows 9k troops, and Esperance is nearly empty with one unit present.

[font="Microsoft Sans Serif"]SIGINT:[/font] I have a feeling this unit is leaving Trincomalee, probably for Madras, where there is a lot of shipping. So these messages make me think he's using a system of basing a departing troop carrying TF at the departure base, then setting them to patrol at the destination, so as never to give the SIGINT a definitive correct destination base. Tricksy! [;)]

I've done this myself, and always wondered whether it works. I think now that it does, although I still now know a unit is moving from somewhere, so I can then try to track it. I just have to be very careful to check SIGINT right away during a turn instead of after from now on.

The divisions shown here in OZ I have no idea anymore, but I do have lots of subs on the way to find out!

[font="Trebuchet MS"]18/38th Division is loaded on a Japanese xAK moving to Trincomalee

35/56th Division is loaded on a Japanese xAK moving to Port Hedland.
28/Imperial Guards Division is loaded on xAK Hauraki Maru moving to Port Hedland.
43/Imperial Guards Division is loaded on a Japanese CM moving to Port Hedland.
41/56th Division is loaded on a Japanese AP moving to Port Hedland.
30/56th Division is loaded on a Toho Cargo class xAK moving to Port Hedland.[/font]

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AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR Feb 3, 43
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Invasion Support action off Rekata Bay (113,134)
Defensive Guns engage approaching landing force

3 Coastal gun shots fired in defense.

Allied Ships
LCM 532B
LCM 532D
LCM 532E

LCM 532B fired at enemy troops

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Ground combat at 79,50 (near Chihkiang)

Japanese Deliberate attack

Attacking force 33089 troops, 463 guns, 652 vehicles, Assault Value = 823

Defending force 26943 troops, 52 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 429

Japanese adjusted assault: 593

Allied adjusted defense: 196

Japanese assault odds: 3 to 1

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

Japanese ground losses:
310 casualties reported
Squads: 5 destroyed, 57 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 3 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 9 disabled

Allied ground losses:
5637 casualties reported
Squads: 160 destroyed, 29 disabled
Non Combat: 241 destroyed, 14 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Guns lost 12 (5 destroyed, 7 disabled)
Units retreated 4

Defeated Allied Units Retreating!

Assaulting units:
3rd Tank Division
3rd Division
40th Division
11th Ind.Art.Mortar Battalion
11th Army
2nd Hvy.Artillery Regiment
4th Ind.Hvy.Art. Battalion
6th Ind.Hvy.Art. Battalion
1st Ind.Hvy.Art. Battalion
12th Ind.Art.Mortar Battalion
14th Medium Field Artillery Regiment
Tonei Hvy Gun Regiment

Defending units:
26th Chinese Corps
92nd Chinese Corps
79th Chinese Corps
3rd New Chinese Corps
39th Chinese Corps

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AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR Feb 4, 43
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Night Naval bombardment of Trivandrum at 27,43

Allied aircraft
no flights

Allied aircraft losses
Hurricane IIc Trop: 9 damaged
Hurricane IIc Trop: 1 destroyed on ground
Kittyhawk III: 5 damaged
P-40E Warhawk: 9 damaged
F4F-3 Wildcat: 5 damaged
P-400 Airacobra: 12 damaged
Kittyhawk I: 14 damaged
Kittyhawk I: 1 destroyed on ground

Japanese Ships
CL Jintsu
DD Kawakaze
DD Natsugumo
DD Oshio
DD Oyashio
DD Kuroshio

Allied ground losses:
65 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 6 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled

Manpower hits 2
Fires 115
Airbase hits 22
Airbase supply hits 1
Runway hits 56
Port hits 4
Port fuel hits 4

E7K2 Alf acting as spotter for CL Jintsu
CL Jintsu firing at Trivandrum

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AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR Feb 5, 43
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Ground combat at 73,47 (near Kweiyang)

Japanese Deliberate attack

Attacking force 15106 troops, 201 guns, 109 vehicles, Assault Value = 440

Defending force 17261 troops, 76 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 537

Japanese adjusted assault: 201

Allied adjusted defense: 835

Japanese assault odds: 1 to 4

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

Japanese ground losses:
410 casualties reported
Squads: 1 destroyed, 16 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 4 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 16 disabled

Allied ground losses:
120 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 32 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

Assaulting units:
8th Ind Engineer Regiment
104th Division
23rd Army
20th Medium Field Artillery Regiment
23rd Medium Field Artillery Regiment
13th Ind.Art.Mortar Battalion
8th Medium Field Artillery Regiment

Defending units:
10th Chinese Corps
72nd Chinese Corps
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[font="Trebuchet MS"]Onward![/font]

[obvert]

[font="Times New Roman"]Feb 6 - 8, 1943[/font]

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[font="Microsoft Sans Serif"]INDIA: [/font] Getting all of the 200k troops into Madras now. I'l wait for a fort to be built on every unit before doing anything.

[font="Microsoft Sans Serif"]SO PAC: [/font]A bombardment at Rekata Bay shows the two units there have almost no troops. A DA is scheduled for tomorrow, and on top of that Munda was just conquered by the row boat corps! Nice! A Marine Pioneer battalion will be flown in before some engineers can be sent. Now I can change the prep for the units slated for that base. Most around here seems very lightly held up to Buin and Torokina, which have 5-10k troops in them.

[font="Microsoft Sans Serif"]CHINA: [/font] Nick is pounding away in the mountains, getting only negative attacks, but each one takes a bit out of our troops that won't come back. His are most likely wearing down too, but they have a chance to recover. Chengteh will be under siege within days. i've moved three big Corps in to try to give a bloody nose or at least slow it all down there.

[font="Trebuchet MS"]--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR Feb 5, 43
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Ground combat at 73,47 (near Kweiyang)

Japanese Deliberate attack

Attacking force 14131 troops, 201 guns, 103 vehicles, Assault Value = 419

Defending force 17080 troops, 76 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 511

Japanese adjusted assault: 313

Allied adjusted defense: 601

Japanese assault odds: 1 to 2

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

Japanese ground losses:
695 casualties reported
Squads: 1 destroyed, 56 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 4 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 4 disabled

Allied ground losses:
435 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 24 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 7 disabled
Guns lost 6 (1 destroyed, 5 disabled)

Assaulting units:
8th Ind Engineer Regiment
104th Division
23rd Army
20th Medium Field Artillery Regiment
13th Ind.Art.Mortar Battalion
23rd Medium Field Artillery Regiment
8th Medium Field Artillery Regiment

Defending units:
10th Chinese Corps
72nd Chinese Corps

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AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR Feb 7, 43
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Ground combat at 73,47 (near Kweiyang)

Japanese Deliberate attack

Attacking force 14444 troops, 201 guns, 109 vehicles, Assault Value = 373

Defending force 16715 troops, 75 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 469

Japanese adjusted assault: 269

Allied adjusted defense: 1132

Japanese assault odds: 1 to 4

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

Japanese ground losses:
513 casualties reported
Squads: 1 destroyed, 16 disabled
Non Combat: 2 destroyed, 7 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 16 disabled

Allied ground losses:
239 casualties reported
Squads: 1 destroyed, 35 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

Assaulting units:
8th Ind Engineer Regiment
104th Division
13th Ind.Art.Mortar Battalion
23rd Army
20th Medium Field Artillery Regiment
23rd Medium Field Artillery Regiment
8th Medium Field Artillery Regiment

Defending units:
10th Chinese Corps
72nd Chinese Corps

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[font="Trebuchet MS"]I can finally start producing enough medium bombers to meet needs and begin to fill out groups with the arrival of the B-25D-1. Excited to get some ship-busting going too![/font]

[paullus99]

I always find it interesting that the Japanese have no problem fighting an attritional campaign in China, while the Chinese, who are best equipped to do it (historically) can't......

[obvert]

ORIGINAL: paullus99

I always find it interesting that the Japanese have no problem fighting an attritional campaign in China, while the Chinese, who are best equipped to do it (historically) can't......

When supply is an abstract that can stand for fuel, food, ammo and spare parts it's a lot easier I think! [:)]

[obvert]

[font="Times New Roman"]Feb 9 - 12, 1943[/font]

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[font="Microsoft Sans Serif"]SUBS: [/font] An S boat gets in to Torokina and finds the Musashi TF but can't get through the screen to the big juicy targets.

[font="Microsoft Sans Serif"]CENT PAC: [/font] The IJN CVs showed up briefly on the horizon, still sailing around using fuel, but didn't come rushing. I suspended bombardments for a few days.

[font="Microsoft Sans Serif"]SO PAC: [/font] I went for the IJN stationed at Buin/Torokina and although the Cactus air force suffers some losses they manage to get through for three 1,000 pounder hits, One on Nachi, one on Myoko starting a fire. The one on Musashi probably messed up the wood planking a bit. Still. Always good to get a hit on a Japanese ship! Bette to start a fire! [:)]

The sweeps mostly came after the strikes, and several of the bombing groups didn't fly, including the majority of the TB, so all in all this is a positive result given the conditions. We lost about 80:25 airframes on the day, but also got good intel on his force compositions and a few hits that could need work at some point for those CA.

Rekata Bay fell easily to our troops. Pangoe and a few others are coming into the sights and might also be easy grabs based on what is there now.

[font="Microsoft Sans Serif"]CHINA: [/font] The tank army takes Kienko. This trashes further the already trashed Corps around there and turns one unit into zombies. Still, I did manage to get 750AV beginning to dig on the other side of the river, and more is on the way. He'll have to take a risk crossing here if he does want to go the back way into the mountains and toward Sian/Lanchow. I do see some movement near Sian, units moving away. Maybe he's given up on that particular axis?

Near the Kunming mountains the IJA continues to DA with negative results but slowly wearing down the Chinese troops. One of the Corps has 4 forts, so will be hard to move even after getting to positive there.

[font="Microsoft Sans Serif"]SIGINT:[/font] Are these units just going back and forth across western OZ, or does he keep one fragment loaded and just change the direction periodically? [:D]

In India it looks like maybe Madras is getting pumped up! All the more to destroy! (I hope)

[font="Trebuchet MS"]29/Imperial Guards Division is loaded on xAK Mikasa Maru moving to Perth.

6/5th Guards Division is loaded on a Buenos Aires Maru class xAP moving to Madras.[/font]

[font="Trebuchet MS"]--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR Feb 9, 43
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Ground combat at 73,47 (near Kweiyang)

Japanese Deliberate attack

Attacking force 16053 troops, 222 guns, 121 vehicles, Assault Value = 422

Defending force 16280 troops, 75 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 418

Japanese adjusted assault: 170

Allied adjusted defense: 484

Japanese assault odds: 1 to 2

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

Japanese ground losses:
719 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 66 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 6 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 4 disabled

Allied ground losses:
293 casualties reported
Squads: 4 destroyed, 20 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled

Assaulting units:
51st Division
13th Ind.Art.Mortar Battalion
20th Medium Field Artillery Regiment
23rd Medium Field Artillery Regiment
23rd Army
8th Medium Field Artillery Regiment

Defending units:
10th Chinese Corps
72nd Chinese Corps

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Morning Air attack on TF, near Buin at 109,131

Weather in hex: Clear sky

Raid detected at 26 NM, estimated altitude 14,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 10 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M5 Zero x 32

Allied aircraft
F4F-4 Wildcat x 26
SBD-3 Dauntless x 23

Japanese aircraft losses
A6M5 Zero: 1 destroyed

Allied aircraft losses
F4F-4 Wildcat: 7 destroyed
SBD-3 Dauntless: 7 destroyed, 8 damaged
SBD-3 Dauntless: 1 destroyed by flak

Japanese Ships
CA Myoko, Bomb hits 1, on fire
CA Haguro
CA Nachi, Bomb hits 1

Aircraft Attacking:
9 x SBD-3 Dauntless releasing from 3000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb SAP Bomb

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Morning Air attack on TF, near Torokina at 109,130

Weather in hex: Light cloud

Raid detected at 34 NM, estimated altitude 13,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 13 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M5 Zero x 43

Allied aircraft
SBD-3 Dauntless x 11

No Japanese losses

Allied aircraft losses
SBD-3 Dauntless: 2 damaged
SBD-3 Dauntless: 1 destroyed by flak LR CAP was present here and suffered terribly to get the SBDs through.

Japanese Ships
BB Musashi, Bomb hits 1

Aircraft Attacking:
5 x SBD-3 Dauntless releasing from 2000' *
Naval Attack: 1 x 500 lb SAP Bomb

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Ground combat at Rekata Bay (113,134)

Allied Deliberate attack

Attacking force 5703 troops, 41 guns, 17 vehicles, Assault Value = 180

Defending force 216 troops, 0 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 2

Allied adjusted assault: 90

Japanese adjusted defense: 1

Allied assault odds: 90 to 1 (fort level 0)

Allied forces CAPTURE Rekata Bay !!!

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

Japanese ground losses:
267 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 32 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Units destroyed 2

Assaulting units:
2nd Marine Regiment
1/532nd Boat&Shore Engineer Battalion
27th US Naval Construction Battalion

Defending units:
15th Garrison Unit /3
Sasebo 6th SNLF /3

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[font="Trebuchet MS"]Nice to get these big boys in the sights even though there were far too many splashes. [/font]

[JocMeister]

You can afford quite a lot of losses in airframes as long as they are Navy DB and/or Navy TBs. I ended up having a couple of thousand in the pool in our game. Don´t neglect training though...In the end I had every Navy and Army FS training bomber pilots and it still wasn´t enough. Was flying 40EXP, 50 skill pilots in the end.

PS. Don´t dual train LBA pilots. I know some "knowledgeable" players recommend this but its a waste of time. As you know flying LBA against naval targets will mean tremendous losses. For every dual trained pilot you could have had two instead. Have a pool of expendable pilots 70 NavB/NavT and 50 NavS.

Pilots on your CVs are a different matter of course. [:)]

[obvert]

ORIGINAL: JocMeister

You can afford quite a lot of losses in airframes as long as they are Navy DB and/or Navy TBs. I ended up having a couple of thousand in the pool in our game. Don´t neglect training though...In the end I had every Navy and Army FS training bomber pilots and it still wasn´t enough. Was flying 40EXP, 50 skill pilots in the end.

PS. Don´t dual train LBA pilots. I know some "knowledgeable" players recommend this but its a waste of time. As you know flying LBA against naval targets will mean tremendous losses. For every dual trained pilot you could have had two instead. Have a pool of expendable pilots 70 NavB/NavT and 50 NavS.

Pilots on your CVs are a different matter of course. [:)]

Thanks Jocke. Solid advice. I've basically done this unless the units were forward and I was able to take days to train them in another capacity. As they get good I usually have been putting the LBA navy ones in the pool and starting fresh. The Brits have been getting more extensive training simply because I've had no chance to think about using any of them yet and I want to make sure anything on a ship is as good as possible.

I agree on the DB/TB situation. My pool isn't huge yet, but it's sufficient to take a risk here and there. He only has a few CA and a lucky bomb hit could take one out at any time, or even cripple it to the point it can be swarmed by subs.

My general approach to LBA is very conservative with explosions of high risk behavior. I hope this will keep him from being able to guess what I'll hit and what i won't plus reducing the risk of CAP traps. I've noticed he's been higher on the aggression scale with his, keeping planes turned on even when there is no direct threat. That's led to a few situations losing 10-15 planes for nothing. I'd rather make my losses count, and even these may have counted a bit. He's just moved those ships back to Rabaul, allowing me to use fast transport and landing craft more comfortably for a turn or two at least.

[crsutton]

ORIGINAL: JocMeister

You can afford quite a lot of losses in airframes as long as they are Navy DB and/or Navy TBs. I ended up having a couple of thousand in the pool in our game. Don´t neglect training though...In the end I had every Navy and Army FS training bomber pilots and it still wasn´t enough. Was flying 40EXP, 50 skill pilots in the end.

PS. Don´t dual train LBA pilots. I know some "knowledgeable" players recommend this but its a waste of time. As you know flying LBA against naval targets will mean tremendous losses. For every dual trained pilot you could have had two instead. Have a pool of expendable pilots 70 NavB/NavT and 50 NavS.

Pilots on your CVs are a different matter of course. [:)]

Yeah but not til mid 43. One major carrier action at this stage will completely deplete you DBs and TBs. The replacement rates are sill low until the SBD5 comes on line.

[obvert]

ORIGINAL: crsutton

ORIGINAL: JocMeister

You can afford quite a lot of losses in airframes as long as they are Navy DB and/or Navy TBs. I ended up having a couple of thousand in the pool in our game. Don´t neglect training though...In the end I had every Navy and Army FS training bomber pilots and it still wasn´t enough. Was flying 40EXP, 50 skill pilots in the end.

PS. Don´t dual train LBA pilots. I know some "knowledgeable" players recommend this but its a waste of time. As you know flying LBA against naval targets will mean tremendous losses. For every dual trained pilot you could have had two instead. Have a pool of expendable pilots 70 NavB/NavT and 50 NavS.

Pilots on your CVs are a different matter of course. [:)]

Yeah but not til mid 43. One major carrier action at this stage will completely deplete you DBs and TBs. The replacement rates are sill low until the SBD5 comes on line.

The TBs are good with 200+ right now in the pool. DBs are at around 40 after my latest unsuccessful action.

[JocMeister]

I don´t have the game installed any longer so I can´t check. But I think the next version of the SBD should start producing soon? And once the Helldiver start producing you will have loads to spare. The stats for the old SBDs and the new ones are pretty much the same so they old ones are very useful.

Personally I avoid using LBA against Naval targets. Its simply not worth it. Losing 500-1000 planes for the possibility of perhaps getting through CAP/LRCAP....nah. From a VP perspective it makes lite sense to try.

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[font="Times New Roman"]Feb 13 - 15, 1943[/font]

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[font="Microsoft Sans Serif"]SUBS: [/font] A lot of the US subs are holding at Melbourne in anticipation of a move to Esperance once refits are finished.

[font="Microsoft Sans Serif"]INDIA: [/font] Nick has moved in at least another division to Madras. This is good in one way, but could lead to a more prolonged engagement here. He's also been adding to the air defenses, with 280 fighters now installed. The Allies simply don't have the numbers of good airframes in a PDU-off game to deal with big concentrations of Japanese fighters like this. i now have two Corsair groups and one P-38 group in India. One P-38 group is in the Pacific. That's it!!

So do I gamble on the masses of P-40s and Hurricanes to win the day with the Allied bombers again hanging in the balance? Do I continue to wait?

I think instead I'd like to try to get crafty, but it'll maybe take just as long. He now knows where most of the indian and Brit armies are located. I've just gotten another Indian and another Aussie division, though and could add in an American ID soon. With some other filler that would be about enough to challenge in several locations. Things have to start getting more fluid soon, and that requires knowing where the KB is located as well as what I can do once I find the beast.

[font="Microsoft Sans Serif"]CENT PAC: [/font] Bombardments resume now that CVs have been out of sight for a few days.

[font="Microsoft Sans Serif"]SO PAC: [/font] Some good sweeping here and that has helped support easy moves forward to Pangoe and reinforcements at Rekata Bay and Munda. The P-38s take out a bunch of Oscars by sweeping at Shortlands and catching a bleeding CAP from Buin.

[font="Microsoft Sans Serif"]CHINA: [/font] Three big Corps are holed up in Changteh and start the defense pretty well. With little supply though it seems the damage to Japanese units, even in negative attacks, is slight.

The units in the mountains still hold as well but are wearing down, with a shock attack getting a 1:1 on the 15th.

[font="Microsoft Sans Serif"]OZ:[/font] All is moving now and the Esperance ships will load up in 4-5 days. Still nothing major in SW OZ in spite of massive SIGINT traffic of divisions moving to Perth, again! [8|]

[font="Microsoft Sans Serif"]SIGINT:[/font] Nick is definitely not so indecisive as to continually change his mind about where these major assets should be located. This is intentional SIGINT deception, and it's been well constructed up until recently. Now, however, it's getting easier and easier to read as what it is; junk mail!

[font="Trebuchet MS"]30/Imperial Guards Division is loaded on a Japanese xAK moving to Perth.
24/4th Division is loaded on a Japanese TK moving to Perth.
4/4th Division is loaded on a Yusen N Cargo class xAK moving to Perth.
10/Imperial Guards Division is loaded on a Japanese xAK moving to Perth.
10/4th Division is loaded on a Husimi Cargo class xAK moving to Perth.
38/Imperial Guards Division is loaded on a Std-D Cargo class xAK moving to Perth.
16/4th Division is loaded on a Japanese xAK moving to Perth.
5/4th Division is loaded on xAK Kotobuki Maru #5 moving to Perth.
17/Imperial Guards Division is loaded on xAK Hauraki Maru moving to Perth.
10/Imperial Guards Division is loaded on a Ansyu-C Cargo class xAK moving to Perth.
17/4th Division is loaded on a Japanese xAK moving to Perth.
39/Imperial Guards Division is loaded on a Gozan Cargo class xAK moving to Perth.
24/19th Division is loaded on xAKL Nagano Maru moving to Ponape.
28/4th Division is loaded on a Aden Cargo class xAK moving to Perth.
21/4th Division is loaded on a Ansyu-C Cargo class xAK moving to Perth.[/font]

[font="Trebuchet MS"]--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR Feb 13, 43
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Morning Air attack on Shortlands , at 110,132

Weather in hex: Overcast

Raid spotted at 43 NM, estimated altitude 27,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 8 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-43-IIb Oscar x 13

Allied aircraft
P-38G Lightning x 25

Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-43-IIb Oscar: 7 destroyed

No Allied losses

Aircraft Attacking:
22 x P-38G Lightning sweeping at 25000 feet

CAP engaged:
248th Sentai with Ki-43-IIb Oscar (1 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
(13 plane(s) diverted to support CAP in hex.)
1 plane(s) intercepting now.
0 plane(s) not yet engaged, 0 being recalled, 12 out of immediate contact.
Group patrol altitude is 15000 , scrambling fighters between 0 and 15000.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 36 minutes

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AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR Feb 14, 43
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Ground combat at 73,47 (near Kweiyang)

Japanese Deliberate attack

Attacking force 15129 troops, 245 guns, 485 vehicles, Assault Value = 576

Defending force 16033 troops, 75 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 397

Japanese adjusted assault: 501

Allied adjusted defense: 259

Japanese assault odds: 1 to 1

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

Japanese ground losses:
852 casualties reported
Squads: 3 destroyed, 97 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 6 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 8 disabled

Allied ground losses:
392 casualties reported
Squads: 1 destroyed, 52 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled

Assaulting units:
12th Ind.Mixed Brigade
Guards Tank Division
20th Medium Field Artillery Regiment
13th Ind.Art.Mortar Battalion
23rd Medium Field Artillery Regiment
23rd Army
8th Medium Field Artillery Regiment

Defending units:
10th Chinese Corps
72nd Chinese Corps

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AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR Feb 15, 43
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Ground combat at Changteh (81,50)

Japanese Deliberate attack

Attacking force 43669 troops, 483 guns, 657 vehicles, Assault Value = 1346

Defending force 42823 troops, 149 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 1307

Japanese engineers reduce fortifications to 2

Japanese adjusted assault: 879

Allied adjusted defense: 1373

Japanese assault odds: 1 to 2 (fort level 2)

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

Japanese ground losses:
1816 casualties reported
Squads: 17 destroyed, 150 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 13 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 9 disabled
Guns lost 21 (1 destroyed, 20 disabled)
Vehicles lost 19 (1 destroyed, 18 disabled)

Allied ground losses:
969 casualties reported
Squads: 3 destroyed, 106 disabled
Non Combat: 4 destroyed, 34 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 7 disabled

Assaulting units:
3rd Tank Division
40th Division
116th Division
60th Division
11th Army
4th Ind.Hvy.Art. Battalion
6th Ind.Hvy.Art. Battalion
2nd Hvy.Artillery Regiment
11th Ind.Art.Mortar Battalion
12th Ind.Art.Mortar Battalion
1st Ind.Hvy.Art. Battalion
Tonei Hvy Gun Regiment

Defending units:
8th Chinese Corps
53rd Chinese Corps
87th Chinese Corps
39th Chinese Corps
6th Construction Regiment
20th Group Army
17th Construction Regiment

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Ground combat at 73,47 (near Kweiyang)

Japanese Shock attack

Attacking force 14806 troops, 245 guns, 485 vehicles, Assault Value = 542

Defending force 15683 troops, 75 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 357

Japanese adjusted assault: 330

Allied adjusted defense: 244

Japanese assault odds: 1 to 1

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

Japanese ground losses:
279 casualties reported
Squads: 1 destroyed, 14 disabled
Non Combat: 1 destroyed, 10 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled

Allied ground losses:
190 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 51 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 3 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled

Assaulting units:
12th Ind.Mixed Brigade
Guards Tank Division
23rd Medium Field Artillery Regiment
20th Medium Field Artillery Regiment
23rd Army
13th Ind.Art.Mortar Battalion
8th Medium Field Artillery Regiment

Defending units:
10th Chinese Corps
72nd Chinese Corps
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------[/font]

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[font="Trebuchet MS"]With 88k troops here now and a significant air force, this will be a tough nut. Once the B-24D1 is in operation and filling a fw groups this will be more possible. I need enough good planes for two contested days and a week of follow-up bombings. If I can do that, shut the air-field, then Madras will have to be vacated. Supplying by sea will no longer be a viable alternative at that point and Allied bombings would eventually completely disrupt the troops and kill the supply. [/font]

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ORIGINAL: JocMeister

I don´t have the game installed any longer so I can´t check. But I think the next version of the SBD should start producing soon? And once the Helldiver start producing you will have loads to spare. The stats for the old SBDs and the new ones are pretty much the same so they old ones are very useful.

Personally I avoid using LBA against Naval targets. Its simply not worth it. Losing 500-1000 planes for the possibility of perhaps getting through CAP/LRCAP....nah. From a VP perspective it makes lite sense to try.

This is only for a VP perspective of trying to get them to pull back so I can use the window for relatively safe moves forward. I'd rather lose 80 planes than 10 ships loaded with troops!

I think you're right; I'll be swimming in 1E bombers soon.

So you've graduated to other pastures, Jocke? How are you liking WITW? Look forward to a PBEM AAR from you sometime the future! [:)]

[JocMeister]

ORIGINAL: obvert
So you've graduated to other pastures, Jocke? How are you liking WITW? Look forward to a PBEM AAR from you sometime the future! [:)]

Havn´t had time to play it very much but its probably a solid game. [:)] Strangely enough I find myself playing Command whenever I get some spare time. Didn´t expect that! Its a fantastic game and it feels kind of fresh having a more modern setting. [:)]

No doubt I will be back to AE eventually though. But I´ll wait for the right opponent. [:)]

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ORIGINAL: JocMeister

ORIGINAL: obvert
So you've graduated to other pastures, Jocke? How are you liking WITW? Look forward to a PBEM AAR from you sometime the future! [:)]

Havn´t had time to play it very much but its probably a solid game. [:)] Strangely enough I find myself playing Command whenever I get some spare time. Didn´t expect that! Its a fantastic game and it feels kind of fresh having a more modern setting. [:)]

No doubt I will be back to AE eventually though. But I´ll wait for the right opponent. [:)]

I'll have to try Command one day. I've just got too much going on right now to even keep up with what I'm playing and an AAR. The Allied side is starting to have a lot of clicks!! But I still am enjoying it!

[JocMeister]

You think early 43 is lots of clicks? You just wait for 45. [:D]