Headhunter - Lokasenna (A) vs. mind_messing (J) - No MM yet

[Lokasenna]

ORIGINAL: obvert

I get it. If you want/need to speed up the process there are risks, and that's something we all decide as we go. I've just made a similar choice in Cent Pac and don't know the results yet!

You can also look at this as a prep for next time. I know we all get trigger happy, so when you can there is also the possibility he'll go all in for another of these medium sized invasions and you can either heavily CAP it or pull it back and use that aggressiveness against him. Jocke started to do that in 44 really well against me, and I had to adjust to change my practices too! Always a cat and mouse.

Ah, another thought:

It's why I hit Buna during the night/day, and left it untouched over the past few days while I pounded Kiriwina, Milna, and Tagula. I was supposed to have all of my level bombers at Portland Roads hit Buna during the night but it looks like they didn't fly. I was wondering if he was going to bring in his 90-plane Kate units to Buna, along with some good fighters for escorts, and was hoping to trap them damaged on the ground where I could murder them at will.

[Lokasenna]

I get my first AGC in a few days. Am I correct in thinking that people only use these things for the really big invasions?

[BBfanboy]

ORIGINAL: Lokasenna

I get my first AGC in a few days. Am I correct in thinking that people only use these things for the really big invasions?

You only get a couple of Amphibious Force HQs (which coordinate landings to lessen disruption to troops and, I think, speed up unloading by keeping beaches from being congested). I think each one will fit on two AGCs. They won't contribute that much on a small invasion but you could use them to build their experience for the big ones.

[CaptBeefheart]

Each Amph Force HQ fits on one AGC. An empty AGC will help unload your troops quicker, one with Amph Force HQ even quicker, and one with an Amph Force HQ 100% prepped the quickest.

To me, AGCs and APAs are best used in atoll attacks, but I could see the value of using one in SoPac/SWPac for a large invasion to make it go quicker.

Cheers,
CC

[Lokasenna]

ORIGINAL: Commander Cody

Each Amph Force HQ fits on one AGC. An empty AGC will help unload your troops quicker, one with Amph Force HQ even quicker, and one with an Amph Force HQ 100% prepped the quickest.

To me, AGCs and APAs are best used in atoll attacks, but I could see the value of using one in SoPac/SWPac for a large invasion to make it go quicker.

Cheers,
CC

That makes sense. I knew what they did, I just haven't actually seen anybody use them.

I'll see if I can figure out a good way... I have the LCU already, sitting at Pearl and waiting for its ride. Does anyone know the following?

1) Does the Amphib HQ have to be prepped for the same location? I thought it did, and 100% to get a bonus? Or is it as Commander Cody says - bonus just for presence, extra bonus for being prepped?

2) How much is the bonus? Does it effectively "upgrade" APs to APAs, xAPs to APs, etc? With my APA losses and plethora of converted xAPs, I'm considering options...

[witpqs]

I never heard about an empty AGC helping. Are you sure about that one?

The Amphib Force HQ does have to be prepared, although I don't know how much the HQ helps or if it helps at all below 30% preparation (which is the minimum for preparation to help in combat so it might pertain here too).

[JocMeister]

ORIGINAL: Lokasenna
I could have done more to mitigate them. Should have. I have 100x P-38s at Ndeni that I could have moved to Lunga for LRCAP, and I could have had my CVEs in-hex. The strike packages weren't that big - no "super groups". I kinda did this one to myself. Next time...

Learning by doing... [:)]

[Lokasenna]

ORIGINAL: JocMeister

ORIGINAL: Lokasenna
I could have done more to mitigate them. Should have. I have 100x P-38s at Ndeni that I could have moved to Lunga for LRCAP, and I could have had my CVEs in-hex. The strike packages weren't that big - no "super groups". I kinda did this one to myself. Next time...

Learning by doing... [:)]

Yeah, I could stand to stop learning at this point.

[Lokasenna]

ORIGINAL: witpqs

I never heard about an empty AGC helping. Are you sure about that one?

The Amphib Force HQ does have to be prepared, although I don't know how much the HQ helps or if it helps at all below 30% preparation (which is the minimum for preparation to help in combat so it might pertain here too).

The manual doesn't say anything about the HQ, really. It does just say that it helps you suffer fewer losses when landing... which prep also does. Granted I haven't really had a contested landing yet, but with 100% prep I am suffering barely any losses on the beach.

So it doesn't help with unload rates, just with losses... I guess that's great if you don't have time to wait for your prep to go from 25% or 33% to 100%... which can take ~50-60 days if you're in rest mode the whole time.

Manual also doesn't say anything about the AGC providing a bonus in itself.

[JocMeister]

ORIGINAL: Lokasenna

ORIGINAL: JocMeister

ORIGINAL: Lokasenna
I could have done more to mitigate them. Should have. I have 100x P-38s at Ndeni that I could have moved to Lunga for LRCAP, and I could have had my CVEs in-hex. The strike packages weren't that big - no "super groups". I kinda did this one to myself. Next time...

Learning by doing... [:)]

Yeah, I could stand to stop learning at this point.

In the overall scheme of things this is just a small speed bump. [:)] The only thing important lost is the APAs. As long as you don´t lose any more of them it shouldn´t effect you too much.

[witpqs]

ORIGINAL: Lokasenna

ORIGINAL: witpqs

I never heard about an empty AGC helping. Are you sure about that one?

The Amphib Force HQ does have to be prepared, although I don't know how much the HQ helps or if it helps at all below 30% preparation (which is the minimum for preparation to help in combat so it might pertain here too).

The manual doesn't say anything about the HQ, really. It does just say that it helps you suffer fewer losses when landing... which prep also does. Granted I haven't really had a contested landing yet, but with 100% prep I am suffering barely any losses on the beach.

So it doesn't help with unload rates, just with losses... I guess that's great if you don't have time to wait for your prep to go from 25% or 33% to 100%... which can take ~50-60 days if you're in rest mode the whole time.

Manual also doesn't say anything about the AGC providing a bonus in itself.

I'm not sure about that. IIRC Amphib Force HQs help with unloading, that being less disruption, perhaps fewer losses during unloading. I do not believe that they help directly with land combat, but obviously less disruption and more troops safely making it to the beaches will help indirectly with combat. I'm not sure about unload rates per se - maybe, maybe not. Someone who knows might chime in. I do know it was recently confirmed that an Amphib Force HQ in and AGC will assist unloading in the whole hex, it does not need to be in the same TF.

Basically prepare them 100% like any troops for the invasion, when time allows. Hope this helps.

[obvert]

I used the Marine Amphib HQ on APs at Mili just now, but I'm not sure what it did for me to be honest. Maybe the troops landed fine, but they still failed to take the base. If it's a shock island, and atoll or small one, maybe it's also good to bring another HQ that does help with land combat?

[Lokasenna]

Yeah. I've got some prepped for a couple of locations. Although I've never, ever seen the "hq (+)" bonus, or whatever it looks like.

Got some updates coming in a bit, after I take care of some chores...

[BBfanboy]

ORIGINAL: obvert

I used the Marine Amphib HQ on APs at Mili just now, but I'm not sure what it did for me to be honest. Maybe the troops landed fine, but they still failed to take the base. If it's a shock island, and atoll or small one, maybe it's also good to bring another HQ that does help with land combat?

Are you referring to the Amphibious CORPS HQs? Those are normal Corps HQs, like the army ones and do not help with landing. They also have to be put ashore to do their work. Only the Amphib FORCE HQs act as landing bonus.

[obvert]

Ahhhh. Well. Glad I exposed my ignorance. Damn, and here I thought I was progressing as an Allied commander. [;)]

[BBfanboy]

ORIGINAL: obvert

Ahhhh. Well. Glad I exposed my ignorance. Damn, and here I thought I was progressing as an Allied commander. [;)]

I only know the difference because I also exposed my ignorance to the forum - and I had been playing the Allies for a couple of years![:D]
Thank the gods for the really knowledgeable players! [&o][&o][&o]

[Lokasenna]

Otter's Ransom - September 10, 1943

Here's how things stand now.



I ended up having to scuttle APA Fuller at Munda as she just wouldn't move, and Flt eventually crept up to 97. I couldn't disband her into the size 0 "port" (and then build port to 1 for repair points) because she had Seabees on board. They transferred to another scuttle-zone APA and are on their way to Tulagi. They might make it... Sys in the 50s, Flt in the 80s.

I've been creating and disbanding barge TFs (I'm out of fuel at Lunga already [:'(]). Fuel is also low in Australia, but another 150K unloads there in 3-4 days. Fuel low at Noumea, but 70K unloading there now. Luganville has plenty.

Yorktown is still sailing around with her torpedo wound, which I will repair in the near future. Another Essex-class (also named CV Lexington [:D]) arrived at Luganville today and will resize a former-CVE Hellcat unit to size 90, which will begin to operate out of the Solomons.

Shortlands is pretty well suppressed. Torokina has a large fighter Sentai (suspected J2M2 Jacks), but that's it.

I'm using a couple of paratrooper units and USMC transport planes to take the dot bases with the big USN 4E patrol plane to pick them back up. I'm going to wait just a little bit on Woodlark, because I plan to also shunt some large engineer/base force units there - it's a potential AF 8, and port 5. It will be a major factor if/when I decide to shut down Rabaul.

His Naval Search and Recon has really sloughed off lately. And not just in this sector of the map - everywhere. I wonder what's up with that?

Next stop: Nauru... I expected him to stand with more there, but it's almost deserted. Everything I have prepped won't fit in one screen in the game, and it's overkill.

[Lokasenna]

Operation To Be Titled...



I don't need all the units I have prepped for Nauru, so I'll begin prepping some for other places.

While I don't really want to go to the Gilberts and invest there, given that I've already got stuff happening in the Solomons... I need Tabiteuea if I want to be able to stop having to set waypoints for my convoys from Pearl/CONUS [:'(]. Also, I'd like the LCU VPs! I have 1 USMC division fully prepped, and I think maybe a second with the parts all heading to Noumea. I had intended to invade the Gilberts from the SE, but given that he can't reach as far with his naval search now and his neglect of Nauru, I can get all the way to Ndeni without being sighted (save by subs).

So, Nauru first. Then Tabiteuea.

I have a full 9 USN CVs now, even though 1 is Wasp. Yorktown will need about 2 weeks at Sydney to get repaired, and will do that after stopping off at Luganville to reorganize my TFs.

Some auxiliary units for Nauru are strat moving to Townsville, where my APAs/AKAs/LSIs/LSDs are waiting for them. They'll then head to Noumea where I'll reload more tactically, and then head on up to invade. If patterns hold, he won't detect me until maybe the day before. I'm only going to show my CVEs if possible, but have my CVs just behind them in case he's got a KB in the area and wants to pounce.

However, it is noteworthy that he only has a modicum of air power at Tabiteuea and none elsewhere. Presumably, Roi-Namur still has some or plenty, but the rest seem empty... I wonder if this is an opportunity cost for his extremely heavy concentration near Rabaul/New Guinea. I've got eyes on Truk and it has a number of planes similar to Tabiteuea, so he doesn't have much within a day's flight of here either. If his aerial weakness here is a result of his concentration at the Rabaul area, then he'll either have to leave this area to get pummeled without putting up a fight or weaken his defenses in SWPAC. Win-win for me.

The long term goal here is to take Nauru, Tabiteuea, and Kusaie, and then Eniwetok and Roi-Namur in the north with a subsequent operation - cutting off the rest of the Marshalls if I do it properly. I can then decide if I want to invade the rest, or just bomb them to dust. Probably a mixture of the two - I need good pilots, after all.

[Lokasenna]

Trying something here...



This is about half of my Chinese army in exile. All 1943 squads. 2 Commonwealth units mixed in.

List below is drawn from SIGINT and bombing results. I suspect it's 2-3 HQ, 4 IDs, 2 Tank Rgts, and the rest artillery. We'll see if my forced shock can smash them... it's only a +2 hex, but about half of the units have been dug in for a while. One or two of the divisions are recent arrivals, however.

Attack will occur on September 14. I've been bombing for about a week to wear down enemy supply. Supply for my guys isn't great, but at least it's not in the red.

Known/suspected enemy:
13th Army
14th Army
15th Army

110th Division
55th Division
16th Division
33rd Division

12th Tank Regiment

10th Med FA Rgt
14th Med FA Rgt
3rd Mortar Bn
15th Ind Med FA Rgt
6th Med FA Rgt
2nd Ind Art Mortar Bn
3rd Ind Mtn Gun Rgt
21st Med FA Bn
5th Mortar Bn
Tonei Heavy Gun Rgt

[Lokasenna]

Victory Points

As you can see, despite the boo-boo at Munda, we've each gained ~500 VPs in the last week. He's helping my pilots out a lot with all those planes of his that are dying, although Pappy Boyington (my top ace with 14 kills) did get WIA on the 7th. His Exp dropped to 66 [X(]. It was at least 86 before.