Tales from the First Time -DanSez (J) vs Przemcio231 (A) - no Przemcio231 please

[DanSez]

Speaking of Palembang ---

I recall some concern about how invasion forces approach that target. Is this 'up river' requiring xAPs/xAKLs of a certain size (no BBs etc)?

Any intel from the more experienced would be very much appreciated.

[jwolf]

I don't know about the Palembang hex itself, but the narrow strait in front of it is certainly passable by BBs as Malagant has done that in his game with me. The BBs didn't go to Palembang itself (I think not anyway) but I don't know if they couldn't or if, as I presume, they had other priorities. He had several cruisers and destroyers supporting the landing right at Palembang.

[Lowpe]

ORIGINAL: DanSez

Speaking of Palembang ---

I recall some concern about how invasion forces approach that target. Is this 'up river' requiring xAPs/xAKLs of a certain size (no BBs etc)?

Any intel from the more experienced would be very much appreciated.

Palembang can be tough, and it gets tougher the longer you wait. The terrain is ugly. No BBs at Palembang either.

Watch out for mines.

Watch out for enemy torpedo bombers.

The game is pretty good at telling you what you can and can't do, if your message delay isn't set too fast. Here I try to move Force Z to Palembang...

[Andav]

Palembang does have a limit to the size of ship which can enter. I usually create a TF and set the destination. If it can't make it into the hex a message will be displayed. There are a couple of other ports like this as well. Siagon and Rangoon I think.

That was a close shave with mini-KB!

Wa

[DanSez]

ORIGINAL: Lowpe


Palembang can be tough, and it gets tougher the longer you wait. The terrain is ugly. No BBs at Palembang either.

Allied High Command has shown tenancies to concentrate force in the most inconvenient ways. I would like to move on it sooner rather than later, but I am just now about 1/2 way down the Malaysian Penn.

I have bought out the Guards Div from Tokyo and it is nearing Samah to unload and repack into Amphib mode with other units from Pesco and Samah. In a week I could assemble a powerful task force routing the beefed up Baby-KB along,

but by that time American Carriers could be drawing near. Last couple of turns, US Carriers transiting East of Palyma, heading SW.

KB is heading to Osaka to referb, repair and replenish planes and torpedoes, then head back down the East side of Philippines and strike South Borneo, Celebes and East Java.

That is a couple of weeks down the road.
And all that could change if a new crisis or opportunity presents itself.

I need to think of a plan to punish his aggressive tactics or else it will never stop.

In other SigInt it seems that Allied High Command considers the destruction of transports and invasion forces a higher priority than conserving his forces or engaging with my main battle elements.

How can I use this information?

[DanSez]

Thanks to all for the Palembang advice.
[&o]

[Malagant]

I'm not too worried about "sensitive info", but thanks for thinking of me!

Palembang itself is up a navigable river. Check out page 39 of the manual:

Navigable rivers are rivers that ships may “sail” along. In map terms, they are river hexsides
that naval TFs can move across. Navigable rivers have the following effects and limitations:
»» Only ships with tonnages of 15,000 tons or less
may cross navigable river hexsides.
»» The hexsides have effects on naval units that are similar to narrow straits – TFs
crossing them are more vulnerable to mines and any CD units that are present.
»» TFs will not react along a river unless the range to the enemy is one hex.
For ground units, navigable rivers act in the same way as any other river.

I was able to wedge a few CA and a bunch of xAP and xAK up the river.

[ny59giants]

Going back to your positioning on Air HQs, you don't have enough forward deployed to assist in your advance.

11 Air Fleet at Takao - OK
21st Air at Babeldoab - OK for now, but should be headed SW soon
22nd Air at Saigon - as soon as 3rd Air is on Malaya, this should be at a base on NW corner of Borneo (Singkawang area)
5th Air Div - planning for Clark should be moved to allow 11th Air Fleet to move further south.

Current view is your best ship killers (Betty & Nell) are unable to use those deadly torpedoes due to distance from front lines, IMO.

[DanSez]

ORIGINAL: ny59giants

Going back to your positioning on Air HQs, you don't have enough forward deployed to assist in your advance.

11 Air Fleet at Takao - OK
21st Air at Babeldoab - OK for now, but should be headed SW soon
22nd Air at Saigon - as soon as 3rd Air is on Malaya, this should be at a base on NW corner of Borneo (Singkawang area)
5th Air Div - planning for Clark should be moved to allow 11th Air Fleet to move further south.

Current view is your best ship killers (Betty & Nell) are unable to use those deadly torpedoes due to distance from front lines, IMO.

That be true.
Coordination is such a demanding task in this game.

I was thinking about Singkawang as a necessary intermediate move while the forces gather at Samah - heading for Palembang. Yes getting 22nd Air there as soon as possible is a good suggestion.
Thanks

[DanSez]

Quick Review and some thoughts about the action SW of Babeldaob:

SitRep on turn Dec 27, 1941.
The previous landing force ships I split into a surface group are isolated to the East of Ambon. Zuiho and friends have made their escape. Akagi and Kaga are now in theatre.

[DanSez]

Results of the orders above:

*********************
Night Naval bombardment of Ambon at 76,109

Allied aircraft
no flights
Allied aircraft losses
A-24 Banshee: 2 damaged
P-40B Warhawk: 2 damaged

Japanese Ships
CA Nachi

Allied ground losses:
61 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 10 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

Airbase hits 2
Runway hits 12
Port hits 2
Port supply hits 1

CA Nachi firing at Ambon
(I thought I set the float for night recon... must remember to double check that)

**********************
Morning Air attack on TF, near Manado at 75,99

Weather in hex: Light cloud
Raid spotted at 13 NM, estimated altitude 15,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 5 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A5M4 Claude x 7
B5N1 Kate x 9
No Japanese losses

Allied Ships
xAKL Luzon, Bomb hits 3, heavy fires, heavy damage
xAKL Magallanes, Bomb hits 3, heavy fires, heavy damage

Heavy smoke from fires obscuring xAKL Magallanes

No sinking sounds ...
If they survived, the CA,DDs will clean it up later.

[DanSez]

SitRep turn of 28 Dec 1941.

Plan to unite Carrier groups and provide cover for small force that attacks Manado. Reform carrier groups

1. Send Zuiho and escorts back to Babeldaob, pick up others and head home for repairs
2. Larger Baby-KB now looking to raid Eastern Borneo on the way to Cam Ranh Bay to reload and escort invasion fleet to Palembang.

That is the plan so far.

[Lowpe]

Get a dedicated surface group with the Kaga Group...give it a generous reaction range, have it follow the Carriers or the Carriers follow the Surface group (opinions vary), and make sure some floats are on night naval search. Even if you can only spare a couple of destroyers...but get them some protection.

Also, expect the area to be crawling with enemy subs, and possibly minefields. Especially true since he knows you had damaged carriers in the area.

What does Sorong look like. Get some air search there now, Mavis, Nells, whatever. Even if there is no aviation support you can fly for a couple of days until it catches up. Also get some air recon there so you can start to see what is in port. You have no intel on any base![:(] No wonder his ships can go poof.[:D]

You have transport planes and paratroops too...get them in theater, even if the transports are just ferrying aviation support forward.

You can use Fast Transport ships to quickly take an undefended base or to quickly move a HQa forward.



Be careful with surface bombardments when enemy surface groups are around, you may get ambushed and be in the wrong mode or with depleted ammo.

What do the detection levels look like on your ships? He very well can be ambushing you again...anything with detection levels is likely to be ambushed and needs protection. Turn the tables on him!

Argh! Banshees! Watch out...they might not be trained up that well right now, but they can put a hurt on you. Escorted by P40s no less....

[DanSez]

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

Get a dedicated surface group with the Kaga Group...give it a generous reaction range, have it follow the Carriers or the Carriers follow the Surface group (opinions vary), and make sure some floats are on night naval search. Even if you can only spare a couple of destroyers...but get them some protection.

Also, expect the area to be crawling with enemy subs, and possibly minefields. Especially true since he knows you had damaged carriers in the area.

What does Sorong look like. Get some air search there now, Mavis, Nells, whatever. Even if there is no aviation support you can fly for a couple of days until it catches up. Also get some air recon there so you can start to see what is in port. You have no intel on any base![:(] No wonder his ships can go poof.[:D]

You have transport planes and paratroops too...get them in theater, even if the transports are just ferrying aviation support forward.

You can use Fast Transport ships to quickly take an undefended base or to quickly move a HQa forward.



Be careful with surface bombardments when enemy surface groups are around, you may get ambushed and be in the wrong mode or with depleted ammo.

What do the detection levels look like on your ships? He very well can be ambushing you again...anything with detection levels is likely to be ambushed and needs protection. Turn the tables on him!

Argh! Banshees! Watch out...they might not be trained up that well right now, but they can put a hurt on you. Escorted by P40s no less....

Great points. One of the hard First Time lessons is to move everything in a reasonable time and order, to dictate the battle space and not be jumping from crisis to crisis.

Nothing in Sorong yet.

I have Babs in Davaos and Nells/Betties in Babeldaob.

I don't think he uses mines often/yet in the manner you describe. Allied High Command is good at swarming with subs. A few turns ago there were 3-4 subs around Babeldaob, now there are none. But I have dinged at least one, and they may have run out of fuel or torpedoes and are returning for resupply. Still, one pesky sub has been in the area the last couple of turns. There certainly could be a couple more. I have Vals doing ASW as well as some of the floats. Kates doing Nav Search.

I will have a lot of CAP up from the carriers as they egress the area.

[Encircled]

Get a Fast Tspt with some AV and some air support to Namlea asap.

Once that is up and running, he's can't do what he is doing now

[DanSez]

ORIGINAL: Encircled

Get a Fast Tspt with some AV and some air support to Namlea asap.

Once that is up and running, he's can't do what he is doing now

Thanks, I have been remiss pushing AVs into this that area. I will look that location up.

Next turn, I start getting my first batch of AKE conversions completed and I need to get a couple to Babeldaob and Truk as well.

Working on my list of things to do.

[DanSez]

Last turn was not too bad for Air Combat.

Most of the Allied 4-E loses occurred because I popped out of port in Miri with 3 TBs and the Allied units were set to Nav Attack. I had an 18 plane Zero squadron there.

Interesting trick...
Now I need to plan it a little better to see if I can get him to run into a few more fighters.

[Encircled]

Sorry by AV, I meant some combat troops so you can take it.

An AV would be fine, but you have to take the base first.

Maybe a paradrop?

[DanSez]

ORIGINAL: Encircled

Sorry by AV, I meant some combat troops so you can take it.

An AV would be fine, but you have to take the base first.

Maybe a paradrop?

hahah, sorry for the misunderstanding
I was thinking Air Power and AVs are moving toward that area so the single brain cell just snatched that thought.

thanks for clearing me up.
[:)]

[Lowpe]

ORIGINAL: DanSez
Nothing in Sorong yet.

Just transfer a squadron of Mavis there, and let the AV support catch up to them. Fast transport the
AV from Babeldoab in a couple of destroyers or whatever you have there. You can have a Fast transport, at any port, assign it to pick up an ENG unit at Bebeldoab, and then set the Fast Transport's home port to Sorong. Saves some time...and time is your enemy.

Attacking with just ship search up is just an invitation to disaster.

Namlea, previously mentioned, is the base just north of Ambon, and it starts off with a runway, like size 2 and no enemy troops and even a port. You can also fast transport some Naval Guard there and be flying in support in 2 days. Your twin engine search planes can then fly out of there giving you much better search. Or you can use paratroopers from Sorong with Mavis dropping the paratroopers.

If you can get destroyers within 7 hexes or so, you can drop troops off and be gone all overnight minimizing enemy reprisals.

Remember, you need to get the oil too...so much to do, it is overwhelming. Just approach it like eating an elephant. One bite at a time.[:)] Unfortunately, some bites are more important than others.[:D]

You know that the Allies are aggressive, so what do you think he is doing with his land troops that he can move freely? Is he running supply ships into Singers? Sub convoys to Bataan?