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

[Lowpe]

In the afternoon, the Vals return a plant one on the Biloxi. This will be an expensive plane day with the trashing of Ominato and in lost Oscar Escorts.

[Lowpe]

Lilly strikes again...much more effective than junky Vals. Where are the Myojo kamis I wonder?

[Lowpe]

Myojo doesn't fly...sigh.

Over in Indochina we continue to hold our own in artillery bombardments.

[Lowpe]

So the Allies do a number on Ominato in total about 400 planes lost all told so heavy damage. He had what seems like 200 B24J come at me...I managed to destroy 36 Hellcats and 24 B24J (so almost a months worth of production of the B24).

Now that he is sweeping with the P47s in number again, I will have to pull everything back to 10 hexes to avoid his sweeps.

My fault for staying one day too long, my recon showed only about 45 bombers.

But, in general, just glad he didn't bomb the industry or factories although that will come.

Very poor hits on the Allied destroyers and CL (only 2 on the Biloxi). Maybe one Fletcher sunk.

So, now we will be back to cat and mouse as the Empire burns.[;)] Osaka still has 480 fires.

[Lowpe]

The Frank A starts production in Feb 1, 44. I am sure that will be as far as I get r&d wise. I have lots of engines stockpiled and big production, since I have no more r&d left for anything else but the D4Y4 and the Frank R. I see no reason why to put factories onto r&d for the Frank r, the ones on it now will surely be trashed. Perhaps I can find some out of the way locations the Allies might not recon, but I kind of doubt it.

Maybe excess production can go to the Frank r - it will occupy the Allied bombers for a night maybe saving something else perhaps.

So more moving forces back to the HI; perhaps I can manage a CAP trap again in Indochina. I left a size 42 Sentai of Tonies for that reason.

I doubt I see major Allied shipping again until he is ready to start either bombarding my ports or invade Honshu, although he could use the Deathstar to bomb industry/ports/runways too if he wanted to. So short AA; even Kure and Yoko just upgraded their TOE and will get close 54 & 96 or so 12 cm AA guns eventually but I think they stand at 20 or less now.

Well, any day were industry stays relatively intact is a good day.[:D]

[Lowpe]

Osaka lost a 150 more Light Industry to the fires last turn. Maybe the fires will go out today, if he doesn't bomb again.

[JocMeister]

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

ORIGINAL: Lokasenna
This looks like the beginning of the end. I saw the screencap of the Osaka raid and just thought something kinda like this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3-aAx4SOn0

You are thinking this just now?[:D]

Well, unless you recapture Hokkaido and throw the Allies back into the sea you have only a couple of months before you will be out of supply and aircraft factories.

Given its only early 44 I doubt very much that you can avoid an allied AV on 1/45. [:(] IMO the beginning of the end was the loss of the Marianas.

[obvert]

ORIGINAL: JocMeister

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

ORIGINAL: Lokasenna
This looks like the beginning of the end. I saw the screencap of the Osaka raid and just thought something kinda like this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3-aAx4SOn0

You are thinking this just now?[:D]

Well, unless you recapture Hokkaido and throw the Allies back into the sea you have only a couple of months before you will be out of supply and aircraft factories.

Given its only early 44 I doubt very much that you can avoid an allied AV on 1/45. [:(] IMO the beginning of the end was the loss of the Marianas.

What's all this gloom and doom? [:D]

Just keep plugging away Lowpe. Don't give up the R n D as you never know what might happen. He's losing a lot of planes too, and now some ships it looks like. It's all about the VPs here, and that's a lot of 4E downed recently.

He's got a long way to go. Jocke, with a much more advanced Allied air force, still took a long time to wipe my industry, and I was in a much more difficult place for supply than you are now. As devastating as that part of the game was, it was really fun on the days when things went our way, and those days will always be there.

I'd set your goal at keeping him from victory on 1/45. That's a long way off I know, but it's a fun and worthy goal. he hasn't done this before, so he'll make mistakes, and you as defender are in a position to capitalize on those. The sweeps won't always go first. The LR CAP won't always work. The NF will surely play a part one day and the Frank will add a bit of punch to your sweeps.

Have fun with this and keep on as you have been! [:)]

[JocMeister]

Yes, but I was for the most part flying B-29s from extended range in the Marianas. By the time I got B24s in range they were flying from small airbases in the Okinawas. The allies in this game will be flying from multiple level 9 bases within normal range from early 44. Just the ability to tap into the B24 pools for strat bombing of the HI is huge.

I don´t want to sound gloom but this will be over quickly unless you boot him off Hokkaido.

[obvert]

ORIGINAL: JocMeister

Yes, but I was for the most part flying B-29s from extended range in the Marianas. By the time I got B24s in range they were flying from small airbases in the Okinawas. The allies in this game will be flying from multiple level 9 bases within normal range from early 44. Just the ability to tap into the B24 pools for strat bombing of the HI is huge.

I don´t want to sound gloom but this will be over quickly unless you boot him off Hokkaido.

One of the reasons that all worked though is that my supply was low already. Almost no reserves. Lowpe has been aware of that this entire game, so even without the industry he could keep going as long as the aircraft pools were there. Some aircraft manufacturing will most likely continue for a good long time as well. You were able to target the most advanced airframes successfully but I had a gazzilion Franks, Georges, Jacks, Tojos, Oscars, A6M, and Ki-100 still going. In daylight any Japanese fighter can inflict wounds on 4E, but the sweeps will be the most critical factor in terms of success for the Allies.

[JocMeister]

ORIGINAL: obvert

ORIGINAL: JocMeister

Yes, but I was for the most part flying B-29s from extended range in the Marianas. By the time I got B24s in range they were flying from small airbases in the Okinawas. The allies in this game will be flying from multiple level 9 bases within normal range from early 44. Just the ability to tap into the B24 pools for strat bombing of the HI is huge.

I don´t want to sound gloom but this will be over quickly unless you boot him off Hokkaido.

One of the reasons that all worked though is that my supply was low already. Almost no reserves. Lowpe has been aware of that this entire game, so even without the industry he could keep going as long as the aircraft pools were there. Some aircraft manufacturing will most likely continue for a good long time as well. You were able to target the most advanced airframes successfully but I had a gazzilion Franks, Georges, Jacks, Tojos, Oscars, A6M, and Ki-100 still going. In daylight any Japanese fighter can inflict wounds on 4E, but the sweeps will be the most critical factor in terms of success for the Allies.

Good point. He will certainly lack long range escorts and long range sweepers. But flying at night that won´t be an issue.

[Lowpe]

Allies attacked Ominato with 131 Liberators, of which I downed 20 according to Tracker.

They swept with 91 Lightning bolts.

For this turn I have retreated back to 10 hexes from Kushiro and pretty much started setting up defenses. Tomorrow, I will continue the pesky hit and run air raids and selective CAP.

I see a Fletcher force making another run in at Ustonomyia or looking for a surface engagement. I now have some mines there but I have no faith in Japanese mines.

I am still pursuing the CVE fleet with Iboats.

And I set up a small CAP trap down in the Solomons.

Not very exciting stuff...lots of ship movements, and so far I have avoided his subs mostly.

Tomorrow I will go thru and shut off spurious drains on my supply which stands at 5.5 million.

[MrKane]

First, for unknown to me reason I was convinced you are in late '44. So not more talking about Frank R . Maybe you can bomb his AFs at night. There is no way to use yours 2E bombers right now except for night AF raids in my opinion. About sweeps, usually I am sending one unit form AF, even lvl 9 at once. Squadron must full rested and high morale to arrive as one group.
To avoid sweep fragmentation just remove from yours groups low experience pilots.
So, usually I have 3-4 sweepers squadron in base level 9, but they are rotate. One squadron flaying per day. This way my pilots are always fresh and planes are fixed. You opponent need to fly CAP every day so in time morale of his pilots will go down, his planes will need repair and etc...
You probably already know all of this.

[Lowpe]

ORIGINAL: MrKane

First, for unknown to me reason I was convinced you are in late '44. So not more talking about Frank R . Maybe you can bomb his AFs at night. There is no way to use yours 2E bombers right now except for night AF raids in my opinion. About sweeps, usually I am sending one unit form AF, even lvl 9 at once. Squadron must full rested and high morale to arrive as one group.
To avoid sweep fragmentation just remove from yours groups low experience pilots.
So, usually I have 3-4 sweepers squadron in base level 9, but they are rotate. One squadron flaying per day. This way my pilots are always fresh and planes are fixed. You opponent need to fly CAP every day so in time morale of his pilots will go down, his planes will need repair and etc...
You probably already know all of this.

Late 44, I wish![:D]

I agree on the 2E bomber use. +1; however I have not been night bombing other than 2-3 squadrons on night naval attacks since it is 0 percent moonlight.

I also agree with you that the Frank R will never see the light of day, unless the Allies are criminally negligent. Which they aren't.

In early April or even sooner there will be an invasion of Honshu. Most likely one of the clear terrain hexes fairly close to Hokkaido. Then, two or three days after that there will be a second invasion. Most likely Allies will look to cut Honshu in half.

[Lokasenna]

ORIGINAL: obvert

ORIGINAL: JocMeister

Yes, but I was for the most part flying B-29s from extended range in the Marianas. By the time I got B24s in range they were flying from small airbases in the Okinawas. The allies in this game will be flying from multiple level 9 bases within normal range from early 44. Just the ability to tap into the B24 pools for strat bombing of the HI is huge.

I don´t want to sound gloom but this will be over quickly unless you boot him off Hokkaido.

One of the reasons that all worked though is that my supply was low already. Almost no reserves. Lowpe has been aware of that this entire game, so even without the industry he could keep going as long as the aircraft pools were there. Some aircraft manufacturing will most likely continue for a good long time as well. You were able to target the most advanced airframes successfully but I had a gazzilion Franks, Georges, Jacks, Tojos, Oscars, A6M, and Ki-100 still going. In daylight any Japanese fighter can inflict wounds on 4E, but the sweeps will be the most critical factor in terms of success for the Allies.

And his pools of sweepers aren't very deep yet. He needs to get to the next P-47 models and later P-51s before he has just tons of sweepers. As long as Lowpe can make OK trades in fighters and not throw his navy away, he should be able to hold until '45... I am concerned about the industry, though. If I were his opponent, I'd be running my 4Es into the ground. And forget concentrated strikes - I'd be scattering them everywhere because Lowpe can't possibly protect every place. And I'd have Recon up over big factory cities, and targeting the R&D.... really ugly things like that.

[obvert]

ORIGINAL: Lokasenna

And forget concentrated strikes - I'd be scattering them everywhere because Lowpe can't possibly protect every place. And I'd have Recon up over big factory cities, and targeting the R&D.... really ugly things like that.

Luckily for Lowpe most Allied-only players don't think like those who've played the dark side! [:D]

[Lowpe]

Well, I have all my night fighters in a band from Nagoya/Tokyo/Gifu/Osaka with interlocking ranges. That is it.[X(] Other bases have Petes/Alfs/Kai Dinahs on 10% CAP to at least interfere with the night bombing.

I am two more months from the big AA reinforcements arriving.

My guess is he will go back to hitting Osaka at night with everything and or the airfields. Anything that gets him bombing airfields instead of industry is a boon. So I will be swapping in fighter strikes from the big bases near Hokkaido and then moving them out, forcing him to strike them repeatedly I hope.

[Lowpe]

Jan 28, 1944

Some small night bombing of northern Honshu by the Allies in 2E bombers.

Lots of mine hits at Ominato, I find out subsequently it is PT boats drawn in chasing some damaged xaks I have at dock. The Allies bombard Hachinohe with BB, and one of them takes a 12cm hit - serves them right. Also bombarded is Ustonomiya and Sendai, by destroyers and a CL/DD task forces.

Jugs sweep Ominato, but nobody there. Lightnings sweep Maebashi and finds A5M5c and Ki100I. The Lightnings are sky high, and we are down low, at 10 or 11K. The Zeroes fall, losing about 23 falling in A2A while 6 Ki100I are also shot down. In return 13 Lightnings are shot lost.

Unfortunately, no Georges bled over (I was petrified of a daylight bombing run on Tokyo). The the Liberators showed up and the targeted a Frank and a big George factory. Ouch.

Then Liberators hit the Naval Yards at Kure, bouncing bombs off two battleships in drydock (in the process of leaving). They run into Tojos and Zekes and Oscars, oh my. The AA isn't up to full strength here (which would be 54 12cm tubes, only 17 so far). I might leave the battleships in port to keep him coming back.

So the Allies are pounding me good, but I believe I have destroyed 25% of the current B24 pools - 50 plus losses in 2 days.







A minefield shows up at Hakodate by the Allies. This leads me to believe the Allies will push to take all of Hokkaido, most likely prior to any major invasion of Honshu -- I think. Ultimately, Hokodate is doomed, but if they can buy me two months of time, or become the focus of an Allied bombing campaign rather than my industry, it will be worth it I think.

[Lowpe]

Here is the damage done to the Hiei at the Kure Naval Yards.

That is a pretty good trade, IMHO, he is bombing with half loads unescorted. A little disappointed the radar to catch one raid quickly enough, but the Zekes caught up to them after the raid.

I need to keep some Georges up sky high to counter the Lightning sweeps, make sure all bases have Ki100Is, and triple check radar and flak locations.

I did lose 50 points of George production which hurts.

[Lowpe]

So no manpower attacks, some factory attacks, the industry comes out relatively unscathed.

At what point does he convert all 4E to 100 percent night bombing? It was very good luck he didn't do night attacks since one of the Nick squadrons just upgraded and many planes were repairing and not all the pilots had arrived.

Ovewrall, this was a turn that made me cringe watching it, but after the fact not so bad - it could have been so much worse which I guess is the story that will unfold in coming months until he invades Honshu.