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

[Lowpe]

Near disaster, and of course I am not out of the woods yet.[:)]

I spotted a juicy convoy on the Kushiro/Marcus run, the KB was unspotted so I made a run out to catch them with a torpedo bomber heavy KB.

Lo, and behold we spot the Deathstar. 350 Fighters and 250 bombers. Getting incredibly lucky they are covered in a severe storm and Hellcats are providing CAP over a screening destroyer force which we attack, but the weather, the cap and torpedoes against destroyers prevents any hits. And since it is destroyers, it is not a huge attack, but only with a fraction of the planes present - held back for good reasons.

During the night Tokyo is attacked, fires started despite Irvings shooting down 6 Liberators and contesting each bombing run. 100+ HI up in smoke plus other incidental damage.

Muroran is bombarded by 3BB, CA, DD, DMS and we hole a DMS and bounce 5 hits of a BB, but 2 more hits kill some damage control parties.

Well, now I think I will pull back with my tail between my legs, and perhaps the Deathstar will follow close enough for me to get a good multibase Kamikaze attack off on her.

I was incredibly lucky this day.[8D]

[8D]

[JocMeister]

ORIGINAL: Lowpe
I was incredibly lucky this day.[8D]

You don´t say. [X(]

[Lowpe]

Night Fighting Notes:

I have 2 Army Night Fighter Squadrons, size 42. They expand to 49 by April.

I have 3 Navy NF squadrons, sizes: 18, 18, 20.

In c40 days I get two more Navy size 18 squadrons. In April I get one more Army NF squadron size 49 & one more Navy squadron size 18.

After that there are 5 1/2 sentai of size 18 size squadrons and 1 1/2 Army sentais that come on as reinforcements by the end of 1944.

That is it! Not many.


Two of the Navy squadrons get removed July of 1944.

In October I get a KAI III Dinah NF squadron with 2 planes. Those 2 planes will allow me to manually upgrade two more recon squadrons into NF and ultimately Nick d ones since I have no production of KAI III Dinahs.

There is one squadron that upgrades into the Peggy NF, no planes, no upgrade to unlock the NF tree for that squadron.

There is one squadron that upgrades into the Denko, no planes, no ability to unlock that squadron.

At least the Allies haven't target the NF factories, but that will come probably sooner than later.

[topeverest]

Pray to the great war gamming gods!

[quote]ORIGINAL: Lowpe

Near disaster, and of course I am not out of the woods yet.[:)]

[Lowpe]

Turn is away, running away from the deathstar full speed, perhaps it will pursue within range of some good kamikaze attacks. He only has 300 fighters total, and my kamikaze were able to penetrate a 150 plane CAP when they hit the CVEs. If so, I hope to see what 800kg saps can do to an Essex.

In other news, Allied subs are starting to try and nail my troop convoys, they are moving into positions. Just lots and lots of ferrying troops all over.

It is a new month, and hope returns with the cherry blossoms.[:)]

[Lowpe]

Sapporo fell yesterday, and the Allies get victory points for all future naval builds at that base. Not pleasant!.[&:]

I reinforced Tokyo with Nick ds, but he may send in a daytime strike somewhere thinking I have over allocated to a strike against his carriers, or in an attempt to bomb some of my coastal airbases to help cover his deathstar if it should decide to pursue the KB close to Honshu.

My fighter production takes a huge jump forward today as the Frank a starts to roll off the production line. Once I have some squadrons converted I plan on contesting northern Honshu and the P47 down low. I will lose a lot, but hopefully also make life more difficult for him in Hokkaido.

[Lowpe]

Feb 2, 1944

Heavy night bombing of Tokyo. Almost 90 B24J. The Nick d sentai doesn't fly, despite 99 morale, 1 fatigue, and good leader. I have noticed this somewhat frequently, that when you transfer a squadron on night duty it often doesn't fly that first day rather especially if it changed a base.

5 Irvings are lost, and they contest all but two of the waves, for 2 B24 (1 a2a, 1 flak), but 10% of the industry (HI, LI) is wiped out in the fires. So 10 more days and the largest industrial base will gone, along with 50-70 Irvings. Maybe the Nick can do better, it has armor, but I doubt it. Without radar NF are more of a hindrance than a killer.

Allied Deathstar stands off, all IJN surface ships retreat back into the HI ok.

Still moving troops, an xap is torpedoed off Babeldoab carrying part of a division, but if she doesn't get hit again she should live. Allied subs swamping the Okinawa area...I now have 5 Super Es out trying to sink them.

[JocMeister]

His returns will start to diminish when the HI/LI starts dropping. But you will very quickly lose about half which I guess is bad news...

You won´t be able to stop this short of booting him off Hokkaido. So better prepare!

[Lowpe]

So the turn is finished, and nothing exciting to report.

Moved the remaining Nick D squadron into Tokyo, the two Irving squadrons there are pretty much shot to pieces having lost around 15+ planes in the last three days or so. Hopefully both Nick Ds will fly or Tokyo will really get lit up.

Moving troops, trying to get the Super Es into his subs, and that is about it.

Pretty lame, but not unexpected.[:)]

[Lowpe]

ORIGINAL: JocMeister

His returns will start to diminish when the HI/LI starts dropping. But you will very quickly lose about half which I guess is bad news...

You won´t be able to stop this short of booting him off Hokkaido. So better prepare!

Well, we will do the best we can...perhaps 84 Nicks can do something, if they decide to fly. They are set at 60% CAP, 99 morale all tracom pilots. It is the best I can do...[:D] Irving Sa might wander over from Maebashi next door too.

[JocMeister]

ORIGINAL: Lowpe
Well, we will do the best we can...perhaps 84 Nicks can do something, if they decide to fly. They are set at 60% CAP, 99 morale all tracom pilots. It is the best I can do...[:D] Irving Sa might wander over from Maebashi next door too.

Don´t count on it. [:(]

Your only friends are AA and bad weather and none of them will stop the bombings.

EDIT: Have you thought about hitting his AFs?

[Encircled]

Is it even a remotely possible scenario that you could push him off Hokkadio?

[Lowpe]

ORIGINAL: Encircled

Is it even a remotely possible scenario that you could push him off Hokkadio?

He has five divisions there. I have two plus currently and they are short on artillery and AA. Even if I could land another 12 divisions, which I can't it would take months to kick him off. And if I tossed that much strength at him, then he could simply tie me down and invade Honshu.

Maybe in a month I can get 6 more divisions there. I have four divisions in different states of progress returning to the HI, from the SRA and Pacific. I have one free Division and a dozen artillery training to Fusan from China. I have all the AA in the game returning. I have a fair amount of troops on Korea, but need PP to buy them out.

I do have over 5000 planes, 2000 fighters. But if I send them in massed land based air attacks I will lose 1000 for little gain. So I need to fight a sweeping battle and grind out fighter losses.

I am setting up to hit him with targeted Kamikaze strikes; one kamikaze, 1-2 escorts, flying at max altitude from one base. Hit him from four or five bases.

I am two months away from getting a dozen+ AA units; 170 days from the 8 cm to 12 cm upgrades for the AA Regiments. 45 days from getting two more Sentai of 18 night fighters.

So, no he is on Hokkaido for a good long time.[:)]

I also wanted to mention that troops going to Hokkaido have to be bought out. It is General Reserve, but there are only two divisions that belong to General Reserve and can be flown in, the rest are East, West, etc. So getting troops to Hokkaido isn't all that easy. You can't change one of the bases to Eastern Command for example.

[Lokasenna]

Yeah, unless you knock out his supplies and keep him from bringing in more, he's on Hokkaido for good.

[Lowpe]

ORIGINAL: Lokasenna

Yeah, unless you knock out his supplies and keep him from bringing in more, he's on Hokkaido for good.

Accurate summation.[:D]

[Bullwinkle58]

ORIGINAL: Lokasenna

Yeah, unless you knock out his supplies and keep him from bringing in more, he's on Hokkaido for good.

I'm getting ideas . . . [:'(]

[Lokasenna]

ORIGINAL: Bullwinkle58

ORIGINAL: Lokasenna

Yeah, unless you knock out his supplies and keep him from bringing in more, he's on Hokkaido for good.

I'm getting ideas . . . [:'(]

Hopefully not the wrong ones! [:-]

[Lowpe]

Just don't be as welcoming as I was Lok![:)]

[Lowpe]

Feb 3, 1944

Allies night bomb Tokyo with a little less than 100 4E. They come in high and low and medium. Almost 100 Nicks, with 60% CAP, 0 rest settings, 99 morale and the largest interception is by 16 Nicks. Radar for the most part still not working to pick up raids and 8cm AA tubes just can't accomplish much.

100,000 fires started, 8 Nicks shot down for 4 4Es. Despite the greater fires started, the damage is less and the key plane factories aren't touched.

Some 12cm DP guns will arrive very shortly, and they are the only chance of inflicting damage on the 4Es. But if the Allies stick to a night bombing routine, and rest every now and then, no hope to stop the night bombing other than hitting his air fields.

In other news two destroyer task forces are heading down towards Singer. So far I have let them come, but think I will hit them tomorrow. I still have 60 dive bombers at Singers, I just didn't want to fly them into CAP.

Bombardments in Indochina; Allies bomb and bombard the troops on Hokkaido but the combat troops are untouched. Planting more mines at Muroran, so hopefully we will damage some of his DMS there.

I missed a Squadron of Jills, and they fly 10 hexes for a naval strike and are shot down...my bad.

[ny59giants]

I also wanted to mention that troops going to Hokkaido have to be bought out. It is General Reserve, but there are only two divisions that belong to General Reserve and can be flown in, the rest are East, West, etc. So getting troops to Hokkaido isn't all that easy. You can't change one of the bases to Eastern Command for example.

Yes, you can!!

Changing base commands - OK, here is how to do it.
1) Get a small LCU like a very small AA into the base you want to change the command. Used to reduce PP cost vs a larger LCU.
2) Change this small LCU to the command you eventually want to change the base to. This will allow the base to change to that new command.
3) Change the base to the command you just changed the small LCU to. Now you should be able to fly in those restricted troops.

You can ONLY change command at a base to what commands are available via the LCUs that are already there (click on a base that has lots of different commands to see that the choices are restricted to just those commands present).

When I play Japan, I often do this to a base in eastern Kuriles to allow transfer of Betty/Nell early in game to prevent Allied CV raid up here. You can also do it south of Japan at game start to base Vals or Kates there to hit any fleeing Allied ships from Philippines headed east.