Empire strikes back- NJP vs Wargmr Game over :-)

[Lowpe]

Great info, and I agree with your tactics...I forgot the game was pdu off.

How many Sonias are you making?[:D]

I think he will be limited in the number of Jugs squadrons he can hit you with, thanks to pdu off. Your best counter is Frank. I hope you can upgrade enough squadrons to make a difference.

Doesn't the Ki94 play a big role -- lots of end game squadrons go there.

I think Wargamer had it really easy in the air against you last game...things will be so different this time.

[njp72]

Thanks Lowpe, I can understand Allied players pain with PDU on. It becomes a very hard task against those production numbers and superior air types.

If memory serves me correctly, he still lost over 20 thousand planes last game but you are correct- I wasn't aggressive enough in the air in 43 and that really cost me!

Good idea reference the jugs and franks.

Despite some recent setbacks Wargmr will still have my measure sometime in 45. He is just too good with his key assets and planning.

I suspect a deep invasion somewhere once he gets his Hellcats set up.

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

Great info, and I agree with your tactics...I forgot the game was pdu off.

How many Sonias are you making?[:D]

I think he will be limited in the number of Jugs squadrons he can hit you with, thanks to pdu off. Your best counter is Frank. I hope you can upgrade enough squadrons to make a difference.

Doesn't the Ki94 play a big role -- lots of end game squadrons go there.

I think Wargamer had it really easy in the air against you last game...things will be so different this time.

[njp72]

Action around Horn Island is really starting to hot up as the Allies aggressively probe.

I sent 4 decent sized surface groups targeting some large supply convoys but only one group ended up tangling with a large escort group.

The action took place in daylight and my lighter forces took a fair battering from his 8 inch guns until finally some 46cm shell action corrected the imbalance.

Butchers bill for the day Japan 1 x CL, 1 x DD

Allies: 2 x CA and 2 x DD- the stragglers were finished off by Jap air.

Good fun but an opportunity missed/wasted. I don't want to fight his warships, I'm after the AKs and APs who can't fight back!

[Lowpe]

Good to see the big girl shooting...but I shudder at the fuel cost of getting her there!

[njp72]

I am not a huge fan of the super battleships.

I use them quite a bit for bombardments but am very wary of deploying into surface combat, especially at night.

They just seem to be torpedo magnets especially against fletcher destroyers.

In the combat above, conditions were idea for Musashi to have a devastating impact on his CAs.

Despite landing several telling blows which led to the destruction of 2 of the CAs it largely sat out of the combat.

If this occurred at night in close combat it probably would have been hit by a torpedo or two.

[Lowpe]

ORIGINAL: njp72

I am not a huge fan of the super battleships.

I use them quite a bit for bombardments but am very wary of deploying into surface combat, especially at night.

They just seem to be torpedo magnets especially against fletcher destroyers.

Been there! Done that![:D]

Back on fighters, do whatever you can to get the Frank A in play in mid to early 4th qtr 43 (in big numbers). Not two months early, that is way too late.[;)]

[ny59giants]

SC TF composition - you get better and more reliable results if you DON'T mix CA/CL with BB. It has to do with max range of guns regardless of actual combat ranges. Often if you do mix, the BBs tend to sit out the battle.

[Lowpe]

ORIGINAL: ny59giants

SC TF composition - you get better and more reliable results if you DON'T mix CA/CL with BB. It has to do with max range of guns regardless of actual combat ranges. Often if you do mix, the BBs tend to sit out the battle.

Been there, done that too! Don't forget the great tip about low TF number squadrons usually moving first.[:)]

[njp72]

You are quite correct and I was lucky to get away with my laziness on this occasion.

I had two other smaller CL/DD taskforces in front and screening this one and at the last moment decided to add in Musashi in case of a bombardment opportunity.

As this game frequently does, the unexpected occurred (somehow he missed tangling with the other groups) and I got quite lucky that the engagement was during the day and not at night.

Truly complacency is death in this game

ORIGINAL: ny59giants

SC TF composition - you get better and more reliable results if you DON'T mix CA/CL with BB. It has to do with max range of guns regardless of actual combat ranges. Often if you do mix, the BBs tend to sit out the battle.

[njp72]

Update April 43

The game continues at a cracking pace.

The Allies have committed limited offensives around PNG and the central pacific to attrite local Japanese forces and develop infrastructure.

I also believe it is a smart move by Wargmr to ensure the allied scoreboard continues to tick over as China gets smashed.

The war is mostly being fought in the air and to my surprise, the P-40K has proven to be a very worthy adversary to my A6M5s and Oscar IIbs. The F4F is now completely outclassed but he is still using them prior to completely swapping over to Hellcats.

Have to say (outside of China), the Allies have outplayed the Empire this month and been very clever in their scheme of manoeuvre.

[njp72]

This is where the main activity is happening.

He is probing aggressively and seizing unmanned or very lightly held positions. Some of these little thrusts I stop but the majority do get through.

My key defence philosophy has been the following:

1. Bases must be mutually supporting.
2. Defence in depth on avenues of approach.
3. If mines are used, must be covered by fire
4. Where as much as possible, combined arms approach for units in the same location (arty,armour, inf)

Thus far my navy has stayed away in accordance with my desire to avoid pitch battles unless in very favourable circumstances.

KB will only be deployed into areas where I have an advantage in navy search coverage.

Use of attack aircraft is limited. Mostly fighters sweeping or in a defence capacity.

The joys of being on the defensive

[njp72]

China- the final push is on and thus far 2 deliberate attacks have been conducted on Chungking.

This has resulted in massive battles and thousands of squad disablements for me but progress has been made.

Because his supply situation is dire, he is not killing many of my units, merely causing massive disruption.

I have been buying up the battered IJA inf divisions on the cheap and sending them into the DEI.

I am confident it will fall in the next month

[njp72]

A quick update

Intensity is building in two key areas- China and around PNG.

In China the final bastion of Chungking is being assaulted but as expected it is a hard slog. There is no hope of salvation for the Chinese but they fight like tigers

Around PNG and Rabaul the Allies have commenced their advance in dashes and clever flanking moves. Wargmr has bought the whole show (effectively the entire USN which is largely untouched) so I have declined the allure of some decisive battles. With Hellcats on his carriers and fast BBs roaming around, I doubt that I would win one anyway!

[njp72]

The good news front

It is slowly crumbling. Forts have now been reduced to 3 from 6 and he has no supply. I suffer significant disablements but few destroyed squads due to his lack of supply.

The disabled divisions are then bought out and sent to the DEI

His overstacking must be hurting- 360K of troops for a 160K rated hex.

Perhaps 2 more weeks.......

[njp72]

And the tougher front. The entire USN is assembled here as he commences his drive.

Wargmr is employing his favourite tactics again of leapfrogging key defensive positions. When his carriers are not in striking range I counterattack and take the positions back but it is a very dangerous game.

To some degree we are both trapped here. If he moves his carriers away I will retake the positions. If I move KB away he will smash straight through.

Both players have declined a carrier clash as both sides are strongly being covered by land based fighter aircraft.

The ultimate Mexican stand off.

[njp72]

Update June 43

Well the war is really heating up now

The last three weeks I have lost a considerable amount of aircraft but thankfully few pilots.

I have still been targeting his APs/AKs in preference to his warships which has yielded some success (including quite a few sank with troops on board) but it hasn't slowed him. Mind you very little ever stops Wargmr!

I was able to launch a good coordinated strike against my favourite target (CVEs) but the results were poor. A few were crippled but none sank. Land based CAP rip my strike packages apart despite a massive escort of A6M5s.

I am happy with the overall points score but he is definitely on the move!

[njp72]

Chungking is still a very tough nut to crack and it is going to take longer than I initially planned.

Not helping my cause has been my desire to transfer multiple battered IJA divisions to the DEI- perhaps I have been a bit hasty.

Bombardments destroy 15-30 Chinese squads per turn but I can only launch a decent attack every two weeks because of disablements.

It is going to fall but there is 390K trapped Chinese in there!

[njp72]

And this is where the major action is taking place.

He has skilfully seized a number of important locations but he is now on the border of the inner defence.

These bases have at least a regt+ as well as supporting arms (arm and artillery). The air bases are all mutually supporting and approx. size 4.

Rabaul hosts a full division, strong AA presence, arty, mines, CD unit, midget subs and 300 fighters.

I am hoping this slows him up for a little while.

[JocMeister]

If you get Chungking that will be a really nice boost to your VPs. Will probably buy you quite some time before an allied AV. [:)]

[njp72]

Thanks Joc, great to have your input.

I completely agree, and this time I will finish off Chungking for those exact reasons. I really want to get quite deep into 45 before the inevitable occurs.

He is on the move again around Rabaul! Major battles ahead

ORIGINAL: JocMeister

If you get Chungking that will be a really nice boost to your VPs. Will probably buy you quite some time before an allied AV. [:)]