Did I wake that giant AGAIN? vicberg(j) vs. BillBrown(A) - No Bill Pls

[vicberg]

July 29th, 1942

R&D
Because of my terrible start with R&D, the Tojo IIa will be coming online in 2 days. I have 3 R&D factories dedicated to it and went ahead and set 3 more to the Tojo (base) so that they will convert to production. The 3 R&D factories will switch to the IIb and the base factories will be around 30 each for immediate production.

NoPac
Things may get very interesting as a Sub detected American Carriers leaving the West Coast. Are they heading Northwest or Southwest to SoPac? We'll see. Initial invasions are Umak and Dora to capture the fields. He has a group of Torp Bombers out of Dora and though I'd like to capture the airfield intact, I've ordered an air attack on it along with LRCAP. After those two are captured, Cold Bay and Dutch will be the next targets. I'm keeping the SCTF in reserve for Dutch and just in case he suicides any surface fleets against me. There's 4 fleets of oilers for refuel, so I should be able to operate in this area for a while.

[vicberg]

July 30th, 1942

Burma
Starting to see my first success against the P-38. That plane has shot down 20-30 of mine with 1 loss. Today wasn't exactly stellar, but I'm not unhappy. I was attacking Cox Bazaar and his planes flew into Chittagong without notice and did some LRCAP. A few months ago, I would have lost a LOT of planes. Today shows things are getting a bit better.

Morning Air attack on Cox's Bazar , at 54,43

Weather in hex: Severe storms

Raid detected at 46 NM, estimated altitude 19,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 11 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M3b Zero x 24

Allied aircraft
P-38E Lightning x 50

Japanese aircraft losses
A6M3b Zero: 8 destroyed

Allied aircraft losses
P-38E Lightning: 2 destroyed

Second Wave
Morning Air attack on TF, near Cox's Bazar at 54,43

Weather in hex: Severe storms

Raid detected at 34 NM, estimated altitude 12,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 11 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-45 KAIa Nick x 8
Ki-49-Ia Helen x 7

Allied aircraft
P-38E Lightning x 20

Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-45 KAIa Nick: 1 destroyed
Ki-49-Ia Helen: 1 destroyed, 4 damaged

No Allied losses

Third Wave
Morning Air attack on Cox's Bazar , at 54,43

Weather in hex: Severe storms

Raid detected at 32 NM, estimated altitude 17,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 10 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-43-Ic Oscar x 40

Allied aircraft
P-38E Lightning x 35

Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-43-Ic Oscar: 7 destroyed

Allied aircraft losses
P-38E Lightning: 1 destroyed

Fourth Wave
Morning Air attack on Cox's Bazar , at 54,43

Weather in hex: Severe storms

Raid detected at 39 NM, estimated altitude 14,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 11 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M3b Zero x 8
Ki-21-IIa Sally x 31
Ki-43-Ic Oscar x 28
Ki-45 KAIa Nick x 12
Ki-49-Ia Helen x 5

Allied aircraft
P-38E Lightning x 16

Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-21-IIa Sally: 11 damaged
Ki-21-IIa Sally: 1 destroyed by flak

Allied aircraft losses
P-38E Lightning: 3 destroyed

[JocMeister]

Those Lightning are badass. Especially this early. He only gets 24 in replacements though (Only runs for a month). Most of them them starts the game in PERM restricted squadrons so I doubt he will have more then one squadron flying them.

[GetAssista]

ORIGINAL: vicberg
The 3 R&D factories will switch to the IIb a

Is not it better to happily skip inferior IIb (its cannon sucks) and go research IIc directly? Unless you have some house rule of researching all planes in the line.

Edit: ah, forgot this is BTS, and IIb might be a bit different here )

[vicberg]

Is not it better to happily skip inferior IIb (its cannon sucks) and go research IIc directly? Unless you have some house rule of researching all planes in the line.

I'll need to check to make sure I go from the IIa to the IIc without causing the factory to have to retool. if I can, then yes. IIb hasn't changed with the mod.

[vicberg]

quote:

Is not it better to happily skip inferior IIb (its cannon sucks) and go research IIc directly? Unless you have some house rule of researching all planes in the line.


I'll need to check to make sure I go from the IIa to the IIc without causing the factory to have to retool. if I can, then yes. IIb has

Ok, looks like the factories have to retool if I skip the IIb. This brings up a simple mathematics question. Which is faster? If I keep with the IIb, it will come in on 2/43 (and I won't build the IIb) and the IIc will come in around 8/43 or 9/43. If I skip the IIb, the factories have to retool, so will it the IIc come in faster based on a current 3/44 arrival date? R&D factories get built based on current date vs arrival date.

[Lowpe]

Save the game.

Advance a fully repaired Tojo IIa factory to IIb. Check it. You will see that it should be still fully repaired.

Now advance that factory IIb, to IIc. You will see it is still fully repaired.

This is the power of generational line change upgrades.

[vicberg]

Nice. Ok, so that's how you do it. Thanks.

[vicberg]

August 2nd, 1942

NoPac
This was by design. A couple of months ago I steamed the KB out and attacked airfields in the Aleutians in order to pull out various HQs and ENG units I had in the Aleutians. I played weak. Bill fell for it and built up both Dora Harbor and Unmak to level 5 airfields. Unmak fell today and the first attack on Dora went well. I'm a bit overstacked there, but nothing major.

Ground combat at Dora Harbor (173,48)

Japanese Deliberate attack

Attacking force 24613 troops, 354 guns, 74 vehicles, Assault Value = 628

Defending force 7218 troops, 104 guns, 100 vehicles, Assault Value = 109

Japanese engineers reduce fortifications to 2

Japanese adjusted assault: 676

Allied adjusted defense: 187

Japanese assault odds: 3 to 1 (fort level 2)

Japanese Assault reduces fortifications to 2

Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+), forts(+), preparation(-), experience(-)
Attacker:

Japanese ground losses:
932 casualties reported
Squads: 6 destroyed, 58 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 7 disabled
Engineers: 2 destroyed, 23 disabled
Guns lost 18 (1 destroyed, 17 disabled)

Allied ground losses:
303 casualties reported
Squads: 1 destroyed, 40 disabled
Non Combat: 1 destroyed, 6 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 5 disabled
Guns lost 6 (1 destroyed, 5 disabled)

Assaulting units:
2nd Guard ADU Coastal Gun Battalion
16th Division
2nd Division
3rd Guard ADU Coastal Gun Battalion
54th JNAF AF Unit
17th Army
17th Naval Construction Battalion
44th Field AA Battalion
15th Naval Construction Battalion
51st JNAF AF Unit
41st Field AA Battalion
204th Ship Eng Coy
24th Port Unit
55th JNAF AF Unit

Defending units:
87th Mountain Regiment
42nd Construction Regiment
503rd Coast AA Regiment
54th Base Group

[vicberg]

China
Having cleared the Burma road and no pressing threat in Burma yet, the 25th is moving divisions into the mountains for mop up duty. Elements of the 12th Army southwest of Ankang are doing the same. 11 Heavy ART units are 1 day away from Chungking. I'm doing about 1-2k of casualties each day now between Air and Artillery Bombardments. It will be interesting to see what the impact of the heavy ARTY is and I'll be attacking within a week.

Burma
Has been quiet since the P-38s showed up. Continuing attacks on Cox and Chittagong airfields.

SoPac
Also quiet since the last sweeps. I'm trying to get my Vals out of Suva to naval attack a TF at Tongatapu, but it's not been successful yet.

[vicberg]

August 3rd, 1942

SoPac
And yes, they said it couldn't be done, but I finally have a small victory at sea for the first time since the start of the war. He's been pushing units into Tongatapu. This is what started my ranting a bit ago because I couldn't control where the naval attacks would go and he had some good cap on a couple of bases within range which caused problems for my escorts which got hammered when the Vals flew. After the ranting, I started sweeping and chased his CAP away, but the ships remained. Finally, my Vals fly from Suva, no CAP against me and I get a very small victory here.

Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Tongatapu at 138,168

Weather in hex: Light cloud

Raid detected at 93 NM, estimated altitude 15,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 34 minutes

Japanese aircraft
D3A1 Val x 21

No Japanese losses

Allied Ships
xAK Whangpu, Bomb hits 5, on fire
xAP Mijer, Bomb hits 1, on fire
xAP Rochussen, Bomb hits 2, heavy fires, heavy damage
DD Katherine
xAK West Cactus, Bomb hits 8, heavy fires, heavy damage
xAK Bantam, Bomb hits 3, heavy fires

Allied ground losses:
221 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 3 destroyed, 27 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 23 (2 destroyed, 21 disabled)
Vehicles lost 13 (2 destroyed, 11 disabled)

Aircraft Attacking:
15 x D3A1 Val releasing from 3000' *
Naval Attack: 2 x 60 kg GP Bomb
6 x D3A1 Val releasing from 1000' *
Naval Attack: 2 x 60 kg GP Bomb

[vicberg]

August 4th, 1942

NoPac
Dora Harbor fell today. Also, I transferred two Sentai of G3M3 Nells from Tokyo to Unmak (a long way) and set them to Naval/Search. Imagine my surprise that they transferred and flew all the way to Seward where they encountered CAP. So that leaves me a choice. I have 120k of fuel on Oilers. KB and Surface are fully fueled. Amphib TFs are doing good on fuel. Should I continue the push or stop with Cold Bay and Dutch? I'm also debating running out with the KB and sweeping away those fighters.

China
It's most likely FOW, but his AV jumps around. At one point it was 6800 and dropping. Now it's around 7300. Either way, the heavy Artillery is doing it's job. An attack is a few days away.

Ground combat at Chungking (76,45)

Japanese Bombardment attack

Attacking force 129064 troops, 1387 guns, 788 vehicles, Assault Value = 3715

Defending force 259124 troops, 741 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 7305

Allied ground losses:
646 casualties reported
Squads: 39 destroyed, 29 disabled
Non Combat: 2 destroyed, 1 disabled
Engineers: 2 destroyed, 1 disabled
Guns lost 3 (3 destroyed, 0 disabled)

[Blind Sniper]

Should I continue the push or stop with Cold Bay and Dutch? I'm also debating running out with the KB and sweeping away those fighters.

If you feel more stronger than the enemy go ahead and close the Aleutian front for a while.
I don't know about KB, if you don't want a major commitment here I won't risk KB pilots...but I'm not an expert by any means [;)]

[vicberg]

The keys are time and fuel. At this point, Kodiak has 13 units and Seward about the same. Dutch Harbor is showing 34k of allied troops. I don't think I want a frontal assault against Seward or Kodiak. So I either let Dutch wither, eventually take it and call it good, or while the KB is here I need to mimic Lowpe and invade Whittier now. Recon is showing 28 fighters on Kodiak and 85 fighters on Seward. With Anchorage built up to Level 8, there could be more. I'm loading up my 3 divs again, but I don't have targets yet. Considering Whittier. Let Dutch/Kodiak whither. Take Anchorage/Seward from Whittier.

[vicberg]

August 5th, 1942

China
I'm suddenly not in a rush to attack Chungking. Ground bombardment from the Air is taking out about 400 casualties along with taking out air supply from the air field attacks. But this is really nice to be doing every day. In a couple of weeks, at 40+ destroyed squads per day, that's 500+ less squads to attack.

Ground combat at Chungking (76,45)

Japanese Bombardment attack

Attacking force 129196 troops, 1387 guns, 788 vehicles, Assault Value = 3729

Defending force 257597 troops, 734 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 7212

Allied ground losses:
1396 casualties reported
Squads: 43 destroyed, 46 disabled
Non Combat: 13 destroyed, 4 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Guns lost 6 (2 destroyed, 4 disabled)

[vicberg]

August 6th. 1942

China
I've published the last few China Bombardments in the hopes of trying to figure out if they are getting ripe or not. FOW steps in for all of this. Note how the AV jumps around for China constantly, but this is a huge # of destroyed troops. Group bombardments from Air Groups are causing another 700 casualties. I'll continue this for at least a few more days, but wow.

Ground combat at Chungking (76,45)

Japanese Bombardment attack

Attacking force 129231 troops, 1387 guns, 788 vehicles, Assault Value = 3732

Defending force 262452 troops, 730 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 7350

Japanese ground losses:
12 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

Allied ground losses:
1416 casualties reported
Squads: 145 destroyed, 7 disabled
Non Combat: 30 destroyed, 13 disabled
Engineers: 4 destroyed, 1 disabled
Guns lost 8 (8 destroyed, 0 disabled)

[JocMeister]

You might consider not taking Chungking at all. How many VPs are your bombardments getting you per turn?

[vicberg]

Difficult to tell, but a great idea. How do I figure it out in tracker? I've had consistent increases of 43 to 421 over last 4 days in which the ARTY arrived at Chungking. The 421 I think came from Dora Harbor, but average around 80 increase per day overall. Not enough to increase my VP ratio.

[mind_messing]

ORIGINAL: JocMeister

You might consider not taking Chungking at all. How many VPs are your bombardments getting you per turn?

Not taking Chungking is a mistake. It's worth it for the VP's for killing the Chinese alone.

The industry, the base VP's and the strategic considerations (ie, the CEA can be sent off anywhere you wish) make deciding NOT to take Chungking a very stupid move.

Even assuming every one of vicbergs units gets trashed taking the city, that just makes them cheaper to buy out for use elsewhere in the empire...

[JocMeister]

ORIGINAL: mind_messing
Not taking Chungking is a mistake. It's worth it for the VP's for killing the Chinese alone.

The industry, the base VP's and the strategic considerations (ie, the CEA can be sent off anywhere you wish) make deciding NOT to take Chungking a very stupid move.

Even assuming every one of vicbergs units gets trashed taking the city, that just makes them cheaper to buy out for use elsewhere in the empire...

The VPs for killing Chinese is what I was thinking about. With the respawns you could (possibly) create a never ending VP generator at Chungking just using bombardments.

If you get say 5 VPs per turn multiplied by 1000 turns that is 5000 VPs.