Tale of the Sheep! - JocMeister (A) vs. Lowpe (J)

[BBfanboy]

Lucky break on all those subs being in the area. Looks like you only need to move them one hex south and you are on the line of advance to Coal Harbour. Get those torps greased up and loaded!

[Bullwinkle58]

The trigger line is one hex below Vancouver on a pure y-axis basis. Country codes don't matter for this one. C. Harbor won't trigger, Victoria will. The countryside SE of C. Harbor will as well.

To destroy aircraft factories he either has to create a firestorm (doubtful with any Japanese air assets available), or land south of the trigger and physically take the hex(s). I know you know what happens if he physically takes the factories. But doing so sure ain't free.

[Lokasenna]

ORIGINAL: Bullwinkle58

The trigger line is one hex below Vancouver on a pure y-axis basis. Country codes don't matter for this one. C. Harbor won't trigger, Victoria will. The countryside SE of C. Harbor will as well.

To destroy aircraft factories he either has to create a firestorm (doubtful with any Japanese air assets available), or land south of the trigger and physically take the hex(s). I know you know what happens if he physically takes the factories. But doing so sure ain't free.

I don't know if Canadian industry will give strat VPs to him. It might?

As to whether he can create a "firestorm" (which is really just a high level of fires)... I did it to Chungking, to an extent, in our game. There's no reason Lowpe couldn't accomplish the same thing here, but whether the Japanese OOB (especially in PDU Off) can support that sort of commitment is another matter. It's still possible... But it's a long flight, and only Netties can fly that far in one or two hops. He might be able to hop Sallys (and later Helens) through the Aleutians and Alaska, depending on airfields, but that comes at a cost of time for transfers, ops losses/recovery, and fatigue (plane and pilot).

[Bullwinkle58]

ORIGINAL: Lokasenna

ORIGINAL: Bullwinkle58

The trigger line is one hex below Vancouver on a pure y-axis basis. Country codes don't matter for this one. C. Harbor won't trigger, Victoria will. The countryside SE of C. Harbor will as well.

To destroy aircraft factories he either has to create a firestorm (doubtful with any Japanese air assets available), or land south of the trigger and physically take the hex(s). I know you know what happens if he physically takes the factories. But doing so sure ain't free.

I don't know if Canadian industry will give strat VPs to him. It might?

As to whether he can create a "firestorm" (which is really just a high level of fires)... I did it to Chungking, to an extent, in our game. There's no reason Lowpe couldn't accomplish the same thing here, but whether the Japanese OOB (especially in PDU Off) can support that sort of commitment is another matter. It's still possible... But it's a long flight, and only Netties can fly that far in one or two hops. He might be able to hop Sallys (and later Helens) through the Aleutians and Alaska, depending on airfields, but that comes at a cost of time for transfers, ops losses/recovery, and fatigue (plane and pilot).

The manual says "North America" so Canada should provide VPs.

The manual also talks of firestorms in two different ways. It says firestorms are big amounts of Fires that can damage factories. But "firestorm" is also a specific state in the code where factories are destroyed and may not be rebuilt. There may be randoms involved there. I haven't been in the situation for real-time years, but I think I recall there is a specific message in the CR that a firestorm now exists on a target. The Chungking damage was all repairable I believe.

"Industry damage – Two VPs per point damaged, 20 VPs per point destroyed (an item destroyed
when damaged will yield 18 more VPs). Industry can only be destroyed by firestorms and
A-bombs, but can be damaged by any type of attack (including firestorms and A-bombs). VPs
scored by damaging industry is cumulative; if an industry hex is bombed, damaged, repaired,
then bombed again, the player keeps earning VPs as long as the industry hex keeps generating
value by repairing itself.
This is true for all industry types including manpower.
Points will only be scored by the Allies for bombing industry in mainland Japan, and by the
Japanese for bombing industry in North America, Australia, and/or Hawaii."

[JocMeister]

ORIGINAL: Bullwinkle58

The trigger line is one hex below Vancouver on a pure y-axis basis. Country codes don't matter for this one. C. Harbor won't trigger, Victoria will. The countryside SE of C. Harbor will as well.

To destroy aircraft factories he either has to create a firestorm (doubtful with any Japanese air assets available), or land south of the trigger and physically take the hex(s). I know you know what happens if he physically takes the factories. But doing so sure ain't free.

That is good to know! So basically he is confined to the bases north of that line or he will trigger the reinforcements...

ORIGINAL: Lokasenna
As to whether he can create a "firestorm" (which is really just a high level of fires)... I did it to Chungking, to an extent, in our game. There's no reason Lowpe couldn't accomplish the same thing here, but whether the Japanese OOB (especially in PDU Off) can support that sort of commitment is another matter. It's still possible... But it's a long flight, and only Netties can fly that far in one or two hops. He might be able to hop Sallys (and later Helens) through the Aleutians and Alaska, depending on airfields, but that comes at a cost of time for transfers, ops losses/recovery, and fatigue (plane and pilot).

Are you sure it was the kind of firestorms that permanently destroy industry? Never managed that even with 45 allied 4Es! I think the mouse over will show "FIRESTORMS" when they are active. Only seen it in another AAR though and it might be back in an old WITP one.

Will be very interesting to see what Jeff will do now. He will need to start building bases for sure! And he will need to haul a lot of supplies and keep KB on station until those bases can cover themselves...

ORIGINAL: Bullwinkle58
The manual says "North America" so Canada should provide VPs.

The manual also talks of firestorms in two different ways. It says firestorms are big amounts of Fires that can damage factories. But "firestorm" is also a specific state in the code where factories are destroyed and may not be rebuilt. There may be randoms involved there. I haven't been in the situation for real-time years, but I think I recall there is a specific message in the CR that a firestorm now exists on a target. The Chungking damage was all repairable I believe.

That is unfortunate for me...lots of bases to cover. Will certainly have to give few of the small 20 bases up and just let him bomb them.

[JocMeister]

[font="Verdana"]March 6th-7th 1942[/font]
______________________________________________________________________________

First bases lost in Canada!

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NORPAC/WC
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As expected the main landing is at Coal Harbor. Secondary landings at Bella Bella and Valdez. Main forces deployed so far is the 48th and 16th IDs and the 65th Brigade. Not sure yet what is at Valdez.

I lost a crap load of Cats over the KB. I may have to stand them down soon. 12 lost in just 2 days. Silversides nails an AK on the 6th.

Sub attack near Coal Harbour at 204,50

Japanese Ships
AK Sagami Maru, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
BB Hyuga
BB Ise
CL Sendai
AMC Kongo Maru
DMS W-20
AK Sasako Maru
xAP Ural Maru
xAP Montevideo Maru
xAK Zuiko Maru
xAK Maya Maru
xAK Aratama Maru
DD Yukikaze
DMS Uruko
DMS Tatsuko
DMS Teiko

Allied Ships
SS Silversides

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

Notice the embedded BBs. I drool when I think about the fuel they are guzzling. [:)] Tuna makes 3 attacks on the 7th but 2 misses and a dud.

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DEI
------------------------
Jeff is starting to clean up all the small bases in the DEI. Soerabaja will fall shortly. I decided to make a stand here despite the poor defensive terrain. I hope some of the oil and industry will be damaged. What was left of the Dutch airforce is withdrawn. After Soerabaja is gone I have nowhere to base them.

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Burma
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Looks like the IGD didn´t turn North after all. I have 6 Japanese units moving on Paoshan...that is good news! Trying to sweep the Nate LRCAP but my planes don´t fly...frustrating!

If I can hold on to Northern Burma....that would be good.

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China
------------------------
Sigh...armored attack on the Ankang road. 124 Chinese squads disabled for pretty much no Japanese losses. [8|]

[JocMeister]

[font="Verdana"]Locations of Japanese ID[/font]
______________________________________________________________________________

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NORPAC/WC
------------------------
-16th ID at Coal Harbor
-48th ID at Bella Bella

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CENTPAC
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-4th ID at PH (a week old SIGINT)

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DEI
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-5th and 38th ID on Java. (Old information)
-19th ID on Mindanao

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Burma
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-Imperial Guards
-18th ID

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Unknown
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-21st, 33rd ID (Last seen at PH)

[JocMeister]

[font="Verdana"]Fighter Pools[/font]
______________________________________________________________________________

Right now I only have 5 fully filled out P40 squadrons. 3 are Brisbane (with rubbish pilots and will withdraw in 12 days). Good thing is that they will withdraw rather then disband so that will send 75 planes to the pool. A welcome addition! The other 2 are at SF and will need a couple of weeks more training.

Real bottleneck right now is really pilots. If I can avoid it I don´t want to send unready pilots into combat. That will only increase losses for me while boosting his pilots even more.

I should have quite some time before Jeff can start any strategic bombing though. Bella Bella and Coal Harbor are only level 1 AFs. I don´t think he can realistically start anything in earnest before they are at least level 4-5. He needs room not only for bombers but also CAP and escorts. So I´ll use that time getting as much out of what little I have as I can!

[BBfanboy]

You have some inland bases that his ships cannot bombard that could work on suppressing his CAP and airfield construction. Terrace, Kamloops and Nelson come to mind. They will be low level but you should have enough engineer units and other units with engineers to rail in and start expanding. Good luck!

[Blind Sniper]

Interesting game, where are your Cvs?

[JocMeister]

ORIGINAL: BBfanboy

You have some inland bases that his ships cannot bombard that could work on suppressing his CAP and airfield construction. Terrace, Kamloops and Nelson come to mind. They will be low level but you should have enough engineer units and other units with engineers to rail in and start expanding. Good luck!

Sadly they are not built up yet and I hate to prioritize fort construction for a little while longer. I´ll start expanding some AFs pretty shortly though. But until that Seattle will have to suffice. Until he takes Victoria I should be safe there! [:)]

ORIGINAL: Blind Sniper
Interesting game, where are your Cvs?

Yorktown is glugg glugg while Ent is repairing at CT. Lex/Sara is escorting a convoy returning from OZ. After that I´m a bit unsure where to send them.

[JocMeister]

[font="Verdana"]March 8th-9th 1942[/font]
______________________________________________________________________________

Turns are flying. I think Jeff is enjoying this! [:D]

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NORPAC/WC
------------------------
Jeff is blazing forward here. Cordoba and Whittier are lost. Some sub laid mines strike hit a target.

TF 79 encounters mine field at Coal Harbour (204,49)

Japanese Ships
PB Santo Maru
xAK Genoa Maru, Mine hits 1

A scare for Jeff...

Sub attack near Coal Harbour at 201,49

Japanese Ships
CV Zuikaku
CL Tatsuta
CL Abukuma
CS Chiyoda
CS Chitose
DD Ariake
DD Amagiri
DD Ayanami
DD Inazuma

Allied Ships
SS S-47

SS S-47 launches 4 torpedoes at CV Zuikaku

Looks like KB is moving out? Very strange as the airfield is still size 1.

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DEI
------------------------
Soerabaja is lost in the first attack. I shot my bolt at Batavia and only remnants and smaller units are left. At least got confirmation on the 5th and 38th. Question is where they will go now? Luzon and/or Burma is my bet.

Ground combat at Soerabaja (56,104)

Japanese Deliberate attack

Attacking force 33830 troops, 370 guns, 179 vehicles, Assault Value = 1036

Defending force 6785 troops, 61 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 108

Japanese engineers reduce fortifications to 2

Japanese adjusted assault: 759

Allied adjusted defense: 39

Japanese assault odds: 19 to 1 (fort level 2)

Japanese forces CAPTURE Soerabaja !!!

Allied aircraft
no flights

Allied aircraft losses
Vildebeest III: 7 destroyed

Combat modifiers
Defender: leaders(-), experience(-)
Attacker:

Japanese ground losses:
271 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 29 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Engineers: 2 destroyed, 5 disabled
Guns lost 4 (1 destroyed, 3 disabled)

Allied ground losses:
8616 casualties reported
Squads: 139 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 410 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 12 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 76 (76 destroyed, 0 disabled)
Units destroyed 7

Assaulting units:
5th Division
2nd Engineer Regiment
38th Division
24th Infantry Regiment
20th Ind. Mtn Gun Battalion
2nd Field Artillery Regiment
18th Medium Field Artillery Regiment
2nd Mortar Battalion
3rd Ind.Hvy.Art. Battalion
17th Medium Field Artillery Regiment

Defending units:
2nd KNIL Landstorm Battalion
3rd KNIL Landstorm Battalion
Marinier Battalion
Soerabaja KM Base Force
Soerabaja Defenses
NI-MLD
Madoeng Defenses

Sadly it looks like he got everything intact. Shame.

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SOPAC
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A SCTF popped up NW of Koumac on the 8th. I figured it was an invasion but the TF turned back on the 9th. Very odd. [&:] Listed as 9 ship with 4 CS and a BB. Probably a CA force.

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Burma/India
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Not only is Jeff moving in Canada. It looks like he wants to grab parts of India too? [X(] Looks like and invasion of Akyab and/or Cox. MKB is spotted on the 8th. This is ambitious. Too ambitious I think. This might be a good opportunity for me to hit him back. I´ll wait and see how it develops.

[JocMeister]

[font="Verdana"]SOPAC[/font]
______________________________________________________________________________

[ny59giants]

US Marines - What plans do you have for 1st & 2nd Divisions?? You have these two and then the Aussies that come into Aden from Med with good experience and not bad combat power to go against so many IJA divisions that should be getting very good experience. Your Indian divisions need to fill out their TO&E and get upgrades to '42 Rifle Squads. So how will you use them??

[JocMeister]

ORIGINAL: ny59giants

US Marines - What plans do you have for 1st & 2nd Divisions?? You have these two and then the Aussies that come into Aden from Med with good experience and not bad combat power to go against so many IJA divisions that should be getting very good experience. Your Indian divisions need to fill out their TO&E and get upgrades to '42 Rifle Squads. So how will you use them??

Not sure yet. Depends mostly on what Jeff goes with this. If he continues on the set course I will either use the Marines in SOPAC since the KB will be stuck in the North. The Ozzies will at least for now be used to smash a seriously understrength Japanese invasion in India. [:)]

I´m looking at something quite funny too if things fall into place! [:)]

[JocMeister]

[font="Verdana"]March 10th 1942[/font]
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Turns are flying! I barely have time to update the AAR before I have the turn back. Someone is having fun indeed! [:D]

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NORPAC/WC
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KB is indeed pulling out. 50 Japanese fighters are now at Coal Harbor. Sadly I made a mistake here and might loose the opportunity.

Allford Bay is invaded.

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India
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Now this is interesting. Mutsu and Nagato bombard Chittagong during the night. The pretty much wreck the CD guns and the Indian BDE there. This is followed up by a landing by the 18th ID.

Night Naval bombardment of Chittagong at 55,41 - Coastal Guns Fire Back!

7 Coastal gun shots fired in defense.

Japanese Ships
BB Mutsu
BB Nagato

Allied ground losses:
378 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled
Non Combat: 3 destroyed, 27 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 4 disabled
Guns lost 3 (1 destroyed, 2 disabled)

Ground combat at Chittagong (55,41)

Allied Bombardment attack

Attacking force 7089 troops, 46 guns, 44 vehicles, Assault Value = 117

Defending force 8099 troops, 80 guns, 45 vehicles, Assault Value = 296

Japanese ground losses:
47 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 4 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled

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

Assaulting units:
75th Indian Brigade
Chittagong Fortress

Defending units:
18th/A Div /3
18th/C Div /1
18th/B Div /6
3rd Medium Field Artillery Regiment
14th Ind.Art.Mortar Bn /5

I´ll need about two weeks to get in place for the counter attack. In the mean time I´ll see if I can nibble at the MKB fighters a bit with some sweeps. I don´t have any strike planes though but a lone sub is vectored in.

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SOPAC
------------------------
The SCTF disappears North without the subs intercepting.

[Lokasenna]

ORIGINAL: JocMeister
I should have quite some time before Jeff can start any strategic bombing though. Bella Bella and Coal Harbor are only level 1 AFs. I don´t think he can realistically start anything in earnest before they are at least level 4-5. He needs room not only for bombers but also CAP and escorts. So I´ll use that time getting as much out of what little I have as I can!

In terms of technical capabilities... I think IJAAF and IJNAF bombers each only need a level 3 AF to fly without penalties to range/load. Without checking the manual for the equation. I just know that B-17s and B-24s need a level 5, and the max load on the IJ 2Es is 4000 less and I remember a 2000 load increment per level of AF... so that works out to level 3 in my head [;)].

There is the stacking issue that you mention, though.

[JocMeister]

ORIGINAL: Lokasenna
In terms of technical capabilities... I think IJAAF and IJNAF bombers each only need a level 3 AF to fly without penalties to range/load. Without checking the manual for the equation. I just know that B-17s and B-24s need a level 5, and the max load on the IJ 2Es is 4000 less and I remember a 2000 load increment per level of AF... so that works out to level 3 in my head [;)].

There is the stacking issue that you mention, though.

Yeah, especially since KB left!

[BillBrown]

A level bomber requires an airfield of 4 + ( ( max load ) / 6500 )

Sallys, Helens, Nells, and Bettys will require a level 4 to carry a full load.

[PaxMondo]

ORIGINAL: BillBrown

A level bomber requires an airfield of 4 + ( ( max load ) / 6500 )

Sallys, Helens, Nells, and Bettys will require a level 4 to carry a full load.

Light bombers get a discount on that formula. I think a dev stated that long time back. So IJA light bombers get full loads from AF=2 IIRC.