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

[Lowpe]

April 28th, 1944

Some Frances make torpedo runs at night versus Allied super battleships that are bombarding the coastline of Honshu, all miss.

During the day 30 Japanese planes losses for 25 Allies, I accidentally left an Oscar Sentai out exposed and they got shredded...losing 20 planes.

Btw, I tried a unique thing last turn. I noticed that Kamikaze squadrons can fly CAP, so I gave it a whirl. They were jumped by Spitfires and died, but they did fly CAP. Go figure. Hard to ram a spitfire with a Zeke.

Deathstar cruises over to Daito and sinks an xak and an E.

I had thought of dropping something on Kofu to prevent an autoswitch, but always forgot to. Sigh.

[Lowpe]

The Battambang road fights off another shock attack, but the Japanese troops are spent. Can't hurt the tanks fast enough! Plus they are being bombed back into the stone ages. But they have held here for 6 attacks...when forced to retreat they will go to Battambang, and then evacuating from there will difficult as the troops will go east letting the Allies run straight south.

Remnants reach Udon Thani and look to retreat to the jungle and then Vientiane. Remember the shattered 14th Divison, it is up to 200 AV at Vientiane and will make a stand here.

[Lowpe]

In the last 40 days the Allies have gained or I have lost 12,000 victory points. Raising the ratio to 1.45 in favor of the Allies.

Over this time period the Allies have lost 3000 Air points, Japan 3200. Lessons learned the hard way here...

[BBfanboy]

I had Kofu switch too after the allies took Izu Oshima. It is no advantage for the allies - it is completely isolated, has no air base at all, and even if they did drop paratroops in they would be annihilated in no time. Meanwhile, the Japanese gain VPs because the Allies cannot garrison the turncoat village!

[Lokasenna]

ORIGINAL: BBfanboy

I had Kofu switch too after the allies took Izu Oshima. It is no advantage for the allies - it is completely isolated, has no air base at all, and even if they did drop paratroops in they would be annihilated in no time. Meanwhile, the Japanese gain VPs because the Allies cannot garrison the turncoat village!

That's funny [:D]

[JocMeister]

ORIGINAL: Lowpe
In the last 40 days the Allies have gained or I have lost 12,000 victory points. Raising the ratio to 1.45 in favor of the Allies.
Over this time period the Allies have lost 3000 Air points, Japan 3200. Lessons learned the hard way here...

I wouldn´t complain about those air losses. If he lost 3000 planes he has to shoot down 6000....so its in your favor! [:)]

[Lowpe]

ORIGINAL: JocMeister

ORIGINAL: Lowpe
In the last 40 days the Allies have gained or I have lost 12,000 victory points. Raising the ratio to 1.45 in favor of the Allies.
Over this time period the Allies have lost 3000 Air points, Japan 3200. Lessons learned the hard way here...

I wouldn´t complain about those air losses. If he lost 3000 planes he has to shoot down 6000....so its in your favor! [:)]

Not my point, just with a more vigorous 43 production or a stronger focus on Franks to get them in 43, & I could have won the air war for a while.

[JocMeister]

ORIGINAL: Lowpe
Not my point, just with a more vigorous 43 production or a stronger focus on Franks to get them in 43, & I could have won the air war for a while.

Well, my point was that you ARE winning the air war. [:)]

[Lowpe]

Tell my troops in Thailand that. Or the factory workers in Honshu.[:)]

[JocMeister]

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

Tell my troops in Thailand that. Or the factory workers in Honshu.[:)]

Just a flesh wound! [;)]

[Lowpe]

You won't have it so easy![;)]

[JocMeister]

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

You won't have it so easy![;)]

[:'(]

[Crackaces]

Well 3200 losses for the IJ 3000 for the AFB's might seem like a loss but at this stage you have increased the denominator substantially. And thus a victory on the air front .. plus the draining of Allied pools
My lesson out of this is that the Hokkaido Hurricane might be possible in early 1944 -- but The Allies do not have the air resources to get into a war of attrition where the IJ can focus resources. Yes one can burn down a couple of cites but the IJ can attrite the Allied aircraft pools.

I am more convinced that unless Burma folds up like paper Mache attacking places where the IJ are not is the best strategy until mid 1944. The goal is 2-1 by 1945.

I do think the Allies will achieve this in this game despite in my opinion some less than optimum plays ... but I think the IJ I have made the best of it and have won the airwar to date. The Allies have been stymied .. so stymied that they are invading small islands with armor .. armor that will take a month to get off and recentralized for the next attack ..

Great play to date in my opinion ...

[Lowpe]

ORIGINAL: Crackaces

Well 3200 losses for the IJ 3000 for the AFB's might seem like a loss but at this stage you have increased the denominator substantially. And thus a victory on the air front .. plus the draining of Allied pools
My lesson out of this is that the Hokkaido Hurricane might be possible in early 1944 -- but The Allies do not have the air resources to get into a war of attrition where the IJ can focus resources. Yes one can burn down a couple of cites but the IJ can attrite the Allied aircraft pools.

I am more convinced that unless Burma folds up like paper Mache attacking places where the IJ are not is the best strategy until mid 1944. The goal is 2-1 by 1945.

I do think the Allies will achieve this in this game despite in my opinion some less than optimum plays ... but I think the IJ I have made the best of it and have won the airwar to date. The Allies have been stymied .. so stymied that they are invading small islands with armor .. armor that will take a month to get off and recentralized for the next attack ..

Great play to date in my opinion ...

Thanks for the kind words, but I could have really turned the game around with a few minor changes as late as mid 43.

I think there is no doubt the Allies will get 2-1, the trick will be to prevent 3-1. I suspect he will pick up another 20,000 points in strategic bombing yet for a total of over 40K. Ugly.

Slogging thru my turn, and it is a slog. The Deathstar is running wild again, so lots of diversions and two large convoys need to be rerouted. Then all the deep area airbases at risk need to be examined and changed; and subs routed in different manners.

Sometimes it feels like work. I am going to try a large night bombing of the new over stacked American airbases. I am sure he has NF there, and plentiful AA so I am doubting how effective it will be....but hope springs eternal.[:)]

[Lowpe]

Well, we have made the next downward spiral...in the air.

We have set up Buzz Saw defenses. I don't have the planes to defend everywhere, so I set up several isolated festungs.

This hopefully will limit the number of attacks the Allies hit Honshu with, since they have to be concentrated to beat the buzz saw or else suffer lots of bombing losses.

My fighter production has been reduced to 35 a day, and it is no where near high enough. Even 50 planes a day wouldn't be high enough...trouble will loom as the pools of engines are declining...

Turn is done, a few buzz saws put into place, a night air strike against the Americans, and one day we will actually have a success.[:)]

[Lowpe]

April 29th, 1944

My night bombing is ineffective, a dozen or so Helens flew and some strike Betties launched torpedoes at American battlehsips.

A very quiet day over Honshu. This really benefits my SR3 fighters, a chance to repair and refurbish. Only 12 and 9 planes lost for each side.

My buzz saw with bait (3 Es) fails to draw any attacks. Shucks.

Over in Thailand, the first Allied Armor unit is in Udon Thani, most troops should escape to the jungle before they can be attacked. Worried about the troops heading into the jungle to the north west...I don't think they can make it if the Allies want to stop them.

The Battambang road position is finally shocked out of position and most retreated to Battambang; a few stalwarts are still fighting. The troops are basically shattered, down to 300 AV, but the Allies are shattered too.

I am thinking about the best way to evacuate the totally shattered troops the east or west road or both? There are only two motorized units for the Allies, so I may have a good chance of getting these brave guys back.

Allied submarines torpedoed two xAPs off Saigon carrying an HQ unit. In truth, I had lost track of them but one of the xAPs looks to be in serious trouble.

[Lowpe]

A picture of the Deathstar.[:(] But also an opportunity.[:)]

Forced me to re-route two large engineering heavy convoys from Shanghai to Vinh. Vinh's forts are near to 5, and I bet with this influx of slide rules we will be able to really accelerate fort building. Vinh will hopefully be a line I can hold for the rest of the game, forcing him to land around it.

Also, bought out the last 1/3rd of the crack 11th Division, and they are loading for Tourane to join their brothers. IJA 43 squad goodness with 90 experience -- they need to stay in the jungle with AA. Or better terrain.

The only way for me to fight the Deathstar is obliquely. Set up target convoys of a few low VP ships, and heavily LRCAP them so I trade the lost ships for lost Allied air planes and hopefully attrit the Deathstar's bombers down and even their fighter escorts. I need to avoid having CAP where he can sweep me to death. Little buzz saw defenses designed to garner VP.

One of the best things about the little buzz saw LRCAP like this is that even Oscars and Zeroes can do very well. Very well indeed, whereas they stand no chance versus sweeping Corsairs, Jugs, or even Lightnings. I know the Allied losses in Corsairs has been very steep, but for now in the last month of the Jugs production run his pools are still strong. Lightnings are low, too.

Right now, with the bombers having only lost about 120 planes from the Deathstar this current adventure, his ASW is still very strong. But it will weaken as I inflict losses on the bombers, and then it is time to surge the Iboats.

[Lowpe]

Turn is done, this one not as bad as yesterday.

I have set up 5 aerial buzz saws complete with bait (xak, or SC, or E). More MTB goodness coming, perhaps I can sink a baby carrier. Heavy bombers should return over Honshu today, normally he never goes 3 days between massive raids.

A quick note about the bait: I always try to make sure the ships have a legitimate purpose dropping supplies/resources etc, trying to hide in a port, or ASW, or a lure to draw in surface ships to CD guns and minefields. I always put a PB with the xak or xakls. Etc., etc.

The 4th Marine went north on Malay...so it looks like Singers will hold with nothing more than a bunch of Naval Guards and one 15cm ART unit for a while. Supplies great, forts 4.

[leehunt27@bloomberg.net]

Those landings on the Honshu islands south of Tokyo, can you obliterate those airfields and ports? Doesn't seem like much the Americans can do with that real estate? Or am i way off there?

[Lowpe]

ORIGINAL: leehunt27@bloomberg.net

Those landings on the Honshu islands south of Tokyo, can you obliterate those airfields and ports? Doesn't seem like much the Americans can do with that real estate? Or am i way off there?

He will be able to sweep the rest of Honshu from there, further attrit the IJN Navy, we have swapped some destroyers in America's Favor, I did put a torpedo into a CVE, and he has bombarded some bases from there.

I am losing the air war, as I don't have enough fighters...Allies have at least 10 squadrons of Jugs going. I cannot defend everywhere in the air...only in selected strongholds. So, it is ugly.

So, he will be able to use them...