The Good The Bad & The Indifferent

[Alfred]

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

If the combat report for a clash between my LBA fighters and enemy LRCAP from carriers includes information identifying the enemy fighters as squadrons from Nishin, Renkaku, etc., can I count on that information or is the reporting based on the original carrier the squadron was assigned to? I think it's the former, but it's worth asking.

IE, if Zero Squadron A starts the game on Zuikaku but later is reassigned to Renkaku, and then from that ships participates in LRCAP combat, will the combat report indicate Zero Squadron A is from Renkaku (which I think is the case) or from the original Zuikaku?

I'm asking to make sure I understand this correctly. If I do, then I know which carriers are up north contributing to John's LRCAP. But if I'm wrong - if it's the original carrier that is always reported - then John could be working a switcheroo to confuse me here.

You are incorrect.

Air unit names cannot be changed. Whatever name you see is the original name.

As an Allied player you will have noticed that some air unit names "change". But these are always units which withdraw and then return with their new name.

Alfred

[witpqs]

A small correction. Squadrons do change names while in play, if they are configured to do so in the scenario files. Many US units do withdraw and return with a new name as mentioned. But other air units (not restricted by nationality) do change names while in play. Such is noted in that turn's Operations Report.

As to the original question, you see the squadron name, period. The scenario designer can name a squadron as they wish, and players can move them around as they wish. I have seen players comment about rearranging squadrons just to reduce the useful Intel the squadron name provides.

[crsutton]

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel



SoPac: Troops are prepping in this region with one African division inbound. No operations will take place anytime soon, but this will be a theater of operations in the autumn. John sent two tank units forward to Tennant Creek, where Allied 2EB and 4EB have been able to muss them up pretty bad. Their deliberate attack on an Aussie brigade (militia only) at Tennant Creek failed and now John is withdrawing the units due tot he air threat. Allied F3Fs here knocked down a bunch of Helens and Sallys yesterday.

Commonwealth infantry squads go from an inherent AT value of around 15 to an amazing 70 when they undergo the 43 upgrade. Two tank brigades have no hope vs an intact infantry brigade unless he has major air support with the attack. My numbers may be off as I have not been in the editor for a while, but the change is significant.

Americans get three (I think) 36 plane VF squadrons as spares in mid-late 43. I think the Americans rotated their squadrons more so than the Japanese. And, I tend to rotate my bomber and torpedo squadrons. So, you really can't tell much with American units. And, my skilled opponent frequently switches his carrier groups around to throw me off. It is just smart play.

[crsutton]

ORIGINAL: Capt. Harlock

I use the Detroit class as DD leaders some times. Their six inch guns will outclass any Japanese CL

Maybe not in this game, if John 3rd has built more Oyodo's.

Yeah they are a pretty good counter but still an old America Cruiser still helps balance things out.

[Canoerebel]

Crud. Now I have something new to worry about (John switching around fighter squadrons to mislead). In fact, I guess those fighters could have been on LRCAP from an airfield.

I'll be as careful as I can in proceeding - last turn, fighter CAP was set to 20% CAP, 10% rest since the carriers were still behind friendly lines. Today I set them to 40% CAP, 10% rest. In another day or two, they'll be in no-man's-land, and I'm not sure what's out there waiting.

[Canoerebel]

6/25/43

Operation Circus: That same sighting of the same "Half KB" or "Faux KB" or whatever it is at Attu Island. My spidey senses want to tell me that John is up to something, but figuring out what it is will be the tough part. Modest aerial combat over Amchitka today, with the Allies coming out well ahead.

Operation Roller Coaster: No sign of detection today. I think I may get one more day before bells start going off. My TFs are a bit scattered, but that's okay as I prefer the carriers lagging a bit and for the forward ships to serve as canaries in the coal mine, if necessary. I just don't have enough info to know what's going on. John may have no clue the Allies are moving in strength. Or he may have made good deductions and even now have a well-orchestrated welcome party. It won't take much for me to pull the plug, but I hope the op can proceed (I said the same thing about Circus a week before the landings).

Battle of Sumatra: Against no bombardments or ground attacks, but it looks like BBs are in the way in for tomorrow. Lots of bombers, mainly focusing on Sabang. Supply at 15.5k. It's five minutes to midnight. At the stroke of that hour, I turn into a pumpkin and John's Banzaiis ring in a new era.

[Canoerebel]

6/26/43

Battle of Sumatra: Japanese deliberate attack comes off at 3:1 and drops forts to 2. Casualties are relatively heavy, with the Allies losing 100+ squads (a variety, mainly non-combat) and the Japanese suffering 400+ disabled. If John's troops can attack tomorrow, Sabang will fall. If he has to rest them a couple of days then 1st Marine Div. will arrive and the garrison might hold until month's end. Supply is down to 11.5k, though, so we're at the end now. Seven BBs and several Sisters bombard. So the immense Japanese commitment here is still paying some dividends, but that's all about to come to an end.

Operation Circus: A CB and Three Sisters (Maya, Chikuma and Tone) bombard Adak Island, messing up the field and damaging a bunch of aircraft. Patrols report the "Half KB" at Attu Island, this time generating the "Spotted Enemy Carriers" message that had been missing the past few days. But the most important item of information is the cruisers. Adding the two that were torpedoed up here a few days back plus the CAs involved in yesterday's bombardment of Sabang (I'll double-check later to see how many they were - either two or three) means that many of John's CAs are accounted for: nine sunk, five confirmed in the Aleuts in recent days, and two or three in Sumatra. That doesn't leave a lot for John to use in his carrier TFs. It isn't essential to use CAs as escorts, I suppose, but John is also very short on BBs. So if there is a Half KB or Three-Quarters KB out there ready to pounce, it's going to be relying mostly on CLs and DDs for escorts. Meanwhile, the Allies have resumed moving troops forward to various staging points in preparation for the next round of invasions (in about 45 days, if things go properly in CenPac).

Operation Roller Coaster: The lead Allied TFs are only 20 hexes from the first beaches now. No signs of detection or any enemy presence. No TFs even show the 1/0 detection level that I think indicate a TF generated a "radio signals" SigInt report. Every player who has orchestrated a major operation moving into Indian Country with the exact whereabouts of KB unknown can imagine how nerve-wracking these turns are now. John may have sniffed this out. A substantial carrier TF and LBA may be waiting. But I don't see any signs of it. And, as noted above, nearly all BBs and most CAs are accounted for far away, not to mention the "Half KB" at Attu. I doubt John would move against Death Star with so much of his ships committed elsewhere. In a few days, Death Star will be joined by a CV TF comprised of Formidable and CVL Independence. CVL Brandywine is on map and moving to join, but will only arrive in time to cover the second half of the operation.

[Canoerebel]

Confirmed that Kumano, Myoko and Atago are at Sumatra. So three there, five in NoPac, and nine sunk (I think). That's 17 CAs that aren't available for duty in the Roller Coaster area of operations.

As for BBs, three are confirmed sunk, one (Mutsu) is almost certainly in drydock, seven confirmed in Sumatra, and two CBs confirmed in NoPac. I think that leaves John with just one or two available.

Bottom line, if John has sniffed this out, he can bring more carriers to bear, but the Allies will seriously outnumber John in capital combat ships, and if a carrier clash occurs, KB is going to be light on big escorts.

[Encircled]

Fine, but in this mod doesn't he have about 367 CAs? [;)]

[Canoerebel]

John gets the usual 18 CAs plus two others. All should be on the board now. He gets 10 BBs at start plus two others plus two CBs. All of those should be on the board now.

CAs: 20 total. 9 sunk, two damaged, three in NoPac, three in Sumatra. That leaves three others that could be available for carrier escort duty.

BB/CB: 14 total. 3 sunk, one in the yards, seven in Sumatra, two (CB) in NoPac. That leaves one (Musashi) available for carrier escort duty.

He should also have 12 CVs now along with 5 CVLs (augmented by some CVL conversions).

Not that John would necessarily use these capital ships as escorts. And it's possible that these ships are somewhere other than where I'm going. But the conclusion I reached last night is right: He has more CVs than I do (by four), but in the Roller Coaster area of operations, I'll have considerably more BBs and CAs (at least in the opening rounds).

(This recapitulation is offered in detail so that I can refer back to it later; else I'll forget all these things in a couple of days...or hours.)

[Bearcat2]

Is this the version of RA where the 4 Mogami's and the 4 Aoba's are CL's?
If so, by this time; it would be 16 CA's [4 Takao,8 Myoko, 4 Hirado? ]and 14 decent AA CL's [4 Mogami, 4 Aoba, 6 Tokoro? ] for carrier escort. 2 more Hirado [12/43; 8/44]and 2 Tokoro [8/43; 5/44] are building
He also should have 14 Akitsuki's DD by this time

[Canoerebel]

I got the information about John's capital ship OOB came from the original Scenario 70 file we are using, so I think the information's correct. (Unless there are ways to manipulate the OOB beyond what's listed in the tabs that show existing ships at start and then the ship reinforcement info screen.)

[Bearcat2]

Hard to keep up with the different versions, you have the OOB. I would think that his upgrades are due for some of his ships; do not see where he has had time running from one end of the Pacific to the other.

[Canoerebel]

That's an interesting possility. I don't "think" John had time to upgrade during the Battle of Sumatra (commencing Nov. 1942 and continuing up through today) plus the Aleutians campaign, though perhaps he detached a CV or two at a time to to do so. Also, I recently had the report of an IJN BB bound for Tokyo, which might have been an indicator of a move to upgrade. And there's the fact that Steroid KB was up in the Aleuts two weeks ago but only Half KB has been there since. It is possible that John is upgrading the other half right now. Tokyo would be the most likely venue.

Of course, this is speculation that I can't rely on. I hav eto proceed on the assumpition that Half KB is available. That's why knowing where his BBs, CAs, and Half KB are is so helpful.

But if John reacts slowly or appears to be caught way out of step, then upgrade is the most likely explanation.

[Canoerebel]

John's patrols sighted at least three of the Roller Coaster TFs about 18 nexes east of Wotje. His email to me this morning: "Ooooohhhhhh...do we get to play someplace new or is this coming back for seconds? GREAT!"

I think there are subtleties here that suggest John is surprised (if I'm reading it wrong, I should know soon). If he was fully prepared and had orchestrated a great ambush, I think he'd remain quiet in his email, brimming with confidence. Instead, the message he sent sounds alot like the ones he sent when he discovered Operation Circus on the doorstep of the Aleutians.

My mindest as we near D-Day:
1. I am sure enough that John's carriers and capital ships are dispersed that I'm willing to undertake this operation.
2. It's a given that LBA is going to be a threat.
3. It's possible that Half KB is close enough to react and contest the landings. If that happens, the Allies will pull back a bit, circle the massive amount of amphibious ships around the carriers, and see what happens (Johns carriers could well blunt their power against Allied AA, making the contest more equal).
4. If John has to wait to get his carriers here, thus giving the Allies about a week to work with, I should be able to take three or four bases and get some NavSearch up.
5. The operation will move from north to south: Wotje, Maloelap, Mili, Jaluit and Alingalap are definite targets in the north. Roi Namur and Ponape are possibilities (the latter is unlikely). In the south, Makin, Tarawa and Baker are targeted.
6. Half KB North is confirmed at Attu Island with about 330 aircraft. You'll recall it was consistently showing about 380 to 390 a week ago. The difference may be the Zeros lost in aerial combat over Amchitka. I'll watch carefully next turn to see what becomes of Half KB North.
7. You'll know what's going on from John's perspective by reading his AAR. My picture is much less complete. I'm nervous, but I'm willing to proceed primarily based upon having such detailed knowledge (for such a long time) about the location of most of John's BBs and CAs along with some of his carriers.

[BillBrown]

There are times that you just have to roll the dice and see what happens. It is hard to be 100% sure about things in this game.

[Bullwinkle58]

1. I think the ship AA in this mod is based on DBB? I don't recall if you've had a major CV strike on an integrated carrier TF with upgraded AA (20/40mm), but the AA loses can be stiff if you've been playing stock for years.

2. A couple of your targets have tough pre-war Naval Fortresses. They are the real deal. I hope you have sponges in your landing TFs for those islands.

3. Having operated in this map region for what feels like a real-time year, I think Ponape is certainly a bridge too far. That you are targeting so many islands at once is impressive to me, Mr. One at a Time. If you were playing Lokasenna and his island defense philosophy this would be insane. I hope you know what's waiting ashore.

[Canoerebel]

I don't have alot of information on what's waiting ashore. I do have lots of sponges. I think the Allies have four slow BBs, four fast BBs, and a bunch of cruisers. I know shore guns can be stiff. Most of the targeted bases have 6k stacking limits, so the crux of the plan is to hit hard and use bombardments to disrupt the enemy. I don't expect to take all the bases. My primary objectives are: Jaluit, Mili, Maloelap and Wotje. Ponape is unlikely due to time constraints, but is there if John somehow totally fails to react. The Ponape troops are the operational reserve force.

In the south, Makin should be lightly held, Baker is garrisoned but probably not to the teeth, and Tarawa should be a tough nut, but gets a full division and combat engineers.

If I've truly gotten the drop on John again, catching his carriers up north, then I think I'll be able to come out with what I need to make the effort worthwhile. But the main objective is to persuade John to react strongly (hence having Ponape as a wild card) so that he sends Kaigun and KB sprinting south. Then Allies will switch back north and move on Amchitka and later on Attu. I don't like moving into a concentration of forces. Right now, John has alot of firepower up north, including a host of subs. I think (but I'm not positive) that CenPac is pretty open. I've had a line of pickets ships stretching from Midway to northwest of Marcus (and not really very far from Chichi Jimi). Those ships have been sitting out there for weeks undetected. Some of them are quite close to Marcus and Wake. So I think John has been focusing on NoPac.

In 20 days, two more Essex class arrive. At that point, I'm willing to commit Death Star to a contested action for Amchitka. In the interim, I'd like to see John dashing about wildly. I don't mind if Roller Coaster isn't a smashing success as long as I don't suffer a big carrier battle defeat. But there's a risk of that happening.

[crsutton]

Yes, and the AA is deadly. Viberpol and I just had a major carrier fight near Chittagong in lousy weather, and the results were scary. 700-800 total plane losses and I lost two SCs. He might have lost a CVL. Due to clouds the bulk of his aircraft went after my BB task force at Chittagong. Look what my two modern BBs did to his Judy's. He hit me a dozen times and messed up the upper decks a bit but look what the costs were. You AFBs better not delay those upgrades..[;)]

I think this is why it no longer pays the Japanese player to conserve his carriers until the end game. If it were me I would want to force a carrier fight as soon as possible.

[Canoerebel]

6/27/43

Operation Roller Coaster: As noted, John sighted multiple TFs 18 hexes east of Wotje. The carriers, combat ships and two APD TFs will move ahead now. The APD TFs are carrying quick strike troops to Wotje and Jaluit. The mission at Wotje is primarily to gauge the strength of the enemy. The mission at Jaluit is to see if it's held - it's a level four port but no airfield. It's probably garrisoned, but I'd like to take it quickly if possible to serve as a re-arming point (USN BF and AKEs are heading there). The first landing at Wotje should take place in no more than three days.

The Tarawa invasion force is loitering well to the east. It won't go in until its time for the carriers and combat ships to move that way. And the ships bound for Baker will move in now on the chance that John won't have any aircraft at the level one field. If he does, the ships will pull back until the carriers can come over.

Operation Circus: John put some Georges on LRCAP over Amchitka, but the Liberators come through again. Mouseover shows this field at 93% damage. Two Allied divisions are inbound to Prince Rupert from East Coast and San Fran. They are prepping for Amchitka and Attu. A third division is already at PR prepping for Attu, but it's restricted. It'll be a month or so before I can buy it.

But the main thing is that Half KB North remains at Attu. It'll be interesting to see if it leaves tomorrow.

Battle of Sumatra: Seven IJN BBs bombard Sabang for a second consecutive day, doing much less damage this time (second days are always like that). More IJA troops are inbound. I think, therefore, that 1st Marine Div. will arrive before the next attack, adding 220 AV 100% prepped for Sabang. Supply is down to 10.5k. Quite a stand for an amazing amount of time. But John deserves kudos for ultimately prevailing.