Lambs to the slaughter (Lowpe (J) vs Jocke; BillBrown (A)) Finished

[Lowpe]

Finished the turn, it will probably only be a couple of hours for Jocke to flip the turn I think.

Decided with multiple size 2 task forces for the run into Akyab, and I really maxed the naval search.

Running LRCAP off Akyab and range +1. I sent my fighters out of Akyab, since he might bombard there too.

I am sweeping Diamond Harbor, weather willing, to try and catch some bleeding ship LRCAP.

45 Betties on Naval attack along with 30 Nells. Range just short of Calcutta.

I am also sending in 2 destroyers back into the New Hebrides...

My surface raid at Hiva should be in place tomorrow and is not spotted.

Lots of action!

Changed my CAP settings at Coal Harbor, now two groups all set to 50% no rest, 7k and 9k. Flew out a Nell squadron, and flew in some more Oscar IIb. The A6M2 are at 7K along with some Oscar IIb, while the A6M5 and Tojo IIa are at 9K. I expect Lightnings today.[X(]

[mind_messing]

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

Thanks, but what about the question at hand?

I think that given the nasty weather forecast, 4 squadrons of 2 destroyers sent en echelon makes the most sense. Straight into Chittagong, where any severely mauled destroyer could find sanctuary but also maximizing the number of potential torpedo launches.

As with everything else in this game, it depends.

In my experience, 4-6 tends to be the magic range for surface combat TF size that are going to fight a single battle and vanish. Any larger, you sometimes end up with ships that don't fire.

If you're planning for a series of protracted battles with multiple task forces, then larger is definitely better. Those ships that didn't get to fire in the first few encounters can expend their ammo, and there are more ships to break up the targeting routine.

[Lowpe]

ORIGINAL: mind_messing

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

Thanks, but what about the question at hand?

I think that given the nasty weather forecast, 4 squadrons of 2 destroyers sent en echelon makes the most sense. Straight into Chittagong, where any severely mauled destroyer could find sanctuary but also maximizing the number of potential torpedo launches.

As with everything else in this game, it depends.

In my experience, 4-6 tends to be the magic range for surface combat TF size that are going to fight a single battle and vanish. Any larger, you sometimes end up with ships that don't fire.

If you're planning for a series of protracted battles with multiple task forces, then larger is definitely better. Those ships that didn't get to fire in the first few encounters can expend their ammo, and there are more ships to break up the targeting routine.

I tend to agree with the caveat:

Fighting one battle and returning to port I think is a factor of mission and ammunition left plus other stuff. So the larger the task force, the more likely it is going to stick around and fight more because it carries more ammunition. Once the ammunition is depleted the orders to break combat come quite quickly, even before combat takes place.

It may also have to do with aggression, TF disposition settings, weather, detection levels, relative strength, damage, fuel levels. Sure I am missing a lot too, I bet -- I didn't even mention ops points remaining, but that might not influence it.

Anyway, I am experimenting with multiple small task forces -- MSTF. One, because of the weather, and two because I think they will retreat sooner and not extend the combat by rotating more ships into firing positions.

This game can't devolve down to who carries the biggest stick. There has to be a counter.

We shall see...

[Lokasenna]

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

ORIGINAL: Drakanel

To be fair, I read both AAR, so I don't comment too much on either But since you asked big vs small TFs....

I don't have much experience of the game, but it seems likely you will have low visibility. Keep in mind I'm rather inexperieced, but I'd do small squadrons to maximize intercept chances (more squadrons) and minimize the chances of collisions. Lack of visibility should also favor the most experienced crews (should be yours, right?)

Managing to put some nice torpedoes into those battleships would be very good for you.

I have only ever seen collisions with larger task forces, say over a dozen or more, and usually not combat task forces.

You aren't just whistling Dixie there, I need to damage his battleship fleet. I am hoping between some Long Lances, Iboats, RO Boats and Betties I can do some good. Debating about night naval attack, but the weather is really atrocious.

I've seen collisions in slightly smaller forces. It depends on naval skill.

[Lokasenna]

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

ORIGINAL: mind_messing

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

Thanks, but what about the question at hand?

I think that given the nasty weather forecast, 4 squadrons of 2 destroyers sent en echelon makes the most sense. Straight into Chittagong, where any severely mauled destroyer could find sanctuary but also maximizing the number of potential torpedo launches.

As with everything else in this game, it depends.

In my experience, 4-6 tends to be the magic range for surface combat TF size that are going to fight a single battle and vanish. Any larger, you sometimes end up with ships that don't fire.

If you're planning for a series of protracted battles with multiple task forces, then larger is definitely better. Those ships that didn't get to fire in the first few encounters can expend their ammo, and there are more ships to break up the targeting routine.

I tend to agree with the caveat:

Fighting one battle and returning to port I think is a factor of mission and ammunition left plus other stuff. So the larger the task force, the more likely it is going to stick around and fight more because it carries more ammunition. Once the ammunition is depleted the orders to break combat come quite quickly, even before combat takes place.

It may also have to do with aggression, TF disposition settings, weather, detection levels, relative strength, damage, fuel levels. Sure I am missing a lot too, I bet -- I didn't even mention ops points remaining, but that might not influence it.

Anyway, I am experimenting with multiple small task forces -- MSTF. One, because of the weather, and two because I think they will retreat sooner and not extend the combat by rotating more ships into firing positions.

This game can't devolve down to who carries the biggest stick. There has to be a counter.

We shall see...

Bigger can be a lot better... [;)]

[Lowpe]

Action in the New Hebrides.

This is the second time my ships have caught a single xakl bringing in supplies. I am not really a fan of single ship merchants used like this when there are ships present to add a second ship.

I can rationalize a single ship TF especially when ships are scarce -- or even a disperse command from a threatened TF.

But the Allies are really limited on APDs and such, and in the scope of things if Jocke resorts to single ships, I will try to take advantage of their greater vulnerability. I think it means I need to beef up my naval search more.

[Lowpe]

North Pacific action is hot and heavy dogfights.

I tried something new, all fighters at 50% and split between 7K and 9K. I am flying off a damaged runway (30%).

[Lowpe]

Losses are basically 1-1. I think I did better with the Tojo and A6M5 at 20k, but I am not sure how damaged runway, and my reduced number of fighters caused the fight to even out.

Very interesting.

Allies had one sweep of 50 Airacobras cooperating at a 10K sweep. I love it when the Altitudes aren't simply highest altitude and forget about it.



I did notice that my air controllers where sending all planes to 18-26K, so perhaps with an altitude restriction, right now in 1942, it pays to have the best fighter vs. fighter frames at 20K.

[Lowpe]

Allies retreat their surface fleets without firing a shot, I watched them move away during the night phase. Very interesting move by the Allied High Command.

Oscars sweep Diamond Harbor but there is no bleeding CAP.

Allied ground troops moving away from Chittagong, who isn't bombed today either. Lots of Flak there... I guess he will move his big stack and clear the Ledo area first.



Those ships are in Calcutta. My 4 TF of 2 DD each went into an empty Chittagong, refueled and left.

[Lowpe]

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

A present for Jocke.

Luckily she was empty, after having just delivered a fuel load.

Bad luck, what? I will check the Captain's stats in tracker and crew experience.

Correction, she was loaded.

Here is the tracker history....I just lost another Yusen N to this. Out of the blue 49 fires and gone. Fully loaded.

This is now the third ship I have lost this way, that I know of.

[Lowpe]

In the Pacific Northwest I have returned to a 20K CAP, except for the bomb chasing planes as the runway is mostly repaired.

Flew in a Sentai of Oscar IIB and Nicks to replace the fighter losses over the last two days.

Should be interesting to see what the Allies do here. A large Sentai with crackerjack pilots is two days out, and they are flying the A6M5. In that squadron is the top rated Ace, 9 credited kills.

[Lowpe]

Not a bad match up.

Oscar IIB, Nicks, and Tojo IIa compare favorably too.

[Lowpe]

Next month a new Lightning...

I have done incredibly well against Lightning sweeps. Jocke has complained about their results in an email to me.





Overall fighter losses are about even.

[Lowpe]

Fighters to look forward to:

Tojo IIc should arrive March of 43. There will be 9 squadrons able to fly this bad boy.

I am hoping to get the Frank A June of 43, perhaps even earlier.

Zeroes and Oscars will keep advancing strongly, just not horribly excited about latter models with the possible exception of the Oscar IV.

There will be no Jacks flying until 10/43, but I should have the J2M3 by then I think (and it is only one squadron).

Only 1 squadron flies the George, and it is expected June 1943.

Once the Frank A is achieved, the key planes are the Sam, Frank R to 94II, Ki61d & Ki100I, and finally Sam J.

Planes to be worried about are the Corsair starting 1/43 (not CV capable) and the Jugs starting 7/43. I think I have my bases covered very well.

[Lokasenna]

Do you play the Allies?

The P-40K is great. I actually get mad when it goes away and is replaced by the worse P-40N/P-40N25. What's great about the K is that:
1) Sure, its maneuver doesn't compare favorably with contemporary IJ models, but it has 30 Durability and better guns, plus armor.
2) Speed is good enough
3) Comes en masse, relatively speaking. You can lose 15 in a single fight and not be terribly bothered.

It's a good plane to anchor your CAP (literally - use it down low). The P-40E actually is also, but is limited by numbers.

[Lowpe]

It has been a long time since I played the Allies, and almost everything is different in this mod compared to stock seemingly.[:)] Always played Nasty Nasty and never against a person, except for a few months of Downfall against M-M.

Sometimes I get a hankering to play the Allies, I have some different ideas on how to do well.[:)]

[JeffroK]

ORIGINAL: Lokasenna

Do you play the Allies?

The P-40K is great. I actually get mad when it goes away and is replaced by the worse P-40N/P-40N25. What's great about the K is that:
1) Sure, its maneuver doesn't compare favorably with contemporary IJ models, but it has 30 Durability and better guns, plus armor.
2) Speed is good enough
3) Comes en masse, relatively speaking. You can lose 15 in a single fight and not be terribly bothered.

It's a good plane to anchor your CAP (literally - use it down low). The P-40E actually is also, but is limited by numbers.

Order your P40K factories to not upgrade.

Bugger, not in the on-map factories[&:]

[tiemanjw]

If it were you how would you organize your 8 destroyers task force wise? Comments much appreciated. One big task force, multiple small task forces, 2 medium size task forces. I plan to max night naval search, day naval search. There is moderate rain coming down at Chittagong presently, with a forecast of thunderstorms. Moonlight is 71% and waxing. Oh, one more question, would you send all the destroyers in Chittagong, or one hex to the west hoping to catch them after the bombardment?

Late again, as always - but for future scenarios:

I would go 1 TF of 2 DDs, and 1 TF of 6 DDs. Try to arrange it so the 2 DDs get there first, than the 6. Try to hit him 1 hex out of the target location AFTER his bombardment (so he has no ammo). Of course this means it happens in the day time and not night (which would be an advantage for the allied player in comparative skill level). But even in Japans case, I think it would be an advantage because
1) he will have very little ammo to defend him self with
2) it takes op points from the day phase (instead of the night phase), which can leave him more vulnerable to air strikes.

[Lowpe]

ORIGINAL: tiemanj

If it were you how would you organize your 8 destroyers task force wise? Comments much appreciated. One big task force, multiple small task forces, 2 medium size task forces. I plan to max night naval search, day naval search. There is moderate rain coming down at Chittagong presently, with a forecast of thunderstorms. Moonlight is 71% and waxing. Oh, one more question, would you send all the destroyers in Chittagong, or one hex to the west hoping to catch them after the bombardment?

Late again, as always - but for future scenarios:

I would go 1 TF of 2 DDs, and 1 TF of 6 DDs. Try to arrange it so the 2 DDs get there first, than the 6. Try to hit him 1 hex out of the target location AFTER his bombardment (so he has no ammo). Of course this means it happens in the day time and not night (which would be an advantage for the allied player in comparative skill level). But even in Japans case, I think it would be an advantage because
1) he will have very little ammo to defend him self with
2) it takes op points from the day phase (instead of the night phase), which can leave him more vulnerable to air strikes.

If that is how ops points are assigned, that is really good thinking. I thought there was just a pool for the entire turn, not each phase.

[Lowpe]

Allies keep sweeping in the Pacific Northwest.

One of the rare air to air fights with Nicks. I had high hopes of sweeping with them, but the Allies didn't oblige and they fly CAP very rarely instead relying upon AA.