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

[Lokasenna]

ORIGINAL: witpqs

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

I have 156 mines, all ship killer type 88s.

What hex should I mine?

Use the F6 hot key to see the hex side codes. White = pass ships & LCU, Blue = pass ships, Green = pass LCU, Red = pass neither, Purple = pass LCU (river-crossing).

Not sure as I haven't looked at the F6 key in appropriate areas in some weeks, but doesn't purple mean ships can go there too?

[Lokasenna]

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

The butcher's bill...



Saved from air attack by bad weather...Chittagong is pounded by heavy bombers and swept by fighters.

I didn't see Phoenix in those combats... the destroyed on ground for the Walrus leads me to think probably 2 British cruisers down.

Also, 1,000 yard combat? Did it start really close-in? Do the Brits not have radar right now (I haven't checked)? If no radar, I'd put money on that being the true cause. Close-in battles are riskier because of torpedoes. Yours happened to hit.

[Lowpe]

I had a few things going for me in this fight. I think.[:)] Lok will point out my errors here, and I will become a better player.[;)] So, if my understanding is faulty, please chime in and correct me. I can take it![:D] I am wrong all the time, no biggie.[:D]

First the moonlight was low. I have noticed that the lower the moonlight, the less ships actually take part in combat -- I mean fire. This favored my small, multiple destroyer task forces. I know Jocke favors largish (10 ships) nicely constructed task forces. No way do I want to compete head to head on him this way. Rather, I want to use multiple small ship task forces.

Second, the thunderstorms were to my advantage too.

Third, I had full op points, fleets set to surface combat, react one, follow the two heavy cruisers. The CAs sat thru all that combat, bombarded the Allied troops at Chittagong, and then left without getting involved in a single combat. I am not sure if that is good or bad, if they waded into combat at the very end, it would have been good. But it could have been bad if they got involved first thing. But the the multiple small destroyer task forces did their job screening the CAs. I am not sure if that was luck, good dls, good leadership or what but it happened.

In addition I am playing with the settings governing air force threat levels and task force threat levels. I am not just using coastal/direct/absolute or normal. I am using them all choosing the best for the mission.

I have gone thru and checked all my Captains. I like high Naval and low aggression. 70/50 seems Ideal. One of my most aggressive destroyer Captains got sunk (65 aggression, 67 naval). Not sure if a lower aggression Captain would have done better or not. Probably more likely the next highest aggression Captain would have been sunk.

I am trying to understand how I can get my small screening destroyer task forces into combat first, to absorb the torpedo strikes, and to waste the Allied ammunition and ops points so that then the heavy hitters can clean up last. Tiemanj has some very interesting insights into how ops points work in both night and day phases. Michael has some keen insight into Task Force numbering, here too.

Even though the weather was bad, it seems night float planes still flew. I had them both on ships and on bases. There was at least one Walrus spotted at Chittagong, too. I am a huge believer in maxing the DL.

Anyhow, if I played Allies I would be constantly looking at the weather and moonlight. Low moonlight would scare me silly. So much so, that my CVs would be in port somewhere safe. As Japan, I am looking for any opportunity to run my destroyers against his ships, no matter how outnumbered, in low moonlight in 1942. Low moonlight and bad weather even better!

Generally, I think the Allies should always strive for distance in their naval fights, while the Japanese should strive for close in encounters with smaller ships. Of course this can change with heavier ships...but I did say in general.

A lot changes as the Allies get better devices on their ships, better experience, better Captains, better gunnery and better dls.

[Lowpe]

Purple is river crossing.[:)]

But my question was geared to which hex do you think the Allies will use to enter and leave the Calcutta areas....

[Lowpe]

ORIGINAL: Lokasenna


I didn't see Phoenix in those combats... the destroyed on ground for the Walrus leads me to think probably 2 British cruisers down.

Also, 1,000 yard combat? Did it start really close-in? Do the Brits not have radar right now (I haven't checked)? If no radar, I'd put money on that being the true cause. Close-in battles are riskier because of torpedoes. Yours happened to hit.

Thunderstorms and low moonlight. No radar sightings in any of the combat reports.

Poor visibility due to Thunderstorms with 25% moonlight
Maximum visibility in Thunderstorms and 25% moonlight: 2,000 yards
Range closes to 17,000 yards...
Range closes to 11,000 yards...
Range closes to 7,000 yards...
Range closes to 5,000 yards...
Range closes to 3,000 yards...
Range closes to 1,000 yards...
DD Arrow engages DD Suruyame at 1,000 yards
DD Arrow engages DD Minazuki at 1,000 yards
CA Devonshire engages DD Hamakaze at 1,000 yards
CA Dorsetshire engages DD Hamakaze at 1,000 yards
DD Decoy engages DD Hamakaze at 1,000 yards
DD Arrow engages DD Hamakaze at 1,000 yards
DD Nestor engages DD Hamakaze at 1,000 yards
Range increases to 2,000 yards
CA Hawkins engages DD Hamakaze at 2,000 yards
DD Hamakaze engages CA Exeter at 2,000 yards
DD Oshio engages DD Decoy at 2,000 yards
DD Hamakaze engages CA Dorsetshire at 2,000 yards
Range increases to 4,000 yards
DD Suruyame engages CA Hawkins at 4,000 yards
DD Minazuki engages DD Nestor at 4,000 yards
DD Decoy engages DD Oshio at 4,000 yards
DD Hamakaze engages DD Decoy at 4,000 yards
DD Decoy sunk by DD Hamakaze at 4,000 yards
DD Nestor engages DD Minazuki at 4,000 yards
Task forces break off...

[Lowpe]

Phoenix was nailed in the New Hebrides, eating one or two 40cm shell hits from the Mighty Mutsu.

I think the Phoenix moved from Luganville, to one island to the south. I am sending Betties there at 2000 feet to find out. Partial bombloads, but what the heck.

Often times when a damaged ship is moved from one port to the next it will pop up on the sunk ships list.

[witpqs]

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

Purple is river crossing.[:)]

But my question was geared to which hex do you think the Allies will use to enter and leave the Calcutta areas....

I read both AARs, so will not render opinions and only technical advice. You showed the pic without hex sides detail, so it does not give a good view of where ships can transit.

[Lowpe]

Allied radar worked once, during the day.

Day Time Surface Combat, near Chittagong at 55,41, Range 5,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
DD Tanikaze
DD Mochizuki, Shell hits 4, and is sunk

Allied Ships
CL Hobart
CL Dauntless
CL Mauritius
CL Birmingham
DD Meredith
DD Grayson
DD Fox, Shell hits 1
DD Arunta

Reduced visibility due to Thunderstorms
Maximum visibility in Thunderstorms: 5,000 yards
Range closes to 21,000 yards...
CONTACT: Allies radar detects Japanese task force at 21,000 yards
Range closes to 19,000 yards...
Range closes to 17,000 yards...
Range closes to 15,000 yards...
Range closes to 13,000 yards...
Range closes to 11,000 yards...
Range closes to 10,000 yards...
Range closes to 9,000 yards...
Range closes to 8,000 yards...
Range closes to 7,000 yards...
Range closes to 6,000 yards...
Range closes to 5,000 yards...
CONTACT: Japanese lookouts spot Allied task force at 5,000 yards
CONTACT: Allied lookouts spot Japanese task force at 5,000 yards
CL Mauritius engages DD Mochizuki at 5,000 yards
Range increases to 6,000 yards
DD Mochizuki sunk by CL Birmingham at 6,000 yards
Range increases to 7,000 yards
CL Birmingham engages DD Tanikaze at 7,000 yards
DD Tanikaze engages DD Fox at 7,000 yards
DD Tanikaze engages DD Meredith at 7,000 yards
Range increases to 10,000 yards
DD Tanikaze engages DD Fox at 10,000 yards
DD Tanikaze engages DD Meredith at 10,000 yards
Range increases to 13,000 yards
DD Fox engages DD Tanikaze at 13,000 yards
CL Mauritius engages DD Tanikaze at 13,000 yards
DD Fox engages DD Tanikaze at 13,000 yards
Range increases to 16,000 yards
CL Birmingham engages DD Tanikaze at 16,000 yards
CL Hobart engages DD Tanikaze at 16,000 yards
DD Tanikaze engages DD Arunta at 16,000 yards
DD Meredith engages DD Tanikaze at 16,000 yards
Task forces break off...

[Lowpe]

ORIGINAL: witpqs

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

Purple is river crossing.[:)]

But my question was geared to which hex do you think the Allies will use to enter and leave the Calcutta areas....

I read both AARs, so will not render opinions and only technical advice. You showed the pic without hex sides detail, so it does not give a good view of where ships can transit.

Is Jocke gnashing his teeth? Come on, share!

[witpqs]

[:D]

[Canoerebel]

Jocke said something about having a date with the two ABBA ladies tonight.

[witpqs]

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

Jocke said something about having a date with the two ABBA ladies tonight.

Swedish cougar babes... [:)] [:D]

[Lowpe]

Jocke should be happy...he will kick me out of Chittagong and Silchar without too many problems.

Japanese AA is anemic, even strong concentrations, and now Chittagong has run low on supplies and doesn't draw that much from points south.

Plus he has a pair of singers to keep him company. I wonder what he is drinking? I had a Mondavi Chardonnay-Woodbridge. Inexpensive table wine, but good never the less.

[Grfin Zeppelin]

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

Jocke said something about having a date with the two ABBA ladies tonight.

I was reading ABDA ladies at first O.o

[Lowpe]

Mid November, 1942

Lots of torpedoes that all miss. A poor Captain that I haven't changed out. Now that my purchases for the West Coast are done, I am looking more and more at this.



I elected to no mine anywhere today, as my I boats wouldn't be able to get the fields dropped before the Allies moved thru.

[Lowpe]

Runaway![;)]

[Lowpe]

Surrounded troops always take a while.

[Lowpe]

Betties hit the port here, but no joy in hitting the ship.



Allies are sweeping to the north with Lightnings and Kittihawks. No Japanese fighters as they moved away for now.

[Lowpe]

Spotted. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

All carriers have gone dark. They will now assemble, and hopefully the next time the Allies see them they will be 100 percent concentrated and come in as a rude surprise, since this is so counter to how I have used them in the past all game.

I have shown small carrier task forces of 2-4 carriers from India, Oz, New Hebrides and Canada. Working hard on getting Judies aboard, but I won't have the conversions complete in time for the invasion. Oh well, I always liked Vals too.





They are going to continue south for another day, and see if I can get behind his search. Jakes are switched to CAP/Search range 0.

[Lowpe]

Chindits or supply to Paoshan?