The Good The Bad & The Indifferent

[HansBolter]

I think a big part of the success can be attributed to TF composition as well.

CR had one of the most coordinated, massed CV strikes I think I have ever seen.

[JeffroK]

Eunuch KB??

I dont think the now famed night search was the major difference, few items in this games are the "panacea" tactic.

It was however an important part of a solidly conceived and and executed plan.

IMVHO JIII's minimal navsearch against CR's solid navsearch/intel was the greatest reason for the success of CR's battle. It allowed CR to place his TF at a position where he was able to smash miniKB in the knowledge that at best an 8 hex strike was possible.

An additional advantage appears to have been an effective TF setup which allowed a massive strike which blew through the CAP and left enough attackers to cause damage.

JIII followed a line of action (cant call it a plan) which left his forces ripe for a picking, had a poor TF structure which cramped the size of his strikes.

Next step should be interesting, can CR keep up with the successful tactics used here, or will a new set of tricks have to be shown to the 3 ring circus.

I'm sure there is some battle in the Atlanta campaign which can be used as a similie.

[desicat]

If you are getting ambitious why not make it hurt. John always likes to stage from Marcus island, it is a tough nut, but while his navy is hurting over the next several months the time may be ripe. The island is also isolated - yet heavily defended.

[JohnDillworth]

John did not have detection on the Allied carriers for weeks at a time. Perhaps a failure in tactics or a quirk in his search habits. However, to take a drunken frolic into enemy territory without knowing where the enemies most deadly assets were? That's a failure of command. John became a much better player this week because he will learn from these mistakes

[JeffroK]

ORIGINAL: JohnDillworth

John did not have detection on the Allied carriers for weeks at a time. Perhaps a failure in tactics or a quirk in his search habits. However, to take a drunken frolic into enemy territory without knowing where the enemies most deadly assets were? That's a failure of command. John became a much better player this week because he will learn from these mistakes

At the least he'll get plenty of advice on doing so.

[JohnDillworth]

At the least he'll get plenty of advice on doing so.

as we have already seen in his AAR. Humble John is someone I have not met before but he seems nice [:D][:D][:D][:D]
He has been taking his medicine like a gentleman

[DW]

That's a failure of command. John became a much better player this week because he will learn from these mistakes

I don't know about that.

John's play style reminds me of a chess player who likes to lead with his queen.

I think he already knows better than to send KB steaming all over the map, but he's temperamentally unsuited toward a more reserved play style.

[Canoerebel]

ORIGINAL: JohnDillworth
John did not have detection on the Allied carriers for weeks at a time. Perhaps a failure in tactics or a quirk in his search habits. However, to take a drunken frolic into enemy territory without knowing where the enemies most deadly assets were? That's a failure of command. John became a much better player this week because he will learn from these mistakes

The disparity in information was as great as it could possibly be. I was worried about FOW crossing me up, but I knew everything about John's strength and disposition for a long, long time. And apparently he knew next to nothing about mine. That boggles the mind.

Here's the thing though - I was still afraid that the dice rolls might turn a strong position in to a devastating defeat. It's really nice when some hard work, attention to detail, and a great advantage in intel pays off handsomely. We've probably all had the experience when things didn't work out that way.

[Canoerebel]

ORIGINAL: JohnDillworth

At the least he'll get plenty of advice on doing so.

as we have already seen in his AAR. Humble John is someone I have not met before but he seems nice [:D][:D][:D][:D]
He has been taking his medicine like a gentleman

Boy! I wish I could read his AAR. You can imagine how much I'd like to read the last week from his perspective.

[Canoerebel]

ORIGINAL: HansBolter
I think a big part of the success can be attributed to TF composition as well.

CR had one of the most coordinated, massed CV strikes I think I have ever seen.

Hopefully I did something that is repeatable.

This is a case where I used everything I learned and general intuition and apparently it was the right recipe for success. But since I'm not a student of mechanics, I'm not 100% sure exactly what made things go so well.

[Canoerebel]

ORIGINAL: AcePylut
...I must ask, Canoerebel, when you clicked on “night operations” for those floatplane searches – did you ever in your mind think that THAT might have been the “one mouseclick difference” between success and utter failure? Over all the agonizing you did over the decision to give battle – did THAT decision ever enter your mind?

It was a bit serendipitious. Near the end of entering orders, I was checking BB and CA float squadrons to make sure none were still set to recon Kwajalein. While doing so, I realized just how many float plane platforms I had. So I figured there was no harm and perhaps some benefit in switching some to night search since thee was 71% moonlight.

[JohnDillworth]

Boy! I wish I could read his AAR. You can imagine how much I'd like to read the last week from his perspective.

Oh, thats easy. I'll sum up
http://www.drchristinahibbert.com/dealing-with-grief/5-stages-of-grief/

[Canoerebel]

ORIGINAL: poodlebrain

You haven't had much combat use for your 4EB recently. I assume they've been busy training. Can you give us an update on their readiness to return to action? You should have some pretty well skilled and experienced pilots to fly them.

I've stopped using 4EB tactically to save them for strategic missions.

I made this change in SEAC (Burma) months ago. The two uses I would consider strategic there would be industrial targets (which I can't do at the moment) and possibly hitting big enemy units that enter my bases. I had expected John to use the Sabang Peace Divident to send many divisions to Burma to attack Ramree Island, Akyab, etc. So I was saving the 4EB to hit them hard.

It's hard to effectively use 4EB in the Pacific at the moment. The Japanese Aleutians bases are huge and any such use would really be tactical.

I used 4EB once in the Marshalls, but lost 10 in a single day to a modest amount of CAP. That was a huge number of losses in what was just a tactical mission.

So my 4EB are training and training and building pools. I know where and when I'm going to use them. It's not now.

[JohnDillworth]

Here's the thing though - I was still afraid that the dice rolls might turn a strong position in to a devastating defeat. It's really nice when some hard work, attention to detail, and a great advantage in intel pays off handsomely. We've probably all had the experience when things didn't work out that way.

I don't give you nearly enough credit, bit strategically and tactically. your patience , your task force composition, and your preparation were masterful. prefect storm

[Canoerebel]

That means a lot, John, thanks. I take your comments to heart.

[Canoerebel]

When we resumed the game January 3, 1943, all the action was focused heavily on Sumatra. Naturally, my AAR was likewise centered there. From time to time, I would write that I was doing "little things" elsewhere that weren't worth mentioning in an AAR but which I though would cumulatively prove important.

For instance, at that time I started occupying and building some of the islands between Fiji and Pago Pago, including Wallis. I think this little effort played huge dividends, as later it helped add to the impression that I had big intentions in the region. You'll recall that John knew I might hit somewhere other than Sumatra by May '43, but I think I was able to sell him on the likelihood of a SoPac venture. So while John mostly divided his scrutiny between Sumatra and SoPac, I was able to hit in NoPac almost unopposed.

Small things not worth mentioning in January '43 played decisive roles in the summer of '43.

By the same token, almost all attention right now is rightfully focused on CenPac and NoPac, where so much is going on. But there are small things happening all over the map. They aren't worth mentioning now, but they'll become part of the puzzle in '44.

[Cap Mandrake]

Very interesting point about night recon to get the jump in the morning.

[Canoerebel]

Battle of Wake Island winding down on Sept. 22, 1943.

[BBfanboy]

Time to get some of those subs between his Kongo TF and Eniwetok to wait for their return ...

[Canoerebel]

That's not the Kongo TF on the map over there at Bikini atoll. That's some troop convoy that keeps getting hammered by Beauforts and, last turn, got turned back by three Fletchers.

I think John cannibalized his Kongo TF, sending the big ships back to safety and DDs forward to intercept Death Star and the Allied combat TFs.