Into The Unknown Taxcutter vs. Ironman

[mussey]

Hope to see you back soon. Anxious to see your return to New Guinea...

[Taxcutter]

Getting started again.

First turn taking a while for three reasons:

1. Button response is still laggy (scrolling is OK now)
2. I'm getting re-acquainted with what I'm trying to do.
3. I'm implementing some aircraft training programs suggested in the forum.

Some partial results:

I've bombed the crap out of Milne Bay with no losses. Gonna have to get after Moresby. Ironman has stationed some Betties and Oscars in PM and they are hampering my buildup at Cookstown.
Surface assets heading to New Calidonia via Pago Pago. Enterprise needs seven more days in Pearl Harbor yards then five carrier head to Noumea.

I'm bringing all my subs in and will "flood the zone" in the Solomons to (maybe) offset Ironman's quantitative advantage. I'm not keen on using subs tactically, but maybe the Law of Large Numbers can get me a hit or two.

[mussey]

Portland Roads makes a great base for for winning the battle of north oz. Getting there is the challenge. What date are you on?

[Taxcutter]

Sept. 22, 1942

Portland Roads is on my to-do list. I do have an airfield at Coen.

The big problem is Ironman has scads of Oscars at Moresby and they are disrupting my P-39s killing Betties. He has killed some AKLs at Cooktown. but if I can beat up Moresby he'll either have to use Zeros from further away or send in unescorted bombers.

Currently I only have 1 squadron of P-38F to escort my B-17s. B-17s are tough on Oscars but nothing beats a real fighter.

[jmalter]

Hi Tc, it's important to preface each AAR w/ the game-date, it helps readers place themselves in your situation & tailor their advice to your capabilities. For instance, in 1942 your air combat TFs should contain no more than 2 CVs or 1 CV & 1 CVL, to avoid strike-coordination problems. We'll know that you're still using Wildcats & Devastators, not Hellcats/Avengers.

[Taxcutter]

Devastators are gone but I'm still using Mildcats. Only one usable squadron of P-38Fs.

[Taxcutter]

Sept. 27, 1942

The quiet before the storm.

Ironman is cooling his jets and I am coiling up for an invasion of Guadalcanal/Tulagi.

Six old BBs are near Pago Pago (bound for Noumea)and will refuel from a couple slow oilers to avoid sucking a port dry.

My Death Star (3 TFs of CV, fast BB, CLAA, and modern 'cans) leave Pearl tomorrow. Massive number of subs departing Midway to camp out on the lanes around Truk.

I have a well-escorted transport convoy taking the 18th FG to Noumea from Pearl. I spent the PP and chopped them to the South Pacific HQ. This is a big group that has been sitting at Hickam since the outset of the war. With plenty of time to train the pilots are all in the mid-70s EXP. The problem is that the group is flying mostly P-40Bs (one squadron of P-39D). There are not replacements in the pool, so any combat will cause these squadrons to wear down. Also they are short-legged and useful only for defense. I look to fly them into Guadalcanal (Ironman built a level 5 airfield and a level 4 port there) to defend the place until I can get some more modern fighters available. At least in a point defense role my pilots quite often survive getting shot down. I figure I'll have to disband them in a couple months of fighting.

I've had recon flights into Guadalcanal and Tulagi practically staring at those islands for two months. They show nobody home but I don't believe that.

[traskott]

Suscribed.

No P-40E available? No more P-39s ??

[Taxcutter]

With the airedale grind on the India-Burma border, I cannot seem to build up a stash of P-40Es to replace the P-40Bs. Starting to get P-40Ks.

September 28, 1942.

My CVs have sailed out of Pearl in three TFs. Subs are moving out of Midway, Pearl (a few), Noumea and Bribane. Whether I hiot anything or not remains to be seen but at least I'll make Ironman use his 'cans as anti-sub escorts.

[mussey]

ORIGINAL: Taxcutter

With the airedale grind on the India-Burma border, I cannot seem to build up a stash of P-40Es to replace the P-40Bs. Starting to get P-40Ks.

September 28, 1942.

My CVs have sailed out of Pearl in three TFs. Subs are moving out of Midway, Pearl (a few), Noumea and Bribane. Whether I hiot anything or not remains to be seen but at least I'll make Ironman use his 'cans as anti-sub escorts.

It's difficult for the Allies to maintain engaged air forces in Europe, Pacific, and SE Asia in the early going. You may need to minimize at one of these to reinforce the other(s).

[BBfanboy]

ORIGINAL: mussey

ORIGINAL: Taxcutter

With the airedale grind on the India-Burma border, I cannot seem to build up a stash of P-40Es to replace the P-40Bs. Starting to get P-40Ks.

September 28, 1942.

My CVs have sailed out of Pearl in three TFs. Subs are moving out of Midway, Pearl (a few), Noumea and Bribane. Whether I hiot anything or not remains to be seen but at least I'll make Ironman use his 'cans as anti-sub escorts.

It's difficult for the Allies to maintain engaged air forces in Europe, Pacific, and SE Asia in the early going. You may need to minimize at one of these to reinforce the other(s).

Yes - definitely cut off Europe - they won't complain. [:D]

[mussey]

ORIGINAL: BBfanboy

ORIGINAL: mussey

ORIGINAL: Taxcutter

With the airedale grind on the India-Burma border, I cannot seem to build up a stash of P-40Es to replace the P-40Bs. Starting to get P-40Ks.

September 28, 1942.

My CVs have sailed out of Pearl in three TFs. Subs are moving out of Midway, Pearl (a few), Noumea and Bribane. Whether I hiot anything or not remains to be seen but at least I'll make Ironman use his 'cans as anti-sub escorts.

It's difficult for the Allies to maintain engaged air forces in Europe, Pacific, and SE Asia in the early going. You may need to minimize at one of these to reinforce the other(s).

Yes - definitely cut off Europe - they won't complain. [:D]

Churchill will understand!

[Taxcutter]

Back in action early October 1942.

Some big events brewing.

Most of my Guadalcanal/Tulagi forces are in place at Noumea. Marines a re completely prepped. Engineers and base forces are ready. Transports have been accumulated. A surface support force of old BBs and Brooklyns is ready. I have plenty of supply and fuel in place. I'm just waiting on the carriers to arrive. (They're just east of Pago Pago.)

My air attack on Port Moresby fizzled out as Ironman had a boatload of Zeroes at PM and they chewed up my P-38Fs, and I didn't wan to send unescorted B-17s (even as tough as they are) into that hornet's nest. I've shifted targets to Rossel Island (SWA's first objective) and Milne Bay. Both are being reduced down but Milne Bay needs some re-thinking. While it has no air garrison, my airedales are consistently reporting 28,000+ ground forces there. Probably too tough a nut to crack at this point.

My Keilin pocket is being slowly reduced. I can accumulate enough supply to attack about twice a game week. The IJA is apparently out of supply as the attacks are becoming favorably lopsided. Hopefully I can get this pocket eliminated in a game month. From there, I'll take my capable corps south to eliminate two smaller pockets. Beat-up corps will go to Chunking to be fleshed back up.

If I can get those two smaller pockets destroyed I should be in the catbird seat in southern China. Ironman is hardly a land warfare Napoleon.

The fighter grind along the Burma-India border continues. Since I am completely defensive, my aircrew losses aren't a problem (I'm starting to generate some impressive aces) but airframe replacements is an ongoing problem. Ironman presses me at Cox's Bazaar, Chittagong, Calcutta, Imphal, Silchar, and Ledo. Mostly Lilies, Sallies, and clouds of Oscars. No LCU action in this area. The terrain has us effectively separated. because of the fighter grind, my air garrisons elsewhere are thin to nonexistant.

And that led me to getting stung at Diego Garcia. I had put 3 old "R" class British BBs there as guardships (I can't think of a better use for them). Damned if ol' Ironman didn't send a CV force out and he nailed the old clunkers. One sunk, two others in danger. No eyes on the the TF yet, but from the size of the strike it looks like 2CV or 3-4 CVL. Worse yet, half of the strike planes were Jills and Judys. I'm still stuck with SBD-3s and TBF-1s along with my Mildcats.

I've lost track of KB since he gave up on Midway.

If you don't play PBEM because of time restraints, I'd recommend having a go at Ironman. Very challenging AI.

[mussey]

ORIGINAL: Taxcutter

Back in action early October 1942.

Some big events brewing.

Most of my Guadalcanal/Tulagi forces are in place at Noumea. Marines a re completely prepped. Engineers and base forces are ready. Transports have been accumulated. A surface support force of old BBs and Brooklyns is ready. I have plenty of supply and fuel in place. I'm just waiting on the carriers to arrive. (They're just east of Pago Pago.)

My air attack on Port Moresby fizzled out as Ironman had a boatload of Zeroes at PM and they chewed up my P-38Fs, and I didn't wan to send unescorted B-17s (even as tough as they are) into that hornet's nest. I've shifted targets to Rossel Island (SWA's first objective) and Milne Bay. Both are being reduced down but Milne Bay needs some re-thinking. While it has no air garrison, my airedales are consistently reporting 28,000+ ground forces there. Probably too tough a nut to crack at this point.

My Keilin pocket is being slowly reduced. I can accumulate enough supply to attack about twice a game week. The IJA is apparently out of supply as the attacks are becoming favorably lopsided. Hopefully I can get this pocket eliminated in a game month. From there, I'll take my capable corps south to eliminate two smaller pockets. Beat-up corps will go to Chunking to be fleshed back up.

If I can get those two smaller pockets destroyed I should be in the catbird seat in southern China. Ironman is hardly a land warfare Napoleon.

The fighter grind along the Burma-India border continues. Since I am completely defensive, my aircrew losses aren't a problem (I'm starting to generate some impressive aces) but airframe replacements is an ongoing problem. Ironman presses me at Cox's Bazaar, Chittagong, Calcutta, Imphal, Silchar, and Ledo. Mostly Lilies, Sallies, and clouds of Oscars. No LCU action in this area. The terrain has us effectively separated. because of the fighter grind, my air garrisons elsewhere are thin to nonexistant.

And that led me to getting stung at Diego Garcia. I had put 3 old "R" class British BBs there as guardships (I can't think of a better use for them). Damned if ol' Ironman didn't send a CV force out and he nailed the old clunkers. One sunk, two others in danger. No eyes on the the TF yet, but from the size of the strike it looks like 2CV or 3-4 CVL. Worse yet, half of the strike planes were Jills and Judys. I'm still stuck with SBD-3s and TBF-1s along with my Mildcats.

I've lost track of KB since he gave up on Midway.

If you don't play PBEM because of time restraints, I'd recommend having a go at Ironman. Very challenging AI.

The great leap from Noumea to Guad is always thrilling for me. Since Allies do not have naval or air supremacy in this theatre I have moments of doubt and trepidation. I solute you and the great endeavor you are embarked upon, and may the heavenly powers above be with your fighting men and sailors as they sail into harm's way.

[Taxcutter]

Could be interesting.

After weeks of inactivity, Ironman is back on the prowl - with a force of 3 CV, 1 CVL and some surface forces just east of Rabaul driving SE north of the Solomon chain.

My carriers are way east. But my surface unit (5 old BB+ 5 Brooklyns) is at Noumea.) I suspect he is headed to Luganville. I've had some B-24s pestering him plus it has some search planes as well.

If he wants to hit Luganville, I'm OK with that. I have 125 fighters waiting. 36 Mildcats and the rest P-39s. All but one squadron of the P-39s have good (70+ EXP, 65+ air) pilots.

Yeah his KB Zeroes will put a hurt on my fighters but at the same time any chance I get to down a few KB-quality Kates and Vals (I think he now has some Judys and Jills) I take it particularly with LBA. If past is prologue, he'll shoot down a bucn of my airframes but won't kill off my experienced pilots at any unacceptable rate. Ah! The advantage of defensive fighter ops.

Hope he doesn't hit Noumea. I have a lot anchored there and only 68 fighters - all P-39s. I can transfer the 8th FG (75xP-39D) in to shore up defenses.

[BBfanboy]

Move some subs to the expected KB battle area to rescue your pilots (unless you are going to CAP at range 0) and hopefully get a shot at some juicy carriers or BBs.

[Taxcutter]

We are on the same wave length.

I have temporarily suspended my strategic campaign against Japanese merchant shipping til the Guadalcanal thing is over. All my Midway-based fleet subs are just now reaching patrol areas near the Solomons as far north as Saipan-Truk passage. I hate using subs for tactical use, but Ironman is so strong, I have to play every card.

Until the invasion TFs put to sea, all fighters are 100% CAP range = 0.

Ironman's big CV force gave my search planes the slip. He may have shaped east into a void in my search pattern.

All my B-17Ds were required to withdraw. I miss them already.

[mussey]

ORIGINAL: BBfanboy

Move some subs to the expected KB battle area to rescue your pilots (unless you are going to CAP at range 0) and hopefully get a shot at some juicy carriers or BBs.

BB, I know IRL sub's did this task often but did not know this was modelled in the game. How far from a targeted base do they need to be to perform this function?

[BBfanboy]

AFAIK the subs should be in the hex where the aircraft is lost. Since some of the losses are op losses after battle damage it is possible to save some pilots on their way home, but the best results for rescue are in the target hex. It is 40 miles wide so the sub is technically not in the enemy port per se. You should have intel on enemy mines in the hex first to avoid having the sub find them.
Early in the game Japanese ASW sucks - both air and naval - so you can get away with parking a sub in one of their base hexes for a turn or so. Of course it gets harder as the game goes on.

[mussey]

ORIGINAL: BBfanboy

AFAIK the subs should be in the hex where the aircraft is lost. Since some of the losses are op losses after battle damage it is possible to save some pilots on their way home, but the best results for rescue are in the target hex. It is 40 miles wide so the sub is technically not in the enemy port per se. You should have intel on enemy mines in the hex first to avoid having the sub find them.
Early in the game Japanese ASW sucks - both air and naval - so you can get away with parking a sub in one of their base hexes for a turn or so. Of course it gets harder as the game goes on.

Thanks. Yes, I'll try this.