Mr Kane vs Olorin

[Olorin]

Sunk ships:

Allied:
DD x3
AVD x1
AV Langley
xAKL x23
xAK x19
xAP x8
TK x3

Japanese:
CL Sendai
DD Yomogi
xAKL x4
xaK x3


Air losses:
70 (A) vs 83 (J)

ORIGINAL: Wargmr

Supply is not as big an issue as the allies. It is plentiful from many locations around the perimeter of the map.

One of Mr. Kane's greatest strengths is his air arm. This is where he is going to test you most in the first year of the war.

Interesting bit of info, thanks.

[Olorin]

Enemy intentions:

So far it's been a conservative opening by Mr Kane, although it's still early to make a definitive judgement. It looks as though he is investing a lot on an early capture of Singapore and Clark Field.

There is no sign that the three unrestricted Jap divisions (4th, 21st, 33rd) that start in the HI have moved forward. SigInt reports the 33rd still at Nagasaki.

[PaxMondo]

Great to see you back in action ... and you are facing a really good IJ player in Mr. Kane. Really looking forward to this ...

[ny59giants]

American CVs - I've done this in just about every game, place an 18 plane Marine fighter group on them. Job #1 is survivability. I sleep better with 45 fighters on each, even if some are the old Buffaloes. [;)] You have the first USN fighter resize in Jan and then again in July to 36. I've taken off my TBs (now Avengers in Oct '42) and gone with just fighters and DBs. For the Allies, I feel that you need to find a way to get the TBs NavT to 70 or more and then I train them in GrnB. I will find some safe place afterwards to get them much needed experience. I believe that relatively low success of American TBs in CV clashes is because the pilots overall Exp levels are too low. I can look at some of my bomber groups and after training them up to near 70 in GrnB and somewhat in NavB, they need some time bombing a base before their hit rate goes up.

P38s - Unless you have restriction on altitude, these are your best early war sweepers (for me, set at 33k). I use the old P-25, P-26s, and even P-39s to replace the P-38s on your restricted air groups in USA. You should then be able to field a few air groups by mid-42.

Marine DB groups - You will get many of these with SBDs. However, VMSB 131, 143, and 233 'may be' able to upgrade to Avengers in mid-42. You may find that one area in which the Allies have surplus of airframes is the USN and Marines. So, go with Avengers where you can.

Leaders - At a steady rate, I go with changing my game long air groups starting with fighter pilots.

Canadian KVs - early war escorts for your many merchant TF.

[Olorin]

ORIGINAL: ny59giants

American CVs - I've done this in just about every game, place an 18 plane Marine fighter group on them. Job #1 is survivability. I sleep better with 45 fighters on each, even if some are the old Buffaloes. [;)] You have the first USN fighter resize in Jan and then again in July to 36. I've taken off my TBs (now Avengers in Oct '42) and gone with just fighters and DBs. For the Allies, I feel that you need to find a way to get the TBs NavT to 70 or more and then I train them in GrnB. I will find some safe place afterwards to get them much needed experience. I believe that relatively low success of American TBs in CV clashes is because the pilots overall Exp levels are too low. I can look at some of my bomber groups and after training them up to near 70 in GrnB and somewhat in NavB, they need some time bombing a base before their hit rate goes up.

P38s - Unless you have restriction on altitude, these are your best early war sweepers (for me, set at 33k). I use the old P-25, P-26s, and even P-39s to replace the P-38s on your restricted air groups in USA. You should then be able to field a few air groups by mid-42.

Marine DB groups - You will get many of these with SBDs. However, VMSB 131, 143, and 233 'may be' able to upgrade to Avengers in mid-42. You may find that one area in which the Allies have surplus of airframes is the USN and Marines. So, go with Avengers where you can.

Leaders - At a steady rate, I go with changing my game long air groups starting with fighter pilots.

Canadian KVs - early war escorts for your many merchant TF.

Re: CVs, I moved the Wildcat groups at PH and Wake Island to Enterprise and Lexington. I want to follow your advice with Saratoga too, but the problem is she is already off map moving to CT and I have a spare Wildcat group sitting in San Diego. It takes 38 days to redeploy it to CT, which begs the questions:

a. is pilot training taking place while in transit?
b. only 3 USN airgroups will be left in WC for pilot training. Are they enough?

[Olorin]

ORIGINAL: PaxMondo

Great to see you back in action ... and you are facing a really good IJ player in Mr. Kane. Really looking forward to this ...

Thank you Pax, I don't think I will present much challenge to Mr Kane in my first game as Allies. I have an aggressive strategy which will either result in a spectacular victory or -most likely- in an embarrassing defeat. [:D]

[Olorin]

ORIGINAL: ny59giants
P38s - Unless you have restriction on altitude, these are your best early war sweepers (for me, set at 33k). I use the old P-25, P-26s, and even P-39s to replace the P-38s on your restricted air groups in USA. You should then be able to field a few air groups by mid-42.

No restrictions on altitude. There are currently 32 P38s in WC but there are no replacements until May '42 [&:]
I'm building an airfield at Oak Harbor in order to move my P38s to Adak Island.

[Olorin]

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[BBfanboy]

ORIGINAL: Olorin


Re: CVs, I moved the Wildcat groups at PH and Wake Island to Enterprise and Lexington. I want to follow your advice with Saratoga too, but the problem is she is already off map moving to CT and I have a spare Wildcat group sitting in San Diego. It takes 38 days to redeploy it to CT, which begs the questions:

a. is pilot training taking place while in transit?
b. only 3 USN airgroups will be left in WC for pilot training. Are they enough?

You need more for fighter training, but you can use the many float plane squadrons that you get in the San Diego - LA area to train fighter pilots (after you chase off the Jap subs).

EDIT - I am not positive, but I think training does take place during transit on a CV. If you just transfer the fighter squadron directly I think it is assumed to be on an xAK and no training would take place.

[Olorin]

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[ny59giants]

AVDs - Use two of these ships in a TF loaded with supplies and go to some forward base (disband) to proved Aviation Support for a PBY group. There are many bases, even dot bases, that you can do this across the South Pacific. While playing a game as Japan now, its nice to have the range of the Mavis/Emily, I do miss having enough PBYs to have continuous Naval Search from Pearl to Australia (Pearl, Johnson, Canton, Pago Pago, Suva, Noumea). Maybe some in Gilberts and Ellice Island groups.

Old, slow, great range, but deadly Vindicator DBs are great to operate from an AF size 2 to attack non-LRCAP TFs. You have two groups that I would have hopping around.

[Olorin]

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[GetAssista]

ORIGINAL: Olorin
Strategic Reserve, 6th War Area, 4200AV: Assemble in Kukong and liberate Canton and Hong Kong in January.

I might miss something but this looks overly ambitious and a waste of supply?
Crappy Chinese squads vs x4 terrain - looks like no chances to me unless Mr Kane devoids the area of troops. But there are hefty garrison reqs for Canton so a div+ or real IJA squads will be there at all times. All the IJ China airpower will be there the moment Mr Kane sees you coming out of Kukong, and there are good clear hexes around Canton

[Olorin]

ORIGINAL: GetAssista

ORIGINAL: Olorin
Strategic Reserve, 6th War Area, 4200AV: Assemble in Kukong and liberate Canton and Hong Kong in January.

I might miss something but this looks overly ambitious and a waste of supply?
Crappy Chinese squads vs x4 terrain - looks like no chances to me unless Mr Kane devoids the area of troops. But there are hefty garrison reqs for Canton so a div+ or real IJA squads will be there at all times. All the IJ China airpower will be there the moment Mr Kane sees you coming out of Kukong, and there are good clear hexes around Canton

It is a gamble no doubt about it, for the reason you mentioned. What I have on my side is sheer mass and strategic surprise. The IJA is committed in the north and I don't believe I will face more than 850 AV. The enemy can't defend both Canton and Hong Kong with this force, if I take one of the two I'll be happy.

SigInt reports the following units are at Canton: 104th Inf Div, 1st Inf Group, 66th Inf Rgt, 68th Inf Bn.

If it fails... just think of the supply saved by the fact that I won't have to feed this force any more.[:)]

[Mike McCreery]

You seem quite a bit more advanced at the game than me so I am not going to post much advice.

I am following this AAR closely however.

[Olorin]

ORIGINAL: Wargmr

You seem quite a bit more advanced at the game than me so I am not going to post much advice.

I am following this AAR closely however.

There are many forum members more advance than me and I 'm playing the Allies for the first time against a very good player.

[Olorin]

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[Mike McCreery]

ORIGINAL: Olorin

ORIGINAL: Wargmr

You seem quite a bit more advanced at the game than me so I am not going to post much advice.

I am following this AAR closely however.

There are many forum members more advance than me and I 'm playing the Allies for the first time against a very good player.

He is kicking my butt around, that is for sure!!

[paradigmblue]

You're a much more experienced player than I am, so take my advice with a grain (or heaping tablespoon) of salt.

It looks like you're committing to an aggressive forward defense (Adak, Port Blair, Rangoon). That's all well and good, but at this point in the game, Mr. Kane can take almost any hex he wants. You can make it costly for him, but if he sets his sights on Rangoon or Port Blair or Adak, there is very little you can do to actually keep the hex in Allied control. While you commit your forces forward, be sure not to neglect your secondary lines.

Plan to keep Rangoon, but also plan to lose it, and ensure that your Akyab-Imphal line sees some attention.
Plan to keep Port Blair, but also plan to lose it, and ensure that you're not leaving Columbo undefended.
Plan to keep Adak, but also plan to lose it, and ensure that the rest of Alaska is not neglected.

I think that as the allies it is easy to draw a line on the map and say "This is where I'll make my stand" in 1941 and early 1942, but in reality, where you make your stand as the allies has more to do with where the Japanese player becomes overextended once the amphibious bonus runs out rather than where the allies decide to build up.

As I said, you are twice the player I'll ever be, so please don't change your strategy on my account. I'm excited to see how the game progresses.

[Bif1961]

Looking forward to seeing where you go with your strategies as I am a few months ahead and have few different areas where I have made hard for him to take and nice to keep locations. Your China gambit looks intriguing and might be copied in the future if successful.