The Good The Bad & The Indifferent

[JohnDillworth]

BTW, if you don't mind my asking. How did you get caught with 48 PB4Y's on the ground? These were based pretty far forward, what were they bombing and why not move them when you saw trouble coming?
thanks

[Canoerebel]

There were four PBYs at the base. The report shows each time a plane was damaged, thus drastically inflating the impact of a bombardment mission.

On that turn, with two big BB bombardments (Sorong and Ramree Island), I lost a total of seven aircraft.

[JohnDillworth]

On that turn, with two big BB bombardments (Sorong and Ramree Island), I lost a total of seven aircraft.

not even worth the shells, much less the fuel.

[paullus99]

Wow, John is probably going to think he did great, when he actually spent more in fuel and shells than the cost of what you lost.....

[DW]

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

It took me 11 years to realize that Balikpan was actually Balikpapan.

No kidding...

When I actually take the time to sound out many of the names in this game, I discover that the resulting pronunciation is considerably different than the way my brain had been internally pronouncing as I read.

[Lokasenna]

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

It took me 11 years to realize that Balikpan was actually Balikpapan.

You're talking to a guy who lost the first grade spelling be by spelling "who": "ho."

But then, the smartest person I've ever known couldn't spell a lick.

I hold my tongue a lot, but I just couldn't this time. Numbers and names get seared into my brain. If you named a base at random from the map, I could probably tell you where it is.

[Canoerebel]

I know, Lokasenna. I'm the same about other things. For some reason, my mind has a very narrow, but fun, ability to remember my outdoor outings. It drives my friends nuts, because I can tell them that "four years ago today, the three of us hiked X Trail in the Cohutta Wilderness. It was cold and snowy. We ran into a number of blowdowns and ended up finishing after dark. We ate dinner at Z's Place, each of us eating three hamburgers. That night, I got home and wrote about the hike for three hours before taking a shower and falling asleep." To me, that's just "normal." I don't think anything about it. (You guys probably don't either.) But to folks whose minds aren't oriented that way, it seems almost magical.

I have one good friend who says that I'm an idiot savant. She also says that she's now convinced that lunacy and brilliance aren't two ends of a line - they meet in a circle.

[:)]

[Canoerebel]

Here's the air loss total for the day: You can see that I lost three P39s and 2 Sunderlands (both at Sorong). I lost two other aircraft at Ramree Island.

Now, there are reasons for that. First, I pulled most aircraft out of Sorong (though the combat report makes it sound like the base got clobbered). Second, I did have a lot of aircraft at Ramree, but John's BBs had already done one bombardment mission the day before. The second time around always has a very dampened effect.

I can imagine John might be giddy with the thought of the carnage inflicted at Sorong and Ramree. He did do some damage to the field and service ratings, but big deal. Those are battles in Texas and Florida while Sherman is driving on Atlanta.

[Andav]

I usually have them spelled in my brain different from the map. Balikpapan is a prime example. I also have it spelled in my brain Balikpan. Of course, if it has more then about 5 letters in the name and it is not English or Spanish sounding, I will probably miss spell it. The Dutch names really kill me.

My son who is in the navy was talking about maybe go to Diego Garcia. It shocked him that I knew right where it was located.

The report shows each time a plane was damaged, thus drastically inflating the impact of a bombardment mission.

I knew there was FOW in the results but is it really each time or some combination?


Wa

[BBfanboy]

ORIGINAL: Andav

The report shows each time a plane was damaged, thus drastically inflating the impact of a bombardment mission.

I knew there was FOW in the results but is it really each time or some combination?

Wa

During the bombardment the game tots up each hit (or hits) by each salvo and , apparently, instantly decides the aircraft was destroyed or just damaged. At the end the total of hits that caused damage but not destruction are listed by aircraft type. There may be a bit of FOW in the total number of hits but usually not much. On a total of seven aircraft reported destroyed I would expect +/- 1 from FOW.

[BBfanboy]

ORIGINAL: Andav


I usually have them spelled in my brain different from the map. Balikpapan is a prime example. I also have it spelled in my brain Balikpan. Of course, if it has more then about 5 letters in the name and it is not English or Spanish sounding, I will probably miss spell it. The Dutch names really kill me.
Wa

You want a real head scratcher?
The base north of Pelelieu is shown on the map as Babeldaob, but in some reports in game it pops up as Babeldoap or Babeldaop. I think I saw that during a bombardment by my ships.

[Bif1961]

Hit them where they ain't is the early war Allied strategy. The Japanese after late 1943 are looking for that showdown where they can put the allies off 6-12 months before the end comes like a tsunami. I know he lost his late 43 carrier battle with you but he has built his forces back and he can still cause damage to your forces if you get sloppy.

[paullus99]

John's propensity to run the KB (and the Kaigun in general) all over the map, doing inconsequential things, is always interesting to watch.

He appears to think very much at the tactical level - with some operational details thrown in, but he really seems to have a problem with strategic thinking.

I doubt he really comprehends that Canoe is more than happy to sacrifice a division, if he means that John gets totally out of position & isn't able to react effectively against "war-winning" offensives like what Canoe just pulled off in the Philippines.

[Lecivius]

I'm just asking, not being critical. But isn't Manila the goal in getting Luzon? I mean, SAC can hit the main islands now, to a degree. But in my pointy headed little mind Manila is need as a forward base. No?

[Canoerebel]

Yeah, Manila is a high-priority goal. I've spelled this out, but it's probably been lost in the clutter of my 10k posts.

I'll move on Manila, but not anytime soon. I don't have the army to do it yet. John is bringing in heavy reinforcements - enough to induce a stalemate. So I'll bide my time, building my bases and trying to secure the central Philippines bases, while waiting for the eventual carrier battle or the point in time in which the Allied army and base-structure is strong enough to allow a move on Manila.

As I've explained in the past, this is going to be a long, six-month campaign. The highest priority remains the Japanese navy, the second highest securing and building the bases (most of which I already have),a nd the third highest is to maul big enemy units. The latter can be done more efficiently once KB is out of the way and I can impose a blockade on Luzon, eliminating supply (IE, a reverse of '41 and '42 on Luzon).

I think, though, that if John suffers a lopsided carrier defeat, he'll seriously consider conceding. At that point he won't have much of a navy left. Such an outcome is not a sure thing, but it's a possibility; a possibility that I'm trying to nurture.

[Canoerebel]

ORIGINAL: paullus99

....I doubt he really comprehends that Canoe is more than happy to sacrifice a division, if he means that John gets totally out of position & isn't able to react effectively against "war-winning" offensives like what Canoe just pulled off in the Philippines.

This was the point I was making in regards to John's recent re-conquest of Celebes. I felt, at the time, that there was a good chance I could turn an operational nightmare into a strategic victory - that John's focus on Celebes, combined with what I was seeing from SigInt, reconnaissance, lack of base-building, and absence of detection on patrolling subs - that John hadn't properly attended to his Philippine defenses; I thought he was going to live to regret committing two divisions and two mixed brigades to Celebes; and I thought all of this was symptomatic of his larger problem: aggressive play while failing to attend to defenses properly.

I think that events have proven this was all true.

However, you readers have the benefit of reading both sides, so you'll know if I'm misreading things or failing to arrive at proper conclusions.

[Canoerebel]

4/19/44

Big Tent: KB remains posted near the New Guinea coastline; another powerful enemy bombardment TF strikes Sabang to little effect; and Boela (the citadel for Allied shipping in theater right now) isn't molested. Most, but not all, IJN capital ships are now accounted for. John can't have but a few left for duty elsewhere.

Fun House: Death Star retired to Legaspi to replenish lost aircraft, but flew another costly raid vs. shipping at Manila. I've taken measures to prevent that from happening again. Poilolo is now an advanced Allied PBY base. Also, three or so enemy bases in the central PI have auto-flipped in the past week or so. I'm moving to occupy these so that they don't flip back.

Burma: John's left flank is in bad shape but his right flank is secure. Not sure how that will shake out long term.

Map of Fun House to follow shortly.

[bradfordkay]

You haven't mentioned whether you have been building up those other bases you have taken in the Philippines. To me, the reason for invading so many bases at once is to be able to build up a series of interlocking airfields - ones that can provide suitable defense for each other. Otherwise, it seems that you are diluting your efforts and thus throwing away the opportunity to have landed everything on Luzon in order to immediately drive on Manila before he can build up his defenses.

[Canoerebel]

This is a long campaign with most of the assets deposited at Naga and Legaspi, where base building is moving rapidly. But other bases are building: Catanduanes and Guiuan airfields are both at level one; others (Cebu, Dinagat, Catbalogan) are coming along more slowly. The pace of building at those places is slower because they have less engineers.

Taking bases, building them strong, forming a strong defensive core in the heart of the Philippines, were higher priorities than moving on Manila and leaving all kinds of potential enemy bases in my rear. This is not a blitzkrieg - I think I've specifically said that before. This campaign is intended to take time, to serve as a vortex, to draw in enemy ships and men, and to then defeat them in (as Obvert says) decisive battle.

Moving on Manila with 200k men while John has 100k or 150k would just be a stalemate for a long, long time. More productive things can be done to solidify the position and permit a combined arms attack that will defeat the enemy 150k army while choking off supply.

[Canoerebel]

Fun House