The Good The Bad & The Indifferent

[Canoerebel]

4/29/44

Fun House: A Japanese sub picked off Chenango, the second Allied carrier hit in two days. John's wolfpack has been successful. Chenango is only the fourth carrier lost to date (three CVE plus Wasp).

Meanwhile, CV Sumatra, heavily damaged, is making her way north. Damaged dropped today and speed is up to 10 knots. She has a host of ASW TFs ahead of her, trying to clear the way. She has a chance of making Legaspi. Fingers crossed.

A busy day in the Pacific. See map for details.

[Canoerebel]

Burma

[JohnDillworth]

You should have enough search planes to have multiple, overlapping search arcs. Every sub he owns should be lit up. You should also have enough DE's to have multiple hunter killer groups. If the KB is not in the zip code your naval strike aircraft should be running heavy ASW. You have the capability to kill those subs in large numbers

[Canoerebel]

Roger on all counts. I have at least a dozen ASW TFs, and many TBF squadrons are flying ASW (nearly all the CVE squadrons).

John's done a good job winnowing my carrier strength the past few turns. He risked only subs in doing so. I don't think it's enough to change the balance of power, but it's enough to raise the threat alert somewhat, as he may be (or may not be) emboldened.

Palaus made some good points about his play vis-à-vis the Philippines. He's hasn't done much to contest the Allied advance thus far. That's risky play on his part, as I've taken many more bases and built the two main ones large. He's either decided that the PI aren't important enough to warrant giving decisive battle or he's preparing to do just that.

The strength of the Allied bases - especially Naga and Legaspi - are such that the Allied position is no longer "tenuous" if John manages to win a carrier battle. But I'll feel better when a few more bases (Guiuan, Catbalogan, and Cebu) are strong enough to support the air war and air defense. They're not far from being able to do so, especially Guiuan and Catbalogan.

[Bullwinkle58]

I wouldn't call 27 Oil hits modest. That's a great raid for that many planes.

[Canoerebel]

The pilots are highly skilled.

In the past games in which I had B-29s, I ran them ragged. I didn't understand the effects of pilot fatigue, plane fatigue, and morale.

This time, I'll only use the Superforts sparingly (at least until within good range of the Home Islands). The main purpose will be to keep John honest by forcing him to provide for air defense of bases within range.

[bradfordkay]

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

The pilots are highly skilled.

In the past games in which I had B-29s, I ran them ragged. I didn't understand the effects of pilot fatigue, plane fatigue, and morale.

This time, I'll only use the Superforts sparingly (at least until within good range of the Home Islands). The main purpose will be to keep John honest by forcing him to provide for air defense of bases within range.

That is one of the beauties of having the B29s - their outstanding range allows one bomber group the ability to strike targets far apart, thus forcing the Japanese to spread their fighter squadrons about the map more thinly.

[crsutton]

ORIGINAL: Bullwinkle58

I wouldn't call 27 Oil hits modest. That's a great raid for that many planes.

In all probability it is more. I usually find that the combat report is less than actual damage.

[Lokasenna]

ORIGINAL: crsutton

ORIGINAL: Bullwinkle58

I wouldn't call 27 Oil hits modest. That's a great raid for that many planes.

In all probability it is more. I usually find that the combat report is less than actual damage.

Each hit can deal multiple points of damage. Or they can deal 0.

[Canoerebel]

4/30/44

Fun House: The landings at Baybay (Letye) are unopposed. I think the base will fall tomorrow. And no unhappy encounters with enemy subs today.

Fun House is a month old. It's been a busy, noisy, productive month that's gone very well, despite the loss of a CVE and the heavy damage to a CV.

A month ago, the most forward Allied airfields were at Ambon (4) and Morotai (5). These fields were at extended range from Balikpapan.

Thirty days later, the Allies have two level eight airfields on Luzon and a level three and two level two bases further south. These and other fields are building.

Naga and Legaspi are firmly held with plenty of supply an fuel. The fleet is in good condition - able to replenish ammo and fuel. The airfields have plenty of aviation support. I don't believe John can attack by ground, and any attack by air or sea will be costly to him.

Those are the linchpin bases, but there are many others all around the Central Philippines. Catanduanes, Catbalogan, Guiuan, Dinagat, Siargao, and Cebu are strongly held and growing. Baybay should fall tomorrow. Other bases to the west and SW have been taken; I don't yet have the troops shore to build them, but that'll come.

Land and air combat have been sparse. Sea combat really hasn't been heavy either. John sank CVE Chenango and a DD or two, and he's damaged CA Baltimore and CV Sumatra heavily. I've lost just a couple of transports. On the flip side, Allied ships have sunk about 10-12 DDs, damaged a CA and CL, and sunk a handful of subs.

The Allied position in the Central PI isn't impregnable but it's strong and growing stronger. To this point, I've acting mainly defensively in order to make the bases self-sufficient. The day isn't too far off in which the bases will be used more offensively. Fun House has nearly, but not quite, divided the Empire in two. It has nearly, but not quite, given me air bases to initiate strategic bombing against the Homes Islands. And it has nearly, but not quite, put the Allies in position to interdict John's LOC to his oil fields.

Fun House isn't End Game, but it's a strong move in that direction.

[JohnDillworth]

As to the CV Sumatra. Where is your nearest floating dry dock? You pack for an invasion the way my wife packs for a 3 day weekend so I know you had a plan to bring one of those to the Philippines eventually.

[Canoerebel]

I have three of the suckers on map, two nearing the DEI and one at a hidden location in the Pacific.

Sumatra has 65 major FLT damage (no engine damage), so she'll need a long, long time in an ARD or shipyard.

[Jellicoe]

As good a reason to grab a shipyard in Manila or Hong Kong as any

[jwolf]

I don't think Manila is big enough for a CV. Of course it would still be nice to have it.

[Lokasenna]

ORIGINAL: jwolf

I don't think Manila is big enough for a CV. Of course it would still be nice to have it.

Well, that depends on what it starts at in this mod and what John has expanded it to. IIRC it starts at 20.

[Canoerebel]

Mouseover reports
Manila shipyard: 41
Should I thank John III?

[witpqs]

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

Mouseover reports
Manila shipyard: 41
Should I thank John III?

I think so. Maybe the scenario he made if he didn't expand it, but in the more stock (like Babes) scenarios it is smaller.

[jwolf]

Thanks for the correction; I forgot it might be different -- and better -- because of the mod. OK that settles it: you MUST take Manila ASAP!! [:D]

[Canoerebel]

It's going to be difficult or impossible to take Manila and Luzon until I can impose a strict blockade on supply ships. The easiest way to do that is to take out KB, should John commit it. Barring that, eventually I'll have the airfields and ground troops necessary to take on his army.

Until then, the objective is to continue taking and building bases, threatening John, persuading him that it's necessary to commit KB.

This could take awhile. That's why Fun House was configured to last six months.

[JohnDillworth]

Sumatra has 65 major FLT damage (no engine damage), so she'll need a long, long time in an ARD or shipyard.

no sure which is more valuable at this point. a CV or an ARD. An ARD at one of your new ports would be priceless but they are so slow and would require a ton of escort....as would a deeply wounded CV. She is probably done for the war. Does anybody know if a dry dock is any faster than and AR and ARD? I believe flotation fixes a bit faster than engine damage....so there is that.