Sqz stands down. The AAR is now concluded. Sqz (A) vs. obvert (J)

[SqzMyLemon]

Okie dokie. It's on me again. The Super E's are a bug, there's a fix, but I just have to deal with it. Gotcha. [8D]

[SqzMyLemon]

Aug. 11/44:

Uneventful turn.

A long time to complete the next turn. All CVE's that need AA suite upgrades are en route to Sydney. Lexington rejoins the fleet at Tulagi.

A large number of Allied surface task forces are deploying around New Guinea for operations against Hollandia.

Lots of Japanese movement in Burma. There might be some opportunities opening up for ground combat. Ramree Island has over 100k of supply. I'm not setting the base to stockpile and I'm noticing all my troops in Burma, when outside of a base, are being supplied regularly. I'm also now getting TOE upgrades directly at Meiktila. Time to roll up the sleeves and get dirty.

There are now almost 175 B-29s based at Lunga. Time to target weak areas of the Japanese perimeter.

I've withdrawn 12 bomber squadrons from India. They will be deployed to the Pacific and should arrive in time for offensive operations in October.

The upcoming Allied offensive in the Pacific will target the Marianas, Babeldoab, Pelelui, Yap, Ulithi and Mindanao.

I'm waiting on the arrival of more amphibious shipping to reach Port Augusta then the campaign to liberate Western Australia is on. The British Fleet is ready to go. There should be no problem with deploying the British to support Central Pacific operations in October.

Once things are in motion, I'll be throwing everything I have at Erik in an effort to break into his perimeter and sink his fleet.

[Lokasenna]

I faced the super E's by just not going to shallow water or going under LBA ASW. In open ocean away from LBA ASW, the super E's aren't quite as effective. Since you can't really do what the US did in the war with regard to murdering the enemy merchant marine, I don't think it's that big of a deal.

I ended up using mine to ferry supplies to islands (you can carry a few thousand supplies at a time with a TF of 25 subs), laying mines, or being actual for-real "fleet submarines" (with fleet ops).

[SqzMyLemon]

ORIGINAL: Lokasenna

I faced the super E's by just not going to shallow water or going under LBA ASW. In open ocean away from LBA ASW, the super E's aren't quite as effective. Since you can't really do what the US did in the war with regard to murdering the enemy merchant marine, I don't think it's that big of a deal.

I ended up using mine to ferry supplies to islands (you can carry a few thousand supplies at a time with a TF of 25 subs), laying mines, or being actual for-real "fleet submarines" (with fleet ops).

I've been pounded whether spotted or not. In areas with no Japanese air ASW I've been able to sink a transport or two, but if they are escorted by Super E's my submarine has been either sunk or heavily damaged. Trading a sub for a merchant isn't a good exchange in my book. All my submarines that have been sunk be E's or Super E's have also occurred in deep ocean hexes, not shallow. So I am really getting creamed in my opinion.

I settled on fleet support a long time ago when you mentioned that's what you did to avoid losses. I prowl where I can, but Erik has good air ASW in place at all the vital areas and he can simply rely on the Super E's to kill whatever I send out. That's what burns me the most, there is absolutely no point trying to get into shipping lanes only to be sunk.

It's all good...I'll flood invasion areas and use submarines in such a way as to force KB to risk a lucky shot...especially eight hexes away from where my carriers will be at any given time. They may be useless overall in stock, but they can still provide a valuable early warning of KB moving around.

[SqzMyLemon]

I totally pooched the file of the latest turn to Erik and he couldn't open it. So last night I had to do everything all over again. It took hours, but I did a thorough job of maximizing fuel and supply movement forward. I had set a number of air attacks the turn before, but ran out of time to set them again the second time. I will have a chance to conduct a number of air attacks next turn.

I have the Marshall's sorted out now. The remaining Japanese held bases I'm interested in are Wotje, Jaluit, Kwajalein, Roi-Namur and Eniwetok. I can seize these base with minimal effort and can rely solely on LBA to support further amphibious landings.

I think waiting to get all my CVE's upgraded is the way to go. Once I start things, I won't get a chance to do any upgrades for the next few months.

[SqzMyLemon]

Plugging away here.

I bombard Hollandia with two U.S. heavy cruisers on the 13th. Results are ok with a few destroyed Japanese fighters on the ground. I bombarded at 20k. One destroyer hit a mine and I sank one Japanese MTB. I tried to send in some YMS's to clear some mines, but they arrived late and were all sunk by Jill DB's flying from Biak. I knew the airbase would be fully operational the next day, but I tried a number of sweeps against the base at low altitude on the 14th to see if that made any difference. It didn't and Allied fighters get creamed achieving less than 1:1. Spitfires and Thunderbolts at 10k, 12 and 15k get handled roughly, with two squadrons of P-47's almost wiped out. Radar put more CAP up then my small sweeps could handle and it got ugly. I lose 40+ P-47s and 18 Spitfires. Despite a 40-50mph advantage in speed my fighters are swamped and drop out of the skies like flies. I lose greater than 50% of my best fighters committed today. I can't get the numbers up enough without committing all my aircraft at once to get any tactical advantage over the Japanese CAP.

I simply can't figure out how to commit my fighters against low CAP to get any tactical advantage. I give up.

[SqzMyLemon]

I've decided to mass the U.S. fleet at New Guinea and use it to take out the two Japanese airbases at Hollandia and Sarmi. Since the Allied air force is useless against all but the weakest Japanese air defences, I'll use the navy.

[Lokasenna]

What are your pilots like in those battles? Is it possible that everything we've told you to do is rendered irrelevant by a massive pilot disparity in pilot quality?

Make sure you CAP/LRCAP your bombardment forces, and make sure they are not slow BBs and that you "pause" them less than one full speed's distance from the target on the day before.

Bombard with more than 2 CAs. That just isn't very many guns on the target. You can try spamming DDs (think 15+) but you really need the big caliber guns for big booms on the airfield. High DL on the day prior matters, too. I would say you can decrease your distance - if I use any distance at all when bombarding it is no more than 5K yards.

Don't be afraid to night bomb. And try sweeping dot bases or other locations that are outside of the airfield you're actually "targeting" - if Erik is using "leaky CAP" they will get caught and at a numbers disadvantage from being "diverted to support CAP in hex."

[Lowpe]

Lok, we have mentioned a lot of those things prior.

I don't know why you thought an all low sweep would work.

Now that you have bombarded with two cruisers expect that Obvert will think you will go with that tactic but in larger size.

I wish you would post some pictures so we could actually see what you are trying to do and what is nearbye.

[SqzMyLemon]

It was a test run for me. It's going to take a combination of a lot of different tactics and platforms to overcome my obvious inability to understand how to beat low CAP.

I didn't expect one day of low sweeps to be decisive. I am using my best pilots, they are TRACOM quality in experience and skills.

I found out that the P-47 sucks at low altitude. I also learned that employing my best pilots and aircraft doesn't mean squat either. They die just as easily as rookies. Japanese CAP was 5k, 7k and 9k and radar gave them all they needed to crush me. I can't get the numbers to counter, so my forces are always at a huge tactical disadvantage. I'm using the navy moving forward. I'll use naval bombardment exclusively now to soften up hard targets.

Two cruisers not enough...lets try the whole U.S. navy in one hex with every gun targeting one base at a time. I'm tired of getting my ass handed to me because I can't figure out the air model. My opponent knows it inside and out and I no longer expect to be able to do anything against him in the air...except watch my air force bleed to death.

[SqzMyLemon]

ORIGINAL: Lokasenna

Make sure you CAP/LRCAP your bombardment forces, and make sure they are not slow BBs and that you "pause" them less than one full speed's distance from the target on the day before.

Bombard with more than 2 CAs. That just isn't very many guns on the target. You can try spamming DDs (think 15+) but you really need the big caliber guns for big booms on the airfield. High DL on the day prior matters, too. I would say you can decrease your distance - if I use any distance at all when bombarding it is no more than 5K yards.

Don't be afraid to night bomb. And try sweeping dot bases or other locations that are outside of the airfield you're actually "targeting" - if Erik is using "leaky CAP" they will get caught and at a numbers disadvantage from being "diverted to support CAP in hex."

I caught some leaky CAP at Aitape. I swept Hollandia, but bombed Aitape and Erik had set some leaky CAP to cover his Jill strike. I'll use heavier caliber ships next time. The CA's were a test run and bigger ships are moving into place. I did set CAP/LRCAP to cover my bombardment TF, they got away clean other than the one mine hit. I did not set CAP over the YMS's and they were expendable. There are no CD guns at Hollandia, so next bombardment task forces will move in closer, although I worry if that doesn't increase the chance of hitting mines.

[SqzMyLemon]

I'm also creating some larger sweep squadrons. I'm going to try sweeping with Corsairs with 40 aircraft in the squadron. I'll conduct one sweep and add every other aircraft I have set to LRCAP in support. Trying to sweep with multiple squadrons at different altitudes just leads to an Allied bloodbath. I'll try and simplify my tactics. One large sweep heavily supported with LRCAP. Any other combination I've tried has failed, especially when I send multiple individual sweeps at different altitudes. I lose 50% of my fighters every time.

[SqzMyLemon]

Anyway, tomorrow is more sweeps. I only used a third of my fighters available in yesterday's sweeps. The P-47's and Spitfires will rest and replenish. Corsairs, P-38's, P-40N's and more P-47's go in tomorrow. 31k for the Corsairs and LRCAP staggered within a few k of them.

Any better suggestions I'm all ears.

[SqzMyLemon]

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

I don't know why you thought an all low sweep would work.

Why not? If the Japanese CAP is all set to below 10k what difference does it matter what altitude my fighters are set to?

I set low sweeps this time with nothing higher than 15k and high LRCAP at 20k. The radar simply put successive waves of Japanese CAP over my fighters. So please explain to me what is wrong with what I tried? I've tried bringing the Japanese to higher altitudes to stay away from their best maneuver bands, but the air model doesn't put my aircraft at those higher altitudes, the radar always puts the CAP above me regardless of my altitude. I'm not trying to be difficult. Erik flies low CAP...period. At 5k, 7k and 9k and he always get the tactical advantage over me, be it by radar, maneuver or numbers at these altitudes. It doesn't matter if I go high, low or mixed, I don't get better than 1:1.

I send in my best planes and pilots and can't get better than 1:1 no matter what I try. And 1:1 means I lose 50% of my force...every time. I'd like to know if there is a counter to the low CAP. So far everything I've tried has led to no better than 1.5 to 1, when going against heavy CAP. Does that mean I simply can't target Japanese bases with more than 100 fighters present, radar and AA and ever expect better results? Should I never target these kinds of bases? Because every important Japanese base on the map is loaded with fighters...all set to low CAP settings. Does this mean I shouldn't target any of them?

[SqzMyLemon]

I decide to not sweep Hollandia again. Why bother. If Erik reinforces I just come out on the short end again. Instead, I order the fleet to mass at Milne Bay, prior to deploying to Wewak and setting up the bombardment runs.

Perhaps seeing the entire Pacific Fleet so far forward will entice Erik to try for another eight hex strike and commit KB.

[Lokasenna]

ORIGINAL: SqzMyLemon

ORIGINAL: Lokasenna

Make sure you CAP/LRCAP your bombardment forces, and make sure they are not slow BBs and that you "pause" them less than one full speed's distance from the target on the day before.

Bombard with more than 2 CAs. That just isn't very many guns on the target. You can try spamming DDs (think 15+) but you really need the big caliber guns for big booms on the airfield. High DL on the day prior matters, too. I would say you can decrease your distance - if I use any distance at all when bombarding it is no more than 5K yards.

Don't be afraid to night bomb. And try sweeping dot bases or other locations that are outside of the airfield you're actually "targeting" - if Erik is using "leaky CAP" they will get caught and at a numbers disadvantage from being "diverted to support CAP in hex."

I caught some leaky CAP at Aitape. I swept Hollandia, but bombed Aitape and Erik had set some leaky CAP to cover his Jill strike. I'll use heavier caliber ships next time. The CA's were a test run and bigger ships are moving into place. I did set CAP/LRCAP to cover my bombardment TF, they got away clean other than the one mine hit. I did not set CAP over the YMS's and they were expendable. There are no CD guns at Hollandia, so next bombardment task forces will move in closer, although I worry if that doesn't increase the chance of hitting mines.

In my experience, bombardment TFs very rarely hit mines. The only cases I can remember are when my ships didn't know the minefield was there. Once detected, I didn't hit then anymore. IIRC. I'm sure there's still a chance, but it never seems to happen. Remember that the minefield is really in the whole hex and unless you're transiting a strait or sweeping them up, it is completely separate from all CD gunfire. What triggers them in the case of bombardment TFs is simply entering the hex.

I set the distance to 5K to avoid the smaller caliber shore guns, especially if there are a lot of artillery units at the base. No point in taking fire from 75mm guns and the like that are non-dedicated DP/CD guns.

[SqzMyLemon]

ORIGINAL: Lokasenna

In my experience, bombardment TFs very rarely hit mines. The only cases I can remember are when my ships didn't know the minefield was there. Once detected, I didn't hit then anymore. IIRC. I'm sure there's still a chance, but it never seems to happen. Remember that the minefield is really in the whole hex and unless you're transiting a strait or sweeping them up, it is completely separate from all CD gunfire. What triggers them in the case of bombardment TFs is simply entering the hex.

I set the distance to 5K to avoid the smaller caliber shore guns, especially if there are a lot of artillery units at the base. No point in taking fire from 75mm guns and the like that are non-dedicated DP/CD guns.

Sounds good. I'll see how things go.

[SqzMyLemon]

In other news, CV Hancock arrives at Balboa and is deploying to the Pacific.

I'm focusing too much on the air force these days and getting extremely frustrated, which is ruining the game for me. Lowpe's mentioned I have numerous toys to play with, so I'm going to switch gears and get more involved with using the navy to open things up. Perhaps smart use of my naval assets will create the opportunities for my air force to be successful. Right now...I can't take on the Japanese air force anywhere on the map where they are concentrated. I'll have to target undefended bases in the meantime and set up CAP traps with the navy. I need to be careful with my CVs now that I've decided to upgrade all my CVEs. I don't want to offer a chance to attack my CVs at anything close to parity.

[Lowpe]

I see why you would fly some low sweeps in conjunction with bombing attacks, but I think Jugs up high, and Spitfires down lower would be generate a better result with the JAAF flying all over up and down and down and up.

I still am not certain LRCAP does anything for sweeping. My results are really mixed to negative.

Now that you have bombarded once, set up a massive cap trap over some ships.

[SqzMyLemon]

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

I see why you would fly some low sweeps in conjunction with bombing attacks, but I think Jugs up high, and Spitfires down lower would be generate a better result with the JAAF flying all over up and down and down and up.

I still am not certain LRCAP does anything for sweeping. My results are really mixed to negative.

Now that you have bombarded once, set up a massive cap trap over some ships.

I'm starting to think LRCAP is detrimental as well, unfortunately I have been trying to include it to offset the number of Japanese CAP I face. I'm starting to think adding lots of LRCAP actually improves the Japanese CAP. It creates a larger footprint and results in more Japanese fighters being scrambled. I have no facts to base this on, just what I'm observing when I try large raids. I guess I'll have to just stick to varied sweeps with individual squadrons and hope I can figure out the magic combination to get better results.