If I read everything right, he is about to take all of Luzon, he is taking islands to the North of Luzon and you are worried about what to do with your CVs around Luganville?
I think John has correctly identified that, in the big picture, this is a sideshow. Still, it's worth considering in order to ravage an underdefended supply line or vulnerable CVE or two. Any CVE sunk is a nice 'bank' of VPs that forestall Allied autovictory another day or so.
BINGO!
Member: Treaty, Reluctant Admiral and Between the Storms Mod Team.
If I read everything right, he is about to take all of Luzon, he is taking islands to the North of Luzon and you are worried about what to do with your CVs around Luganville?
Bill: Let us get one thing straight. I will not fight what is unfightable. Did you SEE how many planes were on CAP over that fearsome hex?
I prefer to 'spend my gold' (in the form of the my CVs and their pilots) on something that might aid the cause. By cause I squarely mean staving off auto-victory or something that can gain VPs.
Does that mean I capitulate January 1, 1945 instead of May 1, 1945? Doesn't matter. Won't play that game. Let the Kamis try to accomplish something in an utterly hopeless manner...
Member: Treaty, Reluctant Admiral and Between the Storms Mod Team.
If I read everything right, he is about to take all of Luzon, he is taking islands to the North of Luzon and you are worried about what to do with your CVs around Luganville?
I think John has correctly identified that, in the big picture, this is a sideshow. Still, it's worth considering in order to ravage an underdefended supply line or vulnerable CVE or two. Any CVE sunk is a nice 'bank' of VPs that forestall Allied autovictory another day or so.
BINGO!
Exactly. In this case, you take what he leaves. He has left a long poorly protected LOC. I'm sure Dan understands that and has made that compromise. but the game is about VPs, and if you take about 500 VPs here in So Pac that REALLY helps when you lose 1,000 airframes in a turn later! [:)]
"Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm." - Winston Churchill
Looks like a good time to turn PIRATE and go raiding. Dont stay in one spot too long without good reason. Find his supply lines and then YO HO HO.
Then to spice it up, every now and then fake like you are coming to do battle then go back to raiding.
Biggest concern--as always--is fuel. Have AOs spread around but not a bunch of fuel left in any one spot. Am working on that presently.
TK Convoy 5 will pass Samah this turn. I will need three good days of running to get by his CVs. Other then CAP they did fly a single sortie yesterday. He is flinging out small STF but--so far--they have been ineffective. If he stays to his tactics then I can get this convoy thru and life will be OK for a good amount of time in the Home Isles. Getting this Convoy thru also means I can spend some time loading up those AOs to get out to enable some serious raiding...
Member: Treaty, Reluctant Admiral and Between the Storms Mod Team.
Decided with the new turn to take a compromise course with my Raiders and go due south between Suva and Noumea. Spotted two TFs down there and they simply cannot get away in one turn. Will take a crack at them and then head back to Tulagi to refuel.
Hoping to catch any cripples trying to get to port, I split off 2 CA and 2 DD to sweep into Efate. Maybe we can bag something more there.
Member: Treaty, Reluctant Admiral and Between the Storms Mod Team.
Soon, the Allies will figure out you aren't messing with the Deathstar and he will start sweeping and port and airfield bombing with them. In my case the Allies got very bold, very bold indeed.
For example Tiemanj used carrier sweeps prior to 4E raids. Ugly, as the carrier sweeps get the coordination pretty regularly.
You can't fight the deathstar head on, but you can bleed it and bleed it you must.
Soon, the Allies will figure out you aren't messing with the Deathstar and he will start sweeping and port and airfield bombing with them. In my case the Allies got very bold, very bold indeed.
For example Tiemanj used carrier sweeps prior to 4E raids. Ugly, as the carrier sweeps get the coordination pretty regularly.
You can't fight the deathstar head on, but you can bleed it and bleed it you must.
There are now upwards of 700 Fighters in Formosa. When those sweeps come they will be over my AF (lessoning pilot losses) and they'll be costly for the Allies. Bleed him--YES!
Knowing that shore bombardments are possible I have run in mines to each of the AF--Ports on the Isle. They range from 100-500 or so mines. Have some CD there as well.
Member: Treaty, Reluctant Admiral and Between the Storms Mod Team.
How are your pilot pools? Are you putting skilled pilots up or are they mostly gone and you're using recruits?
Also, would love to see how many total engines you've used so far in the game.
My army pool is FANTASTIC. The IJN pool is horrific.
Michael and I found out the reason for this. The Reluctant Admiral Mod is premised on Japan starting with a less experienced group of starting pilots due to Yamamoto expanding the Kaigun and pulling trainers out to help with the expanded needs. In a truly stupid move, we pulled pilots and then FORGOT to expand the pools for 1943-44-45. The Mod is running on Scenario 1 numbers and that has been crushing...
Problem fixed with all the Mods now.
Member: Treaty, Reluctant Admiral and Between the Storms Mod Team.
You still have a 2,000 VP lead going into the latter half of 1944. Not bad, John. [8D]
To get 2:1 and autovictory in 1945, he'll have to drum up at least 62,000 VPs in the next 18 months with no correlating VP losses of his own to offset. So by nibbling on some unescorted CVEs and getting-what-500 VPs for ships sunk, you force him to credit his ledger with over 1,000. With no corresponding losses.
While you've maintained a lead to this point, I think the next 18 months will be difficult on your psyche. I don't know if he can get *that many* VPs by strategic bombing Japan into the stone age, but you can bet that he will be trying to do just that. You'll probably see a reversal in 'bases held' VPs as he takes some high VP bases closer and closer to the Home Islands too.
The other VP bonus for him is in immobilizing and killing your LCUs. As your defensive perimeter shrinks and units are cut off from the home islands, he will be bagging more and more of these too. Many of your LCUs have escaped thus far-he's pushed them back and you've managed to extricate large cadres that would have otherwise been cut off and destroyed in toto. I think he'll be able to maneuver more of your troops into pockets and systematically liquidate them moving forward-if he takes the time to do this effectively.
This reminds me of the 'boxer' versus the 'brawler'. As the boxer, you've got to move around, jab, be nimble and not get pinned down. That haymaker (with "1.0x10^6" tattooed across the knuckles) will gut your KB and cripple your ability to resist. You've got to keep dancing and outlast him. He's behind in the count-badly-so he'll be swinging for your head and a TKO. Do you have the patience to win out by outlasting him and denying him the easy victory he seeks? All the while sticking in strategic body blows when his guard is off? [8D]
