The Good The Bad & The Indifferent

[Lowpe]

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

Tell me why it's "cool," 'cause I have no idea. Is it better than the A? Does John get a lot of them? Do I need to be making adjustments in my thinking? Should this tell me something about his research work? See, I don't know these things. I probably need an aide-de-camp.

About the best bomber killer the IJAAF has, -- Centerline 20cm & F 20cm that actually hit. Better range too, but in this mod not sure.?

Normally it is a separate research line, but I recall the upgrade path for this mod is Frank A, B, R. I think.

On your plane day, as a JFB I would be happy with those results. Not ecstatic, but happy. Japan took out enough of your quality threatening fighters to justify losing 54 Franks...but then you lost slightly more than Japan for the day, and in 44 the Allies can't afford that day in day out. Just my take...and of course Japan has to be prepared to take those losses which may or may not be the case.

[crsutton]

Biggest thing about the Frank B is that it has a better service rating (2) than the A. Guns are better but it is not a world beater. It comes on line so much sooner than it should. But any late generation American fighter is still good enough for it and some (Mustang and Thunderbolt) are far superior due to much better speed. It can kill bombers but so can any of the 2nd generation Japanese fighters. Allies have to be close enough for fighters to really have much of a bombing campaign, but that always was the case. He is not going to win the war with it, that is for sure. Likewise for the Sam. So it goes 400 mph. It has no range and American fighters are just as good or better.

[Smoky Stoker]

ORIGINAL: Lowpe
Centerline 20cm & F 20cm that actually hit.

They're not really that big, but it looks that way to a Superfortress pilot when the Frank makes a head-on pass.

[Lowpe]

ORIGINAL: crsutton

Biggest thing about the Frank B is that it has a better service rating (2) than the A. Guns are better but it is not a world beater. It comes on line so much sooner than it should. But any late generation American fighter is still good enough for it and some (Mustang and Thunderbolt) are far superior due to much better speed. It can kill bombers but so can any of the 2nd generation Japanese fighters. Allies have to be close enough for fighters to really have much of a bombing campaign, but that always was the case. He is not going to win the war with it, that is for sure. Likewise for the Sam. So it goes 400 mph. It has no range and American fighters are just as good or better.

SR3 in my games.

It kills bombers a lot better than any 2nd generation fighter for the Army. More passes than the Ki100-I and more firepower.

It has a 3 hex greater range than the Frank A.

It is a good plane, yes, not a world beater, but is any Japanese plane? Deployed in good enough numbers it is a substantial step up for Japan.

[Canoerebel]

7/15/44

Thailand: Both armies are weakening, but the Japanese seem weaker. Does John have a strong core here, somewhere, so that he can stand and make a fight of it? Or is he planning to gradually pull back, eventually to all the way to China? I don't have the answers, yet.

[Canoerebel]

7/15/44

Fun House: Key attack scheduled at Bataan tomorrow. I think the garrison is out of supply. I'm hoping the attack will drop forts to 1 and further weaken the enemy garrison.

[HansBolter]

Can't you get sufficient air cover over Rangoon to begin shipping in huge quantities of supply?

Or is it a situation where you can't get enough supply into it to be able to operate enough air there to be able to cover a supply shipment.

I hate those kinds of circular problems.

[Canoerebel]

For now, I'm holding off sending transports into Rangoon. It's getting enough supply to operate and to allow a few fighter and bomber squadrons to fly. To do more, I need to bring in supply TFs, which requires LRCAP and probably a combat TF to guard the port. John's been expecting me to do something like that, so I figure he'll have forces waiting. To this point, I've been able to employ my bombers against Tavoy and Bangkok from Ramree and Akyab, further lessoning the need to force supply to Rangoon.

IE, everything's working well at the moment, so I don't want to risk valuable shipping (yet).

[Canoerebel]

Total enemy troops on Formosa holding steady at 148k.

[Lowpe]

Looking forward to the Ayuthia crossing!

A trick I tried to do, was to move troops in in an attempt for them to arrive the same day as the attack. Takes good estimating, but those troops would arrive without prior bombing. Could be a nasty surprise if the timing is correct.

Didn't always have the troops to try and do it though.

Just something I tried to do.

[Canoerebel]

7/16/44

Battle of Bataan: A weirdly skewed adjusted AV situation at Bataan today, but the attack drops forts to 1 and destroys more enemy squads.

My units did not suffer badly, but I'll rest them a day. The two big infantry divisions will be ready the day after tomorrow. The two weaker ones may need a longer break.

Any thoughts how John's adjusted AV zoomed up so dramatically?

[Lecivius]

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

Centerline 20cm & F 20cm that actually hit.

20cm? That's a damned big gun for an airplane!! [X(]

[Lowpe]

ORIGINAL: Lecivius

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

Centerline 20cm & F 20cm that actually hit.

20cm? That's a damned big gun for an airplane!! [X(]

I saw that after I put it in...and was going to edit it out, but forgot. Glad someone is paying attention![:)]

[Lokasenna]

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

7/16/44

Battle of Bataan: A weirdly skewed adjusted AV situation at Bataan today, but the attack drops forts to 1 and destroys more enemy squads.

My units did not suffer badly, but I'll rest them a day. The two big infantry divisions will be ready the day after tomorrow. The two weaker ones may need a longer break.

Any thoughts how John's adjusted AV zoomed up so dramatically?

Perhaps a unit was in reserve previously? And now it's not? Hard to tell without the list of his units. But, AFAIK with how reserve works, because your previous assault only had a 1:1 it did not trigger the reserves (which IIRC is if attacker would achieve odds to take the base/hex). But if your second attack did trigger those odds... unit in reserve pops out and fights.

It's also possible he just got some very good rolls on July 16, and some very poor ones on July 14.

[Canoerebel]

I don't think there's any real substance - any real "oomph" - behind the greatly increased Japanese adjusted defense. If there was, I would think the Allied would've gotten a bloody nose. So despite the increase, I'm seeing a fatigued enemy low on supply with declining forts, but an enemy that still has a bit of fight left.

[Canoerebel]

7/16/44

Thailand: 4EB clobber enemy ground units at Ayuthia today, in preparation for the cross-river assault that will take place tomorrow or the day after.

[Canoerebel]

7/16/44

Fun House: The fleet disbands at Legaspi and gives major attention to aircraft upgrades, replenishment, etc.

Bataan puzzled me a bit, but progress was made.

[Lokasenna]

No CD guns at Bataan to deny you access to Manila until you've taken Bataan? Tsk, tsk.

[Canoerebel]

There's a CD unit there, "dry firing" each time a ship passes. IE, I get a message that the guns are firing but that no damage is being done. So either all the guns are disable or they have no supply.

[Lowpe]

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

There's a CD unit there, "dry firing" each time a ship passes. IE, I get a message that the guns are firing but that no damage is being done. So either all the guns are disable or they have no supply.

you have the combat reports so you can tell if there is any CD or DP guns there.

Also, some straights seem to have mystery firing all the time...always happens to me at Merak for example.

Dice roll or units in reserve no pursuit mode are the likely explanation.