An Aussie Affair....round three!

[Raverdave]

Ok......I am playing as the IJN Scen #19, US damage control on, weather on, 140% IJN commitment, 100 US Commitment.


I am going to be posting my file here on the forum, for all to download and look at. feel free to offer advice and even give me a kick if you feel like it.

I will trust Luskan not to look at the files.

The password is 669669 .

Thankyou all for making the last AAR fun....I hope this one will be just as interesting !

[Luskan]

Well, it is 1 all at the moment and this will be the third in our series of pacific campaigns!

Now - this time around I'm back with the USN, and i'm quickly sketching out a plan for my opponent's scn 19 demise.

I've got a couple of operational ideas that have worked really well in the past - both standard and non-standard opening "moves".

However, seeing how the last game ended, I'm expecting Raver to do a big autovictory push to avoid that final battle where the USN crushes the IJN. Then again, scn 19 gives hmi a big LBA edge, a massive pilot exp boost (which will count a lot) but most importantly, it will give him dozens more transports - which make it all the more important for me to avoid the early attrition I usually suffer as the USN (anyone who has played me has enjoyed bleeding my transports early on - those supplies just HAVE to get to PM no matter what the cost sort of thing).

Looking forward to locking horns with my evil adversary once more. I promise not to look at the files, and although I won't post the save file up, I may attempt a few screenies - any advice you want to give Raver therefore, you should probably send him a PM or an email - because I can't not read the AAR!!!!!

[denisonh]

Look forward to this third installment of this epic struggle.

[SoulBlazer]

Glad to see someone was inspired by my idea.

[Raverdave]

Ok ok ok....thanks to Mr SoulBlazer etc etc etc etc.

[Raverdave]

Ok.....well having played so many games as the Allies, I am more than aware of what can happen if they are left alone to build up during '42 and '43. The LRB is awsume and can close down any base in one or two raids.


Therefore I am thinking of appyling the "Mogami" theory which is to seize a foward line, and then hold it with a very small trip force. Keep two huge reaction forces ready to counter invade any point that gets attacked.....use your fleet assests to catch the invading fleet as it is unloading.....and your air units in support.

Any ideas?

[Luskan]

Surrender now and save the lives of thousands of Japanese troops

Seriously though, IJN transports are slow, Truk is a long way away and supply-transport missions are the premium. I think that you would be better off to try my tactic - leave the forward bases basically empty while you build up supply - and as soon as you see 6 USN CVs at a port, or LST or LCI ships in a port, obviously loading - send your regiments to the front bases fast.

The timing doesn't always work - sometimes you are too late. But the fatigue and supply bonus you get makes up for the risk. The 4 regiments that landed at Buna in our last game and then cleaned out dobadura, Buna and marched over to kick you out of PM? They were already en route when you invaded - that is why it looked like I reacted faster than a speeding bullet. They were actually headed for Lunga and Gili Gili, but anyway.

Also - be careful of where you lay your mines. I think I would have had your last transports easily if my ships hadn't been slamming into 50-100 of my OWN mines at Irau and Rennell after you took them. Why did this have to change? It isn't like you took the base and then repositioned my minefield to suit you! My side knew where the mines where, why did they end up hitting them? I don't know, but the undamagable Yamato hit 9 mines all up and well, that sort of damaged her.

As for my strategy, I've never been one for the base building a thon that Raver did last game - but it certainly negated any base point advantage I had in holding all the big ticket bases. I was only ahead in points on the last game because I sank 384 of Raver's ships.

So my short term priorities will be to establish really really big supply dumps at certain places on the map, conserve any and all forces I have to the utmost, and make sure that Raver over extends himself as far as the early battles go. I kicked Raver's *** in about 5 surface combat battles at night at Luganville. But when he moved the dauntlesses, mines and more ships in, I should have called it quits.

Pride kept me going back to Wupenko and Luganville and Gavigamana - and in about 4 raids, I lost 8 dds, a CL, 2 CAs and damaged a whole lot more - and for what??? Decimating Raver's PT boats? That is about all I achieved - in those last four or five raids I didn't get a single enemy transport or warship under my sights. Soon as I gave up and cut my losses, sure the action died down a bit, but I stopped loosing ships (more important than sinking them at that stage of the game).

You will all notice that except for 3 or 4 early attempts, I did not use my betties or nells as level bombers vs ground targets at all. No port bombing Brisbane or Noumea with 7 nells that get shot up by flak and crash on the long trip home. No using 50 of them to drop teenie weenie bombs on Raver's airfields and troops. The result was that their value increased dramatically - purely as anti ship platforms they are brilliant - and conserving them is something I'll be doing in all my other IJN games.

[Raverdave]

I can't seem to upload my zipped IJN move...it is only 417,792 bytes.......

[Luskan]

And I can't seem to rate this thread. Tried to give it 1 star but it didn't show up

Ok - the psych ops have started - as well as a few military ones. Raver and I are discussing strategy - me telling him what I usually do as the IJN (as if he doesn't already know) and him telling me what he usually does as the USN (he's lying - rtying to talk me into abandoning port moresby altogether! ha!).

He fast transported a little inf unit to irau and took it - he hasn't taken buna, gg, lunga or Tulagi yet - but I suppose he has plenty of time. As for me - I'm going to try a different supply-train setup to my usual stuff every available transport with every soldier/supply point and send them to the front strategy (usually they arrive just ni time to meet the IJN CVs coming south).

We all remember Raver's "sticky" patch thread - and am SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO tempted to do the "Sticky: WITP has gone Gold and is shipping - order here!" or "Sticky: WITP has gone Beta and is looking for beta testers. Submit applications on this thread"

[Drex]

Originally posted by Raverdave
Ok.....well having played so many games as the Allies, I am more than aware of what can happen if they are left alone to build up during '42 and '43. The LRB is awsume and can close down any base in one or two raids.


Therefore I am thinking of appyling the "Mogami" theory which is to seize a foward line, and then hold it with a very small trip force. Keep two huge reaction forces ready to counter invade any point that gets attacked.....use your fleet assests to catch the invading fleet as it is unloading.....and your air units in support.

Any ideas?

I agree with you on this. Establish a Pm-GG- Rousel-Rennell(maybe not this one)-Irau-Nevea line. Protect PM and GG but use the rest as size one bases for patroling. Irau can be built up as a staging for Luganville of course.

[herbieh]

Cant wait to follow this battle, lots of emphasis on the winner is decided by points, has anyone played a game where the winner is decided on whether the USA holds say at least 2 bases of a certain size North of such and such hex line by December 1943.
This would eliminate the build a base a thon, and certaintly effect the Allied strategy (and Japans), and maybe reflect real life a bit better.
In any case, if Japan does loose CVs early, or her air, she can still fight to the death for every inch of ground.

Just a thought
Anyway, let the blood flow!

[Raverdave]

Troops ships heading for Buna are about one day out....going to have to just keep using as much APs as possible to build supplies up at Rabal and Shortlands.

*Note to self...when playing as the Allies send ALL subs to block Truk....IJN APs speed/numbers are pathetic for the first month of the war*


I still can't post my files ! I have zipped them and yet when I submit I just go to a blank page (www.matrixgames.com/forums/newreply.php) after a few minutes and the post never gets posted!

[Luskan]

Originally posted by Raverdave

*Note to self...when playing as the Allies send ALL subs to block Truk....IJN APs speed/numbers are pathetic for the first month of the war*

Yeah - you tried that in our last game, but you had very little success because 1 betty squadron will detect every sub within 2 hexes of truk - and then I would reroute my transports accordinly You didn't hit a single ship up near truk with a sub all game.

You did however have an impressive cripple conversion record. Just about every time I got a crippled ship to lunga or GG for emergency repairs before the rabaul/shortlands to Truk home trip - a sub was there to nail it. In the slot Yamato was torpedoed TWICE (indestructable ship though) and I lost 4 crippled dds in 10 turns (3 of which to the s-38).

I intend to use my subs a lot closer to home - I'm also hoping to divide my slowly growing surface combat fleet (any warships that are DDs and bigger) into three operational groups:

1. Yank Force will operate within SOPAC, centred on the flagship the Portland. Although I can't divulge exact numbers, Oz group consists of several cruisers, a coulpe of CLs and 8-12 destroyers at the moment. RADM Reeves will command this mobile force (and indeed they are at sea on shakedown cruises. I thought about sending them to Irau for some bombardment, but with their present night experience values, they'd be too likely to try and ram the island in an attempt to sink Raver's base . . . So, a cruise around the islands to catch some fish, escort a tanker and her gunboat escorts to Luganville and back, and then we'll see if they're ready for something a little more lively.

2. Oz Force will operate within SWPAC, and is at present centred on the flagship Australia. Although smaller than Yank force at present, all newly arriving cruisers and destroyers will be directed to reinforce Oz Force at their secret base in Australia until it is comparable in size and firepower as Yank Force. Sad to say, this force protecting Australia is in as bad a state as Yank force - and unfortunately has been seconded into several fast transport missions already. At present they are refuelling and will then be sent on escort duty to prevent vital Port Moresby supply convoys.

3. Reserve Force will act as the interchange bench. Based at Noumea or brisbane (probably the former) reserve force will only be constituted once Oz force and Yank force have been supplied with approximately 20 warships each. They will form an operational reserve that I can call on in an emergency.

In other uninteresting news my sub chasers have refuelled and are returning to sea on training cruises, while I have dispatched several minesweepers back to Pearl in order to keep the reinforcements coming, and so as not to have too many sitting around where Raver might decide to damage them. I'll need them later in the game.

[Raverdave]

The pivitol two points on the map are PM and Irau......it is vital that these two bases are in IJN hands and stand that way. Once they fall the allied player has to simply dump a load of gingerbeers and the base their LRBs and pound the crap out of EVERY major IJN base except truk.

Therefore the main strategy will be to prvent the allied player from taking...and if he does, from develping these bases.

[Luskan]

Oz Force strikes and claims first blood!!!!!

In a daring sea raid Oz Force, lead by the capable Willis Lee swept into Gili Gili harbour last night to pounce on three unescorted transports in the middle fo unloading troops. 2 transports were sunk outright and the S-38 polished the third off with a superb display of torpedo aiming. 300 enemy troops drowned in this encounter, although the survivors swam ashore to claim the empty gili gili for themselves.

Each of the present Oz Force ships has suddenly gained a few extra points in night experience - experience that will be handy when Raver comes at port moresby. S-38 was ordered to loiter and attack the enemy supply ships that will now have to supply the marooned troops at PM (am hoping that since there were troops still on board those ships, that they hadn't got to unloading any supplies yet).

AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 05/07/42

Weather: Partly Cloudy

Sub attack near Lunga at 38,40

Allied Ships
SS S-40


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Night Time Surface Combat, near Gili Gili at 17,42

Japanese Ships
AP Daifuku Maru, Shell hits 9, on fire, heavy damage
AP Goyo Maru, Shell hits 18, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
AP Marsue Maru, Shell hits 49, and is sunk. Almost all these hits are from the Walke.

Allied Ships
CA Chicago, Shell hits 1
CA Australia, Shell hits 1
CL Hobart
DD Walke
DD Farragut

Japanese ground losses:
Men lost 260
Guns lost 3


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sub attack near Gili Gili at 17,42

Japanese Ships
AP Daifuku Maru, Torpedo hits 3, on fire, heavy damage

Allied Ships
SS S-38

Japanese ground losses:
Men lost 33


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Air attack on Port Moresby , at 10,40

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 22
D3A Val x 39

Allied aircraft
P-40E Kittyhawk x 3

Japanese aircraft losses
D3A Val x 14 damaged


Airbase hits 8
Airbase supply hits 1
Runway hits 27


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Ground combat at Buna

Japanese Shock attack

Attacking force 404 troops, 2 guns, 0 vehicles

Defending force 0 troops, 0 guns, 0 vehicles

Japanese assault odds: 28 to 1 (fort level 0)

Japanese forces CAPTURE Buna base !!!



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Ground combat at Gili Gili

Japanese Shock attack

Attacking force 1616 troops, 8 guns, 0 vehicles

Defending force 0 troops, 0 guns, 0 vehicles

Japanese assault odds: 112 to 1 (fort level 0)

Japanese forces CAPTURE Gili Gili base !!!



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[wobbly]

A truely awesome little ship. She has been the outstanding so far in my campaign. Pity she sleeps witht the fishes

[Luskan]

Boise is the other over performing allied ship. Although she's only for the 6 inch shells to throw around, sjhe is deadly. Especially the way she relentlessly fires at ijn dds, and ignores bigger targets.

Back in scenario 15, Raver had a 7 BB bombardment group that went up against the north Carolina group and came off even because 6 bbs didn't engage. Wondering if he's got more BBs already in this game.

Quiet turn, Raver's dds are running in and out of lunga harbour, but aren't unloading any troops for some reason -I think they're trying to sink the sub I've got guarding the place?

[Luskan]

Well, since I'm usually the IJN I'm not too sure on which commander should go where.

With the IJN you have a plethora of talent to choose from, each with a fairly obvious specific role that they perform better than everyone else.

For example,
Tanaka in charge of a CA, some CLs and a bunch of DD = long lance attacks. Put him aboard a BB and he just isn't as dangerous.

Komatsu or Kono in charge of battlewagons = 14, 16 and 18 inch misery raining down on your opponent (Komatsu commanded the Yamato always in my last game, and look at the results - dozens of 18 inch shell hits, and kept the range above 5000 yards so allied torps didn't have such a big chance).

Nishura (sp? - the guy with 75 or 76 inspiration but a lower leadership rating) was my bombardment specialist - although I think Kono or Komatsu (with their abilities with big ships obvious) would have been a better choice.

With the exception of my foolish mistake in the last game (remember when Raver's surface ships went head to head with the Hiei and her escorts and went home with a bloodied nsoe at PM)? and then came back two nights later and my tf barely fired a shot as Raver's ships pounded each and every one of them to death?? Well - there was no fuel at PM - so my surface combat tf went into PM, had a fight and retired - but I saw Raver's ships coming back so I sent them back in WITHOUT LETTING THEM REARM. So basically I sent my ships into battle unarmed (there were no torps on any of the dds - they'd fired them all in the first fight, hiei was out of ammo, etc. etc. My surface combat tactics and strategies have been excellent (against more opponents that just Raver!). I copied them from my first PBEM opponent so I can't really take all the credit

Anyways - back to my question - what allied naval commander goes where? At present Fetcheler is commanding anti sub ships, Reeves is running transports (although he might be a good combat choice?), Lee is in charge of Oz Force and Spruance has Yank Force. Should I be using other commanders? Scott or someone else???????

[Raverdave]

Hmmmmm I am still steamed about the little surface raid that Luskan launched at Gili Gili......and to make matters worse, it was done right under the nose of a CV TF !

[SoulBlazer]

That's American 'thumbing our nose at the rest of the world' attitude for you.