The Good The Bad & The Indifferent

[Canoerebel]

No chance of this being Sumatra. The Allies rule the sea and sky. John's troops dare not enter any base within 4EB range. And he won't be able to get at my guys by sea or by air.

Not to mention that Allied units with '44 squads should be very different animals from those fighting on Sumatra.

This will be a big and tough land campaign but John is out of position (I think) and at many disadvantages.

[JohnDillworth]

I thought you were heading somewhere VITAL. Will gladly take this as an option."

John is playing a different game. Anytime you have B-24's hitting the home islands in 1944 you have made some bad life choices somewhere

[Canoerebel]

10/22/44

Pace of Victory: This graphic puts the "pace of victory" into perspective. For two months beginning August 1, 1944, the Allied lead increased slowly. In the week since October 15, the lead has increased at 1k per day, mostly from strategic bombing.

I expect things to slow a bit temporarily, while hard Fancy Pants fighting takes place. But when Ningpo airfield is up, large, and fully supplied, the pace should increase again.

The idea of auto vic, which seemed a pipe dream on August 1, no longer seems unattainable.

[Canoerebel]

10/23/44

Tone vs. Pensacola: The turn that John predicts should be "very interesting" opens with this engagement. This is the first time in memory that John has committed a capital ship in far less than desirable conditions. Tone is in for a rough day.

[Canoerebel]

10/23/44

Kaya vs. Pensacola: I believe I know what John is trying to accomplish but his methods suggest he may have finally pressed the panic button.

[Canoerebel]

10/23/44

Yanagi v. Pensacola: John flooding the zone.

[Canoerebel]

10/23/44f

Small Fry vs. Transports: This is the first of several intercepts of transport TFs by Japanese "small fry." There is at least one collision between LSTs but that's about it.

[Canoerebel]

10/23/44

Pensacola re-enters the fray.

[Canoerebel]

10/23/44

PT Boats Get in on the Act: I can't remember when a USN PT boat last scored a hit. They've been rare - possibly non-existent - in the game to date. This inconsequential action took place at Shanghai.

[Canoerebel]

10/23/44

Tone, having withdrawn to Shanghai, fights for her life.

[Canoerebel]

10/23/44

Gudgeon hits Tone.

[Canoerebel]

10/23/44

Shark hits Tone.

[Canoerebel]

10/23/44

Sweeping Ningpo: The first of several sweeps. Allied fighters clear the air but weather socks in the Mitchells. Only a few B-24Js will fly ground support missions here today.

[Canoerebel]

10/23/44

Sweeping Shanghai.

[Canoerebel]

10/23/44

Air Raid Ningpo: The Japanese air force sorties.

[Canoerebel]

10/23/44

A second strike at Ningpo dealt with effectively.

[Lokasenna]

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

You guys may have some helpful input here because some of my carrier aircraft orders are a bit different than you're recommending:

1. I replaced most of the bigger strike aircraft squadrons with carrier-capable fighters squadrons that had been based at Manila or Taichu. The result is considerably increased defense at the expense of offense.
2. All strike aircraft remaining on carriers set to range zero.
3. I still have a lot of CVE eight-aircraft TBM squadrons. Those too set to range zero with fairly high ASW assignments.
4. Here's where I'm uncertain: In deciding between detaching CVEs to cover the invasion hex or to keep all my carriers together, I chose the latter. All carriers will be stationed a hex offshore. Perhaps 60% of fighters were set to range 1 so that they'll cover shipping in the invasion hex. I don't expect these settings to be necessary many turns, so I don't anticipate huge fatigue numbers. I think John will shoot his wad in turn one or turn two or not at all. Too, I'll probably bombard Shanghai day after tomorrow if the airfield remains full (after first sending scout ships into the hex tomorrow to gauge defenses - mines, ships, shore guns).

Is there a flaw with my orders? Is setting 60% of my fighters to range one to, in effect, provide LRCAP the wrong way to best accomplish what I'm trying to accomplish?

1. This is fine.

2. Fine and all, but you may as well do this:

3. Set the range higher than 0. At 0, they'll only scout/attack subs in the hex you're in. You want some radius here. I'd set them to at least 4 (for 2 hexes of coverage). Planes on ASW will still get shot down like search planes do, but nowhere near as often.

4. Absolutely not. CVEs into the base hex. CVs standing off as more of a deterrent to KB and supplementary CAP for the invasion hex (LRCAP range 0). Any strikes going at the real CVs instead of your invasion hex (strikes prioritize spotted CVs sometimes) is a bonus to you.

[Lokasenna]

After catching up on the rest of your posts - the settings I am advocating are what I've sussed out as working best for me against air strikes of potentially hundreds of planes, several times in the day. They do have some weaknesses that sometimes are difficult to cover (such as surface forces) but the ability to cover them depends on what else you're doing besides just protecting from air strikes.

Given that you see movement dots in the replay at Hangchow, towards Ningpo, it looks like he guessed where you'd be landing. That's fine. I doubt he built forts there and it's a clear hex... My only concern with such a landing would be supplies, but I'm sure you paid attention to that as you always do.

[Canoerebel]

10/23/44

Battle of Ningpo: A quick thrust and it's over. My strongest unit, 1st Cavalry Division, didn't even participate in the attack.

[Dirtnap86]

A malus for supply when it's a coastal japanese held city across the bay from shanghai? wow that's kinda sad.