The Good The Bad & The Indifferent

[Canoerebel]

John has been caught napping several times as enemy CVE TFs sailed tantalizingly close by without John having any detection on my carriers. Twice I've elected not to pursue, as to my way of thinking Death Star had bigger game to hunt.

John might make a similar mistake in the future. For that to happen, though, I'd have to continue laying low until just the right moment.

In the meantime, Death Star is no longer required for purely defensive purposes. Ningpo, Foochow, and Formosa can stand on their own now, relying on strong CAP and surface combat TFs to guard against enemy attacks by air or by sea (there's still some risk, of course, but it's modest now).

At the moment, Death Star is slowly steaming towards Ningpo, escorting hundreds of merchantmen. John has seen this before dozens of times. DS never does anything drastic or unexpected. Probably (but not certainly) he won't expect anything sudden, at least not in the near term. I have near term plans that may catch him napping.

I think Lowpe knows what I'm thinking. Or, perhaps I should say, he knows what he might do under these circumstances, and on this occasion, at least, our thoughts seem to overlap.

[Lowpe]

I bet you didn't know that there is no range restriction on fighters sweeping from Carriers?

They don't always fly, but when they do it is a shocker.

[Canoerebel]

What do you mean no range restriction? Do you mean a Corsair squadron could sweep Tokyo from carriers stationed just off San Francisco?

[Lowpe]

Not limited to 7 or 8 hexes. You can sweep the full drop tank distance.

[Canoerebel]

Okay, I read you.

[T Rav]

CR,

Thanks for this great AAR. I read pretty much every day.

T Rav

[Bif1961]

So are you planning a Battle on Monocacy to slow him down enought to be engaged latter by overwhelming force against his KB?

[Lokasenna]

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

Not limited to 7 or 8 hexes. You can sweep the full drop tank distance.

Um, that limit only applied to naval strikes anyway. You could always strike bases from farther. Sweeps are just a different kind of raid.

[Canoerebel]

12/8/44

Coral Sea: Enemy DD raid continues south. JEB Stuart (three USN DDs) is riding hard to catch up but making the intercept is always tough.

[Canoerebel]

12/8/44

KB Raid: General Early's little army has arrived on the outskirts of Washington D.C. (Boela). There are earthworks surrounding the city and troops are filing in. Will Early attack?

[Canoerebel]

12/8/44

Fancy Pants: Two most important things: (1) Supply and reinforcements now coming ashore; and (2) Changsha defenses are not secure - Chinese should take this base inside 10 days.

[JeffroK]

I think Lowpe knows what I'm thinking. Or, perhaps I should say, he knows what he might do under these circumstances, and on this occasion, at least, our thoughts seem to overlap.

A quick visit to Ryojun City???/

[Canoerebel]

12/9/44

Coral Sea: Early's Maryland campaign continues, but Rosser's cavalry caught up with Wharton's cavalry - meaning, USN DDs tangled with the IJN DDs, sinking one.

To the north, more enemy TFs. I don't know if John is up to anything or not.

John will probably withdraw his DDs - he can't afford to lose any now - unless he has something bigger behind them, like a CA TF or a CV TF. I don't see evidence of that but should know soon.

[DRF99]

The Ume, Kuwa, and Maki are all Matsu-class DEs. Slow. Really convoy escorts, not made for surface combat. They didn't have a chance.

[Canoerebel]

12/9/44

DEI: Boela seems secure, at the moment; enemy carriers retiring to the west; no further air strikes today; and the toll exacted thus far:

[MakeeLearn]

...and the toll exacted thus far:

[Lowpe]

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel


John will probably withdraw his DDs - he can't afford to lose any now - unless he has something bigger behind them, like a CA TF or a CV TF. I don't see evidence of that but should know soon.

If they still have torps, Matsu class can be dangerous. They can skirmish pretty well. Plus they get pretty numerous. Not much to speak of gun wise, but if Japan can get three of them into a convoy you will be sorry. Plus they are only 6 vp. They are usually pretty easy to get a good vp ratio with them.

My preferred use was cap traps against the deathstar as they pack quite a lot of 25mm guns. Put 5-10 of these with a battleship under a land based fighter umbrella and good things happen.[;)]

Looks like that convoy is headed for Rockhampton.[:D]

[Canoerebel]

12/9/44

Fancy Pants: Japanese resistance is crumbling on the Saigon Front and the Hanoi Front; serious Japanese cracks on the Changsha Front and Kukong Front; only on the Canton Front and Hangchow Front does enemy resistance look organized and capable of putting up a sustained fight.

The problem for Japan is that as each "Front" collapses, Allied units are freed up to reinforce other sectors. The coalescence of force is beginning to snowball.

Death Star: Death Star will move east, with hundreds of fighters (mainly Corsairs) ordered to sweep Nagasaki in conjunction with B-24J raids from Ningpo.

Ningpo airfield still lacks supply, so land-based fighters can't lend a hand (if they could, I'd have ordered B-29s from Formosa to hit the base too).

This is the first try at what should be a sustained campaign to batter both the southern Home Islands and Hangchow/Shanghai by air and by sea.

I wouldn't try this if KB was in the Home Islands.

[Lokasenna]

Matsu were made to escort KB for me. It diminishes your flank speed (to 27, but if you're including Yamato with the KB for bomb-soaking or AA purposes anyway...), but that's fine. They have Type 2 DCs and decent AA. They free up your "real" DDs for surface duty or other tasks. Even their short endurance of 4750 (IIRC) is not really a drawback given the shorter ranges that occur in 1944/1945.

[Lowpe]

ORIGINAL: Lokasenna

Matsu were made to escort KB for me. It diminishes your flank speed (to 27, but if you're including Yamato with the KB for bomb-soaking or AA purposes anyway...), but that's fine. They have Type 2 DCs and decent AA. They free up your "real" DDs for surface duty or other tasks. Even their short endurance of 4750 (IIRC) is not really a drawback given the shorter ranges that occur in 1944/1945.

Well, you need a KB to use them, but yes, this is an excellent use of them too.[:)]