At this point in the game I need the yards at Brisbane and Auckland to patch up beat up LSTs and LCIs. Brisbane also patches up my Darwin and Lunga-based subs.
Ironman keeps a gaggle of subs in the Bass Strait. An eight-knot cruiser would be tough to escort.
Sydney will essentially be full up for seven months with Lex II.
Into The Unknown Taxcutter vs. Ironman
Moderators: wdolson, MOD_War-in-the-Pacific-Admirals-Edition
RE: Into The Unknown Taxcutter vs. Ironman
Thanks for the clarification on your shipyards and what they are doing. Any chance you have an ARD somewhere around there?
RE: Into The Unknown Taxcutter vs. Ironman
I currently have one ARD. I currently have it based at Adak. It is here to do quick fix on beat-up SS.
I have spent a lot of PP on highly aggressive sub skippers. They do press ttacks and I get lots of reports of hits on Ironman's merchant shipping in Japanese waters, but occasionally they get too aggressive and get damaged. Adak is the closest friendly port. The ARD patches up their FLT damage enough to get them to Pearl or Bremerton (depending on damage and current shipyard load) for full repairs. Before too long, I'll retake Attu and move the ARD there for emergency sub repair.
Hornet is too large for this ARD and a Cleveland is an iffy proposition. In the current cases they have light enough FLT damage to leave me fairly confident they can get to Pearl or Bremerton without too much danger of foundering.
I have spent a lot of PP on highly aggressive sub skippers. They do press ttacks and I get lots of reports of hits on Ironman's merchant shipping in Japanese waters, but occasionally they get too aggressive and get damaged. Adak is the closest friendly port. The ARD patches up their FLT damage enough to get them to Pearl or Bremerton (depending on damage and current shipyard load) for full repairs. Before too long, I'll retake Attu and move the ARD there for emergency sub repair.
Hornet is too large for this ARD and a Cleveland is an iffy proposition. In the current cases they have light enough FLT damage to leave me fairly confident they can get to Pearl or Bremerton without too much danger of foundering.
RE: Into The Unknown Taxcutter vs. Ironman
Update: Sept. 11, 1943
Shoestring invasion headed for Attu. One US Army regiment, one combat engineer regiment, one tank battalion. Can't lift any more. Attu garrison doesn't seem too lrge from aerial photo-recon but you never know. Reinforcements are close at Adak. World War One battleships are available for bombardment plus a motley CVL/CVE TF for air cover.
Amphibious lift has me limited in the Solomon Sea area. I have two Army divisions, plus engineers, artillery and tanks loaded up at Noumea, but I'm waiting for my USMC force to march to Shortlands, the amphib/overland attack is necessary because of a 30,000 man garrison at Shortlands.
I've essentially won the Solomons/east NG campaign. All I really need to do is drop the LCU hammer on some strongpoints. I have the invasions prepped, but this is still 1943 and my amphib shipping availability is not that impressive yet.
After punching out the remaining garrisons I intend to move west with SWA command an hit eastern DEI. Since I've cleared the Torres Straits I can move west screened from Ironman's hoard of bombers at Truk.
After neutralizing Rabaul and maybe taking Kavieng, I'll go defensive with South Pacific command and transfer their offensive assets to Central Pacific for a Wake/Eniwetok/Ponape campaign against Truk, with secondary invasions at Kwaj, Tarawa, Ocean, Nauru, and Baker Island to straighten out my shipping routes.
In Burma I'm winning. I hold Pegu, Prome, and Magwe and have supply building up in each base. The locus of the air war has moved south from Chittagong/Akyab to Prome (I just moved 64 Hurris into Prome) and I'm getting ready to flatten Rangoon. P-47B sweeps ahead of B-24 escorted by two squadrons of P-38H should do the trick.
Still no sign of KB or any major surface combatants. Ironman did for some reason send a Kongo to Green Island more or less by itself. My dive bombers hit it for six hits but it was last seen limping NE from Kavieng.
Shoestring invasion headed for Attu. One US Army regiment, one combat engineer regiment, one tank battalion. Can't lift any more. Attu garrison doesn't seem too lrge from aerial photo-recon but you never know. Reinforcements are close at Adak. World War One battleships are available for bombardment plus a motley CVL/CVE TF for air cover.
Amphibious lift has me limited in the Solomon Sea area. I have two Army divisions, plus engineers, artillery and tanks loaded up at Noumea, but I'm waiting for my USMC force to march to Shortlands, the amphib/overland attack is necessary because of a 30,000 man garrison at Shortlands.
I've essentially won the Solomons/east NG campaign. All I really need to do is drop the LCU hammer on some strongpoints. I have the invasions prepped, but this is still 1943 and my amphib shipping availability is not that impressive yet.
After punching out the remaining garrisons I intend to move west with SWA command an hit eastern DEI. Since I've cleared the Torres Straits I can move west screened from Ironman's hoard of bombers at Truk.
After neutralizing Rabaul and maybe taking Kavieng, I'll go defensive with South Pacific command and transfer their offensive assets to Central Pacific for a Wake/Eniwetok/Ponape campaign against Truk, with secondary invasions at Kwaj, Tarawa, Ocean, Nauru, and Baker Island to straighten out my shipping routes.
In Burma I'm winning. I hold Pegu, Prome, and Magwe and have supply building up in each base. The locus of the air war has moved south from Chittagong/Akyab to Prome (I just moved 64 Hurris into Prome) and I'm getting ready to flatten Rangoon. P-47B sweeps ahead of B-24 escorted by two squadrons of P-38H should do the trick.
Still no sign of KB or any major surface combatants. Ironman did for some reason send a Kongo to Green Island more or less by itself. My dive bombers hit it for six hits but it was last seen limping NE from Kavieng.
RE: Into The Unknown Taxcutter vs. Ironman
Update Sept. 17,1943
Slogged through a long ship reinforcement day but now everything is moving in the desired direction. Also I reset sub patrols and I spent some time getting aggressive skippers out of obsolete scows so I can use them later on. Makes for a four-hour orders phase. hate to think about 1944.
Finally North America is free of the boot of the oppressor. (Translation: I stomped he garrison at Attu.) I’m moving assault troops back to Adak to plan for Paramushiro and moving supplies, engineers and base forces to Attu.
I had an interesting little sea battle in the Bismarck Sea. I was rummaging around with my Death Star and beating up airfields when Ironman set out IJNS “Fuji” out to stop me. The “Fuji” must be a Yamato class BB. I hit her with two torpedo hits and 29 bomb hits and it still chugged back under the Truk air umbrella. I did get her escorts – a CL and a DD. There was an opportunity for a hellacious surface action as Lee’s Battle Line was two hexes away, but I am still conservative about the security of my CVs.
The first Marine division has arrived at Shortlands and is in good supply but the other units are still ten days back. Two Army divisions plus engineers and tanks are loaded at Noumea. I look to have Shortlands by the end of the month.
Rabaul, Port Moresby, Lae, Buna, and Gasmata are rubblized. Port Moresby, Milne Bay, and Buna are under surface blockade.
I’m moving some of my unassigned carrier-trained units into the Solomons and they will relieve the XIII USAAF to acquire some experience.
In Burma, I’m still grinding way on Rangoon (airfield damage =24). Lots of B-24s escorted by 50 P-38H seem to be the ticket. Despite Ironman having 100 fighters at Rangoon, my B-24 squadrons are not crippled with damaged planes. My FG equipped with P-47B are finally attrited enough that I’ll rotate them out shortly for rest and refit. Fortunately my P-47B pool is deep enough to keep fighting through Christmas. I continue to stockpile P-40N5s. My P-40N1s are doing OK in a defensive posture at Akyab but the pool is down to 2 planes. As I grind away planes, I’ll convert them to P-40N5.
I’m eyeball-deep in (EXP>70) USAAF pilots including thirty five 30-kill aces in TRACOM, so if I’ve got airframes, I’m good to go.
Transports carrying three squadrons of F4U-1 USMC fighter (chopped to X USAAF) just pulled into Aden. If all goes well, I should have them on the front line at Akyab. I need to generate some high-experience Corsair drivers and I figure Akyab is the best place to do so.
I have a “Malta convoy” of six transports and five CVE plus cruisers en route from Colombo to Akyab with 18,000 supply. It will take a while to offload these and it’s sure to draw Ironman’s attention. I’ll relieve my P-47B with P-40K before they get there. Til they get there my lower Burma offensive is stalled.
Time to re-think my strategic sub campaign. I have the Japanese waters (Formosa Straits, East China Sea, Yellow Sea and waters close the Japan itself) pretty well covered with a “change of the guard” en route, but I still have 28 boats in Midway and twelve more en route to Midway from points east. What am I gonna do with all these subs? I have my older fleet boats running out of Darwin to the South China Sea and waters north and east of Borneo (on his oil routes).
Getting more aggressive is reaping me some damaged cruisers (maybe the fruits of aggressive skippers and squadron admirals) to shepherd back somewhere for major repair. I currently have five cruisers heading somewhere for repairs. Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, and Auckland are full up for the foreseeable future patching up amphibs.
China remains stable but comatose.
Slogged through a long ship reinforcement day but now everything is moving in the desired direction. Also I reset sub patrols and I spent some time getting aggressive skippers out of obsolete scows so I can use them later on. Makes for a four-hour orders phase. hate to think about 1944.
Finally North America is free of the boot of the oppressor. (Translation: I stomped he garrison at Attu.) I’m moving assault troops back to Adak to plan for Paramushiro and moving supplies, engineers and base forces to Attu.
I had an interesting little sea battle in the Bismarck Sea. I was rummaging around with my Death Star and beating up airfields when Ironman set out IJNS “Fuji” out to stop me. The “Fuji” must be a Yamato class BB. I hit her with two torpedo hits and 29 bomb hits and it still chugged back under the Truk air umbrella. I did get her escorts – a CL and a DD. There was an opportunity for a hellacious surface action as Lee’s Battle Line was two hexes away, but I am still conservative about the security of my CVs.
The first Marine division has arrived at Shortlands and is in good supply but the other units are still ten days back. Two Army divisions plus engineers and tanks are loaded at Noumea. I look to have Shortlands by the end of the month.
Rabaul, Port Moresby, Lae, Buna, and Gasmata are rubblized. Port Moresby, Milne Bay, and Buna are under surface blockade.
I’m moving some of my unassigned carrier-trained units into the Solomons and they will relieve the XIII USAAF to acquire some experience.
In Burma, I’m still grinding way on Rangoon (airfield damage =24). Lots of B-24s escorted by 50 P-38H seem to be the ticket. Despite Ironman having 100 fighters at Rangoon, my B-24 squadrons are not crippled with damaged planes. My FG equipped with P-47B are finally attrited enough that I’ll rotate them out shortly for rest and refit. Fortunately my P-47B pool is deep enough to keep fighting through Christmas. I continue to stockpile P-40N5s. My P-40N1s are doing OK in a defensive posture at Akyab but the pool is down to 2 planes. As I grind away planes, I’ll convert them to P-40N5.
I’m eyeball-deep in (EXP>70) USAAF pilots including thirty five 30-kill aces in TRACOM, so if I’ve got airframes, I’m good to go.
Transports carrying three squadrons of F4U-1 USMC fighter (chopped to X USAAF) just pulled into Aden. If all goes well, I should have them on the front line at Akyab. I need to generate some high-experience Corsair drivers and I figure Akyab is the best place to do so.
I have a “Malta convoy” of six transports and five CVE plus cruisers en route from Colombo to Akyab with 18,000 supply. It will take a while to offload these and it’s sure to draw Ironman’s attention. I’ll relieve my P-47B with P-40K before they get there. Til they get there my lower Burma offensive is stalled.
Time to re-think my strategic sub campaign. I have the Japanese waters (Formosa Straits, East China Sea, Yellow Sea and waters close the Japan itself) pretty well covered with a “change of the guard” en route, but I still have 28 boats in Midway and twelve more en route to Midway from points east. What am I gonna do with all these subs? I have my older fleet boats running out of Darwin to the South China Sea and waters north and east of Borneo (on his oil routes).
Getting more aggressive is reaping me some damaged cruisers (maybe the fruits of aggressive skippers and squadron admirals) to shepherd back somewhere for major repair. I currently have five cruisers heading somewhere for repairs. Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, and Auckland are full up for the foreseeable future patching up amphibs.
China remains stable but comatose.
RE: Into The Unknown Taxcutter vs. Ironman
Good job on that BB. If it had "Heavy Fires/Heavy Damage" it may be in trouble unless this scenario give the IJN better damage control.
Re: the subs - I have found Mr. AI using the Philippine Sea route to get tankers up to Japan. Sometimes they stick close to the Philippines enroute and sometimes they go straight up the middle. Try putting subs at the easternmost coastal hex of Mindanao and Luzon and forming a patrol line across the words "Philippine Sea" on the map.
EDIT: PS - you may want to re-think taking Paramushiro as your first target in the Kuriles. It has a fort, which can be suppressed but the key thing is it is country code 100, which means it triggers Japanese reinforcements. Most of them are Depot Divisions which are poorly trained, poorly equipped troops, but the earlier they arrive the more experience and AV they will build by the time you want to invade the four main islands.
The rest of the Kuriles are country code 101 which does not trigger reinforcements. There is no reason not to target OJ instead of PJ.
Re: the subs - I have found Mr. AI using the Philippine Sea route to get tankers up to Japan. Sometimes they stick close to the Philippines enroute and sometimes they go straight up the middle. Try putting subs at the easternmost coastal hex of Mindanao and Luzon and forming a patrol line across the words "Philippine Sea" on the map.
EDIT: PS - you may want to re-think taking Paramushiro as your first target in the Kuriles. It has a fort, which can be suppressed but the key thing is it is country code 100, which means it triggers Japanese reinforcements. Most of them are Depot Divisions which are poorly trained, poorly equipped troops, but the earlier they arrive the more experience and AV they will build by the time you want to invade the four main islands.
The rest of the Kuriles are country code 101 which does not trigger reinforcements. There is no reason not to target OJ instead of PJ.
No matter how bad a situation is, you can always make it worse. - Chris Hadfield : An Astronaut's Guide To Life On Earth
RE: Into The Unknown Taxcutter vs. Ironman
Re: Sub deployment
Good idea on the Philippine Sea. Up til now I've just had a single sub patrolling the gap between Davao and the Vogelkopf peninsula. I now have the subs to patrol the open sea. Thanks.
Re: Paramushiro
Good point. Also might trigger kamikazes before I'm ready. Simply digging in and going defensive make sense. Resources can move south back into the main areas. I have enough xAPs to redeploy fairly quickly. Gotta read up on those kamikaze rules. The same thing might apply to Marcus Island. (post-Saipan)
Good idea on the Philippine Sea. Up til now I've just had a single sub patrolling the gap between Davao and the Vogelkopf peninsula. I now have the subs to patrol the open sea. Thanks.
Re: Paramushiro
Good point. Also might trigger kamikazes before I'm ready. Simply digging in and going defensive make sense. Resources can move south back into the main areas. I have enough xAPs to redeploy fairly quickly. Gotta read up on those kamikaze rules. The same thing might apply to Marcus Island. (post-Saipan)
RE: Into The Unknown Taxcutter vs. Ironman
I am uncertain about the new kamikaze rules too. I know they will not trigger before Jan1, 1944. If the rule is 25 hexes from the main islands, Marcus will just be in range to trigger. If the rule is 20 hexes it is safe. The rule might measure from the major Japanese cities rather than the main islands. I think Formosa figures in the rules too, and maybe anywhere on Luzon.
No matter how bad a situation is, you can always make it worse. - Chris Hadfield : An Astronaut's Guide To Life On Earth
-
Mike McCreery
- Posts: 4362
- Joined: Sat Jun 29, 2013 2:58 pm
RE: Into The Unknown Taxcutter vs. Ironman
ORIGINAL: Taxcutter
Yeah, I checked. Lex II is 27,000 tons.
Still, the Sydney yard will be full up for some time.
Anybody know just how far north I have to hold islands to trigger kamikazes?
Since neutralizing Truk is gonna be a tall order, I won't drag across the north shore of New Guinea, but rather kick in the door in the eastern DEI and the Vogelkopf peninsula.
There are lots of places I can build air fields and use land-based air and I'm only dependent of carrier ir for a short time. Also, after I nab Timor I'll move my Dutch and S-boat submarine assets to take over the Java Sea. When I get Kendari I'll probably move my Darwin sub tenders there to maximize time on patrol in the South China Sea.
Always in my previous AI games kamikazes triggered when I took bases in the PI.
There are bases in the PI that will trigger kamakazi's. about 1/2 way up the islands in between the main island and Davao in the PI.
RE: Into The Unknown Taxcutter vs. Ironman
I would imagine the Allies holding any base on Formosa would trigger kamikazes, but what about Chinese bases like Amoy or Foochow? One presume that the Allies nabbing Shanghai would provoke a major response.
RE: Into The Unknown Taxcutter vs. Ironman
Hardware disaster!
My wonderful monitor - a 65" Samsung plasma TV - failed catastrophically. When I replaced it, WitP-AE now occupied a 8x11 sector of the center of the display. I need a microscope to read it. Worse yet, I look at the Properties page and ALL my switches were deleted.
It may be weeks before I can get this game going again.
WitP-AE is a great game but it is not robust when faced with different hardware or software. Windows 10 shut me down for six weeks.
My wonderful monitor - a 65" Samsung plasma TV - failed catastrophically. When I replaced it, WitP-AE now occupied a 8x11 sector of the center of the display. I need a microscope to read it. Worse yet, I look at the Properties page and ALL my switches were deleted.
It may be weeks before I can get this game going again.
WitP-AE is a great game but it is not robust when faced with different hardware or software. Windows 10 shut me down for six weeks.
RE: Into The Unknown Taxcutter vs. Ironman
It is an old game engine and needs a lot of software tweaks (the switches) to handle the O/S changes made up to Win10 plus the drivers for the video card.
Can you see your desktop full screen on your new TV? If so, then only the game tweaks need to be considered. If the Desktop is also tiny, you need to start with getting your laptop to and video card sending the right info to the TV display. You may need to download an update to your video driver.
Can you see your desktop full screen on your new TV? If so, then only the game tweaks need to be considered. If the Desktop is also tiny, you need to start with getting your laptop to and video card sending the right info to the TV display. You may need to download an update to your video driver.
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No matter how bad a situation is, you can always make it worse. - Chris Hadfield : An Astronaut's Guide To Life On Earth
RE: Into The Unknown Taxcutter vs. Ironman
My desktop is A-OK and every other app I have works fine.
I played with the switches some and the playing field got a little bigger but shifted down on the screen and now I have to use task manager to even get it out of the way.
I played with the switches some and the playing field got a little bigger but shifted down on the screen and now I have to use task manager to even get it out of the way.
RE: Into The Unknown Taxcutter vs. Ironman
Lots of info on switches in the Tech Forum, but what you describe sounds like you might need to do a re-install starting with original game, then last official patch, then any unofficial patch or mod you are playing. I don't know if the Ironman mods are compatible with the betas.
PS - a new install should not affect your saved games, but just in case you could save the new install in a new directory like Matrix2 and then copy your saved games over once you are sure it works with your monitor.
PS - a new install should not affect your saved games, but just in case you could save the new install in a new directory like Matrix2 and then copy your saved games over once you are sure it works with your monitor.
No matter how bad a situation is, you can always make it worse. - Chris Hadfield : An Astronaut's Guide To Life On Earth
RE: Into The Unknown Taxcutter vs. Ironman
The dead have arisen. I got it working more or less. After mucho monkeying around I got it big enough to see.
Don't ask me what worked. I have no clue. Moving the screen closer had to have helped.
After a joyous weekend of bombing Ironman I'm back in the rhythym of the game.
It's Oct. 5, 1943. I just smashed Shortlands and I'm marshalling shipping for hitting Buna/Salamaua.
Ironman's fighter pools remain bottomless although the IJA pilots are of definitely lower quality.
My pilots are of tremendous quality but my pools are shallow. I bottomed out P40K and P40N1. I'm converting 80th FTR Group to P-38H to escort bombers. I moved four Marine F4U squadrons to Burma to feast on an endless supply of rookie Oscar drivers.
More reports to follow.
Don't ask me what worked. I have no clue. Moving the screen closer had to have helped.
After a joyous weekend of bombing Ironman I'm back in the rhythym of the game.
It's Oct. 5, 1943. I just smashed Shortlands and I'm marshalling shipping for hitting Buna/Salamaua.
Ironman's fighter pools remain bottomless although the IJA pilots are of definitely lower quality.
My pilots are of tremendous quality but my pools are shallow. I bottomed out P40K and P40N1. I'm converting 80th FTR Group to P-38H to escort bombers. I moved four Marine F4U squadrons to Burma to feast on an endless supply of rookie Oscar drivers.
More reports to follow.
RE: Into The Unknown Taxcutter vs. Ironman
ORIGINAL: Taxcutter
The dead have arisen. I got it working more or less. After mucho monkeying around I got it big enough to see.
Don't ask me what worked. I have no clue. Moving the screen closer had to have helped.
After a joyous weekend of bombing Ironman I'm back in the rhythym of the game.
It's Oct. 5, 1943. I just smashed Shortlands and I'm marshalling shipping for hitting Buna/Salamaua.
Ironman's fighter pools remain bottomless although the IJA pilots are of definitely lower quality.
My pilots are of tremendous quality but my pools are shallow. I bottomed out P40K and P40N1. I'm converting 80th FTR Group to P-38H to escort bombers. I moved four Marine F4U squadrons to Burma to feast on an endless supply of rookie Oscar drivers.
More reports to follow.
P-38s are lousy at escort duties because they are not maneuverable enough to dogfight. Their asset is high altitude and speed, making them great sweepers. If you can, use for escort one of the aircraft types that are more maneuverable at low altitudes, like P-40s and Airacobras.
No matter how bad a situation is, you can always make it worse. - Chris Hadfield : An Astronaut's Guide To Life On Earth
RE: Into The Unknown Taxcutter vs. Ironman
Sitrep Oct 21, 1943
I ousted Ironman from Shortlands killing 18,000-odd men. Engineers developing base to support attacks on Buka & Green Islands. I have Marine Divisions with tanks, artillery and combat engineers about 92% prepped for both islands.
I have two amphib headed for New Guinea. Two army division plus tanks and artillery for Buna. Airedale recon says 10,000 man garrison. The other TF is headed for Salamaua with a dividion plus a regiment of infantry and tanks. Airedales say 7,000 men. Both bases have been flattened and the debris rearranged for a couple months.
I have the entire Aussie I Corps prepped to hit Port Moresby. It has been flattened and close blockaded for some time now. My intention is to surround the Port Moresby and Buna garrisons and slaughter them, but that means I have to work around them first and cut off their retreat into the Owen Stanley range and its great defensive terrain.
Once I get Buna I'll develop it into a base for bombardment and escort in the area. I can them use single-engined fighters for bomber escort and sweep with P-38s.
I have units over 75% prepped for operations against Finschaven and Gasmata. Recon shows small garrisons but I generally assume Ironman has 250% of what the airedales tell me.
Once Buna and Port Moresby are properly surrounded, I'll let the Aussie I Corp eliminate them an take half the US force and drive from Salamaua to Wau and maybe cross the river behind Lae. I'll concentrate forces at Finschaven to assault Lae once surrounded.
Once Lae is gone and Gasmata, Buka, and Green Islands are taken, I'll consider I've met Operation Cartwheel conditions. I can used short range planes as training unit to keep Rabaul/Kavieng neutralized.
Once Rabaul is neutralized I plan to re-task South Pacific command to the Gilberts/Marshalls.
Southwest Pacific will duck south of New Guinea and hit the western end. US forces will move up the east side onto the Vogelkopf Peninsula and the Aussies will move into Timor and Celebes.
I have no idea where KB is hiding. My guess is Truk or the Inland Sea. One of my subs put a torpedo into one of his augmenting CV, south of the Bungo Suido. I doubt if it sank him, but he's spending some time in the yard.
Air recon shows an outrageous concentration of air (700 fighter, 600 bombers) and over a hundred ships at anchor at Truk. Although he has hundreds of fighters at Truk, Ironman can't molest those recce B-24 variants flying high.
Ironman did have a surprise waiting. Beginning 10/1 his ASW effectiveness, especially when E boat are present increased sharply. He's killed three subs and roughed seven others. But I'm still getting contacts and hits with my subs.
the thing that make playing Ironman tough is his bottomless pools of planes. I have two fighter groups that have over 4,000 kills each, but Ironman still has to be approached with caution.
I ousted Ironman from Shortlands killing 18,000-odd men. Engineers developing base to support attacks on Buka & Green Islands. I have Marine Divisions with tanks, artillery and combat engineers about 92% prepped for both islands.
I have two amphib headed for New Guinea. Two army division plus tanks and artillery for Buna. Airedale recon says 10,000 man garrison. The other TF is headed for Salamaua with a dividion plus a regiment of infantry and tanks. Airedales say 7,000 men. Both bases have been flattened and the debris rearranged for a couple months.
I have the entire Aussie I Corps prepped to hit Port Moresby. It has been flattened and close blockaded for some time now. My intention is to surround the Port Moresby and Buna garrisons and slaughter them, but that means I have to work around them first and cut off their retreat into the Owen Stanley range and its great defensive terrain.
Once I get Buna I'll develop it into a base for bombardment and escort in the area. I can them use single-engined fighters for bomber escort and sweep with P-38s.
I have units over 75% prepped for operations against Finschaven and Gasmata. Recon shows small garrisons but I generally assume Ironman has 250% of what the airedales tell me.
Once Buna and Port Moresby are properly surrounded, I'll let the Aussie I Corp eliminate them an take half the US force and drive from Salamaua to Wau and maybe cross the river behind Lae. I'll concentrate forces at Finschaven to assault Lae once surrounded.
Once Lae is gone and Gasmata, Buka, and Green Islands are taken, I'll consider I've met Operation Cartwheel conditions. I can used short range planes as training unit to keep Rabaul/Kavieng neutralized.
Once Rabaul is neutralized I plan to re-task South Pacific command to the Gilberts/Marshalls.
Southwest Pacific will duck south of New Guinea and hit the western end. US forces will move up the east side onto the Vogelkopf Peninsula and the Aussies will move into Timor and Celebes.
I have no idea where KB is hiding. My guess is Truk or the Inland Sea. One of my subs put a torpedo into one of his augmenting CV, south of the Bungo Suido. I doubt if it sank him, but he's spending some time in the yard.
Air recon shows an outrageous concentration of air (700 fighter, 600 bombers) and over a hundred ships at anchor at Truk. Although he has hundreds of fighters at Truk, Ironman can't molest those recce B-24 variants flying high.
Ironman did have a surprise waiting. Beginning 10/1 his ASW effectiveness, especially when E boat are present increased sharply. He's killed three subs and roughed seven others. But I'm still getting contacts and hits with my subs.
the thing that make playing Ironman tough is his bottomless pools of planes. I have two fighter groups that have over 4,000 kills each, but Ironman still has to be approached with caution.
RE: Into The Unknown Taxcutter vs. Ironman
Amphib TFs, covered by my Death Star, are bearing down on Buna and Salamauea.
Air ground attack will not involve carrier planes. I have plenty of Marine SBDs, older medium bombers and P-39s in range.
I have follow-up TFs with engineers en route.
Air ground attack will not involve carrier planes. I have plenty of Marine SBDs, older medium bombers and P-39s in range.
I have follow-up TFs with engineers en route.
RE: Into The Unknown Taxcutter vs. Ironman
Quick Oct. 28, 1943 sitrep.
Salamauea fell without much of a fight. A division, two regiments, a battalion of TDs, and a battalion of artillery against a flak battalion. Good news is I destroyed him in place. Marching the 503rd Para to recon Wau thoroughly.
After months of prep, the base at Salamauea is flat. Engineers on the way.
Still unloading at Buna.
Still no sign of KB.
My Death Star: Where Emilies go to die.
Starting to get some supply to Rangoon assault units. The Burma air grind goes on.
Salamauea fell without much of a fight. A division, two regiments, a battalion of TDs, and a battalion of artillery against a flak battalion. Good news is I destroyed him in place. Marching the 503rd Para to recon Wau thoroughly.
After months of prep, the base at Salamauea is flat. Engineers on the way.
Still unloading at Buna.
Still no sign of KB.
My Death Star: Where Emilies go to die.
Starting to get some supply to Rangoon assault units. The Burma air grind goes on.
RE: Into The Unknown Taxcutter vs. Ironman
Oct. 30, 1943 update.
A deliberate blew Ironman out of Buna (losing half his force) but he retreated into the Owen Stanley range. Apparently Buna had zero supply.
A deliberate blew Ironman out of Buna (losing half his force) but he retreated into the Owen Stanley range. Apparently Buna had zero supply.