Notes from a Small Island

[Canoerebel]

I did consider that, but my carrier TFs lost enough platforms and planes that I'd be at a disadvantage without the CVEs. And I couldn't figure out any way to go on the hunt and guarantee that the CVs and CVEs would stay together. So I deferred to a more defensive plan...but it's not really defensive as I think ERik will press that attack and my guys are set to strike. If he doesn't press the attack, I'll probably be okay and he'll have missed a chance. If he does press that attack, he'll probably leave me hurting very badly...yet there's a chance things might work out differently.

Very tense. Very fun.

[Bif1961]

When I don't want to risk some of my overly aggressive carrier TF commanders reacting on their own and keeping my CV and CVE TFs together I have mt CV TFs following my CVE TFs and set reaction to zero.

[Canoerebel]

6/18/44

NoPac: Of all things, Erik pulled his carriers back. It might've been a one-day thing to see if he could soak off Allied air attacks (he didn't, to any meaningful extent). He might come back...or he might have decided to pull his carriers back due to air losses. Is that reality or wishful thinking. I'll know tomorrow.

[BBfanboy]

Edit : NM!

[Canoerebel]

New Mexico?

[Canoerebel]

6/19/44

Erik sent the turn files and combat report document this a.m. As is my practice, I opened the combat report first. Sphincter clenching time....but it was totally blank. I wrote Erik back asking him to re-send. In the meantime, I ran the turn and learned why the report was blank. Nothing. Anywhere.

NoPac: Quiet around Death Star that may continue. Quiet around Shikuka that won't continue.

Lessons: I've just passed through a great fire (with more to come soon). I've learned a few things - mainly that there are a number of important things I need to know more about. One of the things I've learned is to do a few things differently from now on.

[BBfanboy]

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

New Mexico?

I think it is internet textese for "never mind"!

[crsutton]

You have some problems yet, but so does your opponent. I think you got what you planned for with minimal losses-considering the risk. Good operation. He has to deal with it. Opportunity should come from that.

[Lokasenna]

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

6/19/44

Erik sent the turn files and combat report document this a.m. As is my practice, I opened the combat report first. Sphincter clenching time....but it was totally blank. I wrote Erik back asking him to re-send. In the meantime, I ran the turn and learned why the report was blank. Nothing. Anywhere.

The other way this can occur is that the combatreport.txt file is actually generated and appended to as the Japanese player runs the turn - each combat action is appended to the file when the Japanese player closes the combat report screen in-replay. It is safe to attach the wpae001.pws file to the email as soon as it is generated because the Japanese replay is not actually using that file, but the combatreport.txt can not be attached until the Japanese player has watched the full replay.

Of course, if nothing happened... that's the way you saw.

[Canoerebel]

6/19/44

NoPac: Death Star and the Herd continue east, nearing Attu Island. Except for subs (a dangerous exception), it appears that Erik is not going to give chase.

[Canoerebel]

ORIGINAL: crsutton
You have some problems yet, but so does your opponent. I think you got what you planned for with minimal losses-considering the risk. Good operation. He has to deal with it. Opportunity should come from that.

I think you're right on. Big Allied operation succeeds in establishing large airfields on Japan's doorstep, the Allied fleet gets into a very precarious situation, mostly manages to escape, and now a huge battle will take place on Erik's home field, where he'll have some advantages.

[Canoerebel]

Three or four turns back, I thought it 90% likely the Allies were going to lose Death Star and a significant amount of the Herd, putting Sikhalin Island in serious jeopardy.

Against orders, my carriers reacted (part of the game). This left them badly out of position. They took serious damage that somehow ended up spread around rather than being decisive. But the cripples could only make three or four hexes per day, were in the shadow or Japanese airfields, were surrounded by hostiles, were threatened by enemy combat TFs getting in and creating havoc, and I didn't think it likely that I could re-assemble the carriers and the CVEs into one fighting force. It was like I had wandered into a box canyon, taken serious losses, and the way out was blocked.

Some of you have experienced this before: going deep into enemy territory, getting chewed on a bit, and then finding the extraction impossible. Bedeviled by enemy combat TFs and the carriers homing in for the kill, a bad situation devolves over the next two or three or four days until utter defeat with massive losses ensues. You try everything possible, finally scattering your ships to the wind in hopes that a small percentage might escape.

That's what I thought was going to happen. I was nearly certain it was going to happen.

In the end (to this point), I lost one ship - CVL Cowpens. It turned into some Houdini-like escape. Why? Probably the number of strike aircraft lost left Erik unable to press. And possibly his combat TFs weren't close enough to attack and he feared heavy losses without his carriers in close escort. Whatever the reasons, I'll glad.

[Drakanel]

Do you have significant air assets stationed in the aleutians? If so, it seems like you could soon detach the "less damaged ships" in order to send them to repair faster, compared to the slower heavily damaged ships.

Would you mind posting a screenshot of the damaged carriers which are going to need repairs?
I'm a bit curious of how damaged they actually are

[Canoerebel]

Eventually I'll break up The Herd, but for awhile yet, I want everybody together, maximizing ASW capabilities and spreading risk among a host of ships.

I'll post some damage images in just a moment.

[Canoerebel]

These are the most heavily damaged carriers.

Saratoga isn't on the list, even though she took a torpedo two days back. Her damage level is 0/2/0. That was another piece of good fortune.

[Canoerebel]

6/19/44

I don't think any other Allied capital ships took any damage in the entire operation. No BBs, no CAs, no CLs. A few DDs got roughed up delivering an effective punch to that IJN CL/DD force on the way home three days back.

I lost a couple of xAKs and YMSs during the operation. That's it.

P.S. Appended is a list of Allied BBs. Massachusetts was damaged in SWPac, before I entered the game. She's nearing Pearl Harbor for repairs.

[Drakanel]

That's actually less than I thought. System damage is pretty low all around, seems like none of those carriers is in immediate danger. Unless you are greeted by some other IJN subs, of course.

I don't know how much of that damage is major damage, but still only Lexington and Illustrious seems due for a long shipyard stay. Death From Above, Franklin and John Wick are not THAT badly damaged. The CVLs are smaller ships, and faster to repair.

P.S. Those names. THOSE NAMES! Gross! [:D]

[Mark VII]

The USS John Wick is both appalling and hysterical.

ORIGINAL: Drakanel


P.S. Those names. THOSE NAMES! Gross! [:D]

[Canoerebel]

The names are horrendous. I think they were given by SqzMyLemon, but he took over for Historiker, who possibly could be at fault.

I suggested long ago that we should invite Sqz back to the forum so that we could convene the old AE Kangaroo Court and fine him appropriately. (I don't wish to try him in absentia.)

[Mike Solli]

Why not? Those names are gawd awful!