The Good The Bad & The Indifferent

[Canoerebel]

There's certainly risk involved, though a strong CV detachment (three carriers and several CVL/CVE) is remaining with the Herd.

I'm assuming some risk for several reasons: I need to get my ships to Korea and John has had no detection whatsoever on Death Star and most of the Herd. He must be critically low on patrol aircraft, because he also has zero detection on the big combat/carrier TFs near Korea. Since he's mostly blind, I don't think he'll take any chance of a big alpha strike running afoul of Death Star CAP. And, given his blindness here, his focus is naturally given to Korea, so that's where most of his aircraft are.

That's my analysis. I could be wrong. We'll know within the next three days (assuming my TFs do actually get underway tomorrow).

[HansBolter]

I am sure crackaces is referring the threat tolerance settings for your various TFs.

Being escorted by carriers all TFs should have max threat tolerance level settings combined with a direct path setting.

[Canoerebel]

Oh. I seem to be having trouble understanding questions of late.

All my TFs are set to Direct and Absolute.

[Crackaces]

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

Oh. I seem to be having trouble understanding questions of late.

All my TFs are set to Direct and Absolute.

Yes that was my question .. now I am perplexed why the herd would not advance ... fueling is the only other thing I can think of . 1 or 2 ships in a TF that calculate they can’t make it on the route selected ? I have never run into such a problem for 2 days now!

[Canoerebel]

It's not refueling. All TFs are in good shape for fuel.

I've never seen it before either. Very strange. I've just got a new turn. Let's see if anything happened.

[CaptBeefheart]

I seem to recall you reorganized all of your TFs follow one lead TF. If not, I've had trouble when I set one TF to follow another TF which follows another TF. Also, you've probably done this, but one thing I do when a gaggle is moving slowly is create an Escort TF and then sort all ships by speed. I'll usually find a damaged one or two (from a collision or other unknown factor).

Also, breaking up the herd can't hurt (until the KB is in play, at least). Good luck.

Cheers,
CC

[Canoerebel]

All TFs are following a single lead TF, so no daisy chain involved here (I've had the same experience you mention).

No ships are damaged.

I did break up the Herd, as referenced in preceding posts. It seemed to work. The Herd moved this time. But this time Death Star did something not unprecedented but unexpected and unwelcome. I'll post more later.

[Canoerebel]

3/12/45

Death Star and the Herd: The logjam broke and the various TFs are moving forward again..except Death Star, which chased down and stomped an enemy sub way back near Morotai before moving forward again. In total, DS lost a hex on the day.

To this point, these shenanigans haven't cost many any ships but have cost me about three days in getting to Korea.

[Canoerebel]

3/12/45

Asia: The comparison to the opening of the Bulge is apt. The enemy is rolling forward in strength, with vigor and momentum. Allied air is socked in by weather (Death Star and supply aren't currently available). There are worries. There are opportunities. Overall, here's how I think it's going.

The enemy advance in Korea has been slowed and the tip of the spear has been blunted by IJ units suffering material disablements in attacks and from Allied 2EB. The Japanese have roughed up to Allied divisions (38th and 1st Cavalry) which are retiring to Gunzan to regroup. The Allies have successfully brought in 6th Marine Div. and an Aussie brigade, partially offsetting these losses. The next battle will be for the blocking hex NE of Gunzan. The Allies will have about 1500 AV - strong units - 5th and 6th Marines included, plus a fair bit of good armor). Allied bombers should continue to help, while John works his own angles (fighters and bombers). I don't want to lose that battle but there's a chance I will, in which case the siege of Gunzan might commence. I think the earliest that would happen is about a week. By then, Death Star may be drawing near, meaning the skies will be clearing over the Ardennes.

If and when the enemy reach Gunzan, Allied 4EB and bombardment TFs should become serious players. John has some combat/carrier power in theater but probably not enough to take on the Allied combat TFs currently in theater. Once DS arrives, the Yellow Sea is Allied territory. What's coming with DS is immense.

I think the Allies will eventually hammer the enemy army in Korea. But the really important matter is to hold Gunzan and it's airfield, to allow strategic bombing to commence when supply arrives and the arifield goes to level 9. Both should happen in about eight days. Then the war takes on a new meaning.

John is very excited. He's using this opportunity to push a counteroffensive. The recent defeats suffered by his combat TFs and carriers really hurt him though, as he needed temporary air and sea superiority to augment the ground campaign. I'm modestly worried but not nearly as much as I would have been had Musashi and Nagato been available to him and had full KB been up here (instead of taking serious losses in the South China Sea).

This is a titanic battle. I definitely think it's the culminating engagement of the war. It's going to rage for weeks. Let's see who comes out on top.

[Canoerebel]

Traditionally near the end of the year, I do a long hike. Last year it was a very tough 14-mile outing in the Cohutta Wilderness. Today it's a 16-mile outing on the Pinhoti Trail, not too far from home. It'll be a long day, but the terrain isn't as difficult as the Cohuttas. During the quiet of the outing, my mind will run to many things, including the situation in the game. Thank goodness that logjam broke last turn, else frustration would be the dominant thought.

[Canoerebel]

3/13/45

Death Star: The Allied carriers, combat ships and The Herd made good time today in quiet waters. I think DS will reach the Yellow Sea before John can lay seize to Gunzan.

[Canoerebel]

3/13/45

Asia: A good day in Asia for the Allies as LRCAP mauls enemy strikes aimed at the Allied blocking force NE of Gunzan. The enemy force hasn't advanced into that hex yet. Really, the only thing that matters now is whether John manages to lay siege to Gunzan and takes the airfield. With Death Star coming, his window continues to close. But if his stack shows up at the blocking hex tomorrow and takes it the day after, I'll be sweating again.

[Canoerebel]

My birthday is December 30. For many years, I've celebrated by taking a day off to do a long hike somewhere in the mountains. This year's trail was the Pinhoti, from Snake Creek Gap to Dug Gap in northwest Georgia. The trail was considerably harder than I had expected. I thought there would be one major climb, but there turned out to be three. And due to a three-week chest cold in December, I hadn't done anything more than two miles in more than five weeks. Today's hike covered 16 miles.

The hike began at 7:15 a.m., before sunrise. The temperature was about 21 degrees. The forecast was for sunny skies with highes in the mid 40s, which was on target. By noon it was pretty comfortable, at least in sunny spots on south-facing slopes.

This photo is of sunrise from the rocky spine of Mill Mountain, taken at about 7:45 a.m.

[Canoerebel]

This is my hiking companion, Shepherd H. He's an interesting man - he grew up in the mountains hunting and fishing. He worked for a sawmill in the mountains when he graduated from high school and cut off his right hand. After some rehab, he went back to work for the sawmill. His employer was still using mules to skid logs in the '70s, so Shepherd says that he is one of the last folks around that can list "muleskinner" on his resume. After the accident, he lived in a cabin that had no electricity. By kerosene lantern, he taught himself to write using his left-handed. Then he decided to go to college. Then he went to law school. He's an interesting man who makes for a great hiking companion. I call him "The Throwback." Here he's on the spine of Mill Mountain.

[Canoerebel]

These mountains (long ridges, really) are narrow, rocky an rough. This particular trail is used by mountain bikers, who clear the trail of rocks.

[Canoerebel]

At noon we ate lunch seated on the ground on a south-facing slope of Middle Mountain. It might've been 40 degrees. This photo shows the narrow trail and steep slope on Middle Mountain.

[Canoerebel]

Sometime this fall, a squirrel used this lichen-covered rock to crack hickory nuts.

Early this year, Shepherd asked me: "Do you know what a lichen is?"

I replied, "Uh, yeah, sort of."

He then offered: "It's a symbiotic relationship between an algae and a fungus." And then he told me all about lichen lifespans and characteristics. Lichens, like almost everything in nature, are fascinating.

[Canoerebel]

We found this little memorial about two miles south of Dug Gap. Lt. Manxon, Army Air Force, died on this ridge in February 1943 "in the line of duty." I imagine he was taking off or landing in fog or rain and hit the ridge. I'll see if I can find out more information about him.

That's the last phot from the hike.

I am one sore puppy tonight, but I'm glad that at age 56 (about to be 57) I can do a 16-mile hike in the mountains.

[Lecivius]

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

I am one sore puppy tonight, but I'm glad that at age 56 (about to be 57) I can do a 16-mile hike in the mountains.

Sheesh, at that age I was glad I could climb the stairs [8D]

[Canoerebel]

I can't play golf and I can't play any musical instrument nor sing in a choir, but I can still walk! [:)]