Notes from a Small Island

[Canoerebel]

11/3/44

Burma: The first bombing strike of the day comes immediately thereafter, and too many enemy fighters still have ammo. A hodge-podge selection of Allied bombers and fighters take heavy losses. P-40s have no business flying anything except deep CAP. I'll adjust my configurations going forward, but I'm willing to take losses here to slow the enemy ground stack and to bleed Erik's good fighters.

[Canoerebel]

11/3/44

Burma: Another big sweep, with the Spits scoring well.

[Canoerebel]

11/3/44

Burma: Followed by another raid that gets chewed on.

[Canoerebel]

11/3/44

Burma: A few 4EB squadrons target the enemy west stack, just north of Rangoon, and find that some of the units (including 1st Tank Div.) have reached Rangoon.

[Canoerebel]

11/3/44

Burma: Surprisingly, the main Japanese stack north of Rangoon doesn't vacate the hex. The big Allied stack attacks the very large Japanese stack, which to this point has never been bloodied. Despite low odds, the Allied inflict heavy infantry losses while absorbing heavy punishment themselves.

If this Japanese stack keeps getting bloodied, the pending battle around Pegu could get interesting. Ultimately, I think the Japanese army will avoid encirclement but will take pretty heavy punishment, seriously affecting its combat worthiness.

[Canoerebel]

11/3/44

SEAC: Wide-angle-lense view.

[Lawless1]

Is there a reason why your bombardment TF have only one or to BB?

Would I be tatical incorrect if I used four or five BB?

I have not progressed very far in any of my games against AI where I would be using BB for ground support

Really enjoyed reading your AAR

[BBfanboy]

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

11/3/44

Burma: Surprisingly, the main Japanese stack north of Rangoon doesn't vacate the hex. The big Allied stack attacks the very large Japanese stack, which to this point has never been bloodied. Despite low odds, the Allied inflict heavy infantry losses while absorbing heavy punishment themselves.

If this Japanese stack keeps getting bloodied, the pending battle around Pegu could get interesting. Ultimately, I think the Japanese army will avoid encirclement but will take pretty heavy punishment, seriously affecting its combat worthiness.

Looks like he has a big advantage in heavy artillery, which is why your "support troops" (gunners), guns and trucks suffered so much. Bombing from the air doesn't seem to take out heavy artillery all that well, but it will cripple some of his gunners. Your best bet is to run him out of supply, IMO.

[Canoerebel]

BBfanboy, this stack has been tough on air because of the heavy concentration of AA. But now he's outflanked, so he has to retire this stack past Pegu and into the jungle near Moulmein. If he keeps taking heavy combat squad disablements, this stack won't be able to stand even then. His other large stack, now at Pegu, is already beat up, which started this entire retrograde. So I'll keep attacking - especially by air - trying to catch him in open terrain and while on the move.

[Canoerebel]

ORIGINAL: Lawless1

Is there a reason why your bombardment TF have only one or to BB?

Would I be tatical incorrect if I used four or five BB?

I have not progressed very far in any of my games against AI where I would be using BB for ground support

Really enjoyed reading your AAR

There are two important reasons that I've allocated my BBs between three TFs: (1) doing so allows a rotation system, one bombardment TF coming in every day without any breaks (giving time for one to replenish each day at Shikuka); and (2) it spreads out the risk, which is a serious consideration; I'm operating in a theater were he can deploy a lot of ships, subs, mines and aircraft; there's a risk that a mega-strike could take out a lot of my ships, so I don't want them all in one TF.

[HansBolter]

ORIGINAL: Lawless1

Is there a reason why your bombardment TF have only one or to BB?

Would I be tatical incorrect if I used four or five BB?

I have not progressed very far in any of my games against AI where I would be using BB for ground support

Really enjoyed reading your AAR

CR gave his reasons for spreading them among several TFs, but didn't address your question if it is tactically sound to group them.

Yes it is. I'm sieging Chichi Jima in my game and have three BB TFs working it. One has 6-8 WWI era slow BBs (number varies as they accumulate system damage and rotate out), one has the 4 Iowa's and the third has 4-6 28 knot fast BBs.

I also rotate in DD TFs. While they won't do nuclear damage, they pile on the accumulated damage and add to suppression of morale and increases in disruption.

I hit Chichi with at least one BB TF and 2-3 DD TFs every day.

Cruiser TFs are busy bombarding Yap, Ulithi and Woliae (sp?) with runs from Guam.

[Canoerebel]

11/4/44

Ketoi: BB Richelieu bombardment. I wonder if Cold Zone effects have any effect on bombardments?

[Canoerebel]

11/4/44

Car Nicobar: This landing doesn't generate an retaliatory bombardment, so the island may be vacant. SigInt some time back indicated a naval guard posted here.

I want to wrap this up quickly and retire my ships, given the possibility that Erik might deploy KB here.

[Canoerebel]

11/4/44

Burma: Air battle over Pegu similar to yesterday's. First-line Allied fighters (mainly Spit VIIIs) score well but enough enemy fighters are still in the air after the sweeps to beat up the first big bombing raid.

Some 4EB again hit enemy divisions in the hex NE of Rangoon, but that entire stack clears the hex today to make Rangoon. It is very likely that the Japanese army will combine at Pegu before the Allies can take the hex, so the IJ army will escape.

[Canoerebel]

11/4/44

Burma: The best Allied sweep of the day, by 42 Spit VIIIs.

[Canoerebel]

11/4/44

Ketoi: No enemy fighters over Ketoi. This is the strongest bombing attack of the day. The results lean heavily towards combat squads destroyed instead of disabled. The defenders are fading quickly.

[Canoerebel]

11/4/44

Ketoi: Effective bombardment. AV ratio looks good. Allies will attack tomorrow, hoping to knock forts to 1.

[BBfanboy]

Your next attack will take Ketoi, if that AV ratio is anywhere near reality.

[Canoerebel]

I think the AV ratio is real, but I think it will take several more attacks. The two forts and rough terrain should make a difference.

I can understand why Erik's adjusted AV is significantly higher, given those two things plus likely 100% prep and good HQ chain.

I don't really understand why my AV is always far less than the raw number. My guys are nearly all 100% prepped and these are good units.

Be that as it may, the base is teetering on falling.

[HansBolter]

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

11/4/44

Ketoi: BB Richelieu bombardment. I wonder if Cold Zone effects have any effect on bombardments?

Richelieu has no float plane in my scenario so if it is operating in a TF with no cruisers carrying FPs to fly the recon mission it will have less effective bombardments.