Miller (J) vs Mr Kane (A)

[adarbrauner]

ORIGINAL: Miller

1st-15th April 43

A period of missed opportunity. The Allies launch a major amphib operation in the Marshalls and take Kwajalien and Roi Namur. If my CVs were based at Truk I would have probably been able to force a CV battle but alas they were based at Manila and therefore too far away to intervene. With only subs in the area to attack his ships they do a decent job, putting 2 torps into CV Enterprise, CA New Orleans and CL Santa Fe, however in every case it was probably one short of sinking them. No a/c losses reported on the ground so they will all survive[:@] His ships are retreating back to PH now, this was probably my last chance of a CV battle in my favour so I'm rather pissed my CVs were not in position to attack.

Elsewhere south of Shortland Is I send a CA force to attack ships spotted at Vella lavella that he is building up, they meet a modern US CL fleet and we exchange one DD lost and a few ships damaged.

In Burma I retreat from Taung Gyi as I cannot get any supply into the hex, I time it well as he deliberate attacks just as all my units move out. They are getting supply now, and sitting in JR terrain I doubt he will follow and will look elsewhere to try and make a breakthrough. I had expected to have been pushed back towards Rangoon by now so I'm happy with my performance in this area if nowhere else.

Santa Fe may go down

Anyhow excellent subs performance...

But wait, Enterprise and the cruiser may be slowed down, right? So maybe..

[Miller]

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

ORIGINAL: Miller

1st-15th April 43


In Burma I retreat from Taung Gyi as I cannot get any supply into the hex, I time it well as he deliberate attacks just as all my units move out. They are getting supply now, and sitting in JR terrain I doubt he will follow and will look elsewhere to try and make a breakthrough. I had expected to have been pushed back towards Rangoon by now so I'm happy with my performance in this area if nowhere else.

Always easier to keep troops supplied in the field in Burma...

13 Divisions in Burma area is not too many, often times there are 20+[;)].

I wish!

[Miller]

ORIGINAL: adarbrauner

ORIGINAL: Miller

1st-15th April 43

A period of missed opportunity. The Allies launch a major amphib operation in the Marshalls and take Kwajalien and Roi Namur. If my CVs were based at Truk I would have probably been able to force a CV battle but alas they were based at Manila and therefore too far away to intervene. With only subs in the area to attack his ships they do a decent job, putting 2 torps into CV Enterprise, CA New Orleans and CL Santa Fe, however in every case it was probably one short of sinking them. No a/c losses reported on the ground so they will all survive[:@] His ships are retreating back to PH now, this was probably my last chance of a CV battle in my favour so I'm rather pissed my CVs were not in position to attack.

Elsewhere south of Shortland Is I send a CA force to attack ships spotted at Vella lavella that he is building up, they meet a modern US CL fleet and we exchange one DD lost and a few ships damaged.

In Burma I retreat from Taung Gyi as I cannot get any supply into the hex, I time it well as he deliberate attacks just as all my units move out. They are getting supply now, and sitting in JR terrain I doubt he will follow and will look elsewhere to try and make a breakthrough. I had expected to have been pushed back towards Rangoon by now so I'm happy with my performance in this area if nowhere else.

Santa Fe may go down

Anyhow excellent subs performance...

But wait, Enterprise and the cruiser may be slowed down, right? So maybe..

My subs finished off the Santa Fe but it looks like the Enterprise will survive. I have put torps into Yorktown, Hornet, Lexington and Enterprise but no sinkings[:(]

[Miller]

16th-30th April 43

My subs finish off the crippled New Orleans and Santa Fe, but it costs me 3 of them to his ASW in the process. Unfortunately it looks like Enterprise has escaped. If he had lost her it would have been a major blow for what is of little strategic value to me now, but as it is neither of us yet to lose a single flight deck so far. CVs Unyru and Amagi join the fleet and Taiho and Katsuragi should be in theatre by the middle of May.

Not much to report elsewhere, he is shuffling his troops around in Burma but has not made his next point of attack clear yet, there has also been a big reduction in his air strikes as well, probably the calm before the storm.

[Miller]

1st-15th May 43

In Burma I retreat to a line running east from Prome to the hex east of Toungoo. It looks like his main thrust will be at Prome or the hex to the east, I will find out soon. I continue to lose the air war here as his P40K get 4:1 kill ratios over the Oscar IIb thanks to their 30mph extra top speed.

The only other area of action is in SOPAC. He finally invades Shortlands despite it being almost empty for a month. Seeing several large TFs hanging around there I send the KB on a full speed run south to see what they can sink. Thanks to bad weather nothing attacks in the morning and then only about 25% of my available strike a/c in the afternoon. They badly damage a few Aussie and US CAs and CLs but nothing will sink. Against my better judgement I hang around for another day and he ramps up his CAP, I lose 100 a/c for a few transports sunk, mainly thanks to the AI sending a lot of bombers in with minimal escort whilst another strike see's 220 Zeros escorting 5 Kates[:@] I can afford to lose the a/c but the pilot losses hurt.....

[adarbrauner]

ORIGINAL: Miller

1st-15th May 43

In Burma I retreat to a line running east from Prome to the hex east of Toungoo. It looks like his main thrust will be at Prome or the hex to the east, I will find out soon. I continue to lose the air war here as his P40K get 4:1 kill ratios over the Oscar IIb thanks to their 30mph extra top speed.

The only other area of action is in SOPAC. He finally invades Shortlands despite it being almost empty for a month. Seeing several large TFs hanging around there I send the KB on a full speed run south to see what they can sink. Thanks to bad weather nothing attacks in the morning and then only about 25% of my available strike a/c in the afternoon. They badly damage a few Aussie and US CAs and CLs but nothing will sink. Against my better judgement I hang around for another day and he ramps up his CAP, I lose 100 a/c for a few transports sunk, mainly thanks to the AI sending a lot of bombers in with minimal escort whilst another strike see's 220 Zeros escorting 5 Kates[:@] I can afford to lose the a/c but the pilot losses hurt.....

I really don't think he P 40 s are wining at that ratio because of 30 mph speed advantage only.

[Miller]

ORIGINAL: adarbrauner

ORIGINAL: Miller

1st-15th May 43

In Burma I retreat to a line running east from Prome to the hex east of Toungoo. It looks like his main thrust will be at Prome or the hex to the east, I will find out soon. I continue to lose the air war here as his P40K get 4:1 kill ratios over the Oscar IIb thanks to their 30mph extra top speed.

The only other area of action is in SOPAC. He finally invades Shortlands despite it being almost empty for a month. Seeing several large TFs hanging around there I send the KB on a full speed run south to see what they can sink. Thanks to bad weather nothing attacks in the morning and then only about 25% of my available strike a/c in the afternoon. They badly damage a few Aussie and US CAs and CLs but nothing will sink. Against my better judgement I hang around for another day and he ramps up his CAP, I lose 100 a/c for a few transports sunk, mainly thanks to the AI sending a lot of bombers in with minimal escort whilst another strike see's 220 Zeros escorting 5 Kates[:@] I can afford to lose the a/c but the pilot losses hurt.....

I really don't think he P 40 s are wining at that ratio because of 30 mph speed advantage only.

Well I can't think of another reason as my pilots will be at least the same exp and most of the time they are high morale/low fatigue. Perhaps it is due to weak armament as well he has more damaged and not destroyed....

[witpqs]

...and durability.

[PaxMondo]

ORIGINAL: witpqs

...and durability.

+1

[Mike McCreery]

ORIGINAL: Miller

ORIGINAL: adarbrauner

ORIGINAL: Miller

1st-15th May 43

In Burma I retreat to a line running east from Prome to the hex east of Toungoo. It looks like his main thrust will be at Prome or the hex to the east, I will find out soon. I continue to lose the air war here as his P40K get 4:1 kill ratios over the Oscar IIb thanks to their 30mph extra top speed.

The only other area of action is in SOPAC. He finally invades Shortlands despite it being almost empty for a month. Seeing several large TFs hanging around there I send the KB on a full speed run south to see what they can sink. Thanks to bad weather nothing attacks in the morning and then only about 25% of my available strike a/c in the afternoon. They badly damage a few Aussie and US CAs and CLs but nothing will sink. Against my better judgement I hang around for another day and he ramps up his CAP, I lose 100 a/c for a few transports sunk, mainly thanks to the AI sending a lot of bombers in with minimal escort whilst another strike see's 220 Zeros escorting 5 Kates[:@] I can afford to lose the a/c but the pilot losses hurt.....

I really don't think he P 40 s are wining at that ratio because of 30 mph speed advantage only.

Well I can't think of another reason as my pilots will be at least the same exp and most of the time they are high morale/low fatigue. Perhaps it is due to weak armament as well he has more damaged and not destroyed....

MrKane specializes on training and organizing his pilot force in a way to project power. It wont get better once he gets the Jugs.

[Miller]

ORIGINAL: witpqs

...and durability.

You're right. If this was pdu on he would be facing the Tojo IIc which is pretty much the equal of the P40K in every dept, but alas I must soldier on with the Oscar. I get the IIIa version next month which gives another small speed boost but I can't see that making much difference.

[GetAssista]

ORIGINAL: Miller
You're right. If this was pdu on he would be facing the Tojo IIc which is pretty much the equal of the P40K in every dept, but alas I must soldier on with the Oscar. I get the IIIa version next month which gives another small speed boost but I can't see that making much difference.

Where are your Tojo daitais? You do get some, and there are few places for them better than Burma in 43

[Miller]

ORIGINAL: GetAssista

ORIGINAL: Miller
You're right. If this was pdu on he would be facing the Tojo IIc which is pretty much the equal of the P40K in every dept, but alas I must soldier on with the Oscar. I get the IIIa version next month which gives another small speed boost but I can't see that making much difference.

Where are your Tojo daitais? You do get some, and there are few places for them better than Burma in 43

From memory I only have 3 in the game, one size 42, one size 36 and one size 12. I think both of the larger ones are at Rabual. I did have one in Burma but as the early versions lack armour they did not do well. The armoured IIc arrives next month so will try them out when I have built enough to fill out the sqds.

[Miller]

16th-30th May 43

In Burma it looked like he was about to cross the river into Prome with almost 40 units including 3000! AFVs, but again he changes his mind at the last minute as I manage to get all 3 tanks divs into place. Even so, I'm surprised he didn't still go ahead anyway, after all it is a clear hex although I have 4.5 forts there. His units are moving back north and east. He continues to bomb my troops and sweep but I'm just letting my fighter sqds rest for now. If I didn't know any better I would think this was just one big diversion for me to commit more troops to...

Down in Aus he has marched a div into Katherine but seems to have stopped there, I know its hard to get any supply to flow that far north. I have one div at Darwin with a few bits and pieces as well and it has 6 forts, so it won't be falling anytime soon. Over in the Solomons he is sweeping Rabual from shortlands and getting about 2:1 in kills but as most of my pilots survive I'm happy enough with that.

[Miller]

1st-30th June 43

The month gets off to a good start as a sub puts two torps into CVE Santee just one hex from PH and down she goes, the first flattop lost by either side in the game. The rest of the month is a snooze-fest. In Burma he has moved his massive stack of troops to Mandalay where they sit doing nothing for the time being. He has also stopped all offensive air ops all over the map, no bombing, no sweeping, nothing. So in order to liven things up a bit I decided (based on faulty recon) to do a full port strike on Shortlands with all my carriers. It looked like he had a lot of DDs there, but of course they turned out to be PTs and LCI's. His 150 fighters on CAP down about 100 KB a/c and another 50 or so land based sweepers from Rabual[:@] In turn I sink a couple of seaplane tenders and a 20 LCI/PTs, another lesson learned the hard way.....

[obvert]

ORIGINAL: Miller

1st-30th June 43

The month gets off to a good start as a sub puts two torps into CVE Santee just one hex from PH and down she goes, the first flattop lost by either side in the game. The rest of the month is a snooze-fest. In Burma he has moved his massive stack of troops to Mandalay where they sit doing nothing for the time being. He has also stopped all offensive air ops all over the map, no bombing, no sweeping, nothing. So in order to liven things up a bit I decided (based on faulty recon) to do a full port strike on Shortlands with all my carriers. It looked like he had a lot of DDs there, but of course they turned out to be PTs and LCI's. His 150 fighters on CAP down about 100 KB a/c and another 50 or so land based sweepers from Rabual[:@] In turn I sink a couple of seaplane tenders and a 20 LCI/PTs, another lesson learned the hard way.....

Invasion on the way!

Getting those summer CVs and a few more planes in the pools, then ... look out!

[Miller]

ORIGINAL: obvert

ORIGINAL: Miller

1st-30th June 43

The month gets off to a good start as a sub puts two torps into CVE Santee just one hex from PH and down she goes, the first flattop lost by either side in the game. The rest of the month is a snooze-fest. In Burma he has moved his massive stack of troops to Mandalay where they sit doing nothing for the time being. He has also stopped all offensive air ops all over the map, no bombing, no sweeping, nothing. So in order to liven things up a bit I decided (based on faulty recon) to do a full port strike on Shortlands with all my carriers. It looked like he had a lot of DDs there, but of course they turned out to be PTs and LCI's. His 150 fighters on CAP down about 100 KB a/c and another 50 or so land based sweepers from Rabual[:@] In turn I sink a couple of seaplane tenders and a 20 LCI/PTs, another lesson learned the hard way.....

Invasion on the way!

Getting those summer CVs and a few more planes in the pools, then ... look out!

Oh yes, I'm sure of that. But where??

[Miller]

As Obvert indicated, now that the big Allied push is looking close, its time to consider where Kane will strike. The options:

Kuriles

Pros: Would put him in strat bombing range of Hokkaido and NE tip of the mainland.

Cons: Would be hard to achieve surprise, within 2 days steaming for my CVs, would activate emergency reinforcements in Japan.

I can't see this to be honest. He has built up Shemya Island to the max in the western Aleutians but nothing else. I think it would be a late game adventure for him.


Rabual/Truk/Marianas

He could easily bypass the first two but would have to commit everything to the Marianas. Again, I think this is unlikely as he would face most of my fleet and the lack of surprise factor. Perhaps early/mid 44 when he has plenty of CVEs in play.


Timor/Celebes


A strong possibility but I think he would need to retake Darwin first. His troops continue to rest at Katherine so supply looks to be an issue.


Java/Sumatra

This is where my money would go at the moment. Again, surprise would be hard for him to achieve but it would take my fleet a few turns to make an appearance. I have built up Batavia and Surubaya to the max but we all know LBA is unreliable against big amphibious invasions. If he he got a good foothold on Java it wouldn't be long before Palembang was closed for business....


Burma

This is a strange one. Despite the fact he has more than enough to breach my defensive line in at least one area he seems to have given up here for the time being. One option for him would be an amphibious landing somewhere like Tavoy or Victoria Point to cut off all my troops in Burma, but I don't think he has the spare manpower to do this as virtually everything from India appears to already be in Burma.


China

I think we have an unofficial truce at the moment. He's getting supply through now but it will take him time to build up all the battered and respawned divisions sitting at Chunking. Don't think anything will happen here until 44.

[Lowpe]

I am not sure you can look at pros and cons with Mr. Kane. I think he is trying for new experiences, so I would look to understand what he hasn't done.

Of course if you offer him low hanging fruit...

[BBfanboy]

Only Paramushiro Jima triggers emergency reinforcements. It is country code 100; the rest of the Kuriles are code 101. Use key 4 to see.