Notes from a Small Island

[Canoerebel]

1/7/45

Air Losses: This screen shows 190 enemy fighters downed to 112 Allied fighters. That's not as good a spread as I had hoped for, but it's decent.

My main concern is my Hellcats. If most of those losses came from Death Star, I'll need to bring in some reinforcements.

[dave sindel]

Really enjoyed the play-by-play narrative.

[Canoerebel]

<chortle>

[:)]

[Canoerebel]

I can think of five basic plans Erik might employ here:

1. Disband his ships at Sapporo under maximum CAP (unlikely, because he'll be worried about naval bombardment wrecking his airfiled)
2. Send all his ships fleeing to Ominato or other safe harbor, chancing mid-ocean intercepts by Allied combat TFs, and withdrawing all his CAP, thus chancing an Allied bombardment against a mostly vacant base.
3. Post all his combat ships (plus whatever else he has) on patrol in Sapporo under maximum CAP, hoping he can ward off Allied combat ships and bombardment TFs.
4. The same as #3, but sortie some combat TFs to try to intercept DS and its accompanying combat TFs in a spoiling attack, leaving CAP in place over Sapporo.
5. Sortie all combat ships against DS, hoping for surface combat that knocks out some of my carriers.

There are variations of these.

Now I'm trying to figure out if there's one Allied plan that I really like. If not, I'll try to come up with a plan that thwarts/neutralizes as many of his as possible.

My biggest concern is a mid-ocean intercept in which his cruisers gang up on my carriers. That's a possibility no matter where I deploy DS. So I'm almost certainly going to send some Allied combat TFs to Sapporo, in a spoiling maneuver, no matter what overall plan I come up with.

[JohnDillworth]

That's a best frustrating. Got off a big, well coordinated strike and didn't manage to hit the big fellas. Guess if you get the planes you might consider going again.This is perplexing. Night port strikes or night airfield strikes

[Canoerebel]

Working plan for tomorrow: Commit subs, PT TFs, DD Tfs, and perhaps one or more CA TFs to raid Sapporo, looking for combat. Pull Death Star back a few hexes towards Wakkanai. Stand down strike aircraft (I rate it unlikely that a bombardment TF would succeed in neutralizing Sapporo airfield and highly likely that Death Star strike would impale itself against Erik's CAP, now that he's aroused.

If Allied ships managed to hit and cripple some/most of Erik's combat ships, a strike would be ready the next day. If nothing materializes worthwile, DS will be in a position to proceed with the next amphibious op.

Allied LBA will sweep and bomb Sapporo airfield and shipping again.

[BBfanboy]

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

Working plan for tomorrow: Commit subs, PT TFs, DD Tfs, and perhaps one or more CA TFs to raid Sapporo, looking for combat. Pull Death Star back a few hexes towards Wakkanai. Stand down strike aircraft (I rate it unlikely that a bombardment TF would succeed in neutralizing Sapporo airfield and highly likely that Death Star strike would impale itself against Erik's CAP, now that he's aroused.

If Allied ships managed to hit and cripple some/most of Erik's combat ships, a strike would be ready the next day. If nothing materializes worthwile, DS will be in a position to proceed with the next amphibious op.

Allied LBA will sweep and bomb Sapporo airfield and shipping again.

If he loads up Ominato, Hirosaki/Aomori, Akita and Sapporo with naval strike bombers, could they overwhelm DS CAP tomorrow?

[Canoerebel]

That's the risk, though the most likely outcome of an all-out attack would be his air force would be impailed for modest return.

Death Star will pull back a hex and thus have the benefit of more LRCAP from Wakkanai, which will be a hex distant.

[CaptBeefheart]

I love the way you built up expectations, only to suffer a Charlie Brown moment at the end. Well done, sir!

Cheers,
CB

[T Rav]

A good turn for a reasonable gain and recoverable losses.

What reader would want less effort day-to-day; what player could expect more results day-to-day?

Part of the fun for me is to try to guess what's next.

Thanks and Kudos,
T-Rav

[Mike Solli]

What's the composition of DS?

[Canoerebel]

I'm not sure how much info you want, but Death Star is big, strong, and has all kinds of TFs embedded. It's strong enough to accept the risk of steaming within close range of multiple large enemy airfields and the main concentration of the Japanese navy.

[Canoerebel]

I slept on the turn - a rarity reflecting the amount of thought given - and changed the plan this morning.

I believe Erik will either go all-in or all-out at Sapporo. If he's all-in, meaning mega-CAP, the Allied air force would likely take heavy losses, since Erik is now prepared and my guys are a bit tuckered out. If he's all-out, an Allied air strike wouldn't accomplish anything because there'd be nothing there to tangle with in aerial combat (the focus of Allied efforts) and any bombing success vs. the airfield would be temporary, as it's a level 9 field that could be quickly repaired. The Allies can't afford to give it perpetual attention, especially since other big supporting airfields are nearby. So the Allied plan is for the air force to mostly rest today, barring the unlikely possibility that Erik deploys his navy forward, near Wakkanai, in which they'll be subject to full attack.

The main focus is Erik's cruisers at Sapporo. He may sortie them towards safety, towards Death Star, or he may keep them at Sapporo to ward off Allied bombardment TFs (none are coming). About six Allied combat TFs will target Sapporo to seek battle, along with PT boats and subs. The combat TFs will take several routes, in case the IJN cruisers are set to flee.

50 B-29s have night orders to hit Sapporo's port, in the unlikely chance that Erik disbands his cruisers in port.

Death Star will patrol near Wakkanai. From there, it can continue the attack on Sapporo if things appear propitious. If not, it will be in position to proceed with the next amphibious assault.

[JohnDillworth]

Now here is a dumb thought. I believe this is scenario 1. If so that means few Night Fighters for Japan. Even if you opponent pushed a few into production there can’t be a whole lot of them. But what ever he has he might have at Sapporo . Here is the dumb part. Do you have any night fighters? If so do they have a sweep setting? Maybe sweep before your bombers go it?

[Canoerebel]

To the best of my knowledge, night fighters can't fly sweep or escort missions at night.

But it just so happens that this turn I set one Black Widow squadron to escort the B-29 raid on Sapporo's port, just to see if it happens to work.

P.S. Erik seems to have plenty of night fighters that work - or at least, fighters that suffice at night.

[dave sindel]

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

To the best of my knowledge, night fighters can't fly sweep or escort missions at night.

But it just so happens that this turn I set one Black Widow squadron to escort the B-29 raid on Sapporo's port, just to see if it happens to work.

P.S. Erik seems to have plenty of night fighters that work - or at least, fighters that suffice at night.

I'm curious to find out if this escort happens. I've tried setting the F4U-2 Corsair Night Fighers to sweep - the game allows that mission - but I dont think it actually happens. Or at least I've never seen a combat report indicating the mission occurred.

[Mike Solli]

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

I'm not sure how much info you want, but Death Star is big, strong, and has all kinds of TFs embedded. It's strong enough to accept the risk of steaming within close range of multiple large enemy airfields and the main concentration of the Japanese navy.

I was just curious how many CVs and CVLs you have. Just a morbid JFB curiosity.

[Simonsez]

More than even you can imagine.....[:D]

[Lokasenna]

If he's aware of how carrier TFs function, then I think the most likely thing is he will attempt a surface intercept of the carriers. Doing so will cancel any Remain On Station orders for them and they will begin retiring towards their home port.

This could potentially leave some of your assets with their pants down.

[Canoerebel]

Yes, I figured a spoiling attack or an all-out attack by his combat TFs was the main thing I had to provide for. Hence the Allied combat TFs heading to Sapporo, hopefully acting as spoilers themselves.

The home port for most of my TFs is Shikuka, of course. And that's also the "controlling" home port, since Pacific HQ is there.