Mushrooms over Maizuru: Chickenboy (J) vs. AcePylut (A)

[AcePylut]

There are two of them in the DEI. One in Batavia, one in Soerbaja (sp). I'll probably grab them both. ~100PP for 200 AV in Oz in 42, along with the support and engineers, imho that would be worth it.

[rustysi]

OK, but remember each ID on the WC will cost at least ~1500 points to buy out, and that's if they come in at ~1/2 strength. That's a full month for each. Plan accordingly.

Oh, and one more thing, how are you when it comes to your withdrawals? They'll cost 'tons' of PP's if they don't get out on time.

[AcePylut]

No worries about withdrawals yet, it's only Dec 10th. I'm pretty good at keeping aware of them and getting the ships out. Same with airplanes.

Right now I've about got those P38 Squadrons changed out to garbage planes... so as soon as I get a US Squadron in OZ, I can change that over to the P38's I'll have in the bank.

[Mike Solli]

Where do the ships to be withdrawn have to be in order for that to happen?

[AcePylut]

I don't recall exactly, I usually make sure they are off the map, because iirc they can only be withdrawn if they are not damaged, and I don't want to risk having them damaged by some sneaky attack and then they have to sit in port for 3 months repairing... draining my PP.

I don't know if any of that is actually factual, because I just figured if they were off-map, they'd be fine.

Peanut Gallery care to chime in?

[AcePylut]

Thanks Bullwinkle:

fb.asp?m=4320072

48. Gameplay Change: Allow ship withdrawals at any on map level-9 port and some smaller ports with no enemy nearby. Ships can always be withdrawn from any off- map port or from any TF that is currently off map. Ships that are not badly damaged can be withdrawn from some on-map ports or from TFs in certain on-map regions. For on map, ship may not be on fire, total damage may not exceed 99 and no individual damage type (system, floatation, engine) may exceed 50. Ships may not be withdrawn from any on-map location where the enemy has air superiority. The
intent is to prevent withdrawal as a method of saving a ship that stands a good chance of being lost or further damaged. On map withdrawal ports are set based on the historical exit locations for ships leaving the Pacific:

1. Any level 9 port.

2. National home ports of the United States, Canada, India, Australia, and New
Zealand (with no port level requirement)

3. Any level 7 or larger port on the US or Canadian West Coast.

4. Any level 7 or larger Indian port Wast of Ceylon (including Ceylon itself)

5. Any level 7 or larger port in South Eastern Australia, plus Perth.

6. Any level 7 or larger port in New Zealand.

[Mike Solli]

Thanks, guys!

[AcePylut]

Dec 10th, 1941:

I know this is pretty lame so far, but that's how the first little bit goes...

IJN subs make an appearance around the Batavia/Osthaven/Palemburg triangle and sink about 4-5 ships. One IJ sub appeared to take moderate damage. At Pearl Harbor, I have the airforce and multiple sub hunter killer tf's out there working to clear the waters of the sub threat.

Invasion fleets show up at Miri, Kuching, Kaveing, Wewak, and the Admiralty Islands. KB is positioned east of Leyte.

Orders were given for that Dutch Base Force to go into strat mode and move to Tijltap (sp) for extraction. Tomorrow I"ll do the same to the other bf in Soerabaja (sp).

In good news, one of my escaped Manila subs planted an exploding torp into the side of a PB!

As expected, lots of background re-organization taking place.

[AcePylut]

Dec 11th: Another day another dollah...

More sub attacks and sinkings in the Batavia/Palemburg/Oosthaven triangle. KB huddles around Davao. Chickenboy has not started his march down Malaysia yet. Hong Kong survives it's first assault.

[rustysi]

Chickenboy has not started his march down Malaysia yet.

[&:][:-]

Hong Kong survives it's first assault.

Yeah, but that won't last. Not that we don't know that already.

Thanks for the updates. Will keep checking to see when the real action begins.[:)]

[AcePylut]

Dec 13th, time to go hunting....

[AcePylut]

2 days ago, some IJ forces appeared at Kuching as an apparent invasion. The next turn, some Netties out of Siagon attacked a fleeting fleet from Manila. I didn't react, and the next turn that fleet at Kuching disappeared. Thinking about it, I believe the Kuching fleet was bait, to pull some valuable combat ships to Kuching (Force Z), for him to use his Netties to sink the POW and Repulse.


I have not spotted anything invasion wise headed to Darwin, and this might be another "bait and sink" trick, however, he doesn't have any torp planes in range of Darwin, so I feel confident in heading after these fleets with my available SCTF's. I may lose more than he does, however, in the long run, I can afford to lose 2x as many ships especially since attacking now, would show him I'm not Sir Robin'ing.

Here is the search coverage over the area, using a combination of B17's, Dutch Floaties, Cats, and Hudsons.

[grond69]

Schooling opportunity: how do you turn on the search arcs?? I have to go through my bases individually and can't see whether I have sufficient overlap. I have looked in the manual but couldn't find anything

[Bullwinkle58]

'Z' key.

[grond69]

Thanks for that. Please tell me its not in the manual...

[Bullwinkle58]

Possibly not. Not everything is. There are hotkey lists floating about the forum. Some players use them a lot; some don't.

[BBfanboy]

ORIGINAL: Bullwinkle58

Possibly not. Not everything is. There are hotkey lists floating about the forum. Some players use them a lot; some don't.

The manual has an extensive hotkey list in section 2.2 near the front. The Z key is on the list.

[tolsdorff]

There are a lot of airgroups that don't appear to be that useful, that can be withdrawn early. These will net a lot of extra PP if you withdraw in time.

I don't know what the precise algorithm is. After playing with it a bit, it 'appears something like' : Any airgroups within 4 months of their withdraw-deadline, when under an unrestriced HQ, will earn PP when withdrawn. Note the 'It appears something like', I am sure someone here knows the exact criteria.


The US HQ squadron's for example can be disbanded as early as march 1942. a b17e HQ of 3 airplanes will net 63 PP when withdrawn in march, a 3 plane B-18 HQ will net 35 PP etc.

For some squadrons it's obviously a choice whether to do this. Pilot training won't be maximized. Other things as well probably.

Up until mid 1943, I guess I gained a couple of 1000 extra PP that way.

[AcePylut]

Most of the "worthless" air groups (P26, B10 Bolo, etc.) I try to either withdraw or disband to get those planes into the pool. Then, I go to my permanently restricted airgroups with good planes (B17, B25, P38, etc.) and change those into the 'garbage' planes so that I have good planes in my pool. Then I go into my unrestricted air groups and try and upgrade them to the "good" planes. I'm pretty pro-active in trying to get those "free PP".

I don't worry too much about not having another 50-100 airplanes to train pilots for 2 months, it won't really matter too much as I have plenty of training going on in the back.


For the turn, that "single ship" at Darwin was a miner. My 2CL SCTF blasted it to bits. The IJN 2CA 6DD fleet moved to Koepang.

I have three tf's at likely egress locations to try and get it.

Kavieng fell, as did a couple of PI bases from the rowboat corps. I have collected a scratch force of available combat ships in the South Pacific at Shortlands Island. It has assorted CA CL DD from various nations. They are headed up to Kavieng to engage whatever remains. Following that, they've been ordered to skirt along the north coast of New Britian and return through the Lae-Finschaven straights as another IJ invasion fleet has appeared at Lae.

[AcePylut]

Dec 14th:

Today was a good action-ey day.

Of note: My plan to intercept the 2CL 6 DD fleet worked. 3 hexes North of Koepang, Force Z intercepted the fleet - which had 1 CL and 5DD - and engaged in a 2 action battle. The first round was inconclusive, the BB POW and CL Mauritius each took one insignificant hit, no damage to the IJ. Fleets disengaged, but then drew battle in the next hex to the North West. A running duel beginning at 5k yards, decreasing to 2k, the to 7k, then 5k, then 12k, the disengagement saw the IJ CL Nagara slip under the waves. 2 IJ DD each took a hit. The BC Repulse took a torpedo.

Force Z:
BB Prince of Wales, Shell hits 2
BC Repulse, Shell hits 2, Torpedo hits 1
CL Mauritius
CL Marblehead
DD Barker
DD Bulmer
DD Paul Jones, Shell hits 1
DD Parrott
DD Stewart
DD Stronghold
DD Tenedos

IJ Fleet:
CL Nagara, Shell hits 6, and is sunk
DD Yukikaze
DD Yamakaze
DD Kawakaze, Shell hits 1
DD Umikaze, Shell hits 1
DD Suzukaze

The Repulse ended up with 19 Sys Damage and 17 Float damage. She'll retire and not be a factor in the DEI any longer. The IJ DD's ended up at Makassar. They will most likely run the Balikpapan corridor and risk running over 6 Allied subs, or they will make a dash between Java and Borneo to Kuching. I have a small Dutch CL/DD fleet in this corridor that will attempt an engagement.

Next, at Kavieng, CA's Louisville and Canberra, CL's Perth and Adelaide, and DD's Voyager and Triomphant met 3 PB, 1xAK, and 7 xAKL and sank all of them. 468 IJ troops want to the bottom with those transports. Banzai! My fleet skirted across the north of New Britian and will attempt to engage an IJ fleet unloading at Lae. I suspect there's at least one cruiser as I believe I saw a ship based scout plane report something around Lae in the last turn.

In other happenings of note: A Chinese Corps entered Canton and was immediately booted. I should have waited a couple of days to enter with 2-3 corps and they it would hold for a while.

Luganville was invaded today.