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

[rustysi]

f I am going to “forward push” right now – it’s going to be at Tabiteuea and the surrounding isles in the Gilberts. This collection of bases is a hinge point between PH and Oz - in that if I control Tabby and the surrounding isles, there’s a whole lot to the South and East that doesn’t need to be covered… but if I don’t control Tabiteuea , then the amount of bases to the S and E that are vulnerable and/or need attention to provide Cat coverage increases dramatically. I need/want to bulk up Canton and Baker Island in concert, as it would be easy for the IJ to bypass Tab, take Canton, and semi-effectively isolate Tab from supplies. Of course, tomorrow may shift everything around should an invasion fleet show up at Tabby 😊

I like this one as long as the KB isn't in the 'hood.

I'll leave the A-24's on Naval Strike this turn and see if anything else shows up, if not I'll retire them to Townsville.

I don't know, I kinda like the idea of these guys at PM. As a JFB, I'm pretty loathed to put my carriers in range of LBA armed with 1000 lbers. I forget does he have Milne Bay (Gili-Gili)? If so then it doesn't matter.

To me it seems that CB is over extending himself a bit in the SE. Too much 'terrain' for the KB to effectively cover and should give the opportunity for some raids on his SLOC. Its why I like the idea of your ops in the Gilberts. Otherwise I would have advised against it.

Hope some of this helps, and gives food for thought. And yes, I do realize its your game. I'm enjoying just seeing things from the Allied perspective for a change. I hope I can make it detrimental for CB to have decided not to do an AAR, as essentially I'm a 'spy' right now.[:D] See I've only played as Japan as yet, and I don't like to read both sides of an AAR for fear of giving something away. Here I don't have to worry about that.[;)]

[BBfanboy]

Nice luck on those A-24s hitting the DMSs. What are the Experience and NavB ratings for the squadron leader? Did you notice what their experience gain was?

[AcePylut]

rustyi: Look at Iachang from the Allied pov. If I don't have that corridor, if I want to move units from "west" china to "east" China, they have to go up and around that dirt road northeast of Chunking. That's quite a journey... but if I have Iachang, I can move a stack into "east" china relatively quickly. All in all, though, once the IJ starts pushing and I start falling back to the "second" line of defense, Iachang loses its value.

BBFanboy: Those A-24 pilot's experience is in the 20's. IDK about the leader, figured it sucked also. I woulnd't worry about the chance of them hitting anything on the KB - after all, I'd have to go through CAP... perhaps 1 would get through, if 1000 other things go right and I hit the lotto and jackpot on the same day. I believe I'd have a better chance of having a B17 park a bomb on a CV, and I've never been able to do that (but one day, I will, and then I will rejoice).

[AcePylut]

PS I appreciate the insight from the IJ point of view! Please keep it up as it gives me things to think about and possible IJ strategies to contend with that I hadn't thought about.

[AcePylut]

I always call Milne Bay "Gili-Gili" because that's what it was called in the AH game Flattop, and so I just can't think of it as "Milne Bay".

[AcePylut]

Here's my A24 squadron.

Judging by the morale dump post-mission.... my green, untrained, noobies didn't like being sent on a combat mission.

[BBfanboy]

Experience that low and no experience gain? I am beginning to wonder if that A-24 unit really was the one that sank two DMSs! Sync bug? Extreme FOW? Another A-24 unit?

[AcePylut]

This was the "2nd" day after sinking the two DMS's... I left these guys on a naval strike, but there was nothing to fly against. You can see that this unit is based at PM.

IIRC if you look at the pilots and they are "green" colored, that means the gained exp in the previous day, but if they are "orange" they gained it in the previous month. Am I right or do I have that backwards? I am at work at the moment and can't check.

Interesting that, as you say, there appears to be no exp gain for any pilots in this unit. Even if they did have FOW on their attack against the DMS's and didn't do anything, they should have received *some* exp gain at least because they actually flew a combat mission. WTH game engine???

These pilots aren't even worth preserving if they don't gain exp in a big way, come March 24th.. and not worth changing their leader at the moment either.

Which reminds me - now that I've got things a little more organized, it's time to go on an "Air Group Leader Change PP Spending Spree" and get the right commanders in the right squadrons!

[BBfanboy]

I see no colour in any of the numbers you posted.
Green numbers mean a gain last turn. Orange numbers mean there was one or more points gained during that month. At the beginning of the next month the colours are reset to white.

The quality of the group leader might have something to do with experience gains. He does not seem to have the overall Experience, Air skill or anything else to do a post-mortem on the attack for learning purposes.

[AcePylut]

"At the beginning of the next month the colours are reset to white. "

A-ha. That's it. Those screen shots come from the January 1st turn so everything reset itself to white. (I missed a day or two of game time in my AAR so it's off).

[AcePylut]

Jan 1st (I missed a couple days of updates - not much happened) Again, not much happening. I think CB is consolidating and organizing for the next (and final) push through the DEI.

I had received a cryptic email before I ran the turn - it referenced the Godfather and Vito sleeping with the fishes. I was really nervous because I used THIS turn to shuttle the Yorktown (at San Deigo) to the Panama Canal... alone... and I feared she got torped in those three hexes between SD and the off map... but it turned out that a Jap sub torped the xAK Vito at Pago Pago. Phew.

Some TB's caught my last, damaged, transport leaving Manila and sank it. Not much escaped the Manila cauldron... but a DD and the AS Otus did make Midway this turn. Woot Woot. Also, there is a PG not far behind.

This occurred at Palembang: TF 62 encounters mine field at Palembang (48,91) - Coastal Guns Fire Back! 17 Coastal gun shots fired in defense. DMS W-3, Shell hits 3, on fire...DMS W-2, Shell hits 7, heavy fires, heavy damage. 11 mines cleared.... This was followed up by the SS KXII putting a torp into that W-2. I've moved some of those Dutchie bombers into the airfield for naval strikes.


Air phase was mostly about 100+ crap IJ Bombers going into Canton, unescorted and without a sweep. I've moved 2 Fighting Tiger Squadrons to Kweilin (sp) and am LRCapping Canton at 70%. I've done this cat and mouse over the last two weeks, but this is the first heavy, 2 air group at a high percentage, LRCAP.

Japan also sent bombers to some units of mine in the open, by Hankow. I'm using my third Fighting Tiger squad on LRCap next turn and we'll see how that goes.

Japan bombarded Wenchow. He has 4 ID and a Mixed Regiment for 1514 AV, I have 3 Corps for 981 AV.


Japan shocked at Loyang, and quite frankly I was surprised by how drastically my AV (and his, for that matter) was reduced. I lost the base.

Ground combat at Loyang (87,43)

Japanese Shock attack

Attacking force 37100 troops, 366 guns, 111 vehicles, Assault Value = 1313

Defending force 33514 troops, 156 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 1097

Japanese engineers reduce fortifications to 0

Japanese adjusted assault: 469

Allied adjusted defense: 206

Japanese assault odds: 2 to 1 (fort level 0)

Japanese forces CAPTURE Loyang !!!

Allied aircraft
no flights

Allied aircraft losses
I-16-III: 8 destroyed

Combat modifiers
Defender: experience(-)
Attacker: shock(+)

Japanese ground losses:
6235 casualties reported
Squads: 12 destroyed, 284 disabled
Non Combat: 1 destroyed, 22 disabled
Engineers: 1 destroyed, 74 disabled

Allied ground losses:
8127 casualties reported
Squads: 491 destroyed, 104 disabled
Non Combat: 584 destroyed, 15 disabled
Engineers: 105 destroyed, 2 disabled
Guns lost 38 (27 destroyed, 11 disabled)
Units retreated 7

Assaulting units:
37th Division
110th Division
26th Division
6th Medium Field Artillery Regiment

Defending units:
93rd Chinese Corps
27th Chinese Corps
80th Chinese Corps
2nd Chinese Cavalry Corps
5th New Chinese Corps
14th Group Army
4th Chinese Base Force


In other places---

My first batch of units is about 2 turns out from Tahiti. This consists of everything needed to "make" a base (INF, HQ, AA, ART, CD, ARM, ENG, etc.) units. Oz is becoming an island fortress, I have no fears anymore about an assault on OZ. I expect to lose Darwin and the north coast... but at this point, I can fight for anything else. Next stop is to start expanding outward. I would imagine that in about 1 month, I could have enough units in Noumea to make a stand there. I'm torn between trying to reinforce Noumea or Tabiteuea (sp). I'm leaning towards Tab since controlling that makes the "West Coast to OZ" journey much shorter than if I have to go to Tahiti, then west to OZ.

[rustysi]

ORIGINAL: AcePylut

PS I appreciate the insight from the IJ point of view! Please keep it up as it gives me things to think about and possible IJ strategies to contend with that I hadn't thought about.

Yeah, I'm learning too.[:D]

Haven't really looked at an Allied AAR as yet.


Edit:Nothing against you, but TBH if CB had done an AAR I'd probably be following from that side.[:D]

[rustysi]

I always call Milne Bay "Gili-Gili" because

Understood. Its why I put both names in there in the first place.[:)]

[rustysi]

Japan shocked at Loyang, and quite frankly I was surprised by how drastically my AV (and his, for that matter) was reduced.

If you look closely you'll see his losses were rather insignificant. Mostly disablement's, and a lot of those will probably recover 'overnight'. He may have one unit that's somewhat out of it for now. Your retreated guys OTOH look like they're pretty beat up.

Don't try to sugar coat it.[:D]

[rustysi]

This occurred at Palembang: TF 62 encounters mine field at Palembang (48,91) - Coastal Guns Fire Back! 17 Coastal gun shots fired in defense. DMS W-3, Shell hits 3, on fire...DMS W-2, Shell hits 7, heavy fires, heavy damage. 11 mines cleared.... This was followed up by the SS KXII putting a torp into that W-2. I've moved some of those Dutchie bombers into the airfield for naval strikes.

I keep telling guys to simply embed their minesweepers into their invasion TF's, but no one will listen. My experience shows they'll do their job nicely from in there, while having the protection of the big guns in the rest of the TF. Oh well, your gain.

[rustysi]

I'm torn between trying to reinforce Noumea or Tabiteuea (sp). I'm leaning towards Tab since controlling that makes the "West Coast to OZ" journey much shorter than if I have to go to Tahiti, then west to OZ.

I get what you're trying to do here, but I think Noumea is more important. You may still get Tab later since its a bit exposed on the fringe of the 'Empire'. Just set the op up and when you know the KB is away, grab it.

Patience 'Grasshopper'.[:D]

Remember time is on your side.

[rustysi]

I can move a stack into "east" china relatively quickly.

East China I see as a lost cause. North and Northeast are a bit easier. Good defensive terrain, and something of a road network. To the east, too much clear terrain, and no real road network. You don't want to fight Japan in that location.

[rustysi]

My first batch of units is about 2 turns out from Tahiti. This consists of everything needed to "make" a base (INF, HQ, AA, ART, CD, ARM, ENG, etc.) units.

These are the kind of ops that will get you where you need to be. Secure one and move on to the next. Setting up your SLOC is everything, without it you won't be able to sustain forward ops. I believe too many AFB's fail to take this into account.

Everything else should just be a spoiler or diversion to keep him 'honest'.

[rustysi]

Oz is becoming an island fortress, I have no fears anymore about an assault on OZ. I expect to lose Darwin and the north coast... but at this point, I can fight for anything else.

As it should be. Darwin is a non-factor at this point, you've really got nothing to launch from there right now. You can get it back later at your leisure.

[rustysi]

it's time to go on an "Air Group Leader Change PP Spending Spree" and get the right commanders in the right squadrons!

OK, but don't over do it. I keep saying that I believe AFB's fritter away PP's and then cry to the AE Gods when they can't buy out those all important ID's on the west coast. Even an under-strength unit will cost around 1500 PP's. That's a full month of them dude. Being cheap here is not wrong.

BTW, as a JFB I can tell you that even half an ID that's in pretty good shape would be difficult for Japan to dislodge from a well set up base. She just doesn't have lots of large units to put into the advance. Add to that that said unit(s) will be 'beaten' up in an invasion.

In my current AI game I took Midway, just because... Well the AI had a 'standard' defense set up (like you will have in Tahiti) and my ID is still recovering some three months later.

Again he may be able to move further in one area or another, but he can't do it forever or for long. Especially in scenario one.

Edit: And the ID at Midway was removed from said base to recover at wonderful Truk. Big base, lotsa supply, tons of support, and the unit was split to draw replacements.[8|]