Quisling! An AFB does Japan (No PanzerKat)

[John B.]

Some notes of historical interest. The A62M is the most destroyed plane. So many transport losses for him and 99% of them to ops. But, each one is a VP!

[John B.]

The list everyone cares about. I still have a big lead in dead carriers. I think he's only lost 3 and not 4 US CVs.

[John B.]

My current production screen with stockpiles. I honestly have no idea if this is good or bad. The KI84a Frank just showed up so I'm cranking up that production as quickly as possible!

[John B.]

There was a carrier battle over Mindanao with the KB north of the island and the American KB south of the island. Scott maneuvered me into a disadvantageous position (you know how crafty those occidentals can be) and had the advantage of some land based CAP. The long and short of is is that he basically wiped out the carrier aviation arm. The day before this picture I think I lost some 200 planes or so. It was very sad. . My carriers are not back and Manila where I'm cobbling together a new fleet air arm.

[John B.]

On a less dim note, my carriers have proved to be tough birds. Scott damaged the Akagi, Ryujo and Katsuragi but they are all back in Manila. Noted on this map are two damaged IJN CVs that have disbanded. Near Mindanao there is the Junyo which was badly damaged but can still go at 2/1. The game is actually three turns on and Scott did a port strike but the Junyo got away and now the question is can it get home through the allied sub gauntlet (my asw even in shallow water seems to be lacking in effectiveness). The northern CV was damaged by torpedoes at the start of the operation. It's at 85 flotation. I've moved some naval repair squadrons into it's port to help get it down to where it can make it to Manila.

So, the flattops are there and under repair (hey, a poem!) I just need to rebuild the planes. So, it could be worse especially for January 1944!

[John B.]

On a slightly brighter note, I did land my tanks and push the Americans out of Surigao. Net net it's not likely to be any significant VP gain but if Scott's not killing me at 2-1 I'm winning. I've also had a series of effective night bombing raids on his Mindinao bases. I've been getting 2-3 P-47s each evening which always makes me feel good.

My KB planes did not do any damage to his carriers but a brave group of DDs did engage them in surface action. Alas it was in the daytime so there was no close in torpedo work but the American CVS each took two shell hits. I lost 3 DDs but that's a gamble that can be worth taking and it helps to keep the fear of God in the Americans. That same turn one of my subs put a torpedo in the Hornet. No reports of major damage.

So, Scott is consolidating Mindanao which is close but not really able to choke off my raw materials route, especially given that my CVs are still around (makes sending out surface raiders more risky). Manila will be a tough nut for him to crack so the fight is ongoing!

[John B.]

It's probably helpful to be a glutton for punishment as the IJN in 1944. But, the latest intel has the American CVs east of Mindanao with surface TFs off of Samar. SO, if the KB moves to the hex with the x (not to be confused the vessel with the pestle that has the brew that is true) and limits it's airstrike range to 4 AND if my many land based fighters in Manila sweep over Samar AND if the betties, Jills, and Franceses in Manila pile on then MAYBE I can do some damage to his surface ships.

In the words of my dear departed friend Ruwe "what could possibly go wrong!"

(He made this statement during a game of circus maximus when he sent his chariot into a high speed turn which would flip only on an 18 rolled on three six sided dice. I don't need to tell you the result).[:)]

[John B.]

Well, things did not go as planned, but, I'm also pretty happy with the result. I think it may even count as a little bit of a Japanese victory. As you can see, Scott did not do what he was supposed to and moved his CVs back close to Samar. This resulted in another carrier battle.

[John B.]

Here are my ships after the exchange of air blows. Take the Akagi out of the equation as it was already damaged so it was not hit. You can see that Scott did negligible damage to the KB flat tops. Not pictured here was the BB which took two torpedo hits but is still able to make 4/2 speed and is not on fire so, barring something bad, it should be able to return to Manila.

[John B.]

And, in return, I did almost the same amount of damage to him. Two torpedo hits on BBs and a couple of bomb hits on his CVs. No one is out of the fight, but he'll have to send the BBs back to Pearl to fix any flotation damage.

[John B.]

Where I think that this turn went well was in the air. The USN actually lost more planes than I did! I looks like about 3 CVs worth of aircraft. My losses were heavy as well, but, this should take a couple of his CVs out of the fight until they can get replacements and I'm able to restock right away from Manila and from the squadrons on damaged CVs.

My forces are retiring to Manila and may be back out depending on what Scott does. the land based torpedo bombers did not launch from Manila (much to my irritation) and the fighter sweeps took some heavy losses since they're flying at extended range but still, a victory in a carrier air battle is always welcome if it can slow down the US even a little bit.

Oh, his PT boats did since a 10 VP DD near Samar for the loss of only three of their own. [8|]

[John B.]

I am a bit curious about the air losses. The game total losses for sb2C-1C is 48 lost in air-to-air but this turn he is reported to have lost 52 in air-to-air. Does the game total not include the turn total? Or, is the game total more correct?

[anarchyintheuk]

ORIGINAL: John B.

I am a bit curious about the air losses. The game total losses for sb2C-1C is 48 lost in air-to-air but this turn he is reported to have lost 52 in air-to-air. Does the game total not include the turn total? Or, is the game total more correct?

I usually go with the game totals. Can't say for certain. Excellent result for an IJN '44 CV battle.

Fond memories of Circus Maximus.

[GetAssista]

ORIGINAL: John B.
I am a bit curious about the air losses. The game total losses for sb2C-1C is 48 lost in air-to-air but this turn he is reported to have lost 52 in air-to-air. Does the game total not include the turn total? Or, is the game total more correct?

One of the few places in this game where FOW is inconsistent, getting the data from different channels. The other one I know is a reporting of your own sunk ships - the wrong name is often reported in the messages during the turn.

[John B.]

The game total is probably correct but I'm still happy with what it says!

[tarkalak]

The reported enemy air losses could be inflated up to double the actual loss.

I remember seeing such a thing from both AARs of a single game and also in my own AI games.

[John B.]

Tarkalak,

I think you might be right. Here is the Japanese air loss screen from October 1944 in the last game I played with Scott (he was the Japanese and we exchanged passwords after the game so we could check out the other side).

[John B.]

And here is the loss screen from the allied player for the same turn. Perhaps just a little inflation of air loss claims from over eager pilots. I assume that the Japanese numbers on the Japanese screen are correct and that the allied numbers on the allied screen are correct.

[John B.]

But, I'm still happy about the air battle this past turn in the current game. Scott may not have lost quite as many planes, but he still lost a whole bunch! It gladdens the heart of the Emperor!

[John B.]

I'm not 100% sure but I think my subs just sank an american BB with just two torpedos. One of the hits registered critcial damage, then there were sinking sounds, and finally, there were 4 float planes listed as destroyed. If that's the case then BANZAI!!