Notes from a Small Island

[tarkalak]

ORIGINAL: MakeeLearn

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

4/29/45 to 5/1/45

TNNBT: The armada is making its way west in good shape.

....

Overall, things look very good. Recon paints a good picture. DS and The Herd are in good shape. Fuel shouldn't be an issue.

Switching to Solar?

Or opening the "row holes".

[RangerJoe]

Nope, probably natural gas. Why do you think that they call the small, white bean the "Navy" bean!

[Canoerebel]

5/2/45

TNNBT: The armada moves west today, mostly in good order. Judys from Iwo sink a few lagging ships, which looks ragged but doesn't mean anything other than the reality of the points.

If things go right tomorrow, Allied paratroops aboard two APDs will land at (apparently) unoccupied Kume Jima. The day after, a Marine division, engineers and base forces shall come ashore. This base is intended to serve surveillance purposes. Most importantly, when secure I can switch the home port of all TFs from Kushiro to this local base, reducing the AI's concerns about fuel levels.

The day after tomorrow, a similar landing will take place at (apparently) unoccupied Iriomote, near Formosa. It will take a couple of days for me to land follow up troops at the two islands, which in turn should allow the lagging ships to finally catch up.

In about three days, the armada will proceed to one or both of the primary destinations (these two islands were the two secondary targets).

[Canoerebel]

5/2/45

SEAC: Major Allied invasion to take place at Georgetown tomorrow. There's great risk here - KB could be lurking, and massed LBA could arrive - but I think it's worth it. I'm interested in seeing how he allocates his forces.

[Canoerebel]

5/2/45

The turn is away. It could be a bloody one. Assuming that handling the turn and the next one might take Erik quite awhile, I asked him to send the Combat Report, as soon as he ran the turn. No word from him yet.

As I wait with great and nervous expectations, a few things:

Death Star CAP: Here's the look that Erik got at Death Star CAP. It's very strong, but I can definitely envisions hundreds of aircraft attacking, a certain percentage getting through to wreak havoc, especially on CVEs. I can also envision Erik sending in waves of small fry that might scatter my TFs, exposing them to attack away from DS cover. It is likely that enemy alpha strikes will inflict losses but suffer terrible losses. I'm prepared for that, but of course my thoughts veer towards worst case scenarios, disasters, etc.

This game bears no relation to the real war, of course. Erik has thousands of good fighters. Most of them are posted in the Home Islands, protecting industry. They are third- (fourth?) generation models with superb pilots. His fighter corps in much strong than mine. And he just shifted 400 elite fighters from Bangkok to the Home Islands (I think). Paired with them are probably thousands of bombers and kamikazes, also piloted mostly by elite pilots. He hasn't launched any big raids in months, nor suffered any meaningful losses. His strike forces are in fast, high-quality aircraft. It's a scary thing.

Add to that his immense network of big airfields and it's a daunting thing.

The only way I could think of to counter the threat was to configure the Allied armada in this fashion, protected by every carrier available. The Death Star is unusual, but so are the waters in which it sails.

[Canoerebel]

5/2/45

Protecting the Armada: When I got a case of the yips last night, I calmed myself by clicking through the combat TFs embedded in the armada. Their quality and quantity are no guarantees against a smart, determined, a still-powerful foe, but they do provide a measure of reassurance.

[jwolf]

It looks like the unpredictable pace of the armada sometimes keeps you guessing, as well as Erik. [;)]

Are there any big airfields that you can hit with a bombardment fleet and maybe that way soften his strikes pre-emptively?

FWIW I definitely support the op going through at Georgetown as it is important to put heavy pressure against the enemy at multiple points. IMHO it would even be worth a semi-debacle there if it lightened the opposition at TNNBT.

[Canoerebel]

I can bombard, and will if necessary. But it's a tricky thing. The bombardment TF (at this time) has no base to retire to, so would either have to remain on station or pull back to some AI-determined hex. In either case, CAP would be an issue.

I'm not too worried about massed raids from Formosa and the Ryukus. DS should, I think, be able to handle things on that scale. It's when DS is near interlocking level 9 airfields that I get the willies.

I agree re: the Georgetown op.

[Canoerebel]

It's a pretty busy day here at work, but the computer is in front of me. I keep refreshing, hoping to find the turn (or the Combat Report) in my in-box. Thus far, utter silence from Erik. Darn it, man, send the Combat Report!

[Lecivius]

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

It's a pretty busy day here at work, but the computer is in front of me. I keep refreshing, hoping to find the turn (or the Combat Report) in my in-box. Thus far, utter silence from Erik. Darn it, man, send the Combat Report!

Psy-Ops [:D]

[jwolf]

That's not at all out of the question.

[Canoerebel]

Erik did the same thing during the incredibly prolonged Siege of Shikuka. Turn-around for turns slowed to a crawl. I think most of the reason was that he fine tunes every setting to the n-th degree - using waypoints and tolerances and commander aggression and everything. And he probably considers the psy-ops angles too.

But I can't figure out why he ignored my request for the Combat Report. That's not like him.

[HansBolter]

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

I can bombard, and will if necessary. But it's a tricky thing. The bombardment TF (at this time) has no base to retire to, so would either have to remain on station or pull back to some AI-determined hex. In either case, CAP would be an issue.

I'm not too worried about massed raids from Formosa and the Ryukus. DS should, I think, be able to handle things on that scale. It's when DS is near interlocking level 9 airfields that I get the willies.

I agree re: the Georgetown op.

My Ironman game is in August '45. During the period you are in my bombardments were set for Remain on Station with the DS one or at most two hexes away providing CAP. After the bombardment the TF returns to the DS hex to re-arm from the AE Replenishment TF sitting with the DS.

[MakeeLearn]

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

Erik did the same thing during the incredibly prolonged Siege of Shikuka. Turn-around for turns slowed to a crawl. I think most of the reason was that he fine tunes every setting to the n-th degree - using waypoints and tolerances and commander aggression and everything. And he probably considers the psy-ops angles too.

But I can't figure out why he ignored my request for the Combat Report. That's not like him.

War is hell.

[MakeeLearn]

Here is a book recommendation:
One Of Jackson's Foot Cavalry

A detailed and sometime humorous account of the Civil War from the the experience of an infantryman. His description of how a cannonball would pass through a column of men is that of someone who witnessed such horror yet can still spit in it's eye.

Great accounts of fireside banter and after the war encounters with those who did not fight.

Sgt.Worsham's memoir is that of the Eternal Squaddie: by turns hilarious, brutal and sad, with firsthand notes on historical personages, period attitudes and just how a soldier gets soggy.

[BBfanboy]

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

Erik did the same thing during the incredibly prolonged Siege of Shikuka. Turn-around for turns slowed to a crawl. I think most of the reason was that he fine tunes every setting to the n-th degree - using waypoints and tolerances and commander aggression and everything. And he probably considers the psy-ops angles too.

But I can't figure out why he ignored my request for the Combat Report. That's not like him.

As you know, Eric has two other games going, one of which had been "stalled" for a while. It recently got moving again and there is a lot of exciting stuff happening that is probably absorbing his attention. He might not have even run the turn for your game yet. I am resisting looking into his AAR to find out because I want to keep OpSec.

[Canoerebel]

Krieg Interruptus at the moment of climax is awfully tough on the faithful partner.

[adarbrauner]

ORIGINAL: BBfanboy

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

Erik did the same thing during the incredibly prolonged Siege of Shikuka. Turn-around for turns slowed to a crawl. I think most of the reason was that he fine tunes every setting to the n-th degree - using waypoints and tolerances and commander aggression and everything. And he probably considers the psy-ops angles too.

But I can't figure out why he ignored my request for the Combat Report. That's not like him.

As you know, Eric has two other games going, one of which had been "stalled" for a while. It recently got moving again and there is a lot of exciting stuff happening that is probably absorbing his attention. He might not have even run the turn for your game yet. I am resisting looking into his AAR to find out because I want to keep OpSec.

I can only state that there's BIG activity and interest now in Obvert's AAR...

[BBfanboy]

ORIGINAL: adarbrauner

ORIGINAL: BBfanboy

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

Erik did the same thing during the incredibly prolonged Siege of Shikuka. Turn-around for turns slowed to a crawl. I think most of the reason was that he fine tunes every setting to the n-th degree - using waypoints and tolerances and commander aggression and everything. And he probably considers the psy-ops angles too.

But I can't figure out why he ignored my request for the Combat Report. That's not like him.

As you know, Eric has two other games going, one of which had been "stalled" for a while. It recently got moving again and there is a lot of exciting stuff happening that is probably absorbing his attention. He might not have even run the turn for your game yet. I am resisting looking into his AAR to find out because I want to keep OpSec.

I can only state that there's BIG activity and interest now in Obvert's AAR...

So there you go - he is being buried under a flood of advice and doesn't have time to do a turn!

[T Rav]

Do what you do best; wait fooooorrrr it... Crush 'em.