Notes from a Small Island

[traskott]

Suscribed! After several days reading it, now I'm up to date. Good luck !

[BBfanboy]

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

My guys are headed to the hex south of Patani, which is on the rail line.

Good plan! I think Kota Bharu has good development potential if not already done.

Had a thought about the carrier reaction issue - if CVEs do not react or are unlikely to, perhaps you could use their bombers to do the Nav Search you need.

[Lokasenna]

ORIGINAL: Lecivius

This is just a question, not a complaint, a whine, or a gripe, or anything along those lines. But isn't putting a lot of merchies up in all those TF's just a bit off? A few pickets is one thing, but to my totally ignerrant eye this looks like an attempt to bleed off attacks [&:]

I imagine they are performing, or were attempting to perform, actual convoy tasks.

[Lecivius]

ORIGINAL: Lokasenna

ORIGINAL: Lecivius

This is just a question, not a complaint, a whine, or a gripe, or anything along those lines. But isn't putting a lot of merchies up in all those TF's just a bit off? A few pickets is one thing, but to my totally ignerrant eye this looks like an attempt to bleed off attacks [&:]

I imagine they are performing, or were attempting to perform, actual convoy tasks.

Some yes. Some appear to be flooding.

[Canoerebel]

Back from a long hike up and down a tall mountain, including eating lunch laying on the ground on a south-facing slope under a warm sun. That's a good day.

I think Erik is surrounding KB with merchants, primarily to soak off incoming combat TFs and subs. I don't think he's real worried about carrier sorties. He'd love for me to sortie and lose 500 escorting Hellcats, which is exactly what would happen.

His strategy is exactly what he should do and what I would do in his shoes.

[pharmy]

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

In the, "Well, duh!" department, I think I spurred reaction by having my carrier dive bombers set to Naval Search range 10. I got lots of good intel about the disposition of enemy units, but at a cost of triggering the reaction.

I always assumed that setting a carrier TF react range was just to react to other CV TFs. I always set my amphibious escort CV TFs to zero react range when my main mission is aircover. Is there another reason for setting CV react above zero when not seeking to engage an enemy CV TF? Or was that a secondary mission consideration here (wiping out KB)? Or does the a/c range setting override the zero reaction setting?

[Canoerebel]

I've never set a carrier TF to react, that I can recall. They aren't set to react now. I've done everything I know to do to keep them from reacting.

[pharmy]

thanks for the answer, so that means that the range settings to DBs and TBs for NAVsearch (even in the case of 0% naval attack), may force a CV TF, or in your case two of them,to react (overrides the zero react)

[Canoerebel]

This is just a guess on my part.

I think any detection of an enemy carrier can increase the odds that an Allied carrier within a certain range might react. But I think the odds are higher if the detection comes from search aircraft originating in the carrier TF (or possibly, if the carriers are part of an armada, any search aircraft from the armada).

So, in this instance, I stood down all search aircraft to minimize the chances of detection and reaction. And I didn't bring in a PBY squadron to Kume Jima, lest it increase the chances of reaction. But at some point, I may use Kume as a patrol base, as I think there's a chance that it would be less likely to trigger reaction. It's a hypothesis worth considering. Probably other players have already tested and know.

[RangerJoe]

Back from a long hike up and down a tall mountain, including eating lunch laying on the ground on a south-facing slope under a warm sun. That's a good day.

That hike might put me in the hospital or maybe just the emergency room. The snow was moving sideways earlier. That is not a good day.

Well, it looks like it is time for a lot of 2 DD attacks with maybe the threat level to safer just to take out the cargo ships but not hang around for a naval task force - unless you think that you can get to his carriers. Set the home port as Kume Jima and you can change it to Iromote (sp?) near Formosa if/when you capture it.

Beware the light at the end of the tunnel - it might be a train coming.

[BBfanboy]

ORIGINAL: pharmy

thanks for the answer, so that means that the range settings to DBs and TBs for NAVsearch (even in the case of 0% naval attack), may force a CV TF, or in your case two of them,to react (overrides the zero react)

The CV reaction algorithm is entirely in the code- the react settings on your TF have nothing to do with it - they are for patrolling SCTFs. I think it makes a difference too whether your CVE TFs are set on an "Air Combat" mission or "CVE Escort" mission. The former should be used for aggressive moves like bomber strikes while the latter would be defensive and should not use the CV react code.

[Canoerebel]

5/7/45

TNNBT: The opening moments of a new turn. Lots of anxieties: Will DS re-combine; will enemy combat TFs intercept; will KB or LBA launch massed attacks?

This opening screen shows four enemy subs prowling around. Erik lost scores and scores, so he doesn't have a lot left.

[Canoerebel]

5/7/45

TNNBT: Enemy DDs south of Death Star. Erik is probably coming from all directions.

[BBfanboy]

I suspect a lot of those SCTFs are meant to be CAP traps. He hasn't come charging hard with any of them.

[Canoerebel]

5/7/45

TNNBT: Turns out that's a big cruiser TF bombarding Kume Jima.

Erik will easily damage the island and stop any construction, but that's one of the roles of this base - draw his attention. And, eventually, Allied subs or combat vessels may draw blood. Erik's combat vessels are relatively scarce now.

[Canoerebel]

5/7/45

TNNBT: The badly damaged CVE almost made it to Kume Jima but dies violently.

[Canoerebel]

5/7/45

TNNBT: Good to see that DS obeyed orders and moved two hexes SW. I don't yet know if the two carrier TFs that reacted yesterday have rejoined DS or if they're still hung out in Indian country.

[Canoerebel]

5/7/45

TNNBT: During the course of the turn, several small to medium enemy air strikes target Allied DD TFs east of DS. Some Allied LRCAP lends a hand. No hits are suffered.

[nicwb]

5/7/45

TNNBT: The badly damaged CVE almost made it to Kume Jima but dies violently.

OK - is it just me ? But in almost every AAR thread I ever read it seems like the CVE Kalinin Bay gets nailed.

[Canoerebel]

She's the Yamato of the Allied fleet.