Quisling! An AFB does Japan (No PanzerKat)

[GetAssista]

ORIGINAL: John B.
As for CVs, I know the subs took out one CV on their own and helped take out to Brit CVs and they've sent a number of CVs and CVEs to the dry dock. But, in all the confusion I kind of lost track myself.

But being this is a US Navy, the most powerful naval force in the world, and would blow your ships clean off, you've got to ask yourself one question: 'Do I feel lucky?' Well, do you, punk? [:D]

[John B.]

Get Assista, you get the prize of the day for picking up on obscure movie quotes!! [;)]

[John B.]

Ok, it's been a few turns and the battle continues to rage. Here on Java, my division could not get to Bativia in strat mode so it wasted six days going into strat mode and then back out again. Hopefully it can not make the dash into the city. Scott's planes got better and the air war was not going well so I've pulled the fighters out of Batavia. They'll be fighting over Palembang soon enough. I will try to bombard the french unit on the coast to prevent it from slipping behind so we'll see what happens.

BTW, any tips on CAP? If it set it too low not many planes fly and it I set it too high and scott takes a couple of turns off my boys are just tired out.

[John B.]

Well, Brunei was nice but I lost several TKs in a port strike and the oil wells are now all doing their best to contribute to global warming. Scott is moving his carriers into the sea there but there are no targets. He did catch a BB and CVE like sitting ducks but there was very little damage done and I was able to skip away. Still, we're down to Medan and Palembang for liquid carbon!

I did put two torpodos into the BB Washington and maybe my subs can catch it and finish it off!

[John B.]

In Burma I'm basically blocking the roads. He put a chindit Brigade into Lashio and another across the river north of Rangoon but both of those got kicked out. My armor at Tuang Gyi (sp?) keeps catching his brigade and then getting hammered by air but it's preventing Scott from pushing on. I have a division in Rangoon and two in Moulmein as reserves and another one heading up. The jungle is a real shelter from being obliterated by his air power!

[John B.]

It's sad that the front lines at at Palembang and Singapore in March 44 but the Central Pacific has been left alone and he's not pressing north yet. I'm sucking as much out of Palembang and Medan as I can. I did not mine Singapore and, so, Scott put british subs in there who put two torpedos into the Kaga (this is the third time in this war that subs have hit Kaga, it's name must mean "shoot here!". Scott also sent a DD TF right into Singpore. He sank several 2 point TKs and some escorts but a CA TF from Palembang caught them and put at least two of the DDs under (they were 10 VP boys) so that was pretty much a wash. Trying to load up AOs and TKs to sneak them up the Vietnam coast.

[John B.]

Last but not least, here is how production is looking in Mid-march 1944. I figure that right now I have oil/fuel to make it for about a year and HI for a little more than a year. The more I can get out of Palembang, the better. At least Batavia is still producing.

I have no idea if my production is good or bad but, I do still have a 2-1 edge in VP so Scott has a big wall to climb.

[John B.]

Here's the latest. In Burma, I basically have 4 blocking positions indicated on the map. Scott bombs the bejesus out of one of these but it does not do too much damage to the target. I'm happy to hold this for as long as I can. But, on the mainland there are now a few areas of yellow supply shortfalls showing up.

[John B.]

On the Singapore/Palembang front, every turn TKs load as fast as possible. I'm delivering 50K oil to the HI this turn and an convoy of 100K fuel is just about at Saigon heading for the HI. More TKs and AOs are at Palembang loading up and the convoy run to Medan brings in 12K oil a week. The KB is now based at Singapore. I've knocked out at least one sub by my ASW does not catch him very often. I figure the KB will hang out there as long as possible. I'm also trying to keep it in port to conserve fuel.

[John B.]

On Java my division has displeased the Emperor (and we all know what that means). First, it messed up the strat movement rules and spend 6 days getting on and off trains while allied troops sat and watched, then, it inched its way out of the hex heading to Batavia only to be attacked on the last day it was in the hex. The Allies had bombed it with SBDs and it retreated in a deliberate assault. My troops in Burma wish that they were only bombed by SBDs! True the allies had 3-1 superiority but the terrain in that hex was pretty darn good!

So, now the question is can it get back to Batavia.

This turn I am trying to catch his SBDs. The P-47s are sweeping but maybe the Franks can hold them off and my boys can bag some of the Dive bombers.

In other news Scott took Tarakan and he is about to take Balikpapan. They're not worth much but it does solidify his control.

Note to self, I need to run another supply convoy into Manila.

[RangerJoe]

The importance of Balikpappen and Tarakan are not their possession but rather the ability to produce and remove the oil/fuel to where it is needed. Balikpappen can also be built into a nice airbase.

[John B.]

RangerJoe,

Good point! Their importance ended a long time ago when Scott bombed them flat. The only functioning oil wells left are on Sumatra (not counting small ones on the HI and in Manchuria).

[Bif1961]

That division was obviously on garrison duty too long in Java and got soft.

[John B.]

Well, they're not leaving Java in the near or distant future so they better get with the program!

In the latest news, my CAP trap did not work as Scott did not fly over Java. Sad. He did start fighter sweeps over Palembang and the loss ratio was about 2-1. I can't keep that up forever so the writing is one the wall for my oil fields and soon. Enough fighters will pave the way for the bombers. Anyone have good tricks for keeping fighters going without wearing them out?

In good news, a RO boat put two torpedoes into an CVE (actually three hit but one was a dud). No sinking sounds. My unterseeboat guys are awfully good at putting shots into his carrier force but they don't seem to be able to finish the job. Still, that CVE will be out of action for a long time.

[GetAssista]

ORIGINAL: John B.
Anyone have good tricks for keeping fighters going without wearing them out?

More fighter groups taking turns + layered CAP especially against stratosweeps

Take a look at obvert's post here tm.asp?m=4460116&mpage=22

[John B.]

Get Assista,

Thanks! [&o] I've got the layered CAP and basically all of my non-training squadrons are in the Singapore/Palembang area (the Burma boys are taking one for the team) so that I can rotate the squadrons through. The results the next day were not great, but, at least they were at less than a 2-1 margin (which I view as a Japanese victory). Also, since it's over a Japanese base with no allied troops it should take out some of his pilots.

The next day I took a chance and stood everyone down. Scott did not fly which indicates to me his boys needed a break as well. He did lose a lot of Corsairs.

[John B.]

Three points of interest in this picture.

1. Near Palembang there was a naval battle as Scott tried some sea interdiction of the oil lanes. I lost one DD. I know he lost one as well and he may have lost two more. There was no sign of the two reported to have heavy damage and on fire the next day. I'm glad that Scott is not sending CL/CAs with these.

2. Off near Brunei one of Scott's subs put two torpedoes into a CVE. It did not go down and may even make it back to port! The KB is out there because there was a large DD flotilla roaming around and I had 100,000 fuel in a convoy that needed protecting. I think Scott ran away so that fuel has a good chance of getting through.

3. Most interesting, Scott landed at Pontinak. That in and of itself is basically irrelevant except for the fact that it has triggered Kamikazes for me. I now have to ponder deep and hard if I want to switch to Kamikazes. If I do so now while my CV force is intact, it could overwhelm him in a crucial batter. But, I've never seen them be particularly effective. Any advice?

[John B.]

Here a little eye candy from the surface action. Nice to beat Arleigh Burke when he crossed by "T"!

[RangerJoe]

If you can get long range kamikazes on his convoys to the rear where there is little to no CAP, that could be a surprise. Fly the planes into a base with a narrow naval search arc and let them go.

[John B.]

That is an interesting idea! I'm going to have to change some squadrons over and start the low Nav training.