Intellectus Ex Nihilo (Wal-Mart on Ice)

[Canoerebel]

Is Dave going or coming? At this point in the young day, I don't know.

[Canoerebel]

6/18/44

Battle of Ternate: There are numerous messages about Allied combat/ASW TFs reacting, hither and yon. Several end up around Sorong, mixing it up with an amphibious TF and MTBs.

[Canoerebel]

6/18/44

Battle of Ternate: Enemy combat TFs are nosing forward, finding and battling a variety of small Allied patrol TFs, some configured for ASW duty and some for combat (meant to ward off MTBs, not to take on bigger boys, like this).

[Canoerebel]

6/18/44

Battle of Ternate: Valuable little ASW ships are taking on tough enemy customers.

[Canoerebel]

6/18/44

Battle of Ternate: I think these are the same Fletchers that battled at Ternate yesterday. They refueled at Boela but couldn't re-arm. Nevertheless, they had sufficient ammo (especially ASW) to send them forward again. It's all hands on deck until this fray is decided.

[Canoerebel]

6/18/44

Battle of Ternate: In the vortex killing-zone.

[Canoerebel]

6/18/44

Battle of Ternate: Get 'em, boys. That's four or five enemy subs over the past two turns.

[Canoerebel]

6/18/44

Battle of Ternate: This wolf goes solo, undergoes attack, and ultimately escapes.

[Canoerebel]

6/18/44

Battle of Ternate: Most (but not all) of the amphibious TFs have now caught up to DS.

Thus far, no sign of KB and only a few enemy search aircraft downed.

DS's remaining strike aircraft are set solely for ASW at range 0, so there won't be any Allied strikes.

[Canoerebel]

6/18/44

Battle of Ternate: Kill.

[Canoerebel]

6/18/44

Battle of Ternate: Ditto.

[Canoerebel]

6/18/44

Battle of Ternate: Dave has cleared from Ternate, but this battle may not be decided yet. He may return with reinforcements, a sub may turn the tables, luck may prove fickle, etc.

DS & The Herd will remain largely stationary one more day, awaiting the last transports and working to fend off enemy subs and other warlike implements. Two supply TFs will make for Ternate, hoping that Dave is truly retreating. If things go well tomorrow, the full-scale relief of Ternate will begin.

(Dave has about 700 AV ashore to my 325; my guys are low on supply; I sure hope he doesn't attack tomorrow or the next day; in three days, I think the base will be secure.)

[Canoerebel]

6/18/44

Voyage of the CA Pensacola: She's been holed up at Ternate for more than a month, undergoing emergency repairs after taking crippling damage more than a month ago. She'd been at pierside until about six turns ago, when KB appeared on the horizon. Given the enemy shipping that was then parked on Ternate for more than a week, she just huddled unnoticed in the port. There's a chance she could leave tomorrow, but probably I'll get cold feet due to the number of enemy subs lurking. Better to leave her right where she is if the Allies take control and secure Ternate.

CVE Suwanee was in the same boat and holed up at the dot hex to the south. Dave eventually found her and finished her off. His strike aircraft also hit Pensacola at Ternate, almost finishing her off. But I think Dave forgot about that with all that's been going on.

[JohnDillworth]

If I were your opponent I would reload the KB with strike aircraft and come at you hammer and tongs. You can't really hit back with aircraft. Worst case he loses all his strike aircraft. I think he is coming back

[Canoerebel]

He might be, but he's lost three large allotments of strike aircraft in the past couple of months. KB is potent, but an attack would likely turn out like the last one - lots of Japanese aircraft down while molesting but not crippling DS.

His task is also complicated by Ternate's level 3 (4?) airfield, which has some Allied fighters.

So I think the Allies have the upper hand temporarily. And if supply gets ashore at Ternate, so that it's stabilized, the Allies have promising long term prospects here.

This op was to secure Ternate. It's worth it if it succeeds. If it doesn't succeed.....

[uncivil_servant]

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

That's good analysis by BBfanboy. I agree that Japan starts with an advantage the narrows. In this case, it'll flip entirely once the Allied get Soerabaja's big yard.

I'm not sure Allied damage control works any more. My past three games, damage control has appeared vastly different than it did during the early years. BAck then, an Allied ship that was afloat had better than even chance to make it somewhere. Now it seems that Allied ships are more likely to sink than not. (That's a thought that's been lurking in the background for the past three years or so; not enough to form a theory, but perhaps a hypothesis; but I don't sandbox.)

Which Mod are you using? I would be VERY interested if there was a stealth edit done to, or an accidental change, done to repair values.

[Lovejoy]

ORIGINAL: uncivil_servant
Which Mod are you using? I would be VERY interested if there was a stealth edit done to, or an accidental change, done to repair values.

I think CR's playing stock scenario 2

[Canoerebel]

I think so too. (I'm not certain because I just play whatever my opponent sends when we begin the game.)

[BBfanboy]

Seeing that DD force that is out of ammo heading toward Sorong instead of Babeldaob suggests that Sorong has AKEs or ADs. Time to switch some of those airfield suppression HBs to a port strike at Sorong! [:)]

[Canoerebel]

6/19/44 and 6/20/44

We kept flipping turns so fast that I didn't pause to post, as I was also trying to get some work done. A lot happened, sort alike this:

DEI: As projected, KB and the Kaigun retired, leaving Ternate undefended except by subs.

Allied supply came ashore - bumping levels from 0 to 6k on the 19th and to 15k on the 20th. Reinforcements likewise landed, increasing AV from 325 to about 525. There are also a few more engineers, so that more fighters and some other squadrons came in, and fort building finally commenced. Dave has a big, strong army at Ternate but he won't take it unless he's able to win a major carrier battle.

There were many more ASW/sub skirmishes. At least eight IJN subs suffered heavy damage or were sunk over these two days. There were also enemy LBA raids on the 20th. They managed to make it through the CAP and damage and sink a few ships at Ternate.

Over these two turns, I lost a few LSTs, LCIs and a DE or two, to subs and aircraft. Nothing significant. Over the past week, I've lost 10 valuable DEs (8 in surface action, two to subs). During the past three weeks, I've lost about eight subs (most of those when Dave sent ASW to clear the lanes around Ternate and Morotai two weeks ago).

Down at Ambon, Dave's army tried a third deliberate attack. This was the first that achieved as good as 1:1. But the attackers suffered disproportionately heavy casualties. A reinforcing USA division is loading at Darwin, in prep for insertion if things continue to go well.