RADM Yamaguchi's Diary (Pls no affins or cheesesteak)

[RADM.Yamaguchi]

Hi Joe, That's a great idea. I remember now that one of the nurses recommended a blowup doughnut pillow. I don't know why i didn't get one.

I'm really so anti doctor. I didn't want to take the pain meds. I tried alcohol instead but it didn't really work all that well. I even asked my son to get me some marijuana but i couldn't bring myself to smoke it. I finally caved and gave in to the pain meds. glad i'm off them now though. don't want to go down that path.

i'm pretty sure i'm just stupid and don't have any brain damage. (Other than 40 years of occasional alcohol) I'm like bobby and cindy brady. all i have to do is read about a disease and i end up thinking i've got it.

[RangerJoe]

Take anti-inflammatories to reduce the pain and help healing. Take them about an hour before you do something that will make you need them but don't wake up just to take them. If you have to, take them during the wee wee hours of the morning. [;)]

[inqistor]

Welcome to the grinding phase, Admiral!

Now, it's all about numbers. Numbers say, that USA will eventually swamp you in machinery, but before that, numbers say that Allies will have replacement rate for their fighters at around 300-350 planes per month (until April 1943, plus occasional convoy, or new unit). And you can outproduce them.

OSCARS can not match anything better than Buffalo, but it is Scenario 2, and you should get TOJO any day now. Actually, if you are researching plane, and availability date is less, than number of factories which you still need to repair, you will get it repaired 100% of the time. TOJO is better, than P-40. Not by much, but it is your best Army Fighter, until TONY shows up. It have quite short range, so if you want them in Australia, send some units for future upgrade there right now.

If this is PDU ON game, you can downgrade some rear area Air Units, to get more modern planes to front. If this is PDU OFF game, you have like 3 units which can upgrade into TOJO. And 2 of them are in Korea...

Anyway, who cares about Transport Ships? Half of my merchant fleet is waiting in Japan, because they have nothing to transport. I am actually planning to make some Submarine Traps, using my xAKLs, because there is no other use for that crap.

[RADM.Yamaguchi]

Inqistor, thanks for you encouragement. I've been so down lately with the cold weather, eating and drinking too much, not sleeping or being able to exercise because of my tailbone. and not having any luck at this damn game. But something about your post really got me invigorated. I jumped on the ski machine and got a good sweat going. Now i think i can tackle this hole i dug in australia....and burma

[RADM.Yamaguchi]

It's now 5-27-1942 Here is the aluetians and alaska

[RangerJoe]

Don't forget the 8 hex strike with Kates, that can be deadly.

If you have highly experienced pilots for your naval bombers, consider night naval strikes to eliminate any CAP dangers as well as reduce the AAA from the ships.

[inqistor]

Japanese forces at Alaska? That is a bold move. Where are US CVs? I bet they are lurking somewhere there.

It could be worth to destroy some US Armored Units, but those AFVs are probably only Motorized Support. Is there any industry at Alaska? I don't think so, but if you could destroy it, it might be fun.

Anyway, you don't want to mess with restricted units. Let them rot useless. During invasion you will probably see some local defensive forces, and maybe even Canadian Militia. Scout your interior for reinforcements. Some unrestricted LCUs forgotten at Borneo maybe? You have probably also something in China. Why use there unrestricted units?

Some units in Japan also start unrestricted. Speaking of which, expect some CV raid on Hokkaido, or nearby coast. It gets quite popular in AARs.

[RADM.Yamaguchi]

Good advice from both of you.

I've always thought of the CV strike on Home islands as likely. I was going to put out some AV pickets with Jakes way out there for early warning. Do you think it's worth it?

[RADM.Yamaguchi]

Central Pacific quiet

[RADM.Yamaguchi]

ESE Pacific

[RADM.Yamaguchi]

Fiji

[RADM.Yamaguchi]

Scout islands in the south pacific

[RangerJoe]

Nope, no AVs on search duty. Use the small PBs as they were historically used that way. Look at Canoerebel's AARs to see how he uses small vessels as picket units. Check their detection levels daily. Don't forget night search. Night search with experienced Betty and Nell pilots also set to torpedo strikes could be a nasty surprise.

You might also want to withdraw a device from each unit out in the lonely Pacific. That way if the unit gets crushed, the fragment can start getting replacements as the parent unit right away.

[RADM.Yamaguchi]

i wasn't sure i should be posting all that stuff - not because i think my opponents would look - just because it's a lot of info and i didn't want to hog space.

but, man joe. those are some great ideas. if i understand you right i should have some small pickets out there in sort of a passive detection method. Kind of like modern subs listening for other units. I just wait around and the search planes from the CVs units will discover my little ships and i will know they are around. Is that right?

i'll start picking up pieces of the remote units. Is it enough to pick up a piece using Mavis Transports to keep the unit available for rebuild? Or should i run in a PB on Fast transport?

[RADM.Yamaguchi]

i never really knew about the magic highway in china. I've seen some questions about it. I really blew it there not being more active in china in the begining. I've got about a 100 chinese units in my way if i want to try to open it up.

[RangerJoe]

Yes, check the detection levels but also keep them under Naval Search areas. You can also read in the operational reports about ships detecting aircraft. The PBs also have guns and ASW so there is a limited protection against subs. Use the AVs for dot bases to handle float planes on naval search/ASW along convoy routes.

Just one plane on Air Transport is enough. That way the enemy does not see it and you don't waste PPs to buy it back, then wait for it to come in and rebuild. You can also fly in a few air support squads from Air HQs to handle a few search planes. They will also show up as another unit.

Those Chinese units are points. Push them out of the way when you go to Chungking and keep bombing them as target practice. That way, by not destroying them, they won't rebuild at Chungking. Make sure that you have a defensive line to keep them out of your rear areas. Bomb any undefended Chinese airfields that you can to shut them down as well as stopping fort construction. This can also destroy precious supplies. You can also use fighters to bomb units if they carry bombs. Not very effective but everything helps. Just try to stay above MG fire so you take minimal losses. Against base forces, try to stay above 11,000 feet to avoid 40mm fire. Split your bombers and fighters into thirds to bomb as many different non air defended targets as possible since each attack increases supply usage by 10%. I guess all that extra laundry soap to clean their undergarments . . . [;)]

[inqistor]

CV TF can make like 18 hexes in a turn? Don't waste lots of resources for early detection, as even if it works, it will give you like 1 day for reaction. Just don't keep anything precious in the area. xAKLs for hauling resources. And watch out where have you put your air training units.

I see that you have shortage of supply on islands? It is not even mid 1942, don't focus on defense too much. You can always reconquer, if Allies land anywhere. And they can just take some dot base, and upgrade it in few days.

Do you have fuel hubs ready? Where are your submarine reload bases, I don't see any ships in ports in Marshalls.

Also, recon Pago Pago, it tends to be main US hub, and it might be worth to get it along with defenders and lots of probably fuel.

[RADM.Yamaguchi]

While i'm sitting around waiting for a turn here's the latest:

AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR May 27, 42
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Night Naval bombardment of Lord Howe Island at 100,169

Allied Ships
BB Warspite
BB Mississippi
DD Parrott
DD Paul Jones
DD Aylwin
DD Gridley
DD Craven

Japanese ground losses:
18 casualties reported
Squads: 1 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 1 destroyed, 1 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 2 (1 destroyed, 1 disabled)
Vehicles lost 2 (1 destroyed, 1 disabled)

Port hits 14
Port supply hits 1
they keep pounding Lord Howe via Air Sea and negative waves
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ASW attack near Cooktown at 94,138

Japanese Ships
PB Choko Maru #2, Torpedo hits 1
PB Shosei Maru
PB Nikkai Maru
PB Magan Maru
PB Kaikei Maru
PB Eiko Maru
PB Edo Maru
PB Aso Maru #3
PB Kohoku Maru
PB Kunitu Maru
PB Hakkaisan Maru
PB Taiko Maru

Allied Ships
SS KIX
QUIT HITTING MY KISO PBs. I NEED THOSE THINGS!
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Sub attack near Cooktown at 94,138

Japanese Ships
PB Kaiun Maru, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
PB Shosei Maru
PB Nikkai Maru
PB Magan Maru
PB Kaikei Maru
PB Eiko Maru
PB Edo Maru
PB Choko Maru #2
PB Aso Maru #3
PB Kohoku Maru
PB Kunitu Maru
PB Hakkaisan Maru
PB Taiko Maru

Allied Ships
SS KIX
DAMN!
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Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Madras at 41,46

Weather in hex: Moderate rain

Raid spotted at 36 NM, estimated altitude 26,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 12 minutes

Japanese aircraft
G4M1 Betty x 13

No Japanese losses

Allied Ships
BB Royal Sovereign
BB Ramillies, Torpedo hits 4, on fire

Aircraft Attacking:
13 x G4M1 Betty launching torpedoes at 200 feet
Naval Attack: 1 x 18in Type 91 Torpedo



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Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Madras at 41,46

Weather in hex: Moderate rain

Raid spotted at 49 NM, estimated altitude 24,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 19 minutes

Japanese aircraft
G3M2 Nell x 13

Japanese aircraft losses
G3M2 Nell: 1 damaged

Allied Ships
BB Royal Sovereign
BB Ramillies, Torpedo hits 3, and is sunk

Aircraft Attacking:
13 x G3M2 Nell launching torpedoes at 200 feet
Naval Attack: 1 x 18in Type 91 Torpedo
Oh, well i guess i can trade a couple Kiso PBs for a BB..... well this time anyway

[RangerJoe]

Nice job on the Ramilles.

For Lord Howe Island, put some minisubs there, a minefield, for a low visibility night some MTBs, and/or for a non low visibility night some night torpedo bombers with some night search that has its search arc set for Lord Howe Island to watch both the ingress and egress of the BBs. Maybe even some in daylight to catch any cripples as well. Low visibility night is low moonlight, any rain, or even just clouds. If you want to risk them, even a couple of DDs on a low moonlight night with low aggression in order to launch torpedoes and leave. They could even be followed up by cruisers and DDs. I don't think that there is enough repair capability to repair a lot of BB flood damage in that area.

Just think, the Allied player has to score TWICE the VPs that you do to win.

Have the PBs if they are in a Fast Transport convoy follow an ASW task force. Use search as well to detect subs and have their risk and aggression lowered if needed.

[RADM.Yamaguchi]

Man! Joe. you always have the answer. Even when i don't ask it.

I've been trying to figure out how to get a small DD TF to just go in and launch Torps and run away.

I thought i needed very aggressive to run in and launch and they've been getting beat up by BBs and CAs.

I even changed the captains of the CLs with 40 Torps Oi and Kitikami to really aggressive captains.

I'll try it with high naval and low agression Something like 70 NAV 40 AGG????