"insert funny title here" DBB-C Jorge(A) vs Runnersan(J)

[RangerJoe]

Give the Big E lots of escorts as they may help with the fire fighting. I saved a Omaha class cruiser that had 98 fires. If nothing else, get her to a base where she can unload her air groups - even if you have to load them onto ships to remove them. It has to have at least a level 1 port.

[Jorge_Stanbury]

It was disbanded at Palmyra,

It got hit by 3 bombs on the 1st day of battle, I then sent it Palmyra (with all other carriers except Saratoga, which fought and sank that 2nd day)
I disbanded it, recovered squadrons (only Saratoga's squadrons were lost), but then it kept growing fires for the next 4 turns

This turn (Feb22), BigE finally sank [:(][:(], next turn Oklahoma should follow

Yorktown and Lexington severely damaged, but they extinguished their fires

I think I will risk moving them to PH right away, Palmyra is too small to properly repair them, and I lost the two ARs on the battle




[:(]

[Chickenboy]

Heckuva victory, Jorge. Well done! [&o]

Looks like the KB just pushed its luck one day too many. Wouldn't have been so bad if he hadn't stuck around that one extra day...

[Jorge_Stanbury]

Thanks [:)]
I agree, had he left after 2nd day; after losing many Zeroes (and torpedoes), he would had won big as the USN would had been out or range

he told me he got greedy, that after many raids with low quality prey, he finally found a port with good stuff, and wanted to finish it

[inqistor]

ORIGINAL: Jorge_Stanbury

Yorktown and Lexington severely damaged, but they extinguished their fires

I think I will risk moving them to PH right away, Palmyra is too small to properly repair them, and I lost the two ARs on the battle

Naval HQs do wonders for repairs, even in lvl 1 Ports. Don't you have one of those at PH?

[Jorge_Stanbury]

ORIGINAL: inqistor

ORIGINAL: Jorge_Stanbury

Yorktown and Lexington severely damaged, but they extinguished their fires

I think I will risk moving them to PH right away, Palmyra is too small to properly repair them, and I lost the two ARs on the battle

Naval HQs do wonders for repairs, even in lvl 1 Ports. Don't you have one of those at PH?

yes, but it is tied to the wall (restricted)[:D]
and this is DaBabes, which reduces naval support significantly

I have a few port units, at ~18 naval support squad, do you think it will be worthy to moved them? I mean compared to the risk of Japan trying to do something about it, like mining or sending their battleships or even worst, unleashing the midgets [:'(]

[RangerJoe]

Yes, move them. You can move them by air if you want and then no ships are seen moving. You can also move some or all of an restricted unit that way.

[Jorge_Stanbury]

Feb25.42
I followed Hans advice and mined Merak (Sunda strait); I had the 2 British subs (Trusty and Truant) + a few Dutch and American on mine laying rounds (Soerabaja --> Sunda), until I spent all the pools.

First results: 2 submarines likely sank
Merak is now at 609 mines, this after 17 exploded with the poor subs
I would had preferred that he didn't find it is mined; or find it when a surface TFs tried to cross it.
Probably he won't use the strait again, until he captures and cleans it

Not a lot more to report; he just started mine sweeping Singapore, I give him ~ A week before he is ready to move load invasion fleets to Java or Sumatra


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TF 14 encounters mine field at Merak (48,97)

Japanese Ships
SS I-164, Mine hits 9, on fire, heavy damage



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TF 47 encounters mine field at Merak (48,97)

Japanese Ships
SS I-123, Mine hits 8, on fire, heavy damage

[BBfanboy]

ORIGINAL: Jorge_Stanbury

Feb25.42
I followed Hans advice and mined Merak (Sunda strait)
and this started to yield results; 2 submarines likely sank

I would had preferred that he didn't find it is mined; or find it when surface TFs tried to cross it.

Not a lot more to report; he started mine sweeping Singapore, I give him a week before he is ready to load invasion fleets for Java or Sumatra


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TF 14 encounters mine field at Merak (48,97)

Japanese Ships
SS I-164, Mine hits 9, on fire, heavy damage



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TF 47 encounters mine field at Merak (48,97)

Japanese Ships
SS I-123, Mine hits 8, on fire, heavy damage

That is one of my peeves about mine hits - the damage does not get applied until the end of the phase when the "ship repair" step appears. Consequently a single vessel can take out an unbelievable number of mines before it sinks. Enemy minesweepers continue seeping after they have hit several mines. Enemy bombardment TFs proceed with their bombardment after taking many mine hits. Too bad it is not treated like a sub attack with an attack animation and damage applied immediately after the incident.

[Jorge_Stanbury]

are you sure about that?

If I see today's turn, in which he bombarded Palembang; I can see one DD hitting a mine (probably sinking because I didn't see it again), followed by the bombardment

DD Fumizuki, which hit the mine, is not in the bombardment ship list, which to me means it didn't participate because it hit the mine before the bombardment


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TF 234 encounters mine field at Palembang (48,91)

Japanese Ships
DD Fumizuki, Mine hits 1, heavy damage


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Night Naval bombardment of Palembang at 48,91

Allied aircraft
no flights

Allied aircraft losses
L-18 Lodestar: 30 damaged
L-18 Lodestar: 2 destroyed on ground
A-24 Banshee: 48 damaged
A-24 Banshee: 1 destroyed on ground
Vildebeest III: 23 damaged
Vildebeest III: 2 destroyed on ground
P-40E Warhawk: 34 damaged
P-40E Warhawk: 1 destroyed on ground
Hurricane IIb Trop: 12 damaged
Hurricane IIb Trop: 1 destroyed on ground
Hurricane IIa Trop: 18 damaged
Hurricane IIa Trop: 2 destroyed on ground
Wirraway: 8 damaged

Japanese Ships
CA Suzuya
CA Mogami
CL Isuzu
DD Minazuki
DD Satsuki
DD Murakumo
DD Arashi
DD Maikaze

Allied Ships
MTB 10, Shell hits 1, heavy damage
TM-10, Shell hits 1, heavy fires, heavy damage
MTB 27, Shell hits 1, heavy fires, heavy damage

Allied ground losses:
467 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 3 disabled
Non Combat: 9 destroyed, 19 disabled
Engineers: 3 destroyed, 2 disabled
Guns lost 8 (1 destroyed, 7 disabled)
Vehicles lost 5 (1 destroyed, 4 disabled)

Airbase hits 24
Airbase supply hits 7
Runway hits 75

CA Suzuya firing at 18th British Division
CA Mogami firing at Palembang
CL Isuzu firing at Palembang
DD Minazuki firing at 9th Indian Division
DD Satsuki firing at Palembang
DD Murakumo firing at Palembang
DD Arashi firing at Palembang
DD Maikaze firing at Palembang

[RangerJoe]

Bombarding Palembang can destroy oil and refineries. [8|]

The mines in the Sunda Strait now help protect from an end run to Osthaven.

[Q-Ball]

Bombarding Palembang is risky becauase you can damage the Oil facilities as Japan; I know, because I did it. Thankfully the fires went out and it only caused about 50 points of long-term damage

This AAR is just further proof that first priority for Japan in December '41 is Palembang. There is risk if Force Z is around, in my current game I mitigated that by setting up a torpedo-capable airbase at Singkawang within the first few days; that allows Betty to control the waters up to Palembang.

It's really a tough spot to get to as Japan, but on the bright side once taken will isolate Singapore and prevent any evacs or reinforcement

[Anachro]

Reminds me of a previous PBEM when I sunk 3 of the combined KBs carriers in January '42 with a surprise appearance of 3 allied carriers down by Luganville. Good work!

[Jorge_Stanbury]

Yes, I fully agree with you both

- I have a "welcome committee" ready for giving Japan a well deserved party at Palembang; this includes MTBs, mines, dive/ torpedo bombers, a British division, a level 4.6 fort, 196K supplies

- the navy is on the safe side of Java, protected by Sunda strait mines, I won't commit it until I know the invasion of Java or Sumatra has started, because of difficulties on rearming (only Soerabaja available, and that is in the risky side); I will have to suffer his bombings until then. regrettably no damage to oil or refinery so far

- And yes, typically, the key objectives for Japan on early december are Jolo and Singkawang, then LBAs to Singkawang and then storming Palembang by xmas 41 at the latest. Palembang is also a great forward base to negate both transit on both Malacca and Sunda straits and to replenish fuel to thirsty surface TF. another advantage is that it can't be bombed by BBs as it is too shallow

[BBfanboy]

ORIGINAL: Jorge_Stanbury

are you sure about that?

If I see today's turn, in which he bombarded Palembang; I can see one DD hitting a mine (probably sinking because I didn't see it again), followed by the bombardment

DD Fumizuki, which hit the mine, is not in the bombardment ship list, which to me means it didn't participate because it hit the mine before the bombardment


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TF 234 encounters mine field at Palembang (48,91)

Japanese Ships
DD Fumizuki, Mine hits 1, heavy damage


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There are at least two "ships repair damage" steps at the end of the phase. I am not sure if bombardment takes place before, between or after them. But I have had IJ DDs bombard Bataan after hitting mines and their minesweepers at Bataan also swept dozens of mines after hitting 2-8 mines each themselves. Two mine hits should immediately sink a minesweeper. The subs in your example should have sunk after hitting two big mines or three small ones. Hitting 6 and more mines is not realistic.

[Jorge_Stanbury]

thoughts and prayers please

everything was going amazing, then last turn Yorktown started a set of uncontrollable floodings

damn it will sink one hex from PH [:@] !!

[Anachro]

Those numbers aren't a guarantee it will sink next turn; have hope yet.

[RangerJoe]

I have an Ansyu PB that had 96 flood make four hexes escorted by a DD.

[Jorge_Stanbury]

exactly one hex from PH.. damn... [:@][:@][:@][:@][:@][:@][:@][:@][:@][:@]


at least I now have Lexington + most of cruiser fleet under repair at PH; damage it is not too bad, mostly on system, which means I should have it ready by ~ August 42. Then Lexington+Hornet+Wasp+1 British CV will be enough to guarantee command of the sea; as long as I don't go too deeply in Japanese waters

[Chickenboy]

Not a huge fan of the fortress Palembang gambit for the early war Allies. IRL, that place was a backwater fen. In the game, the oil refineries change the black gold into not only fuel but bullets, bread, aviation gas and an ideal other-worldly and entirely artificial edifice for defensive positioning.

Of course the way for the Japanese to deal with this nonsense is through exploiting the nonsense of the first turn to land a division and a half on Java / Sumatra on turn one. Escorted by KB, naturally. Imagine the howls of indignation!

In my games, I will forego a turn one landing on Java / Sumatra and not abuse the engine if the Allied player agrees not to build Fortress Palembang sufficient to hold 40,000 troops and nearly 200 aircraft and not abuse the engine in return. It works out pretty well for my games, but YMMV.