Let me assure you, I have no intention of quitting. Nor am I a rookie. I started with Uncommon Valor. If any horse could throw this cowboy, it would have been UV with all those fragments of units.
If you look far enough back you can find entries from 2010 at least. I just got throw when the Robber of Redmond jammed Windows 10 down my throat, and my old version of WitP wouldn't work at all. Worse yet, it sounded like Matrix had given up on it, too. Good thing I was wrong.
Playing this game teaches one a lot that resonates with real history. Logistics rules. You gotta think (game) months ahead. Train your pilots. Put aggressive skippers in subs. Learn the relative advantages and disadvantages of equipment and upgrades. For instance, I hold onto B-17Ds like gold. Their speed and long range make them unexcelled for naval search until the recon variants of the B-24 and B-29 come along. P-39s are fine bomber-killers if you combine them with more agile planes. P-47s are clumsy if you treat them like normal fighters. Set them for max altitude and they are wonderful Zero-killers.
This fall I'm retiring and will get into a PBEM because a0 I'll have the time and by then I'll be sharp enough that only the first couple turns are necessarily long.
Actually I've played three games against the AI all the way through to surrender.(Oct 1944, Jan. 1945, and May 1945) Mostly as training missions to master heavy amphibious warfare. Only thing I think I've missed is atomic bombs. Has anybody ever played a game where the AI made a competent attack against India?
I'm picking up Silent Hunter again after getting bored with SH2. Guys say it has a steep learning curve. I tell them: No problema, I've played WitP-AE all the way through. Big problem with SH3: My Cincinnati Deutsch can't keep up with the real language.
The only game that got the better of me was World of Tanks. After four years of trying I concluded there was no way to get ahead of the cheating endemic to the game.
I Have Returned
Moderators: wdolson, MOD_War-in-the-Pacific-Admirals-Edition
RE: I Have Returned
Taxcutter: IJN CAs are tough, but a hail of radar-directed 14 and 16 inch gunfire will mow that down. While under repqir, I did upgrade the old BBs with radar, but I really don't want to commit them until after the 6/42 upgrade (500+ flak value).
Don't equate having radar with having radar fire control. Getting the fire control automatically fed by radar comes later, in 1944 IIRC. Alfred implied it is one of those "under the hood" things that is not announced but happens on a certain date on ships with the latest radar. This is accurate since the old BBs at Surigao Strait in October 1944 had a mixture of the latest fire control (which fired accurately at Fuso and company) and some that had older radars and no radar fire control (which used the shell splashes of the equipped BBs as an aiming point for their salvos).
In 1941 to 1943 crew experience and captain quality matters far more than the radar fitted. The Japanese CAs and DDs regularly enjoy night fights where they close on the old US BBs and have an easy time hitting such large, ungainly targets with long lances. Meanwhile the US BBs rarely score with their main guns.
If you do use the old BBs for surface battles early on, give them lots of CLs and DDs to hold off the enemy from your BB line.
No matter how bad a situation is, you can always make it worse. - Chris Hadfield : An Astronaut's Guide To Life On Earth
RE: I Have Returned
Good point about CLs and DDs with any battleships. Think four Brooklyns plus about 10 DD are enough?
I prefer to keep Atlanta-class CLAA as flak support for CVTFs.
I prefer to keep Atlanta-class CLAA as flak support for CVTFs.
RE: I Have Returned
AI must have sent an awful lot of transports to Port Moresby. I sank twelve and he still had some to land a small invasion. Not enough to push me out but too many to wipe out with a shock attack. I'll have to let artillery work on them a while.
His main CVL/CVE task force withdrew to the north unable to throw more than 3 strike planes at an unescorted 1,500 to freighter.
But he did leave a Kongo-class BB, so my cruisers bugged out for now.
Reinforcements on the way to Australia: 32nd Infantry Division, a tank battalion, some artillery, three base forces, 3 x CA, 3 Brooklyns, six DDs.
My four-piper DEs have taken over ASW duties at Pearl, the US West Coast and the Australian East Coast, so more modern DDs can handle ASuW and AAW duties. Should be seeing first Fletchers before long.
It doesn't appear that the script is gonna seriously attempt to invade India. So the Southeast Asia front devolves to a fighter bloodletting over the Imphal ridge. P-40s and Hurris vs Oscars if form holds. One US fighter group is in Bombay working up and another just appeared at Aden. In earlier games I have sent 3-5 USMC fighter squadrons to the Burma front to gin up experienced pilots.
His main CVL/CVE task force withdrew to the north unable to throw more than 3 strike planes at an unescorted 1,500 to freighter.
But he did leave a Kongo-class BB, so my cruisers bugged out for now.
Reinforcements on the way to Australia: 32nd Infantry Division, a tank battalion, some artillery, three base forces, 3 x CA, 3 Brooklyns, six DDs.
My four-piper DEs have taken over ASW duties at Pearl, the US West Coast and the Australian East Coast, so more modern DDs can handle ASuW and AAW duties. Should be seeing first Fletchers before long.
It doesn't appear that the script is gonna seriously attempt to invade India. So the Southeast Asia front devolves to a fighter bloodletting over the Imphal ridge. P-40s and Hurris vs Oscars if form holds. One US fighter group is in Bombay working up and another just appeared at Aden. In earlier games I have sent 3-5 USMC fighter squadrons to the Burma front to gin up experienced pilots.
RE: I Have Returned
I know the AI here is just a script, but it is the most aggressive script I've ever seen. It REALLY, REALLY wants Port Moresby. Yeah I know PM is a lot of VP. But committing the Yamato in May or 1942 to the PM invasion?
The AI has committed almost all of the IJN except Kido Butai to Port Moresby and he is wearing down my formible defenses. He has chased off my cruisers and is shelling the bejeebers out of my air groups. He has beaten up two S-boats (I have newer subs on the way). Most of my dive bombers are in hawaiian water or on the US West Coast. I have a squadron of Beaufighters that can't reach PM and the A-24s on New Caledonia are Army planes with low NavB ratings.
But my land forces are still tough (a division and a half of Aussies with some US artillery, engineers and flak. Still well supplied, and thank goodness I started fortifying PM on Dec 8. Current fort level 4. But apparently he has built up supply and fuel in Rabaul enough to keep a relay of surface action groups off PM.
At the same time I am proceeding well in other areas. Midway is fortified and and I am unloading a regiment of CD guns and a 90 plane base force. He has lost interest in Canton Island and I have enough infantry on-island to make this a death camp for the IJA. The AI is lightly probing the entrenched units at Imphal. Supply in India is no problem. I have more supply at Karachi than at Cape Town.
Operations at Perth are immobiled by lack of fuel. It's a long way to Abadan via Cape Town, but I have 115,000 tons of fuel on the way. Darwin is effectively isolated but there is a reasonable stash of supply there.
I did get 16 little Commonwealth and Dutch 1000 ton AKLs to Cape Town and I'm setting up a auto-convoy to Canada. One is reserved for Port Stanley but it just need survival supply. Maybe one mission every three months.
The four-piper DEs have pretty much suppressed the IJN subs. Four ship service groups escorts ships in and out of waters near big ports.
The AI has committed almost all of the IJN except Kido Butai to Port Moresby and he is wearing down my formible defenses. He has chased off my cruisers and is shelling the bejeebers out of my air groups. He has beaten up two S-boats (I have newer subs on the way). Most of my dive bombers are in hawaiian water or on the US West Coast. I have a squadron of Beaufighters that can't reach PM and the A-24s on New Caledonia are Army planes with low NavB ratings.
But my land forces are still tough (a division and a half of Aussies with some US artillery, engineers and flak. Still well supplied, and thank goodness I started fortifying PM on Dec 8. Current fort level 4. But apparently he has built up supply and fuel in Rabaul enough to keep a relay of surface action groups off PM.
At the same time I am proceeding well in other areas. Midway is fortified and and I am unloading a regiment of CD guns and a 90 plane base force. He has lost interest in Canton Island and I have enough infantry on-island to make this a death camp for the IJA. The AI is lightly probing the entrenched units at Imphal. Supply in India is no problem. I have more supply at Karachi than at Cape Town.
Operations at Perth are immobiled by lack of fuel. It's a long way to Abadan via Cape Town, but I have 115,000 tons of fuel on the way. Darwin is effectively isolated but there is a reasonable stash of supply there.
I did get 16 little Commonwealth and Dutch 1000 ton AKLs to Cape Town and I'm setting up a auto-convoy to Canada. One is reserved for Port Stanley but it just need survival supply. Maybe one mission every three months.
The four-piper DEs have pretty much suppressed the IJN subs. Four ship service groups escorts ships in and out of waters near big ports.
RE: I Have Returned
Little advice: Try not to mix ships with widely different capabilities together for Surface Combat (Old BBs+New BBs+CAs+CLs). You will inherit the weaknesses of each.
-
HansBolter
- Posts: 7374
- Joined: Thu Jul 06, 2006 12:30 pm
- Location: United States
RE: I Have Returned
The AI is notorious for aggressively following up failed invasions, especially at PM.
After you defeat the landed force you might want to consider throttling back your responses to follow up convoys attempting to land support forces. Otherwise you can break the AI.
After you defeat the landed force you might want to consider throttling back your responses to follow up convoys attempting to land support forces. Otherwise you can break the AI.
Hans
RE: I Have Returned
Port Moresby will be a close-run thing at best.
My carrier force is not ready for prime time so they are training aircrew in San Diego, so beating him up too much has to wait.
I have played games where the AI took PM early and I just operationally bypassed it. The Japanese forces needed to hold it preclude him holding anything else too well. But PM is very rich in VP and I'll never close out the game if I don't eventually take it. But for now I still hold the base and I am willing to burn up ground forces to hold it. If I can just throttle down his re-invasion convoys I can hold it indefinitely. I've built up a level 4 port and a level 2 airfield so garrisoning it gets easier if I am not too ambitious.
The AI grabbed Milne Bay and Rossel island (among others) but recon doesn't show anything there. I can use Aussie commandos or MSMC Raiders to recon in force. If it is not well held I'm starting to get enough sealift to drop a whole division of infantry, lots of SeaBees, and 20,000 supplies. they can build up a base and from Rossel Island the corner at Milne bay is in SBD-3 range as well as B-25s, so I can start taxing his convoys into PM worse that he can do me.
I do have plenty of political points so I could activate a lesser Aussie infantry division to help hold PM. I intend to land the US 32nd Division if necessary. I'm holding the Australian First Corps in reserve for offensive actions later. But right now I have to wait til the AI ships run out of fuel/ammo and have to pull back to rabaul and I'; lucky to squeeze in a battalion at a time.
As for mixed TFs, I do think to use the old BBs (I have 7 usable right now, Having Brooklyns would keep IJN DDs and CLs and their torpedoes at arm's length and the old BBs can do their thing. Also Brooklyns give me decent flak suites. By limiting myself to points in range of my USAAF fighters but out of range of Zeroes at Rabaul or Shortlands, my lame fighters can slaughter bombers and build up lots of EXP for my fighters. Even P-400s kill Betties just fine, and good flak can clean up.
My carrier force is not ready for prime time so they are training aircrew in San Diego, so beating him up too much has to wait.
I have played games where the AI took PM early and I just operationally bypassed it. The Japanese forces needed to hold it preclude him holding anything else too well. But PM is very rich in VP and I'll never close out the game if I don't eventually take it. But for now I still hold the base and I am willing to burn up ground forces to hold it. If I can just throttle down his re-invasion convoys I can hold it indefinitely. I've built up a level 4 port and a level 2 airfield so garrisoning it gets easier if I am not too ambitious.
The AI grabbed Milne Bay and Rossel island (among others) but recon doesn't show anything there. I can use Aussie commandos or MSMC Raiders to recon in force. If it is not well held I'm starting to get enough sealift to drop a whole division of infantry, lots of SeaBees, and 20,000 supplies. they can build up a base and from Rossel Island the corner at Milne bay is in SBD-3 range as well as B-25s, so I can start taxing his convoys into PM worse that he can do me.
I do have plenty of political points so I could activate a lesser Aussie infantry division to help hold PM. I intend to land the US 32nd Division if necessary. I'm holding the Australian First Corps in reserve for offensive actions later. But right now I have to wait til the AI ships run out of fuel/ammo and have to pull back to rabaul and I'; lucky to squeeze in a battalion at a time.
As for mixed TFs, I do think to use the old BBs (I have 7 usable right now, Having Brooklyns would keep IJN DDs and CLs and their torpedoes at arm's length and the old BBs can do their thing. Also Brooklyns give me decent flak suites. By limiting myself to points in range of my USAAF fighters but out of range of Zeroes at Rabaul or Shortlands, my lame fighters can slaughter bombers and build up lots of EXP for my fighters. Even P-400s kill Betties just fine, and good flak can clean up.
RE: I Have Returned
Port Stanley does need one small injection of supply to support base building (for points) until about mid 1942 when one of those "Replenishment Convoys" that appears as a land unit shows up and dumps supply and fuel there. I am not sure if that will last into mid 1943 when I suspect another replenishment will appear.
No matter how bad a situation is, you can always make it worse. - Chris Hadfield : An Astronaut's Guide To Life On Earth
RE: I Have Returned
Re: Post #48
I've seen the "Replenishment convoy show up at Port Stanley, but I keep a 1,000 ton AKL at Capetown to provide emergency supply. The rest went into off-map convoys as advised.
I've seen the "Replenishment convoy show up at Port Stanley, but I keep a 1,000 ton AKL at Capetown to provide emergency supply. The rest went into off-map convoys as advised.
RE: I Have Returned
AI REALLY wants PM bad. He has sent most of the IJN (including parts of Kido Butai) to isolate the garrison. He has driven off my cruiser-based escorts so supply is draining down. I'm getting a little supply in via air transport (not much available yet) and sub cargo runs. I extracted my air units as I had a lot of well-trained P-39 and P-40 drivers there becoming "seed corn" for when I get better fighters.
BTW I'm at June 10, 1942.
But the price of his PM campaign is that he has gone into hibernation everywhere else. apparently, this scrip has no aggressive intentions on India. He & I face each other over the Imphal ridge but he is making no effort to suppress Chittagong, Silchar, or Ledo. Most AIs like to have a P-40 vs Oscar bloodletting over Burma. That front is trangely quiescent and has allowed me to build up significant reserves in case of a feint.
Also the AI has apparently given up on Canton Island. He does have 9,000 starving troops there. Unless Kido Butai returns soon I'll make fish food of the assault troops.
Both AI and I are mailing it in in China. I'm ignoring him in the Aleutians. I've tried this in the past playing as the Japanese. The Aleutians/Alaska is a cul-de-sac leading nowhere. I can pick the garrisons off when I get good and ready and need the VP to close out the game. AI is nowhere near automatic victory conditions so I must be winning.
Right now I'm using everything that floats to move supply/fuel to local logistical hubs (Sydney, Brisbane, Noumea, Perth, Colombo, Bombay, karachi) and main in-theater hubs like pearl and Capetown. As always, not enough tankers. Its a long, long way from LA to Sydney and Abadan to Perth. So I guard my long-haul tankers jealously and use AOs to extend the range of big but short-legged tankers.
As i get into a better position to get aggressive the war will get going in earnest in the Solomons and the islands east of Milne Bay.
One thing about WitP. It shows you why on this, the widest battlefield of all, the combat is so channelized.
BTW I'm at June 10, 1942.
But the price of his PM campaign is that he has gone into hibernation everywhere else. apparently, this scrip has no aggressive intentions on India. He & I face each other over the Imphal ridge but he is making no effort to suppress Chittagong, Silchar, or Ledo. Most AIs like to have a P-40 vs Oscar bloodletting over Burma. That front is trangely quiescent and has allowed me to build up significant reserves in case of a feint.
Also the AI has apparently given up on Canton Island. He does have 9,000 starving troops there. Unless Kido Butai returns soon I'll make fish food of the assault troops.
Both AI and I are mailing it in in China. I'm ignoring him in the Aleutians. I've tried this in the past playing as the Japanese. The Aleutians/Alaska is a cul-de-sac leading nowhere. I can pick the garrisons off when I get good and ready and need the VP to close out the game. AI is nowhere near automatic victory conditions so I must be winning.
Right now I'm using everything that floats to move supply/fuel to local logistical hubs (Sydney, Brisbane, Noumea, Perth, Colombo, Bombay, karachi) and main in-theater hubs like pearl and Capetown. As always, not enough tankers. Its a long, long way from LA to Sydney and Abadan to Perth. So I guard my long-haul tankers jealously and use AOs to extend the range of big but short-legged tankers.
As i get into a better position to get aggressive the war will get going in earnest in the Solomons and the islands east of Milne Bay.
One thing about WitP. It shows you why on this, the widest battlefield of all, the combat is so channelized.
RE: I Have Returned
I like the 8075 ton capacity tankers to haul from Abadan to Perth because of their 12,500 NM range. Even that comes up a little short, but I can either refuel at Colombo or set the tanker TF to "minimum refuel" and it will take a tiny amount of the fuel it brought to Perth to get back to Abadan.
Early on, I had to escort the tankers heavily because of AI's raiders that like to make forays around Diego Garcia or around Christmas Is. (IO). Once I sank a few of them the raiding stopped.
Early on, I had to escort the tankers heavily because of AI's raiders that like to make forays around Diego Garcia or around Christmas Is. (IO). Once I sank a few of them the raiding stopped.
No matter how bad a situation is, you can always make it worse. - Chris Hadfield : An Astronaut's Guide To Life On Earth
RE: I Have Returned
If you send the tankers to Karachi to unload, other tankers could pick up the fuel at Cochin to go to Perth. That might save time and fuel.
Seek peace but keep your gun handy.
I'm not a complete idiot, some parts are missing!
“Illegitemus non carborundum est (“Don’t let the bastards grind you down”).”
; Julia Child
I'm not a complete idiot, some parts are missing!
“Illegitemus non carborundum est (“Don’t let the bastards grind you down”).”
; Julia ChildRE: I Have Returned
Minor problem with airframe replacement.
I got two squadrons of fighter out of PM but a bit short of airframes. These squadrons are now sitting on their respective HQ at bases with over 20,000 supply, but the game will not tap their adequate replacement pools.
I have about 20 experienced pilots sitting around with no mighty steeds to ride across the sky.
Any ideas?
I got two squadrons of fighter out of PM but a bit short of airframes. These squadrons are now sitting on their respective HQ at bases with over 20,000 supply, but the game will not tap their adequate replacement pools.
I have about 20 experienced pilots sitting around with no mighty steeds to ride across the sky.
Any ideas?
RE: I Have Returned
I think you need either an Air HQ within range (2X its command radius) or a large enough airfield (7).ORIGINAL: Taxcutter
Minor problem with airframe replacement.
I got two squadrons of fighter out of PM but a bit short of airframes. These squadrons are now sitting on their respective HQ at bases with over 20,000 supply, but the game will not tap their adequate replacement pools.
I have about 20 experienced pilots sitting around with no mighty steeds to ride across the sky.
Any ideas?
No matter how bad a situation is, you can always make it worse. - Chris Hadfield : An Astronaut's Guide To Life On Earth
RE: I Have Returned
Set replacements to "on" but the replacements might show up elsewhere . . .
Seek peace but keep your gun handy.
I'm not a complete idiot, some parts are missing!
“Illegitemus non carborundum est (“Don’t let the bastards grind you down”).”
; Julia Child
I'm not a complete idiot, some parts are missing!
“Illegitemus non carborundum est (“Don’t let the bastards grind you down”).”
; Julia Child
RE: I Have Returned
Replacements can also be delayed by a few days. If this is the case, if you mouse over the replenishment button, it should tell you how many days before you can draw from the pools again.
"Now excuse me while I go polish my balls ...
" - BBfanboy
" - BBfanboyRE: I Have Returned
I got the replacement situation figured out.
On the other hand AI took PM. He sent damn near two thirds of the IJN. Drove my resupply ships away. Early July 1942 I'm not ready to take him on, but that may change shortly. The Aussies made PM look like a combination of Omaha Beach and Ypre, but AI (like any self-respecting IJA commander) was not impressed by 25,000 dead IJA grunts.
I got my carriers sorted out and lots of trained pilots (in inferior fighters). Organizing three CVTFs at San Diego. Most everything fully updated and in good repair. Scads of flak. USS Washington, 6 x CA, 3 x Atlanta CL, twelve best DD I have.
AI has been tormenting me with three independent forces since I booted him off Canton Island. Biggest one sealing off PM. One trying to help the 11th infantry I've trapped on New Caledonia. A smaller one (if anything that included Yamato can ever be thought of as small) dogging me at Midway. For him Midway is a tough nut. Size 4 fortifications a USMC defense battalion and an army CD regiment. 500 mines. PT boats. And it is a sub base so he has to wade through shoals of Mk 10 torpedoes. He bashed some PT boats, and shot up a squadron of Dauntlesses. His force also include Soryu and Hiryu and Buffaloes just can't escort anything against a fragment of Kido Butai. He also sent Ise and Hyuga to bombard.
Development of the base is complete so I left the Bobcats half-sized SeaBee battalion to effect repairs.
I have my entire surface force (7 x Standards plus 4 x CA, plus 4 x Brooklyns and 10 DD). I intend to hang Nevada out as bait in the lagoon - a very sturdy shore battery. My surface force will lurk two hexes NE of Midway and my CV TF another three further away. Now the Yamato may tear the Nevada to bits (the Yamato was specifically designed to kill Standards). My plan is make a TBF attack on the Yamato and send the SBDs after the CVs. I subbed and extra Wildcat squadron on the Wasp to escort the SBDs and left most of the native CV fighters on CAP.
Big battle is a few days away but should be fun.
On the other hand AI took PM. He sent damn near two thirds of the IJN. Drove my resupply ships away. Early July 1942 I'm not ready to take him on, but that may change shortly. The Aussies made PM look like a combination of Omaha Beach and Ypre, but AI (like any self-respecting IJA commander) was not impressed by 25,000 dead IJA grunts.
I got my carriers sorted out and lots of trained pilots (in inferior fighters). Organizing three CVTFs at San Diego. Most everything fully updated and in good repair. Scads of flak. USS Washington, 6 x CA, 3 x Atlanta CL, twelve best DD I have.
AI has been tormenting me with three independent forces since I booted him off Canton Island. Biggest one sealing off PM. One trying to help the 11th infantry I've trapped on New Caledonia. A smaller one (if anything that included Yamato can ever be thought of as small) dogging me at Midway. For him Midway is a tough nut. Size 4 fortifications a USMC defense battalion and an army CD regiment. 500 mines. PT boats. And it is a sub base so he has to wade through shoals of Mk 10 torpedoes. He bashed some PT boats, and shot up a squadron of Dauntlesses. His force also include Soryu and Hiryu and Buffaloes just can't escort anything against a fragment of Kido Butai. He also sent Ise and Hyuga to bombard.
Development of the base is complete so I left the Bobcats half-sized SeaBee battalion to effect repairs.
I have my entire surface force (7 x Standards plus 4 x CA, plus 4 x Brooklyns and 10 DD). I intend to hang Nevada out as bait in the lagoon - a very sturdy shore battery. My surface force will lurk two hexes NE of Midway and my CV TF another three further away. Now the Yamato may tear the Nevada to bits (the Yamato was specifically designed to kill Standards). My plan is make a TBF attack on the Yamato and send the SBDs after the CVs. I subbed and extra Wildcat squadron on the Wasp to escort the SBDs and left most of the native CV fighters on CAP.
Big battle is a few days away but should be fun.
RE: I Have Returned
Sitrep 7/18/42
The overall situation has stabilized. AI is reduced to nuisance raids near Pearl Harbor to force me to tie down a "garrison." So far this tactic has gotten some of his amphib forces slaughtered three times. AI has been pestering me around Midway but I have it near built up to the point I can ignore him. I set the Nevada there as "bait" (and to thrash his bombardment TFs). AI seems to sense I have an avalanche ready to fallon him if he takes the bait.
India, China, and the North Pacific are quiet, so I can really click through turns. My fleet subs with high aggression skippers is starting to take a real bite despite the fact the Mark 14s won't explode most of the time.
I landed on Koumac in New Caledonia and his 11th Division is now toast. Two Army divisions, the 2nd Marine Division and a lot of artillery at his front and the 1st Marine Division sitting on his supply base. I took his fortified position a La Foa on the 16th.
Supply, and support building up OK. Fuel is still tight. I run at cruise speed a lot. I'm building up a whole raft of good fighter pilots. My planes are no match but lots of quality pilots offset that if I don't get greedy. Aussies start getting Spit Vs shortly. Not really a match for a Zero but generally excellent point defense fighters. Still … many months to Hellcats.
The overall situation has stabilized. AI is reduced to nuisance raids near Pearl Harbor to force me to tie down a "garrison." So far this tactic has gotten some of his amphib forces slaughtered three times. AI has been pestering me around Midway but I have it near built up to the point I can ignore him. I set the Nevada there as "bait" (and to thrash his bombardment TFs). AI seems to sense I have an avalanche ready to fallon him if he takes the bait.
India, China, and the North Pacific are quiet, so I can really click through turns. My fleet subs with high aggression skippers is starting to take a real bite despite the fact the Mark 14s won't explode most of the time.
I landed on Koumac in New Caledonia and his 11th Division is now toast. Two Army divisions, the 2nd Marine Division and a lot of artillery at his front and the 1st Marine Division sitting on his supply base. I took his fortified position a La Foa on the 16th.
Supply, and support building up OK. Fuel is still tight. I run at cruise speed a lot. I'm building up a whole raft of good fighter pilots. My planes are no match but lots of quality pilots offset that if I don't get greedy. Aussies start getting Spit Vs shortly. Not really a match for a Zero but generally excellent point defense fighters. Still … many months to Hellcats.
RE: I Have Returned
July 30 sitrep.
I have New Caledonia all to myself. The 11th division has been exterminated. A relief force ran afoul of my cruisers. A cheap-Charlie effort. Not even a DD as escort. Four transports and 12,000 men are fish food.
Luganville is under development. 2 port 1 AF but three SeaBees beavering away. CD guns, flak are present plus a US Army regiment to prevent monkey business. Enough cruisers to require a major effort to invade.
My main carrier and surface force sit NE of Midway. AI has been probing. He snuck in a minelaying sub and a patrol sub. My low value garrison took some damage. Nevada will be in drydock for sixty days I estimate. I'll extend the drydock time to add another 200 points of flak.
I have built up in NE Australia. AI will have to land the whole IJA to make any impact. Cooktown and Cairns seem to be out of Zero range. AI sacrifices a few Betties and IJAAF bomber to hold my attention. At this time I am content to build up EXP and AIR in my fighter squadrons to offset the lousy handling planes.
As always, it's the fuel.
India is quiet. I'm trying to goad the AI into have a go at my CAP-trap at Chittagong. I'm using heavily escorted Blenheim IVs to pound his refinery at Magwe. If AI refuses battle for another ten days the oil field and refinery will be junk yards. Not a big thing in the overall picture, but its all I can reach at this point and he'll have to bring supply into Burma just to keep me at bay.
AI tried to grab Dutch Harbor, but I ran in a regiment of infantry and made crab-chow out of them.
Got most all of my little 4000 range AKLs running supply into Capetown. Couple of 35,000 ton convoys every other month.
I have New Caledonia all to myself. The 11th division has been exterminated. A relief force ran afoul of my cruisers. A cheap-Charlie effort. Not even a DD as escort. Four transports and 12,000 men are fish food.
Luganville is under development. 2 port 1 AF but three SeaBees beavering away. CD guns, flak are present plus a US Army regiment to prevent monkey business. Enough cruisers to require a major effort to invade.
My main carrier and surface force sit NE of Midway. AI has been probing. He snuck in a minelaying sub and a patrol sub. My low value garrison took some damage. Nevada will be in drydock for sixty days I estimate. I'll extend the drydock time to add another 200 points of flak.
I have built up in NE Australia. AI will have to land the whole IJA to make any impact. Cooktown and Cairns seem to be out of Zero range. AI sacrifices a few Betties and IJAAF bomber to hold my attention. At this time I am content to build up EXP and AIR in my fighter squadrons to offset the lousy handling planes.
As always, it's the fuel.
India is quiet. I'm trying to goad the AI into have a go at my CAP-trap at Chittagong. I'm using heavily escorted Blenheim IVs to pound his refinery at Magwe. If AI refuses battle for another ten days the oil field and refinery will be junk yards. Not a big thing in the overall picture, but its all I can reach at this point and he'll have to bring supply into Burma just to keep me at bay.
AI tried to grab Dutch Harbor, but I ran in a regiment of infantry and made crab-chow out of them.
Got most all of my little 4000 range AKLs running supply into Capetown. Couple of 35,000 ton convoys every other month.