Rookie Problems - Operation Shoestring

[DanielAClark]

27th-28th August

Buna continues to be pounded by B17s.

No enemy activity in the Slot. Our transports and tankers are unloading.

A total of 8 Betties attack on the 28th, all but 1 are shot down or damaged before attacking by the Henderson Field CAP.

Enterprise group continues towards Sydney. Some enemy subs spotted around Noumea. Our ASW is keeping them from being dangerous.

[DanielAClark]

29th August

IJA bombards the Kokoda Track. Does nothing. Our bombers continue to pound Buna and the track.

Washington and escorting destroyers arrive. She is sent north to rendezvouz with the carrier forces.

The light transport resupplying Tulagi is sunk at her moorings by a midget submarine that the destroyer task force set for ASW has failed to sink for days despite knowing it was in the hex. Frustrating.

The big news is that Zuikaku and Ryujo sally forth to face our carriers. North Carolina suffers multiple torpedo hits and sinks. Saratoga takes a torpedo and several bomb hits. She is still afloat but severely damaged (64 float). She will have to withdraw at 7kts. I doubt she will survive.

Ryujo takes several 1000 lb bomb hits. No confirmation of sinking but a light carrier taking that kind of pounding is good for us. Zuikaku seems to be lucky with her AA, destroying several strike planes and scaring the rest off. We hit Hiei with a torpedo and Kirishima with a pair of bombs.

The afternoon attack hits Wasp with a torpedo, but does not shut down her flight deck. She will withdraw south to cover the withdrawal of the damaged ships, then head for shipyard as well (15 knots).

Our Henderson field bombers arrive piecemiel and put another bomb into one of their battleships...but Zuikaku continues to live a charmed life.

We now have no carrier support unless I bring up Long Island...and she is only useful as an escort.

Time to clear Henderson Field of all of Saratoga's planes...and figure out how I am going to work the area with no mobile air cover.

Shit just got real.

[DanielAClark]

30th August

Night action - Boise, Pensacola, New Orleans, and escorting destroyers are engaged in a clear IJN attempt to run down the Saratoga and sink her with surface gunfire. Zuikaku, in the finest British tradition, is in with the surface ships. We do some damage to the enemy escorting destroyers and put some shell hits on two of their heavy cruisers. Boise takes a torpedo and we break off the action. We got to within 3,000 yards of their force. But only got two destroyer shell hits on the Zuikaku.

In the morning, Wasp sends up her pitiful attack squadrons as she flees southward at a pedestrian 15 knots. 7 F4Fs tangle with the IJN CAP and do well enough to let the 18 SBDs and 7 TBFs into the attack. No hits...on anything...despite at least the boys primarily going after Zuikaku this time.

Zuikaku's reduced strength strike encounters a pitiful CAP (total 2 F4Fs)...and the 10 Vals and 8 Kates manage to get 4 torpedo hits on the wallowing Wasp and send her to the bottom.

A few Kate's go after the Saratoga, and hit her 3 times for basically nothing. However, the enemy battleships and cruisers are closing to visual range. Atlanta is ordered to abandon escorting Saratoga and run for it during the night.

Zuikaku also hits Australia with one torpedo during the afternoon phase of the air attacks. She will head for Sydney with the rest of the cripples. All other ships are fleeing back towards Noumea.

Henderson Field is overstacked with USN planes all over the place. Will try to get as many planes out as possible before the inevitable bombardment of the field. With the enemy in possession of the only undamaged CV...we are pretty powerless to offer much resistance.

Hornet arrives in 3 days. Not sure that will mean much though as I will want at least 2 operational carriers to put into the fight...just one isn't enough. Two obviously isn't enough either...but at least I can attrit his air groups with 2.

Sigh.

I knew it was going to be a tough day.

[Alfred]

ORIGINAL: DanielAClark

26th August


... I also noted that we now have a squadron of Beafighters at Brisbane. Unfortunately, they are not true fighter bombers...they do not have the capability to drop bombs. At present I will hold them in reserve over Brisbane...

On what do you base the statement that they don't have the capability to drop bombs.

Alfred

[Sardaukar]

They definitely drop bombs and you could use them skip bombing or low naval attack and strafing, either at 100 ft altitude or 1000 ft.

That is where they excelled historically too.

[DanielAClark]

ORIGINAL: Alfred

ORIGINAL: DanielAClark

26th August


... I also noted that we now have a squadron of Beafighters at Brisbane. Unfortunately, they are not true fighter bombers...they do not have the capability to drop bombs. At present I will hold them in reserve over Brisbane...

On what do you base the statement that they don't have the capability to drop bombs.

Alfred

When reviewing the plane data screen, it does not have a bomb loadout listed...like the other fighter bombers have. It lists cannon instead.

I presume that this version of the Beaufighter strafes rather than bombs.

I saw in the plane archive that there are several different versions of the Beaufighter...some which can use torpedoes, some bombs, etc.

[RangerJoe]

Can you make note of which mark if you can't post a screenshot? Also, is it on extended range?

[BBfanboy]

ORIGINAL: DanielAClark

ORIGINAL: Alfred

ORIGINAL: DanielAClark

26th August


... I also noted that we now have a squadron of Beafighters at Brisbane. Unfortunately, they are not true fighter bombers...they do not have the capability to drop bombs. At present I will hold them in reserve over Brisbane...

On what do you base the statement that they don't have the capability to drop bombs.

Alfred

When reviewing the plane data screen, it does not have a bomb loadout listed...like the other fighter bombers have. It lists cannon instead.

I presume that this version of the Beaufighter strafes rather than bombs.

I saw in the plane archive that there are several different versions of the Beaufighter...some which can use torpedoes, some bombs, etc.

If the squadron is set to be armed with TORPEDOES, it is not going to show you the BOMB loadout on the aircraft info screen. Try changing the armament to BOMBS and look at the aircraft info again.

[BBfanboy]

BTW, you have decimated his Betty squadrons before that carrier battle and Zuikaku does not have a great deal of punch left to attack Henderson Field. You might want to re-consider keeping some fighters and TBs at Henderson. If you have a lot of engineers at Henderson you can fix bombardment damage between attacks and maybe surprise him.

[DanielAClark]

ORIGINAL: RangerJoe

Can you make note of which mark if you can't post a screenshot? Also, is it on extended range?

Beaufighter 1C

Not on extended range.

[DanielAClark]

ORIGINAL: BBfanboy

ORIGINAL: DanielAClark

ORIGINAL: Alfred




On what do you base the statement that they don't have the capability to drop bombs.

Alfred

When reviewing the plane data screen, it does not have a bomb loadout listed...like the other fighter bombers have. It lists cannon instead.

I presume that this version of the Beaufighter strafes rather than bombs.

I saw in the plane archive that there are several different versions of the Beaufighter...some which can use torpedoes, some bombs, etc.

If the squadron is set to be armed with TORPEDOES, it is not going to show you the BOMB loadout on the aircraft info screen. Try changing the armament to BOMBS and look at the aircraft info again.

The squadron has no wording for bombs or torpedoes, most likely because it does not carry any.

[DanielAClark]

ORIGINAL: BBfanboy

BTW, you have decimated his Betty squadrons before that carrier battle and Zuikaku does not have a great deal of punch left to attack Henderson Field. You might want to re-consider keeping some fighters and TBs at Henderson. If you have a lot of engineers at Henderson you can fix bombardment damage between attacks and maybe surprise him.

Indeed.

The plan is generally to remove the USN planes from the island. The marine planes will stay.

Right now, I have 125 airframes littering the field which can only handle 100. I have damaged planes from Enterprise, Saratoga, and now Wasp's planes (both damaged and ready to fly).

In addition, the battle quite heavily attrited my marine units as well. So I may keep some USN planes or rotate some marine planes from the squadrons at Noumea.

Basically, I can base 100 planes and 3 squadrons at Henderson Field without penalty. Before the fight, I was basing 4 marine squadrons (2 fighters and 2 dive bombers) at the field, and a group of Catalinas. It wasn't perfect but it was protecting the slot from the Bettie raids.

The goal will be to have two squadrons of fighters...and some strike capability. How I get to that will be the focus of my thinking over this next turn.

[BBfanboy]

ORIGINAL: DanielAClark

ORIGINAL: BBfanboy

ORIGINAL: DanielAClark




When reviewing the plane data screen, it does not have a bomb loadout listed...like the other fighter bombers have. It lists cannon instead.

I presume that this version of the Beaufighter strafes rather than bombs.

I saw in the plane archive that there are several different versions of the Beaufighter...some which can use torpedoes, some bombs, etc.

If the squadron is set to be armed with TORPEDOES, it is not going to show you the BOMB loadout on the aircraft info screen. Try changing the armament to BOMBS and look at the aircraft info again.

The squadron has no wording for bombs or torpedoes, most likely because it does not carry any.

D'oh! I may have been thinking of Beauforts!
Is that Beaufighter by chance a Recon version? Can't think of any other reason for no bomb load to show.

[DanielAClark]

ORIGINAL: BBfanboy

ORIGINAL: DanielAClark

ORIGINAL: BBfanboy



If the squadron is set to be armed with TORPEDOES, it is not going to show you the BOMB loadout on the aircraft info screen. Try changing the armament to BOMBS and look at the aircraft info again.

The squadron has no wording for bombs or torpedoes, most likely because it does not carry any.

D'oh! I may have been thinking of Beauforts!
Is that Beaufighter by chance a Recon version? Can't think of any other reason for no bomb load to show.

It lists as a fighter bomber...machine guns and cannon.

The Beaufort squadron is at Milne Bay keeping the enemy honest with respect to the Coral Sea and supplying Buna.

[DanielAClark]

31st August

Fully coordinated attack on Buna. Nice to see over 30 B17s smashing the port and supply dump.

No enemy activity here.

Amazingly, Saratoga is NOT attacked. She shelters briefly in Tulagi during the day. Betty raids get through the miniscule cap and attack some of the sub chasers that have stayed in the slot. No torpedo hits. I left these little ships here to try to get rid of that mini-sub, and also to act as magnets for the Rabaul aircraft.

Lots of aircraft furiously being repaired and sent on to Noumea...or to Efate and then to Noumea.

I am sending out escorting destroyers to some of the groups that are bereft of good ASW support. Chief on this list is Saratoga, which is now just south of Henderson Field and heading out to sea. Australia is being also sent a few more destroyers...and an AO to refuel her current destroyer complement. She is far enough south that we are no in danger of air attack.

The reason I am doing is this Hobart getting torpedoed by an RO boat on approach to Sydney. Grateful it was Hobart and not Enterprise, which is also in that area. Hobart is just above 70 float damage...but is pretty close to Sydney...fingers crossed.

I load up a tanker to provide fuel to Espirito Santo. I will develop those bases in the hope of providing a set of closer anchorages to the slot for fast transports. Speaking of fast transports, the first APD run is loaded and sent on its way to Tulagi. She is escorted by 3 DDs. Hopefully this will help the garrison get properly supplied.

Lots of planning activity underway to continue the fight under the new circumstances.

The enemy main body is spotted heading north, she will either head to Rabaul, or Truk for repairs...I suspect. I am grateful, as the two battlecruisers (Hiei and Kirishima), while taking a few bombs from my DBs, plus a few shell hits from my cruisers...did not appear to have lost much combat capability. My hope is that the heavier damage to the DD screen and escorting heavy cruisers...plus the low aircraft remaining...convinced the enemy to withdraw.

I was in no shape to resist ANY attack on this day...and I didn't have to.

We fight on!

[Alfred]

ORIGINAL: DanielAClark

ORIGINAL: Alfred

ORIGINAL: DanielAClark

26th August


... I also noted that we now have a squadron of Beafighters at Brisbane. Unfortunately, they are not true fighter bombers...they do not have the capability to drop bombs. At present I will hold them in reserve over Brisbane...

On what do you base the statement that they don't have the capability to drop bombs.

Alfred

When reviewing the plane data screen, it does not have a bomb loadout listed...like the other fighter bombers have. It lists cannon instead.

I presume that this version of the Beaufighter strafes rather than bombs.

I saw in the plane archive that there are several different versions of the Beaufighter...some which can use torpedoes, some bombs, etc.

Unlike some, I usually do my homework before posting. Which is why I know in my official scenario 4, 30 Sqd RAAF arrives at Brisbane on 24 August 1942, equipped with the Beaufighter IC. That plane has, in addition to cannons, 2x 250lb GP bombs when flying out to normal range, but only 2x100lb GP bombs when flying out to extended range.

Consequently, the explanations are:

• you are playing a bespoke private mod, in which all bets are off re equipment specifications, or
• you have triggered one of the conditions which can alter the normal ordnance, and have not informed as of all the relevant applicable conditions, or
• you are misclicking on the various appropriate screens, which include the ingame database screen.

As always, the best way to resolve issues for inexperienced 0layers is to provide relevant screenshots. We can then spot the important information which escapes the inexperienced player in their attempts to verbally articulate the issue

Alfred.

[DanielAClark]

ORIGINAL: Alfred

ORIGINAL: DanielAClark

ORIGINAL: Alfred




On what do you base the statement that they don't have the capability to drop bombs.

Alfred

When reviewing the plane data screen, it does not have a bomb loadout listed...like the other fighter bombers have. It lists cannon instead.

I presume that this version of the Beaufighter strafes rather than bombs.

I saw in the plane archive that there are several different versions of the Beaufighter...some which can use torpedoes, some bombs, etc.

Unlike some, I usually do my homework before posting. Which is why I know in my official scenario 4, 30 Sqd RAAF arrives at Brisbane on 24 August 1942, equipped with the Beaufighter IC. That plane has, in addition to cannons, 2x 250lb GP bombs when flying out to normal range, but only 2x100lb GP bombs when flying out to extended range.

Consequently, the explanations are:

• you are playing a bespoke private mod, in which all bets are off re equipment specifications, or
• you have triggered one of the conditions which can alter the normal ordnance, and have not informed as of all the relevant applicable conditions, or
• you are misclicking on the various appropriate screens, which include the ingame database screen.

As always, the best way to resolve issues for inexperienced 0layers is to provide relevant screenshots. We can then spot the important information which escapes the inexperienced player in their attempts to verbally articulate the issue

Alfred.

I will take 'misclicking' for $50, please.

I figured it out. If I set the Beaufighters to 'Escort' and look at the plane data, it does not mention the ground attack ordinance.

Changed to 'ground attack', and the bombs showed up in the plane information screen.

Thanks to all of you for pointing out the mistake! That's one of the main reasons I started the AAR...

[DanielAClark]

1 September

Weather cancels B17 raid on Buna.

A squadron of P39s is stood down to prep for removal to Australia to be replaced by the Beaufighters.

PM will then have a squadron of P40s for high CAP, a squadron of P39s for low cap, a squadron of Beaufighters and B26s for ground attack.

Hobart sinks outside Sydney harbor.

Enterprise arrives and goes into shipyard. It will take 78 days to repair.

Even if Saratoga reaches Sydney...she may not be available to return.

Hornet arrives at Noumea. She joins Washington and some cruisers and destroyers.

As soon as I get some DDs back from the Sydney escorts and the retreating cruiser forces...I will kit out some proper amphibuous task forces to land supplies...and maybe troops into the Henderson Field area.

Two of my transports in Australia convert to LSI (Large). To the manual I go...

Henderson field returns to operational status for the fighters. No enemy raids on the slot.

Both fighters taking a breather from combqt but not from prep.

[RangerJoe]

ORIGINAL: DanielAClark

1 September

Weather cancels B17 raid on Buna.

A squadron of P39s is stood down to prep for removal to Australia to be replaced by the Beaufighters.

PM will then have a squadron of P40s for high CAP, a squadron of P39s for low cap, a squadron of Beaufighters and B26s for ground attack.

Hobart sinks outside Sydney harbor.

Enterprise arrives and goes into shipyard. It will take 78 days to repair.

Even if Saratoga reaches Sydney...she may not be available to return.

Hornet arrives at Noumea. She joins Washington and some cruisers and destroyers.

As soon as I get some DDs back from the Sydney escorts and the retreating cruiser forces...I will kit out some proper amphibuous task forces to land supplies...and maybe troops into the Henderson Field area.

Two of my transports in Australia convert to LSI (Large). To the manual I go...

Henderson field returns to operational status for the fighters. No enemy raids on the slot.

Both fighters taking a breather from combqt but not from prep.

LSIs are the Commonwealth equivilent of US Navy APs.

If the Enterprise has a lot of system, minor flood, and minor engine damage, she might be better off on pier side mode. Especially if there is a lot of Naval support and an AR there. Then when there is only major damage to repair, put her in the shipyard.

[BBfanboy]

ORIGINAL: RangerJoe

If the Enterprise has a lot of system, minor flood, and minor engine damage, she might be better off on pier side mode. Especially if there is a lot of Naval support and an AR there. Then when there is only major damage to repair, put her in the shipyard.

+1
Shipyards don't do well repairing system damage - too few repair points compared to a large port I guess. Better to remove the system damage in the port and not tie up the SY with that.
But if Enterprise's float damage is dangerously high, you could put her straight into the SY until the repair algorithm starts to work on the System damage, then switch Big E to pierside mode (you lose 3 days but probably shorten the total repair time considerably).