Beware the Dorniers! Scen 17 Tier 3 (Lowpe vs AI (Spoilers))

[PaxMondo]

I've lost countless ships to 3 plane flights of Dorniers … I've had those things get 4 hits out of 6 torps launched …

[Lowpe]

April 25, 1942

Our Zero losses are atrociously high, but we do now have lots of great pilots...Japan is stuck with the A6m2 as a carrier fighter for months and months yet. The A6M3 will arrive in June.

Already Lightnings and Liberators are flying in the New Guinea area. Japan will counter by getting some Nicks down there, at least at Rabaul.

[Lowpe]

In a PBEM, it is a struggle to get Japanese aces to 20. In this game, I think I am going to retire the Ace at 20 and put them into a training squadron on Honshu until Honshu is threatened.

[Lowpe]

I am experimenting with Atoll defense in this game.

My normal atoll defense is naval guards, jnaf AF unit, some type of cd/dp gun unit, machinecannon AA, small artillery, and an armored car unit.

A lot of the units act as damage soaks, and usually the armored car unit survives untouched and really savages the invading troops. Here I am replacing the armored car unit with a full tank regiment. I will send some machinecannons and a mountain gun artillery unit here eventually...

Plus an ACM and some mines.

Huge opportunity cost of putting a full tank regiment here, but I think on certain bases it is worth it. Wake, Marcus, Midway (if you take it) are definitely some islands that merit them I think.

[witpqs]

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

I am experimenting with Atoll defense in this game.

My normal atoll defense is naval guards, jnaf AF unit, some type of cd/dp gun unit, machinecannon AA, small artillery, and an armored car unit.

A lot of the units act as damage soaks, and usually the armored car unit survives untouched and really savages the invading troops. Here I am replacing the armored car unit with a full tank regiment. I will send some machinecannons and a mountain gun artillery unit here eventually...

Plus an ACM and some mines.

Huge opportunity cost of putting a full tank regiment here, but I think on certain bases it is worth it. Wake, Marcus, Midway (if you take it) are definitely some islands that merit them I think.

Nasty.

[Lowpe]

This was my successful defense of Midway against Jocke...so I might use better artillery in this game against the AI than the previously mentioned mountain gun unit (75mm).

[witpqs]

Yeah, tanks alone seem not a good option for this type of operation.

[Lowpe]

April 26, 1942

Fireworks off Java...





Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Semarang at 53,101

Weather in hex: Heavy rain

Raid spotted at 12 NM, estimated altitude 18,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 4 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 6
D3A1 Val x 19
Ki-43-Ic Oscar x 18

Allied aircraft
B-339-23 x 4

Japanese aircraft losses
D3A1 Val: 2 damaged

Allied aircraft losses
B-339-23: 1 destroyed

Allied Ships
KV Jasmine, Bomb hits 4, heavy fires, heavy damage
DD Endeh
xAP Aquitania, Bomb hits 6, heavy fires

[Lowpe]

Aquitania![X(]

[Lowpe]

April 28th, 1942

Allied Naval forces keep trying to catch troop transports headed to Java...but today our heavy Cruisers screen the ports...

South of Kal, IJA troopers savage the Dutch again, and now can focus on taking Batavia.

Ground combat at 51,100 (near Kalidjati)

Japanese Shock attack

Attacking force 42863 troops, 454 guns, 621 vehicles, Assault Value = 1217

Defending force 16290 troops, 322 guns, 199 vehicles, Assault Value = 441

Japanese adjusted assault: 693

Allied adjusted defense: 201

Japanese assault odds: 3 to 1

Combat modifiers
Defender: experience(-)
Attacker: shock(+)

Japanese ground losses:
803 casualties reported
Squads: 7 destroyed, 152 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 13 disabled
Engineers: 2 destroyed, 5 disabled
Vehicles lost 13 (2 destroyed, 11 disabled)

Allied ground losses:
5179 casualties reported
Squads: 263 destroyed, 42 disabled
Non Combat: 163 destroyed, 75 disabled
Engineers: 60 destroyed, 22 disabled
Guns lost 110 (95 destroyed, 15 disabled)
Vehicles lost 79 (31 destroyed, 48 disabled)
Units retreated 8

Defeated Allied Units Retreating!

[Lowpe]

Abdiel class cruiser is neat...

[Andy Mac]

Abdiel was a historic ship not one of my additions she was a Fast Cruiser Minelayer or really a Destryer Minelayer that was as long as a Cruiser !!!

HMS Manxman and Welshman were others in the class that resupplied Malta at the height of the seige

[GetAssista]

ORIGINAL: Lowpe
Abdiel class cruiser is neat...

Look closer, it has a rear turret)

Differs from stock only in that CM class is changed to CL and guns are upgraded from 4 to 6 inch

[Andy Mac]

Ah should have remembered that

[Lowpe]

ORIGINAL: GetAssista

ORIGINAL: Lowpe
Abdiel class cruiser is neat...

Look closer, it has a rear turret)

Differs from stock only in that CM class is changed to CL and guns are upgraded from 4 to 6 inch

You are right! She is a funny ship, and I am glad I sank her.[:)]

[Lowpe]

April 29, 1942

Another day of major clashes in the Java Sea...

Night Time Surface Combat, near Kalidjati at 50,99, Range 8,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
CA Mogami
CA Kumano
CL Sendai, Shell hits 1, on fire
CL Jintsu
CL Kiso, Shell hits 1
CL Oi
DD Hatsushima
DD Wakaba

Allied Ships
CA Houston, Shell hits 4
CL Marblehead, Shell hits 1, on fire
DD Duncan
DD Hammann, Shell hits 2

Night Time Surface Combat, near Kalidjati at 50,99, Range 8,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
CA Mogami
CA Kumano, Shell hits 1
CL Sendai, on fire
CL Jintsu, Shell hits 1
CL Kiso
CL Oi
DD Hatsushima
DD Wakaba

Allied Ships
CL Emerald, Shell hits 7, on fire
CL Newcastle
DD Welles, Shell hits 2
DD Craven, Shell hits 1
DD Maury
CL Antartica, Shell hits 2

Improved night sighting under 96% moonlight

Night Time Surface Combat, near Kalidjati at 50,99, Range 12,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
CA Mogami
CA Kumano
CL Sendai, Shell hits 1, on fire
CL Jintsu
CL Kiso
CL Oi, Shell hits 1
DD Hatsushima, Shell hits 1
DD Wakaba

Allied Ships
CL Emerald, Shell hits 7, on fire, heavy damage
DD Maury

Improved night sighting under 100% moonlight


Morning Air attack on TF, near Kalidjati at 51,99

Weather in hex: Light cloud

Raid detected at 111 NM, estimated altitude 18,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 41 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 3
D3A1 Val x 23
Ki-43-Ic Oscar x 49

Allied aircraft
Hurricane IIb Trop x 14

Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 1 destroyed
D3A1 Val: 6 damaged
D3A1 Val: 1 destroyed by flak
Ki-43-Ic Oscar: 7 destroyed

No Allied losses

Allied Ships
CA Houston, Bomb hits 6, heavy fires, heavy damage
CL Newcastle, Bomb hits 1, on fire
CL Marblehead, Bomb hits 2, on fire

Morning Air attack on TF, near Kalidjati at 52,97

Weather in hex: Light rain

Raid spotted at 18 NM, estimated altitude 12,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 6 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-43-Ic Oscar x 2

Allied aircraft
A-24 Banshee x 12

No Japanese losses

Allied aircraft losses
A-24 Banshee: 2 damaged

Japanese Ships
xAK Kansai Maru, Bomb hits 1, on fire
xAK Kashii Maru, Bomb hits 3, heavy fires, heavy damage

Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Kalidjati at 51,99

Weather in hex: Thunderstorms

Raid detected at 73 NM, estimated altitude 21,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 27 minutes

Japanese aircraft
D3A1 Val x 19
Ki-43-Ic Oscar x 29

Allied aircraft
Hurricane IIb Trop x 13

Japanese aircraft losses
D3A1 Val: 8 damaged
D3A1 Val: 1 destroyed by flak
Ki-43-Ic Oscar: 6 destroyed

No Allied losses

Allied Ships
DD Craven
CA Houston, on fire, heavy damage
CL Newcastle, Bomb hits 2, on fire, heavy damage
CL Antartica

Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Kalidjati at 50,99

Weather in hex: Light rain

Raid spotted at 40 NM, estimated altitude 20,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 11 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 1
Ki-43-Ic Oscar x 18

Allied aircraft
B-25C Mitchell x 19

Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-43-Ic Oscar: 1 destroyed

Allied aircraft losses
B-25C Mitchell: 2 destroyed, 5 damaged

Japanese Ships
CA Suzuya, Bomb hits 1

[Lowpe]

Only confirmed ship sunk is a 12 vp xak Japanese, done in by the dive bombers...

Lots of Oscars lost escorting in the Vals...

[PaxMondo]

Your fighter losses are pretty high (not surprising, the allied dogs were ready for the IJ aggression [;)] ), is your production keeping up ok?

[RangerJoe]

Think if the Abdiel had 5.25" for the DP capability.

[Lowpe]

ORIGINAL: PaxMondo

Your fighter losses are pretty high (not surprising, the allied dogs were ready for the IJ aggression [;)] ), is your production keeping up ok?

Not really, making 4 Zero and 4 Oscar and now 2 Nicks & 1 Rufe a day. But I just ebb and flow my moves to allow time to recover.