Going down in flames - BlitzimX(A) vs. Hoplosternum (J) - Allied Side

[BlitzimX]

I have already evacuated part of Lark force from Rabaul, which is now in Noumea, but i couldn't salvage the Motorized units since the transport back then was too small.
I do have one unit in PM, i will try to move it to the mountain as proposed, but i'm afraid it would weaken the port too much. I didn't really intend on reinforcing it, given it's almost guarantied to fall.

I'm also evacuating units in other areas , mostly near Java where i'm buying and flying to the main island any unit in range of transport planes. I'll try using subs as well, it may be usefull to save a few of those.

The SCTF that were pounded were guarding Rabaul, but it was foolish from me to think my opponent wouldn't sweep the area first with his CVs.

[BBfanboy]

Yeah, using SCTFs in a small patrol area close to a base is hazardous this early in the game. They need to be like the carriers - keep them undetected like ghosts and strike suddenly when your naval search finds a weakly guarded TF. Then become ghosts again. Stay more than 20 hexes from any bases with Nells or Bettys.

The scattered small units in the PM-Rabaul area at game start can be gathered by Catalina and reformed into the PM Brigade - a much stronger unit than the scattered bits. Lark force is part of a different unit, most of which is in Malaya IIRC. Don't sweat having to leave behind heavy equipment like trucks and artillery when you are saving a cadre of a unit. Those can be replaced when you get enough supply and devices in the pools. Infantry replacements tend to be harder to find.

[RangerJoe]

The Lark force is part of the division with two Aussie brigades in Malaya, with two named Battalions in the Eastern DEI or Darwin. Those three Battalions will form a brigade if I remember correctly.

Depending upon what the enemy has for his invasion task forces, you might be better off using just DDs and they are much harder to hit than the CAs. Use low aggression so if they run into an enemy surface task force, they will una$$ the area quickly.

Move aircraft carriers to the Australian side of New Guinea and use the island as a shield against Japanese surface units. Your SBDs should be able to do some good work thinning the invasion task forces.

[BlitzimX]

The Lark force is part of the division with two Aussie brigades in Malaya, with two named Battalions in the Eastern DEI or Darwin. Those three Battalions will form a brigade if I remember correctly.

I don't have enough ships anymore in the area to evacuate the AUS divisions in Singapore, i commited them to defend the city.
There were also 2 battalions in Darwin as well, yes. I also shiped them down to Noumea.

Depending upon what the enemy has for his invasion task forces, you might be better off using just DDs and they are much harder to hit than the CAs. Use low aggression so if they run into an enemy surface task force, they will una$$ the area quickly.

Good to know

Move aircraft carriers to the Australian side of New Guinea and use the island as a shield against Japanese surface units. Your SBDs should be able to do some good work thinning the invasion task forces.

With the Full KB in the area, i don't think it's a good idea for now

[BlitzimX]

December 24th

Uneventfull Christmas.

I was rather happy when one of my STF caught the invasion force in Manado, but it seems that a combinaison of Full speed, no radar and bad night prevented them from attacking. The unloading force left the area, while we were moving down south back out of the range of bombers. A bit desapointing.

In Borneo, sent some B17 to do some damage to the Air base in Singkawang for some success.

Johore Bahru has fallen, meaning Singapore is the next step. It will be a tought fight, given i will only have level 3 forts there.

[BlitzimX]

December 26th

New day, nothing much to report.

All my CVs are back to PH for a few days of repairs. I was intending on waiting for the Hornet to join them, but she won't be in PH before at least 2 weeks, given the remaining time for her to be available plus the travel time.
I also made the mistake of transfering all my planes to the base, thinking they'd take only 1 day , but many are out for 3 or 4 days. Not a big deal given it's the delay before my CVs are repaired, but still frustrating. Once ready, i will sortie 2 of them to patrol the SoPAC area, probably with more fighter squadrons and less TBs.

I also wanted to upgrade the old F2Fs but i don't have enough planes in the pool, so i just reinforced the squadron saved from Wake.

A DD is also sunk near PH by a sub.

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In China the main thrust so far is toward Siam. I got my troops on the way, but given the morale and experience, i don't think they will hold for long despite the terrain advantage.

I've also shifted all my bombers from the capital to supply Ankang, hopefully managing to build some levels of Forts before the Japanese arrival.

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Singapore keeps getting swept and the airbase bombarded. I don't really mind, since it allows me to eat up a bit of his planes with the AA each time, and it doesn't affect my troops much. Plus the airport is completly empty so not a problem for me.

My 8 B17 from Java keep bombarding the different airfields north of Borneo, the ex RAF ones, to slow down reconstruction. Thought i suspect he'll move fighters in the area pretty soon so i will probably bomb for an other day and call it a day. They'll sortie again either if i'm sure no fighters are around, or when the invasion progresses closer from Java.

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In the Solomons, the KBs has desappeared. Given the previous course, i'd suspect it sailed back toward Truck or the Marshall, probably alerted by my subs showing up right in those bases over the last few days. I didn't really want to sink stuffs, it was mostly some recon work, but if i can sink a few ships along the way, i don't mind.
Basicaly for now i got multiple subs patrolling back and forth between bases, trying to spie on the ships around and detect any potential invasion force.

Near Pago Pago, 2 subs are lurking around, detected by my patroling PBYs. I however have them only on 30 ASW, so i'm not sure they'll be really usefull; they're mostly here on Naval search to detect any attempt of sneaking in. But that also means any shipping in the area is in danger, like my two cargos coming from NZ.

[RangerJoe]

If he has Miri or any base with oil, bomb the oil. It will only cost him 1000 supply points to rebuild not to mention the oil not produced.

[BlitzimX]

I'll give it a go next turn That's quite a hefty price indeed.

[Q-Ball]

It's best to bomb it right after it falls. Two reasons: 1. Good detection levels, important since you don't have any recon, and 2. Unlikely that Japan will have CAP over it right away.

[BlitzimX]

December 27th

Well, our Christmas heroes will never see the lights of Australia again. The Perth and the Voyager have been obliterated by the KB, which managed to catch up with them, near Celeb. I keep getting very surprised by the speed of those ships, either i have a hard time tracking which ship is where, or he must be burning fuel like crazy just to catch me, given the distance from Rabaul.

Nothing else to report, appart from an attempt in gaining time to transfer troops to India by loading them in LA instead of Eastern US. Given the time my APs take to join the East coast (really the off time map is really weird, some fast ships taking double the time of ships 5 or 6 knots slower...), it will i think be identical to load them in LA, transfer them to CT via Panama, and then on to India. Mostly ENG divisions at this point (about 3 or 4), in addition to an INF regiment (the 41st).

My little bombing run on Miri destroyed 5 Oil. Better than nothing. I may pull a bit on the rope here but i'll do an other bombing run.

Also with the KB starting to do some poking near Java, i decide to retreat Force Z for good; it's too risky to keep it here, where a well placed bomb in the port can ruin it for nothing.

[RangerJoe]

Send them to the East Coast, then send them to Cape Town. No ships are needed.

[BlitzimX]

OMG i didn't know that, i feel so stupid XD And it even works for planes. That thing is a life saver!

[BBfanboy]

ORIGINAL: BlitzimX

OMG i didn't know that, i feel so stupid XD And it even works for planes. That thing is a life saver!

There is a set transit time of about a month for the transfer without ships between ECUSA and CT. It can be done more quickly with fast ships (even without using full speed), but as you say it requires time get the ships in position.

I handle this by sending some large, fast transports to ECUSA on Turn 2. When there is nothing about to transfer to CT, I load the transports with supplies and set them on CS convoy to CT. It helps greatly to have pre-positioned supplies at CT when the shipless transfers arrive there. They can then go on-map with a load of supplies to sustain them. And it makes use of the huge transports like the two Queens and West Point that are too big for most ports in SOPAC.

[RangerJoe]

ORIGINAL: BBfanboy

ORIGINAL: BlitzimX

OMG i didn't know that, i feel so stupid XD And it even works for planes. That thing is a life saver!

There is a set transit time of about a month for the transfer without ships between ECUSA and CT. It can be done more quickly with fast ships (even without using full speed), but as you say it requires time get the ships in position.

I handle this by sending some large, fast transports to ECUSA on Turn 2. When there is nothing about to transfer to CT, I load the transports with supplies and set them on CS convoy to CT. It helps greatly to have pre-positioned supplies at CT when the shipless transfers arrive there. They can then go on-map with a load of supplies to sustain them. And it makes use of the huge transports like the two Queens and West Point that are too big for most ports in SOPAC.

That will also protect the APs and AKs until their upgrades to the attack versions.

[BlitzimX]

December 28th

Massive defeat today near Nanyang in China; it clearly seems that my opponent has made Siam his primary target for now, and i don't see how i could stop him.

Ground combat at 85,44 (near Nanyang)

Japanese Deliberate attack

Attacking force 83479 troops, 751 guns, 114 vehicles, Assault Value = 2355

Defending force 24273 troops, 117 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 385

Japanese adjusted assault: 1697

Allied adjusted defense: 295

Japanese assault odds: 5 to 1

Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+), morale(-), experience(-)
Attacker:

Japanese ground losses:
2475 casualties reported
Squads: 6 destroyed, 207 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 28 disabled
Engineers: 12 destroyed, 27 disabled
Guns lost 11 (1 destroyed, 10 disabled)
Vehicles lost 5 (1 destroyed, 4 disabled)

Allied ground losses:
11261 casualties reported
Squads: 438 destroyed, 9 disabled
Non Combat: 435 destroyed, 16 disabled
Engineers: 9 destroyed, 7 disabled
Guns lost 39 (22 destroyed, 17 disabled)
Units retreated 6

Defeated Allied Units Retreating!

I'm gathering bombers in Chungking to start bombing his troops along the way to Siam. He has fighter protection in the area, but i don't think he will set them to patrol so far out or Nanyang. With so much concentrated troops, i may be able to score some hits, despite the terrain, in addition to training my pilots.
I've also noticed quite a lot of recon over my Chinese bases.


CV repairs are also done in PH, but i'm going to hold until one of the squadron of F2A has upgraded. I have downgraded one of the F4F squadrons in the EC, but it will take time for the planes to get back in the pool. Once done, they'll be given to the F2F in PH, before being embarked on Big E.

Palembang is getting nice and full, even if the units there are of meager quality. They'll be able to hold a few turns i think, maybe tie up a few units.

Nothing else to report, appart from the fact it's the first day with no ship sunk. Horray, i guess.

[BBfanboy]

Make sure all the other naval fighter squadrons do NOT have F4Fs as their next upgrade or have upgrades NOT allowed.

I am not certain, but sometimes it appears that air units that are ON the carrier get upgrades before the ones on land, regardless of airfield size. Can anyone else comment on this?

Beware of accumulating aircraft in one place if you do not have the ability to put up a strong CAP and AA defence. Japanese bombers typically have a long range and if he spots your bombers at Chungking, he may decide to do an airfield strike. The Chinese get so few bombers that it really hurts to lose them on the ground.

[BlitzimX]

All my CV aircrafts are on PH for now, none are on the CVs since they were under repair, and i wanted to wait for the Yorktown to show up.

For the bombers in China, i got 2 squadrons of the Flying tigers on the base, and brought some AA from the capital. Hopefully this can help.

[RangerJoe]

Allied fighters in China are probably best used to ambush the enemy when they fly unescorted bombers. Then fly out so they are not stuck at a base. It is best to have them on a rail line if possible so the damaged ones can rail away, but this is not always possible.

[BlitzimX]

December 29th

The main event of the day is the full scale invasion of the Solomons, with troops invading Rabaul, Milne Bay, Lae and Shortlands.



I am still trying to pull out my planes from Buin but despite supplies and enough aviation support, the plain simply won't repair. I will keep troops here one more day, and pull them back. Those planes are lost to me so far.

The F4Fs squadron i downgraded in EC has received its new planes, but the F4Fs have not yet rejoined the pool, delaying the upgrade of the F2Fs in PH.

Nothing else of interest to report.

[RangerJoe]

Do you have supplies in Buin?