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

[Lowpe]

A couple of relatively quiet days...

5th Carrier Division (Shokaku and sis) finish radar upgrades and head off for Truk. Decided to send First Carrier Division to Honshu (Akagi, Kagi) since one of those ships is already undergoing torpedo repairs and both can be upgraded losing their big guns and getting relatively worthless 25mm AA guns.

Will be moving my last two A6M3 factories to A6M8 to further accelerate getting the M8...The Allies are fielding P38s in greater and greater numbers and I need the M8 to counter.

All political points are going to buying out the 2nd Tank Div, 1st is already purchased and headed to Singapore to combine.

Cleaning up Tarakan, Java, Luzon, and recon on Mindanao, Koepang. Reinforcing Umboi, but Allied air strength, especially those rocket carrying strafers (Beaufighters) cause quite a bit of minor damage among my hard working destroy fleet at Manus and Rabaul.

Allied subs are racking up quite a kill list, advanced subs have radar and working torpedoes....working to counter with more land based air search. Iboats are returning the favor, getting fleeing ships from Java, and getting 18 Wildcats headed for Midway.

I have yet to eject the Americans from Etorofu...but they are being bombed daily and hopefully starved.

I don't think I have ever fought the AI this far in a game before, and I don't know what to expect when they start to really attack. So far, they have only lost one battleship (Texas) and two CB so they will have a potent attacking fleet.

[Lowpe]

July 7, 1942

The great escape from Java...Allied shipping everywhere. So far just low value trash ships sunk...but I am aiming to get the BB...which I believe is a damaged CB.

I wonder if this means the Allies are giving up on the defense of Java?

[Lowpe]

July 8th, 1942

Don't mess with the Diogenes, she packs quite a punch...and her float Spitfires shred some Vals and Betties.

[Lowpe]

ORIGINAL: PaxMondo

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

When you don't resize air squadrons filling out the CV are very difficult. For the most part this is a very welcome development.

Yep, one of the very best dates in '42 in every game … getting rid of those undersized groups.

Argh, it seems the computer sets the squadrons to resize to fit ship after undergoing a computer controlled resizing. Now my squadrons are all mixed up. Anyone know if I missed a setting to prevent this?

[RangerJoe]

I don't know but there is a choice on the air unit description which can be resize to fit the ship but that will only use 90% of capacity if I remember correctly. I manually resize air units when I can, I like doing so on the Akagi since I can get them to 93 [8D] at least. The float planes I get to 27.

[Lowpe]

July 9, 1942

Several small SAGs close on Diogenes, and hit her half dozen times but for no apparent damage, and during the day those Spitfires continue to wreck havoc.

[Lowpe]

Butcher's Bill.

[Lowpe]

July 10th, 1942

Three small SAGs close with Diogenes, and finally the Suzuya closes and sinks her...but losing the Kari in the process.

Fortress Clark...forts level 8![:D]

[Lowpe]

Butchers bill

Funny enough the Diogenes is worth 6 more VP than the previously sunk Plato.

[Lowpe]

I put 4 factories on the Tojo IIa, and it accelerated one month to August of 1942 -- I don't have the engine bonus.

Now I need to question how many to make and should I move some of the R&D off to other planes. I am light on Frank, Sam, George, Jack and no late war planes being worked on at all.

I think I will set a production of 60 for now. Not nearly enough for a pbem game, but perhaps enough against the AI. For Army fighters I have r&d into the Tony (5), Frank (5), Oscar IIa (3).

[RangerJoe]

Are you going to want the Tojo IIc?

What are your main late war fighters going to be?

[Lowpe]

4th Tank Regiment is comprised of Type 95 Light Tanks. I remember these never upgrade to a better tank (the type 2 light tank which I rather like in June 44).

The question is what to use the Regiment for? It got mauled pretty well by Dutch infantry in the open to the east as an attacker. The Dutch couldn't really hurt the medium tanks that attacked.

With 52 tanks, it could be used as a mobile light anti tank unit. It is 2 points less (45 A/Arm) than the 47mm Type 1 AT guns that most Army units upgrade too. So behind pretty stiff forts it can do ok for an attack or two.

With a troop load cost of 0 it could go on an Atoll.

It could provide rear area defense against paratroopers.

It can act as a fire brigade, set to reserve no pursuit in defensive positions .

Pursuit attacker or in open terrain to cut/funnel retreat and close hex sides.


Any other ideas?

[Lowpe]

ORIGINAL: RangerJoe

Are you going to want the Tojo IIc?

What are your main late war fighters going to be?

Eventually, but in just normal time I think.

I have no idea yet what I want my late war fighter to be.

[PaxMondo]

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

ORIGINAL: PaxMondo

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

When you don't resize air squadrons filling out the CV are very difficult. For the most part this is a very welcome development.

Yep, one of the very best dates in '42 in every game … getting rid of those undersized groups.

Argh, it seems the computer sets the squadrons to resize to fit ship after undergoing a computer controlled resizing. Now my squadrons are all mixed up. Anyone know if I missed a setting to prevent this?

Hmmm, not remembering anything special and have not had that happen to me before … ouch.

[Lowpe]

ORIGINAL: PaxMondo

Hmmm, not remembering anything special and have not had that happen to me before … ouch.

I went back and fixed most of them. Sheesh.

[Lowpe]

July 10, 1942

Etorofu almost cleared of an infestation. Heavy volume of sigint at Noumea...need to speed up my perimeter around Lae, but it is so tough with the huge Allied air bases at Port Moresby and Milne.

Nagato is bombarding at night, and this has the side benefit of raising her experience.

Ground combat at Etorofu (128,52)

Japanese Deliberate attack

Attacking force 1170 troops, 5 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 42

Defending force 432 troops, 10 guns, 7 vehicles, Assault Value = 18

Japanese adjusted assault: 35

Allied adjusted defense: 4

Japanese assault odds: 8 to 1

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

Japanese ground losses:
82 casualties reported
Squads: 1 destroyed, 5 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

Allied ground losses:
79 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 12 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

Assaulting units:
301st Ind.Infantry Battalion
35th Const Co

Defending units:
297th Infantry/ 1st Battalion

[PaxMondo]

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

ORIGINAL: PaxMondo

Hmmm, not remembering anything special and have not had that happen to me before … ouch.

I went back and fixed most of them. Sheesh.

what a waste of time and fuel … but really no choice. Dang! [&:]

[Lowpe]

July 12, 1942

Here we are, stuck in the middle with rockets to the right and torpedoes to the left and bombs overhead! Oh, my poor Kinugasa![:(]

As hoped for the New Guinea campaign is heating up. Japanese ships are suffering huge wear and tear. 3 gun mounts knocked out today on Kinugasa.

Kinugasa raids to Finschafen, and then reacts south too far and is left stranded, with only some LRCAP from Rabaul.

Four raids...

Morning Air attack on TF, near Finschhafen at 100,127

Weather in hex: Clear sky

Raid spotted at 16 NM, estimated altitude 9,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 4 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 4
Ki-45 KAIa Nick x 3

Allied aircraft
Kittyhawk IA x 16
Mitchell II x 9

Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-45 KAIa Nick: 1 destroyed

Allied aircraft losses
Kittyhawk IA: 1 destroyed
Mitchell II: 1 damaged

Japanese Ships
CL Natori

Aircraft Attacking:
9 x Mitchell II bombing from 7000 feet
Naval Attack: 6 x 500 lb SAP Bomb

---------------------------------------------

Morning Air attack on TF, near Finschhafen at 100,127

Weather in hex: Clear sky

Raid spotted at 7 NM, estimated altitude 10,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 2 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 2
Ki-45 KAIa Nick x 1

Allied aircraft
Beaufort VIII x 9
Kittyhawk IA x 22

Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 1 destroyed

Allied aircraft losses
Beaufort VIII: 1 destroyed, 3 damaged

Japanese Ships
CA Kinugasa
CL Natori

Aircraft Attacking:
8 x Beaufort VIII launching torpedoes at 200 feet
Naval Attack: 1 x 22in Mk 13 Torpedo


---------------------------------------------

Morning Air attack on TF, near Finschhafen at 100,127

Weather in hex: Clear sky

Raid spotted at 19 NM, estimated altitude 10,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 6 minutes

Allied aircraft
Beaufort VIII x 3
P-38G Lightning x 22

No Allied losses

Japanese Ships
CL Natori

Aircraft Attacking:
3 x Beaufort VIII launching torpedoes at 200 feet
Naval Attack: 1 x 22in Mk 13 Torpedo



---------------------------------------------

Morning Air attack on TF, near Finschhafen at 100,127

Weather in hex: Clear sky

Raid spotted at 18 NM, estimated altitude 8,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 4 minutes

Allied aircraft
Vengeance I x 21
P-40E Warhawk x 22

Allied aircraft losses
Vengeance I: 2 damaged

Japanese Ships
CA Kinugasa, Bomb hits 18, on fire
CL Natori

Aircraft Attacking:
11 x Vengeance I releasing from 3000'
Naval Attack: 2 x 500 lb GP Bomb, 8 x 3" Rockets
6 x Vengeance I releasing from 2000'
Naval Attack: 2 x 500 lb GP Bomb, 8 x 3" Rockets
4 x Vengeance I releasing from 4000'
Naval Attack: 2 x 500 lb GP Bomb, 8 x 3" Rockets

Heavy smoke from fires obscuring CA Kinugasa

[Lowpe]

Java

Crafty ABDA commanders set a CAP Trap, Vals and Betties die in droves. Japan had escorts (not enough) and LRCAP the likely ports, but not this one where a large convoy of xakl is fleeing Soerabaja.



Two Dutch regiments wiped out near Soerabaja. They made a valiant week long stand.

Defender: disruption(-), fatigue(-)
Attacker: shock(+)

Japanese ground losses:
34 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 3 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

Allied ground losses:
2325 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 353 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 39 (39 destroyed, 0 disabled)
Units destroyed 2

Assaulting units:
5th Tank Regiment
Imperial Guards Division
6th Tank Regiment

Defending units:
2nd KNIL Landstorm Regiment
Marinier Regiment

[Lowpe]

I have upped my normal 10% rest to 20% and it really seems to help with ops losses. I will continue to monitor this.

If you are protecting a runway from aerial bombing, it might not be as valuable...

This Sentai has really done hard work, with lots of long range CAP, yesterday their settings where 40 CAP, 40 LRCAP and 20 rest over task force 30 (Kingugasa). They were only involved in the first 2 air raids targeting Kingugasa.