RADM Yamaguchi's Diary (Pls no affins or cheesesteak)

[RADM.Yamaguchi]

ORIGINAL: Jorge_Stanbury

What you normally want to look for is "heavy damage"; ideally "heavy damage, heavy fires" this is the best predictor of doom;

if for example there is a torpedo hit, sometimes you don't see damage reported, then that means it is not at risk.

same for fires, even heavy fires can get extinguished; so you want to see "heavy damage"

ammo explosions can be deceptive, because sometimes what explodes is a MG or a small AA cannon, which doesn't do too much damage

unless a miracle, both Yorktown and Saratoga are doomed, but it won't hurt to keep naval search and SCTF patrolling. At least you know they can't run away anymore, so search will be easy

Hi Jorge, That's good to know. Both did say Heavy Fires, Heavy Damage.

[Lowpe]

Good job.[:)]

You probably will never again enjoy such good carrier fighter odds than this fight now. F6Fs and Corsairs really change the dynamic.

Make hay while you can.

You might consider stopping by Oz with the KB for some strategic bombing once the current operations are done, since I guess the Allies will really turtle for a while. Or simply upgrades and repairs and save on fuel.

[Jorge_Stanbury]

How early can you get the A7M?

that is the question; you don't need to worry until 44, but in 44 you want to have A7Ms

[RangerJoe]

ORIGINAL: RADM.Yamaguchi

Hi Joe,

no i didn't see anything about fuel or ammo. Those are just the total results over the two days. Trying to gauge what kind of shape their in.

Pretty sure i should continue after them. I may transfer more BBs into my CV TFs though. I don't like those surface TF getting through to them.

I might advance my nells/betties closer to his home. Even if they don't have torpedoes they have done very well for me with bombs at 1000 ft.

You can look at the bottom of the combat report, were it states that heavy smoke obscures something. That is where it shows the damage.

Yes Jorge, it can be minor but it is a little extra damage if nothing else.

[RADM.Yamaguchi]

ORIGINAL: Jorge_Stanbury

How early can you get the A7M?

that is the question; you don't need to worry until 44, but in 44 you want to have A7Ms

I've been very lucky in most aspects of this game but A7M2 research is not one of them. I suppose i could try more factories

[RADM.Yamaguchi]

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

Good job.[:)]

You probably will never again enjoy such good carrier fighter odds than this fight now. F6Fs and Corsairs really change the dynamic.

Make hay while you can.

You might consider stopping by Oz with the KB for some strategic bombing once the current operations are done, since I guess the Allies will really turtle for a while. Or simply upgrades and repairs and save on fuel.

Thanks Lowpe

I was thinking about trying for Johnson or Palmyra perhaps. One of those bigger VP islands?

[RADM.Yamaguchi]

In about a week i'm going to have an extra 24 AVs to join the 8 I already have. Any ideas beside using them at bases to keep my Mavis/Emily flying?

i was thinking about some type of raiding TFs out in the middle of the Pacific or Indian - i know 18knts but maybe with a few 18knt APDs and AMCs? Maybe with some Subs too?

i'd be wide open to any other ideas.

[RangerJoe]

I would not raid with 18 knot ships.

He means to bomb the industry in Australia for VPs, I do believe. Of course, if you can also sink loaded ships . . .

What is the VP ratio? While you have the advantage, try to pick up as many permanent VPs as is possible. Bases can and will be lost, strategic bombing VPs will not. If you can get manpower fires high enough, then the factories may even be destroyed. [:D]

Considering the night fighter situation for the Allies, you can also try carrier bombers at night. Even float planes. This would be while BBs, and maybe CAs go in and bombard. They can be a nice CAP trap as well.

If you do that and want to do so in force, you may even consider having an island east of Australia as a base with AOs, AKEs, and ADs there in a task force for resupply. CVEs could be there for CAP and they should be far enough away that the only fighter within reach is the P-38 which is a bad escort fighter.

[Lowpe]

ORIGINAL: RADM.Yamaguchi

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

Good job.[:)]

You probably will never again enjoy such good carrier fighter odds than this fight now. F6Fs and Corsairs really change the dynamic.

Make hay while you can.

You might consider stopping by Oz with the KB for some strategic bombing once the current operations are done, since I guess the Allies will really turtle for a while. Or simply upgrades and repairs and save on fuel.

Thanks Lowpe

I was thinking about trying for Johnson or Palmyra perhaps. One of those bigger VP islands?

If AV is close, then go for it. But not all VP are the same, and strategic VP are critical VP (they never go away).[:)] Ranger answered. Ooops.[8|]

[RangerJoe]

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

ORIGINAL: RADM.Yamaguchi

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

Good job.[:)]

You probably will never again enjoy such good carrier fighter odds than this fight now. F6Fs and Corsairs really change the dynamic.

Make hay while you can.

You might consider stopping by Oz with the KB for some strategic bombing once the current operations are done, since I guess the Allies will really turtle for a while. Or simply upgrades and repairs and save on fuel.

Thanks Lowpe

I was thinking about trying for Johnson or Palmyra perhaps. One of those bigger VP islands?

If AV is close, then go for it. But not all VP are the same, and strategic VP are critical VP (they never go away).[:)] Ranger answered. Ooops.[8|]

No problem. But you are correct if AV is close.

Joe

[inqistor]

ORIGINAL: RADM.Yamaguchi

Well it looks to me like:

Enterprise 0B, 5T - sunk
Hornet 0B, 6T - sunk
Lexington 2B, 4T - sunk
Saratoga 18B, 1T - ?
Wasp 14B, 2T - sunk
Yorktown 16B, 3T - ?

3 Japanese Torpedo hits should sink most ships. Especially with additional 16 bombs. Saratoga is probably not operational, but afloat. Now, beware enemy Bases, there are probably most of those carrier planes there. Two visits by BBs should close it down.
2 BBs per TF is enough, don't do overkill, and try to keep similar range guns in one TF. They have not enough escort currently. Your main combat ships should be CAs.

And remember. Never, EVER, run your carriers without BB escort in the same TF. NEVER!

[Lowpe]

ORIGINAL: inqistor


And remember. Never, EVER, run your carriers without BB escort in the same TF. NEVER!

That is a simple rule of thumb. By far and away the best CV engagement I ever had featured the full KB with about 6 destroyers for escorts. That is it.

I used the rest of the fleet for deception and sprung the perfect ambush on a Midway invasion in 1943.

[RADM.Yamaguchi]

ORIGINAL: inqistor

ORIGINAL: RADM.Yamaguchi

Well it looks to me like:

Enterprise 0B, 5T - sunk
Hornet 0B, 6T - sunk
Lexington 2B, 4T - sunk
Saratoga 18B, 1T - ?
Wasp 14B, 2T - sunk
Yorktown 16B, 3T - ?

3 Japanese Torpedo hits should sink most ships. Especially with additional 16 bombs. Saratoga is probably not operational, but afloat. Now, beware enemy Bases, there are probably most of those carrier planes there. Two visits by BBs should close it down.
2 BBs per TF is enough, don't do overkill, and try to keep similar range guns in one TF. They have not enough escort currently. Your main combat ships should be CAs.

And remember. Never, EVER, run your carriers without BB escort in the same TF. NEVER!

Yes. I see. Please understand they invaded Adak when KB was down at Suva. I made the decision to move to stop them before they could take it. In my mind i had to get there as soon as possible with as much as possible. I made the decision to get the CVs there as soon as possible and bring the BBs in best i could.

This battle happened the day before i was going to reintroduce the BBs into the CV TFs. It was just a matter of refueling and coordination that i didn't get it done earlier.

Still, awful lucky!!

[RADM.Yamaguchi]

There was one aspect of this battle that really didn't receive much comment but i thought it was important.

I had removed all Vals from KB and upsized Kates and Zeros. Nobody seemed to care.

[RangerJoe]

ORIGINAL: RADM.Yamaguchi

There was one aspect of this battle that really didn't receive much comment but i thought it was important.

I had removed all Vals from KB and upsized Kates and Zeros. Nobody seemed to care.

I am sure that the enemy did care!

[Jorge_Stanbury]

you would have had similar results with standard Vals in TF; Vals are much more accurate, and carriers are very vulnerable to bombs

1st day: less torpedo hits, more bomb hits, more fires
2nd day: more torpedo hits, similar bomb hits

I prefer the standard Val-Kate proportions; against historical composition, I would only increase Zero #s

[Lowpe]

The Vals hit accurately, slowing down ships so that it is easier to nail them with torpedoes.

In 1944 and later hitting a beefed up American CV force with single engine torpedo bombers is downright difficult at least until the flak ammo starts to run low.[;)]

[RangerJoe]

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

The Vals hit accurately, slowing down ships so that it is easier to nail them with torpedoes.

In 1944 and later hitting a beefed up American CV force with single engine torpedo bombers is downright difficult at least until the flak ammo starts to run low.[;)]

Yes. But in 1944 there should be Judys with at lest 500kg bombs. Kates down low with bombs work pretty good but AA fire can be terrible.

[RADM.Yamaguchi]

ORIGINAL: RangerJoe

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

The Vals hit accurately, slowing down ships so that it is easier to nail them with torpedoes.

In 1944 and later hitting a beefed up American CV force with single engine torpedo bombers is downright difficult at least until the flak ammo starts to run low.[;)]

Yes. But in 1944 there should be Judys with at lest 500kg bombs. Kates down low with bombs work pretty good but AA fire can be terrible.

That was my line of thinking - probably more like early 43. and maybe some Graces too?

[RangerJoe]

Armoured aircraft should always work better than unarmoured aircraft in that situation. Against merchants, it does not matter that much.