Quisling! An AFB does Japan (No PanzerKat)

[John B.]

And, another day under our belts. Not so much casualty wise (although I think I sank a DE north of New Guinea).

[John B.]

In bigger news, Scott shelled the town whose name I can't remember but it's the circle on your right. It has a major 45 engine factory there as well as a number of air units. The Japanese are very vulnerable to shore bombardments wreaking havoc on their airfields. There are not nearly enough mines to protect the major sites. But, I'm putting mini subs there and I have a number of units on night naval attack. They all missed, but, maybe some day.

On your left Scott invaded the other island in the Tsushima straits. He'll take it next turn. He shelled it without 15 BBs and basically wiped out the fortress. It's worth VP but that's about it. And, he can't walk there to the shores of the HI.

[RangerJoe]

ORIGINAL: John B.

In bigger news, Scott shelled the town whose name I can't remember but it's the circle on your right. It has a major 45 engine factory there as well as a number of air units. The Japanese are very vulnerable to shore bombardments wreaking havoc on their airfields. There are not nearly enough mines to protect the major sites. But, I'm putting mini subs there and I have a number of units on night naval attack. They all missed, but, maybe some day.

On your left Scott invaded the other island in the Tsushima straits. He'll take it next turn. He shelled it without 15 BBs and basically wiped out the fortress. It's worth VP but that's about it. And, he can't walk there to the shores of the HI.

The target on the left looks like a nice place to flood with both MTBs and mini-subs on dark, stormy nights. Even minelayers, sub minelayers if you still have any. Just like how Snoopy started his stories . . . "On a dark and stormy night . . . "

If any damaged ships result, the base is captured, and the damaged ships disband into the port, possible night attacks. If there is little to no AAA there, especially the lighter calibers, night port attacks down low.

Some people complain about converting the To'su class to CMcs for their mines, laying them and then converting them to something else then back to CMcs. What the enemy did to that city shows just how much that is needed.

[John B.]

It's a nothing island so I don't really care. I'm saving the MTBs for when he hits the HI proper (if he ever does).

Allies airpower at this stage of the game really is a marvel. He has been bombing the same hex in China with more than 1,000 planes every day for about a month now. This does not count his strat bomber fleet, the planes on carriers, or the various PV-Venturas. Plus the fighters he is using as ground bombers in the hexes where he knows I don't have fighters.

On the plus side, he still has to dig me out and if I can stay out of clear terrain his bombing is much less effective. I did get another resupply convoy into Korea with 20k supply points and I suspect that every little bit is going to be needed.

Here is the latest. Still winning.

[RangerJoe]

Well, if you can afford to try it and especially if he is using older fighters to bomb your units, one turn of a LRCAP could surprise him. Sweepers to clear any Allied CAP out of the way. LRCAP the originating base of his fighters as well to increase the OPs losses if you can.

Your MTBs can be brought back, can they not? So if the visibility is low due to moonlight or storms, then it might be worth trying. Any extra points that you can pick up he has to match 4 times just to stay even so he has to get even more to be winning. These slow turns only help you but anything that you can do to slow him down, make him that more cautious, should help. Even float planes coming in at night at 100 or 1000 feet to bomb could do something when little everything thing hits him at once.

[John B.]

I don't think I have an endless supply of MTBs. They get built and sunk and once they're sunk I think they're gone. So, I'm waiting for an invasion. I've started putting minisubs in my vulnerable positions and I have lots of planes on night naval attack. He has a lot of points he needs to make up and my job is to avoid collapse!

[RangerJoe]

I thought that they might be like American PT boats. They come back but with different numbers. Maybe someone can answer that question.

[John B.]

Scott went in for an all out fighter sweep over Kobe and it was a bloody turn. Lots of dead fighters, and, from my point of view, it was good because more of the fighters were his. I think the Corsair 1As are getting to be too obsolete to be a front line fighter. They may be going to ground support.

[John B.]

Ugh, I can't do the save files thing right.

[John B.]

And the actual plane losses.

[RangerJoe]

Looking good!

[John B.]

Another day and here we see Scott's ever more bold shore bombardments. He sailed right up to Kurume (on the left next to Nagasaki) and the CD fort in the hex next to him did not fire at all so he shelled with abandon. If he invades there it will be interesting as MTBs could go after him like fish in a barrel.

He shelled me in the north and my ssxs and mines had no effect. Also, night naval missions tend to (a) miss and (b) still get shredded by his flak.

[John B.]

American carriers were in the southern TF in the picture above.

Scott launched a major strat raid in central Japan and knocked out a 45 strength zero factory.

[John B.]

But, the airwar went my way with lots more dead allied fighters. I'm not sure what his pilot losses are like, but these are combats that all take place over Kobe.

[John B.]

Another turn and the Empire of Japan continues to creak along. Scott took Kukong and is pushing up into Central China. I sank a Sub on the coast of Japan.

[John B.]

Well, it's almost the end of February and the Empire of Japan is barely clinging to a lead. Scott has a lot of CVs up near Sakahlin sinking my merchant fleet and seems to roam in and out of home island ports at will. He'll sink the odd ssx before he bombards, but my minefields have not hit any of his ships and my CD guns don't fire even when he lingers in the hex. On the upside, I'm still winning.

[John B.]

Another day and still clinging to the lead. Each day is precious. Scott's carriers roam at will. He has AM's minesweeping Hiroshima harbor while waving gaily to the CD commander who never opens fire. But, as you can see, it was a pretty good day airwise with the Hiroshima flak turning in yeoman's work.

[John B.]

Looks like a number of 2 point B-24s were accounted for. And, in the first night raid on Tokyo, 4 B-29s did not make it home.

[John B.]

Any body have any good ideas on how to stop Allied shore bombardments of the home islands. I'm basically out of mines and ships and mini-subs are just an invitation for the Allies to pick up 4 VP per sub. Since all of Japan is on the coast Scott can just run his ships in, bombard the airfield (killing and disrupting a whole lot of planes) and then swarm it with heavies in the day time killing all of the damaged planes. Non-CD artillery rarely fires at the bombarding ships. All suggestions will be submitted directly to the emperor who will reward the best suggestion by thinking kind thoughts about the author of the suggestion for an entire minute!

Thanks.

[RangerJoe]

Base your aircraft at non-coastal base hexes.