Quisling! An AFB does Japan (No PanzerKat)

[GetAssista]

ORIGINAL: 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.

You cannot, so brace yourself. If you have PT boats left you can try organize a trap one of those moonless nights. But don't keep pt boats there cause they will be swept by DDs very soon. hide them until the next night trap

[RangerJoe]

Maybe try Kates/Jills/Graces at 100 feet one time if you have the torpedoes. Maybe they can sneak in under any CAP/LRCAP. Maybe try that the next day after PT boats.

[John B.]

These are all good ideas! I'm saving the MTBs for any invasion of the home islands as any AKAs and APAs can, if you're lucky, get smacked around by the MTBs. Otherwise, I'm not putting planes on the unprotected coast where I can help it.

[RangerJoe]

The Torpedo planes do not have to be on the coast, try doing it in poor weather even although at that altitude there should be little reaction. Kamikazes could also fly at that altitude to smack ships around as well. If you can also have a high fighter sweep at the location, the enemy CAP could be caught in between and bounced by any fighters. These do not have to be the best fighters and pilots, just something to help keep the CAP off the bombers.

[John B.]

Another day and more death and destruction. Scott noticed that his VP suddenly dropped by 1000 points and I see it as well. The only thing I can think of is that he does not have enough supply at some high value base (e.g. Singapore or Manila) to get his entire VP allotment. Otherwise, I see to have sunk a number of Allied CVs without knowing it.

Scott basically shelled all around the HI this time. Not much to do about it but grin and bear it. I did get in a Kamikaze strike near Guam and got a hit on the Hermes with a Betty. There was a report of deck penetration but no reported fires and no follow on attacks.

I moved transports to Chungking to fly as much of the 60th division out of its current death trap that I can manage. I should have 3 more turns of flying.

Also, it's quiet in Korea. I suspect Scott is getting ready to hit the home islands but we'll have to see. Keijo is finally cut off.

[John B.]

The air losses would have been better but one of Scott CV TFS found some high value shihps I was trying to sneak into Tokyo and plastered the ships but also mowed their way through a training squadron that happened to be in the hex. Welcome to the war boys.

Over Kyoto my margin over his older Corsairs helped to make up for the loss.

[John B.]

We have reached March 1, 1945 and Scott has finally taken the lead. The Emperor is not happy! Now, can he get 78,000+ VP by September 1, 1945? We shall have to see. This turn he bombed the snot out of Sendai getting a fire level of 118,000 so there may not be much left of that city. Because I don't have much in the way of critical factories in the north I don't really have air defense up there. Better to be concentrated down south. Scott is sinking my large merchant fleet that is up there. There were on the resource run north and were used until they ran out of fuel. There loss is regrettable but expected.

[John B.]

About 1.9 million supply and 600k fuel. Still some plentiful oil stockpiles.

[John B.]

It's all about the plane production baby. Concentrating on the Frank and George. But, the K 100 I Tony just showed up and it seems to be a pretty good plane and has a one maintenance value so I'm also putting resources into that.

[John B.]

After the war Japan plans on conquering the world by selling it vast quantities of HI points. I would turn my HI off but it generates two supply each turn so I'll run down my fuel with some margin for last ditch ship use and then turn the HI off. Some HI on the mainland continues to produce and they really need supply so it stays on as well.

[John B.]

Here is the situation in China. Scott has been held up in the south for a long long time and that may not change soon. But, the Brits coming out of Indochina have pushed on. The question for them is do they head north to Chungking (big VP bag) or push east. I don't think that they are strong enough to do both and I have several Japanese divisions in the wooded rough up there.

[John B.]

Not much is happening in Korea. Keijio holds out and it's light industry still has resources to produce supplies plus my airlift is flying stuff in. If Scott opts to land in the wide open terrain of northern China he can have it as his airforce will obliterate me there.

[John B.]

Port Blair and Phuket continue to breath free showing that there are several hours per day where the sun does not set on the Japanese empire.

[John B.]

I got a hit on the Hermes near Guam and my Kamis did not fly for the next two days. Heavy sigh.

[John B.]

Last but not least the HI themselves. Will Scott invade? I think so. But the real question is where will he land? He has his carriers roaming around the islands attacking me but no fighter sweeps for a few turns.

[GetAssista]

ORIGINAL: John B.
After the war Japan plans on conquering the world by selling it vast quantities of HI points. I would turn my HI off but it generates two supply each turn so I'll run down my fuel with some margin for last ditch ship use and then turn the HI off. Some HI on the mainland continues to produce and they really need supply so it stays on as well.

You need supplies far more than you need ships so I say keep HI running no matter what until the last drop of fuel. Ships won't get you VPs like air and ground war will. If you need some last ditch sorties suck out whatever left in the merchant's bunkers.

Yeah, HI those reserves - economic miracle is waiting, just like in reality [:D]

[RangerJoe]

ORIGINAL: GetAssista

ORIGINAL: John B.
After the war Japan plans on conquering the world by selling it vast quantities of HI points. I would turn my HI off but it generates two supply each turn so I'll run down my fuel with some margin for last ditch ship use and then turn the HI off. Some HI on the mainland continues to produce and they really need supply so it stays on as well.

You need supplies far more than you need ships so I say keep HI running no matter what until the last drop of fuel. Ships won't get you VPs like air and ground war will. If you need some last ditch sorties suck out whatever left in the merchant's bunkers.

Yeah, HI those reserves - economic miracle is waiting, just like in reality [:D]

Not necessarily true. You may want to charge with some SC TFs against any cripples from Kamikaze air actions. More points can be made there and you may be able to slow the bleeding somewhat.

Not to mention MTBs, mini-subs, plus any regular subs, possibly with mines as well.

[GetAssista]

ORIGINAL: RangerJoe
Not necessarily true. You may want to charge with some SC TFs against any cripples from Kamikaze air actions. More points can be made there and you may be able to slow the bleeding somewhat.

Not to mention MTBs, mini-subs, plus any regular subs, possibly with mines as well.

You make an argument from "maybe this happens" point of view, I do it from the whole set of possibilities and my assessment of relative probabilities. How many times have you seen kami devastation followed by successful surface raids? I've seen it once. How many times have you seen Japan struggling w/o supply? Every time.

Not to mention ports keep fuel reserves according to their size. And a majority of ports does not have HI, so small fry will have its fuel anyways

[John B.]

Thanks for both sets of opinions. I refueled my navy this turn for one last run if the opportunity presents itself. I do still have a number of CVs so I think that helps to deter Scott from invading in the north. But, supply is crucial. I'm not sure how 1.9 million looks for the start of March 1945 but most of my factories are still going. China will run out of supply soon, my one bright spot is that Scott has basically left the light industry alone so China is at least producing some supply each turn. About 1,000 or so in a very rough guess.

I think the MTBs are a precious resource and now I'm hoarding them to hit the invasion fleet if he come close to a big enough port. With some luck they can get in among the transports. I actually think that makes it better as the US to invade at times of full moonlight as it makes it harder for the MTBs to get close.

[RangerJoe]

If you want to, sneak the CVs out for a raid if you see some juicy convoys coming. Someone did that and raided near the Hawaiian islands around 7 December 1944.