Empire of the Sun - DesertWolf101 (J) vs Andy Mac (A)

[PaxMondo]

ORIGINAL: DesertWolf101

ORIGINAL: PaxMondo

ORIGINAL: DesertWolf101

Meanwhile closer to the Vladivostok area, Japanese troops are carefully advancing forwards. They have succeeded in taking Khabarovsk from the Soviet rearguards without a fight by forcing them to withdraw when Andy realized his troops were about to be outflanked and cut off. Detachments are marching to seize the factories at Komsomolsk and the coastal gun forts at Nikolaevsk and Sovetskaya Gavan.

These are a big deal. The air factories will convert to VEH for you ... a very nice bonus.

Nice! I could always use more VEH factories.

everyone can ....

[RangerJoe]

You bad you can't make IL-2s for very short ranged but tough Kamikazes . . .

[DesertWolf101]

ORIGINAL: RangerJoe

You bad you can't make IL-2s for very short ranged but tough Kamikazes . . .

[:D]

[DesertWolf101]

October 26-29, 1942

Aside from capturing Shilka and bruising the trailing elements of the Mogocha force, the action over the past few days in the USSR has mostly been about moving forces into position. I have been taking a closer look at the area around Chita and I am rethinking my approach. It's really tough terrain and I imagine Chita itself is probably a fortress by now. I am also noticing a lot of Soviet reinforcements coming in from the Ulan Bator sector. Flanking maneuvers will go ahead and I will send in some divisions to test the position, but I won't fully commit myself here just yet. More on this in due time.

[DesertWolf101]

I lost my first submarine of the war to British KVs in the Karachi area. I-156, a Type KD3A/B submarine, was forced to the surface by depth charge hits and sunk by gunfire. I guess I shouldn't feel too bad about it, as on the same day it went down I also destroyed three confirmed Soviet submarines. Still, the first Japanese submarine (of many more to come) went down for the Empire, so it stings a bit.

[DesertWolf101]

In more happier news, the absence of the Soviet air threat in the Vladivostok area has allowed me to put back my fighters on training duties. The interruption to my training program therefore lasted for less than a month which is significantly less than I expected.

Below is the status of my economy. Fuel is continuing to rise and is at 5.6 million. Amazingly, supply has not decreased but has actually continued to increase despite the heavy action in the USSR. It is now at 4.55 million. Not bad for a scenario 1 game I think.

[PaxMondo]

ORIGINAL: DesertWolf101

Fuel is continuing to rise and is at 5.6 million. Amazingly, supply has not decreased but has actually continued to increase despite the heavy action in the USSR. It is now at 4.55 million. Not bad for a scenario 1 game I think.

Quite good, particularly given the action. Not sure I'd characterize it as heavy yet though, based upon your commentary a lot of your forces have been doing containment around Vladi and a lot of maneuver ... (the one area where WitP modeling is weak is maneuver, there isn't a supply usage for this). These are all GOOD notes, you are effectively using IJ forces while minimizing supply use.

IJ forces don't have a lot of expensive organic AA so airstrikes against them don't use up a lot of supply. Also I haven't noticed any big arty duels, which with those heavy guns of the IJ do use a LOT of supply.

Just striking a cautionary note about the supply. I think you are doing really well, just continue to watch it carefully and understand what parts of the IJ armed forces are big supply users. Proportionately, the heavy arty and LB bombers are your 2 biggest supply eaters on the offensive side. Defensively, it is your heavy AA guns. Don't avoid using them, just be sure to think through the supply use when you commit them.

[Alfred]

1. Caliber size is not factored into supply consumption.

2. Artillery, when used offensively, the supply consumption rate is doubled.

Alfred

[RangerJoe]

ORIGINAL: Alfred

1. Caliber size is not factored into supply consumption.

2. Artillery, when used offensively, the supply consumption rate is doubled.

Alfred

Thank you Alfred.

My understanding is that when defending and a unit is attacked, whether or not it responds nor the size of the attack, the supply consumption is increased by 10%.

[Alfred]

A unit can expend up to 10 shots in combat. Each shot raises the supply required by 10%. Hence if all 10 shots are expended the total supply requirement figure is doubled. Most combat doesn't result in all 10 shots being expended.

The only way to attempt to reduce a unit's supply consumption from combat is to have it in "reserve" mode, and hope it isn't automatically moved out of "reserve" status.

Alfred

[RangerJoe]

ORIGINAL: Alfred

A unit can expend up to 10 shots in combat. Each shot raises the supply required by 10%. Hence if all 10 shots are expended the total supply requirement figure is doubled. Most combat doesn't result in all 10 shots being expended.

The only way to attempt to reduce a unit's supply consumption from combat is to have it in "reserve" mode, and hope it isn't automatically moved out of "reserve" status.

Alfred

Thank you.

[DesertWolf101]

ORIGINAL: PaxMondo

ORIGINAL: DesertWolf101

Fuel is continuing to rise and is at 5.6 million. Amazingly, supply has not decreased but has actually continued to increase despite the heavy action in the USSR. It is now at 4.55 million. Not bad for a scenario 1 game I think.

Quite good, particularly given the action. Not sure I'd characterize it as heavy yet though, based upon your commentary a lot of your forces have been doing containment around Vladi and a lot of maneuver ... (the one area where WitP modeling is weak is maneuver, there isn't a supply usage for this). These are all GOOD notes, you are effectively using IJ forces while minimizing supply use.

IJ forces don't have a lot of expensive organic AA so airstrikes against them don't use up a lot of supply. Also I haven't noticed any big arty duels, which with those heavy guns of the IJ do use a LOT of supply.

Just striking a cautionary note about the supply. I think you are doing really well, just continue to watch it carefully and understand what parts of the IJ armed forces are big supply users. Proportionately, the heavy arty and LB bombers are your 2 biggest supply eaters on the offensive side. Defensively, it is your heavy AA guns. Don't avoid using them, just be sure to think through the supply use when you commit them.

Excellent notes and all very well taken, thanks Pax.

I will keep a close eye on the intensity of use and the associated levels of supply. Like you said, I managed to avoid a lot of pitched battles thus far by relying on maneuver, but I am starting to hit some walls that need blunt force. For instance, I am bringing up some heavy artillery units to see if I can counter his massed artillery use in the Ulan Bator sector - let's see how that goes!

[DesertWolf101]

ORIGINAL: Alfred

A unit can expend up to 10 shots in combat. Each shot raises the supply required by 10%. Hence if all 10 shots are expended the total supply requirement figure is doubled. Most combat doesn't result in all 10 shots being expended.

The only way to attempt to reduce a unit's supply consumption from combat is to have it in "reserve" mode, and hope it isn't automatically moved out of "reserve" status.

Alfred

Thanks for the info Alfred.

Speaking of reserve mode, I have been attempting to rotate my troops that are being heavily shelled in the Ulan Bator sector between reserve and combat modes and it seems to work pretty well. It helps keep disruption levels across the army relatively low by giving respite to the units that go into reserve for the rotation.

[DesertWolf101]

October 30-November 2, 1942

The very next day that I lost my first submarine I lost a second one to a Dutch destroyer! My destroyers avenged the submarine though when they sank the Dutch ship in turn. Nell torpedo bombers also sank the CL Durban near Karachi.

In the USSR, I will know tomorrow whether I have succeeded in cutting of the retreat path of the Mogocha force before the first Soviet units reach the road. If they do, I will immediately attack and attempt to claim the hex again.

Andy ramped up the Soviet activity in the air when he sent MiG-3 sweeps for two days in a row against my CAP at Shilka. The Tojo's proved their mettle when they handily defeated every sweep, knocking out about 20 MiG-3s in total and an additional 20 supporting I-153 fighters for only a dozen or so lost Ki-44s for the two days.

[DesertWolf101]

November 3, 1942

My troops won the race - the Soviet forces that originated around Mogocha are cornered once again.

[DesertWolf101]

IL-2s in India? Strange, they definitely don't have the range to make the jump from the Soviet Union, so how did they get there? Any ideas?

[GetAssista]

ORIGINAL: DesertWolf101
IL-2s in India? Strange, they definitely don't have the range to make the jump from the Soviet Union, so how did they get there? Any ideas?

Andy could've used another airframe to fly there, then upgrade to IL-2 to free the said airframes for another group to make a hop. Soviet ILs can turn out quite useful over Indian clear terrain

[DesertWolf101]

ORIGINAL: GetAssista

ORIGINAL: DesertWolf101
IL-2s in India? Strange, they definitely don't have the range to make the jump from the Soviet Union, so how did they get there? Any ideas?

Andy could've used another airframe to fly there, then upgrade to IL-2 to free the said airframes for another group to make a hop. Soviet ILs can turn out quite useful over Indian clear terrain

That must be it. Interesting move by Andy. Now I have to watch out for the Soviet Air Force elsewhere as well. IL-2s can be annoying, but more concerning to me is the potential flow of the Soviet torpedo bombers. I haven't seen them much over the USSR so he could have sent them with the IL-2s as well.

[DesertWolf101]

November 4-7, 1942

Japanese forces capture Komsomolsk, and sure enough, I suddenly find myself in possession of some additional vehicle factories. Nice!

[DesertWolf101]

Some airfield raids with good results against Andy's seemingly limitless number of Soviet bombers.