Spanking Lowpe (NJP72 vs Lowpe (A))

[Lowpe]

If there was clear weather, with 89% moonlight and increasing, I would be tempted to slug it out with the IJN.

But the weather on the ground is darn nasty...plus I suspect the KB is still lurking off the coast...intel reports heavy radio volume at Tulagi.

[ny59giants]

Copied from old document put out by Alfred, me thinks, on Leaders.

Air Group Leaders
Selecting leaders for air groups is a fairly complex task. Most aircraft can perform multiple roles, so leader selection criteria must include consideration of how the air group will be employed.
· Pilot experience affects operational losses.
· Air groups with morale < 50 must pass a morale test before flying an offensive mission. If the test is failed, no aircraft will fly.
· Air groups flying Naval Search, ASW Patrol, or CAP must pass two morale tests before flying. Each morale test failed reduces the number of aircraft flying by 25%.
· Level Bombers must pass three tests before flying an offensive mission. Each test failed reduces the number of aircraft flying by 25%:

o Experience test.
o Test against the leader’s Air Skill.
o Morale test.

· Pilot experience affects the chances to find the target in a strike mission.
· Pilot experience affects air-to-air combat results.
· Leader’s air skill affects results in air-to-air combat.


CAP as Principle Role
This includes Fighters, Fighter-Bombers, Night-Fighters, and Float-Fighters. Assign leader using these priorities:
· Inspiration – Influences the number of CAP aircraft that will fly. Influences air group morale recovery.
· Air Skill – Influences the air-to-air combat results.
· Leadership – Influences the air group’s experience gain.
· No other skills or qualities have any influence.

Offensive Missions as Principle Role (except Level Bombers)
Missions include Airfield Attack, Port Attack, Naval Attack, Ground Attack, Sweep, and Recon. Air Groups include includes Fighters, Fighter-Bombers, Night-Fighters, Float-Fighters, Dive Bombers, Torpedo Bombers, Float Planes, Patrol, and Recon. Assign leader using these priorities:
· Inspiration – Influences the number of strike and patrol aircraft that will fly. Influences air group morale recovery.
· Leadership – Influences the air group’s experience gain.
· Air Skill – Influences results in air-to-air combat.
· No other skills or qualities have any influence.

Level Bombers with Offensive Missions as Principle Role
Missions include Airfield Attack, Port Attack, Naval Attack, Ground Attack, and Recon. Assign leader using these priorities:
· Inspiration – Influences the number of strike aircraft that will fly. Influences air group morale recovery.
· Air Skill – Influences the number of strike aircraft that will fly.
· Leadership – Influences the air group’s experience gain.
· No other skills or qualities have any influence.

Patrol Missions as Principle Role
Missions include Naval Search and ASW Patrol. Air Groups include Dive Bombers, Torpedo Bombers, Float Planes, level bombers, Patrol, and Recon. Assign leader using these priorities:
· Inspiration – Influences the number of patrol aircraft that will fly. Influences air group morale recovery.
· Leadership – Influences the air group’s experience gain.
· Of small import, Air Skill influences results in air-to-air combat (aircraft can be intercepted by CAP, but this is unlikely).
· No other skills or qualities have any influence.

Transport Missions as Principle Role
Missions include Supply Transport and Troop Transport. Air Groups include Transports, Patrol, and Level Bombers. Assign leader using these priorities:
· Inspiration –Influences air group morale recovery.
· Leadership – Influences the air group’s experience gain.
· Of small import, Air Skill influences results in air-to-air combat.
· No other skills or qualities have any influence.

Training Mission as Principle Role
This includes all air groups. Assign leader using these priorities:
· Inspiration –Influences air group morale recovery.
· Leadership – Influences the air group’s experience gain.
· Of small import, Air Skill influences results in air-to-air combat.
· No other skills or qualities have any influence.

[Lowpe]

ORIGINAL: ny59giants

Copied from old document put out by Alfred, me thinks, on Leaders.

Air Group Leaders
Selecting leaders for air groups is a fairly complex task. Most aircraft can perform multiple roles, so leader selection criteria must include consideration of how the air group will be employed.
· Pilot experience affects operational losses.
· Air groups with morale < 50 must pass a morale test before flying an offensive mission. If the test is failed, no aircraft will fly.
· Air groups flying Naval Search, ASW Patrol, or CAP must pass two morale tests before flying. Each morale test failed reduces the number of aircraft flying by 25%.
· Level Bombers must pass three tests before flying an offensive mission. Each test failed reduces the number of aircraft flying by 25%:

o Experience test.
o Test against the leader’s Air Skill.
o Morale test.

· Pilot experience affects the chances to find the target in a strike mission.
· Pilot experience affects air-to-air combat results.
· Leader’s air skill affects results in air-to-air combat.


CAP as Principle Role
This includes Fighters, Fighter-Bombers, Night-Fighters, and Float-Fighters. Assign leader using these priorities:
· Inspiration – Influences the number of CAP aircraft that will fly. Influences air group morale recovery.
· Air Skill – Influences the air-to-air combat results.
· Leadership – Influences the air group’s experience gain.
· No other skills or qualities have any influence.

Offensive Missions as Principle Role (except Level Bombers)
Missions include Airfield Attack, Port Attack, Naval Attack, Ground Attack, Sweep, and Recon. Air Groups include includes Fighters, Fighter-Bombers, Night-Fighters, Float-Fighters, Dive Bombers, Torpedo Bombers, Float Planes, Patrol, and Recon. Assign leader using these priorities:
· Inspiration – Influences the number of strike and patrol aircraft that will fly. Influences air group morale recovery.
· Leadership – Influences the air group’s experience gain.
· Air Skill – Influences results in air-to-air combat.
· No other skills or qualities have any influence.

Level Bombers with Offensive Missions as Principle Role
Missions include Airfield Attack, Port Attack, Naval Attack, Ground Attack, and Recon. Assign leader using these priorities:
· Inspiration – Influences the number of strike aircraft that will fly. Influences air group morale recovery.
· Air Skill – Influences the number of strike aircraft that will fly.
· Leadership – Influences the air group’s experience gain.
· No other skills or qualities have any influence.

Patrol Missions as Principle Role
Missions include Naval Search and ASW Patrol. Air Groups include Dive Bombers, Torpedo Bombers, Float Planes, level bombers, Patrol, and Recon. Assign leader using these priorities:
· Inspiration – Influences the number of patrol aircraft that will fly. Influences air group morale recovery.
· Leadership – Influences the air group’s experience gain.
· Of small import, Air Skill influences results in air-to-air combat (aircraft can be intercepted by CAP, but this is unlikely).
· No other skills or qualities have any influence.

Transport Missions as Principle Role
Missions include Supply Transport and Troop Transport. Air Groups include Transports, Patrol, and Level Bombers. Assign leader using these priorities:
· Inspiration –Influences air group morale recovery.
· Leadership – Influences the air group’s experience gain.
· Of small import, Air Skill influences results in air-to-air combat.
· No other skills or qualities have any influence.

Training Mission as Principle Role
This includes all air groups. Assign leader using these priorities:
· Inspiration –Influences air group morale recovery.
· Leadership – Influences the air group’s experience gain.
· Of small import, Air Skill influences results in air-to-air combat.
· No other skills or qualities have any influence.

Thanks, I have it and read it. It is I believe a copy and past from original WITP although I could be wrong.[;)]

There is an interplay/relationship between the skills in AE leaders, I have it as one of Alfred's greatest quotes.[:)] I will look it up for you.

[Lowpe]

Our first offensive...we are gearing up.

Trying to establish naval search prior to entering an area offensively. Allies have lots of tools that are starting to come available.....lots of dots I don't even have to take to keep everything on the quiet.

[RangerJoe]

I always thought that aggression was good to have both for fighters to attack the enemy and for bombers to get to the target. Not needed so much for search aircraft and transports.

[Lowpe]

April 28, 1942

Another big tank attack in China...but I don't think Japan brought enough tanks. Forts 4 help so much![;)]

Ground combat at 83,45 (near Nanyang)

Japanese Deliberate attack

Attacking force 30039 troops, 281 guns, 397 vehicles, Assault Value = 965

Defending force 23908 troops, 122 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 725

Japanese adjusted assault: 618

Allied adjusted defense: 1240

Japanese assault odds: 1 to 2

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

Japanese ground losses:
314 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 20 disabled
Non Combat: 1 destroyed, 21 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Vehicles lost 66 (6 destroyed, 60 disabled)

Allied ground losses:
743 casualties reported
Squads: 7 destroyed, 100 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 7 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 7 disabled

Assaulting units:
12th Tank Regiment
15th Tank Regiment
15th Division
116th Division
8th Ind Engineer Regiment
3rd Tank Regiment
13th Tank Regiment
10th Tank Regiment
13th Army
51st Ind.Mtn.Gun Battalion
11th Field Artillery Regiment

Defending units:
41st Chinese Corps
55th Chinese Corps
77th Chinese Corps

[Lowpe]

The artillery has arrived, IJN SAGs at Rockhampton and Bundaberg. No IJN ship bombardments.

[Lowpe]

So very difficult to get CAP to work when set to range greater than 0. That is 10% of IJ fighter strength in the area.

[BBfanboy]

Hmmm - the summary on the right shows only 12 Japanese aircraft losses while the "Today" listing by model adds up to 18. That is significant FOW.

[DesertWolf101]

ORIGINAL: BBfanboy

Hmmm - the summary on the right shows only 12 Japanese aircraft losses while the "Today" listing by model adds up to 18. That is significant FOW.

You mean 16? 2 of those losses are British. My experience is the number on the right is always the correct one, so I believe in reality the Japanese lost 12 aircraft instead of 16.

[BBfanboy]

ORIGINAL: DesertWolf101

ORIGINAL: BBfanboy

Hmmm - the summary on the right shows only 12 Japanese aircraft losses while the "Today" listing by model adds up to 18. That is significant FOW.

You mean 16? 2 of those losses are British. My experience is the number on the right is always the correct one, so I believe in reality the Japanese lost 12 aircraft instead of 16.

Dang! I looked at the aircraft models a couple of times and it never twigged that there were British aircraft involved. I guess I just had my scanner set for "US Aircraft" ID only! Good catch, DW101. I bend over corrected ...

[Alfred]

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

Picking a commander for my Wellingtons. They will be with me the whole war, so I want a decent one although only most of the skills are very hard to measure.

Primary activity will be night bombing. I doubt it does much, but I want a high land skill. Good inspiration, medium to low aggression, good leadership.

Who would you chose?

See post #5 of this thread:

https://www.matrixgames.com/forums/tm.asp?m=3765307

Admittedly this thread was on land unit leaders but the post identified comments on leader traits generally.

There is another thread of the same era which is much more heated as several posters kept on stating that I was wrong and merely sprouting BS because I kept on pointing out how irrelevant and incorrect their posts were on what to look for in selecting an air unit leader. Immediately Symon posted and stated unequivocally that I was right, they ceased their personal attacks in that thread.

The absolutely key point to always bear in mind is that air unit leader traits are not the same as pilot skills. Don't be fooled by fields which share the same name in the leader trait/pilot skill database fields.

Alfred

[Lowpe]

April 29, 1942

IJ Airforce bombers finally show up...and we will have to pull back...Bowen is empty now and I could grab it by paradrop landing, but couldn't keep as I lack the air lift needed. Hopefully, Japan keeps up this front loading of troops for the rest of the game.[;)]

[Lowpe]

Japan attacks the heavily dug in Chinese for a third straight day in a row...we hold, and give as good as we got, our disruption is below 5 and fatigue at 10. Forts four are very difficult to break...and now I will move a crack division south of Ankang to reinforce and move the British 2#AT guns down from Ankang too, although they might not make the full trip.

Our lack of supply is offset I think by IJ fatigue and accumulating disruption from consecutive attacks. I am flying in some supplies and will focus on that instead of flying more AT guns there.

We have a shot at trapping the IJA Div and 3 regiments just south of Ankang by envleopment.[:)]

It is interesting to note that we are not losing support squads, and one squad actually has more support than needed. This has to be of a great help to the Chinese and a detriment to Japan.

Ground combat at 83,45 (near Nanyang)

Japanese Deliberate attack

Attacking force 29716 troops, 281 guns, 392 vehicles, Assault Value = 888

Defending force 23230 troops, 122 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 650

Japanese adjusted assault: 333

Allied adjusted defense: 877

Japanese assault odds: 1 to 2

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

Japanese ground losses:
521 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 67 disabled
Non Combat: 1 destroyed, 26 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 7 disabled
Vehicles lost 68 (9 destroyed, 59 disabled)

Allied ground losses:
497 casualties reported
Squads: 1 destroyed, 71 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 4 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 4 disabled
Guns lost 7 (1 destroyed, 6 disabled)

Assaulting units:
12th Tank Regiment
116th Division
15th Division
15th Tank Regiment
13th Tank Regiment
3rd Tank Regiment
10th Tank Regiment
51st Ind.Mtn.Gun Battalion
13th Army
11th Field Artillery Regiment

Defending units:
55th Chinese Corps
41st Chinese Corps
77th Chinese Corps

[Lowpe]

What isn't apparent from this map, is that Japan has only 1 point of DL on Toowoobma (lvl 6 runway), and I have recon on everything, but Townsville and Charter Towers it is less than 3 points.

Note Cooktown.

Allies have 600+ planes between Toowoomba (6), Marysborough (4), Brisbane (5), and Charleville (2) and Cooktown (1). Still have enough for Fighter coverage at Broken Hill, Newcastle, Sydney and Wagga Wagga. Plus all still have good to great AA.

Brisbane, Marysborough, Rockhampton all have CD guns, with six currently in Marysborough although several will move out of the hex towards Rockhampton tomorrow.

Allied fleet has 2 heavy cruisers, 8 light cruisers, 20 destroyers, 8 pt boats, and a dozen + subs, 4 DMs, 2 AKEs, AMc, AGP, AMs supporting operations. All ships have their radar upgrades.

HQa finally arrived at Marysborough, looks like perhaps 1 day too late. I have to figure out a way to lure the Japanese back to Bundaberg with ships and planes...

[Lowpe]

ORIGINAL: Alfred


See post #5 of this thread:

https://www.matrixgames.com/forums/tm.asp?m=3765307

Admittedly this thread was on land unit leaders but the post identified comments on leader traits generally.


The absolutely key point to always bear in mind is that air unit leader traits are not the same as pilot skills. Don't be fooled by fields which share the same name in the leader trait/pilot skill database fields.

Alfred

Thanks Alfred![&o]

I like to roleplay my choice of leaders for the occasion applying their traits in as broad and general definition as possible because I feel I get the best results that way.

I can't say that a Squadron commander with high land trait does or doesn't effect the squadrons ground strikes...but I like to think that it does. The game has greater depth and meaning to me when I do so.[:)]

I always get a little disappointed when I see the old matrix of leader skills and see wording: "no other skills or qualities have any influence" which technically isn't using the proper words even.

[BBfanboy]

Seeing that last map makes me wonder if he is happy to engage in a war of attrition here, thinking that even trades in ships and planes will help him in the long run. I don't know the DBB mod, but I doubt a war of attrition is good for the Japanese in the long run.

I don't know what else Japan can amass either if he is just fighting in OZ so that he can gather forces to take India or NorPac bases, or LA ...[X(][:'(]

[Lowpe]

At almost no point can Japan afford a war of attrition.[;)]

[Lowpe]

This tidbit is from the Andaman Islands...so, I figure the KB is headed here and we have taken a few risks. One our stricken battleship is leaving Triv, will run into and get merged with escorts and make for Cochin where every AA gun, CD gun and many base forces and engineering units plus a full division are headed to.

We will protect Cochin with mines and small ships and planes...hopefully we can bleed the KB. Hopefully we don't blunder into an Iboat.


It is a calculated risk this turn...



Meanwhile, we will accelerate our plans elsewhere.[;)]

[Lowpe]

April 30, 1942

No sleep this night at Admiralty HQ!

Goodness! It is nailbiting time for the Resolution...stricken by battle damage and left in port at Triv the decision by Admiralty is she must get to Cochin and her big guns...to join the Ramillies (who is being pumped out by Eastern Fleet specialists).

Only problem is there are no escorts for Resolution...they are making a full speed run to join Resolution at sea...can we do it...

The night passes by with an ASW attack up north...near Mangalore:

ASW attack near Mangalore at 29,35

Japanese Ships
SS I-155, hits 1

Allied Ships
DD Decoy
DD Hammann
DD Witte de With

SS I-155 is located by DD Decoy
I-155 bottoming out ....
DD Decoy fails to find sub and abandons search
DD Witte de With fails to find sub, continues to search...
DD Witte de With fails to find sub, continues to search...
DD Witte de With fails to find sub, continues to search...
DD Witte de With attacking submerged sub ....
SS I-155 eludes DD Witte de With by hugging bottom
DD Witte de With cannot reach attack position over SS I-155
DD Witte de With fails to find sub, continues to search...
DD Witte de With fails to find sub, continues to search...
Escort abandons search for sub



Intel at Dawn with the first recon flights reporting back...Nells spot a Destroyer SAG at Triv that was screening for IJN surface raders...

Hurricanes, Airacobras and more are flying CAP while a whole host of planes are scouting for dreaded Iboats!