Gameplay tip: Do not intercept the KB on her way back from PH

[huda0816]

[:(]

Morning Air attack on TF, near Kure Island at 152,95

Weather in hex: Partial cloud

Raid detected at 79 NM, estimated altitude 15,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 29 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 31
B5N2 Kate x 88
D3A1 Val x 91

Allied aircraft
F2A-3 Buffalo x 10
F4F-3A Wildcat x 12

Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 1 destroyed
B5N2 Kate: 3 damaged
B5N2 Kate: 1 destroyed by flak
D3A1 Val: 5 damaged

Allied aircraft losses
F2A-3 Buffalo: 1 destroyed
F4F-3A Wildcat: 3 destroyed

Allied Ships
CV Enterprise, Bomb hits 5, Torpedo hits 1, heavy fires, heavy damage
CA Salt Lake City, Bomb hits 6, heavy fires, heavy damage
CA Northampton, Bomb hits 5, heavy fires
DD Benham, Bomb hits 1, on fire
DD Fanning, Bomb hits 2, on fire, heavy damage
CA Portland, Torpedo hits 1, on fire
CA Chicago
CV Lexington, Bomb hits 4, heavy fires, heavy damage
CA Chester, Bomb hits 4, heavy fires, heavy damage
DD Maury
DD Gridley
DD Dunlap, Bomb hits 1, on fire
DD Balch
DD McCall, Bomb hits 4, and is sunk
DD Craven
DD Ellet
DD Drayton

[btd64]

Well, lesson learned....GP

[GetAssista]

Well, you can. But you need to know what you are doing and have some luck.
See post 15+ here https://www.matrixgames.com/forums/tm.asp?m=3104086

[rustysi]

Do not intercept the KB on her way back f...

Now tell us something we don't know.[:D]

[Bodei]

yeah...early war = More Fletcher, less Halsey

[HansBolter]

OK, let's look at this equation:

Two US carriers with obsolete aircraft and inexperienced pilots

vs.

Six Japanese carriers with superior aircraft and pilots with several years of real wartime experience.

Doesn't take a Rocket Scientist to figure out this is a REALLY BAD move.

Allied players desperate to strike back need to learn to reign themselves in and play cat and mouse hide and seek games with your carriers until you get upgraded air frames, a chance to train your pilots and can concentrate 4-6 carriers against an enemy force of only 2.

If you really want to strike something early, send those two carriers to intercept the Wake Island invasion, but you better be prepared to scram in a hurry if you don't want to get caught by the KB.

At the very least get the one not carrying the extra dive bomber squadron in transfer range of Wake to save the Marine fighter squadron with a very good leader before you lose it.

[Trugrit]

+5

It pays for new players to study their enemy.

The Japanese KB (Kido Butai) is is the most dangerous naval force in the game when
it is all together (6 carriers) in it’s Pearl Harbor attack configuration.

It is deadly when you play the AI but even more so in PBEM games.

At full speed it can move 18 Hexes (19 from it’s start hex) in a single turn and then strike
out like a rattlesnake an additional 7 to 9 Hexes.

The game Hexes are 40 nautical miles.
So, the KB has an effective strike range of around of 1,080 nautical miles.

That is about 1,243 US Miles or roughly the distance from New York City to Topeka Kansas.

The KB can have around 285 dive and torpedo bombers embarked and flown by some
of the most experience and skilled pilots in the game in 1941 and 1942.

I’ve only developed one high risk strategy for attacking the KB in 1942 and it requires a
glass of whiskey and a change of clean underwear.

[castor troy]

ORIGINAL: huda0816

[:(]

Morning Air attack on TF, near Kure Island at 152,95

Weather in hex: Partial cloud

Raid detected at 79 NM, estimated altitude 15,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 29 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 31
B5N2 Kate x 88
D3A1 Val x 91

Allied aircraft
F2A-3 Buffalo x 10
F4F-3A Wildcat x 12

Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 1 destroyed
B5N2 Kate: 3 damaged
B5N2 Kate: 1 destroyed by flak
D3A1 Val: 5 damaged

Allied aircraft losses
F2A-3 Buffalo: 1 destroyed
F4F-3A Wildcat: 3 destroyed

Allied Ships
CV Enterprise, Bomb hits 5, Torpedo hits 1, heavy fires, heavy damage
CA Salt Lake City, Bomb hits 6, heavy fires, heavy damage
CA Northampton, Bomb hits 5, heavy fires
DD Benham, Bomb hits 1, on fire
DD Fanning, Bomb hits 2, on fire, heavy damage
CA Portland, Torpedo hits 1, on fire
CA Chicago
CV Lexington, Bomb hits 4, heavy fires, heavy damage
CA Chester, Bomb hits 4, heavy fires, heavy damage
DD Maury
DD Gridley
DD Dunlap, Bomb hits 1, on fire
DD Balch
DD McCall, Bomb hits 4, and is sunk
DD Craven
DD Ellet
DD Drayton

would you engage a heavyweight pro boxer if you were a light weight amateur? That's about what you do if you go up against KB with two USN carriers in Dec 41. And then hit rate of KB's bombers wasn't even good at all.

[huda0816]

The fun thing was, that I did hesitate to intercept because I was thinking that I would knock out the Japanese Carrier Force too early and the game will be no challenge afterwards.

Now I got my Challenge. [:)]

[ITAKLinus]

Actually, I'm surprised that 88 Kates did only one torpedo hit. You've been very lucky.

[Trugrit]

ORIGINAL: huda0816

The fun thing was, that I did hesitate to intercept because I was thinking that I would knock out the Japanese Carrier Force too early and the game will be no challenge afterwards.

Now I got my Challenge. [:)]

We all make screw ups.

When I was a young pup first playing this game I once launched an amphibious invasion
against a Japanese stronghold with all my troops in strategic mode.

They went ashore barehanded and it took two or three days to get the weapons unpacked.

As a tactic for taking the enemy by complete surprise nothing beats it but I don’t recommend it
otherwise.

Maybe if I had taken an intelligence test, before I bought the game, like the one below I
would have flunked it every time.



*...As I think back over this…..I remember that it must have been transport task force because
you can’t load troops in strategic mode onto an amphibious task force.

And….in most cases when troops in strategic mode enter an enemy hex they shift into
combat mode automatically.

So, I must have had some additional troops in the hex?

Maybe I’m just having a senior moment?

[rustysi]

I’ve only developed one high risk strategy for attacking the KB in 1942 and it requires a
glass of whiskey and a change of clean underwear.

Only one glass of whiskey????[:D]

[rustysi]

Tell me again, where does the 600lb. gorilla sit????

Oh yeah. Anywhere he ants to.[:'(]

[huda0816]

It did not make a difference. Both Carriers went down before they could reach Midway.

[rustysi]

Oops. Now you're really behind the eight ball.[:D]

Don't worry, you'll eventually get so much stuff you'll overwhelm Japan. Buck up and soldier on.[:'(]