Variants - Allied side - Xargun welcome

[Nomad]

The problem I see is that the ones he gets in 43 will not exit training until 44.

I am asking because I am thinking about a PBEM only mod of my own.

[RangerJoe]

You can put enough pilots in TRACOM to increase their experience and speed up their training. Get enough TRACOM pilots and it can really mess things up as far as graduating them early and increasing their experience too high . . .

[Nomad]

October 28, 1942

nothing

[jdsrae]

ORIGINAL: Nomad

The problem I see is that the ones he gets in 43 will not exit training until 44.

I am asking because I am thinking about a PBEM only mod of my own.

IJN pilots do need to be carefully managed because of their relatively low replacement rate.
I don’t see the replacement rate as a problem, just as a constraint that needs to be managed.

[Nomad]

October 29, 1942

A DOINK
Sub attack near Donggala at 69,96

Japanese Ships
TK Goyo Maru
SC Ch 22
TK Tatekawa Maru
SC Ch 23

Allied Ships
SS Sculpin

SS Sculpin launches 2 torpedoes at TK Goyo Maru
Sculpin diving deep ....
SC Ch 23 fails to find sub, continues to search...
SC Ch 23 fails to find sub, continues to search...
SC Ch 23 fails to find sub, continues to search...
SC Ch 23 attacking submerged sub ....
SC Ch 23 fails to find sub, continues to search...
Escort abandons search for sub
--------------------------------------
A BOOM
Sub attack near Donggala at 69,96

Japanese Ships
SC Ch 23, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
TK Tatekawa Maru
TK Goyo Maru
SC Ch 22

Allied Ships
SS Sculpin

SS Sculpin launches 2 torpedoes at SC Ch 23
Sculpin diving deep ....
SC Ch 22 fails to find sub, continues to search...
SC Ch 22 fails to find sub, continues to search...
SC Ch 22 fails to find sub, continues to search...
SC Ch 22 fails to find sub, continues to search...
SC Ch 22 fails to find sub, continues to search...
Escort abandons search for sub
-------------------------------------
A DOINK and a BOOM
Sub attack near Palembang at 49,90

Japanese Ships
xAK Koyu Maru, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
PB Shonon Maru #10

Allied Ships
SS Skipjack

SS Skipjack launches 2 torpedoes at xAK Koyu Maru
PB Shonon Maru #10 fails to find sub, continues to search...
PB Shonon Maru #10 fails to find sub, continues to search...
PB Shonon Maru #10 fails to find sub, continues to search...
PB Shonon Maru #10 fails to find sub, continues to search...
PB Shonon Maru #10 fails to find sub, continues to search...
Escort abandons search for sub
-----------------------------------
A Swing and a MISS
Sub attack near Hakodate at 120,53

Japanese Ships
SC CHa-2
SC CHa-1
SC CHa-3

Allied Ships
SS Growler

SS Growler launches 2 torpedoes at SC CHa-2
Growler diving deep ....
SC CHa-3 fails to find sub, continues to search...
SC CHa-3 fails to find sub, continues to search...
SC CHa-3 fails to find sub, continues to search...
SC CHa-3 fails to find sub, continues to search...
SC CHa-3 fails to find sub, continues to search...
Escort abandons search for sub


I am still surprised that one of his best regiments is still in Manchucou

II./90th Infantry Battalion is located at Rashin(110,46).


That's all folks.

[Nomad]

ORIGINAL: castor troy

ORIGINAL: Nomad

October 27, 1942

Nothing happening

Another question for the Japanese players. Xargun commented that he was short on IJN pilots. Is that a concern and/or problem?

That is a concern. I can only speak for Babes but IIRC it's the same in vanilla, he only gets 150 IJNAF pilots a month but this is going up in 43 to nearly 500 per month.

Reflecting on this and thinking back on my reading, the IJN was very selective in its pilot training in the prewar days and much of 1942. With the large losses at Coral Sea and of course Midway, the IJN realized that they needed a lot more pilots than they were training. So it is actually historic that the large increase in pilot training starts in 1943 but does not really culminate until 1944.

[Nomad]

October 30, 1942

Not much
A DOINK

Sub attack near Lingga at 51,88

Japanese Ships
PB Mikitade Maru

Allied Ships
SS Stingray

SS Stingray launches 2 torpedoes at PB Mikitade Maru
PB Mikitade Maru fails to find sub, continues to search...
PB Mikitade Maru fails to find sub, continues to search...
PB Mikitade Maru fails to find sub, continues to search...
PB Mikitade Maru fails to find sub, continues to search...
PB Mikitade Maru fails to find sub, continues to search...
Escort abandons search for sub

=================================================

Tulagi invasion sets sail today.

===================================
Mouseover of Truk, got two heavy radio traffic this turn
Lots of ships, and a slew of subs

[castor troy]

ORIGINAL: Nomad

ORIGINAL: castor troy

ORIGINAL: Nomad

October 27, 1942

Nothing happening

Another question for the Japanese players. Xargun commented that he was short on IJN pilots. Is that a concern and/or problem?

That is a concern. I can only speak for Babes but IIRC it's the same in vanilla, he only gets 150 IJNAF pilots a month but this is going up in 43 to nearly 500 per month.

Reflecting on this and thinking back on my reading, the IJN was very selective in its pilot training in the prewar days and much of 1942. With the large losses at Coral Sea and of course Midway, the IJN realized that they needed a lot more pilots than they were training. So it is actually historic that the large increase in pilot training starts in 1943 but does not really culminate until 1944.

It really depends on the way Xargun is doing on map training. In my case, doing full training with literally every air unit available (means to be spared from frontline service) my replacement pools run dry in late 42. But by then I've already trained several thousand pilots I guess and am only filling up fighter training units with the replacement pilots I get each month. Starting with 1/43 everything is getting better again and by mid 43 you get more pilots than you can train if you aim at 70/70. So if one isn't using every available air unit for training you only run dry of pilots as soon as you are forced to use < 70/70 pilots because those train faster.

He can most likely fill up all vacant slots in very early 43 so it won't take until 44 to see these pilots going back into the trained pilot pool.

[Nomad]

October 31, 1942

Last day of October, yay. [8D]

Shortlands had fighters, now not so many

Morning Air attack on Shortlands , at 109,131

Weather in hex: Light cloud

Raid spotted at 46 NM, estimated altitude 40,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 10 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 27

Allied aircraft
P-38F Lightning x 25

Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 7 destroyed

Allied aircraft losses
P-38F Lightning: 1 destroyed

Aircraft Attacking:
9 x P-38F Lightning sweeping at 39000 feet

CAP engaged:
13th Ku S-1 with A6M2 Zero (0 airborne, 10 on standby, 13 scrambling)
4 plane(s) intercepting now.
4 plane(s) not yet engaged, 0 being recalled, 0 out of immediate contact.
Group patrol altitude is 13000
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 24 minutes



---------------------------------------------

Morning Air attack on Shortlands , at 109,131

Weather in hex: Light cloud

Raid detected at 35 NM, estimated altitude 42,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 7 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 4

Allied aircraft
P-38F Lightning x 23

Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 2 destroyed

No Allied losses

Aircraft Attacking:
23 x P-38F Lightning sweeping at 39000 feet

CAP engaged:
13th Ku S-1 with A6M2 Zero (0 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
2 plane(s) not yet engaged, 1 being recalled, 1 out of immediate contact.
Group patrol altitude is 13000 , scrambling fighters between 16000 and 22000.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 49 minutes



---------------------------------------------

Morning Air attack on Shortlands , at 109,131

Weather in hex: Light cloud

Raid detected at 40 NM, estimated altitude 12,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 12 minutes

Japanese aircraft
no flights

Allied aircraft
B-17E Fortress x 35

Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 1 destroyed on ground

No Allied losses

Airbase hits 17
Airbase supply hits 10
Runway hits 66

Aircraft Attacking:
7 x B-17E Fortress bombing from 10000 feet
Airfield Attack: 8 x 500 lb GP Bomb
7 x B-17E Fortress bombing from 10000 feet
Airfield Attack: 8 x 500 lb GP Bomb
7 x B-17E Fortress bombing from 10000 feet
Airfield Attack: 8 x 500 lb GP Bomb
7 x B-17E Fortress bombing from 10000 feet
Airfield Attack: 8 x 500 lb GP Bomb
7 x B-17E Fortress bombing from 10000 feet
Airfield Attack: 8 x 500 lb GP Bomb

I flew recon also, no aircraft showed up at Shortlands after the turn.

I lost 4 aircraft, 2 air 2 air and 2 ops. I lost 1 pilot. Intel screen shows
he lost 26 A6M2 Zeros, 20 air 2 air, 1 ground, and 5 ops. Are the ops from disbanding
a fragment at the base?

=============================================
A bad DOINK

Sub attack near Muntok at 49,89

Japanese Ships
TK Okayama Maru
SC Ch 4
SC Ch 5

Allied Ships
SS Salmon

SS Salmon launches 2 torpedoes at TK Okayama Maru
==========================================
I landed a partial USMC regiment at Tulagi, more will land tomorrow. Some Art will land tomorrow also.
Naval Bombardment tonight.

=======================================
I lost SC-637 today, she collided with xAP Poelau Telo.

[Nomad]

November 1, 1942

Another new month.

Naval Bombardment at Tulagi

Night Naval bombardment of Tulagi at 114,137

Allied Ships
CA Australia
CA Vincennes
CA San Francisco
CA Minneapolis
CA Astoria
CA New Orleans
DD Mugford
DD Helm
DD Blue
DD Bagley
DD Morris
DD Sims

Japanese ground losses:
128 casualties reported
Squads: 1 destroyed, 4 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 10 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

Port hits 17
Port fuel hits 4
Port supply hits 6

Seagull V acting as spotter for CA Australia
CA Australia firing at Tulagi
SOC-1 Seagull acting as spotter for CA Vincennes
CA Vincennes firing at 61st Naval Guard Unit
CA San Francisco firing at Tulagi
CA Minneapolis firing at 67th Naval Guard Unit
CA Astoria firing at 67th Naval Guard Unit
CA New Orleans firing at Tulagi
DD Mugford firing at Tulagi
DD Helm firing at Tulagi
DD Blue firing at Tulagi
DD Bagley firing at 61st Naval Guard Unit
DD Morris firing at Tulagi
DD Sims firing at Tulagi

===================================
Further unloading at Tulagi, xAPs take so long to unload

Bombed Shortlands, no aircraft at the base

----------------------------------------
More stellar intel from the guys in the dark shack

Shimonoseki Fortress is located at Shimonoseki(104,57).
-----------------------------------------

[Nomad]

November 2, 1942

Not much. More unloading at Tulagi, naval bombardment at Tulagi, SBDs bombed Tulagi.
Started loading the second Regiment for Tulagai.

He has to do the bombardment attack since I am unloading troops
Ground combat at Tulagi (114,137)

Japanese Bombardment attack

Attacking force 2950 troops, 16 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 104

Defending force 4200 troops, 166 guns, 59 vehicles, Assault Value = 93

Japanese ground losses:
20 casualties reported
Squads: 1 destroyed, 1 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

Assaulting units:
61st Naval Guard Unit
67th Naval Guard Unit

Defending units:
22nd Marine Regiment
33rd Medium Rgt /1
183rd FA Rgt /1
188th FA Rgt /1

[Nomad]

November 3, 1942

Interesting turn

A lone xAK Northeast of Shortlands

Submarine attack near Shortlands at 111,129

Japanese Ships
xAK Shinkoku Maru, Torpedo hits 2, on fire, heavy damage

Allied Ships
SS S-32

xAK Shinkoku Maru is sighted by SS S-32
SS S-32 launches 4 torpedoes

=================================================
He bombarded Attu

Night Naval bombardment of Attu Island at 153,49

Japanese Ships
DD Kosugiri
DD Naganami

DD Kosugiri firing at 18th Canadian Brigade
DD Naganami firing at 18th Canadian Brigade

I have at least a Canadian Brigade at all useful islands in the Aleutian Islands
============================================================
More unloading at Tulagi and his forced bombardment attack
Ground combat at Tulagi (114,137)

Japanese Bombardment attack

Attacking force 2789 troops, 13 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 94

Defending force 5157 troops, 188 guns, 102 vehicles, Assault Value = 127

Japanese ground losses:
49 casualties reported
Squads: 2 destroyed, 5 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 1 (1 destroyed, 0 disabled)

Assaulting units:
61st Naval Guard Unit
67th Naval Guard Unit

Defending units:
22nd Marine Regiment
14th NZ Bde /1
188th Field Artillery Regiment
33rd Medium Regiment
183rd FA Rgt /1

Preceded by my Naval Bombardment
Night Naval bombardment of Tulagi at 114,137

Allied Ships
CA Australia
CA Vincennes
CA San Francisco
CA Minneapolis
CA Astoria
CA New Orleans
DD Mugford
DD Helm
DD Blue
DD Bagley
DD Morris
DD Sims

Japanese ground losses:
41 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 4 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 7 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

Port hits 13
Port fuel hits 3
Port supply hits 7

And air attacks
Morning Air attack on 67th Naval Guard Unit, at 114,137 (Tulagi)

Weather in hex: Partial cloud

Raid spotted at 6 NM, estimated altitude 13,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 2 minutes

Allied aircraft
SBD-3 Dauntless x 18

No Allied losses

Japanese ground losses:
18 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 4 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

Aircraft Attacking:
10 x SBD-3 Dauntless releasing from 4000'
Ground Attack: 1 x 1000 lb GP Bomb
8 x SBD-3 Dauntless releasing from 2000'
Ground Attack: 1 x 1000 lb GP Bomb



---------------------------------------------

Morning Air attack on 67th Naval Guard Unit, at 114,137 (Tulagi)

Weather in hex: Partial cloud

Raid spotted at 6 NM, estimated altitude 18,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 2 minutes

Allied aircraft
SB2U-3 Vindicator x 18

No Allied losses

Japanese ground losses:
4 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

Aircraft Attacking:
12 x SB2U-3 Vindicator releasing from 3000'
Ground Attack: 1 x 1000 lb GP Bomb
6 x SB2U-3 Vindicator releasing from 2000'
Ground Attack: 1 x 1000 lb GP Bomb
================================================

[Nomad]

November 4, 1942

Tulagi taken

Ground combat at Tulagi (114,137)

Allied Deliberate attack

Attacking force 7402 troops, 196 guns, 157 vehicles, Assault Value = 188

Defending force 2537 troops, 10 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 76

Allied adjusted assault: 175

Japanese adjusted defense: 37

Allied assault odds: 4 to 1 (fort level 0)

Allied forces CAPTURE Tulagi !!!

Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+), disruption(-), preparation(-)
Attacker:

Japanese ground losses:
292 casualties reported
Squads: 4 destroyed, 36 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 3 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

Allied ground losses:
16 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

Funny, a DD and a xAP hit a mine at Tulagi that turn.
I have had minesweepers in the hex for a few turns, and I did
not see any subs in the area. The DD will probably make it
and the xAP will probably sink.

[Nomad]

I have to say that I was surprised to find Tulagi with no forts and the two units there not prepped.

[RangerJoe]

Can you disband the xAP into the port? That might help.

[Nomad]

No, she has troops still on board, also she is on fire and at 99 float damage, she is toast. I wonder how many troops will get off [:(]

As you can see, she is in dire straits.

[RangerJoe]

I would put her in an escort TF with as many ships as possible if she can't dock.

It also looks like sub laid mines so they may have just been put there.

She may unload everything that does not get destroyed by the fires.

[Nomad]

November 5, 1942

Not much happened

As expected the xAP sank during the night.

The DD that hit a mine has put out the fires and will be in pierside repair for a good while

Continuing to eliminate the enemy at Tulagi

The first SeaBee unit is unloading at Tulagi

All the mines at Tulagi have been swept.

[BBfanboy]

ORIGINAL: Nomad

No, she has troops still on board, also she is on fire and at 99 float damage, she is toast. I wonder how many troops will get off [:(]

As you can see, she is in dire straits.

I'm not sure what happens with the troops if you scuttle her, but the Captain would be saved. I suspect the troops would be landed but without supplies or non-squad devices.

[Nomad]

It seems that they landed before she sank. The unit has only a couple of missing devices.