Spanking Lowpe (NJP72 vs Lowpe (A))

[Lowpe]

Tracker ship losses for about the last month:

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[Encircled]

Very impressive

You got much damage and (more importantly) can you repair it easily enough?

[Lowpe]

Sept 11, 1943

An interesting day as we continue with learning how to escort heavy bombers and continue to move everything forward.

Bangkok was defended by one Pete with Airacobras took out...then the bombers arrived.

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[Lowpe]

Our bomber squadron goes in prior to sweepers...but the P38Hs are flying high escort....and sweep ahead or at least fight without bombers being pictured on the replay. Not enough P38Hs to wear out the enemy fighters....but I am really liking the Allies ability to sweep ahead and using this tactic avoids losing lots and lots of planes flying close escort.

There was a 2nd P38 squadron, also on high escort, P38Gs but they didn't fly. I am going to keep exploring this high escort role....once tracker loads up I will look to see if the P38s got any plane kills or if it was all the heavy bombers' gunners.


Morning Air attack on Saigon , at 60,71

Weather in hex: Heavy cloud

Raid detected at 76 NM, estimated altitude 13,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 26 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M5c Zero x 8
A6M8 Zero x 7
N1K1-J George x 4
Ki-43-IIb Oscar x 2
Ki-43-IIIa Oscar x 29
Ki-43-IV Oscar x 41
Ki-84a Frank x 23

Allied aircraft
B-24D1 Liberator x 6
P-38H Lightning x 16

Japanese aircraft losses
A6M5c Zero: 1 destroyed
Ki-43-IIIa Oscar: 1 destroyed
Ki-43-IV Oscar: 1 destroyed
Ki-84a Frank: 1 destroyed

Allied aircraft losses
B-24D1 Liberator: 3 destroyed, 2 damaged
P-38H Lightning: 2 destroyed

Aircraft Attacking:
1 x B-24D1 Liberator bombing from 10000 feet
Airfield Attack: 10 x 500 lb GP Bomb
1 x B-24D1 Liberator bombing from 10000 feet
Port Attack: 10 x 500 lb GP Bomb

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[Lowpe]

So this is where the attacks over Saigon get interesting, the following air attack is a sweep by Jugs but they are escorted by the P38Gs missing from the previous bomber run!

The Jugs are assigned to a different HQa from the P38Gs...and that HQa is not in range, but they are both operating from the same air base.

So I wonder if this is a viable tactic....for P40Ks for example. This would get a multi level sweep inbound... or just to bulk up the the number of fighters going in on a heavily defended air base.

Morning Air attack on Saigon , at 60,71

Weather in hex: Heavy cloud

Raid detected at 76 NM, estimated altitude 45,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 22 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M5c Zero x 5
A6M8 Zero x 4
N1K1-J George x 4
Ki-43-IIb Oscar x 2
Ki-43-IIIa Oscar x 13
Ki-43-IV Oscar x 33
Ki-84a Frank x 16

Allied aircraft
P-38G Lightning x 12
P-47D2 Thunderbolt x 15

Japanese aircraft losses
A6M5c Zero: 1 destroyed
A6M8 Zero: 2 destroyed
Ki-43-IV Oscar: 6 destroyed
Ki-84a Frank: 1 destroyed

Allied aircraft losses
P-47D2 Thunderbolt: 1 destroyed

Aircraft Attacking:
8 x P-47D2 Thunderbolt sweeping at 42000 feet

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[Lowpe]

The British Navy might just make that mad dash past Singers tonight!

Is this the breakout? Or getting fuel....my guess is breakout. IJN CVEs are slow if memory serves. Would Japan be crazy enough to escape thru the Sulu Sea to Luzon or got to Babeldoab?

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[Lowpe]

Just looked in Tracker, and both P38 squadrons got 4 assigned kills from their escort operations. That is pretty good, imho!

This is really changing how I use my fighters.

How about sweeping with P40Ks and escorting with Jugs at a higher altitude?

Or how does sweeping with Jugs and escorting with P40Ks at a lower altitude? That might not work as well depending upon Japan's settings and frames but still worth a try I think.

Naval strike with torpedo bombers flying high and escorted by even higher flying fighters.

Naval strike with ABs flying at 1k with high escorts. I have never been happy escorting strafing planes...but I don't think I escorted them any higher than say 10k in the past for fear of losing coordination.

So many things to explore.

[Lowpe]

Very impressive

You got much damage and (more importantly) can you repair it easily enough?

Good question....our ship repair is moving forward. 1 AD 50 Naval Support at Vietnam; 4 AD, 1 AS and 4 AG at Brunei Level 6 port 150 NS. Kudat 300 NS to be moved to Brunei and then Vietnam; Jolo 4 AR, 4 AD, 3k ARD (another 3k ARD three days away), AGP and 600 NS; Tarakan 2 AS, AGP, 15 NS.

Sorong: 1 AR, 1 AD, 1 AG, 300 NS.

55k ARD at Tabby working on a BB. Two 18k to 20k ARDs and one 55K ARD traveling forward plus other repairs ships etc.

I have a few other ships traveling for repairs but not many. It was much worse a month ago with over 20 destroyers being serviced.

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[Encircled]

Lot of battlewagons

But with the vector you are advancing on, and how well you've done, you won't be needing their bombardment ability for a while so plenty of time to repair

Course, ideally he'd abandon Singapore!

[Lowpe]

Resoultion, TN and Calif are all upgrades. There is another damaged BB...but she must be traveling.

Not really using BBs to bombard that much....holding them back to engage Yamato should she get thru all the subs and Pt boats and Desrons.

New Mexico is bombarding Taberfane out of Australia...and it is a struggle keeping her in ammo. I find I get good enough results with heavy cruisers and smaller.

[CaptBeefheart]

I'm with you on using BBs for bombardment. I tend to use the slow BBs only as part of Amphib TFs and fast BBs for CV escort or SAGs when I expect the big boys to come out. CLs do a great job at bombardment and aren't hard to rearm. CAs are not too bad either.

For bases that need massive pummeling, like in the Home Islands, I will use BBs.

Cheers,
CB

[Lowpe]

Yeah, it is not only the supply consumption, but it is exposing the battleships to Iboats and mines too.

[Lowpe]

Just finished my turn, the British Navy is making a mad dash past singers. Half a dozen heavy cruisers and slightly more destroyers....

So many planes on naval strikes around the Celebs and Sulu Seas...plus subs, pt boats and desrons and the Benedict Arnold Group....as always I need bigger runways. I don't expect a full speed speed run today by the IJN...but you never know.

[Lowpe]

9/12/43

It will be a day or so before I get the turn back...so this based off the replay.

The British Heavy Cruisers ran past Singers...and are not spotted by Japan (I think).

The IJN Heavy warships moved away from Balikpapen I guess back to Java/Singers.

Flying in more troops to Vinh...and also pulling some out to better rest and recover.

The IJA fails to attack for the fourth straight day....

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[Lowpe]

Cleaning up the ships at Cam Ranh Bay...sinking sounds heard later in the turn.

Morning Air attack on Cam Ranh Bay , at 64,72

Weather in hex: Light rain

Raid detected at 73 NM, estimated altitude 13,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 20 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M5c Zero x 1

Allied aircraft
B-25D1 Mitchell x 11

Japanese aircraft losses
A6M5c Zero: 1 destroyed

Allied aircraft losses
B-25D1 Mitchell: 1 damaged

Japanese Ships
xAP Kamakura Maru, Bomb hits 2, on fire
xAK Matsukawa Maru, Bomb hits 2, on fire, heavy damage
xAK Hiyoshi Maru, Bomb hits 2, heavy fires, heavy damage

Port hits 8
Port fuel hits 2

Aircraft Attacking:
11 x B-25D1 Mitchell bombing from 9000 feet
Port Attack: 6 x 500 lb GP Bomb

[Lowpe]

None of our sweepers for the day flew in Vietnam...so these guys kind of got left out to dry. I will have to check at what altitude the Hellcats were flying at.

Morning Air attack on 4th Tank Regiment, at 60,69 , near Bien Hoa

Weather in hex: Clear sky

Raid spotted at 20 NM, estimated altitude 6,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 5 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-43-IIIa Oscar x 16

Allied aircraft
B-25D1 Mitchell x 13
F6F-3 Hellcat x 11

No Japanese losses

Allied aircraft losses
B-25D1 Mitchell: 2 destroyed, 3 damaged
F6F-3 Hellcat: 2 destroyed

Aircraft Attacking:
10 x B-25D1 Mitchell bombing and strafing from low level
Ground Attack: 6 x 500 lb GP Bomb

CAP engaged:
1st Sentai with Ki-43-IIIa Oscar (16 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
16 plane(s) intercepting now.
Group patrol altitude is 7000 , scrambling fighters between 0 and 7000.
Raid is overhead

[Lowpe]

What is a good use for the British Heavy Cruisers? As a JFB I always thought it took 2-3 CAs to equal one IJN heavy CA...especially in night fights thru 1943. I believe I lost Fuso to a taskforce for 4 CAs once....my preferred tactic was to get Yamato with about 8 good destroyers to tangle with them.

Should they make up the third perimeter line to engage a possible IJN breakout from Singers?

As bombardment task forces? Have to be careful here as some don't have float planes.

Are they weaker as flak vehicles than USN?

How do you AFBs use them?

[Lowpe]

A little lull in the game as the Emperor is touring Western Australia...or at least looking at photos his soldiers took during their brief occupation in 1943.

It is a land so full of mystery and imagination, at least to this obnoxious east coast American that has difficulty pronouncing anything not in American English (and even that is a challenge). Apologies.

So I took a few minutes today looking at images of Western Australia and came across this beautiful picture. There is also some fascinating early beach movies made during the20's and 30's available on Youtube. Strange watching them and knowing what is in store for them in a few scant years.

Wave Rock:

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[Lowpe]

Hutt Lagoon....like I said: mystery and imagination:

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[Lowpe]

huh, got the turn.

2 Kents, 2 Londons, 1 Frobisher plus others...Kents don't have torpedoes....so 3 ships to bolster the perimeter guard, the Kents to bombardment duty?

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