"Earth loses gravity. Details at 11:00"

[larryfulkerson]

I count 5 torp hits and 15 bomb hits on stationary ships. That looks like what you would expect from one carrier's worth of Vals and Kates. Your CVs are only 9 hexes from the Japanese - within Jake search range. Do they have any DL on your carriers? If not, I would be tempted to make a 3 or 4 hex dash toward that enemy CV, have night search up to find them and set up a morning search and strike. This is because the AI does not do a good job of setting traps like KB following a CVL (Ryujo) and having just the CVL strike at juicy sitting ducks. It would more likely throw everything at Wake if it had more nearby.

I think you're absolutely right; I've dispatched the Enterprise from Pearl to meet the Lexington near Johnson Island where I have a handful of LBA. I expect that once they meet up I'll have the firepower I'll need to meet a single Jap CV okie dokie. There's a Jap CVE loitering near Baker Island that I'd like to pick off if I can't find the TF that beat up Wake recently. I just now noticed that Wake has no CAP based there. I'll have to remedy that ASAP

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[RangerJoe]

At least one Jap CV attacked Wake all of a sudden and a lot of my ships got sunk and I've got a carrier group east of Wake with it's AO TF and I think I need to retreat with both of them. At least until I know what the Japs have at hand.
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I count 5 torp hits and 15 bomb hits on stationary ships. That looks like what you would expect from one carrier's worth of Vals and Kates. Your CVs are only 9 hexes from the Japanese - within Jake search range. Do they have any DL on your carriers? If not, I would be tempted to make a 3 or 4 hex dash toward that enemy CV, have night search up to find them and set up a morning search and strike. This is because the AI does not do a good job of setting traps like KB following a CVL (Ryujo) and having just the CVL strike at juicy sitting ducks. It would more likely throw everything at Wake if it had more nearby.

EDIT: Subsequent combat reports show you retreated and that carrier struck twice more at Wake Island - AF attack. It will be running low on sorties and probably only stay one more day. Now's the time to take it down!

Only against a human, sorties and torpedoes don't run on the AI's carriers. But it is a good idea because if the AI has not seen his carriers, they may strike Wake while his carriers strike the Japanese carrier force.

Edit: Wake will fall, don't put any fighters there. Your carriers 2 hexes away can intercept his bombers. They can then pounce on any invasion force just like a good cat, if it moves then kill it.

[RangerJoe]

This is how the troops look. They are disorged and tired and lots of them are essentially out of supply. I've gone through them and rebuilt all the units I could. Several of them have units that enter through Aden in a future turn. I've got the replacements and upgrades turned off because they are all expendable.
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I would pull some fragments out and get them to Australia to rebuild there. This way, you don't have to buy them back even though they are cheap and you don't have to wait to rebuild them. You can rebuild one division from a disabled squad or device from any of the subunits. "Yes Leftenant, you will rebuild the division. You have your wounded corporal, wounded cook, wounded personnel clerk, and wounded supply clerk to start with. You will start rebuilding immediately after being discharged from hospital!" The Lieutenant will probably promptly pass out!

Check your device upgrades, your Malayian infantry will/should upgrade to Indian 1944 squads so that give either a nice infantry unit for garrison or attack although it would be fragile and need support. Your Dutch flying boats should be able to pull out the fragments. This way, those units can help any Australian defense and you won't have to bring your Australian infantry units that arrive at Aden to Australia.

[larryfulkerson]

I would have sent the Saratoga along with the Enterprise but it needs 2 more days along the dock to be 100% ready to go. I tried putting it into the shipyard but that made the delay 3 days so I'm leaving it tied to the dock. If there's a more advanced carrier capable aircraft at Pearl than on the carriers I'll swap them to provide the best equipment for our troops.

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[larryfulkerson]

TF357 is 43K+ fuel bound for Palmyra and a separate TF is bringing supplies to enable that base to defend itself better. I'm also sending some tenders ( AG, AKE, etc.) in a third TF. I'm substituting as escorts some unorthodox ships like using an AVD as an escort only because it has some ASW cap. But it's not important which kind of ship it has it's what it can do that is important. I'm going to change the TF commander for a better one.

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[larryfulkerson]

TF265 is 6 support type ships, tenders, and one DD as the escort and they are all about to arrive at Palmyra where they will provide support for the base. Also needed at the base is an AVP or AV to support the sea planes and float planes. There are three ships in the TF that have damage that needs fixing including 2 that have problems with their engines although they both are keeping up with the rest of the TF.

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[larryfulkerson]

I'm going to use TF684 to do picket duty between Tarawa and Baker Island to provide a little more security for TF326 as it approaches Baker Island to deposit some Allied troops and supplies there. TF487 includes a CA for some Naval support and there are two TKs bringing fuel to Baker. I do believe that the entire 34th Infantry Regiment is to be unloaded there. I'm not sure what the AV of the unit will be, put back together, but I'm pretty sure it will be substantial. I need to bring the some ENG and ART and AAA to make this base better able to defend itself.

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[larryfulkerson]

I just now discovered to my horror that Port Moresby has no fuel or supplies. D'oh. How did I miss that? And it has severe damage to it's facilities except for the port, so far. I need to get some goodies to these folks ASAP.

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[RangerJoe]

The AVD with supplies can support 6 aircraft.

[BBfanboy]

I would have sent the Saratoga along with the Enterprise but it needs 2 more days along the dock to be 100% ready to go. I tried putting it into the shipyard but that made the delay 3 days so I'm leaving it tied to the dock. If there's a more advanced carrier capable aircraft at Pearl than on the carriers I'll swap them to provide the best equipment for our troops.
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If you swap a unit to get one with better aircraft, be sure to get pilots and leaders at least as good as the ones you remove! Usually the best case is to upgrade the aircraft in the existing carrier squadron and give a few days to get them serviceable.

[BBfanboy]

TF357 is 43K+ fuel bound for Palmyra and a separate TF is bringing supplies to enable that base to defend itself better. I'm also sending some tenders ( AG, AKE, etc.) in a third TF. I'm substituting as escorts some unorthodox ships like using an AVD as an escort only because it has some ASW cap. But it's not important which kind of ship it has it's what it can do that is important. I'm going to change the TF commander for a better one.
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Rather than change the captain on Esso Durban, look at the one on Esso Richmond. If he is good enough, all you have to do is remove Esso Richmond from the TF for a moment (and close that window), then transfer it back in. That will make it the flagship of the TF because it is the same size as Esso Durban and was last added to the TF.

[larryfulkerson]

The Japs are bringing in more troops yet to Sambas so they must be serious about gaining the hex.

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[larryfulkerson]

I believe that at least one of my TTs got a hit but didn't detonate. D'oh.

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[larryfulkerson]

Night raid on Cebu. I need some night fighters at that base obviously.

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[larryfulkerson]

This is the first of what may turn out to be several, night attack(s) on Singapore and the heavy rain has tempered the effect of the Jap attack.

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[larryfulkerson]

A night attack on Kukong which got no hits at all.

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[larryfulkerson]

SS Gudgen got a TT hit and then surfaced to finish off the Jap AK and it turns out that the Japs hit the sub twice before he submerged again. I'll have to check to see how much damage has been done to the sub. It may have to go back to Midway to get fixed.

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[larryfulkerson]

Palembang suffered a Jap air strike just before noon today and some aircraft on the ground were hit but we got 4 out of the 17 Bettys. All this with a background of light rain.

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[larryfulkerson]

The first of several Jap air strikes in China.

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[larryfulkerson]

A Dutch patrol plane attacked the port at Ternate but got no hits from 6K feet. These Dutch pilots need more training to be of much use.

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