A Good Place to Start - Matthew (A) v Fokko (J) - Bottlenecks Mod

[LargeSlowTarget]

Let's hope that the wind indicat... I mean the Vindicators will live up to their name!

[BBfanboy]

The overstack at Palmyra should be quite small and cause very little additional supply usage. It might cost more if the IJN comes to bombard ...

[M Peaston]

…..which I won’t get to do because my wife has even more jobs in mind to keep me occupied…

A common ailment among the WITPAE community and your fraternity here completely understands this and will silently support you, but will necessarily "rib" you constantly about your priorities in life. Feel free to return the "favors" in their AAR's!

To be fair, my wife is reasonably tolerant about my wargaming, even if our priorities here don’t quite coincide. She even doesn’t mind joining in sometimes. At the moment we’re playing a board game on the Russian Civil War, and despite not having the foggiest idea about the concept, she has just invented the Operational Manoeuvre Group.

I’m doomed!!!!

(I’m also quite impressed).

[M Peaston]

Let's hope that the wind indicat... I mean the Vindicators will live up to their name!

Wind indicators

I must remember that one.

[M Peaston]

The overstack at Palmyra should be quite small and cause very little additional supply usage. It might cost more if the IJN comes to bombard ...

Palmyra’s gone over the limit by just 34 - I agree it’s not much of an issue, just one that I never foresaw.

I’m not expecting a bombardment of Palmyra anytime soon; so far there has been no Japanese activity beyond the Gilberts/Marshalls/Wake Island (other than submarines).

[M Peaston]

Milne Bay.png (1.57 MiB) Viewed 649 times

[M Peaston]

Airacobras.png (1.3 MiB) Viewed 643 times

This squadron of Airacobras based at Port Moresby is (by some margin) the Allies' top-scoring squadron with 60 kills.

The pilots are pretty knackered at the moment; normally I wouldn't let fatigue climb so high and I'd like to stand them down, but the situation is a bit awkward at the moment.

In hindsight, I wonder if putting them on LRCAP at 100% is a mistake? Maybe at 100% then everything is scrambled to meet the first wave, leaving nothing available for the second wave, and maybe 50% might work better, with only half sent up to meet the first wave leaving the others in reserve for any further waves? Just a thought.....

[PaxMondo]

Airacobras.png


This squadron of Airacobras based at Port Moresby is (by some margin) the Allies' top-scoring squadron with 60 kills.

The pilots are pretty knackered at the moment; normally I wouldn't let fatigue climb so high and I'd like to stand them down, but the situation is a bit awkward at the moment.

In hindsight, I wonder if putting them on LRCAP at 100% is a mistake? Maybe at 100% then everything is scrambled to meet the first wave, leaving nothing available for the second wave, and maybe 50% might work better, with only half sent up to meet the first wave leaving the others in reserve for any further waves? Just a thought.....

100% LRCAP for a 25 AC group implies:

8 AC will be at the LRCAP location
8 AC will be on "ready" standby
8 AC will be on 10 min standby
1 AC will randomly join one of the 3 above groups.

50% LRCAP, halve each of the above numbers, so 4/4/4. Yes, it will definitely decrease the pilot fatigue and airframe damage. And yes, you cannot leave a group on 100% LRCAP for long periods as the unit will simply disintegrate.

You need to rotate them out OR stand them down OR lose them. Your choice.

[M Peaston]

I entirely agree with you PaxMondo; if ever I see pilot fatigue creeping above 15 I normally start to get nosebleeds. This squadron is heading to Australia for some badly-needed R&R - once the Allied ships are in the clear. Until then it is the third option - it’s a conscious choice.

My point was more about thinking whether 100% LRCAP is a possible tactical error when faced with multiple strikes.


First Air attack of the morning - detected at 31 miles. Lightnings and Airacobras in position to intercept straight away:.


Morning Air attack on TF, near Milne Bay at 101,133

Weather in hex: Heavy rain

Raid detected at 31 NM, estimated altitude 14,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 12 minutes

CAP engaged:
51st PG/25th PS' with P-38E Lightning (17 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
17 plane(s) intercepting now.
Group patrol altitude is 21000 , scrambling fighters between 0 and 21000.
Raid is overhead
35th PG/40th PS' with P-39D Airacobra (7 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
7 plane(s) intercepting now.
Group patrol altitude is 8000 , scrambling fighters between 0 and 8000.
Raid is overhead


The second air raid of the morning phase. Detected at 80 miles, but now no fighters are immediately available. Time for all group aircraft to intercept is given as 32 and 38 minutes, i.e. after the estimated time to target.


Raid detected at 80 NM, estimated altitude 15,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 30 minutes

CAP engaged:
51st PG/25th PS' with P-38E Lightning (0 airborne, 0 on standby, 10 scrambling)
Group patrol altitude is 21000 , scrambling fighters to 6000.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 32 minutes
35th PG/40th PS' with P-39D Airacobra (0 airborne, 0 on standby, 3 scrambling)
Group patrol altitude is 8000 , scrambling fighters to 11000.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 38 minutes



The same pattern is repeated in the afternoon phase.


First PM strike:

Raid detected at 52 NM, estimated altitude 16,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 20 minutes

CAP engaged:
51st PG/25th PS' with P-38E Lightning (9 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
9 plane(s) intercepting now.
Group patrol altitude is 21000 , scrambling fighters between 0 and 21000.
Raid is overhead
35th PG/40th PS' with P-39D Airacobra (6 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
6 plane(s) intercepting now.
Group patrol altitude is 8000 , scrambling fighters between 0 and 8000.
Raid is overhead


The second air-raid of the PM phase:

Raid detected at 80 NM, estimated altitude 15,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 30 minutes

CAP engaged:
51st PG/25th PS' with P-38E Lightning (0 airborne, 0 on standby, 5 scrambling)
Group patrol altitude is 21000 , scrambling fighters to 10000.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 39 minutes
35th PG/40th PS' with P-39D Airacobra (0 airborne, 0 on standby, 3 scrambling)
Group patrol altitude is 8000 , scrambling fighters to 15000.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 39 minutes





It does leave me to wonder whether I'd been better off having LRCAP at no more than 50%, accepting that there may be less fighter cover to deal with an initial air-raid but then possibly having more available to deal with any subsequent strike.

[JanSako]

The % is out of 'currently flyable', so if 100% are not in position, then 50% will not be either.
If 50% is set to rest, the pilots were basically given the day off in the daily orders & that is that. The mechanics are working on the airframes to maintain etc. so those planes are simply not available to fly.

[M Peaston]

Thanks JanSako, PaxMondo; I was thinking of LRCAP as basically the same as CAP just in a different hex, but I realise now they are quite different from each other in some respects.

[M Peaston]

4th May 1942




INDIA/BURMA

At Colombo Vice-Admiral Layton considers the latest intelligence. Japanese troops have been reported to be embarking on a troopship in Southern Burma. This, coupled with the recent sighting of Yamashiro and Nagato near Sabang suggests a possible seaborne invasion somewhere - but where? Although the whereabouts of every Japanese carrier is not known, most Japanese carriers are currently operating off Celebes or in the Solomon Sea. If there are any carriers operating independently from these two groups, it is probably not going to be sufficient to protect an invasion fleet where it is likely to meet heavy air and naval opposition. This makes a seaborne invasion of Ceylon, India or even Akyab unlikely at the moment, which leaves Port Blair as the obvious target.

Indomitable and Invincible have, yet again, been ordered to reverse course and are now heading to patrol just west of the Andaman Islands to be within strike range of Port Blair. They’ve sailed back and forth along the same stretch so much now that they have started to leave a furrow in the ocean. The RN battle fleet (Warspite and the ‘R’s) is already at sea in the Bay of Bengal where it is fortuitously within easy reach of Port Blair, Ceylon, the Indian East Coast or Akyab, as necessary. Well, you never know….


ABDA

On Java the Japanese are expanding in all directions, reaching Soerabaja at one end and Kalidjati at the other. In the centre the Japanese capture Tjilatjap, forcing the remaining defenders to fall back towards Bandoeng.

At Saumlaki I expected the Japanese surface TF to bombard and retreat. It did neither, allowing Hermes to launch a successful strike with stringbags putting a torpedo into BB Haruna.

Dutch B25s from Koepang bombed the airbase at Kendari again, causing 2 airbase, 2 runway and a supply hit. Not much, but I suspect that the Japanese are going to use Kendari as their main base for supporting operations farther south, so the longer I can keep it from being fully operational the better - every day counts. Current damage is shown as airfield-23, port-98.


SWPAC

The expected attacks on Allied ships fleeing Milne Bay didn’t happen. KB stayed in the Solomon Sea while a surface force turned up at Milne Bay - the heavy cruisers Kinugasa, Kako and Furutaka, and the light cruiser Yubari. The Vindicators hit Kinugasa twice and Furutaka once with 1,000lb bombs; both are reported to be on fire.

The Allies took Milne Bay itself (what was left of it after days of bombing by B17s - and there wasn’t much to start with). However, the Japanese (65th Naval Guard unit and 17th Naval construction Bn) stubbornly refuse to surrender and apparently intend to keep fighting it out. I hope this isn’t an indication of things to come.


SUBMARINE WARFARE

Silversides sinks xAKL P157 off of Izu Oshima. The captain of Silversides got bored with raking the xAKL with MG fire and decided to use his only working torpedo.

In the Strait of Malacca near Sabang S-41 torpedoed what appears to be a German Raider: AMC KM HSK-4 Thor.

[M Peaston]

5th May 1942



INDIA/BURMA

Kachin guerrillas tried to get behind the advancing Japanese just north of Toungoo, but have been attacked and forced to retreat by the 112th Rgt.

B17Es from Dacca attempt to bomb the port at Rangoon. More on that later.


ABDA

The assault on Soerabaja begins. The Imperial Guards Division and 3rd Medium Field Artillery Rgt bombard the defenders. Oscars sweep overhead, but there are no bombing raids so far. Other than a reconnaissance unit and one damaged Dornier, there are no Allied aircraft left at Soerabaja (or anywhere on Java).

Japanese forces capture Kalidjati.

BB Haruna retreats towards Kendari while Mini-KB retires on Manado. The mighty Hermes, having seen off the Japanese battleship and carriers, heads to Darwin to rearm.


SWPAC

San Francisco and DDs Dunlap and Craven reach Port Moresby. San Francisco and Dunlap will repair there as best they can before moving to Australia. Craven is heading to Townsville to escort AR Roggeveen to Port Moresby to help out. The rest of the Allied force is in two groups heading along the Australian East Coast - one group with the CLs and fast APs is heading for Brisbane, the slower xAKs and xAPs are heading for Townsville.

KB is now 120nm south of Rabaul; the Japanese cruisers that were at Milne Bay have disappeared and are likely to have retired towards Rabaul.

At Milne Bay itself the Allied ground forces destroyed the 17th Naval Construction Bn. The 65th Naval Guard Unit appears determined to fight on.


NORPAC

At Prince Rupert the 58th (Sep) Rgt begins embarking on transports bound for Adak.


SUBMARINE WARFARE

RO-60 finishes off AP President Hayes, abandoned and drifting off of Milne Bay.

I-158 took a hit from two motor launches off Colombo.


PANIC HQ.

A shocked Captain Triggers sits down to discuss with Striker the results of the latest air raid on Rangoon. Eight B17Es were lost. EIGHT! A full third of the attacking force. At first Triggers thought that the Japanese were employing some kind of new secret weapon, but debriefings and examination of the damage suggest the bombers encountered the standard Oscar Ic. What went wrong?

Striker thinks he might know the answer. “Have you been filling up new squadrons with freshly-trained pilots? Reasonably well trained perhaps, but completely inexperienced?” Triggers agreed that he had, and that perhaps it might be better to ensure that each front-line squadron has, at the least, a reasonable cadre of more experienced pilots.

Triggers was impressed at Striker’s insight and knowledge. What Striker didn’t mention was that he had exactly the same problem of high losses with the new Lightnings, and that Striker has spent many a long hour over the past few days trying to balance out pilot experience among the fighter squadrons.

It seems that having hopelessly inexperienced pilots fly at maximum range against known concentrations of enemy fighters and/or flak often does not end well. Who would have thought?

It also seems that pilot training is about to become even more tedious….

[M Peaston]

Up until today only 6 B17Es had been lost in the war, and they had seen a reasonable amount of action, so to lose so many in a single raid counts as a disaster.

B17E losses.png (724.55 KiB) Viewed 366 times

[M Peaston]

The situation in the Banda Sea:

Banda Sea.png (1.63 MiB) Viewed 362 times

[M Peaston]

Current estimates of Japanese forces in Burma:

Burma.png (1.87 MiB) Viewed 333 times

If these estimates are accurate, if, then I wonder how far the Japanese intend to push in Burma?

[M Peaston]

6th May 1942




INDIA/BURMA

There’s no sign of any Japanese fleet. Where are Yamashiro and Nagato? Assuming they weren’t on a pleasure cruise, they must be around somewhere. Sabang? Revenge and Resolution are returning to base, leaving Warspite, Ramilles and Royal Sovereign, plus the carrier group (Indomitable and Formidable) to continue the search.


ABDA

At Soerabaja a Deliberate Assault by the Imperial Guards Div is held off by the Dutch defenders.

Liberators from Darwin bomb Kendari airbase at night, while Dutch Mitchells from Koepang bomb during the day.

147th Separate Rgt embarks at Perth bound for Port Hedland.


SWPAC/SOPAC

Milne Bay is finally cleared of Japanese with the destruction of the 65th Naval Guard Unit.

The Wind Indicators at Port Moresby strike again - they found a small Japanese troop convoy at Cape Gloucester. APD Minakaze was hit with two 1,000lb bombs, while APDs Hakaze and Nadakaze took three apiece. The Marine DBs thoughtfully remembered to save a bomb for xAP Hakone Maru though. Sinking sounds were heard. I wonder where the Japanese were heading?


SUBMARINE WARFARE

The Captain of USS Stingray almost earned himself a hefty pay-rise when Shohaku popped into view in his periscope north of Kavieng. Unfortunately none of the four torpedoes hit their target….

[M Peaston]

PANIC HQ.


The capture of Milne Bay was discussed at the PANIC HQ evening meeting. It seems that even victory comes with its problems. As Captain Mainwaring explained: “The US Marines raised the Stars and Stripes over Milne Bay”.

“What is wrong with that?” asked Blackadder.

“Well, the Australian Commandos weren’t entirely happy about it” explained Mainwaring, “and the Marines didn’t like the manner of the Australians’ protests.”

“Ughh….sounds ugly” said Blackadder. “Still, a bit of inter-allied competition for objectives might not be a bad thing.”

“Prime Minister Curtin is not best pleased either” continued Mainwaring.

“Ah” said Blackadder gravely, “that’s different. This is serious.”

Drebbin, indeed all of the non-Brits around the table, couldn’t quite see the problem. ‘Not entirely happy’? ‘Not best pleased’? It didn’t seem like there was much of an issue here. Surely no-one can be completely happy all the time, especially during wartime. Still, in the interests of maximum happiness, Drebbin had an idea.

“Why don’t we create a single coalition flag to represent all the Allied nations?”. Drebbin immediately regretted opening his mouth, as he was promptly made chair of a newly-created subcommittee responsible for designing such a flag.

Issues of inter-Allied relations notwithstanding, Blackadder was determined to enjoy the moment of success. “The road to Tokyo starts here!” roared Blackadder, thudding his finger down somewhere on the bottom part of the map. He waited for the cheers of approval and enthusiasm, but strangely, there were none.

Striker broke the silence with a quizzical “why does the road to Tokyo start from the Gibson Desert?”

"Obviously, I’m talking about Milne Bay” replied Blackadder.

“Err….Milne Bay is here,” said Captain Birdseye, pointing (appropriately enough) towards Milne Bay.

Blackadder peered closely at the map, made sure of his aim, and tried again. “The road to Tokyo starts here!” roared Blackadder, this time jabbing at the map somewhere reasonably close to Milne Bay. Again he waited for the cheers, but again he waited in vain, as there were only a few mutterings from his assembled advisors, until Uncle Albert said “Umm….you can’t actually travel by road from Milne Bay to Tokyo, they’re not connected by land”. Blackadder tried to explain that he was speaking figuratively, not literally, but it was too late; the discussion had already moved on to the possibility of building a road the length of New Guinea.

“And then what?”.

“A bridge to Mindanao?”

“It’s a long way, not very practical in wartime?”

“What about a ferry”

“Strictly speaking, does a ferry still count as a road connection?”

Blackadder had heard enough. "The route to Tokyo starts here!” exclaimed an exasperated Blackadder, who no longer cared where his finger connected with the map. He was beginning to feel that victory can be just as draining as defeat.

[JanSako]

I wish I could just add a reaction to the post itself.
Than you for this one, sir!

[zebrazwo]

+1