Never Thought I'd Start Another One - tc464 (A) vs. Mike (J)

[Mike Solli]

24 Mar 43 - additional info

I forgot to mention that yellow flowers sprung up all over China today. Fortunately, 47k supply will arrive in Shanghai tomorrow morning. That should take care of the supply issue, for now. I don't want a supply shortage to delay my (hopefully) last attack on Chungking.

I'm contemplating doing a shock attack against Chungking in the next attack. I know it'll cause more casualties to me, but I need 3:1 odds again to take Chungking.

[PaxMondo]

24 Mar 43
China

For the second day in a row, the bombers didn't fly. The bombardment destroyed 24 squads.

I've got to find my link to Herb's secret sauce that he shared in one of his AAR's ... to paraphrase: he follows these rules and he has NEVER had an air attack not launch correctly ... not in all of his many AAR turns ...

I do follow them, and while I'm not quite as perfect as he is, air attacks not flying are rare events strictly related to weather over target ... there are a lot of PP's involved to do this though ...

[Mike Solli]

24 Mar 43
China

For the second day in a row, the bombers didn't fly. The bombardment destroyed 24 squads.

I've got to find my link to Herb's secret sauce that he shared in one of his AAR's ... to paraphrase: he follows these rules and he has NEVER had an air attack not launch correctly ... not in all of his many AAR turns ...

I do follow them, and while I'm not quite as perfect as he is, air attacks not flying are rare events strictly related to weather over target ... there are a lot of PP's involved to do this though ...

PPs I don't have at the moment, unfortunately. I'm trying to save up to buy out beat up divisions.

[PaxMondo]

24 Mar 43 - additional info
...

I'm contemplating doing a shock attack against Chungking in the next attack. I know it'll cause more casualties to me, but I need 3:1 odds again to take Chungking.

Your disablements will convert to losses ... and I think you still have a high number of disablements in those divisions ... if not, then shock will just cost you more disablements ... not that big of a deal if you take CK ...

[Mike Solli]

24 Mar 43 - additional info
...

I'm contemplating doing a shock attack against Chungking in the next attack. I know it'll cause more casualties to me, but I need 3:1 odds again to take Chungking.

Your disablements will convert to losses ... and I think you still have a high number of disablements in those divisions ... if not, then shock will just cost you more disablements ... not that big of a deal if you take CK ...

Well, I'm 2 turns ahead of this AAR. I was planning on setting up the attack, but a shortage of supply at Chungking is delaying the attack. I still have a lot of disablements so I'm going to do a deliberate attack. My AV keeps increasing and his is slowly declining.

[Mike Solli]

25 Mar 43

Sub War

The RO-63 spotted a TF that included 4 CA, 5 CL and 3 DD. She shot at a DD and missed. An escorting DD hit her once with a DC. Back to Truk she goes. I figured it was a bombardment TF, and I was right.

The I-38 continued to chase the supply TF and sank an AK today. That's 3 ships in as many days. Still TFs without escorts. Interesting...

5 Fleet

Nothing to report.

4 Fleet

Nothing to report.

SE Fleet

The Allied bombers spread themselves between Lunga and Tulagi.

SRA

Nothing to report.

Burma

Nothing to report.

China

Today's bombing/bombardment destroyed 32 squads.

Raw AV:
Japan: 5184 (+147)
China: 1095 (-24)
Enemy strength: 248k (+1k)
Enemy units: 71 units (+1)
Guns: 129 (-30)

Yesterday's 2 new units was actually 3 new units and 1 destroyed unit:

New:
7 Construction Regiment
3 Group Army
26 Group Army

Destroyed:
33 Group Army

That's about as good as I could have hoped.

Tomorrow, 1 Tank Division and the remainder of 3 Tank Division will arrive in Chungking. I'm planning on attacking the day after.

Other Stuff

The A6M5c Zero R&D advanced to 5/44 and is expected to become operational 7/43.
The N1K5-J George R&D advanced to 7/45 and is expected to become operational around 9/43.

[Mike Solli]

26 Mar 43

Sub War

The I-15, keeping an eye on Pearl Harbor, torpedoed an xAK NE of Hawaii. There was no report of her sinking, but 2 torpedo hits usually will do it.

5 Fleet

Nothing to report.

4 Fleet

Nothing to report.

SE Fleet

The TF I spotted yesterday was indeed a bombardment TF. A total of 6 CA and 5 CL bombarded Lunga. Supply there is about gone. I am moving a midget sub from Tulagi to Lunga and will attempt a fast transport TF from Rabaul to replenish supply. Looks like Lunga may be the target. Defenses are minimal with a NG battalion, a construction battalion and a few AAA guns, with level 3 forts. The infrastructure has not been built up at all.

Seventeen Dauntlesses hit Munda and 8 B-17s hit Tulagi. Resting his bombers?

So, there are some interesting events happening here. Rennell Island has been built up to a 3(0) port and 7(5) airfield. A small CVE TF has been sitting there for quite a while and has 44 fighters and 26 bombers. Two CVEs? At the airfield, there are 110 fighters, 48 bombers and 30 auxiliary aircraft. The Dauntlesses are there and maybe some 2E bombers. I've seen Corsairs, Wildcats and P-40Ks fly from there as well. The most interesting thing is the carrier TF that arrived today, composed of 174 fighters, 166 bombers and 32 auxiliary aircraft. 4 CVs? With over 300 fighters there, I'm not sending my carriers after that. But, what I did was to switch an Emily chutai to night naval search with just a 10 degree search arc covering Rennell Island and 27 Betties on night torpedo attack. I'm counting on Ted not having any night fighters aloft. Nothing will probably happen, but you never know! I might actually spot a US carrier by name for the first time in this game!

I have 7 fleet/RO subs in a line to the south with a Glen sub nearby. If the carriers withdraw, they'll go either south or west. I can't cover both, but I'll know which way they went for next time!

SRA

Nothing to report.

Burma

It's been a phony war here too long. I'm sweeping Chittagong with 84 Tojos tomorrow. I see only 36 enemy fighters there. I suspect they're Hurricane IIcs.

China

Today's bombing/bombardment destroyed 15 squads.

Raw AV:
Japan: 5786 (+648) - The 1 and 3 Tank Divisions are now in Chungking.
China: 1082 (-13)
Enemy strength: 247k (-1k)
Enemy units: 72 units (+1)
Guns: 129 (no change)

As I stated earlier, there is a supply shortage in Chungking. I'm postponing the attack until I have sufficient supply there. It will be a deliberate assault.

Other Stuff

Reinforcements
E Sado, third Etorofu class, will join the other two and prosecute some subs NE of Formosa, then they will provide ASW escort to the 5 Tonan Whalers hauling oil from Singapore to Nagasaki.
SC Ch35, ASW

[PaxMondo]

26 Mar 43
... But, what I did was to switch an Emily chutai to night naval search with just a 10 degree search arc covering Rennell Island and 27 Betties on night torpedo attack. .

I use night naval a lot and with good success. You need good DC on the target from day NavSearch and then keep it there with your Night NavSearch. The attack Netties need to be high exp/skill pilots ... over 70/70 for sure, 80/80 is better. with a good group of 27 I expect to get 4 - 5 torp hits and will lose the same number of pilots ... expensive attack profile, but if the right target is hit its worth it. I generally will go with 3 x 27 (81 AC) or 2 x 36 (72 AC) ... yes, my losses are horrendous, but on a 5 CV unit, if I can get 12 - 15 torp hits, that means 2 CV are down dead, and if I'm lucky I get 3 or 4. That really impacts the allied player ... that will stop his op and that's what I want. 2 - 4 months. Yes, replacing those pilots is awful hard, but I told you how I build them up in 42/43. This is how I use them. I don't waste them in daylight bombing attempts; they get used in night actions. And all of those losses are AA ... USN AA is brutal by '43 ... '44/'45 it is beyond belief.

[Mike Solli]

26 Mar 43
... But, what I did was to switch an Emily chutai to night naval search with just a 10 degree search arc covering Rennell Island and 27 Betties on night torpedo attack. .

I use night naval a lot and with good success. You need good DC on the target from day NavSearch and then keep it there with your Night NavSearch. The attack Netties need to be high exp/skill pilots ... over 70/70 for sure, 80/80 is better. with a good group of 27 I expect to get 4 - 5 torp hits and will lose the same number of pilots ... expensive attack profile, but if the right target is hit its worth it. I generally will go with 3 x 27 (81 AC) or 2 x 36 (72 AC) ... yes, my losses are horrendous, but on a 5 CV unit, if I can get 12 - 15 torp hits, that means 2 CV are down dead, and if I'm lucky I get 3 or 4. That really impacts the allied player ... that will stop his op and that's what I want. 2 - 4 months. Yes, replacing those pilots is awful hard, but I told you how I build them up in 42/43. This is how I use them. I don't waste them in daylight bombing attempts; they get used in night actions. And all of those losses are AA ... USN AA is brutal by '43 ... '44/'45 it is beyond belief.

Yeah, I remember your discussion on use of IJN 2E bombers. My losses have been mercifully light. I pull replacements from the training units in Japan. All the bomber pilots in the pool are 1E for the carriers. Something I'm going to do soon is to stack a LOT of the pilots you describe above in 1 or 2 units in Japan as a reserve for such missions.

[Mike Solli]

27 Mar 43

Sub War

Poor old RO-66 was caught by two different ASW TFs and each one hit her with a depth charge. She, amazingly, still survives with the following damage: 59-74(20)-11(4)-0. She'll limp back to Truk. She was one of the 7 sub line south of the carriers.

5 Fleet

Not much going on here. I'm building up defenses and dropping off midget subs at most bases along with mines at Adak.

4 Fleet

Nothing to report.

SE Fleet

Ted hit Munda with a squadron of Dauntlesses again. Not sure why he's doing that. Maybe it's the next target? Anyway, 2 and 4E bombers hit Lunga again. Tassafronga (the northern half of Guadalcanal) had flipped a little while ago and I noticed there are enemy troops there. He's definitely spreading up the island chain. I'm not surprised. I am surprised at how long it's taking him.

A few 4E bombers hit Tulagi for good measure.

The Betties didn't fly their night mission. I'm not surprised though. Their average experience is only 69. They probably think I'm crazy.

SRA

Nothing to report.

Burma

The Tojos didn't fly. I suspect it was weather. I'm trying again tomorrow.

China

The bombers didn't fly. The bombardment destroyed 24 squads.

Raw AV:
Japan: 5834 (+98)
China: 1166 (+84) - Yesterday's arriving unit was 39 Chinese Corps (57 AV).
Enemy strength: 250k (+2k)
Enemy units: 73 units (+1)
Guns: 155 (+26)

Supply arrived today. The deliberate assault goes in tomorrow. Hopefully, the bombers fly to soften up the defenders. The bombers don't destroy a lot of squads but they do disable a LOT of them. That, by itself, helps the attack tremendously.

Other Stuff

Reinforcement
E Oki, Etorofu class, will join the other 2 to prosecute the enemy subs NE of Formosa then will become the ASW escort TF for the Tonan Whalers.

[BBfanboy]

I think part of the 'secret sauce' for getting air strikes to take off is to have all the aircraft assigned to the same HQ and to have the HQ in range (not rangeX2- that's for replacements) of their bases. Thus someone mentioned it is expensive in PP at a time when you need to free up LCUs. And that HQ should have a commander with great Air skill and Aggression. (not sure if those are the best two indicators).

[PaxMondo]

I think part of the 'secret sauce' for getting air strikes to take off is to have all the aircraft assigned to the same HQ and to have the HQ in range (not rangeX2- that's for replacements) of their bases. Thus someone mentioned it is expensive in PP at a time when you need to free up LCUs. And that HQ should have a commander with great Air skill and Aggression. (not sure if those are the best two indicators).

The above indeed is a big part of the "special sauce", and the order in which all air orders are given matters as well. There is a method to the madness ...

[Mike Solli]

I think part of the 'secret sauce' for getting air strikes to take off is to have all the aircraft assigned to the same HQ and to have the HQ in range (not rangeX2- that's for replacements) of their bases. Thus someone mentioned it is expensive in PP at a time when you need to free up LCUs. And that HQ should have a commander with great Air skill and Aggression. (not sure if those are the best two indicators).

The above indeed is a big part of the "special sauce", and the order in which all air orders are given matters as well. There is a method to the madness ...

Oh yeah, there is. They flew today. I'll save the rest for the update.

[Mike Solli]

28 Mar 43

Sub War

Nothing to report.

5 Fleet

Nothing to report.

4 Fleet

Nothing to report.

SE Fleet

Lunga was hit by 17 SBDs, 23 B-24D1s and 30 B-25D1s. I'd venture to guess Lunga is the target.

SRA

Nothing to report.

Burma

The two sentai of Tojos swept Chittagong with its 36 fighters. None rose to meet them. Interesting...

China

Well, after the bombers softened up the enemy troops, the army launched its attack. The final odds were 3.14:1 which was enough to force the enemy troops to surrender. The final tally was 182k enemy troops captured/killed along with 73 units destroyed. What was even better was the state of the infrastructure:

Manpower: 1(2)
Resources: 171(9)
HI: 171(9)
LI: 171(9)

That's an extra 342 supply a day, along with the extra HI. Nice!

I'm going to let the troops rest for a couple days and then send them off to the other targets. There are still ~100 enemy units scattered around, with 45 in or around Sian. I've already started bombing pockets of troops.

Other Stuff

Nothing to report.

[PaxMondo]

28 Mar 43

China

Well, after the bombers softened up the enemy troops, the army launched its attack. The final odds were 3.14:1 which was enough to force the enemy troops to surrender. The final tally was 182k enemy troops captured/killed along with 73 units destroyed. What was even better was the state of the infrastructure:

Manpower: 1(2)
Resources: 171(9)
HI: 171(9)
LI: 171(9)

That's an extra 342 supply a day, along with the extra HI. Nice!

I'm going to let the troops rest for a couple days and then send them off to the other targets. There are still ~100 enemy units scattered around, with 45 in or around Sian. I've already started bombing pockets of troops.

BANZAI!!!!

[Mike Solli]

I’d like to report that Chungking fell a full 9 months earlier than it did in the last game.