String vs. ltfightr - Tides of war - A scen 13 AAR

[String]

Hello folks, me and ltfightr have just started a PBEM game in scen 13.

This thread is going to be off limits to ltfightr, so if you mistakenly opened it..
















Anyway. First turn orders have been given and i've sent the turn back to ltfightr.
The start date for scenario #13 is 1st of may 1942. I've always liked this more than the #15 scenari, you can only do the overruning of SRA so many times.

I already have another PBEM going with the same scenario where i play the japanese. This time i take the Allied side

Short overview:

I have 5 carriers, Enterprise and Hornet in PH, Lexington and Yorktown in Noumea (ready to sink in the coral sea battle) and Saratoga in San Francisco.

India : It looks secure, ground forces are plentyful. I doubt that my opponent is going to push through the jungles but just in case i've moved forces a bit closer to burma. Air cover is .. well as it is.. hurricanes with 60 exp and a few mohawks and warhawks. Plenty of Beaufort bombers though... [8|] I've ordered my Blenheims Wellingtons and Liberators to do a night city attack on Mandalay.

The british fleet is as it is.. one CV, 5 old battleships, 18 destroyers and a handful of cruisers.

I've sent the Warspite, the newer CL's, CA Dorsetshire and a few better DDs towards perth. From there they will move on towards sidney and Noumea to help with the operations in south pacific. The ships don't have a real use in india anyway imho.

China: I have no idea what i'm gonna do here, currently i'm going to try and hold the line, but i'm open to suggestions

Australia: going to reinforce Darwin... thats it i guess

South pacific: I decided not to send my carriers out on the first turn. FIghter groups are short on fighters and Lex still employs F3F's.. I have detatched a cruiser and 5 destroyers to make a run for Lunga and try to distract the landings there... hopefully they'll make it. A fast transport group is riding behind them with a part of the Americal division.

Most of the bomber squadrons have been transferred to Pm and have been ordered to hit Lae to put the airfield there out of action..

Central pacific: Enterprise and Hornet have been ordered south. My opponent can take PM if he want's it if i don't have carriers in the area. I don't want it to happen. Canton island and Baker island will get reinforcments... so much ground to cover and so little forces, and the KB is still intact


Anyways.. i'm open to suggestions, i haven't played allies for a long time

[Toast]

String,

I don't want to be too much of an armchair admiral. I am not ready to jump into a PBEM myself right now but I will put my butt on the line soon. But here are my two cents:

Your strategically situation is a lot better than most Allied players who started Scenario 15 and made it this far. You have not lost any carriers and have a repectable force. The KB is still intact and can form the 'DeathStar', however and can still inflict massive damage to you. However the Japanese ability to run amock everyhere is over. I think you will still have to stay on the strategic defensive until you get better planes and more ships or until yu can inflict crippling damage on him. He can take the offensive still in one area and succeed but if he over reaches or tries to do too much you have the ability to make him pay. The South Pacific is the obvious are for him to go. You cannot hold PM and Lunga. He can take them. But if he goes beyond that you can make him pay. I think Nimitz's orders to FLetcher are the best thing that can govern your fleet actions: (and I paraphrase here so please forgive me) conserve your forces but take acceptable risks if it looks like you can hurt him worse than he can hurt you. Just remember that an attrition battle favors you. Reinforce the supply line to Australia and wait for him to over-extend himself. Then bite him back.

In the central Pacific reinforce Midway and make him pay if he tries to take it but realize you cannot stop him. If he goes for Midway I think it is to your advantage. Strategically it cannot be held and lures him into an attrition way in the Central Pacific.

Australia: Strengthen the defenses and build up base facilities.

India: stregthen defensives and start to airlift supplies to China.

China: Try to hold. An alternative strategy here is for Japan to conquer China while the Allies are still on the strategic defensive and free up troops for the Pacific and/or India. I don't know what to do in CHina: I have been following several threads about the situation there but have not been able to try out any strategies for holding on.

I have just started my first full map AI game to try to master all the mechanics before going on to a PBEM game and I choose this scenario as the Japanese so my opinions may very well be extremely counter-productive.

[Admiral DadMan]

ORIGINAL: Toast

I think Nimitz's orders to FLetcher are the best thing that can govern your fleet actions: (and I paraphrase here so please forgive me) conserve your forces but take acceptable risks if it looks like you can hurt him worse than he can hurt you. Just remember that an attrition battle favors you. Reinforce the supply line to Australia and wait for him to over-extend himself. Then bite him back.

"You are governed by the principle of Calculated Risk.".

Rock 'em, Sock 'em, but don't lose your shirt.

[String]

Well first few turns have been played.

In china an all out japanese offensive has started. I've decided to pull back into the interior.. this is going to be messy [:(]

In Burma we have traded some air strikes, and last turn i noticed four units in the jungle heading towards Kohima/Imphal line. Panic panic panic!!!!
This means an offensive towards India, which means probable landings in southern india..
bad bad bad.. [:(]

Our little incursion towards Lunga produced mixed results. Our fast transport TF landed the part of the division but they are out of supplies. Our surface combat tf drove off the japanese invaders but when morning came the japanese nells and betties sank CA Portland with three torpedo hits. [:(]

Japanese also landed on Tulagi and Gili Gili unopposed. Invasion fleet at Buna is being attacked by bombers from PM and i think 3 or 4 transports were hit this turn.

Sig. Int also detected that an snlf unit was loaded upon an AP and heading towards baker island. Enterprise and Hornet together with a small surface combat TF has been sent full speed towards Baker I. They should make it and hopefully they'll catch the japanese ships at sea and sink them

[String]

Toast, if you want another AAR on scenario 13 then i have been writing one at the Paradox Entertainment OT boards..

--> Link is here!!! <--

You have to register there to read it though

[String]

Its 05/05/1942

Enemy landed at tassafaronga last turn, i still had the four destroyers that had escorted CA Portland in the area and i sent them full speed towards the invasion area. As i suspected the japanese ships were still there and were given a good thrashing [:D]

Night Time Surface Combat, near Tassafaronga at 66,97

Japanese Ships
DD Kikuzuki, Shell hits 4, on fire
DD Yuzuki
MSW Rokko Maru, Shell hits 7, and is sunk
MSW Tama Maru, Shell hits 2, on fire, heavy damage
MSW Toshi Maru #1, Shell hits 7, and is sunk
PG Koei Maru
AK Azumasan Maru, Shell hits 3, on fire

Allied Ships
DD Meredith
DD Sims
DD Anderson
DD Hammann

Japanese ground losses:
69 casualties reported
Guns lost 2 so much of japanese night fighting superiority

My bombers continue to hit the transport TF at Buna

Day Air attack on TF, near Buna at 55,90

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 5

Allied aircraft
Wirraway x 3
Kittyhawk I x 16
Beaufort I x 3
Beaufighter Mk 21 x 11
Beaufort V-IX x 6
P-39D Airacobra x 13
A-20B Boston x 15
B-25C Mitchell x 3
B-26B Marauder x 11

Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 2 destroyed, 1 damaged

Allied aircraft losses
Beaufort I: 2 destroyed
P-39D Airacobra: 5 destroyed, 1 damaged

Japanese Ships
AP Kaika Maru, Bomb hits 7, on fire, heavy damage
AP Takayo Maru, Bomb hits 2, on fire, heavy damage
PG Fukui Maru, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
PG Taiko Maru
AP Eihuku Maru, Bomb hits 3, on fire, heavy damage
AP Midori Maru, Torpedo hits 2, on fire
AP Yosyu Maru, Bomb hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
AP Waura Maru
AP Seattle Maru
AP Teiyo Maru
AP Kogane Maru, Bomb hits 3, on fire, heavy damage
AP Atuta Maru, Bomb hits 1, on fire
AP Ryoyo Maru, Bomb hits 1, on fire



Day Air attack on TF, near Buna at 55,90

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 8

Allied aircraft
Kittyhawk I x 9
Beaufighter Mk 21 x 6
Beaufort V-IX x 3
P-39D Airacobra x 10
A-20B Boston x 9
B-25C Mitchell x 3
B-26B Marauder x 7

Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 1 damaged

Allied aircraft losses
Kittyhawk I: 2 destroyed
Beaufort V-IX: 2 damaged
P-39D Airacobra: 8 destroyed

Japanese Ships
AP Rozan Maru
AP Takayo Maru, Bomb hits 1, on fire
AP Kasui Maru, Bomb hits 2, on fire
AP Kiyama Maru
AP Seattle Maru, Bomb hits 1
AP Tsunushima Maru
AP Eihuku Maru, Bomb hits 1
AP Yosyu Maru, Bomb hits 2, on fire

Allied sig.int is good, i detected some ships and they should have a small surprise next turn[:'(]

SS S-47 was sunk between truk and rabaul tonight after torpedoing DD Minazuki

In china the japs continue their offensive while in india my bombers have started attacking the enemy divisions advancing through the jungle

[String]

blah... well thanks to the upcoming 1.41 patch this game is dead almost before it began.. [:(]