Getting the Supplies Through - Lessons Learned

[siRkid]

This is what I have learned about getting supplies from on point to another. I would like to state up front that I like to jump right into a game and read the manual later. I am posting this to give you a feel for some of the game mechanics.

Mistake 1 - Because the TF Information Screen only allows you to only select one load option at a time, I created two TF - one for supplies and one for troops. I found out several turns later that the TF I assigned to load troops began to load supplies into the left over cargo holds once all the troops had been loaded.

Lesson 1 - A TF will load supplies after it has loaded the troops. There is no need to have specialized TFs. And yes this was stated very clearly in the manual.

Mistake 2 - I very patiently waited for my transports to load up but when I checked on them they were very busy unloading the troops and supplies they had just loaded.

Lesson 2 - Always, always assign a destination to your supply TF either before or after you give them the orders to load supplies If you don’t do this once the TF is loaded it will think it has arrived at its destination and start unloading the supplies. This also was in the manual.

Background - I set the “Retirement Allowed” option on for my supply Tfs and the following movement guidelines were in effect: Cruise to Destination Hex, Arrive at Night, Abort if attacked, Avoid Enemy Carriers, and Avoid potential surface combat (these guidelines are based on the combination of the TF‘s mission and the option selected). Because of these guidelines, my transport TF was constantly retiring before delivering supplies.

Mistake 3 - I re-set the TF to Patrol/Do not retire and sent them straight to Guadalcanal. The next turn I suffered sever loses. I also lost a lot of marines who went down with the ship although some were rescued.

Lesson 3 - I could have done several things to ensure the success of landing my supplies. One, I might have stationed the TF just within range and waited untill Guadalcanal was clear of enemy units and then run them in at night. Two, I could have assigned Long Range CAP from both my carriers and Henderson field directly to the TF until it had safely unloaded it supplies. Three, I could have done both one and two. A fourth option might have been to make my convoys smaller so they did not stack up waiting to get their turn at the dock to unload.

Conclusion - Supplies are critical in this game so you better put some thought in to how you are going to get them from here to there.

Rick

[rough44]

Thanks for the news again, I'm becoming addicted.

Rick could you please tell me more about how mines, minesweeping work?

Coastal batteries, do they have an effect at all?

Ground combat, more please. Any Guadalcanal experience yet?

Oh and did you get Yamato into the fray yet or got into a fray with Yamato? or Mutsu at least? <img src="smile.gif" border="0">

[Joel Billings]

In my game with Ross, my carrier TF encountered a group of 4 US ships withdrawing from Guadalcanal. My carriers were prowling south of Guadalcanal after defeating the US carriers and the South Dakota, a CLAA and 2 destroyers happened upon my TF. I had 3 carriers, 2 seaplane carriers, 2 cruisers, 5 destroyers and the Yamato (one crippled carrier and 1 DD having already left for home). My carriers withdrew while my surface ships exchanged fire with his. I'm pretty sure his ships started the battle damaged from either a surface battle or air attacks. The Yamato was hit by several 16" shells early in the battle, causing fire and flooding and by the end of the battle had around 40% damage. Many hits were scored by both sides, including torpedo hits. At one point I noticed an 18" shell slam into the CLAA causing critical damage. By the time the battle was over, all the US ships were wrecks and shortly thereafter went down. The Japanese suffered the damage to the Yamato and if I remember right damage to a cruiser and a couple of destroyers. I'm not sure, but I think the previous damage to the US ships along with a few torpedoes made the difference. First time I've seen the Yamato go head to head with a US battleship.

Joel

[siRkid]

Rough44 - Here is what I know about mines. I have only sent subs to lay mine fields. I have seen a message saying &#8220;Loading 10 mines&#8221; for each sub I add to the mission. When the subs get to their DH, a green dot appears after a turn or two. This dot is only visible to the player who laid the mine field. I have seen the following message from the Japs &#8220;DMS detects mine field&#8221; - &#8220;DMS clears a path through the mine field&#8221; and &#8220;DMS widens the path through the mine field.&#8221; Not all in the same turn of course and the green dot has stayed up. I did sink one ship with my mines. To clear them you must first find them ( I know the Army does this by placing a finger in each ear and stamping the ground in front of them with their foot) then send a sweeper in to remove them.

I have not seen the coastal batteries do anything but I could have missed it.

Ground combat is dependent on may factors - supply level - leadership - experience - fatigue - morale - assault strength - support units - armored vehicles - guns - fortification etc.. Lucky for us the computer takes care of the calculations (no looking up charts for modifications to the die roll). You have the option to Defend, Bombard, Coordinated attack, or Shock attack. Each unit has its own ratings, leaders, men, guns, and vehicles. What I find exciting is trying to build up faster that the enemy so I can launch an attack. Ground units can take loses from air and naval bombardment as well as land combat.

The scenario I played we both had around 25,000 men about 300 guns and the US had about 150 armored vehicles. Bombardments would cause about 100 - 130 causalities, Coordinated attack about 300 and shock around 600. Air and naval bombardments resulted in the teens.

Rick

[rough44]

thanks guys, that majorly satisfied my curiousity.

I still can't understand how come I'm not a beta tester. <img src="wink.gif" border="0">