The Italian Job (2) - Comments from the Allies

[mc3744]

Wow! [X(]
Thank you guys for your support. It’s really appreciated. [&o]
I wasn’t expecting it. [:D]

March 24th, 1942

INDIA
The heavies still refused to take off.
The medium LBs (SB-2c, Blenheim I and IV) attacked Akyab, the airfield is now shut down. He has no planes there and I want him not to be able to place any.
My recon revealed an ambush attempt over Tang You (or whatever the name), the heavies target is however Meiktila where he still has (10) resource points.

CHINA
Stalemate everywhere. I think there won’t be many surprises anytime soon. Save for Lanchow that may fall, but since there’s nothing I can do about it, there’s no point in worrying.

AUSTRALIA
The strike over Daly Waters has been a success, lots of Jap fighters destroyed and very few heavies lost. Many damaged however. I’ll keep them down for a couple of turns.
Exmouth has not been attacked yet, but he already has 70k+ men, I don’t stand a chance. And I still have 20+ damaged planes on the ground. [:(]

SOPAC (copying Alikchi [;)] )
Following your advice I decided to concentrate my defenses. I’m therefore redirecting the transports that unloaded the Americal US Division in Pago Pago, they’ll load it again and take it to Luganville, my SOPAC headquarter. This way I’ll have (2) divisions and (1) Bde, plus auxiliary units. That should be enough even for a huge invasion froce.

CENPAC
As you guys say PH is weak infantry wise, but there are 500 planes plus the ones on station on the carriers. He cannot get past them ... I hope. [:'(]
I’m sending APs to take the 27th/A US Division in Midway and the 6th Marine Defense Battalion. I’ll leave in Midway only the ENG Base Force to support the PBY‘s. If he wants it he can have it.
I’ll take those units to Palmyra. I’m going to hold on to it.
To improve PH air defenses I’ve assigned the 8th and 115th RCAF Canadian squadrons to CENPAC, they’ve been upgraded to Beaufort I and they are being loaded in SF to be transported to PH. This will provide me with (32) additional torpedo bombers. (64) Bolo’s I was using for training have been upgraded to B-25 Mitchell’s. Much better on anti-shipping duties.
In 10 days the 32nd US Division (391 AV) will arrive in SF. It’ll be of great help for CENPAC defense.

[mc3744]

March 25th, 1942

INDIA
I’m going to try the effect of massive night airfield bombings. In a couple of other PBEM’s I noticed that the effect has been seriously reduced after 1.50. But maybe with hundreds of bombers I can still hit something on the ground.
The heavies in Diamond Harbor and the mediums in Chandpur have all been set to night airfield attack, target Mandaly. It’s almost 300 bombers. We’ll see if they do some damages.

CHINA
No news, good news.

AUSTRALIA
He is still unloading in Exmouth. (10) planes left on the ground.

PACIFIC
No news.
In the picture Palmyra status today.

[mc3744]

March 26th, 1942

INDIA
This is the only theater where I’m getting some satisfactions. The night bombing has been good.
The mediums (49) didn’t strike one single hit, but the (62) heavies managed to destroy (7) Jap planes on the ground.
I’ll keep at it with the heavies and I’ll switch the mediums to daylight bombing.
If I know GH in a few turns he’ll get upset about this. He will either try to retaliate - therefore relieving the pressure on Lanchow - or will retreat his planes. In the first case I think that my fighters are now enough to be able to play defense successfully. In the second case I’ll start hitting the resources within range.

CHINA
Usual Lanchow and Sining bombings. Stall everywhere else.

DEI [:(]
The bad news start here and they end keep up till CENPAC.
He has moved in Manila. I won’t be able to hold for long. I’m almost out of supplies. His bombings have killed me.

AUSTRALIA [:(]
Exmouth has fallen, 24.000 Dutch are now POW. He has one more airfield size (4) and the whole of Northern Australia. He can now threaten Perth.
I flew a B-17 on recon over Daly, there’s a CAP of over 60 fighters, Zero’s and Oscar’s. That’s too much for daylight unescorted attack. As soon as the heavies have recovered from the previous attack I’ll start with night bombing. It’s much, much slower, but also much safer.

PACIFIC [:(]
He is now heading for Baker. It’s a pain to watch him roll over my bases and capture my men without being able to do anything about it.
Nanumea will be next, I’m sure.

[Cap Mandrake]

Good Lord! Look at all those ships by Phoenix Island [X(]

You might want to check into conditions in the Japanese internment camps in the US..to give you cover should they invade California [;)]

Just kidding actually [:)] It is only March 42....the B-29's and Essex class carriers are coming.

[mc3744]

At the pace he is going your joke might become reality

I'm sure I'll start to feel better once this Central Pacific storm will be behind me.
Rigtht now I'm really frustrated. [:o]

Thanks for the comment though [;)]

[Tom Hunter]

I am playing on the stock map, but I just turned back KB by massing 200 or so fighters in and around Darwin. That happened on April 10th 1942, the Japanese lost 88 planes, 27 of them Zeros from KB, most of the others were Vals and Kates. The Allies lost 86 planes, and the Japanese decided that they did not want to do it for another day.

I went into a lot of detail in my AAR, but the important points were these:

400-500 Allied aircraft were operating within 3 days flight of Darwin.

I saw KB when it was 4 days away

KB has about 200 fighters, and I had about 200 fighters

I had a level 1 airfield, an L3, and L4 and an L6 all within 12 hexes of eachother, the smallest had 27 air support the largest over 300. Its possible that I have mines and coastal guns in some of these places, but I am not going to say for sure since my opponent can read this post.

If you can build something like this up then you can stop Hoepner. Otherwise you have to use your CVs to stop him. Basically you need multiple bases with hundereds of planes to stop KB, those bases can be named Lexington, Saratoga and Hornet or Koepang, Darwin and Lautem but you have to have them and the planes.

One strong base will not do it because its too vuneralbe to a successful shore bombardment or air attack, and personally I don't think 2 will either, though two with you CVs in the area might be enough.

You still have a lot of combat power, and much more is coming but if you fight for single bases I doubt your going to win.


Good Luck

[EUBanana]

Enough fighters to bloody the Jap nose - 100+ - and you can start turning him back.

[Alikchi2]

Yeah, not even the KB can come back from a 100 plane CAP unscathed. Just hold on a bit longer and it's all downhill for Hoepner [8D]

[mc3744]

Hey Tom,

I totally agree with you. That's exactly what I was trying to do in Timor: Koepang+Lautern+Darwin. I just didn't have the time, he arrived a month too early. I'm doing it in another PBEM, it's late February and I'm already up and running. And it works nicely. Over 600 planes through out Timor (Dili too), no KB can face that. Plus another 200 in Darwin .. but that's another game [;)]

In the Pacific there aren't groups of nearby bases. I don't have a choice. The only developed bases are all isolated. Midway, Johnston, Palmyra, Pago Pago, Fiji.
The only partial exception would be New Caledonia.

Hence I'll try to stop him in Luganville+Noumea (although it's not like they are sooo close) and in Palmyra.

Hey EUBanana,

Nah, I don't think so.
Right now 100 fighters are not enough. He can get over 250 Zero's with the Death Star. To get some DB and/or TB past such a CAP you need something like 200-300 fighters. And it may not be enough. He would still enjoy shorter range and higher experience.
100 P-38 would do however [:D] Pity I don't have them [:'(]
One day I will

I'm glad you are reading this [:D]

[mc3744]

ORIGINAL: Alikchi

Yeah, not even the KB can come back from a 100 plane CAP unscathed. Just hold on a bit longer and it's all downhill for Hoepner [8D]

I know one day it'll be downhill ... for me [;)]
What would make me feel cool [8D] however would be to stop him when it's still uphill. Later on it's easy, anybody can do it.

I want be a mastermind, a WitP's Napoleon, the Caesar of the Pacific, teh Zar of the Atolls ...

[:D]

[BPRE]

Great AAR! I don't read that many but this is one of the absolutely best since you give us our thoughts and plans. Comparing your views of the same situation makes it even more interesting.

As a side comment I don't think you should concentrate too much on trying to stop him completely. It has to be as costly as possile for him and if you can give him a small punch somewhere where he's weaker now and then you will finally force him to stop because he's running out of trained pilots, material, supply and fuel.

/BPRE

[mc3744]

ORIGINAL: BPRE

Great AAR! I don't read that many but this is one of the absolutely best since you give us our thoughts and plans. Comparing your views of the same situation makes it even more interesting.

As a side comment I don't think you should concentrate too much on trying to stop him completely. It has to be as costly as possile for him and if you can give him a small punch somewhere where he's weaker now and then you will finally force him to stop because he's running out of trained pilots, material, supply and fuel.

/BPRE

Thanks [:'(]

If by 'completely' you mean 'beside Burma, Eastern China, DEI, PI, Northern Australia and CenPac' I'm not sure I agree with you [;)] I've got to keep something, haven't I? I mean what's left? I couldn't loose much more without being wiped away from the map

Yeah, I know about hitting where he is weak, problem is: WHERE THE HELL IS HE WEAK?!?!?

[:D]

[BPRE]

True! You don't want to risk the few assets you have.
Having all the carriers of Exmouth would have been nice for instance.
I'm playing Japanese against the AI for the moment and even though I try to careful with my pilot pools they are just shrinking. And this is without any really major battles in the air. If you can keep on killing a few aircraft here and there it's bound to be the same for him. Eventually he'll only have very few squadrons flying with any experience or you can just plow through whatever fighters he has or down all the bombers. Especially with your later aircraft.

Keep on fighting
BPRE

[mc3744]

March 27th, 1942

INDIA
The night bombing destroyed (11) Jap planes on flied. Good. I’ll keep at it until he’ll get the hell out. He will.
The mediums brought Akyab damage to (76). Blenheim’s I and IV have been moved back to Madras; SB-2c will hit the airfield one more time. I want to check what he does. I’ve moved one more Hurricane’s squadron in Diamond Harbor.
See picture for details on air attack vectors, supply routes and airfields situation.

CHINA
As usual.

CENPAC
The assault TF’s are in position around Baker, tonight the landing should commence. It’ll be the last day of freedom for Baker’s defenders.
In PH the P-26A squadron has been upgraded to P-40E.
My plan for Palmyra is as follows.
I’m bringing air support in Palmyra up to 200 points, to fulfill the needs of the airfield size (4). If he comes for Palmyra I’ll move, with a stop in Johnston, all the F4F-4 and P-40E I now have in PH to Palmyra. They’ll be placed on LR CAP and protect the (5) CV’s task force that I’ll bring outside Palmyra. This way I can afford a huge CAP over the carriers while not risking to loose all my air assets to a night bombing. In fact I can place the carriers two (2) hexes in front of Palmyra - well within LR CAP cover. Hence he won’t be able to get into Palmyra’s range with the BB’s without first getting into my CV’s range. If he wants to night bomb he has to pass through the carrier’s air strike. He can of course protect the BB’s with his own carriers. In which case I have to hope some of my DB and TB will make it through his CAP.
As final defense I’m placing PT’s as well. They are the last line of defense against night bombing.

If anybody sees any major hole in this plan, please let me know.

[Crimefighter]

Hey MC

it is my understanding that in UV any LBA providing LRCAP over carrier TFs are significantly reduced in effectiveness

is it different in WitP?

[mc3744]

ORIGINAL: Crimefighter

Hey MC

it is my understanding that in UV any LBA providing LRCAP over carrier TFs are significantly reduced in effectiveness

is it different in WitP?

I didn't know this.
Reduced how? Less planes? I don't think their stats could change.

Anybody else on this?

[cookie monster]

Its reduced and in the manual

[DuckofTindalos]

It's only 20% as effective as over other kinds of task forces. Something to do with coordinating with the carrier's own aircraft. Check section 7.1 in the manual, near the end of the section.

[Tom Hunter]

If I had to defend one of these isloted bases and it had a level 4 airfield, I would:

Place at least 100 fighters on CAP at different altitudes and cap levels from 70-90%.

Mine the area

Place 3 TFs of ships, one of PTs, one with DDs and CLs and one with BBs. The PTs go first, the CLs and DDs follow the PTs, and the BBs follow the CLs. The most aggressive commander is in the BBs. These TFs are home ported at the island, set on patrol do not retire and have a react of zero hexes.

Based on the battles I have fought so far I think this is the optimum set up to get a naval victory with the big BB guns doing some serious damage. I have never tested this but that is my feeling.

The CVs should be kept a day or two away from the base ready to react after the LBA and surface forces have won a victory. If its possible to get 150 fighters into the CAP you should, also it is wise to have another 50-100 fighters within one days flying range to re-inforce after the first day. Also ideally you want bombers and torpedo planes a day away as well, because if you cripple enemy ships this way you can hunt them as they retire.

Frankly it would take me a month to get this defense ready and I have never had an opponent who went for the Central Pacific so its untested, but this is what I would do if I saw the Japanese coming for Palmyra, Pago Pago or Canton and had the time to prepare.

Good luck

[mc3744]

Thanks Terminus [:)], you never stop learning with this game.

Hey Tom,
this is very sound advice.
I especially like the idea of keeping some replacement air assets one turn away (i.e. Johnston Is.) [8D].
As you'll see in the next report, I'm starting to think that Palmyra is in no immediate danger, still I have to be prepared.
It won't be another Canton.

Thanks guys [:)]