Nomad pinch hits against PzB

[Bradley7735]

Tom, he may not have the ships to do long range amphib ops. It's hard to remember, but I think the allies have lost 3/4 of their capital ships. He may need to do the short range hops using the same transports on short hops and land based fighter cover.

But, then again, I don't really know what assets Nomad has at his disposal. He is trying to do the impossible if you ask me. I really think his best can only produce a draw in the end. I think he'll be very hard pressed to get to less than 2-1 odds in 45. I be PZB avoids losses to get the 4-1 odds in 43 or 3-1 odds in 44.

(I'm rooting for you Nomad. I always root for the underdog)

[AmiralLaurent]

ORIGINAL: Bradley7735

Tom, he may not have the ships to do long range amphib ops. It's hard to remember, but I think the allies have lost 3/4 of their capital ships. He may need to do the short range hops using the same transports on short hops and land based fighter cover.

But, then again, I don't really know what assets Nomad has at his disposal. He is trying to do the impossible if you ask me. I really think his best can only produce a draw in the end. I think he'll be very hard pressed to get to less than 2-1 odds in 45. I be PZB avoids losses to get the 4-1 odds in 43 or 3-1 odds in 44.

(I'm rooting for you Nomad. I always root for the underdog)

The only AAR that got into in 1945 showed that in 1945, there is nowhere to hide for Japanese forces... US CVs will rule the sea and destroy every Japanese ship. For me the only chance of Japan is to destroy Allied CVs peacemeal. So the worst error of Allied is to engage them piecemeal.

[Bradley7735]

ORIGINAL: AmiralLaurent

ORIGINAL: Bradley7735

Tom, he may not have the ships to do long range amphib ops. It's hard to remember, but I think the allies have lost 3/4 of their capital ships. He may need to do the short range hops using the same transports on short hops and land based fighter cover.

But, then again, I don't really know what assets Nomad has at his disposal. He is trying to do the impossible if you ask me. I really think his best can only produce a draw in the end. I think he'll be very hard pressed to get to less than 2-1 odds in 45. I be PZB avoids losses to get the 4-1 odds in 43 or 3-1 odds in 44.

(I'm rooting for you Nomad. I always root for the underdog)

The only AAR that got into in 1945 showed that in 1945, there is nowhere to hide for Japanese forces... US CVs will rule the sea and destroy every Japanese ship. For me the only chance of Japan is to destroy Allied CVs peacemeal. So the worst error of Allied is to engage them piecemeal.

What I'm saying is that he may not have enough ships to go head to head with KB without land based air. He might in 45, but I doubt it right now. I saw the CAP that KB puts up. If he doesn't have at least equal carriers, then he'll lose more ships. He's lost so many ships that I doubt he can transport and protect an invasion deep into enemy space. Only Nomad knows for sure. (when I say "he", I mean the previous opponents. Nomad seems to do at least 1-1 vs PZB.)

[Tom Hunter]

Bradley,

I agree with AmiralLaurent. Most of the really powerful US warships show up in 1944, and unless he loses is CVs one at a time instead of conserving and grouping them Nomad will have a huge airforce on the CVs alone.

He gets a whole new Navy over the next 2 years, and its a much better Navy than the one the Japanese have. He also has a lot of obstacles and the losses taken definetely hurt, but he will still have a lot to work with.

Interesting little statistic, the US CV fleet fighting Japan in 1944 had more aircraft than the Luftwaffe at the start of WWII or Japan at the start of it's campaign against the US.

[String]

ORIGINAL: Bradley7735

ORIGINAL: AmiralLaurent

ORIGINAL: Bradley7735

Tom, he may not have the ships to do long range amphib ops. It's hard to remember, but I think the allies have lost 3/4 of their capital ships. He may need to do the short range hops using the same transports on short hops and land based fighter cover.

But, then again, I don't really know what assets Nomad has at his disposal. He is trying to do the impossible if you ask me. I really think his best can only produce a draw in the end. I think he'll be very hard pressed to get to less than 2-1 odds in 45. I be PZB avoids losses to get the 4-1 odds in 43 or 3-1 odds in 44.

(I'm rooting for you Nomad. I always root for the underdog)

The only AAR that got into in 1945 showed that in 1945, there is nowhere to hide for Japanese forces... US CVs will rule the sea and destroy every Japanese ship. For me the only chance of Japan is to destroy Allied CVs peacemeal. So the worst error of Allied is to engage them piecemeal.

What I'm saying is that he may not have enough ships to go head to head with KB without land based air. He might in 45, but I doubt it right now. I saw the CAP that KB puts up. If he doesn't have at least equal carriers, then he'll lose more ships. He's lost so many ships that I doubt he can transport and protect an invasion deep into enemy space. Only Nomad knows for sure. (when I say "he", I mean the previous opponents. Nomad seems to do at least 1-1 vs PZB.)

have you looked at the reinforcements the allies get?

I'm in a somewhat similar positon as PZB in my PBEM, i've reached march 1943 (didn't go after india as it was scen 13, started at may 1942) and i've sunk all 6 american prewar carriers + essex and the first 6 CVE's, while losing none of my own carriers. My opponent has only two british carriers + a CVL

Despite this, he will have 507 fighters, 252 dive bombers and 205 torpedo bombers on fast carriers and an additonal 80 fighters and 56 torpedo bombers on his escort carriers by january 1944. Combine this with probable attack spot under american LBA support, superior planes (some british carriers will have corsairs and all fast carriers will have F6f'S) and KB is history.

If he waits until june then his CVE based airpower will number 432 fighters and 312 torpedo bombers.. the kido butai couldn't even engage his invasion convoy escort, let alone his main carriers (another two essexes launched in june 1944)

Add to that two new Iowas, several North carolina and south dakota class battleships, a nice influx of british BB's and...

[Bradley7735]

Yeah, but that's 44. He needs to drop the score to less than 3-1 before then. So, in 43 he needs to pick fights against valuable targets within land based fighter range. right now KB is more powerful than 12/41. And the USN is probably less powerful than 12/41.

I haven't been following this thread too much, so I don't really know what assets Nomad has. If he doesn't have enough, then going too deep in 43 will give PZB the needed points for a 4-1 victory.

Then again, I would have made a terrible commander. I just can't stomach the losses.

[String]

ORIGINAL: Bradley7735

Yeah, but that's 44. He needs to drop the score to less than 3-1 before then. So, in 43 he needs to pick fights against valuable targets within land based fighter range. right now KB is more powerful than 12/41. And the USN is probably less powerful than 12/41.

I haven't been following this thread too much, so I don't really know what assets Nomad has. If he doesn't have enough, then going too deep in 43 will give PZB the needed points for a 4-1 victory.

Then again, I would have made a terrible commander. I just can't stomach the losses.

That's exactly what he should do (and probably plans to do anyway). There is a nice route of bases within 5 hexes of eachother (corsair range) in new guinea and solomons.

When he gets P40N's the range increases to 6 hexes .. + the additional benefit of 150 new good quality airframes a month.

More likely though the range should be restricted to 4 hexes. Avenger torpedo range and wildcat range. Makes it easier.

I gather he has taken Mili also, this opens up the marshalls to the same strategy.

Naval bombardments might be a pain but then again there is nothing that forbids him from parking some BBs at his main airfield in the area. Should he bring in the KB, even better. More high exp pilots shot down by A2A and very very heavy BB flak. Put three corsair groups in a base and the japanese just can't break through.

[Nomad]

OK, looking at loses here. The USN has lost Enterprise, Yorktown, Lexington. IJN has lost Jiryo and Soryu. So there is no way in 1943 that long range island hopoing is in the cards unless PzB does something very stupid( he doesn't do that, period). The Allies have lost a ton of BBs and IJN ... none ... About the same with CA/CLs, Allies lost a bunch of both and IJN 2 CAs and about 8 CLs.

That is why I am looking at options for attacks that I can cover with land based air. By 1/1/1944 I will have 6 more Essex CVs and 8 CVLs and they will all have F6F fighters. Sounds like a lot but I have to be careful about ending up doing battle with all of PzBs CVs and LBA from 2 or more airbases. I do not want to get swamped and lose some CVs, that would really put me in a bind. At the same time, the score ratio is 3.66:1 right now. I have to 'find' about 3000 points before the end of 1943. That can best be done by taking bases and building them up. I get points for ownership, he loses points for ownership and I can build them fast to get max points. Plus, with a bit of luck, I will gain more than I lose in army and air loses. The big reason for looking at attacks into Java, Sumatra, and Ceylon is to provide a launching point for an attack to free up Karachi and/or Bombay. That would release a huge number of reinforcements. But it may not be worth it. Right now Timor is not garrisoned much and I can cover it with air from North Australia. Might be an option. At least an attack on Timor would divert some of his attention. [:D]

[String]

But what kind of mobile ground forces do you have?

[Nomad]

ORIGINAL: String

But what kind of mobile ground forces do you have?

I am not sure what you mean by that. They are all mobile when loaded on ships. [:)] I have the 1st Marine division and the 3rd is arriving in a week or so. I have the Australian 7th and 9th inf div( best they have ). I also have a number of USA divisions. I have some paratroops also if necessary. Even though a nuber of units have been lost in the past, I have enough to conduct some operations and more are arriving every week or two.

[Bliztk]

Island hopping under heavy air cover is the recipe.

You can hop thru Solomons, New Britain, and New Guinea with no carriers.

Also you can take Tenimbar, Aru and Kai from Darwin.

You are recieving 150 F4U, in April 90 P40N per month, so in two months you can have 300 planes that for the first time in the war "ARE BETTER" than japanese, plus you are recieving those VMF squadrons nearly one each 15 days.

Your kill zone is 5 hexes, the range of the Corsair, and you can go up until you have to hop to the Marianas without Carrier support.

Also if you can hop more hexes than F4U range using a combination of Air/Naval bombardement plus paratroopers to take the base, and lifting engineers.

You can left some bases to the japanese so you cantrain your surface forces, you will need them later. If you want to increase the night raitng, then with the Retirement Allowed, Patrol for training in daylight combat.

Also pounding his bases back to the stone age you are gaining points and depriving him of points because that bases are undersupplied.

I he has backed down from attacking Nauru, that`s it an isolated atoll, he will not interviene if you have 3-4 supporting airbases.

So up until you reach Sorong [&o]

[Tom Hunter]

Clearly Nomad needs to advance along the MacArthur route in 43, just to grind the Japanese down.

But sometime in 2nd half 44 he will have the CV power to smash through the Central Pacific.

[frank1970]

But the route to India is still a very promising one. Nomad will get A LOT of reinforcements (all Indian and British forces plus air). Taking Karachi or Bombay will end the point advantage of PzB at once. Ceylon is a must and then PzB is warned and will bring in his navy. A dangerous way to go, but as I stated, the one promising the most benefits.

[Speedysteve]

Hi Frank,

I can see the merits of it but I think the risk is too great. It will be an all or nothing shot and I would think the slow hammering of New Guinea and a 'close island hopping campaign' - rest of the Solomans, Marshalls will bring him nicely upto 44 where he'll have more carriers ready for a central drive to the crucial Mariana's.

Steven

[Monter_Trismegistos]

Nomad, can you see (like in airgroups "organising" status) which forces are ready for deployment in India, but cannot arrive because of loosing Karachi? Could you list them?

[Andy Mac]

I would be in favour of the assault on Kartachi or Bombay but only when there are sufficient allied divisions in Iraq/ Africa waiting to arrive.

I cannot see enough forces (unless they are sent from USA) being ready to come on board until mid 44 as you will need a force of at least 3 or 4 divisons to make it worthwhile.

It is the shipping that concerns me as well. Allies are not going to be flush with shipping that they can afford to send 3 or 4 divisions minimum to India to assault Bombay for a while.

It would be nice but not really practical yet.

[Nomad]

Another quiet day. Doing some housecleaning, trying to get some of the regiments together
so I can recombine them. Also seeing about moving units to the right command area. I really
have a mess.

I didn't list what is in the organizing state, but it looked like 4 Divisions, 2 brigades, a bunch of support
units. A lot of Air units( about 20 or so ), and ships galore. I am not sure about what I will be doing in so
far as India. I may just let John have it. I may, in about a year or so land some recon troops using
subs. He did that in his Nauru Island attempt so I feel that I am free to do the same. It will get his
attention. [:D] But right now the short term objectives will be to take the smaller bases in the
Northern Solomon Islands. At the same time I need to find a way to advance up the Northern
Coast of NG. I am wondering if an assault on one of the other bases on New Brition Island would
be profitable. I would like to get two bases that are within 3 hexes of Rabaul. One I can use
Marine Corsairs, and the other I can use Army P-47s as CAP and/or Escorts. That would allow me
to escort medium and heavy bombers to Rabaul. Once it is bombed out I can bypass it and head for
Kavieng and the Admiralties. There are some dot bases out there that I might have to use as
fighter bases.

[Nomad]

Things are not going well right now. John sent back KB and caught my 3xCVE fleet and sunk two of them. The next turn he found a surface fleet and hit it hard. I am having trouble getting aircraft to launch against KB, probably too much CAP even though I have Corsairs available for escort. Oh well, I did shoot down a number of aircraft with FLAK. Still just trying to survive right now. A couple of months to go until things can really go forward.

[Nomad]

3/11/43

Well, John has decided to send some reinforcements and probably supply to shortlands and the bases around there.
This is a part of what happened:
Day Air attack on TF at 64,91

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 39
A6M5 Zeke x 14

Allied aircraft
F4U-1 Corsair x 13
SBD Dauntless x 22
Kittyhawk I x 6
Beaufort V-IX x 10
P-40E Warhawk x 7
P-38G Lightning x 7
B-26B Marauder x 35

Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 21 destroyed
A6M5 Zeke: 1 destroyed, 1 damaged

Allied aircraft losses
F4U-1 Corsair: 1 destroyed
SBD Dauntless: 7 destroyed, 8 damaged
Kittyhawk I: 1 destroyed
Beaufort V-IX: 3 destroyed, 4 damaged
P-40E Warhawk: 4 destroyed
P-38G Lightning: 2 destroyed, 1 damaged
B-26B Marauder: 4 destroyed, 8 damaged

Japanese Ships
CVL Zuiho, Bomb hits 1
CV Zuikaku, Bomb hits 1
CV Akagi
BB Musashi, Bomb hits 4, on fire
BB Haruna
CV Kaga, Bomb hits 5, on fire, heavy damage
CA Atago
CV Taiho, Bomb hits 1
CVL Ryujo

Aircraft Attacking:
2 x Beaufort V-IX launching torpedoes at 200 feet
2 x Beaufort V-IX launching torpedoes at 200 feet
1 x B-26B Marauder bombing at 6000 feet
4 x SBD Dauntless bombing at 2000 feet
2 x SBD Dauntless bombing at 2000 feet
3 x Beaufort V-IX launching torpedoes at 200 feet
3 x B-26B Marauder bombing at 6000 feet
4 x B-26B Marauder bombing at 6000 feet
4 x B-26B Marauder bombing at 6000 feet
3 x B-26B Marauder bombing at 6000 feet
4 x B-26B Marauder bombing at 6000 feet
4 x B-26B Marauder bombing at 6000 feet
4 x B-26B Marauder bombing at 6000 feet
4 x B-26B Marauder bombing at 6000 feet
2 x SBD Dauntless bombing at 2000 feet
3 x SBD Dauntless bombing at 2000 feet
4 x SBD Dauntless bombing at 2000 feet

Kaga took 5 deck penetrations. She will need some extensive repairs if she doesn't sink.
He now know's he need to be careful around my LBA, the Corsairs can really do a job and
get the bombers in. [:)] Wish I had gotten some hits with the torps. [:(]

I am retaking a couple of undefended bases, Merkure(?) and Woodlark Island. I have a lot
of SeaBees and I can use them. Lae is completly shut down now, bombing it everyturn.

Day Air attack on Lae , at 54,87


Allied aircraft
Boomerang II x 10
Hudson I x 11
P-38G Lightning x 35
B-17E Fortress x 31


No Allied losses

Japanese ground losses:
28 casualties reported

Runway hits 6
Port hits 3
Port supply hits 2

Aircraft Attacking:
3 x Hudson I bombing at 15000 feet
24 x B-17E Fortress bombing at 10000 feet
4 x B-17E Fortress bombing at 10000 feet
3 x Hudson I bombing at 15000 feet
5 x Hudson I bombing at 15000 feet
3 x B-17E Fortress bombing at 10000 feet

I'll keep bombing it to get the supply and fuel levels down to as close to zero as I can.
Plus, my guys need some experience.

John is still bombing everything in China [:@] He is training a lot of pilots there. I will have
to face them some time, mostly in the south and central pacific. they look like this:

Day Air attack on Chungking , at 43,32

Japanese aircraft
Ki-43-IIa Oscar x 11
Ki-21 Sally x 26
Ki-48 Lily x 54
Ki-49 Helen x 76

Allied aircraft
no flights

Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-48 Lily: 2 damaged
Ki-49 Helen: 3 damaged

Allied aircraft losses
SB-2c: 2 destroyed


Allied ground losses:
6 casualties reported

Resources hits 12
Airbase hits 4
Airbase supply hits 1
Runway hits 16

Aircraft Attacking:
3 x Ki-48 Lily bombing at 15000 feet
16 x Ki-48 Lily bombing at 15000 feet
10 x Ki-49 Helen bombing at 15000 feet
14 x Ki-49 Helen bombing at 15000 feet
14 x Ki-21 Sally bombing at 15000 feet
12 x Ki-48 Lily bombing at 15000 feet
15 x Ki-49 Helen bombing at 15000 feet
4 x Ki-48 Lily bombing at 15000 feet
3 x Ki-48 Lily bombing at 15000 feet
4 x Ki-49 Helen bombing at 15000 feet
4 x Ki-49 Helen bombing at 15000 feet
6 x Ki-21 Sally bombing at 15000 feet
8 x Ki-48 Lily bombing at 15000 feet
4 x Ki-49 Helen bombing at 15000 feet
4 x Ki-49 Helen bombing at 15000 feet
4 x Ki-49 Helen bombing at 15000 feet
3 x Ki-21 Sally bombing at 15000 feet
3 x Ki-48 Lily bombing at 15000 feet
3 x Ki-48 Lily bombing at 15000 feet
4 x Ki-49 Helen bombing at 15000 feet
3 x Ki-49 Helen bombing at 15000 feet
4 x Ki-49 Helen bombing at 15000 feet
3 x Ki-21 Sally bombing at 15000 feet
2 x Ki-48 Lily bombing at 15000 feet
3 x Ki-49 Helen bombing at 15000 feet
3 x Ki-49 Helen bombing at 15000 feet
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day Air attack on Chungking , at 43,32

Japanese aircraft
Ki-21 Sally x 53

Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-21 Sally: 5 damaged

Heavy Industry hits 4

Aircraft Attacking:
24 x Ki-21 Sally bombing at 15000 feet
9 x Ki-21 Sally bombing at 15000 feet
11 x Ki-21 Sally bombing at 15000 feet
3 x Ki-21 Sally bombing at 15000 feet
3 x Ki-21 Sally bombing at 15000 feet
3 x Ki-21 Sally bombing at 15000 feet

Not to worry though, I am getting a lot of aircraft and they are better than his. As I do, my
experience levels will go up. Right now I am losing a lot of pilots but I do not lose that
much experience since the ones I am losing are about the same experince as the ones
I get to replace them. The ones he loses he has to train the replacements from about 30
experience. [:'(]

A picture next turn I think. Pretty quiet in the Central Pacific, I am moving things around
and doing a bunch of housekeeping.

[Nomad]

3/12/43

oops, forgot to take a picture, next turn. hit some transports around
shortlands, buka, and bruin. looks like KB has moved off. [:)]