ENLIST TODAY (Docup (A) vs Koniu (J) No Koniu

[DOCUP]

Thanks for stopping by Canoerebel. Any advice or comments will be accepted.

We are both new players we played each other in the canal scen so this is are 2 nd PBEM game. Thanks fo pointing out the Noumea mistake. I didn't think of that. Hmm back to the sand box.

[DOCUP]

3rd Jan
 
KB location uknown
 
Mini KB I know atleast one carrier is by Tarakan moving southwest.
 
PI
Waiting at Bataan.  His forces are heading to Cagayan.  i have my forces there for a final stand.  He hasn't landed anywhere else in the PI.
 
Malaya
Hes moving his troops towards Singers.  I have evaced all the trapped Indan bdes to DEI from Northern Malaya.  They will be picked up and sent to India.
 
DEI
Koniu has TFs moving towards Samarinda.  He also has landed troops at Ternate.  There is a heavy SAG wth both of the landings.  I am no expert on Jap Carriers but I have only seen 8 to 10 Zeros flying with 8 Kates.  I need to look and see which flat top is in the area.  The mighty Hermes is in the area.  I am moving her away from Samarinda but down towards Ternate.  If he moves his Zeros to cover the Samarinda invasion I might let the Hermes get into some combat before she is regulated to and AC ferry.  I left my Banshees on NavAtt maybe they will hit something. 
 
China
Koniu is on the move here.  Kukong has to Jap units in the Hex.  3 forts with 821 AV.  He has 3 Divs attacking Chengchow.  2 Forts with 1241 AV.  The garrison has repelled 2 shock attacks at Chengchow.  I hope they continue.  Several units are on the move to the north of chengchow but have met my blocking forces.  Ichang is still his.  He is moving 2 units to it from the wooded hex in the east.  If he leaves that hex empty I will send in some LCUs to cut his supply lines.  Then will march units into Ichang.
 
more later
 

[zuluhour]

ORIGINAL: Alfred

If you send significant reinforcements to Wake, you will almost certain exceed the 6k troop stacking limit. Go over the limit your supply consumption will increase; markedly if you are way over the limit. Then you will find yourself tied to regularly protecting your resupply convoys to Wake. Would be quite easy for them to be ambushed by the enemy.

You don't have any at the moment, but eventually the British receive several level bomber models with radar. Any plane with radar, not just Patrol Aircraft, makes a fine ASW aircraft.

You are correct in noting your opponent is being too passive. Time is not on Japan's side. AE features quite assymetric periods where one side is greatly advantaged over the other. When in the ascendancy, full advantage must be taken.

Alfred

British receive several level bomber models with radar

Most excellent.

[DOCUP]

Again Thanks Alfred.  So the Brits will get the Hudson IIIa with radar in Jan 42.  The problem is that they only get 4 a month.  Other early bombers that get radar is the Hudson LR for Aussies and the Kiwis.  They get a few of these a month.  I will be able to train more Brit pilots than I will have planes for them.  lol 
 
I need to hold a press confrence and tell all the people in the free world that not enough men and material are being given to the Pacific AO.  Wonder if I'd get sacked for that one. 

[DOCUP]

Screenie of the Situation

[zuluhour]

Wow he's going to lose his landing bonus before he goes for Sumatra and Java. I smell 2000AV in Palembang. AFB smells timid nip. Docup, I experienced the mini KB operating in the DEI from very early on and joined by THE Kido butai very shortly there after as he only launched one day of strikes on me at Pearl so I could'ent move a PT boat without him seeing me. When that combined group assembles there is no shelter. Keep a wary eye.
Your AFB mate.
Zulu

[DOCUP]

I hope he looses the landing bonus before he moves to far.  The landing bonus lasts for what 6 months or so.  I use to know but can't remember right now.   I don't think I will have 2,000 AV in Palemburg. I will have 300 to 400 AV.  I could have more but I don't want to put alot of troops in a location that will get overran and I don't want to hurt the game.  Maybe I'm wrong but this is Scen 1 he dosen't get all that extra supply and goodies.  If I totally crush Pburg then the game ends quicker.  What is at Pburg is what could of been there IRL.
 
I want to fight in the areas around Samarinda and Ternate.  I want to move some fighters forward to mess with his planes.  But that has got me in trouble in the past.  I don't have enough ships to counter his SAGs.  Maybe my PT boats will score some hits.
 
 

[Alfred]

A few clarifications/amplifications on the preceding posts.

1. The Japanese amphibious bonus lasts 4 months. However don't place too much weight on it. It's main practical benefit is that it allows for invasions on the hop, made with minimal Japanese preparation. After its expiry, a Japanese player who properly structures his amphibious operations or lands on weakly held beaches, will not greatly miss the bonus.

2. Most Japanese players are seduced by the prospect of Pacific operations. This is almost always a mistake for there are far greater strategic objectives elsewhere which must be attended to first whilst the amphibious bonus period lasts.

3. A monthly replacement rate of 4 aircraft is not an issue if you are using that model solely on ASW. Provided:

(a) you operate only at normal range
(b) employ pilots with 50% experience (plus a higher ASW skill level)
(c) have only half the squadron active, with the remainder on rest/training
(d) maintain 133% of pilots in the unit
(e) maintain at least a 1:1 aviation support to aircraft ratio

your monthly operational losses should average 0-2. Remember that you can train your pilots even if you have no airframes in the unit (or train them on a unit flying a different plane model). By the time you have trained your pilots up to the requisite levels, you will be able to field your first British unit fully equipped with the Hudson (LR).


Alfred

[DOCUP]

Thanks again Alfred and Zulu
 
Hmm interesting still learning alot everyday.  I think he might be a lil timid due to having his Ambon TF hit early, but I don't think hes being timid.  I might be wrong.  He is good about coordinateing stricks Air and Naval. 

[xnavytc56]

again great AAR, as a newbie, I learn alot from reading the AAR's and yours is one of the best ones. Question have u moved ur subs from DEI to Darwin, and if so, did u have to move the AS support ships form Manila to Darwin for support

[DOCUP]

Xnavy thanks for your kind word and posts. Alot of the good stuff in here comes
from the other posters in this thread ie Alfred, CR, Zulu, Crackaces. I'm new also just watch my mistakes I've made a few and will make more. I just hope I learn from them.

No my subs are in DEI. Prob not for long. I have an AS in Darwin but I will prob move it to one of the other bases close by. I bet Darwin will become a bomb magnet. I like my subs I hate his. My brother was a bubblehead so I kinda have thing for subs. I'm not for sure about what ships made it from Manila. I will give more info on this later. I'm on my phone and away from my computer.

[DOCUP]

Jan 4th

KB location unknown

DEI
The TFs above on the 3rd, did not make landfall. I also did not see any of his TFs on the 4th. Two of my TFs ran into a BB and a DD above Samarinda. I thought the TFs buffet out. On the 3rd I moved my nav search sad from Balipapken. Big mistake. That's the reason I didn't see his TFs on the 4th. I moved the Houston and Boise TF up to within striking distance of Taraken. Where he was sending and an amphib TF. He also landed on Ternate.

More later

[DOCUP]

Jan 5th

KB location unknown.

Mistake took away my nav search.

PI
Not much of my AF left.

Malaya
Shock attack at Singers. We ame out better than they did. Nips lost 7,000 to our 1,500. They didn't touch our forts either. AV was 880 it's now 649.

DEI
Taraken withstood a deliv attack. I am shocked not much left besides support and a few combat troops. An AP was hit multiple times last check it had heavy damage and heavy fires. Another AP took a few cpl hits.

Ternate
Captured. I am sending a CL TF to welcome the new owners. Koniu's carrier is east of here heading east. He has a SAG heading deeper into the area. I am standing down my A24s. I do not want them flying into any CAP.

Samarinda
Mistake coming up pay attention. The Houston and Boise TF ran into a 2 BB TF at night. We sank a DD. Then came the day light battle, we lost the houston and the Boise. We did do some damage to his ships. I am bringing up the Hermes to be within strike range of her AC. I have a sad of A24s in the area now with nav search. Big mistake on my part. A Dutch sub did sink a DD.

More later

[DOCUP]

Question guys.

I have Hermes (25 knots I think) in a TF she is the slowest ship. At full speed how many hexs can she move in a 12 hr pd. Sorry at work. I'm trying to develop my plans. I want to make sure she can be in the right position to launch the best possible strike. I am also hoping my PT boats can do something tonite.

I'm hoping my CL TF is able to hit his amphib force at Ternate. His SAG has left them undefended with the exception of 2 DDs in the TF.

So he now has two bases with decient AFs in DEI. I will have robe very carefull now. I'm almost done moving troops around. Pburg is in the final stages. Couple of days and I will have all thr troops transfered from all of Java. I'd say 400 AV at Pburg. Not for sure about engs. I have 1 eng vehicle now with 20 or so engs. I will guess I will atleast double the engs when I'm done. That should do some damage. I'm hoping. Lol

China
Well I moved 2 of the AVGs and 2 of the Chinese sqds at Kukong. At first we did pretty good. Then all the Chinese plans were shot down and the AVG got worked over pretty well. I will provide the numbers when I get home. The Chinese haven't done that bad when stacked in rough terrain with forts. Chengchow if he shock attacks again and loses big, I may counterattck him. Maybe not comfortable with ground attacks yet.

He still hasn't showed up in Burma yet but he is reconning Rangoon. I'm seeing that multiple units are moving to Turk. Guess he's marshalling his forces for his moves into the pacific. I'd say that the KB is there or close by.

I have my SAGs and CVTF a little bit behind our lines but close enough to move in if they are needed.

[DOCUP]

Ok I'm home guys.
 
Xnavy I am either going to use Derby or Wyndham.  I will have an AS, AG, and AVP.  my thoughts on why I am chooseing between those 2 bases.  One there out of the way less likely to be reconned as much.  Derby will be easier to supply but its further away.  I will have to see.
 
Ok heres the numbers
 
We lost 16 AVG, 7 I 15s, 2 P40Es to 6 Zeros, 10 Nells, 8 Bettys, 4 Oscars and 3 Nates.  So my count is 25 Allies to 31 Japs.  I do have 2 Aces!!!
 
I have to figure out which one of his ports I want to mine.  I will get the last O boat out of the dry docks tom.  Also an A24 put a 1,000 lber into an AP.  Hopefully that will contiue today.
 
doc

[Crackaces]

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

Be careful about sending good units forward to Noumea.  They are liable to get cut off.  Also, a CD unit there is probably useless against all but a very inexperienced opponent.  Most IJ players will land at Koumac or La Foa and march overland to Noumea.

P.S.  I haven't been following this AAR until I just popped in, so I'm not privy to details about what's gone on to date and the relative experience and competency levels of the players.  So forgive me if my comments are unnecessary.

This is a scenario #1 Contest. Do you still agree that Noumea and the New Calidonia are likely targets? In my own scenario #1 contest I found building up Noumea and Koumac early to be a big thorn in the IJ side. Patrol projection deep into the Coral Sea. Ndeni is now able to launch LB's in April. However, reading the AAR's depicting Scenario #2 environments .. I would never consider such a move ..

Thoughts as it pertains to DOCUP CR?

[Canoerebel]

If I was playing Q-Ball, Miller, John III, Nemo, Chez, Alfred, Chickenboy, Cribtop, rader, or any of another two-score experienced players, I wouldn't defend Noumea. To do so would be to place troops in a place that can't be defended early in the war against an experienced player. (This is a general rule - there may be exceptions, but exceptions that would only apply under very limited circumstances).

If I was playing somebody new to the game, and if I was relatively exprienced, I would definately consider garrisoning Noumea....as long as I really knew what I was doing. Under those circumstances, I could really mess with the game plan of my opponent.

If you have two fairly inexperienced players engaged, a defense of Noumea by the Allied player early in the war may well turn into a meeting engagement. IE, it may turn into a vortex that draws increasing amounts of troops and other assets, with heavy losses by one or both sides. That can be very fun, but it is usually pretty unpredictable as to who will win.

Bottom line though, Noumea is Japan's if Japan wants it, when Japan is led by an experienced player.

[Canoerebel]

As noted previously, I haven't followed this AAR from the beginning, so my impression of what's going on may be wrong. My impression is that the two players are relatively new to the game? If that's the case it might be most fun for DOCUP to just play the game and ignore all the "sage" advice he's likely to get, half of which might be contradictory (see GreyJoy's AAR for an example). There's something to be said for just diving in, using intuition, gleaning tips from AARs, and then just playing the game instead of letting a bunch of experienced players weigh in ad nauseum.

[Graymane]

ORIGINAL: DOCUP
I'm wondering if sending an army rgt to wake is a waste. I know if he wants it he can take it, but the longer he waits the harder it will be for him. I'm adding an army CD unit their with the marine one. If I'm not mistaking the eng unit there will leave in a few months so I'm looking for an eng unit that will be available if I needed it. I'm also sending an acm to keep the minefield under control.

So my best advice in these kind of situations is to ask yourself "why?". This is actually something I learned as a manager in some class a while back -) Ask yourself "why?" at least 3 times and you'll eventually get to the underlying reason or cause of what you want to do. So, why do you want to put a regiment on Wake? It will be a target and it will take supply. So is the cost of the regiment (assuming you lose it) worth whatever your goal is? Can it be used somewhere else more effectively (even in a reserve role)?

As an example of this exercise:

1. Why put a regiment on Wake? Answer: To slow down my opponent and make it more difficult to for him to take Wake.
2. Why do I need to slow down my opponent and make it difficult to take Wake? Is Wake important to me? Answer: ??
3. <<You get the idea hopefully>>

[xnavytc56]

reading canoe and crackaces responses, make me think that its a crapshoot as to whether Noumea is garrisoned or not. My two cents worth would be to build up suva, pago pago, and PM along with Brisbane and Sydney with small garrisons in horn island up north and norfolk island south. Unless noumea is important to you (for transporting oil, supplies etc from the WC) prior to the guadacanal campaign adventure. Couse I'm just a newbie, so take this with a grain of salt.