Psych Ops: BTS "Lite" NY59Giants (A) vs John 3rd (J)

[Lowpe]

Wow, exciting! Hawaii...every JFB's dreams.

[witpqs]

Not reading John's AAR so I can go all-in here with my best useless, even counterproductive, advice!

Also not familiar with this scenario, but have played Babes which this one is based upon, so adjust anything I say as needed.

I recognize the strategic value of going elsewhere while John is focusing on Hawaii. But... I would try to do that in smaller bites, while trying to put some serious nicks in John's sword at Hawaii. Query: will he expect you to oppose Hawaii in full strength? If not, some advantage in that.

Much of breaking the blockade will be tactical method, like pulsing surface forces into his carriers while your carriers approach. Expect him to do the same. He has no shipyard there, so seriously damaged combatants will be almost useless. You can fly carriers' groups into Pearl and back out again as needed, at a much greater range than they can strike off of carriers. But take care of your aviation support. Consider whether you should put some on Rest now to get morale up and recover disabled squads faster so they are working when you need them.

Start flying in troops from the smaller islands. They won't even be speed bumps where they are now.

Some of the strategic benefit of this is in tying him up at Hawaii for as long as possible. Obviously the less you lose the better. It will partly be a game of cat and mouse, of course, with him wanting to destroy your combat forces (and everything else!). If you can preserve carriers sorties for when his are largely expended, that might give you victory. Maybe carrier groups fly in to hit invasion forces, fly back to their carriers, meanwhile his carriers are hitting relief (supply, troop) forces, then your carriers are in a better position for a fight.

Just thoughts.

[ny59giants]

Date: '42 Feb 10 & 11
Hawaii!! [X(]

Key:
TT = Torpedo;
bb = ground bombardment;
c = casualties; b = base hits; s = supply hits; r = runway hits; p = port hits; f = fuel hits;
AV = Assault Value;
ID = Infantry Division;
AD = Assault Division (really 3x SNLF formed into a Brigade);
DC = Depth Charged;
(*) = destroyed aircraft;
If odds are bold, they are the Allies;
BG = Bomber Group of 48 planes (4 x 12 bomber squadrons);
FG fighter group = 25 fighter planes if American;

Landings: Watampone (FT) & Groot Natoena

CVs:
Japan -
KB: MIA
CVL/CVEs: 4 south of Kona

Allies:
Death Star (DS) - CVs Lexington & Enterprise; CVLs Charlotte, Jacksonville, Wellington, Melbourne, and Hermes - 8 SE of Esperance (headed for Perth)
Mini-DS (CV Saratoga & Yorktown, CVL King's Mountain) - repairing at San Fran (about 7 days)

Subs:
KVIII hit once at Samarinda while trying to get to transports (reinforcements for capture of Balikpapan)
I-173 misses Amphib TF at Cold Bay

Surface Action:

India: -

Burma: -

China:
Yenan - my troops are now 2 SW of base on trail
10th - 43 Sally
11th - 58 Sally
Wenchow - BB Yamashiro & Fuso along with 2 CLs bb base
Kukong - 5 Nates with 12 Sonia
Hengyang - 32 Oscars with 13 Ann
Pingsiang -
Changteh - 30 Oscars with 18 1e bombers
Changsha -
10th - 18 Zero sweep (2 x 8) followed by over 30 bombers; ground bb
11th - 16 Zero sweep followed by over 30 bombers; ground bb

Philippines:
Cebu -

Borneo:
Balikpapan - 11 Nell on 10th and 15 on 11th
Kuching -

Sumatra:
Medan -
Djambi -

Java:
Batavia -
10th - ground bb
11th -
Soerabaja -
10th - 8 Betty (stood down fighters)
11th - 39 Zeros sweep vs 7 P40 (American and Dutch), 6 Hawk, 2 B339 = four destroyed for none of his; 27 Sally hit an xAKL in port.
Tjilatjap - 21 Zero with 9 Mary

SRA:
Ambon -
Kendari -
Madjene - empty base falls

New Guinea/Solomons:

Central Pacific:
Hawaii -

South Pacific:
Nuka Hiva -

North Pacific: -

Australia:

Engineers: Akutan AF1; Delhi AF5; Seattle AF8; Addu P2; Port Augusta AF2

Intel: 2nd ID planning for Suva

Notes:
Hawaii - so the big move is out of bag and John is going to isolate Pearl. I would feel a lot better about it if Pearl's supply situation was at least 100k better than it is (76589). I'm using about 500/day, but that will go up when he sends planes over the base. I have no idea how to deal with this situation yet.

[Olorin]

ORIGINAL: ny59giants
Hawaii!! [X(]

[zuluhour]

" I have no idea how to deal with this situation yet. "
 
It does make for great theater, I hope your fighters can cut deep into his pilot pool.

[ny59giants]

I haven't posted the next turn (I usually do two day postings), but KB is about 12 NNW of Pearl. If mouseovers are correct, he has about 400 fighters (CV/CVL/CVE) to my 200 (only 60 P-40E, mostly the "B" models). Training has been ongoing for two months, so they have a chance if he comes.

[BBfanboy]

Some players swear by the B model for its highly accurate guns. I think you just need to keep them at a low enough maneuver band to dogfight after the initial bounce by the high flying sweeps. Can't match altitude with the Zero yet.

[DOCUP]

Good luck. Reading both so I can't say anything. Dang it Maybe I should stop reading J3s AAR.

[ny59giants]

Date: '42 Feb 12
Invasion Hawaii! This is NO drill!!

Key:
TT = Torpedo;
bb = ground bombardment;
c = casualties; b = base hits; s = supply hits; r = runway hits; p = port hits; f = fuel hits;
AV = Assault Value;
ID = Infantry Division;
AD = Assault Division (really 3x SNLF formed into a Brigade);
DC = Depth Charged;
(*) = destroyed aircraft;
If odds are bold, they are the Allies;
BG = Bomber Group of 48 planes (4 x 12 bomber squadrons);
FG fighter group = 25 fighter planes if American;

Landings:
Lihue (1st Maizuru AD & 6th Ind Inf Bde)
Hilo (1st China AD & Gds Mixed Bde)
Kona (56ID & 2nd Air HQ & 22 Spec BF)

CVs:
Japan -
KB: 176,96 = 11 NNW of Pearl (194F, 172B, 25Aux)
CVL: 2 south of Hilo (143F, 67B, 56Aux)
CVE: 2 NW of Lihue (56F)

Allies:
Death Star (DS) - CVs Lexington & Enterprise; CVLs Charlotte, Jacksonville, Wellington, Melbourne, and Hermes - 4 east of Albany (headed for Perth)
Mini-DS (CV Saratoga & Yorktown, CVL King's Mountain) - repairing at San Fran (about 6 days)

Subs:
Cachalot is unable to penetrate screen at Lihue; same for Greyback and Gato at Kona; Graymus at Hilo;
I-173 sinks a KV at Cold Bay
Pegase gets a TT hit on xAK at Tulagi

Surface Action:

Night Time Surface Combat, near Lihue at 178,106, Range 10,000 Yards

Allied aircraft
no flights

Allied aircraft losses
OS2U-3 Kingfisher: 3 destroyed

Japanese Ships
BB Ise, Shell hits 4
BB Hyuga, Shell hits 9
CA Takao, Shell hits 1
CA Atago
CL Kitakami
CL Oi, Shell hits 2, on fire
DD Isokaze
DD Asagumo, Shell hits 1
DD Arare, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
DD Murasame
DD Harusame
DD Yudachi, Shell hits 1
DD Samidare
DD Hayate

Allied Ships
CL Honolulu
CL Phoenix, Shell hits 1
DD Blue
DD Mugford
DD Ralph Talbot
DD Jarvis
DD Monaghan, Shell hits 1, on fire
DD MacDonough, Shell hits 1
CL Anchorage, Shell hits 14, and is sunk

Reduced sighting due to 10% moonlight
Maximum visibility in Clear Conditions and 10% moonlight: 12,000 yards

I talked myself out of adding the 2 repaired BBs (Oklahoma & Arizona)to this TF. Maybe I should have.

India: -

Burma: -

China:
Yenan - my troops are now 2 SW of base on trail
12th - 30 Sally
Wenchow -
Kukong - 5 Nates with 13 Sonia
Hengyang - 33 Oscars with 13 Ann
Pingsiang -
Changteh - 30 Oscars with 18 1e bombers
Changsha -
12th - 18 Zero sweep (2 x 8) followed by 28 bombers; ground bb 733:936

Philippines:
Cebu -

Borneo:
Balikpapan - 6 Oscars with 11 Nell
Kuching -
Groot Natoena - empty base falls

Sumatra:
Medan -
Djambi -

Java:
Batavia -
12th - ground bb 921:638
Soerabaja -
12th - 38 Zeros sweep vs 6 fighter and destroyed 3; 23 Sally get a bomb hit on xAKL in port
Tjilatjap - 19 Zero with 9 Mary

SRA:
Ambon -
Kendari -

New Guinea/Solomons:

Central Pacific:
Hawaii -
Hilo -

Ground combat at Hilo (183,111)

Allied Bombardment attack

Attacking force 1090 troops, 10 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 37

Defending force 14747 troops, 131 guns, 47 vehicles, Assault Value = 361

Allied ground losses:
8 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

Assaulting units:
1st/298th Infantry Battalion
Hilo USN Stn Base Force

Defending units:
Guards Mixed Brigade
1st China Assault Division
9th Field Construction Battalion
38th Field Const Co
1st Air Flotilla
8th Field Construction Battalion
14th Ind.Art.Mortar Battalion
1st Naval Pioneer Battalion

South Pacific:
Nuka Hiva -

North Pacific: -

Australia:

Engineers: AF7; Prince Rupert AF3; Hobart AF; Prince George AF3

Intel: 2nd ID planning for Suva, but loading for Hilo; 18th ID loading for Akyab, China Expeditionary HQ prepping for Changsha

Notes:
Hawaii - I though and rethought overnight about sortie of my faster ships from Pearl. Should I have done so?? It looks like he has just about ALL his carriers in these waters right now. I have Mini-DS repairing in San Fran, so I have nothing over here. Then I awoke this morning and thought of John taking western Australia and pretty much make my logistical situation even worse. I keep telling myself the game is barely 2 months old and just ride the storm out.

** CVLs are just south of Hilo, but didn't fir into screen shot.

[ny59giants]

Pearl Shipyard - I have a few of the BBs left to repair, I have a feeling they will be damaged before they get a chance to at least die with guns blazing.

[ny59giants]

Pearl - as screen shot shows, I don't have much to throw at John in way of airplanes. Just 27 DBs and my LB are mainly B-18s with some of them only with ASW skills. I'm in good shape when it comes to engineers to repair any damage and Aviation Support. Its just the supply situation that has me worried.

Supplies - One of the decisions made when it came to this mod (BTS) and RA was to damage American economy by close to 50% to reflect the need for it to ramp up. I left repairs for all "ON" and it took almost the whole of December to get any surplus at San Fran that could be shipped out. The two small Cargo TF were sunk on way to Pearl by KB. So, only a trickle has made it here to date.

[traskott]

I'm looking both AARs so I only can say "good luck". [:)]

[zuluhour]

no longer reading from emperor, I will allow a period of "old age" to set in (about 10min but I'll drag it out awhile) so I can get into this. I while
great fun to watch, this should work in your favor.

[BBfanboy]

ORIGINAL: zuluhour

no longer reading from emperor, I will allow a period of "old age" to set in (about 10min but I'll drag it out awhile) so I can get into this. I while
great fun to watch, this should work in your favor.

In any other scenario I would agree with you quickly, Zuluhour, but in this one the empire gets so many goodies up front that they could well seize all of Hawaii before any reinforcement can be brought in. I have no gut feel for whether the Allies can afford to duke it out or not.

I hope ny59giants is getting some back door input from someone who has not read John III's AAR.

[ny59giants]

No back door information to date. Unfortunately, a command decision has been made for me. The DS will reach Perth next turn to refuel. She will have to head for Cape Town as only the little bit of fuel I was able to get to Australia from DEI in the beginning is there. After refueling there will not be much left and I do have TF with some head that way. Logistical efforts have had to be rerouted now that the SoPac is more or less cut off for now.

[BBfanboy]

I once saw a player get around the blockade of the usual route from WCUSA to Oz by sending his ships to EUSA, loading them, then sending them to Pt. Stanley and thence on-map to NZ/Oz. I think each TF had a TK or AO or two with it to fuel the ships as they went.

[ny59giants]

Forecasting - I know John very well. What I see in the weeks ahead is him using the 2nd ID (already prepping) to take Suva. Some other LCU(s) will grab Noumea. How much further into the SoPac, I'm not sure of right now? What I am sure of is John will send small SC TF (CL & 4 DDs) or larger down to southern map edge if he suspects transports and tankers going along the deep south route. I may do what you suggested, but that is months away from being reality. I will probably not do anything in SE corner of map until after invasion bonus expires. Construction engineers will need to go to Port Stanley first to expand base and John should see that effort by viewing his Operation Reports.

[BBfanboy]

Pt. Stanley does not need to be expanded if you are loading your ships at EUSA. No fuel is used between off-map points either. The BF or fort already there has engineers and can expand the base anyway, so John should not be too surprised if it does grow a little. It does need a small shot of supplies to sustain the construction.

[HansBolter]

ORIGINAL: BBfanboy

I once saw a player get around the blockade of the usual route from WCUSA to Oz by sending his ships to EUSA, loading them, then sending them to Pt. Stanley and thence on-map to NZ/Oz. I think each TF had a TK or AO or two with it to fuel the ships as they went.

The AI calculated route from Balboa to Auckland enters the map edge almost in line with Port Stanley and goes due west straight to Kiwi land.

Granted possession of the Marquesas and or Tongas would put a damper on this and require active routing on the part of the player to get around it.

[BBfanboy]

ORIGINAL: HansBolter

ORIGINAL: BBfanboy

I once saw a player get around the blockade of the usual route from WCUSA to Oz by sending his ships to EUSA, loading them, then sending them to Pt. Stanley and thence on-map to NZ/Oz. I think each TF had a TK or AO or two with it to fuel the ships as they went.

The AI calculated route from Balboa to Auckland enters the map edge almost in line with Port Stanley and goes due west straight to Kiwi land.

Granted possession of the Marquesas and or Tongas would put a damper on this and require active routing on the part of the player to get around it.

Agreed about the possibility of raids from those areas. Since there is little else for the Allies to be working on if all the SoPac bases and Hawaii are lost, I am assuming big convoys with major naval escort, including carriers. If he then keeps KB/KB2 in SoPac, the usual opportunities to hit a bloated perimeter are present. The trick is to gather enough strength to hit back and have it somewhere the KB(s) are not.

I also agree that the Capetown-Oz route makes more sense, but an invasion of West Oz was mentioned and if it happened - then what? Same dangers as the Pt. Stanley-Oz route, methinks.