Fabertong vs Speedy: The view from the Pole

[fabertong]

March 16th 1943.........
Both Steven and I are still taking a breather after all the actions in the north.........so just a general look......
Stalemate in China and Burma.......
I'm busy training pilots...having lost so many in the last 3 months.....any pilot over 50 exp.is pure gold.......
Where will Steven attack next?
If he carries on his Northern attack, at least I can make it a costly Op.
I'll post a map with all my Northern preps. tomorrow.....
The economy is running well......4000 + spare Mitsu engines.....2000+ spare naks.......
Aircraft production good........most aircraft have 50+ spare or more except Tony's.........
Lots of Oil and Resources.....
In 80 days I will receive major troop reinforcements.....200 days till Taiho....220 till Chitose and Chiyoda........
But I'lll need to force a fleet engagement before the end of the summer(6months) or his carrier forces will be unbeatable....

[fabertong]

Sorry for the delay in update....very busy at work.....

Speedy took Kiska......
The fleet stayed in the HI's as my airgroups were, and are no match for the airpower he has on Attu......
I managed to save bits of ...
7th Base force
7th nlf
Miz. snlf
49 ng.
and lost all of the rest.......

Also lost about 40 aircraft over China in one day....as Speedy's lightnings reared their ugly heads........
His subs are very active again.....but my ASW is keeping the losses to maybe one AK a day........

I'm almost ready in the North.........
I hope he decides to try my strength there.......

[niceguy2005]

Hey Faber. Remember less work, more WitP. [;)]

Looking forward to the coming showdown in the North. As I have not read Speedys AAR I can say this. I'll have to look back at your AAR and see how Japan lost all her good navy pilots.

Don't forget the US lesson at Guadalcanal. You can defend a chain of islands if your willing to lose some CAs. Personally I think an assualt on Northern Japan should be doomed to failure. I see a scenario where Japan takes heavy surface losses, but may be able to catch some CVs and troop transports.

[Capt. Harlock]

Both Steven and I are still taking a breather after all the actions in the north.........so just a general look......
Stalemate in China and Burma.......

From Speedy's AAR, he has managed some progress in the Burma front. What's your view?

[fabertong]

Capt.........I'm not sure Steven has......he has moved on the railine to the west of Mytk......but I have enough troops to hold him here...with another Div(450ap) coming up in 10 days time....He still enjoys complete air supremacy.......but Mytk...has supply, is fort level 6+ and won't fall easily/quickly.......In the next 60 days I receive some good reinforcements....and have the PPs to spend on shifting troops.....If he can push me on the rail-line, I'll be in BIG TROUBLE.....but I'm not sure he has the strength......we shall see........

[fabertong]

ORIGINAL: niceguy2005

Hey Faber. Remember less work, more WitP. [;)]

Looking forward to the coming showdown in the North. As I have not read Speedys AAR I can say this. I'll have to look back at your AAR and see how Japan lost all her good navy pilots.

Don't forget the US lesson at Guadalcanal. You can defend a chain of islands if your willing to lose some CAs. Personally I think an assualt on Northern Japan should be doomed to failure. I see a scenario where Japan takes heavy surface losses, but may be able to catch some CVs and troop transports.

Hi Niceguy........I hope he comes north...because it will be very bloody for him......I can, as you say, hide good SAGs under close Army air support and run them in at night against his transports....but his Attu invasion force had 6BBs 12-15CAs and escorts.........so ther will be lot's of dead ships on both sides.....I expect......for him though there is the risk/reward......if he can take Shikka(poss. af lvl 9).......he could start bombing the HIs by the end of 1943(or sooner, depending on when he takes them)......he can bomb Paramishiro from Attu/Kiska with lightnings supporting........there are a lot of pluses for Steven.......if he moves south and decides to Island hop....even with my depleted Navy airgroups...he will take a lot longer to get to the HIs......Allied LRBs are king, and the sooner he gets them bombing Japan....the sooner I lose.
I hope he comes north , so we can see Yamato and Musashi take on the Colorado and Oklahoma........

[fabertong]

Hmmmm........I wonder........I've been scratching my head (not that it itches) ever since Speedy invaded Kiska.....
Where were his carriers?
Where?
Where?

It makes me think that the northern route is a diversion......
I have had time to build northern Japan and environs......
Too much time..........

I still think the northern route is the best for Speedy.........but I don't think he does.......so I am undergoing a full strategic review.......
He clearly wants Burma.......but I feel ready......but will reinforce.....
New G./Lunga.........I feel ready.......
Java...bold.....not ready...but no real proof.......
Cen. Pac......hmmmmmm........Wake is always a concern for either side.......it is easily cut off.......like Attu or say Kiska.....

I've decided I can't take China......so I am moving 1000 APs woth of troops to Canton.....I will spen what PPs I have to reinforce Saipan.........and Guam and environs........
Today the Hiryu and the Soryu + escorts slipped out of Osaka....destination Saipan.....Akagi is still waiting to upgrade...then she will join Kaga .....destination Saipan..........
If I'm wrong....I can still support the North from Saipan.....but also support Wake..........or move to support Lunga........

[Capt. Harlock]

I've decided I can't take China......so I am moving 1000 APs woth of troops to Canton.....I will spen what PPs I have to reinforce Saipan.........and Guam and environs........
Today the Hiryu and the Soryu + escorts slipped out of Osaka....destination Saipan.....Akagi is still waiting to upgrade...then she will join Kaga .....destination Saipan..........
If I'm wrong....I can still support the North from Saipan.....but also support Wake..........or move to support Lunga........

Pretty sound strategy IMHO. Historically the Japanese used Truk as their big advanced base, but given the action up north, I doubt you want to go down that far. And of course, you don't want the Allies seizing any of the "Big Three" (Saipan, Tinian, Guam) and building massive airfields.

[niceguy2005]

ORIGINAL: fabertong

Hmmmm........I wonder........I've been scratching my head (not that it itches) ever since Speedy invaded Kiska.....
Where were his carriers?
Where?
Where?

It makes me think that the northern route is a diversion......
I have had time to build northern Japan and environs......
Too much time..........

I still think the northern route is the best for Speedy.........but I don't think he does.......so I am undergoing a full strategic review.......
He clearly wants Burma.......but I feel ready......but will reinforce.....
New G./Lunga.........I feel ready.......
Java...bold.....not ready...but no real proof.......
Cen. Pac......hmmmmmm........Wake is always a concern for either side.......it is easily cut off.......like Attu or say Kiska.....

I've decided I can't take China......so I am moving 1000 APs woth of troops to Canton.....I will spen what PPs I have to reinforce Saipan.........and Guam and environs........
Today the Hiryu and the Soryu + escorts slipped out of Osaka....destination Saipan.....Akagi is still waiting to upgrade...then she will join Kaga .....destination Saipan..........
If I'm wrong....I can still support the North from Saipan.....but also support Wake..........or move to support Lunga........

Good strategy Faber, it reminds me of a line from one of my favorite movies. "Form up a good bayonette platoon and take them head-on at anything that breaks through." - Zulu. YOu don't need enough force at the outer islands to hold them, just to slow them down and make it really bloody. Make the first invasion so bloody it will take him 3 or 4 months to recover.

[fabertong]

Niceguy.......I just hope I haven't left it too late too long has the north held my attention.....

April 3rd 1943......
I decided to stop the milk run missions over Mytk....if only to for a day, and to keep Steven honest.......
The result is that he lost about 70 planes....I lost 25......a good morale boost for my inexperienced pilots(flying Tony's and Tojo's)......
Next turn I expect Lightnings to escort....so I'm standing down my air groups....then I'll move them back out to training airfields......waiting for their next chance......
Two more ships lost to Allied subs........bugger......
Steven has also started strategic bombing of my southern oil fields.......Amboina, then Sarong.....where next.....maybe the resources at Kedari.....I have little to stop him ...by have flown in 9 Jacks and 12 Tonys..... all I have in the Region.....

Today the 61st Div. left the HIs for Burma......I will drip feed in troops over the next month or so.......
The Yok. Res. Coast. Guns....were dispatched to Wake.....
The 10th area army is heading to Saipan.......

Where is the RN.....I've not seen them for the whole of this game(IIRC)....if I was Speedy, I would be looking to undertake a seaborne invasion of say, Victoria Point.....my Betties and Nells aren't as deadly as in '42.....( in fact not deadly at all)....this would be a good way to break the Burma stalemate....and trap some of my troops.......but maybe he has commited all his best combat troops to Myk....and the railway already.....we'll see.

[fabertong]

April 4th 1943........

As predicted....Speedy hit Kendari.....my puny CAP shot down about 6 of his 120+ heavy bombers......at a cost of 4 of my Fighters........
The 56th brigade left Truk for Wake today...leaving only the 2nd Div. as Strategic res. at Truk.......and the 5th in reserve at Rabual............
That will bring Wake up to 650 APs........
Normal service resumed at Mykt.....as Speedy's bombers returned.......I suspect his lightnings are nearby...so I'll let him bomb........
I am planning on moving some airgroups to Koepang to attack norther Oz. in a tit-for-tat raid for his on Kendari......

[Mynok]

You seem really short on air units. Are they all in training? Is it a function of the scenario?

[fabertong]

Not a function of the scenerio......more a function of playing Japan...I think......I have plenty of Heavy Bombers....in fact I have 8 Sally sqdrns just sitting around the DEI and another 14 in China and 6 in the HIs, but without escorts and a range of 8...there isn't anywhere on the entire map I can bomb...either out of range(Attu, Kiska,Midway......, or heavy CAP(Baker, Burma/China cities)....I'm always short of fighters.......and have to have them disperced around to stop Speedy's LRBs.........PM...Lea....Lunga....Gilli Gilli.....Tarawa....all have at least 3-fighter groups......lot's of others scattered around training.....I lost a lot of planes and pilots in the first 6 months......and training up new ones takes time.

[Mynok]

What are you training them to? 70? 75? It doesn't take me more than a couple months to go from rookie group (group exp 40's) to group exp 70's.

[fabertong]

No, I train them up to about 50 then try to get them on easy ops and then I seem to kill them off!........and so at any one time I have a selection of sqdrns at any of these points........also some of my new pilots are starting at exp. 30....it then takes a loooooong time to make them usefull....If you'd like, I'll post a screenie of all my fighter groups and their current status..........

[Mike Solli]

Mynok, what do you do to get them from the 40s to the 70s. In my game (Jun 42), I have a lot in training but they are pretty much stalled in the mid-40s.

[Mike Solli]

I'd like to see your fighter stats.

[Mynok]

Ground attack against Chinese is the key. When they arrive from being disbanded or I pull them from the front line (way understrength), I put them in a safe base in the homeland, Allow Replacements, then get pilots until full. They arrive with the appropriately pitiful stats. I then set them to 90% Training until the majority of the pilots on 40 exp or up. I don't worry about a couple 30's or 20's. Then I transfer them to a base close to some Chinese ground units and set them to ground attack.

About 4-6 weeks later, those guys will be in the upper 60's at minimum, and that's good enough for the front by my standards. Obviously, if I'm not in need anywhere, I'll keep them ground attacking. They'll keep rising even up into the 80's and 90's if you do it long enough (gets slower and slower though). You'll get some ops losses but they aren't a big deal.

My preference now is to pull units when they get to around 25-40% strength back for refit. This means each group will always have a cadre of very experienced pilots, and it means I don't wait 90 days for an empty group to arrive.

[Mike Solli]

Hmm, thanks. I rarely tried ground attack for fighters for fear of high losses. I'm probably getting it confused with sweep. What height do you set them at?

[Mynok]

15k usually. They attack at 2k just like dive bombers however. It's best to not hit well dug-in Chinese troops in cities. Hit 'em in the open, or hit smaller troops concentrations.

I like to use the Island of Hainan as my training base. I can hit Pakhoi and Nanning from there easily, and don't have to worry about Chinese attacking my base.