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I thought the L version of the P-38 was slightly better overall? Have a look at maneuver. Anyway, as Allies I never mess with factories.

50% CAP is too high. Maybe for a specific day or two, but not otherwise. I recommend 30% or 40% most of the time. Others will disagree! [:D]

Congrats JocMeister on the recent successes!

I also don't tinker with Allied Facs. I just let them upgrade!

I normally have my CV CAP on about 40% unless I'm going into combat and want a higher CAP setting for a prticular reason.

2nd-4th June -44

Airwar
On the 4th disaster strikes for the allies. Three separate bombings cause the biggest losses of Allied airframes and pilots in the war so far. [:(] 80 Allied bombers are lost together with 62(!) pilots. A black day indeed. Losses are spread between the DEI, Burma and Rabaul. I have really bad luck with the sweeps in the two first and sweeps doesn´t fly until the PM phase. Over Rabaul I can only blame myself as I forgot to up the altitude over the barrage balloons. Crap.
Erik does suffer some but only easily replaced fighters.

New Guinea
Quiet.

DEI
I´m struggling to find an opening. I have managed to close 3 big AFs but Erik is all over me when I try to get into position with my assault ships. KB has disappeared and I´m fearful its in the area.

Burma
Erik has managed to get 90k men into a blocking position. Many of those are from the previous battle and should be pretty beat up. But about 40k are fresh. It was a very bad time to lose as many bombers as I did. I had to stand most of them down due to morale. Crap.

CENTPAC
Erik spotted 3 of my TFs headed for Sleipner an astonishing 24 hexes out [X(]. Not much to do about it. I´m sending two DD TFs out in front to try and clear his pickets.

BETA Update
Looks like we will upgrade soon. Might as well get it done. We have both started to see problems with the 200 plane firepasses and "alabative" escorts. It will only become worse.

Short update today. I´ll try to make a comprehensive update on Ymir tomorrow. Here is a screen of the awful day.

Now there is a load off my mind! The place is trashed though and I will need some time to get it operational and get the AF up to 8. I will take the time to start moving stuff forward. I was sure I had prepped 3 IDs for Sorong. Pretty dismayed to find out I only have 2 prepped! [:(] Luckily I have a Command/Corps HQ combo fully prepped. I also have about 500 AV each prepped for the surrounding bases.

You are learning well my young Jedi. [:D]

CV CAP - 40% most of the time and then vary Rest from 10 to 20%.

I´m a slow learner but repeat something enough times and it will stick! [:D]

Operation Ymir

D+2
Since yesterday KB has disappeared. I´m fairly certain I would have gotten a fix on it if it was headed to the DEI. Most likely it went NE from Badelbaob and is lurking behind the Marianas. I sent my fleet slightly to the south to make it look like I´m withdrawing back towards Eniwetok. No doubt Erik won´t buy that. He knows I´m coming for sure. Question is if he will risk the KB at this stage? He has a very weak position in the Marianas and KB intervention will most likely not make a difference on the final outcome here. Hard to tell what he will do. Its a big risk and losing the KB or parts of it at this stage would be a disaster for him as he is relying on it to slow my advance on three vectors. He also lost about 1/4th of the entire KB planes recently.

Yet my gut tells me he will try for it... What do you guys think?

If he does show up I can launch the DEI landings, get BFs into Biak and bring reinforcements into Noemfoor. Everything is ready and standing by.

I´m still not sure if I want him to show up or not. If I can get into the DEI he is in big problems as that would get me a level 9 AF within range of all the DEI oil including Palembang. Getting Biak set up means the whole Sorong area is in danger. Perhaps the best thing for me would be if he actually showed up at the Marianas. The DEI and New Guinea approaches are the important ones. The Marianas are just for fun. Yet I´m worried facing LBA plus the KB...

Loaded up Tracker for the first time in ages! Things are starting to even out. [:)]

ORIGINAL: JocMeister
Loaded up Tracker for the first time in ages! Things are starting to even out. [:)]

That's more than even, the loss of 11 CA's represents basically all he has and will get ...
59 DD's is gotta hurt his patrol and escorting,
But ouch 24 TK's and 2 AO's ... Still it is '44 and your advance seems a little slow. (I'll have to do some reading though) [;)]

The only bright point seems to be in BB's and maybe CV's... he must be saving them for the defence of something bigger.

ORIGINAL: n01487477

ORIGINAL: JocMeister
Loaded up Tracker for the first time in ages! Things are starting to even out. [:)]

That's more than even, the loss of 11 CA's represents basically all he has and will get ...
59 DD's is gotta hurt his patrol and escorting,
But ouch 24 TK's and 2 AO's ... Still it is '44 and your advance seems a little slow. (I'll have to do some reading though) [;)]

The only bright point seems to be in BB's and maybe CV's... he must be saving them for the defence of something bigger.

He has been whining about the DD losses... [:D]

To give you the short story I lost my last 3 CVs in late 42/early 43 to the wonderful 8 hexes rule and then spent the remainder of 43 banging my head against a wall and feeling sorry for myself! [:D] In early -44 I managed to wrestle PM from him and have been advancing along the NG coast ever since.

The Marianas is just for fun and practicing large scale invasions and atolls. [:)]

I´ve also been slogging it out in Burma for longer than I want to think about. Erik has all his unrestricted divisions there minus two. One at Sebang and one in Soerabaja.

ORIGINAL: n01487477

ORIGINAL: JocMeister
Loaded up Tracker for the first time in ages! Things are starting to even out. [:)]

That's more than even, the loss of 11 CA's represents basically all he has and will get ...
59 DD's is gotta hurt his patrol and escorting,
But ouch 24 TK's and 2 AO's ... Still it is '44 and your advance seems a little slow. (I'll have to do some reading though) [;)]

The only bright point seems to be in BB's and maybe CV's... he must be saving them for the defence of something bigger.

Japan has 18 CAs in the stock game, four of which are the small Furutaka class. They get no more in stock, but likely do in some of the other scenarios.

Jocke, I think you are right that he will bring out KB in the Marianas - he knows it is his last chance at a decisive battle before you get too many toys to stop. Your best bet is to use a half dozen bait TFs ahead of your carriers to draw the LBA and some of KBs fangs.
Also, this situation is worth risking your subs for. Intel on KB location is golden, getting a torp or two on a carrier (or two) is platinum with diamonds![:D]

ORIGINAL: JocMeister

Questions for the peanut gallery!
- Should I stop the upgrade of the P38J factories to the L version? The J version is slightly faster so why upgrade?

- I´m struggling with fatigue on my CVs squadrons assigned to CAP. They are currently assigned to 15k ft, RNG 1, 50% CAP and all have around 15 Fatigue. Should I lower the altitude to 10k?

the altitude isn't a problem as to fat when your fighters are only at 15k. Just put a couple of squadrons on 80% Cap 20% rest at range 0 so these will only fly Cap and won't accumulate any real fatigue while you put a couple of other squadrons on 0% Cap 0% rest and have them on escort max range. That way you can have as much Cap as you want and as much escorts as you need. Have been doing this that way since release.

As to the factories, doing the same as the others said, won't touch them with one exception, which is the Beaufort VIII factory in Australia, you don't want to lose your torpedo bomber factory upgrading to a bomb carrying Beau.

Just sent the turn to Erik. The fleet will reach attack position 3 hexes from the Marianas next turn. I hate and absolutely love turns like this! [&o]

5th-7th June -44

Still havn´t gotten the turn for the 8th. But I´ve seen the replay.

New Guinea
I´ve decided to take the time and deal with Wewak/Aitape. Pulling up 2 IDs from Finschhafen. APA/AKAs has dumped the troops for Biak at Sarmi. Here they will load on LSTs/Barges for the last distance up to Biak. I can´t properly protect them to safely let the APAs go all the way. This will prove a wise choice as the convoy is almost annihilated on the 8th by the KB. Unfortunately judging by the replay I will lose a whole bunch of Fletchers as well but all troops unloaded. At least I decimated Eriks air wings on the KB again!

Burma
Erik has been shifting troops from his massive stack to the gap. I managed to capture the troops in the open NE of Prome. It was glorious! [&o]

1643 casualties reported
Squads: 4 destroyed, 81 disabled
Non Combat: 2 destroyed, 52 disabled
Engineers: 1 destroyed, 10 disabled

3539 casualties reported
Squads: 9 destroyed, 96 disabled
Non Combat: 13 destroyed, 254 disabled
Engineers: 2 destroyed, 25 disabled
Guns lost 46 (1 destroyed, 45 disabled)

239 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Non Combat: 2 destroyed, 43 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled


And after that some fragment adding another 450 casualties! The troops listed were the 5th, 6th and 18th ID

I´m shifting a lot of recon to his main stack. If he has pulled this much...Since my troops havn´t left the hex yet. I can shift to his main stack very fast. Faster in fact then he can...Lets see what the recon says tomorrow.

Ymir
Well, nothing lost besides planes yet. I havn´t gotten the turn back but I estimate I lost some 200-300 planes for nothing! [:(] Erik parked a few TFs comprised of crap around the bases in the Marianas. This of course drew huge strikes (200-300 planes each[8|])from my CVs into a massive CAP. Not happy with this obviously. And he wasn´t happy when I set a CAP trap with 20 Fletchers and 2 Clevelands few months back...Using PBs/AMc/xAKLs was pretty low. The CAP trapping I´m fine with. Its part of the game. But you have to put something at risk or it just becomes gamey. Ah well.

xAKL Shosen Maru, Bomb hits 1, and is sunk
xAKL Kenzo Maru, Bomb hits 2, and is sunk
ML G-203

xAKL Kashi Maru, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
xAKL Kasui Maru, Torpedo hits 2, and is sunk
PB Kensin Maru

AMc Wa 12, Bomb hits 1, and is sunk <-- There were two but one got sunk by a sub during the night.

Well worth the 200-300 planes I lost...[8|]

No strikes flew against my CVs. I´m guessing Erik has counted on me suffering against his CAP traps and will now fly in the strike planes to hit my weakened CV force tomorrow. I won´t back down this time though.

DEI
KB suddenly popped up here! [X(] Looks like Erik played it smart. Going in with the KB just 10 hexes is no option. I withdrew to Darwin under a 400 Plane CAP. Doubt he will try for them after the Finschhafen debacle.

NOPAC
Picked up the remaining troops at Kodiak and have now started moving for Dutch again.

8th of June -44

Marianas
Losses were actually a lot lighter then I expected. Only 46 planes lost?! When I looked through the CR I´m "lacking" a major strike that was present in the replay. First time sync issues brought some positives with them!

I´m sure Erik will bring in the strike planes this turn. He still have the small TF sitting in port at both Guam and Saipan. Since I know the KB isn´t around I set 160 Hellcats that were previously on escort to sweep them both. Hopefully this will clear the way and minimize further losses.

Troops are landing on Tinian tonight. 120.000 men. I have high hopes they will be able to unload before daybreak. The 2 CVE TFs move in for cover while the fast CVs remain just outside. Erik has moved in a lot of troops since my last recon. There is now 28.000 men listed but only a few guns and AFVs. Unless he has managed to get the forts up to 8 or 9 I should have enough. Worst case this will be another slog.

New Guinea
Since Erik seems to have made Biak into a priority I will have to step back reinforcement attempts for a while. Erik struck out with the KB sinking 8 LSTs and 1 Sims class DD. All Fletcher should be okay but I had to disband one in port at Biak. This cost him another 60 KB strike planes. Not sure if I should be happy with the exchange or not. But from now on Biak will have to be reinforced by air and barge. Good news is I managed to get 40.000 supply on shore so that will last for a while. Airfield is up and running too.

Burma
Thunderstorms prevented much damage to be done. Some 100-120.000 men now occupy both hexes in question (see screen). So I will continue on. At least the bunch I´m going for hasn´t had time to dig in. I´ll keep pressure up with bombers preventing fort construction, resting and to keep burning supply from his AA fire. I will detach a small detachments of bombers to check the other stack though. Perhaps its mostly a shell with BFs and whatnot to appear strong.

Darwin/DEI
Erik surged forward as anticipated. I´m glad I withdrew. He has some powerful SCTF i the area including 1/3rd of the KB. I´ll unload the troops for now. I will need more in the area before I can land.

The near Future
Things will calm down a bit for the allied side for while on New Guinea and around Darwin. I will need to clean up some bases in the rear and tidy up the forces. Secure Biak, let ships repair and troops to rest. When Tinian is secured I will escort a large number of warships here to aid in the future advance.

Here is a screen of Burma

Teaser for next turn!

Ground combat at Tinian (108,94)

Japanese Bombardment attack

Attacking force 16489 troops, 136 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 627

Defending force 41267 troops, 1080 guns, 1141 vehicles, Assault Value = 1483

Japanese ground losses:
273 casualties reported
Squads: 5 destroyed, 9 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 3 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled


Allied ground losses:
15 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 3 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled


Assaulting units:
49th Ind.Mixed Brigade
48th Ind.Mixed Brigade
21st Ind.Mixed Regiment
26th Recon Regiment
16th Ind.Mixed Regiment
102nd Machine Canno AA Battalion
12th JNAF AF Unit
53rd JNAF AF Unit /1

Defending units:
4th Marine Div /1
670th Tank Destroyer Battalion
77th Infantry Division
1st USMC Amphb Tank Battalion
31st Infantry Div /1
193rd Tank Battalion
104th Combat Engr Rgt /8
10th USMC Field Artillery Battalion
XIV Corps Artillery
47th Coastal Artillery Regiment
I Corps Artillery
607th Coast AA Regiment
265th Coastal Artillery Regiment
1st USMC AA Battalion
64th Coast AA Regiment

I still havn´t gotten the turn file so I did some digging around looking up the troops he has in place. I don´t know much about these things but his units certainly looks fragile. Basically its just a bunch of infantry squads backed up by a few tankettes? Combine them and it looks a bit similar to half a Chinese Corps? Also low EXP in all the INF units.

Even if he has very high forts I have a hard time seeing these troops being much more than a speed bump?

Your tanks on Tinian will overwhelm him easily. Those few AT guns will not be enough.

Bad idea not to havy any decent Artillery unit there.
However with stacking limits things would be pretty different... basically the allies can land only 2 divisions, 1 HQ and some tanks in each of the Mariannas...nothing more (35,000 men is the maximum).
&nbsp;
Erik should have had at least a tank regiment, 2 150mm artillery units and 1 AT-gun regiment in order to have a chance there...

I hope you guys a right! First attack ordered tomorrow! [:)]