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No SCTF?

I mean, even if he puts two of those destroyers in a covering force, he's likely to get torpedo hits and potentially drive the allies off

I'm starting to think that he hasn't thought through the rearming issues for the IJN in the DEI to be honest.

Anyone want to bet he's not got his AKE (and don't Japan only get three or four at the start?) moving to CRB or similar yet?

ORIGINAL: Encircled
and don't Japan only get three or four at the start?

You mean the single one? AKE Kashino starts in Hiroshima [:D]

This goes far beyond an adventurous opening, which it wasn't....it was a poor opening and Japan would have been better served changing only the Zeroes from strafe to 9k at Pearl than doing what they did. 2 clicks.

Only the two Kongo fought...and they could be resupplied by moving naval supply from Saigon to Cam Ranh Bay. Anyhow, it is now Dec 31, and I there has been ample time to convert cargo ships to AKE in Saigon for example.

Hong Kong has fallen, but Ichang and Foochow were both taken by the Chinese. There is no push on Sian, no push on Changsha, no push up out of Hong Kong. Wenchow is Chinese as is Chengchow [X(] and Loyang.

Kavieng, Manus and Madang have been taken on New Guinea...plus Ocean, Nauru and Tulagi but there has been no explosion past them.

Luzon is heavily invested, but there are no troops in Clark AFB or Manila yet...

Miri and Brunei and Kuching have been taken, but there are no fighters there yet. 2-3 Search planes as far as I can tell. Miri has lost almost 50 oil to Dutch bombers now flying in the daytime.

After the initial hunting of Lady Lex, the KB has gone dark, the Luzon portion of the KB dark after destroying the Hong Kong merchant ships.

Japan has had three invasion forces with troops mauled...they have lost according to tracker almost 300 vp worth of ground forces. There have been 12 turns process, Japan is ahead in VP on 7 of them, the Allies 5.

The West Coast is garrisoned, AA is arriving at Oz along with fighters supply and fuel. The Thundering Herd escaped almost intact. The Dutch and Oz ships are intact and safely tucked away. Palembang and Singapore are fortresses.

Marcus Island has fallen, Midway is a resupplied fortified festung.

Everywhere we look we see less than stellar play from task force composition, movement, air and sea losses, to airplane usage etc.

Tell me, what could the KB and IJN warships be doing that could possibly merit this disaster for Japan? Only a true sacrifice that loses the queen to win the game would be worth it imho and that doesn't exist in this game.

ORIGINAL: GetAssista

ORIGINAL: Encircled
and don't Japan only get three or four at the start?

You mean the single one? AKE Kashino starts in Hiroshima [:D]

I generally lose the Kashino early, pushing her too far forward.

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

Everywhere we look we see less than stellar play from task force composition, movement, air and sea losses, to airplane usage etc.

Tell me, what could the KB and IJN warships be doing that could possibly merit this disaster for Japan? Only a true sacrifice that loses the queen to win the game would be worth it imho and that doesn't exist in this game.

Well,then you can get a new queen, version 2.0. [:D]

I think that the computer may even do a better opening and followup.

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

This goes far beyond an adventurous opening, which it wasn't....it was a poor opening and Japan would have been better served changing only the Zeroes from strafe to 9k at Pearl than doing what they did. 2 clicks.

"Based on what i have read about you and the questions asked over there it might be very important for some of the veterans to help him"

this looked like a titanic mismatch from the very begining.

Well, if this game does fizzle...I have Lok to fall back on, but as the Empire.[:)]

I have also been offered to play NJP42, who tells me he has devised a super aggressive Japanese AV strategy that would be very entertaining. He is a veteran of many campaigns to the bitter end, one against my first opponent Tiemanj and two against Wargamr, and another against NYGiants. He has been known to attack the Soviets, too for you bloodthirsty types.

Pretty sure I will start reinforcing Singers heavily, it is what Winston would want us to do.[;)]

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

for you bloodthirsty types

You mean all of us? [:D]

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

This goes far beyond an adventurous opening, which it wasn't....it was a poor opening and Japan would have been better served changing only the Zeroes from strafe to 9k at Pearl than doing what they did. 2 clicks.

Only the two Kongo fought...and they could be resupplied by moving naval supply from Saigon to Cam Ranh Bay. Anyhow, it is now Dec 31, and I there has been ample time to convert cargo ships to AKE in Saigon for example.

Hong Kong has fallen, but Ichang and Foochow were both taken by the Chinese. There is no push on Sian, no push on Changsha, no push up out of Hong Kong. Wenchow is Chinese as is Chengchow [X(] and Loyang.

Kavieng, Manus and Madang have been taken on New Guinea...plus Ocean, Nauru and Tulagi but there has been no explosion past them.

Luzon is heavily invested, but there are no troops in Clark AFB or Manila yet...

Miri and Brunei and Kuching have been taken, but there are no fighters there yet. 2-3 Search planes as far as I can tell. Miri has lost almost 50 oil to Dutch bombers now flying in the daytime.

After the initial hunting of Lady Lex, the KB has gone dark, the Luzon portion of the KB dark after destroying the Hong Kong merchant ships.

Japan has had three invasion forces with troops mauled...they have lost according to tracker almost 300 vp worth of ground forces. There have been 12 turns process, Japan is ahead in VP on 7 of them, the Allies 5.

The West Coast is garrisoned, AA is arriving at Oz along with fighters supply and fuel. The Thundering Herd escaped almost intact. The Dutch and Oz ships are intact and safely tucked away. Palembang and Singapore are fortresses.

Marcus Island has fallen, Midway is a resupplied fortified festung.

Everywhere we look we see less than stellar play from task force composition, movement, air and sea losses, to airplane usage etc.

Tell me, what could the KB and IJN warships be doing that could possibly merit this disaster for Japan? Only a true sacrifice that loses the queen to win the game would be worth it imho and that doesn't exist in this game.

Where are his divisions? a good way of defining where is Japan's expansion interest is to look for the vast, but finite number of available, uncommitted divisions
how many are in Malaya, Luzon, HK?
how many are still not accounted for?

for my game, I counted these:

You mean the single one? AKE Kashino starts in Hiroshima

True, but being aware of this means you plan accordingly. BTW, there's at least one other that will convert in a very sort time.

Miri has lost almost 50 oil to Dutch bombers now flying in the daytime.

Sad.[:(]

I'll bet dollars to donuts that a handful of Pete's flying off an AV could handle those guys.

I generally lose the Kashino early, pushing her too far forward.

But that's just being aggressive. Besides I'll bet by that time you have many more in the conversion pipeline.

Egads, with all of my time invested in this beast, what if I do as poorly in my first PBEM? Would I have to quit gaming?[X(]

Seriously though, at this point I'm guessing its just a player mismatch, or your opponents' opening is something new that he botched.

ORIGINAL: witpqs

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

for you bloodthirsty types

You mean all of us? [:D]

I do not drink blood. I don't think that I would like bloodwine then. I try to eat lots of garlic to keep the bloodsucking females away. I do tell the young ladies that. [;)]

I do not care for blood sausage either.

I also prefer my meat cooked and not still mooing.

ORIGINAL: BBfanboy

ORIGINAL: Jorge_Stanbury

Congrats!
with this defeat, he will have to delay for at least for a couple weeks; you can now guarantee total control of Palembang's approaches until sometime in late January

big mistake for Japan... it is late December, and not even the mini KB in support of critical operations!

That could be the part of the "adventurous opening" some recent IJ players are thinking of but not thinking through. Charging off in a deep thrust on turn one means the critical first targets are not covered well enough. Lowpe seems to have seen these weaknesses coming from the pre-game discussions about how far the magic move TFs could go. The value of having played the IJ side for years is showing in his play as Allies now.

Right on the money. Play enough as Japan and you know exactly what to do to ruin the early Japanese plans. Looking at this I see midsummer looming and several key points not taken and having become a Vietnam for IJ. The clock is ticking for Japan at the start and any lost time even a week can be devastating.

ORIGINAL: offenseman

ORIGINAL: BBfanboy

ORIGINAL: Jorge_Stanbury

Congrats!
with this defeat, he will have to delay for at least for a couple weeks; you can now guarantee total control of Palembang's approaches until sometime in late January

big mistake for Japan... it is late December, and not even the mini KB in support of critical operations!

That could be the part of the "adventurous opening" some recent IJ players are thinking of but not thinking through. Charging off in a deep thrust on turn one means the critical first targets are not covered well enough. Lowpe seems to have seen these weaknesses coming from the pre-game discussions about how far the magic move TFs could go. The value of having played the IJ side for years is showing in his play as Allies now.

Right on the money. Play enough as Japan and you know exactly what to do to ruin the early Japanese plans. Looking at this I see midsummer looming and several key points not taken and having become a Vietnam for IJ. The clock is ticking for Japan at the start and any lost time even a week can be devastating.

Two day turns during the amphibious bonus makes it worse.

I’m having a few flashbacks to the opening months in my current game.
The Dude did share via email that he was trying to reinforce Palembang but whenever he got troop ships close I’d have the KB pop up in the Java Sea and spook him. It got hairy a few times with Dutch subs hitting CV Hiryu from memory, but the continued presence of KB meant the allies ended up abandoning attempts to reinforce Sumatra and Java.
I felt the pressure of running behind the schedule that others on this forum would set, but I also didn’t want to push amphibious TFs forward of air and surface cover as that would have risked the results we are seeing here.
Tough months ahead for Japan in this game. It will need a deliberate approach from here to try and gain air superiority and grind it out on the ground, but that will take patience and time...

The first Americal unit arrived, and will head to Cape Town....for Palembang.

Naval search being established across the Pacific now...Howland has Cats watching Tabiteuea...plenty of ambushes are prepped, but he glacial advance of the Japanese had the poor sailors in a holding position.

Move all the string beans to Borneo, Marblehead and company to Borneo, and Mauritius heads for some minor repairs.

USN BB getting their radar upgardes.

Jan 2, 1942

Finally get intel on all the IJN CVs, and more. It seems the appearance of Lady Lex and Big E hitting the original Wake Invasion force caused the short KB near Luzon to head east and the weakened KB to hunt my girls for several turns.[:)]

Have a group of 5 Sboats heading to Marcus...so Japan is going to over allocate and waste a week retaking Marcus.

The critical theater....Tarakan invaded.

Swordfish, Vildebeest, and Wirraways! Oh, my!

Allied aircraft
Swordfish I x 7
Vildebeest III x 14
Wirraway x 3

Allied aircraft losses
Wirraway: 1 damaged

Japanese Ships
xAK Santos Maru, Bomb hits 2, heavy fires, heavy damage
xAKL Raizan Maru
xAKL Hidaka Maru, Bomb hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
xAK Zyuyo Maru, Bomb hits 4, heavy fires, heavy damage
xAK Meiyo Maru, Bomb hits 2, on fire

Japanese ground losses:
234 casualties reported
Squads: 3 destroyed, 15 disabled
Non Combat: 6 destroyed, 24 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 7 (2 destroyed, 5 disabled)

Allied aircraft
Vildebeest III x 10

No Allied losses

Japanese Ships
xAK Meiyo Maru, Bomb hits 2, heavy fires, heavy damage
xAK Zyuyo Maru, Bomb hits 7, and is sunk
xAK Atago Maru, Bomb hits 3, heavy fires, heavy damage

Japanese ground losses:
1138 casualties reported
Squads: 51 destroyed, 39 disabled
Non Combat: 20 destroyed, 20 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 11 (9 destroyed, 2 disabled)

Allied aircraft
Vildebeest III x 14

Allied aircraft losses
Vildebeest III: 1 damaged

Japanese Ships
xAK Meiyo Maru, Bomb hits 3, heavy fires, heavy damage
xAKL Hidaka Maru, Bomb hits 1, and is sunk
xAK Santos Maru, Bomb hits 2, heavy fires, heavy damage
DD Shirayuki

Japanese ground losses:
140 casualties reported
Squads: 7 destroyed, 5 disabled
Non Combat: 13 destroyed, 2 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

Allied aircraft
Swordfish I x 7

No Allied losses

Japanese Ships
xAKL Raizan Maru, Bomb hits 3, and is sunk
DD Hatsuyuki

Japanese ground losses:
508 casualties reported
Squads: 15 destroyed, 9 disabled
Non Combat: 19 destroyed, 5 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled