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

[JocMeister]

ORIGINAL: DOCUP

BB: No the mine icon is green.  The minelayer is now 4 hexes away from Tagula with no mines in its inventory.

I have had that too. Never figured it out though!

[DOCUP]

Joc:  Mines still did not show up today.  I am going to start a thread and ask.
 
13th Feb
 
No intel on carriers.  But I hope to change that soon.
 
China
Bombed
 
Burma
I am thinking of sending a sweep into Burma, maybe Mandaly.  It has 110 fighters.  I have 25 P38Gs and another 25 P38Fs with 18 Corsairs.  I have not swept such a heavily defended base before.  This is due to my fighters not going in coordinated.  If the moonlight was better than 60% I might of sent in some bombers at low level.
 
Rossel Island
Coy unit lands during the nite the APDs hang around and are attacked by Nells with TT and sink one APD.  Bettys come in 2 unescorted waves and drop bombs but miss.  Koniu's bombers pilots haven't done to well recently.  I don't know if he has green pilots or what.
 
Wotje
Nicks attack my retreating TF and sink the AKL pretty good show if I do say so myself.  12 bomb hits.
 
I found a unit that can upgrade to the PB4Y Liberator.  Range of 31 hexs they might be able to peak on Truk from Wake.

[DOCUP]

I am probing Koniu's Nav search arch around Milne Bay.  Trying to find holes.  Q Balls thread has me kinda scared same date same area same resources, I got lucky getting away.  I think I can keep my carriers mostly out of harms way even if the KB shows up.  I'd like to be able to have a recon Liberator up and spying on Truk or know the position of the KB.  Milne Bay only has 620 men no guns or AFV's.  I am thinking of dropping some paratroopers on the base right before the invasion.
 
I am also moving in all my APD's and AVD's.  Wish I had more of them.  Note to self on next game convert to APDs.

[DOCUP]

14th Feb
 
Carriers sighted east of Milne Bay.
 
China
We bombed the 3rd tank div in open terrain.  Jap fighters destroy one Brit 2E.  We take out 11 AFVs.
 
Terapo
Zeros sweep and find fighters for the first time.  Corsairs make their combat debut, 2 are lost for 4 Zeros, but 4 P 39s and 2 Spits are lost also.
 
Milne Bay
3 ship TF is in the hex, intel says their DD's.  HMM what is this about.  Carriers are sighted 2 hexs to the east.  Intel shows 190 fighters, 270 bombers, 18 aux.  Sub missed a DD in this TF early in the night, I know a CS is in it.  Looks like a 4 ship ASW force is with it.  I wonder what he is covering or was he trying a drive by or going to raid by Aus.  I don't know  I have my carriers along the coast close to Townsville.  I am thinking of moving my carriers up closer to Carnes drop off some fighters pick up the TT bombers.  Use some LB fighters to help cover the carriers.
 
 

[DOCUP]

Just had an evil thought.  Put a few Cats on night naval attack.  Lets see how this goes.  I do have TT trained PBY pilots and have moved them into the squadron that is set to attack.

[DOCUP]

Looking around the map.  I see ships at Christmas Is IO.  I guess Koniu is setting up some counter forces to Coco's.  Thats good got him drawing off forces from other spots for here. 
 
Ponape
2 AKE's are spotted in port.
 
Tabiteuea
30 Bombers and Recon planes are spotted.
 
I decided to pull the carriers out of harms way for now.  Alot of LBA will be ready to strike.  The figthers don't have the range to cover most of the bombers, the few fighters that can aren't much but might buy the bombers some time.  So lets go for broke.

[DOCUP]

15th and 16th Feb

Carriers east of Munda.

China
Bombed

Taung Gyi
We sweep with P38s and Corsairs and find Zeros and Tojos.  Bombers bomb at night and destroy a few planes on the ground.

Christmas Is IO
Dutch PBY's sink an AP.

Terapo
Zeros sweep and get chewed up.

East of Munda
Skipjack finds a CVL and puts a TT into her.  Koniu said I messed up the KB this turn[:D].  Only a TT hit was reported. But the TF did not move from the night turn or the day turn. He also said he's starting to get scared of the area.

Buna
4Es destroy the runway.

[BBfanboy]

Messed up the KB by hitting one CVL with one torp? Either FOW is not showing you all the results or he was getting ready to make a high-speed sprint and he wanted that CVL (and the escorts now needed to cover the damaged ship) with him. Not moving at all could only be justified by covering the CVL against air attacks. Maybe Skipjack can get another chance!

[DOCUP]

I hope BB.  I have other subs in the area.  They will converge on the TF.  I don't think he was going to make a run into attack.  He was just their 2 days earlier.  I think he has found the limit of my nav search archs and is hiding their.  Just happens to be skipjacks patrol range.  Koniu could be playing some psy ops with me, we do do that from time to time. 

[DivePac88]

Hi DOCUP... just filling in time till Chickenboy gets back from his Christmas break, so I thought I'd annoy you. [;)]

I would keep an eye on the the Munda area if I was you, as I think he might of being trying to sneak up on you. Because I'm wondering why he would expose his CVL like that, into an area you can air-search and have subs patrolling.

[DOCUP]

DivePac annoy me all you want:  I have been aware of that since I moved into the area.  i am trying to move my new Coronado search planes to Ndeni.  Atleast I have him wasteing fuel running around.  Thanks for your advise and presents in my AAR.  You are welcome back anytime.  Theres beer in the fridge and the remote is on the couch so make yourself at home.

[DOCUP]

18th Feb
 
No intel on enemy carriers.
 
Not much has happened.
 
Still trying to find hles in his nav search.  I decided to try and make some.  I am bombing Gasmata.  I know he has recon planes here, so lets see if I can destroy a few on the ground.
 
I am moving troops and equipment into launching points for future ops.

[DOCUP]

19th Feb
 
No sightings of enemy carriers.
 
China
Bombed.
 
Mandalay
We bomb the AF with  2Es and 4Es at night.  We moderately damage the runway and toast 18 Tojos and 2 Nicks.  We will bomb again tonite.
 
Gasmata
We bomb the AF for moderate results and kill 4 Thalia.
 
Koepang
We bomb the port and AF, just because there were no fighters and come out big.  The AF is closed and we destroy 18 Betty's, 23 Nells, and 7 Emily's.[X(]  These planes did not show up on recon the day before.
 
I might of found holes in his nav search around Milne Bay.  Lets hope.
 

[BBfanboy]

Wow! Nice haul at Koepang, and the hit on Mandaly was pretty profitable too!
Do you feel like you just got lucky? [:)]

[DOCUP]

BB:  Yes, it was a nice haul at Koepang.   I did get very lucky at Koepang, Koniu told me that he had just moved those bombers to Koepang and I drilled him.  Guess what I did it again.
 
20th Feb
 
No intel on enemy carriers.
 
Mandalay
We hit them again at night.  We lose 2 2E bombers for 24 Tojo's and 4 Nick's.  We do moderate damage to the AF it is still operational.  I am sending P38s to sweep during the daytime.  I am wondering if I should set up some more moonlight raids at other bases.  This has worked out pretty good.
 
Quiet every where else.   Koniu wants me to ask everyone about a new night bombing HR.  Our HR now is we can only bomb a base twice in one week.  He mentioned about raising it to 4 times in a week but wants something mor flexible and elegant.  I guess I could have my bomber crews wear black ties when they bomb at night.  I can't think of anything.

[BBfanboy]

I've always thought that the 50% moonlight or more was reasonable for bombing ops.

[DOCUP]

21st Feb
 
No intel on enemy carriers.
 
Mandalay
P38s sweep and knock down 21 Tojos and 9 Zeros for 3 P38s.
 
Not much else going on right now.

[zuluhour]

Did you get them all on the ground? That is a nice raid. I'm struggling mightily with DaBigBabes, B17 losses for damage incurred, even at 9,ooo-11,ooo', are unacceptable. I'm going to have read backwards here and catch up. I am in early June '42 again and my turns involve logistics so I have a little more time.

[DOCUP]

Welcome back Zulu.  Yes, caught them all on the ground.  2Es at 2K and 4Es at 10k with a lot of moonlight.
 
22nd and 23rd Feb
 
No signs of enemy carriers.  I am worried about this.
 
China
Bombed.
 
Cebu
10th Jap ID lands taking over 1,300 caus.  We still hold the base but not for long.
 
Truk
Recon shows bombers and alot of ships in port but no carriers.   I wonder where he is keeping them at now.
 
Solomons
We bomb Munda's AF and catch 31 Zeros and 15 Bettys on the ground and toast the runway.  We also bomb Buna and keep that runway closed.  Invasion TF's for Milne Bay are at sea.  We are 6 hexs to the east and from what I can tell no sightings.  I have been probing his nav search for about a week or more now.  I think I found a one hex hole in it and that is where my TF's are parked.  Tomorrow the TFs will go to Milne Bay, I don't expect them to unload but they will be ready to unload the next day.  We run into an RO boat and put 2 small dents into it.  The only ship sighted was DE Express. 
 
My Carriers will park 3 hexs to the west making it 12 hexs from Shortlands and Rabaul.  This should help protect them and raise fatigue among Jap pilots if they attack that far.  I have right now 2 SAGs that will provide cover.  2 BB with 3 DD's and one with 2 CAs and 4 DDs.  I can add more ships to these TFs or create smaller SAGs.  I am thinking of pulling some of the heavys from the invastion TFs to make another SAG.  Recon of Rabaul shows 1 TF with 10 ships not sure of the make up of this TF could be a SAG or supply TF.  I know he had BBs and CAs in the area.  Another TF has 6 ships in it with intel of CAs present.  I am worried that he will blast his way thru my SAGS into my transports.  I think I have a day before he will be able to respond, atleast I hope.
 
Our subs sink an xAK and PB in the last 2 days or so.
 
What do you guys think about my SAGs?

[DOCUP]

Can you not nav bombard a non base hex?