The Good The Bad & The Indifferent

[BBfanboy]

If your AE at Taichu is one of the Lassen class (5400 ton capacity), it can reload any allied BB, including the Iowas. But because of ops point limits it will not be able to handle many in a day. The Nav Support will help with some of the replenishment, especially reloading supplies on the AE.

[Canoerebel]

Auxiliary ships at Taichu.

[GetAssista]

ORIGINAL: BBfanboy
If your AE at Taichu is one of the Lassen class (5400 ton capacity), it can reload any allied BB, including the Iowas. But because of ops point limits it will not be able to handle many in a day.

Allies can afford to travel with a dozen of those AEs at once. Guaranteed 1-turn reload to whatever BB force. With modest-sized port and support using "Load tender" during the turn after the reload is very sustainable. I had no trouble with 6 AEs, size 3 port and 200 navsup supplying once-a-turn bombardment of 6 BBs.

[HansBolter]

I have never grouped a dozen, but I typically concentrate 4 AEs and 8 AKEs at any major action locale.

[BBfanboy]

Those two AEs are a good start. But always check the BBs themselves - each of them, not a sample - to ensure that all the main gun magazines are full. If the AE/AKE do not have enough ops points left to replenish the entire magazine for that turret, they will load nothing until next turn. I.E. if the magazine needs six "shots" worth of 14" shells and you have ops points on the AE for four "shots" to be loaded, none will be.

I think the sequence is: the AE goes to the BB with the lowest index number in the database, it checks the first turret's magazine and loads it, then it checks the next ship, checks its first turret and loads, etc. so that each ship has some ammo. If there are enough ops points left after going through the ships, the AE starts again with the second turret on the first ship, etc.

[Canoerebel]

9/5/44

Peep Show II: Allied armies on Formosa underway. RN BB TF replenished at Taichu and will bombard Kagi tomorrow. No enemy CAP.

China: Enemy armies close to coastal bases yet, but it isn't clear whether they'll enter. Lack of movement dot info.

Indochina: John's Vinh invasion force is already encountering trouble - 10th Division failed to brush aside the much weaker, battered Lushai Brigade, and 116th Div. plus other Haiphong units can't dislodge Allied stack at that base.

[Xilana]

?Is the unit(s) cut off north of Amoy? What's up there in composition?

[Canoerebel]

You must be reading John III's AAR. He's a half step ahead. I just ran the turn and John's moved an unit between my division and Amoy. But it's not cut off. It has the hexside leading to the SW (where the enemy unit is) and it'll keep moving that way (it's already marched 15 miles). At the same time, two units are moving north from Amoy to open that hexside. So unless I've miscalculated, my units should move into Amoy in good order.

John's had trouble grasping hexside control in the game. It cost him dearly in Burma.

I've got a lot going on, so I can't post for the next turn yet. But I've run it, did my part, and sent it back to John. So I'm a day behind. I'll post in more detail later.

[BBfanboy]

I can't see John contesting Kagi. Formosa was neglected until you were almost ready to move on it. You kept it pretty isolated so supply may be an issue.
Most of all, the IJA does not have all that many engineers and I think he would use those to build forts at Takao and Taihoku rather than Kagi. I'm predicting a cakewalk.

[Canoerebel]

John just moved Guards Mixed Brigade to Kagi, giving him three mixed brigades. He may have moved a division too, but I didn't get confirmation of that. His troops have been repeatedly battered by effective 4EB strikes for months and one recent BB bombardment (another goes in tonight). Kagi is probably low on supply and forts probably aren't uber (damage kicked in just when he would've decided to ramp up fort building). Against that will come four fresh and powerful Allied divisions, arty, tanks, combat engineers, and repeated bombardments and bombings. I don't expect real trouble at Kagi, but I'll know more day after tomorrow.

[Canoerebel]

9/6/44

Peep Show: A day of strong bombing runs against the enemy, even as the Kagi-bound army gets underway.

China: John thinks he has the Allies on the run and in a fix; I think he's misinterpreted what's going on. We'll know who's right in a few more days.

Indochina: Some lights and smoke and noise, but nothing that alarms me.

KB: I'll post a screeny and details later, but KB is loitering south of Babeldaob. John has a plan but it doesn't involve Formosa. What it is, I don't know.

[Xilana]

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

You must be reading John III's AAR. He's a half step ahead.

Respectfully negative on that! I'm not familiar with ZOC for hexes but I note your green dot is essentially surrounded by the picture with the two red dots to either side. Reminded me of the very early Kessel formation maps at Stalingrad. Hopefully we won't see that scenario unfold!

I've followed several AAR's over the years; I always make a rule to only read one side to prevent making a slip for op security of the player's involved. I appreciate your (plural) sharing your battles to the masses and appreciate the level of involvement to play this game. I would never wish to compromise.

[Lokasenna]

But then they could do the Kessel Run and we could time them...

[Canoerebel]

Note that my green dot is moving to the SW, towards Amoy. I control the hexside and can exit unless John's unit to the SW crosses into the hex through that hexside first. I have a head start, so let's see who wins the race. If I do lose, I do control several other hexsides.

[apbarog]

Your unit is moving to the SW into a hex that John already occupies. When you arrive, you will control the hexside you will have passed through, but he will control all of the other hexsides. If you cannot kick him out of this hex, he could move into the hex from the same way you did, and then control every hexside, leaving you no escape. You could open up a different hexside into this hex by moving there with a different unit, from a different direction.

[Canoerebel]

That would be true if I wasn't moving two units NW from Amoy. By crossing that hexside, I'll open a route of egress.

[Canoerebel]

I think something major is afoot with John's carriers. I'm thinking on it but haven't come up with a solid hunch yet. I do know that I'm glad KB isn't making things dicey around Formosa.

[BBfanboy]

The only reason I can think of for him to park his CVs SE of Singapore is that he fears a massive strike by 4EB there. You did burn him once during the battle of Sumatra.

[Lokasenna]

Option 6: maybe he's trying to go east and then northeast to get out from under your eyes in the sky.

[Canoerebel]

Keeping track of Japan's mobile and powerful asset is always important, but especially so now for two reasons. The second reason is knowing whether KB might make things complicated around Formosa. The first I can't disclose until later - perhaps several weeks from now - but it's critical.