The Good The Bad & The Indifferent

[Mike McCreery]

ORIGINAL: jwolf

Regarding China and the Japanese units approaching your bases, in open terrain, you mentioned a while back that you agreed to a house rule of no 4EB ground attacks at non-base hexes. What was the rationale for that restriction -- if there was one?

User error

[Canoerebel]

ORIGINAL: jwolf
Regarding China and the Japanese units approaching your bases, in open terrain, you mentioned a while back that you agreed to a house rule of no 4EB ground attacks at non-base hexes. What was the rationale for that restriction -- if there was one?

John doesn't like 4EB. He probably feels they're overpowered.

[Canoerebel]

ORIGINAL: witpqs
I see your calculus but how long could they have held even with some supply? Taihoku is on the coast and the terrain otherwise favors the attackers too. Most of the Allied forces from the rest of Formosa will be available sooner than previously expected because of the forward movement to Kagi, which left Takao severely weakened.

I can see this costing him a week or more, assuming he has some supply at Taihoku. If the two divisions I have present there aren't strong enough to take the base against 50th Division well-dug-in and supplied, then it might take a week or more for my other units to march from Takao and vicinity back to Taihoku. In the meantime, he might have the option to use bombardment TFs and to vector subs or other stuff towards a loitering Death Star.

I'm not saying that's what would happen - just that John may have eliminated the possibility, however large or small.

Time is what he's fighting for - not squashing a tiny Kiwi armored squadron. However, he knows if he's out of supply and if Taihoku is a lost cause. I that event, the move makes sense.

[BBfanboy]

John waited a day after the NZ tanks entered Taihoku hex before attacking. He should have been able to calculate that on good road, making 30 miles a day, your other troops would arrive on the second day.
That, and the hex side control contest in China seem to point to a weakness in estimating movement rates and thus not being able to successfully block or attack. OTOH, you amaze me with your ability to foresee end positions for your LCUs four or five turns ahead. Well done, sir! [&o]

[Canoerebel]

Playing my longtime opponent entails a curious mixture of thinking I know what he's going to do (China, at the moment) and having not the slightest clue (his recent carrier moves). He fights where I don't think he'll fight. He doesn't fight where I'm sure he will fight. He was hyperactive with his combat ships and carriers when I expected. But he's done everything in his power to avoid fighting since he ran short of ships, which I really didn't expect. He's never really been a victory points guy but seems to be playing victory points now.

I'm pretty sure his AAR readers have helped shape his play for much of 1944. That's not a criticism, but rather a hunch based on John departing from what I think would be his natural tendencies. His readers have served him well....except perhaps it would've been merciful for him to follow the Bushido Code an attack. Fighting Joseph E. Johnson John III is kinda surreal.

[Canoerebel]

9/12/44

Battle of Formosa: The Allies prevail at Takao in a big way, the enemy stack retreating after taking heavy losses. The Allied attack at Taihoku comes off at 1:1. But the results are promising and a follow-up shock attack tomorrow.

Battle of Coastal China: John hasn't entered a coastal hex base yet. Will he? Won't he? I don't think he will.

[Canoerebel]

9/12/44

Details for Battles of Takao and Taihoku: See graphic.

[Canoerebel]

9/12/44

Strategic Bombing: Dipping my toes in the strategic bombing waters. This is just to get a feel for things; the real campaign will begin as Formosa winds down; really, that's about when Taihoku falls.

[jwolf]

The defenders on Formosa have consistent supply problems, among other things. It doesn't look like they can make much of a stand anywhere, even in that mountain base. In China I am curious to see if all the Japanese movement will lead to a hot conflict, or fizzle out in a sitzkrieg.

[Lowpe]

100% CAP, 0 Range I bet on those Irvings. The Irving-Sa is woefully unprepared for the B29. I would have thought Kagoshima would have had more NFs.

What is up with no Irvings at Nagasaki...nothing, not even float planes? Looks like not much AA either.

[Canoerebel]

From what I've been seeing, John has been taking precautions vs. strategic bombing since January 1, and especially with the advent of the B-29 on April 1. He's had large numbers of fighters at Home Island bases even during the hottest fighting on Luzon and Formosa. And I've had a great deal of SigInt about AA units in the Home Islands. That dovetailed with the lack of AA at Luzon and at Formosa (until I stumbled into the nest of AA at Taikhoku). So I think he's trying pretty hard.

[Bullwinkle58]

I don't think there's any FOW with strategic VPs. Someone who has done a lot of strat bombing for points recently can confirm. But I think when you get them they show.

[Lowpe]

ORIGINAL: Bullwinkle58

I don't think there's any FOW with strategic VPs. Someone who has done a lot of strat bombing for points recently can confirm. But I think when you get them they show.

+1

Fires are the gift that keeps on giving.

A full out raid on Nagasaki last night, despite the weather would really be another thing for Japan to bemoan.

[BBfanboy]

Wow - that stack of AF Bns/Units at Taihoku show just how much he was expecting to operate his AF from there, and your bombardment TFs ruined it all! He must have lost over 2000 aircraft just on Formosa. Your VP harvesting is well underway! [:)]

EDIT: about the fire levels - in my games I never saw any messages about fire damaging industry after the fact until I had started fires over 200,000 in the initial attack, with lingering fires around 1000 next day. Can't say I have done enough strat bombing to be sure that is always the level of fires required.

[Lowpe]

ORIGINAL: BBfanboy

Wow - that stack of AF Bns/Units at Taihoku show just how much he was expecting to operate his AF from there, and your bombardment TFs ruined it all! He must have lost over 2000 aircraft just on Formosa. Your VP harvesting is well underway! [:)]

EDIT: about the fire levels - in my games I never saw any messages about fire damaging industry after the fact until I had started fires over 200,000 in the initial attack, with lingering fires around 1000 next day. Can't say I have done enough strat bombing to be sure that is always the level of fires required.

I have lost industry to less than 200 fires. [:(]

[BBfanboy]

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

ORIGINAL: BBfanboy

Wow - that stack of AF Bns/Units at Taihoku show just how much he was expecting to operate his AF from there, and your bombardment TFs ruined it all! He must have lost over 2000 aircraft just on Formosa. Your VP harvesting is well underway! [:)]

EDIT: about the fire levels - in my games I never saw any messages about fire damaging industry after the fact until I had started fires over 200,000 in the initial attack, with lingering fires around 1000 next day. Can't say I have done enough strat bombing to be sure that is always the level of fires required.

I have lost industry to less than 200 fires. [:(]

Less than 200 during the bombing, or after the attack?

[Canoerebel]

9/13/44

Peep Show: Allied attack at Taihoku at 3:1 and drops forts from 4 to 1, just missing taking the base. My guys will rest two days and then attack again, almost certainly taking the base.

Coastal China: Big IJA stacks near Foochow and near Amoy. Will he enter those hexes or not. Surely, surely not.

Indochina: Both sides moving around making little noises here and there, but nothing's going on that will mean anything long term. The three divisions John landed at various points last week are pretty beat up already.

KB: One division at Singapore, one at Soerabaja, and two probably around the Homes Islands, but I'm not picking up good information on them.

[paullus99]

I can't believe John is going to fight in the open - I bet he doesn't move forward.

[Lowpe]

ORIGINAL: BBfanboy

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

ORIGINAL: BBfanboy

Wow - that stack of AF Bns/Units at Taihoku show just how much he was expecting to operate his AF from there, and your bombardment TFs ruined it all! He must have lost over 2000 aircraft just on Formosa. Your VP harvesting is well underway! [:)]

EDIT: about the fire levels - in my games I never saw any messages about fire damaging industry after the fact until I had started fires over 200,000 in the initial attack, with lingering fires around 1000 next day. Can't say I have done enough strat bombing to be sure that is always the level of fires required.

I have lost industry to less than 200 fires. [:(]

Less than 200 during the bombing, or after the attack?

Days after the attacks as the fires dwindled. Soo slowly.

[Canoerebel]

9/13/14

Naval Skirmishing near Taihoku: A series of nighttime and daytime clashes - the Japanese are the aggressors, the Allies have the numbers, but the outcome doesn't live up to the promise.