...the destroyer of worlds. - An Armageddon AAR (no Nemo)

[PaxMondo]

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

PH, I want to encourage you to continue your AAR. We don't get very many duel AARs from players of the caliber of you two gents, and none this late in the war.

I haven't followed the two AARs as closely as I'd like to, due to time constraints. So I'm not fully aware of the "leaking" situation, but I think Nemo has received reports similar to yours - that readers (most likely unentionally) leaked info that a smart player can glean helfpul information from. So I think both of you are getting or have gotten reports that the other player may be benefiting from leaks.

It is possible that the people making these reports (such as the PM to you that you mentioned) are just making this up entirely, thus creating mischief. Or it's possible there have been some unintentional little leaks, though I don't think any readers are doing anything intentional.

But I will stake my life on the fact that neither you nor Nemo would violate OpSec.

Nemo is smart enough to read the tea leaves and make alot of clever deductions without any outside help, as are you. I think you can dismiss the reports and continue the game as you have.

The only suggestion I'd make (to you and Nemo) would be to give more of your thoughts and less excerpts from the combat report. I love reading your analysis of what's going on and what you're planning. I don't care much about the minutae that comes from copying and pasting combat reports as it can bog down an AAR.

Good luck and keep up the good fight...and thanks for the lovely photo of a lovely lady.

+1

[LoBaron]

PH, I posted this in Nemos AAR and I´d like to post it here also in case you still have an agreement
not to look at each others AARs:

ORIGINAL: LoBaron

This is about the most idiotic breach of a gentlemens agreement I can imagine.

Agree with Canorebel, there is a huge difference in underestimating the intel gathering possible by simply reading between
the lines and intentionally leaking information, whether true or false doesn´t matter.

Sorry to hear that Nemo, this is a very interesting AAR. I hope you will change your mind but I understand if
you decide not to.

I´d like to repeat here, I am a real fan of both your AARs and I think it sad that one idiot is able to take away the fun.
I hope you find a way to continue, both, this scenario and the AAR.

In case this is not an option I´d just like to say thanks for a very educative read from both of you.

[Rob Brennan UK]

Ditto PjH , i am really going to miss your avatar especially [;)].

[Hortlund]

Thanks,

Well, not much fun to go all the way here and not finish it. Im not going to censor the AAR, I think I'll go the other way instead and "tell all".

Last turn Nemos night bombers attacked Naha on Okinawa. 3 Ki-264s managed to hit 4 CVEs in port. I find those results a tad ridiculous, but nevertheless, there you are. I have massed the invasion fleet at Naha, and now Nemo has found it. I have no doubt that tomorrow, he will throw more night bombers on Naha. My night fighters have been utterly impotent at stopping these nuiscance attacks, and there is no reason to expect that they will do any better tomorrow night. Therefore, I must move the fleet from anchor and out to sea. And thus...Im giving the orders to embark the ships, the invasion is on.

Here is a map over the invasion plan.

I will hit three beaches with roughly 2000k AV at each beach, I will also have a floating reserve with 3k AV. The reason Im spreading out like this is because I think it would be too easy for Nemo to mass all forces against a single beach. The floating reserve will probably not be used to reinforce a stalled invasion beach, but instead it will land where (if?) I manage to secure a beach. The reserve forces will be used to exploit the successful invasion.

The landing sites are chosen because they are open terrain, and they are very far from any reasonable place to land. Who would invade at the very end of the Yellow Sea, deep into enemy territory, when there are easier beaches further south that are also in LRCAP-range?

I have more units "in line" on the way from Pearl and San Fransisco, and I have more units in the Philippines, but I cannot wait any longer, and I will not be able to lift all those forces in a single go anyway.

Surface combat TFs will take up blocking positions around Sashi To, these units will also serve as a diversion, making Nemo think Im invading further south in Korea. After all, that would be the smart thing to do...invade in range of friendly fighter LRCAP. Instead Im relying on two things, my CVs and target saturation. Basically I believe Nemo will be able to throw several thousand fighters and bombers at my invasion fleet, Im expecting thousands of Kamikazes. I cannot guarantee that my CAP will keep them away from my ships, quite on the contrary, recent attacks have proven that his kamikazes will get through any CAP (by flying above my fighters service ceiling) so instead I will overwhelm him. Im putting alot of targets out there. The invasion TFs will have CVEs included (as Kamikaze-magnets), I will have hundreds of DDs, DEs and PFs on ASW duty all over the place, that should soak up some air attacks, I will have several different BB TFs, some with bombardment orders, others with SC orders and yet others just to cover my transports.

The first wave will consist of something along the lines of 20 CVs, 50 CVEs, 20 BBs, 200 DDs and DEs, 2-300 small craft, and roughly 1500 APAs, AKAs, APs, AKs, and landing craft.

Im thinking about doing a mini-invasion of Saishu To together with some surface combat TFs to try to lure Nemo to send reinforcements there first...Im not sure I have lifting power for that though...we shall see.

[Canoerebel]

Wonderful news, PH. So glad you're continuing your AAR!

Now, one request: please complete enough turns today so that we can find out what happens. Good luck!

[Hortlund]

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

Wonderful news, PH. So glad you're continuing your AAR!

Now, one request: please complete enough turns today so that we can find out what happens. Good luck!

Im still giving orders, I mailed nemo and said Im expecting to finish my turn by Thursday night or something like that

[paullus99]

Being the one that originally suggested Korea as a good place to launch a campaign, I'm sorry that someone seems to have violated operational security. Nemo is a tough-enough opponent, without the possibility of someone letting the cat out of the bag - you are a real trooper for continuing on, I still think you can really put the screws to him.

[crsutton]

Yes, do continue please. If my game goes deep and I suspect it will. I can refer to this AAR for hints and tactics later on.

Canoe is right. It is not necessary to post the massive combat reports. Only the parts that are exciting and pertinant to your remarks. Your maps are first rate and this is a great AAR.

[Captain Cruft]

I like the plan. Very much. There is no point in being subtle, just overwhelm

BTW for those who wish for more haste, you need to play this scen to realise just how much stuff you have to deal with. It's almost like doing a GC Turn 1 every go ...

[LoBaron]

Great you continue. [:)]

Thats a lot of metal gathering.
Do you play with replays ON?
I wonder how long it takes to watch a turn... [;)]

[stuman]

ORIGINAL: Captain Cruft

I like the plan. Very much. There is no point in being subtle, just overwhelm

BTW for those who wish for more haste, you need to play this scen to realise just how much stuff you have to deal with. It's almost like doing a GC Turn 1 every go ...

+1

Because the time frame is short, and due to the massive number of units that must be manipulated, I find this ( that is the stock version of Downfall ) very time consuming. But a lot of fun.

[PaxMondo]

Great to see you continuing.  As with others, I find this a MOST informative AAR on the late war strategies.  I've yet to get this far in a GC, and I am really concerned/interested in how to do so.
 
Thanks!
[&o]

[Captain Cruft]

One thing to realise with this scen though is how ill-prepared the Japanese areas compared to what they would be if it was the tail-end of full campaign game. Everything outside the Home Islands is in the "wrong place" and a lot of bases are totally undeveloped.