Turnaround? Lowpe (J) vs Tiemanj (A) Stock

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ORIGINAL: Lowpe

A few R&D experiments.

Moving a r&d factory back down the line to production of the available plane (in line) does yield factory loss and complete damage.

Moving a r&d facility forward to the next generation plane also yields loss and complete damage.

You have to wait until the factory is fully repaired to move it to the next in line with no damage. It's also imperative to make sure you're really going to the next in line. Some airframes have strange upgrade paths. Things like the various A6M upgrade paths and the Ki-61c NOT being the upgrade from the Ki-61b.

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Game notes: I have managed to get some troops to Marcus, Ponape, Eniwetok. Mostly defensive air measures in Java, bombing Ambon, Manila heavily...

Getting supply, AA, AV, and mines to Denpasar. Also mined the hex west of Denpasar. Heavy cruiser, dd task forces should control the seas west of Java. Bombing his ground forces in northern java along with a DD bombardment.

Truk now has a small CL force working out of it...not having ships in theater is tough. Got some ASW search planes up in Pescadores finally. Thank goodness for dud torpedoes as he had hit but dudded on several ships.

Fly some night search as well as day search and ASW missions. Helps prevent night sub attacks.

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ORIGINAL: Lowpe

We are patching up to the Beta. Is there anything special to worry about migrating a pbem game to the beta?

Should I offer to wait given the chance of a game breaking fight on the morrow?

I feel very much the visitor in this game and don't want to upset the Allies.

We choose this date when I agreed to play over a week ago in game days. Plenty of time to adjust I think.

Any advice?

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Edit: No worries, patching up on schedule. It is good to have a good opponent. I really lucked I think....knock on wood. [:)]

There are a few things to think about.

1. You will have much worse air coordination from here on out. That will hurt you a bunch early, so make sure and mostly sweep a LOT rather than send bombers in with escorts, at least until CAP is worn down. His strikes will also suffer this, so take advantage.

2. Flak is better for both sides. This means low strikes you may have been sending will now take more losses and be disrupted more. Don't touch Colombo with a ten foot pole! Big AA there!

3. Logistics are easier, with lots of nice format changes that will reduce clicks.

4. You can use coastal routing for some tankers which keeps them feel away from most sub patrols.

[Lowpe]

There are a few things to think about.

1. You will have much worse air coordination from here on out. That will hurt you a bunch early, so make sure and mostly sweep a LOT rather than send bombers in with escorts, at least until CAP is worn down. His strikes will also suffer this, so take advantage.

2. Flak is better for both sides. This means low strikes you may have been sending will now take more losses and be disrupted more. Don't touch Colombo with a ten foot pole! Big AA there!

3. Logistics are easier, with lots of nice format changes that will reduce clicks.

4. You can use coastal routing for some tankers which keeps them feel away from most sub patrols.

I am forwarding this to the Allies...I have never played stock, only versions of the beta. Whereas the Allies have only played stock...

[Lowpe]

[quote]ORIGINAL: obvert
You have to wait until the factory is fully repaired to move it to the next in line with no damage. It's also imperative to make sure you're really going to the next in line. Some airframes have strange upgrade paths. Things like the various A6M upgrade paths and the Ki-61c NOT being the upgrade from the Ki-61b.
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My test shows you can move a partially repaired factory to the next generation plane without damage too. At least in the non Beta.

[Lowpe]

Quiet turn...American CV forces retreat to the west. Downed 10-20 assorted allied fighters over Java, missed two submarine attacks on juicy allied xAPs near India.

I think his carriers are headed to Cocos, ordered a port attack on Cocos with Bettys and a 7 hex CV strike on Cocos shipping. Also running the Oi and her sister right by Chirstmas Island 10 to evade the American CVs.

I am still playing catch up, finding units and splinters of units in strange locations, changing leaders...I am starting to get shipping and transports to where they are needed.

Way behind the power curve in the North Pacific...it worries me, but if the Allies concentrate in Java I should be able to catch up.

[Lowpe]

Aug 1st, 1942.

The Val2 shows up. I am not going to produce any and stay with the Val 1. Val 2 factories will build to the 30 level and switch to R&D for the next generation.

I am one month away for the first Tojo, and my R&D plants are repairing nicely.

Here are the major ship losses so far...

[Lowpe]

A raid on Cocos turns up loaded tankers in port and some xak out. Nothing confirmed sunk, but burning....

The Junyo's planes raided Cocos too, then she is heading north to join the mini KB.

Hopefully this will draw the American CVs from the Java area long enough for me to do some major landings without interference from the carriers.

[Lokasenna]

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

I was thinking the same thing...upgrades?

Lady Lex loses her big guns and gets lots of ack ack but I thought that was a couple of months ago? I can't remember if the CVs start with radar or not, but lots of AA upgrades.

I was also wondering if Warspite is with the carriers. I don't like that ship as the crew is very experienced...

I hope I am not getting too clever here with my force dispositions...should I simply mass the KB and mini KB and seek out a slugfest? There is a lot of the Japanese Navy north of Cocos and south of Ceylon...and some south of Cocos, and west of Cocos.

If I had to guess, the Allies will think that the KB will head north to join with Junyo west of Merak and take advantage of the 150 land base fighters in that area with the damaged CA retreating to the Ternate area....I have other plans however that are somewhat hamstrung by the complete lack of AKEs.

The CVs do not start with radar. By this time, a few of them should have a radar set.

One of the Lexington class upgrades, and I think it is the 7/1/42 upgrade, actually reduces her AA rating. Of course it skyrockets again later and it's still 1100 or so, but the AA rating definitely goes down sometime during/after the removal of the 8" turrets but before the addition of 40mm's in their place.

[Lowpe]

Lots happening in Java, as he sneaks the Dauntless and other DD out and away to the south. Most of my air force is defensive in nature as I am still rebuilding them to get experience, training, and morale up.

Lightnings at 37,000 feet are very dangerous, but he has only one squadron in Java for now.

The 4th Division, which had been all but wiped out on July 22 & 23 is up over 200 points in AV.

I am planning on taking Cocos and Island 10 as well a southern Java. A lot of the timing will depend upon his carriers...Island 10 is ready now, Cocos in a day or two, while southern Java the shipping, and forces are still getting into position.

[JocMeister]

Nice working on getting all those BBs. He is going to miss those when he start doing atoll landings!

[Lowpe]

ORIGINAL: JocMeister

Nice working on getting all those BBs. He is going to miss those when he start doing atoll landings!

If only I had defenses on those atolls! Working on it..

I feel that the momentum has shifted a little. If only the Allies don't push in the Central Pacific and North Pacific I should be able to make a long game out of this.

Of course this WITP and everything can change in one day. [:)]

EDIT: Of course, the very next day two small allied task forces show up heading for Kursai and Nauru. I have an ENG unit landing on Kusai this day, and Nauru should get some help from a light cruiser task force. Bettys and Nells naval attack range increased to greater than escort range.

Naval Guards units tasked with holding these islands are just now loading at Truk.

[Lowpe]

Another relatively quiet day with plenty of troops and ships moving...in North Burma he attacked the lone defenders the 14th Tank Rgt. My oversight in not flying it supplies.

I have the half strength 1st Division heading to Ramree. Of all my depleted divisions in Singapore it was in the best shape strength and morale wise. Support units are also going with it. There is an air force unit there now building an airport.

Elsewhere, I landed troops on Christmas Island 10, my subs sank some damaged xAKs at Cocos, and there is a race on in the Central Pacific to secure some islands....it should be an exciting day.

[Lowpe]

On Java the Allied stack launched another bombardment, but this time against reinforced troops.

Otherwise, pretty quiet, his carriers launched a ground attack on Christmas Island 10 for little damage, and I will start high level sweeps of Java with this next turn.

Given the plane factories that I inherited I am thinking of not researching or probably building the Jack or the Tony. Instead concentrate on those lines I can R&D quickly or have huge factories for: Zero, Sen Baku, Oscar, Tojo, Frank.

Bombardment results on Java:

[Lowpe]

Allied cruisers attempt to bombard Xmas Island 10 only to be met by my favorite light cruisers...

[Lowpe]

After yesterdays failed Allied bombardment, the ABDA puts their entire air force, augmented by over 100 F4F's flown in from carriers in an attempt to break the air defenses and bomb the Kali airport back to the stone age....the attempt fails as the newly revitalized and led IJN and IJA fighters give a very strong performance in dogfights.

Meanwhile high level sweeps at Soerabaja also point to a much improved Japanese fighter force.

[Lowpe]

After many dogfights, the KB1 strikes at the juicy shipping around southern Java.

[Lowpe]

Shipping present in great numbers...the pilots pick and choose their targets....

[Lowpe]

And some solid results...

[JocMeister]

Nice work!

[Lowpe]

Nauru Island area...still a cause for great concern amongst the Japanese High Command.