Matrix Games Forums

[font="Verdana"]19th July 42[/font]
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Another surprise move by Tom

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SOPAC
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All of the sudden Tom lands on Norfolk Island. I saw the TF leaving Noumea but was sure it was a big CA TF heading out to hunt for Achilles and Perth. Instead this:

Amphibious Assault at Norfolk Island (113,170)

TF 69 troops unloading over beach at Norfolk Island, 113,170

Japanese ground losses:
102 casualties reported
Squads: 1 destroyed, 4 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 2 (0 destroyed, 2 disabled)

20 troops of a IJA Hy Inf Sqd 41 accidentally lost during unload of 4th JAAF AF Bn

Looks like pretty low prep landing. Not sure how much he was gutted but he will need some intact AV to capture Norfolk. Its empty though. But its only a level 1 AF and only 15 hexes from the level 8 AFs at Auckland. Tom probably intends for it to act as a forward scouting base. I might let him for a while as no traffic moves through this area anyway.

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Burma
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Tom sweeps Chittagong again. Doing way better then I would have liked and gets a 1:1 on the day.

Morning Air attack on Chittagong , at 55,41

Weather in hex: Severe storms

Raid detected at 133 NM, estimated altitude 33,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 39 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-45 KAIa Nick x 6

Allied aircraft
Hurricane IIb Trop x 31
Hurricane IIc Trop x 14

No Japanese losses

Allied aircraft losses
Hurricane IIb Trop: 1 destroyed

Morning Air attack on Chittagong , at 55,41

Weather in hex: Severe storms

Raid detected at 21 NM, estimated altitude 35,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 6 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-45 KAIa Nick x 22

Allied aircraft
Hurricane IIb Trop x 35
Hurricane IIc Trop x 16

Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-45 KAIa Nick: 1 destroyed

No Allied losses

Aircraft Attacking:
18 x Ki-45 KAIa Nick sweeping at 31000 feet

Morning Air attack on Chittagong , at 55,41

Weather in hex: Severe storms

Raid detected at 121 NM, estimated altitude 16,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 30 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-43-IIa Oscar x 39

Allied aircraft
Hurricane IIb Trop x 25
Hurricane IIc Trop x 11

Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-43-IIa Oscar: 4 destroyed

Allied aircraft losses
Hurricane IIb Trop: 2 destroyed

Aircraft Attacking:
15 x Ki-43-IIa Oscar sweeping at 15000 feet

I would kill for some Corsairs or P38s right now. [:(]

Have to pull back to Calcutta for now in case bombers come for the AF tomorrow. Have about 70% of the planes grounded due to damage. Have to be careful with the pools. Some squadrons upgrade directly from the Hurricane "b" to Spit VII or Thuds. So if I run out of "b"s they are useless. Only found one such squadron so far though but there might be more.

ORIGINAL: koniu
Have SSD from over Year now. New experience when using PC.[:D]
I am also using SSD for tracker and game. What i notice is that all load times go down by 50% or more. Game load in 5 sec now. Especially i notice speed increase with tracker. I think tracer can run even faster but my CPU is probably to slow.

Tracer is Java program. Java consume huge amount or RAM. I noticed decent tracer speed increase when i bought extra memory. Now i have 8GB RAM and all data is loaded to memory, when i had 4GB, HDD was used to load missing data when i was using tracker.

Indeed. With Windows on a SSD disc booting the computer to windows fully loaded in just 15 seconds! With Windows on a regular disc it took something like 45-60 seconds. Love it. [:)]

I also only have 8 GB of RAM. But I bought some quality ones. Corsair DDR (2x4GB) running at 1600MHz. Not sure if it was worth the money though. Would like to add more but I´ve run out of DDR slots on the MB so I can´t add more without having to discard the old DDR memories.

Most important improvement for me will be not having to wait for the HDD with AE on to spin up all the time. [:)]

Wow, those Nicks are doing really well. But then I remember that despite the high gun rating on the Hurricanes, it's just a bunch of peashooters compared to the Nick's armor and durability: .303 MGs. Get some heavier guns there if you can. Even P-40s will do in a pinch... If you can get some P-39s there, I think you might best the Nicks on sweep. I know airframes are tight right now and either of those may be impossible. But that's what's overpowering your planes. There couldn't be any other reason for 6 Nicks to meet 37 enemies on CAP and get away with no losses: the CAP needs more firepower.

ORIGINAL: Lokasenna

Wow, those Nicks are doing really well. But then I remember that despite the high gun rating on the Hurricanes, it's just a bunch of peashooters compared to the Nick's armor and durability: .303 MGs. Get some heavier guns there if you can. Even P-40s will do in a pinch... If you can get some P-39s there, I think you might best the Nicks on sweep. I know airframes are tight right now and either of those may be impossible. But that's what's overpowering your planes. There couldn't be any other reason for 6 Nicks to meet 37 enemies on CAP and get away with no losses: the CAP needs more firepower.

Yeah, I don´t remember the Nick doing so well in earlier games. Probably had P39/40s in India in those games though. I have some P40s in India. Wanted to wait until the pilots were a bit better. But I might have to send them in anyway. Learning on the job... [:D]

Actually have the only P38E squadron arriving in India any day now. Since I couldn´t downgrade any of the restricted P38 groups I only have a total of 28 planes though. Including the 25 in the squadron. [:(] So I will use them defensively ONLY.

ORIGINAL: Lokasenna

Wow, those Nicks are doing really well. But then I remember that despite the high gun rating on the Hurricanes, it's just a bunch of peashooters compared to the Nick's armor and durability: .303 MGs. Get some heavier guns there if you can. Even P-40s will do in a pinch... If you can get some P-39s there, I think you might best the Nicks on sweep. I know airframes are tight right now and either of those may be impossible. But that's what's overpowering your planes. There couldn't be any other reason for 6 Nicks to meet 37 enemies on CAP and get away with no losses: the CAP needs more firepower.

Those battle reports suffer from fog of war highly. Check the loss page before getting excited about how well the Nick did.

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

ORIGINAL: Lokasenna

Wow, those Nicks are doing really well. But then I remember that despite the high gun rating on the Hurricanes, it's just a bunch of peashooters compared to the Nick's armor and durability: .303 MGs. Get some heavier guns there if you can. Even P-40s will do in a pinch... If you can get some P-39s there, I think you might best the Nicks on sweep. I know airframes are tight right now and either of those may be impossible. But that's what's overpowering your planes. There couldn't be any other reason for 6 Nicks to meet 37 enemies on CAP and get away with no losses: the CAP needs more firepower.

Those battle reports suffer from fog of war highly. Check the loss page before getting excited about how well the Nick did.

Only 1 lost.

Just noticed the Hurri "c" have 4 Hispano cannons. That should do it? [:)]

[font="Verdana"]20th July 42[/font]
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Some unexpected events in China.

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China
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Tom tries to cut my forces from southern China by a river crossing close to Kweiyang.

Ground combat at 73,49 (near Kweiyang)

Japanese Shock attack

Attacking force 48217 troops, 633 guns, 597 vehicles, Assault Value = 1429

Defending force 54932 troops, 38 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 2018

Japanese adjusted assault: 104

Allied adjusted defense: 1665

Japanese assault odds: 1 to 16

Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+), experience(-)
Attacker: shock(+)

Japanese ground losses:
15317 casualties reported
Squads: 271 destroyed, 781 disabled
Non Combat: 21 destroyed, 131 disabled
Engineers: 18 destroyed, 85 disabled
Guns lost 153 (23 destroyed, 130 disabled)
Vehicles lost 140 (102 destroyed, 38 disabled)

Allied ground losses:
1275 casualties reported
Squads: 30 destroyed, 112 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 3 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 2 (2 destroyed, 0 disabled)

Assaulting units:
58th Division
9th Tank Regiment
40th Division
34th Division
3rd Tank Regiment
11th Tank Regiment
8th Ind.Hvy.Art. Battalion
6th Medium Field Artillery Regiment
15th Medium Field Artillery Regiment
14th Medium Field Artillery Regiment
1st Field Artillery Regiment
13th Ind.Art.Mortar Battalion
5th Ind.Hvy.Art Battalion

Defending units:
76th Chinese Corps
74th Chinese Corps
71st Chinese Corps
87th Chinese Corps
8th Chinese Corps
24th Chinese Corps
98th Chinese Corps

This is what I feel is a more "normal" river crossing. Sadly Tom has gotten away almost without a scratch in his earlier crossings and now it doesn´t matter any more. I don´t even have the supply to try and take advantage of this.

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SOPAC
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B17s hit the AF at Norfolk Island.

Morning Air attack on Norfolk Island , at 113,170

Weather in hex: Heavy cloud

Raid spotted at 47 NM, estimated altitude 15,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 14 minutes

Allied aircraft
B-17E Fortress x 17
LB-30 Liberator x 8
B-24D Liberator x 5

No Allied losses

Airbase hits 4
Airbase supply hits 5
Runway hits 28

The weather prevents a good result. I recon of Noumea shows KB is still sitting in port. I also see a transport TF. Not sure if its incoming or outgoing.

He sure got trashed though. Yikes. The VPs will help.

ORIGINAL: Cribtop

He sure got trashed though. Yikes. The VPs will help.

Not worse then being able to do this the following turn. [:(]

Ground combat at 73,49 (near Kweiyang)

Japanese Bombardment attack

Attacking force 3501 troops, 218 guns, 355 vehicles, Assault Value = 450

Defending force 54023 troops, 36 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 1914

Allied ground losses:
771 casualties reported
Squads: 22 destroyed, 26 disabled
Non Combat: 2 destroyed, 7 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

I meant to comment that his earlier river crossing didn't really look out of the norm. Poor Chinese infantry against well-supplied and experienced Japanese troops. He still suffered a lot of losses, but only enough to delay him a bit.

What you got there in that attack is a clear (temporary) victory for you. That's a nice gift, it should buy you some time for VPs.

I'm wondering how you're getting trashed so hard in the bombardments, though. Maybe just high disruption in that one? In my experience, you really need a huge stack of arty to deal a lot of casualties, even behind level 3 forts or so. Only 218 IJA guns there? That seems abnormally high. Maybe there was a bunch of FOW in that one...?


RE: the Nicks sweeping - yeah, the Hurri-c with the 4 cannons should help a lot. I'd say put CAP over airfields you want to use only, for now.

ORIGINAL: Lokasenna

I meant to comment that his earlier river crossing didn't really look out of the norm. Poor Chinese infantry against well-supplied and experienced Japanese troops. He still suffered a lot of losses, but only enough to delay him a bit.

What you got there in that attack is a clear (temporary) victory for you. That's a nice gift, it should buy you some time for VPs.

I'm wondering how you're getting trashed so hard in the bombardments, though. Maybe just high disruption in that one? In my experience, you really need a huge stack of arty to deal a lot of casualties, even behind level 3 forts or so. Only 218 IJA guns there? That seems abnormally high. Maybe there was a bunch of FOW in that one...?


RE: the Nicks sweeping - yeah, the Hurri-c with the 4 cannons should help a lot. I'd say put CAP over airfields you want to use only, for now.

Japanese have some very heavy guns in Manchukuo that they can send over - 280 mm, and some well over 305 mm. These huge guns will inflict casualties regardless of forts or terrain. Too bad the game doesn't seem to model the difficulty moving them IRL - bridges unable to support them, vehicles can't pull them up mountain roads, etc.

I think its a combo of what BB says and the fact that LCU apparently doesn´t build forts when out of supply. I havn´t looked up any of the arty units he has in China but I think he pretty much stripped Manchuria of all arty. I have take between 200-2000 losses to bombardments every day since pretty much the first turn.

Tell Oppigårds they need to start sending their beer to Korea. That looks like fine suds.

One note on pilot training: I always use USN CV DB for search (usually 10%) and TB for ASW (usually 10%), and train pilots accordingly. It seems redundant to train both types of pilots in both skills.

Cheers,
CC

ORIGINAL: Commander Cody
One note on pilot training: I always use USN CV DB for search (usually 10%) and TB for ASW (usually 10%), and train pilots accordingly. It seems redundant to train both types of pilots in both skills.

Cheers,
CC

I thought naval search can aid a bit in naval strike so I've always opted for that. I'm not sure if this is correct though.

Sorry for the lack of updates. Been in an all out war for the last 3 hours with a car sales person. We are NOT getting along nicely.

He is just stubborn and need to realize I will get my way eventually anyway. [:'(]

I used to be in sales (not cars thankfully.) You never forget the old saying: I have one car to sell; you have many cars you could buy.

Finally reached an agreement. Took its time. I´m not completely happy but at least I don´t feel robbed. Hopefully get an update up tonight. Some stuff happening in China.

[font="Verdana"]20th July 42[/font]
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Some unexpected events in China.

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China
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Fighting back a little where I can during the retreat. Tom has exposed himself a tad too much here and there.

Ground combat at 76,46 (near Chungking)

Allied Deliberate attack

Attacking force 34579 troops, 0 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 1209

Defending force 7256 troops, 60 guns, 1 vehicles, Assault Value = 168

Allied adjusted assault: 913

Japanese adjusted defense: 208

Allied assault odds: 4 to 1

Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+), op mode(-)
Attacker:

Japanese ground losses:
3251 casualties reported
Squads: 19 destroyed, 81 disabled
Non Combat: 84 destroyed, 40 disabled
Engineers: 2 destroyed, 7 disabled
Guns lost 13 (5 destroyed, 8 disabled)
Units retreated 1

Allied ground losses:
409 casualties reported
Squads: 2 destroyed, 44 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

Defeated Japanese Units Retreating!

Assaulting units:
93rd Chinese Corps
55th Chinese Corps
72nd Chinese Corps
2nd Chinese Corps
3rd New Chinese Corps

Defending units:
110th/B Division

Not much destroyed though so very little VPs.

Ground combat at 72,47 (near Kweiyang)

Allied Deliberate attack

Attacking force 18335 troops, 104 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 607

Defending force 180 troops, 0 guns, 32 vehicles, Assault Value = 18

Allied adjusted assault: 139

Japanese adjusted defense: 34

Allied assault odds: 4 to 1

Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+), leaders(+), experience(-)
Attacker: supply(-)

Japanese ground losses:
Vehicles lost 15 (5 destroyed, 10 disabled)
Units retreated 1

Allied ground losses:
70 casualties reported
Squads: 1 destroyed, 12 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled

Defeated Japanese Units Retreating!

Assaulting units:
60th Chinese Corps
1st Chinese Cavalry Corps

Defending units:
5th Armored Car Co

Might get a shot at cutting his super bombardment stack of from supply for a couple of turns. Still suffering between 500 and 800 casualties per turn. One would think he would have problems drawing supply...naah.

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SOPAC
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Tom sends out a CA TF with at least 8 ships into the Tasman sea. He might be hunting for Achilles and Perth. Too bad for him they are on the other side of NZ. And he also missed the 2 TFs his subs found a couple of turns back. [:'(]

Dumping some small troops on the outlying islands in the Fijis. One Japanese base is enough.

Sorry for the short update. Very tired tonight. Time for a small whiskey to celebrate the new car and a Walking Dead episode! [:)]

A funny thing happens when LCU combats occur....all of a sudden, the supply needed for the unit shoots upwards. I think somebody gave a ballpark figure of 3-times as high for the Supply Needed field. This means that, the next time supply is drawn, a whole bunch will try to flow (if possible).

Bombarding daily doesn't burn all of that "extra" supply. That "extra" is simply to maintain a daily bombarding (or attacking) pace if you choose to do it, and if the supply route will allow it.

I haven't found China to be unfriendly in terms of supply flow for the IJA. You might have some units in the red here and there, but not for long. And not by much.

ORIGINAL: Lokasenna

I haven't found China to be unfriendly in terms of supply flow for the IJA. You might have some units in the red here and there, but not for long. And not by much.

I'll second that sentiment. Towards the end of the Great Siege, the CEA was more or less living off of thier conquests.