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Barbosa line from Pirates of the Carribean:  "You feckless pack of ingrates!"
 
What my then-young children heard this as:  "Your feckless pack of membranes!"

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

Barbosa line from Pirates of the Carribean:  "You feckless pack of ingrates!"

What my then-young children heard this as:  "Your feckless pack of membranes!"

Me no get.

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

Barbosa line from Pirates of the Carribean:  "You feckless pack of ingrates!"

What my then-young children heard this as:  "Your feckless pack of membranes!"

I think of Johnny Dangerously at times like this. "You stinking bastages!"; "Cork suckers!" [:D]

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

ORIGINAL: MateDow
Just wait until he gets the new Japanese battlecruisers (Kawachi in this scenario?). You'll find them between Pearl and SF once they arrive.

New Japanese battlecruisers won't be of much help to him in Burma, Thailand and Vietnam!

Sorry, didn't mean to imply that they would do any good, only that it seems like something that he will do in an effort to sink more merchants, which you can easily replace, carrying supplies, which you can easily replace. All and all, it will have little to no effect on the outcome of the war, and probably result in a ship being lost that could be used later as a fast response to an invasion.

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

No, oil isn't the Achillees heel.  I've never seen a game in which oil seriously affected Japan's ability to fight.  Partly, that's because in any game in which Japan has serious problems holding or protecting its oil in '42 and '43, that usually is just one symptom of a much broader and bigger problem.  Those games usually end with an IJ surrender before the oil becomes a real issue.  But in games that I've played into '45, I haven't seen oil truly hamper Japan's abilities - such as they are - to defend themselves.

Moreover, Japan can usually take adequate measures to protect oil until pretty late in teh game.

However, I have seen games in which excessive early losses of Japanese CAs, BBs or CVs seriously affected Japan's ability to wage war effectively. And this can become an issue for Japan early in the game.

Have to respectfully disagree most honorable Puntrower. Viberpol is out of gas in our game and it is hurting him bad. The Japanese fleet is going to sink sooner or later but losing it early is a mistake, not a heel sort of thing.

I also think that any threat to the oil-even a weak one will force the Japanese player off his feed. He has got to think about it all the time. I know I would if playing the dark side.

ORIGINAL: crsutton

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

No, oil isn't the Achillees heel.  I've never seen a game in which oil seriously affected Japan's ability to fight.  Partly, that's because in any game in which Japan has serious problems holding or protecting its oil in '42 and '43, that usually is just one symptom of a much broader and bigger problem.  Those games usually end with an IJ surrender before the oil becomes a real issue.  But in games that I've played into '45, I haven't seen oil truly hamper Japan's abilities - such as they are - to defend themselves.

Moreover, Japan can usually take adequate measures to protect oil until pretty late in teh game.

However, I have seen games in which excessive early losses of Japanese CAs, BBs or CVs seriously affected Japan's ability to wage war effectively. And this can become an issue for Japan early in the game.

Have to respectfully disagree most honorable Puntrower. Viberpol is out of gas in our game and it is hurting him bad. The Japanese fleet is going to sink sooner or later but losing it early is a mistake, not a heel sort of thing.

I also think that any threat to the oil-even a weak one will force the Japanese player off his feed. He has got to think about it all the time. I know I would if playing the dark side.

+1

Reading in on the IJ side of several AAR's and almost without exception they are short of fuel/oil. KB movements are routinely hindered due to lack of fuel.

I respectfully disagree.  Oil and fuel come into play in a major way pretty late, but hammering Japanese capital ships can have a major impact early in the game.  I recall one PBEM match - I don't know which one now - in which Japan lost 12 of 18 CAs by mid 1942.  That seriously affected the navy's ability to provide CAs to the KB and have any left other for other missions.  The IJN CA tends to rule the seas in 1942 but limited numbers make it a potential weak point.
 
That's one reason I think Reluctant Admiral will be such a different animal.  John has either intentionally or intuititively taken action to address Japan's Achillee's heel.  (IMO, of course.)

ORIGINAL: Chickenboy

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

Barbosa line from Pirates of the Carribean:  "You feckless pack of ingrates!"

What my then-young children heard this as:  "Your feckless pack of membranes!"

I think of Johnny Dangerously at times like this. "You stinking bastages!"; "Cork suckers!" [:D]

Wasn't that "farging bastages" and I believe it was Roman Maroni although you have the movie name correct.

That movie had me rolling on the floor with newspaper headlines like "Maroni Continues to Murder English Language"

7/5/42 and 7/6/42
 
NoPac:  Half KB (or close thereto) is still in the Gulf of Alaska.  SigInt that 7th Div. is aboard a maru bound for Akutan.  Judging by these things and John's desire to flip another turn later today, I think this is gonna happen this time.  Akutan has 137 AV low on supply, but that's about all I can do for the place given the overwhelming enemy forces present.  But Akutan is expendable and this may even help the Allies if it reinforces John's feeling that he has a deep and secure MLR in the Aluetians.  Meantime, I switched prep of about 300 AV at Pearl from various SoPac targets to western Aleutians islands.  This should help me deal with the lack of political points.
 
CenPac:  Half KB is still down around Baker Island.  John will come for my Gilberts holdings sooner or later.  They've already bought five weeks of huge commitment from the enemy. 
 
Australia:  AP Zeilin finally reached Melbourne.  She had been damaged in the Exmouth adventure and good APs are one thing I don't want to lose.
 
Bay of Bengal:  The Allies continue to move about unmolested by the enemy.  I know John's going to address this eventually.  I can buy out 41st USA Div. in two days.  Indomitable is two days from Colombo for withdrawal.
 
China:  Looking good.

Current forces allocated to the Aluetians. This exercise helps me visualize what I have and what I need.

The plan is to unfold like this:

1. Monitor Japanese activity (mission scrubbed if SigInt etc. reveals Japanese build up, since this operation is predicated on the condition that John will be focused further forward).
2. Attu is the key target. The plan fails if I don't take Attu.
3. Amchitka is the next most important target. I don't have to take this if Attu and most of the following are taken. Take this and Attu and the Allies have hit a home run.
4. Shemya, Kiska, Agattu and Ulak are almost certainly lightly held. The Allies are okay if any one or two of these prove problematic.
5. Adak is a second phase operation. I'm not likely to get the time or opportunity to move on Adak, but I want to be prepared "just in case."
6. Most PP expenditures will be needed for Attu and Amchitka. Once those are addressed, Adak is next. To the extent possible, I need to move Adak-prepping troops forward to Kodiak or Anchorage (most of these units are currently at Seattle and Pearl). This will facilitate a quicker second-stage move against Adak, should that prove desirable.
7. Time initial landings around late September or early October.
8. Begin build up of forces plus increased sea and air activity in southwest Oz soon, slowly building until a major feint gets underway in later September.
9. Objective: seize major bases in proxmity to Kuriles; cut off IJ bases in middle and eastern Aleutians; draw major and lengthy IJ response on eve of winter; if Japan replies in strength, be prepared to move in strength elsewhere (Coral Sea being my first choice).

I would add in some USN BF to get their extra Naval Support to help unloading and/or the Port Service units for their Naval Support.

Yes, that's a major consideration.  I have one USN base force included in the mix.  I'll have to hunt and peck to turn up some USN Port Service units.  I don't think I'll be able to get but one or two more USN base forces by D-Day.
 
One thing that may not be that obvious to relatively new players is the opportunity cost entailed in this exercise.  The number of units, the number of ships, the time needed to prep, and the time involved in the op is immense.  This will suck up most of my capacity to move through nearly the end of the year. If the op doesn't succeed in taking the bases, the time cost is high.  If the op meets the enemy and gets trashed, the cost will be crippling for four to six months.
 
So why this op?  Of all things I can do, this one has the best chance of achieving surprise and unhinging the enemy.  I think I can get John to accept a feint towards Oz (and possibly one aimed at Port Blair or Noumea).  That means I may have a week or more to operate free of enemy carriers.  If the op is successful, it cuts off a major part of the Japanese MLR, puts the Allies right at the doorstep of the Japanese homeland, and is just an embarrassing thing to undergo. 
 
This op has more potential for good things and avoiding bad things than anything else I could do at this point given the current deployment of forces. 

You missed the 4th of July, and I am sure you don't want to wait until Christmas to get Bob Hope and the USO Tour girls - when is the balloon going up?

We don't celebrate the 4th of July!  That's the day that Vicksburg fell and the Army of Northern Virginia retired from the field at Gettysburg! 
 
[X(]

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel
Army of Northern Virginia retired from the field at Gettysburg! 

Interesting turn of phrase. It's like saying that Nagasaki experienced slight temperature variations beyond the norm on August 9, 1945. Or that the Allied cruisers at Savo performed in a 'manner conducive to further improvement' on August 9, 1942.

When you go on one of your constitutionals in the mountains, you run, doncha, CR? Just say 'ran' then. No shame in calling it what it was-a whoopin'!

ETA: [;)]

ETA II: I hadn't realized, until I put together this saucy post, that those dates were separated by exactly 3 years. Quite the change in fortune in 3 years.

+1

Three points of clarification:
 
1.  I wasn't sure exactly what point Ol Dog was making.
2.  I'm not sure what Panzer Cat's "+1" is in reference to (I'm assuming its Rooster Youngun's post, but I'm not positive).
3.  Most folks here know this, but not the general population:  The Battle of Gettysburg didn't end on July 3, 1863.  The Confederates stuck around after Pickett's Charge hoping, in vain, that the Yankees might attack.  It wasn't until the next day, July 4, that the Confederates began to retire.  So, while the battle was a decisive Union victory it wasn't a rout.  But what a momentous occaision was Independence Day 1863:  The Confederates yield at Gettysburg and Vicksburg surrendered.  Meanwhile, in Tennessee, Bragg was involved in his massive retrograde movement in which he yielded all of Middle Tennessee without once giving battle.

CR - don't forget the repulse of the attack on Helena, AR as well.....that first week in July was a horrible experience for the Confederates, as they lost just about every engagement they were in.

7/7/42

NoPac: Half KB is near Adak Island. IJN cruisers bombard Akutan. Lots of enemy shipping seems to be approaching the island. But the main activity today is my hunting for engineers and base forces to allocate to the different islands included in my invasion plans. The project proves quite successful. I'll have to retrieve a couple of Port Service units from forward islands (Penhryn and Christmas). Also, the size of this invasion will probably require nearly all my decent APs and xAPs, which will limit or eliminate my ability to engage in amphibious operations elsewhere. That means I may convert this into a "stay and do whatever's necessary to control the area as long as possible." That, in turn, may mean I want to transfer Hornet to this theater, though I haven't made that decision yet.

CenPac: Half KB is north of Makin and flies big raids against Tarawa.

SoPac: IJN bombardment of Luganville.

Bay of Bengal: Indomitable will withdraw at Colombo tomorrow. Hornet and the other RN carriers are near Madras. I can buy 41st USA Div. tomorrow.

China: Looks good.

7/8/42

Busy day for sighting enemy carrier TFs.

NoPac: Amphibious landings commence at Akutan, comprised of 7th Div. and an assault division (a unit peculiar to this mod, I think). My units are badly disrupted by three BBs bombarding, so I don't know if they'll put up any kind of fight. Quarter KB is posted at Akad. Attu Island, which I think is relatively lightly defended, reaches leavel three airfield.

CenPac: Two IJN BBs bombard Tarawa with Half KB, posted at Jaluit, sending in air strikes.

SoPac: Two IJN BBs bombard Luganville.

Oz: Japan's airfield at Exmouth goes to level one. Lots of enemy activity up this coast. John's giving it full attention and I think I can feed his concerns when the time is right.

Bay of Bengal: Quarter KB shows up south of Port Blair. John knows that Hornet and RN carriers are somewhere in the Bay. I don't think he has enough to take on this force, so I think he's posting his carriers there to guard the flank of a big troop convoy inbound to Rangoon (this according to SigInt). On the chance that Quarter KB does penetrate into the Bay, I won't withdraw Indomitable yet (she has 12 days left). She's at Colombo. Hornet and the other RN carriers will take station near Trincomalee tonight, with CAP enhanced by a couple of American fighter squadrons there. Two big Zero sweeps of Ramree today, so tensions are rising here. I have two small troop TFs inbound tonight.

Carrier Forces: Here's the disposition of the Japanese carrier TFs right now:

Quarter KB North (at Adak): Five CVL: 74 F, 51 B (50 were shot down over Kodiak a few days back), 8 Aux.
Quarter KB West (near Port Blair): Four CV: 47 F, 64 B, 3 Aux
Half KB (at Jaluit): Four CV, three CVL: 169 F, 208 B, 5 Aux