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*bows to Cap-san* ありがとうございました for your reply.

Use the KB to blockade PM. He is not going to be sending shipping into the area while your CVs are there.

I'm not worried about him sending in more shipping; I'm worried about surface ships that may already be in and around Port Moresby, operating at night. I think I must have caught him just as he was sending in some transports and ASW assets into Moresby. As I mentioned, I didn't do the greatest job of air-search over Port Moresby before I approached the target -- the only ships I'd spotted were to the south of New Guinea, so I focused my search arcs there. Anyway, I suspect all that's left around Moresby are PGs, DDs, PBs, AKs, TKs, stuff like that. KB can get them once day breaks -- but I worry about my transports getting chewed up at night, before KB's aircraft can fly. Still and all, I'm thinking I should just order the transports to continue on to Port Moresby, but I have a couple more questions:

1. To cover the transports, I could form a surface group out of my ASW TF, a couple of KB's DDs, and one or two of KBs surface ships -- Hiei, Kirishima, or CA Tone or a CL -- and have it "lead" the transports to PM. Alternatively, I could just put a couple such combat ships into the transport TF with the transports. Which is the better way to ensure the transports make it to Port Moresby without being harrassed by enemy surface craft? (A third alternative is what I suggested before: delay everything while my intended surface group "catches up" to the transports, but I hate losing the initiative like that -- I want to strike fast, while he's off guard.)

2. Also, is my practice of having an ASW TF "lead" other TFs (transport TFs, surface ships, KB) a silly one? Canoerebel reports greater ASW success with surface combat groups than with ASW groups. My theory is that the game engine looks to see what enters the hex "first," and I'd rather have an ASW group engage a sub than KB itself. But Canoe's observation suggests that I may misunderstand how AE works.

My goodness you are fussy. "Somewhat fatigued" = 10???

Hehe, well in one case, I meant fatigue of 16, morale of 98; another is fatigue 13, morale 97. But yes, I really do try to rest groups whose average fatigue is over 10, and whose morale is anything below 99. Being fussy makes my pilots perform better, and produces fewer operational losses. Even perfectly rested, a few of KB's pilots had accidents on landing last turn. Anyway, I suppose I can rest a few of the Zero pilots and let the rest go to town for another turn, and maybe have one fly long-range CAP over the transports. But I'm still not inclined to let KB sail right on up to Port Moresby -- I'd rather keep her in one of the shallow-water hexes east of Buna, so that she can dart back to Rabaul to rearm if need be. My replenishment TF is at Truk, but I already have a fair bit of fuel and supply (and now an Air HQ) at Rabaul. Which leads to a final question:

3. Can KB rearm the Kates' torpedoes from Rabaul (a level 3 port/airfield) if an Air HQ is there? (If not, I'll have to rearm at Truk, which is a level 7 port. I do have an AKE at Truk; time to move it to Rabaul ASAP, in any case.)

I normally don't puzzle this long over any given turn, but with my opponent gone for a week, I've got extra time on my hands with which to plan. Any further thoughts would be much appreciated, samurai.

ORIGINAL: cap_and_gown

My goodness you are fussy. "Somewhat fatigued" = 10??? [8|][8|]

Use the KB to blockade PM. He is not going to be sending shipping into the area while your CVs are there. (Unless he likes to see his ships sunk.) The division should still be enough. More than enough, really. Plus, you have reserves. The only thing you might want to have in addition is a replenishment TF. What did you do with the one you start out with? Do they still have fuel aboard? I say this because you may need to keep the KB on station for a little while maintaining the blockade on the off chance you need to bring in reinforcements to PM. But don't decide on reinforcements just because the first attack fails. Give it a couple of tries before deciding whether you have enough. His forts are probably at level 3. Those will come down after each assault, making your job progressively easier.

Agree. You've got the hammer. Now use it.

Your pilots are not fatigued. You still have 2/3 your war load of torpedoes-you're just getting warmed up. If you go through too many torpedoes, just switch your Kates over to those 800kg monsters-they'll ruin his day too.

Bring in the 4th and land it. Don't attack on day one-rest to recover some of the landing disruption. When you are moderately able, deliberate attack.

Use your SCTF to shield the transports until they are right near PM. Then you can peel your SCTF off and have it help defend KB, whereever it is. Set the react to a sufficient range that the SCTF could react into PM if there's an undetected TF about. KB should be situated a few hexes due South of PM.

Don't be afraid to use one of KBs Val daitais for naval search. It can accomplish a fan of 180 degrees at 60-70% search. You should be able to cover all approaches between your other float planes and this method. Oh, you may want to think about ASW with a low-altitude Val daitai as well. Keep your Kates mission the same-killing any shipping about.

BANZAI!

*bows to Chicken-boy-san* Thank you for your reply. Two follow-up questions for you.

Use your SCTF to shield the transports until they are right near PM.

So better to do this than to put combat ships in the transport TF itself? I ask because my main surface group is lagging behind, but I'd prefer not to wait for it. I could "borrow" a couple surface ships from KB to make a new surface group, or to put in the transport TF. I'm mostly worried about lingering enemy surface ships picking off transports at night; once dawn breaks, KB will presumably do its thing.

KB should be situated a few hexes due South of PM.

Hmm, why not 2-3 hexes east/southeast of Buna? KB can still interdict anything headed in/out of KB from there, and it'd be pretty much immune from enemy surface ships. Plus there's shallow-water there to help deal with subs, and it's a quick hop back to Rabaul to rearm.

ORIGINAL: Grotius

KB should be situated a few hexes due South of PM.

Hmm, why not 2-3 hexes east/southeast of Buna? KB can still interdict anything headed in/out of KB from there, and it'd be pretty much immune from enemy surface ships. Plus there's shallow-water there to help deal with subs, and it's a quick hop back to Rabaul to rearm.

This is nuts. How is the KB supposed to react to American CVs in the Coral Sea if they show up? Stop worrying about surface ships. If they come out to play they are dead.

Fair enough. I doubt the American CVs are near, as they were last seen near Wake Island just 10 days ago, but I suppose that's time enough for them to have made it to Noumea.

Incidentally, speaking of surface ships, my opponent continues to trot them out whenever and wherever he can. He just *loves* surface ships. I think he wishes we were playing War Plan Orange or something set in WWI, actually. (Indeed, he tends to neglect aircraft; note that he has no air defense at all at Port Moresby. I doubt he's anywhere as near as fussy as I am about pilot fatigue and training.) I don't even mention most of his naval sorties because they're mostly inconsequential, but here are a couple examples from the two most recent turns.

First, a naval bombardment of Manado. (Note, Cap-san, that his results were much less impressive than mine. Presumably my BB made the difference?) I'm glad he did it when he did, because I had a convoy of engineers en route a day out. These annoying guys pop up in the DEI every third turn, it seems. Where are they rearming, anyway?

Naval bombardment of Manado at 75,99

Allied Ships
CA Houston
CL Boise
CL Marblehead
CL Durban

Airbase hits 1
Runway hits 7
Port hits 5
Port fuel hits 1
Port supply hits 1

CA Houston firing at Manado
CL Boise firing at 146th Infantry Regiment
CL Marblehead firing at 146th Infantry Regiment
CL Durban firing at 146th Infantry Regiment

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Naval bombardment of Manado at 75,99

Allied Ships
CL Dragon
CL Tromp
CL De Ruyter
CL Java

Airbase hits 1
Runway hits 16
Port hits 6
Port supply hits 2

And yesterday, a little 4xDD raid on my ships depositing troops at Luzon. By diplomatic communication (i.e., e-mail), Maikarant-san said his destroyers were getting "restless." They encountered my covering force:

ight Time Surface Combat, near Vigan at 80,73, Range 11,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
TB Chidori
TB Manazuru, Shell hits 2, heavy fires
TB Hatsukari
TB Tomozuru
TB Kiji
SC Ch 1
SC Ch 2, Shell hits 2, heavy fires
SC Ch 3
DD Tatsuyuke, Shell hits 1

Allied Ships
DD John D. Ford, Shell hits 1
DD Peary, Shell hits 6, heavy fires, heavy damage
DD Pillsbury, Shell hits 1
DD Pope

His DDs then escaped back to the (dwindling) air cover of Manila -- a typical Maikarant night raid. But his fighters are thin enough (and his airfield pockmarked enough) that I felt confident ordering a few "restless" Betties to retaliate, and in fact he left his fighters on the ground:

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 18
G4M1 Betty x 9

Japanese aircraft losses
G4M1 Betty: 2 damaged

Allied Ships
DD John D. Ford
DD Pope, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk

---------------------

So, I'm not facing Sir Robin, at least not a naval one. And now I see he's trying to reinforce Port Moresby. He fights. And he's a good guy.

ORIGINAL: Grotius

*bows to Chicken-boy-san* Thank you for your reply. Two follow-up questions for you.

Use your SCTF to shield the transports until they are right near PM.

So better to do this than to put combat ships in the transport TF itself? I ask because my main surface group is lagging behind, but I'd prefer not to wait for it. I could "borrow" a couple surface ships from KB to make a new surface group, or to put in the transport TF. I'm mostly worried about lingering enemy surface ships picking off transports at night; once dawn breaks, KB will presumably do its thing.

KB should be situated a few hexes due South of PM.

Hmm, why not 2-3 hexes east/southeast of Buna? KB can still interdict anything headed in/out of KB from there, and it'd be pretty much immune from enemy surface ships. Plus there's shallow-water there to help deal with subs, and it's a quick hop back to Rabaul to rearm.

Yes. IMO, it is better to have an independent SCTF in intimate association with a separate amphibious TF. Stick a CL in the amphib TF for some CD resistance if you don't want the small caliber CD guns chewing up your light escorts.

Keep KB close to your amphibious and SCTF forces. It is there to protect them and react to threats, not the other way around.

KB is your hammer. Use it when necessary, especially early in capturing key bases.

If your opponent is foolhardy enough to engage you with understrength and poorly constituted SCTFs, let him try. Likely you'll sink him with a/c before he becomes a threat if you position KB properly. Your guardian SCTF should help too.

Don't think about rearming right now. See the mission through and THEN rearm when your ships are heading back too.

Let me show you graphically why you want the KB south of PM, especially if you are worried about a SCTF interfering with your landing.


The long and short of this picture is that with the KB north of New Guinea, it cannot prevent a SCTF from sprinting into PM to interfere with your invasion. You want the KB positioned south of PM in a position where it can attack any SCTF trying to set up for a sprint into PM.

*bows to both of the 侍*
Thank you for your thoughtful input, and especially for that revealing map. You have convinced me. Also, Chickenboy-san, thank you for your thoughts on placing a CL or other surface ship in the amphibious task force; that was my inclination as well. I am still annoyed with myself for putting a slow CL in the surface group that is lagging three hexes behind the transports. No matter how much time I spend on a turn, I always seem to overlook something!

As our game is paused, in the coming days I may post some more information about other aspects of our war, such as the situation in Luzon, Malaya, Burma. Perhaps a little more economic data too.

There is much to learn
Do not be dismayed my friend
Time to crack more eggs

I suffer the same trepidations at times. Not willing to risk my Japanese capital ships or carriers for fear of taking damage or losses. I'm trying to get over it too. Now is the time to strike, use the power and fear generated by KB's presence to dictate to your opponent. Force the Allied player to react to what you do, rather than worry what he might do to you.

Teach your enemy
To remember why it is
He fears the cruel sea

I have no idea if these are any good, but I gave it a shot [:D]

Grotius,

For the record, I think they are giving you the right advice. But I nearly busted a gut laughing when I saw this new post in Harry's AAR "Three SAGs jump the KB."

http://www.matrixgames.com/forums/tm.asp?m=2391818&mpage=2&#2420070

ORIGINAL: Chickenboy
F1M2 Pete: 26 in pool, 3/month; Halt immediately in favor of Jake. Don't think it's gamey to use and focus on the best plane design available to you instead of producing and using lesser airframes.

Short legged nimble bird
With teeth and claws
Every sub commanders´dream


Actually they are quite nice float planes for submarines. The reaction range of subs is now 1, so I mostly limit my search range to that and they are nimble and quite hard to shoot
down. Survivability and service rating plus a couple of more guns would be my choice for those missions.
Although I´d stop after the pool is big enough to bring your floatplane carrying subs through the war.

Great AAR! [:)]

Edit: I probably just gave the perfect demonstration how to not write a Haiku but just had to do it...

ORIGINAL: witpqs

Grotius,

For the record, I think they are giving you the right advice. But I nearly busted a gut laughing when I saw this new post in Harry's AAR "Three SAGs jump the KB."

http://www.matrixgames.com/forums/tm.asp?m=2391818&mpage=2?

Yes, an amusing title for a post. But please read the entire day's events.

Perhaps Herwin takes pride in 'jumping the KB' ineffectually. The scattered supernumerary SCTFs are cut to ribbons later in the day since they didn't take KB out of action. Trying to guess KBs location with small, weak TFs and 'luck out' with a torpedo hit on an a/c carrier is a nice way to get pretty much all of your ships sunk.

The lesson learned from that AAR is that an allied player needs patience before trying to engage the IJN early in the war. Squeezemylemon is right: make him dance to your music now. Force him to do what you will. You've got the power, use it to effect.

I read the whole thing. I thought referring Grotius to it to make his own assessment was better than me giving my take on it.

For what it's worth, I think the risk/reward profile of that engagement is less clear cut than you do. Things could have turned out worse for the KB. Was the loss of those assets worth that chance? Or, was it wiser to keep those assets sort of as a 'fleet in being' and just threaten KB? I think if the enemy knows you are only demonstrating then there is no threat. You must be known to be willing to attack for there to be a threat perceived.

I still agree with the advice already given to Grotius here. Just keep KB moving - maybe even give them a small patrol zone so they stay in position but are more difficult to intercept.

There is always risk. Just manage it.

Teach your enemy
To remember why it is
He fears the cruel sea

I have no idea if these are any good, but I gave it a shot

*bows to 私のレモンを絞るさん (My-Lemon-Squeezing-san)*
Excellent contribution, 私のレモンを絞るさん. "Cruel sea" is a compelling image, and you have the perfect number of syllables, 5/7/5. (Not that I'm a stickler about that -- any short three-line poem can be a beautiful haiku, something that captures vivid images in a few words.) In general, I have been impressed by the quality of haiku that have been contributed to this account; I thought no one but me would be willing to try it.

But I nearly busted a gut laughing when I saw this new post in Harry's AAR "Three SAGs jump the KB."

*scambles to figure out how to say "witpqs" in 日本語* Erm, *bows to witpqs-さん*
My worst nightmare! My opponent just lives to send surface ships charging in everywhere. In fact, the day after the Pearl Harbor attack, he had surface ships out, trying to force a surface engagement against KB.

Perhaps Herwin takes pride in 'jumping the KB' ineffectually. The scattered supernumerary SCTFs are cut to ribbons later in the day since they didn't take KB out of action.

You're surely correct, 鳥少年さん (Chickenboy-san -- actually "Birdboy-san" because it looks cooler in kanji). I continue to plan to abide by your advice. But for the record, Herwin got something out of it, I suppose; this from the first surface-combat action:

CV Soryu, Shell hits 2
CV Shokaku, Shell hits 2, Torpedo hits 1
CV Zuikaku, Shell hits 1

Short legged nimble bird
With teeth and claws
Every sub commanders´dream

*bows to ロバロンさん (Lobaron-san)* Excellent contribution, ロバロンさん, thank you. I also favor "bird" images when composing verse about aircraft, and there are plenty of birds to draw on as examples. But I am curious about your defense of the F1M2 Pete. It sounds like you use them instead of the Glen on submarines? Or do you like them for ASW in general, on board surface ships? One advantage of the Jake is that it can prosecute submarines further away, helping to flush them out. A detected submarine is a less effective one. But I hadn't considered the Pete's service rating or guns; I will have a closer look.

ORIGINAL: witpqs
You must be known to be willing to attack for there to be a threat perceived.

Disagree. A player who only perceives a threat after a history of previous attacks is not very open minded. A wise player should be open to unknown or potential threats, regardless of history.

There is always risk. Just manage it.

Agree.

ORIGINAL: Grotius

You're surely correct, 鳥少年さん (Chickenboy-san -- actually "Birdboy-san" because it looks cooler in kanji). I continue to plan to abide by your advice. But for the record, Herwin got something out of it, I suppose; this from the first surface-combat action:

Here's the other side of those exchanges, with repeats only listed once (the last time they were attacked):

1: DD Jupiter, Shell hits 1, and is sunk

2: DD John D. Edwards, Shell hits 1
DD Parrott, Shell hits 1
DD Stewart, Shell hits 1

3. DD Kortenaer, Bomb hits 2, heavy fires, heavy damage

4. DD Whipple, Bomb hits 3, and is sunk
CA Houston, Bomb hits 8, heavy fires, heavy damage
DD Bulmer, Bomb hits 1, heavy fires, heavy damage

5. DD Encounter, Bomb hits 5, heavy fires, heavy damage
CL Mauritius, Bomb hits 3, heavy fires, heavy damage

6. DD Stronghold, Bomb hits 2, heavy fires, heavy damage
DD Isis, Bomb hits 2, heavy fires, heavy damage

7. CL Boise, Bomb hits 3, heavy fires

8. DD Van Nes, Bomb hits 5, and is sunk
DD Banckert, Bomb hits 1, heavy fires
DD Evertsen, Bomb hits 3, and is sunk
CL Tromp, Bomb hits 2, and is sunk
DD Van Ghent, Bomb hits 1, and is sunk
CL Java, Bomb hits 2, heavy fires, heavy damage
DD Witte de With, heavy fires, heavy damage
CL De Ruyter, Bomb hits 2, and is sunk

I count:
12 x DDs confirmed sunk / probable sunk
5 x CLs confirmed sunk / probable sunk
1 x CA confirmed sunk / probable sunk

Damaged:
3x DD

On the IJN side: some shell damage to 4 or 5 CVs / CVLs and (maybe) a torpedo hit against a fleet carrier. That may be FOW.

Grotious-san: This is a wholesale slaughter. I'd take this exchange any day of the week. This is as poor a showing as Savo island was for the allies-a complete and total drubbing. Looking at it as anything else is disingenuous.

Your goal is to kill and destroy. If your opponent opts to sell his life cheaply by exposing himself to your fire in a nonsensical naval charge, so much the better.

ORIGINAL: Chickenboy


I count:
12 x DDs confirmed sunk / probable sunk
5 x CLs confirmed sunk / probable sunk
1 x CA confirmed sunk / probable sunk

Damaged:
3x DD

On the IJN side: some shell damage to 4 or 5 CVs / CVLs and (maybe) a torpedo hit against a fleet carrier. That may be FOW.

Grotious-san: This is a wholesale slaughter. I'd take this exchange any day of the week. This is as poor a showing as Savo island was for the allies-a complete and total drubbing. Looking at it as anything else is disingenuous.

Your goal is to kill and destroy. If your opponent opts to sell his life cheaply by exposing himself to your fire in a nonsensical naval charge, so much the better.

I concur. This is what I meant when I said that if he sallies his surface forces they will die.

Grotious-san: This is a wholesale slaughter. I'd take this exchange any day of the week.

No argument there, Cap-san -- even if there was a torpedo hit on the carrier. I'd take it too.

It's not fair to put F1M's on subs, that's not what they are for, and it is by no stretch of the imagination possible in real life. The Glen was a specially designed plane, and if you look at some of the stats, that is very clear. It is a very small plane, very light. The F1M Pete could not possibly fit inside a sub hanger.

What is the Pete useful for? Well, discounting some fairly impressive stats that might help it take on light bombers, it isn't better than the Jake. Of course, that's the point of the advice given to you earlier, to stop producing it in favor of the Jake.