An Aussie Affair: Luskan vs Raverdave

[Luskan]

In other PBEMs I've hammered enemy CVs beneath the waves, decimated air forces, slaughtered enemy troops (and had a few of the above things happen to me) but this was undoubtedly the best, most satisfying, most successful raid I've ever had. Hell, last night four of my BBs caught the Yamashiro (different PBEM) and duked it out, sending her to the bottom in the best surface combat I've seen (ended up at 2000 yards. Yamashiro hit each of my BBs, but when the Indiana opened up with her 20mm oerlikons it was all over ) 18 16 inch hits, a torpedo from my only destroyer and the Yamashiro finally bought it. Wasn't worth it, but was still satisfying. Back to this AAR:

I knew Raver had something sitting in port at PM (although I didn't know what it was, I should have guessed by the complete lack of activity with regards this branch of his navy) and my new B17 force was sent to get it, with some Hudsons to act as a flak shield and some Liberators to . . . er, liberate.

Enjoy

AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 09/30/42

Weather: Rain

Sub attack near Lunga at 38,40

Allied Ships
SS Stingray


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Air attack on Port Moresby , at 10,40


Allied aircraft
Hudson x 14
B-17E Fortress x 67
B-24D Liberator x 10


Allied aircraft losses
Hudson x 2 destroyed
B-17E Fortress x 2 damaged

Japanese Ships
SS RO-34, Bomb hits 3, on fire, heavy damage
SS I-28, Bomb hits 2, on fire
SS I-21, Bomb hits 2, on fire, heavy damage, reported sunk
SS I-175, Bomb hits 2, on fire
SS I-25, Bomb hits 1, on fire
SS I-1, Bomb hits 1, on fire
SS I-6, Bomb hits 2, on fire, heavy damage, reported sunk
SS I-27, Bomb hits 3, on fire, heavy damage, reported sunk
SS I-122, Bomb hits 2, on fire, heavy damage, reported sunk

B17s, 500 lbs bombs, I'd say that this sub force is either all under water, or . . . or under water in a limping home sort of fashion.



Japanese ground losses:
Men lost 69
Guns lost 1

Port hits 11
Port fuel hits 5
Port supply hits 5

Attacking Level Bombers:
3 x B-17E Fortress at 1000 feet
4 x Hudson at 1000 feet
3 x B-17E Fortress at 1000 feet
3 x B-17E Fortress at 1000 feet
3 x B-17E Fortress at 1000 feet
8 x Hudson at 1000 feet
6 x B-24D Liberator at 1000 feet
3 x B-17E Fortress at 1000 feet
3 x B-17E Fortress at 1000 feet
3 x B-17E Fortress at 1000 feet
9 x B-17E Fortress at 1000 feet
9 x B-17E Fortress at 1000 feet
3 x B-17E Fortress at 1000 feet
6 x B-17E Fortress at 1000 feet
3 x B-17E Fortress at 1000 feet
3 x B-17E Fortress at 1000 feet
4 x B-24D Liberator at 1000 feet
3 x B-17E Fortress at 1000 feet
6 x B-17E Fortress at 1000 feet
4 x B-17E Fortress at 1000 feet

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Air attack on Irau , at 42,43

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 16
A6M3 Zero x 18
Ki-43-Ia Oscar x 3

no losses


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To add to the bad news, it is now the 1st of october which = 40 p38s a month from here on in. I should have a wing at Irau before Raver's CV / invasion fleet arrives to try and take it back.

I'll have to post tomorrow to see if Raver's probable retaliation strike on my port facilities turns up! <Psych out!>

[Grotius]

Luskan,

I've never seen a combat report like that! Did you have your bombers on Naval Attack, Port Attack, or ASW Patrol? I note that they came in at 1000 feet; did you suspect subs, or is that your standard altitude?

Also: how do Hudsons act as a "flak shield"? Your losses are so light that I wondered how much flak is at PM.

[Bax]

I'm glad you had fun, Luskan, but something is wrong in this game if it allows such ludicrous results.

Not only would B-17's never be ordered into a heavily defended base at 1000 ft(B-25H's, Beaufughters...yes. B-17's? Nope), but all those bomb hits? Sheesh, if the B-17's had been that effective historically, the war would've been over before Christmas of 43.

I'm ok with you using 1000 ft as the bombing alt, because the game allows it(although I personally would not do that), but the game itself should've had your whole air fleet wiped out by the AA. That would've been more historically correct.

I think the uber B-17 is about the only really gamey thing left that needs some fixing.

[Luskan]

I have 6 or 8 damaged b17s at the base which were damaged in landing difficulties (or hit by flak, fog of war) but to be honest, the reason this port attack worked so well was the low altitude and complete lack of any enemy activity. Flak was virtually non existant, it was a clear day, and the subs were all parked nice and close together. When the RAF bombed the u-boat pens, even though the concrete pens themselves didn't always get wasted, the uboats inside always did (if they didn't make a run for it).

I don't think this is an overly gamey result. There are plenty of ways that raver could have majorly reduced the effectiveness of the raid (you'd be amazed what 4 or 5 fighters can do to disrupt a bombing run), and even without raver's input it would rarely work so well.

Port attack is too weak in my opinion - especially in the realm of recon. Those bombers should have told me exactly what number and sort of ships they were bombing etc.

Grotius: Flak shield was a joke. Hudsons just don't carry a big enough bomb to be of any real value as far as I'm concerned.

As for 1000ft: I only use it when I suspect there isn't going to be much flak or opposition. As the IJN I send in betties above 10000ft so that the airacobras the US has ohn cap suffer performance penalties and my zeroes eat them alive. But level bombers are always more accurate lower, and considering US pilots would know the layout of PM harbour very well, 1000 ft was best.

I try not to send bombers in at the same altitude twice in a row anyway.

[Luskan]

And as for accuracy, 90 level bombers at a thousand feet, each dropping how many bombs in broad clear daylight without opposition? The only got 20 or so hits - bombs that hit the port may also damage ships and vice versa etc. Accuracy is about 25%, which I think is about right.

Besides, if we were aiming for historic correctness, Raver wouldn't be in command of a fishing trawler, much less the IJN

[Raverdave]

You go right ahead and laugh it up.....there is some hard rain coming your way.

[Luskan]

How is your rain-dance going??

Quick update, a couple of fairly quiet turns. Rather than fighting Raver's fighters over Irau (where his guys were slightly ahead on average) I've enlarged the airbase to size two, and now have two marine dauntless wings causing a little trouble over Lunga. The wildcats escorting them have broken even with Raver's fighters so offence does seem to be the best defence.

Those dauntlesses have added a minesweeper, a PG or two and three or four PCs and a couple of AGs that hit mines supplying his isolated troops north of Irau (or evacuating them) to the sunk ship list. However Raver has a million of these little ships around Lunga (maybe as a buffer against any bombardment raid - worked pretty well last time he did it) and he can easily afford those losses. Really just nuisance value at the moment I'm afraid.

Another two 80+ heavy bomber raids on PM were uncontested (maybe raver finally is running out of fighters!) have got just two hits on already damaged subs, sending them to the bottom (making the total 6 confirmed downed subs in 3 turns at PM so far).

I have 8 p38s in the pool and I just know Raver is going to make a move in the solomons before then (Irau or maybe Nevea, which has a big northern flank he can approach). I'd guess Irau because he knows exactly what number of troops I have there and doesn't have to risk his carriers to add air support, but we'll see (we might see another Wupenko suicide attack? Or something more insane - weather in Noumea is great . . .)

[Raverdave]

Intel is divided as to exactly what Allied intentions are at this point. The recent large bombing raids on PM lend weight to the argument that this is the next Allied target, also there has been a marked increase in recon flights over PM. To take PM the Allies would have to commit at least 3 to 4 Divisions which would then make them weak in the south east pacific. Intel at this stage rates the chance of an invasion of PM at 55%.

More of a problem is what to do about the illegal Allied occupation of Irau. As time passes this can only grow into a first class base from which to strike at Lunga. His strength there is still low (about one RCT plus the usual REMFs) so this is a tempting target.
Intel believes that there will be no major moves towards Lunga for at least the next 2 to 3 months.

However there is a catch to all of this......my CVs are still in top-notch order. To mount a serious assualt at either PM or Lunga, the Allies have to first contend with my carriers. Currently I have 9 against his 5 and so at least until this number is somewhat balanced I, regardless of what intell says, cannot see him doing anything. Time will tell.

[Luskan]

Well, my intel says that I would only need 2 or 3 divisions plus engineers to snatch port moresby. What is so tempting is that there are no fighters in the area. A little off putting is raver's ability to put forty betties over Cairns unperturbed.

In Australia I have so many troops I could send fifteen divisions to PM if I had the transports.

In the solomons, well, if Raver wants to come and tango in my air cover, and lba range, he's welcome.

On the other hand, I've pounded the &^$@ out of Lunga with surface raiders twice now, without taking any damage, or any worry from bombers (there aren't any there) . . .

[Raverdave]

15 Divisons? :rolleyes: Come on you knob....name them.

(Looks like I am going to have to re-name Luskan-the-coward to Luskan-the-liar).:p

[Raverdave]

Ok......this thread has had over 3000 hits......and has ANYONE rated it yet? No ! Bloody freeloaders! Right....Luskan and I have decided that this thread will be forced to become a pay-per-view unless you ingrates out there show us some bloody respect!

[DoomedMantis]

Originally posted by Raverdave
Ok......this thread has had over 3000 hits......and has ANYONE rated it yet? No ! Bloody freeloaders! Right....Luskan and I have decided that this thread will be forced to become a pay-per-view unless you ingrates out there show us some bloody respect!

I show you all the respect you deserve, its not my fault that that level is so low;)

By the way, whats the score now? Strike one for DM and 0 for Raverdave:D

DM

[Raverdave]

Originally posted by DoomedMantis
I show you all the respect you deserve, its not my fault that that level is so low;)

By the way, whats the score now? Strike one for DM and 0 for Raverdave:D

DM

The above, dear reads, is a perfect example of what happens is you spend too much time standing in the sun......tends to fry the ol' brains.:p

[DoomedMantis]

But then old Dave at your advanced age (and level of senility) you've had a lot more time in the sun than me

And I where sunnies and a hat (the old slip slot slap) as I have seen the effects of the above on you in your gameplay;)

[Raverdave]

Originally posted by DoomedMantis
But then old Dave at your advanced age (and level of senility) you've had a lot more time in the sun than me

And I where sunnies and a hat (the old slip slot slap) as I have seen the effects of the above on you in your gameplay;)

Listen here you young whiper-snapper......treat you elders with respect!

[DoomedMantis]

Originally posted by Raverdave
Listen here you young whiper-snapper......treat you elders with respect!

Whats that I hear flapping in the wind, don't tell me you forgot to put your dentures in again Dave(

[Raverdave]

Originally posted by DoomedMantis
Whats that I hear flapping in the wind, don't tell me you forgot to put your dentures in again Dave(

So did you rate this thread or not........Pay-per-view is gonna cost you $1 per download..... but then being the man that you are, I guess you are used to paying for it:D

[Luskan]

Originally posted by Raverdave
So did you rate this thread or not........Pay-per-view is gonna cost you $1 per download..... but then being the man that you are, I guess you are used to paying for it:D

I've got to say Raver won that one . . .

But seriously folks. As this is the top viewed thread lets have some ratings. It probably isn't fair to have me or Raver rate ourselves.

Just remember, this AAR will come to a sudden, unfinished, jarring halt if the rating is any less than 4.5 stars

[Luskan]

Raver you need to do some research. Check the OOB for this scenario. I guessed at fifteen divisions in australia, and not counting the half dozen northern command units (motorised and armoured and a few inf), and also not counting any CD, ENG or HQ units, I have:

The 7th aussie division:
1. 7th Aus Cav bde
2. 25th Aus bde
3. 21st Aus bde
4. 18th Aus bde

The 6th aussie division:
5.17th Aus bde
6. 16th Aus bde

The 3rd aussie division:
7. 4th Aus bde
8. 15th Aus bde
9. 10th Aus bde

The 41st Division:
10. 186 RCT
11. 163 RCT
12. 162 RCT

The 32nd division:
13. 128 RCT
14. 127 RCT
15. 126 RCT

16. 5th Armoured regiment

17. 2/6 Armoured regiment

And New Guinea Force:
18. Kanga Force
19. 14th Aus bde
20. 20th aus bde
21. 7th aus bde

Just check the OOB and you'll find that since I didn't have to defend PM (and loose troops there) I'm loaded.

See you in Cherry Blossom Port soon enough

[Raverdave]

Originally posted by Luskan


In Australia I have so many troops I could send fifteen divisions to PM if I had the transports.

. . .

as you can see you said 15 thats a 1 and a 5. From your post I only count 6 in Austrlia plus the 2 (Americal and Marine 1st Div in noumea). How do you turn 8 into 15?:rolleyes: