Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee, Docup(A)-Koniu(J)

[koniu]

ORIGINAL: PaxMondo

I go for between 40% - 45% fighters if the KB will be fighting on its' own. If I will have LBA assisting, then I increase the fighter proportion. So it kinda depends. And after about 6/43 I won't risk the KB against allied CV's without LBA until I get SAM because the A6M cannot defend the KB. I have to have Tojo/Frank/George overhead of the KB until Sam. OF course, by the time I get Sam, the allies usually outnumber the IJ KB so badly I still can't pit the KB against without LBA. [;)]

So to really answer your question, I put 50% - 75% fighters on the KB depending upon how much and what type of LBA I have assisting. The reason is that most of the IJ fighters are short legged and cannot escort and they are flying from behind the KB. So, I have to put the KB fighters on escort and hope the LBA and KB fighters will marry up ... of course I lose a lot of LBA bombers, but that is what they are for.[;)]

Thanks.
I see currently 3 places where i will use KB. In all those places i should be able to add extra LBA. Probably smallest chances to LBA support is in DEI where allied 4Es will dominate. Second place is north coast of Papua. Last place are Marianas where allies will have to go without LBA but also chance to invasion is smallest there.

Right now KB have
440 F
395 DB
265 TB

[koniu]

7-8 Oct 43
Another quiet days.
No mayor enemy moves so farr.

On thing need to to be mention. In Salomon's i was evacuating Air HQ fro Shorthands. TF was intercepted by enemy destroyers and sunk with all troops. Lucky i first evacuated all light squads by air and only vehicles go down and small unit of enginiers i evacuating also


Night Time Surface Combat, near Shortlands at 109,131, Range 11,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
E W-9, Shell hits 6, and is sunk
E W-23, Shell hits 17, and is sunk
xAK Asuka Maru, Shell hits 6, Torpedo hits 2, and is sunk
xAK Meiyo Maru, Shell hits 15, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
xAK Syohei Maru, Shell hits 4, Torpedo hits 2, and is sunk
xAK Kamoi Maru, Shell hits 22, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk

Allied Ships
DD Jarvis
DD Maury, Shell hits 2

Japanese ground losses:
1719 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 89 destroyed, 65 disabled
Engineers: 69 destroyed, 111 disabled
Guns lost 8 (6 destroyed, 2 disabled)
Vehicles lost 81 (55 destroyed, 26 disabled)

Pilots
Some data how training and reserves look right now

[koniu]

Next turn spoiler

First time from 8 months KB leave anchor and will sail toward south Gilbert Islands.
From few days my intel is reporting heavy radio contacts south of this area.
Just few hexes behind search range from Tabiteuea.
Radio contacts are stable and very noise. They not moving but hold position. For me it looks like concentration before invasion. I am sending two subs to check that and KB slowly will move toward area. I enemy will be detected i can be there in 4-5 days.

I have with KB only 20k extra fuel. Truk have 100k but i have no more AO in area.

[obvert]

Sounds like some fun here! In my experience those big blips on the signing are always something, so you should have some targets at the least.

[koniu]

KB will engage only if i confirm it is main invasion body and not fake one.

I see also huge concentration of forces in Salomons in Lae (APA, AKA, BB, CA) and horde of SS between me and those ships(so far 20 counted) but i think they are evacuating troops from there. My BB undetected from air refuel today in Rabul and if tomorrow enemy will be in interception range i will try to engage that fleet.

I not sure but i think also few days ago saw CVE TF south of Port Moresby. Last turn i saw 3 TF sailing north toward PM. So maybe invasion in that area.

My biggest weapon is to have KB hidden. When i show up i need to be sure i am going against big boys and not against fake invasion build from cargo ships. If i made that mistake i open window to Docup to land in DEI or north Papua and nobody want that.

PS. Prepering KB to moving to sea take me 90 minutes last turn. Most time was taken to move all those pilots to units. It is sad that i cant just chose manually that i need pilots with proper skill in units. Game engine dont recognize between TB and DB skill or instead pilots with high XP and skill game transfer pilot with high skill but XP 30. So to avoid delay time for pilots i was doing that manual jumping between units and transferring few pilots at time until all where in place. And i have 700 pilots to transfer

[obvert]

ORIGINAL: koniu

KB will engage only if i confirm it is main invasion body and not fake one.

I see also huge concentration of forces in Salomons in Lae (APA, AKA, BB, CA) and horde of SS between me and those ships(so far 20 counted) but i think they are evacuating troops from there. My BB undetected from air refuel today in Rabul and if tomorrow enemy will be in interception range i will try to engage that fleet.

I not sure but i think also few days ago saw CVE TF south of Port Moresby. Last turn i saw 3 TF sailing north toward PM. So maybe invasion in that area.

My biggest weapon is to have KB hidden. When i show up i need to be sure i am going against big boys and not against fake invasion build from cargo ships. If i made that mistake i open window to Docup to land in DEI or north Papua and nobody want that.

PS. Prepering KB to moving to sea take me 90 minutes last turn. Most time was taken to move all those pilots to units. It is sad that i cant just chose manually that i need pilots with proper skill in units. Game engine dont recognize between TB and DB skill or instead pilots with high XP and skill game transfer pilot with high skill but XP 30. So to avoid delay time for pilots i was doing that manual jumping between units and transferring few pilots at time until all where in place. And i have 700 pilots to transfer

Lots going on!

Yeah, the pilot management takes most of my game time. It's silly. Then they all get blown away in an escort mission and you do it again.

[PaxMondo]

You are really fast to do it in 90 minutes! My age is really showing because it takes me 2 - 3 x that long. [X(]

[koniu]

9 Oct 43

Subs i send to check that radio signals found two TFs south of Phoenix islands.
Hard to tell what king of ships they are i will watch them closely. KB will continue.


I send on night ride CL Agano and two DD to sweep enemy ships in Goodenugh Island hex(Salomons).
It was 9 hex journey there and 9 back. But something goes wrong and Agano on morning end in Goodenugh hex. During air phase was hit by couple 500lb bomb from bombers and will not survive night[:(]
I will order destroyers to retreat at full to Rabaul. CL Agano sys92/ float85/ engine49/ fires98

[koniu]

ORIGINAL: PaxMondo

You are really fast to do it in 90 minutes! My age is really showing because it takes me 2 - 3 x that long. [X(]

So, You telling stamina comes with age[8D]

[obvert]

I wonder if it's possible to change it so you could simply select more than one pilot at a time, then move to the appropriate area. if you could select TB skill, then the top 25 pilots, then move, it would be quick and easy.

[PaxMondo]

ORIGINAL: koniu

ORIGINAL: PaxMondo

You are really fast to do it in 90 minutes! My age is really showing because it takes me 2 - 3 x that long. [X(]

So, You telling stamina comes with age[8D]

Well yes ... uh you mean in the game? [:D]

[koniu]

ORIGINAL: obvert

I wonder if it's possible to change it so you could simply select more than one pilot at a time, then move to the appropriate area. if you could select TB skill, then the top 25 pilots, then move, it would be quick and easy.

I t would be nice.
I am seeing that little differently. It would be nice to add some kind of filter.

So let say i can set that i want to have on list only pilots with XP above 50 or above 50 but below 60, naval skill above 65 and torpedo skill below 50. After that You are sure that only pilots left are DB pilots with decent XP and all torpedo pilots will not be transfered to DB unit. It is doable but will require some coding and in place where game is now and all devs are focusing on other jobs it is almost impassible. But having that will change my 90 minutes work (270 for Pax[:'(]) to few minutes.

One of weakest sides of game is UI. We all know that, but we have to live with that.
But wee all need to remember about silent heroes of that game - Left Mouse Button.

[koniu]

10 Oct 43 (or 11 not sure)

Burma
Allies attack in Lashio, Bhamo and in mountains near China border. In all those places we hold. I think closes to defeat i am in Bhamo where i am reduced to 30 active AV.

Salomon's
During night air strike CL Agano finally sunk. He was not hit but damage was to big to survive .

KB
Heavy radio tragic look to be concentration of cargo ships. KB will hold position in middle of nowhere for day or two and if nothing will show up will return back to safe anchor

R&D
Ki-84r Frank advance to 12/44
D4Y4 Judy advance to 8/44

[obvert]

A very astute and measured response. With your earlier successes he has to use deception if he wants to move forward. You're being really disciplined which is something I can't always say about my own responsiveness to these kinds of things. The less you react the more he'l have to take chances and wonder where the hammer will come.

[koniu]

Radio traffic i seen last days was probably concentration of cargo TF sailing between South Pacific and West Coast. My subs currently observing 5 of those TFs. No single info about combat ships. I don`t think it was intentional by Docup do lure me there, most probably it is usual traffic in that area but in that case there was more chat in air than usual.

EDIT.

KB will slowly retreat.

I see something unusual between Oz and Papua. 3 ships TF (CVB, CVB, CVB) Figters 0, bombers 18, axillary 0. Destination north.

3 days ago i seen in that area similar TF but it was showing CVE, CVE, CVE[&:]

[koniu]

11 OCT 43

Burma
Bhamo fall today. Unlucky my boys instead retreat south using road they decide to move to jungle.
I retreating to Lasio Inf Regiment that was blocking chines forces in mountains. No reason to do that anymore and risking being cut of from Lashio.
Docup is trying to cut Lashio from south. I need to try stop that.

Salomons
I see another CVE, CVE, CVE TF south of port moresby. I ordered more serch planes to fly that area.

[koniu]

12-14 Oct 43

Another quiet days. Some sweeps in Burma and Salomon's found leaky CAP shotting down some allies FB. Nothing big.
KB return to anchor. All pilots send to reserve and are replaced by rookies.


Tabiteua and Eniwetok garrisons will withdrawal in 30 days. Tabiteuae will be abandon and only some AV support will stay there to support G3M3 flying search missions. Eniwetok garrison will be replaced by Inf Regiment i just airlifted from Port Moresby. Regiment need to replace guns but in few days will sail to Tarawa.

Eniwetok is rudle for me. Base from ~2 weeks is reckoned every day. It will be nice if Docup decide to land there KB should be in range to react pretty fast. Eniwetok is fort 6 with 160AV.


A6M5 vs A6M5c
I have two squadrons flying A6M5c. Plane is still not avaible to produce but i get them with accelerated CV groups. I not sure if i want 5c in service, it is slow. On other side extra firepower could be nice if i use 5c in CAP above KB.
Armor i think will have no impact in CAP or during escort because allied firepower is just to big. Any advice. Should i downgrade to M5 or not?

D4Y
I upgraded first DB KB squadrons to D4Y3. 130 planes will be in service in 3-6 days.
In next 6 weeks i should be able to upgrade all units.
From January D4Y4 should be avaible.

[obvert]

A6M5 vs A6M5c
I have two squadrons flying A6M5c. Plane is still not avaible to produce but i get them with accelerated CV groups. I not sure if i want 5c in service, it is slow. On other side extra firepower could be nice if i use 5c in CAP above KB.
Armor i think will have no impact in CAP or during escort because allied firepower is just to big. Any advice. Should i downgrade to M5 or not?

The A6M5c does seem to do better due to the armor. I hesitated from filling up the groups with them, but in a complementary role with either the A6M5 or A6M5b it seemed to add some staying power and of course good firepower as well.

Also, your pilots will of course live more often in a CAP role, which could be very important for those 80+ guys.

[koniu]

I will use those M5c for CAP. Maybe that extra firepower will help against durable allied planes.

15 Oct 43

Not much to report. As always Japanese Intel is waste of time. No info on enemy fleet. Last time i saw his carriers in spring when he lost 3 during Battle of Tabiteuea
Where he will strike. Probably Salomon's but who know. Moonlight is lower every night and Docup like to land when night is dark and he can use advantage of naval radar.

[obvert]

ORIGINAL: koniu

I will use those M5c for CAP. Maybe that extra firepower will help against durable allied planes.

15 Oct 43

Not much to report. As always Japanese Intel is waste of time. No info on enemy fleet. Last time i saw his carriers in spring when he lost 3 during Battle of Tabiteuea
Where he will strike. Probably Salomon's but who know. Moonlight is lower every night and Docup like to land when night is dark and he can use advantage of naval radar.

By now he can land multiple divisions in a night phase, and your strike-back time is very limited. You have to be every vigilant, but also think what is the easiest route he can take? Anything hard takes more ships, planes and prep. So f it's easier, he'll go for it at this point.

What are the CV counts now, based on losses and new builds?