Castles in the Sand - Spidery(J) vs MrKane(A) no MrKane please

[Spidery]

August 13th 1943

The defenders of Shortlands starve to death and the base auto-shifts to the Allies.

The damaged CL Kinu is nearly at Woleai when she eats a torpedo, at 68/65/29/27 damage the situation looks poor.

Not much else happens, no air combats and only routine bombings. Moonlight is now 96% so not sure why he isn't launching night raids on my oil wells.

[Spidery]

Economics

My current fuel and oil stocks if they could all be used to run the current HI would be able to run that until about March 1945. I have 2000 production of fuel that is essentially secure until the Allies advance a lot more. I have about 8000 more that is in locations that are relatively safe at the moment but could easily be endangered.

A typical E boat on ASW consumes about 30 fuel per day. A sub on patrol may use 10 fuel per day.

Tankers probably use about 100 per day to keep the flows from Sakhalin and Fusan working.

xAK delivering resources probably another 260. So with 30 E boats on ASW, 50 subs on patrol and the necessary convoys the secure production just about covers matters and I need to have more stockpiles for evacuations and delivery of reinforcements and supply plus offensive use of assets.

Conclusion, if I lost all my oil production now I would still be able to retain supply and production into 1945

[Lowpe]

Okay I got to thinking about supply and fuel conservation. What are some techniques?

I assume you are comfortable with your HI levels and not think this is a problem?

Then: Check the build cue for merchant ships, and build those that have large starting amounts of fuel. Build them to a couple of days of completion, and stop them. Then you will have a late game source of fuel for your Navy available whenever you need them. Note, this only works if new ships start with free fuel! I assume they do, but I never checked for sure.


I take it you are still getting full Magwe production? Seems odd, somehow. I know that in my Downfall game b29s sometimes don't fly for whatever reason plus lots and lots stray: I like to see good bomber morale, very low plane fatigue, decent weather in target hex (sometimes that doesn't seem to matter), high detection level in target hex, plentiful supply in airbase before I will send the bombers in at night and even then most won't make a bombing run due to either straying or simply not flying. Oh, and you need a good HQa too.

[Spidery]

Okay I got to thinking about supply and fuel conservation. What are some techniques?

I assume you are comfortable with your HI levels and not think this is a problem?

Then: Check the build cue for merchant ships, and build those that have large starting amounts of fuel. Build them to a couple of days of completion, and stop them. Then you will have a late game source of fuel for your Navy available whenever you need them. Note, this only works if new ships start with free fuel! I assume they do, but I never checked for sure.

Not sure this is a good idea, problem is that merchant points get wasted on barges. I have now turned off all merchant yard production and I think that gives me enough HI.

Happy with amount of HI given likely duration of game, not if it was likely to go to 1946.

Supply is just a question of avoiding discretionary spending:
1. Selective engineering efforts,
2. Units in open terrain in rest mode if not needing to build forts.
3. Avoid using drop tanks (is there a supply cost using them for transfer?)
4. Avoid flying unneeded recce or search
5. Only fly ASW when subs are in area
6. Minimise aircraft losses
7. Don't reform units or take replacements until they are needed
8. Try to avoid building "dead-weight" devices, light AAMG etc.
9. Let an air group be trashed before upgrading

You could get tricky and allow a base to starve for a while and then provide supply. As long as you don't allow it to get so bad they start taking device losses.

Fuel the main thing is to note that, contrary to the manual, most task forces do not expend fuel if they remain stationery and only expend for distance moved. Other than that, picking the best units for a job.

[Spidery]

August 14th

Night strike against Palembang, I don't have enough fighters on night and the later raids are unopposed. He attacks at 10000 feet and the 100 AA seem fairly ineffective. 46 oil production lost. 9 Ki-43-IV gone for just a single B-24D downed by flak.

Fires on CL Kinu get worse.

Otherwise quiet.

[Spidery]

A minor hiatus over the weekend as my PC needed repairs

August 15th

I-173 is damaged by enemy planes off Java and is RTB.

I-29 is worked over by enemy ASW near Pearl and is RTB.

E W-12 is sunk by SS Grunion near Kendari. The second E I have lost at the same point.

Allied carrier planes close Djokjakarta airbase. I guess he wants to stop fort building.

Allied attack at Kavieng reduces forts and the writing is on the wall for the defenders.

N1K2-J to 3/44 (I am stopping here and moving the 2 factories over to the N1K5-J).

[Spidery]

August 16th

A few DD try to make a pick up from Kavieng but encounter Allied bombardment forces and retire with light damage to one DD. Allies bombard Kavieng and then capture it.

Nothing much else happens.

Saving 5000 fuel a day and a few supplies depending how much R&D succeeds, about 4000 minus the R&D work.

Scuttle CL Kinu as the fires are growing and the system damage is too far gone to fight them.

[Spidery]

Mitsubishi Ha-43 production.

This is needed for the Ki-83, Ki-&4-I, N1K5-J, J7W1, A7M2. All models I am researching and hope to have available starting mid 1944. I have 5 repaired size 50 factories and 2 more that were converted from other engine models a bit later produce 30 and are still repairing.

Under my original plans I expected to need to produce about 12000 of these engines which meant expanding factories to about size 650. However, with the expectation that the HI will be in problems earlier I think I shall cut the planned build to about 9500. So I could let the two factories that are already converted repair fully and would be producing about 500 a month in 6 months time. Or I can expand all 7 factories by 27, having to pay to expand for 5 of them, that would produce 470 a month starting in a month. The supply cost of the two approaches is about the same. Option A produces 2340 in the next 6 months and B produces 2725 which is 385 more so it takes 19 months for Option A to be more cost effective than Option B.

So if I expect to be producing engines after March 1945 I should follow Option A, if I think things will have collapsed by then, supply run out, and the Home Isles be rubble then I should follow Option B. Interesting demonstration of the need for forward planning...

[Lowpe]

Good to see you up and posting again! Missed reading you.

You are by no means out of it. Yes, you have gotten a nasty blow here in the SRA, but don't despair. I believe you still have full production of Magwe, and while it isn't Palembang it certainly helps. And supplies into 45 is no mean feat. And you were worried that you had more oil than you could refine at the HI.

You have some really strong fighters coming online very early, at least to my thinking, and I think you can find a flaw in Mr. Kanes offensives.

[Spidery]

August 17th

Allies bomb Merak heavily sinking 3 ACM and an AMc, at least they didn't attack anywhere important.

Defending Troops, driven out of the base, at Kavieng are finished off.

B7A2 accelerated to 7/44

[Spidery]

Resource flows into the home isles are mostly okay.

Resources are dropping slowly because I have cut back and now only run from Hokkaido and Korea. Sakhalin resources are not being sent to Hokkaido to save on fuel and supply (no need for an ASW search). The resource shortfalls are such as to last 1100 days!

Oil is being shipped only from Fusan and the various small places such as Formosa, Hokkaido and Sakhalin. However, still not getting oil to flow into Fusan as well as I would like. Just about keeping level but not draining the pools in China and Burma.

I probably need to send some supply out but need to find time to review my defenses and work out where to send it.

[Spidery]

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

Good to see you up and posting again! Missed reading you.

You are by no means out of it. Yes, you have gotten a nasty blow here in the SRA, but don't despair. I believe you still have full production of Magwe, and while it isn't Palembang it certainly helps. And supplies into 45 is no mean feat. And you were worried that you had more oil than you could refine at the HI.

You have some really strong fighters coming online very early, at least to my thinking, and I think you can find a flaw in Mr. Kanes offensives.

Not out of it; of course not. Magwe is a bit of an Albatross, to protect against an overland invasion I need to keep about 10 to 12 divisions in Burma but those are needed to build the next line of defenses as I don't really start getting reinforcements until November. Magwe is at 271 oil, he made one early bombing attempt.

Just think that a stretch goal of survival to 1st September 1945 is more reasonable than planning to May 1946 and falling well short.

Never been worried about oil, just that processing fuel before the factories were destroyed could have been an issue.

There are a lot of handicaps that I hadn't realised existed. The biggest is that naval search is almost useless against an Allied player that uses concentration of force.

[Spidery]

August 18th

Allies bomb Samarinda at night. I expected some CAP from Balikpapan to drift over but it didn't. However, extended range and severe storms hamper the bombers and only a single point of production is knocked out.

Allies sweep Soerabaja with 3 strikes of 25 Thunderbolts each. I have 98 N1K1-J and 30 Ki-43-IV on CAP. Results are okay: 34 N1K1-J and 7 Ki-43-IV traded for 17 P-47D2.

A6M5d-S to 3/44.

Allies are moving on Semarang.

[Lowpe]

ORIGINAL: Spidery
There are a lot of handicaps that I hadn't realised existed. The biggest is that naval search is almost useless against an Allied player that uses concentration of force.

No argument there!

How do you like the Oscar IV? Flying him very low?

[Spidery]

How do you like the Oscar IV? Flying him very low?

Not sure yet, not enough experience.

I think it is better than the Ki-44-IIc:
1. Better guns, more range, and not much loss in damage or accuracy.
2. Climbs slower so doesn't get separated from the N1K1-J as much.
3. Much better maneuver, particularly at altitude
4. Better transfer range
5. Also, a reasonable bomb load.

Usually flying at 5000 feet but not sure what altitude they engage at.

[mind_messing]

ORIGINAL: Spidery

Okay I got to thinking about supply and fuel conservation. What are some techniques?

I assume you are comfortable with your HI levels and not think this is a problem?

Then: Check the build cue for merchant ships, and build those that have large starting amounts of fuel. Build them to a couple of days of completion, and stop them. Then you will have a late game source of fuel for your Navy available whenever you need them. Note, this only works if new ships start with free fuel! I assume they do, but I never checked for sure.

8. Try to avoid building "dead-weight" devices, light AAMG etc.

Care to expand on this? What other dead weight devices are there?

[Spidery]

Care to expand on this? What other dead weight devices are there?

Construction labour squads (if playing DBB), tractors, observor squads, all Thai troops (because they withdraw).

Also questionable, Mongolian Cavalry squad, IJA shipping engineer squads (DBB), (maybe also) 50mm krupp Mtn gun, Type 91 Armored Car, Vickers VI tank, Type 1 Halftrack.

Basically, would you, for the load cost, prefer a basic infantry squad?

[MrBlizzard]

It would be nice if you could post a map of Java situation for your readers [:)]

[Lowpe]

ORIGINAL: Spidery

How do you like the Oscar IV? Flying him very low?

Not sure yet, not enough experience.

I think it is better than the Ki-44-IIc:
1. Better guns, more range, and not much loss in damage or accuracy.
2. Climbs slower so doesn't get separated from the N1K1-J as much.
3. Much better maneuver, particularly at altitude
4. Better transfer range
5. Also, a reasonable bomb load.

Usually flying at 5000 feet but not sure what altitude they engage at.

Make sure the Oscar IV is your first choice for escorts. They have an insanely high cruise speed, and I have seen them sweep ahead of the bombers, perform a sweep and are still there escorting the bombers in. Very nice.

[Spidery]

August 19th

Samarinda is hit again at night. Some KI-43-IIb engage. 10 points of oil production lost, 4 fighters lost, no Allied bombers downed. There is only 1 flak unit at Samarinda.

I-124 is lost off Java; first of the mine-layers to be lost.

Ki-84r to 9/44.