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What to do with the 251 Ku S-1 group?

At the moment this has a size of 45 and is flying the N1K1-J.

In September 1943 it has a resize to 18. It can be upgraded to fly night fighters.

So, I could:
1. Allow it to resize and then fly it with night fighters at that size.
2. Allow it to resize, change to flying Zeroes, resize to 81 on Akagi and only then change to night fighters.
3. Disable resizing and change to flying night fighters ASAP with a group size of 45.

As I am producing 40 J1N1-S and have a size 20 group and a size 18 group arriving Oct 10th it is anot a decision I need to make until October.

ORIGINAL: Spidery

What to do with the 251 Ku S-1 group?

In my game this group only goes A6M5d-S. [:(]

August 29th

Kusaie Island auto-falls.

Allies land at Loemadjang, my forces are mostly evacuated. Everything will make it to Banjoewangi or Soerabaja for the last stands.

11 P1Y1 out of Cocos Islands strike at a British force of CL and xAP. One torpedo hits CL Capetown. The Allied forces also attack and damage RO-37.

2 Allied subs attack at Billiton and lay mines, carelessly I lose 2 AO with 10,000 fuel between them[:@].

I send some forces in to try and evacuate from Soerabaja and some N1K1-J and Ki-43-IIb to cover. Despite the massive Allied fighter cover manage to get through to the bombers but don't do as well as would like, the N1K1-J were too high and didn't engage much[:(]. 13 Ki-43-IIb, 2 N1K1-J for 12 SBD-5, 3 TBF-1, 1 Martlet IV, 1 F6F-3. 3 xAK/xAKL lost don't really matter as I have lots of these.

Ki-84r to 8/44.

SC CHa-62 arrives

quote:

ORIGINAL: Spidery

What to do with the 251 Ku S-1 group?



In my game this group only goes A6M5d-S.

Although PDU Off it only changes that way, it looks like it can be changed to the J1N1-S without problem.

August 30th

A few Liberators night bomb Batavia, airfield damage and losses are minor but it isn't good for morale.

Day strikes hit the transports at Batavia about to load troops. No ships lost, 5 transports take light damage but a couple have small fires so are at risk. CAP hits the Allied bombers: 4 P-40K, 3 P-39N1, 3 F4F-4, 3 TBF-1, 11 SBD-3 downed for the loss of 1 N1K1-J, 2 Ki-84a, 4 Ki-43-IIb

Frances out of Cocos do well against the British CL[:)]. The first group of 4 strike at the Capetown and score 4 hits including a magazine explosion. The remaining 6 strike at the Ceres and score 2 hits. However, she gets lucky as the 5 planes launched in the afternoon can't find her because of severe storms. About half the Frances are now down for repairs, the problem with SR 4 strike craft.

Allied bombers hit the 48th Divsion at Soerakarta doing light damage but slowing movement down so it is still around when attacked and puts up a good fight inflicting more losses on the Allies than suffered. This is probably going to prevent getting to Soerabaja[:(].

Allies obliterate the 8th Ind Engineer at Tjepoe and take the base, they also destroy a few cooks and support staff to capture Loemandjang. 3 more divisions have landed at Loemadjang. I think that is about 9-10 infantry divisions spotted on Java.

Still clearing mines at Billiton.

August 31st

Night bombing of manpower at Soerabaja, does it matter? I won't be getting any more fuel out of there.

Bombing of troops on Java.

Some Allied subs take the wrong route:

TF 351 encounters mine field at Banjoewangi (57,107)

Allied Ships
SS Pargo, Mine hits 2, heavy damage
SS Swordfish, Mine hits 1
SS Spearfish, Mine hits 1
SS Salmon, Mine hits 1

I think they are mostly the Type 4 fire-crackers so probably nothing sunk. I guess they were the subs that dropped the mines at Billiton.

Lots of strikes on ships doing pick ups from Java are expensive as they miss the CAPPed task forces. 4 PB, 1 E, 3 xAKL, 1 xAP, 1 xAK lost.

J1N1-S production starts at a rate of 40.

10cm AA can upgrade to the 12cm AA, this is a useful boost.

September 1st

Night strikes against Palembang, lots of Ki-43-IV and Ki-43-IIb are lost but some remain for all strikes to minimise impact. Flak and ops losses for the day for the Allies include 15 4E bombers (some from flak at Rabaul). Fires rip through the refineries knocking out 100 points.

Some planes at Soerabaja try to protect the troops, but are outclassed by massed Hellcats, a few get through to strike at bombers. J2M2 fall in droves.

The first Ki-115a factory is fully repaired, well ahead of expectations. Do I keep it on that or move to the Ki-115b? I think keeping it on that will advance the date of the Ki-115a helping other factories to repair.

40,000 fuel has flowed to Singapore in one turn, I think from fuel I delivered to Saigon[:@]

Where will he attack next?

After he secures the East of Java where will he strike next? The most obvious will be to start by securing the West of Java.

His bombing campaign against the oil wells is reducing them but is costing a lot of 4E. I'm not sure how many 4E he has but I think he is getting short of them and may not be able to reduce all the oil wells using them. Capturing Western Java puts Palembang in range of Thunderbolts and 2E bombing.

A strike forward to take Balikpapan would finish off the production there and at Samarinda and put Miri/Brunei/Tarakan in range. Balikpapan is almost indefensible. He can then work up bases along the Celebes to get a good base for the attack on the Southern Philippines

Clearing Merak will allow him to use surface forces to interdict traffic out of Palembang. A jump across the straits to Oosthaven will secure that but the push to Palembang may be a bit of a challenge with river crossings and some distance from his nearest airbase.

A change of vector to land in Northern Sumatra would take out Medan and threaten Malaysia and a drive to cut off Burma.

I expect he will maintain a small push along the New Guinea coast but don't see a big jump forward in the Pacific likely now.

September 2nd

RO-108 puts two torpedoes into the damaged CL Ceres, 1 explodes and sinks her[:)].

I-177 puts two torpedoes into the CV Essex, only 1 explodes[:(], so damage is probably not even enough to send her back to base.

Allies destroy an engineer unit on Java. Whether the 48th Division can make it to Soerabaja will depend whether my forces that have nearly moved or his tanks move first.

P1Y2 to 4/44.

The heavier units arrive at Buna having forced their way through the jungle from Milne Bay and are told to push on to Lae. This must be painful work dragging guns through thick jungle.[:D]

I always thought a fully repaired r&d factory gave a slight bonus to other factories still repairing. However, I have no idea if it is true.

September 3rd

Allies sweep Manus with P-38H and the N1k1-J on duty do well: 6 downed for 1 loss.

RO-66 takes a shot at SS Sargo on the surface but misses despite the target already showing heavy damage[:(].

A Nell is shot down by an Allied sub[8|].

Some Nells from Koepang suddenly commit suicide against forces in Java[:@], not sure what I did to trigger that.

The Allies manage to cut off the move from Madoien to Soerabaja when I had two miles to go, how come they are so much faster! (I know, the Allies always seem to move first).

Hyuga arrives at the yards at Yokohama, best part of 5 months to repair. I'll see if it can be a bit quicker using critical pier side first and then switching to yard.

Total Allied 4E losses to date: 172 B-24D, 171 B-24D1, 106 B-17E, 99 B-17F, 28 Liberator II, 14 PB4Y-1, 4 LB-30, 2 B-17D = 596 out of 5776 losses. Just noticed that the B-24D is actually better than the B-24D1: 1 more hex normal and extended ranges, faster max speed, but 1 gun less.

According to tracker, I have shot down 100+ B-17F. Firing up a new game as the Allies I see that the B-17F is available from 8/42 to 9/42 and has a replacement rate of 24. Shouldn't that be a total production of 48?

There are no reinforcements that come equipped with the B-17F, there are no at start groups with it, so how come I have shot so many down?

I did notice that I got "10cm/40 T14 AA gun" replacements even though they have an end date of 1/42. Are end dates for devices/air-frames ineffective?

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

I always thought a fully repaired r&d factory gave a slight bonus to other factories still repairing. However, I have no idea if it is true.

Not that I have seen/heard of. However, once the aircraft availability advances the unrepaired factories get a benefit because the chance to repair is based on time left.

B17F my guess fog of war mistakes with other models.

September 4th

Allied CA force sweeps through the PB making pick ups near Rabaul and sink 3 PB including 1 carrying an AT unit.

Night-bombing of Balikpapan by B-17F does no damage (severe storms) and trades 7 B-17F for 7 N1K1-J (mostly lost to write offs).

Nasty sweep of Billiton by Thunderbolts downs 21 Ki-43-IV for the loss of a single Thunderbolt.

Allied strike at a YO trying to pull fuel from Kalidjati suffer heavy losses from the escorts[:)] but protect the bombers through to sink the YO.

Afternoon, unescorted B-25G strike at a fast transport task force. Heavy CAP is unable to arrive in time[:(] and the CL Kashima and a PB carrying part of the 1st Tank are lost[:(]; two more PB are doomed but may be able to offload some of their load at Billiton.

TK Chiyoda Maru is lost for no apparent reason[:@]. Last turn it was fine and the only reference in combat and ops reports is that fires are out of control and she can't be saved. No indication of why fires started. Lost with 8150 units of fuel[:(]

SS RO-38 arrives

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

B17F my guess fog of war mistakes with other models.

Possibly, however I think Tracker reaches passed the Fog of War and gives accurate reports. It certainly seems to match numbers lost against the VP gain, unlike the in game report.

It could make sense, as the number of B-17E lost is way down on how many I think he has. Overall, I don't think it really matters - the Allies get as many planes as they get...

September 5th

Liberators bomb Palembang at night. A lone night fighter joins the Tojos on CAP. On its first pass it scores critical damage on a Liberator, then it is out of ammo and that is the last seen of it. I noticed before that the Irvings run out of ammo quickly. Overall 11 B-24D1 lost on the day for 17 Ki-44-IIc.

More tankers pull fuel from Java and fast transports have picked up the last of the 1st Tank. I think I will pull most fighters from Java now, the sweeps by Thunderbolts are too damaging.

Pilot training and aircraft pools etc.

The IJN replacement pool has been empty for a while and I have exhausted months 10-12 from the training schools. Pilots are being pulled early from training with experience in the low 10's so needing an extra month or so of training. I have about 440 slots for pilots training escort (fighters or float planes). I have 450 slots being used to push pilots up to 70+ defense.

There are 1000 pilot slots in active groups, including those on the carriers.

I'm not keeping up with demand for pilots nor am I getting enough N1K1-J produced. I need to make sure more losses are taken from the Army pilots and aircraft pools and fewer from the Navy.

So:
1. Navy pilots in combat should only be in the best models, A6M5c on carriers, N1K1-J or J1N1-S on land.
2. J1N1-S and army planes should be used for all night duties.
3. Only fly N1K1-J out of Thunderbolt sweep range, use the army to try and lay traps.
4. Fly N1K1-J in big enough numbers to avoid being swamped by Lightnings.

ORIGINAL: Spidery
then it is out of ammo and that is the last seen of it. I noticed before that the Irvings run out of ammo quickly.

Happens to me, too. Regularly.[:(]

September 6th

Quiet night in the air. Allies intercept transports lifting troops from Batavia, costs 9 Topsy and 6 Thalia (obsolete aircraft).

I-34 is sunk off the Australian coast. RO-108 is badly damaged off Java.

Allies have entered Soerabaja in force and will take it in a day or so.