Newbie Allies vs. Experinced WitP

[Crackaces]

I way underestimated the speed of the IJA. With a 5 day headstart he is already ontop of Prome. I have a Bde in defense but I sense my forces reteating to Akyab are in deep trouble. I have set loose 3 Brit LB squadrons totaling 40 bombers to ground attack the forces in Prome. My hope is some disrupted squads that in this mosquito infested part of the world will start draining the IJ supplies and ability to pursue.

Elsewhere in the world severe storms prevented a port attack on Ocean Island.

The IJN/AF demonstrated thier ability to sink ships as 13 Nells and 15 zeros proceeded into PM and drop Torps on my 2 AKL's resupplying the beleaguered outpost. Now we have 30 fighters on CAP (The RAF did not launch?) and should be able to put up a better fight:

Morning Air attack on TF, near Port Moresby at 98,130

Weather in hex: Clear sky

Raid detected at 34 NM, estimated altitude 5,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 13 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 15
G3M2 Nell x 13



Allied aircraft
P-39D Airacobra x 7


Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 2 destroyed

Allied aircraft losses
P-39D Airacobra: 1 destroyed

Allied Ships
xAKL Anakan, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
xAKL Pulganbar, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk

Here too B-24's are planned to ground attack forces moving on PM. Every disabled squad will have trouble recovering and dealing with mosquito's .. in fact I think the little critters are far more deadly than the RAF bombers [;)]

The upgrades continue progress. The CA's take the longest andyet these ships are critical to any CVTF ...more delays in getting pressure to the IJ ..

[Crackaces]

The differences between the IJ and USN are subtile but critical. A look at comparing the Mavis to the "Cat" .. and all respects the Mavis outclasses the Catalina .. execept for on very important detail -- RADAR. That Front mounted ASB Radar spells the difference of "CV CV CV .." and finding nothing at all .. I am discovering that I am finding IJN in poor weather and the IJ player is not finding my stuff...it is one of the few advatanges I have right now ..It was the critical factor at Baker Island.

The IJ have three well establsihed bases in the Marshalls and th3 20 hex range must be a huge consideration in attacking the Gilberts. I beleive he is looking to station Mavis PA's at Ocean Island and has moved support personnel to make that happen. That means a 10 hex warning on my side of Tabeteua along with notification of any ships in Tabeteua .. this makes Ocean Island a target [;)]

[Crackaces]

We were using APD's to pick up units @ PM and deliver supplies. I changed the Home Port mid mission, and that seemed to mess up the algorithum because the APD's decided to arrive during the day rather than time for a nighttime visit. This was costly:

Morning Air attack on TF, near Port Moresby at 98,130

Weather in hex: Partial cloud

Raid detected at 39 NM, estimated altitude 5,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 15 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 12
G3M2 Nell x 24



Allied aircraft
Kittyhawk IA x 7
P-39D Airacobra x 6


Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 2 destroyed
G3M2 Nell: 8 damaged

No Allied losses

Allied Ships
APD McKean
APD Colhoun
APD Waters
APD Stringham, Torpedo hits 2, and is sunk
APD Manley, Torpedo hits 2, and is sunk

......................................

Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Port Moresby at 98,130

Weather in hex: Heavy rain

Raid detected at 21 NM, estimated altitude 7,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 8 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 4
G3M2 Nell x 22



Allied aircraft
Kittyhawk IA x 5
P-39D Airacobra x 4


Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 1 destroyed
G3M2 Nell: 2 destroyed, 6 damaged

Allied aircraft losses
P-39D Airacobra: 1 destroyed

Allied Ships
APD Colhoun
APD McKean, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk



So ... 2 Nelly's and 3 Zero's for 3 APD's is not a very good trade [:(] I am not sure how many of the damaged Nell's made it back or crashed. I will find out next turn.

Now on to Prome. The game has a funny algorithum when it comes to retreating. I am on the move toward Akyab and the IJA is crossing into Prome. My guys retreat to the worse postion to ensure they are cutoff [:@] The troops are not as precious as the Base Forces and Aviation support. In counter I will amphib land on Akyab D-Day -2 days wiht a 221 BF. That will allow the basing of aircraft within the sphere of operations again and begin attriting his Oscars.

Out situaiton below:

[Crackaces]

During the Vietnam war Robert McNamara proposed "Body Count" as a metric of success. The thought is that it is measurable and eventually if all the NVA/VC could be accounted for as dead . the war would be won. The FOW and airwar kills in WitP AE follows the very same logic. I admit I got caught up in GreyJoy's thread, but GreyJoy has an excellent point -- in his case no matter how many air kills are reported he still cannot stop the IJAAF from sweeping and controlling the skies at critical points in time. In my case, despite all the reported "kills" the number of Nell's has increased in the PM theater from 13 on APR 5th -- to 24 on APR 6th. Most of all, the probability of shipping arriving safely and offloading at Port Moesby is less that 1:10. Despite the inervention of 3 squadrons and the awarding of 3 aces .. the fanfare has not turned this tide.

Though my commanders report 2:1 air loss superoirity I have to ask .. do we command the air? This is the point in which we can measure the pressure on the IJ forces. Number of IJ missions that fail to achieve mission objective, and the operational defintion of success is the number of FT's that make it to PM and back, and it is not the numbers of airplanes we shoot down.

More later today as we strategically move more assets into the New Calodonia theater. Here is where some B-17's can slow the IJ advance.

[DOCUP]

Your P 39s are doing pretty good.  The difference between us and GF is that we are playing Scen 1.  I perfer the Cats the service rating is a lil better also.  That sucks about the APDs you only get so many.  Body counts are cool, just like your kill to death ration in MW2.  Makes it measureable, makes you feel like you accomplished soemthing.  You have to love that warm and fuzzy feeling you get when you smell napalm burning in the morning. 
 
doc

[Crackaces]

I have decided to engage the 1st and 2nd IJA Raiding Regiments. They are moving in the open and the only proper way to greet these gentlemen is with 250lb GP bombs. I wonder what the 3 Nates said greeting 76 Hurricanes .. [X(]

Morning Air attack on 1st Raiding Regiment, at 58,48 , near Magwe

Weather in hex: Severe storms

Raid spotted at 32 NM, estimated altitude 12,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 10 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-27b Nate x 3



Allied aircraft
Blenheim I x 11
Blenheim IV x 33
Hurricane I Trop x 16
Hurricane IIa Trop x 16
Hurricane IIb Trop x 45


Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-27b Nate: 1 destroyed

Allied aircraft losses
Blenheim IV: 1 damaged

Japanese ground losses:
27 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 5 disabled
Engineers: 1 destroyed, 1 disabled

The one damaged Blenheim did not make it home ....[:(]

The second attack had to fight their way in but bagged 4 nates ..

Morning Air attack on 1st Raiding Regiment, at 58,48 , near Magwe

Weather in hex: Severe storms

Raid spotted at 49 NM, estimated altitude 11,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 16 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-27b Nate x 24



Allied aircraft
Hudson IIIa x 9
Hurricane IIb Trop x 13


Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-27b Nate: 4 destroyed

Allied aircraft losses
Hudson IIIa: 1 damaged

This turn is one of moving more BF's from the west coast to PH and BF's from PH to Ndemi. We will take this month to keep building our airbases and I predict 5 P-40 squadrons will be ready for service at these bases.

As far as INtel I have 10 reports like this:

PBY-5A Catalina reports oil slick at 179, 106 near Lihu

It might be worth sending a ASW force to check out if this submarine has been disabled or not.

The below report is disconcerting .. I was planning to move forces via amphib to Akyab ... I wish I knew if this is a sub float plane?, a Mavis? or something more ominious like a mini-KB or SCTF ..

HDML 1104 shadowed by Japanese Aircraft at 55,41 near Chittagong

More tommorrow as this develops ..

[Crackaces]

The B-25's at Soerabaja are set for Naval Attack and I have forgotten them .. most turns I lose 2 or 3 to flak with no results .. but Today the Dutch hit home!

Morning Air attack on TF, near Soerabaja at 57,102

Weather in hex: Clear sky

Raid spotted at 13 NM, estimated altitude 4,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 3 minutes


Allied aircraft
B-25C Mitchell x 12


No Allied losses

Japanese Ships
PB Teibo Maru #2, Bomb hits 1, heavy fires, heavy damage
TK Syoyo Maru, Bomb hits 2, heavy fires
PB Yahonui Maru


The Syoyo Maru is one of the big Tankers that was full of fuel whne the Dutch struck ..The loss of the Tanker with Fuel is a victory of mention. I suspect the KB or a lot of LBA is headed this way.

Otherwise forces continue to either move to a port or is in port getting that "+R" so key to ASW and CAP.

[Crackaces]

The advantage of High sweeps vs. a CAP is absoutely devastating. I have experinced pilots 4 ACES in these groups. Well I used to have 4 Aces. [:(] They came from 22K feet and wiped both squadrons out over PM. It a game. It is clear to me that developers are neither pilots nor do they understand air combat. My mistake was to continue to beleive my opponet would stay below 18K. [8|]

Here we have an unexpeirnced zero squadron 1:2 vs. experinced squadrons:

Morning Air attack on Port Moresby , at 98,130

Weather in hex: Severe storms

Raid detected at 21 NM, estimated altitude 26,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 6 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 11



Allied aircraft
Kittyhawk IA x 11
P-39D Airacobra x 11


Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 1 destroyed

Allied aircraft losses
Kittyhawk IA: 2 destroyed
P-39D Airacobra: 2 destroyed


With write offs the squadrons are wiped out. [:@]

GreyJoy is experincing the same problem right now in his game. Superior numbers is key. Enough planes to fly above the sweeping fighters and still have planes to attack low flying bombers and escorts. I have to keep reminding myself its just a game Its just a game ... Its just a game ..

Ok one piece of good news ..I-26 attempted to mine Molokai but instead was greeted appropriately by one of my mines:

TF 476 encounters mine field at Molokai (181,108)

Japanese Ships
SS I-26, Mine hits 1, on fire


She might limp back home unless I can drop some DC's on her and extend the damage. Then again she is on fire ...

[DOCUP]

You will get your Aces back and then some buddy.  Nice job on the tanker and sub.  It feels so good to nail a sub.  Keep the faith.
 
doc

[Crackaces]

ORIGINAL: DOCUP

You will get your Aces back and then some buddy.  Nice job on the tanker and sub.  It feels so good to nail a sub.  Keep the faith.

doc

One nice thing about Pearl Harbor ... its far from home for SS I-26 and I have DD's ready to pounce. If she is indeed a cripple I will put ASW air and ASW naval on top of I-26 this turn. I need to finish her off for good.

One other thing to add for last turn -- The Dutch Rise again!:

Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Balikpapan at 64,97

Weather in hex: Light cloud

Raid spotted at 19 NM, estimated altitude 3,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 5 minutes


Allied aircraft
B-25C Mitchell x 8


Allied aircraft losses
B-25C Mitchell: 2 damaged

Japanese Ships
xAP Argentina Maru, Bomb hits 1, on fire
DMS W-1

Japanese ground losses:
13 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 1 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled


Probably a IJA base force that is going down with this ship ...[:D]

[Crackaces]

Ok we decided if straffing a unit in the open will produce anything .. and we laid the wood on teh 1st Rading RGt:

orning Air attack on 1st Raiding Regiment, at 58,47 (Meiktila)

Weather in hex: Overcast

Raid spotted at 12 NM, estimated altitude 4,100 feet.
Estimated time to target is 2 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-27b Nate x 10



Allied aircraft
H81-A3 x 39


Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-27b Nate: 3 destroyed

Allied aircraft losses
H81-A3: 5 damaged



Aircraft Attacking:
14 x H81-A3 bombing from 100 feet
24 x H81-A3 bombing from 100 feet

..........................

Afternoon Air attack on 1st Raiding Regiment, at 58,47 (Meiktila)

Weather in hex: Partial cloud

Raid spotted at 17 NM, estimated altitude 12,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 5 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-27b Nate x 4



Allied aircraft
Blenheim I x 11
Blenheim IV x 19
Hudson IIIa x 12
Hurricane IIb Trop x 43


Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-27b Nate: 3 destroyed

No Allied losses

Japanese ground losses:
180 casualties reported
Squads: 1 destroyed, 5 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 14 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 5 disabled


The 2nd Raiding Rgt get a dose of hell ..

Afternoon Air attack on 2nd Raiding Regiment, at 58,47 (Meiktila)

Weather in hex: Partial cloud

Raid spotted at 15 NM, estimated altitude 10,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 5 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-27b Nate x 2



Allied aircraft
Blenheim IV x 16
Hurricane I Trop x 13


No Japanese losses

No Allied losses

Japanese ground losses:
118 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 4 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 8 disabled
Engineers: 1 destroyed, 1 disabled



Lesson .. no more strafing

More later ..

[GreyJoy]

ORIGINAL: Crackaces

The advantage of High sweeps vs. a CAP is absoutely devastating. I have experinced pilots 4 ACES in these groups. Well I used to have 4 Aces. [:(] They came from 22K feet and wiped both squadrons out over PM. It a game. It is clear to me that developers are neither pilots nor do they understand air combat. My mistake was to continue to beleive my opponet would stay below 18K. [8|]

Here we have an unexpeirnced zero squadron 1:2 vs. experinced squadrons:

Morning Air attack on Port Moresby , at 98,130

Weather in hex: Severe storms

Raid detected at 21 NM, estimated altitude 26,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 6 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 11



Allied aircraft
Kittyhawk IA x 11
P-39D Airacobra x 11


Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 1 destroyed

Allied aircraft losses
Kittyhawk IA: 2 destroyed
P-39D Airacobra: 2 destroyed


With write offs the squadrons are wiped out. [:@]

GreyJoy is experincing the same problem right now in his game. Superior numbers is key. Enough planes to fly above the sweeping fighters and still have planes to attack low flying bombers and escorts. I have to keep reminding myself its just a game Its just a game ... Its just a game ..

Ok one piece of good news ..I-26 attempted to mine Molokai but instead was greeted appropriately by one of my mines:

TF 476 encounters mine field at Molokai (181,108)

Japanese Ships
SS I-26, Mine hits 1, on fire


She might limp back home unless I can drop some DC's on her and extend the damage. Then again she is on fire ...

If i may...

22k isn't anything near an "high alt" sweep. If they arrive at an higher altitude they have all the energy advantage they need to dive on your heavier fighters and wipe them out.
Early Kitti and P-39s are easy preys for zeros in an energy advantage situation.
Add to that that probably his pilots are still the "crack" ones and you will never be able to win that match...not on those circumstances.
My advice is to keep the P-39s below 10k, where they still have a decent mvr, whil use the P-40s at 15 or 20k...you should also have a a F4F unit flying at an higher alt (30k maybe)...so that the zeros will be forced to come down in order to engage your P-39s thus creating the conditions for your higher planes to counter-dive on them.

Anyway, just be ready for a long, terrible struggle in the air for the whole 1942...You will fly inferior planes till 1943...so your're gonna lose most of the engagements...but preserve your pilots. Try to force the fights above friendly bases and, sooner than later, quality will become an issue in the final outcome of aerial battles...but be patient[:)]

[Crackaces]

Excellent Advice Grey Joy. I will pull out these forces this turn and let him have the skies of PM. I think that is better than taking 5:1 kill ratios and complelty wiping out three squadrons. A look at this AAR and I did quite well vs. his Zero's as escorts, but the game gives quite an advantage to zeros in sweeping maneuvers. Now he is killing me and it is time to fly to better nests at Carnes.


On different front we are getting the upper hand. I have been bombing the 1st and 2nd Raider rgts continually for 5 days now:

Morning Air attack on 2nd Raiding Regiment, at 58,47 (Meiktila)

Weather in hex: Severe storms

Raid spotted at 19 NM, estimated altitude 15,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 6 minutes


Allied aircraft
H81-A3 x 28
Blenheim I x 11
Blenheim IV x 51
Hudson IIIa x 12
Hurricane IIb Trop x 36


No Allied losses

Japanese ground losses:
93 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 5 disabled
Non Combat: 1 destroyed, 11 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 5 disabled


There are about 4K troops in the hex and we have inflicted 500~ casualites over 5 days. That would be 25% attrition from the air. I think this is enough that these forces cannot take Mandalay as it sits now. I beleive the IJ player agrees and is repsonding:


Imperial Guards/B Division is loaded on xAP Keihuku Maru moving to Rangoon.

There is an opporunity if this ship is headed for Ragoon.

[Crackaces]

The picture below shows an update on air war losses. Again, I am not using this as a metric of success. First, in reading AAR's the FOW seems to always provide about a 2:1 loss ratio. I am not buying this .... but ... I have sorted things by A2A kills and many more IJAAF / IJNAF model types are at the top. [;)]

Ther previous post however as demonstrated my opponent has gotten smarter about the tatics. He is executing sweeps using better pilots and better altitudes having the lower skilled pilots escort. I have to adjsut to this change in the flow.

The really good news is that this is Scenario #1 vs. the hell that GreyJoy is contending with [and quite well I might add! [;)] ], which is a Scenario #2 situation. The IJ begin with more of everything and are much better prepared starting turn one, and a reason the IJ player might take India whereas this is a much easier problem in Scenrario #1.

[Crackaces]

The California and West Virginia are still severely damaged from Pearl Harbor Day and sit on peerside fixing systems and engine damage. But the main floatation damage of 76 on both are all major damage. That means time in the pen. The real challange is getting them to the West Coast because I have no intention of using this critical reosurce at PH for two pre-war BB's. But again it would be nice if I could fix this relics. It is quite possible in Los Angeles to have both of these ships in theater December 1943 & December 1944 respectively.

Now how much floatation damage is the maximum tolerable to make a twenty day jouney to LA? [Rigth now major engine damage has them reduced to 6 knts] That is the question. Because any fixing of floation requires the yard and there is no space. I will look for feedback on this... I am thinking less than 50% ...There is the possibility of low priority and being in the yard but I see that overstacking yardwork in general ,even if you prioritize ships, seems to effect the highest priorities. [&:]

Ok more later ...

[Crackaces]

First and foremost .. I want to recognize Cap Mandrake and Spurior's thread ... I get a laugh a minute with their wit. Even if they are making all the stuff up [;)]

They have a thought that dramtizes this game very well. Its about a carrier smash up and either exclaiming victory and crying the agonies of SCLS. [Sudden Carrier Loss Syndrome coined by Cribtop]. A big surface action, losing a sub or DD to ASW warfare, a raid that scoops up some shipping .. then the continual air battles. This update follows this pattern.

First the Dutch have a say taking revenge for the IJ rudeness in the DEI:

Submarine attack near Tokara Retto at 99,63

Japanese Ships
xAK Tenryu Maru, Torpedo hits 2, on fire, heavy damage

Allied Ships
SS O23



xAK Tenryu Maru is sighted by SS O23
SS O23 launches 2 torpedoes at xAK Tenryu Maru

The USN might be having torp fuse problems but the Dutch know how to sink a merchant ...

What I have been doing at SF is stationing YP's where he has parked a sub. Every once in awhile it fires a torp or two .. enough times and its back home and out of my way. Today we decided to park DD's nearby ...

ASW attack near San Francisco at 217,71

Japanese Ships
SS I-29

Allied Ships
YP-116
YP-114



SS I-29 is located by YP-116
I-29 diving deep ....
Escort abandons search for sub


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

ASW attack near San Francisco at 217,71

Japanese Ships
SS I-29, hits 1

Allied Ships
DD Meredith
DD Grayson


One thing Combat Reports doe snot report the little messages that the animation provides .. in this case .. "Hull Penetration" "Flooding" I am assuming this is not good as a sub deep diving ..and may involve drowning.

You might ask whats going on in the rest of the world. The IJ player is walking through Java like a cake walk. I cannot and will not fight there. But Burma is a different story. This is shaping up into a fine front.

More later ..

[DOCUP]

Nice work your sub work.  Place a few subs around Rangoon or in the straights between Malaya and DEI.  Now don't talk down about the West Virginia.  Shes a good ol lady.
 
doc

[Crackaces]

ORIGINAL: DOCUP

Nice work your sub work.  Place a few subs around Rangoon or in the straights between Malaya and DEI.  Now don't talk down about the West Virginia.  Shes a good ol lady.

doc

No disparagement of the West Virgina .. I am figuring how to get her into the war before its over [;)]

Hmmm I have done the straits thing .with quite a bit of effecrtiveness as you suggest, one bad thing in this game is if a submarine suffers a penality in shallow waters and if intercepted by the escorts have a much higher possibility of not seeing port again. The first two USN subs lost were in the Shallow waters aorund DEI/Maylaya, with little chance of success [P(find sometihng) * P(Torp actaully works)]. However, to your point, I have a very specific target I want to intercept going into Ragoon I am going to risk the HMS SS Trusty to find. [Higher probablity of launching a real torp vs. the risk].

More to your point although I wish I had more submarines in the I.O. right now to do this .. I have invested in NorPac/Ph/and Solomons. The S-Class patrol the Solomons. Moving the Dutch subs to Colombo might have been smarter.

I can take some credit for placing submarines as I manually control all subs [8D].

We took a" bad beat" on the the landing crashing thing:




Hurricane IIb Trop from No.67 Sqn RAF is damaged on landing

Hurricane IIb Trop from No.67 Sqn RAF is damaged on landing

Hurricane IIb Trop from No.67 Sqn RAF crashes on landing

Hurricane IIb Trop from No.67 Sqn RAF is damaged on landing

Hurricane IIb Trop from No.67 Sqn RAF is damaged on landing

We just lost one plane and have 4 planes to fix ... from an experience level 69 group. Either the group got into the "torpedo juice " or the Kamikazi flight training school -- "No need to learn how to land -- only crash plane" . Either way this group has been reduced by 5/16ths without firing a shot.

I was hoping to stablize Burma but acording to SigInt the IJ will looking to committ a lot more to this theater. In the meantime he sits the 1st & 2nd Raider Rgts in the open and I continue to ground attack with bombers. I have units trapped as one can see between the river and 5 IJA units in two hexes plus the forces occupying Prome. I doubt these units will ever see India again.

The Brit CVTF is only there to prevent a SAG from striking the landings as Akyab. Otherwise any IJN CV push would crush these forces of course ...

[DOCUP]

Are those 80 Hurri's on LR CAP over your CVTF? Increase some patroling in those areas and it might help spot the convoys into the area near Rangoon. He will have to ship supplys in now so maybe a CL DD raiding force lurking around Rangoon.

doc

[Crackaces]

ORIGINAL: DOCUP

Are those 80 Hurri's on LR CAP over your CVTF? Increase some patroling in those areas and it might help spot the convoys into the area near Rangoon. He will have to ship supplys in now so maybe a CL DD raiding force lurking around Rangoon.

doc

Well I am LCAP'ing the CVTF and Akyab. He has Betty's in this area. I have comitted PBY's to search well south of Ragoon. and the CVTF has a seperate CA SAG ready to detach and raid . great minds think alike