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

[koniu]

ORIGINAL: obvert

Do you have Ki-94? That will be much more useful if you can get it. The stats are as good as most Allied fighters at that time and it's 'only' service 3 compared to 5 for the jets.

My R&D plan was to work only on `45 planes max.
So i don`t R&D Ki-94 and also after B6N1 upgrade to N2 i end Nakajima Ha-44 production.[:(]

[JocMeister]

I wouldn´t bother with Jets. You are going to fly one mission and them have them repairing for two weeks. SR 5 is brutal.

[koniu]

ORIGINAL: JocMeister

I wouldn´t bother with Jets. You are going to fly one mission and them have them repairing for two weeks. SR 5 is brutal.

SR5 can be PITA. I will stay with conventional planes. I rather have in air 100 Franks, Shindens, Sams and Ki-83s than 100 Ki-201 stuck on ground.

@obvert
I think it is to late to go fro Ki-94. It is best Japanese Army conventional fighter but not much better from Ki-83. I invest to much in Ki-83 so i rather save that supply to give my boys something to eat. Ki-83 is 2x more expensive from Ki-94 but i think i will have biiger problems with supples that with HI in that stage of war.

EDIT: Still no turn. Probably not until tomorrow. I think next day are going to be hard for Docup.
If i remember correctly Japan so far sunk 12 Allied CV and 4 CVL. It is something like ~35% of CV/CVL carrier force Allies have during war.

[koniu]

I thinking about restarting BB Musashi. But i need to look how long it will take. I only few months i think i will build it.

[koniu]

ORIGINAL: koniu

I thinking about restarting BB Musashi. But i need to look how long it will take. I only few months i think i will build it.

After checking numbers i decide to not build Musashi. 358 day to complete at normal speed, so 250000 HI. I don`t even try to think about acceleration - 180 days and 750000 HI[:(]

[obvert]

ORIGINAL: koniu

ORIGINAL: koniu

I thinking about restarting BB Musashi. But i need to look how long it will take. I only few months i think i will build it.

After checking numbers i decide to not build Musashi. 358 day to complete at normal speed, so 250000 HI. I don`t even try to think about acceleration - 180 days and 750000 HI[:(]

I still would not do it. It's not the HI but the fuel use once it's in there, as compared to it's worth. maybe you can get something out of it, but these behemoths seem too costly in use and not effective enough to justify it, but also once damaged take another year to be repaired. So you might pay at this point 250,000 HI for one or two battles with that ship.

I'd rather have Shinano at this point in the war.

[koniu]

ORIGINAL: obvert

ORIGINAL: koniu

ORIGINAL: koniu

I thinking about restarting BB Musashi. But i need to look how long it will take. I only few months i think i will build it.

After checking numbers i decide to not build Musashi. 358 day to complete at normal speed, so 250000 HI. I don`t even try to think about acceleration - 180 days and 750000 HI[:(]

I still would not do it. It's not the HI but the fuel use once it's in there, as compared to it's worth. maybe you can get something out of it, but these behemoths seem too costly in use and not effective enough to justify it, but also once damaged take another year to be repaired. So you might pay at this point 250,000 HI for one or two battles with that ship.

I'd rather have Shinano at this point in the war.

Not worth of trying. Even accelerated i will take 538 days to build Shinano and 1076 at normal speed.

[koniu]

22 December 1943

Finally Turn arrive
Only actions in DEI

CV Junyo sunk. [:(]

Carriers safely survive day but they where forced by enemy SAGs to retreat to Ambon. Lucky BB SAG manage to screen carriers sinking in process two enemy CAs and DD. Sadly they don`t manage to intercept enemy carriers or landing forces. Also Saumlaki fall.

Night Time Surface Combat, near Saumlaki at 77,115, Range 8,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
BB Hiei
BB Ise
BB Hyuga, Shell hits 1
DD Shimakaze
DD Hatsukaze
DD Natsushio
DD Yukikaze

Allied Ships
DD Ward, Shell hits 9, and is sunk
-----------------------------

Night Time Surface Combat, near Saumlaki at 77,115, Range 9,000 Yards

Allied aircraft
no flights

Allied aircraft losses
SOC-1 Seagull: 2 destroyed
OS2U-3 Kingfisher: 2 destroyed

Japanese Ships
BB Hiei, Shell hits 2
BB Ise, Shell hits 3
BB Hyuga, Shell hits 3
DD Shimakaze, Shell hits 1
DD Hatsukaze
DD Natsushio, Shell hits 1
DD Yukikaze

Allied Ships
CA Minneapolis, Shell hits 16, and is sunk
CA Wichita, Shell hits 9, and is sunk
DD Laffey
DD Welles, Shell hits 1
DD Hobby
DD Meade, Shell hits 2, on fire
DD Tucker

-------------------------------------
Ground combat at Saumlaki (78,117)

Allied Deliberate attack

Attacking force 14076 troops, 171 guns, 419 vehicles, Assault Value = 591

Defending force 3764 troops, 26 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 121

Allied adjusted assault: 155

Japanese adjusted defense: 19

Allied assault odds: 8 to 1 (fort level 3)

Allied forces CAPTURE Saumlaki !!!

Japanese aircraft
no flights

Japanese aircraft losses
A6M5 Zero: 9 destroyed CV Junyo planes that stuck on damaged AF
D4Y3 Judy: 7 destroyed
B6N2 Jill: 8 destroyed

Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+), forts(+), morale(-), supply(-)
Attacker:

Japanese ground losses:
1038 casualties reported
Squads: 9 destroyed, 57 disabled
Non Combat: 2 destroyed, 41 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 11 (9 destroyed, 2 disabled)

Allied ground losses:
132 casualties reported
Squads: 1 destroyed, 14 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 11 disabled

Assaulting units:
2/8th Armoured Regiment
I Aus Corps Engineer Battalion
754th Tank Battalion
1st Australian Division
7th Marine Defense Battalion
46th Construction Regiment
226th USN Base Force
17th NZ AA Bde

Defending units:
41st Infantry Regiment
40th JAAF AF Bn

[koniu]

Some numbers

[JocMeister]

Is your chart adjusted for DOCUPs losses?

[koniu]

ORIGINAL: JocMeister

Is your chart adjusted for DOCUPs losses?

Yes it is. Loses are at 22 December 43. But ships in service numbers have also ships that will arrive in next 8 days so on 31 December

When we reach 31 December i will do major report about everything, economy, loses, maps etc.

[koniu]

23 December 1943

Burma
Docup is moving troops everywhere i look. I was reckoning yellow road West of Kunming (China). hex 63,49 is showing 3 units (usa or british colors) marching West trough jungle. I have IR resting in area. I will have to check what those units are. Reckon shows 4k men, 3 guns and 90 vehicles. Need some some more reckon

Battle in hex south of Tuang Gyi. Docup bring reinforcements last turn today he attack. My boys hold. It look that major force in here is build on Chinese super Divisions. One of them was decimated today. Losing 6000 man and AV go down to 200 from 800

Ground combat at 58,49 (near Taung Gyi)

Allied Deliberate attack

Attacking force 61697 troops, 551 guns, 845 vehicles, Assault Value = 2657

Defending force 28370 troops, 321 guns, 192 vehicles, Assault Value = 977

Allied adjusted assault: 1174

Japanese adjusted defense: 2935

Allied assault odds: 1 to 2

Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+), leaders(+)
Attacker:

Japanese ground losses:
743 casualties reported
Squads: 7 destroyed, 61 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 16 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 17 disabled
Vehicles lost 21 (1 destroyed, 20 disabled)

Allied ground losses:
6682 casualties reported
Squads: 36 destroyed, 577 disabled
Non Combat: 2 destroyed, 57 disabled
Engineers: 2 destroyed, 18 disabled
Vehicles lost 25 (2 destroyed, 23 disabled)

Assaulting units:
5th Chinese Corps
26th Indian Division
150th RAC Regiment
255th Armoured Brigade
6th Australian Division
6th Chinese Corps
77th Heavy AA Regiment
14th Indian Light AA Regiment

Defending units:
20th Division
18th Division
2nd Tank Regiment
3rd Ind. Mountain Gun Regiment
8th RF Gun Battalion

Saumlaki
Quiet. 4 PB4Y shot down over Ambon. I manage to refuel carriers still need refuel and rearm BBs. I will need start bombing Saumlaki soon. Maybe in next 48h.

KB
splited in 3.
Carrier Div 1: 4xCV, 5 CVL (400 planes) will stay in Ambon area and will look bigger that it is

Carrier Div 2: 8xCV (600 planes) manage to sneak undetected north toward Pacific. will sail toward Marshals to restore order there.

Carrier Div 3: 2xCV 1xCVL (150 planes) sailing toward Singapore for repairs. Air groups will stay in Ambon area.

Sunk Ships.
Another enemy ships sunk last turn. I heard sinking sound but not know what ship it was.

R&D
Ki-84r advance 3/44 - will enter production in middle of January

[JocMeister]

I have forgotten. Do you have any altitude HR?

[koniu]

ORIGINAL: JocMeister

I have forgotten. Do you have any altitude HR?

- Fighters max on second best altitude band (Offensive and defensive missions)
- 4E bombers 10k of higher
- Navy 4E can go below 10k if on naval attack mission to simulate skip bombing

[JocMeister]

You are going to like the "R" version then. Only thing DOCUP can get up there are P47s and Hellcats.

Erik and I did away with our HR and set a max alt of all planes to 32k. I think the airwar became a lot better after that. Less extreme. But Erik might have a different view on it though!

[obvert]

No, I like it this way. Less to think about each turn as well, which planes can and can't fly up there. It lets the maneuver and climb rates be factors at the high level as well as the speed if everyone starts off at the same place.

[koniu]

I don`t tell NO to future change to that HR.
But at moment we are right now for at lest short time i want weapon that can do starto sweeps. Maye in 6 or 9 months from now we will change that.

I agree with HR You have. 2nd band rule make air combat very often one sided. You have altitude You win. Specially in missions like LCAP or in places when You dont have radar to be able to climb above sweep.

With rule You have things like plane speed, climb rate and maneuverability have some bigger impact. Also pilot quality is more important.



Now little of topic
I ask Docup a question:
"Wonder how long USA government would wait to tell public opinion about that battle if it happen during real war? What they would tell and what will be keep in secret?" Waiting for answers

[koniu]

Quote from different threat

ORIGINAL: obvert
Get the Nick Id as it can be used to 'upgrade' FB to NF just when you'll start to need them. Starting early on the Randy Ic is a good idea too. For IJN sadly the Irving Sa with radar is about the best, and it's not so great. Denko is just too late.

I have question what FB units can upgrade to Nick Id. I currently have couple FB units and none of them can upgrade to Nick Id. I check it manually.
Maybe those are FB units that will arrive in `44.

Currently i have only 2 fighter, 2 reckon and one LB unit that can upgrade to Nick Id.
Maybe if i upgrade some of bomber groups to FB, Nick Id path will open?



24 December 1943

Ambon
Navy refueled. I have luck today. AO TF sailing toward Soerobaja was attacked by strafing bombers. Lucky only 0.50cal hits, no bombs.

Sinking sound at night phase.
Game and Tracker are showing 5th carriers sunk in last battle
CV Interpid (FoW?) sunk 12/24/43 location 77,123 near Bathurst Island, Scuttled

If anything sunk it must be CV Bunker Hill (Bomb hits 3, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage) only one damage enough to be in sinking condition or maybe one more CVL goes down but those that survive take light damage.

[obvert]

Posted screens in mine, but it's the 4th and 5th Sentai that upgrade to the Nick Id.

[koniu]

ORIGINAL: koniu

Sinking sound at night phase.
Game and Tracker are showing 5th carriers sunk in last battle
CV Interpid (FoW?) sunk 12/24/43 location 77,123 near Bathurst Island, Scuttled

If anything sunk it must be CV Bunker Hill (Bomb hits 3, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage) only one damage enough to be in sinking condition or maybe one more CVL goes down but those that survive take light damage.

I finally manage ti find time to do turn.
As bonus to last report about probable sinking of another CV/CVL i give that picture.
We all know what that usually mean