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

[koniu]

KB future.

After taking under consideration Obvert advise i decide to move KB little more East.
I will base it in NE corner of Borneo
It will make trip to Pacific 3 days shorter.

[obvert]

ORIGINAL: koniu

KB future.

After taking under consideration Obvert advise i decide to move KB little more East.
I will base it in NE corner of Borneo
It will make trip to Pacific 3 days shorter.

Too bad you didn't hear from others as well. It's a really interesting question at this point of the game. I'd like to hear some other viewpoints too.

Think how Gj got bogged down after landing on Sumatra and getting to Malaya even against Mr Kane. It will take a while to get through even if he lands there. Then there is prep for later landings, then another battle and so on ... . Yet, as you know, if he does land on Hokkaido that will take everything you have to defend, and he could land a month later at Oosthaven and be almost unnapposed after your entire air force and the KB moved North. [;)]

[SqzMyLemon]

I don't want to give my current PBEM opponent any ideas so I'll keep this brief. I think your priority should be to keep the Allies out of 4E range of the Home Islands and plan your KB deployment with that in mind. I'd welcome Allied operations against Sumatra and Java at this stage of the war and rather have KB available to resist the start of a strategic bombing campaign against the Home Islands by denying the necessary bases.

[koniu]

Thank for all comments.

KB is on move already. They move toward new home last turn. Planing arrival 72h
All Carriers/Cruisers/Destroyers are with main fleet. I only left heavy SAG BB/DD in Singer.
BB need few days of repairs.

You are both right. Any move in IO will be blessing for Japan.He will need of Use probably all his Carriers on IO oven if he land on Sumatra/Java will mean that i have few months before any major landing can happen in Pacific. Of course i will need to move all passable resources to landing area to be able to pomp fuel as long as passable And that will probably require Burma retreat. Plus if i manage to have decent result in Carrier battle i will probably buy few more months. At the end Allied IO offensive is probably worst chose for allies.

Little more about next turn.
I don`t except something big. I am trying CAP traps in few places on map.
But i made some decisions in Burma
Japanese main Army in Burma (1 hex south of Taung Gyi) get order to move 1 hex south. I want to make my supply lines as short as passable. It will also help in case of retreat.
I also start prep my troops in West Burma for retreat. Troops in base hexes are moved to strategic mode and start prep to new defense line in Moulmein.

I still need to chose units I will left behind to delay allied offensive, and what unit will defend Rangoon to last soldier. I am thinking about two IDs and Tank Div plus some arty. Base with 1100AV in heavy urban(x3 terrain) behind fort 7 supported by heavy artillery will be hard to capture.
Of course troop there will fight to last soldier. Goal of this will be hold as long as passable Rangoon road closed and if lucky hold big allied army in Rangoon and maybe give enough damage to tho delay offensive by some time. Risk is that Docup decide to not capture Rangoon and bypass and move toward Moulmein. But there i will wait for him with ~4000AV. And he need Rangoon for B-29 and for supplies to China

I think i will be able to hold Burma for another few months. It all depend what will happen in Chiang Mai area. Situation there not looking good.

[koniu]

18 April 1944

Burma
I am moving two IDs to Chiang Mai. I will have them in place in 10-12 days. Docup is trying to bypass my road blockade in area.
I also moving 2 Thai Div. to Chiang Mai i will place them behind river north of Chiang Mai. Thai units will have job to buy me few days until Jap units arrive.

Japanese army East of Chiang Mai is only 1100 AV strong and enemy reinforce get reinforcements in last few days. It is now 50k troops 500 guns and 1000 vehicles (i think it is ~1800AV). In 72h another Jap ID and 270AV of tanks will enter Hex reinforcing my troops to 1800AV in 3x terrain. I hope i will hold because this is all i will have. No more reinforcements

Tiomr/Ambon
Jap CAs back to Ambon and where attacked by sub. DDs manage to hevly damage her.
I see small TF in Dot base East of Ambon. I thinking to send SAG to intercept.

Tabituea
Search planes detect CA TF moving toward Tarawa - prabably. Nothing i can do about that.

North Pacific
I lost Sub near Adak. Lots of movements in north but no major ships. When MKB refuel i will back with it and small SAG to area for hunt. This time i will be CAP heavy.

KB
KB is in half way to new home
Strangely even with Kaga, KB was able to move 9 hex and Cruise speed. Now i don`t know but i was always think that Kaga with 14kn cruise was only able to move 8 hex during day

[Lowpe]

To be so far away from Hokkaido with the KB...worrisome.

[koniu]

19 April 1944

Ambon
We have naval battle in Ambon hex. Enemy TF (2 CLs and 8 Fletchers) engage CA TF i have in base. Even Japanese have been surprised final result was positive to Japan. After Major initial battle there where small battles. I count total 10 battle animation.
I showing only those important

At end of day Japan so far don`t lost single ship. 4 DDs are damage but will survive, CA Myako take some small damage )only sys but CA Kako take some major damage with fires still burning (79/31(6)/10/35) and will have to stay at lest one turn on Ambon port to put fires down.

I still have 2 CA and 3 DD undamaged. I am sending reinforcements

Allies not end so good. Both CLs sunk together with 3 Fletchers sunk also and two more damaged.

Strangely first report is showing DD Fletcher in this battle but Fletcher was sunk in May 1943 near Nanumea during CV battle

I sunk so far 38 enemy CLs[X(] (6 Cleveland class) and 120 destroyers (19 Fletchers)[:D]


Night Time Surface Combat, near Ambon at 76,109, Range 8,000 Yards

Allied aircraft
no flights

Allied aircraft losses
OS2U-3 Kingfisher: 2 destroyed

Japanese Ships
CA Atago, Shell hits 3
CA Myoko, Shell hits 2
CA Haguro
CA Kako, Shell hits 11, heavy fires, heavy damage
DD Sazanami
DD Uzuki
DD Minazuki
DD Kikuzuki, Shell hits 1
DD Mochizuki
DD Yuzuki, Shell hits 2
DD Shiokaze

Allied Ships
CL Nashville, Shell hits 1, Torpedo hits 1, on fire
CL Birmingham, Shell hits 37, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
DD Fletcher
DD Abbot
DD Ammen
DD Anthony
DD Brownson, Shell hits 7, Torpedo hits 3, and is sunk
DD Burns
DD Eaton
DD Guest
-------------------------------------------

Night Time Surface Combat, near Ambon at 76,109, Range 12,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
CA Myoko, on fire
CA Haguro, Shell hits 4
DD Sazanami, Shell hits 2, on fire
DD Uzuki
DD Minazuki
DD Kikuzuki
DD Mochizuki, Shell hits 1
DD Yuzuki, Shell hits 2, on fire
DD Shiokaze

Allied Ships
DD Daly
DD Fullam
DD Renshaw, Shell hits 1
DD Schroeder, Shell hits 10, on fire
DD Spence, Shell hits 3
DD Stevens, Shell hits 4
DD Taylor, Shell hits 1
DD Thatcher
-------------------------------------------

Night Time Surface Combat, near Ambon at 76,109, Range 10,000 Yards

Allied aircraft
no flights

Allied aircraft losses
OS2U-3 Kingfisher: 2 destroyed

Japanese Ships
CA Myoko
CA Haguro
DD Sazanami, on fire
DD Uzuki
DD Minazuki
DD Kikuzuki
DD Mochizuki
DD Yuzuki
DD Shiokaze

Allied Ships
CL Nashville, Shell hits 6, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
DD Guest
-------------------------------------------

Night Time Surface Combat, near Ambon at 76,109, Range 6,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
CA Myoko
CA Haguro
DD Sazanami, on fire
DD Uzuki
DD Minazuki
DD Kikuzuki
DD Mochizuki
DD Yuzuki, on fire
DD Shiokaze

Allied Ships
DD Schroeder, Shell hits 2, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
DD Thatcher, Shell hits 1, on fire
-------------------------------------------


Burma
Allied bombers bomb Pegu

EDIT.
I did not notice that first but it looks that I was fighting against two different TF. One with CLs second only Fletcher.

[koniu]

20 April 1944

Burma
Leaky CAP over Pegu was slathered by allied sweeps. I lost 35 Tojos for 3 Spits VIII[X(]
Another Victory in Jungle Road East of Chiang Mai. In last moment defenders where reinforced by 2nd Tank/A Division. Tommarow another Jap ID will join defenders. Thai boys are fighting bravely. I am impressed. If i manage to move 2 more Jap ID to Chiang Mai i think i will be able to hold for some time there.

Ground combat at 61,52 (near Chiang Mai)

Allied Deliberate attack

Attacking force 36332 troops, 567 guns, 852 vehicles, Assault Value = 1703

Defending force 35248 troops, 392 guns, 568 vehicles, Assault Value = 1424

Allied adjusted assault: 798

Japanese adjusted defense: 6391

Allied assault odds: 1 to 8

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

Japanese ground losses:
952 casualties reported
Squads: 2 destroyed, 163 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 13 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled
Guns lost 24 (1 destroyed, 23 disabled)

Allied ground losses:
3807 casualties reported
Squads: 30 destroyed, 471 disabled
Non Combat: 4 destroyed, 75 disabled
Engineers: 9 destroyed, 99 disabled
Guns lost 34 (3 destroyed, 31 disabled)
Vehicles lost 84 (9 destroyed, 75 disabled)

Assaulting units:
Guides Cavalry Regiment
7th Indian Division
25th Indian Division
3rd Cavalry Regiment
2nd British Division
254th Armoured Brigade
16th Light Cavalry Regiment
81st (West African) Division
150th RAC Regiment
14th Chindit Brigade
86th Coast AA Regiment

Defending units:
6th RTA Division
1st INA Subhas Regiment
2nd INA Gandhi Regiment
2nd Division
143rd Infantry Regiment
7th RTA Division
2nd Tank/A Division
23rd Medium Field Artillery Regiment
35th Fld AA Gun Co


Ambon
Another visit of Fletcher's, This time only 4 DDs plus on morning PTs.
Prabably one sunk second damaged.

CA Kako still burning in Ambon port. But fires are smaller. It is still small chance to save it.

Night Time Surface Combat, near Ambon at 76,109, Range 6,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
CA Atago
CA Myoko
CA Haguro
DD Uzuki, Shell hits 1
DD Minazuki
DD Kikuzuki
DD Mochizuki
DD Shiokaze

Allied Ships
DD Halford
DD LaVallette, Shell hits 1
DD Philip, Shell hits 4, on fire
DD Stanly, Shell hits 9, heavy fires, heavy damage
-----------------------------------------------------

Day Time Surface Combat, near Ambon at 76,109, Range 18,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
CA Atago
CA Myoko
CA Haguro
DD Uzuki
DD Minazuki
DD Kikuzuki
DD Mochizuki
DD Shiokaze

Allied Ships
PT-309, Shell hits 1, and is sunk
PT-311, Shell hits 1, and is sunk
PT-312, Shell hits 2, and is sunk
PT-313, Shell hits 2, and is sunk
PT-314, Shell hits 1, and is sunk
PT-316, Shell hits 1, and is sunk

[koniu]

21 April 1944

Very Quiet day.

Burma
I have recon all bases in range between Ceylon and Calcuta.
Pilots report CVE TF and some CLs in Colombo hex. Calcutta have 80 ships (CAs, DDs)

Ambon
CA Kako still burning but fires go down from 32 to 14. Lucky no new damage. I think i will be able to move CA Kako from Ambon in one two days. Right now 400 fighters is protecting Ambon and on Sea reinforcements arrive and again 4 CAs protecting base

KB
Fleet at new home base.
I upgraded some A6M5 groups to A6M5b/c version. b/c models are much better in defense because of more firepower.

[PaxMondo]

c model is also first one to gain armor ... this will help a little bit with pilot losses ...

[koniu]

ORIGINAL: PaxMondo

c model is also first one to gain armor ... this will help a little bit with pilot losses ...

Currently i am producing A6M5b model. M5c will be available in 6/44, but i already have ~100 M5c that arrive with accelerated carriers.
In last CV battle they proof to be good defensive fighters. They have high firepower (2x20mm guns, 3x13,2mm MG) allowing them to kill everything they shot in first pass. Even M5b kill much easier with 13.2mm MG instated if 7.7mm MG.

[koniu]

22 April 1944

Burma
I think Docup don`t like me reckoning India coastline and today over 60 Liberators plaster Port Blair. Base is closed.

Allied bombers close also Tavoy.

Ambon
CA Kako still burning (14 fires). Docup send at night bombers to attack Ambon port. NF intercept them shotting down all of them.

[koniu]

23 April 1944

Ambon
Something goes wrong with CA Kako. I get multiple massages about fires going up. Later pomp failure. CA Kako sunk in Ambon port [:(]

[koniu]

Pilot reserve.
This is how they look. I am out of navy pilots. I get 480 of them every month but after 3 weeks of month they are all in training groups. It give me opportunity to strain more with second skill and build some XP for those pilots with already trained skills.

[JocMeister]

Jesus! [X(]

How many fully trained pilots do you have in the pool?

[koniu]

ORIGINAL: JocMeister

Jesus! [X(]

How many fully trained pilots do you have in the pool?

I have in pool 2800 navy bomber pilots trained in at lest single skill naval or torpedo. Many of them is trained in both of skills. Most of them have decent naval search skill
Half of them is at 50XP+. Second half is 30XP+

Navy Fighter pool is 600 trained pilots (XP 50+, air 70, def 65+) plus another 400 trained in Air but need some def training or building XP.

Army have 800 trained fighter pilots and 700 that need some training, Army bombers pool have 2000 pilots trained in low naval (kamikaze) , 500 ground, 500 naval. I start training also pilots in torpedo 20 already is trained and 300 is training
Many of kamikaze, naval pilots is trained in search

It was passable mostly because of victorious CV battles. During last 18 months KB was usually sitting in port, during that time air groups where spread in AFs in proximity of KB training green pilots. That was giving me between 1000-1500 extra pilots in training every day. Even if KB was in port and Group was on ship i was also training. Plus all groups that are sitting in combat areas are also in training -If group is not ordered to attack or CAP he was training. The same for fighters.

Example: I have as we speak 100 navy bombers in Bangkok. So 130 pilots in training (in this case search skill) but if i will need them for combat I will send green pilots to pool and transfer trained pilots to unit. Next turn i can attack.

So far i lost 5500 pilots (KIA, MIA) and 2000 is WIA. 7500 total. (15000 planes lost)
But probably 70% of them are army pilots. Not counting December CV battle where i lost ~300 bomber navy pilots. i don`t remember when i lost navy pilots in numbers. I don`t think i lost more that 1000 navy bomber pilots from war start. I don`t had opportunity to lose them. I don`t trow my pilots in battle if I am not sure they have some chances. Plus Docup don`t give me many chances to lose those pilots. I think it will change in next months. His CAP will start to be deadly and under beta patch LBAs will die in number. Loosing 100-200 pilots in day will be normal.

One is sure it cost me lot of work. I checking my training groups every second day to harvest pilots. It requiring lots of clicking but trained pilots not blocking slots for new pilots. After 900 turns it can make difference of extra 1000 or more pilots trained.

[koniu]

24 April 1944

Most of map again quiet.
AR hit by 3 TT near Ambon last turn sunk today. I will miss that ship.

CA Haguro damaged during last battle in Ambon manage to sneak out allied subs and is sailing to Japan for repairs. He is escorted by two damaged DD and couple Es.
Two Kongo class BBs star refit in Tokyo. It will take 60 days, In Kobe CA Tone start repairs after last month battle in Ambon. I will use that time and CA Tone will go to refit also.
I hope Type 22 radar installed on Tone and Kongo's will help little in future night battles.

Some Cargo traffic ~Sumatra. TFs move north and south. Docup is testing my search arcs probably. I lost track on CV(CVE) TFs in Ceylon. Last turn i saw there two CV or CVE TF. Detection was to weak to be sure.

[JocMeister]

ORIGINAL: koniu
I have in pool 2800 navy bomber pilots trained in at lest single skill naval or torpedo. Many of them is trained in both of skills. Most of them have decent naval search skill
Half of them is at 50XP+. Second half is 30XP+

Navy Fighter pool is 600 trained pilots (XP 50+, air 70, def 65+) plus another 400 trained in Air but need some def training or building XP.

Army have 800 trained fighter pilots and 700 that need some training, Army bombers pool have 2000 pilots trained in low naval (kamikaze) , 500 ground, 500 naval. I start training also pilots in torpedo 20 already is trained and 300 is training
Many of kamikaze, naval pilots is trained in search

It was passable mostly because of victorious CV battles. During last 18 months KB was usually sitting in port, during that time air groups where spread in AFs in proximity of KB training green pilots. That was giving me between 1000-1500 extra pilots in training every day. Even if KB was in port and Group was on ship i was also training. Plus all groups that are sitting in combat areas are also in training -If group is not ordered to attack or CAP he was training. The same for fighters.

Example: I have as we speak 100 navy bombers in Bangkok. So 130 pilots in training (in this case search skill) but if i will need them for combat I will send green pilots to pool and transfer trained pilots to unit. Next turn i can attack.

So far i lost 5500 pilots (KIA, MIA) and 2000 is WIA. 7500 total. (15000 planes lost)
But probably 70% of them are army pilots. Not counting December CV battle where i lost ~300 bomber navy pilots. i don`t remember when i lost navy pilots in numbers. I don`t think i lost more that 1000 navy bomber pilots from war start. I don`t had opportunity to lose them. I don`t trow my pilots in battle if I am not sure they have some chances. Plus Docup don`t give me many chances to lose those pilots. I think it will change in next months. His CAP will start to be deadly and under beta patch LBAs will die in number. Loosing 100-200 pilots in day will be normal.

One is sure it cost me lot of work. I checking my training groups every second day to harvest pilots. It requiring lots of clicking but trained pilots not blocking slots for new pilots. After 900 turns it can make difference of extra 1000 or more pilots trained.

Wow. Sounds like you are set for the rest of the game. Although once you start using Kamis they will drain fast. But I think 2000 is more then enough!

[koniu]

ORIGINAL: JocMeister

Wow. Sounds like you are set for the rest of the game. Although once you start using Kamis they will drain fast. But I think 2000 is more then enough!

I hope to use them on Ki-115. R&D looks great so there is chance i will have Tsurugi on-line in very early `45.
Only army will fly kamikaze missions. Navy will focus on conventional tactic.

[JocMeister]

ORIGINAL: koniu

ORIGINAL: JocMeister

Wow. Sounds like you are set for the rest of the game. Although once you start using Kamis they will drain fast. But I think 2000 is more then enough!

I hope to use them on Ki-115. R&D looks great so there is chance i will have Tsurugi on-line in very early `45.
Only army will fly kamikaze missions. Navy will focus on conventional tactic.

Hmm, will have to check that one up. Don´t recall the stats!