PzB vs Wobbly - Clash of Steel

[Monter_Trismegistos]

Well, I wasn't talking about transport version of H6K... because as I remember game treats them as a normal transport plane and it will not fly to closed base. But normal patrol planes will.

[Mike Solli]

ORIGINAL: Monter_Trismegistos

Well, I wasn't talking about transport version of H6K... because as I remember game treats them as a normal transport plane and it will not fly to closed base. But normal patrol planes will.

It doesn't? Well, that sucks.

[Arstavidios]

Floatplanes are great for moving troops around.
You can fly reinforcements in and out.
If he invades a base you can rush reinforcements were they are needed. You should be able to move 1000 troops a day using your foatplanes. Japanese floatplanes have a great range. You can have a central reserve with floaplanes and troops. From there you can cover most of the threatened area and move in troops to respond to invasions.
This will make you a fast reaction force.

[Mynok]

Just be careful of LRHellCAP cause it will eat them up.

I've not tried it but do Patrols on transport fly at night? Could night pickups be done?

[Arstavidios]

Well don't know what the effect of LRCAP on air transport will be. Sweeps seem to cancel the mission. I'm using them extensively as the allies and it works well. I've had over 200 PBY ferrying troops in the SRA, but I'm a floatplane transport fanboy. So far I have not had any air transport missions involved in air combat but that does not mean much.

Air transport seems to occur in a specific air phase so there may be the same issue as with air mining

It's possible to move huge numbers of troops fast without risking precious ships. I think it's well worth trying. You can try with a Chutai or two. If it works you can send more. I guess the main issue is you never have enough floatplanes. I think betties can take over part of the naval search while the float planes are carrying troops. Aso beware the air transport bug.

You cannot fly troop transport at night.

[PzB74]

Andy didn't invade Kwajalein this turn: the big fleet gathers just to west of the atolls!
Had hoped the invasion would damage some ships and split up TFs for my naval bombers.When this didn't materialize
the small strikes that went in were obliterated by the 300 ac CAP.

The annoying thing is that ALL naval bombers are suckered into attacking the most valuable targets - which are also
the most heavily defended ones. Less valuable TFs are often avoided altogether even though they have a much weaker CAP.

For now I will wait until the invasion force lands and takes casualties (I hope) before trying to send in even small
raids. Considered whether Andy might try to move past Kawajalein and go for Eniwetok instead but this would hardly save
him much effort...

Allied flak is just an annoyance compared to the force field put up by the CAP fighters Mynok - but I need to go in with
highly experienced naval bombers to stand a chance to score hits in such a 'hot' environment. Glad I wasn't destined to
become a Jap naval pilot in WWII..

Will try to use some Mavis search planes to move out HQ fragments - tried this on closed bases before without
much luck. Perhaps I just have to be persistent :-]

Thx for the advice guys! I'll consider putting together a float plane transport fleet - can't loose all my highly
experienced Mavis' in such operations though. Heard they make excellent night kamikazes [:'(]

AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 12/09/43

Air Combat

Day Air attack on TF at 80,78

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 8
G4M2 Betty x 11
Ki-43-IIa Oscar x 4

Allied aircraft
FM-2 Wildcat x 50
F6F Hellcat x 191
Corsair IV x 18
P-40N Warhawk x 5
P-38G Lightning x 3
P-38J Lightning x 7

Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 8 destroyed
G4M2 Betty: 11 destroyed
Ki-43-IIa Oscar: 4 destroyed
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day Air attack on TF at 80,78

Japanese aircraft
G4M2 Betty x 2

Allied aircraft
FM-2 Wildcat x 50
F6F Hellcat x 191
Corsair IV x 18
P-40N Warhawk x 5
P-38G Lightning x 3
P-38J Lightning x 7

Japanese aircraft losses
G4M2 Betty: 2 destroyed
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day Air attack on TF at 80,78

Japanese aircraft
G4M2 Betty x 3

Allied aircraft
FM-2 Wildcat x 50
F6F Hellcat x 191
Corsair IV x 18
P-40N Warhawk x 5
P-38G Lightning x 3
P-38J Lightning x 7

Japanese aircraft losses
G4M2 Betty: 3 destroyed

Allied aircraft losses
P-40N Warhawk: 1 damaged
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day Air attack on TF at 80,78

Japanese aircraft
G4M2 Betty x 2

Allied aircraft
FM-2 Wildcat x 50
F6F Hellcat x 191
Corsair IV x 18
P-40N Warhawk x 5
P-38G Lightning x 3
P-38J Lightning x 7

Japanese aircraft losses
G4M2 Betty: 2 destroyed
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day Air attack on TF at 80,78

Japanese aircraft
G4M2 Betty x 3

Allied aircraft
FM-2 Wildcat x 50
F6F Hellcat x 191
Corsair IV x 18
P-40N Warhawk x 5
P-38G Lightning x 3
P-38J Lightning x 7

Japanese aircraft losses
G4M2 Betty: 3 destroyed
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day Air attack on TF at 80,78

Japanese aircraft
G4M2 Betty x 3

Allied aircraft
FM-2 Wildcat x 50
F6F Hellcat x 191
Corsair IV x 18
P-40N Warhawk x 5
P-38G Lightning x 3
P-38J Lightning x 7

Japanese aircraft losses
G4M2 Betty: 3 destroyed
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day Air attack on TF at 80,78

Japanese aircraft
G4M2 Betty x 7

Allied aircraft
FM-2 Wildcat x 48
F6F Hellcat x 195
Corsair IV x 12
P-40N Warhawk x 3
P-38G Lightning x 3
P-38J Lightning x 6

Japanese aircraft losses
G4M2 Betty: 7 destroyed

Allied aircraft losses
P-40N Warhawk: 1 damaged
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day Air attack on TF at 80,78

Japanese aircraft
G4M2 Betty x 3

Allied aircraft
FM-2 Wildcat x 48
F6F Hellcat x 192
Corsair IV x 12
P-40N Warhawk x 1
P-38G Lightning x 1
P-38J Lightning x 3

Japanese aircraft losses
G4M2 Betty: 3 destroyed
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day Air attack on TF at 80,78

Japanese aircraft
G4M2 Betty x 4

Allied aircraft
FM-2 Wildcat x 48
F6F Hellcat x 207
Corsair IV x 12
P-40N Warhawk x 3
P-38G Lightning x 3
P-38J Lightning x 6

Japanese aircraft losses
G4M2 Betty: 4 destroyed
----------------------------------------------------------------------------

[Arstavidios]

Try and see if floatplane transport works.
Rushing a few thousand troops to an attacked base can be really nasty. You don't need to send the whole unit. If the base falls the parent unit wil replace its losses.

Probably the best use of aircraft you can make at the moment if it works.

[PzB74]

Here's the good thing Arstavidios: I got all the troops I want in most of my bases by now! [8D] I'm trying to keep the number of
troops on atolls moderate. Andy is going to need a heavy hammer even to smash even my modest presence on Kwajalein.

In real life there were some 6k Japs on Tarawa and they would have needed hotels to lodge anymore...me thinks the game should incur
heavy penalties for overstacking..but since this isn't the case a house rule may be needed. But first I'd like to see whether Andy is
up to the task or not. It is likely that large scale air and sea bombardments will cause much more casualties than they did historically
and thus even things out a bit.

My hope is that the game can remain interesting for both me and Andy until it ends (in a Japanese victory of course [:D]

[Arstavidios]

Well you're done with the good days now.
You may still get some opportunities to inflict local setbacks on the allies and slow him down.

[PzB74]

This is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps,
the end of the beginning.....

[Fishbed]

I go to bed now, but tomorrow when I wake up, I want BLOOD, that suspense for 3 days is simply too much! [:D][;)]

Good night all, I'll try to dream about a beach with dead digital marines all over the place, hope it will materialize when I awake! [:'(]

[>:][>:]

[Arstavidios]

ORIGINAL: PzB

This is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps,
the end of the beginning.....

Maybe something like the middle of the middle

[DuckofTindalos]

Channelling Churchill, eh?

[PzB74]

I will do my best...err worst [;)]

Andy is getting into position: his ac and ships have started to bombard Kwajalein and
several TFs have moved into the target area.

There are some 100 enemy ac on CAP over Kwajalein so I'm not going to send my Emily's to
pick up anything...a small force of barges will attempt to get away with parts of the Naval HQ though.

Ok, so we can't penetrate Andy's force field with conventional air strikes - so it's time to try another
approach. I know how devastatingly effective experienced B-17s are against enemy ships when put on naval search.
Sooo I've put 80 highly experienced Bettys around Kwajalein on 100% naval search [8D] Perhaps this is the way
to achieve 'leakers'? Starting with an altitude of 30k feet - if no results are achieved I will lower it.

Hoping to hear Andy scream soon [&o]

AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 12/10/43

Bombardments

A series of bombardments didn't cause overly heavy casualties!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TF 1068 encounters mine field at Kwajalein (79,79)

Allied Ships
DMS Perry
DMS Boggs
DD Norman
DD Henley
DD Buchanan
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Naval bombardment of Kwajalein, at 79,79

Allied Ships
BB Idaho

Japanese ground losses:
488 casualties reported
Guns lost 2

Airbase hits 3
Runway hits 9
Port hits 2
Port supply hits 2
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Naval bombardment of Kwajalein, at 79,79

Allied Ships
CL Helena
CL Concord
CL Emerald
BB Alabama
BB South Dakota
BB North Carolina

Japanese ground losses:
380 casualties reported
Guns lost 7

Airbase hits 3
Runway hits 30
Port hits 1
Port fuel hits 3
Port supply hits 4
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Naval bombardment of Kwajalein, at 79,79

Allied Ships
DD Kennison
DD Sampson
DD Welles
DD Farenholt
DD Lansdowne
CL Richmond
CL Tromp
BB Colorado

Japanese ground losses:
69 casualties reported
Guns lost 1

Airbase hits 1
Runway hits 28
Port hits 3
Port fuel hits 1
Port supply hits 1
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Air Combat

Heavy pounding of the Admiralities...

Day Air attack on Admiralty Islands , at 58,84

Japanese aircraft
no flights

Allied aircraft
Spitfire VIII x 21
A-20G Havoc x 16
B-25J Mitchell x 125
PB4Y Liberator x 8
B-24J Liberator x 39

Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-46-III Dinah: 3 destroyed

Allied aircraft losses
B-25J Mitchell: 2 damaged

Japanese ground losses:
115 casualties reported
Guns lost 6

Airbase hits 21
Airbase supply hits 2
Runway hits 229
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This is the kind of strike you DON'T want directed against the KB...[8|]
Day Air attack on Kwajalein Base Force, at 79,79

Allied aircraft
FM-2 Wildcat x 24
F6F Hellcat x 134
Corsair IV x 6
SBD Dauntless x 66
SB2C Helldiver x 194
TBM Avenger x 286

Allied aircraft losses
SBD Dauntless: 3 damaged
SB2C Helldiver: 5 damaged
TBM Avenger: 1 destroyed, 3 damaged

Japanese ground losses:
227 casualties reported
Guns lost 10
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Enemy air strike....

[WhoCares]

Are HQs not supposed to respawn after a given time once destroyed?
Anyway, I agree that the Fleet HQ might help more at a repair base.

[PzB74]

Much more productive than channeling pictures of the prophet I'd say [8|]

[PzB74]

Never heard about this WhoCares...can anyone confirm this?
Just airlifted an Air HQ from Hansa to Biak.

ORIGINAL: WhoCares

Are HQs not supposed to respawn after a given time once destroyed?
Anyway, I agree that the Fleet HQ might help more at a repair base.

[Monter_Trismegistos]

Allied HQs respawn? Definetly yes (Had at least brit air HQ respawned). Japanese? Have no idea.

[pauk]

hm... i think they should respawn to... in 60 days?

[Nomad]

Section 15.3 says that MOST HQs and Chinese units are replaced. Most HQs are returned as reinforcements.

I am watching this battle close, I have a pretty good idea of what each player is facing.