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Thanks for the advice Guys, it is great, and Mike's take has clinched it. I have changed the Ki-43-Ib factory at Gifu from Ibs to Ics, and will produce 130 airframes, when the factories are repaired. But all the other builds I will leave as is for now, but I will keep a close eye on C5M2 losses. [&o][&o][&o]

I used to think I could live with the C5M2 airframes I had on hand as well. I don't any more. I converted a small factory to build them. It is about 6 per month. I shut it off at 20 in the pool. You won't lose many, but I don't think the handful you have will do it.

ORIGINAL: Mike Solli

It is about 6 per month.

I have the same ... ain't much, but otherwise those few groups would go empty on me.

4th Fleet Area (Eastern Pacific).

Methinks that I have upset the Spirit or Ghost that inhabits this game. I know this because the 4x deckloads of B5N2s I had set on Port attack today, failed to launch any torpedos. I have long suspected the presents of this spirit within the game engine, and that it can sometimes be AFB (just joking) by nature. I think maybe this Ghost is a culmination of the personalities of all the programmers, and Moders that have worked on this game. I will from now on refer to the Spirit as Trevor the Ghost.

So has you can see below, a dismal raid on Pearl Harbor today. It was mostly a bad flying day, today all over the map, and think I will have a wee cry now!



Afternoon Air attack on Pearl Harbor , at 180,107
Weather in hex: Heavy cloud

Raid detected at 118 NM, estimated altitude 15,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 44 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 62
B5N2 Kate x 96
D3A1 Val x 107

Allied aircraft
P-40B Warhawk x 48

Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 3 destroyed
B5N2 Kate: 4 destroyed, 5 damaged
D3A1 Val: 3 destroyed, 27 damaged
D3A1 Val: 3 destroyed by flak

Allied aircraft losses
P-40B Warhawk: 5 destroyed, 11 damaged
PBY-5 Catalina: 2 destroyed on ground
P-36A Mohawk: 4 destroyed on ground
SBD-1 Dauntless: 1 destroyed on ground
A-20A Havoc: 1 destroyed on ground
B-17E Fortress: 1 destroyed on ground
O-47A: 1 destroyed on ground
F4F-3 Wildcat: 1 destroyed on ground

Allied Ships
DM Gamble, Bomb hits 1, heavy fires, heavy damage
DD Worden, Bomb hits 1, on fire
BB Arizona, Bomb hits 7, heavy fires, heavy damage
BB Oklahoma, Bomb hits 8, heavy fires
BB Pennsylvania, Bomb hits 3, on fire, heavy damage
BB California, Bomb hits 4, heavy damage
CL Honolulu, Bomb hits 1, on fire
DD Ralph Talbot, Bomb hits 1, on fire
BB West Virginia, Bomb hits 5, heavy damage
BB Maryland, Bomb hits 3, on fire, heavy damage
CL Helena, Bomb hits 1
AV Curtiss, Bomb hits 1
BB Tennessee, Bomb hits 1, heavy fires, heavy damage
CL Raleigh, Bomb hits 1, on fire
AG Argonne, Bomb hits 1, on fire
DD Downes, Bomb hits 1, heavy fires, heavy damage

Allied ground losses:
7 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

Airbase hits 4
Airbase supply hits 1
Runway hits 10
Port hits 6
Port fuel hits 1

Trevor the Ghost. I like it. [:D]

a wee cry ...  [:D]

Sshh, Trevor will hear you! [:D]

OK... have pulled myself together, and been doing some thinking. My read is that I still have lots of torpedoes, enough for even a carrier-battle. So I could have a look to the east toward the west-coast, for the incoming Saratoga. That would also give me the time for another go at PH too, and I think I have the fuel too. As the Oilers are close at hand if I need them too, maybe could be east of Kwajalein at a pinch.

Now about the other enemy carriers whereabouts, I think that the southern one is just south of Kwajalein, waiting to pounce on the Nauru landing. This is a problem as I will have to go for Nauru soon, because of my timetable.

While it now looks like the Enterprise has left the wildcats on Wake, and has gone north, which probably puts her out of reach.

Finally it is my read that the USN Cruisers have slipped south though the Makassar strait, and will not interfere with the Jolo operation. Also that Force Z is waiting to hit the Kucking operation, and for this I will have the 2x Nagato BBs waiting.

December 9th -

Trevor weathered-in the my filghtdecks of the first mobile striking force to day off Pearl Harbor, and no missions were flown all day, none at all, zero. Methinks that Trevor was a tad harsh on me today, but game Ghosts are like that I suppose.

11th December, 1941.

The Devil Ship USS Boise has turn up north east of Saipan across the LOC for both Truk and Kwajalein. That completely caught me with my pants down, as I thought he would try to block Babeldaob. Anyway he intercepted the Saipan resupply convoy (Osaka Special No2 Convoy, 35000supply, 25000fuel), which was carrying both fuel and supply. In two gunfights USS Boise has slaughtered this Convoy, with only 2x xAK and a TK surviving (plus a damaged PB).

While the good news is that my two hunting forces have now combined, and if USS Boise steams toward Saipan to destroy the rest of the Convoy. Has a good chance of intercepting her, and putting the enemy cruiser down with gunfire or air attack. Also there is the second possibility that Air-search H6K4s, which has now focused onto this area. Can spot Boise, and lead to a successful strike by some G3M2s based on Saipan.

Anyway here is the pain –

#1. Night Time Surface Combat, near Chichi-jima at 113,79, Range 6,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
DD Akikaze
TK Nihon Maru
xAK Toyooka Maru, Shell hits 3, heavy fires
xAK Terukawa Maru
xAK Syohei Maru
xAK Nansin Maru
xAK Yuri Maru
xAK Kiyo Maru, Shell hits 1, on fire
xAK Kusuyama Maru
xAK Otori Maru
xAK Sakido Maru
xAK Nitiryu Maru
PB Kinsyo Maru #2

Allied Ships
CL Boise, Shell hits 1

#2. Day Time Surface Combat, near Chichi-jima at 114,80, Range 15,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
DD Akikaze, Shell hits 22, and is sunk
TK Nihon Maru
xAK Toyooka Maru, Shell hits 12, and is sunk
xAK Terukawa Maru, Shell hits 4, heavy fires, heavy damage
xAK Syohei Maru, Shell hits 7, heavy fires, heavy damage
xAK Nansin Maru, Shell hits 8, heavy fires, heavy damage
xAK Yuri Maru, Shell hits 2, heavy fires, heavy damage
xAK Kiyo Maru, heavy fires, heavy damage
xAK Kusuyama Maru, Shell hits 12, and is sunk
xAK Otori Maru
xAK Sakido Maru
xAK Nitiryu Maru, Shell hits 7, heavy fires, heavy damage
PB Kinsyo Maru #2, Shell hits 2, heavy fires

Allied Ships
CL Boise, Shell hits 1

And the Situation Map, as of the morning of December 11th –

Amazing that she missed your TK both times. Get that SOB!

By the way, your sig is beautiful! Did you make that?

Yes you're right there Mike, that TK is living a charmed life, and I have my fingers crossed that she can make Saipan.

Yes I did the Siggy myself, as I can double as a passable artist sometimes. Iv'e always liked that Pic of the Zuiho, as she is sort of thumbing her noise at the USN SBDs.

11th December, 1941.

The Hunting Force north of Babeldaob, intercepts and lets an enemy xAK sail on (how neighbourly).
While also overnight USN SSs make numerous attacks on my shipping off the landing beaches, lucky missing with all their torps, but then my covering ASW units scored no hits in these shallow waters (right neighbourly again).

On the plus side I had got an Engineer, AA, and airfield units though to Saipan. I have also had two nice fat convoys on the Babeldaob run, one containing 45,000 supplies, and 25,000 fuel. While the other one is carrying a JNAF base force and a JNAF air flotilla HQ, which would have put a spanner in the System if intercepted.

I had one very good success overnight, when one of my southern merchant cruisers intercepted an Allied convoy. This convoy probably originated in New Zealand, and was undoubtedly steaming to Pago Pago, then on to the US West Coast. Was well worked over by IJNS Hokoku Maru, and will hopefully lead to two sinks.

Day Time Surface Combat, near Eua at 143,180, Range 19,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
AMC Hokoku Maru

Allied Ships
xAK Californian, Shell hits 1
xAK Kansan
xAK Sagadahoc, Shell hits 8, heavy fires, heavy damage
xAK Harry Luckenbach, Shell hits 3
xAK Liberty Glo, Shell hits 5, on fire
xAK Comliebank, Shell hits 2

I am starting to wonder about my Intel reading abilities, as Michael really out-foxed me north of Saipan. Plus the Wildcats still appear to be on Wake, and there is no sign of the southern USN Carrier what so ever. There is also no sign of Force Z, and I’m wondering if it might be operating in the southern DEI, where it could cause some real damage.

But the real-estate grab goes well, with Nauru Island, Ternate, and Sorong all falling into my hands. But Jolo Island should also been on the list, but I forgot to unload the SNLF company last night. This of course is a bright thing to do in such hostile waters, especially with those damn S-boats bound to gather.

Now for some controversy with my initial Airframe R&D - [;)]

12th December, 1941.

Truk.
144th infantry regiment, and lll/66 naval guard unit have both landed at Truk overnight, and during the day. They will put in a DA attack tomorrow, and will hopefully storm Truk. While there is an Allied task force, just south of Truk, that may contain some Allied cruisers or not. If it is an Allied cruiser force, they will come up against Goto's cruisers.

Ternate.
USS Huston bombarded the airfield at Ternate overnight, and destroyed the AV support the, along with damaging 4x A6M2's. This action affectively shuts down the CAP over Ternate, and probably the permanent loss of the 4x A6M2's.

Night Naval bombardment of Ternate at 78,102
Japanese aircraft
no flights
Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 4 damaged
Allied Ships
CA Houston
DD Whipple
DD John D. Edwards
DD Edsall
DD Alden
Japanese ground losses:
379 casualties reported
Squads: 3 destroyed, 4 disabled
Non Combat: 15 destroyed, 17 disabled
Engineers: 3 destroyed, 1 disabled

Airbase supply hits 8
Runway hits 26
Port hits 14
Port fuel hits 5
Port supply hits 7

Manila.
Michael uses his remaining P-40's to CAP Manila, which catches me out as I only swept Clark Field.
So that all his fighters are able to intercept my Port Attack -

Afternoon Air attack on Manila , at 79,77
Weather in hex: Heavy cloud
Raid detected at 102 NM, estimated altitude 14,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 35 minutes
Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 37
G4M1 Betty x 20
Allied aircraft
P-40E Warhawk x 46
Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 2 destroyed
G4M1 Betty: 9 destroyed, 1 damaged
Allied aircraft losses
P-40E Warhawk: 6 destroyed

Allied Ships
xAK Hinsang, Bomb hits 1, heavy damage

Port hits 1

But the problem is the great loss in very experienced aircrew, which will take awhile to replace. While I also have been outfoxed again, and should have spotted this in my air-recon. I have again suffered great loss of face, and can feel my face still stinging.

ORIGINAL: DivePac88

12th December, 1941.

Truk.
144th infantry regiment, and lll/66 naval guard unit have both landed at Truk overnight, and during the day. They will put in a DA attack tomorrow, and will hopefully storm Truk.

[&:][&:][&:]

Whadaya mean "storm Truk"?!

ORIGINAL: BigBadWolf

ORIGINAL: DivePac88

12th December, 1941.

Truk.
144th infantry regiment, and lll/66 naval guard unit have both landed at Truk overnight, and during the day. They will put in a DA attack tomorrow, and will hopefully storm Truk.

[&:][&:][&:]

Whadaya mean "storm Truk"?!

Has Truk flipped to the US??

M&M enterprises bought off Japanese commander? [:D]