Workshop for the new guys - PAW

[larryfulkerson]

This aircraft unit might turn out to be the strongest squadron the Japs have. The proficiency of the pilots is 90% or so. And there's plenty of Zeros in the unit. This is the unit I do airfield strikes with. I need to move this bad boy to Manila and get it busy.

[larryfulkerson]

Here's that squadron after I've flown it to Formosa and I've trimmed the range so that it just covers Manila....that way it'll tend to concentrate on Manila a little better. Every little bit helps. I want to give my digital soldiers every edge I can. As soon as some of the airfields on the PI are captured I'll move the planes closer.

[larryfulkerson]

Here's a situation where I'm loading the 65th Brigade onto transports for shippment to Appari where landings will be conducted. There are known Allied aircraft in the PI so the escort for this transit will be a subchaser unit who will provide the AA coverage for the TF and I've flown in several fighter squadrons to Formosa for a CAP for the TF while it's underway so I think we're almost ready for this mission although, I'm going to wait until approx. mid-turn to do my amphibious assault because that's how many rounds it will cost. They have to unload from the boats into these landing craft things and THEN make their way to the beach and all that costs time. I'm thinking of taking more than just the 65th.

[larryfulkerson]

I borrowed a Brigade from Canton to complete the surround on the British units at Hong Kong and I've got a three-dot attack scheduled from all the units adjacent to Hong Kong and I expect perhaps two attacks to be all that it should take. I'm going to attach some ships to the local on-scene commander for support for the attack, at least one BB in the stack, and the guys at Canton need to spread out and occupy the rails and maybe push somebody north a little bit.

[larryfulkerson]

I decided that Malaya needed some Jap paratroopers to block the movement of troops from Singapore and this is the best I could do. I dropped it in what I hoped was a clear hex and then moved it one hex south and found the Allied Force Z TF. So my Betty's and Nells can get busy now and sink that bad boy.

[larryfulkerson]

I found a TF near the home islands that had 2 BB's and some CL's in it and they weren't doing anything important so I sent them to Wake to pound the defenses there prior to my assault. I'm seeing some CD guns there so I'll need to defeat them before I can bring the transports close to the island. VMF-211 is there with their Wildcats. I don't have any planes with me...maybe I should send a carrier out there with some fighters for a CAP for them. I'm bringing the entire 25th Division because from Wake I'm going to Midway and half of this division will be used for that event. I'm hoping to have the island before the end of the turn.

[larryfulkerson]

I found another TF that already had 2 BB's in it and drove it down to the Manila area and paused at the entrance to the harbor long enough to defeat Ft. Drum at Corregidor. I just drove into it and let it attack me and my counterbattery fire killed it. I lost a DD in that event. Then I drove further into the harbor and 2 Allied CA's attacked me and I sank them losing another DD in the process. The Allies also lost a couple of DD's as I recall. Right now I have the TF bombarding Manila even though none of the target units are visible. I'm thinking that SOME damage will be done.

I've got other troop transports standing by their adjacent target hexes waiting for the word to assault, which will be the last thing I do this turn because some of the units have traveled a long way to get to their assault hexes and their attack will burn all the rounds left. That's the theory.

[larryfulkerson]

The next TF that I came to has 2 BB's, a CA, and 2 CL's and I thought that was just fine for supporting the troops at Hong Kong. I drove them down there from the home islands and now they are bombarding from offshore and the troops are overjoyed. From Hong Kong the TF is headed to Malaya toward Singapore to take care of Allied Force Z. I'd like to soften it up with an airstrike first and then engage it to finish it off. I may as well defeat the Singapore CD guns and start the bombardment of the city, or at least the airfields.

[larryfulkerson]

Here's me setting up the Pearl Harbor strike on the stack of Allied BB's. All the BB's are stacked up in the same hex for my convienence I guess. There were only three carriers that had the range to get there and still sail away safely and I didn't see the need for any more heavy guns since the home rule about me moving the carriers to the home islands right after the strike procludes any surface action anyway. I've found a launch position away from the rest of the islands and at extreme range for the Vals and Kates and I have high hopes for the strike. I didn't check the weather either at my launch position or at Pearl and I'm thinking I might ought to do that to gauge my chance of success.

[larryfulkerson]

Here's the weather forcast. Partly cloudy over one carrier's hex but clear otherwise. I think the strike will launch and all will be fine. As soon as the planes return from the strike I'm going to head out to the home islands but if I was going to stick around longer to do a second strike or something I might consider moving the TF under a T-storm for protection from enemy planes. Also, it might keep the TF hidden longer.

[larryfulkerson]

The next TF was the CVL Zuiho and her escorts so I drove them down to the Tarakan area actually investigating the Allied DD at Balikpapan but when I came around the horn into the Celebes Bay the Allied DD at Tarakan popped into view as well as the LCU in the city. So I stopped everything and cleared the decks for an immediate launch of an airstrike on the nearest Allied DD. See if I can't sink that bad boy. Then next we'll go for the DD at Balikpapan.

[larryfulkerson]

Next TF had three carriers in it the CV Ruiho ( yeah I spelled it wrong in the picture ) and the CVL Shoho [ and yeah that's spelled wrong too. I need a nap. ] and the CVE Hosho so I drove them down to the Saigon area and launched an airstrike on the Allied TF known as Force Z. Three carriers worth of planes ought to do something good.

[larryfulkerson]

Here's the results of the Pearl Harbor Strike: it looks like a clean sweep...everything in the hex is gone now. And I lost a couple of planes. Not too bad. I'll take it. The Allies will probably get two of them back for one reason or another. I remember seeing a news string about it in a previous game.

[larryfulkerson]

Here's the airstrike on Force Z. It's gone now. I can safely approach Singapore with my ships once I defeat the CD guns there with my BB's.

[larryfulkerson]

The attack on Wake failed so the troops embarked into the boats and now we're sitting in the water until next turn. I've decided to leave the ships there for protection for the troop transports. The American carriers could show up at any time now.

[larryfulkerson]

Here's what Hong Kong looks like now. The ships have left for other targets, probably Manila, and the troops moved north and progress is being made.

[larryfulkerson]

Here's how the Allies see the PI situation. Nobody is leaving the island anytime soon. I need to fly McArthur out of here to Australia soon, this turn if possible, and I'm considering backing up all the units not in Manila, into the Manila area to hunker down. Everybody is doing fine where they are currently however, and I hate to change it unnecessarily. I dare not move the partisans lest it be noticed. And the Japs have made no movements to indicate that they are going for the jugular, which would be Manila itself. I've got units stacked up in Manila so I'm thinking we're safe for now. No counterattacking need be done I'm thinking.

[larryfulkerson]

Rangoon needed some fighters for point defense and that means that the CAP doesn't have to have a fabulous range and these Hurricanes fit the bill pretty well. It's a British squadron which means it's missing a lot of it's planes, it's chronic with the British squadrons, and unfortunately we're not making Hurricanes very fast, it's a "Europe first" policy after all, and so putting them in Rangoon is going to thrust them into the frey front lines. The Japs are going to be doing airfield strikes for sure so these guys are in for a fight and a half.

[larryfulkerson]

Here's Ceylon and the only offensive ships I have available, including a CVE, the HMS Hermes and it carries 12 Swordfish bombers and 12 Fulmar fighter bombers. Not the kind of set up to try fighting the Jap carriers. It might be best if these ships are sailed to Australia for safety before the Japs go for broke near India.

[larryfulkerson]

Here's a New Zealand aircraft unit that's missing most of it's planes. I don't know whether or not to deploy it in combat. There's no more planes for him and won't be for a long time and I don't want him to get evaporated in combat so I'm thinking of some quiet place where he can refit, fatten up with planes for a while. I'd like to see him with about 3/4 of his planes before I run him into combat. I'll leave him where he is for a while.