The Sun in My Eyes Mk IV, EOS from the Allied Perspective

[goodboyladdie]

ORIGINAL: Dice

Do you plan on restarting since Cid addressed the supply sink issue with 7.794?

Cid has dealt with this one local supply sink issue and does not yet know if it works. The others, that mostly effect the Jap player (although I am amazed at how much gets eaten up in the US!) are still out there. My opponent and I are discussing timetables of conquest, because if he does not get certain hexes in time the Jap supply sink will turn up in Tokyo and ruin the economy he is working so very hard to balance. If we do restart it will not be in RHS. Regardless of what Cid insists, they do not work. He moved away from the CHS team because they were not being as accurate as he felt they should and did fantastic work with the OOB (although I have not got 8th RAAF squadron for some reason?). These supply sinks are totally outside this wonderful, accurate OOB, yet have massive economic and combat influence (and strategic as they drive the Jap timetable), so where they fit in I do not know? Cid changes hats and professes to be a logistician when pushed to justify them. People have been trying to make him see sense over these since 2005 and until I raised it again he thought there were no problems. From comments here and elsewhere I suspect that most people just got tired of trying to talk to him about it. Mike and I are planning to carry on, but I chose to restart EOS a 4th time because I love what Cid and the team have done. This mod has a wonderful feel and plenty of new cool stuff. The map is bewitching. Many of Cid's wonderful innovations have driven changes that will appear in AE; supply sinks isn't one of them....

My opponent wanted to try EEO (we would have had the same problem there, but his economy would have been easier as certain elements would have already been ramped up for war) or Nemo's mod. I was itching to get started and Nemo's latest upgrade was not ready so we went with EOS again.

[goodboyladdie]

29/12/41

I have received SigInt that 5th (Motor) "A" Div is planning for an attack on Pearl Harbor.

AO Toho Maru hit a mine at Kwajalein and is on fire. CL Tatsuta was hit by a bomb from a B-18 in a small raid and was then plastered with 6 further hits when B-18s, B-17Ds and A-20s turned up in greater numbers. PH damage now stands at 29/35/0. VS3/D-14 activated at PH with Seagulls and has been put on ASW Patrol duties at 2000ft. 431st BS converted to the A-20B. DD Tucker, with sys damage of 40 but able to make 21 kts, received orders to run North at high speed. AR Rigel can only manage 1/1 and is still in danger to the North of Oahu.

[goodboyladdie]

USS Yorktown arrived at San Diego. Her assigned escorts arrived in Panama and they are still days away so 5 DDs will sail from SF to escort her North. As you will see from the screenie at the bottom of the post she has one SBD squadron equipped with 1000lb AP bombs.

Another US TK started to load fuel for Petropavlovsk in Seattle. AS Otus arrived in Auckland while AS Canopus arrived in Sydney. They both disbanded for repairs, having been damaged at Manila on the opening day.

[goodboyladdie]

In the DEI/PI, a patrolling Catalina hit AK Asakasan Maru just off Kota Bharu. I-157 torpedoed the small TK JMG Den Hartog at Palembang. ASW forces are racing to the scene. 1 Sally was destroyed in return for damage to 2 P-40Es over Brunei.

Manila was attacked twice. First 60th AA was hit, destroying 2 Nells and 1 Betty. Then the airfields were struck. Damage was Airbase 1, Supply 2, Runways 21. 1 Nell was destroyed and 7 Nells and 4 Beetys were damaged. KL was heavily bombed, but little damage was done. I have posted a screenie of the supply thief that is Kuala Lumpur.

No 84 Sqn RAF arrived at Aden with Blenheim IVs and flew on to Bombay.

[goodboyladdie]

1 SB-2 was damaged in a raid on Ichang that scored 4 runway hits. Over Wuchow 6 Sonias were destroyed and 4 damaged by my CAP. At 52,33 another of my guerrilla units was defeated and retreated. I have turned replacements off so it does not become static again. Another small premature shock attack occurred at Ichang as a further unit crossed a river to get into postion for the planned attack.

3 Soviet ASW vessels have sailed from Petropavlosk to patrol the area where TK Vladivostock was attacked. The sub appears to have left the area, but the Soviet High Command wishes to be thorough.

Here is a screenie of the Yak-1. The Soviets have more than a few good fighters. I wish they were available to other nations!

[goodboyladdie]

Just got time for a couple of quick posts before work. Here is the summary screen on 31/12/41. I intend to post the screen on the last day of every game month.

[goodboyladdie]

Here are my next air units due. I hope the bloody game does not rob me again, because I need these fighter units to turn up with the advertised planes...

[ny59giants]

I just sent Dice back turn 1 for EEO with the latest updates. I'll let you know how it goes. I don't know if I'll be doing an AAR yet. My first two turns take forever as the Allies as I turn off repairs to most of the Allied industry. Since we are so short of supplies in this mod at start, every 1000 supply I can save is needed. [:D]

[mlees]

16000 political points! *Drool*

[goodboyladdie]

30/12/41

S-18 was damaged by a Jake off Kona. Sytsem damage only went up from 10 to 12, but she is now a little too easy to spot so is returning to PH for repairs. 38 Zekes, 24 Nells and 6 Bettys raided PH. They were faced by 4 F4F-3s and 14 P-40Bs. Casualties were 3 Zekes, 6 Nells (8 damaged), 1 Betty (1 damaged), 1 F4F-3, 3 P-40B, 1 B-17D, 1 B-17E and 1 B-18. The airbase took 4 hits and the runways took 21. Damage at PH on the 31st was 29/28/0. I am very tempted to try a raid on his AF at Lahaina, but I think it would result in heavy casualties I cannot currently afford. PH supplies have dipped below 60,000 tons. 23rd BS converted to the B-25C. Their old B-18s were shared out amongst the remaining squadrons equipped with that aircraft.

Yorktown has sailed for San Francisco in company with the 5 DDs sent to escort her last turn.

MSW Kingfisher has finally swept the Japanese minefields of Canton Island. The heavily damaged USS Marblehead departed Brisbane in company with AP President Madison, bound for the repair yards at New Orleans.

Edit: I forgot to mention AR Rigel was attacked by many Nells and Bettys North of Oahu and sank after 3 torpedo hits. DD Tucker, able to make 4/4, got clear.

[goodboyladdie]

DM Thracian was hit by a torpedo from RO-33 just off Singapore. Her damage stands at 48/63/20 and she has disbanded at Singapore. Once her flood damage has repaired she will do a fast transport run to Madras before being fully repaired. RO-60 attacked the small AK Bicol off Sinkawang and hit her with 2 shells. She should make Kuching.

Brunei was hit by 60 Sallys. 3 were shot down by the 12 P-40Es on CAP. The runways were hit twice. In Burma SB-2s and Vildebeest hit 3rd Tanks at Ye again. Manila was hit by 2 raids: 1 on 11th Div and 1 on the airfield. 5 bombers were lost with more damaged. 11th Div suffered 78 casualties and the AF sustained 1 airbase hit, 1 supplies hit and 5 runway hits. KL was hit twice, but yet again damage to this enormous unit was slight. A subsequent deliberate attack only caused a further 29 casualties.

4 B-17Es hit AK Goryu Maru with a bomb at Soc Trang, causing heavy damage and 27 casualties amongst the embarked troops. 4 B-24Ds and 7 more B-17Es then hit her again causing a further 28 casualties. Mike is definitely building up to something. He needs the Oil in Northern Borneo quickly and has to clear KL, as well as the PI. I think trying to do all this while dealing with PH is stretching him, even with the PPs available in this game, particularly as he cannot denude the Northern frontier with the Soviets active.

The attached screenie shows what a pain Mike is being with his subs. I have ASW forces after every contact.

[goodboyladdie]

Mike is still hitting me with raids all over China. It is frustrating to not have the fighters with the range to go after more raids as most are unescorted. I will carry out a deliberate attack at Ichang this turn. 2 of my units are heavily disrupted and he has 3 forts, but if Ichang is the same as in all the other mods and stock, he will be struggling for supplies.

Here is a screenie that further proves Mike is getting ready for something. CVs in a task force at Takao...

[goodboyladdie]

Mike is away until very late Sunday, so I am taking my time with the turn. I am checking every base and turning off all HI Naval/Merchant and shipyard repairs. I have left most resource repairs on, but this may be a mistake as they will suck up 1000 supply points a turn just to produce an extra one. A tip to all potential RHS players - keep a close eye on Fortress supply sink units. If you need whatever aviation support or AA weapons they have to build up leave them with replacements on, but turn them off as soon as poss. If you do not really need something in them turn them off as soon as possible. They really suck (literally!). I need to build up enough supply to fight some into PH to give it a chance to hold out and I am really short in CONUS because I did not pay enough attention to these bloody supply sinks! They are ahistorical here because the US was able to start building up straight away, whereas I cannot. I am just glad that certain elements of Allied production do not really have any effect (such as Naval and Merchant shipyards).

I am thinking of putting 2nd Marines into PH, but I am not sure. I cannot make up my mind as to whether it really has a chance to hold. Mike simply HAS to start serious moves in the DEI or his economy will implode. I am hoping this will mean he cannot commit what he needs to PH at this crucial stage...

[Mistmatz]

So you say you have a lack of supply in CONUS? If so you probably allowed repair on too many things simultaneously. Also did you ship resources to New Orleans? Australia has lots on stock and also the ports around Seattle seem to have quite a bunch. Feed HI in NO with those resources and you should have ample supply for a stiff defence. But this needs to start as soon as possible, as the turn time is rather lengthy due to the travel distances. I believe it's something like 2 months.

[goodboyladdie]

ORIGINAL: Mistmatz

So you say you have a lack of supply in CONUS? If so you probably allowed repair on too many things simultaneously. Also did you ship resources to New Orleans? Australia has lots on stock and also the ports around Seattle seem to have quite a bunch. Feed HI in NO with those resources and you should have ample supply for a stiff defence. But this needs to start as soon as possible, as the turn time is rather lengthy due to the travel distances. I believe it's something like 2 months.

I have plenty of Resource on it's way to New Orleans. It should start to arrive within 2 weeks. I am also pushing some supply from New Orleans to the West Coast. I am having to ship it as there does not seem to be any land link. What's the hot key that exposes the rail lines etc? I definitely allowed repair on too many things simultaneously, but historically this was accurate. The US had been gearing up to war production since at least 1938 as the French and British were ordering so much from US companies at the same time that the US Forces were being expanded and re-equipped. The fact I can't leave everything to build up is not right. The US had the resources to build up it's factories and it's production whilst supplying the Allies. CONUS supply is not "free supply" in the sense that it exists elswehere, so the large scale of the supply sinks there distorts the early war. I am also suffering badly from the low numbers of modern fighters available. Cid indicated that this will improve as some factories convert. I'll wait with bated breath for this to happen, but 44 P-40Es a month is not accurate. About 200 arrived in Australia in January 1942. I am also 4 squadrons of Hurricane IIbs down already and only get 26 a month to try to make this up and equip all the other squadrons due that actually arrived with this aircraft. I love playing mods that give the Japanese player a better chance, but I believe I should at least get what my real life counterparts actually had to fight with...

[Mistmatz]

ORIGINAL: goodboyladdie

I have plenty of Resource on it's way to New Orleans. It should start to arrive within 2 weeks. I am also pushing some supply from New Orleans to the West Coast. I am having to ship it as there does not seem to be any land link. What's the hot key that exposes the rail lines etc? I definitely allowed repair on too many things simultaneously, but historically this was accurate. The US had been gearing up to war production since at least 1938 as the French and British were ordering so much from US companies at the same time that the US Forces were being expanded and re-equipped. The fact I can't leave everything to build up is not right. The US had the resources to build up it's factories and it's production whilst supplying the Allies. CONUS supply is not "free supply" in the sense that it exists elswehere, so the large scale of the supply sinks there distorts the early war. I am also suffering badly from the low numbers of modern fighters available. Cid indicated that this will improve as some factories convert. I'll wait with bated breath for this to happen, but 44 P-40Es a month is not accurate. About 200 arrived in Australia in January 1942. I am also 4 squadrons of Hurricane IIbs down already and only get 26 a month to try to make this up and equip all the other squadrons due that actually arrived with this aircraft. I love playing mods that give the Japanese player a better chance, but I believe I should at least get what my real life counterparts actually had to fight with...

The hotkey is 'R' like 'rail' or 'road'. [;)]

The industry buildup surely took place but you must not forget that most of the effort was spent for the west and the stuff you are building belongs solely to the pacific theater.

Also, it is just a month in the war for the US and gearing up sped up throughout the war. Not everything was up and running at the beginning and this is reflected in the mod. Just start to repair the big things with several hundred damaged and repair the small stuff later. Oftentimes they just take a month or two to repair but those several 10k supplies hurt in the beginning and thats what you are experiencing. Remember an allied economy is a new concept for WitP players and we have to accomodate, it's definately not a no-brainer. If it were, there wouldn't be a need for it in the first place.

The trickling of aircraft reinforcements is engine related. You cant blame the mod for the engine and on the other hand you cant give the allied too many planes or they will steamroll the japanese (too) early. I'm not playing EOS but CVO so maybe numbers are a bit better here for the allies. But in CVO the fighter situation is still far from good. Don't expect that this will change anytime soon. Personally I hope to get into '43 in a half decent shape.

[goodboyladdie]

ORIGINAL: Mistmatz

ORIGINAL: goodboyladdie

I have plenty of Resource on it's way to New Orleans. It should start to arrive within 2 weeks. I am also pushing some supply from New Orleans to the West Coast. I am having to ship it as there does not seem to be any land link. What's the hot key that exposes the rail lines etc? I definitely allowed repair on too many things simultaneously, but historically this was accurate. The US had been gearing up to war production since at least 1938 as the French and British were ordering so much from US companies at the same time that the US Forces were being expanded and re-equipped. The fact I can't leave everything to build up is not right. The US had the resources to build up it's factories and it's production whilst supplying the Allies. CONUS supply is not "free supply" in the sense that it exists elswehere, so the large scale of the supply sinks there distorts the early war. I am also suffering badly from the low numbers of modern fighters available. Cid indicated that this will improve as some factories convert. I'll wait with bated breath for this to happen, but 44 P-40Es a month is not accurate. About 200 arrived in Australia in January 1942. I am also 4 squadrons of Hurricane IIbs down already and only get 26 a month to try to make this up and equip all the other squadrons due that actually arrived with this aircraft. I love playing mods that give the Japanese player a better chance, but I believe I should at least get what my real life counterparts actually had to fight with...

The hotkey is 'R' like 'rail' or 'road'. [;)]

The industry buildup surely took place but you must not forget that most of the effort was spent for the west and the stuff you are building belongs solely to the pacific theater.

Also, it is just a month in the war for the US and gearing up sped up throughout the war. Not everything was up and running at the beginning and this is reflected in the mod. Just start to repair the big things with several hundred damaged and repair the small stuff later. Oftentimes they just take a month or two to repair but those several 10k supplies hurt in the beginning and thats what you are experiencing. Remember an allied economy is a new concept for WitP players and we have to accomodate, it's definately not a no-brainer. If it were, there wouldn't be a need for it in the first place.

The trickling of aircraft reinforcements is engine related. You cant blame the mod for the engine and on the other hand you cant give the allied too many planes or they will steamroll the japanese (too) early. I'm not playing EOS but CVO so maybe numbers are a bit better here for the allies. But in CVO the fighter situation is still far from good. Don't expect that this will change anytime soon. Personally I hope to get into '43 in a half decent shape.

I am not asking for too many. I only want what I should have. The production figures are mod related. The non arrival of the correct planes in reinforcement squadrons is down to the engine. It's bloody annoying and potentially fatal, but it is not Cid's fault - what is produced and where, is. He assures me that it gets better and I look forward to it. The time it takes to repair these big HI projects already reflects the time it took to ramp up. It does not need any additional delay manufactured by supply sinks to adequately portray this ramp up period. I like having an economy to manage and it certainly helps me appreciate what the poor JFBs have to go through. If supply sinks are causing me issues, I dread to think what my poor opponent is facing.

[goodboyladdie]

31/12/41

I have received SigInt that 1st Fleet SNGF Naval Guards are planning for Lanai.

PH was hit by 48 Zekes, 19 Nells and 16 Bettys. My CAP totalled 3 F4F-3s and 10 P-40Bs. Losses were 5 Zekes, 6 Nells (7 damaged), 1 Betty (5 damaged), 2 F4F-3s, 4 P-40Bs, 2 B-18s and 1 PBY. The airbase was hit twice and runways 11 times. Next day the damage to PH was 29/19/0. Supplies are dropping quickly now (down to 54000 tons), so I will have to make a decision on a resupply run sooner rather than later. SS Pollack left for repairs at San Diego. The special (i.e. made up) ferry crews that delivered my A-20 and B-25 reinforcements were aboard.

Here is the latest screenshot.

[goodboyladdie]

I have to withdraw a CL and 2 DDs this month. I will definitely send a CL back and will try to send at least one DD, but it will really depend how hard pressed I am by Mike's subs.

RO-60 was hit by a patrolling Do-24 today and a Blenheim Nightfighter was shot down over Bangkok during the night. I have been attempting night raids with 27 Sqn for ages, but am having absolutely no luck. I will persevere, but am mindful of wasting pilots for no gain.

A small raid of Sallys attacked KL. Then 32 more attacked Brunei meeting 13 P-40Es and having one of their number shot down. Manila was hit three times. 11th Div and 60th AA were the targets again and are starting to get heavily disrupted. Mike lost 1 Nell, 1 Betty and 1 Lily in these first raids with 12 more bombers damaged. Then the AF came in for another big raid. 4 Nells and 3 Bettys were shot down. The Airbase took 2 hits, supplies took 2 and runways 19. Next day damage was 0/0/0, so my engineers and coolies are obviously working hard.

Mike then carried out a deliberate attack at KL. 420 (373) attacked 6 (733!). 12 Japs were lost against 88 of mine.

Here is today's screenie of the build up at Takao...

[goodboyladdie]

Every bomber squadron in China seems to have a different set of upgrade options so there is no way I am going to be able to establish a common force unless I go Soviet. I do not want to do this because although it will free up my Western pools, the Soviet bombers do not carry big bombs. I upgraded a Martin 139 squadron to the IL-4c (forgetting I was saving them for a Soviet TB-2 squadron until I wrote this), but rather interestingly they came with torpedoes as their default loadout. These will come in handy as part of my war of attrition on Mike's Sea Lanes Of Communication, particularly with a range of 15. I am sending a base force to Nanning to give me a longer reach into the South China Sea.

10 Martin 139s, 14 SB-2s and 6 SB-2Ms met 9 Nates over Ichang. 2 Martins were shot down, I would like to get rid of these vulnerable bombers, especially as the losses eat into the pool they share with the Dutch, but these are the only units that upgrade to the B-25 so I need them. I may have to withdraw them to save them after next turn as PH and the DEI should get first call on B-25s. A second raid on Ichang was escorted by 5 P-43s. 2 Nates and another Martin fell.

Over Wuchow Mike came looking for my CAP with 26 Nates escorting the daily Sonia raid. Casualties were 1 Nate, 6 Sonias, 4 P-35s and 1 I-153c. I have pushed a squadron of I-16c's in for the next turn so we'll see what happens. I set up a P-43 ambush on a daily raid by Kates, but there was no interception and it is only as I read my notes I remember that I was going to try a leader change...

Ningpo, which I abandoned after Mike got a unit in behind me, fell to a Jap deliberate attack. The unit from Ningpo is on it's way to Wenchow and the unit that started in Wenchow is moving to an unprotected crossroads inland. This wastes all the Wenchow prep points, but it's the fastest option to get the crossroads covered. Then my deliberate attack on Ichang went in 2055 (1392) to 154 (75). I lost 112 men and Mike lost 392. His forces retreated.

Here is the latest Ace list. Edit: Looking at it here I have just noticed how many pilots seem to have scored many kills in one mission. I wish I had more planes so I could get all my best pilots up at once! Re-edit: Those mission figures are not right as these pilots feature on earlier ace lists I have posted.