Iron Storm (Scenario 50): Playtest

[Alikchi2]

That is the plan! I plan to restart the old CHS AAR I was playing (it's a few pages down, I think) if Captain Cruft is still up for it.

[Captain Cruft]

ORIGINAL: Terminus
It was a bit of a surprise to me when Cruft pulled out his flattops.

I thought this was obvious. Alikchi moved the KB to just off Malaya. Versus those 6 fleet carriers the Brit CVs would have all got sunk. Maybe they might have taken one Jap with them but still a disaster.

The replacements didn't drop off until I had ineffectively used the Stringbags and whatnot from land bases for a while. I do agree the rates might go up a bit.

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Spitfires - they were holding their own against the Zeros with the initial 70+ exp pilots. Since the groups are now mostly staffed by level 50 replacements they don't so well ...

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CHS AARs - I have no idea why more people aren't playing this. Personally I could not possibly imagine going back to the old map and generic transports. It will be good to resume the "old" game, even though I can't remember anything about it, lol.

[Captain Cruft]

ORIGINAL: Andy Mac
Any chance (just for a litte added fun) that the RAF could get a Mossie or Lancaster Sqn in place of an existing sqn or perhaps as early replacement's.

I would also consider giving the RAF a small recon sqn

Andy

For Recon there is already the RAF Lysander squadron in India. Lysanders are Recon planes in CHS, a much better fit than fighter-bomber. As it happens I have kept them in Burma but there was nothing stopping me moving them to Malaya. The Dutch Falcons have come in very useful there ...

As for Lancasters, well it would be nice but I don't think so. They have a vast bombload in the CHS OOB, much more than any US plane bar the B-29. Unbalancing.

The one thing the Brits are lacking is fighters with quality pilots. I would suggest increasing the replacement pool exp level by 5 points.

[Alikchi2]

I thought about having a few of the airgroups converted to CVs, but I thought it might have been a bit of stretch, personally. The Seafires were only barely coming into service a few months from this time. Still, I will be upping the rates slightly. Certainly with such a concentration of RN strength, the pools would be higher, at least!

I still plan on adding a Spitfire Photo Recon squadron. Cruft has been using the Falcons to recon Kota Bharu and Kuching (very useful - those Falcons have probably cost me more aircraft indirectly than anything!).

As for Mossies and Lancasters - Mossies are more likely! I definitely will be looking into them. As for Lancs, I don't believe that Harris would have released the big boys in this situation, although an additional Wellington squadron is a possibility.

I can't remember anything about our old game either [:D] I was just looking through my old AAR and wondering exactly what I was talking about! Re-acclimating is going to be fun, for sure..

Probably I'll be wondering why my Eastern Fleet is so small!

P.S. - I will look at the experience levels and pilot pools for all nationalities but I think that your suggestion makes sense.

[Captain Cruft]

The only thing I do remember is invading Suva and Pago-Pago. Apart from that no idea.

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"Re-acclimating" - I just love American "abbrev-o-speak" (really). It's "re-acclimatising" in the Queen's English. No wonder most Europeans choose to study the US version when they are at school ...

Just for fun, can any of the audience name an example of where American English actually lengthens something from the original? I can think of one (and only one).

[Alikchi2]

Oh, I do remember the Suva thing! And fighting over Palembang. Other than that, it's all a blur of convoys and bombings ;p

I can't answer your question sadly. Although there's something to be said for both version of the language..

I've been doing too much research and reading with British sources. Just recently, I was penalized in an essay (school) for spelling "center" as "centre".. whoops! [:D]

[Captain Cruft]

LOL! I hope you didn't lose "points" or whatever for that glaring error. I suspect over here the teachers would accept either spelling.

Anyway, I won't give the answer to the question yet. Not that it matters ...

[Alikchi2]

Argh! I had this halfway written and then I closed the window or it vanished or something >>

[:@] Round two: Fight!

2/7/42

The day began, as always, with British and American aircraft screaming over Kota Bharu airfield at 2000 feet at 2 AM. These attacks have been going on for about four days now and the aircrews are starting to get tired and irritable from lack of sleep and constant fighting, even if there isn't much actual damage being done. However, we had traced the previous raids to Johore Bahru airfield, and a large strike was launched at first dawn by our tired and eager Army and Navy crews.

[center]
The numbers aren't as high as in our previous airstrikes against Singapore, but they're more than enough, I think, considering the CAP.[/center]

The strike was purportedly successful, sort of. Multiple hits were scored on the airfields and airbase structures and our bombardiers report multiple aircraft destroyed or damaged on the ground. We're taking this with a grain of salt, though, because, recon reports that many aircraft are still in the area. Another strike is needed to finish the job. That attack won't be launched tomorrow. Our pilots and bombardiers have gotten very good at hitting airfields in the past three days, but they need a break, and badly. Tomorrow Kota Bharu airbase will downshift to more of a ground-support role and will continue in that regard until we can assemble enough aircraft and battle-ready aircrew to launch another full-strength airstrike.

[center]
Ki-51 Tactical Assault/Reconaissance ("Sonia") aircraft over the Taiping region, free-ranging for targets of opportunity.[/center]

Farther north, the air war over Burma continues to be a struggle. Our Oscars cannot do more than slow down the American heavy bombers, and today's Mitchell strike was escorted by Tomahawks of the AVG which outperformed and outmaneuvered our fighters. A Sally strike on Rangoon (escorted by yet more Hurricanes) met heavy resistance from British Hurricane fighters, and the bombing was inaccurate anyways. Disappointing...

[center]
Ouch, ouch, ouch.[/center]

Farther south in the NEI, Akagi, Kaga, Tairyu and Kuroho had moved to within 300 miles of Kendari, because Tanaka had a sinking suspicion that at least one of the capital ships damaged in the earlier airstrikes and fighting might still be in the area. A Large Val/Zero strike was made at extended range on the port. After blowing through the Demon CAP, he was proven correct - the battleship Valiant took 22 bomb hits, admittedly small bombs (extended range, remember) but enough to once again set her aflame and hopefully keep her immobilized.

[center]

Valiant and her Demon CAP.[/center]

One thing we had not been expectin gwas a counterstrike but one was launched! From Kendari came 3 British Beauforts and 16 USAAF A-24 Dauntlesses, the army version of their carrier dive-bomber. No escort was provided and as a result 14 of the 16 A-24s were destroyed before they even came in range of our carriers' AAA guns, and the surviving Beaufort was forced to turn back. Still, the thought of what those 1000lb bombs could do to our flight decks (constructed of bamboo and toothpicks, and doused in kerosene whenever an enemy aircraft is spotted) is deeply disturbing.

[center]
Looking at this picture makes Admiral Isoruku Yamamoto, Commander of the Combined Fleet, hyperventilate.[/center]

Other good news today included the fall of Tacloban (in the Philippines), and Kavieng! Bad news included the failure of our first attack on Rabaul, being repulsed by Lark Force. Further reinforcements may need to be landed to secure New Britain - they are already on the way. In the meantime Kavieng will serve as a suitable patrol aircraft base.

Things are going well. We haven't had any naval combat in a while..

[Alikchi2]

BTW I've always thought the Dutch Demons were consistently underrated. Many of the sources I've seen state that the aircraft was nearly equal in maneuverability to the Zero!

'Course, the pilots were relatively crap, but..

Oh, and another note: The ship definitions up at top may no longer be fully accurate. It is possible that I will not be including the Iron Dukes and I will definitely not be including the Tosas (I have a more useful pair of ships in mind. )

I think I have a big-gun fetish. Puerile much?

[Andy Mac]

I would quite like to see a few more RN Tribal class DD's

Given the committment of heavy units and the lessening in tension in the Med I would have thought that a few of the best RN Destroyers would have been released to screen the Big Boys. (Tribals werent used that much for Convoy duties and tended to be retained for fleet duty).

From memory they were the most modern and most powerfull RN (and possibly Allied) Destroyers at outbreak of war (I think they had 8 x 4.7" plus torp and were tough and manouverable !!!!)

Anything under a CA would have a job taking on one of these. Main disadvantage as per most RN DD's was lack of AA but for surface warfare DD's they were IMO the best.

Andy

[Andy Mac]

Just realised that J and K class were really just cut down tribals so I guess we have plenty of modern RN DD's around

Andy

[String]

ORIGINAL: Andy Mac

I would quite like to see a few more RN Tribal class DD's

Given the committment of heavy units and the lessening in tension in the Med I would have thought that a few of the best RN Destroyers would have been released to screen the Big Boys. (Tribals werent used that much for Convoy duties and tended to be retained for fleet duty).

From memory they were the most modern and most powerfull RN (and possibly Allied) Destroyers at outbreak of war (I think they had 8 x 4.7" plus torp and were tough and manouverable !!!!)

Anything under a CA would have a job taking on one of these. Main disadvantage as per most RN DD's was lack of AA but for surface warfare DD's they were IMO the best.

Andy

I beg to differ, the Kagero class DD surely best them in surface warfare. 6x5" guns (very good 5" guns mind you) and 2x4 24" long lance torpedoes

[Andy Mac]

Hmm the 4.7's on a Tribal were pretty good as well.

They were designed to counter the heavy IJN DD's and hitting a DD with Long Lances isnt that easy.

I do also like the Porter's on the USN side

[Terminus]

It also depends on training and aggressiveness (obviously). Five RN "V" class destroyers sank the Haguro by themselves in 1945. Classic destroyer action.

[Terminus]

And the point about the Kageros is moot, because they aren't even IN Iron Storm.

[Captain Cruft]

Yes the reason the Demons are at Kendari (protecting Valiant) is because they are "supposed" to be better than the Hawks and Brewsters. The plane stats are not that different from the Zero. However, pilot experience of 50 or so might be why they didn't do well ...

What's worse is why on earth they didn't escort the strike against the CVs. Set to Escort mission with range 4 hexes and 40% CAP. ??????????? Not that it would have made much difference.

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The RAF in Malaya is down to c.90 planes, morale is down the toilet and we are running out of servicable airbases. In particular, the Japanese bombing has completely wiped out all the NAAFIs, so there is no proper tea to be had! Hard to fight on under those circumstances. Withdrawal is not an option though.

[Terminus]

BTW, Alikchi-san, if you're thinking about adding more heavy guns to Iron Storm, I've got a Japanese ship in my toybox you might want to see.

[Captain Cruft]

Not the silly 20in Super-Yamatos?

[Terminus]

Hey, he did say:

I think I have a big-gun fetish. Puerile much?

Personally I don't think Iron Storm should be infected with it, but I have made it, so it's there...

[Captain Cruft]

OK cool. Got a piccie?