Tale of the Sheep! - JocMeister (A) vs. Lowpe (J)

[RangerJoe]

As far as I can tell, you are doing very well.

As far as orders being unsent and/or not received, there is a highly technical military term for that - SNAFU! This can also explain all of the logistical errors as well.

[obvert]

ORIGINAL: JocMeister

[font="Verdana"]23rd October -42[/font]

More SIGINT coming in. Couldn´t find the 8th division in the OOB. Anyone have any info?

8th Division is planning for an attack on Prince Rupert.
48th/B Division is planning for an attack on Prince Rupert.

Here is a list of the units beginning in Manchuria, and it also includes the unit organization for regiments and other parts of divisions. Can't vouch for completeness, as I picked it up along the way, but the 8th is there. Very good too, at 80exp.

[JocMeister]

Thanks Erik! That is really useful! [&o]

Went through IM looking for anything else on the 8th ID but that line is the only thing I could find. The very unlikely target selected will at least for now make me believe its a decoy.

[JocMeister]

[font="Verdana"]24th October -42[/font]
_____________________________________________________________________________

Another quiet one. Don´t think the next one will be though...

------------------------
NORPAC/WC
------------------------
I move a small DD up from SF towards the North. I want to test Japanese air search here. The hit a 2/2 almost straight away. I´ll hang around for a day to see if remains or if it was a fluke.

------------------------
India
------------------------
All of the sudden a TF pops up outside Calcutta. Pretty bummed out I didn´t have any Naval bombers set. They are at Colombo training and still unfit for combat duty.

I decided to send in the British CAs under a heavy CAP. Fingers crossed for tomorrow.

------------------------
SOPAC
------------------------
A 4/4 DL on one of the amphib TFs. All combat TFs undetected at Efafe. Tomorrow they will move up to Luganville under a 150 fighter CAP.

This is a juicy bait. I´m 95% Jeff will bite after he spots them. He might react even this turn after spotting the Amphibs. I expect SCTF and CVs rushing down this turn or the next.

[JocMeister]

[font="Verdana"]25th-26th October -42[/font]
_____________________________________________________________________________

I was wrong. Nothing to report.

------------------------
NORPAC/WC
------------------------
San Diego is the first base in NORPAC (and the second on map) to reach level 9 forts. The engineers will move up to Los Angeles to help with construction there. Going by memory forts are already at around 8.3 there. Things should really take off once that is done as more and more engineers are freed up.

------------------------
India
------------------------
The British CAs fail to find a target and returns under the Calcutta CAP. Waiting for the CA Hawkins to arrive before I start bombarding Chittagong.

------------------------
SOPAC
------------------------
Strangely enough Jeff doesn´t come to visit at Luganville. He hasn´t gotten a really good fix on anything yet though. Luganville reinforcements are unloaded and the TF returns toward Noumea. The rest move to land at Aoba under Luganville LRCAP.

Jeff got a good DL on both my Amphibs and the Cruisers this turn. The trap is still not detected. Lets see if the Aoba landing can trigger a response.

Jeff has been very interested in Townsville and Cairns lately. I guess he noticed the rapid base expansion here. I reconned PM and much of lower NG and is very lightly held. I´m 1 hex short of being able to recon Rabaul though. Hence I wanted to expand Portland Roads to bring me within recon range...since I will have to walk there its a long way off though.

[JocMeister]

[font="Verdana"]27th October -42[/font]
_____________________________________________________________________________

Jeff flipped that one back fast...

------------------------
NORPAC/WC
------------------------
Nothing here.

------------------------
India
------------------------
I´m starting to mass quite a selection of 4Es in the theater. 2 full groups just unloaded at Karachi. Another week or two before we are ready. [:)]

------------------------
SOPAC
------------------------
Jeff did make an appearance at Aoba. He clashed with our heavy CA group which was a bummer. I had hoped he wouldn´t have discovered them but rather thought them to be the CL TF. Now he knows Allied CAs are operating in the area.

Night Time Surface Combat, near Aoba Island at 121,150, Range 8,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
DD Makigumo, Shell hits 1
DD Akebono

Allied Ships
CA Indianapolis
CA Chester
CA Louisville, Shell hits 1
CA Chicago
DD Maury
DD Benham
DD Ellet
DD Cummings
DD Case
DD Conyngham
DD Tucker
DD Stuart

I´ve decided to spring the trap though as the the trap itself get detected with a 2/2 DL down at Efafe. I don´t think Jeff will take the bait though with the discovery of Allied CAs.

[JocMeister]

[font="Verdana"]CENTPAC[/font]
_____________________________________________________________________________

A rare success. Sub activity have been really high lately with 3-5 allied attacks per turn for the last week or so. This is the first time with his something though.

1 hit and later another attack duds. The AMC was reading fire, heavy damage during that attack which is promising. She might sink. A long way from safe harbor. [:)]

EDIT: Actually not that far. Only about 10-15 hexes...

Sub attack near Shikotan at 130,62

Japanese Ships
AMC Kinryu Maru, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
AMC Akagi Maru
xAP Tango Maru
xAP Ussuri Maru
xAP Manzyu Maru
xAK Atutasan Maru
xAK Ayatosan Maru
TB Hayabusa
PB Teimei Maru

Allied Ships
SS Finback

[JocMeister]

Still havn´t gotten the turn or replay back.

Kind of anxious tbh. Especially since Jeffs AAR was on fire last night. [X(]

[JocMeister]

[font="Verdana"]SOPAC[/font]
_____________________________________________________________________________

Another of Jeffs really strange TFs appear at Aoba! A bit disappointed with the outcome. I feel we should have done better here. We got the first shots off after detecting the Japanese on radar 14k out.

[Night Time Surface Combat, near Aoba Island at 121,150, Range 8,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
CA Chikuma
CA Maya, Shell hits 7, on fire
DD Natsushio, Shell hits 2, on fire
DD Usugumo, Shell hits 2

Allied Ships
CA Indianapolis, Shell hits 4
CA Chester
CA Louisville
CA Chicago, Shell hits 1, on fire
DD Maury
DD Benham
DD Ellet
DD Cummings
DD Case
DD Conyngham
DD Tucker
DD Stuart/size]

[JocMeister]

[font="Verdana"]SOPAC[/font]
_____________________________________________________________________________

Another really odd TF appear. This one centered around BB Mutsu. Again...not very happy with the outcome. No TTs hit and the hail of fire I had hoped for never happened. Same scenario as the first battle. Allied detect the Japanese at 14k.

I didn´t watch the whole battle but it looks like Phoenix took at least one main gun hit from Mutsu.

Night Time Surface Combat, near Aoba Island at 121,150, Range 8,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
BB Mutsu, Shell hits 14, on fire
DD Yugumo
DD Akatsuki
DD Ikazuchi, Shell hits 2
DD Inazuma

Allied Ships
CL St. Louis
CL Helena, Shell hits 1
CL Boise, Shell hits 1, on fire
CL Phoenix, Shell hits 3, heavy fires
DD Bagley
DD Blue
DD Mugford
DD Ralph Talbot
DD Henley
DD Patterson, Shell hits 1
DD Jarvis
DD Craven

[JocMeister]

[font="Verdana"]SOPAC[/font]
_____________________________________________________________________________

That pretty much concludes the Battle of Aoba Island. I´m pretty disappointed to be honest. The main part of my trap completely missed the action. I had a good TF setup. Surprised the Japanese TFs on both occasions yet failed to do anything meaningful with the opportunity.

Simply not good enough. None of the involved ships even gained any EXP. Not happy.

None of the Allied ships sustained any major damage and they will now pull back to OZ for refits. The operation will continue though. The main part of the trap will pull back and try to stay hidden.

We did recapture Aoba Island. This will hinder Japanese NavS in the lower New Hebrides.

[Bif1961]

Did you check the skills of the TF Commander and ship commanders before they sailed? It may be you commanders were not up to snuff?

[BBfanboy]

ORIGINAL: Bif1961

Did you check the skills of the TF Commander and ship commanders before they sailed? It may be you commanders were not up to snuff?

Either commanders or lack of crew experience that usually goes with such poor results.

[JocMeister]

Commanders where all up to snuff. Worst one was a DD captain with 50 skill.

Night EXP...not so stellar. But still not horrible. I think around 50 average but I have to look it up.

[JocMeister]

[font="Verdana"]31st October 1942[/font]
_____________________________________________________________________________

A hair tearing moment...

------------------------
SOPAC
------------------------
Grrr... [:@]

AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR Oct 29, 42
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sub attack near Aoba Island at 121,149

Japanese Ships
CA Chikuma

Allied Ships
SS S-39

SS S-39 launches 4 torpedoes
Sub escapes detection

My subs continue to not deliver. Oh what I would give for a Japanese SSN...

Things are winding down here as pretty much everything is in place before the next push into the Santa Cruz islands. That are a few weeks off though. Jeff has taken all the small dot bases in the chain. I´ll use them to train up night experience for my ships.

Bombardments will commence in about a month once that important 10/42 refit is finished. Until then I´ll build up bases. Luganville should be able to receive 4Es shortly. Only smaller units will be committed here. The main push will be elsewhere. That one is also awaiting base expansion to catch up.

------------------------
India
------------------------
The massive aerial hammer is assembling in Calcutta under RAF CAP. Biggest concentration of bombers on the map so far. 150 4Es and 180 2Es will soon be available to help suppress Chittagong. Mostly USAAF.

CA Hawkings are also moving forward towards Calcutta to join up with the rest of the CAs and start bombarding from the sea. There is one cardinal rule of AE and that is to never defend a clear hex. Chittagong is a clear hex and I mean to make Jeff pay for staying there. [:)]

About 3000 AV are moving in on the SE part of Japanese held India. I expect no problems here. A flight of recon is scheduled.


------------------------
NORPAC
------------------------
Nothing.

------------------------
China
------------------------
Blääää.

[ny59giants]

Have you replaced most of those bombers leaders?? I tend to do so for air groups that are never withdrawn. Looking at their experience levels, have you been able to train them in a second skill to raise it? I usually go with NavB.

[JocMeister]

ORIGINAL: ny59giants

Have you replaced most of those bombers leaders?? I tend to do so for air groups that are never withdrawn. Looking at their experience levels, have you been able to train them in a second skill to raise it? I usually go with NavB.

Not most of the leader. All of them are 60 or higher. [:)]

I never train two skills for ground attack bombers. Most of them will only fly GRND anyway and eventually when they die doing that having trained them in another skill is lost time.

The ones that fly NavB are trained in both that and NavS though.

[JocMeister]

[font="Verdana"]SOPAC[/font]
_____________________________________________________________________________

A nice little P38 sweep over Ndeni. [:)]

[JocMeister]

[font="Verdana"]SIGINT[/font]
_____________________________________________________________________________

More troops prepping for Victoria...and...another ID moving for NORPAC! [X(]

1st Medium Field Artillery Regiment is planning for an attack on Victoria.
9/1st Division is loaded on a Japanese xAK moving to Adak Island.

[Lokasenna]

ORIGINAL: JocMeister

ORIGINAL: ny59giants

Have you replaced most of those bombers leaders?? I tend to do so for air groups that are never withdrawn. Looking at their experience levels, have you been able to train them in a second skill to raise it? I usually go with NavB.

Not most of the leader. All of them are 60 or higher. [:)]

I never train two skills for ground attack bombers. Most of them will only fly GRND anyway and eventually when they die doing that having trained them in another skill is lost time.

The ones that fly NavB are trained in both that and NavS though.

I think you may want to consider doing so, as increasing a second skill will help increase their experience levels.

For my attack bombers for example, I actually use fighter pilots trained in Air and Strafe, because bombing from 100-ft altitude uses Strafe instead of GrdB or LowG, and fighter pilots are easier to train. Doing this should help you maintain a faster and fuller pipeline for your level bomber pilots.