Arg! After taking moderate damage during the Battle of Hong Kong, CV Constellation retired to Samah, taking two more TTs from a sub. At that point, she was heavily damaged, but made port and everything looked "stable" for several weeks...until she up and suddenly sank. This came as shock because her 75 FLT damage remained the same, but someone must have left the sea cocks open.
I think I am beginning to figure this out (sub on CV carnage). What kind of ASW searching are you doing with your carrier based aircraft?
In my "learning how to train pilots game" against the AI I also figured out that escorts and ASW ship patrols are not effective without aircraft. With aircraft, even in 1942, they can be devastating. Seems the subs always get the first shot at your escorts? Not so if ASW aircraft have sighted them first! I have had subs lurking in the Bass Straits, off Colombo, and off the West Coast. All of them have been sunk by ASW because the ASW aircraft spotted them first!
My carrier task forces are hurting the subs in the Coral see now because they are getting the first shot (all right, except for Saratoga, which seems programmed as a torpedo magnet). So take some of those planes off 100% training and have them search for subs. They will still get experience. Also, when you carrier task forces are going to and from the tip of the spear, put those DB's on 20% ASW.
Today I come bearing an olive branch in one hand, and the freedom fighter's gun in the other. Do not let the olive branch fall from my hand. I repeat, do not let the olive branch fall from my hand. - Yasser Arafat Speech to UN General Assembly
I have just finished reading all 71 pages of this AAR and all I can say is ...WOW.
It reads like a suspense novel- just when you think things have settled down and are under control - WHAMMO! [X(]
Many thanks to Canoerebel for taking the time to share with us.
I haven't yet bought the game and have been reading AARs to get a feel for mechanics and strategies. Tremendously entertaining and informative!
There were many times when I felt CR was sticking his neck out too far, but just as many times he proved that taking a chance can pay big dividends. [&o]
I will likely get the game after I finish some upcoming trips.
Hope when the time comes I can find a PBEM opponent who will go gentle on me first time out! [;)]
No matter how bad a situation is, you can always make it worse. - Chris Hadfield : An Astronaut's Guide To Life On Earth
stbaytf: Glad to have you back. Flak still remains awfully weak as best I can tell from this game.
Nanchang: Miller just made a mistake, I think, but I'm not sure it will mean that much. He had the Allies blocked at Nanchang, east of Changsha, and I was bringing up a huge American and British army to attend to matters. That army would have cleared the hex, but it would have taken another week. For some reason, Miller elected to evacuate his army; even more odd, he pulled them out to the southeast further into Allied territory. Perhaps he thought the interior lines were weakly held and that he could disrupt Allied supply lines, but instead he's put his small stack into no-man's-land where they'll be cut off and anhiliated. I doubt he realized that the big Allied army was just about to arrive. Now this army can move right on through Nanchang (which the Allies took on the 16th) and move to Hangchow.
Hangchow: This is an urban hex close to Shanghai. The Allies have a truly massive, mostly western army set to move on this town over the next week or ten days. I think the Allies have enough to take it. From there, I'll probe both Nanking and Shanghai for potential weaknesses there. If either looks promising that will be the next major target. If both look very tough, the huge Allied army in eastern China will probably begin prepping for Formosa.
Ningpo/Wenchow: The Allies have held these key cities for weeks, but engineers are only just now about to arrive. Building of airfields has been slow to this point, but it about to pick up dramatically. I think the Allies will have level seven airfields in a month or six weeks.
Swatow: This base falls to the Allies on the 16th. It (along with Amoy and Foochow, which the Allies are moving on now) are important airfield bases because they will allow the Allies to suppress Japanese arifields on Formosa. This, in turn, will allow Allied convoys to reach Ningpo and is also necessary to permit any Allied invasion of Formosa.
Canton/Hong Kong/Kukong Pocket: As soon as Amoy and Foochow fall, the Allies will shift all these troops to reduce the strong Japanese pocket centered on Canton. This mop up work will be tough, but the cities will be isolated, heavily bombed, and no doubt supplies will become problematic.
China as a Whole: The Allies are very close to acheiving everything targeted in Operation Seven Days, which has been a tremendous success. I'm still a bit uncertain what the next move is - further north in China or Formosa or Korea.
Malaya: The Allies continue to advance down the peninsula. They should near Singapore in about a month.
NoPac: An Allied CL/DD force visited Shikuka and sank about a dozen ships - one TK and a bunch of small escorts. The Allies have had a fairly stout army at Attu Island since the end of the Kuriles campaign in June '43. Those units - about two divisions worth - have been long since 100% prepped for Marcus. I'm sending transports that way to retrieve them. The Allies may invade Marcus or I may use them for some other purpose.
"Rats set fire to Mr. Cooper’s store in Fort Valley. No damage done." Columbus (Ga) Enquirer-Sun, October 2, 1880.
Can you imagine how history would have changed if the Western Allies really did invade China like that? The KMT might have actually stayed in control, with the Red Army becoming a guerilla band. Certainly at the armistice, the KMT would inherit a pile of nice equipment, and maybe some permanent US bases there.
And if this is happening in 1945, don't you think Stalin would object? I bet Uncle Joe invades Manchuria now, not waiting for the Germans to quit.
Interesting what-if, certainly a 500K Western Army in China would have had massive political ramifications
Stalin recognized the Nationalists as the official government of China - pretty much everyone was surprised that Mao was ultimatey able to win after the end of the war.
Never Underestimate the Power of a Small Tactical Nuclear Weapon...
Can you imagine how history would have changed if the Western Allies really did invade China like that? The KMT might have actually stayed in control, with the Red Army becoming a guerilla band. Certainly at the armistice, the KMT would inherit a pile of nice equipment, and maybe some permanent US bases there.
I think historically the KMT did inherit a huge pile of war surplus US equipment regardless. They still managed to lose the war though and a lot of that equipment ended up in communist chinese hands.
I actually seem to recall reading that a lot of the guns used by the vietnamese at Dien Bien Phu were, in fact, US WW II 105mm howitzers passed from the KMT -> Red China -> Vietnam.
Anyway, I'm a little dubious about having peripheral bases around the coasts would have materially impacted the war inland in China. Its sort of like after WW I when the allies had a mess of bases on Russian soil to guard "important war material and strategic resources", but the reds still won the revolution.
I just wanted to suggest that you scrutinize the SE China map very closely. Some of the dot hexes in this area start at SMS 6 or 7 and can be built to level 9 aerodromes. Two examples that come to mind are Wuhu and Pucheng, both in the vicinity of Hangchow. These should be helpful in your reduction of Shanghai and even in range of Kyushu. Nagasaki's 15 hexes distant, Fukuoka 17. Let the strategic bombing commence!
Points Liberation Day: At long, long last, the Allies drew even and then took the lead in points. As of 2/24/45, the Allies have 71,783 and the Japanese 71,612. The event was delayed about three weeks when I unexpectedly lost CV Constellation and her aircraft. While I'm very pleased to be in the lead finally, a nod to Miller for his long, tenacious, never-say-die defense.
What Now: (1) The major effort will go into strategic bombing (the Allies have just 134 points in that department at the moment). This will ramp up considerably once engineers build up the airfields at Ningpo and Wenchow, which will take a month or so; (2) mop up in China (it will take some time to round up and liquidate the vast Japanaese army now isolated in southeastern China; (3) probe for weaknesses along the new front in China; (4) advance down the Malay Peninsula to eventually take Singapore; and (5) invade Marcus Island.
China: The Japanese have strongly reinforced Hangchow, so I doubt the Allies can take this city without a massive and long seige. Rather than do that, the Allies will probe to the north a bit, but the majority of the army will go into the effort to round up and eliminate Japanese units to the south, plus the garrisons at Foochow, Amoy, Kukong, Canton and Hong Kong. Once those objectives are accomplished, the Allies will either press north or invade Formosa.
Malaya: The Allies have taken Kuala Lumpur.
Carriers: I don't intend to risk my carriers against massed Japanese air, kamikazees, and advanced weaponry unless the Allies can use land-based CAP. However, as soon as these new coastal China airbases come online, the carriers will be able to probe around Shanghai and perhaps as far as southern Korea.
"Rats set fire to Mr. Cooper’s store in Fort Valley. No damage done." Columbus (Ga) Enquirer-Sun, October 2, 1880.
2/25/45 to 3/10/45
Operation Seven Days has come to a close as the Allies have achieved every objective and more:
On the Ground: The Allies have just taken Foochow and Amoy. The only remaining Japanese port between Shanghai and Camranh Bay is Hong Kong. Japan retains strong garrisons at Hong Kong and Canton. The Allies are about to position an army in the hex in between. All available troops will report to this hex. Then the Allies will try to take Hong Kong. To the north, Japan has strongly reinforced Hangchow, so the Allies have no plans now of moving on that base or Shanghai. They will probe a bit north in the interior, but by and large the Allies will be satisfied in China with holding the cities taken.
In the Air: The Allies have taken and are building the bases needed to engage in strategic bombing of the Home Islands. Ningpo and the base to the west are both at level three, and Wenchow is at level four. Each of these will begin hosting B-29 squadrons (groups?) when they reach level seven, which may be as soon as a month away. The Allies have already used level nine Changsha for a few attacks.
The Seas: Allied carriers continue in their primary duty of escorting massive supply and reinforcement convoys from the DEI to China. Nearly all troops have reached China, now, so a new era may begin. The Allies may use the carrier to patrol the waters north of Luzon or possibly into the Sea of Japan.
The Future: With the necessary bases for strategic bombing in hand, the Allies can now turn to other matters. I have alot of troops arriving and the navy has grown very strong. I may engage in a series of amphbious operations to create a direct line of communication and supply between CenPac and China - this will necessitate taking Marcus and a few other bases. Or the Allies may focus on some other significant area like Okinawa, Formosa, or possibly Luzon or Korea. I'm not sure yet which way I want to go.
SEAC: Allied troops are about to take a vacant Johore Baru. The Japanese have 29 units at Singapore, but I have no idea whether they are shells or the real thing. I'll send a recon unit across the causeway to find out. I'd like to take Singapore, but I'm only going to commit the units at hand, which is about 1200 AV. Over in Vietnam, the Japanese suddenly abandoned their advance bases and are in full retreat to Saigon and/or Camranh Bay. My best guess is that Miller plans to try a Dunkirk operation of some sort. He's probably already extracted alot of units from other isolated areas - like Luzon and Mindanao and Java - so perhaps he wants to give Indochina his best shot now.
"Rats set fire to Mr. Cooper’s store in Fort Valley. No damage done." Columbus (Ga) Enquirer-Sun, October 2, 1880.
Perhaps t he eduction of Hong Kong is a great opportunity to train bomber pilots. You must have a ton of medium bombers that don't have much to do anymore. Put em all on ground attack for 10 or 20 turns and see what gives
Today I come bearing an olive branch in one hand, and the freedom fighter's gun in the other. Do not let the olive branch fall from my hand. I repeat, do not let the olive branch fall from my hand. - Yasser Arafat Speech to UN General Assembly
SEAC: Allied troops are about to take a vacant Johore Baru. The Japanese have 29 units at Singapore, but I have no idea whether they are shells or the real thing. I'll send a recon unit across the causeway to find out. I'd like to take Singapore, but I'm only going to commit the units at hand, which is about 1200 AV. Over in Vietnam, the Japanese suddenly abandoned their advance bases and are in full retreat to Saigon and/or Camranh Bay. My best guess is that Miller plans to try a Dunkirk operation of some sort. He's probably already extracted alot of units from other isolated areas - like Luzon and Mindanao and Java - so perhaps he wants to give Indochina his best shot now.
How many mines can you lay in Saigon etc harbours??
Might be a useful task for the B29's for a week?
Interdum feror cupidine partium magnarum Europae vincendarum
3/11/45 to 3/14/45
I think everybody's on a collision course around Canton/Hong Kong.
While the Allied carriers were down in the DEI, Miller decided to do one of two things: (1) send in some much-needed supplies to isolated Hong Kong, or (2) send in a massive transport force to pull a Dunkirk at Hong Kong. He loaded up the airfields with fighters to provide protection and sent what remains of his combat fleet to provide escort.
i didn't know this was happening until this turn, but already had my carriers steaming at full speed back to the scene. They are now in a position to cut off the line of retreat from Hong Kong to the Sea of Japan. However, they are also venturing deeply into waters close to a handful of major Japanese air bases. What the heck.
Allied LBA will target the Hong Kong airfield. All combat TFs at Samah, Kiungshan and Kwangchoan will steam to Hong Kong.
Miller also surprised me by evacuating Canton. Suddenly there are 26 units on the move to Hong Kong, with just three remaining behind. I figured he'd make the best stand that he could at Canton, since it is an urban hex.
The Allies have a large army moving on Hong Kong, but they bulk won't arrive for perhaps a week. Another army should arrive at Canton over the next seven days, with the advance units in just a few days.
The next turn could be a massive air/sea battle centered around Hong Kong, or Miller could somehow move his ships so that it fizzles.
If a massive air/sea battle erupts with the Allies emerging victorious, so that what remains of his fleet is sent to the bottom and his Canton/Hong Kong army is isolated, that could be the kind of blow at the end of a long, long period of suffering that might persuade Miller that he's had enough. I'm not saying that's what will happen; just that it's not totally out of the question.
"Rats set fire to Mr. Cooper’s store in Fort Valley. No damage done." Columbus (Ga) Enquirer-Sun, October 2, 1880.
CR,
Don't know if you have been following the thread on low level attack in the main forum but wanted to get your imput on low level attacks. You are far enough along to have had some experience.
Are the Allied attack bombers effective in anyway (I might not upgrade the b25c)?
How are you using fighter bombers? Do they do anything worthwhile?
Naval attacks at 100 feet or 1000? What works?
So far I have not seen strafing do anything worth a dang. They do not shoot up airfields and parked aircraft and staffers don't seem to bust barges or small ships. Am I missing something?
llied LBA will target the Hong Kong airfield. All combat TFs at Samah, Kiungshan and Kwangchoan will steam to Hong Kong.
Have the ships left Hong Kong yet? If not plaster the port. That will slow down his loading enough to get your carriers an angle that doesn't get you to close to his big airfields. If the ships have left Hong Kong cut as many destroyers loose as possible in 2 ship task forces to intercept. You might run into some escorts but his planes will have a tough time hitting DD's and your can definitely mess his @#$t up enough to fracture the task forces and slow them down enough until the calvary arrives.
Today I come bearing an olive branch in one hand, and the freedom fighter's gun in the other. Do not let the olive branch fall from my hand. I repeat, do not let the olive branch fall from my hand. - Yasser Arafat Speech to UN General Assembly
I had already sent the turn back to my opponent when I posted, so it was too late to make any adjustments by then. I got an email back from my opponent that he ran the two-day turn. It crashed on him near the end of the second day, so he's going to re-do it tonight or tomorrow morning. But he said that things were going very badly for him.
crsutton, to answer your question I haven't been using my bombers at low level for a variety of reasons. I've found that 2EB are very fragile in the face of enemy fighters - and, as anyone who's followed this AAR knows, Miller's fighters have remained very potent right through the current date in the game.
I've found it much more effective to use my big 4EB to hit airfields and occasionally for port strike missions. I've only used them at high altitude.
Another factor is that Miller doesn't send his ships anywhere close to big Allied airbases except on very rare occasions.
"Rats set fire to Mr. Cooper’s store in Fort Valley. No damage done." Columbus (Ga) Enquirer-Sun, October 2, 1880.
