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US doesn't get CV capable Recon units in this mod. The JP 3 plane recon units can be resized and are not restricted in their upgrade path to Recon units, can be upgraded to the normal Naval planes.

ORIGINAL: Bearcat2

US doesn't get CV capable Recon units in this mod. The JP 3 plane recon units can be resized and are not restricted in their upgrade path to Recon units, can be upgraded to the normal Naval planes.

Ouch!

ORIGINAL: Bearcat2

US doesn't get CV capable Recon units in this mod. The JP 3 plane recon units can be resized and are not restricted in their upgrade path to Recon units, can be upgraded to the normal Naval planes.

Is the F4F-3P not in this mod?

ORIGINAL: Bearcat2

US doesn't get CV capable Recon units in this mod. The JP 3 plane recon units can be resized and are not restricted in their upgrade path to Recon units, can be upgraded to the normal Naval planes.

No reason ever to convert them to normal naval planes. They give Japan too much of a competitive advantage as recon. A shocking amount.

April 10th, 1944

The turn is in, all in all a good day, though some bombers do get through my CAP to bomb my CVEs, more worrying are the torpedoes that hit. 4 CVEs are damaged to soe significant degree which, all things considered, I'm happy with. Japanese strike aircraft are very, very significantly degraded. Even better, John's SCTFs should have used up a LOT of ammo in engaging my PTs. If I were John, I'd retreat. Knowing John, he might not retreat and his email certainly gives off that vibe, but who knows. I wonder how much recon he has of my SCTFs and not just my carriers. If he just thinks my carriers are there, he might try to move up for some surface action. I'll probably have my slow BB's accompany my damaged CVEs back to Pearl and move forward with my undamaged CVEs, CV/CVL, and my CA/DD, DD, and Fast BB/DD SCTFs.

BB Shinano is a Yamato-class BB. John has a number of BBs in the formation. Unfortunately most of the PTs hit the invasion convoy and thus depleted the ammo of the BBs in that formation.

[&o]Thats a massive hit to KB strike capability , well done sir! Whats concerning is lack of flak kills , did someone nerf Allied AA in this mod ?

No, but the CVE TFs were using DEs as escorts as almost all the high AA stuff (DDs and CAs/BBs) were dedicated to either my SCTFs or my CV/CVL task force. Thus the AA on the CVE/DE TFs was lower; nonetheless, the flak kills should certainly be higher despite that you are right. In retrospect I probably should have embdedded the AA in my CVEs/CVs more for the absorption phase before transferring them to the SCTFs. That said, my SCTFs all have good TF commanders.

I hope this kills off the last of the KB's crack bomber units.

Those N1K2-A George's are real beasts to escort those bombers through that CAP to the degree they did.

Well done! The VP haul doesn't hurt either

PF ASW task force also sunk a Japanese sub between Pearl and Midway. [:)] What I would give to have Lowpe devise my tactics for tomorrow as I feel like a child compared to him...

In other news, it's always beautiful seeing my carrier pilots get training and kills.

Congratulations.

Those Georges must be very good.

He might surge at you and attempt a general naval engagement depending upon ammo levels.

Goodness, he is still one full day away from landing on Midway.

Anyway you can get recon on Wake?

Is there an AGP at Midway?

Definitely look at improving flak makeup of your task forces. You might want to consider embedding the slow battleships with the CVEs...I believe they offer a very good flak package and will divert attention away from the CVEs. But that is for the future, I doubt he can attack again in the air. He can defend however, I wouldn't launch a retaliatory air strike, but rather think about a naval fight with careful tactics and some CAP out of Midway.

The other good aspect is that his remaining squadrons should have shattered morale.

A lot of AFBs like using their CVEs as disposable, try to avoid thinking like that.[;)]

ORIGINAL: Anachro

PF ASW task force also sunk a Japanese sub between Pearl and Midway. [:)] What I would give to have Lowpe devise my tactics

You will always be better, you have way more information than I have. All I can give is general ideas.

Point Luck lives up to its name again!

You got some very good die rolls on the torpedo damage - three hits should be enough to put down any CVE.

Strange that among all your pilots not one made his Ace qualification that turn!

I like how your subs are positioned to make further progress toward Midway AND retreat painful! Good Luck!

I, too, was amazed by the damage rolls on the torpedo hits. John sent me an email saying to hold off on the turn because "[he] was so engrossed [in] the Midway fracas that [he] rushed the turn and completely forgot about Burma." Don't know what that means, but I of course told him that's fine. He'll return the turn some time tonight.

I'm guessing John will try to come at me with his surface ships. If I had to guess the strategy, it would be going back west with his carriers and splitting off any viable surface units such as BCs, CAs, and DDs from his carrier TFs to supplement his SCTFs for a naval engagement. This is what I expect and if that's the case I think his surface naval power outweighs mine. This is tempered by the fact his two main BB SCTFs used all or some of their ammo. However, the surface ships that were in his carrier TFs have not used any. I expect him to move forward with all these at flank speed towards my ships. My numerous DD task forces will, of course, head directly toward his forces. The question is what to do with my slow BB/DD TFs, my one fast BB/DD TF, and my CA/DD TF. Perhaps patrol around Midway to stop anything coming while my CVEs move to the east of Midway. Might need to split off my one 6-knot damaged CVE to move faster.

Anyways, I'll prob post an image with initial thoughts on plans tonight, with the orders happening some time tomorrow.

Eh, I'll post it now so you can get the best possible sense of the situation. This gives full knowledge of my SCTFs and best possible knowledge of enemy SCTF strength. Note, fighters and some TBs from damaged CVEs diverted to Midway, which now has ~50 fighters. This might not be the final allocation of my SCTFs, just initial thoughts on a conservative distribution of forces. I will of course be beefing up patrol aircraft at Midway to run both night and day naval searches.

How much Naval Support is there at Midway?

Not much, 14+12 shore party, level 4 port. 45k supply.

USN 'should' have recon planes. I know the latest version has them in increased numbers. There was an issues in a version I had played into '45 where the re-sizing of air groups on Essex CVs had eliminated the groups. They come in as LBA to avoid this issue and dividable so there is enough for 3 planes per Essex CV.

I probably would head north, north east or north west towards Alaska.

You could still send the destroyer task forces in at flank speed and have them retire to Midway, it can at least reload 5" ammo if not damaged. He will surely send something there, so send a destroyer tf or two there to patrol 0 range. Or you could abandon Midway for a day and move everything to a staging position to the north, northeast, northwest. I would probably send the destroyer in, but probably have one squadron flank around and go deep with a patrol area and generous engagement range behind the IJN fleet and points west (along their axis of advance) home port in the western Aleutians so they retire that way or if you want Midway so they cause Japan to use up more ammo.

Let him spend a flank speed run chasing you...then come back when he is lower on fuel and ammo.

The other more aggressive option is to head west, north west, to 7-9 hexes off Midway while still sending the destroyers in like above.

Have the damaged CVEs flee to Aleutians.

For all any subs with dl 10 go west to establish a cordon for damaged shipping, give intel on what is following.

Finally, he most aggressive is a flank speed west, and then south move with the heavy cruisers looking to get behind Johns armada while putting the CVE and BB in that 7 hex range from Midway to the west, north west while still sending the destroyers in. Make sure the Cruisers have high number task force numbers and good night search with generous engagements. And good fuel stocks.

On the aggressive moves you are really relying upon your destroyers stopping a majority of the advancing IJN SAGs, and or diverting them south of your CVEs.

Can you spawn more PT boats?

You probably can safely set up a 1-3 hex aerial naval strike depending upon where you chose to go.

ORIGINAL: ny59giants

USN 'should' have recon planes. I know the latest version has them in increased numbers. There was an issues in a version I had played into '45 where the re-sizing of air groups on Essex CVs had eliminated the groups. They come in as LBA to avoid this issue and dividable so there is enough for 3 planes per Essex CV.

Good to see you posting, hope all is well!