Buried in the Sunset (Marbakka [A] vs. Texas_D [J]) - Reluctant Admiral 4.1

[BBfanboy]

I think you are right about the number of sorties limitation. If he attacks Sydney he should not have any left to go further. If he goes east or south instead of attacking Sydney [to foil your move of P40s there] he could do one round of attacks. I can't remember if he knows where your CVs are, but if he doesn't have a firm position he needs to keep one day's worth of strikes/CAP in reserve while he transits back to a base.

[marbakka]

Combat Report - 2/3/1942

- Several fighter sweeps over Sydney had the same stupid results as up in Brisbane. 13 Zeros vs 90 P40Es resulted in 1 zero down and 9 P40s. A second sweep was 15 Zeros vs 55 P40Es and resulted in 1 Zero down and 10 P40s. Dumb.
- Following the sweeps, the KB launched a port attack against Lord Howe Island (nothing is left above water there anyway) and Sydney. The attack on Sydney resulted in 4 bombs hitting Prince of Wales. They were not big bombs (800lb at most and probably 250lb), but they did bring PoW's SYS damage up to 73. The only FLT and ENG damage that she has are the major damage that she suffered from the Battle of the Coral Sea. I don't think I came off bad in the port attack at all, but the KB moved closer to shore, so I expect a second day of attacks now that he has finally found something substantive to attack
- Another bombardment attack in Port Moresby. I'm puzzled as to why he is not attacking in earnest. He has the AV there to get the job done, I think and landing more troops hurts from the shore batteries.
- In Changsha, he has been conducting fighter sweeps for two days in what appears to be an attempt to meet the next AVG ambush. Thing is, the AVG is in Calcutta and Ledo waiting for reinforcements before returning to China (it will be a while). I'm enjoying having him guess where they are. Maybe he'll get it in his head that his daily bombings in Singapore are about to get ambushed. Anything to tie up his resources.
- Saratoga and Yorktown will arrive in the Bering Sea tomorrow. I'm looking forward to causing trouble for him there. After a few days of fun and training, they will return to San Francisco to escort a major troop shipment to Fiji and join up with Lexington and Enterprise (who are south of Fiji and headed for Pearl Harbor).

[BBfanboy]

Only guess I can make on the Port Moresby situation is that he is drawing out the attack in the hopes you will try to intervene with your carriers or some valuable cruisers???

[marbakka]

Combat Report - 2/4/1942

- Once again, I lose a ton of fighters over Sydney. The CAP is now down to less than 5 usable aircraft in each squadron, so I am relocating all of them to Brisbane to repair and restock
- In addition to the sweeps, the KB launched 2 port attacks against Sydney putting a total of 11 bombs into Prince of Wales and 5 into Houston. CA Houston, which was already pretty bad off, sunk. BB Prince of Wales is close behind her with 92/54/26/0 damage. I suppose it is possible that she could survive if a) the KB leaves (out of sorties?) and b) magic happens. On a more positive note, BC Repulse is halfway to Perth and their emergency repairs appear to be holding. They will refuel and then go straight to Cape Town.

Forgot to mention:
- He finally made a serious attempt at PM with generally good results for him. I'm sure he'll take it in the next couple days.

[CaptBeefheart]

Good luck. I've had mulltiple KB fragments fully circumnavigate Oz in the Ironman scenario so I feel your pain. I have a hunch the AI cheats a bit on the fuel and maybe sortie capacity, so I doubt your esteemed opponent could pull off the same stunt. Looks like the POW will be out of the war for a while even if she remains floating. On the bright side, her crew will be having some pretty good long-term I&I as the yardies fix her.

Cheers,
CC

[marbakka]

Combat Report - 2/5/1942

- No attacks from the KB today. They appear to be moving off to the north. "Radio chatter" says they are out of sorties, though I'm not sure I believe it. One of the 2 carrier groups seems to be lagging behind a bit.
- Prince of Wales got neither better nor worse during the day. With the KB moving away, I'm going to put her up against the pier and see if we can get that SYS damage down. Once it is down, then I can maybe move her to Cape Town to rejoin Repulse.

[marbakka]

Combat Report - 2/6/1942

Almost nothing happened today other than bombings in the usual places

- Fighter sweeps from Batavia have widdled the CAP at Soerabaja down to nothing. His march down Java continues.
- The KB continues to move north-northeast away from Sydney. I've lost sight of the faster moving, larger half, so I'm a little concerned as to whether they may shoot toward Noumea or Luganville - the latter of which is my main concern since I have the 8th Marines about 10 hexes east ready to land.
- Prince of Wales still has 92 SYS damage, but her FLT damage seems to have come down slightly.

[marbakka]

Combat Report - 2/6/1942

Almost nothing happened today other than bombings in the usual places

- Fighter sweeps from Batavia have widdled the CAP at Soerabaja down to nothing. His march down Java continues.
- The KB continues to move north-northeast away from Sydney. I've lost sight of the faster moving, larger half, so I'm a little concerned as to whether they may shoot toward Noumea or Luganville - the latter of which is my main concern since I have the 8th Marines about 10 hexes east ready to land.
- Prince of Wales still has 92 SYS damage, but her FLT damage seems to have come down slightly.

[marbakka]

Combat Report - 2/7/1942

- The KB has met up with a TF just east of Brisbane. I'm assuming it is a support task force that is servicing his carriers. It's a true shame that I don't have an air force in this arena.
- My two CVs in the Bering Sea got a bit too close to Attu Island and used it for some practice drops. Some hits on his supplies seems too little in exchange for verifying my CVs' location for him. I'll port attack whatever it is he has in Adak and then send them back to the WC to escort my big convoy to SOPAC. By that time, they should be able to link up with Enterprise and Lexington out of PH.

[marbakka]

Combat Report - 2/8/1942

Lots of submarine action today

- Sank a TK that was with his CVs close to Brisbane. I'm a bit puzzled as to his use of the TKs, but he has 1 less to use regardless
- I put two torpedoes into AO Hayamoto in the Celebes sea. I'm pretty sure she's sunk.
- An enemy sub tried to attack my little AOs returning from refueling Darwin. An especially effective DD commander hurt it pretty bad
- I have 2 ASW fleets that have a fix on a sub west of SF. They hammered it today but got no hits. I'd like that thing dead before my major troop movement.
- 1 of his CV TFs is reportedly headed "east" toward Noumea/Suva. I've sent Noumea's ships running and if he does go that way, I'm going to have to scurry a lot out of Suva (again). I wish he'd just go home already!


Question: Brisbane's repair yard apparently got hit during his KB raid and I can't figure out how I'm supposed to repair it. The port damage is all gone, but the repair yard is still unavailable. On the industry screen for the repair yard it says that repair is "On." What am I doing wrong?

[koniu]

ORIGINAL: marbakka

Question: Brisbane's repair yard apparently got hit during his KB raid and I can't figure out how I'm supposed to repair it. The port damage is all gone, but the repair yard is still unavailable. On the industry screen for the repair yard it says that repair is "On." What am I doing wrong?

You need to have at least 10k+ supplies in base. Each point of damage will cost you 1000 supplies and will repair one point per day as long you have 10k+ supplies in base

[marbakka]

Combat Report - 2/9/1942

Nothing but bombings all day with another attempt at taking PM. He'll take it within a couple days, I think.

- The KB has definitely been inching eastward. Not good. To my great annoyance, I'm evacuating Suva (again) and Luganville. I unloaded something like 170AV at Luganville during the day, but there is a good bit of supplies and equipment still on the ships. I've cancelled unloading and sent them eastward in flight. Hopefully, the KB will clear out in good time and I can get back to unloading at that small port. The troops that already landed are unpacking and will then begin to work on the port, but they have virtually no supplies to work with, so for the time being the 8th Marines are eating their support squads to survive. KB needs to go home.
- At Noumea, I'm going to have to evacuate the B17s that I -just- stationed there. Back to Melbourne they go until I can be sure that 150 enemy planes won't show up over the airfield at any moment.
- Yorktown and Saratoga are withdrawing from the Bering Sea area without much to show for it, but I did confirm my suspicion that he is using Adak as a submarine base (an AS is all that was left there according to recon). I think that will probably be the extent of his operations in NOPAC. I'm not sure if I should plan to retake this in the summer or the fall. My priority is going to have to be SOPAC/Australia until I get some stability down there.

[marbakka]

Combat Report - 2/10/1942

Usual bombings (I wish he would just stop escorting his Changsha bombers, but he is playing it cautious. My second AVG squadron is on its way back from vacation in India)

KB disappeared. He could have dipped south around Noumea to head to Suva, but I think it is move likely that he moved up into a pocket of no coverage to the north/northeast which would mean that he is withdrawing them. If he IS headed for Suva, then I should see them next turn. My ships will continue to behave as though he is coming for them even though it is going to cost me a pretty penny in fuel.

Speaking of which, he put a torpedo in one of my TKs that would have been emptying in Suva if it wasn't running from the KB threat.

[BBfanboy]

You left an AS in Adak? I thought your carriers went there to sink whatever was in port?
Those things are valuable and without them he cannot replenish his subs torps at the small ports up there.

[marbakka]

ORIGINAL: BBfanboy

You left an AS in Adak? I thought your carriers went there to sink whatever was in port?
Those things are valuable and without them he cannot replenish his subs torps at the small ports up there.

Thunderstorms, dead of winter, and my CVs are needed elsewhere. I'll come back for him. Maybe that will be Hornet's maiden voyage

[BBfanboy]

Always wondered how you could get thunderstorms in the dead of winter but this game does it! I think they are following you around ...

[marbakka]

Combat Report - 2/11/1942

The KB has moved north of New Caledonia. This is positive, I suppose, but he is still headed more east than north which leads me to believe that at the very least he wants to take a look at Luganville and possibly even cover a landing near there.

Patrol aircraft out of Ndeni (?) spotted my fleeing Luganville transports and bombed them. They badly damaged an AKL that will likely go down, but the real damage is that he has intel on these guys with the KB only a day or so away. The ship that was hit didn't carry any troops according to info tab, but the combat report showed several squads damaged which tips him off that it wasn't just a cargo ship.

EDIT: The 27th Infantry Division arrived in Cape Town today. Yipee!! Now...err...I suppose they'll just sit there and wait until I know whether to send them to Australia or India.

[marbakka]

Orders Summary - 2/12/1942

Lots of troops loading this turn, so I figured I'd update you on my deployments.

- I have decided to send the II Fighter Command with its 4-5 squadrons of fighters to Australia for now. They are loading at Cape Town and unloading at Perth. Their command unit will travel with them. I figure they are needed more there even if he does move on India because I will need protection for my bombers covering my offensive campaign in the Solomon's when that time comes.
- For now, the V Bomber Command (which together with the II Fighter Command make up the Fifth USAAF) will remain in Cape Town for the time being. Mostly because my airfields in both India and Australia are not quite ready for them, but also because I'd like to reserve the ability to send them to India if needed.
- At San Fransisco, I'm loading three fleets. The first is loading a couple of tank units who will go to Pearl Harbor to await the offensive in the Marshals (they are planning for Kwajalein Island for now). That TF is piggy backing BB New Mexico and some DDs out to Pearl as well. The second TF is loading a bunch of units for Luganville. The third TF is loading almost as many for Noumea. When dock space opens up, a fourth TF will load some of the unrestricted fighter units that will make the trip as well. All the SOPAC TFs will be following an ASW fleet and my CVs. Saratoga and Yorktown will be with them from the moment they leave the west coast. Lexington and Enterprise will join them after they refuel and refit in Pearl Harbor.
- After delivering the troops to SOPAC, my carriers will return to the West Coast for their march upgrades.


Am I putting all my eggs in one basket? Sure. But it is a basket covered by 4 carriers, so...yeah.

[marbakka]

Combat Report - 2/12/1942

- The KB has vanished again. I'm about 75% sure he went north toward Rabaul/Truk. CORRECTION: He moved so far north I didn't even see him when I looked the first time. They are just short of Rabaul. A sigh of relief! Now to get my ships back into port and get the supply train going again.
- I noticed that the bombing of Changsha was messed up today. The 26 Oscars that are normally with the main group of bombers got stuck with the 6 stragglers. I'm still several days from having my second AVG squadron back in town, but here's hoping that it screws up like that when I ambush him next.

[marbakka]

Combat Report - 2/13/1942

Nothing to report

KB is at Rabaul

Epic Troop Convoy is almost ready to leave SF. Just waiting for the first 2 CVs to arrive.