PzB vs Wobbly - Clash of Steel

[PzB74]

Except from some barge/lcm busting and the usual air/sea bombardments,
a quiet turn [;)]

Most of the surface fleet has reached Naha - a little way out - but I feel
more secure and comfortable here. 2 Navy HQ's will move in and a Bde will arrive
shortly to boost land defenses. Also moved a 36 ac Tojo Daitai to provide CAP.

AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 04/28/44

Ground Combat

Perhaps we got in enough troops to throw of Andy's attack?
He may also be resting his troops before the assault goes in...

Ground combat at Namlea

Japanese Bombardment attack

Attacking force 4750 troops, 53 guns, 2 vehicles, Assault Value = 102

Defending force 6039 troops, 37 guns, 92 vehicles, Assault Value = 196
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[PzB74]

Gentlemen, I need info!
What is the range of B-29's from a size 4-5-6-7 base?

Andy got lots of them at Wasile, and he can currently strike anything within 20 or so
hexes me thinks. Good thing I moved my fleet back! Will put my fighter reserve on CAP
over Manila.

Second question:
Seeing the amount of firepower that Andy brings to the party each time he invades a base,
how many assault points should I strive to have in each of my Palau/Marianas base? Somehow
I don't think even 1000 will cut it?

Currently each base got ca 1.5-2 divisions worth of troops, coastal defensive unit, arty bde,
250 aviation support, 5-60k supplies and 2k+ mines. The number of assault points varies from
650 to 1400, and each base got 9 forts.

1500 assault points would be more 're-assuring', right? [:D]
But where can we 'scrounge' these units from?...New Guinea, China, Japan, Malaya perhaps.
Hm, have to consider this carefully.

AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 04/29/44

Air Combat

Dozens and dozens of air strikes this turn...quite un-interesting really,
so we skip to the interesting ones!

Day Air attack on 5th/C Division, at 38,73

Allied aircraft
F4U-1D Corsair x 13
Spitfire VIII x 6
P-38J Lightning x 4
B-25J Mitchell x 46
PB4Y Liberator x 9
B-24J Liberator x 18
B-29 Superfortress x 82 [:(]

No Allied losses

Japanese ground losses:
278 casualties reported
Guns lost 9
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day Air attack on TF at 48,74

Japanese aircraft
D4Y Judy x 25

No Japanese losses

Allied Ships
AK James B. McPherson, Bomb hits 10, on fire, heavy damage
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day Air attack on TF at 48,74

Japanese aircraft
B6N Jill x 22

No Japanese losses

Allied Ships
AK James B. McPherson, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ground Combat

Not really an issue without supplies...

Ground combat at Namlea

Allied Shock attack

Attacking force 6109 troops, 35 guns, 94 vehicles, Assault Value = 196

Defending force 4683 troops, 23 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 89

Allied max assault: 378 - adjusted assault: 26

Japanese max defense: 50 - adjusted defense: 5

Allied assault odds: 5 to 1 (fort level 3)

Allied forces CAPTURE Namlea base !!!

Japanese ground losses:
169 casualties reported
Guns lost 3

Allied ground losses:
176 casualties reported
Guns lost 2

Defeated Japanese Units Retreating!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Strike Force 2

Just a pin prick, but Andy can't move ships along the Eastern coast of NG unless
he provide LBA CAP or keep carriers in the area.

[Sneer]

PNG -question if you can to withdraw them - marianes are the key
if you have points think about japan - 1 inf div more or less  doesn't matter

[PzB74]

Got 2300 points, will release a 99exp Bde from China in a couple of days.
Not sure there's time to release any of the Div's from Japan...Moving out troops from Sapporo and
the Northern Fleet as I mentioned earlier.

Will move more troops out of NG when my transports have rested and re-grouped.

[Fishbed]

Ftr 151, Bmb 364, Aux 410... 900+ planes [X(] on a level 4...
Is it allowed by the stacking house rules? [&:]

[String]

ORIGINAL: Fishbed

Ftr 151, Bmb 364, Aux 410... 900+ planes [X(] on a level 4...
Is it allowed by the stacking house rules? [&:]

I don't think they have any.

The B-29 should fly at normal range with extended range payload according to the manual, HOWEVER, as many games have demonstrated, the heavies will fly with extended range payload at extended range from even small airfields.

so 20 hexes it should be. I guess the only reassuring thing is that they tend to skip missions if morale is low at such range.

[Sneer]

1500 assault points would be more 're-assuring', right? [:D]
But where can we 'scrounge' these units from?...New Guinea, China, Japan, Malaya perhaps.
Hm, have to consider this carefully.

it is not atoll so no shock attack - no disruption/losses loop for attacker
i think it is minimum - especially he needs to concentrate on 1 isl and later will have air support from it
so you need to defend all 3
tough duty

[AmiralLaurent]

PzB, what is the size of the Wasile airfield ? Even if the game allows B-29 to fly from level 4 AFs, I think a home rule may be applied to them to limit their use to level 6 or 7 airfields.

As for your commerce raids with CV, I won't use CVE for that. They are too slow, and will have problems escaping. Or I will use them as a bait to draw part of US CVs to chase and then send the whole KB against them. Another idea is to use them as feints, by sailing at the limit of the Allied air patrols until they are seen while the KB main body is elsewhere.

[Fishbed]

Rhalala

Amiral, quand je pense que toi aussi un jour il faudra que tu passes à la moulinette des Alliés... Bon c'est pas demain la veille non plus [;)] [:D] mais bon [:(]

PzB, my best wishes of success, Im sure the rest of the topic staff shares with me our confidence in both the command ability and the forever victorious mind of the C-in-C you are [;)]

I don't think they have any.

Yep you're right Sting. I remember they only talked about very limited rules added after uncovering some bugs from time to time, like the air minelaying one (is that corrected by the last patchs by the way?)

AJ

[pauk]

ORIGINAL: Fishbed

Ftr 151, Bmb 364, Aux 410... 900+ planes [X(] on a level 4...
Is it allowed by the stacking house rules? [&:]

lots of players just loves to overstack AFs. I don't. I always place only allowed numbers of planes per AF size. This game doesn't have any stacking HR, as String pointed.

To me, this is a big exploit because penatly for overstacking is ridiculus (of course if you are Jap then your fighters wont fly on escort[:'(]), allowing constant missions day by day (not all bombers fly so there is always enough rested crew).

I didn't request this in my game vs Andy and got 800 airplanes on level 4 AF[X(]. Since Andy's situation was desperate in the China i didn't complain, but in late war period i don't think that Allies need that kind of help (of course, this goes for Japan too in the 1941-42).

[pauk]

ORIGINAL: AmiralLaurent

PzB, what is the size of the Wasile airfield ? Even if the game allows B-29 to fly from level 4 AFs, I think a home rule may be applied to them to limit their use to level 6 or 7 airfields.

Once again, Amiral is right. HR would be welcomed.... you don't need hestiate to ask.

[jwilkerson]

how many assault points should I strive to have in each of my Palau/Marianas base? Somehow
I don't think even 1000 will cut it?

Currently each base got ca 1.5-2 divisions worth of troops, coastal defensive unit, arty bde,
250 aviation support, 5-60k supplies and 2k+ mines. The number of assault points varies from
650 to 1400, and each base got 9 forts.

1500 assault points would be more 're-assuring', right?

Keep in mind, if he is smart, he will bombard (with air and ships) all of your supply to zero first ... so your AV will be quartered. So you need to ask yourself, what is purpose of defense of each location ? Denial of "easy victory" (i.e. landing by small forces) ?? or Delay to provide opportunity for counterstrikes by Fleet and LBA ?? Or throw them back in the Sea ??? Purpose of defense will drive how many points you want there. But also we must realise that if Japanese build one strong base in an area, it can merely be bypassed, if Japanese defend all bases equally, then all are equally vulnerable. Ultimately your sustained ability to counterattack and deal out some damage, will hopefully slow the pace of his advance to the point where you still exist by the time the game ends. But kicking the American back into the sea, will probably only be possible if they make the mistake.

[pauk]

nice anayisis.... but it clearly shows how Japan is hopeless. The only one question remains: can Japan do something to delay enemy who doesn't make any mistake (Andy becomes quite methodical player and he doesn't make mistakes, i think)...?

thoughts:

1. there are some areas which is a must for defend: Marians, Kendari, Davao - as Jon pointed providing supply is a must.
a) via air - don't think that is possible. Andy have "CV superiority" and can park CVs in base hex.
b) via sea - fast transports. Could it be done? Don't think it is possible without reaction of the whole Combined fleet - and it is risky operation, damned too risky...
c) that left you only subs - what about your transport subs? six of them (I-3 hundred and something) have big cargo capacity. The other available subs have small capacity but can help too....

[PzB74]

We don't have any house rules for stacking ac..unfortunately. Early in the war
this wasn't a problem, but in 1944 the number of available ac explodes. I've always
tried to restrain myself and only put 50 ac pr af size. Tried to overstack in Davao/Menando
with limited results. Will revert to the 'old ways' and encourage Andy to show moderation.

Don't think B-29's should be allowed to operate from anything less than a size 4 af. Would be
surrealistic if they did, way too valuable to place on a Henderson Field size malaria strip.

Wasile is currently a size 4 airfield, thinks it's size 2 by default - so Andy will increase the
af there to size 5 soon.

I've been doing some thinking regarding my defense of the Marianas. What seemed adequate in 1943
seems way too little in 1944. 'The one who tries to defend everything ends up defending nothing'....
With this wise saying in mind I'm re-doubling my efforts!

The Palau Islands will remain ca 700-1000 assault points each but I will double the AP value on Pagan,
Saipan, Tinian and Guam. Some 2000 AP and 4000 mines is now my goal.

A crack Bde from China -> Pagan + 1-2 Army Regiments
The 77th Division from Northern Japan to Saipan.
The Imperial Guards Division from Soerabaja (replaced by a strong Bde from Malaya) to Tinian.
A crack division from Ulithi to Guam.

More troops evacuated from PNG and new arrivals in Japan will bolster these reinforcements.
As Pauk points out, Kendari, Davao, Menando etc. are important bases and will retain strong garrisons,
wast amount of supplies and 9 forts.

I've given up speculating about which base Andy will attack first. If I was him I would go for Palau
or Pagan. Palau is so far away from the Marianas and would require a really big effort on his part -
an effort which wouldn't provide him with a base that could support an invasion of the Marianas.
Personally I would attack Pagan first from the Marshalls. A success here would undermine the defense
of the region and provide a relatively open area of operations.

Joe; Andy has not been able to reduce 50-60k supplies in large bases with 9 forts. He has bombed and
bombarded for months and there's still 20k+ supplies left in bases like Biak and Noemfoor.

If e.g. Pagan is attacked it will be impossible to reinforce this base by sea. Subs got too little capacity,
and fast transports would be obliterated. Convoys is out of the question against the deadly US carrier TFs.
I WILL try to fly in as many reinforcements as possible with my Supply Corpse. Should be able to move a full
regiment or more.

Appreciate the input and support guys [&o]
The Empire will Prevail!!! [:D]

AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 04/30/44

Sub/ASW Attacks

Sub attack at 38,51

Japanese Ships
AP Oyo Maru, Torpedo hits 1, heavy damage

Allied Ships
SS Steelhead
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ASW attack at 38,75
Japanese Ships
SS I-7, hits 3

Allied Ships
DD Drayton
DD Gansevoort
DD Caldwell
DD Grayson
DD Swanson
DD Beale
DD Charles Badger
DD Charles Ausburne
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Air Combat

Andy's first strategic 'oil raid'.

Day Air attack on Balikpapan , at 31,64

Allied aircraft
B-24J Liberator x 23

Allied aircraft losses
B-24J Liberator: 7 damaged

Oil hits 8
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day Air attack on TF, near Truk at 63,78

Japanese aircraft
Ki-44-IIb Tojo x 33

Allied aircraft
Beaufighter Mk 21 x 12

Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-44-IIb Tojo: 1 damaged

Allied aircraft losses
Beaufighter Mk 21: 1 destroyed, 6 damaged

Japanese Ships
AG AG-116, Shell hits 4
AK Nishi Maru, Shell hits 12, Bomb hits 1, on fire
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day Air attack on TF at 38,75

Japanese aircraft
G4M2 Betty x 3

Japanese aircraft losses
G4M2 Betty: 3 damaged

Allied Ships
AK Michael C. Kerr
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Strike Force I

I'm using my escort carriers as a harassing force relatively close to my own bases.
The only true operational carrier TF based around the Hiyo and 2 light carriers, escorted
by 5 of the new long range destroyers, is enroute to the Pacific together with a replenishment
group and a scout sub. Got ca 100 ac between them - enough to pose a serious threat to any
Allied convoy. Should be plenty of them between PH and the US West Coast [;)]

[veji1]

well as japan you are left with the fact that you have to go for a low intensity hassle war and nibble here and there, try to disrupt the ennemy and be ready to strike hard when he commits a mistake...

Now the question is how to be as disruptive as possible, to a cost as acceptable as possible, in order to provoke the disruption from which you can take advantage...

You won't get many opportunities, but you will get some.. This AAR is a good example... PZB managed to have Andy lose time and waist troops at Kavieng, and there was the Wasile landing mix up, and his subs almost put a fish in a BB and a CV. The main problem here is that the KB is out of the picture, because it was waisted on an attack on the CVs to early.

I don't want to criticize, but as PZB put it himself, he got impatient of waiting for the opportunity and stroke too early...

I guess that as Japan your goal should be :
- Make the allies spread their wealth as much as possible by being aggressive on secondary fronts : Convoy raiding with a couple of CVLs or a CV here and there, surface raids here and there, keep most of the bombers on rear bases and then in one turn all of the sudden bring them forward for a big strike somewhere, lose a lot of them but at least prove you exist, then retreat them further back again, scatter chutais of long range torpedo bombers on many small bases left behindor around his lines and strike his communication lines, use your subs aggressively enough to make him escort convoys, yet try to save as many as possible for a big battle...
- try to disrupt his main efforts, this means having enough AV and forts to be able to withstand an ill estimated assault, try to ambush with subs, with not too valuable surface assets, go for little sneaky attacks with few airplanes in order to estimate his force, and mainly prey for him to do a mistake...When he is committed to a big strike, if you feel you can't hurt him, use your assets for your own big strike somewhere else ( heck KB can still hurt somewhere else )
- pay close attention to your industry so that you can mass supplys, airframes and lots of all you can mass and then be able to harass the allies in the long run...

If you manage to do all that, well you still lose, but you put up a good fight.. I haven't been there yet, but I guess you can proud of yourself.

[PzB74]

Think we are in accordance Veji! I still think Japan can WIN though.
Beat of the all important invasion of the Marianas and inflict so heavy casualties that the Allied offensive will be halted until it's
too late to threaten the Home Islands themselves [:D]

I've been conducting all the smaller harassment raids you're mentioning, but if you think about it there ain't too many 'soft spots' on the map.
Most targets are covered by lots of CAP fighters and naval bombers.

Think I needed a break 6 months ago, was quite tired and didn't put my soul into it. Buzzing around with the KB was the only thing
that gave me a kick [8|]

[veji1]

perfectly understandable from a Real Life point of view... The interesting thing we learn from your KB commitment and its consequences, is that actually you don't need to ever engage the KB in a fight late in war !!

Its very existence forces the allies to plan more carefully, go more slowly, etc... I guess if KB was still around he'd be landing on Noemfoor right now, not turning Wasile in a B29 platform !! And this without actualling engaging the KB itself....

We can see as well from the little mistakes Sneer is doing in his AAR (no offense intended) that after a long bloody tense fight, you get a mental lapse in game sort of, and you get a little bit secure and it hurts you in game... As Japan after each tense moment you need to maker sure your mind is still fresh, because one lapse and you lose badly, while the allies can survive this kind of mistake...

Anyway, congrats on your game, it is really a handbook for late war jap players, with what to do... and not to do...

[jwilkerson]

Joe; Andy has not been able to reduce 50-60k supplies in large bases with 9 forts. He has bombed and
bombarded for months and there's still 20k+ supplies left in bases like Biak and Noemfoor.

Interesting, I've seen 50K go in 4 days. Is he using "Uber Bombardments" ?? Like 10+ BB and 400+4EB day after day ?

nice anayisis.... but it clearly shows how Japan is hopeless. The only one question remains: can Japan do something to delay enemy who doesn't make any mistake (Andy becomes quite methodical player and he doesn't make mistakes, i think)...?

Enemies that avoid mistakes are probably proceeding more slowly than enemies that make mistakes, and at this point it is all about slowing down the allied rate of advance. It isn't about "winning" in the sense of capturing Washington and dictating terms. It is more about keeping the supply generation going and enough terf to have a "negotiating card" by the time the bell rings ... "but smoke and mirrors" is a big part of this ... giving the "feeling" to the opponent that you can punish him if he gets careless or tries to use something smaller than 600LB gorilla to take each base.

[Speedysteve]

ORIGINAL: PzB

AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 04/30/44

Sub/ASW Attacks

Sub attack at 38,51

Japanese Ships
AP Oyo Maru, Torpedo hits 1, heavy damage

Allied Ships
SS Steelhead

LOL. Made me chuckle this. My new job (which I start on 17th July) involves a hardware and software product named 'Steelhead'. I'll be selling lots of them hopefully[:)]

[PzB74]

Andy doesn't have 10 battleships Joe [:D]
At least he can't afford to combined them into uber bombardment groups. He has hit my bases with heavy 4E raids,
not seen that many 400 4E raids though. Without PDU he may not have enough?

Still, it will be difficult to bomb the Marianas/Palaus into submission - out of fighter escort range and losses to fighters
and FLAK will be too heavy to sustain over longer periods. Training my Jacks like crazy to be ready for him [;)]

Winning is certainly about avoiding total defeat - not being nuked or having the Home Islands invaded...
The KB will be ready again in 2-3 months Veji, then we'll see what effect it will have on Andy's operation. Planning to put a lot of
long range Grace TBD's on my carriers and threaten enemy invasion fleets from a distance when they're engaged with LBA.

So what does 'Steelhead' the software do - deliver Internet spreads....?-)