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ORIGINAL: mind_messing

My plan is quite simple.

Planes that are much slower than the Thud go down low to turn fight, anything within ~40 kmh of the Thud gets sent to their best MVR band. Anything that can fly higher than the Thud goes above for the dive bonus.

You'll see just how miserable the situation is for Japan when I flip the Downfall turn back to you.

Good plan. Better is to avoid it if possible, which it usually isn't! I'm sure you're facing the P-47N now. Not fun.

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

ORIGINAL: mind_messing
You'll see just how miserable the situation is for Japan when I flip the Downfall turn back to you.

Uh-oh.[X(] I guess my daylight bombing raids worked. I take no joy in pounding your mercilessly, I will have you know.[:)]

The bombers didn't fly, the fighters caused carnage enough on their own...

ORIGINAL: obvert

ORIGINAL: mind_messing

My plan is quite simple.

Planes that are much slower than the Thud go down low to turn fight, anything within ~40 kmh of the Thud gets sent to their best MVR band. Anything that can fly higher than the Thud goes above for the dive bonus.

You'll see just how miserable the situation is for Japan when I flip the Downfall turn back to you.

Good plan. Better is to avoid it if possible, which it usually isn't! I'm sure you're facing the P-47N now. Not fun.

I'm starting to think that way. Sadly there's not many places that you can simply not have CAP over.

June 24, 1943

Night bombing in Burma. No damage. 2 Fletchers bombard Ponape and get outsize results. I have noticed that Fletchers are really good at shore bombardments -- it must be their radar?

This was a day of a thousand clicks as I think every Allied bomber and fighter group fly. Sweeps, bombing runs (at airfields) in both the Burma area and in the Marshalls, Ponape, and Kusaie.

I shudder to look at the supply loss. The only base that has fighters contesting the skies is Ponape, where Hellcats sweep several times. In the end we lose equal number of Zeroes to Hellcats thanks to heavy op losses on the Hellcats. So far in about 2 weeks of use Allies have lost 40 Hellcats -- they produce 130 a month.

In Burma, the Allies move 1000 tanks to Lashio, fighting in each hex along the road, but I doubt that I will be able to hold -- there are two splinters of RTA division on the road east of Lashio to prevent the opening of the Burma Road plus I will be able to threaten from the south too. Tanks are tough!

In China, the IJA wipes out 150 more squads...tanks take an important crossroad in the mountains north of Kweiyang.

ORIGINAL: mind_messing


Good plan. Better is to avoid it if possible, which it usually isn't! I'm sure you're facing the P-47N now. Not fun.


I'm starting to think that way. Sadly there's not many places that you can simply not have CAP over.

The Thunderbolt hasn't tangled much with the Ki201 yet...perhaps there is hope with that plane.

My experience with Downfall, makes me glad I have invested in the Ki202 -- in fact it might be the most important thing I have done. More than ever I need to hold on until that plane comes along. I will need thousands.[:)]

In one day of bombing, with no fighter cap present, I lost 1000 supplies in Kusaie Island. Ouch![X(]

And this was not all his bombers in the area as he hit other bases for supply losses: 500 at Wotje; 100 Maleo; 200 at Ponape for rearming fighters; 1000 supply gone at Roe from a day or two previously.

Against a thoughtful opponent I don't think there is a way to defend these bases short of the KB -- and it is not worth risking the KB over.

I can risk the KB once I start getting the Ki202 in numbers.

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

ORIGINAL: mind_messing


Good plan. Better is to avoid it if possible, which it usually isn't! I'm sure you're facing the P-47N now. Not fun.


I'm starting to think that way. Sadly there's not many places that you can simply not have CAP over.

The Thunderbolt hasn't tangled much with the Ki201 yet...perhaps there is hope with that plane.

The combat debut hasn't filled me with hope...

RE: China

Are you heading west from Kweiyang to close the mountain passes, or driving north to invest Chungking? At this stage, I think the latter might be quite important.

ORIGINAL: mind_messing
The combat debut hasn't filled me with hope...

RE: China

Are you heading west from Kweiyang to close the mountain passes, or driving north to invest Chungking? At this stage, I think the latter might be quite important.

I haven't fully decided yet...I hope to do both? I figure I have less than a month before the Burma road is open again. Maybe longer depending upon how the game mechanics work. The troops are all preparing for Chungking.

At least all the Artillery will go to Chungking.

Resource stockpiles at Fusan

Fuel and Oil at Fusan

I managed to get the Jake squadron onto a CS for resizing. You can see the squadron switched to independent.

The Irvings plus the use of Petes (knock on wood) should really help with the night bombing.

Before I upgrade all the pilots will go to reserve, and the Irvings will be piloted by Tracom pilots only.

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

Fuel and Oil at Fusan

[X(]

Why won't mine do this? [:(] I get a trickle of Fuel at best, and only drops of Oil although I think that's more a supply problem than anything else. Resources are easy, though.

Try harder...it just doesn't happen.[:)]

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

Try harder...it just doesn't happen.[:)]

I am! It likes to just flow right on back down to Singapore, or who knows where.

For a while I had it pool at Port Arthur, despite no convoys based there and all of them based out of Fusan drawing resources/Fuel and lately Oil as well. I'm also somewhat convinced that my extra supply, being shipped to China (where I can't turn on stockpile, lest I risk undersupplying my siege or bombing campaign), is flowing right on back around to Port Arthur. So "helpful." Not even a Command HQ based there.

I've actually managed to get most of the Oil surpluses shipped back to Japan, with a couple of exceptions, but Fuel is a boondoggle. Maybe I needed to be more careful with where ships were based early on, maybe more careful in CS Convoy location selection...I don't know.

Where are you dropping your fuel at? Hong Kong? Seems silly to drop it as far as Shanghai - it's only a few more hexes to Kagoshima or Sasebo at that point. But it seems that anything dropped west of Hong Kong runs the risk of just going right back down to Singapore.

Saigon, Cam Ranh Bay and Hong Kong get most. Amoy, Foochow too.

To get it to work I seeded Shanghai with one big delivery. Took changsha, and increase Fusan to largest port size.

I decided to fly out of Ponape, regrouping planes at Truk. I figure Allies will bombard again...I have some strong IJN ships behind Truk, but don't think I want to play with the Americans right now.

Supply is definitely a concern in the Marshalls...the whole chain in untenable.

June 25, 1943

Surprise at Ponape. Not.

Well, a second group bombarding is a surprise.

I guess this means his Carrier group will retire, since it has spent some ammo. Perhaps I have a small window to get some supplies forward?

Will the landings start next?

No night bombing by Allies.[:)]

Japan bombs a Chinese Corp, while the Allies bomb Kusaie, Maleolap, Victoria Point where they catch and destroy two damaged Destroyers.[:(] My bad there, I think I forgot they were there.

A local minesweeper encounters an enemy task force at Moulmein, but there is no combat, so I guess he is merely laying more mines?

Allies simply very aggressive leaving task forces at Ponape (destroyers); Moulmein 5 ships; 15 xaks in two groups are loading at Calcutta under a 10 plane protection (I have to count hexes here); Carriers west of Kusaie, BB bombardment group south of Ponape (an RO tried to penetrate the screen but failed).

Oh, and no invasion of Ponape.[:)]

Ok, I am weighing a 45 plane Betty torpedo naval strike in Burma with Oscar IV's as escort. The downside, I can't pick the target, and I could possibly fly into one of his 100 plus fighter base chainsaws like at Akyab. On the upside, I might catch a lot of fully loaded cargo ships, or perhaps another bombardment group leaving Akyab.

The Strike would look like 45 Betties (the armored version) with 100 Oscar IVs as Escort. Might group up another large fighter sentai to sweep Akyab or Prome maybe I can do both.

Weather always makes these moves difficult. Not to mention his 4Es...

I need to think on it....