Going The Distance: BTS 4.6 MichaelU/lb4269 (A) vs bristolduke (J)

[John 3rd]

Good reading and solid work so far. Keep it up!

[MichaelU]

March 6-8, 1942

The area around Suva is crawling with Japanese subs, which have already managed to put torps into a couple of battleships. They finally pick up one of our transports, sending it to the bottom with all troops.

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Submarine attack near Kandavu Island at 130,165

Japanese Ships
SS I-3

Allied Ships
xAP Cap Tourane, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage

Allied ground losses:
Vehicles lost 1 (1 destroyed, 0 disabled)

This was part of a AA unit going to reinforce Suva. Another attack against the AMC Cap de Palmes fortunately misses.

There are sub attacks off Noumea as well, which also miss. We've put an AG into Noumea so we can run a couple of ASW groups out of there, in an attempt to hold down the sub threat.

Our oil bombing campaign almost comes unstuck when a group of B17s flying into Balikpapan encounter a very large CAP of Zeros. Fortunately the Japanese fighters don't get much warning, and aren't able to close with the bombers before they have dropped their bombs and left. The haste of the bombing is reflected in the low number of oil hits. Looks like Balikpapan is closed to us.

However, it is still open season at Palembang, where the Hurricanes easily clear out the Oscars, giving the Banshees free rein. There are no more tankers, but we find cargo ships loading fuel, escorted by some light cruisers. Over several bombing runs we get the following:

CL Abukuma, Bomb hits 1, on fire
xAK Nankai Maru, Bomb hits 1, on fire

xAK Arima Maru, Bomb hits 2, heavy fires, heavy damage
xAK Nankai Maru, Bomb hits 1, heavy fires

DD Oshio, Bomb hits 1, on fire

CL Abukuma, Bomb hits 2, on fire

Banshees with decent pilots are a lot scarier than the early war version. What is annoying though is that our Vildebees refuse to join in. They are sitting in the same airfield, at Batavia, with the same orders and loaded with torpedoes, but for two turns the Banshees have attacked alone.

The only notable ground combat over three days is an attempt to breach the defences north of Wenchow. Despite managing 1-1 odds, it is sharply repulsed.

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Ground combat at 89,57 (near Wenchow)

Japanese Deliberate attack

Attacking force 15311 troops, 118 guns, 4 vehicles, Assault Value = 362

Defending force 7999 troops, 26 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 236

Japanese adjusted assault: 211

Allied adjusted defense: 211

Japanese assault odds: 1 to 1

Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+), leaders(+), experience(-)
Attacker:

Japanese ground losses:
1673 casualties reported
Squads: 3 destroyed, 175 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 9 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 11 disabled

Allied ground losses:
106 casualties reported
Squads: 1 destroyed, 11 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

And this part is sad. The Japanese anger at the defenders of Tarakan is such that they have pursued the last remnants into the jungle and proceed to finish them off.

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Ground combat at 67,92 (near Tarakan)

Japanese Deliberate attack

Attacking force 3608 troops, 24 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 99

Defending force 924 troops, 7 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 3

Japanese adjusted assault: 43

Allied adjusted defense: 1

Japanese assault odds: 43 to 1

Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+), leaders(+), disruption(-), fatigue(-)
morale(-), experience(-), supply(-)
Attacker: disruption(-)

Allied ground losses:
1062 casualties reported
Squads: 13 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 67 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 5 (5 destroyed, 0 disabled)
Units destroyed 3

Those men fought so bravely, against such terrible odds. They deserved better.

[BBfanboy]

Re: the Vildebeests: Did they by any chance have drop tanks installed? That would give them a "normal" range of 8 but the drop tanks would make carrying a torpedo impossible.
Without drop tanks, the "normal" range is 4, but I have never seen the Devastator cannot carry a torp that far even though it is within "normal" range, so that may be the situation with Vildebeests?

[MichaelU]

That could explain it. They are using drop tanks and torpedoes. I will try switching them to bombs.

[MichaelU]

March 9-12, 1942

It looks like we're finally getting on top of our Noumea sub problem, with a group of Australian AMs knocking about some of the subs operating one hex west and southeast of the port. Good timing as the last regiment of the Americal division is about to arrive. We'll feel pretty confident about holding the place once the whole division is in place.

Our bombing of Palembang port finally pays off. We had suspected there might be a few damaged ships in the port, and our bombers manage to find them.

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Morning Air attack on Palembang , at 48,91

Weather in hex: Thunderstorms

Raid spotted at 20 NM, estimated altitude 5,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 6 minutes

Allied aircraft
139WH-3 x 2
B-339D x 6
Hudson I x 9

Allied aircraft losses
139WH-3: 2 damaged
Hudson I: 1 damaged

Japanese Ships
DD Yamagumo, Bomb hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
TK Manju Maru, Bomb hits 1

In the area around Nanyang, we launch a few counterattacks where the Japanese have left some of their secondary forces to hold areas, heavily damaging one RGC temp division and damaging another.

Japanese attacks in China are making no headway. The biggest repulse comes in Wenchow, with another heavy loss.

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Ground combat at Wenchow (89,58)

Japanese Deliberate attack

Attacking force 43458 troops, 432 guns, 157 vehicles, Assault Value = 879

Defending force 35299 troops, 218 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 877

Japanese adjusted assault: 407

Allied adjusted defense: 2275

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

Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+), leaders(+), experience(-)
Attacker:

Japanese ground losses:
5935 casualties reported
Squads: 225 destroyed, 153 disabled
Non Combat: 3 destroyed, 32 disabled
Engineers: 4 destroyed, 34 disabled
Guns lost 67 (4 destroyed, 63 disabled)
Vehicles lost 10 (2 destroyed, 8 disabled)

Allied ground losses:
183 casualties reported
Squads: 1 destroyed, 14 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 5 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

And that's it really, four days of combat action summarised. The Japanese carriers seem to have gone back to replenish, so the SoPac is quiet. After the push into Palembang was painfully punished, there is no further attempt to impose Japanese will in the DEI.

The DEI delay is helping the Dutch, because it seems March is when they finally start to get replacement planes. I've upgraded a whole bomber squadron to Mitchells. There are some P40s and Hurricanes coming online. Nice.

Since the Japanese aren't creating any excitement, we might try to do so.

[MichaelU]

March 13, 1942

The idea was to generate some excitement, and we certainly manage that.

There has been a whole bunch of unloading going on at Luganville and it seemed to not be covered very well, so we send the carriers in to have a sniff. Normally I'd avoid this sort of fight, because the fear of being trapped between KB and a base full of Bettys does give one pause. But Luganville is fortunately still a level 1 airfield, so we should be okay from torpedoes. And KB was last seen sailing northward, presumably to replenish.

Day dawns with our carriers six hexes off Luganville, and seven hexes away from an unidentified TF. The sweating starts. Has he caught us in a classic ambush.

Our carrier planes, and level bombers flying from Noumea, arrive in numbers over Luganville and find the juiciest of possible targets - unloading tankers.

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Morning Air attack on TF, near Luganville at 120,150

Weather in hex: Thunderstorms

Raid spotted at 40 NM, estimated altitude 14,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 15 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 3

Allied aircraft
F2A-3 Buffalo x 15
F4F-3A Wildcat x 16
F4F-3 Wildcat x 19
SBD-3 Dauntless x 36
F2A-3 Buffalo x 3
F2A-3 Buffalo x 4

Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 1 destroyed

No Allied losses

Japanese Ships
DD Sawakaze, Bomb hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
DD Yakaze
DD Shiokaze
TK Tonan Maru #5
TK Tonan Maru #4, Bomb hits 2, heavy fires, heavy damage
TK Nisshin Maru #2, Bomb hits 4, heavy fires, heavy damage

Most of the attacks were against DDs, and missed. But the carriers are burning merrily.

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Morning Air attack on TF, near Luganville at 120,150

Weather in hex: Thunderstorms

Raid spotted at 19 NM, estimated altitude 16,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 8 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 1

Allied aircraft
F4F-3A Wildcat x 8
F4F-3 Wildcat x 5
SBD-2 Dauntless x 36

No Japanese losses

Allied aircraft losses
SBD-2 Dauntless: 5 damaged

Japanese Ships
DD Shiokaze
DD Sawakaze, heavy fires, heavy damage
TK Tonan Maru #4, Bomb hits 3, heavy fires, heavy damage
TK Tonan Maru #5, Bomb hits 1, heavy fires, heavy damage
DD Yakaze
PG Hai Can 12, Bomb hits 4, heavy fires
PG Hai Can 11

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Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Luganville at 120,150

Weather in hex: Moderate rain

Raid spotted at 15 NM, estimated altitude 9,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 4 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 5

Allied aircraft
B-25B Mitchell x 7

Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 1 destroyed

Allied aircraft losses
B-25B Mitchell: 2 damaged

Japanese Ships
DD Shiokaze
TK Toa Maru, Bomb hits 2, heavy fires

That is pretty bad for the Japanese. Losing a bunch of fuel-laden tankers has got to hurt.

Checking the turn shows the unknown TF reported as a CV and a CVL, plus some others.

Did we just get very, very lucky and pull off a killer blow under the nose of KB? The TF was seven hexes away, so we should have exchanged strikes. Maybe he was hampered by bad weather?

On the other hand, combat reports show that our bombers were engaged by Zeros from Chitose Ku S-1 Det and Akagi Kansen. So maybe he got very lucky and only had those ships in the area, in which case he can be very glad there was no exchange of strikes.

We might never know. What we do know is that we're going to be high speeding it out of there.

[MichaelU]

Here's the standoff at Luganville. What is the mystery TF? Why was there no strike?

[MichaelU]

And here is one I can't work out. My torpedo bombers never seem to want to attack. Here they are, 6 hexes away from some tankers, with naval attack orders, and nothing.

Same thing happened in the DEI, and there the targets were carriers. Would really like to work this out, before it becomes really important.

[ny59giants]

Leaders!! You need a better quality leader for your TBs. Double check all CV air groups once you get back in port/

Second, if they come in at 5k, the fighter groups may be set to high above them. I like 11k to 13k for DBs. TBs are 1k below them and fighters are 1k above so there is a small separation in altitude.

[ny59giants]

Air Group Leaders
Selecting leaders for air groups is a fairly complex task. Most aircraft can perform multiple roles, so leader selection criteria must include consideration of how the air group will be employed.
· Pilot experience affects operational losses.
· Air groups with morale < 50 must pass a morale test before flying an offensive mission. If the test is failed, no aircraft will fly.
· Air groups flying Naval Search, ASW Patrol, or CAP must pass two morale tests before flying. Each morale test failed reduces the number of aircraft flying by 25%.
· Level Bombers must pass three tests before flying an offensive mission. Each test failed reduces the number of aircraft flying by 25%:

o Experience test.
o Test against the leader’s Air Skill.
o Morale test.

· Pilot experience affects the chances to find the target in a strike mission.
· Pilot experience affects air-to-air combat results.
· Leader’s air skill affects results in air-to-air combat.


CAP as Principle Role
This includes Fighters, Fighter-Bombers, Night-Fighters, and Float-Fighters. Assign leader using these priorities:
· Inspiration – Influences the number of CAP aircraft that will fly. Influences air group morale recovery.
· Air Skill – Influences the air-to-air combat results.
· Leadership – Influences the air group’s experience gain.
· No other skills or qualities have any influence.

Offensive Missions as Principle Role (except Level Bombers)
Missions include Airfield Attack, Port Attack, Naval Attack, Ground Attack, Sweep, and Recon. Air Groups include includes Fighters, Fighter-Bombers, Night-Fighters, Float-Fighters, Dive Bombers, Torpedo Bombers, Float Planes, Patrol, and Recon. Assign leader using these priorities:
· Inspiration – Influences the number of strike and patrol aircraft that will fly. Influences air group morale recovery.
· Leadership – Influences the air group’s experience gain.
· Air Skill – Influences results in air-to-air combat.
· No other skills or qualities have any influence.

Level Bombers with Offensive Missions as Principle Role
Missions include Airfield Attack, Port Attack, Naval Attack, Ground Attack, and Recon. Assign leader using these priorities:
· Inspiration – Influences the number of strike aircraft that will fly. Influences air group morale recovery.
· Air Skill – Influences the number of strike aircraft that will fly.
· Leadership – Influences the air group’s experience gain.
· No other skills or qualities have any influence.

Patrol Missions as Principle Role
Missions include Naval Search and ASW Patrol. Air Groups include Dive Bombers, Torpedo Bombers, Float Planes, level bombers, Patrol, and Recon. Assign leader using these priorities:
· Inspiration – Influences the number of patrol aircraft that will fly. Influences air group morale recovery.
· Leadership – Influences the air group’s experience gain.
· Of small import, Air Skill influences results in air-to-air combat (aircraft can be intercepted by CAP, but this is unlikely).
· No other skills or qualities have any influence.

Transport Missions as Principle Role
Missions include Supply Transport and Troop Transport. Air Groups include Transports, Patrol, and Level Bombers. Assign leader using these priorities:
· Inspiration –Influences air group morale recovery.
· Leadership – Influences the air group’s experience gain.
· Of small import, Air Skill influences results in air-to-air combat.
· No other skills or qualities have any influence.

Training Mission as Principle Role
This includes all air groups. Assign leader using these priorities:
· Inspiration –Influences air group morale recovery.
· Leadership – Influences the air group’s experience gain.
· Of small import, Air Skill influences results in air-to-air combat.
· No other skills or qualities have any influence.

[MichaelU]

ORIGINAL: ny59giants_MatrixForum

Offensive Missions as Principle Role (except Level Bombers)
Missions include Airfield Attack, Port Attack, Naval Attack, Ground Attack, Sweep, and Recon. Air Groups include includes Fighters, Fighter-Bombers, Night-Fighters, Float-Fighters, Dive Bombers, Torpedo Bombers, Float Planes, Patrol, and Recon. Assign leader using these priorities:
· Inspiration – Influences the number of strike and patrol aircraft that will fly. Influences air group morale recovery.
· Leadership – Influences the air group’s experience gain.
· Air Skill – Influences results in air-to-air combat.
· No other skills or qualities have any influence.

Yikes, totally missed how awful that leader is. I certainly wouldn't want to fly under his command.

From the above, aggression has no impact? Thought with aggression of 20 the guy would have got 'lost' on the way to the target.

[Daydream]

ORIGINAL: MichaelU

Here's the standoff at Luganville. What is the mystery TF? Why was there no strike?

Maybe he's run out of AvGas. Or perhaps like you he's failing his morale checks since he's lost so many veteran pilots.

[ny59giants]

Aggression: Above 60 means the air group will go off and attack. The higher this is the more likely the air group, especially bombers, will ride off into the sunset (we don't need no damn fighters for escort!). I've had bombers with mid-60 aggression fly into CAP and have nobody return. [:-] For your TB/DB pilots, you want their aggression to be in mid-50s. Your fighters should ALL be over 60, if you can find them. Sort by "Air" when looking for leaders.

[BBfanboy]

ORIGINAL: MichaelU

And here is one I can't work out. My torpedo bombers never seem to want to attack. Here they are, 6 hexes away from some tankers, with naval attack orders, and nothing.

Same thing happened in the DEI, and there the targets were carriers. Would really like to work this out, before it becomes really important.

On top of the leader issue, you have them carrying torpedoes to max normal range (6) which seems to be hard for TBs to do. As I mentioned above, Devastators have a supposed Normal Range of 4, but I have never seen them carry torpedoes beyond 3, and they only do range three if the weather at CV launch is perfect - clear or light cloud. And yes, the US TB squadrons had very good leaders. Similarly, I have not seen Vildebeests nor Swordfish carry torps to full normal range. This is just observation of maybe 100 occasions where torpedo armed planes did not sortie - I kept no detailed stats. YMMV.

[MichaelU]

Hmm, that is good to know. Makes me even happier that I took the Devastators off the carriers and replaced them with Marine fighters and dive bombers.

Next time we have a scrap at Palembang or elsewhere I'll put the Vildebees as close to the target as I can get them. Or just switch them to bombs.

[MichaelU]

March 14-15, 1942

March 14 is very quiet. The only notable action is an empty tanker getting torpedoed off San Francisco. She is in the shipyard for 12 days, so little damage done.

March 15 though is anything but quiet. We've been unloading like mad at Noumea and Suva, pushing in supply and troops. Clearly the Japanese have had enough.

First off SS I-24 sails right into Noumea port, dodging our 85 mines to put a torpedo into an xAP unloading the 182nd Regiment. The ship is still afloat and still unloading.

Over at Suva, KB strikes. First off the entire dive bomber complement does a ground strike, doing only minimal damage.

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Morning Air attack on 276th Coastal Artillery Battalion, at 132,160 (Suva)

Weather in hex: Partial cloud

Raid detected at 114 NM, estimated altitude 14,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 42 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 53
D3A1 Val x 96

Allied aircraft
P-40E Warhawk x 15

Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 1 destroyed
D3A1 Val: 26 damaged

Allied aircraft losses
P-40E Warhawk: 3 destroyed

Allied ground losses:
17 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 4 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

What the attack has done is thin out our not particularly extensive CAP, which is a lucky thing because the followup Kate strike is unescorted.

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Morning Air attack on TF, near Suva at 132,160

Weather in hex: Partial cloud

Raid detected at 107 NM, estimated altitude 14,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 45 minutes

Japanese aircraft
B5N2 Kate x 52

Allied aircraft
P-40E Warhawk x 1

Japanese aircraft losses
B5N2 Kate: 1 destroyed, 2 damaged

No Allied losses

Allied Ships
xAP Kota Tjandi, Torpedo hits 3, and is sunk
xAP Kota Inten, Torpedo hits 2, and is sunk
DD Dewey
DD Mameluck

THe only good thing about this is that the transports had finished unloading their troops and were only dropping off some remaining supplies.

Then a small group of Kates picks up our fast transport group, fleeing some hexes southwest of Suva, and puts two torpedoes into the APD Fox. Once again, these ships had just finished unloading, so at least no troops lost.

Last off is another big attack by Kates that amazingly hits nothing. Not sure how that happened.

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Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Suva at 132,160

Weather in hex: Severe storms

Raid detected at 114 NM, estimated altitude 12,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 48 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 38
B5N2 Kate x 51

Allied aircraft
P-40E Warhawk x 10

Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 1 destroyed
B5N2 Kate: 4 damaged
B5N2 Kate: 1 destroyed by flak

Allied aircraft losses
P-40E Warhawk: 2 destroyed

Allied Ships
xAK Susan Luckenbach
DD Mameluck
xAK Chatanooga City
DD Le Triomphant
DD Dewey
DD Le Casque
DD Le Hardi

In the DEI, at last a concerted effort is made to shut down our oil bombing campaign, with a major Betty strike against the base hosting all our B17s. The plan was probably to sweep with Zeros, but unfortunately for the Japanese the Zeros arrive after the Bettys. The results are predictable, with 26 Bettys shot down and only one B17 destroyed on the ground.

Overall we lost 15 P40s, killed 7 Kates, 6 Zeros and a Val, plus all the Bettys. So not a bad day's work.

[MakeeLearn]

Last off is another big attack by Kates that amazingly hits nothing. Not sure how that happened.

Weather in hex: Severe storms ?

[John 3rd]

Go get 'em! In this case it might be run like hell...

I am advertising for an Allied Opponent for a BTS or BTSL match. If anyone is interested PLEASE check out my Opponents Wanted thread.

[MichaelU]

March 16, 1942

The Japanese have been really unlucky with their attempts to shut down Kalidjati airfield, because once again the Zero sweep from Sumatra arrives after the Bettys from Singakawang run into the CAP. Another 23 Bettys go down in flames.

But despite losing just short of 50 Bettys in two days, the vast number of attackers means enough got through to shut down the airfield. The B17s move inland to recuperate, and our oilfield campaign will once again have to fall on the shoulders of the brave Dutch bombers.

Speaking of oilfields, a couple of turns ago Magwe, which was left unoccupied by the Japanese, reverted to Allied control. This is so annoying, because we had been about to bomb it to nothing. Now it is sitting there costing us VPs for not being garrisoned, and we can't bomb it.

Otherwise all quiet. In China the Japanese troops that took Hong Kong are pushing into Kukong, south of Changsha. Having seen this coming we have railed in another army group, giving us 1,600 AV worth of defenders. Just got there in time, the last troops are unpacking as the Japanese arrive. In SoPac our carriers are retreating to Sydney and our transports have finished unloading. Noumea has 400 AV and 35,000 supply, Suva has 500 AV and 35,000 supply.

[MichaelU]

March 17-18, 1942

Just a quick update. In two days, no action.

There are two bits of planning happening on our side. Given how little pressure there is on Java, we're ramping up the Allied presence there by shipping in the two things we really lack - engineers and air support. Two US base groups are coming from Australia, and a British base group is coming from India. In the longer term we are moving three Marine air groups from Pearl Harbor -- we seem to have loads of these and don't urgently need them anywhere else.

The other is that we are setting some troops up to move to Koumac, on the northern end of New Caledonia. We won't send a whole lot, but it will stop the Japanese landing there with a small force and then turning it into a base to challenge us at Noumea. We'll make him commit to take it, and then hopefully be able to pound the landing with Noumea based air. If he goes straight for Noumea we can always pull back from Koumac to reinforce.

Also contemplating a move of the carriers to the DEI. Our close shave makes us think maybe we should be operating where KB isn't.