Notes from a Small Island

[Canoerebel]

1/8/45

Sapporo: A stab of the knife as the day's air and sea action end.

[Canoerebel]

1/8/45

Wakkanai: Steady reduction of remaining enemy defenders, who now show a supply malus.

Allied CAP has downed Emilys the past few turns - undoubtedly extraction missions.

[Canoerebel]

1/8/45

Intel Screen: Ground losses (all of them Jakes) indicate that Erik probably lost more than one cruiser.

Ships lost points are roughly equivalent, though that may trend in favor of the Allies as confirmations come in later.

No doubt this was an Allied victory. At a cost, the Allies struck a blow against Japan's remaining cruisers, destroyers and subs. Sapporo is probably open to assault now. If Erik still has ships there, Allied combat TFs are likely to return tonight.

But I see now profit in bombarding the airfield. I feel sure Erik will withdraw his aircraft. Any damage inflicted would be subject to fairly quick repair.

I could shift focus to Sapporo but to do so would be inefficient. I cannot land there, nor can I land anywhere else on Hokkaido in the near future. So the original Allied plan - to proceed with the next amphib assault - is what I'll likely do.

This is subject to change as I review the map over the next hour or two, while entering orders for the 9th.

[Canoerebel]

It looks like both Aussie CLs sank, along with a Fletcher and two other lesser DDs. A quick glance doesn't show any other ships likely to sink.

Confirmed that Erik lost one CA and two DDs; I think it's likely he lost one other CA with two more taking meaningful damage.

The map indicates that there are no remaining enemy combat ships at Sapporo.

Hmm.

[Canoerebel]

1/8/45

End of Turn:...and preparing for tomorrow.

[Canoerebel]

I've been playing AE since it's release, WitP since 2007, and UV since 2002. I am more and more convinced that the air war is the key to defeating Japan. Not that the air war is necessarily the most important item(s): logistics, information and planning may be more important. But the air war is what keeps Japan dangerous and the Allies cautious, even after the naval war is decided. But AE is at its heart a naval game. Most of us love the naval aspect. And when a good Japanese player runs low on ships, that may be the hardest thing to overcome mentally. Erik always plays things close to his vest and will do so until the final turn is played in late '45 or '46. But I think the past few turns and the past ten days or so have been tough on him.

[Canoerebel]

1/9/45

New turn begins, with a focus on trying to intercept enemy cruisers, bombing Sapporo industry, DS moving east to rendezvous with an invasion force, and who knows what action by Erik.

Sapporo: Tired RN destroyers make the intercept but are unable to compete well. These enemy cruisers are "outside" Sapporo - will they head back to port or flee to safety?

[Canoerebel]

1/9/45

Sapporo: PT TFs search for the enemy cruisers but only find riff-raff.

[jwolf]

Thanks for the great updates with the play by play action. It seems to me that most of the active Japanese subs are the mini subs, and they are very fragile. Often my ASW ships can sink them even without a direct DC hit. Good luck as you continue the fight!

[Canoerebel]

1/9/45

Sapporo: After a score of messages that Allied bombers went astray during the nighttime hours, a dozen raids against enemy industry follow. Erik has good CAP in place, and Allied attritional losses will be larger than I'd like, with modest hits scored.

[Canoerebel]

1/9/45

Sapporo: One of the port raids finds Yamato still afloat - after 7 torpedo hits! [AE Wizard: <chortle>]

Erik will certainly anticipate an Allied port strike tomorrow. I may oblige, pending a review of the map and various force dispositions and availabilities.

[Canoerebel]

1/9/45

Sapporo: After yesterday's heavy action, the Louisville TF retired to Wakkanai, where it replenished everything except torpedoes. It's inbound to Sapporo, looking for likely capital victims but only finding riff-raff.

[Canoerebel]

1/9/45

Sapporo: During the day, PT boats sink a couple of MTBs but don't encounter anything larger.

[Canoerebel]

1/9/45

Shimishura: 4EB sortie at high altitude, encounter surprisingly heavy flak, and (surprisingly) score some hits.

Erik may be bringing in supply or withdrawing cadres of troops. I'm monitoring all the Kuriles, and Erik is working hard to evacuate troops. That helps both of us in ways I deem acceptable, so I'm not interfering.

The bombers were set at 15k in hopes that they might sortie against damaged shipping near Sapporo and that escorted raids would tire out enemy CAP.

[Canoerebel]

1/9/45

Wakkanai: Good progress in reducing the remaining Japanese troops.

During the turn, Death Star didn't encounter any perils and it seems that it rendezvoused with the large number of TFs departing Shikuka.

Subject to any sync bug-prompted inaccuracies, CA Boston may have sprung a leak and sunk. She was heavily damaged months ago, made some repairs at Shikuka, and departed today with a host of other damaged ships, bound for West Coast shipyards. This is unhappy news.

[Canoerebel]

Sync Bug Smiles on Me a/k/a Anti-AE Wizard <chortle>: Boston is afloat and where she's supposed to be. I guess I ought to send her back to Shikuka and hope she can make it. She may be there for the balance of the war.

[BBfanboy]

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

Sync Bug Smiles on Me a/k/a Anti-AE Wizard <chortle>: Boston is afloat and where she's supposed to be. I guess I ought to send her back to Shikuka and hope she can make it. She may be there for the balance of the war.

It is common for very minor flooding to take place on a damaged ship and the ship's crew pumps out all of it by next turn. The key is low to nil system damage. If the current flooding on Boston is not more than a couple of points higher than when she set out, I would keep her moving. You have big ARDs in the Aleutians, no?

[Canoerebel]

You know what I did accidentally to really screw things up? In creating the Boston/cripples TF yesterday, I set it to Cruise speed. I didn't like the speeds of the ships and elected to switch back to Mission speed....only didn't click through the menu properly and left if on Full speed. AE Wizard: <chortle>

[Canoerebel]

ORIGINAL: jwolf

Thanks for the great updates with the play by play action. It seems to me that most of the active Japanese subs are the mini subs, and they are very fragile. Often my ASW ships can sink them even without a direct DC hit. Good luck as you continue the fight!

Thanks. I'm enjoying doing it this way. Since turns come every day or two or three, this adds alot of length and depth to each one. It take alot of time and gets tedious on occasion, but it helps fill in the gap between turns. (If I was playing more than one game, or if I was playing John III, there wouldn't be time to do this kinda thing.)

[Capt. Harlock]

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

1/9/45

Sapporo: One of the port raids finds Yamato still afloat - after 7 torpedo hits! [AE Wizard: <chortle>]

Erik will certainly anticipate an Allied port strike tomorrow. I may oblige, pending a review of the map and various force dispositions and availabilities.

I think we have the explanation of why those Japanese cruisers were still blocking Sapporo instead of fleeing or going after Death Star!