Turnaround? Lowpe (J) vs Tiemanj (A) Stock

[Lowpe]

Some more thoughts on night fighters:

[Spidery]

I don't know how the game models night fights. I believe the German experience was that high speed was a disadvantage for night fighting until they changed tactics to attack from above the flak ceiling and using the searchlights to silhouette the bombers.

In a night attack the night fighters need to be faster than the bomber cruise speed so they can approach from underneath and attack the aircraft silhouetted against the night sky.

So the Judy should be pretty useless.

[Lowpe]

No sub losses today, and steady progress made on Java. I think the end will come sooner here than I thought.

Burma: Allies have retreated back along coastal road from Ramree. He is still active with his fighters and bombers, but staying clear of Magwe.

Central Pacific quiet.

China: steady progress.

[Lowpe]

North Pacific:

I guess the Allies are trying to bait me here. Or distract me. I have 70 torpedo carrying Bettys, but no fighter coverage yet. I will bide my time for now.

[Spidery]

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

North Pacific:

I guess the Allies are trying to bait me here. Or distract me. I have 70 torpedo carrying Bettys, but no fighter coverage yet. I will bide my time for now.

Careful here, it looks very like the opening stages of the raid MrKane launched on my Sakhalin convoys at the end of February 1942. You can see how to mismanage the reaction to that by reading my AAR

[Lowpe]

I remember that raid! Ugly.

I have 30 fighters at both Ominato, and Bihoro with some more on the way. I am transferring an air HQ to Bihoro so that the Betty's can base closer with Torps. I think I am in a better position than you were. I hope.

Could it be all his carriers? I am not sure he would have abandoned Java long enough ago to get them all there. Plus a lot of his air groups are still in Java, so it would be a depleted strike force if they were all there.

I have never launched a night torpedo attack against ships, but I am thinking about doing that in this case. I have three squadrons of Betty's, good skills, Moonlight 96%. Do I need to have a portion of each squadron doing nighttime naval search for any chance of success? Or can it be other night time naval search? Is the chance of success really low no matter what?

[Spidery]

I had three groups on Night naval attack the entire time he was in the area, two with 65+ experience, one lower. I can't remember what the moonlight was. On the first night one group attacked and all missed.

After that no more attacked. He may have been running night CAP. I think night search picked up his location most, if not all, nights.

You can't set a night search percentage for level bombers, only for patrol and float planes.

[Lowpe]

A little more detail on the North. I believe this turn I will fly fighters into Paramushiro, and still keep the other fighters at Ominato and Bihoro. Close to 100 fighters all told. The only strike planes are Bettys and float-planes.

6 Destroyers near Ominato comprise my ships in area other than cargo and escorts.

3 Squadrons of Bettys within strike range with torpedoes if they near Ominato or try for Sakhalin.

No AV on Sakhalin.

[Lokasenna]

I think he's just probing. If he's maintaining distance but also staying well-detected every day, he may be looking for holes in your search patterns. I also tend to trust the aircraft sighted numbers. I would wager that a real CV isn't present, or if there is it's just one...

I might try a Betty raid when you have fighter escorts. Especially if you go in at 2k - if it's just one CV, his CAP is liable to be set somewhere between 10k and 15k altitude. At this date in the war, he'll have radar, but... that really looks like CVE Long Island to me with a small SCTF.

Got a couple subs to send to the area?

[Lowpe]

Long Island was at the invasion of Tarawa one month ago -- so that makes sense. Which is why I think it is some kind of trap or distraction, to get me to weaken the blockade of Java so he can attempt some kind of rescue/intervention there.

[Lowpe]

What can I say?

[Lowpe]

Look at these battleships!

[Lowpe]

I have been given a golden opportunity in the north. Let us see if I can capitalize on it.

Meanwhile, in Java the allies deliberate attack in Tjilatjap and I take another base and continue moving every which way cutting off hexsides.

[Lowpe]

I have held off bombarding or air attacking Tjilatjap, so that the Allies could unpack. In that time he has bombarded once, and deliberately attacked twice. Now, I will start bombarding him with ships, but I will not risk my bombers until I can take his last airbase at Madioen. I don't want to fly into a cap trap of his fighters.

[Lowpe]

Dogfights over Java

I think my pilots are a little better, but high sweeps can really chew you up.

I have turned back on production of the two models of Zeroes, and get Tojo in a few days. I now have 200 Ha-35 engines in the pool, and should have 500 by the end of next month at the latest.

[Spidery]

What can I say?

Showtime!

Big distraction but too tempting to pass by.

[obvert]

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

Look at these battleships!

Salivating. Against those send in about 3-4 CL and 4 DD. At night. Long lance heaven.

[Lowpe]

Salivating. Against those send in about 3-4 CL and 4 DD. At night. Long lance heaven.

I was contemplating doing something else. But those forces are on their way. [:)] Plus, I have I think a complete surprise for the Allies -- just how to use it.

I wonder how filled out his CVs are?

Allies are just super aggressive...I think they have lost 10 battleships already -- lets see if I can add to the list some more.

I suspect there is a relief/evacuation fleet forming at Darwin/Perth/Ceylon for Java or already headed towards Java. I certainly hope so!

[Lowpe]

Do you think it likely that some of his CVs in the north are packed with land based single engine fighters? I do.

I wonder if those planes would show up on search, or be ignored since they aren't cv capable.

[Lowpe]

Northern Oz:

I am looking for relief/evac ships here, but damaged support ships and any signs of a possible buildup.

In this game, nearly every glen on subs was shot down, and I am slowly getting them back out there to be my forward eyes.