Newbie AAR

[HawaiiFive-O]

Bummer! But I understand your frustrations. The patch killed one of my PBEMs, too. But not to worry, we'll soon be reading about the Xargunite Empire getting it's comeuppance in another thread. [:D]

[freeboy]

Thanks for all the hard work... hope you are able to start another aar..

[Williamb]

This was one great AAR and I for one will miss it.

If I can want to make some suggestions about your next AAR if you do it.

1) The comments you made were great and added alot to the color of this aar. Even the "In your face" comments were lighthearted and added good drama. Keep it up !!!

2) I for one am intrigued by the leaders in this game. Rob's mentioning of his "Ace" pilot and the occasional referenced to other leaders were good. Like to see more of that.

3) generalized info about your plans (including adding in names of operations) again added color and even cause some anticipation (Still would like to have know what "Burning Steel" was) That was another plus to this AAR.

4) I still like the text printout of your losses in battles. You could however edit out Non- Hit (where no causualities were accrued) and/or losses occurred not from action but landings. (where landing at a beach some soldiers are lost) This would shorten the length of your posts. (I know is a pain but would be something to consider)

5) finally maybe some insight into why you used you TO&E the way that you did. What planes, Ships, or Units you like and why you used them the way that you did. (For example using the Nell as a torpedo Bomber or Using B-17s at high altitude.)

Just some suggestions. In any event good luck and thanks again for such a great AAR.

[rroberson]

ORIGINAL: William Amos

This was one great AAR and I for one will miss it.

If I can want to make some suggestions about your next AAR if you do it.

1) The comments you made were great and added alot to the color of this aar. Even the "In your face" comments were lighthearted and added good drama. Keep it up !!!

2) I for one am intrigued by the leaders in this game. Rob's mentioning of his "Ace" pilot and the occasional referenced to other leaders were good. Like to see more of that.

3) generalized info about your plans (including adding in names of operations) again added color and even cause some anticipation (Still would like to have know what "Burning Steel" was) That was another plus to this AAR.

4) I still like the text printout of your losses in battles. You could however edit out Non- Hit (where no causualities were accrued) and/or losses occurred not from action but landings. (where landing at a beach some soldiers are lost) This would shorten the length of your posts. (I know is a pain but would be something to consider)

5) finally maybe some insight into why you used you TO&E the way that you did. What planes, Ships, or Units you like and why you used them the way that you did. (For example using the Nell as a torpedo Bomber or Using B-17s at high altitude.)

Just some suggestions. In any event good luck and thanks again for such a great AAR.

Burning Steel was my operations against the Japanese surface group (turned out to be an air combat group) I had spotted his group (thanks to submarine pickets) a long time before they ever reached the midway area. I had moved my carriers in position to intercept what I thought was a surface group bent on raiding merchants (thus the name burning steel).

[Raverdave]

Great AAR guys..............would both of you care to post a "what I did wrong" post script ? I am sure that everyone would find this most interesting.

[Xargun]

ORIGINAL: Raverdave

Great AAR guys..............would both of you care to post a "what I did wrong" post script ? I am sure that everyone would find this most interesting.

Well my list is very long... Well not long, but quite easy to see - at least from my standpoint...


1. Due to inexperience about Malaria's effects on my troops I paused roughly 2 weeks in my battles in both Malaya and PI... Thus gave Rob more time in both locations - reason he was able to get so many units out of Singapore..

2. Did not send enough men to PI. Japan starts the game with 1-2 divisions not earmarked for action and I sent them elsewhere - they need to go to PI to have enough forces to defeat the large numbers of PA units... The PA units are not tough, but have numbers on their side.

3. The weather... I hate it... But nothing I really did wrong.. Just that the weather over Formosa and PI was never good - except during the first month of the war - and when it came time to march on the heavily defended PI bases, the weather prevented most of my planes from flying each day - thus they couldn't bomb the enemy units and cause disruption.

4. Naval Forces.. I lost a lot of ships due to no escorting, or hanging around too long (Wake). A lot of those losses I would say were my fault for not escorting the TFs or such... But many of them (especially subs) were lost due to just using the ships - CD guns, dutch air attacks, subs attacking enemy ships... But I still had heavy losses and need to decrease them so I have enough ships to fight with in the late war.

5. Paratroopers... I wasted about 2/3rds of my paratrooper regiments in stupid attacks and lack of patience. I did finally use them to capture a base, but it was their third time used and they were smacked around the other 2 times. Waste of men and equipment.

6. Seal off the Malacca Straight faster. Once I took the initial bases on the east coast of Malaya I needed to move my Sallies as well as shorter range DBs and TBs to these base to close off the straight. I had subs in the straight the entire war, and they fired once at the POW & Repulse TF as if fled and not again I believe - waste of assets.. I should have used air power to close the straight - more efficient in all regards.

7. Strategy... I spent a lot of time trying to make Japan's industry work better that I didn't put enough time into my overall war strategy - I need to hit key locations early and place bombers / fighters in them to sink ships fleeing the SRA and DEI... In the game I did not do this, allowing most (if not all) shipping in the SRA and DEI to escape unmolested. I did have my baby CVs interdicting shipping near Borneo, but they cannot kill enough due to their small numbers...


In all I think I did a decent job but feel I can move my timetables up by roughly 2 weeks easily in Malaya and by adding more troops into PI, I should be able to speed up that conquest as well. I also believe I can use my navy much more efficient as to decrease my losses. But alot of that depends on how aggressive Rob gets... So its hard to say.

Xargun

[Tanaka]

ORIGINAL: Xargun

ORIGINAL: Raverdave

Great AAR guys..............would both of you care to post a "what I did wrong" post script ? I am sure that everyone would find this most interesting.

Well my list is very long... Well not long, but quite easy to see - at least from my standpoint...


1. Due to inexperience about Malaria's effects on my troops I paused roughly 2 weeks in my battles in both Malaya and PI... Thus gave Rob more time in both locations - reason he was able to get so many units out of Singapore..

2. Did not send enough men to PI. Japan starts the game with 1-2 divisions not earmarked for action and I sent them elsewhere - they need to go to PI to have enough forces to defeat the large numbers of PA units... The PA units are not tough, but have numbers on their side.

3. The weather... I hate it... But nothing I really did wrong.. Just that the weather over Formosa and PI was never good - except during the first month of the war - and when it came time to march on the heavily defended PI bases, the weather prevented most of my planes from flying each day - thus they couldn't bomb the enemy units and cause disruption.

4. Naval Forces.. I lost a lot of ships due to no escorting, or hanging around too long (Wake). A lot of those losses I would say were my fault for not escorting the TFs or such... But many of them (especially subs) were lost due to just using the ships - CD guns, dutch air attacks, subs attacking enemy ships... But I still had heavy losses and need to decrease them so I have enough ships to fight with in the late war.

5. Paratroopers... I wasted about 2/3rds of my paratrooper regiments in stupid attacks and lack of patience. I did finally use them to capture a base, but it was their third time used and they were smacked around the other 2 times. Waste of men and equipment.

6. Seal off the Malacca Straight faster. Once I took the initial bases on the east coast of Malaya I needed to move my Sallies as well as shorter range DBs and TBs to these base to close off the straight. I had subs in the straight the entire war, and they fired once at the POW & Repulse TF as if fled and not again I believe - waste of assets.. I should have used air power to close the straight - more efficient in all regards.

7. Strategy... I spent a lot of time trying to make Japan's industry work better that I didn't put enough time into my overall war strategy - I need to hit key locations early and place bombers / fighters in them to sink ships fleeing the SRA and DEI... In the game I did not do this, allowing most (if not all) shipping in the SRA and DEI to escape unmolested. I did have my baby CVs interdicting shipping near Borneo, but they cannot kill enough due to their small numbers...


In all I think I did a decent job but feel I can move my timetables up by roughly 2 weeks easily in Malaya and by adding more troops into PI, I should be able to speed up that conquest as well. I also believe I can use my navy much more efficient as to decrease my losses. But alot of that depends on how aggressive Rob gets... So its hard to say.

Xargun

Good stuff thanks!

[rroberson]

Hmmmm I think I suffered from being over aggressive like all allied players. It is so hard to just sit there and get kicked in the face. Early in the war the Japanese are just plain better, both times I caught the xargunites with their pants down with my carriers I got spanked. No point in repeating that error. I won't give out my strategy for our next game but you can be sure that if he sees carrier air over his carriers it will be overwhelming odds.

I also didnt escort my merchants very well. Too many successful sub attacks against my troop ships.

China was a train wreck for me. I couldnt figure out where all the son's of nippon were coming from (his soviet garrisons it turned out) either way I just plain couldnt stop him there. I also just don't like this theatre at all, have very little interest in it (IM a much better admiral then a general) so I found it very hard to focus when dealing with it.

His ASW was way more effective then I like to admit early in the game. I ended up withdrawing all of my subs and standing them down while I rethought my strategy there. i came up with a psuedo wolfpack strategy which cut down my losses a great deal while keeping the pressure on his shipping.

The Reinforement of Rangoon. I paid way too much for this town that was historically lost. I dont see me doing that again.

Organization, or the lack of it. Had I been better organized with my units then I could of gotten the supply ball rolling earlier. and it would of paid big dividends. IT was early in the game (I think I had it for about 10 hours ) but organization of your units is very important.

Leaders. I really didnt pay much attention to this and I think it cost me both carrier duels off wake and midway. It will be a priorty this game.


Things i thought went well but I never can use again.
The evacuation of Singapore - I never see Xargun letting me pull that off again. It was too much luck and timing, I can guarantee he will ahve battle groups anchored in the straits this game.
Dutch air, they cant hit anything but they sure kept Xargun harrassed. I think he was very frustrated with how vicious they were.
Dutch subs they kept me in this game...take care of them and they will take care of you.
There are a number of minor operations that went very very well that I will be using again.
I think I have convoys and supply down to a t. I will never use autoconvoy .

If i can think of anything else I will pass it on