Once Again into the Breach - Mike (J) vs. tc464 (A)

[Mike Solli]

And here's the bombardment fleet:

[nashvillen]

What about AKEs? Do you have any there? If so, how much supply do they have left?

I found I could keep the Yamato’s and Nagato BBs reloading at Rabaul with some AKEs taking up the slack in reload capacity.

[Mike Solli]

I forgot about the AKEs! I have 2 there, both with 4900 capacity. One is down to 3394 and the other is down to 3396. Someone said they wouldn't replenish the Yamatos main battery. Apparently, that was incorrect.

[ny59giants]

Do you have a Naval HQ with lots of Naval Support you could more to Ominato? Or maybe you have already done so. [;)]

[Mike Solli]

What's the significance of the Naval HQ in Ominato? It currently has a size 7 port? Is that so they could replenish without AKEs?

[Mike Solli]

19 May 43

Sub War

There were about a dozen total incidents involving subs all over the map. With one exception, nothing happened other than wasting ammo. A few hexes SW of Munda, an Allied ASW TF found poor RO-64, drove her to the surface with depth charges and shot her full of holes. Poor RO-64. Until she sank, she caused damage all out of proportion to what most believe an RO class is capable of doing.

5 Fleet

As you already read, the Yamato and Musashi replenished their main gun ammo at Etorofu, a size 3 port with no naval support but with 2x AKEs (Lima I think?). They’ll head back to Adak to work the Americans over again.

Question for the group: The bombardment force is composed of 4 BB, 2 CL & 6 DD. Should I send them in as 1 group or split them to hit the Americans two nights in a row? Also, if split, how? Evenly? Some other way? Typically, if I am going after planes on the ground, I’ll hit them 2 nights in a row. The second TF will destroy a lot of the planes that the first TF damaged the night before. Not sure with troops though. They’re isolated so there’s a finite amount of supply. Still, there should be more disabled squads the second night if 2 TFs go in.

Today, 3x B24D1s tried their luck against Adak. Fourteen Oscars and a few Zeros from Junyo countered, damaging them. Flak got one (yay!) and they did no damage. Not sure what they were going after, because they caused no damage.

Off to the east, Mississippi is still limping, now due east to safety. I will have 2 subs in her path to finish her off, hopefully. So far, she’s taken 4 sub torpedoes and is still afloat. Tough old bird.

4 Fleet

Nothing to report.

SE Fleet

This area is rapidly becoming expendable. His air power is overwhelming me everywhere, except Gasmata. He sent two individual Kittyhawk III squadrons totaling 30 aircraft there. My Tojos and Zeros butchered them, shooting down 14 with another 5 op losses. I lost 2 Zeros (and pilots) for their effort. I expect visits from his 4E beasts soon.

He hit a lot of my bases, including Rabaul and Shortlands. The only Japanese planes remaining on those two bases are damaged.

Only the US CV TF remains at Munda. Unfortunately, the APAs got away. KB is still hovering to the NW, still undetected. It’s burning precious fuel, but if they can hit something in relative safety, it’s worth the fuel cost.

SRA

Nothing to report.

Burma

My fighters swept Cox’s Bazaar today, but Ted wouldn’t play. Most of his fighters are at Chittagong and refused to engage. I have noticed that his Hurricane IIc survive better than the P-40K. The Warhawk is rapidly becoming obsolete. It’s probably best for Ted that those replacements are phased out in a couple of months.

China

Nothing much to report. I’ll be entering Chengtu in a couple of days, so that base should be liberated soon.

Other Stuff

I have 620 armament factories and 500 of them have been shut off for months. I just turned on another 100. My armament pool is currently 106,890 and increasing very slightly each day. I have set a new goal of 150k. I’ll see how much the extra hundred does and may just turn on the lot until I get to the new goal.

I expect to have enough Georges to fill a daitai by the end of the month. I have 19 right now with 3 operational factories repairing and currently at 18(12) each. I’m torn between SE Fleet and Burma but leaning toward Burma right now. The A6M5 isn’t good enough to survive. I have a 36 plane daitai of them in Burma, but they usually just perform CAP. Whenever they do a sweep mission, I lose a few, and usually more than the Tojos. I’m hoping the George does better. According to many of you, it does, but I’ve never had a George in this game. It’s getting exciting. I need it too.

[ny59giants]

Port Size + Naval Support = quicker loading/unloading of supplies and troops and your replenishment of warships without AKEs. The Nav HQ can lend that to ports within its command range.

[ny59giants]

In my limited experience in playing Japan, I haven't been happy with the amount of damage the CLs with DDs inflict in bombardment missions. The modern American CLs are a lot better in this role. So, I place them as flotilla leaders with my DDs or in CV TFs to allow CAs to go into bombardment missions.

[Lowpe]

ORIGINAL: ny59giants

In my limited experience in playing Japan, I haven't been happy with the amount of damage the CLs with DDs inflict in bombardment missions. The modern American CLs are a lot better in this role. So, I place them as flotilla leaders with my DDs or in CV TFs to allow CAs to go into bombardment missions.

Japanese ships are greatly inferior to the Allies in shore bombardment roles.

Please, Michael, take them out of the CV TFs! Most have next to nothing in AA. CLAA conversion are good, though and the Agano & Oyodo class but a lot of JFB don't build them).

Park the Oi for the end game and the Kaiten upgrade!!!!!

[Mike Solli]

I agree with you Michael. But, I had no CAs available. So I took the two most modern CLs that happened to be available.

Ominato looks good, with 5 Fleet (command radius = 9) and 421 naval support. Of course, Etorofu is 10 hexes away. [8|]

[ny59giants]

From somewhat useless to decent usage.

Note: This is from a mod!! [;)]

[Mike Solli]

Is that really a JAPANESE CL? [;)] [:D]

[witpqs]

Question for the group: The bombardment force is composed of 4 BB, 2 CL & 6 DD. Should I send them in as 1 group or split them to hit the Americans two nights in a row? Also, if split, how? Evenly? Some other way? Typically, if I am going after planes on the ground, I’ll hit them 2 nights in a row. The second TF will destroy a lot of the planes that the first TF damaged the night before. Not sure with troops though. They’re isolated so there’s a finite amount of supply. Still, there should be more disabled squads the second night if 2 TFs go in.

The BB and CL guns have very different ranges. Unless you are going in close I would split the BB from the CL, and send the BB in first. That way the CL go in close the second night and will face less opposition due to disruption from the night before. Another advantage will be to keep up disruption and reduce days of rest.

[Mike Solli]

In this case, I send everyone in as close as possible. The Allied troops are cut off and probably getting low on supply. There's very little concern about getting close and being shot at. If the BBs and CLs are together, do the CLs stay farther out because of the BBs?

Edit: Also note that the US troops are being bombed and bombarded daily.

[witpqs]

I was thinking about you might have the BB stand farther out. If they are being hit daily send all ships in at short range to maximize devices destroyed. The same day.

[Lowpe]

ORIGINAL: Mike Solli

Is that really a JAPANESE CL? [;)] [:D]

Looks like a CLAA ...but different class than stock. Also still undergoing refit.

Man, there are just a ton of substantial upgrades in that mod that directly impact Japan's greatest weaknesses.

Lack of destroyers, AA, Frank early, more CVs, I wouldn't even recognize Japan. I know you say Japan has to pick and chose what to build, but seriously, is any JFB worth his salt not going to stop all submarine construction? Lots of choices, but there still is a meta, and JFB's will exploit it. Just not sure what you can do to Allied side that balance the scales. Looking forward to looking at it in a month.

[Alfred]

ORIGINAL: Mike Solli

In this case, I send everyone in as close as possible. The Allied troops are cut off and probably getting low on supply. There's very little concern about getting close and being shot at. If the BBs and CLs are together, do the CLs stay farther out because of the BBs?

Edit: Also note that the US troops are being bombed and bombarded daily.

No.

Everyone comes in to the range set for the task force. Everyone will stand off at the minimum range set. Set the minimum range to be beyond the range of the guns then those guns will not participate in the bombardment.

Alfred

[Zecke]

[Mike Solli]

Thanks, Alfred. I suspected as much but it's good to know for sure.

[Mike Solli]

20 May 43

Sub War

Lots happened, and none of it was good. First of all, the Mississippi disappeared. I hope she sank but I don’t see the escort either. *Sigh*

I had the AV Kiyokawa Maru doing naval search at Shortlands Islands for months. I finally had her skedaddle a day or two ago, and she got clean away. Unfortunately, there was no escort available for her trek to Truk. The Dutch O19 put a torpedo into her. She didn’t sink, yet, but her damage is at 32-98(68)-4-1. We’ll see if her skipper and crew are worth their pay. On the bright side, if she sinks, I won’t have to pay them anymore.

Off the coast of Japan, the US subs had a field day. In addition to a xAK and a PB sunk today, the Permit sank the TK Takekun Maru, a Type-1 TM 8150 capacity tanker. And she was loaded with fuel for Etorofu. You may recall me getting a brand new tanker two days ago. Yep, that was her.

On the flip side, my subs did absolutely nothing.

5 Fleet

A new reinforcement TF arrived carrying the 71 Division and a 15 cm medium artillery regiment. Over half the stuff offloaded, but none of it was guns. We’ll see how long it takes for the heavy stuff to unload. Also enroute are the 19 Division and an additional medium artillery regiment, still several days out. I finally have more AV than Ted, 695 to 519. Ted still has supply available, because each turn some disabled troops of his are repaired, but my guns and bombers promptly wear them back down.

MKB is still hovering in the area and has been detected (1/3). He knows something is there and probably thinks it’s my carriers but doesn’t know for sure. They keep moving around to stay away from any subs that might be in the area.

Today, he sent 4x B24s, who did nothing and lost 1 of their number to my fighters.

Adak currently has 18.8k supply and has the fort up to 5.12.

4 Fleet

I’ve noticed that Ted doesn’t seem to have any troops on Baker Island. I’ve been prepping an SNLF for that and have loaded them up to possibly invade. I’m moving them from Truk to Kwajalein with surface support. I also have an airborne regiment available and may try using them. Just harassment really. If it works, I may fly out some AS and put a few floatplanes out there for extended search.

SE Fleet

Gasmata was the focus today. It began with a sweep of 24x P-38Gs vs about 74 Japanese fighters (Tojos and Zeros). For a cost of 1 Tojo and 2 Zeros, 13x P-38 were shot down and a couple more were op losses. Then came a huge raid consisting of 30x 4E and 42x 2E bombers. The bombers eventually got through, but not before 17 various B-25s were shot down. Then there were 3 small raids totaling 20 sorties where we traded a tojo for a couple of B-25s. Apparently, 4 B-24s and 5 B-25s crashed on the way home. We had 4 op losses as well. So, total losses for this raid was 8 Japanese fighters (4 pilots) for 28 Allied bombers. Damage to Gasmata was 0-24-18. The Japanese fighters will not do as well tomorrow because almost half are damaged. Keeping fingers crossed for bad weather or Ted to rest his bombers.

Ted usually sends a partial squadron of 2E or 4E bombers after Lunga or Tulagi to bomb the troops or airfield, and usually escorted by Wildcats. I have 2 chutai of Zeros stationed there. Today he hit both. First, 6x B25Cs escorted by 9 Wildcats hit Lunga with 1 Wildcat shot down for no damage. Second, 12x B-24Ds hit Tulagi hit Tulagi with 1 bomber shot down and no damage.

Rabaul was not hit today. Damage there is down to 0-87-50. Yeah, the airfield is still out of commission but it is getting better.

I did notice something that I had totally forgotten about. This month, production began on the Tojo IIc. I actually had pulled a sentai out of Rabaul to Truk to upgrade. It’s is almost completely repaired and sitting at Truk. Assuming Rabaul is repaired enough to allow the return of fighters, it’ll head down there so I can test this new model against Allied bombers. I have almost enough in the pool to upgrade another sentai, this time in Burma.

SRA

I’ve actually begun looking at my current defenses and what’s available (very little right now) to beef up those defenses.

Burma

Very little happened today. Tomorrow, I’m going to rest most of my fighters (and bombers) to decrease fatigue and save a bit of supply. One Tojo sentai will sweep Akyab to knock down the odd Allied fighter.

China

Not much happening. The Chengtu attack will happen in 2-3 days depending on when the 13 Army arrives.

Other Stuff

The first of 2 G4M2a factories completed repair. Now the estimated time for the G4M2a to become operational is probably December 1943. Not sure it will help by then. My Nell and Betty losses have been surprisingly low. They haven’t done much either, to be honest. Here are the current pools:

G3M2: 113, no production
G3M3: 133, production off
G4M1: 82, production on