Aboard the Red Castle - Erkki(J) vs. Smeulders(A) - no lookin'!

[koniu]

ORIGINAL: Erkki

ORIGINAL: koniu

So far it Timor invasion going good.
I think that your opponent will not make any action against you. I looks like he retreat from this area.

Yep now it looks like he wont be challenging it. Cant blame him. But I used CVs and lots of cruisers because I couldnt be sure... Well at least we got that one DD. [8D]

True. It is better to use half of fleet than be surprised and lost own ships.
Sad thing is that those big ships burn lots of fuel.

[Erkki]

April 12th


Indian Ocean: Still no contacts. CVs refueled in 3 days.

East Indies: At Christmas Island IO, Dutch submarine attacks kamikaze xAK sinking it. It attacks on surface and the brave transport hits the sub(which launches probably all of its torpedoes) 4 times.

South Pacific: Port Moresby's G4Ms spot the CL Glasgow TF that is now escaping Timor Sea CVs to West now near Horn Island, but for some reason the bombers do not launch. They probably dont have fuel for a flank speed dash out of range so I moved some more bombers in from Truk and set search arcs - lets see if we have better luck tomorrow, when the Glasgow will probably be at Cairns, Cooktown or Townsville or near these places.

SigInt: picks a massive convoy in the South Pacific near French Polynesia. Composition unknown, but they're making noise...

[koniu]

ORIGINAL: Erkki

SigInt: picks a massive convoy in the South Pacific near French Polynesia. Composition unknown, but they're making noise...

Japanese Intel in most cases is waste of time. Sometimes i think they are against me

"Radio transition in San Diego" what intel is that. It is one of biggest Allied ports so they will use radios there.

In other side Allies have great intel.
IF you planing first from months 5 minute break to your CAP you should expect entire US Air force over your base in that moment

[Erkki]

Yeah, Allied SigInt is VERY good... In some ways perhaps too good, but OTOH it cannot always keep track of certain things the Allies did IRL, soo... Not sure how good Japanese spies, siging or intel in general was in WW2 but I THINK it must have been better than "Sir, we're know they're out there!" [:D][:D]


April 13th


Silent day...

Indian Ocean: No contacts. Japanese sub attacks Dutch DD at the NW coast of Australia, and reportedly that TF has 2 other ships of unknown type. They're heading south. If Perth sub screen sees what they're up to I might move Ryujo and Kaga to take a shot.

[Erkki]

April 14th


Another silent day.


Indian Ocean: no contacts.

East Indies: nothing significant happens but tomorrow we try to get Tilitjap and Bandoeng is cut off in 2 days.

South Pacific: Buna hits AF size 2. Starting to feel more safe here...

Home Islands: sending a Marine battalion and a company to Onnekotan-Jima, just to prevent a cheap capture. Should make Paramushiro safer as well.

CVE Unyo will be completed in 3 days. Unyo will wait at Honshu for CV Junyo to be completed in 21 days, to carry her D3As.

[obvert]

CVE Unyo will be completed in 3 days. Unyo will wait at Honshu for CV Junyo to be completed in 21 days, to carry her D3As.

I understand wanting the DBs for Unyo, but wouldn't this really limit Junyo, bringing her down to the level of a CVL? Couldn't you split one of the training groups and put a piece of that onto the Unyo? You can also train Nav Bombing with the Kate groups right?

[Erkki]

ORIGINAL: obvert

CVE Unyo will be completed in 3 days. Unyo will wait at Honshu for CV Junyo to be completed in 21 days, to carry her D3As.

I understand wanting the DBs for Unyo, but wouldn't this really limit Junyo, bringing her down to the level of a CVL? Couldn't you split one of the training groups and put a piece of that onto the Unyo? You can also train Nav Bombing with the Kate groups right?

Those land-based D3A units are really small... The one 36 size is restricted, and there are just 2 size 12 units. One will later resize to 27(and is now aboard Hosho and CV trained, later aboard one of the 27 size Taiyos) and the other will go down to 9. [:(]

My plan is to use 2 of the 3 Taiyos to accompany Junyos, carrying their D3As. Not too useful early on but after 7/42 when CV airgroups become resizable it means extra 27 + 4 reserve planes. Doing that with Junyos because they're the slowest...

So, after first couple of days of 7/42, both Junyos will be accompanied by 2 Taiyos. Junyos carry 53 planes(18 torpedoes so I will probably make them have 10 B5Ns + 43 Zeros + 4 reserve planes for each group OR optionally 9 B5Ns) and Taiyo's will carry the 27 D3As.

Both Taiyos, Unyo and Chuyo, are accelerated so that Unyo will arrive in 3 days and Chuyo on the same day with CV Hiyo. I could get it earlier but I dont have a reason to use the shipyard points...

[Erkki]

During 1942 Japanese also receive CVL Ryuho(cap 31 with 18 torpedoes), CVE Shinyo(cap 33) and CVE Kaiyo(cap 24).

I have planned to use CVL Shoho or Zuiho's B5Ns on Ryuho, Hosho's Zeros on Shinyo(they're now aboard Taiyo but the resizing D3A unit will take its place when possible) and the other Zuiho's Zeros on Kaiyo.

That way each B5N unit will be on a CV or CVL with torpedoes and remaining CV capacity is maxed to optimize group size and number of Zeros. I am not going to split CV units and resize them as that would be just gamey... Some B5Ns will fly with bombs but its worth it imho.

[Erkki]

April 15th


Indian Ocean: still no contacts... [>:] Can the Allies really afford to not ship stuff to Australia? First CVTF refueled today.

East Indies: Tilitjap captured! And the nice Dutch have nearly repaired the airfield for us, good. Tomorrow, we will retreat the last survivors from Batavia and completely cut off the Allied stack at Bandoeng - the only way to get out alive for those 40,000+ men is to surrender.

And everywhere else its silent.

[PaxMondo]

ORIGINAL: Erkki

April 15th


Indian Ocean: still no contacts... [>:] Can the Allies really afford to not ship stuff to Australia? First CVTF refueled today.

No, he needs fuel at least there. But there are so many ways to get to Oz. You really have to watch all the map edges ...

[Erkki]

ORIGINAL: PaxMondo

ORIGINAL: Erkki

April 15th


Indian Ocean: still no contacts... [>:] Can the Allies really afford to not ship stuff to Australia? First CVTF refueled today.

No, he needs fuel at least there. But there are so many ways to get to Oz. You really have to watch all the map edges ...

One CVTF 1 hex south of Perth's latitude and another that monitors traffic to and from Port Agusta and Adelaine. Albany/Esperance's latitude is between the TFs and within even D3A's full payload range.

They've been there for a week already and nothing. I'll let them be there for a couple more days at least...

[PaxMondo]

He may be using BIG convoys infrequently or he is coming from the east.  He only needs 100K fuel/month, less if he isn't running much naval op's in the area. 
 
I find it very difficult to intercept the fuel convoys.  Instead, I try for his reinforcement convoys.  Easier to predict and IMO hurt more when you get them.  You know where he wants to go and mostly those places have only one way in and out.  Easier to recon and setup ambushes.  Glens are your friend for these.

[Erkki]

I know that he knows I have an E14Y equipped sub monitoring Perth. Only activity there during the last month was an xAK convoy dropping something and leaving to the West. I suppose those were troop reinforcements and that he will use the same route, or possibly Port Agusta, in the future as well.

[Erkki]

Looks like I have 215 A6M2s in the pool even after filling all the lately formed groups and giving all groups on the map 4 reserve planes.

I'll keep building some more just in case(I dont want my CAGs to run out of planes before A6M3a becomes available) but will probably convert all factories to M3 in 14 days.

[PaxMondo]

Remember, A6M3 is NOT CV capable and has shorter range.  It is a good LB fighter for the IJN, but don't overlook those shortcomings.... you got a long time until the A6M3a arrives ...

[Erkki]

ORIGINAL: PaxMondo

Remember, A6M3 is NOT CV capable and has shorter range.  It is a good LB fighter for the IJN, but don't overlook those shortcomings.... you got a long time until the A6M3a arrives ...

Planned M3 production is 117 a month(130/3*2 + 30 from R&D) or 4 a day(2,5 to 3 a day during first month) which means I will have 250 M2s in pool and can convert on average 3 or 4 planes a day to M3. CV airgroup expansions will use about 100 M2s but that still leaves plenty, especially as the M2s will be used ever less by groups that might suffer combat losses.

We play with altitude rules so M3 can fly 5,000ft higher than M2 which is a fairly good advantage together with higher speed.

I will use 4x30 R&D for M3a(and in fact there is one 100% repaired factory already researching it) so M3a will arrive 9/42. I think I will survive. [;)]

[Puhis]

ORIGINAL: Erkki


Indian Ocean: still no contacts... [>:] Can the Allies really afford to not ship stuff to Australia? First CVTF refueled today.

Allies do get lot of Sig Int reports, so they might know you have TF there...

[Erkki]

ORIGINAL: Puhis

ORIGINAL: Erkki


Indian Ocean: still no contacts... [>:] Can the Allies really afford to not ship stuff to Australia? First CVTF refueled today.

Allies do get lot of Sig Int reports, so they might know you have TF there...

Yep. Only CombatEvents or Operations reports by these 3 TFs have been search planes spotting some submarines long ago near Xmas island, but I have lots of naval search there that sees them daily, including land-based D3As, so either I've been having bad luck with convoy schedules and weather or Allied SigInt picked up something.

If they dont find anything to attack for 2-3 more days, they'll move out. If subs spot something worth attacking at Perth they'll go there(but not directly), otherwise they'll try to stay hidden.

[Erkki]

Looks like our CVs in the Indian Ocean werent sighted after all...


April 16th


Indian Ocean:

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 9
B5N2 Kate x 22
D3A1 Val x 22

Allied Ships
xAK Michael Goulandris, Bomb hits 2, heavy fires
xAK Manoeran, Torpedo hits 2, and is sunk
xAK Boero, Bomb hits 1, heavy fires
xAK Siantar, Bomb hits 3, Torpedo hits 3, and is sunk
xAK Tjikandi, Torpedo hits 4, and is sunk
xAK City of Manchester, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
xAK Tjikarang, Bomb hits 1, Torpedo hits 1, heavy fires, heavy damage
xAK Troilus, Bomb hits 4, heavy fires, heavy damage

They were unescorted and in full fuel load... After this attack the TF just disappeared from the map. [:D] Every each of them was a Dominion L class, 6100 tons a ship.

There is another 8-ship TF in the adjacent hex with xAKs and TKs reported - we will try to catch them tomorrow! Ryujo will steam South at full speed, CS Mizuho is detached and Kaga will sail SW. Both sightings reported the heading of this TF to be West, while the one that was attacked was heading East, at Adelaine's latitude!

East Indies: The Marine battalion fails to retreat the Dutch so there is still a retreat path for Bandoeng's defenders.

Other than that, silent turn.

[Erkki]

April 17th


Indian Ocean:

The Allied convoy continued to West, but was split in 2 4-ship convoys. They probably hoped at least the half could be saved. The other headed SW and the other NW.

Unfortunately for them, by daybreak, CV Kaga found itself right between these 2 convoys, well within strike range. D3As attacked the southern convoy twice with 22 planes, sinking 2 and heavily damaging 1 transport while the last remains unattacked and un-ID'd but sighted. 22 B5N2s attacked the other convoy only once, sinking all 4 transports with 15 torpedo hits... Nice! These were all empty or carrying supplies.. no oil/fuel or troops at least. Probably empty convoy heading back to Cape Town or Mombasa. This raid now has 14 confirmed kills and 1 damaged that will probably sink tomorrow. Surprise is now lost so raiders are heading home, but Ryujo will take a turn near the damaged xAK to make sure its gone. The intact one is likely to escape...

East Indies: Bandoeng attack achieves 1:1 odds with considerably heavier losses to the Dutch. Their end is near...