Lambs to the slaughter (Lowpe (J) vs Jocke; BillBrown (A)) Finished

[Lowpe]

Hard day, was it worth it? No. Allies did lose 4 4E beasts.

[Lowpe]

Heavy AA over the clear ground north of Shwebo does do a good job of protecting the troops and the hexside is mine now. Unfortunately the Allied motorized AA moved north up the road in one day and avoided being wiped out. Allied troops are always so darn fast.

[Lowpe]

Massive, strange war of movement going on here.

Note the use of the 1000 point Chinese unit in the jungle rough east of Pegu. An excellent use for those troops.

[Lowpe]

Massive Allied strength moving here...

[Lowpe]

Then, in the afternoon, disaster strikes...I foolishly allowed the KB to pick her path. I had thought about moving her further away from the coast but decided against it...it was the last thing I considered doing the turn and was tire. I should take a page from other players and do the KB first thing, when fresh and not tired.

[Lowpe]

Really bad.[:(]

[Lowpe]

So the heavy African AA escaped, all those planes spent at a bad ratio (but important lessons learned) and the KB severely weakened and the flagship potential toast.

Not a good day.

[ny59giants]

Burma - With Allied control of Ramree and hexside control into the Irrawaddy River valley, supplies will migrate to his troops up north. You might need to get a LCU into hex west of Magwe to stop this. As Allies, I've had Shwebo not get any supply through the jungles from India, but have plenty with LCUs in clear terrain next to it. I would be making plans and moves to deny Jocke having supplies get from Ramree to any bases he captures.

[ny59giants]

I should take a page from other players and do the KB first thing, when fresh and not tired.

I do CVs and major operations first and then double check b4 I send the turn. Just my OCD-ness. [:D]

[Lowpe]

Just sent the replay and combat report to Jocke..should make his day. He is busy today, so no more turns for this day...which is probably a good thing.

I need to focus all my energy on saving the carrier I think. A bold Allied player might rush north with his carriers, anticipating a heavy ASW performance on the KB's part, and only a few sized 4 or larger runways to worry about. There are however some 8cm dp guns at Umboi...but they don't pose too much of a threat.

However, I don't think the Allies are that bold. Rather they will sweep the area with search and subs.

[Lowpe]

Next month I get the following planes:

J2M3 (plus a squadron to fly it)
Betty G4M2 (60 plane r&d facility -- I think this factory will go to the G4M3).
Peggy Ia (5 sentai) (60 plane r&d facility...will go to production, not going to accelerate the Ib)

In Nov:

George (finally a squadron arrives that can fly the plane)
Sonia Ki 51b (22 squadrons - yikes[X(])

Nov/Dec:

Frank R (most Frank A goes there)
A6M8 (half of the Zeroes go there)

[Lowpe]

A general note about pdu off:

It is tough to work with...

A lot of squadrons fly inferior planes and then get removed, so the upgrade paths are very byzantine...

If I were full strength the Army can field:

6 Frank A squadrons (I have that, plus good pools).
4 Tony 61d squadrons(ramping up there, production is 70 month)
4 Tojo IIc squadrons (plus 3 Chutai of 12 planes each -- good production, strong pools)
7 Oscar IV squadrons (1 is stuck at Oscar III; 1 Chutai of 12 planes; 1 needs Sonia B to upgrade thru)

the IJNAAF can field:

Zeroes, and a lot of squadrons fly the A6M5b and lower because the squadrons get removed down the road.

No Jack until next month and then just 1 squadron
No George until November and then just 2 squadrons

Down the road:
By 3/44 I will have available 6 George Squadrons, 2 Jacks, 5 Ki100I, 10 Frank R squadrons (losing 3 Tojo IIc) and 3 Frank R Chutai of 12 planes).

[Lowpe]

The Allied Juggernaut is headed for Prome...and may shock into the clear there or branch and threaten all three river hex crossings choosing the lightest defended of the three.

I can afford perhaps two days of air defense at Prome before all top of the line fighters are exhausted in Burma. I don't see how I can fly LRCAP over the two adjacent hexes with anything but Franks.

This is my primo, top of the line, fighter CAP. Franks at 7k & 9k with Oscars at 4k and TojoIIc at 7K. I can protect two bases like this, and then I am out of squadrons.

Doesn't look promising.[:(]

[Lowpe]

Now, in April of 1944 I do get the massive Army fighter expansion...with my best squadrons growing in size to 49 and several of the Chutai growing, which is very exciting. I need to make sure the pools are adequate for the expansion and then some.

But it is a long way from now till 4/44.

[Lowpe]

The Sam is absolutely the most important fighter in a PDU off game for Japan. Bar none. I think you need to develop them all...the Oscar IV, the Frank A, Ki100I and Ki100II, the Randy 102a, Tojo IIc, Jack and George but the sheer numbers of squadrons that can fly the Sam (and paucity of Jack/George squadrons) make it the most important.

Planes that are more important than you think are the Randy 102a and Randy 102b because of the squadron upgrade paths.

[Lowpe]

Sept 24th, 1943

Moonlight 21%

The Kagi stricken by subs and ablaze! The fire, is it spreading? It has a life of its own, and there are tons of fuel and ammunition to burn...if it reaches a bunker, the torpedo storage, even the laundry all could be lost!

An ironic twist of fate of the Iboat trap the IJN successfully executed on the Allies in 1942.

A Hunter Killer group scores a few hits...on the minor oil run.

[Lowpe]

How is damage control doing...no messages so far. Can the boilers stay lit? So many questions, and no answers, but no answers during this night must surely be a good thing.

Reinforcements arrive, steaming to the fire on the horizon...the Kagi.

Will it be enough?

And the cry goes out across the destroyer Nizuki...torpedoes!

[Lowpe]

Tense! Drama! High Stakes! The dawn arrives and only one messages from the fleet near Aitape! A cryptic message from the light cruiser surface action group...they met and merged with the Kagi and her three destroyer escorts after being attacked by torpedoes.

But now, the aerial anti submarine patrols start. Jills and Kates down low spotting and hunting, Judys higher, searching and hunting...and then the bomb runs start!

The reported sightings start to diminish...but are they hiding or sunk? Wishful reporting or accurate? Every pilot wants revenge...and the Fleet wants good news.

So desperately.

[Lowpe]

But the war is a far flung enterprise...and Allied bombers show up in force north of Shwebo! Massed fire greats them but no fighters contest the Allied dominance of the air.

[Lowpe]

The great north! Carriers...heavy on fighters, and low on bombers.