Climb Mt. Niitaka - Xargun vs Mr Kane

[Lowpe]

Actually, losing planes like that and protecting the oil, you are still better off economically. I suspect you pilots morale is pretty low.

You need to send lots and lots of fighters to Magwe...I try to always keep it stuffed to Max the day after I take it...and normally always put Zeroes there.

Also 7-10 AA units need to be there...some 10cm ones, some Regiments.

Plus 4 radar sets from Engineers plus the radar from the air regiments. Oh, construction units to max runways asap, and an HQa with 4 hex range.

[Aurorus]

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

Actually, losing planes like that and protecting the oil, you are still better off economically. I suspect you pilots morale is pretty low.

You need to send lots and lots of fighters to Magwe...I try to always keep it stuffed to Max the day after I take it...and normally always put Zeroes there.

Also 7-10 AA units need to be there...some 10cm ones, some Regiments.

Plus 4 radar sets from Engineers plus the radar from the air regiments. Oh, construction units to max runways asap, and an HQa with 4 hex range.

I agree with most of this, except the part about Zeros. You am going to lose planes and pilots to the P-38. I don't like to lose naval pilots, because they are in shorter supply than army pilots. The AA gun units will help on early detection of the sweeps. I take a little different tack, however, which I am rather reluctant to divulge, since I will be up against the P-38 in a few months in my game against 821Bobo.

I will say observe that the P-38 is made for fighter sweeps. It is not a great CAP fighter, and few allied players use it for CAP. Also, it does not have the best range. Your Nicks and Oscars, without drop tanks, have a range equal to that of the P-38E with drop tanks: if you understand my meaning.

[Xargun]

Emails with Mr Kane suggest we will indeed have a mini-game in the Solomons [:D]

I get the turn back and this happens...

Night Naval bombardment of Shortlands at 110,132

Allied Ships
CA Houston
CA Northampton
CA Indianapolis
CA Portland

Port hits 5
Port supply hits 1

CA Houston firing at Shortlands
CA Northampton firing at Shortlands
CA Indianapolis firing at Shortlands
CA Portland firing at Shortlands


Night Naval bombardment of Shortlands at 110,132

Allied Ships
CL Nashville
CL Phoenix
CL Boise
CL Honolulu
CL Helena
CL St. Louis

Port hits 32
Port supply hits 9

CL Nashville firing at Shortlands
CL Phoenix firing at Shortlands
CL Boise firing at Shortlands
CL Honolulu firing at Shortlands
CL Helena firing at Shortlands
CL St. Louis firing at Shortlands


So at least the USN is here in some force - his Carriers were still at Tulagi last turn since I lost a Betty to CAP and the airfield there was zero at the time.
Glad I moved my CVs down there from Japan a few turns ago. Fun times should be coming.. Looks like I need some surface assets so time to see whats at Truk and Babeldoab.

[Lowpe]

ORIGINAL: Aurorus

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

Actually, losing planes like that and protecting the oil, you are still better off economically. I suspect you pilots morale is pretty low.

You need to send lots and lots of fighters to Magwe...I try to always keep it stuffed to Max the day after I take it...and normally always put Zeroes there.

Also 7-10 AA units need to be there...some 10cm ones, some Regiments.

Plus 4 radar sets from Engineers plus the radar from the air regiments. Oh, construction units to max runways asap, and an HQa with 4 hex range.

I agree with most of this, except the part about Zeros. You am going to lose planes and pilots to the P-38. I don't like to lose naval pilots, because they are in shorter supply than army pilots. The AA gun units will help on early detection of the sweeps. I take a little different tack, however, which I am rather reluctant to divulge, since I will be up against the P-38 in a few months in my game against 821Bobo.

I will say observe that the P-38 is made for fighter sweeps. It is not a great CAP fighter, and few allied players use it for CAP. Also, it does not have the best range. Your Nicks and Oscars, without drop tanks, have a range equal to that of the P-38E with drop tanks: if you understand my meaning.

Sorry not clear. Zeroes are you best 4E bomber killers till the 61d shows up. Nicks are good for deeper defense where no fighters an sweep. Oscars low, Zeroes middle, Tojo high. Low layered cap.

[Xargun]

Not much is happening. I'm moving Oil, Fuel and Resources like crazy and moving men as they become available. I am still making some progress in China and below is a pic showing an IJA Artillery Attack on some hapless Chinese troops near Changsha.



Ground combat at 81,51 (near Changsha)

Japanese Bombardment attack

Attacking force 34740 troops, 703 guns, 566 vehicles, Assault Value = 884

Defending force 39467 troops, 151 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 1098

Allied ground losses:
343 casualties reported
Squads: 18 destroyed, 32 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 1 destroyed, 1 disabled

Assaulting units:
19th Division
29th Division
11th Ind.Art.Mortar Battalion
7th Ind.Hvy.Art. Battalion
13th Ind.Art.Mortar Battalion
Tonei Hvy Gun Regiment
5th Medium Field Artillery Regiment
2nd Medium Field Artillery Regiment
4th Ind.Hvy.Art. Battalion
3rd Hvy.Artillery Regiment
7th Medium Field Artillery Regiment
5th Ind.Hvy.Art Battalion
12th Ind.Art.Mortar Battalion
10th Mortar Battalion
71st Mountain Gun Regiment
Mongol Garrison Army
10th Mortar Battalion
9th Medium Field Artillery Regiment
2nd Hvy.Artillery Regiment
10th Medium Field Artillery Regiment
4th Ind. Mountain Gun Regiment
12th Army
4th Medium Field Artillery Regiment
6th Ind.Hvy.Art. Battalion
11th Ind.Hvy.Art Battalion
Botanko Hvy Gun Regiment
12th Ind.Hvy.Art Battalion

Defending units:
46th Chinese Corps
79th Chinese Corps
58th Chinese Corps
45th Chinese Corps
14th Construction Regiment
27th Group Army
29th Group Army

[Xargun]

I went through today and made a list of all the aircraft I will be using that I am NOT moving forward with R&D efforts. I have broken them down below:

Army:

Ki-44-IIa Tojo (Already in limited production - 30 / month)
Ki-46-III Dinah [Arrival 1/43]
Ki-49-II KAI Helen [Arrival 5/43]
Ki-45-KAId Nick [Arrival 4/44]


Navy:

G3M3 Nell (Already in production - 60 / month)
H6K4-L Mavis (Arrival 9/42 - next Month)
D4Y1 Judy (R&D efforts are repairing on this model but will target the Y3 or Y4 - Arrival 1/43]
[Still need to decide to produce the Y3 model with the 500kg bomb or wait another 9 months or so for the 800kg Y4 model]
H8K2 Emily (Arrival 4/43]
H8K2-L Emily (Arrival 7/43)
L2D2 Tabby (Arrival 9/43)
G5M2a Betty (Arrival 6/44)
C6N1 Myrt (Arrival 8/44)

All other models I will be using have at least 1 R&D factory assigned to it currently. Most of them are not built out to size 30 as I tend to repair them slowly as needed.

[PaxMondo]

Some very different arrival dates ...

[Xargun]

ORIGINAL: PaxMondo

Some very different arrival dates ...

Hope I wrote down the correct dates - playing Babes B. Dates are correct - just checked - except for H8K2 Emily - its 3/43 (I typed in the wrong date on the post, not my notes)

A6M5c Just advanced another month to 7/43 - should have it in Nov 42 for sure.

Another turn and more bombardment in China

Ground combat at 81,51 (near Changsha)

Japanese Bombardment attack

Attacking force 34737 troops, 703 guns, 566 vehicles, Assault Value = 884

Defending force 39167 troops, 151 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 1069

Allied ground losses:
357 casualties reported
Squads: 8 destroyed, 24 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled
Engineers: 1 destroyed, 2 disabled
Guns lost 2 (1 destroyed, 1 disabled)


Not sure how long he will stay there and take that abuse. I have another 5 artillery units arriving in Changteh in another day or two to drive off the Chinese troops there.

[PaxMondo]

Never played, didn't know that the arrival dates had been changed so much from stock.

[Lowpe]

2 months of the B29 without having the Nick D and those squadrons for coverage. You can use FB, the Dinah fighter is good too at night, but not ideal.

[Xargun]

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

2 months of the B29 without having the Nick D and those squadrons for coverage. You can use FB, the Dinah fighter is good too at night, but not ideal.

B-29 arrives in 2/44 ? Since I have never played into 44 I have no idea when the big boys arrive...

[Xargun]

So I have all these air units in Kwangtung and Japan training my pilot with obsolete models and as few aircraft as possible in the unit. Should I be slowly upgrading these and filling them out with newer models ? or should I leave them alone until late 43 then fill them up ?

[GetAssista]

ORIGINAL: Xargun
So I have all these air units in Kwangtung and Japan training my pilot with obsolete models and as few aircraft as possible in the unit. Should I be slowly upgrading these and filling them out with newer models ? or should I leave them alone until late 43 then fill them up ?

Fill them up as soon as frames are available. Whatever frames. The myth of training not needing frames is long debunked, the speed of training is proportional to the numberf of airftames in a unit

[witpqs]

ORIGINAL: GetAssista

ORIGINAL: Xargun
So I have all these air units in Kwangtung and Japan training my pilot with obsolete models and as few aircraft as possible in the unit. Should I be slowly upgrading these and filling them out with newer models ? or should I leave them alone until late 43 then fill them up ?

Fill them up as soon as frames are available. Whatever frames. The myth of training not needing frames is long debunked, the speed of training is proportional to the numberf of airftames in a unit

Michael stated that the experience gained during training is influenced by the number of aircraft. IIRC the other skills either not or less influenced. So fill them when you can, but at least put in as many as practicable.

[Aurorus]

Skill gains are influenced by the number of planes in a unit, and the number of pilots. If you have more pilots than planes, the probability of each pilot gaining a skill rank, experience, and defense drops significantly.

Fill out your training squadrons with planes and pilots, but I think it is best not to put reserve pilots in the squadrons. Pilot training is so important to Japan. Every opportunity to train should be used: not just the squadrons in Korea and on Honshu, but squadrons in theaters that have gone quiet for a few days, once all of aircraft in the squadron have been serviced.

The allies eventually can rely on speed, numbers, and altitude to gain the initiative in most engagements. They do not need superb pilots. They need to build a large pool of good pilots. The Japanese must have superb pilots.

[Alfred]

ORIGINAL: GetAssista

ORIGINAL: Xargun
So I have all these air units in Kwangtung and Japan training my pilot with obsolete models and as few aircraft as possible in the unit. Should I be slowly upgrading these and filling them out with newer models ? or should I leave them alone until late 43 then fill them up ?

Fill them up as soon as frames are available. Whatever frames. The myth of training not needing frames is long debunked, the speed of training is proportional to the numberf of airftames in a unit

I consistently get widespread daily training increases in units with 0, 1 or only 2 airframes in them. Below is a screenshot of a unit with 1 airframe only in it which last turn had 11 pilots showing up green.

Alfred

[Xargun]

ORIGINAL: Alfred

I consistently get widespread daily training increases in units with 0, 1 or only 2 airframes in them. Below is a screenshot of a unit with 1 airframe only in it which last turn had 11 pilots showing up green.

Alfred


[/quote]

This would go with what witpqs said above about experience gain - as you have a lot of skill gain but no experience gains along with it. I wonder if anyone has done testing to verify?

Xargun

[Aurorus]

ORIGINAL: Alfred

ORIGINAL: GetAssista

ORIGINAL: Xargun
So I have all these air units in Kwangtung and Japan training my pilot with obsolete models and as few aircraft as possible in the unit. Should I be slowly upgrading these and filling them out with newer models ? or should I leave them alone until late 43 then fill them up ?

Fill them up as soon as frames are available. Whatever frames. The myth of training not needing frames is long debunked, the speed of training is proportional to the numberf of airftames in a unit

I consistently get widespread daily training increases in units with 0, 1 or only 2 airframes in them. Below is a screenshot of a unit with 1 airframe only in it which last turn had 11 pilots showing up green.

Alfred

Yes, but at those ranks and at that experience level, if the squadron were fully equipped with planes, nearly every pilot would be in the green every day provided they had acceptable leadership and supply.

Also, that is for allies, who often do not have airframes to fill out some squadrons. It is not as critically important to the allied effort to maximize training. For Japan, there is no reason not to have all squadrons filled out in 1942.

[Xargun]

I have many units with 1-2 planes. I will fill one with aircraft and leave one alone and give them some time and see what I get. Will post results.

[Yakface]

I ran some tests of training over the course of 1 month of game time. Put 5 groups with 1 plane (and 25 pilots) and 5 groups with 25 planes and 25 pilots. Executive summary - groups with the 25 planes trained to much higher levels than those with just 1. It is not eay to quantify exactly how much as training follows a curve rather than line (takes very little time to take a skill from 30 to 40 but a great deal to go from 60 to 70).

Pilots will still train even with no planes available to them. However fewer will see gains and those gains will be smaller.

Experience is difficult to train except by putting pilots on CAP (100%, 0 range). I routinely transfer by bomber pilots to fighters/float planes in order to do this (once they have achieved desired level in their appropriate skill/defence).