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August 9, 1942

Not much, all of the bases in the Andaman Islands are now Japanese controlled.

August 10, 1942

Nothing

August 11, 1942

nothing

August 12, 1942

Nothing

ORIGINAL: Nomad

August 12, 1942

Nothing

Not having read your opponents AAR, I am confused by his play style. Did you have any idea he would be this slow or timid? Perhaps I'm just used to aggressive IJ players.

I had no idea what his style of play would be.

August 13, 1942

Funny how thing work out, he had not been very aggressive of late and then this:

Morning Air attack on TF, near Milne Bay at 101,133

Weather in hex: Heavy cloud

Raid detected at 39 NM, estimated altitude 19,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 15 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 9
G3M2 Nell x 28

Allied aircraft
P-39D Airacobra x 50

Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 3 destroyed
G3M2 Nell: 18 destroyed, 1 damaged

Allied aircraft losses
P-39D Airacobra: 1 destroyed

Allied Ships
DD Ellet
DD Reid

Aircraft Attacking:
13 x G3M2 Nell launching torpedoes at 200 feet
Naval Attack: 1 x 18in Type 91 Torpedo

CAP engaged:
8th FG/35th FS with P-39D Airacobra (8 airborne, 17 on standby, 0 scrambling)
8 plane(s) intercepting now.
Group patrol altitude is 15000 , scrambling fighters between 15000 and 20000.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 28 minutes
17 planes vectored on to bombers
8th FG/80th FS with P-39D Airacobra (8 airborne, 17 on standby, 0 scrambling)
8 plane(s) intercepting now.
Group patrol altitude is 16000 , scrambling fighters between 16000 and 18000.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 29 minutes
12 planes vectored on to bombers



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Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Milne Bay at 101,133

Weather in hex: Light cloud

Raid detected at 38 NM, estimated altitude 22,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 14 minutes

Japanese aircraft
G3M2 Nell x 6

Allied aircraft
P-39D Airacobra x 40

Japanese aircraft losses
G3M2 Nell: 1 destroyed

No Allied losses

CAP engaged:
8th FG/35th FS with P-39D Airacobra (8 airborne, 16 on standby, 0 scrambling)
8 plane(s) intercepting now.
Group patrol altitude is 15000 , scrambling fighters between 13000 and 23000.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 27 minutes
8th FG/80th FS with P-39D Airacobra (5 airborne, 11 on standby, 0 scrambling)
5 plane(s) intercepting now.
Group patrol altitude is 16000 , scrambling fighters between 11000 and 16000.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 16 minutes

That will deplete his bomber pilots a bit.
I lost 1 P-39 and in game is shows he lost 24 G3M2 Nells and 9 A6M2( 6 A2A and 3 ops )
========================================
And my earlier successes in sinking a freighter or two by Sakhalin has made him provide more
escorts, that will use up more fuel

ASW attack near Shikuka at 126,45

Japanese Ships
PB Tatsumi Maru
xAK Rasin Maru
xAK Hamburg Maru
PB Ichiyo Maru
PB Odatsuki Maru

Allied Ships
SS Whale
====================================

August 14, 1942

Since we depleted his fighters a bit last turn, I sent some P-38E sweepers over Rabaul
Not a great return, but useful. Next turn I am sending the B-17s to Rabaul and sweepers.

Morning Air attack on Rabaul , at 106,125

Weather in hex: Clear sky

Raid spotted at 43 NM, estimated altitude 36,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 9 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 18

Allied aircraft
P-38E Lightning x 22

Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 4 destroyed

Allied aircraft losses
P-38E Lightning: 1 destroyed

Aircraft Attacking:
10 x P-38E Lightning sweeping at 34000 feet

CAP engaged:
13th Ku S-1 /A with A6M2 Zero (0 airborne, 4 on standby, 4 scrambling)
1 plane(s) not yet engaged, 0 being recalled, 0 out of immediate contact.
Group patrol altitude is 10000
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 18 minutes
13th Ku S-1 /C with A6M2 Zero (0 airborne, 4 on standby, 4 scrambling)
1 plane(s) not yet engaged, 0 being recalled, 0 out of immediate contact.
Group patrol altitude is 10000
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 18 minutes



---------------------------------------------

Morning Air attack on Rabaul , at 106,125

Weather in hex: Clear sky

Raid spotted at 15 NM, estimated altitude 39,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 3 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 3

Allied aircraft
P-38E Lightning x 3

Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 1 destroyed

Allied aircraft losses
P-38E Lightning: 1 destroyed

Aircraft Attacking:
2 x P-38E Lightning sweeping at 34000 feet

CAP engaged:
13th Ku S-1 /C with A6M2 Zero (0 airborne, 0 on standby, 2 scrambling)
Group patrol altitude is 10000 , scrambling fighters between 9000 and 11000.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 6 minutes
13th Ku S-1 /A with A6M2 Zero (0 airborne, 0 on standby, 1 scrambling)
Group patrol altitude is 10000 , scrambling fighters to 8000.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 3 minutes

I lost 4 P-38Es but only 2 pilots. I am out of P-38Es for replacements, I have almost
enough P-38Fs to replace them. Actually, I downgraded one of my P-38E units in India for now,
I will wait for P-38Gs or Hs.

How are those pilots flying the P-38s? The P-38 is so scarce in replacements I usually downgrade any restricted units in the US even if that means I have to trade 2-3 other fighters for 1 P-38 but then I create one flying circus with the best available fighter pilots in the USAAF. Means there will be 80 air skill pilots on top with the rest being in the mid 75 usually, all having 70+ def skill ranging from 70-80 and an average exp of 70+.

That usually means trashing Zeroes with a strato sweep like the one above if you don't run into crazy numbers. You had a kill rate of 4 or 5:1 but I would only be happy to trade a P-38 at 10:1 at this date as the enemy can pump out Zeroes at will and I'm sitting there with literally no replacement rates for the P-38 at all.

Well, let me see. A2A is 70-75. Exp is 54-81. Def is 58-74. Good, not spectacular. I did glean all the P-38Es I could from departing air groups. I had 3 P-38E units before this turn, I now have 2 and there are 29 I can use for replacements. I will have to see about rotating some pilots to get better stats. I have been training mostly for large quantities of 70 A2A pilots. I have about 800 in the reserve pool now.

ORIGINAL: Nomad

Well, let me see. A2A is 70-75. Exp is 54-81. Def is 58-74. Good, not spectacular. I did glean all the P-38Es I could from departing air groups. I had 3 P-38E units before this turn, I now have 2 and there are 29 I can use for replacements. I will have to see about rotating some pilots to get better stats. I have been training mostly for large quantities of 70 A2A pilots. I have about 800 in the reserve pool now.

I do the same about training, 70 air then 70 def. There are several pilots around by default that have god like stats which I usually mass in a flying circus. And squadrons that are flying CAP non stop also get their air skills up into the mid 70s which then supplement my hero pilots. Pilots shouldn't be an issue for the Allied, airframes are. For the Japanese it's the other way around (at least for the IJNAF with the lower replacement rate), which is crazy but that's just how it is.

It is probably a good idea to create one and then more elite units. I have been spreading the wealth and putting some excellent pilots in
units among good pilots. Note that the P-39D pilots did good work a turn ago, and they are about the same mixture as the P-38E pilots.

August 15, 1942

Nothing happened. I guess weather grounded all my aircraft flying from Port Moresby.

ORIGINAL: Nomad

It is probably a good idea to create one and then more elite units. I have been spreading the wealth and putting some excellent pilots in
units among good pilots. Note that the P-39D pilots did good work a turn ago, and they are about the same mixture as the P-38E pilots.

Yeah but your P-39 jumped on the Zeroes being on escort which is always a big malus for them. I guess your P-39 wouldn't do as good on a sweep as the P-38 given both units have the same pilot stats.

ORIGINAL: castor troy

ORIGINAL: Nomad

It is probably a good idea to create one and then more elite units. I have been spreading the wealth and putting some excellent pilots in
units among good pilots. Note that the P-39D pilots did good work a turn ago, and they are about the same mixture as the P-38E pilots.

Yeah but your P-39 jumped on the Zeroes being on escort which is always a big malus for them. I guess your P-39 wouldn't do as good on a sweep as the P-38 given both units have the same pilot stats.

That is true, but that is what they are there for. I do not normally sweep with P-39Ds. I use them for defense and on rare occasions escort, but their short range limits them.

August 16, 1942

No fighters up over Rabaul

Morning Air attack on Rabaul , at 106,125

Weather in hex: Clear sky

Raid spotted at 17 NM, estimated altitude 12,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 5 minutes

Japanese aircraft
no flights

Allied aircraft
B-17E Fortress x 36

Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 1 destroyed on ground

No Allied losses

Japanese ground losses:
12 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

Airbase hits 17
Airbase supply hits 5
Runway hits 36
====================================

This was interesting

AM Echuca hits reef at 102 , 134

That ship was in a mine sweeping TF in Milne Bay
and the hex it hit the reef is the hex SE of Milne Bay.
I guess it was out looking for mines.

August 17, 1942

B-17Es did about as good as the P-38Es.
Afternoon Air attack on Rabaul , at 106,125

Weather in hex: Severe storms

Raid spotted at 19 NM, estimated altitude 11,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 5 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 10

Allied aircraft
B-17E Fortress x 18

Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 2 destroyed

Allied aircraft losses
B-17E Fortress: 1 destroyed, 5 damaged

Runway hits 1

Aircraft Attacking:
9 x B-17E Fortress bombing from 10000 feet
Airfield Attack: 8 x 500 lb GP Bomb
8 x B-17E Fortress bombing from 10000 feet
Airfield Attack: 8 x 500 lb GP Bomb

CAP engaged:
13th Ku S-1 with A6M2 Zero (3 airborne, 7 on standby, 0 scrambling)
3 plane(s) intercepting now.
Group patrol altitude is 15000
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 10 minutes



---------------------------------------------

Afternoon Air attack on Rabaul , at 106,125

Weather in hex: Severe storms

Raid spotted at 19 NM, estimated altitude 14,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 5 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 4

Allied aircraft
B-17E Fortress x 9

No Japanese losses

Allied aircraft losses
B-17E Fortress: 4 damaged

Airbase supply hits 1

Aircraft Attacking:
9 x B-17E Fortress bombing from 10000 feet
Airfield Attack: 8 x 500 lb GP Bomb

CAP engaged:
13th Ku S-1 with A6M2 Zero (0 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
4 plane(s) not yet engaged, 0 being recalled, 0 out of immediate contact.
Group patrol altitude is 15000 , scrambling fighters to 10000.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 106 minutes
========================================================================================

August 18, 1942

Nothing

August 19, 1942

Duds:
Sub attack near Tandjoengpinang at 51,85

Japanese Ships
xAK Hukuyo Maru
PB Fuji Maru #3

Allied Ships
SS Snapper
==========================
Submarine attack near Tandjoengpinang at 51,86

Japanese Ships
xAK Eihuku Maru

Allied Ships
SS Seal
===============================

August 20, 1942

Another one found a minefield:



TF 219 encounters mine field at Milne Bay (101,133)

Japanese Ships
SS I-159, Mine hits 1, on fire, heavy damage



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TF 219 encounters mine field at Milne Bay (101,133)

Japanese Ships
SS I-159, Mine hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
========================================================