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RE: Invasion Marianas

Posted: Sun Mar 15, 2015 10:27 pm
by Lowpe
Flying from a slightly damaged runway, Guam puts up 80 Zeroes to contest the skies.



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Actually, the Zero pilots were celebrating when later that afternoon a Corsair sweep came in and butchered 20 or so. But they still did great early on and the runway is still operable!

RE: Invasion Marianas

Posted: Sun Mar 15, 2015 10:35 pm
by Lowpe
Allies invade a dot base and move closer to their targets...whatever they are.

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RE: Invasion Marianas

Posted: Sun Mar 15, 2015 10:39 pm
by Lowpe
Bloody day in the air for the Allies, and a bloody day on the ground at Tinian for Japan. How come Japanese bombardments are never that good?[&:]

Tony did a wonderful job on the 4E beasties...the only difference between the Tony fight and the Oscar fight the day before is that Tony fought two battles while the Oscars fought once against the coordinated 4Es.



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I get the lousy idea, that I am so far behind the air war it doesn't really matter how much I kill. But, I will keep trying.[:)]

RE: Invasion Marianas

Posted: Sun Mar 15, 2015 10:48 pm
by Lowpe
Looks like the target is Tinian, as it is being swept for mines, and nowhere else.

Midget subs to the rescue! 13 of them are going in...

I lost the I170 yesterday, so he has had five or six Iboat encounters, 2 back to port for repairs, and 1 sunk, but a lot of ammo expended.


RE: Invasion Marianas

Posted: Sun Mar 15, 2015 11:05 pm
by Lowpe
Three aircraft accelerated one month: Irving Sa, D4Y4 Judy, and the N1K5 George. Interestingly enough the George has 5 factories, no engine bonus, and it jumped a whopping 10 points. How, I don't know, it had been steadily gaining 5 points per day like clockwork.

Hey, I am still taking advice on how to counter the Allies in the Marianas![:D]

I believe the 16th Division fighting there, they have been there for only a month or so. Must really have irked him to see those troops land there.[:)]

My ships are not spotted, being very far, far away.[:D] To hit his invasion fleet I have to overcome 200 fighters on the baby carriers. Guam is 28 percent runway damaged currently, but I suspect will get bombarded.

So far he has bombarded with three fleets.

Kaga comes out of the shipyard today, giving me a strike force of Kaga, Akagi, 2 CVE, 2BB, several CAs, CLs, and DDs. Don't think I will risk them.[:'(]

RE: Invasion Marianas

Posted: Mon Mar 16, 2015 3:49 am
by JocMeister
KB on its way?

RE: Invasion Marianas

Posted: Mon Mar 16, 2015 10:47 am
by Lowpe
ORIGINAL: JocMeister

KB on its way?

Yep, and it will be everybody. No ships in for repairs or upgrades. But I need to be very, very careful with it!


RE: Invasion Marianas

Posted: Mon Mar 16, 2015 11:13 am
by setloz
ORIGINAL: Lowpe

ORIGINAL: JocMeister

KB on its way?

Yep, and it will be everybody. No ships in for repairs or upgrades. But I need to be very, very careful with it!

That's the hardest part!
I always try to make sure I'm in strike range of either CVE TF or CV TF but never both as that would totally mess up the strike AI...

Good luck!

RE: Invasion Marianas

Posted: Mon Mar 16, 2015 12:01 pm
by JocMeister
ORIGINAL: Lowpe
Yep, and it will be everybody. No ships in for repairs or upgrades. But I need to be very, very careful with it!

Yeah, I would start asking some experienced Jap players how they set up KB unless you already did that! Don´t want to mess this one up due to faulty/not optimal settings. [:)]

Stay positive. [:)] This is a good opportunity. KB (assuming you havn´t lost any CVs?) is still superior to what the Allies can bring at this point. You also have the 8 hex advantage and he will need to cover his Amphibs as well.

You need to stop him here. Next stop is the Philippines and you don´t want him there this early...

RE: Invasion Marianas

Posted: Mon Mar 16, 2015 12:26 pm
by Lokasenna
ORIGINAL: JocMeister
ORIGINAL: Lowpe
Yep, and it will be everybody. No ships in for repairs or upgrades. But I need to be very, very careful with it!

Yeah, I would start asking some experienced Jap players how they set up KB unless you already did that! Don´t want to mess this one up due to faulty/not optimal settings. [:)]

Stay positive. [:)] This is a good opportunity. KB (assuming you havn´t lost any CVs?) is still superior to what the Allies can bring at this point. You also have the 8 hex advantage and he will need to cover his Amphibs as well.

You need to stop him here. Next stop is the Philippines and you don´t want him there this early...

If you want to stop him, hit the assault shipping. Yes, you could try to hit his CVs, but they're harder targets. At this point in the war, he has only 48 or so APA/AMC/LSI(L) ships, minus whatever you've sunk... And a couple of LSDs. Sinking those will put a bigger cramp in his plans than sinking CVs will, at this stage.

RE: Invasion Marianas

Posted: Mon Mar 16, 2015 12:31 pm
by Lowpe
Turn is away....

Rush of midget subs...into Tinian

Iboats patrolling one hex away from Tinian in deep water.

I set one Judy squadron on 2 range strike hex from Pagan, perhaps they can sneak in against something in the north, while all the attention is focused in the south. Fighters at Guam.

I expect my troops on the Tuang Gyi road will get nailed this next day, and it looks like the Allies are crossing the river into the jungle hex and the Moulmein hex. His planes there are bombing my troops and not the runways.




RE: Invasion Marianas

Posted: Mon Mar 16, 2015 12:34 pm
by Lowpe
ORIGINAL: Lokasenna

If you want to stop him, hit the assault shipping. Yes, you could try to hit his CVs, but they're harder targets. At this point in the war, he has only 48 or so APA/AMC/LSI(L) ships, minus whatever you've sunk... And a couple of LSDs. Sinking those will put a bigger cramp in his plans than sinking CVs will, at this stage.

I agree...plus I dare not risk the KB. I need it to be a fleet in being for for 20 hex exclusion zone around the HI. It would be nice to sweep some destroyers in...but the closest I can get unseen is 11 hexes a little far.

RE: Invasion Marianas

Posted: Mon Mar 16, 2015 12:36 pm
by Lowpe
ORIGINAL: JocMeister
ORIGINAL: Lowpe
Yep, and it will be everybody. No ships in for repairs or upgrades. But I need to be very, very careful with it!

Yeah, I would start asking some experienced Jap players how they set up KB unless you already did that! Don´t want to mess this one up due to faulty/not optimal settings. [:)]

Stay positive. [:)] This is a good opportunity. KB (assuming you havn´t lost any CVs?) is still superior to what the Allies can bring at this point. You also have the 8 hex advantage and he will need to cover his Amphibs as well.

You need to stop him here. Next stop is the Philippines and you don´t want him there this early...

Joc, I might be able to delay him, I don't think I can stop him. It would take a great 8 hex strike, and even then I don't think it is possible.

RE: Invasion Marianas

Posted: Mon Mar 16, 2015 12:55 pm
by Lowpe
Port Blair

I will sweep Port Blair with Georges again, and bomb the airfield with Helens and the port with Betties. I guess there is still one or two damaged cruisers there I would like to destroy.

2 Destroyers will steam into Port Blair and whittle down the freshly arriving SC/AM task force close by. I bet it is PT boats however. The Tone and destroyers is setting up for a run in the following day.

Chumphon has 400 planes...

Trinkat gets bombarded everyday by two Artillery units...too bad I can't get my battleships to actually hurt the paratroops there.

Great Nicobar will be invaded in about 4 days...

Car Nicobar getting visted by bombardment force...

This is really just attritional warfare...looking to favorably kill as much as I can. The real fight will be outside Uttaradit and south of Moulmein which looks to be getting flanked. But, every day I slow him down, is a day well spent.



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RE: Invasion Marianas

Posted: Mon Mar 16, 2015 1:45 pm
by JocMeister
ORIGINAL: Lowpe

ORIGINAL: JocMeister
ORIGINAL: Lowpe
Yep, and it will be everybody. No ships in for repairs or upgrades. But I need to be very, very careful with it!

Yeah, I would start asking some experienced Jap players how they set up KB unless you already did that! Don´t want to mess this one up due to faulty/not optimal settings. [:)]

Stay positive. [:)] This is a good opportunity. KB (assuming you havn´t lost any CVs?) is still superior to what the Allies can bring at this point. You also have the 8 hex advantage and he will need to cover his Amphibs as well.

You need to stop him here. Next stop is the Philippines and you don´t want him there this early...

Joc, I might be able to delay him, I don't think I can stop him. It would take a great 8 hex strike, and even then I don't think it is possible.

A decisive CV battle in favor of Japan and it will be another year before he can think about returning to the Marianas. And we have seen in many AAR how the KB do better then Allied CVs late in the war. If you can drive him off whatever he landed with is also doomed.

Don´t underestimate yourself. [:)] And while the Allied might look imposing its still late 43 and the allies are not that strong yet. IMO I don´t think you will get a better chance then this to seek battle. And the Marianas is worth fighting for. Its not crucial for the allies but it is for the Japanese.

RE: Invasion Marianas

Posted: Mon Mar 16, 2015 11:38 pm
by Lowpe
Nov 1, 1943

Marianas....the invasion fleet is closing in on Tinian. Iboats and Midgets and Rboats fight valiantly...but a few night torpedo runs scare the Allies...

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RE: Invasion Marianas

Posted: Mon Mar 16, 2015 11:39 pm
by Lowpe
Three destroyed midgets and one Iboat later...a fish makes a run, straight and true!

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RE: Invasion Marianas

Posted: Mon Mar 16, 2015 11:43 pm
by Lowpe
The Colorado leads the invasion fleet...sure there is to be another, bigger one yet to come.

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RE: Invasion Marianas

Posted: Mon Mar 16, 2015 11:44 pm
by Lowpe
Two Marine Divisions...

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RE: Invasion Marianas

Posted: Mon Mar 16, 2015 11:46 pm
by Lowpe
Rota is invaded too!

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