An Aussie Beta Affair - Luskan V Raver!!!

[mogami]

Hi, My system is simple. As long as I have airfields that will allow my airgroups to exit the SRA when the time comes they stay and fight. I turn off replacements and as groups lose combat power they disband filling up the groups that remain. (disbanded groups return in 90 days)
The Allied player has to pick his spots and not be caught when the Japanese react. If your beating up the IJA expect the A6M2 to show up and be ready to break off combat and move to a new location. If the IJN sends 1 Daitai send 2 parts of the AVG to oppose.
Your numbers should make up for other factors. Don't be bull headed. If the Japanese insisit on air superority at any location conceed it and move to another area. You can hurt the Japanese and the battle lasts for several months so there is no hurry. Withdraw units that need time to rest and rebuild.
Also pay attention to airgroup leadership. Don't engage in combat with units commanded by poor leaders. Place your AA on your airfields. (and any target the Japanese grow fond of hitting.) Let the AA kill Japanese and save your fighters for battles you can win.
By keeping up a good defense where you can you limit the number of airgroups the Japanese can transfer out of the SRA.

[fabertong]

I don't know about the rest of you, but I really am taking notes.....Thanks Mogami[&o]

[Raverdave]

Well seeing as I never got my turn from Luskan last night, I guess that I will just have to grandstand and tell you all how wonderful I as an Allied supreme commander[:'(] The fact that Luskan has reported nothing in regards to the PI, Malaya or even China speaks volumes, and I suspect that he has stalled on all fronts. But until I get the move there is not much more that I can crow about..........oh, did I tell you all how wonderful I am?[:D]

[Mike Scholl]

OK RAVER, I think we can all concede the "wonderfullness" of you. After all, your Mom
told you you were "special", and we all know Mom wouldn't lie. Actually, what convin-
ced me was your "tag line". I've always loved that. Where did you run across it?

[stubby331]

Hi Frag,

Any chance of seeing a screenshot of Nell coverage over the rest of the DEI from Saigon and maybe even Kendari??

Be very grateful. [:)]

[mogami]

Hi, It will not fit on a screen shot. The normal range is 15 hexes and extended range is 21.
Thats larger then the screen

The red line is extended the black normal the air group is located at Saigon.

[stubby331]

Thanks Mogs, so I could just pretty much assume all of the DEI with the exception of the island chain east of Lombok is covered by Nells out of Saigon and when Kendari comes on line for the Japs your pretty much screwed?

[Raverdave]

G'day Mike,

The sig line is just one of those things that you come across when trawling the net........most probably came from that famous font of one liners, Mr Anon.

[mogami]

ORIGINAL: stubby331

Thanks Mogs, so I could just pretty much assume all of the DEI with the exception of the island chain east of Lombok is covered by Nells out of Saigon and when Kendari comes on line for the Japs your pretty much screwed?

Hi, There are Betty/Nell on Formosa. Davao is a size 4 airfield as is Jolo. (and Aparri and Legaspi) So there are plenty of fields to base them on that cover most of the SRA.
I like to occupy the size 4 airfields as soon as I can. Then I move 1 Betty/Nell group along with a fighter group. You can use the smaller airfields (size 3 or less) for fighters for CAP as well as single engine bombers (carrier types)

[stubby331]

Davao is a size 4 airfield as is Jolo. (and Aparri and Legaspi) So there are plenty of fields to base them on that cover most of the SRA.
I like to occupy the size 4 airfields as soon as I can. Then I move 1 Betty/Nell group along with a fighter group. You can use the smaller airfields (size 3 or less) for fighters for CAP as well as single engine bombers (carrier types)

thanks again.

[Onime No Kyo]

Hi guys.

If anything this should give you guys a laugh.

Although I'm a sim gamer with enough experience to be proud of, my familiarity with the Pacific is limited to Koei's P.T.O. on the Genesis console, WW2: Battles in the South Pacific (if anyone remembers that gem), and UV.

My historical knowledge of the area is also about fair to middling.

My question is this. In every Pac simulation I've ever seen, surface units seem to be nigh-well useless. They make juicy targets for LBA, even jiucier meat for CBA and not much besides. Bombardment I have only seen to be effective in one single case, Lunga (and only in UV). Surface action I have seen work nicely but only about one time out of five (the other times being complete massacres by air). Basically, what I have always used it for is to flesh out my AA protection of the CVs.

Now I know that I have only played the AI. I also know that I wouldnt stand a chance against most of you wise-guys [&o][&o][&o], but is this essentially right or am I completely off?

Having said that, is there even any great point to saving the ABDA navy besides the sentimental and VP values? Is there anything that would suggest a workable advantage to Japan's corner of the market in BBs until '44?

And a bit off the topic. Suva was a brilliant stroke. But is there any real point to it besides causing raver to lose sleep? Wouldnt it be more practicable to gobble up the SRA, fortify it and then throw your effort accross the central pacific right at PH (god forbid Pasternaksi will read this)?

I'm not sure why, but all my games have always turned out to be CV hunts (once again AI only, no wise-guys). So essentially, I end up spending the first half sinking hulls and the second, taking realestate. Is this not how it turns out for you guys?

Thanks,

ps....hope it was a hearty laugh

[sven6345789]

Well, in WITP., the hunting grounds are much larger.
happy hunting!!

[DoomedMantis]

Bombardments are very useful, and even more important in WitP do to the increased effect that CD's have on invasion TF's

Also the most effective way to wipe out transoprts unloading is still an aggressive commander in charge of your TF. There is also the fact that the only real way to protect aginst this is if your forces are there as well.

Carriers cant be everywhere, especially in WitP

[Raverdave]

Yup I shall echo what has been said...............the map is friggn HUGE so there will be little or none "CV hunting" in the early few years of the game, but from '44 onwards the allied player will be loading his CVs to hunt bear.

[Luskan]

This turn was very very quiet. In Malaya things haven't stalled - I'm just waiting for the proper application of overwhelming force (thanks Winnie!) so Raver-the-Wonderful looses as many troops there as possible. less to kill in the DEI that way.

Several new, fresher Divisions that had been assigned to the Southern Area Army but not initially used in any invasions are embarking for the PI for the end game there. Until then - my troops that originally landed at Legaspi have reached Manila, finally. They will test the defences there this turn, and we'll see what happens. Hoping that Raver has all of his army tied up at Tugeragao and Clark (where I outnumber him in both palces - but not by enough to drive him out).

If I have outflanked the bastard, i'll steal manila out from behind his troops and beat him to Bataan. Dugout Dug is probably wetting himself at the thought of my Samurai Sword stuck up his ass! [:D]

In other operations, Rabaul was reinforced last turn, with lots of supplies and guns arriving to form a CD unit/fort/jump off point for my next assault.

Perhaps most importantly, probably the largest convoys in any witp/UV game to date, code named "Big Mamma 1" and "Bigger, Badder Mamma 2" (it looses something when you translate it out of japanese) arrived at Osaka - a little creative route selection and these two invaluable convoys escaped Raver's subs altogether.

Between them there were over 150 ships, mostly transports and tankers packed to the rafters with oil and resources - especially from Saigon/Camranh bay/Brunei/kendari. Basically I had big stockpiles at these locations that were just getting bigger - but were doing my economy absolutely no good. Now that it is all arriving in Japan - I can safely assure the emperor that our economy is stronger than ever. All those locations are now drained of oil and resources, but that is ok - by the time I've captured the bases in malaya, China, Borneo and of course PI and DEI, these bases will have renewed stockpiles (and my economy will be WAY in the black, instead of just temporarily).

A few damaged ships made port this turn, and a few other ships refitted and reloaded for continuing ops. I shuffled some air squadrons around, and the fighting in china wears on, grinding down both sides at Homan and Wuchow (but soon I'll have done enough to win one or both (then of course the other would fall quickly).

At Rangoon my troops prepare their next assault, while the 1st tank regiment secures their supply lines.

Every turn or so raver tries to slip a single transport out of manila (gets caught by 50+ betties all alone in the middle of the celebe straight - outcome not really in doubt).

I'm guessing that he has now had too much time in the PI and Malaya and is probably evacuating his planes left right and centre using all his accumulated PP points. One thing I should have done on turn 1 was invade Cagayan and wine out the b17s there on the ground. That mistake will haunt me later on perhaps.

Snot Pus and Phlegm stand by, as Raver's cvs have not been sighted. But then, neither have mine

[Luskan]

Another very quiet turn as the sieges at Wuchow, Homan, Rangoon, Johore Bharu, Clark, Tugeragao and Manila continue.

However, my probing of the defences at manila has revealed that I've outflanked Raver - and outnumber him there by 2 to 1 at least! We'll see if I can't snatch it, move some nates in and strafe the defenders at Clark to oblivion. Raver has long since saved his aircraft in the area.

Nothing big planned in the near future, so Raver, feel free to relax for a few turns.

[Capt. Harlock]

Nothing big planned in the near future, so Raver, feel free to relax for a few turns.

Tell it to the marines!

[Raverdave]

Many ships have managed to be slipped out of the PI without being found, about 1 in 10 have been spotted (and then quickly sunk) but at least am still getting ships out. Luskan is right, I have been slowly getting my good air units out of the PI and most of them are now safely tucked away in Australia to be used for the defence of the mainland.
It will be interesting to see what happens at Rangoon in the next few days when Luskan attacks again as last time he got the snot kicked out of him, and I am sure that I can repeat that process again.

Jap troops have now reached Manila from the south, but not in the numbers needed to take the city, but they do at least pose a threat to my troops in Clark if they can take Manila fast, so I am going to have to factor that into my defensive plans.

I have now lost sight of Bananananana boys CVs so I am in two minds in regards to using them for a planned raid. Pearl has just had a huge convoy arrive which has brough much needed supplies (and a few Inf Divs as well....chew on that thought ratbrain).

[mogami]

Ask Luskan about ships that have made it out of SRA......last turn at least 4 ships were sunk by Japanese air attack at Darwin. (including the CL Perth) The Japanese have a very long arm



(Raver where is my turn?)(never mind seems I have been sitting on it since Wen)

[Luskan]

bah - you'll try for suva (use the reinforcements to help that nz inf unit next door to get over to suva and take it). Failing that, rabaul or wake. Do your worst.