The first of the 13 YP-43s was delivered in September 1940, and the last was delivered in April 1941. Early testing revealed a strong tendency of the aircraft to yaw during takeoff and landing rolls which was fixed by redesigning the tailwheel. Although the aircraft exceeded the initial USAAC performance requirements, by 1941 it was clearly obsolete, lacking maneuverability, armor protection for the pilot, or self sealing fuel tanks. USAAC felt the basic P-35/P-43 design had exhausted its reserves for further improvement in performance and shifted its interest to the promising P-47. However, because the Pratt & Whitney R-2800 engine intended for the new fighter was not yet available, it was decided to order 54 P-43s to keep the Republic production lines operating until the P-47 was ready.
Sounds like a "stop-gap" aircraft. (I.E. better than nothing.)
It's somewhat better than the I-16. But if your (Chinese) pilots are low in experience or morale, it won't turn them into the AVG. heh.
In RHS, I "upgraded" a couple units (1 USAAF, because the P-40 replacement rate was so pitiful, and 1 RIAF, to get rid of the Lysanders they were flying). They seem to do better than the wiki article might lead you to believe they should.
Heres the situation in the Line Islands. All of Java bar Sorebaja has gone and so has the PI's. Is it worth my while striking here now or biding my time? 04/42 upgrades are round the corner, but if i allow him time to reinforce it will make these a harder nut to crack in the future
Cheers
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1966 was a great year for English Football...Eric was born
Depends on what he has stacked there. (The two islands are within 9 hexes of each other. That means mutually supporting airfields.) Can you recon them a little with PBY's?
I was thinking of using PBY's because of their range. Float planes have a short range (4?), which means that, if he has Betties there, your going to get spotted and attacked. Hmmm.
Based some Liberators at Hilo, they have the range to recon Palmyra, we shall se what info they can bring in. SIGINT has been quiet for this area. At the most he has short range float planes at Christmas Island as my US-Oz convoys havnt yet been detected by flying boats, i even (mistakenly) plotted a course about 8 or so hexes out and still the ships were not spotted, whether that had anything to do with the weather or not i couldnt say.
1966 was a great year for English Football...Eric was born
I notice that you have minefields in the Line Islands. If they are not making contact with supply convoys, it suggests that he has minimal forces stationed there.
Alfred
First run of recon over Palmyra indicates 6000+ men based there. Will try and collate as much info as possible. Im hoping consistent recon will shed some light on what a/c he has based there as its a size 4 AF so Aunty Betty might be carrying torps from any strike there.
Alfred - as yet my spotter subs have only seen one convoy in Palmyra. Subs a bit further west hit a westward bound convoy but they were carrying troops, so either he is redploying his troops after striking at the Line Is. or his target is Baker.
1966 was a great year for English Football...Eric was born
Recon over Palmyra is now reporting 11,000+ troops there but still no id on what type or number of a/c stationed there.
Nells from Johnston made a very rash raid on PH, shot down 10 of them. Very unGHlike attack and it has me thinking whether this was a recon in force of PH as a precursor of a KB strike on Pearl while my fleet undergoes 4/42 upgrades. His carriers' location is as yet unknown. Last confirmed sighting was Kaga at Batavia, but subs that have been snooping around Kwajelin have been subject to spots from Kates and Vals. Having never played Japs, i was wondering how large a base Kwajelin is for the Japs and can the KB sustain central pacific ops from there?
150,000 strong army is just 60 KM south of Sian. If i cannot finish Ichang in the next week ill have to redploy to strengthen my right flank. Bloody china is sooooo slooowwwwwww
1966 was a great year for English Football...Eric was born
You can support KB there -if you build from start.
Striking PH in CHS with KB is a two edge sword - a lot of your counter strike should get through -can he afford damaged CVs for a maybe result - as Japan getting info on Allied CVs where abouts is bloody impossible until they turn up![X(]
big seas, fast ships, life tastes better with salt
Initial interpretation of recon photos of Palmyra indicate about 10,000 men are stationed there. High number of gun emplacements in evidence which suggests the presence of a coastal defence unit. No fighter aircraft or float planes have been identified but yesterdays photos revealed bombers dispersed across the airfield. Presence of Betty or Nell units to be expected.
1966 was a great year for English Football...Eric was born
First Liberator raids over Palmyra report no CAP flying over the base, efforts will be stepped up in order to try and inflict as much damage as possible. Picket subs (S class) will be stationed around the approaches to try an interdict any incoming convoys carrying fighters should GH try and garrison them there
1966 was a great year for English Football...Eric was born
Zeroes are now trying to intercept recon flights over Palmyra. Still no indication of what other types or number of aircraft are based there.
Most of the US fleet is in dry dock refitting with April 42 upgrades. Good thing is that our first subs with radars are hitting the seas, still with crappy torpedoes but they will be good in the recom role.
1966 was a great year for English Football...Eric was born
Ok guys need some adivce here. GH claims a lack of fuel everywhere in the map has slowed down his advance somewhat so it may give me a limited time frame to try something. The area of the Solomons and the Solomon Sea has not yet seen any japanese incursions and thought my initial strategy was to have given them up his lack of intervention here has made me rethink this. As such Noumea and Koumac have been built up and reinforced, they were also going to be given up. My quandry is whether to station small units in the islands as troops i will sacrifice when he advances or just stick to my original strategy only to place the main line of resistance on Noumea - Suva line. Problem is ill be low on PP's (about 700) when April finishes and i tell Winston where he can shove the CV he wants!!!
Im really at a loss at what to do in this area and i feel if i give up the Solomon Sea without a fight ill rue it later. Major problem is that all the islands have little supply and none are developed. I have fairly strong naval assests at Sydney (Force Z in its entirety and the Yorktown Battle group) so i'm confident that if he does come to play i can hit him hard. Noumea is at AF 5 forts 4 (and growing) while PM has been reinforced. Likewise i have a strong submarine element in Sydney, modt have late 10's sys damage due to 4/42 upgrades. So any advice will be welcome.
I was considering attacking in Burma but as im reading GH's AAR vs Troll closely i do not want to risk GH doing a Troll on me. In Burma he still hasnt advanced out of Indo-China. His main effort has so far been China were a massive army has rampaged up my right flank, despite suffering over 20,000 casualties in seperate engagements.
So any help will be welcomed.
Cheers
1966 was a great year for English Football...Eric was born
cantona2,
1. Noumea is usually a death trap unless you can garrison all the bases on New Caledonia. Consequently I would ensure that all of New Caledonia (not just Noumea) is well garrisoned with mutually supporting bases. A strong New Caledonia will maintain an overwatch on the New Hebrides.
2. Develop the mutually supporting bases for Port Moresby. Build up Thursday Island (to lock up the Torres Strait) and Gili Gili. This will help to forestall a sea invasion of Port Moresby and ultimately hammer any jap build up of Rabaul.
3. Continue your 4E raids on Johnston and Palmyra to burn up Jap supplies and keep enemy wondering whether you will launch an invasion to recover these outposts. Doing so will hopefully indirectly protect your USA-Australia SLOC and thereby stop him from cutting your communications by invading Fiji/French Polynesia.
4. If you still have assets left over after taking care of 1-3, then you can consider whether to reinforce/develop Santa Cruz or Guadalcanal. Again the choice should come down to where can you build up quickly mutually supporting bases.
Alfred
