The Fleet the Gods Forgot - Japanese Prospective

[kfmiller41]

Need some opinions on what I should do from the JFBs out there, you know who you are[:D] I am sending an invasion force to take Rabaul which has 2 mainline carriers assigned, about 120 AC. This should be fine for Rabaul, since I know he has at least 2 carriers moving south away from Timor and my main 4 CV force which just missed him. Should I wait at rabaul after capture until I move the other 4 Carriers over to take PM? I am thinking John3 will probably try to ambush my forces (being aggressive as he has been). I would like to take PM before he gets to many ground forces there, notw that Timor has fallen. Just really short of LBA right now, especially fighters so the carriers have to carry the load. What you all think.

[Bliztk]

I would take Rabaul ASAP with plenty engineering support to expand airfield to level 4.

Also I would take buna with whatever forces you can and park an AVD + H8K Emilies to scout.

He has his carriers then trapped between 4 CVs from west and 2 CVs + Betties in the east. If you can coordinate well, you can even stack your 6 CVs in a turn and smash his CV force and tip the balance of the campaign for months. He has put his CV force in a position where if you move fast and swiftly he cannot refuse to do battle in conditions that are favorable to IJN [:-]

Back to planning the demise of YOUR empire [;)] [:o]

[String]

I'd say you have a good chance of trapping his carriers with your 4+2. But you'd probably have to leave the rabaul invasion force uncovered to move in fast enough.

[Rainer79]

What is the fuel situation of your 4 carriers around Timor? If you forced a battle with only 2 carriers near bases where he has LBA support, it could be a recipe for disaster. A "fair" fight is something that Japan cannot afford.

Regarding the LBA shortage, have you started a training program yet?

[kfmiller41]

Well it seems he has some surface units present at Rabaul, Identified a CA and other units and my LBA from truk hit a DD. I decided to stop about 2 hexes out and see if my carriers will launch against that fleet, if it stays there expecting me to go in. I ordered the 4 CV force to head that way and i have a refueling TF going to meet them but wil take some time. Can't use my 4 CV force to chase him due to fuel, have to refuel and that isnt close enough. Plus if he has any carriers close enough to attack me and I don't get the port right away it could get ugly fast. Hiryu and Soryu vrs Lexington and Enterprize isn't a good deal IMHO[:D]
I am doing some training now in China, started earlier but Air losses were heavier than expected plus I have to convery those claudes to zero's in the home islands and it is taking time to get Zero's online, to much time[:-]

[Nemo121]

You need to hit him hard, now !!!
 
Combine your CVs as quickly as possible and race down from Timor towards the Rabaul/PM area. Run your other CVs into the same area from Truk ( which is where I'm guessing they are now ) and race your AOs down after them.

Sure fuel will be a problem for you but it looks to me like John3rd should have even more fuel problems. I figure you'll catch him somewhere between Thursday island and PM and should, unless you really mess up the CAP settings, get good, reliable sinkings.
 
Begin flying Zeroes, Kates and Vals into Truk so they can base into Rabaul ( and from there onto your CVs to replace losses ) now.
 
As to the Rabaul invasion... Send them in with good surface combat TF support. You don't need aircover as losing a few APs or AKs is a wonderful trade-off if you remove the US CVs from the game.
 
I think you've been too timid so far in this game but this is an opportunity to hit him hard and disrupt his tempo. Right now he is able to hit you far too easily but if you remove his CVs that will stop and the game can begin to unfold much more according to your tempo. This is essential at this stage as there's a real possibility that you could lose control of this entire game within the next two months otherwise.

[kfmiller41]

 Nemo "Self expression isn't one of your problems"[:D] You are a much more aggressive player than I am. I can do that and it probably would be fun to try, just for a change of pace.

[Nemo121]

[:D]. It was offered to be helpful.

[kfmiller41]

I know it was, i just know that I don't have the forces in position to make it work, I am sorely lacking in surface forces,   the 2 carriers have an escort of 1 CA and 4 DDs [:@] so they are not going into that port. The heaviest surface ship i have near rabaul is that CA[8|] and if you ask me why i will tell you that I am probably the most disorganozed person on the planet and have no business playing WITP but I can't help myself[:D]

[Q-Ball]

ORIGINAL: miller41

Plus if he has any carriers close enough to attack me and I don't get the port right away it could get ugly fast. Hiryu and Soryu vrs Lexington and Enterprize isn't a good deal IMHO[:D]

Actually, this early in the war, I might take this battle. The USN CVs are equipped with Buffalos and F3F, which means your Zeros will make quick work of them. You would risk damage, but if I had to bet, I think the Allies would suffer much worse than you.

Lesson learned on surface ships: You actually have a huge surplus of surface units early, you're just out of position. It's a good idea to send 4-6 BBs out to Truk early on, with an eye to using 2 or so for Rabaul. 2 FUSOS would be enough of a deterrent.

Building on what Nemo said, I will offer a little advice on John: He is aggressive, and he likes to split his CVs. That is a bad combination for early-war Allies, and you can take advantage of that. At some point I would offer some "bait" to what you know to be a CV division, and have KB swoop down for the kill......

[kfmiller41]

That is now the plan. I have to make him reacte to me now so I will. One problem is just time, I have alot going on in my life (kinda like John only mine is a very sick wife) and with several games going i can't commit the thought to each game that i should. Makes for some poor decisions.

[kfmiller41]

Apparently I made a gamey move[:-]. While atttempting to flank a blocking force in Malaya in the mountains i sent 3 Divs along the coast and took Kuala Lampur. In the attack i used a shock attack with Persuit as i wanted to get a head start down the highway (15 miles) because John was still fighting me in the mountains, where he had been for several days (IMHO more than enough time to withdraw) Due to the added distance i was able to get beyond him and defeat the force I pushed out of Kuala Lampur the next day and cut him off. I was told that he never uses persuit because it is gamey? I am unsure if it is because it is not like you actually move 45 miles in one turn, only 15 so you still give your opponent a day to get back. Really the Japanese did move pretty fast in this campaign and I think John stayed to long but I did offer to redo the previous 2 turns, and even though he declined i decided to move the blocking divisions back to Kuala Lampur to give him an out, just for the sake of fair play. Opinions?
 

[Canoerebel]

If it wasn't covered by an HR then there was nothing wrong about your move.  John should have foreseen the risk and acted accordingly.  He failed to do so.  That's his bad.  To call your move gamey is gamey on his part.  He should apologize to you.

[Hornblower]

nothing wrong with Pursuit, thats why the button is there. 

[Cap Mandrake]

John once shock/pursued my retreating troops right across the causeway into Singapore when I had 50,000 fresh infantry on the island. This negated the "river" bonus and trapped a couple of brigades in Mersing. I wasn't too happy about it because it seemed implausible that a dozen type 2 tankettes could seize a 500 yd long bridge from 50,000 Commonwealth infantry....oh well. [:)]

The Allied player is going to lose in Malaya and he is going to lose Singapore. His job is to last as slong as possible.

I got my revenge by evacuating the 2 Australian brigades which ultimately helped save Perth.

If you ask me, the idea that thousands of defeated infantry could withdraw in the face of a superior force...sneak away at night...fall back 60 miles and then wait four days for the bad guys to show up is preposterous as well. The game engine isn't perfect but he should have begun evacuating when you threatened his quick escape route.

[kfmiller41]

That was my feeling but I just didn't want to get into a pissing match over it. Besides i consider a much more gamey thing the use subs in ever friggin port[:-] Especially with Jap ASW being so poor, even with good leaders and decent boats i lose many more ships than he does subs. Shoulds be a penalty to sub ops for being im restricted water. There could very well be but they sure don't work[:D] And don't even get me started about MINES, dear god they are everywhere[8|]Have to see what Johns response is to my offer to get out of his way. If he tells me not to then no problem. already agreed not to use persuit any more in the game.

[pat.casey]

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

If it wasn't covered by an HR then there was nothing wrong about your move.  John should have foreseen the risk and acted accordingly.  He failed to do so.  That's his bad.  To call your move gamey is gamey on his part.  He should apologize to you.

Agree.

[Cap Mandrake]

It may be more about jawing at the ref after a close call to try to get the next one to go your way [:)]

[Nemo121]

John has a history of calling gamey when things don't go his way and calling "brilliance" when things go his way.
 
The button is there, its part of the game and if he didn't provide against its use then that's his tough. He should apologise to you for calling it gamey rather than the other way round.

[n01487477]

already agreed not to use pursuit any more in the game.

I wouldn't have even accepted this ... They move 60, you can move the same ... but I guess it works both ways, so when the Allies are hot on your heals you'll get the benefit.

--Damian--