Starvation Island--Scenario 4 "Learning Curve"

[John 3rd]

The CVs are moving down from Truk but won't get here until the day after tomorrow.

I had sent Hiei, Kirishima, 2 CA, 1 CL, and 5 DD in to Bombard Lunga on Sept 7th.  They approaching American TF were spotted that day.  After the bombardment I decided to send the BC TF back in and hit the TF at Lunga.  I expected a Surface Fight and then AK/AP to attack.  The thing that happened is the the game decided to move the Japanese in around the bottom of Guadalcanal and come around the EASTERN coast hitting the AF from east to west.

This movement brought the Japanese into contact with 4 CV TF and a powerful STF (BB Washington and North Dakota.  Thankfully the American STF didn't interpose as the Japanese fought each American CV TF one at a time.  It was CRAZY to watch!

I know the damage is serious because only Saratoga launched during the day to attack the fleeing Japanese survivors.

[Q-Ball]

With the ability in AE to do mid-ocean intercepts, you have to really watch it with your CVs now. I just had a CV TF bump into a single RN DD, and even a little ship will put you on pins and needles. If surface units are about, you almost have to have a surface TF covering the CV.

In WITP I never was involved in a surface action with CVs, but AE is a whole new ballgame there.

[John 3rd]

You are SOOOOO right.  I am very gld to be working on this small campaign before jumping into the war.  There are so many minor and major differences that it takes some getting used to.
 
I am TRYING to write the combat report as a narrative right now.  It is rather entertaining.  Of course I did lose ships but I've knocked out 3/4 of the US CVs for a bit of time.
 

[PaxMondo]

ORIGINAL: WITPPL

Hi.

I am quite sure that You will NOT be able to move Recata Bay HQ.

Why?

[Fishbed]

happened to me, the other way around, while playing the Japanese side in the same scenario [;)]
Kido Butai was scattering, running everywhere against an Allied cruiser force...

Was disappointed with my Bombardment of Milne Bay by 4 CA. Only destroyed one squad of the 7th Aussie Brigade. Rather sad for the ammo expended! Have my 3 ML SS placing a small minefield there with tomorrow's turn.

Don't forget to recon the target location with every available assets. Bombardments are a waste if you don't do it the day before.

For your speed problem, I have resolved (or so) the thing by putting everyone at Shortlands as a reference point. I'd like to underline that fast transport convoys with DDs and CL can actually make the run Shortlands-Lunga-Shortlands in a single turn (loaded ships at Shortlands with Lunga as a target for the night at full speed and withdraw, and the day after they're back in Shortlands, empty). pretty efficient to buff the place up

[John 3rd]

Fishbed gives sound thinking in the above post.  I am assigning all my STF Shortlands as their return.  Seems to work fairly well.  The AI chooses different courses each time though.  Don't think I've seen them go straight down the Slot once.  Always move north or south of the Slot...
 
I've got dedicated recon FP going over Lunga and Milne every turn.  IT does seem to help some.
 

[ny59giants]

Looking at ONLY the first posting before providing this screens shot of last turn as this is a "learning" game for both sides.

[LoBaron]

Not bad. [X(]

And I thought I was lucky hitting 2 CV´s with a coordinated sub/CV attack against my cunning opponent Rob. [:'(]
Well that is grey pasttime anyway...

[John 3rd]

Michael called and we chatted over the fight. Am glad he posted onto the AAR to see the results. Am HOPING to add to the carnage from the surface fight...

I have attached the Screenshot of my SS in the area. With those damaged ships limping back towards Noumea I REALLY hope to get in some attacks. If enough time passes, my CVs may be able to strike before he gets back to base. That is a pretty thin shot but we'll see.

Next turn will also allow me to unleash my Betty at long range to see if they can hit anything.

[Fishbed]

ORIGINAL: John 3rd

Fishbed gives sound thinking in the above post.  I am assigning all my STF Shortlands as their return.  Seems to work fairly well.  The AI chooses different courses each time though.  Don't think I've seen them go straight down the Slot once.  Always move north or south of the Slot...

Ah yeah, be careful about that one. When you select the destination, never forget to tell them to take the DIRECT ROUTE (in the threat tolerance & all...) or they will start to look for another route than the Slot, and this can get unpleasant.

The problem with my Shortlands thing is that your opponent should better not find your staging area, or this could get nasty. But you can build an airfield pretty quickly there with a lot of base forces. The good thing, is that as long as you don't get intercepted at Lunga, he'll never know you're actually running supply efforts down there, as from his point of view ships will always be in Shortlands.

In the same fashion, I use Oton Java as a staging point if my ships come from the north.

[John 3rd]

Hadn't thought about using Ontong Java. GOOD Idea!

I'm trying to build an AF at Munda first and then move on to Shortlands. I've got 4 Con Battalions and the 2nd Inf Division's Engineers currently flattening the ground at Munda! What I wouldn't give for 5-6 bulldozers...

[John 3rd]

ORIGINAL: PaxMondo

ORIGINAL: WITPPL

Hi.

I am quite sure that You will NOT be able to move Recata Bay HQ.

Why?

Heck--I don't know! I want to move them from Rekata to Lunda but the AI won't let me. Does anyone know if you can move this HQ unit?

[Fishbed]

ORIGINAL: John 3rd

Hadn't thought about using Ontong Java. GOOD Idea!

I'm trying to build an AF at Munda first and then move on to Shortlands. I've got 4 Con Battalions and the 2nd Inf Division's Engineers currently flattening the ground at Munda! What I wouldn't give for 5-6 bulldozers...

Some base units (IJA maybe?) have bulldozers. What was good with Shortlands is that the naval support there allows you to disembark them pretty well. What I didn't like with Munda is that it's too close from Lunga, and easily attackable from the enemy. No coastal defense whatsoever either, and you have to build it from the ground, with no help... That would be too much of an effort hampering a war effort in NG.

I have other ideas but I keep it for my next PBEM I may actually play with someone here, sorry... ^^
Well actually I could use the MP, but it's too late in the game anyway for implementing this...

And about Rekata bay: never been able to move the guys.

[John 3rd]

The morning of September 10th opens with low clouds throughout the region SE of Guadalcanal. After the crazy fighting the previous day, Combined Fleet orders all Japanese SS in the area to shift their patrols hoping to catch damaged Carriers and American warships returning to Noumea.

Two Crews Wait:

1. The crew of I-7, in particular, have a quick breakfast as their vessel settles at Periscope depth. Their Captain knows he is in the correct area for the Americans to pass through...

2. In a far smaller boat, the crew of Ro-67 is looking forward to making port at Shortlands to reprovision their boat after a fruitless patrol near Milne Bay...

[John 3rd]

Two Submarines and two similar scenes:

Ro-67
As Ro-67 runs past Vella Lavella, on the surface, they are stunned to hear the desperate calls for help that Shortlands is under attack by American BBs. The Captain orders the ship to flank speed.

About an hour later his sharp-eyed lookouts spot approaching ships making haste to leave the scene. The boat submerges and the captain calmly waits as the two American leviathons approach him. At 1,200 yards he orders a spread of 4 Torps launched at the lead American BB. He laters finds out that BB Washington is his target and the crew breaks into celebrations as the first TT smacks into the starboard side of the battlewagon! Unfortunately the second Torp in the spread hits but is a DUD. (Damn!) The TF is moving so fast, his Sub is never even attacked by American ASW.

Still...his little boat has put a hole in one of the few US BBs in this area of the Pacific.

I-7
A similar scene awaits the veteran crew of I-7. Having been depth charged for missing an American DD just a few days before, the Captain has learned prudence. He stays deep until his sound man reports the approach of screws from the north. This TF is moving slow and the DDs appear to be highly vigilant.

Slowly does the boat rise and as the Captain raising his Periscope he spots the USS Wasp a scant 800 yards from his vessel! He orders six Torpedoes launched immediately on a narrow spread. He knows he CANNOT miss! First one and then another Torpedo slam into the already damaged flank of the Wasp. A secondary explosion forces the Carrier to a halt. Try as he might, the Commander of I-7 cannot return to finish the kill as he is pinned under the water for hours by a vengeful Escorting Force of DDs.

Six hours later he is able to surface and radio the news of his successful attack.

Combined Fleet tightens its orders to other Subs hoping for more successes like these.

BANZAI!

[Q-Ball]

Not sure if you are reading my AAR John, but I swear Wasp is a sub magnet. Cuttlefish has hit her on two separate attacks.

Nice job, not sure if you sank her, but pretty safe to say she is out of this scenario.

[John 3rd]

ORIGINAL: Q-Ball

Not sure if you are reading my AAR John, but I swear Wasp is a sub magnet. Cuttlefish has hit her on two separate attacks.

Nice job, not sure if you sank her, but pretty safe to say she is out of this scenario.

I completely agree. It seems like Wasp gets Torped and Arizona blows up! Crazy isn't it?

I've started reading your AAR to get a feel of your campaign.

[John 3rd]

September 11th brings no rest for the American Fleet as it tries to retreat to Noumea. The shipping is attacked from under, on, and above the sea.

Lunga
CarDiv1 arrives and an afternoon strike at Lunga shipping manages to sink 2 xAP while fighting through 20 F4F. Losses are light--1 Z, 2 V, and 1 K in exchange for 3 F4F. The prime targets--CAs Australia and Canberra--are missed by all 26 Vals! Think my boys need some target practice.

CarDiv1
The Zuikaku has to duck and dodge as a counterattack develops from Henderson Field. Against a CAP of 16 Zero, a raid of 14 F4F and 16 SBD manage to push 10 Dive-Bombers to the point of attack. Luckily all 10 bombs miss Zuikaku and the American aircraft suffer the loss of 3 F4F and 6 SBD. Japanese CAP losses nothing.

A later raid by 6 B-17 accomplish nothing except damage to each of the big bombers.

SUBS!
I-11 misses an American DD
I-7 (the SS who hit Wasp yesterday) misses a DD as well

I-15, however, spots the seriously damaged Wasp and puts a further two TTs into her! BANZAI! Pretty certain we can write off this flattop... For its work the I-15 takes a single DC.


Orders:
CARDIV1 will swing around the Solomons chain and try to hit anything slowly withdrawing southwards. The STF of the 2 remaining BC (Kongo and Haruna) will attack Lunga's shipping during the night. The bombardment by Mutsu and Yamato will finish the night's action.

Subs hope to score again before the entire American Fleet retreats into Noumea.

[John 3rd]

This is not a competitive scenario for me as a player. The scenario is a Learning Curve to prepare me for AE. These are my questions and/or observations after 30-40 turns:

1. A-t-A appears to be far less deadly and I really like that! That being said, I'm learning that Vals, Kates, and Betty are terribly vulnerable to ANY fighters that get through the escort. Still need to figure the altitude thing out for what is best to fly at...

2. Attacks against shipping appear to be dialed back in their lethalness as well. I've seen raids of 30-40 highly experienced bombers only end up hitting 2-4 times. Is this an accurate observation?

3. The surface intercepts are impressive! Shock cannot describe what I felt as that unfolded on September 9th's turn. Does this happen very often?

4. Loading troops into Fast Transports and regular Transports is MUCH more complicated and appears to offer a true challenge.

5. Logistics--having enough Torps, Drop Tanks, supply, etc... REALLY makes for a great amount of micromanagement.

6. Patrol Zones are excellent!

I've asked Michaelt to play through the next week so I can get some more practice before the final plunge. He has agreed so we'll see how far this may run...

Comments?

[witpqs]

2. Yes

3. Yes