The 1609.344 km War

[Chickenboy]

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

Sign in today is "IBOMDU" which is text message speak for "I bombed you"

Turn 10: A newly arrived "Mixed Brigade" is beinged* embarked to moved to Attu. I appointed a hot shot General to take over Northern Army and the CD unit at Attu changed command to Northern Army.

Meanwhile, in the mirror game, a USN taffy consisting of all 3 CA's, 2 CL and 7 DD's was attempting a combat sweep West of Attu but apparently diverted to the map edge row to escape a Jap sub and become entrapped in an ice flow or something. The entire TF will not take orders. I have asked Dave to go back one turn as there was otherwise little action for the turn. Losing 85-90% of the USN surface strength would be bad. By my reckoning it is about 5:30 AM there. He is probably out on his morning 8 mile run.

* Not sure "beinged" is a word, but it should be.

Have you considered that this powerful SCTF will just not take your orders? I mean, aren't you the guy that ordered them to the Northern edge of the map so that they could get hounded by Jap subs and stuck in the ice? Just sayin'. [:'(]

[Cap Mandrake]

Just read the brief summaries of the first tournament round two games. Interestingly, in one game neither player took both islands. There was also quite a bit of early carnage and one USN BB was lost to Bettys. The timetable to get a landing party ashore at BOTH islands before the Jap carriers show up is very limited.

[erstad]

Meanwhile, in the mirror game, a USN taffy consisting of all 3 CA's, 2 CL and 7 DD's was attempting a combat sweep West of Attu but apparently diverted to the map edge row to escape a Jap sub and become entrapped in an ice flow or something. The entire TF will not take orders. I have asked Dave to go back one turn as there was otherwise little action for the turn.

Same thing happened to Cuttlefish in our 1000 mile war game. We had to redo several turns.

[rtrapasso]

ORIGINAL: erstad

Meanwhile, in the mirror game, a USN taffy consisting of all 3 CA's, 2 CL and 7 DD's was attempting a combat sweep West of Attu but apparently diverted to the map edge row to escape a Jap sub and become entrapped in an ice flow or something. The entire TF will not take orders. I have asked Dave to go back one turn as there was otherwise little action for the turn.

Same thing happened to Cuttlefish in our 1000 mile war game. We had to redo several turns.

Yeah - this bug has been around forever... i remember the same thing happened to me under regular WITP ver 1.21 or so when a troop convoy from India to Australia sailed off the southern edge of the map, prompting a replay.

[Cap Mandrake]

ORIGINAL: erstad

Meanwhile, in the mirror game, a USN taffy consisting of all 3 CA's, 2 CL and 7 DD's was attempting a combat sweep West of Attu but apparently diverted to the map edge row to escape a Jap sub and become entrapped in an ice flow or something. The entire TF will not take orders. I have asked Dave to go back one turn as there was otherwise little action for the turn.

Same thing happened to Cuttlefish in our 1000 mile war game. We had to redo several turns.

There isn't much room in the sandbox North of Attu in this scenario. I wonder how far north combat ships could have operated in this geography in mid April 1943

[desicat]

The most comparable operations would have been around in the White Sea in Norway and Russia. The destruction of Convoy PQ-17 and the sinking of the Scharnhorst in the Battle of the North Cape provide examples of poor weather naval operations.

http://www.uboat.net/ops/convoys/pq-17.htm

http://www.scharnhorst-class.dk/scharnh ... front.html

Of course you could always go the route of the IJN Yonaga......

http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/a/pet ... arrier.htm

[Cap Mandrake]

ORIGINAL: desicat
http://www.scharnhorst-class.dk/scharnh ... front.html

Good read. Somehow I had never read about that in detail. Clever trap by the Royal Navy.

[Cap Mandrake]

April 28: I'm switching to calender date because I lost track.[:)] Maya and Nachi arrived along with two small escorts. A part of the recently arrived combat brigade is disembarking at Attu with one CL as escort. The float planes reported a TF of 11 ships heading SE about 200 miles south of Kiska? If these are the USN CA's, they could reach Attu with a sprint, but sometimes, one just has to take a risk. Airfield at Attu is nearly ready for the Betties (when they arrive).

Maya and Nachi will escort the remainder of the combat brigade on 17-18kt transports. USN ASW groups and Jap subs tangled between Adak and Dutch.

[Chickenboy]

Has this game wrapped up yet?  Who won? 

[Cap Mandrake]

No..we arent even close yet. We had the disappearing TF problem and we didnt get much done this weekend.

No killing blows struck yet.

[Cap Mandrake]

April 29: A future Congressman (if he survies the war), skippering an S boat, puts two torps into a 7 point Jap DD AND the magazine explodes. I'm sure everything will be fine.

Zero squadron now at Attu. No sign of USN surface forces.

[Cap Mandrake]

May 1: Looks like Raver may be up to something. 97th Mixed Up Brigade will have to suffer dismebarcus interruptis

[Chickenboy]

Whatcha got in port at Attu, big guy? You may want to have it / them beat feet too. IIRC, you've a damaged DD there that's just going to be target practice for CA Indianapolis and friends-any place will be better than in port at Attu.

Please don't forget to 'stop unloading' on your Amphibious TF before you move it out of the hex. Just sayin'.

Also, your subs on the East side of your image look well off of your opponent's likely route of advance. I assume these are your C1 class (glen-equipped) subs? If you put 'em a little closer to the action, they are quite capable of intercepting a surface TF too-it doesn't interfere with their search functionality.

[Cap Mandrake]

ORIGINAL: Chickenboy

Whatcha got in port at Attu, big guy? You may want to have it / them beat feet too. IIRC, you've a damaged DD there that's just going to be target practice for CA Indianapolis and friends-any place will be better than in port at Attu.

Please don't forget to 'stop unloading' on your Amphibious TF before you move it out of the hex. Just sayin'.

Also, your subs on the East side of your image look well off of your opponent's likely route of advance. I assume these are your C1 class (glen-equipped) subs? If you put 'em a little closer to the action, they are quite capable of intercepting a surface TF too-it doesn't interfere with their search functionality.

There is a badly damaged APD and a sub at Attu. I dont think either can safely make PJ as is. I thought about sending them off to the North a few hexes but the sub threat is also great. I too suspect a bombardment of Attu may be in order. I did fly off the Zeroes to PJ but there is no good solution to the problem of the two vessels in port.

Lets hope the CD guns provide some cover if they come in.

Subs are being redeployed but I already lost one 11 pt Glen-equipped sub (and had another badly damaged) that attacked an ASW group.

[Chickenboy]

So, Cap'n...who won? What's the latest with this game.....?

[Cap Mandrake]

ORIGINAL: Chickenboy

So, Cap'n...who won? What's the latest with this game.....?

We are up to May 3 or so in both games.

Attu was not hit. Instead Kiska was just crushed this turn by all 3 USN BB's and the cruisers. Supply is in the red. Kiska looks to be the first (or only) landing target in this game. I anticipate a landing in about 5-7 (depending on whether he waits for the LST's).

I just sent the Zeroes to Attu. In 2 or 3 days, the Bettys will fly in if the weather if propitious. An IJN cruiser group loiters NW of Attu.

In the mirror game, I made a successful P-38 sweep over Attu and hit the airfield with B-24's. The next turn the Zeroes flew in to Attu and shot down 4 B-24's. Today the USN BB's will bombard Attu in daylight and try to wreck the Zeroes.

[witpqs]

4 B-24's? [&:] How many Zeros are we talking about?

[Cap Mandrake]

ORIGINAL: witpqs

4 B-24's? [&:] How many Zeros are we talking about?

36 Zeroes. I am counting operational losses of the 24's. It was a long flight home in bad weather.

[Cap Mandrake]

Situation May 5:

USN ASW group trying to clean out the minisubs from Kiska. The poor bastards have been bobbing around in the Artic for 2 1/2 weeks in underventilated minisubs eating rice cakes and soggy seaweed. I would volunteer for a suicide mission just to get out of the duty.

Betty Daitai has deployed to Attu with torps thanks to the Air HQ.

Raver has boasted "Invasion Coming" or some other such hubris. Almost certainly will be Kiska.

[Chickenboy]

Cap'n-if you're looking for torpedo-capable aircraft, don't overlook those Emilys.  For some reason with this scenario, they're real BB killers-in spite of their poor torpedo skills.