Matrix Games Forums

3861

Still waiting for the next turn, but I'm determined to be 100% ready for it this time and turn it around within a day! What I'm learning, though, is that's it's exhausting to have to figure everything out again every time; it's even worse than the opening move. I really have to learn to take better notes.

In the meantime, I've done the initial review of my sub patrols. As expected, I discovered that I must be missing a lot of opportunities. I have 72 submarines active, including 2 that are new and waiting at their opening ports so they don't count in this discussion. In addition, one other is new and en route to its first base and another is just starting out after resupply so they don't count, either. That leaves 68 submarines to talk about; of those 68 a full 30 haven't fired a single torpedo. Ignore the misses and duds; after a month 44% haven't even fired a shot!

Now, that's to be expected (and hoped for) with the subs on west coast patrol duty. Where targets should be plentiful, though, I think some of the problem is that I make my patrol areas a bit too compact, typically triangles only 2 or 3 hexes on a side. This is appropriate in some cases, but in the open ocean I need to be willing to enlarge the patrol areas.

Of course, I also suspect that some of my sub commanders are somewhat lacking in aggression, but I can't check them until they're back in port (that's not one of the values displayed on the ship screen). There are lots of candidates for submarine command in my pool, so I'll be watching the subs as they arrive.

Speaking of that, here's a tip for any newbies who might be unaware: if a task force is assigned a patrol area, it will return to port for reprovisioning and then head right back out; auto-disband commands are ignored. This is great for an ASW patrol around the base that just needs to get more depth charges, but it's a PITA when a sub is involved. When you see a submarine leaving its station to return to port, if you don't want it to automatically go right back where it was then you need to clear the patrol zone. I just now figured that out, after how many years playing this game?

I'd like to go into more detail about my sub operations, which actually are my primary interest, but I'm suspicious there might be a security leak. Every time I've posted detailed plans in the past my opponent almost magically happens to be in position to thwart them. I don't suspect him of espionage, but I need to run a few turns in silence to convince myself that it's all just coincidence. Shouldn't be long before I can talk about such things again. (Besides that, I've only reviewed the existing problems -- I'm still looking into how I want to address them!)

Next update will probably come when the turn comes and is returned.

4032

Finally got the turn and, of course, it was during my busiest week of the month. Almost ready to send it back, just a couple items to research first.

Due to the security concerns I mentioned in my last post, I can't give specifics of what I'm doing this turn. This should give a general idea, though. Things are listed here in no particular order.

1. Some flying groups are to be withdrawn next turn, so I'm sending them on last minute all-out blitz missions. In keeping with some semblance of realism (think the "Dieppe Factor" rule in Third Reich) these are not suicide missions, but I at least want the pilots to earn their respite.

2. Two new submarines are being deployed to their future operating bases.

3. Provisions are being made for particular supply lines in China.

4. Aircraft in hot areas that aren't useful in the immediate future are being redeployed to safe haven bases.

5. Forward defense bases are being built up with appropriately-sized ground units.

6. ASW task forces have seen a small amount of reorganization. Nothing major, just efficiency improvements.

7. As always, have reviewed bases that just completed an expansion phase (ports, airfields, and/or fortifications). Shifted focus on one of them, others are to continue on the same feature(s).

8. Although there doesn't seem to be any immediate danger, I'm sending some fighters to defend a base that is almost worthless to the Allies but of immense value to the Japanese. That's one of the research items: determine which aircraft type is best suited to my needs.

That's it for now. Turn will be finished this week (would be tonight if I didn't need to be working a program that conflicts with WitP) and I'll post any additional comments then.

4089

Okay, turn is complete and will go out tomorrow in email (I try to avoid getting into email at home -- if you really care why, I'll tell you but it'll take a lot longer than this weasly remark).

Just one major addition to what I mentioned in the previous post: there are additional air units that will be withdrawn within 2 weeks, so I've upped them to 100% training (these are the restricted units in the US that don't stick around long enough to be worth doing anything with). They should be okay for 2 weeks or less until they go away. Normally I stick to about 70% training so pilots and airframes will rotate in and out and minimize fatigue, which in turn reduces the chance of operational losses. We all know what's going to happen later on, but I try to play as if it were in the here and now and I have no idea what's going to be released to the Pacific Theater contrary to the "Germany first" orthodoxy.

Oh, yes, I did upgrade two units' aircraft. These units, of course, aren't going away anytime soon, and the pools for their new types are full enough.

For the future, I'll be reviewing what units -- both ground and air -- I have in places that don't do any good. Somehow I've built up the East Coast to an air force about the size of the boneyard at Davis-Monthan and need to get those planes moving. That's only one example, though perhaps the most extreme.

If things go as usual then David will get the turn Friday afternoon his time and I'll have the combat replay, along with what he calls a "raw" file, before the end of the weekend. We'll see if I have time to do anything with it!

4139

Got the combat replay. Haven't yet looked at what I'm going to do about it!

Most negatively notable, that damn Japanese sub hanging around Midway sank xAK MAHIMAHI. Two destroyers and I don't remember how many aircraft on ASW and they can't even find a sub whose presence is known. A replacement TF is already en route, but we are not amused!

Most positively notable, one of my own subs actually hit a ship! SS SAURY fired I-don't-know-how-many torpedoes at XAK KEIYO MARU and scored one torpedo hit and 13 shell hits. I haven't yet investigated why the captain was making a surface attack in the daylight! SAURY took 5 shell hits herself. At least two torpedoes were duds, and at least two missed. I wasn't paying attention during the replay and the numbers aren't split out in the combat report.

Aside from that, the Japanese are unloading troops at Shortlands and Billiton, and they occupied the next-to-last base on Mindanao. Only Cagayan remains in Allied hands.

Several inconsequential air attacks took place in China, as usual. One major raid at Manila (138 Japanese aircraft), attacking Asiatic Fleet HQ, was a moral victory for the Allies. The defense consisted of 2 P-35As and 1 P-40E, 1 each of which were destroyed but not before one Lily was damaged (I'm actually surprised the CAP lasted more than 30 seconds)! Only 168 casualties on the ground.

The only ground combat took place in the hex east of Pontianak, where the exhausted units fleeing from the various northwest bases finally had enough and surrendered. The loss is minuscule in terms of the war, but it's still painful to see.

Next post will come when orders for the next day have been developed.

Now the xAK MahiMahi is sleeping with the fishes? [:D]