Into The Unknown Taxcutter vs. Ironman

[mussey]

In my past games I was weary of setting a major naval base at Rockhampton. If Ironman KB does the southern blitz down the Ozzie east coast there's little buffer and no warning to escape. Rockhampton could be a trap...

If need be, Brisbane/Sydney is better situated to flee southeast.

[Taxcutter]

Update: August 18, 1942

Finally a carrier battle.

Ironman (the script, I know) had been running small invasions forces backed by 2-3 CVs out to Midway. So far my ground forces have held him off. This time I brought my CV Death star (6 CV with aircrews trained up to at least 70 experience, 4 CLAA, 1 BB, 16 modern DD) and lurked for him northeast of Midway. In the past he has approached from the SW (Kwaj?).

This time he crossed me up and came in from the NW. He played it perfectly standing off 8 hexes using the superior range of the Zero to escort his strike planes in while i could only play defense. My 135 Wildcats inflicted some losses but mostly disrupted his attacks. But some got through and the Yorktown took some damage (20 FLT, 9 ENG and a fouled deck) I had sortied with less than full hangars so the Yorktown planes that were up got recovered and are still in action.

I shifted my Midway search to cover him and basically charged right at him. Ironman appears to have 3 CV in this task force. Charging him worked. I got (non-fatal) hits on Zuikaku and Hiryu and caught a oiler and sank it. (My oilers are six hexes SE of the battle area)

I must be doing some damage to his air groups because the next strike had considerably fewer planes. All the same his Zeros are still very superior to my Wildcats and 70 EXP pilots. I haven't lost many but my hangar decks are full of shot-up fighters. Even with fewer planes he managed a hit on the Saratoga. (6 FLT, 2 ENG, and the deck is not fouled) She is keeping up and still in the fight.

Next day we both got lost in cloudy weather. He is retiring to the north. He is halfway to Attu.

I think now is the time to break off. His transports bugged out to the NW and I still have 8 CAs covering Midway. With 2 damaged CV and no oiler support (I know Soryu and Hiryu are short-legged) Ironman looks to be trying to break off as well. More than anything I need to conserve my air wings. I've lost few pilots but airframe replacements are still slow.

Not a victory but not a defeat.

[Taxcutter]

Continued update august 18, 1942.

Ironman continues to try to reinforce Kiska with unescorted transports and my Omahas continue to wear the transports out. I'm dug in deep at Adak but have very few air assets in the area.

He has completely backed away from Canton. I am getting some strike planes into that place now.

I continue to build up in the south Pacific (Noumea/Luganville, Pago Pago, and Suva) Plenty of LCU but air assets are thin.

I also continue to build up in Australia. I have three full fighter groups in northeastern Australia beating on unescorted Betties and racking up kills and gaining beaucoup experience. But I still have oly two squadrons of P-40Es there. when i start modernizing those P-39D squadrons those other squadrons should be formidable.

Building up fuel at Rockhampton has worked so far. Sydney isn't stealing fuel and I have two squadrons of P-39s and three flak units there to kill curious Betties.

Burma/India is at a halt. neither of us has an edge and I can't just grind at him because air replacements are very slow. So I'll stay on the defensive and continue building up supply and fuel. Abadan is a bottomless source of fuel. I have Capetown, Bombay, and Colombo well established as logistical bases.

Both of our submarine wars are going slowly. I've sunk a number of his I-boats with my heavy regional convoy escort groups. Every now and then his Lutzow and a AMC pick off a xAK but I don't have the surface assets (yet) to cover the gaps. His attacks on Midway have disrupted my strategic submarine campaign, but I'm finally back up to tn subs in Japanese waters. The bag has been steady but not spectacular.

I am planning invasions of Guadalcanal, Tulagi, and the Ellice Islands.

[BBfanboy]

If your F4Fs had 70 EXP pilots against A6M3s, they should have at least held their own. Did you mean 70 AIR skill rather than 70 EXP? Seems pretty early for USN to have a full slate of 70 EXP pilots unless they have all been in battle before.

[Taxcutter]

Looking at my carrier air wings, most were only slightly attrited. This was more than offset by the big EXP bump from real combat.

The only exception was the torpedo bomber squadron of the Wasp. This was the last squadron using Devastators and they lost two thirds of their planes.

When I get the Wasp back to Pearl, I'll swap that squadron out for a Marine dive bomber squadron I carrier trained while my carriers were hiding out in San Diego. I'll be light on torpedo bombers but given the poor IJN damage control dive bombers can be good ship-killers, especially if you wan to kill CVs.

[BBfanboy]

Good plan. I get frustrated not only with the lack of hits from the TBs, but the lack of explosions on the few that do hit. DBs are good against everything but BBs and even those can be killed by fires with enough bomb hits (30+ in one day)

[Schlussel]

Really enjoying your AAR Taxcutter, thanks for posting. I don't think I've ever seen an AAR featuring Ironman, so it will be interesting to see how it compares to the with the vanilla Japanese AI, especially in defense.

[Taxcutter]

Update August 20, 1942

Ironman might be a script but he is a good one.

The CV group I found was actually the second of (at least two) sent north and east of Hawaii to interdict my convoys from the west coast. I found the other one the hard way.

His lead group slipped by me and sank three fast freighters and a DMS about twelve hexes NE of Hilo. Past my seaplanes out of Hawaii and east of my CV force. By the number of planes encountered I'm looking for two CVs. In a way just what I'm looking for. A chance to defeat him in detail.

My CVs were headed for Pearl. Saratoga has taken a hit and can only make 22 knots but her deck is not foul and her air wing is practically intact. I'm taking the risk and dragging her along. If I can catch these rascals, I need the strike planes, but another tangle with Kates could be a problem.

Yorktown made Pearl. Repair time: 55 days. I got part of her remaining planes off but some are stuck on-board.

Once the situation quiets down I will probably pull Yorktown out of the yard at Pearl and send her to San Diego. I like to keep Pearl's yards as clear as I can for emergency repairs. If Ironman's raiders get around me and get away (entirely possible with my group being tied to a 22 knot ship) I'll send Saratoga straight to the west coast. Probably Bremerton. It still has three PH victim BB in it but Pennsylvania and Nevada are almost ready for sea.

I'll bring the rest of my CVs to Pearl. As with everyone else, my CV air strikes are poorly coordinated. I'm thinking this is because I used two task force centered onn three carriers each. Maybe If I got to two-CV groups I can get more efficient co-ordination. I'll have to go to 2 CV task forces anyway as two CV will be in the yards for a couple or three months.

Ironman had to resort to using CVs as commerce raiders because I've pretty much beaten his subs and his Lutzow CB and his AMCs don't get contacts very often.

Aside from daylight air sparring around Akyab, Calcutta, and Imphal, the rest of the theater is quiescent.


Whether I can catch this commerce raider CV force and reslts of the battle may change my mind, but once I sink/chase him off, I plan to put my CVs (however they are organized) into Pearl and cut down the SF/PH and LA/PH convoys a bit. With things firming up at Midway I can also bring in Spruance's 9xCA task force for some refit. My amphib assaults against Lunga, Tulagi, and the Ellice islands are still in preparation and will be so for at least 50 days. Maybe when Saratoga and Yorktown are back in the game my Marines will be ready to go.

I've closed up the VP differential so time is on my side.

[Taxcutter]

Up date: August 22, 1942

Rats! Ironman gave me the slip. He faked south (right into my convoy lanes) then doubled back to the north and I lost him. A little later a PBY out of Adak spotted him far to the north and heading west.
2 CV, 3CA. I would have liked to have gotten him.

At any rate I broke off, sending Saratoga to San Diego with 27 flotation damage. The rest of my carriers is in Pearl. Yorktown was not damaged as bad as I feared and Enterprise's damage was mostly superficial. They'll be fully repaired in 17 days. Other than that chewed up Devastator squadron my air wings are in good shape. that squadron has ditched the devastators for Avengers but an infusion of newbie pilots has greened the squadron down to 52 experience. I'll leave them in Pearl to train and use the Marine SBDs (exp 59).

I am beginning to be able to use my older battleships. Nevada is now a guardship at Adak. Within a week I should have all my old BB except California, Maryland, and West Virginia. Maryland is about three weeks from completion and then I'll move her and the Colorado to Mare Island to await completion of West Virginia. That way I have a formidible Colorado class squadron. Aggregating my 14" BB plus Warspite I have a fine squadron to cover my invasion at Guadalcanal. Problem is these things are unmitigated fuel hogs. I'm setting up a chain of slow oilers to get them to Noumea and not suck it dry.

My air forces in India seem to be wearing Ironman down. I've been rotating Hurricane squadrons but the P-40E squadrons are dwindling due to lack of replacements.

The 35th FG finally got some P-38Fs. I'm accumulating B-i7s at Brisbane and soon I'll be pounding him from Cairns.

Building up fuel and supply at Rockhampton, Brisbane, Noumea, and Perth.

My Chinese amoeba is about to surround two large forces. As they are on good terrain, it may take a while to reduce them, but my Chinese hordes don't have anything better to do. In a few months I could ahve complete control of south China unless Ironman diverts some troops from elsewhere.

Otherwise, things are quiet.

[mussey]

Have the Allies formulated a strategy yet for the reconquest of New Guinea?

[jmalter]

ORIGINAL: Taxcutter
Update August 20, 1942

Yorktown made Pearl. Repair time: 55 days. I got part of her remaining planes off but some are stuck on-board.

Instead of "Manage ships under repair", tag the "Show Ships under repair" button. Tag Yorktown on the subsequent "Ships Under Repair" screen, & her embarked airgroups will be accessible. If she can't conduct flight ops, your only option under "Transfer to base" will be the range=0 airfield at Pearl Harbor. All the offloaded planes will transfer as damaged, but they'll likely repair quickly.

[Taxcutter]

Have the Allies formulated a strategy yet for the reconquest of New Guinea?

Taxcutter says:
Nothing set in concrete yet, but my general plan is to eat it form the most exposed bases up. Take Guadalcanal/Tulagi first. Follow up with Munda.

Once I have LBA on those bases I intend to start with Milne Bay. Ironman chased me out of Moresby but if I can hold Milne, Moresby is effectively isolated.

I am accumulating aircraft to start bombing the stuffings out of New Guinea. I've chopped two B-17E bomb groups to the Fifth Air Force and P-38Fs are beginning to appear. I have F-4 photorecon planes in operation.

I'm moving my American SWP forces from Geraldton (where they polished off an invasion) to Brisbane and am organizing them into US I Corps plus army group assets. I've moved 1 regiment of the 24th ID to Brisbane and the other two are en route. Those plus the 32nd ID will form the core of the I Corps.

For now I've left the powerful Australian I Corps in perth in case Ironman is still frisky in that area.

Ironman's IJN is so strong I don't really dare venture too far out from under LBA support for now.

Ironman still seems to have some tactical advantages in surface warfare and so far my carriers can only hold their own and little more.

All the same, New Guinea has to be on the agenda. I recently played a game where I ignored it. Problem is that I needed more points of contact to wear the Japanese down and I had some hellacious battles in the Marshalls because the Japanese still had a lot of planes.

[Taxcutter]

nstead of "Manage ships under repair", tag the "Show Ships under repair" button. Tag Yorktown on the subsequent "Ships Under Repair" screen, & her embarked airgroups will be accessible. If she can't conduct flight ops, your only option under "Transfer to base" will be the range=0 airfield at Pearl Harbor. All the offloaded planes will transfer as damaged, but they'll likely repair quickly.

Thanks mucho.

I've been playing this game since Nimitz was a middie and still pick up nuances all the time.

[jmalter]

ORIGINAL: Taxcutter
Up date: August 22, 1942
In a few months I could have 9 shattered Chinese Infantry Corps & a crippling supply deficit.

Fixed!

[mussey]

ORIGINAL: Taxcutter

Have the Allies formulated a strategy yet for the reconquest of New Guinea?

Taxcutter says:
Nothing set in concrete yet, but my general plan is to eat it form the most exposed bases up. Take Guadalcanal/Tulagi first. Follow up with Munda.

Once I have LBA on those bases I intend to start with Milne Bay. Ironman chased me out of Moresby but if I can hold Milne, Moresby is effectively isolated.

I am accumulating aircraft to start bombing the stuffings out of New Guinea. I've chopped two B-17E bomb groups to the Fifth Air Force and P-38Fs are beginning to appear. I have F-4 photorecon planes in operation.

I'm moving my American SWP forces from Geraldton (where they polished off an invasion) to Brisbane and am organizing them into US I Corps plus army group assets. I've moved 1 regiment of the 24th ID to Brisbane and the other two are en route. Those plus the 32nd ID will form the core of the I Corps.

For now I've left the powerful Australian I Corps in perth in case Ironman is still frisky in that area.

Ironman's IJN is so strong I don't really dare venture too far out from under LBA support for now.

Ironman still seems to have some tactical advantages in surface warfare and so far my carriers can only hold their own and little more.

All the same, New Guinea has to be on the agenda. I recently played a game where I ignored it. Problem is that I needed more points of contact to wear the Japanese down and I had some hellacious battles in the Marshalls because the Japanese still had a lot of planes.

Most excellent. It is here, I believe, that lies the key to offensive momentum in late 1942. Coordinating Sopac and Swpac divided by a strong Rabaul and entrenched at PM and Milne is challenging. In past campaigns I made use of Terapo and Deboyne as advanced bases to the mainland. A successful air campaign here and the return to New Guinea will leave you with air supremacy by the end of the year.

[Taxcutter]

In a few months I could have 9 shattered Chinese Infantry Corps & a crippling supply deficit.


Fixed!

Taxcutter says:
Always a possibility, but Ironman (like most AI) is careless of his flanks, and he'll have to shatter my Chinese corps with isolated units. I'm about to snap the trap shut on 46,000 men near Kweilin and another 20,000 near Kukong.

Until the Burma Road is opened (and sometimes after), supply is always an issue for the Chinese. You gotta get used to it.

I won't try to attack these stacks until I have them completely surrounded.

[Taxcutter]

Most excellent. It is here, I believe, that lies the key to offensive momentum in late 1942. Coordinating Sopac and Swpac divided by a strong Rabaul and entrenched at PM and Milne is challenging. In past campaigns I made use of Terapo and Deboyne as advanced bases to the mainland. A successful air campaign here and the return to New Guinea will leave you with air supremacy by the end of the year.

Taxcutter says:
Air supremacy is necessary but not sufficient. I'm wearing down his air assets (evidenced by smaller and smaller raids on my bases) but my low airframe replacement rate leaves me with squadrons operating at 30-50% strength despite having adequate veteran aircrew.

After a little more training I have several USMC air squadrons to move to SoPac and SWPac areas. I need something with some good anti-shipping punch to offset Ironman's "IJN on steroids." USMC Dauntlesses and Avengers fill the bill.

[jmalter]

ORIGINAL: Taxcutter

nstead of "Manage ships under repair", tag the "Show Ships under repair" button. Tag Yorktown on the subsequent "Ships Under Repair" screen, & her embarked airgroups will be accessible. If she can't conduct flight ops, your only option under "Transfer to base" will be the range=0 airfield at Pearl Harbor. All the offloaded planes will transfer as damaged, but they'll likely repair quickly.

Thanks mucho.
I've been playing this game since Nimitz was a middie and still pick up nuances all the time.

No worries, mate. I learned that trick awhile ago from a post to this forum, & am happy to pass it along to you.

[mussey]

ORIGINAL: Taxcutter

Most excellent. It is here, I believe, that lies the key to offensive momentum in late 1942. Coordinating Sopac and Swpac divided by a strong Rabaul and entrenched at PM and Milne is challenging. In past campaigns I made use of Terapo and Deboyne as advanced bases to the mainland. A successful air campaign here and the return to New Guinea will leave you with air supremacy by the end of the year.

Taxcutter says:
Air supremacy is necessary but not sufficient. I'm wearing down his air assets (evidenced by smaller and smaller raids on my bases) but my low airframe replacement rate leaves me with squadrons operating at 30-50% strength despite having adequate veteran aircrew.

After a little more training I have several USMC air squadrons to move to SoPac and SWPac areas. I need something with some good anti-shipping punch to offset Ironman's "IJN on steroids." USMC Dauntlesses and Avengers fill the bill.

You'll most likely need your CV's to do so, and that should give you the air edge with land based fighters in north oz covering the CV's As long as the KB is absent and the invasion is quick this should be successful

[Taxcutter]

Estimated time to repair Saratoga in San Diego: 157 days. Ouch!

I can move her to yards north of there and reduce the time to 97 days.

Rest of the CV force will be A-OK in three game weeks.