Youtube AAR: Like sheep to wolves (if sheep had aircraft carriers that is)

[BBfanboy]

ORIGINAL: MakeeLearn

But isn't that a bit of a waste?

In what way? Are you hunting only transports?

I agree that posting them off ports to try and get IJN subs is a waste. I have four IJN subs detected between SFO and San Diego, and from frequent air sightings I know the layout of their patrol zones. I have had US subs posted at their PZ end points for three weeks, and non of them get so much as a periscope look at the Japanese subs. The US subs have good skippers and there is no D/L showing on them.

OTOH, the S-boats with good skippers can really hurt the Japanese when you put them in the choke points their invasions must pass through. Japanese ASW is so bad in the first six months that I even risk the S-boats in shallow waters.

It's worth remembering that the first major USN sub victory was from an S-boat patrolling "The Slot" where it put three torps into CA Kako (which was RTB after the battle of Savo Island). Small torps notwithstanding, Kako sank! [:)]

[Bif1961]

Timo use your Dutch subs to hunt his carrier TFs as they Near DEI. They have good torpedoes and if undetected will make him regret using his carriers in DEI. Your Dutch air isn't very good especially against carriers. Best to use them in counter attacks against ground troops ports, oil facilities he has captured or airfields at very low altitude. So train them accordingly, ONE BIG THING I HAVE SEEN IN YOUR AARs online; you are setting planes to search yet to don't assign them search sectors. The sky is set up as a compass with 360 degrees as a circle. The default is 0 and if u don't change that you search the 0 azimuth only. So if you have 6 planes set to 80% search and 20% rest it would be best to set them 4 search sectors say from 0 to 40 degrees azimuth. If you have 12 planes you can set them 10 sectors 0-100 degrees. You don't have to start at zero you can start anywhere along the 360 degrees and go from there as a start and then end search pattern an don't forget to set the range as well, default is range zero. Also watch your fatigue and morale, once morale gets below 70 and fatigue below 50 you have worn out that unit and results will be poor. Rest, train and move tired units out of harm's way. As the Allies you are not fighting 1941 right now you are fighting 1943-44. What do I mean? Simply you fight delaying actions now and force him to commit to sieges in good defensive areas and save those ships and units you will need for the eventual counter-offensive in 1943-44. I have not seen what you plan to do with floating reinforcements like the Ghurka's and the 18th British Division. Look for them and send them to places you want to hold. Also in Australia there are several Division that need to be combined as there elements are spread out all over Australia. Look at a units screen and see if it a sub element of a larger unit and see if those units already exist in the same area where they can eventually be combined. A combined unit like a division, fights better then the 3 uncombined sub Brigades or regiments would. Just some thoughts to help you weather the first months of Allied abuse you will be taking.

[Bif1961]

Timu here are some ideas and maybe helpful hints for the Allied player in the dark days of 41-42.

1.) When you decide to bomb targets, especially jungle, bomb from no more than 3-5K feet. Japanes have weak AAA and will increase you accuracy.
2.) Only build Forts in locations you know the Japanese will take. It is a waste of supplies and engineers to also build ports and airfields and then slow your fort construction to then hand over to the Japanese better port and aflds then should have been there.
3.) There are a few good American mine laying subs 40 or more mines, find them and use them out of PH to mine bases you wise to deny him or protect.
4.) I mentioned this in my previous post but go to unit pages and see if they are a sub that can be combined with other sub elements to form larger combat units. This is vital because many Allied units start or show up as sub units and must be combined to form Divisions.
5.) Move heavy and medium triple AAA to area you want to defend also form CAP traps on air attacks that have little or no escort and use the CAP Trap once and then rest your forces. Japanese bombers are weak defensively in armament and self sealing fuel tanks triple AAA will eat their lunch in they fly too low and CAP Traps will destroy good bomber units and he will have to reform them at much lower morale.
6.) Where are your Heavy British Naval Units? TF Z CAs and Dutch naval units. These should be combined with the remnants of the US Asiatic Fleet into 2-3 strike forces to attack at flank speed in DEI any invasion forces poorly escorted by naval or carrier forces.
7.) Aden is the major base that gets re-enforcements especially air and ground in India so assign combines sub element the same HQ, target and combat and ops as that will make it easier to combine them when all elements have arrived.
8.) Use your Political Points (PPs), to buy out units you want to use like Armor BNs and base forces, engineers. assign them a future target right away so they can build up prepare points as well. Also you can use PPs to buy good commanders from Nimitz as Pac C-in-C to a lowly tug boat CDR. All unit have commanders including air squadrons that affect how when and where they fight. You complained that things are not flying when you assign them orders too, it may be because they have poor commanders.
9.) In 1941-42 never send your carriers int an area where the Kb is operating. Knowing where the KB is vital to your carriers survival. That doesn't mean I saw the KB 3 weeks ago off of Borneo so it is safe in South Pac. he can move to South Pac in two week from there. Know where the KB is before sending your carriers into battle.
10.) Don't over stack airfields like 6 squadrons and a level 2 field and always check your aviation support if a base has a lvl 2 fld and 18 aviation support and you expect 50+ aircraft to operate from their you will be disappointed.
11.) Train British bombers on night attacks against AFLDs and Ports at low altitude 3-5K feet. You have very low British replacement pools, they are fighting in another part of the world and therefore can't be squandered on costly day raids against good fighter opposition. Attack his ports and airfields once something big is in or on them. Save British fighters for areas need to defend also assign some to night fighters especially Blenhiem fighters. The British pools are too vulnerable to dog fight zeros and oscars.
12.) Preplan all Allied ground units with their future targets in mind, as when they are used in amphib invasions they will take less disruption and drownings.
13.) B-17Ds have a range of 22, better than any other prewar aircraft you might want to use them for long range recon or naval search or night bombing of ports and aflds.
14.) Japaense frces have subs that carry float planes. If one of your rear area bases have a japanes float plane searching it, it might be from a sub. He will assign at least one float plane carrying sub to each major allied base from Sydney, Aukland to Suva, Pago-Pago, PH San Fran and maybe even off the entry from panama.
15.) he also has 2 float plane capable AMCs in the South Pac prepared for them to target unescorted convoys and land troops.

Remember the Germans sank the British Battleship Royal Oak at their home fleet anchorage of Scapa Flow. Don't be surprised if he uses subs in harbors especially mini-subs.

Keep your chin up and don't fret losing so much just don't waste your men and ships when they serve no purpose in the way you wasted them, you are buying time spend your limited assets wisely.

[Timotheus]

Wow, what a great writeup. I am making the 2nd Aus div in Canberra - 2 units are in Canberra, 1 is in Wagga Wagga (.....dat name, LEL) so lets choo choo to Canby town and combine them.

I am bombing from 6k feet and at Mersing, the Japanese DO have pretty substantial AAA it seems - getting lots of damaged planes.

Re: subs, I am moving my S-type from Pearl to Noumea - once they get there there should be a convoy fuel/supply into Noumea already.

I don't have much AAA - they are right now restricted in USA east coast.

In DEI we have force Z with Dutch naval assets - they will operate to defend Java under air umbrella (theoretically). Plan to make fortress Java

Brit navy is chilling in Ceylon right now.

Re: british bombers... WUT british bombers? Right now in India we have 1917's biplanes [&:]

Am moving tons of **** to Aden, both AK and AP.

No idea where KB is, was loitering close to Wake, noticed enemy subs hunting me, now going away from Wake. Will make CV TF and goto Coral Sea to compete (I know, SO predictable)

Getting RAN base forces with aviation support to Cairns which will be a great air base. I don't have enough air assets to overstack anywhere, don't worry

I am not planning ANY amphib invasions - I will get **** to AUS, Noumea, Moresby, Suva, India and Burma.

Moving some Chinese guys to Lashio, will probably switch them to UK command.

Yes, Japanese subs (some) have recce float planes. Suva was scouted by torp bomber, but it must have been a float plane from sub. I have sub infestations at Suva and (possibly) Noumea. Subs seem gone from Pearl and USA coast. Wake Island has sub problem also.

Enemy seems to totally ignore Pacific other than sub use.

In this game, any ship not docked or disbanded in port can be torpedoed/attacked, even if it is unloading stuff at a shore. Realism, Gary G? I have my doubts [:D]


Anyhoo, are y'all ready for yet MORE disasters? The hits just keep on coming:

Lets plan to take more punches to the face aka Dec 18 planning session

Two big land disasters: we lose thousands of troops

[Bif1961]

I still noticed on your video planning sessions, that you assign search and ASW missions without assigning sectors for them to fly. If you don't assign sectors for them to fly they will only search the 0 azimuth which would be due North. In Australia there are at least 3 Division you can combined at the start of the game. So I see you found the elements for the 2nd Division now you can find the elements to the other two there and combine them as well. You will need these weak division against any Japanese landing and also consider assigning 1-3 US Divisions there as well in the short term as a bulwark for a Japanese invasion there and counter offensive if he does land. US squads have a very good reinforcement rate while Australian squads are few and far between. Therefore use US units for protracted engagements, because they rebuild faster an save the more fragile Australian units for garrisons of force multipliers.

[Bif1961]

Suva and Noumea can be allied death traps if he decides to let your garrison them and then swoop in with the KB and 2-3 Divisions. Suva is also worth a lot of VPs on its own not counting whatever units he kills there as well. If you station US troops there save a small portion in NZ or OZ so it can be rebuilt and not force you to spend PPs to buy it back. Port Morseby can also be an Allied death trap so watch your SIGINT and get hints what his units are planning to attack or what is on vessels heading to the South Pac.

[Timotheus]

... If I think like that, then I will just let him take any base with zero resistance...

Anyhoo, this has been on the channel for a bit, linking it here:

Dec 19 1941 planning session

and the accompanying disasters - enemy light carrier is raiding Dutch Harbor in the Aleutians Isles... I have no defense, a tanker goes "bul bul bul". My S-type subs are too far to realistically vector towards the rampaging Ryuho (?). Will have to run away from Dutch Harbor making 1 ship TF and escaping into all directions.

But good news - British air assets got off their derrieres and put some decent hits on enemy transports close to Mersing and Khota Bharu.

Singapore air power & enemy raids Alaska

[Bif1961]

Not at all you pick where you have the best possilbilties of defense like good terrain and already existing forts, ports or airfields. like Bandoeng in Java or Palembang in Sumatra.

[Bif1961]

You might want to move the carrier by Wake to the Alaska to protect your convoys bringing in reinforcements there and maybe trap his CVE. I highly doubt he will move a portion of the KB up there as it is not in his strategic best interest the first months of the war. Also you might want to buy out some PI fighters squadrons, especially P-40Es and move the to Australia to provide fighter cover to Darwin and Port Morsbey. You can also move some fighter and bomber squadrons from PH to NZ-OZ to provide fighter cover and attack him at Rabaul.

[Bif1961]

Defend Davao it gets the most reinforcements and you can move your remaining fighters down there to protect you bases until he decides to move further south. It will also slow hi advance too Ambon and Madano as it sits north of them.

[Timotheus]

Thanks for watching and especially thanks for commenting (and helping a noob).

I left the force which was in Davao and stopped them moving - all 190 of them....
I will get something to Alaska, although I believe it is just a feint, will vector subs in and some air assets.

Speaking of air assets - off camera got the Devastators torp bombers off Sara, and got a marine F4F squadron on the ship (cost some PP - worth it). Yorktown is coming in 9 days. Deedees from Balboa (long range) come on map in 5 days. We have a pretty powerful air combat TF in the making at the USA coast... SOON.

Apropos air assets, there is NOTHING I can pack on ship - I got a squadron by rail from east coast to san fran and they are all damaged i.e. need to be gotten outta crates, and re-assembled. All the rest are in squadrons which I cannot change - i.e. cannot use political points to change.

There was bad weather in Alaska (shocking!), so nothing flew. So a day for my merchant marine guys to skidaddle away from Dutch and outta there!

Here's da videos:
Dec 20 1941 brilliant plan: RUN AWAY

Triumph and tragedy at Mersing

[Bif1961]

Mindanao is the place to make your stand in PI move the air assets there, build forts and hold on as long as possible because you get some nice reinforcements the longer you hold out. Try to move your air assets out of Singapore as a cross straight land attack might take it in one assault and then you will lose all those aircraft. Where are your at sea reinforcements like the Ghurkas and 18th British Division going? You should move them to places you want to hold to delay his offensive juggernaught. Use B-17Ds as long range recon and naval search as they are vulnerable to Zeros, believe it or not. B-17Es are equipt much better and the Zeros have trouble with them, they can be used to bomb troops, bases but only ships in port.