T2 Ironman (J) v. scondon87 (A)

[scondon87]

SWPAC: Got really close on two different carriers.





DEI: Popped a Japanese amphib - not sure on numbers or capabilities, but always better to have fewer running around.



A dutch submarine blasts Kumano off of Borneo. Likely sinking here.



Burma: I should have two of the infiltrator groups surrounded next turn, which will hopefully improve things.

[BBfanboy]

Nice job on the LSD and the CA! The LSD (landing ship dock) is a beaching craft like an LST. It is a RO/RO (roll on/roll off) vessel for vehicles or anything on wheels, so it enables very fast loading and unloading of tanks and artillery. Looks like that one had artillery. Japan gets very few of these and if that one sinks this early in the game that is a coup. With two hits and a large well deck, I only give it a 15% chance of surviving.

The CA could also be in trouble if those were the 53.3 CM torpedo's rather than the 45 CM ones.

[Andy Mac]

Good job !!

[RangerJoe]

The LSDs usually can carry float planes as well.

[scondon87]

DEI: We put another 2 torpedoes into the Japanese LSD we hit the day before. Hopefully that will be sufficient.



The Japanese land at Balikpapan. We anticipate the defenses to collapse quickly.



Burma: The 2 pockets of infiltrators take their first attacks from CW forces, with disappointing results. The one on the rail line north of Toungoo sustains a 1:1, but takes hardly any casualties. There's no supply(-) combat message for the Japanese yet. I assume it will get somewhat better if we can burn down their supply in the hex. I'll hit them again next turn, given the disruption is low.

[scondon87]

SOPAC: The target-rich hunting grounds continue to pay off at Koumac.



DEI: A German CB blows away a group of tankers that were fleeing the Japanese carrier groups off Java.



Mauritius makes her way south from Soerabaja, and runs over a transport and escort.



Mauritius holds her own against Lutzow, but really, we have no business skulking around the DEI at this point, with at least 8 carriers that I can see.



Burma: Finally getting some good combat odds resolutions around Toungoo: 4:1, 7:1, 22:1. Still low casualties for the Japanese, but they're out of supply now. Crushing this group will give a path to some of the better units in Burma to get out (mostly the 16th Indian Bde).

[scondon87]

Every little bit helps!

[morphin]

Which map do you use?[:)]

[scondon87]

I think it's Bellum Pacifica? I found it many years ago in the modding subforum, and really liked it.

[scondon87]

At least we get out of December. Here's the intel screen, which shows the AI being up a cool 2:1 in VPs after less than a month.



Ship losses (1456 VPs):
3 BB
1 BC
1 CA
2 CL
11 DD
1 AE
9 AP
3 TK
+ a bunch of smaller ships & xAP/xAK/xAKL

Claimed enemy losses (883):
1 CA
1 CL
3 TB
3 E
4 SS (maybe got one of these)
5 AMC
1 CM
5 APD
1 LSD
17 AK
10 xAP
9 xAK

I have no idea if those numbers are good, as I have no idea how many ships Andy put in here. Obviously, I haven't really faced many real combat ships (might be an area of improvement, to see if the AI can escort those deep strikes better).

My plans for the next few months are:
- In India, fortify the ports against deep strikes on the other side of the map
- In Australia, fortifying ports in the southern half of the country, and preparing for an invasion of NE/Western Australia (probably after Java finishes falling, but they already hold PM in divisional strength, so maybe sooner)
- In SOPAC, planning on losing New Caledonia & Fiji, which means I may need to plan on an invasion of NZ. Working on fortifications, and getting some kind of US combat LCU down there (harder after getting my APs whacked off SF).
- Fortifying Hawaii, as I won't have a lot of early warning with both Johnston & Midway taken. I'm hoping to get a relatively early counterstrike at Christmas, Nuku Hiva, & Tahiti, which will reopen a safe resupply route to NZ/Australia from the east

Other than neutralizing Japanese bases on my supply lines, I'm probably going to be limited to raids to try to get some breathing room and keep up on VPs.

[scondon87]

SOPAC: Caught another AMC raider off Tahiti. The CA SAG here is pretty dry on ammo & torpedoes, so will rearm in NZ.



The RAN SAG on its way back to Koumac pops another couple AKs, and then blasts another task force at its destination. We keep running through our ammo so fast - I wish I could keep this SAG here for more than a day or two, it's such a target-rich environment!





SEAC: Finished wiping out an infiltrator group on the rail line north of Toungoo, which reopens both the Burma road and the withdrawal of units stuck in southern Burma.

[Lowpe]

Andy greatly increased the vp for bases for the AI, making early AV very difficult to achieve, and a potential early AV for the AI entirely possible.

[PaxMondo]

not all bases, usually just a couple. For example, in the Dorniers mod, I think SF is now like 50,000 VP. Prevents the player from getting an autovic until like '44 … unless of course you land and take SF with the magic move on day 1 ...

[scondon87]

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

Andy greatly increased the vp for bases for the AI, making early AV very difficult to achieve, and a potential early AV for the AI entirely possible.

I didn't realize that. That probably explains the VP differential. None of the major point hubs have fallen yet (Luzon, Singapore, Java), so that margin will get quite a bit worse.

[RangerJoe]

ORIGINAL: PaxMondo

not all bases, usually just a couple. For example, in the Dorniers mod, I think SF is now like 50,000 VP. Prevents the player from getting an autovic until like '44 … unless of course you land and take SF with the magic move on day 1 ...

Now there is a thought . . . [:-]

[scondon87]

Yeah, you're definitely right about that - the war started at near parity in VPs:



Love seeing those handful of turns where the margin went slightly my way. Great victories in the dark days of December!

[scondon87]

Caught a U-Boat in harbor in Alaska!



Struck Christmas I., killing an xAK, but lost 15 Wildcats. Not worth it, even for the troop losses afloat.