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Hi, Results for 17 Oct 1943
95 Allied 72 Japanese

I have been able to reduce active Ki-43II Sentai down to 12 supported by 4 Chutai

Day Air attack on Chungking , at 43,32

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 106
A6M3 Zero x 27
Ki-43-IIa Oscar x 143
Ki-21 Sally x 108
Ki-46-III Dinah x 5

Allied aircraft
Spitfire Vb x 12
P-40N Warhawk x 29

Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 11 destroyed
Ki-43-IIa Oscar: 48 destroyed
Ki-21 Sally: 18 damaged

Allied aircraft losses
Spitfire Vb: 18 destroyed
P-40N Warhawk: 39 destroyed
IL-4c: 3 destroyed


Allied ground losses:
79 casualties reported

Airbase hits 10
Airbase supply hits 2
Runway hits 43

Aircraft Attacking:
8 x Ki-21 Sally bombing at 11000 feet
15 x Ki-21 Sally bombing at 10000 feet
11 x Ki-21 Sally bombing at 10000 feet
15 x Ki-21 Sally bombing at 10000 feet
9 x Ki-21 Sally bombing at 10000 feet
10 x Ki-21 Sally bombing at 11000 feet
4 x Ki-21 Sally bombing at 10000 feet
9 x Ki-21 Sally bombing at 10000 feet
6 x Ki-21 Sally bombing at 10000 feet
4 x Ki-21 Sally bombing at 11000 feet
3 x Ki-21 Sally bombing at 10000 feet
3 x Ki-21 Sally bombing at 10000 feet
3 x Ki-21 Sally bombing at 11000 feet
3 x Ki-21 Sally bombing at 10000 feet
3 x Ki-21 Sally bombing at 10000 feet
2 x Ki-21 Sally bombing at 11000 feet
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day Air attack on Chungking , at 43,32

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 66
G3M Nell x 16
G4M1 Betty x 34
G4M2 Betty x 18
Ki-46-II Dinah x 5

Allied aircraft
no flights

Japanese aircraft losses
G3M Nell: 4 damaged
G4M1 Betty: 4 damaged
G4M2 Betty: 1 damaged
Ki-46-II Dinah: 1 damaged

Allied aircraft losses
IL-4c: 2 destroyed
P-40N Warhawk: 4 destroyed
Spitfire Vb: 1 destroyed


Allied ground losses:
30 casualties reported

Airbase hits 4
Airbase supply hits 4
Runway hits 26

Aircraft Attacking:
13 x G4M1 Betty bombing at 11000 feet
4 x G3M Nell bombing at 11000 feet
6 x G4M1 Betty bombing at 10000 feet
6 x G4M2 Betty bombing at 10000 feet
6 x G3M Nell bombing at 11000 feet
3 x G4M1 Betty bombing at 11000 feet
7 x G4M1 Betty bombing at 10000 feet
6 x G4M2 Betty bombing at 10000 feet
3 x G4M1 Betty bombing at 10000 feet
2 x G4M1 Betty bombing at 11000 feet
3 x G3M Nell bombing at 11000 feet
3 x G4M2 Betty bombing at 10000 feet
3 x G4M2 Betty bombing at 10000 feet
3 x G3M Nell bombing at 11000 feet

Hi, Oct 17 1943
Massive raid by Allied heav bombers catch Japanese on ground. The enemy has moved heavy formations into Kweiyang and launched suprise raid on my airfield at Changsha.

Japan lost 103 AC on ground while 26xKi-43II on CAP were shot down without inflicting a single loss.

Day Air attack on Changsha , at 47,36

Japanese aircraft
Ki-43-IIa Oscar x 43

Allied aircraft
Thunderbolt II x 48
B-17E Fortress x 42
B-24D Liberator x 42

Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-43-IIa Oscar: 32 destroyed
Ki-21 Sally: 21 destroyed
A6M2 Zero: 23 destroyed
A6M3 Zero: 1 destroyed
Ki-46-III Dinah: 2 destroyed

Allied aircraft losses
Thunderbolt II: 1 damaged
B-17E Fortress: 1 destroyed, 1 damaged
B-24D Liberator: 4 damaged

Japanese ground losses:
28 casualties reported

Airbase hits 29
Airbase supply hits 5
Runway hits 112

Aircraft Attacking:
18 x B-17E Fortress bombing at 6000 feet
19 x B-24D Liberator bombing at 6000 feet
15 x B-24D Liberator bombing at 6000 feet
15 x B-17E Fortress bombing at 6000 feet
4 x B-17E Fortress bombing at 6000 feet
4 x B-24D Liberator bombing at 6000 feet
4 x B-24D Liberator bombing at 6000 feet
4 x B-17E Fortress bombing at 6000 feet

ORIGINAL: Mogami

This is a non PDU game so Ki-43II pilots can never be anything other then Ki-43II pilots.

They could be decent kamikazes.

Hi, They still might be. so far I have reduced the number down to 12 Sentai and 4 chutai  (480 aircraft and pilots) Total Japanese fighters (Army+Navy landbased+Navy Carrier based) is around 1700. So the Ki-43II remains a major part of fighter defense. However it is to be withdrawn from frontline service and when ever possible the number are to be reduced because these groups require support and take up airfield space that other fighters would profit more from. (I think I could get by with 24 ac per month in production instead of the current 200 per month. Convert the excess to newer models when they are ready to begin production. Currently the Ki-43II production is halted while I expend the surplus stock already in pool) Untill the next generation Army fighters arrive the burden is on the Tony and the Zeke. (The A6M2 and A6M3 are also to be phased out but unlike the Ki-43 I can reuse the pilots)
I would like to be able to maintain around 2000 fighters in 1944/45 (trained frontline fighters)

The air campaign presenty underway in China is also meant to remove the danager of Allied use of Chinese airfields in 1944/45. I am going to close them now and assign just enough bombers to each to keep them closed.
I cannot prevent every threat but this is one I feel that if I act now and with commitment I can avoid danger from this quarter while I concentrate on the up comming Central Pacific, South Pacific and Lower SRA/New Guiena battles. 

ORIGINAL: Mogami
The air campaign presenty underway in China is also meant to remove the danager of Allied use of Chinese airfields in 1944/45. I am going to close them now and assign just enough bombers to each to keep them closed.

Keep them closed? No airfield in China is closed. Since you started your bombing campaign, supply levels are rising all over China. When I'm ready with my preparations, it's more likely that I'll close all Japanese airfields in China. But currently I've other plans. And as long as your attacks don't hurt me, I don't care. With the Burma Road open, China does not have a supply problem (nearly all Chinese units are maximum strength).

ORIGINAL: Mogami
I cannot prevent every threat but this is one I feel that if I act now and with commitment I can avoid danger from this quarter while I concentrate on the up comming Central Pacific, South Pacific and Lower SRA/New Guiena battles.

I certainly wonder when and where I'll meet the first real resistance in this theatres. I've no idea where you'll start to battle me, but I think that you cannot wait much longer. Currently I face no resistance in the air in the New Guinea/New Britain area.

Anyway, Allied preparations for some big offensives are nearly finished (I was mainly delayed by late arrival times of some very important assets due to our "very variable" game setting). I'm not sure if it is a wise choice to start multiple offensives at (about) the same time, but I think it is time for some action by now ("now" means within the next months).

Hi, Supply in China went up as a result of your moving all those bombers in and flying a mission. (That airfield then required 2x supply and required supply went up because of the mission) Required supply is an average that increase with combat. (since the bombers have departed the required will decrease and bases will stop pulling more supply)  Also the repair increased demand.
 
No fields closed yet but I have one at 47 damage. (It will be closed after next strike.)  I did not mean to imply I would close them all over night.

ORIGINAL: Mogami

Hi, Supply in China went up as a result of your moving all those bombers in and flying a mission. (That airfield then required 2x supply and required supply went up because of the mission) Required supply is an average that increase with combat. (since the bombers have departed the required will decrease and bases will stop pulling more supply) Also the repair increased demand.

No fields closed yet but I have one at 47 damage. (It will be closed after next strike.) I did not mean to imply I would close them all over night.

Hi, I know about the airfield requirement thing. But my supplies even increase at Chungking. My last raid was launched from Kweiyang and there were no planes at Chungking for some time. Thus the airfield requirements should not raise there. About every third turn, my supply level at Ledo drops down from 30K to about 10K (repeatedly during the last ten days). Ledo fills always up again because SEAC is currently located there to provide enough supplies for the Burma Road [not complaining, actually I'm quite happy with this development].

Next turn already send, have changed my mind about China a little bit to give you something to do.

And another interesting action may happen if I did not miscalculate (kind of hit-and-run operation). Should work, but one never knows for sure in this game. Probably you'll never notice it if it does not work.

K

Well, my plan worked. Not completely as intended but the results were even better as expected:

A fast Surface Combat TF (CA Wichita, CL Cleveland, CL Columbia accompanied by six Fletcher-Class DDs) surprised a Japanese Transport TF at Shortlands (1 PG, 2 SC, 11 AK), sinking all but one AK in a daytime engagement. The cruisers disabled the IJN escort vessels at long range (28,000 yards) and then the destroyers finished the job with their torpedos. The surviving AK will probably sink the next day. The convoy probably reached Shortlands the same day, hopefully it was full of supplies (small cargo vessels, if completely loaded Mogami has lost about 35,000 supplies).

This is the first time in WITP where I've seen a surface TF to completely annihilate a (medium sized) enemy convoy.

In China a Japanese raid on Kweiyang met firm resistance by RAF Thunderbolts, the Japanese lost about 50 fighters (mainly Oscars and some Zeros and Zekes) and 25 bombers (Sallies). Only 20 Sallies dropped their bombs, causing moderate damage to the AF (the rest, about 50 planes, wisely aborted before). Eight Thunderbolts failed to return to its base (4 ops losses/4 A2A).

A massive Japanese sweep from Changsha met firm resistance from the RAF Thunderbolt IIs stationed there. 42 Japanese planes, mostly of the obsolete A6M2 and A6M3 models, but including 13 brand-new A6M5s, were shot down. One Thunderbolt II failed to return to its base (giving me a 42:1, nice!).

Oct 30th, 1943

Airstrike on Shortlands flown by 72 P-38G and 42 B-24D met a CAP of 27 A6M5. 26 A6M5 were shot down by the escorts, no P-38G was lost but two B-24D attacking at 6,000 feet were shot down by flak. Seems that Shortlands still has enough supplies.

Btw., I've read much about a "flak gap" at 6,000 feet in the forum, but I regulary lose some planes to enemy flak when bombing from that altitude... (I use various bomber altitudes for different tasks).

K

Game is in November 1943 now.

After some calm days, Mogami tried his luck again at Kweiyang. 63 A6M5 swept the place. Thunderbolt II CAP shot down 38 of them before the surviving A6M5 aborted their mission. Not a single Thunderbolt was lost. He's certainly quite stubborn with his attacks on Kweiyang.

As he (ostensibly) loses many IJN pilots in this airfights, his pool should be quite drained by now even if he probably trains lots of new pilots with the training mission and the "Mogami-Method"(TM).

Don't know why the loss ratio is that bad for him against the Thunderbolts, maybe he uses his untrained air units in China and keeps the trained ones for upcoming battles in the Pacific?

Allied build-up for major offensives makes some progress. Even now my transport capacities are quite strained. Don't know what I'm doing wrong, but anybody who claims that the Allies have too much shipping has never played the game into late 1943[8D].

Well, your Thunderbolt scored around 130 victories for 5 A2A losses in 3 battles. Who complained about the Corsair ?

Never occured to me before but it seems to me that IRL the Tunderbolt became operationnal in RAF only in summer 44. By this date air battles were rather rare and the RAF Thunderbolt only scored around 10 victories in the remaining year.

Hi, They were trained pilots. (I don't use untrained pilots in combat...yet) I am hoping it was the extended range and that they can still perform CAP over my bases. Otherwise I'll have to pull out of China. (in the air not on the ground)

ORIGINAL: AmiralLaurent

Never occured to me before but it seems to me that IRL the Tunderbolt became operationnal in RAF only in summer 44. By this date air battles were rather rare and the RAF Thunderbolt only scored around 10 victories in the remaining year.

This seems to be correct, the first squadron in the FE that converted to Thunderbolts (Mk I) was No. 135 Squadron in May 1944. Other squadrons converted to both Mk I and II from June 1944 onwards (all other squadrons used both Mk I and Mk II at the same time, only No. 135 used the Mk I exclusively). Never noticed this before.

ORIGINAL: Mogami

Hi, They were trained pilots. (I don't use untrained pilots in combat...yet) I am hoping it was the extended range and that they can still perform CAP over my bases. Otherwise I'll have to pull out of China. (in the air not on the ground)

I've no desire to play "War in China" against you. I just don't like the idea to see divisions or brigades from the China Expeditionary Army elsewhere. I "activated" the China Theatre only (to a very limited degree) when my SIGINT told me that one Independent Mixed Brigade moved to a location in the Pacific Theatre some time ago (I think it was 7th IMB).

T-bolts are just as deadly as the Corsair...discovered this a long time ago in my AAR [;)]
A2A combat with Zeros/Zekes and Oscars vs T-bolts/Corsairs is so one sided no matter how many ac and experienced
pilots the Japs got, it should be avoided altogether.

By the time the Thunderbolt deployed, the JAAF had long since conceeded air superiority to the Allies and were under orders to avoid engaging the enemy unless under advantagious circumstances. Also by then they were very heavily outnumbered by the Allied hordes so the Japanese operated under dispersed conditions. Burma in general was primarily a war of ground support/interdiction while later on the Allies tried to catch their elusive enemy with timed fighter sweeps.

The first RAF operation with Thunderbolt was by 261 Sqn on 14 September 1944 (one year after their arrival date in WITP IIRC).

RAF Thunderbolt were involved into the following battles in 1944:
20 October 1944: raid over Rangoon, 1 Japanese fighter damaged, no loss
4 November 1944: raid over Rangoon, 1 Ki-44 probable, no loss
17 November 1944: raid over Rangoon, 1 Ki-43 shot down (of 50 Sentai), 2 damaged, no loss
19 November 1944: raid over Rangoon, no claim, no loss (but Japanese claimed a P-47) (total A2A losses in the battle were 2 P-38 to nil)
Usual battles was 4-6 Allied squadrons (including 2-4 RAF Thunderbolt Sqns) vs 1-2 IJAAF Sentai.

Did someone say WITP air model is perhaps too bloody ?

ORIGINAL: AmiralLaurent

Did someone say WITP air model is perhaps too bloody ?

That would be the biggest understatement since Noah said "It's going to rain...." [:D]

Yeah but its not just the aircraft PZB radar especially the improved CSP 1 has a huge impact on losses Japanese airframes arent bad and when flown by good pilots do ok but they cannot compete with the upgraded allied radar that extends 250 miles and give the allies huge advantages.
 
But I agree A2A is to bloody