The Power of Inexperience / GreyJoy(A)-Rader(J)

[GreyJoy]

ORIGINAL: witpqs

GJ, AFAIK the attachment of air unit to air HQs means nothing. There is some honest speculation about it, but no developer has given credence to it.

You might consider letting the 4EBs go in without escort. The only time your fighters should fly that range is on sweep. On escort they face that additional negative modifier.

2EB do need escort if they are facing opposition, and then, well, losses will be taken!

I hate to throw away my pilots...especially the navy and usmc ones....since their pools are always dry

Ok, tomorrow moonlight is at 100% and we will try to night strat bomb a city north of Tokyo...let's bring them some TERROR!!!!
Manpower bombing...50 B-24s at 20k feet...just to try it out...

Tomorrow will also start the air offensive in NG and in the Solomons... wanna tie down some of his planes here...Lae is the first targets. 50 fighters committed along with 200 4Es.

Tomorrow the 40th and the 41st Division will finally reach the two capes north and south of Okkaido...so we'll soon have the whole island but Hakkodate in our hands...

Tomorrow also will leave Shimushiri our invasion TF for Toyohara...once this invasion will be completed my CVs will be free....

Mariners committed to search in the waters north of Japan, along with 10 subs...wanna have a good vision of my flanks....

[JeffroK]

ORIGINAL: witpqs

ORIGINAL: pauk

#1. naval combat is broken - from the very first relase of the game. I wont go into details, you guys just have to ask yourself one question - did anyone sink enemy CV with SC TF?.

Yes. What is your point about that?

Yes,

Glorious by Scharnhorst & Gniesenu

Did it have to be in the Pacific?

The IJN tried bloody hard at Leyte Gulf, only failed when they got scared


Whoops, missed witpqs and Johndillworths posts

[JeffroK]

Maybe, the escort process doesnt seem to work, except sometimes your bombers wont fly without escort.
Leave a minimal escort but sweep, sweep, sweep.

2 - 3 days (maybe 1 turn in your game) to attrit his defenders and hopefully they will also fly before your bomber raid. Put in sweeps to a few targets so that he cant guess where you are aiming at.

Anyway, your result proves bombing from 25k ft can work.

Plus recce your targets before and after to ensure the flyboys didnt hit some saki factory.

[witpqs]

ORIGINAL: JeffK

ORIGINAL: witpqs

ORIGINAL: pauk

#1. naval combat is broken - from the very first relase of the game. I wont go into details, you guys just have to ask yourself one question - did anyone sink enemy CV with SC TF?.

Yes. What is your point about that?

Yes,

Glorious by Scharnhorst & Gniesenu

Did it have to be in the Pacific?

The IJN tried bloody hard at Leyte Gulf, only failed when they got scared

Whoops, missed witpqs and Johndillworths posts

IIRC they got two of the carriers present (CVE) at Leyte Gulf that day. I figured Pauk knows that IRL carriers were got, and maybe he is thinking it can't happen in AE. We'll have to wait until he checks back in to find out.

[JeffroK]

I've sunk carriers, and lost 1 or 2 in AE.

Maybe competent players dont lose them.

[crsutton]

ORIGINAL: paullus99

I feel for GJ - the amount of continued coordination and careful planning will consume a lot of time and energy on his part. Of course, with all of the attention focused on Northern Japan right now, it will also pay to continue to push forward any and all operations in other areas of the map as well, because every soldier, plane & ship that Rader is forced to keep somewhere else is one less that he can throw at GJs current position in the north.

Feel for him? He is living a Allied fanboy's dream right now. I feel for his girlfriend...[;)]

[crsutton]

ORIGINAL: witpqs

GJ, AFAIK the attachment of air unit to air HQs means nothing. There is some honest speculation about it, but no developer has given credence to it.

You might consider letting the 4EBs go in without escort. The only time your fighters should fly that range is on sweep. On escort they face that additional negative modifier.

2EB do need escort if they are facing opposition, and then, well, losses will be taken!

Never escort. LRCAp the base instead. It works.

[bbbf]

ORIGINAL: 1275psi

Well one thing Grey Joy...........thanks for the heads up!.........this is one Japanese player who is rushing gazzillions of troops north!!!
This is so scary as a Japanese player I feel sick...................

I'll just have to change directions now....or maybe not!!

[crsutton]

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

Rader is concerned with only one thing at this point:  NoPac.  Everything else is essentially irrelevant.  The only exception is his convoy system to transport fuel and resources from the DEI to Japan.  He'll protect his important producing bases and his convoy routes.  He'll also keep some small forces in other regions hoping for chances to sting GJ's own forces.

If I was Rader, one thing I would consider doing is invading Russia.  He has twelve zillion infantry units; he most likely isn't going to evict GJ from Hokkaido, but he might try an end around, hoping to kind of surround GJ's NoPac garrisons from the rear - Perhaps even look for a bad weather chance at invading the Russian bases on the Kamchatka Peninsula. His big armies in New Guinea and elsewhere aren't needed there, so put them to use vanquishing Russia, or trying to?

I dunno.  That would be a long shot, since GJ can now reinforce Russia with Western Allied troops should he need to do so.  But it's something rader will probably look at.

I can't see that happening. I am at the same point in 44 in my game and just looked over the Soviet OOB. Their air force still is weak but the pilots are all highly trained and the stocks are good. The big thing is that the Soviet army is just too strong now. All the infantry units are at full strength with 43 Soviet squads and tons of artillery. He has SMG squads, Motorized 44 squads, 44 paras, and is starting to get SU 122s and has a stock of SU85s. He has stocks of 57mm and the Soviet squads have pretty good AT values. In 5/44 GJ will start to get 50 T34/85s per month. Basically, I think any Japanese attack now would break it's teeth at the frontiers.

Besides, I don't think it matters. GJ would be bombing Japanese industry all the time and that is what is going to kill Rader. I don't think he has any choice but to fight in Hokkaido with all he has. I give him a 10% chance to save his butt and it has to be there. This will be fun to watch.

[cantona2]

ORIGINAL: pauk



#1. naval combat is broken - from the very first relase of the game. I wont go into details, you guys just have to ask yourself one question - did anyone sink enemy CV with SC TF?.

Erm yes. I have sunk the Junyo in my game vs Herb with a SCTF

[GreyJoy]

April 9, 10 1944

Rader finally started to try to use its Kamis... some Peggies at night in the Kuriles against my CVEs and some Oscars at day at max alt in the Solomons.
Both the attempts failed...but i'm aware that these are just his first attempts...soon his blade will be much more cutting...

Something like 45 Kamis were shot down today...mainly Oscars over Tulagi...the different alt CAP i set up seems to be working well...for the moment...

We have almost completely closed all the 4 bases east of Shimushiri.

On the 12th April we'll land at Toyohama. Supporting ground attacks are ordered.

Our first night strat bombing mission did go well. Despite some resistance we managed to score some hits on the city and some fires are started out...nothing important...but enough to keep Rader honest with his air defence. It's also clear that Rader has moved nearly all his fighter force in Japan...every single base has now at least 100/150 fighters on CAP!...will be difficult!

We lost a sub today and 2 more are damaged by his ASW TFs that are becoming every day more efficient.

We're now sending more nigth Fighters from West Coast to the Aleutinas and from there to the Kuriles...we need some night cover!

No sign of the Combined Fleet...Rader must be up to something....

Lae has been plastered badly for two days. No opposition. Only at Rabaul Rader has left some 300 fighters...but no bombers at all in the whole theatre...



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Morning Air attack on Lae , at 99,126

Weather in hex: Overcast

Raid spotted at 40 NM, estimated altitude 14,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 13 minutes


Allied aircraft
Beaufighter X x 24
B-24D1 Liberator x 60
B-24J Liberator x 110
P-38G Lightning x 3
P-38J Lightning x 13
P-39N1 Airacobra x 12
P-40N5 Warhawk x 12


No Allied losses

Japanese ground losses:
17 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 3 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled



Airbase hits 102
Airbase supply hits 18
Runway hits 192
Port hits 27
Port supply hits 3

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Tulagi at 114,137

Weather in hex: Light cloud

Raid detected at 156 NM, estimated altitude 38,750 feet.
Estimated time to target is 39 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-43-IIb Oscar x 10



Allied aircraft
P-38H Lightning x 14
P-47D2 Thunderbolt x 9
F4U-1 Corsair x 1
F4U-1A Corsair x 1
F6F-3 Hellcat x 17


Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-43-IIb Oscar: 3 destroyed

No Allied losses


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Night Air attack on TF, near Etorofu at 128,52

Weather in hex: Overcast

Raid detected at 73 NM, estimated altitude 10,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 20 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-67-Ia (T) Peggy x 7



Allied aircraft
Beaufighter VIf x 7
P-70 Havoc x 7


Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-67-Ia (T) Peggy: 2 destroyed, 5 damaged

No Allied losses

Allied Ships
DD Longshaw
CA Louisville



Aircraft Attacking:
7 x Ki-67-Ia (T) Peggy launching torpedoes at 200 feet
Naval Attack: 1 x 18in Type 91 Torpedo

CAP engaged:
No.89 Sqn RAF with Beaufighter VIf (7 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
7 plane(s) intercepting now.
Group patrol altitude is 7000
Raid is overhead
418th NFS with P-70 Havoc (3 airborne, 4 on standby, 0 scrambling)
3 plane(s) intercepting now.
Group patrol altitude is 8000 , scrambling fighters to 7000.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 15 minutes

Banzai! - Kamei W. in a Ki-67-Ia (T) Peggy is willing to die for the Emperor

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Night Air attack on Nagaoka , at 114,58

Weather in hex: Light rain

Raid detected at 37 NM, estimated altitude 23,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 12 minutes

Japanese aircraft
J1N1-S Irving x 6



Allied aircraft
B-24J Liberator x 13


Japanese aircraft losses
J1N1-S Irving: 1 destroyed

Allied aircraft losses
B-24J Liberator: 5 damaged



Manpower hits 1
Fires 640



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Night Naval bombardment of Shasukotan at 135,49

Allied Ships
BB Queen Elizabeth
BB New Mexico
BB Idaho

Japanese ground losses:
193 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 14 destroyed, 13 disabled
Engineers: 1 destroyed, 3 disabled
Guns lost 5 (3 destroyed, 2 disabled)



Airbase hits 3
Airbase supply hits 1
Runway hits 12
Port hits 18

BB Queen Elizabeth firing at Shasukotan
OS2U-3 Kingfisher acting as spotter for BB New Mexico
BB New Mexico firing at Shasukotan
BB Idaho firing at Shasukotan


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Morning Air attack on TF, near Tulagi at 114,137

Weather in hex: Heavy rain

Raid detected at 182 NM, estimated altitude 40,750 feet. Kamikaze!
Estimated time to target is 45 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-43-IIb Oscar x 20



Allied aircraft
Spitfire VIII x 2
P-38H Lightning x 14
P-40K Warhawk x 2
P-47D2 Thunderbolt x 9
F4U-1 Corsair x 1
F4U-1A Corsair x 2
F6F-3 Hellcat x 19


Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-43-IIb Oscar: 11 destroyed

No Allied losses

[JohnDillworth]

GJ, AFAIK the attachment of air unit to air HQs means nothing.

I'm not sure about this but I think it helps with basing massive numbers of aircraft at the same base. I think it was helpful to put everyone in the 20th Air Force when I had 400 B-29's on Tinian

[GreyJoy]

It's amazing how many things can you do at the same time with enough ships, troops, fuel and supply....

Thank God i brought everything with me...

Now the whole fleet committed to the Suddenly Hairy Op is composed by 1215 ships (lost 43 of them during these days)

[ny59giants]

Don't forget to put Harbin in Manchuria on your strategic bombing list. There is usually a nice size fighter factory there. Some player have expanded that one to a very large size feeling it will not be targeted. [:)]

[paullus99]

You should also be able to close down his remaining port facilities as well, preventing him from bringing in heavy equipment for his troops.

[GreyJoy]

ORIGINAL: ny59giants

Don't forget to put Harbin in Manchuria on your strategic bombing list. There is usually a nice size fighter factory there. Some player have expanded that one to a very large size feeling it will not be targeted. [:)]

Thanks! I just put it on the list to recon first...I'll have no escort there so i need to know what are his defences before committing...

[;)]

[GreyJoy]

ORIGINAL: paullus99

You should also be able to close down his remaining port facilities as well, preventing him from bringing in heavy equipment for his troops.

Well, Rader has at least 2000 fighters in Japan now...not that easy to start a frequent bombing campaign...my pools are in good shape but i don't have that many reserves of bombing pilots...i need to act with care...

Let's secure Toyohama first and let's transform Okkaido into a HUGE air base....then we're gonna have fun[:D]

[GreyJoy]

ORIGINAL: crsutton

ORIGINAL: paullus99

I feel for GJ - the amount of continued coordination and careful planning will consume a lot of time and energy on his part. Of course, with all of the attention focused on Northern Japan right now, it will also pay to continue to push forward any and all operations in other areas of the map as well, because every soldier, plane & ship that Rader is forced to keep somewhere else is one less that he can throw at GJs current position in the north.

Feel for him? He is living a Allied fanboy's dream right now. I feel for his girlfriend...[;)]

Ahhaha! well, actually tonight i promised her not to play and to take care of her needs showing some interest in something else which doesn't keep on making "morse noise" [:D]

[GreyJoy]

The more i think of it the more i'm sure Rader is up to something....i dont believe that he's not trying to interdict me in any way.... where is his fleet? What is he orchestrating? a counterinvasion somewhere else!? But where...which could be his targets? India is out of question... Oz?...the same i think...
The Solomons and NG are well guarded and well defended...
 
The only place i see where he could try something cray is PH... but can you really imagine to invade PH in mid 44?!?!

[pat.casey]

With the possible exception of the us west coast I cannot think of anything worth slowing your invasion to deal with.
Anywhere he counter invades is just a noisy distraction
Hold hokaido and you win the war...