Turnaround? Lowpe (J) vs Tiemanj (A) Stock

[Lokasenna]

ORIGINAL: Miller

Good luck, you seem to be getting things together. Your opponent offered me this game before you but I had to decline due to agreeing to another game beforehand, glad I did lol!

By the way, that 91 plane group, how is it possible? I thought 81 (Akagi resize) was the biggest you could have? And if I was you I would be using her to resize other groups to help get your training program up to speed quicker. After all the Allies can do the same, unless you have a HR against it of course.

Agreed. You don't even need to completely fill it out with 81 planes. You can have just a few dozen and they'll train up just fine.

[Lowpe]

ORIGINAL: Miller

Good luck, you seem to be getting things together. Your opponent offered me this game before you but I had to decline due to agreeing to another game beforehand, glad I did lol!

Well, it is kind of fun, but turns are tough...I work at until I get a headache and then I take some lumps every now and then.

By the way, that 91 plane group, how is it possible? I thought 81 (Akagi resize) was the biggest you could have? And if I was you I would be using her to resize other groups to help get your training program up to speed quicker. After all the Allies can do the same, unless you have a HR against it of course.

I have no clue how to get to 91. But you definitely don't need to fill it all the way up to get them pilots training.

[Lowpe]

Got tired doing the turn and totally forgot to do anything in China. Don't laugh, I am probably not the first IJ player to do that. [:'(] I hope the days delay doesn't screw up too much my flanking attack on the Changsha triangle.

A slim chance for a CV engagement this turn in the Kuriles, probably at least one surface engagement, and Allies show signs of wanting to break out of Soerabaja with their 20 ships so there could be some fireworks there, too.

Two heavy radio traffic reports at Pearl Harbor...

[Lowpe]

American Carriers in the North Pacific....

Light cruiser task forces finds nothing but empty seas during the night and during the day a carrier strike finds them. The carrier planes easily overcome their long range CAP from Paramushiro (at least it flew), but the carrier planes do heavy damage but doesn't sink them. Two raids, am and pm.

In other news no nightly bombing of Magwe...but heavy daytime bombing of Oosthaven again.

[Lowpe]

IJA planes bomb the port at Soerabaja trying to keep the damaged ships damaged....

[Lowpe]

And then, unbeknownst to the American skippers, the IJN pulls off the holy grail of WITP AE -- the dreaded IJN 8 hex carrier strike...[:D]

[Lowpe]

A couple squadrons can't link up, and one flies on alone to get chewed up by CAP, but still some damage done, probably just scratches overall though.

The Lexington has 4 flight deck penetrations, severe fires below deck, SC SS radar mount destroyed, and severe casualties from explosion.

Most of the Warspites' bombs bounce off the deck armor, but they do knock out two AA devices.

The Cruiser has her radar knocked out and some nasty below deck messages.

[Lowpe]

If you were the Skipper of the Lady Lex where would you go?

[Lowpe]

I am sitting here pondering this tactical situation over, and I think I will retire the KB and get her invisible again. Times like this is what makes this game so great.[:)]

For the following reasons:
I can't afford a high speed run, fuel or damage.

If I meander the KB NNE 7 hexes I don't think there will be anything there worth hitting, or I will get hit as this is the obvious move. Yanks have 10 detection on the KB.

Recently, Tiemanj showed the Lexington for a day, hit my BBs and then did a high speed run all the way back northeast of Attu. So, if he is intent on getting away he will. The Lex in one tough old bird, and I bet she can still make 20+ knots. The Warspite probably has less than 10 damage and is very dangerous during the day.

I don't have the pilots to have a huge carrier battle currently. I don't have the planes either.

It is a long game, and there will be other opportunities as Tiemanj is very aggressive.

[Lowpe]

Economy: Saving 4000 HI a turn, 12,000 supply a day(and that will increase as the last of the big building projects wind down).

R&D ...looks good with strong research into selected models...It won't be long until I have the A6M5c thanks to 460 factories worth of research.[X(]

I am really looking forward to experimenting with some different planes.

[Lokasenna]

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

Economy: Saving 4000 HI a turn, 12,000 supply a day(and that will increase as the last of the big building projects wind down).

R&D ...looks good with strong research into selected models...It won't be long until I have the A6M5c thanks to 460 factories worth of research.[X(]

I am really looking forward to experimenting with some different planes.

Just be sure to keep some A6M2, or A6M3/a, units around in case you want to do long range sweeps! For escorts, either keep some A6M2/3/3a or Oscars! I'm sure you know this, just a gentle reminder [;)].

[Lowpe]

Yes, I definitely plan to keep some of them around for distance.

Turn is done and around: KB retreats, sent in 4 surface groups of all flavors BBs, DDs, CLs so there could be some fireworks in the North Pacific. It would be nice to land a few long lances, and maybe the Lady Lex is hurt more than I think and I can catch her. Doubtful, but have to try.

Events I forgot to mention: This past turn I managed to get a minefield up at Merak in the DEI and snagged a hit on a submarine...I really like the idea of adding mines to subs when they sortie and using them...thanks Spidery.[&o]

And finally the Sendai TF managed to sink two support ships south of Cocos...fleeing Cocos with no fuel? I have heavy cruiser blockade of Soerabaja and expect engagements there daily...

[Lowpe]

Near the Kuriles the Allies are risking very nice ships early on. It would be a real coup to sink some of the military transports this early.

[Miller]

If those 4 bombs detonated below deck I reckon Lex will be capable of 4 hexes at most. In the original WITP she would have been hardly scratched, but not in AE. I lost Yorktown outright to 4 x 250kg bomb hits in a recent game.

[Lowpe]

ORIGINAL: Miller

If those 4 bombs detonated below deck I reckon Lex will be capable of 4 hexes at most. In the original WITP she would have been hardly scratched, but not in AE. I lost Yorktown outright to 4 x 250kg bomb hits in a recent game.

They penetrated the flight deck...so lets hope the Lex is out for quite a while. I really need a breather to build up my forces and get organized.

I am vectoring three subs to Vancouver Island on the off chance they can get a shot at the Lex before she enters Seattle.

[Lowpe]

Sept 25, 1942:

Kuriles: Allies disappear except for a couple of small 2 ship task forces. I hope he suffered some high speed damage [:D]

My surface task forces do well steaming normally all over the place but no engagements. Maybe I will catch a small 2 ship task force tomorrow at night...now I need to destroy his landing forces. Troops, ships and supplies gathered at Etorofu...very short on minesweepers and planes (not counting the KB) and prep isn't high enough yet (10 days for 50 prep for the most important units).

I am buying out several Soviet Garrison construction units that should have been purchased long ago plus an air HQ (for Paramushiro). For now, most will go to the Kuriles as I want to get the KB out of the area.


China: Two good land combat results wiped out a fair number of squads. Supply must be really critical in China, and my flank attack on the Changsha industrial triangle looks to net about 40 Chinese units. Can't believe he doesn't see the danger and ordered a full retreat. [:-]

Just plodding along here in China, I have a naval guard unit going to garrison Wenchow and that will free up another full division (rested and rebuilt) to help seal the Changsha pocket.

2000 AV worth of troops is forcing the river west of Ankang to break his eastern mountain line there. He has 5 units defending which I started bombing...no flak. 8 miles a day progress by the assault stack.

Everywhere Else Heavy casualties at Soerabaja for the defenders again with 10 afvs knocked out. Consistently killing 20+ combat squads each art bombardment there a day and will deliberate attack in 3 days again when the troops march back in. Moved another combat engineer unit there to help with the stupid forts.

Tjilatjap bombarded by cruisers, Ambon bombarded by a lone CA, tomorrow will see a BB bombarding and a shock attack by 4 Naval Guard units and 1 combat engineer unit.

I can't tell you what pain this is -- dealing with Java in october 1942 still. Well, I don't think I conquered Manila until September 42. But still, this is more fun than playing AndyMac's nasty nasty ironman games on very hard. [:D]

Bettys raided Broome, no CAP, but no hits on two destroyers.

Another Infantry Division landed at Tavoy, will march up to Rangoon.



.

[Lokasenna]

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

ORIGINAL: Miller

If those 4 bombs detonated below deck I reckon Lex will be capable of 4 hexes at most. In the original WITP she would have been hardly scratched, but not in AE. I lost Yorktown outright to 4 x 250kg bomb hits in a recent game.

They penetrated the flight deck...so lets hope the Lex is out for quite a while. I really need a breather to build up my forces and get organized.

I am vectoring three subs to Vancouver Island on the off chance they can get a shot at the Lex before she enters Seattle.

Probably not much Flt damage, but probably high levels of Sys damage, which can actually take even more time to fix since level of Sys damage factors into repair points per turn (IIRC). I wouldn't be surprised if she heads for Pearl, maybe, instead of Seattle. I'd post up on the approaches to both.

[Lowpe]

ORIGINAL: Lokasenna
Probably not much Flt damage, but probably high levels of Sys damage, which can actually take even more time to fix since level of Sys damage factors into repair points per turn (IIRC). I wouldn't be surprised if she heads for Pearl, maybe, instead of Seattle. I'd post up on the approaches to both.

Thanks...good point...will post a few subs north of Pearl...Seattle might be full of damaged battleships.[:D]

[Lowpe]

Back from Davey Jones Locker: Here is the report of ships mistakenly reported sunk.

[Lowpe]

September 26, 1942:

The Ise hits pay dirt! Well, err, the Lexington more precisely.

Here is the problem of nesting BBs with Carriers...the Warspite did nothing. Of course, the Lex might have gone down in the air strike two days ago if Warspite didn't absorb 15 bomb hits instead of her.

The rest of the Lex's planes made their base in the Kuriles (about 60) from the previous days carrier battles, so I guess those 4 250 kg gp bombs really did a job on the Lex...she was burning to beat the band before the engagement even started.

So, if I would have let the KB stick around I could have netted more ships...oh well.