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ORIGINAL: Lowpe

The fighter bomber fleet:

In this game Japan has made and will continue to make a large investment in fighter bombers. Currently there are 8 Sentai and 2 Chutai, with no more growth anticipated until 1943 starts and I fail to get auto victory or not.

The A model will be the primary anti bomber FB.
The C model will be more specialized in strafing both ships and ground targets but primarily ground.

The Randy will replace both models on the front lines and extra Nicks will either go kamikaze (no more than 1 squadron) or late game reserve.

I am trying a new to me tactic of LRCAP enemy bases likely to see air transport with Nick A. So for nothing, but I am only doing Chungking. I have hopes of catching something in the Aleutians I think (although, there I will use the A6M3a).

The Nick C primary attribute I like is the use of the Nick D engine rather than the Ha35.

I'm interested to see how that works out for you, as the Randy airframes are such a mixed bag IMO.

The Randy A is an absolute necessity for the late game IMO. The superb max altitude and solid armament, durability and armour make it a great anti-bomber and high CAP fighter. Plus it's classed as a fighter so the majority of IJA squadrons can convert to it.

The Randy B I just can't like. Besides the slightly better armaments package and speed I'm hard pushed to see the improvement between the Nick C and Randy B.

The Randy C I want to love. It would be perfect if only the radar arrived a little earlier, but without the radar it's hard to sell over a less effective but more accessible airframe like the Nick NF.

Regarding Nicks as kamikaze airframes, there are a fair few of late-war IJA ten plane training squadrons that arrive using Nate B models that are mapped to upgrade to the Nate A. The Nate A is classed as a fighter-bomber, so it's possible to convert them to the Nate A model and then to Nicks for kami duty. I would absolutely say that there's a role for them here, given how twin-engine planes tend to have a better time getting through CAP and flak than single-engine types. At any rate it can help to distribute the load of kami aircraft losses in the late game. Kami squadrons can also be told to perform CAP, but I've never tested if they actually do so.

ORIGINAL: mind_messing

Kami squadrons can also be told to perform CAP, but I've never tested if they actually do so.

They do. I had hoped they would have a higher percentage chance of driving their planes into 4E bombers, but they didn't. Perhaps there are other benefits to using them as cap...perhaps not checking morale? Just guessing.

ORIGINAL: mind_messing

The Randy B I just can't like. Besides the slightly better armaments package and speed I'm hard pushed to see the improvement between the Nick C and Randy B.

I think you might be surprised by what 2cl 20mm and 20 or 24mph faster can do. And the big gun for hoots and giggles.

October 25, 1942

The Commonwealth is trying to push forward, and Chitt only has one unit defending it.

Here we savage an Indian Brigade.

In China, Kweiyang may fall tomorrow.

Five days till the invasion of Sitkin.

October 26, 1942

Bombardments in the Aleutians net another 15 or so American planes destroyed, plus damage to the ground troops. Japan has now achieved over a 400 VP margin in the plane loss category.

Looks like three more days for the invasion of Great Sitkin, and now all the mines are swept. 70 fighters at Adak, and only 52 now at Unmak.

The naval bombardments have now branched out to hit every American base daily except Adak, and two more battleships have arrived to throw their weight around. The Iboat fleet is providing deep naval search, while Nells and Bettys cover closer to prevent surprises.

The KB is quiet, content to let the naval bombardments attrit the American planes, but is watching over everything.

I finally caught up in this AAR. As an AFB, it breaks my heart. Well played. A good example of how the timing of your offensive actions is crucial.

Cheers,
CB

ORIGINAL: CaptBeefheart

I finally caught up in this AAR. As an AFB, it breaks my heart. Well played. A good example of how the timing of your offensive actions is crucial.

Cheers,
CB

Thanks Cap!

Another day down, more bombardments in the great north, invasions fleets one more day closer. Allies now have 100 fighters at Adak, 90 at Umnak (and more mines there).

Yamato is back on station, but I can't figure out how to use her yet except as a reserve fleet.

Shifting some bombers around in China, Kweiyang held but just because of the forts. Attacking again, and then the road is clear for the final push on Chungking and Kunming. Kunming, Tsu and Pao are getting their runways bombed.

Added some fighter bombers to Burma...hopefully they can knock out the exposed British armor units. Have to be careful not to fly into the excellent British AA.

More carnage...almost. This is a great sub trap I have going on the Americans. What great intelligence!

Which way were they going?

The bombardments are furious, Unmak is now at 100% damage, and the Allies have built the fighter force back to 150 at Adak.

Japan is even using the three training light cruisers as a bombardment task force. They do pretty well.

Invasion starts tomorrow.

ORIGINAL: obvert

Which way were they going?

I believe east...there is another small BB fleet at Cold, but it has been there for days. I just need to gas up the KB and get into the interior.

So, here we are, the end of October 1942, and the Aleutians are about to get a series of nasty naval invasions, while the Allies try to put pressure on Burma, but rather are getting beaten there as well. The Allies risk losing another 40-60 ground units depending upon what Japan does.

The Yorktown is somewhere from Seattle to Cold Bay, along with one fast battleship and many heavy cruisers. Two other carriers might be trapped or scuttled or in for repairs.

The last roadblock to Chungking from the south is about to be blown away, and the Chungking garrison once over 9k AV has been cut down to 6.7K.

Ceylon, and Port Moresby have fallen as well. Early Allied advance into Tabby in South Pacific cost a full Marine Division, and two more divisions were lost at Attu. At Ceylon the Aussies lost two brigades and the British quite a few units as well.

The Allied Air Force has to be in tatters, the best frames heavily attrited mostly by naval bombardments.

To this situations, the admirable Wargamr has asked for a tactical pause to reflect.

I hope he continues as his best days are ahead of him.

Offer to accidentally trigger Russia?

I have a rule, only one painful game at a time.[;)]

End of October, 1942

Kweiyang falls...with the bulk of the IJA artillery and infantry divisions in the two hexes immediately to the south (and they are moving north.

The road is open all the way the Chungking...some of the most important hexes to garrison are empty or already in Japanese control. Raw AV of Chungking is now down to 6.5K and continues to plummet.

Armored units and one infantry division will continue to push west to Kunming.

Invasion tomorrow...

Kweiyang is a nice airbase for use against Chungking.

Ichang is a size 8 runway, and that is where the almost all bombers are stationed hitting Chungking now. Easier to get an Air HQ there quite early. Previous to today, Japanese bombers were targeting Kweiyang.

Neikiang, 2 hexes away, is only size 2 (48%), and hosts a big sentai of Nick FB's doing nothing but LRCAP (with drop tanks) over Chungking should the Allies decide to fly in supplies.

Kweiyang is a size 3, and I will air lift in engineers and aviation units to it to build it up. There are a ton of engineers being airlifted from Canton to points north. Leap frogging.

I am probably 10 days away from the first deliberate attack on Chungking.