Spanking Lowpe (NJP72 vs Lowpe (A))

[Lowpe]

Genius!

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[RangerJoe]

Genius!

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Did you lose any hair over this?

[Lowpe]

No hair left to lose.

[RangerJoe]

No hair left to lose.

When you go bald in front you are a thinker,
When you go bald in back you are a lover,
When you go bald in front and back,
You think that you are a lover,
But since perception is reality, you are a lover!

[Lowpe]

March 21, 1943

Soon the conversion will unlock for Wickes and Clemsons to DE again...where I will be converting them all to that service to be assigned to our bombardment groups to counter the enemy sub threat.

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Managed another penetrating hit over by Nauru with our CVE ASW group...

[Lowpe]

Sweeping with our 2nd liners...P40Ks and Hurricanes. Decent results. KB is tough on PBMs though.

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[Lowpe]

March 22, 1943

No reason why such a big liner should be operating other than in transport mode between say Manilla or Singers and Honshu....I think I have caught Japan using these liners elsewhere forward...

9/10 DL on the base, only 4k troops there...

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[Lowpe]

Most of these ships are over 3800 troop capacity...where are the troop conversions of cargo ships? They are expendable...

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[RangerJoe]

The sister ship of the xAP Brazil Maru is in the game twice. Once as an xAP and the other as a CVE which is in the build queue and not as a conversion.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_ ... Kaiy%C5%8D

Think if the Brazil Maru was convertable as well as the Argentina Maru. That would save some merchant shipyard points, along with the three transports already converting into carriers and not as new builds as the game is doing.

[Lowpe]

The sister ship of the xAP Brazil Maru is in the game twice. Once as an xAP and the other as a CVE which is in the build queue and not as a conversion.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_ ... Kaiy%C5%8D

Think if the Brazil Maru was convertable as well as the Argentina Maru. That would save some merchant shipyard points, along with the three transports already converting into carriers and not as new builds as the game is doing.

What planes were on the Brazil Maru?

[RangerJoe]

None, it was sunk before it could be converted. The Argentina Maru stays in the game and does not convert while the Kaiyo CVE is in the building queue. Neither of them have air units when they are xAPs.

I believe that LST in his mode, has the xAPs as conversions.

[Lowpe]

Sorry, meant Argentine Maru....your article doesn't say although she transported a dozen transports, it does say planes spotted and attacked a sub once.

[RangerJoe]

Sorry, meant Argentine Maru....your article doesn't say although she transported a dozen transports, it does say planes spotted and attacked a sub once.

She was renamed the Kaiyo Maru and was used as an aircraft transport and convoy escort.

[Lowpe]

Do you know what planes flew off the Kaiyo? I can't find it mentioned.

[RangerJoe]

The best information that I can find is the Kate. Maybe the B5N1 until they were used up and then the B5N2. But I did find the higher level organization for the CVE air units.

931st Air Group

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_a ... anese_Navy

Here, you can buy one!

B5N2 Kate, 931st Naval Flying Group (KEB303), Kushira Air Base, April 1945 (Okinawa air operations)

https://kingshobby.com/store/b5n2-kate- ... operations

Did you know that the CVE Shin'yō was built in Germany? But it was slightly modified in Japan? Think, it could have been started before Pearl Harbor!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS_Scharnhorst_(1934)

[Lowpe]

The best information that I can find is the Kate. Maybe the B5N1 until they were used up and then the B5N2. But I did find the higher level organization for the CVE air units.

931st Air Group

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_a ... anese_Navy

Here, you can buy one!

B5N2 Kate, 931st Naval Flying Group (KEB303), Kushira Air Base, April 1945 (Okinawa air operations)

https://kingshobby.com/store/b5n2-kate- ... operations

Did you know that the CVE Shin'yō was built in Germany? But it was slightly modified in Japan? Think, it could have been started before Pearl Harbor!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS_Scharnhorst_(1934)

I always found a use for Kates for the entire war in an ASW role...especially the one with radar I recall.

IJN CVEs are tough to use as Allied subs are so good!

[RangerJoe]

But those CVE can also hang out at a base protected by a minefield as well. But so can an AV which is probably better and use the CVEs in the more open areas with ASW TFs patrolling the area around the CVE TF. That is, if a Japanese player does not fill them up with fighters for CAP purposes. A lot of Catalinas can be then shot down. But again, any ship carrying Rufes can do that as well.

"24 April (1944):
1830: One of KAIYO's attack planes sights LtCdr Manning M. Kimmel's (son of former CINCPAC, ADM H. E. Kimmel) USS ROBALO (SS-273) on the surface about 15 miles behind the convoy. The plane drops two 250-kilogram bombs on ROBALO and calls for assistance. IKI and CD-9 arrive and drop depth charges. ROBALO is severely damaged, but escapes."

http://www.combinedfleet.com/Kaiyo.htm

That was probably a Kate. Since the Japanese were probably short of aircraft, using the B5N1 on the CVEs would make sense if there were any left leaving the B5N2 for more demanding areas where a higher serviceability would be important.

[Lowpe]

March 23, 1943

Continuing our bleed Japan of fighters in the sky tactic...

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[RangerJoe]

It looks like you are doing good in Burma and Thailand but I do have some questions. How much if any supply is there and able to make it into China? If it is making it into China, is it helping you to counterattack there? Do you have a large stockpile of supplies in South Africa to move into the theater and/or did you have it but have moved it into India? Do you plan on retaking Celon for the tea, cinnamon, pepper, and other spices or are you going to keep that as a Japanese controlled POW camp? Are there any signs of units being flown out of Ceylon or shipped out?

[Lowpe]

Supply to China, amazing it has improved so much because most transports and bombers have stopped flying in supply but instead are working on Chiang Mai and moving troops into Burma and other odds and ends.

Burma has until this turn, only had one small xakl delivering supplies to Akyab. Today 3 xaps and 1 AK have been added to the list, and one of the xaps is the large cargo capacity one (cargo 3000+, troops 800).

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My counter attacks are over for now, with wiping out two IJA brigades that advanced too far...