Matrix Games Forums

The key is draining his supply so he doesn't have the ability to repair his airframe factories that you are systematically damaging. It looks like a Honshu invasion may be necessary, and sooner is better than later as he scrambles to bring the boys home.

Keep up the good work, mi amigo!

Cheers,
CC

Thx CC...i'll do my best!

A bad turn in SOPAC and a good turn in NOPAC...

May 27, 28 1944

We tried to follow the retreating enemy CAs...we sent on their heels 3 different TFs... the first made up around CL Gambia managed to engage near Torobika...despite the perfect positioning (T crossed) and the closing range, we weren't able to score any significant damage...and the CAs went away without a scratch almost...

Then our TF composed around CA Australia (one of my fav ships) found a Barge TF and lost so much time in sinking all of them than when the day came out they were still near Torobika without air cover....48 Judys took off from Rabaul and scored 4 bombes on CA Australia....she sunk the following night[:o][:o][:o]...so depressed...lost 2 Cruisers in 2 turns for no gain at all....damned Japanese CAs!!!!!!

In Japan our idea of hitting Hiroshima was a winning one!
Our P-38s did a decent job against very little CAP...then our 4Es arrived and set the whole city afire, destroying the R&R Shinden factory with very little damage on our side!...now Rader knows that he has to protect his cities even if beyond the P-47s Range[8D]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Night Time Surface Combat, near Buka at 108,129, Range 12,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
CA Takao, Shell hits 4, on fire
CA Chokai, Shell hits 1
CL Tenryu, Shell hits 4, on fire
DD Kosukaze
DD Yamanakaze, Shell hits 1, on fire

Allied Ships
CL Gambia, Shell hits 2
DD Fullam
DD McKee, Shell hits 1
DD Dunlap
DD Conyngham
DD Clark
DD Aylwin, Shell hits 5, heavy fires, heavy damage



Reduced sighting due to 28% moonlight
Maximum visibility in Clear Conditions and 28% moonlight: 12,000 yards
Range closes to 24,000 yards...
Range closes to 18,000 yards...
Range closes to 12,000 yards...
CONTACT: Japanese lookouts spot Allied task force at 12,000 yards
CONTACT: Allied lookouts spot Japanese task force at 12,000 yards
Ennis V. crosses the 'T'


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day Time Surface Combat, near Buka at 108,129, Range 28,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
AMc Wa 1, Shell hits 1, and is sunk
AMc Wa 8, Shell hits 5, and is sunk
AMc Wa 17, Shell hits 2, and is sunk
AM Wa 103, Shell hits 1, and is sunk
AM Wa 105, Shell hits 2, and is sunk
AMc Atsu Maru, Shell hits 1, and is sunk
LB-503, Shell hits 2, and is sunk
LB-504, Shell hits 1, and is sunk
LB-505, Shell hits 1, and is sunk
LB-506, Shell hits 1, and is sunk
LB-507, Shell hits 1, and is sunk
LB-508, Shell hits 1, and is sunk
LB-509, Shell hits 1, and is sunk
LB-510, Shell hits 1, and is sunk
LB-513, Shell hits 1, and is sunk
LB-516, Shell hits 3, and is sunk
LB-517, Shell hits 1, and is sunk
LB-518, Shell hits 1, and is sunk
LB-519, Shell hits 2, and is sunk
LB-521, Shell hits 1, and is sunk
LB-522, Shell hits 1, and is sunk
LB-523, Shell hits 1, and is sunk
LB-524, Shell hits 1, and is sunk
LB-525, Shell hits 2, and is sunk
LB-5053, Shell hits 1, and is sunk
SC Ch 35, Shell hits 4, and is sunk
SC Ch 40, Shell hits 6, and is sunk
SC Ch 46, Shell hits 1, and is sunk

Allied Ships
CA Australia
DD Chevalier
DD LaVallette
DD Nicholas
DD Terry
DD Lamson
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Morning Air attack on TF, near Buka at 108,129

Weather in hex: Light cloud

Raid detected at 80 NM, estimated altitude 16,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 26 minutes

Japanese aircraft
D4Y3 Judy x 32



Allied aircraft
Spitfire VIII x 3


Japanese aircraft losses
D4Y3 Judy: 11 damaged
D4Y3 Judy: 1 destroyed by flak

No Allied losses

Allied Ships
CA Australia, Bomb hits 2, heavy fires
DD Chevalier
DD Terry
DD LaVallette
DD Lamson

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Morning Air attack on TF, near Buka at 108,129

Weather in hex: Light cloud

Raid detected at 79 NM, estimated altitude 14,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 26 minutes

Japanese aircraft
D4Y3 Judy x 32



Allied aircraft
Spitfire VIII x 2


Japanese aircraft losses
D4Y3 Judy: 5 damaged
D4Y3 Judy: 1 destroyed by flak

No Allied losses

Allied Ships
CA Australia, Bomb hits 2, heavy fires, heavy damage
DD Terry
DD Nicholas
DD LaVallette
DD Chevalier


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Morning Air attack on Hiroshima/Kure , at 106,58

Weather in hex: Severe storms

Raid spotted at 20 NM, estimated altitude 22,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 6 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M5 Zero x 25



Allied aircraft
B-24D1 Liberator x 49
B-24J Liberator x 290
PB4Y-1 Liberator x 34


Japanese aircraft losses
A6M5 Zero: 1 destroyed

Allied aircraft losses
B-24J Liberator: 1 damaged



Manpower hits 18
J7W1 Shinden factory hits 14
Fires 10080


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Morning Air attack on Hiroshima/Kure , at 106,58

Weather in hex: Severe storms

Raid spotted at 20 NM, estimated altitude 24,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 6 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M5 Zero x 11
N1K1-J George x 12
Ki-44-IIa Tojo x 12



Allied aircraft
B-24D1 Liberator x 18
PB4Y-1 Liberator x 22


Japanese aircraft losses
A6M5 Zero: 1 destroyed
Ki-44-IIa Tojo: 1 destroyed

Allied aircraft losses
B-24D1 Liberator: 1 damaged
PB4Y-1 Liberator: 1 destroyed, 2 damaged



Manpower hits 9
Fires 16250



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Morning Air attack on Hiroshima/Kure , at 106,58

Weather in hex: Severe storms

Raid spotted at 13 NM, estimated altitude 23,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 4 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M5 Zero x 4
N1K1-J George x 6
Ki-44-IIa Tojo x 16



Allied aircraft
B-24J Liberator x 17


No Japanese losses

Allied aircraft losses
B-24J Liberator: 3 damaged



J7W1 Shinden factory hits 1
Fires 14125

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Morning Air attack on Hiroshima/Kure , at 106,58 *again coordination sucks!...the sweeps arrived after the bombers....*

Weather in hex: Severe storms

Raid spotted at 20 NM, estimated altitude 35,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 4 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M5 Zero x 3
N1K1-J George x 6
Ki-44-IIa Tojo x 9



Allied aircraft
P-38J Lightning x 52


Japanese aircraft losses
A6M5 Zero: 2 destroyed
N1K1-J George: 3 destroyed
Ki-44-IIa Tojo: 3 destroyed

No Allied losses

Ok...i just found out that i'm losing 65 PPs every turn and i'll probably lose lot more.... 4 ships due to withdraw....and they are 10000 miles from the closest withdrawal port[:@][:@][:@][:@][:@][:@].... f*** i was too focused on the strat bombing thing that i lost the touch of the logistic problems.... f*************
 
Ok...what should i do? I have a brit CA in Hokkaido... better to send her in a suicidal task and have her sunk or to make her do the trip back to SF?[:o][:o]

Ok, let's look at the positive side....we've just burnt Hiroshima and slowed down the Shindens research. The Ki-83 production has been truly harmed. If my calculations are correct i still have 2 KI-83 industries to wipe out, plus those already damaged at Maebashi...
Then it will be time for the KI-84 and the shindens...
 
In the meanwhile....plans for invading Honshu are taking shape. I still need to get those damned convoys back to the Kuriles first but then we'll be ready to really start the preliminaries

Ok...what should i do? I have a brit CA in Hokkaido... better to send her in a suicidal task and have her sunk or to make her do the trip back to SF?

Bombard mission to Yokohama will do the trick

CA Australia didn't sink!!!! for the first time the synch bug brought me something gooooood!!![:D] she's in bad shape but she should make it[;)]

Yet the raid over Hiroshima went even better than expected...fires were over 25k!!! and we actually bombed the city for 2 days instead of the only one shown in the replay[8D]


No clue where the KB is...no radio message...nada de nada


Result from the last strat bombing turn is really good....look at the 4es losses![:D]

Are you planning on going toe to toe with the KB? Also, I would invade Japan just to say you did haha.

Also, I would invade Japan just to say you did haha

He already did

You're going to get ashore, that's not a problem. If you pick some clear terrain, your armor is going to win the day.

The strategic bombing results are great - it is going to show Rader that the game is up as far as his defense goes - doesn't seem like he'll be able to put up enough fighters to make a difference. Keep up the great work.

ORIGINAL: JohnDillworth

Also, I would invade Japan just to say you did haha

He already did

Honshu***

Nice bombing attack. I was like a free one with no bombers lost. It hurts to lose a couple of cruisers but you are doing damage to Rader that he can't afford. He is in a very bad situation.

Keep plugging away, find another gap and hit it.
 
You will soon learn rader cant have "thousands" of defenders everywhere.
 
As you have admitted, your eyes are on your bombing campaign, again, write a list of evrything to do each turn including LRCAPPING your TF's, dont get lazy or you might find rader finding a gap in your deployments while you are transfixed on your next bomber raid.
 
You mentioned a rest, you need to manage your Sqns so that you should have at least 2/3rds flying just about every day. Dont let rader get a breather, your "rest period" plus bad weather might give him a week especially with 2 day turns.
 
Hopefully by now you are threatening Hollandia, Aitape, Akyab and Mandalay or at least planning to do so. You cant let him pull out too many troops to get back to the HI.
 
Have you got any subs out there other than around Nth Honshu & Hokkaido? Can they set up some traps for KB as at sometime its gotta go and refuel!
 
Plus LCU sunk on the way to Honshu are easier to get than once they are behind L9 forts (I wonder if rader has only recently began building forts, de he save on the supply cost previously??)

ORIGINAL: jeffk3510

Are you planning on going toe to toe with the KB? Also, I would invade Japan just to say you did haha.

Well i think that if manage to engage the KB far away from his LBA i say yes, this is the right time to do so imho.

Cannot deny that being able to say "I sieged Tokyo" is something that really makes me hard[:D]

ORIGINAL: JeffK

Keep plugging away, find another gap and hit it.

You will soon learn rader cant have "thousands" of defenders everywhere.

As you have admitted, your eyes are on your bombing campaign, again, write a list of evrything to do each turn including LRCAPPING your TF's, dont get lazy or you might find rader finding a gap in your deployments while you are transfixed on your next bomber raid.

You mentioned a rest, you need to manage your Sqns so that you should have at least 2/3rds flying just about every day. Dont let rader get a breather, your "rest period" plus bad weather might give him a week especially with 2 day turns.

Hopefully by now you are threatening Hollandia, Aitape, Akyab and Mandalay or at least planning to do so. You cant let him pull out too many troops to get back to the HI.

Have you got any subs out there other than around Nth Honshu & Hokkaido? Can they set up some traps for KB as at sometime its gotta go and refuel!

Plus LCU sunk on the way to Honshu are easier to get than once they are behind L9 forts (I wonder if rader has only recently began building forts, de he save on the supply cost previously??)

Don't know Jeff...i'm trying to keep the pressure up in SOPAC but i have to admitt that i had to stretch so much my offensive assets that i fear i don't have the means to materially threaten him anywhere else. My defences are strong, mind you, and i'm prettu sure i cannot lose anymore ground anywhere on the map, but as far as it goes about conquering lands in anything else than NOPAC....i think i'm not up to the task.

Same goes for subs. They are needed to protect my interior lines and, as i said, Rader ASW is very very strong...i'm reluctant to send more subs to a sure death with very little chance of achieving any result...
With my actual defensive posture (CVEs with my convoys , CVs in a fast reaction hunting role and subs+ picket TFs) i think i'm able to respond to any direct threat posed by the KB against my major supply routes.

My Tanks are winning the day in clear hex you say Paullus...well i think it will all depends on how many troops Rader is able to send against me...but one thing is sure...it0s going to be fun! Rader this time will have to send everything he has against me...both on the seas and in the air...Should be the mother of all battles...LBAs vs LBAs, BBs vs BBs, CVs vs CVs...

May 29, 30 1944
 
Another turn in the belly.
Today our 4Es rested, while our 2Es mauled Ominato port and AF facilities.
Our navy bombed Aikita while his KB remained in the shades...
 
 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Night Naval bombardment of Akita at 117,55 - Coastal Guns Fire Back!
 
Japanese aircraft
      no flights
 
Japanese aircraft losses
      J1N1-C Irving: 5 damaged
 
122 Coastal gun shots fired in defense.
 
Allied Ships
      BC Renown
      CA Exeter
      CA Louisville
      CA Portland
      CL Denver
      DD Uhlmann
      DD William Porter
      DD Picking
      DD McCord, Shell hits 1
      DD Marshall
      DD Luce, Shell hits 2
      DD Longshaw
 
Japanese ground losses:
      93 casualties reported
         Squads: 0 destroyed, 4 disabled
         Non Combat: 4 destroyed, 12 disabled
         Engineers: 1 destroyed, 1 disabled
 
 
 
Resources hits 3
Oil hits 1
Light Industry hits 1
Manpower hits 13
Fires 614
Airbase hits 16
Airbase supply hits 11
Runway hits 110
Port hits 22
Port fuel hits 1
Port supply hits 6
 
 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Morning Air attack on Ominato , at 119,54
 
Weather in hex: Overcast
 
Raid spotted at 37 NM, estimated altitude 12,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 10 minutes
 
Japanese aircraft
      no flights
 
 
Allied aircraft
      Mosquito FB.VI x 6
      Wellington GR.XIII x 16
      B-25C Mitchell x 16
      B-25D1 Mitchell x 40
      B-25G Mitchell x 35
      B-25H Mitchell x 22
      F6F-3 Hellcat x 21
      PBJ-1D Mitchell x 30
      PV-1 Ventura x 24
 
 
Japanese aircraft losses
      E13A1 Jake: 1 destroyed on ground
 
No Allied losses
 
Japanese Ships
      ACM Zuiko Maru, Bomb hits 3, and is sunk
      ACM Keinan Maru, Bomb hits 1, and is sunk
      LB-1233, Bomb hits 1, and is sunk
      LB-555, Bomb hits 1, and is sunk
 
 
 
Airbase hits 20
Airbase supply hits 13
Runway hits 99
Port hits 22
Port fuel hits 2
Port supply hits 3
 
 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Morning Air attack on Ominato , at 119,54
 
Weather in hex: Overcast
 
Raid spotted at 35 NM, estimated altitude 13,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 10 minutes
 
 
Allied aircraft
      B-25H Mitchell x 23
      F6F-3 Hellcat x 14
      PBJ-1D Mitchell x 15
 
 
Allied aircraft losses
      PBJ-1D Mitchell: 1 damaged
 
 
 
Airbase hits 6
Airbase supply hits 2
Runway hits 14
Port hits 3
 
 
 
 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Night Naval bombardment of Onnekotan-jima at 136,48 - Coastal Guns Fire Back!
 
43 Coastal gun shots fired in defense.
 
Allied Ships
      BB Queen Elizabeth, Shell hits 1
      BB Mississippi
      BB New Mexico
      BB Idaho
      BB Colorado
 
Japanese ground losses:
      444 casualties reported
         Squads: 2 destroyed, 8 disabled
         Non Combat: 14 destroyed, 55 disabled
         Engineers: 3 destroyed, 14 disabled
      Guns lost 19 (7 destroyed, 12 disabled)
      Vehicles lost 5 (2 destroyed, 3 disabled)
 
 
 
Airbase hits 6
Airbase supply hits 1
Runway hits 29
Port hits 8
Port fuel hits 2
Port supply hits 1
 

 
Northern Honshu is left by Rader completel undefended in the air so our guys are having easy days over there...

hi GJ,

'grats on the success of your strat campaign so far. but you've got to find a tempo for each sqn (ops/rest %age) that keeps fatigue low & allows service-level 4/5 planes to be rebuilt. since you're restricted to high-fatigue ops at >20k, imo you won't be able to stabilize your 4Es at 50/50, but will have to continue to micro-manage each sqn, & decide between light/hvy days of strat-bomb action.

don't neglect to continue recon over destroyed factory centers such as Harbin, if you detect some factory rebuilds, you'll need to go in & bounce the rubble a bit. no doubt Rader will attempt to regenerate his factories to some extent, so keep an eye on them.

the 4 IJ bases in NE Honshu look to be low-hanging fruit for your next amph attack, grabbing them will be a nasty fight, but there's no doubt you can accomplish it w/o compromising your 4E campaign. it'll be slow (given that you're committed to owning the eastern Kuriles 1st), but once you get your LCUs ashore in the Ominato sector, you can gradually move your strat-attack redline to encompass most of Honshu.

best regards!

ORIGINAL: GreyJoy

Ok...i just found out that i'm losing 65 PPs every turn and i'll probably lose lot more.... 4 ships due to withdraw....and they are 10000 miles from the closest withdrawal port[:@][:@][:@][:@][:@][:@].... f*** i was too focused on the strat bombing thing that i lost the touch of the logistic problems.... f*************

Ok...what should i do? I have a brit CA in Hokkaido... better to send her in a suicidal task and have her sunk or to make her do the trip back to SF?[:o][:o]

Sacc them. It is not worth the massive amount of PP you lose. It will be only a small amount of VP which is it worth a 100 times. I would then suggest that you just start to move everything which is <= 100 days back to a big port where you can remove the ship. It is quite annoying if you have a sub somewhere in the nowhere which you have to remove. And if you need to lose a sub, send it somewhere where it gets damaged and then move it around with max speed. This will still take some turns till its lost but still better than paying a 40 days the PP penalty.

ORIGINAL: jmalter

hi GJ,

'grats on the success of your strat campaign so far. but you've got to find a tempo for each sqn (ops/rest %age) that keeps fatigue low & allows service-level 4/5 planes to be rebuilt. since you're restricted to high-fatigue ops at >20k, imo you won't be able to stabilize your 4Es at 50/50, but will have to continue to micro-manage each sqn, & decide between light/hvy days of strat-bomb action.

don't neglect to continue recon over destroyed factory centers such as Harbin, if you detect some factory rebuilds, you'll need to go in & bounce the rubble a bit. no doubt Rader will attempt to regenerate his factories to some extent, so keep an eye on them.

the 4 IJ bases in NE Honshu look to be low-hanging fruit for your next amph attack, grabbing them will be a nasty fight, but there's no doubt you can accomplish it w/o compromising your 4E campaign. it'll be slow (given that you're committed to owning the eastern Kuriles 1st), but once you get your LCUs ashore in the Ominato sector, you can gradually move your strat-attack redline to encompass most of Honshu.

best regards!

Yes, i think the Ominato campaign will surely be bloody but also i think it's something that can be done. Will be slow at the beginning, but once we manage to get enough supplies into Hokkaido (wanna have 2,500,000 before starting the operation) i think we have enough firepower to be able to try

Next target will be Nagaoka, with 51 KI-83 producing and 102 KI-201 R&R. The base is very well defended and it has many strong airbases nearby (Tokyo today has 1100 fighters alone!!!). But the base is also pretty close to our major base (Hakkodate) and this will enable the Corsairs to LRCAP and even the P-47-D2 to sweep...which is a good thing.

I'm massing my B-29s...i have nearly 100 of them operative by now...in a couple of weeks i should be able to add them to the pounch, along with 100 more fighters that are now based at Addak Island.

Enemy subs spotted south of Uruppu Jima...that probably means Rader is trying one of his classic pack wolves missions...will tight my ASW lines and will keep a deep look at the ASW protection...

CV Franklin arrived today, along with BB Richelieu...BB Washington is operative again, while BB NOrth Carolina still needs a couple of weeks in the shipyard (they both were damaged during the battle against Yamato)

With the big jucy airfields, filled with lots of fighters, have you every considered some small night air attacks against the airfields ? Afaik you have a quite strict HR, so no massive strategic 4E attacks. But wouldn't your rule even allow lets say a 50 or so 4E do some night airfield attacks ? Or is there a HR against airfield attacks ?

Ahh and another point, especially for you B-24J. By now it is quite possible that you have quite a good stockpile of it (at least in my game thats the case). Add the 4 reserve planes to each bomber squads. Greatly increases the overall repair speed and the number of flyable planes if you use them and helps with your two day turns (which means two possible attacks).

again coordination sucks!...the sweeps arrived after the bombers..

A thought on this, and it's a long shot, Have you tried changing you fighter leaders to the ones with the highest Admin rating? Not sure what that rating does but maybe it's navigation and stuff.