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Getting complicated out there. Good luck.

On the Clevelands, if you search this forum, I think you'll find a comment by Symon or others that around mid-43 their surface combat capability kicks up a notch as they have good radar-controlled gunnery and automatic loaders on the 6-inch (it took a while for doctrine to catch up to capability). I usually stick my USN CAs in CV TFs, with a few extras doing bombardment duty, and most Clevelands in SAGs or bombardment TFs.

Good luck finding good uses for the P-40N5, which I consider inferior to the K. I like the N1, but if remember correctly, you don't get many of them. P-39s/P-400s are not bad aircraft at all. They do better in this game than their reputation.

I generally just use P-38s for escort, LRCAP and the odd sweep. You'll likely find better uses.

Cheers,
CB

Warofthe2ndWorld wrote: Tue Mar 07, 2023 2:38 am I think you need to target his warships to keep him from raiding into your merchant shipping.

A good thought.

But we are willing to take losses to take ports forward. There is a great longer term payoff despite some short term losses.

CaptBeefheart wrote: Tue Mar 07, 2023 2:46 am Getting complicated out there. Good luck.

On the Clevelands, if you search this forum, I think you'll find a comment by Symon or others that around mid-43 their surface combat capability kicks up a notch as they have good radar-controlled gunnery and automatic loaders on the 6-inch (it took a while for doctrine to catch up to capability). I usually stick my USN CAs in CV TFs, with a few extras doing bombardment duty, and most Clevelands in SAGs or bombardment TFs.

Good luck finding good uses for the P-40N5, which I consider inferior to the K. I like the N1, but if remember correctly, you don't get many of them. P-39s/P-400s are not bad aircraft at all. They do better in this game than their reputation.

I generally just use P-38s for escort, LRCAP and the odd sweep. You'll likely find better uses.

Cheers,
CB

It has been complicated for the last few weeks. But I am learning...

I was thinking of using the P40N5 as a bypassed base bomber to build experience and defense for eventual transfer to better fighter frames? They have extra small bombs in addition to the standard 500#

After thinking about it, the primary theater of operations for the P-39N1 Airacobra will be Burma...to counter the 100+ Tojo Fighters there that like to do sweeps. An inferior plane to Tojo, I think, but it should still trade very well.

Short range won't really be a handicap in this role and in this region. Converted two squadrons over.

Sulu Sea...

Lowpe wrote: Tue Mar 07, 2023 11:03 am

Warofthe2ndWorld wrote: Tue Mar 07, 2023 2:38 am I think you need to target his warships to keep him from raiding into your merchant shipping.

A good thought.

But we are willing to take losses to take ports forward. There is a great longer term payoff despite some short term losses.

Well, does it confuse you why he's only going after merchants and amphibious vessels instead of warships?

Warofthe2ndWorld wrote: Tue Mar 07, 2023 2:13 pm

Lowpe wrote: Tue Mar 07, 2023 11:03 am

Warofthe2ndWorld wrote: Tue Mar 07, 2023 2:38 am I think you need to target his warships to keep him from raiding into your merchant shipping.

A good thought.

But we are willing to take losses to take ports forward. There is a great longer term payoff despite some short term losses.

Well, does it confuse you why he's only going after merchants and amphibious vessels instead of warships?

Well a bit confused because it isn't working, but I am fine with it. I am almost done my chaotic invasions and can soon focus...my goodness, I own Panay in July of 1943. All of my transport losses have been replaced & then some either by new arrivals or liberty ship conversions.

I am three invasions away of cutting the magic highway....slicing Japan in half in summer 43 in a scenario 2 type game. My VP ratio keeps improving daily, too. Time is not on my side and I am willing to suffer to gain time and my objectives.

You know, despite my losses, Japan is not winning anything. Not time, not real estate, not vp, and is in exceptionally dire straits. That I have broken a few eggs getting there, is fine by me. Of course I could have done better, the times Japan has had surface engagement victories is because I made mistakes on my turn ....but bear in mind, this is the first time I have ever played the Allies ever in a pbm, or in 1943 against the AI, against an experienced JFB of many completed games.

Heck, I sacrificed the Chester so that my infantry regiment could get away and regroup with DS....and on the off chance I could catch a large convoy. They were expendable for my goals....

Bypassed bases...AAA no longer firing. More than 25 units.

Marshalls....not much left here to support taking the rest of the islands.

If you leave the bypassed units, he can only fly out the lighter devices but not the heavy items. It may take awhile for them to die or disperse, so if you don't capture the base and/or otherwise destroy them, he can't build them back.

Now think of all of those units in the mountains of China as well as those around Chungking. Then your invasion on mainland Asia. He could be just a little bit out of position . . .

I spend so much time on moving troops forward...getting better at it.

This is the situation on May 30th, 1943.

In 5 weeks, we are now in strength at Jolo and Mindanao, Ternate, and Namlea secured Panay and working on Kudat.

RangerJoe wrote: Tue Mar 07, 2023 3:30 pm If you leave the bypassed units, he can only fly out the lighter devices but not the heavy items. It may take awhile for them to die or disperse, so if you don't capture the base and/or otherwise destroy them, he can't build them back.

Now think of all of those units in the mountains of China as well as those around Chungking. Then your invasion on mainland Asia. He could be just a little bit out of position . . .

Easy to put a CVE with some FM1 Wildcats to shoot down any transports....Japan doesn't seem to be doing that much though or at least the times I have CAP'd their bases.

We are definitely massing at Jolo...Victorious from the Marshalls, Hornet from Darwin, and a new Essex (Mercer) on her way and all the slow battleships that are done upgrades...7+ divisions, tanks, art, AA, etc. It will be bloody most likely.

.

July 7th, 1943

Nice day...

As a JFB, I loved putting my baby carriers in a base hex loaded up with fighters to ambush Allied long range bombers. Jeep carriers do the same thing here, draw air attacks away from our shipping lines and actually coordinate with the land based fighters.

Going to go thru and revamp my TF destination hex so I can gauge progress from the TF Table easier, and save time each turn. Ugh.

Lowpe wrote: Tue Mar 07, 2023 10:19 pm Going to go thru and revamp my TF destination hex so I can gauge progress from the TF Table easier, and save time each turn. Ugh.

Not to mention that can actually speed up your convoys by not needing to refuel escorts . . .

July 8th, 1943

25th Indian Division takes Diego Garcia. Not messing around with atoll invasions....

Japan interestingly had some Dinahs here to naval search.

Assault Bombers are I think my favorite planes on the Allied side...or maybe the British funny bombers.