Matrix Games Forums

ORIGINAL: mc3744

October 19th, 1942

I feel this AAR is bringing me bad luck.
I go for Tongarapu, just two weeks later he comes for it, I go with ASW TFs I find AV's, I go with CVE I find subs, I ambush the most regular raids I've had in months and the bombers are resting and I find escort. [X(] [:-]
I want to move for PM and he starts building up. Not to mention the follow all bug or the supply/distance rule in Australia.
I had good luck over Daly, but by chance I forgot to mention in the AAR about the strike.
I'm always one step behind. I'm too predictable and I've got some curse. [:@]

I think it's the AAR bringing me bad luck. From now on I will only comment on the past.

Maybe Japan broke american secret code in this game and hoeppner sees your intentions in SIGINT screen


Seriously, if you feel the problem is AAR follow your intention and comment only the past. But its attractivity will drop.

I know it will loose interest, but I need to lift the curse.

Like when I brought the Marine Para Bn to India.
Myiktyna had been ungarrisoned for months, as I landed the paratroopers in India Myiktyna got his garrison.
I mean I must go see some exorcist or something [:D]

You're certainly not a player favoured by the Lady Fortuna in this game[;)]

Sometimes one needs some luck. In my own PBEM vs. Mogami, he swept Luganville with more than 100 Zeros from Lunga. I expected something like this but was thinking that 3 squadrons of Wildcats would be sufficient to deal with a Japanese sweep but I did not expect a sweep with that many planes. When the expected sweep finally came, two of my Wildcat squadrons were providing LRCAP over a TF and had been relocated to Efate just for this turn; the third one, still flying CAP over Luganville, was shreddered (I lost 17 planes and shot down only one Zero). I'm now quite certain that results would have been even worse, if the two other squadrons had been present. Thus I think I was lucky this time (in the end I lost only 5 pilots and I've plenty of Wildcats). But Mogami might still wonder why there were not more planes present there in the given turn (he should've expected more whan watching the air ratio/strength of the base on the map). Just coincidence... Seems to be similar in your game, but GH is the lucky one!

K

October 24th, 1942

I’m NOT saying that GH is reading my AAR.
I’m saying that I’ve been quite unlucky and I’m getting superstitious. [;)]
Since the only successful ambush I managed recently has been the one over Daly, which I forgot to mention in the AAR, I feel like poker players re-doing the same stupid thing that brought them luck in a previous round.
Also I believe that writing the AAR makes me less flexible, because I kind of have to explain what I do and why, while I need to adapt very fast to new developments.

IBC
Ground attacks on the Burma stationed Jap units is killing quite a bunch of them and due to the short distance op losses and damages are very low, hence the heavies can be reassigned quickly to other tasks without waiting for R&R.
Fighter squadrons are even better than before. Several are now over 80 exp.
Chungking reached full supply … and it dropped down to 12k!!! [:@] [:@]
Anyway it looks like he cannot keep Chungking, Lanchow and Sining airports all closed at the same time. Not enough bombers. This leaves always a chance for future ambushes.

AUSTRALIA – NG – NZ
Getting ready to embark the troops.

PACIFIC
All quiet.

How are your fighter pools holding up in this game MC ?

Im especially intrerested in the USAAF pools are you still using P39D's and older machines in the front line ?

Andy

ORIGINAL: mc3744

Chungking reached full supply … and it dropped down to 12k!!! [:@] [:@]

Did any new (reformed) Chinese units appear last turn? Or did the units at Chungking draw supplies to be stored with the units?

Btw., what about a "Chinese" offensive in Burma. Maybe spearheaded by some British units with some tanks? Coming down from Ledo or Imphal with the SEAC HQ as supply hub at Ledo or Imphal. Would be a long-term project, but with enough Chinese units rebuild in India and air superiority it should be possible to attack in Burma with overwhelming force - hm, 6 Chinese Corps, 1-2 Indian Tank Brigades, 1-2 British/Indian divisions, 1-2 Corps HQ, 1 Chinese Army HQ, some artillery battalions and some base forces with British 12th Army and some more reinforcements following later, supplies on the road provided by Dakotas - that should be sufficient to crush him!

Hi Andy, K [:)]

The fighter pool is overabundant.
(130) P-40E, (260) Kitty, (60) Spit's, (400) Hurricane's, countless P-39, F4F, P-36, you name it. But I can't use them, he is not attacking and I have no range to attack myself. In no other game I have so many fighters and not a chance to use them.
The only thing I'm short of are the P-38 and Tomahawks.
Also heavies are more than my available LB squadrons. I have more heavies than squadrons to be updated.
But I'm sure he has even more than me. [:(]

An offensive in Burma will surely come. The air superiority will probably give me a chance for that.
But first I need to recover the Chinese units.

I don't know what happened in Chungking, the same as in Lanchow. Once it gets to full supplies it drops down 8-12k [&:]

Supplies are transfered from the base to the units in Chunking.

How are you doing in the VP department. If you dont reach 4:1 then you are winning.

P-38s are good, but Corsairs eats for breakfast any Japanese fighter

Hi Bliztk [:)]
I love your avatar [:D]

I'm not sure I'm winning [;)] Anyway we are 25:9, hence 4:1 looks far right now.

Yep I heard Corsair's are good, but it'll be a while before I get them.

100 turns until Corsair arrives. That`s not many.

P38 Range is 7/9 hexes. In mid November you can field 150 P38s.

You only need two or three raids of a combo of P38 and B24s to smash his power from one selected airfield. PM, Lunga, Rangoon are excent choices. You will lose a lot of fighters the first day of combat, but after the B24s have craterized the runway, the resistance will be lesser.

You recieve a FS weekly, but don´t commit the P38s piecemeal. Mass them on one strike and scare him a lot [;)]

Aye I agree with Blitz get two full gps of P38's get 30 or 40 in the pool pick your spot and crucify him.

Dont forget to move NZ Kittyhawk sqns near the front in December they upgrade to F4U's which make them very very nasty as tey have good starting xp.

I would also start moving one or two Wildcat Sqns that will upgrade to F4U's to India now if you can.

Trust me this will ruin Hoeps day if 48 Marine Corsairs turn up over Chungking.

That airfield will be open after that and without airpower he will be hard pressed to overcome the urban bonus plus as range 5 fighters they can just about get to Mandalay on escort

Andy

Blitz, Andy [:)]

A couple of observations.

I cannot get F4F's to India. There's a baby KB stationed in the Indian Pond sinking everything. I just lost (24) F4F that I was trying to get there. The 'Ocean' is closed.
In India the best I can get so far are P-38.

I didn't know about the NZ Kitty's I'll check them out next turn. Thanks ... as usual [:)]

PM is too far for P-38, the closest base is Cooktown, but it's out of range for P-38, looks like I'll have to get PM [;)]
Lunga and Rangoon have no planes there.

Anyway I now have some 3-400 heavies in Cooktown, maybe they can take on the escort by themselves. We'll soon know.

October 28th, 1942

IBC
Japanese troops in Burma are rotating. Looks like the bombings are having some effect. [:D]
Today no bombings over Sining and Lanchow, only Chungking with a big escort, some 150 fighters.

AUSTRALIA – NZ – NG
Operation “Sealed lips” is ready to start, just waiting for the right weather conditions.

PACIFIC
All quiet.
Does anybody know if I can disembark one VR group from the CVE Nassau and use the carrier as a normal light carrier for airborne operations?

--------------------------------------

A fragment of Nassau’s history.

"Nassau got underway on a search mission 4 May and conducted flight operations with Task Force 51, providing air cover for the occupation of Attu Island from 11 through 20 May. She returned to San Diego in late May, arrived at Alameda 8 June and onloaded 45 aircraft destined for Brisbane, Australia. She delivered the aircraft 2 July and returned to San Diego via Noumea, New Caledonia.
In August, she trained off San Diego before ferrying planes to Samoa. Returning to San Diego from Samoa, 19 October, Nassau embarked Marine Fighter Squadron 225 for passage to Pearl Harbor. Arriving the 30th, she conducted air operations off Pearl Harbor during the early days of November and on the 7th she embarked VF-1 and steamed for the Gilbert Islands for operations with Task Force 52.
Nassau's mission was to transport VF-1 to Tarawa and to send it ashore as soon as facilities were available. The invasion of Tarawa commenced 20 November but encountered bitter resistance. As a result, VF-1 was assigned combat air patrol and flew bombing and strafing runs from the carrier in support of the assault troops. The Squadron flew a total of 106 missions and spent 237 hours of flying time in four days of operations without losing a single plane or pilot."

Yes, you can unload a VR squadron from Nassau and then base other AC onboard but you have to transfer the VR unit to another empty CVE or it will grow and grow in a base and then you won't be able to base it again on a CVE because it will be too big.

VR units are useful later in the war, far more than will be one more slow fragile CVE on the frontline in end 1942.

Hey Admiral [:)]

Thanks for the feedback.

I was thinking to put (In January of course) a Corsair squadron on the Nassau and Long Island. It would make 36 Corsair's.
That could provide some resonable CAP to minor landings. Don't you think?

Would the VR squadrons grow even with replacements off? [&:]

ORIGINAL: mc3744

Would the VR squadrons grow even with replacements off? [&:]

No idea, I have never used them, as I almost always played Japan. But this was reported on the forum some times ago.

October 29th, 1942

IBC
GH has split his bombers to hit all the three airports. Which is good because now both Sining and Lanchow are operational. I can now be more flexible and maybe even strike back with my bombers.
Chungking supplies are recovering faster than expected. [:D]

AUSTRALIA – NG – NZ
Operation “Sealed Lips” is a GO!
Dozens of ships are leaving harbor, the fate of thousands of men is at stake. In a few day they’ll know whether they’ll live fight another day or they’ll be doomed.
A secondary operation is also starting in Central Australia.
The Australian HQ divisions, tanks and support units are moving back towards Daly, at worst I’ll keep him busy.
400+ heavies in Cooktown and Cairns refused to take off last turn, I hope I’ll be luckier next one. I have some 2.000 planes spread out between Townsville, Cairns and Cooktown.

PACIFIC
All quiet.

-------------------------------

Some of the ships of Operation "Sealed Lips"

Quick update.

I haven't been spotted yet, the later the better. [;)]

I cannot believe how tense I am, I really am on the edge for this operation, unbelievable!!! [X(]

October 31st, 1942

IBC
No news. Bombing and training.
Awaiting the final blows in the last Chinese strongholds.

AUSTRALIA – NG – NZ
I have not been spotted yet. I’m sure next turn he’ll spot me.
It’ll be a bloody November. This suspense is really killing me!
Australian troops are advancing. Daly’s bombings will commence.

PACIFIC
All quiet.

November 1st, 1942

Operation “Sealed Lips” is at its height!
Phase I is under way and all is going according to plans: first time ever!! [:D]
During the night the new fast BBs Washington and South Dakota joined by several light and heavy cruisers started a preparatory bombardment of Nandi beaches (Fiji).
At the first light of the day men from the 6th Aus Div, 25th US Div, 1st Marine Div, 58th US RCT, Seabees, Base forces started an almost unopposed landing in Nandi. Tomorrow they’ll be joined by tanks, HQs and additional Seabees.
The amphibious convoys were coming from Efate. The plan was that if they had been spotted there (Efate) GH may have thought that I was carrying additional troops to that base. From Efate, thanks to the good speed of most AP transports I could reach Fiji in two days at full throttle (6 hexes per day) and begin landings on the third. All the ships of the main landing force had been grouped in two big separate TFs, once again not to give up the feeling of a big invasion incoming. The split has been based solely on the ship’s speed: 2 or 3 hexes per phase.
The combat vessels started on the same day from Noumea (always to minimize the chances of detection: combat ships in Noumea would be expected) at full speed as well.
Tomorrow a shock attack should quickly dispose of the one defending unit (I did not get to see it because it did not bombard !?!)
P-38’s and P-40B’s are ready in Luganville an Noumea for an immediate relocation to Fiji to increase the air protection to comfortable levels.
Supply and fuel convoys are one day out.
One may wonder why I went in so heavy.
1) I’m learning from my nemesis [;)]
2) I must be able to withstand any counter-attack. With three full divisions, brigades, tanks, support units and the new P-38’s (plus additional F4F and P-40) on CAP I feel confident that Fiji will never be Japanese again.
3) To avoid giving out my intentions I could not afford any kind of recon. I had no idea what I was going to find on the Island, hence I could not risk.
Anyway it’s not over yet. Still this time I’m confident his carriers won’t be within strike range before I’ll have conquered Nandi and P-38’s will be on station at the base.

Phase II will soon begin.

In Australia Daly has been bombed heavily and the Australian troops are advancing.
Most of the Jap fighter assigned to South Pacific are protecting PM, hence I should probably get another couple of days of undisturbed bombings over Daly … or PM exposed sooner than expected.

Looks like being superstitious is working.
If I manage this operation I’ll consider the curse dispelled and I may go back to the old ways.

The wind may be changing after all, I’ve not been requested any British ship for withdrawal. [:)]

---------------------------------

My brave Marines embarking the landing crafts