Matrix Games Forums

ORIGINAL: John B.

I always thought that the Enemy Carriers Spotted means that your carriers were spotted.

Hmm, I dont think so. I'm talking about the radio message saying that enemy carriers have been spotted. And, I also sometimes get the message "main body" I've always assumed that it was referring to enemy ships and not my own.

I think I mostly heard it when my carriers were spotted. I have the vague memory that I heard it in a situation where the AI didn't have carriers in the scenario. My memory isn't infallible though and I might be wrong. [8|]

Now you guys are just showing off your quoting skills.

I do think that it's me spotting Scotts carriers but only as wisps on the horizon since I don't see any TFs with CVs in them. Regardless, The KB is heading back to the barn. More supplies and two heavy artillery battalions are landing at Guam. That's it for reinforcements for the Marshalls now I just want to be sure that they have enough supplies for a very long siege.

There is not a whole lot to report over the past few turns. Scott is lurking at Truk and we are engaged in aerial attrition over that island. Even at extended range his P-38Gs are better than my Tojos but I caught him this turn and downed some B-24s. Pretty soon those islands will be stocked with supply. I suspect that Scott may go around and head down the chain to Babeldaob and try to cut me off through the Philippines.

In the interim, not much is happening in Burma and I"m scrambling around to keep the KB fueled.

Not much new going on. Scott and I have gone through several turns. He is reinforcing Biak and Manakowri. He stopped bombing Saipan and has stepped up his bombing of Burma. I think he's showing off! Sucking oil and fuel out of the DEI and sending supplies to Darwin and Guam. It may be a bit tough with Guam since Scott can run DDs in there to intercept resupply convoys. It has 50K tons of supplies so it's not a crisis.

The KB is refitting in Surabaya and will soon be back in action. I may push back on Manakowri to slow down his push in that direction. I think if Scott is not going head into the Mariana's he is forced towards the DEI and the Philippines. More artillery went to Manila and it's approaching fort level 7. I've also put a couple of South Seas garrisons into babeldaob. Not much but it may slow him down a couple of turns or so.

Finally back from a very loooongggg trial in Kansas City. FYI, Kansas City is the home of the national WWI museum and it is very good!!

Back to the game, Scott and I have now made it to mid-August 1943 and things are starting to stir again. The Brits are advancing in Bruma under clouds of allied heavy bombers and an American KB has been spotted near Darwin. I've still got a nice VP lead but he's clearly opting to head towards the DEI rather than up the central pacific, but, Scott is paying a heavy price in aircraft attrition. 11 planes lost this turn is a record. It includes 7 transport aircraft. I wonder if he's taking these losses supplying his spearheads in Burma.

Carrier battle brewing in the DEI! Scott has made a major move on Samaluki with what appears to be the entire US carrier fleet. The KB, with 10 CVs, is sprinting in to launch it's airstrikes. News as it develops . . . .

ORIGINAL: John B.

Carrier battle brewing in the DEI! Scott has made a major move on Samaluki with what appears to be the entire US carrier fleet. The KB, with 10 CVs, is sprinting in to launch it's airstrikes. News as it develops . . . .

The first day of the battle is over and it was bloody for the piolts! My poor chaps ran into flak and scads of allied fighters. At least I managed to take down a fair number of American planes with me.

Shipwise it was a better story, at least so far. The soryu took 4 torpedoes (and a fuel explosion) and went down. The Amagi has heavy damage but is not on fire and I have another of the newer CVs that is damaged but can still make speed. The Mushai took a torpedo and that may matter for the next turn. I don't know if the allied report is correct. The Princeton did go down and he may have lost the Long Island II. It took 2 bombs and two torpedo hits and was damaged on on fire. Saratoga II took 3 bombs and 2 torpedos. The Breton was in bad shape with a massive explosion (that is never a good sign) and the Barnes took 2 torpedoes. Other wise, not too much other damage to the allied ships. So far, ship wise, I have the edge.

Here is the plan for tomorrow. A. The KB is shorn of it's planes so there is no sense having it stick around. I'm sending it due west through shallow water in the hopes of avoiding is subs. I'm not sure Scott will chase me with his CVs as that would be heading into a potential surface action. B. The Mushahi,damaged, and DDs will head towards the western landing looking for damaged CVs or tranpsports. C. Tanaka and one of the slower BBs heads to Salmaluki where Scott has his main CV force. If I can get in among them at night I might do some damage. My surface ships will be devoid of air cover so we'll have to hope that the allied air fleet has been reduced enough that I can get in and get away. Lot's of allied surface ships but it's not like the balance is going to swing my way in 1944. [:)]

Carrier Battle day two was not a carrier battle since I have no planes and my CVs headed west. Instead, there was a series of surface actions. It looks like a pretty even trade. I'm not 100% sure that the Arizona went down but it got knocked bad as did another pre-war US BB. His airpower stuck around and that's how I lost most of my ships.

BTW, the Lexington did not go down. It took one torpedo hit yesterday that did not even set it on fire so that's FOW.

On the Map, my CVs will head to Roti to, hopefully, rendezvous with the Mushashi and shepard it to port for repairs and upgrades. I don't think Scott will come that far west and I have all of my remaining fighters on escort. I have a CA TF in the middle that may make it to Lautran but the airthreat might be too much.

I think Scott is sending transports out towards Boela and I have a CA TF heading that way to see if I can intercept it.

Oops sorry, that was a very old slide.

Let's hope this is the right one.!

He lost2 renamed Essex-class CV's? Ouch.

I think that he did. He told me he had one CV group react towards me and one that did not.

The dust is settled down and it's time to assess. Basically, made no headway in stopping his landings so the Allied push to the oil areas is on. Sooner or later Scott will be in range of bombing the oil fields and then he'll be able to strangle me. But, he's not there yet and we keep sucking liquids out of the ground and sending them off to the HI.

On the other hand, the naval loss balance sheet may well favor me. I lost one CV, one older BB, a CA, a CL and a couple of DDs. It appears that Scott may have lost 2 CVs, a CVL, 3-4 CVEs, an older BB (the score sheet says he lost both the Idaho and the Arizona but I think the Idaho did not go down), and a few DDs. I lost a LOT of planes. So, it's a tactical naval victory for the IJN (under steady attrition) but a strategic victory for the Americans in that they can keep pushing. I'm not sure how long the KB will be out of action restocking on planes and I have a lot of damaged ships that are heading for the yards.

The question of the day is how exactly do you shoot down any of the allied heavy bombers. This was just one raid where I shot down none even though they did not have a fighter escort. If it's not possible that's silly but it is what it is. I just won't waste VP getting my fighters shot down for causing no damage to him.

Any hints?

Guided missiles may be?

In that line stealth jets has to work pretty fine. [8D]

From what I have read anything with cannon should work, but nothing will get better than 1 for 1 losses.

I'll step up guided missile production pronto!

We move into September 1943. Here is the VP chart. Still a very healthy lead for the Empire of Japan. Heavier air losses for me and I have not yet mastered the art of figuring out where to go get replacements. Manila is being turned into a fortress. It's being built to a level 8 fortification and I have an infantry corps there. If I can get it to level 9 I'll build up the airbase/port and make him come and take it or else cede a lot of VP to me.