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RE: HAIRY TO THE BONE
Posted: Mon Jan 09, 2012 1:08 pm
by Cap Mandrake
ORIGINAL: GreyJoy
That is my actual composition cc...fast BBs are grouped togheder in 3 strong SCTFs and among the CV fleet...plus i have 2 old brit BBs operating as a bombarment group...not that easy to decide what to do...should i fear those CD guns so much...???
I think your caution over the CD guns is well placed. While it would be very nice to have a 2nd BB in each invasion taffy, it would also be nice to have 4 more BB's in bombardment groups. The bombardment group will be essentially out of main gun ammo on day 1, so it would be nice to set them to "retire" and allow them to go back to Hokkaido for more ammo so they can be used on the next turn cycle. You could set a path or speed for a 2nd BB group so it arrives on day 2.
Seems to me you will also need at least 2 fast BB-centered SCTF's in the invasion hex because Rader may divine your landing hex and send in the IJN for a night battle or have raw-meat-eating-commanders with SCTF's set to "react". You also need light SCTF's to deflect kamikaze barges and the like. Not gamey to take PT boats either considering the short distance. Sounds like you thought about all this.
As for the question of "extra" APA's..if you mean unladen I dont think that is a good idea. Better would a lighter load distributed among more APA's. Seems like you have about 1 divison per 5 APA/AP. On the question of unladen LST's, I imagine the AE designers might have gone either way on that. An LST had a main deck covering the tank deck so an AKA would have to winch the tank onto the main deck of the LST where the tank could drive down via ramp or via elevator to the tank deck for unloading when the LST was beached. This seems not very efficient. On the other hand, LST's routinely did carry smaller craft on their main deck that could be used in the landing. Of course, this may be in the rule book which I have never read.[:)]
DUKW's are modeled as "amphibious tractor" Bn's and seem to be a big help.
I just realized I don't know very much about this. You need Albert.
RE: HAIRY TO THE BONE
Posted: Mon Jan 09, 2012 1:26 pm
by GreyJoy
ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake
ORIGINAL: GreyJoy
That is my actual composition cc...fast BBs are grouped togheder in 3 strong SCTFs and among the CV fleet...plus i have 2 old brit BBs operating as a bombarment group...not that easy to decide what to do...should i fear those CD guns so much...???
I think your caution over the CD guns is well placed. While it would be very nice to have a 2nd BB in each invasion taffy, it would also be nice to have 4 more BB's in bombardment groups. The bombardment group will be essentially out of main gun ammo on day 1, so it would be nice to set them to "retire" and allow them to go back to Hokkaido for more ammo so they can be used on the next turn cycle. You could set a path or speed for a 2nd BB group so it arrives on day 2.
Seems to me you will also need at least 2 fast BB-centered SCTF's in the invasion hex because Rader may divine your landing hex and send in the IJN for a night battle or have raw-meat-eating-commanders with SCTF's set to "react". You also need light SCTF's to deflect kamikaze barges and the like. Not gamey to take PT boats either considering the short distance. Sounds like you thought about all this.
As for the question of "extra" APA's..if you mean unladen I dont think that is a good idea. Better would a lighter load distributed among more APA's. Seems like you have about 1 divison per 5 APA/AP. On the question of unladen LST's, I imagine the AE designers might have gone either way on that. An LST had a main deck covering the tank deck so an AKA would have to winch the tank onto the main deck of the LST where the tank could drive down via ramp or via elevator to the tank deck for unloading when the LST was beached. This seems not very efficient. On the other hand, LST's routinely did carry smaller craft on their main deck that could be used in the landing. Of course, this may be in the rule book which I have never read.[:)]
DUKW's are modeled as "amphibious tractor" Bn's and seem to be a big help.
I just realized I don't know very much about this. You need Albert.
Cap, thx!
My SCTFs are the following at the moment:
Heavy: BB Iowa and BB NJ, along with 2 Baltimore Class CAs and 8 Fletchers commanded by Lane
BB South Dakota and BB North Carolina, plus 2 CAs and 8 Fletchers commanded by Lee Ching.
Medium: 4 Cleveland Class CLs + 8 Fletchers
3 Cleveland Class CLs + CL Boise + 8 Fletchers
2 Fiji Class CL + 10 Brit DDs
Light: 8 Destroyer Divisions (each with 4 Fletchers DDs)
I also have 2 bombardment groups of 2 BBs each...but now i need to understand how much weight i wanna give to the bombardment TFs and how much to the landing TFs... hard call
About the LST/LCIs... as far as i know they work in helping other ships when empty...but now i'm having doubts cause it seems i'm the only one who thinks so....[&:][&:]
I think i'll keep my surface forces composition and add to my 6 landing TFs (yes...6 [:(]) 3 more BBs (Richelieu, Valiant and Queen Elizabeth) and some more 7 old CAs (keeping the few Baltimora Class in the SCTF)... really hope this is enough...but again, with this asset my bombardment pounch becomes very "light" having only 2 BBs so...
RE: HAIRY TO THE BONE
Posted: Mon Jan 09, 2012 1:59 pm
by Cap Mandrake
Don't worry. Whatever you choose, something bad will probably happen. That is why there are so many watching. [:D]
Using LCT's and LCI's to ferry stuff ashore on the invasion beaches makes perfect sense. I think, however, the whole point of an LST was to pre-load with vehicles at the friendly port, motor up to the beach, drop the ramp and drive off. I think they did the same thing with amphibious landing craft and amphibious tanks which were disgorged offshore instead. There is, however, the bit about LST's carrying smaller landing craft aboard so the game designers may have modeled this. They seem to have known a Hell of a lot about this subject. The "Amphibous Tractor" Bn's are embarked as vehicles and are unloaded in the invasion hex like ground troops. They have a lot of Naval Support points. Unladen APA's seem like a waste of resources. Even worse, the AI seems to know which ships have troops aboard and will concentrate on laden vessels but this could be my imagination.
RE: HAIRY TO THE BONE
Posted: Mon Jan 09, 2012 2:10 pm
by HansBolter
Greyjoy,
Just for your edification it's Willis "Ching" Lee so the appropriate nickname presentation is Ching Lee not Lee Ching. [;)]
His radio message to the Marines on Guadalcanal is the stuff of legend......
RE: HAIRY TO THE BONE
Posted: Mon Jan 09, 2012 2:22 pm
by Canoerebel
If a huge invasion of Japan in 1944 were easy, something would be wrong.
[:)]
Bravo to GJ for attemping something magnificent mainly for the sake of trying to achieve something magnificent. Some players (me, I must confess) would sit back and bomb Japan forever and inflict death slowly, paper cut by paper cut, to exact the maximum amount of pain from the opponent who had caused us so much pain. Not GreyJoy! For honor, for glory, for entertainment, he goes for the throat!
RE: HAIRY TO THE BONE
Posted: Mon Jan 09, 2012 2:24 pm
by jeffk3510
I would sit back and bomb Japan.. because with his position you could blast Japan into the stone age....
A Honshu invasion makes for a much better AAR though..[:D]
RE: HAIRY TO THE BONE
Posted: Mon Jan 09, 2012 2:32 pm
by GreyJoy
[:D]
Thx Cap and Hans for the infos
So anyone knows (for sure) if empty LCIs and LSTs do give a bonus to the other ships in the amphib TF?
...did lot of research on the forum but couldn't find anything...[:o]
RE: HAIRY TO THE BONE
Posted: Mon Jan 09, 2012 2:43 pm
by hades1001
I don't think so because they don't have small landing crafts which can help other ships.
The manual or Michael only mentioned APA/AKA/LSI though.
RE: HAIRY TO THE BONE
Posted: Mon Jan 09, 2012 2:51 pm
by Dan Nichols
ORIGINAL: GreyJoy
[:D]
Thx Cap and Hans for the infos
So anyone knows (for sure) if empty LCIs and LSTs do give a bonus to the other ships in the amphib TF?
...did lot of research on the forum but couldn't find anything...[:o]
I guess not, I was wrong.
RE: HAIRY TO THE BONE
Posted: Mon Jan 09, 2012 2:57 pm
by HansBolter
ORIGINAL: Dan Nichols
ORIGINAL: GreyJoy
[:D]
Thx Cap and Hans for the infos
So anyone knows (for sure) if empty LCIs and LSTs do give a bonus to the other ships in the amphib TF?
...did lot of research on the forum but couldn't find anything...[:o]
Yes they do, but they have to be in the TF unloading to help. Also, ones that are loaded will unload and then help unload the APA and AKAs.
This is the way I understand it to be also.
RE: HAIRY TO THE BONE
Posted: Mon Jan 09, 2012 3:11 pm
by GreyJoy
ORIGINAL: HansBolter
ORIGINAL: Dan Nichols
ORIGINAL: GreyJoy
[:D]
Thx Cap and Hans for the infos
So anyone knows (for sure) if empty LCIs and LSTs do give a bonus to the other ships in the amphib TF?
...did lot of research on the forum but couldn't find anything...[:o]
Yes they do, but they have to be in the TF unloading to help. Also, ones that are loaded will unload and then help unload the APA and AKAs.
This is the way I understand it to be also.
Good! So i had understood it right! Thanks Dan, Hans and Hades for the kind help!
Now towards Death or Glory...or both...[:D]
RE: HAIRY TO THE BONE
Posted: Mon Jan 09, 2012 3:13 pm
by GreyJoy
LOL, this AAR is becoming more visited than the central double-page of a 1985 Playboy magazine (when Playboy was a bestseller [;)])
RE: HAIRY TO THE BONE
Posted: Mon Jan 09, 2012 3:23 pm
by GreyJoy
In these days, when thinking about Hairy to the Bone operation, i cannot stop singing into my head the old song "Big In Japan"... do you remember it?
"...i'm looking for my man tonight...it's easy when you're big in Japan..."
I know it means something like <<Once the rock bands do not have anymore success in Europe/USA they used to go on tour in Japan and for that market publish some more albums...>>...but you have to admit that the sentence "i'm looking for my man tonight and it's easy when you're BIG in japan" sounds really funny (if you get what i mean) [:D][:D][:D][:D]
RE: HAIRY TO THE BONE
Posted: Mon Jan 09, 2012 3:26 pm
by GreyJoy
RE: HAIRY TO THE BONE
Posted: Mon Jan 09, 2012 4:45 pm
by JohnDillworth
I read Game of Thrones when it came out, then put the series aside as the follow-on books were taking forever to come out. I re-started again after watching the HBO Game of Thrones mini-series. As I started each book, I said I would take a break after this one. I started Dance with Dragons this morning after reading the first four one-after-the-other, sigh.
Looks like I'll have to take a break after this one.
Mike
P.S. You eventually get more GreyJoys to root for or against.
I'm going to finish Storm of Swords and then take a break and savor the next two. I understand that I may need to wait 5 years for the next installment so I'm in no rush. Am enjoying the heck out of them but I have learned not to get too attached to anyone.
RE: HAIRY TO THE BONE
Posted: Mon Jan 09, 2012 4:56 pm
by jeffk3510
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gEmJ-VWPDM4
Want to take a stab at what that song is about.... [:D][:D]
RE: HAIRY TO THE BONE
Posted: Mon Jan 09, 2012 6:19 pm
by GreyJoy
I see we have a brand new reader with us....welcome knucles2!!!![:D]
I hard you like Scoodra...woderfull place...still in japs' bloody hands tough....[:'(]
RE: HAIRY TO THE BONE
Posted: Mon Jan 09, 2012 6:19 pm
by Grfin Zeppelin
Its about Japanese men prefering tall woman, seriously. Oh and a prostitute of course. Sorry I busted your dreams [:D]
RE: HAIRY TO THE BONE
Posted: Mon Jan 09, 2012 6:20 pm
by GreyJoy
ORIGINAL: Gräfin Zeppelin
Its about Japanese men prefering tall woman, seriously. Oh and a prostitute of course. Sorry I busted your dreams [:D]
I don't see it[:(]
RE: HAIRY TO THE BONE
Posted: Mon Jan 09, 2012 6:22 pm
by GreyJoy
I know we've been very slow recently...but rader dedicates far more attention to his GF than me[:D]....but from tomorrow, job allowing, we should get back on track with our usual pace of 3/4 turns/day