The Power of Inexperience / GreyJoy(A)-Rader(J)

[GreyJoy]

ORIGINAL: jeffk3510

GreyJoy- any action lately?

Yes jeffk, we went on but i'm pretty busy at work these days and had not the time to update the aar properly. Will do it soon.
However Attu Atoll fell, Madras Fell, Cylon is invaded, the KB is still missing, LOD not triggered, Iwo Jiima and the Bonins heavily reinforced lately, Mariannas reinforced...not exactly the best news i could get. The only good thing is that Manila gave him a couple of bloody noses again.
In India keeping our withdraw-scheldued air groups is costing more PPs than i get...thus i'm at 0[:o].
The first P-38Es finally arrived in line at Karachi. This will give some decent long-legged escorts to my bombers.

Hope to be able to update the whole aar tomorrow.

thanks

[jeffk3510]

Everyone always says jeff k... jeff will do just fine [:)]

[Canoerebel]

Easier said than done, but you probably need to carefully and knowledgeably evaluate your air power in India. You're not going to have many airfields, and eventually Japan should be able to close those you do have. This should happen no matter how many fighters you have, because Japan should be able to win the air battle by sheer weight of numbers. The sitaution will be exacerbated by the fact that you'll have few airfields to move between for some rest and repairs.

Some of your fighters, and some of your bombers, are more useful than others. You'll need to cull out those that aren't particularly helpful. Withdraw them. Then figure out how many you can really use effectively. At this point, your fighters are going to become more important than your bombers. Japan should be able to knock out all your RAF bombers, leaving just the American heavies as effective tools. Eventually even those will become more of a liability than a benefit, as so many will be down for repairs and the rest only managing relatively ineffective strikes. Then it will come down to your better fighters.

Maintaining an effective airforce is, of course, important. But you have to constantly reevaluate your situation against the need and benefit of political points. You'll want to be swapping out poor or marginal LCU commanders for good ones - they could make a difference in your final Rourke's Drift defense of northwestern India.

To be honest, your in big, big doo-doo in India. Even if you could bring in reinforcements from Aden/Capetown, you're still about four months away from reaching a strength where you could contemplate winning this battle. In all likelihood, you will lose Karachi and northwest India. Given the rather desperate nature of your situation it makes sense to take some calculated risks elsewhere. So don't let shadows and noises and your active imagination stop you from crafting and implementing the best plans you are capable of devising. If they end badly, you've done your best.

[jeffk3510]

GreyJoy- I have been waiting for an update [>:]... we're not very busy in the grain business this time of the year...

[GreyJoy]

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

Easier said than done, but you probably need to carefully and knowledgeably evaluate your air power in India. You're not going to have many airfields, and eventually Japan should be able to close those you do have. This should happen no matter how many fighters you have, because Japan should be able to win the air battle by sheer weight of numbers. The sitaution will be exacerbated by the fact that you'll have few airfields to move between for some rest and repairs.

Some of your fighters, and some of your bombers, are more useful than others. You'll need to cull out those that aren't particularly helpful. Withdraw them. Then figure out how many you can really use effectively. At this point, your fighters are going to become more important than your bombers. Japan should be able to knock out all your RAF bombers, leaving just the American heavies as effective tools. Eventually even those will become more of a liability than a benefit, as so many will be down for repairs and the rest only managing relatively ineffective strikes. Then it will come down to your better fighters.

Maintaining an effective airforce is, of course, important. But you have to constantly reevaluate your situation against the need and benefit of political points. You'll want to be swapping out poor or marginal LCU commanders for good ones - they could make a difference in your final Rourke's Drift defense of northwestern India.

To be honest, your in big, big doo-doo in India. Even if you could bring in reinforcements from Aden/Capetown, you're still about four months away from reaching a strength where you could contemplate winning this battle. In all likelihood, you will lose Karachi and northwest India. Given the rather desperate nature of your situation it makes sense to take some calculated risks elsewhere. So don't let shadows and noises and your active imagination stop you from crafting and implementing the best plans you are capable of devising. If they end badly, you've done your best.

CR, interesting considerations about the Indian Air Force.
It's a tough call btw.
I'm now accumulating over 120 PP points lost every day[:o]...I withdrawn every bomber group that was called back (even the precious hudsons), but can i really withdraw 5 hurricane groups??? I mean...these are my most valuable weapon against the zeros till the spits come online...Can i really withdraw them?
Don't think so unfortunately...
I know my situation is very desperate...
i'm basing my hopes, for what concerns the air war, on the defenders' advantage and on the uncoordinated strikes.
If, as i hope, Japan will be affected by uncoordination, maybe i can inflict him some decent losses.
I'm keeping my pilots' skill very high (almost every fighter squadron in India has an Air skill between 65 and 70) and my pools are pretty full (200 P-40s, 110 hurricanes of various types and some 150 P-39s) and i'm saving fighters everywhere.
What can i do more? I know i need those PPs...but without my fighters the battle of India is already lost. If Rader hasn't advanced yet towards Karachi, i'm sure it's because he hasn't reduced yet my fighting capabilities in the air.
Consider that, till now, Rader has relied strongly on his air force to conduct his blitz-krieg advances (china and southern India) and that's the first time he faces a well prepared and pretty strong massed air force.
My torpedo bombers and my 4Es are doing their job as a "air-fleet in being" in keeping at bay his naval forces...

We arrived at the 11th of June Jeff....Japan has bombed with everything he had Attu Atoll, which finally fell on the 8th.
Paras landing all over Cylon, in order to isolate Colombo...now reinforcements are flowing in by sea and the days of Cylon are counted.
At Bombay my army managed to get back into the city and it's now being fighting on the perimeter with a huge japanese army...however, after 7 days, he hasn't been able to push me back out [:D]

Madras fell under the pressure of 800 AVs composed only by Tanks...a japanese PanzerArmee[8D]

Still no sign of the KB...i'm conducting some minor operations in the pacific in order to prepare the way for the upcoming invasions....however i've been discovered...SS grampus managed to intercept a strong convoy unloading at Iwo Jiima...at least 7 AKs unloading troops and materials...sunk one of them but nothing more...
3 more convoys have been intercepted by my subs while delivering reinforces to the Gilberts/Marshalls (for sure Maleop and Wotje...)... bad luck i'd say...Rader has sent in reinforcements just in time...Saipan and the Mariannas are confirmed well garrisoned...Intel keep on telling me about men and units brought all over the places[:o]

Manila still holds!!

Oh, i managed to get my RN CVs out...they made a couple of runs (touch and go style) in the Arabian Sea...they didn't sink anything but the showed themselfs...and that was the pourpose...i know i've risked a lot...but i have to let Rader know that i still have fangs and nails to hurt him if he gets too overconfident!!

turn will be delivered in few minutes...soon another update [;)]

[SqzMyLemon]

ORIGINAL: GreyJoy

The first P-38Es finally arrived in line at Karachi. This will give some decent long-legged escorts to my bombers.

I'd suggest you use your P-38's in anything but an escort role. Use your best pilots and get them sweeping or CAP'ing. You're wasting their potential and putting them at a combat disadvantage in an escort role.

[GreyJoy]

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

To be honest, your in big, big doo-doo in India. Even if you could bring in reinforcements from Aden/Capetown, you're still about four months away from reaching a strength where you could contemplate winning this battle. In all likelihood, you will lose Karachi and northwest India. Given the rather desperate nature of your situation it makes sense to take some calculated risks elsewhere. So don't let shadows and noises and your active imagination stop you from crafting and implementing the best plans you are capable of devising. If they end badly, you've done your best.

I know...i'm in a corner...with no way out and none can come and help me there...but i have to try. Won't last 4 more months for sure...Now i really hope Rader makes a mistake...I need something to believe in...my air power...a lucky sub hit...i don't know what...but i need to resist, dig in, pray and fight till the very last sip of blood.
Afterall England in '40 was in a desperate situation too...the krauts made a couple of bad mistakes and they turned the tables...
ok, situations are pretty different but...let me believe in it[:D]

[GreyJoy]

ORIGINAL: SqzMyLemon

ORIGINAL: GreyJoy

The first P-38Es finally arrived in line at Karachi. This will give some decent long-legged escorts to my bombers.

I'd suggest you use your P-38's in anything but an escort role. Use your best pilots and get them sweeping or CAP'ing. You're wasting their potential and putting them at a combat disadvantage in an escort role.

Really? haven't i read somewhere that the p-38s, due to their high maintenance value, aren't suited for a CAP role???

[Jzanes]

P38s are best used for long range sweeps.  Using them on CAP will lead to most of them being in maintenance very quickly.  This is especially true of the early P38E variant.  Service ratings gradually get better with the newer variants but even the late war P38L is a tough plane to keep operational.  Using them on escort will get them killed.  You don't get many P38s until late in the war and they aren't really all that effective for some reason.  Even in the pure sweeper role.  The P47 and the Spitfire VIII are the first planes the allies get that can really chew up japanese fighters.

[SqzMyLemon]

Regardless of the maintenance rating, would you rather be shooting down Japanese aircraft or have your own lost escorting? Escorts get chewed alive in this game...your call. [;)]

[GreyJoy]

ok i put them not on escort of the 4Es...just 40 CAP at Karachi..if ever they're gonna escort the torpedo bombers if Rader dares to get too close with his fleet [;)]
 
Thanks for the inputs

[GreyJoy]

I took a deep look. Cannot withdraw them now guys. I have 535 operative fighters in Northern India (p-40Es, Hurricanes I, IIa-b-c, kitties, P-38s and p-39s) and i need every one of them.
Rader is doing something strange... we're now at the 13th of June and units are moving back from Surat (from 130 to 110 units in the last 2 days)...where is he going?![&:]
 
Another cargo has safely arrived at Karachi with more 30k supplies...i need to heavily escort my AKs if i want them to escape to the packwolfs of subs he has placed in front of Karachi...it's a strange ASW war...Rader has put at least 20/25 subs that every day cover the hexes in front of Karachi...my ASW air units every day attack and hit at least 2 of them but they never sinks and they keep on coming...i calculated that they've sunk something like 35 AKs in the last month..[X(]...but it's a sacrifice that my merchant navy has to pay if we want to keep Karachi living... Like the Battle of the Atlantic...cool[8D]
 
 

[Canoerebel]

GreyJoy, I respectfully but strongly disagree with what yuo're being told about P-38Es. They are by far most effective as CAP over your most critical bases. Don't use them as escorts, and only use them sparingly in sweeps since those involve distance and battles over enemy airfields where you lose pilots and Japan doesn't.

In my big and protacted Battle of Bombay with Q-Ball, two Allied P-38 squadrons essentially held off and eventually broke the backs of the enemy airforce. Now, there will be differences - for some reason, Q-Ball was only able to commit his airforce in fairly limited numbers. Perhaps he was having supply problems. But my P-38s were what saved my bacon. I was down to just 10 or 15 between them, but they still fought hard. (The Hurricanes were also useful, but I didn't have much luck with the P-40Es or even the P-40Ks.)

[GreyJoy]

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

GreyJoy, I respectfully but strongly disagree with what yuo're being told about P-38Es. They are by far most effective as CAP over your most critical bases. Don't use them as escorts, and only use them sparingly in sweeps since those involve distance and battles over enemy airfields where you lose pilots and Japan doesn't.

In my big and protacted Battle of Bombay with Q-Ball, two Allied P-38 squadrons essentially held off and eventually broke the backs of the enemy airforce. Now, there will be differences - for some reason, Q-Ball was only able to commit his airforce in fairly limited numbers. Perhaps he was having supply problems. But my P-38s were what saved my bacon. I was down to just 10 or 15 between them, but they still fought hard. (The Hurricanes were also useful, but I didn't have much luck with the P-40Es or even the P-40Ks.)

Thx CR. Very helpfull as usual.

I don't plan to sweep anything in the nearby future. I need to defend my bases. Point. I don't have numbers nor reinforcements to refill my squadrons. I'll keep them on the defence for the moment and they will only be committed on escort role if the target is a naval juicy target (the KB or a BB TF)...in that case their sacrifice could mean a better protection for my Albacores and Avangers which, may lead, to a couple of fishes in a CV stomache...which will worth the price.

I made some calculations....Rader can for sure attrit me. He has pools of thousands of planes and zeros are by far superior...but he's going to pay a price for that. 500 fighters with 65/70 air skilled pilots should be a tough nut to crack even for the allmighty IJAAF and IJNAF

[String]

ORIGINAL: GreyJoy

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

GreyJoy, I respectfully but strongly disagree with what yuo're being told about P-38Es. They are by far most effective as CAP over your most critical bases. Don't use them as escorts, and only use them sparingly in sweeps since those involve distance and battles over enemy airfields where you lose pilots and Japan doesn't.

In my big and protacted Battle of Bombay with Q-Ball, two Allied P-38 squadrons essentially held off and eventually broke the backs of the enemy airforce. Now, there will be differences - for some reason, Q-Ball was only able to commit his airforce in fairly limited numbers. Perhaps he was having supply problems. But my P-38s were what saved my bacon. I was down to just 10 or 15 between them, but they still fought hard. (The Hurricanes were also useful, but I didn't have much luck with the P-40Es or even the P-40Ks.)

Thx CR. Very helpfull as usual.

I don't plan to sweep anything in the nearby future. I need to defend my bases. Point. I don't have numbers nor reinforcements to refill my squadrons. I'll keep them on the defence for the moment and they will only be committed on escort role if the target is a naval juicy target (the KB or a BB TF)...in that case their sacrifice could mean a better protection for my Albacores and Avangers which, may lead, to a couple of fishes in a CV stomache...which will worth the price.

I made some calculations....Rader can for sure attrit me. He has pools of thousands of planes and zeros are by far superior...but he's going to pay a price for that. 500 fighters with 65/70 air skilled pilots should be a tough nut to crack even for the allmighty IJAAF and IJNAF

I'd also suggest gathering every crack pilot with high exp (and not just air skill) you can, that's still alive from the beginning of the game. You want 70ish exp, air and defence for those birds as they are very very valuable. High exp prevents ops losses from accidents and damage, and I don't have to tell you what air and defence skills achieve.

[GreyJoy]

15 June 1942

A 2-days raid of 60 B17s at Indore showed that we can still hurt japanese Air Force.
The base was protected by not less than 70 fighters on CAP. Despite this stiff opposition, my bombers managed to get through without a scratch and we closed the airfield, destroying 72 planes on the ground for the loss of only 1 B-17 (operation loss!). A good result indeed that will for sure keep Rader honest. Surat may be well defended, but he cannot have heavy AA and impenetrable CAP everywhere[;)]

At the Marshalls/Gilbert we paradropped the 3rd Marine para unit at Abenama (from Baker) - 1 hex south of Tarawa - and my brave guys dislodged the Naval Guard unit that was there. Tomorrow 2 raiders battallions will attack with fast transports Makin Atoll and Nauru Island. Already moved catalinas at Abenama and a base force is being air transported there.
I sent a decoy TF (a fake amphib TF) composed of 10 APs, 5 AKs, 2 DDs, 4 APDs and 2 AVPs 13 hexes south east of Maloap...Rader managed to send 40 betties escorted by 37 zeros...they sunk everything in 2 days[X(]...well, if i needed to know how efficient are the air defences of the Marshalls even at long distances....well...now i do know[:o]. Deadly...absolutely deadly...
Think the strategy of the "fast jumps", getting close to Tarawa using para drops and fast tranports, it's the safer way to go.
Let's see now how much he has in the Bonins...he cannot be everywhere!


String...that's what i'm trying to do...not that easy however...my best pilots are already there (the AVG is in perfect shape!)

[Prydwen]

That's a good result with the B17s.  Losing the transport TF is an eye opener that's for sure! Did they have any air cover?

ItsAMadHouse

[jeffk3510]

GreyJoy- Why didn't you have aircover for the "fake" invasion.  IMO that is a lot of shipping to lose for just that purpose...also, I agree with CR about the P38e's, I think they're fine planes in CAP.  What is your plan to secure your supply routes to Aussie?  Do you use Capetown to Perth, or are you building up Pago Pago and Suva?
 
Keep it up.  Looking forward to seeing some maps and battle results.

[GreyJoy]

Itsamadhouse and Jeff,
 
   didn't have air cover because i didn't want to risk...wanted to test first what he has at hand in that theatre...he said he has spotted the TF the previous turn...so he could master a concentration of 80 crack planes in only 1 turn...that's something i have to keep in mind.
P-38s are set on CAP at Karachi and at Karachi only the torpedo bombers are active so if they're gonna escort something they're gonna escort a naval strike...which deserves a good escort Imho considering the possible targets.
 
Pago Pago is built and well defended and Suva is being resupplied via-new Zeland.
Oz is now plenty of fuel and supplies thanks to the EastCoast-CT-Adelaide route. At the moment Pago and Suva are absolutely inactive, cause i didn't have time nor resources to create a strong connection in SOPAC...i want to be sure first that Oz has enough troops, planes and resources and then i'll think about SOPAC.
 
Yes, tonight i'll post some maps...nothing changed however since the latest ones posted...in India there's a statlemate...Rader is probably gathering more forces for his final push and i'm sure he has a blitz plan for the crossing of the LOD...
The combined action of the RN CVs and of the 4Es are prooving to be a good deterrent till now...
 
 

[GreyJoy]

For those interested i just check the VP ratio...3.53 to 1 ... And the only sector where i'm gaining some ground is in the air losses...army, naval and bases the situation is well beyond the 4-1 ratio