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RE: Marlblehead engagement above, she also had another fight later. During both fights the Marblehead hardly fired a shot, in fact only one forward battery shot across two engagements. I check the Captain, and lo and behold I put a very high Naval and very low aggression, under 40, to skipper her.

I need to experiment more with low aggression naval skippers....

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Night Time Surface Combat, near Busuanga at 77,80, Range 8,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
DD Shinonome, Shell hits 3, heavy fires

Allied Ships
CL Marblehead
DD Aaron Ward, Shell hits 3, heavy fires
DD Buchanan

Improved night sighting under 75% moonlight
Maximum visibility in Overcast Conditions and 75% moonlight: 8,000 yards
Range closes to 24,000 yards...
Day Time Surface Combat, near Busuanga at 77,79, Range 18,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
DD Shinonome, Shell hits 1, on fire, heavy damage

Allied Ships
CL Marblehead
DD Aaron Ward
DD Buchanan, Shell hits 2, on fire

Maximum visibility in Overcast Conditions: 20,000 yards
Range closes to 24,000 yards...
Range closes to 18,000 yards...
CONTACT: Japanese lookouts spot Allied task force at 18,000 yards

Jan 7 1944

Some good action with our sweeps and....forward movement in China. Going to need to allow the AAA to advance with our stacks, rather than flying LRCAP over our lead elements I think. Japan has a Destroyer and an E operating out of Hong Kong still. The other raiders have retreated...

Air losses for the day

Jan 8, 1944

Bombarded, swept, and bombed Pescadores pretty hard today...here are two of the battle reports

Porter was trying to shepherd a damaged destroyer back to port, but she foundered yesterday and the IJN kept raiding...good visibility really helps the USN.

Night Time Surface Combat, near Hong Kong at 75,61, Range 8,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
DD Takatakaze, Shell hits 14, Torpedo hits 1, heavy fires, heavy damage

Allied Ships
DD Porter

Improved night sighting under 89% moonlight
Maximum visibility in Partly Cloudy Conditions and 89% moonlight: 11,000 yards
Range closes to 24,000 yards...
Range closes to 18,000 yards...

Part of the Pescadores operation:

Night Naval bombardment of Pescadores at 84,63

Japanese aircraft
no flights

Japanese aircraft losses
A6M8 Zero: 2 damaged

Japanese Ships
SS I-185, hits 1, heavy damage
ACM Hinode Maru #20, Shell hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
AG Chiyo Maru, Shell hits 1, heavy damage
xAK Kiyozumi Maru, Shell hits 1

Allied Ships
BB Indiana

Japanese ground losses:
184 casualties reported
Squads: 1 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 3 destroyed, 11 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Guns lost 5 (1 destroyed, 4 disabled)

Airbase hits 4
Airbase supply hits 1
Runway hits 8
Port hits 2

BB Indiana firing at Pescadores

More strikes on Pescadores

Morning Air attack on Pescadores , at 84,63

Weather in hex: Heavy cloud

Raid detected at 58 NM, estimated altitude 13,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 25 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-84r Frank x 1

Allied aircraft
P-40K Warhawk x 4
FM-1 Wildcat x 4
F4U-1A Corsair x 16
F6F-3 Hellcat x 72
SB2C-1C Helldiver x 21
SBD-5 Dauntless x 28

No Japanese losses

Allied aircraft losses
F6F-3 Hellcat: 1 destroyed
SB2C-1C Helldiver: 1 damaged
SBD-5 Dauntless: 1 damaged

Japanese Ships
xAK Kiyozumi Maru, Bomb hits 1, on fire
xAK Zuiko Maru, Bomb hits 3, heavy fires, heavy damage
xAKL Jinsan Maru, Bomb hits 1, on fire, heavy damage

Port hits 2

Aircraft Attacking:
21 x SB2C-1C Helldiver bombing from 9000 feet
Port Attack: 1 x 1000 lb GP Bomb, 2 x 250 lb GP Bomb
28 x SBD-5 Dauntless bombing from 9000 feet
Port Attack: 1 x 1000 lb GP Bomb

Nice one. What does the mouseover say about Pescadores now? I like to capture that one as it's good for repairing destroyers, LSTs and other small stuff. Still, neutralizing it also helps.

Cheers,
CB

I have the 32 Inf Div prepping for Pescadores, at 37%....also have a LRP unit prepped.

Jan 8 1944

Sent three destroyers forward, and they ran into an IJN SAG of light cruisers and destroyers....the IJN SAGs then moved to around Wenchow.

Always good to probe with USN Destroyers....Wenchow is Port 3, so I would need to double check to see if those light cruisers can be rearmed. I think most likely.

Jan 10, 1944

Japan is sending a destroyer task force forward, they are the masters of long range cap traps. I set three Hellcat squadrons to escort one Helldiver squadron...hope they coordinate.

Disappointing results. Our next attack we will fly in very low I think....hopefully getting those Frank Rs out of the picture. And fly with a lot. Or just let them be and eventually the Fletchers will deal with them.
Morning Air attack on TF, near Taihoku at 88,62

Weather in hex: Heavy rain

Raid detected at 69 NM, estimated altitude 16,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 30 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M5 Zero x 10
A6M5b Zero x 3
N1K2-J George x 8
Ki-43-IIb Oscar x 7
Ki-43-IV Oscar x 13
Ki-84r Frank x 19

Allied aircraft
F6F-3 Hellcat x 32
SB2C-1C Helldiver x 25

Japanese aircraft losses
A6M5 Zero: 3 destroyed
A6M5b Zero: 1 destroyed
N1K2-J George: 1 destroyed
Ki-43-IV Oscar: 1 destroyed

Allied aircraft losses
F6F-3 Hellcat: 10 destroyed
SB2C-1C Helldiver: 10 destroyed, 3 damaged

Japanese Ships
DD Suzunami
CL Isuzu
CL Ninaru
CL Noshiro

Aircraft Attacking:
1 x SB2C-1C Helldiver releasing from 3000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb SAP Bomb, 2 x 250 lb SAP Bomb
7 x SB2C-1C Helldiver releasing from 2000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb SAP Bomb, 2 x 250 lb SAP Bomb
4 x SB2C-1C Helldiver releasing from 4000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb SAP Bomb, 2 x 250 lb SAP Bomb

CAP engaged:
63rd Sentai with Ki-43-IIb Oscar (1 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
1 plane(s) intercepting now.
Group patrol altitude is 17000 , scrambling fighters between 0 and 17000.
Raid is overhead
261 Ku S-2 with A6M5 Zero (3 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
3 plane(s) intercepting now.
Group patrol altitude is 18000 , scrambling fighters between 0 and 18000.
Raid is overhead
265 Ku S-2 with A6M5 Zero (7 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
7 plane(s) intercepting now.
Group patrol altitude is 18000 , scrambling fighters between 0 and 18000.
Raid is overhead
301 Ku S-1 with A6M5b Zero (0 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
0 plane(s) not yet engaged, 3 being recalled, 0 out of immediate contact.
Group patrol altitude is 18000 , scrambling fighters between 0 and 18000.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 3 minutes
341 Ku S-1 with N1K2-J George (0 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
0 plane(s) not yet engaged, 8 being recalled, 0 out of immediate contact.
Group patrol altitude is 2000 , scrambling fighters to 7000.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 4 minutes
20th Sentai with Ki-43-IV Oscar (0 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
0 plane(s) not yet engaged, 3 being recalled, 0 out of immediate contact.
Group patrol altitude is 18000 , scrambling fighters between 0 and 18000.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 1 minutes
33rd Sentai with Ki-43-IV Oscar (0 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
0 plane(s) not yet engaged, 8 being recalled, 0 out of immediate contact.
Group patrol altitude is 3000 , scrambling fighters between 0 and 3000.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 1 minutes
64th Sentai Det with Ki-43-IV Oscar (0 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
0 plane(s) not yet engaged, 2 being recalled, 0 out of immediate contact.
Group patrol altitude is 3000 , scrambling fighters between 0 and 3000.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 7 minutes
77th Sentai with Ki-43-IIb Oscar (0 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
0 plane(s) not yet engaged, 6 being recalled, 0 out of immediate contact.
Group patrol altitude is 18000 , scrambling fighters between 0 and 18000.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 11 minutes
246th Sentai with Ki-84r Frank (15 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
15 plane(s) intercepting now.
Group patrol altitude is 38000 , scrambling fighters between 0 and 38000.
Raid is overhead
260th Sentai with Ki-84r Frank (0 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
0 plane(s) not yet engaged, 4 being recalled, 0 out of immediate contact.
Group patrol altitude is 19000 , scrambling fighters between 0 and 19000.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 7 minutes

Japan is flying the recon Judy as a kamikaze....it did manage to sink one cargo ship....but for the most part our cap shot them all down...how that first attack avoided any cap, or CVEs is beyond me.

Morning Air attack on TF, near Swatow at 82,64

Weather in hex: Overcast

Raid spotted at 10 NM, estimated altitude 36,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 2 minutes

Japanese aircraft
D4Y1-C Judy x 5

Japanese aircraft losses
D4Y1-C Judy: 3 destroyed

Allied Ships
xAP Iron Master, Kamikaze hits 2, on fire, heavy damage
AM Cootamundra, Kamikaze hits 1, heavy damage

Allied ground losses:
130 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 3 destroyed, 8 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

Aircraft Attacking:
5 x D4Y1-C Judy flying as kamikaze

Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Hollandia at 93,116

Weather in hex: Overcast

Raid detected at 39 NM, estimated altitude 4,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 9 minutes

Japanese aircraft
D4Y1-C Judy x 13

Allied aircraft
Kittyhawk IV x 9
Spitfire Vc Trop x 11
P-39D Airacobra x 6

Japanese aircraft losses
D4Y1-C Judy: 7 destroyed

Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Manus at 101,119

Weather in hex: Severe storms

Raid detected at 37 NM, estimated altitude 8,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 9 minutes

Japanese aircraft
D4Y1-C Judy x 2

Allied aircraft
Kittyhawk IV x 22
Kittyhawk IA x 4

Japanese aircraft losses
D4Y1-C Judy: 1 destroyed

No Allied losses

Captured Swatow on the Chinese coast, Benkoelen west of Palembang, and Boela (one of the small southern oil bases in the SRA SW of Sorong). I guess I will ship the oil to Australia.

Hopefully our SAGs will close with the juicy IJN fleet of Formosa on the morrow.

A serious question or two, if you had a fighter unit on 10% Low Naval or Naval Attack with 90% Escort, do you think that would work? Maybe even have some fighters on Escort at the same base or TF with 100% escort but with a higher altitude while setting the ranges so those fighters on Escort will only have the attacking fighters to escort?

First intel of Honshu...

Japan surging with their Navy

RangerJoe wrote: Thu Jun 06, 2024 3:23 pm A serious question or two, if you had a fighter unit on 10% Low Naval or Naval Attack with 90% Escort, do you think that would work? Maybe even have some fighters on Escort at the same base or TF with 100% escort but with a higher altitude while setting the ranges so those fighters on Escort will only have the attacking fighters to escort?

So put the fighter on Naval attack, rest 90%? I don't understand the 90% escort setting....

I have escorted strafing fighters and it seems to increase detection levels....once enemy fighters show up the strafing fighters tend to drop their bombs and dogfight.

A good tactic is to set some heavy bombers on naval attack high up with lots of fighter squadron escorts. If you chose a fractional unit of HB, it is often easier to get the escorting fighters to sweep ahead. So 4 B24Js escorted by 25 Jugs for example all very high.

Another good tactic is Avengers on night attack...

Avengers are really great planes, with drop tanks they can search out to 11 hexes....but the search function at night is so darn useful, and then of course is the fact that there are so many Avenger squadrons and planes in the pool to play with.