July-September 1942: The general war of attrition continued inexorably through the summer, with Allied air forces in the China-Burma-India theater and Halsey in the Central Pacific giving the Japanese no rest, and all the while, behind the lines, convoys moving men and materiel to key points. The Royal Engineers who landed at Port Blair early in the year have built up its airfield and port; Wellingtons based there routinely bomb Rangoon and Bangkok, fighters based there routinely wipe out incoming enemy bombers, and the island is probably only a couple of leftenants shy of sinking under the weight of the troops stationed on it. Along the northern flank of New Guinea, the U.S. 25th Infantry Division is at Milne Bay, two Australian infantry brigades are at Buna, and Lae is held by the U.S. 147th and 182nd Infantry Regiments. The U.S. 37th and 41st Infantry Divisions are at Guadalcanal.
In mid-July, the six U.S. aircraft carriers attacked Kwajalein again, then Marcus Island and Eniwetok. This second Kwajalein raid, undoubtedly to Halsey's immense disgust, netted only small craft, but a Nisshin-class seaplane tender, two transports, seven merchantmen, and several patrol boats were sunk at Marcus. The raids served the purpose of eviscerating Japanese air groups in the Central Pacific but did not draw out the enemy's carriers. Those, it transpired, had moved to Borneo to support operations in the Southern Resource Area.
The weeks-long deadlock at Tjilatjap evidently had prompted General Horii to request the presence of Combined Fleet in force. During the week of August 9th, land-based ABDA bombers interdicted several convoys passing through the constricted waters between Java and Bali; of 16 or so troop transports, only four reached Tjilatjap, and Admiral Tanaka was reported wounded. Nevertheless, the 1st and 2nd Kure Regiments landed to reinforce the 2nd and 38th Infantry Divisions, and after bitter fighting they finally captured the base, though they did not succeed at driving out General Scoones' troops until the first week of September. Hopeless of rescue or reinforcement, the Dutch, Australian, British, and Indian units are now resisting stubbornly at Soerabaja. The various air groups -- like the ground forces, a hodge-podge of remnants and refugees from all over -- escaped to Australia, some without aircraft.
The Japanese also seized Bali, and Bettys from Celebes sank a Northampton-class heavy cruiser off Timor, but failed to prevent the Australian 7th Infantry Division and the U.S. 1st Marine Division from disembarking there. In late August, supported by land-based aircraft and Admiral Scott's battlegroup (Colorado, New Mexico, and California), the marines landed on Flores and, after a faltering start, took it. General Geiger was wounded in action, however, and mopping up continues as of mid-September.
During the first week of September, following preparatory bombardments by B-17s from Wake Island and by Halsey's carriers and two battlegroups -- one comprising the old battleships Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Idaho, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Nevada, the other consisting of new battleships North Carolina, South Dakota, and Washington -- the 2nd Marine Division and attached battalions landed at Marcus Island and quickly eliminated the garrison. The capture of this island brings Tokyo within B-17 range.
Ten months into the war, the Allied and Japanese navies still have not engaged in a major surface action or carrier duel. The Allies have had much the worse of it, in terms of warships sunk, but I console myself with the thought that 1942 is turning out a bad year for the Japanese merchant marine.
[Later.] Some Australian units at Brisbane have deigned to get on ships -- too late to help their countrymen at Soerabaja, which fell during the second week of September. The heroic defense of Java was not in vain. By tying down enemy forces in the Southern Resource Area -- including Combined Fleet's eleven operational aircraft carriers -- General Heering's troops made possible the build-up of Port Blair and the capture of Marcus Island. Now I mean to dismember the Empire of Japan.
[ January 02, 2002: Message edited by: Steven Utley ]</p>
The War Effort
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Blackhorse
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First, congratulations on your progress to date. Mid-42 and you're poised to counterattack from Flores and Marcus? Well done!Originally posted by Steven Utley:
Another question about the game: two of my B-17 groups have been reduced to three and four aircraft, and replacements do not seem to be forthcoming whether I station the units at a headquarters or on either U.S. coast. Is there any way to get these units back up to strength? They're so useful for pasting enemy airfields.
And yet another: I'm playing the Rising Sun scenario against the Japanese AI, using, as ever, the even-steven setting. How long does this game go on? Till the Japanese control all their historical objectives from Mandalay to Wake Island? Till the end of 1942? Till one side or the other has an insurmountable lead in points?
Re: B17s. Like you, I've discovered that the best place to wreck Japanese aircraft is on the ground via B17 strikes. Unfortunately, my experience has been that replacement aircraft arrive in numbers only sufficient to sustain the losses of one B17 group actively engaged each week. Whenever I use three groups at once, my losses always exceed my production. Rest your groups and they will regain strength, eventually. Apparently the "pool" of B17s has to reach a certain size (30 or 40 IIRC) before replacements flow to your B17 groups.
I dunno about the Rising Sun scenario. I've only played the Campaign Game.
WitP-AE -- US LCU & AI Stuff
Oddball: Why don't you knock it off with them negative waves? Why don't you dig how beautiful it is out here? Why don't you say something righteous and hopeful for a change?
Moriarty: Crap!
Oddball: Why don't you knock it off with them negative waves? Why don't you dig how beautiful it is out here? Why don't you say something righteous and hopeful for a change?
Moriarty: Crap!
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Steven Utley
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Thanks for the tip and the congratulations, Blackhorse. I've a feeling that I'm on the verge of learning whether or not seizing Marcus Island was such a good idea: the Imperial Japanese Navy is all of a sudden scarce in the Southern Resource Area; I can only conclude that, following reports of the island's capture and the consequent B-17 raids on Tokyo, everything from Akagi to Zuikaku is now headed Halsey's way. Until Yamamoto forcefully disabuses me of the notion, I am going to think of Marcus as the knife with which the Japanese Empire can be decapitated.
American forces in the Central Pacific are about as prepared as they can be to parry the counterattack. The carriers and the old and new battleships operating in the area bounded by Midway, Johnston, Wake, and Marcus islands are formidable propositions. The atolls themselves are garrisoned with tough gyrenes and experienced flyboys, and bomber and fighter aircraft can stage from base to base as circumstances require.
And, while Yamamoto concerns himself with the threat to the north, Allied forces in the south will be consolidating their positions. Timor and Flores threaten Java, Port Blair, stocked with promising troops and crack air groups, threatens Sumatra and Rangoon. American and Australian troops in New Guinea are in the process of outflanking Rabaul; how pleasant it is to contemplate the amputation of the Bismarcks, Marshalls, Gilberts, Carolines, and Admiralties by having MacArthur and Halsey rendezvous at, oh, Saipan in, say, the late spring of 1943.
P.S. I'm happy that Pacific War features a running tally of ship losses, but does it also keep an accessible record of squads eliminated, aircraft destroyed, leaders killed or captured?
[ January 02, 2002: Message edited by: Steven Utley ]</p>
American forces in the Central Pacific are about as prepared as they can be to parry the counterattack. The carriers and the old and new battleships operating in the area bounded by Midway, Johnston, Wake, and Marcus islands are formidable propositions. The atolls themselves are garrisoned with tough gyrenes and experienced flyboys, and bomber and fighter aircraft can stage from base to base as circumstances require.
And, while Yamamoto concerns himself with the threat to the north, Allied forces in the south will be consolidating their positions. Timor and Flores threaten Java, Port Blair, stocked with promising troops and crack air groups, threatens Sumatra and Rangoon. American and Australian troops in New Guinea are in the process of outflanking Rabaul; how pleasant it is to contemplate the amputation of the Bismarcks, Marshalls, Gilberts, Carolines, and Admiralties by having MacArthur and Halsey rendezvous at, oh, Saipan in, say, the late spring of 1943.
P.S. I'm happy that Pacific War features a running tally of ship losses, but does it also keep an accessible record of squads eliminated, aircraft destroyed, leaders killed or captured?
[ January 02, 2002: Message edited by: Steven Utley ]</p>
I don’t know of anything that keeps running tallies of those losses... it sure would be neat.
I used to have something called "Pacific War Reports" which decoded a save game file to show you the location and status of every ship, land unit, base, leader, etc. It was very handy for finding out exactly which ships have been sunk (as opposed to just knowing class).
Unfortunately, I can't seem to locate this anymore on my machine or on the web. Anyone know where it lives now?
I used to have something called "Pacific War Reports" which decoded a save game file to show you the location and status of every ship, land unit, base, leader, etc. It was very handy for finding out exactly which ships have been sunk (as opposed to just knowing class).
Unfortunately, I can't seem to locate this anymore on my machine or on the web. Anyone know where it lives now?
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Steven Utley
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Steven Utley
- Posts: 82
- Joined: Wed Dec 12, 2001 10:00 am
Apropos of Major Tom and Blackhorse's newly launched thread about stay-at-home Australian troops -- check it out at
http://www.matrixgames.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=12&t=000639
-- the game seems to have broken down on me in the South Pacific. As of December 6, 1942, Brisbane harbor is postively brimming with transports, and the town, with good units undoubtedly capable of kicking Japanese butt so hard Tokugawa Ieyasu would feel it all the way back in the 17th century ... if I could only get them aboard the ships and to the trouble spots. I leave it to you to imagine how colorfully I expressed myself last night as the enemy gobbled up the Solomons. And don't think it hasn't occurred to me that Java might still be holding out if the Aussies hadn't been at home drinking beah and saying things like "G'day" and "Put another sheila on the barbie."
Also, I have C-47s in southeastern New Guinea that take perverse delight in delivering supplies to every base in the region, islands included, except those actually occupied by American and Australian ground forces. Buna and Lae are still dirt airstrips incapable of fielding anything bigger than P-39s and P-40s. Meanwhile, the Japanese on Kiriwina Island, marooned there after Allied fighter-bombers sank their transports, wax fat on tinned bully beef and Hershey bars.
Just in case it pertains to these problems, I always use the full-human-control setting for all of my headquarters units.
Adding to my frustration, the IJN carriers have been operating in the South Pacific, leaving Halsey to stew up around Marcus Island. We'll just see what happens, though, when the Americans move on the Marianas.
One source of solace: watching Japanese air groups assail Port Blair is like watching somebody try to knock down a brick wall by hurling eggs at it. There are, besides bombers, half a dozen or so fighter groups based on the island, and by now they are all first-rate. Even the one group equipped with Fulmars is hell on Nells. I don't think the enemy has been able to land more than five or six bombs on the place these past two months.
Another: my submariners appear to be hitting their stride in the Central Pacific. Fourteen enemy ships sunk in a single week!
[ January 03, 2002: Message edited by: Steven Utley ]</p>
http://www.matrixgames.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=12&t=000639
-- the game seems to have broken down on me in the South Pacific. As of December 6, 1942, Brisbane harbor is postively brimming with transports, and the town, with good units undoubtedly capable of kicking Japanese butt so hard Tokugawa Ieyasu would feel it all the way back in the 17th century ... if I could only get them aboard the ships and to the trouble spots. I leave it to you to imagine how colorfully I expressed myself last night as the enemy gobbled up the Solomons. And don't think it hasn't occurred to me that Java might still be holding out if the Aussies hadn't been at home drinking beah and saying things like "G'day" and "Put another sheila on the barbie."
Also, I have C-47s in southeastern New Guinea that take perverse delight in delivering supplies to every base in the region, islands included, except those actually occupied by American and Australian ground forces. Buna and Lae are still dirt airstrips incapable of fielding anything bigger than P-39s and P-40s. Meanwhile, the Japanese on Kiriwina Island, marooned there after Allied fighter-bombers sank their transports, wax fat on tinned bully beef and Hershey bars.
Just in case it pertains to these problems, I always use the full-human-control setting for all of my headquarters units.
Adding to my frustration, the IJN carriers have been operating in the South Pacific, leaving Halsey to stew up around Marcus Island. We'll just see what happens, though, when the Americans move on the Marianas.
One source of solace: watching Japanese air groups assail Port Blair is like watching somebody try to knock down a brick wall by hurling eggs at it. There are, besides bombers, half a dozen or so fighter groups based on the island, and by now they are all first-rate. Even the one group equipped with Fulmars is hell on Nells. I don't think the enemy has been able to land more than five or six bombs on the place these past two months.
Another: my submariners appear to be hitting their stride in the Central Pacific. Fourteen enemy ships sunk in a single week!
[ January 03, 2002: Message edited by: Steven Utley ]</p>
Wow I am extremely interested to see how this plays out. You have Marcus Is. and the AI is continuing to plod south into the Solomons. Soon your Essex class CV's will arrive.. if you go for the Marianas there could end up being an absolutely huge carrier battle.
I'm living vicariously through you; I dont want to start another v2.2 campaign with v2.3 so near. It is taunting me!
I'm living vicariously through you; I dont want to start another v2.2 campaign with v2.3 so near. It is taunting me!
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Steven Utley
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- Joined: Wed Dec 12, 2001 10:00 am
I hope, stretch, that you'll post your own after-action reports on these message boards once you start playing again.
It took me a game-month to set up the assault on Marcus Island; because virtually everything I need for a Marianas operation, down to a pair of Bogue-class escort carriers, is now somewhere in the area bounded by the Hawaiians, Midway, Johnston, Wake, and Marcus islands, I should be able to launch the assault before game-Christmas. I have a print-out of Major Tom's useful "Allied Tactics" thread at hand, though, at present, I'm using the U.S. carriers ahistorically, the six together, with all of the new battleships, in one big 800-pound-gorilla of a task force. There's nothing like it for attracting -- and annihilating -- large formations of land-based enemy bombers. I'm hoping it'll also attract the enemy carriers as Halsey continues his rampage in the Central Pacific.
It took me a game-month to set up the assault on Marcus Island; because virtually everything I need for a Marianas operation, down to a pair of Bogue-class escort carriers, is now somewhere in the area bounded by the Hawaiians, Midway, Johnston, Wake, and Marcus islands, I should be able to launch the assault before game-Christmas. I have a print-out of Major Tom's useful "Allied Tactics" thread at hand, though, at present, I'm using the U.S. carriers ahistorically, the six together, with all of the new battleships, in one big 800-pound-gorilla of a task force. There's nothing like it for attracting -- and annihilating -- large formations of land-based enemy bombers. I'm hoping it'll also attract the enemy carriers as Halsey continues his rampage in the Central Pacific.
Hi Steven
i've been following your reports from the front with interest but your last posts caused me to rethink my attitude to this game. What kind of AI would let you capture such a strategically vital base like marcus island so easily. The japanese surely realised that if the allies will have an air base there they would be able to routinely bomb the japanese islands and would have a large and strong garrison there. and after you captured the island and began bombing tokyo they still did nothing about it but instead continued with the Solomons campaign. Yamamoto would never allow that. what kind of AI is this. in my game the AI suddenly transferred all of it's carriers to saigon for no aparrent reason. again, what kind of AI is this.
Don't take this the wrong way but I hope the japanese recapture Marcus or at least make a serious attempt to do this (meaning a large fleet with all their main carriers and other warships and several divisions). otherwise i will lose every last bit of respect for the AI in the game.
i've been following your reports from the front with interest but your last posts caused me to rethink my attitude to this game. What kind of AI would let you capture such a strategically vital base like marcus island so easily. The japanese surely realised that if the allies will have an air base there they would be able to routinely bomb the japanese islands and would have a large and strong garrison there. and after you captured the island and began bombing tokyo they still did nothing about it but instead continued with the Solomons campaign. Yamamoto would never allow that. what kind of AI is this. in my game the AI suddenly transferred all of it's carriers to saigon for no aparrent reason. again, what kind of AI is this.
Don't take this the wrong way but I hope the japanese recapture Marcus or at least make a serious attempt to do this (meaning a large fleet with all their main carriers and other warships and several divisions). otherwise i will lose every last bit of respect for the AI in the game.
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Steven Utley
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Pirate, perhaps the Japanese AI is concentrating its efforts in the South Pacific because it knows it won't have to worry about Australian ground forces as long as it doesn't actually invade Australia. (Grrr.)
Are the New Zealanders as difficult to budge as the Australians?
About the ship pools. I routinely put all unassigned merchantmen, tankers, transports, destroyers, and patrol craft into the pools. Do I correctly understand that these pooled units figure in the game's supply calculations, and that the abstract convoys go only to friendly ports that are not in enemy zones? Is it necessary to leave a token ship of each type in every such port I wish supplied?
Finally, Admirals Hashimoto and Hirose have been killed in action, and General Matasui committed seppuku at Flores when U.S. Marines captured it. Does this mean that the Allies may get a chance at ambushing Yamamoto? Will Nagumo end up on the beach if he loses enough aircraft carriers? Can Koga's plane crash? For that matter, can Wingate's? Can friction between Stillwell and the Peanut get Vinegar Joe fired?
[ January 03, 2002: Message edited by: Steven Utley ]</p>
Are the New Zealanders as difficult to budge as the Australians?
About the ship pools. I routinely put all unassigned merchantmen, tankers, transports, destroyers, and patrol craft into the pools. Do I correctly understand that these pooled units figure in the game's supply calculations, and that the abstract convoys go only to friendly ports that are not in enemy zones? Is it necessary to leave a token ship of each type in every such port I wish supplied?
Finally, Admirals Hashimoto and Hirose have been killed in action, and General Matasui committed seppuku at Flores when U.S. Marines captured it. Does this mean that the Allies may get a chance at ambushing Yamamoto? Will Nagumo end up on the beach if he loses enough aircraft carriers? Can Koga's plane crash? For that matter, can Wingate's? Can friction between Stillwell and the Peanut get Vinegar Joe fired?
[ January 03, 2002: Message edited by: Steven Utley ]</p>
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Steven Utley
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The week of December 6, 1942 -- before I try to become embroiled in "an absolutely huge carrier battle" -- is the perfect occasion for a tally of ships sunk since the commencement of hostilities.
IJN: 2 x CVE, 5 x CL, 1 x CVS, 35 x DD, 12 x DE, 34 x PC, 6 x AO, 110 x AP, 241 x MCS, 21 x TK, 8 x SS
All Allied navies: 2 x CV, 1 x CVL, 4 x BB, 1 x BC, 1 x CA, 3 x CL, 1 x CLAA, 15 x DD, 2 x AO, 7 x AP, 1 x APD, 55 x MCS, 3 x TK, 17 x SS
[ January 03, 2002: Message edited by: Steven Utley ]</p>
IJN: 2 x CVE, 5 x CL, 1 x CVS, 35 x DD, 12 x DE, 34 x PC, 6 x AO, 110 x AP, 241 x MCS, 21 x TK, 8 x SS
All Allied navies: 2 x CV, 1 x CVL, 4 x BB, 1 x BC, 1 x CA, 3 x CL, 1 x CLAA, 15 x DD, 2 x AO, 7 x AP, 1 x APD, 55 x MCS, 3 x TK, 17 x SS
[ January 03, 2002: Message edited by: Steven Utley ]</p>
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Blackhorse
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[QUOTE]Originally posted by Steven Utley:
Are the New Zealanders as difficult to budge as the Australians?
Yes. For identical reasons.
About the ship pools. I routinely put all unassigned merchantmen, tankers, transports, destroyers, and patrol craft into the pools. Do I correctly understand that these pooled units figure in the game's supply calculations, and that the abstract convoys go only to friendly ports that are not in enemy zones?
For routine convoys, the computer first looks at ships in port (not in TFs) in L.A. and India/Calcutta. If necessary, it will pull additional ships out of the pools -- or so I'm told.
Is it necessary to leave a token ship of each type in every such port I wish supplied?
No. Btw, IIRC the computer will not assign MTBs or PT boats as convoy escorts.
Finally, Admirals Hashimoto and Hirose have been killed in action, and General Matasui committed seppuku at Flores when U.S. Marines captured it. Does this mean that the Allies may get a chance at ambushing Yamamoto? Will Nagumo end up on the beach if he loses enough aircraft carriers? Can Koga's plane crash? For that matter, can Wingate's? Can friction between Stillwell and the Peanut get Vinegar Joe fired?
No, no, no, no, and . . .no. Although it used to be that an air strike had better odds of killing your own base commander than the enemy commander . . . I think this was fixed in v2.2.
Are the New Zealanders as difficult to budge as the Australians?
Yes. For identical reasons.
About the ship pools. I routinely put all unassigned merchantmen, tankers, transports, destroyers, and patrol craft into the pools. Do I correctly understand that these pooled units figure in the game's supply calculations, and that the abstract convoys go only to friendly ports that are not in enemy zones?
For routine convoys, the computer first looks at ships in port (not in TFs) in L.A. and India/Calcutta. If necessary, it will pull additional ships out of the pools -- or so I'm told.
Is it necessary to leave a token ship of each type in every such port I wish supplied?
No. Btw, IIRC the computer will not assign MTBs or PT boats as convoy escorts.
Finally, Admirals Hashimoto and Hirose have been killed in action, and General Matasui committed seppuku at Flores when U.S. Marines captured it. Does this mean that the Allies may get a chance at ambushing Yamamoto? Will Nagumo end up on the beach if he loses enough aircraft carriers? Can Koga's plane crash? For that matter, can Wingate's? Can friction between Stillwell and the Peanut get Vinegar Joe fired?
No, no, no, no, and . . .no. Although it used to be that an air strike had better odds of killing your own base commander than the enemy commander . . . I think this was fixed in v2.2.
WitP-AE -- US LCU & AI Stuff
Oddball: Why don't you knock it off with them negative waves? Why don't you dig how beautiful it is out here? Why don't you say something righteous and hopeful for a change?
Moriarty: Crap!
Oddball: Why don't you knock it off with them negative waves? Why don't you dig how beautiful it is out here? Why don't you say something righteous and hopeful for a change?
Moriarty: Crap!
Im curious.. you say you have all 6 CV's in one TF. What kind of strike sizes are you getting? The game is set up to have a peak config for CV's in a TF, and that number should be best off at 2CV's + 1 CVL for the allies. With 6 CV's I would think your strikes are getting halved and quartered all the time as the two checks fail (see manual). Would two 3CV TF's work better?
Ive never tried more than 3 CV's in an Allied TF so I really don't know.
cheers!
Ive never tried more than 3 CV's in an Allied TF so I really don't know.
cheers!
The CV values are in the manual. There is a matrix in there that relates the total number of carrier 'points' against the air rating of the commanding admiral and gives a value that must be 'passed' for a full strike to lift off. Anyone remember saving throws? The short of it is, when you get higher than 8 'points' in a TF with a air value of 7, you are going to have less than a 25% chance of a full strike. A US CV is worth 3, an IJN CV is worth 2, a CVL/CVE is worth 1. I can't remember what a Brit CV is, probably 2 but don't quote me.
I tend to keep my US carriers together in groups of two or three when possible. When I have enough CVL's available, then I start the 2xCV 2xCVL taskgroups, though I tend to wind up with one or two weird task forces (1xCV 4xCVL and/or 3xCV). Depends on the air leaders I have available. I have never tried the 'one big happy family' approach of Steve's, but it has some attraction. Not sure about the 'saving throws' that have to be made to put up a complete (~180xF4F's) CAP but such a defense should stop the 'silver bomb' syndrome that seems to wipe out my carriers one at a time. If no bombers survive, no bombs can be dropped. Hmmmm.
Finally, remember that an air leader's rating doesn't always get used. They have to make a saving throw also, based on their aggressiveness, for the air leader rating to be in play. That is why Halsey is so valuable with that 9 aggressiveness.
Chanman
I tend to keep my US carriers together in groups of two or three when possible. When I have enough CVL's available, then I start the 2xCV 2xCVL taskgroups, though I tend to wind up with one or two weird task forces (1xCV 4xCVL and/or 3xCV). Depends on the air leaders I have available. I have never tried the 'one big happy family' approach of Steve's, but it has some attraction. Not sure about the 'saving throws' that have to be made to put up a complete (~180xF4F's) CAP but such a defense should stop the 'silver bomb' syndrome that seems to wipe out my carriers one at a time. If no bombers survive, no bombs can be dropped. Hmmmm.
Finally, remember that an air leader's rating doesn't always get used. They have to make a saving throw also, based on their aggressiveness, for the air leader rating to be in play. That is why Halsey is so valuable with that 9 aggressiveness.
Chanman
"As God is my witness, I thought that turkeys could fly"
I fought a rather frustrating game against a pbem opponent who routinely put 15 U.S. carriers into a task force with no escorts.
It was impossible to break through the ~300 hellcats that made up the cap.
Try as I might, I could not get my subs or surface ships to touch this group either.
It was not a fun game from mid 1943 on....
It was impossible to break through the ~300 hellcats that made up the cap.
Try as I might, I could not get my subs or surface ships to touch this group either.
It was not a fun game from mid 1943 on....
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Blackhorse
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Ouch! That's ugly. Of course, if one of your surface combat task forces had broken through, the Allies would be suing for peace.Originally posted by wflarry:
I fought a rather frustrating game against a pbem opponent who routinely put 15 U.S. carriers into a task force with no escorts.
It was impossible to break through the ~300 hellcats that made up the cap.
Try as I might, I could not get my subs or surface ships to touch this group either.
It was not a fun game from mid 1943 on....
My experience has been that strikes are smaller with more carriers in a TF . . . altho a 1/4 strike from six carriers is no different from a 1/2 strike from three. The big difference seems to be on defense -- no matter how many carriers I add, I always seem to fly about 50% of my fighters on CAP.
WitP-AE -- US LCU & AI Stuff
Oddball: Why don't you knock it off with them negative waves? Why don't you dig how beautiful it is out here? Why don't you say something righteous and hopeful for a change?
Moriarty: Crap!
Oddball: Why don't you knock it off with them negative waves? Why don't you dig how beautiful it is out here? Why don't you say something righteous and hopeful for a change?
Moriarty: Crap!
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Steven Utley
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- Joined: Wed Dec 12, 2001 10:00 am
Regarding the six-carrier task force, there is good news and bad.
The good news is that, as of late January 1943, Halsey's offensive in the Central Pacific, in combination with the RAF's defense of Port Blair, appears to have just about obliterated the Japanese Army and Navy land-based air forces. Although effective units remain -- among them, an especially mean fighter group at Rangoon, another in southern China that eats P-38s for breakfast, and some night-bombing specialists who caused me anxious moments -- generally speaking, the quantity of land-based enemy aircraft and the quality of their aircrews have declined sharply over the past several weeks as attrition overtook the notoriously laggard Japanese production and training schedules.
The bad news is that I shall, perforce, learn for myself if a two-carrier group is more, less, or as unwieldy as a six-carrier group. The night-bombers mentioned above damaged the Wasp off Saipan in early December. The week of the 20th, Halsey approached Saipan again and launched 60 F4Fs, 70 SBDs, and 24 TBFs at the Japanese carriers, which were covered by more than 100 Zeroes. The U.S. dive bombers turned either Akagi or Kaga into a blazing wreck and dented one other carrier. Fifty-five F4Fs and 48 bombers were lost, against 42 Zeroes. The inevitable counterstrike -- 45 Zeroes, 72 Vals, and 36 Kates -- ran into 97 F4Fs and a nearly solid wall of antiaircraft fire thrown up by the fast battleships; 36 F4Fs went down, but so did 18 Zeroes and 94 bombers. (I leave it to the number-crunchers among you to determine if these are optimal results.)
In any event, enough Vals and Kates got through to damage Lexington (moderately), Yorktown (badly), and Saratoga (very badly). The last two managed to limp away, at Sara's top speed of eight knots, to the safety of fortuitously enlarged repair facilities at Midway, but both are going to be laid up for months. Wasp and "Lady Lex," still operational within limits, are in reserve at Marcus Island. CINCPAC faces the interesting problem of exploiting definite opportunities with diminished capabilities in the face of a relatively unscathed Japanese Navy.
Elsewhere in December and into the new year, American and Dutch submariners, now joined by their British counterparts, continued to wreak havoc in Japanese shipping lanes. Kunming-based P-40s and bombers sank the seaplane tender Kamikawa Maru and numerous other vessels at Haiphong, and B-25s based on Guadalcanal sank transports and escorts trying to reinforce and resupply Japanese troops on Santa Cruz and Rennell islands. Battleships California, Colorado, and New Mexico pounded both islands, then celebrated Christmas by bombarding enemy positions on Guadalcanal and covering the arrival of reinforcements from Palmyra. In New Guinea, the U.S. 147th and 182nd Infantry Regiments and the Australian 2/6th Infantry Brigade invested Wewak.
Oh, and General Scoones, at the head of the British 2nd Infantry Division and the Indian 3rd Infantry Division and 77th Infantry and 50th Parachute Brigades, has invaded Rangoon.
Stay tuned!
[ January 09, 2002: Message edited by: Steven Utley ]</p>
The good news is that, as of late January 1943, Halsey's offensive in the Central Pacific, in combination with the RAF's defense of Port Blair, appears to have just about obliterated the Japanese Army and Navy land-based air forces. Although effective units remain -- among them, an especially mean fighter group at Rangoon, another in southern China that eats P-38s for breakfast, and some night-bombing specialists who caused me anxious moments -- generally speaking, the quantity of land-based enemy aircraft and the quality of their aircrews have declined sharply over the past several weeks as attrition overtook the notoriously laggard Japanese production and training schedules.
The bad news is that I shall, perforce, learn for myself if a two-carrier group is more, less, or as unwieldy as a six-carrier group. The night-bombers mentioned above damaged the Wasp off Saipan in early December. The week of the 20th, Halsey approached Saipan again and launched 60 F4Fs, 70 SBDs, and 24 TBFs at the Japanese carriers, which were covered by more than 100 Zeroes. The U.S. dive bombers turned either Akagi or Kaga into a blazing wreck and dented one other carrier. Fifty-five F4Fs and 48 bombers were lost, against 42 Zeroes. The inevitable counterstrike -- 45 Zeroes, 72 Vals, and 36 Kates -- ran into 97 F4Fs and a nearly solid wall of antiaircraft fire thrown up by the fast battleships; 36 F4Fs went down, but so did 18 Zeroes and 94 bombers. (I leave it to the number-crunchers among you to determine if these are optimal results.)
In any event, enough Vals and Kates got through to damage Lexington (moderately), Yorktown (badly), and Saratoga (very badly). The last two managed to limp away, at Sara's top speed of eight knots, to the safety of fortuitously enlarged repair facilities at Midway, but both are going to be laid up for months. Wasp and "Lady Lex," still operational within limits, are in reserve at Marcus Island. CINCPAC faces the interesting problem of exploiting definite opportunities with diminished capabilities in the face of a relatively unscathed Japanese Navy.
Elsewhere in December and into the new year, American and Dutch submariners, now joined by their British counterparts, continued to wreak havoc in Japanese shipping lanes. Kunming-based P-40s and bombers sank the seaplane tender Kamikawa Maru and numerous other vessels at Haiphong, and B-25s based on Guadalcanal sank transports and escorts trying to reinforce and resupply Japanese troops on Santa Cruz and Rennell islands. Battleships California, Colorado, and New Mexico pounded both islands, then celebrated Christmas by bombarding enemy positions on Guadalcanal and covering the arrival of reinforcements from Palmyra. In New Guinea, the U.S. 147th and 182nd Infantry Regiments and the Australian 2/6th Infantry Brigade invested Wewak.
Oh, and General Scoones, at the head of the British 2nd Infantry Division and the Indian 3rd Infantry Division and 77th Infantry and 50th Parachute Brigades, has invaded Rangoon.
Stay tuned!
[ January 09, 2002: Message edited by: Steven Utley ]</p>
-
Steven Utley
- Posts: 82
- Joined: Wed Dec 12, 2001 10:00 am
Headlines for February 1943:
AUSSIES LAND UNOPPOSED AT MACASSAR
YANKS, AUSSIES RETAKE WEWAK
Mopping-Up Operations Continue
JAP ARMY STARVING AT GUADALCANAL
Marines, GIs Mopping Up In Solomons
Navy, Air Force use Japs trapped on nearby islands for gunnery, bombing practice
BRITS RECAPTURE RANGOON
Amphibious Invasion Isolates Jap Army At Mandalay
JAP AIR POWER WANES IN PACIFIC, CBI
Jap Fleet Still Potent Threat, Halsey Warns
Cover story in Saturday Evening Post: "Will Our Boys Be Home This Christmas?"
[ January 09, 2002: Message edited by: Steven Utley ]</p>
AUSSIES LAND UNOPPOSED AT MACASSAR
YANKS, AUSSIES RETAKE WEWAK
Mopping-Up Operations Continue
JAP ARMY STARVING AT GUADALCANAL
Marines, GIs Mopping Up In Solomons
Navy, Air Force use Japs trapped on nearby islands for gunnery, bombing practice
BRITS RECAPTURE RANGOON
Amphibious Invasion Isolates Jap Army At Mandalay
JAP AIR POWER WANES IN PACIFIC, CBI
Jap Fleet Still Potent Threat, Halsey Warns
Cover story in Saturday Evening Post: "Will Our Boys Be Home This Christmas?"
[ January 09, 2002: Message edited by: Steven Utley ]</p>