Mind Games...again. Mind_Messing (J) Vs Miller (A) No Miller!

[mind_messing]

ORIGINAL: Lokasenna

Moving the AVG to Singapore is an extremely smart move. I hadn't thought of that before. That's probably where they can make the biggest impact, which you're learning now. I would stop the bombing raids on Singers until you have his fighters all knocked out, if you can. This is going to mean lots of sweeps. With the AVG there too, it's going to mean lots and lots of sweeps. The Tainan Zero Sentai is ace, as is the 1st Sentai on the IJA side if I recall correctly, so those would be where I'd look first. But you'll still need more. I like to double up on sweeps just to be sure (actually, this applies to all of my "must haves", be it ground/sea/air).

You need more AV in Singers. With level 3+ forts, a 1.3:1 raw AV ratio isn't going to cut it. Even with the disablements your raw AV is a max of what, 1.8k or so? That's not enough. You'll be waiting for him to run out of supply before you can take the base, and that can take a long while. You need a lot more AV there ASAP. I'd say at least 2200, if not 3k+. Where can you find it?

EDIT: That would actually involve another shock attack over the causeway if you moved it all in at once, so I'd do it piecemeal. That will take a while, but it would at least be less bloody for you.

Agreed. The AVG force the Japanese to commit first-rate airframes to China, but in Singapore they can blunt the Japanese spearhead far, far better.

Tainan is a sad case. They've half the airframes they did when the war started, and a wad of average pilots thrown in for good measure, but they've a healthy kill tally to their name and plenty of elite pilots to harvest for TRACOM later on. From what I've seen so far, big numbers in sweeps seem to be key, even more so considering the pilot parity with the AVG and now American carrier pilots thrown in!

Concerning Singers, I'll be buying a IJA Division out from Manchuria to sent quickly. I can scrape up another two hundred AV on top of that, and hopefully I can recover a couple hundred AV before Febuary.

[obvert]

+1

Don't bomb Singers, especially now. After losing so many bombers you also now face very tough pilots. It's one reason I rarely bomb any airfields in the early days as Japan. Too much chance of flying into a trap and getting this many planes shot down. The airframes hurt, but the pilots are worse. You lose some good ones, (likely on escort), and he improves his immeasurably. The Tainan and the 3rd Ku S-1 will be your guys, plus a few IJAAF groups and only with Oscar Ic.

If he's really smart he'll just move away now and you'll have to guess where those groups will go next. Watch for CAP traps as well and make sure you never fly into anything without a few days of sweeping first, but I'd bomb as little as possible. I would hope not to lose this many Nells in the first 6 months of the war. You'll never have pilots like those again. Use them to sink ships only.

[mind_messing]

ORIGINAL: obvert

+1

Don't bomb Singers, especially now. After losing so many bombers you also now face very tough pilots. It's one reason I rarely bomb any airfields in the early days as Japan. Too much chance of flying into a trap and getting this many planes shot down. The airframes hurt, but the pilots are worse. You lose some good ones, (likely on escort), and he improves his immeasurably. The Tainan and the 3rd Ku S-1 will be your guys, plus a few IJAAF groups and only with Oscar Ic.

If he's really smart he'll just move away now and you'll have to guess where those groups will go next. Watch for CAP traps as well and make sure you never fly into anything without a few days of sweeping first, but I'd bomb as little as possible. I would hope not to lose this many Nells in the first 6 months of the war. You'll never have pilots like those again. Use them to sink ships only.

It's all moot now, he withdrew his fighters from Singapore this turn, so I'll have a free hand from now on.

Concerning airframe useage, I don't use the Zeros or the Oscars for escort; that's the job of the poor guys flying Nates.

Regarding Nells and Betties, I'm not so sure. The airframes are great, but they're only really worthwhile if you can get torpedos for them. Any time I've sent them out with bombs from a low altitude, they've disapointed me.

[PaxMondo]

ORIGINAL: mind_messing

From my own experiance, running for the hills in China is the only real viable strategy for the Allies, but it needs to be done right.

Defend forward and the Chinese get slaughtered in the open plains and once they are routed, they don't stop running. Run too much and you give the Japanese player a free hand. It's striking the middle ground of withdrawing and defending that makes China too hard.

+1

[offenseman]

ORIGINAL: mind_messing

So far, three crusiers, a battleship and a light carrier have been sacraficed for the DEI oil. This depresses me, being the worst losses I've incurred taking the DEI. On top of that, plenty smaller vessals are gone as well.

This concerns me. At this rate, with these average losses, I'll not see 43. Not much I can do about it, however. I can't seem to shake off the feeling about being bogged down in January 1942.

Sorry to go so far backward but I already feel the some sort of bad mojo in my game. It is only 12/20/41 and I cannot seem to get a die roll. Started when it took 38th Div 4 days to get to HK. (Yes, on move, never attacked, good leader). Bad die rolls on attacks in China, etc etc. Unusual weather grounding a LOT of aircraft. That included the entirety of KB on 12/9 which resulted in the loss of many transports that fell to laser guided bombs of allied float planes that almost never missed(LRCAP didn't fly) and of course no day-three attacks on the PI. Every turn has had bad luck in it. Sometimes things just seem to go poorly in a game for no apparent reason and for tooooo long. It always leads me to a feeling of being bogged down whether it is true or not.

To quote Bill Clinton, "I feel your pain" and hope it turns around soon. Subscribed in order to watch the reversal of fortunes!

[mind_messing]

ORIGINAL: offenseman

ORIGINAL: mind_messing

So far, three crusiers, a battleship and a light carrier have been sacraficed for the DEI oil. This depresses me, being the worst losses I've incurred taking the DEI. On top of that, plenty smaller vessals are gone as well.

This concerns me. At this rate, with these average losses, I'll not see 43. Not much I can do about it, however. I can't seem to shake off the feeling about being bogged down in January 1942.

Sorry to go so far backward but I already feel the some sort of bad mojo in my game. It is only 12/20/41 and I cannot seem to get a die roll. Started when it took 38th Div 4 days to get to HK. (Yes, on move, never attacked, good leader). Bad die rolls on attacks in China, etc etc. Unusual weather grounding a LOT of aircraft. That included the entirety of KB on 12/9 which resulted in the loss of many transports that fell to laser guided bombs of allied float planes that almost never missed(LRCAP didn't fly) and of course no day-three attacks on the PI. Every turn has had bad luck in it. Sometimes things just seem to go poorly in a game for no apparent reason and for tooooo long. It always leads me to a feeling of being bogged down whether it is true or not.

To quote Bill Clinton, "I feel your pain" and hope it turns around soon. Subscribed in order to watch the reversal of fortunes!

Allied float planes, or floatplanes in general, do seem to be out of whack. They get a hit ratio that's far to high when compared with pilot skills.

Chances are if you're feeling "bad mojo", it's because there's been some small factor you've overlooked: a crusier captain, a task force commander, an air group leader, the orders sent to an amphib task force. That's been the case for me, for the most part.

Then there are the days that just don't go your way at all, like thunderstorms when you need the fighters to fly, and clear skies for the bombers, who happily waltz in to waiting CAP...

[mind_messing]

January 25th to Febuary 3rd

War is hell.

Phillipines

Clark is bombed and bombarded daily, while the outlying bases are invaded. Nothing much is going to occur here for another three months: the US units will be left to rot before any serious effort to finalize the conquest of the Phillipines is undertaken.

China

A turning manuver south of Changsha shows promise of breaking the fighting out on to the open terrain to the west of the city. IJA forces are about equal with the Chinese, so hopefully being able to bring Japanese air power to bear will make a positive impact.

The Sian front is still static, but the army moving from Yenan has promise. If it can force a crossing to the north-east of Sian, it will unhinge the Chinese rear, while my bombardments on the frontline continue to inflict heavy losses (hurray for 24cm guns!)

DEI

Disaster. Miller death-stars his crusier forces in the region and forces his way through to Palambang. The IJN forces in the region simply can't cope with the monster task forces of 8-9 crusiers and end up fleeing back to Cam Rahn Bay. The resulting bombardment wrecks the airstrip at Palambang (thankfully the oil is alright) and a follow-on airstrike the next day destroys most of the xAP's in the harbour that were earmarked for the Java invasion force.

I learn my lesson, however, as this turn, all air units are dispersed, LRCAP is set up and dispersed airstrips established while the IJN fills the sea between Palambang and Batavia with ships.

South Pacific

An SNFL moves to take Noumea. This will mark the limit of my expansion.

Central Pacific

Two AF units are sent to the only real-estate worth having in the region, Taibuitea, which will become the central node for the defence of the Gilberts. Anything east of the Marianas is expendable, and besides the AV at Canton, I've not commited anything, nor will I.

The Marshalls will probably get a few Naval Guard units, and perhaps some engineers and air support in the few months down the line, but they're on the hind teat for the present.

North Pacific

Nothing. Utterly nothing.

Present Strategic Situation

So the USN is badly dented, the Mini-KB destroyed and the KB mostly in port repairing.

The Soryu might be repaired in six weeks. At present, I've the Shoho and nothing else. Two more carriers might be repaired for May, and I won't have a four carrier KB till well after mid-1942.

The consolation is that the USN has one (perhaps two, but there's no chance the suriving carrier from the Battle of the Java Sea will limp out of Java) flight deck itself.

All this puts a strain on my offensive capability, but it remains a fantastic oppertunity. As to how I intend to capitalize on this, I'm unsure.

India is not a option I view as worthwhile (why let the Allies use superior ground units on their own terms?), Western Austrailia remains my favourite option but Ceylon seems more and more tempting.

My long-term goal is to force Miller to attack over a significant body of water with his reduced carrier force, or failing that, to engage in a long campaign of short island hops.

[mind_messing]

Febuary 3rd to Febuary 7th

Dire

Malaya

The AVG, now with Warhawks, and plenty of them, are getting a better than 1:1 ratio with the IJN Zeros and IJA Oscars. I'm having a hard time getting replacement aircraft for most of the units (despite a level 8 AF in Johore and oodles of supply), and my sweeps are always fragmented, and run right in to sixty waiting Warhawks, and always coming out second-best.

I've converted another high experiance Nate unit over to Oscars, and they'll be thrown in shortly as well.

The bright side is that there's lots of ground reinforcements on the way to Malaya to hopefully break the Allied back, but I'm skeptical at this point. All the while Singapore's forts creep upwards.

This is extremely fustrating for me, to the point that I'm questioning my suitability to match Miller. I've been trounced at every turn, and it's only the luck that I've got all but one of the American carriers that's keeping me going.

DEI

Moving in the eastern DEI through to Java, slowly. No sense in rushing things here.

Pacific

Quiet, but a SNFL will be taking Noumea shortly.

China

The Northern Sian Army gets mauled forcing a river crossing to the north-east of the city. There in bad shape, but will try to push through with heavy IJA air support.

[Lokasenna]

Do you have an air HQ at Johore? That will help with replacements and coordination, I believe.

I would now throw everything you have at Singapore, and I mean everything. I forget - is there an HR limiting altitude? If not, sweep with your Oscars and Zeroes at max altitude. 200 per day. Reallocate fighter units from Formosa to Kota Bharu and Johore.

For the forts, see if you can bring in a bunch of armor. IIRC, the Allies don't have a lot of AT, and the armor really helps bring down the forts. Combat engineers also, obviously.

[Sangeli]

Honestly you don't need fighters anywhere else at this point - top priority should be Singapore. Disjointed sweeps in my experience are OK IIF you can get enough groups flying the mission. Each sweep will force more Allied fighters on the ground and the numbers game will turn in your favor. Keep it up a few turns and soon any CAP that the Allies can put in the air will be immediately shot from the sky. That's when you can start to bomb the base safely.

[obvert]

ORIGINAL: Lokasenna

Do you have an air HQ at Johore? That will help with replacements and coordination, I believe.

I would now throw everything you have at Singapore, and I mean everything. I forget - is there an HR limiting altitude? If not, sweep with your Oscars and Zeroes at max altitude. 200 per day. Reallocate fighter units from Formosa to Kota Bharu and Johore.

For the forts, see if you can bring in a bunch of armor. IIRC, the Allies don't have a lot of AT, and the armor really helps bring down the forts. Combat engineers also, obviously.

Yep. All good.

With Singers it just helps to bring a lot of everything. He'll not have much supply if you bombard daily and keep up the DAs when your troops recover. The airfield maybe isn't as important as you're making it. If he wants to base fighters there, there's no reason you need to sweep them either. Just make sure no more supply comes in and wear the place down while getting other stuff more easily since he's focused on that. Like Palembang.

[Sangeli]

ORIGINAL: obvert
If he wants to base fighters there, there's no reason you need to sweep them either. Just make sure no more supply comes in and wear the place down while getting other stuff more easily since he's focused on that. Like Palembang.

Except the fact that he can rebuild forts if there is no damage to the air base or port. Could lead to Singers taking longer than it otherwise should. But I agree bypassing it for now is an option to allow you more time to bring in aviation support to forward bases.

[mind_messing]

ORIGINAL: Lokasenna

Do you have an air HQ at Johore? That will help with replacements and coordination, I believe.

I would now throw everything you have at Singapore, and I mean everything. I forget - is there an HR limiting altitude? If not, sweep with your Oscars and Zeroes at max altitude. 200 per day. Reallocate fighter units from Formosa to Kota Bharu and Johore.

For the forts, see if you can bring in a bunch of armor. IIRC, the Allies don't have a lot of AT, and the armor really helps bring down the forts. Combat engineers also, obviously.

Air HQ? Yup. Johore isn't overloaded with groups or planes, and there's oodles of support.

We're at 2nd best altitude ban for sweeps and CAP. Pretty much everything that can fly and shoot is in the DEI. Some defending Palambang, but most at Johore. That includes the Zero groups from the carriers!

The problem I'm having is it's costing me 7-9k casualties to knock the forts down one level, and they get repaired before my troops have time to recover for the next assault. Reinforcements are about a week out, so after they arive the ground war should shift firmly in my favour.

ORIGINAL: Sangeli

Honestly you don't need fighters anywhere else at this point - top priority should be Singapore. Disjointed sweeps in my experience are OK IIF you can get enough groups flying the mission. Each sweep will force more Allied fighters on the ground and the numbers game will turn in your favor. Keep it up a few turns and soon any CAP that the Allies can put in the air will be immediately shot from the sky. That's when you can start to bomb the base safely.

Everything is commited to the DEI (bar some Claudes training around the map waiting for surplus Zeros). My problem is that my sweeps are small, and his CAP is big. With the pilot parity as it is (American AVG hotshots against IJN hotshots), it's hurting me significantly.

ORIGINAL: obvert

ORIGINAL: Lokasenna

Do you have an air HQ at Johore? That will help with replacements and coordination, I believe.

I would now throw everything you have at Singapore, and I mean everything. I forget - is there an HR limiting altitude? If not, sweep with your Oscars and Zeroes at max altitude. 200 per day. Reallocate fighter units from Formosa to Kota Bharu and Johore.

For the forts, see if you can bring in a bunch of armor. IIRC, the Allies don't have a lot of AT, and the armor really helps bring down the forts. Combat engineers also, obviously.

Yep. All good.

With Singers it just helps to bring a lot of everything. He'll not have much supply if you bombard daily and keep up the DAs when your troops recover. The airfield maybe isn't as important as you're making it. If he wants to base fighters there, there's no reason you need to sweep them either. Just make sure no more supply comes in and wear the place down while getting other stuff more easily since he's focused on that. Like Palembang.

You now get the title "Offical Seer of the Emperor".

Excellent point, he's getting nothing in, so why kill my pilots over it? I should have bypassed Singers and let the IJA do it's job. Instead I got focused on suppressing it, much to the sorrow of my fighter and bomber corps.

The turn I sent away a few hours ago has me trying to brute force past the AVG. I'll be going around from now on.

[ny59giants]

Singapore - Like others have said, have the Air HQ somewhere in Malaya. Hopefully, get close enough to the base to try both sweep (Zero) and LRCAP (Oscars) to get some numbers on your side. As an Allied player you need to get numbers on your side in A2A. If he has 80 fighters up, you need at least 100 in the first sweep, if possible. Use you largest fighter groups and set them for the same altitude. Double check leader quality.

I play both sides and in early war the problem for the Allies is airframe and some pilot quality (Americans will have a surplus of fighter pilots soon).

EDIT - Fort reduction means that you need to have FULL divisions. You will need to rebuild them as leaving them broke down into their at start components means they will take casualties hard when negative combat results happen. Also, you should have BOTH the Army HQ and Command HQ (Southern Army) prepping for Singapore. The Command HQ should be over in Malaya by now.

[mind_messing]

ORIGINAL: ny59giants

Singapore - Like others have said, have the Air HQ somewhere in Malaya. Hopefully, get close enough to the base to try both sweep (Zero) and LRCAP (Oscars) to get some numbers on your side. As an Allied player you need to get numbers on your side in A2A. If he has 80 fighters up, you need at least 100 in the first sweep, if possible. Use you largest fighter groups and set them for the same altitude. Double check leader quality.

I play both sides and in early war the problem for the Allies is airframe and some pilot quality (Americans will have a surplus of fighter pilots soon).

EDIT - Fort reduction means that you need to have FULL divisions. You will need to rebuild them as leaving them broke down into their at start components means they will take casualties hard when negative combat results happen. Also, you should have BOTH the Army HQ and Command HQ (Southern Army) prepping for Singapore. The Command HQ should be over in Malaya by now.

Air HQ - Done
Combat & Command HQs - Done, with the Japanese versions of Alexander in command.
Full divisions - Partly done. Only one still needs to combine.
Large fighter groups - They've been badly mauled. Tinian group has half the aircraft it should, but the large IJA units are somewhat better.

[Walker84]

This is extremely fustrating for me, to the point that I'm questioning my suitability to match Miller. I've been trounced at every turn, and it's only the luck that I've got all but one of the American carriers that's keeping me going.

It has been a hectic period, full of surprises but don't let it get to you. Playing against someone of Miller's experience is a fantastic learning opportunity and you will come out of this with all sorts of insights. I was fortunate enough to play a couple of cautious and/or inexperienced Allied players in the past and the war became basically a long and occasionally tedious Sir Robin experience until the Allies had assembled enough overwhelming force to counterattack. You have probably experienced more adrenalin in a couple of months than I did in the first year of campaign [:D]

My 2 cents re the current state of play:

1. Now that you know about his dearth of carriers this should give you the tactical advantage to achieve any remaining early objectives. Doubtful he will risk any of his big battlewagons cruising around DEI and Coral Sea without air cover so as long as you have enough escort strength to counter his remaining CAs & DDs you should find that your SCTFs rule the waves for now. Keep your naval search up to spot any incursions as early as possible.

2. Singapore is a pain, especially if he can keep building up his forts between attacks. I think your policy of massive reinforcement is the only one to follow here.

3. If he has all his airpower in Singers, does this present an opportunity somewhere else? Remember that securing the DEI oil is critical to your economy and if you can increase the pressure in several places at once, he will either be short airpower or may need to withdraw some sqn from Singers which would improve the success of your sweeps.

4. I understand that you are shortly going to take Noumea and, in the absence of US carriers, this could be a great staging post for SCTFs raiding Oz and interdicting shipping along his supply routes. I would get some long range search down there asap to help. Just be sure that you are protected against any opportunist strikes from his remaining CV or LBA. I think 4es can hit it pretty well from Suva and maybe Oz but as, long as you have Zeros in place, this shouldn't do much to hold up developing the base.

[mind_messing]

ORIGINAL: Walker84

This is extremely fustrating for me, to the point that I'm questioning my suitability to match Miller. I've been trounced at every turn, and it's only the luck that I've got all but one of the American carriers that's keeping me going.

It has been a hectic period, full of surprises but don't let it get to you. Playing against someone of Miller's experience is a fantastic learning opportunity and you will come out of this with all sorts of insights. I was fortunate enough to play a couple of cautious and/or inexperienced Allied players in the past and the war became basically a long and occasionally tedious Sir Robin experience until the Allies had assembled enough overwhelming force to counterattack. You have probably experienced more adrenalin in a couple of months than I did in the first year of campaign [:D]

My 2 cents re the current state of play:

1. Now that you know about his dearth of carriers this should give you the tactical advantage to achieve any remaining early objectives. Doubtful he will risk any of his big battlewagons cruising around DEI and Coral Sea without air cover so as long as you have enough escort strength to counter his remaining CAs & DDs you should find that your SCTFs rule the waves for now. Keep your naval search up to spot any incursions as early as possible.

2. Singapore is a pain, especially if he can keep building up his forts between attacks. I think your policy of massive reinforcement is the only one to follow here.

3. If he has all his airpower in Singers, does this present an opportunity somewhere else? Remember that securing the DEI oil is critical to your economy and if you can increase the pressure in several places at once, he will either be short airpower or may need to withdraw some sqn from Singers which would improve the success of your sweeps.

4. I understand that you are shortly going to take Noumea and, in the absence of US carriers, this could be a great staging post for SCTFs raiding Oz and interdicting shipping along his supply routes. I would get some long range search down there asap to help. Just be sure that you are protected against any opportunist strikes from his remaining CV or LBA. I think 4es can hit it pretty well from Suva and maybe Oz but as, long as you have Zeros in place, this shouldn't do much to hold up developing the base.

Miller's play has certainly been excellent. I have to credit him for it, but a far better testament would be the countless Japanese aircraft and sunken ships that now decorate the DEI. It's a excellent learning experiance, but a costly one.

1. Agreed, since the carrier clash, I've seen a single crusier. Apart from that, everything is hunkered under air cover in Java. I'll be sweeping said air cover this turn to turn the attention away from Singapore.

2. Hopefully the end is in sight. I'll have close on a 500 AV lead within the next few turns, so that should be enough to crack Singapore open.

3. Not really. Java still has significant air assets invested in it, and I imagine Miller won't have been tardy in reinforcing it. Besides the DEI, there's nowhere else I see worth diverting planes over.

4. Some is already on the way. I don't think I'll bother developing the base hugely. Level 4 for the torpedo armed Betties and then pump up the forts. The geography of New Caledonia just invites a landing behind Noumea to trap the troops, and the island is only going to be a speedbump anyways,

[Lokasenna]

ORIGINAL: Sangeli

ORIGINAL: obvert
If he wants to base fighters there, there's no reason you need to sweep them either. Just make sure no more supply comes in and wear the place down while getting other stuff more easily since he's focused on that. Like Palembang.

Except the fact that he can rebuild forts if there is no damage to the air base or port. Could lead to Singers taking longer than it otherwise should. But I agree bypassing it for now is an option to allow you more time to bring in aviation support to forward bases.

That costs supply though. He'll run out if you cut it off.

[Lokasenna]

ORIGINAL: mind_messing

ORIGINAL: Lokasenna

Do you have an air HQ at Johore? That will help with replacements and coordination, I believe.

I would now throw everything you have at Singapore, and I mean everything. I forget - is there an HR limiting altitude? If not, sweep with your Oscars and Zeroes at max altitude. 200 per day. Reallocate fighter units from Formosa to Kota Bharu and Johore.

For the forts, see if you can bring in a bunch of armor. IIRC, the Allies don't have a lot of AT, and the armor really helps bring down the forts. Combat engineers also, obviously.

Air HQ? Yup. Johore isn't overloaded with groups or planes, and there's oodles of support.

We're at 2nd best altitude ban for sweeps and CAP. Pretty much everything that can fly and shoot is in the DEI. Some defending Palambang, but most at Johore. That includes the Zero groups from the carriers!

The problem I'm having is it's costing me 7-9k casualties to knock the forts down one level, and they get repaired before my troops have time to recover for the next assault. Reinforcements are about a week out, so after they arive the ground war should shift firmly in my favour.

ORIGINAL: Sangeli

Honestly you don't need fighters anywhere else at this point - top priority should be Singapore. Disjointed sweeps in my experience are OK IIF you can get enough groups flying the mission. Each sweep will force more Allied fighters on the ground and the numbers game will turn in your favor. Keep it up a few turns and soon any CAP that the Allies can put in the air will be immediately shot from the sky. That's when you can start to bomb the base safely.

Everything is commited to the DEI (bar some Claudes training around the map waiting for surplus Zeros). My problem is that my sweeps are small, and his CAP is big. With the pilot parity as it is (American AVG hotshots against IJN hotshots), it's hurting me significantly.

ORIGINAL: obvert

ORIGINAL: Lokasenna

Do you have an air HQ at Johore? That will help with replacements and coordination, I believe.

I would now throw everything you have at Singapore, and I mean everything. I forget - is there an HR limiting altitude? If not, sweep with your Oscars and Zeroes at max altitude. 200 per day. Reallocate fighter units from Formosa to Kota Bharu and Johore.

For the forts, see if you can bring in a bunch of armor. IIRC, the Allies don't have a lot of AT, and the armor really helps bring down the forts. Combat engineers also, obviously.

Yep. All good.

With Singers it just helps to bring a lot of everything. He'll not have much supply if you bombard daily and keep up the DAs when your troops recover. The airfield maybe isn't as important as you're making it. If he wants to base fighters there, there's no reason you need to sweep them either. Just make sure no more supply comes in and wear the place down while getting other stuff more easily since he's focused on that. Like Palembang.

You now get the title "Offical Seer of the Emperor".

Excellent point, he's getting nothing in, so why kill my pilots over it? I should have bypassed Singers and let the IJA do it's job. Instead I got focused on suppressing it, much to the sorrow of my fighter and bomber corps.

The turn I sent away a few hours ago has me trying to brute force past the AVG. I'll be going around from now on.

You could try to cut the AVG off from getting out of Singapore. It would mean taking all the bases within transfer range, though... I mean they withdraw in the summer anyway, but if you cut them off from transferring out such that even his disband/withdraw buttons are red, he'll at least lose the airframes. They might even count as ops losses in that case.

[Sangeli]

ORIGINAL: Lokasenna
That costs supply though. He'll run out if you cut it off.

Singapore starts with near 50k supply I believe. I don't think that the for building will have a significant impact on this. Not in the least because IMO Japan should be taking Singapore well before supply for the defenders becomes an issue.

ORIGINAL: Walker84
I would get some long range search down there asap to help. Just be sure that you are protected against any opportunist strikes from his remaining CV or LBA. I think 4es can hit it pretty well from Suva and maybe Oz but as, long as you have Zeros in place, this shouldn't do much to hold up developing the base.

If you are going to go this route I highly recommend taking some of those atolls south of Noumea like Lorde Howe or Norfolk island. Lorde Howe Island is only 10 hexes from Sydney which means if you take it you can see everything going in or out of port. Norfolk island is placed very nicely in the gap between New Caledonia and New Zealand which allows you to see anything that tries to sneak between the two. Of course holding them for very long is not really feasible.