Castles in the Sand - Spidery(J) vs MrKane(A) no MrKane please

[GreyJoy]

I'd also put some AA there. A day of intense air bombing can distrupt the LCU so much without AA that even a small number of paras can overcome the defences.
Usually my small atolls defences are built around an experienced SNLF unit, a AA Bn and a base force (with some engineers in it)

[Spidery]

Allied day air loss is showing as 3 but VP for allied air loss has gone up by 15 on the day. That suggests 12 planes lost either through disbandment or to ops losses re-locating. As I can't see any reason he should be disbanding aircraft, that suggests a massive move of airpower.

[Spidery]

ORIGINAL: GreyJoy

I'd also put some AA there. A day of intense air bombing can distrupt the LCU so much without AA that even a small number of paras can overcome the defences.
Usually my small atolls defences are built around an experienced SNLF unit, a AA Bn and a base force (with some engineers in it)

I was mainly looking at protecting air bases in Burma but also some bases in rear areas being used for resource shipping (places like Boela) or as temporary repair ports.

I'm reluctant to spread AA to bases that will probably be bypassed because it will all be needed to protect industry and is hard to evacuate from small atolls.

[Lowpe]

ORIGINAL: Spidery
I don't know. How can I find out?

The air group button on the menu bar...then across the top of popup. I will post a shot in my aar. Planes on ships aren't included.

[Spidery]

Thanks lowpe, never spotted that

Land based: 4595, 4164 ready
Naval air: 790, 652 ready

Interestingly the army has 2374 planes and the navy 3011 (that comes from expanding FP groups). No wonder it is so difficult to train navy pilots.

[Spidery]

Total losses therefore are about 50% of total in service.

Pilot losses are 326 MIA, 373 WIA, 993 KIA so MIA & KIA is about 50% of the number of planes lost.

Very few groups are not at 100% of their permitted level but quite a few lack the full complement of reserve aircraft. I have a small shortage of Nicks, Sallies and Vals at the moment so there are some of those groups needing aircraft.

[offenseman]

ORIGINAL: GreyJoy

ORIGINAL: Spidery

How strong a defense is needed at a base to:

a) protect against a surprise Allied parachute attack.
b) protect against a surprise Allied sub-transport assault.

If it's in a clear terrain, i'd say at least 50 AVs with some forts (3 minimum). If it's +2 or +3 terrain even less probably, but 50 AVs is a good rule of thumb imh0

I'd agree with that. The allies have some incredible effective Air Mobile units.

[offenseman]

ORIGINAL: GreyJoy

I'd also put some AA there. A day of intense air bombing can distrupt the LCU so much without AA that even a small number of paras can overcome the defences.
Usually my small atolls defences are built around an experienced SNLF unit, a AA Bn and a base force (with some engineers in it)

I assume you are speaking of one of the AAMG units rather than the units that are equipped with 75mm or larger cannon?

[Lowpe]

ORIGINAL: Spidery
Thanks lowpe, never spotted that

No problem -- the best part of the game, learning something new and not the hard way.

[Spidery]

September 26th 1942

Air Losses: 41 Japanese, 35 Allied, 10 Pilots
Japanese occupy:
Allies occupy:
Japanese land at:
Allies land at:

Pacific

I-29 misses the Boise near Pearl Harbour[:(].

Allies bomb Rossel Island from Lunga.

No reports of Allied CV in the Solomons.

Burma

A large Allied CA/CL force bombards Akyab for some damage[:(].

China

Quiet.

Fuel has reached Chengtu.

Australia

Allies sweep Darwin en mass. The Tojos are overwhelmed but do well enough. 37 Tojo traded for 15 P-40E, 15 P-39D and 3 P-38E but only 10 pilots lost plus 10 more WIA[:)].

Lots of ships being seen at Perth.

Engineering

Saumlaki to 2 but Allies expand Cairns and Cooktown.

R&D

H8K2 to 10/42, B6N2 to 6/43.

[GreyJoy]

ORIGINAL: offenseman

ORIGINAL: GreyJoy

I'd also put some AA there. A day of intense air bombing can distrupt the LCU so much without AA that even a small number of paras can overcome the defences.
Usually my small atolls defences are built around an experienced SNLF unit, a AA Bn and a base force (with some engineers in it)

I assume you are speaking of one of the AAMG units rather than the units that are equipped with 75mm or larger cannon?

No, i'd place there units equipped with 75mm. I agree that it may not be ideal to disperse your AA so much, but there are places that really need to be defended. In Burma this may be different. if you have a mobile reserve you could grab the base back easily. On atolls, things might be more difficult

[Spidery]

September 27th 1942

Air Losses: 23 Japanese, 29 Allied, 5 Pilots
Japanese occupy: Kienko
Allies occupy:
Japanese land at:
Allies land at:

Pacific

Near Palmyra, the Revenge is spotted by a sub. Also near there, a Glen is lost to CAP and a sub attacked by SBD-3 confirming the presence of some carriers.

Burma

Quiet

China

More damage to Allied forces.

Australia

Allies sweep Darwin and attack with B-17E and B-17F. 19 Tojo lost for 16 P-39D, 7 B-17E, 4 B-17F, 1 P-38E. A good trade but the crews are getting demoralised, tired and the planes are not being repaired fast enough.

Engineering

Lunga airfield expanded by Allies to 5. Tarawa port expanded by Allies to 3.

R&D

D4Y4 to 10/44. A6M5c to 3/44.

Damage Report

All damaged ships have been evacuated and are in yards or in safe ports with AR support to get some fixing.

Code: Select all

 CV Hiyo    15 days
 CVL Shoho  17 days
 BB Ise     32 days
 CA Mikuma  14 days
 CA Nachi    6 days
 CV Hiryu   35 days to fix system damage and continue
 CV Zuikaku 68 days to fix system damage and minor float damage before continuing.
 

[Spidery]

Around Guadalcanal

He seems to be making Lunga into a major airbase. I guess it is very hard to get in and bombard this.

From the North the approach is via Tulagi and I expect that is heavily mined and has a larger SCTF present.

From the West the blocked hexsides mean would need to start from too close. The same problem coming from the North East and from due East would have to start too near Ndeni.

The only viable approach is from the South West but the start for that is too far from any of my forces.

Also, the return path will be through Tulagi unless I use some home port such as Belep Islands.

Suppose I set up a CL force near Rossel Island, 8 hexes from Fennell Island, home port as Rossel Island then set full speed and a destination of Fennell Island (retirement allowed set). Will that force move at night to Fennell Island, engage the forces there, and then retreat however far it can manage given damage sustained? Or will it get left hanging out around Fennell Island?

[Lowpe]

It should work. Depends on how aggressive your commander is plus a million other things...it would be sweet to close with a bunch of battleships at night...torpedo heaven.

Nothing is ever 100 percent reliable in this game.[:D]

Lots of moonlight, how about a massed night torpedo run....You have a fair amount of them around if I recall correctly.

[Spidery]

September 28th 1942

Air Losses: 13 Japanese, 39 Allied, 2 Pilots
Japanese occupy: Ontong Java(air drop)
Allies occupy:
Japanese land at:
Allies land at:

Pacific

Try a night strike, 38 planes find their targets, no losses, no hits[:(].

S-35 is attacked at Buik and suffers three full on hits. May have been sunk[:)].

Allies launch a minor night strike at Rossel Island.

Dropping small forces to secure dot bases around Rabaul.

Burma

I send some SCTF to Akyab hoping to catch some raiders but no luck. Vildebeest and Hurricances attack and are slaughtered by the CAP. 20 Hurricanes and 15 Vildebeest downed for the loss of 3 A6M2, 3 Ki-43-IIb, 2 Ki-44-IIa, and, best of all, only 2 pilots KIA[8D].

7 Vildebeest make it through CAP but all miss and most are shot down in post air combat. Of 16 that attacked only 1 makes it back[:)].

China

A crafty plan to pursue retreating forces and help cut off others fails because the Chinese surrender[;)]. More damage inflicted. I have a plan to try and catch 38 units in the North[:-].

Australia

Allies hit Darwin at night. Minor damage but 3 planes lost on the ground[:(]. Gives a chance to recover and I will soon have some Nicks in place for night cover (I had pulled the small Tojo group to add to the day CAP).

Engineering

Quiet

R&D

Quiet

[Spidery]

September 29th 1942

Air Losses: 31 Japanese, 10 Allied, 6 Pilots
Japanese occupy:
Allies occupy:
Japanese land at:
Allies land at:

Pacific

I-22 puts two torpedoes into the CL Java near Luganville; takes 3 DC hits in return but is surprisingly lightly damaged at 7/25/9.

I-30 puts two torpedoes into the CV Illustrious south of Pearl Harbour: doesn't look like much damage:

Sub attack near Hilo at 180,121

Japanese Ships
SS I-30

Allied Ships
CV Illustrious, Torpedo hits 2, on fire
CA Northampton
CA Indianapolis
DD Dunlap
DD Gwin
DD Balch
DD Phelps
DD Selfridge
DD Porter

Ammo storage explosion on CV Illustrious
SS I-30 launches 6 torpedoes at CV Illustrious
DD Balch fails to find sub and abandons search
DD Phelps fails to find sub and abandons search
DD Selfridge fails to find sub and abandons search
DD Porter fails to find sub, continues to search...
DD Porter fails to find sub, continues to search...
DD Porter fails to find sub, continues to search...
DD Porter fails to find sub, continues to search...
Escort abandons search for sub

Glens have spotted three task forces containing carriers so this could be all of his carrier force heading into Pearl.

Minor night strike at Rossel Island.

Burma

Quiet

China

More of the same.

Australia

4E bombers hit Darwin at night. Some Ki-43-1c meet them and lose out but flak then downs four of the bombers and the strikes are pretty ineffective. During the day, P-38E sweep and the losses from Ki-44-IIa are bad trading 16 for 2.

Engineering

Sapporo expands to 4. Forts at Rossel Island expand to 3.

Allies expand many out of the way places.

R&D

Quiet

[Lowpe]

ORIGINAL: Spidery


Try a night strike, 38 planes find their targets, no losses, no hits[:(].

At least they flew, and might scare the Allies some. Curious, what ships did they target if you remember?

[Spidery]

About half struck at a BB task force most heading for the Mississippi or New Mexico.

The others went for a transport task force at Lunga and most attacked some xAP.

Given these are the same pilots that managed 56 misses against cruisers, I think there is something wrong with them!

[Lowpe]

Not much scarier than seeing torpedo planes get free shots at your ships even if they all missed. Is the moon waxing or waning?

[Spidery]

It is getting darker (is that waning?).

I expect he will have some night CAP up now but may give it another try with a very low altitude setting.