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Just being able to hang around and conduct operations right under John's nose is a victory IMHO. He knows where you are and has his forces marshalled, but doesn't have the confidence that he will win if he attacks. When will he have a better chance?

Seems hard to believe that the whole IJN fleet is casually withdrawing. Wouldn't it be more likely he just pulled back a little bit, hoping to draw your ships farther forward so he could pounce with a big BANZAI?

Probably a refuel for all ships involved. by all appearances the plan was for the steroid KB to react to the mini KB or visa versa. Everybody probably pulled back to refuel and with limited AO's at least one may have had to go to port. I don't think the KB is going anywhere. It has nothing better to do than to wait to HULK-SMASH around the Marshalls. I expect you will see some variation of both KB's in the next couple of days. Whatever John wanted Dan to do Dan apparently didn't do so a slightly different look will be tried.

I think JohnDillworth said it perfectly. Whatever John hoped that Dan would do, Dan didn't do it. Probably much gnashing of teeth on John's part.

ORIGINAL: T Rav

I think JohnDillworth said it perfectly. Whatever John hoped that Dan would do, Dan didn't do it. Probably much gnashing of teeth on John's part.

I think you underestimate his optimism.
I bet its more like The allies didnt dare to come and where hiding in their ports BANZAI !!!!!


John playing War in the Pacific AE

GZ, You are probably right... And that is why we owe a tip of the cap to the Dev's and the Playa's; very entertaining on both sides.

When will he have a better chance?

When the USN carriers are not supported by land-based air. [:D]

8/29/43

Thin Man: Mini KB has pulled into Wake Island, a level one port that probably doesn't have much fuel. No sign of Steroid KB or Kongos or combat TFs. No encounters with enemy subs or strike aircraft.

Most of the heavy lifting has been completed with respect to troop reshuffling. The two combat units (engineers bound for Kwaj, battalion of 138th RCT for Roi) have been retrieved from Jaluit, unloaded at Mili, and are combat loading for Kwaj/Roi aboard APAs. Depending upon how long loading takes at this level one port (a day? two? three?), the amphibious ships will be ready to go. The op includes two paratroop units. The Roi-prepped 'chutes have disembarked at Maloelap and are ready to go. The Kwaj-prepped 'chutes will be ready no longer than the day after tomorrow. All carriers have refueled and essentially all TFs show 100% sorties.

The question is whether Steroid KB will return before or during the operation. I think it will.

What remains of troop retrieval (to relieve overstacking) will be handled by barges (that's good). As for the important supply delivery missions, Jaluit has 19k, Mili has 35k, and Maloelap has 17k. Each of them will get more, but they are beginning to look good. Those still needing additional supply are Wotje (currently 9k and should get a big boost while Kwaj/Roi are being invaded), Ailinglaplap (4.5k - ditto regarding delivery during the Kwaj/Roi op), and Tarawa (13k, but a bit isolated and thus needs to be "flush"). Makin Island goes to level one airfield tomorrow and I'm working mainly on port facilities at other islands now.

D-Day could be as soon as four days off.

Circus: Little sign of enemy activity up here. An LST supply TF is inbound to Adak and close, the first of a series. That might draw John's aggression. Everything seems ship-shape up here now.

Elsewhere: No signs of enemy activity around Oz or Bay of Bengal. A unit prep report in SigInt gives me a notion as to a vector John might have identified for assault in China, so I'm shifting a few units to create depth in that sector. But there haven't been any real signs of movement on his part in China (if it's happening it's to the rear).

I hope you are swarming the Wake Island area with subs...the miniKB is such a great target for subs.

I thought the southern area was particularly devoid of yank subs, and that is where a lot of the Japanese forces tended to go...or were last seen.

Then I got to thinking perhaps you are using your subs to funnel the IJN into an area you could pounce on...but that seems to be an area where there is a fair bit of land based Japanese air.

So, I then thought you got tired of clicking and left your subs where they were.

And, finally, now I am just confused.[&:] But having fun reading.[:)]

Lowpe, I'm not sure exactly what you're saying.

But to try to answer, attached is a screen shot of the Marshalls-area subs. This was discussed in depth three or four or five pages back.

I am not shifting all those subs to try to vector in to Mini KB. I prefer to keep them in the area they're at, because that's the best route of ingress and egress for Steroid KB. This group of subs has already scored one hit on a fleet CV and missed two other shots. John probably has a case of the yips, even if it's only slight and subconscious. But when and if the Allies invade, those subs are where they should be. Any badly damaged IJ ships have but one route of egress - Truk.

Thin Man: Mini KB has pulled into Wake Island, a level one port that probably doesn't have much fuel. No sign of Steroid KB or Kongos or combat TFs. No encounters with enemy subs or strike aircraft.

He cannot refuel from a Lvl 1 port without docking his ships. The maximum ship size that can dock at a Lvl 1 port is 6,000 tons. He cannot refuel the mini-KB from the port at Wake Island. He must have a TF there to do the refueling, and that TF must contain some valuable targets.

Breaking off a CV TF to sprint east of Wake Island in an attempt to strike the mini-KB or refueling TF might be worth considering if you can do it before the KB can return to the Marshalls and interfere with other aspects of Thin Man.

You can disband tankers in a port and refuel from them even if the TF is too large to dock.

That's why we know there are valuable targets at Wake. And they are targets that can be hit with a port strike instead of a naval strike.

ORIGINAL: poodlebrain

That's why we know there are valuable targets at Wake. And they are targets that can be hit with a port strike instead of a naval strike.

Oh, I agree. I was just pointing out a game technical issue that it doesn't have to be a TF of AO, it could be ordinary tankers, even at a small port.

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

Lowpe, I'm not sure exactly what you're saying.

Just that I was confused trying to understand you sub policy. I remember the post several days ago, where you don't like to chase ships with subs, etc.

But, now I understand, you have cleared it up for me. Many thanks.

I think a couple of pages back there was a comment that the Gilbert's and Marshalls are not strategic. I would agree
that certainly the IJ losing these bases is not like in chess losing a queen with no exchange, but I might suggest
that the Marshall's and the Gilbert's have strategic significance in the overall scheme of things.

The game mechanics favor striking targets that do not have nearby support. Simply having bases between opposing bases
and targets does not suffice. The game assumes that aircraft platforms go into hyperspace and then suddenly appear at the target hex.
Nearby bases can support the target hex through CAP bleed over and LRCAP. That established that Gilbert's have multiple bases 1 hex apart
while the Marshall's have bases much less interconnected. Simply, the Allies can focus may more resources against singular, not as well supported targets.

Though I think a steady island based air attack with 2E's and fighters has an advantage , I like how Canoerebel was able to concentrate his CV forces
on individual targets and take the gut out so to speak. Now the IJ have reacted and are committed while CR attacks elsewhere ..

The DEI or the Solomon's for that matter offer the ability to isolate a single target as there are multiple supporting bases.

I think this is very strategic in late 1942 early 1943 ..

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

And wtih respect to the European Union, we southerners may end up calling all members of the EU "Yankees" since "Union" is synonymous with "Yankee" as a result of our Civil War experiences and terminology.

So, Obvert, GreyJoy, Jocke, witpqs and many other Forumites are Yankees.

Being from West Coast USA, (Portland OR), I am American, but applying for UK citizenship. So I'm not a Yankee yet! [:D]

We from the Pacific NW can't really claim a stake in the Civil War even though we're technically above the Mason Dixon. It's where winners and losers went to start new lives after all of that finished. If you go into the countryside though you will hear a slight country drawl out in Eastern OR especially.

In terms of sub deployments .. There is always the operational deployment of 7-8 hex area from your CV's .. A way of "punishing" the IJ for trying an 8 hex strike [8D]

ORIGINAL: obvert

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

And wtih respect to the European Union, we southerners may end up calling all members of the EU "Yankees" since "Union" is synonymous with "Yankee" as a result of our Civil War experiences and terminology.

So, Obvert, GreyJoy, Jocke, witpqs and many other Forumites are Yankees.

Being from West Coast USA, (Portland OR), I am American, but applying for UK citizenship. So I'm not a Yankee yet! [:D]

We from the Pacific NW can't really claim a stake in the Civil War even though we're technically above the Mason Dixon. It's where winners and losers went to start new lives after all of that finished. If you go into the countryside though you will hear a slight country drawl out in Eastern OR especially.

Sorry for the OT. my history is a little hazy, but wasn't Oregon a Union state in the civil war? didn't a Oregon US senator get himself killed in the fighting?

The question is whether Steroid KB will return before or during the operation. I think it will.

Army Group Center hung around Moscow like a lobster claw for 2 years. like I said, the Combined Fleet has nothing better to do but try and catch you making a mistake. If you can be sure everyone is refueling for a couple of day thats the time to step forward. John has to be burning a lot of fuel with all those ships. moving all the fuel forward is a PIA for Japan. It would be a crying shame if you gave him a good reason (or what looked like a good reason) to rush off to another part of the perimeter. Say what you will about John, he does nothing by half measures

Oregon gained Statehood in 1859.

OT but the destroyer USS Lamson is named for an Oregonian, Lieutenant Roswell Lamson. The McPherson's edited a book, "Lamson of the Gettysburg", which I recommend for those interested in the Civil War brown water Navy.