Matrix Games Forums

Brief update....or update in briefs.[8D]

March 24-27, 1943

01:15 hrs. Wednesday March 31st 1943:

Radio silence over the Pacific for the last several days..

Ouch! AFBs hate it when Long Lances happen - especially in daytime at a starting range of 17,000 yds. [:@]

IRL Marblehead was damaged off Java by bombs and maybe shell hits too. She sneaked away from her hunters and crossed
both the Indian and Atlantic Oceans without escort or repairs at a base. Amid the bad news of the time she was hailed
as a hero ship and crew. Maybe you can arrange a repeat!

The battle field

Did you build up Coen and Portland Roads??

Negative, completely bare there. I had some IJA armor "disappear" between Alice Springs and Darwin some weeks back and moved some defensive forces and engineers west on the road net from Cooktown Cairns. Regrettable in retrospect as I had the engineers available before I began construction on Charter Towers. If Paul counters me from the west I will be flat footed. Recon reveals no significant IJ bases to the west of Horn Island, and I'm talking 800nm+ so it would have to be 100% naval interdiction from that area. If that is the case I hope to intercept him with the USS Massachusetts and USS Washington screened by fletchers. If its a KB style TF, I can only hope to get in and out quickly. Six CVEs would be the bait for the attack transports. Nerves are tense at HQ. The good thing is that this is close to the last really high gamble amphibious assault of the war of any scale. Most of the objectives for '43 are lightly defended if occupied at all. This little plan of non-base building and counter invasion is not going to work much longer. I already suspect Paul is pissed he can't lift off the 24,ooo defenders of Ndeni. I suspect I will have 100,ooo cut off by January '44. Of course this little action has to work first.[;)]

23:35 hrs Wednesday April 7, 1943: D -1

cont.

D-Day

Lit up today, roman candle style.

I wanted to compliment you on the operation, so I chose the most relevant part of the screenshot above...(For the AFBs reading, just stick to this one. Ouch!! on the rest of that screenshot, but I guess you do need to break a few eggs to make your omelette.)

Quixote, I am having a real hard time with this go around. Paul is one tough player.

TWO exploding torpedoes from a US sub in summer 1942! The die roll gods really are trying to help you out!
Now go get those cripples!

BTW, could you please post the game date at the beginning of an action post? It helps us understand what is to be
expected from your forces at that juncture.

I have made some errors and serious miscalculations with this. One, no AEs are local to rearm my fast BBs. Two, Paul emailed me about invasions in April and carrier upgrades. I am fooled, stay the 2nd day which I had planned not to do and a very potent Kido Butai arrives on the morning of the second day. Aside from 5 CVE and a couple of older light cruisers I may get off light. I have ordered a surface force out at flank from Cooktown to chase down KB tonight. I hope the aggressiveness of my TF leader will close quickly and inflict some damage on the carriers still hammering on ships at PM.

April 12th: AM darkness:

Daylight and new horrors..

I have used some of my CVEs as just fighter platforms. 28 or 31 F4F-4s and later with Hellcats.

B-25s - I train these Attack Bombers up in LowN (1000') and with their range they can get in and do damage after your naval air (land and/or CV bases) have worn down the CAP over Japan's warships. Their range is 11 and 14 extended.

Having Portland Roads would have helped right now.

Use your Fletchers in DD divisions of 4 ships each. Two divisions with 2 Clevelands are a nice little SC TF. In early 44, I now have them with 8 Flecthers and 4 Clevelands. Just plain nasty!!

Advice noted and logged! I really should have planned a little tighter here. I know better now. Paul offers swift counter punches to any forward movement.