Matrix Games Forums

9/18/43

Thin Man: Big developments regarding a potential carrier clash, but let me cover the action first.

The Allied attack at Kwajalein was a terrible disappointment - the results were the exact mirror image of John's attack yesterday - I lost 98 squads, he lost 9. The forts and terrain were important, but disruption had to be the major difference: not having the BBs go in to bombard. If I had known, I wouldn't have ordered the attack (I need the BBs where they are; Kwaj is secondary.) The troops are strong enough to withstand any possible counterattack, so I'll leave them to recover.

Down south, the same three USN DDs hit another (the same?) TF at Tabituea, sinking three xAK and two SC.

Now for the big developments. Death Star ended up where it was supposed to end up - it is just 13 hexes from Mini KB with Steroid KB two hexes further (no sign of the AOs). The oddest thing of all is that John seems to have no detection on any Allied carrier or combat TF. Is it possible such an immense concentration of ships could be so close to KB and John have no idea whatsoever? That's what the game info is telling me, but for all I know, John's map is lit up with Allied TF symbols 13 hexes SW of Mini KB.

I'm sending my carriers NE around six hexes. This will keep them about 15 hexes from Roi and Eniwetok, which are a threat, and about 10 hexes from Wake, which doesn't have a large number of aircraft. B24s and PBY4s have sufficient range to participate from Midway and Wotje/Maloelap, but the range is extreme enough they probably won't fly.

Do I dare do it? I'm leaning that way, but I haven't decided yet. I think I'm willing to take on KB in a fair fight, but what concerns me is the possibility of running across a combat TF or blundering into the 8 hex/7 hex disparity. On the flip side, the Allies have a bunch of BBs, so every carrier TF will have at one.

"The oddest thing of all is that John seems to have no detection on any Allied carrier or combat TF. Is it possible such an immense concentration of ships could be so close to KB and John have no idea whatsoever? That's what the game info is telling me, but for all I know, John's map is lit up with Allied TF symbols 13 hexes SW of Mini KB. "

What is the weather over your TF; I think you are putting too much reliance on the detection levels and not enough on the enemy capabilities.

For me as Allies, I always want the CV clash to be a knife fight and not a sword fight. Right now you have more fuel and more sorties to take advantage of. "IF" you're close enough and weather is good, you may get both AM and PM strikes in.

DL - click on the hex the DS is in, then slide the mouse over each TF icon. You should see any DL for any TF spotted.

To answer your A-B question, B is closer to your potential emergency port of Wotje (and your LBA in the Marshalls in general. A clear preference unless you want to interpose your ships between him and Truk. Even if you choose B, you can still interpose your ships because you are that much further west than he is.
Whatever you choose, good luck and good weather!

The FOG of War about the Fog of War. You know yourself and you know the enemy, he knows himself but seems blind about his enemy. He is short of fuel, down on air frames and up of fatigue. You seem to have all the advantages and may even be between him and his bases that he would need to send any damaged ships too. You have a target rich environment, what would Halsey do?

Well, if you trash John's CV fleet then he will probably never be short of fuel.[;)]

I am truly undecided. On the one hand, I don't like going into a 50/50 battle in which defeat derails offensive activity for months probably. On the other hand, I seem to be in a perfect position with many advantages. How can I withdraw to the Marshalls?

I have to make the decision in an hour or two. I do not know which way I'm going to go.

"Does the damned fool want to be blown up? Well, blow him up then. Give him hell, Captain Morton- as hot as you've got it, too." - Forrest at Athens, Alabama, 1864.

CR - great photos.

I'd move your CV to point A. And move a BB STF 1 hex E of point A. If you have long-range search @ Wotje fly Naval Search from 0-90... Run all of your subs in towards where you think his Air Combat TF will be. Your subs kind of have him encircled so lets see how he likes a game of Bull in the Ring...

Just me 2 cents - lol.

Real time reports from the indecisive. I came. I stared. I thought. I haven't yet decided, but I'm leaning towards ordering Death Star into battle.

I look at the map. Bunker Hill and Cowpens are just 33 hexes east of Pearl Harbor. Three CVEs are 28 hexes north. All five would be available for the invasion of Wake Island...if I don't seek the carrier battle.

...and yet, I don't think John has many BBs present. Two Kongos were sent to the yards. Kirishima is confirmed at Eniwetok. Others may be here, but certainly not the whole fleet. But nearly the entire Allied fleet is present: three fast BBs, six slow BBs. That's enough to put a slow BB (and maybe a fast BB?) in each fleet carrier TF and have enough left for a couple of combat TFs.

But I haven't decided as of 12:34 a.m. eastern time.

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

I look at the map. Bunker Hill and Cowpens are just 33 hexes east of Pearl Harbor. Three CVEs are 28 hexes north. All five would be available for the invasion of Wake Island...if I don't seek the carrier battle.

...and yet, I don't think John has many BBs present. Two Kongos were sent to the yards. Kirishima is confirmed at Eniwetok. Others may be here, but certainly not the whole fleet. But nearly the entire Allied fleet is present: three fast BBs, six slow BBs. That's enough to put a slow BB (and maybe a fast BB?) in each fleet carrier TF and have enough left for a couple of combat TFs.

But I haven't decided as of 12:34 a.m. eastern time.

Sometimes I get muddled. What helps me is that I ask myself, what did my opponent do. His turn is already in the can. If you can determine with some certainty what you believe he did it may reduce your options.

A good thought.

I also recall a philosophy the Moose articulated back when I offered battle south of Ceylon (in January). He said something like, "Decide whether you can live with yourself if your plan doesn't work out."

By that measure, I shouldn't engage in the op. I'll be kicking myself forever for squandering what I believe is a great position.

But I'm still undecided at 1:27 a.m. eastern time.

[X(]

Decision made at 1:59 a.m.

Looking forward to hearing and hope you still got some sleep! [:D]

A slow 21 knot BB in your CV TF will slow the whole TF to 21 knots. I'm not sure, but I don't want my CV dodging torpedoes at 21 knots vs over 30 without the slow BB in the TF.

I'm sure history is littered with great decisions taken at 2 am!

I hope you are going for it, but I can fully understand why you might not.

I rescinded my decision by 2:30, put everything down, and worked on something purely fun and creative deep into the morning hours.

I came back to the computer several hours later to implement the rescission...and after more thought have rescinded the rescission. I am very, very close to clicking the End Turn button to send my carriers north.

But I haven't quite clicked it yet. It's 4:56 a.m. eastern time. What the heck am I doing to myself?

Orders completed at 5:11 a.m.

Turn sent at 5:13 a.m.

I offer battle.

I was just reading the last two pages of this AAR at the end of the work day and hoping you'd pull the trigger. Funny how posts written hours earlier can provide dramatic tension.

Good luck and Godspeed! May your pixels be victorious in battle!

Cheers,
CC