Wild Sheep Chase - obvert (J) vs JocMeister (A)

[obvert]

[font="Times New Roman"]31 August 1942[/font]
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subs: Skipjack shows up near Truk but the escorts spot it before shots are fired.

RO-60 continues the IJN tradition during this campaign of targeting the smallest and weakest ships in the Allied navies. This time it's our first Flower Class corvette kill, HMS Frittilary, hit with one torp and sinking sounds accompanying the next few seconds of the replay. Actually a very useful escort, so not a bad kill. I don't think a Japanese sub has hit one troop loaded ship and only 1-2 tankers during the almost 10 months of fighting.

Those two pieces of info are literally the ENTIRE combat report right now! I'm not used to this after seeing so much daily action in China. It does let me concentrate on the little stuff again, and I am reworking convoy routes and checking the economy. More on that soon.

No Pac: There are still a few important ships sitting in Adak trying to fix up system damage to have a better shot at making it to Yokohama. Shoho is about a week from finishing all possible repairs. She has 54 major float damage, so this is a precarious trip home. Many escorts plus the Kitakami and the Fuso will accompany her back.

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[ny59giants]

Adak - A Naval HQ and an AR or two would speed up the repair process. Leave an AR there and have another be with the Escort TF on the way back just in case you have to pull into a nearby port for more repairs.

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ORIGINAL: ny59giants

Adak - A Naval HQ and an AR or two would speed up the repair process. Leave an AR there and have another be with the Escort TF on the way back just in case you have to pull into a nearby port for more repairs.

I'm kicking myself that I didn't get another few AR converted soon enough for this. They're in process but won't be in time for this one. Lesson learned. But the Northern Fleet HQ has been helping a lot for a few weeks. I sent it out the day after the battle!

[ny59giants]

I'm almost a year ahead of you in my first game as Japan. Thankfully, I haven't had to learn some lessons the hard way. Both of us will make adjustments to some things next time around. I have a large Word document that I have used to make notes form various threads. Lots of "copy & paste" was done for it. [:D]

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[font="Times New Roman"]1 September 1942[/font]
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The A6M3a arrived today! I converted the A6M3 factories immediately and will make 145 to start off. This will be the mainstay of the IJN for the next year or more. This will give us more range and better high altitude ability. Still a fragile plane, but better. At least a bit superior to the F4F-4 and should rule the roost on the water until the Hellcat arrives.

All A6M2 factories have been off for two weeks as the pool is about 110 right now. While this fighter has won more than it's lost, we have lost more of them in 10 months than any other plane (at 482 right now).

subs: I-169 hits DMS Perry near Lord Howe Island with one of a two shot spread. Another escort/ASW ship down.

So Pac: Nothing moving.

Burma: A combined sweep of Hurri IIc and P-40E hit Katha today. The Oscar/Tojo combo worked wonders today and I'm trying to figure out which thing did the trick. I set the groups to 0 hex CAP. A radar equipped base force arrived two days ago. The CAP was layered with 12 Tojos on 50% at 31k and 42 Oscars on 50% at 15k.

For the day we shot down 7 Hurri IIc and 18 P-40E with NO LOSSES!!! I have to wonder if he neglected to pick a good group leader or the groups had low moral or some other setting on that side. The Oscars did most of the damage as well. So I guess there is hope in Burma, for now.

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[font="Times New Roman"]Unit Updates[/font]
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It's been another 2 months in game since I've mentioned these particular units. Time for an update while the action is fairly quiet.

After resizing the screen on my Tracker I realized there were a few buttons I'd not seen before. Doh! The 'History' button is particularly useful.

[font="Times New Roman"]14th Tank Regiment[/font]

The unit has been all over the place. From Malaya to Burma, up the mountain road to Kunming, over into China and into the heart of the KMT. After the ceasefire in China it's currently heading back down to Burma.

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It's interesting how it's been up and back down in experience. I suppose from reinforcements arriving.

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[font="Times New Roman"]Tainan Ku S-1[/font]
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Quieter days have come for these aces. Some great pilots have been lost and now the group sits over the oil at Magwe like a protective bird on eggs. Here is the history and pilot information follows.

Soon, once more trained pilots become available, the many TRACOM able pilots will be moved out and a better balance achieved in the group. This will get A6M3a before any other groups.

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Most of the 147 kills were achieved in the first 2 months of the war. Since then the group has less than 30.

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[font="Times New Roman"]Tainan Ku S-1[/font]
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Pilots: Many extremely high experience pilots have been lost from the group. I fear Lightnings will sweep before I can reorganize the group and get some of the best out.

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[font="Times New Roman"]Ship Production[/font]
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I'm short a bunch of Naval Shipyard points. It's still less than the cost of Musashi, so I'm contemplating continuing on at this deficit until Musashi arrives. How will this negatively impact the accelerated CVs and other ships on normal build? I've tried turning off a bunch of subs due in 44 but it seems not to change the numbers. I admit freely that I don't get it.

For the Merchant ships I have a small surplus and have some of the shipyards turned off. I will continue to stop individual ships depending on their usefulness. I'll probably eventually build a bunch of them later anyway, as neither of us care about victory points and it's a lot less unpleasant when the Allied subs take out an xAKL than a Kyushu transport or a Tonan Whaler. By flooding certain important regions with xAKL resource convoys there are more of these relatively worthless ships to hit than there are valuable ones. Especially around Truk this has worked very well. Gets the PB crews a few attacks and experience gain also. All in preparation for when the torps actually work, and when this strategy may have to be altered.

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[font="Times New Roman"]2 September 1942[/font]
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subs: Herring is sighted by the escort of a CS convoy near Aogashima and dives without incident.

Skipjack duds on an xAKL near Truk.

Pollack shows up East of Hokkaido and duds on a small TK carrying oil from Sapporo. This will not do.

One of the Kate groups doing ASW here now has its arc flipped around and another 27 plane IJAAF bomber group released form China will move in once it downgrades to Lilys. I'm playing with flipping many planes around to get the right ones in the right places. Lilys will only be active until the Helen IIa can fill out the Sally Ic groups.

No Pac: I set A6M2s on naval attack 1000ft to hit the widely ranging ASW YP and SC TF he's been using out of Kodiak. Unfortunately they were too close to Kodiak and 8 Hurricane XIIb showed up overhead. In the first morning attack the zeros got away unscathed, but in the afternoon the Hurris were ready and I lost 3 planes. Only 1 pilot KIA which is a boon, though.

Due to the distances involved up here, I've changed my mind and given the first A6M3a planes to the IJN fighter groups in the Aleutians. This could give the range to sweep Kodiak with about 30 planes.

Burma: All quiet again. I will get ready and make a test raid soon, probably at Chittagong. Not so much to hit anything important, but to sweep with Tojos, test my tactics and settings and serve notice that there will be a struggle here soon.

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[font="Times New Roman"]3 September 1942[/font]
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subs: Skipjack is sighted by a PB near Truk again and dives.

No Pac: After yesterday I decided to send two DDs to take out this ASW TF around Kodiak. They are Kamikaze class with good captains. I'll LR CAP them from Cold Bay with the 18 Shoho zeros but it looks like there are no bombers left in Kodiak.

So Pac: A TF of unknown type is sighted to the East of Noumea by about 6 hexes. A SCTF from Koumac will attempt an intercept. Another will move to protect two unloading amphib TFs at Ndeni whose detection went up today.

Several new small SNLF units are on the way down to Rabaul. There is a dearth of new base forces and support lately. I need to start building up the second layer of defense. It'll happen slowly until 43 when a lot more shows up in quick succession.

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[Schlemiel]

Someone will correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe only ships under actual construction consume naval points, so turning off 44 subs which presumably aren't being built yet won't save any points until they would be due to start. You'd have to turn off something that is being built now to affect your naval point usage at present.

[Historiker]

ORIGINAL: obvert

[font="Times New Roman"]Ship Production[/font]
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I'm short a bunch of Naval Shipyard points. It's still less than the cost of Musashi, so I'm contemplating continuing on at this deficit until Musashi arrives. How will this negatively impact the accelerated CVs and other ships on normal build? I've tried turning off a bunch of subs due in 44 but it seems not to change the numbers. I admit freely that I don't get it.


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When there aren't enough points, random ships are halted. So its quite likely that you pay three times the NSY one day to accelerate and have it not advance the other day.

AFAIK, there's one basic rule: Always stay positive in the pool.
Also: I'd suggest you keep the Merchie SY running. AFAIK much more will be needed later, so you'll need full pools. Also: you can always turn it off later and simply pay for building with the pool.

[Historiker]

ORIGINAL: Schlemiel

Someone will correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe only ships under actual construction consume naval points, so turning off 44 subs which presumably aren't being built yet won't save any points until they would be due to start. You'd have to turn off something that is being built now to affect your naval point usage at present.

you can only halt ships that are in the "real" production phase and have left the "blue print" phase.
So when you can halt them, their production already costs. When you can accelerate them and not halt them, then you are in the blue print phase and don't have to pay for their construction when not accelerated.

[obvert]

[font="Times New Roman"]4 September 1942[/font]
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subs: Skipjack. Near Truk. Sighted by escort. (I'm just going to copy and paste this every turn from now on). [:)]

No Pac: The DDs made the intercept and in such boring days of the war this provided a little bit of excitement. Sinking sounds were heard twice after this, so I'm guessing at least the two with heavy fires went under.

The Allies must get about 800 'ships' like these, so obviously nothing to jump up and down about. It's just fun for me and most likely annoying for him. Plus the DD experience points for night actions went up a bit.

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Night Time Surface Combat, near Tugidak Island at 179,44, Range 11,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
DD Hatakaze
DD Asanagi

Allied Ships
SC PC-578, Shell hits 4, heavy fires
YP-74, Shell hits 3, heavy fires
YP-197, Shell hits 3, on fire


Maximum visibility in Partly Cloudy Conditions and 35% moonlight: 11,000 yards
Range closes to 11,000 yards...
CONTACT: Japanese lookouts spot Allied task force at 11,000 yards
CONTACT: Allied lookouts spot Japanese task force at 11,000 yards
Iritono, Atsuo crosses the 'T'
DD Hatakaze engages SC PC-578 at 11,000 yards
DD Asanagi engages SC PC-578 at 11,000 yards
DD Hatakaze engages SC PC-578 at 11,000 yards
Range closes to 9,000 yards
DD Asanagi engages SC PC-578 at 9,000 yards
DD Asanagi engages YP-197 at 9,000 yards
Range closes to 7,000 yards
DD Hatakaze engages SC PC-578 at 7,000 yards
DD Hatakaze engages SC PC-578 at 7,000 yards
Range closes to 6,000 yards
DD Asanagi engages YP-197 at 6,000 yards
DD Asanagi engages YP-197 at 6,000 yards
Range closes to 5,000 yards
DD Hatakaze engages SC PC-578 at 5,000 yards
DD Hatakaze engages YP-197 at 5,000 yards
DD Hatakaze engages YP-74 at 5,000 yards
Range increases to 6,000 yards
DD Asanagi engages SC PC-578 at 6,000 yards
DD Hatakaze engages SC PC-578 at 6,000 yards
DD Hatakaze engages YP-74 at 6,000 yards
Range increases to 8,000 yards
DD Asanagi engages SC PC-578 at 8,000 yards
DD Hatakaze engages YP-197 at 8,000 yards
DD Hatakaze engages YP-74 at 8,000 yards
Range increases to 12,000 yards
DD Asanagi engages SC PC-578 at 12,000 yards
DD Hatakaze engages YP-197 at 12,000 yards
DD Asanagi engages YP-74 at 12,000 yards
Task forces break off...

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Burma: Sallys are moved to Toungou. They and Bettys from Rabaul will hit Chittagong tomorrow following sweeps and with a LR CAP from the Tainan zeros. 37 fighters are shown to be at Chittagong at a level 7 field.

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Apparently 343 of this class, the SC PC-461 class were built. Not all went to the Pacific, but only one of the class had a confirmed sub sinking during the war! So one down, several hundred to go!

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[obvert]

ORIGINAL: Historiker

ORIGINAL: Schlemiel

Someone will correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe only ships under actual construction consume naval points, so turning off 44 subs which presumably aren't being built yet won't save any points until they would be due to start. You'd have to turn off something that is being built now to affect your naval point usage at present.

you can only halt ships that are in the "real" production phase and have left the "blue print" phase.
So when you can halt them, their production already costs. When you can accelerate them and not halt them, then you are in the blue print phase and don't have to pay for their construction when not accelerated.

Thanks. I'll go through it again and check to see what I've stopped and what I've halted and what is still building. I made sure to halt the ships and subs that were in the yellow and actually building. Maybe I just need to do more of them.

I had turned off Mechant Yards to keep the regular flow of HI to the pool going while I had to build more aircraft and vehicles. Now that I've been able to turn off a bunch of planes, the Merchants can be switched back on. It's just enough to cover the deficit, so might not build a pool right now.

I assumed SST were built in the naval yards, but am I wrong? I can check this, just don't have the game in front of me and realized I might be off base about that.

[Historiker]

The cheapest way to accelerate is, to accelerate in the blue print phase.
Regarding the Unryus:
To advande it for two days, you pay 61 NSY instead of 0 NSY
In the construction phase, you pay 183 NSY instead of 61 NSY to get it two days ahead.


But of course, I'll acclerate my CVs in both phases. My only consideration is, to stop the accelerations the last three months, or so. If you are in a good position and expect not to need the ship within the next two months, you can save a lot of HI. Let's say you stop the acceleration it the last three months, you get the CV 1,5 months later. This 1,5 months will save 45*122=5.490 HI. This means another 305 engines or 152,5 additional 1e fighters!

[obvert]

ORIGINAL: Historiker

The cheapest way to accelerate is, to accelerate in the blue print phase.
Regarding the Unryus:
To advande it for two days, you pay 61 NSY instead of 0 NSY
In the construction phase, you pay 183 NSY instead of 61 NSY to get it two days ahead.


But of course, I'll acclerate my CVs in both phases. My only consideration is, to stop the accelerations the last three months, or so. If you are in a good position and expect not to need the ship within the next two months, you can save a lot of HI. Let's say you stop the acceleration it the last three months, you get the CV 1,5 months later. This 1,5 months will save 45*122=5.490 HI. This means another 305 engines or 152,5 additional 1e fighters!

Looks like I should figure out my problems and start getting the rest of the CVs accelerated.

I have to look into this more and post some scenes tomorrow. Looks like from a glance at Tracker today that after my last turn, when I stopped EVERY sub coming later than 43, that my shipyard point needs went UP about 60 points!?! What?

Anyway, hard to talk about if I don't have the screenshots. This part is starting to be a bit of a mystery. I need to do some reading up apparently.

[Historiker]

Stop Musashi to begin with. That saves 233 points while you have a deficit of 208. So all your problems are solved, for now [;)]

You don't need her right now, and if you need her - she's just three months ahead!

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[font="Times New Roman"]5 September 1942[/font]
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subs: Skipjack. Near Truk. Sighted by escort. Diving deep.

RO-60 sees these ships near Nadi. Could they have been the ones to the East of Noumea? Is there now a Marine Defense unit on Anatom?

[font="Trebuchet MS"]
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ASW attack near Nadi at 128,161

Japanese Ships
SS RO-60

Allied Ships
AP McCawley
AK Electra
DD Rathburne


SS RO-60 is sighted by escort


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So Pac: Surface forces head back to Koumac.

Burma: Not sure what happened here, but the first big Tojo sweep in Burma is a bust. There were thunderstorms, so maybe that was it. 10 Tojos down total for 6 Hurris.

Then to add insult to injury B-17s came into Rangoon and hit the base before our bombers could take off. 5 lost on the ground. Grrrr.

[font="Trebuchet MS"]--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Morning Air attack on Chittagong , at 55,41

Weather in hex: Thunderstorms

Raid detected at 43 NM, estimated altitude 35,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 11 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-44-IIa Tojo x 42



Allied aircraft
Hurricane IIb Trop x 32
Hurricane IIc Trop x 15


Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-44-IIa Tojo: 3 destroyed

Allied aircraft losses
Hurricane IIb Trop: 1 destroyed



Aircraft Attacking:
24 x Ki-44-IIa Tojo sweeping at 31000 feet

CAP engaged:
No.17 Sqn RAF with Hurricane IIc Trop (0 airborne, 8 on standby, 4 scrambling)
3 plane(s) not yet engaged, 0 being recalled, 0 out of immediate contact.
Group patrol altitude is 31000 , scrambling fighters between 31000 and 35600.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 38 minutes
No.67 Sqn RAF with Hurricane IIb Trop (0 airborne, 8 on standby, 5 scrambling)
3 plane(s) not yet engaged, 0 being recalled, 0 out of immediate contact.
Group patrol altitude is 18000 , scrambling fighters between 18000 and 36000.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 25 minutes
No.135 Sqn RAF with Hurricane IIb Trop (0 airborne, 8 on standby, 5 scrambling)
3 plane(s) not yet engaged, 0 being recalled, 0 out of immediate contact.
Group patrol altitude is 20000 , scrambling fighters between 20000 and 31000.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 39 minutes

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Morning Air attack on Rangoon , at 54,53

Weather in hex: Light rain

Raid detected at 33 NM, estimated altitude 8,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 9 minutes

Japanese aircraft
no flights


Allied aircraft
B-17E Fortress x 31


Japanese aircraft losses
G4M1 Betty: 4 destroyed on ground
A6M2 Zero: 1 destroyed on ground

Allied aircraft losses
B-17E Fortress: 5 damaged

Japanese ground losses:
13 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled



Airbase hits 17
Airbase supply hits 4
Runway hits 54

Aircraft Attacking:
12 x B-17E Fortress bombing from 6000 feet
Airfield Attack: 8 x 500 lb GP Bomb
11 x B-17E Fortress bombing from 6000 feet
Airfield Attack: 8 x 500 lb GP Bomb
8 x B-17E Fortress bombing from 6000 feet
Airfield Attack: 8 x 500 lb GP Bomb


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