Wait, I can't read Cuttlefish's new AAR? - Cribtop (J) vs CF (A)

[Cribtop]

Good question as it always varies. In this case she's about 20 Flot and 13 SYS with 3 ENG. About 80% chance she makes it home, IMHO.

What I mean by a penetrating hit is a "DDXX hits RO-33 message" as opposed to a "submarine takes on some water" result, which is still recorded as a "hit" in the combat report.

[SuluSea]

ORIGINAL: Cribtop

Economy questions

1) Sulu or others, what should I change the Argus engine factory to produce? I have a big immediate need for Ha-33s, but think I have that covered once current expansion is complete.

Here's an aircraft and engine screen I stiched together. I like the idea of switching it to Ha-45 R&D , see the many airframes that you'll be building that needs the engine.

[ny59giants]

I agree with Sula Sea, go with the Ha-45. The George and Frank will form the bases for your fighter force going into mid-43 and beyond.

[PaxMondo]

ORIGINAL: Cribtop

Good question as it always varies. In this case she's about 20 Flot and 13 SYS with 3 ENG. About 80% chance she makes it home, IMHO.

What I mean by a penetrating hit is a "DDXX hits RO-33 message" as opposed to a "submarine takes on some water" result, which is still recorded as a "hit" in the combat report.

I always have pretty good luck with subs making it home at cruise speed. Captial ships? Yeah, not that lucky. I'd say more like 95% to make it home at cruise speed.

[Cribtop]

Yep, I switch damaged subs to cruise speed and "sub transport" mission, just to prevent aggressive captains from taking a shot at something on the way home.

Sulu and nygiants, thanks. I will switch to Ha-45. That's a great chart, btw, Sulu. I wish I could get more on top of the economy, but Gary Grigsby thinks from the bottom up. It takes time for my "top-down" brain to get on top of things in this game. Hard to explain, but it makes a difference. It's why I always wanted a setup phase (impossible I know). If I could see a stack of every infantry unit for example, and put them somewhere, I'd never forget where they are. Starting with infantry units all over the map using the scheme of the real war leadership makes it hard for me to know where everything is unless I click every hex. I feel the same way about the economy - I'm learning it as I go because there's no easy way to process the information top down as a system. Such is life, I suppose.

[Crackaces]

ORIGINAL: Cribtop

Good question as it always varies. In this case she's about 20 Flot and 13 SYS with 3 ENG. About 80% chance she makes it home, IMHO.

What I mean by a penetrating hit is a "DDXX hits RO-33 message" as opposed to a "submarine takes on some water" result, which is still recorded as a "hit" in the combat report.

Ok .. There is are "Penatrating Hit" and "Hull Penetrated" along with "submarine takes on some water" I smacked I-6 off the coast of Oz and got these messages only to see her patroling in the Pacific 4 months later .. I have another sub I put 6 hits into a sub all "critical" "heavy damage" and the sub shows sunk .. but I await to see this sub again somewhere [;)]

Ok thanks again for the info . I will let the thread get back to the economy ..

[Cribtop]

May 18, 1942

No worries, Crackaces. Terminology is important to OCD types like me. [:D]

Subs

Allied a/c harass RO-34 near Sydney, but no hits.

4th Fleet

No change.

SE Fleet

We drop mines at Tulagi while South Seas Fleet hovers near Ontong and the 2 AMCs watch the approaches to the Solomons. Nells will arrive at Munda tomorrow as planned.

CF sends 11 B-17s to bomb our poor troops at Horn Island. No damage, but they feel picked upon. [;)]

14th Army

DA at Cebu in 48 hours. We're letting FAT clear off the 2nd regiment first.

16th Army

5 B-17s bomb tanks at Daly Waters.

25th Army

Almost ready to assault Batavia. Lilys bomb Padang to try to supress search planes sighted at the base. We also put a few PBs in the Malacca Strait to test whether CF has search arcs up. Tomorrow we will divert the entire Palembang bomber wing to Padang for this purpose as Batavia's airfield is at 100% damage.

15th Army

The sky darkens with Oscars today over both Imphal and Akyab as well over one hundred machines sweep the bases. This ends up being just a glorified training opportunity as CF has no CAP at either base. We again bomb Akyab's airfield with decent results.

The former South Seas Detachment arrives in Schwebo. Now we can re-assemble 55th Division.

China

SA 84, 40 (NE - map - of Sian) retreats a shattered corps with 31:1 odds, casualties 446(34) vs nil.

We have almost closed the gate on the 2 corps SE (map) of Wuchang. IJAAF bombers hit these troops daily now to ensure they cannot march fast enough to escape.

5th Fleet

A Glen spots a juicy AP at Umnak Island just as the CVE Raiders and 5th Fleet (2 BBs, 3 CL, 6 DD) approach. Hopefully we'll catch CF unloading here tomorrow. Meanwhile, reinforcements unload to bolster the defenses of both the Kuriles and Aluetians.

[Cribtop]

OK, orders off to CF tonight as my Rangers beat his valiant Tigers. Nelson Cruz sets a 7 game series playoff record with 6 homers and 13 RBI. The home run record he bested was set by Reggie Jackson in the 70s. Wow.

We switched the Argus engines to Ha-45 R&D.

In 5th Fleet AO, the CVE Raiders will be in position to hit shipping at Umnak, while 5th Fleet itself will be posted 4 hexes out and ready to bombard the base.

Nells reach Munda Point and now the waters near the Santa Cruz Islands are swept morning and afternoon by IJNAF LBA. Woe betide the Allied bombardment TF that tries to set up for a run to Tulagi now. Recall that DD Gridley may be headed back for another bite at the apple. If so, we hope to make CF's next AAR entry very interesting indeed!

DDs and CV Hiyo are loitering at Kure awaiting the arrival of super-battleship Yamato, which will be ready for service in 2 days. Banzai!

[Cribtop]

May 19, 1942

Operation Winter Lotus blossoms in deadly flower today to celebrate the arrival of BB Yamato. Banzai! [&o]

Subs

RO-66 misses a DD just off Suva and eats a DC for her trouble. She's limping home at 54 FLOT. Her target was the same SCTF that recently bombarded Tulagi. Whether they are shipping out to hit Tulagi again or transferring further East is unknown (although their course would indicate the latter).

Operating off Tokyo, Triton misses a DD in a troop convoy bound for Truk. Return DCs explode above the deep diving sub. Great attention to detail as I recall the IJN max dept settings were too shallow IRL (until some Congressman bragged about it in the papers and tipped them off [:-]). I'm sure both CF and I will lament the tendency for subs to fire on DDs. RO-66 could've shot at a CA while Triton had full troopships in her sights.

Tambor duds on AMC Kongo Maru SE of the Solomons. Now CF knows I'm watching these waters. We'll see what develops.

4th Fleet

No change.

SE Fleet

We may pull out the AMCs soon as Nells are covering the approaches to the Solomons now. A re-supply mission unloads at Tulagi and will probably pull off 2 construction engineer units because forts are pretty high now and the neighborhood's getting a little dicey. They would move up the chain to help develop Munda and Bougainville.

B-17s visit Horn Island again.

14th Army

No change.

16th Army

B-17s bomb Daly. A DMS sweeps mines at Soerabaja to bring that base into operation.

25th Army

MKB is at Singers. No detection on our stalking horse PBs in the Malacca Strait, so we are green lighting Operation Raging Bull II. Banzai!

15th Army

We thought CF may try to ambush our bombers at Akyab after recent attacks there, so today we stand down the mediums and sweep the base. No CAP, though.

China

1 day away from isolating the 2 Corps SE of Wuchang.

5th Fleet

Sometimes you just get lucky. Operation Winter Lotus happens to come at the perfect time, as today we catch a convoy unloading at Umnak Island with the CVE Raiders. Bomb after bomb strikes home (the torps miss) on some truly juicy targets that have no air defenses.

Sinking condition: AP U.S. Grant, APD Brooks, DD Hull, xAK Virginian.

Damaged by 3 bombs: AP Zeilin

Banzai! Banzai! Banzai! [&o][&o]

The APs are precious and great targets to nail, the APD ain't shabby either. Only downside is there were no troops aboard.

Worse for CF, we have two I-boats in position in case he runs, will have the Raiders stick around, and have the bulk of 5th Fleet unspotted 4 hexes away about to make a bombardment run. Hopefully he disbands Zeilin at Umnak and we nail her with the BBs. So yummy!

Other

BB Yamato arrives. She will sail for the front in company with CV Hiyo.

[ny59giants]

Any of the true "APs" are great to sink as they convert/upgrade to APA in early 43. Some of the "xAPs" convert/upgrade to "APs." As an Allied player, I can afford to lose many of the xAPs, as long as they are not the big fast ones.

[Cribtop]

Yep, these were the big boys that convert. Tasty.

[ny59giants]

Biting my nails while watching my NY Giants here.

http://www.firstrowsports.tv/watch/8645 ... bills.html

NFL Ticket on DirecTV has gotten too expansive. Its not great, but I can enjoy most of the game this way. Next, to watch your Cowgirls lose. [:D]

[Cribtop]

Yeah, Romo starts the game off with an INT. Joy. At least Bryant looks healthy again.

A few notes.

1) Forgot to mention that Alor got occupied last turn.

2) I finally asked Cuttlefish why the Dutch air force never sortied in defense of Java (recall I posted several entries wondering why they sat on their fields and died). He replied that on 2 or 3 occasions he tried to pulse them against our forces (I assume mostly against the invasion of Java) but that they never flew and then died under Japanese air and ground attack. Mystery solved.

[Crackaces]

ORIGINAL: Cribtop

...........
2) I finally asked Cuttlefish why the Dutch air force never sortied in defense of Java (recall I posted several entries wondering why they sat on their fields and died). He replied that on 2 or 3 occasions he tried to pulse them against our forces (I assume mostly against the invasion of Java) but that they never flew and then died under Japanese air and ground attack. Mystery solved.

I first discovered the difference between the IJAAF and the Dutch forces when I asked them "pretty please" to attack an unescorted convoy .. they refused .. then when a SCTF with lots of AA showed up . they tried valiantly to attack .. [8|] .. Its a crap shoot with those boys ..

[Cribtop]

May 20, 1942

Subs

Cuttlefish e-mailed and said to ask him sometime after the game about the saga of the Warspite. The irony is palpable as today I-28 torpedoes the BB just a few hexes off Colombo after earlier dodging an ASW attack from what appeared to be an escorting DD. The hit doesn't look spectacular based on the combat report, but it means MKB is almost certain to find at least one BB when we visit Colombo.

An ASW TF DCs RO-34 off Sydney. Very little action on the East coast of Oz compared to Suva and Tahiti, which is useful intel.

4th Fleet, SE Fleet

No change.

14th Army

DA Cebu takes the base with 2:1 odds and forces 2 LCUs to surrender at last. A total of 547 squads destroyed in those units. The rest of the Central PI is lightly held and should fall quickly now.

16th Army

Shipping support units to NW Oz and the Timor line while the first of several DBCL TFs will begin cleaning up the islands east of Timor.

25th Army

Can't re-combine 56th Division because one unit upgraded its ATGs. We'll upgrade the other two and combine ASAP, but it looks like we may have to assault Batavia as is.

Padang hammered by a full bomber wing just to keep the enemy's head down. MKB is at Singers today and re-fueled. We sortie tomorrow for the Bay of Bengal.

15th Army

Sweeps and bombings of Akyab find no one home. CF's air force is at Dacca and Calcutta per recon.

China

We close the door on the two corps SE of Wuchang. Now we are working on the larger stack at Wuchang itself. We are going to try to rocket a small armored car unit around the road net near Changsha faster than CF can react.

5th Fleet

The 5th Fleet combat TF bombards Umnak Island today and squashes it. Lots of Catalinas destroyed and the rest damaged, 27 squads destroyed, the airfield wrecked.

Unfortunately, the shells spare the port, where CF hid the 2 survivors of yesterday's air attack plus a seaplane tender. The big guns will fall back while the CVE Raiders juke into the Bering Sea on Nav Attack/Port Attack to finish the job before retiring. No sign of danger from our picket ships.

[crsutton]

ORIGINAL: Crackaces

ORIGINAL: Cribtop

Good question as it always varies. In this case she's about 20 Flot and 13 SYS with 3 ENG. About 80% chance she makes it home, IMHO.

What I mean by a penetrating hit is a "DDXX hits RO-33 message" as opposed to a "submarine takes on some water" result, which is still recorded as a "hit" in the combat report.

Ok .. There is are "Penatrating Hit" and "Hull Penetrated" along with "submarine takes on some water" I smacked I-6 off the coast of Oz and got these messages only to see her patroling in the Pacific 4 months later .. I have another sub I put 6 hits into a sub all "critical" "heavy damage" and the sub shows sunk .. but I await to see this sub again somewhere [;)]

Ok thanks again for the info . I will let the thread get back to the economy ..

My rule of thumb. Two solid penetrating hits will only rarely sink any Allied fleet boat. Three solid hits and the boat is pretty much done for. One penetration hit will sink a smaller Japanese sub (RO type) about 50% of the time. (other lesser hits help) and two penetrating hits seem to sink a larger IJN fleet sub about 50% of the time. I have never seen a Japanese sub of any type take three full pentrating hits and survive. You can pretty much check if off your "bucket list" if that happens.

There are a lot of other factors such as the type of DC. Later Allied DC get bigger and deadlier so results will improve. I have seen one from the big Mk 7 (7L?) types DC drive a Japanese fleet boat to the surface.

With all subs, especially Japanese the distance from a safe base is a big factor as well.

It is also strange that when you drive a crippled IJN sub to the surface, about 80% of the time that sub, no matter how plastered, will launch torpedoes at the attacking ships-sometimes in multiple salvos. I have actually lost two Allied DDs this way.

[Crackaces]

ORIGINAL: crsutton

ORIGINAL: Crackaces

ORIGINAL: Cribtop

Good question as it always varies. In this case she's about 20 Flot and 13 SYS with 3 ENG. About 80% chance she makes it home, IMHO.

What I mean by a penetrating hit is a "DDXX hits RO-33 message" as opposed to a "submarine takes on some water" result, which is still recorded as a "hit" in the combat report.

Ok .. There is are "Penatrating Hit" and "Hull Penetrated" along with "submarine takes on some water" I smacked I-6 off the coast of Oz and got these messages only to see her patroling in the Pacific 4 months later .. I have another sub I put 6 hits into a sub all "critical" "heavy damage" and the sub shows sunk .. but I await to see this sub again somewhere [;)]

Ok thanks again for the info . I will let the thread get back to the economy ..

My rule of thumb. Two solid penetrating hits will only rarely sink any Allied fleet boat. Three solid hits and the boat is pretty much done for. One penetration hit will sink a smaller Japanese sub (RO type) about 50% of the time. (other lesser hits help) and two penetrating hits seem to sink a larger IJN fleet sub about 50% of the time. I have never seen a Japanese sub of any type take three full pentrating hits and survive. You can pretty much check if off your "bucket list" if that happens.

There are a lot of other factors such as the type of DC. Later Allied DC get bigger and deadlier so results will improve. I have seen one from the big Mk 7 (7L?) types DC drive a Japanese fleet boat to the surface.

With all subs, especially Japanese the distance from a safe base is a big factor as well.

It is also strange that when you drive a crippled IJN sub to the surface, about 80% of the time that sub, no matter how plastered, will launch torpedoes at the attacking ships-sometimes in multiple salvos. I have actually lost two Allied DDs this way.

I have yet to experience the surface torp attack yet .. [:'(]

The past two ASW attacks got "Fires Below Decks" message and then "lost contact" I am assuming these are connected as a fire on a sub is one's worst nightmare.

I sure am hoping your right because I put 6 critical hits into I-6 .. [;)]

Ok .. back to CT smashing poor Cuttlefish ....Bad IJ .. Bad Bad IJ ..[:-] <BIG BIG SMILE>

[Cribtop]

May 21, 1942

Subs

No contacts, but hordes of IJ subs are stealthily approaching Colombo for Raging Bull II.

4th Fleet

We are using a slow CS at Saipan to slowly upgrade Jake units from 6 or 8 planes to 20 planes. Currently Wake's Jakes (there's a movie title there) have increased in size and are flying back to Wake Via Truk and Eniewetok.

SE Fleet

Almost finished re-supplying Tulagi. Not a peep of enemy activity from Nells or AMCs watching the approaches to the Solomons. Perhaps the Tulagi bombardment was a solo thing.

14th Army

We will soon load up our Cebu regiments to finish off defended outposts in the DEI like Pamakasan.

16th Army

The enemy raid on Daly today consists of a single B-17. Seems like CF's air group is getting exhausted here. Daly's forts go up to 2 today and will continue to improve protection from these raids as they build.

Bathurst Island occupied. DBCL troops invade Kaimana.

25th Army

Soerabaja's harbor is cleared of mines and open for business. 56th Division is able to be re-formed after all as the 2 regiments quickly upgrade to 47mm ATGs. BA Batavia inflicts 164(6) casualties on the Dutch. With 56th and 38th Divisions only a few days out, Batavia will fall quickly, freeing up lots of troops.

Padang is hammered by IJAAF bombers, with 77% damage and numerous planes disabled. This allows MKB to sail by today en route to mayhem (we hope).

AA units and more base forces are loading at Singers for deployment to Burma via Rangoon.

15th Army

Weather scrubs mass sweeps of Imphal. We'll try again tomorrow.

Bangkok's airfield makes level 5.

China

We are strangling Sining by posting armored units at key road points to ensure supplies don't arrive from China's far west (true). Today base forces arrive at Sian to allow commencement of a bombing campaign. Finally, the recent victories near Sian free up 2 Brigades, which in turn frees up a second division to attack Sining.

Elsewhere, more and more troops are quietly moving south for Operation Red Dragon.

5th Fleet

We port attack Umnak today with the CVE Raiders and put 2 bombs into the AVD based there. Two separate sinking sounds are heard today, surely the survivors of our recent raid (although we doubt we got Zeilin, which is a shame).

All elements of Operation Winter Lotus will RV at Attu Island, refuel off the AMCs, and retire to Ominato.

[Mike Solli]

Are you planning on upgrading Bangkok's airfield to level 7? That's the perfect base for upgrading/rebuilding Burma's air units. There never seems to be enough supply in any of Burma's bases to do much of anything.

[Cribtop]

Bingo, Mike. This is one of those fields I like to take to level 7 to allow air group upgrades.