The Good The Bad & The Indifferent

[JeffroK]

Get into JIII's shoes, he may be wary of taking on the Deathstar.

Can he use your tactics and strike at weakly defended bases in your rear areas?

Do you have a base you absolutely cant afford tolose?

IFF he blocks your retreat, can he put up a wall, and it sounds like he may have 2 months before you start replenishing. (I would like to see Manus and maybe Ponape under your control for the Northern run and at least Horn Is, Merauke & Babo/Taberfane etc for the Southern egress.

Remember always, JIII is getting as much advice as you, so dont be surprised by an un JIII like operation.

[witpqs]

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

How 'bout a photo of my swimming the 100 breaststroke in 1979 in my Speedo?

Aaahhh!

[Canoerebel]

There are no bases in my rear area that I can't afford to lose, except Pearl Harbor. Maybe I'm overlooking something, but nearly everything is irrelevant compared to Big Tent: Midway, the Marshalls, New Caledonia, Ceylon, Kodiak. Where in the world could he go? I guess the only thing that might mess with me a bit is if he hit NE Oz, but gracious the LBA I have there.

What am I overlooking?

[Canoerebel]

P.S. Pearl has 1550 AV and nine forts.

[obvert]

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

What am I overlooking?

It doesn't matter. It's obvious he hasn't done any work setting up defenses and didn't think it necessary even while your flotilla sailed across most of the Pacific for several weeks.

Start prepping a few divisions for Cam Ran Bay and forget about the rest. End it quick.

[Cap Mandrake]

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

How 'bout a photo of my swimming the 100 breaststroke in 1979 in my Speedo?

Wow. Had they invented pool heaters yet? [:)]

[Canoerebel]

John sent the combat replay, so I saw things more visually. The main things noticed:

1. There are two TFs in a hex near Hollandia. This may be KB on the way, but I didn't get an audio "spotted enemy carriers." When I get the turn file in a day or two, that's the first thing I'll check. If it's KB I have to prepare for action in a turn or two. If it's not KB then there are many things to be done as discussed above.

2. There are a good number of enemy troop transports including the ones chased away from Ambon and Boela. There's another at Babo. I wish I could be in two places at once. I'd like to clobber these TFs and then invade, but I probably can't afford to soak off sorties and I believe Job 1 now is to attend fully to Sorong and neighboring Sansapor.

JeffK made some good points. I could see John targeting Midway and Wake Island. The former is probably not a hard target. The latter has 130 AV behind four forts with troops 100% prepped. Bombardment can probably affect that. But as noted previously, I began Big Tent with the understanding that Wake was a likely casualty.

The Sea or Carpenteria is much more likely to be my route of egress, hopefully later rather than sooner. I believe the Allies will be in position to pound PM and Horn Island into submission. But the key is probably having the ability to replace lost carrier aircraft and replenish sorties. Again, Sorong's importance is clear (the other option would be to move south to overwhelm Boela (if lightly held, I'll know soon). It's a level two port.

But all of this depends on KB's location.

[Lowpe]

Loved the discussion on language recently, but was so busy with my AARs couldn't respond.

Two of my favorite writers cause me to always refer to good dictionaries.

Dorothy Dunnett and Patrick O'Brian.

[Lokasenna]

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

Is there any wonkiness when TFs, especially carriers, move through the light-colored ocean hexes?

It's going to happen soon. Is it bad to move through them? Is it bad to take station in one of them?

Does it enhance enemy sub or combat ship effectiveness in the event of combat? Does it detract from carrier performance in any way?

In my game vs. Miller seven years ago, we had a huge campaign in these waters. My memory is that the light-colored water didn't have any effect on flight ops or navigation but that it did somehow influence surface combat engagements, possibly subs, and possibly PT boat stuff?

I move through them on purpose. Unless there is a dot or a base there, then I will move through but not stop in them. They are your best friend for ASW, as Hans mentions.


RE: Mandrake - mines function the same in any non-base hex, no? So it wouldn't matter if coastal or not? Still, mines are unlikely in this area given that it's almost completely deserted.

[Lokasenna]

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

How 'bout a photo of my swimming the 100 breaststroke in 1979 in my Speedo?

Wow. Had they invented pool heaters yet? [:)]

In those days they only swam in the summer. No need for heaters, and actually sometimes you want to throw ice in the pool. You want to race when it's less than 80 degrees. Anything more than about 82 feels like bath water, and when I was on the team having a pool more than 82 would cancel the meet.

[Lokasenna]

ORIGINAL: JeffK

Get into JIII's shoes, he may be wary of taking on the Deathstar.

Can he use your tactics and strike at weakly defended bases in your rear areas?

Do you have a base you absolutely cant afford tolose?

IFF he blocks your retreat, can he put up a wall, and it sounds like he may have 2 months before you start replenishing. (I would like to see Manus and maybe Ponape under your control for the Northern run and at least Horn Is, Merauke & Babo/Taberfane etc for the Southern egress.

Remember always, JIII is getting as much advice as you, so dont be surprised by an un JIII like operation.

I'd like to see you take Bathurst Island and Gove or Merauke on your way over to eastern Oz to replenish... but that's what I'd do. If you had Bathurst with some engineers, air support, and supply then Darwin would be worthless to him and the troops would be more or less trapped. You could then take it in the near future for both reducing his VP denominator and a nice safe "tier 2" port for your future ops (presumably to the north and/or west) from Big Tent.

[Canoerebel]

Bases on the way back to Oz are targeted, but moreso by the troops gathering at Normantown in Oz for Third Ring. Per previous discussions, establishing a good LOC between Big Tent AAO and Normanton and/or Portland Road is a priority.

[crsutton]

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

There are no bases in my rear area that I can't afford to lose, except Pearl Harbor. Maybe I'm overlooking something, but nearly everything is irrelevant compared to Big Tent: Midway, the Marshalls, New Caledonia, Ceylon, Kodiak. Where in the world could he go? I guess the only thing that might mess with me a bit is if he hit NE Oz, but gracious the LBA I have there.

What am I overlooking?

Nothing. His problem right now is the region around Sorong.

[crsutton]

ORIGINAL: Lokasenna

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

Is there any wonkiness when TFs, especially carriers, move through the light-colored ocean hexes?

It's going to happen soon. Is it bad to move through them? Is it bad to take station in one of them?

Does it enhance enemy sub or combat ship effectiveness in the event of combat? Does it detract from carrier performance in any way?

In my game vs. Miller seven years ago, we had a huge campaign in these waters. My memory is that the light-colored water didn't have any effect on flight ops or navigation but that it did somehow influence surface combat engagements, possibly subs, and possibly PT boat stuff?

I move through them on purpose. Unless there is a dot or a base there, then I will move through but not stop in them. They are your best friend for ASW, as Hans mentions.


RE: Mandrake - mines function the same in any non-base hex, no? So it wouldn't matter if coastal or not? Still, mines are unlikely in this area given that it's almost completely deserted.

Shallow water hexes are not really shallow but rather less deep. Like the continental shelf of the US. Most coastal shipping in the US east coast is over the shelf. The only factor I know of is that it is a bit more dangerous for submarines because the can not go deep. Otherwise nothing. Even partial land hexes do not seem to have any real effect. Collisions seem to be more a factor of TF size and can happen at any hex. There may be a slight chance of running aground but I have not seen it. The only hex that will affect air operations is a base hex and only fleet carriers are penalized-not CVEs.

[Lokasenna]

ORIGINAL: crsutton

ORIGINAL: Lokasenna

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

Is there any wonkiness when TFs, especially carriers, move through the light-colored ocean hexes?

It's going to happen soon. Is it bad to move through them? Is it bad to take station in one of them?

Does it enhance enemy sub or combat ship effectiveness in the event of combat? Does it detract from carrier performance in any way?

In my game vs. Miller seven years ago, we had a huge campaign in these waters. My memory is that the light-colored water didn't have any effect on flight ops or navigation but that it did somehow influence surface combat engagements, possibly subs, and possibly PT boat stuff?

I move through them on purpose. Unless there is a dot or a base there, then I will move through but not stop in them. They are your best friend for ASW, as Hans mentions.


RE: Mandrake - mines function the same in any non-base hex, no? So it wouldn't matter if coastal or not? Still, mines are unlikely in this area given that it's almost completely deserted.

Shallow water hexes are not really shallow but rather less deep. Like the continental shelf of the US. Most coastal shipping in the US east coast is over the shelf. The only factor I know of is that it is a bit more dangerous for submarines because the can not go deep. Otherwise nothing. Even partial land hexes do not seem to have any real effect. Collisions seem to be more a factor of TF size and can happen at any hex. There may be a slight chance of running aground but I have not seen it. The only hex that will affect air operations is a base hex and only fleet carriers are penalized-not CVEs.

That's what I thought. Therefore, unless you're a sub, "shallow" water is your best friend.

[Capt. Harlock]

He'd never heard of the Bismarck or Pickett's Charge. He had an incredible vocabulary but raised a "that word is too obscure!" objection to my use of "ephemeral."

"Everybody is ignorant, only on different subjects".

-- Will Rogers

I'm working on putting my Civil War blog into book form, and I'm frequently amazed at the words some of my amateur reviewers need explained. I can understand not knowing "parapet", but apparently in the 21st century, some people have forgotten what a "ford" is.

[witpqs]

Heaven forbid if you used it as a verb. "You want to automobile a river?"

[Canoerebel]

I took a nap today and woke up with the sudden thought, "I have it!" I suddenly knew exactly what John is up to. "He is going to," I think to myself, "invade Maloelap in order to take out the Washington. He's even showing enhanced nav search here over the past turn or tow."

A minute later I realize, "Uh, wait. Why would he do that? He could just send KB on port strike."

So I've crossed "invade Maloelap" off the list of likely counters to Big Tent.

It is possible John could come for the Marshalls in a big way, but that would be a gift. I doubt he's in a gift-giving mood (though the BB bombardment of Tarawa was a kindness).

My best guess would be Wake and/or Midway. He doesn't necessarily require carriers for those, but he may prefer them. If they draw KB it's worth it.

[bradfordkay]

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

How 'bout a photo of my swimming the 100 breaststroke in 1979 in my Speedo?

Wow. Had they invented pool heaters yet? [:)]

Was that high school, Dan, or did you swim for the Dawgs?

[Canoerebel]

Hey, Brad, that was high school. I swam for Westminster Christian School in Miami, which finished second in the state in our classification my senior year. But I was not an important part of the team. In fact, I was so mediocre that I declined to shave my body hair, knowing it wouldn't make a meaningful difference. This lead to one of my teachers commenting, "You're the only swimmer I've ever seen with chest hair."

Brad, good to see you! I hope you're doing well and having a great summer.

But you can't just pop in after two or four years without telling us more! Are you still playing the game? How's life in Washington? Do you ever hear from Chez, or is it true that he really is Chaz Bono?

Best wishes to you, fellow Dawg.