RADM Yamaguchi's Diary (Pls no affins or cheesesteak)

[Alamander]

With regard to pilots, you don't have much control over the replacement pool, except to put some 81+ experience pilots into Training Command, which I almost never do. This will reduce the chance that your new replacement pilots come out with less than the national experience level: 35 for Japan.

Rather I mean the reserve pool of pilots that you have trained, hopefully, on-map in squadrons set to training missions. I have, at least at the beginning of the war, fairly high standards of training. I suspect these standards will drop somewhat as the war moves on. There are numerous "best practices" that can maximize the rate. I don't really want to divulge all the "best practices" that I use nor the standards to which I train my pilots, since this is sort of the secret sauce that allows me to play PDU:off and hold off waves of allied fighter sweeps with sub-optimal aircraft.

Suffice to say that you should have a good number of squadrons set to training missions and pilots should be in these squadrons for 2 months or more before seeing any action. At present, for example, in my game, which is 22 September 1942, I have 267 Naval fighter pilots in my reserve pool trained to my specifications. I have about 575 army fighter pilots trained to my specifications, about 200 recon/float plane pilots, and about 500 bomber pilots (army and navy): some trained in specialties, such as ASW. I have lost, to date, 501 pilots in total. So, I have trained about 3 times as many pilots as I have lost. I will gain some more in 1943, but I expect to begin suffering shortages by late 1944. So I will probably have to reduce my standards of training sometime around January 1944: at least that is my best guess.

[RADM.Yamaguchi]

Thanks Alamander- those numbers are really helpful. When playing this game you make these committments early in the game on factories and research and expansion and you never know to the end what the eventuall impact will be. It's nice to get some input from people who have been down the road before you and can offer some information about their experience. I wonder if there is some things i can do to conserve on supplies. I honestly don't remember why i have so many mit-33 factories. I think i may have been going for Jack in the begining but changed my mind somewhere along the way.

[RADM.Yamaguchi]

AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR Oct 07, 42
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Submarine attack near Baker Island at 149,136

Japanese Ships
SS I-22

Allied Ships
xAKL Hirondelle, Torpedo hits 2, heavy damage

xAKL Hirondelle is sighted by SS I-22
SS I-22 launches 2 torpedoes at xAKL Hirondelle
I don't usually get 2 hits for 2 shots
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Submarine attack near Baker Island at 149,136

Japanese Ships
SS I-22

Allied Ships
xAKL Kanlaon II, Shell hits 1, Torpedo hits 1, heavy damage

xAKL Kanlaon II is sighted by SS I-22
SS I-22 attacking xAKL Kanlaon II on the surface
SS I-22 lighting it up
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Night Air attack on Myitkyina , at 64,42

Weather in hex: Heavy rain

Raid spotted at 37 NM, estimated altitude 7,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 12 minutes

Japanese aircraft
no flights

Allied aircraft
B-24D Liberator x 3

No Japanese losses

Allied aircraft losses
B-24D Liberator: 3 damaged

Airbase hits 1
Runway hits 3
Got AA coverage everywhere in Burma now. Hopefully it helps
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Night Naval bombardment of Adak Island at 162,52

Japanese Ships
BB Yamashiro
BB Fuso
BB Yamato
DD Tokitsukaze
DD Amatsukaze
DD Shiranui
DD Kuroshio

Allied ground losses:
159 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 7 disabled
Non Combat: 1 destroyed, 35 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled
Guns lost 4 (1 destroyed, 3 disabled)
Vehicles lost 23 (1 destroyed, 22 disabled)

BB Yamashiro firing at 41st Infantry Division
BB Fuso firing at 22nd Marine Regiment
BB Yamato firing at 41st Infantry Division
DD Tokitsukaze firing at 41st Infantry Division
DD Amatsukaze firing at 41st Infantry Division
DD Shiranui firing at 41st Infantry Division
DD Kuroshio firing at 41st Infantry Division
This really is going to take forever
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Morning Air attack on Chittagong , at 55,41

Weather in hex: Light rain

Raid spotted at 37 NM, estimated altitude 24,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 10 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-44-IIc Tojo x 23

Allied aircraft
Buffalo I x 11

No Japanese losses

Allied aircraft losses
Buffalo I: 6 destroyed

Aircraft Attacking:
22 x Ki-44-IIc Tojo sweeping at 20000 feet *
Nice sweep here. They almost seem invulnerable at this point - too bad thats going to change
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Morning Air attack on TF, near Port Hedland at 56,128

Weather in hex: Light rain

Raid spotted at 14 NM, estimated altitude 7,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 5 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 75
G3M2 Nell x 8

No Japanese losses

Allied Ships
xAKL Boelongan, Bomb hits 1, heavy fires
xAKL Siberoet
Port Hedland invasion force out near max range - still got a piece of them
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Port Hedland at 56,128

Weather in hex: Thunderstorms

Raid spotted at 2 NM, estimated altitude 7,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 0 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 37
G3M2 Nell x 8

No Japanese losses

Allied Ships
xAKL Soerabaja
xAKL Sibolga, Bomb hits 1, heavy fires, heavy damage
got an afternoon attack too
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Submarine attack near Baker Island at 149,136

Japanese Ships
SS I-22

Allied Ships
xAKL Regulus, Shell hits 7, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage

xAKL Regulus is sighted by SS I-22
SS I-22 attacking xAKL Regulus on the surface
They are not fooling around. Crew exp 58/60, leader Nav 61, agg 59 nothing really good there but they get it done.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ground combat at 79,56 (near Kukong)

Japanese Deliberate attack

Attacking force 94623 troops, 876 guns, 234 vehicles, Assault Value = 2997

Defending force 12973 troops, 116 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 243

Japanese adjusted assault: 2302

Allied adjusted defense: 148

Japanese assault odds: 15 to 1

Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+), experience(-)
Attacker:

Japanese ground losses:
1515 casualties reported
Squads: 7 destroyed, 142 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 16 disabled
Engineers: 1 destroyed, 7 disabled

Allied ground losses:
5669 casualties reported
Squads: 330 destroyed, 22 disabled
Non Combat: 262 destroyed, 48 disabled
Engineers: 9 destroyed, 9 disabled
Guns lost 62 (46 destroyed, 16 disabled)
Units retreated 8

Defeated Allied Units Retreating!
That's the preliminary battle south of Changsha
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ground combat at Changsha (82,52)

Japanese Deliberate attack

Attacking force 173727 troops, 1861 guns, 956 vehicles, Assault Value = 4832

Defending force 59670 troops, 321 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 1280

Japanese engineers reduce fortifications to 1

Japanese adjusted assault: 7963

Allied adjusted defense: 1493

Japanese assault odds: 5 to 1 (fort level 1)

Japanese forces CAPTURE Changsha !!!

Allied aircraft
no flights

Allied aircraft losses
SB-III: 4 destroyed

Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+), leaders(+), experience(-)
Attacker:

Japanese ground losses:
6113 casualties reported
Squads: 14 destroyed, 417 disabled
Non Combat: 2 destroyed, 44 disabled
Engineers: 6 destroyed, 156 disabled
Guns lost 37 (4 destroyed, 33 disabled)
Vehicles lost 7 (1 destroyed, 6 disabled)

Allied ground losses:
21484 casualties reported
Squads: 569 destroyed, 63 disabled
Non Combat: 1028 destroyed, 212 disabled
Engineers: 233 destroyed, 2 disabled
Guns lost 98 (92 destroyed, 6 disabled)
Units retreated 16
Units destroyed 1

Assaulting units:
3rd Ind. Engineer Regiment
6th Division
35th Division
68th Division
4th Ind. Engineer Regiment
37th Division
41st Division
20th Ind. Engineer Regiment
34th Division
27th Division
19th Ind. Engineer Regiment
13th Division
36th Division
40th Division
63rd Division
69th Division
110th Division
59th Division
32nd Division
3rd Division
15th Ind. Engineer Regiment
Tonei Hvy Gun Regiment
51st Ind.Mtn.Gun Battalion
4th Ind.Hvy.Art. Battalion
1st Ind.Hvy.Art. Battalion
22nd AA Regiment
China Expeditionary Army
2nd Hvy.Artillery Regiment
6th Medium Field Artillery Regiment
52nd Ind.Mtn.Gun Battalion
2nd Ind. Mountain Gun Regiment
1st Art.Mortar Regiment
7th Ind.Hvy.Art. Battalion
12th Ind.Hvy.Art Battalion
1st Hvy.Artillery Regiment
5th Ind.Hvy.Art Battalion
1st Mortar Battalion
6th Ind.Hvy.Art. Battalion
8th Ind.Hvy.Art. Battalion
North China Area Army
Botanko Hvy Gun Regiment
3rd Hvy.Artillery Regiment
9th Ind.Hvy.Art. Battalion
11th Ind.Hvy.Art Battalion
11th Army
2nd Ind.Hvy.Art. Battalion
15th Ind.Medium Field Artillery Regiment
14th Medium Field Artillery Regiment
3rd Ind.Hvy.Art. Battalion
1st Mortar Regiment
13th Ind.Hvy.Art Battalion

Defending units:
72nd Chinese Corps
58th Chinese Corps
5th Construction Regiment
20th Chinese Corps
26th Chinese Corps
10th Chinese Corps
37th Chinese Corps
99th Chinese Corps
73rd Chinese Corps
14th Construction Regiment
23rd Group Army
50th Chinese Corps
19th Group Army
29th Group Army
27th Group Army
9th War Area
17th Chinese Base Force
That's the big one. Should free up a lot of troops I think

[RangerJoe]

You should look up Mike Solli's AAR, it gives a good look at one way to set up the Japanese economy with some discussion on the research.

[Alamander]

The biggest drains on supply are, in no particular order: air missions, construction, large-stack battles, taking replacements, and industry expansions.

Military doctrine and production must be tailored to conserve supply. In the land-war, try to avoid prolonged big-stack battles whereever possible. Use manuever and outflanking to cut supply lines, especially in China (and India), to do more with less troops involved in any one battle, and take fewer casualties, since out-of-supply enemies disable and destroy fewer squads. This will reduce supply cost of taking replacement devices as well and help with the VP count.

For air missions, the raw sortie number that appears daily on your scoresheet is not much of a guide to how much supply your air-force is using, and there is no sortie target number that indicates good supply useage. Air missions vary greatly in the amount of supply they use. Sallies, Helens, Nells, and Betties on ground attack use far more supply per sortie than a training mission, search or ASW mission, for example, and fighters flying with drop-tanks use twice as much supply as without. Limit medium bomber use to essential targets only. This is why I like the Lilly Ib and IIa, the Sonias especially, and even Idas. They use less than half the supply of Helens and Sallies per offensive mission. Try to avoid using drop-tanks when possible, but using drop-tanks is better than flying sweeps or escorts at extended range.

As for fort construction, remember that the larger potential size of the base, the more supply and time is needed for fort construction. Terrain also plays a role as does climate in the case of Burma and arctic region. So, other things being equal, a potential port size 2 airfield size 3 base (Like Truk) will use less supply to fortify than a potential port size 4, airfield size 7 base (like Rangoon). Overbuilding ports or airfields also uses extra supply. Remember that any unit with engineers as a device will build field fortifications if parked in combat mode and in supply in the same non-base hex for a time. This is "free," in terms of supply use. Sometimes it is better to defend outside a base using free field forts in good terrain than fortify the base itself.

[Alamander]

The Mitsubishi 33 is one of the essential engines. Some players get by producing very few, but in my opinion, they are handicapping themselves. As I mentioned, the Tony 100 is an important plane, because of its service rating 1. It is, by 1944, without question a 2nd-line fighter, but having 2nd line fighters flying is better than having no fighters flying. It is a good 4-E killer and will hold its own against every 2nd-tier allied fighter.

I like the A6M8 too. Under any reasonable R&D scheme, you will not have Sam until 1944. The A6M3 and A6M5 are outclassed by the Hellcat (I much prefer the A6M3 to the A6M5, BTW, except for CAPing bases where I expect heavy bombers). The A6M8 gets you through the middle and later portions of 1943 and lets you fight a CV battle while you still have a chance of coming out ahead. By the time the A7M2 arrives, the deathstar has been created, and even Sams are not going to stop the juggernaut at that point.

As mentioned, the Judy uses the Mit 33 as do a number of other helpful planes. 450 Mit 33 factories does not seem terribly excessive to me. I think I have expanded to 400 in my game.

[RADM.Yamaguchi]

Thanks Alamander - some of that i had read before and should have know, parts are new to me and i will try to incorporate. I have been very guilty of flying unecessary missions all over the place and using my Sallys way too much. I will try to scale those down.

[RangerJoe]

If you just want to keep the disruption, fatigue, and enemy supply usage up, the 1Es work just as well as the 2Es for less cost. The 2Es can train for ASW and Low Nav. I hope that you have left a non-Chinese base in Allied hands within the Kamikaze range. Lots of Low Nav trained pilots for your obsolete airplanes.

[RADM.Yamaguchi]

I really appreciate the insights Joe and Alamander. I can't help feeling a little depressed about all the things i've done wrong already. I'm reading Mike Solis AAR. The detail is amazing. It's sad to lose somebody like that from a community like this with no explanation. As i read Lowpes new AAR i keep feeling worse as he continually points out the abilities of the allied side - and it's during the time when japan is supposed to be strongest. I believe i'll have a drink before i tackle this latest turn.

[Anachro]

FYI, I do believe Mike Solli has/had a career in logistics or something close to it. As for being depressed, it's just a game with extreme amount of detail; trying to be perfect on everything just detracts from the fun.

[RangerJoe]

FYI, Mike Solli had a military career in logistics as an officer. Then he became a government contractor or something like that - for the military. Do not be depressed when you try to compare yourself to him, he also took a long time to get to where he is.

[Bif1961]

If you depressed just imagine how the Japanese felt. [:D]

[Alamander]

ORIGINAL: RADM.Yamaguchi

I really appreciate the insights Joe and Alamander. I can't help feeling a little depressed about all the things i've done wrong already. I'm reading Mike Solis AAR. The detail is amazing. It's sad to lose somebody like that from a community like this with no explanation. As i read Lowpes new AAR i keep feeling worse as he continually points out the abilities of the allied side - and it's during the time when japan is supposed to be strongest. I believe i'll have a drink before i tackle this latest turn.

You are doing fine... very well actually... for the first time playing Japan. I played the AI about 5 times before even trying a PBEM as Japan. Mistakes are inevitable, and I still make them. For example, I forgot to switch 2 of my Tojo factories over to the Tojo IIB in the game I am playing now and ended up with 90 production of Tojo IIas per month for 2 1/2 squadrons of planes. Moreover, research on the IIc is essential in PDU:Off dababes since several squadrons do not upgrade to Ki-84as until after they upgrade to Tojo IIcs. So I had to switch over 3 factories in June to Tojo that I had working on other things.

Just be a little frugal going forward with supply, and you will be fine. Getting late into 1945 depends upon a lot of things other than supply anyway: such as actually holding ground, inflicting casualties on the allies, having trained pilots, and so forth. It may so happen that supply is not a problem.

You want to be able to mount a proper defense for as long as possible, and having supply is important. You can compensate, however, for a lower stockpile with military successes. The longer that you can keep fuel flowing to the heavy industry in Japan, the less of a stockpile you will need. Hold on the oil, prevent the allies from strat bombing it, and keep passage through the South China Sea open to your TKs as long as possible.

[RADM.Yamaguchi]

ORIGINAL: Anachro

FYI, I do believe Mike Solli has/had a career in logistics or something close to it. As for being depressed, it's just a game with extreme amount of detail; trying to be perfect on everything just detracts from the fun.

very wise advice. You seem to have most things under control at all times in your game. i think for me it might be from not knowing the limits of my opponents and seeing everything they do as something totally new and dangerous.

[RADM.Yamaguchi]

ORIGINAL: RangerJoe

FYI, Mike Solli had a military career in logistics as an officer. Then he became a government contractor or something like that - for the military. Do not be depressed when you try to compare yourself to him, he also took a long time to get to where he is.

I see that he and pax and others were very careful with supplies. I naively thought that using scenario 2 i wouldn't have to worry about that. All of my prodction moves show that and i'll just have to live with it.

[RADM.Yamaguchi]

ORIGINAL: Alamander

ORIGINAL: RADM.Yamaguchi

I really appreciate the insights Joe and Alamander. I can't help feeling a little depressed about all the things i've done wrong already. I'm reading Mike Solis AAR. The detail is amazing. It's sad to lose somebody like that from a community like this with no explanation. As i read Lowpes new AAR i keep feeling worse as he continually points out the abilities of the allied side - and it's during the time when japan is supposed to be strongest. I believe i'll have a drink before i tackle this latest turn.

You are doing fine... very well actually... for the first time playing Japan. I played the AI about 5 times before even trying a PBEM as Japan. Mistakes are inevitable, and I still make them. For example, I forgot to switch 2 of my Tojo factories over to the Tojo IIB in the game I am playing now and ended up with 90 production of Tojo IIas per month for 2 1/2 squadrons of planes. Moreover, research on the IIc is essential in PDU:Off dababes since several squadrons do not upgrade to Ki-84as until after they upgrade to Tojo IIcs. So I had to switch over 3 factories in June to Tojo that I had working on other things.

Just be a little frugal going forward with supply, and you will be fine. Getting late into 1945 depends upon a lot of things other than supply anyway: such as actually holding ground, inflicting casualties on the allies, having trained pilots, and so forth. It may so happen that supply is not a problem.

You want to be able to mount a proper defense for as long as possible, and having supply is important. You can compensate, however, for a lower stockpile with military successes. The longer that you can keep fuel flowing to the heavy industry in Japan, the less of a stockpile you will need. Hold on the oil, prevent the allies from strat bombing it, and keep passage through the South China Sea open to your TKs as long as possible.

Thanks Alamander. you're right i'll just have to be a lot more careful about supplies and needless sorties with big planes.

[RADM.Yamaguchi]

i think i'll have to get used to the slower pace of the game too. Both of my opponents are really busy in real life so i'll try to do a lot more thinking and a lot less mouse clicking.

Here's the latest

AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR Oct 08, 42
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Night Air attack on Mandalay , at 59,46

Weather in hex: Severe storms

Raid detected at 35 NM, estimated altitude 9,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 12 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-45 KAIa Nick x 10

Allied aircraft
B-24D Liberator x 3

Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-45 KAIa Nick: 1 destroyed

Allied aircraft losses
B-24D Liberator: 1 damaged

Aircraft Attacking:
3 x B-24D Liberator bombing from 4000 feet
Airfield Attack: 10 x 500 lb GP Bomb
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Night Air attack on Mandalay , at 59,46

Weather in hex: Severe storms

Raid spotted at 35 NM, estimated altitude 6,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 12 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-45 KAIa Nick x 8

Allied aircraft
B-17F Fortress x 8

No Japanese losses

Allied aircraft losses
B-17F Fortress: 2 damaged

Aircraft Attacking:
8 x B-17F Fortress bombing from 3000 feet
Airfield Attack: 8 x 500 lb GP Bomb
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Night Air attack on Magwe , at 57,47

Weather in hex: Overcast

Raid spotted at 16 NM, estimated altitude 10,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 4 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-45 KAIa Nick x 10

Allied aircraft
B-17E Fortress x 9

Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-45 KAIa Nick: 5 damaged
Ki-45 KAIa Nick: 1 destroyed on ground

Allied aircraft losses
B-17E Fortress: 3 damaged

Airbase hits 3
Runway hits 2

Aircraft Attacking:
9 x B-17E Fortress bombing from 5000 feet
Airfield Attack: 8 x 500 lb GP Bomb
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Night Air attack on Shwebo , at 59,45

Weather in hex: Heavy rain

Raid spotted at 28 NM, estimated altitude 5,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 8 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-45 KAIa Nick x 6

Allied aircraft
B-25C Mitchell x 10

No Japanese losses

No Allied losses

Runway hits 1

Aircraft Attacking:
10 x B-25C Mitchell bombing from 5000 feet
Airfield Attack: 6 x 500 lb GP Bomb
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Night Air attack on Mandalay , at 59,46

Weather in hex: Severe storms

Raid spotted at 30 NM, estimated altitude 6,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 10 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-45 KAIa Nick x 8

Allied aircraft
B-24D Liberator x 3

No Japanese losses

Allied aircraft losses
B-24D Liberator: 2 damaged

Aircraft Attacking:
3 x B-24D Liberator bombing from 4000 feet
Airfield Attack: 10 x 500 lb GP Bomb
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Night Air attack on Mandalay , at 59,46

Weather in hex: Severe storms

Raid detected at 47 NM, estimated altitude 5,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 16 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-45 KAIa Nick x 8

Allied aircraft
B-17F Fortress x 6

No Japanese losses

Allied aircraft losses
B-17F Fortress: 2 damaged

Aircraft Attacking:
6 x B-17F Fortress bombing from 3000 feet
Airfield Attack: 8 x 500 lb GP Bomb
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Night Air attack on Shwebo , at 59,45

Weather in hex: Heavy rain

Raid spotted at 32 NM, estimated altitude 10,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 9 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-45 KAIa Nick x 6

Allied aircraft
B-25C Mitchell x 7

No Japanese losses

No Allied losses

Runway hits 1

Aircraft Attacking:
7 x B-25C Mitchell bombing from 5000 feet
Airfield Attack: 6 x 500 lb GP Bomb
I'm getting a little help from the Nicks, doesn't seem like much from AA, the airfield damage isn't that great but there are only a few planes right now, what happens when there's more?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Morning Air attack on Chittagong , at 55,41

Weather in hex: Thunderstorms

Raid spotted at 26 NM, estimated altitude 23,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 6 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-44-IIc Tojo x 17

Allied aircraft
Hurricane IIc Trop x 48

Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-44-IIc Tojo: 1 destroyed

Allied aircraft losses
Hurricane IIc Trop: 7 destroyed
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Morning Air attack on Chittagong , at 55,41

Weather in hex: Thunderstorms

Raid spotted at 23 NM, estimated altitude 24,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 6 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-44-IIc Tojo x 24

Allied aircraft
Hurricane IIc Trop x 28

Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-44-IIc Tojo: 1 destroyed

Allied aircraft losses
Hurricane IIc Trop: 4 destroyed

Aircraft Attacking:
15 x Ki-44-IIc Tojo sweeping at 20000 feet *
Air combat in Burma during the day was okay. I could do this every day.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Morning Air attack on TF, near Lord Howe Island at 100,169

Weather in hex: Heavy rain

Raid detected at 19 NM, estimated altitude 6,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 6 minutes

Japanese aircraft
G3M3 Nell x 6

Japanese aircraft losses
G3M3 Nell: 2 damaged
G3M3 Nell: 1 destroyed by flak

Allied Ships
CL Nashville

Aircraft Attacking:
5 x G3M3 Nell launching torpedoes at 200 feet
Naval Attack: 1 x 18in Type 91 Torpedo
I thought i'd let my Nells fly again past escort range - nothing good to show for it

[RADM.Yamaguchi]

BTW, i flew Oscars on LRCAP over their bomber base a Dacca during the daytime. It's 9 hexes and i noticed morale is still great but fatigue is growing.

should i try night LRCAP? Doesn't seem to me that's even feasible for IJA in '42. We're at 0% moonlight just to make it even better.

[Alamander]

If you put some R&D into the J1N1 S, you will have some nightfighters by mid-1943 when the 4-E force really starts to ramp up. It is not radar equpped though, so the J1N1 Sa is a major and important upgrade. The next nightfighter that you get is the Nick nightfighter. I'm not sure how night-fighter conversions work in PDU:On because I have never done it. I think you have to upgrade the squadron to a night-fighter model and then you can pay PPs to change it to another model, but I am not sure. The Dinah NF has performed very well for me against the computer. I don't use it much against 4-Es, however. I use it to sweep and escort at night for my own night-bombing campaign. For 4-Es, people seem to like the Myrt, which I have never used, since I play PDU:off, and there are few squadrons of these. I tend to rely a lot on the J1N1 Sa and on the Nicks against 4-Es (because that is mostly what you have in PDU:off until the Randy NF comes along).

Be sure to dole out your radar devices. Japanese radar is complicated. There are the Tai-Chis that the IJAAF uses, and the type 2s (at this point) that the IJN uses.

Do you have multiple radar devices at key bases, especially Magwe? If not, check your device pool, and then set units with sound detectors there to upgrade. The experience of the radar equipped unit will affect the performance of the radar, so try to upgrade higher experience units first (usually flak units).

The 75mm guns are not great, but better than nothing. You should have 4 or 5 large flak units with 8.8 cm guns on the Home Islands and in Manchuria. I think most of these come with sound detectors that can be upgraded to radar. These should be high priority buy outs and moved to places where you expect 4-Es. If you opponent likes to come down to 2k to bomb, buy out some 20mm gun AA units from Manchuria as well. These are cheap: like 6 points. Searchlights help as well, and IJN air support battalions typically have searchlights, whereas the IJAAF do not (at least that is the case in dababes).

Remember that bombers that fly at night are on the ground during the day. If they are flying from a base that is not heavily capped, they are sitting ducks all day long.

[RADM.Yamaguchi]

ORIGINAL: Alamander

If you put some R&D into the J1N1 S, you will have some nightfighters by mid-1943 when the 4-E force really starts to ramp up. It is not radar equpped though, so the J1N1 Sa is a major and important upgrade. The next nightfighter that you get is the Nick nightfighter. I'm not sure how night-fighter conversions work in PDU:On because I have never done it. I think you have to upgrade the squadron to a night-fighter model and then you can pay PPs to change it to another model, but I am not sure. The Dinah NF has performed very well for me against the computer. I don't use it much against 4-Es, however. I use it to sweep and escort at night for my own night-bombing campaign. For 4-Es, people seem to like the Myrt, which I have never used, since I play PDU:off, and there are few squadrons of these. I tend to rely a lot on the J1N1 Sa and on the Nicks against 4-Es (because that is mostly what you have in PDU:off until the Randy NF comes along).

Be sure to dole out your radar devices. Japanese radar is complicated. There are the Tai-Chis that the IJAAF uses, and the type 2s (at this point) that the IJN uses.

Do you have multiple radar devices at key bases, especially Magwe? If not, check your device pool, and then set units with sound detectors there to upgrade. The experience of the radar equipped unit will affect the performance of the radar, so try to upgrade higher experience units first (usually flak units).

The 75mm guns are not great, but better than nothing. You should have 4 or 5 large flak units with 8.8 cm guns on the Home Islands and in Manchuria. I think most of these come with sound detectors that can be upgraded to radar. These should be high priority buy outs and moved to places where you expect 4-Es. If you opponent likes to come down to 2k to bomb, buy out some 20mm gun AA units from Manchuria as well. These are cheap: like 6 points. Searchlights help as well, and IJN air support battalions typically have searchlights, whereas the IJAAF do not (at least that is the case in dababes).

Remember that bombers that fly at night are on the ground during the day. If they are flying from a base that is not heavily capped, they are sitting ducks all day long.

Alamander - Thanks for that - i laughed out loud at that last line. As simple a thought as it is - it just didn't occur to me. I guess a little step back and a little common sense can really work wonders.