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Well he struck Columbo and did a lot a destrcution without many losses:


Afternoon Air attack on Colombo , at 29,48

Weather in hex: Light cloud

Raid detected at 80 NM, estimated altitude 11,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 34 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 78
B5N2 Kate x 141



Japanese aircraft losses
B5N2 Kate: 7 destroyed, 13 damaged

Allied Ships
xAK Hoihow, Bomb hits 1, heavy fires
BB Ramillies, Bomb hits 36, heavy fires
xAKL Silindoeng, Bomb hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
SS Truant, Bomb hits 3, and is sunk
xAK Goulburn, Bomb hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
xAK Whangpu, Bomb hits 1, heavy fires
xAK Ulooloo, Bomb hits 2, heavy fires, heavy damage
xAK Tarifa, Bomb hits 1
xAK Cardross, Bomb hits 1, heavy fires
xAK Marion Moller, Bomb hits 1, on fire
AG Canopus, Bomb hits 1, heavy fires, heavy damage
KV Genista, Bomb hits 2, heavy fires, heavy damage
xAK Hunan, Bomb hits 1, heavy fires
AD Black Hawk, Bomb hits 1, heavy fires
CLAA Van Heemskerck, Bomb hits 3, heavy fires, heavy damage
AMC Pansy, Bomb hits 1, heavy fires
KV Nigella, Bomb hits 1, heavy fires
xAP Haiyang, Bomb hits 2, and is sunk
AMC Kanimbla, Bomb hits 2, on fire
AGP Wega, Bomb hits 1, and is sunk
AGP Aldebaran, Bomb hits 1, and is sunk
AMC Cornwallis, Bomb hits 1, heavy fires, heavy damage
xAP Sarpen, Bomb hits 1, on fire
xAK Lowana, Bomb hits 2, heavy fires, heavy damage
xAK Mernoo, Bomb hits 1, on fire
xAP Kwai Sang, Bomb hits 1, on fire
xAKL Sibolga, Bomb hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
xAK Mundalla, Bomb hits 1, heavy fires
xAK Jalapalaka, Bomb hits 1, on fire
AS Lucia, Bomb hits 1
DD Panther, Bomb hits 1, on fire
TK Gertrude Kellogg, Bomb hits 1, heavy fires
xAKL Sigli, Bomb hits 1, heavy fires, heavy damage
DE Jumna, Bomb hits 1, heavy fires, heavy damage
xAK Gorgon, Bomb hits 1, heavy fires, heavy damage
xAP Arkaba, Bomb hits 1, on fire
xAK Nord, Bomb hits 1, on fire
DD Hotspur, Bomb hits 1, on fire
xAK Era, Bomb hits 1, on fire


Allied ground losses:
7 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled


Repair Shipyard hits 1
Port hits 20
Port fuel hits 1
Port supply hits 1

Aircraft Attacking:
25 x B5N2 Kate bombing from 5000 feet *
Port Attack: 2 x 250 kg GP Bomb
26 x B5N2 Kate bombing from 5000 feet *
Port Attack: 2 x 250 kg GP Bomb
4 x B5N2 Kate bombing from 5000 feet *
City Attack: 2 x 250 kg GP Bomb
17 x B5N2 Kate bombing from 5000 feet *
Port Attack: 2 x 250 kg GP Bomb
24 x B5N2 Kate bombing from 5000 feet *
Port Attack: 2 x 250 kg GP Bomb
27 x B5N2 Kate bombing from 5000 feet *
Port Attack: 2 x 250 kg GP Bomb
14 x B5N2 Kate bombing from 5000 feet *
Port Attack: 2 x 250 kg GP Bomb



I suspect another raid tommorow .. My BB's are 10 hexes away from his KB force and I am running away .. if he were closer I might seek a night action ..

Still wiith the KB deep in the Indina Ocean I am thinking of attacking Kavig .. I am 3 days away .. I have Patrol aircraft over the area .. it might be a nice way of pusing the Jello around .. I have tonight to think about it ..

what date are you up to?

1275psi .. We are at March, 14th 1942

There are about 22 AK and 10 old AP's at Colombo. Besides the old Battleship and the DD's I cannot see a long term function for hitting Colombo with so many operations require the KB support right now. Still, my opponets email refects more his joy of sinking ships, than advancing an overall strategy. But I am a newbie so maybe there is a long term plan that is supported by sinking some mechants and scattering TF's in the Indian Ocean for two weeks or so ......One of the IJFB players who has played this game out from start to finish might comment. I read the AAR's and the IJ players that just terorrize without a long term strategic plan seem to last to about late 1943, and then quit. So I have no real basis to understand the strategic implecations of raiding as a tool to accomplish some long term goal.

What I think happened here besides the fact that I was over using a very vulnerable port (for example The Patrol Aircraft are still in the 40's and did not give warning of the KB to the South Southeast reporting them as "CL's") Is that my opponet got off balance with my last raid. He wishes to use the KB as a platform to terrorize rather than as a platform to further his overall strategic plan. I really misunderstood his strategic mindset, or my last raid has him thinking that somehow this will strike fear and timidity ..[I had been quite deliberate executing a "Brave Sir Robin" strategy to this point until the last raid.]

I also think the Moulmein raid was enabled by this strategy of using the KB to do random damage. This raid hurt him very deeply I think. His email tone has changed considerably since drowning an IJA force into the Indian Ocean ....

However, I am a newbie, so sinking 22 or so merchants given 379 in play right now might be the move that wins this game. I do not know. I do know that this will slow the game down quite considerably as I seach WitPTracker for bases needing supplies, click 3 - 7 times [waypoints around submarines and stuff] and then manually allocate every single convoy rather than just the ones that have to go thorugh dangerious territory So this raid managed to make my game experience suck ..[8|] [I like the logistics around operations .. I hate looking up to see if Timbuk Tu has enough supply ....[>:]]

Ok enough of my rant ..

[GreyJoy I am looking at WitP Tracker as I write this so I do not make a GreyJoyism ...<BIG BIG BIG SMILE>] Noumea got 2 more engineer units 810.811 aviation eng group, landed today and they are starting to build up this port/airfield. Once I have a level 4 airfield I will start on Koumac. That base can be built up to level 7 rather quickly, and then overbuilt to level 10 if I need to make the investment. This is right at maximum range of Tulagi for my B-17E's. I do beleive this front will be enaged through out 1943 - 1944 as I execute the Island Hoping plan to Formosa.

I continue to built up Tabiteuea. This turn a 4 P-40 fighter group [enough to snap a LR Bomber raid] and a recon group landed. I can probe Tarawa on a daily basis while the group gets experince.

So, we now have two areas of operations: Ndeini, Luganville and Noumea; and Tabiteuea. I am still on track to invade Tarawa on May 15th. To Follow on Ocean Island on May 30th.

OK ...I have been a regular poster but, just to set an expectation, I suspect my postings will be more every other day as I sense the game will slow considerably mired in the deails of stratgic logistics ...but I we shall see how things unfold.

If the KB is playing around the DEI a raid at Colombo isn't that wasting of resources and time, and Japan can easily grab some major ship in the bag. If he sinks a couple of BBs the raid will be worth the fuel and planes expended imho....those BBs will be usefull for you in the future to support landings...

GreyJoy: There is one SAG with 2 BB's that raided previously in the Indian Ocean. This SAG that is now looking to hide on the Indian Coast. He has sunk one BB [due to withdrawl in 1943], and will sink 4 DD's, a CLAA, and some KV's. I guess that will win the war. [&:] Most of the RN & in particualr the BB's are off the Coast of Sydney heading to support the New Caladona operations. He has 2 -3 weeks to do his worse. I will have a 5 CV's in the Pacfic theater in 3 weeks. In 6 weeks we will have Tarawa!

I will delay the Big E and Yorktown upgrades until the Wasp arrives in theater. I want to keep 5 CV's on station while I am establishing bases. I sense this might be an oppournity to spring a trap.

Great feedback GreyJoy you have me thinking ...

Crackaces in my oponion your partially right about him hitting Colombo.&nbsp; But every ship counts in some way PP, morale boast, what have you.&nbsp; He might be setting up and invasion into this theater or he might be trying to get inside your OODA loop.&nbsp; I don't know exactly but from my stand point of a newb your doing pretty good.
&nbsp;
doc
&nbsp;
Newb support group[:D]

Well the only hit on morale is having to click 300 times .. for which I have not started yet [:(]

I do think GreyJoy has a point .. He is looking for the SAG that hit his landing TF. I sense this had a greater affect on his operations .. and he feels he has to do something .. anything and he has resorted what has worked thus far .. raiding with the KB. But ... these BB's are due to withdraw at the begining of 43 and will not affect operations. He did sink the one due in mid-43 ...I had not really thought about the RN for 42 operations besides to cover my build up in the Solomans ..and this one SAG to harraress him on the Burma coast.

So maybe operationally it is a hurt but strategically it does not affect things .. besides to slow the game down tremendously ..

We got our turn in ...we shall see ..

But for 15 MAR 1942, I have turned the Cats on Ceylon to night search duty .. armed with Torps ... focused all on the arc of those "CL's" that are really CV's. I have 20 or so Cat's that will fly over the mini-KB .. with a lot of luck .. probably right up there with filling an inside straight we can put a slug into a carrier ..that would absoultely make my day ...

Otherwise, another day of moving stuff around .. besides scattering all the ships currently in the Indian Ocean .....[8|]

My opponet and I has a great conversation. His experince is with WitP not with the AE version. As many experinced players here know and I have only read about .. they are two seperate birds of a feather completely. But I discovered his mind set is attrition and sinking things while securing the DEI, and thus the raid. He gauges success on the number of ships sunk and if he got things like a BB, CA, CA, AS .. etc .. the fact that if this really means either sudden victory or extension of the war to 1946 really never crosses his mind. It might be very well that this strategy of using the KB of a tool of terror -- that is random acts of violance in the most vulnerable and vital places is a way to victory. Whether this will achieve victory is completely unknown to me. I do know he has one maybe two more of these raids left .. and then I will start having the intiative wth 5 CV's .. and an increasing number of bases that can support bombers, and the LBA's in postion ..

More as we go .. Newbies Unite! [:D] Good Luck Docup! GreyJoy .. you are already killing Radier .. you do not need any luck [;)]

Thanks Crackaces.&nbsp; Well let him keep running around for small gains if any.&nbsp; Use this knowledge to your advantage set a trap for him.
&nbsp;
doc

A litle funny encouter .. my harbor defense vs. the KB:

Night Time Surface Combat, near Koggala at 29,56, Range 12,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
CV Kaga
CV Hiryu
CV Soryu
CV Shokaku
CV Zuikaku
CV Akagi
BB Kongo
BB Haruna
CA Takao
CA Atago
CA Chokai
CL Jintsu
CL Abukuma
DD Shiranui
DD Tanikaze
DD Asashio
DD Michishio
DD Arare
DD Kasumi
DD Isonami
DD Uranami


I must have really really upset him with my raid to commit so much to do so little I let my opponet know that I know exactly what he has here .. bascally the whole KB .. no mini KB! The Pacific Ocean is stripped bare! Time to go raid!

The Psyops will be amazing the next few days ..


Ok I think he plans to bombard Port Colombo with his BB's. This should be interesting because there is lots of little details I will not mention here yet but many of you know about when one bombards a port commanding defenses ...again it will be interesting .. More later ...

Looks like he is a little short on DDs.&nbsp; Maybe send some subs out after him.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Yea its a good time to move on something in the Pacific.&nbsp; Keep messing with his head.&nbsp; There is a reason why there are psyops units in just about every military today.
&nbsp;
doc

On PH Day he comiitted:

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 28
B5N2 Kate x 144
D3A1 Val x 126

....

Afternoon Air attack on Midway Island , at 158,91

Weather in hex: Overcast

Raid detected at 80 NM, estimated altitude 9,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 26 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 44

....

Afternoon Air attack on Midway Island , at 158,91

Weather in hex: Overcast

Raid detected at 80 NM, estimated altitude 12,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 26 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 42

==================================================================

Now 4 months later at Columbo I see the KB and the committment is:


Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 78
B5N2 Kate x 72
D3A1 Val x 67


Raid spotted at 39 NM, estimated altitude 10,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 14 minutes

Japanese aircraft
D3A1 Val x 9


Raid spotted at 46 NM, estimated altitude 9,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 16 minutes

Japanese aircraft
B5N2 Kate x 22
D3A1 Val x 42


Japanese aircraft
D3A1 Val x 25


Japanese aircraft
B5N2 Kate x 15


I am not sure how to use this pattern yet .. but I can get a pretty good feel for how many sortes the KB can fly at once and over a mission. I think each carrer is limited to 300 sorties per CV?

Out of 1800 sorites he has used just under 1/2 to sink some merchants. In addiition he has lost:

Japanese aircraft losses
B5N2 Kate: 7 destroyed, 13 damaged

Japanese aircraft losses
D3A1 Val: 1 damaged


Japanese aircraft losses
D3A1 Val: 1 damaged


Japanese aircraft losses
D3A1 Val: 1 damaged

7 Kates down, 13 damaged .. and 3 Vals damaged ...

I am not sure this is worth the effort but I guess we shall find out ...

ORIGINAL: DOCUP

Looks like he is a little short on DDs.  Maybe send some subs out after him.   Yea its a good time to move on something in the Pacific.  Keep messing with his head.  There is a reason why there are psyops units in just about every military today.

doc

Ya .. I had one sub in the area but .. he got him with the port attack ..the Trusty was comming back to Colimbo from the DEI but has to cut over to somewhere else to rearm after already unlaoding torps on his AK's ... but still it is time to raise some hell in the Pacific !! The Yorktown and Enterprise are already near Tabetuea .. they are heading to points more westward to look for trouble . my coast watchers say a bunch of ships are near Lae ..

Ok a little deduction .. he has 3 carriers with about 700 sorites and 3 carriers with about 600 or so sorities give or take 50 sorties. That equates to 3900 sorites total for the KB before having to rearm. Rough estimate will work here ...I count about 300 sorties on Colombo. He has plenty of punch left on those boats ..

He is still wondering how I figured out where the KB is right now and its exact compisition .. I will never tell [:D] Its got to be very unnverving although ...

I think I have deicded to unleash 2 USA divisions on Tarawa. I say I think, because I am quite concerned that the Prep level at the time of the invasion will only be around 40. I am not sure how this affects the number of boys that will die on the reefs ...But this opporunity is just to good to pass up. Knowing exactly where the KB is right now and how far it is away from responding...it seems like the time for a Bold strike!


Tarawa has about 160 AV plus forts:

So ..three phases:

First load the 24 & 25th Divisions Prep level right now Level 25 bound for Tarawa on 4 AP's 2 AK's each. [No APA's in 1942 that makes my squeemish too]. That means 800 troops per AP off-loading 750 AV in 2 days. Supporting cast of seabees and BF's load on xAP's / xAK's to be landed after the smoke clears and the body count ...

Two SAG's are in the area now supported by a CVTF of the Big E and Yorktown. These SAG's will recombine to form a bombardment group and a amphib support group. The CVTF will spend 200 sorties on Ground Attack of Tarawa. After that they patrol for any SAG's wishing to intervine ..

Finally, 7 days from now the Anphb forces hit and shock attack. I expect given my experince about 4K causulties and 50% disruption.

Thoughts anybody? Is this doable or shall I wait?

ORIGINAL: Crackaces

I think I have deicded to unleash 2 USA divisions on Tarawa. I say I think, because I am quite concerned that the Prep level at the time of the invasion will only be around 40. I am not sure how this affects the number of boys that will die on the reefs ...But this opporunity is just to good to pass up. Knowing exactly where the KB is right now and how far it is away from responding...it seems like the time for a Bold strike!


Tarawa has about 160 AV plus forts:

So ..three phases:

First load the 24 & 25th Divisions Prep level right now Level 25 bound for Tarawa on 4 AP's 2 AK's each. [No APA's in 1942 that makes my squeemish too]. That means 800 troops per AP off-loading 750 AV in 2 days. Supporting cast of seabees and BF's load on xAP's / xAK's to be landed after the smoke clears and the body count ...

Two SAG's are in the area now supported by a CVTF of the Big E and Yorktown. These SAG's will recombine to form a bombardment group and a amphib support group. The CVTF will spend 200 sorties on Ground Attack of Tarawa. After that they patrol for any SAG's wishing to intervine ..

Finally, 7 days from now the Anphb forces hit and shock attack. I expect given my experince about 4K causulties and 50% disruption.

Thoughts anybody? Is this doable or shall I wait?

Unless I have completely misread what you have written above, you have badly miscalculated the "over the beach" landing parameters. Correct me if I'm wrong but this is how I comprehend your set up. NB I have also taken into account your comments in the amphibious disruption thread you have opened concurrently in the War Room sub-forum.

1. You have 2 US army infantry divisions prepping for Tarawa. Their combined Assault Value is 750.

2. You plan to embark these two divisions on a total of 8 AP plus 4 AK.

3. The support troops (quantity not specified) will be carried on xAP and xAK (number of ships also not specified)

4. You intend to fully disembark the two infantry divisions in two turns. Or to phrase it somewhat differently, you expect to have 750 Assault Value landed after two days.

5. The current Preparation Level of the two infantry divisions is 25 but you anticipate it will be about level 40 by the time they actually disembark (see thread in War Room).

6. You are actually quite concerned about disruption caused by the low preparation level (again see War Room thread).

7. Travel time from embarkation port to Tarawa is seven days.

If I haven't totally misread your post, then these are the problems.

(a) You have failed to take into account that a division accrues disruption for every day it spends on board ships. This travel disruption is capped at a maximum of 50. In this instance, as the travel time is only a week, the travel disruption gained will only be about 7 points. Not a lot but you are looking at a low preparation level - see points (h) and (i) below.

(b) You are far too optimistic that the preparation level will jump from 25 to 40 in only seven days. It would be much more prudent to expect that the preparation level will only increase by 1 each additional day. Hence it would only be around level 32 by the time they land on the beach.

(c) The auto attack will occur on day one of the landing, not on the second day when you anticipate landing the full 750 Assault Value. Hence, to fully avail yourself of the preponderance of force you are sending, you have to aim to fully disembark on day one.

(d) Each AP and AK will only disembark 600 "combattant" points in a day (see s.6.3.3.3.2.1 of the manual). With the infantry divisions sea lift being provided by only 8 AP and 4 AK, that means you can only unload 7200 "combattant" points per day.

(e) I don't have before me the transport load costs of the two specific infantry divisions. However, about a year ago (perhaps less) in Speedy's AAR v Fabertong, I went into some detail regarding Allied invasion capabilities of atolls in 1942. If my memory serves me right, each American infantry division in combat readiness load needs well over 20k (actually somewhere in the vicinity of 23k-25k) in sea lift "combattant" points.

(f) You haven't specified the actual carrying capacity of the twelve ships ( 8 AP + 4 AK) but I have strong reservations that they can completely carry the two divisions.

(g) The combination of points (d), (e) and (f) above is that there is no way those twelve ships are going to fully unload over two days, the two infantry divisions. And remember, the ideal is to fully unload on day one.

(h) You will not get a good answer to your basic question of how much disruption will be associated with the low preparation level. The reason being that it is a random number. See this old but short thread:

tm.asp?m=2286999&mpage=1&key=amphibious ... n&#2287009

As always, the algorithms are not disclosed but I think it is fair to assume that the lower the preparation level is, the more likely it is that the die roll spread for attendant disruption will be larger. But that is purely my speculation.

(i) What can be said is that a few AARs/threads have disclosed instances of Allied players attacking well garrisoned atolls with preparation in the range of 30-40, and the results were not pretty.[:D] Those experiences need not necessarily apply here because the quality of the Tarawa garrison may not be high, and the fortification level might be quite low.

(j) The risk you face is not so much disruption but whether you will unload sufficient force on day one to not be confronted with an auto re-embarkation. The program compares the size of the defenders against the size of the invaders (IIRC leadership of the attackers is also taken into account) and if there is too great a difference in favour of the defenders, an auto re-embarkation may result.



The bottom line is that if you can fully unload 750 Assault Value in one day, against a poor quality garrison (say a Naval Guard unit providing the garrison "backbone"), facing only a fortification level not higher than 3, and supported by a seven day heavy naval bombardment of Tarawa, the unsubtle size of the invading sledgehammer may be successful.

Alfred

ORIGINAL: Crackaces

... I will just deal with the submarine warfare thing .. but I think the balance is way too out of wack. I just do not agree with how casterated the USN DD's are intially, and how powerfull and agressive the IJN submarines are.... One tanker was sunk while sailing through no less than 16 DD's, escoerted by another 4 DD's and through 3 PA arcs, detected ..

Am catching up with this AAR hence why I'm dealing with a few posts made a few days ago.

Regarding the 3 PA arcs (and by extension the 16 DDs).

In terms of spotting enemy subs, there is a world of difference between aerial "Naval Search" and "ASW" missions. Generally speaking, planes on a "Naval Search" mission will not generate a high enough Detection Level ("DL") to mark the sub TF on the map. You may get a message that a periscope is sighted at hex x/y or something similar but the Sub TF symbol will not appear. You need to be running a dedicated "ASW" air mission to generate a high enough DL for the symbol to appear.

Of course, whether a "sighting" occurs at all in either air mission, is greatly dependent on the respective pilot skill. Plus at any stage of the game, anti submarine naval forces are much more likely to react and prosecute an effective attack if the "eye in the sky" has actually pinpointed the exact position of a sub TF (ie symbol displayed on map).

You don't say so, but I rather suspect that like most Allied players, you are using your PA (and carrier bombers) predominantly on "Naval Search" rather than "ASW". Most Allied players place more value on knowing the location of the KB and other major surface assets.

Alfred

ORIGINAL: Crackaces

... Noumea got 2 more engineer units 810.811 aviation eng group, landed today and they are starting to build up this port/airfield. Once I have a level 4 airfield I will start on Koumac. That base can be built up to level 7 rather quickly, and then overbuilt to level 10 if I need to make the investment...

Won't happen.[:)]

You cannot build any port or airfield to level 10. A very few bases start off a scenario with a level 10 infrastructure in situ but that is set by the scenario designer, not by the player.

As a player, you can expand a SPS of 6 up to level 9. A SPS of 7 can be expanded to level 9. A SPS of 8 can be expanded to level 9.

Alfred

You don't have to rely on Tracker to identify bases short on supplies.

Besides the in game aids which are really just as good, you can simply rely upon the visual cues provided on the map. A red exclamation mark means the base has less than 1x its required supply, a yellow exclamation mark means its supply stockpile is less than 2x the required amount.

There is no similar visual cue for raw materials but there are very few Allied bases who are reliant on sea borne imports of raw materials to feed their industry. For these you can bring up the industry screen, shortcut key "J" to see where the shortfall is. Note you can filter which particular type of industry you wish to check.

Alfred

ORIGINAL: Crackaces

1275psi .. We are at March, 14th 1942

There are about 22 AK and 10 old AP's at Colombo. Besides the old Battleship and the DD's I cannot see a long term function for hitting Colombo with so many operations require the KB support right now. Still, my opponets email refects more his joy of sinking ships, than advancing an overall strategy. But I am a newbie so maybe there is a long term plan that is supported by sinking some mechants and scattering TF's in the Indian Ocean for two weeks or so ......One of the IJFB players who has played this game out from start to finish might comment. I read the AAR's and the IJ players that just terorrize without a long term strategic plan seem to last to about late 1943, and then quit. So I have no real basis to understand the strategic implecations of raiding as a tool to accomplish some long term goal.

What I think happened here besides the fact that I was over using a very vulnerable port (for example The Patrol Aircraft are still in the 40's and did not give warning of the KB to the South Southeast reporting them as "CL's") Is that my opponet got off balance with my last raid. He wishes to use the KB as a platform to terrorize rather than as a platform to further his overall strategic plan. I really misunderstood his strategic mindset, or my last raid has him thinking that somehow this will strike fear and timidity ..[I had been quite deliberate executing a "Brave Sir Robin" strategy to this point until the last raid.]

I also think the Moulmein raid was enabled by this strategy of using the KB to do random damage. This raid hurt him very deeply I think. His email tone has changed considerably since drowning an IJA force into the Indian Ocean ....

However, I am a newbie, so sinking 22 or so merchants given 379 in play right now might be the move that wins this game. I do not know. I do know that this will slow the game down quite considerably as I seach WitPTracker for bases needing supplies, click 3 - 7 times [waypoints around submarines and stuff] and then manually allocate every single convoy rather than just the ones that have to go thorugh dangerious territory So this raid managed to make my game experience suck ..[8|] [I like the logistics around operations .. I hate looking up to see if Timbuk Tu has enough supply ....[>:]]

Well, if your opponent is really a logistically minded player, and to play AE well one simply must handle logistics well, the KB raid on Ceylon can make great sense.

For the Allied player, China is a very difficult theatre to run. The number one problem faced by the Allied player is a lack of supplies in China. Chinese logistics become really difficult when;

(1) the Burma road is cut, and

(2) when Rangoon is captured by Japan and the Allied player therey loses the capability of dropping large amounts of supply at Rangoon. From the Rangoon supply depots, the Allied player can manually "push" supply through to China. This "pushed" supply can be many times greater than that delivered by the Burma Road.

Destroying your Bay of Bengal cargo carrying capacity is an indirect means of accomplishing point (2) above. Whether your opponent has this tactical approach in mind, only he could answer.

Alfred