RE: SBD Dauntless fodder - Alikchi (J) vs Lord Windy (A)
Posted: Thu Mar 26, 2015 10:00 am
Hi, Alikchi - it's been great fun reading through your AAR's! Wonderful presentation, too. I'm just a rookie studying the game before I purchase, with the intention of using it in connection with a book project with the working title Saving MacArthur. In that connection I have studied the Philippine and Moluccan campaign extensively. It's cool to see the variations developing in your game.
As opposed to MacArthur, your opponent obviously decided to defend both Bataan and Manila..doesn't seem to work well...[;)]..That said, I get the impression that the game is not separating Bataan and Corregidor? Is that correct? Or the other forts in the Manila Bay approaches? You are mentioning minesweeping to open the way for your battle fleet to get into the bay to plaster the defenders in Manila. I'm asking because in RL Corregidor, as a separate unit, held out a month longer than Bataan and would be a greater threat to the mine-sweeping than the batteries on Bataan proper.
It's interesting to see that you are reversing the Japanese progress, by invading Menado before Davao. Also, that Ambon fell much quicker than Menado when the allied resources were rather stronger in Ambon than Menado, with the Australian expeditionary force supporting the Dutch in Ambon.
Also, I was surprised you didn't use your paratroopers invading Menado. Menado had two good airfields, one east of the city, the other in the center of the island, south of the city, close to Lake Tondano where the Dutch naval air force had an important seaplane base. That airfield and seaplane base was taken by a Japanese paratrooop force. Maybe that would have sped up the occupation...[:)]...
I look forward to see how the Davao invasion works out, with your expressed intention to occupy Mindanao with that force. You may know that the Miura Detachment was stalled south of Davao before they were able to proceed inland and fulfill the job. They were held up there till after the fall of Bataan in April (well, your Bataan has fallen already..[;)]..). You may have a chance (if the game is not close to historical) as Mindanao wasn't reinforced from the Visayan Islands untill early January.
Keep up the good work!
Fred
As opposed to MacArthur, your opponent obviously decided to defend both Bataan and Manila..doesn't seem to work well...[;)]..That said, I get the impression that the game is not separating Bataan and Corregidor? Is that correct? Or the other forts in the Manila Bay approaches? You are mentioning minesweeping to open the way for your battle fleet to get into the bay to plaster the defenders in Manila. I'm asking because in RL Corregidor, as a separate unit, held out a month longer than Bataan and would be a greater threat to the mine-sweeping than the batteries on Bataan proper.
It's interesting to see that you are reversing the Japanese progress, by invading Menado before Davao. Also, that Ambon fell much quicker than Menado when the allied resources were rather stronger in Ambon than Menado, with the Australian expeditionary force supporting the Dutch in Ambon.
Also, I was surprised you didn't use your paratroopers invading Menado. Menado had two good airfields, one east of the city, the other in the center of the island, south of the city, close to Lake Tondano where the Dutch naval air force had an important seaplane base. That airfield and seaplane base was taken by a Japanese paratrooop force. Maybe that would have sped up the occupation...[:)]...
I look forward to see how the Davao invasion works out, with your expressed intention to occupy Mindanao with that force. You may know that the Miura Detachment was stalled south of Davao before they were able to proceed inland and fulfill the job. They were held up there till after the fall of Bataan in April (well, your Bataan has fallen already..[;)]..). You may have a chance (if the game is not close to historical) as Mindanao wasn't reinforced from the Visayan Islands untill early January.
Keep up the good work!
Fred