Matrix Games Forums

02/28/44

A productive day across the map, despite a few bumps here and there. Including one that was self-imposed. You can see the map for details, but if I was a clever and creative journalist, the report would begin this way:

There is no darker place than the Arafura Sea before dawn on a moonless night. The soldiers of the 3rd Australian Division and the combat engineers of II Corps awakened in that darkness. Truthfully, few had slept, and those fitfully.

These men were aboard American transports where the galleys traditionally served steak and eggs on the morning of an amphibious operation. Even though these soldiers were not veterans of any foreign campaigns, they had served so long that they well knew they had better eat, even if their stomachs were fluttering madly, like a butterfly caught in a spider web.

At 6:30 a.m., the orders came to board the landing craft: Higgins boats, amtracks, and others. The men were calmly resigned, partly because this would not be a "hot" landing. They were coming ashore to reinforce the American 2nd Marine Division. What could go wrong?

What could go wrong?

For starters, the weather. At 6:45 a.m., a squall line developed over the southern Arafura Sea. The sky grew dark and jagged lightning bolts seared the horizon. Aboard the USS Essex, Raymond Spruance huddled with the ranking meteorologist. "Sir," the weatherman began calmly but with the weight of experience adding emphasis to his words, "there is no choice here. This storm could kick up 35 foot waves. We've got to scrub the landings and try again tomorrow."

To everyone's surprise, Spruance simply and calmly replied, "Okay."

Quite surprised that Maryland suffered that much damage from one bomb - presumably a belt armour hit because of the float damage. Still, it seems a fair exchange for five of Japan's dwindling supply of Judys.

Dwindling supply of Judys? Perhaps of the D4Y1... It's about that time when he should be upgrading from the D4Y1 (should have long ago, actually). That level of damage is high for a single hit, but not out of the bounds of reality. It looks like it might've started a fire.

It's possible, too, that Maryland was involved in a collision. She's embedded in a large amphibious TF. I didn't check the reports to see, so that's just a guess.

2/29/44

Third Ring: D-Day at Gove goes well. General assault tomorrow preceded by bombardments. See map for details.

Map Correction: The assaulting Aussie units suffered high disablements, not high disruption. The latter was modest.

I am exceptionally impressed with this entire operation that you've carried off.

It's one thing to meticulously plan for a set target, get all your ships and troops in a row, and act on the plan. It's quite another to exercise the operational flexibility that you have, switching targets on the fly based on resistance, planning multiple avenues of potential advance and egress, and bringing the necessary fuel, troops and supply for not just a few targets, but a dozen spread across a theater.

What's more, the target itself was audacious - I think most allied players would have thought that they needed either to start at Port Moresby and work NW to the Arafura Sea and then head north or that they needed to clear a path through the mid-pacific island chains before capturing Sorong, but you saw the opportunity to bypass an entire ring of defenses.

Phenomenal planning and execution.

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

It's possible, too, that Maryland was involved in a collision. She's embedded in a large amphibious TF. I didn't check the reports to see, so that's just a guess.

On each ship's display screen there is field Michael added quite A while ago which shows what was the most recent or greatest source of damage (it won't override something big to put in the latest machine gun hit). Sometimes that's all the info you care about and heads off plowing through operations reports.

The Simian from Argleton makes a good point. Here it is (I'm so accustomed to bombs bouncing off BBs that I had trouble accepting the obvious):

ORIGINAL: paradigmblue

I am exceptionally impressed with this entire operation that you've carried off.

It's one thing to meticulously plan for a set target, get all your ships and troops in a row, and act on the plan. It's quite another to exercise the operational flexibility that you have, switching targets on the fly based on resistance, planning multiple avenues of potential advance and egress, and bringing the necessary fuel, troops and supply for not just a few targets, but a dozen spread across a theater.

What's more, the target itself was audacious - I think most allied players would have thought that they needed either to start at Port Moresby and work NW to the Arafura Sea and then head north or that they needed to clear a path through the mid-pacific island chains before capturing Sorong, but you saw the opportunity to bypass an entire ring of defenses.

Phenomenal planning and execution.

Paradigm, your analysis made my day and warmed my heart. It's a bit unseemly for me to revel in success, but your synopsis is accurate.

The success of Big Tent/Third Ring/Carousel isn't all due to my "masterful" play. Some of it was due to luck. Alot of it was due to how my opponent handled things. But, in turn, I had a pretty good handle on how my opponent plays and, I believe, I correctly understood the weakened nature of the Kaigun and how that would play into things.

It's been immensely rewarding to play this through. I'm still learning and I still have a lot to learn, but I "see the map" and understand things so much better than I did even at the beginning of this game.

Now it's on to the next big op. Did I conceive it well? Will I execute it well? Will John react astutely? Will luck favor one or the other? Let's see.

Six weeks ago, unfortunate curiosity prompted me to click a button that I shouldn't have clicked. As a result, I lost a BB for four months. Here's what happened.

BB Colorado was at Pearl. She wasn't due for upgrades, yet her ship screen had the option to "conversion to BB." For years, I'd seen this option to convert some BBs to BB. This time, though, I clicked to "convert" BB Colorado to a "BB." When I did so, she went into the yards for 120 days (she's still there). Unfortunately for me, I was too far into a turn involving a thousand clicks to step back to an earlier save to "undo" the upgrade. I rationalized the dilemma by deciding that I wouldn't be needing all of my BBs anyhow and that it would be good to have at least one back in Pearl serving as a reserve in case things went awry in Big Tent or later.

Here's a screen shot of BB Pennsylvania showing the same option to upgrade. What's the deal with this, anyhow?

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

Six weeks ago, unfortunate curiosity prompted me to click a button that I shouldn't have clicked. As a result, I lost a BB for four months. Here's what happened.

BB Colorado was at Pearl. She wasn't due for upgrades, yet her ship screen had the option to "conversion to BB." For years, I'd seen this option to convert some BBs to BB. This time, though, I clicked to "convert" BB Colorado to a "BB." When I did so, she went into the yards for 120 days (she's still there). Unfortunately for me, I was too far into a turn involving a thousand clicks to step back to an earlier save to "undo" the upgrade. I rationalized the dilemma by deciding that I wouldn't be needing all of my BBs anyhow and that it would be good to have at least one back in Pearl serving as a reserve in case things went awry in Big Tent or later.

Here's a screen shot of BB Pennsylvania showing the same option to upgrade. What's the deal with this, anyhow?

For whatever my $0.02 is worth, it might be the upgrade to replace the mix of 5" secondary guns with the 5/38 dual turrets that the modernized USN battlewagons had. Should give a big boost to the AA capabilities (which as Maryland can tell you, can come in handy).

Looking at the conversions in my DBB-C game, which seems to have different ones from yours (no BB Penn for instance), it does seem to create a big boost in AA.

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

Here's a screen shot of BB Pennsylvania showing the same option to upgrade. What's the deal with this, anyhow?

Long, long time since I looked at this, but I think in addition to armament there's a slight endurance change, and maybe durability too? Fuel tanks, or tower armor stripped off, or something similarly historical I have never studied due to my obsession with the really important USN platforms. That sink on purpose of course. [8D]

As I recall, it's very very similar to the scheduled upgrade and would complete around the same time. In-game, I couldn't tell a difference between the two options on the single ship I looked at (Colorado, I think).

3/1/44

Thank you for the information about the BB conversion/upgrade. That makes sense.

Third Ring: An unsuccessful attack at Gove holds promise. See map.

Fun House: The act is coming together. See map.

Merry Christmas: To all. And to all, a good night!

Looking forward to your egress with all your chickens! I'm betting John tries a blocking move if he can get there in time - he loves to sink ships too much to pass up that fat target even if it has teeth.

Thanks for all your efforts keeping us along for the ride! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all !

The retrieval of forward units is always fraught with danger. It takes time to get ships in, load them, and get them back out. All the time, the TFs are vulnerable to enemy combat ships or carriers. So you watch carefully, set up patrols, and try to provide some protection. But things can turn messy very fast.

Thus far, I've retrieved Australian divisions from Adak and Tarawa, both of which were proximate to big enemy bases, patrols and likely danger. And there were many other extractions. Thus far, not a single enemy plane, sub or combat ship has interfered. This is attributable mostly to two things: (1) Big Tent served as a vortex, drawing John's attention and assets, and (2) Kaigun is weak enough that John can't afford to commit DD TFs hither and yon and, to the extent that he has assets in the area, he's careful about committing them.

The three Australian RCT I'm going for now are scattered in the Marshalls. They are each prepping for separate islands - secondary objectives, if you will.

3/2/44

A good day across the map. The most significant development is that the enemy defense of Gove is cracking. But it's been a long day, so I'll let the map speak for me. Have a good night, all.

I'll let the map speak for me

And it speaks rather well! I agree about the combat at Gove -- casualties seem remarkably light on both sides, more in line for what you'd expect from a Bombardment attack rather than a Deliberate attack. What was John's reaction to the transport massacre?

John didn't mention it, but it's pretty rare for us to discuss combat results via email. This was just a supply TF, mainly of xAKLs, so I'm sure it didn't bother John to lose them.

The current situation in the DEI increasingly reminds me of northern Europe in the autumn of 1944. The Axis powers have seemingly disappeared from the battlefield. But they aren't defeated. John's going to turn on my eventually.

Over the past week, USN DD TFs have interdicted enemy supply missions to Davoa, Taulad-Eilendan, and Loewoek. John hasn't give those TFs any escort nor did he really try to intervene to stop the raiding. Where is the German Army? When and where will it turn and attack?