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Really? Q-Ball threw in the towel? Damn, that Italian dude is an IJ Wizard!

No. He won a CV--CV Battle.

OK. Dan's Fleet is still there and it looks like it is marking time. Will Post after I'm off work.

ORIGINAL: John 3rd

No. He won a CV--CV Battle.

Just read GJ's post. Really nice work there.

November 4, 1942

We have continuous tracking of the enemy fleet: HEX 98,159. We'll see how far it moves this next turn.

November 4, 1942

The enemy slowly moves up the coast of Aussieland. The TF moves up to 98,155. Just four hexes movement: VERY SLOW.

Notice the SS moving out to catch the TFs.

Also see the Outriders he has placed on the Flanks so I cannot get too close or force me to USELESSLY divert air strikes at 1-2 ship TF. There are a few small DD TF moving out to sink these vessels.

One might also notice something else on this screenshot... [:'(]

NOTE: This cannot be the entire Invasion Force. Three turns in a row spots it as four TF containing a BB and other TFs. No APs, CVs, etc...

Is this a DECOY? Since this is EXACTLY what I expected him to do I decide to check out other places. From Noumea I fan out 18 Emily from ESE to WSW. Move 18 more Emily to Exmouth and send them from 180-300*. We shall not be surprised my readers...

November 3-4, 1942
Combat Report

North Pacific
Pull 36 Nell from Aleutians and fly them to Wake. They will rest and then add weight to the fight down south.

Pick-up an SNLF Assault Brigade at Adak as well as 2 BF and 2 Engineer Units. They head for Truk.

Central Pacific
Nothing

South Pacific
CV Junyo continues healing at Gasmata. As of Nov 4th her stats are SYS 15, FLOT 52, ENG 15.

KB moves into intercept position SE of the SUPPOSED Invasion Force. Will wait for 1-2 days before truly moving. Want to make sure this is the REAL target.

Order out 3 STF of 3 DD each to hunt his sacrificial lambs posted on the flanks of the Allied Fleet. I believe this is gamey but it works. Two can play at that game as three small AKL sorties from Milne Bay to draw fire.

Horn Isle gets hit both days by B-17s and we exact several with each raid for little damage to the AF. Move a second Tojo unit to Lae to strengthen CAP. A second Daitai of Zeros lands at Lae. They serve the same purpose.

PLAN: If this is IT, I will move my large Val units to Lae, Milne Bay, Horn, and/or Tagula. They will attack at Range Seven. The Betty--Nell remain shielded at Lae and I will set their attack range to converge with that of the Vals. Kates stay in Reserve near Lae. I have Air Flotilla or Air Fleets at Rabaul, Gove, Lae, and Rabaul. The Kates can carry TTs from any of the AF next to Lae plus from the above-mentioned bases.


NW Australia
Gove is furiously expanding. Right now it is at Lvl-2/48. Three more Construction units begin unloading this turn. A total of 2 Eng Reg, 4 Con Bn, and 3 IJN Pioneer Bn are presently digging and paving as fast as possible. Wessel is about to go to Lvl-1 AF.

Have that SNLF Assault Brigade moving at FULL SPEED about 17 Knot APs to get to Merauke ASAP.

PREDICTION: Once again, if this is the Invasion then I believe he shall land at Terapo, Horn Isle, perhaps PM, and hook left to Merauke and Gove.

CVEs and BB TF make it to Soerabaja to refuel. Depart for Koepang immediately. Add a CL and 2 DD to TFs.

Port Hedlund is hit by 3-5 B-24 each day and a few Tojos manage to shot down a pair of them.

Burma
Nail Ramree both days. On the 4th he pulls out his remaining CAP.

Rangoon is hit by B-17s both days and Fighters/AA do some damage. Why is he attacking shipping with these planes? I will admit that a B-7 does hit a DMS with one 500 lb bomb.

Am rotating aircraft and have gotten two Zero Daitai to full strength as well as one Tojo Sentai. Will get another Tojo to full complement tomorrow.

Take hex 61,42 NW of Katha on the 4th. Drive out an Infantry unit and a HQ unit. NICE!

Order two Base Forces to Myitkyna as well as two Para Units.

Order two Inf Div in Manchuria to begin prepping for Lashio. Will buyout one in two days for immediate shipment to Rangoon.

GREAT NEWS: BB Mutsu makes it to Port Blair! How about that?!! She is at SYS 25, FLOT 66, ENG 32. SYS and FLOT drop by 1 on the 4th. This will take a bit but things look fairly good at the moment.

China
China HQ begins prep for Kweilin and is ordered aboard train to move down to the end of the railline for passage towards the target. This HQ unit is joined by two more ID, 2 Eng Reg, and 6 Art Reg.

Engineering
Hanoi AF-2
Wessel AF-1/Fort-1

Here is a current screenshot of Burma's Lines:

Here is where I expect the hammer to fall:




Forgot to list Lunga as a rapid deployment force as well. Both Lunga and Munda have Inf Div with full strength shipping ready in the base for loading. Darwin has a Brigade ready to move.

The Invasion Force (?) moves only three hexes from 98,155 to 98,152 and is headed NW. There are now all sorts of small TF feelers/sacrificial lambs peeling off of the TF. This is so _________ but OK. Why so slow? Where are the CVs?? Was Kennedy shot from the Grassy Knoll???

Move a Daitai of Vals to Tagula along with some Tojo. If that small TF remains it shall be hit. Have a Base Force about to unload at Tagula so I can operate over 100 planes there. It gains a pair of DDs for protection along with another DD pair who will try to intercept and hit whatever is in that TF.

Will Post the bottom half of this screenshot in a second.

This top portion of the screen links up with the bottom of the above Post.

KB moves slowly looking at the developing picture. Zeros are at 60% CAP. Vals and Kates Training until tomorrow. I could easily spring forward and hit that TF moving along the coast but my gut says "NO!"

A pair of 2 DD TF and a CL--DD TF to move and sink those targets shown with YELLOW.

Paras grab Lord Howe Isle and destroy 4 old Empire Search Planes. Tomorrow we'll grab Norfolk. Am using just 75-125 troops per drop. Want him scratching his head some!

Two Tina Daitai are now at Munda in case I need to airlift troops to an embattled area.

It's getting exciting...

Not quite the WORDS I have for it...

How about interesting? Perplexing?? WEIRD??? CRAZY???



Will take any thoughts that anyone has...

Some things I see....
1) Moonlight is down to 3% so be aware how you form any SC TF that may engage in night time combat. Without radar you may be in trouble as it may lead to a knife fight. Remember Akyab. [:-]
2) Picket ships on the edges away from his primary TFs to be seen and killed by you.
3) Weather - remember to hit the "K" button early in your daily order giving phase to see what the probable forecast is for this section of the map.
4) Dan seems to be giving up tactical surprise for what may be strategic surprise. Why?!?

Hi Michael. I was watching Chris's AMAZING T-Ball Game when you called and didn't a chance to call back when I went to the store for Inventory tonight.

I have decided that what I have been tracking is the Invasion Fleet. Spotted a couple of TF off Geraldton last turn but shall ignore them. Once again, as in the Aleutians, he tries to distract me with a diversion. NOT! Dan KNOWS that I KNOW what he is doing. My guess is that he has bunches of Fighters covering his TF from Australia. His CVs are probably lurking and providing LRCAP. He has no Air Search pinging any of my small TF.

It is time to commit team.

PLANS/ORDERS for next turn:
1. I am CERTAIN of his targets: PM, Horn Isle, and Terapo. I shall begin Airlifting in the SNLF Assault Brigade to Terapo. It is weakest of the targets. Forts hit 3 in just a day or two.
2. Will assemble AP--AKs at Munda and Lunga to load their Inf Div as a counter-landing force. I've carefully kept my ID in Theatre and they are all full strength.
3. Figuring he shall use his bases for LRCAP I think I shall POUND Cooktown (Lvl-3 AF) and try to make it unusable as a LRCAP platform. Try to beat him to the punch in this case. Will use 4 Daitai of Betty--Nell for this with heavy Escort.
4. He will be at his most vulnerable when he spilts his TF for multiple landings. Figure EVERY BB in the US Fleet to be present and that shall be dangerous; therefore, we'll use PM and the Lae complex for major strikes.
5. KB to move forward away from New Caledonia. Will try not to get spotted and prepare to attack. I am willing to bet his CVs are trailing the Invasion Force by 3-5 hexes. I WANT those CVs! Will try for a 7 hex strike but cannot guarantee this due to not knowing where his CVs exactly are.
6. Will move SS NW and bring them in to the coast. Shall add another 6 SS within 1-2 days.
7. ML SS headed for Horn and a ML TF with 400+ Mines going to Terapo.

His CV are the key. If they can be damaged and/or mauled then the Invasion falls apart and I buy time.

The Kido Butai
Will Order KB to shift planes over to strike mode. Was looking at the Air Groups and MAN they are in GREAT SHAPE! I think every Zero unit is in the mid-70s or better. Vals and Kates are solid. I've got nearly 100 Jakes for Air Search. The pilots have had nearly 3 months of constant training so they are about as good as they are gonna be.

CarDiv1 (Akagi-Kaga-Ryujo w/87 Zero, 48 Val, 56 Kate), 2 BC, 4 CA, 1 CL, 9 DD
CarDiv2 (Hiryu-Soryu-Shoho w/69 Zero, 48 Val, 41 Kate), 2 BC, 2 CA, 1 CL, 9 DD
CarDiv5 (Sho-Zui-Zuiho w/75 Zero, 55 Val, 45 Kate), 2 BB, 4 CA, 1 CL, 10 DD
CarDiv3 (Hiyo, Ryuho, Nisshin w/70 Zero, 21 Val, 26 Kate), 2 CA, 2 CL, 7 DD

Total: 301 Zero, 172 Val, 168 Kate

CAP 60% and varied Altitude ranging from 9,000-25,000 Feet. Most CAP set at 18,000. Always wander back-and-forth over CAP and Altitude. Any thoughts and/or recommendations here?

Here is where I expect to throw EVERYTHING at the Allied Force in about 5-6 days:




I will gladly listen to ANY suggestions that anyone makes!

Don't set the CAP too high imho. 25,000 feet is useless. The enemy's DBs won't arrive higher than 15,000 and so the highest escort will be at 18,000. Probably 19,000 should be the max altitude of your CAP. Consider also that the lack of radar (or of a decent one for what it matters) will mean that your planes will have very little time to reach the bombers...so the closer they are, the better. I'd go for 30% of your zeros at 8,000, 30% at 13,000 and 40% at 18/19,000. Nothing higher than that imho

Would it be useful to set some CAP very low to hunt for TBs? Or would they just be chewed up by escorts?

ORIGINAL: BigBadWolf

Would it be useful to set some CAP very low to hunt for TBs? Or would they just be chewed up by escorts?

Don't think so. When you are at 8,000 feet you have plenty of time to get to 5,000 (which is the usual TB altitude)...Maybe a small Daitai at 3,000 feet...

I usually always have some zeros at 2,000 but they are there to counter the strafing B-25G, not the Avengers

Just set your CAP at 10000 with perhaps one or two groups on the CVLs at 15000. Having the fighter escorts at the same alt as your DBs and TBs greatly increases strike co-ordination.

I love my fellow posters but perhaps tactical advice assumes a carrier battle is indeed coming. If you are reading the other AAR be most careful about specifics