Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee, Docup(A)-Koniu(J)

[koniu]

ORIGINAL: GreyJoy

ORIGINAL: koniu

PM have 400AV behind fort 4
Milne Bay small SNLF garrison[:@]
Shortlands 200AV behind fort 5
Munda 200AV behind fort 4
Lunga 500AV behind fort 5

But only PM and Lunga can give some resistance. Short lands and Munda will not hold agains enemy ID for more than few days. I hope long enough to give time to KB.

One HQ have range 1 second 4

Ok, have u built Buka AF?

200 AVs behind 4 forts in jungle hex isn't exactly a walk in the park if the garrison hasn't been ground bombed for weeks. If Munda is the target, you will get there in time if you run.

Milne won't hold but it's pretty close to Rabaul...9 hexes... enough to cause him some headhaces with your LBA.... do you have any surface asset nearby?

Sory, Buka is dot hex. I not build Salomons much, rookie mistake on my side. When i was smart enough to start building things there i focus only on few bases to have at lest something there.

Salomon dont see any bombers from months. I think last bombing raid was there around September so troops are fresh.

I have few CA, CL and DD in Truk. But i do not want to use them against enemy CV without air support
If Ducup have there all CV and CVE he is able to send 600+ planes in air. Also he will have BBs so waste of ships.


I will gather planes in Truk and depending of situation i will decide probably tomorrow what to do.
Rabaul is AF lvl 8 with 500 air support, and 560AV garrison and fort 6. If i will see opportunity to attack him i will if not i will wait with LBA to KB arrival.

I hope Ducup is bold enugh and will Try to land in Rabaul[:D]. That will be something

And i have two ID in Ponope (one is prepered to Rabaul) So if naval battle will be promising i can try counter invasion.


For me that move is chance to CV battle when i still have better planes. I was almost sure that docup will wait with move when F6F arrive.

[GreyJoy]

He would be a fool to land at Rabaul. 
Is he reconning any particular base lately? However yes, this is a good moment to strike. Keep you ships at Rabaul safe for the moment. Hopefully he'll target Munda so you'll have a couple of days to let the KB arrive... remember to maximise your Naval search and to loose your LBA only when the DL of the enemy TFs is high enough.
Change your bomber leader with ones with great inspiration and change the Air HQ leader with someone with great air skill....and then run like hell with your KB! Would be usefull to have a replenishment TF (even if little) north of Rabaul if your KB would need to refuel before attacking

[koniu]

ORIGINAL: GreyJoy

He would be a fool to land at Rabaul. 
Is he reconning any particular base lately? However yes, this is a good moment to strike. Keep you ships at Rabaul safe for the moment. Hopefully he'll target Munda so you'll have a couple of days to let the KB arrive... remember to maximise your Naval search and to loose your LBA only when the DL of the enemy TFs is high enough.
Change your bomber leader with ones with great inspiration and change the Air HQ leader with someone with great air skill....and then run like hell with your KB! Would be usefull to have a replenishment TF (even if little) north of Rabaul if your KB would need to refuel before attacking

There can be problem wit fast AO TF he is currently loading fuel in Balikpapan


He is reckoning all major bases in Solomons expect Buna and Lae

Thanks GreyJoy
Banzai

[koniu]

OK. Lets fight.

Salomons
Rabul have now 180 2E naval bombers and 70 A6M5. In Buna i have 90 A6M3a. They had no range to fly to Rabaul directly. Both aHQ have good commanders. One have air skill 72 second 78.
I have check bomber commanders they are bast what i can give them.
Fighters CAP over base, bombers on standby

I have currently Amphibious TF unloading CD unit and supplies in Rabaul. I hope they unload fast enough.

I move also 24 H6 and H8 patrol planes to area to have it better covered.

I create some midget subs TF maybe they will have luck.
All available subs in area are diverted toward Salomon Sea.

Docup know that i know he is coming so probably tomorrow i will se some 4E in air

KB

Leave Ternate today. Mission speed only for now. They with meet with four BB tomorrow. They have to travel 41 hexes to Rabul plus some reserve for positioning for fight and return to Truk. Because of slow CV in TF i can move only 7/14 hex at day.
To avoid sea refueling every turn i will switch home base to nearest Japanese base.

Most of DD will sail forward, that way i will safe fuel for them because even if KB will flank for two days DDs will only have to flank for only one day and still i will have them together before battle.

AO TF will end tomorrow loading fuel in Balikpapan and will flank toward Salomons.
I cant have it there before battle but i will need fuel after battle for sure. Or not[:(]

Tomorrow i will do sandbox scenario. I will create force composition like current one and i will test like fuel reserve is behaving. That way i will find compromise between time of arrival and fuel reserve.

I know i can flank for one day. I need to test if i can go flank for two days.


For sure KB cant be at Salomons earlier that in 4 days. So prabably LBA will have to buy me time. If Docup decide to land close enug of Rabaul they will strike. Bad timing with that HQ planed for shorthands. Only two days of delay. I am moving all avaible transport planes. Maybe i manage to airlift HQ to another base. But i need to wait where he will land. I do not want send HQ to base that will be invaded

I am sending Some Army bombers to Salomon's. If he capture base i will need to try to close it. I am sending all A6M5 from Burma back to Salomon's.

[koniu]

It can be good opportunity to have CV battle before F6F era and i still have technological advantage also his TT have still 50 or 60% dud rate(not sure). Also i will have support of almost 400 LBA planes. An if i capture him still unloading, result can be promising because probably half of his planes will fly from CVE.

I am moving all my best pilots to KB fighter units. I will have two fighter units flying CAP at 0 range with purely 80+ XP pilots. Rest will have pilots 60-80XP.

KB will fight as single TF because of fuel situation. I need to avoid spreading my carries around half of Salomon's because one TF will decide to refuel.

I will also start intel war with Docup. I will send him few emails to make him think that i am closer so maybe he will move slower and i will buy one or two days.

[obvert]

Your opponent has shown before he is fairly bold. If he is preparing his force correctly and landing at a base that has no troops, he could be in and out in two days. You may get there with KB to pick up the scraps, but he could have 2-3 new bases by then that you'll not be able to reconquer.

[koniu]

ORIGINAL: obvert

Your opponent has shown before he is fairly bold. If he is preparing his force correctly and landing at a base that has no troops, he could be in and out in two days. You may get there with KB to pick up the scraps, but he could have 2-3 new bases by then that you'll not be able to reconquer.

I am calculating 4 days max until he land. So if lucky, and KB fuel will allow me, there is chance to catch some big fish.

There is so many things that can go wrong that delay is very probable option.

I am at work and still no turn from Docup, when i have it i will be lot smarter.
I must remember that it can be only decoy. Remember i not seen any CV so far. I only know that there is CAP above enemy, but it can be single CVE only and invasion can have place in Sumatra or Java[&:].

[GreyJoy]

Well, usually if a nav search plane gets shot down, it means there are a lot of planes on CAP (this is by far just a rule of dumb, mind you), so i guess you're right expecting the full CVs team and not just a CVE

[koniu]

ORIGINAL: GreyJoy

Well, usually if a nav search plane gets shot down, it means there are a lot of planes on CAP (this is by far just a rule of dumb, mind you), so i guess you're right expecting the full CVs team and not just a CVE

So i can expect 4 big CV and up to 9 CVE Giving around 600-700 planes
Japan will have have 650 planes in KB and 400 LBA.

So numbers are on mu side until he capture AF

[obvert]

Why not do one day of flank now? If you wait until you know you might go in with few op points left that turn and be more vulnerable to a counter-strike.

[koniu]

ORIGINAL: obvert

Why not do one day of flank now? If you wait until you know you need to you might go in with few op points left that turn and be more vulnerable to a counter-strike.

Because i need to gather first entire KB in one place. It happen today. Tomorrow i will flank, probably next day also.(i will test how much fuel i will have after two days of flank.

30 Jan 43
As expected 4E bomb airfields all over Salomon's. 90 Fighters rebased to Buma from DEI engage almost 80 B-24D Liberators. 12 monsters go down for lose of 11 A6M3a(4A2A, 3ground, 4 ops)
That is good news bad is that today i have only 35 Zeros operational and 45 damaged. Buma is closed so i will need to evacuate undamaged fighters to Rabaul leaving rest behind. After sending active planes to Rabaul and disabling one of leftovers in Buma i was manage to reinforce entire Sentai in Rabaul so Tommarow i will have again entire unit reedy to fight


Other bases bombarded today - Luga and Shortlands.

It look like Docup want to secure left side of Salomon Sea. and cut of PM from empire
Potential landing points are Milne bay (AF 0),Woodlark Island (AF 0) Tagula Island (AF 2), and of Course PM(AF 3) directly. Tree first not defended and capable to build lvl 5 AF

Rabaul was reckoned today so he know that i have there 160 bombers and 90 fighters.
I thinking to give them naval attack order on range 9 (Milne bay distance) If he split his forces i have big chance to hit him hard.

Enemy speed his forces in two hexes. I see 6 TF but only one is showing planes (130 fighters and 40 bombers). Low but i do not have knowledge about DL

[koniu]

Good news. I can disable Buna damage fighters and they will move back to pool.

[koniu]

I made test and after moving at flank 30 hexes forces are steel capable to move 60-80 hexes at normal speed. So tomorrow i will flank and in next day also.

[obvert]

ORIGINAL: koniu

I made test and after moving at flank 30 hexes forces are steel capable to move 60-80 hexes at normal speed. So tomorrow i will flank and in next day also.

So useful to have a test scenario for these things. Well done.

Good luck with this. You seem on top of things here. It'll be interesting since as you say he's short on CVs (4 operational) and you have a large KB that will at least have a chance to strike.

[koniu]

ORIGINAL: obvert

ORIGINAL: koniu

I made test and after moving at flank 30 hexes forces are steel capable to move 60-80 hexes at normal speed. So tomorrow i will flank and in next day also.

So useful to have a test scenario for these things. Well done.

Good luck with this. You seem on top of things here. It'll be interesting since as you say he's short on CVs (4 operational) and you have a large KB that will at least have a chance to strike.

What is worry me is that i make that test 3 times. I one Kaga colide with DD.
Destroyer sunk and Kaga take serius damage and some time in shipyard[:@]

[koniu]

Turn is still on Docup side.

I made stupid mistake last turn. I was tired when doing turn.
After making all orders i save game to temporary file and i start playing with economy. Plane, engine production etc. After few moments i decide to go sleep so i ended turn and i have send it to Docup.

After few mementos, already being in bed and almost sleeping i found out what i have done.
Fast i start my PC and resend Turn to Docup this time with not screwed industry.

It was close to end tommarow withaou plane production and 1M supplies neede to repair damages [:D]

[koniu]

31 Jan 43

Burma
I lost 18 (18 pilots KIA) Ki-49 bombers from flak. But i was aware that will happen. They bomb enemy troops south of Akyab. It was reckon by combat mission.

Enemy units confirmed.

27th Infantry Division
18th British Division
39th Indian Division
3rd Carabiniers Regiment
46th Indian Brigade
268th Motorised Brigade
BFF Brigade
1st RM Heavy AA Regiment
85th British AT Gun Regiment

Salomons
Enemy is landing at Tagula Island. One big ship concentration is around island. So invasion ships, SAG and probably CVEs. Main carrier force is 90 nm south of Tagula.
Enermy have not lant on island.

I lost on ground 23 A6M3a in Buna. Those where damaged planes.
Rabaul have now 160 fighters and 180 bombers.

KB is near Hollandia. I will show up in Salomon Sea in 24h. Today i will refuel at sea from BB and CV.
Mostly DD need fuel. I will move 7 hexes toward Wewak hoping to be not detected at morning and in second day i will flank toward Salomon's and kill everything in my way.
I will also unleash 180 bombers from Rabaul. If everything go OK I will have 600 bombers and 400 fighters attacking.
I only hope Docup will stay those 2 days in Salomons

More soon

R&D
D4Y1 enter production

[koniu]

Do not know way but last post not move my thread up....

[obvert]

Looks good. Hope he feels he caught you off guard and decides to stay a bit. If it's one of those in and out invasions that the Allies can do so well, you may miss him. Still, Tagula is not a prime spot to have only one base. He must go for more, right? If not, keep it suppressed. I've learned my lesson on that one from Terapo in my game.

[koniu]

ORIGINAL: obvert

Looks good. Hope he feels he caught you off guard and decides to stay a bit. If it's one of those in and out invasions that the Allies can do so well, you may miss him. Still, Tagula is not a prime spot to have only one base. He must go for more, right? If not, keep it suppressed. I've learned my lesson on that one from Terapo in my game.

From strategic point of view capturing Tagula alone will not change much for me. For him it can be base from where he can have some extra LBA support for future landings. Currently it is lvl 2 AF but it is enough for fighters and small bombers. I am sending K-49 from Burma. They are useless right now there and i will need them to suppress Tagula.


I hoping that he will try to land in another base. Maybe PM or Milne Bay, Woodlark is an option but probably to close to Rabaul
He was doing those two stage invasions earlier.
When He landing in Marshals he first capture and secure one Island, and few days later second. And because we are slaves of habits i hoping he will do that same.

Tomorrow he will unload and capture Tagula. To capture second base he will need another two days. So lets say i have 50% chances to capture him during second landing, maybe still with troop on ships.

For 100% i will know tomorrow. If Tulagi was only target he will be gone if he stay he will prabably land somewhere els also