[font="Microsoft Sans Serif"]SW PAC: [/font] Joseph sent in some sweeps down here for the first time since taking the game over. Looks like he's about to start taking some steps to get moving.
On the 17th he sent in a bunch of P-38H groups with a few Kittyhawk III to Madang. I had a low CAP set, although not in the three step layering at 9k, 7k, and 5k that I'd been testing. I'd flown out the low group to cover some incoming supply transports. The defense still did well though, getting about 1:1 and only losing 6 pilots on the day. Others got good experience. I'll move in a fresh Tojo group for the 7k CAP and drop the remaining A6M5b group to 5k for tomorrow. J2M2 are at 9k. Of note, all groups scrambled fighters even though set to 60-70% CAP. Only one radar here so warning was poor.
Some troops are moving down here to add on to Umboi Island, Cape Goucester, Long Island and back fill in some rear bases after I flew the major garrison force from Wewak to Finschafen. Looks like the Allies aren't moving forward there anymore though from Lae. They have also stopped the little supply drops around NW Oz and into the Solomons.
[font="Microsoft Sans Serif"]BURMA: [/font] Lots of movement along the Arakan. More troops moving up to do something. Maybe just get Akyab and Ramree built up. With the update to the recent patch I've made the choice to only try to close bases when necessary since the cost is much hgher losing 3-5 Helens per strike to CAP when I wasn't losing any before the update. No complaints though. This should help my jungle troops in Burma hold and my HI defenses later.
[font="Microsoft Sans Serif"]CENT PAC: [/font] Nothing moving out here. Still getting big hits on PH for SIGINT. Nothing helpful in the rollover yet.
I found my three remaining midget sub carriers and I'm sending one midget to Wake to see if I can't hit the AR in there. I'll then try to go pick up the very damaged midgets at Marcus to get them back to a shipyard, fixed and recycled. Noticed too that I've now lost around 8 Glen subs, which sucks. I need a few more for deep ocean recon. I might se some of he smaller Husimi class AV for this with Norms on board out in the IO since I need good tabs on surprises there, and if I lose them to CV air it would be worth it to know something is coming. As long as the ships don't get sighted and tracked on SIGINT the Norms might even find the enemy at 12-15 hexes before he knows where they are, and they could potentially still get out of dodge. A secondary benefit woud be to see if Joseph will be reckless with his supply lines to Oz from Cape town. If so, tankers make nice VP heavy targets that burn nicely even after only a few 50kg bomb hits. [:)]
[font="Microsoft Sans Serif"]ECON: [/font]My supply is going down for the first time in a while due to engine factory enlargements recently undertaken. I set a limit for myself for all fort building and base expansion of Jan 1, 1944. Everything will stop at that date. I don't care if I think I need it or not. All major strong points will have 5-7 forts by this time anyway, and most HI bases will have at least 3 forts and the airfields expanded to accommodate the late war confusion of groups all over the place. All potential major landing zones in the DEI, Burmese/Thai/Malay coasts, Kuriles/Hokkaido, and the PI that I plan to defend should be at forts 5-7 by then too.
At that point I want to save a whole bunch of supply. Palembang has been feeding the Burma troops, Medan feeding Sumatra building, with Miri/Balikpapan/Tarakan serving my Aussie plans and sending some out to Babeldaop, then to the Marianas. China is self-sufficient. The only supply coming from the HI is really to South/Cent Pac, usually in combo with units moving down.
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AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR November 17, 42
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Morning Air attack on Madang , at 97,123
Weather in hex: Overcast
Raid detected at 37 NM, estimated altitude 33,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 7 minutes
Japanese aircraft
A6M5b Zero x 53
J2M2 Jack x 27
Allied aircraft
P-38H Lightning x 66
Japanese aircraft losses
A6M5b Zero: 7 destroyed
J2M2 Jack: 1 destroyed
Allied aircraft losses
P-38H Lightning: 6 destroyed
CAP engaged:
263 Ku S-1 with A6M5b Zero (0 airborne, 11 on standby, 11 scrambling)
5 plane(s) not yet engaged, 0 being recalled, 0 out of immediate contact.
Group patrol altitude is 9000 , scrambling fighters between 9000 and 33000.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 16 minutes
381 Ku S-1 with J2M2 Jack (0 airborne, 11 on standby, 11 scrambling)
5 plane(s) not yet engaged, 0 being recalled, 0 out of immediate contact.
Group patrol altitude is 9000 , scrambling fighters between 9000 and 31000.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 25 minutes
Hiryu-1 with A6M5b Zero (0 airborne, 11 on standby, 10 scrambling)
5 plane(s) not yet engaged, 0 being recalled, 0 out of immediate contact.
Group patrol altitude is 7000 , scrambling fighters between 7000 and 31000.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 31 minutes
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Morning Air attack on Madang , at 97,123
Weather in hex: Overcast
Raid detected at 13 NM, estimated altitude 13,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 4 minutes
Japanese aircraft
A6M5b Zero x 34
J2M2 Jack x 18
Allied aircraft
Kittyhawk III x 12
P-38H Lightning x 36
Japanese aircraft losses
A6M5b Zero: 2 destroyed
J2M2 Jack: 2 destroyed
Allied aircraft losses
Kittyhawk III: 2 destroyed
CAP engaged:
263 Ku S-1 with A6M5b Zero (0 airborne, 0 on standby, 14 scrambling)
3 plane(s) intercepting now.
1 plane(s) not yet engaged, 4 being recalled, 0 out of immediate contact.
Group patrol altitude is 9000 , scrambling fighters between 5000 and 17000.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 30 minutes
381 Ku S-1 with J2M2 Jack (0 airborne, 1 on standby, 9 scrambling)
4 plane(s) intercepting now.
8 plane(s) not yet engaged, 0 being recalled, 0 out of immediate contact.
Group patrol altitude is 9000 , scrambling fighters between 8000 and 14000.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 30 minutes
Hiryu-1 with A6M5b Zero (0 airborne, 0 on standby, 12 scrambling)
4 plane(s) intercepting now.
3 plane(s) not yet engaged, 0 being recalled, 0 out of immediate contact.
Group patrol altitude is 7000 , scrambling fighters between 7000 and 11000.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 26 minutes
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[font="Trebuchet MS"]He had several sweeping groups cooperate, and as shown here it took a while for the scramblers to arrive, but still Jacks and Zeros did well. [/font]










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