Westerley Wind, Fine NJP72 (J) vs Lowpe (A) DBB Sce 30

[njp72]

Meanwhile the slaughter continues around Ningpo.

6 x Fletchers DD definitely gone (good) vs 1 x BB (Hiei) + 1 CA crippled and will go plus another 2 or so IJA DDs. Also a useful minelaying convoy got it self obliterated by an aggressive Allied SAG.

Not a great turn but the fact that the IJN can get at least into gun and torp range before being annihilated is a small plus.

That is 35 Fletchers now gone and a stack have to be damaged but they keep rolling on.

[njp72]

At some cost from last turns antics, I have now managed to place 30 odd warships (mostly DDs) at Shanghai in reasonable good order.

Now an interesting tactical dilemma awaits. To the immediate west in the adjacent hex is the Allied CV task force. To the immediate south is the Allied anchorage at Ningpo.

The opportunities are now ripe but it is highly likely if I go for it, very few of the 30 odd warships will revisit a Japanese port again.

The other course of action is to attempt to break out to the south east and north east back to Japan. To live to fight another day???

A virtual Leyte Gulf scenario being played out over the next turn.

[njp72]

Of course I went for it!

Battle of Leyte Gulf mark 2

What kind of IJN admiral would not surge forward to certain destruction when he could take a few yankees with him.

The carnage was predictably horrific, especially for the IJN but there were a few bright spots, including below:

[MBF]

Well done !!

[njp72]

Well done !!

Thanks

However it is a bit of a pyrrhic victory of sorts. Not much of the IJN is currently combat capable aside from the carriers which are largely untouched.

[njp72]

2 x CVEs definitely went down with their precious cargo of Hellcats and Corsairs. Has to be 5 or 6 of those suckers sank by now which is quite a few for late Jan 44.

Had my chances again against the Fleet CVs but Nagato choked and then ate about 6 torps from Fletchers. Its shooting had been flawless during the war but given the ultimate gunner's dream and the boys dropped the ball.

[njp72]

Tactical situation next morning amongst the debris.

Well I have successfully cleared him out of the anchorage at Ningpo which is a win of sorts. I still have 20 odd warships at Shanghai (again mostly DDs) rearmed and ready to go for round 2 if I pull the trigger. His CVs and CVE taskforces have scattered so it is mostly ASW craft and a few angry Fletchers still prowling around. Not sure the risk/ reward is worth it.

What I really need is a follow up BB taskforce to smash into Ningpo but of course this doesn't exist.

I don't mind the IJN going down swinging as long as it is in a torp/ gunfight. I hate to lose good ships to subs or air.

It is all about points. The quicker I can get to 60K the happier I will be for the remainder of 44 when the inevitable strat bombing starts. Today's antics hopefully bought me several weeks, maybe a month as he pull backs and regroups (in reality probably about 3 days .

[RangerJoe]

2 x CVEs definitely went down with their precious cargo of Hellcats and Corsairs. Has to be 5 or 6 of those suckers sank by now which is quite a few for late Jan 44.

Had my chances again against the Fleet CVs but Nagato choked and then ate about 6 torps from Fletchers. Its shooting had been flawless during the war but given the ultimate gunner's dream and the boys dropped the ball.

I think that I know what the problem was. The TF commander, the Nagato's skipper, the Nagato's gunnery officer, plus the skippers, torpedo and gunnery officers were drooling so much that it distracted them!

[njp72]

2 x CVEs definitely went down with their precious cargo of Hellcats and Corsairs. Has to be 5 or 6 of those suckers sank by now which is quite a few for late Jan 44.

Had my chances again against the Fleet CVs but Nagato choked and then ate about 6 torps from Fletchers. Its shooting had been flawless during the war but given the ultimate gunner's dream and the boys dropped the ball.

I think that I know what the problem was. The TF commander, the Nagato's skipper, the Nagato's gunnery officer, plus the skippers, torpedo and gunnery officers were drooling so much that it distracted them!

LOL , I think you are spot on. Only had about 4 to 5 Fleet CVs to hit but instead decided to go after a Fletcher. It did hit the Enterprise with some very handy 25mm rounds but saved the main gun ammo to give some Fletcher crews a nice bath with all of the shell splashes. Good to see the crew and skipper paid the ultimate price for their failure.

[RangerJoe]

2 x CVEs definitely went down with their precious cargo of Hellcats and Corsairs. Has to be 5 or 6 of those suckers sank by now which is quite a few for late Jan 44.

Had my chances again against the Fleet CVs but Nagato choked and then ate about 6 torps from Fletchers. Its shooting had been flawless during the war but given the ultimate gunner's dream and the boys dropped the ball.

I think that I know what the problem was. The TF commander, the Nagato's skipper, the Nagato's gunnery officer, plus the skippers, torpedo and gunnery officers were drooling so much that it distracted them!

LOL , I think you are spot on. Only had about 4 to 5 Fleet CVs to hit but instead decided to go after a Fletcher. It did hit the Enterprise with some very handy 25mm rounds but saved the main gun ammo to give some Fletcher crews a nice bath with all of the shell splashes. Good to see the crew and skipper paid the ultimate price for their failure.

A person has to have a sense of humor in this game as well as life. Laughter is the second best medicine after wine!

[njp72]

I think that I know what the problem was. The TF commander, the Nagato's skipper, the Nagato's gunnery officer, plus the skippers, torpedo and gunnery officers were drooling so much that it distracted them!

LOL , I think you are spot on. Only had about 4 to 5 Fleet CVs to hit but instead decided to go after a Fletcher. It did hit the Enterprise with some very handy 25mm rounds but saved the main gun ammo to give some Fletcher crews a nice bath with all of the shell splashes. Good to see the crew and skipper paid the ultimate price for their failure.

A person has to have a sense of humor in this game as well as life. Laughter is the second best medicine after wine!

Fully agree!

Sigh, what could have been......

[njp72]

One final hurrah (or should I say banzai) before the lads are overwhelmed.

About 12 ships survived from the initial taskforce of just under 40 surface combatants that surged into Ningpo.

They went down swinging.

[ny59giants]

Your naval assets may not be what you want, but seeing just two capital warships in that CV TF for the Allies would be concerning for me. Kamikazes will love that!!
Any ability to hit his support ships? ARs have got to be very useful for Allied player this far away from major repair shipyards. Large AEs, too.

[njp72]

Your naval assets may not be what you want, but seeing just two capital warships in that CV TF for the Allies would be concerning for me. Kamikazes will love that!!
Any ability to hit his support ships? ARs have got to be very useful for Allied player this far away from major repair shipyards. Large AEs, too.

LOL, I think my naval assets are stuffed . Perhaps in a month I can scrape up a few minor taskforces with the major issue being the lack of DDs and CLs (and CAs and BBs and )

Every turn Kamikazes break through and strike something but the a/c I am utilizing lack the punch to inflict major damage.

Its not all doom and gloom, the USN has to be hurting from the carnage over the last month and his a/c pools must also be low. Very hard to go after his support ships because of the heavy protection he affords them and two, I am having a very hard time working out where they are positioned/based.

Cracking game.

[njp72]

Summary from tracker

Not completely accurate but reasonably close (except for Allied CVs 2 sank vs 7 )

The dire state of the IJN DD stocks is well illustrated.

[njp72]

Good results in the air this turn which makes a nice change.

Frank R, Oscar IV and Zero 8 continue to render good service on the defence.

[njp72]

The disappointment this turn (and there are usually many for Japan in 44) was the unsinkable Hibiki having led a charmed life got it in the jugular. Another hero vanquished to the Yasukuni Shrine.

[njp72]

The lord giveth

(I don't even remember that occurring

[njp72]

And then he taketh away

[njp72]

This thing doesn't miss when employed as a kamikaze which is starting to make me wonder whether something may be amiss (it is only taken a few years to come to that realization). Effectively it is an unstoppable guided missile, harpoon like, once it is through the CAP)

It could of course be attributed to my incredible skill and tactical genius but unfortunately it is not

I just offered Lowpe the opportunity for the D4YC to be withdrawn as a kamikaze but regardless I should stop using it henceforth. He is such a gentleman that he may allow me to keep using it but that clearly would not be the right thing to do.

But it is soooooo much fun!!!!!

The mission below was the one that broke the camel's back. 5 broke through the CAP for 5 hits and I suspect no more CVL Langley based on the a/c destroyed on the ground.