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As PBEM's advance things get FAR more complex and the capacity for errors increases dramatically.

I always think I'm thorough in checking all my air strikes, naval movements, etc, but still I discover that the smallest boneheaded mistakes result in very costly blunders.

I just lost 26 experienced bombers in a daylight raid that was supposed to be a night mission.

Tell me I'm not alone. Make me feel better.

Ouchie, here's something that will let you know you're not alone in this boat....

Late '41, I have my surviving B-17s operating out of a base in the southern Philippines. They have been training for a couple weeks and now I am ready to cut them loose.....

The mini-KB is spotted by Dutch aircraft coming around the southern Philippines to support an invasion TF approaching Davao. So, I slot the 4 squadrons of 17s to Naval Attack, hoping they'll hit either the amphib TF or the mini-KB.....but I do not limit their attack range....

Instead of hitting either the amphib group or the mini-KB (both less than 8 hexes away), the squadrons collectively decide to go pound on a AK (SINGLE) docked at a base in Formosa, flying right into a hornet's nest of Zeros on CAP.

When the turn ended, Davao was up to its eyeballs in Japanese soldiers, the mini-KB was sailing towards Palau and between Air-to-Air, AAA and ops losses, I had alot less B17s than I started the day with.

Well, I think this was a bug, not a mistake () but recently in one of my PBEMs, somehow, ever P-38 in the entire Pacific theater was stood-down.  Luckily I didn't get hit with any big bombing raids but half my airfields were un or under protected.

A few turns ago I lost some Bitish warships when I wanted to abort a bombardment mission, gave thema home port of Akyab but never hit the return to akyab button. So they went one hex closer to Rangoon to get into position and waited for the next day - except irrevant lit most of them on fire for me. [:(]

Speaking of bonehead bombardment missions one of my most common bonehead mistakes is forgetting to set bombardment TF to "no escort bombard"...they then proceed to sail right into the teeth of mines and CD guns...lost countless DDs that way.

i'll volunteer a mistake our opponents just confessed - early 1942 and the DEI is under heavy attack... a group of ships is about to go on a bombardment mission, when an Allied TF is spotted at Soerabaja... so the TF is redirected to Soerabaja to take it on.

However, in all the excitement, the TF mission is still set on bombardment. The CD guns at Soerabaja have an exciting night... and a week later, a CA sinks from damage received there. [:D]

I had a crazy one with Bobo where he accidently (he claims) sent an Invasion into Manila Bay on Dec 10, 1941!  It cost him a CA. 5-6 other warships, 10-15 AP, and most of the 4th Infantry Division.  I wiped it off the beaches of Manila and that was that!
 
Oooopppsss...
 

ORIGINAL: John 3rd

I had a crazy one with Bobo where he accidently (he claims) sent an Invasion into Manila Bay on Dec 10, 1941! It cost him a CA. 5-6 other warships, 10-15 AP, and most of the 4th Infantry Division. I wiped it off the beaches of Manila and that was that!

Oooopppsss...

I had the AI do that not once but twice. I don't know what it thought it was doing. 2 different invasion forces tried to sail right through the corrigidor/manilla guns. BLAM!

ORIGINAL: Cathartes



Tell me I'm not alone. Make me feel better.

I make boneheaded mistakes all the time[:D]

I was the Japanese in a pbem game (one of the early scenarios, around Guadalcanal). I was giving my G4Ms and A6Ms a much needed break in Rabual. After resting for several days I decided to renew my bombing of Port Moresby. I ordered the attack, ended and emailed the turn, and waited with much anticipation for the return of said turn. I had an overwhelming number of A6Ms and knew my forces would hit Port Moresby hard. I could not wait to see the destruction I had inflicted upon Port Moresby.

The next day I received the turn and almost cried when I watched the replay. I had forgotten to order my A6Ms to escort my G4Ms. If I recall correctly I lost 81 bombers that day (the die rolls were against me that day).

On the bright side when the game ended all enemy CVs were sunk (two by subs, posted in another post several days ago), most of it’s BBs, CAs and CLs.

I forget where level 5 and up airfield are now and again!!  [:(][:(][:(]

Boneheaded mistakes? Never made one of these. But I keep finding 'design flaws' and 'bugs' all the time... [;)][8D]

I make so many mistakes they wouldnt have me commanding the latrine guard unit[:D]

How about a bonehead mistake that turned out to be great move? In my game with Feinder I was hoping to get Force Z in a position to mess up his invasion at Merak. It was one hex too far away to get in at night, and I figured Miss Nell would ruin their day if I arrived during daylight, so I decided against it.

I forgot to reset the plot, and there they go charging into a Jap Surface fleet in daylight. They cleaned house, sinking outright 2 BB, a CA and a couple of DD. Subs got a wounded CL the next day. All at the cost of 1DD sunk, with a few other ships damaged and successfully withdrawn. And, it seems Miss Nell was not on naval tasking that day.

Getting away with a big mistake makes up for a few I didn't.

How about moving every unit from Canton to Hong Kong, and then your opponent's chinese forces just walk right in and take Canton. So now I am fighting to remove him from somewhere he shouldn't have been to begin with! That's just one mistake in the "Ballet of Brainless" that is my attempt at playing the japanese.

Oh...and invasions without Surface combatants or Air cover aren't too smart either [;)]

[:D]

taking Zuiho and her TF a bit to close to the philippines in support of reducing bataan. TF commander failed to protect hjis ships, as did venerable Hibiki, which gave me a slight chuckle, but it never should have happened as she had at least 5 DDs and 2 CAs covering her, including PT Killer Hibiki

Zuiho took a fish from PTs that i knew were in the area hoping to catch sumthing. she made it back to Camranh Bay, and is now sitting in dock finishing repairs

both commanders were "retired" upon return to port[:D]

now having said that, u dont win battles, let alone wars, without risk

Indeed,In a PBEM I sent my task force of 1 CA 4 CLs and 10 DDs from Java to Palembang after it had fallen to the Japanese there were two Japanese BBs operating in the area that I was aware of but my TF got in at night destroyed 1 CL 5 DDs and 4 AKs/APs and escaped with only 2 DDs suffering light damage.[:D] Stupidity probably that paid off. Long Live Adm Karl Doorman.[8D]

As for mistakes I sort of let the above force sit in port within range of Japanese bombers and such and lost a CL and several DDs. The sad thing is I let them sit there under attack for three days before I tried to get them out, I suppose i deserve having 3 DDs and 1 CL sink en route to another port with the rest of the force at 40SYS damage or above.[:(]

I have a new one for you

In a test game of AE I have running I forgot to order an Allied Division out of rest mode and a Jap Regt with a little air support just routed them..[:@][:@][:@]

Ah well at least it was just a test *coughs* of course that was deliberate I meant to test that routine....

I don`t think that I would call these bonehead mistakes. Maybe teething pains.[:D]