Dec 8th Surprise

[Rogue187]

I decided to FINALLY give the grand campaign a shot with AE. I was surprised to see the Jap TF actually stick around Pearl Harbor for another day. I lost almost every TF that I created on Dec 7th. ASW, Replinishment, the INDIANAPOLIS TF, all gone. The Pearl Harbor attackers are also heading south of Mideway to go west instead of north of it as I expected. Did this happen to anyone else or am I just unlucky?

[Laxplayer]

Actually you are lucky they only stuck around for one day. [;)]

Seriously, there are like 13 different scripts for the AI from the very conservative to the ultra-aggressive, and one will be randomly and secretly selected when you start the game.

There is a chance the KB could hit once and go home (like they did IRL).
OR
Hit once and then go hit Midway on the way home.
OR
Stick around for a 2nd day.
OR
Stick around for a 3rd day.
OR
Very rarely, they will stick around for a 4th day (I believe, AndyMac might correct me on this one).

[bruin]

It happens.  What I do is form up all my DDs into surface fleets and send them to the spot where the Japanese TF is. 

One time I got lucky and the Japanese TF didn't spot my surface fleet and DD was able to put a torpedo into one of the CVs.  While this was a bonus, the primary reason for doing this is it forces the Japanese TF to react and move away from Pearl, and if the TF does stick around to attack again, it goes after my DDs.  And I'd rather lose a few DDs than a few more BBs/CAs in port in Pearl.

[Rogue187]

I just remembered. Did anyone see the John Wayne movie They Were Expendible? The movie opens with the attack on Peal Harbor and John Wayne leads a small TF of surviving CLs and DDs to hunt for the Japanese carriers on Dec 7th in a probable sucide attack to get revenge. Does anyone know if such a TF really did exist or was it just for the movie? I am trying to decide if sending a surface fleet out would be considered ahistorical.

[Zacktar]

I think you mean In Harm's Way -- They Were Expendable had Wayne driving PTs in the Philippines. I don't think there was a sortie like that, but Halsey's Enterprise TF searched for KB in the area (and luckily for them, didn't find anything).

[rogueusmc]

ORIGINAL: bruin

It happens.  What I do is form up all my DDs into surface fleets and send them to the spot where the Japanese TF is. 

One time I got lucky and the Japanese TF didn't spot my surface fleet and DD was able to put a torpedo into one of the CVs.  While this was a bonus, the primary reason for doing this is it forces the Japanese TF to react and move away from Pearl, and if the TF does stick around to attack again, it goes after my DDs.  And I'd rather lose a few DDs than a few more BBs/CAs in port in Pearl.

I'd rather keep my DDs safe...you can't get enough of them...the cruisers and such at Pearl are more expendable IMHO.

[freeboy]

ok ca are the backbone of my fleet, especially in 42 when your remaining us bb are terrible torpedo bait

[herwin]

ORIGINAL: Laxplayer

Actually you are lucky they only stuck around for one day. [;)]

Seriously, there are like 13 different scripts for the AI from the very conservative to the ultra-aggressive, and one will be randomly and secretly selected when you start the game.

There is a chance the KB could hit once and go home (like they did IRL).
OR
Hit once and then go hit Midway on the way home.
OR
Stick around for a 2nd day.
OR
Stick around for a 3rd day.
OR
Very rarely, they will stick around for a 4th day (I believe, AndyMac might correct me on this one).

By the second day, the location of the KB will be obvious. By the third or fourth day, their sorties should be depleted. Commanders with character don't let bad things happen to them; they make bad things happen to the enemy.

[morganbj]

ORIGINAL: herwin

ORIGINAL: Laxplayer

Actually you are lucky they only stuck around for one day. [;)]

Seriously, there are like 13 different scripts for the AI from the very conservative to the ultra-aggressive, and one will be randomly and secretly selected when you start the game.

There is a chance the KB could hit once and go home (like they did IRL).
OR
Hit once and then go hit Midway on the way home.
OR
Stick around for a 2nd day.
OR
Stick around for a 3rd day.
OR
Very rarely, they will stick around for a 4th day (I believe, AndyMac might correct me on this one).

By the second day, the location of the KB will be obvious. By the third or fourth day, their sorties should be depleted. Commanders with character don't let bad things happen to them; they make bad things happen to the enemy.

Well, actually their sorties are not always depleted. I got hit at PH twice a day for six days a game or so ago. I lost six BB's, and maybe a dozen other ships of various flavors, with several dozen more having very heavy damage. the port and the airbase were at 80 or more damage, as well. It clogged up repairs at all WC shipyadrs for more than a year. I guess I had the script from hell.

This was before the first patch, so it mway be different. I don't know.

[Andy Mac]

[:D][:D][:D]

[Mike Scholl]

ORIGINAL: Andy Mac
[:D][:D][:D]

I keep waiting for the "turn about is fair play" script Andy. Where the weather is unexpectedly bad on 12/07 and the strike has to be delayed until 12/08 (no suprise). When do we see that possibility????

[Anthropoid]

Playing Hakko Ichiu on Hard: Jap AI launched two days of strikes on PH and sank every single BB at Pearl except for one (which will take about a year to fix). Also sank maybe a dozen other vessels. I did form up some TFs on day two but ordered them to flee the area.
 
KB then moved past Midway and bombed the airfields there into the Stone Ages. Might NEVER turn Midway back into a serviceable airfield, what with the 6000 limit on troops . . .
 
He has been a little bit slow in PI, DEI and MAL however, and I have effectively evaculated the entire island of Davao back to Bataan. Still one recently spawned Div in Manila that is RR moving to Clark and still a couple INF and ARM units waiting in Clark for the last man to jump before they pack up and head down the peninsula. Will be interesting to see if the AI can crack Bataan before the supplies run out (only about 45 or 50K, so it might actually not be that hard).
 
How do I minimize supply usage? Set lots of units to reserve and turn building off?
 
Also have completely evacuated Borneo, Sulawesi, and most of the other peripheral Dutch bases and am concentrating EVERYTHING Dutch (including Palembang) in Oosthaven, Merak and Batavia. Actually holding on to a couple of the other cities a bit further east on Java, but not many. Sumatra I have left untouched except for preemptive evacuation of Palembang.
 
Except for catching up to me between Khota Bharu and Temuloh, I have also pretty effectively run away on Malaya peninsula. Things look better for a long term hold out there with something more like 75K supplies in Singapore.
 
A couple jap subs have hit me WAAYY "behind" lines (Melbourne, San Diego) which is keeping me on my toes.
 
Great job on the AI Andy! [:D]