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Hello everybody. First time posting, currently playing Scen #26 DBL, as my first GC campaign game.
Playing between Hard and Very Hard for AI level.

Play allies as am AFB and SSFB, and ArtyFB as being an former Quartermaster of a 637 class SSN and then
a second tour of duty in the Army as an artilleryman

Have played most of Gary Grigsby's back when I had my Apple IIe and then my first PC.

Much thanks to all the people who have taken the time to write AAR and provide their tips of wisdom
and strategy. Plus for the creative way many write their AAR [&o]


SETTING THE STAGE:

Air TF consisting of Lexington, Sara,Enterprise sitting five hexes NNE of Wake to ambush resupply TF.
From the high DL of various subs near HI, PI I was 75% certain that the full KB was not around my part
of the ocean.

Cats flying out of Midway detects IJN KB, so I decided to give an early carrier battle a try.
I head for a spot that place me due west of where I expected the KB to be heading for.

Oops, caused a pucker factor for one roud of surface combat as both TF's meet.(see below). Both TF's
separated and ended up three hexes away from each other.

Before the fun began this message pop up so I was already ready to start cursing like a sailor, to make any of
my former Chief Petty Officers proud. But it may have been a good thing as we shall see.


AIR STRIKES
12 x VT-2 TBD-1 Devastator flight loses cohesion
15 x VT-3 TBD-1 Devastator flight loses cohesion


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day Time Surface Combat, near Kure Island at 151,93, Range 29,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
CV Kaga
CV Akagi
CA Tone
CA Chikuma
CL Yura
DD Minekaze
DD Sawakaze
DD Yukaze

Allied Ships
CV Lexington
CV Saratoga
CV Enterprise
CA Portland
CA Indianapolis
CA Northampton
CA Chester
DD Ellet
DD Fanning
DD Drayton
DD Lamson

Maximum visibility in Clear Conditions: 30,000 yards
CONTACT: Japanese lookouts spot Allied task force at 23,000 yards
CONTACT: Allied lookouts spot Japanese task force at 23,000 yards
Both TF attempt to withdraw!
Range increases to 29,000 yards...
CV Kaga engages CV Saratoga at 29,000 yards
CA Tone engages CV Saratoga at 29,000 yards
CA Northampton engages CV Akagi at 29,000 yards
CA Indianapolis engages DD Yukaze at 29,000 yards
CA Portland engages DD Sawakaze at 29,000 yards
DD Fanning engages CV Akagi at 29,000 yards
Task forces break off...


IJN 1st air attack
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Morning Air attack on TF, near Kure Island at 152,93

Weather in hex: Partial cloud

Raid detected at 76 NM, estimated altitude 22,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 32 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 10
B5N2 Kate x 22
D3A1 Val x 25

Allied aircraft
F2A-3 Buffalo x 5
F4F-3A Wildcat x 8
F4F-3 Wildcat x 16

Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 1 destroyed
B5N2 Kate: 4 destroyed, 1 damaged
B5N2 Kate: 1 destroyed by flak
D3A1 Val: 5 destroyed, 8 damaged

Allied aircraft losses
F4F-3A Wildcat: 1 destroyed
F4F-3 Wildcat: 1 destroyed

FIRST BIT OF LUCK, ONLY LOST 2 CAP ac to 1 Zero, 4 Kates, and 5 Val going down
SECOND BIT OF LUCK: No serous hits on my carriers, all could still launch ac

Allied Ships
CV Lexington, Bomb hits 1
CA Chester, Bomb hits 1, on fire
CV Saratoga, Bomb hits 2
CV Enterprise

Aircraft Attacking:
13 x B5N2 Kate launching torpedoes at 200 feet
Naval Attack: 1 x 45cm Type 91 Torp
4 x D3A1 Val releasing from 1000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 250 kg SAP Bomb
8 x D3A1 Val releasing from 3000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 250 kg SAP Bomb
6 x D3A1 Val releasing from 2000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 250 kg SAP Bomb

1st USN air attack
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Morning Air attack on TF, near Kure Island at 150,93

Weather in hex: Heavy cloud

Raid detected at 39 NM, estimated altitude 16,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 15 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 25

Allied aircraft
F2A-3 Buffalo x 18
F4F-3A Wildcat x 9
F4F-3 Wildcat x 31
SB2U-3 Vindicator x 13
SBD-2 Dauntless x 15
SBD-3 Dauntless x 65
TBD-1 Devastator x 12

Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 2 destroyed


Allied aircraft losses
F4F-3A Wildcat: 1 destroyed
F4F-3 Wildcat: 2 destroyed
SB2U-3 Vindicator: 1 damaged
SBD-2 Dauntless: 1 damaged
SBD-2 Dauntless: 1 destroyed by flak
SBD-3 Dauntless: 1 destroyed, 3 damaged
SBD-3 Dauntless: 1 destroyed by flak

Japanese Ships
CA Chikuma, Bomb hits 6, heavy fires, heavy damage
CV Akagi, Bomb hits 2
CV Kaga, Bomb hits 8, heavy fires, heavy damage
CL Yura, Bomb hits 5, heavy fires

Fuel storage explosion on CV Kaga BURN BABY BURN, THE ROOF THE ROOF IS ON FIRE
Heavy smoke from fires obscuring CV Kaga
Heavy smoke from fires obscuring CA Chikuma
Heavy smoke from fires obscuring CL Yura

IJN 2nd air attack
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Morning Air attack on TF, near Kure Island at 152,93

Weather in hex: Partial cloud

Raid detected at 13 NM, estimated altitude 20,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 4 minutes

Japanese aircraft
D3A1 Val x 8

Allied aircraft
F2A-3 Buffalo x 2
F4F-3A Wildcat x 4
F4F-3 Wildcat x 5

Japanese aircraft losses
D3A1 Val: 4 destroyed
D3A1 Val: 1 destroyed by flak

No Allied losses

Allied Ships
CV Saratoga
CV Enterprise

THIRD BIT OF LUCK: small raid easly handled by CAP and FLAK


USN 2nd air attack (12 x VT-2 TBD-1 Devastator flight loses cohesion attacking alone)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Morning Air attack on TF, near Kure Island at 150,93

Weather in hex: Heavy cloud

Raid detected at 35 NM, estimated altitude 17,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 18 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 11

Allied aircraft
TBD-1 Devastator x 12

No Japanese losses

Allied aircraft losses
TBD-1 Devastator: 7 destroyed

Japanese Ships
CV Akagi

Aircraft Attacking:
1 x TBD-1 Devastator bombing from 13000 feet
Naval Attack: 2 x 500 lb SAP Bomb


USN 3rd air attack (15 x VT-3 TBD-1 Devastator flight loses cohesion attacking alone)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Morning Air attack on TF, near Kure Island at 150,93

Weather in hex: Heavy cloud

Raid detected at 15 NM, estimated altitude 16,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 7 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 4

Allied aircraft
TBD-1 Devastator x 15

No Japanese losses

Allied aircraft losses
TBD-1 Devastator: 3 destroyed, 2 damaged

Japanese Ships
CV Akagi
CV Kaga, Torpedo hits 1, heavy fires, heavy damage

Aircraft Attacking:
11 x TBD-1 Devastator launching torpedoes at 200 feet
Naval Attack: 1 x 22.4in Mk 13 Torp.


USN 4TH air attack
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Kure Island at 150,93

Weather in hex: Light rain

Raid spotted at 20 NM, estimated altitude 15,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 7 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 15

Allied aircraft
F2A-3 Buffalo x 16
F4F-3A Wildcat x 17
F4F-3 Wildcat x 18
SB2U-3 Vindicator x 12
SBD-2 Dauntless x 28
SBD-3 Dauntless x 60
TBD-1 Devastator x 24

No Japanese losses

Allied aircraft losses
F2A-3 Buffalo: 2 destroyed
F4F-3A Wildcat: 1 destroyed
F4F-3 Wildcat: 1 destroyed
SBD-2 Dauntless: 1 damaged
SBD-3 Dauntless: 1 damaged

THESE AIR LOSSES MORE WHAT I EXPECTED FOR EACH OF MY AIR ATTACK

Japanese Ships
CV Akagi, Bomb hits 7, heavy fires
CL Yura, Bomb hits 3, heavy fires, heavy damage
CA Tone, Bomb hits 1, on fire
DD Minekaze, Bomb hits 2, heavy fires, heavy damage
DD Yukaze
DD Sawakaze

Aircraft Attacking:
6 x SBD-3 Dauntless releasing from 2000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb SAP Bomb
2 x SBD-3 Dauntless releasing from 4000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb SAP Bomb
3 x TBD-1 Devastator bombing from 13000 feet
Naval Attack: 2 x 500 lb SAP Bomb
5 x SBD-3 Dauntless releasing from 4000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb SAP Bomb
8 x SBD-3 Dauntless releasing from 4000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb SAP Bomb
9 x TBD-1 Devastator launching torpedoes at 200 feet
Naval Attack: 1 x 22.4in Mk 13 Torp.
11 x SBD-2 Dauntless releasing from 2000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb SAP Bomb
9 x SBD-2 Dauntless releasing from 2000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb SAP Bomb
12 x TBD-1 Devastator bombing from 13000 feet
Naval Attack: 2 x 500 lb SAP Bomb
12 x SB2U-3 Vindicator bombing from 8000 feet
Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb SAP Bomb
3 x SBD-3 Dauntless releasing from 3000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb SAP Bomb
11 x SBD-3 Dauntless releasing from 3000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb SAP Bomb
4 x SBD-3 Dauntless releasing from 2000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb SAP Bomb
4 x SBD-2 Dauntless releasing from 4000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb SAP Bomb
9 x SBD-3 Dauntless releasing from 3000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb SAP Bomb
4 x SBD-3 Dauntless releasing from 4000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb SAP Bomb
8 x SBD-3 Dauntless releasing from 3000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb SAP Bomb
4 x SBD-2 Dauntless releasing from 3000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb SAP Bomb


Heavy smoke from fires obscuring CL Yura
Heavy smoke from fires obscuring CV Akagi
Minekaze dead in the water ...
Heavy smoke from fires obscuring DD Minekaze
Yukaze dead in the water ...
Heavy smoke from fires obscuring CA Tone


No IJN ships sunk out right, serious damage to CV Kaga, and
to CA Chikum. Chikum splits off SSW and rest head west into
the sun and then a larger storm. Attempted to follow but
between weather preventing flights and low fuel no futher
air ops against the IJN.

Over all am pleased with the results. Lady Luck was with me,
but as we all know she can push or pull.

Other notes, my subs are during fairly well, lot of duds of course, more misses.
than hits. The misses is what annoys me, especially when it is against an already
wounded slow moving target. But once doing the combat pbase, I happen
to move the mouse, and it told me that a storm was at the location
of where one of my subs miss a wounded heavily damage, burning AK.

On a couple of occasions I had a the same sub make two different attacks on the
same target. I thought that was not possible.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Submarine attack near Nagoya at 109,63

Japanese Ships
xAK Ishikari Maru, Torpedo hits 1, heavy damage

Allied Ships
SS Searaven

xAK Ishikari Maru is sighted by SS Searaven
SS Searaven launches 4 torpedoes at xAK Ishikari Maru


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sub attack near Nagoya at 109,63

Japanese Ships
xAK Ishikari Maru, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage

Allied Ships
SS Searaven

xAK Ishikari Maru is sighted by SS Searaven
SS Searaven launches 2 torpedoes



Had trouble at beginning of game to get Sydney and Melbourne to produce oil
for fuel productions. After a week both ports had only 20 oil points or so.
Imported oil from DEI. Of course fuel is a problem so, in Oz,so I have been
switching HI off for a turn or two.

Still need to reread manual, work on getting a handle on China, pilot training,

Then there is the mastering of or at least a better understand on upgrading LCU and ac

I hope to ready for a PBEM later this year.

Once again thanks to everyone who has taken the time to share their knowledge and experience

Lawless1

Knife fight!!!!!!! Scary.....

go for a short scenario PBEM to get your shakedown run out of the way

Great advice about short scen for first PBEM. Thanks for commenting

CV task forces will always try to break off a surface engagement, so when two CVs blunder into each other, both will avoid. It looks like you got a 2 on 3 CV battle and you did get very lucky for that early in the game. I would not be surprised if Kaga was sunk from the damage, Akagi might sink too. Anytime an IJN ship gets heavy fires, it's bad news for its survival. Looks like you might have sunk a couple of cruisers too.

In a GC I usually spend some time shuffling tankers around in the early going. The long range tankers end up home ported either in Los Angeles or Aden with the most of the shorter range tankers based initially in the DEI, but as things get dangerous there, I move the tankers from the DEI to Aden, usually via a route plotted through Columbo and going deep into the Indian Ocean to avoid air attacks from Singapore/Malaya and/or Palembang.

I base a handful of shorter range tankers in Los Angeles to move fuel to Pearl Harbor and Alaska. The rest of the long range tankers in Los Angeles are tasked with moving fuel to Australia. The refineries in Australia are so small, if they end up out of oil it's no big loss. If you can move some oil there from the DEI that's fine for a while. The AI likes to place a lot of subs around Los Angeles, so it's a good idea to have some ASW TFs and ASW search planes around to keep the subs busy. In the first year of the war, the ASW assets aren't going to sink much, but they will keep the subs from attacking.

Bill

Lawless1: On a couple of occasions I had a the same sub make two different attacks on the
same target. I thought that was not possible.

In the game execution the IJN moves first, then the Allied navies. If opponents end their movement in the same hex, it is possible to have multiple rounds of combat between the two TFs. Multiple combats can also happen if a react range is set and one TF tries to flee but the reacting TF follows and engages in one or more subsequent hexes.

wdolson - I presume you mean Abadan rather than Aden as your second loading point for long range tankers? Early in the game I have needed to haul fuel TO Aden rather than from it!

Lawless1 - you will also find that Capetown runs out of fuel from all the shipping passing through there. Many players use some of their excess xAKs/xAKLs to haul fuel from EC USA to Capetown until the monthly supply convoys build up a stock. I am uncertain if the mod you are playing cuts back on the cargo capacity of xAK types which would not leave you with much excess capacity.

Bill,

CV task forces will always try to break off a surface engagement,

on two occasions so far when an escaping xAK enter a hex that contained an IJN carrier, once with an CVL and once with the big boys. Both times they went there separate ways, the TF with the CVL was an invasion TF, which retreated, thus delaying the invasion for several days.

What i have done in this game was to send long leg TK to LA, CT and then on to EC. (read in AAR CT suffers from fuel issues from all the CD supply TF) Also sent to Abadan.

All ships in DEI were loaded with supplies, fuel, oil or resources and sent to various ports in OZ. Then long haul TK sent to as above.

Not sure how the AI will go after SOPACM, so have started building up some island that can support port level 4. Will use several TK's and AK's to ship fuel and supplies to Port Stanley. My thinking is to go Port Stanley-Tahiti-NZ-OZ or PS-NZ if and when the SOPAC becomes dangerous. For this am taking F/S from Canada. Have not yet read an AAR where Port Stanley was used.

Being aware of the IJN subs trolling around LA and off coast of Washington, I have converted most of the Clemson class DD to APD for the ASW 6 rating. The Wickes class DD eill convert to DE's in April 42. it takes 28 days in the shipyard, so you are short some DD for a while.

All my TF has some sort of ASW even if it a PC that must be replenish at sea by the long haul ships.

Running day and night ASW or SRCH missions on WC. have 12 Kingfisher supported by 1 AVP and part of the 110 USA BF.

BBfanboy

Really enjoy reading your comments throughout the forum.

i see you respond while i was trying to type my response to Bill. Am typing this on a small tablet. Thank you for responding, am already using your suggestion as i believe you had stated in in another posting. From reading the AAR, some seem not to realize that the AK and xAK can carry fuel. Someone said in an AAR that TK could carry supplies, but why would you?

AK, xAK carry fuel equal to 1/2 the cargo capacity. Have not tried using a TK.

have also had to shift fuel and supplies to Aden, forgot to turn on load troops only when Aden was low on supplies.

Lawless1, several of your Devastators level-bombed from 13,000 feet. Must have scared lots of fishes...

1.  In no official scenario do TKs have the capability of transporting supplies.  The code allows for a scenario designer to add a supply hold to a TK class but without that supply hold, no supplies can be transported.
 
2.  The IN does not move first and then the Allied navies.  They all move simultaneously otherwise the point I keep on making, that naval movement is checked on a hex by hex basis for possible combat would be meaningless.
 
3.  The CD supply convoys to CapeTown do not consume any of the fuel located at CapeTown.
 
Alfred

I meant Adaban above, not Aden.

ORIGINAL: Alfred

3.  The CD supply convoys to CapeTown do not consume any of the fuel located at CapeTown.

Alfred

Supply convoys are land units, not ships. They were created as a kind of trick to deliver equipment and supplies in batches instead of in a steady stream as you would get with the regular production system. The supply convoys are classed as a type of CD because there was a CD type slot open for that purpose.

Bill

Yaab,

lol hey someone has to scare the sharks every once in a while. Not sure why I had the alt at 13k

ORIGINAL: Alfred

1.  In no official scenario do TKs have the capability of transporting supplies.  The code allows for a scenario designer to add a supply hold to a TK class but without that supply hold, no supplies can be transported.

2.  The IN does not move first and then the Allied navies.  They all move simultaneously otherwise the point I keep on making, that naval movement is checked on a hex by hex basis for possible combat would be meaningless.

3.  The CD supply convoys to CapeTown do not consume any of the fuel located at CapeTown.

Alfred

I took my comment about Japanese moving first from the game execution steps (Head to Head game) and past comments from veteran players which seem to show the Japanese forces move and then the Allied. I knew that there was a subsequent calculation of possible meetings and possible combat during the moves. But it does make sense that the meetings and combats could alter the normal movement so they must be resolved before final position is established. I am just fuzzy one exactly what happens in each execution step. Thanks for making it clear.

I did not say the supply convoys to Cape Town used fuel, I said they "build up a stock" ( deliver) fuel.

ORIGINAL: Lawless1

BBfanboy

Really enjoy reading your comments throughout the forum.

i see you respond while i was trying to type my response to Bill. Am typing this on a small tablet. Thank you for responding, am already using your suggestion as i believe you had stated in in another posting. From reading the AAR, some seem not to realize that the AK and xAK can carry fuel. Someone said in an AAR that TK could carry supplies, but why would you?

AK, xAK carry fuel equal to 1/2 the cargo capacity. Have not tried using a TK.

have also had to shift fuel and supplies to Aden, forgot to turn on load troops only when Aden was low on supplies.

You seem to have absorbed a lot of the info from a lot of different AARs. A good way to start!

You are correct about the ½ capacity for fuel carried in cargo ships. My comment about decreased capacity in the mod is about the change to the base capacity of cargo ships in some mods ( minus 25% or something like that), which means you would need more ships to haul supplies etc. for your on-map needs and thus fewer would be available for the off-map fuel hauling.
Whatever the case, you seem to know what you are looking for and what to do to fix problems, so carry on! [:)]

Alfred,

Thanks very much for clearing up any misconceptions that sometimes get passed.

1. That is what I thought about the tankers. Perhaps it was an AAR I was reading base on a mod. It made no sense to me to waste valuable space for supplies when fuel
is so needed through the war.

2.

They all move simultaneously

This make more sense, I will go back and reread section 6 in the manual. I made the mistake at Aden by sending a larger TF to India with fuel and supplies not checking to see if I how enough at Aden. Ended up having to transfer fuel/supplies from Adaban to Aden

3.

CD supply convoys to Cape Town do not consume any of the fuel located at Cape Town.

This is great to know. Perhaps some get the impression that they use fuel is that all of the TF sent to Cape Town must be refuel, and then you are moving fuel supplies to on map locations, thus reducing the fuel at CT.

Question or clarification of off map move fuel consumption. No fuel is use even if you take an 8k xAK at full speed from EC to CT AS an example. When I move task forces between off map locations, I always place the destination port as the TF's home port, to keep from seeing the red numbers for endurance, also only use mission speed.

Bill,

Supply convoys are land units, not ships. They were created as a kind of trick to deliver equipment and supplies in batches instead of in a steady stream as you would get with the regular production system. The supply convoys are classed as a type of CD because there was a CD type slot open for that purpose.

I have read about the supply convoys being classed as CD.

BBfanboy

Thank you kindly for the hand clapping. I am amazed at the wealth of knowledge, humor, witticisms and passion player show in their AAR. I spent four hours reading John 3rd and Canoerebel on going AAR. Only at page 14 on John's post, and around page 33 on Canoerebel's post. Like reading a good book. Plus their thoughts on their strategy and why it is important to the overall war effort.

My comment about decreased capacity in the mod is about the change to the base capacity of cargo ships in some mods ( minus 25% or something like that)

Not sure if this scenario has that reduction, BUT I sure we all feel that we could always have more lift capability to move supplies. Logistic makes this a very interesting game.