Do Condors Eat Sushi? Grotius (IJN) vs. Attack Condor (USN), #17

[Grotius]

This contest is Scenario 17, 100% ship commitment both sides, variable reinforcements, Japanese Sub Doctrine Off, Allied Damage Control On, 1-day turns, FOW and Weather On, Military Geniuses On (both sides). I have the IJN in this, my first PBEM; Attack Condor has the USN. Good luck, Condor!

[Grotius]

Condor draws first blood, destroying at least one Nell over Rabaul on the first day of the campaign. Meanwhile, my admirals argue over who gets to command which aircraft carrier. Fortunately, Imperial intelligence assures me that there will be only light Allied opposition to our forthcoming operation in the Solomons and New Guinea.

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AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 05/01/42

Weather: Overcast

Air attack on Port Moresby , at 10,40

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 20
G3M Nell x 29
G4M1 Betty x 15

Allied aircraft

Japanese aircraft losses
G3M Nell x 1 destroyed
G3M Nell x 1 damaged
G4M1 Betty x 1 damaged

Allied aircraft losses

Airbase hits 1
Runway hits 3

Attacking Level Bombers:
4 x G3M Nell at 12000 feet
10 x G3M Nell at 11000 feet
9 x G3M Nell at 12000 feet
5 x G3M Nell at 11000 feet
15 x G4M1 Betty at 13000 feet

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[Raverdave]

Drop the hight of your Nells and Bettys from 12,000 and 11,000 feet to say 6000 to 3000 feet.......you should get better bombing results .

[Attack Condor]

Here we go... no more keeping my mistakes buried under the anonymity of "um....the e-mail is down - again!"

I'm sure there are lots of veterans out there who may read what's happening and groan at the tactics (like the "I forgot to send the subs out last turn because I was too tired" tactic)... but what the heck - I'm sure I'll learn lots as I go along!

Enjoy the carnage

[Grotius]

Thanks for the advice, Raverdave! I guess I was thinking that his Airacobras would have more trouble at that altitude, but they didn't intercept anyway. LoL, when you play against the AI, altitude is almost a non-issue: every enemy strike comes in at 6000 feet. Welcome to PBEM!

So, keep that advice coming; I will need all the help I can get! And of course feel free to give tips to Attack Condor, too.

Now, time to get busy transporting rice and sushi down to Noumea...

[Grotius]

BTW, my e-mail has been acting up, Condor, so my apologies if you encounter more delays. Normally my Compuserve account is very stable, so I don't expect this to last. If it does, I can try another account.

[Attack Condor]

After reading the posts from the players concering strategy guides, etc. I have learned much to complement whatever experience the AI could give me.... Following the advice to the letter would be somewhat counterproductive, as I'm sure IJN players also have an idea of what to do/not to do from the USN perspective... a mix of those ideas and a bit of the unconventional (such as hiding my carriers north of Truk perhaps...? - nah, who would dooooo such a thing? <g>) seems in order.

Anticipated actions would seem to include the infamous FT blitz into the Solomon (although the engineers on L'ville now have company ). Supporting both L'ville and Efate would leave Noumea terribly exposed. Leaving Efate alone is a gamble, but I believe a low risk one. If he takes Efate only, he would leave L'ville directly in his supply path..... as well as have to deal with my pilots improving their skills against his troops from their north as well as south..

In Australia, I wounder how the locals would react to the strategy of abandoning Cooktown and Cairns to shorten the perimeter along the coast - (how would Americans feel about abandoning New Jersey to protect Pennsylvania..?) I'm glad the realism of UV does *not* include the political skills necessary in getting Allies to support decisions such as that

Meanwhile, I sit here corecting requisition forms, wondering which lieutenant filled in "AV" instead of "CV"... <sigh>

More to come


Laughing hilariously as I re-read "correcting" - <g>

[Grotius]

Heh, three days into it, and already I find myself saying, "Wait a minute, you're doing that? The AI doesn't do that!" :rolleyes: So far Condor has gotten the better of the bombing war, but the Empire has seized a little real estate.

Speaking of real estate, today I caught one of my subordinates reading an Australian newspaper. This officer was circling advertisements for vacation property in the Brisbane area. I told him to reserve an oceanfront parcel for me.

AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 05/02/42

Weather: Thunderstorms

AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 05/03/42

Weather: Overcast

Air attack on Port Moresby , at 10,40

Japanese aircraft
G4M1 Betty x 12

Allied aircraft
P-39D Airacobra x 9

Japanese aircraft losses
G4M1 Betty x 3 damaged

Allied aircraft losses

Runway hits 2

Attacking Level Bombers:
12 x G4M1 Betty at 4000 feet

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Sub attack near Shortland Island at 29,34

Japanese Ships
DD Kikuzuki

Allied Ships
SS S-42


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Air attack on Rabaul , at 21,28

Japanese aircraft
A5M4 Claude x 3
A6M2 Zero x 10

Allied aircraft
B-17E Fortress x 19

Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero x 1 destroyed


CDR Y. Kozono of F1/Tainan Daitai is KILLED

Japanese Ships
ML Tsugaru, Bomb hits 2, on fire, heavy damage
AV Kamikawa Maru, Bomb hits 1, on fire

Japanese ground losses:
Men lost 4

Airbase hits 2
Airbase supply hits 1
Runway hits 2
Port hits 3
Port supply hits 2

Attacking Level Bombers:
3 x B-17E Fortress at 20000 feet
4 x B-17E Fortress at 20000 feet
3 x B-17E Fortress at 20000 feet
6 x B-17E Fortress at 20000 feet
3 x B-17E Fortress at 20000 feet

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Sub attack near Shortland Island at 29,34

Japanese Ships
DD Kikuzuki, Torpedo hits 3, on fire, heavy damage

Allied Ships
SS S-42


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Ground combat at Buna

Japanese Deliberate attack

Attacking force 811 troops, 6 guns, 0 vehicles

Defending force 0 troops, 0 guns, 0 vehicles

Japanese assault odds: 22 to 1 (fort level 0)

Japanese forces CAPTURE Buna base !!!



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Ground combat at Gili Gili

Japanese Deliberate attack

Attacking force 250 troops, 6 guns, 0 vehicles

Defending force 0 troops, 0 guns, 0 vehicles

Japanese assault odds: 9 to 1 (fort level 0)

Japanese forces CAPTURE Gili Gili base !!!



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[Attack Condor]

Nice to know I don't resemble the AI (in looks, anyway )

Pondering how much of a gamble moving B-17s to PM is... (if he happens to show up while my assets are hanging out... :O ) his fighters can outfly mine inside of a phone booth but I am hoping the legendary ability of the B17 to take a licking and keep on bombing (okay...it doesn't rhyme <shrug>) can buy some time while his engineers order more wheelbarrows and shovels to fill in the potholes..... keeping his hotshot pilots on the ground...(until he moves them somewhere else...)

(I keep getting the image of the admiral on the streetcorner with a folding table repeating the mantra from "three card monte" while my "Queen of the Skies" keeps being shuffled around....)

Oh, and Grotius...your Brisbane real estate is ready..."30 miles offshore, overlooking a nice coral reef with sixty feet of clear, warm seawater over your head."

(Yes, we validate parking too )

See you real soon

[denisonh]

B-17s in PM? Are you out of your mind?

You got to feed those puppies, not to mention they can hit the enemy at GG from Australia(where supply is not a problem). Put them at Cairns.

I wouldn't do that until you have a well supplied (100,000+) PM. Not to mention the IJN will bring targets to you....

[Attack Condor]

Whoops, didn't mean to cause a coronary was just a gamble early on to see if the damage I could cause would be worth it (and just one more thing for him to think about) - I have to admit, the bomb hits from 20K on two of his ships in port were an unexpected result. Having no intentions of staying long at PM (you're right about them being supply hogs ) they stopped by PM long enough to get their skivvies and have already returned to Australia (the shell game again) - although a couple are still at PM, hurriedly being repaired.

[Raverdave]

Originally posted by Attack Condor
After reading the posts from the players concering strategy guides, etc. I have learned much to complement whatever experience the AI could give me.... Following the advice to the letter would be somewhat counterproductive, as I'm sure IJN players also have an idea of what to do/not to do from the USN perspective... a mix of those ideas and a bit of the unconventional (such as hiding my carriers north of Truk perhaps...? - nah, who would dooooo such a thing? <g>) seems in order.

Anticipated actions would seem to include the infamous FT blitz into the Solomon (although the engineers on L'ville now have company ). Supporting both L'ville and Efate would leave Noumea terribly exposed. Leaving Efate alone is a gamble, but I believe a low risk one. If he takes Efate only, he would leave L'ville directly in his supply path..... as well as have to deal with my pilots improving their skills against his troops from their north as well as south..

Use your surface TFs to screen these two Islands....unless he comitts his CVs things are going to run one for one....you can afford the loss, IJN can't. Also build up the other two airfields on Noumea....they come in REAL handy if he tries a rush for the endzone.

In Australia, I wounder how the locals would react to the strategy of abandoning Cooktown and Cairns to shorten the perimeter along the coast - (how would Americans feel about abandoning New Jersey to protect Pennsylvania..?) I'm glad the realism of UV does *not* include the political skills necessary in getting Allies to support decisions such as that

Yeah I too am doing that now....let'em take Cooktown or Cairns if they want......Townsville is only just south and my my, you can load a sh1t load of MLBs and LRBs in Townsville!

Meanwhile, I sit here corecting requisition forms, wondering which lieutenant filled in "AV" instead of "CV"... <sigh>

More to come


Laughing hilariously as I re-read "correcting" - <g>

[Grotius]

We continue to maneuver and to exchange bombing raids. Meanwhile the Empire's ubiquitous spies report massive panic in the Allied ranks. Wouldn't you lonely American sailors rather be back home with your girlfriends and wives?

AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 05/04/42

Weather: Overcast

Air attack on Port Moresby , at 10,40

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 17
G3M Nell x 11
H6K Mavis x 3

Allied aircraft
P-400 Airacobra x 13

Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero x 1 damaged
G3M Nell x 2 destroyed
G3M Nell x 4 damaged
H6K Mavis x 1 damaged


Runway hits 2

Attacking Level Bombers:
2 x G3M Nell at 7000 feet
7 x G3M Nell at 7000 feet

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AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 05/05/42

Weather: Clear

Air attack on Gili Gili , at 17,42


Allied aircraft
B-17E Fortress x 15


no losses

Port hits 1
Port supply hits 2

Attacking Level Bombers:
3 x B-17E Fortress at 20000 feet
3 x B-17E Fortress at 20000 feet
3 x B-17E Fortress at 20000 feet
3 x B-17E Fortress at 20000 feet
3 x B-17E Fortress at 20000 feet

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[Attack Condor]

??!??!!!? WHAT??????!??? You mean we could be back *home* with our wives *and* girlfriends???? Well, shucks, son... you went and got the boys all frustrated 'n stuff. Not a good thing to do.

Look up, smile, and hold reeeaaaaalll still

The spymaster is correct on one thing though - lots of manuvering and bomb tossing.

Psssttt.. buy 100 shares of Wheelbarrow Amalgamated. I hear they have a far east order to ship

[Bax]

Grotius, one lesson I've learned (thanks to Toro) when playing the Japanese, is to not let ships sit in harbor at Rabaul, or Shortlands. They are not safe in those harbors until PM is captured. This is one aspect where playing the AI gets you into trouble in your PBEM games. The AI does not attack port much, whereas those pesky human opponents will gladly bomb the crap outta your ships in port with their B-17's.

[Grotius]

Bax: Thanks for your note. Fortunately, Condor hit only a cardboard cut-out disguised as a minelayer, but next time he might get lucky. Nonetheless, your point is well-taken. The Empire has already taken measures to address this issue.

Attack Condor: Yes, more wheelbarrows are always welcome. We look forward to making good use of your wheelbarrow stock at Noumea. Please keep them in good shape for us.

[Attack Condor]

Enough bantering... (for now )

As for strategic goals here are my thoughts...

1. Prevent the loss of PM. Some may opt to abandon the base or be ready to do a quick FT evac, but this game I'm going to try and make it as costly as possible for my opponent to take if he chooses to try. As for aircraft, the goal is to turn the field into a fightertown. Grotius has already run into more night CAP than he expected (I believe bombers encountering CAP vs. no CAP at all would shift bombing results down irregardless of air-to-air results - perhaps one of the more experienced players can confirm this?). Which would leave him the option of bombarding the airfield to close it - bringing any task force designated to do so within range of Australia's LBA and the inevitable sub/minefield net. Anyway - that's the plan.

2. Carrier survival - I would imagine it's no secret here to bob and weave (or flat out run) with the USN CVs - which would mean the IJN needs to threaten something I deem necessary to respond to with my carriers... and the only thing I can see would be Noumea. Towards that end ===>

3. Improve airbasing options available to SOPAC. build, build, build. Raver's tip to improve Koumac (sp?) and the other airfield I forgot the name of (I'm at work now) make a whole lot of sense. My concern though is that I end up with a lot of level 4 airfields and not a lot of level bombers to put on them.

4. Training. Get the air crews and newly arriving ships into limited action ASAP.

So there it is. I'm sure I've missed a few points that experience (or a kind word or two ) would teach - but that's one of the *many* fun thngs about the game

[Grotius]

Several days of poor weather. Does the shine never sun in the South Pacific? The Empire will ensure that, at the very least, it Rises.

AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 05/06/42

Weather: Thunderstorms

Air attack on Gili Gili , at 17,42

Allied aircraft
B-17E Fortress x 14

no losses

Port hits 1

Attacking Level Bombers:
3 x B-17E Fortress at 20000 feet
3 x B-17E Fortress at 20000 feet
3 x B-17E Fortress at 20000 feet
5 x B-17E Fortress at 20000 feet

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AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 05/07/42

Weather: Rain

AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 05/08/42

Weather: Overcast

Air attack on Port Moresby , at 10,40

Japanese aircraft
G4M1 Betty x 11

Allied aircraft
P-40E Kittyhawk x 11

Japanese aircraft losses
G4M1 Betty x 1 damaged

Allied ground losses:
Men lost 23

Attacking Level Bombers:
11 x G4M1 Betty at 4000 feet

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Air attack on Gili Gili , at 17,42

Allied aircraft
B-17E Fortress x 3

no losses

Attacking Level Bombers:
3 x B-17E Fortress at 20000 feet

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Air attack on Gili Gili , at 17,42

Allied aircraft
B-17E Fortress x 7

no losses

Attacking Level Bombers:
7 x B-17E Fortress at 20000 feet

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Air attack on TF, near Cooktown at 6,53

Japanese aircraft
G3M Nell x 25

no losses

Allied Ships
AK Mildura, Torpedo hits 4, on fire, heavy damage (later sunk)
AK Murada, Torpedo hits 2
AK Adelong, Torpedo hits 1, on fire
AK Rhesus, Torpedo hits 3, on fire, heavy damage (later sunk)
AK Barwon, Torpedo hits 2, on fire, heavy damage (later sunk)
AK Idomeneus
[snip]

[Raverdave]

Originally posted by Attack Condor
Enough bantering... (for now )

As for strategic goals here are my thoughts...

1. Prevent the loss of PM. Some may opt to abandon the base or be ready to do a quick FT evac, but this game I'm going to try and make it as costly as possible for my opponent to take if he chooses to try. As for aircraft, the goal is to turn the field into a fightertown. Grotius has already run into more night CAP than he expected (I believe bombers encountering CAP vs. no CAP at all would shift bombing results down irregardless of air-to-air results - perhaps one of the more experienced players can confirm this?). Which would leave him the option of bombarding the airfield to close it - bringing any task force designated to do so within range of Australia's LBA and the inevitable sub/minefield net. Anyway - that's the plan.

Yes having a night CAP does put off the night LRBs...but not as much as the daytime

Good luck with the holding of PM...... a determined attack by the IJN player will in most cases see PM falling. The IJN player cannot allow PM to stand....as Crocky has found out . Regardless of how many subs and mines you have, all it takes are 2 good bombardment attacks by the jap player followed by some LRB and PM is closed. Better to allow PM to fall and then retake it in mid'43.

2. Carrier survival - I would imagine it's no secret here to bob and weave (or flat out run) with the USN CVs

Yup

3. Improve airbasing options available to SOPAC. build, build, build. Raver's tip to improve Koumac (sp?) and the other airfield I forgot the name of (I'm at work now) make a whole lot of sense. My concern though is that I end up with a lot of level 4 airfields and not a lot of level bombers to put on them.

If he attacks Luganville, those additional bases will be worth their weight in gold.

4. Training. Get the air crews and newly arriving ships into limited action ASAP.

Yup......sometimes you even have to keep the new squadrons in Brissy or Noumea training for a month...nearly two! Better to do that than commit really green aircrew.

[Attack Condor]

Yes having a night CAP does put off the night LRBs...but not as much as the daytime

Good luck with the holding of PM...... a determined attack by the IJN player will in most cases see PM falling. The IJN player cannot allow PM to stand....as Crocky has found out . Regardless of how many subs and mines you have, all it takes are 2 good bombardment attacks by the jap player followed by some LRB and PM is closed. Better to allow PM to fall and then retake it in mid'43.

From the "I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't saw it with my own eyes" department.....

Getting an education about the game in another PBEM where I just went through a determined attempt to close PM via the sea all I can say about the destruction wrought by the IJN Bombardment TF is good Gawd!.

Nothing beats a magic show (hit n run, mines, moving TFs around, etc.) like a punch in the mouth!

Time to seriously rethink about holding anything this early in the face of that firepower...