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I just started a new Allies PBEAM against Japanese player Runnersan

I don't know yet how often I would be posting, but I want to have a record on important turns or decisions

1st, game details:
DaBigBabes-C
One day turns
Scen 28 with latest beta patch; with Mukden garrison needs reduced, from 2000 to 200 (2000 was a typo)
Extended map and stacking limits
PDU ON and Realistic RnD ON
Faulty USN torpedoes, allied damage control advantage, FOW, December surprise
Advanced Weather OFF
Fixed Reinforcements
Combat Reports ON

HRs:
1st turn: Japan – cannot attack the west coast, otherwise he is free to do as he wishes
1st turn: Allies - air and LCUs remain "as is" without any change done by Allied player. Cannot create new TFs or change TF composition; Only Air and Transport TFs can change destinations
no carrier-vs-carrier battles allowed for the first 3 turns. Allies can't use this as an advantage to strike somewhere deep in Japanese controlled territory
PP paid for transfer continental units across borders with one exception: Thai units can go to Burma, Indochina or Malaysia
No 4E bombers below 10k
Para units can attack just one target at the time – if the para unit split, it must be united in one base first before another attack.
Troops can be unloaded only in dots/bases (same for para)
squadron resizing limit: 45 planes
aerial mining: 50 planes/target only at night for the entire war
only submarine designed FPs on Japanese subs
no intentional creation of fragments. fragments should not be used operationally and shall be reunited with parent as expeditiously as possible. NOTE: dividing a unit in 3 (A/ B/ C) is OK. Evacuations are also OK
max sweep fighter altitude limit starts at 20K for 1941& 1942, then increases by 5K every year
no sub invasions

lets start with a sobering fact; I have no LCUs [:'(]

using tracker database, I created a spreadsheet with the LCUs I have now or I will receive in the 1st 90 days. Focus is on big units, Divisions or Regiments, there is also some Marine raiders coming and as good as they are, raiders units are too small to influence much

I then selected those that are unrestricted, can be purchased and are not engaged.. this is the result


2 Marine regimes
5 USA division that will need PP to use
7 USA regiments, 5 needing PP and 2 unrestricted
1 British Division
2 Indian Regiments of dubious quality
3 "good" Australian brigades, but they will arrive in late Feb

Meanwhile, Japan will flex its muscles with:



11 IJA Divisions
8 IJA Regiments
8 IJA ARM Regiments

AND this is just the army; the navy will bring 10 SNLFs and 9 naval garrison units
AND he also gets PPs for purchasing

So the initial aim would be to conserve those "important" Allied LCUs, they would ideally be used to guard places that I believe I can keep or I can make Japan pay dearly for taking. I am thinking about two possible places I can aim to keep or at least to trap Japan and bleed, then recapture before Jan1 43

It is sobering for the Allies, isn't it. That is why it might be beneficial to evacuate what you can from Malaysia while trying to slow down the Japanese with judicious use of LBA and your fast surface task forces. If you put them into low aggression, they will not try to stay and slug it out with a superior force.

I could tell you how to free up some of those Commonwealth units much more cheaply as well as get your better ones filled out. But . . .

I definitively believe air units, LBAs in particular, are the key for the early Allies defense, this is one of the few places in which I don't think I am at a disadvantage, more so considering B-17s prowess, specially true on a PDU "on" game

So I will not waste my air units stupidly, and I will try to do a fighting withdrawal with them.

But in terms of LCUs in battle zones (Malaya is the best example), I think that excluding some base force or air units, it is better to keep them fighting, I don't think it is historically realistic to withdraw, at least as early as Dec41, maybe by Jan or Feb

For buying, Did you mean changing a base nationality? or changing HQ to a sub-unit of the same parent?
I haven't discuss this with my opponent, but I am not a big fan

Those Indian units that are restricted but you can "buy them out" by spending PP to change their HQs. There is a way to do it cheaper without changing the HQs around.

ORIGINAL: RangerJoe

Those Indian units that are restricted but you can "buy them out" by spending PP to change their HQs. There is a way to do it cheaper without changing the HQs around.

Some of them are already under ABDA Command but attached to a restricted HQ like Malaya Army. They can be bought out to ABDA HQ for 25% of the full PP price.

And then there are dozens of units in India that have barely started to fill out their TOE and can be bought out quite cheaply. Set them to "No Replacements", "No Upgrade" until you get enough PP to change to an unrestricted HQ. Before you decide which units, take a look at the leaders. There are some very poor leaders who have a high PP value and will cost well over 10 points to change. Better to buy out the units where changing the leader is going to cost under 10 points. The available replacements change month to month as more are added to the pool of leaders.

You can do it even cheaper.

ORIGINAL: BBfanboy

ORIGINAL: RangerJoe

Those Indian units that are restricted but you can "buy them out" by spending PP to change their HQs. There is a way to do it cheaper without changing the HQs around.

Some of them are already under ABDA Command but attached to a restricted HQ like Malaya Army. They can be bought out to ABDA HQ for 25% of the full PP price.

And then there are dozens of units in India that have barely started to fill out their TOE and can be bought out quite cheaply. Set them to "No Replacements", "No Upgrade" until you get enough PP to change to an unrestricted HQ. Before you decide which units, take a look at the leaders. There are some very poor leaders who have a high PP value and will cost well over 10 points to change. Better to buy out the units where changing the leader is going to cost under 10 points. The available replacements change month to month as more are added to the pool of leaders.

but those are horrendous units and would remain horrendous for at least 6 to 12 months, AND there is a need to garrison India and recapture whatever he takes. So I am not sure I will be buying those Indians until at least I know his intentions, maybe if he neglects India and goes for ANZ

And I totally agree on no replace/ no reinforce,,, that is a big mistake I had in my last game, only key LCUs will get replacements and reinforcements, at least until I have enough reserves

Glad to see you start another PBEM Jorge! Will be following it closely. I enjoyed your last one.

Thanks!!
I got a mild 1st turn

key events:
- PH and Manila strikes yielded 1 BB sunk (West Virginia), 1 DD (Bagley), 1 AVP, 1 SS, 2 PTs
- Total allied aircraft losses at 34, FOW Japan at 67
- PoW seriously damaged, but afloat (28-72-2-0). Repulse had a paint scratch and dent, but otherwise it is good
- Buffalos defending PoW and Repulse managed to shot down many Netties, [:)]
- Several Manila SS damaged, but I believe most of not all will survive the trip to Java. A few DDs, auxiliaries and AKs also damaged; they will likely die/ get caught by the angry Japanese
- otherwise very similar, even identical to a historical turn




2 PH strikes (AM and PM)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Morning Air attack on Pearl Harbor , at 180,107

Weather in hex: Clear sky

Raid detected at 107 NM, estimated altitude 10,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 35 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 68
B5N2 Kate x 117
D3A1 Val x 126

Allied aircraft
no flights

Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 7 damaged
A6M2 Zero: 5 destroyed by flak
B5N2 Kate: 17 damaged
B5N2 Kate: 4 destroyed by flak
D3A1 Val: 19 damaged
D3A1 Val: 3 destroyed by flak

Allied aircraft losses
SBD-1 Dauntless: 13 damaged
B-17D Fortress: 4 damaged
PBY-5 Catalina: 46 damaged
PBY-5 Catalina: 3 destroyed on ground
B-17E Fortress: 12 damaged
B-17E Fortress: 1 destroyed on ground
O-47A: 1 damaged
O-47A: 1 destroyed on ground
P-40B Warhawk: 11 damaged
P-40B Warhawk: 1 destroyed on ground
B-18A Bolo: 14 damaged
B-18A Bolo: 1 destroyed on ground
C-33: 1 damaged
C-33: 1 destroyed on ground
A-20A Havoc: 6 damaged
A-20A Havoc: 1 destroyed on ground
P-36A Mohawk: 1 damaged

Allied Ships
DMS Perry
CA New Orleans, Bomb hits 1
BB California, Bomb hits 6, Torpedo hits 4, on fire
BB Nevada, Bomb hits 3, Torpedo hits 2, heavy damage
BB Maryland, Bomb hits 2, Torpedo hits 4, on fire, heavy damage
BB West Virginia, Bomb hits 3, Torpedo hits 3, on fire, heavy damage
BB Arizona, Bomb hits 3, Torpedo hits 4, on fire, heavy damage
CL Raleigh, Bomb hits 1
BB Tennessee, Bomb hits 5, Torpedo hits 3, on fire, heavy damage
AV Tangier
DM Pruitt
BB Pennsylvania, Bomb hits 3, Torpedo hits 3, on fire, heavy damage
DD Reid, Bomb hits 1, on fire
CL Honolulu, Bomb hits 1
BB Oklahoma, Bomb hits 2, Torpedo hits 2
CL Phoenix, Bomb hits 2
DD Shaw, Bomb hits 1, heavy fires
PT-22, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
SS Dolphin, Torpedo hits 1, heavy damage
CL Detroit, Bomb hits 1, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
DD Bagley, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk

Allied ground losses:
29 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled

Repair Shipyard hits 11
Airbase hits 6
Runway hits 17
Port hits 26
Port fuel hits 3
Port supply hits 1

Afternoon Air attack on Pearl Harbor , at 180,107

Weather in hex: Clear sky

Raid detected at 104 NM, estimated altitude 10,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 44 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 48
B5N2 Kate x 27

Allied aircraft
no flights

Japanese aircraft losses
B5N2 Kate: 17 damaged
B5N2 Kate: 6 destroyed by flak

Allied aircraft losses
OS2U-3 Kingfisher: 1 destroyed

Allied Ships
BB Tennessee, Torpedo hits 1, heavy damage
DM Ramsay, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
CL St. Louis, Torpedo hits 1
AVP Swan, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
BB Nevada, Torpedo hits 2, heavy damage
BB Maryland, Torpedo hits 1, heavy damage
BB Oklahoma, Torpedo hits 1
BB West Virginia, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk

Port hits 1
Port fuel hits 1

Aircraft Attacking:
23 x B5N2 Kate launching torpedoes at 200 feet
Port Attack: 1 x 45cm Type 91 Torp

Isn't it unusual to see an afternoon strike as well at Pearl?

I wonder what caused that?

Good luck!

ORIGINAL: RADM.Yamaguchi

Isn't it unusual to see an afternoon strike as well at Pearl?

I wonder what caused that?

in my experience:
if you split your KB in two TFs, you will always get a second strike (PM) with those planes that didn't fly AM

ORIGINAL: RADM.Yamaguchi

Isn't it unusual to see an afternoon strike as well at Pearl?

I wonder what caused that?

Not all of the Kates flew in the first attack.

Dec8th:

- KB is on its way home, no 2nd day strike at PH

- DM Thracian intercepted "Ternate invasion TF", ending in 3 ships at "heavy fires" and 2 "on fire". If they sank, then 16th Nav Gds and 6th JNAF coy are out of action for some time. More important ~6,500 supply lost
What was funny/ unusual about this battle was that the decision to fight came from Japan, I had my TF at "minelaying" and a message stated that Allied tried to escape, but couldn't [:D]

- Manila fleet escape in progress, so far only a few xAKs lost, I hope this continues

- PoW at Singapore, system damage at 28, float at 70; I will try to reduce system for a few days, maybe a week, before its dangerous journey. Repulse, Boise, Houston are all outside LBA range

- Air war, Malaya: I lost a lot of level bombers, 16 in total. I decided to put them in ground combat - Khota Bharu, I want to believe that was the reason he failed to capture that base on 1st attempt. He will grab it tomorrow, but any day wasted matters.

- Air war, PI: He bombed Clark and tested CAP on a few bases (he didn't find anything anywhere else). Most of my CAP was at Manila anyway, as I want to save a few ships that are getting repaired.

- Makin lost


Day Time Surface Combat, near Samah at 73,68, Range 18,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
APD Hagi
TB Hayabusa
xAK Atago Maru, Shell hits 7, heavy fires, heavy damage
xAK Meiyo Maru, Shell hits 3, heavy fires
xAK Santos Maru, Shell hits 1, on fire
xAK Zyuyo Maru
xAKL Hidaka Maru, Shell hits 4, on fire
xAKL Raizan Maru, Shell hits 7, heavy fires, heavy damage

Allied Ships
DM Thracian

Japanese ground losses:
1115 casualties reported
Squads: 6 destroyed, 15 disabled
Non Combat: 48 destroyed, 42 disabled
Engineers: 4 destroyed, 4 disabled
Guns lost 2 (1 destroyed, 1 disabled)

This should be very interesting. Thanks for doing this AAR. I'll be following.

By the way, you missed a golden opportunity to say "Makin taken." [;)]

Cheers,
CB

Dec9.41
[X(][X(][X(][X(][X(][X(]

Location, destination and condition of CV Lexington will remain under FOW for a few turns

Obviously I want it in a shipyard ASAP, but I will probably need to risk it at sea for a few turns until KB is definitively out of the area