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SPOILERS AHEAD - If you want the surprise of the AI scripts, don't read further!

I'm starting a game as the Allies against the Tier 2 Ironman Japan (scenario here: https://www.matrixgames.com/forums/tm.asp?m=4694835)

I played to early 43 under the T1 scenario (from a few years ago), and found it definitely more challenging than S2, but not life threatening, and after 7/42 had already begun counter offensives in the south pacific. So, I'm sure this will be quite a bit more challenging.

I'm doing this AAR for two reasons:
1) Andy mentioned that an AAR gives him insight into how to improve the scripts
2) Hopefully being more systematic about keeping a log of the war will make it easier to plan the defense (and eventual counter-offensive)

Hopefully, you will enjoy what surprises Andy has in store, and that you enjoy seeing what the AI does to me. [:-]

ChAAAA4RGE !!!!

Muhahaha

By the evening of 12/7:

Guards Bde lands in Seward, AK


Midway & Johnston fall to brigade-size LCUs. For the Midway invasion, Tambor got a shot off at it, but no explosions.


Force Z was basically annihilated.

At PH, lost a bunch of DDs & one BB. 20 PBYs killed on the ground. All other BBs got hit hard.


Morning Air attack on Pearl Harbor , at 180,107

Weather in hex: Clear sky

Raid detected at 84 NM, estimated altitude 11,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 27 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 46
B5N2 Kate x 156
D3A1 Val x 136
A6M2s Zero x 3

Allied aircraft
no flights

Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 8 damaged
A6M2 Zero: 6 destroyed by flak
B5N2 Kate: 10 damaged
B5N2 Kate: 1 destroyed by flak
D3A1 Val: 13 damaged
D3A1 Val: 6 destroyed by flak

Allied aircraft losses
P-40B Warhawk: 2 destroyed, 55 damaged
P-40B Warhawk: 8 destroyed on ground
PBY-5 Catalina: 95 damaged
PBY-5 Catalina: 20 destroyed on ground
SBD-1 Dauntless: 29 damaged
SBD-1 Dauntless: 5 destroyed on ground
B-17D Fortress: 52 damaged
B-17D Fortress: 3 destroyed on ground
B-17E Fortress: 16 damaged
B-17E Fortress: 1 destroyed on ground
P-36A Mohawk: 23 damaged
P-36A Mohawk: 3 destroyed on ground
B-18A Bolo: 39 damaged
B-18A Bolo: 10 destroyed on ground
A-20A Havoc: 27 damaged
A-20A Havoc: 2 destroyed on ground
O-47A: 9 damaged
O-47A: 2 destroyed on ground
F4F-3 Wildcat: 11 damaged
F4F-3 Wildcat: 3 destroyed on ground
C-33: 2 damaged
C-33: 1 destroyed on ground
R3D-2: 4 damaged
R3D-2: 1 destroyed on ground
OS2U-3 Kingfisher: 1 destroyed

Allied Ships
BB Arizona, Bomb hits 13, Torpedo hits 4, heavy fires, heavy damage
BB California, Bomb hits 5, Torpedo hits 5, on fire, heavy damage
BB Oklahoma, Bomb hits 13, Torpedo hits 4, heavy fires, heavy damage
BB Tennessee, Bomb hits 6, Torpedo hits 5, and is sunk
BB Pennsylvania, Bomb hits 7, Torpedo hits 4, heavy fires, heavy damage
BB Nevada, Bomb hits 7, Torpedo hits 2, heavy fires
CL Helena, Bomb hits 3, on fire, heavy damage
BB West Virginia, Bomb hits 14, Torpedo hits 2, heavy fires, heavy damage
BB Maryland, Bomb hits 9, Torpedo hits 2, on fire, heavy damage
CA San Francisco, Bomb hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
DD Schley, Bomb hits 1, on fire
CL Raleigh, Bomb hits 2, Torpedo hits 1, on fire
DD Hull, Bomb hits 2, heavy fires, heavy damage
CL St. Louis, Bomb hits 2
CA New Orleans, Bomb hits 5, heavy fires, heavy damage
CL Detroit, Bomb hits 3, Torpedo hits 1, on fire
DD Aylwin, Bomb hits 1, heavy fires, heavy damage
PC Reliance, Bomb hits 1, and is sunk
DD Reid, Bomb hits 1, on fire
DD Farragut, Bomb hits 2, on fire, heavy damage
DMS Wasmuth, Bomb hits 1, heavy fires, heavy damage
DD Cassin, Bomb hits 1
CL Phoenix, Bomb hits 1, Torpedo hits 2, on fire, heavy damage
DD Litchfield, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
DD Worden, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
AD Whitney, Torpedo hits 1, on fire
DM Tracy, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
CL Honolulu, Bomb hits 1, Torpedo hits 2, on fire, heavy damage
AVP Avocet, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
SS Dolphin, Torpedo hits 1
DD MacDonough, Bomb hits 1, heavy fires
DD Conyngham, Bomb hits 1, on fire
xAP St. Mihel, Bomb hits 1, heavy fires
AO Neosho, Bomb hits 1, heavy fires
DD Chew, Bomb hits 1, heavy fires, heavy damage
DD Blue, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk

Allied ground losses:
40 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 7 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

Airbase hits 33
Airbase supply hits 2
Runway hits 93

Other than the deep strikes in the eastern Pacific, everything just feels noticeably more lethal. Now to see if I can stop a day 2 PH strike!

The AI also seized Denpasar (I assume to cut off DEI/PI refugees from getting out to Australia as easily).

Will they use too much water fighting the fires on the California? Will she continue to flood?

Too bad there was not something in the game that could refloat "sunken" ships in port.

I just realized the invasion at Denpasar doesn't have any troops on the ground despite the invasion report.

So. They're about to get a visit from ABDA. Maybe we can get some free points in the bank.

I'm not going to scuttle California this turn - I have some faith in Allied DC.

what is the difference between this and scen17 (played by Lowpe; check AAR)

is this one, "less nasty", but still nasty? [:D]

Initial dispositions will be cautious, as I'm not sure how deep a strike the AI is planning.

NORPAC: Will try to do some defense in SE Alaska (and hold Anchorage as long as I can with what I have).

CENPAC: I think I have to hold PH, though the normal PH early warning bases have already fallen. I think the Pacific Fleet will be based in California for now (as elements get repaired enough to transit). Undamaged surface assets are a single CA and around 20 DD/DMS/DM of all types. I'm going to try a sortie to see if I can get lucky with the KB.

SOPAC: Going to try to Hold New Caledonia & Fiji, but not much I can do until March or so if the AI wants them. There's always New Zealand!

SWPAC: I assume PM is gone. I'm planning on defending Cairns southward for now in the East, and Geraldton southward in the west.

ABDA: I'll see if I can cause trouble with the assets I have in the area. Trying to get (especially bigger) cargo ships out, but we'll die in place with combat shipping and troops.

SEAC: I'll try to defend Ceylon, but I know I can't hold it - if they really want it, it's theirs. Putting most starting combat power in major ports on the mainland, and am not forward deploying in Bangladesh, as it can be cut off. Once I get a feel for how aggressive the AI is, I'll redeploy if I don't feel in danger.

China: Pulling back to the x3 terrain where possible, at least until I get a feel for how bad a time I'm going to have here.

On to turn 2!

Lowpe is fighting the T3 Allied AI, I'm fighting the T2 Japanese AI.

Less nasty, but still nasty, huh? We'll see if that's accurate. It probably is.

NORPAC: 125th Guards Brigade takes Seward, despite some great work by the coastal gun battery.



CENPAC: There's no day 2 strike, and my surface sorties neither find the KB, nor does the KB find us. PBYs report the KB retiring west. Japanese subs put a torpedo into my last undamaged cruiser.

Off Johnston, Lexington SBDs hammer some of the Japanese assault shipping (no float fighters; this would have been an exciting twist). Indianapolis and DMS group also engages the AKAs and gets the worst of it (!!), with a pair of DMS on fire. Maybe the Japanese amphibs have cruiser guns.



The Japanese also land a brigade on Christmas I. and take it. It's starting to get lonely in Hawaii.

ABDA: The HK DD group runs by Hainan, blows away two small invasiuon convoys, then gets caught off Hue by a dozen Mabels, which sink two of the DDs with torpedoes. That seems really lethal. I guess I can't take risks with DDs in this scenario!



The Denpasar invasion turns out to be an SNLF dropped by APDs, as De Ruyter and friends put a bunch at the bottom. It doesn't save Denpasar, though, which falls.



It's a scary thought that there are at least another 117 Japanese APDs in existence.

Lost California to fires at PH, so that's 2 BBs sunk, 6 in bad shape from the opening strike.

What I have to look forward to in the near future (SIGINT):
3rd Mixed Guards Brigade is loaded on a Yusen S Cargo class AK moving to Nadi.
2/26th Arty Brigade is planning for an attack on Koumac.
2/3rd Guards Division is planning for an attack on Koumac.
6/128th Guards Brigade is loaded on a Japanese LSD moving to Adak Island.
7/58th Division is loaded on a Akitsu Maru class LSD moving to Mersing.

So, perhaps trying to hold New Caledonia is not going to happen with a Guards Division already enroute. Same with Fiji.

The hammer falls at Mersing



The AI also lands on Tahiti.

The units may be on a task force supposedly heading there, they might be following another TF to another destination or have a different destination where they will unload. Check sigint to see what units is prepping for what target.

Nice that the mersing gambit actually worked

Nice to see Lexington SBDs getting some training, but that reveals her position and KB is coming west ...
Looks like Enterprise is in the area too? Would be bad to lose both so soon in the game.

ORIGINAL: RangerJoe

The units may be on a task force supposedly heading there, they might be following another TF to another destination or have a different destination where they will unload. Check sigint to see what units is prepping for what target.

Agree, though I have less concern about this against the AI. Four turns in, I have limited shots at getting prep SIGINT messages.

This...was a rough turn.

CENPAC: A Japanese CL (with radar) and friends show up in SF harbor and blow away an entire cargo task force (escorted by modern DDs, even - just no winning against this AI). Lost a few APs and an AE as well as a bunch of cargo ships and the two aforementioned modern DDs.

SOPAC: The Japanese don't attack Tahiti, but land and storm Nuku Hiva (I had no idea where this was until looking it up on the map).

ABDA: We blow away the surviving APD from Denpasar.

SEAC: Japanese take Mersing. Well, that was fun!



I am just reeling here. I have no idea how I'm going to start getting resources in place to start stopping the AI, if it keeps this pace up. I think supply for Australia is going to need to come from CT and New Zealand from Port Stanley. I don't think I can maintain an on-map supply route, at least not without pushing the Japanese back out of Polynesia.