Flicker's Fabulous Strategy

[Flicker]

IAW forum guidance to "Share your gameplay tips, secret tactics and fabulous strategies with fellow gamers here" I'm posting this thread as a snapshot of my current game - Allies, June 1942. I hope that some of the gameplay descriptions help other players, and if someone has a critique or information I'd love to hear it. My game is going fairly well, and I'm pleased with my blossoming logistics setup.

I play one turn per day against the AI, and usually play one turn per day IRL, so it's almost like real time. I play 'active' China. A game can last for years, although I've declared victory early before since it felt like picking the wings off of flies.

In the first few months of the game I focused on making the Japanese pay for their wins, where possible, and on building a fallback / front line. I kept Singapore and Rangoon, Sumatra and Java, and Noumea. I lost, then regained Hong Kong, lost Port Moresby, much of the Philippines, Borneo, and much of the DEI. I am currently engaged with Japanese forces at Attu, Luganville, Cebu, Singapore, SE of Pegu, SW and SE of Wuchang, Pucheng, Hankow, Chengchow, Kaoping, and Paotow.

The Allies have 27,445 points versus the Japanese 11,035 points. Allied air losses are 1672 planes versus 4232 Japanese planes. Allied Army points are 3559 versus Japanese 4407. Finally, Allied sunk ships are 159 for 1214 points (average 8 point ship), versus Japan with 417 sunk ships for 4467 points (average 11 points).

[GetAssista]

I see the results, but not the description of the fabulous strategy.

Edit: it's not like people would have much interest though It is common knowledge that you can kick the standard AI around however you like, when you know a couple patterns. Ending the game in 42 with bombed out Home Islands is pretty easy (getting the world conquered as Japan is trickier but can be done in 43).

The harder thing is to get a historically plausible game from the AI for some prolonged time.

[Flicker]

Let's dig into shipping.

I 'rescued' as much shipping from Asia as I could in the early days of the Sir Robin plan, using xAKLs as passenger ships and collapsing to the DEI and eventually Colombo. I use a hub system built around repair yards. Soerabaja is a sub base. Tilitjap is the supply port for Java. Oosthaven and Sabang are the supply ports for Sumatra. Palembang supplies Singapore; I have a dedicated fleet at Palembang with all of the 1000 ton xAKL Coastal class ships escorted by the short-legged Dutch destroyers. I have a small joint Dutch / British Surface TF at Oosthaven.

The Burma Road is open. I have a dedicated fleet at Calcutta of the xAKL Pacific S class 1750 ton ships escorted by Indian DEs supplying Rangoon. I also run xAK Dominion M class 5500 ton ships to Rangoon or the Dutch from Colombo.

I run xAK Dominion L class 6400 ton ships from Cape Town to Colombo. The xAK Pacific M class 2900 ton ships are run from England to Cape Town, while the xAK Pacific L class 3900 ton ships run from the USA to Cape Town.

[Flicker]

Patience, dear readers.

To continue with shipping, Cape Town also supplies Perth using the long-legged xAK Euro K and xAK Euro L classes of ships (5600 / 200 and 7850 / 550 tons of supply / fuel, respectively). Each of the convoys described heretofore has at least a destroyer in the convoy. Convoys to risky areas usually get a BB, CA, or CL to soak up battle damage.

I have a British BB bombardment TF and accompanying CV fighter TF stationed at Colombo for raiding the west coast of Thailand and Malaysia, plus a small British SCTF at Colombo.

Fuel shipping is based in Abadan. Short-legged tankers convoy to Colombo accompanied by WW1 patrol boats. Long-legged tankers convoy to Perth.

Theater battle damage is repaired at Colombo; many ship upgrades are performed at Cape Town. Abadan has an AR and several AGs to handle routine repair, with Aden's repair yard available if needed.

I've got the remaining Dutch PT boats stationed at Batavia - they are helpful to disrupt enemy landings.

It took until Feb 1942 to get most of this scheme set up, and there are still stragglers making their way to their ports.

[Flicker]

Well, this is kind of a test. IMGUR changed their posting procedure since I last tried it:

https://imgur.com/a/HTeRnkG

[Flicker]

Hmm. Not what I wanted. I'll try again after dinner.

[Evoken]

I prefer gyazo , uploads screenshots you take instantly and easy to embed to forums

[Flicker]

Evoken - thanks for the recommendation. I forgot what I used before imgur, but free was important to me. I see that gyazo is free and developed by the Japanese. I don't know if I should trust them with this secret intel...

Trying again:

[RangerJoe]

I usually abandon Singapore, then let the Japanese immolate themselves against the Dei. I don't lose Luzon but wipe out the Japanese there, I retake Hong Kong and send hundreds of thousands of supply there for the Chinese. The KB usually is wiped out by the end of the summer.

[Flicker]

For some definitions of 'worked', that worked. I'll fiddle with the size for next time.

The image is of Sunk Ships as of ~42/06/12. Not just Japanese ships, all ships. My primary sub base is Soerabaja. All of the Dutch boats are home ported there, as well as American S-boats and USN fleet boats due to withdraw. The Dutch and the S-boats have working torpedoes. The Dutch O-boats patrol off Cam Ranh Bay and the K-boats patrol the Makassar Straits. The US S-boats are sent to ports that have enemy shipping docked. The US fleet boats are used as sub transports carrying supplies to Cebu (about to fall) and Zamboanga (the last stand for the PI). I converted the eligible US boats to SSTs when available, and they are just now coming into theater. I picked Zamboanga as the base to gather forces from Mindanao because they have light industry and resources.

Colombo is home to the small British sub fleet. They patrol the Malacca Strait.

Brisbane is home to US S-boats that are due to withdraw. When they (or the fleet boats) get to 120 days until withdrawal I start sending them to San Francisco. I have an RAN AS tender at Brisbane.

Pearl is home to the US fleet boats that do not withdraw. They patrol the Japanese Home Islands.

Every sub that doesn't withdraw has an aggressive captain. I'd like to credit Bullwinkle for guiding my thinking on sub tactics. When I started playing years ago, I used subs defensively. Subs are offensive weapons. Put them in the likely enemy sea lanes and let them do their work.

[RangerJoe]

You can withdraw from Sydney and Columbo as well.

Stay away from ports because of mines.

There is one mine that can only be laid by a US submarine that you converted - happy news I am sure.

[Flicker]

Joe - thanks for the tip about withdrawing from Sydney and Colombo. I thought that ships had to withdraw from their nation's ports.

Good tips about mines, however I mostly don't send subs into unknown ports. Currently, my subs are busy transporting supplies, so I haven't used them yet as minelayers. Again, I'm stung by not digging into the upgrade paths and capabilities; I'll need to explore that sometime. I think I've depleted the pools of mines using CMs and DMs anyway.

To continue... I have a small RAN SCTF based at Perth, and another at Sydney. Melbourne is the upgrade repair yard for most ships, and there is a small cargo TF to pick up resources from Tasmania stationed there.

Pearl is the main combat port for the US Navy, and Christmas Island is a major supply / fuel hub and waypoint for convoys going to / from Australia. Seattle is the home port for the medium legged low capacity xAKL Lake class ships and TK Sun Type H class ships. Los Angeles is the home port for the rest of US classes of supply / fuel ships headed to Pearl, Sydney, or Auckland. After the 6/42 upgrades are complete (much of the US supply / fuel fleet), I'll adjust the US shipping process. Mare Island and Alameda are the major repair shipyards for long-duration repairs / upgrades (e.g. BBs). Seattle, San Francisco, and Los Angeles shipyards can be used for their home-ported fleets; Pearl is used for battle damage.

Fast troop transports are based at Cape Town (British), Aden (Dutch / Aussie), or San Francisco (US), with 'local' assault / reinforcement capacity at Colombo and Pearl (also a couple at Perth for Java; Sydney for SOPAC; and Auckland for SOPAC). I've got most of the ships that convert to LSIs or APAs stashed waiting on their conversions.

Each major port, where possible, has local ASW and Minesweeper capability (set to 'Remain on Station'), along with ASW patrols from KVs (id est Victoria for Seattle) or PCs (San Francisco) or AMs (Los Angeles). We'll discuss the air deployments later. AGPs are assigned to those home ports. ARs and AGs are deployed to receiving ports when feasible.

The two Lex class carriers are in an ACTF; so are the three Yorktown class carriers; the Wasp is currently transiting from Balboa. The old Lex class (1927) will provide security and amphibious support in the South Pacific (after the 6/42 upgrade), the Yorktowns (1937) are my offensive force, currently in SOPAC awaiting their 7/42 upgrade. The WASP (1940) will be assigned to NORPAC.

The type of ship that I probably underuse is the AV / AVP / AVD. I use the AVs that have seaplane capability for convoy escort and the rest just sit in port supporting seaplanes (that already have ground air support). I've read AARs that use AVs and seaplanes at super-secret bases for recon, but I haven't tried that yet.

My regulations require each ship to be upgraded in the month scheduled, unless allowed by waiver for an important mission. My regs also require Captains to be relieved of command upon reaching a port if involved in collisions or groundings.

I think that this setup provides a stable and effective foundation for supporting the upcoming campaigns.

Next up - air. Comments and criticisms are welcome - as you all know, there is always something more to learn in this game.

[RangerJoe]

Use the smaller Lake class to move supplies from your larger supply bases to the smaller ports. That is a much more effective method of supplying those bases than using large ships that overwhelm the port facilities.

Short legged ships can carry supplies and fuel to Oahu or between the East Coast and Cape Town. The APs and AK can move supplies from the East Coast to Cape Town which would keep them safe until the Attack Upgrades.

A word about upgrades, there is one class that can be converted to AEs but not if they get upgraded. You need them more as AEs than any other ship. You will also need to convert ships to AKEs as well as AGs. The AGs can help repair the small ships as well.

[Sardaukar]

I use Midway as..well..midway-base for subs. [8D]

[Jorge_Stanbury]

the two Lex class carriers are in an ACTF; so are the three Yorktown class carriers; the Wasp is currently transiting from Balboa. The old Lex class (1927) will provide security and amphibious support in the South Pacific (after the 6/42 upgrade), the Yorktowns (1937) are my offensive force, currently in SOPAC awaiting their 7/42 upgrade. The WASP (1940) will be assigned to NORPAC.

against a human player, dividing the carriers and using them against obvious targets is a recipe for KB ambush = disaster. This typically gives Japan carrier superiority until mid to late 44 in the rare occasions the Allied player doesn't quit altogether

[BBfanboy]

ORIGINAL: RangerJoe

You can withdraw from Sydney and Columbo as well.

Stay away from ports because of mines.

There is one mine that can only be laid by a US submarine that you converted - happy news I am sure.

I have been working a stock scenario 1 mod using the editor. The US subs start out using the Mk. 10 mine and the Argonaut switches to the Mk. 12 early, but quite a few sub classes convert to carry the Mk. 12 in 1943-44.

[BBfanboy]

ORIGINAL: RangerJoe

Use the smaller Lake class to move supplies from your larger supply bases to the smaller ports. That is a much more effective method of supplying those bases than using large ships that overwhelm the port facilities.

Short legged ships can carry supplies and fuel to Oahu or between the East Coast and Cape Town. The APs and AK can move supplies from the East Coast to Cape Town which would keep them safe until the Attack Upgrades.

A word about upgrades, there is one class that can be converted to AEs but not if they get upgraded. You need them more as AEs than any other ship. You will also need to convert ships to AKEs as well as AGs. The AGs can help repair the small ships as well.

That is the C2 Lassen class. I think they start as 6200 or 6250 capacity xAKs and convert to 5400 capacity AEs. They become more important later on when the Iowa class arrive because you need a high capacity ammo ship to reload the Iowas.

A lot of Allied updates and conversions are restricted to "one or the other". Look at the options carefully before you allow the upgrade.

[RangerJoe]

I was thinking of doing some modding myself. I know that the USS Alden left the Pacific but the game does not show it. It was scrapped in 1944. Commander Ernest Evans MOH was on that ship in the DEI. That is why he attacked without orders to do so and launched torpedoes before he was ordered to. His ship blew the bow off the Kumano which was later sunked by air power. The Japanese saluted his crew in the water . . .

[BBfanboy]

ORIGINAL: RangerJoe

I was thinking of doing some modding myself. I know that the USS Alden left the Pacific but the game does not show it. It was scrapped in 1944. Commander Ernest Evans MOH was on that ship in the DEI. That is why he attacked without orders to do so and launched torpedoes before he was ordered to. His ship blew the bow off the Kumano which was later sunked by air power. The Japanese saluted his crew in the water . . .

[&:] Alden in the game is a four-stacker WWI design DD. Ernie Evans was commander of Fletcher DD USS Johnston (or Johnson). Is there a connection with Alden somewhere between the two?

[RangerJoe]

ORIGINAL: BBfanboy

ORIGINAL: RangerJoe

I was thinking of doing some modding myself. I know that the USS Alden left the Pacific but the game does not show it. It was scrapped in 1944. Commander Ernest Evans MOH was on that ship in the DEI. That is why he attacked without orders to do so and launched torpedoes before he was ordered to. His ship blew the bow off the Kumano which was later sunked by air power. The Japanese saluted his crew in the water . . .

[&:] Alden in the game is a four-stacker WWI design DD. Ernie Evans was commander of Fletcher DD USS Johnston (or Johnson). Is there a connection with Alden somewhere between the two?

Ernie Evans was on the Alden when war broke out, he was a junior officer. During the debacle in the DEI the four four-pipers fired their torpedoes and fled when the British and Ducth cruisers attacked and sunked. He was embarrassed. He was also half Cherokee and over one fourth Creek Indian but indentified as a Cherokee. He joined the US Navy as an enlisted man and was selected to go to Annapolis for a little more education. So his pride was burned for a few different reasons.

He later commanded the DD that attacked first at Leyte Gulf and went back to support the other DDs and DEs attacking - even though one engine was knocked out. 14 inch or 36cm shells went completely through the ship horizontally because they were armour piercing and there wasn't enough to slow them down to explode.