Help With Timing My Tarawa Invasion

[Dereck]

I have a tentative schedule set for my invasion of Tarawa but I need to be able to time task force departure dates to be able to arrive at the correct times.

Here is my tentative schedule:

03 November 1943 -- Current Game Date
xx November 1943 -- Begin loading transport ships
14 November 1943 -- Commence air suppression air strikes against Kwajalein, Eniwetok and Ponope
15 November 1943 -- Begin continuous shore bombardment of Tarawa
21 November 1943 -- D-Day for Tarawa invasion

Now, here's my individual task forces and their operational destinations:

Canton Island to Tarawa
-- 17 hexes (Tarawa Atoll itself)
----- TF1139 (Surface Combat) - 4m/3c
----- TF1144 (Surface Combat) - 3m/2c
----- TF1147 (Surface Combat) - 4m/2c
----- TF1151 (ASW Combat) - 3m/2c
----- TF1152 (Minesweeping) - 3m/2c
----- TF1156 (Minesweeping) - 2m/2c
----- TF1166 (Primary Invasion) - 2m/1c
-- 16 hexes (offshore from Tarawa Atoll)
----- TF1029 (Amphib Command) - 3m/2c
----- TF1138 (Air Combat) - 5m/2c
----- TF1157 (Replenishment) - 3m/2c
----- TF1159 (Replenishment) - 3m/1c
----- TF1161 (Secondary Invasion) - 2m/2c
----- TF1165 (Floating Reserve) - 3m/2c

Midway to Kwajalein
-- 29 hexes (Kwajalein, Eniwetok and Ponope suppression)
----- TF1075 (Air Combat) - 5m/2c
----- TF1095 (Air Combat) - 5m/2c
-- 23 hexes (Kwajalein and Eniwetok suppression)
----- TF1094 (Air Combat) - 5m/2c
-- 18 hexes
----- TF1137 (Replenishment) - 3m/1c

The part I don't quite understand is the movement distances per turn for task forces. I have listed what is listed in the task force information screen, i.e. 3m/1c, but I'm not exactly sure how to interpret it. I'm pretty sure that the 3m means three hexes but not too sure what the 1c would mean. Is it a multiplier for the moves the task force will make in one full turn?

Can anybody try to explain it to me please?

[Terminus]

3m/1c means 3 hexes at maximum speed, and 1 hex at cruising speed.

[Dereck]

ORIGINAL: Terminus

3m/1c means 3 hexes at maximum speed, and 1 hex at cruising speed.

Another dumb question ... which one would be considered "mission speed"?

[Terminus]

Cruise and mission are generally the same. Try toggling the speed setting on the TF screen, and you'll see.

[Dereck]

ORIGINAL: Terminus

Cruise and mission are generally the same. Try toggling the speed setting on the TF screen, and you'll see.

Okay it looks like Mission speed equals full speed and Cruise speed the lower speed.

So, for my primary invasion force (2m/1c), to go the 17 hexes from Canton Island to Tarawa would basically be 8 1/2 turns. In order to arrive on 21 November 1943 I'd have to be loaded and depart from my staging base on 13 November 1943.

[Terminus]

How many divisions are you bringing?

[DFalcon]

Check the cruise speed of the TF, for every 5 knots the TF will travel 2 hexes per day. The game will retain fractions so a TF with a cruise speed of 8 will travel 3 hexes a day for example.

You should also allow some slush as the TF will slow to refuel ships on a long trip.

[Dereck]

ORIGINAL: Terminus

How many divisions are you bringing?

Primary Invasion TF
-- V Amphibious Corps HQ
-- 2nd USMC Division
-- 193rd USA Tank Battalion
-- 640th USA Tank Destroyer Battalion

Secondary (Support Units) Invasion TF
-- 59th Naval Construction Battalion
-- 62nd Naval Construction Battalion
-- 76th Naval Construction Battalion
-- 52nd Naval Base Force

Floating Reserve
-- 33rd USA Division

Through reconaissance and ground attacks on Tarawa I know there are 2 and possibly 3 units there. The ones I've identified so far are:
-- 53rd Naval Guard Unit
-- 127th IJN Base Force

[Terminus]

Start loading your primary Invasion TF and Floating Reserve about 5 or 6 days before scheduled departure. That way, you leave room for eventualities.

And leave the Seabees and the Base Force behind; they are almost useless in an invasion. You should be prepared to land your Floating Reserve very quickly; either you immediately break the enemy on D-Day, or it's going to take quite a while.

[Dereck]

ORIGINAL: Terminus

Start loading your primary Invasion TF and Floating Reserve about 5 or 6 days before scheduled departure. That way, you leave room for eventualities.

And leave the Seabees and the Base Force behind; they are almost useless in an invasion. You should be prepared to land your Floating Reserve very quickly; either you immediately break the enemy on D-Day, or it's going to take quite a while.

My Seabees and Base Force are going to be 1 hex off Tarawa until the base is in my control and then I'm going to land them regardless of whether the Japs remain in the atoll or not since I'll be able to start repairing all the damage I intend to be inflicting on the base as soon as I can.

My floating reserve is also going to remain 1 hex away until needed. If it becomes unnecessary then they're heading back to Pearl Harbor until the next invasion.

I'm going to be doing more calculations but I've already concluded my Floating Reserve task force (as an example) needs a 5 1/3 day transit lead time.

Edit - Also debating what to do with 28 extra LCI I have. I am considering loading supplies on them and sending half in with my main invasion force and half with my floating reserve. I already have 28,000 tons of supplies I plan to unload with the support units.

[Arkan]

Mission Speed uses either Cruise Speed or Full Speed depending on TF type and situation. It will always list the ships max knots but that doesn't mean anything. You can look this up in the manual pages 79 ff. Inside the boxes is listed what speed will be used if Mission Speed is set.

[Dereck]

I'm currently at 05 November 1943 and have an invasion schedule planned out as shown below:

Tarawa Invasion Schedule

04 November 1943
-- Start loading transport ships

09 November 1943
-- Air Combat TF1075 and TF1095 departs from Midway for Marshall Islands
-- Replenishment TF1137 departs from Midway for Marshall Islands

10 November 1943
-- Surface Combat TF1144 departs Canton Island for Tarawa
-- Minesweeping TF1152 departs Canton Island for Tarawa

11 November 1943
-- Surface Combat TF1139 and TF1147 departs Canton Island for Tarawa
-- Primary Invasion group departs Canton Island for staging area
---- ASW Combat TF1151
---- Minesweeping TF1156
---- Transport TF1166
-- Air Combat TF1138 departs Canton Island for staging area
-- Air Combat TF1094 departs Midway for Marshall Islands

13 November 1943
-- Secondary Invasion Group departs Canton Island for staging area
---- Amphib Command TF1029
---- Replenishment TF1157 and TF1159
---- AV Support, Engineer, Cargo and Aircraft TF1161
---- Floating Reserve TF1165

14 November 1943 Start air strikes to neutralize Japanese air bases

15 November 1943 Start continuous Tarawa shore bombardment

20 November 1943 Arrival at pre-invasion staging area

21 November 1943 D-Day

Base capture+1 Land support, engineering units, supplies and aircraft

[Dereck]

Well my invasion is over. It was fun planning all the timing and unit involvement but the actual invasion was pretty anti-climactic s the battle only lasted one turn before Tarawa was in my hands. Guess it was because it was an atoll but I was kind of hoping it would last longer than just one day [:D]

[Terminus]

Well, the real thing took 3 days, as far as my failing memory tells me...

[Mike Solli]

ORIGINAL: Terminus

Well, the real thing took 3 days, as far as my failing memory tells me...

Your failing memory told you correct information....[:D]

[AmiralLaurent]

As for planning invasion and TF moves, the normal speed of transport TF is (2 * choosen speed) / 5, rounded down, per day.

By the way, you should include in your plan that ships will take SYS damage and slow down, so if all ships have a cruise speed of 10 and are undamaged, they may do 4 hexes a day but will very propably slow down at 3 as soon as one ship will take SYS damage.

Most of the convoys will then do 3 hexes a day. Big Japanese AP (at 14 knots in full speed when undamaged) may sail 5 at full speed, even with some SYS, Allied APs can do at least the same if not better if I remember well (I never played Allied but it seems to me some APs have max speed of 15-17).

Then you have to check the escorts of the convoy. Short range escorts (MSW and so on) will need refueling and transports and them will use op points to do so, so reducing the speed of the convoy.

Anyway, congatulation for your victory. My own view of WITP is that it is so complex to mount an invasion with air support, CV, BB, MSW and so on that it is not worth it to do with only one island. I will wait to have more troops and try to invade a whole area. Or in your case invade the Gilberts in Nov 1943 and the Marshalls one month later.

[Dereck]

ORIGINAL: AmiralLaurent

Then you have to check the escorts of the convoy. Short range escorts (MSW and so on) will need refueling and transports and them will use op points to do so, so reducing the speed of the convoy.

Don't see why the speed of a task force would slow down. Doesn't WITP know about UNDERWAY replenishment. The Japanese may have had to stop their ships to refuel and transfer cargo, but the American navy didn't.

[Terminus]

He means "leech" refuelling, i.e. smaller ships in a TF transferring fuel from larger (I think that's what he means).

[Yamato hugger]

ORIGINAL: dereck
Don't see why the speed of a task force would slow down. Doesn't WITP know about UNDERWAY replenishment. The Japanese may have had to stop their ships to refuel and transfer cargo, but the American navy didn't.

They dont stop, they slow down. You arent going to rig lines for fuel at full speed, you have to account for zig-zagging, ect. Peacetime in modern day is one thing, back in the 40's in wartime with subs god-knows-where and still working out the bugs to do it in the first place is quite another. Dont forget that at-sea fueling was something relitivley new back then. Hell, some ships even then still burned coal.

[Dereck]

ORIGINAL: Yamato hugger

ORIGINAL: dereck
Don't see why the speed of a task force would slow down. Doesn't WITP know about UNDERWAY replenishment. The Japanese may have had to stop their ships to refuel and transfer cargo, but the American navy didn't.

They dont stop, they slow down. You arent going to rig lines for fuel at full speed, you have to account for zig-zagging, ect. Peacetime in modern day is one thing, back in the 40's in wartime with subs god-knows-where and still working out the bugs to do it in the first place is quite another. Dont forget that at-sea fueling was something relitivley new back then. Hell, some ships even then still burned coal.

The United States navy did do underway replenishment during World War II. They may have been the only navy at the time that did. Granted the technique was new and they were perfecting it but nonetheless they did refuel and restock while underway.