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[Erkki]

Thanks.  Also that's kind of ironic, just played a turn and popped out to look up what exactly a CS was (I sank one).

I dont think the Allies have an equivalent... Basically a cruiser with multiple catapults and cranes and hangars for the float planes. There are 4 of them (Nisshin, Chitose, Mizuho, Chiyoda) and I have found them extremely useful. They can also later be converted into light carriers.

OK, Liutenant Yamashita, J, arrived today aboard CV Kaga, the largest aircraft carrier in the world(now leading by even larger margin as both Lexington and Saratoga have been made into reefs), now on the northern coast of Borneo, bound for Truk, together with CVLs Shoho and Zuiho, escorted by 12 destroyers.

[Fishbreath]

About as close as they came was USS Langley after her conversion to a seaplane tender in the 1930s.

[OAMP]

Thanks.  Also that's kind of ironic, just played a turn and popped out to look up what exactly a CS was (I sank one).

I dont think the Allies have an equivalent... Basically a cruiser with multiple catapults and cranes and hangars for the float planes. There are 4 of them (Nisshin, Chitose, Mizuho, Chiyoda) and I have found them extremely useful. They can also later be converted into light carriers.

OK, Liutenant Yamashita, J, arrived today aboard CV Kaga, the largest aircraft carrier in the world(now leading by even larger margin as both Lexington and Saratoga have been made into reefs), now on the northern coast of Borneo, bound for Truk, together with CVLs Shoho and Zuiho, escorted by 12 destroyers.

Yeah, I gathered from your post, and a quick look in the manual, though in combat it was the CS Chiyoda and a DD vs 4 of my CLs, so I didn't have any indication then, and it did score hits with it's guns.  I've noticed that the Japanese have a lot bigger variety then the Allies.  The Allies don't have E ships either.

Thanks again for the add.  J is my real first initial, so I see that as a sign of good luck 

[Erkki]

Thanks.  Also that's kind of ironic, just played a turn and popped out to look up what exactly a CS was (I sank one).

I dont think the Allies have an equivalent... Basically a cruiser with multiple catapults and cranes and hangars for the float planes. There are 4 of them (Nisshin, Chitose, Mizuho, Chiyoda) and I have found them extremely useful. They can also later be converted into light carriers.

OK, Liutenant Yamashita, J, arrived today aboard CV Kaga, the largest aircraft carrier in the world(now leading by even larger margin as both Lexington and Saratoga have been made into reefs), now on the northern coast of Borneo, bound for Truk, together with CVLs Shoho and Zuiho, escorted by 12 destroyers.

Yeah, I gathered from your post, and a quick look in the manual, though in combat it was the CS Chiyoda and a DD vs 4 of my CLs, so I didn't have any indication then, and it did score hits with it's guns.  I've noticed that the Japanese have a lot bigger variety then the Allies.  The Allies don't have E ships either.

Thanks again for the add.  J is my real first initial, so I see that as a sign of good luck 

Not sure if theres more variety for the Japanese... Both sides have the handful special vessels. Japanese E class is just equivalent of Allied DE, KV, PG, PF and PG but the E class has wild variation within class, from ships that are nearly modern destroyer equivalents, to very small <700 ton vessels that might not even have depth charges, despite the "E for escort" designation...

Have you played for long? I might want to give some of them shorter scenarios a try, either side.

[OAMP]

Thanks.  Also that's kind of ironic, just played a turn and popped out to look up what exactly a CS was (I sank one).

I dont think the Allies have an equivalent... Basically a cruiser with multiple catapults and cranes and hangars for the float planes. There are 4 of them (Nisshin, Chitose, Mizuho, Chiyoda) and I have found them extremely useful. They can also later be converted into light carriers.

OK, Liutenant Yamashita, J, arrived today aboard CV Kaga, the largest aircraft carrier in the world(now leading by even larger margin as both Lexington and Saratoga have been made into reefs), now on the northern coast of Borneo, bound for Truk, together with CVLs Shoho and Zuiho, escorted by 12 destroyers.

Yeah, I gathered from your post, and a quick look in the manual, though in combat it was the CS Chiyoda and a DD vs 4 of my CLs, so I didn't have any indication then, and it did score hits with it's guns.  I've noticed that the Japanese have a lot bigger variety then the Allies.  The Allies don't have E ships either.

Thanks again for the add.  J is my real first initial, so I see that as a sign of good luck 

Not sure if theres more variety for the Japanese... Both sides have the handful special vessels. Japanese E class is just equivalent of Allied DE, KV, PG, PF and PG but the E class has wild variation within class, from ships that are nearly modern destroyer equivalents, to very small <700 ton vessels that might not even have depth charges, despite the "E for escort" designation...

Have you played for long? I might want to give some of them shorter scenarios a try, either side.

I've always been a big naval warfare fan, but a few weeks ago I got on another kick for it.  I actually found this AAR shortly after I got the game, which was about a week/week and a half ago.  I of course still have over 75% of the learning curve to master, but I'd like to think I'm a quick study.  My main issue so far is logistics.  For the most part I've turned on auto convoy, but as I'm only on Dec 22, the effectiveness, or lack thereof, of such has yet to be seen.  I'm doing better then your opponent has so far, despite being on the boosted Japanese scenario, but then again, I'm up against the AI.

They do say the best way to learn is by failing miserably.  I'd be up for a small scenario.  I prefer to play as the Allies.  Only issue may be I may have messed up the patch process when my power went out (thunderstorm) as it was updating.  I reran it, though, and all seems to be in order, but I just hope there isn't like one little error someplace.  I suppose I could always backup the save and do a fresh install if that's the case.

[Zrk2]

This should really screw with him...

I love it.

[Erkki]

June 25th

Burma: Heavy fighting next to Chiang Mai, both sides suffer... Also Japanese bombers manage to destroy some tanks and disable about 20. P-400s sweep, shooting down a lone Ki-43, and recce says the Allies just moved in a bomber squadron to Rangoon. We will see what they're up to.

New Guinea: For the 3rd day in streak, B-17s sortie against an easy target, this time its Medang. I'm expecting a pause tomorrow so everything we have in the area sweeps and bombs Buna: over 200 Allied fighters, bombers, transports and patrol planes reported.

Timor Sea: All of Koepang's air units also ordered to attack Darwin tomorrow. 150 planes reported there of only 20 are fighters. If he doesnt like fighting Zeroes in the air, he needs to prepare losing his planes on the ground, or pull them back...

Other news: The 300+ AAA guns are now a week away from Rabaul, and another force with an air HQ and base force engineers are bound for Port Blair - in 7 or 8 days I can move in a G4M or G3M2 unit that can hit anything moving in the Bay of Bengal.

[OAMP]

Wow, that's a lot of aircraft there!  Today was pretty routine though...

Also tried Coral Sea, and find it's much more newbie friendly

[Zrk2]

Today was pretty routine though...

90% of war is marching.

[Erkki]

June 26th

I'm not sure what goes wrong. 2 of the 3 sweep Groups dont fly - only Tainan Ku S-1, the "All Stars" does, but does so uncoordinated, and appears over target piecemeal. This was possibly user-induced, though I'm not sure how. Orders were all given, drop tanks and targets assigned, and weather was good - no abortions were reported. We have flown both sweeps and LRCAP from those fields before.

Over the target we meet a collection of just about every type of Allied fighters, including 2 models of Wildcats - either Marine, or Navy units operating from a land base.

Despite the numerical odds being nice at least 1:1, the low-fatigue über-As Zero pilots dont seem to achieve anything, and then all hell breaks loose as a unit of P-40s and F4Fs breaks the dive loop. We only score 10 confirmed kills, and 3 aces dont return, including Ensign Doikawa.

Bombers go in well coordinated with their escort of all 45 Zeroes. This Zero unit of course loses even more, but when there are 35 Zeroes still present, the Allies penetrate the fighter screen and start shooting down bombers... Yet, of the 50 bombers, 28 get through to bomb: they score 8 air field hits and destroy a single A-20 bomber.

Over Darwin, 72 (!!!) Japanese G4Ms bomb at 15,000, scoring, despite the good weather, just pathetic 8 hits, and 2 destroyed aircraft(a Wirraway and a Banshee, an Army SBD dive bomber).

Japanese losses for today are 44 aircraft(including 18 Zeroes, 1 Ki-43 over Burma), 14 pilots dead, 14 missing, and 2 wounded.

EDIT: Allied losses are estimated 26-28, with approximately 12 P-40s and 10 Wildcats. Other fighter types go down in ones, and 3 were ground kills.


Boys and girls, moral of the story is, never be the stereotypical bad guys, their stuff is shit and they always lose. Japanese bombers' gunners failed to score a single hit on fighters... Compare that to B-17s that probably have positive kill ratio against my Zeroes.

[Erkki]

June 27th

And then comes the expected heavy bomber attack to Rabaul. There are over 150 fighters ready. Attacking force is 11 x LB-30(=B-24), 18+15+9 x B-17E and 3 x B-26.

Japanese fighters shoot down at least 6 x LB-30, 2 x B-26 and SURPRISE SURPRISE, zero B-17s. We lose 5 Zeros in the air, right away, as well as a Ki-45. 2 more Ki-45s and 1 Zero are written off. Despite the AAA fire and every single bomber damaged in every wave, they stil destroy 6 Zeros, 10 G3M bombers (I moved the G4Ms out to Truk to refit) and 3 Ki-45s. 2 pilots die and 1 is wounded.

HQ staff estimated enemy losses higher, though. 9 LB-30s(very possible, Ki-45s went mostly after these, and shot down 6 over Rabaul, probably damaging them all multiple times) and 4 B-17Es(better have been at least 4!!!!)

More later.... Possibly.

[Erkki]

OK, the good news is, that we destroyed the 100th and 101st confirmed Allied heavy bomber today. Considering how good they are, hes depleting them at a pretty good rate, killing mostly old G3M2 bombers and an odd ill-trained Zero pilot.

At the strategic level I'm satisfied with the last 2 days even if I hate losing pilots. We traded very little strategically important assets(and hardware is always replaceable) to more than month's reinforcements of heavy bombers. The AAA did horribly, again, but that detail will be fixed possibly even before the next attack, as the hundreds of 88mm and 2 dozen 100mm guns arrive to Rabaul and Kavieng.

EDIT: + that Liberator squadron is now trashed, they lost 9 out of 11 that flew(their "paper strength" or TOE is probably 12) and at least 6 pilots dead/missing. Probably more. Effectively, that unit is out of action for some time even if it still has aircraft left, and replacement pilots(aircrew) are likely to less experienced.

EDIT2: this turn the rest of the 13th Sentai arrived to Rabaul, so instead of 9, we had 36 Ki-45s ready. Each of them seems to be about 4 times more effective than Zero when it comes to shooting down bombers, even if the pilots arent experienced and only moderately trained. I also moved a 12-strong unit of Ki-43s to New Hanover Island next to Kavieng... I would have had Zeroes too, but I want to bring the Army units into action as they have vast pilot reserves, unlike the Navy.

[Hyo]

... That was... satisfactory? It still seems very much like a string of failures from one to another, at least to me. While it was salvageable, the amount of damage that we could have caused just makes it depressing.

[Erkki]

... That was... satisfactory? It still seems very much like a string of failures from one to another, at least to me. While it was salvageable, the amount of damage that we could have caused just makes it depressing.

What pisses me off the most is losing the pilots. Lots of crack fighter and torpedo pilots lost for little gain... However today almost made up for it - we killed at least 14 heavy bombers and 2 B-26s for bonus points, losing just 2 ill-trained pilots(and some Zeroes and old bombers I no longer even produce). Think it this way: without that battle he could have used them to fly on average 20 sorties/day against easier targets. Now he wont be flying them for a week, at least, and his bomber force is not growing in size, as he lost approximately a month's replacements. I know he will get less than 300 heavy bombers before Spring of 1943, so he has lost 1/3 of them already - and its only mid 42.

[Erkki]

Depending on what my opponent will do, I will have a surprise for him tomorrow. He has again begun the close air support strikes to Gasmata, we will see how our new planes work against those raiders... I've also staggered the CAP so that the least experienced squad is lowest, hoping for the better pilots to get the bounce, supported by Ki-45s(possibly seeing combat against fighters for the first time).