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[stabbymcstabstab]

Well then wait for them to slow down and drop the bombs and send the taskforce to enage them better yet attack the japs with the fleet then send in the bombers when they can't manuover as much

Anvilfolk I'm just guessing I play this game very little so I don't know that much about it but I figure you should be able to do that.

[Erkki]

Well then wait for them to slow down and drop the bombs and send the taskforce to enage them better yet attack the japs with the fleet then send in the bombers when they can't manuover as much

Anvilfolk I'm just guessing I play this game very little so I don't know that much about it but I figure you should be able to do that.

They'll refuel before they're out of fuel so unless a ship has 0 fuel left they can take evasive maneuvers during a naval battle or air attack. The big ships have more endurance(and fuel) than the escorts, so its the CVs, BBs and CAs that refuel(or "level fuel") to escort DDs and oilers(AOs) to big ones. What is possible is catching the replenishment oiler force together with the warships, but that means just more targets and more spread-out hits unless they are completely overwhelmed. AA guns and fighter CAP still work...

Trying to engage enemy carriers on the surface in open waters is suicidal. The carriers are very fast and have a huge screen of escorts, and if the attackers fail to make contact they'll get attacked by the aircraft with no way to retaliate.

Surface units can work but only together with aircraft and Allied CVs - but then they'll be mostly baits diverting enemy attacks away from more important targets, and after the battle they can help chasing down the enemy. But alone ships are helpless against aircraft unless they can get in and out in the night, which might not work if the battle is long and ships receive damage...

[stabbymcstabstab]

So basicly carriers are badasses, Big ships are tanks,Wwe'll need a huge navy to win with out major deathes, and We need to have a huge airforce or carrier force to out gun them and win. So none of my plans are that good... Well I make up half of my plans on guess what would work.

[Anvilfolk]

End of semester is here... that's why I haven't updated the LP much. Rest assured, once the semester is indeed over, I'll start this again.

We are reaching the critical part of the campaign, where the Japanese are counter-attacking. I've tried putting enough maps here that you should have a decent idea of where stuff is and what assets we have. I'm still waiting and wishing for more input from you guys. It'll be used, so keep it coming!

[stabbymcstabstab]

I say just fortify our marines and supply them as much in one go as possiable so we need to do it less and make a fortify sealane to our marines.

[Anvilfolk]

Classes are now over, so let's proceed to getting our asses handed back to us!

15 August 1943

In the morning, Betties start attacking our small fleet around Tulagi! We know this day would come, and the reason why I don't think we should have our carriers to close to those places. Fortunately, we have a capable CLAA there, and it damaged 4 Betties for no damage.

They're back in the afternoon, and this time, in a streak of luck, they put two torpedoes in CLAA San Juan. I can't believe the bad luck we are having... it is now on fire and with heavy damage. In return 8 Betties are damaged. Eight more Betties go and attack the fleet around Guadalcanal, and all get damaged to no effect.

CLAA San Juan sinks later during the day...

We will not give up command of the seas. The carriers are now in position, and will set up long-range CAP over Guadalcanal. We continue getting sightings of many enemy ships, now between Espiritu Santu and Guadalcanal. I am worried that they will take our carrier fleet by surprise...

We will avenge the San Juan. It is high time that we give Rabaul something to think about (I think that's where they are coming from). Those B-17 pilots are back on the job! I moved them over to Cooktown, further up north in Australia, and they are now in range. Give'em hell boys!

15 August 1943

Damn and blast those Betties! 20 of them just came over to Cooktown (how the heck did they know we moved some bomber squadrons over there? Spies?!) and destroyed one of our B-17s on the ground! AND our bombers never took off. Some P-39's are moved there for CAP.

Our aviation support units mostly unloaded at Lunga. I have moved the two fighter squadrons there that were awaiting for that support, and they are now putting up some extremely necessary CAP.

We continue snooping around an enemy task force of 7-10 ships, now south-east of our carriers. They are closing, moving in north-west. For some reason, despite following this TF since the beginning of the campaign, we still have not launched a single strike. Fortunately, we have just finished refuelling them from our tankers, which are running back. I think they know where our carriers are.

We've also received the CVE Long Island at Noumea, and a couple of DD's and oilers, so we now have to decide what to do with those.


**** STAFF MEETING *****

Gentlemen, this is the latest sitrep:



As you can see, our carrier fleet appears to be trapped between two enemy fleets. Despite being close and having been spotted, no strikes have been delivered against either. One of these days, I'm going on the carriers and making sure they're not all on holidays!

Here are the key points:
- Our carriers appear to be between two enemy task forces of 9/10 and 7 ships, and they have been spotted by enemy planes.
- Our carriers have been refuelled. Replenishment TF heading back home.
- We have lost more important ships to enemy air attacks.
- Support delivered to Lunga.
- Two fighter squadrons delivered to Lunga and on CAP.
- B-17s have been ordered to Cooktown and to attack Rabaul the airfields at Rabaul where the Betties are coming from.
- We have received a small Escort Carrier (Long Island), and a couple of destroyers and oilers.


We need to figure out what to do. I don't like the position of our carriers at all. I am wondering whether they shouldn't steam south at full speed during the night to try to evade the enemies.

We also need mid-term objectives. All the things we wanted to do have been done (support and CAP to Lunga, refuelling carriers). What's next for us? Just stop the counter-attack? Move up Guadalcanal and take the rest of it? Hit another island?

I eagerly await your opinions!

[Erkki]

Well, you knew the "Netties" would attack but had no air cover.  They are very vulnerable without(or well, with too) escort fighters - all you'd have needed to do to stop them for good would have been to let them attack try to your CVs, or any naval units covered by CV aircraft.

Now that you have both enemy surface units, Netties AND the KB in the area you cant do that any more.

Do you have any idea what those 2 enemy TFs are? I'd move the CVs NE of Stewart Island where they can hit them if they close in to Guadalcanal or Lunga. A carrier battle might happen tomorrow, so set any fighters you have on Lunga to LRCAP your carriers... The closer the distance the better, less fatigue and more planes on station.

[Erkki]

About the Cooktown B-17s - the red ! next to base means its very low on supplies... And aircraft use supplies when they fly! AFAIK fighters use 1 normally and 2 with drop tanks and/or bombs. Bombers I think use load capacity divided by 500 and rounded up. For most Japanese bombers that is 4 tons of supplies(+ 6 if a torpedo is used), for Allied bombers it can be a lot more. Especially for the heavies. Its very possible to consume more supplies by just flying heavies than they destroy from the enemy in the form of personnel, equipment("devices") and supplies themselves..

[stabbymcstabstab]

Well that sucks for him.

[Anvilfolk]

So it does!

Still learning the game, and this is really good stuff. Another question: how many supplies does a B-17 actually manage to fly over to places? In a previous game, I had a squadron of B-17 making supply runs to one of the bases on Espiritu Santu, but it didn't seem to make any difference.

[Erkki]

So it does!

Still learning the game, and this is really good stuff. Another question: how many supplies does a B-17 actually manage to fly over to places? In a previous game, I had a squadron of B-17 making supply runs to one of the bases on Espiritu Santu, but it didn't seem to make any difference.

Transferred cargo depends... The "max payload"(or something  ) tells what kind of devices a plane can carry(except afaik only transports, patrol and bombers can carry troops), and per each 2000 capacity they may also carry 1 ton of supplies. If max payload is less than 2000 the plane can carry 1 ton any way.

For Japan only planes that can carry more than a ton of supplies are H6K and H8K(and their transport versions) and the Japanese "licence built" DC-3, the L2D.

If the target hex has a built airfield(IIRC doesnt matter what size, but damage does matter) and its in your control, the supplies are always delivered as long as aircraft fly in normal range - ie. the planes land, unload, get refueled and fly back. If theres no friendly field available and extended range, the pilot's Transport skill is used to determine if the drop is successful. Also enemy fighters may interrupt transports or even shoot them down(though not as easily as if they flew an offensive sortie, game models the "sneaking in and out" one by one at nap of the earth altitude).

[Anvilfolk]

So besides being busy and it being the holiday season, I haven't gotten as much feedback as I wished I would. Perhaps we could try something different.

I will give almost complete control of certain units to volunteers. You get to decide what to do, either together or alone, and I'll execute it over on this end. Right now, the most obvious choices are:
- 3 carrier TFs
- The new CVE Long Island
- Fighter/bomber squadrons of your choice (Wildcats, Dauntlesses, Avengers, Catalinas, B-17s, B-26s, P-39, etc).
- Infantry units on Tulagi, Guadalcanal and near Port Moresby.

I can also try to livestream if you guys are around and do more than 2 turns every update...

Up to you guys!