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Old 06-14-21, 03:02 AM   #46
Molon Labe
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Chazz View Post
I play WITPAE often, it appeals to my love of details and the micromanagement.

I usually play as the Allies vs AI, it's just too bad that the AI plans are so weak, though I have learned to use my CV's in hit and run raids and I NEVER risk having a go with the IJN carriers until well into '42.

I haven't played as the Japanese yet, and understand it to be far more complicated- perhaps I need to know where the tutorials are?
I thought this Japan econ guide was very helpful.
https://www.matrixgames.com/forums/tm.asp?m=2933397

EDIT: Also this: https://www.matrixgames.com/forums/tm.asp?m=3329605
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Old 06-14-21, 03:48 AM   #47
Molon Labe
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22 December 1941

Malaya
Mostly quiet. Sweeps over Singapore took down a Buffalo. His bombers are focusing on land forces near Johore Baru. The last of my Buffalos are out of Georgetown. There's nothing left for me up there, time to pull back to Kuala Lumpur.

An enemy sub hit a mine at Billion, an island south of Singapore that I'm using as a seaplane base. Was intended for troop ships but I'll take any hit I can get right now. This was a very recently laid minefield--I noticed that he isn't methodically advancing in the DEI area, he's targeting airbases specifically. Billiton looks due. The Dutch are pretty much out of surface-laid mines now, I've got one CM out on a mission right now and that's going to be the last for awhile.

Philippines
I've successfully evacuated the Cavite base force from Manila. They'll be setting up in Australian territory. I'm now declaring an evacuation of Cagayan, starting with the B-17 squadrons. The airfield is too bombed up to maintain operations. Operational B-17s are moving to Clark, others to follow as they repair.

Not much else to report here except a failed PT boat attack, one boat got shot up and returned to base.

Java
A crusier-destroyer group bombarded Kendari again, that airfield isn't going to last.

Hawaiian Island Chain
I had subs moving through the Midway area so I had them make an unscheduled stop to look for tenders. We did spot an AO there but surprisingly no AEs. The USS Gar was badly damaged in a depth charge attack in the shallows and is returning to base.

Nihau island was captured. Our forces are actively fighting on Lihue, we're outnumbered and losing.

USNS Neches (an AO) was torpedoed and sunk by a sub outside of Pearl. The KB is still lurking but did not launch any strikes today. My mechanics at Pearl are working overtime to get planes back on patrol there. I have two squadrons of Warhawks stateside ready to come over, but they won't be in time for operation "build towers on my base."


Elsewhere
-USS Thresher got a cargo ship near Aogoshima (small island along the approach to Tokyo harbor. I think that's 3 consecutive days of kills for the US sub fleet, in spite of the crap Mk14.
-He finally invaded Guam
-Enemy cruisers made belligerent port calls at Pago Pago and Canton Island. They found an AKL to blow up at Pago. They shelled both bases too, but there isn't much there to shoot up. I have a cruiser and 2 DMSs near Pago that might be able to respond.
-The AVG shot down a Nate and two Sonias near Nanchang. They are targeting one hex in particular to bomb, but I don't see any corresponding troop movements. I wish I had more recon planes in China.
-Japan has reinforced the garrison occupying Ichang.
-USS Lexington has suffered an engineering casualty and might remain in port for longer than intended. Not the end of the world, I'm struggling to find Wildcats to replace her Buffalos with anyway. (Historically, she embarked the Saratoga's VF-3 while her own VF-2 was changing aircraft. But my Saratoga wasn't torpedoed, so my VF-3...Thatch, O'Hare... stays.)
-Enterprise and Saratoga are about ready to head out. I haven't decided where they're going yet other than that it will not be Pearl or Midway. But I will find a way to make him pay a price for keeping the KB off Pearl, or at least force him to redeploy to prevent me from counterattacking.
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Old 06-14-21, 12:17 PM   #48
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Going to take a moment to pause and think about my opponent's opening.



Comparing the historical force allocations to what I'm observing in this campaign, and the historical timelines for the these theatres:

Malaya: Japanese reach Johore 1/14/42--he's about 3 weeks ahead of schedule. (But, he hasn't taken KL yet). There were two divisions assigned to this historically that I have not spotted anywhere yet. If they aren't there, this is an amazingly good performance on his part.

Philippines: Manila abandoned 26 December. He looks behind schedule, he has strong forces in Manila and Clark but they aren't pushing too hard yet. I've only identified one division as being present there but he clearly has at least two, so this looks like a historical allocation.

Burma: Campaign began in earnest in late January. There is a small amount of troop movement in the south. I'm going to call this "on schedule". The 33rd division usually assigned to this had not appeared.

South Pacific: Rabaul was captured late January, Guadalcanal May 1942. Way, way, way ahead of schedule. Force estimates are sketchy right now but I'd say a major division hasn't been assigned here, just smaller marine units.

Borneo: Balikpapan fell 24 January. Brunei fell 16 December. He looks on schedule.

Hong Kong: fell Christmas day. He's ahead of schedule significantly and that division is now free to be deployed elsewhere.

Java: began 28 February
Sumatra: began 14 February
Honorable mention--Hawaii: at least one division has been assigned (a "wildcard" that was historically used to reinforce the Philippines).

Overall it looks like he's doing really well and he's doing it with potentially as many as 6 divisions still in reserve and ready to pop up somewhere. I'd look for the 38th division to go from Hong Kong to the Philippines--waiting for them to be transported may be why he's not making strong attacks there yet. As for the rest, I'd guess he'd start a major offensive somewhere else ahead of schedule. As paralyzed as my naval forces have been around Java, and as ineffective as my air forces have been, my guess is that Sumatra is going to be the target.

I won't have the reinforcements available to stop that move, but I will note that his forward bases supporting the ARGs and covering forces need a whole lot of fuel to sustain this OpTempo, and that there are really only two routes into the Java Sea. So it's time for the Asiatic Fleet boats to take center stage ("while we still hold a base here, that is").
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Old 06-15-21, 01:32 AM   #49
Molon Labe
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23 December 1941
Training is King


Hawaiian Island Chain
The Kido Butai launched three major strikes: two against tankers entering Pearl and a strike on Lihue. Compared two the last two air battles, this went much, much better. Moving experienced pilots into these squadrons made a huge difference.
His losses: 6 Zeroes, 12 Vals, 3 Kates
My losses: 1 P-40, 1 P-36, 2 Texan, 2 DD badly damaged, 4 TK/AO sunk.

They landed at least two regiments on Lahaina, with plenty of AA and engineering support. Lihue was captured.


The map is much nicer with the mod, thanks Lugerman!

USS Grayling spotted a tanker approaching Midway and missed. He clearly intends to use the base as a refueling station. USS Cuttlefish got caught in the shallows and was damaged in a depth charge attack.

Malaya
Apparently enraged that he missed my troops convoy, his Nells started attacking the only available target ships. They orbited an HDML with a torpedo, Buffalos took out an escorting Zero. His Mavis flying boats even got in on the action, bombing a minesweeper on ASW patrol.

Another Buff went down escorting a strike against enemy troops at Johore Baru. The bombers got through but were ineffective.

A strike on Singapore took out another two Buffalos at the cost of one Oscar.
And another strike on troops headed south resulted in another Buff shot down, their strike was fortunately ineffective.

Philippines
Zeroes swept Clark and managed to take down 7 P-40s and 2 P-26s with no losses. Hellcats and Corsairs when?

The 16th Division is confirmed to be in Luzon, it's the force attacking Manila.

Dutch East Indies
The 146th Regiment landed on Manado to reinforce the stalled invasion there. So it looks like the 56th Division (its parent unit) has been assigned to DEI operations.

He's combined the carriers Ryujo, Zuiho, Hosho, and Chiyoda (seaplane carrier) into a single CVBG and it looks like it's headed to raid Darwin. Along the way, near Timor, it found an transport group I had been using to shuffle base forces in the area, sinking a cargo ship and its escorting minesweeper, and damaging another AK. Fortunately, they were empty at the time. A followup strike took out the last undamaged AK in the task force.


South Pacific
Canton was invaded. They achieved complete tactical surprise, immediately capturing the island before the PBY squadron could be evacuated.

A patrol craft that had been hunting the sub prowling off Palmyra was instead torpedoed by its quarry.

The light cruiser Katori bombarded Pago Pago for the second consecutive day. She can't have much ammo left onboard. I'm ordering a cruiser of my own to take her down. I have some concern that he might invade Pago rapidly as he did Canton, so I'm temporarily moving the PBY squadron there out. Suva may be under similar threat as well.

I believe my naval forces operating from the Solomons all the way east through Canton island are superior to his, I just have to be careful about airpower, especially around Rabaul. Also, I've lost track of the Soryu, so she might turn up there.

Elsewhere
--USS Thresher torpedoed an Akasi class cargo ship between Okinawa and Kyushu, then chased down the wounded ship to administer a coup-de-grace.
--I'm not sure how I know this (coastwatchers?), but an AKL hit one of my mines at Guadalcanal.
-The AVG took out three Nates and two light bombers trying to protect Chinese troops near Nanchang. Oddly enough, two divisions crossed the river there and attacked a completely different unit. Casualties were heavy on both sides, but my troops held the line for now. My bombers will be shifting targets to this from Ichang.
-He moved land forces to try to retake Sinyang from me. It doesn't look like he has enough to do it, I'm counterattacking.
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Old 06-15-21, 03:34 AM   #50
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Interesting he pushed a lot of his offensives ahead of schedule, just trying to think up what the consquences are when you're taking the initiative after you have recovered from the initial blows and push offensives of your own to take back the control in the pacific.


It's always fun to find out what the results are from having changed events from history. Did it come out better then historical or did you made a worse mistake then whoever you tried to correct.


Keep it up and yeah that map mod looks lovely!
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Old 06-15-21, 12:03 PM   #51
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Originally Posted by Molon Labe View Post
The map is much nicer with the mod, thanks Lugerman!
You're welcome.

I recommend you press F6. No need to see the hexagons. On that map there are points that can be used to calculate distances and without the hexes the map is much nicer.

As we say in Spain: ¡Bravo!
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Old 06-16-21, 12:59 AM   #52
Molon Labe
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24 December 1941
Is it time to start believing the unbelievable?

Hawaiian Island Chain/Central Pacific


It was a bad day to be a tanker near Pearl Harbor. A sub got one, air raids took out another 4. The air raid cost them 7 Kates and a Zero, we lost a P-36.

Two divisions with tons of naval and AA support came ashore in Lahaina, and captured it. It now appears FOUR divisions are committed to the occupation of Hawaii. His goal appears to be to encircle Pearl Harbor, and he's digging in those forward bases so much that it's going to take a long time to dislodge them. So, I have to think about the unthinkable--do I evacuate Pearl Harbor? It won't take much upgrading of the airfields in Lahaina to support Betty torpedo bombers, so if I'm going to do it, I have to do it soon, or else the fleet will be trapped there.

To the south, at Palmyra, the Japanese sub there took advantage of it's kill of a PC yesterday and the fact that the supply ship it was escorting can't return to Pearl and made a gun attack, sinking it.

Malaya
We lost 6 bombers trying to interdict their armies pushing towards Johore and the railway. We lost 4 Buffalo trying to keep their Nells from bombing troops near Malacca and Singapore, but did manage to clip a Zero. We have so few fighters left flying that his Nates were assigned to strafing attacks today.

His airstrikes apparently disrupted my troops trying to get to those tanks blocking the railway. Some infantry arrived first, before the Anti-tank guns they were supposed to be supporting. I'm sure that will go well.

Philippines
A sweep over Clark claimed 2 P-40s, while my attempted raid on San Fernando was aborted due to still resistance from the CAP.

Dutch East Indies
Landings continue at Manado and Ambon. The mini-KB raided Koepang, Timor, destroying a bomber on the ground. He's not pushing to Darwin yet, apparently.

Elsewhere
-USS Salmon had a pitiful failed attack on a light cargo ship, running its deck gun nearly out of ammo without causing enough damage to sink it. The Gudgeon followed up the attack, and also ran low on ammo without sinking it. USS Spearfish did the silent service proud, though, sinking an Aden class cargo ship north of Taiwan.
-At Pago Pago, The USS Trenton rendezvoused with two destroyer-minesweepers to attack the Katori. The Katori managed some hits on a DMS despite it likely being low on ammo and the US commander lost his nerve. The Katrori took significant damage before we whimped out, but it's not crippled.
-The two divisions that crossed the river near Nanchang defeated my defenders there, despite the disruption of being bombed and their opposed river crossing. But we pushed the enemy out of Sinyang. The AVG managed to get 3 Nates and 2 light bombers.
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Old 06-18-21, 10:07 AM   #53
Molon Labe
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25 December 1941
"and Merry Christmas, by the way"

Hawaiian Island Chain
A quick note on the logistic situation.
If the manual is to be believed, they need a size 4 airfield with an AirHQ to operate torpedo-equipped Betties. The capture of Lanhaina gives them a size 3. So land-based medium bombers cutting off Pearl is a near-term, but not quite immediate threat. But the KB can fill in for that really nicely. To operate the KB continuously, they need fuel, replacement aircraft, replacement avgas/bombs/etc, and regular maintenance. Lahaina is the largest port in Hawaii other than Pearl, and is big enough to dock the Hiryu and Soryu, but the others can't dock. But, you don't necessarily need to dock to replenish, it's just inefficient. He's bringing in naval support crews to address that, and although I haven't seen them, tenders such as AOs and AEs can refuel and rearm carriers efficiently even if they can't dock. As for maintenance, the naval support will help if they can dock the carriers, but the others will have to rotate out on occasion. So, all things considered, if he moves in an AO and AE, I would expect he can maintain the KB on station and fully operational as long as 1-2 CVs are occasionally being rotated back to Japan for maintenance.

With his forces moving east, I noticed a small task force near Lihue to the west--I suspected these were the tenders. So I put a force of 2 CA and 4DD to run out of Pearl and hit them while they were vulnerable. I also ordered some B-17Es to hit Lihue, as these versions of the B-17 are the best protected and, I thought, would wear down their fighters a bit. And I sent some PT boats out raiding their landing at Lahaina as a diversion. It was a complete disaster. The task force failed to find the target and was hit with an airstrike as it returned. The B-17 raid also took heavy losses and didn't inflict a whole lot of damage either on Lihue or their fighters. The PT squadron was intercepted by a covering force and never got within range to fire torpedoes.

My losses: CA New Orleans sunk, CA Minneapolis severely damaged, 4 DDs bombed, 2 minesweepers sunk, 5 PT sunk, 3 P-40, 2 P-36, 3 B-17E

His losses: 2 MTB (entered the harbor and hit mines), 5 Zeroes, 5 Vals, 2 Kates.

He landed about a regiment on Kona.

Philippines
USS Pike torpedoed and crippled an Aden class cargo ship off Luzon.
His bombers took the day off in the north while bombing the mostly abandoned southern airfields. He swept Clark while I tried to raid San Fernando. Overall losses: 11 P-40, 1 P-35, 1 P-26, 1 B-17 to 1 Zero and 1 Nate, and 2 bombers blown up on the ground. Ouch!

His forces made an attack on Manila, reducing fortifications. It looks like he has enough there to take it, but it should take a few days.

Malaya
My medium bombers went after their land forces in and around Johore, but relative fighter strength between us made the bombers basically unescorted. 1 Buffalo and 7 bombers lost with nothing to show for it. It's time for the bombers to leave, they are't accomplishing anything anymore.

Taiping was captured.

Elsewhere
Ambon and Manado were finally captured.
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Old 06-19-21, 08:40 PM   #54
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26 December 1941
Waiting for the hammer

Hawaiian Island Chain
Pretty uneventful actually. My recon aircraft dropped a few bombs, and CAP took a few of them down.

Dutch East Indies
A task force evacuating base forces from the Phillipines ran into a 2C 4DD SAG that wasn't all that interested in engaging it. I'm guessing it was a retiring bombardment task force. One AKL took 2 hits before they broke off.

The baby KB raided Koepang again, losing a Kate to defending Buffalos.

The ASW task force working Sumatra finally made an effective depth charge attack on a Jap sub. The destroyer skipper is claiming a kill, this is the first such report I believe.

An enemy CA and DD found a PT squadron adrift, trying to escape Manado without any fuel to do so. All 6 PTs were sunk.

Philippines
USS Shark torpedoed an Aden class cargo ship in the Luzon strait.
The troops at Manila attacked and wrecked the fortifications. Manila could fall as early as tomorrow.
My brigade of troops that had been bypassed in southern Luzon retook the area is Manila-raiding troops landed in without resistance, capturing 1000 supplies. Not much, considering. They'll try to joint the fight for Manila if they can get there in time.

Raids over Clark claimed 3 P-40s.

Malaya
He pushed enough troops into Johore Baru to make an attack. He didn't capture it, but he wrecked the forts and should take it tomorrow. We lost 3 Wirraways and a Buffalo trying to support the troops below.


Elsewhere
-USS Stingray seemed to go through its entire stores of torpedoes and gun rounds attacking a troop-carrying Husimi-class cargo ship. It managed to get one Mk14 to detonate, plus 9 shell hits. Decent odds it sinks.
-Troops landed on Wake. IJN marines took heavy casualties, but it looks like they'll get it tomorrow.
-He made an opposed river crossing near Yenan, China at brigade strength. I had even numbers opposing; he took the worst of it.
-His invasion of Guam looks stalled until he can land reinforcements
-The battleship Ise is being reported as sunk again. And again, I doubt it--but--it's possible that it lost control of its flooding trying to get to Truk.

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Old 06-20-21, 02:45 PM   #55
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27 December 41
The Empire advances

CentPac
I made the decision--I can't leave the fleet at PH while it's being encircled. It could even be captured--I'm now counting as many as 5 divisions landing in and around Hawaii. The forward HQ of our fleet will be Sydney. The bulk of our undamaged cruisers and destroyers slipped away at night during a rainstorm. What's left are mostly auxiliaries--quite valuable, but also slow. I couldn't risk endangering the evac of the combattant fleet by including them.

He landed on Johnston and took it immediately. The Patrol squadron based there was destroyed before it could evacuate. I would expect Palmyra and Christmas Island will be next.

The KB launched air raids over Kona to support the landings there.

Wake has been captured, along with the Wildcat detachment based there that had no where in range to fly to.

Dutch East Indies
I sent PT boats to raid Ambon and sank a cargo ship loaded with troops. The PTs escaped with only minor damage.

The task force evacuating Philippine base forces was engaged again, this time by a SAG that was ready for combat. One transport and an escorting minesweeper were sunk, three more transports were damaged. I had 4 DDs escorting but they only managed one hit on the attacking warships. He followed that up with air attacks with Betties from Palau and probably Ambon. None were carrying torpedoes. They managed one hit each on a cargo ship and minesweeper (both of which were previously damaged).

I have lost track of the CVLBG. I expect it's either going northeast to help the surface group intercepting my escaping base forces, or northwest to go after surface traffic passing through the Oosthaven strait.

Philippines
He launched a shock attack on Manila, which failed. It's just a matter of time here, though. I've pulled my aircraft out.

Malaya
Johore Baru has been captured. I had my bombers avoid the area, favoring strikes on less-well defended ships. Only lost one bomber.

The Imperial Guards Division was spotted in Mersing. This is the last major division that was unaccounted for.


China
In the north, enemy reinforcements arrived at Paotow and pushed my troops out. I'll regroup to the West.

Japanese bombers have picked a new target, an army near Hwianan that I am hoping to use to hit a smaller enemy army here in the riverlands. Fortunately it was just 19 light bombers, probably not enough to protect their troops from me.

I had a rare victory on the southeastern coast at Chaechow. The enemy attacked first only to find I had more troops, the damage he took made my attack all the more effective. I should be able to take at least one more city down here before he can regroup and counter.

Elsewhere
-The Allied submarine fleet came up completely empty today. I was getting spoiled by 1-2 ships sunk per day.
-The Soryu showed up off Guam to try to give the stalled invasion a little push. The terrain seems to be working against them.
-I tried to take a little base in Thailand I thought would be undefended. It wasn't. The battalion has been ordered to retreat, but the only retreat path has an enemy unit now as well. So that's not going well.
-Japanese marines have taken Tulagi (next to Guadalcanal)

Japan's opening force allocations:
Malaya: 3 divisions
Luzon: 3 divisions (including the 38th from Hong Kong)
Burma: 0
DEI: 1/3 to 1 division (plus marines)
Hawaii/CENTPAC: 5 divisions

I'm hoping the price he's going to pay for putting a plurality of his forces into Hawaii is that his operations in Luzon and Malaya are going to grind down as they become proper sieges. I should look into areas in the DEI to reinforce since he isn't going to be able to take Java or Malaya anytime soon.
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Old 06-21-21, 01:56 AM   #56
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28 December 1941
Mosquitos bite an elephant

CENTPAC
PT boats from Pearl hit forces landing at Lihue, scoring single torpedo hits on 3 transports. I probably sunk one, maybe two. The PT boats retreated without casualties.


Dutch East Indies
My retreating transports were continually attacked throughout the day as the entered the Ceram Sea, first by pursuing warships, then land based Betties, and finally by the CVLBG's kates. The bomb-equipped aircraft had no trouble hitting crippled transports. I lost two transports, a destroyer, and two minesweepers. This evac hop is a failure--all that's left are destroyers.

The CVLBG also took out 3 local minesweepers protecting island bases.

I got some payback after spotting a target of opportunity on the west side of Borneo--he got a little overconfident and sent an ARG beyond the strong covering forces further north. "Force Y" (comprised of 1 CA, 4 CL, 2 DD) was already leaving Sumatra and didn't have to go far out of its way. We caught a task force of 7 transports, 2 light cruisers, an APD, and 3 light combattants. The CL Ceres did not fare well--it attracted gunfire that its armor was able to take, but two torpedoes left the ship crippled. But it was a slaughter on the other side. My ships torpedoed nearly every transport. Three sank while still in contact with us, 2 more are likely to sink, and another was damaged. The APD was crippled by naval gunfire. One CL was moderately damaged, the other lightly, along with two of the light escorts. Unfortunately, it does not appear that these ships had troops aboard at the time, so all I really accomplished here was making him call in more ships to pick up the marines already ashore.

Malaya
His bombers are now focusing on Singapore's ground forces. It's costing them some planes, I think our gunners had 5 confirmed kills today, and at least 20 more went home full of holes (some % of which surely crashed later or will need to be scrapped). Buffalos added a Zero and a couple Sallies. Our attempted raid on ships at Kuantan cost a Buffalo and two Blenhiem bombers.

I'm in desperate need of Recon in Malaya. I have about a division's worth of troops caught in the middle from Kuala Lumpur to Malacca. They won't be able to engage the main force that's about to hit Singapore. But I don't think he has enough in Malaya to take Singapore while also holding his landing sites--something has to be relatively unprotected right now.



Philippines
They've taken Manila. But my dumbass retreating troops went to Mauban instead of Clark, where most of the rest of my troops are, and which has a valid retreat to the Bataan peninsula. I didn't want my troops divided! Well, I guess they can heal up there with captured supplies and try to threaten to retake Manila if they move away from it
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Old 06-21-21, 10:11 AM   #57
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Great reports mate. Following along and enjoying the read. Things are looking bleak at the mo, but help is on the way as the arsenal of democracy ramps it up.

Your opponent is far more bold than I would have guessed possible. It feels to me like he is lunging, and I'd think sustaining these moves would prove very difficult. Will be interesting to see if he pays the price for reaching so far so fast. I mean the war is only 3 weeks old at this point.

You're like rope-a-dope. Absorb the blows then explode off the ropes.

What are the victory conditions for each side?
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Old 06-21-21, 10:36 AM   #58
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Great reports mate. Following along and enjoying the read. Things are looking bleak at the mo, but help is on the way as the arsenal of democracy ramps it up.

Your opponent is far more bold than I would have guessed possible. It feels to me like he is lunging, and I'd think sustaining these moves would prove very difficult. Will be interesting to see if he pays the price for reaching so far so fast. I mean the war is only 3 weeks old at this point.

You're like rope-a-dope. Absorb the blows then explode off the ropes.

What are the victory conditions for each side?
Every choice has consequences, and I'm really hoping the committment of so much to Hawaii hurts him everywhere else. I've already reinforced Singapore and Burma, and I've got two more convoys of troops enroute. I should have at least 2 more brigades in the west in another 2 weeks.

I'm also going to take advantage of the fact as long as the KB is at Pearl, and that as long as Pearl exists and is sending out recon flights, I know where the KB is. Yorktown arrives in theatre tomorrow.

[EDITED!!!] Victory is based on Victory Points. The game starts checking for a winner (by "Automatic Victory") as early as 12/7/42 and will end in 1946 by default.

Decisive Victory: x1.75 opponent's VP
Marginal Victory x1.25-1.75 opponent's VP
Draw: x1-1.25 opponent's VP
If the game times out in 1946, the rating above shifts two rates in favor of Japan. So, what would be a Decisive Victory by points for the Allies becomes a Draw.
Automatic victory: 1943: 4x opponent's VP; 1944: 3x opponent's VP, 1945: 2x opponent's VP

VPs come from mostly from bases held and enemy units destroyed.
Our current score is 1.472:1 in my favor (because I still hold most of the bases in the southern resource area). There hasn't been a single turn in which I have gained VP against him, though, he chips away every turn.

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Last edited by Molon Labe; 06-21-21 at 11:03 AM.
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Old 06-21-21, 10:52 AM   #59
Threadfin
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Yes, I'd think that at some point he will have exhausted his striking power, and that should dovetail nicely with your ships rolling off the ways and divisions and squadrons coming on line.

It's very much like how the German player must approach the opening of the WitE campaign. He must strike while the iron is hot, grab as much as possible as fast as possible and then hope it was enough to survive until the end. I imagine your opponent is thinking exactly this. Take advantage of your weak start and then try to hold on to what he has gained. But that bill will come due as the big blue fleet grows to irresistible size and strength.
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Old 06-21-21, 11:30 AM   #60
Molon Labe
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I edited the previous post to correct some errors in the scoring system.

Here's what a Japan autovictory in 1943 might look like. This is from my last game against the AI, right before an auto-victory end on 1 January 1943. VP is 4.5 to 1.



So in terms of territory, this is all of the southern resource area, all of Burma and starting to get into India, China is essentially completely conquered except for one last fortress city, and Japan controls the Solomons all the way south to Noumea.

What you really can't see here is the extent of the damage to Allied units. Sunk ships and destroyed army units, each on their own, are accounting for more points than territory. The Allies essentially have no navy, merchant marine, or available troops at this point. So consider this a minimum for how much they'd need to hold for a 1943 auto-victory.
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