Goodbye baby KB

[Fallschirmjager]

The good ole Boise puts in another legendary performence for me. So far in my war she has shot through her 6" ammo four times and has put over 25+ ships to the bottom. Her crew exp is over 80 and she has not a scratch on her.
I love that ship [&o]
My opponent who is the Japanese is about ready to throw in the towel and we are only two weeks into the game.

The first three combats are me tearing through his covering force at night.


AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR Dec 20, 41
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Night Time Surface Combat, near Tarakan at 67,91, Range 1,000 Yards

Japanese aircraft
no flights

Japanese aircraft losses
No Japanese losses

Japanese Ships
CL Isuzu, Shell hits 15, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
CL Tama, Shell hits 4
CL Oi, Shell hits 8, heavy fires, heavy damage
DD Yugumo
DD Tachikaze
DD Wakatake

Allied Ships
CA Houston, Shell hits 4
CL De Ruyter, Shell hits 3
CL Tromp
CL Marblehead
CL Boise
DD Alden, Shell hits 1
DD Barker
DD Bulmer
DD Edsall
DD John D. Edwards, Shell hits 1
DD John D. Ford
DD Paul Jones
DD Parrott
DD Peary, Shell hits 1



Reduced sighting due to 3% moonlight
Maximum visibility in Overcast Conditions and 3% moonlight: 1,000 yards
Range closes to 7,000 yards...
Range closes to 2,000 yards...
Range closes to 1,000 yards...
Lockwood, CA "Skip" crosses the 'T'
CL Marblehead engages CL Isuzu at 1,000 yards
CL Isuzu engages CL Tromp at 1,000 yards
CL Isuzu engages CL De Ruyter at 1,000 yards
CL Isuzu engages DD Peary at 1,000 yards
DD John D. Edwards engages CL Isuzu at 1,000 yards
CL Isuzu engages DD Alden at 1,000 yards
Range increases to 2,000 yards
CL Oi engages CA Houston at 2,000 yards
CL Isuzu engages CL Boise at 2,000 yards
CL Isuzu engages CA Houston at 2,000 yards
CL Isuzu engages CL Tromp at 2,000 yards
DD Peary engages DD Tachikaze at 2,000 yards
DD Tachikaze engages DD Peary at 2,000 yards
DD John D. Edwards engages DD Tachikaze at 2,000 yards
DD Edsall engages DD Tachikaze at 2,000 yards
DD Barker engages DD Tachikaze at 2,000 yards
Range increases to 3,000 yards
CL Oi engages CA Houston at 3,000 yards
CA Houston engages CL Tama at 3,000 yards
CL Isuzu sunk by CA Houston at 3,000 yards
CL De Ruyter engages CL Oi at 3,000 yards
DD Peary engages DD Yugumo at 3,000 yards
DD Tachikaze engages DD Edsall at 3,000 yards
DD Tachikaze engages DD Barker at 3,000 yards
Range closes to 2,000 yards
CL Oi engages CA Houston at 2,000 yards
CL Tromp engages CL Tama at 2,000 yards
CL Marblehead engages CL Oi at 2,000 yards
CL Oi engages CL Tromp at 2,000 yards
CL Tama engages CL De Ruyter at 2,000 yards
DD Alden engages DD Yugumo at 2,000 yards
Task forces break off...


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Night Time Surface Combat, near Tarakan at 67,91, Range 1,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
CL Tama, Shell hits 6, on fire
DD Yugumo, Shell hits 2
DD Tachikaze

Allied Ships
CA Houston
CL De Ruyter
CL Tromp
CL Marblehead, Torpedo hits 1, on fire
CL Boise
DD Alden
DD Barker
DD Bulmer, Shell hits 1
DD Edsall
DD John D. Edwards
DD John D. Ford
DD Paul Jones
DD Parrott
DD Peary



Reduced sighting due to 3% moonlight
Maximum visibility in Overcast Conditions and 3% moonlight: 2,000 yards
Range closes to 6,000 yards...
Range closes to 1,000 yards...
CA Houston engages CL Tama at 1,000 yards
CL Boise engages CL Tama at 1,000 yards
CL Marblehead engages DD Yugumo at 1,000 yards
DD Yugumo engages DD Edsall at 1,000 yards
DD Bulmer engages DD Yugumo at 1,000 yards
Range increases to 2,000 yards
CA Houston engages CL Tama at 2,000 yards
DD Tachikaze engages DD Bulmer at 2,000 yards
DD Yugumo engages DD Edsall at 2,000 yards
Range increases to 6,000 yards
CL Tama engages CA Houston at 6,000 yards
DD Tachikaze engages DD Bulmer at 6,000 yards
CL Marblehead engages DD Yugumo at 6,000 yards
DD Yugumo engages DD Bulmer at 6,000 yards
DD Alden engages DD Yugumo at 6,000 yards
Task forces break off...


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Night Time Surface Combat, near Tarakan at 67,91, Range 1,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
CL Tama, Shell hits 18, heavy fires, heavy damage
DD Yugumo
DD Tachikaze

Allied Ships
CA Houston, Shell hits 1
CL De Ruyter
CL Tromp
CL Marblehead, on fire
CL Boise
DD Alden
DD Barker
DD Bulmer
DD Edsall
DD John D. Edwards, Shell hits 2, on fire, heavy damage
DD John D. Ford
DD Paul Jones
DD Parrott
DD Peary



Reduced sighting due to 3% moonlight
Maximum visibility in Overcast Conditions and 3% moonlight: 1,000 yards
Range closes to 8,000 yards...
Range closes to 4,000 yards...
Range closes to 1,000 yards...
Lockwood, CA "Skip" crosses the 'T'
CL Tama engages CA Houston at 1,000 yards
CA Houston engages DD Tachikaze at 1,000 yards
DD Yugumo engages DD John D. Edwards at 1,000 yards
Range increases to 2,000 yards
CL Tama engages CA Houston at 2,000 yards
CL Tama engages CL Boise at 2,000 yards
CL Marblehead engages DD Yugumo at 2,000 yards
DD Bulmer engages DD Tachikaze at 2,000 yards
Task forces break off...

Now during the day time my combat force from the night before is sailing back south and has a max react set to 6. It detects the baby KB force and 'reacts' into them.
Carnage ensues

I have gotten some incredible luck this game.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day Time Surface Combat, near Tandjoengselor at 68,92, Range 24,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
CVL Ryujo, Shell hits 3
CVL Zuiho, Shell hits 12, heavy fires, heavy damage
CL Yubari, Shell hits 1
DD Mutsuki, Shell hits 4, on fire
DD Kisaragi

Allied Ships
CA Houston, Shell hits 1
CL De Ruyter
CL Tromp
CL Boise
DD Alden, Shell hits 1
DD Barker
DD Bulmer
DD Edsall
DD John D. Ford, Shell hits 1
DD Paul Jones



Maximum visibility in Overcast Conditions: 28,000 yards
Range closes to 28,000 yards...
Range closes to 26,000 yards...
Range closes to 24,000 yards...
CONTACT: Japanese lookouts spot Allied task force at 24,000 yards
CONTACT: Allied lookouts spot Japanese task force at 24,000 yards
Range closes to 23,000 yards
CA Houston engages CVL Ryujo at 23,000 yards
Range closes to 20,000 yards
CA Houston engages CVL Ryujo at 20,000 yards
CL Yubari engages CA Houston at 20,000 yards
CL De Ruyter engages CVL Zuiho at 20,000 yards
Range closes to 18,000 yards
CA Houston engages CVL Zuiho at 18,000 yards
CL Boise engages CVL Zuiho at 18,000 yards
CA Houston engages CL Yubari at 18,000 yards
DD Kisaragi engages CA Houston at 18,000 yards
Range closes to 16,000 yards
CL Boise engages CVL Zuiho at 16,000 yards
CA Houston engages CL Yubari at 16,000 yards
DD John D. Ford engages DD Kisaragi at 16,000 yards
DD Mutsuki engages DD Paul Jones at 16,000 yards
DD Kisaragi engages DD John D. Ford at 16,000 yards
DD Mutsuki engages DD Edsall at 16,000 yards
DD Mutsuki engages DD Bulmer at 16,000 yards
DD Barker engages DD Kisaragi at 16,000 yards
Range closes to 12,000 yards
CL Boise engages CVL Zuiho at 12,000 yards
CL Tromp engages CVL Zuiho at 12,000 yards
CL De Ruyter engages CVL Zuiho at 12,000 yards
DD Paul Jones engages DD Mutsuki at 12,000 yards
DD John D. Ford engages CVL Zuiho at 12,000 yards
DD Kisaragi engages DD Edsall at 12,000 yards
DD Bulmer engages DD Mutsuki at 12,000 yards
DD Mutsuki engages DD Barker at 12,000 yards
DD Mutsuki engages DD Alden at 12,000 yards
Range closes to 10,000 yards
CA Houston engages CVL Zuiho at 10,000 yards
DD Barker engages CVL Ryujo at 10,000 yards
CL Yubari engages CL Tromp at 10,000 yards
DD Mutsuki engages DD Paul Jones at 10,000 yards
DD Mutsuki engages DD John D. Ford at 10,000 yards
DD Edsall engages DD Mutsuki at 10,000 yards
DD Mutsuki engages DD Bulmer at 10,000 yards
DD Barker engages DD Mutsuki at 10,000 yards
DD Alden engages DD Kisaragi at 10,000 yards
Range closes to 7,000 yards
CL Boise engages CVL Zuiho at 7,000 yards
CL Tromp engages CVL Zuiho at 7,000 yards
CL De Ruyter engages DD Kisaragi at 7,000 yards
DD Paul Jones engages DD Kisaragi at 7,000 yards
DD Mutsuki engages DD John D. Ford at 7,000 yards
DD Kisaragi engages DD Edsall at 7,000 yards
DD Bulmer engages DD Mutsuki at 7,000 yards
DD Mutsuki engages DD Barker at 7,000 yards
DD Mutsuki engages DD Alden at 7,000 yards
Japanese Task Force Manages to Escape
Task forces break off...

[Fallschirmjager]

The John D. Edwards is a blazing wreak with fires at 60. She will probably sink
The Marblehead damage control team did a fantastic job and have her under control and steaming at 19 knots. She will probably retire to Darwin then Sydney then to PH and the west coast and then spend the rest of the war as a convoy escort.
Some will probably say these combat results are out of whack. But all I know is that this surface force did some butchering.

One thing I have learned is that those Flush deck DDs are worthless in surface combat. They never launch torpedos nor do they ever fire their 4" guns. All they do is bark away with their 3" gun and have very poor accuracy. They are useful for soaking up enemy fire though and with their high speed and MVR do not get hit that often. I think that is how I won these surface combats. The Japanese force shot at and mostly missed hitting my DD's and my larger ships were free to fire and make it count. The Houston when she did hit made it count with savage 8" blows and the Boise with 15 guns pours out an enourmous amount of fire and saturates the target in 6" shells.
Also when my ships got hit their armor for the most part held the blows. The Japanese on the other hand when they got hit the shells blew clean through and wrecked havoc.

[stuman]

If he had sent a PB/TB/Mc " scout " ( or 2 ) one turn ahead of him to the South and maybe slightly SW then wouldn't he have bumped into your TF ? Playing as the Japanese I have been experimenting with different ways to prescreen my important invasion forces and this is one way that seems to help sometimes.

[Scott_USN]

I see nothing wrong with those results myself. I think you did well with that TF, he should gather more ships maybe?


Day Time Surface Combat, near Tandjoengselor at 68,92, Range 6,000 Yards

Allied aircraft
no flights

Allied aircraft losses
No Allied losses

Japanese Ships
CA Suzuya, Shell hits 3
CA Kumano, Shell hits 8
DD Nokaze
DD Namikaze, Shell hits 7, heavy fires, heavy damage

Allied Ships
CA Houston, Shell hits 25, and is sunk
CL Marblehead, Shell hits 9, heavy fires
CL Boise, Shell hits 7, on fire
DD Barker, Shell hits 2, heavy fires, heavy damage
DD Bulmer, Shell hits 6, and is sunk
DD Paul Jones, Shell hits 8, and is sunk
DD Parrott, Shell hits 1
DD Stewart, Shell hits 2, heavy fires



Low visibility due to Rain
Maximum visibility in Rain: 13,000 yards
Range closes to 24,000 yards...
Range closes to 18,000 yards...
Range closes to 12,000 yards...
Range closes to 6,000 yards...
CONTACT: Japanese lookouts spot Allied task force at 6,000 yards
CONTACT: Allied lookouts spot Japanese task force at 6,000 yards
Tanaka, Kikumatsu crosses the 'T'
CA Houston engages CA Kumano at 6,000 yards
DD Stewart engages DD Nokaze at 6,000 yards
DD Barker engages DD Namikaze at 6,000 yards
Range closes to 2,000 yards
CA Kumano engages CL Boise at 2,000 yards
DD Namikaze engages DD Stewart at 2,000 yards
DD Namikaze engages DD Stewart at 2,000 yards
DD Namikaze engages DD Paul Jones at 2,000 yards
DD Bulmer engages DD Namikaze at 2,000 yards
Range increases to 7,000 yards
CA Houston engages CA Kumano at 7,000 yards
CA Suzuya engages CA Houston at 7,000 yards
CA Kumano engages CL Marblehead at 7,000 yards
DD Nokaze engages DD Bulmer at 7,000 yards
DD Paul Jones engages DD Nokaze at 7,000 yards
DD Namikaze engages DD Bulmer at 7,000 yards
Range increases to 10,000 yards
CA Houston engages CA Kumano at 10,000 yards
CA Houston engages CA Suzuya at 10,000 yards
DD Paul Jones engages DD Namikaze at 10,000 yards
DD Nokaze engages DD Paul Jones at 10,000 yards
DD Parrott engages DD Namikaze at 10,000 yards
DD Paul Jones engages DD Namikaze at 10,000 yards
DD Bulmer engages DD Namikaze at 10,000 yards
DD Nokaze engages DD Barker at 10,000 yards
Range increases to 13,000 yards
CA Kumano engages CA Houston at 13,000 yards
CA Kumano engages CL Boise at 13,000 yards
DD Namikaze engages DD Paul Jones at 13,000 yards
DD Bulmer engages DD Nokaze at 13,000 yards
DD Nokaze engages DD Parrott at 13,000 yards
DD Namikaze engages DD Paul Jones at 13,000 yards
DD Namikaze engages DD Bulmer at 13,000 yards
DD Barker engages DD Namikaze at 13,000 yards
Range closes to 11,000 yards
CA Houston engages CA Kumano at 11,000 yards
CA Suzuya engages CA Houston at 11,000 yards
DD Barker engages DD Namikaze at 11,000 yards
DD Nokaze engages DD Stewart at 11,000 yards
DD Namikaze engages DD Parrott at 11,000 yards
Range closes to 9,000 yards
CA Kumano engages CA Houston at 9,000 yards
CA Houston sunk by CA Suzuya at 9,000 yards
CA Kumano engages CL Marblehead at 9,000 yards
DD Namikaze engages DD Stewart at 9,000 yards
DD Namikaze engages DD Paul Jones at 9,000 yards
DD Namikaze engages DD Bulmer at 9,000 yards
Riker, K.I. orders Allied TF to disengage
Range increases to 10,000 yards
CA Kumano engages CL Boise at 10,000 yards
CL Boise engages CA Suzuya at 10,000 yards
DD Namikaze engages DD Stewart at 10,000 yards
DD Nokaze engages DD Parrott at 10,000 yards
DD Nokaze engages DD Bulmer at 10,000 yards
DD Barker engages DD Namikaze at 10,000 yards
Range closes to 9,000 yards
CA Kumano engages CL Boise at 9,000 yards
CA Suzuya engages CL Boise at 9,000 yards
DD Namikaze engages DD Parrott at 9,000 yards
DD Nokaze engages DD Paul Jones at 9,000 yards
DD Paul Jones engages DD Namikaze at 9,000 yards
DD Nokaze engages DD Bulmer at 9,000 yards
DD Nokaze engages DD Barker at 9,000 yards
Range increases to 13,000 yards
CA Kumano engages CL Boise at 13,000 yards
CA Suzuya engages CL Marblehead at 13,000 yards
DD Namikaze engages DD Barker at 13,000 yards
DD Parrott engages DD Nokaze at 13,000 yards
DD Bulmer engages DD Nokaze at 13,000 yards
DD Nokaze engages DD Barker at 13,000 yards
Range increases to 15,000 yards
CA Kumano engages CL Boise at 15,000 yards
CA Kumano engages CL Marblehead at 15,000 yards
DD Nokaze engages DD Stewart at 15,000 yards
DD Parrott engages DD Nokaze at 15,000 yards
DD Nokaze engages DD Bulmer at 15,000 yards
DD Barker engages DD Namikaze at 15,000 yards
Range increases to 17,000 yards
CL Boise engages CA Kumano at 17,000 yards
CA Kumano engages CL Marblehead at 17,000 yards
DD Nokaze engages DD Stewart at 17,000 yards
DD Nokaze engages DD Parrott at 17,000 yards
DD Nokaze engages DD Paul Jones at 17,000 yards
DD Nokaze engages DD Barker at 17,000 yards
Range increases to 19,000 yards
CA Kumano engages CL Boise at 19,000 yards
CA Kumano engages CL Marblehead at 19,000 yards
DD Paul Jones sunk by CA Kumano at 19,000 yards
CA Kumano engages DD Bulmer at 19,000 yards
CA Kumano engages DD Barker at 19,000 yards
Tanaka, Kikumatsu orders Japanese TF to disengage
Range increases to 22,000 yards
CA Suzuya engages CL Boise at 22,000 yards
CA Kumano engages CL Marblehead at 22,000 yards
CA Suzuya engages DD Parrott at 22,000 yards
DD Bulmer sunk by CA Suzuya at 22,000 yards
CA Suzuya engages DD Barker at 22,000 yards
Range increases to 26,000 yards
CL Boise engages CA Kumano at 26,000 yards
CA Suzuya engages CL Marblehead at 26,000 yards
CA Kumano engages DD Stewart at 26,000 yards
Range increases to 30,000 yards
CA Kumano engages CL Boise at 30,000 yards
CA Kumano engages CL Marblehead at 30,000 yards
Task forces break off...

[Fallschirmjager]

All of his ships CA and above are pounding Davao (which he took in the same turn) and KB is bombing the hell out of my units marching down the Malay to Singapore. In face he has bombed them all so much all of them are disorganized and being gobbled up by the Japanese advance.
He is playing well. He has taken all of the Malay except Johore Barue and Singapore and has already taken Manilla and Clark Field. He has also taken the entire row of bases on the northern coast of Brunei and Borneo and established air bases. Singapore and Bataan will fall before December is out then he will roll south and probably take New Caledonia and PM before I can do much about it.
But for all of his speed he has left gaps open and I have been incredibly lucky in exploting them.
My PT boat thread is the same PBEM game and I have managed this great victory and I have sunk 6 of his fleet oilers in a stroke of pure luck.
Six fleet oilers and a sunk CVL and a damaged CVL will come back to haunt Japan late. But his speed is hurting me and when it comes to the South Pacific he is going to roll right over me. I simply don't have anything to move down there.
But another move is that he is leaving almost all of his transport TFs un escorted in order to have more firepower and my subs are having a field day with surface combats. SS Swordfish made four surface attacks in the same turn on the same convoy and sunk 2 transports and heavily damaged 2 more.
All of this is going to come back to hurt him when it comes time to set up his resource network.
So far my only worry in the South Pacific. It is going to be very bloody when I have to retake it.
I am having so much fun so far playing AE. All of the decision making and great victories (and defeats) make it so much fun.

[aprezto]

Seems very much to me that he is trying to go too fast. Alot of the point of AE was to slow things down a tad. There are many threads warning about not escorting important transport TFs. You just have to pick your battles better and screen those important TFs well. There is a point to not having carriers in the closed in sea ways of the DEI.
Taking them in their is inherrently risky

However, I have been the victim of one of these surface on carrier group 'surface actions'. I am of the mind that the escorts would indeed do their very best to get in between the attacking surface group and the carriers - 'while the carriers ran for it'!
This does not seem to be the way it plays though. In mine the carriers closed to get into surface gun range. Since they were up against a BB their fate was sealed right there.

Many posters like to point out the battle against taffy five (five? I think it was five), but in surface actions you can't include the carriers planes. The Taffy jeep carriers most certainly harrassed the attacking japs with their planes. I'd like to see how easy it would be for a surface group to close while they tried to evade air attack...

[Jim D Burns]

I think most Japanese players (myself included) are going to have to unlearn some bad habits they learned in WitP. The main lesson we need to learn for AE is sloooowww dowwwnnnn. Had he consolidated his gains at Davao and gotten some land based air up and running, he could have then smashed your surface task forces at Tarakan from the air.

Only then should he have ventured so deep into allied territory with invasion task forces. At most it would have meant an extra week before launching an invasion of Tarakan.

I for one will never launch another invasion outside the range of friendly land based air again, unless I have a massive carrier group around to protect my ships.

Jim

[1275psi]

quote :I think most Japanese players (myself included) are going to have to unlearn some bad habits they learned in WitP. The main lesson we need to learn for AE is sloooowww dowwwnnnn. Had he consolidated his gains at Davao and gotten some land based air up and running, he could have then smashed your surface task forces at Tarakan from the air.

Only then should he have ventured so deep into allied territory with invasion task forces. At most it would have meant an extra week before launching an invasion of Tarakan.

I for one will never launch another invasion outside the range of friendly land based air again, unless I have a massive carrier group around to protect my ships.

And there is the secret
Japan did exactly that in real life -this game now reflects real life incredibly well -so at last -a war game where we have to play and think real life -not -lets learn all the gamey tricks.
Those who really understand or know navy matters, logistics,and flying, are really I think going to do a lot better I think than those who 'play the game"