Oil vs. Fuel

[MilRevKo]

I have been reading the rule and playing a PBEM game. Trying to be comserative as the allies. I would like to ask if there are any suggestions on how to handle the movments of fuel and oil. I noticed that on some turns (jan 41) that the fuel in some OZ ports will drop to zero. I read on the forum about no keeping AP's at some ports but not sure I understand the ramifications of all of my actions and how to complete the interaction of oil and industry...

THX in advance

[JohnDillworth]

You have to ship fuel into Australia. Once you put it in a large port it will generally move around on it's own. I usually ship from Abadan and Capetown to Perth and it will slowly migrate. You have to move some from the west coast of the US too. That is one of the challenges in the early part of the war effort. Stockpiling enough fuel for a future offensive. BTW, you do not have enough Tankers and you won't for a year or two so treat them like gold. Meaning, if you have any in the DEI, get them out of there now. And always escort tankers.

[TulliusDetritus]

The oil: forget it. It's important for the Japanese (industry management) but irrelevant for the allies.

Fuel is the key. A simple rule of thumb: send it where you plan to start operations (ships swallow fuel) [:)]

Australia would be the classic place if you are going to simulate the Southwest Pacific operations. And Noumea for your South Pacific operations. And don't forget the line of communication between US and Australia. These bases should have fuel as well.

[MilRevKo]

Thank you, the idea is to get fuel to OZ. In my PBEM game (noob vs. Vet) I have been putting base forces and ENG units in to the Pac rim islands canton, pago pago, numuea and such. It jan 42 & I am just tring to make sue the route to OZ Stays open. With 6 IJN Cvs @ Batavia should I be making a move on Tulagi with inf & eng's and making the fuel runs from w coast?

[MilRevKo]

Thank you, the idea is to get fuel to OZ. In my PBEM game (noob vs. Vet) I have been putting base forces and ENG units in to the Pac rim islands canton, pago pago, numuea and such. It jan 42 & I am just tring to make sue the route to OZ Stays open. With 6 IJN Cvs @ Batavia should I be making a move on Tulagi with inf & eng's and making the fuel runs from w coast?

[MilRevKo]

Thank you, the idea is to get fuel to OZ. In my PBEM game (noob vs. Vet) I have been putting base forces and ENG units in to the Pac rim islands canton, pago pago, numuea and such. It jan 42 & I am just tring to make sue the route to OZ Stays open. With 6 IJN Cvs @ Batavia should I be making a move on Tulagi with inf & eng's and making the fuel runs from w coast?

[MilRevKo]

Thank you, the idea is to get fuel to OZ. In my PBEM game (noob vs. Vet) I have been putting base forces and ENG units in to the Pac rim islands canton, pago pago, numuea and such. It jan 42 & I am just tring to make sue the route to OZ Stays open. With 6 IJN Cvs @ Batavia should I be making a move on Tulagi with inf & eng's and making the fuel runs from w coast?

[MilRevKo]

Thank you, the idea is to get fuel to OZ. In my PBEM game (noob vs. Vet) I have been putting base forces and ENG units in to the Pac rim islands canton, pago pago, numuea and such. It jan 42 & I am just tring to make sue the route to OZ Stays open. With 6 IJN Cvs @ Batavia should I be making a move on Tulagi with inf & eng's and making the fuel runs from w coast?

[MilRevKo]

Thank you, the idea is to get fuel to OZ. In my PBEM game (noob vs. Vet) I have been putting base forces and ENG units in to the Pac rim islands canton, pago pago, numuea and such. It jan 42 & I am just tring to make sue the route to OZ Stays open. With 6 IJN Cvs @ Batavia should I be making a move on Tulagi with inf & eng's and making the fuel runs from w coast?

[TulliusDetritus]

6 x Thank you. Wow, one was just enough [:)]

Maybe you should change your mouse... [8D]

[TulliusDetritus]

As for your last question (sorry if I have ignored it)... humm, you ask if you should start an offensive operation in the South Pacific (Tulagi)? Your opponent has the 6 mighty carriers, eh? Maybe too risky... The operation will only work if the traffic is not blocked... but 6 Japanese CVs...

EDITED: sorry, I hadn't paid attention. Januray 1942? [X(] Hehehe, if your opponent is 1/3 competent, prepare for the avalanche... offensive operations are er, a rather kamikaze decision. but it's your game [:)]

[MilRevKo]

wow, Never posted so many . BTW, was not using mouse

[John Lansford]

If it's still 1/42, you invade Tulagi at your own risk.  You won't be able to hold it if your opponent wants to take it back, and if you try to oppose him you'll just lose valuable ships.  At this stage of your game you need to play a hit-and-run strategy; hit him where those CV's aren't, then run like heck when they show up.  Try and use your Dutch/RN/S-boats to whittle down his CV numbers until you can meet his carriers on a more even footing later in 42.

[Scott_USN]

Forget Tulagi. In fact forget offense for the moment for the next 6 months it is best to react defensively until you know your opponent. At least that is my advice. I would build up strongly at Suva and Pago Pago as a fall back. Put search planes in Perth and bring Fuel from Abaden and Cape Town. You don't need huge amount of fuel in Australia just yet but try to keep your main port of Sydney etc with decent supplies for your Surface Forces. Unless you plan to be very aggressive you will not need more than British can supply until later in 1942. If you send all your tankers to Aussie in early 1942 I would interdict you and sink them between Pago Pago and Sydney any where in that area. A person can use CVL's and make life hard after catching your precious tankers, only takes a hand full of kates to devastate a Tanker TF. Keep em safe you don't get a great many until 1943.

As stated oil is not important but get those tankers out of DEI to perth, if you have time fill them up in DEI before running you will not hold DEI. They will be very valuable.

[Scott_USN]

By the way the fuel from Perth to Sydney moves fast over the major Rail lines. Abadan can easily fuel Australia just be careful of rouge CV's and keep air naval patrols around Western Australia. I like to take first month or two to put over a million tons of fuel in Pearl. Just me.

[Itdepends]

I was still shipping oil out of the DEI (Palemburg) in early Jan 42 against my PBEM opponent- perhaps I just got lucky

[Rob Brennan UK]

ORIGINAL: Itdepends

I was still shipping oil out of the DEI (Palemburg) in early Jan 42 against my PBEM opponent- perhaps I just got lucky

(

I'm still pulling fuel out and its 4/42 [;)]. Be careful not to pull out too much supply from Java though, sumatra sems to have oodles of it so thats a better candidate for stripping 1st as allies if you can.

[davidjruss]

A quick question,

Can anyone advise if they escort the TF's from Capetowsn to Perth and if so what do they use to counter any submarines.

Many thanks

[crsutton]

Oz industry works but suffers from a net loss of fuel. That is there is not quite enough fuel in Oz to fully run the industry there. So if you ship fuel to OZ the Australian mainland it will slowly get eaten up by the industry. However, Oz still produces plenty of supply without any additional fuel. At least for the first year or so of the war when you just do not have much to spare. Best to send your precious fuel to bases that are not connected to the Australian mainland-where you can store it without loss. Only real problem is keeping fuel in important bases such as Sidney and Brisbane. I just park some AOs or TKs there and do not offload the fuel. A pain in the butt but a work around.

[John Lansford]

I've never seen fuel quickly transfer from Perth to Sydney or Melbourne.  It disappears quite quickly from Perth but doesn't show up at the east coast cities for a long time, if ever.  What I think is happening is all the ports and bases along the way from Perth to Melbourne help themselves of all that fuel until they don't need any more, and what's left over makes it to the east coast.  I've been shipping 50k+ units of fuel from Trincomalee and Cape Town to Perth weekly and it just vanished until those other towns were happy.