The Hive - Cruft PBEM (Japan, Scen 2 Beta + Stacking Limits)

[Captain Cruft]

The Score ...

[Captain Cruft]

Industry

[Captain Cruft]

Aircraft Production

[Captain Cruft]

Ship Production

[Captain Cruft]

Barges training up at Nanking, 180 of them.

[Captain Cruft]

I have shipped a division in to Brunei to protect the fuel.

[Captain Cruft]

The fuel stockpile at Port Arthur is now seriously depleted. This is probably because I have aggressively expanded HI throughout China.

[Captain Cruft]

Ditto the resource stockpile at Keijo, and likely for the same reason.

[Captain Cruft]

These guys have recently successfully delivered a bomb into a Canadian corvette at Attu Island.

[Captain Cruft]

Paramushiro-Jima itself.

[Captain Cruft]

At Hakodate, the KB awaits its opportunity.

[Captain Cruft]

Meanwhile the Akagi & Kaga are merely keeping the Shimakaze DDs company at Kure.

[Captain Cruft]

The CVEs are in reserve at Babeldoab.

[Captain Cruft]

While the bulk of the more modern surface fleet is at Guam.

[Captain Cruft]

17 May 1943

Another torp finds its mark. 100% moonlight this time ...

The Mili Fortress has virtually ceased to exist.

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Night Air attack on TF, near Mili at 136,121

Weather in hex: Light cloud

Raid detected at 40 NM, estimated altitude 20,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 15 minutes

Japanese aircraft
G3M3 Nell x 18

Japanese aircraft losses
G3M3 Nell: 9 damaged
G3M3 Nell: 1 destroyed by flak

Allied Ships
BB New Mexico
BB Colorado, Torpedo hits 1

Aircraft Attacking:
17 x G3M3 Nell launching torpedoes at 200 feet
Naval Attack: 1 x 18in Type 91 Torpedo

[Captain Cruft]

20 May 1943

Emilies can see better in the daytime it seems. Note how they fly under the CAP with ease

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Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Makin at 136,125

Weather in hex: Light rain

Raid detected at 40 NM, estimated altitude 2,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 15 minutes

Japanese aircraft
H8K2 Emily x 6

Allied aircraft
F4U-1 Corsair x 7

Japanese aircraft losses
H8K2 Emily: 5 damaged
H8K2 Emily: 1 destroyed by flak

No Allied losses

Allied Ships
DD Russell
BB Mississippi, Torpedo hits 2, heavy damage

Aircraft Attacking:
6 x H8K2 Emily launching torpedoes at 200 feet
Naval Attack: 2 x 18in Type 91 Torpedo

CAP engaged:
VMF-124 with F4U-1 Corsair (2 airborne, 5 on standby, 0 scrambling)
2 plane(s) intercepting now.
Group patrol altitude is 25000 , scrambling fighters between 3000 and 36800.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 36 minutes

[Captain Cruft]

21 May 1943

Emilies strike again ... Flying out of Ebadon now as mentioned much earlier.

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Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Ocean Island at 130,130

Weather in hex: Moderate rain

Raid spotted at 8 NM, estimated altitude 4,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 2 minutes

Japanese aircraft
H8K2 Emily x 6

Japanese aircraft losses
H8K2 Emily: 3 damaged

Allied Ships
AM Oriole, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
LST-19, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk

Aircraft Attacking:
6 x H8K2 Emily launching torpedoes at 200 feet
Naval Attack: 2 x 18in Type 91 Torpedo

[Captain Cruft]

22 May 1943

Again

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Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Makin at 136,125

Weather in hex: Light cloud

Raid detected at 40 NM, estimated altitude 5,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 15 minutes

Japanese aircraft
H8K2 Emily x 2

Allied aircraft
F4U-1 Corsair x 22

Japanese aircraft losses
H8K2 Emily: 2 damaged

No Allied losses

Allied Ships
BB Idaho, Torpedo hits 1

Aircraft Attacking:
2 x H8K2 Emily launching torpedoes at 200 feet
Naval Attack: 2 x 18in Type 91 Torpedo

CAP engaged:
VMF-124 with F4U-1 Corsair (4 airborne, 10 on standby, 0 scrambling)
4 plane(s) intercepting now.
Group patrol altitude is 25000 , scrambling fighters between 1000 and 25000.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 18 minutes
VMF-214 with F4U-1 Corsair (2 airborne, 6 on standby, 0 scrambling)
2 plane(s) intercepting now.
Group patrol altitude is 22000 , scrambling fighters between 2000 and 6000.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 22 minutes

[Miller]

How do you keep motivated? Your opponent appears to have done next to nothing all game.

[Captain Cruft]

He has not done nothing, far from it. I don't report everything, and he is constantly chipping away at the edges of my temporary Empire.

Consider how you would play against an augmented Japan that is operating on a "uber-defensive" basis? If you are risk averse, which is exactly how the Allies were in reality, it makes life difficult.

Both of us are enjoying the game immensely. Personally I think it makes a great contrast to the usual 6 month pointless spoogefest that seems to comprise most PBEM games. This will go the distance.