Odd bombardment results and scrubbed missions

[Crécy]

Hello all! I finally decided to register to the forums as I'm getting a feeling it's almost mandatory (question asking wise) in order to learn War in the Pacific AE so that I may dare to start grand campaign one beautiful day [:)]. I've owned WitP AE for almost a year and a half but never got past Guadalcanal, too daunting. But this time I'm determined to start a GC and learn the game (to some degree anyway, I suspect no one really ever learns this game).

I tried to search for an answer to these two (and a half) questions but couldn't found anything exact. So, I'm sorry if these matters have been discussed hundreds of times before and I'm just cluttering the forum. Which I might be doing anyway later on by asking millions of questions, but I'll promise to search first!

So, I'm playing the Guadalcanal scenario as allies (running vanilla with v1.01.08r9 Official Update) and I've found a couple of oddities. First: every single bombardment attack by the Japanese (especially at Kokoda trail) has damaged their own troops. Not a single loss to my side. I doubt they are so incompetent that they'd pound their own troops for weeks. Am I missing something obvious here? And another observation related to this one is during naval bombardment and amphibious unloading. Every time these happen and my ships shoot the beach defenses and the coastal cannons shoot back, there are only losses to my side. Is it that my ships aren't hitting anything at all and the Japanese are? I understand that in landings but shore bombardments as well prior to landing? Seems peculiar that they aren't hitting anything.

Second: Every turn I get messages like 'Patrols from Vincennes has been aborted due to bad weather'. The weather is supposed to be clear. How come every turn there's a bad weather and they fail to launch patrols? Again, am I missing something here?

[Bo Rearguard]

ORIGINAL: Crécy

Hello all! I finally decided to register to the forums as I'm getting a feeling it's almost mandatory (question asking wise) in order to learn War in the Pacific AE so that I may dare to start grand campaign one beautiful day [:)]. I've owned WitP AE for almost a year and a half but never got past Guadalcanal, too daunting. But this time I'm determined to start a GC and learn the game (to some degree anyway, I suspect no one really ever learns this game).

I tried to search for an answer to these two (and a half) questions but couldn't found anything exact. So, I'm sorry if these matters have been discussed hundreds of times before and I'm just cluttering the forum. Which I might be doing anyway later on by asking millions of questions, but I'll promise to search first!

So, I'm playing the Guadalcanal scenario as allies (running vanilla with v1.01.08r9 Official Update) and I've found a couple of oddities. First: every single bombardment attack by the Japanese (especially at Kokoda trail) has damaged their own troops. Not a single loss to my side. I doubt they are so incompetent that they'd pound their own troops for weeks. Am I missing something obvious here? And another observation related to this one is during naval bombardment and amphibious unloading. Every time these happen and my ships shoot the beach defenses and the coastal cannons shoot back, there are only losses to my side. Is it that my ships aren't hitting anything at all and the Japanese are? I understand that in landings but shore bombardments as well prior to landing? Seems peculiar that they aren't hitting anything.

Second: Every turn I get messages like 'Patrols from Vincennes has been aborted due to bad weather'. The weather is supposed to be clear. How come every turn there's a bad weather and they fail to launch patrols? Again, am I missing something here?

As regards the artillery bombardments on the Kokoda Trail, what you are likely seeing are the effects of Allied counterbattery fire. The Japanese aren't hitting their own men---the Allies are during their counter fire phase. And Allied artillery is generally better.

As regards weather cancelling float plane patrols, the weather for a zone can be clear, but that's just the overall forecast. The weather is checked hex by hex as well and if it's found to be too choppy, no float planes are launched.

[Bo Rearguard]

Good luck on your first GC game. It's a bit easier to play one as the Allies in the beginning. You don't have to worry about industrial production or meeting a timetable of conquest. You mostly just react. It's later on in 1944 when you're swimming in so many reinforcements that you don't know what to do with them all that things get difficult.[:D][:D]

[Yaab]

About artillery bombardments:

Manual p.196
"When Bombarding or firing defensively at a unit that is Bombarding, only weapons with a range of at least 3 and an anti-soft rating of at least 5 may fire. Coast defense naval guns and dual purpose guns with a range less than 15,000 yards may not fire. Not all weapons will fire, but the longer the range of the weapon the greater the chance of firing".

Now, if the Allies at Kokoda have more guns, and the guns have greater ranges than the Japanese ones, and the Allies have higher fortification level, than the Japs will probably suffer higher casualties from the Allied counterbattery fire.

As for naval bombardemnts, are you using big guns i.e. BBs and CAs or smaller ships?

[tocaff]

Welcome aboard.

Remember that air recon will help your bombardment results.

[Crécy]

ORIGINAL: Bo Rearguard

As regards the artillery bombardments on the Kokoda Trail, what you are likely seeing are the effects of Allied counterbattery fire. The Japanese aren't hitting their own men---the Allies are during their counter fire phase. And Allied artillery is generally better.

As regards weather cancelling float plane patrols, the weather for a zone can be clear, but that's just the overall forecast. The weather is checked hex by hex as well and if it's found to be too choppy, no float planes are launched.

Okay, thank you very much! Should have known I was asking questions to inferential matters .

ORIGINAL: Bo Rearguard

Good luck on your first GC game. It's a bit easier to play one as the Allies in the beginning. You don't have to worry about industrial production or meeting a timetable of conquest. You mostly just react. It's later on in 1944 when you're swimming in so many reinforcements that you don't know what to do with them all that things get difficult.[:D][:D]

Yes, that's the reason I'm going to try it first with allies. Plus more room for mistake. Though I'd like to try out Japan. If I ever dare to face the industry management...

ORIGINAL: Yaab

About artillery bombardments:

Manual p.196
"When Bombarding or firing defensively at a unit that is Bombarding, only weapons with a range of at least 3 and an anti-soft rating of at least 5 may fire. Coast defense naval guns and dual purpose guns with a range less than 15,000 yards may not fire. Not all weapons will fire, but the longer the range of the weapon the greater the chance of firing".

Now, if the Allies at Kokoda have more guns, and the guns have greater ranges than the Japanese ones, and the Allies have higher fortification level, than the Japs will probably suffer higher casualties from the Allied counterbattery fire.

As for naval bombardemnts, are you using big guns i.e. BBs and CAs or smaller ships?

CAs were the biggest ones that fired.

ORIGINAL: tocaff

Welcome aboard.

Remember that air recon will help your bombardment results.

Thank you!