Balade of the Newbie: The grand Campaign (Allies vs IJ AI)

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BlitzimX
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Balade of the Newbie: The grand Campaign (Allies vs IJ AI)

Post by BlitzimX »

Hello players and players.

This is it, the big one. After months of preparation and hesitations and fears and....everything you can feel as a new player to this game, I decided to make the big jump into the Grand Campaign.

There will be tears, sweat and blood, i promess. There will be emotion and ... a lot of stuffs. But i intend to master this game, and i want to do it with you guys.

I took inspiration for my actions from a lot of different places : War room, Arrs, the Allied Spreadsheat, my previous AARs.. But you will see i am of course fairly new at this. I hope you will share your experiences with me and help me getting the best out of this game.

The first turn will be very long, since i want to post and expose most of the actions per theatre. I wish this will also serve for other new players to get a better grasp at the game, and lighten most of the obscure subjects.

Without further due, let's get started with the game itself.

Game Version : 1.7.11.23u , Nov 2013
Scenario : Da Big Babes Version B with Extended Map, 7th December begining.
Camp Played : Allies
Opponent: My dear computer. For this game, i will call it Kenji. Because hey, why not :)
7th Surprise : On
Historical First Turn : Off
Auto Upgrade : Off
FOW : On
Advanced Weather Effect : Off
Reinforcments : Historical
Reliable USN Torpedoes : Off

I decided to start with 7th December because i like to have controle on what is happening. It can allow me to save some ships and planes from certain destruction, like the Prince of wales or some BBs at PH.

With no further due, stay on for the first post and the presentation what i expect to do in the first times of the war.
It will also give me time to have that Tracker working again XD
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RE: Balade of the Newbie: The grand Campaign (Allies vs IJ AI)

Post by BBfanboy »

Congratulations on taking the plunge into AAR land! I will be reading whenever I can.

I am not a true expert on the game but have "sandboxed" (played both sides at the same time) quite a bit to see what
happens when I try different things. I may offer advice from time to time on how the game will handle certain things.
There are a lot of other players out there who are much better qualified to give advice on strategy.

One of your first challenges will be to decide what to do with your political points because they are in such short supply.
You should NOT immediately spend all of them on buying restricted units in the US to move forward. You should consider using them for:

- Changing naval commanders. This helps you in battles, including dodging submarine torpedoes. You hit better, you take less damage, you save more damaged ships.

- Changing air commanders. You shoot down more enemy planes, lose fewer of your own, and maybe keep enemy bombers from hitting your ships/airfields/land units.

- Buying key units that are about to be cut off by advancing enemy so you can move them back to continue fighting/training/filling out TOE (table of organization and equipment)

- Replacing lousy HQ commanders such as Percival to give a large number of nearby units a boost in support.

Good luck! [:)]
No matter how bad a situation is, you can always make it worse. - Chris Hadfield : An Astronaut's Guide To Life On Earth
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BlitzimX
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RE: Balade of the Newbie: The grand Campaign (Allies vs IJ AI)

Post by BlitzimX »

Thanks for the support BBfanboy, i know you already helped me a lot in my last AARs. I hole to learn a lot more from you in the future :)

But without further due, let's dive in into the first section of our Grand adventure.

[center]December 7th, 1941
H-5 before the Japanese assault on PH[/center]

[center]Image[/center]

So yes, as you can see this map has been shamelessly inspired from Sardaukar's. But i took the liberty to be more ambitious than him! With me, Australia shall not loose any inch of ground to the Japanese!
The red circles represent the main key points of the defense. The BLue line is the projected maximum advance we can tolerate from the Japs. They shall not get a step further!
My main supply hubs are represented in purple. These will be used to supply all the theatres, until we can start the reconquest of lost lands.

Goals for the first part of the war:
- Evacuate as much troops/planes/ships as possible from Malaysia and the Phillipines toward the DEI. No useless sacrifice, if i can save it, i do it.
- Set up a convoy system from US and Off maps centres toward PH and other main supply hubs
- Start gathering troops in North Australia
- Stop Japanese advance on the Burman border
- Try to find something to do in China...there are so much troops here i don't know what to do XD
- Any other goal you think i should consider :)

Also, before starting toying with the units, i do these general actions:
- Turn off All units upgrades and replacements
- Turn off all Industries repairing
- Set all land Units to Rest
- Stop all constructions in all the bases (Port/Airfield/Forts)

This will allow a better control on these domain, and prevents me from clicking on each base/units to stop reinforcing, building... when i don't want them to.
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RE: Balade of the Newbie: The grand Campaign (Allies vs IJ AI)

Post by BBfanboy »

A couple of things about your plans:

Australia: the biggest needs there are fuel and fighters. If you can get enough fuel there you can turn on the HI which will produce supply.
For the Japanese player, HI is also needed to support things like aircraft production and pilot training, but I don't know if that is so for the Allies. Some say the Allies have basically
infinite HI points so that pilot training and aircraft production happens at a constant rate whether HI is turned on or not. Either way, the reward of more supplies
helps with filling out unit TOE and pushing supply forward to the difficult-to-reach north coast of Australia. Getting troops up there is not too hard, but supplying them is.
BTW, it is just as fast to haul fuel from Abadan to Perth as it is from the US to Sydney/Melbourne. As long as he is not raiding the IO area or off western Australia, I do this. The rail lines
will take the fuel to Sydney/Melbourne/Brisbane/Adelaide.

PH: If all your supplies go via PH, his subs will have an easy time targeting your convoys and TFs. Many freighters have almost enough fuel to make the round-trip to Australia without a stop
at PH, so many players embed a couple of AOs in the supply convoy. It stages to a place like Tahiti or Pago-Pago where the AOs refuel the xAKs. The AOs then return to the US while the xAKs carry on to Australia.

China: Your job here is to last a long as possible to tie down IJA troops and planes so that they are not available to attack Burma/India or Australia/South Pacific areas.
Units that are cut off already [because the Japanese can move much faster than the Chinese soldiers in sandals] should disperse off-road and try to sneak around to cut communications and take bases behind
Japanese lines. Units that are in urban hexes with forts should fight as long as they can and then retreat to another place with good defensive values. They do not have the firepower to fight Japanese tanks and
artillery in the open, nor the AA to stop his bombers from easy attack. Defensive terrain and forts help protect them and slow the Japanese speed advantage. If you can, form continuous defensive lines.

Try to hold supply-producing centres like Changsha and Chungking as long as possible. Recently, a few players have moved major parts of their armies toward the Burma road to protect this area and the supply it brings as long as possible. There are a dozen or so units
that are NOT permanently restricted that can be bought out and moved to Burma or India. Once they begin to fill out their ranks [because of the greater supply in India] and get better equipment, morale improves greatly and they can be good fighters in
jungle and rough terrain.

No matter how bad a situation is, you can always make it worse. - Chris Hadfield : An Astronaut's Guide To Life On Earth
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RE: Balade of the Newbie: The grand Campaign (Allies vs IJ AI)

Post by jmalter »

hi BlitzX,

I started my 1st GC vs. the IJ AI, using DBB-B scen#26 extended map. My game is now in August '45. So I will follow your AAR & bother you w/ my advices!

- 1st, you'll see that the vast majority of your stuff is at 'peacetime' strength, w/ low morale, lousy planes, & poor commanders. And of course you'll never have enough PP to improve everything. Set your LCUs to to Rest/Training, move your airgroups out of harm's way, consolidate your forces to defend high-value bastions.

- 2nd, train pilots. Then train more pilots. Never stop training pilots.

- 3rd, the Dutch CD & ART LCUs can be doughty, once their morale gets up off the floor. They can put a lot of holes in IJ AmphTFs that try to unload in their bases, so give some PPs to improve their commanders.

- 4th, you've got lots of transport shipping in the DEI/CBI theaters that need to escape the invading hordes. When you withdraw them, be sure to set them to 'do not refuel' when they arrive, or they'll drain your bases of fuel.

- 4th(b), start shipping fuel from EC to Cape Town right away. Use TKs or half-full xAKs. Don't let CT run dry of fuel.

- 5th, be very careful using your USN transport assets, TKs & AOs lost in the early war will crimp your abilities.

- 6th, review all your ships, almost every one will need yard-time to add to their AA or ASW strength. Be sure to identify all transports that can upgrade to APA / AKA / LSI(L) status, keep them safe & send them to shipyards where they can upgrade. These ships will form the nucleus of your counter-strokes.

Have a good time w/ your game!
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RE: Balade of the Newbie: The grand Campaign (Allies vs IJ AI)

Post by BlitzimX »

Hi there,

Thanks for these pieces of advice. These already bring me some questions:
It is just as fast to haul fuel from Abadan to Perth as it is from the US to Sydney/Melbourne

But of course we can do both at the same time i guess?
IO area

What does this stands for?
Units that are in urban hexes with forts should fight as long as they can and then retreat to another place with good defensive values

Retreat is something i was wondering about: when do you consider it is time to retreat? And when you do so, do you have to switch to "Move" mode or remain in "Combat mode?"
have moved major parts of their armies toward the Burma road to protect this area and the supply it brings as long as possible.

I always saw "Burma road" in a lot of places here, but i never got what it truely represented. Do you confirm this is the road as shown in the screen below? That's quite far from the front for Chinese units to fall back and protect it, and besides Japanese are already in Burma , i think this part falls first.

[center]Image[/center]
There are a dozen or so units that are NOT permanently restricted

I had a look at Chineese OOB and i only see 3 or 4 ENG units who are not withing an HQ with [R] attached to it. Am i missing something?
4th(b), start shipping fuel from EC to Cape Town right away. Use TKs or half-full xAKs. Don't let CT run dry of fuel.

I didn't know xAKs could load up some fuels? I thought only Tankers could.
Be sure to identify all transports that can upgrade to APA / AKA / LSI(L) status,

Is there a list of these ships or do i have to check all Ships ' upgrades manualy?

Also, is it possible to have a list of all Leaders per nation?
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RE: Balade of the Newbie: The grand Campaign (Allies vs IJ AI)

Post by KenchiSulla »

ORIGINAL: BlitzX

Also, is it possible to have a list of all Leaders per nation?

I suggest you setup tracker. There is a TAB that shows all leaders for your side!
AKA Cannonfodder

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RE: Balade of the Newbie: The grand Campaign (Allies vs IJ AI)

Post by BlitzimX »

I know, i can't getr this damn thing to work. I managed to a few months ago before i reinstalled my computer, but now impossible to have it working...


Edit: I finaly managed to get it working, i found a solution to my problem. Indeed, the Leader list is here and usefull :)
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RE: Balade of the Newbie: The grand Campaign (Allies vs IJ AI)

Post by BBfanboy »

ORIGINAL: BlitzX

Hi there,

Thanks for these pieces of advice. These already bring me some questions:
It is just as fast to haul fuel from Abadan to Perth as it is from the US to Sydney/Melbourne

But of course we can do both at the same time i guess? Yes
IO area

What does this stands for? Indian Ocean. Note that there are two Christmas Islands and one of them has IO after the name to show which ocean it is in.

Units that are in urban hexes with forts should fight as long as they can and then retreat to another place with good defensive values

Retreat is something i was wondering about: when do you consider it is time to retreat? And when you do so, do you have to switch to "Move" mode or remain in "Combat mode?"

When your units are too beat-up to fight, move them out. I use 30+ disruption and fatigue as my standard, but other players let it go higher. You will also note that he is destroying
a lot more of your squads than you are of his. Defenders start with an advantage in dug-in positions and usually inflict more destroyed squads on the enemy when he attacks. When that stops happening
it is time to go. Note that your disabled squads may never recover because of the lack of supply, while his probably will recover in a few days. If you aren't destroying squads, bring in fresh troops and
move back your tired ones.

Leapfrog your units to new positions. Move the most heavily disrupted units first, and when they reach a defensible hex have them wait while you move the next group past or beside them. Continue until
you have set up a defensible line or strong blocking point. Moving in Combat mode is for marching to battle with good morale and low disruption. When you are whipped (high fatigue, disruption and low morale)
use Move mode to get out as fast as possible. Accept that you will lose a lot of troops if he attacks while you are moving, but most of them will move faster (fleeing). If you leave the troops where they
are to try delay him, you may disable some of his squads but he can recover them with good supply, and your troops will be wiped out.

have moved major parts of their armies toward the Burma road to protect this area and the supply it brings as long as possible.

I always saw "Burma road" in a lot of places here, but i never got what it truely represented. Do you confirm this is the road as shown in the screen below? That's quite far from the front for Chinese units to fall back and protect it, and besides Japanese are already in Burma , i think this part falls first.

Your route is a little off. The sand coloured roads are secondary roads where movement is ½ as fast as a main road. The Burma road runs from Lashio through Kunming and on to Chungking. Even if Rangoon falls, as long as you hold this stretch of road you get 500 more supply points a day for China.

[center]Image[/center]
There are a dozen or so units that are NOT permanently restricted

I had a look at Chineese OOB and i only see 3 or 4 ENG units who are not withing an HQ with [R] attached to it. Am i missing something?
If the name of their attached HQ is in white, they can be bought out with PP and changed to an unrestricted HQ such as NCAC (New Chinese Army Command). If the HQ name is in gray, you cannot
change it.

4th(b), start shipping fuel from EC to Cape Town right away. Use TKs or half-full xAKs. Don't let CT run dry of fuel.

I didn't know xAKs could load up some fuels? I thought only Tankers could.
xAKs can carry fuel at half the capacity they have for cargo. This simulates fuel in drums. A few ships have a dedicated tank for fuel (note the 5800 tonners, which have 5600 cargo space and 200 fuel space) which
does not use drums so the tank capacity is not cut in half.

Be sure to identify all transports that can upgrade to APA / AKA / LSI(L) status,

Is there a list of these ships or do i have to check all Ships ' upgrades manualy?

It is not so hard. Go to the ship list button (single ship icon at top of screen) and click it. Ships are listed by type and within each type they are grouped by class. Click away on the xAKL, warship and tanker ship types until all
you have left are AKs/APs/xAKs/xAPs. Class groupings will be apparent. Check one ship of each class and if it says it can convert or update to an APA [or British LSI(L)] or AKA in March to July of 1943, note the ship names or class and do not use it in risky
operations if you can help it. Transferring troops from US to Oz in well escorted convoys (with CV protection) is a good use for them before they convert.


Also, is it possible to have a list of all Leaders per nation?

AFAIK, the only way to get this would be to open the game editor and go to the leaders tab. I am not sure if it can be sorted by nation. Some leaders are not available at game start - they arrive throughout the game.
The easiest way to do this is just click on the leader name you want to change and the list of available leaders will come up. Click on the thing you consider most important for that leader (Naval Skill? Aggression? etc.) and look for
a leader with the right mix of qualities for the job. Note that CV and Air Combat TF commanders should have fairly good Air Skill, as well as decent Naval Skill. I use 50 in each as my minimum.
No matter how bad a situation is, you can always make it worse. - Chris Hadfield : An Astronaut's Guide To Life On Earth
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RE: Balade of the Newbie: The grand Campaign (Allies vs IJ AI)

Post by uncivil_servant »

Greetings fellow newbie! I am adding onto what BB said and speaking in newbie speak...
ORIGINAL: BBfanboy
ORIGINAL: BlitzX

Hi there,

Thanks for these pieces of advice. These already bring me some questions:
It is just as fast to haul fuel from Abadan to Perth as it is from the US to Sydney/Melbourne
OR east Coast to Cape Town and CT to Perth

But of course we can do both at the same time i guess? Yes
IO area

What does this stands for? Indian Ocean. Note that there are two Christmas Islands and one of them has IO after the name to show which ocean it is in.

Units that are in urban hexes with forts should fight as long as they can and then retreat to another place with good defensive values

Retreat is something i was wondering about: when do you consider it is time to retreat? And when you do so, do you have to switch to "Move" mode or remain in "Combat mode?"

When your units are too beat-up to fight, move them out. I use 30+ disruption and fatigue as my standard, but other players let it go higher. You will also note that he is destroying
a lot more of your squads than you are of his. Defenders start with an advantage in dug-in positions and usually inflict more destroyed squads on the enemy when he attacks. When that stops happening
it is time to go. Note that your disabled squads may never recover because of the lack of supply, while his probably will recover in a few days. If you aren't destroying squads, bring in fresh troops and
move back your tired ones.

Leapfrog your units to new positions. Move the most heavily disrupted units first, and when they reach a defensible hex have them wait while you move the next group past or beside them. Continue until
you have set up a defensible line or strong blocking point. Moving in Combat mode is for marching to battle with good morale and low disruption. When you are whipped (high fatigue, disruption and low morale)
use Move mode to get out as fast as possible. Accept that you will lose a lot of troops if he attacks while you are moving, but most of them will move faster (fleeing). If you leave the troops where they
are to try delay him, you may disable some of his squads but he can recover them with good supply, and your troops will be wiped out.
You can always start retreating before they arrive and decide to cancel the mve should you have enough defense
have moved major parts of their armies toward the Burma road to protect this area and the supply it brings as long as possible.

I always saw "Burma road" in a lot of places here, but i never got what it truely represented. Do you confirm this is the road as shown in the screen below? That's quite far from the front for Chinese units to fall back and protect it, and besides Japanese are already in Burma , i think this part falls first.

Your route is a little off. The sand coloured roads are secondary roads where movement is ½ as fast as a main road. The Burma road runs from Lashio through Kunming and on to Chungking. Even if Rangoon falls, as long as you hold this stretch of road you get 500 more supply points a day for China.

[center]Image[/center]
There are a dozen or so units that are NOT permanently restricted

I had a look at Chineese OOB and i only see 3 or 4 ENG units who are not withing an HQ with [R] attached to it. Am i missing something?
If the name of their attached HQ is in white, they can be bought out with PP and changed to an unrestricted HQ such as NCAC (New Chinese Army Command). If the HQ name is in gray, you cannot
change it.
Many CHI Infantry units have engineers as part of the unit so they, as long as they are in combat mode, will help build fortifications and airports
4th(b), start shipping fuel from EC to Cape Town right away. Use TKs or half-full xAKs. Don't let CT run dry of fuel.

I didn't know xAKs could load up some fuels? I thought only Tankers could.
xAKs can carry fuel at half the capacity they have for cargo. This simulates fuel in drums. A few ships have a dedicated tank for fuel (note the 5800 tonners, which have 5600 cargo space and 200 fuel space) which
does not use drums so the tank capacity is not cut in half.
Make note of the storage size as well as making sure they do not refuel upon unloading fuel taking what you just unloaded - some longer range xAKS are particularly good as they can go the round trip with minimal refueling 16000 endurance with 5500+ cargo space.
Be sure to identify all transports that can upgrade to APA / AKA / LSI(L) status,

Is there a list of these ships or do i have to check all Ships ' upgrades manualy?

It is not so hard. Go to the ship list button (single ship icon at top of screen) and click it. Ships are listed by type and within each type they are grouped by class. Click away on the xAKL, warship and tanker ship types until all
you have left are AKs/APs/xAKs/xAPs. Class groupings will be apparent. Check one ship of each class and if it says it can convert or update to an APA [or British LSI(L)] or AKA in March to July of 1943, note the ship names or class and do not use it in risky
operations if you can help it. Transferring troops from US to Oz in well escorted convoys (with CV protection) is a good use for them before they convert.


Also, is it possible to have a list of all Leaders per nation?

AFAIK, the only way to get this would be to open the game editor and go to the leaders tab. I am not sure if it can be sorted by nation. Some leaders are not available at game start - they arrive throughout the game.
The easiest way to do this is just click on the leader name you want to change and the list of available leaders will come up. Click on the thing you consider most important for that leader (Naval Skill? Aggression? etc.) and look for
a leader with the right mix of qualities for the job. Note that CV and Air Combat TF commanders should have fairly good Air Skill, as well as decent Naval Skill. I use 50 in each as my minimum.
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It is by the beans of Java that thoughts acquire speed,
The hands acquire shaking, the shaking becomes a warning,
It is by caffeine alone I set my mind in motion.
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RE: Balade of the Newbie: The grand Campaign (Allies vs IJ AI)

Post by pws1225 »

Just a minor alteration to BBfanboy's excellent post: in a beta patch the original definition of the Burma Road was modified to include Rangoon as follows from michaelm's change log: "21/10/12: 1119e - Burma road not open if Rangoon in enemy hands"
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RE: Balade of the Newbie: The grand Campaign (Allies vs IJ AI)

Post by BBfanboy »

ORIGINAL: pws1225

Just a minor alteration to BBfanboy's excellent post: in a beta patch the original definition of the Burma Road was modified to include Rangoon as follows from michaelm's change log: "21/10/12: 1119e - Burma road not open if Rangoon in enemy hands"

Did not know that - thanks pws1225.

I think that means the guaranteed 500 supply per day is off the table, but a trickle should still flow to China if Lashio or Myitkynia are receiving significant amounts and the rest of the road is open from there.
No matter how bad a situation is, you can always make it worse. - Chris Hadfield : An Astronaut's Guide To Life On Earth
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RE: Balade of the Newbie: The grand Campaign (Allies vs IJ AI)

Post by BlitzimX »

Thanks for these answers. One last question before starting next part :
4th(b), start shipping fuel from EC to Cape Town right away. Use TKs or half-full xAKs. Don't let CT run dry of fuel.
Do you confirm i can't do it now? I don't have any ships in East Coast, and i can't transfer some from West coast. Or am i missing an element?
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RE: Balade of the Newbie: The grand Campaign (Allies vs IJ AI)

Post by BBfanboy »

ORIGINAL: BlitzX

Thanks for these answers. One last question before starting next part :
4th(b), start shipping fuel from EC to Cape Town right away. Use TKs or half-full xAKs. Don't let CT run dry of fuel.
Do you confirm i can't do it now? I don't have any ships in East Coast, and i can't transfer some from West coast. Or am i missing an element?

You have to transit ships from on-map to EC via Panama or via Capetown. Around mid-1943 the Mediterranian opens up and there is then a direct link from
Aden to EC/Britain/Canada.

You have a lot of ships fleeing DEI and the Philippines and around India. If they are sitting idle for lack of available stuff to haul, send them to
Capetown (set NO REFUEL). Once at CT they can move full speed and without using fuel to EC US or Canada. Fuel and repair/upgrade them when they arrive, then
start hauling fuel and supplies to CT. I use all the short-range (less than 6000 nm) ships on this route because early in the game there are few places where
a good supply source is really close to where the goods are needed. You can move some back on-map later if needed.

After about six months the supply and fuel there will be quite good because of the monthly supply convoys and what you
bring in.

Also set up convoys to haul from CT to Oz or India, or even direct to Burma if you can safely do so.

Another idea for getting fuel to CT is to haul a few tanker loads from Abadan. You cannot go direct, you have to set the tankers to arrive at an ocean hex on-map
and when they appear on-map, change their destination to Cape Town.

Warning! Do not change the destination, home port or speed of a ship that is already in one of the off-map transit boxes. The AI calculates
a time for arrival when you first send it on its way and it cannot handle calculation of a new arrival time if you change things, because it does not know where it is at the
point you make the change. There are no hidden hexes in the off-map world to calculate from, just a time warp that makes your TF arrive at the time calculated. I have had a TF
of important ships (CAs/CLs/DDs) disappear for the rest of the game by changing en-route orders while off map. The TF was still on the TF listing and shows a location as hex 0,0
but you can not find the icon nor access the TF screen to do anything with it.

You CAN make changes when the TF is at an off-map base, although sometimes the AI does not let you set another off-map home port if there is no direct link between the two
(e.g. your TF is at Aden and you want to set the Home Port as Cape Town or EC USA.)

Also beware that you do not set an on-map port too soon, such as setting San Francisco as the new home port for a TF at Cape Town, with the intention to have it go to Balboa and
then on to SFO. If you click Return to SFO at that point, the AI will send it via the Indian Ocean and the entire Pacific Ocean rather than via Balboa. Best to set Balboa as the
Home Port first, and when the TF arrive there change it to SFO.

EDIT: - fixed typos
No matter how bad a situation is, you can always make it worse. - Chris Hadfield : An Astronaut's Guide To Life On Earth
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RE: Balade of the Newbie: The grand Campaign (Allies vs IJ AI)

Post by BlitzimX »

Thanks again for all these advise. It is now time to start out world tour (or more half world tour) of all the stuffs i do before the Infamy.

[center]December 7th, 1941
H-5 Before Pearl Harbor Assault[/center]

Continental US


Naval :

First thing i do is recalling all the ships on route for PH, and get them back to SF. The only exceptions are the Prince Robert (AMc), the Cynthia Olson (xAK) and the McFarland (AVD), all 3 set to carry on to PH. The Mauna Ala (xAKL) is also redirected from Vancouver to SF.

In SF, A convoy composed of 2*TK, 8 short range xAK and 4 short range DDs is created and sent to Panama. It will be then sent to EC, where it will be used to feed CT.

Still in SF, a large convoy of 9 * Transports, 5*DD and 1*TK is created and set to load supplies. This convoy will be joined by 2*TK and 1*CL from San Diego , and then set to PH.

The 2*BB in Seattle are set to Pierside repairs.

Finally, all SS are gathered in 2 TFs and set to PH, with auto Disband there and no refuel.


Air Force :

The very first action I do is to send Major Lynch to TRACOM. With his 81 EXP, I think he’ll be more ussefull here than sitting in asquadron in the Eastern Coast.

All Permanently restricted squadron receive new pilotes from Reinforcment pool. Squadron where you only have 1 or 2 planes are not filled at full scale; no need to have 18 pilotes just on 2 planes. Pilotes with more than 50 exp are sent to Reserve pools and replaced with rookies.
They are also all used as training planes with the following parameters:
- P38 / P39/ P40/P43: Training 100% Escort, 1000 ft , 0 hexes
- B17/B18A/B25B/ : Training 100% Naval Search , 6000ft, 0Hexes
- O47/O49 : Training 100% Recon , 6000ft, 0Hexes

I perform the same actions with the Restricted and Unrestricted planes, but reduce to only 50 % training to prevent a too important attrition on these planes which will soon join the front line.

All Non restricted planes from EC are set to SF. No training for them until they arrive to destination.

Search planes in most major coast ports set to 50% ASW at 6000 feet.

Finally, planes from the Saratoga are rebased to Los Angeles and start their training: (60 % Escort, 1000ft) for FT, (60 % Naval Attack, 6000ft) for NB and TB.


Ground :

All units are set to rest, apart the ENG kept to Combat status, and the 2 Units for PH + 1 Unit to Pago Pago changed to Strategic.
Most coast bases are set to Expand Port and Air Field.


That’s all for Continental US  Many other things to do in the rest of the world:
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RE: Balade of the Newbie: The grand Campaign (Allies vs IJ AI)

Post by KenchiSulla »

I would try to limit the use of (x)APs to moving troops and equipment around. If you are just going to move supply, use xAKs as you have got more of them and they carry more supply then the xAPs anyway..
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RE: Balade of the Newbie: The grand Campaign (Allies vs IJ AI)

Post by BlitzimX »

I would try to limit the use of (x)APs to moving troops and equipment around. If you are just going to move supply, use xAKs as you have got more of them and they carry more supply then the xAPs anyway..

Advice taken :) I switched the two xAps i had for two xAks in my TF.


[center]December 7th, 1941
H-5 Before Pearl Harbor Assault
[/center]

Pearl Harbor

I resist here the "all powerfull vision" i have on the events and do not moove my planes or ships to the nearby islands. The only thing i do it to have all my planes standing down to rest.

ASW patrols are set in Johnson Ilsand, PH and Midway.

The Enterprise and Lexington groups are ordered to sail back to Johnson Island where they will stay until they can safely sail to PH. Their pilotes are also immediatly set to training : (60 % Escort, 1000ft) for FT, (60 % Naval Attack, 6000ft) for NB and TB.

Sub patrols already at sea are redirected around PH, Johnson Island, Midway, Wake and Kure.


Finally , Johnson Island, PH and Midway are set to expand Port/Airfield/Forts. Wake is lost in near future so no need to waist ressources here.


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RE: Balade of the Newbie: The grand Campaign (Allies vs IJ AI)

Post by BBfanboy »

ORIGINAL: BlitzX

Thanks again for all these advise. It is now time to start out world tour (or more half world tour) of all the stuffs i do before the Infamy.

[center]December 7th, 1941
H-5 Before Pearl Harbor Assault[/center]

Continental US


Naval :

First thing i do is recalling all the ships on route for PH, and get them back to SF. The only exceptions are the Prince Robert (AMc),Be sure to distinguish between an AMC (Armed Merchant Cruiser) and an AMc (Auxiliary, Mine, Coastal).
AMCs are armed with extra guns and manned by naval crews, and some of them can carry troops/cargo while others like Prince Robert cannot. They are too big and slow to fight it out with a warship, so best use for them appears to be additional protection
for a convoy or amphibious TF. AMcs are the ones you want to do daily minesweeping at important ports. IJN subs can all lay mines.
the Cynthia Olson (xAK) and the McFarland (AVD), all 3 set to carry on to PH. The Mauna Ala (xAKL) is also redirected from Vancouver to SF.
Don't put all your eggs in one basket (SFO). Make use of Seattle, Portland, LA and San Diego too. Send all Canadian BFs except Vancouver via rail to Prince Rupert and develop the port immediately to support your ops in the North. Note the repair shipyard there.

In SF, A convoy composed of 2*TK, 8 short range xAK and 4 short range DDs is created and sent to Panama. It will be then sent to EC, where it will be used to feed CT. You do not need DDs to escort ships off-map. DDs are precious so once your convoy
is at the map edge, send them back to SFO/LA/SD to escort other important convoys or warships. Expect to have to use your minor warships like AMs and SCs to escort convoys because there will not be enough DDs to go around. Priority for DDs is Carriers/troop convoys/Cruisers/AOs/BBs, in that order.


Still in SF, a large convoy of 9 * Transports, 5*DD and 1*TK is created and set to load supplies. This convoy will be joined by 2*TK and 1*CL from San Diego , and then set to PH.

The 2*BB in Seattle are set to Pierside repairs. Note that the US BB there (Idaho?) has a Jan 1942 upgrade which will coincide with the end of current repairs. Your choice whether to say YES or NO to the upgrade. I would do it because the radar and AA is worth the wait.

Finally, all SS are gathered in 2 TFs and set to PH, with auto Disband there and no refuel. Subs do not use much fuel and should NOT be left in port to be sunk in the first air raid after Dec. 7th. Even if their torps are unreliable, the crews need to gain experience and they
are good for spotting enemy TFs to warn you or a raid or invasion. Send some of the short-range S-boats to Midway, Australia and Dutch Harbour. Send an AS support vessel to each location where you base subs that is not a level 7 port. Make sure you set them to "Do Not Unload" their stock of supplies as
they cannot support subs if they have no supplies aboard. The longer range fleet boats can operate from PH for now, or you can send a few to other locations that have support. Consider Columbo too - the British have very few subs. Dutch subs and their AS support should move to Oz when Soerabaja is no longer safe.



Air Force :

The very first action I do is to send Major Lynch to TRACOM. With his 81 EXP, I think he¡¦ll be more ussefull here than sitting in asquadron in the Eastern Coast.

All Permanently restricted squadron receive new pilotes from Reinforcment pool. Squadron where you only have 1 or 2 planes are not filled at full scale; no need to have 18 pilotes just on 2 planes. Pilotes with more than 50 exp are sent to Reserve pools and replaced with rookies.
They are also all used as training planes with the following parameters:
- P38 / P39/ P40/P43: Training 100% Escort, 1000 ft , 0 hexes
- B17/B18A/B25B/ : Training 100% Naval Search , 6000ft, 0Hexes
- O47/O49 : Training 100% Recon , 6000ft, 0Hexes

I perform the same actions with the Restricted and Unrestricted planes, but reduce to only 50 % training to prevent a too important attrition on these planes which will soon join the front line.

All Non restricted planes from EC are set to SF. No training for them until they arrive to destination.

Search planes in most major coast ports set to 50% ASW at 6000 feet. ASW by aircraft is very ineffective at first because none of the squadrons has much ASW training and because ASW only works after the sub has been spotted by some means (radio intel, attack made by the sub, or
naval search}. Use the aircraft for Naval Search until you can get some pilots cross-trained in ASW. You could set 20% of a squadron to ASW training while the rest search. Naval Search aircraft will sometimes attack a sub, but usually it dives first. This is good because it limits the sub's
own search for ships and it provides warning to TFs that there is a sub in the area. The TFs are then less likely to be surprised by the sub.


Finally, planes from the Saratoga are rebased to Los Angeles and start their training: (60 % Escort, 1000ft) for FT, (60 % Naval Attack, 6000ft) for NB and TB.
At 6000 feet, Dive Bombers and Torpedo Bombers will make a level-bombing attack which does not offer the best chance of a hit. DBs need to be between 10,000 feet and 15,000 feet to make a steep dive-bombing attack which offers best chance of a hit.
Torpedo bombers must be set to low level and using torpedoes to train in NavT attacks. NavB can be achieved by setting them to use bombs at 5000 feet or higher. I prefer to set them below 5000 feet to develop LowNav bombing skill.
You can read up on a lot of this stuff in the "War Room" section with the FAQ for Newbies;
tm.asp?m=2260137


Ground :

All units are set to rest, apart the ENG kept to Combat status, and the 2 Units for PH + 1 Unit to Pago Pago changed to Strategic.
Most coast bases are set to Expand Port and Air Field.


That¡¦s all for Continental US ƒº Many other things to do in the rest of the world:
No matter how bad a situation is, you can always make it worse. - Chris Hadfield : An Astronaut's Guide To Life On Earth
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RE: Balade of the Newbie: The grand Campaign (Allies vs IJ AI)

Post by BBfanboy »

ORIGINAL: BlitzX
I would try to limit the use of (x)APs to moving troops and equipment around. If you are just going to move supply, use xAKs as you have got more of them and they carry more supply then the xAPs anyway..

Advice taken :) I switched the two xAps i had for two xAks in my TF.


[center]December 7th, 1941
H-5 Before Pearl Harbor Assault
[/center]

Pearl Harbor

I resist here the "all powerfull vision" i have on the events and do not moove my planes or ships to the nearby islands. The only thing i do it to have all my planes standing down to rest.

ASW patrols are set in Johnson Ilsand, PH and Midway.

The Enterprise and Lexington groups are ordered to sail back to Johnson Island where they will stay until they can safely sail to PH. Their pilotes are also immediatly set to training : (60 % Escort, 1000ft) for FT, (60 % Naval Attack, 6000ft) for NB and TB.

Sub patrols already at sea are redirected around PH, Johnson Island, Midway, Wake and Kure.


Finally , Johnson Island, PH and Midway are set to expand Port/Airfield/Forts. Wake is lost in near future so no need to waist ressources here.
The F4F fighters at Wake are precious in the early months. If Lex is still close enough to Wake, have the fighters fly to her. If necessary, transfer the near useless Devastator torpedo planes from Lex to Wake to make room aboard for the fighters.

No matter how bad a situation is, you can always make it worse. - Chris Hadfield : An Astronaut's Guide To Life On Earth
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BlitzimX
Posts: 194
Joined: Tue Jan 22, 2013 10:05 am

RE: Balade of the Newbie: The grand Campaign (Allies vs IJ AI)

Post by BlitzimX »

Note that the US BB there (Idaho?) has a Jan 1942 upgrade which will coincide with the end of current repairs. Your choice whether to say YES or NO to the upgrade. I would do it because the radar and AA is worth the wait.

The two BBs here are the Warsprite and the Colorado. Their Upgrade are not due before June and October so i have time. Their repair time is about 40 days.

Subs do not use much fuel and should NOT be left in port to be sunk in the first air raid after Dec. 7th. Even if their torps are unreliable, the crews need to gain experience and they
are good for spotting enemy TFs to warn you or a raid or invasion. Send some of the short-range S-boats to Midway, Australia and Dutch Harbour. Send an AS support vessel to each location where you base subs that is not a level 7 port. Make sure you set them to "Do Not Unload" their stock of supplies as they cannot support subs if they have no supplies aboard. The longer range fleet boats can operate from PH for now, or you can send a few to other locations that have support. Consider Columbo too - the British have very few subs. Dutch subs and their AS support should move to Oz when Soerabaja is no longer safe.

I will wait for the SS from SF to arrive at PH and then redispatch them accordingly, based on what you told me.

At 6000 feet, Dive Bombers and Torpedo Bombers will make a level-bombing attack which does not offer the best chance of a hit. DBs need to be between 10,000 feet and 15,000 feet to make a steep dive-bombing attack which offers best chance of a hit. Torpedo bombers must be set to low level and using torpedoes to train in NavT attacks. NavB can be achieved by setting them to use bombs at 5000 feet or higher. I prefer to set them below 5000 feet to develop LowNav bombing skill. You can read up on a lot of this stuff in the "War Room" section with the FAQ for Newbies; tm.asp?m=2260137

Thanks for that, its true i forgot to check the different altitudes for Bombings. I set the Dive Bombers to 11000ft and the TB to 2000 ft.

ASW by aircraft is very ineffective at first because none of the squadrons has much ......

True. I changed my search planes to 70% Naval Search and 20% ASW.

The F4F fighters at Wake are precious in the early months. If Lex is still close enough to Wake, have the fighters fly to her. If necessary, transfer the near useless Devastator torpedo planes from Lex to Wake to make room aboard for the fighters.

Is it becquse they are among the only carrier capable figthers at the begining? Also i changed course of the LExington to get closer from Wake to get them, after desembarking the Vindicators to Johnson Island.
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