Turnaround? Lowpe (J) vs Tiemanj (A) Stock

[PaxMondo]

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

Helen KAI?

Sorry, my mistake. I was looking at Scen6 (I never played it) and got the KAI mixed up.

[Lowpe]

ORIGINAL: PaxMondo

ORIGINAL: Lowpe
[Ooops here. I do have 270 factories dedicated to the Frank, but unfortunately it is far short of 9 factories....they are more like 2 size 30 factories and a few mutant ones. Can you say huge...does huge describe a 130 r&d factory?

Ouch. As I understand it, once an RnD factory is 30, it maxes out its contribution of 1%/day. So, 130 is way overkill. Now, when it switches to production you will get the full 130 benefit. Until then though ... you may wish to put another factory or two for RnD. And of course get your Ha45 pools up to 500 ASAP to get the engine bonus.

You are quite correct about the max contribution for r and d, and I inherited more than one supersize factory.[X(]

[Lowpe]

More elements of the 2nd Tank Division are on their way to Burma, all but one splinter is in the correct HQ now.

Attacking an isolated 3 Chinese corp on my push west to the mountains in China. Awaiting more AV to enter the capitol, and I will continue to pound a Chinese corp out in the open near Ichang.

Another infantry division will arrive at Singers, and a naval guard unit, both bound for the Burma theater to build defense in depths. The infantry division is one of the four original Java misfits, destroyed down to a few squads and as such it has poor experience even after its successes in Australia.

Putting a fair amount of my fighters forward, and I am actually sweeping with Nicks. Here it is almost mid 43, and I am sweeping with Nicks. Oh my...hopefully it is an opportunistic sweep vs his 2nd line fighters.

[Lowpe]

Economic notes

I am very close to 4.5 million supply, more than half of that in the HI. I am going to start reducing the number of planes on ASW and Naval search for submarines in an attempt to save more. I will actually break down and assign search arcs to maintain coverage.

I am pleased with the continuing supply growth given the expansion of vehicle factories, engine factories, and having to ship supplies to Burma.

Heavy industry is down to 3400 gain a day, with all the armament factories turned on and the new growth in Vehicle production. Not building a lot of planes helps here, too. But I am building way too many ships, just can't bring myself to turn most of them off.

I still cannot get enough oil/fuel into Fusan to grow stocks on the HI, but it continues to improve. I believe oil/fuel is starting to move out of Indochina into China now which is a big improvement. I am short tankers for all my needs despite using all of them, and all the std c and above I have converted to tanker usage. I am actually using xak to transport fuel from Fusan to HI, but I really need more oil transport capacity.

[PaxMondo]

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

Economic notes

I am very close to 4.5 million supply, more than half of that in the HI. I am going to start reducing the number of planes on ASW and Naval search for submarines in an attempt to save more. I will actually break down and assign search arcs to maintain coverage.

I am pleased with the continuing supply growth given the expansion of vehicle factories, engine factories, and having to ship supplies to Burma.

Heavy industry is down to 3400 gain a day, with all the armament factories turned on and the new growth in Vehicle production. Not building a lot of planes helps here, too. But I am building way too many ships, just can't bring myself to turn most of them off.

I still cannot get enough oil/fuel into Fusan to grow stocks on the HI, but it continues to improve. I believe oil/fuel is starting to move out of Indochina into China now which is a big improvement. I am short tankers for all my needs despite using all of them, and all the std c and above I have converted to tanker usage. I am actually using xak to transport fuel from Fusan to HI, but I really need more oil transport capacity.

Nice pool of supply.

Ouch on using all those small TK's and xAK's ... they are really inefficient.

If the oil/fuel in Fusan in improving, just keep working it. The resource AI is VERY slow to change, but once you get it started it will just keep moving. Keep pushing in at the other end and draw at Fusan. Having a lot of convoys based from Fusan helps the draw for fuel ... the AI knows it needs fuel for those TF's ...

If Fusan fails, you did inherit this game, then PA should work and PA is still far better than Singers. [;)] 50 - 60 hexes each way better actually.

[Lowpe]

ORIGINAL: PaxMondo

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

Economic notes

I am very close to 4.5 million supply, more than half of that in the HI. I am going to start reducing the number of planes on ASW and Naval search for submarines in an attempt to save more. I will actually break down and assign search arcs to maintain coverage.

I am pleased with the continuing supply growth given the expansion of vehicle factories, engine factories, and having to ship supplies to Burma.

Heavy industry is down to 3400 gain a day, with all the armament factories turned on and the new growth in Vehicle production. Not building a lot of planes helps here, too. But I am building way too many ships, just can't bring myself to turn most of them off.

I still cannot get enough oil/fuel into Fusan to grow stocks on the HI, but it continues to improve. I believe oil/fuel is starting to move out of Indochina into China now which is a big improvement. I am short tankers for all my needs despite using all of them, and all the std c and above I have converted to tanker usage. I am actually using xak to transport fuel from Fusan to HI, but I really need more oil transport capacity.

Nice pool of supply.

Ouch on using all those small TK's and xAK's ... they are really inefficient.

If the oil/fuel in Fusan in improving, just keep working it. The resource AI is VERY slow to change, but once you get it started it will just keep moving. Keep pushing in at the other end and draw at Fusan. Having a lot of convoys based from Fusan helps the draw for fuel ... the AI knows it needs fuel for those TF's ... Exactly what I have done to draw fuel here.

If Fusan fails, you did inherit this game, then PA should work and PA is still far better than Singers. [;)] 50 - 60 hexes each way better actually.

I am testing Shanghai and pretty sure it can pull stuff from Indochina.

The small tankers for the small oil in the lower DEI, and a few other shorter runs. Otherwise the facilities will max out and stop producing.

[Lowpe]

I had not realized this:

A fully repaired producing factory, in this case Nick KAIa, can jump past the also available KAIb model, to research and develop the KAIc model which comes on line next month and not suffer any damage.

Not sure how many times that will come up during a game, but it has saved me 30K supply...

I am going to produce the Nick KAIc version. I will trade those two nice accurate fast firing 12.7 mg for 1 big, slow, inaccurate gun.

Why? The war is changing and I am about to relegate my Nicks to rear area bomber defense and low naval strike. When I do hit a bomber, I want to hurt it. Plus, I like big guns, what more can I say?

[Spidery]

On the Nicks, I wondered about doing the same thing so will be interested in seeing how it works out.

My reasons not to,

(1) With the Nicks on rear area duty I'm hoping not to take many losses before half of them get upgraded to night fighters. So I don't expect to need to build many more.
(2) They are mostly going to be fighting bombers at extended range. Any holes in the bombers may lead to ops losses on the way back.

[Lowpe]

April 9, 1942


Quiet day. No night air attacks. Moonlight 27.

No Allied air attacks for the day. Look at Prome, worried about a deep paratroop drop, or even a close one. I can do nothing to Prome, it is packed to the gills with AA.

[JocMeister]

Have you abandoned the attempt to cut his supply? Or are you waiting for the monsoon to kick in?

[Lowpe]

ORIGINAL: JocMeister

Have you abandoned the attempt to cut his supply? Or are you waiting for the monsoon to kick in?

For now. Probably for good. I don't want to get my troops two jungle hexes in, or one jungle hex and one jungle ride hex.

I have scrounged up another infantry division to reinforce Burma with, so that will be two more total on their way, plus lots more support troops, and odds and ends.

I am desperately hoping that the Monsoon will buy me time to establish a better/stronger defense in depth. Further Back. Defending up front is simply asking for it, death and destruction like you visited on Obvert.

I am going to start removing the smaller assault value units from Prome to get some more depth. Also thinking about a general retreat from Prome...but I didn't want to start one immediately after his bombers hit there. Also worried if I retreat from Prome he will push north trying to surround the troops on the Ridgeline....

Burma simply frightens me....Allies can advance without exposing ships and it is a terrible deathtrap.

[JocMeister]

How good is your recon on the allied troops sitting on the road? Are you sure its proper combat troops and not just some small BDEs or even BFs?

Considering what he has at Prome...he can´t have that much unrestricted troops left on the continent.

[PaxMondo]

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

Burma simply frightens me....Allies can advance without exposing ships and it is a terrible deathtrap.

+1

Have I mentioned I HATE Burma?

[:D][:D][:D]

[Lowpe]

ORIGINAL: JocMeister

How good is your recon on the allied troops sitting on the road? Are you sure its proper combat troops and not just some small BDEs or even BFs?

Considering what he has at Prome...he can´t have that much unrestricted troops left on the continent.

Allies have three units there, in both hexes, plus 10 in the threatened hex that the Magwe push is in. Using the road, by the time I actually dislodged his troops he could have more there.

He is going to pull of another parachute landing, -- why else have all those transports up in Prome? A naval guards unit, excellent counter paratroop unit, is at Singers boarding a train. The 21nd ID docks at Singer this next day, and they will head up to Burma, and I am pulling back my reserves from Mandalay. Troop transports stand ready to counter as well as the air force.

Very nervous here. Monsoon can't come fast enough, but somehow I think it is not going to slow him much.

[Lowpe]

I have put a splinter of a sentai of Oscar IIa's on naval strike, 100 feet, to try and destroy a few small ships the Allies are probing with along with a group of Rufe's flying from a 0 airfield island. I am curious to see if the Rufe can sink PT boats and other assorted small craft villainy the Allies have without going down in flames.

Other than that more boring stuff, moving troops, expanded an engine factory by 1, changed a leader, sent some pilots to reserve, moving a HQ, etc,., etc.

Strategically, I am trying to sweep into the Mountains in China, stalemate in Burma, build defenses in Ocean, rest my ships.

KB is dark at Kavieng, mini KB at Guam, 3 large & strong surface fleets are in the Bay of Bengal undetected for now. A fourth is on its way up from Singers.

[Miller]

Stick with the Nick-a, a gun with an accuracy of 3 hits nothing. 12.7mm guns might not destroy a 4E but can damage it enough to make it an op loss on the way home.

[Lowpe]

ORIGINAL: Miller

Stick with the Nick-a, a gun with an accuracy of 3 hits nothing. 12.7mm guns might not destroy a 4E but can damage it enough to make it an op loss on the way home.

You are no doubt correct, but I won't for the following five reasons:

1. They are cl guns and thus twice as accurate
2. I like the Nick c art better
3. The Empires aircraft r&d is being run by a big gun fanatic
4. Everyone sticks with model a
5. It is quite frankly too late

I am probably slow coming to it, but my air force is really turning into an air force in being philosophy. Fly in, fly out. Hit and run and hide. Realistically, I am so far behind the Allies I can do nothing else.

If I could I would build those sr 4 FB from 1946 with howitzers on them....I just can't actually bite the bullet and start a r&d factory for them. But I wanted to.

[Lowpe]

April 10, 1943

No night attacks.

Allies sweep Magwe and nobody is home; they bomb Raheng and Prome where there are IJA and IJN fighters and the day is a success in the air for the Empire. I think this is how I need to use the air force...now I will retreat and let him pursue either night attacks or focused sweeps and heavy bombing. It will probably close an airbase or two, but I have plenty to fly into for future defense against his bombers.

Particularly glad to kill a few of those long legged Wellingtons...they really scare me.

No paratroop drop.

[Lowpe]

Deep underground, at a secret complex, Dr. X looked thru his coke bottle glasses at the formulae written in scientific lettering, with many rub outs and corrections.

"No, normal math does not provide the solution here...we must use something else. The forces exerted will be extraordinary."

"Whatever can you mean, Doctor" replied a toady assistant. Also in a white lab smock complete with pocket pen protector. A slide rule was in his hand.

"We must turn to a geometry I learned while studying in New England as a youth. The underpinnings are not American, but rather Arabic in foundation, and it stretches the intellect to understand." Dr. X continued to expostulate, and then rubbing out a complete line he drew several squiggles on the chalk board.

"What is it Dr.? I am unfamiliar with that notation" a second toady assistant inquired.

Dr. X turned and leveled a harsh stare at the assistant, magnified thru the glasses, he was terrible to behold. "The answer lies in non-Euclidean geometry!"

[Lokasenna]

ORIGINAL: PaxMondo

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

Burma simply frightens me....Allies can advance without exposing ships and it is a terrible deathtrap.

+1

Have I mentioned I HATE Burma?

[:D][:D][:D]

I look at Burma as a single line of defense. Once the first bit goes, it all goes. It all pivots about the coastline from Akyab to Prome (I know, technically that's not on the coast). If you can continue to threaten Ramree, he can't credibly supply an operation of sufficient size to break through your lines. If you can't threaten Ramree and he can get supply in, then you're better off just not defending Burma at all. Which means bad things for the SRA...sooner, or later.