Mixing navy with army a/c will reduce badly chance for coordination strike either.
I believe You are partially wrong. It is no navy-army type problem. I think for game engine it is irrelevant. Most likely it is becoouse navy and army planes have much small difference in cruise speed.
I we remove B6N2 from group 1 we are able to reduce cruise difference to 15mph
Group 2 - speed delta 10mph
Ki-44 - 249
A7M2 - 259
B7A2 - 250
Ki-67 - 249
If we decide that magic number for cruise speed is 230mph, we already see that Ki-43 and Ki-84 are not best escort planes at lest not for group 1, maybe for group 2
I should be more detailed. I had in my mind cruise speed difference between army and navy lines.
Mixing navy with army a/c will reduce badly chance for coordination strike either.
I believe You are partially wrong. It is no navy-army type problem. I think for game engine it is irrelevant. Most likely it is becoouse navy and army planes have much small difference in cruise speed.
I we remove B6N2 from group 1 we are able to reduce cruise difference to 15mph
Group 2 - speed delta 10mph
Ki-44 - 249
A7M2 - 259
B7A2 - 250
Ki-67 - 249
If we decide that magic number for cruise speed is 230mph, we already see that Ki-43 and Ki-84 are not best escort planes at lest not for group 1, maybe for group 2
I should be more detailed. I had in my mind cruise speed difference between army and navy lines.
I see we have two sides that one is about cruise speed theory and second side is against.
JocMeister maybe You did not see in your tests any impact of cruise speed on coordination, but personally i am wiling to believe that this is one of that small things that have impact. Maybe not major one, we have weather, AF size, AV numbers, XP of pilots, distance, luck but somewhere between them there is place for cruise speed.
I also not negating Your experience but after last turns failure with coordination i willing to try everything.
Burma.
Two quiet turns. Allies retreating toward Calcutta. On ground they reducing Japanise garrison. I think tomorrow PB will fall.
KB
2 more CAs, CL and 5 DD join KB. I am waiting only for MKB to join fleet.
Damaged CA
I have heavily damaged CA in one of small bases in Malaya cost. If i will not be able to get it to Singer in 4-8 weeks i will scuttle it. Probable time to repair can be 6 months.
Ship already is out of service since May.
CV Hiyo
In dry dock in Japan. 50 days of repairs. In total (together will travel) i will close repair time in 80 days. After 2xTT hit i will say really fast.
Burma
Port Blair hold another attack. Japanese AV reduced to 10AV.
Docup attack in jungle hex with ID against Japan Inf Brigade.
Ambon area
Japanese fighters back to Ambon. After month i finally manage to repair runway and 75% of infrastructure. From tomorrow 140 fighters supported by 150 from base 40nm north will be waiting for allies.
Ki-43 Oscar first time fly as kamikaze. 8 fighters attack small cargo convoy leveeing 2 cargo ships burning.
Pacific
I trying to resupply Eniwetok. After weeks of bombardments they are out of supplies.
I believe Eniwetok can be next allied landing. It is good place to test atoll landing.
Only 200AV garrison, constantly bombarded from air. I think i will move KB closer.
Burma
Coordination is PITA. Even if i get good escort number they fly with 20 or less bombers.
I lost this turn 200 planes but i probably sunk another CVE and another is damaged.
Time to rest for day or two. Almost 500 planes lost in 4 days.
ORIGINAL: koniu
I try to not overstock AF. I have enough or almost enough AV support. Al AF have Air HQ or are in HQ range.
But i believe it is how it should be since beta changes. I also attacking on almost maximal escort range 10-12 hex. Also I believe weather is big factor. I am struggling with storms all over area. In last 5 days planes fly only 3 time and newer all of them. Big number return to base because they where unable to find targets or because of weather. Two times non of bombers fly during both AM and PM phase
For cost of 500 planes, 200 pilots KIA and 200 WIA i sunk 2xCVE, 3xLCT, 3xAM and i damage 1xCVE. High price.
This is my experience with LBA late. When you do get them there it's great, but the KB is really your best tool for damaging or taking out an invasion due to the better coordination.
Your speed lists are potentially interesting, but the facts as I have seen them show that coordination is good with KB launched strikes using widely differing cruise speeds, while with LBA they are not. Maybe it's the HQ leaders, maybe the group leaders, weather, different bases working together, but if I take the same planes off of the CVs and throw them into one level 9 base the coordination is much worse than from the KB CVs.
I'm with Jocke here in that it just seems something we don't have enough info about to prove there is a connection between cruise speed and coordination. I've seen players argue vehemently that there is a connection, but I haven't seen tests to prove it. That's what will convince me one way or another.
What I would try is to set planes at different altitudes with their own dedicated escorts at those altitudes. maybe you're doing that, but it seemed one of the only ways to get this to work a bit. You might also have to have 3x the number of escorts as bombers to be confident they're going to have protection. When you do I've even seen some of the fighters then change to sweep missions against the CV CAP with bombers coming in after. That often works well.
"Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm." - Winston Churchill
Assaulting units:
19th Indian Division
99th Indian Brigade
118th RAF Base Force
20th USN Naval Construction Battalion
113th RN Base Force
Defending units:
Yokosuka 4th SNLF
34th Ind.Mixed Brigade
18th JNAF AF Unit
East of Chiang Mai allies try to go around my right wing. I am blocking them with single Inf Brigade. So far with luck.
ID is moving with help. But it will take at lest week
Ground combat at 61,53 (near Chiang Mai)
Allied Shock attack
Attacking force 3100 troops, 4 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 524
Defending force 3295 troops, 22 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 121
Ambon
As suspected allies try to close Ambon again. This time my boys where waiting. Over 200 Japanese fighters on CAP.
Day start with sweeps of F4U, P-47 and Spitfires VIII. After them over 130 unescorted Liberators.
It go well. Allies lost 28 fighters 14xP-47, 12xF4U, 2xSpit and 28 Liberators.
Japanese loses are 62 fighters and 19 pilots KIA and 19 WIA
Morale is high - above 80 but tomorrow fresh groups will wait for them. I am also sending CA SAG to protect Ambon from potential naval bombardment. Also Ambon have now Special Base Force with over 20 CD guns (150mm and 120mm guns)
Morning Air attack on Ambon , at 76,109
Weather in hex: Severe storms
Raid detected at 24 NM, estimated altitude 35,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 8 minutes
Japanese aircraft
N1K2-J George x 65
Ki-84r Frank x 125
18 and 19 August where quiet. Allies as usually bombing Tarawa and Eniwetok. From good news is that i manage to unload some supplies in Eniwetok and at lest flak is firing to bombers. Other areas where quiet.
Big things happen in 20 August in Burma
20 August - Burma
After PB invasion Docup don`t retreat CVE TF north but he for last 4 days keep them in Ramree Island hex. 120 CV fighters and ~120 LBA fighters give him feeling of safe.
I am suspecting his defense tactic base on Rangoon TFs. He probably think that i will not send bombers because most of them will go toward Rangoon and in Rangoon he have 800 fighters CAP[X(].
It took me almost 1h to set up everything.
Only search zone was 10 degree from Chiang Mai covering only Ramree Island, plus i add reckon planes to reckon Ramree Island as they usually also detecting TFs in hex.
300 bombers with escort of 200 fighters where based in Chiang Mai and Rahaeng.
400 fighters (Ki-84r and J2M5) where based in Moulmein.
Plan was to crash Allied CAP over Ramree Island and bombers should fly against CVE TF unopposed.
It was almost success. Sadly Only one figter sweep arrive before bombers. Bad luck. Still we score some hits. At lest i crash CVE air groups. Docup will have to retreat carriers north. Also i believe i sunk two CVE and another one was damaged.
Morning Air attack on Ramree Island , at 54,48
Weather in hex: Moderate rain
Raid detected at 102 NM, estimated altitude 35,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 30 minutes
Japanese aircraft
J2M5 Jack x 44
Allied aircraft
Corsair II x 17
Hellcat I x 7
Seafire IIC x 16
P-40N5 Warhawk x 25
P-40N26 Warhawk x 16
FM-2 Wildcat x 10
F6F-3 Hellcat x 92
Allied Ships
CVE Marcus Island, Bomb hits 1, on fire, heavy damage (ammo explosion, 500kg bomb hit)
CVE Ranee
xAP Golden Gate
CVE Wake Island
CVL Unicorn
CVE Gambier Bay
CVE Savo Island
----------------------------------------------------
Morning Air attack on TF, near Ramree Island at 54,48
Weather in hex: Moderate rain
Raid detected at 118 NM, estimated altitude 15,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 35 minutes
Japanese aircraft
N1K2-J George x 25
P1Y2 Frances x 18
Allied aircraft
Corsair II x 11
Hellcat I x 7
Seafire IIC x 14
P-40N5 Warhawk x 22
P-40N26 Warhawk x 13
FM-2 Wildcat x 4
F6F-3 Hellcat x 59
Burma
After last battle Japanese pilots are resting.
But enemy newer sleep. Allied troops push me out from hex 120 miles east of Chiang Mai. Lucky my boys retreat in good direction and now are in hex together with fresh ID. They will rest now. They fight well and buy me month of more time there
Ground combat at 61,53 (near Chiang Mai)
Allied Deliberate attack
Attacking force 21673 troops, 307 guns, 95 vehicles, Assault Value = 897
Defending force 3284 troops, 22 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 119
Burma
Docup find that one of his division size force is blocked only by 70AV force. It took him over month to find that[:D]. He attack two times but my boys holding line.
I test fighters as anti MGB weapon. It go well. Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Moulmein at 55,55
Weather in hex: Heavy cloud
Raid spotted at 18 NM, estimated altitude 11,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 4 minutes
Japanese aircraft
Ki-84r Frank x 49
Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-84r Frank: 2 damaged
Allied Ships
MGB No. 200, Shell hits 5, Bomb hits 1, and is sunk
MGB No. 202, Shell hits 5, Bomb hits 3, and is sunk
MGB No. 303, Shell hits 4, Bomb hits 1, and is sunk
MGB No. 201, Shell hits 8, Bomb hits 1, and is sunk
MGB No. 245, Shell hits 2, Bomb hits 2, and is sunk
Aircraft Attacking:
49 x Ki-84r Frank bombing from 100 feet
Naval Attack: 2 x 250 kg SAP Bomb
Kamikaze
Ships confirmed being sunk by kamikaze in first 3 weeks of using that weapon.
Burma
Empire strike back in Burma
One of allied units that moving toward Chiang Chiang Mai enter Japanise position before main body. Japan don`t hesitate and attack. 150 2E soften anamy position. As experiment a150 Ki-84 bombard with 250kg bombs.
Morning Air attack on 46th Indian Brigade, at 57,53 , near Chiang Mai
Weather in hex: Light cloud
Raid spotted at 16 NM, estimated altitude 7,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 3 minutes
Aircraft Attacking:
49 x Ki-84r Frank bombing from 6000 feet
Ground Attack: 2 x 250 kg GP Bomb
-----------------------------------------------------------
Ground combat at 57,53 (near Chiang Mai)
Japanese Shock attack
Attacking force 31613 troops, 340 guns, 510 vehicles, Assault Value = 1053
Defending force 2847 troops, 36 guns, 1 vehicles, Assault Value = 121
Defending units:
46th Indian Brigade
Salomon Sea
Allied troops land on Namatanai (east of Rabaul). I don`t saw them coming. I have 40 search planes in area and i see nothing.
Action start with enemy TF visiting Rabaul hex. They clean water in area but not bombard base. That good. Tomorrow i will send combat SAG to protect Rabaul waters. Allied troops unload in Namatanai dot base. I have no troops there and that why i see my chance to hit allies.
I believe base will auto switch to allied hands so sweep will be possible on morning. Ki-84 will try to negate allied CVE CAP and bombers should hit CVE TF hard. We will see. If not my bombers will be decimated by CAP.
Don`t know what troop land in Namatanai but it not go well. Also i belive final target is Kavieng.
I am moving KB on sea
Night Time Surface Combat, near Rabaul at 106,125, Range 8,000 Yards
Japanese Ships
xAK Tarayasu Maru, Shell hits 5, Torpedo hits 2, and is sunk
Real World
Good news. Finally i got Christmas tree.
Burma
Frank r sweep Port Blair. Sewwp meet 90 allied figters. After long battle Allies 52 fighters(30 P40 and 21 P-47) lost fighter for 33 Franks and 26 pilots
Morning Air attack on Port Blair , at 46,58
Weather in hex: Heavy cloud
Raid detected at 34 NM, estimated altitude 42,270 feet.
Estimated time to target is 8 minutes
Japanese aircraft
Ki-84r Frank x 49
Allied aircraft
Thunderbolt I x 14
P-40N5 Warhawk x 47
P-47D2 Thunderbolt x 24
Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-84r Frank: 8 destroyed
Japanese Ships
xAK Kasuga Maru #2, Bomb hits 1, on fire
Balikpapan
Huge B-29 raid. Sadly i send my planes to rest and only half Sentais was flying that day
In that single raid Docup damages 2/3 of base refineries[:(]
Morning Air attack on Balikpapan , at 64,97
Weather in hex: Light cloud
Raid spotted at 19 NM, estimated altitude 14,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 5 minutes
Rabaul
And now action of day.
Empire lost today that base. Japanese navy don`t manage to stop enemy from bombarding Rabaul. I made mistake and instead going to Rabaul, CA TF return to Truk. Maybe it was luck probably i will lost them in fight. Better to preserve them to defend second line. It is almost September 1944. Rabaul should be closed long time ago.
Aftey night bombardment there was no flight capable plane in base. Huge sweep and after that 4E close Rabaul AF.
I lost almost 400 planes on ground or i destroyed them by my self. Lucky i was able to evacuate 8 from 10 Groups. They will rest and will be rebuild in Truk
Only bombardments reports. At day docup sweep with over 200 figters and over 300 bombers bombard base.
Night Naval bombardment of Rabaul at 106,125 - Coastal Guns Fire Back!
Japanese aircraft
no flights
Japanese aircraft losses
G4M1 Betty: 21 damaged
G4M1 Betty: 4 destroyed on ground
Ki-45 KAIa Nick: 20 damaged
Ki-45 KAIa Nick: 7 destroyed on ground
Ki-84r Frank: 19 damaged
Ki-84r Frank: 6 destroyed on ground
Ki-44-IIc Tojo: 3 damaged
Ki-44-IIc Tojo: 3 destroyed on ground
P1Y2 Frances: 8 damaged
P1Y2 Frances: 3 destroyed on ground
N1K2-J George: 2 damaged
N1K2-J George: 1 destroyed on ground
B6N2 Jill: 2 damaged
B6N2 Jill: 1 destroyed on ground
Ki-49-IIb Helen: 1 damaged
Ki-49-IIb Helen: 1 destroyed on ground
33 Coastal gun shots fired in defense.
Allied Ships
BB Indiana, Shell hits 3
BB Washington
Japanese ground losses:
236 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 12 destroyed, 8 disabled
Engineers: 5 destroyed, 2 disabled
Guns lost 10 (2 destroyed, 8 disabled)
Vehicles lost 2 (1 destroyed, 1 disabled)
It is late 1944
As You can see on map. Already lost central Pacific, Burma, and we have balanced situation in China.
Yellow line represent current defensive parameter. Huge garisons, build up AFs, If Docup move there with major force KB will react.
Yellow circles represent areas where i have good ground defensive forces. But bases are mostly closed. Those bases are only buffers to slow down allies before they attack places like Marianas or move toward Philippines etc. Circled bases will fight alone without navy and army support. They have order to fight to last soldier. Only exception is Truk. That base still is important and is close enough to Marianas to spear some navy and air force to defend it.
I i manage to survive next 30-40 days without need to use KB aggressively i will be able to fill it with A7M2 ant that should make KB even more dangerous in battle.
Mostly Quiet.
I lost total control of Rabaul area.
Docup is now bombing Rabaul daily.
KB on sea. Sailing to new base. Localisation is top secret but i belive it is much better from last one. Damn, fleet is burning 9000 tons of fuel daily[:@].
In two days i should have all ships in new base.
I feel something big will happen soon. Only i don't know when and what.
R&D
Last A7M2 factory is fully repaired and i will start building SAM in 5 days.[:D]
Also good news about Ki-83 research. I have now 3x30 factories fully repaired and with 6 r&d points daily i will manage to have Ki-83 on line on 1 January 1945[:D]
Yes. Docup is little behind, but i believe we still will have great game.
He is stronger everyday. He only need to plan that right.
For sure he need to start moving toward Japan. Because his deck air force is in big part based on CVEs and to move forward he need to face KB, on his place i will chose good battle ground. Great place for him will be area when he can add big LBA forces.
In my test 1200 plane KB (A7M2, D4Y4, B7A2) was able (with high loses) engage and heavily reduce enemy CV/CVE (F6F, F4U, best bombers) fleet of 2000+planes. Japan can always get trough enough bombers to hit his carriers. CV/CVL can avoid most of attacks but CVE are to easy targets. CVEs are slow, with low maneuverability, low durability and AAA defense. For bombers they are not more difficult to hit than cargo ship.
Even if Allies will sunk most of KB in that battle in this game they cant suffer big carrier loses. If in next battle i manage to sunk enough CV/CVEs i will kill Allis ability for offensive and that can force them to peace negotiations.
Keep in mind though that CV strikes of a enough size will ALWAYS get through the CAP. This means most likely he will get through your CAP as well. Keep him out of B29 range for another 3-6 months and you will win.
That means only commit the KB if he goes for something that will bring him within B29 range of the HI. No need to gamble now. [:)]
Keep in mind though that CV strikes of a enough size will ALWAYS get through the CAP. This means most likely he will get through your CAP as well. Keep him out of B29 range for another 3-6 months and you will win.
That means only commit the KB if he goes for something that will bring him within B29 range of the HI. No need to gamble now. [:)]
I know that he will get through Jap CAP also. In my tests KB was losing between 50-80% of carriers in battle against 2000 plane CV death star. But I also was taking with me 500-900 allied CV plane capacity.
Goal of that battle is not survival of KB but sinking as many as passable of allied carriers. If i sunk enough of them or at lest damage seriously to send them to shipyard for me it will be victory
As for B-29. I hope Docup will hold his major move to bring Japan to B-29 for month or little more. In 5 days i start upgrading to A7M2 SAM. Technically Japan is already in B-29 range. He can bomb from China but i believe it will burn supply reserve there in seconds or he can bomb Sapporo from Aleutians. That why i keeping some fighters on CAP in Japan
Right now all oil fields in DEI are in range of B-29 but I protecting them heavily with fighters. Things will change in November when he start receiving P-51D.