Scenario for Testing: Focus Pacific

[btd64]

Para,
Sent you an email. One thing I didn't include is, I downloaded from your dropbox after the above post. Still had the art issue. Hopefully the file I have will be helpful. Thank you Gary for the art....GP

[HansBolter]

ORIGINAL: Commander Cody

It seems like nobody could beat a human IJ player with that roster. Any chance of writing AI scripts for the Japanese side?

Cheers,
CC

Agreed. If Japan can expand unchecked through 43 then the game end date needs to be expanded to 1948.

[btd64]

I am planning on adding a couple of allied CV groups and increase carrier plane production. That should help a little....GP

[paradigmblue]

ORIGINAL: General Patton

I am planning on adding a couple of allied CV groups and increase carrier plane production. That should help a little....GP

The allies already get quite a boost in the carrier power in this scenario, so before adding more, I'd play around with the current amounts.

Here is what is in the scenario already to help the allied player stem the IJ tide:

*No British Carrier Withdrawals. This is a huge change, which allows the Allied player to form a substantial IO British carrier fleet.

*The addition of the Between the Storms AV upgrades of two AVs to CVEs, giving the allied player two additional CVEs before the Long Island hits the map.

*The inclusion of the CAVs from Between the Storms, which gives the allied player 4 additional CAVs which convert to CVLs

*The Vengeful and the Vindictive, two additional British CAVs based on the New Zealand Vindictive class that can convert to CVLs

*CVL Ares, a sister ship for the Hermes, as well as a mid-game upgrade for the Hermes class that improves its AA and hangar capacity

*The French CVs Joffre and Painleve, plus the CVL Bearn.

*CVL King's Mountain from BtS, which arrives with the Yorktown.

All of these additional carriers come with their own carrier air groups.

As far as plane production, allied plane production is already boosted significantly in this scenario. Moreover, players can use the Allied Aircraft Purchase system to buy more airframes with PP. In this scenario, the number of additional airframes that can be bought this way is greatly increased over the BtS amounts. If all that wasn't enough, the allies receive more marine groups as well that can be swapped on to carriers if need be.

Not counting the new carrier groups, over 50 new allied squadrons have been added to the allied side, and allied aircraft production is almost doubled. I should mention that my original name for this mod, before I got ambitious with adding the extended map, AAP, BtS content and French forces was "Ironman with Allied Airpower".

I'm open to adjusting the allied carrier power and air power, but I'd take a good look at the difference in carriers and planes compared to stock before worrying about adding additional air groups.

[traskott]

Suggestion:

Use the Ryan Art Mod to add new allied airplanes: Whirlwind, Manchester, Stirling... The full power of the RAF!!!

[paradigmblue]

Hi Traskott, adding just a few additional planes might be fun.

What I might do is use the AAP system to make some of these airframes available, at a significant PP cost.

Updated the scen files in dropbox:

Chacal class destroyers now start with a depth charge rack, and upgrade to two depth charge throwers.
Chacal class destoyers now have an art change with their upgrade.
Changed upgrade path and sizing for many starting allied air groups.

Updated the art files in dropbox:
Changed the Chacal destroyer upgrade art, replaced the sailing ship that was unnecessarily in the art folder.

[EHansen]

A note or two and a couple of recommendations:

Notes:
1. New Zealand F2A-3 Buffalo has production end date of 5/41. Should be 5/42?
2. Australian F2A-3 Buffalo has production end date of 5/41. Maybe 5/42?
3. Was the USN TBD-1P supposed to have a camera?

Recommendations:
1. On the 1/45 Essex Long Hull upgrade increase aircraft capacity from 90 to 100.
2. Increase the Allied Recon aircraft production. Very low production numbers tend
to be a bit wonky and the ops losses tend to be higher than in RL.

[EHansen]

I have no idea if this scenario will be balanced, but it will be a dog fight for sure. Japan is quite powerful in the beginning, but the Allies will get increased firepower soon.

[paradigmblue]

ORIGINAL: EHansen

A note or two and a couple of recommendations:

Notes:
1. New Zealand F2A-3 Buffalo has production end date of 5/41. Should be 5/42?
2. Australian F2A-3 Buffalo has production end date of 5/41. Maybe 5/42?
3. Was the USN TBD-1P supposed to have a camera?

Recommendations:
1. On the 1/45 Essex Long Hull upgrade increase aircraft capacity from 90 to 100.
2. Increase the Allied Recon aircraft production. Very low production numbers tend
to be a bit wonky and the ops losses tend to be higher than in RL.

Good catch, I should have the changes posted tomorrow.

[wdolson]

ORIGINAL: EHansen

A note or two and a couple of recommendations:

Notes:
1. New Zealand F2A-3 Buffalo has production end date of 5/41. Should be 5/42?
2. Australian F2A-3 Buffalo has production end date of 5/41. Maybe 5/42?
3. Was the USN TBD-1P supposed to have a camera?

Recommendations:
1. On the 1/45 Essex Long Hull upgrade increase aircraft capacity from 90 to 100.
2. Increase the Allied Recon aircraft production. Very low production numbers tend
to be a bit wonky and the ops losses tend to be higher than in RL.

I don't know if "long hull" means something different in this scenario, but the long hull Essex class did not have extra capacity. They had extended stern and bow tubs that provided for extra AA at the end of the carrier deck. The total length increase was about 10 feet. The short hull ships were never extended and the USN did not recognize the long hull ships as a different class.

If it's a mod thing, knock yourself out, but you might want to use a different term.

Bill

[paradigmblue]

ORIGINAL: wdolson

ORIGINAL: EHansen

A note or two and a couple of recommendations:

Notes:
1. New Zealand F2A-3 Buffalo has production end date of 5/41. Should be 5/42?
2. Australian F2A-3 Buffalo has production end date of 5/41. Maybe 5/42?
3. Was the USN TBD-1P supposed to have a camera?

Recommendations:
1. On the 1/45 Essex Long Hull upgrade increase aircraft capacity from 90 to 100.
2. Increase the Allied Recon aircraft production. Very low production numbers tend
to be a bit wonky and the ops losses tend to be higher than in RL.

I don't know if "long hull" means something different in this scenario, but the long hull Essex class did not have extra capacity. They had extended stern and bow tubs that provided for extra AA at the end of the carrier deck. The total length increase was about 10 feet. The short hull ships were never extended and the USN did not recognize the long hull ships as a different class.

If it's a mod thing, knock yourself out, but you might want to use a different term.

Bill

Yeah, I'm not increasing the capacity on the long hulls with the upgrade - it seems like it would be a pretty arbitrary increase (not that other elements in this mod are exactly grounded in history!).

[DOCUP]

Para: nice looking mod. Do you know how much of the Joffre was actually completed when the France fell? I bet the Dutch would of loved to have had a CAV and atleast one of there BCs completed and ready for action by the start of the war.

[paradigmblue]

ORIGINAL: DOCUP

Para: nice looking mod. Do you know how much of the Joffre was actually completed when the France fell? I bet the Dutch would of loved to have had a CAV and atleast one of there BCs completed and ready for action by the start of the war.

Historically, Joffre was only about 25% complete when the war started, and after that time resources were diverted elsewhere.

In this scenario's timeline, the French accelerated construction on the Painleve and Joffre so both had been launched but not commissioned at the time of Germany's invasion.

Here's my alternate and admittedly a bit silly timeline:
1934

Japan gives formal notice that it will terminate its participation in the Washington Naval Treaty, and immediately thereafter embarks on ambitious ship-building program with the intention of matching combined naval power of Great Britain and the United States.

1937

With Japan's invasion of China, France sees the threat of not only Germany invading France, but also the threat of Japan invading French Indochina and eventually threatening French Caledonia and even French Polynesia. With that in mind, French warships and base forces are dispatched to French Indochina, New Caledonia and to French Polynesia.

Due to the difficulty supplying their forces half a world away, France encourages the development of light industry in French Indochina, Pondicherri and French Polynesia, as well as expanding the ports, airfields and shipyards in their territories.

It becomes apparent to the French Air Council that domestic manufacturers could not equip the Armee de l'Air with enough airframes. In addition to contracting other countries to produce foreign designed aircraft to help fill the void, French Aircraft manufacturers are encouraged and subsidized to license their designs to foreign manufacturers, especially in the US. American companies begin manufacturing French aircraft, some of which make their way to bases in French Indochina, New Caledonia, Pondicherri and French Polynesia.

1938

France begins retrofitting their aging carrier Bearn to contemporary naval standards, and rushes production on their two Joffre class fleet carriers.

1939

America's eventual entrance to WWII seems inevitable. Aircraft factories ramp up production, which has already expanded considerably to fill French aircraft orders.

1940

In June, Japan invades Northern French Indochina. During the invasion, French intelligence obtains documents that were to be presented at the Konoe Cabinet in Japan later that year that listed French Polynesia as one of Imperial Japan's eventual targets. This information is made known to French naval command, including Admiral Marcel-Bruno Gensoul.

In July, British Captain Cedric Holland gives the French fleet under the command of Admiral Marcel-Bruno Gensoul at Mers-el-Kebir an ultimatum to surrender their ships, sail to Martinique for internment, or be fired upon (Operation Catapult). In tense negotiations, Britain agrees to let France evacuate the bulk of its fleet, naval personnel and naval aviation assets to French Polynesia as an alternative to Martinique. The agreement allowed the British to achieve their goal of removing French naval forces that might fight for Vichy France from the Atlantic, Med and Suez, and gave an opportunity for the French Navy to maintain their autonomy and still defend French colonies. This precedent from what came to to be called the Mers-el-Kebir accords is honored for the remaining French Naval forces in the Western Hemisphere.

French carriers Joffre and Painleve are launched. Unfinished, they sail to Tahiti to join the bulk of the French Navy and to avoid capture by the Germans.

Later in July, France signs the Armistice, while French carrier Bearn is docked on the East Coast picking up its order of Curtiss P-36s, SBC Helldivers and Brewster Buffalos. The precedent set by Admiral Gensoul at Mers-el-Kebir allows the Bearn to avoid internment at Martinique and instead sail to French Polynesia to join the French fleet.

French Polynesia, New Caledonia, Chad, the French Congo and Cameroon, join the Free French along with France's Indian colony, Pondicherri. The French navy, now mostly operating in the Pacific, joins the Free French forces.

The U.S. allows aircraft manufacturers to continue their French contracts, but with the airframes delivered to the Free French colonies. Free French colonies around the world receive deliveries of aircraft.

1941

Free French ships, including the Bearn, support Free French operations off the coast of Equatorial West Africa, French Somaliland and Madagascar. With British and Commonwealth support, Free French forces continue to build up infrastructure in the Pacific and Pondicherry India.

In July, Japan invades South Indochina with 140,000 troops. While French forces in French Indochina were nominally under Vichy control, the remaining French forces there choose to evacuate to Free-French held Noumea and join the Free French.

December 7th, The United States enters the war. Desperate for carrier strength in the Pacific, the United States offers to finish the construction of the carriers Joffre and Painleve.

Edit: Holy typos batman

[DOCUP]

Nice back story for the French. I'm looking your mod over right now.

[EHansen]

ORIGINAL: wdolson

ORIGINAL: EHansen

A note or two and a couple of recommendations:

Notes:
1. New Zealand F2A-3 Buffalo has production end date of 5/41. Should be 5/42?
2. Australian F2A-3 Buffalo has production end date of 5/41. Maybe 5/42?
3. Was the USN TBD-1P supposed to have a camera?

Recommendations:
1. On the 1/45 Essex Long Hull upgrade increase aircraft capacity from 90 to 100.
2. Increase the Allied Recon aircraft production. Very low production numbers tend
to be a bit wonky and the ops losses tend to be higher than in RL.

I don't know if "long hull" means something different in this scenario, but the long hull Essex class did not have extra capacity. They had extended stern and bow tubs that provided for extra AA at the end of the carrier deck. The total length increase was about 10 feet. The short hull ships were never extended and the USN did not recognize the long hull ships as a different class.

If it's a mod thing, knock yourself out, but you might want to use a different term.

Bill

I did not pick then because of the name. There are 9 "short hull" Essex CVs and their last update is 6/44. I felt that was too early for a capacity upgrade. There are 10 "long hull" Essex CVs with a last update of 1/45. I thought they were the right ones to use. It would allow the USN to base 3 x 36 air units on a CV. In this scenario the Japanese will have a lot of very good LBA that the USN will have to contend with.

The terms "short hull" and "long hull" come directly from the stock scenario data base. Am I to invent some other term to refer to them?

[Lowpe]

You gotta give the French a division of North African colonials or a brigade or three at least! I want to see a B1Bis or Souma tanks!

Very intrigued by your scenario![&o]

[paradigmblue]

ORIGINAL: EHansen

ORIGINAL: wdolson

ORIGINAL: EHansen

A note or two and a couple of recommendations:

Notes:
1. New Zealand F2A-3 Buffalo has production end date of 5/41. Should be 5/42?
2. Australian F2A-3 Buffalo has production end date of 5/41. Maybe 5/42?
3. Was the USN TBD-1P supposed to have a camera?

Recommendations:
1. On the 1/45 Essex Long Hull upgrade increase aircraft capacity from 90 to 100.
2. Increase the Allied Recon aircraft production. Very low production numbers tend
to be a bit wonky and the ops losses tend to be higher than in RL.

I don't know if "long hull" means something different in this scenario, but the long hull Essex class did not have extra capacity. They had extended stern and bow tubs that provided for extra AA at the end of the carrier deck. The total length increase was about 10 feet. The short hull ships were never extended and the USN did not recognize the long hull ships as a different class.

If it's a mod thing, knock yourself out, but you might want to use a different term.

Bill

I did not pick then because of the name. There are 9 "short hull" Essex CVs and their last update is 6/44. I felt that was too early for a capacity upgrade. There are 10 "long hull" Essex CVs with a last update of 1/45. I thought they were the right ones to use. It would allow the USN to base 3 x 36 air units on a CV. In this scenario the Japanese will have a lot of very good LBA that the USN will have to contend with.

The terms "short hull" and "long hull" come directly from the stock scenario data base. Am I to invent some other term to refer to them?

I think that wdolson wasn't taking issue with you using the name "long hull", but rather pointing out that the long hull Essexs did not have any more space for aircraft than a short hull Essexs did.

[paradigmblue]

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

You gotta give the French a division of North African colonials or a brigade or three at least! I want to see a B1Bis or Souma tanks!

Very intrigued by your scenario![&o]

Hi Lowpe, I have several units of French Colonial Infantry in the scenario. I actually have "French Tank Brigade" written in my "To Do" list, but I'm going to have to do some research on what kind of unit composition that would be, and what those device stats would look like.

[wdolson]

ORIGINAL: wdolson

I don't know if "long hull" means something different in this scenario, but the long hull Essex class did not have extra capacity. They had extended stern and bow tubs that provided for extra AA at the end of the carrier deck. The total length increase was about 10 feet. The short hull ships were never extended and the USN did not recognize the long hull ships as a different class.

If it's a mod thing, knock yourself out, but you might want to use a different term.

Bill

ORIGINAL: EHansen
I did not pick then because of the name. There are 9 "short hull" Essex CVs and their last update is 6/44. I felt that was too early for a capacity upgrade. There are 10 "long hull" Essex CVs with a last update of 1/45. I thought they were the right ones to use. It would allow the USN to base 3 x 36 air units on a CV. In this scenario the Japanese will have a lot of very good LBA that the USN will have to contend with.

The terms "short hull" and "long hull" come directly from the stock scenario data base. Am I to invent some other term to refer to them?

ORIGINAL: paradigmblue
I think that wdolson wasn't taking issue with you using the name "long hull", but rather pointing out that the long hull Essexs did not have any more space for aircraft than a short hull Essexs did.

Yes. Since the discussion was about a mod I haven't investigated, I didn't know whether the discussion was about some other kind of Essex.

I just double checked and the Essex classes have consistent air group sizes throughout the war in stock. Increasing the size by another 10 would not be very realistic within the historical design.

Bill

[paradigmblue]

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

You gotta give the French a division of North African colonials or a brigade or three at least! I want to see a B1Bis or Souma tanks!

Very intrigued by your scenario![&o]

So, from what I can tell, to include a quasi accurate French Armored Brigade based on DeGaulle's Vers L'armee de Meier, I would need to include 2 heavy tank battalions, 2 light tank battalions, 1 mechanized infantry battalion and 1 artillery regiment. This would look something like this:

50th Bataillon de Chars de Combat
*34 B1bis Heavy Tanks

51st Bataillon de Chars de Combat
*34 B1bis Heavy Tanks

52nd Bataillon de Chars de Combat
*45 H-39 Light Tanks

53rd Bataillon de Chars de Combat
*45 H-39 Light Tanks

18th Mechanized Chasseurs Battalion
*43 FFR Infantry Squads
*8 FFR MMG Sections
*3 60mm Mortars
*2 81mm Mortars
*9 25mm Hotchkiss Anti-Tank Guns
*9 APCS (using the M3 halftrack stats for this I think)
*40 Motorized Support

401st FFR Artillery Regiment
*24 105mm Howitzers
*8 47mm AT Guns
*6 25mm AA Guns

I'm wary about spitballing device stats - does anyone have a good idea what the Char Leger Modele 1935 H Modifie 39 (H-39) and the B1bis would look like stat wise in the device editor?

I'm thinking that in this alternate history this tank brigade was in service in Tunisia under Vichy France control, but switched sides to the allies when Admiral Darlan began cooperating with allied forces there. I'll probably have it arrive summer of 1943, after German forces in North Africa surrendered in May of 43.