Surviving until 1946

Post descriptions of your brilliant victories and unfortunate defeats here.

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HansBolter
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RE: 12/27/1941

Post by HansBolter »

My pleasure.

I don't have the time or facilities to play PBEM so my gaming is strictly against the AI.

I have been playing this game since it was DOS based and called Pacific War so I have a bit of experience under my belt.

A word of warning, tread cautiously on how agressive you want to be early on with the AI.

It is very easy to "break" the AI and end up with a game so lopsided in your favor that it becomes hardly worth playing on into '43.

I can tell you how to completely reconquer China, recovering most of by the end of '42.

I can tell you how to evac the entire III Indian Corps and the entire Dutch army to Timor and set up a bastion that completely stymies the AI.

However, neither of those and perhaps even holding Burma is conducive to a long term game extending into and past '43.

Once you get a handle you may want to try AnyMacs IronMan and IronMan Nasty scenarios that beef up the AI.
Hans

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Jim D Burns
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RE: 12/27/1941

Post by Jim D Burns »

ORIGINAL: HansBolter
Concentrate the and reconstitute the 1st Burma Division in the river hex SE of Pegu.

I disagree, only reconstitute the Indian Brigade (13th I think is its name), it is the only combat capable unit in the Burma Division right now. Send the rest of the Divisions units to sit in Rangoon on rest and allow repairs and morale to recover. You will repair far more disabled devices if you keep the division split up, if you reconstitute it’ll take months to repair it all if ever as more than likely early combats will kill a lot of those disabled devices. Only seek to reconstitute the division when you see strong Japanese forces approaching and combat appears inevitable.

Get your Cruisers out of any convoy task forces they start in ASAP. Only one or two ASW capable fast ships should ever be tied down in slow convoys. Cruisers should get to port somewhere and become part of a surface action group that can do hit and run raids against poorly defended Japanese invasions or bombard recently captured bases to smash the airfield before it gets put to use sending Betties against you.

Jim

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HansBolter
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RE: 12/27/1941

Post by HansBolter »

You need the concentrated AV in the hex to dissuade the AI from crossing.
However, you don't need it there until the AI arrives in force to cross the river so your technique will work nicely so long as you concentrate the AV where you need it when you need it.
Hans

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Jim D Burns
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RE: 12/31/1941

Post by Jim D Burns »

ORIGINAL: Rysyonok
Canton island falls. As long as I still keep Pago Pago and Christmas islands, I'm ok. Otherwise we may have to discuss the northern route for the counteroffensive.

I always view the loss of these locations as an opportunity in the early game. Until 1943 it’s difficult to mount any kind of a naval attack into the teeth of Japanese land based air as your carriers are only capable of closing down a single base and their CAP isn’t really large enough or good enough to defend against incoming raids from other Japanese bases in the area.

These two locations are isolated with no other local bases around to counter-attack your fleets from, so you should be looking to mount counter-invasions whenever you see KB lurking in the western areas of the map. Get in smash the base with a night bombardment or two (use fast CAs not old slow BBs) that goes in at full speed and follow that up in the day with carrier air that hits the airfield and the base should be shattered. You can then come in and land with little risk to your shipping and KB will be too far away to intervene.

The key is getting everything in position ahead of time so when the opportunity presents itself your guys are ready to go immediately and you won’t lose your chance.

Jim

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Rysyonok
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RE: 12/27/1941

Post by Rysyonok »

ORIGINAL: HansBolter

My pleasure.

I don't have the time or facilities to play PBEM so my gaming is strictly against the AI.

I have been playing this game since it was DOS based and called Pacific War so I have a bit of experience under my belt.

A word of warning, tread cautiously on how agressive you want to be early on with the AI.

It is very easy to "break" the AI and end up with a game so lopsided in your favor that it becomes hardly worth playing on into '43.

I can tell you how to completely reconquer China, recovering most of by the end of '42.

I can tell you how to evac the entire III Indian Corps and the entire Dutch army to Timor and set up a bastion that completely stymies the AI.

However, neither of those and perhaps even holding Burma is conducive to a long term game extending into and past '43.

Once you get a handle you may want to try AnyMacs IronMan and IronMan Nasty scenarios that beef up the AI.

I ran a couple of tests, and I noticed that a well-fortified location is almost impenetrable... unless their supplies run out. It's good to have your input here. Maybe you can be my conscience, and when I start bending the limits of a realistic war, you can set me straight :)

I was under impression that scenario 10 is AndyMac's Ironman, or are they different?
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Rysyonok
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RE: 12/27/1941

Post by Rysyonok »

ORIGINAL: Jim D Burns

I disagree, only reconstitute the Indian Brigade (13th I think is its name), it is the only combat capable unit in the Burma Division right now. Send the rest of the Divisions units to sit in Rangoon on rest and allow repairs and morale to recover. You will repair far more disabled devices if you keep the division split up, if you reconstitute it’ll take months to repair it all if ever as more than likely early combats will kill a lot of those disabled devices. Only seek to reconstitute the division when you see strong Japanese forces approaching and combat appears inevitable.

Get your Cruisers out of any convoy task forces they start in ASAP. Only one or two ASW capable fast ships should ever be tied down in slow convoys. Cruisers should get to port somewhere and become part of a surface action group that can do hit and run raids against poorly defended Japanese invasions or bombard recently captured bases to smash the airfield before it gets put to use sending Betties against you.

Jim

Oh, getting my cruisers out of convoy forces is not going to be an issue... I lost them all.

Then again, watching all those IJN raider groups (thank you, PBYs) makes me wonder if it is important to include a CA or even a BB into a supply / troop convoy just to ensure it gets to its destination.

It's too bad I don't know just how many ships does IJN have in this scenario (and no, I don't want to look at the editor - I want the surprise), as it makes me think twice about engaging in any surface activity. I have already seen 1 CVL, 2 CL, and numerous DDs that are above and beyond the historical OOB. Yamato showed up in Malaysia and Musashi was just sighted in DEI.
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Rysyonok
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RE: 12/27/1941

Post by Rysyonok »

ORIGINAL: HansBolter

You need the concentrated AV in the hex to dissuade the AI from crossing.
However, you don't need it there until the AI arrives in force to cross the river so your technique will work nicely so long as you concentrate the AV where you need it when you need it.

That's the catch about 4-day turns: if I sit and wait, I may be too late. In Luzon a concentrated kampfgruppe of the 4th and 7th tank regiments crossed 2 hexes before I could react!
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Rysyonok
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RE: 12/31/1941

Post by Rysyonok »

ORIGINAL: Jim D Burns

I always view the loss of these locations as an opportunity in the early game. Until 1943 it’s difficult to mount any kind of a naval attack into the teeth of Japanese land based air as your carriers are only capable of closing down a single base and their CAP isn’t really large enough or good enough to defend against incoming raids from other Japanese bases in the area.

These two locations are isolated with no other local bases around to counter-attack your fleets from, so you should be looking to mount counter-invasions whenever you see KB lurking in the western areas of the map. Get in smash the base with a night bombardment or two (use fast CAs not old slow BBs) that goes in at full speed and follow that up in the day with carrier air that hits the airfield and the base should be shattered. You can then come in and land with little risk to your shipping and KB will be too far away to intervene.

The key is getting everything in position ahead of time so when the opportunity presents itself your guys are ready to go immediately and you won’t lose your chance.

Jim

Great idea, I'll keep it in mind.

But what if there are multiple KBs?...
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Rysyonok
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1/4/1942

Post by Rysyonok »

1/4/1942:

This was a brutal turn.

IJA steamrolled into Kuala Lumpur, crushing several British units in its momentum. Japanese air force in turn shut down Rangoon airfield once and for all. 81/86 service and runway damage I could deal with; 18 planes destroyed on the ground are harder to swallow. A total of 75 fighter planes have been lost between 4 squadrons in Rangoon, and it is time to fall back. First to Toungoo to recuperate, then across the border to India.

No less than 15 IJN subs blockade Pacific Northwest. 2 submarines sneak into Colombo. Everyone can see them except for the ASW TFs.

One of Dutch transport convoys falling back to Colombo meets Orion. Well, at least now we know who owned that enemy float plane in the Indian Ocean... or not. The same day another float plane was spotted off of Colombo.

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P.S. Any idea how to fix these small fonts? I know it is a side effect from a recent Microsoft patch.
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Rysyonok
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RE: 1/4/1942

Post by Rysyonok »

HSK1 Orion



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Andy Mac
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RE: 1/4/1942

Post by Andy Mac »

Loving the 4 day turns biggest multiplier. You can do v ai is not to play daily turns
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Jim D Burns
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RE: 12/27/1941

Post by Jim D Burns »

ORIGINAL: Rysyonok
makes me wonder if it is important to include a CA or even a BB into a supply / troop convoy just to ensure it gets to its destination.

Small convoys (10-15 ships max so you aren’t crippled by lost ships if a convoy gets caught) and task force routes will be your main defense against raiders early war. It is simply too costly to try and defend convoys with surface ships. Costly in terms of lost surface ships when the convoys get attacked as happened to you, but also in terms of not having those surface assets available at the tip of the spear to help slow/delay Japan’s advance.

So route long circuitous routes that try and avoid the middle map area that is within easy reach of surface raiders and carrier threats. Some of your APs and AKs have huge endurance ranges, use it and keep them near map edge as much as you can in the early part of the war. Later when you have air bases built up on some islands like Pago Pago, Christmas, etc. you can shorten the routes and use air power to protect that part of the run, but early war staying undetected is your best defense since you really don’t have enough of anything on map yet to defend a risky area of open ocean adequately yet.

Jim
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Rysyonok
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RE: 1/4/1942

Post by Rysyonok »

ORIGINAL: Andy Mac

Loving the 4 day turns biggest multiplier. You can do v ai is not to play daily turns

Thanks!
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Rysyonok
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RE: 12/27/1941

Post by Rysyonok »

ORIGINAL: Jim D Burns

Small convoys (10-15 ships max so you aren’t crippled by lost ships if a convoy gets caught) and task force routes will be your main defense against raiders early war. It is simply too costly to try and defend convoys with surface ships. Costly in terms of lost surface ships when the convoys get attacked as happened to you, but also in terms of not having those surface assets available at the tip of the spear to help slow/delay Japan’s advance.

So route long circuitous routes that try and avoid the middle map area that is within easy reach of surface raiders and carrier threats. Some of your APs and AKs have huge endurance ranges, use it and keep them near map edge as much as you can in the early part of the war. Later when you have air bases built up on some islands like Pago Pago, Christmas, etc. you can shorten the routes and use air power to protect that part of the run, but early war staying undetected is your best defense since you really don’t have enough of anything on map yet to defend a risky area of open ocean adequately yet.

Jim

True, all true. I guess I just didn't expect so much... I mean, any IJN presence in the Indian Ocean this early on.

As for defenses, it is so easy to lose 300+ VPs on an unprotected, loaded convoy. Surely that is enough to consider an escort? The 18th division reinforcement that appeared in Singapore cost me 200 VPs in lost ships alone!
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Lowpe
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RE: 12/27/1941

Post by Lowpe »

With 4 day turns, and a souped AndyMac game routines,take nothing for granted.[:D]

I personally would escort everything steaming in areas that aren't heavily searched and even use CVs early on. Often times I would use the British CLs, and Hermes early on patrolling routes from Perth and Ceylon to Cape Town.

I also always would have at least one surface group at each major port where ships were docked.

All learned From the school of hard knocks...

2 day turns have a magic all their own, I can't imagine doing land attacks with 4 day turns. Good luck!



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Rysyonok
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1/8/1942

Post by Rysyonok »

1/8/1942:

In a feat I dare anyone to match the Allies lose twenty-two minesweepers in the same turn.

RNN destroyers catch up to Orion and sink it, but the victory is short-lived as another Japanese raider appears west of Suva, clipping wings off of the only French combat ship I have.

In China, IJA steamrolls through several towns, engaging in 80-mile treks over 2-3 days.

In Burma AVG squadrons are moved to Toungoo to recuperate. Who cares that it's just a tiny airfield with no support, if I can field 41 fighters versus just 3 the last turn?

USN carriers intercept two small convoys heading to Midway, sinking between 2 and 5 ships, including a 28-point Akitsu Maru-class LSD, now the most significant kill thus far.

2 IJN submarines effectively shut down Colombo, sitting right in the harbor, sending float planes left and right. Almost 50 RN planes and ships are yet to score a single hit. On the other hand IJN subs around Victoria / Seattle area are starting to take losses, one per USN patrol boat.

So this is where we are, one month in. 169 Allied ships lost - that's an accomplishment...


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Rysyonok
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RE: 12/27/1941

Post by Rysyonok »

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

With 4 day turns, and a souped AndyMac game routines,take nothing for granted.[:D]

I personally would escort everything steaming in areas that aren't heavily searched and even use CVs early on. Often times I would use the British CLs, and Hermes early on patrolling routes from Perth and Ceylon to Cape Town.

I also always would have at least one surface group at each major port where ships were docked.

All learned From the school of hard knocks...

2 day turns have a magic all their own, I can't imagine doing land attacks with 4 day turns. Good luck!

Land attacks are rather decent... now, carrier battles are very painful. Every time I click "remain on station", I tell my ships good-bye. I am still getting comfortable with patrol zones and boundaries.
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Rysyonok
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Victoria - Seattle submarine war

Post by Rysyonok »

These are the ones I have discovered. I may have rushed with disbanding all the USAF LBs scheduled to be withdrawn in 1942, they may have been very useful right about now.

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Jim D Burns
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RE: 12/27/1941

Post by Jim D Burns »

ORIGINAL: Rysyonok
it is so easy to lose 300+ VPs on an unprotected, loaded convoy.

With 4 day turns it is very risky to move anything on the water right now, even an escort isn’t going to help vs KB or mini KB. If I were you I’d weigh every single move very carefully. It is far better to wait a few months than to try and get stuff forward when you lack the air power to protect sea zones around your destination ports. Moving something just because you can may not be a good idea given how exposed you are playing 4 day turns, weigh the risks involved and ask yourself if it’d be safer to wait a few months until you can manage to get some fighter and naval attack planes out forward to threaten Japanese deep raiders.

Any island Japan can take from you right now can easily be retaken later once you have naval air dominance. It doesn’t matter what he puts on an island once you can cut off supply runs any island on map can be taken. In fact the more stuff he crams on an island the faster it’ll chew through available supplies once isolated. So why risk losing the valuable land troops now.

Remember also anything you put on an island right now can be taken by Japan for the first year to year and a half. If he wants it he can take it and the more stuff you put there the faster it’ll starve. So weigh the risk of moving stuff forward too soon carefully. Of course the AI probably won’t totally isolate your bases and may allow a supply convoy to get in now and again, but a human will starve you out so play with that in mind so you don’t develop bad habits.

Jim

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Lowpe
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RE: 12/27/1941

Post by Lowpe »

With 4 day turns, once you set an attack, it will continue on the 2, 3, and 4th days as long as you are getting a 2-1 or better. This can result in supply shortage attacks, and some darn nasty results.

I agree, remain on station is hard to click on.[:D]
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