Me too, CB. I did a quick count. I have about 1000 IJA and 300 IJN "inductees" so far. Lots more to go. My training regimen for them is 40 Exp and 60 LNav. What's yours, CB?
Just sent the 26 Sep turn back, so I'm still behind. My subs got another lick in, that you'll soon learn about. [:D]
Gotta hit the road for a couple hours. Then I'll work on the AAR if I don't have a turn in the inbox.
I've gone all the way to 70 in LowN. AFAIK, you can pull any level of pilot into the unit once it is converted but it just must be average XP 45 or lower to convert.
I've gone all the way to 70 in LowN. AFAIK, you can pull any level of pilot into the unit once it is converted but it just must be average XP 45 or lower to convert.
Didn't know that about the experience level. Thanks!
The I-25 took down an xAK headed out of San Francisco.
5 Fleet
4 Fleet
Nothing to report.
SE Fleet
The Allied 4E bombers rested again today.
The Allied 2E bombers (~100 sorties) mainly hit Rabaul with a few hitting Hollandia and Talasea. Most went after troops. I think he's training them up.
It appears that Ted is planning on heading up the north coast of PNG. KB1 (Shokaku, Zuikaku and Soryu) will head to a point to the NW to cover the likely invasion sites. I'm pretty sure he has some carriers in the vicinity of Lae to support this invasion. My RO class subs are forming a picket line that his ships will have to cross to get there as well.
SRA
Burma
Nothing to report.
China
Another deliberate attack on Chungking today. Another successful attack (in my opinion) because the fort level was reduced from 4 to 3:
Ground combat at Chungking (76,45)
Japanese Deliberate attack
Attacking force 164065 troops, 1955 guns, 1568 vehicles, Assault Value = 4213
Defending force 374737 troops, 1013 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 13569
I'm pulling out the 3 Tank Division and the four most beat up infantry divisions to split up, rest and recover. I also have some 4-5 fresh divisions headed to Chungking to bolster the attack force. The Japanese squads lost were nowhere as bad as the result suggested. Lots of disabled squads though.
Other Stuff
Reinforcements:
TK Marine Maru, Type-1 TM (8150 capacity)
13 Air Fleet, Southern Army, in Saigon, headed to Java
28 Air Flotilla, 13 Air Fleet, in Saigon, headed to Java
North China Garrison Brigade, will free up a garrison division that will head to Chungking.
The Shirakumo was torpedoed by the Grayback while performing ASW duties a hex outside of Truk. She'll make it back and start repairs tomorrow. Here's her damage:
40-68(42)-18(11)-1
There were 105 Allied 2E sorties against the usual suspects. The 4E bombers rested again.
The LSD Nights Maru was hit by a torpedo early in the morning and by two more later in the day putting her down. She was on her way back to Tokyo (she was 4 hexes south) after transporting some troops. That's too bad. I have only 2 more LSDs. They're pretty nice ships. They can drop their load very quickly.
5 Fleet
4 Fleet
Nothing to report.
SE Fleet
The Allied 4E bombers resurfaced, along with the 2E bombers. Their targets were Aitape and Hollandia, with a handful of bombers hitting Rabaul for good measure.
I believe the target is Aitape. I think he wants to keep Rabaul out of commission (there's no supply there) as well as Hollandia (there's about 12k supply there) to prevent Japanese land based intervention. KB1 will post itself 7 hexes NW of Aitape to attack any Allied shipping that goes there. I may pull back to 10 hexes if the situation warrants. It all depends on what the US carriers do. They're hanging around Lae. I can see them but they're just sitting there, most likely trying to stay alive under Allied land based fighter cover.
SRA
Burma
China
Nothing to report.
Other Stuff
Reinforcement: RO-112, will head to Truk to enter the fray to the south.
My 3 CVs will complete on 28 Sep 43. After that, I'll be able to accelerate the other 3 CVs constantly (along with some DDs). Those last 3 CVs will complete in May 44. I think I'll base the new CVs at Babeldaop. I'm transferring ships to Saipan and Ted is flooding that area with subs. I have DDs and Helens/Sallies providing ASW to the area. Babeldaob, on the other hand, is pretty quiet.
The DD Patterson was confirmed sunk on 7/29/43 at Munda by a Judy. She was an escort for some of the shipping in that area that was pummeled by KB around that time.
The Ha-43 engine R&D advanced to 2/45. It will become operational 5/44.
China- you can use PPs to buy out your most beat up divisions for a cheap price. Check if you have one at Chungking that you can.
Yeah, I'm keeping an eye out for that opportunity. They've got a lot of disabled squads but only a few destroyed squads. They're still expensive to buy out. But I will as I can.
The W-16 hit the Thresher with a DC a few hexes east of Balikpapan. (Guess I lied about the relative quiet there.)
5 Fleet
4 Fleet
Nothing to report.
SE Fleet
Allied 2 and 4E bombers hit all over, but mainly Hollandia to wreck its airfield. No matter. I really don't expect to put fighters there any more.
I've begun my night bombing of Manus airfield with Betties. The damage is usually minor but it is damage that has robe repaired and some planes are usually damaged, and occasionally destroyed. today, 18 Betties damaged 5x P-47s and caused 2 runway damage.
SRA
Burma
China
Nothing to report.
Other Stuff
The Ki-84r R&D advanced to 4/45 (will become operational 2/44).
Saipan's fort reached level 7. They're done. My goal is to have at least 2 divisions and a brigade there. The brigade is already there, but the divisions will most likely come from China.
Only forts 7? Why not go higher? Even if it costed you 50K supplies (I haven't tested, but that seems much higher than actual cost to me) to go from 7 to 9, wouldn't forts 9 be worth it? That's another +50% multiplier on your adjusted AV, isn't it? If he comes to Saipan, that could be days or possibly weeks of delay depending on how badly it chews up his LCUs. Not to mention any additional VPs you'd get from higher losses on his side.
Only forts 7? Why not go higher? Even if it costed you 50K supplies (I haven't tested, but that seems much higher than actual cost to me) to go from 7 to 9, wouldn't forts 9 be worth it? That's another +50% multiplier on your adjusted AV, isn't it? If he comes to Saipan, that could be days or possibly weeks of delay depending on how badly it chews up his LCUs. Not to mention any additional VPs you'd get from higher losses on his side.
One base is not a big investment. Where do you stop though? What about Guam? And Iwo? And Naha/Naga? Are they all forts 9?
What if the Marianas are not invaded?
These are the tough choices as a Japanese player. Part of the fun is predicting how the game will go and developing bases with that in mind, but you can do too much, as I think I did in my game with Jocmeister. If you know the guy well, and you know Saipan will not be ignored, then sure, do it.
"Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm." - Winston Churchill
I have a good chunk of my infantry upgraded to the 1943 infantry. Only 1 division left to upgrade and it's heading back to Rangoon to upgrade now. Not sure how many are 1943 divisions, but I'll check later today.
Mike I don't think this is an upgrade. See my post in the general forum. I'm going now to see if I can find the 2011 discussion on the subject. If I find it I'll post it in that thread.
It is seldom that liberty of any kind is lost all at once. Hume
In every party there is one member who by his all-too-devout pronouncement of the party principles provokes the others to apostasy. Nietzsche
Good discussion about forts. I'm always flip flopping about fort levels. Ted and I have been playing each other since 2005 and the original WitP. We've never gotten this far. He obviously wants to head up the northern PNG coast. To me it looks like either Marianas or Philippines. I suspect Philippines because that would cut off the SLOC from the SRA to the Home Islands.
Rusty, I have read the thread. I'm curious to see that old post says.
Off to work. Hopefully, I'll catch up some more at lunch. We're to the end of the month now.
As far as I know, forts above level 7 are incredibly slow to build and, what's even worse, I feel that often troops on islands finish supplies before they are completely disrupted.
What I mean is that there is a tradeoff between forts and supplies not only per-se, in abstract, but also in the very island you are trying to defend, since it might be better to have larger supply pools in defensive positions rather than forts a level or two higher.
Provided you can put large amounts of supplies on islands and you can build lvl8-9 forts, I think that some locations are worth to be heavily fortified in any case and Mariannas are probably the strongest example I can imagine.
Some islands can't go above a certain level of forts, but it's depending on port&AF levels if I recall correctly, therefore they are also the less valuable targets.
Personally, in my game I am going very, very big in few selected areas, leaving small defenses on the others. It's an 'all-or-nothing' philosophy I hope will give me some satisfaction. Clearly, it's something I have been planning and pursuing since Day 1.
ORIGINAL: ITAKLinus
As far as I know, forts above level 7 are incredibly slow to build and, what's even worse, I feel that often troops on islands finish supplies before they are completely disrupted.
What I mean is that there is a tradeoff between forts and supplies not only per-se, in abstract, but also in the very island you are trying to defend, since it might be better to have larger supply pools in defensive positions rather than forts a level or two higher.
You don't choose between higher forts and abundant supply in the base as Japan. Whatever there is in the base will evaporate quite quickly under bombing and bombardment if Allied player is worth his salt. It is counterproductive to leave more than couple dozen k in the coffers (my estimate, YMMV) because you will lose the overhead for nothing.
What you choose is either higher forts here or having more supply in the Home Islands for the final phases of the game
ORIGINAL: ITAKLinus
As far as I know, forts above level 7 are incredibly slow to build and, what's even worse, I feel that often troops on islands finish supplies before they are completely disrupted.
What I mean is that there is a tradeoff between forts and supplies not only per-se, in abstract, but also in the very island you are trying to defend, since it might be better to have larger supply pools in defensive positions rather than forts a level or two higher.
You don't choose between higher forts and abundant supply in the base as Japan. Whatever there is in the base will evaporate quite quickly under bombing and bombardment if Allied player is worth his salt. It is counterproductive to leave more than couple dozen k in the coffers (my estimate, YMMV) because you will lose the overhead for nothing.
What you choose is either higher forts here or having more supply in the Home Islands for the final phases of the game
It's true and at the same time false. Of course Allied player will burn your supplies through bombing still it's not so as straightforward as commonly thought in my opinion.
Let's take a game of my opponent against a very experienced Jap. When Truk got attacked, it has been bombed for weeks and weeks. Capital ships and every possible bomber, have sent some gifts to the island for a long time.
However, with 100k supplies remaining, defenders got wiped out by the lack of them.
Had he left the base at forts lvl 7 instead of 9, he would have had more supplies to devote to its defense since he spent a lot of supplies allocated for Truk in building its forts.
Of course, it's logic that you are gonna waste more supplies due to bombardaments in this way, but I am uncertain that it's, economically speaking, a problem.
It's the very same position I have regarding AAs: they consume a ton of supplies but I think you have a net gain in terms of A) less raids due to damages to enemy's bombers B) less damage to infrastructure due to the lowered bombing accuracy C) Consequence of point B is that having less damages it's not only a matter of supply hits, but also of ENG repairing stuff and consuming tons of supplies in doing that, D) less a/c to substitute and/or fly because of enemy's bombings
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