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Balade of the Newbie: First Stop, Operation Buccaneer

 
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Balade of the Newbie: First Stop, Operation Buccaneer - 6/16/2013 9:31:47 PM   
BlitzX

 

Posts: 4
Joined: 1/22/2013
Status: offline
Balade of the Newbie
Operation Buccaneer


Good day everybody!

Today i start a very ambitious project to help me getting a better grip on the game. Due to its complexity, i can't understand all its mechanics by myself, and i don't feel ready to start a multiplayer game. As a result, i decided to play the different scenarios before jumping in the big blue with the Grand Campaign.

During this series of ARR, i intend to describe my actions and analysis of the game through my beginner and genuine vision. I hope that the community here will be willing to follow me and bring some light on my questions or bad actions, and perhaps these ARR will help some new players getting a good grasp of the game.

Without further waiting, let's get started with the smallest Scenario on the game, Operation Buccaneer.


Operation Buccaneer
Dates : 18 October 1943 - 30 November 1943
Troops Controled: British
Objective: Seize either Port Blaire and/or Sabang, and protect the foothold from the Japanese fleet.


First Analysis:

It seems that Port Blair is a better choice than Sabang. If it is withing range of Japanese Land based bomber, it also has a central position and will be a perfect base for our bombers once correctly improoved. Besides, most landing troops are already set with PB as main objective, and our Bombers are in range of the base. In a word, PB seems to have a large "Attack me" sign on it.

Next post, the detail of my first turn actions.

Post #: 1
RE: Balade of the Newbie: First Stop, Operation Buccaneer - 6/16/2013 9:49:37 PM   
Canoerebel


Posts: 9171
Joined: 12/14/2002
From: Northwestern Georgia, USA
Status: offline 		Don't do it! Your opponent is expecting just such a move! Invade Attu Island instead!

(in reply to BlitzX)
Post #: 2
RE: Balade of the Newbie: First Stop, Operation Buccaneer - 6/16/2013 9:50:47 PM   
Canoerebel


Posts: 9171
Joined: 12/14/2002
From: Northwestern Georgia, USA
Status: offline

P.S. Welcome to the vast, mesmerizing, entrancing, enthralling, captivating game of AE. Good luck!

(in reply to Canoerebel)
Post #: 3
RE: Balade of the Newbie: First Stop, Operation Buccaneer - 6/16/2013 11:02:53 PM   
MateDow


Posts: 186
Joined: 8/6/2002
Status: offline 		Do it! Because your opponent knows that you are being given advice to not do it...

Welcome

(in reply to Canoerebel)
Post #: 4
RE: Balade of the Newbie: First Stop, Operation Buccaneer - 6/17/2013 9:09:06 PM   
BlitzX

 

Posts: 4
Joined: 1/22/2013
Status: offline
First Turn actions



Turn Preparation


My First action is to check the available forces at my disposal. This is quite an impressive naval force we have, with :

- 4 CVs
- 4 CVLs
- 1 CVE
- 4 BB
- 24 DD
- 4 CA
- 10 CL (+1 CLAA)
- 8 SS
- A whole bunch of Transport and Support Ships

For the Land Forces, the only real assault unit we will be using is the 11Th (East African) Division (Assault value of 399). The other units could be used as a second wave.


Now that I know what I can use to play with, let’s organize these little steel babies into groups.


Noobish time: That’s the first question I will ask, concerning Task Force compositions. I know there may have as many answers as you have players, but I would like a nice overview of a good basic rules to compose your groups. I guess some factors are the I come from Hearts of Iron 3 where the naval group composition is quite always the same, and I have the bad habit to stick with this point of view even if in WITP AE you can have a BB in a Career force without problem.


That being said, let’s see what I came with:

- 2 Carrier Surface Group (Task Forces 10.1.1 and 10.1.2 ) each composed of :
2CV,1CA,3CL,2DD
- 1 Surface Combat Group (Task Force 10.2)
3BB,1CL,5DD
- 1 Bombardment Group (Task Force 10.3.1) , composed of the fastest ships (because I saw these group have to be fast)
1BB,2CA,3DD
- 1 Amphibious Group (Task Force 10.3.2.1)
6xAP,6LSI(L),1CVE,2DD
- 1 Escort Group (Task Force 10.3.2.2)
2CVE,2CL,3DD
- 1 Supply Group (Task Force 10.3.3)
1CLAA,2DE,6xAK
- 1 ASW Group (Task Force 20)
3DD
- 5 SS Task Forces


Unused Ships: 2CL,4DD,6KM,5AM,3SS (Should i have used them?)


Orders


Air:



After deleting all defaults order given to the Bombers, I give my Liberator II and B-24D instructions to Bombard PB's Airfield and Port. I will not renew this attack on the next turns, it is just to test and have a check of the present defenses. We need to capture PB with the Airfield and Port at their best state so that we can repair and upgrade them quickly. Besides, they are operating way out of Range of CAP so I don’t want to loose too much of them in case of Fierce Resistance. They are given the following parameters:

- Primary Mission: Airfield Attack (B24), Port Strike (Liberator II)
- Altitude: 24 000


All land based Fighters (Hurricanes) are set to CAP with the following parameters:

- CAP 50%
- Altitude 13 000
- Max Range 4


Sea:

1)4 of the subs are set to "Patrol Around" the different points: Sabang, PB, Rangoon, Trinkat. The last one will Patrol around Ceylon island.

2)Task Force 10.3.2.1 asked to dock at Colombo and to load the 11th(East African)Div, whose objective has been changed to PB.

3)Task Force 10.3.2.2 set to follow the Amphibious Task Force.

4)Task Forces 10.1.1 and 10.1.2 will take position on the Eastern part of PB, for a preventive strike on PB.

5)All FTR in Carrier TF are set to CAP 50%, 13000 feet, Max Range 5.

6) Task Force 10.3.1 will leave with the AMphibious and Escort TF.

7)Task Force 10.3.3 will dock and load supply once the invading forces have left Colombo.

8) Task Force 20 will follow the Supply TF.

9) Task Force 10.2 will follow the Carriers and stay in the vicinity.


All ships are set to "Remain on Station".

That's all for the order :) Next post, summary of the first turn results and Second Turn.


I hope you have plenty of comments on what i have done bad :p

(in reply to MateDow)
Post #: 5
RE: Balade of the Newbie: First Stop, Operation Buccaneer - 6/17/2013 9:12:15 PM   
Canoerebel


Posts: 9171
Joined: 12/14/2002
From: Northwestern Georgia, USA
Status: offline 		Don't have time to read most of your post, but did have time to notice you have only two DDs in your carrier TFs. Never, ever do that! It's inviting trouble, both from enemy subs and from lack of flack when enemy strike aircraft arrive. Optimum CV TF composition mght consist of: 2 CV, 1 BB, 2 CA, 1 CL, 8 DD. There will be plenty of times you can't do the optimal amounts, but I'd give the highest priority to DDs.

(in reply to BlitzX)
Post #: 6
RE: Balade of the Newbie: First Stop, Operation Buccaneer - 6/17/2013 9:36:28 PM   
pws1225

 

Posts: 586
Joined: 8/9/2010
From: Tate's Hell, Florida
Status: offline 		Along with Canoe's advice, it would be wise to add a BB to your invasion TFs too. They will attract the attention of any shore defense guns allowing your landing ships to disembark your troops in relative safety.

(in reply to BlitzX)
Post #: 7
RE: Balade of the Newbie: First Stop, Operation Buccaneer - 6/17/2013 9:49:56 PM   
pws1225

 

Posts: 586
Joined: 8/9/2010
From: Tate's Hell, Florida
Status: offline 		Another good idea IMO is to set all your TFs to follow the ASW TF. This tends to force any subs in your path to submerge so they can't get to the TFs that follow. It's not fool proof, but it helps.

< Message edited by pws1225 -- 6/17/2013 9:50:08 PM >

(in reply to BlitzX)
Post #: 8
RE: Balade of the Newbie: First Stop, Operation Buccaneer - 6/18/2013 2:58:05 AM   
BBfanboy


Posts: 1776
Joined: 8/4/2010
From: Winnipeg, MB
Status: online 		Your ship list shows one CVE and 4 CVLs, while your TF list shows 3 CVE and no CVLs. Did you write CL where you meant to write CVL in some of those TFs? I would put one CVL with each CV TF and use two CVL with the escort group TF.
Don't ignore little ships like the AMs. They can be useful ASW escorts with the bonus of switching to minesweeping when they get to PB. Send them just ahead of your Amphib group.
Not sure what the unused 6 KM you list are? CM are "cruiser-minelayers" which you will want to use to mine PB concurrent with your landing, so his subs and bombardment/surface combat TFs have a hazard in their way.

Any extra CLs you have should either form a raiding TF or assigned to smaller [less than 10 ships] TFs to beef up the AA.

As for your HB targets, are you expecting to find some ships at PB port? If not, why bomb it?
Bombing the airport will help reduce its operations but it will take several days to shut it down completely. All this will do is move back his naval search and CAP a bit - he can easily reach PB from Burma and Thailand.
If you want to get an ID on the ground troops, you need to set for "ground bombing".
I am not sure of the effectiveness of bombing from 24,000 feet. I usually go much lower and trust in the ruggedness of the B-24 and B-17 to mostly survive the flak and fighter CAP. In fact, once in a while I send them in at 1000 feet because the enemy get little warning of the raid and the CAP is too high to intercept effectively.

One thing you have not mentioned is Naval Search. Setting up the best search network you can is essential. Your carriers and LBA cannot hit what they don't see coming!

On the plus side, you seem to have a clear idea of what you want to do and that is most important of all!
Good luck!

_____________________________

I have not yet begun to fight! OTOH I have not yet begun to flee. Hmmmmm - choices, choices -always with the choices.

(in reply to BlitzX)
Post #: 9
RE: Balade of the Newbie: First Stop, Operation Buccaneer - 6/18/2013 7:47:53 PM   
BlitzX

 

Posts: 4
Joined: 1/22/2013
Status: offline 		After reading your answers, i made a few modifications to my Task Forces to follow your advices. IT also brings me more questions.

quote:

Your ship list shows one CVE and 4 CVLs, while your TF list shows 3 CVE and no CVLs.


It's actually 1CVL and 3 CVE, my Mistake.


The new Task forces are:

- 2 Carrier Surface Group (Task Forces 10.1.1 and 10.1.2 ) each composed of :
2CV,1BB,1CA,1CL,5DD
- 1 Bombardment Group (Task Force 10.3.1) , composed of the fastest ships (because I saw these group have to be fast)
1BB,2CA,2CL,4DD
- 1 Amphibious Group (Task Force 10.3.2.1)
2CL,6xAP,6LSI(L),1CVE,2DD
- 1 Escort Group (Task Force 10.3.2.2)
2CVE,1CL,3DD
- 1 Supply Group (Task Force 10.3.3)
1CLAA,2DE,6xAK
- 1 ASW Group (Task Force 20)
1AM,2DD
- 1 ASW Group (Task Force 20)
3AM
- 5 SS Task Forces


I also reduced the Altitude of the Bombardment to 20 000 feet, an changed the Mission to ground Attack.

Questions :
- If DD are here most for SS hunt and AA coverage, what are CL best used for?
- For Naval Search on Careers, is it better to set a 360 arch or leave the search random with a 000 arc?

quote:

Not sure what the unused 6 KM you list are?


It's not KM but KV, my mistake again.

(in reply to BBfanboy)
Post #: 10
RE: Balade of the Newbie: First Stop, Operation Buccaneer - 6/18/2013 10:18:53 PM   
BBfanboy


Posts: 1776
Joined: 8/4/2010
From: Winnipeg, MB
Status: online 		British CLs are excellent for surface combat, to raid or to intercept his raids. Their guns can really hurt his DDs while their torpedoes can hurt anything heavier. They are fast enough to do hit and run and their AA is pretty good. If you are short on DDs to escort them, you can usually go unescorted and trust in their speed and agility to dodge sub torpedoes. Putting some of their float planes on ASW patrol, range 0 will help during the daytime.

KVs [corvettes] are good ASW vessels. Their slow speed makes them suitable to escort the amphib and supply ships. That may free up some DDs for other things.

If your carriers are moving through an area that has good Naval Search from LBA, your carrier aircraft should search ahead in an arc of about 60º on either side of your TF course. Once you get into waters where you do not have good coverage of your flanks and butt, set carrier Nav Search to 360º.

Note, searching to the limits of aircraft range will result in many Operational Losses and high pilot fatigue. I usually cut back my search range by 20% of maximum. E.G., a carrier aircraft with Extended Range 5, I would set to range 4. A bomber with range 18 would be set to range 14.
For most squadrons, set 20-30% of the aircraft on search, 20-30% on rest. Keep some squadrons on ASW and some set to Naval Strike.

Isn't the learning curve in this game steep!

_____________________________

I have not yet begun to fight! OTOH I have not yet begun to flee. Hmmmmm - choices, choices -always with the choices.

(in reply to BlitzX)
Post #: 11
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