Allies vs. AI Japan 1st Campaign

[Willaverill]

This is my first AAR as Allies against the IJN AI. I started the Grand Campaign at December 7 and let it run.
I used KULL’s AE Allied Setup spreadsheet and it still took me like a week to prep for the first turn.

Fire (F), Damage(D), Heavy (H) ie. HF= Heavy Fire
AB (air base), ABS (air base supply), RW (runway) followed by Hits ie. RW-14

DEC. 07 41 Aftermath

North/Central America-Nothing

North Pacific-Nothing

Central Pacific
Pearl Harbor-BB Pennsylvania, DDs Dewey and Conyngham, AM Bobolink, AMc Condor, PTs-12 and 21 sunk
Many others were damaged to varying degrees with most BB's Heavily so. (LOL Arizona got off the lightest)

South Pacific-Nothing

Southwest Pacific-Nothing
Philippines
Davao-AVD William B. Preston and xAKL Mauban sunk. xAKL Montanes,F,HD.
Batan Island- captured

Southeast Asia Command
Malaya- TF Z BC Repulse and DD Vampire sunk, BB PoW, HD
Kota Bharu- RW-41, Amphib landing
Alor Star- Heavy aircraft damage (16 dam, 3 dest forgot to write what type), AB-21, RW-44

Burma-India-China- Nothing

There were many other attacks with no real damage, as well as some in China, but pending any serious happenings there I will let China be.
All things Considered I got off light
Moved the heavily damaged ships in Pearl to the shipyards. The Minor FLT damaged ships joined in a TF and sent Full Speed to LA.
The PoW set full speed to Singapore for emergency repair.
Quick check to ensure all damaged ships were being repaired.
I have read all the repair information on the forums but it is still a bit confusing.
Pearl appears to be overwhelmed.

Bill

[BBfanboy]

Welcome and good hunting in your campaign!

Careful with full speed runs:

- most ships will run out of fuel before making it all the way from PH to LA. After a turn or two switch them to Mission speed
- ships with floatation damage have a much greater chance of failing damage control checks, meaning the flooding will increase. The pressure on bulkheads from high speed moves is too much for most patching and shoring. Use cruise speed when you are not in danger of further attack.

- beware the horde of IJN subs just NE and E of PH. Most successful attempts to get damaged ships out go down the island chain to the big island of Hawaii and then E or SE a way before turning toward west coast ports. There are often subs staking out WC ports too so some head for Panama to get to Eastern USA and avoid tying up WC shipyards.

[PaxMondo]

What difficulty setting are you running?

[Willaverill]

I am starting this post 1 week after I have started so the 1st 7 days will see a lot of lessons learned. I thank you for the words on FULL speed. I did get a few messages on Water tight integrity failing on one ship.

Ant the WC IJN subs are taking a small toll. Even with ASW patrols and Air they get found, missed by my destroyers, hit my freighters, and slink away.

[BBfanboy]

Believe me - you will be learning lessons for years! It is easy to get started playing the game but to know all the things you can do and when to do them takes a looooooong time! It's all a great adventure![:)]

[Willaverill]

DEC 8 1941

-North/Central America- Nothing

-North Pacific- Nothing

-Central Pacific
--Pearl Harbor- DD Jarvis Sunk (Left over from Pearl attacks)
--Molokai (HI)- I-186 Fail attack on a DM
--Lihue (HI) air attack (KB parting shot?) No significant dmg.

-South Pacific
--Gilbert Islands
---Makin capture

-Southwest Pacific
--Philippines
---Bataan
----PG Ashville sunk hit mine
----3 AM TF Clears mines

-Southeast Asia Command
--Malaysia
---Khota Bharu Captured
----3rd ISF BF surrenders (Other 2 units retreated)
---Georgetown multiple sorties from 92 aircraft, Bettys and Nells
----Allied have 6 AC dest, 9 Dam.
----AB-42, ABS-17, RW-73
--Dutch East Indies
---Tandjoengpinang- I-122 sunk (ML No. 310)
---Muntok- xAK Tai Sang Sunk 1 Torp (SS I-121)

-Burma-India-China

Took my 2 retreating Units from the fall of Khota and sent them south to shore up Singapore. Georgetown is void of air cover. As planes get repaired I will transfer them south in an attempt to salvage what I can.
Sinking 1 sub is the first blood on my side. [8|]

Ships Lost After Dec. 7

IJN: SS-1

Allies: DD-1, PG-1. xAK-1

[Willaverill]

DEC 9 1941

-North/Central America- Nothing

-North Pacific- Nothing

-Central Pacific- RED Alert on WAKE!!
--Wake Island IJN Amphib assault
---TF CLs Tatsuta, Yubari, and Tenryu;
------DDs Mochizuki, Hayate, Oite, Yayoi, and Mutsuki;
------AMCs Kinryu Maru and Kongo Maru;
------PBs Kaiun Maru, Fukui Maru, Kaikei Maru, Ikuta Maru, and Hakkaisan Maru.
---Wake Air, Carrier Air (2 carriers), and Coastal guns attack!
------2 AMC HF and HD; CL Yubari F, DD Mochizuki F
---Assault failed, Maizuru 2nd SNLF /2 wiped out
--Johnston Island
---AM Robin Sunk. To her detriment while on patrol spotted an IJN CV TF

-South Pacific
--Gilbert Islands
---Tarawa Captured

-Southwest Pacific
--Philippines
---Batan Island (Straights)
----xAK Hiyama Maru 7 Shells, F (SS Salmon on surface)
----SS Salmon 2 hits
---Itbayat Island captured
---Aparri amphib assault
---Vigan amphib assault
---Laoag
----xAK Kosin Maru, PB Chohakusan Maru spotted (S-38)

-Sourh East Asia Command
--Malaysia- pretty weak air attacks in various spots

-Burma-India-China
--China
---Hong Kong TF to Tarakan
----xAK Ming Sang sunk, 1 bomb (G3M2 Nell)

Sigint is too confusing as are the scads of "followed" "Shadowed" "Spotted" etc from the combat report.

LEX and Big E splitting around Wake east and west and steaming north to keep moving.
Not sure if the IJN CV that jumped the Robin is the KB or not. No real Spotting assets in the area either

PoW is in shipyard in Singapore, Damaged TF sent to the WC is down to mission speed (Helena kept getting water tight integrity failures).

Starting to get Squadrons, and forces ready to start staging the South Pacific Islands of Pago Pago, Noumea, Luganville, and Suvii(sp?)

These first turns take me longer than a real day to complete. ADD is BAAAAD so I am all over the place. Trying to work each theater to stay organized.

Trying not to "Sir Robin" Pride being what it is will try to bloody them up a bit

Ships Lost After Dec. 7

IJN: SS-1

Allies: DD-1, PG-1, AM-1, xAK-2

[Willaverill]

PAX,

I did not play with the settings. I have the historical torps on though I am not sure if I had to change it or not.

Boy are the misses frustrating. At least I am Laying Eyes on the enemy (even if I cant do anything about it.

[PaxMondo]

Just FYI:
if you left the difficulty set to NORMAL, you need to know that the AI is playing with a pretty serious handicap. For stock scenario, per the dev, you need to play at HARD for balanced game. On normal, the AI won't be much of an opponent in a few months .... you can search for the long discussion. it was several years ago.

[Willaverill]

Ok after some in-depth reading, and some questions I conceded that one to the computer in early January. I could have kept going but decided to try and use more of what I have learned.

1 ADD and in depth AAR's do not go hand in hand. (Would have taken me 10 years to finish) lol
2 Get out fast with what you can. The Alamo technique (or hard headed stand and fight approach doesn't work well.)
3 This forum is great for getting answers to head scratchers.

I restarted from the first save of the previous game and:

Bit the bullet to load what I could in Hong Kong on what ships were in Hong Kong and to scatter south. Sent the planes there, north west to get them to Burma/India.

Malaya set all to march/Strat move south toward Singapore where I will combine the one unit. Fighters stay for now to get the exp. Major "Pappy" Boyington is here!

PI Get all to the Iron Triangle, Pull the Bombers that can be "bought out" later, to Cagayan. Leaving fighters for now to get exp. Pull the 2 PA Constablary units that can combine later to Bataan. Get the fleet out. Try to load a base unit or two. Send some transports to Cebu to get the BF there.

Send all the long range cargo and troop transports to Cape Town and L.A. where feasible.

Plan to build up Christmas, Tahiti, Pago Pago as fuel, supply, and repair depots.

Get PoW to Singapore drydock for repair.

Hawaii: send some AUX ships and lesser damaged ships to Lahaina as a DD and below repair facility, major damage will go back to Pearl for repair. Get the BBs with Major (over 50) Float into drydock. Same with anything else. Build 3 DD, DMS ASW TFs sent 2 to the west coast and 2 to patrol HI

US: Send all withdrawing in 42' air units to east coast to train before withdraw and set to take no replacements.

Get some quick fuel and resource convoys to pearl from S.F., L.A., S.D., and Seattle, before the IJN Subs get here.

Send AS to Tarakan and Balikpapn and reroute all the Manilla/Singapore subs homeports there.

Withdraw all the COY units to P.M. and get Lark out of Rabaul to PM.

I am currently at New Years day this match so this is a recap of my 1st prep turn.