Spanking Lowpe (NJP72 vs Lowpe (A))

[RangerJoe]

Oh good! Now the English can have more tea and good cinnamon!

[traskott]

Good advances!

Dont be afraid about narrow advance in NG. Raids are just raids, they cant avoid your advance. Only try not to put too many eggs (planed) in one basket (AF) to avoid some nuke bombardment.

[Lowpe]

May 29, 1943


Caught some raiders between Marcus and Wake....Nashville has been on station for a month

a.jpg (267.14 KiB) Viewed 342 times

[Lowpe]

In two rounds, the Fletcher squadron finishes off the IJN destroyers...I think I have sunk 5 destroyers around Marcus Island since taking the base. Perhaps more. Definitely sunk a fleet carrier here too!

A20BismarckSea.jpg (525.13 KiB) Viewed 341 times

[Lowpe]

Will be pushing very hard here....sure I will lose something, as I plan on pushing all the way to Mindanao over the next month.... our goal is to continue north and sever the Japanese oil pipeline at sea.

A20BismarckSea.jpg (660.59 KiB) Viewed 339 times

[Lowpe]

Good advances!

Dont be afraid about narrow advance in NG. Raids are just raids, they cant avoid your advance. Only try not to put too many eggs (planed) in one basket (AF) to avoid some nuke bombardment.

Feels good to be moving again, after waiting for all the April upgrades to finish.

Victorious and Essex and Saratoga are all headed here too...

Minelayers, and CD guns are usually in the 2nd wave of troops on these forward bases...still, this is a learning experience.

[BBfanboy]

In two rounds, the Fletcher squadron finishes off the IJN destroyers...I think I have sunk 5 destroyers around Marcus Island since taking the base. Perhaps more. Definitely sunk a fleet carrier here too!

A20BismarckSea.jpg

Creating friction to grind down the enemy - working like a charm there! Well done!

[Lowpe]

May 30, 1943


Some action along New Guinea...having the Deathstar forward tends to really handicap IJ air search....we have an APA unloading at Biak for example not spotted.

Two Iboats launched torps at a Destroyer and a PC respectively, and two Hunter Killer groups engaged other Iboats...most troop ships have but one escort. Relying upon aerial search and several hunter killer groups of 2 ships to protect everyone.

Saratoga is at Lae...and I will consider where to send her...she has 7 float damage.

American subs transitioning from supplies runs to pickets and harassment. Moving all aux/support ships/barges further forward. Several large supply convoys unloading at Hansa Bay...Vanimo should be taken shortly, Salamua taken today (6 IJ units in the harsh terrain of the Kokoda Trail area).

a.jpg (753.32 KiB) Viewed 243 times

[Lowpe]

I could be in the Moluccas tomorrow, May 1st....a fair number of troops at Sarmi and lots and lots coming up the New Guinea coastline....feeling pretty good right now. Knock on wood. It is not a very organized advance lots of fragments, ships in wrong positions etc....but we will push and push.

a.jpg (770.3 KiB) Viewed 237 times

[Lowpe]

In two rounds, the Fletcher squadron finishes off the IJN destroyers...I think I have sunk 5 destroyers around Marcus Island since taking the base. Perhaps more. Definitely sunk a fleet carrier here too!

A20BismarckSea.jpg

Creating friction to grind down the enemy - working like a charm there! Well done!

Not to mention the land combat units destroyed there...time now to get the 3rd Marines off and rotated down for Mindanao and Luzon.

[Lowpe]

Lots of ship upgrades in June....does anyone convert liberty ships to troop transports?

[Lowpe]

Added about 30 more fighters to the Deathstar near Biak...they will hold around Biak to shelter the APA unloading there, head back to Sarmi, join Saratoga and Essex and move with a lot of troop ships back to Biak and Sorong.

Attacks at Manus and Vanimo today.

[BBfanboy]

Lots of ship upgrades in June....does anyone convert liberty ships to troop transports?

Not me - I need their long range to get supplies across the map. There are lots of large xAPs on the Allied side, and I supplement by converting the 3900 ton xAKs to 1000/2200 xAPs. Very handy for small units. 12K range IIRC.

[Lowpe]

May 31st, 1943

In under the wire at Moluccas.

I am going to bloody aggressive here until I get a setback...we won't go outside of our PBY search radius...but will move as much as we can up to the Moluccas and beyond. Fuel might become a problem.

A20BismarckSea.jpg (723.98 KiB) Viewed 173 times

[Lowpe]

Hello...don't hang out in ports without air cover...

a.jpg (195.33 KiB) Viewed 172 times

[Lowpe]

Lots of ship upgrades in June....does anyone convert liberty ships to troop transports?

Not me - I need their long range to get supplies across the map. There are lots of large xAPs on the Allied side, and I supplement by converting the 3900 ton xAKs to 1000/2200 xAPs. Very handy for small units. 12K range IIRC.

My thought as well...but I am having much trouble getting all the troops forward...need to be more ruthless and less upgrade on rear area ships.

[Lowpe]

June 1, 1943

Decision time at Biak...have 6,000 troopers unloaded there, 300+ engineers, good supply but no CD guns yet or mines. PT boats present...

Moonlight very low, overcast weather...don't really like fighting in these conditions...

Will pull back from Biak (don't want to risk the APAs , await Saratoga and more of our CA and CL that were bombarding IJ bases to the south and then muscle our way back up. Will keep air lifting troops in further to the north...look to take another dot base by paratrooper. Aitape invasion in 2 days.

I want to keep expanding our naval search patrols...and backed up by bombers...

a.jpg (737.25 KiB) Viewed 140 times

[Lowpe]

Essex makes an appearance...I think the small destroyer will sink.

a.jpg (450 KiB) Viewed 139 times

[BBfanboy]

Looking at the map those 2 DDs were well into your territory - but for what purpose? They seem pretty weak to be a raiding TF. Perhaps they were a FT TF trying to extract troops further south? Rather expensive pickets if that was their purpose.

[Lowpe]

June 2, 1943

Got one! Just one torpedo hit though...

a.jpg (306.69 KiB) Viewed 89 times