An Idiots Guide To Losing Your CV's Before 1942: WiTP:AE KyzBP vs UCG

[FarAway Sooner]

Good to know.  In that case, I'll wait for the bestselling book...  30 Hours over Tokyo, by Kyz McKyz!

[Sir Slash]

Now we know why you've been doing so well lately. Your kids have been playing for you. Keep Little Nimitz and Little Mc Arthur on the job man.  O0

[Martok]

STOP THE PRESSES!!

Christmas has come in February!

WiTP:AE has started working again on MY computer!!  I don't know what happened but after installing an AVG update, the game started working again.

What does this mean and why is it important you ask?  Well, I've been using my kids' computer for months after WiTP:AE just stopped running on my computer.  Their homework and projects take priority over my game playing so returning turns and updating AAR's haven't been something I've been able to do promptly.  All that has changed and I should be able to get the game moving at a better pace.

I now return you to your weekend.

Excellent news.  :) 

[KyzBP]

March 13th, 1942

With so much going on behind the scene of both sides you'd think every day would be exciting and combat filled.  Today wasn't
one of those days.

Geek's subs continue to do what his aircraft couldn't at AM.

He's sunk 3 ships in 2 days here.  The DD's I detached from escort duty have arrived and will begin hunting the subs.  I have
more on the way.  The Base Forces are 2 days out so we have to remove those subs ASAP.  I don't think I can afford a single
ship lost from those convoys.

Once those Base Forces are in place I can shuttle Marauders over from Umnak.  The B-26's have a range of 11 which will allow them
to keep empty the airbases and ports on Hokkaido.  AM continues to provide possibilities.  It has more than exceeded my expectations.

The big boys bombard Bihoro again.

I did this for 2 reasons. First, I wanted to see if Geek still had planes here. Not many and probably already damaged.
Second, I wanted to make sure the airfield at Bihoro was out of commission while we expand AM.  I did mention I was expanding
AM, right? ;)

I hit Moulmein yet again.

I don't even remember sending the TF back there.  I honestly thought they deserved a break.  I wouldn't think this base
would be usable for quite a while.  I'm very seriously thinking about grabbing some AP's from Diamond Harbor, loading them
with troops, and trying to retake Moulmein.  I would have CAP from Rangoon and Pegu.  This requires some serious thought.

Geek continued to bomb the crap out of Siberoet.  I moved all working aircraft to Padang.  I still haven't seen the Surface Combat TF
that Geek had hanging around the West side of Sumatra.  I have a lot of transports enroute to Australia and they happen to be getting
ready to transit through this area.  It could be bad if he suddenly reappears.  Then again, I may have a surprise for him if he does show up.

Geek completed the encirclement of Manila.

We now have nowhere to retreat.  He'll probably attack today which should end the holdout.  This is a bummer but not unexpected.

Here's the situation at Brisbane.

I keep trying to bombard his troops with ships but for some reason it won't let me.  I was really counting on that to help
disorganize his forces and buy me a little time.  It doesn't look like that will happen.  There's a decent amount of well supplied
troops at Brisbane.  With any luck they'll hang on until help arrives.  That plan has worked 0 times so far.

Here's something interesting...and purely luck:

Take a look at which base is to receive the most air groups over the next 10 days.  If you're wondering where that base is,
it's located on Java.  It also happens to be the one base on Java we were able to take back using remnant forces.  That base
currently has a supply ship docked and off loading much needed supplies.  That base is Tjilatjap and that base is about to become
the launch point of unexpected air raids all around Java...until it gets shut down again. 

[Sir Slash]

Give a Jap a Slap in the Yap from Tijilap. Sounds like a plan or a Rap song.

[FarAway Sooner]

Or an STD...

[KyzBP]

March 14th, 1942

Geek subs continue to pester me at AM.

At first they were novel and kind of cute but now his subs are starting to piss me off.  A very large contingent of ASW equipped
warships are headed this way.  It may take a week to get here but once they're here they will seek vengeance.  In the meantime
all the bomber type aircraft will be set to ASW Patrol until this problem is taken care of.

Baker Island is bombed.

This was a test to see if these planes would launch without fighter cover.  I suspect Geek will be resupplying Baker soon so I wanted
to make sure I have a chance of hitting supply ships docked at the island.  I'll stand them down and hope Geek forgets I did this.

AK sunk at Cinnabon.

What sucks is this AK was carrying a squadron of Hurricanes.  I really need some functioning aircraft at Sumatra to counter his giant
bomber raids.  I guess we'll try again.

I did say I'd have a surprise for him if he did stay here.

I was hoping to do a lot more damage than I did.  I suspect it's because my carrier squadrons are almost depleted.  I'll try to either
catch him or chase him off and then head back to Colombo to regroup.  I do have another plan in mind but I want to flesh it out a bit
before I throw it out there.

Looks like there's still a sub at Canton.

He's been killing my shipping over the last couple of turns.  I'll catch this guy soon as well.

Manila finally succumbs.

We knew it couldn't last forever.  Now the clock is ticking.  He has a lot of troops he can use now in any way he chooses.
Which ever way he decides you can guarantee it'll be bad for me.

Changteh falls as well.

We just lost 50k+ troops in one day.  I think it's a great day when we're able to sink one of Geek's ships containing 1000 men.
I need to readjust my expectations.  I'm sure Geek barely bats an eye at losing 1000 men.  His enemy right now is time but he's
bought himself a lot of it with his Aussie maneuver.   

[KyzBP]

March 15th, 1942

The Battle of the Kitchen Sink begins.

A fairly major naval battle took place near Brisbane.

Geek has 3 light cruisers and 2 destroyers on fire.  I lost 1 destroyer and the CA Australia is pretty beat up but everything else is
fixable.  I'll try to get the damaged ships headed for Sydney and go after him again with what's left.

The chances of the CA Australia making port though, just got slimmer.

Sydney harbor suddenly seems really far away.  She's still afloat but just crawling along.  I may have to send her to Brisbane
instead.  I think the war may be over for her.

Geek found Tjilatjap(VD).


He sunk that supply ship but it was just about empty.  VD is supplied and ready to receive aircraft.  I'll keep trying to force
supplies into here and eventually some more troops but now that Geek has found me I think he'll begin moving troops in
my direction.  I have to keep his troops busy so they don't bunch up and head to Oz, AM, or India.

The daily bombings of Siberoet and/or Padang continue.

If I could only get some decent fighters on one of these airfields.  I need another AM-like setup where my Brit carriers
are loaded down with high experience, carrier-based fighters.  The problem with that is the Brits don't have the planes
or high quality pilots I need to do something like that.  I would end up getting 3 carriers sunk instead.

Geek is still trying to sink my Lame TF at Darwin.

These 2 pesky Hawks have been thwarting his efforts though.  He hasn't hit a ship yet and these guys keep answering
the call.  I'm sure my streak will end soon.

The Haddock goes into Beast Mode.

The Captain loosed 2 torpedoes at the AK Arima Maru and then, with Glenn Miller's "Don't Sit Under The Apple Tree" blasting
from the tower speaker, his crew unleashed the deck gun.  The Haddock then slipped back under the surface.  All of this took
place in the harbor and in broad daylight.  No other ship tried to leave the harbor.

I found his CV's.

Scouting by sub is very dangerous here but Truk is out of range of all my PBY's. I need to try to take an island that within range
but I'm sure that won't go unnoticed.  I have no idea what his plans are for these guys but if they head North or Northwest I'll
lose them for awhile.  It's such a bittersweet trade off.

Here's what AM looks like.

It's not quite 12/8/41 Hawaiian waters level but I'm sure it'll get worse before it gets better.  The only good thing is I know
where he's going to be so once all my ASW assets get here I should be able to scare him out of here.  In the meantime he
continues to hit a ship a day.

[KyzBP]

March 16th, 1942

Overall today was a routine day.  The Padang area was bombed and some torpedoes didn't explode.  Here are the highlights though.

Surface combat near Brisbane.

I was trying to bombard his troops headed to Brisbane but the remnants of his surface group made an appearance.  This time I
didn't have the services of the CA Australia so my force didn't fare as well.  These guys will start making their way to Sydney for
repairs.  It's looking like the Battle for Brisbane will not contain naval guns.

ASW ships hit at Darwin.

The 2 Warkhawks were powerless today.  They got into the air late and were protecting the airfield before realizing the harbor
was the target.  They managed to damage 1 bomber but it was hardly a scratch compared to the punishment the Betty's inflicted
on Australia's dwindling fleet.  If Australia holds and is able to continue the war, they'll be borrowing a lot of boats from other nations.

Sub attack at AM.

Filthy, dirty, stinking subs.  I will show no mercy to these annoying (word not suitable for general audiences).
Geek has no need to test my air superiority here.  Within a week I'll have ASW assets o'plenty on station so we'll get back to the
business of storming the castle.

AM

Uruppu(no, you are!)-Jima is next on the list.  Troops should be here in less than a week.  This base will give B-17's and B-24's
the ability to hit Tokyo. I won't have the ability to escort bombers that far but I think we've depleted a lot of his fighters on the
Home Islands.  Timing is the problem, though.  Right about when I get this up and running he'll have moved his Philippine air force
back to Japan.  It's always something.

[Sir Slash]

Can he fly them into Japan or will they have to come by ship you think? If he has to ship them in, couldn't that offer up some juicy targets for your subs?

[KyzBP]

Can he fly them into Japan or will they have to come by ship you think? If he has to ship them in, couldn't that offer up some juicy targets for your subs?

Most of his planes have excellent range so he'll probably fly them in.  He should still have a few juicy targets out there as his troops leaving Manila will still require transport.

[FarAway Sooner]

Is there any "fatigue factor" associated with planes or ships that is related to usage rather than combat damage?  I know that, with the Japanese navy in WW II, a lot of the breathing time that the Americans got in April-May was due to the Japanese need to refit their boats, but it seems to me like he's been running some of those forces pretty ragged...

[KyzBP]

Is there any "fatigue factor" associated with planes or ships that is related to usage rather than combat damage?  I know that, with the Japanese navy in WW II, a lot of the breathing time that the Americans got in April-May was due to the Japanese need to refit their boats, but it seems to me like he's been running some of those forces pretty ragged...

As a matter of fact there is.  Ships pick up regular wear and tear especially if run at full speed.  Most of the non battle damage can be fixed by spending a couple of days in port but occasionally engine wear will need to be serviced at a shipyard.  Shipyards require a minimum of 4 days stay.  Upgrades can also pull a ship out of action.

[FarAway Sooner]

Good to know, thanks. 

Anything similar for planes?  I see the "Operational Losses" entry in the "Airplanes lost" report, but am not sure what that represents or what factors in the game actually drive that.

Historical note:  In the South Pacific, "mechanical breakdowns" were a huge factor.  The Japanese maintenance was particularly disgraceful at times.  Stories abound of planes grounded because of defective spark plugs, an absolute lack of any kind of cannibalization program for spare parts from other grounded planes, etc.  Poor maintenance of planes was a huge factor in the Japanese losing the grinding air war of attrition in the South Pacific, along with non-existent replacement/training doctrine and limited capability to develop/improve runways (few revetments to protect airplanes on the ground, virtually no construction equipment to clear out new field space quickly, inability to lay down steel "Matson sheets" (Matsuki sheets?) to keep runways operable in the event of heavy rains or bomb hits, etc.)

[KyzBP]

If you look back through this AAR you'll eventually find an end of turn screen.  It will show Operational Losses, both by the day and for the campaign.  The Japanese usually have more losses in this category.  I'd post a current one but I'm using my phone right now.  I hope that helps.