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

[Con]

Con, how are these books AFA maps go? I'm considering the kindle versions but it's hard to read very detailed maps on 6" e-ink readers.

I just went to check my hardcover version of Pacific Crucible and couldn't find it.  I think I loaned it to my dad who is an ex navy (Korean War Vet) guy.  As far as i recall the maps were adequate.  The authors talent IMO is how he brings the characters to life and makes you feel the weight of history as they make their decisions.  For maps of the most famous battles you can always look them up online (here is a nifty animated version that I found interesting)

http://historyanimated.com/verynewhistorywaranimated/?page_id=20

[besilarius]

Paul Dull's book, forget the title "A Battle History of the Imperial Japanese navy?" has some very detailed action maps.  Long out of print, might be available used.

[KyzBP]

As luck would have it all the Rabaul books are on sale on the Kindle for $2.99 a piece.  Looks like I'm buying books today. :)

[BanzaiCat]

As luck would have it all the Rabaul books are on sale on the Kindle for $2.99 a piece.  Looks like I'm buying books today. :)

Thanks. I grabbed the first one. I'll give it a read and buy the others if I like it, though the story does sound fascinating.  O0

[KyzBP]

March 7th, 1942

Fresh off the successes of the previous day my forces go on the attack on what looks like a quiet day.

Inspired by the bombardment of Bihoro, a small TF bombards Moulmein.

We weren't as successful at taking out Geek's fighters on the ground here but we did knock out some ground troops.
I'm going to come back tomorrow and hit it again.  I really want to deplete his fighters across the board.  Bombarding them while
they're on the ground seems like the most efficient way.

His carriers are moving near Point Blair.  I have everything set to Naval Attack in hopes of hitting another carrier.  I doubt i can repeat
my earlier success.  I was trying to catch up to these guys with my carriers until I looked at how many aircraft were left on my carriers.
I'll be sending them back to Colombo to replace the lost aircraft.  Both carriers are very low on planes.

A sub hiding at Rockhampton came out to take a shot.

A hit on a transport.  I hope these types of attacks will continue.  Unfortunately, Geek tends to go ASW crazy after these attacks and
my subs are forced out of port or worse.  I have a good number of subs limping their way back to port for repairs.

Geek goes "Pearl Harbor" at Canton.


This one hurt.  I've lost my raiding ability in this area.  It was nice to be able to send out DD's and CL's whenever one of Geek's
troop or supply convoys would show up.  There's no way to interdict that many bombers, especially when I only have a minimal fighter presence
in the area.  I have a few convoys between Canton and Hawaii that contain fighter squadrons.  I'll try to find a place to unload them in order to
increase my chances of catching some unescorted bombers but it seems like he's caught on to that being a bad tactic.  Again, I have to destroy his
fighters wherever I can catch them on the ground. In most places his pilots will be better than mine.  If they don't have planes to fly then they'll just
be poor infantrymen.  I'd also like to know the answer to Jomni's question about the pilots being killed on the ground with their planes.
Here is the damaged ship list at Canton:

Not pretty and I bet he comes back. :-\

Intel reported an AK loading up and destined for Marysborough(Mary).

I'm going to go for broke here.  I'm sending All my Surface Combat Vessel's to Mary to see if I can catch his landing force.  I know that sounds familiar
and it never seems to pan out but I have to try.  I'm sure he'll lead his convoy into Mary with BB's but I don't have a choice.  Maybe we can damage a few
ships during the surface engagement which should allow the bombers to finish them off the next day. 

[KyzBP]

As luck would have it all the Rabaul books are on sale on the Kindle for $2.99 a piece.  Looks like I'm buying books today. :)

Thanks. I grabbed the first one. I'll give it a read and buy the others if I like it, though the story does sound fascinating.  O0

I totally agree.

[JasonPratt]

Without going into spoilers, I think you'll be pretty happy reading Geek's side of the AM operation someday.  O:-)

Re -7 planes: maybe they were repaired back to operational status? I assume if they were arriving in the theater this would be obvious in some other way?

Re shooting his planes on the ground: Tom Clancy would approve.  O0

Re the Rabaul trilogy being $3 each on Kindle today: DANG IT! {sigh} {clicking}

[BanzaiCat]

STOP THAT. Now I'm wondering if I need to buy the other two while they're so cheap.  :-[

[KyzBP]

STOP THAT. Now I'm wondering if I need to buy the other two while they're so cheap.  :-[

I gave in immediately and got all 3 for under $9.  Almost better than a Steam Sale.

[BanzaiCat]

Damn you!

[KyzBP]

Without going into spoilers, I think you'll be pretty happy reading Geek's side of the AM operation someday.  O:-)

Re -7 planes: maybe they were repaired back to operational status? I assume if they were arriving in the theater this would be obvious in some other way?

Re shooting his planes on the ground: Tom Clancy would approve.  O0

Re the Rabaul trilogy being $3 each on Kindle today: DANG IT! {sigh} {clicking}

There's plenty of days that I want to surrender just so I can read Geek's AAR.

[JasonPratt]

He doesn't update remotely as often as you do, unfortunately.

Once nice thing is that you both are using different map designs, which helps distinguish things visually. (And I like both map styles, so that's nice.  O:-) ) Also, most of his commentary is on the map itself now (although he didn't start out that way).

[KyzBP]

March 8th, 1942

I really could use more of a warning when his transports are headed to their next adventure.

But first I lose another AP.

I was trying to chase this sub away with PBY's but they never hit him.  I don't have any ASW ships close by so I'm going to
detach some escort DD's from one of the convoys to try to shoo this guy away.

One of my subs returns the favor plus some.

The sub war seems to be intensifying even more.  I don't post any of my misses or duds but there are a good number of
little sub battles going on.  I have 4 or 5 damaged subs that should limp into Sydney within the week.

Bombarding the airfield at Moulmein.

I need to do this as often as Geek will allow me.  There's almost zero risk for me and all reward.  If I can get rid of the
fighters here, I can begin bombing Pegu and eventually launch an attack before he does.  I want to look like I'm on the attack
here and maybe draw some interest from his troops in the Philippines.  I really don't want an attack at AM yet.  I'm becoming
attached to that area.

Geekanese forces already at Mary.

He was here the day after I got the warning.  I expected him to come by land.  I don't have any chance of interrupting the landings
so I'll look for softer targets for my raider TFs.

The chase is on!


Geek has those CA's and DD's taking the pressure of his injured CV's.  I can't catch those carriers so I'll do my best to trap these
guys and send them to the bottom.  As long as I keep pecking away at them they won't be able to get up to Mission Speed.  That should allow
me to get my CA's and DD's on them and finish them off.  So far this Indian Ocean gambit has been a good one for me.

Canton continues to get pounded.

We're taking a drunk college girl kind of pounding here.  By time he's finished my port will not contain a single functioning ship.  Again,
there's nothing I can do about it.

Manila barely hanging on.

We did ourselves a small favor and increased or Fort Level right after the attack and bought ourselves another day at the expense of
supply.  We might as well use up all the supply and not leave Geek any when he takes this.

Padang continues to be bombed 4-5 times a day.  I'm going to pull all the planes back to Siboret and try to put a full squadron together.
Once I have a decent number of planes I'll unleash them on Geek's unsuspecting(hopefully) bombers.

Nothing noteworthy at AM.  I think we did enough damage to keep him grounded for awhile.  One thing I'm beginning to see that really
scares me is...SUBS. :(  I'm going to try to get some sub chasers up here but it may take awhile.

[KyzBP]

March 9th, 1942

Sometimes a mistake can be a blessing.

I had originally sent some DD's and a CL to Mary, or so I thought.  I actually sent them to Rockhampton by mistake.


I got REALLY lucky.  It looks like we hit some transports dropping off troops for Geek's ongoing stroll through the Land
Down Under.  We got chased out of there though when some BB's showed up.  Neither side fired a shot so we got out
while the gotten was good, or something like that.  There are a few BB's at Mary right now so it's a good thing we didn't
up there.  I wish there was a way to hit some of those transports at Mary but I'd lose whatever warships I have left here.

Daily bombardment of Moulmein.

Ground casualties are just gravy at this point.  It's the planes and the airfield I'm after.  I'm not sure if he'll send some
big ships here to stop me since my carriers are still chasing him around the Indian Ocean.  I will certainly be ready for him
if he comes around again.

We kept up the pressure on his screening force.

The screening force is about done but it did it's job and allowed his carriers to get out of the area.  I'm trying to guess
where he's headed next so I can try and finish him off.


Manila still holding.

I'm not sure how these guys are doing it.  It won't last long but I'm enjoying every extra day these guys are buying me.  I know
I say it nearly every update but I fear what he'll be able to do once these guys are freed up.

Mary was not so lucky.  She fell instantly.  Geek now has a straight shot at Brisbane.  I've built it up the best I could.  I expect he'll
be here in a couple of days so we'll find out if I did good.  I will try to beat him down by air as long as I can.  If he does come by land
I'll try bombarding the coastline as he moves down to Brisbane.  I'm officially committing the kitchen sink.

We continue to hit targets of opportunity at AM.


It's taking forever for my bombardment force to get to their target.  I get more and more nervous every turn.  After they hit here
I'll return to Bihoro and hit it one more time.  I'll then pull back to AM to provide CAP for the arriving transports.  Once those Base
Forces are unloaded I'll finally be able to remove the carriers.  That can't happen soon enough.

Padang took 5 more air raids today.  Most of the raids averaged 100 bombers.  Those guys are getting seriously beat down.

Finally, Geek seems to be bugging out of the area around Canton. 

Given his success here, I'm surprised to see him headed out.  More importantly, where is he going?

[Sir Slash]

It's gonna KILL Geekamoto to find out that beating at Rockhampton was an accident. Can't wait.