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

[KyzBP]

Undercover Geek and I have decided to launch into the ultimate time sink known as WiTP:AE.  UCG claims to have played very little of this edition and I haven't played past 1/42.  This game promises to be a comedy of errors.  On my end you can expect the unexpected, not because of my tactical genius, but because I don't really know what I'm supposed to be doing.  All comments, suggestions, and critiques are welcome but if you feel you need to harshly slam my tactics please reread the title of this AAR.

So without further adieu I bring you the war that may end as quickly as it starts.   

[KyzBP]

I'll throw out my general strategy and go in depth from there.

I'm going to play this much like WiTP in that I need to establish a line that UCG can't cross.  I don't want to give him access to the Indian Ocean.  If he wants India I'd like for him to have to slog it out on the ground.  I plan to establish a line of bases/strongholds.  Those include Rangoon to the north, Point Blair in the center, and Sabang to the south.  I know I'll be vulnerable to air attacks but I plan on moving the AVG to Rangoon, most of the RAF stuff to Rangoon and Point Blair, and much of the Dutch stuff to Sabang.  I hope to keep all of the surface combat ships in Colombo to cover my back door.

There's no way to prevent the Dutch East Indies from falling so I won't put forth much effort.  In fact, I'll be pulling everything I can out of there  My line however, extends through Timor so parts of the Dutch forces will end up there. 

The Philippines will be decimated as usual.  I plan to get everything out I can and get it to Timor and Darwin.

Western Australia will be beefed up where ever possible, especially Perth.  Perth will be receiving most of the supply and fuel shipments from India and the offboard ports.  I plan to use the coastal AKs and TKs to move supplies from Perth to the areas around ANZAC that need it the most...like Gatorade.  All the long haul AKs and TKs will be sent to the US or India to fetch more supplies and fuel.  The long range APs will head to the US as well.

The line continues to Port Moresby where we will be trying to consolidate all the forces in the area as well as sending in some fresh troops from AU as soon as I can.

The line then will take a jagged turn south through the Solomons, down to Suva and Pago Pago.  It then juts upward to Canton.  Canton will be a forward operating base and really needs to be held.  I plan on maxing out the stacking limit there pretty quickly.

We then proceed up to Palmyra, Johnson Island, and, of course, Pearl Harbor.  I hope to build up Umnak and Dutch Harbor.  Dutch Harbor will be a sub base and Umnak will have the airfield necessary to protect Dutch Harbor.

So there's my overall strategy.  Small things to follow.

[KyzBP]

Tactically I see no reason to risk what few CVs I have until summer of 42 (right now there's a hauntingly familiar song running through your head).  I plan on swapping the Wildcats on Wake with the Devastators on the Lexington and then getting the heck out of there.  Since I have no real plans to go on the offensive right away I figure it's better to have an extra squadron of fighters on the carrier.  If, by chance, UCG decides to hit Wake while I'm there then maybe I can interrupt the landings.  If that's the case the Lexington will then hightail it to Alaska and slow roll down the West Coast.  It's risky but I don't think he'll be looking north for my CVs.

The other CV, which is more SE than the Lexington, will head S and try to drop off its Devastators at Canton.  She'll then head for the West Coast and pick up another squadron of Wildcats.  Hopefully by then the heat will be off Pearl and all the CVs can rendezvous there.

I hope to use the heck out of subs.  I know their torps suck at first but if I can hurt his transports I can slow him down.  Time is on my side so the more of his I take up the better.

First turn results, and much crying, to follow.

[Sir Slash]

No worries KyzBP. The A Bomb is only 4 years away. What could go wrong until then? I seem to remember from playing way back when, the Allies get some good planes fairly early. Like the B-17's and P-38's. Is that still the case?

[KyzBP]

No worries KyzBP. The A Bomb is only 4 years away. What could go wrong until then?

Your optimism gives me hope!

I seem to remember from playing way back when, the Allies get some good planes fairly early. Like the B-17's and P-38's. Is that still the case?

You get some B-17s at Manila or Clark Field and at Pearl.  The big question is: Do they survive the first turn?  I've only played into 1/42 and what P-38s I get seem to be either locked down (unable to change their HQ) on the West Coast or in small HQ squadrons, usually containing only 5 planes.  Also, most of the squadrons in the US have very low experience, under 50, so they'll need to stay and train up a bit before being turned into open water kayakers by UCG's pilots.

I should be able to post some screens and the first turn results later today.

[Sir Slash]

Looking forward to it.

[KyzBP]

Looking forward to it.

Thanks Sir Slash.  This may not get updated until Thursday though due to work and kid's sports.  I shall return...

[Sir Slash]

I see what you did there. I shall await.

[Martok]

Ooh, this should be fun to watch/read.  Looking forward to more! 

[KyzBP]

Ooh, this should be fun to watch/read.  Looking forward to more!

Thanks for following along Martok!  I should be able to put out more regular updates now.

[KyzBP]

December 7th, 1941, a date that shall live in...Apathy.

UCG's attack on Pearl didn't go so well.  I did take some damage and a few ships sunk but it really wasn't bad...so far.

Here are my losses for the 7th:

Pretty light.  There are some ships that may not survive a second attack but overall it wasn't bad.  I now have every available fighter set on CAP.  I'm hoping
he expects me to try and counter attack and leaves half his fighters over his carriers.
He did hit my sub pens at Subic Bay pretty hard but I think I can get most of those boats out.


Here's the situation at Pearl:

The surface fleet off to the west is his CVs.  I think he chose that spot to try to hunt down my carriers.  I'm going to stick with my plan and send the Lexington
to Wake and then Alaska.  Enterprise will still steam south and try to drop off the Torpedo Squadron at Canton and then head east to meet up with the Saratoga
in sunny San Diego.

Since the waters off Hawaii look like a submarine Koi pond, I've set nearly every plane not named Hawk or Cat to Anti Sub Warfare.  I could take a chance and
send everything I have after his CVs but I have a feeling it would end badly.

[KyzBP]

Over in the Philippines he made a move that I really like.  Not because it's helping me but because it's an excellent strategic move...for him.

When he takes Manado and Cayagan (top of Mindanao) he will not only begin to choke off the ships running from the Philippines but he'll make it real hard for
me to cleanly pull the P-40's out of the area. 

He didn't land any forces in the Philippines so I'm guessing he's going to let it wither and die on the vine.  It is only the first turn though.

I managed to get a couple of squadrons of B-17's out of Manila and over to OZ.  Next will be the Fighters if I have time...and Political Points.
I've also decided to send every boat that'll float out of the Philippines.  If they stay they'll collectively become Subic Reef.  I know I'm going to lose a bunch in
transit but I'll lose them all if they stay.

[KyzBP]

Over in the Far East the Repulse took some big hits.  The only thing she can do now is draw some heat away from the Prince of Wales.

I'm guessing the captain of the Express wishes he was better at Rock, Paper, Scissors.

If you look near the top you'll see Sabang, the future Dutch Singapore.  She will be the southern anchor in the RangBlairBang line.  All Dutch land combat units(LCUs)
on Sumatra are headed there.  Supply ships are already on their way and air units are expected to arrive shortly.  I'll need to get some coastal and AA guns there as
soon as I can.

[KyzBP]

Nothing major is going on anywhere else.  China, OZ, and India are all quiet for now.  Here's how it looks after turn 1:


The next few turns will be tense for me.  I'm praying my carrier gambit keeps them all safe.  I'm hoping I can get a reasonable amount
of aircraft and ships out of the Philippines.  And I'd really like to send some of his fancy carp around Hawaii to the bottom of the sea.

[Martok]

This is fascinating to watch, even at the beginning when you more or less know what the opening moves are likely to be.  Good stuff, KyzBP!