Bit confused here: you learned here that you COULD move troops by ships other than Aps here or you couldn't? If it's the latter I apologise; My strategy is going to be based around amphibious capacity more and more as the game unfolds so my thinking about troops shipping has mainly reflected that. It's going to become harder and harder for me to remember every detail as the game goes on so if you have any questions or if there is anything you're not clear on just let me know. Won't promise I'll be able to make it clearer but at least we'll look busy! :D

Troops can indeed be moved by xAps and xAPLs for invasion purposes but you get no amphibious bonus with them and they are virtually useless for invading smaller targets like atolls and small islands. By the time you get enough troops and supplies on to the shore you're going to have real problems. This is also the same for the xAK/AK/AKA classes.

The manual has a table in it somewhere that lists the various amphibious bonuses. It's also worth reading the sections dealing with reloading and rearming rates at the different port sizes. This has a profound effect on gameplay.

Actually, I advise reading the manual from cover to cover, over and over again until it you can recite in in conversation with normal people. it impresses them no end.

This is very true. Once you spend time actually playing the game a lot of stuff becomes second nature. That huge map doesn't seem anywhere near as big when you start learning to focus on the relevant sections of it as you need to.

I've never used any mods with the game. I keep meaning to but I've never got around to it.

To add to what I was saying about the various ships: I think I've mentioned this before in the AAR but it's worth pointing out again. There are a number of ships, mainly AK and AP classes but some others as well (such as the X versions,) that can be upgraded to APA and AKA class amphibious ships. There are also a number of others that can be upgraded to AGs, AEs and AKEs.

Of all of these, the ones that upgrade into ammo tenders (AE and AKE,) are the most important because the number the Allies receive is very, very small. Even at the start of the game you will have a lot of xAKs and suck like so a good strategy is to check what ships upgrade to these more useful sorts and move them somewhere safe like the west coast until they convert. with the amphibious ships you get quite a lot but you still want to save as many of the upgradeable ships as you can.

The one major problem is that you will probably find that you will need the APs and AKs you get in 41 and 42 for landing your first wave forces during campaigns in places like the the Solomons so you might well lose a few before they upgrade. I personally would be loath to commit these ships early on without MAJOR support in the shape of carriers and air cover. They are the only ships for the first year with decent unload rates over a beach head and need to be guarded.

Ha sorry for the confusion of my post. I've been up glued to the TV since 11 last night.

I learned that I could load troops on ships other than AP somewhere in this thread. I think you mentioned a convoy picking up guys and I noticed there were no AP and I was like :hmmm:. I had been wondering anyways how you were able to move them so much. With the movements you were doing and the AP numbers I had I just very very very slowly put 1 and 1 together.

You have been very clear and concise with your explanations and the only time I've scratched my head is because I was unsure of a game function or something along those lines.

Your AAR has been not only entertaining but an invaluable learning tool for me! Just want to thank you again!

My pleasure. I'm really enjoying writing it. Hopefully once Juha has 'recovered' we can get right back on it. Those guys at Wake must be itching to get off the troop ship by now.

You get lots of decent troops ships all through the game but it's never enough. Early war you'll spend a bit of time having to worry about the actual physical limitations of supply movement, particularly with regard to invasion forces. for example, if I was invading Guadalcanal I'd have my first wave loaded in whatever APs and AKs I had available so that when they arrive they get onto the beach quickly. My landing force would probably have Marines, maybe a Regimental Combat Team, Combat engineers and a naval support detachment (more about them in a moment,) my second wave would contain more supply and heavier units if I needed them like Armour, arty perhaps a base force and more infantry. I would expect the second wave would have a higher number of xAPs and xAks but I'd still like to have some amphibious capability if I could. You might also want some form of air support base force if you intend to get an airfield up and running straight away. A third wave would probably be engineer and support unit heavy as they aren't needed right off.

You might also have to look elsewhere to supply these bases if they are hotly contested. In my example, Guadalcanal is well within range of Japanese aircraft like Betties and Nells with their torpedoes and you might find you don't have enough time to unload slower ships. In this case I find the fast transports like the APDs (troop and supply carrying destroyers,) to be invaluable. They don't carry a huge amount, but putting them in a fast transport task force has a special move: They will get forward during the day and them sprint in at night to unload, hopefully avoiding airstrikes. By dawn they should be long gone. Submarines will also be important in this role. Although they obviously carry very little everything will be welcome.

During the game you will get small naval support detachments. I think you get about half a dozen through the normal channels and they usually have a support rating of about 30. it doesn't sound like a lot but that 30 score helps out a lot for speeding up unloading in the smaller ports. There are a few others scattered across the map at the start so you''l need to decide whether or not to leave them in situ or move them to where they might really be needed.

Ah now see that just the kinda of info I need. I don't really know much about how to compile an invasion force, but that certainly lights the way. I suppose just to clarify that you mean AK/P purposely without the x prefix? X is a Civy conversation right and not as good?

The Base Forces and what not are needed at places that are not very large? In other words I don't need those three BF units sitting in Diego and can move them elsewhere or do all bases need a minimum amount of units for support? And again does it matter where the support cokes from or does it need to be specifically Naval Support and Air Support to do any good for the base. In other words the engineers in an infantry div want do much or as much as NS or AS?

Generally, naval support helps ships load and unload and assists with ship repair. Air support helps keep planes flying and assist with the number of aircraft you can stack at a base without penalty. The engineers help expand a base and aid in it's repair from damage.

Excellent thank you TPX! I found out the hard way not to set the whole base to rest/training. I had a good numbers of units somewhere I forget, but there were plenty of engineers there but none were showing up listed in the base screen. So I fooled around a bit trying to figure it out, and noticed they were all "training" *read sleeping lol*. I thought :hmmm: I wonder and switched them to combat. Instantly they showed as listed in the has screen and when I finished the order phase I did a serious facepalm. In one turn they did about 10% wort of work on the ppets and airport. I had, had over 500 engineers there for almost two months doing nothing but eating and sleeping.

Reminds me of the pic and caption posted here whn Egan said he was on pain meds.

Wish I was on my pain meds today; my knee is killing me. I'm going to self medicate with beer when the Barca-Real Champions league game starts.

An interesting thing I've noticed about Air Support is that there seems to be a cap on it. EG: the most air support any base will need is 250 regardless of how big it is and how many aircraft are based there. I don't know if this is the way it is supposed to be, or if it as a bug but that's what I see in may games. You Simply don't ever need more than 250 points worth of air support at any airbase.

Re San Diego: One of the Base Forces is permanently restricted anyway so can't be moved but the other two are both attached to Pacific command and I would personally get them somewhere useful as soon as you can. As a general rule, if a unit is named something like 'San Diego base force' it is probably going to be permanently restricted. Even if it isn't I wold probably leave it in situ unless there is a really pressing need to move it. There are a lot of units in the DEI, like the 'Tarakan coastal gun battalion' which are temp restricted and you'll have to decide whether they are worth moving. If you remember, this very unit took out and damaged a number of ships when Juha's invasion fleet arrived so even though I've now lost that unit I think I got a good price for it.

I'm still not totally sure about when to use the rest/training setting. It seems to be the one you need for upgrading and obtaining replacements but whether it is essential or simply speeds it up I'm not sure. I really need to sit down with the manual and go through it again as a refresher course.

As for engineers in infantry division, often they are combat engineers and they are very useful for attacking well fortified bases. In general, though, I don't think too many division come with enough organic engineering capability to make an enormous difference.

I'm hoping Juha gets a turn out soon. Given that those Finnish boys have a reputation on a par with the Irish and we Scots for getting Jaked I feel nothing but awe for the level of holiday binging which leaves our lad needing a week to recover....:salute::D

I'll be going to Rome in about ten days for a week so I really hope we get some turns in before then. I'm sure we will. Bring it on.

I forgot: yes, any ship with an 'X' at the front is a civilian ship. Good for hauling stuff around but not so hot at the business end of an invasion.

Right well, i'm at work just now but Juha has broken cover to tell me he's sent the next turn. Hurray! I was beginning to get bored of falling out the sky in 'Rise of Flight.'

Now, where we we?

24th Jan 42

CenPac

In the couple of weeks he's been away Juha seems to have started believing he's playing as Germany or something! One of the regular supply convoys on the SF-Pearl route is attacked by a pair of Armed Merchant Cruisers about 300 miles north of Pearl. They fail to land any rounds on any of the ships in the convoy but are themselves left burning by the escorts. I'm not sure exactly how damaged they are but I'll be keeping an eye to see whether one of them goes down.

The reinforcement convoy arrives at Wake and starts unloading the Defence battalion. A submarine, RO-61 gets close and launches attacks during the night and again in the morning but takes a number of hits for her troubles. She is also reported to have caught fire but I don't know how accurate that report is likely to be so it's discounted.

The Marine divebombers actually get an attack in on the Japanese positions too but don't achieve very much.

SWPac

Japanese forces take Buna and start landings at Shortlands. My subs launch a couple of attacks here and there. Can you guess the results? :nope:

Singers

A big raid comes in but does very little. 11 of his bombers are reported damaged so hopefully some of them won't make it home. I lose two fighters which wouldn't have been a problems but we're beginning to run low. The Kiwi Hurris are the only truly combat capable fighter squad left in Malaya now and they won't last long under repeated attacks. I'll have to see what I can do about that but I fear the answer might be 'not much'.

Better news - well, mixed really I suppose - the 6th Tank regiment crosses the causeway towards Singers forcing a shock attack. The unit loses 93 vehicles (including 46 destroyed outright,) and will be out of the fight for a while. More Japanese units are approaching though so things are going to start getting dicey pretty soon. Even so, I have a lot of supply and about 500 AV behind 3.5 forts so I reckon I can hold out for a while yet.

Burma

Blenheims' sortie from Rangoon and pound Japanese troops at Pegu doing 127 casualties. I imagine they are in Move mode so are in road columns therefore presenting a nice target.


Thoughts

It's nice to be back. It's been a long couple of weeks without my daily fix. Things are going about as well as they were before the break. I may have a nice surprise for Juha next turn but I'll need to see whether it comes off or goes all Pete Tong. (Does anyone use that expression any more? Does anyone even remember who Pete Tong was? I'm not even sure.)

Good to see things rolling again. :yeah:

Yes, great to see this back in action! This thread is one of the things that re-ignited my interest towards the Pacific war recently. Sadly I have neither money nor time to get this now, so back to the 'list of things to get' it goes for a good while I guess :(

Cheers boys. Hopefully we'll get a few turns in this week before I go away but after that there's nothing to stop us. Well, except real life..

Thoughts

I was caught out by the AMC raid, although it turned out OK. I really wasn't expecting such an attack in this area, which was obviously a mistake. I think there has been a certain amount of complacency on my part at times due to playing against the AI for so long and then fighting against a human player. This is the sort of situation that an escort carrier or two would be ideal for as I have none I'm probably going to have to start using destroyers and/or light cruisers for some additional security. I'm not too surprised that their presence was missed by patrol aircraft; the attack point was a long way from anywhere and it was only two ships. I definitely came off better, though. I'm unsure how may AMCs the Japanese player gets but if it's anything like the Allies the answer is 'not many'.

I'm assuming the reason he sent them all the way out here on there own is that A, they normally have pretty good range, B, it's kind of cool in an early Atlantic war sort of way, and C, the majority of his decent ships are busy with more important business.

I'll have to be on my guard.

Well, sorry I've not updated much but there hasn't been anything to update. Juha seems to have disappeared so the game has stalled once again. Although he seems to have been around on the forums it takes a lot of time to actually do a turn some times so I'm assuming he's run off his feet and tied up with real life again. I sent him a note about my upcoming time away so I wonder if one of us made a mistake somewhere along the line.

I don't want to feel like I'm being pushy but I'll drop him a line later on and see whether he wants to put it on hold for a while - until after I get back from Italy at the least. If he's having a busy old time of it I would rather he worries about that than whether he's got the time to do a turn with me breathing down his neck.

It's a bit irritating because over the last few days I've begun formulating a devious plan....:arrgh!: