Anyone interested in some intellectual exercise?

Not so far away from my thoughts. I asked Col. Bobimoto to give me a overview where my Divisons are set in that game to know from where i can get some of the better ones and how long it will take to transport them to the places i need them. My thoughts were this way: we can free some more Divisons out of garrison duties for a invasion i will set up at three places, mainly. For that i have to know how well trained they are, which equipment they have and how much of our transport capacity i will need to transfer them. Also i have to know where our auxiliary troops are and how to transport them. I´m waiting for a briefing from Col. Bobimoto to this case. There are some more information i will need about the air fields and how far we can move our tanks and other equipment with the actual fuel situation. The plan is close to be ready and i´m waiting to present it to the Council sooner or later.

 

It will be sooner Ulrich, I've added a lot more of the back story this morning and should have it finished up very soon. I finally, got some technical assistance from WitP Tracker so that I can generate the report you're wanting, I actually had it up and running yesterday morning before my son came over. He deployed today and I spent much of the day yesterday with him and his fiance, drank some brews and went out to dinner with them and the wife. It was a very good day. Patience Weedhopper. You need to check out the other thread later tonight, I've introduced your character. I have most of the rest of your story written, he is a very interesting character with an interesting resume, I just need to recheck a few of my historical facts and I'll post it later tonight. I'm taking a break right now from my wife, who has me doing yard work.

 

Thank you much for the immense amount of work you have to do with all of this here my friend! Glad that you´ve had a good day! I really like the stories you wrote at the other thread. Maybe this will be a good job for you, and if you decide to do so, i like to have the first handsinged book! I know now why there is the word "Ace" under your user name!!!

All the best!

 

I believe the reason to avoid war with the US and to bring the one to conclusion in China is that we will and are losing more then we gain.

 

Concur.

What production must we adjust to gain this increase in aircraft?
We should use less fuel, munitions and other stores by foregoing P.I., Midway and Pearl in 41- early 42. It will be interesting to see how this balances.
​

 

Do you think it will run into a other direction if we want to start struggling with the USA?

 

If we have to then so be it, but why pick one when we may be able to avoid it.

 

Probably preaching to the choir again but.
One predictor of pilot quality was flight hours in training. The more the better obviously. In considering your pilot training program flight hours should also be considered as well as the number of personel.

 

We went through this extensively earlier in the thread. Read post #375 on page 15 and posts #378 and #377, where I went in depth into the pilot training system. There is some additional information in posts #68 and 158 mostly based upon how it effects strategy within the game engine. Please once you've read them, give us your thoughts, I'd be very interested in your take on it.

 

I must have read them but didn't remember. Will try and take a look in the next day or two.

Along another line there is a new section over at combined fleet that may be of use:
Naval War in China
It deals with the IJN and the war in China up to PH (could be just up to 41 haven't looked at it in detail yet but ....).

 

I just seem to get broken links on their menu

 

We still need to come to a final decision on warship types, as well as totals. I feel the majority of the council has leaned toward expediting the Unryu design. Perhaps I alone have leaned toward better carriers in preference to more carriers. (For much the same reasons we as a council have leaned towards better aircraft rather than more, oddly.)

First: I think you mean the Akizuki class, which is different and later than the 1931 Akatsukis. (Though these are good ships and are all still in service.) The Akizuki class is currently on the building ways, but none are as yet in commission.

Currently building:
[I][I][I][I][I][I][I][I][I][I][I][I][/I][/I][/I][/I][/I][/I][/I][/I][/I][/I][/I][/I]
Mitsubishi Nagasaki: Akizuki class DD Suzutsuki (5/41-3/42), Akizuki class DD Niizuki (12/41-6/42)
Kure: CL Oyodo (2/21-4/42), Yamato class BB hull 111? (late 1940-suspended),
Kawasaki Kobe: Taiho (7/41-7/43)
Yokosuka: Ryuho (12/41-n/42), Agano class CL Noshiro (9/41-7/42), Shinano (5/40-suspended)
Sasebo: Agano class CL Yahagi (11/41-10/42)
Yokohama dock: ?
Maizura: Akizuki class DD Hatsuzuki (7/41-4/42)

We also have three Yugomos currently on the slips at Uraga and Fujinagata.

This list is not inclusive of any auxiliaries or lighter warships that might be building in these yards, but should be otherwise complete. I am surprised that this is all we presently have laid down, particularly in destroyers, but it seems to be the case.

To summarize, we currently have 1 fleet carrier, 3 light cruisers, and 6 destroyers laid down. We also have one light carrier under conversion and two suspended battleship hulls. This represents only ships currently in graving docks or on slips. Ships launched but still fitting out are not included in this list, since they don't directly affect our capacity to lay down additional ships.

With your patience, I will try to put together a building recommendation based on this and the suggestions of the council later tonight.

 

Well the attempted coup is taking place October 2d, 1941. Our council will be formed soon thereafter, so we actually don't have to lay down any historic ships after say October 4th. Those from your listing, that I've bold faced, need not be started. The reason more weren't in the works is the fuel and steel shortage, both are necessary for manufacture. If we seize the largest oil and refinery centers on our initial assaults, before their defenders can damage them, or do serious damage we can largely solve our oil problem. Japan has about 15 months of oil stored and @260 days of fuel. We are running a shortfall of about -8110 oil per day. Palembang has an oil output of 9000 per day and a refinery 10210 per day. So if we seize it we're 890 to the good. This does not however account for the additional fuel requirements increased tempo naval ops or increased industrial production would require. The next two largest oil centers are Balikpapan at 3010 per day with an oil refinery capable of 3000 per day and Pjambi at 2510, Soerabaya at 1900 with a refinery, Miri 1510 with a refinery, Samarinda at 1000, Tarakan at 910 with a refinery and several smaller oil centers.

Personally I'd immediately lay down two more Shokaku's. We have the plans already so there would be no design time involved as there would be with the Unryu's. Then scrap the Shinano to have a ready source of steel to expedite their construction.

 

Mandalay also has a oil production center. The difficult problem will be getting steel. I wonder how much more we can develop Manchuria. Also if we do end the China affair we will reduce demand.

 

With all due respect Mr. Prime Minister, I'd immediately bump up my incoming classes to 600 IJN and 150 IJA because we need to get pilots into the pipeline. Selection, testing, initial military training and ground school will take some time initially. When we strike at the DEI we will solve most of our fuel problems. Remember, these pilots won't be graduating as basically trained aviators for anothe twelve months so we're talking the end of September '42. By this time we will have a much greater amount of territory needing protecting and the pilots to do so. I'd suggest additional (in addition to those on the home islands) advanced training squadrons be stationed at Palembang and Balikpapan where we would have refineries to keep them supplied with fuel and don't have the need to transport it. These will also be prime hunting grounds for US subs because they know we need the oil. We can let these pilots get air time and experience by having them fly ASW patrols, in addition to training in their primary skill. Two birds with one stone so to speak. I'd also ramp up production on combat aircraft, the newer types can go to frontline squadrons and their hand me downs would go to the training squadrons. Because of the training time for producing freshly minted pilots we have a year to stockpile the necessary aircraft. If and when the US enters the war she'll up her pilot training as was shown in the figures I posted earlier, at this point I'd atttempt to double again the number of pilots entering training. We won't match them but the gap would be smaller. Pilots have such a long lead time we need to anticipate our needs 14-15 months out.

I agree with your overall vision, but I still think in the interim we immediately take steps to increase production. We can always use the aircraft in training and second line units, once improved types become available. Some historical stumbling blocks were lack of energy to fully supply industry and periodic engine shortages. We can alleviate some of this by designing our aircraft to use either/or both the Mitsubishi or Nakajima radial engines, whatever is available. This will also allow us to drastically increase plane types we have critical needs for by producing them with both engine types. When the need subsides we swap back to production model using the primary type. We also avoid production interruptions due to development problems with one engine line or the other.

 

I agree on building more Shokaku's as well as the plan to scrap Shinano.

The oil center's should not be much of a problem either, but a couple questions.

Have we decided on a Dutch only approach to our opening moves? If yes, Do we want to include Palembang with these moves, or wait and see what the British do? I don't want to see ourselves get to close to British airfields in Singapore and get surprised with a DoW when we are most vulnerable. I also do not want to see us getting so caught up in capturing oil, that we overlook other resource centers.

 

Singapore is too important a base to not occupy. combined with the British bases on the north end of Borneo we could be cut off at any time

 

I see no reason not to continue production of the Akizukis. As a matter of fact, I could see the point to simply continuing destroyer production in kind at the yards we are presently using. While the Aizukis will serve as better AA escorts than the Yugumos, the Yugumos are less expensive, generally well rounded, and somewhat more capable surface warfare units. By allowing the yards to continue with follow on units of what they've already produced we save the time of disseminating plans and patterns. Tough call. But certainly the Akizukis are as good a design as we have on hand and can be laid down as planned. We might cancel conversion of Ryuho, but she could prove useful and will cost us less in resources than new construction.

I completely agree about the Shokakus. I'd lay down two (at Kure and Yokasuka) and strongly consider a third. (Perhaps at Kawasaki Kobe, if they've the slips for it.)

I think we attack the Dutch and British simultaneously, unless the British agree to our demands. For the sake of our old alliance and because of the support they have showed us (though not recently under certain Tories) we really need to give them some notice. A 24 hour ultimatum might suffice. Nothing so long that they have time to reinforce, but enough time that they can capitulate if they so choose. The British almost certainly won't agree, so immediately upon expiration of the ultimatum we neutralize Singapore and seize the Dutch possessions.

What other iron deposits could we exploit? Australia and New Zealand both have substantial reserves if they can be convinced to trade with us.

 

Could that not be used in negotiating with the US? Even hinting that negotiations with China were possible might win some concessions and at the worst would probably relieve some tensions on the US side.

 

It's a new section and apparently under construction. Some of the links work but at least one I tested also appeared broken. If you mention it either on the ijn board or Tully's port in the announcement threads I suspect you'll get a pretty quick response.