Looking forward to seeing the AARs for this, hopefully with lots of pipe cleaners in the photos

Well, I never knew the Japanese attack Ceylon in WWII! Looking forward to the AAR's on this campaign .

Thanks for the comments Paul and Steve J....yes the raid in April 1942 was, fortunately for the British, the only major sortie into the Indian Ocean that the IJN ever made. They had enough problems to contend with in the Pacific after mid 1942.....

I posted the AAR's of the first two games I played on the blog at https://betweenthelines10mm.blogspot.com/

I have played the third game (but have yet to write it up) This turned into a real furball when no less than 6 defending fighters turned up.   

The recce scenario was always going to be tough on the Cat

Two nice little scenarios and young Watanebe certainly had a great debut game/mission!

Pierre,

Fantastic man, absolutely fantastic!  First, let me tell you, your blog is coming along nicely; I told ya, if I can do it, anyone can do it!

The one (small) complaint I have is... where's the minis???!!!   Don't misunderstand, the counters look very nice and are very effective, the narrative and photos are easy to follow.  I'm just always gonna be partial to minis.  And I think I recognize that little explosion you're using to mark downed aircraft/shooting 

Regarding your concept, man, you've taken my idea and cranked it up to 100!  That linked mini-campaign structure you created is absolutely magnificent!  And I love how you've come up with the detailed victory conditions, not just the 'shoot down his airplanes' stuff I've been getting away with!  I've really gotta steal that!  All of it

The first fight was cool, about as one would expect; that Cat really needed some escorts, or some clouds to duck into!  Regarding the second fight, that's cool how the Brit interceptors are penalized by the preceding fight, and I figured it would handicap them; I guess Watenabe proved that!  At least the Japanese bombers didn't hit their targets as effectively as they could have, getting all six Kates through to the target.   

And I noticed you took it easy on yourself with a 3 vs 3 escort mission I'm here to tell you it's no much fun going 4 vs 6!  Man, this is super cool, and lots of fun, I can't wait to see more.

V/R,
Jack

Quote from: bigjackmac on 19 January 2021, 03:11:57 AM
Pierre,

Fantastic man, absolutely fantastic!  First, let me tell you, your blog is coming along nicely; I told ya, if I can do it, anyone can do it!

The one (small) complaint I have is... where's the minis???!!!  Don't misunderstand, the counters look very nice and are very effective, the narrative and photos are easy to follow.  I'm just always gonna be partial to minis.  And I think I recognize that little explosion you're using to mark downed aircraft/shooting  

Regarding your concept, man, you've taken my idea and cranked it up to 100!  That linked mini-campaign structure you created is absolutely magnificent!  And I love how you've come up with the detailed victory conditions, not just the 'shoot down his airplanes' stuff I've been getting away with!  I've really gotta steal that!  All of it

The first fight was cool, about as one would expect; that Cat really needed some escorts, or some clouds to duck into!  Regarding the second fight, that's cool how the Brit interceptors are penalized by the preceding fight, and I figured it would handicap them; I guess Watenabe proved that!  At least the Japanese bombers didn't hit their targets as effectively as they could have, getting all six Kates through to the target.    

And I noticed you took it easy on yourself with a 3 vs 3 escort mission I'm here to tell you it's no much fun going 4 vs 6!  Man, this is super cool, and lots of fun, I can't wait to see more.

V/R,
Jack

Thanks for your opinions Jack, great to know you like what I am doing  

I went for counters for two reasons - a) there is no real altitude components in the rules I am using (but I do refer to diving/climbing in the batreps in a round about way) and b) sheer practically - I have a heep of modern 1/600th planes from Picoarmor and TD to do up eventually and I just don't have time to do up a fair few WW2 ones as well.

Feel free to use any concepts that I have used. I will willingly email a copy of the stuff I have put together if its any use.

I have just finished writing up the third mission...I will let you read the report on the blog ( https://betweenthelines10mm.blogspot.com/ ) but I will just say it started as an "against the odds" furball.

I have not changed any outcomes and didn't have any pre-conceived ideas about the pilots in this campaign.....but I am enjoying playing the games and writing up the batreps (the 3rd one took me over 3 hours to do!!) but what I really like to be able to put in "human" touches that make the characters more than just one-dimensional and also to include a bit of a storytelling.

Cheers
Peter

           

Very cool, Pierre, another great dogfight, it's making me want to pull my WWII Pacific squadrons back out!

Old Watenabe is headed for "Natural Born Killer" status!  I'm guessing the Vals finished off the target?

Looking forward to the next fight, I'm guessing torpedo bombers are going after the British cruisers?

V/R,
Jack

Quote from: bigjackmac on 20 January 2021, 03:38:43 AM
Very cool, Pierre, another great dogfight, it's making me want to pull my WWII Pacific squadrons back out!

Old Watenabe is headed for "Natural Born Killer" status!  I'm guessing the Vals finished off the target?

Looking forward to the next fight, I'm guessing torpedo bombers are going after the British cruisers?

V/R,
Jack

Yes Watenabe is doing rather well at the moment isn't he?

The second wave strike by the Val's was successful. yes the cruisers will be facing Kate's. Historically the cruisers did not have any fighter CAP and were dive bombed by Val's which scored around 80% hits but l am assuming that they're close enough to the British carriers to be able to receive fighter cover from Fleet Air Arm fighters.

You have to remember that April 1942 probably represents the lJN carrier force at the zenith of it's achievement. From May 1942 they were held at Coral Sea and absolutely devastated at Midway a month later by the USN. The Zeros are good, but not untouchable as the IJN found as the war progressed.

I will report on the next engagement once l have completed the game.

It all sounds great, Pierre, and I'm painfully aware of the Japanese carrier force's power!

I eagerly await the next fight.

V/R,
Jack

Another good game by the sound of it

Also catching up. Liked looking through your flowcharts on blog.
At first I pictured winged bison roosting in the sturdy nutmegs but then recalled the marine squadron at Midway from incessant play of the AH game in the late 60's.

Great story telling, Mr. Shy.

I have tried to correct the subject heading to reflect the current campaign.....

Managed to complete two further games, with some dice rolling assistance from Dougal the cat (He rolls better than me usually  ).

I will be writing them up over the weekend....but they both turned into really complicated fights so they may take a while.

Its now dusk on April 5th 1942 and the Japanese task force is temporarily withdrawing to the South East to reset for its second strike on a Ceylonese port which is schduled for dwn on April 8th, this time it will be against Trincommalee.     

Looking forward to reading those

Managed to post the first new report tonight after a productive evening of AWI gaming.....

A tough fight for the Zeros this time, with half the Kate torpedo bombers shot down en route to the target area....

The second wave fight is even grittier, but I have not started writing up that one yet.

Another good read

The young chap is doing rather well

Thanks to those who have been following this and for your comments here or on the blog....I will reply but this blogging lark is new to me.

I have just posted the last mission that I played...a very narrow victory to the Japanese.

I'm not going to do a follow-on to the Operation C campaign, at least immediately. It's time to immerse once again in some war of the 3 kingdoms actions instead.

https://betweenthelines10mm.blogspot.com/2021/01/operation-c-cruisers-2nd-wave.html for those wondering where it is

Good for the Japanese that you followed Dougal's advice

Great stuff, Pierre, a thoroughly enjoyable campaign, very interesting!  And it definitely felt more intimate following only a single flight of three pilots, which was really nice. But I don't think I could pull that off, I lose way too many aircraft to do that!  I must be doing something wrong, your guys flew five sorties, shooting down 14 British fighters (and one PBY) while only losing a single Zero!

It seemed to me that you played the interceptors with a laser-like focus on attacking the strike aircraft, whereas I tend to play my interceptors as splitting their force to try and contain the escorts while the other section goes after the strike force.  Or sometimes no plan at all, just a blind charge into a furball!

And speaking of furballs, old Dougal is a cutie, but you trust that varmint around your minis more than I trust my children with mine!!!

V/R,
Jack