American AAR : AI Experiments In HoI3

[Bullfilter]

I assume they were resting which is what everything does when not patrolling or fighting. As for Research the top of the list is Radar, Nuclear Research, and I think industry related sciences. Very long term research mixed in with short term research.

No worries. But I’d certainly be sprinkling CAG-related stuff in amongst the early short-term stuff. They should be the cutting edge of your war against Japan and don’t seem to be performing that well as yet.

 

[Eurasia]

AI Experiments In HoI3
Chapter One Hundred-Sixty-Three : Bad 1st Army HQ! BAD!

American Cavalry During World War Two
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We open this chapter with two newly commissioned Brooklyn-Class Light Cruisers, the USS Biloxi and the USS Miami, being added to the Reserve Fleet in San Diego. If the ships could be built faster I will soon have a new Fleet available for one of the HQs.

Back in the Island of Mindanao rage two battles. The Battle of Tagum, even with the Japanese pilots launching Ground Attacks on the Americans, is still going our way.

Sadly the Second Battle of Tandag, as it was pointed out, was not doing so good for the American Colored Cavalry Division. Luckily the Japanese have not TOTALLY encircled and trapped the American Defenders. Which means if they lose the exchange they can still make a run for it.

About an hour later the American Carrier pilots returned to their ships at Wake Island after attacking the lone Japanese warship. There is no way to know how much damage they did to it. But I am betting it will not be returning to combat, willingly, in the near future.

Then I got a announcement (which I totally failed to capture) of another Transport out of Boston being sunk. A whole shipment of Boston Ice Cream Pie Cake has gone to the bottom. Damn those GERMANS!

At this time it was clear that the Japanese Fleet was heading towards Hawaii. My mind filled with nightmares of such a massive force picking up all those Japanese Marines and invading the islands to the south. Or even the West Coast! Why must my AARs always go so far off the historical rails?!?!

At least it looked like the 1st Army Transport Fleet was leaving Washington DC and was on its way to pick up the idiot HQs....wait a minute. Let's take a second to look at that FLEET again!

OH BUDDHA! The 1st Army Fleet has absorbed the 2nd Army Fleet. Bad 1st Army HQ! BAD!!!! Oh well, the USS Bullfilter is now the Flagship of Nimitz. *sigh*

At least I was able to get some GOOD news after this. The Submarine Divisions hunting in Japanese waters were able to sunk three Transports (or convoys) heading to Manila. Which means the Japanese troops in Mindanao may not get ALL the supplies they need.

So we close this chapter with two Battles still raging in the Philippines, a massive Japanese Fleet heading for enemy occupied Hawaii, and the AIs doing bad things with my Fleets again!

 

[roverS3]

Our namesakes united at last, @Bullfilter & @stnylan . Now they will be able to aimlessly sail back and forth between the Med & the US East Coast, together. It's a game changer.

Maybe the IJN has realised that all those Marines in Hawai could be useful elsewhere? Does this mean that the Japanese AI is making sense now? I guess we'll have to wait for it's next step to find out.

 

[Bullfilter]

Fear not, having USS Bullfilter as the flagship is great news! Huzzah . The war is now surely as good as won.

 

[Eurasia]

Fear not, having USS Bullfilter as the flagship is great news! Huzzah . The war is now surely as good as won.

It was a Flagship before.

 

[Bullfilter]

It was a Flagship before.

But now of more ships? Even more bull to be filtered?

 

[stnylan]

Let us steam forever in style - we should charge exorbitant prices for all these transatlantic cruises.

 

[Eurasia]

AI Experiments In HoI3
Chapter One Hundred-Sixty-Four : Axis Air Power

Italian Cant Z. 1007s In The Middle East
​

We open this chapter with the Japanese pilots launching another Ground Attack on Tandag. The two Wings were made up of Tactical Bombers escorted by a Wing of Zeroes.

The bombers were Nakajima Ki-49 Donryus. Funny enough from what I can tell these aircraft were defined as heavy bombers so I am not sure why they are Tactical Bombers in the game. (1)

The results from the bombing run was the death of 133 soldiers and who knows how many horses.

We received wonderful news later that day when we won the Battle of Tagum. The Japanese lost 1,133 soldiers while the Americans lost 208 soldiers to Land Combat and another 528 from all the Ground Attacks on the attacking Divisions. Which means the Americans lost a total of 736 men.

I also checked the map showing supplies. Kind of hard to tell what is going on. I think everybody is getting supplied but it looks like the port may be having issues taking care of all the units stationed there.

Then back in the Middle East the Italians continued to hound the retreating Allied forces with another attack. I don't think the British are going to be able to keep the region for much longer.

Our Submarines in the enemy waters reported the sinking of another Transport. Wonderful. I hope we're hurting them as much as the Germans are hurting us!

The next morning, in the early hours, the Italian pilots came to bomb the Allies in Beersheba. The Wing of Tactical Bombers were made up of Cant Z. 1007bis Alciones. (2)

At the same time this was happening the Japanese pilots were carrying out another Ground Attack on Tandag. It was almost as if the Axis powers were showing off their air forces to the world.

The Battle of Tandag were not going well for the 2nd Cavalry Division. Their Organization was doing badly and the Ground Attacks were not helping.

The results of the two Ground Attacks were soon reported to me. The Allies lost 39 men in Beersheba and the Americans lost 245 men in Tandag.

So we close the chapter with the Axis showing off their aircraft and the Americans showing off their torpedoes and what I would call a, somewhat, major victory in the Philippines.

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Author's Note:

1. The Nakajima Ki-49 Donryu (Storm Dragon) was a twin-engine Japanese Heavy Bomber. There was a problem with this. It was required to operate unescorted so it had heavy defensive armament and armor. Which left only enough room for a bomb load of 2,200 pounds (or 1,000 kg).

A monoplane of all metal construction the Ki-49 was one of the first Japanese aircraft fitted with a retractable tailwheel. The Allies knew the bomber as the "Helen". First flown in August 1939 it was produced from 1941 to 1944. A total of 819 were built.

2. The CANT Z. 1007bis Alcone (Kingfisher) was an Italian three-engined medium bomber with a wooden structure. Regarded as some as the "best Italian bomber of World War II" because of its "excellent flying characteristics and good stability". The problem was, being made out of wood, meant it was easily damaged by climate as was experienced in North Africa and Russia. Used by the Italians air forces and the Luftwaffe. First flown in March 1937 and produced between 1938 to 1943. 660 were built.

 

[stnylan]

It is a significant victory, in that it will help stabilise the front (or so I hope).

 

[Bullfilter]

Yes, a good win against the Japanese, retaking that province will straighten and strengthen the line. The cavalry are really fighting a delaying/screening action in the north, while it looks like some reinforcements are on the way. But "where is the USAAF fighter cover", I can hear the GIs in Mindanao crying with frustration.

 

[Eurasia]

AI Experiments In HoI3
Chapter One Hundred-Sixty-Five : Who Has The Smarter AIs?

Rear Admiral Raizo Tanka​

We open this chapter with me peeking at the Japanese Fleet heading to Hawaii. Its Leader was Tanka. Now, I checked on the internet and found a few Tanka from the Imperial Japanese Forces from World War Two. But only one was in the navy. Rear Admiral Raizo Tanka. And he was an AMAZING officer. I hope the game version is nothing like the real man. (1)

And he has a massive AND dangerous Fleet. Two Battleships, four Aircraft Carriers, two Escort Carriers, ten CAGs, thirteen Destroyer Divisions, four Heavy Cruisers, six Landing Craft units, nine Light Cruisers, two Submarine Divisions, and two Transport Flotillas But NO ground troops.

As I pondered what the Japanese AIs were up to I received some bad news. Another Transport out of Boston was sunk by the Germans. *sigh*

These attacks on my convoys are upsetting the people and damaging my nation's National Unity. If I was in CONTROL of the Navy I might try to set up some kind of patrols along the convoy routes. But I am not.

Then the Italians were launching another Ground Attack on the US HQs in the Middle East. At least they didn't have the numbers the Japanese did in the Pacific.

Oh. And the uprising in France is gone. I assume the Germans crushed it. Oh well.

And it looks like the Japanese pilots are back also. They are launching a Ground Attack in Tandag again.

Then it was announced we were defeated in Beersheba. We lost 55 men in Land Combat and another 39 men from the Italian's first Ground Attack. Which means the Allies lost 94 soldiers. The Italians lost only 73 men total.

And now our units are fleeing even while under another Italian Ground Attack. Poor guys. But they did it to themselves.

Even while they flee the Italians dropped bombs onto them. In the end killing another 117 Americans and their Allies. The horror of burning trucks, wounded men trying to hide in ditches, officers trying to keep order while retreating under bomber attack.

Shortly afterwards the Japanese pilots in Tandag finished their run and the results was the death of another 122 Americans. And all the screaming horses.

Yeah, the Battle of Tandag is not going well. I assume defeat will be reported very soon.

Burke and his 3rd Marine Transport Fleet is now in San Francisco but is still being supplied from Davao? That makes no sense. Either way it will be some time before it is ready for duty. On the other hand is has already loaded up two Infantry Divisions. I wonder what it plans to do once it has all the supplies and fuel it needs?

The last image I leave you with is Tanaka approaching Hawaii and the Japanese ships already AT Pearl. If the enemy AIs are smarter or have been given more freedom of movement than mine THIS could be a problem.

So we close this chapter with me watching the Japanese forces within American waters and wondering what they were up to.

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Author's Note:

1. Tanka Raizo, April 27th 1892 to July 9th 1969, was a Rear Admiral in the Japanese Navy during World War Two. A specialist in heavy torpedoes carried by all the destroyers and cruisers he mainly commanded destroyer squadrons and was primary leader of the "Tokyo Express" during the long campaign for the Island of Guadalcanal. He faced the task forces of the US Navy and the New Zealanders many times. And in doing so often achieved victories or stalemates with, mostly, larger enemy squadrons. Mostly during night battles. His most outstanding victory was the Battle of Tassafaronga in which his squadron of destroyers defeated a much larger US Navy force that INCLUDED four heavy cruisers and their support destroyers. Caught by surprise the Japanese used their Long Lance torpedoes to hit the four cruisers, sinking one and heavily damaging the other three. All but ONE of Tanka's destroyers escaped the trap. The Americans gave him the nickname "Tenacious Tanaka" for his stalwart opposition.

 

[stnylan]

Certainly a somewhat nervous time around Hawaii.

 

[Bullfilter]

We need the USS Bullfilter, RoverS3 and Stnylan et al, with their big CAG swarm, to DO SOMETHING! C’mon guys, where are you?

 

[roverS3]

We need the USS Bullfilter, RoverS3 and Stnylan et al, with their big CAG swarm, to DO SOMETHING! C’mon guys, where are you?

I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that they're still running a glorified cruise line between Boston and the Med...

The Japanese Air Force is doing quite some damage to your GIs, but the Philippines campaign could still succeed. Still worried about the IJN fleets and Marines in Hawai.

 

[Eurasia]

AI Experiments In HoI3
Chapter One Hundred-Sixty-Six : AIs Being AIs

Japanese Wives Of Officers Stationed In Hawaii
​

We open this chapter with the Japanese Bombers coming back to launch an Ground Attack on the poor Cavalry in Tandag. As you can see the Americans are completely in collapse. They have no Organization or very little.

The results were two fold. First 312 American defenders were killed by the Ground Attack.

The second result was the Defeat at Tandag. The Americans lost 816 men to the Land Combat and another 812 men to ALL the Ground Attacks. In other words the Americans lost a total of 1,628 soldiers and officers. The Japanese only lost 375 soldiers. That hurts.

Luckily the Japanese totally failed to cut off the 2nd Cavalry Division's retreat so it has a way to escape.

Out of interest I went to peek at Latin America. The 2nd Army HQ is finally moving to Belize. That's a good idea and suggests that the tactic of giving it independence MAY be working.

By Noon the Americans back in the Philippines were taking action by attacking General Santos again. The Japanese seem to have most of the disadvantages as they have no Leader and are out numbered. On the other hand their soldiers were dug in behind a river. So who knows!

Around the same time the Americans were securing the Province of Tagum. HA! This improved my mood a tad.

Back at Hawaii the Japanese Fleet approaching Honolulu had split.

Well it looks like one Light Cruiser had left the Fleet while the rest went to join the other ships in Pearl. Makes me wonder what the Japanese were up to.

Course, it also made me wonder what my OWN Navy was up to. So I went looking for the Fleets. And could not find King and the 1st Battleship Fleet. Where were they? Then I found them. Kind of. They had been absorbed into Spruance's 1st Transport Fleet at Wake Island. *Sigh*

As I ponder what the Marine Corps HQ is thinking I got some good news. The Americans had won the Battle for General Santos. We had lost 31 men while the Japanese had lost 24 men.

So, we end this chapter with a Victory. But I was still worried about what the Japanese Navy were up to. And while my AIs could NOT obey their programming!

 

[stnylan]

It occurs to me relying on your AIs like this really does evoke the feelings of a civilian president/prime minister. In particular I am thinking right now of Lincoln, who must have cursed his generals numerous times in a fashion not dissimilar to you and your AIs.

 

[Bullfilter]

AI shenanigans once again - at least you as the player have no more idea of what your own side will do as your humble readers! On the bright side, you can be entertained by surprising developments on both sides.

 

[roverS3]

Come one 2nd Army - prods 2nd army with a stick, repeatedly - do something.

A nice victory in the Philippines for once... though it would have been more efficient to take Kiamba first and then attack the Japs over land in an effort to take the survivors prisoner, but who am I to discuss military tactics... It's a victory, so we shouldn't complain...

 

[Eurasia]

AI Experiments In HoI3
Chapter One Hundred-Sixty-Seven : What IS Going On?

Japanese Occupied Hawaii ​

We open this chapter with looking at the, soon to be liberated, Province of General Santos. Amazingly the infrastructure seems to be untouched. No damage at all for an area that has been fought over more than once.

The next day I went to peek at Latin America while in Supply Mapmode. No changes. I fear that the 2nd Army may be stuck in wanting to attack but not having enough supplies to attack. I may have to force the issue but that would defeat the point of the whole AAR. Or maybe prove just how horrible the AI is in HoI3?

Still, if you look at the above image it does not look as bad as last time. No RED to be seen. Maybe the units have been carefully building up their supplies and fuel for the big "push"?

Back in Hawaii I noticed a few things. First, the tiny Fleet that I had thought was one Light Cruiser was, in fact, a Light Cruiser and a Landing Craft unit. Also, when looking into Pearl I realized we were missing some Japanese ships. Where were they?!?!?

Then I found them. Rear Admiral Tanaka and much of the massive Japanese Fleet was heading westwards. Without any of the Marine Divisions.

In fact they were all, at the moment, still in Honolulu. That means Tanaka can't take any of my islands. But he can be a danger to my own Fleets and can launch damaging air attacks on anybody or anyplace he wants to.

But this soon changed. For shortly before midnight the Japanese ships sill at Pearl reformed into two groups. One, under Ozawa, was leaving Pearl. The other, a single Submarine unit which seems to have been ordered to stay behind. (1)

Only ONE Marine Division was left behind. Plus an HQ unit. Which meant Ozawa had at least six of those veteran Japanese Marine Divisions. Excuse me while I say SHIT.

Then I got some good news. First, we increased our Industrial Efficiency. Yeah! Can always use more efficiency in making weapons.

Then we captured a poor Mexican spy and forced him to watch us eat slow cooked pork tacos in front of him till he died of homesickness. I mean, really, why WOULD Mexico send a spy? I don't understand!​

Then bad news but not surprising news. The Japanese took the Province of Tandag. As the lands HAVE been heavily damaged the Japanese might have a hard time supplying those stationed there.

I decided to be sneaky again and try to cause some problems for the Germans. So I asked Portugal and Spain for Transit Rights. Portugal said no.

But Spain said YES! Funny enough I did not foresee THEM saying yes. I wonder if my AIs can take advantage of that?

So I leave you with this final image of this chapter, and the game session, of the two Japanese Fleets heading west. One, under Rear Admiral Tanaka to...to do what? Clear the way? Act as interference?

And the other, under "Vice-Admiral" Ozawa to...to do what? Clear out the Marshalls? Take Midway and Wake? Hit my troops in the Philippines from the sea?

So we close this chapter with me cursing a lot and worried about my whole Pacific Operations! I have one massive war fleet commanded by a Leader known for pulling victory out of the jaws of defeat and another fleet full of the best ground troops the Japanese have commanded by a Leader known for his skill at invasions. May I go cry in the corner now?

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Author's Note:

1. Jisaburo Ozawa, October 2nd, 1886 to November 9th, 1966, was an Admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War Two and was the last Commander-in-Chief of the Combined Fleet. He specialized in torpedo warfare in his studies in the Naval War College and was one of the leading advocates of naval aviation in the Navy. In fact he was the first high-ranking officer to recommend that the aircraft carrier forces be organized into air fleets so they could train and fight together.

After the attack on Pearl Harbor he was responsible for naval operations in the South China Sea covering the invasion of Malaya. And was involved in the invasions of Java and Sumatra. Nicknamed the “Gargoyle” by his men, he was extremely tall and was commonly regarded as one of the three ugliest admirals in the Navy. He was also known for being courageous and compassionate towards his men. I could go on and on but military historians regard him as one of the most capable of the Japanese flag officers.

 

[stnylan]

The Japanese AI does seem to be rahter more competent than your own