dereck
Posts: 2800
Joined: 9/7/2004
From: Romulus, MI
Status: offline
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I'm making the assumption you're playing against the AI in this game. If you're playing against a PBEM opponent then probably most of what I'm saying isn't worth much.
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ORIGINAL: Exinfernis
And while on the subject of SE Asia, I have decided to go for a fighting retreat, bloodying the Japs for the gains they are bound to make, while saving some key units (Engs with large aviation support mainly and the odd Air HQ). I intend to draw the line at Chandpur-Imphal-Kohima-Ledo axis.
I am tempted to risk holding Akyub, possibly Myitikina(sp) too.. Thoughts on this? In addition, two Brigades start just south of Taung Gyi. How does one employ these two units best? Retreat them to Mandalay and then to the afore-mentioned line. or employ them to heroically stem the Jap advance?
The best thing to do in Burma during the initial part of the war is a fighting withdrawal. You don't want to just run-away but you also can't stop the Japanese onalsught right away. The best thing to do would be to conduct a fighting withdrawal with forces that are already in Burma and slowly move them west towards the Imphal-Kohima-Ledo line. While conducting the withdrawal any troops you can spare should be used to garrison Imphal, Kohima, Jorhat and Ledo and build up the fortifications in those bases. Also don't forget to garrison the hext south of Imphal along the rail line just before it turns into a trail.
The odds of succesfully holding Akyab or Myitkyina I personally don't think are worth the risks. You'll be at the end of your supply lines and won't be able to move reinforcements to those bases quickly if needed. Even if they do fall to the Japanese you have a large space between Myitkyina, Akyab, Lashio and Mandalay where the only way to get to your defensive line of Imphal-Kohima-Ledo is over trails. IF the Japanese AI tries to attack they will be at the extreme end of their supply line faced with fatigue, possibly low supplies going up against you in your fortified bases with plenty of supply. You may have a battle but you should be able to hold the line with any luck.
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B. Another concern are the Chinese divisions attached to SE Asia stationed at Yunan. Some opinions in the forum suggest moving them towards Siam as a diversion. As I have no way of knowing if this move is effective and what results it may yield, I am of the mind to give them marching orders to Ledo and Kohima, later to be evenly distributed among the other nearby bases too. Input here requested again please.
I actually kept them there until I was ready to launch my north Burma offensive. When my thrust from Ledo headed towards Myitkyina I used them as a diversion against Lashio to tie Japanese troops down. I didn't launch that offensive until mid 1943 if I remember right after I had bombed the **** out of Japanese bases in Burma so I was surprised when my Chinese SEAC diversion captured it's objective. The Chinese SEAC troops are now all in Burma or down in Malaya with the rest of my SEAC troops.
In 1944 the Japanese AI DOES seem to launch an offensive in China so if you're worried there you could move the Chinese SEAC troops (and American SEAC) troops into China I suppose.
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C. Auxilliary ships.. AD, AS and MLE types replenish torpedoes or mines to DDs, SSs, DMSs and MLs. Do they have to be of the same nationality though?
AEs seem to have no particularly beneficial use prior to 45.. Correct?
AVs and AVDs. Apart from the aviation support they provide to float planes, is there any other use for them?
I don't think the auxiliary ships have to be of the same nationality anymore. That was fixed a few patches ago.
AV and AVDs I believe are just aviation support ships. At least that's all I've used them for.
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D. With regard to DEI, I am thinking of pulling selected units from Malaya, Borneo and Java in order to fortify Timor, while bringing on additional land and air power from SW Pac. Supplies too of course. The idea here is to build forts and airfields up asap and hopefully deny the island complex to the enemy.
As I simultaneously want to do the same with Port Moresby, Lunga and Lae (South Pacific resourses come into play here), am I over-ambitious?
I just evacuated cadre units from SEAC, ABDA and some USAFFE units and kept the main units in place to fight and buy time. For the first 6 months or so - even against the AI - whatever Japan wants they WILL take. Best you can do is just slow them down. Get all your merchant/tanker ships out of harms way and put them to use moving supplies to supply depots throughout your rear areas, move combat troops to strategic areas, build up bases, airfields, forts where possible, train your ships crews before sending them into combat (just make a number of 25 ship task forces and park them a hex outside of Pearl Harbor and they will gain experience up to their non-combat max). This may be gamey by some but I do evacuate cadre units from anyplace I can. I basically evacuated cadres of all the units in Singapore so when it did fall I was able to rebuild all those units again -- though it did take quite a while.
If you're playing the AI it will do things pretty much historically for the most part. I built up Port Moresby and built up my South Pacific forces. Until the AI wanted Lunga I didn't do anything but you need to fight for Lunga and not let the Japanese put an airfield there or they will cut your supply line to Australia. I use the Japs landing on Lunga as my sign that it's finally time to fight back. Usually by then I have my logistics pretty much working builing up/moving supplies and combat units in position.
Also, if you have Bohdi's utility you can use that first six months to create an intel picture of where his units are.
_____________________________
PO2 US Navy (1980-1986);
USS Midway CV-41 (1981-1984)
Whidbey Island, WA (1984-1986)
Naval Reserve (1986-1992)
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Printable Version
Noob asking for advice - 
. Currently just started Scen 15 Allied side again, Version 1.60, normal settings. 
Currently, I have the SE Asia HQ there and it has brought a lot of supply from Chandpur (once a month a large amounts comes into Mandalay - don't know exactly how that works, but had 89,000 worth). Plus, built up to level 7 fort! The Japanese have the 18, 33, 55, 55 Divisions, plus 1 & 2 Tank Regiments and 14 Mortar. Others have said the AI can take this plus go after Myitkyina (level 5 fort there!). I evac the 3 big Aviation units from Malaya (1 & 2 ISF, MAF) to help plus some brigades. Most have been rebuilt to full strenght. I have 6 squadrons of transports to airlift the rebuilt brigades from Dacca to Mandalay and now am taking the weakest two Chinese divisions for refit (airlifted). I also have Akyab being built up. 
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