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All Forums >> [Current Games From Matrix.] >> [World War II] >> War In The Pacific - Struggle Against Japan 1941 - 1945 >> After Action Reports >> RE: Operation Sledgehammer - A Challenge

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RE: Operation Sledgehammer - A Challenge - 3/20/2006 11:04:35 AM

marky

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i say go for the jugular, just dont make the same misakes the japs made at midway...

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Post #: 511

RE: Andy Mac v PZB ....The Allies Fight Back - 3/20/2006 4:53:11 PM

Andy Mac

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quote:

ORIGINAL: Andy Mac

Admiral PZ "Yamamoto" B in a cruel twist of fate that just feels wrong send several sqns of Zeroes on a LR Suicide mission to intercept Admiral Nomad over Port Moresby 200 zeroes were sent and the sole Corsair on Escort managed to shoot down 199 of them...the last pilot seeing the futility of mixing it with the Marine F4U rammed admiral Nomads plane.

As a result the British Field Marshall Andy Mac is brought out of retirement from his beach house near Perth where he had been quietly drinking himself into oblivion wondering why Churchill had overlooked him for active command. (perhaps because he made Percival look competent but thats another story !!!)

In what is obviously a clerical error Andy Mac has been placed in command of all allied forces in the Pacific Theatre

(Curtin is reported to have said that drunken sot what the hell is Churchill playing at !!!)

General MacArthurs alleged response is unprintable.

No one knows why a British General has been appointed to take over a naval and air war after the British Army was so decisively defeated in India only time will tell what new screwups Andy mac can bring to the roll of dis honour of the British Army in this theatre.......

Latest Allied intel reports that Admiral Nomad survived the crash and has been induced via mind control techniques to take joint control with Admiral PZB of the Japanese Military Machine

It is also reported that Admiral Nomad (passing as a US **** Admiral) has obtained a full set of Allied Plans for Operation Hydra.

Allied commanders have therefore cancelled Hydra 5 and 6 and are considering alternative uses for the 6 Divisions released from these two operations.

Alternatives being considered are an expanded Hydra offensive pushing further up NG and perhaps towards Kendari.

Or an early assault on Saipan

More to follow after we review further

Andy

(in reply to Andy Mac)

Post #: 512

RE: Operation Sledgehammer - A Challenge - 3/20/2006 5:08:21 PM

Sneer

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1.take few more divisions even if you need to halt pacific a bit
2. take Panaji - should be relatively lightly defended and is relatively close on coast
3. secure panaji - go for Bombaj - you can cut it nicely off
4. take bombaj - secure - go for rest

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Post #: 513

RE: Andy Mac v PZB ....The Allies Fight Back - 3/20/2006 5:18:46 PM

timtom

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quote:

ORIGINAL: Andy Mac

Or an early assault on Saipan

IIRC, Saipan's terrain is mountain, while Tinian's is clear, with obvious implications.

I've heard rumours that Adm. Nomad has been swayed by promises of sake&comfort women - but maybe that's the "mind-control" your G-3 people are talking about...

To think that Nomad would find a place in the annals of American history, right next to Benedict Arnold!

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Post #: 514

RE: Operation Sledgehammer - A Challenge - 3/20/2006 5:39:10 PM

rroberson

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quote:

ORIGINAL: soeren01

The question is, how do you want to win this game ?
You have to either sink his high value ships, get back high value cities from him or bomb his homeland.
With 6 Divs availible you could try to get into B17/B29 range of Tokyo as fast as possible. His Fleet is beaten (at least for the moment). You could go Wake, Marcus I. , Iwo Jima, which would be good pointwise.
Or you go Tricolomee/Columbo, Singapore, forcing him to spread his assets. how many ships does he has left ? Does he have enough forces to defend on two fronts ?

Go central. Don't dally around his perimeters anymore. Make your next push through the series of islands that will allow you to bring your heavies into range of the imperial homeland and smash his production. That is the key to victory. He can no longer think about stopping you. Operations anywhere else on a grand scale is a serious waste of resources.

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Post #: 515

RE: Andy Mac v PZB ....The Allies Fight Back - 3/20/2006 5:59:26 PM

timtom

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India op:

1. Invasion will be spotted west of Java.

2. Even if reaction is delayed because of uncertainty about destination (could be SRA), Pzb will have several turns to move LBA from China and elsewhere to India. It is presumed that Pzb keeps a div+ each at Karachi and Bombay, a similar force at each of the other urban terrain hexes, plus a mobile reserve in the Hydrabad- and/or Delhi area. All prep'd 100%.

3. Are you bringing enough aircover to ensure a succesful invasion. It is presumed that the initial landing is at Panjim to establish base then push on Bombay. Are you bringing enough LBA to defend against enemy LBA once ashore?

4. What intel, if any, have you got on OPFOR OOB in India?

5. Pzb will be in no doubt about your ultimate objective. Both Karachi and Bombay are urban and you must presume fort lvl 9 at this stage. Even defended by a single div, they are tough nuts to crack.

6. If you don't capture above fast, you'll be in serious trouble. Supply and reinforcement is a long way off and open to interdiction, which means that you'd have to tie down a CarDiv just as escort. If invasion stalls, you've got no way of quickly reinforcing or extricating yourself.

7. Meanwhile Pzb enjoys interior lines and can reinforce at a faster rate.

8. The whole venture depends on quickly opening the Bombay/Karachi pipelines.

9. Presuming that you have little or no intel on India OPFOR OOB, the operation essentially depends on pulling off a coup-de-main.

10. This in turn depends on poor dispotition and/or slowenly reaction on the part of Pzb.

11. An operation that requires an enemy f*ckup to succeed is not a good one.

< Message edited by timtom -- 3/20/2006 6:03:52 PM >

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Post #: 516

RE: Andy Mac v PZB ....The Allies Fight Back - 3/20/2006 7:34:07 PM

Andy Mac

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I started off excited for ten minutes and then remembered why I canned the operation in the 1st place for all the reasons outlined by timtom above.

Defeating his carriers is not enough to allow me to defeat lvl 9 forts and urban bonus thereofre Sledgehammer is indefinilty postponed again.

(although if I start to see elite divs that were involved in Indian conquest on the front lines I may reconsider)

I have more or less decided on a course of action.

Hydra will be extended up the NG coast with the intention of hitting as far north as Menado.

Satewal (Hydra 5) will be left alone although Woleia (Hydra 6) will be attacked at a convenient time.

After I have heavies and F4U's at Morotoi I will begin an offensive towards Java via Timor and Bali using the 4 CW divs I will have available the goal will be to put B29's in range of Palembang and Singapore.

Once I have my opponent focused on the West I will launch the operation against Pagan and Tinian a two pronged assault with large quantities of armour and USMC Divs supported by a full Parachete Divison.

New orders are being cut and ops plans worked on to support these operations.

(in reply to timtom)

Post #: 517

RE: After Rabaul...Now What - 3/20/2006 7:35:20 PM

Andy Mac

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Remember this it was my original plan well its back !!!!

quote:

ORIGINAL: Andy Mac

OK this is my current plan in technicolour any thoughts

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Post #: 518

RE: After Rabaul...Now What - 3/20/2006 7:37:43 PM

Andy Mac

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quote:

ORIGINAL: Andy Mac

oops

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Post #: 519

RE: After Rabaul...Now What - 3/20/2006 7:38:15 PM

Andy Mac

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quote:

ORIGINAL: Andy Mac

Endo of Phase 1

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Post #: 520

RE: After Rabaul...Now What - 3/20/2006 7:38:50 PM

Andy Mac

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Except its going to be Tinian and Pagan !!!!

quote:

ORIGINAL: Andy Mac

The real attack

< Message edited by Andy Mac -- 3/20/2006 7:44:30 PM >

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Post #: 521

RE: After Rabaul...Now What - 3/20/2006 10:25:13 PM

Andy Mac

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OK doing some planning for Operation Thunderchild (yes I do pick the crappy names !!!!)

This is going to be my Main CENTPAC offensive. This is going to be the operation to take the Marianas

I will have 4 Corps including 2 Naval Landing forces available

8th US Army

V Amphib Corps (plus Naval Landing Force)
1st USMC Div
6th US Div
7th US Div
33rd US Div
18th Combat Engineer Regt

III Amphib Corps (plus Naval Landing Force) eta West Coast 56 Days
6th USMC Div
31st US Div
77th US Div
98th US Div
19th Combat Engineer Regt

III US Corps
37th US Div
40th US Div
24th US Div

IX US Corps
9 RCTS's

8th US Army Reserve
2 RCT's
10 Armoured regts
1 Para Regt

Plus Base Forces/ Seabees and Artillary

This force has 90 days to prepare.

I am thinking total overkill

V Amphib Corps and III US Corps (7 Divs) land on Tinian
IX Corps lands on Wake and Marcus (4 RCT's Each)
III Amphib Corps (4 Divs) lands on Pagan

I estimate 1st June as D Day for this force.

Andy

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Post #: 522

RE: After Rabaul...Now What - 3/20/2006 10:49:29 PM

Andy Mac

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Extended Operation Hydra.

OK with the cancelling of Hydra 5 I need to rejig some forces for extended operations in SWPA.

Hydra 4 (Noemfoor)

US 14th Corps/7th Aus Div and Amercal Div (Rounded out by 5th NZ Bde and 102nd RCT)

Hydra 6 (Woleai)

1st Amphib Corps and VIII Amphib Force/4th USMC Div/38th US Div/93rd US Div

I am also considering 4 extra Hydra targets

Hydra 7 (Sansoper)

Aus 1st Corps
1st Aus Cav Div
1st US Cav Div

Hydra 8 (Wasile)

Aus 1st Army
3rd USMC Div
3rd NZ Div

Hydra 9 (Menado)

US I Corps
43rd US Div
1st Aus Div

Hydra 10 (Namlea)

ABDA HQ
5th Aus Div
2nd Aus Cav Div
3rd Aus Bde

The sheer amount of pre planning required by the allies in 43 44 in order to attack with prepared troops is astonishing if I dont preplan these invasions will go much the harder I dont know if my admin preping is of any interest if its not I will stop doing it

You may have noticed a trend never less than 2 Divisons plus armour support and always have an HQ along prepped for the target !!!!

But it takes a lot of work to make it all happen like its supposed to :p

Any thoughts on my way forward ?

(in reply to Andy Mac)

Post #: 523

RE: Operation Sledgehammer - A Challenge - 3/20/2006 10:52:17 PM

Andy Mac

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I thought about it long and hard sneer but it was just to much to far for to little Sledgehammer is on hold

quote:

ORIGINAL: Sneer

1.take few more divisions even if you need to halt pacific a bit
2. take Panaji - should be relatively lightly defended and is relatively close on coast
3. secure panaji - go for Bombaj - you can cut it nicely off
4. take bombaj - secure - go for rest

(in reply to Sneer)

Post #: 524

RE: Operation Sledgehammer - A Challenge - 3/20/2006 10:54:19 PM

Andy Mac

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I agree to some extent I am going to prosecute Hydra to its fullest extent without actually getting into the morass of PI.

I WANT as many Japanese Land Units sucked into the PI as possible.

The more I threaten him through my Hydra offensive the more forces he will hopefully suck out of position

At least thats the theory !!!!

quote:

ORIGINAL: rroberson

quote:

ORIGINAL: soeren01

The question is, how do you want to win this game ?
You have to either sink his high value ships, get back high value cities from him or bomb his homeland.
With 6 Divs availible you could try to get into B17/B29 range of Tokyo as fast as possible. His Fleet is beaten (at least for the moment). You could go Wake, Marcus I. , Iwo Jima, which would be good pointwise.
Or you go Tricolomee/Columbo, Singapore, forcing him to spread his assets. how many ships does he has left ? Does he have enough forces to defend on two fronts ?

Go central. Don't dally around his perimeters anymore. Make your next push through the series of islands that will allow you to bring your heavies into range of the imperial homeland and smash his production. That is the key to victory. He can no longer think about stopping you. Operations anywhere else on a grand scale is a serious waste of resources.

(in reply to rroberson)

Post #: 525

RE: Andy Mac v PZB ....The Allies Fight Back - 3/20/2006 10:56:46 PM

Andy Mac

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Good point I have shifted target of Centpac to Tinian as an easier fight than Saipan

Army intel is still trying to identify Admiral Nomads reasons for turning against the allies it is being investigated........

quote:

ORIGINAL: timtom

quote:

ORIGINAL: Andy Mac

Or an early assault on Saipan

IIRC, Saipan's terrain is mountain, while Tinian's is clear, with obvious implications.

I've heard rumours that Adm. Nomad has been swayed by promises of sake&comfort women - but maybe that's the "mind-control" your G-3 people are talking about...

To think that Nomad would find a place in the annals of American history, right next to Benedict Arnold!

(in reply to timtom)

Post #: 526

RE: Andy Mac v PZB ....The Allies Fight Back - 3/21/2006 12:12:32 AM

Monter_Trismegistos

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Maybe he is a leader bug victim? :P

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RE: Andy Mac v PZB ....The Allies Fight Back - 3/21/2006 3:10:44 AM

ny59giants

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I am glad you have cancelled going back to India. It would be nice, but is a waste of time and resources after more thought on the matter. Planning for all these various invasions makes what the Japanese has to do in the early war look easy since they still have the ability to hurt you if you mess up..

I like continuing down NG and then over to Timor and also taking the Marianas. With KB weakened, but still dangerous again in a few months and the amount of naval power that the USA is now getting, avoid getting tied down to large land battles (i.e. -PI) and stay with invading smaller islands and atolls. Begin to take target on hitting his sources of Oil and Resources and getting bases for the Super Fortress.

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Post #: 528

RE: Andy Mac v PZB ....The Allies Fight Back - 3/21/2006 9:29:35 AM

frank1970

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Why do you want to cancel Hydra?

Do you really think Nomad could do anythiong against it? You have prepared your troops, you have brought your ships in postion, now simply do your invasions. There is nothing Nomad/PzB can do about it. They can bring in their airforce, but that would have happened so or so. Just continue your invasions and then go after Saipan or whatever. Cancelling your invasions now do only cost you precious time and you will have to take the bases lateron.

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RE: Andy Mac v PZB ....The Allies Fight Back - 3/21/2006 12:23:55 PM

Andy Mac

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I have only cancelled Hydra 5 more for tactical logistics reasons than anything else.

Satewal is a 0/0 island in range of all of the IJN bases in the Palaus.

My experience at Massau Island indicates that even with masses of engineers it will take several weeks to get to level 1 AF and therefore be self sufficient in CAP.

I dont want to have to protect two invasion forces under that air assault by LBA and I want to be able to move F4U's in straight away to allow the base to be self sufficient.

For these reasons I have cancelled Hydra 5 freeing up 3 Divisions allowing a stronger Hydra 6 (Woleia - replacing a Canadian Div with 4th USMC seems a good move to me) and permitting forces to be freed to permit me to quickly launch Hydra 7 (sensado) 8 (Wasile) and 9 (Menado).

Basically on balance 5 was not worth the grief I would rather get him on the back foot in Northern NG.

Andy

< Message edited by Andy Mac -- 3/21/2006 12:25:05 PM >

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Post #: 530

RE: Andy Mac v PZB ....The Allies Fight Back - 3/21/2006 3:57:58 PM

Andy Mac

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OK Doing a little more thinking

US 11th Corps is about to land at Sarmi (Hydra 3) in 3 - 5 days with Aus 4th and 6th Divs as spearhead.

Now assuming Sarmi is taken with speed I will reinforce 11th Corps with 9th Aus Divison which is going into SWPAC strategic reseve let them all refit for 45 days then use this force and 1st Amphib Corps (4th USMC Div/ 93th Inf Div/ 38th Inf Div) in a third wave to reinfoce US 8th Armies assault on the Marianas.

Operation Thunderchild calls for a

1st wave landing on Tinian by US 3rd Corps and V Amphib Corps (7 Divisions)

2nd wave landing on Pagan by III Amphib Corps (4 Divs)

3rd wave landings on Marcus and Wake by US 9th Corps (3 Divs)

and now I am proposing a 4th wave landing by US 11th Corps and I Amphib Corps (6 Divs) on Saipan.

In order to accomodate this plan Hydra 6 and Hydra 3 need to be completed ASAP to ensure that I Amphib and US 11th Corps are in refit ASAP.

This will make operation Thunderchild the biggest combined arms assault in history at 20 Divisions in 6 Corps !!!!! (3 USMC Divs/ 3 Aus Divs/ 14 US Army Divs).

Preplanning this kind of firepower takes a lot of time !!!!!

Now target date is still 1st June 44 so I am aiming to beat Overlord to the beaches by 6 days

(ps for any of you WITP II people following this thread a really really usefull tool would be a memo field and filter ability to allocate units to corps or operations i.e. allow the players to allocate all units BF's seabees, armour etc to a corps or command HQ (still keep PP command arrangements this is purely for ease of organsisation) something that would allow me to get on one screen all ground units the player has allocated to a specific HQ for a specific operation and allow the ability to set an objective for those units)

This would help by easing the logistical burden in 43/44.

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Post #: 531

RE: Andy Mac v PZB ....The Allies Fight Back - 3/21/2006 5:56:12 PM

String

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you could try and sort them by similar numbers

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RE: Andy Mac v PZB ....The Allies Fight Back - 3/21/2006 6:33:49 PM

sprior

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quote:

(ps for any of you WITP II people following this thread a really really usefull tool would be a memo field and filter ability to allocate units to corps or operations i.e. allow the players to allocate all units BF's seabees, armour etc to a corps or command HQ (still keep PP command arrangements this is purely for ease of organsisation) something that would allow me to get on one screen all ground units the player has allocated to a specific HQ for a specific operation and allow the ability to set an objective for those units)

I was thinking that too.

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Post #: 533

RE: Andy Mac v PZB ....The Allies Fight Back - 3/21/2006 7:41:21 PM

Andy Mac

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Aye but I would prefer to be able to see a screen that showed 'Jaywing' Operation allocated units (basically the ability to group units by a memo field for tactical disposition)

X Corps HQ at Rabaul AV 0 18% Prepped For Tokyo
999th US Inf Div at Rabaul AV 346 22% Prepped for Mindanao
200th US RCT at Sydney AC 112 100% Prepping for Sydney
X Corps Art at Rabaul AV 0 100% Prepped for Rabaul
1 Seabee at Rabaul AV 0 100% Prepped for Rabaul
1st BF at Rabaul AV 0 100% Prepped for Rabaul
2nd Ard Regt at Rabaul AV 50 100% Prepped for Rabaul
etc etc

Have the ability via a memo field to allocate units purely for this report screen to either the operation or to X Corps purely as a memo screen to allow you to see a report like this.

Perhaps have the option to set all units objective to senior HQ on list

This would avoid a lot of prep screwups and at a glance tell you where the units are what there AV is and what the level of prep is of each unit for the objective in question.

This really would be a huge time save for me (I have a notepad for each PBEM game that I have going and do it all on paper and its a real pain)

Andy

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Post #: 534

RE: Andy Mac v PZB ....The Allies Fight Back - 3/22/2006 11:17:37 PM

Andy Mac

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No turn for a while so I am perfecting my next moves

Attachment (1)

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Post #: 535

RE: Andy Mac v PZB ....The Allies Fight Back - 3/22/2006 11:18:23 PM

Andy Mac

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1st

Attachment (1)

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RE: Andy Mac v PZB ....The Allies Fight Back - 3/22/2006 11:19:15 PM

Andy Mac

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6th

Attachment (1)

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RE: Andy Mac v PZB ....The Allies Fight Back - 3/22/2006 11:33:35 PM

String

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Shouldn't the abbreviation be Kwaj not Kwal? It is Kwajalein afterall?

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Post #: 538

RE: Andy Mac v PZB ....The Allies Fight Back - 3/22/2006 11:39:20 PM

Andy Mac

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Picky picky picky

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Post #: 539

RE: Andy Mac v PZB ....The Allies Fight Back - 3/23/2006 12:57:41 AM

Monter_Trismegistos

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Well don't you think that equivalent of 10+ divisions on Kwajalein is a litlle overstacking? :D

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