Matrix Games Forums

Forums  Register  Login  Photo Gallery  Member List  Search  Calendars  FAQ 

My Profile  Inbox  Address Book  My Subscription  My Forums  Log Out

RE: BANZAI!

 
View related threads: (in this forum | in all forums)

Logged in as: Guest
Users viewing this topic: none
  Printable Version
All Forums >> [New Releases from Matrix Games] >> War in the Pacific: Admiral's Edition >> After Action Reports >> RE: BANZAI! Page: <<   < prev  17 18 [19] 20 21   next >   >>
Login
Message << Older Topic   Newer Topic >>
RE: BANZAI! - 5/25/2012 7:21:23 AM   
John 3rd


Posts: 17178
Joined: 9/8/2005
From: La Salle, Colorado
Status: offline
It is NUTS. I am about to take multiple Aussie cites next turn.

Apologize for the partial updates. Will NOT do a turn tomorrow morning until I do a full Australia update! Life has been crazy here with my wife going to stay-at-home Mom status, school ending, and certain other...ahhhh...'projects' within the Cochran Home and Business life!


_____________________________



Member: Treaty, Reluctant Admiral and Between the Storms Mod Team.

Reluctant Admiral Mod:
https://sites.google.com/site/reluctantadmiral/

(in reply to Cribtop)
Post #: 541
RE: BANZAI! - 5/25/2012 4:58:22 PM   
John 3rd


Posts: 17178
Joined: 9/8/2005
From: La Salle, Colorado
Status: offline
Am now working on the Aussie Update. Will do a region-by-region run through with screenshots.

_____________________________



Member: Treaty, Reluctant Admiral and Between the Storms Mod Team.

Reluctant Admiral Mod:
https://sites.google.com/site/reluctantadmiral/

(in reply to John 3rd)
Post #: 542
NW Australia - 5/25/2012 5:06:50 PM   
John 3rd


Posts: 17178
Joined: 9/8/2005
From: La Salle, Colorado
Status: offline
Here is the current situation for NW Australia.

The Aussies are falling back as fast as possible over those terrible roads/trails. It should be noted that this is what was exactly hoped for when the serious work on Operation Cherry Blossom began. The Japanese wanted to tie-down as many troops as possible up here by making a small force commitment. It certainly worked.

In theatre forces:

Japan: 65th Inf Brigade, 3rd--9th--23rd TK Reg and 4 Sentai of Sally--Lily hitting Aussie Infantry

Australia: 2nd, 3rd, 4th Inf Div, a Brigade, and 8 other small units desperately retreating south into the buzzsaw that awaits them there.

Have need of taking that last little dot east of Darwin and then everything here is Japanese.

Should note that Katherine has been absolutely invaluable as a staging base for my aircraft. From Katherine I have been able to fly Zeros, Oscars, bombers, Tinas, and other Transports either to Rockhampton or from Rockhampton to here. It has been hugely important and there is now good amounts of supply and Base Forces working on base expansion.




Attachment (1)

< Message edited by John 3rd -- 5/25/2012 5:21:01 PM >


_____________________________



Member: Treaty, Reluctant Admiral and Between the Storms Mod Team.

Reluctant Admiral Mod:
https://sites.google.com/site/reluctantadmiral/

(in reply to John 3rd)
Post #: 543
Western Australia - 5/25/2012 5:20:07 PM   
John 3rd


Posts: 17178
Joined: 9/8/2005
From: La Salle, Colorado
Status: offline
The Perth side of Operation Cherry Blossom is truly a secondary theatre right now. Busselton is captured April 1st by part of the 1st Raiding Reg and 3 small Base Force Coy. There is little left in this area as Lew is trying to get to/through my Port Augusta roadblock.

Forces in this arena:

Japan: 2nd Fleet, 14th Army, and 5th Air Division HQs. 4th Inf Div, 8th TK Reg, 1st-2nd Raiding Regiments, and 3 Art units provide the striking power. Aerial contingent is 42 Zero, 9 Tojo, 27 Betty, and a crapload of Air Search/Recon aircraft.

Aussie: mainly fixed units with several smaller units moving to Kalgoorlie.

PLAN
Will take Perth to cutoff the coast and then make little hooks to grab the bases on the coast and drive towards Kalgoorlie with the TK and Inf Div.






Attachment (1)

_____________________________



Member: Treaty, Reluctant Admiral and Between the Storms Mod Team.

Reluctant Admiral Mod:
https://sites.google.com/site/reluctantadmiral/

(in reply to John 3rd)
Post #: 544
Southern Australia - 5/25/2012 5:36:42 PM   
John 3rd


Posts: 17178
Joined: 9/8/2005
From: La Salle, Colorado
Status: offline
Simply put, this is a staggering screenshot. Before I detail, I want the readers to look at it. I could not EVER have believed this possible so quickly and so easily. Lew's overcommitment of his 3 Aussie ID to the NW Coast has cost him this entire campaign. Australia is Japan's. There is no doubt in my mind at this point.

OK. Details/News:

April 2nd: Port Augusta Falls with Whyalla falling the next day.

I will take Canberra, Marysborough, and Portsea tomorrow. Melbourne is next after that.

Forces in Theatre:
Port Augusta: 2nd Inf Div, 4th Ind Mix. Regiment with 6th TK Reg. The 16th ID will land in about 3 days strengthening this arm of Cherry Blossom.

Melbourne: Guards Brigade and 2nd TK Reg

Canberra: 33rd ID

Marysborough: 13th ID

Sydney Area: 25th Army and 9th Air Fleet HQ, 1st-2nd-3rd Air Flotilla, 18th--21st--38th--48th--56th ID, and 1st SNLF Para Brigade. Am preparing to load one ID for Sale to get closer to Melbourne more quickly.

Air Contingent: 100+ Zero, 42 Oscar, 27 Betty, 9 Nell, 27 Val, 27 Kate, 100 Transports, and lots of Air Search/Recon.

PLAN:
Drive on Adelaide, take Melbourne within 2-3 days, send 1 ID north to meet 13th ID at Brisbane, and push inland grabbing bases ASAP.

AMAZING! Could never have foreseen this whatsoever.






Attachment (1)

< Message edited by John 3rd -- 5/25/2012 5:38:07 PM >


_____________________________



Member: Treaty, Reluctant Admiral and Between the Storms Mod Team.

Reluctant Admiral Mod:
https://sites.google.com/site/reluctantadmiral/

(in reply to John 3rd)
Post #: 545
Western Australia - 5/25/2012 5:45:36 PM   
John 3rd


Posts: 17178
Joined: 9/8/2005
From: La Salle, Colorado
Status: offline
The only fly in the buttermilk right now is that the Aussies are driving on Rockhampton. The 3rd ID found 14 units at Emerald a week ago. Among them were two TK units, a Brigade and 1st Aust ID. The 3rd ID got pushed back twice and is in TERRIBLE shape (AV 31). The 144th Inf Reg was recalled from Bowen to strengthen Rockhampton. An ID in Newcastle shall also be picked up and shipped to this area to make it so nothing really BAD happens.

Have to say that I've welcomed this event. Moved 3 Sentai of Sally to Rockhampton and they are hammering these units as they approach Rockhampton. Forts are 2 about to go to 3. Am pretty sure I can hold without issue. To expedite reinforcements I will begin using transport planes tomorrow--just to be safe!





Attachment (1)

_____________________________



Member: Treaty, Reluctant Admiral and Between the Storms Mod Team.

Reluctant Admiral Mod:
https://sites.google.com/site/reluctantadmiral/

(in reply to John 3rd)
Post #: 546
RE: Western Australia - 5/25/2012 5:46:27 PM   
John 3rd


Posts: 17178
Joined: 9/8/2005
From: La Salle, Colorado
Status: offline
THAT is the situation in Aussieland my dear readers. THOUGHTS!??



_____________________________



Member: Treaty, Reluctant Admiral and Between the Storms Mod Team.

Reluctant Admiral Mod:
https://sites.google.com/site/reluctantadmiral/

(in reply to John 3rd)
Post #: 547
RE: Western Australia - 5/25/2012 6:10:27 PM   
Q-Ball


Posts: 7336
Joined: 6/25/2002
From: Chicago, Illinois
Status: offline
Thoughts? I think Australia is in the bag. Losing Port Augusta means the loss of ability to shift troops around; only YOU have that now, because you control the ocean. It's inevitable.

That drive on Rockhampton may be a concern, but where are they going to get supplies from?

The remaining large supply source is probably Melbourne; you probably need to lock that down ASAP, and at least isolate it. Once that happens, I can't see any resistance lasting long on the West side of Australia, as he won't have a way to get supplies.

Lock down Melbourne, and I think you have time to take out the Kiwis.

_____________________________


(in reply to John 3rd)
Post #: 548
RE: Western Australia - 5/25/2012 6:20:12 PM   
ny59giants


Posts: 9869
Joined: 1/10/2005
Status: offline
The Operations Dept at GHQ in Tokyo is very happy!!

_____________________________


(in reply to Q-Ball)
Post #: 549
RE: Western Australia - 5/25/2012 10:16:33 PM   
pws1225

 

Posts: 1166
Joined: 8/9/2010
From: Tate's Hell, Florida
Status: offline
Very impressive! Nice work Dr. John.

(in reply to John 3rd)
Post #: 550
RE: Western Australia - 5/26/2012 5:05:04 PM   
John 3rd


Posts: 17178
Joined: 9/8/2005
From: La Salle, Colorado
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: ny59giants

The Operations Dept at GHQ in Tokyo is very happy!!


A special thanks goes out to those who made suggestions and helped fine-tune Cherry Blossom. The change to land at Rockhampton and Port Augusta I think REALLY helped move everything along quite nicely for the total success of the Operation.


_____________________________



Member: Treaty, Reluctant Admiral and Between the Storms Mod Team.

Reluctant Admiral Mod:
https://sites.google.com/site/reluctantadmiral/

(in reply to ny59giants)
Post #: 551
What of the KB? - 5/26/2012 5:23:38 PM   
John 3rd


Posts: 17178
Joined: 9/8/2005
From: La Salle, Colorado
Status: offline
Combat Report
KB and Hiryu Operations
March 30-April 6, 1942


As Australia enters its death throws, the four remaining flattops of Japanese wreak havoc upon Allied shipping attempting to flee the scene of the attack. Since Hiryu gradually works herself closer to Kaga, Shokaku and Zuikaku I will notate her separately in the day chronology.

Action:
3-30
KB Sinks 5 AK and 2 AKL fleeing Sydney. Begins to move SE towards New Zealand
Hiryu Leaves the SW tip of Australia moving towards Augusta and Adelaide

3-31
KB sinks an AP near Melbourne. Moves fully away from the Australian continent. Destination: New Zealand.
Hiryu sees no action.

4-1
KB sinks a little CM near Hobart
Hiryu: No action

4-2
KB sinks an AKL heading New Zealand.
No Action

4-3
KB: Nothing
Hiryu finds a convoy and sinks 2 AP

4-4
KB enters the waters near NZ's South Island and spots LOTS of targets! 4 AKL are sunk with 4 DM, 2 DD, CL Perth, 3 AKs hit. Several sink after the strikes.
Hiryu sinks another AP

4-5
KB sinks 3 AKL and damages an AKL and 2 DM
Hiryu: No Action

4-6
KB sinks 3 AK at Invercargill. Ordered 'home' to Sydney.
Ordered home to Sidney.

How 'bout that??!! In one week's worth the 4 CVs sink two dozen ships and damage another 18-20. Pretty solid work.

SS Ops
4-1 I-164 sinks AK El Madina near Trivandrum
4-5 Ro-33 sinks AK Mahsud at Cocos
4-5 I-170 hits two AKs (Lillian Luckenbach and Iron Warrior) near Palmerson North

Ship Status:
1. Soryu, Shoho, and Zuiho shall all be operational within 14 days. THANK GOODNESS! I've started moving their air groups closer so they are ready to rejoin their parent ships. Also have several smaller air groups that I want to re-size so that will take place as well.

2. Ryujo is currently moving to Singapore where she will be under repair for about a month.

3. Hiyo shall be complete in less then two months.

4. I now have all the late-war CVs accelerating as well as the Renkaku (last of the 3 improved Sho's). Musashi is the points hog but she will be done in mid-August which will then allow me to accelerate the 2 CBs and the late-war CLs.





Attachment (1)

< Message edited by John 3rd -- 5/26/2012 5:24:48 PM >


_____________________________



Member: Treaty, Reluctant Admiral and Between the Storms Mod Team.

Reluctant Admiral Mod:
https://sites.google.com/site/reluctantadmiral/

(in reply to John 3rd)
Post #: 552
Steaming Along - 5/28/2012 5:14:55 AM   
John 3rd


Posts: 17178
Joined: 9/8/2005
From: La Salle, Colorado
Status: offline
Was hoping to get a turn from Lew Sat or Sun but he had a busy family weekend.

I'm taking my family on its first true vacation and we're going to southern Colorado to ride the Cumbres and Toltec Steam Train down there. Should be a BLAST! We'll be gone Mon-Thurs so don't expect to see anything here unless I log-in from our hotel.


_____________________________



Member: Treaty, Reluctant Admiral and Between the Storms Mod Team.

Reluctant Admiral Mod:
https://sites.google.com/site/reluctantadmiral/

(in reply to John 3rd)
Post #: 553
RE: Western Australia - 5/28/2012 10:37:16 AM   
obvert


Posts: 14050
Joined: 1/17/2011
From: PDX (and now) London, UK
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: John 3rd

THAT is the situation in Aussieland my dear readers. THOUGHTS!??




Yep. You've done it! Even if the Rockhampton area gets dicey, that won't last long once the southern regions are crushed. The map looks good with all of that red on it!



Now the interesting questions begin to come to my head. Excuse me for jumping ahead, but it seems time to begin thinking about what is next.

How do you plan to use OZ, and what will you keep there? Or if this does continue to go quickly, will you commit some of these forces elsewhere, like Fiji or NZ to further close So Pac?

Some AVs patrolling with Jakes South of Perth and Melbourne will be a must soon I'm thinking.


(in reply to John 3rd)
Post #: 554
The Future - 5/28/2012 1:32:37 PM   
John 3rd


Posts: 17178
Joined: 9/8/2005
From: La Salle, Colorado
Status: offline
Obvert sends me along a line of thinking that is important. Since I have woken up at "Ohhhhhh Dark Hundred" this morning I have time before taking off on our trip to throw out some thinking.

Immediate Goals:
1. Capture Melbourne and the rest of Australia. Work to get surrenders from the Aussie units. Course he can then buy them back so perhaps I won't work TOOOOO hard in that area. Once the bases are gone then the Aussie units wither on the vine.
2. Garrison Needs: Plan to leave about 4 or so Inf Div behind to hold the continent at first. This may not sound like much but I won't need anything in the NW. Figure a pair of IDs in the west and a pair of IDs in the south. I have several beat-up Chinese Inf Div and plan to buy them out as is and send them to Australia to fillout and create a reserve to add to the initial garrison. Aircraft committed here will have to very some but I imagine a good amount of air search assets and a core of planes that can be shuttled around as a rapid response force.
3. I will suck as much resources, supply, and HI as I can possibly get from here. ANYTHING gained over the rest of 1942 is an immediate boost to the Japanese economy and aids the future. Simply gaining the 250 HI in Sydney helps a BUNCH. Having two Repair Tards down south will aid the cause a bunch to.


My goal is to keep Australia for as long as possible and HOPE he choses to fight here by coming back. Making the Allies BEGIN their counteroffensive in southern Australia would be GREAT!

Planning--Options:

A. I've already written about New Zealand.
---Advantages would be to make Australia basically safe from invasion, add more HI and Resources to the Economy.
---Issues would be the release of yet more reinforcements to the Allied cause. Big FUEL drain as well but we're already in Australia so it isn't that far away...

B. Suva-Nadi: The Americans have placed alot of troops and material here. I've pretty much left it alone but it looks like this is where Lew will begin a staging base from.
---Advantages: I've got the manpower to hit this place like a hammer and shatter whatever American Forces are there and force him to fight. More attritional fighting would occur hurting Allied airpower as well as destroying units.
---Issues: He will be dug-in by the time I land as well as no real economic benefits.

C. Cocos:
---Advantages: Isolated location where I could destroy two Allied Inf Div plus support units. Would be nice to cover the western flank of Australia as well as southern flank of DEI.
---Disadvantages: Would need 3-4 ID to make the landing against a heavily dug-in opponent. Could be dicey...

D. Line Islands
---Advantages: Forces the Americans into a direct fight with the advantages of attritional combat, force the Theatre of combat AWAY from Australia, and--perhaps--create the possibility of a Fleet engagement.
---Issues: Americans dug-in, fuel, no surprise.


These are the major Offensive Options. I would be all ears for commentary, thoughts, suggestions to these and/or any other possibilities you might think of...

EDIT: Added Line Islands as additional target.


< Message edited by John 3rd -- 5/28/2012 2:33:35 PM >


_____________________________



Member: Treaty, Reluctant Admiral and Between the Storms Mod Team.

Reluctant Admiral Mod:
https://sites.google.com/site/reluctantadmiral/

(in reply to obvert)
Post #: 555
Planning for the Future - 5/28/2012 1:34:13 PM   
John 3rd


Posts: 17178
Joined: 9/8/2005
From: La Salle, Colorado
Status: offline
EDIT: Double Post


_____________________________



Member: Treaty, Reluctant Admiral and Between the Storms Mod Team.

Reluctant Admiral Mod:
https://sites.google.com/site/reluctantadmiral/

(in reply to John 3rd)
Post #: 556
RE: Planning for the Future - 5/28/2012 1:38:15 PM   
FatR

 

Posts: 2522
Joined: 10/23/2009
From: St.Petersburg, Russia
Status: offline
If you want your opponent to start the Allied comeback from Australia, taking New Zealand might be counterproductive. Instead, I advice too look at what you can do to prevent an offensive through Burma.

_____________________________

The Reluctant Admiral mod team.

Take a look at the latest released version of the Reluctant Admiral mod:
https://sites.google.com/site/reluctantadmiral/

(in reply to John 3rd)
Post #: 557
RE: Planning for the Future - 5/28/2012 1:45:21 PM   
John 3rd


Posts: 17178
Joined: 9/8/2005
From: La Salle, Colorado
Status: offline
Would that mean Cocos for a start and then move from there?

Hey--We could add Ceylon as a target! Shock the heck out of Lew. OK...just being somewhat humorous with that...

To say the least, I will need to add at least a pair of Aust ID to Burma to get it up to a decent garrison.



< Message edited by John 3rd -- 5/28/2012 1:46:04 PM >


_____________________________



Member: Treaty, Reluctant Admiral and Between the Storms Mod Team.

Reluctant Admiral Mod:
https://sites.google.com/site/reluctantadmiral/

(in reply to FatR)
Post #: 558
RE: Planning for the Future - 5/28/2012 2:05:11 PM   
ny59giants


Posts: 9869
Joined: 1/10/2005
Status: offline
quote:

Planning--Options:

A. I've already written about New Zealand.
---Advantages would be to make Australia basically safe from invasion, add more HI and Resources to the Economy.
---Issues would be the release of yet more reinforcements to the Allied cause. Big FUEL drain as well but we're already in Australia so it isn't that far away...

B. Suva-Nadi: The Americans have placed alot of troops and material here. I've pretty much left it alone but it looks like this is where Lew will begin a staging base from.
---Advantages: I've got the manpower to hit this place like a hammer and shatter whatever American Forces are there and force him to fight. More attritional fighting would occur hurting Allied airpower as well as destroying units.
---Issues: He will be dug-in by the time I land as well as no real economic benefits.

C. Cocos:
---Advantages: Isolated location where I could destroy two Allied Inf Div plus support units. Would be nice to cover the western flank of Australia as well as southern flank of DEI.
---Disadvantages: Would need 3-4 ID to make the landing against a heavily dug-in opponent. Could be dicey...

These are the major Offensive Options. I would be all ears for commentary, thoughts, suggestions to these and/or any other possibilities you might think of...


A. New Zealand would add more troops to the Allied side. Add in the extra airframes, which are much better than what he already has. It puts you even further away from home and the fuel cost would get even more expensive over time. IMO, a no go here!

B. Suva - Pago Pago would hurt to some degree, but he needs significant 4e bombers to pave the way for any attack out of this area. Less costly in the long run that NZ.

C. Cocos - A thorn in the side that Lew will use in the future. Maybe not until '44, but he will send supplies and troops there to max out what he can base there. IMO, the one that needs to be undertaken of the three options you presented.

D. Line Islands - This one was not listed, but could be used to make options A and B unnecessary. From here, Ms Nell/Betty could range out into the Pacific and easy to make raids into any shipping efforts to South Pacific and NZ expensive or require Lew to use CVs for escort duty.

Burma will likely be the choice in the fall of '42 after monsoons. Extra troops plus extra airframes of better quality. He will not need to rely on CVs to accomplish this. The question will be can Lew remain patient that long or will he try to counter attack in the next few months??

_____________________________


(in reply to John 3rd)
Post #: 559
RE: Planning for the Future - 5/28/2012 2:32:01 PM   
John 3rd


Posts: 17178
Joined: 9/8/2005
From: La Salle, Colorado
Status: offline
Line Islands would sure as Hell serve to shift the Theatre of Operations. Is this my 'Operations Department' jumping in again?

There would be no surprise as I would have to prep units but I will add this as a viable option for active consideration. Course there will be no surprise to ANY of these Ops since prep will be required PERIOD.

Add:
4. Line Islands
---Advantages: Forces the Americans into a direct fight with the advantages of attritional combat, force the Theatre of combat AWAY from Australia, and--perhaps--create the possibility of a Fleet engagement.
---Issues: Americans dug-in, fuel, no surprise.



_____________________________



Member: Treaty, Reluctant Admiral and Between the Storms Mod Team.

Reluctant Admiral Mod:
https://sites.google.com/site/reluctantadmiral/

(in reply to ny59giants)
Post #: 560
RE: Planning for the Future - 5/28/2012 3:06:06 PM   
ny59giants


Posts: 9869
Joined: 1/10/2005
Status: offline
quote:

Is this my 'Operations Department' jumping in again?


Of course!! Just because I have three games going and no turn in my inbox at the moment, doesn't mean I have resigned my position in your Operations Dept. My "Risk Assessment" takes into account Lew's past behaviors and how he would respond to each of your possible objectives. It helps having a 'mental health professional' on staff. There are a limited number of bases present, but enough and it being close to Pearl would get Lew to sortie the fleet. The others may not get him to use his few CVs as they may be too far away.

_____________________________


(in reply to John 3rd)
Post #: 561
RE: Planning for the Future - 5/28/2012 3:08:07 PM   
John 3rd


Posts: 17178
Joined: 9/8/2005
From: La Salle, Colorado
Status: offline
I need all the 'mental health' help I can GET! I concur. He would naturally attack. It is in his nature to do so...


_____________________________



Member: Treaty, Reluctant Admiral and Between the Storms Mod Team.

Reluctant Admiral Mod:
https://sites.google.com/site/reluctantadmiral/

(in reply to ny59giants)
Post #: 562
RE: Planning for the Future - 5/28/2012 3:14:14 PM   
ny59giants


Posts: 9869
Joined: 1/10/2005
Status: offline
What amount of base expansions have you done with Christmas Island (IO)?? I would have a 'few' construction engineers over there maximizing the base.

_____________________________


(in reply to John 3rd)
Post #: 563
RE: Planning for the Future - 5/28/2012 3:44:30 PM   
obvert


Posts: 14050
Joined: 1/17/2011
From: PDX (and now) London, UK
Status: offline
A. NZ. A step too far, I think, also. Not necessary. Too much in return.

B. Fiji. Why not? It would take out a bunch more troops and as you say, also aircraft and possibly ships. More importantly, this is the best area to stage ops for the New Hebrides and the Solomons. If he has this he might eventually just bypass OZ and go up. If he doesn't have it, to move toward Japan through the Pacific he will be forced to go through some well defended area, whether it's OZ, Noumea/Fiji, or Gilberts/Marshalls.

C. Cocos. It's a must if you want to hold the Perth area for long I would think. But it also is just a bit too close to Sumatra for comfort. If he's got more stuff there, that's just more to kill.

D. Line Islands. This is great, but if he holds Fiji, not that relevant. He can just use a very southern route and drop everything at Pago Pago and Fiji, plus a few other southern islands.

If I were the Allies, and you were already this stretched out, I would want you to extend more. Key spots like Cocos and Fiji that are actually small and easily isolated seem the best for the second half of 42, as well as solidifying Burma. Then the digging in.

(in reply to ny59giants)
Post #: 564
RE: The Future - 5/28/2012 4:04:18 PM   
janh

 

Posts: 1216
Joined: 6/12/2007
Status: offline
Exciting to see your degree of success in OZ. Lew really was caught off-guard. His commitment of AUS ID to the Darwin-Katherine area was too-early-too-much in retrospect, yet I think the Carrier battle of Cocos Island on March 4-5th was at least equally important. The >= 2 IDs stuck there now could have been troubles if Lew contemplated to move them to OZ, and the numerous Allied carriers ending damaged/sunk could have caused trouble on the Western OZ flank and kept the reinforcement route to India open. That battle, and the earlier carrier clash near Java might have been very crucial in the end?

quote:

ORIGINAL: John 3rd
Planning--Options:
A. New Zealand.
B. Suva-Nadi:
C. Cocos:
D. Line Islands


Regarding your ideas, I concur with ny59giants, and let NZ alone. More industry sounds nice, but in the end not resources or HI will be limiting you, but oil/fuel (and perhaps supplies). I would nonetheless try to create a credible threat to NZ, just to keep Lew off-guard. Maybe prep the units planned to garrison OZ for a few credible strike targets, so Lew gets plenty of wrong intel. If I were him, I would now be rather nervous about more surprise landings. I would be reinforcing islands at the perimeter and NZ, but refrain from a hasty counter-offensive.

Cocos should probably be doable with 2 ID as the Allies there will hopefully be starving already. Maybe you could even bypass them until later, since these waters should now be safe to travel into 43, and having ID stranded there might force Lew to do some (daring) mistakes.

I would rank Line Islands highest. They are a perfect staging ground for raiders, subs, Betties and also to recon Hawaii. As far as I can see it, no Allied player could bypass them in an attack via CENTPAC or SOEPac without keeping a very severe threat in his flank. Perhaps it is a sure invitation for another carrier battle, and one offering the IJN good LBA staging bases while Hawaii is a long way for Allied air assets. Do you have any actual intel on units and air assets staged there? Until Wasp's appearance, you could count on CV superiority, which could render LI doable?

Suva-Nadi: Doing harm to his LCU and taking another big, unsinkable CV would be tempting, too. If you managed to take LI, the Fidjiis would be a longer route away from CONUSA, and perhaps, just perhaps, could become even more interesting. I have made bad experiences with Suva-Nadi, I found it very hard to defend against the Allies. Do you have a good idea what to expect there? Do you have intel on Pago-Pago?

Ceylon... well, fits the Burma complex, where I think I would try to draw you into an attritional battles until more Allied CVs come online. Ceylon is also a dirty thorn in the Allied side, but I think less so than the rest. It is probably also not doable so late anymore, and would require at least 6 ID and cost you a bunch of troop carriers. I'd recon it, or think about a quick CV raid on Colombo, though. Else, what are your further plans in Burma?

< Message edited by janh -- 5/28/2012 4:05:24 PM >

(in reply to John 3rd)
Post #: 565
RE: Planning for the Future - 5/28/2012 4:04:20 PM   
John 3rd


Posts: 17178
Joined: 9/8/2005
From: La Salle, Colorado
Status: offline
Good Thinking Obvert--janh.

More ideas? Anyone??

Am leaning towards Cocos being a MUST assault. The benefits of taking it are too large to ignore. The opportunity to crush those units and secure the protection of Southern DEI and West-NW Aust are HUGE. I will set 4 ID, that will be going to Burma anyway, to prep for there. Will move engineers to Christmas IO to expand the base. Could move Southern Army there to get the assault bonus as well. Might really help. Regular bombardment runs will be useful and keep eating up supply. Once X-Mas is big enough I can attack from that point with airpower. Most of this makes sense to me.

These Operation(s) will have to be set in context. We will hit Cocos with Line Islands and Suva as the other possibility. I shall have 3-4 ID available for the second Operation. It will take at least 50-60 days to get Prep Levels to a point of being able to stage the operation. This means:
1. Mid-to-Late May at earliest.
2. I can get the Fleet fully repaired and ready to go. Will also have CV Hiyo at that point.

Let us continue the discussion by focusing on Line Islands or Suva.

< Message edited by John 3rd -- 5/28/2012 4:06:19 PM >


_____________________________



Member: Treaty, Reluctant Admiral and Between the Storms Mod Team.

Reluctant Admiral Mod:
https://sites.google.com/site/reluctantadmiral/

(in reply to obvert)
Post #: 566
RE: Planning for the Future - 5/28/2012 4:23:01 PM   
Historiker


Posts: 4742
Joined: 7/4/2007
From: Deutschland
Status: offline
Do I get a whiff of victory disease, here?

If you like taking out big numbers of civilian ships, bomb Cocos and blockade it for a year. His supply runs will grant you a lot of tonnage to kill, and once the airfield is closed, he won't get it open, again.

The more you spread out in the pacific, the thinner your lines are, and the easier it is to bypass you. If you don't intend to invade every island except Hawaii, he'll always have a starting point and a much bigger choice where to strike. So if you want to be satisfied with Australia and want to secure it, the whole eastern coast is safe once you have fortified the solomones - caledonia- NZ area.


_____________________________

Without any doubt: I am the spawn of evil - and the Bavarian Beer Monster (BBM)!

There's only one bad word and that's taxes. If any other word is good enough for sailors; it's good enough for you. - Ron Swanson

(in reply to John 3rd)
Post #: 567
RE: Planning for the Future - 5/28/2012 4:31:56 PM   
witpqs


Posts: 26087
Joined: 10/4/2004
From: Argleton
Status: offline
Look, everyone is right about New Zealand, it's the wrong move. "Build your enemy Golden Bridges." You want him to have a route to Australia to tempt him toward the long road to Japan. But a real man would conquer New Zealand. I'm just sayin'.

< Message edited by witpqs -- 5/28/2012 4:32:50 PM >

(in reply to Historiker)
Post #: 568
RE: The Future - 5/28/2012 9:29:46 PM   
MateDow


Posts: 218
Joined: 8/6/2002
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: John 3rd

Planning--Options:

A. I've already written about New Zealand.


I agree with everyone else here.


quote:

B. Suva-Nadi:


This is a long way from your Lines of Communication (LOC) and will require a lot of work to make it a viable base for a series of invasions. Even after a few, they shouldn't have penetrated too far into the areas that you would like to protect.


quote:

C. Cocos:


I like the idea of an attack here. There are a lot of troops here and it helps to protect your LOC. It is close enough to your bases for LBA to contribute to the fight and you have bases nearby to support bombardment vessels (Surabaya can replenish Yamato).

With the isolation from supplies, and the shear amount of bombardment weight that you can apply, it might not take as many troops as you might think.

quote:

D. Line Islands


I like these as targets. Don't forget that Christmas Island (the other one, not the IO one) is not an atoll, so there aren't limitations to the number of troops that can be based there. This will make it a tough nut to crack.

The opportunity to get a shot at his carriers if he masses them to oppose the landing is also possible. He will have the advantage of being closer to his repair yards, and that might tempt him out.

Those are just my thoughts for you to take or leave as you wish.

(in reply to John 3rd)
Post #: 569
RE: The Future - 5/28/2012 10:02:13 PM   
obvert


Posts: 14050
Joined: 1/17/2011
From: PDX (and now) London, UK
Status: offline
quote:

I like these as targets. Don't forget that Christmas Island (the other one, not the IO one) is not an atoll, so there aren't limitations to the number of troops that can be based there. This will make it a tough nut to crack.


It is an atoll. Just the biggest one, so even tougher!

(in reply to MateDow)
Post #: 570
Page:   <<   < prev  17 18 [19] 20 21   next >   >>
All Forums >> [New Releases from Matrix Games] >> War in the Pacific: Admiral's Edition >> After Action Reports >> RE: BANZAI! Page: <<   < prev  17 18 [19] 20 21   next >   >>
Jump to:





New Messages No New Messages
Hot Topic w/ New Messages Hot Topic w/o New Messages
Locked w/ New Messages Locked w/o New Messages
 Post New Thread
 Reply to Message
 Post New Poll
 Submit Vote
 Delete My Own Post
 Delete My Own Thread
 Rate Posts


Forum Software © ASPPlayground.NET Advanced Edition 2.4.5 ANSI

1.547