Q-Ball
Posts: 7336
Joined: 6/25/2002 From: Chicago, Illinois Status: offline
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3/3/42 Gentlemen, we have a destination: VIZINGAPATAM! Yes, intel reports not just one, but three reports of units on AKs headed to Vizingaptam on the Indian Coast. 2 Artillery Units and a Base Force, but I'm sure it's more than that. You can bet on it! Vizingapatam is undefended; I chose to focus on Chittagong, and you can defend both. So, he will have the opportunity to land there. Then what? I am moving 6th Australian Division to Cocanda, and other forces including tanks to the rough terrain leading outside of Viz. I hope to delay him, becuase it takes awhile to march through India. Trust me, I know. So, with a landing confirmed on the Indian mainland, let's take stock of what's there India Proper: I haven't moved any of the Indian Army out of India; so, there are 3 weak divisions (19th, 20th, 7th) that are getting stronger each day as they take replacements, train, and gain morale. A couple more of these weaker divisions are coming soon as reinforcements. They are OK with some training. The 6th Australian Div and 18th UK Division, plus the 7th Arm Bde, are on the Indian Mainland in various parts, and are all good troops. 2 Brigades of the 7th Aus are also in India, and the last one is on it's way from Aden. There are also a few miscelaneous Indian Brigades of course, of differing quality, and some independent Gurkha and other Bns here and there. The 70th UK division appears in 12 days in Karachi; in this version, it's a full Infantry division, with 80 experience. Really tough, in other words. The RAF is all here, plus 3 US Fighter Squadrons, 3 Medium B-26 squadrons, and 3 B-17 units. I have another group of 4 units on the way to Cape Town. I also have 2 Marine DB units. I am very glad I shifted US air units to India early; it's a must-do IMO, because the RAF needs supplemental help, escpecially in BOMBERS. Wish I had a few more, but they are coming. Overall, aside from moving the US Marines to India early, not much more I could have put there. I feel good about the preparations, we'll see how it goes. I want to see what lands before developing a defensive plan; but no matter what, we are going to hold Bombay. It has piles and piles of supplies, almost half a million, and given a 1000 AV garrison, it would take the whole IJA to clear it. I am not discounting further landings up the Indian Coast, but he is racing the clock now against the April 1 deadline, and if he plans to go deeper, needs to get on Ceylon right away. You can't land at Goa or other points, without clearing Ceylon, IMO. We'll see how this goes, but interesting move.
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