SqzMyLemon
Posts: 4239
Joined: 10/30/2009 From: Alberta, Canada Status: offline
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A brief update. Andre is moving fast. Manus, Morotai and Miri have been lost with Kuching likely falling next turn. Makin, Nauru and Ocean Islands have also been captured. Allied moves have been little. I've gotten a crack at both CV Akagi and CA Myoko with SS S-39, but this submarine is snake bitten. A 'hit, but no explosion' on the CV and a 'torpedo failed to detonate' on the CA. Dutch boats are being deployed around Ambon, Kendari and Sorong. All merchant shipping in the DEI with the range are withdrawing to Australia, Cape Town and Aden. The priority is to be able to lift reinforcements into various theatres as quickly as possible. American air units are already in transit from the East Coast to Cape Town. Some surface assets are withdrawing to safer waters while others are waiting in the wings out of current Japanese air search range looking for opportunities. The CV's are in Hawaii with the exception of CV Saratoga which is being deployed to escort air transport TF's to Australia. Most Commonwealth air units that can be re-deployed have been sent to Australia or India. I'm with Sir Hugh Dowding on this, the air battle over the SRA is over and I will not lose a single plane or pilot over a lost cause more than I need to. The real battles will be over Australia or India in a few months. While KB is still out of range I'm trying to get reinforcements to both Hawaii, Palmyra and Christmas Islands while I can. I'm also sending forces to Lord Howe Island in anticipation of a Japanese move against New Caledonia and Fiji. I'll try and reinforce Alaska and the Aleutians, but it's all a question of PP's. India is being reinforced with the 18th British Division. My priority is get the logistics in place to be able to strike back effectively anywhere on the map. A note on my Allied philosophy. I'm still a novice with this side and I have no clue how to provide a real monkey wrench early for Japan as the better Allied players often do. I got steamrolled in my only previous experience playing the Allies in a Scenario 2 PBEM where my opponent effectively divided the map in half capturing all of the Aleutians up to Cold Bay and taking New Caledonia, New Zealand, Fiji as far as Tahiti in the south. I was ambushed moving forces into Alaska and raids against Prince Rupert devastated my lift capacity. The extra troops Japan gets early makes any kind of forward defence extremely risky. With this in mind, I fully expect to get streamrolled early so I will not throw good money after bad. I will make preparations to stave off auto-victory, but in so doing will not fight too far forward against overwhelming strength unless absolutely necessary. I'd like to secure Alaska, the Line Islands, Australia, Lord How Island and India before I worry about any offensive moves. In my other game my opponent left me no option but to strike from the IO, where I launched a full scale offensive against Sumatra in late 1943 from Cape Town, Ceylon and Diego Garcia rather than advance across the Pacific as he had hoped. I will mount another such operation anywhere on the map if necessary, but that depends on what Andre leaves me to play with. My experience playing Japan showed me no matter how aggressive a Japanese player is, the Allies can only lose out if they play according to Japan's wishes. I don't plan on accommodating. I'll play my game and do my best to prevent an auto-victory. Other than knowing I have to protect high VP locations, avoid losing major naval assets and prevent Japan blanketing the map with air search capability, I really don't care what Andre does. Right now I have to wait and see just how aggressive Andre intends to be before I panic.
< Message edited by SqzMyLemon -- 2/24/2014 6:38:43 PM >
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Luck is the residue of design - John Milton Don't mistake lack of talent for genius - Peter Steele (Type O Negative)
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