AcePylut
Posts: 1494
Joined: 3/19/2004
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quote:
"Just one more thing. If he wises up and gets Netties on your port (to subdue your CD's), these subs could be very vulnerable. Its my understanding that they unload rather slowly (don't know if its so, just what I've read). At any rate if he does so, beware.
I commend your attempt to assist your units, but I think its a lost cause, eventually.
My preference for such ops is hit-and-run, or preemptive ops. You did well, but now it looks like you're going to hand the victory, and Victory Points, back to him.
Its all about the VP's. "
Ultimately, it is a lost cause, I have no doubt about that. And while this game is and always will be, about the VP's... it's "how" you get those VP's.
I'm entirely willing to "lose the VP match" over Wake Island, but don't think I will. I've already killed, at the very minimum, at least 3-4 thousand Japanese soldiers. That number should increase. I've sank, by my estimates, around 7-8 transports. So even if I lose a couple of xAK's here - as long as they sink *after* dumping supply on the island - I come out ahead.
If I can get a couple thousand supplies on the island and extend the battle another 2-3 weeks past what I'd gain from an estimated "non-supplied" last stand, then, while I would have lost the battle for the island from a tactical level, I've won the battle on the Operational and Strategic Level.
The longer I hold out, the more CB focuses attention to Wake. The longer I hold out, the more he will divert additional units (land, sea, air) to capturing the island. The longer I hold out, the more he gets the belief that "day-yum is every island going to be this damn tough, maybe I should just start digging in and forgo any further expansion".
So, while one may look at the VP gain/loss and say "Ace lost 1000 VP, CB lost 800 VP, so CB won", this is from a tactical viewpoint. I'm focused on the Strategic Level. Everything I do starts at the Strategic level and filters down to the tactical, not vice versa.
To note - the invasion of Wake was commenced on March 21st. There was a "2 week estimate" before the island fell, which I thought was about right. It's now April 9th/10th (can't remember exactly I'm at work). It's held out for three weeks and could easily go another 2 weeks (depending on how fast CB gets enginerds over to knock down my forts).
In that time, I've been able to push some units forward "without fear" to Pago Pago for an eventual move closer to Suva (I want to get into fighter range and start threatening Suva. He's been building up the islands, it's the end of his supply line, and the perfect spot to create a schwerpunkt to suck his assets while I make a 'real' move elsewhere, in late '42/early '42).
Tabiteuea was under siege from subs, surface ships, and the Mini-KB. It was out of supply. Forts were stuck at 2 and not building. But since March 21st, I've been able to get about 5k supply into the base, forts are at 3 and marching towards 4 rather quickly. Also, CB had a failed invasion on this island a couple months ago so he might be leery of attacking it again given the Wake Island issues. I know he's seen a lot of my ships going into and out of the base, so perhaps he thinks I'm reinforcing it like crazy (I'm not, I just a SeaBee unit and the 161st Inf Rgt). I was able to reinforce all the island leading to Tab (Canton, Baker, Christmas, etc.).
Adak Island went from being an empty base to a rapidly enlarging fortress. It's got a division of troops there, and now I will spread out east and west from Adak to provide those multiple interlocking air bases that are so necessary for a quality defense.
With CB having multiple BB's and the KB tied up around Wake, they aren't elsewhere blasting everything in sight.
A couple of units of Netties at Rabaul had effectively closed off Port Moreseby to re-supply and reinforcement. Those units aren't at Rabaul anymore. I'm running in four transports with around 15k supply to PM.
And funny enough, on the day of the initial invasion, one of CB's emails hinted that one of my subs had either seriously damaged or sank one of his carriers. During the turns replay, all I could note was that one of my subs fired and missed at a large fleet tanker. Tankers are easily mistaken for carriers... and perhaps my sub guys didn't note a hit... but dare I dream that I got something juicy???
In short, since March 21st, all his attention in the Pacific is on Wake, which has allowed me to do many things elsewhere that will (I'm hoping) be doubly beneficial in the long run. The longer I hold his attention (and units) at Wake, the better it is for me in the long run... and that, imho, is worth a couple of transports.
Now, if CB will make a mistake and give me a small gap in the siege of Wake, I can maybe find just the "right time" to run in some supplies. Ultimately, I doubt I'll have the opportunity to resupply the island, so we'll see. I know he's frustrated at himself over this op.
There's a new turn in my inbox... watch this be a shock attack that wipes the Wake defenders and makes all this discussion a moot point. lol.
< Message edited by AcePylut -- 5/1/2019 8:48:11 PM >
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