Taxcutter
Posts: 389
Joined: 4/4/2016 Status: offline
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I feel pretty good about the early months. Despite strictly adhering to house rules: 1. My Singapore outlasted historical Singapore by a few days. 2. My Soerabaja has already outlasted historical Singapore. (under initial probing now) 3. Never discount a collapse, particularly in a supply starved garrison, but I only need about ten days to have outlasted historical Bataan. Could be close. (Key units are frittering away like bacon fat.) 4. AI has not raided the Indian Ocean nor bombed Darwin (although the latter could happen soon) Beware of hubris, Taxcutter AI has run a number of "Morgan's Raid operations" Distant and ephemeral raids on places he cannot hold (Canton, Luganville, Normanton, Bora Bora). My war machine at this point reacts too slowly to be pulled off the main plan by these raids. AI rode KB hard in December and February but I haven't seen it since mid-February. AI is using CVLs, CVEs, and their small, less trained air groups to support ops in the DEI. I'd do the same. Train up those inexperienced units in an environment where they have a good chance to survive and at little risk to their CVs. Dutch B-10s are less dangerous to the Japanese than Mk. 14 torpedoes. As always, my early 1942 US subs (beyond the occasional lucky shot) are worthless. I shamelessly use them to supply Bataan, with just a token force in Japanese home waters. AI escorts nearly everything, and his escorts are better than the stock scenarios although he doesn't have the nuclear depth charges - - yet. My escorts are nearly worthless, although that may change shortly. April is the first great upgrade month for my ASW, AAW, and radar. Without radar my cruisers are vulnerable at night, but AI's emphasis on nuisance raids often mean a lot of his outmatch surface groups don't come back. Note to AI: Don't let two Brooklyns see one of your DD or CL. Historically, the Japanese didn't give a rip about land unit casualties, and this scenario is no exception. Singapore and Bataan have, have mangled nine of his divisions. His divisions (when fresh) are equipment-light and manpower-heavy so I expect he can replace losses quickly. Effect on quality yet to be seen. AI's land aggressiveness is non-existent. His army sat at Pergo and looked at Fortress Rangoon (one shot-up Burma rifle battalion) for two weeks. His efforts in China are comatose. Without supply all Chiang and Mao can do is camp on good defensive terrain and hold on, but AI make no attempt to move them off when he can. Changsha is at a Level 5 fort and with three engineer units there and the Japanese not within 150 miles, I'm expending precious supply to reach the unicorn level 6. My big problem is lack of land units. One regiment of the Americal Division is stuck in Frisco attached to the West Coat demand and needs 800 PP to chop over to South Pacific. Also five BFs are stuck there at half strength. The first real Liberty ship showed up at Portland (no antifa?). Amazing what those things do for my logistics with their 600 to cargo capacity and enormous endurance. Strange days, indeed.
< Message edited by Taxcutter -- 9/7/2021 3:04:27 PM >
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