Ron Saueracker
Posts: 12121
Joined: 1/28/2002 From: Ottawa, Canada OR Zakynthos Island, Greece Status: offline
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Any decisions made on the fuel question? If the Japanese didn't send down the Yamato and friends there was probably a few good reasons; fuel, doctrine, warnings from on high. I always thought fuel was of great import, but I call upon as well the Japanese fleet in being doctrine that emphasised saving the battleline for the still envisioned classic Jutland engagement. For some reason, the battleship was still viewed as the premier arbiter of sea power by many high ranking Japanese officers, and they did not want these ships squandered off Guadalcanal. When reading up on prewar Japanese strategy, the Kongo, Haruna, Hiei, and Kirishima, along with other fast torpedo armed light forces, were to whittle down the US Battle Fleet in order to equalize the odds for a classic engagement. They were viewed as somewhat expendable. This, to me, is more the reason why the slower BBs were not used.
But...was it not Raizo Tanaka who stated that Guadalcanal was the "fork in the road" for Japanese fortunes and that it was here that the ultimate naval battle should be fought? He stated this as it was Japan's last crack at bringing the Allies to the peace table due to the still relative parity between the two forces, thanks of course to Midway. This statement obviously benefited from hindsight and reflection, but is that not what wargames are about...revionist history?
Fuel should be an issue, but so should doctrine. Why not have different doctrines for strategic reinforcements, just as you have various doctrines for Japanese sub performance. Let it alter the pipeline depending upon whatever results are achieved by players in this theatre.
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Yammas from The Apo-Tiki Lounge. Future site of WITP AE benders! And then the s--t hit the fan
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