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EUBanana -> RE: Defence of India (6/24/2010 1:13:45 PM)
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OK, brace for a rambling post on my experiences...
I've been enjoying a Japanese invasion of the Indian mainland hugely in my game! I think it's quite a unique experience in AE as a campaign, as fighting actually on the subcontinent is quite different in style from fighting in the usual Pacific conditions of dire supply and bad infrastructure. Allied forces in India are never going to be short of supply and the infrastructure is such that you may as well be fighting in the USA.
I think the main things are - pay attention to the rail network and what links what, and pay attention to the terrain you are choosing to defend in. A lot of India is open terrain - this is a deathtrap when trying to defend, and even more of a deathtrap if you're trying to move across it. Fight in forests or rough terrain whenever possible. The terrain in India is quite mixed. A Japanese attack at Bengal was countered in my game very effectively by a defensive line from Ranchi - Jamshedphur - Howrah, as all three of those bases are in rough terrain and are close enough to support each other. The big open space northeast of them, up to Patna, is a deathtrap for bombers, any LCUs advancing up there are bomber fodder.
Down south there are a few key bases as well. Just look at the rail links, try and close off each link while sitting a base hex with rough terrain, and preferably in land so it can't be bombarded by battleships.
Watch out for paras, there are plenty of Indian battalion sized units (Assam Rifle battalions for example) which IMHO should be used to ensure key rail lines are not seized in a paradrop. A single Bn will probably stop paras.
Armour in theory should be ideal in India but in practice I found it terribly vulnerable to air attack when out in the open and so ended up just attaching it to infantry and occasionally making flanking moves with it. It's tough to keep fighter cover over advancing LCUs. If you're moving stacks of units around the Indian countryside bring an AA unit along, the Brits have a gazillion AA battalions, don't forget them.
Airbases should be built up inland so they are immune to shelling. Raipur has served as an excellent base in my game, even as far off as Chittagong is in range of 4E bombers stationed at Raipur. Down south there is Trichonopoly which can support Ceylon most effectively as the entirety of Ceylon will be within fighter range while Trichonopoly is inland - if you think Ceylon is a possible target it's probably worth building up Trichonopoly asap. It isn't the only base mind, there are no shortage of potential airfields in India.
The rail network in India, and its size and terrain, makes ground combat there, in my experience, a totally different beast from other ground campaigns. You can respond to enemy moves with lightning speed - similarly the enemy can change his axis of attack with lightning speed as well. A week can be a long time in Indian fighting. Given that, I wouldn't get too excited about where in particular the enemy will land - as you say there's a lot of coast. Build up key points on the rail network and when he does land, move to seal him off. So defend flexibly, rather than statically. The fast movement speeds in India, and the wealth of engineers you got, allow you to do this.
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