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GoTraurig -> Allied Grand Campaign Questions - no Bandkanon (7/12/2011 1:23:48 AM)
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Hello everyone, I am playing as the Allies in my first PBEM. In fact, this is my first game other than playing a few turns against the AI in the shorter scenarios. My opponent, Bandkanon, is relatively more experienced than I am and has created a thread about our game as well (of course I did not open the thread, but the fact that he created it is a bit intimidating). The strategic situation seems unusual and leaves me a bit aimless as to my current opportunities and long-term goals.
It is March 9, 1942.
Bandkanon decided to strike Manila first turn instead of the more standard Pearl Harbor attack. Additionally we agreed that Force Z didn't have to charge off to their deaths. Because of this, the only surface forces I've lost are 6 DDs, 2 CL, and CA Chester. His losses are also relatively light, but he let miniKB (killing those 2 CL and a DD of mine) stray too close to divebombers at Java and he lost a CVL and a CVE and a few escorts. I've been using relatively expendable CLs with 4-6 DDs to raid from Java with some pretty good success, but it won't be too long before he catches the two TFs and ends this. I intend to use the BBs to shutdown airfields and absorb damage when I do my island campaigns, but is there anything I should be doing with my surface assets other than these things?
Adding to the peculiarity of our game, I pulled most of the men and planes from Singapore, Palembang, Burma, and the surrounding Dutch areas to Java. I also reinforced Java with some of the Burma and Singapore relief forces and the US planes that arrive at Brisbane which are set to withdraw on March 14, 1942. He has taken Merak with two divisions and has a small SNLF unit wandering around in the interior, but he seems content to just sit there. My air forces other than the relatively useless dutch bombers and the patrol planes are pretty much depleted. Although he has about 800 AV at Merak, I have about 1450 AV at Batavia and 1350 AV at Soerabaja - I'm getting the impression he's just going to bypass Java and hit somewhere else. I'm not sure he isn't going to land more men and I'm also not too confident in the ability of 2200 AV of mostly Dutch forces to take on his 800 AV especially considering he'll be bombing and bombarding me. Any suggestions for what to do here?
He has taken Wake Island, a couple of the Gilbert Islands, some of the Solomon Islands, Port Moresby (with KB covering), most of Sumatra (including Palembang with no damage), Singapore, Rangoon (and he's pushing through Burma quickly - I'm going to stop and try to hold at Katha, where I've had engineers building forts for a while now), he has my men at Clark Field and Bataan running low on supplies, and he's gradually taking bases on Celebes, and the rest of the DEI, unopposed. Both of us are playing passively and somewhat cautiously, but it's not entirely impossible that he'll try to invade India/Ceylon or northern Australia. My carriers are all either at Aden/Capetown for the British or the West Coast for the US. Although it's not very exciting, I can't foresee a situation where the potential reward of having my carriers active justifies the risks - especially considering how well guarded all my opponent's landings are.
I'm being completely outplayed in China. My opponent seems much more adept at land maneuvering and the Japanese seem to have all the advantages in this theater. His forces already occupy Yenan, Loyang, Chengchow, all the coastal cities, Wuchow, and Nanyang. Although we have had some fighting here, I've perhaps foolishly preserved much of my forces instead of forcing him to dislodge me. He's currently positioning to pressure IChang, Changsa and Sian. Since all three of those fronts are connected by rail lines for him, I'm unsure how to go about defending each of these. The intuitive answer seems to be to try to launch counter offensives in whichever of the two areas he depletes to focus his thrust, but the supply situation is very poor. Anyone have any suggestions for what I should do in China?
My plans: I'm building up Adak island to allow for potential harassment or invasions up in the north. I currently garrison and fortify Christmas Island and Pago Pago along the route between Australia and Pearl. Pearl Harbor, India, and Australia are constantly being brought supplies and fuel - I'm keeping the fuel in Abadan pretty low, Capetown has very little, and the arrivals at Aden are being brought to India. I currently plan to invade the Marshall Islands in late July of 1942. It seems that there's a lull in carrier arrivals from July 1942 to March of 43 so it appears to be the intuitive time to try to force a carrier engagement - especially considering the US CVs have an upgrade that finishes right before then. I hope to be able to have land based aircraft operating from the islands taken to give me a substantial advantage in the resultant CV battle. I'll have many battleships nearby to hopefully eat some of the torpedoes if it comes to that as well. Anyone have any comments about my plans or any suggestions about something significant I may be missing? Am I playing too passively?
Thank you for any advice and thank you for reading this ridiculously long post [:)] .
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