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Canoerebel -> RE: The Good The Bad & The Indifferent (4/7/2017 4:15:09 PM)
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The turn sent to John last night was pretty involved. The most complicated matter was separated certain merchant ships from Mini Death Star's charge. These merchantmen are carrying relatively small infantry units to garrison bases that I've withdrawn divisions from: Sorong, Morotai and Manokwari. The detached units include two Marine RCT (joining the third, which came to DEI for Big Tent), one West African brigade, and Australian brigade, and the Sparrow and Gull detachments. So, I'm removing three divisions from the DEI and leaving there the equivalent of one, reinforced.
The DEI still has a number of divisions prepping for important DEI bases: 6th Marine (now that those two RCT have arrived) for Kendari; 4th Aus. for Makassar; 40th USA for Ternate; 41st USA for Balikpapan; 3rd Aus. for Manado; 2nd Aus. for Port Moresby; and smaller units (brigades or regiments) for places like Koepang and Darwin. That's a lot of targets. Most prep has long-since been complete, but I won't undertake most of these ops for awhile. I need Mini KB out of the way or a sizeable carrier force to provide security. (I think Mini KB will have to leave the DEI soon for the Pacific; else it risks getting isolated in the DEI or at least in the position of having to run through waters controlled by Allied airfields or Death Star.)
Once these DEI targets are attended to, only a fraction of that force will remain in the DEI to attend to important targets in Java and Sumatra (perhaps two or three divisions). The bulk will move north for the end game against Japan.
As for Singapore and Malaysia (and possibly Vietnam), the army currently moving in and near Thailand will handle those venues.
Mini Death Star is bringing six complete divisions and various detachments, tank brigades, artillery units, and lots of support and HQ, to the Philippines. Two of these divisions will be detached to Mindanao. That campaign should mostly be decided by air power.
The balance of the army (the four divisions, tanks, arty, etc.) will await the completion (or certainty of completion) of the Luzon campaign. I think certainty is a matter of weeks.
This should give me 17 divisions in the Philippines or vicinity. A few will remain in this theater: 6th Aus. recovering at Miri; 7th Aus. helping with Mindanao, and probably 6th US doing garrison duty at Manila.
That leaves roughly 13 for Peep Show. One of those, 27th USA, is still pretty week, recovering experience after rebuilding (it was destroyed in Sumatra). It's a relatively small division. I think I'll use prep it for one of the islands off northern Luzon.
So...12 divisions for Peep Show. Some of these are currently prepped for Manila, but several are 100% prepped for Peep Show. As usual, the prep is needed for the initial assault to take a base. Then follow-up units, prepped for other targets or just beginning prep after Luzon, can land and proceed to other targets.
Reinforcements are building in Hawaii and San Fran. To bring them in directly through the Pacific, I'd have to detach DS to meet them halfway and escort them back. Or I may let them take the longer Oz route. I do have a zillion merchantmen in the DEI and Luzon. Some of these are needed for Peep Show, but I need to get some (especially xAP) back to the USA to handle all the troops arriving there. I think there are currently two divisions present in San Fran (one restricted) with another to arrive within the month.
What this long, long explanation illustrates is the complexity of the task ahead...and the fact that logistics is a bigger consideration now than Japan. John still has lots of teeth, but its logistics and me properly executing plans that are the keys to victory now.
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