Canoerebel
Posts: 21100
Joined: 12/14/2002
From: Northwestern Georgia, USA
Status: offline
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Miller is tenacious and I think our game will continue for a long time to come, but Japanese fortunes are waning fast. So I've been mulling over some of the major strategic decisions that shaped our game:
1. Allied Carrier Raid on Java; April 1942: The combined British and American carriers met south of Australia and proceeded north to hit the Japanese carriers at Soerabaja and Semereng. The first replay led to a decisive Allied victory, but a bug forced a re-do that was decidely more balanced. The raid was risky, but I think it was well-conceived and the kind of chance-taking that the Allies can engage in from time to time with careful thought given to what happens if it turns sour. I give the Allied CinC a B+ for this effort.
2. Allied Invasion of Luganville; June 1942: The Allies wanted to reclaim this important base to secure the LOC between the West Coast and Australia. Thinking that the KB was still suffering a hangover from the Battle of Java, the Allies put together a strong force...but then puzsyfooted around instead of driving to the beachhead as quickly as possible. The delay allowed several repaired IJN CVs to arrive on the scene. The Allies suffered a major defeat though they were able to re-take Luganville. CinC gets an D- for this effort (it would have been an F but for taking Luganville).
3. Allied Invasion of the Kuriles; March 1943: This massive, long-in-developing plan caught the Japanese totally by surprise. The Allies succeeded in taking Paramushiro Jima and Onnekotan Jima with strong forces that I felt sure could withstand a protracted counterattack. However, IJA shoreguns on Paramushiro really roughed up the Allied transports resulting in the loss of most supply. Moroever, the invasion triggered Japanese home guard units that permitted Miller to cobble together a strong counter-invasion force much sooner than expected. Due to the chronic low supply and the failure of Allied CD guns to exact a heavy toll, the Japanese counter-invasions in June '43 were successful. The Allies lost a tremendous number of transports and something like six BBs. The Japanese, in turn, lost their four Kongo Class BBs. For three months, Miller had to commit everything he had in the Kuriles to defeat this threat to the homeland. This gave the Allies freedom to move forward in the DEI and establish a strong chain of bases between Lautem and New Guinea - an important development in the game. Still, the entire affair ultimately failed and left a sour taste in my mouth. The CinC gets a C- for this effort.
4. DEI First: Early in the game the Allies determined that their main push would take place in the DEI. Consequently, the Allies transferred alot of Indian and British units to that theater. Beginning in the summer of '42, the Allies engaged in a steady, difficult push into the DEI that cost both sides dearly in terms of aircraft and capital ships. The Allies suffered a terrific beating in the Battle of Morotai in November '43, but the Japanese likewise lost alot of carriers - Allied subs claiming an important share. By the summer of '44, the Allies had taken the Moluccas, Celebes, and most of Borneo. CinC gets a C+ for this effort (which, truth be told, is where the war's outcome was determined).
5. SEAC Second: Despite the dearth of Allied troops in India, the Allies began to advance into Burma and surprised everybody by outmanuevering the enemy in this region. Japan lost Akyab and then Rangoon and then faced a breakthrough into Cambodia and Vietnam. The Allies committed the least resources to this theater and made the most progress; but ultimately the Japanese extracted alot of troops and rebuilt an MLR that succeeded in holding the coastal Vietnam cities plus Bangkok. To be honest, I think the successes here were more a consequence of Japanese CinC mistakes than Allied CinC cleverness, but....a B seems reasonable.
6. Allied Invasion of China: The late-war Allied invasion of Hainan Island and coastal China would be an unqualified success except for one nagging problem that I'll address in a moment. The successes were the defeat of the KB, near anhiliation of the remaining Japanese combat ships, and the success of the invasion on the ground. The nagging failure was several mistakes I made in protecting my transports - mistakes that unnecessarily cost the Allies scores of these vessels. Nevertheless, the invasion has been a tremendous success that bypassed the Japanese MLR, rendering much of it irrelevant, and dealt severe blows to the Japanese Navy. I give the CinC a B+ for this effort.
Those six items are really the tale of the war from the Allied perspective. Overall, I'd rate my play in this match a C+.
Edited: Nah, make that a C.
< Message edited by Canoerebel -- 7/13/2010 6:01:04 PM >
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RE: Seven Days - 
One can be an opportunity for a great challenge, another is simply an execution no matter what you do.
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