Q-Ball
Posts: 7336
Joined: 6/25/2002 From: Chicago, Illinois Status: offline
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Burma: Let the record show that Cuttlefish didn't ask for any quarter in Burma, but that I came to the conclusion that it's out of control. As a result, I have asked for a Cease Fire in Burma, and will be pulling back all the Restricted units. I do plan to try to hang onto Myiktyina. Cuttlefish held it with a single Regt, so I don't feel too guilty about it; maybe he can shove me out. I am buying an Indian Division to help with that, and have a few other units that are non-restricted available. I think this is fair; the British should not be able to roll into Burma like this. The huge RAF presence is bad enough, no sense having massive land unit attacks as well. So, the Burma offensive is over. No para drop on Tayung Gyi. I was kind of hoping to see how that one turned out. As it happens, it's going to have to wait until 1943 or 1944, when I have enough PPs to send the Indian Army back into Burma in force. Combat Report, Nov 14-17, 1942 Otherwise, little combat these two turns, but a few things are about to happen.... DEI: An Australian Bde plus tanks are loading at Port Hedland, to land at Raba. Raba is currently Dutch, so they will unload at the pier, but I am treating it like a contested invasion, because it's only 4 hexes from Makassar and bound to get Cuttlefish's full attention. I have follow-on engineers also building up. This base will put some pressure on, and make it look like I am moving toward Java. Although that's not a bad idea, I'm not really interested in a land battle on Java. I might move on Mataram in order to close Soerbaba port, but that's about it. I am more interested in a move on Celebes, and specifically closing the Makassar Strait. If I do that, all the Oil in the SRA will have to transit between Cam Ranh Bay and Brunei through the South China Sea. I will flood that area with subs and get to work....... Next step after Raba will be Salajar, a little island I had never heard of before south of Celebes. Securing Salajar, which is undefended, will provide easy aircover for a move on Kendari. SUPPLY LINES: Our main axis of advance in the Pacific will continue to be through the DEI. No sense wasting effort elsewhere, when that's where the Oil is. I do, however, plan a couple other operations in the Pacific. They have several objectives: 1. Keep pressure on elsewhere, so he has to think about multiple threats 2. Clear a much shorter supply line to Darwin; specifically, I want to open the Torres Strait to shipping. If I do that, it's going to make the DEI alot easier to reinforce from the USA. 3. Draw combat troops away from the DEI and into the SW Pacific Ellice Islands: Our troops land in two days on all 3 islands of the Ellice Island chain. This invasion is really just to expand our search coverage, and provide an early warning system so that transport traffic is secure as far as Fiji. Other units are prepping for a landing at Luganville and Efate, which are the next steps. This will effectively cut-off Noumea. I plan to then land at Koumac, build an airbase, and keep Noumea in check. If there garrison at Noumea is anything larger than a Regt, I am going to bypass it; don't need it at the moment. Port Moresby: I am pulling together an invasion here, and should be ready in 30 days or so. The primary objective will be to open the Torres Strait, with the secondary objective of luring in the IJA. In the SW Pacific, all these moves will make it appear that Rabaul is a long-term target. It isn't. I don't plan to go any further in the SW Pacific than Ndeni, Port Moresby, and Milne Bay. Once those are secure, my bombers will pound Lae, Rabaul, and Lunga into dust so that they can't interfere with my convoys. There will be no battle of Guadalcanal in this game! I'm already planning to invade Kendari, why do I need to screw around with Munda or anything like that?
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