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RE: Burma Question - 1/22/2010 6:48:41 PM

ComradeP

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You're an honourable man in an age where chivalry is supposed to be dead Q-Ball, that is to be commended.

I'm assuming that although the bases might still be Dutch, the KNIL units are all dead and/or gone?

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Post #: 631

RE: Burma Question - 1/22/2010 11:14:52 PM

Q-Ball

Posts: 7336
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From: Chicago, Illinois
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It's the right thing to do, and we should have had that HR all along.

Combat Report, Nov 17, 1942

Ellice Islands: We land tommorow, and I haven't even seen a search aircraft. I think we approached undetected. We'll see; if that's the case, this should be real easy.

Invasion Preps: All US units are prepping for offensive targets. Initially, landings on Wake Is up north, and Luganville/Efate down south, plus all the New Guinea targets. Should be heating up shortly.

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Post #: 632

RE: Burma Question - 1/22/2010 11:18:42 PM

Canoerebel

Posts: 21100
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From: Northwestern Georgia, USA
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Q-Ball, why New Guinea? With the Allies solidly entrenched in the DEI, pour all your troops into that theater. Look at the strategic map - your advance in the DEI is a dagger right into the Japanese vitals. New Guinea, the Solomons, and Rabaul were rendered pretty much irrelevant by your action.

I can understand you wanting Noumea back just to guard the flank of your supply lines from the West Coast to NZ and Oz, but even Luganville is largely irrelevant.

As you head deep into '43, you'll have so much LBA and carrier power in the DEI that Cuttlefish won't be able to stop you. The limiting factor will likely be ground troops. Get as much to a good jumping-off point (Darwin?) as possible.

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Post #: 633

RE: Burma Question - 1/23/2010 8:13:02 AM

Raverdave

Posts: 6520
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From: Melb. Australia
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Sorry gents but I have to weigh in on the discussion about the current "unbalanced" ability of the allies to move into Burma or any other place on the map prior to '43.

Without derailing this excellent AAR or causing a JFB Vs AFB argument, I don't see any crys of "not fair" when a Japanese player sweeps deep into the the south pacific, nor when he takes NZ or lands troops in Northern Oz or takes PNG...all of which are "Ahistorical". Never saw any complaints when in WitP the Japs swamped India either (and in the current WitPAE they can still reach as far as Colombo if they want).
The allies are neutered enough as it stands with restricted commands without forcing even more PP to be spent, and I for one would not be happy to see that occur.

IF a balance has to be addressed it should be in the ability to supply over (or should I say through) jungle hexes.

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Post #: 634

RE: Burma Question - 1/23/2010 1:47:06 PM

Astarix

Posts: 45
Joined: 5/20/2008
From: Hampton, Minnesota
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Q-ball,

You should definitely pay the PP for the restricted command units. However, I don't think Burma is badly out of whack as some people suggest. Historically there was very little support in India for a "popular revolt", despite what some claim. There was a lot of turmoil (mainly panic) in India especially during the first 6 months but despite 200 years of resentment of British economic exploitation the Indian leaders were pragmatists and were in no hurry to replace one set of oppressive occupiers with another set that was far worse. And make no mistake, the Indians knew exactly what they were going to get from the Japanese, if the Japanese managed to win. If anything there was a sense on the part of many Indians, that if they contributed significantly to the war effort, it would be difficult at best for the British to maintain their colonial control once the war was over. The idea that India was on the verge of open revolt is a myth.

The Indian National Army, for instance, never amounted to more than 40,000 men and maybe a quarter of them were combat effective troops. They were never able to deliver on their grandiose promises to the Japanese. In fact their single biggest contribution to the Japanese war effort was the occupation of the Andaman Islands. One could argue that by convincing the Japanese Army in Burma that they could successfully invade India, the leaders of the INA did more to help the Allies than they did to help the Japanese.

The real problem for the Allies was paranoia, political infighting, and in many cases gross incompetence or self delusion. The British deliberately tied down several divisions to suppress revolts that never happened even when it was clear the appetite for revolution was nonexistent as long as the war was on. Another problem was the British were convinced that the Indian formations would mutiny if they sent them to fight in Burma (and some formations were on the verge of doing so, but it wasn't as widespread a problem as supposed). A supposition that the Indians took advantage of to win concessions, on pay, leadership, etc. from the British High Command. Also, The British were reluctant to go on the offensive until they had complete Naval superiority, because they thought that the only way they could re-invade Burma was via a series of grand Amphibious operations. In point of fact, moving supplies overland was never nearly as difficult for the Allies as claimed. At least not for the operation to secure Myitkina when the Allies finally did go on the offensive. They just hired 10's of thousands of porters and hauled a lot of the food and ammunition by Longshank. What they couldn't haul by porter they flew in with transports after they recaptured Myitkina. The operation to retake Burma succeeded in 4 months despite the fact that even after the catastrophe at Kohima, the Japanese still had around 450,000 men in Burma. Granted a sizeable number were not first line troops. But they never were, and the size of the "Japanese Army" in Burma was one of the excuses the British used to justify a more passive stance in this front.

The Americans were arguing, rightfully, by the end of 1942, that the Allies could/should mount an offensive into Burma after the monsoon in the Spring of 1943 as they saw Burma as an opportunity. Instead, they decided to go with the Chindits and Merrills Marauders, which, as it turned out, ended up contributing very little to the Allied war effort, but made for good propaganda and fantasy. The materials and men they wasted on these efforts would have been much better used to support the indigenous Burmese populations that were already engaged in a fairly extensive Guerilla war with the Japanese army and its sympathizers. But the British figured they could bring Burma back into the colonial fold once the war was over, so they resisted supporting these forces in favor of wasted efforts like the Chindits.

Effectively the Allies wasted 2 years screwing around and convincing themselves of the difficulties, or pandering to Chiang. True an offensive through the Jungle was not a simple undertaking and would have been more difficult than it appears to be in this game, at least during the monsoon, but neither was it impossible. The sheer size of allied manpower and equipment advantage on this front was staggering and by 1943, it was overwhelming. Something the game has modeled correctly. If the Japanese players want to hold Burma then they need to pay for it, by committing sufficient troops to do so. Something the Japanese discovered historically. If a Japanese player is only going to commit 5 divisions to Burma then he deserves to lose.

< Message edited by Astarix -- 1/23/2010 1:55:19 PM >

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Post #: 635

RE: Burma Question - 1/23/2010 3:39:34 PM

Q-Ball

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Raverdave: There is no doubt the Japanese in AE are able to supply and sustain troops over longer distances than historical. This is also true for the Allies; my offensive in DEI was not possible in real life, or at least the Allies didn't think so. I agree on Jungle supply. I am more of a japanese player at heart, but I think the Restricted rule is the right one.
Astarix: I hear you, though the reality is the British weren't strong enough to attack Burma like I did in 1942. The Japanese need to up their commitment there as the war goes on, but 5 divisions should be plenty to hold it in 1942.

Combat Report, Nov 18,19 1942

Ellice Islands: 2 Regts of Marines and an Infantry Bn landed on all 3 islands of the Ellice chain. 2 were undefended. Nukufetau had a garrision of a Nav Gd unit, and an SNLF Co; we took it anyway, wiping out the SNLF Co. Once we recover a bit, we will start attacking the Nav Gds to wipe them out as well.

I am already picking up the Regt. that landed on Funafuti; we are moving them back to Vava'u, and thence to Australia/Perth to go to DEI. I only plan to leave behind a single Bn, plus a small Base Force unit, on the northernmost island; we will set-up a seaplane base, and that's it.

Kido Butai: I have no idea where it is; last sighting was moving toward Singapore about 10 days ago. I know it can't interfere with the Ellice landings (which is why I did them with minimal air support). But what will CF do next with it?

I am paranoid about 2 things:

1. Port Raid on Port Hedland. This would be bad. At the moment, all my fighters are deployed forward, though I am starting to get more. I think I am leaving myself open here, so I am going to start "storing" ships at Broome instead. I am also sending out a couple pickets to the North and Northwest to spot trouble; i.e., when Vals come screaming in, I will know where KB is. That's about all I can do, I can't rely on Nav Search.

2. Raid on supply lines: He did this once, and only found a couple tankers, but I expect another try. To counter, I am going to try to move ships in small groups. It's about all I can do about it, other than lots of LR CAP, which is a pain to constantly manage.

Anyway, the IJN has been quiet since the last round of combat.

Next Steps: Canoerebel raised an interesting question: Why am I invading New Guinea, when the real action is in the DEI?

It is a good question, and I have a good reason for doing so, though his question did get me thinking, and tweaking my plans a bit. I don't like to disperse forces, but I also don't want Cuttlefish to completely ignore the rest of the Pacific. I have to put up at least a semblance of offensive, to keep him guessing, and keep him committed to the western Pacific. I also need to shorten my supply lines to the Southern DEI if I can.

To accomplish both, I plan a landing at Port Moresby, the New Hebrides, and New Caledonia; capturing all of these should open the Torres Strait, or at least open it enough that I can send convoys through there on occasion. With airbases at Port Moresby and Merauke, I can use them to bomb Lae or Hollandia or any other airbase that might have Bettys that can threaten the Torres strait. I probably can't 100% prevent Betty attacks unless I actually conquer Northern NG, which is too much of an effort. But if I have airbases on Southern New Guinea, I can at least bomb his airbases, and provide some CAP to convoys through the Strait. This is what I hope to accomplish.

So, I plan to take these objectives, and go no further in the SW Pacific. The other reason I am going ahead with these operations is that I have several divisions already almost 100% prepped for these targets, so I may as well go. I want Cuttlefish to fortify Lunga and the Solmons, but in reality, I will completely ignore those areas. Dan is right, in that Rabaul is not important anymore.

Eventually, I will move all my ground troops to Australia, with a few exceptions. The other major advance I plan at some point is a move on the Marianas. This is not possible until I have more CV's so not until late 1943 at this point, but a preliminary step in early 1943 would be taking Wake. This will clear a supply path to the Marianas. Thus, I am prepping the 3rd Marine Div. at Pearl for Wake.

At this point, here are my approximate troops dispositions in terms of Divisions:

Pearl Harbor/Cent Pac: 3rd Marine, 24, 25 Infantry
SW Pac: 1st and 2nd Marines, 27th Inf, Americal,41st Inf
These troops will clear New Hebrides/New Caledonia, then head to the DEI
Australia: 32nd Division (for Port Moresby)
DEI (either there or on way): 6, 7, 8th Australian Divisions, 2nd UK Div, 37,40, and 43rd US Inf. Divisions.

The 8th Australian is about 80% strength. This doesn't include several RCTs and Bdes here and there. I am beginning to pick-up alot of Regt and Bn strength garrisons on Pacific Islands and consolidate them in SW Pacific, as I don't need them anymore to defend those islands.

Looking ahead, there aren't alot of ground reinforcements available. The 9th Australian Division is coming in 2 months, and the 7th US Inf later. I will likely run into a problem with Aussie replacements since I am rebuilding 8th Aus Div, so I will prefer to use US divisions for heavy combat.

< Message edited by Q-Ball -- 1/23/2010 3:42:13 PM >

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Post #: 636

Wrong Map - 1/23/2010 3:42:14 PM

Q-Ball

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Sorry, THIS IS THE CORRECT MAP. For whatever reason, I can't get the map on the last post deleted:

Attachment (1)

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RE: Wrong Map - 1/23/2010 5:31:53 PM

LoBaron

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Is Sorebaja in 4engine bomber range from Koepang?
Might convince him not to use this great harbour as a forward fleet base. Would help since Batavia is further away
and you could move the sub screen farther to NW.

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Post #: 638

RE: Wrong Map - 1/23/2010 6:03:56 PM

Q-Ball

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quote:

ORIGINAL: LoBaron

Is Sorebaja in 4engine bomber range from Koepang?
Might convince him not to use this great harbour as a forward fleet base. Would help since Batavia is further away
and you could move the sub screen farther to NW.

Yes, I have had my eye on that. It's even within P-38 range of Waingapu, which is almost size-6. I recon it constantly, though, and don't see ships in port very often. I think Cuttlefish is too smart to dock ships within 4E range. I might bomb the airstrip anyway, to see if maybe there are planes on the ground awaiting transfer.

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Post #: 639

RE: Burma Question - 1/24/2010 3:44:30 AM

Astarix

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Q-ball,

I don't disagree that the Allies were not prepared for an offensive in 1942. And it is way too easy for the allies to manage one in 1942 in game terms. By the same token, by 1943 if the Japanese have not built up their strength in Burma beyond 5 divisions they deserve to lose and lose badly. It also shows that an attempt by the Japanese to attack India should be very bloody and costly for them.

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RE: Burma Question - 1/24/2010 4:53:22 PM

Swenslim

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Interesting why I dont see any japan subs in the Timor area. I thought that Cutterfish had to move majority of them to disrupt supply routes and possible offensive.

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Post #: 641

RE: Burma Question - 1/24/2010 10:22:23 PM

Q-Ball

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Svenslim: He has several subs south of Timor; you don't see them on the map because I don't have airsearch back there, it's all forward looking for the IJN.

Combat Report, Nov 20,21, 1942

Night Action off Madjane: I had observed AK/APs unloading at this base north of Makassar, and sent a cruiser TF to intercept and destroy whatever was in the harbor. Cuttlefish had a trap for me though, and my TF ran into a Japanese TF of Nagato, Fuso, 2 CL and several DDs.

This action didn't go as well for CF as he deserved; I escaped with only minor damage to a single DD. Close call! I could easily have been slaughtered by those BBs. I will have to be careful next time I see transports unloading. When I did the exact same thing to Cuttlefish, I got a CL and DD out of it.

Ellice Islands: We are picking up the invasion troops and moving them back, leaving a small seaplane base at Vaitupu. Once we are back at Vava'u, we will start to load our troops for Luganville.

DEI: We will land our troops at Raba in two days. Today we sent 50 4Es to crater Makassar airbase; went fairly well, 60 runway hits, only one bomber didn't make it back. Apparently, 4Es are still just about bulletproof to IJN fighters, just like WITP.

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Post #: 642

RE: Burma Question - 1/25/2010 2:06:10 AM

CapAndGown

Posts: 3206
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quote:

ORIGINAL: Q-Ball
Today we sent 50 4Es to crater Makassar airbase; went fairly well, 60 runway hits, only one bomber didn't make it back. Apparently, 4Es are still just about bulletproof to IJN fighters, just like WITP.

What kind of 4E? I would not count on being bullet proof. My Zeros have done fairly well, I feel, versus B-17Ds. I shot down 5 today in a raid on Tarakan, and 14 in total so far (as of Jan. 3, 1942). I am sure witpqs has felt rather stung by this success. (It kinda makes up for the fact that my long lances are proving to be useless.)

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Post #: 643

RE: Burma Question - 1/25/2010 5:46:30 AM

crsutton

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quote:

ORIGINAL: Q-Ball

Raverdave: There is no doubt the Japanese in AE are able to supply and sustain troops over longer distances than historical. This is also true for the Allies; my offensive in DEI was not possible in real life, or at least the Allies didn't think so. I agree on Jungle supply. I am more of a japanese player at heart, but I think the Restricted rule is the right one.
Astarix: I hear you, though the reality is the British weren't strong enough to attack Burma like I did in 1942. The Japanese need to up their commitment there as the war goes on, but 5 divisions should be plenty to hold it in 1942.

Combat Report, Nov 18,19 1942

Ellice Islands: 2 Regts of Marines and an Infantry Bn landed on all 3 islands of the Ellice chain. 2 were undefended. Nukufetau had a garrision of a Nav Gd unit, and an SNLF Co; we took it anyway, wiping out the SNLF Co. Once we recover a bit, we will start attacking the Nav Gds to wipe them out as well.

I am already picking up the Regt. that landed on Funafuti; we are moving them back to Vava'u, and thence to Australia/Perth to go to DEI. I only plan to leave behind a single Bn, plus a small Base Force unit, on the northernmost island; we will set-up a seaplane base, and that's it.

Kido Butai: I have no idea where it is; last sighting was moving toward Singapore about 10 days ago. I know it can't interfere with the Ellice landings (which is why I did them with minimal air support). But what will CF do next with it?

I am paranoid about 2 things:

1. Port Raid on Port Hedland. This would be bad. At the moment, all my fighters are deployed forward, though I am starting to get more. I think I am leaving myself open here, so I am going to start "storing" ships at Broome instead. I am also sending out a couple pickets to the North and Northwest to spot trouble; i.e., when Vals come screaming in, I will know where KB is. That's about all I can do, I can't rely on Nav Search.

2. Raid on supply lines: He did this once, and only found a couple tankers, but I expect another try. To counter, I am going to try to move ships in small groups. It's about all I can do about it, other than lots of LR CAP, which is a pain to constantly manage.

Anyway, the IJN has been quiet since the last round of combat.

Next Steps: Canoerebel raised an interesting question: Why am I invading New Guinea, when the real action is in the DEI?

It is a good question, and I have a good reason for doing so, though his question did get me thinking, and tweaking my plans a bit. I don't like to disperse forces, but I also don't want Cuttlefish to completely ignore the rest of the Pacific. I have to put up at least a semblance of offensive, to keep him guessing, and keep him committed to the western Pacific. I also need to shorten my supply lines to the Southern DEI if I can.

To accomplish both, I plan a landing at Port Moresby, the New Hebrides, and New Caledonia; capturing all of these should open the Torres Strait, or at least open it enough that I can send convoys through there on occasion. With airbases at Port Moresby and Merauke, I can use them to bomb Lae or Hollandia or any other airbase that might have Bettys that can threaten the Torres strait. I probably can't 100% prevent Betty attacks unless I actually conquer Northern NG, which is too much of an effort. But if I have airbases on Southern New Guinea, I can at least bomb his airbases, and provide some CAP to convoys through the Strait. This is what I hope to accomplish.

So, I plan to take these objectives, and go no further in the SW Pacific. The other reason I am going ahead with these operations is that I have several divisions already almost 100% prepped for these targets, so I may as well go. I want Cuttlefish to fortify Lunga and the Solmons, but in reality, I will completely ignore those areas. Dan is right, in that Rabaul is not important anymore.

Eventually, I will move all my ground troops to Australia, with a few exceptions. The other major advance I plan at some point is a move on the Marianas. This is not possible until I have more CV's so not until late 1943 at this point, but a preliminary step in early 1943 would be taking Wake. This will clear a supply path to the Marianas. Thus, I am prepping the 3rd Marine Div. at Pearl for Wake.

At this point, here are my approximate troops dispositions in terms of Divisions:

Pearl Harbor/Cent Pac: 3rd Marine, 24, 25 Infantry
SW Pac: 1st and 2nd Marines, 27th Inf, Americal,41st Inf
These troops will clear New Hebrides/New Caledonia, then head to the DEI
Australia: 32nd Division (for Port Moresby)
DEI (either there or on way): 6, 7, 8th Australian Divisions, 2nd UK Div, 37,40, and 43rd US Inf. Divisions.

The 8th Australian is about 80% strength. This doesn't include several RCTs and Bdes here and there. I am beginning to pick-up alot of Regt and Bn strength garrisons on Pacific Islands and consolidate them in SW Pacific, as I don't need them anymore to defend those islands.

Looking ahead, there aren't alot of ground reinforcements available. The 9th Australian Division is coming in 2 months, and the 7th US Inf later. I will likely run into a problem with Aussie replacements since I am rebuilding 8th Aus Div, so I will prefer to use US divisions for heavy combat.

Well, soon enough you will have a surplus of resources anyways. No sense not using them to attack Japan wherever you can. KB can't be everywhere. So why not try and kill some ships and men in the Solomons?

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RE: Burma Question - 1/25/2010 2:37:58 PM

Q-Ball

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cap n gown: Mostly B-17E, with some B-24D and B-17Fs in there. They are impervious. I am finding that in my other PBEM as Japan as well.....they don't die easy.
crsutton: I could go all-in the Solomons, but better I think to let the Japs have it. I will create the attrition zone in the DEI. There hasn't been tons lately, mostly because the only fighters I have plenty of are P-40Es and Wilcats (includng Kittyhawks). I would like to build a reserve of some P-38s, and can't wait for the Corsair. Getting the P-47 will be another glorious day.

Combat Report, Nov 20-22, 1942

Raba: Australian troops and a base force unit are unloading at Raba, and so far have not been molested. RN BBs are providing surface cover, and planes from Waingapu are providing CAP. I forgot to pack an engineering unit (duh!), so I will have to get one there to build a little faster.

For whatever reason, the map display says "Bima" right by this base. Any idea why?

Ellice Islands: We are done here, the last Japanese troops on Nuku were wiped out. We are re-prepping all troops for elsewhere, and loading them up to take them back to Vava'u to rest up. Catalinas are now operating from Vaitapu.

Elsewhere in the Pacific, I am pulling in several land units from Chirstmas, Canton, etc, to start using offensively. I am concentrating them all around Fiji, with a large convoy also heading to Australia, and thence to the DEI.

China: The meatgrinder continues at 79,55. Another 1-2 Japanese attack results in large casualties on both sides. I don't know who this benefits, me or him.....

I am rotating units into 79,55 and out, to rebuild them. I am pulling units out where all combat squads are disabled. On the bright side, the units there are all high-50s in experience.

At Liuchow, the Japanese bombard daily; I lost an artillery unit, and I won't be comitting any more there. I have over 1500 AV in Infantry, so it's a tough nut; no attacks yet though.

I have a huge stack of poorly supplied troops at Nanyang, I may try to cause trouble just to take the pressure off in the South.

Sub Wars: Some action last couple days. A Dutch sub was sunk by a convoy escort north of Kuching, first time that has happened in awhile. I sank 2 IJN subs, one from a RN ASW TF off of Exmouth, and another IJN sub was sunk by USS Saury in the Malacca Straits. Sub on sub action!

Another Dutch sub sank a DMS off Davao, and USS Pompano sank an AK off Hokkaido. Early on, I patrolled alot off the SE tip of Sakhalin, but in the last two months the only ships I have seen there are sub-hunting TFs. So, I shifted the subs to the other side of Sakhalin/Hokkaido, and suddenly we get a kill. I think Cuttlefish changed his shipping lanes. Smart!

Planning: We almost have the shipping together for the Port Moresby invasion. I am now just waiting for 2 tank units to arrive at Sydney, that are 100% prepped for PM. Once they arrive, we are heading out! About the same time, we will move toward Luganville.

I plan to only use LBA to support the PM invasion. Coen and Portland Roads are active airbases for this purpose.

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Post #: 645

RE: Burma Question - 1/25/2010 3:20:32 PM

Mike Solli

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Q-Ball, what's your OOB for the PM invasion?

Edit: And what do you think Cuttlefish has there?

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Post #: 646

RE: Burma Question - 1/25/2010 3:30:54 PM

Canoerebel

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Oops, edited to prevent security breach in my game. Suffice to say: I haven't found Corsairs particularly effective.

< Message edited by Canoerebel -- 1/25/2010 3:31:17 PM >

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Post #: 647

RE: Burma Question - 1/25/2010 4:09:26 PM

wpurdom

Posts: 476
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From: Decatur, GA, USA
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quote:

crsutton: I could go all-in the Solomons, but better I think to let the Japs have it. I will create the attrition zone in the DEI. There hasn't been tons lately, mostly because the only fighters I have plenty of are P-40Es and Wilcats (includng Kittyhawks). I would like to build a reserve of some P-38s, and can't wait for the Corsair. Getting the P-47 will be another glorious day.

Your analysis sounds very good to me. No reason not to utilize assets's prep where it indirectly aids the DEI campaign and threatens another axis of approach as well, but you have plenty of objectives in the DEI where you can put any surplus assets into play. For instance, if you were going to expand into New Guinea, after Port Moresby, I would rather go into the West end than the east. As you expand into the DEI, you open up more and more targets which CF must defend under worse and worse circumstances. And if a target like Vogelkop (W. New Guinea) you can opportunistically expand that way too.

As you get more assets, you may want to consider prepping some small forces for less important bases to make CF honor the need to defend everything that is buildable (or has a road to an important base) that you can recon.

< Message edited by wpurdom -- 1/25/2010 4:13:02 PM >

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RE: Burma Question - 1/25/2010 4:22:13 PM

ComradeP

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quote:

For whatever reason, the map display says "Bima" right by this base. Any idea why?

Bima's a city in that area of Sumbawa (the island), and Raba's a town in the hex. They're next to the small "cut" in the island (the Bay of Bima) you see in the north-west corner of the hex. Bima isn't on the eastern shore, so the name in the map display is in the wrong hex.

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Post #: 649

RE: Burma Question - 1/25/2010 4:45:02 PM

Q-Ball

Posts: 7336
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From: Chicago, Illinois
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quote:

ORIGINAL: Mike Solli

Q-Ball, what's your OOB for the PM invasion?

Edit: And what do you think Cuttlefish has there?

OOB: 32nd Inf Div, 1 Tank Bn, 1 TD Bn, 1 Combat Eng. Bn. In terms of what he has, recon shows "5000" troops and 3 units; anything larger than a Regt. and I will have to cancel, but I bet it's 1-2 base force units, and 1-2 SNLF or Inf Regt. I won't know for sure until I "Intelligence Bomb" it, which I will immediately before invasion. I don't want to tip my hand by bombing much before then. I

It's kind of a scratch force, but it's what I have 100% prepped

DAN: In WITP, speed was king when looking at fighters, and actually was about all that mattered. Certainly we have to get used to the change in AE that makes maneuver ratings more important. The Corsair isn't particularly maneuverable except at very high altitudes; it is VERY fast. One bonus anyway, I noticed the range is very nice on them, that will help in the DEI, and extend my effective ship killing range to 7 hexes (for SBDs), or even 8 hexes (for RAAF Beauforts). I have noticed that P-38s aren't as dominant as in WITP either, and they are similar planes: They rely on speed and durability, but aren't very maneuverable.

I'm OK with this change in AE; in WITP, the Oscar was ridiculously useless, and I'm glad that's changed. It's at least competitive in AE, as it was IRL.

BTW, I am training 4 Squadrons of RAAF Beauforts pilots for "NavT". I am hoarding those planes and pilots to hopefully spring a nasty surprise at some point. That being said, they'll probably all get shot down instantly against KB, but I can dream, can't I?

INTEL: In general, I have gotten little useful intel it seems; I am the king of getting messages like "Maizuru Base Force is located at Maizuru", that type of thing. I also have a good handle on troop dispositions in Manchuria. I did just get a message on an Infantry Regt. moving toward Davao; that is interesting, though I could have guessed that Cuttlefish was sending troops toward Mindanao. I imagine most of the IJA is concentrating in the DEI, that is to be expected. The only offensive prep I have seen in a long time is Darwin, but that's wishful thinking at this point! (I hope....)

< Message edited by Q-Ball -- 1/25/2010 4:48:12 PM >

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RE: Burma Question - 1/26/2010 2:44:28 AM

Capt. Harlock

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quote:

Another 1-2 Japanese attack results in large casualties on both sides. I don't know who this benefits, me or him.....

Don't the Chinese have effectively unlimited replacements? Or has that changed in AE?

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RE: Burma Question - 1/26/2010 2:52:41 AM

Canoerebel

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The Chinese only get 200 infantry squads per month. That's way too low because a Japanese bombardment here and a Japanese bombardment there and an attack or two and *poof* you've lost 200 or 300 or 500 or 2,000 infantry squads.

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RE: Burma Question - 1/26/2010 9:56:46 AM

Smeulders

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The real way the Chinese get a lot of reinforcements is by getting their units destroyed. If they are they return 30 days later at 1/3 TOE, so it's better to send weak units out to cut off supply lines than to try and rebuild them.

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RE: Burma Question - 1/26/2010 11:49:38 AM

traskott

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Suscribed !!!

Fantastic AAR

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Stinging Wasp - 1/26/2010 2:28:21 PM

Q-Ball

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Combat Report, Nov 23-26, 1942

USS Wasp is Stung: I had moved CVs in support of the landings at Raba, and unfortunately I-155, the exact sub that put a torp into Enterprise, found Wasp and put a torp into her! I hate that sub!

You can see the damage below; not at all life threatening, but some yard time is in order. The worst part of this DEI expedition is that I don't have very many decent shipyards around; Perth is really just DD/SS sized, Sydney is a bit of a trip, Capetown has a nice shipyard but is a couple weeks sail. I haven't decided yet what to do with Wasp, but I'll probably send her to Capetown. It looks like a 1 month repair, but hard to say until you get to port.

That also means between that and the call from London for HMS Illustrious, I am down to 5 CVs for the forseeable future. I start getting reinforcements in about 4-5 months, but that's still too far off to be aggressive yet.

I will not hold back though on invasions of Kendari and Ambon, which are in the works for about a month out.

Raba: I am unloading the last of the units at Raba; 25 Aus Bde, a Recon Bn, 1 RN Base Force, 1 Seabea Bn. This is enough to start construction and get the base operational. Once that happens, I plan to land at Mataram, which is Japanese-owned, but unoccupied. A move on Mataram will make Cuttlefish think I am landing on Java; I don't plan on it anytime soon, but maybe later. To me, Java looks like it might be like the Italian campaign; easy to get ashore, but easy to get bogged down in the rocky terrain. I don't think I want to commit ground troops to Java; it would take at least 4 divisions. Intel indicates 21st IJA Division is at Soerbaya, and there appears to be more than that there.

China: This turn, a large land combat in Liuchow:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ground combat at Liuchow (74,55)

Japanese Deliberate attack

Attacking force 46032 troops, 486 guns, 190 vehicles, Assault Value = 1588

Defending force 100164 troops, 515 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 4167

Japanese adjusted assault: 286

Allied adjusted defense: 4918

Japanese assault odds: 1 to 17 (fort level 5)

Combat modifiers
Defender: forts(+), leaders(+), experience(-)
Attacker:

Japanese ground losses:
9499 casualties reported
Squads: 12 destroyed, 389 disabled
Non Combat: 8 destroyed, 346 disabled
Engineers: 2 destroyed, 98 disabled
Guns lost 1 (0 destroyed, 1 disabled)
Vehicles lost 20 (0 destroyed, 20 disabled)

Allied ground losses:
1815 casualties reported
Squads: 10 destroyed, 137 disabled
Non Combat: 11 destroyed, 149 disabled
Engineers: 2 destroyed, 4 disabled
Guns lost 2 (0 destroyed, 2 disabled)

Assaulting units:
39th Division
116th Division
104th Division
17th Ind.Mixed Brigade
19th Ind. Engineer Regiment
2nd Ind.Hvy.Art. Battalion
21st Mortar Battalion
8th Ind. Engineer Regiment
1st Hvy.Artillery Regiment
10th Ind. Mountain Gun Regiment
3rd Ind.Hvy.Art. Battalion
11th Field Artillery Regiment

Defending units:
49th Chinese Corps
31st Chinese Corps
88th Chinese Corps
4th Chinese Corps
16th Chinese Corps
99th Chinese Corps
39th Chinese Corps
8th Chinese Corps
87th Chinese Corps
79th Chinese Corps
86th Chinese Corps
38th New Chinese Division
28th New Chinese Division
6th Chinese Corps
6th Construction Regiment
35th Group Army
4th War Area

Obviously that went well for me; I have been sending strong units to Liuchow, including ones that are re-built at Chungking. Cuttlefish will likely abandon trying to take Liuchow at this point, but I don't know what's next....will he shift over to the defensive?

From experience I can tell you that sustaining a Japanese offensive in China takes piles and piles of supplies.

SW Pac: The invasion fleets for the Ellice Islands are returning to Vava'u; once they dock and unload, we will look toward invasions of Luganville and Tanna. I need the ships for that. Simultaneously, we should be landing at Port Moresby, and I have units prepping for Terapo, and Merauke. I planned to land at Merauke, but I was surprised when my recon found a garrison; the 1st Yokosuka SNLF, a para unit. I might just try to bombard it for awhile and hope Cuttlefish air transports it out. If not, I'll have to wait until I have a couple units prepped, which is a hassle.

Where is the IJN? A Dutch sub observed a BB/CA TF sailing Northeast through the Makassar Strait from Balikpapan; other than that, no IJN. I am really concerned that Cuttlefish will use KB to intercept Wasp; he knows I am moving that CV back, and Port Hedland is exposed to air attack.

I am sending out more pickets and attempting to hug the coast with Wasp. I will be nervous rounding Exmouth, that's for sure.

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RE: Stinging Wasp - 1/26/2010 3:09:31 PM

Mike Solli

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You may as well upgrade her while she repairs.

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RE: Stinging Wasp - 1/26/2010 3:09:32 PM

Mike Solli

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You may as well upgrade her while she repairs.

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RE: Stinging Wasp - 1/27/2010 8:37:00 PM

Q-Ball

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quote:

ORIGINAL: Mike Solli

You may as well upgrade her while she repairs.

Such a good idea it's worth mentioning twice!

Seriously, the USN has an upgrade for just about every ship in 10/42, and I haven't been doing them. Too busy. I am rotating a handful back with Wasp to get upgraded, but I fear it will be awhile before full upgrades. When the CV SBDs reoganize, I will have to take the CVs down for a few days anyway, so that's probably the right time to upgrade.

Combat Report, Nov 27, 1942

Where is KB?: The question I have been asking myself if you have been reading regulalrly. Answer: Off Donggla!

Kido Butai, and what appears to be most of the IJN (BBs also sighted, a real nasty looking stack), was spotted by our subs transiting the Makassar Strait. A Dutch coastal sub took a shot at Akagi and missed, then USS Spearfish took a shot, and was pummelled in return by the escorts. She might not make it. Most importantly though, we have very solid intel of where they are headed, which is Southwest through the Strait. This is why I have subs permanently stationed in that area.

I suspect they are on their way to hit Raba; perhaps not anymore. I was just finishing unload anyway, so conveniently we are evacuating everyone except a single small xAP to draw some air attacks and hopefully shoot down some Kates. She also had to unload 2 more bulldozers. We are shoveling at Raba to get the place in order. Everyone else is pulling back on Koepang.

I don't plan to attack KB this round; I am putting up tons of fighters at all bases, sending back the ships, and staying put. I don't see any transports as of yet, so we'll see how this develops. From the last combat, I figure I need at least 300 available aircraft to even attempt a shot at KB. No thanks!

As I have stated several times, I would like to tangle with the IJN BBs with the RN BBs. Not sure how to force that though without exposing them to IJN torpedo planes, which I really would like to avoid. Hazardous to our health! (or at least our bouyancy).

Plans: I am starting to get ready for PM and Luganville/Tanna. Most of my shipping is in place, and I am gathering up airpower. I will need to transfer all the 4Es from Koepang temporarily to help out. I also need to convert some Bomber units at Perth, something I forgot to do until I sent the turn. I expect serious LBA oppossition at both landings, but no large IJN ships. They are all seemingly in the DEI.

China: After that 1-17 attach on Liuchow, the Japanese are apparently giving up and moving East. Another stack is advancing on Changsha. I think I have enough there to fend them off. At this point I'm not 100% sure what the Japanese plans are, but we seem to be holding them in check.

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RE: Stinging Wasp - 1/28/2010 8:55:27 PM

Q-Ball

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Combat Report, Nov 28-30, 1942

The last 3 turns have been low-intensity, as I am getting ready for a couple moves, and the IJN appears to be stirring in the DEI.

IJN Moves: From my last update, Kido Butai was observed off Donggla, in the Makassar strait. I moved all my ships from Raba, apparently Cuttlefish knew he was seen, and didn't bother attacking, as he would of hit air.

Oscars swept Raba from Soerbaya, and did pretty well; my fighters were tired from covering Raba, so I stood them all down. There is now no aircover over Raba, though the base went to size-1, so it will be fighter ready shortly.

An IJN BB TF is in the Makassar strait, 7 hexes north of Raba; I suspect they are heading to bombard it. I have sent some PTs to meet them, but I don't have high hopes for them. I wonder if Cuttlefish is drawing the perverbial line at Raba? Time will tell. Next move that way will be a landing on an empty Mataram, which is buildable to size 8, and within P-40 range of Soerbaya. That would probably close Soerbaya for good.

4E Fun: Recon indicates that there are ships in the harbor at Soerbaya. This will be the last day of the war that ships will dock there; I am planning a Port Attack using 60 4Es from Waingapu tommorow. There are a ton of fighters there so I expect oppossition, but so far 4Es are as bulletproof as WITP, and at any rate, I'm sure he won't be docking ships there after tommorow.

Tanna: For lack of shipping, I need to scale back the elaborate plans in the SW Pacific, and just land at Tanna first; we will build this to size-8, and use it to support/bombard neighboring bases.

Speaking of shipping, although the Allies have a nice amount, there is a limit. I have enough to move piles of troops to the SW Pacific, but not enough yet to do that, AND launch large multiple invasions. There are alot of ships on the way, but for now, my operations are limited somewhat by available shipping. That, and available flattops.

Fuel: One good thing about the lack of naval combat in the DEI....my fuel situation there is good. I have over 100K at Koepang now, with another 150K at Port Hedland, and 100K at Perth, and more on the way. This should be enough for the forseeable future.

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Wasp Stung! - 1/29/2010 9:22:02 PM

Q-Ball

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Combat Report, Dec 1-2 1942

Wasp Stung Again! Wasp was making a run to Sydney to repair the moderate damage from the torp hit off Koepang; guess what? She eats another torp, this time off Albany!

NOW the damage is serious; over 70 float, with fires. I managed to get her to Albany and dock, though the float went up slightly yesterday; sys damage is 43, so she should stabilize.

This changes things though; I estimate it will be 6 months before Wasp re-joins the fleet. I at least unloaded the Airgroups, which I am going to pull all pilots out and create a Reserve Pool for the Navy, and have them re-train new pilots. May as well, it looks like we are going to have pletny of time to train.........

Tanna: The Marines are loading up at Pago Pago for Tanna. I had originally planned a simulataneous landing on Luganville, but I don't have the shipping for that, or really the aircover; just 3 CVEs. I will build up Tanna, then use it to support further landings.

I get the feeling I am wasting time down there, but my troops are already 100% prepped, and I would like to shorten the supply lines to Australia. I don't plan a move beyond Luganville however, other than landing at Koumac and setting up an airbase to pound Noumea.

Port Moresby: Troops are gathering for this invasion; the last ones are unloading at Sydney. They will train up the coast, and I will load the invasion convoys at Townsville, for the short-hop over. So far there are no signs at all of Japanese air activity over NE Australia.

Ambon: The next DEI landing will be here. I plan to go this month, to coordinate with the other moves

Kido Butai: Last spotted off Batavia, Northwest Heading, on the 1st of December. There are cruisers in the harbor at Soerbaya, but they are not disbanded. I dont' think CF will be disbanding ships there anymore after that air raid a couple days back.

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