Maallon
Matrix Trooper
Posts: 196
Joined: 12/27/2020
From: Germany
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I would like to add my two cents to the Soviet Invasion discussion, as I put a lot of thought into it some weeks ago.
One further thing to keep in mind is the arrival and withdrawal of troops for the Soviet Union.
There are some Dates in 42 that an Japanese Player should watch out for, when planning an Invasion:
- 15th March; 15 April; 15 Jun; 1 Jul; 15 Jul: These are the dates the Soviets get a large number of reinforcements, the 1st Juli and 15th Juli Reinforcement Waves are by far the largest.
They Soviets will also receive IL-2 Squadrons on the dates above and starting in May, the Aircraft Replacement of 96 IL-2 per Month will kick in.
- 15th Juli 42: At this point 6 Division will be withdrawn from the Soviet Union, but they will receive a lot of Brigades instead on the same day, though they still loose AV in total.
So an Invasion is best launched before the 15th March 42, as the Soviets are at their weakest state, prior to this date.
Also another opportunity can arise after the 15th Juli 42, the Soviets get a lot of reinforcements up to that date, but these will have low morale and not maxed out Experience Values, when they arrive. On the other side, the Divisions that are withdrawn on that date were likely fully prepped, had high morale and maxed out experience.
This of course is mostly theoretical, as, as mentioned above, an Invasion should also depend on the general World State and it is also to keep in mind that the longer you wait, the higher the Forts will be that you face. In my opinion though, if the Soviets should choose to stay at their fortified bases: Get control of all hex sides and just starve them to death, Airfield bombing can also help to get rid of the pesky supply. Cutting the supply flow is also rather easy as the Soviets have only one major Railroad line that is directly adjacent to the Japanese Border.
The notable exception here is really Vladivostok (the base starts at Fort level 9 though, so time is not the issue here), as you will unlikely be able to starve the base in any reasonable time frame.
So to conclude I would say: An Invasion is best launched prior to any given reinforcement date or directly after the 15th July 42. After that an Invasion at this stage of the war seems unreasonable, as your troops and air force will likely be busy fighting the increasing strength of the other allied nations. And the Soviets will only grow stronger from this point out.
Two other things that I want to mention:
- The Soviet Air force can be a formidable opponent, but they don't get any Fighter replacements in 42, so they should get worn down eventually, if put under enough pressure.
Pilot experience is rather low at the start of the scenario. But if a Japanese Player waits until 15th July 42, is is very likely that most pilots are near the 70 mark on their skills.
So an early Invasion prior to the 15th March can help to deal with their air force.
Given the sheer size of the Soviet Air Force it is likely necessary to devote a great part of the Japanese Air Force to this task for several weeks.
- After the Soviets activate, their Navy will activate too. In terms of Surface Ships, this should not be a huge issue for the Japanese as the Soviets only get 2 CA and 12 DD. They can pose a problem though, if potential landings are not escorted properly and will likely raid the Freighter fleets around Hokkaido if not dealt with.
What should be more concerning are the submarines, the Soviets get around 50 Subs upon activation, all with working torpedoes and all within a short trip from the Japanese Main Shipping Lines and all with enough endurance to flee to other allied Bases (for example Pearl Harbor) if the local situation should proof unfavorable. Their only downside is their low speed, that limits their effectiveness. But still they will more than double the total number of subs, with working torpedoes, the allies have in 1942.
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RE: I think I ruined the soviets.... - 
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