War in the Pacific: modifications to Dec. 7, 1941, starting bases

Last Update: September 17, 2005.  Draft version.  Based on WitP standard scenario and observations of the CHS scenario 154.

Allies

There is far too much fuel sitting around at the beginning of the game in most bases.  The storage facilities for so much fuel in many bases were simply non-existent.  Therefore, many changes are in the starting fuel levels of bases.  The exceptions are the West Coast bases and Pearl Harbor, where more fuel was available than in the game.  The West Coast had somewhere in the region of 45 million barrels of oil available, while Pearl Harbor had full fuel storage facilities containing 4.5 million barrels.  Also, many locations were no better than beaches, i.e. no port or airfields worth mentioning.  Thus, I’ve reduced many locations to beaches, especially in New Guinea.

Some of the types of base units present on Dec. 7th, 1941, on certain islands were not correct in the Standard scenario 15, i.e. USAAF instead of USN or RN instead of RNZN, etc.  These have been corrected by either swapping units or creating new base units and moving the old ones to the United States (for US units) or to Karachi (Aden for CHS 155) (for British units).

An excellent resource was Gordon Rottman’s World War II Pacific Island Guide.
Another resource was the US Navy’s Administration History on Navy Bases and Yards.
A third source is Goralski’s “Oil & War”.


West Coast

Los Angeles (851)
Fuel to 900’000 (300000)

San Francisco (852)
Fuel to 600’000 (300000)

San Diego (850)
Fuel to 600’000.  


Hawaiian Islands Group

Pearl Harbor (839)
Only significant modification is the increase in the fuel points available on Dec. 7, 1941, to 610’000 (this represents the 4.5 million barrels available at the tank farm according to testimony at the Pearl Harbor attack hearings).

Lahaina (842)
Fuel to 5000 (40000).  There were no significant storage facilities here.


Central and South Pacific

Midway Island (
113th USAAF Base Force (2153) to United States (0330), delay 420201, HQ is West Coast.  203rd USN Base Force (2772) to Midway (copied from 201st USN Base Force, see below).  Midway was manned by the US Navy, not the USAAF.  Fuel to 1500 (200).

Wake (
114th USAAF Base Force (2154) to Canton Island (see).  114th USN Base Force (2134) from Canton Island (see) to Wake.  Wake was manned by the US Navy, not the USAAF.

Guam
No changes.

Johnston Island (0846)
201st USN Base Force (2770) copied from 109th USN Base Force.  Headquarters is Central Pacific (0102).  116th USAAF Base Force (2156) to United States (0330), delay 420201, headquarters West Coast (0100).  

Palmyra Island (0831)
202nd USN Base Force (2771) copied from 201st USN Base Force (2770).  115th USAAF Base Force (2155) to United States (0330), delay 420301, headquarters West Coast (0100).  Fuel set to 500 (3400). 

Canton Island (0822)
114th USN Base Force (2134) to Wake (0847), reduced (no 5in CD, 3in AA 04, 40mm AA 04, 0.5in AAMG 04, aviation support 15, support 30, engineers 12, engineer vehicle 06, supply 82) and headquarters are Central Pacific (0102).  Replace with 114th USAAF Base Force (2154) from Wake, reduced (no armaments, aviation support 20, support 10, engineer 08, engineer vehicle 04, sound detector 0, supply 80).  Fuel to 500 (8300).

American Samoa
Pago-Pago (817): A small refueling station and communications center.  109th USN Base Force present.  7th Marine Defense Battalion (2668) and 1st Samoan Marine Reserve Battalion (2669) present at start of war.  Create 1st Samoan in database: ?????.  Fuel to 500 (5000); supplies to 1200.
Upolu (816) had a New Zealand company-sized defense force while Wallis (815) was empty.  Savaii (236) was also empty.  Move 116th USN Base Force to San Francisco, HQ is West Coast.  Upolu, Wallis and Savaii should be under New Zealand Command on Dec. 7th, 1941.  Upolu fuel to 0 (1000) and supplies to 200 (1450).

Tongatabu (812)
New Zealand base at beginning of war.  Tonga Defense Force (2603) in place.  No American units present.  No airfield.  No. 114 RAF Base Force (3389) to Karachi (0473) and Southeast Asia command (0105).  Fuel to 200.  Port and Airfield may be built to level 4 instead of 2.  Under New Zealand Command on Dec. 7th, 1941.

Fiji (801-803)
New Zealand garrison.  Move VMR-252 (2232) to San Diego, HQ is West Coast.  All bases under New Zealand Command on Dec. 7th, 1941.  No. 105 RNZN Base Force (3498) and No. 112 RNZAF Base Force (3499) at Suva (0802) and Nandi (0801) respectively.  Move No. 110 RN Base Force and No. 115 RAF Base Force moved to Karachi (0473), HQ to Southeast Asia Command.

Raratonga (235)
(build port 2, AF 3) was empty (port and airfield at 0) (New Zealand Command) as was Bora-Bora (242) (port and airfield at 0) (Build port 3, AF 3).  Papeete (240) only has a port value of 1 (build port 2, AF 4).  Bora-Bora and Papeete under South Pacific Command.  Bora Bora became a major navy refueling base early in the war.

Noumea (780)
Missing French battalion and Australian company at beginning of war.  No US units should be present.  Move 117th USN Base Force to San Diego, HQ to West Coast.  Move AK Surigao (8152), AK Wawa (8158) and AP Royal T. Frank (8012) to San Francisco.  Under Australia Command on Dec. 7th, 1941.  Port 2, Airfield 2.  Port build to 6 and airfield build to 6.

All other bases on New Caledonia are beach hexes (781-785) and under Australia Command.

Norfolk Island (786) is a beach hex under Australia Command.

New Hebrides is under Australia Command (788-792)
Efate (789)
A few Australian troops and a seaplane base (small seaplanes) were present on Dec. 7th.  Create 4 Walrus 1/22 RAAF flight.  All of New Hebrides under Australia Command on Dec. 7th, 1941.

Bases in scenarios starting in Dec. 1941 that are reduced to no facilities 
(port 0, airfield 0, no fuel, no supplies)
Christmas Is. (827)
Makin Atoll (693)
Tarawa Atoll (694)
Abemama (695)
Nauru Is. (692) (Isn’t this a phosphate source?  Resource production?)
Baker Is. (821)
Nanumea Atoll (806)
Nukufetau Is. (807)
Funafuti Is. (808)
Wallis Is. (815)
Espiritu Santo
Koumac (New Caledonia)
La Foa (New Caledonia)
Norfolk Is. (786)

Hex 77,89 should be undeveloped base Ocean Is.


New Guinea-Bismarck-Solomons

Hollandia

Lae (706)
Fuel to 500 (1600).

Salamaua

Port Moresby



Hex 53,89 should be an undeveloped base area (potential airfield 1).  This was the location of the ???? gold mines.

Bases in scenarios starting in Dec. 1941 that are reduced to simple port facilities 
(port 1, airfield 0, no fuel, no supplies)

New Guinea
Sorong (588)
Babo (589)
Aitape (698)
Madang (704)
Wewak (700)
Finschafen (705)
Salamaua (708)
Buna (707)
Gili-Gili/Milne Bay (710)

Bismarck Archip.
Kavieng (721)
Gasmata (715)

Solomons
Tulagi (751)
Shortlands (744)





Bases in scenarios starting in Dec. 1941 that are reduced to no facilities 
(port 0, airfield 0, no fuel, no supplies)

New Guinea
Sansopor (594)
Manokwari (595)
Noemfoor (592)
Biak (591)
Sarmi (593)
Dagua (699)
Hansa (701)
Siador (702)
Goodenough Is. (735)
Kiriwina Is. (731)
Woodlark Is. (732)
Merauke (709)


Bismarck Archip.
Admiralty Is. (723)
Emirau Is. (725)
Talasea (716)
Arawe (717)
Sag Sag (718)


Solomons
Green Is. (728)
Buka (741)
Torokina (742)
Buin (743)
Vella Lavella (745)
Munda (746)
Russell Is. (749)
Tassafaronga (739)
Lunga (750)



Dutch East Indies-British Borneo

Borneo

Pontianak (521)
Fuel to 1000 (3000).

Kuching (522)
Fuel to 1000 (3000).


Java

Batavia (532)
Fuel to 50’000 (180’000).

Tjilitjap (534)
Fuel to 10’000 (40’000).

Soerbaja (540)
Fuel to 50’000 (240’000).


Celebes

Kendari (549)
Fuel to 5000 (40’000).


Bases in scenarios starting in Dec. 1941 that are reduced to simple port facilities 
(port 1, airfield 0, no fuel, no supplies)
Aru Is. (565)
Morotai (582)
Tomini (546)
Miri (523)
Jesselton (519)
Sandakan (525)
Waingapu (556)
Maumere (559)
Raba (555)
Kragan (538)
Merak (535)
Toboali (514)
Muntok (515)
Sabang (505)


Bases in scenarios starting in Dec. 1941 that are reduced to no facilities 
(port 0, airfield 0, no fuel, no supplies)
Jambi (510)
Namlea (572)
Kai Island (564)
Tenimbar (580)
Bula (571)
Pomala (548)
Pinrang (545)
Makale (547)


Philippines

Manila (614)
Fuel to 80'000 (180'000).

Davao (601)
Fuel to 5000 (40'000).


Bases in scenarios starting in Dec. 1941 that are reduced to simple port facilities 
(port 1, airfield 0, no fuel, no supplies)

San Jose (628)
Roxas (630)
Ormoc (609)
Tacloban (608)
Guiuan (631)
Tawi Tawi (642)
Butuan (603)
Dadjangas (604)

Bases in scenarios starting in Dec. 1941 that are reduced to no facilities 
(port 0, airfield 0, no fuel, no supplies)



Alaska

Juneau (855)

Sitka Is. (869)

Anchorage (856)
Fuel to 5000 (180000)

Kodiak Is. (858)
Fuel to 1000 (3000) af and port to 2 (3)

Dutch Harbor (860)
Fuel to 5000 (40000), port to 3 (4)

Nome (857)
Fuel to 500


Bases in scenarios starting in Dec. 1941 that are reduced to simple port facilities 
(port 1, airfield 0, no fuel, no supplies)


Bases in scenarios starting in Dec. 1941 that are reduced to no facilities 
(port 0, airfield 0, no fuel, no supplies)

Cold Bay (859)
Umnak Is. (861)
Atka Is. (862)
Adak Is. (863)
Ogliuga Is. (864)
Amchitka Is. (865)
Kiska Is. (866)
Attu Is. (867)



British Commonwealth

Hong Kong (421)
Forts to 8 (from 6).  Fuel to 20’000 (180’000).


Burma

Rangoon (445)
Fuel to 20’000 (180’000).


India

Chandpur (456)
Fuel to 20’000 (240’000).

Diamond Harbour (465)
Fuel to 20’000 (240’000).

Madras (468)
Fuel to 5000 (180’000).

Panaji (470)
Fuel to 5000 (40’000).

Bombay (471)
Fuel to 20’000 (180’000).


Ceylon

Trincomalee (476)
Fuel to 10’000 (50’000).

Colombo (477)
Fuel to 50’000 (180’000).


India Islands

Port Blair (480)
Fuel to 500 (2000).


Malaya

Singapore (502)
Fuel to 80’000 (240’000).




Australia

Thursday Island (738)
Supplies to 1500 (500).

Darwin (756)
Fuel to 5000 (10’000).

Wyndham (757)
Fuel to 1000 (5000).

Derby (758)
Fuel to 1000 (5000).

Broome (759)
Fuel to 1000 (3000).

Perth (760)
Fuel to 5000 (10’000).

Adelaide (761)
Fuel to 5000 (8000).

Devonport (762)
Fuel to 1000 (3000).

Hobart (763)
Fuel to 1000 (5000).

Melbourne (764)
Fuel to 5000 (8000).

Sydney (766)
Fuel to 5000 (8000).

Brisbane (767)
Fuel to 3000 (12’000).

Rockhampton (768)
Fuel to 1000 (3000).

Townesville (769)
Fuel to 1000 (5000).

Cairns (770)
Fuel to 500 (3000).

Cooktown (771)
Fuel to 500 (1700).



New Zealand

Auckland (774)
Fuel to 5000 (50’000).

Wellington (775)
Fuel to 5000 (10’000).

Christchurch (776)
Fuel to 1500 (5000).

Dunedin (777)
Fuel to 500 (3000).





Canada

Vancouver (891)
Fuel to 10’000 (180’000)

Prince Rupert (892)
Fuel to 1000 (3000)






Unit modifications

USN transports (3907).  This task force should stay at Canton Island as it normally contained the US 26th FA Brigade, which it seems in version 1.60 can’t be automatically loaded and move with the TF.  (Wasn’t this possible in a previous version??).

All Battleship and Cruiser attached seaplane units (Kingfisher, Seagull, Walrus, etc.) should have mission set to Training at start (Dec. 7, 1941).  For USN see Air Group database section 2066-2162.  For RN, RNZN and RAN Air Group database section 2350-2368.  Modify name of unit at 2360 since Achilles was a RNZN unit.  Name modified to S1/2 RNZN Squadron (this is hypothetical, do not know real unit designation at this time). At 2369 created unit 1/22 RAAF with 4 Walrus aircraft based at Efate (0789) to represent small Australian seaplane detachment located there.