Test Game AAR using Hot Seat

[kennonlightfoot]

Feb 15 Japan Cont'd

India

An amphibious invasion of India at Madras is made.
Two divisions are landed on either side of the port.
DD's are moved over to resupply them before the attack.
The CVL fleet move up to provide an air strike against the garrison.
A BB and BC move adjacent the port for fire support.

This brings the odds up to 4:1. The defender surrenders. But the units have no movement left so the port has to wait until the next turn to be taken.

[kennonlightfoot]

42 Feb 15 Allies

If it wasn't for bad news there would be no news at all.
The best the Allies get is its snowing in China.
The US still low on oil but at least the upkeep fell to 7. They now have 47 stockpile.
And, they get their first reinforcements, 2 Oilers.
The Fiji garrison surrenders.
Kido Butai disappears.
Units in northern Australia are isolated.
But they do receive reinforcements. One infantry division and a Strategic Bomber that flies to Hawaii.

The UK on the other hand is almost out of oil. 0 Production, 8 upkeep and 3 stockpile.
They receive a BB (Ramillies) but dare not use it for fear it will get grounded out of support range somewhere.
Hermes CVL has to leave Sydney while it can still move since it was limiting the whole fleet to UK Oil level. Parked it in Melbourne.

Australia

Doesn't look like the Japanese are ready for a break out so everyone just stays in place.

[kennonlightfoot]

Feb 15 Allies Cont'd

India now has a two front war and not near enough units to cover them both. They send one division to oppose the landing, or at least keep it from running around freely.

In Burma they fall back. This uncovers Chttagong but if they tried to defend it they risk losing a division and even getting the defending unit trapped.

[kennonlightfoot]

Feb 15 Allies Cont'd

This screenshot shows the situation around Madras after the division from Burma arrives.
This will work for maybe two turns but not much more.

[kennonlightfoot]

Feb 15 Allies Cont'd

I haven't said much about China since weather and supply lines more control the action there. But the Japanese have been making a slow grinding advance against Changsha with 3 armies. A fourth is trying to join. If they ever get clear weather they will probably be able to get enough units next to Changsha to take it.

[kennonlightfoot]

42 Mar 1 Japan

The Situation

With the fall of Singapore the Indian National Army is formed in Bangkok. Giving the Burma force another army to draw on.
The US and UK will get their first Transport in their turn so Japanese have to start preparing to counter this.
But Japan also starts receiving its first infantry reinforcements has all those builds I have been doing each turn start paying off.
Snow in India and rain in Australia. Which is why I consider weather as the only thing that can stop the Japanese bubble expansion.

The tactic I am using for the Japanese is basically and ever expanding bubble where only the outer rim is populated with strong forces using the inside as a source for reinforcement as they secure their areas. Which means the Allies could strike anywhere in the inside including Japan and find it very weak. But they can get away with this until the US can field a fleet strong enough to survive a counter attack and has enough forces in India and Australia to check the Japanese there. They can't go raiding at the expense of losing India and Australia. They will be able to take it back eventually but they don't want to have to start with capturing a port of entry. That could set their time tables back a year.

They also need to come up with a counter to the loss of their convoy routes. This is something that is hard to handle in a hot seat game since I obviously "know" the positions for both sides.

I see the US countering this by:

1. Raids in the South Pacific or even in the North Pacific to draw off Kido Butai from the convoy lane.

2. Sending the US Carrier fleet into the Indian Ocean where they out match the CVL fleet.

Item "2" looks best but still need a plan to carry it out and a way for my other self to not know it is happening since it can be undone if Kido follows.

The Japanese will start with this turn preparing for such a move but it will take some time to put together something. They would like to make the US move strike air while they destroy more convoys that will probably have to be activated to get the UK fleet back in the war.

India

Madras is taken on this turn. The CVL fleet moves back to raiding and will hopefully also become invisible.
The Burma front advances taking Chittagong making it now the Indian Front too. The invasion and capture of India is now the objective. The force to the south will be rather small since Madras is a level 2 port but it has to be contained or what little production India has will be killed off.

China

Weather is their best defender so far.

South Pacific

Blocking forces around Suva are refreshed and ships there sent to refuel.
Kido goes into raid mode and returns to the convoy lane.
Japanese shift more air and sea forces into the area.

Australia

The invasion forces are reinforced with two armies. The rain prevents any real action but the beach head is expanded further so that Townsville is isolated and Rock Hampton will be if they don't withdraw. Right now there are far more troops in the area than Mackay can supply but I can use ships to resupply most of them while they get into position to take the two level 4 ports. Until the US divisions arrive, which will be probably April, the Japanese don't really have anything but weather to worry about.

[kennonlightfoot]

42 Mar 1 Allies

Situation

Finally have sea movement: UK 1 Transport US 2 Transport and 1 Oiler.
But the oil situations is acute: UK Oil Stockpile is 1, US has 34.
UK can still move but if nothing done the fleets will be grounded in port next turn.
Merchant Marine forces are: UK 85 and US 43.
They could probably function for about two turns if raiders on convoy routes. And, they will have to be used if the UK is going to have ships to support any Allied actions in the Indian ocean.

The Japanese fleet raider is spotted in the Indian convoy route but is of unknown composition.
Kido Butai has disappeared gain.
Tonga, Cairns, and Townsville are blockaded.

Rock Hampton will be isolated next turn. Since Australia will desperately need this garrison and the one that retreated from Mackay, both of these units will have to withdraw giving the Japanese the port they need to supply their armies.

Which brings me to a problem. In hot seat mode there is no such thing as a "surprise" move. Any such move will suffer from my implementing my own assumptions. Up to now there was little the Allies could do since their forces were restricted.

Now I could set up a decision tree for different strategies and start rolling dice to randomize the decisions.

Better yet would be for me to pre-outline what Japanese plans are and have outside input as to what the Allies should do. Then implement them and see what happens. Any interest out there in doing this?

I am also going to test some different tactics to see if they are viable before messing up the AAR with bad choices.

[kennonlightfoot]

Test 1

The question tested is can the UK move a division to India without that fleet in the Indian ocean killing it or the lack of Oil (1 right now) getting the unit stuck at sea since it will take two moves to reach Bombay.

I moved the transport straight north as far as it could go in Raider mode.
It got rain cover in Japanese turn and wasn't spotted. I didn't test to see if the Japanese player could assume this would be the move and just jump to where they think it will be.
But the UK oil went to 0 stockpile and no other UK fleets can now leave port.
The transport was able to continue in spite of 0 oil and land its troops.

Final plan: Transport the infantry but only move a short distance to get it in one move range of Bombay. This will leave a 40 some hex range that the Japanese would have to guess at to intercept.

But if it is spotted, it will probably be sunk.

[kennonlightfoot]

Test 2

Can the US transport a division by the shortest route available to Sydney?

This means going straight through the central Pacific between Gilbert and Samen islands. But this will get them to Sydney in two turns.

For the test I deployed three Japanese destroyers in a rough line between the two islands but no air units in range.

The transport moved in stealth mode and the Japanese couldn't spot it. The section of ocean that the transport has to move to is rather small since they need to be in one turn move of Sydney (other ports probably won't be available).

In March there should be little problem making this move however as more transports try it and more Japanese fleets and air are freed up to try to cover this area, interceptions may start happening. But I suspect the Japanese will have more effective things they can do with their ships like blockade all the ports along Australia's coast.

[kennonlightfoot]

Test 3

I wanted to see what would happen if the US fleet moved to the Indian ocean for a join attack against the Japanese fleet there.
The UK is so low on Oil the first turn had to be used moving oil to UK. This was needed any way because turning on the Convoy system helps identify the enemy fleet locations when they make their convoy attacks.

Since the US fleet can't get within 24 hexes of the enemy in one move, the first move was used to move the US fleet as far west as it can. The three UK ships in eastern Australia were moved to a western port. The turn resulted in losing 9 MM and identifying the location of the Japanese fleet just south of India.

Second turn the US fleet still can't reach so move with 24 hex range and is joined by the UK ships which now have enough oil.

The turn is executed. The Japanese fail to spot any Allied activity. But they also keep their fleets in Raider mode and reinforce the Indian Ocean fleet with some BB's. Another 15 MM sunk.

Turn three. The US/UK combine fleet attacks. And finds nothing.

I repeated this a couple of times. The Japanese in Raider mode are just hard to find. I don't know what the odds are but it makes all this effort questionable considering 24 MM were lost by the end of it.


Test 4

This got me wondering what would happen if the US fleet with the three UK ships in Australia attacked Kido.

Again I restarted convoys to locate Kido and did.

Combined fleet sailed out an attacked. But again didn't find the enemy. In this case rain also interferred.

Test 5

I forced a battle by putting Kido in fleet mode.
This went better for the Allies than I thought it would. They actually sank two CV's to their one. But I think this is a very iffy result. And, I haven't repeated it often enough to tell if 4 CV's + 1 CVL can consistently do even or better. Just don't know enough about how surprise and combat odds effect things.

[eskuche]

I lost 2 CV and one CA in port with max AA in low recon to stjeand from a full stack on early turns. He lost one air point. Never worth the gamble.

[kennonlightfoot]

Mar 1 - Allies Cont'd

I have decided to play chicken with convoys. Turning the on for a turn or two then back off. I have to get the UK refueled. Unfortunately, the way convoys are handled the UK's merchants carry all the load and casualties. US ships are only used for convoys to Australia or New Zealand. Considering the UK's low Production it is going to be hard for them to replace the losses. Also, will need some random scheme for deciding when the Japanese are going to camp the convoy route. Their CV's are finally showing enough Experience degradation that they will have to stay a few turns in port or risk having the US fleet out fight them.

I ran some test using the US fleet to attack Kido and they often came out on the winning side of it. But I also found that putting everything in Raider mode make combat very difficult. What I don't know is how being in Raider mode affects combat.

Is there a negative to sailing around in Raider mode? Anyone know?

Right now a US initiated fleet battle is to much of a "Hail Mary" to use. You don't want to throw the game on a single die roll so I will hold off until I get my fifth CV at least. Which will be soon.

I miss calculated the time it takes for a Transport to get a unit from the US to Australia. I was thinking they could move the infantry from Hawaii and replace it from the mainland in which case it only took two turns. But this method can't really be used since it is going to take up your transport capacity to replace the unit. So its three turns either way eventually. The good news is that if moving in Raider mode they aren't easily spotted unless they have the bad luck to pick a destination hex right next to an enemy ship. And, I am not even sure if that will trigger and interdiction.

So far the Japanese don't have enough air power to distribute them into mid Pacific.

Australia

The forces there aren't large enough to form a line so Rock Hampton has to be given up without a fight. The garrison retreats. With the reinforcement of 1 Landing Shp and a transport, the US sends on Infantry division toward Australia. It will be mid April before it arrives and end of April before it can move into the defensive line.

India

The UK also gets a transport and starts it going toward India.
India receives its first infantry reinforcement which is brings in on the central city to reinforce the developing southern front.

Meanwhile the Burma line retreats again to form off Dacca.

[kennonlightfoot]

Mar 29 - Japan

Situation

Weather in China, India and Australia its clear.

Curiously, the Japanese Indian Ocean fleet sees nothing in spite of an enemy fleet adjacent to it.
Kido is down to 86% Effectiveness so I send them back to Rabaul to recover. Included is a switch over to already refueled support ships to keep from overloading Rabaul's ability to refuel them.

Other actions in the S. Pacific area include taking Tonga. Blockade set up on Sumoa Is.

In China there are minor attacks as I still push toward Changsha a hex at a time.

Australia

Ships resupply the forces around Townsville and with the support of some BB's get 9:1 odds and take the port.

Australia is getting hard to play using hot seat since it is going to require "surprise" type attacks to slow the Japanese advance and that is hard to set up when you play both sides. More than likely I will have to test separate combat lines to test such tactics.

Australia:

[kennonlightfoot]

Mar 29 Japan cont'd

India

In the south the Japanese forces spread out and advance looking for holes in the line. The Japanese have probably reached their limit on ability to keep shoving troops into India so a lot will depend on the Burma front.

On the Northern front facing Burma, the Japanese keep hammering the line hoping for a break through into the interior of India. The 23rd Ind Div is hit with multiple attack forcing it to retreat. The 17 Ind Div is shattered allowing another follow up attack against the 23rd. This will open the door to taking Dacca soon.

[kennonlightfoot]

Mar 29 - Allies
Situation
US receives 10 transports plus a Landing Ship and 2 Trucks. Plus the Hornet.
UK receives 10 transports.
Convoy attacks by the Japanese kill 3 MM but it does leave the Indian Ocean CVL fleet identified.
The UK has now lost 36 MM and the US 1.
But the convoys will continue another turn to keep the UK fleet in oil.
US builds Landing Ship so at least they have that option if they ever get some breathing room to counter attack.

The UK battle group attempts to hit the enemy sitting right next to them and fails to find them.
(wish I had a better handle on what actually goes into finding and attacking an enemy fleet)

Australia

My three divisions are in danger of being cut off so they run but one is apparently already to locked in to move more than one hex. Brisbane is abandoned and everything the Australians can spare are moved to form an new line.

Luckily, the first US division finally arrives in New Castle. so my ports are still covered. The US now has enough transports to start a 2nd division on its way to Australia.

The movements for this turn:

[kennonlightfoot]

Mar 29 - Allied Cont'd

India

The UK now has 20 transports but they also have the bottleneck of only one port. So another division is embarked but will take two turns to get there. I am able to embark another division without movement which will help shorten the time to get it over. Unfortunately, now the price is paid for not being able to receive PP from the US. There are no more divisions in the reinforcement queue to use those transports.

The southern line is full of holes but I think the lack of enemy units will keep them from exploiting this.

The northern line is the real danger. It can't keep taking this kind of punishment before it can't cover the bottleneck at Dacca and Calcutta. Maybe next turn I can pull some units from the southern front if there is no advance there. But this will be a patch with both the UK and India unable to produce new units.

[kennonlightfoot]

42 Apr 12 - Japan

Not sure what happened to my Mar 15th notes. Not a lot happened other than Rock Hampton was occupied after Allies withdrew. Allies got some reinforcements but it will take a few turns for them to show up.

For the 12th, Situation

Japan received a CVL and CVE which will go to the Indian Fleet to help kill Merchants.
Kido's effectiveness returned to 97% plus, so time for them to go to sea and raid.
Production still geared to producing one infantry division per turn with a little PP left for specialty items. This turn it was an Escort in preparation for the Allied sub campaign when their torpedoes upgrade.

India

Dacca is taken and the Japanese continue their advance. How things go in India depends on the weather. Few rain turns and the Allies will get the time they need to reinforce the northern line.

China - Rain, so little activity.

Australia

The advance continues but rain leaves not enough activity points to attack.
The 3rd RA Infantry is surrounded but not enough points to attack. Also, leaves Brisbane open to reoccupation if they have enough movement.

[kennonlightfoot]

42 Apr 12 - Allies

Situation

UK oil situation still bad. 6 production, 11 upkeep, and 31 inventory.
US oil situation limited. 20 production, 9 upkeep, and 42 inventory.
US and UK both receive Transports.

But the price of getting oil and PP to the UK is high. 24 Merchants lost.
Merchants are 50 for UK and 37 for US.
Shutdown convoys for coming turn but need a way to keep Kido busy so they can't raid. The Japanese Indian fleet doesn't have the same Merchant killing power as Kido.

US Hornet group escorting a reinforcement transport group reaches east of New Zealand. So far the Japanese haven't been able to spot these transports and fleets moving west.

Production started: UK builds 2 Inf divisions, Canada contributes a Landing Ship.

China - Rain so no activity.

Australia - Rain

Much needed weather cover. The trapped unit moves to Brisbane just to break the Japanese supply lines. This should buy the Australians a turn while it gets killed.

The first US reinforcement moves up to help form a line but it isn't much of a line. A few good weather turns and the Japanese will be able to turn it since it is only four units wide and held by divisions.

[kennonlightfoot]

Apr 12 US Cont'd

India

In the north the Indian divisions form a line based on the rivers. It is going to get hit hard but with so few units they have to hold the shorter line rather than retreat. The British are finally arriving (second division has unloaded in Bombay) and helping form a southern line. As soon as those Indian divisions are freed they will be transferred north. But the loss of convoys has limited UK infantry production.

The UK surface fleet continues to try to engage the Japanese CVL raider fleet but can't find them. Beginning to wonder if it is a little to difficult finding these fleets. It is a very large fleet and easily identified by the number of Merchant kills. Seems that should translate into easier to spot from an adjacent fleet.

Overall India situation:

[kennonlightfoot]

42 Apr 26 - Japan

Situation

Production and Reinforcements are typical. Build an Infantry and receive an infantry. Also, started another escort.

Snows in China so not action there but good weather elsewhere.

Australia

The retaking of Brisbane does cripple any attack on the main line but it does allow the Japanese to kill on division, reoccupy Brisbane and move up on the new Allied line.