The Sun Also Rises Down Under AAR - Japan

[gwgardner]

cpdeyoung and I are playing the Australian Campaign PBEM.

The scenario posits that Japan succeeded in taking Port Moresby and in inflicting a crushing defeat of the US Navy in the Coral Sea. Six divisions were then landed at Darwin. While the Allies scramble to organize a defense of the island continent, and the Army High Command scrambles to come up with a justification for this unexpected foray, the boots on the ground move south.

Object: Complete occupation of Australia.

Japanese assets on hand are:

26 battallions on the continent.
6 Carriers, supporting Capitol ships and patrol groups, and a strong screen of subs.


Allied Assets? Unknown, although the best Japanese intelligence estimates are that the Allies are at a temporary disadvantage numerically at sea, but of course hold an advantage of resources and land assets.

[gwgardner]

Looking at resources available for Japan:

8 amphibious points
production unknown yet, will have to wait a turn to find out.
starting 260 PP

cost of an amphibious point starts at 58 PP
3 amphibious points to transport a regiment, one for a battalion.

ergo: attempting to conquer Australia through a series of amphibious landings is out of the question. This is going to be up to the army, not the navy. I probably have enough resources for one weak amphibious assault.

[suggestion for the developers patch: put in the scenario notes some info on what production level the Japanese will have, and what reinforcements they can expect, if any.]

[gwgardner]

I see two possible strategies:

1) the obvious: head south and east, attempting to capture supply hubs; going west in this mode is impossible, given the dearth of supply centers in that direction until one hits the west coast. Trouble is, the Aussies aren't just going to sit there and let me walk into the widely spaced supply hubs. I'll be fighting for each one at the limit of supply range.

2) attempt an early amphibious assault in the west, and essentially redirect the whole focus of the Japanese Army to the West coast, using naval transport to shift forces there. This strategy requires that those early amphibious points be used with immediate effect. Trouble is, what if I do take the west coast? It's isolated from the important parts of Australia!

And then there's the navy. Repair capacity is practically nil. So it would appear that the obvious naval strategy is to hit the Aussies early and hard, and hope to wipe out whatever assets they have. But if that fails, it would mean the early end of the Japanese in Australia.

Hmmmh.

[gwgardner]

I forgot to make screenshots.

Not much to show yet, anyway. I have settled on the center, east strategy, which I am predicting will fairly soon turn into a defensive strategy, with a line north of Elliot. Australia just has so much empty space! And I don't have the assets to do amphibious assaults anywhere.

I have received a fighter and a bomber wing in reinforcements, and another division, which is disembarking at Darwin.

The real news is all naval, with heavy fighting in the Coral Sea. The IJN committed all 7 carriers there, and caught the Hornet, Wasp, and Enterprise steaming north. Turn 2 saw a major carrier battle, and on turn three the IJN pursued the Allied fleet south. End result, the Wasp is known to have been sunk, and the Hornet has taken at least 6 hits, the Enterprise 2. If our intelligence is accurate, the Allies then have 1 carrier capable of action, and 1 that has to limp into port for repairs.

On the land, an attempt to beat Aussie units to Elliot failed. The army is nevertheless going to attempt to isolate the Aussie forces there, and pick them off one by one. Elliot will fall! But it's probably the extent of Japan's advance into Australia.

[gwgardner]

I figure the Hornet is going to have to sail into Sydney harbor. The IJN is going to hit that port hard on turn 4.

[gwgardner]

Turn 4

As ordered, the IJN hit Sidney harbor hard, but it was disastrous. 5 sp losses to the carriers in the attacks, and not an Allied ship to be found. The Admiral on the scene had the sense to break off the attacks, and direct his torpedo bombers instead to a task force of transports that were steaming towards southern Australia. According to pilot reports, at least three transport ships were sent to the bottom. No sign of the US carriers. Have they fled to Perth? Can they even be repaired in Perth? Or have they performed an end around, and headed north to disrupt my own supply lines? I do have a screen of subs farther north.

On the ground, the Australians continue to beef up their defenses around Elliot. It will be impossible for the army to attack those positions head on. It's a race to see if we can succeed in cutting Elliot off from the south with our own end around. If we can, and if we can hold the noose closed, we'll just starve those Australian defense forces out.

Army engineers are working around the clock, and expending every ounce of resources available, to extend rail lines south from Darwin. So far 154 PPs have been spent on strategic move points, in order to rush our strongest forces south by rail.

[gwgardner]

The IJN returned to the Tasman Sea to renew the attack on Sidney Harbor, and caught both the Enterprise and the Hornet in repairs. Three hits sank the Enterprise, and smoke was seen rising from the Hornet. It should be crippled, and if it limps out of Sidney to flee south the seven IJN carriers will be waiting to pounce.

[gwgardner]

The battle for Elliot continues. After cutting off the last road south, the defense forces are in desperate need of ammunition and other supplies, and their ability to withstand continued attacks is dwindling. What was a powerful garrison is now a pitiful remnant. Not that the Imperial Army intends to show any mercy.

Recon planes are moving into position to be able to test the region south of Elliot. If the Australians could succeed in reopening a supply path to Elliot, it would be disastrous.

[Plainian]

Mmmh well I know this isn't 1944 and Elliot isn't Imphal but the situation sure looks like it? If Elliot can't support the troops around it when cut of how about your troops? Shouldn't you be dwindling away as well? [:D]
You must be using sharpened sticks for weapons by now after this long in the bush? [;)]

[gwgardner]

My forces are connected by road and track to the town just north of Elliot, from which they are drawing supply. The supply lines go all the way back to Darwin. The lines are not good, and they are long, thus the weakened state of the units south of Elliot.

That's why I'm worried that he's moving a relief force up from Tennant Creek, just south of Elliot. If he does, he'll smash right through my weak units.

[Tomokatu]

gwg wrote:

the IJN hit Sidney harbor hard

the attack on Sidney Harbor

There IS a Sidney http://www.sidney.ca/__shared/assets/1920_OCP_Map1492.pdf and it does have what might generously be called a harbour, but it's not the one in New South Wales which is always spelled "Sydney".
 
You had it right the first time,

into Sydney harbor

 
Enjoying the fight. Good luck with the breakthrough to Tennant Creek.

[gwgardner]

Turn 6 (I think)

Elliot endured intense bombing and attacks from five Japanese regiments of infantry, but held on to fight again. The rest of the Elliot defensive perimeter has collapsed.

Air recon shows that the Australians are indeed shipping forces north to Tennant Creek. It remains to be seen if the Imperial Army can move south fast enough to perform an encirclement and starvation of that town just like it did with Elliot. If Elliot itself continues to hold out, Tennant Creek may have time to extend its defensive perimeter enough to forestall the Japanese advance.

At sea, the IJN continued to raid Allied transport convoys, with apparent success. Unfortunately, another raid on Sydney failed to strike the Hornet, which is flying air cover not only over Sydney but over those convoys.

The commanding Admiral at sea has conveniently failed to inform fleet HQ about the incremental damage to Japanese carriers, for fear that more than half of his carrier force will be recalled. The Hiryu, for instance, is still capable of sortie, but is limping along at slow speed and leaking oil all the way.

[gwgardner]

ORIGINAL: Tomokatu

gwg wrote:

the IJN hit Sidney harbor hard

the attack on Sidney Harbor

There IS a Sidney http://www.sidney.ca/__shared/assets/1920_OCP_Map1492.pdf and it does have what might generously be called a harbour, but it's not the one in New South Wales which is always spelled "Sydney".

You had it right the first time,

into Sydney harbor

Enjoying the fight. Good luck with the breakthrough to Tennant Creek.

Heads will roll. No wonder we can't find the Hornet!

[gwgardner]

The IJN is now crippled from land-based attacks. It was a risk to leave the carrier fleet near Sydney, in hopes of finding the Hornet as it fled west. It in fact did not flee west, but rejoined the effort to support supply convoys.

IJN got one more hit on the Hornet, but it still is afloat. Only one of the Japanese carriers is battleworthy now, and all must head north. So the Hornet will have time to repair.

On land, the defense north of Tennant Creek is stiffening, but the commander there has been reckless, sending forward elements out without support. Japanese tank battallions have been able to encircle two such Aussie regiments.

Elliot has fallen, and supply will be flowing southward full bore.

[gwgardner]

Turn 8 (I believe)

Devastating turn for the IJN, as 3 carriers went to the bottom while moving through the Coral Sea, having endured unremitting land-based bomber attacks.

On land, the encirclement of Tennant Creek proceeds, but the lines on either flank are rather too thin for comfort. It is expected that the Australians will be able to keep up the pace, in what may be termed a race for the communication lines south to Alice Springs. It is further expected that the Aussies may simply foregoe the race itself, and attempt to smash through my flanking tank columns, thereby ending the Japanese advance in Australia.

The Sun may already be setting in Australia.

[gwgardner]

I tried an amphibious assault in the West, but it's too late.

Frankly, I failed to take into account in my original planning, that an amphibious invasion has supply from offshore, and doesn't have to take a port immediately. Should have done such an attempt at the beginning of the game.

[gwgardner]

The Aussies were able to quash the assaulting Japanese forces rather easily. More havoc resulting in the Japanese command structure.

I should have done such an assault on Perth from the beginning.

[gwgardner]

Both sides are looking at a long-drawn-out action in the outback. With the Japanese no longer able to advance, the decision was made to cut losses, and start pulling out troops from Australia while the getting is good. All the Japanese carriers are being towed back to home waters for either extensive repairs or scuttling.

Good game. Next time around I'll try a different strategy.

[Post mortem: I have made some suggestions in the forum for revising this scenario. Key among those are providing a base for Japanese naval repairs, and upping the resources available so that an amphibious assault can be sustained.]