USA - China convoy routes.

[Jack59]

I have noticed the USA - China route disappears once Rangoon is captured by Japan. I thought it would shift to Calcutta and then Bombay. Also, shouldn't there be land routes through the Burma Road to China or the Hump route to Ledo be marked on the map? The Japanese should be able to pressure the USA - China sea convoys. I know it would be unlikely be effective in the long run, but a one turn event could effect a coordinated Japanese land offensive.

[Platoonist]

Apparently, the USA-China convoy route will resume when Rangoon falls to the Allies. In the event that a US convoy cannot be sent to either Rangoon or Australia, then the US can send supplies to the British Empire via Bombay. The airlift route over the Hump is immune to attack as far as I can tell. The 60 MPPs a turn China gets over the Himalayas seems a tad generous. The wartime total was 650,000 tons, which was equivalent to about two ocean convoys of 35 Liberty ships each.

[BillRunacre]

Just to clarify: when the US cannot send a convoy by sea to China via Rangoon, it can both send a convoy to Australia and (conditions permitting) send supplies to China via the Hump.

Further details on US convoys can be found on pages 7 & 9 of the Strategy Guide.

[Jack59]

Thanks. I was thinking of War in Europe and World at War, when sea supply routes switched due ice the north Atlantic, Axis activity in the Mediterranean, etc. In World at War, supplies were distributed from Britain to India, Australia and New Zealand. In this game they come from the US. I use to sail my Japanese submarines along these lines to distract the allies early in the war and sink critical Commonwealth shipping. Attacking the USA makes less of a dent.

One historical question. The USA sent funds to Russia via Vladivostok. Did the Japanese ever attack these convoys? I am guessing Japan never declared war on the USSR so they ignored these convoys.

[BillRunacre]

No, Japan never interdicted the supplies sent to Vladivostok. Which is quite amazing really.

[Torplexed]

One historical question. The USA sent funds to Russia via Vladivostok. Did the Japanese ever attack these convoys? I am guessing Japan never declared war on the USSR so they ignored these convoys.

US lend-lease was sent to Vladivostok on Russian-flagged ships, so attacking them was a big no-no if Japan wanted to keep its non-aggression pact with Stalin going.