Odds anyone???

[spence]

Once the KB shows up Allied choices are kind of limited towards the end of Scenario 2. One can die like a rat in a hole (no place on the map to hide) or die in a valiant but completely futile "Charge of the Light Brigade" affair. Oh well it was fun to play anyways.

[Mike Dixon]

Java and KB attack on Chandpur

[spence]

Not having anyplace to run to when the KB shows up is a very bad thing in this scenario.

Didn't happen in this game but if you (Allied) get told to withdraw any British ships you can't do it because Colombo/Tricomalee/Chandpur don't work for withdrawals and Bombay/Karachi are not on the map.

Well he's taking his last shots now - last turn of the game - tomorrow we'll see what the score is and how it rates for victory purposes. My guess is that it'll be a Strategic Japanese Victory...Mike played an excellent game.

[Mike Dixon]

Final position in Java.

The once mighty ABDA army has been pushed back into an enclave, due west of Soerabaja.

[spence]

Well at long last the agony is over for this game.

Mike got a Marginal Victory with about 13500 pts to my 8500 pts. He captured everything on the map except Burma, Chandpur and Tricomalee and Bataan. He sank most of my ships or at least pretty much all of the one's that were worth anything. Knocked down most of my planes. The arrival of KB near the middle of February pretty much insures the Japanese are going to be able to bull through pretty much any defense the Allies have managed to that point. The Zero Bonus and KB megaCAP pretty much insure that no matter how many planes you throw at it KB will not suffer much (in this case not at all) and you will suffer grevious losses. One useful tactic for the Allied player is to put all his Martins and Hudsons on 100% Naval Search at 1000 ft...dinged up a whole bunch of APs and AKs towards the end when regular airstrikes simply couldn't get through. Didn't see any great dislocation of Mike's Plans from it but did notice that a sizeable number of those APs/AKs eventually sank so at least it was some points I wouldn't have gotten otherwise.

After KBs arrival my surface ships which still included PoW, Repulse, Houston, Boise, Marblehead and a quite a few DDs were pretty much useless. I retreated into the Indian Ocean but KB followed and I ran out of places to hide. Backed into the corner of the map near Chandpur I made a guess (wrong) where the KB might be for the night, put Formidable under some LRCAP from Akyab with all her own planes on Naval Strike/Escort sortied every sub that had less than 50% damage loaded with mines, and set my all my bombers in Chandpur to Naval Strike (about 30 B-17s and 20 Blenheim IVs with 15 P-40Bs for escort). KB didn't find the mines, PoW etc didn't find the KB, Formidable didn't launch, the bombers flew into a 100 Zero CAP and got slaughtered and KBs own attack planes made mincemeat of PoW and company. Formidables planes flew the next day and got wiped out as did Formidable. Everything afloat took refuge such as it was in Chandpur and endured about 6-8 days of repeated bombing by KB. Not pretty. If I have one complaint about these proceedings it is that I had to take Formidable as a reinforcement even though it's sole purpose seems to be to give KB something to sink. Oh well...didn't really hope to beat the Japanese in a real sense. Had fun playing and found a great opponent for future contests.[:)]

Oh yeah there's one other thing that was a little disappointing: the game doesn't save the turnfile when it ends so the Allied Player can't review damages to Jap ships or find out about unreported sinkings and stuff.

[Mike Dixon]

Yes the game is over and a somewhat fortuitous Japanese marginal victory.

My strategy was to concentrate on Singapore/Java and basically ignore Burma. Any developments in the Phillipines would be a bonus. Some seven Japanese divisions took Singapore by mid January, rested a week or two then embarked for Java. In the meantime CA and BB bombardments 'softened' up Soerabja and ultimately Batavia. After a six week battle in HK, I had just enough strength to take Manila, though Baatan was well beyond my reach. Java basically collapsed in around two weeks, much to my and Spences surprise. Meanwhile the KB arrived in dribes and drabs, presumably because of the +/- 15 days reinforcement option we had, it steamed into the Bay of Bengal and sank a cornered Force Z, which had been harrying my ships throughout the game. Doubt I'll be able to this in our 'First year' encounter, with freedom to manouver.

I think the game was won/lost at Manila - it was worth alot of points, both with control of the city and the value of troops therein. If it had been reinforced from Bataan slightly, I dont think I could have taken it in the game and a draw would have ensued. In my Allied games, I have yet to determine the best balance of forces in the Clark/Baatan/Manila triangle.

The Hudsons/Martins did cause alot of damage although I did develop a top secret plan to counter them later on in the game. They particularly liked attacking TK's - I lost heavily there.

Not wanting to criticise GG's splendid game(s), the end of the scenario's could be handled much better - I can't seem to save the results end turn - I can view the Allies and Japanese sides at the end but Spence cannot. Steel Panthers was similar.

Well played by Spence and I am looking forward to our 'First year' scenario, which has just begun.