Andy Mac v PZB ....The Allies Fight Back

[duckenf]

ORIGINAL: Andy Mac

OK all you budding allied strategists out there see if you can model an Indian Campaign that would work.
Andy

I'd suggest two things -- first find where the remnants of KB have gone and see if you can hit that port while they refit/repair. 3-4 US CVs should be enough to provide both aircover for a Death Star and a strike force to attack his ships in port. You slapped him hard, but as you pointed out, you didn't have the op points to really finish the job.

I think rolling up NG and the vicinity would be the best option at the moment. (A) Hydra has been an initial amazing success, so complete it; (B) you get some good bases that extends his perimeter and forces him to put forces to oppose you -- taking them from Asia/India, (C) you keep up the pressure on the remnants of his navy which you need to finish off to give you complete naval supremacy.

As for SLEDGEHAMMER, India ia very far from your base of operations. I'd say that getting some nearby bases would probably help a lot. That suggests a longer campaign. I'd think Ceylon would make a good place -- you can isolate the island and take it and it has good facilities. With your air force you should be able to protect it and getting supplies there is a whole lot easier than getting them to Karachi or Bombay. Plus you can then threaten southern India or Burma/Malaysia which would divert resources from Karachi and Bombay for when you decide to strike them. I suppose it would also serve as a good base for 4E bombers. Not sure whether the Adaman islands would work as a secondary base to provide early warning, control of seas support, but you do need to string something together otherwise your supply lines are dangerously long.

[Andy Mac]

As requested

[Andy Mac]

I am pretty much in the not worht the hassle camp and a straight assault is better but I am happy to be convinced otherwise

[duckenf]

I'd be in favor of a slower approach up through NG/DEI/Malaysia in the first instance. No need to rush back to India when you can reduce it to rubble with long-range bombers. But just imagine what you could do with paratroopers in Colombo ir Trimcomalee. A slow build up through southern India in mid-1945 could really swing a lot of points your way in the later stages of the game and probably make things difficult for his forces in Burma/Malaysia/Thailand/Vietnam as well. But something for much later, I would say.

[Andy Mac]

I am not willing at this precise moment to go head to head with all of PZB's Georges/ Tonies/ Tojo's/ Jacks.

I thought about it but with 2 CV's down for refit its just not worth the grief I would need to delay my amphib ops and place my carriers in harms way I would like to finish them off but I will leave it to subs.

What about a 6 Divisonal assault on Singapore direct that may work !!!!

From there his oil pipeline will be closed.

Lots of options have opened up now

Andy

[Andy Mac]

But 1st things 1st finish off Hydra 3 and 4.

[duckenf]

ORIGINAL: Andy Mac

But 1st things 1st finish off Hydra 3 and 4.

Yes, Hydra has been a smashing success. If you have the chance to get to Singapore, then definitely take it; but I think you are starting to get into the stage where the Allies can use their 4E to completely smash resistance before the troops go in. That should be Singapore's fate.

[timtom]

IMO, as long as John enjoys the advantage of interior lines, Sledgehammer should stay on the shelf. However if you put yourself astride his LoC from Japan, I think the operation is in the realm of the possible - although I think you'll need more muscle than the above, particularly airpower.

Consider that Combined Fleet won't be able to intervene effectively for the next 4-6 months (?). If you want to jump outside your LBA umbrella (ie the Marianas), you should do so ASAP, IMO. Holding the Marianas not only provides a conveniantly situated set of AF's for your just-over-the-horizon B-29's, but also lays the sealanes around Japan wide open for CV raids, which in turn rather complicates John's continued defense of the PI/SRA - indeed anywhere that depends on supply/reinforcement by sea from Japan.

But don't get cocky - you're yet to engage his main ground- and LBA-forces.

[frank1970]

Andy, I am quite sure he didn´t want to get your transports but your carriers. He really wanted you to use up your airpoints and then strike you hard. I do not think PzB used all his force for little. He saw his chance he tried to use it and he failed. You were lucky your planes hadn´t attacked more Transport TFs and he was lucky you had attacked so many else all his carriers would be history.

If you really want to try India you have to take Sri Lanka first. From there you could use your LBA to weaken his forces before you land in India.

But now, with his carriers gone for a while take islands near Japan (Mariannas?). Clear your way eventually, so taking Marcus and Wake back might not be so useless cause it gives you unreconed ways of approach.PzB will then have to pull forces away from his front bases to protect Japan.

As a last point:
PzB doesn´t need his carriers any more. You have to come into his airumbrella as you want to take his bases. You still have to cover your TransortTFs because of longrange bombers and subs.
He only lost the possibility to retake bases and start counterinvasions.

[soeren01]

The question is, how do you want to win this game ?
You have to either sink his high value ships, get back high value cities from him or bomb his homeland.
With 6 Divs availible you could try to get into B17/B29 range of Tokyo as fast as possible. His Fleet is beaten (at least for the moment). You could go Wake, Marcus I. , Iwo Jima, which would be good pointwise.
Or you go Tricolomee/Columbo, Singapore, forcing him to spread his assets. how many ships does he has left ? Does he have enough forces to defend on two fronts ?

[marky]

i say go for the jugular, just dont make the same misakes the japs made at midway...
[X(]

[Andy Mac]

ORIGINAL: Andy Mac

Admiral PZ "Yamamoto" B in a cruel twist of fate that just feels wrong send several sqns of Zeroes on a LR Suicide mission to intercept Admiral Nomad over Port Moresby 200 zeroes were sent and the sole Corsair on Escort managed to shoot down 199 of them...the last pilot seeing the futility of mixing it with the Marine F4U rammed admiral Nomads plane.

As a result the British Field Marshall Andy Mac is brought out of retirement from his beach house near Perth where he had been quietly drinking himself into oblivion wondering why Churchill had overlooked him for active command. (perhaps because he made Percival look competent but thats another story !!!)

In what is obviously a clerical error Andy Mac has been placed in command of all allied forces in the Pacific Theatre

(Curtin is reported to have said that drunken sot what the hell is Churchill playing at !!!)

General MacArthurs alleged response is unprintable.

No one knows why a British General has been appointed to take over a naval and air war after the British Army was so decisively defeated in India only time will tell what new screwups Andy mac can bring to the roll of dis honour of the British Army in this theatre.......

Latest Allied intel reports that Admiral Nomad survived the crash and has been induced via mind control techniques to take joint control with Admiral PZB of the Japanese Military Machine

It is also reported that Admiral Nomad (passing as a US **** Admiral) has obtained a full set of Allied Plans for Operation Hydra.

Allied commanders have therefore cancelled Hydra 5 and 6 and are considering alternative uses for the 6 Divisions released from these two operations.

Alternatives being considered are an expanded Hydra offensive pushing further up NG and perhaps towards Kendari.

Or an early assault on Saipan

More to follow after we review further

Andy

[Sneer]

1.take few more divisions even if you need to halt pacific a bit
2. take Panaji - should be relatively lightly defended and is relatively close on coast
3. secure panaji - go for Bombaj - you can cut it nicely off
4. take bombaj - secure - go for rest

[timtom]

ORIGINAL: Andy Mac

Or an early assault on Saipan

IIRC, Saipan's terrain is mountain, while Tinian's is clear, with obvious implications.

I've heard rumours that Adm. Nomad has been swayed by promises of sake&comfort women - but maybe that's the "mind-control" your G-3 people are talking about...

To think that Nomad would find a place in the annals of American history, right next to Benedict Arnold!

[rroberson]

ORIGINAL: soeren01

The question is, how do you want to win this game ?
You have to either sink his high value ships, get back high value cities from him or bomb his homeland.
With 6 Divs availible you could try to get into B17/B29 range of Tokyo as fast as possible. His Fleet is beaten (at least for the moment). You could go Wake, Marcus I. , Iwo Jima, which would be good pointwise.
Or you go Tricolomee/Columbo, Singapore, forcing him to spread his assets. how many ships does he has left ? Does he have enough forces to defend on two fronts ?

Go central. Don't dally around his perimeters anymore. Make your next push through the series of islands that will allow you to bring your heavies into range of the imperial homeland and smash his production. That is the key to victory. He can no longer think about stopping you. Operations anywhere else on a grand scale is a serious waste of resources.

[timtom]

India op:

1. Invasion will be spotted west of Java.

2. Even if reaction is delayed because of uncertainty about destination (could be SRA), Pzb will have several turns to move LBA from China and elsewhere to India. It is presumed that Pzb keeps a div+ each at Karachi and Bombay, a similar force at each of the other urban terrain hexes, plus a mobile reserve in the Hydrabad- and/or Delhi area. All prep'd 100%.

3. Are you bringing enough aircover to ensure a succesful invasion. It is presumed that the initial landing is at Panjim to establish base then push on Bombay. Are you bringing enough LBA to defend against enemy LBA once ashore?

4. What intel, if any, have you got on OPFOR OOB in India?

5. Pzb will be in no doubt about your ultimate objective. Both Karachi and Bombay are urban and you must presume fort lvl 9 at this stage. Even defended by a single div, they are tough nuts to crack.

6. If you don't capture above fast, you'll be in serious trouble. Supply and reinforcement is a long way off and open to interdiction, which means that you'd have to tie down a CarDiv just as escort. If invasion stalls, you've got no way of quickly reinforcing or extricating yourself.

7. Meanwhile Pzb enjoys interior lines and can reinforce at a faster rate.

8. The whole venture depends on quickly opening the Bombay/Karachi pipelines.

9. Presuming that you have little or no intel on India OPFOR OOB, the operation essentially depends on pulling off a coup-de-main.

10. This in turn depends on poor dispotition and/or slowenly reaction on the part of Pzb.

11. An operation that requires an enemy f*ckup to succeed is not a good one.

[Andy Mac]

I started off excited for ten minutes and then remembered why I canned the operation in the 1st place for all the reasons outlined by timtom above.

Defeating his carriers is not enough to allow me to defeat lvl 9 forts and urban bonus thereofre Sledgehammer is indefinilty postponed again.

(although if I start to see elite divs that were involved in Indian conquest on the front lines I may reconsider)

I have more or less decided on a course of action.

Hydra will be extended up the NG coast with the intention of hitting as far north as Menado.

Satewal (Hydra 5) will be left alone although Woleia (Hydra 6) will be attacked at a convenient time.

After I have heavies and F4U's at Morotoi I will begin an offensive towards Java via Timor and Bali using the 4 CW divs I will have available the goal will be to put B29's in range of Palembang and Singapore.

Once I have my opponent focused on the West I will launch the operation against Pagan and Tinian a two pronged assault with large quantities of armour and USMC Divs supported by a full Parachete Divison.

New orders are being cut and ops plans worked on to support these operations.

[Andy Mac]

Remember this it was my original plan well its back !!!!

ORIGINAL: Andy Mac

OK this is my current plan in technicolour any thoughts

[Andy Mac]

ORIGINAL: Andy Mac

oops

[Andy Mac]

ORIGINAL: Andy Mac

Endo of Phase 1