PBEM Japanese Strategic Thinking, Aztez Vs.FDRLincoln (Don't Read Aztez!)

[veji1]

At this time of war, finding a way to use the KB as something else than a sacrificial lamb is essential... just make sure you are able to spot anything coming at you while you are there (ie glen subs or CSs near Perth to make sure he doesn't try to catch KB from there )...

Otherwise, Allied lba is really resilient so some of it will get through and maybe bang your CVs, make sure you have everything ready to save a very damaged CV ( ASW ships for escorting a limping CV back, ARs ready to sprint to Victoria Point or Georgetown ( it is close to the battlefield, but you want to be able to save a CV with bad Flt before sending it to SIngers))

You also need to beware of the RN.. You seem to know for sure that RNCVs are in PAC, good, but RN BBs, specially of the R class can really mess with your transport or even CV tfs if they sprint right in the middle of the herd...

Thats for the naval part... For the land war part, you might wanna drop paras here and there to stop his advance or retard it... It might be a bit gamey, although As a commander I could fathom sending elite soldiers to death to hold a bridge or something for some hours or days in order to save an army... Paradrops can really be a pain...

Good luck anyway.

[FDRLincoln]

Four British CV and four British BB are confirmed in the Central Pacific.

[FDRLincoln]

Next turn will be VERY interesting. My troops are about to land at Moulmein. I have four carrier divisions plus my battleline in the area. Allied ships have been sighted moving in this vicinity. As far as I can tell, he's spotted the troop convoy but NOT my carriers. If he sends in his British cruiser force to stop the landings, KB might do some major damage. . .I hope!

[Nemo121]

Hmm, I missed the last couple of days of this AAR but I've got to say I think landing at Moulmein is a mistake... If he takes any other Burmese base then taking Moulmein won't cripple him. As such I think it is likely to be less decisive than you think.

[FDRLincoln]

The point of the Moulmein landing is to buy time to withdraw my troops from the rest of Burma.

Hiryu took a pair of torpedoes from a prowling submarine but should survive. The landing has been made. No sign of the Allied fleet.

[Grotius]

Sounds like your Moulmein landing was a good idea. But why not in Rangoon? Is Rangoon still in your hands? About how big a force did he land, and how many are you landing in response? Would be interesting to see a screenshot.

[FDRLincoln]

I still hold Rangoon. He landed the big group of armor at Moulmein to try and cut the line between Mandalay and Rangoon and isolate the Burma Army. He exploited the armor out of the Moulmein beachhead immediately, leaving just a small force behind to hold the beach.
 
I landed a strong independent brigade with engineer support at Moulmein and they should take out the beachhead this coming turn. I've bombarded it heavily with my battle line and extensive bombing. He has pushed his armor towards Akyab to try and link up with his supply line there, but it looks like I have successfull extracted the force that was at Mandalay, which has fallen back towards Rangoon. I will try and get a screenshot next turn.

[FDRLincoln]

Landing at Moulmein succeeds, Allied base force wiped out. His tanks are now drawing supply from Akyab and Mandalay, but at least the road from Moulmein to Rangoon is open and I can withdraw in good order.

[Grotius]

Well done! I see you have a base and LCUs in the base two hexes south of Mandalay. Are the LCUs going to stay put or move west?

[FDRLincoln]

The roads are bad there and he has overwhelming force in the area. I thought about trying to cut him off in that direction but I don't think it would work. His unit stacks are HUGE. I will be lucky if I can hold him off at Rangoon and give my weakened troops a chance to escape. I estimate it's a 50/50 shot. . .but before I took Moulmen back I had no chance at all.

[FDRLincoln]

Well, things continue to go badly for Japan. The Allies have hundreds of heavy bombers in service, and there is nothing I can do about it. B-29 raids have shut down airfields and ports in Bangkok, Saigon, and Canton. B-29 raids can reach into Japan now. Nothing is safe. He has hundreds of 4-engine bombers rampaging through the Marshalls....I can't even resupply the Kwajalein garrison any more.
 
I have to admit that there is no fun in this game at all right now. It would be one thing I have had been running Japan from the beginning and could plot my defense, but at this point I am very discouraged.
 
I want to use the still-strong KB, but if I try to raid his positions in the Marshalls his LBA will kill my fleet. I don't mind losing KB in a carrier vs. carrier fleet battle, but I will NOT lose KB to LBA.
 
I guess I will just sit and wait for him to try raiding Japan with his carriers again. Or perhaps the Marcus Island/Wake Areas.
 
I have positioned very strong garrisons with massive artillery support at Saipan, Guam, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa.

[Likendeeler]

Is there a way to shut down these B-29 airfields? Maybe you can be offensive in China to eliminate this threat and move some extra troops and supply there . Your opponent won´t be able to use his whole air force from Chinas without a supply problem here sooner or later.
Maybe you can use your subs to supply Kwajalein?
Don´t use your carriers to early, he still has to be aware of KB at the moment. Kamikazes might make adifference later. You should continue this fight!

[veji1]

bah in this game kamikazes make no difference...

[Kereguelen]

ORIGINAL: veji1

bah in this game kamikazes make no difference...

Actually they didn't make any difference in the real war[:)]

[veji1]

well by difference I meant "ability to sink a barge or even more a MSW..." 

[Kereguelen]

ORIGINAL: veji1

well by difference I meant "ability to sink a barge or even more a MSW..."

Well, I'm quite certain that they have this ability - at least when late-war Allied CAP is not present[:D]

[veji1]

in game ? nah.. Maybe a whole Chutai of Emilys can damage enough a MSW to render it ineffective... but sink it ? come on....

[FDRLincoln]

No way to shut down the B-29 fields....they are too far away for air strikes and my supply situation in China isn't good enough to launch an offensive in any event. He has so many fighters in central China (including some Australian fighters) that I can't make a dent.
 
I'll continue the game because I committed to it, but there is little enjoyment at this time. I did spank a replenishment convoy that got too close to the Frances force at Wake Island. That was nice.