DARKSKY PLEASE DON'T READ - Strategy advice

[invernomuto]

Thank you, your advices are greatly appreciated.
I have not decided yet. Taking PM would be very risky, but I need some action before digging in defense.
I do not have plan to invade Australia, it's to late.
Other options would be Palmyra, that is not heavily defended (small CAP and few units, about 5...).


 

[invernomuto]

Hi all,
Imperial High Command proudly annunces that Port Moresby is in Japanese hands. Over 30.000 allied soldiers were captured. More details coming soon!

[niceguy2005]

Congratulations. I look forward to hearing what happened.

[invernomuto]

Basically, I waited untill Lae was fully operational (AF size 4+) than transferred Sally/Helens Daitai and LOTS of fighters. In the end of 7/42 I launched a joint Naval and Air attack against Port Moresby A/F. My fighters took some punishment, but my heavies did their job closing the A/F. I used 2 bombardment TFs, one with 5 BBs and the other with only CAs. The latter got always the best results (very strange!).
I kept PM AF suppressed (he losts LOTS of A/Cs) from air and sea, then landed an invasion force of 6 divs, 4 bgds, 3 arms, 5 Engs and 2 Hqs in different waves under KB air umbrella. Most of my units were unprepared (my mistake). PM falls after 2 attacks (one deliberate, one shock, starting forts 6). He had 2 aussie division, lots of support troops and some really nasty CD units that caused to my LCU *lots of* casualties. I lost some APs (mostly mines and air attacks from Cooktown) and a BB (due to a failed bombardment run, my mistake).

I am still not sure PM is worth the cost. Now Lae and Rabaul are safe, but it will be really difficult to supply with Cooktown as a major allied base. Australia next ? [:D][:D][:D][:D]


Here is the last shock attack.

AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 08/24/42

Ground combat at Port Moresby

Japanese Shock attack

Attacking force 186091 troops, 1764 guns, 323 vehicles, Assault Value = 4020

Defending force 49952 troops, 297 guns, 14 vehicles, Assault Value = 875

Japanese engineers reduce fortifications to 2

Japanese max assault: 7776 - adjusted assault: 6172

Allied max defense: 708 - adjusted defense: 755

Japanese assault odds: 8 to 1 (fort level 2)

Japanese forces CAPTURE Port Moresby base !!!



Allied aircraft
no flights


Allied aircraft losses
Spitfire Vb: 1 destroyed

Japanese ground losses:
4548 casualties reported
Guns lost 51
Vehicles lost 10

Allied ground losses:
30787 casualties reported
Guns lost 365
Vehicles lost 6

Bye

[pauk]

ORIGINAL: invernomuto
I am still not sure PM is worth the cost.

BANZAI!

(yes - at least for me[:D][:D][:D])

[bbbf]

Two divisions of Australians (probably 6 & 9 Div - experienced troops), are worth it.

That will put a small dent in his offensive plans for NG & SOlomons.

[bradfordkay]

Now you will want to remove most of those troops as soon as you can. It's going to be awhile before he can recover from the loss of two Australian divisions, and by the time he does he'll have the air war won. If you don't withdraw most of those troops while he's down and out (and unable to go after the TFs with a vengeance), you'll lose them a long way from the places you really want to defend.

[Hoplosternum]

Yes. The importance of PM is to deny him it rather than what it can do for you.

The killing of two mobile and experienced allied divisions in '42 is an excellent result and unlike any killed in China they are worth full points.

He is unlikely to counter attack immediately (if at all in that area). But if you are worried about him bombing your shipping you can march overland most of your divisions. You'll get to Buna in about a month and fairly disrupted / fatigued. The trail is hopeless for attacking but perfectly OK for a leisurely withdrawal. That will allow you to withdraw your naval assets for safer waters and refits.

Once you have lowered your supply needs by withdrawing the bulk of the LCUs I'd supply it mainly by barge and some air transports. No need to give him too many ship targets. Ultimately he can close PM with massed 4E strikes. But he can't stop your LB naval air dominating the approaches from Buna, Lae, Dobadura, Goodenough Isle, Gasmata etc. Nor ambushing his 4Es on occasions by mass LCAPs from these bases.

[mogami]

Hi, The nice thing about holding PM is now your supply lines to Lunga are secure.  If the Allies hold Port Moresby when they get long range fighter escorts Japan will eventually be forced back to Truk and Northern New Guinea.
Northern New Guinea is where he really wants to get to because from there he can leap frog up towards Philippines. (The Allies yearn to own a airfield in normal range of Home Islands and that can close route between Home Islands and SRA (Clark Field and Formosa)
 
Lunga now can protect the approaches where if Port Moresby is active enemy airfield Rabaul and shortlands will be put out of action leaving Lunga isolated and of no value.
 
The problem with defending Port Moresby is of course it is in range of heavy escorted bombers and the water required to transit to bring in supply is on the wrong side of.  (Meaning Buna is the important base for defense)
eventually the Allies will be able to mount an invasion after putting PM out of supply. Japan does not have the strength to defend Port Moresby and ALL THE OTHER POINTS that might be attacked.   You must secure all the bases from Lae up to Hollandia or Allied paratroops will drop in and then engineers and you'll have an enemy airfield in your rear.  (same problem exists in SRA north of Darwin all the way to Mindano. Any base you leave undefended will be captured by paratroops and converted into an airfield. 
 
If you leave bases unguarded those where you do commit large numbers of troops will become self guarding POW camps.
 
The good news is, you just bought yourself at least a year. I doubt the enemy can mount their counter attack before late 1943 now. Depending on how many CV he has now and how soon he gets reinforcements. (And condition and availbilty of long range fighter escorts)  He might try to come too soon and then you can really put him into a bind if he suffers a major defeat. But don't get sucked into trying too hard to fight off the real McCoy.
when you see it coming back up to those prepared bases up north.

[saj42]

ORIGINAL: Mogami


The problem with defending Port Moresby is of course it is in range of heavy escorted bombers and the water required to transit to bring in supply is on the wrong side of.  (Meaning Buna is the important base for defense)

Things are slightly different with AB map as the distance between PM and Cooktown is 11 hexes - those few hexes make all the difference when compared to stock map (data not graphics).

[BlackVoid]

Naysayers proved wrong. [:D]

[mogami]

ORIGINAL: Tallyho!

ORIGINAL: Mogami


The problem with defending Port Moresby is of course it is in range of heavy escorted bombers and the water required to transit to bring in supply is on the wrong side of.  (Meaning Buna is the important base for defense)

Things are slightly different with AB map as the distance between PM and Cooktown is 11 hexes - those few hexes make all the difference when compared to stock map (data not graphics).

Hi, 11 hexes is wrong. The actual distance from Cooktown to Port Moresby is about 435* Miles. (7.25 hexes)
The stock map is also not correct because of distortion (no one no matter how skilled in map making can make a map using 60 miles hexes that covers the entire area WITP does without distorting some distances. As a result some of the aircraft also have range distortion to compenstate. (any one who does a mod and uses actual aircraft ranges will run into the map distortion problem as well)

If you use a flat map you have to "adjust" aircraft ranges, LCU movement rates and ship speeds to compensate (and then deal with yahoo's who can't understand why the map and data are not exactly what they think they should "historically" be)