defense of india

[sven6345789]

anyone has got an idea. It is 2/1942, the japanese have landed in chandpur and captured it. My airforce only had mediocre effects on his naval forces, and most of my burmese forces decided to retreat to china. They will not be available for a defense in India. I will have to UK divisions available (one already is) but because of the idiotic retreat of the ground units, Defense of some areas (like calcutta, units will retreat to diamond harbor) is close to impossible.
any ideas anyone?
japanese forces consist of at least 5-6 Divisions, about 150 fighters, 150 Bombers, no carriers.

[patrickl]

Hi,

Feb 42 and your opponent got 6 IDs in Chanpur (practically half his total assault forces)?[X(] A very tough nut. How many LCUs have you got between Chanpur and Diamond Harbour? What about level bombers and heck anything that can fly in India, Burma, China? No Jap carriers, so you could quickly send bombardment tfs to shell them in Chandpur. Move all available LCUs to diamond head and surrounding bases but leaving some to guard rear areas. Lvel bomb, dive bome them whatever you can. I think you need help from seasoned Allied players.[:(]

[wild_Willie2]

think you need help from seasoned Allied players.

If your opponent is attacking india by 2/1942, it means that the SRA is still not controlled by his forces.
Stall his forces in India as long as possible, build fortifications everywhere and prep units with a HQ force to defend certain key points. The IJA supply must come trough the Malaca strait, up to rangoon and into india. THis is a LONG supply line, harras his transports with your subs, MINE his captured ports with subs, make fast night attacks with 2/3 DD's, fly in every available plane and night attack the living cr*p out of your opponent.

Do not try to attack his transports during the day, as his carriers will most likely give massive aircover to his TF's and your fighters only have a range of 2 (hurricane).... Do your best at night attacking him. How about the AVG?, if its badly damaged pull it back to karachi and rebuild it as soon as possible.

Just STALL, STALL, AND STALL....

With the correct use of fortifications, preppoints, HQ's, naval bombardments (if possible) and land air attacks, you should be able to stall the offensive long enough for reinforcements to arraive and stabelize the front. While your opponent gets bogged down in India, use the time in the SRA to reinforce that area. Fly in the wildcat and SBD squadrons from your carriers to give him a NASTY supprise when he is comming for the SRA afterwards... Also continue MINING everything in sight..

Good luck

[ADavidB]

ORIGINAL: sven6345789

anyone has got an idea. It is 2/1942, the japanese have landed in chandpur and captured it. My airforce only had mediocre effects on his naval forces, and most of my burmese forces decided to retreat to china. They will not be available for a defense in India. I will have to UK divisions available (one already is) but because of the idiotic retreat of the ground units, Defense of some areas (like calcutta, units will retreat to diamond harbor) is close to impossible.
any ideas anyone?
japanese forces consist of at least 5-6 Divisions, about 150 fighters, 150 Bombers, no carriers.

Why did your Burmese forces retreat to China? Do you have them (or any other forces) under computer control? If the answer is yes - stop, do not "pass go", and put everything under your own control. Give your forces in Burma to order to march to India.

Get your troops behind the rivers - the river defense bonus will help you greatly.

Start marching the Chinese troops under SEAC control to Burma.

Pull your Brit air units out of Malaya and into Burma/India.

Pull the AVG back into India, rest them up, and use them to escort your bombers.

Start bombing Chandapur now - set half of your planes to port bombing, the other half to airfield bombing. Escort the bombers with the AVG. (You want to destroy Japanese supplies and keep your opponent from building up the air field.)

Where is the RN? Bring them forward under air cover.

BTW - do you mean to say that your opponent is basing 150 fighters and 150 bombers in Chandapur? If so, he can't fly many of them and he can't keep them flying either. Bomb Chandapur day and night. Bombard it with the RN.

(That is why I am so deliberate in my efforts to move everything possible out of Malaya and into India as fast as possible in a campaign game.)

Good luck -

Dave Baranyi

[Yamato hugger]

This is going to sound a little crazy, but give it some thought.

If he has 6 divisions there he has no reserves for the eastern part of the map. This means there is no land threat to PH at all, and probably none to PM or Noumena as well. Keep 2 divisions at Pearl, send 1 or 2 to PM, maybe 1 to Noumena. Send your carriers to the Indian Ocean. Off-load your air groups and sail away. Send all your air replacements by ship. Protect your carriers in southern Australia while training the air-crews in India. You have so many dauntless replacements you dont know what to do with them. Use them.

Protect Kardachi (spelling) at ALL costs. Do NOT allow him to get behind your front line forces.

Edit: He has to re-supply by ship. Land route even if its open will only trickle through. Interdict his supply runs with mines, subs whatever you can. Kill the supplies, and his offensive halts.

Edit2: Id keep a minimum of 1 division and maybe 2 in Kardachi.

[rogueusmc]

Pull the AVG back into India, rest them up, and use them to escort your bombers.

Leave them in the B models for the longer range.

[Crimguy]

Sounds like your opponent has blown his wad a bit early, and too far west. Keep the pressure on him, and in the long run you'll have that much less to worry about in a counter-attack.

Did he pull these divisions from China? If so, f*** him, and take the continent. If you can secure China, you can set up a defensive line well east of where one normally does, and divert troops west to cut off any land supply.

[Arstavidios]

You may also save political points to send american units from the West coast to Karachi. Engineers and artillery units do not cost much and will be usefu. A couple of American RCT would also be a good idea.

Use whatevever transport aircraft you have to bring in troops from china. Try to bring all your C47 units to India. Those are critical. flying boats are also useful to pick up isolated or bypassed units on the coast. Don't forget to use them. Coronados have a great range and a good capacity, You recieve 10 a month, use them. PBY are also nice.

If you still hold the PI you can use then as a staging area. You can fly some long range aircraft from Australia to the PI then to China and India:B17, PBY, Coronado, C47,Hudson......

You can also extricate troops from the PI to China then India using C47.

[Tom Hunter]

Arstavidios made the first good suggestion. Get as many transport aircraft as possible to China and start flying the SEAC divisions in, fly them BEFORE the Burmese troops, you want to start drawing from the Chinese replacement pool.

Build up the base next to Karachi, start right now. The Japanese will use shore bombardment to close bases on the coast, but not bases one hex inland.

Bomb his ground troops. Not because it wrecks his army, do it because it boosts your expeience levels. Don't fight air battles with him yet, if he CAPs something bomb something else. You will slow his advance and train your pilots at the same time.

Push back on him in other locations. If you give him a pass in the Pacific he will take India and then turn East.

Build up multiple, multually supporting bases. Hyderabad and Bangalore together, not one or the other.

Fly in a bunch of American 4 engine bombers.

Good luck

[CMDRMCTOAST]

ORIGINAL: sven6345789

anyone has got an idea. It is 2/1942, the japanese have landed in chandpur and captured it. My airforce only had mediocre effects on his naval forces, and most of my burmese forces decided to retreat to china. They will not be available for a defense in India. I will have to UK divisions available (one already is) but because of the idiotic retreat of the ground units, Defense of some areas (like calcutta, units will retreat to diamond harbor) is close to impossible.
any ideas anyone?
japanese forces consist of at least 5-6 Divisions, about 150 fighters, 150 Bombers, no carriers.

With 2 or 3 divisions at the river hexes the allies put a hurtin on the japanese crossing over,
only bombard them when they cross over do not shock attack or deliberate attack or
you will lose the position by fatiuging and disrupting your own forces.
In this picture I am in full retreat from Zeta16 from Asansol, Calcutta and Dacca.
I had whole divisions decimated by crossing over the defended river hexes with roughly
a third of allied forces to my massive assault forces.
deny him any hex that will cross over or he will bypass you as you can see with
my japanese forces in the rear areas..
Chandpur needs to be neutralised qiuckly as that will be his forward base of protection
for future amphibious assaults, Bomb it every turn with everything you got.
He will go around you unless you can keep force preservation
to attack his transports while protecting Madras and Diamond harbor.
Supply is his natural enemy at this point so every thing you do needs to deny
him that supply, attack it all the way down to Rangoon.
Put pressure elsewere with the chinese troops like Hanoi, Lashio and Myitkyina..
But give us an update as to what your China and other situations are as there
is a big gap he has created somewhere else that needs to be exploited...

[mc3744]

My two cents.

As for the defense of India you already have lots of suggestions.

My advice is to follow them [;)]. On top of that I would add that you need to open a second important front to distract him and his units.
Counter attack in CENPAC. He can have no DS there and no divisions. Try to take back Tarawa.
What about Rabaul?

He is weeks away fron the Pacific, use this advantage while fighting him in India.

[Feinder]

Sorry, but you're screwed.



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(Just kidding, follow the advice. Basically, do ANYTHING you can to take the pressure off India.)

[Andy Mac]

I would transfer a West Coast heavy fort unit via PP points and several Seabee units and start prepping a backup line at madras - Ahmabad.

Have at least 1 understrenght Indian Divison digging in and prepping for both madras and Ahmabad thse forces are gun heavy but light on Infantry and are better IMO used as garrisons while your independent and full strength bdes fight forward.

Whatever you do do not get retreated or surrounded.

Whatever you do do not get retreated or surrounded.

Whatever you do do not get retreated or surrounded.

If you can stop him in the south do so Dacca is good for this as is Asanol / Calcutts but beware of additional landings at Madras.

All efforts should be made to contain him at Dacca but a landing at Madras can be fatal watch for it or any sort of fight in Central India is impossible if he gets ashore and has you on the run fight to delay only and get as much of your army oto Ahmabad / Madras as you can

Make him pay everywhere else for risking this !!!!

[Hornblower]

who's got the foot up in the indian ocean? naval wise?

[PzB74]

One good advice: send as many heavy bombers (B-17s and B-24s) from the US/Australia - Java - India as possible.
The heavies will shut down his airfields, threaten his shipping and allow your level bombers to interdict his ground forces and
gradually wear them down. As soon as you have air superiority things should improve.

I would also make a lot of fuss in the South Pacific or consider to send the US carriers to India. Together with the RN they
can surprise and overwhelm some Jap carriers or convoys. (Bring a US/Oz div if you do this:)

From my point of view it's the double pronged attack against India that is most efficient. First a landing at Chandpur and then
another one in the Ceylon - Trivandrum - Madras area. The first landing will attract all major Allied land combat units and open the door
for the coupe de grace.

[Yamato hugger]

Dont risk your carriers in early '42. But I do suggest you send in their airplanes. Also dont plan a counter attack in Cent Pac unless you know where all the Jap carriers are.

[CountBrass]

Isn't it akin to cheating to post for help with a PBEM game here? What next: his opponent posts asking for help and the game degenerates into a fight by proxy?

[Yamato hugger]

As for why the Burma army went to China, thats easy to explain. If you defend Mandalay and Lashio is open, they will retreat that way. Personally I rarely defend Mandalay. I just run up the mountain and taunt them like the French in Monty Python.

[FeurerKrieg]

Wow, quite an old post revived.

[Feinder]

I'm kinda curious how it turned out...
 
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