Campaign 43-46 Question

[Misconduct]

I just restarted my campaign, first time was sure failure but I learned many mistakes like not over supplying a forward area. The Big question I have is basically where to start?
I have the british starting off working on re-taking rangoon while Americans in the south with Australians working New G Area, especially cutting off Rubaul. My carriers at Pearl I have dispached to work the Rubaul area, since my first campaign I sent them directly to Sipian and it was a total disaster.

Any ideas where I can start off or give me some clues to where I can jump around too?

Would taking Wake be a good idea for jump off to Guam?

[rockmedic109]

Move 4E LBA in to bomb Rabaul and pound it before moving in the carriers.  Otherwise Miss Betty and Nell will put holes in them.  You can get five or six carriers {in one CV task forces} in the same hex with 90% CAP to ambush his torp carriers {you will have to live with the loss of a carrier if any get past the CAP}, but pounding with LBA is a safer approach {though knocking them out of the sky kills pilots and might be worth the loss of a carrier}.
 
Wake is a good base for two AS and four AR as a forward sub base.  Cuts off some 3000 miles of useless steaming that will not get you anything other than operational sys damage. 
 
Invade Maloelap {Raider Bn, RCT, maybe a Tank Bn}.  You can bring B-25/26s in and bomb the nearby islands, including Kwajalein which is your big enemy in the immediate area.  Use the invasion as experience gathering for your invasion of the Marianas. 

[Misconduct]

Excellent idea thank you! I always really hate the first move question, I seen about 40 so far and just wanted someones opinion. So far this is what I got going! I set up Dutch Harbor for my sub base of operation, secondly my first offensive moves are for Maloelap.

As for the slot, I managed to secure Shortland, restocked Port Moresby.

Now weird question is what to do in the east, should I stock australian units at Darwin and make a trip up to Java? or would it cost to many resources?

Secondly, my first british moves would it be good to take Rangoon right off bat? I managed to secure it in 5 turns on my first campaign with loss of only few AK's.

I did have way to many british fighters in the area so I transfered some to chinese area for local air defense, although japanese seem to not be to strong in the area I figured it would keep them occupied long enough for me to have some kind of offense in the area.

[stuman]

When you transferred those fighters to China did you encounter a supply problem ? There doesn't seem to be enough supply in most Chinese cities to do much of anything.

[Misconduct]

Yes I did! however I found use of the C47's and kept some supplies going, not much but it did keep one of the cities from being bombed by having some CAP, sadly its pretty much a waste of fighters to transport them to chinese fields. Honestly best fighter in the ToA was the P40 simply because of its range, I use that for my primary Sweep fighter and Spitfires/hurris for local CAP.

[rockmedic109]

Before taking Rangoon, make sure you have air superiority.  Pound Rangoon till nothing flies then send RN battleships in as well.  Build up supplies in the area for an attack.  This can take a while if not already done.  Using a reinforced brigade to take the base on the tip of Sumatra {Sabang, I think} and base planes there will help keep Japanese ships from supporting Rangoon/Tavoy.

[Odin]

I play the same yet.
 
I took Tarawa first, pulled some fighters and search aircraft there and will expand the island to the max.
 
It should be used as a base for further advance from the Gilberts to Kwajalein.
 
But right now, my next objective is Lae, so i moved my CV´s and other heavy metal to Lunga to support the transport of some additional divisions there.
 
When Lae is secured, and my army is powerful enough to march to Wewak/Hollandia, i will go back to the islands.

[John Lansford]

If you hold Wake, move an AS and an AR to the base and stock it with patrol and LBA planes.  In my 1942 campaign I surprised the AI with an early invasion of Marcus Island using an infantry division and now I use it as well for an advanced submarine base.  Plus, B-24's from there can reach Iwo Jima and pound the shipping in that port.  Having Wake and Marcus outflanks the entire IJN Central Pacific position and makes it a lot easier to pick where to invade in the Marshalls and other island groups.
 
I'm not all that thrilled with a campaign up out of Darwin in my 1942 campaign.  I've taken several bases north of Darwin but the Japanese hold the Borneo bases too strongly, and my New Guinea campaign is more direct towards the Philippines.  I don't want to move towards Java but may consider doing that to link up with the Brits now busily isolating Singapore, but there's a lot of territory between the two advances right now and I don't think I've got the logistics to go there plus the Philippines and Iwo all at the same time.