The First Team: Take Two!

[Q-Ball]

Combat Report
March 20,1942

John and I have some major strategic moves we need to make, now that we have accomplished two objectives this month. The major one is getting a large land army ashore in India; the secondary one was taking Pago Pago. We're still rolling, but have some decisions to make.

Vizingapatam

This base fell to an attack on the first try. We have 7 Divisions now unloaded or finishing unloading at Viz, along with 4 tank rgts, 2 Army HQs, 4 SNLF units, 4 Eng Rgts, base forces, construction units, artillery.....pretty much everything we could haul.

There were major PT and air attacks this turn at the base. We sank a dozen PT's in exchange for a couple PGs, and shot down 20 Blenheims and IL-4s for a couple bomb hits. Overall, we have yet to lose a transport on this landing, and though we have lost more Zeros than I would like, we have also really put a hurt on the RAF. I don't see how this landing could have gone better, other than catching more of the RN in port on the Trincomalee raid.

Pago Pago

I didn't look at the shipping losses here; not extreme, but we lost a few. The good news is the base fell today, resulting in 5000 US POWs.

Next Steps: The Fleet

John and I need to exchange ideas, and I agree with one thing: We figure it to heat up in the Pacific. We think the RN has moved ships to Australia, and they are probably itchin' to get back at us to take pressure off India.

John and I need to figure out a division of forces, but Car Div 2 (plus the 2 Zuihos) should be moved to the Pacific. That leaves Ryujo, Junyos, and CVEs; they would be useful in the IO in the short-term to cover supplise to Viz, we may want to organize a landing on Addu Atoll. Once we have the Southern tip of India though, not sure we even need those CV's. In terms of surface ships, in India we need DDs to keep PT's away, and probably a force to CAs to bombard land targets, but most modern DDs and CLs can be moved to the Pacific. Either way, most of the IJN Fleet needs to be moved to the Pacific.

We do need Bettys/Nells in India, as well as Timor/Northern Oz to keep the Allies at bay there, if we have no fleet. More of the IJN air units are in the Pacific as our rapid reaction force. I advocate we take these valuable units off any Land attacks, and have them all on the lookout for enemy ships.

As a side note, we had concentrated a ton of shipping in the IO to move the IJA. We need to send transports back to the Home Islands to move reinforcements, and we are also short of fuel in many places. Most of the oil stockpiles are now loaded up and in or heading to Japan, so I have ordered all TKs in the SRA to move to Japan to get fuel, rather than wait for Oil to stock up. We'll get it later. We need fuel now. There isn't a drop in the SRA south of Soerbaya, and Truk is almost dry. Port Blair soon will be, along with Singapore. This is about to be a big problem.

Next Steps: India

I am looking for advice here, but the obvious is a drive toward the line of the Ganges to take Calcutta, and cut off the troops in Burma from supply sources. This is priority #1. Concurrently, we are going to send a division to Madras to lay siege or chase the units out, as well as some tanks and another division to drive toward Bombay and cut off Southern India. I want to force them to either evacuate everyone toward Karachi, or having them cut off.

They have alot of troops in Burma, mostly Chinese, way more that we could ever dislodge head-on. By cutting them from India, they will slowly starve, or at least be unable to attack.

[John 3rd]

Here is the situation on March 20, 1942:

[John 3rd]

Wow.  I timed the screenshot to arrive the moment after Brad described the action.  Blind luck...

[John 3rd]

New Zealand as of March 20th:

[Nomad]

Something to keep in mind about this:

SoPac
Pago Pago
In an idiot move, I forget to tell the 56th ID to 'not land.' I had intended to transfer a CL and CA to the Invasion Froce PRIOR to landing. This did not happen and the troops stormed ashore in the face of 700 CD shots! Will certainly lose a few MSW and a couple of AK/AP. Thought I had given the order to wait but screwed up. Regardless, the 56th get a 2-1 on the assault and driops Forts from 3 to 1. Will have the atoll tomorrow and get some new POWs.

There seems to be a "feature" that if you move a transport TF with troops aboard, set to not unload, to an enemy held hex and you have no ground units there, the TF will start unloading anyway. Note that it will not continue to unload the next turn unless you tell it to. [&:]

[John 3rd]

Nomad--THANKS--I was unaware of this until a couple of turns ago. So I DID have it set to not unload but it did so anyway due to the AI? That at least makes me feel better.

Last Screenshot---Here are the ships disbanded in PP Port:

[Rainer79]

ORIGINAL: Q-Ball
They have alot of troops in Burma, mostly Chinese, way more that we could ever dislodge head-on. By cutting them from India, they will slowly starve, or at least be unable to attack.

Now that your invasion of India has started, have you noticed if the Allies are trying to airlift units out of Burma into India?

[John 3rd]

I haven't noticed any changes.  We could find out pretty quick by placing LR CAP over Lashio and Mandalay.  Brad--what do you think of that?  Even Oscars would work and we would know inside a day if they are trying that.

[Q-Ball]

Haven't noticed, but that is a terrific idea that we will be implementing. We definitly know they airlifted units from China to Burma; we destroyed a number of transport planes on the ground

[John 3rd]

Ignore the title. Am ruminating on an idea. Is it practical for WitP. Ground combat is so abstract I'm not sure...

[Q-Ball]

That is an interesting idea, and could work....sort of like Cannae, right? Lure in the center and close the trap on both flanks. You'll have some troops soon because Pucheng looks like it will crack in a few days.

I think the most important thing in China is to destroy the Resources and HI. We need to kill off their supply sources there.

I am going to post a screenshot of India with some other comments

[Q-Ball]

Attached is a map with the initial plan for India. Alot depends on what the Allies do: Will they stand and fight for Madras and Northeast India? Or will they do a fighting withdrawl toward Karachi?

I am betting on the latter, so the most important early moves are to the west and North.

[John 3rd]

That---Ladies and Gentlemen--is Brad's first EVER Screenshot!  Well Done Sir!

The thoughts for India sound good to be.  I concur regarding the Cannae-like thought in Central China.

[John 3rd]

Moves for tomorrow in the Indian Ocean.

[Q-Ball]

That's right, John taught me how to do a screenshot. Not only that, I crossed post #1000 and got "promoted" at the same time. How about that?

The Allies POUNDED Viz with all they had this turn; B-17s, Martins, Blenheims, etc. They did a number on the fighters there, but the airbase still went up almost 50% in one day in levels, with so many troops there. We are starting to spread out. They want to stop us from getting a bomber base, and it will work momentarily, but in the end we will get what we need. It appears they intend to defend the south, we will try to cut those forces off.

[Rainer79]

ORIGINAL: Q-Ball

That is an interesting idea, and could work....sort of like Cannae, right? Lure in the center and close the trap on both flanks. You'll have some troops soon because Pucheng looks like it will crack in a few days.

Having taken Pucheng myself a few days ago, I wouldn't count on having the troops there available immediately. All the ways out are trails so you'll need some weeks before they are on a road again. They also will have lots of fatigue accumulated.

[Q-Ball]

March 23 Combat Report

India

This is a quick report that I am sure John will add to from his side of the map, but I wanted to update the action in India, because there is some.

The Allies are throwing everything but the kitchen sink at Vizingapatam; 15 B-17s, 51 Blenheims,7 Wellingtons,21 IL-4s,9 Martins, all from Madras. They destroyed 15 aircraft on the ground, and are roughing up the air units. But there are so many units at Viz that the airbase built up past Size-2 today, so we flew in more Zeros (HR on airplane limits). Hopefully we can fend them off.

On the ground, there are 6 units digging in at Cuttack, and 6 more digging in at the riverline to the south of Viz. The door is wide open to Raipur though, so I am sending 3 divisions and troops that way, toward open country; if we can't force them out of those river lines, we can outflank them.

Someone posted a suggestion before about interdicting transport aircraft; sure enough, we intercepted C-60 Lodestars at Mandalay. Great idea whoever suggested that!

[Canoerebel]

Any idea what's across the river at Cuttack?  Is it a cobbled-together, weak force?  Do you have enough information, and enough "oomph" in your force, to cross?  Or are you relying on the flanking movement?  I understand trepidation about river crossings against a strong force, but at the same time they can buy time by persuading you to flank.  Tough decisions!  But you guys have come ashore in great shape and it's going to be a nervous few months for the Allies.

[Q-Ball]

Dan, good questions. I am sending 2 divisions, an Army HQ, and tanks straight toward Cuttack as well. We have enough to drive multiple prongs. The only half-hearted effort is directly at Madras, but they will eventually have to commit to an evacuation or seige there.

There are Sea Gladiators at Hyderabad. I had commented before when they were at Madras that HMS Hermes had to be at Madras, or her airgroup. Japanese Intelligence is fairly certain that Hermes is not at Hyderabad. If they took those fighters off, what did they do with Hermes? Put more Swordfish on board?

[John 3rd]

ORIGINAL: Rainer79

ORIGINAL: Q-Ball

That is an interesting idea, and could work....sort of like Cannae, right? Lure in the center and close the trap on both flanks. You'll have some troops soon because Pucheng looks like it will crack in a few days.

Having taken Pucheng myself a few days ago, I wouldn't count on having the troops there available immediately. All the ways out are trails so you'll need some weeks before they are on a road again. They also will have lots of fatigue accumulated.

I get so frustrated with the slow rate of movement there! Hopefully the town will fall by the end of the month.