The First Team: Take Two!

[John 3rd]

Freshly dubbed Operation Shoestring--North, this is the situation in the Aleutians:

[John 3rd]

I will take full blame for the fate of IJN Nagara.  She and a pair of DD were sitting at Madras and I wanted to move them to Mandalore to join our Sweeping Forces.  THOUGHT I ordered the Oscar Sentai at Trivandrum to LR CAP but it didn't happen.  It was highly irritating.  HATE losing any Japanese warship (even old) because of hubris and stupidity.

Will get started on about 325 letters to the famillies of the crew.

[ny59giants]

Crush the Bombay AF, then figure out how many planes are needed to keep it closed. Afterwards, you can devote your efforts to Karachi, but trying to do both simultaneously may result in neither being done.

Use your Oscars to LRCAP your SC TF hitting Bombay as you don't need the range of the Zero to do so. 

[John 3rd]

That is what I said Mister Michael.  We need to get Bombay at 80-90% damage and then think about hitting Karachi before they suspect what is coming.  We can also shift bombers to Port/AF attack to eat up the 200,000+ supply they probably have present.  Lord knows that the AKs we have been sinking weren't bring in or taking out troops.  Had to be supplies for the seige...

Brad, we may need every damned Bomber the IJA has to do anything effective against Bombay.  Between training units, Burma, and China we can probably pull another 300 planes.  Is that worth it?  More planes could be flown out of Mandalore and Pangrim's AF.

[John 3rd]

Once the BS of Operation Shoestring--North is dispensed with let us shift to a scene of real planning and operational movement.

Target: CANTON ISLE

[John 3rd]

ORIGINAL: Rainer79

What are the Allies doing? There should be a division behind lvl. 9 forts at Canton by now...

One QUESTIONS their thinking don't they? At this stage of the war I would have the 2nd Marine Division, CD units, and Sz-9 Forts ready to fight to the death...

[Canoerebel]

I think you're walking into a trap.

[John 3rd]

Could someone please inform Al Gore that Colorado is about to get crushed under another late-winter/early-spring snow storm?  They just came across KOA Radio as saying we COULD be looking at 12-20" of snow on APRIL 17th-18th.  HOLY CRAP.  Where is an Inconvenient Truth when you need it?  

[John 3rd]

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

I think you're walking into a trap.

It is possible. This is why I have the KB moving just north of Canton and not closer to the Line Islands. Should be able to spot trouble before it hit. In theory at least....

[Canoerebel]

I think you're walking into a snowstorm.

[John 3rd]

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

I think you're walking into a snowstorm.

Heavy, wet Colorado snow! YUMMY...

[Q-Ball]

ORIGINAL: ny59giants

I would focus totally on closing down the AF at Bombay and not hit the port until the AF is closed. It is more important to close the AF than hit his AKs.  

I actually agree, but I couldn't resist the temptation. One more turn and we will leave it alone for awhile. Revenge killing on those DDs for shooting up Sendai.

If they don't have any CAP tommorow over Bombay, we are going to move Zeros over Karachi and start shooting that CAP up. The fighters there are of lower quality.

Keeping BOTH airbases closed will be tough; both are large airbases with an obscene amount of Allied engineers there. We can at least drop enough bombs that they won't want to base aircraft there.

PS: To Dan's point, I kind of doubt they are planning a trap. Safe to assume, though, that they are aware that a move on Canton is imminent, they have to have guessed that by now. Better safe than sorry in any case.

[ny59giants]

How many Glen equipped subs do you have between Canton and the Line Islands??

I would have two lines of them and have some overlap.

Send one to scout out Pearl, but move it every day (micro-management time).

[John 3rd]

Our Glens are spread throughout the map right now.  It would be a good idea to move more into the area.  I know there are 2 in the Aleutians and a pair in the Canton area.  I think there are 3-5 operating in the Gulf of Aden.  It is a good thought so I'll look around the map...
 
I tend to agree with Brad that there will not be any major fight for Canton.  The odds are nothing will prevent the landing and we should take it fairly easily.  If that is the case then we shall have to appraise the situation at that point.  Doing a heavy recon of the Line Islands will be the next step.  I would imagine heavy units defend the Line Islands, Canton, and Midway.  I mean there HAVE to be American units SOMEWHERE!

[paullus99]

Are the allies even fighting this game?

[John 3rd]

Honestly don't know how to answer that question Sir.

We'll know in about 3 game days when I reveal the KB near Canton as to what they may or may not be doing. Brad has important news regarding Bombay and this round:

[John 3rd]

Gonna post a few screenshots regarding the overall Empire's situation. Here is the North after the arrival of some Glen--SS:

[John 3rd]

Things begin to take solid shape as all the pieces are now on the board and moving on Canton. We'll see just how far this Sir Robin attitude truly carries within the next week of gameplay.

[John 3rd]

"Crom..."

This is the Empire on June 20, 1942. It is a stunning screenshot...

[Q-Ball]

I kind of like this one better, showing the remaining Allied areas......