burma logistics

[Scott_USN]

I agree Hilotime, besides some minor differences we are thinking alike. I have held so far is Feb 9th and Singapore fell Jan 22nd. I have held against both infantry and the Japanese armor of course I sunk 40 or 50 AFV's so that helped.

The KB worries me but it can't stay in Bengal forever if it comes and might even get lucky with it, the straight up along Malaya is a play ground for SS Trusty, SS Truant and the X boats, you will get the trusty and truant really soon. Seem to be good boats they have been busy. I think coming out of Australia will consoldate the Japanese defense but coming out of Southeast Asia will split their major defensive forces in half.

[onhilotime]

I thought hard about an offensive out of Australia but the logistics dont seem to be there. My old approach was to hold out in Java or Timor until New Guinea was secure and Darwin was ready.

But again i think SE Asia offers a better logistical picture. With Colombo, Port Blair, and Rangoon secure the Bay is an Allied lake. From there it is overland to Bangkok, Saigon and Singapore.

Northern AUS by contrast is thousands of exposed miles further from your supply lines. And all the approaches to Boreo, Java, and Celebes are wide open to superior Japanese naval power until 1943.

Hilotime

[Scott_USN]

Yep will see how I hold tonight, I would have held more than the 3 days I did at Pegu with only 500AV longer if I had more than 2 forts...

[Scott_USN]

Held easily for right now and the Brewsters, Hurricanes and AVG kept the 6th Aus Div alive to land in Rangoon they really tipped the scale I feel confident now. I currently have almost 1700 AV in Rangoon and it was hard to do with no restarts but I got them there. Feb 21st, and now I have 7th Aus Div in reserve and will be soon resting at Port Blair I may land them in Burma in the next couple of weeks for counter offensive while I let Japan blunt its teeth on Rangoon. Of course they could over run me tomorrow but will see they are still hard fighting and trying to flank Rangoon north but I think the Chinese forces there will hold unless Japan throws more divisions at Tungoo I moved the most of the Chinese 11th Army to Toungoo to hold the northern advance of the IJA divsions moving north towards Mandalay. Those engineers from Malay really have been perfect choice to move out. I am being beat up by partisans north of Tungoo since I stripped it of almost every soldier except for Mandalay. I am currently moving Indian engineers to Akyab to build up airbase for my short legged bombers to support the northern forces around Toungoo etc. They are building more forces in Pegu not sure if they will go north or if they will move on Rangoon.


The Commonwealth is no longer throw away troops in Rangoon, even the weaker Indian Bde are now 50+ exp or close to it. Japan is no longer up against Malitia and ever day Commonwealth grows a bit better and the troops, hq, eng, aircraft are just flowing in nicely now. I have 4 BB's if I wanted to use them in Bengal.

Of course all my other fronts are unstable to stable, CenPac is fine, SouPac is still hurting and the betties out of Canton (which I need to neautralize soon) have cost me almost a dozen straggling ships and no less than 50 P-39's to full sqds got sent to the bottom brand new planes!

There have been some terrible fights around Lunganvillie for the Japanese anyway, building up at Port Morseby slowly finally got some good SWPac engineers and troops in there but still hurting. I changed teh Marine Airwing to SWPac and will move it to PM it will help and once in place I can dump aircraft into PM. Java etc is a lost cause any movement there is instant death only a few weeks before the Dutch fall completely, Batavia is about on its last leg and the Dutch bombers have failed totally to blunt the surface ships. They are useless at the moment.

[onhilotime]

Looks like Stalingrad on the Irawaddy...I'm hoping to have it out at Pegu instead but same concept.

The only problem with Akyab for your British light and medium bombers is that it is in Burma not India, meaning you'll pay points to move your restricted Indian aircraft. A truly dastardly move might be an amphibious langing of the 7th Aus Division at Moulmein or Pegu which would cut Japanese supply lines. Combine that with a bombardment run by your BBs. Of course that is very high risk...and with 80K supply at Rangoon, you might want to reinforce there.

My concern is the classic Japanese flanking maneuver to the north. It's unclear to me how much the AI is willing to go off road and maneuver around the natural chokepoints.

[EUBanana]

ORIGINAL: Scott_USN

How is supplying Rangoon and Port Blair working out?

That map just looks kinda nasty to me - you got a long line of Japanese coastal or near air bases with two Allied ports at pointblank range - and Port Blair at least is fiddly to supply as your ships have to approach it from the east IIRC.

Are the shipping losses manageable? and what sort of airpower is the AI using on you? I'd have that place swarming with Netties if I was the Japs... Air HQ at Victoria Point or whatever it is S of Tavoy and its 'Torpedoes for Everybody!'. Even Bangkok might do it, that looks like 3 hexes to me.

(Air HQs limiting torpedoes and 3 hexes being too small to matter, my <censored>)

[Scott_USN]

Supply is manageable right now the air battle is vicious most days I am running 50% strength with the AVG but it has been in battle longest and not sure where those strange named P-40s come from. The Brits are doing far better lots of brewsters and Hurricanes.

What I have been doing is Longrange capping the TF's as the move to Rangoon I have been able to keep supply up fairly high for now, I use the AKL ships mostly with a xAK thrown in once in a while the port at Rangoon turns them around quickly. But the Japanese air is still down south at Java for the most part when those air groups are released....

They have Sally Betty and Lilly arlready and oscars and some zeros.

[EUBanana]

ORIGINAL: Scott_USN
Supply is manageable right now the air battle is vicious most days I am running 50% strength with the AVG but it has been in battle longest and not sure where those strange named P-40s come from.

They are the export variant P-40s sent to China. IIRC they have a replacement rate of 0... a lot of early Allied aircraft have replacement rates of 0. Sucks. I think thats why in the first six months its to the Allies benefit to have a slow tempo of air combat.

I remember in WITP pbems bumping along on 0 P40E replacements for months on end.

Bit different in AE now combat is less bloody, you don't lose a month of P40s in a day anymore...

But the Japanese air is still down south at Java for the most part when those air groups are released....

...yeah. I'd be curious to see how Burma does when Tojo's eye is focused more upon it.

[Scott_USN]

Well Java will not last long and the Dutch will not survive much longer nothing I can do there but delay here and there for a day they just roll through and at least 100+ betties striking from Kendari, Balikinpapkon and north Borneo and somewere in Southeast asia not sure how many Groups but more than a 100 attack a day and 30 or 40 at night.... Going to shut down Bengal when they are turned lose. Not to mention the huge IJA Air forces in PI! But Bataan is going to hold a while longer maybe not historical long but I dont know.

Yes the AVG needs P40E's Oh well.

[Scott_USN]

If only the Japanese didn't leave a rear guard at Pegu I would send the 11th Chinese to cut them off and break them at Rangoon.... Be in Singapore by Chirstmas day... But as it stands I don't think my 11th Chinese army can break Pegu with 20,630 japanese there while rolling the 6th RTA back to Pegu.

Is a nice thought though and come 1943 I have no doubt. I wonder how hard it would be for the 7th Australian Division to go over land from Akyab. With 7th to lead the advance on Pegu I would roll right up to the sea cut off the Japanese Burma forces break them and move on. But wishful thinking right now.

However Rangoon is going to hold, they tried a deliberate attack and got beat soundly losing over 3000 troops to my 600 or so.

[Scott_USN]

The Stars of Burma

[oldman45]

I am preparing for the worst, I don't think that I can hold out much longer in Rangoon. The thing that bothers me is how to get back in to Burma. I don't see a road net running into India along that border unless you want to walk 80 miles through the jungle to the road. Am I missing something?

[Scott_USN]

The jungle crossing from Ledo Komia, Imphal, or Amphib landing at the neck maybe south of Ranoon either way will take some time. Is damn hard road is why it took so long to do it I suppose.