Full Campaign - Miscellaneous Observations and Questions.

[pjavete]

I've rolled along until about mid October 1942 now.
It seems like I've used alot of Points to shift units HQ attachments in the India area
(massive fighting going on at AKYAB now)
The main thing I'm wondering is:
What's a good way to organize your LCUs?
- Stick with how they enter the game? - Thus freeing points to use in activating West Coast Divisions...
- Changing HQs on large LCUs is expensive and may not be needed.

Also, it seems like the brits get low on replacement planes very quickly. Is the solution to get a few American Fighter groups over there so that an effective base defense can be mounted in southern India?

Thanks,
Paul

[topeverest]

Welcome to the forum.

You have astutely dechiphered some of the great tradeoffs in the game. I think you will find dozens of ideas on the 'right' solution. My solution is to not spend any points on india. I will succeed or fail with the current troops and HQ's. I funnel units into Pacific Fleet, SW Pacific, and South Pacific and concentrate those as attacking formations. USA land divisions and Australian Divisions are most interesting to me. I typcially go one for one, interspercing several frozen air formations inbetween each division.

If you are running so short on british air replacements, the Japs must really be coming for India. Here are a couple of thoughts. Pay close attention to the determinates in losses - squadren commander, fatigue, experience of pilots, skill at specific mission type, altitude, coordination, avaition support, supply. Are you losing disproportionately or is it just heavy combat. In the fall of 42, you should be getting quite a few new plane types that should be giving you many more replacements and attriting jap air forces / fighting more effectively.

You do know that you can recombine squadrens of the same type and withdrawal one for 60 days?

[pjavete]

Thanks for the reply.

Yes, It's just heavy fighting at akyab... I get hit with about 4 sweeps, 4-5 ground attacks and they'll still hit miscellaneous fleet targets.

when a withdrawn air group comes back, does it do so with full strength, or at the strength it was withdrawn?

Good idea on the Australians, but AP support in that region is sparse.
The japs have taken Port Morseby, but Australia has most of the troops that were in DEI and Singapore, the only problem I'm having there is getting a supply line to Darwin.

[topeverest]

Allied air units do come back, but there is some variability in type. Sometimes they are downgraded or changed, but the Allies will come back at full strength under most conditions. Think of it as rotating the squadren out of the combat zone. Units scheduled for withdrawal or disband are not eligibe. A good tactic for planes with few replacements is to upgrade a plane to the next type using only one tor two planes and then withdrawal for 60 days.

Regarding Akyab and surrounding area, I would counter sweep and escort bomb in the one or two major locations. Here is where you can break the Japs. It definately is a fight of your choosing. You could or already have a number of heavy bomber units. Try some low level night raids on their launch bases.

I am inferring from your post that you have not launched an amphibious operation of your own. Go for it if you havent already. You learn by doing, just remember to bring more of everything than you think you need and target a base with very limited enemy land based air support

[Rob Brennan UK]

Allied air units do come back, but there is some variability in type. Sometimes they are downgraded or changed, but the Allies will come back at full strength under most conditions. Think of it as rotating the squadren out of the combat zone. Units scheduled for withdrawal or disband are not eligibe. A good tactic for planes with few replacements is to upgrade a plane to the next type using only one tor two planes and then withdrawal for 60 days.

NAH , i disagree , fill it woth rookies and ues it to train on map for a few months. FAR more useful than disbanding it and few planes with lots of pilots does not seem to slow training too much and you can happily set it at 100% and forget about it as fatigue is never an issue as the computer will rotate less fatigued pilots in.

Works for me anyway. I hate moving anything off map if it can be put to use on map.

[xj900uk]

Agreed,  you can't have too many well-trained & experienced pilots sitting in Reserve waiting to go into front-line units & get to grips with the enemy...

[pjavete]

Thanks for all the replies.
I'm in December 1942 at this point and japanese airpower in the burma area has been weakened.
So far so good with buildup for an offensive sometime next month.
- I must comment that the British/Indian LCUs were so much in need of training that pulling them out of Rangoon in 41 made the most sense.
At this point they're trained, if somewhat under equipped...

I'm using perth to resupply north australia, but going anywhere past broome is costly.
- I may just send some jeep carriers over to provide escort.

Oil and resources for Hawaii/Pearl harbor?
- I notice that Pearl has the capability to manufacture, but has no oil and very little resources. I'm toying with the idea of sending some over from Los Angeles. My question is whether or not LA resupplies these pools quickly enough... I DO NOT want to mess with ongoing production in LA....

other than that, learning how all the pieces (big and small) fit together is a challenge.
Playing the whole war is going to take quite a while... should be fun

Paul

[topeverest]

West coast ports have all the fuel you will ever need for all points from Australia to Philppines to USA. All you have to do is marshall your supply ships appropriately. Cape Town can supply both India and Australia, and Abadan supplies India and Celyon. China is supplied by air from Ledo (usually).

I would not turn off any refineries, but if you have a shortage, redistribute your supply assets. As a rule of thumb, within the first 60 days, you easily can have a million points of fuel in India. Australia can acquire 700K, and your chosen major American hubs can have several hundred thousand (on top of dumping at least 1M in PH.)

[pjavete]

I'm planning an Allied invasion - not sure where yet...
Here's what Ihave so far: (Feb 1943)

Battleships for pre-invasion shelling
A fleet of APs and LSTs (no APAs yet)
- my main force consists of the first and second marine divisions plus a couple of regiments from the 3rd and 4th marine divisions, 2 raider battalions (hopefully close enough to be dropped by plane),
- reinforcement force: 25th and 37th infantry divisions, 1st and 3rd marine tank Battalions,
- A large supply fleet, AEs and AKs, plus a few AGs.
- a lead 2xCV task force, with 2 following 2xCV task forces trailing at Zero.
- several CVEs scattered throughout the supply fleets
- a large AO fleet for refueling - with CVEs attached.

I'm inclined to put a commander good at Land Combat in charge of the fleet that will assault. (any thoughts on whether this will do any good?)


as far as targets, I'm inclined to go for a big target, take it quickly with overwhelming force and reinforce by air to stabilize the area. - Maybe Saipan or Truk ;0))

[topeverest]

Remember your strength is always relative to the enemy strength and willingness to fight. That is not a particularly large fleet suitable to meet a determined enemy, but it is enough to go after a single island chain, starting with a single target. Keep that in mind if you havent managed a large invasion yet, I would reccomend taking something on the periphery of the empire not likely to evoke the ultimate battle.

Ask yourself these questions...If the Japs throw their entire available carrier and BB fleet at you, can you survive? How much land based air support can Japan muster quickly / how many interlocking air bases can they use to attrite your fleet? If it is more planes than you can bring on your carriers, you have to think very carefully how to execute, as it is very dangerous. How aggressive has the Japanese player been in attempting to counter your thrusts? How much land based air support can you concnetrate? What kind of recon and search intel do you have?

As far as the tactics of amphibious landings relating to commanders. I reccomend your AP convoy should have a good admin skill and naval skill too. Set a seperate cargo and fuel convoy trailing. bring much more supply & fuel than you think you need. Remember to pick suitable CV and BB task force commanders too.

Anyway, you learn by doing. Have fun with it.

[findmeifyoucan]

Yeper, to each his/her own. Learn by doing and I will keep my own stategies for amphib landing to myself just in case my enemy is also reading this. ))