Liquidating the gaijin

[Chickenboy]

Thanks, Q-ball. Your AARs make for excellent reading. I hope I can measure up to your very informative and brief writing style.

The two pockets you've identified are where my main thrusts will be. In particular, the Loyang-Nanyang-Chengchow triangle. I hope to be able to surround the Chinese in these hexes by manuever warfare and kill them, rather than allow them escape.

[Chickenboy]

First day planning for Formosa:

1. Additional pain for Hong Kong: Short-legged bombers here (there's a group of 27 Lillys) are perfectly suited for port bombing of Hong Kong, but can't reach longer-ranged targets on Luzon.

2. Additional pain for Manila / Clark: The KB is set for a first turn Manila strike. I've set the balance of the Formosa-based LBA (several Betty & Nell groups and a Sally group at extended range) to mostly hit the airfields at Clark and continue the punishment of the Manila port.

I want those subs dead. If I can also damage some aircraft at Clark, that's fine, but I'll have another shot at them later too. I've only got one surprise attack at Manila, so I'd better make the best of it.

3. Consolidate shipping at Pescadores and Takao: I've given orders for unnecessary transport ships at other harbors locally to make for either Pescadores or Takao. For the first turn, they should be able to make port at these respective harbors without escort.

4. Troop landing orders: I've given orders for the usual preplanned landings at Aparri and Vigan on the first turn. These will be escorted with the given SCTF escorts. The main effort will be to capture the size 3 a/f at San Fernando, so I can rebase some LBA there to work over remaining pockets later in the Luzon siege.

5. PARATROOPERS!: I've moved out the short-legged Ki-59s from Kagi and replaced them with a group of Ki-56s with longer range. The Ki-56s will drop the 1st SNLF paratroops on Bataan Island (NUMBER 2)

Long-range L3Y2 Tinas will ferry the entirety of the 3rd SNLF to Bayombang, the dot hex on Luzon (NUMBER 1). The purpose of this group is to capture this dot hex and disrupt the retreat and supply path of troops in N. Luzon. They will be sticking out pretty far into my opponent's lines, so after capturing Bayombang, they'll start moving out North to link up with forces pouring in from Vigan and Aparri.

My guess is that Steve will send a few armored units scurrying North to destroy these lightly armed paratroops. Good-this gives me an opportunity to damage or destroy them away from the MLR.

6. Intercepting Hong Kong shipping: I'm anticipating a shower of penny packet shipping out of Hong Kong on Steve's first turn. I'm moving two SCTFs about 4 hexes south of Hong Kong with reaction set to 4. They ought to find some of the ships fleeing the area and destroy them. In case those three HK-based DDs sortie together and try to intercept Takao shipping, I've set a light TB and E force to patrol Takao. I may add a CL or DD to buttress their efforts.

Tomorrow: Samah and Vietnam.

[Chickenboy]

Vietnam and Samah:

Hainan (Samah): TFs will move from here as planned for the Malaysian peninsula invasion. I thought about rerouting some of these, but stand to benefit from the first move bonus and the troop preparations already conducted. Not very imaginative, but that's the only thing that makes sense to me for the first turn.

Vietnam: The regiment at Lang Son will await arrival of the regiment from Hanoi. When it arrives, they'll breach the Chinese border. A small LCU from CRB will come North to garrison Hanoi. The new garrison requirements from Patch III new starts rear their head...

Claudes from Saigon are transferred to CRB, where they will undergo immediate upgrade. I don't know why this wasn't done before the war-I'll look up the decision makers and give them a flogging. Speaking of which-there are so many immediately obsolescent aircraft (Ann bombers, Nate fighters, etc.) in theater that I just don't want to risk losing decent pilots in such flying garbage. Where possible, I've stripped some of these units and filled them with replacements set for training at 90%. No time like the present to start what should have been done long ago...

Superfluous shipping from Saigon is being organized into a supply TF. This will feed the malaysian campaign as needed-it seems like supply is found wanting after just a few weeks of fighting. This will slake their appetite-at least help.

SS forces in the sea off of Malaysia (image) have been vectored into more likely productive patrol zones between Singapore and Java. Two will begin the transit to patrol between Java and Balikpapan. I expect some shipping to be moving through here in a hurry-escaping the KB action. It would be nice to have some SS to block their path.

IJNAF at Saigon: Not sure what to expect out of Steve re: the Brits at Singapore. The Nells and Betties at Saigon will be kept prepared for torpedo attack of anything foolish enough to venture into their range. I've ordered one of the Nell units to naval search the region to the immediate East of Singapore heavily. This unit (and the others) are also set to naval (torpedo) attack.

IJAAF in Cambodia / Vietnam: Airfield attacks across the Malaysian peninsula, mostly focusing on Georgetown and Kota Bahru. Alor Star will also be secondarily targetted.

Tomorrow: Cambodia, Thailand and Malaysia.

[Chickenboy]

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For those of you following this AAR, I must confess I've had a radical change in plan. I beg your indulgence as I explain. First off, pardon the SLR. It's an attempt at disinformation.

I've decided on an early Java strike. I've decided that this is where I can bring the most effective force to bear in a short as time as possible.

My primary goals in this game are killing LCUs and Allied shipping. One of the problems with the Manila / Singapore primacy in war planning is the ability to let certain prized LCUs from Singapore slip out of the net. Typically, these units make their way to Java where they are then exfiltrated to Ceylon, Darwin or Perth. They rebuild there and make their contributions to the war effort in several months to a year, once refilled with replacements and retrained to a minimal experience befitting combat actions.

Since artillery has been largely 'nerfed' post Patch III, siege warfare in the game has changed significantly. In one of my PBEMs (vs. USSHenrico), I managed to use artillery very effectively around Bataan and Singapore. This helped reduce the amount of time necessary for reducing these bastions and caused significant allied casualties. Now, artillery is essentially useless or of marginal use. Defenses must be reduced by assault, perhaps combined with judicious LBA ground attack or, when possible, naval bombardment.

In a second PBEM of mine, which has been much slower in pace (vs. Crimguy), the reduction of the Manila / Bataan / Clark Field has taken place after Patch III. It's interminable. Artillery isn't helping to break the siege and I'm having to now rotate out my LCUs from the front lines to reduce fatigue and disruption. It's taking for freaking ever.

Why get bogged down with the majority of my forces? Why not land 'holding forces' on Luzon and the Malay peninsula and push him back to his defensive lines? He can rot there and use up his supplies at his leisure. With KB's strike on Manila, he shouldn't have much shipping around anyways to go anywhere or resupply anything in theatre. This will free up sizeable portions of my remaining LCUs for an early landing on Java.

New plans:
1. Melee in Malay:

Land units:

I'm going to allow a few small coastal landings as part of a normal looking turn one. Steve should see groups of transports unloading on the Eastern shore of Thailand's portion of the Malay Peninsula. These will be small units mostly 'making noise' in the area.

The RTA Divisions will move South to Singora. They will be thrown into the initial breaches in the line west and South of Singora. They only have ~130AV each due to their heavy disruption, but they should help against the rabble that is the Northern Malaysian army.

"Real" combat units will rail over from Cambodia, including the Imperial Guard and base forces. These will join the miscellany of small offensive units and the RTA Divisions to breach the lines. For myself, the Imperial Guards division is a necessary tool to use here. Most experienced players will recognize it as a constant presence in the Singapore attack. I hope Steve does too and reckons that this is a typical attack.

I trust that he will fall back in an orderly manner to the typical defensive areas. I intend to let him fall back on Singapore. I'll pressure him and, where possible, kill LCUs as best I am able to effect the ruse. But the whole thrust here is to allow him retreat from most of the Malaysian Peninsula. I'm particularly interested in Georgetown now-it has a good airfield and will be necessary for me to base units capable of surface naval interdiction (e.g., Netties).

Once he's fallen back sufficiently, I will adopt a defensive posture at my leisure and in a place of my choosing. Slow decay and (hopefully!) canabalism will ensue for his forces. Yay canabalism!

Air forces:

IJAAF and IJNAF units from Cambodia and Vietnam will strike airfields across the Malay Peninsula on turn one. The majority of my Nells and Betties at Saigon will be set to naval strike. I'm not sure what Steve's response will be with Force Z or other surface forces in the region. If he elects to sortie North, I'd like to be able to punish him as best able.

Naval forces:

The two heavy SCTFs around Singora will sail to Kota Bahru. There, they will merge, in case Steve elects to come North with his Force Z. This should give me a defensive force of 2 BB, 6-8 CAs, a few CLs and several DDs.

The real landings:

The Japanese host will build about 4 hexes south of Cam Ranh Bay. All IJN naval forces used for the landings on Java will be meeting here. Why here?

1. It's away from Miri, Northern Borneo and the Eastern coast of Malaysia-typical places for an Allied sortie for Force Z or other surface units.
2. It's away from CRB-this base attracts Allied submarines.
3. It's under Netty cover from Saigon. After turn 1, I'll turn some of those a/c over to a combination of naval search and ASW to keep the submariner's heads down.
4. It's on the return route for KB from Manila. Easy to meet up after Manila strikes.
5. Since every Allied player knows not to go near Saigon unless he wants his ships to get Nettied, most Allied players sortie their Phillipine and Hong Kong survivors South through the DEI or even East towards open sea. I think the odds of blundering into an unintentional allied TF here are low.
6. It's far enough away from snooping aircraft based in the Phillipines and Singapore.

I'm not changing my preparation for the units on board the ships until it's clear that I'm taking Java early. Since I'm not going where I've prepped for anyways, the minimal benefit of preparation for my LCUs is more than weighed by the possibility of allied sigint sniffing out my destination. Curse Allied SigInt! (waves fist).

The meat and potatoes of the Allied Java force are the 21st and 33 IJA Divisions, loading in Shanghai and Nagasaki currently. These two divisions will meet the rest of the forces deployed south of CRB. They are 'preparing' for Singapore. Hopefully, Steve will pick up this early SigInt. These forces, together with other smaller LCUs and base forces, should be sufficient to force the issue on Java.

Initial landing plans are for Kalidjati on Java. I'll force everything through there and then spread out across Java. Batavia will be the first large objective on the list.

D-day is set for between December 14-18, 1941.

Summary:

This is going to be extremely bloody, extremely early. I hope that an early fall of Java will completely rupture his lines and make it very difficult for him to extricate forces from Malasia, Singapore, the Phillipines and much of the rest of DEI.

I'm hoping that 'backfilling' Singapore, Clark Field, Bataan and Manila are practical and don't cost me early initiative. This is a risky move on my part, but you only live once, eh?

BANZAI!

Tomorrow: The Home Islands and the Pacific.

[koontz]

ORIGINAL: Chickenboy


Tidbit for JFBs: Three of your KB CV Captains are actually pretty poor in 'naval' skill. I think they're around 35 or so. Since the ability to steer one's ship is pretty important for individual CV captains, they're worth changing out ASAP.

Ah great advice are working on turn 1 atm.

[Smeulders]

On Singapore, aren't you afraid to leave such a large base behind your lines ? Even if it is doomed eventually, it has a rather large stockpile of supplies that can be used for some time to support any allied plane that can reach the base. I wouldn't be surprised to see an occasional B-17 raid originating there as long as Singapore stands.

[Chickenboy]

ORIGINAL: koontz

ORIGINAL: Chickenboy


Tidbit for JFBs: Three of your KB CV Captains are actually pretty poor in 'naval' skill. I think they're around 35 or so. Since the ability to steer one's ship is pretty important for individual CV captains, they're worth changing out ASAP.

Ah great advice are working on turn 1 atm.

I must confess that it was Q-ball that pointed out this issue to me initially. I just thought that it may be best to change the captains out BEFORE the onset of hostilities.

[Chickenboy]

ORIGINAL: Smeulders

On Singapore, aren't you afraid to leave such a large base behind your lines ? Even if it is doomed eventually, it has a rather large stockpile of supplies that can be used for some time to support any allied plane that can reach the base. I wouldn't be surprised to see an occasional B-17 raid originating there as long as Singapore stands.

Good point. I think if I take Georgetown and maybe another base with level 2+ airfield on the Malay peninsula, I can have base LBA to suppress the airfield and provide fighter coverage too. At least that's my working hypothesis moving forward.

[Chickenboy]

Finishing up...the big task...

Japanese Home Islands (minus Hokkaido, Sakhalin)-general

Mostly, this involves setting a plethora of multiple TFs to start getting goodies from China, Port Arthur, Hokkaido and Sakhalin. I won't bore the readers with this detail. The main thrust here is to start the shipment of the necessary avalanche of resources needed for Home Island expansion of manufacturing.

LCUs

All LCUs with non-restricted HQs will make best possible speed towards either Tokyo or Nagasaki. The 33rd Division (Nagasaki) is prepping for Soerbaja and commences loading on turn one. It's counterpart (21st Division) is loading at Shanghai with preparatory orders for Batavia. The IJA 4th Division is also loading at Osaka with prepatory orders for Soerbaja.

Aircraft
Production settings are below. I'll have to increase supply to the Gifu and Maebashi to accomodate the large numbers of damaged factories in both these cities. I've tried to guesstimate the 'pull' settings to ensure that supplies stay North (just) of 10,000 in both cases. Airframe production for the A6M2 and Ki-46c (Oscar) are both heavily represented at these bases-I'll need to get supplies there in abundance to increase their production. The image below demonstrates the current turn one limitations therein.

Before I get killed on the boards for saying this, I know that I *shouldn't* need to increase requested supply with the arrows, but I've found that there is considerable delay invoked for factory repair if one does *not* do this. I'm not a big fan of 'pulling' supply in, say, China-that tends to bork other bases supply, but have found that this technique is sometimes necessary to keep supplies in a base while the factories repair.

I've started training pilots and 'harvesting' good candidates for front line duty from the home islands already. These will be helpful in replacing initial losses from the early months of the war.

Sending it over

I'm getting this first turn out to AW1Steve ASAP. Why the rush? He's in the middle of a move right now, en route to his new home in Nebraska. It's cruel and heartless, but I hope to get him started in this game while he's got a lot of other thoughts on his mind-new surrounds, unpacking boxes, the like.

It would be beneficial for me to keep him thinking that the opening moves of this game are 'status quo'. By being ensured that he's very very busy with real life, I hope to catch him in a moment of personal weakness. These don't come often-he's a cagey devil-but why not leverage the benefits that real life provides while I can, neh?

[BrucePowers]

Sneaky! I like it[:D]

[FatR]

In my experience, using the supply draw arrows is the only way to keep necessary bases stocked with enough supply to repair factories under the current patch. I'm using supply draw conservatively, usually increasing it to 3-5k, until the supply level at a base stabilizes at slightly above 10k. This way multiple bases, that normally don't get enough supply, definitely can be kept with just enough to repair factories.

[TheLoneGunman_MatrixForum]

Since you say noobs are welcome I figure I may as well make my first official post here and cease being a lurker on the forums.

Have you given any thoughts to stripping out the BBs and some of the Cruisers that are assigned to the KB and using them to further augment your SCTFs or to even create an additional one?

It's my opinion that this early on, it's unlikely that the KB will encounter any concerted effort that requires the additional AA firepower (assuming you're not overly aggressive), and that those larger warships can actually do far more damage not being forced to escort your carriers around while you still have both carrier and battleship superiority.

[Chickenboy]

ORIGINAL: TheLoneGunman

Since you say noobs are welcome I figure I may as well make my first official post here and cease being a lurker on the forums.

Have you given any thoughts to stripping out the BBs and some of the Cruisers that are assigned to the KB and using them to further augment your SCTFs or to even create an additional one?

It's my opinion that this early on, it's unlikely that the KB will encounter any concerted effort that requires the additional AA firepower (assuming you're not overly aggressive), and that those larger warships can actually do far more damage not being forced to escort your carriers around while you still have both carrier and battleship superiority.

Noobs absolutely welcome, thanks TLG!

Good question. I like to have some BB support in with KB for two reasons:

1. BBs can do a good job of being bomb sponges. I'd rather they be preferentially targetted by bombers than my flattops-they can shrug off all but the biggest bombs with minor damage.

2. I'll be operating my KB in restricted waters early in the war with my "Java first" gambit. This approach comes perilously close to your 'overly aggressive' description, I'm afraid.

I'm not sure how this is going to work, but I'd be lucky to not face the PoW, Repulse, CA Houston and CL Boise in a stout SCTF or two. Mid-ocean intercepts are a real danger until he evacuates his SCTFs from the DEI. I'd rather have some heavy support along for the ride "just in case" he intercepts my carriers with a surface combat group.

[TheLoneGunman_MatrixForum]

ORIGINAL: Chickenboy

Noobs absolutely welcome, thanks TLG!

Good question. I like to have some BB support in with KB for two reasons:

1. BBs can do a good job of being bomb sponges. I'd rather they be preferentially targetted by bombers than my flattops-they can shrug off all but the biggest bombs with minor damage.

2. I'll be operating my KB in restricted waters early in the war with my "Java first" gambit. This approach comes perilously close to your 'overly aggressive' description, I'm afraid.

I'm not sure how this is going to work, but I'd be lucky to not face the PoW, Repulse, CA Houston and CL Boise in a stout SCTF or two. Mid-ocean intercepts are a real danger until he evacuates his SCTFs from the DEI. I'd rather have some heavy support along for the ride "just in case" he intercepts my carriers with a surface combat group.

Makes sense in that case.

I've just always had the personal belief that the Japanese were far too cautious with their surface warship assets historically, and were far too aggressive in the use of their carriers.

Luckily, the IJN appears to be in competent hands this time around.

[Chickenboy]

I sent the turn to Steve this morning with the following note...

Hello, Yankee gaijin.

Your presence is requested for peace talks. Our embassadors will be arriving at your Secretary of State's office forthwith. Enclosed please find a 'computer' file of our demands. Merely open the file and all will be clear regarding where we stand on peace talks.

The note went on with a reiteration of our house rules.

The balloon just went up.

[herwin]

The use of gaijin has become offensive. (My greatgrandfather and my eldest son have been resident in Japan.)

[Chickenboy]

Hi Herwin,

Sorry you feel that way.

Please see the first post on this thread. Interpretations vary of the offensiveness of the term and I have linked to some of the discussions. I think its usage is pointed, but not necessarily offensive.

[paulk205]

ORIGINAL: Chickenboy

Japanese Home Islands (minus Hokkaido, Sakhalin)-general

Mostly, this involves setting a plethora of multiple TFs to start getting goodies from China, Port Arthur, Hokkaido and Sakhalin. I won't bore the readers with this detail. The main thrust here is to start the shipment of the necessary avalanche of resources needed for Home Island expansion of manufacturing.

As a semi-complete newbie and long-time lurker, who's got the hang of the Allies vs AI so far and would like to proceed to playing Japan vs AI before getting my butt kicked in PBEM as either side, this "boring" convoy information is exactly what I'm after. Between Mike Solli's and Fletcher's AARs I've got some insight already, but anything more would be more than welcome. I'm not after every little rowboat's movement orders of course, but rather optimal convoy routes/loads, optimal number of ships/convoy, number/type of escorts per convoy, this kind of thing. The game is unforgiving enough for the Allies when it comes to first turn blunders that come back to haunt you months hence, I shudder to think of my hamfisted attempts at fiddling with the Japanese economy without insight from the veterans here.

[Chickenboy]

ORIGINAL: paulk205

ORIGINAL: Chickenboy

Japanese Home Islands (minus Hokkaido, Sakhalin)-general

Mostly, this involves setting a plethora of multiple TFs to start getting goodies from China, Port Arthur, Hokkaido and Sakhalin. I won't bore the readers with this detail. The main thrust here is to start the shipment of the necessary avalanche of resources needed for Home Island expansion of manufacturing.

As a semi-complete newbie and long-time lurker, who's got the hang of the Allies vs AI so far and would like to proceed to playing Japan vs AI before getting my butt kicked in PBEM as either side, this "boring" convoy information is exactly what I'm after. Between Mike Solli's and Fletcher's AARs I've got some insight already, but anything more would be more than welcome. I'm not after every little rowboat's movement orders of course, but rather optimal convoy routes/loads, optimal number of ships/convoy, number/type of escorts per convoy, this kind of thing. The game is unforgiving enough for the Allies when it comes to first turn blunders that come back to haunt you months hence, I shudder to think of my hamfisted attempts at fiddling with the Japanese economy without insight from the veterans here.

OK. I'll try to explain a little of my focus here.

Mike is the king of IJ production, so I would defer to him for most of these specifics. In general, I can't be bothered to calculate precise numbers of ships / port / convoy, I try to stick with rough approximations.

1. You have a ton of small xAKLs-some that have only 170 ton capacity, IIRC. These are worthless as xAKLs in the classic sense. Identify these ships and put them in their own convoys with a destination of any port with a small repair shipyard. Once there, disband them and immediately convert them to PB classes. This takes a while (between 15-20 days), but better get started now. These PBs will be invaluable to you for escorting local TFs carrying resources from Hokkaido, Port Arthur and Shanghai.

2. The most important focus for your resource convoys should be A. Port Arthur, B. Hokkaido, C. Sakhalin and D. Shanghai.

Sakhalin and Hokkaido are the only home islands that will require convoys to collect resources. All others (Honshu, Kyushu, etc.) will be able to move resources by rail amongst themselves.

In the case of Shanghai and Port Arthur, they're both very large ports. Almost any group of xAKs or xAKLs will suffice at these ports. Set up CS resource convoys to Nagasaki, Shimonoseki or Hiroshima from these ports. I will have two or three large CS resource convoys originating from Shanghai and three or four large resource convoys originating from Port Arthur.

Hokkaido and Sakhalin are a little more tricky. In the former, Ominato (N. Honshu) and Hakkodaite (S. Hokkaido) are the two most important ports for consideration here. The former starts at port size 5, the latter port size 6. Select whatever combination of xAKs or xAKLs with escort that will be under the maximum TF side for the size port (you can tell what this number is from the base home page) and set these up as a CS convoy from Hakkodaite to Ominato. I'd have 2-3 convoys this size plying the straits between these cities.

Oh, both of these ports should be increased in size ASAP. You have some restricted port support and engineer units in Honshu that you can RR over to Ominato. When you have some PP, repeat this for base support for Hakkodaite, as it does not start with sufficient engineer build capacity.

WRT Sakhalin, it's Shikuka versus Tayohara. The former is the larger port and where resources tend to accumulate. You can pick them up at Tayohara as well, and it is a bit closer than remote Shikuka. Use the Northern Japanese ports for these CS convoys (Maizuru or Niigata work well) in order to spare some of the other ports aforementioned. Use an occasional small TK (some of the 1250 tonners work well for this) in your convoy to pick up oil accumulating here.

3. Escorts: The small PBs or coastal SCs work fine for escort near the home islands. Don't use your DDs, which are better suited elsewhere in the Empire for fleet defense or longer distance escort. Even the allied player will balk at sending SS TFs up the shallow seas towards distant Port Arthur-they are likely to be intercepted and destroyed while operating in these shallow waters of the Yellow Sea. You may be able to skimp a bit on escorts from Port Arthur to Shimonoseki.

4. ASW: You get periodic infusions of cSC and SC-type ships. Some of these have very high ASW ratings. I'll operate a group out of N. Honshu-protecting the Ominato / Hakkodaite corridor and a group off of Northern Hokkaido, protecting the Hokkaido-Sakhalin corridor. Allies like to have an SS snoop south of Tokyo too (an east-west track along Honshu), so an ASW TF working these areas (combined with aerial Naval Search / ASW) may be useful.

5. Fuel and / or Oil: I mentioned Sakhalin before as a source. Try not to take too much fuel our of Port Arthur. It is needed by some of the Chinese / Manchuko heavy industry sites. Hong Kong has more than enough fuel for now, you can transship some of that to the home islands. Otherwise, you're going to have to...erm...liberate copious stores of the precious liquids from the DEI and Burma.

6. Supply: If you're to have any sort of sustainable drive in China, you'll need supply to be brought there. If you capture cities and wish to repair damaged resources or industry, you will need copious supply. I have one or two Nagasaki-Shanghai convoys carrying supply into China. If you expand heavy industry in Hong Kong, you'll need to keep it in repair with supply for some time. Don't worry too much about supply-that's the least critical of the resource elements for the Japanese, IMO.

7. Support ships: I like the idea of maintaining the plentiful minefields around the home islands. You have insufficient minefield support ships to prevent minefield degradation. Convert some of those supernumerary 170 ton capacity xAKLs into ACMs instead of PBs. Use one ACM per port per 150 mines. Disband it in the port and it should preserve the minefield for quite some time. I'll usually convert my 170 ton xAKLs at a 4:1 PB:ACM ratio when I'm converting.


Alright, hope this helps a bit...

Banzai!

[paulk205]

ORIGINAL: Chickenboy

Alright, hope this helps a bit...

Very informative. Thank you.