Newbie puzzled by it all

[LGKMAS]

Hi Guys
Just started working on this. Main frustration is Gili Gili. I am starting on the scenario May-July 42. There is no airbase at Gili Gili and an undefended port. Try as I might, I cannot land troops there before the Japanese get there in strength. It happened in real Life so why cannot I do it in the game? Is the Jap AI always set to immediately land at Milne Bay? If so, then there is no way I can replicate Real Life! What am I doing wrong?
regards
Bob

[borner]

In the war the IJN of course tried to bipass G-G in favor going for PM directly. The computer and nearly every player you find will not make the same mistake. Japan starts with bases much closer, and a fast transport TF can get there before anything you can send apart from PBY's carrying a small force by air. Even if you can get there first, the IJN is far too powerful in 1942 for you to hold it for any length of time if you are playing any of the senarios where Midway did not happen. Even if you can get there, the AI may allow you to keep the base, something that almost never happens with a live opponent.

[Kingfisher]

The best thing to do is let the AI have GG. Doing so will give you a 3-way win situation.

First, it is situated within range of PM and the bases in Oz, the latter which are fairly large, well established and with plenty of supplies and support. This will allow you to conduct a steady air campaign against the garrison, base or any supply convoy that ventures in. Your aircrews will thus gain valuable experience at relatively low cost.

Secondly, you will rack up points from the ship kills, as the AI will invariably send in unescorted supply convoys to the isolated garrison. The losses accumulated there will also have a dramatic effect on the Japanese's ability to maintain other bases later on, thus paving the way for your eventual reconquest of PNG and the Solomons.

Finally, after a couple of months of continuous shellacking the base will be primed for invasion. At that point you should have sufficient shipping on hand to lift an entire division, of which there will be several available in Oz, plus carrier support to provide air cover. That will wipe an entire reinforced regiment, HQ and attached ENG units off the Japanese OOB.

[decaro]

ORIGINAL: LGKMAS

Hi Guys
Just started working on this. Main frustration is Gili Gili. I am starting on the scenario May-July 42. There is no airbase at Gili Gili and an undefended port. Try as I might, I cannot land troops there before the Japanese get there in strength ...

I recall that PBYs don't need an airbase; try transporting troops w/as many seaplanes that you currently have.

[jeffreysutro@jeffreysutro.com]

[font="Times New Roman"]Like LGKMAS I have been having problems getting trrops into Gili Gili, in this case playing the Coral Sea (May 1- May 25 1942) scenario. The problem is that when I click "Load Troops" to load a combat brigade or regiment onto transports in Brisbane or Rockham (sp?) the only choices that appear are engineers, anti aircraft units and headquarters. I do have APs in the task force and have sufficient transport capacity to transport the entire unit. In addition, I am able to use air transport to airlift a cambat brigade from Cairns to Port Morsby. Also, I have palyed some of the other short , introductory, scenarios and have had no problems with units not showing up on the "Load Troops" selection list.

In reading the above posts it appears that it may not be very good strategy to try to reinforce Gili Gili, but I would like to know what I'm doing wrong, and how I can do it correctly in subsequent games.

I would be very grateful for any help or advice that anyone can give me[/font]

[jomni]

Are there Restricted units in UV like in WITP and WITP AE?
I haven't played much to encounter these at the moment.

[AbeSimpson]

There are some units which can´t be transported from Australia. Its the case for all troops belonging to the Northern Command. 

[decaro]

ORIGINAL: jeffreys

... In reading the above posts it appears that it may not be very good strategy to try to reinforce Gili Gili, but I would like to know what I'm doing wrong, and how I can do it correctly in subsequent games.

I would be very grateful for any help or advice that anyone can give me[/size][/font]

Coral Sea scenario aside, in longer games, if the AI IJA takes Gili, it will then send bombardent fleets to Port Morsby and your airfield and supplies will take terrible damage.

Until your AP transports can arrive, airlift whatever units you can from Cairns by PBY ASAP to help prevent this.

[WriterJWA]

Kingfisher is right...... words to remember with this game are "bypass" and "isolate."

I'm currently playing the full campaign with the AI level set to historical. I've let the Japanese take Gili Gili and they quickly flooded it with troops. They also took Buna, though put less combat power there. They set their engineers to work on build airfields on each base. All this equals a massive logistics requirement on part of the Japanese... which means shipping. I fattened my airfield at Port Moresby, loaded it with medium-range bombers, and nailed any shipping that came into range on the way to Buna and GG ... shipping that they would have used elsewhere to more profitable gains had they not taken GG.

As of now (end of '42) they still have GG. I've retaken Buna and have advanced up New Guinea to take up to Lae (where I now have a massive stack of airpower) and Finschhafen. I also just recently took Wewak, bypassing the smaller Japanese garrisons at Madang and Awar. I'll take those when they are starving and out of ammo and thus easy to eliminate. I'm not going to waste combat power and jeapordize shipping going up against a full strength force on an objective worth only 40 points a piece. My supply line goes right around Gili Gili without so much as a problem because they are entirely out of supply and can't get their airfield built. By virtue of outmaneuvering they are in seige mode and starving ... over a division of Japanese troops!

My intention is to move on the Admiralty Island's to threaten shipping between Truk and Rabaul/Kavieng, thereby partially isolating them. Any Japanese positions to the south (like Shortland) will be in dire need of supply, weakened, and thus easier to eliminate. The preferred 3-to-1 attack ratio can be obtained much easier and with less combat power. Bypass and isolate.

[jeffreysutro@jeffreysutro.com]

[font="Times New Roman"]The units that I was attempting to move were part of the Northern Command, so that explains why I was unable to move them.

My thanks to all for the information, and for the good advice on the most effective way to deal with Gilli Gilli[/font]

[borner]

in playing the AI, Japan will be nice enough to send AP's in a seemingly never ending flow into the teeth of your airpower at PM.