Here come the Rebels! (Canoe v. Q-Ball)

[Bullwinkle58]

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

ORIGINAL: Bullwinkle58
The more I play this game, the more convinced I am that two 5-star admirals were smarter than this ex-Lt. staff corps weenie. [:)]

I have mostly ingored CenPac in my previous three AE/WitP PBEM games, but starting with my previous AE game, I began to see tha benefits of not facing mutliple interlocking IJA airbases plus the KB. The going was awfully slow and bloody in my game vs. Miller. So I am contemplating the benefits of hitting IJ bases that are relatively isolated and thus relatively free from zillions of land-based aircraft.

If you have time off due to Q-Ball's work schedule, you should fire up Andy Mac's Marianas scenario from the Allied side and get a taste. You can play it in one long afternoon, or a weekend in two sessions. It teaches a lot about very long-range recon, setting up initial invasion TFs when the target is heavily fortified but under-supported by LBA, and how to use mid-1944 CV power to pre-landing take down a pretty stiff, but glass-jawed, LBA island defense.

[crsutton]

Those Glen equipped Japanese subs are the most unheralded uber weapon in the Japanese inventory. God what I would not give for the ability to sneak around and recon ports looking for KB. I would gladly trade two old BBs for ten Glen equipped subs. [;)]

[Bullwinkle58]

ORIGINAL: crsutton

Those Glen equipped Japanese subs are the most unheralded uber weapon in the Japanese inventory. God what I would not give for the ability to sneak around and recon ports looking for KB. I would gladly trade two old BBs for ten Glen equipped subs. [;)]

I'd settle for historic USN submarine photo recon missions with a radio chaser. Far more numerous and important than Transport.

[Bullwinkle58]

CR, thinking this weekend about the Sumatra option. Have you considered a two-phase campaign, with an initial operation in the north, based from a re-taken Colombo? This would have objectives of securing at least one, and better two, decent airbases, and secondary objectives of establishing a fueling anchorage in the Medan region for your ships, and fuel denial. With drop-tanked advanced Allied fighters, you might be able to relieve the beachhead load on the USN CVs in the main landings in the Oosthaven region with an ultimate objective of Palembang.

I have not hex counted or really looked at terrain, distances, or LI/HI supply available in the north, but I think having some sort of LBA help for the southern landings would decrease your naval risk substantially. A base in the north would also help to channel his responses from Indo-China and Singapore toward the southwest rather than a run around northern Sumata to attack your Oosthaven beachhead from the IO side.

All of this presupposes you dealing with him in India first of course. And I really think you should have interim goals of re-taking Ceylon, and possibly Port Blair, before you tackle Sumatra.

[Canoerebel]

I've considered several different approaches to Sumatra, but since the operation is probably at least nine months off, or more likely a year, ideas come and go. And will continue to do so as the situation in the game morphs. My ideas break down into two options:

1. Attack early: Attacking in late '42 or early '43 while the entire Japanese army is in India would permit the Allies to achieve surprise and to almost certainly take the key objectives. This would throw a big jolt to Japan, but as one poster (witpqs?) noted, the initial surprise would only rouse a powerful enemy thus ending in disaster. I agree with that analysis.

2. Attack late: The Allies can arrive with overwhelming force in late '43. Opposition would be much stiffer and the Allies would therefore need more "infrastructure," including capture of supporting bases like Cocos, Christmas, and probably some of the Andamans, Diego, and Ceylon. This would allow the Allies to move LBA into the region.

If the Allies do proceed with the invasion of Sumatra, I will have to come up with a secondary offensive to take advantage of the resulting vaccuum as all Japanese attention would be focused there. This most likely would come in the form of invasions in CenPac.

I am increasingly concerned about Brad. He sent a delayed turn Friday afternoon with a note that he was having Internet troubles. I've heard nothing from him since then - not even a note to say that he was away or busy or not feeling well although he has been online to post in the WitE forum.

[crsutton]

Yep, sounds like he has a new mistress these days. Best to just send him a note and ask him outright what his intentions are. I can understand the distraction. WITE sounds enticing and I see a lot of familiar names posting on that forum.

Curse that Gary Grigsby! How could he do this to us? [:D]

[Miller]

Hello Sir!

I hope your opponent picks up the pace again, we all feel like throwing in the towel when things go bad but some time off can re-ignite the fire. He seems to be in a better overall position than I was at the same stage of our game. Fingers crossed this one continues....

[Canoerebel]

Hey, Paul. If you were in Japan's shoes at the moment, you'd be licking your chops and digging in for a bitter defense of your hard-fought-for territory.

Auto-victory still seems to be within the realm of possibility. I can't figure out why Brad would be demoralized at this point in the game. He hasn't suffered any losses, the situation in India is taut, and he still has the ability to go on the offensive in the Pacific assuming the KB is there. If he's demoralized, it can only be because he put all his "heart, mind and soul" towards auto-victory and now thinks he can't make it.

[Lomri]

I think your tactic of hiding your CVs has paid off with his caution. On the other hand, this game is all about the CV clash. As a person who plays only against the AI, take what I say with a grain of salt. But it is possible the lack of naval action might be effecting his moral. Of all the objectives on the map, India is very land-war heavy. And ground combat is probably better simulated in WitE. (Oz at least has more potential for naval blockades and supply runs).

I think your projected amphibious island assaults will bring this game back to where it really shines - the sea. Hopefully he will stick it out. You have spent a lot of this game holding your cards close to your chest for what you hope to be a dramatic, decisive counter offensive. I selfishly am really curious to see how well this strategy works.

[Canoerebel]

That's a good point, Lomri.

It's something I've considered, though only briefly and usually to dismiss it. But is it possible that the unorthodox Allied strategy in our game has robbed it of much of the pleasure for Brad?

Not that I think the strategy is invalid - it presented Brad with opportunities to do some really radical things that might have earned him an auto victory - (and possibly still could). It was up to him to probe and evaluate these opportunities and to react swiftly and surely enough to take full advantage. He really did a good job...but probably not good enough.

I, in turn, intentionally developed a very soft strategy with a desire to draw Japan into a major air and land campaign in either Australia or India. Long term, I felt (and feel) that I could take advantage of such a position, because the Allies can effectively wage war on the land and (so I thought) in the air before they are ready to do so at sea. In some ways I have accomplished these objectives (especially in NoPac and CenPac, where the Allies are much better off than usual), but I didn't think Brad would be able to push quite so far in India, nor did I think we would skate quite so close to the auto victory threshhold.

Brad sent a new turn last night after apologizing for not alerting me that he was out of town over the weekend. So we're back on, or as on as we're going to get for now.

[SqzMyLemon]

Hi Canoerebel,

Q-Ball doesn't seem to me like a fair weather player and wouldn't lose interest or bail because of a failure to take India. I can't speak for him obviously, but my guess is he's just a little war weary of WitPAE right now and has something new and shiny in WitE to rekindle his gaming, not to mention him being busy in real life. I think he's just slowing down a little here, recharging his batteries and he'll return back to form in a bit.

India may have failed, but I don't think he's down for the count by any means and there's still a lot of fighting ahead for you both to still be excited about the game.

[Cuttlefish]

Never give up on Brad. We went through the same thing once or twice in our game when he got busy and he always returned to form. And the holidays are always a busy time of year, especially if you have kids, which he does.

[Canoerebel]

9/30/42 and 10/01/42
 
I've been spoiled by playing Miller.  He tells you exactly when to expect turns, sometimes days and even weeks ahead of time.  But Brad and I did get in our first turn (October 1) since Friday, so hopefully we'll get moving again.
 
Jalagon:  The Japanese are in full retreat.  As of the 1st, just three units are left in this hex (the Allies will attack tomorrow if they linger).  The enemy is retreating in two groups - one to the south towards Poona/Bombay, the other to the east towards Benares.  Allied air will keep up the pressure, but the big decision will be which stack to pursue with my army.  I'm also evaluating the possibility of using my paratroops to try to panic Brad about the security of his troops.  I'm alert to other possibilities, but I think this is the start of a major retrograde move by Japan, which means Brad will try to keep up appearances while extracting his units.  I'll have to pound hard to exact a toll.
 
Pacific:  No signs of enemy activity.  The calandar is reaching the tipping point in NoPac - pretty soon Brad will know that there's no threat there this year.  Then he'll make his moves elsewhere.  An Allied TF carrying combat engineers and Marine paratroops just reached Tahiti.  They were heading to Oz while prepping for Sumatra, but I am considering diverting them to Fiji or Auckland.

[Cribtop]

And thus is the turning point passed with a whisper rather than a roar...

[Capt. Harlock]

And thus is the turning point passed with a whisper rather than a roar...

Instead of Gettysburg, we have an Antietam, where Lee withdrew even though tactically he could have stayed. (Granted, strategically he had little choice.)

[Canoerebel]

Naw, it's Pickett's Charge at Gettysburg. There's even a copse of trees - I can show you on the map next time I take a screen shot -right where his men ran out of steam. Of course, being the naturally cautious person that I am, I won't be convinced that's he's withdrawing until I"m convinced.

At the moment, Brad has once again disappeared without any explanation. I'm going to have to have a talk with the boy about common courtesy.

[Canoerebel]

10/2/42

I once had a nutty neighbor who put a scorpion on his hand and said, "Sting me!" It did. I just had an analogous epxerience in the game, but it was all in the name of deception.

NoPac: An IJN sub has been lurking around Adak. Several days ago I detailed BB Warspite, CA Houston, and escorts to visit the hex. I wanted Brad to catch wind of this combat TF in hopes it might reinforce the appearance of impending Allied action in NoPac. The TF did encounter the sub, which torpedoed Houston. She'll survive, so Ihe affair meets with my overall approval.

Jalagon: Allied air concentrated on IJA troops retreating to the south and east, doing pretty good work, especially against Imperial Guards. The bigger stack is moving east. The Allied army at Jalagon did catch one lingering unit, 10th Division, and roughed it up pretty good:

Ground combat at Jalgaon (41,24)

Allied Deliberate attack

Attacking force 53820 troops, 868 guns, 1631 vehicles, Assault Value = 2140

Defending force 13518 troops, 124 guns, 42 vehicles, Assault Value = 461

Allied adjusted assault: 1048

Japanese adjusted defense: 315

Allied assault odds: 3 to 1

Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+), disruption(-), preparation(-)
Attacker:

Japanese ground losses:
4348 casualties reported
Squads: 59 destroyed, 95 disabled
Non Combat: 105 destroyed, 108 disabled
Engineers: 7 destroyed, 10 disabled
Guns lost 27 (15 destroyed, 12 disabled)
Vehicles lost 14 (7 destroyed, 7 disabled)
Units retreated 1

Allied ground losses:
439 casualties reported
Squads: 1 destroyed, 28 disabled
Non Combat: 1 destroyed, 54 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 10 disabled

Defeated Japanese Units Retreating!

Thus, Brad now his specific knowledge that 27th Division is present in India.

Pacific: Quiet.

[Capt. Harlock]

The TF did encounter the sub, which torpedoed Houston. She'll survive, so Ihe affair meets with my overall approval.

Oh, well, Houston is one of the inferior American CA's. Lucky it wasn't Warspite!

[Canoerebel]

10/3/42

India: The two Japanese stacks haven't moved any further - one of about three divisions is a hex south of Jalagon; the second, of about four divisions is a hex to the east. Allied LBA hit both stacks effectively. The Allies aren't strong enough to take on either stack decisively, so I'm waiting for the Japanese to pull back another hex before the Allies begin the chase of one or the other.

Pacific: No signs of Japanese aggression anywhere - quiet around the Aluetians, Midway, Canton, Baker, and Fiji. The Norfolk Island invasion force is 17 hexes southwest, so D-Day probably in three days.

[princep01]

Hummmm, sadly this has all become rather creepy-crawly. Has Q-Ball ever told you when his schedule will relax? Things are getting very interesting, but there is another shoe to fall before '42 passes into history. Keep up the nice AAR canoe.