ORIGINAL: Chickenboy
Changsa is ripe for the picking and should probably be prioritized for you. I like your positioning SW of Siangtan. If you capture this key town (in open terrain, naturally), he'll either have to reinforce Changsa, evacuate it or lose the lot. Once Siangtan falls, you can move that force to the NE and cut the road hex from the North and Changteh. He's a sizeable force building there, so be prepared for a massive stack counterattack in the forested hex to the NE of Siangtan if you take it.
Hi Chickenboy,
Thanks for posting. I probably should have recapped the last few weeks prior to the current situation first before posting the current screenshot, as things would be clearer as to why they have developed so. The Chinese had garrisons of 21 and 26 units at Hengyang and Changsha respectively. Once my 11th Army crossed the river and occupied the wooded hex directly West of Hengyang that sparked a large withdrawal from both bases. If I had continued to drive North with the 13th Army and forced a river crossing, I think the Chinese feared a massive encirclement and decided to pull back. The Chinese left garrisons of roughly 40-50k worth of troops at both bases. Hengyang sported fort levels of 5, but my 11th Army of 3600 AV simply blew the defenders (800 AV) out after only one deliberate attack. I think supply is killing the ability of Chinese units to defend themselves in base hexes. You're spot on about trying to now encircle the units at Changsha and Siangtan. I'm taking a risk in attacking Siangtan directly, but I hope the defenders retreat into Changsha to then be surrounded and destroyed.
I don't fear a Chinese counterattack at all. There have been opportunities for the Chinese to mount limited offensives for 10 months now and they have always simply withdrawn. I think the supply situation is dire and they can't attack even if they wanted too. They've had no fuel since both Sian and Lanchow have been captured for months and the Burma Road is still blocked. The Chinese will, as you said, now rely on rough terrain and high fort levels to blunt my offensive. I hope to compress them enough that I can once again maneuver around them and seriously try for some major encirclements of Chinese forces.
As for Changsa, I would look upon this opportunity to isolate it before it can be reinforced further. I'd also recommend putting some troops in there to muck with his ability to produce supplies from Changsa's LI / resources, regardless whether you can pull off an attack at this time.
As mentioned, it previously held a garrison of 26 units that have mostly been withdrawn, it won't be reinforced [;)]. It will be caught between two Japanese forces of 3000 AV each, Changsha is doomed.
If you need supplies close to their demand in and around Changsha, have you considered xAKL delivery to Hankow / Wuchang? They'll sail all the way up there from the home islands, FWIW. It makes a nice resupply mission straight to the heart of the matter.
It's hard to see on the map, as is blurs a little, but there currently is a supply TF unloading at Hankow. I've been doing this all game and there is plenty of supply for base expansion and offensive operations. Both Hankow and Wuchang are level 6 forts and the airbases will be size 7. Kweilin, Pingsiang, Hankow and Wuchang are flush with supplies.
Just a bit of caution is warranted. You've some laudable territorial goals in this theatre, but this (forest terrain) is prime defensive territory. Combined with city hex fortifications, it is inevitable that your exploits slow for you. I'd concentrate on investing and eventually capturing Changsha and administering as severe a punishment on anything in a clear terrain hex (or on the move through one) that you can.
Sound advice and one that I am prepared to take on. Essentially, I've gained all my achievements in this theatre through redeployments catching the Chinese at their weakest links and exploiting the fact they simply do not attack. I take advantage of my opportunities which are often met by a Chinese withdrawal to avoid being outflanked or encircled. Sian shows I'm willing to bludgeon my way forward if need be. The task now will be to punish any Chinese force in open terrain and cause large casualties where I can. As you pointed out, the first priority is to deal with the Changsha area, consolidate and watch for a Chinese counterattack. The goal here is to really make the Chinese pay a heavy price for simply giving up on Changsha. That being said, it's October 42 and I want to put myself into a dominant position in China. A drive on Chungking will pay two dividends for me that I can see. A further compressing of Chinese forces giving me lots of opportunity to outflank and possibly finally encircle large Chinese forces for destruction, and a potential drive West to threaten a reinforcement of the Burma theatre. I need to take full advantage of the poor Chinese supply situation and gain a strategic victory somewhere in this theatre.
I enjoy your maps very much!
Thank you! I'm glad you enjoy them. They take a little time to put together and it's nice to know they are appreciated. Long winded response I know, I'm just glad things are picking up enough to warrant some good game and strategy discussions. Next post I'll update the Northern theatre. It's time to take Urumchi and be able to direct my full force towards Central China.
and unfortunately that plays into the Allied hand more than my own. The longer I have to wait around hoping to engage something, the greater the chance KB will be spotted before achieving anything of note.
