Supplying Lae

Duke71 · Post by **Duke71** » Sat Dec 28, 2002 4:58 am

I'm playing scn #14 "Hard road ahead" as the Americans. It's in the middle of oct '42 and I've just captured Lae.

My question is: What is the best strategy in supplying Lae?

By land, by sea (There are about 60 fighters and 30 bombers at Rabaul) or by air (C-47) from PM?

My additional question is; What is the best use of Lae? I now have over 400 planes at PM (size 9) and Lae is a size 5(5) airfield.

Is it smart to move some of the planes over to Lae (it's closer to Rabaul) but the supply situation is more difficult there, compared to the relative safe approach to PM.

Inigo Montoya · Post by **Inigo Montoya** » Sun Dec 29, 2002 4:02 pm

I am not an expert at this game, but I see no one else has taken a stab at this yet, so I will.

I think you should consider taking Lae as a victory since Japan doesn't have it, but because it's on the other side of New Guinea, supplying it will be a nightmare. Just leave some ground units and maybe an engineer there and forget about moving air units there or supplying it by sea. If you supply by sea, he can sweep in with his land based air and easily sink the vessels running supply. You could fly some supply there and use overland supply, but make PM your main airbase. You should focus on the big four-engine bombers at PM which should dominate the area. It sounds like you are in a great position! How are you doing on the other flank? Can you make progress in that area (Lunga, Tulagi, Shortland Island)?

Duke71 · Post by **Duke71** » Sun Dec 29, 2002 7:26 pm

I have thought of the same, but there is a big advantage in using Lae, you can deploy medium bombers like the Mitchell and Marauder, and use them to bomb Rabaul. They don't have the range from PM. But the problem is, alas, supplying the forces...

I've taken Lunga and Tulagi, and I am about to start building a base at one of the beaches between Lunga and Shortland.

I have a lot of troops at Lunga, all eager to assault Shortland, but it will take some time to give the soldiers proper airsupport. I have no P38s yet so my fighters at Lunga can't escort the bombers on their trips to Shortland, due to range...

But I guess I'll take Finschafen also and then settle in that region. PM should be the primary base for heavy bombers.

BTW: Is there an advantage in joining several small B17 squadrons and make a big one? I've put together 3-4 squadrons and made a big one of about 18-19 planes, mostly to declutter the list of squadrons at PM. But I've never read anything about it in the manual...

pasternakski · Post by **pasternakski** » Sun Dec 29, 2002 10:44 pm

The only thing I've found that works even marginally well for Allied resupply of Lae is to build up the airbases at Gili Gili, Buna, and Dobadura and station fighter squadrons there to perform LRCAP over supply convoys. Of course, then you have to keep all those bases supplied, too, and when you send a supply convoy, you have to spread your fighter strength around too thinly.

Still, as you guys point out, having Lae is a lot better than the Japanese having it, notwithstanding the problems that go with it. If you can keep Rabaul suppressed (which I have been able to do only intermittently and at great cost), the resupply job is easier.

crsutton · Post by **crsutton** » Mon Dec 30, 2002 9:23 pm

I think you will find that once you have some p38s then Lae will be a viable base. Until then you will have trouble keeping it in supply by ship due to the difficulty of covering convoys with your shorter legged fighters. You can base a few squadrons there and easily keep it supplies with your C47s but that is about it. Later on, as you gain air superiority, Lae will be more useful. Still holding it is not a bad thing.

Toro · Post by **Toro** » Mon Dec 30, 2002 9:35 pm

Duke: you may not have to use Lae as a primary base. Just a thought. But, if you decide to, note that air supply isn't too effective (not a lot of supplies can be carried, and your a/c get fatigued quickly). Land supply: throw that concept away. So, you'll have to run supplies via shipping, which means lots of LRCAP. Also, keep your TFs smaller if possible, as they're harder to detect.

Also, to begin negating Rabaul as a threat point, take Shortlands and begin bombarding and bombing Rabaul's airfield.

Duke71 · Post by **Duke71** » Mon Dec 30, 2002 9:41 pm

I agree with you, but I am more for the idea to use the P38s as escorts in bombing Shortland Islands stationed at Lunga.

I am starting a push near Lunga by building a new base nearer Shortland, primary a fighter airfield, and I'm hoping that the forces at Rabaul will have trouble attacking both Lae and the new base. But the problem is the planes at Shortland, maybe they will have a good time bombing the hell out of my engineers...

I have fighters at Buna and Gilli Gilli, but they're no guarantee of hindering enemy torpedo bombers in sinking and damaging my supply ships. And there's the problem of supplying those bases again, this is not easy, but that's the fun of it!

As for now, I'm not risking my precious APs and AKs to supply Lae; land and air will have to do the job...