Invasion

[dcoop]

I'm not sure if this has been addressed before or not, but I'm planning my invasion of Guadalcanal and I have a question or two. First, I've put a lot of preparation into this: Fleet bombardments, air strikes, LRCAP for the transports, etc..., Now the simple part, or at least it should be. Should I take a beating with my transports and land at Lunga, or should I land unopposed at one of the unoccupied hexes. I understand that I'll have to march one hex and incur some fatigue before sending my Marines into battle, but what's better. Full compliment of troops who are tired or partial compliment trying to establish a beach-head. Being this is my first invasion, I'd hate to blow it???

Coop

[dcoop]

A little more info: It's mid-august, and the island is defended by 3 inf, 2 cd's and a couple eng and aa reg.

Coop

[Grotius]

I'm a relative newb, so take what I say with a very large grain of salt. I'm inclined to say go for Lunga -- but support your invasion with air cover and your surface fleet, and think seriously about naval bombardment of Lunga before you start the operation. Your aim should be to close the Japanese airfield at Lunga to prevent point-blank bombing of your transports. If you don't have enough forces to do that, you may want to delay your invasion until you do.

You're worried about your transports "taking a beating" if you land at Lunga. But your transports might "take a beating" even if you land at an adjacent hex. It takes several turns to unload, during which time the transports are big juicy targets. Enemy air strikes will focus on them wherever they land. If the worry is the IJN fleet based at Lunga, well, that fleet can move to pummel you at whatever base you choose to invade. So wherever you land, you're going to have to cover your invasion. Might as well land at your target.

[ADavidB]

You might want to "Fast Transport" in some troops to take those two small bases first, in order to prevent the Japanese from escaping to them during your assault. ( And giving your guys someplace to go to if "everything" goes wrong. )

But if the Japanese already have 3 infantry units at Lunga, do you really have enough Marines in mid-August to get a large enough assault value? You really need to be at least 2 to 1, and better yet 3 to 1 to avoid taking huge casualties.

Also, make sure that you have surface combat TFs near by to intercept any Japanese reaction, as well as air combat TFs to face off with the inevitable Japanese carrier response. I presume that your LRCap is coming from Irau - be careful, it is at it's limit over Lunga.

Finally, you might want to consider taking Tulagi first if Lunga isn't up to a level 3 port. It will be very important to have a level 3 port very close by - you will take damage.

Have fun -

Dave Baranyi

[siRkid]

I would land establish a base and then march in. No need to take all that damage this early in the game. You can build up at leisure and if the Japs come at you they will have to weaken their main base.

ADavidB "You might want to "Fast Transport" in some troops to take those two small bases first, in order to prevent the Japanese from escaping to them during your assault. ( And giving your guys someplace to go to if "everything" goes wrong. )"

Very sound advice.

[denisonh]

A successful technique I used in a PBEM game was take Tulagi first.

Then based PT boats out of there to disrupt supply barges to Lunga as you reduce it prior to invasion. After a couple weeks of constant bombing/bombardments and no supply, it is ripe for the picking.

And having Irau as a base helps as well, as it can be used to provide LRCAP for your invasion (freeing your carries up), bomb/reduce Lunga, and provide staging point for supplies/fuel.

[SoulBlazer]

I took Lunga in my game with Drex by following that advice. I moved in a massive army of around 20k with a surface fleet os 12 heavy cruisers and a number of lighter ships to cover the invasion as well as two carriers to fly CAP for the landing ships. The weak Japanese air attacks from Shortland were defeated and my carriers held off the Japanese carriers. Meanwhile the Japanese sent down several fleets to fight mine, and there were many sharp battles off the island. I lost three heavy cruisers and had to send almost every one back to Pearl, but luck bomb hits sunk the Hiei and the Kirashima was riddled with hits (around 40 shell hits plus a few torpedos) and she never made it back to port. I went after Lunga first due to it being the bigger target and the large airfield. A few days and I drove the Japanese into retreat, flew in the airplanes, and used them cover the transports as they then headed to take lightly held Tulagi. I think Drex would say it was the beginning of the end for him.

In short, you can invade in August, but hurl in everything you've got and be prepared for a sharp fight, and losses aplenty.

[Drex]

Well according to Mogami Lunga is not the key to the game. The worst castastrophe to me was the loss of so many of my planes. I was at Lunga that I destroyed so many of your planes as well but where yours have been replaced, mine have not. The lack of adequate air cover is what is putting me in a worls of hurt, not the loss of Lunga.

[tanjman]

.... if Lunga is held to strongly? Why not island hop? There are several unoccupied beaches that have an airfield SPS >0. They are:

Base/Port SPS/Airfield SPS
Green Island/1/1
Bonis/2/1
Torokina/1/1
Jaba/1/1
Vella Lavella1/1
Vila/2/1
Munda/2/1
Lambeti1/1
Russell Islands/1/1
Irau/0/1

Note 1: I didn't list any beaches that are occupied at the start of scenario 17.

Note 2: I always try to occupy Irau ASAP to use as a forward base/staging area.

All of the above are in the Solomons. With 10 potential size 4 airfields, 3 potential size 5 ports, 6 potential size 4 ports and 1 potential size 3 port has a lot of potential for isolating Japanese bases.

[PzB74]

Not sure I like the fact that a small blocking force placed outside a base can trap and prevent a defeated garrison from retreating.
If 5000 men want to go home, 500 ain't gonna stop em!!

I think that a new battle for the 'retreat' hex should occur between the retreating units and the blocking force!

[Deathifier]

Ah, but why can't whatever force that defeated those 5000 in the first place charge after them?

It typically takes weeks to march the 30 miles a retreating army can cover in a few seconds!

- Deathifier

[denisonh]

It is amazing how much ground fleeing soldiers can cover once they abandon everything heavier than a canteen!