The PERFECT WAR Mod

[House Stark]

Speaking of carriers, what's the IJN carrier production schedule after 1942? I vaguely remember FatR mentioning Shokaku-kai rebuilds with two arriving each winter. Is this still the plan?

[John 3rd]

Just spent time working on the beginning Japanese CVs and made sure to bring them into the vision of the Mod. Went through Names, Air Complement, Air Groups, and Starting Locations. Here is what I've got:

KB
CarDiv1--Akagi (81) and Atago (81)
CarDiv2--Soryu (63) and Hiryu (69)
CarDiv5--Shokaku (72) and Zuikaku (72)

KB has 438 Planes as opposed to IRL with 414

KB-2
CarDiv3--Ryujo (39)
CarDiv4--Zuiho (69) and Shoho (69)

KB-2 starts at Babeldoap with 177 Planes as opposed to 108 Planes (Ryujo, Zuiho, and the not complete Shoho)

I chose to reduce Ryujo's Air Group by 9 to reflect a more realistic appraisal of her hangar and made minor numbers changes to other CVs working on the 3 planes element of the Japanese (EX: Hiryu reduced from 71 to 69). Need names for Zuiho and Shoho.

CVEs
Hosho (18) and Taiyo (27) both start at Hiroshima with the BBs.

War Construction:
1. Normal CVE stuff
2. Junyo and Hiyo arrive at standard time in 1942 and come in with 57 planes instead of 53
3. A pair of Shokaku-Kai CVs in early-to-mid 1943 (81 planes like in RA)
4. Do we allow Taiho or a 3rd Shokoku Kai?
5. Normal late-war Japanese CVs

[JWE]

ORIGINAL: John 3rd
Darned right I am interested! Can you toss the info onto this Thread or do you need to send it via email? Would love to see it.

Ok, it comes in parts. There a lot of confusion in the 'usual' sources. There's the internal and structural organization of 1st Amphib Brigade, which is greatly different, even to the platoon level, from the internal and structural organization of those few (14th, 29th, 34th??, and maybe one more) so-called Island Divisions.

1st Amphib Brig isn't really 'amphib'. The name, in Japanese, actually reads better as Sea Mobile, or Sea Transportable, but it was once translated as 'Amphibious', and since that's more sexy, everyone in the internet world calls it the 1st 'Amphibious' Brigade, and all the sources are now identical with one another. They weren't 'amphib' in the classical sense. Both the Amph Brig and the Island Divs substituted a Sea-Transport Unit (with 20 odd Daihatsus) for the standard Brig/Div echelon Transport Unit using horses/trucks/(conscripted labor with handcarts). That's lift for 1400 men, max, with no guns and no supply; doctrinally, this was a single battalion (with SupWeaps and Supply) transport element. The Sea-Transport Units are not included in the following, since they were, indeed, considered separately, and were very like a typical Shipping Eng Rgt with an additional 'Labor' component.

That, too, is the subject of much confusion in the 'usual' sources. The units are often translated as 'Pioneers' and are given some of the same cachet as USMC Pioneer Bns. But this is not quite correct. Their actual designation might perhaps better translated as 'labor' units, with all that the term implies. The 1st 'Amph', for example, was known to have formed its 'labor' units from drafts from the Inf platoons; gobs of soldiers with shovels, and 2-3 Eng officers overseeing the bunch. Hardly 'Pioneers' except in the philosophical sense.

So ... here's the basis of the Japanese Sea Mobile Brigade. The background how-to and underlying calculations are coming by pm. That is because I do not wish to expose any of this to the whackos. They are for you and FatR. Only thing you need to do is make a new IJA squad device, the SL Inf Sqd. Full instructions and rationale are in the pm. Think of this as a taste [:D]

[ed] And note how nicely we dialed everything so closely to actual TOEs (pats self on back furiously). This is so everything works into the island stack limits and still defines a real live, honest to gosh, head-to-head confrontation between an 'Amph' Brig and a Marine Rgt/MarDiv, as actually happened. God!! I love it when a plan comes together.

[John 3rd]

COOL! Will gladly look for the email in my box and then do some playing with it. Greatly appreciate it.

I worked on my 1st SNLF Brigade today for a potential RA Variant and will Post the stats for you to compare.

[John 3rd]

Just got done with 3 hours of work within the Mod. Tasks completed:

1. Finished moving China units around: all aircraft (except at Canton) are moved into the area around Shanghai. Almost every plane in China is now attached to 7th Air Army. Built two new Sentai of Lily and Nate and added them to 7th Air Army. China air is now done.
2. Created the Sea Mobile Japanese 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Brigades. They get two more as reinforcement in early-to-mid-1942 and have an Army HQ they answer to. All three starting at Saipan with one set for Guam and 2 Prepping for Rabaul.
3. Moved out the 144th Reg (South Seas Force) because it is no longer needed and placed it at Battambang with its other unit pieces to help with Malaya.
4. Moved units to actually begin a defense of the Kuriles. Etorofu, Sima, and PJ each got a garrison unit, BF, and Con unit from Manchuria.
5. Created the 6 CLAA/Recon CL for the Kaigun. Based them off of Oyodo carrying 6 planes and 6x2 of the 120/45 DP Guns. Two come in 1942, 2 in 1943, and 2 in 1944.
6. As discussed made all the CS Chitose Class for uniformity: Chitose, Chiyoda, Mizuho, and Nisshin.
7. Moved nearly all the IJN LCU in China to Shanghai. The Japanese player can leave them in China or buy them out and send them elsewhere.
8. Attached all 4 BC to the KB and KB-2. Replace the 2 BC in Malaya with Nagato and Mutsu. I thought about the 4 non-modernized BBs but decided that might be risky.

kfsgo: China is now ready for you to go to work if interested. I can send the files when needed.

FatR: I couldn't find the design for the new CAs: Hiitaka, Iwaki, Hikaru, and Kurama. Did you get to that?

What do we do regarding Taiho? Build her or make her a Shokaku-Kai?

[kfsgo]

ORIGINAL: John 3rd

kfsgo: China is now ready for you to go to work if interested. I can send the files when needed.

Ok, toss'em over. You have my e-mail - can't guarantee I can get things done immediately (I have a bunch of writing to do over the weekend and then a trip to Ireland next week) but will try to get a couple of outlines people can comment on before I jet off.

[House Stark]

Instead of the Taiho, would it be possible to make 2 Unryus in its place? They might not take up that much more resources, and in terms of finding aircrews...well this is AE, there will be plenty of pilots and planes for them[;)] Surely the Japanese can find 50 more planes and crews in 1944. The only real factor would be shipyard space, but perhaps in starting the Unryus earlier the repeat builds would be even more efficient? The decision could also be justified by the fact that the Taiho, while an excellent and tough ship, is less useful when horribly outnumbered (If Japanese planners consider American industrial potential, they might realize that sooner or later their fleet will be outnumbered and even the Taiho might take critical hits and sink anyways).

[John 3rd]

ORIGINAL: kfsgo

ORIGINAL: John 3rd

kfsgo: China is now ready for you to go to work if interested. I can send the files when needed.

Ok, toss'em over. You have my e-mail - can't guarantee I can get things done immediately (I have a bunch of writing to do over the weekend and then a trip to Ireland next week) but will try to get a couple of outlines people can comment on before I jet off.

If you cannot get to them quickly how about I send the files so you can look and while you are getting that chance and working I can keep plowing through things? This way you can see the new units that have been created in China and begin thinking about some form or realistic storyline and layout. GREAT chance to do so creative fiction!

Think I might try to finish off getting the British--Aussie--Indian--Dutch side of this complete. YOU can be looking and I will get that stuff done and then send you the working files.

What do you think?

[John 3rd]

ORIGINAL: House Stark

Instead of the Taiho, would it be possible to make 2 Unryus in its place? They might not take up that much more resources, and in terms of finding aircrews...well this is AE, there will be plenty of pilots and planes for them[;)] Surely the Japanese can find 50 more planes and crews in 1944. The only real factor would be shipyard space, but perhaps in starting the Unryus earlier the repeat builds would be even more efficient? The decision could also be justified by the fact that the Taiho, while an excellent and tough ship, is less useful when horribly outnumbered (If Japanese planners consider American industrial potential, they might realize that sooner or later their fleet will be outnumbered and even the Taiho might take critical hits and sink anyways).

I would not have thought of that. A capital idea. I can just see it. The Japanese begin building their second pair of Sho's when the Two Ocean Navy Act is passed, they have a heart attack, throw out the Taiho design and chose to go with the simpler Hiryu. Makes sense to me!

We now need FOUR Japanese CV Names: two for the 2nd and 3rd Hiryu (replacing Zuiho/Taiho) and two more for the early Unryu's.

[kfsgo]

ORIGINAL: John 3rd


What do you think?

I thought that was the plan anyway. It'll take a while to get everyone's deployments down - I have a really weird (as in, it reads like the sort of propaganda sheet comedians make jokes about) Taiwanese book from...1972? on the S-J War, but in between spiels it also has actual OOB stuff for the Chinese in the 1937-1941 period. Also, I will probably have 2-3 versions of initial setups - so I will need to fiddle around with the scenario to present those appropriately. Since the Chinese are all in one block in the files it's trivial to import any changes to their setup with witpload.

[John 3rd]

ORIGINAL: kfsgo

ORIGINAL: John 3rd


What do you think?

I thought that was the plan anyway. It'll take a while to get everyone's deployments down - I have a really weird (as in, it reads like the sort of propaganda sheet comedians make jokes about) Taiwanese book from...1972? on the S-J War, but in between spiels it also has actual OOB stuff for the Chinese in the 1937-1941 period. Also, I will probably have 2-3 versions of initial setups - so I will need to fiddle around with the scenario to present those appropriately. Since the Chinese are all in one block in the files it's trivial to import any changes to their setup with witpload.

Deal. Will send the files to you after I pick-up my boys from school.

[John 3rd]

I want to combine the Indian 9th and 11th ID as well as the Aust 8th ID in Malaya. HOW do I do this easily in the editor? Do I have to go through every unit within the 'parent' and put them in one base so the player can combine on Turn One or can it be done far more easily?

[kfsgo]

ORIGINAL: John 3rd

I want to combine the Indian 9th and 11th ID as well as the Aust 8th ID in Malaya. HOW do I do this easily in the editor? Do I have to go through every unit within the 'parent' and put them in one base so the player can combine on Turn One or can it be done far more easily?

That, or just delete the individual fragments and activate the parent, with appropriate device edits. Depends whether you want the player to have the option of leaving them fragmented.

[FatR]

ORIGINAL: mike scholl 1

This would be a HUGE assumption (Kinda like ASSUMING the Nazi's got over their hatred of Jews).

A belated answer: and yet IRL Japanese cooperated with Burmese, Indonesian and Viet nationalist and anti-Western elements, sometimes with reasonable degree of success. The biggest obstacles weren't any ideological imperatives, but simple lack of planning and largely ad-hoc nature of the occupational policies, that depended on the will of local commanders more than on anything. For example, while from the then-current ideological viewpoint Indonesians were considered a superior nation to Burmese, the Burmese nationalists got a far better deal in practice. Just to consider.

Note, that the troops I used as an example (Scen 2 militia) make Chinese puppet units look like crack troops by comparison (and again - in China Japanese recruited a large number of collaborationist units, even if their morale and fighting ability were far lower than even that of average Chinese troops), so it is not like they are supposed to fight for Japan enthusiastically.


Just throwing in suggestions, anyway.

[John 3rd]

HEY Stanislav! Hope things are better with you.

I've decided to move all the unit elements of those three ID to Malaya and allow the player to meld them back together. There are so many bases to defend in Malaya that having the 3 ID fighting AS ID will leave about 50% of the bases uncovered.

We spoke some earlier about the British choosing to not build the big AF at the northern end of Malaya. To me, that idea has some merit. What do people think of that? Could leave the northern AF at Sz-1 and make Johore Bharu, Singapore, and one other larger bases for Bombers to fly from. Thoughts?

[FatR]

Thanks, John. Still struggling at the moment. How is your work proceeding? Can you send the current version of the mod to me? I'd like to take a look at it, and maybe continue the work on ships when I have time, as I believe all French/Thai ships are already added to the scenario.

As about your idea, well, leaving northern airfields as fighter strips (size 1) is not unreasonable if you know that you don't have forces for a proper defense. These bases still must be garrizoned at the war's beginning though.

[mike scholl 1]

ORIGINAL: John 3rd
We spoke some earlier about the British choosing to not build the big AF at the northern end of Malaya. To me, that idea has some merit. What do people think of that? Could leave the northern AF at Sz-1 and make Johore Bharu, Singapore, and one other larger bases for Bombers to fly from. Thoughts?

I think I brought that one up John. Those airfields (Aloe Star, etc) were built to service the 400+ modern A/C that were to protect Malasia from the North. Once the European War broke out, it was dreadfully obvious that those A/C would not be coming..., so either not building the airfields, or destroying them, would be an easy choice given that the ONLY people likely to make use of them if war broke out would be the Japanese.

A few lvl "1" airstrips could have met the reccon needs of the British..., and the engineering efforts to keep those bases functional could have been deployed much farther South. Same for the garrisons..., why protect an airbase for which you have no airplanes?

[ny59giants]

Malaya - I think size 2 AFs in northern part would be nice with an Air HQ up there to allow the 'dreaded' Vildebeest and Swordfish to carry torpedoes. The three ID should be broken down into A, B, and C components with 2/3 of a division at Mersing and the other 1/3 at Singapore. The other two divisions would be in the middle and to the north.Just my two cents. [;)]

[John 3rd]

Files sent to Stanislav and kfsgo. Guys: Don't do anything with them until I complete my work in the next week or so.

Am going to go through Malaya and change AF. Will detail that in a later Posting...

The Racing the Sunrise book is really making me think about the deployment of units. Am going to have to revamp what is delivered with that convoy. Looks like the Philippines will get their A-24 instead of the A-20 and B-25 Squadrons I had originally planned on. To all Japanese players WATCH OUT there will be Dive-Bombers in the Philippines!

[John 3rd]

I've sent Stanislav a copy of the current Scen 75 files as well as all the artwork for the French Planes and Ships (THANKS---Skyland!) so he can add the art to the Mod.

I am continuing to work on finishing the initial work for Opening Day placement, unit additions, and base size changes. Once complete (hopefully in about a week) the files will migrate to FatR to continue work on the Imperial Fleet. Kfsgo also got the files so he can begin work in China by seeing the units I've added, tweaked, and moved.

The question I have is who has priority next? FatR: Are you in a position to seriously work on the Fleet or should Kfsgo have the files to work on China while both you and I use the Forum Threads to iron out during the war choices and decisions?