Sardaukar's Newbie Grand Campaign Tutorial (Community Effort)

[Sardaukar]

North China:

Primary defensive line in dark blue, secondary as light blue.

This is bit different from South China, since here you have chances to do offensive actions. Those vulnerable garrisons are marked with red circle. Ichang does not requite major operation and you SHOULD attack it to open the road. Sinyang would require complete encirclement operation and expect to be contested in that, so I'd not recommed it yet.

Try to keep railroad between Chengchow & Sinyang cut, thus here you might want to fight in clear terrain here. Withdraw all units east of dark blue like there for that purpose. If not successful, withdraw to light blue line.

[Sardaukar]

Further orders for Dec 12-13:

- 63rd Indian Brigade in Karachi shipped to Rangoon.
- Ceylon bases set to fortify, 5th Punjab Bn from Dambuilla set to move to Colombo, which is lacking garrison and causing 1 VP loss daily. ALWAYS pay note to red and yellow exclamation marks (!) on map if you encounter them, they indicate problems.
- Re-attaching some air detachments in Singapore to their parent units.
- sending more minelaying missions in DEi, plus Cargo ship to ament supply problem with isolated base near Soerabaja
- search arcs of planes amended around map.
- set several units of B-10 Bolis at PH to ASW, to protect incoming unescorted vessels.
- sent West Coast subs to PH (note, you get quite a lot ships to arrive to Alameda & Mare I. next to SF, check them and pay attention to Ops report).

And: there is trouble coming into DEI:

[Sardaukar]

Some strategic ideas:

Blue is the defensive line for Allies and pretty much same as historical Japanese expansion.

Black are your main supply routes.

Red is what good PBEM Japanese opponent would be able to achieve without totally over-stretching Japanese vs. cautious Allied opponent. There are plenty of AARs for that to be examined, this is just my opinion.

For any campaign player, it is always good to take a look at Strategic map like that and think: "What do I want to defend and where to attack".

[Sardaukar]

Highlights for Dec 12-13:

- PT boats raiding from Iba sink IJN merchant at Vigan.
- US subs do get hit now and then, though it can be FOW.
- US DD TF that was engaged last time in Vigan runs into trouble when retreating towards DEI and gets mauled, none expected to survive:

Day Time Surface Combat, near Kuching at 58,87, Range 21,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
BB Nagato, Shell hits 2
CL Tama, Shell hits 1
DD Sawakaze, Shell hits 1
DD Yukaze

Allied Ships
DD Alden, Shell hits 6, and is sunk
DD Edsall, Shell hits 2, heavy fires, heavy damage
DD John D. Edwards, Shell hits 5, heavy fires, heavy damage
DD Whipple, Shell hits 8, and is sunk

- Honkong is lot, as predicted.
- undefended Shortlands is lost

Japanese have lost lot of bombers when their raids disindigrated and defending UK & US fighters got to them. IJA/IJN bomber losses have been heavy.

Combat report attached as usual.

[Sardaukar]

Dec 14-15 orders:

- surface force guarding Rabaul reinforced with 2 CLs en route from Port Moresby & Adelaide.
- redeployment of Chinese units continue
- redeployment of British in Malaya continue.
- minelayer sent to Rabaul to lay mines from Sydney
- supply convoy sent to PM from Sydney.
- we will set out base of defense in Pegu in Burma.
- AA Reg & Armoured Rgt sent from Asen to Rangoon

[Sardaukar]

Dec 14-15 highlights:

- some submarine action
- AM Penguins has managed to survie
- troop convoy unloading in Rangoo loses one ship to Nells/Betties
- normal skirmishes in China
- Japanese capture San Fernando in Ph.I.

Combat report attached.

[Sardaukar]

Dec 16-17 orders.

- 164th Inf Reg sent to SF
- some submarine patrols added
- MTBs sent to Iba, time for another night raid next turn
- infantry units sent from Rangoon to Pegu
- some leader changes in Chinese units.

[Sardaukar]

Dec 16-17 highlights:

- not much happening, but air war is intensifying in Rangoon, Singapore and Philippines\
- Japanese continue advancing in Malaya & China.

Combat report attached.

[Sardaukar]

Dec 18-19 orders:

- 4 brigades and 3 Bns ordered to Pegu from Rangoon.
- 4 S-class SS sent from PH to Brisbane
- more troops sent from Bataan to Clark Field.

Not much else, just routine maintenance.

[Sardaukar]

Dec 20 save available at:

http://sardaukar.suntuubi.com/datafiles ... pae021.pws

[Sardaukar]

Some Int statistics, as you can se, massed Allied air assets in Rangoon, Singapore & Phi.I have been effective:

[Sardaukar]

Just a bump. [8D] (Have been busy with Football Manager 2012).

[Yaab]

2. Beware the KB! The AI will try to form the Pearl Harbor attack force again and again. As the allies, your carriers, which are limited to two carrier task groups in the first year unless you want to suffer immense ops penalties, are no match for six CVs, even if ship for ship the enemy's are not as capable as yours.

Question:

Since there is no pre-campaign Allied briefing on Japanese capital ships and their numbers, how do you know the composition of Kido Butai? After my few test runs of turn one as Allies, I resorted to comparing the US carriers aircarft capacity with the number of planes that hit Pearl (i.e roughly 30 fighters, 300 bombers) to try to guess what I am up against. Also, as a newbie, I couldn't understand why so few Japanese fighters participated in the Pearl Harbor attack ( obviosuly, carrier CAP was an unknown idea to me back then) and it looked as if Japanese lacked fighter aircraft. My point is, on the Dec 7th, the Allied player has three US carriers and no definite way of establishing the KB CV composition. If try to avoid cheating ( don't read the forum's AARs; don't load Japanese first turn) you have no real way of knowing if three carriers is enough to attack KB and air recon is no good. Guess some new Allied players would attack KB straight away while others would run for the West Coast.

[jeffk3510]

Historical research and playing/loading from the other side..

[Alfred]

ORIGINAL: Yaab

2. Beware the KB! The AI will try to form the Pearl Harbor attack force again and again. As the allies, your carriers, which are limited to two carrier task groups in the first year unless you want to suffer immense ops penalties, are no match for six CVs, even if ship for ship the enemy's are not as capable as yours.

Question:

Since there is no pre-campaign Allied briefing on Japanese capital ships and their numbers, how do you know the composition of Kido Butai? After my few test runs of turn one as Allies, I resorted to comparing the US carriers aircarft capacity with the number of planes that hit Pearl (i.e roughly 30 fighters, 300 bombers) to try to guess what I am up against. Also, as a newbie, I couldn't understand why so few Japanese fighters participated in the Pearl Harbor attack ( obviosuly, carrier CAP was an unknown idea to me back then) and it looked as if Japanese lacked fighter aircraft. My point is, on the Dec 7th, the Allied player has three US carriers and no definite way of establishing the KB CV composition. If try to avoid cheating ( don't read the forum's AARs; don't load Japanese first turn) you have no real way of knowing if three carriers is enough to attack KB and air recon is no good. Guess some new Allied players would attack KB straight away while others would run for the West Coast.

1. The ingame ship database (shortcut key "V") provides details of CV aircraft capacity.

2. What constitutes the KB can be determined by looking in the "Combat Report" at the unit designation of the aircraft attacking Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941.

Alfred

[Yaab]

Thanks, Alfred!
I think you mean "Combat Animations", and not the "Combat Report". If you sit through the whole combat animation for the Pearl Harbor attack you can get the names of all the Japanese carriers involved in the attack. Funny I have never thought about it before... Eureka!

[Sardaukar]

Orders for Dec 21-22:

- CL Achilles arrives to Rabaul and amalgamated into AUS/NZ TF, 1 CA, 3 CL...I have suspicion this is not going to end well. [:D]
- Minelayers from Batacia sent to Perth (we are out of mines anyway)
- lack of political points is hindering our effort to release AUS brigades from Singers. With hindsigh, using some to release 7th Brig of 5th AUS Div (CMF) might have been a mistake. On the other hand, brigades of 8th AUS are not critical, but Port moresby is.
- using limited number of political points every turn to change commanders in key areas where I expect combat. This time Pegu.
- some minor supply runs
- xAPs in Darwin sent to Sydney

Pic of units in Pegu attached:

(There is still 46th Indian Brig 80% unloaded in Rangoon and 3 Bns en route via land in Burma. Also, 63rd Brig is soon enroute to Rangoon, along with armoured unit, field arty and AA from Aden.)

[Sardaukar]

Combat highlights for Dec 20-21:

- Davao, Manado & Tarakan are invaded/attacked
- some air attacks, loss of xAK near Rangoon, air attack against SF TF in Rabaul (sooner or later starting to lose ships).

And:

When fighting in right terrain with forts, Chinese are well-able to defend (though this was against poorest-quality enemy, RGC is about as bad as KMT troops...):

Ground combat at Wuchow (76,57)

Japanese Deliberate attack

Attacking force 3736 troops, 22 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 118

Defending force 5269 troops, 43 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 150

Japanese adjusted assault: 13

Allied adjusted defense: 99

Japanese assault odds: 1 to 7 (fort level 1)

Combat modifiers
Defender: leaders(+), preparation(-), experience(-)
Attacker:

Japanese ground losses:
106 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 23 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled



Assaulting units:
68th Ind.Infantry Battalion
67th Ind.Infantry Battalion
20th RGC Division

Defending units:
62nd Chinese Corps

Combat report attached.

[Yaab]

Sardaukar, in your plans concerning China you mentioned two offensive battles: Ichang and Sinyang. While Ichang is a non-issue of sorts ( clear hex, lots of Chinese troops nearby, possibility of AI vacating the hex before the battle), Sinyang is different. How do you reduce Sinyang fortifications if standard Chinese corps has no combat engineeres just engineeres in its TOE? Do you plan to bring masses of troops to raise your AV ratio in the battle and make the Japanese retreat from Sinyang then? Also, I noticed that China Command (command HQ, range 9) sits in Chungking 100% prepped for Chungking. Do you change its prep points to Sinyang in order up the AV of the assaulting units ( manual p. 178) ? In my understanding, the China Command does not need the Chungking preparation point, since it already has 50 exp and it will not gain more experience from Resting ( according to the manual max Chinese experience that can be gained by training, is 45). Just curious.

[Sardaukar]

My AAR should show that DaBigBabes GC is nothing too daunting either. My other goal is to show that there is NO NEED to do everything at once (with some things one may deem critical or not). As everyone can see, I have been very relaxed in giving my orders. Perfect is often the enemy of good.

If not happy with 2-day turns, feel free to swap back to 1-day and back again, AI feelings won't get hurt.

DaBigBabes demands bit different mindset than stock, but mostly that comes in area of logistics. While several aspects of combat e.g. AAA & ASW etc. have been tweaked, major difference is the increased difficulties to transport troops, fuel & supply, which is outright historical.

You will have to prioritize. Select your supply hubs. In my case Suva (which needs heavy build up), Sydney & Pearl Harbor. You cannot have your cake and eat it. As the saying is, "amateurs study tactics, professionals study logistics". My selection of supply hubs will heavily influence what sort of operations I will be able to conduct in future.

So, as Supreme Commander of Allied forces, you already need to start to think about your strategy.

- are you going to do Papua New Guinea crawl, very successfully done by MacArthur? Then you need to ensure you keep Port Moresby.
- are you going to advance via Solomons? (aka operation Cartwheel etc.)
- are you going Nimitz way and barge through Central Pacific? (Tarawa etc.).
- maybe trying something else?

In all cases, you have to understand that your ships, planes and troops will consume troops, ships, planes, fuel, supplies and equipment in prodigious levels. So you better start to think about where to stockpile them.

You have to remember that you need base able to build into big ones to avoid spoilage (combined 10, Port & AF). Smaller bases are useless for major invasion supply hubs. Study map and you see why Pacific War was fought like it was.

15.7 SPOILAGE
Spoilage (or waste) of fuel and supplies at a base may occur, based on the size of the base. To determine this possibility, first add the port and airfield sizes. Any base with combined port and
airfield of 10 or more has no spoilage.

Pay attention to this before planning major operation.