Hairy Asian Experiences - GreyJoy (J) vs. Q-Ball (A)

[crsutton]

ORIGINAL: ny59giants

One of the major adjustments going from playing the Allies to Japan is the lack of construction engineers and engineer vehicles. Being able to build up a base to max in less than two months along with your custom condo on the beach front is a tough pill to swallow. [:D]

Yes, and this is really the Allies strength in the mid to late war time frame. The Allies can pick a point of attack, then seize a few good potential airbases that are not developed and build them up quickly. It is difficult for the Japanese player to counter this as it is so painstakingly slow for him to build bases up. As I approach the Philippines which Viberpol has been building up for years now. Some of his key airfields are still not fully developed. There are so many undeveloped locations that can be seized that the Allies need not focus on taking heavily defended bases. It becomes a race to build bases and mass air power. A race which the Japanese player in the end will lose.

The challenge for the Allies is not moving troops but moving engineers and construction units. I have to constantly review my bases as they move to the rear to cull out base building units that I have forgotten about.

[GreyJoy]

Oct 14->18 1942
 
Sorry guys. not much happening. He's moving lots of troops in Burma and soon he will start to attack. At Portland Roads suddenly 300 planes appeared: we'll start fighting soon for NG and northern Oz. Broome and Derby will be his next targets in NW Oz. I'm trying to use this time to send troops everywhere (from Russell Island to Terapo, from Lautem to Sebang, from Christmas Island to Roti)... too many places to cover [:(]
 
In China we're shifting forces for our next attacks...
 
Boring stuff... and i've been sick the whole week [:o]

[GreyJoy]

The China Syndrome...yes, i think that's what i'm suffering.

October 20, 1942

QBall really stopped me cold in China. No matter how many units i rotate in. No matter how many bombers i send in. There's no way to dislodge well dug in chinese position in rough terrain. The terrain bonus is huge in China and the japs are now stuck in the mud. Today we got another 1-2 in the north, with 4 times the casualities inflicted[:(]... I'll keep on fighting...but the tide is really changing....

As we foreseen, the americans started to bomb PM from portland roads and are assembling a huge invasion force at Exmouth.

Enemy recon planes over Tabiutea (Marshalls) and Many many units coming down from Burma...we're really strangled!

This is exactly what a good allied player should do: attack from many directions, never letting the japs to concentrate their forces and react....and Brad is doing exactly that!

He also moved a group of B25 to Wachow from where he can attack my shippings in the southern japan seas... more harrassments!

So, to sum it up, Brad is giving me a very good lesson on how the allies should play. Japan cannot defend everywhere, and he knows it. So he threatens the whole perimeter at the very same time.... NOPAC, CENTPAC, SOPAC, SPWAC, Northern OZ, Burma and Indian Ocean (with Canton Island I.O.)...

I failed being far too little aggressive and let him too much time to build up his pools. I never seeked with strenght for a decisive battle when i had the superiority and now the bill is coming back...and at what price!

In few Days Akyab will be invested and so will be Mitykina and the central burma front... In China, where i invested so much, i'm ending up with a bunch of flies in my hands and all the blood spilled from my men, my divisions, worths nothing.

Target fixation in China? Maybe yes. For sure yes. Too many supplies burnt there. Too many men sent there. Too many PPs spent to buy artillery and support units to be sent into a secondary theatre without achieving a decisive victory.... China will be for me what the USSR has been for Hitler!

...love this game!!!![:D]

[ny59giants]

You known from your other game, that even though you lost China and most of India, its the USA which wins the war for the Allies.

I hope all those troops you spent precious PP on were to assign them to non-restricted commands and can set up a firm perimeter and start to shift them down to Timor and Java area from China.

[GreyJoy]

ORIGINAL: ny59giants

You known from your other game, that even though you lost China and most of India, its the USA which wins the war for the Allies.

I hope all those troops you spent precious PP on were to assign them to non-restricted commands and can set up a firm perimeter and start to shift them down to Timor and Java area from China.

Yes, they are all assigned to Southern Command HQ.

But let me read through your lines.... you mean that i should, once for all, abbandon any dream of victory in China and start sending troops to the southern seas? If i leave now it will be forever, you know... and once the Burma road gets open again, China will be a nail in my flank...

[GreyJoy]

ORIGINAL: ny59giants

You known from your other game, that even though you lost China and most of India, its the USA which wins the war for the Allies.

I hope all those troops you spent precious PP on were to assign them to non-restricted commands and can set up a firm perimeter and start to shift them down to Timor and Java area from China.

However i didn't buy many divisions...probably just one that was sent to Kuriles... for the rest i spent PPs buying Artillery, base forces and tanks: Well, i bought out the two tank divisions for sure.
Some 3 Bdes have also being bought and are now guarding the Adamans... But nothing more so far... PPs are always too short... just think that i had to spend 270 points to transform a 27 Sonia Sentai into a Nick sentai....[X(]

[ny59giants]

You face a balancing act right now. To keep the pressure on in China, but no so much that troops needed for NW Australia, Timor, and Java are not moved soon enough. If Brad gets to Darwin by the end of 42, your in trouble. Too many paths north from there for you to defend well.

[perkinh]

ORIGINAL: GreyJoy

ORIGINAL: ny59giants

You known from your other game, that even though you lost China and most of India, its the USA which wins the war for the Allies.

I hope all those troops you spent precious PP on were to assign them to non-restricted commands and can set up a firm perimeter and start to shift them down to Timor and Java area from China.

Yes, they are all assigned to Southern Command HQ.

But let me read through your lines.... you mean that i should, once for all, abbandon any dream of victory in China and start sending troops to the southern seas? If i leave now it will be forever, you know... and once the Burma road gets open again, China will be a nail in my flank...

The terrain bonus will work for you in China too. Find nasty stuff and dig in....see if he will want to push the pace in China. Few allied players ( especially American) like to get bogged down with the slow play of China. They much prefer the slash and dash of the operations in the Pacific. Q-ball may be different, i believe he left earlier on a break for some Eastern Front time, and may be willing to put the effort into breaking a peremiter in China. He would be the exception though.

You need the DEI open as long as possible in my opinion. Pull some troops from China to boulster Malaya and Java, and keep the oil flowing as long as possible. I Have twice run out of the ability to produce aircraft in late 44' because i thought i had plenty of oil and supplies, and then found out i was wrong. The oil must flow as long as possible, and the rest of the gains is to buy you time .....swap space for time.

I also want him building on the Islands, or at least somewhere i can get my cruisers and destroyers into and out of quickly. I destroy more planes on the ground in the late war than i do in the air, if i could just figure out the damn logistics to keep me supplied i would be in better shape. [&:] I think my issue is that i wait to long to start swapping land for time, and try and stand and fight in Burma and Oz, when i should be building a wall from the Marianas to Manilla. You cant stop a determined allied player in China, but the good point is that few are determined ( unless you play against damn Brits[:)] they love there commonwealth troops)

Sorry for the long post...just my 2 cents.

[Canoerebel]

If there's any chance of victory in China, I wouldn't stop.  Your close, so don't stop unless you have absolutely no choice. While NYGiants is right - the Americans are what drive the Allies to victory - you still have time to vanquish China and attend to your perimeter.  You've already heavily garrisoned the Kuriles, so Brad can't pull that move (at least not any time soon).  Also, he's not going to win the war in Burma.  Like the Solomons, Burma is way out there and isn't that important in and of itself.  It (they) become important only when one or both sides overcommit.

[perkinh]

My apologies GJ, i assumed( i know) that it was Spring-Summer 43'. You still have the tech advantage i think, grab some dirt for later.

[GreyJoy]

Yes guys, these are really interesting times!
 
Micheal's right: i'm facing a scenario that requires a balanced action.
 
First of all: Northern Oz will be his by the end of 1942. All my defences there have just been smoke and mirrors. In the whole northern Oz i have the following:
 
1 base force at broome.
1 Naval guard unit at Derby
1 Naval G. unit at Whyndam
1 base force at Darwin
1 Base force at Daily waters along with a naval guard unit.
 
Nothing more. Think he's realizing that and that's why he's rushing... i've managed to buy some good months in order to build Timor as i wanted to and now i'm shifting a lot of forces to Kendari, Makassar and Java. These forces will then be divided between different bases east and west of Timor.
 
More units will be coming to Singapore and from there will be sent to western Sumatra.
 
It's a rush against time now. My advantage is that Brad doesn't know what i have there... so he will be forced to be a bit cautious...and i'll use that time to build my wall.
 
on the 21st oct a Punj Bn crossed the Irradaway and got mauled in the shock attack by two regiments north of the road that from Katha leads to Mitikyna.
In China we finally managed to achieve a 1-1 at Kweyang, dropping forts down to 3. I decided that this is the key place. In the north it's too hard...i'll keep on pushing there too, but here i have more chances. My tanks divisions are still ager to come into play but i haven't yet found a suitable terrain for them in China...
I'll try another attack in a couple of days at Kweyang. When forts will be down to 2 it will be much much easier...
 
More enemy ships spotted south of Tabiutea... i'm getting ready to greet him here.
 
Enemy CLs spotted in the Bengal Bay...for sure he wants to bomb Akyab in order to help his troops (the 18th UK div will lead the attack). I'll let him do... when he will get a bit sloopy, i'll retaliate with my Singapore Fleet[8D]
 
I know that with northern Oz in his hands, things will get bluer for me... but i didn't have the strenght to defend that forward. Too much supply needed, too many units...and i didn't have neither of them! My goal there has always been to gain space for time...and i think it worked pretty well. I haven't lost anything important in Oz and bought 6/8 good months to build Timor (which now has 3 level 6 AFs, 2 level 4 and a couple of level 3 that are building fast)... the equivalent of 3 divisions plus a lot of AAs and artillery are already in place there...not an easy prey for the allies in late 42/early 43.
 
 
Ground combat at Kweiyang (74,49)
 
Japanese Deliberate attack
 
Attacking force 46559 troops, 511 guns, 442 vehicles, Assault Value = 1406
 
Defending force 38607 troops, 131 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 930
 
Japanese adjusted assault: 1365
 
Allied adjusted defense: 903
 
Japanese assault odds: 1 to 1 (fort level 4)
 
Japanese Assault reduces fortifications to 3
 
Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+), forts(+), leaders(+), experience(-), supply(-)
Attacker:
 
Japanese ground losses:
      1966 casualties reported
         Squads: 3 destroyed, 159 disabled
         Non Combat: 1 destroyed, 23 disabled
         Engineers: 2 destroyed, 14 disabled
      Guns lost 12 (1 destroyed, 11 disabled)
 
Allied ground losses:
      969 casualties reported
         Squads: 10 destroyed, 147 disabled
         Non Combat: 1 destroyed, 23 disabled
         Engineers: 0 destroyed, 5 disabled
 
 

[crsutton]

ORIGINAL: GreyJoy

ORIGINAL: ny59giants

You known from your other game, that even though you lost China and most of India, its the USA which wins the war for the Allies.

I hope all those troops you spent precious PP on were to assign them to non-restricted commands and can set up a firm perimeter and start to shift them down to Timor and Java area from China.

Yes, they are all assigned to Southern Command HQ.

But let me read through your lines.... you mean that i should, once for all, abbandon any dream of victory in China and start sending troops to the southern seas? If i leave now it will be forever, you know... and once the Burma road gets open again, China will be a nail in my flank...

I think at a minimum the Japanese player has to take Chungking. Every thing else to the west is a help but Chungking has to be taken.

[GreyJoy]

Chungking at a "minimum" ??? Isn't that too much of an expectation mate? I mean, Chungking???

Oct 25, 42

Today we have a little insight of what we're facing in Burma. He started the reconning bombardments in 3 different places...and, i gotta say, i'm a bit worried... A part from the 18th UK division, there are no aussies anywhere...and no other big British units... is the whole Burma advance a diversion???

is he planning a massive landing somewhere unespected with those SEAC divisions not involved in Burma?



Also today, for the first time, he attacked Buna from Portland Roads. Damages are light and the AF is still operative. But i'm not going to waste my assets now. I have decent forts everywhere in this theatre and enough supplies to be able to face these not-very-frequent bombing raids.

I'm sending more air search patrols in the Marshalls...got a bad feeling for that part of the map and in western Sumatra too...

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Ground combat at 58,43 (near Kalemyo)

Allied Bombardment attack

Attacking force 10669 troops, 130 guns, 136 vehicles, Assault Value = 607

Defending force 15328 troops, 115 guns, 8 vehicles, Assault Value = 589

Allied ground losses:
     26 casualties reported
        Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
        Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
        Engineers: 0 destroyed, 3 disabled

Assaulting units:
   7th Indian Division
   36th Chinese Division

Defending units:
   3rd RTA/B Division
   3rd RTA/C Division
   7th RTA Division
   5th Guards/A Division


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ground combat at Akyab (54,45)

Allied Bombardment attack

Attacking force 14063 troops, 283 guns, 177 vehicles, Assault Value = 784

Defending force 28895 troops, 319 guns, 69 vehicles, Assault Value = 750

Assaulting units:
   254th Armoured Brigade
   18th British Division
   7th Armoured Brigade
   85th British AT Gun Regiment

Defending units:
   15th Ind Engineer Regiment
   23rd Ind Engineer Regiment
   2nd Division
   6th RTA Division
   2nd RF Gun Bn /1
   36th Field AA Battalion
   3rd Mortar Battalion
   5th Mortar Battalion
   93rd JAAF AF Bn
   11th JAAF Base Force
   5th RF Gun Bn /1


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ground combat at 64,41 (near Myitkyina)

Allied Bombardment attack

Attacking force 2910 troops, 5 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 347

Defending force 2778 troops, 14 guns, 10 vehicles, Assault Value = 82

Assaulting units:
   84th Indian Brigade
   75th Indian Brigade
   2nd Reserve Division
 
Defending units:
   RTA Cavalry Division


You see? There are at least 2 more indian divisions in the area, and some more indian Bdes...but the 18th UK is the only "western" division spotted...where's the 2nd UK DIV?

[KenchiSulla]

Even though your progress is slowing you have to remember that you are in a position to replace lost troops and repair disabled squads. You have got supplies.

The Chinese have very limited resources. Just take a breather and keep pounding...

Could you post a screenshot of the current China situation?

[GreyJoy]

ORIGINAL: Cannonfodder

Even though your progress is slowing you have to remember that you are in a position to replace lost troops and repair disabled squads. You have got supplies.

The Chinese have very limited resources. Just take a breather and keep pounding...

Could you post a screenshot of the current China situation?

Sure mate, i know, but, even with low supplies, the terrain bonus is huge in China and my fresh divisions (i always rotate them ) really struggle to get to 1-1 odds... to keep the flow of supplies you cannot overstack too much, so you always have to attack with a perfect parity in numbers... and the chinese, even without supplies, are always able to hold.

The picture show the current situation, with the red circles rapresenting the contested hexes at the moment.

To reply to Gabede, i don't fear a chinese counterattack anytime soon. Now that i know the terrain effects, i can tell you that there's no way the chinese will be ever able to push me back, even if the Burma road gets open again. With the stacking limits it's simply impossible.

I decided that i'm using too many divisions in China. I've located a couple of battered divisions (those smaller than the usual ones, those that have a stacking cost of 10,500) and am sending them back to Shangai. I've divided them into regiments and already managed to buy one of those regiments for only 430 PPs [:D]. I won't let them recover. I'll use the other restricted regiments to (which have 50% of their squads disabled) to conduct useless attacks against well fortified enemy positions in the north, so that they'll get more disablements and will be even cheaper to buy out. These regiments are already prepping for places like Guam, Saipan, Tainan.... the sooner i start to think about the future, the better

[GreyJoy]

R&D:
 
The KI-43 IIb has just entered in production. Good. This is a decent plane for escort missions and finally the oscar line has some armour!
The Judy will arrive in november 42. Plan to produce 100 of them monthly. The next model researched will be the Judy mkIII (skipping the second version).
The Jill should arrive by 1/43...not bad.
The Zero line, with the arrival of the A6M3a and the A6M5 won't be researched anymore. All the zero factories have been changed to the KI-84b.
The Jack may arrive in april 43, while we still hope to get the George around march 43 (those damned factories take forever to repair).
 
 
 
ASW War:
The Asw efforts have been really good. We've slowed down a lot the flow of oil and fuel to the HI, but the enemy subs haven't sunk a single ship in ages now. I'm very glad. It took me more than 6 months to adjust...and the price paid to his subs was high...but now we understood the trick: huge convoys. Unusual routes. Always under some LBA ASW umbrella, and with several AVs and CVEs performing ASW and Nav Search missions

[ny59giants]

Do you think it would make his supply situation worse if you started to bomb Chungking?? Most of his front line units probably don't have much supply, but could some attacks here make it worse and when the second attack on a base happen the supply situation would be worse as he has no more supply to pull in. In my game, I have good defensive positions for my Chinese, but many of my troops at a base have a lot less supply than the actual troops that are in non-base hexes.

[Cribtop]

First, Kweiyang is a good place to focus for many reasons. Second, bombing Chungking to kill supply is a good idea.

[GreyJoy]

I do bomb Chungking every week. I like to bomb each day a different enemy city, in order to avoid ambushes and to prevent him to stockpile supplies in any base.
 
Broome is invaded!!!
 
 Oct 27, 42
 
First 2 of my subs misses two juicy xAPs full of the 4th Aus Division....
 
Then a perfect strike arrived from Koepang. Light cloud, the bombers were fully escorted. The enemy CAP was soft... all the bombers got through and.... more than half of them decided they didn't want to carry any torpedo (the Air HQ at Koepang has 200 torps loaded!!) and brought those useless bomb... obviously they all missed cause they aren't trained for bombing attacks... results? The enemy arrived at the beaches without a problem and the base is already lost without a single ship lost for Brad...grgrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr[:@][:@][:@][:@] These things drive me mad! Is there a check they have to pass to carry torps???? I think it's the third time i face this outcome and i'm starting to think i'm doing something wrong...but what? all the pilots have 70 NavT skill, good leader, air HQ full of torps... what else? Should i send my cruisers from Koepang? Those are dangerous waters, with Port Hedland being already a massive air base... don't know if it's wise...
 
 
The enemy is still pushing in Burma too...made some sweeps today over Swheebo...uncontested. And started to recon Rabaul....
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sub attack near Port Hedland  at 59,127
 
Japanese Ships
      SS I-153
 
Allied Ships
      xAP Rajula
      xAP Van Heemskerck
      xAP Stagen
      xAP Neptuna
      xAP Santhia
      DD Evertsen
 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Morning Air attack on TF, near Broome at 62,127
 
Weather in hex: Light cloud
 
Raid detected at 33 NM, estimated altitude 6,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 11 minutes
 
Japanese aircraft
      A6M2 Zero x 40
      G4M1 Betty x 28
 
Allied aircraft
      P-38F Lightning x 6
      F4F-3P Wildcat x 1
      F4F-4 Wildcat x 3
 
Japanese aircraft losses
      A6M2 Zero: 7 destroyed
      G4M1 Betty: 5 damaged
      G4M1 Betty: 1 destroyed by flak
 
Allied aircraft losses
      P-38F Lightning: 1 destroyed
 
Allied Ships
      xAP Van der Lijn
      CA Australia
      xAP Takliwa, Bomb hits 1,  on fire
      xAP Van Heemskerck
      DD Norman
      xAP Matang
      CA Canberra
 
Allied ground losses:
      24 casualties reported
         Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
         Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 3 disabled
         Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
 
Aircraft Attacking:
      13 x G4M1 Betty bombing from 6000 feet
               Naval Attack:  2 x 250 kg SAP Bomb,  4 x 60 kg GP Bomb  BUNCH OF IDIOTS!!!!!!!
      25 x A6M2 Zero sweeping at 6000 feet
      13 x G4M1 Betty launching torpedoes at 200 feet
               Naval Attack:  1 x 45cm Type 91 Torp And you??? 13 zeros sacrified themself to let you do your job and you aren't even able to hit a slow convoy full of loaded troops!?!??!?!!??!?!?!?!
 

 
I knew the torpedoes accurancy has been nerfed in this mod... but i'm having really hard times to hit anything!.... ok, stop whining... better to start thinking about how to defend the DEI...by Christmas the enemy will be at Darwin....
 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Amphibious Assault at Broome (62,127)
 
TF 164 troops unloading over beach at Broome, 62,127
 
Allied ground losses:
      83 casualties reported
         Squads: 4 destroyed, 5 disabled
         Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
         Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
      Guns lost 1 (0 destroyed, 1 disabled)
      Vehicles lost 4 (0 destroyed, 4 disabled)
 
12 troops of a USN Const Eng Sq accidentally lost during unload of 1st Air Advn Base Force /1
11 troops of a AMF Inf Sect 42 lost in surf during unload of 6th Australian Div /3
11 troops of a AMF Inf Sect 42 accidentally lost during unload of 6th Australian Div /6
11 troops of a AMF Inf Sect 42 lost overboard during unload of 6th Australian Div /9
 
 

[GreyJoy]

Ok, a part from the delusion of the last raid, i think the situation will be the following: by the end of 1942 the historical perimeter will be exactly the same of the game perimeter. What will this mean in strategical terms? well, i'll have to face the fact that, from now on, i'll be steadily on the defensive.
I will be interesting because i'll have to face the same strategical problems Japan has faced during the real war.
The main difference will be that both Japan and the allies will have their naval assets almost completely intact, which will probably lead to more fierce battles in 1943 instead of the RL allied steamrolling.
 
In NG the allies have waken up. Many many planes popped up between Portland Roads and Cairns...we'll soon face some interesting air battles here.
 
In Burma things are heating up... thank god 55k supplies are arriving at Rangoon and these should give my troops a couple of months of relief....