Babes Guadalcanal AAR

[Symon]

A couple of groups thought of doing one of these, but didn't, because they couldn't figure out how. The Babes play style is very different, to say the least, and unpired, CPX-style gaming, isn't something that normally intersects with the wargamer world. But ... people have been talking about it, so it's worth while to throw one up here and maybe let people realize that this game has incredible internal potential. We don't play GC because there's no physically possible way to do so. We take slices out of the War and set up months long Fleet/Amphib Problems like the commanders way back then would have done. Our "games", if you can call them that, are specifically developed 'small' scenarios, with specifically developed Land and Sea OOBs for each.

That's the background, and the present scenario uses the JF-06 version of the Babes Guadalcanal Scen34 (taken down by MO, as I understand it). So without further adoo, I'll start dumping stuff.

Japanese formal warning orders tomorrow.

[Alfred]

Wasn't it intended that you and theElf were going to go mano a mano on a GC?[:)]

Alfred

[PaxMondo]

subscribed.  Welcome BACK!!!!
 

[Symon]

ORIGINAL: Alfred
Wasn't it intended that you and theElf were going to go mano a mano on a GC?[:)]

Alfred

Never could quite hook that together, and then we both got busy [;)]

[Symon]

The Playing Field, 1942 ”N 8 ŒŽ 6 “ú (August 6, 1942):

Different from stock. Marshalls, Gilberts, Ellices, Fijis, Tongas, added to Eastern map area. Allows for (requires) operations by 6th Base Force in the Marshalls against Gilberts and phosphate island targets. Forces operational use of 6th Base Force assets and limits their use as reinforcements to 8th Fleet. Portions of Australia and New Zealand added to Western and Southern map area.

US reinforcements arrive in Tonga and New Zealand. Australian reinforcements arrive in Sydney. IJN and certain IJA reinforcements arrive in Truk. Certain IJA reinforcements arrive in Hollandia/Wewak.

[Symon]

For those mostly familiar with AE scope and scale, some description of the database is in order. The database is highly modified, far more so than even BigBabes. Structure and organization have been pushed to their practical limits of graininess.

Unit Organization:

Units are broken into component parts. Divisions do not divide or recombine. There are no division units per se. US Divisions consist of a Division HQ unit, three Inf Regts, three 105 FA Bns, and a 155 FA Bn. Aus, NZ, etc are organized equivalently. Japanese, the same, except they may have a Recon or Cavalry Regt and different arty organization. Each of the units organic to a division are assigned to that Division HQ. A Division HQ may take other units under command or give up units to another command.

Both sides have certain task organized independent Brigade HQs, like 35th Inf Brigade (Kawaguchi), So Seas Group (Horii), Milne Force (Clowes). Each of the units originally comprising a Task/Brigade Group are assigned to that Force/Brigade HQ. A Force/Brigade HQ may take other units under command or give up units to another command. Division/Brigade/Task HQs are Type ‘1’ and have significant Support assets (that have been taken from their component maneuver elements).

Base Forces have also gone by the board. Japanese Base Forces are Naval HQs (Type 21) with various Support and construction squads. Major ‘Base Forces’ (4th, 6th, 7th, 8th) are static. Aux Base Units are still HQs, but are mobile. Component pieces of Base Forces are defined separately. Rabaul area might have a CD Unit, AA Unit, Port Unit, and three Naval Guard Units, all reporting to 8th Base Force. Each is individually configured to reflect what was present at the time. A Base Force’s capabilities, therefore, can be expanded or contracted as needed. Some Naval Guard and SNLF units are broken down into a maneuver unit and a gun unit, to allow for deployment without having to take 5” and 6” CD guns along, all the time.

All Japanese, and the large majority of Allied, Aviation Support is held solely by Aviation Units. Each Aviation Support Unit is married, by name, to a corresponding Airgroup and reports to the corresponding higher HQ echelon. Thus 1/19th and 2/19th Suijoki’tai, service 19th Ku T-1 and 19th Ku T-2 on Kwajalein and Makin, all reporting to 6th Base Force. Similarly, 1/Cht’se and 2/Cht’se Hokojo’tai service Chitose Ku S-1 and Chitose Ku K-1, all reporting to 24th Air Flotilla. Allies have corresponding Base Groups and Base Squadrons. No other units contain Aviation Support, with the exception of a (very) few specific (and static) established major air and naval bases (like Sydney, Brisbane, Suva, Tonga, Noumea, etc..).

It's interesting to watch how some of this plays out and might provide some useful information as to how the database can be modified to fit other situations or specific operations.

[Symon]

And last.

Command and Control:

Has all the usual suspects, but configured differently.

IJA is controlled by 8th Area Army, with 17th Army, 18th Army, and 6th Air Division under command, not all of which are present initially. 8th Area Army reports to the Army Section of IJGHQ (the umpire).

All IJA Air units (air and ground support) report through 6th Air Division. 17th and 18th Armies each have Division/Brigade HQs under command, as well as separate, individual support units, like Hy Arty Bns, AA units, Cmbt, Field, Shipping, and Labor Engs, separate Inf Regts, and the like. Remaining units are under Division/Brigade HQs. Command flow is Area Army to Army to Division/Brigade. Every HQ except Area Army has radius ‘1’.

IJN is distributed. Southeast Area Fleet eventually controls 4th, 8th, and 11th Air, Fleets. Major surface elements are under Combined Fleet, separate from the Area Fleet. Southeast Area Fleet reports to the Navy Section of IJGHQ (the umpire). Combined Fleet is a law unto itself and reports directly to the umpire. This is because major portions of it came and went throughout the period, and there is no methodology for withdrawing Japanese ships, except by arbitrary action of the umpire.

11th Air Fleet has several Air Flotillas under command. IJN Air units (air and ground support) may report directly to 11th Air Fleet, to an Air Flotilla, or to a Base Force HQ. Only 11th Air Fleet and the Air Flotilla HQs are Air HQs capable of aerial torpedo rearming. Radius is ‘1’. 4th and 8th Fleets have 4th, 6th, 7th, 8th, Base Force HQs under command. 1st and 2nd Aux Base Units are fungible between Fleet and BF HQs. The majority of land combat units and local naval craft belong to Base Force HQs. Base Forces are Naval HQs with radius of ‘1’.

SWPac is the command HQ for ANZ. Australian and US units report to one of a mix of Allied Land Forces (Blamey), Aus 1st Army, Aus I Corps, US I Corps, or direct. Several CMF units are deployable. Many are not. Lots of permanent, temp, and static restriction switches set Otherwise HQ flow and attachment is pretty straight forward.

SoPac, is SoPac. There’s nothing there that isn’t intuitively obvious.

Pacific Fleet is also a law unto itself and reports directly to the umpire.

[Symon]

This is a scenario that was played out last year, back when it was first developed. The proposal was for three Allied teams: SWPac, SoPac, PacFlt/Ump. And three Japanese teams: Southeast Area Fleet, 8th Area Army, CombFlt/Ump. Each team could have as many subordinate commanders as it wished.

Each team received a background briefing, an operational order, and a warning order. All intelligence was in the hands of the umpire and distributed accordingly. Reinforcements, as available, were released at the discretion of the umpire. Major Fleet operations were conducted by proposal/demand of the PacFlt/CombFlt team leader after consultation with the umpire.

Enough people saved their savegames and ops folders, so I can reconstruct most of the party-time get togethers when significant events were run for all to see. Some things I'll have to assume, but for purposes of an AAR, that shouldn't bother anybody.

The whole idea is that each side must plan its Ops and then carry out those Ops, as planned. If fewmets hit the widnmill, that side must appeal to "Higher" for reinforcements and a change in plans. Major shifts in operational emphasis or axis must be preceded by a justification to the umpire. It may, or may not be authorized, depending on the umpire's judgement, but a prompt response, without authorization, to a looming catastrophe is often overlooked. It is often easier to say "sorry" than "may I". Umpires are important. Depending on the scenario and the situation, they can be a highly professional resource, or (again depending) they can be a dogmatic, obstruction. Kinda like what actually happened to the commanders in the field? Yeah?

Welcome to the wonderful world of CPX-style gaming.

Ok, next post is going to be the respective orders. Right straight out of the order books of the respective sides (the Japanese orders will be in English)[;)]

[Cribtop]

Can't wait to see this play out.