The Good The Bad & The Indifferent

[GreyJoy]

ORIGINAL: paullus99

His inaction in Burma is very interesting - I don't think he realized just how powerful the allies can get in this theater, as you get substantial reinforcements over the next few months which can allow a pretty powerful offensive operation (and if he's forced to defend in the open, he's toast).

+1

[GreyJoy]

ORIGINAL: paullus99

If he comes back to hit you at in the Gilberts - he's beyond the date for the Jap Amphib bonus & he'll be landing at an atoll, plus little or no prep?

Isn't that a bit insane?

+2

[Canoerebel]

6/6/42
 
Gilberts:  KB gives up the chase of Allied shipping to commit full strikes against Tarawa and Makin.  Two IJN BBs bombard Tarawa.  SigInt that 14th Division is aboard a maru bound for Nauru Island.  That - particularly the latter - is a wonderful reaction from an Allied point of view.  Barring sub interdictions, the final tally on the Gilberts invasion is in:  The Allies lose one xAP and five xAK.  The Japanese may have lost three DD (one by mine strike at Tarawa today). 
 
SoPac:  Enemy giving more attention by bombing of Luganville.  An xAK will arrive tonight.  I hope she gets to unload much-needed supply.  I think John left behind some slow carriers at Tulagi - recon showed three a few days ago.
 
Australia:  No question now that the Allied carriers will win any conceivable race to cover the Exmouth invasion.  The KB is out of position and I don't think John will sniff this one out for a few days or longer.  Amphibious ships will reach Esperance in two days to begin loading, though one of the two infantry units is a few days out by rail and will have to convert to combat mode.
 
Bay of Bengal:  A UK brigade and a base force begin landing at Ramree Island.  No air strikes - no reaction whatsoever - by Japan.  Still lots of Sallys and stuff flying in China, so I'm wondering if John has a real lack of base forces and supply in Burma.  It's either that or isn't aware of how significant this operation is.  No detection noted by any of my four TFs at Ramree nor the carriers offshore a few hexes.  Nice.  Strange, but nice.
 
China:  As noted, still lots of Japanese bomber activity.  Overall things look good at the moment.

[Miller]

ORIGINAL: JocMeister

Yes, landing on a atoll without 100 prep is bad in so many ways. So he must wait or he will get destroyed landing.

Even with 100% prep it can still be bad in so many ways! I wouldn't even consider an attempt to retake it if I was in his shoes.

[Canoerebel]

If 14th Division is going to Nauru, he may be choosing to cauterize the wound.  IE, he might not invade the Gilberts, but create a wall just to the west.  Either sounds good to me.  But after Midway and Luganville, John definitely is going to be leary of invading an atoll.

[obvert]

ORIGINAL: Miller

ORIGINAL: JocMeister

Yes, landing on a atoll without 100 prep is bad in so many ways. So he must wait or he will get destroyed landing.

Even with 100% prep it can still be bad in so many ways! I wouldn't even consider an attempt to retake it if I was in his shoes.

+1

[JeffroK]

CR, do you hold Baker Is??
Or use Tabiteua?

If yes,

Can you build a suplly dump and resupply using APD or even fly supplies in??

[Houtje]

I dont think CR holds either of those, JeffK - see post # 1076 for a map of the area.

[Canoerebel]

6/7/42
 
Bay of Bengal:  The inevitable Japanese combat TF is targeted to Ramree Island, but runs afoul of the Allied carriers.  I think three IJN DDs (each 13 points, so fairly good ones) are sunk.  This will up the ante, both because John will need to bring more and because he knows at least one USN carrier is in the Bay of Bengal.  At Ramree, engineers are coming ashore and the garrison is up to 184 AV.
 
Burma:  An Indian division has joined BFF Brigade in defending the upper most of the line of jungle hexes.  7th Aussie Div. is 33 miles towards joining the two Indian brigades defending the next lower hex.  At that point, the line of hexes is basically secure.  41 USA Div. arrives at Capetown in three weeks.  It'll be inserted into this line, though that will take a good 45 to 60 days.  Upon arrival, though, the Allies should then be in a position to begin moving forward.  From my perspective it seems like John still hasn't recognized the significance of this theater, but I'm almost surely underestimating.  He's probably got alot in the works.  But this theater is far more important than the Gilberts.
 
China:  SigInt that 1st Raiding Regiment - late in Australia - is prepping for Paoshan.
 
NoPac:  SigInt that 7th Division (that's the Soporro folks) on a maru bound for Akutan Island.  That base has been out of supply for months.  The defensive AV is something like 125.  I'll try to get some supply there via air transport.  But an IJ move might be very good as it should leave John feeling more secure about his Aluetians defenses.  I'm still planning to jump past his big forward bases to hit Attu sometime late in the year.
 
CenPac:  One element of the KB is near Makin.  I've lost track of the others.  Most of my north flank ships are approaching Johnson.  The south flank ships are safely on their way to Tahiti.
 
SoPac:  Two IJN BBs bombard Luganville, catching my little supply xAK.
 
Oz:  6th Australian Cavalry Brigade - 59% prepped with AV of 174 - can begin loading at Esperance tomorrow.  I may go with just that since it will be another three or four days before 102nd US Infantry Bn. is ready.  The four USN carriers are south of Albany.
 
Japan:  It really looks like John is shifting into a Pacific frame of mind.  7th Div. to Akutan; 14th Div. to Nauru; three divisions in New Caledonia; Luganville probably a future target; KB and most BBs in the Pacific.  This is a good setup as the Allies are concentrating on the Bay of Bengal and prepare to move on western Oz.

[Canoerebel]

Here's the key theater in the war. For an illustration of how this theater mgiht look in mid 1943 if Japan establishes a strong forward line of defense, take a look at GreyJoy's AAR - he posted a map this morning. I am really hoping John isn't reading GJ's AAR.

[Canoerebel]

One of the pleasures of life in the rural South is Sunday school.  Yesterday was one of the two hardest times I’ve laughed while teaching Sunday school over the years.
 
We were discussing the fact that Judas Iscariot kissed Jesus so that the authorities would know who to arrest. The question was posed: Wasn’t Jesus so well known by that point that this really wasn’t necessary? A class member pointed out that it’s quite possible not to recognize famous people. This was a good observation, so I was searching for an example while the class continued to discuss the point. Justin Bieber popped to mind, so I tried to think of a person in our class unlikely to be familiar with Beiber. One member, I’ll call him Mike, came to mind. He is a hard working, quiet gentleman unlikely to watch Entertainment Tonight or to read People magazine.
 
So, at a lull in the conversation, I turned to him and asked, "Mike, do you know who Justin Beiber is?"
 
Mike thought for a second, smiled, and said, "Is he the guy on Leave it to Beaver?"
 
The other instance came shortly after I began teaching the class in 2010. Wayne, our beloved teacher for many, many years, had stepped down and was no longer a member of our class.  The lesson was about the wonders of creation. To illustrate some of the complexities and marvels, I had done some research about the human mind – its makeup and capacity.
 
We came to a point where I began to ask a question, "Do you know how many brain cells the average human...."
 
At that moment, our old teacher, Wayne, surprised us by walking into the room. Inspired, I continued the question: "… - like Wayne – has?"
 
Without missing a beat, David, a retired master sergeant in the air force, deadpanned: "Three?"

[GreyJoy]

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

Here's the key theater in the war. For an illustration of how this theater mgiht look in mid 1943 if Japan establishes a strong forward line of defense, take a look at GreyJoy's AAR - he posted a map this morning. I am really hoping John isn't reading GJ's AAR.

Cannot agree more: john is really really screwed here. Even if he sees the risk and move several divisions to block your approaching paths to the plains, you have now the controll of those hexes and you can easily decide when and where to push towards the plains.
The Ramree island ops was a masterfull piece of strategy: really well planned and executed! With his left flank so open now, john would be better considering already building a defensive perimeter around moulmein and chang-mai if he doesn t want to replicate what happened to the japs in Crackaces's game

[Canoerebel]

There is a small chance that John could decide on a counterattack.  If I bring too many troops forward too fast, a landing behind my lines might catch me with slim defenses at hand.  If so, it would take me a long, long time to retrieve units that are in the jungle far beyond the nearest rail heads. 
 
Such a move is unlikely, but I'm keeping reasonable garrisons "just in case."  The Chittagong and Calcutta areas remain well defended and in depth.  Bombay and Karachi each have 250 AV.  18th UK Div. is still at Diego Garcia.  But the best defense is probably the appearance of depth and strenght.  Base building at Viz, Bombay, Karachi, Socatra, and Dante (an extended map base on the coast of Italian East Africa) lend the appearance of strength to Allied rear areas.

[ny59giants]

I would be sending significant number of American SeaBee units to India/Burma via Cape Town to aid in building up bases quickly. I sent some in my game (March '43), but should have sent more.

[Canoerebel]

I agree.  This area has an acute need for engineers.  I have everything possible pushed forward, but Akyab in particular is in dire need.
 
I have two American EAB at Imphal and the Bobcats unit at Diego Garcia.  Only a half dozen Sea Bee units have arrived to date and all of them have gone to Oz, Tahiti and on ship for the Gilberts, though I'm not sure they're going to get in.

[Bullwinkle58]

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

I agree.  This area has an acute need for engineers.  I have everything possible pushed forward, but Akyab in particular is in dire need.

I have two American EAB at Imphal and the Bobcats unit at Diego Garcia.  Only a half dozen Sea Bee units have arrived to date and all of them have gone to Oz, Tahiti and on ship for the Gilberts, though I'm not sure they're going to get in.

The EABs have always made me wonder. They were Engineer Aviation Battalions. Specially designed and manned to build forward air bases, runways, and defend/repair same.

I've always wondered if the game really treats Allied engineers as generics. Or if, perhaps, deep in the EXE file there is a tweak to make EABs favor AF construction and disfavor ports and forts. Seabees are generalists. I wonder if EABs are.

[Canoerebel]

I suspect EABs are just generic, though assumptions like these often prove wrong when I make them.
 
A US Army EAB arrives at Dacca as a reinforcement in about 21 days, so that will help things a bit.

[ny59giants]

Just a friendly FYI, but don't forget to get a BF with Naval Support squads to Ramree Island. They will speed up the unloading of supplies and troops.

[Canoerebel]

A fast transport TF carrying one of the American port service units is en route, currently north of Diego Garcia.  This was one of the units targeting Cocos Island before I scrubbed that mission a month ago.

[Canoerebel]

6/8/42
 
Bay of Bengal:  A lone IJN DD tangles with an Allied TF consisting of CL Newcastle and a handful of DDs...and sinks Newcastle.  Drat, the first loss of this operation for the Allies.  No enemy air strikes, but John at long last has some patrols in place.  The Allies are nearly finished unloading at Ramree.  My big fast transport TF will be busy for the next week carrying engineers and base forces forward to Akyab.  I'm mulling over how John will react to this operation plus a known USN carrier in the Bay of Bengal.  He's gonna react, but how?

Arabian Sea:  An IJN sub wolfpack sinks two good UK tankers south of Karachi.

Luzon:  The Japanese take Clark Field on a shock attack (that's the third of three elements of a good day for John, probably giving him a needed dose of adrenaline).  I love the new touch to the game as the US Armed Forces Radio Network Announces:  "Greetings to the Allied Forces across the Pacific, the Indian Ocean and in Asia.  The stout defenders of Clark Field finally retired to Bataan today.  General Homma, the Japanese commander who promised to deliver this to the Emporer months ago, committed seppuku today.  His final words to the Emporer:  "Dang, Emporer, I really messed this up.  My bad."

Australia:  Oops, 6th Australian Cavalry division is restricted, so 550 PP are paid to buy her out (that leaves me with 1,000 in the bank, but I need much more than that when 41st Div. arrives at Capetown in 9 days).  6th Cav. begins loading on transports at Esperance.  The US Army battalion reaches Esperance but needs two more days to stand down from strat mode.  So I may go with just the Aussies.  D-Day Exmouth perhaps 10 days.

SoPac:  Quiet.  The enemy fails to take Noumea despite overwhelming odds, but it will fall to a shock attack tomorrow unless John forgets to issue orders.

CenPac:  One branch of the KB sends a raid against Makin.  The second branch may be approaching Tarawa from the east, after scouting those waters (not sure its a carrier TF, might be just combat ships).  A combat TF is well to the southeast, either looking for stray Allied shipping or planning to visit places like Christmas Island.  The Allied invasion ships are beginning to reach Pearl and will unload the remnant units.

NoPac:  Waiting to see if 7th Div. is actually inbound to Akutan.  I think so.