The Good The Bad & The Indifferent

[crsutton]

Nice move Canoe and good smoke screens. You know how much I like a move on Sabang. Siboret Island is a "must" for you. It's potential level 9 airbase is the key to cutting off his oil. But if he fights for Siboret, you will need LSTs or at best LCTs to keep it in supply, and I don't know if you have any (LSTs) yet. This will be the decisive battle of the war. If he can't throw you out the war is lost for him.

JFB's pay heed. You can't leave this area unguarded. It it just too critical. This is AE 101...

[Cribtop]

Crsutton is correct. Based on his earlier warnings, I massively garrisoned Siboeret in my latest game. That base is an AFB dream if taken on the cheap. Kiss your Oil goodbye if it falls, JFBs!

[Canoerebel]

I agree about Sumatra, and I realize nearly all IJ players worry about it too. I still don't know what John has in Sumatra, but judging by SigInt (quiet!) and the number of divisions and attention given to Burma and New Guinea, I feel confident (not postive) that it should be lightly held.

I brough as much as three-gazillion transports could carry, but I still didn't have room for everything. An Oz division got left behind and parts of a couple of Marine regiments.

I haven't counted precisely - I just loaded and loaded. I know there are four full divisions (three first wave + 32nd coming in strategic mode). Then there are at least two more complete division equivalents and perhaps as many as four. I think bringing six or seven divisions plus lots of engineers and base forces should make it very hard on John to counter effectively short term and perhaps even medium term.

Definite objectives: Sabang, several of the bases "down the coast to and past Medan, Sibolga and several of the island (both Sumatra and Nicobars). Possible objectives: Siberoet and Padang. I doubt this is going to be possible, but we'll see. Part of a Marine raider battalion will be testing this objective in a couple of days (and another part will either probe Siberoet or Sibolga). Getting three or four or five mutually supporting bases anchored by Sabang, Sibolga and Medan is my first priority. Hold those and John has major problems. Anything beyond that is gravy and icing.

We have a rule vs. strategic bombing until 1944, so that isn't an objective of this operation. The objective is to take and hold western Sumatra, isolate Burma and Port Blair, inflict damage on enemy assets, and stress John.

[Canoerebel]

A final narrative about how Operation Des Wallace came about:

1. In early October, the Allied plan to invade New Guinea and adjacent islands was underway. Many transports had arrived at Hobart, Port Kembla, etc. had unloaded, with more enroute. The Amercian carriers were near New Zealand. This move was complicated and lengthy and had follwed immediately after the frustrating Just in Time Reinforcements, Part I (Aleutians).

2. It was clear from SigInt and patrol reports that Just in Time Reinforcements, Part II (New Guinea Theater) was underway. Frustrating! Time for a snap decision - proceed or divert? The biggest factor was that John was still actively moving into the NG Theater (and thus away from Sumatra). Moving away while the enemy is moving in is optimum, so the decision was made that very turn.

3. First decision: Reload all the Tasmania troops via strat mode and move them to Adelaide (which wasn't under observation) to combat load. Move the troops in Oz to Adelaide via rail. This took a LONG time - loading scores of thousands of troops at Port 5 Hobart promised to be a challenge.

4. Second decision: immediately preposition supply xAKs, TKs and oilers from Capetown somewhere around Diego Garcia. Release Indomitable (scheduled for withdrawal in 60 days) from Capetown to participate.

5. Speed was the utmost consideration. So, as soon as the "first wave" troops were at Adelaide, they loaded on the best and fastest ships. These TFs moved out accompanied by the carriers and combat TFs. The plan being to push, push, push to Sumatra and allow the second wave and tertiary wave troops to arrive when they arrived.

6. I think the first wave speerhead departed Adelaide around October 15 or 16. It was sometime around then - or perhaps a week earlier - that I decided to divert 18th UK Div. She was at Cochin and heading for Burma. Instead, she stood down and began prepping. I think 18th Div. is roughly 55% prepped, which will be by far the highest prep level.

7. From there, it was just a matter of seeing when the enemy might become informed and institute Just In Time Reinforcements, Part III. What an agonizing 25-day journey it was.

[Chickenboy]

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel
We have a rule vs. strategic bombing until 1944, so that isn't an objective of this operation.

Well, if you can get something (LBA DBs, naval attack aircraft) within 6-7 hexes of Palembang approaches, you can have a de facto embargo without strat bombing his oil per se.

Another underrated side effect of this operation is the threat posed to Singapore proper. It serves as the best port on the Japanese right flank-bar none. With its use denied, that's a critical loss for the Japs.

[Chickenboy]

Well done, Dan. I'm going to enjoy watching this. It'll be bloody, but it's almost impossible for him to eject you. You are in an excellent position to completely crumple his entire right flank / theater.

[JeffroK]

Well done, I was very fearful of your advance into the valley of death, just too many supporting bases (as you listed the airfields earlier)

This attack puts you in place to affect JIII, rather than be the start of a slog through New Guinea.

Re You cant Strat Bomb Palembang, when can you start night minelaying??

Also to add to the failure to have Nav search at Cocos would be allowing you to set up a base at Trinkat and not have Nav Search out of Pt Blair.

(I hope you have a few subs in the choke points that JIII will be using??)

[Canoerebel]

I think I have 25 subs in the water between Sabang and Singapore. I have five or six in the Sulu Sea. I have three in the Torres Straits. Perhaps six or eight covering the Bismark Sea choke points. But I don't have anything covering the Java Sea. I'm not counting on my subs to do anything snazzy, but I will have DD patrols out (and, gracious, if I don't get airfields up and running in three or four days, something's gone awry).

As for the Nicobars, the insertion of supplies and base force cadres was handled by PBYs out of Ramree Island - the cadres just coming in two days back. I think John had/has patrols operating out of Port Blair - unless he recently stripped everything to divert to New Guinea, which is possible.

[JeffroK]

I wondered how Trinkat got up and running!

[Cribtop]

On another note, ISR is King, folks. Knowing what the enemy is up to is at least 2/3rds of the Battle. I've learned this lesson from repeated observations in numerous AARs. Knowledge is Power. A cliche, but oh so true.

[CaptBeefheart]

Well played, Sir. Well played.

Cheers,
CC

[JocMeister]

Well done CR! Looks like you managed to fool most of us! [:)]

[JeffroK]

We'll all look silly if JIII has 2-3 Divisions holding the beach!

[V I Lenin]

ORIGINAL: JeffK

We'll all look silly if JIII has 2-3 Divisions holding the beach!

I burst out laughing in my seat when CR revealed what he had been doing, so I think that maybe past the 'silly' point already...

[Encircled]

For those of us who just play the AI, this shows what a challenge it must be playing a very good human player.

I take my hat off to you sir!

[BigBadWolf]

Wait, you guys really didn't saw this coming? Pffft, I figured out CR's plan like a week ago.

[8D]

Jokes aside, it will be very interesting watching John's reaction and how he deals with this.

[yubari]

Great stuff, and a war winning move. Those airfields can be built up so big and the defensive terrain is so good.
I also suspected that something like this would be happening, but declined to mention it. Great theatre these past couple of weeks [8D]

[Encircled]

Not only a great move, but guaranteed to close the gap on Greyjoys AAR....

[BBfanboy]

ORIGINAL: yubari

Great stuff, and a war winning move. Those airfields can be built up so big and the defensive terrain is so good.
I also suspected that something like this would be happening, but declined to mention it. Great theatre these past couple of weeks [8D]

Like Yubari, I suspected something but played along with the narrative CR was spinning. Does that mean we were part of the "negative space" à la Nemo 121? If so, should we feel insulted or honoured?

It will be very interesting to see if the successful landings [with lots of supply] can be sustained over many months with Japanese LBA so close by. It is only Nov. 1942 for Pete's sake, and allied fighter pools are not great. But if anyone can make it work, Canoe Rebel can! [:)]

[Chickenboy]

ORIGINAL: BBfanboy
It will be very interesting to see if the successful landings [with lots of supply] can be sustained over many months with Japanese LBA so close by. It is only Nov. 1942 for Pete's sake, and allied fighter pools are not great. But if anyone can make it work, Canoe Rebel can! [:)]

Aye, that's the question. Can these landings be sustained? There will be an aerial pounding administered. CRs fighter pools will suffer further, particularly in those bases within range of the Malay peninsula. I forsee lots and lots and lots of fighter sweeps and airfield pounding.

But that won't be enough to dislodge troops, will it? Unless he puts 20 Divisions together to root out the Allies, it will be insufficient. Particularly for those islands offshore that can be built into a massive redoubt. These will require a major counter amphibious offensive into the teeth of enemy airpower. Not gonna happen in 1943.