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Operation Fenrir[/font]
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Sorry if this is a bit text heavy. I´m slightly drunk (
) and have nothing better to do right now! [:D]
So this is my latest brainchild. This is the most risky thing I have done so far and failing will most likely mean I will be stuck more or less where I am right now untl the war is over. This is not something typical of me as I much rather stack all the odds heavily in my favor before trying something. But I think I have a solid plan and have thought this through.
Planning
For a very long time now I have watched the small garrison at Tavoy trying to figure out a way to get there. This of course was not possible without CV support until I capture Rangoon. This is when I really started looking into it. A quite big problem was adequate shipping. This is lacked as I sent all the british assault shipping to the Pacific. A stupid mistake that would take to long to fix now so I had to make due with what I had. I did have LSTs though. I opted not to send them to the Pacific since they were perfect to haul Supply to Ramree Island.
Having only LSTs meant armor. So as soon I failed the critical attack at Pegu I immediately changed the prep on all armor I had and sent them to Rangoon. I already had the best Indian ID prepped for Tavoy sitting at Madras but not bought out. This had to go by xAPs/xAKs though. So to get as much as possible off I needed a crapload of them. And I also needed to get the armor on the ships without Erik seeing them disappear from Rangoon. I think this "drowned" in the general confusion when I captured Rangoon. There were so much troops shuffling and TFs coming and going that I think he simply missed all the AFVs disappearing aboard a "cargo TF" with only 2 AMs for cover...
And here we are. My plan here is simply to exploit the silly and broken air transport system. I have been completely unable to stop Erik reinforcing or pulling out troops by air throughout this game. So now its my turn to (ab?)use it.
Critical events
But I need to capture Tavoy and secure the AF to be able to fly stuff in and keep the AF open. If I fail to capture the base everything goes down the drain. So I needed Combat Engineers to bring down the Forts (turns out they are level 5) and also help keep the AF open.
I think if I can capture Tavoy within 2-3 turns this operation can succeed. I have two US IDs and 2 Chinese Corps ready to be flown in. The Chinese are chosen because they are infantry heavy (easy to fly in). And in defensive terrain with some forts and backed up by armor they might prove more then a match for the Japanese soldiers. The US IDs are simply chosen because they happened to be at Rangoon recovering from the Pegu battle.
But I need Tavoy and its airfield. And I have to get it before Erik brings in the kitchen sink...
Japanese predicted counter
Erik is going to bring in every available asset he has to spare. If the KB is indeed in the area he will send it. He will send every plane, ship and cook at this. I can´t do too much about that once he arrives. I´m guessing it will take him 2-3 days to get the air force in place and 3-10 days before major combat ships start arriving. The air force I can deal with. That doesn´t worry me. But the Navy does...
Allied Forces
I will of course too throw the kitchen sink at this. Naval power is limited though with only 1 BB, 5 CAs 2 CLs and some 20 DDs. I do have some 30 subs that will soon take up position.
What I do have though is a big air force. And a level 9 AF only 7 hexes away. With 4000 AS in place... I have already flown in and hidden my "KB strike force" of 120 attack bombers. Now that the cats out of the bag 200 TBs and 500 Fighters will follow suit. I already have some DBs and TBs in place in India that will jump in as well.
I still havn´t decided on whether to fly in the 4Es from Cotabato to really pound the troops at Tavoy tomorrow. I currently have 400 4Es at Rangoon and 400 at Cotabato. The problem is if I need to stay another day to unload. If that is the case I can´t fly any mission towards Tavoy as that will chew up my own LRCAP over the TF. Decisions...
The first contact
Erik uploaded the replay for me. Here is the result!
Ground combat at Tavoy (54,60)
Allied Shock attack
Attacking force 5362 troops, 72 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 752 Given the non so optimum shipping used (LSTs with xAKs and xAPs) I can´t complain about getting 750 AV onshore!
Defending force 3910 troops, 28 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 126
Allied adjusted assault: 101
Japanese adjusted defense: 274
Allied assault odds: 1 to 2 (fort level 5)
Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+), forts(+), disruption(-), preparation(-)
experience(-)
Attacker: shock(+)
Japanese ground losses:
127 casualties reported
Squads: 1 destroyed, 13 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 3 disabled
Allied ground losses:
136 casualties reported
Squads: 2 destroyed, 34 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 3 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Assaulting units:
XXXIII Corps Engr Bn /3
Provisionl Tank Brigade
Gardner's Horse Regiment
209th Combat Engineer Battalion
77th Chindit Bde /1
IV Corps Engr Bn /3
18th Cavalry Regiment
XV Corps Engr Bn /3
111th Chindit Bde /1
9th Indian Div /8
255th Indian Tank Bde /2
50th Tank Bde /7
I Aus Corps Engr Bn /3
Defending units:
62nd Infantry Brigade
23rd JNAF AF Unit
Don´t let the numbers fool you. I mistakenly set the Paras to drop a day too early. They triggered a shock attack that only they took a part in.
So what do you guys think. Can it work? Given one more day of unloading I could perhaps get another 2-300 AV onshore. Total AV in the invasion was 1200.
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