Thanks for advice about Rangoon JocMeister, but question is still open for other readers.
I still have 2 days before i will have to make final decisions. Maybe little more if my delay plan will work.
I think in 1944 it would be wise to save 1000AV. once he captures pegu units in rangoon are toast. And you cant support them from sea. If you want delay its better to retreat to jungle and conserve force for other delaying actions. I believe once Rongoon is lost it is acceptable to plan a bigger retreat because with rangoon he can plan big landing to cut your troops from singapure in which you will loose all your delaying action possibilities. In 1945 Its better to use forces to protect attrition bases in inner sea to slow him down to reach philiphines and other direct approach to homeland if possible.
"Unless a nation's life faces peril, war is murder."
"Sovereignty is not given, it is taken."
"After having lost their lives on this land they have become our sons as well."
Mustafa Kemal
Burma
I need help there. To make final decisions.
On map You can see my and allied troops positions:
North of Rangoon 1500AV
Rangoon 1000AV
Pagu 1600AV
South of Pegu 700AV
Moulmein 1000AV
It look that allies decide to bypass road block north of Rangoon and move trough jungle and join with forces moving toward Pegu forces. Estimated enemy AV is 2000-3000AV in both groups. So ~6000+AV total.
My plan is to retreat troops that are north of Rangoon toward Pegu and from there behind River.
Questions 1. Should i abandon Rangoon or leave city garrison ~1000AV
2. Should i fight in Pegu or just now retreat to Jungle hex south behind river (I need hold Pegu for week until troop from Rangoon retreat)
Any advices appreciated. Few of You already play as Allies and Japan in similar situation.
Have I ever mentioned that I HATE burma? [:D]
Burma is a death trap, pure and simple. In '42 for the Allies, later for the IJ.
I can only defend Rangoon so long as I hold air superiority. After I lose air superiority, all units that I have there are lost for sure. Even if I have it, the allies can land behind me, cut my supply lines and I still lose it. This means, no matter what I do, I will lose Rangoon and everything in it. I can buy 30 - 60 days tops. That's not that long and the allies cannot beat me in Burma. In fact at your game date, Burma/Malaysia is a complete sideshow. There is nothing there that the allies can do that is going to alter the final score, they are simply too far away from the HI. You've done a really good job here. Just keep on creating speed bumps every few hexes and in '46 they might be in Canton. [8D]
Try to bluff that you are holding it, but bail out. Get all your units to Rahaeng ASAP. Burma and Malaysia are lost, just a matter of how many units will you sacrifice and the exact date. Once at Rahaeng, move all units that you wish to have in '45 EAST to Hanoi. Move units that you are going to sacrifice in Singapore SOUTH to Bangkok.
I like to setup my MLR at Langson going north to force the allies into an amphib operation to take HK. You can try Vinh, but unless you hold Kunming, I haven't been able to hold it. Even Langson is jeopardized from that direction....
I will make my final decision tomorrow but for 90% i will retreat.
I believe major allied CV power is still in IO after what i saw near Rangoon last week.
I dont know current position of those CV but in case i holding KB close in case Docup will decide to back To Burma to end what he was trying there earlier.
First temporary defense line will be river south of Pegu, after that Moulmein and river.
After that Jungle rough terrain in Thai border. Instead of wasting units for Rangoon they will probably will be used in defense of Malaya
Burma
Ground troops retreating. After this turn i know that will manage to retreat behind river before allied enter Pegu base.
Last tank unit in Burma upgrade to Tank type 3. I have over 700AV of tank units in Burma.
(2 Tank Divisions and some small units)
Allies sweep and bomb unit that is in hex north of Pegu. 50 P-47 sweep before bombers arrive.I met them with leaky CAP from Pegu. At end of day 12 P-47 and 15 bombers shot down for 40 Japanese fighters.
Salomon
Japanese fighters from Rabaul LCAP Shortlands. Orders - intercept Australian bombers.
13 2E bombers shot down. No Japanise losses.
Japan
Allied subs start hunting in Kuril Islands. I lost Tanker and two xAK in last two days. Naval and Air ASW rebased, in 2 days i will start hunting them.
Burma
Burma retreat is going nicely. Half of army behind river. Rangoon have only single ENG units left. Unit will be sacrificed to block auto switching of base, allow to supplies being drain from base and reduce forts to zero when base will be captured.
I sweep Remree Island with 300 Franks. Allies have there 300 fighters but no CAP.[X(]
China
Docup write me email that when he recapture Rangoon he will start offensive in China.
We will see. I believe that China troops cant be strong enough to treat Japanese troops there. Even with extra supplies from Burma Road and from supplies unloaded i Rangoon.
He will need to commit there better troops he have in Burma now and Air force and that mean more supplies needed. I will be challenging but as long i will be facing China troops only i should be ok.
Borneo
B-29 wist base 300 miles north of Balikpapan. No air opposition. I heave there fighters but i move them few days earlier to Manila to upgrade to J2M5.
64 oil wells damaged. 36 still operational.
After that raid i reinforced all oil wells air defenses in B-29 range.
Pacific
Allies land on small atoll half way between Rabaul and Tarawa (don`t remember name) and capture it. Base can be build to AF 3 only so i believe it will be forward FP base.
Joc: can't he 'pump' supply into Chungking plain via Kunming? If that works, and in other AAR's it is claimed to work, then in 60 - 90 days those CHI corps should be +800 AV each. The biggest issue I have seen with the CHI corps are the leaders, but given the numbers they still work.
koniu: I agree with Joc, I think the email bravado but I'd respect the threat even if it is early, it will happen. If not 90 days then 180 days for sure. I'd get my MLR's setup in good 3x terrain with good sized AF's 3-5 hexes behind them. The good news that I find after I get to exit from Burma (I hate Burma) is that with my new western MLR somewhere near Langson tying into my northern MLR is that my air is now really concentrated. I can readily create and execute effective +500 plane attacks on allied LCU's as well as maintain air superiority. With relatively thin lines in 3x terrain, I can hold my lines. My dangers until 9/45 are all from the South ... allied amphib operations along the south coast of china are the only way for the allies to advance against me. That's because the allied Death Star can always create a pocket of air superiority ... TF38/58 with its +3000 AC in one hex ...
You've got 15 months before the SOV activation. Just remember you will need at least two of your ARM DIV's to have a hope to stop the SOV. FULL strength well rested ARM DIV's. I wouldn't move them now, but I would be sure that I have a plan to get them there ~July 45. My real concern at this time is if one of ARM DIV's gets mauled by allied air strikes in the West. Takes + 6 months to get an ARM DIV rebuilt ...
I'd also be getting my final 45&46 MLR's prepped at this time (AF's and forts built). You've got some tough choices to make, but you need to encompass Shanghai/Beijing/Korea. At least for me, they are always tough. I have to balance the "I really want to keep this area" against "do I jeopardize all of Asia by trying to keep this area" philosophies. The retreat paths are a killer as the map is against you. The final 46 MLR for me is easy ... just the Korean penninsula.
ORIGINAL: PaxMondo
Joc: can't he 'pump' supply into Chungking plain via Kunming? If that works, and in other AAR's it is claimed to work, then in 60 - 90 days those CHI corps should be +800 AV each. The biggest issue I have seen with the CHI corps are the leaders, but given the numbers they still work.
I´ve never been very successful with that. But I´ve only tried very early in the game when you lack the ability to dump extraordinary amounts in Burma. Might be doable if you dump a couple of million supply at Rangoon. [:)]
But I would be very surprised if he could sustain prolonged combat to be honest. I think he would take massive losses trying to go on the offensive. But I have been wrong before! [:D]
Burma
All combat troops cross river South of Pegu. Only few ENG and AA will cross tomorrow.
One of ENG units instead of South move North. I check last turns they where marching north from at lest 3 days. I think it is gamy move from my side, accidental but gamy. It reset allied move and tomorrow allies will have to push back me from hex north Pegu again.
Tomorrow I will Banzai charge with that unit (9AV) against 3000 allied AV.
Again i sweep different AFs in Burma. Again no CAP.
Salomons.
Another overkill from Docup. In night Allied BB bombard shortlands. Dont know why. Shortlands are empty (less than 100 soldiers in base) No supplies , 100 AF damage and still he send 3 Battleships.
Night Naval bombardment of Shortlands at 109,131
Allied Ships
BB Idaho
BB Arizona
BB Colorado
Japanese ground losses:
31 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 4 destroyed, 6 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Vehicles lost 7 (4 destroyed, 3 disabled)
Airbase hits 10
Airbase supply hits 1
Runway hits 19
Port hits 7
Port supply hits 1
BB Idaho firing at Shortlands
OS2U-3 Kingfisher acting as spotter for BB Arizona
BB Arizona firing at Shortlands
BB Colorado firing at Shortlands
Burma
Allied CV TF show up in Bay of Bengal. Not sure what Docup is doing. Another invasion attempt. He is trying to bait KB or just allied CV are moving to IO and from there to Pacific.
Allies enter Rangoon hex. Tomorrow base will fail. All troops from Pegu retreat behind river. In 3-4 days base will be captured by allies.
Tomorrow i will have info about enemy troops in Rangoon. Today troops north of Pegu.
85kmen, 1400 guns and 1400 vehicles.
7th Australian Division
9th Australian Division
5th Indian Division
3rd New Chinese/A Corps
3rd New Chinese/B Corps
3rd New Chinese/C Corps
20th Indian/A Division
20th Indian/C Division
1st Cavalry (Spec) Cavalry Division
ORIGINAL: koniu
Another overkill from Docup. In night Allied BB bombard shortlands. Dont know why. Shortlands are empty (less than 100 soldiers in base)
ORIGINAL: koniu
Another overkill from Docup. In night Allied BB bombard shortlands. Dont know why. Shortlands are empty (less than 100 soldiers in base)
No recon or poor recon ... what's the DL?
Recon was 9/9. I believe he had plan to bombard Rabaul, but day earlier his sub find BB TF in Rabaul hex.
Allies capture Rangoon. It cost me 2500 points.
Today i see 18 LCUs in Rangoon and ~200 fighters. Tomorrow 350 Franks and 400 bombers will visit Rangoon. I believe Docup don`t have there AV support. At lest not enough to support 200 fighters. To make my chances higher at night CA TF will bombard Rangoon.
Docup move small SAG and some transports to Rangoon i will also try to intercept them
As suspected Allied troops start moving longer way. I am 99% sure that Docup is afraid to shock trough river against 4000AV in x2 terrain. But 100% sure i will be when Pegu will fall tomorrow. It is good news as it should give me 20 or more days before i will have to retreat behind river to Moulmein.
I see two allied CV TF in Bay of Bengal. One is looking like Fleet CV TF. I am moving KB to Singer.
Burma
Pegu fall. Estimated AV allied have in Burma is at lest 5300AV in Rangoon area, 2500 east of Chiang Mai. Probably another 3000AV is moving from Prome
Behind river Japan have 5700AV, in Chiang Mai i have 2000AV
Attack on Rangoon don`t go well.
Cruisers at night bombard Rangoon. Before bombardment they sunk 3 allied minesweepers and heavily damaged 2 British destroyers.
Night Time Surface Combat, near Rangoon at 54,54, Range 2,000 Yards
Japanese Ships
CA Mogami
CA Furutaka
CL Natori
DD Shimakaze
DD Hokaze
DD Namikaze
Allied Ships
YMS BYMS-2055, Shell hits 7, and is sunk
YMS BYMS-2059, Shell hits 3, and is sunk
YMS BYMS-2061, Shell hits 21, and is sunk
----------------------------------------
Night Time Surface Combat, near Rangoon at 54,53, Range 2,000 Yards
Japanese Ships
CA Mogami, Shell hits 4
CA Furutaka, Shell hits 3
CL Natori, Shell hits 1
DD Shimakaze
DD Hokaze
DD Namikaze, Shell hits 1
Allied Ships
DD Napier, Shell hits 8, heavy fires
DD Nestor, Shell hits 5, heavy fires
Manpower hits 2
Fires 354
Airbase hits 43
Airbase supply hits 4
Runway hits 62
Port hits 3
Port fuel hits 1
Port supply hits 1
I will not post combat reports from air battle. But at end of day 70 allied planes end destroyed, Japan lost 50 fighters and over 100 army bombers.
I try for first time LCAP of Rangoon to support bombers and sweeps. I will not do that again. It messed up with half of my sweeps 150 Franks that arrive over Rangoon dont even engage. And when Bombers show up LCAP was gone.
Losing of Rangoon have another negative impact i lost in single turn 12 G3M3 over that base when they where naval searching for allied ships.
Yep. I ended up turning my search on and ff toward the end, only using it when I hd to get the DL up or suspected something was happening. Too may fighters around for the Allies late.
Also, use night search to augment and give a rough idea that something is out there.
"Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm." - Winston Churchill
