Global War : a Japanese AAR

[yvesp]

So, lets have a nice little exercise, to change a little.

Here is a saved game, in the pre-production phase.
Your task: convoy the 2 build points from Buffalo (USA) to French Guyana.

To that purpose, you have 5 unused convoys in the Caribeans and 3 unused convoys in the Mouth of the Amazon.

Sounds easy ? Well, lets start from the fact that smartly, the game begins to route the build points to Seatle, then discover that it doesn't have a chain of convoys running from there around (Africa ? America ? select the most unlikely route)

I'm interested to know whether any of you succeed!
I've already spent more than 30mn on that problem alone...

Yes: that's a game in the game!

[yvesp]

The destructions of that summer 42 do not reflect a summer war...
Few losses, everywhere.
The German offensive was stopped short by a bunch of very poor rolls which disorganized huge swath of units, levaing few opportunities for further attacks. One hex was gained here or there, but overall, this month was lost! Thats really bad news considering that the previous pace of the offensive was rather good.
In Italy, few combats, few losses, even though what is happening there is critical.

There were sea losses, but mostly these don't show up in the destruction pool : Germnay lost 6 convoys for exemple. And the US and Japanese also have at least one cruiser in the repair pool. Not speaking about the Italias, whose fleet is being grinded ; it will nevertheless last long enough to trouble to allies before the fall of Italy!


End of July 42 turn

[yvesp]

Somehow, Free france did receive its build points...
Or so I believe.
Edit: actually no. It received 2 from the Commonwealth, but nothing from the USA.


The Japanese build:

- 2 carriers (superstructures)
- 1 carrier (infrastructures)
- 1 militia
- 1 garrison
- 2 pilots
- 3 carrier planes

The Chinese build:
- 1 infantry
- 1 cavalry

The Commonwealth builds:
- 1 mechanized
- 1 infantry
- 1 motorized
- 2 terrtorials
- 3 carrier planes (1 at 0 cost)
- 2 battleships (superstructures)
- 2 cruisers (superstructures)
- 2 battleships (infrastructures)
- 1 Lnd4
- 1 Ftr2
- 2 pilots
- 2BP saved for France

The USA build:
- 2 battleships (superstructures)
- 1 transport (infrastructures)
- repair 4 ships (3 for the commonwealth)
- 5 carrier planes
- 1 sub (infrastrutures)
- 1 para
- 2 infantries
- 1 mechanized
- 1 armor
- 3 pilots
- 1 artillery
- 2BP saved for France (saved in Miami : maybe that'll help ???)

[yvesp]

Plagued again by another bug: Oil dependant US units in Italy were not reorganized. I guess the failure comes from a bug in the Search & Seizure rule implementation (the supply is brought by a Commonwealth convoy chain), but it could be anything else (The Italian fleet stayed at sea, as well as the Commonwealth convoy.)

I already had something like this problem with Russian bombers in Tunisia, which were sometimes OoS when they should not have been : this happened when Italian units were in the sea area, even though the Commonwealth was at war with Italy.

Nevertheless, that will not be helping!

[yvesp]

The second attack on taranto is successful, despite an impressive display of air and naval power by the axis. It was well prepared by a strike of Russian TB-3 planes which succeeded in disorganizing both land units.

This should spell the fall of Italy.

Extremely annoying is the fact that now most of the British fleet will be able to sail east if needed. However, Japan is now maintaining a non offensive stance against the Commonwealth. Japan doesn't extend west now nor raids the British convoy lanes. Furthermore, the british have possesion of the Palembang oil fields while Japan has one of the Malaysian resource... It looks like an uneasy sharing of resources between Japan and the Commonwealth. And even though it doesn't really please the US, it fits well with both powers: the Commonwealth can push on Germany while Japan can concentrate against the USA. Both know that this will last only as long as each power finds an interest in that unlikely truce...


Conquest of Taranto on September 42

[yvesp]

An exemple of the bad luck still plaguing the German troops...
Or: why nothing is ever happening this summer on the Russian front ?


A combat in Russia in September 42.

[yvesp]

Meanwhile, the Japanese easily capture Guadalcanal which is still OoS.


Guadalcanal, September 42, impulse 2

[yvesp]

Brand new Essew class coming straight from Oakland meet a small task force sent to meet them in the Solomon. There, they intercept the cruiser that made the invasion of Guadalcal possible. The result makes no doubt.

The question is: will the Japanese admiralty send a carrier force to try and disperse this threat, or will they let this force join the Brisbane fleet, tilting the balance of power to the USA ? Indeed, there is no equivalent to the TBF-1 and TBF-4 planes in the Japanese fleet, and the F4F-4 will give a stronger fighter cover to the US fleet.


Battle in the Solomon, September 42, impulse 3

[yvesp]

Indeed, the Chokai is destroyed.

[yvesp]

Finally, the Japanese tooke the bait and launched most of their carriers against the 3 American carriers. For that purose, and because oil is still scarce, they used 7 carriers with 2 battleships and 2 cruisers as protection.

Flying from truck, two additionnal bombers.

Alas, the US carriers could not be found.

Learning of the sailing of the Japanese carriers, the US admiralty decided to launch their whole fleet to meat the Essex carriers and together search for the Japanese one. They indeed met, but were not successful in their search.

On the contrary, the Japanese commanders saw the American fleet. It was a tempting situation, so many ships caught by total surprise! After long debates, it was decided to try an attack : if it failed, no attack would ever succeed againt the American carrier force undivided!

[yvesp]

The air combat is even, but the Japanese have more but less effective bombers. The japanese have used their surprise to get an edge in the air to air combat.

[yvesp]

The air to air combat was long : 15 rounds.

It was not good for the USA which lost 5 squdrons against but 1 for the Japanese. Still, the US could get two good squadron through, and the Japanese AA fire was poor.

[yvesp]

By contrast, the US flak was powerfull and destroyed one of the land based bomber. But the others got through...

[yvesp]

The Hiryu was sunk.

The Yamato, Soryu, Haruna and Ryujo had to flee. It did not matter because the Japanese did not intend to stay for a second, extremely chancy round : this was going to be a victory!

[yvesp]

The Yorktown and Enterprise were sunk.

The Iowa and Indiana were damaged.

That could not really be seen as a victory! 2 carriers to one, that was too much for that. And indeed, with only 4 carriers remaining, the US decide to leave the sea area, handling the full victory to the Japanese.

[yvesp]

A lone US transport barely escapes destruction in the new Hebrides.

[yvesp]

As a consequence, the Japanese can easily conquer the Fiji islands. That's one major port less for the allies, and one place less for their planes to reach the theater of combat.

[yvesp]

At the end of the September 42 turn:

Japan builds:
- 1 inf div
- 1 engineer div
- Hiryu (infrastructures) is rebuilt
- 1 battleship (infrastructures)
- 2 pilots
- 1 Ftr2
- 3 carrier lanes
- 1 battleship repaired

China builds:
- 1 infantry
- 1 mountain div

The Commonwealth builds:
- 1 marine div
- 1 engineer div
- 2 territorials
- 1 motorized
- 1 carrier (superstructures)
- 1 transport (superstructures)
- 2 pilots
- 1 Lnd4
- 1 Ftr2
- 3 carrier planes (1 at cost 0)
- 1 battleship (infrastures)
- repair 3 cruisers
- 2BP kept for France

The USA build:
- 2 carriers (infrastructures : those that were destroyed)
- 4 light carriers (infrastructures)
- repair 2 battleships
- 1 sub (infrastructures)
- 1 sub (superstructures)
- 6 carrier planes
- 4 pilots
- 1 mechanized
- 1 armor div
- 2 motorized
- 1 para div
- 1 AA
- 2BP saved for France (?????)


Clearly, the USA did not like their defeat and weight in the consequences with (a lot) more carriers.

Italy still doesn't fall ; there remains an annoying German militia that is pulling down the allies garrison value. So a new combat will be necessary, as well as bringing in some more reinforcements to make for the new Italian reinfrocements.

[yvesp]

Still using the temporary advantage from the previous naval battle, the Japanese continue to push into the pacific. They are now invading the Gilbert islands.

However, these conquests may be short lived, unless they can establish a satisfying convoy line, which means more convoys are necessary to have a chance to force a serious fight to recapture these islands.

Meanwhile, even reconquering these places will take some time for the allies. That's as much less fighting against the core of the empire.


Gilbert islands conquest, November 42

[yvesp]

In the North China sea, the US submarines manage to inflict some damage, despite heavy air protection. Since the turn might end, this could result in an important loss in production.


US sub attack, North China Sea, November 42, impulse 9