Playtest of Pacific at War 3 25 14

[thomasharvey]

The invasion of the Japanese home islands has begun with the invasion of Sasebo by two Marine divisions. Almost all the airfields have been taken as shown by the screen shot. The fleet has arrived to stay and take on all of the Japanese air power.

Several Japanese ships were sunk that included 3 or 4 carriers. Massive air battles have been taking place throughout the move up to the invasion hex. Heavy bombers carpet bombed the Sasebo along with several BBs shelling. Rocket launcher ships and DDs also fired on the target. This resulted in very little loss to the Marines.

[larryfulkerson]

This must have been the biggest furball yet. Or maybe the second biggest. Anyway after the dust settled, I sank a CV with this
attack. But it was very costly. And Thomas almost doesn't need it anyway since he's got that unsinkable carrier right off my shore.

[thomasharvey]

The next invasion is at Hiroshima. Now the First Marine division is on the Japanese mainland. More Japanese airfields for allied aircraft. I had to invade quickly as the carriers just melt away every turn. Last turn another 2 Essex class carriers went to the bottom.

The ground battle for Tokyo can begin. I have supply and a port at Hiroshima to pour the troops in going forward to blast their way to Tokyo. The game should end when Tokyo is taken.

[larryfulkerson]

Here's the Jap view of the Hiroshima area now. Thomas has dropped his paratroops in my path.......I can't counterattack directly.
I guess he's ashore to stay. I'll see what kind of welcoming party I can arrange for him.

[larryfulkerson]

I did an airstrike on a stack of Allied ships and got another CV.

[larryfulkerson]

Okie dokie.....new moves from Thomas, new turn. Here's the big picture. Notice all the bypassed garrisons of Jap positions all over
the south Pacific. Thomas doesn't need to storm the beaches when he has China so close to the home islands. And if I try to float
those isolated troops back home they will be interdicted so many times they will evaporate I think. So I just leave 'em there.

[larryfulkerson]

Here's a bit closer zoom out. Thomas has established a really good toehold on the home island and I've sent all the rested divisions
so try to force them back onto the beaches. I've got about a half a dozen ships that I can try to get them into position to do airfield
strikes by bombardment. Or maybe ram the Allied ships. Or both.

[larryfulkerson]

Here's a closer zoom in and you can see the ships I was talking about. I'm not sure what kind of dent my pitiful band of
sailors can make on the Allied stacks buy if I try to ram them at all I'm thinking of taking on the westernmost stack first.
It looks like the weakest one. But I see what might be a BB in that stack on the right, maybe not. Or I could just drive the last
of my ships south and then west to the groups of aircraft Thomas has on his unsinkable carrier. Maybe I could bombard
his aircraft and maybe make a dent. Like a raid.

[thomasharvey]

Here is the failed invasion of northern Japan at Sendai. I made the mistake of NOT leaving an open hex for the defenders to retreat to. Instead, one flak unit was left holding the hex. All the rest were wiped out but now the Japanese can retake the hex. A disaster that was preventable.

If feasible the invasion will continue next turn, otherwise a lot of airborne units will become POWs.

The southern landing is stopped and can't advance due to Japanese resistance.

[larryfulkerson]

Here's a close up of the new invasion site. Everybody in the target hex was eliminated except for one AA unit and I've decided to
award them the Emperor's Unit Citation award for their valor. Actually it's for the civilians sake because they need a hero and we've
had a few heros lately. Talk has been going around that the Emperor was thinking about maybe flying out to his summer house in
Switzerland. So far it's just talk.

[larryfulkerson]

Here's the missions and conditions of the aircraft units. Nobody is red, that's important. I can still drive everybody at a three-dot
setting until they turn red at least. So everybody goes to three-dots and everybody who's not in reorg flies this time. And I've
scheduled an attack on a stack that has a BB in it. I've cordoned off the new incursion and moved everybody, set the aircraft unit
missions. I think I'm ready for the attack phase.

[larryfulkerson]

Here's the results of the airstrike on the stack of Allied ships. I think maybe I hit the jackpot with this strike. It was expensive but I
got a BB and several of it's escorts. I guess the Allied CAP wasn't what it used to be on the SW side of things.

[larryfulkerson]

New moves from Thomas, new turn. This is the front lines now. Thomas has dropped some paratroopers north of Sendi and I
guess attempted to cut everybody off from supply but I don't think it does that. I think maybe he just succeeded in spreading
out his combat power. I may be able to pick off his units one at a time now.

[larryfulkerson]

New moves from Thomas, new turn. His newest conquest is Sapporo. He dropped some paratroops ( flying through my AS ) to
grab the airfields and then flew in bou cou airplanes and the ships bombarded and he grabbed the base. Now he's got another
unsinkable aircraft carrier near my home islands. The question is: Is he going to move some B-29's to Sapporo?

[larryfulkerson]

In this airstrike on the Allied stack of ships I sunk a CV and some DD's.

[thomasharvey]

The screenshot shows the northern invasions for the allies. The attempt at Hakodate has been delayed but should be taken next turn. It will not be supply to the allies but it will eliminate the supply for the Japanese north of Sendai. That should allow good bases in the north. The carriers are getting written down the longer they stay.

[larryfulkerson]

New moves from Thomas, new turn. Here's the face of Japan now. Thomas must be bored, he's still invading.

[larryfulkerson]

I did another airstrike and got another carrier.

[larryfulkerson]

Here's my reinforcements for this turn. It's typical of what I get each turn now. Several infantry divisions and about half a dozen
aircraft units. And lots of spotter planes. Those things more often than not, just evaporate when they interdict. Maybe that's
because I have them on a three-dot setting. But they also evaporate when they are one-dot. It just takes a little longer.

[larryfulkerson]

I've just now received the first 20 of the new Baka ship killers. They say it's a glide bomb thingie but however it works it's got
a great anti-ship value: 720 will just about make a carrier bounce. I'd hate to waste it on a DD or something.