Yammamoto's Prophecy: Gili Gili

[rotorjoe]

I've thried this scenario at least 7 or 8 times as the Americans and those **** Japanese always invade it and capture it around day 5 or 6 with about 8,000 troops and a bunch of guns. I've tried loading 4 Australian Brigades at Brisbane and sending them directly to Gili Gili, but they always get there too late; usually getting pulverized by enemy air out of Rabaul, or carriers operating to the North. I've tried searching the net for what actually happened (having lost my copy of John Toland's excellent historical log: "The Rising Sun"), but can't seem to find out if the Japs actually took Gili Gili. I know this. With Gili Gili in Japanese hands, Port Moresby get plastered by both Japanese air and surface bombardment and generally becomes unusable for a long time. Another thing, How come Daunltless Dive Bombers operating out of Port Moresby aren't able/cannot target the Jap invasion fleet landing at Gili Gili? Anybody out there help?

Joe Pein

[frizt]

Do you have C47 Transport available?

[ADavidB]

Originally posted by rotorjoe
I've thried this scenario at least 7 or 8 times as the Americans and those **** Japanese always invade it and capture it around day 5 or 6 with about 8,000 troops and a bunch of guns. I've tried loading 4 Australian Brigades at Brisbane and sending them directly to Gili Gili, but they always get there too late; usually getting pulverized by enemy air out of Rabaul, or carriers operating to the North. I've tried searching the net for what actually happened (having lost my copy of John Toland's excellent historical log: "The Rising Sun"), but can't seem to find out if the Japs actually took Gili Gili. I know this. With Gili Gili in Japanese hands, Port Moresby get plastered by both Japanese air and surface bombardment and generally becomes unusable for a long time. Another thing, How come Daunltless Dive Bombers operating out of Port Moresby aren't able/cannot target the Jap invasion fleet landing at Gili Gili? Anybody out there help?

Joe Pein

IIRC, the Japanese did try an invasion at Gili Gili, were met by Australian troops, and were thrown back.

I still can't understand why that isn't in the set up of the early scenarios. I've got to bet that the Auzzies weren't flown in at the last minute by Catalina.

Dave Baranyi

[ADavidB]

Originally posted by frizt
Do you have C47 Transport available?

In the early scenarios, Gili Gili doesn't have an air field. This means that you have to bring troops in by dribs and drabs via Catalinas.

Which also means that if you can't stop the Japanese landing with your surface craft ( and take the resulting punishment from the Japanese carriers ), you arn't likely to get enough troops in to make a difference.

Then of course, you can do the historical thing and commit your carriers too, but in this game that guarantees the loss of your carriers within the first couple of days - and without ground troops at Gili-Gili all is lost anyway.

So the only thing to do is to play within the contraints of the game and try to harass the landing and later bomb Gili-Gili into uselessness.

Dave Baranyi

[dpazuk]

In my current game, I tried the ferry troops in strategy and did sucessfully knock back their first invasion attempt with a hastilly put together surface combat group.

I did the foolish thing of utilizing my carriers, and ended up with no carriers until late July 42!

With my carriers out of action, the Japanese counter attacked and was able to destroy my meager forces in GG and easily capture it.

I am however, making them pay for it by pounding it early and often, so much so that in early August of 42 the IJN are sending in fleets and ferrying out the 'survivors'

The only troops left are 3 engineer batallions (assuming my recon is accurate).

I am seriously thinking of launching an invasion to take it back, although I am thinking of by-passing it completely in order to tie up the the IJN in keeping it supplied.

The good news is while the Japanese were using their carriers to watch over GG, I sucessfully invaded Lunga in early August and completely destroyed the Japanese forces there. Now I just need to hold on to what I have while my forces slowly build up.

Time is definately on the USN's side.

This is my first game and I love it!!!!