Global War: Japanese Aggression

[rkr1958]

I'm starting another "solo" global war AAR. If I'm counting correctly this is the 5th one of these that I've started. Of the previous 4, I've completed 2 and stopped the other 2 for various reasons.

I know from reading the multiple player AARs that these AARs bring more excitement and energy than do solo ones, such as mine, but I'm afraid that's all I have to offer due to work and family demands and time constraints. Though, I do hold out hope that one day I'll be able to play MWiF against a component AIO; but for now it's solo play for me.

I approach my games in MWiF as a stories that unfolds as I play. I view these "stories" as historical fiction documenting alternate realities of WW2. Alternate realities that are something akin to those in the Michael Crichton's novel, "Timeline" but set during and about WW2. In my stories, I'm the one who travels back, well really travels to the alternate WW2 realities, and is witness to events that often unfold differently than those described in history books of my reality.

[rkr1958]

Optional Rules.

I'm playing with the same optional rules that I played with in my previous AAR, tm.asp?m=3885082# with two exceptions:

(1) 2D10 versus 1D10 CRT.

(2) Food in Flames.

[rkr1958]

Scrapped Units.

For what it matters, here are the units that I scrapped. Well, the units that the respective current and future belligerents scrapped.

[Courtenay]

ORIGINAL: rkr1958

Scrapped Units.

For what it matters, here are the units that I scrapped. Well, the units that the respective current and future belligerents scrapped.

This is an excellent way of showing everyone's scrapped units; I like the economy of a single screen showing everyone's scrapped units, rather than spending a page for each. I recommend this technique to everyone who is doing a solitaire after action report.

[rkr1958]

Global AAR: Japanese Aggression.

South China Sea: Japan sends in (i.e., sets up) very strong naval forces in the South China Sea that will be used to support an amphibious invasion of the Dutch East Indies on the first impulse of the game. Japan's plan was to take a combine and land forces adjacent to Batavia on the surprise impulse. The problem ... no DOW other than Germany's automatic DOW on Poland is allowed on the first impulse of the game. A fact that I didn't know, or I was uncertain of, until I played the first impulse. Live and learn ...

Back to Japan's planned aggression in the Pacific. Japan plans to go all out in the Pacific to gobble up all the resources that they can and this may, or is likely, to include an early DOW against the CW. Japan is under no illusion that this may also mean war with the USA, which may come sooner than later.

Those two resources in Malaya and the major naval base at Singapore are looking very tempting to the the Japanese militarist. But only after they can secure a steady supply of oil by conquering the Dutch East Indies and securing the 4 oil resources located there.

[rkr1958]

Japan

A combined action gives Japan two naval, three land moves and one land combat. This means that the IJN marine amphibious force in Tokyo harbor can embark and land on the same impulse using a combined. Specifically, this force supported through bombardment and air by the IJN on patrol in the South China Sea, will force a landing adjacent to Batavia on the surprise impulse that Japan declares war on the Netherlands. Then on Japan's next impulse, this force, again supported by the IJN, will capture Batavia, which then completes the conquest of the Dutch East Indies and gives Japan 4 oil resources per turn. The only possible glitch in this plan is the weather.

Yamamoto will lead the Japanese forces tasked with the conquests in the South China Sea and Beyond.

[rkr1958]

Burma and India.

And beyond includes Burma and India.

As you see, Japan's plans are one of aggressive expansion in the Pacific and Asia. Too ambitious? There's only one way to find out ...

[rkr1958]

China. North Temperate.

Japan's planned war of expansion also includes northern China. Specifically, the annihilation of Mao and the communist and the absorption of all resources and factories in the north. This effort will be carrier out by two Japanese Army Groups under the commands of General Terachi and Umezu.

[Courtenay]

ORIGINAL: rkr1958

Global AAR: Japanese Aggression.

South China Sea: Japan sends in (i.e., sets up) very strong naval forces in the South China Sea that will be used to support an amphibious invasion of the Dutch East Indies on the first impulse of the game. Japan's plan was to take a combine and land forces adjacent to Batavia on the surprise impulse. The problem ... no DOW other than Germany's automatic DOW on Poland is allowed on the first impulse of the game. A fact that I didn't know, or I was uncertain of, until I played the first impulse. Live and learn ...

Back to Japan's planned aggression in the Pacific. Japan plans to go all out in the Pacific to gobble up all the resources that they can and this may, or is likely, to include an early DOW against the CW. Japan is under no illusion that this may also mean war with the USA, which may come sooner than later.

Those two resources in Malaya and the major naval base at Singapore are looking very tempting to the the Japanese militarist. But only after they can secure a steady supply of oil by conquering the Dutch East Indies and securing the 4 oil resources located there.

Just to be sure, you realize that, in addition to the immediate 2.8 US entry chits you get for a Japanese DOW on the Netherlands and the CW, you get an additional chit every turn for each of those countries? Thus if Japan declares war on the Netherlands, you will get 3.8 chits S/O 39, and one additional chit every single turn. By the end of 1940, that is 8.8 additional chits in the Japanese US entry pool, minus some small number because you probably did not capture as many Chinese cities or cut off the Burma road diplomatically as in other strategies.

If you add in an early DOW against the CW, then you may expect a US DOW very early indeed.

If you were aware of this, fine. Unfortunately, the in-game US entry action chart does not contain the footnotes of the printed US entry chart. That chart, is, however, available in the "Charts from WiF FE" menu item, and has the very nasty footnote 3 appended to "Japan declares war on the CW, Fr, or Netherlands".

[rkr1958]

China. North Monsoon.

Japan doesn't have the forces to fight a war of expansion everywhere. And one of those places, for now, is in southern China and against Chang and the Nationalist. In fact, the Japanese Army Group deployed here has no well know leader (yet). It's mission is to hold on to what Japan has gotten so far in the south. This shouldn't be a problem given the Chinese attack weakness (optional rule).

[rkr1958]

ORIGINAL: Courtenay

ORIGINAL: rkr1958

Global AAR: Japanese Aggression.

South China Sea: Japan sends in (i.e., sets up) very strong naval forces in the South China Sea that will be used to support an amphibious invasion of the Dutch East Indies on the first impulse of the game. Japan's plan was to take a combine and land forces adjacent to Batavia on the surprise impulse. The problem ... no DOW other than Germany's automatic DOW on Poland is allowed on the first impulse of the game. A fact that I didn't know, or I was uncertain of, until I played the first impulse. Live and learn ...

Back to Japan's planned aggression in the Pacific. Japan plans to go all out in the Pacific to gobble up all the resources that they can and this may, or is likely, to include an early DOW against the CW. Japan is under no illusion that this may also mean war with the USA, which may come sooner than later.

Those two resources in Malaya and the major naval base at Singapore are looking very tempting to the the Japanese militarist. But only after they can secure a steady supply of oil by conquering the Dutch East Indies and securing the 4 oil resources located there.

Just to be sure, you realize that, in addition to the immediate 2.8 US entry chits you get for a Japanese DOW on the Netherlands and the CW, you get an additional chit every turn for each of those countries? Thus if Japan declares war on the Netherlands, you will get 3.8 chits S/O 39, and one additional chit every single turn. By the end of 1940, that is 8.8 additional chits in the Japanese US entry pool, minus some small number because you probably did not capture as many Chinese cities or cut off the Burma road diplomatically as in other strategies.

If you add in an early DOW against the CW, then you may expect a US DOW very early indeed.

If you were aware of this, fine. Unfortunately, the in-game US entry action chart does not contain the footnotes of the printed US entry chart. That chart, is, however, available in the "Charts from WiF FE" menu item, and has the very nasty footnote 3 appended to "Japan declares war on the CW, Fr, or Netherlands".

I did not know this, but as I've finished the first turn already I was "taught" this fact by MWiF. Fortunately, the sting of finding this out was much less I suspect when playing solo than if I would have been playing against a live opponent. Well, playing solo is playing against a live opponent (i.e., me vs me) but you get the idea.

[rkr1958]

Germany

Germany deploys the bulk of their army and Luftwaffe in the East for their planned attack on Poland. These forces are organized into two Army Groups (A & B) under the commands of Rundstedt and von Bock.

In the West, Germany deploys a single army, the 6th, under the command of von Leeb. von Leeb plans more than defending with the 6th Army. He plans to lead his army in the conquest of the Netherlands in "coordination" with the Japanese invasion and conquest of the Dutch East Indies.

[rkr1958]

Army Group A. Commanded by von Rundstedt.

[rkr1958]

Army Group B. Commanded by von Bock.

[rkr1958]

6th Army. Commanded by von Leeb.

[rkr1958]

France and Great Britain.

France sets up aggressively and is threatening to push into Germany if Germany refuses to leave Poland.

The CW are poised to send in a BEF led by Gort and consisting of his HQ unit, 7-6 mech corps and 7-4 mot corps. Also, the CW has a 1-4 infantry division and a 6-5 mot corps positioned to reinforce the Med and protect their interest there.

[rkr1958]

The Soviet Union.

Stalin has positioned his army in Europe to split Poland with the Nazi's, take the Baltic States and demand Bessarabia once this thing gets started. As a side note, the Soviets have no plans to demand the Finnish borderlands.

[rkr1958]

Italy.

The Italian force in Albania is positioned to support Italian forces in North Africa (i.e., Libya) or in Europe as the situation demands.

[rkr1958]

Libya.

[Courtenay]

Have you considered the possibility of the Netherlands setting up two units in Batavia? There is nothing prohibiting them from putting the Netherlands home country INF in Batavia. As this gives away the Netherlands home country for free, I am not sure it is a good idea, but is legal, and is a move the Allies should consider, even if they eventually decide to reject it.