An Attempt to use MWiF to Simulated WW2 Reasonably Historically

[rkr1958]

Royal Navy Setup (4/4).

[rkr1958]

Marine Nationale Setup (1/3).

Continuing on translating work by Warspite to (French) naval setups in MWiF.

[rkr1958]

Marine Nationale Setup (2/3).

[rkr1958]

Marine Nationale Setup (3/3).

[rkr1958]

Imperial Japanese Navy Setup (1/2).

The IJN setup is all hypothetical and done entirely by me. I don't know how necessary it was to organize the IJN in various division (carrier, battleship, cruiser) but it was a heck of a lot fun.

[rkr1958]

Imperial Japanese Navy Setup (2/2).

[warspite1]

I say old chap, that is a very colourful, striking presentation [&o] - it really grabs the attention. Just like the game itself in fact [:)].

[rkr1958]

ORIGINAL: warspite1

I say old chap, that is a very colourful, striking presentation [&o] - it really grabs the attention. Just like the game itself in fact [:)].

Thank you. It took time but it was a real pleasure going through your naval write ups. Impressive. [&o]

[rkr1958]

Setup - China.

1. Two IJN marine corps on island directly southeast of Pusan will "walk across" to Korea first impulse. This will allow them to use the rail to get into the China instead of using up two transports. Though, this will disorganized them.

2. Yamaoto's HQ, MIL, Eng div, gun div are waiting in Fukuoka and Sasebo from transport into China. Yamaoto will form up and lead an army group around Nanking.

3. Natcom have deployed significant strength in the North (2 garrisons, MIL and Inf). Holding the north is not only important for the Chicom but important for the Natcom so they don't get flanked into the Chunking valley as happened to me two games back.

[rkr1958]

PREVIOUS GAME.

Below is the situation in China in two games ago in early Mar/Apr 1940. As you can see the axis got amazing, unbelievable, weather and as such were able to push hard in China. It was this game where I realized how vulnerable the Chungking valley is to flanking from the north, especially if the Japanese can break the Chicom lines there. In this game I deployed minimum Natcom force in the north, one of which was a warlord which restricted its movement.

[brian brian]

I hate to break this to you, but to play a 'historical' war in China there would have to be Nationalists holding Si-An for the entire war, which is a minor point compared to the next one.

Check out the start lines in China for all the different scenarios - they don't move. Japan did not make any strategic level advances in China until 1944.

[rkr1958]

ORIGINAL: brian brian

I hate to break this to you, but to play a 'historical' war in China there would have to be Nationalists holding Si-An for the entire war, which is a minor point compared to the next one.

Check out the start lines in China for all the different scenarios - they don't move. Japan did not make any strategic level advances in China until 1944.

Understand. If I can accomplish close to what Japan achieved in the Pacific and Burma/India then I'll consider that a success assuming that they hold out to mid '45 or beyond. If I achieve that then with respect to China, I'll just let the chips fall where they may.

I'm limiting the scripting in this mod to the geo-political. In effect, once those decision are made by the politicians or dictators in charge, it's my job as the "Joint Chiefs of Staff" to execute those "decisions" as best as possible. What that means, for me, is that I play it within MWiF straight up. That is, I try to execute within the framework of MWiF using (I hope) sound strategy and tactics that one (certainly me until burned) would use against another player. Also, while certain decisions/events above the JCS's are (hopefully) historical, the specific timing and sequencing won't be.

I fully understand that this play through, or even many play through, of this mod aren’t likely to produce specific critical battles like Stalingrad, Midway, Kursk, Battle of the Bulge, etc …. my hope is not for this, I have all these on DVD, my hope is that it will produce similar battles that, in the end, produce an allied victory similar to the actual. Though, maybe on a longer or even shorter timescale.

[rkr1958]

What I do not want to happen in China is to have Japan so fully engaged that they're not able to pull out the necessary forces when it's time to go to war with the western allies to accomplish what they did in early 1942.

[rkr1958]

HM 2018-02. Setup. Lend Lease Air. Scrapped Units.

[rkr1958]

HM 2018-02. US Entry Pools. Post Reserves (CW/France DOW Germany).

Poor draws.

[rkr1958]

HM 2018-02. Setup. Germany's Air Draws.

To match the US poor chit draws, Germany (again) draw on LND's is sub par.

[rkr1958]

HM. 2018-02. The Invasion of Poland. WW-2 Officially Begins.

1. Luftwaffe ground strikes against Lodz and Warsaw were extremely effective resulting in flipping of four Polish units (3 inf corps and HQ-I). For those statisticians out there, the two surprise strikes (two planes per strike) had a total expected flip value of 3.2 units. By flipping all four they exceeded expected performance by 0.8 units.

2. The first impulse sees the Wehrmacht executing three pincers (two inner and outer) movements. The two inner pincers are designed to capture Pozan and eliminate Polish resistance west of Lodz. The outer pincer is designed to isolate Warsaw and Lodz by eliminating Polish resistance north and east of Warsaw and by isolating Krakow and it's defenders.

3. The three pincer movements produce three automatic land combats. By making use of Polish rail/roads the Wehrmacht is able to produce a breakthrough on the Blitz attack against the Polish cavalry defending in the woods, push on with 47th (XLVII) armor, overrun, and eliminate (due to surprise) the Polish fighter (and pilot) based northeast of the breakthrough.

4. With the Polish government and military reeling from the devastating air and land attacks by the German military, the Red Army pushes over 1/2 million troops across the frontier and into Eastern Poland, easily brushing aside the 20 battalions of the Polish Border Protection Corps opposing them, easily capture Lvov, Brest-Litovsk and Vilna, and (thus) fulfilling their secret part of the Molotov-Ribbentrop pact for the partition of Poland.

5. Because of the ease and swiftness by which the Red Army conquered (uh, liberated) Eastern Poland, the Soviet 2nd Mech army is ordered to continue on into the Lithuania, which results in a bloodless capitulation by the Baltic States to the Soviet Union. STAVKA had originally estimated that it wouldn't be until Spring of 1940 before the Soviets could move into the Baltic States.

6. Given the ease and swiftness of the Red Army victory (uh, liberation) of Eastern Poland and the Baltic States, Premier Stalin is flushed with victory and has order STAVKA to come up with a plan for the Red Army to move as soon as possible against Finland.

7. US reaction to the Soviet invasions and conquests were mixed. They didn't react to the invasion of Poland, but pushing into the Baltic States was too much. Only one chit from the German/Italy entry pool was removed.

[rkr1958]

Selected HM Rules of Engagement Recap.
1. CL’s will be used to represent unattached destroyer and destroyer escort squadrons.
2. Unless subject to surface raiders, only CL’s will be used to escort CP’s in the 0-box or for ASW patrols in higher boxes.
3. CA’s, and CL’s too, will/can be used to provide ASW for capital ships and transports on patrol or as part of a naval task force.
4. While Italy is neutral, in order to both protect vital shipping and to minimize the attractiveness of a surprise attack by Italian forces on said shipping, the following rule of engagement will be strictly followed.
a) CW and French naval and air units will only operate in the 0-box of sea areas reachable by any Italian unit and not containing any German units.
b) All sea areas containing allied CP's and reachable by any Italian unit capable of disrupting said CP's must have ASW (i.e., CL) patrols a the minimum rate of 1 RN CL per 2 CW CP's (rounded down) and 1 French CL per 2 French CP's (round down) up to a maximum of 3 RN and 3 French CL's. These numbers are minimum, which either the CW or French are free to exceed if they so wish.
c) CW and French transports in sea areas reachable by any Italian unit must be escorted by ships of their respective nationality at the minimum rate of 2 CA's/CL's and 2 BB's/CV's/CVL's. Only CV's and CVL's with planes qualify for this duty.

[rkr1958]

HM 2018-02. Atlantic & Med ASW Patrols.

The RN and Marine Nationale are directed under the applicable rules of engagements to sent out a total of 23 CL's to cover the 65 CP's operating in the Atlantic and Mediterranean and under (sole) direct threat to a possible Italian surprise attack. The Royal Navy's contribution to these ASW patrols is 21 of 35 (or 60%) of their at-start CL's, 5 or so which were setup in the Asiatic command and not available for Atlantic or Med duty this turn. Also, another 6 are so are required for North Sea escort of transports carrying the BEF of for carrier task force patrols in the 3 and 4-boxes, respectively.

[rkr1958]

HM 2018-02. ASW/U-boat Battle in the Faeores Gap. Allied #7 (1. Sep/Oct 1939)

I must say that, so far, I really like the feel of using CL's (only) to model detached DD squadrons used for ASW. In this example from impulse #7, German u-boats have sortied into the Faeroes Gap to attack a seemingly insignificant number of CP's (originally 1). However, with no allied CP's operating in the North Sea, then if successful in clearing the Faeores Gap of allied CP's, then this puts supply of the RN Home Fleet at Scapa Flow in jeopardy. With all allied CP's committed, this would mean that the RN would need to keep a transport at sea in the North Sea to supply Scapa Flow.

During this impulse the CW moved, or attempted to move, 5 CP's Torshaven through the Faeroes Gap and into the North Atlantic and East Coast. German u-boats successfully intercept 1 of these five forcing it to stop in the 0-box. Prior to this impulse the RN had deploy no ASW to this area (only 1 CP). However, to protect supply and, now 2 CP's, the RN flew Harrow at max range (9-hexes) to the 0-box and moved in 1 of it's three remaining DD squadrons (i.e., CL's) not out on patrol to 0-box to escort the convoy. The remaining 2 DD squadrons (i.e., CL's) were put out in the 4-box on ASW patrol (allowed since the presence of German units negate the restriction of only being able to operate in the 0-box for those sea areas in range of any Italian unit).

From a game perspective, the RN had several CA's available and could have flooded the sea area if they'd wished. However, representing ASW against sub's (u-boats in this case) as CL's just produced, for me, a much better feel and more importantly, a way to play with CLIF's without tilting the Battle of the Atlantic hopeless in favor of the allies (I hope).