PAW 1941-45 larryfulkerson (Allies) vs warspite1 (Axis)

[warspite1]

So I've accepted the chance to play the Axis against Larry. This is going to be a steep learning curve as there is so much more to think about for the attack in the early game, but we'll see how it goes!

[MikeJ19]

Rob,

Good luck! Not sure how you guys play so many different scenarios at once. I think I would have lots of trouble keeping things straight. I'm going to enjoy reading this.

All the best,

Mike

[larryfulkerson]

Just me dropping by to say this is my one and final visit to this AAR and I just wanted
to say good luck and have a lot of fun.

[Zorch]

You'll need it.

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: Zorch

You'll need it.

warspite1

Indeed - I need to find someone who can not only play this game.... but who didn't have fish for dinner....

[warspite1]

Turn 1
7th December 1941

I make no apologies for the fact that this first turn is going to take a few days to work out. But in order to keep the time frames sensible I'm just going to accept that I can't cover everything in a first play through as the Axis.

My goal will therefore be to work to an historical pattern at least initially - i.e. concentrate on Malaya (then Burma), the PI (then NEI), Wake, Guam, New Guinea, New Britain and New Ireland (and then the Solomons).

Clearly a WWII timetable is simply going to get me beaten! and so I will have to veer from this (assuming Larry doesn't kick my bottom) but I'll worry about that later.

First Objective: Pearl Harbor

First things first: where is the 1st Air Fleet?

There is a lot of information to be gathered from playing the other side. When I said I only knew where two carriers were, I didn't realise that there are two carriers per counter.

[warspite1]

Turn 1
7th December 1941

Second Objective is Malaya / Singapore

Forces earmarked for this:

The scenario refers to 15.1 Army(?) - no idea what that is all about - but this contains two divisions:

5th Infantry Division
18th Infantry Division

Not all are in ports so can't make the initial landings but most of the remaining units of these divisions are near Saigon in a port ready as the second wave.

Army 15.5(?)
The Imperial Guard Division can't make this either but most of its units are at Hon Chong as part of the second wave.

Army 15.2(?)
This contains two divisions

33rd Infantry Division
55th Infantry Division

These units are headed towards the Bangkok.

Army 14.6 has the

51st Infantry Division
110th Infantry Division

The 110th heads for Kuala Trengganu in northeast Malaya.
I send the 51st Division to Haiphong.

[warspite1]

Turn 1
7th December 1941

Third Objective is The Philippines

Army 14.5(?) contains the

41st Infantry Division
48th Infantry Division

The 48th Infantry targets Labag on the west coast of Luzon. The 41st Division is on Okinawa and not in port so I move as many units as I can to port facilities so that they are available for a second wave.

Army 14.3 (?) is on Formosa and Hainan and contains

35th Infantry Division
36th Infantry Division

Both of these divisions have tank companies so I decide to employ them in the Philippines.

I send the 35th Division to Infanta, southeast of Manila, while the 36th Division are ordered to Padada, Mindanao.

[warspite1]

Turn 1
7th December 1941

Fourth Objective is China

I generally just move forward with my units - I may have over-extended myself here, which could be embarrassing.....

I send the 2nd Infantry Division to Canton

There is a load of stuff in Japan but I can't even begin to think about all that now.

[warspite1]

Turn 1
7th December 1941

There is so much here to look at from a standing start but I'm conscious that time is marching on and I need to get this game underway. I will therefore leave all other objectives and see what happens with what I've done first.

The last thing to do is to add some naval assistance to each of these task forces I've sent out....

[warspite1]

Turn 1
7th December 1941

Some subchasers are able to enter ports while others have to attack. I'm not sure what that is about but it means I change some of my targets.

Malaya

Elements of 5th and 18th Divisions get ashore at Singora and Patani but the 110th Division can't land further south. I then send a subchaser south as I don't know where Force Z is. The subchaser is destroyed in discovering the whereabouts of the RN.

[warspite1]

Turn 1
7th December 1941

Pearl Harbor

Lolz - well that was a bit of a learning experience [:D]

I've lost almost 70 aircraft - mostly of the 1st Air Fleet. I couldn't understand why there was no effect on the enemy battleships and I was losing aircraft for no result. I thought perhaps I was up against Danny and Rafe but I then realised I forgot that one needs to select port attack.... Then when I realised this I didn't realise that you can't select all units for a port attack so was only attacking with my fighters...

FINALLY, it all clicked and for the last round I got with the program and managed to sink the battleships - albeit at great cost to the Kido Butai.

Malaya

I manage to get ashore in two places and sink Force Z (they weren't in port [:D])

[warspite1]

Turn 1
7th December 1941

The Philippines

I get ashore tenuously in two places in the north and also at Infanta and north of Legaspi on Luzon. I also land in two places on Mindanao.

I sink most of the ships in Manila Bay but fail to hurt a destroyer squadron which was costing me precious aircraft so I've left it alone.

[warspite1]

Turn 1
7th December 1941

China

Only one attack here. I don't really have a handle on these 1-range artillery units and how to employ them. I lose over 200 infantry squads try to take Hong Kong.... The colony falls but that was tres expensive.

[MikeJ19]

Rob,

It is very interesting to see things from the other perspective. I'm going to enjoy reading about this battle.

Good luck,

[warspite1]

14th December 1941
Turn 2

There doesn't appear to have been any attacks by the Allies so I'll see what I can find.

For reasons mentioned in my other PAW thread I am not looking at the playback. This is not ideal but is a trade-off between the game becoming too time-consuming to play and trying to maximise performance.

I'll start in China.

In the extreme north there is a river barrier between my northern most army and their comrades to the south.

The 1st Infantry Division is currently based in Korea. I don't know if there are penalty partisan effects or anything but I will attempt in the coming turns to bring these widely dispersed forces to northern China.

[warspite1]

14th December 1941
Turn 2

The terrain is strange and its so difficult to know what to do without understanding what I've got to play with. I will now search for another division to support the 3rd Infantry Division.

The 29th Infantry Division are based in and around Hiroshima. I will start transporting the advance units of this division to Shanghai.

[warspite1]

14th December 1941
Turn 2

The next sector to the south contains the 4th, 22nd and 26th Infantry Divisions. The 28th Infantry Division at Kobe are earmarked for this. Most are in port and so I am able to transfer to Amoy, but the engineers and mountain artillery will need to transfer next turn.