Notes from a Small Island

[Canoerebel]

There are two things I know for sure (or so I think) and one that I have to re-learn every game, in the order:

1. Cold Zone winter weather starts on December 1 and ends March 1.
2. Operating a CV or CVL in a base hex halves flight ops (but operating a CV or CVL in a non-base coastal hex does not).*
3. The Allied player cannot withdraw ships at Pearl Harbor.

*This info typically prompts a number of "are you sure?" and "I thought such-n-such" replies. I'm sure.

[BillBrown]

From the manual:
Cold Zones (Korea, Manchuria, Alaska, Siberia, the Aleutian Islands, the Himalayas/Tibet, Port
Stanley and an area of the Southern Ocean along the left side of the bottom map edge below
New Zealand and Australia) - The negative effects of these zones only function 4 months of the
year (winter) depending on the area; in the North they function November through February
while in the South they function from May through August. Cold Zones during the winter impact
ground units the same way as Malaria Zones (above), with the following added penalties:

»» Ships moving in Cold Zones during the winter will sufferoperational system damage at double the normal rate.
»» All base construction in Cold Zones during winter takes twice as long.
»» Air units will fly 25% less aircraft on strike-type Missions.
»» Ground units unloading at an enemy base/beach or into a non-base hex with an enemy unit will suffer roughly three times the losses they would normally suffer.

[Chickenboy]

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

There are two things that I have to re-learn every game and one thing I know for sure-in no particular order:

1. Cold Zone winter weather starts on November 1 and ends March 1.
2. Operating a CV or CVL in a base hex halves flight ops (but operating a CV or CVL in a non-base coastal hex does not).*
3. The Allied player cannot withdraw ships at Pearl Harbor.

*This info typically prompts a number of "are you sure?" and "I thought such-n-such" replies. I'm sure.

I fixed that for you. [:'(]

[Canoerebel]

Well, dang it, this game is too big for my memory. Thanks for the information and correction.

I recall first invading Hokkaido vs. John III on December 5, 1943, facing what I seemed to remember as "just implemented" Cold Zone effects. That invasion was possible because the enemy bases were scantly garrisoned.

That explains why 12th NZ Brigade suffered higher disruption landing on 11/1/44 - higher but by no means "debilitating." This seems to confirm Lokasenna's contention that winter invasions are not necessarily "impossible," as I had believed.

This negates my notion that I had to engage in a bunch of invasions prior to 12/1. I'll just handle them one at a time, when the opportunity to do so seems best.

[Canoerebel]

11/2/44

Ketoi: The turn opens with YMS patrols checking Shimishura, Shikustan and Onnekotan for mines - multiple targets so that I don't tip my hand. Only the Onnekotan TF ran afoul of the enemy, finding mines and two subs.

[Canoerebel]

11/2/44

Ketoi: The night begins with a good but not great bombardment. Then an amphib TF lands a cadre of a combat engineer unit. For some reason, the accompanying LCI(G) gunships don't fire. But the landing does trigger a Japanese auto-bombardment at the end of the turn, which helps a bit as it is more costly to the Japanese than to the Allied forces.

[Canoerebel]

11/2/44

Ketoi: This is one of many bomber groups to hit the Japanese, making a dent in the defenses cumulatively.

With Cold Zone now in effect, I'll have to monitor strike squadrons to see if they suffer increased fatigue, wear and tear, etc.

There are some things I don't know (or many, as I've already demonstrated): Do defensive air ops (CAP) suffer? What aobut air ops launched from a Cold Zone hex targeting a non-Cold Zone hex? And what about vice versa?

Erik will have considered these things. If there's a way for him to use his aircraft without a negative impact, while mine are under Cold Zone effects, he'll have figured it out.

[Canoerebel]

11/2/44

Ketoi: Japanese attack and Allied deliberate attack show much more of a negative impact on the Allied unit AVs. I really expected this attack to come off at 1:1. The good news is that forts dropped to 2.

I don't think I'll bring in that big combat engineer unit after all. The one thing I might do is bring back 5th Oz Div. (100% prepped), which is resting at Shikuka. It's recovered to about 170 AV, but needs a few more weeks rest.

The Japanese are close to cracking, but I'll have to be careful to rest my guys sufficiently before trying the next attack. In the meantime, the bombers and the bombardment TFs will continue their work.

Regarding the second Kuriles invasion, I'm standing down the force that just loaded. Given Cold Zone, I prefer to target a different hex, which may take about four or five days. Too, I really prefer to have Ketoi on the very brink of collapse before creating another action that will need bombardment TFs and air strikes.

[Canoerebel]

11/2/44

Burma: Most of the Allied air force in Burma targets this hex and stack. This is one of many strikes. I had hoped to slow down this hex, giving the pursuing Allied stack time to come up and attack tomorrow. But the IJA stack cleared the hex today, despite back-to-back bombings on consecutive days.

In the hex to the west, just north of Rangoon, the largest IJ stack underwent air attacks today, slowing it somewhat. That stack is still in the hex. My stack is up and can attack tomorrow, but I suspect the enemy will clear during the day.

The question is whether that second IJA stack can arrive at Pegu before the eastern Allied stack reaches the hex and takes it. I think Erik will figure a way to make it, but I'll do what I can to stymie him.

[RangerJoe]

I just caught up here. Very nicely done for your desperate defense around Sakhalin.

Ketoi should fall soon and with winter, his repairs will also be slower at the other bases in the cold weather zone.

For your next invasion, have you thought about offensive minefields near his close major bases? Laid by subs and/or B-29s, each one should be considered a separate minefield. That might slow down and disrupt his riff-raff and destroyer task forces. The minefields, once discovered, could cause his fleet commanders to reroute around those mined hexes which could mess up his planning and leave some fleets vulnerable. It might remove some subs as well, especially if they are already damaged.


***Edited after being read again.

[Canoerebel]

Sikhalin was intense and remarkable. Guadalcanal on steroids.

I hadn't really thought about mining. Your ideas are good ones. I'll give all of that thought. I used a lot of my inventory in protecting Shikuka, so I'll check my inventories first. I haven't done any 4EB mine-laying, so those inventories should be good, assuming they utilize a different type of mine.

[RangerJoe]

A quick read from wiki:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Starvation

A longer read and there is an interesting footnote on the bottom of age 80 which is continued on page 81. Just think if the evil empire in the game also had that handicap of three separate shipping pools where ships from one pool would not load a cargo that another pool needed and would thus sail empty.

https://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/p ... /R1322.pdf

[Canoerebel]

11/3/44

Ketoi: Every turn for three weeks, Allied transports and combat TFs have been present at Ketoi. Aside from subs and MTBs, Erik hasn't sent in naval vessels to contest the hex. Of course, that can change, so each turn involves a lot of decisions about what to post at Ketoi and how to protect it.

This turn, Erik sent in an MTB TF. The newly-arrived CA Pensacola TF sank two of them; a patrolling DD TF sank the third.

No major Allied attack is scheduled at Ketoi today, but I'm hoping that the daily naval bombardment, bombings, and artillery barrage will further dampen enemy AV.

[Canoerebel]

11/3/44

Ketoi: Even with enemy forts down to 2, the daily bombardment by sea is only modestly effective.

When the bombardment TFs retire each turn, they are covered by LRCAP from Death Star and from Shikuka.

[Canoerebel]

11/3/44

Ketoi: This is the biggest and most impactful of the many air strikes targeting Ketoi today.

Erik hasn't offered fighter opposition since trying an LRCAP trap several weeks back. That affair didn't turn out well for him. But he might try something new and powerful any turn, so I try to change things up and attend properly to sweeps and escorts.

I have a decent air force in Burma and a modest one in Oz and SoPac, but the bulk of Allied air power - especially the top fighters and bombers - are located at Sikhalin Island.

[Canoerebel]

11/3/44

Ketoi: This smaller strike is interesting because four enemy combat squads were destroyed, none damaged. That usually means the enemy ground troops are beat up pretty badly.

[Canoerebel]

11/3/44

Ketoi: Effective bombardment by just 75 Allied guns. The Allies now have a 4:1 lead in raw AV, up from 2:1 at the time of the initial landings and opening attack. Forts are down from 6 to 2. Supply and dispruption are an issue for the enemy troops.

Tomorrow, I'll land another US RCT (50% prepped), mainly to trigger the auto-enemy bombardment. Then, in two or three days, another general attack.

[jwolf]

IMHO you could attack now with what is already there.

[Canoerebel]

I just went through the units. They are close to ready to attack, most with about 10-20 disruption and about 25-35 fatigue. I'll give them one more day of rest.

[Canoerebel]

11/3/44

Burma: For the first time in a week or more, Erik brings in his fighters in numbers. They're posted at Pegu to contest the daily Allied sweeps and bombing runs.

This is the first round, in favor of the Allies.