As usual, your suggestions include good things I had forgotten, overlooked or didn't know. Thanks, Ranger.
In past games, I typically withdrew as many ground units as possible, even while keeping my navy forward to fight. I haven't really considered pulling out ground units, as my goal is to slow Dave as much as possible. But to the extent that units aren't necessary, are redundant, or would be critical to future efficiency, I'll consider doing so.
There's two Dutch units (ML KNIL Aviation 1 & 2) that are well worth pulling out of Java. They're very skimped down base forces, just support squads, engineer squads and aviation support. They're great, as they're completely air transportable.
The only other units that I can remember are the Manila and Clark USAAF base forces and the Cavite and Cebu USN base forces, but getting those two entirely is nearly impossible, so it's cadres for them.
All of the above are great for Australia, which is pretty short on everything for the first few months.
Can't all of these units be purchased after their destruction?
It's been too long since an Allied GC turn so I'm not certain. The Dutch units you want out ASAP, they can work wonders being air transported around Oz and SWPAC. The US forces should be candidates for resurrection, but I forget if there's something about HQ's that prevents it.
Right now, I have a shortage of aviation support in the DEI. Since I'm trying to establish a strong defense while KB is away and Dave seems to be regrouping it would be counterproductive (IMO) to remove aviation support.
But your suggestions will prompt me to look at what's where and to begin planning likely ways to withdraw as much as I can, when that time comes.
Thanks.
"Rats set fire to Mr. Cooper’s store in Fort Valley. No damage done." Columbus (Ga) Enquirer-Sun, October 2, 1880.
The base force on Mindanao can be bought out. It is in three sections so all that you have to do is buy one out and it can rebuild the entire thing. I think that the PI base forces can be bought out as well but there may be no PI engineers for them but the extra support, aviation and regular, is useful.
Some of the small Philipino units maybe able to be bought out. I think 14 squads, maybe? But they would work for garrison purposes plus with recon, they would show up as another unit. Smoke and mirrors time with them!
I think that the 4th Marines can be bought out but they disappear later, I also think that there is an US infantry regiment that can also be bought out. Units differ if they can be bought out based on the scenario.
Joe
Seek peace but keep your gun handy.
I'm not a complete idiot, some parts are missing!
“Illegitemus non carborundum est (“Don’t let the bastards grind you down”).” ; Julia Child
Java: At Semereng, midway along the north coast, the Dutch shock-attacked the Japanese garrison, achieving 2:1 and then 1:1 odds and dropping forts to 0. By the third day, IJA 4th Div. had arrived from Jakarta, spoiling the Dutch attack while inflicting big casualties. On the 4th day, the Japanese unleashed their own shock attack, mauling the little Dutch army. This little campaign also involved repeated and effective bombardments by Allied TFs, including Force Z. These had the effect of destroying a good bit of the base's industry.
Java Sea: Dave has a pincers movement unfolding, with combat TFs approaching from the South China Sea (including the Micro KB I've seen before) and Celebes/Moluccas. I couldn't be certain the force approaching from the Celebes Sea didn't include Full KB, so I pulled out a lot of my capital ships, sending them from Soerabaja into the Indian Ocean. As of the 23rd, however, it doesn't appear that KB is involved, at least yet.
DEI: SigInt indicates an invasion force is bound for Samarang, beside Balikpapan.
Singers: Forts are approaching 3.9 with supply north of 200k. I've shut down further deliveries. Dave has a lot of subs and combat vessels in the area, and strike aircraft at Johore Bahru have taken control of the sea lanes. But he hasn't crossed the causeway yet and the defenses should be fairly formidable when he does.
Burma: Stalemate, for the moment, at Rangoon, where a low-quality Allied army of 500 AV is making a stand against a Japanese force 2x. I'll probably lose a good bit of this force when Dave brings a few additional units up, either to reinforce at Rangoon or to flank it. But it's a worthwile holding action and now high-value units are at risk.
China: The Allied MLR is intact. The only place it's really at risk is E and SE of Sian, but holding for the moment. Dave is trying some flanking attacks off-road through forests. I don't think pose any real threat, mainly because the Chinese have attended to these various points of infiltration.
Pacific: It's been quiet since KB withdrew from Fiji a month back. One of the Marine CD units at Midway upgraded to 155mm guns. I think Dave is coming there, sooner or later.
"Rats set fire to Mr. Cooper’s store in Fort Valley. No damage done." Columbus (Ga) Enquirer-Sun, October 2, 1880.
Don't forget to take cadres out from units at Singapore. It is cheaper to do so now than buying the units back. They can rebuild in Australia and be useful there. Any unit that disappears later can't be bought back. Some of them last for awhile so it may be worth it to buy them when they are trashed but before they are destroyed. I do not know if the option for no withdrawl of units affects this.
I hope that you are increasing the supply draw for Lashio with stockpiling on. A HQ will also help. Once he takes all of the other Burma bases in the area, then releasing the supplies should get a bunch of them to China. Some of the Burmese base forces in the mountains of China might help those bases as well with engineers, AAA, and aviation support.
Joe
Seek peace but keep your gun handy.
I'm not a complete idiot, some parts are missing!
“Illegitemus non carborundum est (“Don’t let the bastards grind you down”).” ; Julia Child
Singers: Forts are approaching 3.9 with supply north of 200k. I've shut down further deliveries. Dave has a lot of subs and combat vessels in the area, and strike aircraft at Johore Bahru have taken control of the sea lanes. But he hasn't crossed the causeway yet and the defenses should be fairly formidable when he does.
Not sure if it's possible here, but if you want to give those troops crossing a surprise, Johore is accessible by sea through Singers only, and you can bombard and get back to (relative) safety in one hex with no possibility of interference from the IJN. Helps knock those strike planes back a bit too. [:)]
"Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm." - Winston Churchill
Can't all of these units be purchased after their destruction?
It's been too long since an Allied GC turn so I'm not certain. The Dutch units you want out ASAP, they can work wonders being air transported around Oz and SWPAC. The US forces should be candidates for resurrection, but I forget if there's something about HQ's that prevents it.
They can all be bought back. it's just that some arrive at Manila, and the Dutch don't have a lot in reserves, so the units end up a bit small. Still, support troops are universal, so air support can be filled in regardless.
"Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm." - Winston Churchill
While the game is far more interesting, here's some Sync Bug info. Here I'm loading the next turn that Dave sent. There's an error message. I don't see anything about an 1126a. Is he properly patched?
This indicates the problem. You are using version 1126a and your opponent is using version 1124. You will need to revert back to version 1124 or you will have sync problems. Or Dave could patch to 1126a.
This could be a problem for your sync bugs in our game too. I get this message each turn. I think we went over this but didn't get it sorted a good while back.
"Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm." - Winston Churchill
I don't want the slightest hint of what's coming. It's far more fun if it's just completely a surprise. Erik and Dave are meticulous in not tipping anything, which I appreciate a lot.
Same phrase with no other comment every turn email sent; "here is the next"
Helps me not tip my hat that I'm trying to do something in the next turn too. Works both ways.
"Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm." - Winston Churchill
Of course, with an up to date AAR, a lot of activity can indicate something big happening. Or, even 6 pages of a discourse on various trees or whatever else people would ramble on about. [:D]
Interesting about bombarding at Singapore. I have always evacuated to Palembang against the computer. Two Indian divisions (the 9th and the 11th) usually work effectively against the computer.
Seek peace but keep your gun handy.
I'm not a complete idiot, some parts are missing!
“Illegitemus non carborundum est (“Don’t let the bastards grind you down”).” ; Julia Child
A busy three days with plenty of ominous developments for the Allies and one encouraging item, as the Japanese cross the causeway to attack Singapore:
Singapore: The Japanese bring two divisions (5th and Imperial Guards) and lots of regiments. Most of the regiments get chewed up. Japanese losses are heavy. Allied forts (now at 3.95) aren't touched. The big Allied units - two Indian divisions and two Aussie brigades - are in good condition. Supply is 199k.
The attack will allow Dave to bring in reinforcements without triggering future shock attacks. Overall, though, this is a good result.
More about the ominous developments to follow in a bit.
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"Rats set fire to Mr. Cooper’s store in Fort Valley. No damage done." Columbus (Ga) Enquirer-Sun, October 2, 1880.
Other than Singapore, things took a turn for the bleak.
China: The Japanese broke through the Chinese MLR east of Sian. I'm going to have real problems here now. The breakthrough is into open terrain, so the Chinese will have to stand at Sian (forts 3 at the moment). The Japanese will get behind the other Chinese MLR position in the woods to the south, but I'm going to try to hold there as long as possible. China is a big concern.
Burma: A rag-tag bunch of poor Indian and Burmese units have withstood a couple of deliberate attacks at Rangoon. The next attack should succeed, at which point the battered Allied units will be subject to air attack and utter destruction. But the main goal has been to slow the Japanese using "expendables."
DEI: As anticipated, KB showed up, just SE of Soerabaja. I had enough foreshadowing to pull out the capital ships, leaving behind some DD and CL/DD TFs to keep the enemy honest. Under a CAP of about 130 mixed fighters, KB has launched a couple of attacks that managed to sink a bunch of coastal minesweepers and put one bomb on CL Tromp. And about 20 Betties got chewed up.
Mini KB is just east of Palembang, where the enemy landed in strength on the 27th. So Dave has committed the forces necessary to take full control of this theater.
Elsewhere: I'll take steps to augment defenses here and there. Midway, which has two Marine CD units, will get the Bobcats engineer battalion (to work on forts). Pago Pago will get a RCT that's already 100% prepped. I'll scrounge to find a few decent units to go to Tahiti. And I'll look for ways to create a strongpoint or two in the upper Aleutians.
"Rats set fire to Mr. Cooper’s store in Fort Valley. No damage done." Columbus (Ga) Enquirer-Sun, October 2, 1880.
You game is about a week behind my own and I am the Allies so it is interesting to see how your game is progressing and maybe I can get a few ideas from you. I would say his attack on Singapore with less troops than my opponent had went almost 3 times worse as my opponent only lost 5,000 and I lost 1,000 in the first attack. That was slightly earlier than yours though my forts were 3+. It is now 4 feb 42 and he is getting better results with each attack about every 3rd day and the forts are now down to 1. Even though the initial odds were 1-2 they are almost 1-3 but the loses are crawling closer with each attack him 5,000 me 3,000+. I assume he brought in some fresh units to do some of the later attacks and moved out whatever units that need some rest and rebuilding. My supply is ok at 44,000 tons and it goes down about 1,000 tons a day. I hope to last at least past the historical date of 15 feb.
Synopsis: Dave had strong combat/carrier TFs positioned on each side of Borneo, allowing his TFs to invade Palembang and Ambon without serious opposition. Those invasions are nearing an end and most of his combat power is pulling back to replenish, giving me a brief window to address what I can.
Singapore: No further enemy attacks. Hurricanes came in from India via Port Blair and Sumatra. They did ugly things to a few enemy air strikes. Supply at 197k.
Philippines: This is going to be ugly. Clark Field supply is down to 5k. When it falls, Dave can release two or three divisions to join the Singers siege.
Burma: Enemy army, anchored by 33rd Div., takes Rangoon against poor-quality Allied units that retreat to Bassein. There they are switching to Strat Mode to make their escape. Most of them should make it.
Sumatra: Three successive enemy attacks haven't taken Palembang; the fourth should.
Java: 4th IJA Div. moved south to Jakarta again but didn't have the oomph to take it from a modest Dutch army. This foolishness will continue a little longer. Next visit by full KB and Friends should seal the deal.
China: The Japanese are advancing on Sian from the east but thus far the MLR hasn't totally collapsed.
Overall: The opening months has been a mixture of ragged and robust for both sides. The two things that most alarm me at the moment: China and Philippines. Elsewhere the Allies have been fighting effectively, delaying the enemy at a cost that should be acceptable.
"Rats set fire to Mr. Cooper’s store in Fort Valley. No damage done." Columbus (Ga) Enquirer-Sun, October 2, 1880.
My opponent skipped the PH attack and used the KB to attack Manila, he decided 40+ fleet subs are a better target than a handful of old BBs, and the target rich PI environment after 7 Dec, 8 Dec that side of the international dateline. Which by the way is not an app to date foreign women. So his emphasis has been more there then following PH attack, though he left the swarms of subs around PH for 6-8 weeks. I did have a problem like you as he clean killed the Big E with 3 sub toprs as I was moving in to attack the Marshalls and try to catch small amphibious TFs as they went about their early war business. Then to add insult to injury he put two torps into the Yorktown as she tried to leave the west coast and now I am down 2 carriers. So in other words things could be worse. Like you he has assaulted into Singapore but you seem to be in better shape there than I do. Also he took Clark after I threw him out and then ran short of supplies. Then he went to Bataan and the daily artillery duel was too much in my favor so he pulled out and will let me starve before coming back to sweep up the VPs and skeletons. However, in my game he has not attack Java or Sumatra proper, but how far off could the be? I also finally got some Dutch sub luck putting multiple torps into a CVL and CA recently. For the first 6 weeks he was running around DEI if he had an anti-torp force-field. In the other side of the map he has taken as far south as Nhedi in northern New Hebrides, Funafuti and Terapo. He has not taken PM yet but has taken Ambon and threatening Balikpapan. Burma almost totally collapsed and China is holding it's own for now until the supply situation deteriorates along with the Burma road. So he is entering Phase two of his opening moves all the easier targets are taken or under siege now he has to plan and advance and finish the Burma, DEI and PAC historic conquests before moving to what next with my victory fever should I try to take.
; Julia Child
