Notes from a Small Island

[Canoerebel]

I'm doing a massive test loading. For the units in Combat Mode, I'll see if their TFs actually have enough capacity and make adjustments where needed. Those TFs will probably unload and then, in about four days, re-load for TNNBT. For those in Strat Mode, I'll likely leave them aboard ship until TNNBT gets underway.

I'm still gathering units from Kushiro and the Kuriles. It's 95% down, but the last 5% is giving me fits. Other than that, TNNBT is ready to get underway (so no additional Fletchers will upgrade, but I think there is time for the Sommers-class DDs to do so (their upgrades take 7 days).

I'm glad I diverted the Marcus-prepped units to NoPac. A couple of the Kuriles and Shikuka can use a boost in their garrisons. Erik is paying close attention, via recon, to what's going on.

[panzer cat]

I did not know that I should create barges/landing craft to speed up the process, great tip

[RangerJoe]

It is just like creating PT boats except that they are landing craft. The veritable Higgins boats, if I recall correctly.

[tarkalak]

Creating barges from a fleet requires the supplies to be loaded at Hawaii or at the US.

I remember reading that on the forum, but I am not sure of it.

You should definitely test that if you intend to use them.

[Canoerebel]

4/13/45 to 4/16/45

The Next Next Big Thing: Planning for the loading of this invasion fleet is so complex that my head hurts. Troops at Shikuka are divided between Combat and Strat Modes. Each unit is loading separately (to make sure I've allocated the proper space). The loading has gone well, thus far, with the assault shipping more than sufficient to carry the 18 or so divisions involved. The main assault TFs have unloaded now, so that their units won't accrue disruption. They'll load again in a couple of days. Meanwhile, a host of TFs are still retrieving units from Kushiro and the Kuriles. This is complicated by some good units being on 0(0) port bases. So some of my best ships (LSTs, LSDs, LCIs) are required, meaning they aren't at Shikuka loading assault troops. It's the most complex thing you've ever seen.

Despite this Wal-Mart on ice complexity, the loading is actually going well and it's fun. I'm starting to get itchy fingers. I want to press "Go! Now!" but 1st Marine Div. and 37th Div. are still inbound from forward bases. They'll arrive at Shikuka in two days. I think Departure Day will be in four days.

I'm leaving behind pretty solid defenses, especially at the two Hokkaido bases and the two Sikhalin Island bases. I think there's a decent chance Erik will get frisky in some form or fashion - combat TF raids, bombardment raids, counter-invasions or counterattacks (Kushiro would be the most likely target) or bombing raids, or combos of all of these. I don't think he can make real trouble, but he's a clever guy.

Each day, his good fighters pick on an second-teir Allied airfield to sweep. Usually I have no fighters anywhere but Shikuka, but some are required forward to protect the loading transports. Today, his good fighters were handled well at Kushiro, mainly due to P-47Ns being present.

SEAC: The chase is on in the jungle between Moulmein and Bangkok. Right now his retreat is a bit ragged. Pretty soon, the Allied advance will become ragged. He's tried to LRCAP his guys on occasion. When my sweepers catch his LRCAP, my guys win. Today was one of those days. He has 300+ good fighters at Bangkok the past ten days, so he's taking this seriously.

A large Allied invasion force is assembling at Madras with a good RN Death Star. That DS is large enough to handle the LBA threat or KB threat but not both. So I have to pick the right time - IE, I have to be pretty sure KB isn't loitering around Singers.

At some point, Death Star and RN DS may work together.

May should be a very exciting month.

[RangerJoe]

I think that the time to launch the Royal Naval DS would be the turn right after he detects the big move elsewhere - unless you want to feint with it.

Of course, two DD raids everywhere he is weak in airpower would tend to distract him as well! Move in and move out, like a complex dance. "Put your right foot in, put your right foot out . . . "

[Canoerebel]

I'll bet you anything Erik will suspect a move in the Andaman Sea coincident with the move in the Pacific. He wants at RN Death Star. I'll have to be very, very careful or I'll feed the lion a tasty supper.

I think the better odds for springing RN DS is if TNNBT succeeds in creating such major issues for Japan that Erik feels compelled to deploy everything he can get his hands on. I think there's a decent chance that's what's going to happen.

[RangerJoe]

What I meant was to let him see the RN a turn or two before the DS would known to be visible. He would react towards the RN but then you would back off. Then the DDs would pop up all over for a quick raid, he might react to those with air units but the DDs then run away. Doing so could cause a reaction and leave parts of air units scattered hither and yon. Then the big hammer hits . . .

[BBfanboy]

ORIGINAL: RangerJoe

What I meant was to let him see the RN a turn or two before the DS would known to be visible. He would react towards the RN but then you would back off. Then the DDs would pop up all over for a quick raid, he might react to those with air units but the DDs then run away. Doing so could cause a reaction and leave parts of air units scattered hither and yon. Then the big hammer hits . . .

Good plan, now go to obvert's AAR and advise him on his part in the dance! Every complex dance needs a choreographer to make it work!

[Lokasenna]

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

A question for you who know more than I do about optimizing ship classes for amphibious assault (most everybody reading this will know more than I do).

The Allies have a tremendous fleet of assault shipping available - I think, for once, I have so much that it won't be necessary to cram troops onto ships or to shoe-horn x-Class ships into the invasion fleet. But I'm not sure if there are advantages to doing things certain ways:

1. I have enough APAs to carry the full complement of 15 or so divisions involved. Question: Is there any advantage to including AKAs in the infantry assault shipping, or do the APAs, which are configured to carry both men and equipment, sufficient, thus freeing the AKAs for other duties?

2. LSI(L)s are available. I think they are the UK equivalent of the APA, so I'll use them as such.

3. There are LSDs that carry a bit of infantry but mostly cargo. Should those be used like APAs or should they be used to carry armor and/or artillery?

4. Should tank units be placed only on LSTs or are there even better ships that should be used, such as LSDs or AKAs?

5. I plan to use APDs and LCIs for the main target, carrying parts of the key assault infantry units. Any reason to use them in some other capacity?

I'm a few days late, but...

1. Yes, include AKAs in unloading large US infantry units (such as divisions). You will need to do so to maximize the utility of your APAs.

2. Yes

3. Your choice. Substitute a few in place of an AKA when loading a division, or I mostly use them to load the armor/artillery units that have a little bit of Troops to load. I've also used them to help with the small Troop/large Cargo HQs on occasion (Eighth Army, maybe?).

4. LSTs are perfectly fine. I love them for this, actually.

5. No, not really. Although I tend to use them for help in landing secondary units such as base forces or combat engineers as they provide great troop capacity - my APAs tend to be all used up on divisions.


Also note that with an AGC + 100% HQm, you can use xAPs and xAKs to great effect. A while back I tracked how much unloaded with just xAP/xAK and it was a huge amount (I used a large number of ships, but they mostly unloaded in a single day even from xAP/xAK...). The AGC and HQm make a big difference in unload rates.

[Canoerebel]

4/17/45

TNNBT: Loading continues efficiently and satisfactorily. The issue is that many TFs carrying cadres are still inbound from the Kuriles. I think I'm going to give it one more day. IE, I think the invasion armada will depart Shikuka on the 19th. I'll round up all the stray TFs busy retrieving cadres and get them organized in some way, either by attaching them to the appropriate parent's TF or, when necessary (as when the cadre is in Strat Mode and the parent in Combat Mode) by creating a separate TF. Hugely complicated stuff going on.

Due to reasons I cannot go into, the main invasion will not include a well-prepped Amphib Force HQ. A late adjustment, due to reasons I'll mention later, means that the main target has an Amphib Force HQ at about 50%.

Death Star returned to Shikuka today and replenished fuel. It'll remain in port two days. Part of the process will be to draw plane replacements and to optimize fighter configurations on the decks (a few FM-2 Wildcat squadrons are still in use - but in most case I can upgrade them or swap them out for naval air squadrons at Shikuka's airfield.

A large industrial strike was aimed for Sapporo today, but weather shut it down. It was targeted the remnants of the industry there. A major strike on the 13th basically leveled Sapporo.

[RangerJoe]

A suggestion for your DS, when it is traveling to the new target, stand down as many air units as is possible so there will be no radio intercepts for the enemy to track. I have been reading some AARs where they tracked the Allied carriers based on a heavy volume of radio transmissions.

[Canoerebel]

That's a great suggestion...although I don't think Erik will lose track of Death Star for even one minute.

However, there will be other sleight-of-hands things going on that would benefit from such a stratagem.

P.S. Remarkably, I didn't spell that "slate-of-hand."

[Canoerebel]

4/18/45

TNNBT: Allied sweepers and bombers combined for an effective sweep against Sapporo industrial targets, but the real action today is pure logistics - the unusually complex efforts to get everything properly loaded for The Next Next Big Thing. Nearly all loading should be complete tomorrow, and Death Star and the Herd will depart Shikuka the following day (April 20).

The map isn't a sexy one, but it's a busy one, especially with all that's going on under the hood.

In previous invasions in this game, I once forgot to station an Amphib Force HQ in the invasion hex (it stood one hex away, duh!). On another occasion, I left all the gunboats - LCI(G)s, etc. - behind. Duh!

There's so much involved here that I'm afraid of overlooking somehting.

And as I mentioned last post, I made a mistake that I caught belatedly, that cost me some prep issues for some units.

Always something to remind me just how fallable I am.

[Lecivius]

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel
In previous invasions in this game, I once forgot to station an Amphib Force HQ in the invasion hex (it stood one hex away, duh!).

Don't forget to make sure they are set to NOT unload [:'(]

[BBfanboy]

ORIGINAL: Lecivius

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel
In previous invasions in this game, I once forgot to station an Amphib Force HQ in the invasion hex (it stood one hex away, duh!).

Don't forget to make sure they are set to NOT unload [:'(]

And just as important, make sure the other troops ARE set to unload! [;)]

[Bif1961]

I have a nasty habit of picking an Island way point and having my troops get off at the way point instead of the future intended target. I guess I can tell the troops it was just a practice landing to cover my error. [:D]

[Canoerebel]

4/19/45

TNNBT: Loading is essentially complete at Shikuka. More than 10,000 AV aboard ships. More than 125 units. All kinds of support ships and troops.

This graphic shows the level of the undertaking by revealing the meager defenses remaining at Shikuka. A Kiwi brigade is the heart of the garrison. An Australian division, originally slated for Truk and Marcus, is inbound. Forts are 9 here, and the air and sea defenses are stout, so the temporary weakness isn't a concern.

This turn took more than six hours of clicking - most of that for configuring TFs, combining, choosing commanders, choosing settings, and other things.

Then, once everything was done, I went back through the roster of TFs to make sure that none of them are still loading troops or supply. If they were, the armada would simply stay in place until loading was complete. I've tried to make sure everything is right for the armada to depart tonight...but there's a 33% chance I overlook some weird vessel trying to shoehorn lingering motorized support into a hold somewhere.

If the armada does leave without hiccups, and if it doesn't somehow stall en route (as sometimes happens, usually due to small vessels needing fuel or the wierd antics of DMS TFs), I think the journey will take about 10-12 days.

[BBfanboy]

Bon Voyage et Bonne Chance!

[Canoerebel]

Thanks, BBfanboy.

The odds favor the Allies in an undertaking this late and of this size and power. More likely than not, I'll get my guys ashore in good shape and in big numbers.

But there's a possibility the wheels will come off in spectacular fashion. So I'm optimistic but moist.