THREAD War: Mike & Mike - Mike Solli (J) vs. USS America (A)

[rustysi]

Don't overlook the fact that you'll need a lot more supply than China can possibly produce on her own. You've gotten some into Rangoon, but its only a drop in the bucket as to what will be needed. You've also got some units out of country (or are about to) IIRC, and the Burma Road is still open. Good, but that's not enough either.

If you haven't done so, start getting Ledo ready, and get whatever you have there to airlift supplies into China. Remember, bombers may also be used as transports. Every little bit helps. Supply is definitely going to be one of your most important shortages in China.

From what I've read in the forum you'll need a lot more than expected. Heck as a Japanese player I know I've used more than I thought to subdue the place.

[BBfanboy]

ORIGINAL: rustysi

Don't overlook the fact that you'll need a lot more supply than China can possibly produce on her own. You've gotten some into Rangoon, but its only a drop in the bucket as to what will be needed. You've also got some units out of country (or are about to) IIRC, and the Burma Road is still open. Good, but that's not enough either.

If you haven't done so, start getting Ledo ready, and get whatever you have there to airlift supplies into China. Remember, bombers may also be used as transports. Every little bit helps. Supply is definitely going to be one of your most important shortages in China.

From what I've read in the forum you'll need a lot more than expected. Heck as a Japanese player I know I've used more than I thought to subdue the place.

Playing against the AI I cleared Burma and the Burma Road, cleared most of the air and sea opposition and started bringing supply for China.
I brought convoys to Rangoon, convoys from Cape Town to south China ports, convoys from North America to southeast China ports and I am sure there was some overland supply moving from India through northern Burma to the Burma Road.
The convoys dumped around 4 million supply but between filling out units, building selected airfields and ports and repairing selected industry, it looked like my objectives were only about half done. The constant influx of raw recruits was keeping experience levels from rising above 50 and the Chinese were still lacking heavy weapons to compete with IJA tanks and artillery.
Eventually I just brought in US and British units with decent heavy weapons and tanks to roll up the Japanese. Combined with the Chinese units they were unstoppable.
P.S. didn't use air power that much - bases not built large and lack of air support were the main reasons. I did bring in lots of AAA to keep the Japanese air force at bay, but I think limited supply did more than anything to ground their aircraft.

[Aksully]

ORIGINAL: BBfanboy

ORIGINAL: USSAmerica



Mike, I'll get a screenshot of China posted soon. My MLR is still only a rough goal in my mind so there's not much to show yet. [;)]

Alfred made a pretty good case for NOT forming a "main line of resistance". Instead he advocated concentrating Chinese units at key hexes and keeping a mobile reserve to respond to IJA attacks or hit weak parts of their lines.

In this link, zuluhour reposts Alfred's advice in post 1304 of the thread:

tm.asp?m=4378420&mpage=44#

Curious to know if anyone whom employed this strategy ever took screenshots of unit positioning? Thx!

[USSAmerica]

ORIGINAL: rustysi

Don't overlook the fact that you'll need a lot more supply than China can possibly produce on her own. You've gotten some into Rangoon, but its only a drop in the bucket as to what will be needed. You've also got some units out of country (or are about to) IIRC, and the Burma Road is still open. Good, but that's not enough either.

If you haven't done so, start getting Ledo ready, and get whatever you have there to airlift supplies into China. Remember, bombers may also be used as transports. Every little bit helps. Supply is definitely going to be one of your most important shortages in China.

From what I've read in the forum you'll need a lot more than expected. Heck as a Japanese player I know I've used more than I thought to subdue the place.

Yeah, I have no illusions of having anywhere near enough supply in China until a couple of years from now. I do have one Chinese unit of about a dozen eligible that has already crossed into Burma and is heading for India. 3 more will be one hex from the Burma border next turn and another 8 or so are following. They will essentially be the only Chinese units that draw replacements, once they get to the supply rich Calcutta area. The small amount of supply that will be available to units within China will be reserved for some selective fort building and feeding defenders. Very limited counter attacks will be ordered, such as the attempted spoiling attack on the Japanese armor at Nanyang next turn. The big goal here will be to hold out and survive.

I do have Ledo's airfield operating the first transport group already flying supply over the hump. The AF and forts are both building here and more Aviation support is on the way to keep larger and larger numbers of transports and bombers flying supply into China.

[USSAmerica]

ORIGINAL: BBfanboy

ORIGINAL: rustysi

Don't overlook the fact that you'll need a lot more supply than China can possibly produce on her own. You've gotten some into Rangoon, but its only a drop in the bucket as to what will be needed. You've also got some units out of country (or are about to) IIRC, and the Burma Road is still open. Good, but that's not enough either.

If you haven't done so, start getting Ledo ready, and get whatever you have there to airlift supplies into China. Remember, bombers may also be used as transports. Every little bit helps. Supply is definitely going to be one of your most important shortages in China.

From what I've read in the forum you'll need a lot more than expected. Heck as a Japanese player I know I've used more than I thought to subdue the place.

Playing against the AI I cleared Burma and the Burma Road, cleared most of the air and sea opposition and started bringing supply for China.
I brought convoys to Rangoon, convoys from Cape Town to south China ports, convoys from North America to southeast China ports and I am sure there was some overland supply moving from India through northern Burma to the Burma Road.
The convoys dumped around 4 million supply but between filling out units, building selected airfields and ports and repairing selected industry, it looked like my objectives were only about half done. The constant influx of raw recruits was keeping experience levels from rising above 50 and the Chinese were still lacking heavy weapons to compete with IJA tanks and artillery.
Eventually I just brought in US and British units with decent heavy weapons and tanks to roll up the Japanese. Combined with the Chinese units they were unstoppable.
P.S. didn't use air power that much - bases not built large and lack of air support were the main reasons. I did bring in lots of AAA to keep the Japanese air force at bay, but I think limited supply did more than anything to ground their aircraft.

From reading late war AAR's, it seems that the Chinese forces, no matter how well supplied, will never be more than a complimentary force to other Allied units when it comes to a major offensive. Even if they are filled to full strength and completely supplied, they don't have the firepower.

Assuming I am able to hang onto some part of China, reopening the Burma Road and linking up with any Chinese survivors will be a priority. Of course, that's a ways down the road. [:D]

[jdsrae]

Not just firepower, but also lack of combat engineers to reduce forts.
Throwing riflemen against fortified positions just ends up with lots of dead riflemen, as it should.
You might have higher priorities for them elsewhere, but if you can spare a few artillery and engineer units from other allies they can add a lot of value in China, as well as opening a road to get them there in the first place.
I’m no expert on Assam/Burma, but what I’ve read is that the US committed huge amounts of resources to the airlift, but relatively few land combat forces.
As Supreme Allied CinC you can adjust those strategic troop allocations how you see fit.
Are you thinking about any wildly ahistorical moves in this game?

[BBfanboy]

ORIGINAL: jdsrae

Not just firepower, but also lack of combat engineers to reduce forts.
Throwing riflemen against fortified positions just ends up with lots of dead riflemen, as it should.
You might have higher priorities for them elsewhere, but if you can spare a few artillery and engineer units from other allies they can add a lot of value in China, as well as opening a road to get them there in the first place.
I’m no expert on Assam/Burma, but what I’ve read is that the US committed huge amounts of resources to the airlift, but relatively few land combat forces.
As Supreme Allied CinC you can adjust those strategic troop allocations how you see fit.
Are you thinking about any wildly ahistorical moves in this game?

Leadership is also an issue. Not many really good leaders in China, but a number of half decent ones that can be effective once in a while. Depends a bit on the quality of the opposing leader as well as the AV balance.

[HansBolter]

I took a similar route to getting supply into China, opening up the Burma Road, setting up Continuous Supply convoys to Rangoon, dumping several million supply into Hong Kong and Shanghai once they were cleared.

In the way of Allied units sent to China I focused on what they lack and need most, Combat Engineers and Tanks.
I had plenty of raw Chinese AV, it was Combat Engineers I needed to reduce forts at siege locations and Tanks I needed for fast exploitation.

By the time I was able to send ground troops and dump supply into coastal bases, the air threat had diminished sufficiently that AA units weren't really needed. These are another critical unit type in short supply in China. The problem with getting any there early is there likely won't be enough supply to be able to use them effectively.

My game is at December 15th, 1945 and the the Chinese have liberated all but two bases in their country, Peiping, which is under siege and has had forts reduced to 7, and the base in the swamp south east of Changsha (can't recall name). Both bases will be cleared before the scenario ends on March 31st, 1946.

The Chinese also participated in the assault into Manchukou and hold several bases there. The unrestricted Chinese units attached to NCAC command have since been railed to Fusan and transported across the straits to Shimonaseki. I now have every nationality except Russians participating in te invasion of Japan. The Ruskis are prepping for an American amphibious transport mission to hit the the four bases surrounding the bay opposite Tokyo on the Sea of Japan side of the island. D-Day is set for the first week of January.

[USSAmerica]

ORIGINAL: jdsrae

As Supreme Allied CinC you can adjust those strategic troop allocations how you see fit.
Are you thinking about any wildly ahistorical moves in this game?

I don't know about anything wildly ahistoric as of now, other than a general intent to eventually launch a DEI offensive from Oz. I am absolutely going to keep my options open for any opportunity that presents itself down the road. I won't rule out a North Pac offensive, US troops fighting in Burma to reopen the Burma Road, etc. If China should be overrun by Japan before I can intervene, I can easily imagine robbing the CBI theater of forces to support Cent Pac or SW Pac offensives. Other than paying Political Points as needed to free up forces, I'm not going to constrain myself by political implications.

[BBfanboy]

Yeah, because I was playing the AI and you are in PBEM the convoys to China, etc. are not likely to happen for a long time. I was mostly trying to show that 4 million+ supply is just a start on expanding the Chinese army. Every time you lose a Chinese unit, just think how much supply you are saving to put into the other units!

[USSAmerica]

I haven't heard from Mike in just over 2 weeks. Sent the last turn to him on the 10th. I emailed to check in with him 2 days ago, but still no reply. I'm not concerned about getting the turn back right now as I am watching the Tour de France each night through this coming weekend, but it's not like Mike to not reply to my emails. I do hope all is well on his end.

[Aksully]

ORIGINAL: USSAmerica

I haven't heard from Mike in just over 2 weeks. Sent the last turn to him on the 10th. I emailed to check in with him 2 days ago, but still no reply. I'm not concerned about getting the turn back right now as I am watching the Tour de France each night through this coming weekend, but it's not like Mike to not reply to my emails. I do hope all is well on his end.

I absolutely agree with this. Hope all is well on his end. You both have been very helpful in answering questions about the game. And the two of you seem to be very well matched as opponents. I've learned much following your moves to date. I'm rooting for a DRAW!!!!

[Chickenboy]

ORIGINAL: Aksully
I've learned much following your moves to date.

[&:]

You know this is USS America's AAR and not Mike Solli's, right?





[;)]

[Aksully]

I do

[USSAmerica]

Mike, CB is just trying to bust my chops. [:D]

[USSAmerica]

Still no word from Mike for a month now. I'm worried that something may be wrong. I've emailed again, and also tried to message his other PBEM opponent, Ted, but no response there, either. I don't have any way to reach him other than email and PM here. [:(]

[Aksully]

ORIGINAL: USSAmerica

Still no word from Mike for a month now. I'm worried that something may be wrong. I've emailed again, and also tried to message his other PBEM opponent, Ted, but no response there, either. I don't have any way to reach him other than email and PM here. [:(]

Here's hoping nothing bad has happened to your friend Mike. I see he lists his occupation as being in DoD. Perhaps he had a short notice move as part of his job. Hopefully you'll hear from him in the near future.

[rustysi]

I know that Ted was having PC issues. Should be resolved by now, but you never know.

Not good that Solli hasn't responded.[:(]

[rustysi]

I see he lists his occupation as being in DoD. Perhaps he had a short notice move as part of his job.

Anythings' possible, but he's a short timer, getting ready to retire. I do know he was getting his home ready for sale. Could have something to do with that.

[BBfanboy]

ORIGINAL: rustysi

I see he lists his occupation as being in DoD. Perhaps he had a short notice move as part of his job.

Anythings' possible, but he's a short timer, getting ready to retire. I do know he was getting his home ready for sale. Could have something to do with that.

Oh c'mon! If he's homeless why isn't he finding a WiFi hot spot and sending the file from his car?