Solitaire game starting late '42

[EUBanana]

Pondering some HQ reorgs... maybe Manstein could get some ENG into action for another impulse, which might be relevant...

Decided against.

Good move. On a 1, the turn ends.

Yugoslavia gets a 3-3 partisan in Split.

And there's another wave of Russian partisans on the southern end of the front.

[EUBanana]

Oil situation was quite easy going in that turn. Japan managed to reorganise a greater bulk of their fleet than before, most of the main units, so should have some freedom to act.

The CW got on top of their oil situation which was surprisingly bad.

Lots more staying at sea than usual helped I think.

Germany barely used any, so their stockpiles grow. What they did use was the stuff foolishly dumped within strat bomber range...

[EUBanana]

So... buying stuff.

Germany has 38 BPs.
3 Pilots, never have enough
1 SUB repair (they are good subs)
2 LND-3
ARM
MECH
Inf HQ (Model)
MOT
MOT-div
ENG

Still all about the east...

Italy has 14 BPs
2 pilots
2 NAV-3s
Inf-Div
1 naval repair

Japan has 15 BPs
Pilot x2
NAV-3 x2
INF
MIL

China has 7
ATR
INF
Cav-div

CW has 36
2 MOT
2 ARM
Antitank-5
2 pilots
ATR
1 cruiser (mostly to keep the gearing up)
2 naval construction (transports)

US has 54
1 naval construction
4 CV
6 CV-air 2
5 pilots
INF-HQ
1 ARM
1 SUB

USSR has 33
ARM-HQ
2 MOT
1 ARM
3 pilot
LND-2
FTR-2
CAV-div

[EUBanana]

The US Army is starting to really appear, with a couple of white print ARMs on the east coast, and an arm-HQ. Won't be long before they are eying up western Europe.

The USSR just had another 3 fighters arrive, so I think the Luftwaffe won't have it quite all their own way in future. 5 and 6 factor too, so generally pretty good.

The CW got all sorts this turn. 2 CVs got tooled up with air (there always seems to be far more CVs than carrier air in this game...), and as the European Theatre doesn't really need them that means ultimately now 3 CVs in the far east I think. Also their army is coming along, Monty, two MOTs, and Indian paratroopers.

After plonking down all those fighters and reinforcements the Eastern Front looks a lot more solid... just in time. But the Allies really want to win the initiative so the Germans can't pour through that break in the line, or try to.

[EUBanana]

May/June 1943 begins.

The Allies win initiative. The Axis want a reroll.

The Allies win initiative again. The fourth summer of the war properly begins...

[EUBanana]

So, US/CW naval, rest land.

US puts some air cover up in the Coral Sea in the 2 box.
CW does boring convoy covering stuff.

Formidable and Implacable leave Liverpool en route to the Far East via the Med. QE2 leaves Malta and heads for South Africa, as there are reinforcements arriving next turn there. 4 King George V's and 2 Illustriouses and a transport go to the 3 box of Italian Coast for general supply / blockade / bomardment duties. Repulse/Anson go to the 4 box of Eastern Med for the same purpose (Tripoli...).

CW transports an American INF from Gibraltar to Eastern Med, should mean 2 American + 1 CW INF tp hit Tripoli with. CW transports in Liverpool ferry an ARM + ANtitank to Gibraltar, who then get ferried to Italian Coast. Allied sealift is getting quite capable...

An Aussie transport goes to the Tasman Sea. This has been quite quiet here, as the Japanese quietly withdrew from Australia, but the Australians didnt move up because of lack of supply, and they didn't attempt to put down supply in the Tasman Sea because it would just get attacked. Now, the USN will dispute the Coral Sea so hopefully this is now safer.

[EUBanana]

It's kinda hard to explain the unfolding Pacific War this turn... and it doesn't help that no screenshot sums it up.

Basically. With the IJN ready at Truk, and the USN mostly at Hawaii and trying to attack, we got a problem in that the IJN is closer to the bases it wants to defend than the US is, so it will be in a higher sea box, AND have more LBA. On average, anyway. Made worse is the US lack of NAVs in the theatre, while the Japanese are kinda ready now, with fighters and bombers at Truk, Rabaul, and Kwajalein.

Additionally, a small IJN BB force cruises the Solomons, and I have that react in the face of the enemy option on, so the Solomons is harder to use for the USN.

CV force seems to be I guess roughly parity between the two sides.

So all other things being equal, the closer to Truk, the harder the time the USN has of it. Eg, a Decisive Battle in the Marianas right now would mean a Reisen, a Nell and a Kate from Truk, a Nell from Kwajalein, and the entire Combined FLeet, vs whatever the USN can bring ( 4 CV, basically ), and a P38 and a Catalina from Eniwetok. That doesnt' exactly seem good odds, especially as with some rebasing next impulse the Japanese could bring even more, there'll be Jills in Iwo Jima next impulse for example.

And I guess you really don't want to lose bigly because CVs take a long time to build. (Though as its 1943, its not so bad. Essexes start arriving in Sept/Oct).

A Decisive Battle in the Marianas is even worse for the USN. As those BBs are on patrol there, the USN would be in even lower boxes, and be exposed to attack from Rabaul as well... even more LBA, even more battleships.

The Coral Sea looks a bit better as its two sea zones from Truk. Also the USN had ships there already, having cleared it out last turn, so the 'in the face of the enemy' works for them not the Japanese. Also there is only Rabaul to deal with far as LBA is concerned, and LBA of their own in the form of Aussie Beauforts and and the two fighters on Efate.


So bottom line. Coral Sea is where the next invasion will come from. The objective will be to get more LBA facing the Solomons. The old BBs in the South Pacific move into the Coral Sea. Supply lines are well covered with cruisers. 2 CAs move to the Marianas 3 box - why, not to cause battle, but to impede Japanese movement, though sinking the TRN there would be nice. CL Marblehead is a sacrificial lamb and goes to the Bismarck Sea to try and slow the Japanese down at least one impulse.

American LBA is essentially moving east to west across the map, this turn sees LBA move from Midway to the NZ Coast, a P38 and a Dauntless. Not yet unloaded but the idea is that we'll be able to project a lot more power into the Solomons. There's also B17s starting to inch down the island chains with rebase actions. Either way it looks like in the Coral Sea the naval and air power is tilted slightly in the US's favour, at least not tilted against it enough to not risk it. I assume so long as the Japanese are bloodied all is well, it's just beign waxed by lots of Nells where there is a problem.

Well whatever, we're going for it anyway. Coral Sea it is. We got a MAR and INF div to actually do the landing.

There's some preamble but essentially the IJN is going to have to come to the USN not the other way around.

[EUBanana]

Gets off to the good start for the Americans who sink the convoy supplying Truk with a submarine activation.

[EUBanana]

And the US submarines strike quite a devastating blow in the China Sea. The oil shortage means only 1 cruiser was defending.

[EUBanana]

The submarines have another go in the China Sea but this time are chased off by the LBA.

[EUBanana]

The Chinese strat bomb Shanghai, a Nick engages, but doesn't stop it. The Chinese miss though, so no harm done either way.

The Russians don't attack anything but they do give up the ground around Gomel and pull everything back. It's a bit slow as the ART units are not that fast, but the end result is a much thicker front line, rather than two quite thin front lines with one being turned - albeit there's no river. But there is Kursk, Bryansk and a few forest hexes.

[EUBanana]

And this is the Pacific...

You got the main force in the Coral Sea, cruisers in between the Coral Sea and Truk, the Dauntless just got unloaded at Efate, a B17 is coming down from Honolulu currently in the Ellis Islands...




The only wrinkle is the American carriers are all at Hawaii, so quite a long way away. In reserve.

[Courtenay]

US has 54
1 naval construction
4 CV

Are these new builds, or are they finishing? If they are new builds, they look like a mistake to me, since the won't arrive until '45. What the US should be building now are O-chits. They should be spending at least one a turn and frequently more, sometimes a lot more.

And I guess you really don't want to lose bigly because CVs take a long time to build. (Though as its 1943, its not so bad. Essexes start arriving in Sept/Oct).

I hope these are the 1942 Essexes. The five 1941 Essexes should hit the map S/O '42. See the 1998 WiF Annual to see how to pull this off. (https://www.matrixgames.com/forums/tm.asp?m=3472676)

[EUBanana]

ORIGINAL: Courtenay

US has 54
1 naval construction
4 CV

Are these new builds, or are they finishing? If they are new builds, they look like a mistake to me, since the won't arrive until '45. What the US should be building now are O-chits. They should be spending at least one a turn and frequently more, sometimes a lot more.

And I guess you really don't want to lose bigly because CVs take a long time to build. (Though as its 1943, its not so bad. Essexes start arriving in Sept/Oct).

I hope these are the 1942 Essexes. The five 1941 Essexes should hit the map S/O '42. See the 1998 WiF Annual to see how to pull this off. (https://www.matrixgames.com/forums/tm.asp?m=3472676)

The US never seemed to have a whole lot of production. They were on 10 for much of the game. Probably because they were not at war for so long.

I think the USN is going to be… considerably smaller than reality in this one. And they are getting 3 CVs this year and the rest I gusss maybe too late, as that was indeed first build.

If the US is supposed to build out CVs early, well, I’m afraid that definitely didnnt happen in this game. They built a lot of strat bombers and transports.

I guess they will move onto O chits from now on then!

[EUBanana]

Turns out that convoy point being sunk in the Bismarck Sea unhinged the entire Japanese defence. Well, that was lucky, for someone anyway.

They take a naval action and re-establish supply, but they can't use their LBA. So... they send out the Kido Butai. They only make it to the 2 box of the Coral Sea, though, which was sorta the American plan.

Aside from these Big Moves, in little moves, the damage to the convoy network is fixed, a TRN + CA go to the Bismarck sea to make sure supply is more robust in the future because that's embarassing, Yamato goes to the Bismarck Sea to try and kill the CL Marblehead (could make a movie about that for sure), and as they can get into the 4 box, the IJN sorties a large cruiser squadron to the Solomons and engage the tripwire forces there.

Japanese LBA looks like it'll be fully online next round but not this one.

The Italiasn do the usual and send out four cruisers to the 3 box of the Italian Sea, to make sure there's plenty of naval activations for all the combined actions that will be taken this turn...

[EUBanana]

The Italians and Allies find each other (which oddly means the Spitfire and Whirlwind defending the TRN in the 1 box don't appear - I guess if they were surprised and attacked specifically they would?) and the Allies use everything as a fighter, as they care more about not losing anything than destroying those four cruisers which are pretty much scrap iron atm.

The Axis are basically cleared out of the Med for this turn, though it does cost the Commonwealth an old Swordfish.



This is sorta what I meant when I asked a question in the war room about how to play italy... they've been trying t o use LBA to damage the Allied navy all game. And in my previous games. And I've never seen them achieve anything, even when they have a good number of Sparvieros and an escort. 3 CVs isn't that many, the Commonwealth can have a big Med Fleet right from the start if they want...

[EUBanana]

Looks like the Coral Sea is going to go badly for the Americans... the fleets find each other and that P38 looks a bit... lonely.

Next impulse there'll be two more LBA for the Americans... if there's anything left. Maybe I shoulda waited an impulse to set it all up.

Yeah that P38 looked a bit lonely... :/ This is gonna hurt.

[EUBanana]

Turns out to be a bit a disaster for the Americans as the TRN is found and sunk, though the AA claimed the best Japanese bomber present.

Despite the larger number of units it was still basically a skirmish... 1 CVA lost for a TRN + MAR. Though the Japanese now control the Coral Sea.

And then both sides abort, because I aborted the Japanese by mistake. Though on reflection that might not be a bad idea. Yamamoto will reorg three carriers in Truk so they are ready to parry other shenanigans.

[EUBanana]

Kursk is bombed, completely ineffectually.

Prior to this the Soviet airforce shot down a 7 factor German fighter (!) and saw off a Ju-88 that tried to bomb without escort next to Kursk. So yeah, the Luftwaffe has to fight to get through now.

[EUBanana]

Fair bit of combat on the eastern front... the O chit was used, so kinda had to.

Thought maybe it would be wiser to move up or use an air action and O chit next round but the weather in this game is so unpredictable planning impulse to impulse seems ab it rash unless it's a huge issue.

As it happened as Kursk was not bombed as planned, rather than attack Kursk the Germans attack on either side instead.