Supply in Burma and Vietnam

[canuckgamer]

In the PBEM game that we are playing it is March 1st and the Japanese have 9 ground units including 3 corps plus 7 air units in Burma advancing toward India. In Vietnam they have a further 7 ground units and 1 air attacking north against the Chinese. They don't have any supply issues because the supply from the railroads are treated the same as they are in War Plan Europe.
I think the supply rules have to be revised for WPE to reflect that the railroads in Burma and Vietnam were not as modern or extensive as those in western Europe. In addition getting supplies to units in jungle would in many instances have to be carried by personnel or mules not only because of the terrain but the road net was not as developed as western Europe. Historically the campaign was a statemate until late in the war with the Japanese not even getting close to India.
I checked the 1942 scenario and at the start the Japanese have a total of 6 divisions in Burma and Vietnam combined along with one HQ and one air unit.
I am curious about what players who have played multiple games of WPE experienced in regards to Burma and Vietnam.

[AlvaroSousa]

They get only port supply. Just because he has all these units it doesn't mean they are being fully supplied. The further they go from the port the more supply it costs the Japanese to supply these units.

And if he over commits here he is weak somewhere else. The Japanese simply don't have the resources to sustain an offensive on all fronts.

7 air in the area? Means he has no air anywhere else or shouldn't have.

[generalfdog]

Also air units take alot of supply and are the first to be reduced so he basically has 7 almost useless air in one spot and none elsewhere, so I would call it a win for you. the only way to kind of keep an offensive like that going is to pump supply trucks in to them but that gets expensive!

[canuckgamer]

We'll see how it goes but the Japanese don't have any supply issues because of the multiple ports that are connected by rail. Rangoon(4), Bangkok(8), Singapore(6), Kuala Lampur(3), Saigon(4), Haiphong(4), Quang Nai(2), and Kota Bharu(3) add up to 34 so they can supply 34X20 = 680 strength points.

The Japanese have so far destroyed about half dozen Allied ground units. The also have a number of naval units, providing ground support when attacking a coastal hex. If the UK counter with naval units the 7 Japanese air units along with their one or two CVs can attack them.

This is our second game and so far it seems to be a winning formula.

[Remington700]

The farther you get from a port, the more supply restrictions kick in. Like in North Africa with WarPlan. As India withdraws the harder it becomes on Japan. Look at the chart on page 59 of the manual. It does not take long for Japan to have units in Basic Supply - which means no replacements and very little effectiveness recovery. There is not enough supply to sustain major offensives from Burma and Vietnam. I do combine Indian divisions into small corps as soon as possible. And keep them in Garrison status. This keeps them from being overrun and slows enemy movement. Plus I bring in a couple of US infantry corps to help. Rather than build UK units early, I build up the Indian small corps quickly - as the Japanese divisions cannot to do much to them.

As for the large number of enemy air units, this can be advantageous to you. I leave the IAF as interceptors (research that tech for the UK) and put the "Ace" specialty on it as soon as possible. It cuts through the Japanese air units like butter. As was mentioned, Japan will soon have a bunch of grounded air units with few strength points.

***edit*** removed a piece to stay on point.

[canuckgamer]

It doesn't matter how far a rail hex is from a port as long as that rail hex is connected to the port by other friendly rail hexes, the supply value of the rail hex will be 9. You can be adjacent to Ledo as still have a supply level of 7. In the jungle, one hex off the rail line and it is a 6 supply level in WPP. If you have a road then it only decrease by one per hex. There is a a road on the coast leading to India. You don't really suffer much in the way of supply issues until you get to level 2 but even two hexes in the jungle from a rail hex will still give you a supply level 3.

I may be wrong but doesn't basic supply kick in when the supply requirements of the units tracing to ports exceed the supply capacity of the ports you hold that can be traced to? When I counted up the support capacity of the ports that are connected by rail it totaled 680 so until the total Japanese force supply requirements exceed that they will have normal supply. A Japanese corps requires 30 supply and as mentioned, there are 3 corps that I can see so even those three only total 90.

My friend who is playing the Japanese says he currently doesn't have any supply issues.

Thanks for the tips. I have been planning to send U.S. infantry but it is only turn 6 in our game and it is a long way from the west coast to India. I haven't been combining Indian divisions in to corps since I haven't been able to set up a solid line given the losses. Anytime there is a vacant hex between two friendly units the Japanese move in to that hex.

[AlvaroSousa]

The Japanese should be able to get to around Dacca or next to it but going from there West because really difficult. Then in 1943 and beyond the UK can push back.