Guadalcanal Invasion Question

[Dereck]

It's May29, 1942 in my game and and I'm beginning to get worried about the situation on Guadalcanal.

The Japanese invaded it back in February and now, according to IntelMonkey moved the 38th Division there also in February. I've spotted over 6,000 troops there along with some artillery and AFVs. It doesn't look like they have built an working airfield (yet) though but there is cargo ship activity around it from the intercepts my submarines have reported.

I have been planning to invade Lunga and have three divisions allocated for that purpose but in different stages of readiness.

I had been aiming for August but now I'm wondering if I should invade early.

Here's the planning level of the assault units:

Initial assault
o 2nd Marines, 2nd Marine Division - 100%
o 6th Marines, 2nd Marine Divison - 61%
o 8th Marines, 2nd Marine Division - 100%
o 2nd USMC Tank Battalion - 100%
o 110th Cmbt Engineer Battalion - 0%
o 2nd USMC FA Bn (155mm)
o 4th USA FA Bn (105mm)
o 198th USA FA Bn (155mm)

Floating reserve
o 164th Infantry, Americal Division - 22%
o 132nd Infantry, Americal Division - 51%
o 182nd Infantry, Americal Division - 42%

General reserve
27th Infantry, 25th Division - 22%
35th Infantry, 25th Division - 50%
161st Infantry, 25th Division - 51%

My air assets are:
o 5 USMC fighter squadron
o 4 USMC dive bomber squadrons
o 4 Navy patrol squadrons
o 2 RNZAF medium bomber squadrons
o 1 RNZAF patrol squadrons
o 1 RNZAF recon squadrons
o 6 USAAF fighter squadrons
o 5 USAAF heavy bomber squadrons

My naval assets in the region are:
o 2 carriers
o 2 battleships
o 5 heavy cruisers
o 10 light cruisers
o 36 destroyers
o 5 destroyer transports (most on ASW patrol)
o 15 minesweepers (most on ASW patrol)

o 3 repair ships
o 3 destroyer tender
o 4 seaplane tenders
o 4 miscellaneous auxiliaries
o 7 patrol boat tenders
o 4 oilers
o 2 ammunition ships
o 4 ammunition transports

o 25 AP transport ships
o 22 AK cargo ships
o 13 xAP transport ships
o 8 xAK cargo ships
o 7 xAKL cargo ships

I'm pretty comfortable with my air and naval assets and even the additional garrison regiments I have in the South Pacific.

But, if I want to invade as soon as I can get transports and cargo ships in place my questions are:

1. Does my initial assault division have enough planning for a non-atoll invasion to make this feasible?
2. Should I combine the Marine regiments into a division unit BEFORE or AFTER the assault?
3. Would the units land faster if I keep each unit in it's own task force or combine them together? (I'm planning on using more ships than needed for the units so they unload quicker)

[btd64]

What about supplies on hand in the area and you need more cargo ships to bring in the supply. Plus you will have to make a few trips to get all of those troops ashore. Do you have all of your troops in the theater?....GP

[btd64]

I like to get prepped to 100%....GP

[Dereck]

What about supplies on hand in the area and you need more cargo ships to bring in the supply. Plus you will have to make a few trips to get all of those troops ashore. Do you have all of your troops in the theater?....GP

Everything is already located in the South Pacific. After I see how my shipping situation is after I figure out what I need to transport everything I will be able to determine if I have enough cargo ships to bring in supplies until I can get more supplies from Pearl Harbor. For the most part I already have supply convoys going to Noumea, Suva and Pago Pago and have nearly 200k supply in Pago Pago, 100k in Suva and 80k at Noumea.

I'm not planning on invading this (or next turn) but just wanted to know if it was feasible if everything else was in order.

[BBfanboy]

1. You don't mention prep for the artillery so can't answer that. Do not land the combat engineers until the base is secure - they will lose too many squads in the surf and their replacement rate is slow. Marines & tank battalion have enough prep. You could bring the Army Regiments with 50 & 51% prep as a reserve second wave if the first wave can't do the job.

2 I would combine the Marines into a division (divisions get additional devices like AA and arty). Army units have different levels of prep so keep them as Regiments for now.

3. There is no speed of landing advantage of multiple TFs, but if you don't want them all to land in the first wave use separate TFs for each subsequent wave. Remember to set DO NOT UNLOAD when you make those TFs.

[Dereck]

1. You don't mention prep for the artillery so can't answer that. Do not land the combat engineers until the base is secure - they will lose too many squads in the surf and their replacement rate is slow. Marines & tank battalion have enough prep. You could bring the Army Regiments with 50 & 51% prep as a reserve second wave if the first wave can't do the job.

2 I would combine the Marines into a division (divisions get additional devices like AA and arty). Army units have different levels of prep so keep them as Regiments for now.

3. There is no speed of landing advantage of multiple TFs, but if you don't want them all to land in the first wave use separate TFs for each subsequent wave. Remember to set DO NOT UNLOAD when you make those TFs.

I thought that since they were "Combat" engineers they would help with combat engineering needs as opposed to "construction" engineers which I have slated for follow-up waves when I control the base.

[btd64]

Your divisions contain combat engineers....GP

[Sardaukar]

Combat Engineers are great on atolls, where you have to get the place in one turn. They reduce fort levels nicely (usually).

Outside atolls, they are useful, but not essential.

[RangerJoe]

Why invade Lunga? You can bypass it and Tulagi is a nice place for PT Boats. It could also hold ADs and AKEs to resupply ships for bombardment runs to Guadalcanal. Or invade at the other base on Guadalcanal, if you air drop on it you don't need preparation. Then you can unload your divisions there, march them through the jungle increasing fatigue with disruption, and then get lots of your devices destroyed attacking a division that you can isolate.

[Sardaukar]

Besides, I'd recommend combining those regiments to divisions when invading.

Regiments have higher chance to be destroyed in combat than divisions, battalion and companies even higher. Smaller the unit is, higher the risk.

Keeping them as regiments is useful for getting more replacements, though.

To add, Tank battalions are always great addition for invasions.

[BBfanboy]

1. You don't mention prep for the artillery so can't answer that. Do not land the combat engineers until the base is secure - they will lose too many squads in the surf and their replacement rate is slow. Marines & tank battalion have enough prep. You could bring the Army Regiments with 50 & 51% prep as a reserve second wave if the first wave can't do the job.

2 I would combine the Marines into a division (divisions get additional devices like AA and arty). Army units have different levels of prep so keep them as Regiments for now.

3. There is no speed of landing advantage of multiple TFs, but if you don't want them all to land in the first wave use separate TFs for each subsequent wave. Remember to set DO NOT UNLOAD when you make those TFs.

I thought that since they were "Combat" engineers they would help with combat engineering needs as opposed to "construction" engineers which I have slated for follow-up waves when I control the base.

Yes, combat engineers are useful in combat - but if you lose the squads and equipment in the surf while landing they will not contribute! In tests I did 'way back when' units with 0 prep lost up to 50% of their troops and equipment during a contested landing.

[Chris21wen]

Yes, combat engineers are useful in combat - but if you lose the squads and equipment in the surf while landing they will not contribute! In tests I did 'way back when' units with 0 prep lost up to 50% of their troops and equipment during a contested landing.

Isn't that one reason why prep is important if not essential? Irrespective of the amount of prep I'd alway land combat engineers with the main attack for their ability to combat fortifications.

[BBfanboy]

Yes, combat engineers are useful in combat - but if you lose the squads and equipment in the surf while landing they will not contribute! In tests I did 'way back when' units with 0 prep lost up to 50% of their troops and equipment during a contested landing.

Isn't that one reason why prep is important if not essential? Irrespective of the amount of prep I'd alway land combat engineers with the main attack for their ability to combat fortifications.

So prep is essential but you would land them anyway? The OP's CE's were at 0% prep. In my estimation that's too high a price to pay. Landing the next turn will result in much fewer casualties and they can have at the forts then. The combat troops can even delay their attack if they are not landing on an atoll.

[Sardaukar]

Since Guadalcanal is not an atoll, you can bring troops in gradually. Of course you need to land first with sufficient force to not to be beaten immediately.

[CaptBeefheart]

Strictly from the point of view of would you take Lunga (defended by 6,000 troops) with those forces, I'd say yes (and don't land the combat engineers).

However, there's no mention of the bigger picture, such as what aircraft he has flying from what bases in theater. Also, do you have bases on Ndeni or Luganville? I always like to take Tulagi while I'm at it as aircraft and ships can be based there. Also, dropping paras on Tassafaronga, like RangerJoe said, is a good idea. You can dump all your troops there without disruption once the base is taken.

Also, I hope you have a lot of SeaBees and/or EABs in the area.

Cheers,
CB

[Dereck]

Strictly from the point of view of would you take Lunga (defended by 6,000 troops) with those forces, I'd say yes (and don't land the combat engineers).

I've moved the combat engineers from the initial assault wave to the floating reserve so they won't take part in the actual assault. I guess it's a different matter, though, for atoll invasions?

However, there's no mention of the bigger picture, such as what aircraft he has flying from what bases in theater. Also, do you have bases on Ndeni or Luganville? I always like to take Tulagi while I'm at it as aircraft and ships can be based there. Also, dropping paras on Tassafaronga, like RangerJoe said, is a good idea. You can dump all your troops there without disruption once the base is taken.

So far the AI only has fighters on the base which I am bombing by B-17s from Luganville.

Ndeni is unoccupied by the AI and I haven't been able to occupy it myself so I'm not going to be within air transport range for a para drop.

The AI apparently has about 1800 troops on Tulagi. I intend to have the Americal Division in floating reserve so if it's not needed at Lunga I can use it to invade Tulagi. Otherwise I am holding the 25th Division in reserve that I can use once amphibious transports and cargo ships get freed up from the initial invasion wave.

Also, I hope you have a lot of SeaBees and/or EABs in the area.

I have engineer units spread out in all the bases along the New Hebrides - New Caledonia - Fiji - Samoa line building up base as well as all the SeaBee units that I have. If not there they are on the way from the West Coast.

Cheers,
CB

Sorry about the larger font but I wasn't sure how to change the text color.

[RangerJoe]

PBYs can drop paratroopers . . .

[Dereck]

PBYs can drop paratroopers . . .

I did not know that. Now to rearrange some things to get my 2nd Marine Parachute Bn from Suva to Luganville so they can be dropped.

Thanks

[RangerJoe]

PBYs can drop paratroopers . . .

I did not know that. Now to rearrange some things to get my 2nd Marine Parachute Bn from Suva to Luganville so they can be dropped.

Thanks

Check the range. But an AV can support the PBYs when they drop the paratroopers so you can move all of the necessary units into position.