Best way for Allies to defend China early?

[ZOOMIE1980]

I continue to explore China strategies in a head to head game with myself. It is now late Feb 1942. China has blunted the Japanese push to clear the central rail line from Hanoi to Yenen. Japs are bogged down at Kweilin, Chinese forced a massive Jap retreat from Hengchow back to Changsa, Japs bogged down at Ichang, force another Jap retreat from Homan via 140,000 Chinese troops there. Only bright spot is Japs have secured the north.

Fearing being cut off, from the Lanchow direction, China has retreated from Homan to the crossroads at Sian and has massed almost 170,000 troops there. They have 70,000 in Ichang, 180,000 in Hengchow, and 110,000 in Kweilin. They got those numbers by emptying out central China entirely except for base forces an a few HQ units. There are still roughly 70,000 that were in the jungles down on the Vietnamese border, those are entering Yunan and will eventually be moved forward as well.

The Chinese SE Asia division have moved into Burma to make a big stand against the Japs at Mandalay. There are several Indican divisions and one crack British division and one more big British division and several amoured regiments heading there.

That force will eventually be crushed as the Japs are moving all but the Imperial Guards and the Mixed Brigades north into Burma in an all out effort to cut the Burma road.

The question is, can those division then be moved into China's "back door" via Yunan? Will enough supply trickle in over those trails? If it can, the Chinese could be in strategic trouble. We'll have to see, because Japan is not going anywhere in the main front for a long time.....

[esteban]

ORIGINAL: ZOOMIE1980

I continue to explore China strategies in a head to head game with myself. It is now late Feb 1942. China has blunted the Japanese push to clear the central rail line from Hanoi to Yenen. Japs are bogged down at Kweilin, Chinese forced a massive Jap retreat from Hengchow back to Changsa, Japs bogged down at Ichang, force another Jap retreat from Homan via 140,000 Chinese troops there. Only bright spot is Japs have secured the north.

Fearing being cut off, from the Lanchow direction, China has retreated from Homan to the crossroads at Sian and has massed almost 170,000 troops there. They have 70,000 in Ichang, 180,000 in Hengchow, and 110,000 in Kweilin. They got those numbers by emptying out central China entirely except for base forces an a few HQ units. There are still roughly 70,000 that were in the jungles down on the Vietnamese border, those are entering Yunan and will eventually be moved forward as well.

The Chinese SE Asia division have moved into Burma to make a big stand against the Japs at Mandalay. There are several Indican divisions and one crack British division and one more big British division and several amoured regiments heading there.

That force will eventually be crushed as the Japs are moving all but the Imperial Guards and the Mixed Brigades north into Burma in an all out effort to cut the Burma road.

The question is, can those division then be moved into China's "back door" via Yunan? Will enough supply trickle in over those trails? If it can, the Chinese could be in strategic trouble. We'll have to see, because Japan is not going anywhere in the main front for a long time.....

Like I said earlier. If the Chinese have stripped their rear area bases of infantry, use Japanese paratroopers to take these bases, and severely damage the heavy industry and perhaps the oil/resource centers there, and to cut Chinese supply lines to the front.

[Mr.Frag]

Can those who seem to be blitzing their way through China check to make sure the Chinese units are getting replacements? I'm somewhat baffled by the speed of advance some folks are seeing.

[ZOOMIE1980]

ORIGINAL: Mr.Frag

Can those who seem to be blitzing their way through China check to make sure the Chinese units are getting replacements? I'm somewhat baffled by the speed of advance some folks are seeing.

I cannot imagine Japan being able to move very fast after the Chinese start consolidating forces and moving forward. They must be doing it against the AI, who just leaves China as-is for the most part. A decent human player, playing China can turn that theater into a teeth grinder for Japan by late Dec 1941.